
Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/137895.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Supernatural, Glee
  Relationship:
      Noah_Puckerman/Kurt_Hummel, Noah_Puckerman/Dean_Winchester, Noah
      Puckerman/Kurt_Hummel/Dean_Winchester, Dean_Winchester/Quinn_Fabray,
      Santana_Lopez/Brittany_S_Pearce, Santana_Lopez/Brittany_S_Pearce/Sam
      Winchester, Sam_Winchester/Brittany_S_Pearce
  Character:
      Mentions_or_appearances_of_the_main_canon_characters_in_both_fandoms.
  Additional Tags:
      Angst_and_Humor, Canon-Typical_Violence, Poly_Relationships, biting_kink,
      Rough_Sex, hints_of_dom/sub_play, Voyeurism
  Series:
      Part 1 of SPN/Glee_Xover_of_Doom
  Stats:
      Published: 2010-12-06 Completed: 2010-12-07 Chapters: 19/19 Words: 225294
****** Dancing Days ******
by saddle_tramp
Summary
     Dean Winchester has seen and done a lot of things in his nineteen
     years, but getting stuck in Glee club turns his whole world upside
     down. He ends up teaching four of the kids a lot about life and love
     without ever meaning to, and along the way he learns some things
     about himself he never wanted to know.
Notes
     This was written BEFORE season two of Glee began, and diverges from
     Glee canon just after Sectionals in season one. And yes, I know Glee
     is an after-school club. I made it a class because it happened that
     way in one of the Dean-in-Glee dreams I had and I decided to run with
     it. I got stuck in choir my eighth grade year because of the same
     problem Dean has here – no other classes open at a certain time
     because he didn’t have their prerequisites – and my school required
     everyone to be in a class every period unless they were seniors in
     Co-Op.
     A lot of the things that happened in Glee canon happened here too,
     just in slightly different ways. In this verse, Quinn didn’t move out
     of Puck’s house. I figure Quinn was actually due sometime around
     Regionals, which I put four weeks before school gets out because
     that’s closer to the actual Midwest Regionals. Finn and his mom did
     not move in until after Burt got that addition put on the house, so
     Finn and Kurt definitely never shared a room. That was a
     spectacularly bad idea, and the Burt in my head isn’t that dumb. He
     was a straight teenage boy once upon a time too, and I can’t see him
     ever telling Finn he has to share a room with Kurt.
     For anything else I screwed up, it was on purpose (yes, really!) so
     consider it AU-ness. Glee canon definitely doesn't say that Tina and
     Mike are related, but I’m saying they are and that they get along
     like most siblings do, which is to say they fight but they love each
     other anyway. Tina’s name is Cohen-Chang instead of just Chang
     because her mother insisted on it and her dad was too smart to argue.
     Mike’s the older of the two by a year and looks out for Tina some,
     but he’s not up for big brother of the year because she gets on his
     nerves with the Goth thing.
     As far as the Supernatural timeline goes, this takes place about two
     years after the events in the flashbacks in 'After School Special',
     but there aren’t any spoilers for any of Supernatural here, unless
     you consider John being his usual ass-butt self and Dean being the
     big brother of the century (even though he got laid a lot!) a
     spoiler. Also, for the purposes of the ‘verse containing the Dean in
     my head, Dean is a teenager at the same time as Glee happened. Any
     and all background I give here for Dean and Sam’s life as teenagers
     is true only for the Dean and Sam in my head.
     Title from the Led Zeppelin song of the same name.
     Edit completed on July 1, 2011: I did a full edit of Dancing Days to
     fix a few things people had pointed out to me (Thank you, you know
     who you are, I hope!) that bugged them, and then bugged me when I
     read back over the story. No major details were changed, I just
     edited for word choices and fixed a few typos that had slipped by me
     the last five times I edited. :-)
***** One *****
 
 
Dean blinked, staring at the timid-looking woman across the desk from him. “You
have got to be shitting me.”
The guidance counselor blinked her big brown eyes, and she was obviously
nervous as she said, “I would, uhm, like it very much if you wouldn’t curse at
me, Mr. Winchester.”
Dean rolled his eyes, shifting in his chair as he straightened his leather
jacket a little. “Sorry, sugar. Just…  Glee club?  Me?”
“I’m afraid so,” the woman replied hesitantly. “Glee is the only second period
class open to you at the moment. You haven’t taken the prerequisites for any of
the academic classes open to juniors.”
“Can’t I take shop, or Home Ec, or something?” Dean asked, trying not to scowl
at the woman. She was already obviously afraid of him and he hadn’t even done
anything, so he didn’t want to be too mean to her. She’d probably panic and
call security or something, if this school even had security. He knew there
weren’t any metal detectors, which was just the way he liked it, but that
didn’t always mean there wouldn’t be a security guard lurking somewhere. “Even
study hall would be better than Glee club.” 
Not that Dean had ever done anything but nap in study hall, but still. There
was no way in hell he wanted stuck in a classroom full of geeky girls singing
showtunes and romantic crap and bad Beatles covers. It sounded like a little
slice of Hell to him, so of course he was gonna have to be there every day for
more than a month. It was the story of his life.
“All of our other electives are full,” the woman said primly, brushing back her
red hair. “You’ll have Spanish with Mr. Schuester for fifth period too, but
show choir is what he truly enjoys teaching. He is very good at what he does,
and his students are well on their way to taking a regional title.”
Dean made a face and scowled. “Just how I wanna start my day every mornin’.
Singin’ show tunes with a bunch of nerdy girls.”
“Actually, last week the students performed an acoustic medley of rock songs.
It turned out simply lovely. Noah Puckerman is a very talented guitarist that
did a superb job accompanying the other students.” She paused and then added,
“Noah is one of several football players who are taking Glee this year, along
with some of the members of the Cheerios, our school cheerleading squad.”
Dean blinked, brightening slightly. If part of the football team was in Glee,
then maybe he wouldn’t get labeled as a queer loser for being in there, and
cheerleaders would definitely brighten up the scenery. “It’s not all geeks and
freaks?”
The counselor frowned. “No, Mr Winchester, they are not freaks. Some of the
most popular students in the school are in Glee.”
“Huh.” Dean might have said more, but the ringing of the bell interrupted them.
The counselor stood, obviously done speaking with him as she offered Dean his
schedule. “Since you were late this morning and put up such a fuss about your
schedule, you’ll be starting your day with Glee. If you’ll come with me, I’ll
have one of your classmates show you the room and introduce you.”
“Lucky me.” Dean took the schedule and stood to follow her, slinging his worn
army-surplus backpack onto his shoulder.
The counselor gave him an exasperated look and then led the way out into the
hall, looking over the crowd of students before she called, “Noah! Could you
please come here for a moment?”
A guy who obviously must be Noah turned away from a sweet-looking little blonde
with a bun in the oven and walked over to them. He had enough muscle for
football, for sure, and a smile that promised either a lot of fun or pure hell,
depending on his mood. The mohawk was the perfect touch to go with the way the
guy carried himself. He obviously knew he was hot as hell and considered
himself a badass, and the way other kids got out of his way made it just as
plain that they agreed with him.
The guy gave Dean a thorough once-over when he reached them and then looked
back at the guidance counselor, curious and smiling. “Whatcha need, Ms
Pillsbury?”
Pillsbury – Dean didn’t know he had missed that name – smiled warmly at Noah.
“Could you please take Dean to Glee when you go, Noah? He’s new and will be
taking the class for the rest of the year.”
Noah blinked and then grinned at Dean. “Hey, cool, man. We can always use
another guy.” He tilted his head slightly, giving Dean a measuring look. “Know
any instruments?”
Dean shrugged, not wanting to admit that he had been trying to teach himself to
play guitar. Pillsbury had said the guy was talented, and Dean hated looking
dumb. “Not really.”
Noah looked a little confused even though he was still grinning. “Do you sing,
then?”
“With the radio,” Dean said, trying to look bored. “I didn’t sign up for Glee,
Noah, I got stuck with it. I’d rather be in auto shop.”
“Schue’s gonna love that,” Noah said, snickering. “And call me Puck, everyone
does.”
Pillsbury’s lips twitched into a smile. “Why don’t you go introduce Dean to
everyone, Noah? You just have time to get to class before the bell.”
Noah – no, Puck; it fit him much better – grinned at her. “Yes ma’am. Have a
good day.” He nodded respectfully to Pillsbury and then put one hand on Dean’s
shoulder to give him a push down the hall, which was rapidly emptying out as
students disappeared into their classes. “C’mon man, it’s just down here,
around the corner. I thought Glee’d be kind of stupid when I first joined too,
but it’s really pretty cool.” He grinned at Dean. “We’re not all dweebs, and
Schue lets us play around with some kickass music.”
Dean snorted, letting Puck push him along as he grumbled, “Like what?”
“Schue lets us pick our music a lot of the time, so we’re always doing fun
shit. Me and the other guys did some stuff by Kiss a while back, and Friday
we’re all doing It Ain’t No Big Thingby Lita Ford at the assembly.” Puck moved
past Dean towards an open door, leading the way in as he said with a grin,
“Welcome to Glee, man.”
Dean followed Puck into the room and then stopped to look around. There was a
boy in a wheelchair that had a gothy Asian girl with hot pink streaks in her
long hair draped over his lap, and a couple of cheerleaders were in the back
giggling over a cell phone. A tall guy that reminded him of Sam somehow was
sitting at the piano with a pretty brunette in a fugly sweater next to him,
both reading a sheaf of sheet music. A skinny little guy in an outfit that
screamed that he had to be queer was talking earnestly to a curvy black girl
and the pregnant blonde that Puck had been talking to before, and half a dozen
kids were off to one side setting up instruments while an older guy spoke to
them quietly about something.
Dean figured the older guy that was talking to the band had to be the teacher,
Schuester, even though he didn’t really look the part. He wasn’t much more than
ten years older than the kids in the class, if that, and reminded Dean of one
of the hairdressers in the last Supercuts he’d gone to.
“Everybody,” Puck said, heading towards the blonde, “we’ve got a new guy. His
name’s Dean.”
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked over at Dean as Schuester
walked towards him. “Well, hello!” he said cheerfully, “I’m Will Schuester,
most of the kids call me Mr Schue.”
“Hey.” Dean looked around again, not making eye contact for more than an
instant with anyone, and then looked back at Schuester, offering the teacher
his schedule. “I’m gonna be up front with you, Mr Schue. I don’t wanna be
here.”
Schuester took the schedule anyway, obviously a little crestfallen. “Oh. Well,
hopefully we can change your mind about that.” He pulled a pen from his pocket
to sign the line on the schedule showing that Dean had met his teacher, and
then he handed the slip of paper back to Dean. “Do you sing or play anything?”
“I’ve messed with an acoustic guitar a few times, but I can’t really play,”
Dean said with a shrug like it didn’t matter. “I sing along with the radio in
my car, if that counts.”
Schuester brightened, pleased. “Great! We could use another guitarist. I’m sure
Puck would be glad to teach you how to play.” He looked expectantly at Puck,
who had taken a seat between the pregnant blonde and the queer kid.
Puck shrugged, looking amused. “Sure, if he wants to learn. We can do that
while everyone else works on the dance numbers we aren’t in.”
Dean blinked. “Whoa, wait a minute. We gotta dance too?”
Schuester grinned at Dean. “Unless you’re playing one of the instruments,
yeah.”
“I’ll play,” Dean said quickly. “Hell, I’ll even sing and play as long as I
don’t gotta dance. I make a cow on crutches look graceful.”
“Great!” Schuester said, smiling and still looking pleased even though half the
class was snickering.  “Why don’t you sing something for us now so we can get
an idea of what your range is?”
Dean made a face, blushing at the very idea as he tried to find a good reason
why he couldn’t. “I probably don’t know any of the sh—stuff y’all do.”
Schuester turned towards the chair by the piano, still grinning widely. “I bet
we can find something.” He looked at Puck. “What about the song you’ve been
working on, Puck?”
Puck jumped up and walked over to crouch by an open a guitar case that was
against the wall near the band, grinning. “Sure, if he knows it.” He looked at
Dean as he took a guitar out of the case and stood back up. “You like Kid
Rock?”
Dean wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Not enough to know any of his songs. I
don’t listen to the crap on pop stations.”
Puck shrugged into the strap on the acoustic guitar, blinking and looking a
little amused. “What do you like then?”
“Rock,” Dean said warily. “Older stuff though, mostly. Not much after ninety-
five.”
“Good music!”  Puck said quickly, brightening, then he thought about it a
moment before he asked, “You like Whitesnake?”
Dean snorted, surprised. “I’m breathing, ain’t I?”
Puck grinned. “How about Here I Go Again? It’s one of the first songs I learned
to play.”
Dean thought about it a moment and then sighed. “Yeah, sure, I guess.  I know
it, at least.”
“Don’t sound so thrilled, Dean,” Schuester said, looking amused. “Why don’t you
put your things down and then give it a try?”
Dean looked at Schuester and then shrugged out of the shoulder strap on his
bag, glancing around to find a seat. He walked over to drop his bag by an empty
chair a little away from the rest of the class, then took off his leather
jacket and laid it over the back of the chair. Puck started playing then,
picking out the familiar music, and Dean took a deep breath as he turned to
walk back towards Puck and the guitar. He would rather watch Puck play than
have to look at anyone else while he sang, and Puck seemed like a nice enough
guy that he wouldn’t mind.
The familiar song sounded pretty good on Puck’s acoustic guitar and Dean nodded
slightly with the beat as he watched Puck’s fingers dance over the strings, but
when the time came for Dean to start singing, he couldn’t make himself do it.
“C’mon man,” Puck murmured, giving Dean an encouraging smile. “It’s just like
singing with the radio. I’ll help you get it started.”
Dean nodded and Puck started again, then a few moments later Puck began to
sing. “I don't know where I'm going,” Puck sang, and Dean was surprised how
good the guy’s voice was as he went on, “but I sure know where I've been.”
Dean swallowed hard and then joined in quietly with Puck, still nodding
slightly to the beat of the song as he watched Puck’s fingers pick out the
tune. “Hanging on the promises in the songs of yesterday… And I've made up my
mind. … I ain't wasting no more time. …  Here I go again… Here I go again.”
Dean closed his eyes and began to sing a little louder as he started the next
verse with Puck and got more into the song, which was one of his favorites by
Whitesnake. “Though I keep searching for an answer, I never seem to find what
I'm looking for. Oh Lord, I pray you give me strength to carry on…. ‘Cause I
know what it means, to walk along the lonely street of dreams.”
Puck was grinning as the band joined in, and he stopped singing to let Dean go
on alone, which was really fitting for the song’s lyrics.
Dean was so into the song that he almost forgot he had an audience, singing the
familiar lyrics that had always seemed so relevant to his own life. “And here I
go again on my own, going down the only road I've ever known... Like a drifter
I was born to walk alone… And I've made up my mind, I ain't wasting no more
time.”
Dean took a deep breath during a pause between verses, his head moving slightly
with the music, and then picked up the next line. “I'm just another heart in
need of rescue, waiting on love's sweet charity. And I'm gonna hold on for the
rest of my days, ‘cause I know what it means to walk along the lonely street of
dreams. And here I go again on my own, going down the only road I've ever
known. Like a drifter I was born to walk alone.”
Dean finally opened his eyes again, and the wide grin on Puck’s face surprised
him a bit even as it made him grin back while Puck joined in again. “And I've
made up my mind. I ain't wasting no more time. But, here I go again.  Here I go
again.” Puck stopped playing then and the band followed his example, letting
the music trail off.
“Wow, guys!” Schuester said, grinning widely and applauding with the rest of
the class. “Great job, Dean! You’re really good!”
Dean blushed very red and ran one hand through his hair, absently noticing it
needed cut again as he looked down at the floor with a little smile. “I just
sing with the radio sometimes.”
Puck grinned and put the guitar aside, moving to sling one arm around Dean’s
shoulders and turn him towards the rest of the Glee club, who were all looking
surprised. “Take a bow, man, you so earned it.”
Dean elbowed Puck in the ribs, grinning at him and trying to ignore how hot his
face felt. “What about you?  I sang, sure, but you sang and played it, too.”
Puck smirked at Dean. “Yeah, but they all know I’m mad talented. You’re new,
you can milk this.”
Dean laughed at that, but before he could say anything Schuester started
talking, still grinning. “Take a seat guys, and we’ll get started on practicing
the new song for Friday’s performance.”
Puck let go of Dean without another word to go back to his seat between the
blonde and the queer kid, and Dean started towards where he had put his jacket
down, thinking that maybe the class wouldn’t be so bad after all.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean muttered under his breath about asshole teachers as he reached his locker,
not at all surprised that the halls were already deserted. His last class of
the day was Chemistry, and the teacher was a hippy dude with glasses and a
ponytail that seemed to think Dean needed to try harder. He had lectured Dean
for fifteen minutes about not paying attention in class, and Dean was more than
a little pissed by the time the guy finally let him go.
Dean had blown up whatever it was his lab partner was trying to make – he
didn’t really pay attention to what they were supposed to do once he realized
that he had the stuff on the table in front of him to make a sweet little bomb
– but it hadn’t been an accident, so he didn’t need the lecture. He could have
done whatever the boring old hippy was droning on about, he was sure, but
blowing shit up was always more fun than class work. That geek with the afro
that he was stuck partnered up with had screamed like a girl and panicked, and
it was hilarious.
The rest of the class had laughed too, including the Cheerio Dean had been
lusting after ever since he spotted her at lunch. She had smirked and looked at
him like she might like to make a meal out of him after she quit laughing at
that Jacob dude, so it had been worth the lecture. Dean figured he was stuck in
that hick town until school got out, after all, and that was weeks away.
Picking up a sexy cheerleader was just his idea of how to pass the time until
he and Sam moved on to the next town.
Dean took all of his books out of his bag except his math book, shoving them
into his locker before he slammed it shut. He didn’t bother with locking it
because there was nothing in there he wanted anyway, just homework he didn't
want to do and books he didn’t plan to use any more than he had to. He was only
doing the math because he had flunked Trig once already and he wanted to pass
this time so he wouldn’t ever have to take it again.
Dean turned away to start towards the parking lot and almost ran into Puck, and
Dean was a little surprised to see that Puck was wearing a letterman jacket
with a guitar case slung across his back. He had gotten the impression from
things he overheard that day that Puck was kind of a badass and a punk, even
though Pillsbury had said he played football, so he hadn’t expected to see the
guy had lettered in anything. Dean had never paid too much attention to it, but
he had the vague impression you had to play sports and have good grades to rate
a letterman jacket, and Puck just didn’t strike him as the kind to bother
making good grades.
“Hey man,” Puck said cheerfully. “You got any plans tonight?”
Dean gave Puck a surprised look as he slung his battered backpack over his
shoulder and started towards the parking lot. “Not really. Why?”
“Me and some of the others from Glee are gonna hang out at Kurt’s and work on
some stuff,” Puck said as he fell in beside Dean, smiling. “Quinn thought you
might wanna come, but she had to leave early today with Kurt so I got elected
to ask you.”
Dean dodged around two Cheerios who were standing by the door to the gym, not
even noticing the way they turned their heads to watch Dean and Puck pass by.
“And which ones are they again?” He was pretty sure Kurt was the gay kid, but
he wasn’t going to say that. During lunch Puck had seemed pretty friendly with
the group of girls that the gay kid sat with, teasing and flirting with all of
them.
“Quinn’s the blonde I was sitting by in Glee, and Kurt and Mercedes are her two
best friends,” Puck said. “They were all Cheerios, just not together.” Dean
must have looked as lost as he felt, because Puck explained, “Quinn was head
cheerleader until she got knocked up and got kicked off the team. Mercedes and
Kurt joined not long after that, but then Mercedes quit just before the
Regional because she didn’t like being a Cheerio. Kurt is still a Cheerio, but
he’s only staying because Sylvester threatened his life if he didn’t. Kurt’s
the only singer she’s got now and she has her heart set on doing a musical
number at Nationals.” He paused and then added, “Oh, and Finn and Rachel will
be joining us tonight after they finish their homework. Brittany might show
too, if she can find Kurt’s house again. If she does, Santana will come too,
they’re usually together.”
Dean snickered, more than a little surprised that guys like Finn and Puck would
be caught dead at a queer guy’s house but trying not to let it show. “Brittany
must be the tall blonde cheerleader.” He knew who Finn and Rachel were. The
annoyingly perky little diva had cornered him after Glee to order him to find a
song they could do as a duet because she thought his voice would work well with
hers. He wasn’t planning to do it, but it had been kind of nice that the girl
thought he could sing well enough she wanted him to sing with her. Rachel was
obviously very into the whole music thing.
Puck grinned at him as they walked outside. “Yeah, that’s her. Brit’s no
genius, but she’s a lot of fun and she can dance better than most of the
others.” He paused slightly and then added, “Most of us in Glee kind of stick
together, and Quinn and Kurt decided we should help you get settled in, so
Quinn dragged the rest of us on the bandwagon.” He grinned. “Plus Kurt’s dad is
always up for buying us dinner and all the cokes we can drink, so you’ll get
free pizza out of it.”
Dean walked quickly towards where he had parked the Impala, pleased to see that
Sam was sitting on the hood with his nose in a book, waiting patiently for him.
Sam was used to Dean getting detention and had spent a lot of time on that hood
after school, reading while he waited for Dean to show up. “Sounds like fun,
man, but I can’t.” He nodded towards the Impala and then looked at Puck,
smiling crookedly. “I gotta keep an eye on my kid brother, make sure he stays
out of trouble.”
The part about free pizza sounded especially good, though Dean wasn’t going to
say that out loud. He had exactly two hundred and nine dollars in his wallet
and no clue when or if Dad would drop by to give him more. Dad liked them to
stay in the boonies, which Dean agreed with mostly even though the quickest
ways Dean could make a lot of money in a hurry would get him arrested in small-
town America. Living in small towns used to mean that Dean and Sam barely
scraped by, surviving on the cheapest food Dean could find or even what Dean
could hunt when they were particularly hungry, but once Dean could drive
everything had changed. He and Sam didn’t live on Spaghettios, rabbits, and
ramen noodles anymore, and never would again.
Dean figured he’d be driving into Dayton on Friday or Saturday to go hustle
enough for them to live on a few more weeks. He hoped he could find a pool hall
where he could make some cash by winning a few games, but if that didn’t work
there were other ways to get what he needed. He wasn’t going to let Sam half-
starve waiting for Dad to come back like they had done before Dean was old
enough to drive as far as he had to in order to find a corner he could work
without seeing anyone who might know him.
Puck followed Dean’s gaze to the Impala and the skinny kid sitting on the hood,
then grinned at Dean. “Hell, bring the kid along. He can do his homework and
eat pizza while you hang out with us.”
“Nobody would mind?” Dean asked, surprised.
“Nah,” Puck said as they stopped near the Impala, cheerful. “I bring my baby
sister sometimes when mom’s on duty at the hospital. Nobody’ll care.”
Sam looked up at them, frowning. “Dean, I have homework. We are not gonna go
goof off with some jock and his friends.”
Dean snorted and reached out to ruffle Sam’s shaggy hair, thoroughly messing it
up. “I ain’t turning down free pizza just so you can ignore me all afternoon,
princess. You can do your homework anywhere.”
Sam scowled and slid off the Impala’s hood, grabbing his backpack off the
ground and then heading for the passenger side door. “You’re such a jerk,
Dean.”
“Eh, quit your bitchin’,” Dean replied, not at all put off by Sam’s attitude.
He looked at Puck, adding, “You ridin’ with us, or am I following you?”
Puck grinned. “You can follow me. I’m not leaving my truck. Some asshole might
breathe on it wrong.”
Dean snickered and turned to start towards the driver’s side door of the
Impala. “Well then get it in gear, man. I’m hungry.”
“I’m already gone,” Puck said with a laugh, heading at a trot towards a pickup
parked in the shade at the far side of the lot. Puck’s pickup was a dark green
Ranger that looked like it was about ten years old but was in good shape and
had obviously been waxed recently. Dean liked what that said about Puck,
grinning as he turned towards his Impala. Anyone who took good care of his
wheels was Dean’s kind of guy.
Dean got in the Impala and started her up, leaning to unlock the door for Sam
and then turning on the stereo before he pushed in the cassette he had listened
to on the way to school that morning. It started playing the dead air at the
end of one side of the cassette, but he didn’t bother switching sides, sure it
would flip over on its own in a minute or two. He glanced to be sure Sam was in
and settled, then turned to look behind the car as he started backing out,
keeping one eye on Puck’s truck. “I know you don’t wanna go, Sam, but they’re
buyin’ dinner. You like pizza just as much as I do.”
Sam scowled, arms folded across his chest as he complained, “But I don’t want
to be stuck with a bunch of jocks all afternoon, Dean. They’re gonna be mean to
me as soon as you turn your back, your friends always are.” Dean’s friends were
never mean to Sam in front of Dean, of course. Dean would kick the ass of
anyone who picked on his baby brother while he was around.
“We’re not gonna be hanging out with a bunch of jocks this time, Sammy. These
kids are different,” Dean said as he turned forward again, putting the car into
drive and starting after Puck’s pickup. “Trust me, baby bro. If I’m wrong,
we’ll leave as soon as we eat, okay?”
Sam sighed. “Alright, I guess. If they are mean I’m going back to the car,
though.”
“Sure, kid,” Dean agreed, and then the familiar opening notes of Highway to
Hell began playing. He grinned as he reached to jack the volume, singing along
when the lyrics began even though he couldn’t hear himself at all over the loud
music. “Livin' easy, lovin' free, season ticket on a one-way ride. Askin'
nothin', leave me be, takin' everything in my stride. Don’t need reason, don’t
need rhyme, there ain’t nothin’ that I’d rather do. Goin’ down, party time, my
friends are gonna be there, too…”
Sam rolled his eyes and dug out his book to start reading again, not even
bothering to complain about how loud the music was. It wouldn’t do him any
good, especially since Dean knew Sam kind of liked when Dean sang along. Dean
only did that when he was happy, and he hadn’t been happy in a long time so he
knew Sam would tolerate it.
 
***** TWO *****
 
 
Dean and Sam were just getting out of the Impala in front of what Dean figured
must be Kurt’s house when a really nice Navigator pulled into the driveway and
parked.
Puck, who had parked on the grass by the driveway after he waved for Dean to
park on the street, slung his guitar on his back as he trotted around the Dodge
Ram he had parked next to and then moved around the Navigator to open the
Navigator’s passenger door with a smile. The pregnant blonde, Quinn, smiled
wanly at Puck and let him help her out of the car, then turned back to
carefully lean in and get her purse.
Puck looked over the hood of the Navigator at Kurt, who was walking around the
front of the vehicle. “How’d it go?”
“Everything’s fine,” Kurt said, smiling and looking pleased as he started
towards the front steps of the house. He turned the smile on Dean and Sam,
adding, “I’m glad you decided to come, Dean. We can use your help on the song
we’re doing Friday.”
“Anytime,” Dean said as he and Sam got close to Quinn and Puck, trying to
ignore the confused looks Sam was giving him.
Quinn finally got her purse and then when she turned away from the Navigator
she punched Puck in the stomach, scowling at him despite the amusement in her
pretty brown eyes. “You could ask me what the doctor said. It’s my baby.”
Puck just grinned and watched as she started after Kurt. He hadn’t even
flinched at the punch, and he obviously wasn’t afraid of the girl. “Yeah, but
you might not tell me. Hummel’s too scared of me not to answer.”
Kurt snorted, giving Puck a sidelong look. “Oh please. You don’t scare me
anymore, Noah. You’re all bark and no bite.”
Puck laughed, eyebrows going up as he shut the door of the SUV and started
after Quinn. “I can still throw you in a dumpster without help, Hummel,” he
threatened teasingly. “I haven’t forgotten how.”
Kurt opened the door to the house and smirked at Puck over his shoulder. “If
you do, you can just start asking Quinn when you want to know how your daughter
is doing.”
Dean blinked, eyebrows going up as he heard Sam mutter, “Whoa.”
Kurt breezed into the house and Quinn followed him, giggling as she added, “And
I won’t talk to you for a month if you start picking on Kurt again, so you
might not even get to meet her.”
Puck pouted and headed after them. “No fair! That’s hittin’ below the belt!”
Dean chuckled and scratched at the back of his head as he followed Puck inside,
carefully not looking at Sam. He didn’t really want to know what Sam thought of
Puck, Kurt, and Quinn or the fact Dean was there to sing with them. He was sure
Sam would be teasing him about the whole situation for weeks, but he kind of
liked the kids he had met in Glee that morning. He hadn’t had a chance to talk
to them much, but he had listened to them while they talked in his other
classes the rest of the day – someone in Glee had made a point of offering him
a seat by them in every one of his classes except Chemistry – and it was kind
of nice to hang around people who didn’t expect much of him.
Dean was a year or three older than everyone in Glee, even Puck, Mike, and
Santana, who were the oldest in the class until he joined, but he felt like the
difference in age was a lot more drastic than it really was. Sometimes it felt
like he’d been in high school for the last thirty years, but there wasn’t much
he could do about it. He had flunked out three times because of the way Dad
dragged them all over the country, and sometimes it really sucked being nearly
twenty and still a junior. He had a feeling Puck had probably failed once or
twice too, especially after he overheard someone say admiringly that Puck had
skipped math class for most of the last two years, which was probably why he
had immediately liked the guy. Dean didn’t often meet someone he had anything
in common with, but he hated math almost as much as he hated Spaghettios.
Dean looked around as he stepped into Kurt’s house, moving aside to let Sam
follow him in and then shutting the door. The Hummels were obviously well-off,
but the house wasn’t really fancy at all, except for the huge entertainment
center that dominated the living room. The room had a homey, relaxed feel that
Dean immediately liked, and the guy sprawled in a recliner with a beer in one
hand in front of the big flat-screen television reminded Dean a lot of Bobby.
He wore a flannel shirt over a t-shirt with worn grease-stained jeans and work
boots that had obviously seen a lot of hard use, and had a Hummel’s Tire &
Lubebaseball cap on even though he was in the house.
The guy in the recliner smiled slightly at Kurt. “Going down to practice a
while?”
Kurt nodded, smiling as he walked over to the recliner and bent to kiss the
guy’s cheek. “Yeah, Dad, we are. Mercedes will be here later, could you send
her down?”
“Sure,” Kurt’s dad said with a nod. “Let me know when you want me to order
pizza.”
“I will,” Kurt said cheerfully as he took his dad’s hat, making the man blush
and rub one hand self-consciously over his bald head. Kurt tossed the hat on
the coffee table and headed for the kitchen as he added, “Stop wearing your hat
in the house.”
“Yeah, yeah, I hear you.” Kurt’s dad looked kind of embarrassed as he went back
to watching some fishing show, but he didn’t make any effort to get his hat
back as everyone followed Kurt into the kitchen.
Kurt moved to the fridge as he glanced at Quinn, smiling. “Go on down and
relax, sweetie. I’ll be there in a minute with something to drink.”
Quinn smiled at Kurt and led the way down the stairs into the basement, which
seemed to be Kurt’s room. She braced one hand at the small of her back after
only a few steps, letting her purse hang from her other wrist as she used that
hand to hold on to the railing. She had started down the stairs fairly quickly
but she moved gradually slower with each step, and before long she had such a
white-knuckled grip on the railing that Dean had a strong suspicion it was the
only thing keeping her upright.
Puck stayed right behind Quinn, sneaking concerned looks at her and staying
close but not trying to help her even though he obviously wanted to, and Dean
trailed along behind them with Sam as he wondered what the story there was.
Kurt had said that Quinn’s baby was also Puck’s, but Dean hadn’t gotten the
feeling that the two were a couple. Puck treated her like she was his favorite
sister or something, not like he wanted to jump her bones, which had already
made Dean more than a little curious about Puck. Quinn was evidently very
pregnant with Puck’s kid, sure, but Dean had noticed a few things that made him
think that Puck might be batting mostly for the other team.
Dean looked around Kurt’s room interestedly when Quinn flipped the light on as
she finally reached the bottom of the stairs, and he decided almost immediately
that even if Kurt wasn’t very out a look at the room would have been enough to
tell him that the kid was queer. The room looked like something out of a fancy
magazine, done all in silvery-grey, white, and black with subtle accents of
pale purple in the bedspread and the beaded curtains, and everything had an
understated kind of modernistic elegance that made Dean feel like he’d better
be careful or he might break something.
There was more furniture than Dean would have expected in someone’s bedroom,
including a small couch, an artsy-looking hanging chair, two comfortable-
looking armchairs, a dressing table with a lighted mirror, and a queen-sized
bed. There was a small desk on wheels near the bed that held a laptop and a
small printer along with an assortment of charging cables that were piled
neatly on a lower shelf by an empty surge protector. An entertainment center
was along one wall with a nice stereo and a few hundred CDs neatly shelved
beside a flat screen television. A rack of DVDs was below the television, and
Dean figured that the cabinet over the TV must hold a DVD player. A few white
leather beanbag chairs were piled by the closet, and there were folding chairs
against the wall next to them as if Kurt sometimes had a lot of people over.
Sam took one look around and went to get a beanbag chair, then moved it into a
corner opposite the stairs where he would be out of the way while he did his
homework. He pulled out his book and started reading again, tuning everyone
else out.
Dean gave Sam an amused look, walking over to check out the CDs and pretending
not to watch Quinn out of the corner of his eye.
Quinn walked slowly over to the bed and then carefully sat down and started to
scoot back onto it, but she was obviously struggling and she didn’t make it
very far before she gave up and flopped back on the bed, glaring up at the
ceiling. Her feet were still hanging almost to the floor as she said to no one
in particular, “Sometimes being pregnant really sucks.”
Puck put down his guitar by the couch and then tossed his jacket in a chair
before he walked over to stand close to Quinn’s knees. “You gonna take my head
off if I try to help?”
Quinn turned her dirty look on Puck, staring up at him for a moment before she
suddenly sighed and seemed to relax. “Not right now. I’m too tired to bother.”
“Okay.” Puck kicked off his shoes and stepped up onto the bed, falling to his
knees next to Quinn and then scooping her up in his arms to move her all the
way onto the bed. He helped her get settled against the headboard, shifting the
pillows until she seemed comfortable, and then he crawled down the bed to sit
and pull her feet into his lap. He untied her shoes and then tossed them in the
floor one by one as he said gently, “Just relax, momma. Nobody else will be
here for a while.” He glanced at her face, smiling impishly as he started to
massage one of her swollen feet. “I don’t need to practice, and Kurt watched me
doing it the other day so he probably knows the routine and the song almost as
well as I do. Dean doesn’t want to dance at all, so we’ve got time for you to
nap a bit.”
Quinn watched Puck rub her foot, looking tired. “I don’t know why you’re being
so nice to me.”
“’Cause you’re letting me,” Puck replied immediately, still smiling. “It’s my
fault you’re so miserable.”
“I was there too,” Quinn protested half-heartedly. “I could have told you no.”
Puck smirked, smug as he gave her a smoldering look that Dean was sure had
girls – and probably a few of the guys – all over town creaming their
underwear. “Nobody in this hick town can tell the Puckasaurus no.”
“Except me,” Kurt said, breezing down the stairs with a tray of several kinds
of canned soft drinks.
Puck looked over at Kurt, laughing and obviously surprised. “You don’t count,
Hummel. I don’t want to talk you out of your panties.”
Kurt smirked, walking over to the bed to offer the tray to Quinn for her to
pick a drink as Kurt gave Puck a look that made Dean wonder again what was
going on there. “You keep telling yourself that just as long as you need to,
Noah.”
Quinn giggled at the look on Puck’s face and took a Sprite off the tray before
she poked Puck with her toe. “Less staring at Kurt and more rubbing my feet.”
Puck snorted and looked back down at Quinn’s feet as he grumbled, “I oughta
kick your ass, Hummel. Remind you who’s the boss around here.”
“We both know that’s not what you’d like to do to an ass as perfect as mine,”
Kurt said with a smirk, turning away from Puck to walk towards Dean with the
tray of drinks. “And I know who your boss is at the moment. You’re rubbing her
feet.”
Dean glanced at Puck over Kurt’s shoulder as he took a cold root beer off the
tray, watching Puck turn his head towards Kurt, and then Dean smirked, amused.
Puck was definitely checking out Kurt’s ass again, and going by the look in his
eyes Puck liked what he saw. Dean had caught Puck eyeing Kurt several times
that day, and he was pretty sure that Puck had a thing for the younger boy, no
matter what Puck might say whenever someone teased him about looking.
Kurt turned to go put the tray of drinks on the coffee table, and then Puck
finally noticed Dean’s smirk.
Puck blushed as he quickly looked down again, massaging Quinn’s feet and
pretending not to hear the giggles Quinn was trying to stifle. “You find
anything worth listening to over there?”
Dean looked back at the CDs, still smirking. “Not yet. I never heard of any of
these people.”
Kurt sniffed, looking amused as he walked back over to Dean and pointed at one
end of the lowest shelf of CDs. “Rock is down there, Dean.”
Dean gave Kurt a sheepish grin. “Thanks.” He crouched down to look at the cases
and then a moment later he grabbed one, reading the back and then looking up at
Kurt, surprised and pleased. “You don’t really seem like the Queensryche type.”
Kurt smiled, looking just a bit sad. “My mother used to sing Silent Lucidityto
me as a lullabye.” He paused and then added, “She died a long time ago.”
Dean looked down to put the CD back, his grin fading away as he murmured, “Mine
too.” He didn’t say anything else and after a moment Kurt patted his shoulder
and then walked over to the tray of drinks again, looking over at Sam as if he
had just noticed him there.
“Would you like a drink?” Kurt paused and then added with a smile, “I saw you
in a few of my classes today, but I don’t think anyone introduced us. My name
is Kurt, and you would be…?”
Sam looked up from his book, smiling slightly. “I’m Sam, Dean’s brother.” He
looked at the tray of drinks and then added, “A Dr Pepper, please?”
Kurt took a can of Dr. Pepper off the tray and carried it over to Sam. “You’re
welcome to use the kitchen table if you’d rather not listen to us practice,
Sam. My dad won’t mind.”
“Practice what?” Sam asked brightly, taking the Dr. Pepper and opening it to
take a sip.
Kurt blinked and then looked over at Dean with a laugh. “Dean, didn’t you even
tell him why he’s here?”
Dean looked up from checking the track list on rock ballads of the eighties
collection, shrugging as he gave Kurt a crooked grin. “He didn’t ask.”
Kurt rolled his eyes and muttered half to himself, “Boys.” He looked back down
at Sam, amused. “Dean just joined our Glee club, and we’re going to practice as
soon as the others arrive.”
Sam blinked and then grinned slowly, looking over at Dean. “Glee club? What’s
her name, Dean?”
Kurt and Puck both laughed at that while Quinn giggled.
Dean scowled at his little brother and stood up empty-handed, giving up on
finding any music he wanted to hear in Kurt’s collection. It was all soft rock
and more recent stuff without a whole lot to redeem it as far as Dean was
concerned, and it really wasn’t Dean’s speed. “I didn’t get a choice! It was
the only second period class left open.”
“Likely story,” Sam said, grinning as he shoved his book back into his backpack
and then stood with the Dr. Pepper and his bag. “I will go use the table
though, thanks, Kurt. I have to listen to Dean sing more than enough in the
car.”
Kurt’s lips twitched. “You say that as if he can’t sing.”
“He can,” Sam said as he headed for the stairs, “he just doesn’t usually bother
to try.”
 
                                      ~*~
 
When Kurt suggested that Puck teach Dean a few chords on the guitar while they
waited for the others, Dean and Puck both agreed readily enough. Puck was
obviously bored and glad to have anything to do besides rubbing Quinn’s feet
while she dozed off. Dean agreed because he liked listening to music and wanted
to learn to play, and he figured that would have to be easier with someone who
actually could play showing him how. He sure hadn’t made much progress on his
own.
Dean sat on the couch while Kurt curled up in the chair where Puck had dropped
his letterman jacket, and then Puck handed Dean his guitar and sat down on the
couch by him, putting his shoes back on as he started asking Dean questions.
Most of them just got a blank look – Dean didn’t know a damned thing about
music except what he liked – so Puck ended up doing a lot of explaining, but
Puck didn’t seem to mind.  Before long Dean was starting to actually make
recognizable notes on the guitar, and Puck was looking pleased.
They kept working at it for most of an hour before Mercedes breezed down the
stairs, slowing once she got into Kurt’s room and then stopping by the couch to
stare at Dean and Puck.
Dean glanced up at Mercedes after a moment and then flushed at the look on her
face as he realized suddenly just how close he and Puck were. Dean didn’t quite
know when or how it had happened, but somehow he had ended up sitting on the
edge of the couch with Puck leaning in very close behind him with his chin
resting on Dean’s shoulder. Puck had one calloused hand covering Dean’s left
hand on the neck of the guitar to correct his fingering, and Puck’s right hand
was resting on Dean’s other side just above the waist of his jeans.
Dean looked at Puck, feeling like his face was on fire, and was a bit surprised
to see Puck seemed confused as he quickly pulled away and moved to the other
end of the couch.
Kurt had been watching them from the nearby chair, and he pouted at Mercedes as
he complained, “Why did you go and make them stop? I was enjoying that.”
Puck leaned suddenly to get a Dr Pepper from the tray of drinks on the coffee
table, beet red and still looking confused as he stared at the can like it was
the most important thing in the world.
Mercedes stared at Puck a moment longer, watching him gulp down half of the can
before she turned to Kurt finally. “I must have missed a memo somewhere.”
Kurt blinked innocently up at her, blue eyes wide and guileless. “Memo?”
Mercedes frowned at Kurt, then looked at Dean and then at Puck, and then back
at Kurt. “I think so, yeah.”
“There wasn’t a memo,” Quinn said quietly, making everyone look at her. She
looked sleepy but amused as she added, “Puck was just teaching Dean to play
Stairway To Heaven on his Gibson.”
Dean shot Quinn a wide-eyed look, blushing even redder. He knew that the guitar
he held was a Gibson guitar, but that didn’t keep what Quinn had said from
sounding very dirty to him, and a glance at the others told him he wasn’t the
only one.
Mercedes was staring at Puck, wide-eyed again while Kurt bit his lip to stifle
a giggle, but didn’t quite succeed.
Puck looked kind of hunted as he suddenly jumped up off the couch, not looking
at anyone. “Where’s my jacket?”
Kurt immediately looked sorry, but he made no move to offer Puck the coat that
he was leaning back against.
Quinn sat up on the bed, one hand cradling her belly. “Don’t go, Puck,” she
said quickly, looking sheepish. “We’ll stop teasing you, I promise.”
Puck looked at Quinn, carefully ignoring the others in the room. “I think I’m
gonna go anyway. I—” He shook his head and then turned towards the door,
finally spotting his jacket behind Kurt. “Yeah, I should go.”
“It’s not like you were doing anything,” Mercedes said as she moved into Puck’s
path so he couldn’t get to Kurt’s chair to take the jacket. “You’re freaking
out like you got caught with your tongue down his throat or something.”
Puck scowled at Mercedes, looking just a little scary as the muscles in his
shoulders and arms flexed. “I’m not gay.”
Kurt rolled his eyes and stood up, picking up Puck’s jacket to throw it at him.
“You’re being stupid, Noah.”
Puck’s scowl shifted into a glare as he caught the jacket, stepping quickly
around Mercedes towards Kurt to loom over him threateningly. “What did you just
say to me, Hummel?”
“I said you’re being stupid,” Kurt repeated firmly as he stared into Puck’s
eyes with no trace of fear, and Dean was surprised to realize Kurt was almost
as tall as Puck. Kurt was built like he’d blow away in a good wind, easily as
delicate as a girl, but he wasn’t really as tiny as Dean had thought he was. It
took a minute for it to dawn on him that Kurt was wearing boots that made him
look taller than he really was, and by then Kurt was speaking again. “It’s not
like you’re the only one in the room that’s bisexual.”
Dean flushed very red again and looked down at the guitar he was holding, sure
that Kurt was talking about him, but after only a moment he looked back up at
Puck to see what he’d do next. The guy seemed really nice, but he was strong as
an ox and Dean was sure Puck could be hell on wheels in a fight if he wanted
to. If Puck got pissed enough to hit someone, Dean would have to do something
about it. Kurt was a lightweight and the other two were girls, and Dean
wouldn’t sit there and let Puck hit any of them even if they did kind of
deserve it for provoking him. The guy obviously wasn’t ready to admit to anyone
that he was into guys – maybe hadn’t even admitted it to himself – and throwing
it in his face like they were doing was just asking for trouble.
Puck’s eyes went wide as he stared at Kurt, shock making him forget to deny it.
“I’m not?”
Kurt snorted. “No, you idiot, you’re not.”
Puck looked at Mercedes and then at Quinn before he finally looked at Dean, who
was still very red-faced and looked away, unable to meet Puck’s shocked gaze.
“Oh!” Mercedes said suddenly, sounding surprised.
Kurt stared at Dean, also surprised as he asked, “Dean, are you bi?”
Dean looked back up at Kurt, embarrassed and fighting the sudden urge to run as
he wondered if maybe this one time he could be honest, since they obviously had
seen it already anyway. Kurt was surprised that Dean was bi, so that meant one
of the girls must be. If Kurt andthe girl – Dean was betting on Quinn, she
looked like the adventurous type to him – could get away with being less than
straight in Lima, maybe Dean could too, if he was careful. If he was ever going
to be able to tell anyone, these four kids were probably as good a choice as
any. They got along pretty well with Kurt, after all, and the kid was as queer
as a square wheel.
After a minute or so Dean made his decision and looked at the stairs to be sure
the door at the top was still closed, then he looked back at Kurt and admitted
quietly, “Maybe. Sometimes.”
“Dude,” Puck said, staring at Dean. “I never would have pegged you for a fag.”
Dean bristled, giving Puck a glare. “Hey man, you’re the one who was all over
me a minute ago, so you ain’t got no fuckin’ room to call anyone a fag.”
Puck glared right back at Dean, but after a moment he flushed and looked away,
the glare fading into a confused look. “Sorry, man. I just— I’m not. Okay?”
Dean snorted. “I stopped lying to myself a long time ago, Puck, but you tell
yourself whatever gets you through the day.” He shrugged out of the strap on
Puck’s guitar and moved to put it away, wondering if he had just made the
biggest mistake of his life.
Quinn spoke up suddenly then, annoyed. “Noah Puckerman, you had better not be
hinting that being bi is wrong, or I’m going to have to hurt you.”
Everyone looked at her in surprise as Puck said quickly, “Why do you care?”
“Because I’ve known I was bi a lot longer than you have,” Quinn said heatedly,
“and I’ve seen you drooling when Santana and Brit were getting friendly, too,
so don’t try to tell me you think it’s wrong.”
Puck flushed. “That’s different! You’re girls, it’s hot.”
Quinn blinked and then just laughed.
“Bi is bi,” Mercedes spoke up, grinning. “And I hate to be the one to tell you
this, white boy, but it’s hot when two guys are getting freaky, too.” She
looked at Kurt, her smirk turning wicked. “Just ask Kurt if he was enjoying
watching you with Dean.”
They all looked at Kurt, who blushed, his chin lifting as he met Puck’s gaze
fearlessly. “I’m not ashamed of it. You were being sweet and you’re both very
nice to look at. And that’s all the ego stroking either of you is getting from
me.” He started around the couch past Dean, adding, “I’m going to go order
pizza and call Finn to see when he and Rachel will be here so we can get
started on actually practicing.”
“Kurt, wait,” Dean said quickly, reaching out to grab Kurt’s arm.
Kurt glanced warily down at Dean’s hand on his arm and then looked
questioningly at Dean. “Yes?”
Dean let go of Kurt, flushing again at the feel of everyone staring at him as
he blurted, “Don’t say anything around Sammy. About me, I mean.” He swallowed
hard, trying to force back the panic that the very idea of Sam knowing he liked
guys inspired, and then he added more quietly, “He can’t know. He’d tell my
dad, and Dad would kill me.” Dean tried not to think too much about how literal
that was. He was pretty sure that he’d wind up in an unmarked grave somewhere
if his dad found out Dean liked to take it up the ass sometimes.
Kurt gave Dean a sympathetic little smile and reached out to rest his hand on
Dean’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “We won’t tell anyone, Dean.” He looked
at Puck, daring him with his eyes as he said firmly, “Right?”
Puck met Kurt’s gaze for only a moment before he looked away. “I won’t talk as
long as nobody starts telling people I’m a fag.”
Mercedes gave Puck a shove. “Stop using that word! It’s mean and hurtful and
you oughta know better by now, Puck. I swear, boy! Sometimes I wonder why I
ever let you date me.”
Puck looked at Mercedes, and after a moment a tiny little wry smile appeared on
his face. “Because I didn’t give you a choice?”
“Oh, I had a choice,” Mercedes said, looking at Puck like she might deck him.
“I could have kicked your pitiful ass instead of agreeing to let you follow me
around like a lost puppy for a week.”
Quinn giggled at the look on Puck’s face. “You so could have, Mercedes. Puck
won’t ever hit a girl.”
“I can’t help it I was raised to be a gentleman,” Puck said defensively,
looking over at Quinn. “A guy is supposed to take care of girls, not fight with
them.”
Quinn smirked at Puck. “Then try pretending Kurt’s a girl, Noah. I think
everyone would be happier, especially him.”
“Quinn!” Kurt exclaimed, shocked.
Puck stared at Quinn for a second before he looked at Kurt, surprise and a hint
of pleased speculation in his eyes. “You would, huh?”
Kurt looked at Puck, flustered and beet red. “I—“ He broke off, staring into
Puck’s eyes, and then suddenly turned away to head for the stairs again. “I’m
going to go order pizza and pretend one of my best friends didn’t just tell you
that I want you to—“ He broke off, unable to say it, then said quickly, “You
four just talk amongst yourselves.”
Everyone was silent while they watched Kurt go, and then when the door to the
kitchen closed Puck looked back at Quinn. “Seriously?”
Quinn rolled her eyes. “Yes, seriously. God!” She scooted to the edge of the
bed and then awkwardly pushed herself to her feet, wobbling slightly before she
started around the bed towards the bathroom. “He’s had a crush on you ever
since you started being so nice to him.”
“I couldn’t be mean to him anymore,” Puck said kind of absently, looking
confused. “He’s your friend.” He paused, and then amended, “Well, our friend.
He kind of grows on you. Like a fungus.”
Quinn stopped at the bathroom door to give Puck an amused smile. “He says the
same thing about you.” She disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door
behind her.
“Huh,” Puck said to nobody in particular, then he looked at Dean and Mercedes
before he reluctantly sat in the chair where Kurt had been. “What about you,
Aretha? Are you gonna start spreading rumors?”
Mercedes snorted. “Unlike you, I can keep a secret.”
“Oh right,” Puck said, rolling his eyes. “Like you kept it a secret when I told
you Quinn’s baby is mine.”
“You and I both know that secret was never one you wanted to be kept. That’s
why you told me,” Mercedes pointed out, amused. She moved to sit on the couch
by Dean, turning sideways to face him as she said cheerfully, “Now dish, before
the others get here. I know Puck’s been eyeing my boy’s pert little ass for a
while now, but how did a guy like you end up being bi? I saw you sweet-talking
Santana in Chemistry and she was all over that. I was sure you were straight as
a pole until I saw you letting Puck put the moves on you.”
Dean blinked, surprised and blushing even though he was amused by her
brazenness. “Just lucky, I guess.”
Puck snorted and muttered, “Unlucky, you mean.” He gave Mercedes a dirty look.
“And I wasn’t putting the moves on him, I was teaching him to play the guitar!”
Dean looked over at Puck, thinking about it a moment as his smile widened into
something just a little wicked. “I wouldn’t say unlucky, man,” he said finally.
“Being with a guy’s even more fun than bein’ with a girl, if you do it right.”
Puck gave Dean a skeptical look. “There’s no way.”
Dean smirked and settled back into the couch in a comfortable sprawl, kind of
shocked at himself even as he said, “Somethin’ tells me I’m the only one you
know who’s been there and done that, so you’ll have to forgive me for not
agreeing with you.”
Mercedes leaned closer to Dean, eyes wide as she grinned at him. “What was it
like?”
Dean looked at her and then let out a little laugh and shook his head, leaning
to pick up his half-empty root beer. “Nah, you don’t wanna know, girl. You’d
just get jealous.”
Quinn came out of the bathroom then, looking wide-awake and cheerful. “Jealous
of what?”
Mercedes grinned at Quinn, glancing to check the stairs before she said,
“Dean’s done another guy before, but he doesn’t want to tell us about it.”
Quinn moved over to Puck and sat in his lap like she owned it, smirking at
Dean. “Oh yeah?”
Puck didn’t seem to mind Quinn inviting herself into his lap, but Dean noticed
that Puck didn’t try to grope Quinn or glance into her low-necked blouse,
instead just resting his hands on her hip and knee.
Dean took another sip of his root beer and then smirked at Quinn. “Does anyone
else know how kinky you are, Quinn?”
“It’s not kinky for girls to like the idea of two guys together,” Quinn
responded immediately, smirking. “Guys like watching two girls and everyone
thinks that’s normal.”
Dean laughed and looked at Puck, who seemed lost somewhere between amused and
confused. “Should I be afraid they’re gonna try to get me to make out with a
guy so they can watch?”
Dean wasn’t about to admit it, but Puck was the only guy Dean had met yet in
Lima that he might consider making out with, if the mood was exactly right.
Kurt was pretty but Dean was very conscious of the fact Kurt was barely a year
older than Sam, besides the fact Dean was sure Kurt was a virgin and a little
bit hung up on Puck. Touching Kurt would be poaching as far as Dean was
concerned, even if Puck didn’t feel that way about it yet. Puck was different
because he already got laid whenever he felt like it, and Dean figured that
Kurt would probably be the one to benefit from it eventually if Dean and Puck
did anything. Puck was experienced enough with women to know what he was doing
from what Dean had heard that day, and he was seventeen so Dean wouldn’t feel
like he was taking advantage of a kid.
“Sounds like it,” Puck said, and then looked at Quinn as he seemed to realize
what he had said, adding firmly, “But you can just forget me kissing a guy for
you. That is so not happening.”
“Not even Kurt?” Quinn asked as she ran a fingertip over Puck’s nipple,
smirking. “I know you want—“
Puck’s eyes widened and he looked a little bit panicked as he cut her off. “You
promised not to talk about that.”
Quinn smirked at Puck a moment longer and then looked over at Dean. “So, which
do you prefer, top or bottom? Or do you?”
Dean laughed slightly and ran his free hand through his hair, blushing and not
looking at anyone as he admitted, “I like all the cookies in the box.”
Puck stared at him. “Seriously, dude?”
Dean looked at Puck, still blushing. “Yeah. I mean, it’s not like doing a guy’s
all that different from a girl if you know what you’re doing.” He paused and
then decided he should say just a bit more in the interests of honesty, adding,
“Well, if you do it that way with girls.”
Mercedes made a face. “Eww. I heard some guys like doing that. That’s nasty.”
Dean snickered. “It’s the other way around from what I’ve seen.”
“Lots of girls think using the back door means they’re still a virgin,” Puck
agreed, making Quinn turn her head to stare at him. He flushed. “What?!  It’s
true! Santana used to—“
Quinn punched Puck in the chest hard enough to make him grunt in surprise and a
little pain as she said firmly, “She would so kill you if she knew you just
told anyone that.” She was wide-eyed and looked kind of annoyed as she added,
“Even me! And I don’t want to know any more about what you two have done, so
shut up!”
Puck let out a little laugh and rubbed his chest with one hand. “Okay, damn!”
The door at the top of the stairs opened and Kurt stepped through, closing it
behind him before he walked quickly down the stairs. “Rachel and Finn aren’t
going to practice today.” He rolled his eyes, looking annoyed and exasperated.
“Rachel decided she just had to see 'Westside Story' again right now, and she’s
bribed Finn to stay to sing along with her.”
“So no one else is coming?” Mercedes asked quickly, grinning.
“No, though I haven’t a clue why you’re so happy about it,” Kurt said sharply,
moving to sit on the arm of the couch by Mercedes. “We need to practice
sometime before Friday.”
Mercedes waved away his concern. “It’s only Monday, we got time. We’ll get Mr
Schue to borrow the auditorium for us after school tomorrow or the next day.”
Kurt sniffed. “One day of practice might not be enough for Finn. You know how
he is with new dance moves, especially if they’re the least bit sexy.”
“So put him behind the drums this week,” Quinn said, smirking suddenly as they
all looked at her.  She looked at Dean, adding, “Dean can sing his part, his
voice is good enough.”
Dean’s eyes widened as Kurt asked skeptically, “Can you dance at all, Dean?”
“No!” Dean looked around at the other four and then finally settled on looking
at Kurt since he seemed to be sort of in charge, despite the fact he was pretty
sure Kurt was younger than Puck or Quinn. “I don’t dance. Like, ever.”
“But can you?” Kurt asked again, amused.
Dean blinked. “How should I know? I don’t dance.”
Kurt smirked. “Well then, let’s see what you’ve got.” He stood and moved to his
dressing table to look in the messenger bag he had dropped there earlier,
adding, “Mercedes, you know the steps, don’t you?”
“Uhm, no, not really,” Mercedes said, looking at Kurt like he was crazy. “We
haven’t practiced yet and Ionly need one day to learn it.”
Kurt turned away from his bag with an iPod, looking at Puck. “I know you know
it. You’re the one who talked Mr Schue into letting us do it.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Puck admitted, looking a little hunted again. “I’m not dancing
like that with you, though. Forget it.”
Kurt rolled his eyes. “Coward.” He walked over to put the iPod into the dock on
the stereo and then turned the stereo on. He turned the volume down low enough
to easily talk over it and then fiddled with the buttons a few moments to put
the song they would be performing on Friday, It Ain’t No Big Thing, on repeat. 
He turned back around to look at Dean, giving him a measuring look. “Are you
afraid to dance with me too, Dean?”
“Depends on what kind of dancing we’re talking about,” Dean said warily. “I can
handle a slow dance, maybe, but anything more complicated than that and I’m
probably gonna break your foot or something.”
Mercedes laughed. “I know you’re a white boy, but damn. You don’t look that
clumsy.”
“You never saw me dance,” Dean said quickly. “I haven’t tried in almost five
years ‘cause last time was so bad.”
“Well of course it was,” Kurt said immediately, smiling suddenly. “You were a
child.”
Dean snorted. “I was fourteen, and dating a girl older than you who thought I
was sixteen. I took her to junior prom and broke her toe, so I let her think
she made a man out of me to make it up to her.”
“Oh my god,” Kurt said, rolling his eyes.
“You sound like Puck,” Quinn said, giggling.
Dean looked at Puck, grinning a bit. “You’re a klutz too?”
“Not hardly,” Puck said with a snort, giving Quinn a dirty look that didn’t
quite go with the amusement in his eyes.
“She’s talking about being a manwhore,” Mercedes said cheerfully, smirking.
“Hey!” Dean and Puck both protested at the same time, sending Mercedes, Quinn,
and Kurt all into peals of laughter.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean was leaning back on the couch eating the last slice of the pizza with
anchovies on it when Kurt asked brightly, “So Dean, you’re really nineteen?”
Dean blinked, surprised, and then he swallowed, nodding. “Yeah, why?” Sometime
during their meal Kurt had given up on the idea of getting Dean to dance,
though It Ain’t No Big Thing was still playing quietly in the background. Kurt
had said hearing the song over and over would make it easier for them all when
they did rehearse, and no one had protested.
“I was just surprised is all,” Kurt said, smiling at Dean as he idly shredded a
paper napkin into thin strips. He was sitting in one of the folding metal
chairs across the coffee table from the couch so that he could see everyone.
“Puck’s the oldest of us and he’s only seventeen.” He paused and then added,
“Well, the oldest one here. Mike’s a few months older than he is.”
“My dad’s job makes us move around a lot,” Dean said with a shrug, trying not
to be embarrassed about the fact he had flunked out several times. “Sometimes
it’s a bitch getting credits to transfer from one school to another.”
“What does he do?” Quinn asked, curious. She was still in Puck’s lap, relaxing
with her head on his shoulder and both hands on her belly, and Puck seemed to
enjoy cuddling her even though he treated her more like a sister than the girl
he had knocked up.
Dean wasn’t sure of much about Puck yet, but he would have bet cash money that
Puck and Quinn weren’t screwing around at all. Dean had gotten the feeling that
was the way Quinn wanted it, and Puck seemed to be inclined to let Quinn order
him around. Dean still hadn’t decided if that was because Puck was still
feeling guilty over getting the girl pregnant or because Puck was just a
pushover, but he was pretty sure it was one or the other. Dean had noticed that
Puck’s gaze always seemed to stray to Kurt when he thought no one was watching
him, so he was pretty sure that Puck wasn’t so good to Quinn because he was in
love with the girl.
Dean had never liked the inevitable questions about his dad, but after years of
dodging them he had a good answer, and one that he knew Sam would back up if
one of the kids decided to ask him later. “He’s an electrical engineer. He
troubleshoots big buildings that have trouble with brownouts, power surges,
stuff like that. He’s working in Columbus right now.”
“So you’re staying in Lima alone?” Quinn asked, surprised.
“Me and Sammy, yeah,” Dean said, nodding. “We don’t like big city schools with
all the gangs and shit, so during the school year me and Sam get a place in a
small town near wherever he’s working. We see him when he’s got a day off, and
we get along fine.”
“That must be rough,” Kurt said, smiling sympathetically at Dean.
“Sounds familiar to me,” Puck said, speaking up for the first time in a while.
“My mom’s a nurse and works the graveyard shift a lot, so it’s almost like
she’s not even there most of the time.”
Quinn patted Puck’s chest, smiling at him. “You’ve got me and Sarah to keep you
out of trouble, though.”
Puck smiled at her, hazel eyes amused. “Yeah, you two have fun torturing me,
just like Mom does.”
“Someone has to,” Quinn said with an impish smile.
“You live together?” Dean asked, surprised and curious.
“My parents kicked me out when they found out I was pregnant,” Quinn said
quietly, her smile fading away. “I stayed with Finn at first, and then with
Santana for a few days until Puck found out I was sleeping on her couch.” She
gave Puck a sweet, wry little smile. “He told his mom everything and she let me
move into their extra bedroom, at least until the baby is born.”
“I wasn’t letting you live on anyone’s couch,” Puck said, blushing slightly at
the way Quinn was looking at him. He didn’t look at anyone else as he added,
“It’s not good for you or Beth, especially as crazy as Santana’s family is.”
Quinn kissed Puck’s cheek and then looked back at Dean, smiling. “He’s a big
romantic softy, he just hides it well. Most guys would have denied it when a
girl they had sex with only once got pregnant, but Puck has always insisted on
taking care of me and the baby, even though I hated him for a long time.”
“That never made sense to me,” Mercedes said suddenly. ”I mean, why did you let
him do that to you if you hated him so much?”
“I got drunk on wine coolers,” Quinn said simply, shrugging. “Puck’s hot as
hell and he was saying all the right things, and he was one of my best friends
so I trusted him not to do anything I didn’t want him to. I liked the way he
made me feel that night enough that I didn’t care that he was my boyfriend’s
best friend, or that I was the president of the celibacy committee. One of the
last things I remember about that night is thinking that we should stop, but I
was enjoying what he was doing so much that I convinced myself it would be okay
‘just this once’.” She let out a little snort and looked down, running her hand
over her belly. “Which was stupid, of course, because once is all it takes to
ruin someone’s life, but I was drunk and he was making me feel so good that it
seemed smart at the time.”
 “Ouch,” Dean said, giving Puck a look of grudging respect. “You must be good,
man.”
Puck preened for a second at that until he thought about it and suddenly looked
kind of disgusted with himself. “No, I’m not a good guy.” He looked down at
Quinn’s knee to pick at an imaginary spot on her soft knit skirt. “I knew she
was drunk off her ass, but I took advantage of her anyway.”
Quinn poked Puck in the chest. “I’m tired of you punishing yourself for doing
something I wantedyou to do,” she said softly, frowning at him. “You’ve done a
lot of things you can be ashamed of if you want, Puck, but we both know you’ve
never touched someone who told you no. I know I’m the one who blamed it all on
you at first, but that was just because I was so scared and you were the only
one I could blame besides myself. I could have told you to stop that night and
you would have, but I wanted it just as bad as you did. You did not rape me.”
“Might as well have,” Puck said, looking at Quinn seriously. “You were too
drunk to stand up without help. I shouldn’t have touched you even if you did
think you wanted it. I knew you wouldn’t feel the same way the next day, but I
was smashed and so horny that I talked myself into it.”
“Did you learn anything?” Kurt asked suddenly, making everyone look at him in
surprise. Kurt ignored the others, looking seriously into Puck’s eyes as he
added, “Next time you’re with someone who’s too drunk to know what they’re
saying, will you take advantage of them?”
“Hell no,” Puck said firmly, frowning at Kurt and looking just a little hurt.
“I don’t drink like that anymore, and I don’t mess around with anyone who
does.”
“Then stop kicking yourself over it, Noah,” Kurt said gently, smiling at Puck.
“You’ve been working two jobs to take care of Quinn and Beth, and everyone who
knows you can see how hard you’re trying to be a better man. That’s all anyone
can do when they make a mistake.”
“Two jobs?” Mercedes asked, surprised.
Kurt looked over at Mercedes. “Noah’s been delivering newspapers for weeks now.
He’s up hours before dawn every morning to get the newspaper on everyone’s
porch before sunrise, and on weekends he still cleans pools, too.”
“Newspapers,” Mercedes echoed disbelievingly, looking at Puck.
Puck looked at Quinn, frowning. “Did you tell him?” Quinn shook her head
quickly, surprised, and then Puck looked at Kurt. “How did you know about
that?”
Kurt smiled. “I’m always up before the paper is delivered, Noah. It takes time
to look as good as I do, and I’ve watched you throw Dad’s paper on the porch
nearly every morning for more than a month.”
Quinn giggled a bit at that, poking Puck in the chest. “See? I’m not the only
one who gets up so early to be pretty for school!”
“He’s better at it than you are,” Puck said absently, still looking at Kurt and
obviously not really thinking about what he said.
Kurt blushed very red and gave Puck a little surprised smile as Quinn swatted
Puck’s chest and said, “You’re such a jerk!”
Puck blinked and then seemed to realize what he had said because he looked at
Quinn as he blushed, trying to ignore the way Kurt was looking at him. “Would
you quit beating on me, woman? I am not your personal punching bag!”
“Yes, you are,” Quinn countered, “you just haven’t noticed yet, kind of like
you didn’t notice until someone told you that you’re falling—“
Puck covered her mouth with his hand quickly, wide-eyed and looking just a bit
panicked. “You promised me, Quinn.”
Quinn pulled his hand down, looking sheepish. “I still say you have nothing to
be scared of, but alright. I won’t say another word about it.”
Quinn laid her head back down on Puck’s shoulder, and Puck wrapped his arms
around her to give her a squeeze, nuzzling the top of her head as he murmured,
“Thank you.”
Dean glanced at Mercedes and Kurt to see what they thought about Quinn’s slip
up. It sounded to Dean like she had been about to let slip Puck was falling for
someone, and Dean was sure he knew who it was.
Kurt seemed to have similar ideas, watching Quinn and Puck with a thoughtful
expression while Mercedes looked from Puck to Kurt and back again, kind of
wide-eyed. After a few minutes Kurt smiled very slowly, looking sort of
surprised, pleased, and shy all at once, and Dean was sure Kurt had reached the
same conclusion that he had.
Puck finally snuck a glance at Kurt a few minutes later and then blushed again
at the look in Kurt’s eyes. He looked back down at Quinn again and then he
noticed the time on his watch. He was obviously relieved as he patted Quinn’s
hip and said, “We should be getting home. Mom needs a nap before work and I
gotta do dishes and check over Sarah’s homework.”
Quinn lifted her head and grabbed Puck’s hand to look at his watch, then
nodded. “Yeah, we should go, it’s after six.” She started to try and get up,
giving Puck a grateful look when he lifted her to her feet, then she braced
both hands on her back and stretched a bit as she smiled at Kurt. “Sorry to eat
and run.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Kurt said quickly, smiling at Quinn as he stood up. “Next
time just bring Sarah along, she’s always welcome here.”
Puck smiled at Kurt as he helped Quinn shrug into his letterman jacket.
“Thanks, I’ll tell her you invited her.”
“She’ll like that,” Quinn added, hooking her arm through Puck’s and leaning
against his side as she held his jacket closed with her other hand as if she
was cold. “She has fun watching us practice.”
Kurt smiled wider, pleased. “Wonderful. Maybe she can keep Sam company next
time, he seemed a little bored when I went up to get the pizzas.”
Dean was surprised that Kurt took it for granted that Dean would be with them,
but he was even more surprised to realize he liked the idea. It had been a few
years since had had any real friends, and he was starting to think that the
other four kids might just be that, if he let them. They obviously wanted to be
his friends, and he had to admit if only to himself that he wanted to have a
few friends he could actually be honest with. He hadn’t ever really had that
before, but he had always wished for someone – anyone – he could really trust
and just be himself with.
Mercedes stood up suddenly. “I think I’ll go too, Puck, if you don’t mind
giving me a ride home. I‘ve got homework I should do, and you have to pass
pretty close to my house anyway.”
Puck grinned at her. “Nah, c’mon, I’m always up for giving pretty ladies a
ride.”
Dean snickered and stood up, picking up his nearly empty root beer. “I should
go too, I guess. If Sam was gettin’ bored when the pizzas got here, he’s
probably ready to have a fit by now.”
“Could I talk to you a minute first, Dean?” Kurt asked suddenly, making
everyone look at him in surprise. Kurt flushed, his chin lifting slightly as he
added, “Alone?”
Puck blinked a few times as he stared at Kurt, looking surprised and unhappy,
but then he hid it behind a scowl as he looked over at Dean, giving him what
was clearly a warning look.
“Down, boy,” Quinn said before Puck could speak, obviously amused as she patted
Puck’s belly. “Time to go. Kurt can take care of himself.”
“He won’t need to,” Dean said as he picked up Puck’s guitar case with his free
hand, meeting Puck’s gaze and ignoring everyone else as he offered Puck the
Gibson. Dean liked Puck and he didn’t want to make Puck feel like Dean would
poach anyone that Puck so obviously thought of as his, despite the fact Puck
hadn’t bothered to tell Kurt that yet. “The kid’s not much older than my baby
brother, I’m not gonna do anything.”
Puck looked into Dean’s eyes a moment longer, flushing as it obviously dawned
on him how he was acting, and then he finally nodded once. “Good.” He took the
guitar and started towards the door with Quinn, not looking at Kurt or
Mercedes. “See you at school tomorrow, Kurt.”
“I’ll be there,” Kurt said, looking surprised and kind of confused as he
watched Puck help Quinn up the stairs.
Mercedes was smug by the time Puck and Quinn were gone, smirking as she walked
over to kiss Kurt’s cheek and murmured, “Just think about it, honey, you’ll
figure it out.” She glanced at Dean, still smirking. “Night.” She headed after
Puck and Quinn, and within a few moments Dean and Kurt were alone.
Kurt turned towards Dean after the door closed, still looking a bit confused.
“I imagined that, right? Noah didn’t really just act like I was his property or
something.”
Dean chuckled softly. “If you did, then I imagined it too, kid.” Dean paused
and then pointed out carefully, “He seems pretty interested in you, if you ask
me.”
“Which is what I wanted to talk to you about, really,” Kurt said, moving to the
couch to sit sideways where Mercedes had been for the last two hours, his feet
tucked up under him as he leaned against the back of the couch. He waited for
Dean to sit down at the other end of the small couch, nibbling on his thumbnail
delicately, and then he finally said, “I saw you watching him, and I wanted to
see what you think. It’s not just my imagination, is it? That he is interested
in me, I mean. Every time I decide he must be, he says or does something to
make me think I was losing my mind to believe he would ever even look at me,
but then I catch him watching me again or he does something like he just did
and then I’m right back where I started.”
Dean gave Kurt a crooked grin, turning sideways on the couch to face Kurt with
his left leg bent in front of him and that ankle propped on his right knee.
“Well, I can’t say I know him real well, but going by what I saw tonight, I
gotta think you’re on to something.”
Kurt thought about that for a moment and then pointed out, “But you’re the one
he was so touchy-feely with earlier.”
“He was just tryin’ to teach me how to get that chord right,” Dean said,
amused. “I don’t think he even noticed he was gettin’ pretty up close and
personal until Mercedes freaked him out about it.” Kurt made a little noise
that sounded a bit skeptical to Dean so he added, “Think about it. If he was
really puttin’ the moves on me, he wouldn’t have looked so confused about it
when he realized what he was doing.”
“Perhaps,” Kurt said slowly, then shook his head. “I’m not so sure, though.
This is Noah we’re talking about. He can be … odd about some things.” Kurt
paused slightly and then added, “When his doctor shaved his mohawk a few months
ago because his mom thought he had skin cancer, he let the geekiest kids in
school throw him in the dumpster even though he’s usually the one who tosses
other people in. According to what he told Mercedes later, he had it in his
head that losing his mohawk took all of his cool away, so he deserved to be
thrown out with the trash. That’s … very him.”
Dean grinned, trying hard not to laugh. “He really just let a bunch of dweebs
throw him in a dumpster?”
Kurt nodded, smiling and suddenly looking fond. “Yes, I saw the whole thing
from my car. The boy who was the ringleader, Jacob, is half his size and afraid
even of me, but Noah just meekly let them toss him in. It was really very
adorable.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Puck said suddenly, scowling as he closed he door to
the kitchen loudly and then thudded down the stairs. “Why are you even talking
about that?”
“I was askin’ Kurt here what kind of guy you are,” Dean said immediately,
grinning and finishing off his root beer as he watched Puck cross the room to
pick up Quinn’s purse and shoes, which had been forgotten in the floor by
Kurt’s bed.
Puck snorted and gave Kurt a dirty look. “Why didn’t you tell him how cool I am
instead of making me look like a fool?”
“We don’t happen to agree about what it is that makes you cool, Noah,” Kurt
replied calmly, smiling.
Puck blinked, surprised, and just stared at Kurt a moment before he asked
slowly, “You think letting a bunch of dweebs toss me in a dumpster is what
makes me cool?”
“I think it was a start,” Kurt said, nodding. “You haven’t let the jocks throw
me into one since then, and it’s been quite a refreshing change.”
“Nobody has slushied you, either,” Puck pointed out with an odd look on his
face, and then he seemed to realize what he had said and frowned as he headed
quickly towards the stairs again. “But whatever, I gotta go.” He took the
stairs two at a time, pausing at the door to look back at Dean. “And don’t
worry about your kid brother, he and Burt are watchin’ some show about sharks.
Kid’s happy as a clam.” He left without waiting for an answer, closing the door
behind him.
Dean looked at Kurt, amused. “Still not sure about him?”
Kurt looked surprised and pleased. “I’ll reserve judgment until he actually
says something nice to me in public.”
Dean laughed. “Good luck with that.” He leaned to toss his empty root beer can
into the recycling bin by Kurt’s dressing table, giving Kurt an amused grin.
“Was that all you wanted to talk about?”
“Not exactly,” Kurt said, blushing suddenly and looking shy. “I was going to
tell you something that doesn’t really apply anymore, but now I want to ask you
about something else.” He paused, not looking at Dean as his face grew redder.
“I’ve read about it online, but I never know how much to believe and how much
is lies because it seems like everyone either wants to hook up or wants to
scare people away from the idea altogether, and you’re the only person I
actually know who could tell me.”
Dean’s eyes widened. “Okay kid, hold it right there. If this has anything
whatsoever to do with sex, all you’re gettin’ out of me is tellin’ you to ask
Puck to show you.”
Kurt blinked and stared at Dean. “But he’s not going to know what it’s like!
He’s been with half the women in the county, but they were all female, I‘m
sure!”
Dean snickered and reached over to pat Kurt’s knee. “You weren’t listenin’
earlier, kid. He knows exactly what it’ll be like for him, he said so. It’s not
just guys that have an ass.” He stood up and looked down at Kurt, amused. “And
I’m not tellin’ you about the other end of things. You can just find out for
yourself, like I had to.”
“You’re no help at all,” Kurt complained, pouting. “You’ve admitted you’ve …
been on the receiving end, so surely it wouldn’t kill you to tell me a little
and allay my well-justified fears.”
Dean just looked at Kurt a moment, thinking about that. He hadn’t really
thought it could be anything but humiliating to get fucked by a man until after
someone popped his cherry and showed him how good it could be, but he wasn’t
about to talk about that first time, especially with Kurt. Dean had been forced
to sell his ass to feed his baby brother when he was fourteen and out of other
options, but no one else knew about it and that was the way it was staying.
Dean smirked finally, making a decision. “Alright.” He moved towards Kurt, who
went wide-eyed and held very still as Dean leaned down to whisper into his ear,
“The way he dances, you’re gonna love it.”
Kurt let out a little strangled noise, staring mutely as Dean winked at him and
then headed for the stairs.
 
