Chapter Fifteen

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? Rated M.

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


Finn stared at Puck as if he'd never seen him before, his forehead scrunched up in a frown that his wife thought was adorable and everyone else thought made him look half-witted or constipated.

"So, what, like you're gay now?"

Noah rolled his eyes but he was in too good a mood to be angry with his erstwhile best friend. "Yeah, you could say I'm gay for Kurt, dude. Simple," he said abruptly as his eyes followed Kurt and the way he was being so patient with Judith.

They were at the Hummel-Hudson residence for Sunday dinner, Kurt, Judith, Sarah and Rachel bustling about getting everything sorted. Noah and Finn were relaxing out of the way, only occasionally placing a dish on the table that had been handed to them by Kurt or the women.

Noah smiled softly as he watched Judith stare up at Kurt, a look of open adoration on her face. Children were so straightforward at her age; to her, Kurt was the best person in the world, next to her daddy and her aunty Sarah and she didn't care who knew. Noah chuckled as he observed the way the overlarge apron was folded around her sturdy little body, courtesy of Mr. Kurt.

Rachel, too, found the little girl really charming and sweet and, if Finn recognized that look in her eye, he was soon to be hounded again about starting a family. He sighed now and looked over at Puck who had a really soppy look on his face as he watched his brother.

"So, like, are you in love or something?" He flinched as he realized how very juvenile he sounded but this thing was kinda freaking him out. Puck was the original Lima badass, the man whore that all the other jocks had envied for his ability to score anything in a skirt. Furthermore, he had just come back to Lima and now, here he was, a look of lust and, if Finn wasn't wrong, love on his face.

Noah turned to look towards the kitchen before throwing Finn a glare. "Look, I care about your brother, okay? I think he cares about me too… in fact, I'll just say it: yes, I love Kurt!"

He was too annoyed to notice that the conversation in the kitchen had lulled and his voice had been louder than he'd thought. He eyed Finn in puzzlement as an odd little smirk slid across the other man's face. Since he was staring over Noah's shoulder, he turned to see what he was looking at and saw Kurt, Rachel, Sarah and Judith standing in the kitchen doorway.

Sarah chuckled as Noah stared at Kurt's face that was flushed either from the oven's heat – he was holding a platter with the most beautifully golden-brown chicken on it – or from what he'd just overheard.

Noah felt his cheeks warm but he rose, strode over to Kurt and removed the heavy platter, turning towards the elegantly appointed dining table and setting it in the middle. Kurt murmured his thanks as he glanced at Rachel who was smiling widely, looking just like the Cheshire cat and he rolled his eyes at her. Sarah nudged him and nodded approvingly.

"Well, it's about time we heard that out loud!" Everyone chuckled except Judith who simply bounced where she was standing just in front of Sarah.

"Uhm, well, everyone, time to eat!" Kurt smiled shyly at Noah as he removed the apron he was wearing and then did the same for Judith who beamed up at him.

They all slid into the chairs around the table and Finn sighed in happy appreciation of the multiple platters and bowls ranged before him. He didn't care who was in love with whom right now; he was hungry and the aroma of the food was seriously getting to him.

Noah shook his head with a tiny grin and then, before they could reach for the food, decided he wanted to say a few words. Kurt's brow wrinkled slightly but he nodded and waited for him to speak.

"I just want to say that I know you aren't religious, Kurt, but my ma, brought us up," and he glanced at Sarah who nodded and smiled at him, "to always say a blessing in thanks for the food before us."

Kurt brushed his hand with his and nodded. "Go ahead, I don't mind at all."

They all grew quiet as Noah said a grace that his mother had taught Sarah and him when they were little.

"Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha'olam shehakol niyah bidvaro. (Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, at whose word all came to be.)" He smiled as he finished and then he looked at Kurt.

"Will you carve or shall I," Kurt asked softly and when Noah nodded he turned to the others. "Well, bon appétit, everybody!"

There was soft laughter as Finn made a dive for the huge bowl which Kurt had filled with a savory rice pilaf. Noah carved and served the steaming, succulent chicken as Rachel helped herself to the variety of vegetarian dishes Kurt had prepared as well as the rice.

