Disclaimer: I do NOT own rights to any of the characters from Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
A/N: I'm giving serious thought to perhaps working on a 1940s set Puckurt story involving Detective Puckerman and Kurt "Lola" Hummel. For some reason the thought of Kurt perched on a stool in a smoky back room dive, singing sultry songs while Puck sits in a booth with a glass of bourbon and nothing to live for just tickles my writing funny bone. Time will tell if I ever follow through I guess.
Thank you for your reviews and to Yvette...
I want you to get a kitten for Peaches. I want to you to give Peaches the kitten and I want you to watch as Peaches falls in love with the kitten. Then in the dead of night I want you to sneak into his home and... punch him in the face. How dare his clumsiness break your computer ;-P
Chapter 38 – Glee Club Performances
There were no words to describe the sheer beauty of the brunette as he lay splayed and panting beneath Noah. The brunette had hinted throughout the evening that he wanted Noah to - 'take that final step' – but the jock had skilfully avoided going through with it and had satisfied his lover in other ways.
"No way does my Princess lose something that precious on a jetty." he'd said as the boy lay panting and red faced beneath him.
"But Noah..."
The brunette had pouted at him and tried to make himself look even more irresistible than he already did with his face flushed and his eyes bright.
Shaking his head though he was seriously tempted, Noah placed a kiss on the end of Kurt's nose before smiling at the boy.
"If you really want to that badly I'll think about it."
He couldn't help but chuckle at the enthusiastic nodding his statement elicited from the brunette.
Sitting up on his haunches, Noah looked down at the boy earnestly.
"I want it to be special though. I've... uh... I've done that kind of thing before... well not with a dude obviously... ah shit!"
Noah grimaced as his complete lack of articulation and ran his hand through his mohawk. Taking a breath he tried to finish his thought,
"It'll hurt you if we don't do it properly... I'm uh... much larger than you. I want to... God do I want to... but I want you to enjoy it and doing it here... doing it now, I know you wouldn't. And if you wouldn't, I won't."
He looked to Kurt hoping that his inelegant explanation had been enough to appease the brunette. The boy's eyes were sparkling with tears and for a moment Noah thought he'd screwed up.
"Oh Noah..."
The tears the smaller boy had been trying to hold back spilled over onto his pale cheeks as he clutched at the jock.
"Shh... I'm sorry Princess... I'm sorry..."
"You stupid...", Noah's face fell, "... sweet wonderful man."
The relief on the jock's expression was clear to see as the soprano cried happy tears onto his shoulder and light kisses and nips to his collarbone.
The chill of the night air was starting to become more noticeable as they cooled down from their exertions and Noah reached over to slip his top back on.
Kurt was simply lying on the decking with his eyes closed and a beautific expression on his face. Noah was loathe to disturb the brunette but he knew if he didn't that he'd drop off to sleep and Kurt was cranky as hell if he was woken from a nap.
"Princess... Princess... Kurt!", the smaller boy's eyes snapped open and he glared at Noah who grinned back unrepentant.
'God I love it when he glares at me'
"We have to go Kurt... it's getting late."
The brunette groaned as he sat up, feeling the cold more prominently as the sweat on his naked torso was exposed to the breeze.
Reaching out he accepted with a smile, his shirt which Noah had retrieved for him before buttoning it up. Getting to his feet, he bent at the waist to retrieve his discarded underwear, delighting in the pained groan that emitted from his boyfriend at the view.
"You're trying to kill me aren't you?"
Knowing exactly what he'd done, Kurt turned to the boy as he slipped on his underwear, feigning an expression of puzzlement.
"No Noah... not kill me... fuck me..."
The teasing smile on Kurt's face vanished as he took in the angry visage of his boyfriend.
"I will never fuck you Kurt.", the distraught expression on the brunette's face combined with Noah's own harsh tone of voice led to him trying to explain.
"I've fucked a lot of people I liked. And quite a few I didn't. I don't want to include you in that list. I don't want to ever fuck you because I love you Kurt. I want it to mean more than that."
The first indication Noah got that his words had been well received was a pants-less brunette blur colliding with his chest as Kurt rained kisses down on every inch of exposed skin he could.
"I love you Noah. I love you so much I... I don't have words for it."
Settling down and snuggling against Noah, Kurt mumbled into his chest,
"Soon though. I want you to love me soon."
"Me love you long time..." quipped the jock in an atrocious Vietnamese accent. Kurt giggled before replying,
"You already sucky sucky..."
Sobering up and placing a final kiss onto Noah's neck, Kurt stepped back and collected his pants, hitching the belt and waiting for the jock to slip on his sneakers.
Walking back to the truck hand in hand, Noah couldn't help but marvel at the changes in him the little brunette had brought over the past weeks. Had it really only been 3 weeks since he'd sat shivering and miserable on the Hummel's porch?
Squeezing the hand in his, he smiled at the curious look from Kurt, before popping open the passenger side door and helping the boy into the truck. One final passionate kiss later which left both of them panting, Noah slammed the door and rounded the truck to climb in himself.
Putting the key in the ignition, Noah looked concerned as the engine on the old truck whined but didn't catch. Once, twice, three times he tried all with the same result.
His good mood from the afterglow of their sexual escapades rapidly becoming a distant memory Noah slammed his hands on the wheel before cursing,
"Fuck!"
Looking apologetically at Kurt he sighed and palmed his face,
"Sorry Princess... guess we'll be here longer than I thought."
Rolling his eyes at the jock, Kurt took charge.
"Pop the hood, Noah."
The jock to his eternal shame let stereotypes lead his reaction as he simply raised a disbelieving eyebrow at the brunette.
Noah realised he'd done something wrong when the brunette scowled at him and crossed his arms defiantly.
"Just because I like nice clothes and make-up and I'm gay, it doesn't make me incapable Noah."
"I never said you were incapable..." Noah was truly confused having no idea what he'd said to rile the boy up so much.
"Who's my Dad Noah?"
"Burt... oh..."
Clarity was achieved and Noah had the good grace to blush as he ducked his head.
