Chapter Five

oOo

Summary: Will the proud music teacher eventually find love with the beautiful kindergarten teacher or will he forever come second to the football coach? This isn't very M but, to be safe, I'll leave it at that.

A/N: Thank you so much, faithful reviewers, for your continued interest. I love hearing from everyone so keep leaving me your insights and opinions, please.

Disclaimer: None of these characters belongs to me except for any OCs found wandering. I own nothing save for this computer.

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Humming to himself, Kurt cleared away the detritus of his and Noah's meal, smiling as his mind went over the night's events. Damn, he hadn't really meant to maul the other man but he'd felt that, if he'd waited one more second to kiss him, he would have expired.

He chuckled as he thought morbidly of how Noah would have handled that when talking to the police. "I don't know, officer; I was just stroking his leg and then he stopped breathing!"

Laughing at himself for his silliness, he paused as he placed the dishes in the sink, looking up at the sound of the doorbell. Padding out and through the living room, he took off the alarm and then unlocked door. He grinned as he pulled it open, expecting to see Noah standing there again on the other side.

"I see you just couldn't leave_" he broke off, his eyes widening and then he smiled. "David, oh my gosh, did you tell me you were coming tonight?"

He stepped back and let in his ex-lover, taking in the cut of his expensive coat and the scent of the exquisite cologne he was wearing.

David Karofsky smiled down at the gorgeous man he'd crushed on in high school and then dated years later. "Sorry to stop by so late, babe, without calling," he said now as Kurt took his coat from him.

Kurt led him inside and pointed to the armchair, not wanting him for some reason to take the same seat Noah had just vacated. Kurt smiled at him curiously now, wondering what was up with his friend.

"So, your message didn't say what could possibly bring you back to the cultural black hole that is Lima, Ohio," he asked teasingly, his blue sparkling as he took in David's prosperous appearance.

Things had really been going well for the ex-jock the last few years and Kurt was happy for him. David had gone through things that Kurt would never wish on anyone but he was really pleased at how he'd rebounded from his ordeal. He and David were now friends, the depth of affection undeniable even though they were no longer lovers. In fact, he could count David as one of his closest friends and he was happy to see him now.

David's face, however, fell as he glanced down at his hands, the fingers fidgeting together as he gathered the courage to explain his presence to Kurt. Kurt was as gorgeous as ever, the deep blue of his shirt echoing the colour of his amazing eyes. David took a deep breath and finally looked up at his ex-boyfriend.

"Steven and I broke up."

oOo

Noah smiled tightly as Jenny and her mother left his condo, closing the door behind them as their 'good nights' echoed down the hallway. He turned back to gaze aimlessly around his living room and then moved to straighten up the place a bit. Judith was already asleep but he would stop in to see her before he turned in for the night.

Right now all he could focus on was the fact that David Karofsky was, at that moment, alone with Kurt in his house. He gritted his teeth and then had to force himself to relax. It would have worked if he couldn't still feel the weight of Kurt's butt on his legs and the way the other man's tongue had plundered his mouth.

He blew out a loud breath and flung himself on the couch, frowning ferociously as he scrubbed a hand at the back of his neck. Kurt had felt amazing in his arms and right now he would have been squeezing his bulge and savouring the memory of that small moment… if it weren't for David fucking Karofsky!

Noah slid his phone out of his back pocket and glanced down at it, wondering if he could get away with calling Kurt. He wouldn't know how to explain why he was calling but… oh, he could just say he was calling to thank him for having him over for dinner. Yes, that would work. He pressed the numbers quickly and waited anxiously for Kurt to pick up.

When he did he cleared his throat, trying to sound friendly, nonchalant as Kurt's smooth voice answered. "Uh, hey, Kurt, I just wanted to say I really enjoyed dinner and thank you for having me over."

At the other end he heard Kurt chuckle before replying, "You are very welcome, Noah. Is Judith okay?"

Noah relaxed slightly because Kurt didn't sound stressed or anything. "Yeah, she's good. She's already asleep; I guess she had a busy day today."

Kurt's musical voice hummed in agreement. "Yes, the kids had fun today. Oh, we're having a field trip soon and you need to sign her form, allowing her to go."