The soft sounds of people enjoying the good food blended with the clink of cutlery and in the background a quiet, instrumental CD played classical music. The ambience was one of familial comfort and Kurt ate his entire meal with a tiny smile on his face.

He found himself observing everyone as they ate and chatted, grinning when Finn reached for seconds and then, to Rachel's chagrin, thirds.

"Go ahead, Finn, I made extra just for you!"

Everyone laughed as Finn quite unconcernedly helped himself, winking as Judith stared at his plate in awe.

She piped up: "Is that why you're so tall, Mr. Finn?"

Finn smiled at the child as he shook his head. "Uh, no, not really. My dad was pretty tall, I heard, so I take after him. Do you want to be tall when you grow big?"

There ensued an amusing conversation between the tallest person in the room and the tiniest, the others looking between the unlikely pair with interest.

Suddenly, Judith looked from Finn to Rachel and blurted: "Are you Mr. Finn's wife?"

Rachel, quickly swallowing her mouthful, smiled and nodded quickly. "Oh, yes, and one day I hope we'll have an adorable little girl like you, won't we, Finn?"

Finn might be a little dense but he was no fool. He nodded vigorously but added, "or a little boy."

Rachel threw him a tiny glare but turned back to Judith who was now staring at her aunt Sarah. "Why'd you ask, Judith?" She was really quite curious because the little girl had turned out to be extremely smart and very observant. Rachel liked to think it was the fact that she was Jewish as an explanation for her precociousness.

Judith smiled up at her and then looked back to her aunt, her eyes twinkling. "You have Mr. Finn and daddy has Mr. Kurt. I think Aunt Sarah should have a boyfriend, too!"

Kurt's surprised chuckle was drowned out by Finn and Noah's loud guffaws while Rachel tittered and put her hand over her mouth. All eyes were, of course, turned towards Sarah who was now quite red in the face. She narrowed her eyes at her niece but relented when the little urchin grinned unrepentantly up at her.

Rachel, enjoying the whole exchange, suddenly said to Judith: "If you were only a little older, I could use you in my new play, y'know."

This brought all eyes to her and she shrugged, smiling as they all showed various levels of curiosity. She paused for effect and said, with one eyebrow raised: "Judith would have made a great Yente in my 'Fiddler on the Roof' production."

There was a tiny silence and everyone burst out laughing except for Finn who only managed to smile confusedly. Judith too only scrunched her little feathery eyebrows but then smiled as everyone looked so happy at what Ms. Rachel had said. She didn't know who this Yente was but she must be great if they all agreed with her.

The evening wore on as the group finished up their dinner, the meal was cleared away and, with the help of Rachel and Sarah, Kurt got the dishwasher loaded and running. It wasn't time for dessert yet – which Noah had brought, of course – so someone suggested playing board games and Judith bounced and clapped in absolute agreement with the plan.

They played Monopoly, a game that Judith wasn't so familiar with but she got the hang of it quickly, turning out to be a pretty ruthless landlord with nearly everyone under her thumb. Of course she got a fair bit of coaching from the grownups who were tickled to watch her little face tighten in concentration every time it was her turn to roll the dice.

By seven thirty they were ready for more food and Kurt hauled Noah with him to the kitchen to help him dish up the ice-cream cake. It had come from a bakery that they both loved and Kurt's mouth watered as he sliced into the cool, creamy, cakey confection. He hadn't realized he was sticking his tongue out of his mouth a little until Noah suddenly grabbed him, staring down hungrily at his mouth.

"Kurt_" he breathed and Kurt, his hands held out to the side so he wouldn't get ice cream on Noah's dark-green shirt, nearly swooned at the absolute hunger in his lover's voice.

He could do nothing but tilt his face up, presenting his mouth for Noah's ravenous kiss and they moaned into the heat and ferocity of it. Noah's hand slid around and down to cup Kurt's ass that looked particularly splendid that evening in a pair of mustard-colored jeans. He squeezed the muscular globes and groaned as the action brought Kurt's groin in to grind against his.

Kurt pulled back to stare up at Noah's face with wide eyes, the blue of which was almost eclipsed by the huge black pupils. Noah loved that look and his eyes dropped to the tempting mouth as Kurt licked his slightly swollen lips. Kurt took a deep breath and tried to smile as he tamped down on his rising ardor.

