Kurt thought about going back to Puck's right away, but as much as he wanted his body back, he was too heart sore to deal with any of it anymore. He didn't really want to go home either, so he texted Mercedes, saying, Can I come over?

Sure, bb, she replied and Kurt sighed in relief as he put the car into gear and headed back toward Lima.

When he got to Mercedes' house, he fluffed up his hair a little so it didn't look so atrocious and went up to the door, not even bothering to hide the fact that he was Katrina today. Luckily, Mercedes answered the door, staring at him in shock for a good five seconds before murmuring, "Oh, honey," and pulling him into a tight hug.

"We broke up for good this time," Kurt said into Mercedes' shoulder, more tears escaping onto her zebra-striped shirt. "Blaine and I are over."

"Because you're like this again?" she asked gently, pulling back and brushing some of Kurt's hair out of his face.

"Among other reasons," he agreed, nodding sadly. "Can we go talk in your room?"

"Of course," Mercedes replied, taking his hand tightly and leading him back into the house. Over the next hour or so, Kurt spilled his guts. He told his best friend everything about Blaine and Puck and how he kept changing back and forth.

"The worst part is," he told her, chewing on one of the chocolates she'd given him, "as much as I want my body back, I really don't want to go back to Dalton and see Blaine. He was so sad and angry and ... disappointed."

"Well..." Mercedes began, but after Kurt gave her a hurt look she threw up her hands in surrender and backed off. "Maybe we can figure out how to get Kurt back at McKinley," she suggested instead. "I'll talk you up in glee, see if someone can't figure out how to make the place safe for you again."

"It's safe like this," Kurt suggested, looking down at his girl-shaped body. "No one thinks twice about Katrina Hummel."

"I wouldn't say that," Mercedes told him with a grin, "but she's definitely safer than Kurt is."

Kurt wasn't quite sure what Mercedes was alluding to as far as Katrina's reputation around school went, but masquerading as his "cousin" seemed like the lesser of two evils. It was either stay like this and go back to McKinley, ignore the guilty-sick feeling in his gut and beg Puck to change him back and have to see Blaine every day for the rest of the school year.

"I guess it beats running off to Tijuana," Kurt shrugged, meeting his friend's eyes and giving her a small smile. "Wanna help me pick out what to wear on my first day back?"

"Sure, honey," Mercedes replied, pulling Kurt into another hug. It felt like he didn't deserve it, he didn't deserve a friend as good as Mercedes after what he'd done to Blaine, but he wasn't going to complain. For once, he was going to be grateful for what he had, while he still had it.

"Look who's back," Azimio sneered in the hallway, as if he was trying to be threatening. "Finally escape from the loony bin?"

"Mmm," Kurt agreed, keeping his nose up as he passed the jock, wondering where the mental hospital rumor had come from. That was the second time that day he'd heard it. After going home and telling his parents that it looked like he was going back to McKinley, Kurt's dad had sighed and then called the school only to find out that Katrina hadn't been removed from the enrollment list. He supposed showing up on Monday morning without explanation was bound to lead to rumors.

Finn came up beside him and asked, "You alright? Everyone keeps asking me where you were and I bet it's even worse for you. If only we knew how to change you back..."

Kurt hummed in agreement and moved on without comment. Besides the rumors, people had been acting almost afraid of him, save Azimio. Like no one had ever been out of school for three weeks before... Students were actually seeking him out to come look at him. He felt like even more of a freak than he already was, especially when Jacob Ben Israel stuck a microphone in his face and asked if the rumors were true.

"No they are not," Kurt announced. "I simply went to go visit my parents overseas. I'm back now, for the foreseeable future."

Undeterred, Jacob asked further, "And is it true that while you were away, you were recruited by radical Muslims and trained as a suicide bomber?"

"No," Kurt replied, sure he sounded as upset as he felt. "For your information, I'm an atheist. Also, who in their right minds would send a suicide bomber to Lima, Ohio?"

"Well, you did join the New York City-bound glee club quite late in the season..."

"Oh, fuck off," Kurt sighed, walking away from the student reporter and kicking himself for swearing on camera. So not classy.

