Big Brother
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.
Chapter 1: Why?
It was a cool evening at Burt Hummel's house, where the living room buzzed with laughter and the sounds of children playing. Kurt sat on the couch, his four-year-old daughter, Tracy, nestled beside him, clutching her Mohawked Hulk doll. Puck and Quinn Puckerman were present, along with several of their old friends from the Glee club. Burt was in the kitchen, ensuring everyone had enough to eat and drink, relishing the lively atmosphere. Despite the warmth of the gathering, Kurt felt a flicker of unease as he glanced toward the door.
Blaine, Kurt's ex-husband, had arrived at the party uninvited. The past few years had been tough for Blaine, who had lost multiple jobs during the pandemic and often took his frustrations out on Kurt. The black eye Kurt had tried to conceal the last time Blaine visited still haunted him.
As the night progressed, Blaine's mood soured. What began as a light-hearted conversation quickly escalated. Kurt could feel Blaine's angry stare from across the room, and the tension in the air was palpable. Suddenly, Blaine stood up, his face contorted with rage.
Before anyone could intervene, Blaine stormed across the room, seized Kurt by the arm, and yanked him to his feet. "What, Kurt? You think you're better than me now?" Blaine shouted, his voice loud enough to make Tracy burst into tears. "After everything I did for us—"
Before Blaine could finish, a hand clamped down on his shoulder, pulling him back. It was Noah Puckerman, stepping in front of Blaine to shield Kurt. His expression was intense, eyes blazing with fierce protectiveness. "You need to back off, Blaine," Puck growled, his stance wide and ready for anything.
"Or what, Puck?" Blaine shot back, shoving Noah's hand away. "You think you're some kind of hero?"
Without hesitation, Blaine lunged at Puck. But Puck, trained in martial arts for years, quickly sidestepped, using Blaine's momentum to send him crashing to the floor. Blaine scrambled to his feet and charged again, but Puck easily subdued him, pinning him with one fluid motion.
"You're done, Blaine," Puck said firmly, his voice low and steady. "Get out."
Blaine struggled, but Puck's grip was unyielding. Puck shoved Blaine out of the house with one final push and slammed the door behind him.
The room fell silent. Burt stood in the kitchen doorway, watching the scene unfold with a mix of shock and concern. He slowly approached Puck, who was catching his breath. "Why'd you step in like that, Puck?" Burt asked quietly, glancing at Kurt, who was holding a trembling Tracy.
Puck looked over at Tracy, who was still holding her Hulk doll tightly. "For her, Mr. H," he said, his tone softening as he knelt to Tracy's height. "Tracy's been calling me 'Hulk' for six months. She admires me, and she admires you too." Puck stood up, turning to face Burt directly. "With Finn gone, I owe it to him to be the brother he couldn't be."
Burt's eyes filled with tears, but he remained silent, his attention now on the little boy in Quinn's arms. Puck smiled gently and lifted the child for Burt to see. "This is Finn Burt Puckerman," he said proudly. "I hate that Mrs. H passed away from COVID-19, but I'm thankful you're not dating my mom."
Quinn, standing nearby, let out a soft laugh. She playfully nudged Burt's shoulder and added, "Mr. H would owe me fifty bucks if that ever happened."
Puck handed little Finn to Burt and then turned to Kurt. His expression softened even more as he noticed the vulnerability in Kurt's eyes. "I almost lost Quinn because of my own mistakes," Puck confessed, his voice thick with emotion. "Kurt, I've spent nine years trying to be a better man for her. Now, I want to be a better friend to you."
Kurt looked down at the doll cradled in Tracy's arms, feeling a lump in his throat. "I had that doll made at Build-A-Bear when Tracy was just two," he murmured, his voice trembling. "We didn't attend your wedding because... I had a swollen black eye."
Puck's expression softened with understanding. "Kurt, I had no idea."
"Blaine lost a lot of work due to COVID-19," Kurt said, his voice unsteady. "And he started taking it out on me."
Puck's jaw tightened, anger bubbling up again, but he took a deep breath and placed a comforting hand on Kurt's shoulder. "You don't have to endure that anymore, Kurt. You've got me, Quinn, and Burt… we're your family now."
Kurt nodded, tears brimming in his eyes as he held Tracy close. It was a night filled with unexpected truths, but as he surveyed the room, surrounded by those who genuinely cared for him, he realized he wasn't alone anymore. He had a family—a stronger one than ever before.
Puck and Quinn stayed after the party. While Quinn and Kurt were putting Tracy and Little Burt to bed in the nursery, Blaine returned. Puck confronted him, saying, "What's your problem, Blaine? You can't just intimidate Kurt into coming back to you!" Blaine opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, something slammed against the wall.
Then Puck shouted, "Kurt is not your property, Blaine! He left you to protect Tracy from growing up in an abusive home like I did!"
Blaine attempted to speak again, but Puck cut him off, saying, "You're right, Blaine, I'm not Finn. But Finn was my best friend, and if he were here, he'd be the one handling this. He wouldn't need to resort to this."
Suddenly, there was a loud crash, and Puck bellowed, "Go!" just before they heard tires screeching.
Puck and Burt tidy up the living room while Quinn and Kurt help Tracy settle down for the night. Burt then chuckles softly and says, "I'm really glad Kurt invited you and Quinn to stay with us."
He lets out a sigh and adds, "This wasn't the first time Blaine tried to win Kurt back. Just a week after the divorce, Blaine started following Kurt around. Once you and Quinn returned to Lima, Blaine's stalking became less frequent."
Puck laughs and replies, "That's because I've been keeping an eye on your house since we got here."
Puck sat on the couch and continued, "I came by here a week after we moved and saw Blaine sitting in his car, just staring at the house. After that, I started noticing things being moved around. So, I decided to get a security system."
He glances at a picture of Finn on the wall as he tells Burt, "You know Finn would have wanted you and Kurt to move in with him if he were still here, and you can't take on Blaine by yourself."
Just then, Kurt rushes into the room, ready to speak, but Puck interrupts, "Kurt, Tracy isn't safe here, and I'm not doing this out of guilt. I spent most of my childhood in an abusive home. Did you really think I was in a fight club back in school? You wanted Tracy to look up to me for a reason. Kurt, I was Finn's best friend, and you are his brother because of your dad."
He catches a glimpse of Quinn peeking out from Tracy's room and continues, "I know I was a jerk to you for most of our lives. Just let me do this, Kurt."
Then he leans in and whispers, "Do you want Tracy to grow up saying she was in a fight club, or do you want her to tell her bullies that her Uncle Hulk will take care of them?"
Kurt rolls his eyes and replies, "I know I'm going to regret this, but fine, we'll move in. Just make sure Dad stays away from your guns." Puck, Burt, and Quinn share a chuckle but remain silent.
Chapter 2 will be up soon.