Catalyst

Chapter 18

By Dani J.

Summary: Kurt and Blaine have decided to just be friends and the dapper boy realized he really missed Dalton Academy so he's gone back. No Klaine-bashing is intended, it just wouldn't have worked for this fic. However, Kurt has an admirer in a new kid… and Puck isn't happy at all but doesn't seem willing to step up.

Disclaimer: I own nothing whatsoever. Blame RM and company for this unfairly attractive and addictive group of characters. Well, except for my cute, original character, Kristopher.

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Last chapter: He looked at his ma with bewildered eyes. "I-I want to be able to just walk up to him, fling my arm around his shoulder and walk down the hallways at school. I really want that, ma; I just…" he sighed, frustration evident in every line of his slumped posture. "I just don't know if I can handle that first slushy or the second – or maybe the first time someone calls me a 'fag' – I don't know if I'm ready. What if I'm never ready, ma?"

….

They sat in silence with his cheeks burning and his ma trying to act as if she hadn't noticed. Finally she squeezed his hand and said, "Well, son, our people are used to slurs being hurled at us – things worse than those slushies. You have to decide if Kurt is worth it all."

She paused and looked at him, knowing that he was considering her words. "Is he worth it, son?"

Without waiting for his answer, she got up, leaned down and dropped a soft kiss onto his forehead. "Go to sleep, boychik, things will look better in the morning… I promise."

He murmured goodnight and watched her walk out and when she closed the door softly behind her, he flung himself back on the bed, his mind awhirl and feeling more exhausted than he had in a while.

He didn't change out of his clothes because he really thought he wouldn't be able to sleep, yet as his eyes drifted closed, one thought remained. He knew Kurt was worth it, oh yes. He, however, didn't believe he deserved Kurt… and how in hell was he going to explain that?

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The next morning, Noah found several texts waiting on him from … Mercedes. He frowned down at the phone as he brushed his teeth, muttering through the toothpaste foam as he wondered what she wanted.

He rinsed his mouth, whipped the damp towel from around his waist as he walked to his bedroom and slid into a pair of clean jeans. He didn't bother with underwear as usual but as he slid his feet into his Converses, he glanced again at the phone.

He had to admit to a funny little pain in his chest that none of the texts was from Kurt, but a part of him understood. Getting up to slip his too-tight tee over his head, he ran a hand down through his hair and decided he was as ready as he was going to be. He paused though and grabbed his letterman jacket.

There was no one to try and impress today, he thought sadly, sure that he would be getting the cold shoulder from Kurt. He sighed and took the stairs down to breakfast two at a time. As he ate the cold cereal and waited for his toaster strudel to pop up, he flipped through the messages from Mercedes.

He almost choked when one of them simply said, 'We're gonna have a talk, Puckerman!' He didn't have to hear her voice to know that she was seriously pissed off at him when she'd written that one. He sighed as he got up, grabbed the hot toaster strudel and headed out the door. He called a goodbye to his ma who was on the afternoon shift so she was still around, and headed out to his truck.

He sat in it and sent Mercedes a quick text, asking to meet her at Starbucks before school. She lived closer to the center of town where the Starbucks was so it wasn't out of her way. Her text came back almost immediately saying she'd be there and that he should order her an Americano, venti.

He shook his head but headed out, glad that the traffic wasn't lousy as yet. Even though Mercedes lived closer, he knew she would take too much time with her appearance so he would get there before she did. He parked, ordered their drinks and then found a seat to wait for her.

Ten minutes later she sauntered in, a typical sassy look on her face. She didn't even greet him, just rolled her eyes and took a sip from the coffee that was apparently just the right temperature. She hummed a bit before putting down the cup and then fixing him with a glare.

He shrugged and attempted a "What?" She apparently wasn't buying it as she snorted and shook her head.

"Look, Puckerman, I admit that I'm on your side in this whole, 'who's gonna get Kurt' thing. But listen to me, if you screw up and hurt my boy, you'll wish you'd never heard the name 'Mercedes Jones'!"

Noah knew he was gaping, his mouth slightly open but he finally got himself together and raised his hands defensively. "Whoa, hold on, Aretha! What's with this whole 'hurt Kurt' thing? Where did that come from? Furthermore, I didn't ask for your help; you volunteered, okay?"

They exchanged glares and then she sort of deflated and looked at him less hostilely. "Yeah, yeah, okay. I'm just a little… Kurt called me last night, after he'd talked to you… and he was not a happy boy."

