A/N: Now guys, let's not be mean to Rachel. After all, she and Kurt do have a little bet running, and Finn hasn't exactly told her that his Beamer is running in reverse these days and he's fooling around with men, now has he? In her eyes, he's still a good opportunity.
Also, and I hate to be a whiner, but I'm getting a lot of story alerts and favorite stories for this fic, which I really appreciate, but would you guys mind dropping a review as well? It really does make my day when I see them.
Finn POV
You know what's kind of weird? Before Quinn, I never really had a girlfriend. I mean, I've dated before, but never seriously. I was kind of a late bloomer as far as liking girls went (don't tell anyone, but so was Puck. Right up until the start of high school, we were totally more interested in comics and laughing about boogers then we were in girls) and even when I got interested, I didn't how to get one.
Luckily, Puck figured out that girls like boys who play sports, and it would be a snap to get them if we joined the football team. And the baseball team, and the basketball team. Shit, if our crappy school had a lacrosse or swimming team, we would probably be on those too. Well, maybe not the swim team. You know, being that close to guys wearing nothing but Speedos might be a little too gay for Puck.
Anyway, once I got Quinn, I wasn't quite sure what to do with her. I knew that I should take her to dinner, and to the movies, and let her wear my jacket and stuff, but, beyond that, it was hopeless. I even joined the celibacy club for her in hopes of getting some, even though it made my mother howl with laughter when I brought the permission slip home. At the time, I didn't get it, but after carefully counting back, I was either the world's most premature baby, or Mom was pregnant before she was married. Whatever, I would have slept with Quinn before marriage, too, if she would have let me.
But Quinn wasn't about to let me sleep with her, or even get to second base. Puck, meanwhile, was screwing his way through the entire high school. His suggestion was for me to dump Quinn, and get a girl who was guaranteed to put out. But I loved Quinn, and I figured she couldn't hold out forever.
As it turned out, she couldn't. Except when she finally decided to put out, it was for Puck and not me. I mean, it was Puck! He didn't actually care about her; he just wanted to put another name on that disgusting list he kept in the bottom of his dresser drawer. True, he was probably better at it then I would be, since he got so much practice, but I had really, really, loved her, and that had to count for something, right?
I guess not. Which was why I was secretly a little glad to be rid of her. Well, almost rid of her. I hadn't officially broken up with her yet, but she had to know we were over. I mean, it doesn't get much lower than sleeping with your boyfriend's best friend, then lying about who the father of the baby was. If Puck hadn't grown a set and told me the truth, I wonder how long she would have kept it up. Until the baby was born? She flip-flopped almost every week about whether or not she was keeping it. Would I have spent the next 18 years raising a kid that whose heart was mine, but blood wasn't? Waiting tables and pumping gas to try and support them until I had some sort of nervous breakdown?
Honestly, I blamed her far more than I blamed him. Puck was Puck. He slept with anything in a skirt old or young. I guess I should just be happy that he had slept with Quinn and not Mom. Don't get me wrong, he broke the guy code, and I didn't really want to even look at him right now, but I didn't feel that burning urge to beat the crap out of him any more. Mostly I just felt sad that he had betrayed me like that. Maybe in a few weeks, once we had had a chance to settle down a little, I would be able to ask him why.
"Finn, sweetheart, I asked you a question." Rachael's voice was annoyed, like I had been deliberately ignoring her, instead of just lost in my own mind.
This was the weird part. Now that I didn't have Quinn, it was like Rachael and Kurt were having some sort of competition over me. I had never had people actually fighting over me before, and it was kind of a flattering feeling. I just didn't know what I was supposed to do.
Really? 'Cause I'm pretty sure you already chose Kurt. Isn't that what you said this morning? That you wanted to try something with him?
Had I really chosen Kurt over Rachael? I went over our conversation in my mind and, yep, I had chosen Kurt. Huh.
"Finn!" Now Rachael was using that Quinn voice, and it reminded me why I had picked Kurt. Mostly because he was patient and nice and didn't treat me like I was a moron.
"What?" I gave her my best 'of course I was listening to you, dear' face, the one I make at my mom whenever she's nagging me about the laundry for the 8 millionth time.
She glared at me, and I suddenly remembered all the rumors that she was the one who got Mr. Ryerson fired because he didn't give her the solo she wanted. She could be really scary when she didn't get her way, and I didn't want her to turn on me. She took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling, like she was asking God for strength. That was just like Quinn, too. "I asked if you wanted to come to my house after school. My Dad's are going to be out for the evening."