"Yes Noah...oh... Burt Hummel the mechanic and owner of how many garages in this town?"
The sarcasm was dripping from every syllable and Noah realised he'd hit a sore spot on the soprano,
"I've spent half of my life working with my dad in the shop. I'm actually qualified to do a full service on this truck and on Lola if I ever wanted to."
Noah didn't bother arguing with the incensed soprano, he simply reached down and pulled on the hood release, the dull clunk as the catch disengaged the only sound other than Kurt's breath through his flared nostrils.
Without a word, Kurt grabbed the handle on his door as he hopped from the truck.
Noah watched as Kurt walked round to the front of the truck before he took his time rolling back the cuffs of his dandy-shirt. Placing his foot on the bumper Noah watched in awe as the soprano hoisted the hood and locked it into it's upright position.
Now unable to see anything other than the pock marked metal of the hood, Noah hopped from the truck himself.
Kurt had by now braced himself fully on the bumper as he leaned bodily into the engine well and fiddled with some leads. Calling over his shoulder to the jock he commented,
"You're going to have to bring this into the shop for me to take a look at Noah... I don't know how this thing kept going as long as it did."
Kurt knew that he would be inciting the other boy with his comments, Noah was just as possessive and protective about his truck as Kurt was about Lola. He was surprised therefore when there was no snappy response from the jock.
Finishing reconnecting the loose lead which had prevented the starter motor from catching, Noah hopped back down to the ground, wiping away some moisture from his cheek.
Turning to Noah, he looked at the taller boy perplexed at the hungry expression on his face.
"Jesus that's hot..." mumbled the jock causing the brunette to blush.
Noah had stood entranced as Kurt's ass had wiggled to and fro as he'd worked on the engine. The brunette's sinfully tight pants stretched over his perfectly round ass and Noah had to fight that the urge to simply ravish the boy without warning. The desire was so great he had to clench his hands into fists in order to force himself to hold back.
He'd not heard a word Kurt had said about the poor state of his truck as he'd simply drunk in the sight of the smaller boy as he'd hopped down and faced him with a smear of engine grease on his pale cheek.
'Jesus that's hot...'
He had no idea that he'd spoken aloud as he stepped forward, his control completely gone. Noah snatched the smaller boy up into a bruising kiss, his arousal pressing firmly into the smaller boy's stomach.
Kurt deepened the kiss automatically and wound his arms around the jock's neck. He could feel the boy's hard length pressing against him and the realisation that him simply fixing an engine could do that to the boy sent a thrill through him.
Breaking the kiss due to lack of oxygen, Kurt growled as Noah pounced on his neck, licking, kissing and nipping at the sensitive skin.
The larger boy was thrusting his hips against the brunette who was whimpering as each stroke ran the length of his own cock which was hard in his pants.
"Noah... don't stop." panted the smaller boy before mewling in delicious agony as the larger boy's cock butted against his own.
Noah shifted them around until he could grab the bar holding up the hood while still attacking the boy's neck with his teeth. Keeping a firm grip Noah lowered the hood, releasing it an inch above the catch, hearing it lock into place with a resonating crash.
His hands now once again unoccupied he moved them to the front of the soprano's pants, giving the brunette's stiff cock a quick squeeze. Unbuttoning the boy's trousers, he stopped his attack on the boy's neck before concentrating on removing both Kurt's pants and his underwear.
"Noah... I just got dressed..." whined the boy half-heartedly.
Kurt squeaked as Noah bodily lifted him and sat him on the hood of the truck. Stepping into his embrace, Kurt wrapped his arms around the jock's neck as they kissed again, their tongues duelling for dominance.
Noah had been considering doing something for a while now that he ordinarily would never have considered. His lust for the pale boy however drove him to want to be the best lover for his boyfriend that he could.
Reaching between them Noah took a light grip of Kurt's cock, stroking it and making the boy's head fall back exposing his pale creamy throat.
"Lie back Princess..." instructed Noah as he continued teasing the boy's manhood. Running the pad of his thumb over the mushroom head, Noah collected up the boy's precum before popping the digit into his mouth and savouring the taste.
Kurt lay prostrate with Noah's hand pumping gently on his cock, not enough to get him to climax but enough to keep him mewling and on edge.
"So fucking hot seeing you being so manly Princess... my manly Princess..."
Noah was rambling as he nuzzled the soprano's cock before taking the head into his mouth,
"Oh fuck!" cried Kurt as his eyes rolled back in his head. He had no basis for comparison of course but he felt that Noah had to have one of the most velvety smooth tongues in existence.
Noah lapped at the mushroom head of Kurt's cock as he bobbed, hollowing his cheeks on the upstroke and continuing his slow pumping in concert.
Kurt could feel himself coming apart, Noah's mouth was doing heavenly things to him and he was having trouble stringing a coherent thought together.
Tensing, Kurt's eyes snapped open at the new sensation of a finger ghosting over his rosebud. Looking to his boyfriend he saw his eyes asking for permission while his mouth continued it's assault without pause.
Throwing his head back again, he settled in to let the jock do whatever he wanted.
Noah taking this as his boyfriend's assent ran his finger over Kurt's asshole again, feeling the boy's cock twitch against his tongue as he did so.
Breaking his suction, Noah slicked up his index finger with saliva before resuming his sucking and slipping his finger into the crease of Kurt's ass.
Kurt by now understood what Noah intended and though he trusted Noah to be gentle with him he was apprehensive too.
As if sensing this, Noah popped Kurt's cock from his mouth again with a wet smack,
"Don't worry Princess... just relax... and if you want me to stop I will."
Nodding and biting his lip Kurt felt the probing finger rub at his back entrance working the tense sphincter until it relaxed.
He was relieved to find that he liked the feelings shooting through him and straight to his cock, which was standing proud and weeping more precum than he thought it ever had before.
Kurt cried out in momentary shock as Noah's thick finger disappeared into his asshole up to the first knuckle. Noah didn't move at all, just letting Kurt get used to the intrusion. His own erection as hard as steel as he reached down to palm himself through his jeans.