They chatted for a bit, Noah sliding his legs up on the couch so that his head was against one armrest. Then Kurt told him that the field trip was to the Lima Zoo and Botanical Gardens and it just so happened that they needed parents to volunteer. Guess who was happy to volunteer his services as chaperone?

"Why, thank you, Noah! I wish all the parents were this cooperative and involved," Kurt chuckled over the phone and Noah suppressed a shiver at the way Kurt's voice seemed to purr. Finally, Kurt told him he had to go as he had a late visitor.

"An old friend has dropped by out of the blue so I've gotta go. I'll be in touch… have a good night, okay?" Kurt's voice had lowered, whether deliberately or not, Noah didn't know but the intimate sound of his voice was doing way too much for Noah's libido.

"Goodnight, beautiful, and thanks again for dinner," he grinned at the sound of Kurt chuckling and then closed his phone, ending the call. He smiled to himself, feeling at ease now because Kurt had referred to Karofsky as an old friend and not 'ex-boyfriend'.

He was able after that to get on with his nightly routine, his mind and body feeling lighter as he thought about getting to spend an afternoon with both Judith and Kurt. He didn't know if Kurt's feelings were the same as his but they had time to figure everything out. No way, though, was he going to let memories of Kurt's crush on Finn or the reappearance of Karofsky in his life derail his dreams and his plans.

It was time he took control of his life rather than just rolling with the punches. If he wanted Kurt in his life as more than just Judith's teacher, he was going to have to step it up.

oOo

That weekend saw Finn, Rachel and Kurt in Westerville doing the flea market rounds. It was something Rachel enjoyed and when the weather was fine, they all headed out to the much larger city for a day of bargain-hunting. Finn wasn't a fan of it but on those days he was allowed by his wife to eat as much fast food as he wanted. So, to him it was almost like going to the fair; for the other two – they got his long arms and strong back.

"So, Kurt, Finn tells me that Noah enrolled his little girl in your school? What's he like now?" Rachel's shining dark eyes were staring at her brother-in-law with avid curiosity. Clearly Finn hadn't given her enough details on Noah's life so now she needed to pump Kurt for all the relevant details.

Kurt rolled his eyes and then narrowed them at Finn who conveniently found something at another stall to go and stare at.

"Well, she's an adorable little girl – she has Noah's eyes – and she's very bright. I think she's very artistic… Hmmm, I need more finger paints," he trailed off as he took up a little craftwork lamp and examined its bottom. Hoping to divert Rachel's attention from Noah, he held the lamp out to her. "What do you think… the colours match your guest bedroom, don't they?"

Rachel, wise to Kurt's ways, took the lamp from him and put it back, herding him towards a section with assorted glassware. She took up what seemed to be a souvenir from someone's Caribbean vacation but she narrowed her eyes at Kurt. "What does he look like now? Has he gotten fat, a beer belly? Does he still have that awful hairstyle?"

Kurt burst out laughing and then flushed slightly. He shook his head and then cleared his throat, turning away from her too-perceptive gaze before answering. "No, he doesn't have the mohawk still but he does look quite a bit older. There's a bit of grey in his hair these days and I think he calls his paunch 'love handles'. Nah, he's nothing like the Puck we used to know."

He bit his lips to keep in the laughter as he heard his sister-in-law sigh before saying sadly, "Oh, what a pity. Despite his uncouth ways, I did think he was somewhat attractive back in high school. Ah well, we all can't age as gracefully as I have."

Kurt disguised his chuckle as a cough, shaking his head and waving her concern away. "No, I'm okay, just a little tickle from all this dust."

He didn't know why he'd decided to tease her by saying that Noah's looks had deteriorated. Seriously, something about Rachel had always brought out the devil in him and the years hadn't changed that. He only hoped that she let the subject drop because if she asked Finn about it, she would find out the truth and then she'd give him a hard time. He shook his head, still amused, as he walked about the stall, looking at the offerings.