A week ago, I would have been thrilled with the invitation and what she was actually saying, which was that since her dads wouldn't be there, she wanted to fool around. What was wrong with me that I wasn't excited now?
What indeed, Finnegan? Don't you have plans to fool around with someone else after school today?
That simple thought brought me back to my senses. When I glanced over, I noticed that Kurt was tense and picking at his napkin, though he wasn't looking at either of us. He thought I was going to ditch him.
Kurt was kind of funny like that. Usually he acts like he's the most confident person in the entire world, but sometimes it's just like he expects everyone to fuck him over. I wanted to tell Rachael about him and I right there, but I couldn't. I'd like to be able to blame it on the fact that Kurt and I had agreed to keep things a secret for right now, but, truth was, I probably wouldn't have had the courage even if we hadn't.
Still, I didn't want him to make that sad face, so I took a risk and tapped his knee under the table. "Oh, uh, I can't. I'm going over to Kurt's today. Maybe another day."
Her eyes narrowed further. "How about tomorrow?"
See, this is what I meant when I told her one time that I was afraid she was hiding underneath my bed. When she wanted me, she was totally fixated on me, in a creepy stalker sort of way. But when she was done with me, she was done. Plus, she had dated Puck for a while, which was becoming a major turn off. At least I knew that Puck hadn't gotten to Kurt first.
"No, I start physical therapy then and the only guy our insurance will pay for is a few towns over. Mom and I won't be back until late."
"Wednesday, then?"
I was out of excuses, so I nodded slowly. It was cool as long as we just hung out as friends right? Quinn never liked it when I hung out with Rachael, but I think she was just jealous because I kind of had a thing for Rachael. Oh, shit, Kurt was going to be upset, too, wasn't he?
Another sneaky look at Kurt confirmed that, yep, I was screwed. He was holding on to his ruined napkin so tightly that his fingers were totally white. I wanted to fix this, and let him know that it was cool, and I would never cheat on him, but I didn't know how. If I just said something, everyone would know what was happening. God! I don't know how people keep important secrets like this! I've only had this one for about four hours, and I had already almost blabbed it like 3 times.
"Alright, then, I'll see you at Glee." Her hand lingered on my shoulder for a few seconds too long, and I had to force myself not to tense up.
Was it my imagination or did she give Kurt a kind of 'fuck you' look? It was hard to tell, because Kurt and Rachael have never really gotten along, and ever since the Diva-off, there were at complete war. Except Rachael had given Kurt the solo, which was really, really strange.
"The lioness stalks her helpless prey, chasing after it until it finally collapses in utter exhaustion. Then she has her wicked way with it, drawing it into her web of sexual intrigue." Artie's voice was a perfect mimicry of the guy on the nature channel, and we all laughed, even though I knew the joke was on me.
Except Kurt didn't laugh. He didn't even smile. I was desperate to speak to him alone, so I gave him a nudge. "Kurt, I, uh, I think I left my textbook in your car. Can I have the keys so I can go get it?"
I was banking of the theory that Kurt would never leave me alone with the keys to his baby, and I was right. He pushed back and stood. "No, because you'll drive off with it and probably hit some poor innocent creature."
No, just the mailman.
"Then will you walk with me? Please?" I really, really wanted to make this right.
"I guess." There was no enthusiasm in his voice. "Come on, or we'll be late."
I followed him out to the car, mentally rehearsing what to say. I'm not really sure why I bothered, considering that I wouldn't be able to get the words out right once it came down to it, but it gave me something to do while I was looking at Kurt's back. This wasn't like Sunday, when he was angry with me. Now he was just sad, and that was much, much worse.
There really was no textbook, so I wasn't quite sure what to do once we made it to the car. He unlocked it with a beep, and I climbed inside. Maybe if I acted like there was something, he wouldn't get mad. I could just pretend I left it at home.
The car shifted slightly as Kurt climbed in next to me. "Where is it Finn, the bell is getting ready to ring."
Apparently my body was smarter then my brain, because it reached over and closed the door without my actually thinking about it. Kurt yelped a little at the unexpected noise and startled closer to me. I put and arm around him, but he didn't lean into me at all. He just stiffened up and stared out the windshield. "Finn."
