He's sleeping again. Puck couldn't remember having slept so soundly without fits of insomnia, or nightmarish images keeping him awake.
It was surreal.
But really what was more surreal, was the reason for this newfound peaceful disposition.
He finds himself smiling when he spots the very subject of his thoughts sitting amongst a small group of teens in that garish gray uniform, smiling and laughing despite the desolate color scheme attempting to wash him out.
Puck beams when they catch eyes, and walks over without a second thought. They were all sitting at one of the round tables placed strategically along the well manicured portion of the lawn outside.
"Hey you pathetic sacks of lame. How goes it?"
"Hey to you too, Puckerman." Mercedes remarks, an obvious absence of her normal snarkiness. It seemed since Puck had been more openly friendly to Kurt, and in essence a little less of a prick to the rest of them, she'd sort of warmed up to him. At least enough to be able tolerate his presence without threatening to smack the shit out of him.
Puck pulls open his jacket and hands Kurt a carton of apple juice.
"Snuck you one. I know how much you like em'."
Kurt rolls his eyes but his smile couldn't have been more prominent or contradictory of the previous action.
"You just can't turn it off can you?"
Puck grins, a bit of nostalgia warming his insides at the words. "Bein' an extremely thoughtful individual?"
Kurt chuckles. "Being a damn thief."
"Eh, sue me Rainbow Brite."
"For what? All I'd get out of you is stack of completely disturbing and equally uninteresting pornagraphic magazines and some juice cartons. Not really worth the effort."
"Whatev's Lady. So I see we have one Black, one Blonde, an Asian, and a Gay. But no Jew. I figured something was off with this little United Nations meet and greet. Where's the Fro?"
Sam was biting his lip, obviously looking to retort but apparently thinking better of it as he remained silent. He shrugged while Mercedes looked to Tina.
"I h-haven't seen him since breakfast. He d-didn't really want t-t-to talk."
"You should be thankful, Goth. You actually didn't have to subject your ears to his wheezing, whiny ass voice."
He didn't think an Asian's eyes could actually become more narrow.
"Dude. Lay off."
"McConaughey. Nobody asked you to speak. Matter of fact, what are you even doin' here? Shouldn't you be off blowin' that Rory kid?"
"Oh, I plan to. I just thought I'd come say 'hi' to you guys first."
Kurt nearly chokes on his apple juice while Tina and Mercedes roar with laughter. Puck feels himself begin to bristle, feels the challenge writhing within him. But then he exhales, and allows a grin to reach his lips.
"Touche, Blondie."
Sam is still chuckling when he rises to leave the table. "Actually though I do need to get going. Due for my first round of meds."
"He was k-kidding before. Right?" Tina whispers conspiratorily behind her hand as Sam stoops to pick his hoodie up from the ground. The genuine question just sends Mercedes into another fit of raucous laughter. She and Sam exchange an entertained look before he turns to walk away.
Kurt reaches across the table and gently pats Tina's hand. "No sweetie. He's not going to run off to go blow Rory. They're not in a secret relationship, and no he's not gay."
"Oh. Okay."
She stares after Sam's retreating figure with a confused expression still etched soundly on her face.
"But the hair-"
"I know. The hair is a bit, well, gay, but I assure you. Straight."
Puck watches in fascination as Kurt and the two girls carry on their casual conversation as normally as any group of young teens would; as if they weren't trapped in some hospital surrounded by a bunch of emotional and often irrational craziness. It was ironic to him, the thought that they were in fact all just teenagers.
How easily it was forgotten when subjected to so many adult expectations and standards, that you get bogged down with being different, with forgetting that underneath all the pain and sense of delusion, you were just a kid too.
Kurt was just a kid. Puck feels his heart constrict with the thought of the things that Kurt had experienced, and now the unfair lot of being placed in this cage. He was far too beautiful to be caged like this.
The girls had moved on to talking about past crushes on boys or some shit, but it was then that he noticed Kurt now eyeing him. He mouths the words, 'You okay?' while the girls chatter on obliviously.
Puck nods silently. Kurt looks concerned momentarily, but at Puck's reassuring smirk, he smiles back with conviction.
Kurt keeps his eyes firmly set on Puck's when he says, "I need to get going too Ladies."
"Why? We don't have Crafts for like half an hour."
"I forgot something in my room. We'll catch up later?"
They look slightly crestfallen at this impromptu departure, but nod and say their goodbyes. It's only after Kurt has marched off that Puck realizes he's still sitting there.
He shakes his head and moves to stand. He's stopped by a surprisingly firm grip on his forearm.
"Don't think I don't see what's going on Puckerman. And whatever it is, all I know, is that if you hurt him, you deal with me. Got it?"
Puck is tempted to slap her hand away. That was of course his first instinct. He looks over at Tina who quietly nods her assertion. He feels the flare of panic rise up in his throat.
His second instinctual inclination is to deny, deny, deny. Sure he'd been nicer to the kid. But, so what? Couldn't he just be fucking nice without having to be fucking the dude?
He almost says something he knows will be grating and make her want to punch him. Almost...
"I could never do that. So no worries."
Her narrowed eyes burrow into his, searching for what he knows is some sort of sign of deception or uncertainty. Then they slowly relax, as does her death grip on his arm.
"Good."
As Puck begins to stalk off, he cant help but succumb as the urge overtakes him.
"Oh and Weezy?"
Mercedes looks over at him with a scowl, though it's noticeably less scathing then it's been within their past exchanges.
"I'll make sure to tell Sam that his huge guppy lips are only meant for your snatch."
Her eyes bulge in shock and Tina was tittering with waves of fresh laughter. Yeah, Weezy hadn't been the only one playing fucking love detective around here. He could practically feel the vibrations of her pussy humming whenever Beach Boy was around. Serves her right.
God. He feels kind of sick to his stomach. They know. They fucking know. Who else knows about him and Kurt? Who else is probably snickering behind his back? Pointing and making faces at the fact that Puck is some hypocritical fudge packer? He barely registers that he's shaking as he marches back toward the facility.