Catalyst

Chapter 23

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: Kris smiled innocuously at Kurt, enjoying the sight of the other boy looking so innocent and delectable. Kurt was different from all his other conquests; an innate purity seemed to glow from him and Kris wanted him.

He would see to it that Kurt had a good time with him; he could taste the other boy's intoxicating, barely-tapped sensuality and it would be his pleasure to awaken that side of Kurt, to educate him. When he was finished with him, Puckerman would get a better lover out of Kurt, because Kris would have seen to it. Puckerman should actually thank him, he thought now, and smiled down into his drink.

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At the moment that Kris was mentally rubbing his hands together over the prospect of getting into Kurt's pants before Puck could, Santana was setting phase two of her plan into action.

Pulling up outside of the Puckerman house, she slid out of her sporty little car and shut the door with a bump of her slender hips. She looked up at the house and smirked derisively; really, Puck was so beneath her but she refused to have him dump her for that imitation girl he was panting after.

Seriously, who could look at her rocking bod, made even more luscious with the enhancements her dad had inadvertently paid for. Many guys would give their left nut to be in the position(s) that Puck had been, getting a taste of prime meat – and he was going to pass up all this for … that. Her lips curled as she thought of him with Kurt.

It wasn't that she was homophobic, what with her getting in her lady loving as often as possible with Brittany, whose truly spectacular skills in the bed made her damp just thinking about them. No, all this was about her pride and she was damned if she was going to allow this… this travesty!

She stalked up the driveway and leaned on the doorbell, which she knew was annoying, and when the door flew open, she stared down at the little girl staring back up at her quite haughtily.

"Noah isn't here right now; he's still at school," Sarah announced with a touch of hostility. Of all the people her brother hung out with, Santana was her least favorite; Quinn Fabray was second to her. At least the blonde used to make an effort to be nice to her, sometimes bringing her small gifts like hairbands or lip glosses in cute colors or yummy flavors. Santana Lopez never did that; she simply pushed past her all the time as if she didn't count.

Santana pushed past the pre-teen girl who looked so much like her brother and stepped into the hallway, staring around and sniffing as if she'd smelled something offensive. She looked down at Sarah and raised a supercilious eyebrow at her.

"I know; I'll just go up and wait for him in his room." With that she stalked up the stairs, putting an extra swing in her hips just to annoy the little girl she knew was still watching her.

"Bitch!" Sarah's voice was just loud enough for Santana to hear but the Latina didn't acknowledge it; she simply headed into Puck's bedroom and slammed the door shut.

Inside, she looked around the room, noting thankfully that Ma Puckerman must have gotten on Puck's case because it actually looked clean and tidy for once. She smirked as she started to put her plan in place, and 10 minutes later she was ready, simply waiting for Puck to get home.

Kris and Kurt did actually do some work on the narrative for Kris's project, a fact that sort of surprised Kurt himself. He still had his doubts as to Kris's authenticity, wondering sometimes when he caught the other boy staring at his lips or some part of his body what his plans really were.

By 7 o'clock, though, they had got quite a bit done and when Burt Hummel's throat was heard being cleared quite strenuously from the dining room, Kris took the hint and gathered his stuff together.

"So, Kurt, when would be a good day to come into the lab to finish this up?" Kris tried to keep his voice as neutral as possible but it was a little difficult when he'd looked up just in time to see Kurt finishing the last of his glass of water. The way Kurt's adam's apple bobbed in his smooth, pale throat as he swallowed brought all sorts of images to mind and Kris had to concentrate hard to keep all thoughts hidden.

Kurt licked his lips and then shrugged, a thoughtful look in his eyes as he mentally reviewed his extra-curriculars for the week. "Mmmm, I would say… maybe Wednesday; I don't have Glee practice on that day."

Kris jumped on that and nodded quickly. "Yeah, yeah, Wednesday could work. You know where the A/V lab is, right?"

Kurt rolled his eyes at him but nodded. "Of course, I do. What time is good?"

"Right after last period is okay. So," Kris finished gathering his stuff together and stood, "see you in school tomorrow?"