I interrupted him before he could say something stupid. "I'm not in love with Rach, ok? I won't do anything with her, I promise."
He sighed. "That's not what I want, Finn. I don't want you to hang around because you have to. If you would rather be with Rachael, then be with Rachael. You just can't have it both ways."
When had I tried to have it both ways? "What?"
"You're leading her on, Finn. She thinks you're going over there to make out, and you didn't tell her any different." His eyes were a strange and cloudy grey. "You need to decide what you want."
This was exactly why I hadn't wanted to do this thing. Kurt pretends to be tough, but he was really, really sensitive. He couldn't block himself off like some people could, and it hurt him when I didn't acknowledge him. I tried to stay calm and rational, which means not letting my temper show. "Alright, Kurt, what do you want me to do?"
He took a shuddery breath and melted into me, just a tiny bit. That was good, right? "What do you mean?"
"I mean, we agreed this morning that this would be a secret. You want me to be only with you, and treat you like a boyfriend, but I'm somehow supposed to do it without letting anyone know that you're my boyfriend. I think you're the one who wants it both ways. I'm not a cheater, Kurt. If you want an exclusive relationship, even in secret, that's fine. I'll tell Rach that I'm just not ready for another relationship right now."
He squared his shoulders and sat up straight. "What if I didn't want you to be a secret boyfriend? What if I wanted you to get out of this car right now and walk back to school holding my hand? If I wanted you to give me a kiss in the hallway instead of kissing some girl? Would you do it?"
Would I? I thought about the slushies to the face, and the dumpster dips, and all the horrible words I had heard over and over from the other guys on the team. I thought about them refusing to shower with me, or change in front of me. I thought of the constant, unending teasing.
Then I thought about the way Kurt came to the hospital when I got hurt. None of the other guys had done that. Well, Puck had offered, but none of the others had. Or the patient way he had studied with me until I could do things almost as well as he could. Then I thought about Saturday night, not the sex part, even though that was awesome, but the way he had laid his head down on my chest, his fingers curling around my shoulder. The way he just seemed to fit against me.
You won't give a crap about any of those guys in 10 years. Shit, you probably won't give a shit about them in three years. Are you really willing to give up what could be forever because you're afraid of a few nasty comments and some slushy stained clothes? Finn, man up.
For once, Quinn-voice and I were in total agreement. "Yeah."
It stopped him cold. "Really?"
I nodded, my eyes locked on his. "Yeah. If that's what you want, I will get out of this car and hold your hand, and kiss you, and sing sexy songs to you in Glee. If it makes you happy, I'll do it."
This time when he leaned against me, it was genuine, his eyes fluttering closed. "I won't ask you to do that. When you do these things, I want it to be because you're ready, not because I forced you. But it means a lot that you would do it for me."
Sometimes Kurt is just as confusing as a chick. Was I supposed to keep the secret or not? He said yes, but did that actually mean yes, or did it mean 'I want a huge dramatic gesture from you, after which I will throw myself into your arms and we'll be incredibly happy'? If Kurt had been any other guy, he would have just given me a simple yes or no.
If Kurt were any other guy, you wouldn't have looked twice at him, so its mute point.
I wondered why they called it a mute point. Was it because the situation was so obvious that you didn't even need to talk about it? Maybe I should ask Kurt. Or maybe not, he was actually looking happy right now, and I didn't want to ask anything stupid.
I could see the dashboard from here, and knew that we were late for class, but I just couldn't care. Some things are just more important then math, you know?
"Sometimes I'm a jerk, and I get kind of jealous for no reason. You were right, I'm the one who wanted it both ways, and I expected you to read my mind to figure out how to make things work."
That was a classic Kurt apology. He would only say the words if what he had done was particularly horrible, or he was cornered into it. That was ok, though, it was one of the things that made Kurt Kurt and I could live with that. Especially when he turned his head so he could kiss right below my ear. "Yeah, well, uh" Damn, why couldn't I focus any time his lips were anywhere near me? "I guess I could have handled it better. Maybe, like, told Rach that I couldn't come over this week?"