 
***** THREE *****
 
Dean and Sam were on the way into school the next morning when Puck was
suddenly between them, slinging an arm around Dean’s neck as he reached out
with his other hand and thoroughly messed up Sam’s hair.
Sam jerked away, glaring at Puck as he ran a hand through his shaggy hair to
try and straighten it again. “C’mon man, quit! I get enough of that from Dean!”
Puck smirked at Sam. “Lighten up a little, Sammy.”
Sam rolled his eyes and turned away. “My name is Sam. See you after school,
Dean.”
“Stay out of trouble,” Dean replied automatically, surprised by the way Puck
was acting but not about to complain because of how the other students around
them were reacting.
People who had acted like Dean was invisible the day before were getting out of
the way while he walked with Puck, and that sexy Latina cheerleader he’d had
his eye on in Chemistry was watching them with a smirk that boded well for Dean
getting laid sometime soon. The tall blonde next to her was watching Dean and
Puck with an almost identical smirk, but Dean hadn’t gotten the feeling that
Brittany was really interested in him the day before when he tried to talk to
her at lunch. The hungry looks and come-hither smiles that got his attention
had gotten him brave enough to try talking to Brittany, but then everything he
said had fallen flat and he was left wondering if he was losing his touch.
Sam ignored Dean, disappearing off into the crowd as Puck grinned at Dean and
muttered, “Santana’s got the hots for you, man.”
Dean looked at Puck quickly, surprised but grinning as he glanced back over at
Santana. “She tell you that?”
“Didn’t have to,” Puck said smugly. “Been there and done that, man, and I know
that look.” He dragged Dean over to where Santana and Brittany stood near
Brittany’s open locker. “Did you two get to meet Dean yet?”
“We are in Glee with you, dumbass. You introduced him to everyone.” Santana
tilted her head slightly, giving Dean the kind of look that could make a guy
embarrass himself if he wasn’t careful. “Hey.”
“I didn’t really get to meet him,” Brittany said, closing her locker and giving
Dean a very similar look to the one he was getting from Santana. “What are you
doing after school today, Dean?”
“Glee practice,” Puck said cheerfully before Dean could answer. “Rachel and
Kurt are threatening murder if anyone misses it.”
Brittany blinked at Puck and seemed to think about that a moment before she
looked back at Dean. “Could you give me and Santana a ride?”
“Sure, if you want,” Dean agreed quickly, pleased. Santana was licking her lips
and looking at him like she was starving and he was a nice juicy steak, and
Brittany was almost as interested. His day was looking up, for sure. He’d have
to thank Puck later.
“You won’t need a ride,” Puck said after they stared at each other a moment
longer, grinning and looking pleased with himself. “Rachel told me just after I
got here that she got Schue to let us borrow the auditorium so we can practice
on stage.”
“We’ll need a ride home afterwards, then,” Santana said, giving Dean a smirky
little smile.
“I can do that, no problem,” Dean said, smirking back at Santana. “Maybe even
take you girls out to dinner after I drop off my little brother? My treat.”
“That’d be nice,” Brittany said brightly, looking pleased.
Santana might have said something more, but the bell rang. Puck let go of Dean
and started down the hall. “See you later.”
“Whatever, Puckerman.” Santana gave Dean one more smile and then she and
Brittany were walking away down the hall in the other direction.
Dean watched the girls go, smirking, and then headed quickly towards his locker
to grab his books so he could get to class.
 
                                      ~*~
 
When Dean walked into Glee he stopped just inside the door, surprised. The
classroom was empty except for Puck and Kurt, who were sitting very close to
each other and talking softly, both blushing just a bit and sneaking glances at
each other. Puck reached for Kurt’s hand to lace their fingers together, and
then he noticed Dean watching them and blushed even redder at being caught. He
didn’t let go of Kurt’s hand or move away from Kurt, though, and Kurt looked
surprised but pleased as he gave Puck a sweet little smile.
Dean smirked slightly and sauntered on over to claim the seat next to Kurt’s
other side. “So what’re we gonna be doing today, kiddo? Any clue?”
“Not the slightest,” Kurt said, sneaking a glance at Dean and then blushing
even more. 
“Singing is a good bet,” Puck said as if nothing unusual was going on, “but
there’s no telling what Mr Schue will throw at us.”
“Classic rock!” Schuester said cheerfully, breezing into the room with his
briefcase. “I thought today we would do something Dean might know, give him a
chance to get used to singing with everyone before practice today.”
Dean looked over at Schuester, grinning. “Like what, Mr Schue?”
The guy who played the piano walked in and sat down without looking at anyone
or saying a word, and Dean wondered if the dude could talk at all.
Schuester dropped his briefcase on the piano and opened it to take out a sheaf
of papers, smiling as he said cheerfully, “Well, I did a little poking around
online last night, and I found a really good arrangement of Joe Cocker’s ‘With
A Little Help From My Friends’ that I think will work out great for us. We
might even use it at Regionals, if everyone likes it. We’ve got to come up with
at least one more number in case someone else does one we already have planned.
‘It Ain’t No Big Thing’ is a lot of fun and great for honing our couples
choreography, but I’m not sure it will be the right song to show off everyone’s
vocal talents like we need to in competition.”
Mercedes walked in next to Quinn and Rachel then, with Finn trailing along
behind them looking amused and kind of surprised. Rachel was beaming at
Schuester as she walked in and quickly said, “We need more than one extra song
in our repertoire, Mr Schuester. After the fiasco at Sectionals we need to be
ready to change the entire line up at a moment’s notice.”
Dean looked over at Kurt and Puck, leaning closer to Kurt and ignoring Rachel
as she launched into a litany of ideas while Schuester tried to get a word in
edgewise. “What happened at Sectionals?” he asked Kurt softly, curious. He
already knew that Regionals were going to be a week from Saturday. The kids
talked about little else in Glee when they weren’t actually busy singing, and
it had been mentioned repeatedly the day before.
“Coach Sylvester gave the other groups our set list,” Kurt said quietly,
looking annoyed at the memory.
“And then they did our songs before we got a chance to,” Puck added as he
leaned closer to Kurt, casually draping his arm on the back of Kurt’s chair as
he looked past Kurt at Dean. “We ended up with about twenty minutes to find and
practice different songs.”
“Sylvester sounds like a real piece of work,” Dean said, frowning a bit.
“Oh, she is,” Puck agreed. “She’s got it in for all of us. Glee steals money
from her Cheerio budget, so she wants us dead.”
“Money she can easily spare,” Kurt added with a sniff. “She’s spoiled.”
Puck snickered, giving Kurt a little smirk. “And who was it that got a brand
new Navigator with all the bells and whistles for his sweet sixteen?”
Kurt’s eyes widened. “I am not spoiled!”
Mercedes laughed, making Dean, Kurt, and Puck all look up to see the others
were watching them. Quinn and Mercedes were both looking very smug, but Rachel
and Finn were wide-eyed and looking kind of shocked, while Schuester just
seemed surprised. “Kurt, honey, you are spoiled,” Mercedes said, grinning.
“It’s okay, though. It’s really sweet how much your daddy loves you.”
Artie and Tina entered the room then, followed by Mike and Matt with Brittany
and Santana, but no one really paid attention to the newcomers.
Kurt blushed at the way everyone was staring at him, his chin lifting. “You say
that like it’s difficult, Mercedes.”
The jazz band slipped past the group lingering near the doorway then, heading
over to their instruments without even glancing at anyone else, and Dean got
the definite feeling the kids in the band were used to the Glee kids freaking
out over something pretty often. He had gotten the impression the day before
that the two groups didn’t mix at all – no one had even tried to introduce him
to the band kids – and they all seemed to like it that way. Even Schuester
didn’t seem to talk to them much, just passing them music whenever he wanted
them to play a song.
 “Puck, dude. What’s going on with you and Kurt?” Finn blurted suddenly.
 “What’s it look like, Finn?” Puck’s eyes narrowed slightly as he frowned at
Finn. “I’m dating him. You got a problem with it?”
“No!” Finn answered quickly, his eyes widening as if he were a little scared of
Puck. “It’s fine, man, I don’t care who you wanna date. Just… I thought you
were straight.”
“You’re dating Kurt?” Rachel blurted, shocked. “But you’ve slept with half the
women in the county!”
Puck smirked at Rachel. “No one can resist the Puckasaurus.”
Kurt laughed, still blushing as he said, “I wouldn’t go quite that far…”
Puck looked at Kurt in surprise. “You wouldn’t?”
“Just because I am not immune to you, Noah, doesn’t mean that no one is. The
straight boys seem to have no trouble resisting your … rather obvious charms,”
Kurt said, smirking slightly at Puck.
Puck started grinning again. “They just don’t know what they’re missing.”
Dean snickered. “Don’t want to know, you mean.”
“That too,” Puck said, smirking at Dean.
Dean smirked right back at Puck. “More girls for me, man.”
“Wait, wait, back up. I think I missed something,” Artie said suddenly, making
everyone look over at the group near the door as Artie rolled towards where he
usually parked his wheelchair. “Did Puck just come out?”
Quinn cheerfully said, “Yes,” at exactly the same time that Finn said, “No!”
Quinn looked at Finn, laughing. “He said he’s dating Kurt, Finn. I think that
counts as coming out.”
“He’s not gay!  He can’t be!” Finn looked at Puck, wide-eyed. “Tell them you’re
not gay, Puck.”
“Why?” Puck asked Finn, amused. “It’s not like anyone in this hick town cares
about the difference between gay and bi. If I’m gonna date Kurt – and I
definitely am - I might as well own up to gay and get it over with. I’m gonna
catch the same shit anyway.”
Dean was a little surprised by that because of the way Puck had acted the night
before about the idea of anyone knowing he had a thing for Kurt, but after a
moment he decided he shouldn’t be. Puck obviously wanted Kurt, and his reaction
the night before when Kurt wanted to speak to Dean alone made Dean think Puck
probably had realized he had better stake his claim before someone beat him to
it. Kurt wasn’t really Dean’s type even if he hadn’t been so young, but the
options were kind of limited for a gay guy in a place like Lima, and there was
no denying that Kurt was a good-looking kid with a sweet smile. The way the kid
danced left no doubt in Dean’s mind he would be fantastic in bed, too, which
was a little tempting even to him.
The bell rang, interrupting everyone as Schuester said, “Take a seat,
everyone.”
Schuester went to close the door while everyone who was still standing moved to
take a seat. Most of them sat in the same chairs they had the day before,
except Mercedes, who couldn’t sit in her usual seat because Dean had taken it.
She ended up sitting behind Puck next to Rachel and Finn, watching Kurt and
Puck and grinning ear to ear.
Quinn surprised them all by pulling her chair close Puck’s other side and then
sitting next to him, leaning against his side with an arm around his waist.
Puck put his free arm around her shoulders, grinning at her, and then looked
back up at Schuester to wait for him to start as if it was the most normal
thing in the world for him to have Quinn under one arm and Kurt under the
other. Kurt was looking at Puck like he was the most amazing thing Kurt had
ever seen, beaming and looking like he wanted to kiss him.
Dean had to grin, his respect for Puck climbing another notch. The guy just
flat wasn’t afraid of anything once he made up his mind to do something, and
Dean had to admire his balls. He knew he couldn’t ever do the same thing, even
though he had wanted to a few times. Hiding who he really was got very old
sometimes, but the idea of nothiding was frightening enough that he had never
had the balls to come out to anyone. Or at least, he hadn’t until the day
before. He was still a little shocked at how easy it had been to just tell
Kurt, Quinn, Mercedes, and Puck the truth, but that didn’t make him want to
tell the world.
“Before we get started, I just have to say I’m proud of you, Puck,” Schuester
said, walking over to stand in front of the group again and smiling at Puck and
Kurt. “It’s not going to be easy to be so open about who you really are.”
“I don’t have anything to hide, Mr Schue,” Puck said, still grinning. “I’m
dating the sexiest Cheerio in the school, not that Jacob dude that’s always
following Rachel around.”
“Nobody will tell anyone though, right?” Finn said suddenly, looking around at
the rest of the class and looking worried. “I mean, nobody but us has to know.”
Puck looked over his shoulder at Finn, raising one eyebrow as his grin faded
away. “Finn, dude. Don’t go trying to stuff me in the closet.”
“Puck, the guys will kick your ass if they find out,” Finn said quickly, giving
Puck a worried look. “They slushied you every day for a week for going out with
Rachel, and she’s a girl.”
“They can try,” Puck said firmly, “but if they do I’ll hand them their asses.
I’m not ashamed of how I feel about Kurt and I’m not gonna lie about it.”
“You’re tough but you can’t take on every jock in the school alone,” Finn said,
frowning. “Karofsky and his buddies will kill you and Kurt.”
“He won’t be alone,” Dean said, surprising himself almost as much as he
surprised everyone else. He flushed at the way everyone stared at him but he
bulled on, trying to ignore the sudden urge to hide as he looked at Puck. “I’ve
got your back, man, so don’t sweat it. We can take those punks easy.”
Puck stared at Dean, surprised. “You that good in a fight?”
“I can hold my own,” Dean said with a little shrug, not wanting to get into
just how good he was. “And I’m not gonna stand by and watch a buddy get his ass
kicked over who he wants to date. Ain’t nobody’s business but yours.”
“Thanks,” Puck said, looking pleased.
“We’ll all stick with you,” Rachel said firmly, giving Finn a dirty look and
then looking around at the class. “Gleeks have to stick together, right
everyone?”
There was a low mutter of agreement as most of them nodded, even Mike and Matt,
and then Santana added, “And if any of the girls give you trouble, Kurt, you
just let me know. Puck may not be able to make himself hit a girl, but I can
and nobody messes with my friends.”
Kurt turned to stare at Santana, looking surprised but pleased. “I—Thank you,
Santana.”
Santana just smirked and reached over to take Brittany’s hand, making Brittany
give Santana a pleased grin as she leaned against Santana’s shoulder.
“You’re so awesome,” Brittany said happily, making Santana laugh and preen,
looking smug.
“Well, now that that’s all settled,” Schuester said then, drawing everyone’s
attention back to him, “Let’s get started on the song for today.” He started
passing out sheet music, grinning. “Dean, can you read music?”
Dean glanced at the title of the song on the top of the paper when Schuester
handed it to him and then looked back up Schuester. “I don’t need to, Mr Schue.
I know all the words to this one.”
Schuester looked amused. “I meant the music, Dean. Everything on the lines
below the lyrics.”
Dean’s eyes widened. “You’re kiddin’ me, right?”
“No, I’m not,” Schuester said, looking a little worried as it seemed to sink in
just how far out of his element Dean really was. “You’ll probably need to learn
if you’re going to keep up.”
“Joy,” Dean muttered, giving the sheet music he was holding a dirty look. He
had never even thought about trying to read actual music, and it looked awfully
complicated to him with all the dots and squiggles and lines.
Kurt laughed and reached over to pat Dean’s knee. “Don’t worry, you’ll do
fine.”
Dean snorted and gave Kurt a skeptical look. “I’m glad somebody thinks so.”
Puck tipped his head back to look past Kurt at Dean, smirking. “Just stick with
whatever part I’m singing, Dean. Mr Schue mostly put us together anyway, and
you’ve got the voice to handle anything I can sing.”
“Yeah, that sounds easy enough,” Dean agreed, glad that he and Puck had sung
together the day before in class. He was pretty sure he could keep up with
Puck, though he figured Puck would sound better at it. “How do I tell what part
you’re supposed to be singin’, though?”
Kurt giggled and leaned away from Puck to reach into his messenger bag – which
Dean still thought looked like a huge purse, but whatever – and take out a
highlighter before he took Dean’s sheet music, giving Dean a smug smile. “You
let me mark it for you.”
“Thanks,” Dean said, relieved as he watched Kurt quickly skim through the song,
highlighting the choruses and all of the lines marked with a ‘2 b’. Dean had no
idea what it stood for – second boy, maybe? – but evidently those were Puck’s
lines. Kurt paused when he was more than halfway through and then highlighted
two lines that were labeled ‘3 b’ before he went on, marking the last chorus.
“Okay,” Schuester said, “Let’s get started, shall we?” He looked over at the
band expectantly and the kid at the drums nodded. “Alright,” Schuester said
cheerfully, looking back at the class. “And one, two, three…” He stepped
backwards as the band began to play.
Kurt passed Dean’s music back over to him and then settled back against Puck’s
side as Rachel began to sing the first line, which Dean noticed was marked ‘1
s’. “What would you think if I sang out of tune, would you stand up and walk
out on me?”
Artie picked up where Rachel left off, singing, “Lend me your ears and I'll
sing you a song, and I'll try not to sing out of key.”
Artie’s line was labeled ‘1 t’ and Dean decided to just stop paying attention
to the notations, since they made absolutely no sense to him. The chorus was
highlighted so Dean joined in as everyone sang, “Oh, I get by with a little
help from my friends. Mm-mm, I get high with a little help from my friends. Mm-
mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends.”
The next line was highlighted too so Dean kept going, looking over at Puck when
he realized it was just him and Puck singing. “What do I do when my love is
away?”
“Does it worry you to be alone?” Quinn, Brittany, and Santana sang, all of them
smiling.
Puck grinned encouragingly at Dean as they both sang, “How do I feel by the end
of the day?”
“Are you sad because you're on your own?” Quinn, Brittany, and Santana sang,
and then everyone sang the chorus together again.
“No, I get by with a little help from my friends. Mm-mm, I get high with a
little help from my friends. Mm-mm, gonna try with a little help from my
friends.”
Mercedes picked up there, and Dean had to grin at how rich and strong her voice
was. “Do you need anybody?”
Kurt picked up the next line, looking kind of shyly over at Puck with a little
smile, “I need somebody to love.”
“Could it be anybody?” Mercedes sang, smirking as she watched Kurt and Puck.
“I want somebody to love,” Kurt sang, his eyes widening as Puck joined in with
him, harmonizing effortlessly with Kurt’s much higher voice.
Dean was grinning as he sang the next line, surprised when Puck didn’t join
him. “Would you believe in a love at first sight?”
Tina picked up the next line, beaming as she watched Puck looking at Kurt like
he wanted to eat the kid alive. “Yes, I'm certain that it happens all the
time.”
“What do you see when you turn out the light?” Dean sang, surprised still that
Puck wasn’t singing and wondering if Schuester had given him his own parts in
the song.
“I can't tell you but I know it's mine,” Tina replied, still beaming.
“Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends,” everyone sang, and Dean
glanced around as he realized that they sounded pretty damn good. Everyone was
grinning and seemed to agree, most of them moving to the music while they sang
along. “Mm-mm, I get high with a little help from my friends. Mm-mm, gonna try
with a little help from my friends.”
Puck picked up the next line with Finn, making Finn stop singing to look at
Puck in surprise. “Do you need anybody?”
“I just need someone to love,” Kurt sang with Rachel, smiling and watching Puck
with sparkling eyes.
“Could it be anybody?” Puck sang, giving Kurt a smoky-eyed little grin.
Kurt’s eyes widened even though he looked very happy as he sang the next line
alone. “I want somebody to love.”
Everyone joined in together for the last two lines, singing, “Oh, I get by with
a little help from my friends. With a little help from my friends.”
“Wonderful!” Schuester started clapping, grinning widely as most of the class
cheered themselves on and exchanged high-fives while they all grinned, proud of
how good they sounded.
Puck ignored it all, leaning closer to Kurt as he murmured quiet enough that
Dean could barely hear him, “Can I have the job?” He paused and then added,
“I’ll work hard at getting it right, I promise.”
“Oh yes,” Kurt whispered, beaming at Puck.
Puck smirked and kissed Kurt lightly on the lips, then looked up at Schuester
like nothing had happened, smug.
Kurt lifted one hand to touch his lips, staring at Puck, and then he let his
hand fall and shifted in his chair to lean more against Puck’s side, beaming
happily.
Dean smirked and turned his attention back to Schuester just as he said, “We
might have just found another alternate for Regionals. That sounded really
great, guys.”
Rachel spoke up then, beaming. “We need to shift the parts around a little if
we do use it at Regionals, Mr Schue, but I think you’re right.” She looked
around at everyone. “We did sound very good.”
“And of course you’re not saying that because you sang lead,” Santana said,
smirking.
“Oh of course not,” Quinn agreed, laughing.
Rachel made a face at Quinn. “I’m not!” She turned to look at Kurt and Puck,
beaming again suddenly as she added, “I think Noah needs to take the lead for
the first and last verses. He’s got the perfect voice for the song and he
doesn’t get nearly enough solos.”
Kurt turned in his chair to look at Rachel, wide-eyed. “Who are you and what
did you do with Rachel Berry?”
Rachel looked shocked as everyone started laughing.
 
                                      ~*~
 
“Oww! Dean!” Santana kicked Dean in the shin again, glaring at him as she
followed the kick with a punch to his shoulder that actually kind of hurt.
“Dance on your feet, not mine!”
Dean quickly moved further away from her, throwing up his hands in a ‘don’t
hurt me’ gesture and limping just a bit because the sexy little cheerleader
could kick like a mule. She was wearing cute little tennis shoes that didn’t
look dangerous at all, but after getting kicked a few times he was starting to
wonder if they were steel toed. “Okay, okay, damn! It’s not like I did it on
purpose!”
They had been practicing for over two hours and there was still no end in sight
even though actually singing while they danced wouldn’t come until they had the
steps down pat. Sam was sitting in the back of the auditorium with a book, but
Dean had heard him laughing more than once and was sure he’d be hearing about
what a klutz he was later on. Santana, Rachel, and Kurt had put their heads
together for quite a while to work with Dean and hadn’t made a lot of progress.
He knew the steps, but no matter how hard he tried to watch his feet he still
stepped on the toes of whoever was trying to help him. The harder he tried, the
worse it seemed to be getting.
“Okay, everybody, I think that’s about enough for today,” Schuester said,
looking bemused. Everyone seemed relieved as they headed towards the edge of
the stage to jump down and grab their things, but Schuester reached out to stop
Dean before he could go. “Dean, I think maybe you and I should work on the
choreography with a volunteer for a while.”
Most of the others groaned as they stopped to listen, and Santana was scowling
as she said, “Count me out! My feet are killing me already.”
Dean sighed, running a hand through his sweaty hair. He was sure that he and
Santana wouldn’t be hooking up after all, which was really a damned shame. She
was sexy as hell, and the way she danced he knew she was a great lay. “Sure, if
you think it’ll help.”
“I can’t promise it,” Schuester said, still looking bemused. “I’ll try if you
will, though.”
Dean let out a little laugh. “I’m game, Mr Schue.”
Schuester patted his shoulder. “Good man.” He looked at the others, taking in
the exasperation on the faces of most of the girls, then finally settled on
Kurt. “Do you mind helping us, Kurt?”
Kurt’s blue eyes widened comically. “I need two unbroken feet to dance on
Friday, Mr Schue.”
“Gee thanks,” Dean muttered, giving Kurt a dirty look even though Kurt had
already tried and failed to help him.
Puck snickered. “I’ll help, Mr Schue. I think I know what the problem is.”
Schuester’s eyebrows went up. “You do, huh? And what’s that?”
“He’s thinking too hard,” Puck said, grinning up at Schuester and then looking
at Dean. “You need to just get into the music.”
“You really think that’s it?” Dean asked skeptically.
Puck grinned at Dean, a wicked glint in his eyes. “Trust me. I can teach anyone
to dance.”
Schuester looked relieved but skeptical as he turned his attention back to
everyone else. “Alright, I guess the rest of you can go then. We’ll practice
together again tomorrow afternoon.”
Dean watched as most of the kids made vaguely agreeing noises and headed
towards the doors with Mike, Mattt, and Finn carrying Artie’s chair up the
stairs.
“Puck, I’m getting a ride home with Kurt,” Quinn said, smiling but looking very
tired and pale, all wrapped up in Puck’s letterman jacket. Dean had noticed
that she seemed to always end up wearing it when she was feeling a bit unwell,
almost as if it were a security blanket. “If I try to wait I’m going to fall
asleep, and my back’s already bothering me.”
Puck smiled and moved to hug Quinn, kissing her forehead. “You just go home and
relax, momma.”
Kurt was watching them from a few feet away, smiling. “We’ll pick Sarah up from
her friend’s house on the way, so don’t worry about her. I’ll stay and keep an
eye on her until you get home.”
Puck let go of Quinn and moved to Kurt, looking down into his eyes, and the
height difference made Dean glance down to see that Kurt had worn Converse
tennis shoes that day. Kurt was several inches shorter than Puck that day,
though he still wasn’t as tiny as he often seemed. “If you’ll hang around a
little longer than that,” Puck said with a smile, “I’ll make you dinner. You
like spaghetti and meatballs?”
Kurt’s smile widened, pleased and obviously a little surprised. “I love it.”
“Great!” Puck lifted his hand to Kurt’s jaw, kissing him slow and gentle as
Kurt’s hands lifted to rest against Puck’s muscular chest.
Dean watched them for only a moment before he glanced at Quinn, his smile
widening as he saw the fond smile on her face while she watched her friends
kiss. She was obviously happy about Kurt and Puck being together, which Dean
figured was best for everyone concerned. What Kurt and Puck had going was new,
yeah, but anyone who saw the way they looked at each other could tell it
wouldn’t be going away any time soon. The whole school was buzzing about the
fact Puck had pulled Kurt down into his lap during lunch and kissed him right
there in the middle of the cafeteria like it was the most normal thing in the
world.
Kurt finally pulled away after a few moments, breathless and beaming up at Puck
as he leaned against Puck’s chest. “I’ll be waiting.”
“Lucky me,” Puck murmured with a wicked smirk that made Kurt laugh and blush.
“Don’t break any of his toes, Dean,” Kurt said, giving Dean a little teasing
grin as he stepped back away from Puck to go.
Dean snorted. “I can’t promise a miracle, kid.”
Kurt laughed again and turned to hook his arm through Quinn’s, helping her up
the stairs towards the doors. “Just do your best, Dean.”
Puck watched them go for a moment and then turned back towards the stage,
vaulting up onto it lightly and then walking over to Dean and Schuester,
grinning. “Let’s get this show on the road, Mr Schue.”
Schuester looked skeptical. “I hope you have better luck than I’ve had today,
Puck. We’ve tried everything I can think of already.”
“He can move, Mr Schue,” Puck said, grinning at Schuester. “I caught him doing
it a few times when he forgot to screw up.”
Schuester laughed as Dean shoved Puck, grinning. “Hey man, that was cold!”
“Dean!” Sam called suddenly, making Dean, Puck, and Schuester all turn to look
at Sam in surprise. Sam was standing by Kurt and Quinn at the doors as he
called, “Can I go with Kurt and Quinn?”
“I asked if he’d like to come,” Kurt said quickly, smiling. “It’s hard to do
homework without a table or decent lighting, and I know he’s got a lot of
Calculus.”
“Sure, Sammy,” Dean said after only a moment’s hesitation. Kurt and Sam were in
the same math class, so if Kurt figured Sam needed extra time for the homework,
then he probably did. “I’ll just follow Puck home when we’re done here.”
“Cool,” Sam said, looking pleased as he turned and walked out without another
word.
Quinn smiled and called, “Have fun, boys.”
“And good luck,” Kurt added, moving towards the door with Quinn again.
They disappeared through the doors a moment later and then Schuester asked, “So
what do you think we’ve been missing, Puck? Kurt, Rachel, and Santana all tried
to help already…”
Puck grinned at Schuester. “They’re all great at showing someone the steps, Mr
Schue, but that isn’t Dean’s problem. He knows what to do now, he’s just not
relaxing into it and moving.”
Schuester looked surprised as he suddenly threw up one hand and waved it
towards Puck. “Like you and Finn when you first started with Acafellas! I don’t
know how I missed that.”
“Everyone else did too,” Puck said with a grin, shrugging. “I finally
remembered what it was like to be stumbling over my own feet because I was
trying so hard to remember the steps.”
“It can’t be that easy,” Dean said, giving Puck a skeptical look.
“Do you like getting laid, Dean?” Puck asked, making Schuster’s eyebrows go up
in surprise.
Dean blinked, confused because he had no clue what that had to do with
anything. “Well yeah. Doesn’t everyone?”
Puck grinned at him. “And do the ladies complain?”
“Not hardly,” Dean said with a soft snort.
“Then you’ve got rhythm,” Puck said with a grin, slinging an arm around Dean’s
shoulders to guide him towards the middle of the stage. “That means you can
dance, you just don’t know it yet.”
“I think maybe you’re onto something, Puck,” Schuester said, grinning despite
his surprised expression. “I wouldn’t have put it quite that way, but you do
have a valid point.” He laughed slightly. “Good timing and rhythm are important
in either pursuit.”
“I wasn’t sure Dean ever played baseball, Mr Schue, so I had to improvise.”
Puck grinned at Schuester. “Crank the tunes and let’s see if it’ll work.”
Schuester chuckled and turned to walk over to the piano, sitting on the bench
to watch them as he reached to push play on the boombox that had been left on
the piano. “We can only hope.”
The music began then and Puck started into the routine with the slow steps at
the beginning, which Dean had gotten down easily. Dean was still a little
surprised that Puck took the girl’s side of the choreography so easily, even
though he had seen Puck helping Finn, Matt, and Mercedes with the steps several
times during practice that afternoon. “Relax and follow me, Dean. Don’t think
about it so hard, just let the music move you. You know what to do, now you’ve
just got to relax and let it happen.”
Dean nodded as he and Puck stalked slowly around each other in time with the
music as it grew louder, both of them moving easily through the flirty
beginning of the choreography. “This part’s not hard.”
“Just relax.” Puck repeated as he grinned at Dean.
The music sped up as it moved into the main part of the song, and Dean started
taking frequent glances at his feet and Puck’s to try and make sure he didn’t
miss any steps. After a few moments Puck reached out to tip Dean’s chin back
up. “No man, look at me. Eyes on mine. You’ll never get it worrying about your
feet.”
Dean looked at Puck again, sheepish. “I’m gonna step on you.”
Puck grinned at Dean as he moved closer for the first hold, not even a little
afraid to pull Dean in flush against him like Santana was supposed to for the
choreography during the chorus. “You just let me worry about my feet, and move
with me. Pretend you’re trying to get in my pants.”
Dean blushed a bit at that, letting out a little laugh as he and Puck swayed
against each other and then whirled out apart again, circling twice before they
moved back towards each other. Dean got a glimpse of Schuester then and flushed
even more at the surprised understanding on Schuester’s face.
Puck pulled Dean against him for the next chorus a little harder than the first
time, making Dean look at him in surprise as Dean automatically moved with
Puck, their hips swaying together suggestively. “Forget Schue,” Puck said
quietly. “Dance like he’s not here, Dean. Eyes on mine, remember?”
Dean nodded. “I’m tryin’.”
Puck grinned at him. “I know. Stop that and just move with me.” He let Dean
spin him back out away from him, moving through the more complicated
choreography for the instrumental bridge of the song, and Dean made sure he
didn’t look away from Puck as he followed. He knew the steps – he had been
doing them over and over for a couple of hours – but he was still surprised to
realize as they moved into the next part that he hadn’t stumbled once.
Puck was smirking as they moved into a hold while they spun around each other
for the next chorus, which wasn’t nearly as easy as it sounded. Dean found
himself grinning back at Puck as they went back to the easier swaying together,
and soon he was just moving with Puck as he forgot to keep his hands where he
was supposed to on Puck’s waist, letting them slide back and down to Puck’s
ass. Puck’s smirk grew a little wicked and he tightened his grip on Dean’s
hips, keeping him close enough that there could be no doubt they were both
enjoying it.
They swung around one last time and then the music finally ended. “Did good,
Dean,” Puck said, smirking and making no move to step away even though their
bodies were pressed together from chest to knees. “You start feeling up
Santana’s ass, though, and she’ll knee you right in the balls.”
Dean laughed, blushing as he let go of Puck and moved away from him, trying not
to think about the fact he was pretty sure now that Puck had a nipple piercing.
It was scary how hot that idea was, and he was already embarrassingly hard.
“Yeah, she probably would.”
“That was much better, guys,” Schuester said then, drawing their attention to
him. He still looked surprised as he turned off the stereo, and Dean knew that
he had just come out to someone else whether he had intended to or not. He just
hoped that Schuester wouldn’t start spreading it around. The other kids trusted
Schuester enough to make him think the guy wouldn’t out him to anyone, but
there was always a chance he was wrong.
“I think you’re on the right track, Puck,” Schuester added as he turned back
towards them. “Why don’t you and Dean work on this on your own, and then he can
try with Santana again tomorrow?”
Dean ran a hand through his hair, beet red as he realized what Schuester seemed
to have assumed. “Sure, Mr Schue,” Puck said with a grin for Dean. “He’s just
about got it.”
Schuester just looked at Dean and Puck a moment. “So I noticed,” he said
finally, and then paused before he asked a bit hesitantly, “Is Kurt going to be
okay with this, Puck?”
“Kurt can trust me, Mr Schue,” Puck said, surprised, and then he frowned
suddenly as it seemed to dawn on him what Schuester meant. “Hey man, wait a
minute. We were just dancing!”
“Alright, alright, don’t bite my head off,” Schuester said with a quickly
raised hand. “I had to ask.”
“I’m not after Puck’s ass, Mr Schue,” Dean said then, blushing very red still.
He didn’t know what it was about Puck that had him acting like such a fool, but
he’d have to figure it out soon or he was a dead man. He could not afford to
have Sam figure out he was bisexual, it would be all over but the screaming.
Well, the screaming and the pounding his dad would give him when John beat Dean
to death with his bare hands.
“And it wouldn’t matter if he was,” Puck added just a bit sharply, still
frowning. “I’m not going to do anything that would hurt Kurt. I’m not that
damned stupid.”
Schuester looked relieved, smiling at Puck. “I’m glad to hear that, Puck. It’s
obvious how much he cares about you, and I don’t want my asking you to help
Dean to lead to something that hurts Kurt. He’s had enough of that already with
the way Jesse took advantage of him.”
“I’m not Jesse,” Puck said firmly. “And they didn’t do anything but kiss a few
times anyway, Mr Schue. Kurt’s too smart to let a guy do anything more than
that if he’s ashamed to be with him, no matter how pretty he is.”
Schuester looked surprised but pleased. “I’m glad to hear that.” He smiled at
Puck and Dean. “I’ll see you both in class tomorrow.”
“Sure,” Puck said, turning to head for the edge of the stage.
Dean nodded and then turned to follow Puck, wondering who Jesse was. “Night, Mr
Schue.”
“Good night,” Schuester said, standing to start gathering up the sheet music
scattered over the piano.
 
                                      ~*~
 
“Who’s Jesse?” Dean finally asked as he and Puck reached the parking lot.
Dean had parked next to Puck’s truck under the trees at the far side of the lot
when he got to school that morning, so they still had a ways to go. He had
noticed the day before that kids had a bad habit of inviting themselves to sit
on the hoods of the cars parked closest to the school during lunch break, and
Dean didn’t want kids using his baby as a bench. Sure, Dean sat on her hood,
and Sam did, and sometimes a particularly hot girl that was into cars got laid
on that hood, but Dean didn’t want just anyone buffing his baby with their ass.
He had standards.
“He was a guy that sang with us for a while,” Puck said, looking kind of
annoyed at the mention of him. “He transferred here ‘cause of some plot
Rachel’s mom – she’s the vocal coach for Vocal Adrenaline – cooked up to get
Rachel to find out who she was and switch sides, but Rachel saw through Jesse’s
attempts to get in her pants and stayed with Finn. Jesse decided to start
sniffing around after Kurt instead, only he was sneaky about it so nobody knew
until Kurt walked into the bathroom after an invitational thing about a month
ago and found Jesse screwing one of the girls from Vocal Adrenaline. Kurt took
off past the rest of us crying, and when we looked into the bathroom to see
what upset him we put two and two together and figured out Jesse’s a cheating
sack of shit.” Puck smirked suddenly, looking downright scary. “Jesse
transferred back to Carmel a few days after that. He was afraid to come back to
school.”
“You kick his ass?” Dean asked.
Puck looked at Dean, something fierce in his hazel eyes. “Somebody caught him
in a dark parking lot that night and messed up his pretty face.” He paused,
then added, “And probably a few of his ribs. I guess he never learned to dodge
a punch.”
Dean smirked at Puck. “Good for you, man.” He tilted his head. “Is that what
made you figure out you wanted Kurt for yourself?”
“The thought of Jesse touching Kurt made me want to kill the bastard,” Puck
admitted with a nod as they stopped behind the Impala. “I might have if he
hadn’t passed out.” He was silent for a minute or two. “I thought I had killed
him for a few minutes, but he came around before long and started blubbering
like a fucking girl. I made sure he knew better than to come back to McKinley
and then I put him in his car and I left. Haven’t seen him since.”
“Sounds to me like he deserved what he got,” Dean said with a shrug. “Kurt’s
not the kind of kid you treat that way. He’s too …” Dean trailed off, searching
for the right word.
“Sweet and innocent and beautiful as hell,” Puck said softly, almost to
himself. He looked at Dean again, adding, “He’s the kind of kid that really
believes in forever.”
“Yeah.” Dean nodded, looking into Puck’s eyes. “Do you?”
Puck looked away, a slow crooked smile spreading across his face. “I want to.”
 
                                      ~*~
 
Sam walked quickly out of the living room to join Dean, Kurt, Puck, and Quinn
in the kitchen, looking just a little bit hunted as he moved to put the table
between him and the living room doorway. Sarah appeared in the doorway a moment
later, trailing after him with a sappy smile that made Dean have to hide a grin
behind his drink.
Sam had been smirky and annoying all through dinner – Puck had insisted that
Sam and Dean stay for what turned out to be really good spaghetti and meatballs
– and Dean wanted to kiss Sarah’s pointed little noggin for turning the tables
on Sam so thoroughly. She was twelve and just starting to notice boys, and Sam
had been sweet to her before he realized that it was giving the girl the wrong
idea. She had been giving him sappy grins and sighing over him for an hour, and
Sam had no clue how to handle it.
Sam wasn’t used to girls wanting to follow him around, mostly, Dean was sure,
because of the baggy clothes the kid insisted on wearing. Sam was built pretty
good for his age, but you sure couldn’t tell it most of the time. Sam’s
favorite clothes were all big enough they were loose on Dean, and Dean was
several inches taller and a good forty pounds heavier than Sam.
Puck took pity on Sam, grinning as he asked, “Sarah, did you do your homework
yet? I heard you tell Quinn that you have a lot of science.”
Sarah stopped following Sam to pout at Puck. “But Noah...”
“No buts, kiddo,” Puck said, grinning at her. “Quit bugging Sam and go to your
room until you get it done.”
Sarah blushed suddenly. “You’re mean.” She whirled away with a little huff and
stalked out of the kitchen.
Quinn stifled a giggle, biting her lip as she waited to hear Sarah’s door
close, then murmured, “Are you okay, Sam?”
Sam moved to get his glass off the table and then went to fill it with water
from the fridge. “I’m fine, just… I’m not used to that.”
Dean snickered, enjoying seeing his little brother out of sorts.
“It’s just a crush, Sam,” Kurt said, smiling and looking very amused. “She’ll
forget it before long.”
“And then be following Kurt around again,” Quinn added, smirking at Kurt. “She
thinks he’s dreamy because he’s so sweet to her.”
Kurt laughed, blushing. “I keep hoping she’ll notice I’m gay, but I haven’t
been so lucky yet.”
“Look on the bright side, babe,” Puck said with a grin, standing up to start
clearing the table. “At least she likes having you around, and she’s sure to
figure out the gay part the first time she sees us kissing.”
Dean saw the surprised look Sam gave Puck at that and wondered if Sam had
somehow missed that Puck and Kurt were in a relationship. Considering how Puck
had kissed the kid three times during practice earlier and the way Kurt watched
Puck like he was a god come to life, Dean kind of doubted it, but he couldn’t
think of any other reason Sam would be so surprised by what Puck had said.
Puck’s mom, Nancy, stepped through the kitchen doorway then in a fluffy old
robe, wide-eyed despite the fact she had obviously just woken up. “Is there
something you want to tell me, Noah?”
Puck turned to stare at his mom, looking like the proverbial deer in the
headlights. “Uhm…”
Nancy stared at her son a long moment, obviously waiting, and then asked
quietly, “Is Quinn’s daughter really yours? I had noticed that you two never
really act like you’re … interested in each other, but I had thought it was
because you learned something from the mistakes you made.”
“Beth is mine,” Puck said quickly, blushing as he turned to put the dishes he
was holding into the sink. “I don’t lie to you, Mom.”
“Then I think it’s time you did a little explaining,” Nancy said, walking
further into the kitchen to move over to the coffee pot. Puck had started a
fresh pot of coffee after they all finished dinner and Dean had wondered why,
but it was suddenly obvious. “I know that you and Quinn aren’t dating, but I
know you did date Santana, or at least fool around with her.”
Puck stood just looking into the sink for a long moment while Nancy got herself
a cup of coffee, and then he finally turned to face his mom. “I’m bi, Mom.” He
paused and then added, “And I’m dating Kurt, so there won’t be any more girls.
Not unless I screw up in a major way and he dumps me.”
Nancy looked into Puck’s eyes for a moment and then looked at Kurt. “And is
this new, Kurt, or have you two just been hiding it from me?”
“Very new,” Kurt said quickly. “I realized that I … have feelings for Noah
several months ago.” He looked at Puck, who was staring at Kurt in surprise. “I
never expected him to return the sentiment, though, not until after he beat up
my first boyfriend for cheating on me.”
“How do you know about that?” Puck asked, still wide-eyed. “I did it off school
grounds, and I made sure there was no one around.”
“Jesse told me,” Kurt said simply. “He called after he got home that night to
apologize to me, and when I wasn’t receptive he got angry. He said you had
beaten him half to death and that you were lucky he wasn’t pressing charges.”
He paused and then added with a little smile, “I saw him about a week later
with that girl. You broke his cheekbone, and his nose.”
“He deserved it for hurting you,” Puck said absently, still staring at Kurt.
“You’re too good for him.”
Nancy took a sip of her coffee, but not before Dean saw the slight smile on her
lips. “Is this just a … physical thing, Noah, or are you serious about Kurt?”
she asked a moment later, looking at Puck. “I know you’re a bit of a hound with
the ladies. I could wish you had chosen some other way to take after your dad,
but there are worse things you could have gotten from him.”
Puck looked back at Nancy, blushing. “I haven’t done anything but kiss Kurt
yet, Mom.”
Nancy’s eyebrows went up and then she smiled, obviously pleased as she started
out of the kitchen. “You must really care then.” She patted Puck’s shoulder on
the way past him. “I know you’re used to doing a lot more.” She paused at the
kitchen door, looking at Kurt as she added, “You’re always welcome here, Kurt,
but please don’t let Noah do anything in front of his sister. She’s entirely
too curious about boys as it is.”
Kurt blushed very red. “I promise, ma’am. Not even a kiss.”
“Kissing is alright,” Nancy said with a laugh. “Just please do be sure you both
keep all of your clothes on while you’re here.”
“Mom!” Puck exclaimed, blushing very red.
“Don’t ‘mom’ me,” Nancy said, looking at Puck with exasperated amusement.
“Sarah saw you with Santana a few months ago and got herself quite an eyeful.
She asked all sorts of questions about why that girl would want you kissing her
chest, and why Santana was in your lap while you had your jeans around your
ankles.”
Puck’s eyes went wide and he looked mortified. “Tell me you’re not serious.”
“I wish I could, believe me,” Nancy said feelingly.
Quinn giggled. “No wonder she keeps trying to sneak in when I go in Puck’s
room.”
Nancy gave Quinn an amused look. “Thankfully, you make him behave himself. I
think you might be the only girl who ever has.” She left the kitchen without
another word.
Puck turned back to the sink, still beet red. “I’m so buying a padlock for my
door. Someone change the subject.”
“So, Kurt, you’re gay?” Sam asked curiously, moving to sit at the table between
Dean and Quinn.
Kurt blinked and then looked at Sam, amused. “You hadn’t noticed?”
“Well, I mean, you seem kind of gay, no offense, but sometimes that doesn’t
mean anything,” Sam said quickly. “I mean, guys at our last school were always
calling Dean a fag even though he had managed somehow to get in the pants of
most of the pretty girls in the school.” Sam paused and then added, “We were
only there for six weeks, so he was pretty busy.”
Quinn and Kurt both giggled at that while Dean asked indignantly, “Who called
me a fag? And why didn’t you tell me?”
“Cause you were getting in fights almost every day anyway, duh,” Sam said,
rolling his eyes at Dean. “Like you needed an excuse to fight any more! You got
licks for fighting nine times in less than six weeks, Dean, and suspended twice
for having sex in a storage closet. If we hadn’t left, you would’ve been
expelled for sure the next time you got caught doing anything wrong.”
“Who?” Dean repeated, frowning.
“Mostly the jocks you hung out with,” Sam said, looking a little exasperated.
“They only did it when you weren’t around, though. They were all scared of you
after you beat up that big linebacker.”
Dean snorted. “Mathers was pickin’ on you right in front of me.”
Sam snorted. “So? You didn’t bother to kick the ass of the ones that did it
behind your back.”
“I did if you told me they were doin’ it,” Dean corrected, frowning at Sam.
“You’re supposed to let me know about that kind of thing, Sammy.”
“I’d never talk about anything else if I did,” Sam said acerbically, and then
added, “And my name is Sam.”
“You’re gonna be Sammy to me until the day I die,” Dean replied, still
frowning. “Is anyone harassing you at McKinley?”
“Nobody worth worrying about,” Sam replied, “but I don’t expect that to last
long. My big brother is in Glee club.”
Dean made a face at Sam. “Oh, shut up. At least I can sing. You couldn’t carry
a tune with a dump truck and an instruction manual.”
Sam smirked and looked over at Puck suddenly. “Speaking of instruction manuals,
did you ever get him dancing, Puck, or is he going to cripple that girl
tomorrow in practice?”
“He caught on quick once Santana wasn’t distracting him,” Puck said, washing
dishes while he talked and not looking at any of them. “He needs a little more
work, but once I explain the problem to her I think we’ve got it fixed.”
“I thought she was going to kill you tonight, Dean,” Quinn said then, giggling.
“The third time you stepped on her foot she sounded like an angry cat.”
Dean laughed, sheepish. “She was pissed, for sure. I had a date tonight with
her and Brittany until we got to practice. I bet I won’t get near either one of
them now.”
“Both of them, Dean?” Sam asked, eyes widening. “Did you pay them or what?”
Dean reached out to pop Sam lightly on the back of the head, making Puck, Kurt,
and Quinn all laugh. “Shut up, brat!”
Sam scowled and punched Dean in the shoulder much harder than Dean had hit him.
“Jerk! Don’t hit me!”
“Then stop being such a little bitch,” Dean replied quickly, annoyed. “They’re
nice girls and they don’t deserve anyone talkin’ about them like that,
especially not my baby brother.” He had an idea and then added, “Did you ever
do your homework?”
“Yes, I did!” Sam said as he stood up. “Unlike you, I plan to graduate before
I’m thirty.” He stormed off into the living room.
Dean didn’t look at the others, scowling slightly and flushing as he took a
drink of his water. He hated it when Sam threw that in his face, even though he
felt a stab of guilt for making Sam mad enough to do it. Sam knew that it was
one of the few things Dean was ashamed of, so he didn’t use it as ammunition
very often when they argued. Even when they were at each other’s throats, they
usually didn’t want to really hurt each other. Dean had no idea why Sam was so
mad this time, but that was starting to be a familiar feeling for him, really.
Sam could get pissed over nothing and then he’d get even madder when Dean
didn’t know why he was so mad, just like a girl. It drove Dean crazy sometimes,
and led to a lot of fights that he felt like he had lost somehow even though he
often didn’t know what they were fighting about.
“Santana might hold a grudge,” Kurt said finally after a few minutes of awkward
silence, “but Brittany won’t.” Dean glanced up to see a fond smile on Kurt’s
face. “She’s rather proud of the fact she’s made out with every junior and
senior guy in the school, as well as most of the girls.”
“And all of the sophomore guys too now, except Sam,” Quinn added, laughing
slightly. “She won’t let Santana’s stepped on toes ruin her record.”
“Every sophomore guy? Dean asked, looking at Kurt in surprise.
Kurt blushed, nodding. “I … tried to act straight for a while because I thought
it would make my dad want to be around me more. It was silly, of course – he
loves me like I am, even if he doesn’t have a clue what I’m talking about half
the time – but Brittany was only too happy to play along.” He laughed softly,
adding, “And then we talked about boys and gave each other manicures. I’m a bit
hopeless at acting straight, I’m afraid.” His lips twitched. “The only one I
fooled was Brit. I had to use very small words a few days later when I
explained to her why we weren’t really a couple.”
Puck snickered, putting the last of the plates in the drain. He turned towards
the table as he dried his hands on a kitchen towel. “Sounds like Brit. I love
the girl, but she’s dumb as a box of sand.”
Dean snickered as Kurt looked over at Puck, laughing. “Be nice! She can’t help
it, her mother is marginally less intelligent than a wet sponge.”
Puck smirked and dropped the towel on the counter, walking over to sit back
down between Kurt and Quinn. “On a very good day. Otherwise she makes Brit look
like a genius.”
Quinn giggled. “According to Brit, that’s who she got the idea of kissing
everyone from. Her mom told her at the beginning of this school year that she
had made out with everyone in her senior class, even the girls, so Brit decided
to try for the whole school. She figures if she gets everyone she can this
year, that’ll make it easy to get the rest next year or the year after.”
Kurt just shook his head, laughing as Puck smirked at Quinn. “So has she made
out with you yet, Quinny? I know she’s been there and done that with the rest
of the Cheerios. She even kissed Becky after they won Regionals.”
“Maybe,” Quinn said, smirking at Puck. “I’m not going to tell you or Dean any
more, though. You’ll just embarrass yourself over the idea of two girls
together.”
Puck’s smirk widened and he looked smug. “I guess she and Santana didn’t tell
you about our date after the homecoming game this year, then.”
Quinn used the table to push herself up out of her seat, and then she started
into the living room as she said cheerfully, “Santana said you came in your
pants, and nobody here wants to see that happen again, Puck.”
Puck blushed so red that his scalp flushed a bit on both sides of his mohawk.
“She promised not to tell anyone about that!”
Quinn came back to the kitchen door to smirk at Puck, eyes sparkling. “Santana
tells me everything.” She left again.
“I’m gonna have to have a talk with that girl,” Puck muttered half to himself,
making Kurt giggle. He looked quickly at Kurt, laughing slightly despite his
lingering blush. “Stop laughing at me!”
“But you’re so adorable when you’re embarrassed,” Kurt said, grinning. “It’s a
novel experience. I wasn’t sure you could blush until recently.”
Puck looked bemused and didn’t seem to have an answer for that.
Sam appeared in the kitchen doorway with his backpack, still looking annoyed as
he walked quickly towards the back door. “I’ll be in the car, Dean. It’s
getting late and some of us want to sleep sometime tonight.”
Dean sighed and checked his watch, then rolled his eyes. “It’s eight-thirty,
Sammy.”
“And I’d like to go to bed by nine,” Sam said sharply, stopping by the back
door. “I’ve got a test first thing tomorrow.”
“Alright, I’m coming, Jesus,” Dean grumbled, standing up as Sam went out the
door without another word. “It’s been fun, guys. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t
do.”
“Does that leave out anything?” Puck asked, smirking at Dean.
Dean pretended to think about it and then grinned at Puck. “Well, it does if
I’d be doing it with Kurt. The kid’s too young for me.”
“I’m sixteen!” Kurt said quickly, blushing. “I’m old enough to have a little
fun if I want to.”
“Just a little bit, though.” Dean grinned at Kurt and then started towards the
back door after Sam. “I’m old enough to know pretty jailbait when I see it,
kiddo. See you two tomorrow.”
“Night, Dean,” Puck said, grinning widely.
Dean waved as he left, heading out to the Impala, which was parked behind
Puck’s pickup in the back yard. Sam was already in his seatbelt by the time
Dean got in the car, and Dean rolled his eyes at the bitchface Sam had going.
“I don’t know why you’re so pissed,” Dean said as he backed the Impala
carefully around the house past Nancy’s car and Kurt’s Navigator. “I swat you
all the time when you’re being a pain in the ass.”
“That doesn’t mean I like it,” Sam said, glaring out his window. “Especially
when your friends laugh at me.”
“They laughed at me just as much,” Dean said quietly, not looking at Sam as he
pulled out onto the road to head home. “They like to laugh, it’s not like
they’re mean about it.”
“Well, I don’t like being laughed at,” Sam said sharply. “I get that enough at
school.”
“I thought you said no one has been bothering you at school?” Dean asked,
looking over at Sam with a frown.
Sam looked at Dean like he was an idiot. “No, I said nothing worth worrying
about had happened, there’s a difference. My big brother is in Glee club and
hanging out with the only two out queer guys in the school. Of course people
have been bothering me!”
Dean sighed and looked back at the road. “I’m sorry, Sam.”
Sam stared at Dean a moment, and then turned to look out his window again.
“It’s okay,” he said grudgingly. “They’re nice.” He was quiet a moment and Dean
glanced at him just as Sam added, “Puck told some of the jocks to leave me
alone after lunch today, so maybe it’ll get better. They seemed a little afraid
of him.”
“He did, huh?” Dean said, surprised. “Why’d he do that?”
“I’m not real sure,” Sam said, looking just a bit confused. “They cornered me
at my locker and were just looking at me and holding slushies, and then
suddenly Puck was in front of me and telling them to back off. They hadn’t even
said anything yet, they just looked at me like I was a worm or something.”
Dean remembered Finn mentioning that Puck had gotten slushied every day for a
week when he dated Rachel and figured that must have been what the jocks had
planned for Sam. He wasn’t exactly sure what being slushied was besides the
obvious assumption that it involved a slushy somehow, but he’d still have to
thank Puck for keeping an eye on the kid when he wasn’t around. Dean had spent
his lunch hour in an empty classroom flirting with Santana and Brittany and
then finishing his homework.
“You didn’t have to be so rude to them, Sammy,” Dean said quietly after he had
driven for a few minutes in silence. “Puck’s a good guy, and so is Kurt. I know
Dad wouldn’t like you being around them, but they can’t help being ga --”
“I don’t care that they’re gay, Dean,” Sam interrupted, giving Dean a look that
clearly said he thought Dean was an idiot. “And I don’t care if Dad would like
them or not! I just don’t like them treating me like I’m a kid. Kurt’s in most
of my classes, and he’s not that much older than I am.”
“I know he’s not,” Dean agreed, sighing. “And I guess that it’s my fault they
treat you like a kid. I treat you like the baby brother I remember raisin’ and
forget you’ll be wanting to drive my car in another year.”
“I want to drive now,” Sam said, exasperated. “I could get my learners if we
just visited Bobby for a day or two. I am fifteen.”
Dean’s drivers licenses – the real one and his fake that said he was twenty-
three – both gave Bobby’s place as his address, and Bobby always covered for
Dean if anyone called to ask about it. He had already agreed he’d do the same
for Sam, since it would be hard to get the kid a drivers license in a town
where they couldn’t prove residency.
“We could go up over the weekend sometime,” Dean said after a minute, glancing
at Sam. “We’d have to skip school a day to be able to go by the DMV, and the
next two weeks aren’t real good because of Regionals, but maybe the weekend
after that?”
Sam brightened, looking surprised but smiling at Dean like the sun coming out
from behind the clouds, his eyes sparkling. “Really? You promise, Dean?”
Dean smiled over at Sam as he let the Impala roll to a halt at a stop sign,
glad he could still put that look in Sam’s eyes. He and Sam fought a lot more
than they used to because Sam had a wide independent streak and didn’t like
Dean trying to take care of him anymore, but Sam was still Dean’s baby brother,
whether the kid liked it or not. “Sure, Sammy. I promise. I’ll make sure I
don’t plan anything else that weekend, if you’ll call Bobby to be sure it’s
cool with him.”
“Even if Dad makes us move before then?” Sam added, looking hopeful.
“No matter where we are we’ll have a weekend off school,” Dean said, nodding.
The proposed trip was only a little over two weeks away, but Dad had made them
leave towns after less time in the past so it was possible. Dean didn’t think
it would happen this time, though. Dad had given Dean his word that they’d be
in Lima for the rest of the school year when he made them leave the little town
in Oklahoma where Sam had just barely begun to catch up from the last move.
“I’ll make sure we have the gas money to go.”
Sam grinned widely. “You’re the best brother ever.”
Dean laughed and looked ahead as he started the car forward again, pleased with
himself even as he teased, “Sure didn’t seem like you felt that way a while
ago, Sammy.”
“You were being obnoxious,” Sam said with a snort. “You deserved it.” He paused
and then added, “But I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything about you
flunking out.”
Dean shrugged and pretended not to care. Sam was a year ahead of most kids his
age, but Dean was a junior for the third year in a row. Flunking one more time
would put them in the same grade, and Dean wasn’t sure he could take that.
“They already knew I’m nineteen. Not a lot of ways a guy can be a junior at
that age unless he’s an idiot.”
Sam frowned, turning in his seat to look at Dean. “You’re not an idiot, Dean.
You’d be doing just fine if Dad didn’t drag us out of school every few weeks. I
don’t know why he bothers, anyway. It’s not like he wants us close to him so he
can see us. Sometimes I think he makes us move just to see if we’ll still go
when he says to.”
“Dad’s got his reasons,” Dean said firmly, and Sam sighed as he rolled his eyes
and looked back out the side window. “And you get jerked around as much as I
do, so that doesn’t wash.” He looked over at Sam as he turned onto the dirt
road that led to the little two-bedroom trailer they were sharing outside of
town. “You went straight from the end of sixth grade into eighth without even
trying hard, and you’re still on the honor roll no matter where we end up.”
Sam flushed, glancing at Dean as he shrugged. “I like school.”
“And I hate it,” Dean agreed, nodding. “Face it, Sammy. You’re the brains in
the family. I just scrape by.”
“You could let me help you,” Sam offered as Dean turned into their overgrown
yard.
Dean snorted, parking the Impala by the front steps and not looking at Sam. “I
feel stupid enough. I don’t need to see you breezing through my classes
andyours to know you’re smarter than me.” He got out without letting Sam have a
chance to reply, heading for the house slowly enough that Sam would be able to
catch up.
Sam got out of the Impala a moment later and hurried after him, waiting until
Dean had opened the front door before he said quietly, “Here, you forgot your
bag.”
Dean looked at Sam as he pushed the door open, taking his backpack. “Thanks.”
Sam nodded. “Anytime.”
Dean turned away again and headed into the house, throwing his bag on the worn-
out old couch.
The house was clean, but that was mostly because they hadn’t been there long
enough to do anything more than track a little dirt on the linoleum floor. They
really hadn’t had a chance to make a mess in barely three days of living there,
especially since most of their time had been spent sleeping, at school, or with
the Glee kids. Dean hadn’t even gotten around to finding a thrift store to get
them a television yet, so his ancient old Nintendo systems and the games for
them were all still safely stowed in a Rubbermaid tub in one corner of the
living room. The couch, which doubled as a bed, was the only furniture in the
living room besides Sam’s desk, a rickety end table, and a scarred old coffee
table that held a small portable CD player and a stack of a dozen CDs that Dean
had bought Sam for his birthday.
The house was stuffy so Dean flicked on the window AC unit in the living room
before he headed for the tiny kitchen. “Go ahead and listen to whatever you
want. I’ve got laundry to do, I’m out of clean jeans.”
“I don’t mind listening to your music, Dean,” Sam said quickly as he moved
towards his desk, which happened to be right across from the window AC where it
was coolest. “Why don’t you pick something?”
“Nah,” Dean said, moving to the fridge to get a bottle of Pabst and then
heading for the back door. “I’m gonna do some clothes and sit out back for a
while.” He walked out into the small screened-in back porch without giving Sam
a chance to answer, closing the door behind him.
A battered old washer and dryer were on one end of the back porch with three
trash bags of dirty clothes piled by them. An old porch swing took up the other
side of the porch, leaving an open space between the two about twice the width
of the door. Back behind the house was a stretch of tall overgrown grass that
led up to a fenced pasture where horses grazed on the next property over. Dean
had no clue what kind of horses they were, but he enjoyed watching them graze,
and he had fed half an apple to a pretty black one that seemed to like him.
Dean expertly tapped the cap off of his beer on a corner of the washer that had
so many scratches on the paint it was obvious he wasn’t the first to do so,
then took a drink as he used his free hand to turn the water on and let the
washer start to fill. He dumped in a scoop of Tide and then put his beer on the
dryer to start sorting laundry, tossing his jeans into the washer as he found
them and making a pile of shirts and another of towels and underwear for the
next two loads.
He was soon humming to himself because he didn’t want it quiet that night for
some reason he didn’t want to think about too hard. He began to sing quietly
after a few minutes as he started a third pile for jeans that wouldn’t fit into
the first washer, completely unaware that Sam was behind him, watching through
kitchen door’s cracked window and listening.
“Got another empty bottle, mm, and another empty bed. Ain't too young to admit
it, and I'm not too old to lie, I'm just another empty head. That's why I'm
lonely. I'm so lonely… But I know what I'm gonna do.... I'm gonna ride on.”
 