In his wanderings he found an old Candyland game, still pristine as if the children it had been bought for had never used it. He'd haggled with the owner of the stall and then carried his treasure away triumphantly, storing it in his car happily. He was going to introduce his kids to the game he'd so enjoyed with his mother when he was little. Kids these days spent too much time on electronic games and not enough on board games, he complained to himself, stroking his hand over the smooth top of the box.

They spent the rest of the afternoon treasure hunting (he'd told Finn to think of it that way) and they finally got back to Lima around dusk. As he pulled up in the driveway of his family home, his mind went back to David's visit earlier that week.

His ex-boyfriend had looked quite downhearted as he explained he'd decided to take a break from New York after he and Steven had broken up. Over coffee he and Kurt had chatted, the latter trying to convince the other that there was nothing wrong with him. He remembered now how David's gold-green eyes had shimmered sadly when he'd looked at Kurt.

"Do you think something's wrong with me, Kurt? I mean, I couldn't hold onto you and now… now Steven thinks we should take a breather." He'd hung his head, shamefaced as Kurt had reached a hand across the table to pat his.

"David, no, sweetie, there's nothing wrong with you. Maybe Steven isn't the right guy for you. Heck, I'm still single and I think I'm just fabulous!"

They'd chuckled at that, David's sounding a little sadder, maybe, but by the time he was ready to leave for the night, he was sounding a little brighter. Kurt had hugged him tightly at the door and then looked up into the still-dear face.

"Just remember: sometimes we have to kiss a lot of frogs before we find our prince."

David had stared at him, vaguely horrified before whispering: "Does that mean that I was one of your frogs?"

Kurt had laughed loudly at that, feeling David relax slightly. "Oh, sweetie, that would mean that I was one of your frogs, too."

David had smiled down at him before hugging him. He whispered softly before pulling back, "Nah, you're always the prince, Kurt."

They had said goodnight and then David left for the hotel at which he would be staying for the next week. They had promised to call each other often and the next day Kurt had called him to let him know he was free for dinner the coming Wednesday.

Kurt had felt an odd little twitch at making that date with David because, if he were honest, he would rather have been dining with Noah. Still, he'd decided that he wouldn't rush anything with the sexy single dad; Noah was going to be around for a while and, right now, David needed cheering up. He would just be the friend the heartbroken man needed.


Sunday found Kurt doing the minimum it needed to keep the house spotless, taking care of his laundry as well and then he decided to make a supermarket run. He dressed as casually as he could stomach, pulling on a pair of army-green cargo shorts and a fitted, button-down shirt with pale green and white checks before slipping his feet into canvas deck shoes. He grabbed his keys after giving himself a once-over in the hall mirror and then headed into the kitchen to grab his list from off the refrigerator door.

He left his suburb, hitting the busy highway as his mind wandered to Noah. The other man hadn't called him after the night they'd made out on the couch and Kurt had been debating with himself whether he should be the one to call now. He chuckled at his dithering, reminding himself that both he and Noah were 26 and no social protocol dictated when friends should call one another.

He finally pulled his vehicle into the spacious parking lot of Lima's biggest grocery store – a Wal-Mart wannabe – and hopped out, locking the doors as he smiled to himself. He was doing a lot of that lately and he was loath to admit that Noah's interest in him was the cause of his current smugness.

Grabbing a cart from just inside the door, he turned his mind to the serious task of finding the best, freshest and preferably organic produce that he could. He was halfway through his list when he was suddenly tackled around the legs by a brightly smiling kindergartner. Her giggles from around the vicinity of his hip identified his attacker as none other than one Judith Puckerman.

"Oh, Judith," he mock growled. "I almost had a heart attack!" He chuckled as he stared down at her bright little face. "What are you doing here by yourself?"

"Hi, Mr. Kurt, I'm not here by myself! Daddy is_"

"Judith Puckerman, what have I said about_ oh, hi, Kurt!" A huffing Noah Puckerman dashed around the end of the aisle, his frantic expression easing somewhat as he saw his daughter wrapped around Kurt's leg. Lucky girl.

"Hi, Noah. Everything okay?" Kurt's eyes roved over Noah helplessly. Damn, the man had a body that wouldn't quit, he groaned internally, devouring the way the tight dark grey tee-shirt moulded Noah's chest. He knew his cheeks were heating up but he couldn't stop his eyes from sliding down Noah's body, widening slightly as they stopped on the washed out placket of his equally-tight jeans.