He breathed heavily as he stepped back from Noah's arms, just in time to hear Finn yell from the living room: "Hey, that ice cream's gonna turn into soup, soon!"

Noah gusted a short bark of laughter and rubbed his hand through his hair as he allowed Kurt to escape him. He stared darkly at Kurt and then stole a brief, sweet kiss before turning away to calm down a bit.

Kurt took a deep breath and, with a slightly shaking hand, dished up the last of the ice-cream cake. He cleared his throat and turned to Noah, saying a little huskily: "Help me with these, please?"

Noah smiled at him, love for the beautiful and talented man before him evident in his dark grey eyes. "Okay, so who gets which?" he asked, looking down at the small tray of four bowls. One was noticeably more full than the others and he grunted. "Okay, I know – this one's for Finn."

Kurt grinned at him and followed him out of the kitchen with the other two bowls. He flushed slightly as he handed one of the bowls to Sarah who stared pointedly at his puffy lips. Ignoring her, he planted himself on the love seat, trying to telepathically steer Noah to come and sit beside him but he needn't have worried. Noah, after serving the others and taking his own dish, came over and slid into the space beside Kurt, nudging his leg with his thigh and grinning at Kurt's shy glance at him.

The evening was a huge success and when it was nearing time for Judith's bedtime, everyone started making shuffling moves preparatory to leaving. Kurt, as host, thanked them for coming and Sarah rolled her eyes playfully at him.

"As if you could have kept me away after hearing what a dynamite cook you are!" She laughed at Kurt's surprised look and she tilted her chin in Noah's direction who, at the moment was helping Judith on with her little hooded coat. Kurt giggled and thanked her for the compliment, explaining that he was a bit of a foodie, himself.

He walked with everyone to the door, shooed Finn and Rachel out and hung back with Noah as Sarah took Judith's hand. The little girl waved vigorously at him and told him a bright thank you.

"See you in school tomorrow, Judith; sweet dreams," Kurt called to her, waving as she was assisted into Noah's car by his aunt. As he waved to Judith he felt himself being tugged out of view of the others by Noah and looked up askance.

Noah kissed him.

Kurt hummed into the kiss, his hand going to the back of Noah's neck and when the other man held his waist and brought him in closer to his hardening body, Kurt reluctantly pulled back. They rested their foreheads against each other's and Kurt sighed, closing his eyes in contentment.

"Mmmm, Noah, I wish you could stay…" His voice was that soft yet lower register that Noah was coming to think of as his favorite.

He sighed and then hugged Kurt tightly to him before stepping back. Much more of this and Sarah would probably start honking the horn. "Yeah, me too, babe; me too."

With a final nip to Kurt's luscious lower lip, he pulled back reluctantly, buttoned up his coat and headed down the front steps to his car. He stopped to wave at Kurt just before sliding into the driver's seat, a soft smile wreathing his lips.

Kurt waved as he watched him reverse down the driveway and when the car had straightened up and Noah had given him a little toot for a salute, he grinned and shut the door. As he locked it and put on the alarm he thought how wonderful it was to have had so many other people in the house again.

He never thought of himself as needing other people around to be happy but ever since Noah and Judith's descent onto his life, he found himself being more relaxed at the thought of sharing himself with others.

'Ah, Noah,' he sighed as he turned off most of the lights and then headed down to his suite in the basement, 'you don't know it but I think you've changed me for good.' He smiled because his thoughts reminded him of one of his favorite show tunes so, of course, it got stuck in his head the whole night, right through his sleep and into the next morning.

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oOo

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That Thursday, Kurt and Noah's idyllic little love life got an unexpected and unpleasant jolt in the form of one overly-endowed and intellectually-challenged individual.

"Oh, hi, Kurt! Kurt, over here!"

Kurt spun around, his eyes widening in surprise and then narrowing in displeasure as he watched Daria Strando teeter and totter towards him on her outrageous heels. Louboutins were not meant for the likes of you, Kurt thought bitchily as he waited for the woman to reach him. "Oh, hi, Daria, how may I help you?"