 
***** Chapter 4 *****
 
Dean was passing the boys bathroom the next morning just before the late bell
for second period was due to ring when he heard Kurt’s voice raised in what
sounded like either fear or anger, maybe both.
“Puck’ll kill you if you touch me again, but if you let me out of here right
now we can still forget about this.”
Dean scowled and moved closer to the door, listening as someone else spoke.
“Not happening, Hummel,” a guy said, sounding sort of smug. “They’re gonna find
your body in here later, and everyone will know you finally got what’s coming
to you for being a faggot.”
Dean decided he had heard enough and pushed at the door, but it only opened a
few inches before someone slapped it closed again.
“Go away!”
Dean snorted and took a step back, then rammed his shoulder into the door,
slamming it into whoever was blocking it and forcing it open far enough for
Dean to get into the bathroom past a big guy wearing a letterman jacket.
Kurt was watching the guy from near the sinks, clutching his books tightly to
his chest even though he was trying very hard to hide how scared he was.  He
was wearing black jeans and a slinky charcoal grey turtleneck that morning with
the black beret and the knee-high boots he seemed so fond of, and he looked
very small and delicate to Dean even though the tight clothes showed off a
surprising amount of muscle. The fear in Kurt’s eyes turned to relief when he
saw Dean’s face, and his shoulders slumped slightly as he blurted quickly,
“Dean! Oh thank God.”
“Hey kid. You okay?” Dean asked, giving Kurt a reassuring smile.
Kurt nodded quickly but didn’t say anything else, so Dean turned his attention
to the guy who had been harassing him.
Dean recognized the guy, but only because Puck had argued with the same guy in
English Lit during first period that morning. Tina had stopped Dean from
stepping in to back Puck up, telling him he needed to avoid angering Karofsky
if he didn’t want to get beaten up. The guy had it out for everyone in Glee for
some reason, and Tina had said that Karofsky and his buddy Azimio went after at
least one of the kids every day. Finn and Puck could both hold their own
according to Tina, so Karofsky and Azimio would usually just trade insults with
them. The others weren’t so lucky, and the kids in Glee were terrified of them.
“What’s goin’ on in here, Karofsky?” Dean asked, one eyebrow rising as he saw
Karofsky’s surprised expression. “Why’d you block the door?”
Karofsky was bigger than Dean and sneered at him as he drew himself up a little
taller, trying to loom. “None of your business, Winchester. Get out.”
Dean looked Karofsky up and down and then he snorted. He had seen Karofsky’s
kind in a hundred schools and knew there was only one way to really handle
them. He tossed his backpack to the floor next to the door, glad that it was
early enough in the day that the floor was still fairly clean. “Why don’t you
make me, asshole?”
“Why you little…”
Karofsky lunged at him, trying to slug Dean, but Dean had started hand-to-hand
lessons with his dad when he was five and he had no trouble avoiding the clumsy
blow. He slammed his fist into Karofsky’s belly as Karofsky passed by him and
then when the guy folded forward Dean followed up with a boot to Karofsky’s ass
that propelled him head-first into the corner of the room. Karofsky hit with a
meaty thud and slid down the wall, then rolled to his back with a low groan to
slump against the other wall, clutching his head. Blood oozed freely from
Karofsky’s split scalp over his fingers, but Dean had been in enough fights to
be sure the guy wasn’t hurt too badly. Scalp wounds always bled a lot, and Dean
figured a blow to the forehead hard enough to really hurt the guy would have
knocked him out.
Dean crouched in front of Karofsky and asked cheerfully, “You still awake in
there, shit for brains?” The glare he got told him Karofsky was listening, so
Dean went on. “Don’t mess with the Glee kids anymore, dickwad, or next time
I’ll dislocate your knee instead of just givin’ you a headache. You hear me?”
“You’re just askin’ for it,” Karofsky muttered, glaring at him. “My buddies and
I are gonna kill you.”
Dean produced a knife with frightening speed, flicking the very illegal
switchblade open a few inches from Karofsky’s nose to let the suddenly wide-
eyed jock get a good look at it. The blade was honed razor-sharp and had
obviously seen a lot of hard use, scarred and worn from years of being Dean’s
pocket knife he used for everything from opening bills to fighting for his
life. He gave Karofsky a wolfish smile that had made much tougher guys turn and
go the other way in the past as he said quietly, “If you want to get the
douchebags you run with together and come after me, bring it on, ‘cause I don’t
take shit off anyone, I don’t care how many friends you got.” Dean’s wolfish
smile turned into something a lot darker and his voice hardened as he added,
“You just remember that y’all might hurt me pretty bad, maybe even kill me if
you’ve got the guts for it, but I promise you I’ll take a few guys with me to
the hospital, starting with you. I don’t play games when I’m outnumbered, and
it’ll take less than a second for me to gut you.”
Karofsky swallowed hard, obviously scared as he shrank back against the wall as
the late bell rang loudly. When it fell silent, Karofsky said, “I’m done with
you, man. I’m not messing with anyone crazy enough to knife someone.”
“What about your buddies?” Dean asked, moving the blade to touch it to
Karofsky’s throat while Karofsky whimpered. Even just that light pressure was
enough to draw blood, and Dean made a point of showing Karofsky the blood on
the blade. Karofsky whimpered again and a wet spot started to spread across the
front of his jeans as Dean went on. “’Cause I’m gonna blame you if any of ‘em
fuck up. I hear you’re top meathead around here, so I know those shitheads will
back off the Glee kids if you really try to make ‘em.”
 “Nobody’ll mess with you again,” Karofsky whispered as he closed his eyes and
turned his face towards the wall, a tear sliding slowly down his cheek. “Or the
gleeks.”
“Smarter than you look.” Dean wiped the blood off his knife on Karofsky’s
shoulder and then stood up, turning his back on Karofsky and moving to get his
bag. He closed the switchblade with a practiced flick of his thumb, tucking it
into his back pocket with his wallet again as he gave Kurt a smile. “C’mon,
kid. Everybody’ll be wondering where you disappeared to.”
Kurt moved quickly to join Dean, whispering, “Thank you.”
“Anytime.” Dean settled one hand protectively at the small of Kurt’s back as he
gave Karofsky one last glare that was prompted mostly by the way Kurt was
shaking. Karofsky’s frightened gaze met his for only an instant before Karofsky
looked away again, and Dean’s voice was cold and hard as he said, “Remember
what I said, asshole. Leave my friends alone or next time you an’ me have a
talk, I will fuck your shit up in a major way.”
Dean ushered Kurt out of the bathroom without waiting for Karofsky to answer
and started Kurt down the hall towards Glee with a gentle push to his back.
Kurt was only a few inches shy of being as tall as Dean because of the boots
the kid was wearing that day, but Kurt was still delicately built and
frightened enough to bring out all of Dean’s protective instincts.
Kurt walked along in silence very close to Dean for a long moment before he
said softly, “You really would, wouldn’t you? Knife him, I mean.”
Dean glanced at Kurt, smiling crookedly as he moved his hand from Kurt’s back
to drape his arm around the kid’s shoulders and tug Kurt a little closer to his
side. Dean had a sneaking suspicion that Puck was going to lose it when he
found out what had almost happened, which would be obvious when Puck saw them.
Kurt was trying hard to pretend he was okay, but the kid was still shaking and
very pale, and Dean was pretty sure it wouldn’t take much more than seeing
Puck’s worried face to make Kurt fall apart. “When you’re outnumbered, it helps
if the other guys think you won’t hesitate to kill them. I don’t have to pull a
knife very often, and I never killed anyone, but scarin’ the piss out of
shitheads like Karofsky has saved my ass more than once.”
Kurt smiled slightly, leaning against Dean’s side a bit even though he still
had both arms wrapped around his books. “You were… really impressive. You made
him look like a bumbling oaf.”
“Only ‘cause he is,” Dean said cheerfully, giving Kurt a grin. They walked in
silence the rest of the way down the hall, turning into Glee with Kurt still
tucked under Dean’s arm.
Schuester and Puck were off to one side of the room with their backs towards
the door, and Puck was saying earnestly, “Mr Schue, I promise we’ll come
straight here as soon as I find him.”
“Kurt’s never late to Glee,” Quinn pointed out, sounding worried as several
others muttered and nodded.
“Puck, I can’t just—“
Schuester broke off in surprise as Mercedes spotted Dean and Kurt blurted
loudly, “Thank you, God!” Mercedes was sitting between Tina and Artie and
clutching Tina’s hand, looking relieved as she slumped in her chair and added
sharply, “Don’t scare us like that, Kurt!”
Everyone in the room looked towards the door, relief on every face as Schuester
said unnecessarily, “We were getting worried, guys.”
“I’m sorry,” Kurt said softly, his slight smile fading away as he looked down.
“I was… unavoidably detained.”
Puck moved quickly towards Dean and Kurt while the rest of the class finally
noticed how upset Kurt looked and fell silent. “I was just about to come
looking for you, babe.” There was a strong hint there that Puck would have gone
after Kurt soon whether Schuester wanted him to or not, and Dean didn’t doubt
it. “What happened?”
Dean reached for Kurt’s books, murmuring, “Give me those, kiddo.”
Kurt blushed very red but he didn’t hesitate to let Dean have his things and
then he moved into Puck’s arms, clinging to Puck as he said quietly, “Karofsky
was being an ass, but Dean took care of it. I’m fine.”
Puck held Kurt close, looking to Dean like he wanted to kill someone. “Where is
that bastard?”
“On the way to the hospital if he knows what’s good for him,” Dean said as he
shifted Kurt’s things under one arm and moved closer to Puck and Kurt, reaching
out to put his free hand on Puck’s shoulder. “Don’t worry man, he won’t do it
again.”
“Dean, just how badly did you hurt Karofsky?” Schuester asked quickly,
frowning. “I know he picks on my kids, but he’s never really hurt any of them.”
“He said he was going to beat me to death in the boys’ bathroom because I’m a
fag,” Kurt said into Puck’s shirt just loudly enough that everyone could hear
it, and the roughened quality to his voice made it obvious that he was crying.
Puck let out a tiny little noise, his arms tightening around Kurt, and Dean
realized Puck was pretty close to the breaking point. Kurt had always caught
hell from the jocks from what Dean had gathered, even Puck at one time, but
none of them had ever really hurt him beyond the occasional bruise. Knowing
that Karofsky had said he intended to kill the kid obviously scared Puck enough
that Dean figured Karofsky probably would have done it, or at least tried to.
Tina started crying softly then, and Dean glanced towards her just in time to
see Mercedes take a ragged breath and close her eyes, tears sliding down her
face as she whispered, “Oh God.”
Rachel was crying too, and Brittany looked scared and upset as she shifted
closer to Santana and said, “I hate when Kurt gets hurt. He’s my friend.”
Santana turned towards Brittany, pulling the blonde into her arms as she said,
“I know, baby. He’s going to be okay. Puck will take care of him.”
“Why’d you even go in the boys bathroom?” Finn asked suddenly, frowning.
“Karofsky and Azimio told you if they caught you in there they’d hurt you, and
the girls don’t mind you using theirs.”
“He dragged me in there, Finn,” Kurt replied without moving away from Puck, his
voice still choked with tears. “Then he threw me against the wall and said that
someone would find my b-body later and everyone in school would know I finally
got what I deserve.”
Schuester closed his eyes, looking pained as he murmured, “Damn.”
“And that’s when I got there and put the worthless ass down,” Dean said firmly,
his hand still on Puck’s shoulder. Schuester’s eyes opened quickly and Dean met
the man’s shocked gaze without any hesitation or remorse. “He deserved what he
got, Schue. It’s not like I beat him half to death or something, even though I
wanted to. I only hit him twice.”
“Then why does he need a hospital?” Schuester asked, frowning and looking
confused.
“He needs a few stitches,” Dean said, “and might have a concussion. He’s a
klutz and he hit his head when he went down. He was bleeding some, but it
wasn’t bad.”
“I should go make sure he’s alright,” Schuester said, obviously angry and
reluctant. “I can’t stand him, and it makes me furious that he would threaten
Kurt like that, but if he needs a doctor…”
“Karofsky’s got a hard head, Mr Schue,” Puck said sharply, looking over his
shoulder at Schuester. “I’m sure he’s done worse playing hockey.”
Schuester looked into Puck’s eyes for a moment and then his gaze went to Kurt
and his expression hardened as he nodded. “You know what? I’m sure you’re
right, Puck. If Karofsky needs help, he can ask someone else.”
Puck turned his attention back to Kurt, seeming to forget everyone else as he
kissed Kurt’s hair and murmured softly, “You’re okay now, baby. I’ve got you.”
Kurt sniffled and whispered, “But if Dean hadn’t come along…” He made a soft
little noise and tightened his arms around Puck. “The way Karofsky looked at
me…” He shuddered, trailing off.
“I’m gonna kill him,” Puck said, soft and cold, and Schuester took a step
towards them quickly, looking worried.
“No, you aren’t,” Dean said firmly, making Puck shoot him an annoyed look. “You
need to take care of your boy, Puck, not worry about an ass I already kicked. I
told you I had your back and I do. I took care of the guy.”
“Please listen to him,” Kurt said quickly, pulling away from Puck enough to
look up at him, his eyes red and his face blotchy from crying. He was obviously
scared as he stared up at Puck, but Dean had the feeling that Kurt was mostly
scared that Puck would go after Karofsky. Dean was sure that if Puck did,
Karofsky really would end up in the hospital, if not the morgue. Puck had a
habit of beating down people who upset Kurt, and Dean was pretty sure that
knowing that Karofsky had threatened to kill the kid would be enough to make
Puck go too far. “Dean scared him badly enough that I think they’ll leave me
alone now.”
Puck looked at Kurt, searching his eyes for a long moment before he said
quietly, “If he so much as touches you ever again, I’m gonna beat him down.”
“And I’ll let you, I promise,” Kurt said, trying to smile. “Just, promise me
you’ll let it go this time. Please? Dean took care of it.”
Puck stared into Kurt’s eyes a long moment before he nodded slightly,
murmuring, “I promise, baby.” He shifted his gaze to look into Dean’s eyes
without giving Kurt a chance to reply as he added, “But I owe you.”
Dean smiled and gave Puck’s shoulder a squeeze. “No you don’t. What kind of
friend would I be if I didn’t look out for Kurt when you’re not around?”
“No, I do, whether you think so or not,” Puck disagreed. “I won’t forget it.”
“Teach me to play the guitar and we’ll call it even,” Dean said. “Now c’mon,
we’d better get to our seats before Schue has to go all teacher on us and tell
us to sit down and shut up.”
“We should.” Kurt pulled away from Puck, taking Puck’s hand in both of his own
to pull Puck towards the chairs. He kept his gaze down on the floor as he
moved, obviously embarrassed that he had cried in front of everyone as he said
quietly, “Sorry about that, everyone. I’ll try to stop being such a drama queen
now.”
“Don’t be sorry, Kurt,” Schuester said quickly, and Dean liked the man more for
how concerned Schuester looked as he watched Kurt. “Take whatever time you need
to get yourself back together. You’ve had quite a scare.”
Puck stopped Kurt before he could sit down, dropping into his usual seat by
Quinn and then pulling Kurt into his lap without a word. Kurt held very still
for a moment before he relaxed and settled into Puck’s arms, hiding his face
against Puck’s throat. Puck closed his eyes and took a slow shaky breath as he
turned his head to press his lips against Kurt’s hair, holding Kurt like the
kid might break if he wasn’t careful.
Dean moved to sit next to Puck in Kurt’s usual seat, dropping his own bag and
Kurt’s things beside him and then reaching over to rub Puck’s back slowly. It
wasn’t exactly the most macho thing to do, Dean knew, but just at that moment
Dean didn’t care what anyone else thought. Puck was obviously pretty close to
losing it and Dean figured he needed the support. Quinn seemed to agree and
moved her chair closer to Puck’s other side, putting an arm around Puck’s waist
and whispering into his ear too softly for anyone else to hear her.
The class just watched them in worried silence for a few minutes before Kurt
took a shaky breath and then lifted his head as he pasted on a smile for Quinn,
murmuring, “We’ll be fine.”
Quinn didn’t quite seem to believe him, but she forced a little smile, nodding.
“I know.”
Schuester was watching with concern as he said gently, “Are you sure, Kurt?”
Kurt looked over at Schuester, blushing very red as he nodded. “Yes sir. If you
don’t mind a little P.D.A., I think we should get started with today’s class.”
Kurt obviously wanted to get everyone’s attention off of him, and Schuester
seemed to agree because he looked around at the others. “No one minds, right?”
Dean turned his head to really look at the other students for the first time
since Kurt told them Karofsky planned to kill him, and he almost smiled at the
worried looks most had on their faces as they watched Puck holding Kurt. Dean
realized suddenly that he was glad he had ended up in Glee. If he hadn’t, he
would never have talked to most of the kids in there, and he would have missed
out on a lot. They were pretty geeky sometimes, sure, and Rachel was really
kind of annoying sometimes, but they were all good kids and a few of them were
shaping up to be better friends than he had ever had before.
“Of course no one minds,” Rachel said staunchly, looking around. “Right?”
“Right,” Santana said, holding Brittany as she looked pointedly at each of the
boys in the class, daring them to argue.
Mike was quick to shake his head. “Don’t mind a bit.”
Artie added quietly, “They need each other right now.”
Matt and Finn didn’t say anything, but they didn’t argue with Santana or Rachel
either, and they were obviously worried about their friends despite the fact
they looked uncomfortable with seeing two guys touching.
Schuester looked around for a moment longer and then nodded. “Great. Let’s get
started, then. I thought that today we could discuss Regionals and try to get a
better idea of our set list together. We’ve got less than two weeks left to
prepare, and after Friday I’d like us to concentrate only on the songs you’ll
be doing in competition.”
Everyone started talking at once then about the songs they had performed
together so far that year, and Dean settled back in his chair to listen,
stealing frequent glances at Puck and Kurt. Puck was obviously still pretty
upset that Kurt could have really been hurt, and Dean had a sneaking suspicion
that Kurt would have a shadow for at least a week, if not much longer. Puck was
a tough guy, but the idea of Kurt being hurt because Puck wasn’t there to
protect him was obviously enough to knock Puck to his knees.
After a little while Kurt and Puck finally began to take an interest in the
conversation going on around them, and soon they were both taking up the
argument in favor of songs they wanted in the Regionals set list. Quinn met
Dean’s gaze past Puck and Kurt the next time he looked towards them after that,
giving Dean a sweet little smile as she mouthed, “Thank you.”
Dean smiled back at her and mouthed, “Anytime, beautiful.”
Quinn smiled wider and then laid her head on Puck’s shoulder, relaxing and
listening to the discussion going on around them.
Kurt started arguing with Rachel a moment later about a particular song she
wanted to perform that didn’t have any parts for the rest of them, and soon
Dean and Puck were both snickering at the way the two divas bickered.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean had just gotten his forgotten Spanish textbook out of the Impala and was
walking quickly towards Spanish later that afternoon when Sam suddenly appeared
next to him. “What’d you do to him, Dean?”
Dean looked at Sam in surprise. “What’d I do to who? And why do you care?”
“That big meathead on the hockey team,” Sam said, looking at Dean like he
wasn’t sure if he should get mad or not. “He told me on my way to homeroom that
he was going to kick my ass at lunch, but then when he saw me heading for the
cafeteria he turned and went the other way.” He paused and then added
pointedly, “His whole forehead is turning black and blue and he’s got fresh
stitches in his hair, so don’t tell me nothing happened.”
Dean shrugged, grinning suddenly. “I didn’t beat him up for threatening you, if
that’s what you’re so worried about. I kicked his ass for going after Kurt.”
“Why didn’t Puck take care of it?” Sam asked, surprised. “Isn’t that kind of
his job?”
“Puck wasn’t around,” Dean said, looking over at Sam as they walked around a
corner. “Karofsky had dragged Kurt in the bathroom and was talkin’ like he was
gonna kill the kid, but I happened to hear them and put a stop to it.” He
smirked. “Karofsky got so scared he pissed his pants, so I don’t think he’ll be
bothering anyone for a while.”
“Is Kurt okay?” Sam asked, and Dean was proud of the concern and anger so plain
on Sam’s face. Kurt might be older than Sam, but Sam was a lot tougher and Sam
knew it as well as Dean did.
“Yeah, he’s alright,” Dean said, nodding. “Not likely to wander around without
Puck for a while, but right now he couldn’t if he wanted to anyway.”
“Speaking of,” Sam murmured quietly, bumping his shoulder against Dean’s and
then nodding towards the other end of the hall.
Mercedes, Quinn, Puck, and Kurt had just rounded a corner and were heading
towards them, and Dean felt very smug when he saw them. Puck had one arm
securely around Kurt and was looking at him as they walked along, smiling and
talking like no one else was around while people moved quickly out of their
way. Mercedes and Quinn trailed along behind them looking amused and pleased as
they walked arm-in-arm.
Sam looked over at Dean, laughing softly when he saw Dean’s face. “My big
brother is such a badass that he made everyone afraid of the Glee club.”
Dean glanced at Sam, still smirking and feeling smug. “Don’t look now, baby
bro, but they’re gettin’ out of your way, too.” Dean turned into Spanish
without another word, but he heard Sam laughing on the way to his next class.
Schuester was sitting on his desk, smiling at Dean as he walked in. “Have you
seen Karofsky recently, Dean?”
“No sir, Mr Schue,” Dean said as he slid into one of the empty chairs at the
back of the class, smirking.  “I hear he hit his head, though.”
“Slipped and fell in the bathroom,” Schuester agreed, his lips twitching as he
tried not to laugh. “Coach Tanaka had to take him to the emergency room for
stitches.” He paused and then added, “And then home to change his clothes.”
“And why do we care that he pissed his pants?” Puck asked with a wide grin,
walking in with an armful of books and his other arm around Kurt.
Mercedes still trailed along behind them, looking surprised but really pleased.
Quinn was nowhere to be seen, but she didn’t have Spanish fifth period so that
wasn’t a surprise. Quinn had Home Ec and would be down the hall making a quiche
or something while Dean got to breeze through a class he didn’t need at all. He
had spoken Spanish fluently since he was seven and spent several months in
Colorado with Sam and the Mexican wife of one of his dad’s war buddies.
Consuelo didn’t speak English at all, so Dean had learned Spanish mostly out of
self-defense. He’d agreed to all kinds of things before he knew what it was
Consuelo was asking him, which had led to him doing all the nastiest chores –
like taking care of the family’s pigs -- while her own son laughed at him.
Schuester looked at Puck, amused. “Just thought it was … interesting.” He
tilted his head slightly, watching as Puck walked Kurt to his usual seat at the
far side of the room from the door in the front. “Aren’t you going to be late
for Algebra 2, Puck? It’s all the way at the other end of the school.”
Puck shrugged, putting the books he was carrying down on Kurt’s desk and giving
Schuester a crooked grin. “Don’t care, Mr Schue. I never go anyway.”
Schuester blinked. “How exactly is that possible?”
Puck grinned wider, moving back towards the door in a slow easy saunter that
made Dean smirk a bit as he watched. Puck knew how hot he was and liked to show
it off every chance he got, which worked fine for Dean, since he kind of liked
to watch him move. “Math gives me an awful headache,” Puck said as he went,
“and Miss P always tells me to take some Tylenol and lay down a while. A nap
clears it right up.”
Schuester laughed. “Sounds like a good deal, until you flunk and get kicked out
of athletics.”
“Nah, I got that covered,” Puck said, smirking as he stopped at the door and
moved aside to let Brittany and Santana walk in past him. “Coach had a talk
with Robertson at the beginning of the year and got me a sweet deal. Mike turns
in my homework for me, and I show up for the tests, mostly. Enough I’m passing,
anyway.” He waved and ducked out into the hall as he called, “See you after
class, Mr Schue.”
Schuester chuckled, shaking his head slightly. “At least there’s only one
Puck.”
“Which is a good thing,” Mercedes said, grinning widely. “If there were two of
him, they’d never stop fighting over Kurt.”
Kurt blushed, looking very happy while the rest of the class laughed.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Practice that afternoon went much better than the day before, so it was barely
four-thirty when Schuester turned everyone loose. Mercedes, Tina, Artie, Matt,
and Mike were all going to the mall, and Santana and Brittany had a date with
some college guy that they picked up the day before at the movies. Finn was
going with Rachel and her two gay dads – and dude, Dean would never get used to
that idea, much less the fact that everyone knew about them – to a play a
couple of towns over, and wouldn’t be back until nearly midnight.
Dean was thinking about just going for a long drive as he followed Puck, Quinn,
and Kurt out of the auditorium. Sam wasn’t around because he’d had debate club
practice and then was going to eat and study with one of the girls in the club,
so Dean was at loose ends for a change. Sam wasn’t supposed to get dropped off
at their place until sometime after eight, which left Dean with hours to kill.
Quinn was walking arm-in-arm with Kurt as they headed towards the parking lot,
smiling happily as she suggested, “We should have a movie night at your house,
Kurt. Nancy doesn’t have to work so Puck and I don’t have Sarah to worry about,
and it’ll be fun to just hang out and relax.”
Kurt smiled at Quinn, looking pleased. “Sounds fun!” He turned his head to look
at Puck, who was walking next to Kurt with his hands in his pockets, close
enough their shoulders brushed. “What do you think?”
“I don’t want to watch a chick flick,” Puck said, amused. “But if you two can
pick something that won’t make me want to gouge my eyes out, I’m in.”
Kurt beamed. “Wonderful.” He turned to look over his shoulder at Dean. “Did you
have plans for tonight, Dean?”
Dean blinked in surprise. “I… No, not really. Sam has a thing with the debate
club, and then he’s gonna have dinner and study with some girl. Why?”
“Would you like to hang out with us?” Quinn asked before Kurt could, smiling at
Dean as she let go of Kurt and turned to take Dean’s arm instead. “Give me
someone to cuddle with during the movie, maybe?” She grinned impishly. “I think
Puck’s lap will be full.”
Dean’s eyebrows went up in surprise but he smiled. “Sure, if you want.”
“Then it’s settled,” Quinn said, beaming. “Now what movie are we going to
watch?”
“If anyone so much as hints at ‘Rent’, I am gone,” Puck said, laughing.
Kurt grinned at Puck and teased, “You can’t take off. You gave me a ride to
school this morning, remember?”
Puck laughed. “Oh, I’ll take you home, but if I hear one word of that damned
minutes song I’m gonna bolt. I had it stuck in my head for freaking days after
the last time you ladies talked me into watching it with you.”
Kurt’s grin widened just a bit as he stopped, turning to face Puck and deftly
slipping his hand into Puck’s jacket pocket before he started to back away.
“You know, there’s something you really should know about me, Noah.”
Puck looked at Kurt in surprise, obviously amused even though Dean wasn’t sure
Puck realized that Kurt had just stolen his keys. “And what’s that, babe?”
Kurt’s grin turned into a wicked little smirk. “I am so not a lady.” He turned
away and headed towards Puck’s truck as he lifted Puck’s keys to wave them over
his shoulder, rattling them. “And I’m driving.”
Quinn giggled and looked at Puck, teasing softly, “Something tells me that you
just might get a surprise when you finally talk Kurt out of those skinny jeans
you like looking at so much.”
Puck looked at Quinn, blinking, then his eyes widened as his eyebrows rose.
“Dude.”
Dean snickered and patted Puck’s shoulder as he started past with Quinn,
smirking. “Don’t worry, man, you’ll be fine. He can dance.”
Quinn giggled and leaned more against Dean’s side. “Very well, even.”
“Dude!” Puck repeated, and this time he sounded shocked enough that Dean and
Quinn both cracked up.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Quinn hummed softly and shifted in Dean’s lap, nuzzling under his jaw as she
murmured, “You’re nice to cuddle with.”
Dean smiled, watching the credits at the end of Armageddon begin as he slowly
stroked her back and whispered, “You’re a nice armful.”
“Not hardly,” Quinn murmured, sounding just a bit sad. “I look like a beached
whale and—“
“And no one ever told you how hot a pregnant lady is, huh?” Dean finished for
her, lips quirking into a bit of a smirk as he shifted under her, his half-hard
cock nudging against her hip.
Quinn pulled away to look at him, eyes widening. “You like fat women?”
Dean moved his hand to brush back her hair, amused. “You’re not fat,
sweetheart. You’re pregnant. There’s a really big difference.”
“You’re crazy,” Quinn said, looking at him like he was nuts.
“Maybe, but you’re still sexy as hell,” Dean said, grinning. “You’ve got this
whole soft-eyed glowy thing going on that really works for you.”
“Dean,” Kurt said suddenly, “Please tell me you’re not trying to get in Quinn’s
pants.”
Dean laughed and looked over at the couch. Kurt was sprawled on Puck’s chest
like he had been through most of the movie, both of them still stretched out on
Kurt’s couch even though Kurt had propped himself up a bit to stare at Dean.
“No, I’m not tryin’ to get laid, I promise.”
“Then you don’t really mean what you said,” Quinn pointed out.
“I meant it,” Dean said firmly, looking at Quinn again and wanting to get rid
of the disappointment he saw in her eyes. “That doesn’t mean I’m enough of a
jerk to try to get in your pants now, though. I heard you and Kurt’s stepmom
earlier while we waited for Puck an’ Kurt to get here, and I kinda doubt you’re
supposed to be gettin’ laid if you’re only a few weeks from poppin’ out your
little girl.”
“Beth,” Quinn corrected softly, looking at Dean with an unreadable expression.
“What if I wasn’t due so soon?”
Dean smirked slowly, his expression going very wicked and making Quinn’s eyes
widen just a bit as he purred, “Sweetheart, I would be all over you.”
Kurt reached out to point the remote at the DVD player, stopping the movie and
ejecting the disc as he said cheerfully, “There’s always later, Dean. The
doctor is supposed to induce labor the day after Regionals, and he says she
won’t have to miss more than a day or two of school as long as she takes it
easy. Carole is going to take care of Beth during the day so one of us doesn’t
have to drop out to do it.”
Quinn looked quickly at Kurt in surprise, and Dean smiled. He had overheard
enough to know that Quinn didn’t think she was ready to be a mom, but she was
keeping her baby anyway because Puck wanted so badly to be a part of his
daughter’s life. It didn’t surprise him to hear that Kurt had already decided
to do what he had to do so that could happen, but evidently Quinn hadn’t
realized that yet.
“I can be patient that long,” Dean said, distracting Quinn and making her look
back at him. He liked the girl and she seemed to enjoy his company even when he
wasn’t trying to impress her, which wasn’t something he ran into often. She
also knew he was bi and didn’t mind it a bit, so he didn’t have to worry about
it freaking her out if he and Puck ended up doing anything. He was starting to
think they probably would, and he was looking forward to it. Kurt was a virgin
that had never even been kissed by a guy in front of anyone until Puck kissed
him in Glee just the day before, and Puck was so protective of Kurt that Dean
figured he wouldn’t want Kurt’s first time to have the slightest chance of
going badly. That meant Puck would want to try it himself first so he knew how
to make it good for Kurt, and Dean was pretty sure he was the only guy Puck
knew that might be interested in letting Puck experiment on him.
Quinn stared into Dean’s eyes for a few moments longer and then finally smiled
as she laid her head on his shoulder. “That’s sweet, Dean, but I won’t be
having sex afterwards, either. Not for about six weeks after the baby is born.”
“There’s all kinds of things we can do without fucking, sweetheart,” Dean
murmured to her, still smirking. “You just let me take care of you and you
won’t even miss the sex, I promise.”
Quinn giggled and lifted her head to look at him again, blushing. “You’re so
bad.”
“Nobody has ever complained,” Dean said, smirking. “Sex is great, but it’s not
like it’s the only way to get off. It’s not even always the most fun.”
“Such as?” Kurt asked, and when Dean glanced at him he had to laugh. Kurt had
folded his arms on Puck’s chest and was watching Dean and Quinn interestedly
with just a hint of blush on his cheeks. Puck was looking amused, his hands on
Kurt’s back as he watched and listened.
Dean smirked at Kurt. “I already told you, kid. Ask Puck to show you. I’m sure
he’s done enough to make it interesting for you.”
Quinn giggled at that and Puck laughed, looking at Kurt. “You asked Dean about
sex?”
Kurt blushed very red as he met Puck’s gaze. “I might have, yes. I was curious
and wanted to know what it’s like, and he has been there and done that.”      
“You could ask me,” Puck said, looking slightly less amused. “I’ve been getting
laid whenever I felt like it since I was fifteen.”
“Yes,” Kurt agreed, looking down at Puck’s chest, “but I am rather sure you
haven’t done what I was most curious about.”
Puck blinked and then his eyebrows went up. “And you think Dean has?”
“He said he’d done it with a guy both ways the other night,” Quinn said,
giggling again. “Weren’t you listening?”
Puck looked over at Dean, still surprised. “How did I miss that?”
“Don’t ask me,” Dean said, snickering even though he could feel his face
heating up. “Nobody else did, going by the looks I got.”
“Huh.” Puck stared at Dean a moment longer and then looked at Kurt. “I guess I
could probably talk Dean into showing me what it’s like then, if you want me
to.”
Kurt’s eyes went wide and he stared at Puck. “I must have heard that wrong. It
sounded like you just offered to let Dean … top you. For me.”
Puck blushed. “I did.”
“I bet Dean wouldn’t mind,” Quinn said then, smirking as she looked at Dean.
“Puck’s hot enough, isn’t he?”
“Sure,” Dean agreed, surprised and more than a little amused that they were all
actually talking about him fucking Puck to further Kurt’s education. “I’m
always willin’ to help out a friend.”
Quinn laughed and teased Dean, “Especially if it gets you a chance at an ass as
hot at Puck’s.”
Dean smirked at her. “I’m not stupid.” Quinn just giggled at that and Dean
turned his attention back to Puck and Kurt.
Puck was blushing beet red as he stared into Kurt’s eyes, and after another
moment he blurted softly, “It wouldn’t be anything but sex, but if you don’t
like the idea, it’s not happening. I mean, Dean’s cool and all, but he’s not
you.”
Kurt stared into Puck’s eyes for a long moment and then smiled slowly, still
looking surprised but obviously pleased, too. “I’m not going to be upset if you
… experiment with Dean until I’m ready to satisfy your needs myself. I know you
too well to ask you to be exclusive until then.”
Puck frowned. “I can wait for you, baby.” He blushed. “I want to, for you. I
just want to know what I’m doing when you’re ready so I don’t screw it up. Your
first time, our first time, ought to be special.”
Kurt’s smile turned soft and loving as he murmured, “I do enjoy the sweet
things you say, Noah.” He leaned to kiss Puck without giving him a chance to
reply, and Puck’s hands lifted from Kurt’s back to cup Kurt’s face between them
as he responded warmly. Puck’s hands were soon moving to roam over Kurt’s body
while Kurt shifted a little higher on Puck’s body to settle with Puck’s hips
between his thighs, earning a low approving purr from Puck.
The way Puck and Kurt felt about each other was obvious in every move they
made, and Dean just watched them for a few minutes, smiling. They didn’t grind
against each other or do anything overtly sexual, but there was still so much
electricity between them that it was hard for Dean to make himself look away.
He hadn’t ever really understood why some guys would go through hell to keep a
girlfriend, but while he watched Puck and Kurt making out he found himself
wondering wistfully what it might be like to have a guy who felt like that
about him, needed him like that.
It dawned on Dean suddenly that he was wishing for a boyfriend, and he finally
looked away as he tried to convince himself he hadn’t thought such a thing.
Enjoying being fucked was one thing, but wishing for a guy to treat him the way
Puck treated Kurt was a little too gay, even for him.
Quinn had been watching Kurt and Puck with a soft little smile, but Dean
looking away from them drew her attention to him as she murmured, “That really
looks like fun.”
Dean’s gaze was drawn unerringly back to Puck and Kurt, and he took a moment to
admire the way Puck’s long fingers looked splayed out on the cheek of Kurt’s
perfectly muscular little ass before he dragged his gaze away again to give
Quinn a slight smirk. “Yeah, it does. Did you have someone in particular in
mind that you’d like to make out with?”
“You’ll do for now,” Quinn replied with an impish smile, leaning in to kiss
him.
Dean chuckled slightly into the kiss as he lifted one hand to slide his fingers
into her hair, kissing her softly. Quinn settled in a little closer after a
moment, deepening the kiss with a soft happy sound, and Dean relaxed into
making out with her, a little surprised at what a relief it was to know nothing
else would happen. She was a very nice armful even with the baby belly, and she
kissed like it was her favorite hobby, slow and lingering but without expecting
anything more from him. He didn’t have to pretend to like her friends, or her
music, or listen to her talk about some actor she had the hots for, or any of
the other crap girls had always made him put up with in order to get laid.
Quinn just wanted someone to hold her and make her feel beautiful, and Dean
could so handle that.
Dean heard the sound of the door to Kurt’s room opening a little while later
but he didn’t stop what he was doing, one hand stroking slowly over Quinn’s
back while they kissed languidly. He wasn’t ashamed of making out with Quinn,
so he saw no reason to stop just because someone was walking down the stairs.
She was only sixteen, true, but he wasn’t doing anything illegal with her and
most likely wouldn’t be. John had promised to let him and Sam stay until the
school year ended, but Dean was pretty sure they wouldn’t be allowed to stay a
minute longer than that. There were less than six weeks left of school, so
Quinn likely wouldn’t be having sex again until long after they were gone.
Finn made it halfway down the stairs before he noticed what was going on.
“Whoa, shit! I did not need to see that, Kurt!”
Quinn started giggling, pulling away from Dean as they both looked over at Kurt
and Puck.
Puck was kissing Kurt with more than a little tongue, one hand tangled in
Kurt’s hair while the other still moved rather possessively over Kurt’s ass,
long fingers stroking slowly. Kurt pulled away from Puck after a moment longer,
beet red and breathless with his lips reddened and a little swollen from
kissing. He looked over at Finn, obviously exasperated as he said, “Then learn
to knock! This is my bedroom, and I’m sure I will eventually be doing much more
than just kissing my boyfriend.”
Finn was obviously kind of freaked out, wide-eyed and not looking anywhere near
Kurt and Puck as he said quickly, “I get that, I do, just… Dude! I didn’t want
to ever see some guy feeling up your ass.”
Kurt’s dad walked quickly down the stairs, frowning. “What the hell is going on
down here? I thought you kids were just going to watch a movie.”
Kurt quickly scrambled up off of Puck to stand and face his dad, obviously very
embarrassed as he tried to straighten his hair. “We did, Dad. It ended a few
minutes ago.”
Dean figured most of Kurt’s embarrassment was due to the fact the kid’s tight
jeans did nothing to hide his arousal. Everyone in Glee had seen Puck pick Kurt
up during practice the day before and kiss Kurt like he was going to devour him
and Kurt hadn’t blushed at all, instead wrapping his legs around Puck’s waist
and kissing back for all he was worth while most of the class hooted and
hollered. Kurt obviously wasn’t ashamed of how he felt about Puck – if
anything, the kid seemed inclined to revel in showing off the fact Puck so
obviously returned his feelings – but having his dad know he was kissing
someone was a little different than having his dad catch him with a hard-on he
couldn’t hide.
Puck sat up with a slight wince, looking kind of sheepish and avoiding looking
at Burt as he ran one hand over his mohawk. “We were just kissing, sir.”
“That’s all we’ve done.” Kurt was starting to look a bit more confident even
though his face was still beet red as he met his dad’s gaze. “But if we had …
done more, I would hope that you would accept that I’m old enough to choose for
myself who I want to share that with and when.”
Burt looked at Kurt for a long moment before he sighed and nodded. “I do, son.
I trust you to make your own decisions about sex.” He turned his attention to
Puck, his expression hardening a bit as he added, “But you’d better treat my
boy right, Puckerman. Don’t push him into anything he’s not ready for, and if
you ever hurt him…”
Puck looked up at Burt finally, blushing as he stood and reached for Kurt’s
hand. “Kurt’s safe with me, sir, you’ve got my word on that. I’ll wait as long
as he needs me to, and if--”
“When,” Kurt corrected, looking at Puck.
Puck looked at Kurt, meeting his gaze and smiling suddenly. “When we do more
than kiss, I’ll make sure everything we do is his idea.”
Quinn stifled a giggle at the way Kurt and Puck were staring at each other, and
Dean’s lips twitched as he tried not to laugh. Puck had the sappiest look in
his eyes to go with the goofy smile on his face, and Kurt was staring up at him
like Puck was a god come to life again. It was almost pathetically easy for
Puck to impress the kid, but Puck was so gone on Kurt that he didn’t seem to
notice it.
Burt watched them looking at each other for a few minutes and then he said
gruffly, “Then welcome to the family, son.”
Puck looked quickly at Burt, wide-eyed but obviously pleased. “Wow. Uhm… Thank
you, sir.”
Kurt beamed at Burt, moving closer to Puck’s side as he shifted to hold Puck’s
hand in both of his. “Yeah, thanks, Dad. That means a lot to me.”
Burt looked bemusedly at Kurt, and Dean wondered if the guy realized he was
wrapped securely around his son’s littlest finger. He’d gotten the impression
before that Burt thought his son could do no wrong, but to see Kurt manipulate
him so openly was really kind of cute. Not that Dean would ever say such a
thing out loud, but yeah. Freaking adorable.
“You’re both welcome. I think.” Burt turned to go again, glancing at Finn’s
still-shocked face and then adding, “Finn was coming to tell you kids that
Carole and I got Chinese for everyone, but I think you traumatized him enough
he forgot.”
“Next time someone else can tell them,” Finn said, hurrying suddenly past Burt
back up the stairs. “I don’t want to know what those two are doing down here.
It’s weird enough seeing them kiss all the time at school!”
“I’ll tell them next time, Finn,” Burt said, rolling his eyes as he followed
Finn up the stairs. “Hurry up, kids, before dinner gets cold.”
Kurt laughed softly. “We’ll be there in a minute, Dad.”
 “Or less,” Puck added, pulling Kurt towards the stairs as Kurt laughed again.
“What time is it?” Quinn asked, looking at Dean with a smile.
Dean moved the hand he had on her back, extracting it out from under her hair
to check his watch. “Just after eight-thirty.” He made a face and added, “Which
means I should be going. Sammy’ll be at home waiting on me, an’ the kid worries
if I stay out late on a school night.”
“Surely you can eat first,” Kurt said quickly as he paused on the stairs in
surprise, making Puck stop to wait for him. “You said Sam was eating with his
friend’s family.”
“I’m not into Chinese food,” Dean said, smiling at Kurt. “Thanks for the offer,
though.”
“You and me both, man,” Puck said with a laugh, tugging on Kurt’s hand to get
him moving again. “Thank god for egg rolls and those wonton things, or I’d
starve as much as everyone around here loves the crap.”
Kurt looked kind of amused as he let Puck pull him up the stairs. “There’s
nothing wrong with Chinese food, Noah. You’re just a heathen that thinks bacon
cheeseburgers are on par with a gourmet meal.”
“And don’t you forget it,” Puck said cheerfully as they disappeared into the
kitchen. “Just don’t tell my mom, she’d kill me.”
Quinn made a face as she started trying to get up, and Dean was quick to help
her, earning him a grateful smile as she murmured, “Thanks.”
Dean stood as soon as Quinn stepped away enough that he could, smiling down at
her. “My pleasure.”
Quinn put her hands on his chest and stretched up awkwardly to kiss his chin,
her baby belly pressed tight against him, and then she pulled away to walk
towards the stairs. “Chinese sounds good to me. My baby wants some of that
pineapple chicken I smell.”
“Blame it on Beth, why don’t you.” Dean laughed and followed her, thinking it
had been sweet of Quinn to let Puck name the baby, since Puck was the one who
wanted their little girl so very badly. “Kid’s not even born and you’re already
trying to get her in trouble.”
“She’s the one giving me cravings! I don’t even like pineapple.” Dean moved to
hold on to Quinn’s elbow and rest his other hand on her waist as she started
slowly up the stairs in front of him, and she looked over her shoulder at him.
“I can make it.”
“I know,” Dean said, smiling at her, “but I want to help.”
Quinn didn’t say anything else, letting him help her as far as the landing
halfway up the stairs before she stopped to catch her breath, and Dean moved up
just behind her so she could lean against him. She turned to reach up and put
her arms around his neck after a moment, pulling him into another kiss. They
lingered for a few minutes, taking their time, and then she finally pulled away
to give him a soft little smile. “You’re a really sweet guy, Dean.”
Dean smiled and bent to scoop her up into his arms, starting to carry her the
rest of the way up the stairs as he said cheerfully, “I know.”
Quinn just giggled and held on, watching Dean with sparkling eyes and not
talking again until Dean stopped in the kitchen and put her feet down. “Thank
you, that was much easier than walking. It’s getting harder every day to get
back up those stairs.”
“I bet,” Dean agreed with a grin, trying to ignore the way everyone was staring
at them. He leaned down to kiss her softly again just because he could, and
then added teasingly, “I’ll see you tomorrow, beautiful.”
Quinn beamed up at him, her eyes sparkling. “Count on it.”
Dean winked at her and then looked at everyone else as he started towards the
front door, grinning. “Night all.”
“Good night, Dean,” Carole said, watching Dean with a surprised smile as she
carried a pitcher of tea to the table.
Burt just nodded and waved, his mouth full.
Finn looked kind of shocked as he echoed, “Night.”
“See you at school, Dean,” Kurt said, smiling happily as he moved to the table
with the small pitcher of lemonade, pouring a glass for Quinn and another for
himself.
Puck was reaching for the egg rolls and grinning widely as he added, “Drive
safe, man.”
“I will,” Dean said cheerfully. “Enjoy your Chinese, Puck. I got a date with a
bacon cheeseburger and a beer.”
“Oh man, that was just cruel!” Puck exclaimed as everyone in the kitchen
started laughing.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean turned into the driveway towards the old trailer he and Sam were staying
in and frowned slightly when he saw that there was a minivan parked in his
usual spot by the steps. He parked the Impala in the tall grass of the yard and
grabbed his leather jacket and the bag with his dinner in it, then got out and
started wading through the grass towards the steps. When he opened the front
door a moment later he stopped in surprise, his frown deepening.
Sam looked up from where he was sitting on the couch, flushed and looking
embarrassed as his gaze flicked to the woman who stopped pacing across the
living room to glare at Dean. She looked about thirty-five and was dressed in a
fancy white silk blouse with ruffles and a knee-length beige skirt that
reminded Dean of a hotel lamp shade.
“Where have you been?” the woman asked sharply. “We’ve been waiting for over an
hour! I heard Sam tell you on the phone that I would drop him off at eight!”
Dean’s eyebrows rose and he tossed his jacket on the couch, glancing at Sam.
“Hey Sammy.”
Sam gave him a weak little smile. “Hi.”
“Have fun tonight?” Dean asked, curious and hoping that if he ignored the woman
she would either calm down or leave.
“Yeah,” Sam replied, but he didn’t elaborate.
“Don’t ignore me, Dean!” the woman said sharply, stalking towards Dean with her
heels clicking loudly on the linoleum.
Dean turned to face her, his eyes narrowing. “Lady, I don’t know who you are or
why you think you have the right to scold me like I tracked crap on your
carpet, but ignoring you is exactly what you want me to do, I promise.” The
woman looked a little taken aback by that and Dean turned to walk into the
kitchen as he added, “This is my house, not yours. Why the hell are you even
here?”
“Because you weren’t home!” the woman exclaimed, on the attack again just that
quickly. “You were supposed to be here so I could drop Sam off!”
Dean dropped the bag with his dinner in it on the kitchen table and opened the
fridge to get a beer, rapping the cap off on the edge of the counter. He turned
back towards the woman without bothering to chase the cap, which had landed in
the sink with a tinny clatter. “I don’t remember telling anyone that you needed
to wait for me to get home, and I don’t even have to ask to know that Sammy
told you he’d be fine until I got here.”
“What if someone had tried to break in?” the woman asked quickly. “He could
have been killed, he’s just a little boy.”
Dean snorted. “Nobody’s going to break into this dump, but ifsome mentally
challenged fool decided to try, Sam would be fine. He has a cell phone and he
knows where I keep my shotgun.” He took a slow drink of his beer and then
added, “And the kid’s fifteen, not five. He doesn’t need a keeper while I’m out
on a date.” The evening at Kurt’s hadn’t started as a date, of course, but Dean
had enjoyed a lapful of pretty blonde for a few hours and even got to make out
with her, so he figured it ended up that way.
The woman stared at Dean, affronted and scandalized. ”You have a gun.”
Dean sighed and made himself try a little harder to be patient with the woman
for Sam’s sake, even though he just wanted to tell her to shut up and get out.
“Actually, I have three, but Sam doesn’t know where I keep my .45, and the .38
is in the Impala’s glove box where it’s stayed since Dad gave it to me with the
car.” The woman looked so freaked out by that idea that Dean decided maybe he
should at least try to allay her fears. “I’ve got a permit for the handguns,
and Sam and I both know all about how to be safe with all kinds of firearms.
Dad was a Marine and he taught me to shoot when I was six. I taught Sam when he
was eight.”
The woman shuddered and just stared as Dean took another slow drink of his
beer, then asked, “Are you even old enough to be drinking that beer?”
“What, are you going to try to card me in my own living room now?” Dean asked,
surprised and annoyed. “Jesus, lady, who the hell do you think you are?”
“The Baptist preacher’s wife,” Sam said, looking kind of like he wanted to
crawl under the couch while the woman sputtered and turned an interesting shade
of purple. “Mrs Mason.”
Dean stared at Sam. “Sammy, dude, you went after the preacher’s daughter?
Haven’t I taught you better than that? I mean, seriously, they either never put
out or they go all nymphomaniac on you, and neither one’s worth the hassle, I
promise.”
“Stay away from my daughter, both of you,” Mrs Mason said suddenly, stalking
quickly towards the door. “If I hear you’ve so much as looked at her, I’ll call
the police.”
“Yes ma’am,” Sam said automatically, looking relieved. Mrs Mason slammed the
door behind her a moment later, and then Sam looked up at Dean as he added,
“I’m sorry she yelled at you, Dean. When I got out of her van she wanted to
know who was home, and I couldn’t lie to her. Then she insisted on waiting
until you got here.”
“Not your fault, Sammy,” Dean said, feeling wry and amused. “Just, dude. The
preacher’s daughter?”
“She never said!” Sam protested quickly, letting out a little laugh. “She’s a
cheerleader, and she likes me. I didn’t know until her dad started praying
before dinner and went on for like, fifteen minutes about how he hoped I would
join his congregation.”
Dean snickered, shaking his head as he turned back towards the kitchen table
and his dinner. “That’s just wrong.”
Sam stood up to follow Dean, looking hopeful. “Did you get me anything?”
“You ate with them, Sam!” Dean said quickly with a laugh, taking a seat at the
table. He started to open the Sonic bag as he added, “A nice home-cooked meal
even, not crappy drive thru.”
“Mrs Mason’s the worst cook ever, Dean,” Sam replied, looking crestfallen as he
moved to the cabinet. “I guess I’ll have to nuke a can of ravioli or something.
The meatloaf she made was so dry it was like a brick with ketchup on it, and
she even ruined the mashed potatoes.” He paused as he moved the cereal boxes to
look behind them as he added almost plaintively, “Who ruins boxed mashed
potatoes? They just kind of oozed all over the plate, and they tasted like that
paste glue they make you use when you’re in kindergarten. It was nasty.”
“That is pretty sad.” Dean snickered, pulling a burger out of the bag and
holding it out to Sam. “Sit your ass down and eat.”
“You got me one?” Sam asked in surprise, turning back towards Dean and taking
the sandwich but not moving to sit down yet.
“I got an extra, yeah,” Dean said, nodding as he took two more sandwiches out
of the bag, followed by an order of onion rings. “I was gonna have it for
breakfast, but we can just leave a little early so I can grab something on the
way to school. Sonic opens at six.”
Sam smiled, pleased. “Thanks, Dean.” He put the sandwich down and then went to
the fridge, asking, “You want another beer?”
“Sure,” Dean said, and then he bit into one of his bacon cheeseburgers with a
happy groan. The girl at Sonic who took his order had made sure they were just
like he asked: double meat, double cheese, and double bacon on Texas toast with
all the fixings except mustard.
Sam got two bottles of Pabst out of the fridge and popped the caps off on the
edge of the counter with practiced ease, then carried them back to the table as
he teased, “You’d think you haven’t eaten all day.”
Dean grinned, chewing and swallowing before he said cheerfully, “I feel like I
haven’t. All that dancing builds up an appetite, and the burger I had for lunch
was a long time ago.”
Sam laughed and shook his head as he sat down, putting down Dean’s second beer
where Dean could reach it. “Y’know, if you ate in the cafeteria, you could get
a lot more than a burger for six bucks.”
Dean smirked, watching Sam take a slow sip of his beer. “I’ve eaten in that
cafeteria at McKinley, Sam. I’d rather pay more for Sonic.”
Sam snickered, putting down his beer to pick up his sandwich and start opening
the wrapper. “Today wasn’t too bad.” He paused, seeming to remember something,
then made a face. “Well, my salad was good, anyway, and the barbecued chicken
wasn’t too terrible. I heard someone found a Band-Aid in the mac and cheese,
though.”
“See? I’m not a rabbit like you, and the rest is too scary to risk it.” Dean
took another big bite of his sandwich, which was easily the best burger he’d
had in weeks. He would have to remember to go to Sonic while they were in Lima,
not the Wendy’s, even though he usually liked Wendy’s better. The burger he got
at the Lima Wendy’s the night they followed Dad into town had been barely
edible even by Dean’s admittedly low standards, but the Sonic burger he was
quickly making headway on was little short of perfect.
Sam just rolled his eyes, amused but not saying anything because his mouth was
full.
 
 
***** FIVE *****
Chapter Summary
     Note: This chapter contains explicit sex.
 
Dean shifted in his seat at the back of Chemistry on Friday afternoon, his gaze
flicking up to the clock for about the hundredth time. He made a face when he
saw he still had ten minutes of class left and he went back to doodling
protection runes in his notebook, bored.
Dean had been having a really good day until he got to Chemistry.
It had started with breakfast at a little diner downtown with real biscuits and
gravy that had been fantastic, and continued to get better from there. Once he
got to school, he had seen Karofsky and the big black dude he hung out with
both turn and go the other way when they saw Sam heading towards them, and then
they had both dodged into a wall to let Artie and Tina pass them while Artie
and Tina just looked confused.
Evidently someone had explained it to Tina by second period because she talked
to the rest of Glee, and when Dean walked into class they serenaded him with a
song that Mercedes said was called ‘My Hero’by the Foo Fighters. Dean had
blushed so red he still wondered how he hadn’t burst into flames, but having
them sing the song to him kind of made him feel like a hero, and he loved
knowing the kids felt like he was their hero, even though he didn’t really
think he deserved it. He had especially liked the chorus: “There goes my hero,
watch him as he goes. There goes my hero, he's ordinary.”
The rest of Glee had been fun once Dean wasn’t in the spotlight, singing ‘What
It Feels Like For A Girl’ just because Puck was feeling like torturing Dean,
Finn, and Matt for the amusement of the girls and Schue had latched on when
Puck suggested it, and then following that with ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’ and ‘You
Can’t Always Get What You Want’. The assembly during third period had gone
well, ending with the school on their feet cheering while Sylvester stomped
out, pissed that the Glee club singing ‘It Ain’t No Big Thing’ had followed her
announcement that her Cheerios were the favorites to win a National title.
Dean had time during lunch to go get a burger with Quinn because he didn’t have
any homework he had to do, and then he had breezed through Spanish, which was
starting to be his favorite class because it was so easy. His day was really
working on being perfect when he walked into Chemistry and the teacher handed
him a packet of papers that said ‘POP QUIZ’ across the top. He had been worried
until he actually got started on it, but he had breezed through quickly – it
was way easier than it needed to be – only to have the stupid teacher tell him
to sit quietly and wait for everyone else.
What Dean had hoped would be five or ten minutes of waiting had turned into
thirty because it was taking everyone else so long with the test, and he was
finally starting to wonder if he might not know the information on the test as
well as he thought he did. Some of the other kids in the class were pretty
smart, like Artie and Mercedes, but they were still working away while Dean
tried not to be literally bored to tears.
Dean’s cell started pulse vibrating after a few more minutes and he shifted to
pull it out of his pocket, flipping it open to see who was texting him. He
blinked at the unfamiliar number but he accepted it anyway, opening up the
message. As far as he knew only a few people had his cell number, and none of
them would text him just for the hell of it so it was probably important.
‘where u @’
Dean's eyebrows rose in surprise as he replied, ‘who r u?’ He hit send,
blinking when a reply arrived almost instantly.
‘puck duh.’ That message was followed quickly by another. ‘got ur # frm sam.
wher u @’
‘chem class,’ Dean replied, amused and wondering when Puck had asked Sam for
the number. Sam had Honors English as his last class with Kurt and Quinn, and
Dean knew that Puck wasn’t in there with them. Puck had regular English Lit for
homeroom just like Dean did, and was supposed to be in athletics for seventh
period.
After a moment a response popped up on his screen. ‘boring! got plans 2nite?’
Dean smiled and settled back in his chair again. ‘thinkin bout findin a pool
hall’ 
Sam had a date with Brittany, who had promised to feed him and bring him home
by midnight, so Dean wasn’t worried about the kid. Sam would likely get laid –
Sam would have to work at it not to get laid on a date with Brittany, Dean was
sure – and would definitely get to make out with a sweet, pretty cheerleader,
so Dean figured it’d be good for him. Sam was more than a year older than Dean
had been when he got laid the first time, after all, so it wasn’t like the kid
would be scarred for life if Brittany got lucky with the youngest Winchester.
‘i kno 1, want cmpny?’
‘what abt kurt?’
‘girls nite w/ tina q & cedes :P  chick flix & nails r not my thng!’
Dean grinned. ‘u play pool?’
‘badly lol’
Dean smirked. ‘wanna learn frm a pro?’
There was enough of a pause that Dean had time to add Puck to his contact list
and set his ringtone as ‘No Surrender’ by Springsteen. He was starting to
wonder if maybe Puck wouldn’t answer at all when he finally got a reply.
‘we still talkin abt pool?’
Dean blinked, his smirk fading away as he looked at his notebook and thought
about that. After a moment he replied, ‘up 2 u.’
‘we take ur car. Kurt drvng 2day.’
‘wrks 4 me,’ Dean replied, trying to decide if he was hoping he was going to
get laid or not. Puck was hot as hell, and Dean figured that he and Puck were
both experienced enough for sex between them to be just that, but if he was
wrong things could get messy fast. Puck was quickly becoming the best friend
Dean had ever had, and he really didn’t want screwing him to mess that up.
‘c u @ ur car,’ Puck sent after another short pause.
Dean was about to reply when the bell rang suddenly and he looked up in
surprise. He put his phone away and gathered up his books, heading for the door
as soon as he had everything.
“Wait just a minute, Dean,” the teacher, Jenkins, said just as Dean reached the
door.
Dean stifled a groan and turned to look at Jenkins. “Yes sir?”
Jenkins stood, brushing back a strand of hair that had come loose from his
ponytail as he started towards Dean with a test in one hand. He stood there
watching the other kids leave until the room was empty, and then he finally
looked back at Dean. “Did you study at all for the quiz?”
Dean blinked. “It was a pop quiz. How was I supposed to know to study?”
“I give a pop quiz every Friday,” Jenkins replied, looking kind of confused.
“If you didn’t know to study, how did you do this?” He showed Dean his paper,
and Dean flushed a bit when he saw the bright red ‘100’ at the top. “I know you
didn’t copy anyone because you never looked up from your paper, and I didn’t
see you cheating, either.”
Dean shrugged, feeling kind of embarrassed. “Chemistry’s easy for me.”
“Then why is your homework always such crap?” Jenkins asked, folding his arms
with Dean’s paper still dangling from one hand. “You never bother to check your
spelling, and half the time you don’t answer all the questions.”
Dean flushed. “I usually don’t have time to finish.”
“And why not?”
“Because I do all my homework at lunch,” Dean admitted. “Unless I have a lot of
Trig, then sometimes I take it home so I won’t flunk it again.”
Jenkins sighed. “Dean, you could make excellent grades if you tried a little
harder. You’re a very intelligent young man.” He paused and then asked, “Is it
true that you’re nearly twenty?”
Dean felt his face heating up even more as he looked away. “Yes sir.”
“That’s a waste, son,” Jenkins said gently, reaching out to put his hand on
Dean’s shoulder. “If you put a little more effort into school, you—“
“I could be anything, sure,” Dean finished for him, moving away from the hand
on his shoulder as he looked at Jenkins. “Only I can’t, not really. I got a
baby brother to take care of when my Dad’s off on a job, and that ain’t gonna
change until Sam heads off to college.”
Dean wasn’t supposed to want that for Sam – his dad would kill him if he knew
Dean had encouraged Sam about college – but he did. He wanted Sam to make
something out of himself instead of just being another pool-hustling loser like
Dean, stuck in the world their dad had dragged them into as little kids. Dean
couldn’t really see a way to get out himself, not any more, but Sam had the
brains and the potential to make it in the real world.
“You could go to college too, Dean,” Jenkins said, frowning.
Dean snorted and forced a grin, stamping down his feelings. “Why should I want
to? I can make a living just fine with a diploma. I’m a kick-ass mechanic, and
they make twenty-five bucks an hour most places, more if I luck into somewhere
that works on restoring classic cars, since I been doin’ that half my life with
my uncle. I’ll do fine without another three or four years of school I’d hate
every minute of.”
Jenkins stared at him for a moment and then sighed, seeming to give up.
“Alright. I’m sorry I bothered you.”
“No problem, Mr Jenkins,” Dean said automatically. “Can I go? I’ve got someone
waiting on me.”
“Go. I’m done.” Jenkins turned away, and Dean hurried out of the class without
another word.
Dean stopped at his locker just long enough to take everything but his math
book out of his bag, and then he headed for the parking lot, not really
surprised that the halls were already close to deserted. It was Friday
afternoon and half the teachers let kids out early, plus no one wanted to hang
around school a minute longer than they had to with the whole weekend ahead of
them to enjoy. When Dean finally made it outside he stopped for a moment in
surprise, staring at his car. Puck was stretched out on the hood of the Impala
with his ankles crossed, arms folded behind his head and his eyes closed as he
relaxed back against the windshield.
The parking lot was nearly empty already and the only people Dean saw were in
cars that were driving away, so Dean allowed himself to take a good long look
at Puck on his way out to the Impala. Puck was wearing ragged old jeans that
clung to every curve of muscle in his legs, and his short-sleeved button-front
shirt was open to show off a very tight white tank top that had ridden up
enough to flash a wide strip of smooth, tanned belly. As he got closer, Dean
noticed the tight shirt also made the piercing in Puck’s left nipple much more
obvious than usual, and he found himself wondering what it felt like to have
one.
Dean was smiling by the time he reached the car, thinking that it was no wonder
Puck thought he was a stud. The guy had a great body that he showed off to full
advantage whenever he had a chance, and he had a mouth that was made for
kissing, among other things. Dean had the sudden mental image of that mouth
wrapped around his cock and he let himself linger on the idea a moment, his
gaze slowly roaming down Puck’s perfect body as his smile turned into a smirk.
“You enjoying the view?” Puck asked softly, and Dean looked quickly at Puck’s
face to see that Puck’s eyes were open just enough to show a hint of sparkling
hazel.
“Yeah, I am,” Dean admitted after a moment, amused. “But you know that, all
laid out on my car just waitin’ for me to stare.”
Puck smirked, shifting as he turned his head towards Dean and opened his eyes a
little more. “I am sexy as hell,” he said smugly, and then he slowly licked his
lips, giving Dean a look that made all sorts of promises. “Nobody can resist
the Puckasaurus.”
Dean just stared into Puck’s eyes for a long moment before he finally laughed
and started towards the driver’s side of the car. “Be sexy in the car, man. I
can’t drive with you on the hood.”
Puck snickered and rolled off the other side of the car, landing lightly on his
feet and then moving to the passenger door. He waited patiently for Dean to get
in the Impala and lean across to unlock his door, and then he got in and looked
at Dean, grinning. “We heading straight to the pool hall, or what?”
Dean started the car, smiling at Puck. “I was about to ask you the same thing.
We gonna be able to find a decent game this time of day?”
“Not in this town,” Puck said with a laugh. “Pete’s won’t start fillin’ up for
a couple hours.”
Dean grinned and started the Impala towards the road. “You got to be kidding
me… Pete’s Pool Hall?”
“And Grill,” Puck added, smirking. “Folks around here have no imagination.”
Dean snickered, shaking his head. “That’s kind of sad.”
“Ain’t no kind of to it,” Puck said, shifting to sprawl comfortably in his
seat. “So, what do you wanna do while we wait?”
“You got any suggestions?” Dean asked, glancing over at Puck.
Puck looked at Dean for a moment, grinning, then asked, “Where’s Sammy?”
“Out with Brit,” Dean answered, checking for buses and then waiting for one to
pass while he looked back at Puck. “She’s supposed to have him home around
midnight. Why?”
“That means your place is empty, right?” Puck asked, obviously pleased.
“Well, yeah,” Dean admitted, amused. “There ain’t nothin' to do there, though.”
“Except me,” Puck said, smirking wickedly.
Dean looked at Puck quickly, eyebrows going up as he laughed softly. “Just like
that?”
Puck shrugged one shoulder, his smirk not slipping even a little. “We’ve got
time to kill, and I don’t know about you, but I haven’t gotten laid in over a
week.”
Dean snorted, smirking slightly as he pulled out of the parking lot to follow a
bus out to the main highway. “What about Kurt at lunch? I heard he got his
first blow job today.”
Puck blinked and then let out a soft little laugh, obviously surprised. “He
told you?”
“I made a lucky guess and he let the cat out of the bag,” Dean corrected, still
smirking. “And I kinda doubt you sucked him off without gettin’ off yourself,
Puckasaurus.”
“Yeah, but I just jerked off,” Puck said, grinning. “It ain’t the same, man.”
“You got that shot right,” Dean agreed, surprised and amused. “So it’s been a
while, huh?”
“Two weeks tomorrow,” Puck said quietly. “And even that wasn’t anything worth
remembering.”
“Been about the same for me,” Dean confessed, taking the turn that led towards
Sonic. “How about we grab a burger first, though?” He glanced at Puck as he
added, “Gettin’ laid will be more fun if my stomach doesn’t think my throat’s
been cut. That café Quinn likes has crappy burgers, and even worse fries.”
“I never turn down a burger, especially when I missed lunch,” Puck said,
grinning. “I hope you’re headin’ for Sonic, though. The Mickey D’s is nasty.”
“So’s the Wendy’s,” Dean agreed, snickering. “The fast food in this town is
sad, man.”
“Tell me about it,” Puck agreed, laughing. “There was a Taco Bell for a while,
but then everyone that ate there one Saturday got food poisoning, and the local
news led with the story until the place was shut down by the health
department.”
Dean laughed, turning into the Sonic parking lot, which was only a few blocks
from the school. “Sounds like I’m gonna stick with Sonic.”
“The Chinese place is safe too, if you can stand it,” Puck said, amused.
“Breadsticks is a little too trendy for me, but the food is awesome there if
you like Italian and you can stand the whole cheesy date night thing they’ve
got going on. The Ryan’s is really good when you want an awesome steak, and
Getty’s Pizza is what we had the other night, it’s the best you’ll find this
side of Chicago.”
Dean turned off the impala and looked at Puck as he rolled down his window,
grinning. “The pizza is good, but I’m too cheap to go to a steakhouse when I
can cook one myself for half the price.”
“The prices at Ryan’s are pretty reasonable,” Puck said, grinning at Dean. “The
Sunday buffet is killer, man. All you can eat, including steak, for ten bucks.”
“Maybe I’ll give it a try sometime,” Dean said, grinning still. “I’m not makin’
any promises, though.” He nodded towards the menu outside his window, adding,
“What do you want?”
“I dunno yet,” Puck said, grinning as he leaned closer to Dean to look. “I know
I want a bacon cheeseburger, but beyond that…”
“Well, figure it out, then,” Dean said, laughing.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean flopped down next to Puck and just laid there a few minutes, trying to
catch his breath as he gathered his scattered wits.
Dean had expected Puck to be a good lay because the guy was so comfortable with
his body, but he hadn’t had any clue it would be so intense. Puck had been
nervous when they got to the actual sex part, understandably so, but somehow he
had still managed to let himself get lost in the things Dean was doing to him.
Puck hadn’t held back even a little bit as he let Dean take control, and Dean
was kind of floored by how it had felt to be trusted so completely.
Dean felt the bed move and turned his head, opening his eyes to look at Puck
before he frowned slightly. Puck had rolled over to put his back towards Dean
and was curled up with his knees pulled up and his arms tucked in close to his
chest.
Dean rolled towards Puck, propping himself up on one elbow and resting the
other hand on Puck’s side as he said softly, “Hey, what’s wrong?”
Puck shook his head, flushing very red as he moved one hand to rub at his face,
embarrassed. “Nothing. I just…  I wasn’t ready for how that would feel.” He let
out a little strangled laugh. “I hate it more than anything when a girl falls
apart after sex, and here I am doin’ it myself.“ He paused, and then went on
more softly, ”I’ve fucked plenty of women, but I never felt so …  laid open by
sex before. It’s just…  like, I can’t lie to myself at all anymore, yknow? I
really do like sex with guys, and being fucked was so good it’s kind of
freaking me out, and there’s no going back now that I know that, not ever.” He
finally glanced at Dean, adding, “And I bet you wanna run about now, huh?”
“I’m not running,” Dean said, relaxing as he gave Puck a soft little smile. “I
know exactly what you’re going through, though. It was pretty intense.”
Puck rolled to lay on his back so he could see Dean better, searching Dean’s
eyes as he asked softly, “Is it always like that? Getting fucked, I mean.”
“Depends on who you’re with, I think,” Dean said after a moment, giving in to
the impulse to run his free hand over Puck’s chest and belly slowly. He watched
his hand move over the smooth skin that Puck had admitted he kept that way with
Nair, not wanting to meet Puck’s gaze as he added, “I don’t hook up with a lot
of guys, but when I do it’s usually better than bein’ with a girl, at least for
me. I like women just fine, but there’s something … more … for me when I’m with
a guy, especially if I’m the one gettin’ fucked.” He paused again and then
admitted, “I kinda prefer it, even though I don’t hook up with a guy very
often.”
Puck lifted one hand to caress Dean’s cheek, trailing his fingers down to
Dean’s chin and then lifting until Dean met his gaze. “I love women, every
little thing about them turns me on, but after this…” He shook his head
slightly. “It won’t be hard to forget them if sex with Kurt will be anything
like it was with you.”
“You love him, don’t you?” Dean asked, looking into the warm hazel brown of
Puck’s eyes and thinking absently that he could get lost in them.
Puck smiled slowly, the expression in his eyes shifting to something gentle and
loving as he thought about Kurt. “Yeah. I think I really do.”
“Then it’ll be even better,” Dean said, smiling. “This was just sex between
buddies, but with him, it’ll mean something.”
Puck blinked and then looked kind of worried. “Damn. Now I’m really worried.”
Dean laughed and tweaked Puck’s nipple ring as he teased, “Poor Puckasaurus,
scared of pretty little Kurt Hummel.”
“I’ll show you scared,” Puck said, laughing and blushing as he rolled towards
Dean, pushing Dean onto his back as he kissed him hard.
Dean snickered into the rough kiss but didn’t try to get away, responding with
more hunger than he had really expected to feel when they fell into bed half an
hour ago. Dean had been sure the sex would be good, but there had turned out to
be more between them than just the physical pleasure Dean had expected. It was
kind of unsettling, but it felt so good that he was trying not to think about
it too much. He just wanted to enjoy it while he could.
Puck slipped a knee between Dean’s legs a few minutes later and Dean spread his
legs with a pleased hum to let Puck settle between his thighs like it was where
he belonged. They had another hour to kill, after all, and Dean wouldn’t mind
getting well and truly fucked to pass the time.
The whole reason he had ended up in bed with Puck – besides the fact they both
hadn’t gotten laid in a while and Puck was pure sex when he wanted to be – was
so Puck would know what he was doing when Kurt was ready, so Dean figured Puck
needed to get used to the whole topping thing. Kurt struck Dean as a bottom who
could top really well when the mood struck him, and Puck wanted to make Kurt’s
first time as close to perfect as he could, so Dean was willing to let Puck
practice on him as many times as it took for Puck to feel confident.
Besides, Puck had let him top first, and Dean knew that he’d enjoy bottoming
for Puck at least as much as he had enjoyed fucking him, if not much more.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean was pulling up his jeans when Puck walked up behind him, settling his
hands on Dean’s hips and pressing his muscular chest snugly against Dean’s
back. He kissed below Dean’s ear and then murmured, “I keep wanting to thank
you, so I’m just gonna get it over with. Thanks.”
Dean zipped up his jeans as he let himself lean back against Puck, smiling at
the way Puck’s hands ghosted across his sides and belly as Puck’s arms went
around him. He had never had sex with a guy so close to his own height, and
Dean was still a little surprised at how much he liked the way their bodies fit
together. Puck was wider across the shoulders and outweighed him by a good
thirty pounds or so of pure muscle, but he was only an inch or so shorter than
Dean when they were barefoot and Dean really liked it. “It was my pleasure.”
Puck smirked slightly, resting his forehead against Dean’s temple as he
murmured smugly, “You did enjoy it, didn’t you?”
Dean chuckled softly and let his hands roam along Puck’s forearms, turning his
head to look into Puck’s eyes. “Well duh. Have you seen the way you move your
hips?”
Puck laughed, still looking very smug. “I’ve had lots of practice, man.”
“And you dance, too, which hasn’t hurt,” Dean added, smirking.
Puck grinned and kissed him lightly. “You make it sound like I’m such a stud.”
“Only because you are,” Dean said, amused. “But you’ll never get me to admit it
in front of anyone else.”
“There’s a lot of things you won’t do in public that you’ll do for me, Deano,”
Puck said, smirking smugly. “Like begging for my dick.”
Dean laughed, blushing as he tried to pull away from Puck. “Don’t remind me,
that was embarrassing.”
Puck held on and followed him, whispering into his ear, “It was so hot I nearly
came.” He kissed the side of Dean’s neck again and then let go of Dean to find
his tank top, which he finally spotted across the room in the bathroom doorway.
“You really opened my eyes, Dean. I don’t know what I was expecting, but…” He
shook his head. “I can’t imagine it being better with Kurt. I mean, I know it
should be ‘cause I love him and everything, but I just can’t wrap my mind
around it getting any better. I’ve had a lot of sex and it was never like that,
not even with Quinn or Santana.”
Dean’s smile faded away and he bent to pick up his t-shirt, then he turned to
watch Puck as he turned the shirt right-side-out, chewing on his lower lip as
he hoped that he hadn’t made a big mistake.
Puck glanced at Dean as he pulled the white tank top on, looking surprised when
he saw Dean’s face. “What?”
“You sure we’re okay?” Dean asked, fidgeting slightly and then turning away as
he pulled on his t-shirt. “I mean, I don’t want to get between you and Kurt,
and I don’t want this to mess up what we got either. I don’t have many
friends.” He paused and then admitted, ”Or any friends, really. Not ones I can
trust like I do you.”
Puck walked over and reached for Dean’s shoulder, making Dean turn back towards
him to see Puck’s frown. “What brought that on?”
Dean shrugged, looking down. “Just, I don’t want to this to backfire. I like
the kid, and he’s good for you.”
Puck looked confused for a moment longer and then grinned suddenly. “Dean,
you’re hot as all hell and fan-fucking-tastic in bed, but I’m not gonna follow
you around like a puppy, I promise. It was just mind-blowingly awesome sex with
a guy who’s quickly becoming my best friend.”
Dean looked up quickly to stare into Puck’s eyes for a few moments and then
relaxed. “Oh. Good.” He let out a little laugh, running one hand through his
hair and grinning sheepishly as he added, “You had me worried, with the
cuddling and shit.”
Puck blushed slightly at that, admitting, “I like touching you, and kissing you
too. That doesn’t mean I’m fallin’ for your fine ass or anything, though I
wouldn’t mind another chance at fucking it sometime soon.”
“Good to know,” Dean said, smirking as he sat on the edge of the bed and
reached for his combat boots. “And you just might get it, if you play your
cards right.”
“I kick ass at cards.” Dean glanced at him, laughing, and Puck smirked as he
added, “Your underwear’s still on the ceiling fan.”
Dean looked up at the ceiling fan and then laughed again, blushing as he stood
and stepped up on the bed to reach for his boxers. He dropped back down to sit
on the bed, tossing the boxers towards the small pile of dirty clothes in the
corner as he said, “I still don’t know how those got up there.”
“I might have pitched them there,” Puck said, smirking as he stepped into his
shoes and then grabbed his button-front shirt off the dresser on his way to
lean against the doorjamb. “They were in my way.”
Dean chuckled softly, tugging one of his socks up and then pulling on his boot
as he said, “I’ll remember next time to strip before I let you get me into
bed.”
“Naked’s always better,” Puck agreed, still smirking.
 
