Cadenza

By: RavenHeart101

Summary: Summer camp is something that Puck always dreaded. When he accidentally signs up for a football and music camp he's stuck sharing a room with the one person everyone else seems to hate. The gay kid from Marion Middle School.

Disclaimer: I am gladly NOT Ryan Murphy.

Warnings: Slash (male/male), swears, homophobia, mature themes, gay bashing/bullying, parental issues, the reasons why most stories are rated M...

A thanks to those who reviewed: The Sarcastic Waffle (Gah! I'm so sorry that it was confusing! But I'm happy I somehow managed to fix that... Haha.), Aledda (I'm psychic. As simple as that. I am so freakin' happy you're reading this story too. It made me squeal.), kzap88 (:D I simply love all of you.), KurtxxBlaine (Is this soon enough?), Soleil Mar (Yay! Curiosity is good!), Runaway-Luv (Oh yeah it has a completely different feel. At least for the beginning. I'm not planning on it having the thriller-like plot LandP turned out to have. But I never know. My writing tends to go places I never planned.), Wolfpacklover (And the story loves you.), (You know I thought for like five days your screan name was "" and I found that highly amusing. Now I just won't be able to look at you without laughing because of my inability to read. XD But I agree with you completely. Their characters somehow manage to balance each other out.), VampsOnCrack (Merci! That's like all the French I know...), Goldstars4me (Okay really... every one of your reviews make me blush. They're so niiiice!), DarkDreamDistance (I simply adore anyone that reviews. Which means I simply adore you. -winks-).

A: N – So... As I've stated before, this story is NOTHING like Librarians and Pools (LandP). If you've read it that just means you're even more fantastic than I thought you would be. I kind of have a plan for this story, but I make no promises as to following it so... let's just go with the flow, eh? I'm thinking about splitting this story up into "Acts" like a musical. How does that sound? Either this one gets split up like that or "Batman and Barbie" does (which is an AU fic where Kurt's Finn's little brother. It has little!Klaine and little!Samcedes. And yes that's shameless advertising). I think this story is going to have side pairings of Kurt/Sam and so on and so forth.

I was going to say something else but I forgot it...

Songs belong to Hairspray and RENT. Not to me. Depressing thought I know.

Noah decided within the first three days that he didn't like Blaine Anderson. And, surprisingly, it wasn't because he was gay. It was because he was a loner and he had this attitude about him... this... gravitational pull that pissed Noah off to no end. Because he didn't understand it and there was this part of him that was telling him that it was okay and that he shouldn't feel like he was going to die if he even touched the other boy's belongings. But that didn't make it any easier.

After a day the novelty of sharing a room with someone with a disease faded away and Noah was struck with the fact that he was sharing a room with a music geek who frequently talked to himself or sang random tunes, was more than a bit of a nerd, was almost too quiet, and was, most importantly, gay. Now Noah knew it was a disease so he wasn't about to hold something like that against the guy, but he was pretty sure he had caught Blaine staring at him more than once and then writing down something in that notebook that never left his hand unless he was playing with his guitar. And it wasn't just him either. The dude stared at almost every guy he could.

What was worse? It wasn't nearly as unnerving as it should have been.

Actually, a lot of things about Blaine Anderson weren't as unnerving as it should have been. Such as the fact that he was either in their cabin or God knows where on any given day. He would almost always be doing something that concerned music or writing in that flippin' notebook. He never really talked to Noah besides the daily 'Hi' and 'good night' and, for some reason, his mere voice made Noah's stomach flip unpleasantly. Only it was pleasantly and Noah simply didn't want to accept that fact. He had weird quirks that Noah had yet to even slightly understand besides the fact that sometimes things simply had to be a certain way. Like his bedside table had to have a book, a pen, and his pillow had to have his notebook under it whenever he went to bed. The window had to be open in the morning and closed at night. And Noah could never, never, open up the second drawer to the left of their bathroom.

But this list of things, while a bit strange, weren't unnerving. Hell even the thought of the guy being gay wasn't that unnerving anymore. And, if anything, his muttering to himself was simply... endearing. Noah was slowly finding himself becoming fond of the other boy. And that just totally wasn't allowed because being friends with the gay guy would totally bring down the fragile reputation he had managed to craft in such a short amount of time.

He sat down heavily on the bench in the locker room, running a towel through his hair and, slowly, shifting his eyes over to peer at Greyson. What he couldn't figure out was how the brothers were so... completely different and so alike. Greyson was cool. And he was athletic and bad ass and confident and social. Blaine was... none of those things. Well Noah couldn't really say if he was athletic or anything but Blaine simply didn't seem like the type. But, then Greyson would go off on some of the guys over something so simple as the importance of music and art and Noah's mind would snap to quiet Blaine who had given him the nastiest glare once when he had said that music was a piece of shit that was useless. Which he totally didn't believe but said anyway just to get Slick off his back. And then Blaine would do that eye roll that Greyson always did or he'd let out that tiny smirk that Greyson always wore or he would say something in the very brief conversations Noah had had with him and Noah wouldn't be able to pull up anything besides 'that was so Greyson!'