Kurt narrowed his eyes at him. "I'll be at school tomorrow." He moved off to call to his dad through the dining room door. "Hey, dad, Carole, Kris is heading out now."

"Bye, Mr. Hummel, Mrs. Hummel; nice to meet you," Kris called out politely and through the open door he gave the grown-ups a friendly wave. They waved back, Carole answering happily, "Nice to meet you, too!"

Kurt led the way to the front door and opened it, standing back far enough that Kris didn't get the feeling that he was being anything more than polite. As Kris passed him, he moved back ever so slightly so the other boy couldn't brush against him.

Kris bit his lip, hiding his annoyance at Kurt's actions. He really regretted the earlier misstep in the kitchen; now Kurt was feeling distrustful of him and that had set his plan back a bit.

He smiled down at Kurt, though, enjoying the other boy's beautiful eyes that glowed in the odd light of early evening. "See you…"

Kurt nodded, his lips pursed. "Yeah," he muttered and stepped back, watching as Kris sauntered down the driveway. He shook his head as Kris waved a hand jauntily over his shoulder and then, as the other boy got onto his bike, he shut the door firmly, not even waiting for him to move off.

Walking back into the family room, Kurt slid his phone out of his pocket and looked at it, wondering why Puck hadn't called him. Diverting his footsteps and trying to suppress a happy grin, he headed up to change his shirt to something more form-fitting and then returned to the dining room and his parents.

"I think I'll just dash around to Noah's for a bit, okay? I'll be back before dinner!"

He popped out quickly before his dad could voice any objections and he smiled widely at the thought of paying his boyfriend a surprise visit. Humming to himself, he went and got his car keys and after checking himself in the hallway mirror, headed out to his car.

Puck was not in a good mood.

Puck was, in fact, in a towering temper.

For the first time in his life he had thrown a girl out of his room. Not just any girl, either; the girl who knew all his secrets and, apparently, all the buttons to push.

He had got home from practice not an hour before and even though he had taken a shower in the locker rooms at school, he was looking forward to a longer, more leisurely one where he could take care of a little business. Showering at school was more a necessity where he didn't want to put on back his regular clothes on his stinky, sweaty body. The shower at home, however, was the place where he could… get busy… without anyone around talking smack about all the girls they had fucked or would like to fuck.

Puck had got home to the sight of Santana's car parked at the curb and, wondering briefly what the heck she was up to now, he had parked in his driveway, leaving enough room for his mom's car later. He let himself into the house, calling out to his sister who was watching cartoons and eating cookies in the living room. He didn't see Santana in there so, realizing that she must be upstairs, he took the stairs two at a time.

He had burst into only to come to a screeching halt – well, it would have been screeching had there been tiles instead of carpeting – before his bed… and its unwelcome occupant.

"What… the… fuck? Lopez?!" Puck stared at his erstwhile fuck-buddy, sprawled on his bed and looking like something from a porno. Puck spluttered as forty different thoughts flickered and writhed through his brain.

First of all – what the everliving fu_? "Really?"

He straightened up and crossed his impressive guns across his equally impressive chest and stared down at the near-naked girl preening before him. Santana was wearing – well, almost wearing – a one-piece outfit that was so tight and so sheer, it looked as if it was splitting her shaved crotch in two.

'Wow, talk about camel toe!' Puck shook his head in bemusement as his eyes roved from her crotch up to her face. Then he realized he must have said it out loud because her eyes widened and then a stream of filthy language poured from her overly reddened lips.

"Hey, hey!" He tried to halt the verbal vomit that spewed forth in both Spanglish and took a step back as she got up from his bed. His mind wandered to the fact that he'd have to change the sheets because she must have sprayed a fuck-ton of some strong perfume on herself.

He made the mistake of wrinkling his nose as she came closer and then he had to duck as she swung furiously at him.

"What the_?" He grabbed her and swung her around so that he was struggling with her back against his front and it was testimony to the fact that he had really moved on that Puckzilla didn't even twitch at the feel of her writhing against him in her fury.

"Calm down, you crazy bitch! What's the matter with you?!"

He flung her away from him and she spun around, her chest heaving and almost falling out of the deep vee of the sheer black teddy. His eyes didn't even stray to her dark nipples that were showing clearly through the thin fabric and he glared at her, mystified.

