Puck stepped into the bathroom, going to the mirror to fix his hair. There was only one other person in the room, and they were locked up in the stall down the end, so he ignored them. Well that was until he heard crying coming from the end stall, and knew he should go check it out. Despite always being the tough jock with not a lot of social skills, he tried his hardest to handle this. He knocked gently on the bathroom door and the person in there immediately stopped crying so loudly. Puck clearly knew they didn't want to be found crying.
"Hey?.. are you alright in there man?" Puck asked, standing out the front of the bathroom stall with a raised eyebrow. It was safe to say he was shocked when he heard the voice that came from the other side.
"I'm fine. Go away noah. " a quiet, feminine voice responded from the bathroom stall.
Puck was beyond confused. There was only one person he knew the voice to fit. Why is Hummel crying? The fag doesn't cry, even when we push him into lockers and Throw him in the dumpster. Why would he be crying? Clearly, it's been worse than usual. And Kurt, even stoned face, queen Hummel, broke down under the pressure.
"Hummel? Bro are you good? You can come out- no one else is in here" puck said, trying to sound a lot less confused that he really was.
He heard the bathroom door open, and Kurt come out in shame. He had his head lowered, and was covered head to toe in bright red slushy. It was clear that every part of his body felt terribly embarrassed to be caught in tears, especially in the face of Noah puckerman.
"Go ahead. Laugh" Kurt said, in a flat tone, completing losing all its life and its "I'm better than you" tone.
It really did scare puck, seeing this vulnerable version of Kurt. He was always so put together, clearly good at hiding his emotions by now. Puck was broken from his thoughts when he had heard the boy speak again, assuming he would laugh. He didn't want to, as weird as it felt, he wanted to be there for the boy that needed someone so badly. Before he even knew what he was doing, he wrapped his arms around the smaller boy and pulled him into a hug. Curse those stupid impulses sometimes. I really am such a big softie.
Kurt almost felt the need to flinch back as puck grabbed him, until he realised he was pulled into a hug. He eventually relaxed into the hug and as much as he hated to do so in front of the jock- burst into tears once again, burying his face into pucks shoulder. It felt horrible to feel so vulnerable, like he could laugh and leave him any second. But he didn't.
Puck sighed, feeling horrible for all the things he knew that he had put that boy through. The slushy soaked through kurts clothes was drenching him, but puck didn't care less anymore. He held him, rubbing small, gentle circles across the boys skinny back. Somehow, he really did know exactly how to comfort him, even if it wasn't his strong suit.
"Shh shh.. iv got you okay hum- kurt. I'm not letting you go dude. Your okay, your so tough, and it's gonna be fine, man. Just take a deep breath. I'm here, your not alone." Puck whispered, his voice sounding oddly soft and sweet as he comforted the smaller boy who was shaking with sobs. He heard the shy boys broken voice.
"I am alone puckerman. I'll always be alone. It's just the way some things are." Kurt sobbed into pucks shoulder.
Puck didn't bother arguing, just continued to whisper comforting words to him until the shaking eventually begun to stop. Almost in sync, they both pulled away from each other, Kurt too embarrassed to look him in the eye. Kurts eyes fell on the now drenched shirt that puck was wearing, and I sad expression went over his red and blotchy face.
"Your shirt- I'm sorry" Kurt mumbled quietly, still not looking up at him.
"It's cool dude, doesn't bother me too much. Have you seen your own clothes?" Puck said, smirking lightly as he looked down at kurts drenched outfit.
Kurt gave a half hearted smile pucks way, before turning to his school bag that was on the bathroom floor, and pulling out a cloth from in here. Gently, he turned to the mirror and begun wiping the muck off his face and hair with the towel. Puck watched in amusement.
"So who was it then? That got to you?" Puck asked curiously, leaning against the bathroom sink, and watching as Kurt focused on getting the slushy out of his hair. He gave a look pucks way, the first time he actually looked up right at him, and puck could see his teary, red blotchy eyes giving him a filthy look. He also noticed that one of his eyes were bruised. So he got punched. Whoever did that is gonna pay for it, that's for sure.
"Karofsky and a couple of his friends" Kurt shrugged, his slight tone and energy coming back into him.
Puck sighed, feeling bad at how strongly the smaller boy thought he had to hide his emotions. It seemed as though Kurt had assumed that the taller boy hadn't noticed the bruise.
"Put ice on the bruise bro.. It'll help" puck suggested helpfully, looking as embarrassed as he felt.
