Noah Puckerman was never nervous about anything. He honestly didn’t give a fuck about pretty much anything. Life didn’t phase him the way it would most people. But tonight was different. Blaine and him were finally going on a date. Of course it was in secret. Puck still wasn’t sure where he stood with his sexuality and until he figured that out, he wanted to keep this on the down low. He was just damn lucky that Blaine was so understanding and
patient.
“‘Sup?” Puck asked, when the teen answered the door. “You uh, look nice.” Of course now he felt like maybe he should have worn nicer clothes. He was wearing his signature leather jacket, a KISS t-shirt, and jeans. Then again, Blaine always seemed to be semi-dressed up, at least whenever he was wearing his Dalton uniform. “You ready to go?”
Blaine finished the last touches of his outfit, not taking his gaze off his reflection in the bedroom mirror the whole time. A huge part of him was overly excited about tonight. His eyes were bright and he couldn’t stop smiling. But behind that brightness was a small bit of apprehension as he kept telling himself he was fine with pretending they weren’t on a date..while they were on one. That he understood (and he did, he wasn’t a jerk..he got it..) and would be patient. Of course he would be. He’d never pressure anyone to come out or into a slew of PDAs. They were in Ohio and he had his own reasons for that sort of caution he had yet to fully share with Puck. But..it’d be nice if they didn’t have to hide. Someday..
A date, even toned down, was a great start though. When the doorbell rang throughout the house, his train of thought was derailed off the collision course of getting too worried on if this was the best idea for them tonight considering their status was beyond hidden (downright Freemason level secretive) and suggesting they stay inside. Hurrying downstairs, Puck swung into view as the door swung open. “Hey.. Hi! So do you. Really nice.” Blaine’s cheeks were flushed but he took his hand and pulled him into a hug. “I am,” his keys rattled as he pulled them off a hook just inside the foyer. “Shall we?”
send in a ❣ for a random kiss. (roll, 12: a sad/crying kiss)
“I can’t do this anymore.” The Warbler blurted out into the quiet that fell between them. He’d been tracing the pattern in the formica of Puck’s countertop for what felt like forever. Blaine’s heart froze the second he heard himself say what he was thinking. It was meant to be bottled up and ignored. Like most things were with his feelings towards Puck and what they were doing lately.
Whatever you wanted to call it. Whatever it was or wasn’t? He was just done feeling the way he did every time he drove back to Westerville and returned to his life. While Puck returned to his. Both of them continuing for yet another week with short texts and barely there conversation like Puck was afraid one of his friends might magically see the words he was reading in their head and his entire image would be ruined.
“I can’t keep being the reason why you feel so confused. I can’t keep putting you through this. We need to stop. Not everything. But what we’re doing that friends don’t do? Puck, you need to sort things out. Learn yourself. I can help you with that but I can’t keep making it harder for you.” Inching up, Blaine’s lps found Puck’s in a kiss that wasn’t a goodbye but a pause button he knew he had to push. Soft and sweet, it lingered like Blaine was making sure he’d remember that feeling for as long as it took. Maybe forever.
A rock of heartache formed in his throat, long lashes dipped down to hide his gaze as he aimed it at the floor. “I’m sorry. I should go.”
Puck wasn’t about to argue with Blaine. If the Warbler wanted to pay for their dinner, that was fine with him! “Yay, we’re gonna have pizza and a sugar high! That’s a pretty great combo, if ya ask me!” The mohawked teen quickly nodded his head. “I LOVE deep dish pizza. It’s fucking amazing! Its almost better than sex.” He liked the fact that Blaine felt so comfortable around him. It made him feel really happy which was an emotion he didn’t often feel because of his temper. “You better be referring to A New Hope ‘cause if we start with what’s now considered the first movie, I might scream. And judge you harshly, which we wouldn’t want to happen!”
“Sounds like the perfect way to start a night,” Blaine looked up from his phone as he found the number and laughed. Seeing Puck so into getting pizza was something he didn’t expect. Seriously though? Who can blame him for being enthusiastic about pizza? No one in their right mind. That’s who. Words that were so close to coming off the tip of his tongue about him having to take Puck’s word for the comparison fell silent at the last second. Maybe he was a little too comfortable if he nearly let that slip. Anyway. He palmed his flustered smile and wiped it away before jumping to the chance to call up the pizza joint and order one pizza with everything, another with just cheese and soda. After a polite thank you, he tucked his phone away on the end table and gave Puck a lopsided grin. “Of course I am. Hey! No judging me! We’re in agreement here and do I look like a guy who would go the path of the Dark Side on which movie is number one? Seriously, Puck.” His grin widened and eyes lit up. “I thought you knew me.”