"What's the matter with me?! With me, you stupid, broke-ass punk? Has Hummel got your balls in the pockets of his disgusting skinnies? Huh?" Spittle flew as Santana screamed at him, her beautiful face twisted and ugly with the fury that had overtaken her.

Puck strangely enough relaxed when she mentioned Kurt's name and a little smirk played around his lips. Oh-ho, he understood clearly now what was going on. He leaned back against the desk, crossing his arms and his long legs and struck a pose that he knew made him look good. He wasn't necessarily a nice person and now that he knew what had got stuck in Santana's craw, he was going to play with it. He grinned when her eyes fell to the bulge at the front of his jeans and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, I see how it is," he chuckled, his eyes roving insultingly up and down her body so clearly displayed in an outfit that would have better suited someone being paid for their 'services'. "What, I wasn't good enough for you – poor credit score you said, right? – but now I'm with Kurt, suddenly I'm a hot commodity."

She stood there, staring at him and breathing hard, clearly trying to figure out where he was going with this. She threw her long hair back and stuck her chest out, a lascivious expression creeping onto her face and battling awkwardly with the remains of her anger. Maybe she could salvage something of this situation after all, she thought as she tried to smile at the tanned hunk before her.

She struck a pose with one hip thrust out, one leg swinging slightly open and close and running one hand from her neck, down over one full breast and down to her thigh. Her red nails painted a 'look there' sign as her fingers rested close to her crotch.

"Well, I know you aren't getting anything from the Bitch Ice Queen so you might as well continue to get some from me."

Her voice was slightly husky from all the screaming that maybe, once, Puck might have found it sexy but he was nothing if not disgusted by the sight – and smell – of the girl before him. He had thought maybe he could have become real friends with her but now he saw that he'd been just a human dildo to her.

He looked casually around the room as if he was just thinking but when his eyes fell on where she'd left her clothes and bag, he straightened up and sauntered slowly toward her. He kept his expression mild until he got right up to her and then stared fiercely down into her eyes. He grasped her upper arms and dragged her towards him as he leaned forward.

"Listen to me, because I'm not into repeating myself: don't EVER… pull a stunt like this again. I knew you were a slut, heck, I didn't mind because I'm a bit of a slut, too, but listen when I say – don't sink to this level again." He had been almost growling and now he straightened and spoke normally. "It's just plain pitiful."

Her mouth rounded into an 'o' and her eyes widened and for the first time Noah saw a human girl staring back at him. Unfortunately, it came with a sheen of tears and he realized she was ashamed. He let her go, turned to pick up her clothes and bag and handed them to her. "Get dressed, here or in the bathroom, I don't care."

She grabbed her things from him and dashed out of his room towards the bathroom down the hall. Noah slumped as tension left him and he shook his head, going over to the window to throw it wide so some fresh air could circulate. He really hated that fucking perfume and now it was giving him a headache!

He heard the bathroom door open a few minutes later and then her footsteps hurrying down the stairs. There was the sound of voices floating up the stairs but he couldn't hear what was being said and then came the sound of the front door slamming. He shrugged and went into the hall to get some clean linen from the closet and busied himself with stripping the bed. He shook his head, wondering what the hell had gotten into her that she would do something like this.

Finally, the bed was sorted to his liking and he slumped on it, looking up when he heard a sound. He sighed when his mom came in and shut the door.

"What was that about, Noah? Why was Santana Lopez crying? What did you do?"

He looked at his ma, the anger he had felt at Santana's stunt surging back but he answered his ma quietly. "I didn't do anything, Ma, apart from falling for Kurt, it seems."

Understanding gleamed in his mother's eyes and she came over and sat beside him before sniffing. "What in heaven's name…?"

She looked around for the source of the smell and Noah pointed to the bed linen heaped on his desk chair. "Santana thought it was a good idea to 'remind' me what I was giving up by being with Kurt."

Naomi lifted a hand and stroked it through her son's hair. She often thought it was a pity that her son had turned out to be such a … she paused and winced at the word… stud, because he had certainly made use of the fact that people found him attractive. Now that he was maturing a bit, he would find that his past activities would more than likely come back to haunt him. This was just the beginning, and her mother's heart felt for him.