When he looked up Noah was staring at him, the pupils of his eyes dilated and pulling Kurt in. They stood there, the heat building slowly before Kurt felt Judith tugging at his hand. He tore his gaze away from Noah's and flushed as he stared at the little girl.

"What is it, sweetie?" Kurt's voice was a little hoarse and he could kick himself for his reaction to Noah's sex appeal. Good god, the whole store must have heated up several degrees from his and Noah's behaviour and he leaned down a little to focus desperately on Judith's demands.

"My daddy is cooking for us; I want you to come, too," Judith pouted, having been ignored by her daddy and her favourite teacher. She smiled now that she had Mr. Kurt's undivided attention and wound her fingers with his. "Please?"

Kurt couldn't help grinning at the suddenly tacked-on word. He nodded approvingly, belatedly realising that it seemed like he'd been agreeing to dinner when the little girl leapt up and down, saying "yeah!"

Kurt straightened up and then looked at Noah from beneath his lashes, realising that the other man had hardly said a word to him.

"Noah?" Kurt's soft voice seemed to jerk the other man out of his head as he blinked and then looked down at his daughter.

"Kurt, yeah, uhm, it would be great if you came … uh, to dinner, that is," he blurted as his cheeks darkened. He suddenly grinned and seemed to relax. "I turn into a stuttering idiot around you and it's really not fair."

He and Kurt laughed and then Kurt glanced at his shopping cart before looking back at father and daughter. His heart was telling him to just forget about his shopping and join the other two now but he didn't want to appear too eager. His eyelashes fluttered as he made up his mind, turning to look at Noah.

"I'll just finish up with this stuff and then… what time is dinner, chef?" He smiled brightly at Noah, his eyes warm and sparkling. He would take the time between now and dinner to try and cool down. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so giddy and out of control. To think it was with 'Puck' of all people; he just couldn't wrap his mind about it but clearly his body was on board with it.

Noah nodded and took Judith's hand, pulling her slightly away from Kurt so the other man could push his cart along. "I'll call you with the address and dinner is six o'clock."

Kurt nodded, ruffled Judith's hair and then smiled again at Noah. "Six o'clock it is. Bye, Judith, see you then!"

"Bye, Mr. Kurt!" Noah had started moving in the opposite direction and Judith walked backwards to continue waving at her teacher. Kurt chuckled as he threw her a final wave and then turned back to his cart. He let out a huge breath and then shook his head at himself.

'Get a grip, Kurt Hummel, jeeze!'

oOo

Kurt stared at himself once again in the hall mirror, nodding once in approval at his choice of outfits. He'd decided to wear a thin, very soft sweater in a gorgeous shade of blue that verged on purple. He'd decided to team it with soft dark grey slacks and around his neck he wore a silk dark blue kerchief with tiny white hearts on it. It was a very Kurt Hummel look but nowhere as fashion-forward as the outrageous outfits he used to wear in high school. He grabbed a black leather jacket from the hall closet and then his car keys.

His last act was to take the carton of strawberry-cheesecake ice cream from the freezer and then, locking the door, headed out to his car. He buckled himself into the seat and then took a deep breath. The thought of Noah waiting for him made his stomach clench in a very pleasant way and he smiled as he backed out of the driveway. If Rachel had seen Noah in that outfit at the store today, she would have chucked a brick at Kurt's head. There hadn't been a paunch or even love handle in evidence, that was for sure.

Twenty minutes later found him pulling up outside of a new and attractively-designed block of apartments and Kurt slid into a vacant parking spot. Kurt wondered briefly if Noah was still in touch with his sister – he knew his mom had passed away – and he gathered his package before checking his face in the mirror on the visor. His hair was a little longer than when he was in high school but he liked it that way and now a thick lock flopped onto his forehead attractively. He tried smoothing it back but when it flopped down again, he shrugged and left it.

Exiting the car, he locked it, took a deep breath and headed to the entrance of the huge building. Noah lived on the fifth floor so after entering one of the two elevators, he pressed the appropriate button and rolled his shoulders. Relax, he told himself, it's only dinner.