His visage was pure ice although his lovely voice was pleasant. After all, this woman had done nothing to him, nothing at all, if you didn't count drooling over his man. Still, he couldn't seriously blame her as Noah was one fine specimen as anyone with eyes and half a brain cell could tell. Also, Daria apparently remembered a whole lot more about her time as a Cheerio than Noah did and for this Kurt could never be truly comfortable around her.

Daria eyed Kurt as she approached, ignoring the little stab of envy as she noticed the way the dress pants Kurt was wearing hugged his slender hips and showed the curves and musculature of his long legs. She'd always felt a little uncomfortable around him and she was the last to say she was homophobic but something about Kurt's tall, slender body and pretty face with those unusual blue-green eyes made her want to lose weight and stop tanning.

She smiled widely now, showing off her expensive orthodontic work and grabbed Kurt's arm to walk with him towards the staff room. She'd had a brain wave while Nick was doing his husbandly duty on her body that morning and now she couldn't wait to run it by Kurt.

When they reached the staff room, Kurt held the door for her, only just refraining from rolling his eyes as she simpered at him. She really couldn't help herself, he muttered, even if she knew, like everyone else, that he was gay.

"Thank you, such a gentleman you are!" She tittered inanely and seated herself at a table away from the center of the room. "Mmm, here is what I thought of this morning as I was… uhm, okay, this is what I thought of."

Kurt had pulled out his chair and sat at such an angle that he was facing more towards the staff room than towards her. She definitely wasn't smart enough to tell that his body language screamed that he wanted to be anywhere but there listening to her so she plowed on.

"Since the fall is here, I was thinking about a Fall slash pre-Halloween party! What do you think?"

Kurt looked at her, hiding his surprise and curiosity. Why was she telling him about this? He wasn't on the school's PTO that handled special events like fund-raisers so he admitted he was curious.

He nodded slowly as he spoke, keeping his eyes on her widely smiling face. "Okaaay, a fall party; that's a good idea. Why are you telling me about it? The vice principal handles the schedule for school functions, you know."

Her eyes widened and then she chuckled. "Oh, no, no, this is not a school thing. I'm planning it for me – well, little Mario, really."

Kurt stared at her calculatingly and his stomach clenched unpleasantly. Somehow, deep inside, he just knew that this had something to do with Noah. He breathed in deeply and said as calmly as possible even though his ire was causing him to flush a bit, "Right – and you want me to…"

He let his voice trail off as he watched her lick her frosted pink lips that clashed so horribly with her over-tanned skin. She batted her lashes and giggled before leaning forward to whisper conspiratorially: "I want you to invite Noah – and his daughter, you see. I didn't get his number when he came over on Saturday."

She glanced down coyly and tapped the table top with one long fingernail and Kurt eyed it distastefully. His voice was a little sharper as he asked: "So, what, it's just Mr. Puckerman and his daughter that will be coming to this… fall party, then."

"Oh, no, no, of course not! Oh, Kurt, you're so funny!" She laughed, her eyes twinkling as she shook her head. "No, I'm inviting a bunch of other parents, too. Where'd be the fun in that with just one man…"

Her voice trailed off and a faint reddish blush crept up her throat and onto her face and Kurt looked away, swallowing the nausea as he could almost read her mind after that thoughtless comment. His wandering gaze caught sight of Marcy in the group of teachers who were straggling in and she caught his eye, smiling as she came towards them.

However, she stopped short and turned to seat herself at the next table, after having recognized that Kurt was sitting with Daria Strando. She was an avid volunteer but not many of the staff took the woman seriously. How could they when her choice in attire left so much to be desired. This was, after all, Lima, Ohio and the woman dressed as if she were poolside at some swanky Malibu residence.

Kurt and Daria weathered the odd little silence before she cleared her throat and grinned again. "Wow, Kurt, it seems I'm always putting you on the spot to give Puck my invitations. Erm, what if you just gave me his number? That way I wouldn't have to keep troubling you."

She and Kurt smiled insincerely at each other and then she pouted as the smile dropped abruptly from Kurt's face. He shook his head, preparing to get up and told her: "I really can't do that, Daria, but I will pass on the invitation… again." With a sharp little nod he rose, leaving her to watch him stride towards Marcy who had been watching the exchange curiously.