Finally the tightly clamping sphincter relaxed slightly and Noah started to rock his finger back and forth as he gave up stimulating himself to focus on the softly panting soprano.
Wrapping his hand around Kurt's cock he marvelled at how straight the pole of flesh was. Timing his moves to match, Noah slipped Kurt's cock all the way into his mouth in one stroke, as he thrust the remainder of his finger inside the boy.
The result was explosive.
"Oh... fuuuuuuucckkkkkkk... fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.", chanted Kurt as his head thrashed from side to side.
Noah was proud of the fact that he'd been able to swallow all of Kurt's cock as he could feel the spongy head pressing against the back of his throat.
Remembering what he'd read from his research on the internet and being guided by his own innate skill as a lover, Noah took a deep breath through his nose and swallowed.
"Aaaaaahahahahahaha!", It was a strange reaction to have your first time being deepthroated but Noah could forgive his boyfriend's need to let out a hysterical laugh. The laughter gave way just seconds later to a deep howling as Noah squeezed and inhaled as hard as he could while his questing finger found it's intended target.
Curling his finger, he brushed it against the little nubbin and growled in pleasure as he felt the soprano's cock try to leap out of his throat.
"Noah, Noah, Noah, Noah, Noah..." Kurt was delirious with sensation and his hair was matted to his head with sweat. The cold of the night had been completely forgotten as his pale flesh burned for the larger boy.
Brushing the boy's prostate again, he felt the boy tense, his back arching off the hood. Bellowing like a wounded animal Kurt felt his balls contract and he came like a freight train, his vision going white.
Feeling the first pulse from Kurt's cock, Noah pulled back and just he held his mouth in place over the glans as he collected up strand after strand of the boy's offering. The first time he'd tasted Kurt's cum he'd decided he didn't like it, however the more he sucked off the boy the more he came to find he craved the white fluid.
Finally Kurt's body went completely limp save from the rapid rise and fall of his chest. Slipping Kurt's cock from his mouth, having still to swallow Noah withdrew his finger from the boy's ass. He would have been a fool not to notice the slight whimper from the brunette at the loss.
Kurt's eye cracked open as his dazed expression cleared and he focused on Noah's face. The jock seeing his boyfriend was finally lucid again, opened his mouth and displayed his tongue, painted with the boy's seed.
Kurt's eyes widened as he watched the boy's lips close and his Adam's apple bob, before his now pink tongue quested out to lick his lips.
"So... how was that?" asked Noah a wide grin on his face at the brunette's stupefied expression.
Kurt couldn't form words so settled for nodding emphatically with a smile on his face.
Noah bent down and retrieved Kurt's underwear before he assisted the boy in slipping them back on.
Helping the boy down from the hood, supporting him slightly when his legs gave out under him, Noah handed him back his pants and the brunette slipped them back on.
"Will the truck start now?", asked Noah.
Clearing his throat, which was scratchy from his earlier vocal acrobatics Kurt replied.
"Should do... it was just a loose connection."
Nodding Noah helped Kurt into the passenger seat again before climbing into the driver's side.
The pair locked eyes as Noah turned the key and the engine roared to life. Kurt looked satisfied, in more than one way, as he laid his head against the window, his eyes slipping closed.
Noah let the boy sleep as he navigated back up the single track road and onto the Highway. The soprano didn't move other than to shift slightly when Noah took a corner too fast. He never woke though until the truck pulled up outside the Hummel house some time later.
"Kurt... you're home Princess..."
Kurt's baby blues fluttered open and a smile blossomed on his face as he realised who was waking him. Stretching and yawning he looked out the window and saw that the porch light was still on,
'Dad must still be awake'
Leaning over the centre console, Kurt kissed Noah trying to convey his gratitude for the earlier act and for being with him at all. Breaking apart, Kurt whispered,
"Goodnight my Prince...", before opening the door and hopping out to head up the garden path.
'Goodnight my Princess', thought Noah as the truck peeled away from the curb.
Arriving back at his house, Noah saw that the lights were still on despite the late hour. Crossing the yard and entering the kitchen he could hear Q talking to someone,
"No he's not... oh... hang on... yeah... here he is now..."
Walking into the kitchen on the cordless was Q who mouthed 'it's your Mom' as Noah sighed and took the offered handset.
His Mom had taken to calling regularly ever since she had headed back to Utah. Normally their conversations had been emotionless and his responses monosyllabic. Tonight however his Mom's tone of voice gave him pause,
'Something's wrong...'
"Ma... Ma... calm down..."
Lilith was clearly freaking out over something but she was too worked up to properly form a sentence explaining what.
'She can't know can she? Had he been careless? Was she calling to tell him he was to come to Utah?'
Quinn obviously understood where Noah's thoughts would inevitably lead and she remained by his side offering her silent support. He listened as his Mom tried to control herself and her speech slowly became more coherent,
"Sarah... fall... hospital... dancing..."
'Shit... something happened to Sarah?'
"Ma... Ma... what happened to Sarah?", Quinn shot him an anxious look of concern at the mention of the precocious preteen.
Finally Lilith's panic had abated and she spoke clearly,
"Sarah was top of a pyramid... one of the other girls dropped her... she fell... 15 feet Noah... she was so still..." The emotion in Lilith's voice was hard to deny and despite everything Noah's familial instincts won out.
"Is... is she OK?", Noah's voice cracked in concern for his little sister as Quinn placed her arm on his in support.
"They think so... but she's got a broken leg Noah... we're coming home tomorrow... she's going to be heartbroken that she can't dance anymore..."
The tension in Noah's posture lessened at the news his sister wasn't in life threatening danger and he offered a wan smile to Q.
"A broken leg we can deal with Ma... just... just be glad it wasn't worse. What time does your flight get in... I'll pick you up."
"Thank you Noah...", the gratitude in Lilith's voice was completely honest and her tone was warm, "... I was dreading trying to get a cab driver to help get your sister in and out her wheelchair."
"Don't mention it... what time?"
His Mom told him and he wrote it down on the pad by the answerphone.
"Noah... I have to go she's coming around from all the drugs they gave her..."
"Alright Ma... tell Sarah I love her... I'll see you both tomorrow."