                                      ~*~
 
It was after midnight by the time Dean decided discretion was the better part
of valor and he’d better take his winnings and go home. There were several sore
losers eyeing him like they might try to take some of their losses out of his
hide, and he didn’t really feel like a fight. It had been months since he got
laid twice in one night, and he had never topped and bottomed with a guy in the
same night before. He was pleasantly tired and he wanted a shower and to hit
his bed and pass out until noon or so tomorrow.
“C’mon,” Puck said, leaning in close to be heard over the too-loud jukebox and
the raucous Friday-night crowd. “Let’s blow this joint. I’m hungry.”
Dean grinned at Puck as the mention of food made him realize he was starving,
too. He reached to put his cue back in the rack next to them as he said, “There
you go, readin’ my mind again.”
“Y’know what they say about great minds.” Puck winked and turned to head for
the door, and Dean was right behind him as soon as he scooped his winnings from
the last game up off the pool table.
Dean felt people watching as he followed out, and a glance back showed two of
the guys who had lost the most were giving him murderous looks, but no one
moved to stop them. They were crossing the parking lot towards the Impala a few
moments later, and made it into the car without any trouble. Dean looked over
at Puck as he started the car, grinning. “We got out of there easier than I
thought we would.”
Puck looked smug, sprawling comfortably in the passenger seat with his back
against the door so he was mostly facing Dean. “They know me in there, man.
There’s a fight club in the basement once a month, and when I go I win a lot
more than I lose.”
Dean laughed, turning to look behind the Impala as he backed up to leave.
“You’ll have to get me in on that action next time.”
“Not really worth the beating, the way you play pool,” Puck said, laughing. “I
only go when I absolutely have to have some cash ‘cause the money’s not really
that good, not if you win your first fight. My best night in fight club I only
brought in a little over eight hundred, but mostly I’ve made half that. You
made more tonight than I made the last four times I fought put together.”
Dean grinned at Puck. “You think? I wasn’t really paying attention.”
Puck moved to plant one knee in the middle of the seat as he leaned to reach
into Dean’s jacket, smirking at him from very close. “Yeah, I think.” He pulled
several wads of cash out of Dean’s pockets and then settled back into the
passenger seat as he added, “I bet there’s over two thousand here, easy.”
“That’s a good haul,” Dean agreed as he started out of the parking lot. “I’ve
done better, but not in such a small town.”
“You made it look so easy, but I wouldn’t have a prayer if I tried hustling
pool.” Puck sorted the money with easy efficiency since it was mostly twenties
with just a few hundreds and smaller bills, and then he started counting it as
he added, “It must be rough, supporting you and Sam and still goin’ to school.”
Dean stopped the Impala at the edge of the parking lot and looked quickly at
Puck, surprised. “Do what now?”
Puck looked over at Dean, amused. “This is me you’re talking to, Dean. I know
all the signs of a guy doing whatever he has to do to take care of his family.
Been there and done that, man.” He paused and then added, “I saw your place,
and the empty fridge, and I know your wallet was damned near empty when we got
to Pete’s tonight, too. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out your dad’s
almost as much of a deadbeat as mine is.”
Dean stared into Puck’s eyes a moment longer and then looked at the road,
pulling out of the parking lot onto the empty highway to head back towards
Lima. He was silent for a few miles and then suddenly he was talking without
having consciously decided to. “Dad gives me money when he remembers to, and we
spend summers on the road with him, but other than that it’s just been me and
Sam most of the time for years now. That’s why we never stay anywhere for long,
and why I lie about Dad and what he does. If a social worker or anything like
that ever found out I’m raisin’ him, they’d take Sam away.” Dad had never
worried about someone taking Sam away, or didn’t seem to at least, but it had
been Dean’s greatest fear since he was old enough to realize that it was
possible.
“I’m not gonna tell anyone,” Puck said quietly, and the gentle tone of his
voice made Dean look at him again. Puck gave him a soft smile as he reached
over to rest his hand on the back of Dean’s neck, stroking the tense muscles
there soothingly. “You can trust me, remember?”
Dean smiled slowly and nodded, looking back at the road as he let out a breath
he hadn’t realized he was holding and relaxed. “Yeah, I know.”
“So stop worrying, Deano. I got your back.” Puck kept his hand on Dean’s neck
for a moment longer and then his hand fell away as he went back to counting the
money.
They drove in silence for a few minutes until Puck finished counting, and Dean
glanced over at Puck as he asked, “So? How’d we do?”
Puck grinned at Dean, pleased and a little smug. “I was close. Two thousand,
one hundred and twenty-five bucks.”
“That’ll last a while,” Dean said, smiling and trying to ignore how relieved he
felt. Puck was right about their fridge being damned near empty, and the
cabinets too, and Dean had been down to about thirty bucks in his wallet before
they went into the pool hall, so it was a big load off his shoulders to know
that he and Sam had money to live on for a while. After everything that had
happened that evening he was glad he wouldn’t have to make the drive into
Dayton to hunt a corner on the bad side of town. He wouldn’t have minded too
much before he and Puck hooked up, but after an evening in bed with Puck, Dean
would much rather avoid the whole rentboy scene for a while longer. He and Puck
might not last for long, probably wouldn’t, in fact, but Dean intended to enjoy
it while he had the chance.
“Ought to,” Puck agreed as he folded up the cash and then leaned to tuck it
back in Dean’s inner jacket pocket. “And if it doesn’t,” he murmured with a
smile, “we’ll just find another pool hall. I know of a couple between here and
Dayton.” He settled back into the passenger seat, smiling wider at Dean as he
added, “Sonic’s closed by now, but Wendy’s is still open, and so’s the Chinese
place, at least until one. The burgers are kinda crappy at Wendy’s, but if you
ask me anything is better than Chinese.”
Dean looked over at Puck, smiling. “Wal-Mart’s still open, too. I figured I’d
just stop and get something to cook. I need to get groceries anyway, we haven’t
got anything that’ll pass for breakfast tomorrow.”
“I could stand lettin’ you make me dinner,” Puck said with a wide grin,
nodding. “What’re you in the mood for?”
“How’s a steak sound?” Dean asked, slowing as they reached the first stoplight
at the edge of town. He looked either direction on the deserted road and then
turned onto the highway that led past Wal-Mart towards the old trailer he was
starting to think of as home, at least for a while.
“Sounds great, if you’re cooking,” Puck said, laughing slightly. “Toss in a
beer and I’ll even help you get the groceries.”
Dean chuckled. “You got a deal.”
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean bent to lean into the back seat to grab several bags of groceries,
checking to get the cold stuff first so he could get it in the fridge. Puck
stepped in close behind him after a few moments, and Dean straightened with the
bags to look at him in surprise.
Puck smirked and reached to take the bags Dean was holding as he murmured, “You
really shouldn’t look so fuckable just leaning into a car.” He turned away
without giving Dean a chance to respond, heading towards the nearby door in
that slow saunter that Dean knew meant Puck was very aware someone was watching
and wanting him.
Dean snorted slightly to himself and leaned back into the car, but he was
grinning. Being around Puck just might get him killed, but he had decided to
enjoy it anyway. He scooped up the rest of the bags of cold stuff and the six-
pack of bottled Pabst and then headed towards the door, where Puck was waiting
patiently. “Sammy locked it?”
Puck blinked and then laughed. “I didn’t even try it.” He shifted bags enough
to be able to awkwardly grab the doorknob, opening the door and then stepping
inside to wait for Dean. “Way to make a guy feel stupid, Deano.”
Dean smirked at Puck as he climbed the stairs, brushing past into the darkened
house as he teased quietly, “It’s only smart to try the doorknob when you wanna
go through a door.”
“Shut up,” Puck said with a grin, closing the door quietly and then following
Dean.
Dean moved to put the bags he was carrying on the table and then walked to the
back door to put the beer in the floor by the fridge and turn the kitchen light
on. When he turned back towards the table Puck was already unloading bags, so
Dean moved to open the fridge and start putting things away as Puck handed them
to him.
They made quick work of putting away two bagged salads for Sam, two bags of
carrots, hamburger meat, bacon, sausage, beef and pork stew meat, some already
prepared chicken fajita meat for Sam, cheese, milk, mayo, mustard, A1, liquid
smoke, sour cream, and eggs, and then Puck smiled at Dean. “I’ll go grab the
rest while you get busy cooking.”
“Thanks,” Dean said, pleased. “It won’t take long to cook the steaks.”
“Won’t take me long to get the rest of the groceries, either,” Puck said,
heading for the front door.
Dean snickered slightly as he moved to get the seasoned salt off the table,
then returned to the counter and opened the four-pack of thick ribeye steaks he
had bought for their midnight snack. He dusted all four of them liberally with
the seasoned salt and then moved to the fridge to get the liquid smoke out of
the door, returning to the steaks to douse them with a few tablespoons of the
stuff and rub the salt in. He rinsed his hands and left the smoke and seasoned
salt to soak in while he grabbed his battered iron skillet out of the stove –
he hardly ever baked, so it was a convenient place to keep the few pots and
pans they had – to put it on the largest burner, turning on the gas and then
lighting it with a match to start heating it up.
Puck came back in then with both hands full, kicking the door shut behind him
and then carrying everything to the table as he said, “This is all of it.”
“Just put it down, I’ll get it in a minute,” Dean answered with a smile over
his shoulder for Puck, reaching to get a covered coffee mug off the back of the
stove. He looked back at the stove as he grabbed a fork out of the drainer
between the stove and the sink, using it to scoop bacon grease out of the mug
and add it to the skillet, which sizzled nicely.
Puck stepped up close behind him a moment later, smirking as he rested his
hands on Dean’s hips and leaned over his shoulder to inhale the smell of bacon
grease in a hot pan. “Damn, that smells good enough to eat just like that.”
“Only ‘cause it is,” Dean grinned at Puck and was thinking about kissing him –
he was close enough to – when Sam suddenly spoke.
“Dean?” Sam asked sleepily, sounding confused.
Dean turned to look towards the hall as Puck moved to start emptying the bags
on the table, fighting to hide how the sound of Sam’s voice had made him panic
just a little. “Yeah, Sam?”
Sam rubbed his face with one hand, rapidly waking up as he said, “Why are you
cooking? It’s after one in the morning.”
“Cause we’re hungry,” Dean replied, trying not to laugh at Sam even though Puck
was snickering. “Why else would I be cooking?”
Sam seemed to think about that a moment, yawning, then walked towards the
kitchen. “What’re you making?”
“Steaks,” Dean answered with a grin, turning back to the stove to put the first
two steaks in the pan, which was starting to smoke. “You want one?”
“I guess,” Sam agreed, sitting down at the table to watch as Puck started
checking the cabinets to see what went where.
Puck didn’t bother to close the cabinet with a few cans in it or the one that
was empty, returning to the table to grab an armload of cans as he grinned at
Sam. “So how did your date go, Sammy? Dean said you went out with Brit
tonight.”
“And Santana,” Sam added, blushing very red even as he grinned kind of goofily.
Puck and Dean exchanged knowing smirks as Puck moved to put the cans away and
said, “I bet you learned a lot.”
Sam laughed and rubbed at his face again, beet red. “You could say that, yeah.”
He paused, obviously debating whether to say anything else, then added, “I had
fun.”
“If you didn’t, I’d have to start wonderin’ about you, baby bro,” Dean said.
“Hey!” Puck punched Dean on the shoulder as he moved back to the table,
laughing.
Dean looked at Puck, smirking. “That wasn’t a comment on you, dumbass. You
swing both ways, or did you forget about girls already?”
Puck gathered up the two bags Doritos and the bag of Tostitos, snorting and
giving Dean a grin as he moved back to the cabinet. “I haven’t forgotten, but I
was starting to think you did. I’ve been there and done that with Santana and
Brit, so I know exactly how much fun Sammy had tonight.” He turned back to the
table to get the last few things, smirking as Sam as he asked, “Did they let
you play too, or just watch?”
“I was supposed to just watch, but Brit talked Santana into more,” Sam
admitted, beet red despite the goofy grin that bloomed on his face again at the
memory. “They were just … wow.”
“Yeah, they are something,” Puck agreed, smirking as he gathered up boxes of
macaroni and cheese, Captain Crunch, and Lucky Charms. “They must really like
you, Sammy. They usually don’t let a guy do anything but watch them make out
when they go out with him.”
Sam was still grinning goofily, but he looked a little smug, too. “I got to
watch a lot more than making out, and then Brit asked if I was a virgin, and
she talked Santana into letting her make sure I wasn’t anymore.”
Dean flipped the steaks and then turned to look at Sam as he pretended to wipe
his eyes. “My baby bro’s a man now. I think I’m gonna cry.”
Sam laughed and looked smug even though his face was as red as a boiled
lobster. “Shut up, jerk.”
Puck moved close to Dean’s side to put one hand on Dean’s shoulder, patting his
back with the other hand as he teased, “Aww, don’t worry. You’ll get lucky
again too someday.” He smirked and moved quickly away as he added, “Just
probably not with anyone as hot as Santana.”
Dean took a swing at Puck’s back as Puck dodged away, laughing. “That was
cold!”
Puck grinned at Dean, gathering up the packets of taco and fajita seasoning,
block of Velveeta, and three boxes of Hamburger Helper that were left on the
table, leaving the tall stack of paper plates and a package of paper towels.
“But so true, man. I heard her tell Quinn that you’re such a bad dancer she
doesn’t even want to know what you’re like in bed anymore, no matter how cute
you are.”
“Ouch,” Sam said, laughing.
“Screw you too, Puckerman,” Dean said, laughing even though he was blushing as
he turned back to the stove to check the steaks. “Get that crap put up and hand
me some plates, these are almost done.”
Puck snickered and put the last of the groceries with the cereal – there wasn’t
room anywhere else – and then closed the cabinets and moved to open the paper
plates. He pulled several plates out of the package and walked over to hold
them so Dean could put the steaks on them, teasing, “Poor picked on Deano.”
“Keep it up and you can walk home,” Dean said, trying not to laugh. “I swear.”
“You wouldn’t do that to me,” Puck said, smirking and confident as he grabbed
forks and knives out of the dish drainer by the sink and then carried the
steaks to the table. He pulled the bottom two plates off the stack under the
steaks, grinning at Sam. “Which steak do you want, Sam?”
Sam was grinning as he stood to go get a beer. “The smaller one’s fine. You
want a beer?”
“If it’s Pabst, sure,” Puck said with a laugh, putting the smaller steak on the
empty plates and then putting his plate on the table. Puck walked into the
living room to get the other chair from Sam’s desk as he asked, “Dean, where’d
you put the A1? I didn’t see it when I put stuff up.”
“You handed it to me to put it in the fridge,” Dean said with a laugh, looking
towards Sam. “It’s behind the mayo.”
Sam grabbed two beers and the A1 and then turned to move back to the table with
them. “What’re you drinking, Dean? If you’re driving, you don’t need any more
beer, but there’s still root beer and a couple Dr Peppers.”
Dean rolled his eyes, flipping the last two steaks as he said, “I’m not going
to get drunk on one beer, Sammy.”
“Yeah, but how many did you already have tonight?” Sam asked quickly, sitting
back down in his chair.
“Just two,” Dean replied, turning to give Sam a dirty look. “And you know as
well as I do that I can put away a six pack before I feel it, so one more won’t
hurt anything.”
Puck put the desk chair at the table and then sat down by his plate, grinning
at Sam as he added, “And he didn’t even drink all of those two, he just thought
he did.”
Sam laughed as Dean looked at Puck in surprise and asked, “I didn’t?”
Puck grinned at Dean, reaching for a fork and a knife. “Nope. I had about half
of both of them while you were playing pool, and you didn’t even notice.”
Sam started cutting up his steak, smirking. “I do that to him while he’s doing
stuff all the time. He really doesn’t pay attention to anything else if he’s
busy.”
“He was real busy,” Puck said, grinning at Sam. “He came home with the
paychecks of half the guys there.”
Sam looked over at Dean. “We’re so getting a TV tomorrow.”
Dean laughed and moved to get two paper plates for himself. “Yeah, we are.” He
went back to the stove, taking the pan off the burner and then taking out the
bigger of the two steaks first, piling the smaller one on top and then moving
to put his plate on the table. “You want any of this other steak, Sammy?”
Sam shook his head quickly, still grinning. “No, I probably won’t finish what
I’ve got.” He took a bite of steak, making a low happy noise and then mumbling
around it, “Or maybe I will.”
Dean looked at Puck, pleased that Sam liked the steak. “You gonna want more?”
“I always want more,” Puck replied, smirking. “I don’t need it though. Save it
for breakfast, it’ll go great with a few eggs.”
“Does sound good,” Dean agreed, getting another paper plate to put the extra
steak on.
“Why didn’t you just wait until tomorrow to cook it?” Sam asked between bites
of steak, amused.
“It’ll keep, Sammy, and I already had the pan hot,” Dean said with a little
laugh, moving to the fridge to grab himself a beer since Sam didn’t do it. He
moved back to the table to sit down, popping the cap off his beer on the edge
of the table and then taking a sip before he reached for the last knife and
fork to start cutting his steak. “I’ll slice it up in the morning and flip it
in the skillet after I make the eggs, and it’ll be ready to eat in about a
minute.”
“Whatever,” Sam said with a shrug, stuffing another bite of steak in his mouth.
The steaks were delicious and they were all quiet for a bit as they ate, making
short work of the food on their plates. Puck was the first to finish, settling
back in his chair to watch Sam and Dean eat as he asked, “So what’re you guys
planning to do tomorrow?”
Dean swallowed a bite of steak and took a sip of his beer, then smiled at Puck.
“Find a pawn shop or a thrift store and get a decent TV and a DVD player. Why?”
Puck smiled, reaching for his own beer. “Want some company? Kurt’s taking the
girls to some big sale at the mall in Dayton, and I was told not to go ‘cause
evidently Mercedes says I’m annoying when I’m bored. They’ll be gone all day,
so I thought I’d hang out with you two after I get some work done in the
morning.”
“Works for me. You can make sure we don’t get lost,” Dean agreed easily,
looking over at Sam. “You don’t mind, do you Sammy?”
Sam shook his head, swallowing quickly. “I don’t care, I just want a TV so we
can hook up the Nintendo.”
Puck grinned suddenly, looking surprised and pleased. “You’ve got a Nintendo
that still works? Old school NES, I mean, not 64 or the Cube.”
Dean grinned at Puck, smug. “NES and Super, man. They’re not hard to fix, if
you know what you’re doing.”
“Which is why you’ve killed four Supers by trying to fix them,” Sam pointed
out, snickering.
“Hey, I got the one we have now working, didn’t I?” Dean asked, laughing.
“I’m gonna have to dig mine out of the basement,” Puck said, grinning. “It
hasn’t worked in years, but I’ve still got all the games for it.”
“What’ve you got?” Dean asked with a grin.
“All kinds of stuff,” Puck said, smug. “My favorites are the Mario games,
though.”
“Oh I know, those are the best, aren’t they?” Dean replied, laughing. “How
about the Final Fantasy games? You ever play them?”
“Does a wild bear shit in the woods, Deano?”
Sam laughed and then just watched and listened for a long while, seeming amused
while Dean and Puck talked animatedly about Nintendo games almost as old as
they were. They were both big fans of the Mario games, and the oldest Final
Fantasy games, and they had both played the Zelda games enough that they could
compare notes on hidden secrets they had found without even needing to see the
game to recognize where the other was talking about.
Dean finally noticed Sam was sitting there yawning, barely awake. He realized
that he and Puck had been talking a while so he glanced at his watch, his eyes
widening. “Dude!” He looked back at Puck. “Does it seem like it oughta be after
two to you?”
“No, but if it is I got to get home,” Puck replied, laughing as he stood up.
“I’m supposed to be up again at five-thirty to deliver newspapers, and I got
stuff to do right after that.”
“You two are even bigger geeks than me,” Sam said, yawning widely again as he
stood up. He snickered, walking towards the hall as he added, “That’s really
kind of sad.”
“Shut up, Sammy,” Dean said, trying not to laugh as he stood and stretched. “Go
to bed!”
“I am!” Sam stopped as he reached his door, adding, “And don’t bang around like
a bull in a china shop when you get back, Dean. I don’t want you waking me up
again.”
“I won’t interrupt your beauty sleep, princess, I promise,” Dean said, rolling
his eyes as he started for the front door.
“Jerk!” Sam replied, disappearing into his room and then closing the door
firmly behind him.
“Bitch!” Dean called cheerfully, opening the front door to head out with Puck
right behind him, snickering.
They walked to the Impala and got in, and Puck waited until Dean had started
the car and was through turning around before he asked, “You don’t mind me
comin’ along tomorrow afternoon, do you?”
Dean looked at Puck in surprise, shifting back into drive. “Why would I mind?”
Puck shrugged slightly, giving him a crooked smile. “I dunno, I’m just saying,
if you don’t want me tagging along, just say so. I won’t get mad or anything. I
can find something else to do.”
Dean looked at Puck for a moment longer and then turned his gaze back in front
of the car as he started the Impala down the driveway towards the road. “I
think it’ll be fun. I kinda like havin’ you around.”
“Okay,” Puck said, smiling as he settled back into his seat a little more
comfortably.
Dean glanced at him, smiling, and then looked ahead of the car again, turning
onto the dirt road that would take them to the highway. “You goin’ home, or to
Kurt’s?” The subdivision Kurt lived in was a couple of miles further out of
town than the dirt road they were on, but Puck’s place was on the other side of
town in the opposite direction.
“Home,” Puck said with a soft laugh. “I left my Ranger at his place this
morning, but Quinn was going to drive it home so I don’t have to go get it, and
Kurt’s got Mercedes and Tina staying over. I just hope I can get past my mom
without getting a lecture. She didn’t have to work tonight, but she’ll probably
be up and wanting to know where in the world I’ve been.”
“Blame it on me, man.” Dean grinned over at Puck. “Tell her I hooked up with
someone really cool and you finally had to drag me away ‘cause it seemed like
we might talk all night.”
“What was I doing while you had so much fun?” Puck asked, smiling a little
wider and looking pleased.
“Wishing I’d give you a ride home, of course,” Dean said with a smirk.
“Might even work,” Puck said, “except for one thing.”
“What’s that?” Dean asked, still smirking as he turned onto the highway and
gave the car a little more gas. The road was deserted, so he could speed a
little and still talk to Puck without having to worry about traffic.
“Pete’s closes at two, so that works with the story, but Mom’ll call bullshit
if I try to tell her I spent the last nine hours in a pool hall and didn’t have
any fun at all,” Puck said, smirking. “She knows me better than that.”
Dean looked back over at Puck. “That was before you had a boyfriend, though,”
he teased. “You didn’t want to hook up with some random girl when you knew Kurt
wouldn’t like it, so you were stuck waiting for me to give you a ride home.” He
grinned. “Which wasn’t as bad as it could have been, since I bought you beer
and a steak dinner, and you got to watch a bunch of guys playing pool with a
hustler who made them look like fools.”
Puck blinked and then laughed, looking surprised. “She might even believe
that.”
“Especially since it’s true,” Dean agreed, snickering.
“Well, yeah,” Puck said, “but I did get laid tonight.” He smirked, giving Dean
a look that made it obvious he wouldn’t mind another round as he added, “Really
well, too.”
Dean smirked at Puck. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”
“In that case, I know of somewhere you really need to see before you drop me at
my place,” Puck said with a wicked little grin, his tone of voice making
promises that Dean knew Puck would keep in spades. “Old abandoned farm with the
best view of the stars you ever saw, even though it’s only about a mile from
town. No neighbors at all, and nobody’s been there in three years but me and a
few deer. Stubborn old bastard who owns the place is in the nursing home in
town and refuses to let his family have it until he’s six feet under.”
“Sounds interesting, for sure,” Dean said, still smirking. “You’re just gonna
have to tell me where to turn so I can check it out for myself.”
“If you insist,” Puck agreed, grinning wider.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean parked the Impala and killed the engine, looking over at Puck with a
little smirk as he shrugged out of his coat and dropped it in the seat between
them. “You feel like some fresh air?”
“Sure,” Puck agreed easily, grinning. “What’d you have in mind?”
Dean leaned to pop the glove box open, digging past wadded up napkins, packets
of ketchup, three kinds of bullets, and a .38 Special before he found what he
was after. He looked back at Puck then, smirking as he showed Puck the small
bottle of lube and a foil-wrapped condom. “How’d you like to fuck me again?”
“Love to,” Puck said immediately, his smirk turning wicked even though he
looked like he had been a little surprised by the gun.
Dean pulled away and opened his door to get out, a small part of him kind of
shocked at himself even as he said, “Then get your ass out of my car, stud.
Lube’ll stain the leather seats.” Dean walked around to the front of the car to
lean against the hood, tipping his head back to look up at the starry sky for a
moment.
Puck got out of the car and walked around to join Dean, moving to stand in
front of him and settling his hands on Dean’s hips as he murmured, “You’re
gonna look hot as hell bent over the hood of your baby while I fuck you.” He
leaned in to kiss Dean before he could say anything, slowly exploring Dean’s
mouth. He pressed closer, molding their bodies together for only a moment
before he suddenly pulled back to take off Dean’s shirt, tossing it on the hood
behind Dean before he moved closer again, his hands stroking over the muscles
of Dean’s back.
Dean made a low pleased noise and tucked the condom and lube into the front
pocket of Puck’s jeans so they wouldn’t get lost in the dark, then slid his
arms around Puck and let himself get lost in the slowly building heat between
them. He still didn’t know what it was about Puck that made everything so easy
between them, but he liked it more than he figured was probably good for him.
It felt right to have Puck pin him against the hood of his car, taking control
of the kiss and making him love every minute of it, and he knew it would be
hard to give up when the time came.
Puck’s hands moved to the front of Dean’s jeans after a few minutes, unbuckling
his belt before tugging the button free with a practiced little jerk. He tucked
the fingers of one hand inside to press against Dean’s cock as he unzipped
Dean’s jeans with the other hand, murmuring huskily against Dean’s lips, “Glad
I got rid of those boxers earlier.” He kissed Dean again without giving him a
chance to answer, shoving Dean’s jeans down to mid-thigh and then running his
hands over Dean’s ass as he ground their hips together slowly.
Dean groaned at the feeling of denim rubbing along his cock, breaking the kiss
to turn and brace himself on the hood as he looked over his shoulder to growl
softly, “Stop teasin’ and fuck me already.”
Puck smirked and quickly unfastened his own jeans with one hand, his other hand
stroking along Dean’s hip and side as he said softly, “Be patient, Deano. I’m
worth waiting for.”
“I know,” Dean replied, pushing his hips back towards Puck. “Which is why I
don’t wanna wait, dumbass.”
Puck snickered and swatted Dean’s ass lightly. “Just hold your horses a
second.” He reached into his pocket for the condom, ripping it open and then
putting it on carefully before he opened the lube to pour some on his
fingertips. He capped the lube and stuffed it back in his pocket as he moved
closer to Dean again, slick fingertips stroking along the cleft of Dean’s ass
as he leaned forward to kiss the nape of Dean’s neck. “Spread your legs a
little more.”
Dean obediently spread his legs even as he blushed and admitted, “You don’t
have to do that, I’m still loose enough from earlier.”
“Maybe I want to,” Puck murmured, his free hand on Dean’s hip as he leaned
forward against Dean’s back and began trailing nipping kisses along his
shoulder. He slid two fingers into Dean a moment later, and Dean could feel
Puck smiling against his back at the low noise he made. “Like that, huh?” Puck
teased softly, long fingers moving slowly inside Dean.
Dean groaned when Puck found what he was looking for, back arching as he pushed
back onto Puck’s fingers, forcing them deeper. “You know I do.”
Puck stroked across Dean’s prostate again, making him whimper and writhe as
Puck murmured against his back, “The way you move on my fingers is so fucking
sexy. I could do this all night.”
“Try and I’ll break your arm,” Dean gasped softly, letting his head fall
forward as he pushed back towards Puck’s hand, wanting more. “Stop with the
fuckin’ teasing and fuck me already.”
“Okay,” Puck agreed easily, withdrawing his fingers and then replacing them
with his cock in one smooth thrust that had Dean arching back against him with
a ragged gasp. Puck groaned at the way Dean’s body clenched around his cock,
and his hands tightened on Dean’s hips to keep him still. He began trailing
soft kisses up the side of Dean’s neck again as Dean’s inner muscles slowly
relaxed into the perfectly tight heat that Dean knew Puck was quickly learning
to crave. “Feels so good,” he whispered into Dean’s ear, his hands sliding
around to Dean’s belly as he pressed even closer to him.
“It does,” Dean agreed, pushing his hips back towards Puck. “Get moving.”
Puck grinned and nipped Dean’s earlobe even as he flexed his hips in a dirty
grind that earned a low surprised noise from Dean, and then he began to move
his hips in slow circles as he whispered into his ear, “You know you love it,
Dean. Every time I do this,” he swiveled his hips in a way that made Dean gasp,
“makes you want it that much more.”
“Yeah,” Dean breathed out softly as he rocked back towards Puck, needing more.
“Please don’t make me beg.”
Puck slid his clean hand up Dean’s chest and throat to his jaw, turning Dean’s
head to face him as he murmured, “I won’t.” He kissed Dean then, beginning to
really thrust into him as their lips met in a kiss that was wet and sloppy and
a lot closer to perfect than Dean wanted to think about.
 
 
***** SIX *****
Chapter Summary
     Note: This chapter contains mentions of past physical abuse of a
     minor.
 
Dean was face down on his bed, naked and still mostly asleep when a familiar
voice purred into his ear, “You might wanna get up and get dressed before I
forget all the reasons I shouldn’t give your fine ass a good morning fuck.”
Dean smiled and stretched with a little rumbling groan, opening his eyes as he
turned his head to see Puck leaning over him, then Dean saw that the door was
wide open behind Puck. He reached out to shove Puck away quickly, not really
awake enough to hide the panic that hit when he realized Sam could be right
outside the door listening. “Dude, so much no!”
Puck snickered and moved back to the door, smirking. “Then get your lazy ass
out of bed, Deano. I’m gonna go cut the grass while you make us some breakfast.
I like my eggs over easy.”
“Cut the grass?” Dean repeated as he sat up, clutching at his sheet and trying
to hide how relieved he was that being shoved away didn’t upset Puck. “We don’t
have a lawn mower.”
“Which is why I brought mine. I figure I’ll be over here a lot, and I’m not
gonna keep wading through that jungle you call a yard,” Puck said, laughing as
he moved out of Dean’s room and headed down the hall. “It won’t take me long,
so get it in gear.”
“I want lots of bacon with my eggs,” Sam said then, sticking his head into
Dean’s room and looking like he had been up a while. He disappeared and Dean
heard Sam’s door open across the hall as Sam called, “And I’m hungry now, Dean,
so hurry up!”
“Alright, I’m movin’, Jesus,” Dean muttered, throwing back the sheet and then
standing to go root through the basket of clean clothes on his dresser. He
found a pair of threadbare boxers and had just stepped into them when he heard
Sam’s door close again.
“Damn, Dean, who bit you?” Sam asked, and Dean realized that Sam was back in
the doorway, staring at his shoulder.
Dean grabbed a pair of jeans out of the laundry basket and bent to step into
them, flushing and not looking towards Sam. He knew what bite Sam was talking
about. It was on the top of his shoulder right by the base of his neck, and he
was sure it was purple even though he hadn’t seen it yet. He could feel it
every time he moved his right arm or turned his head, which triggered the vivid
memory of Puck giving it to him as Dean came all over the front of his car
without either of them ever touching his cock.
“Nobody you know, Sammy,” Dean lied as he stepped into his jeans.
“I thought you were playing pool last night,” Sam said, confused and frowning.
Dean snorted, giving Sam a level look as he fastened his jeans, which took a
few moments because he had grabbed a button-fly pair. “I did, but I got laid,
too. That’s what locking bathroom stalls are for, Sammy.”
“You picked up a girl at the pool hall and screwed her in the bathroom?” Sam
asked, looking a little disgusted. “Seriously?”
“No,” Dean said with a smirk, “I picked up a woman at the pool hall.” He
actually had flirted with several women he could’ve had if he wanted them, so
he didn’t even feel bad about the lie. “And don’t knock a quickie in the
bathroom until you’ve tried it.”
Sam rolled his eyes and turned away, disappearing down the hall as he said,
“You’re such a pig, Dean.”
Dean turned back to the basket of clothes to get a shirt, calling, “You know
it, baby bro!”
“I’m not a baby anymore, Dean!” Sam called back, suddenly sounding a little
smug.
Dean let himself relax as soon as he heard Sam slam the front door on his way
out, shoulders slumping as he leaned on the dresser a moment. He had no clue
how long he could hide what was going on with Puck from Sam, but there was no
way that he’d give Puck up any sooner than he had to. It was nerve-wracking as
hell, but the way Puck seemed to get Dean inside and out made it worth it. Dean
had never had that before and he liked it too much to walk away just yet.
Dean straightened and grabbed a shirt, then tugged it on as he moved over to
the bed to get his boots. He had never been with anyone who was as into sex as
Puck was, and Dean had never realized what a difference it would make to have
sex with a guy who was completely at ease with his body and what it could do.
Puck was fearless about even the nastier aspects of gay sex and loved driving
Dean to the point he was a writhing, begging mess, and Dean reveled in the
freedom of being able to completely let go of his hard-won control, knowing
Puck would take care of him.
Dean had been fortunate enough to get laid a lot, but if he wasn’t careful Puck
was going to ruin him for lesser mortals. The guy had studied fucking like most
people studied for school, and he hadn’t had any difficulty at all translating
his knowledge of his own body into playing Dean’s body like the much-beloved
Gibson guitar that was seldom very far away from him. Puck’s talented fingers
had roamed Dean’s skin with careful precision, stroking and dancing over every
inch of him just like they so deftly moved over the strings of a guitar, and
Puck hadn’t had any trouble coaxing the responses he wanted from him.
Dean still couldn’t quite believe how it felt to know Puck cared enough to want
to learn his body, to realize that Puck wanted to know every dip and hollow and
find every spot that could make Dean laugh or moan or writhe and arch against
the sheets for more. No one had ever taken that much of an interest in what
Dean liked before, and it had made the whole experience a lot more intense than
it might otherwise have been. Dean wanted Puck’s touch again so badly it scared
him a little bit, but that was easily overshadowed by the way being with Puck
made him feel. It made him want Puck even more, and he could hardly wait for
the next time they would be able to steal a few minutes alone.
No, there was no way Dean was walking away from Puck until he had to.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean heard the lawn mower stutter to a halt outside just before he started to
put the food on the table, and once he had everything ready he headed for the
front door to tell Puck to take a break and come eat. He opened the door and
stepped outside, his eyebrows going up when he saw that most of the yard was
already mowed with just the side and probably around back left to do, and it
looked like a different place. There was actually a nice lawn when grass and
weeds weren’t allowed to get three feet deep, and it surprised Dean how much he
liked the change.
Sam was sitting on the hood of the Impala, watching something interestedly with
a wide grin. A t-shirt was wadded up on the Impala’s hood next to Sam with a
water bottle laying on it, and as soon as Dean followed Sam’s gaze he knew why.
Puck was shirtless in a pair of cargo shorts and sunglasses as he bent over a
battered old lawnmower, and he looked really good as Dean took a moment to just
inhale the scent of newly mown grass and enjoy the view. The sunshine and a
light sheen of sweat made Puck’s tan seem even more golden than usual, and the
muscles in his shoulders flexed in a way that made Dean suddenly want to lick
them.
Puck fiddled with something for a moment longer before he moved to grab the
pull-string to start the lawnmower again.
“Take a break, man,” Dean said then, making Puck look at him in surprise. Dean
grinned, adding, “Breakfast’s ready, and it won’t be near as good cold.” He
headed back into the house without waiting for an answer, leaving the front
door open in hopes that the scent of freshly mown grass might take over inside.
Dean had just reached the table when Sam hurried inside, grinning widely still.
“Finally! I’m starving.”
“You oughta be,” Puck said, laughing as he walked in after Sam, and Dean wasn’t
sure as he sat down whether he was glad Puck had left his shirt on the Impala’s
hood or not. It was hard not to get caught looking at Puck and enjoying the
view, but he still did enjoy the view, when he was sure Sam wasn’t watching.
“It’s after one, Sammy. You two slept half the day.”
“And you were up early, I know,” Sam said, laughing as he took a seat at the
table and looked at Puck. “How many pools did you clean this morning anyway?”
“Three hot tubs,” Puck said, looking a little smug. “At forty-five bucks a
pop.”
Dean laughed, looking surprised. “People pay you forty-five bucks to clean a
hot tub?”
Puck smirked, taking a seat in the remaining chair at the table. “Yep, and
seventy-five for a pool. I used to get paid a hell of a lot more, but I’m not
doing plumbing work anymore.” He let out a little laugh. “And boy were the
ladies pissed this morning when I told them that.”
“Plumbing work. Riiight.” Sam snickered, using his fork to cut up his sunny-
side-up eggs and stir the yolks in to cover it all.
Puck grinned. “That’s how they explained the extra cash to their husbands,
anyway. I’ve ‘cleaned drains’ for more ladies than any plumber in town.”
Dean stared at Puck, more than a little shocked to realize they had one more
thing in common. “Dude! I heard you slept with most every cougar in the county,
but nobody mentioned you were gettin’ paid.”
Puck preened just a bit, looking kind of smug. “Yeah, I’m just that good. I
provided sex with a hot poolboy to bored housewives, and they bought me a truck
and paid all of Quinn’s medical bills until Mom made her go to Social Services
and get in some program for unwed mothers that pays it all.” He took a bite of
the steak on his plate and then added, “On a good day I used to get laid four
or five times and make five hundred bucks, easy, but now that I’ve quit sellin’
my services as a cabana boy I’ll probably do good this summer to make that much
in a month.”
“If the money’s so good and you liked hooking, why’d you quit doing it?” Sam
asked, looking curious as he took another bite of his eggs. He didn’t seem to
notice the surprised look Dean gave him, and Dean watched Sam thoughtfully as
he chewed a mouthful of steak and wondered just how much Sam knew about
hookers.
“Kurt doesn’t like it,” Puck said with a one-shouldered shrug, smiling. “He
didn’t ask me to quit screwing around with the cougars, even said that he
wouldn’t ask me to, but I know he’d like me to stop anyway. It was easy money,
but it’s not like it’ll be hard to forget about them. Cougars are fun if you’re
horny and you don’t mind a few wrinkles – a hell of a lot more fun than most
high school girls – but I’m lookin’ for more than that these days, and I got a
kid to support. After school’s out I’ll get a real job, maybe even working for
Burt if he needs the help. Kurt’ll be busy at the garage all summer anyway,
doing the books and working for his dad. It’s how he pays for all those fancy
clothes of his.”
Sam grinned at Puck. “You’re whipped, in other words.”
Puck laughed. “Quinn says the same damned thing, so maybe I am, I dunno.” He
shrugged again, cutting up his eggs and not looking up as he added, “I do know
that it’s not women I’ve been thinkin’ about the last few weeks. Maybe I’m just
a little more gay than I thought I was.”
“That’s a good thing, though,” Sam said after a minute, and Dean and Puck both
looked at him in surprise. “You’re with Kurt now,” Sam explained with a quick
smile for Puck, “so it’s good you’d rather be with a guy. I barely know him,
but even I can see he’s crazy about you.”
Puck let out a little laugh. “And I still don’t know how it happened. I mean, a
few months ago I was tossing Kurt in dumpsters and trying to get Quinn to marry
me so we could raise Beth together and try to be a family, and now I’m dating
Kurt and hoping Quinn really will let us have Beth.”
“Dude, she’s talking about letting you have Bethy?” Dean asked, pleased. “When
did she decide that?”
“Last night,” Puck said, giving Dean a wide smile. “She told me this morning
after she woke me up to make sure I delivered the paper on time. She wanted to
go over to Kurt’s for breakfast and decided to just tag along on my route, so
we had plenty of time to talk about it. She told me she got to talking with
Kurt and Carole about how she was planning to give Beth up to begin with
because she didn’t feel like she’s ready to be a mom, and somehow they
convinced her to give me and Kurt a chance to prove to her we could be good
parents. Carole’s still going to take care of Beth while we’re in school or
working, but yeah. It’s looking like I might get to raise my baby girl after
all.” He laughed slightly, adding, “Quinn doesn’t think I’ve got the patience
to be a full-time dad, but she says Kurt will make a great mom anytime she’s
not feeling up to the job.”
Sam laughed. 
Dean was grinning widely as he dropped his fork on his plate and reached over
to give Puck’s bare shoulder a squeeze, ignoring the urge to stroke the firm
muscles under his fingers. “That’s great, man. I’m happy for you.” He grinned a
little wider and moved his hand to pick up his fork again, adding, “Even though
you’ll probably never get to sleep all night again. Sammy was nearly five
before he stopped wakin’ up every three hours hungry or needin’ to change his
pants.”
“God, Dean!” Sam exclaimed as he blushed very red, reaching across the table to
slug Dean in the shoulder.
Dean grinned at Sam. “It’s just the truth, Sammy. You had a hell of a time with
the whole waking up to go pee thing.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to tell anyone that,” Sam protested quickly,
scowling.
Dean snickered. “Puck won’t think any worse of you, kid. He’s got a younger
sib, he knows what it’s like.”
Puck laughed, nodding as he looked at Dean. “Mom was always working, and some
days it seemed like I didn’t get to do anything else but change diapers.”
Dean grinned at Puck. “Been there, man. At least Sam was a boy, so I kind of
knew what to expect with him. It must have been rough on you, takin’ care of a
baby sister.”
“It was surreal sometimes, for sure,” Puck agreed, snickering. “By the time she
was talking, she had me playing dress-up with her and dolls and all kinds of
girly crap. I used to have a hell of a time getting the make-up she smeared on
my face off before someone else saw it.”
Dean smirked, teasing, “Maybe it’s not Kurt’s fault you’re kind of gay after
all.”
Puck just laughed, looking surprised.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Sam was trailing along behind Dean and Puck as they walked to the Impala late
that afternoon when Puck’s phone started playing an unfamiliar song. Dean
looked over at Puck curiously as Puck shifted the bags he was carrying around
to free one hand, listening to the song while Puck dug his phone out of one of
the lower pockets in his cargo shorts.
“Something has changed within me, something is not the same. I’m through with
playing by the rules of someone else’s game. Too late for second-gues—”
Puck flipped the phone open then, cutting off the song as he put it to his ear
without even glancing at the phone to see who it was, grinning widely. “Hey
babe, whatcha need?”
Dean had to smile at that, thinking that what he had heard of the song was
really fitting as Kurt’s ringtone. The kid surely had changed all the rules for
Puck’s life, but Puck seemed to love every minute of it.
Puck’s phone was turned up loud enough that Dean could clearly hear the other
side of the conversation as he walked along by Puck, their shoulders brushing
occasionally. “Where are you?” Kurt asked, sounding kind of sheepish.
“Still in Dayton with Dean and Sam,” Puck replied, amused. “We’re just leaving
K-Mart to head home, why?”
“Could you ask Dean to come by the mall and jump start my truck?” Kurt asked
hopefully. “I could just ask a stranger here, but I’m afraid to drive it home
without someone I trust following us. I can’t find any obvious reason why the
battery died, and I’ll feel a lot better if there’s someone who can take Quinn
home if it dies on me in the middle of nowhere. It’s too hot out today for her
to be stuck on the side of the road while I have to wait for Dad to bring the
wrecker.”
“Sure babe,” Puck said reassuringly, glancing questioningly at Dean he said it.
Dean nodded and Puck grinned at him, adding, “Dean can hear you, and he doesn’t
mind.”
“Thank you, Dean!” Kurt called a little louder than he had been talking,
sounding very relieved, and then he went on in a more normal tone. “Call me
when you get here, sweetheart. We’re parked outside Sears right by the door,
but we’re going to wait in the food court where it’s nice and cool.”
“And have ice cream!” Puck’s little sister Sarah crowed into the phone.
Kurt laughed. “Yes, and have ice cream.”
“We’ll be there soon, babe,” Puck said, chuckling. “Talk to you then.”
“Love you,” Kurt said cheerfully, hanging up before Puck could reply.
Puck closed his phone, grinning a little wider as he tucked it back into his
pocket and looked at Dean. “The mall isn’t far, just a few miles.”
“We’d go even if it was twenty, so don’t sweat it,” Dean said, returning the
grin as they got to the trunk of the car.
“I figured,” Puck agreed, reaching with his free hand to take two of the bags
Dean was carrying.
Dean gave Puck the bags and then dug out his keys and unlocked the trunk,
leaning into it to shift things around so the stuff they had just bought
wouldn’t get rattled around too much on the way home. There was a DVD player in
the bag Dean still had, and Puck had two bags of DVDs and one of items for the
kitchen, and the bag with the Tom & Jerry and Bugs Bunnyboxed sets and the
cables they would need. They had spent a lot, but Dean and Puck had decided on
the way to Dayton that having to go play pool together wasn’t really a bad
thing, so Dean wasn’t worrying about it. Puck still couldn’t play pool very
well at all, and Dean was looking forward to trying to teach him between
hustling games, not to mention visiting the farm again afterwards.
“You know anything about newer cars like that Navigator of Kurt’s?” Dean asked,
glancing at Puck as he stepped back to let Puck put the rest of the bags in the
room he had made for them.
“Nope,” Puck said with a laugh, “but Kurt’s a whiz with engines that have all
the computerized crap in them. He’s been working in his dad’s garage since he
was eight. He’ll probably hook it up to the computer diagnostic thing in the
morning and give it a once-over, and have it fixed before noon. If he can’t
find the problem, it’ll take a dealership to fix it.”
“Kurt really works in the garage?” Sam blurted in surprise, making Dean and
Puck look at him. He was standing by the rear passenger door of the Impala
waiting for Dean to unlock the car, and he blushed at the looks on their faces
as he added quickly, “No offense. I just thought he must do the paperwork or
something. He doesn’t look like the grease-monkey type.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Puck agreed, laughing as he shut the trunk and pulled Dean’s
keys out of the lock. “He’s pretty good, though. Fixed my Ranger a while back
when the engine started acting weird. Something about bad plugs and a loose
cap. He had me follow him to the garage and he had it fixed in like, five
minutes.”
Dean held out his hand for the keys, grinning at Puck. “You didn’t know how to
fix that yourself?”
“I don’t know anything about fixing cars, I just love driving ‘em,” Puck said
with a quick grin as he looked into Dean’s eyes, holding Dean’s keys a little
closer to his chest. “Speaking of, lemme drive your baby home. It’ll be easier
than trying to give you directions in rush-hour traffic, and maybe we won’t get
lost again.”
Dean stared into Puck’s eyes a moment longer and then let out a little snort of
a laugh, heading towards the passenger side of the car. “Don’t make me regret
this, Puckasaurus.”
“You know I won’t,” Puck said with a smirk, hurrying to unlock the driver’s
door and then planting one knee in the seat as he leaned across the car to
unlock both passenger doors. He settled into the driver’s seat then, rolling
down his window and still smirking as he watched Dean get in. “You can trust
me, Deano.”
“I know,” Dean said, rolling his own window down and trying not to think about
the glimpse he had just gotten of Sam’s shocked face.
Puck started the Impala and then backed out of the parking place to drive
towards the road, grinning as he glanced over at Dean. “Don’t look so worried,
then.”
Dean laughed softly and ran one hand through his hair, sheepish. “Sorry. I was
just thinkin’ about all the traffic an’ how fast you like to drive.”
“Dean doesn’t let anyone drive the Impala.” Dean looked over his shoulder at
Sam and then quickly faced forward again, blushing at the way Sam was staring
at Puck as Sam added, “Nobody but Dad, and even he hasn’t driven her in years.”
Puck glanced back at Sam as he stopped at the edge of the parking lot to wait
for a light so they could leave, and then looked over at Dean, grinning. “That
true?”
“Well, yeah,” Dean admitted, not quite looking at Puck even though he could see
him out of the corner of his eye. “I don’t have many friends I’d trust with my
baby.”
“Or any,” Sam corrected with a snort, and Dean heard him start rolling his
window down. “Dean’s so protective of this car it’s scary.”
“Now I feel all honored,” Puck said, looking smug as he pulled smoothly out
into traffic. “I’ll take good care of her, I promise.”
“I know,” Dean said agreed, “which is why you’re driving. You’d better enjoy it
while you can, though. I hate shotgun.”
Puck snickered. “You and me both, man.”
Sam shifted in the back again, and Dean had the distinct feeling Sam was
rolling his eyes as he said, “Everyone hates riding shotgun.” He reached
forward to poke Dean’s shoulder, adding, “And put a tape in, I hate listening
to traffic.”
Dean leaned down to get the box of cassettes out of the floor. “What do you
wanna listen to, Sammy?”
“You’re gonna let me pick?” Sam asked, surprised. “Are you sure you’re okay,
Dean?”
Dean snorted. “Fine, I’ll pick something.” He grabbed the mix tape a girl had
made for him a few months back from a bunch of music she had on her laptop,
pushing it quickly into the cassette player and then turning the stereo on. He
hit rewind and then settled back into his seat again, not even paying attention
to where they were going as he muttered to himself, “Am I okay.”
“Well! You’re acting weird,” Sam said defensively. “You never let me pick the
music, and you’re letting him drive.”
“Maybe I’m just havin’ a good day, Sammy, and wanted to spread it around,” Dean
said, twisting in his seat to look at Sam with a frown. “Is that so awful?”
“No, of course not,” Sam said quickly, surprised and confused. “Just, you don’t
usually.”
Dean faced forward again, scowling. “I didn’t know I was such an asshole,
Sammy. Thanks.”
“Alright, children, that’s enough,” Puck said then, obviously trying not to
laugh. “Sam, stop complaining that Dean’s being too nice, and Dean, quit
enjoying yourself right this minute. Obviously it scares your little brother.”
Dean let out a little laugh, looking over at Puck. “Seems that way, doesn’t
it?”
Puck glanced at Dean, grinning, and then looked back at the traffic ahead of
them as he merged into the middle lane to wait for a light to change so he
could make a left turn. “Yep.”
The cassette finished rewinding with a click, and then a moment later the
familiar beginning of Here I Go Again started to play. Puck looked at Dean
quickly, his eyebrows going up in surprise, and Dean shrugged, giving him a
crooked grin. “I told you I knew it.”
Puck let out a little laugh and looked at the light ahead of them again,
grinning as he started singing along. “I don't know where I'm going, but I sure
know where I've been.”
Dean didn’t glance at Sam as he joined in with Puck, not wanting to know what
Sam thought of it as he reached to turn up the music a little more, harmonizing
with Puck without even needing to make an effort. “Hanging on the promises in
the songs of yesterday… And I've made up my mind, I ain't wasting no more time.
…  Here I go again...”
Traffic was heavy enough to slow them down, so a drive that should have taken a
minute or two took long enough that they had time to listen to several songs
before Puck turned into the parking lot at the mall, barely two miles from
Kmart. Dean leaned forward to turn off the stereo as he looked towards Sears,
which happened to be the store at the end closest to them. He began watching
for Kurt’s Navigator, dismissing the first one he saw as soon as he saw the
back door.
The rear hatch of Kurt’s Navigator had brand new bumper stickers that someone
had put on it sometime during school the day before. There were now glittery
rainbows on the bumper, and the door had been decorated with stickers that said
‘Diva’,‘I Can’t Even Think Straight’, ‘I Know I’m Gay, What Are You?,’ ‘My
Boyfriend Can Kick Your Ass’, and ‘Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Fabulous’. Dean
was still trying to decide if they were intended to hurt Kurt or just a
misguided attempt by someone – Brittany was the most likely candidate, he
thought – to make Kurt laugh. They really weren’t very offensive, especially
not when you considered just how queer Kurt obviously was. Dean and Puck had
both offered to scrape the stickers off, but Kurt had just laughed and said to
leave them there.
Dean smiled as they pulled around to the other side of Sears and he spotted the
stickers on a Navigator parked in the second spot in the row closest to the
door. “There’s the Navigator.”
“Yeah, I see it,” Puck agreed with a chuckle, pulling into the row the
Navigator was parked on. “You see any empty spots around here?”
“Nope,” Dean said with a little laugh, twisting in his seat to look around.
“Not unless you want to park out by the road.”
Puck circled the row and then pulled up into the dashed-off part of the parking
lot at the end, which was the closest they could get to the Navigator. “Looks
like we’ll have to push it back out of that spot to get the Impala close enough
to jump it.”
Dean looked across the hood of the little hatchback in the handicapped spot
between the Impala and the Navigator, and then he looked back at Puck as he
leaned to take the keys out of the ignition with a grin. “Nah, I think my
cables just might reach that far. I got a pretty long set.” He reached to open
his door, adding, “Call your baby and let him know we’re here while I dig them
out.”
“I hope you’re right,” Puck said, opening his door to get out and then digging
in his pocket for his phone as he watched Dean move to the trunk. “Pushing that
monster with just the three of us won’t be any fun at all.”
Dean glanced at Sam as he passed Sam’s door, a little surprised to see that Sam
looked kind of confused and thoughtful. Dean continued by without saying
anything, and he had just opened the trunk when Sam opened his door. Dean
looked through the gap below the raised lid of the trunk as he leaned down to
start moving things around, but Sam was just sitting in his seat watching Puck
so Dean decided he must want to let in a breeze.
It was pretty warm that day, and with the car sitting still it would get hot
fast. It was one of the worst things about having a black car, especially since
the air conditioning died. Bobby was keeping an eye out for an Impala they
could salvage a working one out of, but so far he hadn’t had much luck. Bobby
had a corner of his junkyard devoted to Impalas built from sixty-six to sixty-
nine just for Dean to use as parts cars, but none of them had working AC units.
Dean hated the idea of putting anything in his baby that wasn’t made
specifically for an Impala, but he was beginning to think he might have to if
he wanted a working AC. So far it hadn’t gotten hot enough to force him into
it, but it was barely June and already hot enough he missed his AC.
“Hey babe,” Puck said then, looking towards the Sears entrance as he spoke into
his phone, smiling. “We’re outside, and I need the keys.”
Dean wasn’t close enough to hear Kurt’s side of the conversation as he dug in
the trunk, shifting aside the military-style mechanic’s bag that held his tools
and the twenty-pound sack of salt under it to get to his jumper cables, which
he hadn’t used in over a year.
There was a short pause before Puck laughed and said, “Okay baby.” He closed
the phone, leaning into the car to pop the hood and then moving to the trunk to
stand near Dean as he added, “They’re all on the way out. Quinn’s having
trouble resisting the smell of the pizza place, and she already ate lunch twice
so she wants to get away from temptation. The food court’s just the other side
of Sears, so they won’t be long. Mercedes, Tina, and Kurt talked Quinn into
using Artie’s old wheelchair today, so she’s not slowing them down any.”
“Cool,” Dean said with a smile, pulling the cables free of the trunk and then
moving towards the front of the car as he started to untangle them. “Let’s see
if the cables are long enough so we know if we have to move the Navigator by
the time they get here.”
“Smart!” Puck moved after Dean, grinning.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Puck was pulling the Impala off the dirt road into the driveway that led to
Dean and Sam’s trailer later that afternoon when Dean saw a familiar blue truck
parked behind Puck’s Ranger and his heart sank.
They were supposed to be there to unload the Impala and get Puck’s truck to
take both vehicles over to Kurt’s for dinner so Puck wouldn’t have to leave
whenever Dean and Sam did, but Dean was suddenly sure that a relaxing evening
of pizza and a couple movies wasn’t going to happen.
There was really only one reason their dad showed up anymore, and that was to
uproot their lives and drag them off to some other little backwater town. Dean
usually didn’t mind as much as Sam did, but this time it was different. Dean
had actually made friends in Lima, close friends he wasn’t ready to leave
behind yet, and the idea of having to pack it all up and leave again so soon
made him want to hit something. If he let Dad make them go, he wouldn’t get to
see if Puck and Quinn’s baby girl was as beautiful as her momma, and he would
never see Puck again.
“No, Dean!” Sam exclaimed suddenly, angry and upset, and Dean knew Sam had
spotted Dad’s truck. “He can’t do this to us again. We’ve only been here a
week! I just got caught up and started making friends!”
“Sam, I know, just settle down,” Dean said as he turned in the passenger seat
to look at Sam, trying not to seem as worried as he felt. “I’ll talk to him.”
“Talking won’t do any good, Dean,” Sam said sharply, scowling. “You know he
won’t listen! He never does.”
“Then I’ll tell him we’re staying,” Dean said firmly as Puck parked the Impala
by the steps, making Sam’s eyes widen. “I’m not gonna let him make you flunk
out like he’s done to me, okay? He can just carry his ass off and meet us at
Bobby’s after school is out.”
Sam stared at Dean for a minute and then looked suddenly at Puck, obviously
worried as he said more quietly, “Come in with us. Please? Dad... won’t like
hearing that. Not even a little.”
Puck gave Sam a reassuring smile as he took the keys out of the ignition. “I
got Dean’s back, Sam, and yours. Don’t worry.”
Sam nodded slightly and then moved to get out without another word. Dean and
Puck exchanged a look and then they were both getting out too.
Dean walked around in front of the Impala and then was the first up the steps,
opening the door to the house – he hadn’t bothered to lock up when they left,
there wasn’t much in there for anyone to steal – and walking inside as he
glanced around to look for John.
John was standing by the open front window with a beer, and from the look on
his face Dean suddenly knew John had watched them pull up, and probably even
heard them in the car. They hadn’t been talking very quietly. “Since when do
you let anyone else drive my car?” John asked in a low, dangerous tone that
made Dean instinctively want to apologize.
Dean swallowed hard, his chin lifting slightly as he forced himself to sound
calmer than he felt. He could see Puck move closer to him out of the corner of
his eye, and knowing he had backup gave him just enough confidence to be able
to say, “The Impala is my car, Dad. My name’s on her title and everything.”
Just knowing that he wouldn’t have to face John alone made it easier for Dean,
even though it was still pretty tough to make himself stand up to his dad. Sam
was always there when Dean tried to stand up to John, of course, but John had
decked Sam a few months back for trying to stop him from thoroughly kicking
Dean’s ass, and Sam was afraid to provoke him again. Sam’s jaw had stayed black
and blue for almost two weeks last time and had been sore for even longer, and
Sam and Dean were both sure John would do worse if Sam made him mad again. Dean
had taken worse abuse from John that time, as usual, but Dean was used to it
and he could deal with the pain – physical or not – a lot easier than Sam. Dean
had always worked so hard to protect Sam that the kid just wasn’t as tough as
Dean had been at his age, even though Sam was tougher than most fifteen-year-
old boys.
John blinked and then frowned, moving away from the window a few steps towards
Dean. “Igave it to you, boy, and I can take it away again.”
“Not without a fight,” Dean replied quickly, a little surprised he had the
balls to say it. “We’re not going back to being stuck in whatever dingy
hellhole you dump us in while we wait for you to remember food costs money.
Dad.”
John actually flinched at Dean’s pointed reminder of all the times John left
the boys to survive on whatever Dean could scrounge up or steal, looking away.
He was silent for a minute and then looked back at Dean, still angry but
obviously willing to drop it about the car, which rocked Dean a little bit.
“Pack your stuff, boys. You’re gonna go stay with Bobby a while.”
“No, we’re not.” Dean had never defied his dad without getting his ass handed
to him painfully, but having John actually listen to him for a change made him
feel a little more confident about trying to make John listen to reason.
“There’s not even six weeks left of school, and if we pull out now we’ll both
flunk.”
“So?” John snorted. “School’s not important, Dean.”
“Maybe not to you,” Dean replied quickly, “but I’m tired of lookin’ like
dumbass because I’m almost twenty and still a junior, Dad. You’re not makin’
Sam go through the same thing, not as smart as he is. Whatever you want us to
do, it’ll wait until school is out. You’re not makin’ us go this time.”
John dropped his beer, seeming not to even notice the way it shattered when it
hit the linoleum as he stalked over to stand right in front of Dean, staring
down into his eyes. John was a good six inches taller than Dean and probably
fifty pounds heavier, and he was very good at using his size advantage to
intimidate his son. “Don’t you ever tryto tell me what I can and can’t do, boy.
I will end you.”
Dean swallowed hard as he tried to scrape together the balls to actually fight
his dad. It was going to come to blows soon, it always had before when he tried
to stand up to John, but Dean had never really tried to fight back. He wasn’t
sure he would survive it.
“Over my dead body,” Puck said suddenly, making John and Dean both look at him
in surprise. Puck grabbed Dean’s shoulder to pull him back a couple of steps,
moving at the same time to put himself between Dean and John and staring
fearlessly up into John’s eyes. “Back off, mister,” Puck said firmly, his voice
cold and hard. “Nobody is gonna threaten Dean like that while I’m around, I
don’t care who you are.”
“And just who the hell are you?” John asked angrily, his hands curling into
fists.
“I’m Dean’s friend,” Puck answered sharply, obviously pissed off and unafraid
of John’s posturing. “And I’ve got his back, especially against a bullying
asshole like you.”
John bristled. “I’m not gonna listen to some punk come into my house—“
“It’s not your house,” Puck interrupted angrily, muscles flexing under his
tight t-shirt as he obviously fought the urge to hit John instead of trying to
talk to him. “It’s Dean’s house. He’s the one out hustling pool to pay the
bills and keep Sam fed, and he’s the one stuck telling lies so your worthless
ass won’t cause Sammy to end up in a foster home, so you can just suck it up
and deal, man. If I was Dean you can bet your ass that Sam and I would both be
so gone you’d never even find the dust we left behind, but for some godforsaken
reason Dean still loves you, so it’s about goddamned time you start acting like
you feel the same! I know it might be hard, but hell, you won’t hang around
long. You can pretend for five minutes to care more about your boys than you do
about yourself, can’t you?”
Dean was light-headed and felt like his chest just might explode as he took a
shaky breath, looking at Puck and wondering kind of dazedly if you could fall
in love with someone between one breath and the next. He realized what he was
thinking and dragged his gaze back to John, trying hard to look anything other
than awed, and he was relieved to see that John was ignoring him anyway.
John was staring at Puck and he looked like he had just been hit in the face
with a board, his shock slowly fading into a mixture of pain and anger. He
seemed to shake himself out of it after a minute or two of silence and then
finally looked at Dean. “Is that how you feel, Dean? If it is, just say so and
I’m gone.”
Dean could hardly stand seeing the pain that was in John’s eyes, but he
couldn’t let himself cave and do what his dad wanted this time, either. Sam
would never be able to get out of the hell they lived in if he didn’t get a
full ride for college, and he wouldn’t get one if he kept changing schools
every few weeks.
“Dad, just let us finish out the year here,” Dean said softly after a few
moments of trying to find what to say, aware he wasn’t really answering John’s
question. He couldn’t make himself say that Puck was completely and awesomely
right, even though he was. He had the strong feeling that if he admitted he
felt that way they’d never see John again, and he couldn’t face that idea no
matter how badly John treated him sometimes. He was still their dad and Dean
loved him almost as much as he loved Sam. “Go do whatever it is you needed to
do and we’ll meet up at Bobby’s after school’s out. We’ll be fine. We’ve got
friends here, and we can handle a few weeks on our own.” He paused and then
couldn’t keep himself from adding softly, “You’re never around anyway.”
John stared into Dean’s eyes for a long while and then looked past Dean and
Puck at Sam, his tone of voice cold and hard again as he asked, “You feel that
way too, Sammy?”
Sam looked scared as he moved a little closer behind Dean and Puck, obviously
seeking their protection. “We love you, Dad, but we don’t want to go with you.”
John flinched and looked away, and Dean knew their dad had just realized Sam
was truly afraid of him.
“Alright, boys.” John took a slow breath and then let it out carefully, and
Dean wondered what he was thinking as John added, “Men, I guess. It’s plain you
don’t think you need me anymore.” He walked around them towards the door. “Call
Bobby if you change your minds, he’ll know where to find me.”
“Yes sir,” Dean said quietly, swallowing hard. “Be careful out there.”
John stopped at the door to look at Dean for a long moment, and then he looked
at Puck as he said quietly, “Take care of my boy.” He turned and left without
another word, closing the door quietly behind him.
They were all silent until they heard John’s truck start up and leave, then
Dean let out a shaky breath and turned to walk into the kitchen. “Why don’t you
two unload the car? I’ll clean up the broken glass, and then we can head to
Kurt’s. They’ll be wondering what happened to us.”
Sam nodded and went outside without a word, but Puck hesitated a moment as he
watched Dean grab a paper plate and a roll of paper towels.
“You okay, Deano?” Puck asked softly as Dean walked back towards him,
concerned.
Dean nodded, forcing a smile. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” He paused as he got close
to Puck, looking into Puck’s eyes as he murmured, “Thanks. It… means a lot,
that you backed me up like that.”
Puck reached out to put his hand on the back of Dean’s neck, giving him a
crooked smile as he leaned a little closer to Dean and whispered, “Had to. I
don’t want you leaving either.” He squeezed Dean’s neck gently and then moved
away towards the door just as Sam pounded up the steps with several of the bags
of stuff they had bought at the thrift store.
Sam glanced after Puck as he passed him, watching Puck go out the door before
he gave Dean a concerned look as he asked, “Where do you want this stuff,
Dean?”
“Put it on the kitchen table,” Dean said quietly, moving to crouch by the
puddle of beer and broken glass. “I’ll put it all away later, Sammy.”
Sam watched Dean pick up glass for a moment and then did as he had been told,
moving to the kitchen to put down the bags of curtains, towels, and sheets he
was carrying. Puck walked up the steps with the television then and Sam moved
quickly to make room on the coffee table as he said, “Just set it here for
now.”
Dean looked up from what he was doing to watch as Puck put the small color
television down, and then Puck grinned and ruffled Sam’s hair. “C’mon Sammy,
there’s still a few bags in the back seat and the stuff in the trunk.”
Sam took a step towards the door and then stopped, looking at Dean. “We’ll need
the keys for the trunk.”
“Puck’s still got ‘em,” Dean said, looking back down to start wiping up the
beer and the smaller bits of broken glass.
“Oh.” Sam stared at Dean a moment longer and then let Puck usher him out of the
house.
Dean let his head fall forward as soon as they were outside, taking a shaky
breath and wishing Sam weren’t around for just a moment before he kicked
himself for even thinking it. He wanted someone to hold him, sure, and Puck
would be glad to give Dean a little comfort if Dean allowed it, but there was
no way Dean wanted held more than he wanted to keep Sam with him. He could live
without it. It would only be a couple more years until Sam went off to college,
after all, and then Dean would be on his own for real.
Somehow, he didn’t think that Dad would want him around, not any more.
 