"Don't worry, sweet, she will come to her senses soon. I hope you let her down gently?"

Noah scoffed and looked at his mom, wondering exactly who she saw when she looked at him. "Not fu_," he broke off as she glared at him. "Not likely, believe me. I was too mad at what she was doing. I mean – smell this place!"

His mother chuckled at him and got up off the bed. Clapping him on the shoulder, she simply told him that dinner would be in another hour and he should get some homework done before then. Her smile lingered on her face as she left the room, taking the reeking bed things with her. She could hear Noah muttering to himself about crazy females and she laughed out loud, finding the whole thing somewhat amusing now.

Noah flung himself backwards onto the bed, enjoying the freshly-laundered smell of the bed things and stared at the ceiling. Then, remembering that he had wanted another, better shower, he got up and headed to the bathroom, noting that the smell of Santana's perfume lingered even there.

Kurt grinned to himself as he pulled up outside of Noah's home, his heart and mood much lighter after his earlier annoyance with Kristopher. He shook his head, wondering how some people could have such overweening confidence that they thought they could have anything and anyone they set their eyes on.

He jumped out of his baby and clicked his keychain, listening to the car give off a chirp as he almost skipped up the driveway and past the two vehicles there. Over the last couple of weeks he had been to the Puckerman house a number of times and been made to feel very welcome by Naomi Puckerman. His little sister, too, was a doll and Kurt couldn't help but fall in love with her soft, dark curls. Sarah had thought he was the prettiest thing, staring at his smooth, creamy complexion and asking her mom why she didn't have skin like Kurt's.

Now Kurt hopped up onto the small porch and rang the doorbell, his eyes sparkling in the evening light and grinning at Naomi as she welcomed him inside.

"Hey, Kurt, I didn't know you were coming over this evening," Naomi said as the tall, fashionable youth stepped past her, his eyes going inevitably to the stairs. She grinned and barely refrained from shaking her head. Of all the people she'd have guessed her son would fall head over heels for, Kurt wasn't it. Still, she had resigned herself to accepting that Noah was no ordinary boy… and neither was Kurt. Times were changing, too slowly for some people, yes, but she was not going to stand in the way of her boy's happiness. She'd already got a granddaughter from him… and then there was Sarah. She had those grandkids to look forward to.

Kurt smiled now at the older woman, once again noting that she must have been gorgeous – maybe even hot – when she was younger and before her husband had walked out on her and his young children. Struggling to take care of two young children in today's economy had faded some of her beauty but you could still see it in her eyes and smile.

"Noah and I didn't have any plans but I, uhm," he paused as he felt his cheeks warm and he looked down bashfully, "I had an upsetting evening and I just wanted to see him…"

Naomi laughed, squeezing his arm once and then headed towards the kitchen. "Well, are you staying for dinner then?"

Kurt smiled as he followed her, waving at Sarah who was still ensconced in front of the TV. "No, sorry, not tonight. I told my dad I'd be right back."

"Oh, this is just a 'flying' visit, is it?" Naomi smiled to herself as she bustled about, getting out the casserole she had started that morning before leaving for work and popping it into the pre-heated oven.

Kurt leaned against the counter and plucked a baby carrot from a container waiting on the counter. "Uh-huh," he mumbled around his mouthful and then swallowed quickly. "So, could I just pop up and see him for a few minutes?"

Naomi chuckled and waved a hand at him, always pleased at the boy's lovely manners. He never came into the house and stepped past her as if she wasn't there as some of Noah's other 'interests' had done in the past.

"Oh, go on, I don't see why not," and laughed as he grinned at her and left the kitchen with a soft 'thanks' wafting back to her. He had grown up so nicely and she remembered Elizabeth from whom he had got those beautiful eyes.

Kurt made a funny face at Sarah as he passed her, just to make her laugh, and then he took the stairs two at a time. He barely noticed as he passed the bathroom door that a puff of fragrant steam was coming through the open door but when he got to Noah's room, he saw why.