Hanging up the phone, Noah let his arms go limp as Quinn embraced him without speaking.
"Thanks Q..." he said his voice husky with repressed emotion.
"So they're coming home? Tomorrow?"
Nodding he placed the phone back on it's cradle and replied,
"Yeah... I'll go pick them up from the airport before Glee tomorrow."
Sighing Noah rubbed his tired eyes before he spoke softly,
"Do me a favour and pick up a couple of tickets for the Cheerios Exhibition will ya?", the blond just nodded in affirmation, "... Sarah will need cheering up if she's going to be stuck in a wheelchair for any period of time..."
Placing a kiss on the girl's temple he brushed past her and padded up the stairs.
"I'm going to hit the sack Q... thanks again..."
Ten minutes later, Noah was passed out asleep on his bed, shirtless and with one shoe missing but otherwise fully dressed.
Waking the following morning Noah went through his morning routine automatically. As he would have to drive to and from the airport he text Santana to let her know about Sarah and that he'd not be able to meet her before first period for their usual parade through the school hallways.
He never received a reply.
'Bitch'
Heading out the door at the same time as Q, she climbed into her yellow Mazda and drove off, while Noah headed to the garage and his Mom's station wagon.
Reversing the old jalopy onto the road he grimaced realising people would see him in this piece of crap. Unfortunately though if he was picking up two people and a wheelchair and bags, he'd need the additional space the wagon offered.
At the intersection, Noah turned in the direction of the airport as he fiddled with the radio trying to find a decent station. Finally giving it up as a bad job, Noah switched the radio off entirely and winced as the act caused the old electrics in the car to make the wipers twitch.
An hour and a half of silence later found Noah sitting outside the terminal in a disabled bay waiting for his Mom and Sarah to appear. Finally spotting the familiar outline of his Mom pushing a wheelchair bound Sarah, he hopped out of the car and jogged over to them.
"Ma...", he nodded at the woman before his attention was stolen away by the miserable looking girl with her leg in plaster.
"Hey Nugget...", he said crouching down and offering the girl a hug.
"Hey Noah..." the girl sounded understandably glum.
"How you feeling?" he asked while ruffling her hair.
A little fire returned as she glared at the jock for messing up her do,
'She's like Kurt in that way...'
"Noah... the hair... watch the hair..." she grumbled.
A genuine laugh bubbled up from Noah, partly at the whining tone and partly in relief that his sister, though she may be a bit banged up, was still the same little girl he remembered.
Standing he took up his Mom's former position behind the wheelchair. Ignoring the grateful look the woman shot him, he wasn't doing it for her, he chattered to Sarah to try to keep her spirits up as he wheeled them across the lot.
Getting his sister into the back seat and comfortable was a lot harder than Noah had imagined it would be. Every movement even with the cast on caused the girl pain and it tore at Noah's heart to see the tears glistening in the girl's eyes.
After he'd apologised for about the millionth time, Sarah had snapped at him,
"Just get me in the damn car Noah..."
"Language Sarah..." warned Lilith as the girl in question just rolled her eyes.
"It's going to hurt me one way or the other... just get me in there."
Reluctantly nodding his head, Noah gripped the girl under her arms and lifted.
The girl cried out in pain but just a second later she was safely ensconced along the length of the back seat. Her grateful smile despite the pain she was obviously in caused Noah's heart to warm slightly.
"I missed you Nugget..."
Closing the back door he rounded the wagon and climbed into the driver's seat. Lilith had immediately set to finding her favourite station and the entire journey was taken up by wincing from Sarah as Noah hit a pothole or by Dolly Parton or Kenny Rogers coming from the radio.
"So what classes are you missing this morning Noah?", asked Lilith just as they reached the outskirts of Lima.
"Spanish and Socio-Economics... no biggy..." he answered.
"I have a performance in Glee this afternoon though so I'll have to go in for that. Oh and... there's a Cheerios Exhibition tomorrow up at the school... I got you and Sarah tickets in case you wanted to go. I might, if my performance in Glee goes well, be performing as part of the show."
Sarah perked up as she'd always liked watching the Cheerios when she'd been to see Noah play football – truth be told she preferred watching the Cheerleaders to the footballers. They were so elegant and graceful. She wanted to be a Cheerio when she got older. If she ever walked again that was.
"Oh Mom... can we... please?"
Lilith initially looked sceptical because of the thoughtful gift from her son given their recently fraught relationship. Realising however that he'd not done it with her in mind, she conceded and replied to her daughter,
"Of course we'll go sweetie. Now thank your brother for the tickets."
The girl had clearly spent too long with Q as she affected a coy look which Noah observed in the rearview mirror before fluttering her eyelashes,
"Thank you Noah..."
He just laughed as he replied,
"You're welcome Nugget."
Kurt was starting to panic and it was not good for him to panic. His heart rate would increase, he'd jump at the slightest sound and he'd gesticulate wildly at the drop of a hat.
The gesticulation part was what got him in most trouble that afternoon. Especially when it resulted in a probable black eye for Santana.
He'd been filling his book bag at his locker while he'd been rambling hurriedly to Mercedes. Noah hadn't arrived at school that morning and he hadn't answered his cell. If he didn't come in for Glee they could kiss their chances of performing at the Cheerios Exhibition goodbye.
Not looking behind him, Kurt had thrown his arms out to the side only to freeze in shock when he felt a meaty impact and heard a grunt of pain.
Turning full circle he couldn't see anyone other than Mercedes in the hallway, before he followed the girl's eye-line. The urge to smile and laugh warred with his genuine shock as he took in the dazed Latina currently sitting on her ass on the floor with a hand over her left eye.
"Oh Santana. Sorry. Didn't see you there see I was panicking and there were the arms and the face and sorry."
The girl just glared at the soprano with undisguised loathing before picking herself up off the floor and stalking off in the direction of the nearest bathroom. The moment Santana was out of earshot Mercedes couldn't keep it in any longer. Her belly laugh reverberated off the lockers and caused Kurt to start chuckling too.