Except I didn't really want that. I liked Rachael, even if she was kind of batshit crazy and I wasn't really that attracted to her any more. Ok, I was still attracted to her, but not in the all-consuming way I had been before. Now it was just like admiring a Greek statue, right? I mean, it's really pretty, and it's got boobs and all, but you don't want to jump up and have sex with it. You just want to admire it from a distance. Or something. I don't know, coming up with metaphors (yes, I finally figured out what a metaphor is, thanks to a long session with my dictionary. Also, why isn't it spelled metafore? I had to ask Mom to help me before I finally found it.) isn't really my strong suit.
"I'm missing biology." Kurt's voice was calm, almost sleepy.
"Yeah, I know." It sort of seemed like I should say something else, but I didn't want to disturb the strange quiet in the car. I'm sure Puck would have brought up Kurt's earlier comment about studying each other's biology, but that was totally inappropriate for this situation, or any situation that didn't involve a blanket, the 50 yard line, and a bunch of wine coolers. Rachael would have lectured me on the value of an education, and Quinn would have suggested praying for some forgiveness. What we actually needed to be forgiven for was never clear, but she seemed to think that having sexual thoughts was as bad as actually having sex, which I always found confusing. If one was as bad as the other, why not just have sex and be done with it? I had asked once, only get a long lecture on how stupid I was, and how I only wanted her for sex, just like every other boy, and she thought I was different and blah, blah, blah.
Not one of them would have been happy to sit here in the silence, with the only movement being the two of us shifting closer together. Maybe that was why things hadn't worked out with them. Not that I wanted things to work out with Puck sexually, because that was really nasty, but I really missed being his friend and it had only been a few days. I guessed we could try and talk things out, but I probably better wait until I could look at him without wanting to kill him.
"Go to Rachael's on Wednesday, Finn, its fine. I don't have the right to dictate how you spend your every waking minute." He gave me a smile, but it was kind of sad, too. "That would cross the line into Lifetime movie territory, and I don't think that either one of us wants that."
I sure as hell didn't. The only thing worse then being stuck watching lifetime movie with Mom was being stuck watching Hallmark movies with her. Ooh, maybe Kurt could watch with her! I mean, he really likes chick stuff like that, and it would totally free me up! Score!
Plus, it would give Kurt and Mom something to talk about. She had been all but floating around the house yesterday because her date with Burt had gone so well. They already had plans for dinner again this week, and maybe some sort of little trip this weekend for all four of us. I still wasn't 100% sure how I felt about all this, but I didn't want to jump in and make things worse, so I just waited and watched. I would figure out what to do eventually, whether Burt was actually good enough for Mom, or if I was going to have to do something about them.
Kurt was much more bothered by it then I was, as his little tantrum on Saturday had proved. Mom and I, we're tight. We've always got each other's backs, and we can talk about anything. Except sex, definitely none of that. But, in the end, I know that I'm her kid, and she wouldn't trade me for anyone else in the world.
Burt Hummel wouldn't trade Kurt for anyone else in the world either. The problem was, Kurt didn't seem to get that. He was worried that his father was just waiting to trade him in, like some fucked up truck or something. He thought he had to be someone else to make his dad happy, when all Mr. Hummel wanted was for Kurt to be himself, and be happy doing it.
There was no way for me to tell him that though. Things between a parent and a kid are weird enough as they are, and you just don't want someone else butting in on them. Maybe later, when Kurt and I knew each other better, I could try, but not yet.
I think if he and Mom had something to talk about, though, he might feel a little better. That way it would seem less like I was trying to take his dad away from him, and more like we were both sharing our respective parents. That might be a little easier for him to take.
Soft lips touched the side of my neck again and I shivered, even though it was warm in the car. "Finn? I said you can go to Rachael's."
Everyone repeated what they had to say to me at least twice, like I couldn't get it the first time or something. "I heard you, Kurt. I'm not deaf." It came out a little snippier then I intended it to."
Luckily, he didn't take offense, which was kind of surprising. After all, he had flow off the handle for much less. He just kissed me again, on the jaw this time, and smiled. "I know you aren't. I just didn't know if you heard me. You seemed like you were lost in thought."
I really liked the way he didn't say that all sarcastic like Quinn always did. I actually do think all of the time. Of course, it's usually about zombies or football or the cheat codes to get myself some bad ass weapons in whatever game Puck had brought over this week, but still. "I was."
He hummed contentedly, a happy sound that I felt vibrate through my body. Looking at him like that, his hair a little mussed up and his body pressed against mine, I felt a familiar stirring in my jeans. Screw waiting until later today, I was getting him right now.