There was his boyfriend with a towel slung low around his hips and hugging his tight ass, just pulling a pair of old, soft sweats and a much-washed tee-shirt from his chest of drawers. Kurt slid in quietly and shut the door, leaning back against it before saying huskily, "Hey, there, handsome."

To his utter amazement, Noah leapt nearly a foot in the air before spinning around, his eyes wide and his mouth falling open. When he saw it was Kurt he deflated, letting out a relieved breath. Kurt in his turn had startled, his eyes flying wide as he stared at his boyfriend.

"Noah, what the heck?!"

They stared at each other and then Noah started to grin and then it turned into chuckles as he collapsed onto the bed.

"Oh, god, Kurt! I thought it was Santana again!"

All humor fled as Kurt stared at Noah, his eyebrows lowering over snapping blue eyes. "Excuse me – Santana?"

Noah's eyes widened at the deadly quiet of Kurt's voice and he lifted his hands in an unconscious gesture as Kurt took a step towards him. It wasn't that Kurt was all that physically intimidating, but Noah had no intention of letting Santana ruin what they had. Her latest stunt had been a bust and he hurried to assure Kurt of that.

"Yeah, the crazy bitch came here while I was at practice and waited for me. Sprayed perfume all over the place; real fucked-up shit, you know."

He looked at Kurt pleadingly but Kurt had, by now, halted just a foot or two away from him, his arms folded across his chest.

He lifted his chin and looked coolly at his boyfriend. "And what else did the silly skank do?"

Noah swallowed and shook his head, brown eyes wide. "Nothing, really! She was just all stretched out on the bed, waiting for me. I was pretty pissed off and basically told her never to do anything like that again."

Kurt relaxed minutely but it was enough for Noah to breathe easier. He shook his head and then patted the bed beside him. He relaxed further when Kurt didn't hesitate to come and sit down.

"So, what, she simply left when you asked her?"

Noah nodded and grinned before sobering slightly. "Well, she tried to be seductive but, babe, after you – she just looked stupid… and I kinda told her that."

Kurt's eyes widened and then his cheeks pinked, causing Noah to stare at them. He loved Kurt's skin and the fact that he colored up so easily. It was a huge turn on and as much as Kurt sometimes tried to deny how much Noah affected him, he couldn't hide his arousal most times. He grinned now and leaned forward suddenly but stopped just as quickly.

Kurt, realizing that Noah wanted to kiss him but was somewhat unsure of him, leaned into him and Noah continued, pressing his full lips to Kurt's. The kiss wasn't deep or passionate but it nevertheless made both boys' hearts speed up a bit.

Noah leaned back and brought a hand up to stroke the downy skin of Kurt's cheek. "I don't think I could ever want anyone else…" he said softly, his eyes holding Kurt's as he smiled.

Kurt smiled back and tilted his face more into the palm of Noah's hand. "That's good; I know how attached you are to certain parts of your anatomy, so…"

Noah's eyes widened at the veiled threat and then a chuckle came suddenly. "Yeah, you own me, I know!"

They grinned at each other and then suddenly they were tugging at each other, Noah succeeding in pulling Kurt onto him as he fell backwards on the bed. Kurt squirmed around and deepened the kiss, his hand going to the knot of Noah's towel and pushing the material impatiently out of the way.

Noah groaned into Kurt's mouth and then panted as his head fell back, gasping at the feel of Kurt's warm hand on one of those highly valued body parts Kurt was just talking about. Kurt nipped at his full bottom lip, loving being in the dominating position. He loved, too, when Noah's big hands kneaded his ass, that part of Kurt being a particular turn on for the tanned boy.

A soft knock at the door startled them and Kurt, still on top of Noah, stared down as they listened. Sarah knocked again and called, "Noah, Ma says it's almost dinner and did Kurt change his mind about eating?"

Kurt sighed and rolled off of his boyfriend, his hand giving the aroused appendage one last loving pat before flopping onto the bed. Cock-blocked by dinner summons. Ugh! He turned his head to stare at Noah who was staring back at him and then they both laughed softly.

Kurt sat up, leaned over to give Noah one last nip to his full lips and then got up to straighten his clothes. He had to wait a bit to be totally presentable to Noah's mother and sister and then he looked back at the boy still reclining on the bed.