Noah dropped his head into his hands and muttered, "When did my life turn into a soap opera?"

Mercedes slapped him upside the head and barked, "Snap out of it! We don't have time to waste. You don't need to be feeling sorry for yourself right now." She took a sip of her beverage and then stared at him, her eyes narrowed. "So, seriously, do you think you can handle those douches at school if you come out?"

Noah lifted his head slowly but kept his eyes trained on the tabletop, the most fascinating thing in the room, it seemed. Then he said, "Honestly, I don't know. A part of me wants to think that I can handle anything, you know? I'm Noah Puckerman, Puck, the badass of McKinley High. But how long's that gonna last when the puckheads and some of the other football jocks start in on me… on us?"

'Cedes looked at him, soft understanding in her eyes as she spoke. "I know this is hard for you… but it's just as hard for Kurt, y'know?" When he looked at her with a slightly puzzled look, she sighed. "It's not easy for him to be out and proud, okay? He just doesn't want to end up putting his heart on the line and then you turn around and say this was just some big, gay experiment or something."

Noah's eyes were big as he hurried to refute that. "No! No, this isn't some experiment, seriously! Kurt… he makes me feel… I don't know. It's like – this is it, y'know? And I am going to be up front about us – if there's gonna be an us… no matter what they throw at us."

They stared at each other while they contemplated all the possible, horrible scenarios and then he straightened up. "One thing, though: I'm going to come out to the club, first."

Her eyes widened and took on a sheen that made him feel a little embarrassed. It wasn't every day that people looked at him with pride in their eyes, much less another teen. He ducked his head but grinned when she said, "That's what I'm talking about! Glee club is perfect to start with!"

"Yeah, yeah," he said softly as he felt his cheeks warm. "I don't know how they'll take it, especially Quinn… and Santana. Still, if I'm going to do this thing, that's where I should start, right?"

They finished their coffees, strategizing and coming up with a plan of attack when he suddenly declared, "Oh, I should really tell Finn, first!"

She looked at him and then nodded. "Yeah, he's your best friend – and make sure you get Mike and Sam, even Artie, in on it before you spring it on the rest of the club." She chuckled. "Oh, I have got to have my phone ready to get all the reactions. Even Mr. Schue!"

They were laughing as they left the store and Noah realized he did feel better; his mom was right after all.

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The boys sauntered into Glee club that afternoon, some struggling to keep their faces neutral while a couple of them looked decidedly confused. Strangely enough, Finn wasn't one of the ones who looked confused and the girls took their seats beside their boyfriends or girlfriends and waited for the other shoe to drop… or Mr. Schue to turn up… whichever came first.

They were all there, a palpable tension in the air when Schue turned up, grinning all over his face and starting off with the announcement of a new assignment. Only Rachel didn't groan but everywhere else eyes rolled, although Kristopher only grinned in anticipation.

Schue grabbed the marker and scrawled for a few seconds on the white board and stepped back with a triumphant look on his face.

"Comfort Zone?" That was Finn, the de facto leader of their merry band, and he looked at Schue askance.

"Yes! We've got to mix things up, guys, and this is the best way I know to do it." He grinned maniacally at them and he seemed to be waiting for their enthusiasm to catch up to his level. When it didn't he sighed. "Come on, people, it will be fun!"

"Does that mean we'll expect to see Berry performing something by, oh, say, Chris Brown, rather than from a Broadway musical?"

That was Santana, and laughter rippled through the room as Rachel turned her big brown eyes at her and pouted. "Well, maybe we should expect something different from you, too, Santana, like from Sister Act?"

There were whistles and catcalls and suddenly Kurt was trying to separate the two. "No catfights today, ladies, I am just not in the mood!"

Schue finally ordered them all to settle down and he looked over at the other guys, some of whom had their heads together, obviously coming up with ideas.

"Yeah, so, each day, we'll have at least two of you perform a selection, something that no one would ever expect you to sing, okay? I think this is going to be the best assignment ever!"

Kurt rolled his eyes at Mercedes who only chuckled and they put their heads together to decide if they would perform a duet or go solo. All around the room there were groups of twos and threes and after about a half an hour, Schue called them back together.

"So, who wants to go first?"

To everyone's surprise, Puck shot up out of his seat and sauntered over to stand beside Schue, his eyes seeking out Kurt's. They hadn't spoken the whole day and now Kurt stiffened in his seat, wondering what was coming next.