Puck couldn’t help but smirk when he noticed Blaine’s face turn red. He sometimes forgot how open he was when it came to talking about sex. Some people, including Blaine it seemed like, were more conservative about the subject. “Yeah, I guess you’re right, dude. I’m lucky to have the friends I do and even luckier to be able to hang with you.” He looked over at the entertainment center and nodded his head. “Of course I do! I have all of the movies. I wouldn’t be a true Star Wars fan if I didn’t own them,” he joked. “Which one or ones do ya want to see?” He couldn’t help but smile at the Warbler’s idea. Having a movie marathon with the other teen was a pretty genius idea. “Pizza sounds great. Uh, as long as there isn’t any pork on the pizza, I’ll eat it. Oh, and I can pay for it if ya want. I still have some money left over from cleaning pools over the summer.”
“No, no, no,” Blaine was quick to wave off the notion of Puck doing any such thing as paying for their dinner. Grateful for the topic of pizza and movies to keep them on the path where he wasn’t embarrassing himself by earning that smirk from Puck by going red again, Blaine shook his head to cement his protest and smiled warmly at the other boy. “You’re providing the Star Wars and hosting for the night. Let me buy us dinner. And soda.” Lifting his hips off the couch to fish his wallet and phone from his back pocket, the Warbler had both in hand in seconds before settling back into the corner again. “Please tell me you love deep dish? Because I know the greatest place here thanks to Trent’s obsession with their pizza. Or is it addiction,” he grinned and corrected himself with an overdone nod, “Probably addiction.” Both shoes were kicked off as he sat his phone on the arm of his seat and googled the number for the nearest East of Chicago. “How about we start from the beginning? By the beginning, I mean the real beginning.” And..bet your lucky stars that was a test to see what Puck considered the true beginning of Star Wars. Oh, there would be much judging if Ewan McGregor’s face was on the screen in ten minutes. Pass or fail, Puck? What’ll it be?
Puck’s heart rate began to increase when Blaine touched his forearm. Could the other male tell? He hoped not. How would he be able to explain it to Blaine? He was semi-relieved when the Warbler let go of his forearm. “R-really?” He wasn’t sure why he was surprised, but he was. Maybe it had to do with the fact that basically everyone at school had given up on him. Of course it didn’t help that he really didn’t give a shit about school, but maybe with Blaine’s encouragement and help, things would change. “Biology and math are probably the two subjects I’m doing the worst in.” He bit his lip. “Uh, I’m not the easiest person to tutor. Well, that’s what I’ve been told in the past.”
“Yeah, I understand. It’d be odd if Kurt didn’t miss us,” he commented. His eyes lit up at the mention of his own tour. Once again, he was surprised to hear this. He just assumed Blaine wouldn’t be able to or have the time to give him a tour one-on-one. He chuckled when the Warbler said there was more to him than the blazer he always wore. “Sounds like you’re a pretty well rounded individual. Uh, well I’m sure you’ve heard some stories from Kurt about this, but I really like to have sex. I dunno, it’s just something I’m good at. Probably one of the few things I excel in. I also like playing football. Watching the Star Wars movies. Singing and playing guitar. There’s more to me than my mohawk and bad boy appearance, I guess.”
Blaine could feel a change in the air between them when his hand rested on Puck’s forearm. It remained on his palm as a tingle long after he removed it. Subconsciously curling his fingers towards the sensation, the Warbler shook his head and tried to ignore the silly idea that it meant anything. Just reading too much into things. That’s all. There’d never be another mistake like the one he made the night they were taking care of a very passed out Sam Evans. Risking the growing friendship between him and Puck wasn’t worth any insane idea that what happened would ever repeat itself. He wasn’t the kind of person to ever want to make someone uncomfortable and he was more than thankful for the way Puck brushed it off and chalked it up to a drunken mishap rather than hate him for what he did not knowing that it was the first time he kissed anyone and it ended up a near disaster. Blaine never brought it up and never would. Some secrets were better left untold. That was one.
Skipping right into the conversation about studying and Kurt and the things Puck enjoyed kept things easy between them. Exactly what drew him to Puck to begin with. Puck was easy to get along with. Easy to want to help. Easy to laugh with. Not too shabby of a friendship in Blaine’s book. Even if it was new. Easy to not think about—-the stereotypical record scratch noise shrieked between Blaine’s ears when his breath hitched at the rather frank reply. So much for easy. His face and neck grew warm and he cleared his throat, quirking up a brow and grazing past a part of Puck’s reply to add in his two cents. “I know there’s more to you than that. You can see it within two seconds of talking to you if you try hard enough. I guess it’s about time you just focus on the people who do? They’re the ones worth your time.” Keeping with the change of subject, Blaine glanced towards the television and the entertainment center it sat inside. “Please tell me you have Star Wars on DVD? I think you just inadvertently picked how we’re going to spend the entire night. What do you say? Marathon? I’ll order pizza?”