It was little things like that that reminded Noah of his place. Because even if Greyson was as much of a homophobe as the rest of the guys he would pound anyone to the ground if they even laid a hand on his little brother. He had seen him threaten literally every single guy on their team, including Slick, the same way he had threatened Noah on his first day. He let them say the things they wanted but he didn't let them go anywhere near Blaine. Or he tried anyway... Noah had seen Slick and his cronies trip Blaine or bump into him more than once. And, for some reason, it aggravated the crap out of him.

"Too bad you've got that interview with Harvard, Greyson." Slick spoke up from his locker, smirking a bit in a way that made Noah's heart seize. He didn't like that smirk in the least. Actually, he didn't like much about Slick in the least. "Who's going to watch over the little fairy when you're gone?"

But Greyson didn't even bother giving Slick and answer, instead doing that eye roll and sending a look in Slick's direction that automatically made the boy fall back into himself and any idea of a plan to hurt Blaine be erased from his mind. "Hey, Puck!" Noah jumped, breaking himself out of his thoughts and turning to face the shaggy, tall boy. "You did great out there man. Maybe I'll pump you up to take Slick's place for the first game." He held his fist out for the casual, and apparently routine, fist bump and Noah complied, looking at Greyson with confusion but yet not being able to completely suppress the excitement that bubbled in his stomach at the idea of playing in an actual game. Greyson winked at him just as a loud chorus of laughs pulled every member of the team out of the locker room.

Noah felt fear prickle down his spine when he caught sight of the familiar span of black hair that flashed before his eyes before he was pushed into the back of the crowd. "What's going on, Puck?" Greyson asked slowly, almost fearfully, and yet protectively, a hardness in his eyes.

"I... don't know..." He said slowly, his voice trailing off at the end because Noah was pretty sure he did know what was going on. And it didn't settle right in his stomach at all. You didn't pick on people with mental diseases!

Greyson's mouth settled into a hard line before he pushed his way through the crowd, using all the strength that was hidden in his lean, quarterback figure. He stopped behind the boys pushing Blaine against the wall and doing something, seemingly observing before his voice cut across the laughter and caused the whole group to collectively jump. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Most of the boys froze in their spots and Noah stood up on his toes, trying to see more than he had before. He felt like throwing up when he saw the mud and grass and something that was dripping ominously and... blood on his roommate's face. He froze like everyone else. The only thing he could think of was 'I'm going to kill them' and 'is he okay?' He didn't understand either train of thought so he decided to focus on neither of them. "We're teaching fairy here a lesson, Greyson." The leader said bravely, shoving Blaine against the wall once more.

Greyson's hand shot out, flinging the boy away from his brother and yelling at the group of them to leave. And leave they did. Every single player besides Slick, Noah, and Greyson filled away from the locker rooms and over to their cabins. They weren't shame faced. They were laughing and talking and generally joyful. Something about that really didn't settle well with Noah. Greyson turned back to face his brother, who was staring straight at Noah. His hazel eyes bore into his being as Noah shifted uncomfortably. Greyson didn't bother following his line of sight. "You should... go. Get cleaned up or something. Dad's coming by tonight and he wouldn't want to see you... like that."

Blaine turned his gaze onto his brother, his face blank as he spoke softly. "Fuck you Grey." Noah wasn't even sure he heard it, and Blaine's lips barely moved when he said it, but it was obvious that Greyson heard him because his face blanched and, just as he was opening his mouth to answer, Blaine was steadily walking away, his head held high and a small limp in his left leg.

Noah was pretty sure he was soon going to die from all the awkward moments that were created during that week.

Noah didn't see Blaine that night until around three in the morning. Noah wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep, but it must have been somewhere between thinking of Quinn and thinking of Santana. The two of them had definitely grown up over the last year, but Santana was like Noah's sister. It would be just plain weird for the two of them to do anything. But Noah was seriously being deprived of having female's around. He wondered if the music section of the camp had any girls... He snapped out of his thoughts when a voice, loud and clear and heart wrenching, sang out clearly. "There's a dream, in the future. There's a struggle, we have yet to win."

Noah was momentarily struck out of his mind. The voice was one that Noah had never expected. It made him fill with envy and sadness and determination. He sat up a little straighter in his bed, casting a curious look at the bathroom door, the light shinning (the only light besides candles in their cabin) under the door in a way that symbolized Blaine's presence. "And there's pride, in my heart, 'cause I know where I'm going. And I know where I've been!"

Noah was pretty sure anyone would have done what he did at that moment, or at least he told himself that to get through the day. Slowly, achingly slow, he walked over to the bathroom door and leaned against the wall next to it, listening in to every single word and taking in every single breath Blaine breathed. "There's only us, there's only this. Forget regret. Or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way... No day but today." His voice broke on the last word and Noah's heart clenched in a way that was so unfamiliar, and so painful, that he found himself holding onto his chest and sinking to the floor, his back resting against the wooden cabin wall beside the door. "Will I lose my dignity? Will someone care? Will I wake tomorrow from this nightmare?" It was all coming out in a voice that was obviously holding back loud and painful sobs. "There's only now... There's only here... Give in to love... Or live in fea-r -" And then Noah really did hear sobs.