"Oh Kurt... I've wanted to do that to the bitch for days... and you... by accident." The girl was doubled over as big fat tears ran down her face.
Kurt wasn't much better as he tried not to cry however as he'd just reapplied his mascara before Glee.
"I... I didn't mean to... but I so enjoyed it..."
Closing his locker with a bang the pair headed off to Glee.
Santana had been plotting all morning. She was now aware of her boyfriend's continued dalliance with the school's resident homo. She'd been trying to work out the best way to ruin both Puck and 'the Fag' without sullying her own rather ropey reputation any farther.
She couldn't think of any way to do it. So she'd kept quiet. She'd sat not fifteen feet from the Fag during History and had said nothing. She'd sat not more than ten from him during Biology and had said nothing.
But now... being less than five feet from him as he filled his bag and inanely chattered to Mercedes, she just had to have a pop at him.
Marching up behind him, she glared in warning at Aretha and at the back of the Fag's head as she willed him to turn round. She wasn't surprised then when the boy twitched and shifted rapidly.
She didn't expect him to clock her in the head though.
She landed on her ass on the tiles with a startled grunt. Her left eye was throbbing and she raised a hand to press against the injury. She could see with her other eye Aretha looking at her, with a moronic slack-jawed expression on her face that she'd come to expect from the girl.
She'd watched as the Fag turned in a circle and didn't spot her and had the urge to kick out at him from her position on the floor.
When the boy had finally turned to locate her she'd seen in his eyes the triumph and satisfaction which he'd attempted to cover with his rushed apology.
'Little homo doesn't think I know'
Deciding there was no way to salvage the situation, she picked herself up off the floor and stalked away without a word in search of the nearest bathroom.
'That better not be a bruise'
Entering the Choir Room Kurt's stomach dropped.
'He's not here. He bailed on me. Why would he bail on me?'
Kurt's shoulders slumped and he collapsed into a chair beside Finn and Tina.
"Hey Kurt... why the long face?" asked the Quarterback.
"Noah's not here... I don't know where he is..."
It was at that moment that Quinn entered the room and made a beeline for the soprano.
"Kurt. Noah will be here. He says he's sorry but Sarah had an accident and he had to go pick up her and his Mom from the airport."
'He didn't abandon me... oh and I thought the worst of him too'
Finn and Tina broke from their last minute rehearsal to listen in. Kurt realising he hadn't responded to the blonde asked,
"Is Sarah alright?"
Quinn grimaced and shrugged while Finn asked,
"Hey, how do you know Puck's sister's name is Sarah?"
Ignoring the Quarterback, Quinn answered Kurt's question.
"Broken leg. Could have been a lot worse by the sound of it. I've never fallen from the top of a human pyramid before but I've seen girls who have. It's not pretty."
All four of the assembled gleeks winced at the imagined pain of the impact.
Before they could get any further into their ruminations, Noah came barrelling into the room at speed and out of breath.
"Kurt... sorry... I'm here... sorry..."
Doubled over with his hands on his knees he simply waved at the boy in apology while he tried to catch his breath.
Kurt was prevented from speaking however by the entrance of Mr Schue followed by a sullen Latina sporting the beginnings of an impressive black eye.
The brunette tried to keep a straight face when Mercedes started to giggle beside him. Shushing her and noting the glare Santana shot his way, with more venom than usual, he waited for the teacher to speak.
"OK guys. This is it. What you've all been working towards for the last few weeks. Tomorrow, two of you will perform your song in front of a packed house at the Cheerios Exhibition. I hear that the tickets have all sold out..."
Noah glanced at Q and received a nod to confirm that she'd snagged his.
'Thank God for that girl... seriously'
"... so who wants to go first?", finished Mr Schue looking to the assembled gleeks. Nobody was surprised when Rachel's hand shot up and Brittany rolled her eyes.
'Poor Britt... she must have spent hours with Rachel... need to take her to the spa after this', thought Kurt.
Mr Schue tried to hide his grin but he failed miserably.
"OK then. Rachel and Brittany the floor is yours."
The pairs rendition of "When You Believe" was almost flawless, however as they reached the final kick-ass chorus...,
"There can be miracles
When you believe
Though hope is frail
It's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles
You can achieve
When you believe
Somehow you will, how you will
You will when you believe
You will when you believe
Just believe
You will when you believe
Just believe
You will when you believe"
…and the final strains of died away, it was clear that Rachel, ever intent on being the star had completely drowned out Brittany's perfectly pitched but much weaker vocals.
By the time the healthy applause had ended, Brittany just seemed relieved that the ordeal was over. When Rachel saw her expression she couldn't help herself,
"Did you not like it Britt? It was your song choice after all."
The blonde girl just stared back at the prima donna, twirling a strand of hair in her right hand.
"Oh no. I like the song. I just hope someone else is chosen. I... working with you is like really hard?"
Rachel's face fell before her own self-confidence caused her to flick her hair and reply,
"I know I'm driven. When you have my talent you have to be otherwise you'll fail to achieve. Maybe you just don't want to achieve as much as I do. That's OK. Some people are happy to be mediocre."
Rising from his chair before his girlfriend could process the heinous insult Rachel had just fired at the Dutch girl, Mike latched onto her hand and pulled her off to the side to provide his own personal brand of critique.
Taking the natural break in the conversation Mr Schue cleared his throat,
"OK. Finn and Tina how about you next?"
Eyebrows were raised when Finn, who had previously shown no interest in playing any instrument, picked up an acoustic guitar and settled himself on a stool.
Tina meanwhile took up position just off to the side of the Quarterback as he counted himself in and the opening bars of 'Leather and Lace' washed over the assembled group while Tina picked up the vocals.
"Is love so fragile...
And the heart so hollow
Shatter with words...
Impossible to follow
You're saying I'm fragile... I try not to be
I search only... for something I can't see
I have my own life... and I am stronger
Than you know
But I carry this feeling
When you walked into my house
That you won't be walking out the door
Still I carry this feeling
When you walked into my house
That you won't be walking out the door"
As well executed as the vocals were and as stunningly competent was Finn's instrumental accompaniment, there was a lack of chemistry between the Quarterback and the Goth that drew attention away from the power of the lyrics.