“Damn right it’s a good pitch! But dude, we’re in high school. Most of the parties we go to will have alcohol. If you’re so worried about getting shit-faced, pace yourself. Or just limit yourself to one drink. Ya can’t get too drunk with only one drink…right?” Puck wasn’t sure how fast Blaine got drunk. He might be a lightweight. He chuckled at Blaine’s question. “Ya know, that’s a really good question and I wish I had an answer for ya. All I know is that I’m glad I’m not Mr. Schue. Having to deal with all of our teenage drama must drive him crazy! Oh and to be fair, the wanting to drown someone only happened once. It involved Santana and Rachel, but for a completely different reason. Mr. Schue was sick or something and Rachel decided that that day’s lesson should be her. Santana basically wanted to kill Rachel, who freaked the fuck out. It was quite amusing.”
“Trust me, from the sound of it? He doesn’t do much to get involved when there’s real drama happening. So, I’m sure he’s fine..,” Blaine let his thoughts slip in his buzzed haze before he could put a stop to them. Rolling his lips between his teeth and pinching them down with a soft bite, he effectively shut himself up so he could regain his foggy common sense. Letting them go to form an apology, he murmured under his breath. “I’m sorry about that. I shouldn’t have said that outloud. Just seems like he’s pretty good at cherry picking what to get involved with and not to. Bad taste in my mouth after my old school and what happened with Kurt there. Anyway! Do you have a beer or maybe more water? I’m fine with either one and they’d be great to shut myself up before I insult the leader you guys love so much again. Not the impression I want to give off. I would have loved to see what Santana must have looked like when she was about to go murderous though,” he chirped in quickly to change the subject, “Rachel must have been terrified.”
Although Puck hated studying, seeing Blaine more often would be pretty cool. “Hmm, I might like your idea. Maybe you could help me with biology? I’m pretty shitty at that subject.” He chuckled dryly when something dawned on him. “Actually, I’m pretty shitty at every school subject. Some people just aren’t meant to be in school and I’m one of ‘em…”
Puck nodded his head as he listened to Blaine talk. He’d always gone to school with people he knew. He was pretty confident he wouldn’t have any problems making friends if he ever had to transfer to another school. He adapted well to certain situations. However, he knew Kurt and after all of the bullying the teen had endured, he understood why it might take Kurt awhile to adjust to being a student at Dalton. “Yeah, I hope so. Want him to know that we all still care about him and are here for him, no matter what.” He took seat on the sofa and leaned back. “Really? Like a private tour?” He liked the idea of being alone with Blaine, but knew it was unlikely that would actually happen. “Oh yeah? What are some of your other favorite things?”
“I don’t think you’re not meant to be there, Puck. I think you’ve just let the opinions of other people weigh so heavily on you that you think you’re not meant to be there. It’s okay to need help. I think everyone struggles with certain things,” he reached over and laid a hand gently on Puck’s forearm trying to make his point perfectly clear. “Asking for help studying? Doesn’t make you an exception. It sort of makes you the norm. In other words?” Blaine paused and retracted his hand back into his lap before tucking his chin towards his collar in a curt nod. “I’d love to help you. In whatever you need. You might surprise yourself what a couple months of tutoring can do.”
Blinking, he hurried to correct himself before he gave Puck the wrong idea about Kurt. The other boy hadn’t said a word about the lack of visits from his friends at McKinley. Blaine was talking for him, which Kurt would hate. He needed to stop doing that. His encounter with Burt Hummel was proof but–there was a good outcome to their meeting. “I’m sure he does. He hasn’t made any comment one way or another but..you can just tell you know?” Skipping past that subject, Blaine grinned at the mention of Dalton again. “Yeah. Your own tour. Whenever you want. And..um.. I like to play polo? Sing? Sail. Photography? A lot of things. Believe it or not? There’s more to me than the blazer,” he chuckled lightly, “How about you?”