                                      ~*~
 
It was after midnight when the end credits of ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ began to
play. Dean stretched on the couch and then glanced over at the bed to see if
Kurt was awake to turn the DVD off, and what he saw made him smile.
Kurt was curled up with Quinn and Sarah, all three of them sound asleep while
Puck watched them with a fond smile, slowly stroking Kurt’s hair. Puck was at
the very edge of the bed because the other three were already happily stretched
out when Puck had joined them after cleaning up the remains of their dinner, so
he couldn’t really reach much of Kurt other than his hair, not without waking
Quinn or Sarah, who were both sleeping peacefully between Puck and Kurt on the
bed.
Dean ruthlessly quashed down a stab of jealousy as he got up and walked
silently over to get the remote off of the bedside table next to Puck. He
wasn’t even sure which one of them he was jealous of, not really, but he
suddenly wanted what they had so badly it hurt. He remembered a time when Sam
used to climb into his lap or his bed and want to be held like Sarah had
climbed into bed with Quinn and Kurt, but it had been years since Dad decided
they were too old for it and shamed them into acting like they didn’t need
affection anymore. Sam seemed not to mind and seldom made any attempt to get
close to Dean, but Dean often missed the simple pleasure of holding his little
brother and having the loneliness he lived with so often go away for a while.
Dean turned off the TV and the DVD player before he looked back at Puck as he
murmured, “You’re a lucky man.”
Puck looked up at Dean, smiling softly. “I know.” He tilted his head slightly,
asking, “You heading out?”
Dean nodded, putting the remotes back on the bedside table. “Yeah, I should.
Sam’ll be sound asleep by now.” Sam had decided he wanted to watch television
with Finn, Rachel, Carole, and Burt when he saw that they were all watching a
Cubs game, but baseball often put Sam to sleep, even though the kid loved it.
“I’ll walk you out,” Puck murmured, carefully starting to edge off of the bed.
Kurt’s eyes opened almost as soon as Puck started to move, looking sleepy and
confused as he whispered, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, babe,” Puck answered softly, leaning carefully over Quinn and Sarah
to kiss Kurt and then giving him a sweet smile. “Just gonna go talk to Dean a
minute. I’ll be back soon, I promise.”
Kurt’s expression smoothed into a smile and he snuggled a little closer to
Quinn, eyes closing as he breathed out, “M’kay.”
Puck stood looking down at Kurt, Quinn, and Sarah for a moment before he turned
to Dean, reaching out to put a hand on Dean’s back and urge him towards the
stairs without a word.
Dean walked quietly up the stairs ahead of Puck, and he was surprised when Puck
reached for his arm to stop him just after they entered the darkened kitchen.
He turned to look at Puck, murmuring, “What?”
Puck pulled the door to the basement closed with barely a sound and then slid
his hand down Dean’s arm to take his hand and tow him to the back door and
outside. He closed the door behind them and then led Dean into the darkness of
the back porch far enough from the door that no one in the house could see them
without opening the door and leaning outside. He moved closer to Dean then,
pulling Dean into his arms as he murmured softly, “I know you need this, so
don’t argue.”
Dean swallowed hard, just standing there a moment before he let himself relax,
his arms going around Puck as he swayed closer. He had always worked hard to
hide it, but a bigger part of him than he’d like to admit to needed more
affection than he ever got, leaving him feeling lonely even while he was in a
crowded room. Puck’s embrace made him feel safe and even loved, or at least
like someone cared about him, and he couldn’t make himself refuse it. 
“I shouldn’t be doing this,” Dean whispered after a few minutes, barely able to
hear himself. “I want it too much.”
Puck’s arms tightened around Dean as his lips brushed against the hollow behind
Dean’s ear. “You’re allowed. You had a rough night.”
The feel of Puck’s arms so tight around him, holding him close while Puck said
exactly the right things, was almost too much for Dean to bear. He let out a
little strangled noise caught somewhere between a laugh and a sob, blinking his
eyes quickly to clear the sudden sting of impending tears. “A guy’s just not
supposed to want someone to hold him and let him cry himself to sleep, Puck, no
matter how close to gay he might be, deep down.”
Puck rubbed Dean’s back, holding him close enough that his lips brushed Dean’s
temple as he whispered, “I can’t be there to hold you while you sleep tonight,
but I can hold you now. Cry if it’ll help. It’s not like I haven’t done the
same thing when it was my dad ripping me up inside.”
Dean took a shaky breath, closing his eyes and just relaxing against Puck as he
inhaled the soothing scent of Old Spice and soaked up the feel of strong arms
around him for a few more minutes. He couldn’t count all the times he and John
had gotten into it and left Dean wishing for someone to just hold him and make
it go away, and it felt really good to finally have that, if only for a little
while. Puck wasn’t his and he shouldn’t let himself enjoy the comfort Puck
offered so freely to him, but at that moment he needed it too badly to be able
to make himself pull away.
Somehow, knowing that Puck was willing to hold Dean while he cried made it
easier not to. Dean finally was feeling almost calm after a little while, and
he kissed Puck’s jaw lightly before he murmured, “Thank you.”
Puck nuzzled Dean’s ear, arms tightening around him slightly again. “Don’t
thank me for holding you. I enjoy it more than I probably should.”
Dean pulled back to look at Puck in the darkness, barely able to make out the
affection and concern in Puck’s changeable hazel eyes. “I meant for standing up
to my dad tonight, but that too.”
Puck smiled crookedly, looking just a little sheepish. “I kind of wanted to
kill him.”
“I noticed.” Dean leaned in to kiss Puck softly, lingering for a long moment
before he leaned his forehead against Puck’s as he added more quietly, “You
were so freaking awesome I wanted to kiss you right there in front of him,
which is why I think maybe we need to stop … whatever this is. I’m starting to
get in over my head.”
“Starting?” Puck half asked with a soft little laugh, not moving away in the
slightest. “We’re both in wayover our heads, and you know it as well as I do.”
He kissed Dean again with enough tenderness that it drew a soft noise from
Dean, and then Puck murmured, “If I didn’t love Kurt so damned much, Sammy
would definitely be finding out stuff you don’t want him to know, ‘cause I’d be
sleeping in your bed tonight.”
Dean shuddered slightly, licking his lips before he whispered, “How good that
sounds is enough to tell me I shouldn’t get near you again.” He paused slightly
and then admitted, “Even though I don’t want to let you go.”
“You’ll only be here for five more weeks,” Puck said gently, one hand moving up
to stroke Dean’s hair as he looked into Dean’s eyes. “I can be careful of Sammy
for that long.” He paused slightly and then admitted, “I really don’t want to
give you up until I have to.”
Dean looked into Puck’s eyes as he took a slow shaky breath and let it out.
“You should be holding Kurt right now, not me.”
“I will be, after you go home,” Puck said softly. “He doesn’t mind, Dean. We
talked about it on the phone this morning while I was cleaning hot tubs, and he
really is okay with this.” He smiled suddenly, a little impish as he added,
“Even though he’d really like to watch us have sex sometime.”
Dean blinked, his eyes widening. “You’re kidding.”
Puck chuckled softly. “Not even a little. He was embarrassed to admit it, but
once he did he couldn’t stop talking about it. He’d love to watch us together,
he thinks you’re sexy as hell, and well, we both know I’m a stud.”
Dean stared at Puck, thinking about the idea and what it might be like. He had
done something similar twice in the past, both times for couples that saw him
on some lonely street corner and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Some
people really got off on watching two men having sex, and Dean had learned that
he liked being watched, whether it was a man or a woman that was sitting back
and enjoying the show. Thinking about it made him realize that if he could do
something like that for strangers, surely he could do it for Puck.
“I can handle that, if he’ll agree to something for me,” Dean finally said
slowly. “He can watch us and even touch you while you’re fucking me if he
wants, but I’m not sure I can do anything with him. He reminds me a lot of
Sammy.”
Puck searched Dean’s eyes as he asked softly, “Are you sure, Dean? I don’t want
you doing something like that just because you feel guilty.”
“I won’t lie and say I’m feelin’ no guilt right now, but that’s not the only
reason I’m willin’ to let him join us. I think it’d be…” Dean felt his face
heating up. “Really kind of amazingly hot to have him watching us, and I know
once he sees for himself what it’s like he’ll stop worrying about sex and go
for it.” He shrugged slightly and looked down at Puck’s chest as he whispered,
“And I’d like to make that happen for you.”
“That doesn’t mean I won’t still want you,” Puck murmured, his tone of voice
soft and gentle. “I’ve lost track of how many women I’ve been with, Dean, but
none of them made me want them the way I want you, not even Quinn or Santana.
Just because I’m in love with Kurt doesn’t mean I won’t keep wanting you too.”
“I know,” Dean said softly as he met Puck’s gaze again, “and I feel the same,
but I’m afraid it’s a bad idea for us to keep this going for too long.” He
looked down again, swallowing hard, then went on so quietly he could barely
hear himself. “It’s going to be hard enough to leave you as it is, but don’t
ever doubt that I’m gonna do it.” He made himself look at Puck again, sad and
wistful as he whispered, “You’re not mine, and you’re never gonna be, and
staying would only ruin both of our lives. For now Kurt can take it, maybe, but
after a few months of me leadin’ you off whenever he’s with the girls, or a
year? He’d hate me, and then you’d start to hate me for making him unhappy.”
Dean shook his head. “I couldn’t live with that. Someday I’ll find a guy who’ll
love me half as much as you love Kurt, and then I’ll get my chance at a little
forever of my own.” He felt his face heating up again at the admission that he
wanted a guy to spend his life with, but he didn’t try to take it back because
it was true. He liked women, and sex with them was a great way to pass the
time, but it just couldn’t compare to how he felt when he was with Puck.
Puck just looked into Dean’s eyes for a long while before he finally murmured,
“He’s gonna be a lucky man.” He kissed Dean softly, and they were just shifting
closer to each other when the light in the kitchen suddenly flicked on, making
them jerk apart.
Puck gave Dean a sudden little grin, amused at their reactions, and Dean had to
smile as Puck started towards the door saying, “C’mon, I’ll help you get Sammy
into the car.”
Dean followed Puck, chuckling and trying hard not to think about how much it
was going to hurt when he had to leave. He was right behind Puck as they walked
into the kitchen, and he was surprised to see Kurt at the counter with a bowl
and a scoop, opening a quart of ice cream.
Kurt looked up in surprise when the door opened, giving them a sweet smile as
he said quietly, “Beth wants ice cream. Again.”
Puck snickered, moving around the kitchen island to stand behind Kurt, his arms
sliding around him for the first time since dinner. “Sure she does.” He kissed
Kurt’s cheek and then teased, “The fact raspberry swirl is Quinn’s favorite has
nothing to do with it.”
Dean watched them with a smile as he moved to the other side of the island, a
little surprised to realize that when they were both barefoot, Kurt was only
about four inches shorter than Puck. Kurt seemed much smaller to Dean, all
lithe and graceful and somehow delicate, but in reality he wasn’t really that
small for his age. Dean wasn’t sure if Kurt seemed so small in comparison to
Puck because of the difference in their builds or their temperaments, but after
a moment he decided it was probably just Puck’s larger than life personality.
Puck could make Dean feel small, after all, even though Dean was slightly
taller than Puck and definitely not a lightweight.
Kurt giggled as he leaned back against Puck without stopping what he was doing,
scooping a perfect globe of ice cream into the bowl. “Exactly.”
Puck snickered and nuzzled behind Kurt’s ear, just holding him close while Kurt
got another scoop of ice cream and tried to pretend Puck’s nuzzling wasn’t
affecting him.
Dean chuckled as he leaned against the island and watched them, glad it didn’t
hurt to see how in love they were. He knew it probably would eventually if he
stayed in Lima too long – he wasn’t going to lie to himself about that – but he
hoped he’d be gone before that day came. Kurt was exactly what Puck needed,
someone sweet and sexy that worshipped him and needed Puck desperately, and
Dean was sure that Puck needed Kurt just as badly. He had just gotten lucky
enough to be on the edge of that love for a little while
As Dean stood there watching them, he realized suddenly that being so close to
what Puck and Kurt had was enough for him, at least for now. After Sam was in
college, Dean could try to find someone that would love him just like he was,
no matter how screwed up his life got sometimes. There had to be someone out
there like that, a man – Dean had finally stopped lying to himself about
finding a nice girl someday – who could love him and give him a little of the
peace and affection that had been so completely lacking in his life for the
last few years. He thought he deserved it.
Kurt was adding a third scoop of ice cream to the bowl when Sam ambled into the
kitchen, obviously half asleep. Sam walked straight to Dean, leaning against
Dean’s side and looking adorably pouty as he mumbled, “Dean, ‘m sleepy.”
Dean chuckled and put his arm loosely around Sam as he looked down at him with
a soft smile. “Alright, Sammy, we’re goin’ home right now.”
Sam looked vaguely pleased, laying his head against Dean’s shoulder and closing
his eyes. “Wonderful.” The kid was barely awake enough to stay upright and
obviously in one of his very rare affectionate moods, which Dean always enjoyed
if he was given the chance. It didn’t happen very often anymore, so rarely in
fact that Sam had wanted Dean to hug him only three times in the last year or
so, but that just made Dean treasure it more when he did get the chance. Sam
had been the most important person in his world as long as he could remember,
and Dean always had time to give him a hug if Sam wanted one.
Kurt giggled softly after a minute, closing the ice cream as he said, “Sam,
you’re just plain adorable when you’re sleepy.”
Sam blinked a few times, obviously waking up a little more as he blushed very
red, pulling away from Dean. “Uhm…  I’ll wait in the car. Night.” He walked
quickly towards the front door.
Dean and Puck looked at each other and had to fight hard to keep quiet until
they heard the front door close, then they both started laughing.
“Babe, that was evil,” Puck said after a minute or so, still snickering.
Kurt giggled again. “But it’s true!” He smirked at Dean, adding, “And from what
I hear, he has a lot in common with his big brother in certain areas, no matter
how ugly his clothes are. Brit was raving about him when she called me this
morning, and she was very impressed with his … package.”
Dean grinned at Kurt. “The kid’s a Winchester. He’s got nothing to be ashamed
of, except his taste in clothes.” He pushed off from the counter, adding, “I
should go. You two have a good night.”
Kurt pulled away from Puck and walked quickly around the island, not giving
Dean a chance to argue before he gave Dean a hug and kissed his cheek. Dean
stared at Kurt in surprise as Kurt smiled at him and said softly, “I don’t know
what happened tonight, not yet, but I can tell something did and I want you to
know you’ve got people who care about you, okay? Anytime you need to talk or a
hug or anything, you just let me or Noah know and we’ll be there for you.”
Dean stared into Kurt’s eyes a moment and then smiled slowly. “Thanks, kiddo.”
He looked over at Puck. “Tell him about it, so I won’t have to?”
“All of it?” Puck asked quietly, moving around the island to stand close behind
Kurt again. He slid one arm around Kurt to pull Kurt back against him as his
other hand reached to take Dean’s hand.
Dean let himself hold tightly to Puck’s hand, rationalizing that it was okay
because it was hidden from either doorway by the way they were standing, so no
one who walked in would be able to see before he could let go. He looked into
Puck’s concerned hazel eyes as he said quietly, “Whatever you think he needs to
know. I trust you.”  He leaned to kiss Kurt’s cheek softly before he could
think about the impulse too hard and then kissed Puck fleetingly before he let
go of Puck’s hand and headed for the front door, not looking at either of them.
If Dean didn’t make himself leave soon, he might talk himself into not leaving
at all, and that couldn’t be a good thing.
 
***** SEVEN *****
Chapter Summary
     Note: This chapter contains sexual content and discussion of past
     abuse.
 
When Dean woke up the next morning, the silvery light of pre-dawn lit his
bedroom just enough for him to see easily, and all he could smell was Old
Spice, sweat, and sex.
He rolled to bury his face in his pillow and laid there just slowly breathing
in Puck’s scent mingled with his own for a long time before his bladder forced
him out of bed. When he returned from the bathroom, he grabbed a pair of boxers
out of the laundry basket and then just stopped and looked at the bed, trying
to convince himself to strip it. He should, he knew, even though he loved the
way the sheets smelled. Sam wasn’t stupid, and if he got close to Dean’s bed
for some reason he’d smell Puck’s cologne there just as easily as Dean did.
Puck wore Old Spice because his mom liked it, and Dean had to agree with her,
in spades. He wasn’t sure if it was because the Old Spice really smelled that
good or because it made him remember being under Puck with the scent filling
his senses as much as Puck did, but either way he loved it. Thinking about it
made him realize that laying there smelling his pillow had been a little
ridiculous, but the scent-memories associated with Old Spice in his head now
made it something he knew he would do again if he had the chance.
Memories had filled his mind while he laid there breathing in Puck’s scent, not
to mention some strong feelings he wasn’t used to having when he thought about
sex, and thinking about it made them return. As he himself get lost in them
again something deep inside relaxed just the way he had relaxed when he
realized that with Puck he could completely let go and still be safe. It wasn’t
something he had ever done before, too wary of the strangers he fucked to ever
truly give up his iron control of himself, and he realized finally that it was
probably a large part of the reason he was so addicted to Puck’s touch. Puck
was pure sex when he wanted to be and so gorgeous it was no surprise the guy
had a high opinion of himself, but he could have looked like Coach Tanaka and
Dean would have still wanted him because he made Dean feel so safe.
Dean stood there just staring sightlessly at his bed and remembering until he
realized his morning wood had returned with a vengeance, and then he finally
turned back to the bathroom to go take a shower. He lingered for a long while
under the hot water, running his hands slowly over his body and thinking about
Friday afternoon and the way Puck’s hands and lips had felt as Puck explored,
touching and tasting every inch of him. He had to bite the inside of his lip
nearly bloody to stay quiet when he finally moved one hand to his cock, and
just a touch was all it took to have him coming so hard he saw stars. He leaned
against the wall then to wait for the way his knees had gone weak to pass,
gasping for breath as he wondered not for the first time why it was that Puck
affected him so strongly.
The water ran cold a few minutes later, turning the way he was trembling
slightly into strong shivers that drove him out despite the fact his knees
still felt a little shaky. As soon as he was dried off and dressed – boxers so
counted as clothes when the sun wasn’t even over the trees outside – he made
himself strip the sheets off his bed, leaving the pillows like they were. They
wouldn’t smell like Puck for long anyway, and burying his face in a pillow
would be a lot smarter than getting a fix of Puck’s scent right from the
source. There wasn’t much chance Sam would get close enough to Dean’s bed to
smell the pillows. Sam complained anytime he had to go in Dean’s room because
it was always so messy that Sam insisted something might leap out and bite him.
He wadded up the sheets and padded barefoot out into the hall, carrying them
through the dimly lit house out to the back porch. He threw the sheets into the
washer and turned it on, added a scoop of Tide, and then while the water filled
he tossed in a few of the towels he still hadn’t washed to make a full load. He
walked back inside then and moved to the cabinet to get down the coffee, and
within a few moments the battered Mr Coffee he had carried all over the country
for the last few years was percolating quietly.
He went back out on the porch, leaving the door open so he could hear when the
coffee was done, and settled sideways on the swing to watch the horses in the
neighbor’s pasture and think. He wasn’t as upset as he had been the night
before, not any more, and he was starting to think maybe he would be okay even
if Dad did know what Dean was doing with Puck.
Dean was pretty sure John did know, and he wondered if John had been in his
room while he waited for them to get home. The way John had told Puck to take
care of him was a dead giveaway that John knew Dean was sleeping with him
somehow, at least to Dean, who hadn’t had anyone to take care of him in so long
that he didn’t really even remember what it felt like. That John seemed to
think Dean was letting Puck take care of him, needed Puck to, told Dean that
John had lost all faith in him, which fit pretty well with John thinking Dean
was gay. His dad was a homophobic asshole of the first water when he wanted to
be.
Dean couldn’t pin down exactly why, but knowing that John probably thought he
had a boyfriend didn’t seem so much like the end of the world anymore after a
good night’s sleep. It still wasn’t goodnews, of course, but the more Dean
thought about it, the more he realized it wasn’t exactly the worst news he’d
ever had, either. If John did know, at least he hadn’t called Dean a disgusting
faggot and taken Sam from him, and he hadn’t killed him outright, so Dean was
chalking it up as a possible win.
Of course, just because John might believe Puck had stood up for Dean because
they’d had sex didn’t mean that it was in any way true. Dean was sure that Puck
was protective of Dean just because Puck could see Dean needed that protection
where John was concerned, and after a good night’s sleep Dean wasn’t quite so
overwhelmed anymore by how that had made him feel. He was embarrassed – Lord
was he embarrassed, he had as much as asked Puck to hold him while he cried,
which took away every shred of badass Dean had left and turned him into a
freaking girl, he was sure – but he wasn’t going to let himself pine for what
he couldn’t have.
Puck belonged to Kurt, heart and soul, and Dean liked it that way. He couldn’t
take Puck with them when they left Lima, and he damned sure couldn’t stay, so
there was no future there beyond fan-fucking-tastic sex and the chance for Dean
to make one of Puck’s dreams come true.
Dean wanted to do that, needed it even, and he was looking forward to the
chance to let Kurt watch them and see that Puck was the single most generous
person that Dean had ever had sex with. Puck got a lot of his pleasure in bed
out of taking care of whoever he was fucking, and Dean knew just how awesome it
was to be the focus of all that talent and intensity. It was a potent
combination, and Dean was sure Kurt was going to be all over Puck as soon as he
had seen it for himself.
So yeah, Dean wasn’t freaking out and on the edge of tears anymore over the
fact Puck was awesome and Dean couldn’t have him. Dean was used to wanting
things he’d never have, and he had learned to deal a very long time ago. His
little freak out at Kurt’s was all John’s fault as far as he was concerned.
Dean wouldn’t have been feeling so helpless and vulnerable if the shit with
John hadn’t gone down, since they had been having a great day, dammit, and now
that Dean had his head back on straight, it was done. Nothing had really
changed for the better, but he was used to life kicking him in the teeth and he
was made out of stronger stuff than the guy who had very nearly bawled all over
Puck the night before.
Dean was monumentally tired of having to hide everything that meant anything to
him, especially from Sam, but he knew he’d keep doing it. Sam was all the
family he had except for John and Bobby, and Dean would do whatever he had to
do to make sure that he never made Sam want to walk away from him. Sam would
have to leave him soon enough, and Dean didn’t intend to ever do anything to
hurry that along.
Sure, it hurt every damned day to know that his family would probably hate him
if they knew he liked to take it up the ass when he was feeling particularly
alone and needed someone to make the world stop for a while, but Dean could
live with it. He had since the first time he sold his ass and found out it felt
fantastic, and he’d keep doing it as long as he had to. He had five years of
practice, after all, so he knew that dance inside and out.
The thing with Puck was amazing and would give Dean a lot of memories to carry
him through the crummy stretches of his life, but it wasn’t something Dean
could make last for forever and he knew it. Dean would move on when school was
out and that would be it, and he wouldn’t be looking for his own Puck any time
soon. He didn’t have room in his life right now for a permanent boyfriend, and
the thought of having anyone he’d just have to leave behind was painful enough
he didn’t plan to ever try it again.
Dean would stick to empty-headed women in bars who had a little too much to
drink and liked the bad-boy type, at least until the next time his life got to
be too much for him. When he just had to get lost in someone fucking him for a
while, he’d find a street corner somewhere far from anyone Sam knew, and he’d
make a few hundred bucks getting what he needed. He hated feeling like a whore,
hated the whole concept of selling himself, but the sex itself had been the
best part since he got old enough and strong enough that one man couldn’t force
him into doing anything he didn’t want to.
Dean was picky about who he would sell his ass to now, could afford to be picky
about it because of his hard-won experience. He knew all the moves and exactly
how to make himself irresistible to the kind of trick he liked to pick up, and
once he pulled them in he enjoyed giving the guy he ended up with the memory of
a smoking hot rentboy who had made one of his better wet dreams come true for a
price. He would do almost anything except let someone tie him up or do stuff
that belonged in a toilet anywhere near him, both good sane limits as far as he
was concerned. He would rather bottom with a guy – he loved being fucked – but
he was very good at being a top if the trick got off on being dominated.
Topping didn’t scratch his personal itch completely, but giving someone else
their fantasy did so it worked out pretty well.
Dean noticed finally that the coffee pot had choked to a halt at some point,
and as he climbed off the swing to amble inside he was feeling pretty good. He
poured himself a mug of coffee, inhaling the strong scent of good Kona with a
happy little groan. He sent up a little thank you to God for Starbucks and then
he grabbed a carrot out of the bottom drawer of the fridge and headed out back.
The horses saw him coming, as always, but they didn’t approach immediately.
Dean leaned against the top rail of the fence to relax and enjoy the smell of
freshly mown grass as he savored his coffee. He wasn’t someone who liked to be
alone, not really, but being outdoors to watch the sunrise alone was an
exception. It gave him a calm, quiet start to his day, which was something his
life was sorely lacking, so he always savored the experience when he had a
little privacy at the right time to do so.
The horse that Dean had been feeding finally wandered over to the fence just as
the sun broke over the trees, and Dean smiled as he put his coffee cup on the
ground between his feet and then broke off a large piece of carrot. “Hey girl.
How’s your day going?”
The black mare – Dean had finally thought to look for a dick the last time he
fed her – took the chunk of carrot when he offered it to her and then crunched
through it, nodding with each bite.
Dean grinned and reached out with his free hand to stroke the mare’s glossy
neck, murmuring, “Yeah, mine’s startin’ to look pretty damned good, too.”
The mare finished her carrot and started snuffling gently at the hand Dean was
holding the rest of the carrot in, and he offered her the end of it to see if
she would break it off herself. The mare bit down on the carrot and then gave a
little practiced jerk of her nose, snapping it off neatly.
“You’re a smart one,” Dean said, chuckling softly. “Shoulda known you’d have
that down pat, the way you like carrots.”
“Are you really out here talking to a horse in your underwear?” Sam asked
suddenly.
Dean spun around to look at Sam in surprise, forgetting his coffee and knocking
it over to splash one foot. “Damn.” He shook coffee off of his foot, looking up
at Sam. “Maybe.” He bent to pick up his mug, looking back at the mare as he
straightened again and then offered her what was left of the carrot. “Here,
girl.”
The mare took the carrot happily and then Dean patted her neck before he turned
to walk up to the porch, glad that Puck had insisted on finishing the grass
before they left the day before. The grass in the back yard had been higher
than his knees, but now it was a lush green lawn only a few inches tall that
felt really good under his bare feet.
Sam was standing on the back porch in one of Dean’s old sweatshirts and a pair
of Scooby Doo boxers that would have been baggy even on Dean, looking kind of
surprised but wide awake. “I wondered why you bought those carrots. Do you do
that often?”
Dean climbed the stairs and opened the screen door before he said, “Often
enough.” He shrugged one shoulder, walking past Sam into the kitchen. “I like
horses and she likes bein’ fed, so we get along pretty well.”
Sam followed Dean into the kitchen, sitting at the table to watch Dean rinse
out his coffee mug and then refill it. “I didn’t even know you liked horses.”
“Now you do,” Dean said, amused as he leaned back against the counter with his
coffee. “Why are you up so early on a Sunday? This is usually your sleep until
noon day.”
“We did that yesterday.” Sam shrugged, looking down at the table as he added,
“Besides, I couldn’t sleep, and I smelled coffee so I knew you were up.”
Dean sipped his coffee, watching Sam for a moment, and then asked gently,
“Anything you wanna talk about, Sammy? I know you only have trouble sleepin’
when you’re upset about something.”
Sam was quiet a long moment before he finally asked in a small voice, “Is Dad
ever coming back? After what we did?”
“Maybe not here,” Dean said quietly, “but we’ll see him again, Sam. He’s pissed
right now, but he’ll get over it and meet us at Bobby’s sooner or later.”
Sam looked up at Dean. “Are you sure? ‘Cause I’m not, Dean. He sounded pretty
final when he told Puck to take care of us.”
“I think that was probably because Puck stood up to him to protect us,” Dean
said slowly, glad Sam seemed to have misheard Dad and hoping he could find the
right words to set Sam’s mind at ease. “Puck can be pretty impressive when he
wants to be, and he got all up in Dad’s face when it started lookin’ like Dad
was gonna hit me.”
“That was kind of weird, too. I mean, why didn’t Dad just deck him?” Sam asked,
looking unhappy and a little confused. “He always hits you when you try to
stand up to him, and he hit me when I tried to stop him from hurting you, but
he just stood there and took it from Puck, and I don’t think it was because he
was scared.”
Dean looked at Sam for a moment and then asked quietly, “You sure you can take
the truth, Sam?”
Sam seemed to think about that and then nodded. “Yeah, Dean. I need to know.”
Dean nodded. “Alright.” He took a sip of coffee, steeling himself, then met
Sam’s gaze as he said simply, “Dad knows nobody’ll care if he hurts us except
Bobby, and even he’s not gonna call the cops. Puck’s got family and friends,
and there would be all kinds of trouble if Dad beat him down like he did to me
last time. He’d do some serious jail time, once the cops found him. Puck’s only
seventeen so they’d get him for at least aggravated assault on a minor, and
might even go after attempted murder once they find out he was in Recon.”
Sam looked down at the table and said softly, “So it is wrong. The way he hits
you if you argue with him, I mean.”
“Yeah, Sam, it’s wrong,” Dean said quietly, resisting the urge to go hug his
baby brother. He knew that Sam would take it the wrong way and get mad that
Dean was babying him instead of just accepting the offered comfort, so he
didn’t do it. “If I had gone to a hospital last time instead of having you
patch me up, they would have put him in jail and you’d probably still be in
foster care while Bobby and I fought to get custody of you.”
Sam looked up at Dean again. “Why did you tell Puck everything?”
Dean shrugged and looked down into his coffee mug. “I didn’t need to tell him
most of it, Sam. Puck is—“ he broke off, searching for the right words, then
finally looked back at Sam. He’d just have to tell the truth and hope he could
convince Sam it didn’t have to mean that he was gay, just really close friends
with a guy that happened to be bisexual. “Puck gets me, and I get him. I don’t
understand it, but we both feel it. He’s told me stuff he doesn’t talk to
anyone else about, and I’ve done the same with him.”
“Are you bi, Dean?” Sam asked, looking serious and thoughtful.
“You don’t have to be bi to get close to another guy, Sammy,” Dean said gently.
“Puck wouldn’t mind gettin’ in my pants, but he knows it’s not happening and
he’s cool with that.” Even as he tried to justify that statement to himself
with the thought that it wouldn’t be happening that day, Dean hated that he had
to lie to Sam.
“You didn’t really answer me,” Sam said, still serious.
“I didn’t think I needed to,” Dean replied, “but for the record, no, I do not
date guys. I’d think you might have noticed that after all the crap you give me
about the women I hook up with.”
“I’ve seen how you look at Puck, though,” Sam said with a little shrug, and
Dean was surprised by how calm Sam was about the idea. “And how he looked at
you after Dad left yesterday, too. He wanted to hug you really bad, and I got
the feeling you would have let him if I wasn’t there.” He paused slightly and
then added, “You care about him a lot. More than any girl I ever saw you with.”
Dean sighed, wishing that he could just be honest with Sam and not have to
worry about the consequences but knowing it wasn’t going to happen. Even if Sam
could accept it, Dad wouldn’t and Bobby wouldn’t, and sooner or later Sam would
tell one of them. The kid didn’t keep secrets well, not from family. “I do care
about him, Sam, I’m not denying that, and I know that he cares about me too,
but you’re forgettin’ that he’s head over heels in love with Kurt. Puck would
never hurt him, and even if he wanted to, I wouldn’t go for it. I don’t poach
anyone’s first love, especially not a sweet kid I count as a friend of mine. I
don’t have many friends, and I don’t treat ‘em like that.”
“But if it wasn’t for Kurt, you might?” Sam asked, looking intently at Dean.
Dean thought over how to reply to that for several minutes, wondering what Sam
was pressing so hard to find out. It was almost like the kid wanted to hear
that he was bi, but Dean couldn’t think of any reason that might be true. “I
don’t have many friends, Sam,” he repeated finally, choosing his words with
care. “And I never had a friend like Puck. I can’t say what might happen if
everything was different because that’s not my life. I just live with today,
with what I do have, and I don’t worry about what could be or might have been
or whatever. We’re not gonna be here long enough for me to change that much, no
matter how close Puck and I get, so it doesn’t matter.” He paused and then
added, “And I know Dad told you it’s wrong for a man to need anyone else, but I
guess it’s time that I told you I don’t agree with him, and never did. I don’t
want to live my life like he has since mom died, afraid to let anyone within
arm’s reach because he might care about them too much. I would rather care and
remember having someone I could trust, even though it hurts to lose them when
we move on.”
Sam looked down at the table for a moment, nibbling on his lower lip, and then
he looked back up at Dean. “You don’t think Dad was right about guys not
hugging and stuff unless they’re queer?”
Dean remembered the night that he figured Sam was thinking about. John had
found them asleep on a twin bed in front of the television in a motel, and the
word ‘fag’ had figured into the conversation strongly as John lectured them
about how only a queer or a baby would want to get so close to another guy. Sam
was twelve then and Dean sixteen, and John had acted like he caught them making
out when he found them curled up together asleep with Sam laying half on Dean’s
chest. Sam had been so mortified by John’s lecture that he wouldn’t get within
five feet of Dean for weeks, and Dean still hated his dad just a little for
taking away the affectionate baby brother he had loved to hold. He still loved
Sam just as much, of course, but he wasn’t allowed to show it very often at all
anymore and that hurt.
“No, I don’t,” Dean said, calm and firm even though a small part of him thought
he might be making a huge mistake. “I love everything about a sexy woman, and I
don’t think that hugging a guy is enough to make me qualify as queer.” The fact
he liked to be fucked was what Dean figured made him queer, but he was so not
saying that to Sam.
“Have you ever hugged another guy?” Sam asked, curious.
Dean nodded. “Yeah, I have.”
“Who?”
“Well, I hugged Kurt just the other day, when Karofsky had the kid so scared he
was shaking like a leaf and hardly able to walk in a straight line. The kid
needed some comfort badly and I wasn’t about to pretend I didn’t know that. I
walked him to Glee with my arm around the kid just like I would have if he was
a girl, and then Puck sat next to me with the kid in his lap and held him until
they both calmed down. Anyone who tries to tell me that was wrong is an idiot.”
He paused and then added more quietly, “And yeah, I probably would have let
Puck hold me after Dad left if you weren’t there, you’re right, but that
doesn’t make me gay either, it just makes me human. I wish sometimes that I had
someone to hug me and remind me that they give a damn about me. You don’t want
anything like that anymore, I get that, but I’m not you, Sam. Dad would say it
makes me weak and maybe he’s right, I don’t know, but it’s how I am.”
“I wanted a hug too,” Sam admitted softly, looking down at the table. “But I
thought…” He trailed off, unable to say it.
“That ‘only fags touch other guys once they’re old enough to know better’?”
Dean finished for him, quoting one of the things John had repeated several
times that night in a dingy motel room in Nebraska. “Maybe that ‘a real man
doesn’t need anyone but himself'?”
Sam lifted his gaze to Dean’s face again, nodding. “Yeah, something like that.”
“There’s nothing wrong with needing a hug, Sam,” Dean said quietly. “I’m always
here for you if you need me, but you made it pretty plain you didn’t want that
from me anymore after Dad told you he thought it was wrong. I’ve tried hard to
do like I thought you wanted me to do, even though we don’t have anyone else we
can turn to most of the time.”
“Is that why you would have let Puck hug you?” Sam asked, looking like he just
figured something out. “Because you can turn to him?”
“Yeah, Sam, I said that,” Dean agreed. “Puck’s not gonna think I’m weak because
I needed a hug. He knows shit happens and that having no one else I can turn to
doesn’t mean I’m gonna suddenly decide I want his ass.”
“Cause you don’t,” Sam said, but he made it sound more like a question than a
statement.
Dean snorted. “You know, if you keep askin’ that, I’m gonna start wondering
what I’m doing to freak you out so bad. I already told you, Sam, I don’t date
guys. I’m not afraid of the idea like Dad, and I don't think it's a bad thing
like he does, but that’s not me.” Not yet anyway, Dean added mentally to
himself, hating that he wasn’t being completely honest. He had never actually
dated a guy and didn’t intend to start anytime soon, but it still felt like a
lie.
“I wouldn’t care if you were,” Sam said quickly. “Bi, I mean. It’s cool, Dean.”
He paused and then added, “And I wouldn’t tell Dad or Bobby. It’s none of their
business what we do or who we do it with.”
“That’s good to know,” Dean said, feeling a little surprised and amused. “If I
ever do have a boyfriend you’ll be first person I tell, okay?” Dean figured
that was safe enough to say. Puck belonged to Kurt, heart and soul, even though
Puck couldn’t resist whatever it was that flared up between him and Dean
whenever they touched any more than Dean could. It was amazing, and more than
Dean had ever had before, but he still didn’t think Puck really counted as his
boyfriend.
“Okay,” Sam agreed, smiling. “I promise, too.”
Dean’s eyebrows rose and he grinned, teasing, “Are you trying to tell me
something, Sammy?”
Sam actually blushed, letting out a little laugh. “No!” He paused, and then
added, “Well, I don’t think so, anyway. I mean, I had a lotof fun with Santana
and Brittany, and you said I don’t have to be bi to really like a guy, right?”
“Only ‘cause it’s true,” Dean agreed with amusement, nodding. “Anyone I know?”
Sam looked kind of sheepish. “Puck was all kinds of awesome yesterday, standing
up to Dad like that. I wanted to hug him for making sure Dad wouldn’t hurt you
again.”
Dean laughed, nodding. “Yeah, he was. If I didn’t think it’d make his day, I
might’ve kissed him for backin’ me up so impressively.”
“Really?” Sam asked, his eyes going wide as he laughed.
“No, not really,” Dean said, rolling his eyes with a smirk. “Dude, you are so
gullible.”
Sam snorted, grinning. “I don’t know, Dean, you have been kind of following him
around.”
Dean blinked, his eyes widening. “Dude! I don’t follow anyone around!” He
paused and then added, “And I’m not the one who sat on the car yesterday to
watch him cut the grass without a shirt on.”
Sam smirked at Dean. “You didn’t watch him because you didn’t know he was
singing and dancing while he cut the grass. It was hilarious.”
Dean snickered. “He wasn’t.”
“He so was,” Sam countered, still smirking. “He was singing the whole time
while he was dancing around the lawnmower, but the lawnmower was so loud I
couldn’t hear what song it was. It was still great, though. The lawnmower would
keep going when he let it go, and it was so funny watching him dance around
after it. I laughed so hard my sides hurt, and when he saw me laughing he just
grinned at me and danced some more.”
Dean laughed. “Well, the guy is talented and he has no sense of shame
whatsoever, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“I always thought you were shameless, and then I met him,” Sam said,
snickering. “You’re kinda shy and boring next to Puck.”
“I’d argue with that if I didn’t know everyone looks shy next to him,” Dean
said, grinning as he pushed away from the counter. “And I dunno about you, but
I’m gettin’ kinda hungry.  What’re you in the mood for?”
“I’m just gonna have cereal and watch cartoons,” Sam said, grinning widely as
he stood to move around the table. “I haven’t seen Bugs Bunny in forever.”
“Sounds like a winner to me,” Dean agreed, moving to the fridge to get the
milk. “I want Lucky Charms.”
“You always want Lucky Charms,” Sam teased, grinning as he got down both boxes
of cereal. “Grab the chocolate syrup, too.”
Dean snickered, but he got the Hershey’s syrup to carry it over to the counter.
“You’re such a freak, Sammy.”
“It’s good!” Sam protested, laughing as he got down the two big plastic bowls
they had bought just for cereal. “Captain Crunch is great with chocolate milk.”
“It’s nasty,” Dean said, grinning. “Gag a maggot on a garbage truck type nasty.
Looking at it always reminds me of barf.”
Sam rolled his eyes, still grinning as he opened the Captain Crunch. “So don’t
look then.”
“I can’t help it,” Dean said, snickering. “It’s like a train wreck in a bowl.”
Sam just laughed.
 
                                      ~*~
 
It was just after noon when Dean’s cell phone started playing music. The cell
was in Dean’s jacket pocket on the end of the couch, but that didn’t muffle the
sound much as Dean and Sam both looked over at the jacket in surprise.
“If you want it to be wild, gotta know just who to dial baby. (That's me.)”
“What the fuck?” Dean muttered as Sam paused the Roadrunner cartoon they were
watching so they both could listen.
“If you really like it hot, get someone who hits the spot, honey… (Oh yeah.)
And if you want it to get done, babe you gotta get the one, the one who's got
it goin' on. If you wanna make it last, gotta know just who to ask, babe he's
gotta be the best. (Tonight it's me.)”
Sam snickered as the music stopped, looking at Dean. “And you’re sure you’re
straight?”
“Yes!” Dean exclaimed, scowling. “I did not put that shit on my phone! I never
even heard it before!”
The music started again and Sam grinned as he lunged towards Dean’s coat.
Dean had to move quickly to grab his coat before Sam could get to it, giving
Sam a dirty look as he pulled his phone out of the pocket to flip it open. He
glanced at the screen and then scowled and put the phone to his ear.
“Puckerman, as soon as you tell me how you put that damned song on my phone,
I’m gonna kill you.”
Sam started laughing as Dean heard Puck say cheerfully, “I just made sure you’d
know when I was calling, Deano. I thought ‘Get Yourself A Bad Boy’ was pretty
fitting as my ringtone, since everyone knows I’m a badass.”
Dean snorted and kicked Sam’s hip lightly, sure that was Quinn and Kurt he
heard laughing in the background. “It made Sam laugh so hard he might piss
himself. What’d you want, asshole?”
Puck snickered. “I’ve been instructed to invite you two to the barbecue Kurt’s
dad decided to have today.”
“Really?” Dean asked, surprised. “What kind of barbecue?”
Sam perked up, stifling his laughter and looking up at Dean interestedly while
Dean listened to Puck saying, “Ribs, a brisket, steaks, probably some other
stuff if Kurt gets bored.”
Dean heard Kurt call in the background, “With baked beans, corn casserole,
three kinds of salad, fresh rolls, and lots of ice cold watermelon for
dessert!”
Puck laughed, adding, “Yeah, and all the fixings, too. I’m sure you heard him.”
“Yeah, I did,” Dean agreed, starting to grin. “Just a sec.” He took the phone
away from his face, looking down at Sam. “You wanna go to a barbecue at Kurt’s?
They’re going all out.”
Sam grinned widely. “Sounds great!”
Dean laughed and put the phone back to his ear. “We’re in, man. What’s the
occasion, anyway?”
“Burt decided having so many people around today was a good excuse to
barbecue,” Puck said, laughing. “And when the Hummels barbecue there’s food for
an army, so Kurt wants reinforcements to help eat it all.”
Dean snickered. “We’ll be there in a little bit.”
“Cool!” Puck said, sounding pleased, then he added teasingly, “When you get
here, I’ll change your ringtone for me back to Springsteen if you want. I only
changed mine, Kurt’s, and Quinn’s.”
“I don’t even have their numbers,” Dean said, laughing.
“You do now,” Puck said, and he sounded so smug that Dean had to snicker.
“Thanks, I guess, but that ringtone you put on here is terrible, man,” Dean
said, amused. “When did you have time to screw with my phone, anyway?”
“On the way to Dayton yesterday,” Puck replied, still smug. “I stole it out of
your coat on the way to the car and you never noticed, not even when I put it
back at the thrift store.”
“Is that why you let Sam sit in the front?” Dean asked, laughing.
“Yep!”
Puck might have intended to say more, but suddenly there was a clatter of noise
as someone else grabbed the phone. “Hey!” Puck said indignantly in the
background, laughing.
“Is for horses, sweetheart,” Kurt’s cheerful voice said, making it obvious he
was the one holding the phone now. “Get your butt over here, Dean. We’re almost
ready to eat. You and Noah can talk after you get here.”
Dean looked at the phone when the connection died, laughing. “The little shit
hung up on me.”
“Puck?” Sam asked, laughing.
“No, Kurt took his phone and said to get our asses in gear, and then hung up on
me,” Dean said as he stood up, amused. “Evidently the food is almost done.”
Sam grinned and got up, stretching. “Sounds like maybe we need to put on some
clothes, then.”
“That’d be a good idea,” Dean agreed, laughing as he headed towards his room.
Sam followed behind him, still grinning widely. “Whose numbers did he add to
your phone?”
“Quinn and Kurt,” Dean replied, ducking into his room and going to the laundry
basket still on his dresser. “I’m kinda scared to find out what their ringtones
are now.”
Sam just laughed, disappearing into his room and closing the door.
 