I tightened my arm around his shoulders, then slid it down his side to his hip, lightly pushing his shirt up so I could touch his skin. He jerked his head up. "Finn, what the hell are you doing?"
"Do you really not know?" I gave him my best happy puppy grin. "Come on, you know you want to."
I slid my fingers up his stomach and across his chest, feeling his heart pounding against my fingers. He shook his head slightly. "Uh, well…Finn…."
I took full advantage of his stuttering to kiss his throat. I wanted to put a hickey on him even worse then I had before, something that would tell everyone that Kurt Hummel belonged to someone, and they needed to keep the fuck away from him.
That thought made me pause. Had I really just had the thought that Kurt belonged to me, like some sort of possession? Did that make me a Crothagium caveman, like he had claimed the other day? Or was it just that I wanted him to always be safe and protected, and this way he could be? Was this love?
I didn't know. I had thought I loved Quinn, but now I knew that I hadn't. Her betrayal still hurt like hell, but I missed Drizzle a lot more than I missed her mother. Mostly I was kind of glad that she was gone, and not picking on me all the time. It was nice to get to school in the morning and not immediately have to hear about how stupid I was.
"Finn!" Kurt slapped my hand, which had wandered down to his lower stomach. "Keep your hands to yourself."
"Why?" I stopped, though. I wasn't a pervert, and I've had enough lectures to know that no means no.
His expressive blue eyes rolled. "I am not fooling around with you in a parking lot, during the school day, where anyone could see. It makes this thing tawdry and cheap."
I'm not 100% sure what 'tawdry' means, but I do understand 'cheap' so it's probably not a good thing. "Oh." I pulled my hand out from under his shirt and gave him my most pitiful look. "Well, I wouldn't want to be tawdry."
He snickered. "Do you know what tawdry means, Finn Hudson?"
Even when he said things like that, he didn't do it in a mean way. It was more of a gentle tease. "It means nasty?" I wanted to sound confident, but it came out questioning.
"Yeah, it means nasty. Now, get your textbook, and come on. 6th period is almost over, and I don't want to miss English Lit."
"Alright." I wasn't able to resist giving him one kiss on the lips, which he gladly returned. "I'll see you in Glee, alright?"
I hated to be clingy, but going to Glee meant seeing both Quinn and Puck, and I didn't know if I could do it without having Kurt there for support. On the other hand, going to Glee meant getting to see Mr. Shue, which was pretty awesome. I had missed him a lot.
"Of course. Now where's the book?" He looked into my eyes and chuckled again. "There is no book, right?"
I nodded happily and reached over to open the door. I liked it when things worked out and no one ended up angry or sad.
Kurt and I walked back to the building side by side, but not touching. I wasn't quite ready to make that sort of statement and, despite his bravado, neither was Kurt. I'm a big believer in just letting things happen naturally, instead of forcing them, so I kept to what we usually did, and acted like we were just…well, not friends exactly, but companions. Two guys who hung out when Mercedes or the rest of the football team wasn't available.
I pretty much blew off the rest of my classes. See, when you get hurt, you can really milk it for a long time. All I had to do was sit there quietly and look pitiful, and the teachers totally ignored me. Except for Mr. Davis, the English teacher, who told me how much had liked my essay, and that I should keep up the good work. Apparently getting good grades could feel as good as scoring touchdowns, who knew? I certainly didn't, considering that I had always sucked at schoolwork. Still, it was kind of cool to get the feeling I was good at something that didn't involve me getting tackled. I made a mental note to tell Kurt thanks, or better yet, find some sexy way of showing him how thankful I was. Then we could both be happy!
There was a 30 minute break between the end of the school day and the start of Glee practice, one that I usually used to get some food or explain to some teacher or another why I had flunked a test or hadn't turned in my homework. Today, though, I was free of all that. I all but ran to the auditorium, hoping desperately that Mr. Shue would be early.
Sure enough, there he was, going over some files. I bounded down the steps, the booming noise causing him to look up. His face broke into a wide smile. "Finn! How was your first day back?"
He barely managed to get his hands up before I threw myself into his arms. I know, I know, you aren't supposed to hug your teachers, because someone might think that they're molesters or something, but come on! This is Mr. Shue, not Mr. Ryerson, who once 'accidentally' touched my butt during class change. I didn't believe that for one second, considering the number of times that I had done the exact same thing to Quinn. Still, I had enough sense not to hug Mr. Shue when I first saw him, because other people might see it and get the wrong idea.