Sobs and sniffles and he, slowly, pushed himself up from the cabin floor and reached out a hand to open the bathroom door. He stopped just as his hand closed over the handle, indecision in his eyes. He turned his back and was about to take his first step away from the door when the singing picked up again. "No other path... No other way... No day but today." Noah turned back to face the door, a deep ache settled in his stomach. "No day but today." The line increased in confidence. "No day but today." Noah was beginning to feel horribly insignificant. "No day but today." Shame clawed at him. "No day but today." His hand twitched towards the door. "No day but today!" But then he paused again, stopping to stare at the door in wonder, biting at his nails as the struggle presented itself in his mind.

He must have stood there for about half an hour before he turned away, rushing to his bed as the door nob turned. And out popped his roommate, the light shutting off and the door being placed open three quarters of the way. Blaine paused, staring at Noah's form, a frown on his face that was painted pale with small spots of pink starting to return to his cheeks. If Noah had bothered to look up he would have seen the first display of emotion in those hazel eyes. And he would have been shivered at the intensity. There was fear. And frustration. And pain. And, most surprising of all, hope. Complete and utter hope that was placed directly onto Noah.

But Noah wasn't paying attention to anything more than Blaine's footfalls. Which located Blaine's bed by the door in less than three minutes. The springs creaked as his body was placed gently, delicately onto the bed, increasing the pressure that was now added. Noah shut his eyes tightly, guilt still clawing at his being.

He felt like he was being attacked by a rabid animal who wanted nothing more than to see him crumble under it's weight. Tears pulled at Noah's eyes and his throat was unusually tight. He hadn't cried since his father had left but, somehow, the songs Blaine had sang – the raw display of emotion, of hurt, of pain – reminded him of everything he didn't want and moved him to tears more than anything ever could beside the death of anyone he truly cared about. A chocked sob passed through his lips once Blaine's breathing evened out.

No day but today.

Noah made a vow to himself to give Blaine the benefit of the doubt. He made a vow that he wouldn't be a silent observer anymore. He would try to help someone for once, instead of trying to bring them down.

It was an unusual commitment for Noah to make, but he made it. And he planned to stick to it.

Starting in the morning.

"Hey." He woke up early the next day, sitting up in his bed and letting the soft sounds of pencil on paper lull him into a relaxed state.

Blaine looked up at him with that infamous Anderson smirk on his face. "Morning." He spoke softly and turned back to his notebook and continuing with whatever he had been doing before.

"What're you doin' today?" Noah pulled the question out of his ass, sitting up and rubbing at his brown eyes.

Blaine looked up again, staring at him strangely for a long moment, his pencil pausing against the rough paper. It was eerily silent. "The same thing I do everyday." He spoke slowly and with a slight apprehension that, for some reason, caused Noah to snort. Blaine simply raised an eyebrow at him before shaking his head, the Anderson smirk pulling up the right side of his mouth once more. He turned back to the paper in front of him, the pencil scratching against the paper again.

For some reason Noah found the sound rather soothing. "Cool. I'm probably going to go out to the field and practice some tosses." Noah shifted to his feet, scratching at his bare stomach and muffling a yawn. "Any chicks in the music section?"

Blaine didn't even bother looking up at him this time, his mouth setting into a thin line and his pencil adding one more long stroke before it slowly drew to a stop. "You don't have to do this, you know."

Noah frowned. "Do what?" No way could the guy have figured him out by now. Noah was pretty sure there was nothing about him that gave his 'plan' away.

"Pretend to like me." Blaine squinted up at him. "I know you're trying to be nice and all but it's pointless." He shrugged and grabbed his stuff off his bed, shoving his pencil behind his ear and turning his back on Noah.

"I'm not pretending, dude." Noah wrinkled his forehead in confusion. "I just think it'd be a good idea for me to get to know you. Since we'll be rooming together all summer and all that shit."

Blaine's back stiffened and he slowly turned back to look at Noah, his gaze piercing and unnerving and holding a look that Greyson couldn't even get down. Regretful and worrying and, most of all, reserved. "It won't do you any good. Everyone that tries to get to know me gets accused of being a fag." Noah thought that word sounded disgusting coming from Blaine's mouth. He shouldn't know those words. "And I know guys like you." He frowned as Noah's eyes took on an affronted look. "Look, I'm sure you're a good guy, Noah. But you're not courageous enough to stick around once the criticism starts. It's fine. I'm used to it. It's... it's not safe for you to be nice to me. So ignore me. Forget about me. And fall in with Grey's crowd... it's the best thing that you can do here."

Noah was frozen when Blaine left the cabin to get to where ever he was going. He wasn't sure what just happened. But, he was sure that his determination to be better than all those people that had obviously let Blaine down increased ten fold. He was just told what to do.

And Noah wasn't good with being told what to do.

A: N- So... as good as the first chapter? And not too long to wait for an update? What do you guys think? FILL ME IN!