                                      ~*~
 
When Dean and Sam got to the Hummel house, they were both a little surprised to
see Puck’s truck was still parked where it had been the day before, blocked in
by Burt’s big Dodge Ram. Burt had come home late the night before after towing
a friend's car, and he had parked behind Puck’s truck because the Ranger was in
his usual spot. Carole’s car was still behind the Navigator where Finn had
parked it after he drove Rachel home, so Kurt’s truck had obviously not been
moved either.
“Do you think they stayed over?” Sam asked quietly as Dean turned off the
Impala.
“Looks that way,” Dean replied, looking over at Sam. “Quinn probably didn’t
feel like trying to climb into either truck, she was pretty tired.”
Sam seemed to think about it a moment and then said, “I bet Puck’s mom is
pissed. She told Kurt not to let Puck do anything around Sarah.”
Dean snorted, amused. “Sammy, dumbass, just because Puck probably stayed
doesn’t mean he got laid.”
Sam gave Dean a skeptical look. “Have you met Puck? Or seen how Kurt looks at
him?”
“Yeah, I have,” Dean said, trying not to laugh. “I’ve also listened to both of
them, so I know Kurt’s not ready for a whole lot more than makin’ out yet, and
that Puck’s gonna wait for him however long it takes.” He got out without
waiting for Sam to reply, pocketing his keys but not bothering to lock the car
before he started towards the Hummels’ front porch. The Hummels lived in a
really nice subdivision, and Dean was sure that no one was going to try and
steal his baby in broad daylight.
Sam got out and hurried around the car, slowing to walk next to Dean as he gave
him a funny look. “You talk about that kind of thing with them?”
Dean gave Sam a quelling look. “Don’t start again, Sam. Not now.”
“I’m not!  Just… Nobody I know talks about that kind of thing,” Sam said
quickly, then he added, “It’d be kinda nice if they did. I always feel like I’m
blundering around in the dark, trying to figure out what a girl expects from
me.”
Dean snickered. “Well, if it helps any, Brittany was real impressed with your
blundering.”
Sam blushed suddenly, but he looked kind of pleased. “How do you know that?”
“She called Kurt yesterday morning to gossip,” Dean replied as he climbed the
stairs onto the front porch, smirking. “According to him, she couldn’t stop
talking about you.”
Sam blushed even redder but his smile widened into a pleased grin. “Really?”
“Yeah, really,” Dean said, laughing slightly as he stopped at the Hummels’
front door to look at Sam. “You seem surprised.”
“Well, I am, a little,” Sam said, blushing still and looking kind of amazed. “I
mean, I know I had a great time, but they didn’t even kiss me goodnight or
anything when they dropped me off. I kinda wondered if I had done something
wrong.”
Dean grinned. “Well, you can stop wonderin’ if you did it wrong.”
Sam laughed, blushing darker as he reached out to shove Dean. “I know I didn’t
dothat wrong! Just knock on the door and shut up, jerk.”
“Okay, bitch,” Dean said cheerfully, knocking on the door.
The door was thrown open after a just a moment and Sarah beamed at them. “Hi!
Come in!”
“Hey kiddo,” Dean said with a grin, ruffling Sarah’s curly mop of hair on his
way by her. He glanced around the living room, surprised to see it was deserted
except for Sarah, who seemed to have been watching TV going by the fact there
was some freaky looking little cartoon kid scampering around on the big-screen
television. “Where is everybody?”
“Out by the pool,” Sarah said, beaming at Dean and then giving Sam a hopeful
look. “Do you watch Dexter’s Laboratory, Sam?”
Sam blinked, looking kind of wary as he ran a hand through his shaggy hair.
“Uhm, no. I never saw it.”
Sarah beamed at him and grabbed Sam’s hand to drag him towards the couch.
“Watch with me then, it’s great.”
“I can for a minute, I guess,” Sam said, giving Dean a look that clearly asked
for rescue.
Dean just grinned at Sam and started towards the back door. “You two have fun,”
he said cheerfully. “I’m sure someone will tell you when we’re ready to eat.”
“Carole said just a minute ago that it’ll be ten more minutes,” Sarah said,
sitting on the couch without letting go of Sam’s hand. “Quinn was craving bacon
again so Burt is making her a bacon cheeseburger, even though Mom doesn’t like
her eating bacon or cheeseburgers.”
Sam sat in Burt’s chair instead of on the couch, gently extracting his hand
from Sarah’s grip. “Why not?”
“Because we’re Jewish, duh,” Sarah said, rolling her eyes as she showed Sam the
Star of David necklace she was wearing. “It’s not kosher.”
“Oh,” Sam said, obviously relieved that Sarah wasn’t complaining about him
pulling away.
Dean snickered at them as he reached the back door. “Enjoy your cartoons,
kiddos.” He didn’t give them a chance to reply, heading out back to look around
interestedly.
It had been too dark on the back porch to see much besides the vague shine of
water the night before, so Dean was a little surprised by how nice the back
yard was. The screened-in back porch went across the back of the house as far
as the extension where Finn’s bedroom and Burt’s unfinished home office were,
and there was a covered patio just outside the porch that extended out into the
yard almost as far as the pool. There was a big picnic table on the patio,
along with a huge fancy grill and what looked to Dean like an entire outdoor
kitchen, and Burt looked pretty happy as he played with the food on the grill.
Carole and Quinn were both relaxing in chairs by the in-ground pool, laughing
as they watched Kurt, Puck, Finn, and Rachel play chicken in the water. Puck
and Finn were both wearing shorts and white tank tops while Kurt wore a plain
black t-shirt and a rather short pair of swim trunks, and Rachel was wearing a
decidedly old fashioned one-piece bathing suit that looked surprisingly good on
her. Kurt was perched on Puck’s shoulders and Rachel was on Finn’s, which gave
Finn and Rachel a height advantage that Rachel was happy to use. Kurt and Puck
got dunked just after Dean started towards the pool, but they were both
laughing so hard as they resurfaced that it was obvious they didn’t mind.
Dean went through the screen door and walked across the patio as he nodded to
Burt, who grinned and tipped his beer towards Dean. Dean grinned at Burt and
then turned his attention forward again as he continued over to Carole and
Quinn, grinning as he took in how they were dressed. Carole was wearing tight
jeans and a white t-shirt with a denim vest over it and looked tanned and happy
stretched out in her chair. Quinn was in the lounge chair next to her wearing a
plain white tank top that accentuated her baby belly with a pair of board
shorts she had obviously borrowed because they swallowed her whole.
“Lookin’ good, beautiful,” Dean said cheerfully as he reached Quinn and Carole,
leaning down to kiss Quinn’s cheek lightly before he gave Carole a grin.
“You’re no slouch yourself though, ma’am.”
“Thank you, Dean,” Carole said cheerfully, giving him a pleased smile. “I’m
glad you and Sam decided to join us.”
Quinn beamed up at Dean, reaching to take his hand as she added teasingly,
“Even if you are lying to me.”
“We couldn’t refuse good barbecue,” Dean said to Carole with a grin, and then
he looked at Quinn as he dropped to one knee by her chair so she wouldn’t have
to crane her neck to look up at him. “And don’t you call me a liar, girl. I
know a beautiful woman when I see one.” He leaned to kiss her and then teased,
“Even if you did borrow some other guy’s clothes.”
Quinn laughed, blushing. “They’re Finn’s. I can’t fit into Kurt’s clothes
anymore, and I didn’t feel like going home last night when I knew Kurt wouldn’t
mind if I slept in his bed.”
“So you’re sleepin’ with Puck’s boyfriend now too, huh?” Dean teased. “Should I
be jealous?”
Carole laughed as Quinn swatted Dean’s shoulder. “No,” Quinn said quickly,
looking amused and happy. “He slept on the hide-a-bed up in the living room
with Puck while Sarah and I slept in Kurt’s bed.” She poked his chest. “And
before you even say it, everyone was fully dressed and behaved themselves.”
Dean smirked at her. “Sure, and Puck’s up for sainthood, too.”
“He should be,” Carole said with amusement, making Dean look over at her. “Kurt
was pouting half the morning because Puck was such a gentleman.”
Quinn giggled, nodding and pretending not to notice the indignant squawk from
Kurt in the pool as she added, “He hardly even got a kiss good night to hear
him tell it.”
Puck laughed and waded towards the side of the pool closest to them. “I
promised Burt I’d behave myself.”
Dean looked over at Puck and Kurt, laughing when he saw the disgruntled look on
Kurt’s face as Kurt followed Puck to the side of the pool.
“Until Iwas ready,” Kurt said, pouting and shooting his dad a dirty look before
he looked back at Puck. “And I was ready to make out a little, at least!”
Puck laughed and put his hands on the side of the pool, and then he was surging
up out of the water to put a foot on the ledge and stand easily.
Dean made himself not look at Puck for more than a moment or two, even though
Puck was almost close enough to touch. Just a glance was enough to tell Dean
that Puck looked hot as hell standing there dripping wet, even in a baggy
borrowed tank top and swim trunks that were several sizes too big. Puck
obviously knew it too, standing there in that easy slouch he always adopted
when he knew people were looking at him and liking what they saw.
Puck grinned down at Kurt, who had stopped a couple feet from the side of the
pool, and leaned to offer him his hand as he said, “Yeah, but I didn’t think I
could resist you if I let you start anything while we were sharing a bed. I can
usually behave myself when I need to, but you sure don’t make it easy on a
guy.”
Dean turned his attention back to Kurt just as the kid started to smile slowly.
“Really?” Kurt asked, looking up at Puck with a happy sparkle in his eyes.
Puck’s grin softened into an amused, fond smile. “Yeah babe, really.” He waved
his hand at Kurt. “Now are you gonna let me help you out or what?”
“Or what,” Kurt said with a laugh, moving to the edge of the pool. He shot up
out of the water much the way Puck had done, climbing to his feet gracefully
and then giving Puck a happy smile. “You’re not the only one who spends a lot
of time in a pool during the summer.”
Puck was grinning widely as he let his gaze roam over Kurt’s upper body, which
wasn’t nearly as defined as Puck’s but was still more muscular than Dean had
really expected Kurt to be. “We’ll have to go swimming more often then, babe.”
He gave Kurt a wicked little smirk. “I like you half naked and wet.”
Kurt laughed, blushing very red. “Maybe, if you stop making me go to bed
without even a decent goodnight kiss.”
Puck laughed, clutching as his chest theatrically. “Oh, ow! That hurt!” He
looked at Dean and Quinn, pretending to pout despite the wicked sparkle in his
eyes. “Did you hear that? He doesn’t think I can kiss good enough!”
Quinn giggled as Dean grinned up at Puck and teased, “Well, they did say you
were a gentleman.”
Kurt laughed and turned away to start towards the patio, still blushing. “Go
ahead, make fun, but next time I’ll just sleep in my own bed with Quinn and
Sarah.”
Puck started after Kurt, smirking. “You wouldn’t make me sleep alone on the
couch after your dad said you could join me, babe, and we both know it.”
Kurt looked over his shoulder at Puck with a sudden smirk. “Are you completely
sure of that?”
Finn and Rachel were drying off near the edge of the patio, and they both
seemed rather bemused as they watched Kurt and Puck walking towards them. “I
still can’t believe your dad actually let you sleep with your boyfriend,”
Rachel said, looking like she wasn’t sure if she should be scandalized or not.
“My dads would have laughed themselves silly and then grounded me just for
asking!”
“They were fully dressed, and Puck gave me his word not to do anything,” Burt
said with amusement, drawing attention to where he was removing the last of the
food from the grill. He gave Rachel a sudden grin, reaching up with his free
hand to shift the plain brown hat he was wearing as he added, “And he knows I
spend every fall deer hunting, so I figured he’d keep it. Me and my favorite
rifle were just down the hall.”
Rachel blinked and then started laughing as Finn snickered next to her, looking
surprised and very amused.
Kurt was blushing as he moved to start setting the table without bothering to
dry off first, giving Burt an exasperated look. “I’m sixteen, Dad, not twelve!
Kissing my boyfriend won’t hurt me, I promise.”
Burt snorted, picking up the platter of steaks, bacon, and burgers to carry
them to the picnic table, which already held several foil-covered dishes. “It’s
not fair to make out with him when you know nothin’ else is gonna happen. I
remember when your momma did that to me, and it damn near drove me crazy.” He
paused slightly and then added quickly, “Not that you need to be doing more!
Waiting is good, great even, just, I’ve seen how he looks at you. He’s tempted
even when you’re washing the dishes, so he did good not to let you start
anything.”
“See?” Puck said, looking pleased. “Even your dad’s on my side.” He stuck his
tongue out at Kurt, making a ‘nyaah’ noise.
Kurt blinked and stared at Puck for just a moment before he laughed. “Just shut
up and go tell Sarah and Sam that it’s time to eat.”
“Sure babe,” Puck said, grinning as he moved to kiss Kurt’s cheek and then
sauntered into the house, looking smug.
Dean snickered at them and looked back at Quinn, giving her a smile as he stood
up. “C’mon, pretty momma, it looks like chow’s on.”
Quinn giggled and nodded, lifting her hand. “Help me up?”
“Anytime,” Dean agreed, taking her hand and moving next to her to put his other
hand under her elbow. “I’ve got you, but be careful.”
Quinn braced against the chair with her free hand, pushing herself up as Dean
steadied her, and a moment later she was on her feet, though Dean didn’t miss
the way she winced as she moved her free hand to her back. “That’s a little
harder every day.” She sighed, looking down at her belly as she added, “Beth’s
getting awfully heavy.”
Dean chuckled and moved to put one arm around her shoulders, not at all
surprised when she leaned gratefully against his side. “Just look on the bright
side: you’re in the home stretch now.”
Quinn smiled, looking up at him as she rubbed her belly with one hand, sliding
the other arm around his waist. “True. Regionals isn’t very far away, and then
just two days later I’ll be able to make someone else carry her around.”
Carole laughed, slipping past them as she teased, “I thought the same thing
when I had Finn, but once I had him I could hardly make myself put him down.”
Dean and Quinn started after Carole as Quinn gave Carole an amused look. “Nancy
says the same thing, when she’s not complaining about the fact I don’t want to
raise Beth as Jewish. If I don’t let her bring a rabbi in to the delivery room,
I’m pretty sure she’s going to kick me out on the spot.”
Carole took a seat at the table between Burt and Finn, smiling over at Quinn.
“I remember what that was like, too. My parents on are Baptist, and Finn's
grandparents on his father’s side are Catholic, so I caught it from both sides
when I decided we just wouldn’t go to church at all so I wouldn’t have to
choose.”
Quinn laughed, giving Dean a grateful little smile when he helped her sit down
on the empty bench along the other side of the picnic table, and then she
turned her attention across the table to smile at Carole. “I’ve been thinking
about the same thing. My parents are Catholic, but I don’t really want to go
back to their church either.” Her smile turned a little wry. “I’ve learned a
lot this year, and I don’t really agree with a lot of what they taught me
anymore.”
“That’s ‘cause you’re growing up,” Burt said a bit gruffly, leaning to put a
cheeseburger and a pile of bacon on Quinn’s plate. “I think a lot of kids grow
out of religion for a while around your age. I know I did, and it took me most
of ten years to want to go back. That didn’t last long, though.” He looked over
at Kurt as he put the plate of cheeseburgers back down, smiling slightly. “I
refuse to support anyone that tries to tell me there’s something wrong with my
son.”
Kurt beamed and put the potato salad on the table, then walked over to Burt to
give him a quick one-armed hug as he said, “I love you too, Dad.” He turned
away again to go get drinks for everyone, not seeming to notice the way Burt
was blushing.
Carole reached over and patted Burt’s hand, looking amused, and Burt gave her a
wry little smile before he looked around at the rest of them. “Well, what are
you all waiting for? Dig in.”
Dean grinned and took a seat next to Quinn to start filling his plate as
everyone began passing around plates and bowls of food.
Sam came outside a moment later, squeezing onto the very end of the bench by
Dean instead of taking a seat at the other end of the table where there was
more room.
Quinn reached to get a plate and handed it to Dean, and then Dean smirked as he
put the plate in front of Sam and then offered him the bowl of potato salad.
“Want some, Sammy?”
“Thanks,” Sam said, taking salad with a grateful smile.
Puck came out of the house then with his arm around Sarah, snickering as he saw
where Sam was sitting. “Too bad, baby girl, you’ll have to sit by someone
else.”
Sarah pouted, walking around to sit by Rachel as she gave Sam an unhappy look.
“I guess.”
Sam blushed but didn’t look towards her as he passed the potato salad across
the table to Burt, and Kurt was obviously trying not to laugh as he started
passing out cold drinks. “You’ll survive sitting by Rachel, I promise.” He gave
Sarah a smile and then moved over to stand at the end of the table, putting
cold beers in front of Burt, Carole, and Dean as he smiled at Sam. “Do you want
a Dr Pepper, Sammy, or something else? There’s lemonade, and we’ve got other
kinds of soda if you want something different today.”
“Dr Pepper is fine,” Sam said, giving Kurt a grateful look. “Thank you.”
“Alright,” Kurt turned his attention to Quinn, still smiling. “What would you
like?”
“Anything but water,” Quinn said quickly, looking a bit sheepish. “I know I’m
not supposed to, but I’d kill for something sweet.”
Kurt laughed. “How about some raspberry lemonade? At least I made that with
real fruit and agave nectar.”
Quinn smiled, relieved. “Perfect.”
Kurt grinned and then looked at Finn and Rachel. “And you two?”
“Lemonade for me,” Rachel said brightly, smiling.
“And I’ll take a beer,” Finn added, grinning.
“No you won’t,” Carole said with a laugh.
“Dean’s got one!” Finn protested, looking at his mom.
“Dean’s old enough to vote so as far as I’m concerned he can drink anything he
wants,” Carole replied, smirking at her son as she sipped her beer. “You are
sixteen and if I catch you with alcohol you won’t be driving a car for a
month.”
Finn sighed, pouting just a bit as he looked back at Kurt. “Lemonade, I guess.”
Kurt tried very hard not to laugh, but it was obvious he wanted to as he looked
finally at Puck and Sarah. “Sarah? Noah?”
“Dr Pepper,” Sarah said quickly, looking up from putting together a hamburger.
“I’ll have a beer, babe,” Puck said, grinning widely as he put a steak on his
plate.
Carole’s eyebrows went up a bit as she looked at Puck. “Would your mother allow
that, Noah?”
Puck looked at Carole in surprise. “She doesn’t mind if I have a beer every
once in a while, ma’am.”
“Mom even buys him beer sometimes,” Sarah piped up, looking over at Carole.
“Mostly just when he’s done something really sweet though, like when he washed
her car and cleaned it out for her while she was sleeping last weekend. After
she saw her car she went to the Seven-Eleven and got him a six-pack of
Budweiser, but I don’t think he likes that kind of beer anymore. He used to
drink them all when Mom got him some, but this time there’s still three cans in
the fridge.”
Carole gave Puck a surprised smile, pleased. “In that case, I won’t say
anything more.”
“Dude, she got you a six-pack of Bud and you only drank three in a week?” Finn
asked, looking at Puck like he had just grown a second head. “What’s wrong with
you?”
Puck snorted, laughing. “Nothing, man. I’ve just got better things to do than
getting drunk.”
Quinn smiled and reached over to give Puck’s hand a squeeze. “We’re both too
smart for that anymore.”
“Amen, momma,” Puck agreed, leaning to kiss her cheek before he glanced at Finn
and added, “Once you screw up royally ‘cause you had too much to drink, you’ll
learn there’s better ways to relax, too.”
“Like spending time with family, and friends,” Kurt said, carrying three
glasses of iced lemonade in one hand and two cans of Dr Pepper in the other. He
moved around the table passing out drinks, and let out a little surprised laugh
when Puck caught him on the way by, slinging an arm around his waist.
Puck grinned up at Kurt, his hazel eyes warm and sparkling as he said, “Exactly
like that, babe.” He reached up to hook his hand around the back of Kurt’s
neck, tugging him downwards, and Kurt laughed softly, looking pleased as he
bent to let Puck pull him into a kiss. Kurt only lingered a moment before he
pulled away, and Puck let him go as Kurt continued around the table to give
Finn, Rachel, and Sarah their drinks.
“I still don’t understand how you can be gay now,” Sarah said between bites of
her burger, looking at Puck like he was a weird bug or something. “You’re like,
famous for chasing women. I hear the older kids talk about you all the time on
the bus, and I saw you with Santana.”
Puck blushed very red. “I still like girls, brat, I just like Kurt more.”
Sarah looked at Kurt measuringly while she chewed another big bite, and then
swallowed and looked back at Puck. “He does dress better than any of the girls
you’ve brought home, and he’s a lot nicer, too. He doesn’t yell at me for
watching you two kiss, or threaten to snatch me bald if I look in his purse
like Santana did. She was really kind of mean.”
Puck laughed again as he ran a hand over his close-cropped mohawk, looking a
little sheepish and still blushing. “Well, I’m glad you like him.”
“Mommy likes him too, she thinks he’s good for you,” Sarah said grinning
suddenly. “She told me she thinks Kurt is why you’ve stopped getting in so much
trouble all the time, and that she wishes you decided to be gay last year so
you wouldn’t have gotten suspended so many times and flunked out.”
Puck looked embarrassed, obviously at a loss for words, and Dean couldn’t keep
from grinning as he wondered how long Puck had been trying to impress Kurt.
Kurt put a beer in front of Puck and then sat down next to him with his own
lemonade, giving Sarah a quelling look. “Sarah, what did I tell you about
making Noah blush?”
“That it’s mean to do it just because I can,” Sarah said, rolling her eyes.
“It’s fun, though! He’s adorable when he’s all red-faced and trying to think of
something to say that I can’t turn back on him.”
Quinn turned towards Dean, biting her lip to stifle her giggles, and Dean
smirked, winking at her.
Kurt obviously tried not to laugh, but he couldn’t keep the amusement he felt
completely out of his voice as he asked, “You don’t like it when he teases you
and makes you blush, do you?”
Sarah made a face and sighed. “No, I guess not.”
“Then stop picking at him,” Kurt said, reaching for the platter of brisket. “Or
next time he’s embarrassing you, I won’t make him stop.”
“Alright, I guess,” Sarah said grudgingly, picking up her hamburger again. “You
better remember to make him be nice to me, though.”
“I promise,” Kurt said, laughing slightly as he put the platter back down and
looked at Puck. “Would you pass the carrot-raisin salad, please?”
Puck leaned to get the carrot-raisin salad, offering the bowl to Kurt to let
him get a spoonful as he murmured, “Thanks, babe.”
Kurt smiled at Puck, putting the ladle back into the salad bowl and then
leaning to kiss Puck’s cheek lightly. “You’re welcome. Now pass the ribs, I’m
starving.”
Puck snickered and put the bowl of salad back, obediently reaching for the
platter of ribs.
Carole looked across the table at Quinn and gave her an impish grin. “See? Kurt
can handle being a mom for little Beth when you’re not up to it. He’s getting
Puck pretty well trained, and children are easy after a man like him.”
Dean snickered at that as Quinn giggled, looking surprised.
Kurt laughed, blushing. “Carole!”
Carole grinned at him. “What? It’s true, Kurt, don’t try to deny it.”
Kurt put two ribs on his plate and then leaned to get a roll out of the basket
of bread, still blushing. “I’m still a guy, difficult as that is for some
people to remember, so I’m definitely not mom material.”
“You could both be dads, though,” Rachel said, grinning at Kurt as she finished
building herself a sandwich with one of the veggie burgers Burt had grilled
just for her. Dean could still hardly fathom how the girl could be a
vegetarian, but she was a fanatic about it, even refusing to eat eggs. The only
exception she made was dairy products, and she said that was because nothing
had to die to make them. “That’s how it is in my family and I think we do
pretty well.”
“Didn’t that ever confuse you, though?” Dean asked curiously. “Not having a
mom, I mean?”
Rachel shook her head, smiling happily. “Oh no. My dads are the greatest
parents ever, even if they do still think I’m twelve. I hardly ever missed
having a mom around.”
“And then when you found her she wasn’t worth looking for,” Finn added,
frowning.
“The whole thing with Jesse was very hurtful,” Rachel agreed, looking a bit
less happy. “She has never admitted to it, but Jesse said it was her idea for
him to pretend he fell in love with me so he could make sure I found out about
her. It was… unkind.”
“Just plain wrong, you mean,” Puck muttered, scowling a bit. “Woman should’ve
known better.”
“I still can’t believe your mother did that to you,” Carole said, shaking her
head and looking a little disgusted. “What was she thinking?”
“Not all mothers are as great as you, Carole,” Quinn said quietly, looking down
at her plate with sudden tears in her eyes.
Dean ran his hand over Quinn’s back while Puck leaned closer to Quinn’s other
side and took her hand in his as he said, “You’ve got real family now, Quinny.
Just forget those hypocrites.”
Quinn gave Puck a crooked little smile as she wiped her eyes with her free hand
and laced their fingers together, her gaze straying past Puck to Kurt. “Family
that loves me when I’m hormonal and weepy, even.”
Puck grinned and nodded as Kurt leaned to reach past Puck and put his hand on
Quinn’s arm, giving her an impish grin. “Especially then. It gives us an excuse
to spoil you a bit.”
Quinn laughed softly, smiling wider as she teased, “By getting me a bowl of ice
cream?”
“Not until you eat your lunch,” Kurt replied immediately, grinning as he turned
his attention back to his plate to pick up a rib delicately. “There’s a nice
organic vanilla bean ice cream andfresh raspberries, though. I picked some up
when Noah and I went after the meat this morning.”
Quinn made a low happy noise, looking at Puck. “Your boyfriend loves me.”
Puck laughed, teasing her, “He’d better, since you’re having my baby.”
Quinn giggled, looking over at Finn, who was just opening his mouth. “If you
start singing that song I swear you’ll wear that bowl of macaroni salad.”
Finn grinned at her. “I wasn’t going to, I was just going to say that you’re
lucky Puck doesn’t know it.”
Puck grinned at Finn. “Do share, man. What song?”
Kurt chuckled, shaking his head as he muttered, “Now she’s done it.”
“You’re Having My Baby,” Finn said. “It was by like, Paul Anka, I think. It’s
been a while since I looked it up.”
“That’s how the doofus told my parents I was pregnant,” Quinn added, giving
Finn a dirty look before she turned her attention to Puck. “He sang to them,
which they loved until it dawned on them what he was singing, and then I didn’t
have parents anymore.”
“Dude,” Puck said, looking over at Finn. “I know you can be kind of dumb, man,
but you sang it to them?”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time!” Finn protested. “And besides, it was
all Kurt’s fault! He told me to sing to them.”
Kurt made a protesting noise, quickly swallowing a bite of rib to say, “I told
you to tell them how you really felt about Quinn in a song, Finn, not to tell
them about the baby! I thought you were smart enough not to do that until Quinn
was ready.”
“That was how I really felt,” Finn said, looking just a little annoyed. “That
was when I still thought it was my baby, remember? I meant every word of it,
and you told me to sing something that came from the heart.”
Kurt looked like he couldn't decide whether to be upset or amused. “But Finn,
singing that song to her parents?”
“What was so bad about it?” Carole asked, looking curious.
Quinn gave Finn another dirty look. “Go on, Finn. Sing a little for yourmom.
The part about the seed went over especially well with my dad.”
Finn blushed and looked down at his plate. “Okay, yeah, that was kind of bad.”
“I’m waiting,” Carole said, looking at Finn.
Finn looked at his mom quickly, his eyes widening. “Seriously?”
“I want to hear it, Finn,” Carole said, nodding.
Finn groaned and then took a deep breath, his blush getting darker as he began
to sing, careful not to look at anyone else. “You’re having my baby. What a
lovely way of saying how much you love me. You’re having my baby. What a lovely
way of saying what you’re thinking of me… I can see it, your face is glowing. I
can see it in your eyes, I’m happy you know it. That you’re having my baby.
You’re the woman that I love and I love what it’s doing to you. You’re a woman
in love and I love what’s going through you. The need inside you, I see it
showing, oh the seed inside you baby, do you feel it growing? Are you happy you
know—“
“Okay, okay, that’s enough!” Carole interrupted, looking at Finn like he was
insane. “Finn, what possessed you to sing that to the girl’s parents? You’re
lucky her father didn’t kill you on the spot!”
“I would have,” Burt agreed, giving Finn a wryly amused look. “Do you have a
death wish, son?”
“No! I just, I thought it would go over better than it did,” Finn said,
blushing very red and looking sheepish.
Puck snickered. “I’d be surprised, but this is the guy who told me he had to
miss football practice because his mom had her prostate removed and he had to
take care of her.”
Everyone started laughing except Carole, who looked at Finn a little wide-eyed.
“Did I drop you on your head as a baby and I just don’t remember it?”
“Mom!” Finn protested, looking somewhere between hurt and amused.
“Women don’t even have prostates, Finn,” Rachel said, giggling as she leaned
against Finn’s side, hooking her arm through his. “Everyone knows that.”
“Puck believed me, so he’s not much smarter!” Finn protested.
“Oh no, I just gave my best bud the benefit of the doubt until I got home and
made sure I was right,” Puck said, laughing. “I thought that if you were gonna
lie to me you’d have come up with something a little better than that, but I
was wrong.”
“Why were you lying to him to begin with?” Rachel asked, giving Finn a bright-
eyed, amused grin.
“Because he kept making fun of me for being in Glee and said it was making me
gay,” Finn replied quickly, then he smirked suddenly and looked over at Puck.
“And then he joined and it really did turn him gay.”
“Not gay, just too smart to bother chasing women anymore,” Puck disagreed,
smirking at Finn. “Kurt looks better in a pair of his ‘skinny jeans’ than any
woman I ever ... dated, and he treats me better than my last five girlfriends
did, plus I don’t have to worry about PMS ever again.”
“Can I go watch TV again now?” Sarah asked suddenly, drawing attention to her
for the first time in a while. She had finished her burger and looked kind of
hopeful as she added, “I don’t want to miss Danny Phantom. We don’t have cable
at home and I never get to see it.”
Puck looked over at Burt and Carole, and Carole smiled as she looked at Sarah
and said, “Sure sweetie, go enjoy yourself.”
Sarah beamed, jumping up. “Thanks Auntie Carole!” She ran into the house
without waiting for anyone else to speak, making Carole laugh softly.
“Now that your baby sister is gone,” Kurt said pointedly, looking at Puck.
“You’ve got some explaining to do, mister. Those so better not have been the
best reasons you can come up with for dating me.”
Puck put his arm around Kurt, leaning closer with a wicked little grin. “If you
want me to tell everyone all the things I love about you, I can.”
“You love me?” Kurt repeated, surprised.
“Well yeah. Duh,” Puck said, his eyebrows going up. “I gave upwomen for you,
baby. They were my favorite hobby.”
Dean snickered at that and Quinn elbowed him, obviously trying not to giggle.
“And how many people have you told that you love them?” Kurt asked, smiling but
looking just a little bit wary. “People you dated, I mean, not family like
Quinn.”
“Just you,” Puck replied, blushing slightly. “Well, okay, so maybe I haven’t
exactly said it to you, but I thought you knew anyway. I mean, I don’t hide it
well.” He paused and then admitted, “Or at all, really. Not any more.”
“It would be really nice to hear it,” Kurt said, smiling wider and looking very
happy.
“I love you,” Puck said immediately, giving Kurt a sweet smile even though he
was blushing redder as he said it. “Like I love breathing, babe. More. I’m just
not so good at saying stuff like that.”
Kurt beamed and leaned towards Puck, who met him halfway with a sweet, loving
kiss, then Kurt pulled away a bit and murmured, “You could always sing to me
when you have something to say. You’re very good at getting your point across
that way.”
Puck kissed Kurt again and then he teased, “Do I have to do it at the dinner
table?”
Kurt laughed and turned back to his plate, blushing as he noticed the way
everyone was watching them. “Definitely not. Save it for when we’re alone.”
“Cool,” Puck said, grinning as he reached for his fork again.
“They’re so adorable,” Quinn said, looking at Dean with a beamy little smile.
“It must be nice being so in love.”
“Seems like it would be,” Dean agreed, amused and trying to ignore the look
that got him from Sam. He nudged Quinn’s elbow with his, adding teasingly,
“You’d better finish your dinner, beautiful, or Kurt won’t let you have any ice
cream.”
Quinn laughed and reached for her fork as Carole smiled at Dean and asked,
“Haven’t you ever been in love, Dean?”
“I’ve gotten close once or twice,” Dean said, smiling across the table at
Carole. “We don’t really stick around anywhere long enough for me to get to
know a girl that well.” Not that he really believed he would end up with a
girl, not any more, but he wasn’t going to admit that part.
“Sometimes you don’t have to get to know them,” Carole replied, reaching for
her beer and smiling as she looked at Burt. “You meet someone and you just
know.”
Burt smiled warmly at Carole. “If you’re lucky, yeah.”
“Can we change the subject, please?” Finn asked quickly then, looking amused.
“I don’t want to watch you two making eyes at each other. It’s bad enough Kurt
and Puck are always doing it, but you’re supposed to be old enough to know
better.”
Carole laughed, swatting her son’s shoulder. “Never tell a lady that she’s old,
Finn!”
Finn looked sheepish even though he was still amused. “I didn’t mean it that
way, Mom.”
Burt snickered. “Someone please pass the ribs.”
Puck picked up the ribs and leaned to pass them across the table to Carole, who
accepted them with a quick smile and then offered Burt the plate. “You do love
your barbecue,” Carole said, amused. “This is what, your third helping of
ribs?”
“That’s because Kurt won’t let me barbecue very often anymore,” Burt said with
a chuckle, taking three more ribs off of the plate. “I have to enjoy it when I
get the chance.”
“Because the doctor said—“ Kurt began, but Burt cut him off.
“I know, I know, low fat foods and lots of vegetables, and I try, son, really I
do.” Burt gave his son a fond smile. “I know you make me eat healthy just
because you care, that’s why I go to that organic place downtown for lunch even
though their burgers aren’t nearly as good as Sonic.”
Carole reached for Burt’s hand, giving Kurt a warm smile. “I’m glad you keep an
eye on him so well, Kurt. We want to keep him around a very long time, don’t
we?”
“We sure do,” Kurt agreed, smiling.
Quinn shifted to lean against Dean’s side then, and Dean switched his fork to
his other hand so he could put his arm around her, giving her a soft smile.
Quinn smiled back, settling closer and relaxing as she picked at what was left
of her cheeseburger. She had already finished off the bacon Burt had made for
her, as well as a generous helping of the baked beans, which were sweet and
tangy with lots of bacon diced up in them.
“Dean, if I didn’t know you I really wouldn’t have expected you to be so nice,”
Rachel said suddenly, making Dean and Quinn both look at her in surprise.
Rachel smiled at them, adding, “I overheard Karofsky telling Azimio about what
happened the other morning.”
Kurt’s eyes widened and he gave Rachel a quelling look. “Rachel, we don’t need
to talk about that right now, do we?”
Rachel looked at Kurt and then her eyes went wide and Dean was sure she had
just realized that Kurt hadn’t told his family about the incident in the
bathroom. “Oh! Uhm, no, I guess not! I was just surprised, is all. He scared
Karofsky so bad you would think he was even more of a tough-guy than Puck, but
Dean’s not really like that at all.”
Puck laughed. “He is tougher than me, he’s just not a jerk about it like I
was.”
“Not unless someone hurts somebody he cares about,” Sam said then, speaking up
for the first time in a long while. Everyone looked at him as Sam added,
“Dean’s scary when someone messes with me. He put a guy in the hospital a few
weeks back because the guy knocked me down and Dean saw it.”
“Of course I beat him down,” Dean said quickly. “He was twice your size, Sammy,
and supposedly a buddy of mine. There was no call for him to hit you like
that.”
“You didn’t hear what I said to him to make him mad, though,” Sam replied,
amused. “I told him he was lucky his sister was ugly or you’d have gotten in
her pants like you did with that cheerleader he had the hots for.”
Dean blushed very red. “Why the hell did you do that?!”
“I was mad!” Sam said, laughing slightly. “He was talking bad about my big
brother and asked me if being a fag runs in the family, and I just said it
before I even thought about it. Next thing I knew I was sprawled in the dirt
with a killer headache and you were beating the sh-tuffing out of him.”
“I don’t like that word being used in my house, Sam,” Burt said suddenly,
frowning at Sam.
Sam blinked and then blushed as he obviously realized what he had said. “I’m
sorry, Mr Hummel, I was just repeating what Mathers said. I don’t like that
word either, kids use it about me or Dean all the time and it’s never a nice
feeling.”
Burt looked at Sam a moment longer and then nodded slightly. “Alright, I’ll let
it slide this time.”
“Why would anyone call you or Dean anything like that?” Carole asked, looking a
little surprised and confused. “Neither of you boys acts gay.” She looked at
Kurt, slightly sheepish. “No offense, sweetie, but you do have a hard time
hiding it, even when you try.”
“You’re right,” Kurt agreed, amused. “I do.”
Carole smiled at Kurt and then looked expectantly back at Sam.
“I don’t know,” Sam said with a shrug, “they just do, even though we’re both
straight.”
“Kids are mean,” Rachel said suddenly, looking unhappy. “And they always pick
on new people in town, whether there’s a good reason to or not. Then once they
figure out something hurts, they do it over and over again.” She glanced at
Puck as she said the last part, and Puck flushed.
“I’ve told you I’m sorry I was such an ass to you, Rachel,” Puck said quickly.
“I wasn’t a very nice guy before I joined Glee, and I did a lot of things that
I’m not proud of. The way I used to pick on you is right up close to the top of
the list.”
“Before Mercedes made you stop to think about giving people slushie facials and
throwing them in dumpsters, you mean,” Quinn corrected, giving Puck a wry look.
“You were still a jerk after you joined Glee, and I was right there in the same
boat, so I know how you feel. I used to be the queen bitch of the cheerleading
squad, and I was just as mean to Rachel as you ever were.”
“That was you?” Burt asked suddenly, scowling at Puck. “You’re the jock that
used to throw Kurt in the dumpster every morning when he got to school?”
Dean bit his lip, sure that Burt’s surprisingly easy acceptance of Puck being
in Kurt’s life – and his pants – was about to end.
Puck flinched, unable to meet Burt’s gaze as he looked down at his plate. “Yes
sir, that was me.”
“It wasn’t only you,” Kurt said quickly, reaching for Puck’s hand as he looked
at Burt. “And it’s over and done with, Dad, so don’t tear into him about it
now. Noah hasn’t done anything like that to me or anyone else in a very long
time. He even made the other guys quit harassing me once he realized it
actually upset me.”
Puck looked at Kurt, pain and regret plain in his hazel eyes. “I hate that I
ever made you feel like that, babe. You were always so calm about it that I
never guessed you were really upset, so it didn’t seem so bad to go along with
the idea when someone suggested it. You were so sarcastic and superior, telling
us that we’d all be working for you someday or that if we added up our IQs we
still couldn’t equal yours, and then you would throw Finn your bag and whatever
fancy thing you were wearing before you stalked up to me and practically
ordered me to be the one to toss you in. The day I saw you run into the girls’
bathroom crying after George tossed you in, I made sure it stopped.”
“Yes, you beat him up, and then after practice that afternoon you followed me
out to my car and apologized,” Kurt added, giving Puck a soft smile. “I knew
there was hope for you then.” He reached up to stroke along Puck’s jaw lightly,
adding, “You were very sweet, stumbling over your own words and looking so
guilty and unhappy, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days.”
“I’m slow on the uptake sometimes,” Puck said quietly, sheepish as he leaned
slightly into Kurt’s touch. “I didn’t realize why seeing you cry had hurt for a
long time after that.”
“Well, you are a man,” Kurt teased gently, amused. “And you were rather sure
you were straight.”
Puck laughed. “Until I found out you finally had a boyfriend and I realized I
wanted to kill him for touching my Cheerio.”
Kurt nodded. “And then you beat him up for making me cry.” He grinned impishly.
“That seems to be becoming a habit with you.”
“It’s a good habit to have,” Puck said, smiling, and then Kurt leaned to kiss
him.
“Did I hear them right, Finn?” Burt asked suddenly, making Puck and Kurt pull
apart again as everyone looked towards Burt in surprise. Burt was frowning at
Finn, a little confused and obviously still not happy. “Did you help those boys
harass Kurt?”
“I didn’t really know him then,” Finn said quickly, looking at Burt. “He was
just the stuck-up gay kid that was always lording it over everyone and calling
us overfed meatheads and stuff.” Finn looked a little ashamed as he added, “All
the guys picked on him and I just kind of stood back and let them, but I never
did anything to him myself except for one time he made me throw a slushie at
him because the guys were giving me so much crap over being friends with him.”
“That’s just as bad as hurting him yourself, Finn,” Burt said, disappointed and
a little angry. “I thought you were better than that.”
“Dad, stop it,” Kurt said quickly then, making everyone look towards him again.
Kurt had let his hand drop away from Puck’s jaw, and he was holding Puck’s hand
in both of his own as he said firmly, “I know that when you were a kid you did
the exact same kinds of things, Dad. You’ve told me so. You can’t blame Noah or
Finn for being normal guys who went along with their buddies when they picked
on the school’s only out fairy. It wasn’t fun, but I understand it and I’m not
angry with either of them about any of it, so you shouldn’t be either. It was a
long time ago.”
“How can you forget so quickly, son? It hasn’t even been three months since the
last time you had to have me bring you clothes because someone threw a slushy
at you,” Burt protested, frowning. “I know you hated being treated like that.”
“Because we’re friends now, Dad,” Kurt replied calmly. “Being around me every
day in Glee made them see me as a human being, not just the fag that everyone
was afraid to have in the locker room or the boys bathroom because I was sure
to stare and make them feel molested.”
Finn flushed and looked away at that, and Puck frowned as he stared at Finn,
looking like he had just realized something he didn’t really like.
Dean watched Finn for a moment too as he wondered if that was something Finn
had actually said to Kurt at some point. If it was, it lowered Dean’s opinion
of the guy quite a bit, not that it was especially high to begin with. Finn was
kind of stupid and from what Dean had heard the guy was prone to doing
thoughtless things that hurt people who cared about him, but he hadn’t thought
Finn could be cruel until then. It seemed to Dean like Kurt was very good at
not obviously checking out any of the guys around him, even Puck most of the
time, so there was really no excuse for Finn to say such a thing unless he just
wanted to hurt Kurt’s feelings.
“They’ve both been protecting me for a long time now,” Kurt went on as if he
didn’t notice Finn’s reaction or the way Puck and Dean were looking at Finn
because of it. “They’ve apologized repeatedly for what they did, and I believe
they meant it so I’ve forgiven them. I just want us all to forget about it, but
for us to do that you’ve got to agree to forget about it, too, Dad.”
Burt looked into Kurt’s eyes for several moments and then sighed. “I can’t
forget, but I think I can forgive them, if you’re sure they learned how wrong
they were.”
“I’m sure, Dad,” Kurt replied, smiling. “Noah would never hurt me or anyone
else like that, not anymore, and neither will Finn.”
“They’re very lucky that you’ve forgiven them,” Carole said quietly, looking at
Puck and then at Finn, obviously disappointed most in her son. “I hope you’re
right that they have learned not to act like that towards anyone, whether they
know them or not.”
“Mom, I have,” Finn said quietly, looking ashamed. “I said and did a lot of
things I’m not proud of, especially after I found out Kurt had a crush on me,
but I know it was wrong and I won’t do it again.”
Carole blinked at Finn in surprise. “Kurt had a crush on you?” She looked at
Kurt. ”Really?”
Kurt blushed very red, nodding. “I did. Finn was just about the only guy in the
school who would actually speak to me and treat me like anything but a freak
except Artie, and Artie’s been all about Tina since fifth grade. I was very
lonely and Finn made me feel like he cared, at least when his football buddies
weren't around, and yes. I made a fool of myself over him.” He made a face,
adding, “I might have gotten a little fresh during a performance a couple of
times, and I sang love songs to him more than once, too. In public.”
“Which was all kinds of mortifying,” Finn said, still obviously ashamed. “I
was… really mean to him for a while after the last time he sang to me.” He
looked across the table at Puck. “Until someone threw me into a wall and told
me that I’d better get my head on straight fast or next time I made Kurt cry,
he was gonna beat me to a pulp.”
Kurt looked at Puck in surprise. “You threatened Finn, too?”
Puck was blushing but didn’t look like he regretted it even a little. “I saw
your face after he stormed off that day you followed him into the dressing room
at Glee practice to try and find out what his problem was. I heard him yelling
as he left that you were freaking him out and he wanted you to stay away from
him. You didn’t have a thing for him anymore then, but I know it still hurt you
for him to yell at you like that.”
“It did,” Kurt admitted, “but only because I didn’t know what I had done to
make him so angry. I thought we were good friends, but if I was upsetting him
so badly, I had to be doing somethingwrong.”
“It was all in my head,” Finn said quickly, looking at Kurt. “Seriously, Kurt.
It was me, not you. I liked the way you’d always listen when I needed to talk
about something and how you always made time to help me with anything, and I
was kind of panicking because I was confused about it all.” He flushed even
redder. “I was starting to wonder if maybe I was gay after all and that’s why
every girlfriend I ever had ended up with someone else, and I took it all out
on you instead of dealing with my own problems.” He swallowed hard and then
admitted, “I was kind of messed up that day because of something that happened
with Santana. I just yelled at you because you were there.”
Kurt sighed. “You really are a big dumb ox sometimes, Finn.”
“I know,” Finn agreed, nodding. “I’m sorry I took it out on you so often when I
was confused.” He made a face. “I’m confused a lot, and Puck’s right, you
didn’t deserve it, especially not from me.”
“It’s perfectly normal, though,” Rachel said suddenly, looking at Finn and then
at Kurt. “Men often attack when they’re scared or confused. It’s how they
work.”
“Which is why so many young men have felt the need to attack me,” Kurt agreed,
nodding as he looked at Rachel. “I know, Rachel, we are in the same Psychology
class. I’ve even felt the impulse myself a few times, like the day I came on to
Wayne for pinning me against a wall and threatening me.” His lips twitched and
he added, “I said I like my men strong and forceful and then asked him what he
was doing after school, and he let me go so fast I almost laughed in his face.”
Dean snickered at that, amused, and Quinn grinned at him quickly before she
looked back at Rachel and Kurt to listen.
“You are a man, silly,” Rachel said, smiling at Kurt. “You may not feel like it
sometimes, but no matter how fabulous you are, somewhere down deep you’re still
just another guy.”
“Sometimes,” Kurt said, laughing slightly. “When I’m not busy getting my nails
done.”
Dean chuckled softly, and Quinn giggled as she nodded and said, “Or shopping.”
“Or making sure your hair is perfect,” Puck added, smirking at Kurt. “I get
scolded constantly now for messing it up.”
Kurt laughed, bumping his shoulder against Puck’s. “You definitely need to
learn to keep your hands below the neck until I’m safely at home where no one
will see my hair standing on end because you were playing with it.”
Puck smirked suddenly, looked wicked. “You might not want to tell me that
either, babe.”
Kurt smirked at Puck. “You really have no idea what I want, sweetheart. You’ve
been too busy being a gentleman to find out.”
Puck laughed, surprised, and Burt was frowning as he said, “Just not on my
couch, please? I promise to knock if you’ll keep it in your own room, Kurt.”
Kurt blushed, looking quickly at Burt. “I promise, Dad.”
Puck tried to look sheepish too, but he was too obviously pleased to really
pull it off.
Burt kept frowning at them until Carole patted his arm and said, “Look on the
bright side, honey.”
Burt looked at her. “Which is?”
Carole grinned impishly at him. “At least neither of them will get pregnant.”
Quinn started laughing at that, and then a moment later everyone except for
Kurt, Puck, and Burt joined in as what Carole had said really sank in.
Kurt was wide-eyed and staring at Puck with an odd look on his face that made
Dean laugh even harder, sure Kurt was thinking about the possibility that he
would probably get to top Puck eventually. Puck was blushing and looking like
he wasn’t sure if he wanted to hide or laugh, but when he saw the look on
Kurt’s face laughing won out.
Burt looked kind of traumatized by the whole idea of Kurt and Puck having sex,
and after a minute he stood to go get another beer, muttering, “I am not drunk
enough for this conversation.”
Carole giggled. “Oh honey, don’t be like that. Kurt’s definitely old enough to
be experimenting, he is sixteen. I didn’t make it past sixteen, and I know you
weren’t even that old your first time. I believe you told me something about
the neighbor’s daughter when you were fourteen?”
Burt looked at her quickly, opening his beer with the bottle-cap opener that
was mounted on the side of the small fridge by the grill. “That was different!
We had been going skinny dipping together since we were five and it just kind
of happened.”
“Dad, I’m only human,” Kurt said, beet red and looking very embarrassed. “I
love Noah and that’s not going to change. I really don’t see a reason to wait
much longer.”
Puck was obviously pleased by that even though he blushed as he looked at Burt
and added, “We haven’t even made it to third base, sir. We’ve just made out so
far.”
Kurt looked at Puck, surprised. “If we haven’t made it to third base, then what
exactly do you think that is?”
“First base is kissing, second is shirts coming off, third is down to
underwear, and a home run is kinda obvious,” Puck said, laughing slightly even
though he was still blushing. “At least, that’s what I always thought.”
Dean snickered, nodding. “Pretty close to what I heard, too.”
Quinn looked at Puck. “Did you seriously get me pregnant without making it to
second base?”
Puck laughed, his face getting a little redder. “Well, no, not exactly. I found
your underwear behind the seat in my truck a few weeks later, but I’m pretty
sure that’s all you took off, and I didn’t get rid of any of my clothes. We
just kind of skipped second and third because we were drunk and too frustrated
by the people we were dating to bother with making it last very long.”
Carole laughed softly, looking at Quinn. “Quinn, sweetheart, you need to never
drink again.”
Quinn smiled wryly. “I already decided that much, Carole. If a couple of wine
coolers got me pregnant and so drunk I don’t really remember getting that way,
then I definitely don’t need to try anything stronger.”
Dean snickered and gave Quinn’s shoulders a squeeze, smirking at her. “You’re
such a lightweight it’s kind of scary.”
Quinn blushed very red as she elbowed Dean in the stomach, but she was laughing
with everyone else.
 
 
***** EIGHT *****
 
Dean watched the credits begin for I Robot, a little surprised he had enjoyed
it so much. He hadn’t ever really wanted to watch it based on the trailers he
had seen, but Puck had promised it was better than it sounded so Dean hadn’t
argued when Kurt and Quinn wanted to watch it. By the end of the movie he was
feeling relaxed and comfortable on Kurt’s small couch even though he was
sharing it with three other people, and he was thinking that he’d have to
borrow the movie sometime for Sam to see it.
Quinn shifted in his lap with a soft hum before she murmured, “Dean, you’ve got
a really nice lap.”
Dean looked down at her, smiling as he took in how relaxed and happy she was.
“I’m glad you approve.”
Kurt laughed softly as he turned off the DVD, making Dean glance to his left at
Kurt and Puck, who were on the couch next to him and Quinn. Kurt was curled up
in Puck’s lap much like Quinn was in Dean’s, and he was looking very happy as
he looked at Quinn and teased, “My boyfriend’s got a better lap than yours
does.”
Quinn giggled and picked up her head to look at Dean. “Are you my boyfriend?”
Dean laughed. “That’d be up to you, sweetheart.” He grinned, adding, “I’m not
dating anyone else, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Quinn smirked suddenly, looking wicked. “Not even Puck?”
Puck laughed and eyed Dean with a crooked little smirk. “Depends on your
definition of dating.”
Dean blushed just a bit, amused. “What he said.”
Quinn looked over at Kurt, grinning. “So? Are they, or aren’t they?”
“I plead the fifth,” Kurt said, laughing. “On the grounds that anything I say
will probably incriminate me.”
Quinn’s eyes widened. “Oh. My. God.”
Kurt turned very red all the way down past the collar of his shirt as Puck
snickered, and Dean could feel his own face heating up more as he tickled
Quinn’s side and teased, “Get your mind out of the gutter, girl.”
Quinn grinned at Dean, brown eyes sparkling. “Oh no. I like the gutter,
especially with the mental images he just gave me.”
Kurt hid his face against Puck’s neck, muttering, “Oh God. She’s going to ask
to watch, isn’t she?”
Puck snickered, rubbing Kurt’s back. “Don’t worry, babe. She’s not gonna watch
us before you get to, I promise.”
Kurt swatted Puck’s shoulder, otherwise not moving as he muttered, “So not
helping.”
Quinn giggled, looking at Dean. “And you like all the cookies in the box, I
remember.” Her grin turned wicked. “Has Puck learned to top yet?” Dean laughed,
his face flushing hotly again, and Quinn giggled. “Never mind. You just
answered me.”
Kurt reached over to poke Quinn’s knee, still blushing as he said firmly, “You
can’t tell anyone outside this room, not even Mercedes.”
Quinn made a face and then pouted. “You’re no fun.”
“Seriously,” Dean said, looking at Quinn. “Promise me, beautiful.”
Quinn sighed and nodded. “I promise.” She poked Dean in the chest, adding, “But
you and I aren’t through talking about this, mister. I want details.”
Dean let out a little strangled laugh. “Why?”
“Because,” Quinn said promptly, “I don’t really remember having sex with Puck,
and rumor has it that he’s fantastic.”
“Rumors aren’t lying for a change,” Dean admitted, amused. “He’s... yeah. Wow
doesn’t even begin to cover it, but you’re gonna have to wait until he’s not
sittin’ here listenin’ to me for details. I’ve already embarrassed myself in
front of him enough this week.”
Quinn looked over at Puck and then started giggling, and Dean looked at Puck
and Kurt too even though he knew he’d regret it.
Puck was looking very smug and pleased with himself as he stared at Kurt, who
was looking at Puck like he hadn’t ever seen him before.
“What, babe?” Puck asked, smirking crookedly.
Kurt stared at Puck a moment longer and then looked at Dean. “What are you
doing after Regionals?”
“Celebrating, hopefully,” Dean replied, still blushing. “Why?”
“How does dinner and a hotel room sound?” Kurt asked, beet red but obviously
determined.
Dean blinked, his eyes widening. “Seriously?”
Kurt nodded, not looking at Quinn, who had gotten very quiet. “Unless you’ve
changed your mind?”
“No, I haven’t,” Dean admitted. “I just don’t really think I should leave Sammy
on his own overnight.”
“Brit could stay with him,” Quinn said suddenly, and Dean was glad to see she
looked pleased. “I bet she’d love to keep Sam company. She’s got a crush on him
and her mom doesn’t care if she’s out all night, as long as she takes her birth
control pills.”
“You’re sure?” Dean asked, surprised and trying not to let how much he liked
that idea show. If he was going to be off getting laid fabulously well – and
with Puck involved, that was really a given – he would feel a lot better about
it if he knew Sam was enjoying himself with a sweet, pretty cheerleader.
“Let me take care of it,” Quinn said, smiling as she kissed his cheek. “I’ll
talk to her tomorrow.” She paused and then added, “And I’ll even stay at the
hotel too, so Sam won’t suspect anything.”
“Will Sam go for it?” Kurt asked, looking hopeful.
Dean looked over at Kurt. “I think he will. He really likes Brit.”
Puck had just opened his mouth to say something when the door to the basement
opened, making them all look towards the stairs.
Sam trotted down the stairs, looking bemused as he moved quickly to offer Puck
a cell phone. “Puck, man, your phone’s been buzzing for the last fifteen
minutes, but it took us a while to figure out where the noise was coming from.
It had fallen down into the hide-a-bed somehow.”
“Thanks, Sam,” Puck said, reaching to take the cell phone. He flipped it open
and then groaned. “Seven missed calls.” He looked at Quinn. “How much do you
want to bet they’re all Mom?”
Quinn giggled, shifting in Dean’s lap again to get more comfortable. “No bet
there. She’s probably breathing fire by now.”
Dean snickered, pretending not to notice the way Sam was looking at them as he
teased, “Better call the lady, Puckasaurus, before she goes medieval on your
ass and you end up extinct.”
Quinn and Kurt both giggled at that while Sam snickered.
Puck reached over to cuff Dean on the back of the head, smirking at him. “Kiss
my ass, Deano.”
Dean smirked at Puck. “Sorry man, that’s so not my job. Talk to Kurt.”
Kurt laughed, blushing very red as Puck gave Kurt a speculative look that made
Quinn start giggling again.
Puck’s cell phone suddenly started vibrating again and he groaned. “Okay,
everybody shut up.” He waited for Quinn to stifle her giggles, then flipped
open his phone. “Hey.”
“Where are you?!” Nancy asked loudly enough they could all hear her clearly in
the otherwise silent room.
Puck flinched a bit, moving the phone away from his ear slightly. “At Kurt’s,
where I told you we’d be.”
“Noah, you do realize I have not seen either of my children for more than five
minutes since Friday, correct?” Nancy asked, and she sounded angry enough that
Quinn winced, settling a little closer to Dean’s chest. “This is Sunday.”
“I know, Mom,” Puck said quickly. “But you said staying was fine when I called
last night. Quinn was beat and Sarah was already asleep.”
“Yes, but I expected you to come home today,” Nancy said sharply. “Instead I
haven’t seen hide or hair of my children all weekend, and I have to work
evening shift all week so I’ll barely see either of you until next Friday.”
“I called three times this morning to invite you to the barbecue Burt decided
to have because we were here today, Mom,” Puck said quietly, looking down at
Kurt’s knee. “You can check your missed calls. I tried, really I did, but they
were going all out and I just couldn’t see walking out on that after they went
to so much trouble. Kurt and Aunt Carole even made kosher food just for us.”
“I didn’t get the calls until a little while ago because my phone was dead,”
Nancy said, still sounding unhappy but no longer quite so angry. “I took it
with me to bed just in case you called. I didn’t know about the missed calls
until I plugged it in to recharge, and you didn’t leave a message so I thought
something might have happened to make you call repeatedly like that.”
Puck flinched. “I’m sorry, Mom, but you know I never leave a message if I call
and you don’t answer.”
Nancy sighed loudly enough Dean could hear her a few feet from the phone, and
then she said calmly, “I know you’re sorry, Noah, but if I don’t see you and
Sarah walk into this house in the next thirty minutes, I am going to personally
slash all four tires on your truck. Dinner is almost ready, and I want to eat a
meal with my children at least once this week.”
Kurt kissed Puck’s cheek and then climbed out of his lap, moving towards the
stairs quickly as he murmured, “I’ll get you some leftovers to take home.”
Puck tipped the phone away from his face as he stood. “Thanks, babe.” He moved
the phone back to his cheek, adding, “We’re leaving right now, Mom. We
shouldn’t be more than twenty minutes, tops.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Nancy said. “Drive safely.”
“Yes ma’am,” Puck replied. “See you soon.”
“You’d better,” Nancy said, and then she hung up on him.
Puck hung up the phone and stuffed it in the pocket of his jeans, looking at
Quinn. “C’mon, momma. We’ve got to go.”
Quinn sighed and looked at Dean. “Would you give me a ride home, Dean? I really
don’t want to have to climb in and out of his truck right now.”
Dean smiled at her and patted her hip. “I’d love to.”
Puck leaned down towards Quinn as he gave Dean a smile, his hazel eyes warm
with affection. “Thanks, Deano.” He kissed Quinn’s cheek and then turned away
to head for the stairs, adding, “I’m gonna go get Sarah’s butt in gear, but you
two don’t have to hurry. Mom’ll understand it taking you a little longer,
Quinny.”
“No, we’re coming now,” Quinn said, starting to shift so she could get up. “You
don’t need to face her alone, Sarah will just blame it all on you.”
Puck paused at the bottom of the stairs, looking back at the couch. “Yeah, she
always does.”
Sam moved quickly to offer Quinn his hands, earning a grateful look from Quinn
as she murmured, “Thanks, Sammy.” She looked back over at Puck, adding, “Make
sure Kurt gives me a small bowl of the baked beans.”
Puck grinned and started up the stairs again. “You got it, momma.”
Quinn smiled, looking at Dean and then up at Sam. “Alright, boys, lets get this
show on the road.”
Dean snickered. “On three, Sammy.” Sam nodded, and then Dean said, “One, two,
three.” Dean pretty much lifted Quinn to her feet with Sam’s help, and then he
stood and scooped her up into his arms, making her squeak with surprise.
“Dean!” Quinn exclaimed, laughing as she slapped his chest lightly. “I can
walk!”
Dean smirked at her and started towards the stairs, glad that he could carry
her without too much trouble. Even pregnant she didn’t weigh much over a
hundred pounds, he was sure, and he had been bench-pressing more than that
since he was fourteen. John had always insisted on developing his physical
strength right along with the fighting ability, and had tested him often until
he was eighteen. “Yeah, but you’re slow and we’re in a hurry.” He glanced back
at Sam, who was grinning and watching them. “Grab her purse, Sammy, and her
shoes. They’re by the bed.”
“Sure,” Sam agreed, heading towards the bed.
Quinn gave Dean a wry little smile as he started up the stairs. “I don’t know
if you’re being sweet or annoying.”
“Go with sweet, beautiful,” Dean said, smirking at her. “You know you just love
having a big strong man carry you around like a damsel in distress.”
Quinn giggled, reaching out to push Kurt’s door open as they reached it. She
waited for Dean to move into the kitchen, where Kurt, Puck, Sarah, and Carole
were all gathering up leftovers, and then she asked with an impish grin, “Dean,
has anyone ever told you how very full of crap you are?”
“All the time,” Sam said as he followed them into the kitchen, snickering.
Dean laughed, moving to put Quinn’s feet down so she could stand on her own.
“Shut up, Sammy.”
“So not happening,” Sam said, moving to offer Quinn her purse with a smile.
“It better be, princess,” Dean responded cheerfully as he reached for Quinn’s
shoes. “Or I’m gonna have to shut you up.”
Sam smirked at Dean, letting him take the worn pair of Keds. “You’re all bark
and no bite, Dean. You wouldn’t kick my butt if someone paid you to.” He turned
away, walking towards the counter as he asked, “Can I help carry?”
Kurt was grinning widely as he nodded, offering Sam a large Tupperware
container. “This one is for you and Dean. Let me know if he doesn’t share the
brisket, and I’ll make him regret it.”
Sam grinned, taking the dish. “Thanks.”
Dean laughed and knelt by Quinn’s feet with her shoes, muttering, “I see how
y’all are.”
Quinn giggled, holding on to Dean’s shoulder to keep her balance while she
offered him one of her feet. “Poor baby Dean, being picked on.”
Dean laughed as he put her shoe on, careful of her swollen foot because he knew
how her feet hurt her most of the time, and then he looked back up at her.
“Don’t you start too.”
Quinn grinned at him, putting her foot down and then bending down towards him
with one arm cradling her belly as she murmured, “I’ll make it up to you one of
these days.” She kissed him then, earning a low pleased growl as Dean leaned up
a little further to deepen the kiss.
“That is just about the sweetest thing I ever saw,” Carole said suddenly,
making Dean and Quinn pull apart. Dean blushed and looked over at Carole as she
added, “You’re a lucky girl, Quinn. Most men run screaming from a pregnant
woman instead of actually wanting to take care of her.”
Dean blushed even more, looking up at Quinn to see what she thought of that.
Quinn gave him a sweet smile, reaching out to stroke Dean’s hair and then cup
his cheek. “I think so too. Dean’s a sweetheart.”
Dean smiled and lifted one hand to take Quinn’s hand in his, turning his head
to kiss her palm before he said softly, “It’s easy to be sweet to you,
beautiful.”
Quinn beamed at him and shifted her weight, teasing, “Be sweet while you put my
other shoe on. My feet are cold.”
Dean laughed and let go of her hand to do as he was told, but not before he saw
the looks he was getting from the others. Carole and Kurt in particular looked
like they thought it was the sweetest thing they had ever seen, while Puck
looked very amused and rather fond.
Sam walked over towards them, and Dean glanced up to see that Sam was grinning
so wide his face might break. “Quinn, I don’t know what you did to him, but I
like it.”
Quinn laughed. “I didn’t do anything, Sammy.”
“Yes you did,” Puck said, smirking as he closed up another container and added
it to the stack of food Kurt and Carole were sending home with them. “You sat
in his lap and let him cuddle you for the last two hours.”
Dean laughed, blushing very red as he stood up. “Puck, dude!”
Puck smirked at him. “Aww, c’mon, Deano, you know it’s true. It’s obvious that
you get a kick out of holding her.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to tell anyone that,” Dean protested, still
blushing. “I don’t go around telling everyone you have a thing for how Kurt
likes to play with your mohawk.”
Puck laughed, blushing slightly. “You just did.”
“Yeah, well, payback’s a bitch,” Dean said with a little snort, offering Quinn
his elbow. “Shall we go?”
Quinn giggled and nodded. “Yes, we should. Nancy will be having a fit before
too much longer.”
“Damn, yes, she will,” Puck agreed, moving to kiss Kurt quickly before he
murmured, “See you in the morning, babe.”
Kurt lifted his arms to drape them around Puck’s neck, the fingers of one hand
trailing through Puck’s mohawk as he gave him a teasing smile. “Which truck are
we taking tomorrow?”
“Mine,” Puck murmured, smiling as his hands settled on Kurt’s hips. “That way
Quinn won’t have to switch.” He leaned to kiss Kurt again, pulling him closer,
and Kurt hummed happily into the kiss.
Quinn watched them with a smile. “Quinn is getting a ride to school with
someone who actually drives a car.”
Puck and Kurt broke apart, laughing as they both looked at her. “You sure about
that?” Puck asked, amused.
Quinn nodded. “Climbing in that truck of yours leaves me sore for hours, and
the Navigator isn’t any better. Besides, it’s a waste of gas for you to come
back after me once you finish the paper route, since you’re always on this side
of town.” She looked at Dean, moving closer to his side and giving him a smile.
“Dean won’t mind picking me up.”
“Anything you want,” Dean agreed, smiling. “I never mind swinging by to pick up
my girl.”
Quinn grinned impishly at him. “Definitely the right answer.” She started
towards the door, towing Dean along by the hand as she added, “G’night Carole,
Kurt. Thank you so much for letting us stay last night, I really enjoyed myself
this weekend.”
“See you tomorrow,” Kurt said, smiling as he moved away from Puck to start
putting dishes away.
“You’re very welcome,” Carole said, smiling warmly as she watched them go.
“Come back any time, it’s kind of nice having another woman around.”
“I will, thank you,” Quinn said, pleased.
“Night all,” Sam said, smiling at everyone and then moving to follow Dean and
Quinn.
Puck gathered up the Tupperware dishes that were going to the Puckerman home,
piling them neatly as he grinned at Sarah. “Get moving, Squirt. Mom’s on the
warpath.”
“It’ll be fun watching her yell at you,” Sarah said, giggling as she followed
Sam.
Puck snorted and moved to kiss Kurt one last time, and Dean and Quinn were just
leaving the kitchen when they heard Puck murmur, “Love you.”
Quinn paused then so Dean did too, both of them looking back to watch as Sam
and Sarah paused behind them.
Kurt beamed at Puck, pulling him down for another kiss before he whispered, “I
love you too, Noah.” He kissed Puck again and then gave him a push. “Now go,
before I talk myself into letting you stay again.”
Puck smirked, looking smug as he scooped up the Tupperware dishes and headed
for the door. “Hold that thought for next weekend, babe. Mom’d kill me dead if
I didn’t come home on a school night, but my Friday and Saturday nights are
yours if you want ‘em.”
Kurt just laughed and went back to putting things away.
Dean started Quinn moving again, grinning as they walked past Burt, who was
just coming back in the house. “G’night Mr Hummel. Thanks for inviting me and
Sammy.”
Burt smiled at Dean as he dropped into his recliner. “Glad to have you both,
Dean.”
Quinn started to pull away then and Dean paused to wait for her as he smiled at
Burt. “We had a great time.”
Quinn moved over to Burt’s chair and rested one hand on his arm as she leaned
to kiss his cheek and then gave him a sweet smile. “Thank you for making me
feel like family.”
Burt patted her hand a bit awkwardly as he murmured, “Only because you are,
Quinn.”
Quinn blinked, looking surprised. “But you barely know me.”
“I know you’re a good girl who made a mistake, and that you’re keeping your
baby at least partly because my son begged you to,” Burt replied a bit gruffly,
looking uncomfortable. “Your Beth might be the closest thing I’ll ever have to
a grandbaby running around the house, at least from Kurt. I’m looking forward
to it.”
Carole walked into the room to stand behind Burt’s chair, smiling happily
despite the shine in her eyes.
Quinn leaned to hug Burt, tears in her eyes as she whispered, “I’d love it if
you let Beth call you grandpa.”
Burt patted Quinn’s back awkwardly. “Wouldn’t ever tell her not to.”
Quinn pulled away, beaming at him, and then she moved back over to Dean, who
put his arm around her so she could lean against his side.
Puck was looking at Burt like he had never seen him before. “Thank you, sir.”
Burt looked at Puck for a long moment and then said, “I had my doubts about
you, son, I’m not gonna lie, but being around you two this week changed that.
I’ve seen the way you look at him, and how he looks at you, and I know love
when I see it. His momma used to look at me just the same way he watches you,
and living up to what she saw in me made me a better man. From what I saw and
heard this weekend I think he’s doing the same for you, and I think you know it
and love him for it. As far as I’m concerned, that makes you family, and you’re
always welcome here, day or night. You might not want to now, and I get that,
really, but when you are ready I’d like it you would call me Dad.”
Puck swallowed hard, and it was obvious he was speechless, his hazel eyes
shining.
Kurt walked out of the kitchen then, tears in his eyes as he went straight to
Burt’s chair. He fell to his knees next to the recliner as he hugged Burt
tightly, whispering, “Thank you, Daddy.”
“Yeah,” Puck agreed, looking kind of like he couldn’t quite believe what had
just happened. “There’s no words for how honored I am, sir.” He seemed to think
of something and then smiled slightly, adding, “Except maybe to say I’ll make
sure you don’t regret trusting me.”
“I am trusting you with a lot,” Burt agreed, looking a bit uncomfortable about
it but holding Kurt, who was just clinging to him. “He’s my son and he’s been
the most important person in my life for a lot of years. If you had told me
Tuesday I’d be glad he had you, I would have called you a liar.”
“What changed?” Kurt asked softly, pulling away from his dad to look up at him
as he wiped away his tears.
“I watched you two together,” Burt said. “Finding out he’s the jock who
harassed you so much made me doubt I should trust him again for a little while
this afternoon, but only until Carole reminded me of something.”  He turned his
head to look at Carole, smiling, and she reached to take his hand as she
returned the smile.
“What?” Kurt asked after a moment, still kneeling by his dad’s chair.
Burt gave his son a wry smile. “When I met your mother, we struck sparks the
first time our eyes met. We fought like cats and dogs for months before I
realized I kept harassing her because I wanted her to notice I was alive. I
finally started doing nice things for her instead of soaping the windows of her
car or ‘accidentally’ knocking her books out of her hands, and neither of us
ever looked back.”
Kurt blinked, surprised, and then turned to look up at Puck with dawning
understanding.
Puck let out a little laugh, blushing. “I guess I’m slower on the uptake than
your dad was, babe. It took me a lot more than a few months to realize why I
kept making sure I bumped into you several times a day and didn’t want anyone
but me harassing you.”
Kurt smiled slowly, his eyes shining. “It was worth the wait.”
Puck looked surprised and then smiled back, and his heart was plain in his eyes
for anyone who looked to see it.
“That’s the look, right there,” Burt said then, smiling. “That’s why, son.”
Puck blushed even redder, looking embarrassed, so Dean took pity on him. “I
hate to be a wet blanket, but Nancy’s gonna kill something if we don’t get
moving.”
Puck nodded and started quickly towards the door again. “Yeah, we’re gonna be
late if I don’t step on it, and I can’t afford new tires.”
“What does one have to do with the other?” Burt asked, amused.
Puck paused at the door to look back at Burt, grinning suddenly. “Last time Mom
said she’d slash my tires for being late, she really did it.” He disappeared
outside without giving anyone time to answer.
Sarah hurried out after Puck as she called, “Bye Aunt Carole, Uncle Burt! I had
lots of fun!”
Dean snickered and started Quinn moving. “Y’all all have a nice evening.”
“Drive safely,” Burt said, trying not to laugh.
Dean glanced back as he held the door for Quinn, grinning. “Always, sir.
There’s no way in hell I’d hurt my baby.”
Sam snickered at the looks on Burt and Carole’s faces. “Don’t worry, he’s
talking about the Impala, not Beth or Quinn.”
Dean cuffed Sam on the back of the head, blushing at the way everyone else was
laughing. “Just shut up and go get in the car, princess.”
Sam snickered and slipped past Dean and Quinn to hurry towards the car.
Dean closed the door and then moved to steady Quinn as she started down the
steps, still blushing as she teased gently, “So I rate somewhere below the car,
huh?”
Dean let out a little laugh, putting his arm around her as they started across
the lawn. “Everyone ranks somewhere below that car, including me.”
Puck backed his truck out into the road and then gunned it as he left, waving
out the open driver’s side window. “See you tomorrow, Dean!”
“Slow down, dumbass!” Dean called, laughing when Puck flipped him off and hit
the gas, speeding up while Sarah cheered him on.
“Don’t worry, he always drives like that,” Quinn murmured, amused. “He’s very
careful, no matter what it looks like.”
Dean snickered, shaking his head as they reached the Impala, where Sam was just
opening the rear driver’s-side door. “I know it, but it wouldn’t hurt him to
slow down a little. He pegged the needle in my baby the first time he drove
her.”
Sam laughed, his eyes widening. “When did he do that?”
“We stopped on the way to his place when I took him home the other night, and
he got behind the wheel while I was out of the car,” Dean said, amused at the
memory. “The roads were deserted, and he wanted to see what she can do, so I
told him to go for it.”
“What’d you stop for?” Sam asked, still obviously surprised.
“Gas,” Dean lied as he started Quinn around to the passenger side of the
Impala. “And next time, I’m making the sneaky ass go pay, or he’ll probably do
it again.”
Quinn giggled. “He so will, he loves to drive hot cars.”
“Thanks,” Dean said, giving her a wide pleased grin as he moved to the
passenger door to open it. “My baby is kind of impressive, isn’t she?”
“I think I might be getting a little jealous,” Quinn teased as she moved to get
into the Impala. “I do kind of love her too right now, though,” she added a
moment later, laughing slightly as she settled into the passenger seat. “It’s
so much easier to get in a real car.”
Dean smirked at her, leaning in to put her seatbelt on as he murmured, “And
more comfortable to have a little fun in, too.” He kissed Quinn lightly and
then backed out of the car, closing the door to walk around to the driver’s
side.
Quinn waited until Dean was settling into the driver’s seat before she teased,
“I can’t try out the back seat for weeks yet, Dean.”
Dean grinned at her, starting the car. “I can be patient.”
Sam snickered. “Sure you can.”
Dean let out a surprised little laugh as he started to back the Impala into a
driveway across the street, looking at Sam. “I can!”
“You never date anyone more than a week, and you don’t go out with a girl who
doesn’t put out for even that long, Dean,” Sam said, smirking at him. “You say
it’s a waste of time.”
“I never dated a girl like Quinn before, either,” Dean countered as he started
the Impala towards the highway that led through town towards the Puckerman
home. “There’s a first time for everything, baby bro, as you should well
remember. When we pulled into town last Sunday you would have laughed at me if
I told you that you’d lose your virginity in a threesome with two of the
hottest Cheerios in Lima, Ohio.”
Sam laughed, blushing very red. “Okay, you win. Just shut up.”
Quinn giggled, looking over her shoulder at Sam. “Don’t be embarrassed, Sammy.
Santana was actually impressed, and Brit really likes you.”
“Speaking of,” Dean said then, glancing at Sam in the rear view mirror. “We’re
gonna be out overnight after Regionals, Sammy, so you’ll have the house to
yourself if you want to have someone over.”
Quinn grinned, turning more in her seat to look at Sam. “And I know at least
one person who would love to keep you company.”
Sam blinked a few times, surprised. “But you can’t do anything until after the
baby is born.” He blushed, adding, “Not that it’s any of my business, just, why
bother?”
Dean snickered. “Maybe ‘cause we’re not gonna get a room just to get laid, Sam.
I do have my own bed that’s pretty comfortable, and the door locks. Me, Quinn,
Kurt, and Puck are gonna stay at a hotel in Indianapolis and celebrate.”
“What if you lose?” Sam asked, looking surprised still and a little confused.
“Then we’ll have a pity party instead, and there’ll probably be some really
funny movies involved to try and cheer us up,” Dean said, amused. “Either way,
none of us really wants to be stuck in a car for four hours after the
performance just to get home. The thing won’t be over until sometime around
seven, and we’re gonna be tired by the time it’s all said and done, especially
Quinn.”
“Brittany and Santana are planning to ride home with Mike that night, since
they all live on the same street,” Quinn added, smiling at Sam. “He won’t mind
giving you a ride home too.”
“So what, you’re trying to set me up so I won’t care if you stay out all
night?” Sam asked, frowning.
Dean snorted. “No, we’re trying to make you and Brit both happy, dumbass. The
girl’s head over heels for you, and I know you like her too, so why shouldn’t
you enjoy having the house to yourself? I would, if it was me.”
“Me too,” Quinn agreed, seeming a little confused by Sam’s reaction. “You can
stay at the hotel if you want, but you’ll be lonely. Once we get through
celebrating, Dean will be sleeping in my room.”
“Why?” Sam blurted, blushing but not trying to take it back. “You can’t do
anything.”
“I may not be able to have sex, not that it’s any of your business,” Quinn said
just a bit pointedly, “but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy his company. Sex is
so not everything, Sam.”
“It always is with Dean,” Sam scoffed with a snort. “He doesn’t do girlfriends,
just girls he’s kind of nice to until he gets in their pants.”
“Alright Sam, that is it,” Dean said sharply as he pulled the Impala over to
the side of the road, and then he turned to scowl at Sam. “You’re being an
obnoxious little bitch to Quinn, and I want it to stop right now. All you need
to know is that I’m not comin’ home, so you’re on your own. If you wanna sit
alone in that rat-trap of a trailer an’ sulk, that’s fine with me, but I am not
gonna miss out on bein’ with my friends while I can, not even for you. It’s
really none of your fuckin’ business what I’ll be doing or who I’ll be doing it
with, I just wanted to let you know I’d be gone so you could make plans of your
own if you wanted to. Excuse the hell out of me for caring!”
Sam flushed very red and stared at Dean for just a moment before he looked
down, swallowing hard before he said quietly, “I’m sorry, Quinn.”
“It’s okay, Sammy,” Quinn said gently, reaching over to take Dean’s hand and
hold it, stroking it soothingly with her other hand. “I get that you don’t
understand why Dean might want to be with me. Nobody else wants me, not when
I’m nearly nine months pregnant with someone else’s baby. I don’t really
understand it either, but I want to enjoy it while I can.”
Dean gave Quinn’s hand a squeeze as he looked at her, murmuring, “I want to be
with you because you’re beautiful and sweet and fun, and you’re great company,
and you don’t expect me to act like something I’m not.” He smiled suddenly,
teasing, “The baby belly is just a bonus.”
Quinn smiled at Dean, her brown eyes going all warm and sparkling. “I still say
that being fascinated by my baby belly just isn’t normal.”
“Call me a freak if you want, I don’t care,” Dean said, laughing. “Just don’t
tell me you’re tired of me already. I kind of like your company, plus you’re a
really nice lapful and an amazing kisser.”
Quinn giggled and leaned towards him, pulling on his hand to get him to move
closer as she murmured, “It’s good you feel that way, since I like the way you
pamper me.”
Dean smirked slightly as he leaned to kiss her, lingering to draw it out even
though he knew Sam was watching them. They finally had to part after a few
minutes for air, and Quinn gave him a sweet, happy smile that made him smile
wider himself as he murmured, “You’re worth waitin’ for, beautiful.”
Quinn beamed happily, settling back into her seat without releasing his hand.
“So are you, Dean.”
Dean glanced back at Sam, and the surprised understanding on Sam’s face made
him frown slightly. “What?”
“I get it, I think,” Sam said, looking a little sheepish. “I’m sorry. I just
remembered what we were talking about this morning, and it all started to make
sense.”
Quinn looked curiously at Dean and then at Sam. “What does?”
Sam looked at Dean, who snorted and looked back at the road as he started the
Impala forward again. “Don’t look at me, boy genius. You’re the one with the
ideas, you explain it to her and I’ll tell you if you’re right.”
“You really want me to tell her about what we talked about?” Sam asked,
surprised.
“I don’t have anything to hide from Quinn,” Dean said pointedly, looking at Sam
in the rear-view mirror. “Which has been kind of the whole point, dumbass. I
don’t have to put up a front for her, ‘cause the real me is good enough, no
matter how screwed up I am.”
Quinn squeezed Dean’s hand, smiling at him. “I kind of like the real you. He’s
sweet and makes me feel special.”
Dean glanced over at her, smiling and looking pleased. “Right back at you,
beautiful.”
Quinn beamed at Dean and then looked back at Sam again, obviously curious. “So?
What made sense, Sammy?”
Sam was quiet a moment, and Dean glanced at the rear-view mirror again to watch
Sam’s gaze drift between Dean and Quinn a few times before Sam finally said,
“We were talking about how our Dad thinks it’s wrong for a man to need anyone,
and Dean said he didn’t agree because he can’t live like that.”
Dean looked expectantly at Sam for a moment and then snorted, rolling his eyes.
“Sam seems to be too ashamed of his wuss of an older brother to tell you the
rest, so I will,” he said, glancing over at Quinn and then looking back at the
road. “Puck stood up to our dad yesterday when Dad threatened to kill me, and
Dad actually backed down and left because Puck was all kinds of awesome, but I
was still kind of a wreck when Dad left. I didn’t do my usual fantastic job of
hiding it and Sam noticed that Puck was pretty concerned about me, and he
figured out that I probably would have let Puck hold me if Sam wasn’t around to
take it the wrong way. It kind of freaked him out that I would have let another
guy hug me, so we had to talk about it this morning. I explained it in little
bitty words, but I think he probably still doesn’t get that I just needed a hug
and there was nobody else around that wouldn’t mind giving me one except Puck.
He seems to think the fact I’d hug another guy makes me gay, or at least bi.”
“It’s not wrong to need a hug,” Quinn said, looking at Sam in surprise. “If
your Dad says it is, he’s just stupid, Sam. Even really strong men need to know
someone cares about them sometimes. That doesn’t have anything to do with sex.”
“I get that now, really I do,” Sam said patiently. “Just, that’s what led me to
figuring out why you and Dean want to spend the night together even though you
can’t do anything. He likes holding you, even if you don’t do anything else.”
“I like the way I feel when Dean holds me, too,” Quinn said quietly, looking at
Dean with a sudden soft smile as she thought about it. “I don’t want to have to
go home after Regionals and know he’ll be lonely all night, not when we can be
together.”
Dean looked over at Quinn, smiling softly as he decided that after he was
through with whatever Kurt and Puck had planned, he’d be going to Quinn’s bed
to sleep. “And I love holdin’ you, beautiful, so it works out well. If things
were a little different you can bet your ass I’d ask you to move in with us so
we could both enjoy a little more time together.” He smiled a little wider,
remembering something Burt had teased Quinn about earlier. “And I’d make you
bacon at four AM every night if you wanted.”
“That sounds really nice,” Quinn said, looking kind of wistful and amused. “If
you were staying I’d love to, but...”
“But I’m not,” Dean finished for her, nodding. “So we get a few weekends, and
most evenings, and I get some really good memories to take with me when it’s
over.”
“And I get to feel loved and beautiful because one of the hottest men I know
wants to be with me,” Quinn added, “like I used to before I got drunk and
ruined my life.”
“It’s not ruined,” Dean said firmly, looking over at Quinn. “You’ll be back in
shape by the time summer is over, and then you can be the bitch queen Cheerio
again.”
Quinn smiled suddenly. “I hope so. I can’t wait.” She paused, and then added
with a laugh, “To be head Cheerio again, I mean, not to be a bitch. I hope I’ve
outgrown hurting other people just because I could.”
Dean grinned, slowing down to turn off the highway onto the street that led to
Puck’s house, which was in an area that wasn’t quite fancy enough to be called
a subdivision. The houses were older and some were pretty run-down, and they
were scattered out far enough apart that neighbors weren’t likely to annoy each
other, but they were still close enough that you could stand in any front yard
on the street and see several other houses. “Time’ll fly before you know it.”
“Especially with a baby to take care of,” Quinn agreed as she looked down at
her belly, obviously less than thrilled by that idea.
Dean squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. Kurt and Puck’ll be
glad to take care of Bethy, and so will Carole and even Burt. Beth won’t ever
feel like no one loves her, and that’s more than most kids get.”
“They all want her more than I do,” Quinn agreed. “I was ready to give her up
for adoption, but I just can’t, not any more. Puck wants to be a good dad more
than he wants anything else in the world, except maybe Kurt, and Kurt gave me
his word that he’d make sure Beth has the best of everything. They’ll love her
more than anyone who could possibly adopt her would, I’m sure of it.”
“Kurt will be a great mom, even if he doesn’t want anyone calling him that,”
Dean said as he pulled into the Puckerman driveway, putting the Impala into
park with the wrong hand because Quinn was still holding his right hand. He
left the car running as he looked at Quinn, grinning. “You know he’ll always be
there for Beth. She’s gonna have a great home with more pretty clothes and toys
than any kid needs, a daddy who loves her like he loves breathing, and a
grandma and grandpa that spoil her any chance they get.”
Quinn smiled a little wider, nodding. “That’s what finally made me decide to
keep her. I’m not sure that I’m ready to be a mom, or that Puck is ready to be
a dad all the time, but with Kurt and his family to help us both I think we can
make it. Kurt takes care of everyone he cares about, he just can’t help it, and
Burt and Carole are both wonderful.”
“Won’t that be kind of confusing for Beth?” Sam asked quietly, making Dean and
Quinn both look at him in surprise. “I mean, having three parents? Will you all
live together, or what? And where?”
Quinn looked at Sam for a long moment and then said slowly, “I don’t really
know, Sam. We’re hoping to put a bassinet and a changing table and everything
into Kurt’s room one night next week, but there’s already a bassinet in my room
here at Puck’s. Beth might live in both places at first, but I think it won’t
be long before Nancy wants me and Beth to move out. When that happens I’m not
sure where I’ll end up, but we already decided that Beth will live with Kurt
and Puck, at least until I get on my feet enough that I can support her.”
“Puck’s moving in with Kurt?” Sam asked, surprised.
“If Nancy really makes me and Beth move out because I won’t let her raise Beth
Jewish, Puck already told her he’s leaving too,” Quinn agreed, nodding. “Burt
knows, and I think he’ll let Puck live with Kurt and Beth. I know it’s what
Puck and Kurt want, and Burt did tell Puck to call him dad and that Puck is
always welcome in their home, so I think it’ll work out that way. I hope so.
Beth will be happy and spoiled rotten in the Hummel house even if Puck doesn’t
live with them, I know, but I’d like for her dad to be there for her like he
wants to be.”
“Burt won’t tell Kurt no when he asks,” Dean said, smiling reassuringly at
Quinn. “Kurt’s got his old man wrapped tight around that dainty little pinky
finger of his, and Burt’ll cave as soon as he sees how much Puck loves his baby
girl, just like he let Kurt and Puck sleep together after he saw how much they
love each other.”
“I think so too,” Quinn agreed, smiling.
Nancy stepped out on the Puckermans’ front porch then, looking just a little
exasperated. “Quinn, are you coming in? Your dinner’s getting cold.”
Quinn smiled at Nancy and nodded, then looked back at Dean. “I want a kiss
g’night.”
Dean smirked. “Lucky me, since I was just thinkin’ the same thing, but hold
that thought, beautiful. And don’t touch the door.” He gave her hand a squeeze
and then let go, getting out of the car to walk around to Quinn’s door. He
nodded to Nancy as he passed closest to the front steps, smiling at her.
“Evening, ma’am.”
Nancy gave Dean a slightly exasperated look. “Good evening, Dean. I hear you
and Sam spent most of the weekend at Kurt’s too.”
Dean paused to answer her. “Yes ma’am, we did. We all had a really good time.”
“I’m glad,” Nancy said. “Go on, help Quinn. I didn’t mean to stop you.”
“That’s alright,” Dean said quickly, giving Nancy a grin before he continued to
Quinn’s door to open it.
Quinn looked up at him, amused. “I could have gotten out of this car without
help. That’s why I wanted you to give me a ride.”
Dean smirked at her as he leaned in to unbuckle her seatbelt, which she had
forgotten to take off, and then he offered her his hand. “I like helpin’ you.”
Quinn laughed softly as she took his hand, letting Dean help her out of the car
and then stepping in close as she lifted both arms to slide her fingers into
his hair, tugging his head down. “Shut up and kiss me.”
Dean snickered and leaned down to kiss her, his arms sliding around her to pull
her close, even though the baby kept her from getting as close as she could
have otherwise. They kissed for several minutes, slow and lingering as they
explored each other’s mouths, and then he finally pulled away to murmur softly
to her, “I wish I didn’t have to say g’night, beautiful.”
Quinn smiled happily up at him, her brown eyes sparkling in the moonlight. “Me
too.” She tugged him down for another kiss and then let go with a sigh. “I’ll
see you in the morning.”
“What time?” Dean asked, smiling as he took one arm from around her and turned
to walk her to the door.
Quinn walked with him, surprised but obviously pleased as she leaned against
his side. “Seven-thirty sound okay? I like to get to school early enough that I
don’t have to hurry to get to homeroom on time. Mr Schue covers for me if I’m
late, but I don’t want him getting into trouble.”
“How about seven, then?” Dean asked as they reached the front steps. He
pretended not to notice the way Nancy was still lingering in the doorway,
watching them and eavesdropping while Dean helped Quinn up the steps. “That way
we can grab some breakfast on the way and find somewhere at school to eat
together.”
“That sounds nice,” Quinn said, beaming at him. “I’ll be ready and waiting.”
“I’ll be here, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed,” Dean said with a grin, and then
he looked at Nancy. “G’night, ma’am.”
“Good night, Dean,” Nancy said, looking kind of surprised.
Dean nodded to her and smiled, then gave Quinn a little grin. “Night,
beautiful.”
“G’night,” Quinn said softly, smiling.
Dean moved a little closer and leaned to kiss her, lingering only a moment
before he murmured, “Sweet dreams.”
Dean turned to go without waiting for a response, walking quickly back towards
the Impala just as Sam shut the front passenger side door. Dean looked back at
the porch when he got to his own door, smiling when he saw Quinn was standing
in the doorway with her arms cradling her belly as she watched him with a
smile. He lifted one hand in a wave and she did the same before she turned and
finally went inside, closing the door.
Dean got into the idling car and put it into reverse, glancing at Sam as he
turned to look behind them. Sam looked a little surprised and a lot confused,
and Dean didn’t even stop to think before he said gruffly, “I wish you’d just
tell me the truth about why you don’t trust me all of a sudden.”
Sam looked at Dean quickly. “I trust you!”
“Not very much,” Dean disagreed, turning forward again as he put the Impala
back in drive and started home. “Every time I turn around you’re assumin’ the
worst about me or actin’ like I’m a pervert or something. It’s gettin’ really
old, Sam.”
“I’m sorry,” Sam said, blushing very red.
“What’d I do wrong this time?” Dean asked, trying not to get angry even though
he was very tired of Sam making him feel like everything he did was under
observation to see if he was acting wrong.
“Nothing,” Sam admitted, looking down at his knee to pick at a small hole in
his jeans. “That’s what was weird. I mean, I expected you to grope her or
something like you always do when I see you with a girl, but you didn’t. You
were all sweet and stuff, but you don’t do sweet, you always have two or three
girls who think you’re dating them while you’re really treating all of them
like crap.”
“Quinn is not just some cute piece of ass I’m going to fuck and then walk away
from,” Dean said pointedly, not looking over at Sam or bothering to stop and
think as he let some of his frustration with Sam’s attitude come pouring out.
“I like her, and she likes me, and we’re both kind of lonely as hell because
our lives suck ass in a major way a lot of the time, Sam, so yeah, I’m not
worried about gettin’ laid when I’m with her. I can get laid anytime I want,
with any one I want, but I can’t always find a sweet, beautiful girl who just
wants me to hold her and doesn’t expect me to pretend to be something I’m not.
I don’t get a chance at something like that often – or hell, ever – and I’d be
enjoying it a whole hell of a lot more if it wasn’t for you watching every
little thing I do like you’re waiting for me to screw up.” He took a slow
breath, trying to get control of himself before he said too much, and then he
admitted softly, “And it hurts like hell knowing you’ve got such a low opinion
of me. Just so you know.”
“I’m sorry,” Sam said softly, and the tone of his voice made Dean look at him
quickly.
Sam looked kind of wrecked and his eyes were shining with unshed tears as he
blinked rapidly, and Dean was suddenly reminded of a night several years back
when John made him take away a hellhound puppy Sam had been sleeping with for
most of a month while Dad was off on a hunt. Sam didn’t know that John had made
Dean kill the pup – Dean had lied and told Sam he found a little girl at the
local Wal-Mart that wanted a puppy – but it had still devastated Sam to lose
his dog. Dean had done the research and knew hellhounds were loyal protectors
if they bonded to their person before they were five weeks old and were raised
right, but John had refused to believe that even though Bobby had backed Dean
up on it.
“I don’t mean to be such a pain in the ass,” Sam added quietly then, looking
away. “I bet you wish I wasn’t hanging around in your way so much.”
Dean pulled over to the side of the road and turned to look at Sam, frowning
and upset that he had obviously hurt Sam with his thoughtless words. “Sammy,
no, you’re not a pain in the ass, and I never wish you weren’t around. I just
wish you could trust me a little more.” He felt his face heating up as he
added, “I know that me being friends with Puck freaks you out, and I’m sorry,
really I am, but I’m not like you. I don’t make friends easily, and I can’t
just stop talking to him because he’s bi and likes me more than you’re
comfortable with. We are friends, not boyfriends or whatever else it is you’ve
got stuck in your head, and he gets me like nobody else I’ve ever known. I
don’t have to explain myself to him or pretend to be something I’m not, and I
need that sometimes, and just –” He took a deep breath, cutting off the flood
of words that still wanted to keep tumbling out, and then said softly, “You
always make friends so easy, Sam, wherever we stop, but I don’t and I kind of
need friends too, no matter what you think of me. I don’t want to lose the best
friend I’ve ever had just because you’re a little homophobic.”
“I’m not homophobic,” Sam said then, frowning as he finally looked at Dean
again. “I don’t care that he’s bi, and I don’t care what you two do. I just
don’t like that I keep getting the feeling that you’re lying to me about it.”
Dean sighed, scrubbing his hand through his hair and hating that Sam was
actually right. “I don’t know what else I can do or say here, Sam. I’ve tried
explaining myself to you over and over the last few days, and it seems like the
more honest I am, the more convinced you are I’m lying.”
“Just answer a few questions for me,” Sam said softly, “and then I won’t have
to wonder anymore.”
“So ask,” Dean said, meeting Sam’s gaze.
“Do you love him?” Sam asked quietly, looking into Dean’s eyes. “Puck, I mean.”
Dean let out a little snort. “God, Sam, you’ve already asked me that, and I
already told you no, but I’ll say it again if it makes you happy. I am not in
love with Noah Puckerman. Do you want me to swear it on a bible this time or
what? ‘Cause I’m gettin’ really tired of you assuming I must be lying to you.”
Sam shook his head slightly. “No, you don’t have to swear. My other question is
this: do you love Quinn?”
Dean just stared at Sam for a few moments before he admitted, “A little, maybe,
but not like you’re probably thinkin’. I definitely love the way I feel when
I’m with her, and how she accepts me as I am without trying to push me into any
boxes I just flat don’t fit into, but I’m not in love with her.”
“But you could fall for her, couldn’t you,” Sam half-asked. “If we took her
with us.”
“I’m never going to take someone on the road with us, Sam,” Dean said flatly.
“I won’t ask anyone to live like we do, especially a girl like Quinn. She’s
been through enough, she doesn’t need to get pulled into the hell we got forced
into when we were kids.”
“You didn’t answer me,” Sam said quietly.
“Yes, okay?” Dean said, looking at the highway again.
It was true as far as it went, but he didn’t qualify it with one other thing
that would have to change for him to fall in love with Quinn. It was kind of
amazing to him that she knew he was fucking around with Puck and still adored
him, still thought he was her knight in shining armor. He needed that in his
life, even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep it, but he still knew he
couldn’t really fall for anyone else while he was near Puck. Quinn would always
be near Puck because of Beth, so Dean wouldn’t be falling for her completely,
even though he liked her more than any girl he had ever been around. What he
felt when he was with Quinn was great and he loved it, but it still couldn’t
compare to how Puck made him feel.
Sam didn’t say anything, and after a moment Dean added, “I could fall hard for
her, if I didn’t know I’m out of here in a few weeks and I’ll never see her
again.” He looked back at Sam, adding, “But that’s not my life, and I’m not
takin’ that road, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Don’t you want it though, Dean?” Sam asked, looking sad. “A wife and kids and
the whole nine yards?”
“I probably won’t get to have a happily ever after, Sammy. I’ve known that a
long time, and it’s not changin’ now just because I met a girl I could fall
for,” Dean replied, quiet and calm even though he wished he could tell Sam
something different. “You’ve got a chance at the wife and two-point-five kids
thing if you get that full ride to college, but it’s too late for me. I’ve
known that since I was fourteen.” He wasn’t going to tell Sam that being able
to make the decision to sell his ass to feed Sam was what had convinced him it
was too late for him to ever be normal. That just wasn’t something Sam needed
to know about him.
“Because of Dad,” Sam said quietly. “Making you be a hunter, I mean.”
“There’s not a lot of people out there that really know about the stuff that
goes bump in the night, Sammy,” Dean agreed, nodding. “That’s not the only
reason, but it’s the biggest one. I can’t turn my back on all those people out
there who need help and don’t have anyone they can turn to. Once you’re in
college, I’ll be out there saving people and hunting things. It ain’t the best
life and I’ll be lonely, I know, but it’s something that needs doing and I’m
one of the few that knows how to do it.”
“But not with Dad?” Sam asked, surprised.
“No, not with Dad.” Dean paused and then admitted, “I can’t take being with him
all the time, and I’m not gonna try. He’s our Dad, and I love and respect him a
hell of a lot more than I probably should considering how he’s treated me the
last few years, but I can’t live with him any more.”
“So if I go off to school, you’ll be hunting all alone,” Sam said softly,
looking out the window. “And you’ll die.”
“I won’t get myself killed, Sammy,” Dean said gently. “I’m good at what we do,
you know that.”
Sam looked back at Dean and swallowed hard, and Dean hated the shine of tears
that was back in Sam’s eyes as Sam said softly, “Promise me you’ll at least try
to quit when I leave, or I’m not going. I won’t leave you hunting with no one
to watch your back.”
Dean looked at Sam for a long moment and then finally nodded. “I’ll try, Sam.”
“Promise,” Sam repeated. “At least for the first year I’m in college. If it’s
not working, then you can go back to it.”
“I promise, Sammy,” Dean said with a sigh. “One year, but with one condition.
I’m still gonna help Dad or Bobby if they need me.”
“Okay,” Sam agreed, looking relieved. “Thank you.”
Dean moved his hand to ruffle Sam’s hair and then turned back towards the
wheel, putting the Impala back into gear to start towards their trailer again,
driving a lot faster than he usually would. “I’d do anything for you, Sammy.”
“Except give up Puck,” Sam said quietly, and when Dean looked at him quickly he
was surprised to see Sam was smiling slightly. “I think you do have a crush on
him, whether you know it or not.”
Dean snorted and looked back at the road. “Just because he says ‘no one can
resist the Puckasaurus’ all the time doesn’t make it true.”
“Maybe not, but you have to admit you like him a lot,” Sam pointed out. “More
than Quinn, even.”
Dean thought about that for a few minutes, really considering it even though it
only took him a moment to be sure Sam was right. That made it a little harder
to tell Sam the lie he knew he had to answer him with, but he did it anyway.
“I’m not so sure. That I like him more, I mean.” He paused and then added, “But
I do know she’s the one I’m looking forward to sleeping with next weekend. I
like hanging out with Puck, and he’s a hell of a lot of fun, but I don’t think
it goes past that.” He wouldn’t let it go past that, he couldn’t. He knew
better than to let himself need someone he was never really going to have.
“But it does with Quinn?” Sam asked, surprised.
“Yeah,” Dean admitted, nodding. “The more I think about it, the more I think
it’s a good thing she’s too pregnant to get laid anytime soon. The way I feel
about her, if I was having sex with her too it’d hurt a hell of a lot to have
to walk away.” Almost as much as it was going to hurt to walk away from Puck,
in fact.
“Why do we have to?” Sam asked then, wistful. “Couldn’t we just stay here?
We’ve made a lot of friends, and the house is kind of nice.”
“No, Sam, we can’t,” Dean said with a sigh, turning off the highway onto the
already-familiar dirt road that would take them home. “Dad’s got some really
good reasons for keepin’ us on the move. I don’t like it much, and I’m not
gonna let him ruin your chances at college because of them, but we still need
to move on when school’s out.”
“Reasons you’re not going to tell me,” Sam said, looking out his window.
“Because I’m just a kid.”
“No, reasons I’m not telling you because I have enough nightmares for us both,”
Dean said quietly, making Sam look at him again in surprise. Dean turned into
their driveway, pulling up to the steps before he turned off the Impala and
looked at Sam, who was still staring at him. “It’s not just all in Dad’s head,
Sam. I remember the thing we’re hidin’ from, and I don’t ever want to see it
again unless I know how to kill it.”
“The thing that killed Mom, you mean,” Sam said softly.
Dean nodded. “Until we know how to kill it or find a way to hide from it, it’s
not safe to get too comfortable. I’m gonna try to keep us in one place for a
whole semester at a time next year, but if we see any sign of that thing, we’re
gonna have to run. We can’t fight it, not yet.”
“Then we’ll run,” Sam said simply. “We’ve had to before. I can handle the extra
classwork.”
“I know you can,” Dean agreed with a smile, and then he reached for his door.
“Grab the leftovers, I’m kinda hungry and a brisket sandwich sounds great about
now.”
Sam turned to lean over the seat and grab the Tupperware dish without a word,
so Dean got out and headed towards the stairs, pausing at the door to wait for
Sam.
Lima was a quiet town – Dean had researched it thoroughly and he knew there
hadn’t been anything interesting reported in Lima ever – so Dean had let
himself relax there a lot more than he usually did. He didn’t bother to salt
all the doors and windows, and he never locked the door to their battered old
trailer, but some things didn’t change no matter how safely boring Lima seemed.
Sam’s bedroom door and windows were still salted and marked with protection
runes Dean had applied with his own blood, Dean still carried his knives at all
times and made sure Sam had his knife on him every day before school, and he
didn’t leave Sam alone outside. He never had, and he didn’t intend to start
now.
 