Mr. Shue gave me a tight squeeze. "It hasn't been the same without you here. We aren't actually practicing today, so it should be an easy first day back. We're having some guests from the Jane Adams Academy."
I already knew that from Tina, but I didn't want to rat her out. "Cool."
He let me go, but kept a hand on my shoulder to steer me towards the piano. "When did the doctor say you could return to Glee?"
"I can come back now, as long as I don't do anything that puts too much pressure on my arm, like fancy lifts or anything. I'm kind of glad to have a slow day, though."
He gave me a long look, like the kind Mom gives me when she wants to say something, but isn't sure if I'll get upset. Finally he gave me a little smile. "So, would you happen to know anything about what happened to Puck's face?"
Even though it could totally get me in trouble, I couldn't lie to Mr. Shue. "My fist."
"Ah." He made a quick note on the musical score in front of him. "Do you want to tell me why?"
"Not really." Not only was the truth humiliating, but I was tired of the entire thing. Puck and I fought pretty regularly, but it was usually the sort that led to a wrestling match to sort it all out, and ended with one of us pinned beneath the other. Then there would be a few half-hearted punches to the chest and shoulders, and we would both get up, the argument forgotten. Honestly, I missed the guy. He had come to see me right after the accident, when no one else had, and he stuck up for me, even to Quinn.
Ah, Quinn. You know, your girlfriend? The one that he slept with? Dude, have a little self respect. Don't go crawling back to Puck like a little puppy that's been kicked and kicked, but is still hoping for a kind word. Not to mention what he's going to say when he finds out about Kurt.
I hadn't even thought about that. After all of the shit that he (and I, but I didn't like thinking about that) had put Kurt through for being gay, I didn't even want to know what he would when he found out the two of us were a couple. For a second, I felt a pang in my chest for a friendship that I knew was going to be totally over. I had known Puck practically since we were in diapers, and it felt really, really weird to think about not having him around. But I had let Puck push me around for long enough. I wanted Kurt now, and if Puck couldn't deal with that, screw him.
Does it bother you at all that you're willing to totally forgive him for screwing your girlfriend, but you'll drop him if he says anything bad about Kurt? Still think that you're only a little bit gay? Seems to me that you like Kurt a lot more then you ever liked Quinn.
"Shut up." Mr. Shue gave me a startled look, and I realized that I had spoken out loud. "I mean, I guess it's not that important now."
He sighed. "Are the two of you going to get into another fight today? Because you really need to be on your best behavior for the Jane Adams kids."
I gave him my best smile. "Don't worry, Mr. Shue, I promise I won't pick a fight with Puck." No promises if he started it first, but I didn't think he would do that. He had backed down to me in the cafeteria, which was a first. Usually I was the one who just went along with whatever he wanted.
"I know you won't" He went back to whatever he had been doing when I came in, and I turned to the seats in the auditorium, since I figured that we would be sitting there today so we could watch the Jane Adams girls
Once I got to the seats, I wasn't sure where to sit. I usually sat over to one side, with Puck, Quinn, Matt and Mike, but I didn't want that today. I had just promised not to pick a fight with Puck, and I really didn't want to, but I didn't know if I would be able to control myself if I saw him cuddling with my girlfriend like nothing had changed.
She's not your girlfriend any more, Finn. You don't have one. You do, however, have a boyfriend, and you need to remember that.
Yeah, I knew that. I chose a spot in the dead center and sat down. Puck could just sit somewhere else. I really, really wanted Kurt to come sit by me, but I didn't know if he would, or if that would fall into the category of being too obvious. Probably, which really sucked.
The auditorium door banged open and I looked up hopefully. It was Mike and Matt, who were pretty cool, but not who I really wanted. They swarmed around me, giving me shoulder punches and telling me about how the team was doing. Losing, as usual. Still, it made me sad to think that there was another game tomorrow, and I wouldn't be playing in it. Maybe I would go anyway, you know, just to see Kurt in those tight pants.
This time when the door opened, it was Kurt and Mercedes, closely followed by Rachael, Artie and Tina. He strutted over to me, wearing his trademark smirk, and sat down. "Finn, I just talked to my father, and he said that he's taking Carol out to dinner after her shift, so we're on our own for dinner. I'm not cooking, so either you need to do it, or we'll pick something up."