He made his way to Noah's door and pressed the buzzer, hearing a little squeal beyond the door and grinning to himself. It seemed Judith was waiting impatiently for his arrival because he could hear Noah calling to her to get away from the door.

Kurt grinned as the door was flung open and a harassed-looking Noah was staring at him while trying to keep Judith from jumping on him.

"Kurt, hi, come in!" Noah was a little breathless and Kurt laughed as he stared at the little girl. She had apparently dressed herself and was proudly wearing an eye-wateringly bright orange and fuchsia-striped blouse. At least she'd teamed it with a white skirt, Kurt noted, calling out a soft greeting to the two.

"Thanks for having me over, Judith. Have you been helping your daddy to cook dinner?" Kurt teased the little girl who had grabbed his free hand and was tugging him towards the living room. Kurt shrugged helplessly at Noah to whom he handed the carton of ice cream and he allowed himself to be forced into a seat.

Noah stared at him and then at Judith and then shook his head, resigned. "Uh, Judith, ask Mr. Kurt if he would like something to drink…" he prompted as he looked down at the gift Kurt had brought. His eyebrows went up and then he grinned, nodding as he realised how Kurt had combined his and Judith's favourite desserts into one.

Judith had done as instructed and she dashed off to the kitchen to get Kurt a glass of water. Noah chuckled and looked back at Kurt, his eyes taking in the other man's stylish outfit. He himself was simply dressed in a crisp black button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal tanned and muscular forearms and black jeans.

After exchanging soft smiles with his dinner guest, Noah excused himself to check on the roast, passing Judith on the way back with her carefully-held glass of water. If he were honest with himself, he would admit that he had been trying to find a way to spend some time with Kurt and he was grateful for a child's straightforward view of life. It got him the time he needed without appearing to be pressuring Kurt.

Kurt, taking the glass from Judith, thanked her and then watched as the little girl came and almost sat in his lap, she was so close. She was so sweet and Kurt could see some of Noah in her little features but he also wondered what she'd got from her mother. He determined that he would get a little of their backstory from Noah after dinner, preferably when Judith had gone to bed.

Judith regaled Kurt with all the things she and her dad had done that weekend and then Kurt told her about the surprise he'd got for the class. When she begged for him to tell her, he'd laughed and said it wouldn't be a surprise then. When a light bulb went off in his head, he turned to her with wide eyes and leaned toward her conspiratorially. The little girl leaned forward too, knowing that he was about to impart a secret!

"But, you know what?" Kurt's soft, musical voice enthralled her and she shook her head 'no'. Kurt smiled and continued even more quietly. "The earlier you go to sleep, the quicker tomorrow comes; did you know that?"

She shook her head, her smoky hazel eyes wide. "Really?!"

Kurt nodded energetically and watched her nod in time with him. "Yes, and the quicker tomorrow comes, the quicker you will get to see the surprise…"

Judith smiled widely and nodded, clapping her hands softly. "Is this a secret from daddy?"

Kurt tilted his head and pretended to think about it and then he nodded, smiling back at her. "Well, it could be a secret if we want it to be. Okay, after dinner, I'll help you get ready for bed. Would you like that?"

Judith lowered her voice and leaned towards him again. "Yes, and then I'll fall asleep and then it will be tomorrow!"

They both looked up as Noah came and stood in the doorway watching them. He turned his head to give them a suspicious look out of one eye. "What are you two plotting over there?"

The two conspirators chuckled and shook their heads. "It's a secret!" Judith's little voice piped up happily and then she looked back at Kurt. "Promise not to tell, okay?"

Kurt nodded somberly, crossing his heart. "It's just between us two, promise!" They chuckled again as Noah shook his head and moved back to the kitchen.

"Dinner in five minutes, guys. Judith… hands!"

The little girl leapt down from the couch and turned to look at Kurt, one eyebrow lifting in an eerily accurate imitation of her father. Kurt got the hint and got up too, taking her hand to head to the bathroom.