Kurt looked over to see the sympathetic look on pucks face, and Kurt really didn't know how to respond to the comfort and care given to him, as it wasn't a usual thing he received whilst at school.
"Thanks noah. Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden? I never thought in a million years you'd 'befriend the fag'"
Puck almost flinches back as Kurt said the name without a second thought. He never realised how harsh it sounded when it was coming from someone else.
"Hey" puck snapped, before he knew what he was saying. "don't call yourself that!"
Kurt gave a snicker, turning his way, before turning back to the mirror, cleaning slushy from his face.
"You use it all the time. It really isn't any different" Kurt sighed moving back to the mirror to wipe the stuff of his face.
Puck didn't exactly know how to respond, because unfortunately it was true, so he just put his head down and let Kurt continue to clean himself up.
Kurt turned away from puck, and took off his jacket, leaving him only in his tshirt. He hung the jacket out over the sink, and worked on scrubbing the slushy off.
"oh? Giving me a strip show eh hummel" puck smirked, playfully laughing, and watching kurt clean up the mess.
If looks could kill, puck would be dead form the bitter glare kurt sent his way.
"you wish." kurt sarcastically spat, rolling his eyes at the older, dumber boy.
Now it was pucks turn to death glare him, a shocked expression over his face as he tried to comprehend that kurt was far more badass than he thought.
"Oh please- I certainly don't- I'm not a homo" puck spat, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could comprehend what he was saying.
That shut Kurt up quick, and he didn't say another word, and went back to cleaning his jumper. Puck looked over at him, wondering how to apologise, but his view went down to the young boys wrists. They were littered with scars, and some cuts that looked way to fresh for his liking. His heart stopped as he realised he could be part of the cause of this. All the bullying and tormenting, clearly Kurt cared a lot more than he allowed himself to show.
It didn't take Kurt long to realise that pucks eyes were fixed on the scars.
"dont- dont say a word." kurt mumbled quietly, not looking puck in the eye.
Puck nodded slightly, mumbling an apology, and going back to watching the boy clean up his things.
"does anyone know?" puck asked quietly.
Kurt was too embarrased to look him in eye. He kept his view focused on cleaning his jacket. God how could you be so stupid as to let him see that? Idiot.
"No. And nobody needs to." Kurt said, as though stating the obvious.
Puck sighed, contemplated on how to respond to this information. I can't just keep it a secret that Kurt is hurting himself. It's in his best interest that I help him. But it feels like betrayal. Eventually, he gained back his confidence and looked over with sympathy at the younger boy.
"Maybe you should talk to someone?- like miss Pillsbury or something. Because I don't know- but this sounds pretty bad dude, you need to get some help" puck said, losing all his embarrassed tone and looking genuinely at Kurt with concern.
Kurt saw the concern in his eyes and sighed. He knew what he had been doing was bad, but he couldn't bring himself to stop it. He simply nodded in response to puck, acting as though he was occupied cleaning. He eventually looked up and raised an eyebrow.
"Why do you care so much?" Kurt asked, tilting his head slightly with confusion.
Puck honestly stopped for a second. Why did he care so much? He couldn't exactly answer. But he did care, way too much.
"Because, dipshit, even though I act like I hate you, I actually do care about you" puck said, smiling shyly, before his internalised homophobia came to the surface again "not in a gay way of course."
Kurt ignored the gay comment entirely, and smiled at him with the first genuine smile puck had seen the entire time they were talking. It almost made puck smile too.
"well thanks dude- means a lot" kurt said smiling brighly, putting his jacket vack on now that it was clean and perfect.
Puck mumbled a "no problem" and smiled back. It was in that moment that puck realised that Kurt wasn't bad at all, despite what everyone led him to believe, and he didn't care what it would do to his reputation. After all- he's just a regular dude, but that doesn't get treated right.
Kurt flung his bag back onto his back as the bell for classes to start went.
Puckerman put on a light smile, and linked arms with kurt, much like he usually sees him do with Mercedes, and walked out of the bathroom arm in arm. He was lightly laughing at the shocked expression on kurts face, and didn't take notice as everyone in the hall stared at him wildly. Kurts head was running a million thoughts per hour. What was noah thinking?
"What the- what are you doing puck? You do realise this will ruin your rep right?" Kurt hissed, looking at him confused.
Puck just smiled.
"Yes, princess hummel I'm aware- I just don't mind."