Puck cleared his throat and Schue moved to take a seat. When Puck went over to the piano and started playing, confused looks grew on the faces of the watching kids. Only Mr. Schue didn't look confused but he did look a tad surprised. Noah grinned at the group and then focused on Kurt.

"Uhm, this is a song, it's pretty old but my ma liked it and used to play it years ago… on a real record player. The singer is famous, and so is the composer." He cleared his throat softly and began.

Something in the way he moves
Attracts me like no other lover
Something in the way he moves me
I don't want to leave him now
You know I believe and how

Something in the way he smiles
Attracts me like no other lover
Something in his style that shows me
I don't want to leave him now

You know I believe and how

You're asking me will our love grow
I don't know, I don't know
You stick around now it may show
I don't know, I don't know

Everyone looked at one other, some with their jaws dropped because Puck… their Puck… was singing an old song in a way they'd never heard before. The arrangement was different, too, from what anyone would expect. It was soft and romantic and though it was partly about a deep attraction, it was mostly about loving someone as you'd never loved before.

Schue for one looked mightily impressed with Puck; for one thing – who knew he could play the piano so well? Well enough to rearrange the music on the fly, too.

Something in the way he moves
And all I have to do is think of him
Something in the things he shows me
I don't want to leave him now
You know I believe and how

You're asking me will our love grow
I don't know, I don't know
You stick around now it may show
I don't know, I don't know

Something in the way he moves

Something in the way he knows

Something in the way he smiles

Something in the way he moves

Something in the way he smiles

Something…

There was silence because everyone realized the pronouns were all masculine; some looked at their neighbors in mild surprise and there were quite a few shrugs before the applause erupted and a couple of whistles. Noah smiled as he sat there on the bench and when the noise started dying down, he held a hand up.

"Actually, there is something I wanted to say, besides what the lyrics just said." He smiled at Kurt who had flushed when he started talking. "This song was obviously my way of kinda paving the way. I wanted you guys to be the first to know so, here goes…"

He took a deep breath and looked around at them. "I'm gay."

Silence enveloped the room and then more noise erupted, some of the guys calling out to him in support and the girls squealing or – in the case of Santana – yelling.

Mr. Schue leapt up and came to stand beside Puck and even though he looked as bewildered as Quinn, he held his hand up for them to quiet down. Finally, when it was down to a dull roar, he looked at Puck, concern in his eyes.

"Puck, are you certain about this?" When Puck nodded, he continued, "I mean, just a short time ago you were_"

"Yes! Yes, I know, but that's the problem," Noah interrupted as he turned his gaze on Kurt and then slid it across to Kris. "I didn't realize then… but now I know."

More chatter burst forth with Santana's voice the loudest. "You asshole!" She continued over Mr. Schue's outraged reaction. "What do you mean, you're gay. When did you decide this? Huh? Let me tell you something, Puckerman, it doesn't work that way."

Surprisingly it was Finn who leapt to Noah's defense. "Hey, hey! You don't have a right to say anything, Santana! You were seriously into denial about Brittany for the longest while!"

Shouts of 'yeah!' and 'preach' were heard and Santana subsided in her seat with a mutinous look on her face. Most tellingly, Brittany, who'd had her pinky finger wrapped around Santana's, now shifted away from her girlfriend, a sad look on her face. Santana didn't notice.

Finn continued. "Look, everybody can't be as certain or as strong about this like Kurt, okay?" He looked at his brother and grinned crookedly. "Even I know Kurt is awesome but it took me a while, you know, and Puck is my best friend. If he says he's gay, he's gay, and nobody has the right to give him a hard time over this. As to that, anyone gives them a hard time, is going to have us," and here he gestures to encompass the other guys, "to deal with. It's about time we step up and behave like a team… a family!"

He sat down with an air of finality and the murmurs in the room gradually died off before Mr. Schue got back up, clapping Noah on the shoulder. Noah moved from the piano and, as he passed Kurt on the way to the top riser where he usually sat, he winked.

He chuckled when Kurt blushed and felt a small surge of triumph that he'd got through two stages of his coming out. He'd told the guys when they were all on their way from football practice and now he'd told his fellow Gleeks. Next step – the school. He had no illusions about how things would play out but he had friends who would have his back and he felt confident he could handle anything now.