Lovers forever... face to face
My city or mountains
Stay with me stay
I need you to love me
I need you today
Give to me your leather...
Take from me... my lace
You in the moonlight
With your sleepy eyes
Could you ever love a man like me
And you were right
When I walked into your house
I knew I'd never want to leave
Sometimes I'm a strong man
Sometimes cold and scared
And sometimes I cry
But that time I saw you
I knew with you to light my nights
Somehow I'd get by
First time I saw you
I knew with you to light my nights
Somehow I would get by"
Kurt also realised that though Finn had dutifully learned the lyrics, he had not given true consideration to what they meant. Sometimes Finn truly did have the emotional depth of a tea spoon.
"Lovers forever... face to face
My city or mountains
Stay with me stay
I need you to love me
I need you today
Give to me your leather...
Take from me... my lace
Lovers forever... face to face
My city or mountains
Stay with me stay
I need you to love me
I need you to stay
Give to me your leather
Take from me... my lace
Take from me... my lace
Take from me... my lace"
The final notes strummed, Finn set the guitar down before standing and embracing the girl in a warm hug. Each of them knew that although their performance had been good, it had not been good enough.
They still received a warm reception from the group however and hearty congratulations were offered to Finn by Mr Schue for having pushed himself to learn to play an instrument. Obviously unused to the praise, the Quarterback had ducked his head in an 'aw shucks' moment that the rest of the group found amusing.
As Mercedes and Matt took up their positions a number of eyebrows were raised at the fact that they were voluntarily holding hands and gazing into each others eyes.
As Brad picked up the opening bars to 'Surrender to Me' from Tequila Sunrise, Kurt realised that they'd obviously chosen the song for sentimental as well as artistic reasons.
"Is it that we've been together much too long?
The answer may not be in black and white.
We're always trying to prove who's right or wrong,
Yet now we're giving up without a fight.
But I know when you're gone,
I'll wish I held on.
So, baby, surrender to me.
There'll be no holding back now.
So, baby, surrender to me tonight.
I don't want our love to cause you so much pain.
If this is how it's going to be, I'll walk away.
Oh, neither one of us should ever say goodbye.
Let's forget about the past and who's to blame,
'Cause when this is all gone,
We'll wish we'd held on."
Kurt chanced a glance at Noah and saw that he too realised that their friend's performance might be one of the main obstacles to their winning. Mercedes and Matt's vocals entwined in a glorious melange of sound.
"So, baby, surrender to me.
There'll be no holding back now.
So, baby, surrender to me tonight.
How could this love be in danger
That used to be so good, so right?
To think that fate could make us strangers
Has thrown me in your arms tonight!
So, baby, surrender to me.
There'll be no holding back now.
So, baby, surrender to me tonight.
So, baby, surrender."
Kurt and Quinn were both on their feet applauding before the final note had been sung. The couple had absolutely nailed the song and it was by far the best performance thus far.
Mr Schue was applauding enthusiastically too especially pleased with seeing how the girl had toned her usually oppressive vocals down, in order to allow her more vocally inexperienced partner to take centre stage. It was what he'd hoped Rachel would have learned from her experience with Brittany.
'Can't win 'em all Will...'
Announcing a short comfort break, specifically for the benefit of Brad who had been regretting his double shot espresso since the first chorus of 'Leather and Lace'. Mr Schue took the opportunity to go chat up Miss Pillsbury who had wandered past during the last song and had hovered in the doorway.
Leaning over to Mercedes and Matt, Kurt offered his congratulations again,
"That was an awesome performance guys, 'cedes obviously brings out the best in you Matt."
The jock nodded demurely and looked embarrassed but Mercedes simply grabbed him in a lip-lock which left the boy even more speechless than usual and a little dazed. Those that had witnessed the clinch all giggled at the look on Matt's face.
Santana had been sitting in the corner by herself. She'd told Mike to sit on the other side of the room and had been glaring the entire period at Puck and the Fag. She was getting increasingly annoyed however at their lack of response, or even acknowledgement.
Santana Lopez did not get ignored.
Watching them now she didn't understand how she could have been so blind. The pair even when they were talking to other people, oriented themselves to face each other. They shared coy smiles and brushed fingertips in a way that looked innocent but Santana now realised were anything but.
It made her sick.
The song she'd selected to perform with Mike was one of her all-time favourites and she knew the lyrics off by heart. She hadn't practiced much with 'Other Asian' given she'd spent most of her time with Puck.
'What a waste that turned out to be.'
Still she'd given Mike a copy of the song and he'd been instructed to learn his part. It would be OK.
Finally breaking her ineffectual glare she realised Mr Schue had finished his creepy 'eye make-out' session with Miss Pillsbury and that Brad was back looking very much relieved behind the piano.
"OK guys. We've had three performances so far and they've all be excellent. Now we have another three. After that we'll take a vote on who we think should perform. And just so you know, you can't vote for your own pairing."
The group groaned as their teenage scheming minds had already calculated their odds based on that exact outcome.
Mr Schue just smirked at the group before indicating to Quinn and Artie that they were up.
The pair got into position and the song began,
"I've been wandering around the house all night
wondering what the hell to do
Yeah, I'm trying to concentrate but all I can think of is you
well the phone don't ring 'cause my friends ain't home
I'm tired of being all alone
Got the TV on 'cause the radio's playing
songs that remind me of you
Baby when you're gone, I realize I'm in love
days go on and on, and the nights just seem so long
Even food don't taste that good, drink ain't doing what it should
things just feel so wrong, baby when you're gone"
Quinn and Artie had worked extensively on a choreography that would work with the lyrics of the song. They had watched the music video where the two singers entered and left rooms never running into each other and they adapted it to their needs.
At points they would face forward not looking at each other before one would look away while the other would look in their direction and vice versa.