Rachel had cornered him after first period to ask what had happened and Kurt had to tell her that he didn't know. It was hard enough opening up to Mercedes. He was just not ready to admit to the rest of his friends that both times he'd had sex with Blaine he'd turned into a girl. How would one even begin that conversation?

About the only person who didn't come looking for Kurt was Puck. He was at school, because Kurt caught a glimpse of that dark Mohawk in the hallway once or twice, but they didn't have any classes together. To tell the truth, Kurt wasn't sure what he would say if he did have to talk to Puck. Something along the lines of, "Sorry I was such a jerk and hurt your feelings, but maybe we could be something more than friends"?

Kurt was pretty sure Puck liked the people around him to think he didn't have any feelings. Or maybe that was just the way everyone had treated him for so long, he'd gotten used to it. Kurt had gotten used to the dumpster dives and the name calling. Had Puck gotten used to his role as the insensitive jock?

The first time Kurt saw Puck after that humiliating morning in Puck's bedroom was at glee club after school. Puck did his best to ignore Kurt and the way he was almost but not quite trying to get the jock's attention. Kurt thought maybe he wanted to tell Puck that he and Blaine had broken up, but he wasn't quite sure how to approach the topic in public.

Then Mr. Schue showed up and said, "Hey, guys! Welcome back, Katrina. How was your trip?"

"Better than being here," Kurt muttered in response before saying louder, "Fine, thank you."

"Alright!" the teacher grinned, clapping his hands together. "Well, we're getting ready for Nationals, and this week's lesson is going to be emoting for the audience. Now, can anyone tell me what 'emoting' means?"

Of course Rachel threw her hand in the air, but Brittany just blurted out, "It's like an ostrich. Does this mean we get live animals in the show?"

"No," Artie insisted beside her, patting Brittany's arm.

While Kurt was shaking his head and wondering exactly how much lead paint Brittany had eaten as a child, Rachel answered, "It's projecting the proper emotions to the audience, so that they empathize with your character."

"Right again," Mr. Schue replied, writing the word, "Emote" on the whiteboard. "This week, I want everyone to do a solo. Pick a song that expresses what you'd like your audience to feel and really work on portraying that feeling."

"Uh," Sam spoke up, raising his hand until the teacher nodded at him. "Shouldn't we be picking out our set list? The competition's only a month away."

Mr. Schue waved his concern away, saying, "Plenty of time. Now, c'mon. Let's warm up with some Journey!"

Kurt rolled his eyes, just catching Puck's gaze as the boy did the same, and quickly looked away again. Kurt wasn't quite ready for meaningful looks without having that conversation where he apologized.

Then again, maybe it wouldn't have to be a conversation. Maybe Kurt's solo could tell Puck how sorry he was for treating the boy like he was second best when he'd been willing to give up his reputation and everything else to be with the freak show that was Kurt Hummel.

And really, Puck was Kurt's only choice. He was the only boy besides Finn (eugh!) who knew that Katrina wasn't really a girl. Puck was the only boy Kurt knew of that didn't seem to mind that Kurt's gender had been up in the air lately. Oh, Kurt was sure he could go to a party somewhere and flirt and get some guy to sleep with him, but he didn't want some random guy. As odd as it was, Kurt trusted Puck in a way he didn't trust anyone else, even Blaine after everything that had happened.

At least glee club was a welcome distraction.

Kurt found the perfect song. He rehearsed the perfect song. He choreographed the perfect song. Now, at Mr. Schue's prompt, "Kat, if you would?" it was time to perform the perfect song. Kurt only hoped that his message got through. As the music began, he took a deep breath and spared one, tiny glance in Puck's direction. He responded, just barely, with the tiniest of nods.

I'm sorry, so sorry

That I was such a fool

I didn't know

That love could be so cruel

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, yes

You tell me mistakes

Are part of being young

But that don't right

The wrong I've done.

(I'm sorry) I'm sorry,

(So sorry) So sorry,

Please let me apologize.

When Kurt finished, he stood in the center of the stage sheepishly, waiting for the applause to finish and for Mr. Schuester's assessment. He thought about catching Puck's eye, but instead kept his gaze on his nervous hands in front of him.

"Nice job, Katrina!" the teacher spoke up, drawing Kurt's attention toward him. "I think we could all really feel the regret. Is your emoting based on something you're experiencing at the moment?"