"Come on, babe, or your mom is gonna come up here to see what I'm doing to you." He grinned as Noah's eyes widened and he let out a small 'eep' sound. Kurt laughed as he watched him frantically slipping into his clothes, and then they both headed downstairs.

Naomi looked up at the boys as they came downstairs and suppressed a grin; they were trying to look casual as if nothing had happened but Kurt's hair was definitely more ruffled and Noah's face was still a bit red.

"Say 'hi' to your dad for me, Kurt," she said now as she ushered a nosy Sarah into the dining room. Kurt waved at them and said he would before following Noah out the front door. Her heart swelled at the way the two boys walked so closely, their hands brushing in a way she knew they weren't aware of.

Noah led Kurt to the front door and then walked with him to his car. When they got to the vehicle, Kurt took out his keys. As he turned to Noah, the taller boy pressed him up against the side of the car and took his mouth in a deep kiss. Kurt moaned and slid his arms around Noah's waist, pulling him close as he savored the feel of the big body against his.

They kissed for a long time and finally, when Kurt felt his lips puffing up from the constant pressure, he eased back and stared at Noah in the gathering gloom. He sighed and hugged the other boy, resting his head against his shoulder.

"I feel so much better now," he murmured as he inhaled Noah's warm, freshly-showered smell.

Noah leaned back and stared down intently at his boyfriend. "Wait, did something happen earlier?"

Kurt sighed and then nodded. "Yeah, I don't know what's happening but Kris came by…"

"What? Marshall was at your house this evening?"

Kurt nodded again. "Yeah, you remember I'm doing that project with him, right?"

Noah frowned but nodded yes. "But I just don't trust him with you."

Kurt pursed his lips as he said, "Yeah, me neither. He tried to kiss me this evening and I almost threw him out but he apologized, blah, blah, blah, and then we worked on the assignment."

Noah had tensed as Kurt was speaking and then blurted, "I'm going to kick that bastard's ass!"

Kurt shook his head and when it looked as if Noah was not focusing he grabbed his chin, tilting his face to look at him. "Listen to me; I don't want you getting into trouble because of him, okay? It's not important; he's not important. I don't plan to kick Santana's ass, though I'd dearly love to, so you don't get to kick anyone's."

When Noah still looked mutinous, Kurt patted his cheek, forcing him to look him in the eye. "Promise me, Noah, please?"

The soft way Kurt said that last made Noah sigh and then acquiesce. "Okay, I won't kick his ass – but only if he keeps his hands to himself."

Kurt stared at him and then grinned reluctantly. "Okay, okay, same for Santana – and I won't care that she's a girl. In fact, I probably won't have to do anything physical to her, just maybe put some Nair in her shampoo."

They looked at each other in silence and then broke out laughing at the same time. With one final, soft and lingering kiss, Noah let Kurt go and watched as he slid into the driver's seat of his baby.

He stepped back as Kurt pulled away from the curb and watched as the huge vehicle disappeared down his street. Turning to go back inside, he realized that his ma was standing at the door, and she watched him as he walked up to her.

Stepping back inside and letting her son in, Naomi held back a sigh as she watched him head to the dining room. Just there, outside in the gloaming, she had flashbacked to a time when she and his dad had stood just like that by his car, talking and kissing and laughing. She only hoped that her son's love story would have a happier ending than hers had.

Noah sensed his mother's quieter mood and turned to smile at her when she came into the kitchen. He made her sit down and then he dished up a plate of the casserole for her and then for Sarah before serving himself. He loved his family and as he dug into the delicious food, he realized – and gave thanks – that his life was good.

Smiling absently as he listened to his mom and sister chatter about what was on TV later and would Sarah be allowed to watch any of it, Noah's mind went to Kurt and to the earlier incidents. Somehow he didn't think it was a coincidence that while Santana was here playing seductress, Marshall was over at Kurt's making a nuisance of himself.

Now he swore to himself that, despite his promise to Kurt, he was going to have to find a way to make that guy back off. Kurt wanted him, Noah Puckerman, and Marshall was going to have to find out, maybe the hard way, that 'no' meant 'no'.

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TBC

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