Kurt looked up at Noah and smiled before looking away, knowing that his face was red. Beside him, Kris kept giving him these looks and he lifted his chin, determined to ignore them. He would have to talk to Kristopher later, but not now. Too many interested ears meant they would have no privacy, so after Glee club would be a better time.

When Mr. Schue asked who would go next, Kurt groaned when Kris sprang out of his seat and Mercedes, seated on his other side, grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. He returned the pressure and shook his head slightly, indicating to her he was okay. She relaxed slightly but turned faintly cool eyes towards Kris as he walked to the stool and picked up a guitar. It seemed it was Kurt's day again to be serenaded, and she wasn't too happy about the pressure.

When Kris started the intro to his song, there were several audible groans which he ignored. As he continued, Schue had to actually shush them to be quiet. The color in Kurt's face had subsided but now he looked noticeably paler than normal and Mercedes shifted to rest her shoulder against his. Everyone knew the song that was coming but even Santana's disdainful scoffing didn't dull the feeling of anticipation as Kris began singing.

My life is brilliant...

My life is brilliant.
My love is pure.
I saw an angel.
Of that I'm sure.
He smiled at me in the hallway.
Now he's with another man.
But I won't lose no sleep on that,
'Cause I've got a plan.

You're beautiful, you're beautiful,
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
Now I don't know what to do,
'Cause I'll never be with you.

Yes, he caught my eye,
As I walked on by.
He could see from my face that I was,
Flying high,

And I don't think that I'll see him again,
But we shared a moment that will last 'til the end.

You're beautiful, you're beautiful,
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
Now I don't know what to do,
'Cause I'll never be with you.

You're beautiful, you're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
There must be an angel with a smile on his face,
When he thought up that I should be with you.
But it's time to face the truth,
I will never be with you…

Kurt gulped as a mild smattering of applause rose after Kris finished his song, the last note lingering as his voice died away. No one looked at Kurt, a moment of sensitivity that would have surprised him if he wasn't so mortified. He stared at Kris, realizing in that moment that his decision had been somehow taken out of his hands. Noah had, indeed, come out to them and Kris must have picked up on the significance of that.

Kris laid the guitar carefully on the stool, went over to his seat and retrieved his satchel. Mr. Schue's voice calling his name was not enough to get him to turn back and he left the choir room quietly.

As Schue got up, clapping his hands together in that businesslike way he had, the bell rang and there was a general shuffle as everyone picked up their belongings. Only three didn't move from their spots: Mercedes, Kurt and Noah. Schue looked over at them, not really knowing how the club had devolved into this angst-ridden high school version of a telenovela, and left the room.

The silence lasted for less than a minute before Noah cleared his throat and then he came down the riser to sit on Kurt's other side.

He didn't know what to expect when he looked at the other boy's face, but from his posture, he expected to see tears at least. What he didn't expect was the soft smile that Kurt turned towards him. He released the breath he was holding and reached for Kurt's hand.

"You okay?"

Mercedes snorted and shook her head before reaching for her own things. She got up and looked back at the two boys and then shook her head again. "Boo, if I never go through something like that again, it will be too soon. See ya!"

The door closed quietly behind her, leaving the two boys sitting, hands clasped and silent.

Kurt looked at Noah, wondering, not for the first time, how he had reached this point. His smile widened as he saw the tentative way Noah was watching him, like Kurt was an experiment, the outcome of which he was unsure. With a sigh he leaned over and placed a soft kiss against the tanned cheek and grinned when he got a chuckle in return.

"Never say there's a shortage of drama in Glee club, right?" Kurt's voice was light and happy and Noah could only nod. "Come, let's get out of here before we get locked in."

Noah simply rose, their hands still locked together and they headed out of the choir room.

As they walked hand-in-hand down the hallway, neither spoke. This development was new for both of them in so many ways that they were understandably a little shy about it. Kurt had never had a jock for a boyfriend, much less one who was comfortable with walking hand-in-hand and Noah had just had a huge moment back there.

Coming out was something Noah would only have done because he was certain that Kurt had meant what he'd said. Kurt was too much of a prize to let his fears stop him – and Noah's innate badassness could not back down in the face of Kurt's well-known courage.

They kept exchanging little smiles until they got to the intersection of the main corridor. They could hear voices up ahead and Kurt realized the rest of the Glee club had probably been straggling along, that's why they were able to catch up to them.

He smiled at Noah, his footsteps unconsciously speeding up so they could reach their friends. When they turned the corner, however, he stopped so abruptly it startled Noah.