"Oh, Kurt, this time you're invited; you and the other teachers, that is," Daria called after him and Kurt simply nodded and waved over his head as he joined Marcy at her table. He let out an annoyed huff as he sat down, a slight frown marring his high, pale forehead.

"Hey, what was all that about, if I might ask?" Marcy's voice was light but Kurt detected a note of amusement. He snorted softly and then shook his head.

"Oh, Daria is having a fall party, she says, to which we are all invited."

Marcy tilted her head, a little confused now. "And? There has to be more to it for you to look as if you have a bad taste in your mouth."

Kurt stared at her, wondering how much he should say and then shrugged. "Well, it's just that she wants me to invite Noah… and Judith."

His assistant's face still held that hint of curiosity mixed with confusion and she wiggled her hand to indicate that he should go on because there must be more than just an invitation to a party to have him in a snit.

Kurt rolled his eyes and then pouted, folding his arms across his chest, unknowingly causing his biceps in the tight blue sweater to bulge. Her eyes flickered down to them and then back up to his face and Kurt wondered what that was about. He sighed and finally gritted out: "I think she's doing it just to get close to Noah… again."

He bit his lip and looked down, avoiding her perceptive gaze and waited for her comment. It wasn't long in coming and Kurt wished the first morning bell would go.

"Okay, so, hot mama over there is lusty for the hunky Mr. Puckerman and you are annoyed… why?" The amusement had definitely grown in her voice and Kurt flushed as he threw a little glare at her. He didn't get to answer because she suddenly sat up straight, her eyes widened and she grinned.

"Oh, my goodness. You like him!"

"Shhhh, are you crazy, woman?!" Kurt hissed as he leaned towards her even while glancing frantically around the staff room. The other occupants were oblivious, though, going about their business as they prepared for their first classes.

Marcy grinned maniacally and leaned forward to grit out: "I wondered about that crazy tension between you two on the field trip but it really hadn't occurred to me that… Ha, this is great!"

Kurt eyed her suspiciously and sneered. "What – did you forget your meds? What tension?" He hoped that by acting clueless he could derail her train of thought but no such luck.

She laughed as she eyed him, taking in the flush on his fair face. He really was unfairly attractive she thought as she studied him and then a thought popped up.

"So, wait, I was right that first day? Mr. Puckerman is gay? Damn, I hate when I'm right!"

Just then the first bell went and in the general hustle and bustle Kurt and Marcy headed out to their classroom, Marcy eyeing Kurt every few seconds and grinning at him. Kurt tilted his nose into the air, muttering beneath his breath and ignored her when she finally laughed.

When they reached their classroom, they waited for the hall monitors to usher the little ones into their respective classrooms and then Kurt held the door for Marcy, allowing her to precede him.

He rolled his eyes at her antics as she smirked up at him when she passed.

"Boy, this is going to be as much fun as the Housewives of Orange County. Oh, yes, bring it on, ladies!"

Kurt gritted his teeth but couldn't help a little snicker from leaving him. After all, he'd always thought that Daria belonged on one of those ridiculous so-called reality shows. However, he did not see himself as any of those idle women with too much time on their hands. Still, Marcy's amusement at his expense didn't bother him at all.

The only thing that bothered him right now was the thought of Noah having to dodge the woman's claws without outing himself.

'Oy vey,' he thought tiredly as he turned to the class, his eyes falling immediately on Judith's shining face and his heart lifted a bit as she gave him a cute little wave from her desk. 'Life certainly got interesting in a hurry.'

"Okay, my little pumpkins, today we're going to study leaves." He grinned as he realized he was happy and these bright ones were playing a huge part in his current state of mind. "Who can tell me why leaves change their colors in the fall?"

Hands waved frantically as they remembered not to shout and Kurt and Marcy continued with the job of helping to enlighten little minds. For the moment the problem of the pushy Mrs. Strando was shelved and they immersed themselves for the day in much more pleasant challenges.

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TBC

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A/N: Thank you all, so very much. I'm feeling the love! Stay with me, guys, and I'll definitely make it worth your while.

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