 
***** NINE *****
 
Quinn’s homeroom class was second year Spanish, and Schuester had been glad to
let Quinn and Dean use his classroom to eat breakfast in as long as they didn’t
make a mess or get too loud while he was tutoring Finn. The final was coming up
in a few weeks, and Finn had gone to Schuester to help him get ready for it
because he didn’t want to ask Kurt and Rachel was taking French.
Dean and Quinn ended up on a desk in the back of the room by the windows,
sitting very close together and talking quietly as they ate their breakfast.
Dean had ordered a double bacon cheeseburger again with a side of mozzarella
sticks and a root beer, and Quinn had two BLTs with double bacon and an order
of apple wedges with a fancy coffee and ice cream thing Dean had already
forgotten the name of.
Dean was finished with his breakfast and nibbling on one of Quinn’s apple
slices when Schuester suddenly asked, “Quinn, should you really be drinking
coffee?”
Dean snickered at that and looked towards Schuester to see he and Finn were by
the door, both of them watching Quinn. “I asked the same thing, Mr Schue.”
Quinn blushed as she said quickly, “I got decaf.” She still had most of her
second sandwich left to eat, but she was just picking at it because she wanted
the bacon more than the bread or veggies. She was still having cravings for
bacon that just wouldn’t quit, and Nancy refused to let bacon even into her
house, so Quinn had to rely on other people to help her feed the craving. She
always had money of her own – Quinn had told Dean that Puck put money in her
wallet at least once a week, and wouldn’t hear of taking any of it back – but
most of her friends wouldn’t let her pay for anything while she was with them.
They all knew she needed to spend the money Puck gave her on maternity clothes
and things she and Beth would need.
“That’s good,” Schuester said, amused. “But it still doesn’t answer the
question.”
“Not exactly,” Quinn admitted, sheepish and looking a bit longingly at her cup.
“I just really, really wanted one.” She looked back up at Schuester, adding, “I
got a small one, and I told them to put half as much coffee as usual.”
“The ice cream’s not much better,” Finn said. “Kurt spent all weekend telling
you that ice cream is not a food group and to have some fruit when you want
something sweet.”
Schuester laughed, looking a little surprised. “He’s got a good point.”
“I know,” Quinn agreed with a sigh, reaching for her cup to hold it out to
Finn. “Get rid of it for me, Finn, please? If I keep it I’ll just drink some
more.”
Finn moved quickly to take the drink, looking pleased. “Thanks. I love those
things.”
Dean snickered. “So does she.” He hopped off the desk, smiling at Quinn as he
added, “I’ll go to the cafeteria and get you something else, beautiful.”
Quinn handed Finn her drink and then gave Dean a wry smile. “Thanks, Dean.
Orange juice?”
“You got it, babe,” Dean agreed, leaning to kiss her lightly before he headed
towards the door. “I won’t be long.”
“There’s no hurry, we’ve got twenty minutes until class,” Quinn replied,
pulling another bite of bacon out of her sandwich.
“Twenty minutes I want to spend with you,” Dean said with a smile, glancing
back at Quinn as he went through the door.
Quinn was beaming happily as she munched her bacon, watching him go.
 
                                      ~*~
 
The week passed in a blur of activity for Dean as every free minute was spent
either practicing for Regionals or hanging out with Quinn, Puck, and Kurt, too
tired from practice to do anything but veg out. They had developed an
embarrassing habit of falling asleep in a pile on Kurt’s couch whenever they
tried to watch Newsies, which Kurt bought on Monday afternoon because Quinn saw
a clip on Youtube and really wanted to see the movie, but they still kept
trying to watch it anyway.
It was Thursday before they finally made it through the movie without falling
asleep, and Dean had really enjoyed it even though he’d never admit that in
public. It was possibly the gayest movie he ever saw, and he was pretty sure
the two male leads were screwing around – not to mention most of the other guys
in it – but he still loved it because of the music and the whole sticking it to
the man theme. Quinn and Kurt were threatening to hold him down for a Rent
viewing because they insisted he’d like it too, but Dean wasn’t so sure. Puck
always ran screaming when Rent was mentioned, and Dean figured Puck had really
good taste.
Sam wasn’t around much all week because he was busy with Brittany and Santana,
hanging out with them as he tried to tutor Brittany, who was failing in a major
way. Brittany had gotten by so far on being a cheerleader, but her teachers
were all threatening to fail her for the year if she couldn’t pass the finals.
Coach Sylvester had been covering for Brittany, blackmailing her teachers to
let the girl pass despite how poorly she did in class, but it didn’t bother
Sylvester if Brittany failed because she would just be eligible to be a Cheerio
for an extra year, so Brittany was on her own.
Dean figured Sam was fighting a hopeless battle, but Sam was doing his best to
help the girl pass and didn’t really have time to do anything else. Dean only
really saw Sam before school in the mornings when he gave the kid a ride to
school and during Glee practice, but Sam was happy and enjoying himself so Dean
didn’t really have anything to complain about. He missed having Sam around all
the time, but he didn’t want to be a wet blanket and ruin Sam’s chance to make
time with two pretty cheerleaders so he didn’t say anything. He remembered
being fifteen and horny all the time, and he figured Sam had better enjoy
getting laid regularly while he could. The kid didn’t have so great a batting
average with girls a little smarter than Brittany, like Santana, who thought
Sam was adorable because of how sweet and patient he was with her girl but
likely wouldn’t have given him the time of day if Brittany wasn’t crazy about
him.
From what Kurt and Quinn had told Dean, Sam was getting lucky every time he and
Brittany ended up alone for a few minutes, which seemed to be pretty often, and
Dean could see that it agreed with the kid. Sam was grinning all the time and
walking a little prouder than he used to, which made it obvious to Dean that
the kid had been growing again and he hadn’t noticed because of the way Sam
usually slouched. Santana and Brittany had even talked Sam into going clothes
shopping with them, which was where they were heading as they left Glee
practice on Friday afternoon. Dean had given Sam a couple hundred dollars he
was sure would disappear, but Santana had promised Dean that she was going to
make the kid buy some clothes that fit, so Dean was pretty cheerful about the
whole thing.
It was hard for Dean to believe it was Friday already as he followed Puck and
Kurt out of the auditorium. Quinn had the moves down pat for what she would
need to do on stage the next day – she refused to sit out Regionals and no one
had been able to make themselves fight with her – and Dean had taken her home
before practice to keep an eye on Sarah, so he was leaving practice alone for
the first time all week. Quinn hadn’t missed any other practices, but after
Schuester had suggested it, Dean had convinced her that they would have a long
day at the Regionals competition the next day and she finally had agreed to
rest while she could.
Schuester had put Quinn and Dean together for most of the couples choreography
they would do at Regionals, mostly because Dean spent half his time checking on
Quinn anyway while she was dancing. Quinn being at home that day meant that
Dean had practiced with Tina, since Artie wouldn’t be doing a lot of the
choreography on the tiered stage where they were performing the next day, and
he had made sure he did well even though he was kind of bored. Tina was a lot
more serious about dancing than Quinn and didn’t flirt with Dean at all, which
really took a lot of the fun out of it for Dean, especially during the
choreography for the mash-up of Any Way You Want It and Lovin’, Touchin’,
Squeezin’ they were doing between Faithfully and Don’t Stop Believing. Dean had
gotten used to the way Quinn would take advantage of the Lovin’, Touchin’,
Squeezin’ part of the choreography to feel him up while she whispered dirty
ideas in his ear, and he had missed it.
“Dean, what are you doing tonight?” Kurt asked suddenly next to him, making
Dean look at him in surprise. Kurt and Puck had fallen back next to him without
him noticing it, and Kurt was smiling at Dean as he added, “I’ve got to make a
few last-minute adjustments on Quinn’s dress, then we’re watching Newsieswith
Sarah.”
“And I’m gonna be bored as hell,” Puck added with a little laugh. Kurt’s
messenger bag and gym bag were slung over Puck’s shoulder, even though Kurt had
argued about it when Puck grabbed them. Kurt had insisted he wasn’t a girl, and
Puck had told him he was very aware of that but he still wanted to carry Kurt’s
things for him because he loved him. Kurt had finally given in then, but he had
made sure to point out that saying he was doing something because he loved Kurt
wouldn’t always win an argument.
“I don’t have any plans,” Dean admitted, surprised. “I was figuring I’d be with
y’all, but beyond that...” He shrugged.
“Why don’t you two go play some pool?” Kurt asked, looking from Dean to Puck
and back again.
“Sounds good to me,” Puck agreed quickly, surprised but grinning.
Dean thought about it for only a few seconds before he smiled. “Sure, why not?
I can always stand a little extra cash in my wallet, and Puck sure as hell
needs the practice.”
Kurt laughed. “Noah told me you’re going to try and teach him to play.”
“Try being the operative word there,” Dean said, laughing. “I thought Sam was
kind of bad, but Puck makes him look like a pro.”
“I can’t help it nobody I know plays but you,” Puck protested. “I had to teach
myself!”
“Stop doin’ that, man, seriously,” Dean said, snickering as they stopped near
where the Impala was parked next to Puck’s Ranger. Kurt’s Navigator was in the
shop in Dayton because the battery was dead again Wednesday morning, even
though Kurt and his dad had checked it over twice and couldn’t find a problem.
The dealership Burt bought it from said it was something to do with the
computer and they were going to have to reprogram it when they got around to
it, which might be Monday, if Kurt got lucky. “You’re doin’ more harm than
good.”
Puck reached past Kurt to punch Dean’s shoulder, laughing. “Asshole.”
“Just tellin’ the truth,” Dean said, smirking at Puck before he looked back at
Kurt. “You’re takin’ the Ranger to his place then, I guess?”
Kurt nodded, smiling and looking amused. “And then I’ll get a ride home with
you later when you drop Noah off at home.”
“Works for me,” Dean agreed, smiling. “You live out the same way I do anyway.”
Puck handed Kurt his keys and Kurt’s bags and then he moved to reach for Dean’s
jacket, grinning as he shoved his hand into the pocket Dean kept the Impala's
keys in. “I’m driving!”
Dean laughed and let Puck steal the keys, moving towards the Impala’s passenger
side as he threatened, “You break a hundred tonight and I swear I’ll make you
regret it, Puckasaurus.” It was beginning to be a habit to let Puck drive when
they went anywhere together, mostly because Puck enjoyed it so much. Dean liked
seeing how much Puck loved his baby, and he liked making Puck happy, so he
tried not to think too hard about the fact that he was willing to take shotgun
for Puck.
“Promises, promises,” Puck said, smirking at Dean before he turned to Kurt,
sliding his arms around him. “We won’t stay out too late, baby. I know we have
to get up early tomorrow.”
Kurt lifted his arms to drape them around Puck’s neck, smiling happily. “I’ll
expect you by eleven, then. I want to be in bed by midnight.”
“Works for me,” Puck agreed, still smirking slightly as he leaned to kiss Kurt
slow and deep.
Kurt was a bit breathless when Puck finally pulled away, his blue eyes vivid
and rather hungry as he murmured, “I can’t wait for tomorrow night.”
“Me either,” Puck agreed, kissing him softly again before he pulled away.
“Don’t hurt my truck.”
Kurt laughed and started walking towards the Ranger. “At least I won’t drive
ninety just because I can.”
Puck unlocked the driver’s side door of the Impala and then opened it, looking
over the roof of the car to watch Kurt unlocking his truck as he said with a
smirk, “You can bet your sweet ass I will.” Puck got in without waiting for
Kurt to answer, leaning across to unlock Dean’s door.
Kurt laughed and tossed his bags into the seat of the truck, looking at Dean as
he murmured with a wicked little grin, “Have fun visiting the farm again,
Dean.”
Dean laughed in surprise, blushing and very glad that the parking lot was
already deserted. “You don’t mind?”
Kurt smirked at Dean, blue eyes sparkling with amusement and something more.
“Not if you’re still going to be with us tomorrow night.”
“I’ll be there,” Dean promised quietly, smiling at Kurt. “At least until you
two are ready for some privacy.”
“Then enjoy yourself with him,” Kurt said, giving Dean a smirk. “I know I’ll
enjoy you both tomorrow night.” He climbed into the Ranger without another
word, closing the door firmly and then starting it up.
Dean opened the passenger door of the Impala to climb in, blushing but already
half-hard at just the thought of Puck fucking him again, not to mention the
idea of what Kurt had planned for their room at a Holiday Inn near where the
Regionals were being held. Dean had spent a lot of time with Kurt and Puck
during the last week and he wasn’t worried about the idea of Kurt touching him
anymore. He and Puck had even talked about it while they went to get dinner for
the four of them the night before, and Dean was suddenly very sure that Puck
had told Kurt that Dean was looking forward to getting to know Kurt a little
better.
“What’d he say?” Puck asked as Dean closed his door, smirking and waving as
Kurt pulled away. “Whatever it was, I can tell you really liked it.”
Dean blushed a little redder, laughing as he waved to Kurt and then looked at
Puck. “He said for me to enjoy visiting the farm again, ‘cause he’s planning to
enjoy us both tomorrow night.”
“Gotta love him,” Puck said, smirking wickedly as he started the car. “My baby
knows how to make his man happy, for sure.” He glanced at Dean again, hazel
eyes warm with affection and more than a little desire. “Where to, Deano?”
“Find us a pool hall,” Dean said with a little laugh, trying to ignore the way
it made him feel when Puck looked at him like that. “We’re gonna make some
money first, then you can stop at the farm on the way home, if you want.”
“I definitely want,” Puck said quickly, putting the Impala into gear and then
starting slowly towards the highway across the deserted parking lot. “Pete’s
work for you?”
“If you think anyone’ll play with me there, sure,” Dean agreed, not even trying
to be subtle about it as he reached down to adjust himself in his suddenly too-
tight jeans.
Puck saw the movement out of the corner of his eye and looked over at Dean’s
crotch to watch, then lifted his gaze to Dean’s eyes as he purred, “I’ll play
with you, babe. As much as you can stand, even.”
Dean let out a little laugh, shifting in his seat as he wished Puck wasn’t
quite so good at pushing his buttons. “I meant pool, dumbass. So we can hustle
some cash.” Dean had insisted on paying for the hotel rooms in Indianapolis
since he could always hustle for more cash when he needed it, and it had cost a
lot more than the motels he was used to. He had given Kurt the money to cover
the reservations – the hotel wanted a credit card, and Dean didn’t have one –
and he still had around two hundred in his wallet after what he gave Sam
earlier that afternoon, but it never hurt to add to it.
“There’s always someone around Pete’s wanting to play pool on a Friday,” Puck
said as he turned onto the highway towards Pete’s and started to accelerate
quickly. “We’ve got plenty of time for a few games before nine.”
“I thought Kurt said he’d expect us around eleven?” Dean asked, surprised. It
wasn’t quite six o’clock so they had time to play a few games before nine, but
he had expected to stay longer than that.
Puck glanced over at Dean, smirking crookedly and looking like he wanted to
make a meal out of Dean right then and there. “He did.”
Dean laughed, blushing again but grinning widely as he said, “Cool.”
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean had made around three hundred dollars in the last two hours, but he was
getting kind of bored with fleecing the natives and he was just toying with the
guy he was playing now, even though he had seventy-five bucks riding on the
game.
The guy reminded Dean a lot of Karofsky, if the hockey player was fifty instead
of seventeen, and he was about as sharp as a wheel. He had missed quite a few
easy shots, giving Dean openings to run the table and end it, but Dean hadn’t
bothered to do it yet. Pete’s was pretty slow that night for some reason and
there was no one else to play against anyway, except maybe Puck, who was
leaning against the wall near Dean and watching everything but the game because
he was even more bored than Dean was.
The guy Dean was playing missed his shot again, and Dean was moving towards the
table when Puck suddenly spoke up. “Finish it, Deano, so we can blow this
joint.”
Dean looked over at Puck, surprised. “It’s not even eight o’clock.”
Puck smirked at him. “We can find some way to pass the time, I promise.”
Dean looked at him a moment longer and then laughed and moved towards the pool
table again. “Works for me.”
“Just play the damned game,” the guy on the other side of the table said,
scowling. He obviously knew Dean was playing with him and it pissed him off,
but he wasn’t quite willing to make an issue of it. He had started to get up in
Dean’s face twice already, but both times he had glanced at Puck and then
scowled and just ordered another whiskey. It was a refreshing change for Dean,
who was used to having to fight his way out of a pool hall more often than not
after he hustled a few people. Puck’s reputation in the local fight club
evidently scared even the big burly factory workers twice his age, because no
one at Pete’s was willing to make an issue of Dean fleecing them as long as
Puck was standing there watching his back.
Dean grinned at the guy. “Anything you say, buddy.” He glanced at the table,
seemingly not even thinking about it before he moved to make a shot that sank
the last two striped balls in separate pockets, first in the corner and then
the side of the table closest to the meathead that Dean had been playing for
the last half hour. He glanced at the guy as he moved around the table again,
smirking slightly. “Eight in the side pocket.”
“Ain’t no way in hell,” the guy scoffed, looking at the table. The eight ball
was against one side bumper right next to the pocket, with the cue ball near
one corner where it had stopped after Dean’s last shot.
“Wanna bet?” Dean asked.
The man scowled. “No.”
“Oh ye of little faith,” Dean said, still grinning as he lined up behind the
cue ball and then took his shot with hardly a pause. The cue ball shot across
to bump the eight ball, which ricocheted into the bumper on the end, glancing
off to hit the far side and then roll neatly back across the table to fall into
the side pocket with a muffled thud. 
The guy he was playing glared at Dean and then tossed his cue on the table and
walked off without a word.
Dean scooped up his winnings, tucking them in his pocket before he moved to put
the pool cues away, looking at Puck, who was holding Dean’s beer again. “How
many of those have you had, man?”
“Just mine and about half of yours,” Puck said, smirking at Dean as he pushed
off the wall. “I can still drive.”
Dean snickered as he started towards the door. “You’d say you could drive if
you had just had a keg.”
“Not hardly,” Puck said, laughing as he followed Dean. “You’d kill me if I hurt
your baby.” He reached out a moment later to nudge Dean’s side, moving in
closer behind him as he murmured, “Dude! Isn’t that Schue?”
Dean glanced at Puck and then followed his nod to a booth by the front door
that had been out of their line-of-sight at the pool tables, and then made
himself look away again quickly. “Yeah, but who’s the dude he’s talkin’ to?”
“That’s Bryan Ryan,” Puck murmured, pretending not to watch Schuester and Ryan
as he followed Dean to the door. “They were in Glee club together in high
school. I’ll tell you everything I know about him later.”
Dean smirked a bit as he replied softly, “That oughta be good, the way they’re
lookin’ at each other.”
They were almost to the door when Schuester spotted them, his eyes going wide
as he blushed.
“Hey, Mr Schue,” Puck said then, grinning as he grabbed Dean’s arm to stop him
near the booth where Schuester and Ryan were sitting. “You two gonna sing Piano
Man again tonight?”
Schuester’s blush darkened even more and he glanced at Ryan before he looked
back at Puck and Dean. “I’m not planning on it, Puck. What are you two up to? I
didn’t think either of you were old enough to buy beer.”
Dean grinned. “My ID says I’m twenty-three, Mr Schue. I dunno where you would
have gotten the idea it didn’t.”
Puck snickered, adding, “And he’s buying.”
Schuester sighed, but he looked amused. “I hope you two are smart enough not to
drive under the influence.”
“We had two beers between us,” Puck said with a laugh. “And we haven’t even
finished one of those. We were here to play pool, not get drunk. I don’t do
that anymore, Mr Schue.”
Schuester smiled, looking pleased. “That’s okay, then.”
Ryan reached for his beer to start picking at the label, not looking at Puck or
Dean and sounding just a bit worried as he murmured, “Maybe we should get out
of here, Will. I didn’t know your students come here.”
“Nah, man, don’t leave on account of us,” Puck said quickly. “We’re heading
out, and nobody else from school comes in here. I only get in because my mom
used to work here and Pete knows she’s cool with me having a couple beers if I
want to. Kurt and Quinn should be done with her dress by now.”
Schuester looked at Ryan, reaching over to cover his hand for a moment and
murmuring, “It’s fine, Bryan. These two aren’t going to cause any trouble for
me, they know what it’s like.” Ryan finally looked over at Dean and Puck then
while Schuester took his hand away from Ryan’s again, looking back up at Puck
and Dean. “I wondered why you two weren’t with them. Did Kurt expect to have
much trouble with the alterations?”
“Not a bit,” Puck replied, smiling at Schuester. “He figured it’d take an hour
or so, then he was going to get Chinese and watch a movie with Mom and Sarah
until we get there. He bought Newsies a few days ago and they want to see it.”
“They ought to be done by now,” Dean added, reaching to take his beer from Puck
and take a drink of it. “We were just passing time until they’re finished.”
“Kurt, isn’t he the queer kid?” Ryan asked suddenly, looking at Schuester.
“Yes, but he’s much more than that, Bryan,” Schuester said quietly, gently
rebuking. “He’s one of the most talented kids in New Directions.”
“And he’s my boyfriend,” Puck added, making Ryan look at him in surprise. Puck
met Ryan’s gaze, smiling as he added more quietly, “I don’t start rumors around
school, if that’s what you were worrying about.”
“Mostly the rumors are about you,” Dean said then, smirking at Puck as he took
another sip of his beer, then offered it to Puck.
Puck took the beer, taking a drink before giving Dean a smug little smirk as he
murmured, “No one can resist the Puckasaurus, babe.”
Dean laughed, blushing as he reached out to take the beer back. “Alright,
you’ve had enough if you’re talkin’ like that in public.”
Puck’s smirk just widened a bit, and Dean realized he had just as much as
admitted Puck was allowed to call him that in private. “I’m stone sober.” He
looked back over at Schuester and Ryan, adding, “But we should get going, we’ve
got another stop to make before we head home. We’ll see you tomorrow, Mr
Schue.”
“Don’t stay out too late, boys,” Schuester said, looking vaguely surprised.
“We’re meeting up in the school parking lot at seven.”
“We don’t plan to,” Dean said, smiling at Schuester. “I’m giving Kurt a ride
home later, and he wants to be headed that way by eleven.”
“Which gives us plenty of time to have a little fun before our curfew,” Puck
said, grinning as he started pushing Dean towards the door again.  “G’night you
two.”
Dean snickered and finished off his beer to set it on the table for a waitress
to grab, then looked at the two men in the booth as he let Puck push him
towards the door. “Night.”
“Good night,” Schuester said, watching them go.
Dean and Puck were still close enough to hear Ryan as he asked, “If he’s dating
Kurt, why is he calling that other guy ‘babe’?”
“I don’t know, but he promised me he wasn’t doing anything with Dean that would
hurt Kurt,” Schuester replied quietly. “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.”
Puck stopped pushing Dean along, and Dean paused to watch as Puck walked
quickly back to Schuester and Ryan’s booth to lean into it a bit as he looked
at Ryan and spoke quietly enough Dean could barely hear him. “I’m with Dean
because he’s my best friend, and Kurt knows where we are and exactlywhat we’re
doing when he’s not around. It was actually his idea for us to go out together
tonight.”
Schuester smiled at Puck. “I trust you, Puck. You don’t need to explain
yourself to me.”
“I wasn’t explaining for you, Schue,” Puck said, smiling at Schuester and not
trying quite so hard to be quiet anymore, even though he wasn’t being at all
loud. “I was explaining for me, and for your ... friend.” He turned away to
walk towards Dean and the door then, and Dean had to grin at the surprised
looks on Schuester and Ryan’s faces as they both stared after Puck.
Dean turned to head outside, sure Puck would be right behind him, and he was
right. Puck caught up as they crossed the parking lot, which wasn’t quite dark
yet, giving Dean a little grin as he murmured, “We still going out to see the
stars?”
“You’re drivin’, you tell me,” Dean replied, looking at Puck with a slight grin
as he fished his keys out of his pocket to offer them to Puck.
“Hot damn,” Puck said as he took the keys, grinning widely as he moved a little
faster towards the Impala. “I love driving your baby.”
Dean snickered, following him. “I noticed.”
Dean had just gotten in the Impala and closed his door when Puck said softly,
“You don’t have to let me drive her all the time, y’know.” Dean looked at Puck
quickly in surprise and Puck smiled at him, hazel eyes warm and fond. “I know
you don’t let anyone else.”
“I like watchin’ you,” Dean admitted, smiling at Puck. “You get the same kind
of kick out of her that I do, and you take good care of her.”
Puck’s smile widened and he started the car, revving the engine just a bit as
he looked at Dean again. “She’s hot as hell, just like her owner.”
Dean blushed, laughing softly. “You don’t have to sweet talk either of us,
man.”
“That’s not sweet talk,” Puck said with a smirk, turning to look behind the car
as he began to back out of the parking place. “It’s just fact.”
Dean didn’t know what so say to that so he didn’t say anything as he watched
Puck turn to face forward again, putting the Impala into gear and then heading
towards the highway.
Puck glanced at Dean as he stopped at the edge of the parking lot, smirking at
him as he murmured, “Did you ever put more rubbers in the glove box?”
“Today,” Dean admitted, smiling and glad his blush was already fading away.
“Got some when I went to get something for lunch, and I left a few in the car.”
Puck started the car forward again, pulling out into the light traffic on the
main highway back towards town. “And the rest of them?”
“Going in my bag for tomorrow,” Dean said quietly, still watching Puck with a
smile. “With a new bottle of lube.”
“I do like the way you think,” Puck said with a smirk, glancing at Dean again.
“I got stuff for tomorrow night too, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Kurt did
the same thing, as much as he’s been thinking about it.”
Dean laughed slightly, blushing. “Well, we won’t run out of condoms or lube, at
least.”
“Which is good,” Puck said, his smirk going wicked as he slowed the Impala to a
stop at the main intersection in Lima, checking both ways before he turned
right onto the highway that led out towards his house. “I plan to make good use
of both on you at least once so Kurt can see how it’s done.”
“If you make me beg in front of him, I swear I’ll tell him you cried after I
topped,” Dean threatened, blushing redder even though he was trying not to
laugh.
Puck laughed. “It’d be worth it, and besides, he’ll probably get to see for
himself tomorrow night anyway. I kinda doubt it’ll be any less mind-blowing
when he does it.”
Dean’s eyebrows rose in surprise and he grinned. “You’re letting the kid top
tomorrow?”
“I was planning to, yeah,” Puck said, nodding. “After you head out to join
Quinn.” He looked at Dean. “Unless you think it’s too much for one night?”
“It’s not my place to tell you that,” Dean said quickly. “He’s your boyfriend,
Puck. You gotta talk to him about that kind of thing. I’m just there to play
crash test dummy so he can see the awesomeness that is you in action for
himself.”
Puck laughed. “Crash test dummy?”
Dean grinned. “What would you call it?”
Puck thought about it a moment as he slowed down to turn onto the dirt road
that led to the deserted old farm he had used as his own private necking spot
for the last year, then he finally looked at Dean, smiling. “Just about the
most amazing thing anyone has ever done for me, except maybe Quinn.”
Dean blushed, pleased as he smiled back at Puck and murmured, “I don’t rank
anywhere near her givin’ you Beth.”
“You do,” Puck disagreed, slowing down even more as he turned into an overgrown
driveway that led off towards the distant wreck of a barn near the burned-out
shell of a farmhouse. He looked at Dean as he drove slowly towards the barn,
smiling softly. “She’s really giving Beth to Kurt and Carole and Burt anyway,
not to me, and she was giving her up already so it’s not so hard for her.
You’re giving me Kurt, though, and letting him see something you don’t share
with many people.”
“You already have him,” Dean pointed out, smiling just a bit wider. “I’m just
helping you show him what he’s missing.”
Puck looked ahead of the car again, driving in silence until he pulled around
behind the barn to stop in his usual spot in the tall grass where the sky
spread out over the car in a wide panorama of blue that grew slowly darker as
the fiery sunset in the west began to fade. He turned the Impala off and then
looked over at Dean, smiling. “You’re just giving me the guy I love, just like
you’ve been doing since the day you blew into town.” Dean opened his mouth to
protest, but Puck went on before he could. “I wouldn’t be with him now if you
hadn’t told us you were bi, Dean. You’re such a cool guy that seeing you being
honest even though it embarrassed you made me really think about what I was
afraid of.”
“Which was?” Dean asked softly.
“Kurt reacting badly,” Puck replied quietly. “That he would think I was just
fucking with his head because of all the mean things I did to him over the
years. Seeing you come out to us made me realize I didn’t care what anyone else
thought, not if Kurt would be mine. Then he wanted to talk to you alone when we
left, and I realized if I kept waiting some other guy just might beat me to it
again and I’d lose my chance with him.” He grinned suddenly. “I called him
later that night and asked him to meet me before homeroom the next morning,
y’know. He met me in the music room right after I talked to you and we ended up
staying there talking until you walked in on us.”
“I’m glad you did,” Dean said, smiling warmly as he turned a little more in his
seat to face Puck.
“So am I,” Puck agreed, smiling. “I don’t really remember the things we said,
not much of it anyway, but it was the right stuff. I mean, by the time you
walked in, I wasn’t worried he’ll find someone else anymore, and he knew that I
was serious about him, and I was feeling like I could fly.”
“He thinks you could, too.” Dean chuckled slightly. “The way he was looking at
you I knew you had said all the right things, especially after we sang that old
Joe Cocker song and you asked him if he could love you. The look on his face
after you kissed him was priceless.”
“He had never been kissed in front of anyone before,” Puck said quietly, his
smile fading. “Jesse is the only other guy Kurt ever kissed, and the worthless
shit was ashamed to get near him unless they were alone.”
“I don’t kiss guys in public either, Puck,” Dean said quietly, his smile
vanishing as he looked away across the overgrown field they were parked at the
edge of. The sunset had shifted to darker reds and oranges and the sky was
going purple-blue as the first few stars began to appear, but Dean barely
noticed how pretty the view was.
“Hey, no,” Puck said quickly, reaching for Dean’s chin to turn his head back
towards him. “You’ve got a damned good reason for being in the closet, Dean.
There’s Sam to worry about, and your dad’s a world-class asshole that thinks
beating you up is okay, so it’s only smart to be careful. Jesse is out, he’s
dated girls and guys right out in front of God and everybody. He was just
ashamed to be seen with Kurt.”
Dean stared at Puck. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”
“Nope,” Puck said, letting his hand fall again. “I wish I was. The guy is bi
and doesn’t give a damn who knows it, but he didn’t want anyone to know he was
slumming with Kurt so he lied to him about it. He told Kurt he was in the
closet and afraid to come out, and Kurt doesn’t know anyone from Carmel so he
didn’t know any better. Rachel had been digging into Vocal Adrenaline’s
background for weeks by the time we all found out about Jesse and Kurt, and
when Kurt told us all the next day why Jesse didn’t want anyone to know about
them, she told Kurt right there in class that Jesse was out and had been for
more than two years. That’s why Kurt decided he’d never date anyone else unless
they were willing to be with him at least in front of his friends, if not in
public.”
“Poor kid,” Dean said softly. “That’s a shitty way for his first boyfriend to
treat him.”
“Yeah, it was,” Puck agreed. “Jesse doesn’t know how lucky he was that I didn’t
kill him.”
“Kurt needs you too much for you to kill anyone,” Dean said then, trying to
lighten the mood. “He’d never forgive you if you ended up with jail time and
left him all alone again. He’s got such a smart mouth that he needs a
bodyguard.”
Puck laughed softly. “So true, man. That alligator mouth of his overloads his
hummingbird ass all the time.”
Dean just smiled at him for a few moments and then asked softly, “Why don’t we
just head on home? I know you’d like to be with him right now.”
“I’m not going to get any more chances to be alone with you, though,” Puck said
quietly, looking a little sad as he gazed into Dean’s eyes. “Not after
tomorrow. Kurt hasn’t asked me not to be with you anymore, but he’s a virgin
and it’s kind of a big deal for us that we’re going to have sex. I feel like I
should be faithful to him afterwards.”
Dean’s smile faded away. “I know. I understand if you want to go home to him
now anyway, though. I’m gonna miss this, I won’t lie, but I’m glad you’re gonna
treat him right. He deserves that.”
“I want to make sure you won’t forget me,” Puck murmured as he slid slowly
across the seat towards Dean. “I’m gonna lay you out on the hood of your baby
one last time and fuck you until you forget everything but how good I make you
feel.”
“I’ll never forget you, but I’m still not going to argue with that idea,” Dean
said softly, smiling as he lifted one hand to the side of Puck’s neck, leaning
to meet him. “I don’t think I could ever make myself tell you no.”
“Lucky me,” Puck breathed softly, and then they were kissing and no more words
were really needed.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean nuzzled Puck’s throat with a low pleased rumble, naked and starting to
feel a little cold because of the breeze on his sweaty skin but totally unable
to make himself care. He was laying draped over Puck’s chest, both of them
sprawled on the worn old blanket Dean had dragged out of the trunk so they
could stretch out after Puck had fucked him on the Impala’s hood one last time.
Getting naked to relax had led to sex again, but the second time had been very
different from the first, slow and tender with so much intense emotion between
them that it had been overwhelming. It had felt like saying goodbye, and it
hurt much more than either of them wanted it to, leaving them both shaken and
kind of depressed.
Puck shifted slightly under Dean to get more comfortable, idly stroking along
Dean’s side from hip to shoulder as he stared up at the stars and murmured, “I
really don’t want this to end.”
Dean lifted his head, shifting to the side a little bit more so he could free
one hand. He reached up to run his fingertips along Puck’s cheek, watching Puck
stare at the sky as he whispered, “I don’t either, but it should.”
Puck looked at Dean, and the pain in his hazel eyes made Dean hate himself a
little for letting whatever it was they had go so far. “I don’t want to give
you up, not until you have to leave. Seeing you every day and never touching
you is gonna kill me.”
“Kurt deserves to have you to himself,” Dean said softly, cupping Puck’s strong
jaw in his hand. Puck tipped his head to lean into the caress and Dean
swallowed hard, loving the feel of stubble against his palm as his thumb
stroked slowly along Puck’s cheekbone. “He loves you, and I know you love him
too.”
“What if I want to have you, too?” Puck whispered, staring into Dean’s eyes.
“What if I’m a fucking fool and I don’t want to give this up until the day you
drive out of my life forever?”
“Then we have even more in common than I thought,” Dean replied quietly. He
leaned to kiss Puck tenderly, and Puck made a soft little hurting noise as he
responded with enough palpable love that it made Dean’s heart ache. When they
finally pulled apart, Dean took a slow shaky breath before he swallowed hard
and whispered, “It still doesn’t change anything, though.” He laid his head on
Puck’s chest again, adding, “You belong with Kurt, and he deserves for you to
be faithful to him.”
“He wants us to be together, though. He’s told us both so,” Puck murmured,
shifting to wrap both arms around Dean as he rolled towards him. “I think if we
talked to him, he’d understand. What I feel for you doesn’t change how I feel
about him.”
“He’d try, maybe,” Dean admitted after a moment as he nuzzled against Puck’s
collarbone and shifted closer to him, his arms tightening around Puck even
though he knew it was a bad idea. “I don’t want to hurt him, though.”
“Neither do I,” Puck whispered against Dean’s hair, one hand stroking Dean’s
back. “We’ll just have to talk to him and see what he wants.”
“And if he says he wants us to stop?” Dean asked softly, barely even able to
hear himself.
“Then we will,” Puck replied just as softly, “and I’ll try to pretend I don’t
care about you more than anyone I’ve ever kissed, except for him.”
Dean kissed Puck’s chest instead of trying to reply, sure that it wouldn’t help
for him to admit he cared more for Puck than anyone in his life, except Sam.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean parked in Puck’s back yard, looking over at him in the darkness as he
turned off the Impala. It was just after nine-thirty, but they had both agreed
that staying out at the farm any longer would just make it harder to leave. “I
hope we’re doing the right thing.”
“Me too,” Puck agreed, reaching over to take Dean’s hand. “I’ll be right back
with Kurt, okay?”
Dean nodded, giving Puck’s hand a squeeze and wishing for one last kiss but
knowing it would be a stupid thing to do. “I’ll be here.”
Puck stared at him a moment longer and then turned away, releasing Dean’s hand
to reach for the door. He got out and left the door open as he crossed the yard
quickly, disappearing into the back door of the house.
Dean swallowed hard and looked down at the steering wheel, already kicking
himself for being such a fool. He knew better before this started, knew he
shouldn’t let himself want anyone like he wanted Puck, but he just couldn’t
seem to stop. He had thought he could, that he’d be able to go back to being
friends, but now that the time to stop having sex with Puck was there, he
finally realized how impossible it would be to forget. Puck made him feel like
no one he had ever known, every touch making Dean feel safe and wanted and even
loved, and giving that up was going to be hell.
Dean sat in silence for what seemed like forever but was really closer to ten
minutes before the back door closed quietly and Dean looked over towards it,
watching Kurt and Puck walk towards him. They were holding hands and Kurt
obviously knew something was wrong because he kept giving Puck concerned looks,
but he didn’t hesitate to follow him back to the Impala. Puck had Kurt’s
messenger bag and his gym bag over one shoulder, holding them steady with his
free hand as they walked towards the Impala.
Puck paused by the car, giving Kurt a soft smile. “Get in, babe.”
Kurt looked at Puck for only a moment before he got into the Impala, sliding
over into the middle of the front seat as he looked at Dean. “Do you know what
this is about?”
Dean nodded, but he didn’t trust himself to say the right thing so he stayed
silent as Puck dropped Kurt’s bags in the floorboard and then got in and closed
the passenger door.
Kurt stared at Dean for a moment longer, searching Dean’s eyes for something,
and then he suddenly turned back towards Puck and said softly, “Alright, now
talk to me, Noah. Tell me what’s wrong.”
Puck shifted to slide one arm around Kurt, who moved to lean against Puck’s
side as he waited for Puck to speak. “I love you more than anything, you know
that, right?” Puck asked after a few minutes, staring into Kurt’s eyes and
looking almost as guilty as Dean felt.
“Of course I do,” Kurt replied immediately, even though Dean could tell the kid
was worried. “What are you so upset about?”
Puck swallowed hard, looking into Kurt’s blue eyes for a moment longer before
his gaze fell and he started picking at a grass stain on the knee of his jeans.
“I thought I could do this so easy for you, baby, I really did, but now that
it’s time to do it, it hurts a lot more than I wanted it to.”
“What hurts?” Kurt asked, looking even more confused. “Are you talking about
sex?”
“No,” Puck said quickly, “or at least not like you mean.” He looked up to meet
Kurt’s gaze again as he admitted softly, “I thought that it’d be easy to stop
what I’ve been doing with Dean, but I was wrong. Thinking about never touching
him again hurts, but hurting you would be even worse, and I don’t know what to
do anymore. No matter what I do it’s going to hurt one of you, and I hate it. I
mean, I feel like I should be faithful to you baby, I want to, but it still
hurts to think about giving up the way he just lets everything go and trusts me
to take care of him. He needs that so bad, even if he’d never admit it, and he
hasn’t got anyone else.”
Kurt stared at Puck. “That’s why you’re so miserable all of a sudden?”
Puck nodded, looking like he expected Kurt to yell at him.
Kurt snorted and moved to sit astride Puck’s lap, staring into Puck’s surprised
eyes as he said quietly, “Noah, you idiot, I know you’ve fallen in love with
him.” He moved his hands to cup Puck’s face between them, smiling and looking
rather amused by the way Puck was staring at him in shock. “Dean’s sweet and
he’s gorgeous and he’s easy to love, sweetheart, and I know how badly you need
each other. I don’t want you to stop being with him, not until he has to leave
us.” He leaned to kiss Puck softly and then whispered against his lips, “I’m
not so selfish that I can’t share you with him for a little while. I just want
you to be happy. That’ll make me happy too, I promise.”
Puck let out a soft little broken noise as he wrapped his arms around Kurt,
pulling him close and hiding his face against Kurt’s shoulder as he whispered,
“I don’t deserve you.”
“You do, sweetheart.” Kurt wrapped his arms around Puck’s shoulders and held
him tightly, kissing the stubble next to Puck’s mohawk as he looked over and
met Dean’s gaze. “I’m glad that you found each other, even if it won’t last as
long as it should. As long as you don’t leave me out completely, I’m fine with
it.”
“You should hate me,” Dean whispered, staring into Kurt’s blue eyes as he
wondered how Kurt could look so calm and even a little amused.
“I can’t hate you,” Kurt disagreed gently, smiling again. “Like I said, Dean,
you’re easy to love. You’ll be gone in a few weeks and then it’ll be just Noah
and I, but until then I want you to feel free to spend as much time with him as
you can.”
Puck pulled away from Kurt to stare at him. “You really are amazing, you know
that, right?”
Kurt smirked suddenly and preened, teasing, “And you haven’t even seen me put
my knees behind my shoulders yet.”
Puck's eyes went wide. “Holy shit.”
Kurt laughed, smug and pleased. “Yoga is good for all sorts of things besides
giving me awesome balance, sweetheart.” He kissed Puck lightly and then looked
at Dean, reaching out his hand towards him. “Are we okay now, Dean?”
Dean stared at Kurt’s hand for a moment before he took it, nodding as he lifted
his gaze to meet Kurt’s again. “It’s gonna hurt like hell when I have to leave,
though.” He paused and then added, “For both of us.”
“All three of us,” Kurt corrected softly as he gave Dean’s hand a squeeze.
“Noah and I will still have each other, but I don’t like the thought of you
being all alone.”
Dean shrugged slightly, looking away. “I always have been,” he admitted softly.
“I’m one of those pitiful people that can feel alone in a room full of people.
I’m used to it.”
“But it still hurts you,” Puck said quietly, looking over at Dean with obvious
concern. “I know how much you hate living like that.”
Dean met Puck’s gaze for a moment and then smiled slowly. “I’ve still got
Sammy, and he’s good company when he’s not busy being a little bitch because
he’s fifteen going on thirty-five. I’ll be okay, I promise.” His smile turned a
little crooked. “I’m not gonna deny it’ll hurt like hell to drive away when we
leave Lima for good, but at least I’ll have my memories to get me through the
crummy stretches later on.”
“You two need to spend more time together,” Kurt said softly, and Dean looked
at him in surprise to see Kurt was obviously concerned and unhappy. “While you
can.”
“That’s just gonna make it harder to leave,” Dean said gently, giving Kurt’s
hand a squeeze. “If you’re sure you’re okay with it, then I’ll be glad to enjoy
a little stolen time with your boyfriend when you’ve got something to do with
the girls, but it’s a bad idea for us to spend too much time alone. It’ll just
hurt that much more when I’m gone.”
“And it’s already gonna hurt like hell,” Puck added quietly. “Almost as much as
it would hurt to lose you, baby.”
Kurt looked around, making sure that none of the neighbors’ houses were visible
from Puck’s back yard, and then he looked at Dean and pulled on his hand. “Come
here.” Dean obediently scooted across the seat towards Puck and Kurt, just a
bit confused until Kurt leaned to hug him tightly, murmuring into his ear, “I’m
sure, Dean. You can’t steal something I want you to have.”
Dean wrapped his arms around Kurt to return the hug, closing his stinging eyes
as he whispered, “Thank you.”
Puck shifted to put his arms around Dean and Kurt then, pulling them both
closer to him. “You’re too good to us, baby.” He kissed Kurt’s temple and then
whispered, “Love you so much.”
Kurt pulled away slightly and Dean opened his eyes to watch from inches away as
Kurt smiled at Puck, blue eyes gentle and warm. “I love you too, but
encouraging you two isn’t completely for your benefit, Noah. I fully intend to
invite myself along sometimes.”
“Anytime,” Dean said softly.
Puck nodded, smiling as he added, “We’d be glad to have you with us anytime you
want to be, baby.”
Kurt smiled wider. “Good.”  He kissed Puck, lingering for a long moment, and
then looked at Dean as he asked softly, “Can I?”
“Whatever you want,” Dean agreed, and then Kurt was kissing him.
Dean responded warmly even though he was surprised to discover kissing Kurt was
so much like kissing a girl, right down to the faint taste of cherry lip gloss
on Kurt’s soft, full lower lip. Kissing Puck was very different, mostly because
Puck was used to being the one in charge when he kissed someone and took it for
granted that anything he wanted, Dean would love for him to do. Kurt was much
more gentle and sweet about it, letting Dean take the lead, and Dean really
liked the contrast. The thought of being in bed with them both the next night
had his cock twitching interestedly in his jeans despite the fact he had gotten
off three times in the last two hours.
Kurt pulled away finally, giving Dean a soft little smile. “Tomorrow I want a
lot more than a kiss, Dean.”
“Not until after you’ve done everything with Puck,” Dean said softly, smiling
as he moved one hand to brush back Kurt’s hair. “You need to share your firsts
with him. He’s been looking forward to it for a long time.”
Kurt smiled a little wider. “Will you stay, though?” Dean hesitated and Kurt
was quick to add, “Just until we’re all too tired to do anything but sleep, I
mean. I know you’re sleeping with Quinn.”
Dean looked at Kurt for a moment longer before he turned towards Puck,
searching Puck’s eyes. Puck smiled and murmured, “I want you there, babe.
Always did. You’re a big part of the reason we’re together now, and I want you
to see what you gave us.”
Dean smiled slowly and then he nodded, looking back at Kurt. “I’d love to.”
Kurt beamed and kissed Dean quickly. “Thank you.” He shifted back a bit,
pulling away from Dean as he looked at Puck and said, “As much as I’m loving
cuddling with you both, we shouldn’t do it here. Your mom might get nosy and
check on us, and then she’ll give you hell about it.”
Puck sighed and nodded. “I know, but we had to talk. If she saw something then
she’s just gonna have to deal.”
Dean slid back over to the driver’s side of the car, smiling as he murmured,
“I’ll just move and then we’re fine. It doesn’t matter if she sees you two
together.”
Kurt gave Dean an impish little grin as he shifted in Puck’s lap, making Puck
inhale sharply. “But I should still get out of his lap soon, before I forget
about waiting until tomorrow night for certain things.”
Dean smirked. “It wouldn’t be the first time someone lost their virginity in
this car, and probably not the last, either.”
Kurt laughed, blushing as he moved out of Puck’s lap to sit between them, not
looking at Dean or Puck as he reached for their hands, tangling their fingers
together. “I want you there, Dean, but I want that to happen in privacy, not in
Noah’s back yard.”
Dean gave Kurt’s hand a squeeze, a little surprised by how strong Kurt’s grip
was despite the fact his hands were as soft and delicate as a girl’s. “Then
I’ll be there.”
Kurt glanced over at Dean, smiling softly. “Thank you.” He squeezed Dean’s hand
again and then looked over at Puck. “I want a kiss, mister.”
Puck smiled and turned in the seat, leaning to cup Kurt’s cheek with his free
hand as he murmured, “Lucky me.”
Puck kissed Kurt lovingly then, every move slow and gentle, and Dean watched
them with a smile, feeling grateful and beyond lucky that he had ended up in
Lima, even if only for six weeks.
Puck pulled away after a few minutes, smiling at Kurt as he whispered, “I love
you, baby.”
Kurt smiled happily, his eyes shining. “I love you too, Noah.” He kissed Puck
again, quick and soft, then released their hands and murmured, “Kiss Dean good
night so we can go. We have to be up early.”
Puck’s eyebrows rose slightly but he smiled wider, looking at Dean. “You heard
the man, Deano. Get over here.”
Dean chuckled slightly, blushing as he shifted in the seat to lean towards
Puck, his free hand braced on the steering wheel as he leaned across in front
of Kurt. Puck licked his lips and then Dean’s eyelids were fluttering shut just
before their lips met, drawing a soft little involuntary sound from Dean that
made him blush a little more because he knew Kurt was right there and had heard
it. Puck kissed him with easy confidence, exploring Dean’s mouth like he owned
it, and Dean enjoyed every moment of it, leaning closer and making more of
those hungry little sounds he hoped Kurt would at least pretend not to hear.
Puck finally pulled away, breathing just a bit fast as he whispered huskily, “I
need you to know that I love you a little more than I was supposed to.”
Dean swallowed hard and then smiled at Puck as he breathed out softly, “Same
here.”
“It’s about time you two admitted that,” Kurt murmured, making Dean look at him
quickly. Kurt was smiling and looked happy and more than a little aroused as he
added quietly, “And Noah’s not the only one who loves you, Dean, though I think
he loves you a lot more than he wants to admit, even to himself.” Kurt leaned
to kiss Dean softly again, lingering only a moment, and then pulled away as he
patted Puck’s thigh. “Out, sweetheart. We should get going.”
Puck obediently turned to open the passenger door, getting out before he leaned
back in to grin at Kurt. “Don’t do anything I would do, especially where Burt
might catch you. He’d kill one of us for sure, and with my rep it’d probably be
me for corrupting you.”
Kurt laughed, sliding over to the passenger side, closer to Puck. “I’m not
stupid. He’d murder all of us.” He leaned up, obviously wanting a kiss, and
Puck obliged with a sweet, gentle kiss, at least until Kurt’s hand lifted to
run his fingers through Puck’s mohawk. Puck made a low noise and deepened the
kiss into something a lot less innocent then, and Kurt hummed happily as he
opened his mouth to let Puck explore.
Dean watched them kiss for what seemed like fifteen minutes but was probably
closer to five, smiling and looking forward to the next night. His lingering
uncertainty about the idea of having sex with Puck while Kurt was watching them
had faded away sometime in the last few days, and he was glad. He wanted to
enjoy every minute of it, whether it would really be the last time anymore or
not.
When they finally pulled apart, Kurt’s lips were slightly swollen and wet and
his blue eyes were vivid with hunger, and Puck made a low noise, then
whispered, “Fuck, baby. You’re so beautiful.” Kurt blushed suddenly, but he
looked pleased as Puck kissed him again, quick and hard, then moved to murmur
into his ear, “Tomorrow night I’m going to rock your world.” Kurt made a soft
little noise and shuddered, his eyes closing as Puck pulled away, glancing over
at Dean. “Take good care of him for me, Deano.”
“Always,” Dean agreed, smiling.
Puck grinned and looked at Kurt again. “Watch out so I can close the door,
babe.”
“Good night,” Kurt said softly, making sure he was out of the way for the door
to close.
“Night baby,” Puck replied, and then he closed the door, turning away to walk
quickly into the house.
Dean reached towards the ignition to turn the car on then, but he paused when
he touched the keys, looking at Kurt again as he remembered who he was supposed
to be there to see. “Is Quinn still up?”
Kurt shook his head, smiling at Dean. “She was tired and went to bed around
nine.”
“Okay,” Dean said, starting the car and then twisting around to look behind the
Impala as he started to back around the house. “How was she doing tonight? She
seemed a little quiet when I drove her home.”
“Don’t worry, she was just tired,” Kurt said quickly “She was fine when I got
here, but trying on her dress a few times to check the alterations wasn’t easy
for her, and then after she ate dinner she kept dozing off during Newsies, so I
made her go to bed.”
Dean smiled at Kurt, murmuring, “I’m glad you were there to take care of her.”
“It’s my job,” Kurt said with a smile, making light of it. “I take care of
everyone I love.”
“Must be why you’re so good to me,” Dean pointed out, looking behind the car
again and smiling a little wider.
“I’m so good to you because you deserve to be happy, Dean,” Kurt corrected,
smiling.
Dean backed right out into the street and then looked at Kurt again, smiling
softly. “I’m pretty damned happy right now, and most all of it is because of
you and your boyfriend.”
“Then we’re doing our jobs,” Kurt replied, his smile widening into a grin.
“You’ve made us both very happy, after all.”
Dean laughed and looked ahead of the Impala to start towards the highway. “I
still don’t see why you two blame what you have on me. It was there before I
blew into town, and it’ll be there long after I have to go.”
“Because Noah would have kept trying to lie to himself and to me if you hadn’t
told us you were bisexual,” Kurt said quickly, still grinning. “He thinks
you’re pretty awesome, Dean, and if you can be bi and not ashamed of liking sex
with another guy, then he wasn’t about to keep lying to everyone about
himself.”
“I still don’t know why,” Dean admitted, not looking at Kurt.
“Why what?” Kurt asked, turning in his seat to tuck one foot up under himself
as he looked at Dean.
“Why he likes me,” Dean said with a little shrug, still not looking at Kurt.
“Why it’s so easy to be around him an’ feels so right even though I know it’s
wrong. Why you like me, even though I’ve been screwing around with the guy you
love. Hell, why Quinn hasn’t decided she hates me for fucking her baby’s daddy,
who happens to be her best friend’s boyfriend.” He let out a tiny little laugh.
“I could go on. There’s a lot that isn’t making much sense to me right now.”
Kurt waited until they had almost reached the highway and then said, “Dean,
stop the car and look at me, please?”
Dean stopped the Impala at the corner and looked at Kurt, even though he was
afraid of what he’d see in Kurt’s eyes.
“Noah loves you because he can’t help it,” Kurt said calmly, smiling as he
reached out towards Dean and waited.
Dean moved his hand from the steering wheel after a moment, letting Kurt take
his hand, and then Kurt gave it a squeeze and went on. “I could see it that
first day when he started teaching you to play the guitar, even though I didn’t
really want to. He could have shown you the chords without getting so close,
but he wanted to be closer to you, even though he didn’t realize yet why. I’ve
seen him with a lot of girls over the years, but the only one he was ever so
sweet and comfortable with is Quinn, and she had decided to swear off men
altogether until she spent some time with you. If I hadn’t caught him watching
me so many times that night, I might have hated you.” He let out a soft little
laugh and then added, “And just so you know, I decided I had to speak to you
that night originally so I could let you know I wanted him for myself, but then
he went all possessive caveman at the idea of you being alone with me and I
forgot all about it.”
“You should have told me off, though,” Dean said softly, a little confused.
“And you should hate me for what I’ve done with him since then. I’d kill for a
guy to love me like he loves you, but I’d kill even quicker if I had that and
someone else stepped into the middle and started screwing around with him.”
“He needs you,” Kurt said simply, smiling still. “He’s half afraid to push me
for anything, even a decent kiss, because he knows I’ve never done anything
more than the making out and touching I’ve done with him. It’s different with
you. You’ve got enough experience that he doesn’t feel like he has to be
careful, and you’re so open and honest with him that he feels free to just
enjoy himself with you, trusting you’ll tell him what you need. You gave him a
safe way to try out some of the things he’s been fantasizing about, and sex
with you is so good that it’s given him the confidence to risk sex with me,
even though it still scares him.”
“I know it does,” Dean said quietly. “He worries he’ll hurt you.”
Kurt smiled wider, nodding. “I know. He didn’t expect to like it at all when
you topped with him, it was just something he wouldn’t let me do until he knew
exactly what I’d be feeling, so you shook him right to the core with how it
felt. Then you let him top and he found out it’s just as intense either way, at
least with you, and that gave him a whole new set of worries. That’s part of
why I want you there, Dean. He’s still pretty nervous about going that far with
me, but he’s willing to now because of what you’ve done with him. I think he
might need you there to help him deal with how the first time makes us both
feel. He tries hard to hide it, but he’s got the softest heart of anyone I
know, and he feels everything deeper than most people do. If I get overwhelmed
and fall apart, I need you to be there to make sure he doesn’t do anything
stupid.”
“But see, you shouldn’t need me there.” Dean looked away, staring across the
highway at a wide field of corn as he said softly, “You shouldn’t evenwant me
there. Your first time should be something special between the two of you, not
something that you do in front of the guy who can’t make himself stay away from
your boyfriend.”
“If you even try to stay away from him, I’ll tell Sam everything and get him to
help me talk sense into you,” Kurt threatened, making Dean go wide-eyed and
stare at him. Kurt smirked slightly at Dean as he went on. “I can be a real
bitch when it suits me, Dean, and I will if you hurt him like that.”
“That’s blackmail,” Dean said slowly, still shocked that Kurt would threaten
him with telling Sam. Puck was obviously telling Kurt everything, and Puck knew
that Dean would do anything he had to do to keep Sam from finding out that he
was fucking around with Puck.
“No, it’s taking care of the man I love,” Kurt disagreed, amused. “Men, I
should say. I do love you too, though admittedly probably not quite as much as
Noah does.”
Dean stared at Kurt for a few more moments and then asked softly, “How can you
even like me, Kurt? I fucked the man you love, and I’ve let him fuck me
repeatedly since then. You should hate me.”
“I love you for the same reasons Quinn does, I’d imagine,” Kurt said gently,
shifting to hold Dean’s hand in both of his own. “You’re a sweet, loving man
who has been desperately lonely for a long time, and you care so very much
about taking care of other people that you make it easy for them to love you.”
“Puck’s been talking too much,” Dean said softly, looking down at their hands
to watch Kurt’s long graceful fingers stroking his hand.
“He tells me more of what goes on between you two than you probably want him
to,” Kurt agreed, “but he didn’t have to tell me how lonely you were when you
blew into Lima, Dean.” Dean looked at Kurt again in surprise and Kurt smiled.
“I could see it in your eyes that first day in Glee when you were so surprised
that he liked you, and I saw it over and over again that day whenever any of us
were nice to you. Quinn saw it too, that’s why she and I were talking about you
on the way to her doctor’s appointment that afternoon. She called Noah and told
him to make sure he brought you with him when he headed for my house, or she
was going to hurt him.”
“I was so surprised when he asked me to hang out with y’all,” Dean said softly,
remembering when he turned around that afternoon and found Puck there grinning
at him. “I’ve always had a hard time making friends, but you all acted like
I’ve been here forever.” He paused and then added, “Especially him. He’s
treated me like I was his best friend right from the start.”
“Only because you are, besides Quinn.” Kurt scooted over close to Dean to lean
against his side and lay his head on Dean’s shoulder while he looked out at the
field of corn across the highway, smiling. “We’re all freaks and geeks in Glee,
Dean. Every one of us is intimately familiar with that feeling of being on the
outside looking in and we all hate it, but I think Noah feels it most because
of all he’s been through this year. That’s why we decided to stick together,
gleeks against the world.” He tilted his head to look at Dean as he added
softly, “You’re one of us, now. You have been ever since you followed Noah into
Glee and sang your heart out for us even though you were so shy about singing
that I still don’t know how you did it.”
Dean smiled slowly, looking into Kurt’s eyes for a long moment before he
murmured, “He’s right. You are pretty damned amazing.”
Kurt grinned impishly. “This is nothing, Dean. Wait until tomorrow night, then
you’ll see a little of how amazing I can be when I want to.” Dean chuckled and
Kurt elbowed him gently, adding, “Now get this sexy hunk of Detroit steel
moving, some of us need our beauty sleep.”
Dean laughed softly and did as he was told, putting the Impala in drive with
his left hand and then turning her onto the highway, taking advantage of the
late hour to drive faster than he normally would.
Kurt made a low noise after about a mile, still leaning against Dean’s side and
holding his right hand as he murmured, “I do love the way that engine purrs.
You’ve got her running better than any other classic I’ve been in.”
“Sounds good, doesn’t she?” Dean agreed, grinning widely.
“Better than good,” Kurt agreed with a grin of his own. “It’s no wonder driving
her makes Noah so horny.”
Dean laughed, glancing at Kurt. “Remind me to let you drive sometime.”
Kurt lifted his head to look at Dean in surprise, beaming. “Would you really?”
“In a heartbeat,” Dean agreed, smirking. Kurt made a happy little squealing
noise and hugged Dean, kissing him soundly and making Dean laugh even as he put
his foot on the brake to slow down. “Damn, let me stop before you do stuff like
that, you’re gonna get us both killed.”
Kurt blushed and laughed, settling back into the seat next to Dean. “Sorry, I
justreally want to drive her.”
Dean snickered and draped his arm around Kurt. “Remind me in the morning and
you can drive before Puck gets a turn. I was gonna ride in the back with Quinn
anyway.”
Kurt beamed happily and leaned to kiss Dean’s cheek, then murmured, “You really
do love us.”
Dean blushed, laughing softly even though he made no attempt to deny it.
 