"I keep driving up and down these streets
trying to find somewhere to go
Yeah I'm looking for a familiar face, but there's no one I know
oh, this is torture, this is pain, it feels like I'm gonna go insane
I hope you're coming back real soon, 'cause i don't know what to do
Baby when you're gone, I realize I'm in love
days go on and on, and the nights just seem so long
Even food don't taste that good, drink ain't doing what it should
things just feel so wrong, baby when you're gone"
There wasn't a toe in the room that wasn't involuntarily tapping along with the beat as Quinn and Artie had fun with the performance. As they geared up for the final chorus, Kurt had to place a hand on Mercedes arm to remind her not to join in.
"Baby when you're gone, I realize I'm in love
days go on and on and the nights just seem so long
Even food don't taste that good, drink ain't doing what it should
things just feel so wrong, baby when you're gone."
The applause was thunderous as an out of breath Quinn and a red-faced Artie took their bows.
"That was awesome guys. A really good job," enthused Mr Schue.
Quinn wandered over towards Kurt, Mercedes and Noah and received high fives from the lot in congratulations.
"OK. Five down and two to go. Santana and Mike. If you'd please...", said Mr Schue with a flourish.
'Jeez I'm running low on intros', he thought.
The whole time she'd spent getting ready and in position Santana hadn't taken her eyes of Puck and Kurt. They weren't even paying any attention, sitting as they were side by side sharing glances and smiles.
The music started up and Mike took up his position, ready for his rap. The opening bars of 'Love Of My Life' filling the room.
Her blood boiled when Kurt giggled at something the jock had said and swatted at him playfully. They looked so comfortable together, so carefree. This wasn't the way things were meant to turn out.
Finally zoning back in she realised that the music had stopped and that the group were all looking to her in concern.
'Shit I missed my cue...'
"What?" she snapped, instantly defensive as always.
"You missed your cue Sanny...' offered Brittany as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Yes thank you Little Miss Clueless..."
"Hey!" objected Mike jumping to his girlfriend's defence.
"Back up out of my face 'Other Asian' or I will drop you."
Mr Schue put an end to the bickering.
"Santana. Mike. If you can't sing this song together civilly I will have to disqualify you."
Santana's attention was distracted away from the Glee club mentor again by giggling from Puck and Kurt. She saw red when Puck bumped his leg against the smaller boy's and he pretended to lose his balance, placing his hand on the boy's crotch and giving it a squeeze.
"I have had just about as much as I can TAKE!" she screamed.
Mike took several steps back from the red faced girl and silence reigned and even Mr Schue looked taken aback.
Her outburst had drawn the attention of the pair who had until now only had eyes for each other. Locking eyes with Puck she was pleased to see blossoming fear as he realised he'd been caught.
The Fag just looked scared for the most part.
'Good. He should' she thought maliciously.
"Santana? Is everything OK?" asked Mr Schue in genuine concern.
The Latina just looked at their teacher before she started to laugh. Her giggles became hysterics which became guffawing which had the whole room bar two occupants staring at the girl in worry. Controlling her raging emotions Santana addressed Mr Schue and the rest of the room in general,
"No. Everything is not alright. Not even close to being alright. My boyfriend is a fag!"
A collective sharp intake of breath from the group was quickly followed by every eye in the room shifting to the pair who had yet to move from their seats.
"So Puck is with Kurt then?" asked a completely clueless Finn. He didn't understand why he was socked in the arm by Quinn just a moment later but decided it was safer to simply shut up.
"Yes. Puck is with Kurt..." she spat with venom, "... I hope he was worth it Puck. I hear Utah is nice this time of year."
The colour drained from Noah's face at the realisation that their house of cards had just come crashing spectacularly down around them. He was surprised however when Kurt stood up and took up position protectively in front of him.
"Please... please Santana..." Kurt's tone was pleading, "... don't do this. Please... I love him."
It was time for another round of the intake of breath game as everyone stood in shock at the events that were unfolding.
Quinn and Mercedes had moved to take up sentry positions either side of the pair just in case Santana decided to do something ill advised.
"You love him. You LOVE him?" screeched the Latina, "... that's a joke. You might love him but he'll never love you. How could he possibly?"
The scorn in the girl's voice brought crashing down upon him all of the self-doubts that Kurt had been repressing since his relationship with the half-back had begun. He was rescued from his pit of despair however by a strong voice from behind him.
"I do love him."
All sound in the room ceased as all eyes shifted to the blushing jock. As if gaining confidence in himself, Noah stood and straightened to his full height, towering over the diminutive brunette.
"I love him more than I can possibly put into words. I would do anything for him. Anything for anyone he loved. No questions asked. He is my world now and I will not let you ruin what is the best thing to have happened to me in my ENTIRE life."
There wasn't a patch of skin on Kurt's body that did not have goosebumps at his boyfriend's impassioned affirmation.
Santana for her part simply stared at the half-back in disbelief. That one admission had brought her entire scheming web of intrigue down in tatters. A deadly calm enveloped the girl as a cold fury powered her words,
"It doesn't matter if you love him or not. You know what will happen now."
Noah nodded in resignation before he answered with conviction,
"It doesn't matter anymore. I'm tired of hiding it. I'm tired of being someone I don't want to be just to satisfy other people."
Kurt turned to Noah with tears in his eyes,
"No. Noah you can't..."
Looking at the boy with a gaze filled with love, there wasn't a single person in the entire room that did not believe that the mohawked half-back loved the brunette soprano.
"I can. And I will. I will accept my punishment, I can't change that. I will go to Utah..."
"Wait Utah?" asked Tina, clearly confused. Noah didn't pause to answer the question however,
"... and I will come back aged 18 when I will wrap my arms around Kurt again and kiss him like the world were coming to an end. Face it Santana. You may ruin 18 months of my life, but you cannot ruin all of it."
With that he drew the boy towards him, the plea clear in his eyes, before folding the boy into an embrace and kissing him with every ounce of feeling in his entire body. Their kiss was fiery and passionate and loving and anyone who saw it would have been convinced of the love between the pair.
Santana just screamed in anger before fleeing the room in a flood of tears, the door to the Choir Room banging loudly in the silence.
Nobody went after the girl.
Kurt and Noah were still locked in a passionate embrace and it took Quinn's intervention to bring it to an end.