Before them were three of the hockey players, Rick 'The Stick' Nelson among them, and Kurt felt his stomach drop. He glanced at Noah who'd released his hand and then back at the three puckheads.

"Well, hey, look who's here: Twinkle Toes and Lima Loser!" Nelson's grating voice made the hair rise on Kurt's neck but he didn't flinch or otherwise react. Nelson made a stupid kissing sound in Kurt's direction before saying, "Hey, lady boy, I've got something for you right here!"

The two other goons cackled as if Nelson had said the funniest thing ever and Kurt vaguely registered Noah moving slightly ahead of him. He thought for all of a second of holding Noah back but figured, hey, what the heck.

"I wouldn't be calling anyone loser, Gingey; your team hasn't won even one game as yet, right?" Puck's voice was laced with contempt and Kurt watched as the humor drained out of the hockey players' faces.

"Oh yeah, well, you so-called Titans haven't been doing all that much better, so watch your mouth!"

"Yeah, who's going to make me," Puck growled, his shoulders hunching forward as he unconsciously settled into an aggressive stance.

Nelson let out a fake incredulous laugh and gestured at his friends. "What, the Loser can't do the math, guys! Three of us and only one of him (puss-face here doesn't count); seems pretty straightforward to me!"

"Not really."

Kurt's stomach jerked and his eyes widened as he looked up to see Finn, Mike and Sam coming toward them from the direction of the front doors. They must have wondered what was keeping Noah and Kurt and decided to come back and check on them. Kurt felt his heart swell with gratitude and, okay, maybe a little affection for his brother.

Nelson and his goons stepped back so their backs were to the wall of the corridor and Nelson held his hands up, a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Hey, we were just shooting the breeze, weren't we, fellas?" And his idiot henchmen nodded like bobble-head dolls.

Finn could look surprisingly menacing when he was ready, Kurt realized as he watched him step up almost nose-to-nose with the idiot red-head.

"Riiight; it looked that way, didn't it, guys?" Mike and Sam simply grunted and Kurt had to hold back a giggle. He chanced a look over at Noah who was sauntering up to Nelson with a casual air as if he hadn't just been about to light into him.

Nelson's eyes flickered nervously from one Gleek to another and they watched his Adam's apple bob before Noah spoke.

"And just to remind you," Puck said directly into Nelson's face, hoping some spittle would land on him, "'Twinkle Toes' here was the kicker at one time for the Titans, remember?"

When Nelson and his friends' faces only registered puzzlement, Mike leaned in to explain. "You ever see what a good, strong kick can do to somebody's balls, dude?"

"Not a pretty sight," Sam added with a sinister smirk and Kurt had the hardest time holding back the belly laugh that was dying to come out. The look on the faces of the three hockey players was priceless.

Puck and Finn stepped back and allowed the three morons to scurry up the corridor and out the front doors, the Gleeks' loud laughter following them all the way.

Finally, Finn turned to Noah and Kurt, a faint look of concern in his brown eyes. "Hey, you guys okay?"

Kurt suddenly surged forward and flung his arms around Finn's waist, causing the taller teen to stagger under the sudden weight, but he managed to wrap his own long arms around Kurt.

The boys laughed at them and then Kurt straightened away from his brother, throwing Noah a seductive little smile. "So, who wants to go get some ice-cream? My treat."

There were nods and murmurs of assent from all and if they ignored Noah's and Kurt's clasped hands quite pointedly, Kurt didn't care at all. They all piled into his Navigator and when they passed Nelson and his dumbbells on the way out of the school parking lot, Kurt gave them a little toot of his horn.

They might not have another encounter anytime soon with these three but Kurt had no doubt some other clown would make a try at them. He wasn't worried; come what may, he had Noah… and then there was his awesome brother and friends.

Let them come.

Dark eyes narrowed as they watched all the boys as they left the school building, plans forming in their depths.

Santana was not happy with this development at all and come the next day, she was going to talk to that Kristopher guy. Between the two of them, they should be able to come up with a way to get Puck out of Lady Hummel's clutches. There was no way that skinny whey-faced boy was going to flip her personal 'joyride'. She might have feelings for Britt but a girl with her appetites couldn't afford to let someone of Puck's talents slip through her fingers.

No, Kurt had to be taught not to play uninvited in other people's sandboxes… and Britt would simply have to deal.

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TBC

Author's Note: 'Something in the way she moves' is by The Beatles and 'You're Beautiful' is by James Blunt.