Finally letting himself look past Schue and at Puck seated in the back row, Kurt replied, "Yeah, it is. I hurt someone I care about and that was - it was my apology. I'm sorry."

Suddenly, Puck was up out of his chair and standing in front of Kurt, asking softly so only Kurt could hear, "Blaine?"

"Definitely broken up," Kurt told him. "For good this time."

Giving Kurt a wry, lopsided smirk, Puck closed the distance between them, warm hands resting on Kurt's waist as he said, "Sweet," and pressed their lips together.

Kurt vaguely recognized someone whistling at them, but most of his attention was focused on being astonished that Puck had apparently forgiven him just like that. Brenda Lee worked far better than he'd thought.

Kurt waited to ask Puck what exactly the kiss meant until glee was over and they were walking out to their cars. "It means we're together, babe," Puck replied, tucking a lock of Kurt's hair behind his ear. "For as long as you can stand me."

Soon everyone knew that Puck and Katrina were dating. They were seen together all the time and although Kurt wanted to have his old body back more than seemed physically possible, he didn't bring it up to Puck, even during their more heated make out sessions. When Puck asked why Kurt was holding out he sighed and said, "I want to make sure this time."

"Make sure of what?" Puck asked, his voice soft and low as he traced his fingers down Kurt's arm.

Shivering, Kurt replied, "I want to make sure I'm doing this for the right reason - because I'm ready to do this with you, for you. Not because I'm being selfish."

A smile broke out on Puck's face, taking over Kurt's vision as the boy pulled him into a fierce, wracking, devastating kiss that had Kurt rethinking the whole non-selfish angle.

The right time and the right reasons seemed clear when Kurt was a little tipsy at Santana's end-of-school, after-we-bombed-nationals party. He and Puck had been dancing together all night and Kurt couldn't help but look at his boyfriend and feel that deep, satisfying ache that had to mean love. Condom securely in his jeans pocket, Kurt pulled Puck upstairs and toward an empty bedroom, asking, "Now?"

"Fuck yes, now," Puck growled, shutting the door behind them and practically tackling Kurt onto the bed. "Now and tomorrow and every day after that."

Kurt chuckled and knew that this was right.

In the morning, Kurt woke up with his legs tangled in Puck's, two sets of leg hair twisting together almost uncomfortably, but not quite. Oh, and there was someone glaring down at them. Quinn.

Puck startled beside Kurt when she cried, "Noah Puckerman! What are you doing? You're not gay! And Kurt! How could you do this to your own cousin?"

Kurt looked over at his boyfriend, not sure if he should be concerned that someone found out Puck wasn't straight, or if he should just start laughing at the absurdity of it all. The twitching of the corners of Puck's lips and the twinkle in his eye said it all. Together, they burst out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, the look on Quinn's face setting them off even further until she stomped her foot and walked away, slamming the door behind her.

"Oh, that was too good," Kurt sighed, getting a little self-conscious about his male body as the laughter died away. He relaxed when Puck pulled him close and nuzzled against his neck, one hand splayed out on his flat chest.

"Mmm," Puck agreed, placing a kiss that made Kurt's whole body shiver and rocking his crotch against Kurt's hip.

Breath taken aback at how well Kurt could feel Puck's need for him in this body, too, Kurt sighed, "I love you."

Puck pulled back, searching his face (early morning stubble and all) and smiling softly at what he must have seen there. "Love you too, babe," he whispered, meeting Kurt for the kiss the thinner boy felt like he all of a sudden had to have. "Even like this."

When Puck's hand wrapped around Kurt's very interested cock, Kurt gasped and then laughed a little.

"What?" Puck grumbled, attacking Kurt's neck with renewed fervor.

"Just," Kurt chuckled, shuddering at the feel of Puck's calloused hand around him. "You'd better plan on changing me back tomorrow. There's no way I'm losing this body now that I've got it back."

"You think that'll happen with me, too?" Puck asked, going up on one elbow to look down at Kurt. "Maybe it was just a thing with your ex."

Pulling his boyfriend in for another, sweeping kiss, Kurt replied, "Well, we'll just have to find out."

Puck grinned and shrugged. "Works for me, babe. That definitely works for me."

The End