I had already known about all that, but I got what Kurt was doing. He felt like he had to make an excuse to get close to me, so it wouldn't make people suspicious. Then, once he was here, he would just stay, because Kurt Hummel didn't move for anyone. I tried to say thanks using only my eyes, but I'm not sure if he got it.
This time when the door opened, I knew it was Puck and Quinn. Even before I looked, I could feel a coldness on my neck. I think it's my Spider Sense, just like Peter Parker's. Kurt flicked his eyes over to the door and tensed up. Mercedes crossed her arms and glared up at the door. Honestly, it's kind of cool to have Mercedes be mad, but to know that she isn't mad at me this time.
I didn't look. I couldn't. If I had to look up there, and see him with her, I was going to scream, or cry, or do something else that was totally inappropriate for a school setting. Luckily, I was saved by Brit and Santana, who came in and all but drug the fornicators (how's that for a vocabulary word? Guess what, I learned it from Quinn.) to the other side of the auditorium. I knew that Brit would be on my side, since our mothers had been friends for a long time, but I was surprised that Santana was taking up for me. Maybe she was just pissed with Puck again.
Ok, I could do this. All I had to do was just not look to the left (or was it the right? I looked down at my injured arm, which was closer to Puck and Quinn. Don't look to the right, then) and maybe we could get out of this without anyone saying or doing something stupid.
Mr. Shue took the front of the stage, telling us about our guests and that he expected we would be a good audience and pay attention, because he was going to want to discuss their style later. Yeah, yeah, yeah, be polite, I got it.
The lights dimmed, and a bunch of girls in tight outfits came tearing onto the stage. Holy shit, where had they all come from? The music started, and I came to a sudden, shocking realization.
See, under any other circumstances, 30 loose girls in tight outfits, all gyrating to 'Bootylicious', would have been the stuff that wet dreams are made of. I would have been totally unable to tear my eyes from their asses or boobs. Instead of doing that, though, I couldn't stop staring at the one girl's giant afro, and wondering how she could whip her head around like that with it. What in the hell had Kurt done to me? Could I not even enjoy tits and ass any more?
I'll bet you like the thought of Kurt's ass.
Yeah, I did. Plus, Kurt's ass was actually in reach, as opposed to on its way back to the Jane Adams Academy, where it would probably be kept in a locked dorm. Yeah, Kurt was so much better then these girls.
Once the girls were done, they raced out of the auditorium, screaming and exchanging high fives. Personally, I thought that we were the better singers, but they sure had a lot of enthusiasm.
Mr. Shue looked totally shell shocked, even after they left. He barely managed to pull himself together long enough to dismiss us, telling us to think about what we had seen today and be ready to talk about it tomorrow.
I risked a quick glance around the auditorium, noticing that all the other guys were sitting there with their mouths hanging open. Even Puck, who, sure enough, was sitting next to Quinn. She was giving him the evil eye, though, which meant he was only a few seconds away from getting smacked. Suddenly I was really glad that she wasn't my girlfriend any more.
Kurt nudged my leg. "Are you ready to go?"
I'm pretty sure that he just wanted me out of the room before we could recover enough to start fighting again. It's not that I don't appreciate the thought, because I really do, but I wasn't an animal that would go after Puck as soon as our eyes met. But then, leaving now meant getting home faster, and getting home faster meant getting Kurt naked faster, which made it all worth it. "Uh-huh, I'm ready."
I waved goodbye to Mr. Shue, who waved back, still looking stunned. I mean, come on, the girls weren't that good. Sometimes Mr. Shue worries too much, just like I do.
Dimly, I heard Kurt asking Mercedes if she wanted a ride home, but she shook her head. "No, I think that you have things you need to do. Or people."
Wait, did that mean what I think it did? That would be silly; Kurt wouldn't tell anyone after he had specifically said he wouldn't. I looked over, only to find his face was bright red. He shot Mercedes a glare. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Mercedes is much braver then I am, because I would never have the balls to talk back to Kurt. "I'm sure you don't. No, I'll see both of you tomorrow. Finn, I'm glad you're back and feeling better."
The Navigator beeped when Kurt approached it, breaking the strange silence that had fallen. Once we were in the car, he grinned at me, his hair falling into his eyes. "So, what do you say we go back to my place, and I give you that Biology lesson?"
Score!