"Alright already. Knock it off you two!", she said while banging their heads together.
"Ow..." moaned Kurt as he massaged his forehead.
Mr Schue had retreated to the piano to allow the group to sort out whatever it was they needed to sort out. Clearly however Santana and Mike's performance would not be going ahead.
"So you and Puck?" asked Mike.
Safely wrapped up in Noah's arms, Kurt nodded with a shy smile as he gazed up at the taller boy. Noah was slightly more straightforward.
"Yup. Problem?"
Raising his hands, Mike shook his head.
"I think I speak for all of us here when I say we have no problem with this."
Both Kurt and Noah's hearts soared as the entire group all nodded in agreement with the Asian football player's sentiments.
This time it was Noah however who had tears in his eyes as he replied hoarsely,
"Thanks guys."
He was enfolded in a hug from Mercedes and Quinn a moment later.
Realising class time was ending, Mr Schue, though he regretted having to do so interjected into the conversation,
"Puck, Kurt... I realise the last few minutes must have been tough. You are the only pairing still to perform however and I would understand entirely if you didn't feel up to it now..."
Both boys cut the teacher off with the same sentiment.
"We're singing.", said Kurt.
"Can it Mr Schue", said Noah while the group giggled at the dumbstruck expression on the teacher's face.
Recovering himself Mr Schue just smiled at the pair before clearing his throat,
"OK then. Kurt and Puck..."
"Call me Noah. Please."
Mr Schue looked both surprised and pleased before he continued his announcement,
"Kurt and Noah, the stage, such as it is... is yours."
The assembled gleeks all took their seats again as the pair took up their positions. They had spent hours rehearing on the end of the jetty, practising their harmonies, honing their choreography.
As the opening bars to 'It's Your Love' rang out the pair stared into each other's eyes. If they were going to be split apart by forces outwith their control, they'd go down fighting.
"Yea yea
Dancin' in the dark middle of the night
Takin' your heart and holdin' it tight
Emotional touch touchin' my skin
And asking you to do what you've been doin' all over again
Oh it's a beautiful thing don't think I can keep it all in
I just gotta let you know what it is that won't let me go
It's your love
It just does something to me
It sends a shock right through me
I can't get enough
And if you wonder
About the spell I'm under
Oh it's your love
Noah's vocals were heartfelt and pure and there wasn't a dry eye in the room by the time the first chorus had ended. Mercedes had laid her head on Matt's shoulder and the quiet football player had thrown an arm over her shoulder. Mike and Brittany were in a mirror image, whilst Tina had settled herself in Artie's lap much to the bespectacled boy's delight.
Quinn, Finn and Rachel were all sitting in rapt attention as the second verse started, with Kurt layering his own vocals over that of Noah's,
"Better than I was, more than I am
And all of this happened by taking your hand
And who I am now is who I wanted to be
And now that we're together,
I'm stronger than ever
I'm happy and free
Oh it's a beautiful thing,
Don't think I can keep it all in
If you asked me why I've changed,
All I gotta do is say your sweet name
It's your love
It just does something to me
It sends a shock right through me
I can't get enough
And if you wonder
About the spell I'm under
Oh, it's your love"
They had purposefully kept the choreography simple and straightforward in order to match the tone of the song. Their eyes were for each other as they came together in an embrace in the centre of the room, Noah flowing round to embrace the soprano from behind as they sung in unison,
"Baby, Oh oh, oh,
Oh it's a beautiful thing,
Don't think I can keep it all in
I just gotta let you know what it is that won't let me go
It's your love
It just does something to me
It sends a shock right through me
I can't get enough
And if you wonder
About the spell I'm under,
Oh it's your love
It's your love, it's your love, it's your love"
There was no sound in the room, other than the sniffling of Quinn and surprisingly Rachel who had come to rest her head on Finn's shoulder, much to his excitement it seemed.
A single hand-clap split the silence and all eyes darted to see Sue Sylvester standing in the doorway to the Choir Room. Her single clap begot another and another and another until she was standing in applause of the astounding performance she had borne witness to.
One by one the assembled gleeks all shook themselves from their shock and joined in creating a cacophony of soundas Mercedes added a shrill whistle and Matt and Mike chanted 'woop woop woop woop' and stamped their feet.
As the sound tailed off it was Sue who spoke rather than Mr Schue.
"One of my Cheerios game hurtling past me just now complaining of a gay boyfriend."
The group all stared at the Coach wondering where she was going with her statement,
"You all know about my dislike for the 'sneaky gay'. I don't like it, I think it's dishonest and it's disruptive. So I applaud you two, Gay Kid and 'Other Gay Kid'. Well done for not being sneaky anymore. Bravo."
Sue started up her applause again and both Kurt and Noah looked relieved, though Noah mouthed to Kurt – 'Other Gay Kid?'
The boy just smirked before turning back to Mr Schue who was now speaking,
"So. It's now up to a vote. Who should go forward to perform at the Cheerios Exhibition tomorrow?"
In the end no vote proved to be necessary. As one the group cried.
"Kurt and Noah!"
A/N: Wow. My biggest chapter yet – 10,289 words in one sitting. There are now only two chapters left in this story and I feel really sad to know it. I've had such a blast writing for all you guys, more than I ever expected I would.
I first started typing 31 days ago with the intention of writing some Puckurt that appealed to me as there wasn't any I was currently reading. I never in a million years expected that I'd become so invested in my own creations that I am actually tearful at the realisation I'm almost finished. It might be corny but as I've written this story I have been Kurt and Noah and I hope in some small way that has transmitted through to you too.
There are a number of musical credits for this chapter, more than any other in the entire fic,
"When You Believe" by Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston
"Leather and Lace" by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley
"Surrender To Me" by Robin Zander and Ann Wilson
"(Baby) When You're Gone" by Bryan Adams feat. Melanie C
"Love Of My Life" by Erykah Badu and Common
"It's Your Love" by Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
Once again – thank you for continuing to support my writing. I truly have cherished each and every comment, joke, review and request for Santana to die a fiery horrible death. You guys are the best.
James x0x0x
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