Puck chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Uh, yeah, sure, you’re totally rubbing off of me. Guess you’re a good influence on me after all! Soon enough I might actually start doing my homework regularly. Okay, fine, I promise not to hit my teacher, but I’m only doing it ‘cause of you.” He grabbed Blaine’s coat and walked over to the closet. “Glad you’re doing well, dude.” He hung up the other teen’s coat before turning around to look at him. “Uh, it’s weird not having Kurt around. I keep expecting to see him around school. I miss seeing all of the wacky outfits he wears.” He bit his lip when Blaine mentioned how none of them had visited Kurt yet. “Shit, I’m not supposed to tell you this, but we’re visiting next Friday. It was Rachel’s idea and she was adamant that we all show up. So, we’ll all be there. Ya better act surprised or they’ll know that someone told you. I don’t want or need Berry lecturing me about what a surprise is.”
“I don’t mind taking credit for convincing you not to swing on a school official,” he laughed staring at Puck with a look of bewilderment. “And if I can convince you to start studying? Maybe I’d have another excuse to visit more often? Not to brag, but I can be a pretty good study partner. Up to you though.” Blaine didn’t mean to sound like some sort of nagging mother when he mentioned how he hadn’t seen any of the New Directions kids visit his friend at Dalton. He stood there chewing on his bottom lip as soon as he heard the words echo back to him, watching Puck tuck his coat away.
“Really,” he asked perking up and letting the worry go when Puck let him in on the secret plans to visit, “That would be great. I know he’d love it. He hasn’t mentioned much about it.. Well, anything, about it but you know Kurt. Just because he doesn’t talk about something, doesn’t mean he’s not thinking about it. I know he loves Dalton but I know he misses you guys and struggling to fit into a new school is bound to happen. No matter how welcoming everyone might be. It’d mean a lot to him and might help the transition, you know? Plus? I can get the added bonus of showing you around the school,” he grinned and followed behind Puck towards the living room. “Tours are probably one of my favorite things.”
Puck chuckled at Blaine’s second question and quickly closed the front door, glad he didn’t have to feel the cold air any longer. “I’ve been good, dude. Uh, I mean, I haven’t gotten into any fights recently. I might still be skipping my math class…you would too if you had my teacher. The guy’s a jackass who enjoys making my life a living hell. He knows I suck at math and always calls on me, basically laughing when I don’t get the right answer. If I don’t skip the class, I’d probably end up hitting him…which would be bad, even though it’d serve him right!” He shook his head in frustration. “Uh, do you want me to hang up your coat?” he asked. He was so happy to see Blaine again. “And how are you?”
Blaine shrugged out of his coat and let it hang across his left forearm while giving Puck a playful what was pretending to be ‘incredulous’ look. “You mean to tell me you haven’t gotten into trouble at all? Except skipping math class? And you’re behind honest? Wow.” His bottom lip inched up to press against his upper in a thoughtful/impressed pout. “I have to say that I’m either going to ask if you’re the real Puck? Or give you more guff and ask if I’m rubbing off on you.” An easy grin by laughter thanks to his complete enjoyment out of giving Puck a hard time. That’s what he gets for not inviting him over sooner. Maybe this time–he’ll learn his lesson? “You know–schools usually frown on students hitting each other. Pretty sure hitting a teacher is even worse. How about you try to steer clear of both? And, yes! Thank you.” He quickly shrugged out of his coat and tugged his scarf across the left side of his neck to remove it so he could give both to Puck. “Me? I’m great. Lots of practice and helping Kurt settle in. He’s struggling to find his niche’ but he’ll get there. How are you guys adjusting with him being at Dalton? I’m surprised no one’s visited yet..”
Puck grinned when he read what Blaine texted back. While he waited for his friend to arrive, he did some last minute cleaning. His room was always kinda messy, so shoving some things into his closet wasn’t a bad idea. He’d just scooped up some trash when he heard a knock at the front door. After throwing the trash away in the kitchen’s trashcan, he walked over to the door and opened it. “’Sup, Blaine?” The burst of cold air that hit him when he opened the door made him shiver. “Shit, dude, it’s really cold out. Come on in before ya freeze your ass off!” He moved away from the door to let his friend in.
“Yeah, well, hello Ohio winter,” Blaine laughed moving one gloved hand from his pocket to gesture into the air with a flick of his fingers and a wave. Eyes brightly beaming with excitement at seeing the boy in person–Blaine slightly bowed inside the doorway. “And hello to you, too, Puck.”
He could feel the heat coming from inside. Wow–Puck was right! It was freezing out there!! Needing no further invitation to get out of the cold than the one he was just given–he quickly entered and stopped just past Puck to turn and face him. “How are you? Keeping out of trouble? Or should I just automatically assume no on that one,” he quizzed in a game of catch-up grinning as he took his gloves off and stuffed them inside his coat.
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