They washed their hands while chattering away and then they made their way to the dining area of the huge living room. Judith pointed out various framed pictures along the way, explaining who some of the people were but Kurt noticed she didn't mention her mother. He definitely needed to find out what that was about from Noah later.

Dinner was a noisy affair with Judith doing as much chatting as eating and Noah trying to get her to focus more on the food. Kurt kept the little girl in stitches, telling her some of the more PG stories about her dad's antics while in school and Noah trying to act as if he didn't remember any of it.

Kurt complimented Noah on the delicious roast and asked him how he managed to get the potatoes so fluffy. They spent many minutes, strangely enough, exchanging tips – both mundane and bizarre – on various ways to boil potatoes and, before they knew it, it was time for dessert.

Judith announced after cleaning her bowl in record time, that she would now consider strawberry cheesecake her favourite ice cream flavour. Kurt had grinned triumphantly at Noah who rolled his eyes at him and then they'd all helped to clear the table. Judith was well versed in where everything was to be put away and when Kurt offered to help with the washing up he'd smiled at her.

"Remember our secret? If I help we can get to it quicker," he reminded her, ignoring Noah's curious looks between the two of them. Kurt's comment made Judith work faster and when he'd wiped the last dish for Noah, he held his hand out for her to lead him towards her bedroom. He threw a mischievous look over his shoulder at Noah and let himself be led away.

Half an hour later – it was only one bedtime story tonight – Kurt was back in the living room, flopping tiredly on the couch and sipping gratefully at the wine Noah had poured for him.

"Whew, and it's not as if I don't know kids can be work!" He commented as he turned his head to look at Noah who was smirking at him. "One kid shouldn't have been this tiring, goodness!"

Noah laughed at him and relaxed against his end of the couch, Kurt joining in after a pause.

Kurt, sipping at the delicious wine, dabbed at his lips and then asked quietly, "What about her mom? Does she see her sometimes?"

Noah stared down into his wine and then looked up and out towards the balcony they could glimpse through the open French doors. He cleared his throat and frowned a bit before beginning.

"Okay, where should I begin? Let's see; during college – not community college, real college – I worked for this agency of songwriters."

He grinned at Kurt's surprised look. "Yeah, I liked it – I'm all about the music, remember? Anyway, I met Donna at a gig that one of my singers was performing at. The song I'd written for him was a hit so sometimes he'd invite me to his shows and at one of them I met this really hot girl. She seemed into me and we started dating."

He took a sip of the wine and then turned fully towards Kurt, one knee coming up so his leg was half on the couch; not too close to Kurt but still closing the distance a bit. "We dated for, uhm, six, seven months and then she said she was pregnant. We did the marriage thing because she insisted but after Judith was born she kinda … lost interest."

He scrubbed the back of his neck again and then stared outside at the growing gloom. Kurt was silent beside him, only the occasional hum or nod to indicate that he was listening intently. Noah didn't want the atmosphere to grow heavy but Kurt was curious and he really ought to know what he was getting into.

"The long and the short of it is that Donna didn't want to be tied down with a 'brat' – her words – keeping her from making it big." He scoffed as he said the last part. "Anyway, I graduated, I left the agency and then I decided I wanted to teach music as well as write it."

Kurt 'hmmed 'and then smiled softly at him. "Did you play as well? Did you have gigs, too, when you were in college?"

Noah grinned at him smugly. "Oh, yes, I was pretty popular on campus because of my skills." He winced and then relaxed when Kurt simply laughed. "I mean the music; it pays okay, too, and what with the songwriting royalties, I've done okay."

Kurt glanced around the very nicely-furnished condo and raised an eyebrow pointedly. "I can see that; that car you're driving cost a nice chunk of change too, I imagine."

Noah shrugged and then looked off towards the hallway down which lay Judith' bedroom. "Yeah, I wanted something that would be safe for Judith; it's not about the whole chick-magnet thing anymore for me."

Something in Kurt's face softened when he said that and he nodded, sliding his hand along the couch to stroke Noah's hand. "You've changed so much… you're almost unrecognizable from 'Puck'."

Noah turned his had palm upwards and entwined their fingers, staring at them before he spoke. "Yeah, I had to change. 'Puck' wasn't cutting it and I was tired of pretending I was a badass when all I was, was a scared, jealous punk."

