Alright, so Puck hadn't told him off for sitting next to him. To Kurt, this seemed like a good start. Turning his attention back to , Kurt began his daily routine of taking notes. A sudden tap on his right arm broke him out of his concentration. Kurt looked up, startled, into the blue eyes of Puck.
"Can I borrow a pen?" Puck asked him. "Please."
To say Kurt was shocked would have been an understatement. He's never heard Puck say "please." Ever.
"Uh sure, hold on"
Kurt dug through his Louis Vuitton backpack and pulled out his extra zebra print pen. As he handed it to the older boy, their fingers brushed, passing an electric shock through the two. Both boys pulled their hands back quickly, while Puck muttered a quick "Thanks."
Kurt didn't know what to make of their interaction. Puck wasn't usually the friendliest of people, and Kurt wasn't sure until now that the jock had even known the words "please" and "thanks". He decided not to dwell on it and just took it as a sign that he was more likely to win the bet than Mercedes thought. His first plan for friendship seemed to be going in the right direction. Maybe praying to the fashion gods was working after all. Perhaps a sacrifice was necessary for the continuation of good fortune? Kurt decided he would go to the mall after school and buy the ugliest outfit he could find, and then go home and burn it so no unfortunate soul would be forced to set eyes upon such hideousness. That seemed like the perfect plan.
Noah Puckerman knew he was a Saint among the population of women. All types of girls swooned over him, from little girls his sister's age to the soccer mom cougars. He loved all the attention. What guy wouldn't appreciate such an ego boost? Puck could get any girl he wanted. But of course, as such things go, he didn't want a girl. Instead, the jock wanted a boy. Now, let's all be real here for a second. He wasn't some gay kid who lusted after every attractive boy he laid eyes on. Nope. Just one boy. Kurt Hummel. He had slowly developed feelings for Kurt since the day he saw him striding into school their freshman year. Puck had been instantly fascinated by him and the way he just held his head high, acting like he was the greatest thing to ever walk the halls of McKinley High.
Puck knew he'd never been nice to the younger boy. He had constantly thrown him into dumpsters, tossed slushies in his face, and called him derogatory words like "fag" and "fairy". His mother often called him a "simply complex person", and he figured the phrase could be used to describe how he felt and acted towards Kurt. On one hand, Puck was jealous of how Kurt could be so open about his sexuality and who he is. He wasn't afraid of what people say and was not only was damn proud of who he was, but certainly wasn't scared to show it off… well more like flaunt it. If Puck, a jock and overall popular dude came out and said he was gay, the entire school would flip shit. His popularity would be lower than the chess club and he would be beaten up by every guy in the school. Puck was a stud and one of the strongest guys in Lima, but he didn't think he could take on the entire football, basketball, baseball, and hockey team at once.
But on the other hand, Puck used any interaction to get closer to the boy. In a weird way, he relished each time he picked Kurt up to toss him into the dumpster. The first time one of the older football players had suggested it, his heart had skipped a beat. It was the first time he'd ever wrap his arms around the small boy and probably the only way he ever would. His mother had told his sister once when a boy was picking on her, it was most likely because he had a crush on her. His mom reasoned that boys did this so they could talk to you and this was the only way they would because they were too scared and unsure of themselves to talk to you normally. Puck decided this was how he was towards Kurt. And no, he was not proud that he had the social skills of a third grader. Puck elected to work on this issue, but in his own way of course.
His first way to get closer to Kurt was to be physically closer to Kurt without teasing or bullying him. Puck began sitting next to the former kicker in Glee. He figured this would look less obvious in Glee as opposed to Spanish, English, or American History (the three classes he shared with Kurt). Sitting next to him in Glee, Puck reasoned, would allow Kurt to get used to his presence. And he was pretty sure it was working. After a few days, the anxious sideways glances shot towards Puck had passed, and it looked like he had gotten used to Puck sitting there. Puck had even gone so far as to get his tires checked at the shop Kurt's dad owned. Kurt hadn't said anything to him while his dad filled his tires with air, but at least Puck got to see him out of his usual fancy attire. He had to admit, the casual messy t-shirt and jeans look was hott on Kurt, even though they were probably still designer brands. Puck added a check to his mental list of "befriending Hummel."
Puck's next task was his personal favorite; defend Kurt's honor. Standing up for someone was what friends did, right? His first chance came almost as soon as he had made the goal. As he was heading towards lunch to grab a quick meal (he'd spent most of his lunch time restringing his guitar with Artie) he heard Karofsky call Kurt a fag. As he rounded the corner, Karofsky turned to face him right as Puck's fist connected with his face. He smiled at the satisfying crunch of the hockey player's nose breaking. The guy had yelled something Puck didn't hear. He was too busy wondering what Kurt was thinking, or even if he had seen the incident. Quickly glancing up, Puck saw Kurt looking at them, his expression unclear. He decided to give Karofsky one final quick in the stomach, and continued his way to lunch. He desperately wanted to look up to see Kurt's reaction, but he wasn't sure if he could handle any sort of looks of disgust or horror. Kurt didn't seem to be the sort who liked violence, but perhaps he'd take it as a compliment? Puck added another check to his mental list anyways.
As he sat in Spanish class, Puck tried to think of a way of starting a conversation with the boy. If his mom had been here, she would have encouraged and applauded him for using this "normal" method of social interaction (yes he may be popular because he played sports and was drop dead gorgeous, but even popular kids had issues making friends too, kay thanks. Just ask if you don't believe him.) Reaching into his pocket for a pen, Puck had an idea. He gently tapped Kurt on the arm and waited for a reaction.
When he saw the pen Kurt was about to hand him, he had to smile to himself. It was exactly the type of obnoxious and colorful pen Puck thought the smaller boy would use. Their hands accidently brushed when Kurt handed the writing device to him, and the shock passing through his body was intense. He immediately felt the heat rising in his cheeks and turned away quickly so Kurt wouldn't notice. This had to prove there was some kind of connection between the two, right?
The class ended without anymore incidents. Puck had to leave school to take Quinn to her doctor's appointment. When it was over, they had just stayed at his house, deciding to take the rest of the day off so she could catch up on her sleep. They made it back to school in time for Glee, and Puck was happy they did.
Their next assignment was something he couldn't wait for.