Title: Beating The Odds Author: saar_fantasy Pairings:Puck/Kurt Rating: PG-13 Word Count: ~ Genre: Established relationship, Drama, Angst, Romance Warnings: Cancer and all the drama that comes with it (don't worry...It's a happy ending)
Disclaimer: As much as I wished I did, I don't own any of them.
Summary: Puck has been keeping a secret from his boyfriend. From everyone of his friends actually. It takes a fight between the couple for Kurt to realise what's wrong.
Once Puck is in his chemo-therapy process, Kurt tries to go to school, he really does, but he just can't concentrate.
It's so bad that, one day in math class, someone says something about great math skills and he just broke down into tears.
The so remarkable phrase of his boyfriend ringing through his ears.
"I've got mad math skillz, yo!"
The teacher sends him home, but instead of driving home, he goes to the hospital to see how his boyfriend's doing.
To be honest, Puck looks miserable, but that's only normal when you're going through chemo, but there's no way Kurt can stay away.
Puck is either throwing up, sleeping or just frustrated, but there's nothing he can throw at Kurt that makes him go home.
Besides, he can still barely talk, which frustrates him all the more.
He wants to be able to say at least "I love you," to Kurt, because he really, really does.
And Kurt is yearning to hear it.
-..-
The first round of chemo is the worst, the second round is a lot better.
Puck is feeling a little better too, and when the first week is over, he has a very pleasant surprise for Kurt.
-..-
The red light outside the door of Puck's room is burning, so Kurt knows there's probably a nurse in there.
He knocks on the door and peeks his head inside, the nurse turns to look at him and smiles.
"Ah, Kurt," yes, all the nurses know his name by now, "Come in. I just finished freshing your boyfriend up a little. Besides, I think he has a surprise for you."
Kurt frowns a little as he steps inside the room, looking expectantly at his smiling boyfriend.
It's a real smile. The kind of smile that makes Kurt's heart almost beat out of his chest.
He waits for whatever is to come.
"Hey, Princess."
Puck's voice is hoarse and raw, but it's Puck.
Kurt claps his hand in front of his mouth and simply isn't able to hold back the tears that are starting to fall down.
He just stands there, staring at his boyfriend without really knowing what to do.
"I'll leave you two alone," the nurse says and gives Puck a wink, "Don't overdo the talking though."
Puck shakes his head and waits until the nurse is out of the room again, then turns back to Kurt.
"Are you just gonna stand there staring at me? Or are you actually planning on coming closer?"
Kurt slowly walks over to the bed, his eyes still as wide open as before, but his hand is back down again.
"Can you say it again?"
Puck knows what Kurt's talking about, and this time, he doesn't tease.
"Princess." That gets a smile from Kurt and Puck opens his arms, "Now get your sexy ass over here."
Kurt grins and hurries over to him, laying himself down next to his boyfriend, with his head on said boyfriend's chest.
"I missed that."
Puck snorts and looks down at his boy's head, "You used to hate it when I called you that."
Kurt tilts his head so he can look in Puck's eyes and smiles softly.
"Not anymore."
Puck smiles back and leans down to mash their lips together.
When they pull away, they just stare into each other's eyes for a few minutes.
"I love you."
Another tear escapes Kurt's eye and Puck gently brushes it away before pulling his head back against his chest.
Kurt mumbles something that is muffled by Puck's gown, but he's fairly certain he hears;
"I love you too."
-..-
Another week and a half later, Puck is dismissed from the hospital. But he still has to come back every month for a check-up.
Sarah is ecstatic when her mother and Kurt bring her big brother home and she spends almost half an hour crying in his arms.
Puck has to sit down when he's holding her, because he's still pretty weak after lying so long in the hospital, and because of the chemo of course.
That always wears you down.
What had worried Puck's mom a little, after she knew that her son was gonna get through the whole cancer misery, was how that she was gonna pay those medical bills.
Burt had immediately promised her to help out, even her protesting didn't help.
Burt had said, "Your son makes my son the happiest I have ever seen him. Believe me, this is only a small token of my gratitude."
It was true. Burt had never seen Kurt happier as with the mohawked jock, even though they did fight once in a while, the look in both boys' eyes said more than words ever could.
Puck's hair was still shaven off, but the doctor had told him it would grow back, as long as he was patient. Only the part with the scar will never have hair again.
Puck didn't really mind if he would have hair or not. He would wear a hat or something to hide his scar anyway.
He didn't want everyone to stare at it, because it would only make him uncomfortable. Puck hated feeling uncomfortable with a passion.
They were only home for an hour or so, Puck had gone up to his bed to rest after his sister let go of him, when the doorbell rang.
Mrs Puckerman asked Kurt to open the door, which he did, but he was very surprised to see who was standing there.
"Santana?"
"Hey, Kurt," the girl said quietly, "I heard Puck came home today. Is he here?"
"Yes, he is in his room, but-" he was cut off when the girl pushed him aside a little and rushed by him, running up the stairs. "Santana!"
Kurt ran afte her before Julie Puckerman could ask him what was going on.
He stopped in the doorway of Puck's room, seeing Santana sit down on the edge of his boyfriend's bed, fussing with his sheets.
Puck shifted and looked through heavy lidded eyes up at the person who had woken him up.
"San?"
Santana was muttering things to herself, still fidgeting with the sheets in her hands.
Puck was getting nervous from her fidgeting and grabbed her wrists. She jolted out of whatever thoughts she was having and looked at Puck with wide, fearful eyes.
Puck didn't say anything. He just looked at her and raised one eyebrow.
That was enough for Santana to lose her composure.
"You asshole!" she screamed, then fell forward with her head on his shoulder, her build up tears finally flowing out of her eyes.
Puck caught Kurt's eyes and smiled, his hands already rubbing soothing circles on the small of Santana's back.
Kurt smiled back and gave a little wink as he turned a little and mouthed "Call me if you need me." then he left the two friends alone.
He knew that they needed some privacy, so he was more than willing to give it to them.
He also figured that this was the time to call their other friends to say that they could come visit him.
It might take quite a long while before Puck would be completely better. Completely himself.
But Kurt was sure that he day.
Now more than ever.