That last was said bitterly and Kurt looked at him, surprised. "Jealous, you? You had every girl in the place panting for you! Who would you be jealous of?"

Noah frowned and looked away; the truth was battering at his lips to come out and he gave in. "Finn."

Kurt gaped at the hot, handsome and talented man before him, his eyes wide. "Finn? Are you kidding me? He's my brother but I can't imagine why you'd be jealous of him."

Noah withdrew his hand and straightened up with both feet now on the ground. He took one final sip of the wine and placed it on the end table, noting that he would soon need to switch the lamp on. Turning back to Kurt he looked at him seriously.

"Do you realise that Finn had everything I wanted? No? Well, let me enlighten you." He took a deep breath and watched as Kurt stared curiously at him.

"Finn Hudson, quarterback, star of the New Directions, lived the life I wanted, you could say. He had the head cheerleader as a girlfriend and he had the lead singer of the glee club staring at him with big, dark, shining eyes. Finn's my friend but there were times I couldn't understand what people saw in him. I don't think of him as a natural leader yet Schue put him in that role and made him believe it."

He shook his head and a grim little smile quirked his lips. "When Quinn and I fooled around that time – one time – and she got pregnant, I didn't do it to spite Finn as some people thought. Quinn came to me, hungry for it and dumbass that I am, was, I went with it. She was gorgeous – still is, but everyone turned against me as if it didn't take two to make that baby."

Kurt murmured sympathetically, recalling the drama surrounding those days.

Noah continued, glad that he was getting all this out finally. "Then, worst of all, there was you."

Kurt barely held back the gasp and he straightened up, staring at Noah as if he'd grown a second head. "What the hell do you mean 'worst of all'. What did I do?!" His eyes blazed at Noah and in any other circumstance Noah would have been entranced. As it was, the memories of his high school angst kept him from appreciating the sight.

"Not you directly – just the way you used to stare at Finn, as if he'd designed every one of those fancy outfits you loved so much." Noah's voice was almost inaudible and Kurt had to lean forward to hear him clearly.

He finally shifted closer to the other man on the couch and laid a hand on the hard, muscular shoulder. He unconsciously smoothed his hand along the material of his shirt as he said, "I-I used to have a tiny crush on him, that's true, but it was never more than that, Noah."

The soft voice so close to him made Noah close his eyes and his hands clench with want. Kurt had no idea what he was doing to him but he focused back on the conversation. He shrugged and looked at Kurt from the corner of his eye.

"In hindsight I can see that. At the time, though, it just seemed that Finn had everything I wanted… status, popularity… and you."

Kurt froze, his heart stuttering as he stared at Noah. There was no way he could have known that Puck had had all those feelings roiling within him. They had been a bunch of angst-ridden teens who'd made most of the drama themselves. His memory regurgitated scenes of his few interactions with Puck but he could not remember a single time when he'd seen a hint of tender feelings for him.

Now he spoke, his voice almost a whisper as he shook his head. "Noah, I had no idea. You were such a …"

"What, man-whore? You can say it – everyone else did. Thing is, I didn't bang half the people the rumours said I did. It helped to have a rep, though, so I went with it. As to glee club, Schue wouldn't ever have given me a solo at any of the competitions… I wasn't Finn."

Kurt nodded in agreement. His step-brother had sailed through high school, relying on his charm to get people to go along with him. Kurt had quickly got over his little crush though and then, before he knew it, he'd been moving to Dalton Academy and falling for Blaine.

He smiled now as he resumed patting/stroking Noah's shoulder. He leaned in to whisper, although there were only the two of them in the room. "Wanna hear a secret?"

Noah turned to him, a small smile wreathing his lips at Kurt's playful tone. He nodded, wondering what the other man was coming with now.

Kurt stared at him, his eyes dropping to Noah's lips and then back up to his eyes. He bit his lip, a faintly seductive gleam coming into his eyes and said, "Finn wasn't the only jock I was crushing on."

Noah's eyes widened and his lips parted slightly in surprise. He could barely breathe as he stared at Kurt's beautiful, impish face. Although the room was getting darker, he could clearly see the amorous glint in those azure eyes and he swallowed hard. "He wasn't?"

Kurt, using just one finger to run up and down Noah's bare forearm now, shook his head. "No, I must confess that a certain jock always caught my eyes. It wasn't just his 'guns' that intrigued me, though. I liked the way he sounded when he sang while playing his guitar. Best of all, he had the sexiest smoky-grey eyes… oof!"

Noah had turned towards Kurt and wasted no time in hauling him onto his lap.

"Noah!" Kurt tried to sound affronted but spoiled it by giggling. "What are you doing?!"

Noah stared at the laughing eyes and then down at the pink lips, almost groaning when Kurt's teeth sank into the plump bottom lip. Kurt's chuckles died away and an intense look replaced the amusement. When he grew absolutely still, staring back at him from big, dark eyes, Noah lowered his head slowly, giving him time to move away.

They both sighed when their lips touched and Noah kept them pressed together for several seconds. Then, without a signal, both men parted their lips and he slid his tongue past Kurt's lips. He did groan then at the feel of Kurt's tongue gliding against his and he pulled their bodies closer.

Kurt slid a hand around the back of Noah's neck and as the kiss grew deeper, his fingers stroked faster through the thick, dark hair. He moaned in the back of his throat as Noah tongue-fucked his mouth, raising his temperature and making him writhe in his lap. Kurt pressed himself closer to Noah's hard body and groaned as a hand slid up under his sweater to stroke the smooth skin of his back.

Noah tore his lips away to stare at Kurt's flushed face. It was almost too dark to see clearly but he didn't want to dislodge his sexy burden just to turn on a light. He watched Kurt lick his lips as he stared back at him, his chest heaving and drawing Noah's attention. He really wanted Kurt naked and under him… or naked and over him… it didn't matter, but he actually felt they were moving too fast.

Kurt's hand was still stroking the nape of Noah's neck, making the other man shudder and he reveled in the thought that he had such power over this gorgeous man. He knew if they continued, though, that he would soon be naked and as much as he wanted that experience, it was too soon. With a sigh he straightened up, moving to stand in a reverse of what had happened Thursday night at his house.

This time, however, Noah brought his hands to Kurt's hips, gripping them and pulling Kurt towards him. Kurt blushed at the sight of his bulge so close to Noah's face and he fidgeted before placing a hand against Noah's cheek.

Before he could say anything, Noah pulled him towards him and rested his cheek against Kurt's stomach. Kurt caressed the dark head and stood there, waiting for him to say something… anything.

Noah eased back and sighed before getting to his feet, his body rubbing against Kurt's as he stood up. He grinned at Kurt before cupping his face with both hands. When Kurt looked at him enquiringly, he leaned down and placed his lips gently against his. They stood like that for several long seconds before Noah stepped away, reaching to switch on the lamp on the end table.

Kurt cleared his throat and said softly, "I really do have to go… school tomorrow and all that." He hadn't intended for it to sound so apologetic but he smiled when Noah nodded understandingly.

"Come, let me walk you out," Noah said, taking Kurt's hand in his. He could spend the whole night kissing this man but in the end he still wouldn't know if Kurt was on the same page as he was. After all, Kurt had David Karofsky in the picture once again and though he had been dying to ask him about the other man's visit, he knew he couldn't… at least, not yet.

"I had a great time, Noah," Kurt murmured and when they reached the door he turned and slid both arms around Noah's waist, letting his head rest on the other man's shoulder. They stood like that until Kurt straightened, feeling Noah's arms fall reluctantly away. Smiling, he leaned up to press a kiss onto one tanned cheek. "I'll call you in the week, okay?"

Nodding, Noah grasped his hand, giving it a little squeeze before saying, "Thanks for coming," smiling when Kurt flashed his eyes at him and giggled. Lord, double entendres just seemed to spill from him whenever he was around Kurt.

Throwing a little wave at Noah, he made his way to the elevator, still chuckling beneath his breath. He had really enjoyed the entire evening and if every time he and Noah met up sparks flew like this, he'd soon have to invest in flame-retardant clothing. God, could the man kiss!

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TBC

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