 
***** TEN *****
 
It was just before six the next morning when Dean turned on the coffee maker
and then walked back down the hall to Sam’s door. He was wearing his jeans but
nothing else yet, sure he had plenty of time to get dressed while the coffee
maker did its magic. It would take Sammy a while to get up and moving, it
always did.
“C’mon, baby bro,” Dean called loudly, banging on Sam’s door. “Get it in gear!
We’ve got to pick up the others before we meet Schue and the kids, and it’s
already six.”
There was no response, and Dean was just reaching for the doorknob to see if
Sam was really even in there – he hadn’t seen the kid when he got home the
night before, but Sam’s shoes were in the living room floor – when the door
opened suddenly and Santana gave him a wide-eyed look, holding one of Sam’s
over-sized button-front shirts around her like a robe. “Tell me you’re kidding,
Dean.”
Dean blinked. “Not so much, no. We’ve got half an hour until I’m supposed to be
there to pick up Kurt, and then we have to get Puck and Quinn and get to the
school by seven ‘cause Schue wants us to meet up with him before we head out.”
Santana turned back into Sam’s room, not bothering to close the door as she
said loudly, “Baby, Sam, get your asses out of bed. You’ve got ten minutes to
shower and get dressed.”
Dean’s curiosity overwhelmed him and he pushed the door open further as he
leaned into the room to watch Santana disappear into Sam’s tiny bathroom. He
looked towards Sam’s bed then just as Brit sat up, yawning and looking gorgeous
as she sheet fell away to reveal a hell of a lot of skin. He hadn’t thought
that she had much of a chest at all, but seeing her naked made him realize she
just wore sports bras or something a lot of the time that made what she had
look smaller. She was still tall and kind of skinny, and her breasts were by no
means big, but there was enough for a guy to get a handful.
Sam stirred slowly next to her, grumbling something Dean couldn’t hear, and
Brittany giggled as she patted Sam’s ass familiarly. “You’d better get up like
she said. She’ll make you regret it if you don’t.”
Sam groaned and rolled over to his back, scratching at his belly idly for a
moment as he looked at Brit and murmured, “I’m awake, babe.” There was a slight
pause and then Sam reached over to run his hand along Brittany’s back, slow and
possessive as he purred, “You look good enough to have you for breakfast.”
Brittany giggled and beamed. “You say the sweetest things, Sammy.”
Brittany leaned to kiss Sam, who pulled her down and then rolled to pin her
under him with a playful growl, making the sheet fall away so Dean got a good
look at Sam’s naked back and side for the first time in a couple of years.
Dean was surprised to realize after a moment that Sam didn’t really look like a
little kid anymore, and he wondered how he had missed noticing the changes. Sam
was definitely growing up and his body reminded Dean a lot of their dad, all
long lean lines and smooth muscle with a lot more body hair than he had last
time Dean saw him naked, and Dean was more certain than ever that Sam would be
taller than he was, maybe even taller than John. Dean had pretty much stopped
growing at eighteen even though he was a lot shorter than John, and it was
getting more obvious every day that he’d be shorter than Sam, too. Sam was
already about six inches taller than Dean had been at his age, and Dean hadn’t
really hit his last growth spurt until he was nearly seventeen so Sam probably
had a ways to go.
Dean knew that Sam didn’t realize he was there, but he still didn’t say
anything, just smirking and leaning against the doorjamb as he watched Sam and
Brittany kissing and playing around. They looked good together, both of them
lean and muscular with pale, perfect skin that seemed to go on for miles, and
Dean enjoyed the view until Santana leaned out of the bathroom and distracted
him. She was completely naked and she looked good even though all Dean could
see was one shoulder and part of her side.
“Sam, if you don’t let her up right this minute, I’m gonna kick your ass.”
Santana disappeared back into the bathroom, leaving the door open as she added,
“Anyone who’s showering with me better get in here.”
Sam pulled away from Brittany, looking guilty, and Brittany giggled as she
kissed him and then bounced up off the bed to run into the bathroom, completely
naked. Sam got up off the bed and stretched with a low rumbling groan, reaching
up to actually touch the ceiling before he let his arms fall and turned to go
into the bathroom. He finally saw Dean then and his eyes went wide.
“Mornin’, princess,” Dean said, smirking at the way Sam went beet red, grabbing
at the sheet to wrap it around his waist and hide his morning wood, even though
Dean hadn’t even glanced at it. Some things he just didn’t need to know about
his baby brother, and how his dick looked when it was hard was one of them.
“I’d ask how your night went, but I already know.” He paused and then added,
“And your morning’s lookin’ pretty good, too, now that I think about it.”
“Jesus, Dean!” Sam blurted, blushing and wide-eyed still. “Do you mind?!”
“Nope, not a bit,” Dean said, smirking still. “Santana probably will kick your
ass if you don’t get in that shower pretty quick, though. She’s not the kind of
lady you say no to.”
“Listen to your big brother, Sammy!” Santana called over the sound of the
shower, sounding smug while Brittany giggled.
Sam stalked angrily towards the door then, and Dean had to fight hard not to
laugh when Sam tripped over the sheet and nearly dropped it. Sam stopped right
in front of Dean, grabbing the doorknob and glaring at him, and Dean was amused
to notice Sam was only a couple of inches shorter than Dean when he was pissed
enough that his back was ramrod straight, instead of being six inches shorter
like his usual slouch made it appear.
Dean just smirked at him until Sam finally said, “I’ve asked you not to come in
when the door is closed, Dean.”
“I didn’t,” Dean said, smirking still. “Santana opened the door, I just looked
in.”
“Well, stop it!” Sam said sharply, still scowling. “And get out!”
“Aww, is someone shy?” Dean teased.
“Out!” Sam repeated, starting to close the door even though Dean was still in
the way.
Dean laughed as he jumped back to keep the door from slamming in his face,
glancing at his watch before he said, “You’ve got twenty minutes and then I’m
leaving without you!” He moved across the hall to his own room to grab his
boots and socks, and he was just sitting down on the edge of his bed to put
them on when he heard a very girly – and very happy – squeal.
“Sam, I swear, if you’re not done in five minutes I’m gonna kick your ass,”
Santana called, and from the sound of it she was already out of the shower. 
“And you better be wearing a rubber, boy!”
Sam was laughing as he called back, “Always! And it won’t take us five
minutes.”
The door to Sam’s room opened then and Santana left it open behind her as she
walked into Dean’s room wrapped in a towel, calling, “You’d better take care of
her right, Sammy.”
Sam didn’t answer, but from the sound of the noises Dean could just barely hear
over Sam’s shower, the kid was kind of busy and Brittany was really enjoying
it.
Dean was grinning and amused as he watched Santana walk into his room to stalk
around his bed towards the bathroom. She was naked and wrapped in a towel, and
looked pretty good in the vaguely bitchy way that he associated with her after
the last week. “I’m almost afraid to ask why you’re in here.”
Santana snorted softly, but she was smirking as she ducked into Dean’s bathroom
only to come back out a moment later with a frown. “I took the only clean towel
in Sam’s bathroom, and you don’t have any either.”
Dean snickered and looked back down as he pulled his right knee up to his chest
to put on his sock. “All you had to do is ask, girl. I washed towels when I got
in last night, but they’re still in the dryer. I’ll go get ‘em in a second.”
Santana walked back around the bed and stopped right in front of Dean then,
making him look up at her curiously. She had a slightly confused look on her
face as she asked, “Why aren’t you staring at me?”
Dean gave her an amused look as he grabbed his boot to tug it on. “Do you want
me to?”
“Well, no, not really,” Santana said, surprised. “You used to all the time
though, and I’m kind of naked in your bedroom. Most guys would be drooling and
popping wood right now.”
Dean laughed, shifting to pull his other knee up to his chest so he could put
on his other sock. “That was before you were my baby brother’s girl.” He put
his other boot on and then stood to stomp into them, not bothering to tie them
yet as he gave Santana a little grin. “I don’t poach from Sammy, sweetheart.”
He turned away to walk out of the room and head down the hall towards the back
porch as he added, “Go ahead and go get dressed, I’ll bring you the towels.”
Santana followed him out into the hall and then just stood and watched him go.
She was still standing there when Dean came back with an armload of towels and
several pairs of his boxers, which was why Dean had needed to wash clothes.
When he went to put boxers in his bag for the weekend the night before he had
found that he only had two pairs clean, so he had taken the time to do a couple
of loads of laundry before bed.
Dean gave Santana an amused look as he walked into his room to drop everything
on his dresser. Santana followed him into the room, looking confused and kind
of surprised as she asked softly, “You really do the laundry?”
“Yeah,” Dean said, starting to fold the towels with easy efficiency. “There’s
nobody else to do it.”
“I never saw a man fold laundry,” Santana said quietly, leaning against the
dresser next to him to watch him with an odd look on her face. “I’m not sure my
dad even knows how, and my brothers barely understand clothes should be clean.”
Dean chuckled, glancing at her as he as he reached for a third towel. “There’s
nobody livin’ here but me and Sammy, girl. Who’d you think was takin’ care of
us?”
“I... didn’t really think about it,” Santana admitted. “I just kind of assumed
that someone must be helping you guys out. Quinn maybe, or Kurt.”
“Nope, it’s all me,” Dean said with a soft laugh, offering her all four of the
towels, neatly folded. “Here you go. Towels for your girl and her boyfriend.”
“Thanks,” Santana said with a sudden smile, leaning to kiss his cheek before
she turned to walk into Sam’s room. “You might want to put on a shirt, Dean.
You’re all perky.”
Dean laughed, blushing as he opened a drawer to dig out a t-shirt. “Go play
with Sammy if you’re horny.”
“No time,” Santana called back, laughing. “I won’t let him get away with a
quickie in the shower.”
“God, why is the door open again?!” Sam blurted suddenly, and then a moment
later his door slammed while Brittany and Santana both laughed.
“I didn’t know you could be shy, Sammy,” Brittany said then, giggling, and Dean
had to snicker
“Get a move on, ladies!” Dean called as he started back towards the kitchen
with his shirt. “Fifteen minutes and I’m out the door, with or without you!”
Sam’s door opened suddenly and Dean glanced back at it as Santana leaned out,
smirking at him as she held her arms across her chest because she was wearing
only a pair of lacy black panties. “Do it and die, Dean.”
Dean laughed. “Girl, I’m not gonna let you make me late, then I’ll catch hell
from everyone. I’d rather piss off just you.”
Santana’s eyebrows went up. “Maybe until you do piss me off. Then you’ll learn
why even Puck does as he’s told if it’s me doing the telling.”
Dean smirked at her. “Puck does as he’s told ‘cause he likes it like that.” He
turned away to saunter off down the hall towards the kitchen, pulling his
favorite AC/DC tour t-shirt on as he added, “Me, I don’t listen so good,
especially to a nearly naked girl who spent the night in my baby brother’s
bed.”
“He’s no baby, Dean,” Santana called, laughing slightly as she went back into
Sam’s room and closed the door.
Dean snickered and headed for the coffee pot, feeling just a little smug that
Santana had let him win. He knew she didn’t let that happen often.
Dean had just filled his thermos with hot coffee when Brittany breezed down the
hall and into the kitchen, beaming at him. “Good morning!”
Brittany walked to the fridge and opened it, looking inside and then taking out
a can of A&W while Dean wondered if any of the clothes the girl was wearing
even belonged to her. He had never seen Brittany in anything but a cheerleader
outfit or a costume for Glee, so he didn’t really expect to see her bounce into
his kitchen in ragged cutoff jeans that were several sizes too big over a pair
of long bike shorts and a tied-up flannel shirt Dean was sure Sammy had worn
the day before. Her long blonde hair was so wet it looked nearly brown and
pulled back into a ponytail, and she was barefoot and not wearing even a trace
of makeup. Dean was a little surprised to realize it was a really good look for
her.
Brittany closed the fridge again and moved to hop up on the counter by Dean,
offering him the can with a sweet smile. “Open this for me. I don’t want to
break a nail today. It’s bad luck.”
Dean chuckled and opened the can, offering it back to Brittany. “You’re awfully
chipper this morning.”
Brittany took a sip of the A&W and then beamed at him. “I’m having a good
morning.”
“From what I heard, so is Sammy,” Dean teased, moving to get his coffee cup
because there was about a cup of coffee left in the pot that wouldn’t fit in
his thermos.
Brittany grinned, not even blushing. “He’s really happy this morning.”
“Always a good thing,” Dean said, pouring what was left of the coffee in his
mug and then leaning against the counter as he grinned at Brittany.
Sam walked down the hall then, fully dressed and looking surprisingly good in
jeans that were snug in all the right places and a t-shirt that actually fit
him. He was blushing a bit and avoided looking at Dean as he went straight to
Brittany, who offered him her A&W with a smile. “Thanks, baby,” Sam murmured
with an answering smile, blushing more and still carefully not looking at Dean
as he took a drink of the root beer and then passed it back to Brittany.
“Santana’s nearly ready.”
“That’s good,” Brittany said cheerfully. “We need to go soon.”
Dean grinned and moved around the table with his coffee mug and the thermos,
calling, “Get your gorgeous ass moving, Lopez! You’re holdin’ up the works!”
Santana hurried down the hall dressed in jeans and a really pretty white
peasant blouse that set off her rich golden skin, her damp hair in a ponytail.
She had two pairs of shoes in one hand, a pair of strappy sandals with high
heels and a battered old pair of Keds that had no laces in them. “Shove it up
your ass, Dean. It’s not six-thirty yet. We’ve got plenty of time.”
“I said I’m supposed to be at Kurt’s by six-thirty, sugar,” Dean replied,
laughing as he moved over to put his coffee and the thermos on the end table by
the couch. He lifted his foot onto the arm of the couch, tugging up his jeans
to deftly tighten the laces on his combat boot as he added, “That’s ten minutes
from now, so get those shoes on.”
Sam moved quickly back into the living room to grab his tennis shoes, flopping
onto the couch to put them on. “It takes five minutes to get there, Dean.”
“That’s right,” Dean agreed, tucking his laces into the top of his boot, “an’
you three don’t have shoes on and you’re not in the car. I figure we might make
it, if I’m lucky.”
Dean switched feet to tie the other shoe, glancing over to watch as Santana
dropped the sandals she was holding, stepping into them easily before she
walked towards Brittany with the Keds. “Give me your feet.”
Brittany lifted her feet obligingly to hold them out to Santana, smiling
happily. “Thanks, Sanny.”
Santana slipped the Keds on Brittany’s feet and then pushed Brittany’s knees
apart as she moved in close to the blonde, smirking. “Anything for you, baby.”
She kissed Brittany lightly and then pulled away, turning to head towards the
door. She saw Dean still watching her then and laughed. “Now who’s slowing up
the works?” Brittany laughed and hopped off the counter to follow Santana.
Dean grinned and looked back down at his boot, going back to tugging the laces
tight as he glanced at Sam, who was still on the couch by him. “Sammy is! He’s
still only got one shoe on.”
“Shut up, Dean,” Sam muttered, rolling his eyes as he stopped watching the
girls and pulled on his other shoe. “We’ve got plenty of time.”
Dean tucked his laces in and then put his foot down, stomping to settle his
jeans back over his combat boots as he smirked at Sam and grabbed his leather
jacket off the couch. “We’re leaving, princess, so hurry it up.”
Santana picked up Dean’s mug of coffee, draining it before she said, “Stop
picking on Sam.”
Dean looked at Santana, smirking still. “Nope. If I did, he’d think I didn’t
love him anymore.” He looked at Sam. “Right, bitch?”
“Shut up, jerk,” Sam said immediately, but he was smiling as he stood up to
walk towards the door.
Dean just laughed, shrugging into his coat and patting the pockets for his keys
and cell before he grabbed the thermos and moved towards the door, grinning
when Sam stopped next to Brittany. It amused him to no end that Brittany was
several inches taller than Sam, but he had been trying hard not to tease the
kid about it. Sam had been really good about not giving Dean any crap all week,
and Dean didn’t want to be the one to break their truce. “Alright, ladies,
outside. The Winchester express is leaving in two minutes.”
Brittany giggled as she opened the door and bounced down the steps to run
towards the car, calling, “I get a window seat!”
Santana looked amused as she followed Brittany. “Whatever you want, Brit.”
Sam went down the steps after Santana, leaving Dean last to close the door and
then head for the driver’s side door as he dug his keys out of his jacket
pocket.
Dean got in the car and was reaching to start the Impala when he glanced into
the back seat and had to laugh. Brittany had gotten in on the driver’s side,
but she evidently had changed her mind because she was on the passenger side in
Sam’s lap. “Brit honey, there’s room for you to sit in the seat, you don’t have
to sit in Sammy’s lap.”
Brittany grinned at Dean and wriggled in Sam’s lap, earning a low strangled
noise as Sam’s hands went to her hips to try and hold her still. “But I want
to.”
“I can see that,” Dean said, grinning back at Brittany, “but if we pass any
cops, they’re not going to be very happy about it.”
Santana snickered and patted Brittany’s knee. “He can sit between us so you can
still play with him, baby.”
Brittany beamed at Santana. “You have the best ideas.” She squirmed around to
stand in the floorboard, bent over in half and looking at Sam. “Scootch over!”
Sam laughed and moved over to give Brittany the window seat, blushing very red.
“I don’t want to play in front of Dean.”
Brittany sat between Sam and the door and pouted at him. “Not even if I beg?”
“Aww, not the pout,” Sam whined, looking like she was torturing him.
Brittany stuck her lower lip out a little more, laying her head on Sam’s
shoulder and giving him the most soulful puppy-dog eyes Dean had ever seen.
“Pretty please, Sammy? With lots of sugar on top?”
Sam stared at her only a moment longer and then caved with a groan. “God, the
things you can make me do.”
Brittany just giggled and beamed happily, taking Sam’s hand in both of hers and
curling up against his side as she lifted her legs to drape them across Sam’s
knees, and Dean grinned when he saw the girl was already barefoot again.
Santana smirked and patted Sam’s arm. “Good boy, Sammy.” She looked at Dean
then, adding, “Well? Get this thing moving, Dean!”
Dean laughed and put the Impala into reverse to back out of the yard. “Yes
ma’am!”
Santana looked smug, taking Sam’s other hand and settling against his side.
“You’re learning, Dean.”
Dean smirked and looked forward again as he shifted back into drive to head for
the highway, driving a little faster than he should because he had barely five
minutes to get to Kurt’s house. “I can take orders real good when I want to,
girl.”
“Where is everyone going to sit?” Brittany asked suddenly, making Dean glance
back at her. “There’s only room for one more back here,” she added, “and that
would have to be Kurt or Quinn because Puck’s too big.”
Dean grinned, looking back at the road as he turned onto the highway and
pressed a little harder on the gas. “Don’t worry about it, Brit. We’ll figure
something out.”
“You could just drop us off at the school on the way to get Puck and Quinn,”
Santana said. “We’re taking the bus anyway.”
“We are?” Sam asked, looking at Santana in surprise.
“Yes, we are,” Santana said, smiling at him. “It’ll be a lot more fun than
being stuck in a car with Quinn right now.”
Sam laughed. “If you say so.”
“I do,” Santana said, patting his thigh. “She has to pee every fifteen minutes.
And besides, Brittany can sit in your lap on the bus and no one will care.”
“I vote for the bus,” Brittany said quickly, grinning.
Sam laughed and didn’t say anything, and when Dean glanced into the rear view
mirror he saw the kid was blushing but looking pretty pleased by the idea.
Dean smirked but resisted the urge to tease Sam, more than a little proud of
how well his baby brother was doing with the two girls. Sam was kind of shy and
always sweet to girl, but he hadn’t had much luck with them until they blew
into Lima. Dean was glad that Brittany had taken such an interest in the kid,
who he figured would stop teasing him about being a horndog now that Sam knew
what he had been missing.
The rest of the drive to Kurt’s passed by quickly without any of them feeling
the need to talk until Dean was turning into Kurt’s driveway. “Why isn’t
everyone going in Kurt’s truck, anyway?” Santana asked suddenly as Dean parked
in Kurt’s usual spot next to Burt’s truck. “It has to get better gas mileage
than this old boat does, and it has more room, too.”
“Hey girl, don’t you talk bad about my baby,” Dean said with a laugh, leaving
the car running as he reached to open his door and turned to get out, looking
over the seat at Santana. “And the Navigator is in the shop, but we’d rather
drive the Impala anyway.” Dean got out without waiting for her to answer,
leaving the driver’s door open as he headed for Kurt’s front door.
“Seems stupid to me,” Santana said as Dean was moving away, and then the sound
of the Impala’s engine drowned out whatever else she might have said.
Dean took the steps up to Kurt’s front porch with a bound, knocking lightly on
the door. He was sure Kurt would be waiting for him to get there, and he didn’t
want to wake anyone else up.
Kurt opened the door quickly, giving Dean a bright smile as he hurried out with
a gym bag and a travel mug. “Good morning!”
Dean grinned and murmured, “Mornin’, babe.”
Kurt’s smile widened a little more as he breezed past Dean to walk quickly to
the car, glancing back at him. “Do I still get to drive?”
“Yep,” Dean agreed, still grinning as he hurried after Kurt back to the car.
“You’re the best!” Kurt went around to the driver’s side, beaming happily.
Dean chuckled and opened the passenger door, pretending not to see Sam’s
shocked expression as he got in. Kurt slid into the driver’s seat a moment
later, tucking his gym bag behind his feet before he closed the door.
“Pass me that coffee, sunshine,” Dean said cheerfully, grinning. “It smells
great.”
“It’s the good stuff,” Kurt said, passing Dean the mug with a soft laugh and
then putting the Impala into reverse before he twisted to look behind the car
and began to back out of his driveway. “And it was probably supposed to be
yours anyway. Noah dropped off four cups when he delivered the paper and
stopped to say good morning to me and Dad. He usually gets two for Dad, but I
already drank mine so I started on that one.”
“He does know how to make bein’ up before seven a little easier to take,” Dean
said with a soft laugh, and then took a slow sip of the hot coffee, humming
happily. “God,” he said after he swallowed, looking at Kurt. “Where did he get
this? It’s even better than the Kona I buy.”
“The little organic café downtown, on Market street,” Kurt replied, grinning
widely at Dean as he turned forward again and put the car in drive. “They get
pure Blue Mountain coffee from Jamaica, and it’s to die for.”
Dean laughed. “Damned sure is. Do they sell it ground, or do I have to just buy
their coffee?”
“Buy their coffee,” Kurt said, looking really happy as he gave the Impala a
little more gas than she really needed, making the engine rev as the car leapt
forward. “It’s the only thing that gets most people around here in their front
door, so they won’t tell anyone where they get it.”
Dean just laughed and took another sip of the coffee, settling back a little
more comfortably in the passenger seat. Sam liked all that organic trendy crap,
so he figured Sam wouldn’t mind if he started swinging by there sometimes for
breakfast before school. He remembered from eating lunch there with Quinn that
their food was edible, if not as good as Sonic, so surely he could find
something on their menu that would be a decent breakfast.
“Dude, I can’t believe you’re letting him drive,” Sam said suddenly, and just
from his tone of voice Dean could tell he had epic bitchface going on.
Dean’s grin faded into a frown but he didn’t bother to turn and look at Sam as
he said firmly, “Don’t start that again, Sam.”
Kurt looked over at Dean and then glanced back at Sam before he looked ahead of
them again to watch where he was going. “Does it really bother you that much,
Sam?”
Dean turned to look at Kurt quickly, his frown deepening. “I don’t care if it
does, it’s not his car.”
Kurt glanced at Dean, turning onto the highway to head towards town driving
faster than was strictly legal but not fast enough to be dangerous. “No, but he
is your brother. I’m just a friend.”
“You’ve got a license and you’re a good driver,” Dean replied firmly, “and
anything else is none of his business. I can let anyone I want drive, it’s my
car.”
“You never let me drive,” Sam said quietly, and Dean twisted in his seat to
look at Sam in surprise. The bitchface had faded into something almost hurt and
definitely unhappy as Sam added, “You won’t even let me try it.”
“We’ll get your permit as soon as we’ve got time to make the drive to Bobby’s,
Sam, I told you that,” Dean said, frowning slightly at Sam. “It’ll only be
another week, can’t you wait that long?”
“Yeah, but does that mean you’ll let me drive after that?” Sam asked with an
annoyed pout and it suddenly dawned on Dean why he was being such a pain in the
ass when anyone else drove the car.
“Is that why you keep getting pissed when I let someone else drive?” Dean
asked, surprised. “You’re jealous?”
Sam flushed and looked down for a moment before he admitted, “Maybe.”
“Sammy, dude, you’re my brother. If I let my best friends drive my baby, don’t
you think I’m gonna let you drive her too?” Dean asked. “I mean, c’mon man,
this is me you’re talkin’ to. Do I ever tell you no if you really want
something an’ I can beg, borrow, or steal a way to make it happen?”
Sam flushed a little more, starting to look sheepish as he lifted his gaze to
Dean’s eyes again. “Well, no. Not often.”
“Try not ever.” Dean snorted and turned around again, settling back in his seat
as he looked over at Kurt, changing the subject completely. “Quinn wanted to
sit in the back where she can stretch out anyway, so Puck’ll just have to
squeeze in up here with us until the other three get on the bus so I can move
back.”
Kurt smiled, glancing over at Dean and then putting his eyes back on the road.
“He won’t mind.”
Dean laughed. “I knew that, I was just warning you. Seems like whenever he gets
close to you he can’t keep himself from takin’ advantage of it, and I don’t
want you two wrecking my baby.”
Kurt giggled slightly, glancing over at Dean again. “You’re right. Maybe you
should sit in the middle.”
Dean snickered, taking another drink of coffee before he offered Kurt the mug.
“I was thinkin’ the same thing.”
Kurt took the mug, taking a long drink before he offered it back to Dean with
an amused smile. “You’re almost as bad as Noah. Stop distracting me while I’m
driving.”
Dean snickered and took the mug back. “It’s no good if we let it get cold,
though.”
“You two are really sweet together,” Brittany said suddenly, making Dean turn
to look at her in surprise. Brittany was smiling happily at Kurt as she added,
“I’m glad you’ve got a new friend, Kurt.”
Kurt gave Brittany a quick smile and then looked ahead of the Impala again,
slowing down to turn onto the road that Puck lived on. “Thank you, Boo. So am
I.”
Brittany beamed a little more at that and Santana grinned as she reached over
with her free hand to pat Brittany’s knee. “Dean’s your friend too, baby.”
“I know, and he’s a sweetheart,” Brittany said happily, snuggling against Sam’s
side and laying her head on his shoulder. “He’s always really nice to me, and
he’s sweet to Quinny, and he doesn’t mind me having sex with Sammy.”
“He knows Sam’s lucky you want him,” Santana said, grinning at Sam, who laughed
and nodded.
“Very,” Sam agreed.
Brittany beamed and picked up her head again to kiss Sam’s cheek. “You’re sweet
too, Sammy.”
“He does take after me,” Dean agreed, grinning as he faced forward again.
Kurt turned into Puck’s driveway a few moments later, stopping the car and
putting it in park before he looked at Dean, grinning. “You go get them. If I
move out from behind the wheel, Noah’ll never let me drive.”
Dean laughed, reaching to open his door. “You got that shot right. He’s quick,
and once he gets in the driver’s seat there’s no moving him.” He got out then,
grinning at the way Kurt was laughing as he walked quickly towards the
Puckermans’ front door. He had just reached it and was lifting his hand to
knock when the door opened.
“We’re coming,” Puck said quietly, smiling at Dean as he held the door for
Quinn, who was carrying a dry-cleaning bag with her dress in it as well as a
gym bag of her own. “Mom and Sarah are still asleep.”
Quinn moved to Dean, stopping in front of him as she said with a smile, “Good
morning.”
Dean reached to take the dress and the bag, grinning at Quinn. “Mornin’
beautiful.” He kissed her soundly and then offered her his elbow. “Shall we?”
Quinn giggled, smiling happily. “We’d better. If we make Santana and Brittany
miss the bus, Santana will kill us all.”
Dean laughed, helping Quinn down the stairs as he asked, “How’d you know they’d
be with us?”
“I talked to her yesterday after Mike dropped the three of them off at your
place,” Quinn replied, looking smug. “They were going to order pizza and study
for a while with Sammy, and I knew when she wanted me to be their alibi that
she wasn’t planning on going home.”
Dean snickered as they moved away from the steps towards the Impala. “The old
‘she’s in the bathroom, let me have her call you back’ game, huh?”
“Yes, and it always works,” Quinn agreed, laughing. “Brittany’s mom never calls
to check on her, but Santana’s parents fall for it every time.”
“Since when is Kurt driving?” Puck asked suddenly, making Dean laugh as he
glanced over his shoulder at Puck, who was following them with three pillows
tucked under one arm as he stared at the Impala.
“Since he asked me if he could,” Dean said, grinning.
“But I was gonna drive!” Puck said quickly, and Quinn giggled at the way he was
pouting.
“Indianapolis is a long drive and we’re gonna be stuck in the car half the day,
Puckasaurus,” Dean said, snickering. “You’ll get your turn too, you big
crybaby.”
Puck laughed, surprised. “You so did not just call me that.”  
“Dunno what you’re talking about,” Dean said, smirking as he headed around the
front of the car with Quinn, who was walking fairly quickly even though she was
still giggling. “I’m riding in the middle by Kurt, so you’ll just have to wait
to get in.”
“Dude!” Puck protested. “He’s my boyfriend!”
“Which is why you can’t sit by him,” Dean agreed, grinning as he looked over
the hood of the car at Puck. “I don’t want you feelin’ him up while he’s trying
to drive and makin’ him wreck my baby.”
“He would, too,” Quinn said, giggling as Dean opened the rear driver’s side
door for her.
Dean waited for her to get in and then offered her the bag and her dress,
grinning. “I know. He can’t resist the kid.”
“I can hear you two,” Puck said, laughing. “And I can behave!”
“You never do, though,” Santana said, snickering.
“Well, no,” Puck admitted. “But I can.”
Dean made sure Quinn was settled and safely away from the door, then closed it
and walked quickly back around the car as he teased, “Just shut up and take it
like a man, dude. You’re not sittin’ by him while he drives.”
“Just get in,” Puck said, giving Dean a shove as he moved to get in. “Even
though I oughta kick your ass.”
Dean snickered, sliding over to sit in the middle as Kurt laughed and said,
“Noah, stop acting like a baby and get in the car. You’ll survive sitting by
Dean, I promise.”
Puck got in, still holding the pillows as he closed his door and grumbled, “I
see how you two are, double-teaming a guy.”
Dean snickered. “In your dreams, maybe.”
Santana, Brittany, and Quinn all giggled at that, and Puck grinned suddenly as
he gave Dean a speculative look. “That does sound like fun, now that you
mention it.”
Dean laughed, blushing just a bit and thinking he really walked into that one.
“It’s staying in your dreams, dumbass.”
Puck made a face and leaned against his door, muttering, “You’re no fun.”
Kurt chuckled and offered Dean the travel mug with an amused smile. “Here, take
this so I can drive.”
Dean took the mug, glad of the distraction. “Yeah, you’d better get a move on,
sunshine. It’s nearly seven.”
“We’ll make it,” Kurt said confidently, twisting to put one arm along the seat
behind Dean and look behind the car as he started backing up. “The New
Directions bus never leaves on time, it’s practically a law of nature.”
Santana laughed. “When we went to Sectionals, we were half an hour late
leaving.”
“And over an hour behind when we went to that last invitational,” Puck added,
looking a bit more cheerful. “We were about to send out a search party when
Brittany finally showed up.”
“I got lost,” Brittany said, sounding sheepish.
Dean snickered and twisted to look into the back seat as Puck turned his head
to grin at Brittany over his shoulder and said, “You live barely a mile from
the high school, Brit.”
“I had to go to the dry cleaners first, though,” Brittany explained, “and then
when I left there I went the wrong way. I was almost in Dayton before I figured
out where I was again.”
Santana laughed softly, reaching past Sam to pat Brittany’s knee. “At least you
won’t be getting lost anymore for a while, baby.”
Brittany pouted at the reminder. “I still can’t believe someone stole my car
while I was in the Jiffy Mart.”
“Sweetie, you left it running with the windows down,” Kurt said then, obviously
trying hard not to laugh.
“I just wanted some gum!” Brittany said quickly, still pouting. “They ran it
out of gas and everything, and I had just filled up, too.”
“You got it back?” Dean asked with a laugh.
“Yes, but Mom won’t let me drive now,” Brittany replied, looking unhappy. “She
grounded me because the police yelled at her for calling them.”
Santana looked at Dean, obviously trying hard not to laugh. “I think whoever it
was knows her. They left it just down the street from her house later that
night.”
“Are you sure you didn’t take it?” Brittany asked then, looking at Puck. “You
did once, right after I got it.”
Puck laughed. “You’ve got a sexy ride, sweetheart, but I didn’t steal it this
time. I was at Kurt’s house Monday night, and besides, when I took it I brought
it back with a full tank and parked it in your garage where it belongs,
remember?”
“True,” Brittany agreed, nodding with a sudden smile. “You even left me a rose
and a thank you note.”
“What’s she drive?” Dean asked curiously, looking at Puck with a grin. He could
just picture him stealing the girl’s car and then leaving her a rose for being
so stupid she made it easy.
Puck grinned at Dean, reaching for the travel mug Dean was still holding. “A
hot little midnight blue Camaro about six months old. You probably noticed it
parked near my truck the day you got here.”
“I sure did,” Dean agreed, laughing as he watched Puck take a drink of the
coffee, which was almost gone. “That car is sweet.”
“You should drive her, Deano. Zero to sixty in like, six seconds, and she takes
curves like a fucking dream,” Puck said quickly, offering the mug back to Dean.
“She’s not a muscle car like your baby, but she’s still got enough power under
the hood that I nearly came in my pants.”
Dean smirked at Puck, taking the coffee mug. “Sounds like fun, for sure.” He
looked over his shoulder at Brittany again, grinning hopefully. “Any chance I
can steal her for an hour or two, once you get her back? I promise to get you
roses.”
Brittany giggled, giving Dean a bright smile. “Just tell me when you steal it,
so I don’t have to call the police. Momma doesn’t like it when the cops come
because someone stole my car, especially since it always seems to come back.
The police are getting kind of annoyed about it.”
“You got it, sweetheart,” Dean agreed, smirking. “I’ll even let you come along
for the ride if you promise not to scream too loud if we catch air going over
hills.”
Brittany just laughed, beaming.
“I’m warning you right now, Dean,” Kurt said suddenly then, laughing as he
reached over to take the travel mug from Dean. “If you do anything that gets
you arrested, you’re going to wish I didn’t pay your bail.”
Dean looked at Kurt in surprise, grinning widely as he watched Kurt finish off
the coffee. “You’ll bail me out?”
“Of course,” Kurt said with a smirk, handing Dean the empty mug without even
glancing at him. “And then I’ll put you to work in Dad’s garage fixing the old
rusty pickups that people bring us to try and get another ten thousand miles
out of them.”
“Cool,” Dean said with a laugh. “I love playin’ with other people’s toys.”
“It’s the best, isn’t it?” Puck said quickly.
Dean looked over at Puck again, grinning widely at the way Puck was smirking.
“Oh hell yeah. Then I don’t gotta buy ‘em to enjoy ‘em.”
“Oh my god, there’s two of them,” Santana said, laughing.
“You have no idea, San,” Quinn said, giggling as she shifted to get a little
more comfortable. “If they ever put their heads together over anything
important, no one is going to be safe.”
Dean smirked at Puck. “Does that make us evil masterminds, or just dangerously
smart?”
“It makes you dangerous and sometimes evil,” Kurt said with a soft laugh as he
turned into the high school parking lot, where there were several cars and a
school bus waiting for them by the auditorium. “The smart part is debatable.”
Dean laughed in surprise as he looked at Kurt. “Just tell us how you really
feel, sunshine. I mean damn.”
“That was cold,” Puck agreed, snickering.
Kurt pulled up near where Schuester was standing by the bus with the guidance
counselor, Ms Pillsbury, and then he turned off the Impala and smirked at Dean
and Puck. “You’re both smart enough to do anything you want to do, you just
never bother to show it.”
Dean smirked at Kurt and teased, “Or we’re too smart to get caught.”
Puck laughed, nodding as he opened his door. “What he said!”
Santana laughed. “Get out, Brit. I’ve had enough of listening to Tweedle Dee
and Tweedle Dum.” Dean turned to look into the back seat just as Santana looked
at Quinn, adding, “Call me if they get to be too much for you, honey. I’ll make
Brad pull over so you can get on the bus with us.”
Quinn giggled and leaned to kiss Santana’s cheek and then smiled at her. “I’ll
be fine. They’re like little boys who’ve had too much sugar. Once we separate
them and Dean’s in the back with me they’ll behave themselves a lot better.”
Brittany giggled and opened her door, bouncing out and walking towards
Schuester a couple of steps before she stopped and turn back to the car. “Grab
my shoes, Sammy. They’re in the floor somewhere.”
Sam was just getting out and he stopped, turning back to look in car for a
moment before he leaned across Santana’s legs to grab Brittany’s battered Keds
out of the floor by Quinn’s feet. He leaned in to give Santana a quick kiss on
the cheek before he turned away and got out like nothing had happened, offering
Brittany her shoes with a grin. “Here you go, baby.”
Dean watched with amusement as Santana let out a soft little laugh and patted
Quinn’s knee. “See you there, girl.” She slid across the seat and got out of
the car as she said, “You’d better not think you can get away with that, Sam. I
expect real kisses from you, not some little peck on the cheek like you’re my
grandmother.”
Brittany took her shoes from Sam and then lifted one foot to pull on her shoe,
beaming. “He does kiss really nice.”
Sam laughed, blushing as he turned back to Santana and stepped in closer to put
his hands on her waist, seeming not to notice that her high-heeled sandals made
her a few inches taller than he was. “Let me try again, then.”
“Get it right this time, baby boy.” Santana smirked and leaned down to kiss
Sam, and after a moment she made a soft little noise as she swayed closer to
him.
Dean was surprised that Sam seemed to know what he was doing, and he wasn’t the
only one.
“Damn, Sammy,” Puck said after a few minutes, laughing as he tossed the pillows
he had been holding into the back seat and then got out of the Impala. “What
happened to the kid who was blushing when a girl even looked at him?”
Sam kissed Santana for a moment longer and then pulled away and smirked at
Puck, hazel eyes sparkling in the early morning sunlight. “He got to make out
with the two hottest Cheerios in town.”
“A lot,” Brittany added, giggling.
Dean snickered and slid over towards Puck to get out of the car, then paused to
wait for Puck to move so he could, watching as Santana laughed and gave Sam a
shove. “Get your ass on the bus.”
Sam laughed and headed for the bus, grabbing Brittany’s hand on his way past
her to tug her along as he smiled at Schuester and Pillsbury, who were watching
them with startled expressions. “Morning, Mr Schue, Ms Pillsbury.”
“Good morning, Sam,” Schuester said quickly, even though he still looked a
little surprised. “I guess you’re riding with us, hmm?”
Sam stopped, surprised. “Yes sir, if that’s okay.”
“Please?” Brittany said quickly, holding Sam’s hand in both of hers. She gave
Schuester her best pleading expression as she stepped closer to Sam’s shoulder,
making the fact she was a couple of inches taller than Sam even more obvious.
Schuester looked at Brittany for a few moments and then said, “Only if you
promise me you’ll behave yourselves. If I look back and see anything like what
you were doing in the auditorium after practice Wednesday, he’s getting off the
bus right then, even if he has to wait an hour for someone to pick him up.”
Brittany sighed and pouted for a moment before she nodded. “I promise. No sex
on the bus.”
“Alright then, I guess there’s no harm in it.” Schuester looked towards the
bus, where the kids who were already on the bus were leaning out the windows to
listen in. “As long as no one else minds?”
“Sam is excellent company, Mr Schuester,” Rachel said quickly, grinning. “We
needed another person for the trivia game anyway.”
“Yeah,” Finn added, grinning widely. “The more the merrier, Mr Schue.”
Matt and Mercedes both nodded, grinning, and then Schuester let out a little
laugh, waving Sam towards the bus. “You heard them.”
Sam grinned even though he was blushing a bit. “Thanks, Mr Schue.” He hurried
onto the bus, still towing Brittany along behind him.
Santana grinned at Schuester. “I’ll try to make them behave, Mr Schue.”
“Please do,” Schuester said. “They’ve developed a bad habit of forgetting when
they’re in public.”
“It’s not that they forget, Mr Schue,” Santana corrected with a laugh, walking
towards the bus. “Brit just doesn’t really care, and Sam hates to make her pout
at him.”
“Oh.” Schuester laughed slightly as Pillsbury blushed very red and looked
scandalized.
Dean poked Puck in the ribs then, grinning. “Move your ass, man. You’re
blockin’ the road.”
Puck looked at Dean in surprise and then laughed, moving away from the door a
little further. “Just shut up and get in the back, Deano.”
Dean grabbed his thermos and the travel mug as he got out, grinning at Puck.
“Glad to.” He moved around the still-open rear passenger door and leaned to
grab the pillows, moving them over enough that he could get in. He noticed then
that Quinn was still holding her bag and the dress, and he smiled at her as he
asked, “Want me to put those in the trunk, beautiful?”
Quinn looked pleased. “Do you mind?”
“Not a bit,” Dean said quickly, putting the thermos and the mug in the floor
and then reaching over the front seat towards Kurt. “Lemme have the keys a sec,
Kurt.”
Kurt quickly took the keys out of the ignition to give them to Dean, smiling at
him as he asked, “Would you put my bag back there too?”
“Sure, give it here,” Dean said, reaching over the seat again as Puck got back
into the car and closed the door.
“Thanks, Dean,” Kurt said with a pleased grin, leaning to get his bag out from
behind his feet and then passing it to Dean.
“Anytime, baby,” Dean murmured without thinking, giving Kurt a smile before he
turned to reach for Quinn’s bag and saw her face, making his eyes widen a bit
as he realized what he had said.
Quinn’s surprise faded into a quick smile as she leaned to kiss him, and then
she whispered, “Stop looking like that.” She handed him her bag and then the
dress, teasing, “And hurry up, Beth’s hungry.”
Dean let out a little laugh and leaned to kiss her again, then murmured softly,
“Her momma is one special lady.” He turned away then to get out, moving quickly
to the trunk with the bags and Quinn’s dress.
“Did I ever give you a map to the venue?” Schuester asked suddenly as Dean
opened the trunk, making Dean look over at him in surprise. “I know I gave one
to Mike, but I can’t remember if you got one too, Dean.”
“No sir, I don’t have one, but Kurt might,” Dean said, putting the bags in the
trunk with his own and then carefully laying Quinn’s dress over the top so it
could lay flat. He closed the trunk and then moved back around the car to lean
into his door, looking at Kurt. “Did Schue give you a map?”
“No, but I got one off of Google,” Kurt said quickly, leaning to look past Puck
at Schuester as he called with a smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure we get to
Indianapolis in one piece, Mr Schue. I’ve got GPS on my phone if we need it,
and I have the address for the auditorium.”
“Great,” Schuester said, looking relieved. “Drive safely.”
Dean got back into the back and then leaned to pass Kurt the keys again as he
grinned at Schuester. “We will, Mr Schue. We’ll probably be there before the
bus gets there, even with all the potty breaks we’ll need to make for Quinn.”
Quinn laughed and grabbed one of the pillows, swatting at Dean with it. “Be
nice!”
Dean snickered and gave Quinn a grin while Schuester laughed. “I won’t be
surprised if you get there first. I think we’ve got the slowest bus in the
county.”
Puck suddenly seemed to remember something and blurted, “Damn!” He reached for
his door again, getting out as he looked at Schuester. “Do you have the keys to
the side door of the auditorium still, Mr Schue? I wanted to get my Gibson
while we’re here. I forgot it last night.”
“Sure,” Schuester said, giving Puck a smile as he dug into his pocket. He
pulled out a ring of keys and sorted out one in particular, then offered them
to Puck. “Make sure you lock it back.”
“I will,” Puck replied, already jogging quickly off towards the nearby
auditorium.
Schuester watched him go a moment and then looked back at the Impala, leaning
down into the open passenger door to be able to see Kurt as he asked, “Was Mike
meeting us here this morning?”
“Last I heard he was,” Kurt said with a smile, nodding. “He was going to drop
Tina off because she wants to ride on the bus with Artie and everyone else, and
then he was going to follow the bus so he doesn’t get lost.”
“We’ll wait for them, then,” Schuester said with a smile. “Artie called to let
me know his dad is running a bit late, but he’ll be here soon.”
Dean saw Puck come back out of the auditorium with his guitar out of its case
and slung across his back, pausing to lock the door before he started back
towards the Impala. He couldn’t help but notice how good Puck looked in the
early-morning sunlight, the dark grey t-shirt he was wearing clinging to every
curve of muscle in his upper body while snug faded jeans showed off his
muscular legs, but he made himself look away after only a moment to watch Kurt
and Schuester talking.
“Did you want us to wait with you, Mr Schue?” Kurt asked, smiling at Schuester.
“We don’t mind.”
“No, there’s no reason for that,” Schuester said, smiling as he backed away
from the Impala so Puck would have room to get in. “If you’ve got the map, you
can leave anytime you like. You’ve been to Carmel, so I’m sure you can find
Indianapolis.”
Kurt laughed, nodding. “I won’t even need the map until we get there.”
Puck reached them then, grinning as he offered Schuester the keys. “Thanks, Mr
Schue.”
Schuester took the keys, smiling at Puck. “You’re welcome, Puck. I know how you
hate to be without it.”
Puck grinned and took the guitar off his back, getting in the Impala as he said
cheerfully, “It gives me something to do when I’m bored, and sitting in a car
for four hours will be pretty boring, at least until it’s my turn to drive.”
“Just don’t play while you’re driving, Puck,” Schuester said with a laugh. “I’m
not sure even you can manage that without hurting someone.”
Kurt laughed. “He won’t, Mr Schue. If that was all, we’re going to head out. We
need to grab something for breakfast still.”
Schuester smiled and nodded. “Go ahead, and enjoy the drive.” He turned away to
walk back over to where Pillsbury stood by the bus.
Puck closed his door and looked over at Kurt, grinning as he buckled his
seatbelt. “So, where are we eating?”
Kurt buckled his own seatbelt and then looked into the back at Dean and Quinn,
smiling. “Any suggestions?”
“Somewhere that serves bacon,” Quinn said promptly, making Kurt and Puck both
laugh.
Dean was grinning as he added, “And that has a drive-thru window so we can eat
on the way.”
“Sonic it is,” Kurt agreed, laughing again as he faced forward and started the
Impala.
 
                                      ~*~
 
They had just passed through St Marys when Puck began to play his guitar, his
fingers dancing over the strings as he played snatches of songs, blending one
into the next almost as soon as he had played enough for Dean to recognize
them. Most seemed to be songs they had done recently in Glee or listened to
while they were together, though there were a couple of snippets of music from
Newsies in the mix, too, and even something that had sounded suspiciously like
the Mario Kart theme.
“Sing the one you were working on for Kurt,” Quinn said suddenly after a few
minutes, making Dean look at her. She was stretched out with her feet in his
lap and her back against the pillows, which were against rear driver’s side
door, and she was smiling as she looked towards Puck. “The Kid Rock one you
were going to sing in class because you were afraid to just tell him how you
feel.”
Puck let out a soft little laugh and Dean looked towards him, smiling when he
saw the way Puck was blushing. “Now?” Puck asked softly, his fingers stilling
on the guitar as he looked at Quinn.
Quinn nodded, smiling. “It’s the perfect time, Noah. Trust me. He’s going to
want to hear this one in private, but I want to see him hear it so now is
good.”
Puck looked at her a moment longer and then nodded, looking back down at his
guitar to start playing a soft, intricate melody, his head nodding time
slightly. He began to sing after most of a minute had passed, smiling softly.
“Up and down that lonely road of faith, I have been there, unprepared for the
storms and the tides that rise. I've realized one thing... how much I love you,
and it hurts to see, to see you cryin'. I believe we can make it through the
winds of change. Change...”
Dean looked at Kurt then, listening to Puck crooning softly through the
wordless bridge as he watched Kurt swallow hard, his blue eyes sparkling with
sudden tears as he kept stealing glances at Puck while he drove.
“God is great indeed, if you believe, in the everlife,” Puck went on singing
after a moment, still looking down at the guitar as if he was afraid of what
he’d see if he looked up. “Yeah we gotta, make some sense of the peaces that we
found, oh no. And if you just hold on, I won’t let you fall. I won’t let you
fall, no. We can make it through the storms and the winds of change...”
Puck finally looked up at Kurt as he started to croon the bridge again, and he
broke off abruptly as he saw the tears on Kurt’s face. “Baby, no, damn,” He
blurted softly, looking upset. “I didn’t want to make you cry.”
“They’re good tears, sweetheart,” Kurt said quickly, giving Puck a watery smile
before he looked back at the road, inhaling slowly. “Quinn just didn’t know,
that’s all.”
“Know what?” Puck asked, still watching Kurt with concern.
Kurt smiled a little wider, taking one hand off the wheel to wipe his eyes, and
then glanced over at Puck again with a sweet, happy smile. “How much I love
that song. It’s the only one by Kid Rock I have on my iPod.”
“Do you really?” Puck asked softly, surprised and slowly starting to smile.
Kurt nodded, glancing at Puck again and then putting his gaze back on the road
as he reached over to take Puck’s hand. “Really and truly, sweetheart. You can
see for yourself later, it’s the fifth song in the ‘someday’ playlist.”
“Someday?” Puck repeated, tangling his fingers with Kurt’s as he watched him
with a smile.
Kurt nodded, not looking at Puck. “A playlist of songs that I love, but that
would mean even more if I had someone else that loved them to share them with.
I never had that until recently, so it was my someday list.”
Dean had to smile, thinking about the fact Puck had found the same song and
thought of Kurt, and before he stopped to think he said, “It fits you both. You
won’t let each other fall, not matter how wild and crazy your life gets.”
Kurt glanced back at Dean, smiling happily, and then looked back at the road.
“I hope you’re right, sweetheart.”
“He is,” Quinn said firmly, and Dean looked over at her to see she was smiling
happily. “And you should pull over to let Dean drive a while, Kurt.”
Dean laughed softly, amused. “Puck wanted to drive next, beautiful.”
Quinn smiled wider at Dean. “He did, but I think he’d rather hold Kurt.”
“Oh hell yeah,” Puck agreed, smiling as he looked back at Quinn. “I almost
suggested the same thing, but I didn’t want to steal your footrest.”
Quinn grinned. “I can survive without my feet in Dean’s lap, I promise. I’ll
even take a nap, I think.”
Kurt pulled over to the side of the road, taking off his seatbelt and then
turning to look at Quinn with a smile. “Thank you for telling him to sing it
now, with just the four of us. I’m glad we were with two people we love so
much.”
Quinn smiled happily. “I love you too, Kurt. You’re like the brother I never
had, and I’m so glad that Puck has you. He needs you more than he’ll ever
admit, even to himself.”
“I’m trying, momma,” Puck protested softly. “I’ve been working on telling
people how I really feel about them.”
Quinn smiled at Puck, eyes sparkling. “Sweetie, you’re trying hard, I know, but
you still don’t talk about your feelings very often.”
“He does, though,” Dean said softly, and he was a bit amused by the way Quinn
stared at him in surprise. “He talks to me and Kurt all the time.”
“More to Dean,” Kurt said then, giving Puck a sweet little smile. “They lose
track of time and talk for hours sometimes.”
Puck smiled at Kurt. “I talk to him, yeah, but I tell you everything too, baby.
I just tell you after Dean helps me get it all sorted out in my head so it
doesn’t take me so long to make sense. Dean gets what I mean even when I don’t
sometimes, and he helps me figure it out.”
Kurt laughed softly and scooted over next to Puck as he murmured, “I do love
you, Noah.” He kissed Puck and Puck responded with a low rumbling hum as he
moved his guitar down into the floor between his feet, then he pulled Kurt
closer with one hand moving to cup the back of Kurt’s head as the other arm
slid around his waist.
Dean chuckled, patting Quinn’s knee gently. “Move your feet, sweetheart, so I
can get out. I can drive while they make out.”
Quinn smiled at him and moved her feet, then reached for Dean as she said
softly, “Come here first, you.”
Dean obediently moved to put one knee on the seat by her legs, leaning over her
with his right hand braced on the front seat as he smiled down at her and
murmured, “This close enough?”
“It’ll do,” Quinn said with a smile, reaching up to slide her fingers into
Dean’s hair as she tugged his head down for a soft kiss, then stared up into
his eyes. “Don’t ever worry about showing how you feel about them in front of
me, Dean. I know, and I’m glad.”
Dean stared into her eyes for a few moments and then whispered, “You’re enough
all by yourself to make me wish I could stay here with you, you know that,
don’t you?”
Quinn smiled, just a bit impish as she teased, “And you’re enough to make me
actually reconsider sticking to women.”
Dean laughed and leaned down to kiss her again, enjoying the way she responded
warmly for several minutes until she let out a little laugh and pulled away. He
gave her a confused look, murmuring, “What?”
Quinn reached for his left hand, smiling even though she looked a little
pained. “Beth’s having fits. I think she likes the car better when it’s
moving.”
Quinn put Dean’s hand on her belly and then he went wide-eyed as he felt the
baby moving against his hand, something about the size of his thumb that he
realized after a moment must be a foot because it kept moving away and then
hitting his hand again. “Dude,” he breathed out softly, shifting back to be
able to look at her belly in awe as he stroked over the spot slowly. “That will
never be less than awesome.” The baby kicked even harder then, thumping against
his hand, and he laughed as he looked back at Quinn’s face. “I bet she’ll have
ticklish feet, just like her momma.”
Quinn was giving him a sweet, soft-eyed smile that made his heart melt as she
murmured, “Thank you.”
Dean blinked, surprised and a little confused. “For what, beautiful?”
“For having room in your heart for me, too,” Quinn said softly, still smiling
at him lovingly. “For making me feel like I’m beautiful and sexy again instead
of just hideously fat.”
“You aren’t fat, and you could never be hideous,” Dean said quickly, smiling as
he moved to lean over her again and kiss her, keeping it soft and sweet. He
pulled away after a moment, smiling still as he murmured, “An’ I can’t help
lovin’ you a little bit, girl. I know it’s not enough, not near what you
deserve, but it’s what I’ve got to give you.”
“I think you love me just exactly enough,” Quinn said quickly, reaching up to
stroke his cheek, smiling. “You make me feel loved, anyway.” She leaned up to
kiss him again, and then patted his shoulder. “Now get out and get your baby
moving again so mine will go back to sleep and stop trying to kick her way
out.”
Dean laughed and kissed her again, then pulled away, turning to get out of the
car. He glanced at Kurt and Puck as he reached for the door, and he blushed
when he saw the way they were watching him. There could be no doubt they loved
him, but they were also very amused by him at the moment, and Puck looked kind
of turned on, too. Dean could only take it for a moment before he blurted,
“What?”
Puck’s amused smile widened into a grin. “Babe, it shouldn’t be so hot to see
you kissin’ my baby’s momma and tellin’ her you love her.”
Dean laughed and blushed suddenly, not sure if he should feel sheepish or not.
Quinn giggled. “Just like the idea of you and Dean together shouldn’t be so hot
to me, Puck,” she said quickly, grinning. “I still want to see you two kiss.
The looks I catch every once in a while are enough to make me think it’s got to
be all kinds of sexy.”
“It is, I promise,” Kurt said with a soft laugh. “And the little helpless
noises Dean makes when Puck kisses him are just about the hottest thing ever. I
can’t wait to hear how he sounds when Puck does other things.”
Dean blushed a little redder, laughing as he opened his door. “I’m gonna
pretend you didn’t just say that.” He got out, closing his door and then
walking around the car as he glanced along the highway they were on to check
for cars. The only vehicle in sight was an old pickup that was already past the
Impala going the opposite direction, so he went straight to the driver’s door
and got in without having to wait for any traffic.
Dean couldn’t keep himself from looking over at Kurt and Puck again as he
reached to put his seatbelt on – Quinn put one on automatically when she got in
a car, and she had reminded Dean so many times in the last week that he was
starting to do it too – and he had to smile at what he saw.
Kurt had moved to sit in the middle turned mostly towards Puck, who was just
picking up his guitar again and settling it in his lap while Kurt watched him
with a happy smile. “Play something I know.”
Puck smiled at Kurt, his changeable hazel eyes sparkling almost amber in the
morning sunlight. “Like what, baby?”
“Surprise me,” Kurt said quickly, shifting a bit to get more comfortable
against Puck’s side.
Puck seemed to think about it a few moments and then smiled, and he didn’t even
have to glance down at the strings as he deftly began to coax a familiar melody
from his Gibson. 
Kurt let out a soft pleased laugh and leaned to kiss Puck’s cheek as Dean
grinned and put the Impala into drive again, pulling back out onto the highway
just as Kurt and Puck began to sing together.
“Something has changed within me, something is not the same. I’m through with
playing by the rules of someone else’s game. Too late for second-guessing, too
late to go back to sleep. It’s time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and
leap...”
 
 
***** ELEVEN *****
 
Puck had eventually asked to drive again, putting his guitar into the back
floorboard before he and Dean switched places while Quinn slept peacefully in
the back seat. Kurt had surprised Dean by curling up against Dean’s side while
Puck drove, but Puck seemed pleased by the idea so Dean hadn’t argued with it.
He loved the way Kurt slipped his arms around him to hold on, and he was glad
to return the favor, putting his arm around Kurt and just relaxing to enjoy the
ride.
They traveled for over an hour that way, talking quietly and just enjoying the
chance for the three of them to be together while Quinn slept in the back seat,
and Dean found himself thinking several times that he wished he could always
have Puck and Kurt with him on long car trips. Sam had made a habit of burying
his nose in a book or sleeping through long trips over the last year or so,
which frequently left Dean feeling almost as if he were alone in the car. Puck
and Kurt didn’t do that, and even when they fell silent it was a comfortable,
companionable silence instead of Sam’s almost dogged determination to ignore
Dean and get lost in his own little world. Dean remembered the days when Sam
enjoyed talking with him about everything and nothing while they traveled, and
he missed them.
It was just before eleven when they finally made it through the last of the
traffic around Indianapolis and pulled into the parking lot of the huge
auditorium where Regionals were being held. Puck drove around to the back where
the buses were supposed to park, and a slow drive through the parking area
proved that they had beaten the New Directions bus. Quinn woke up while they
were discussing what to do, and she suggested going somewhere for lunch and
then coming back. Dean and Puck were quick to agree, and Kurt teased all three
of them about thinking with their stomachs while Puck headed back towards the
road they had come from. Lunch ended up being burgers at Whataburger followed
by Dunkin Donuts, mostly because Lima didn’t have a Dunkin Donuts and Quinn was
craving something sweet and decadent. They bought several dozen donuts to take
back for the others and to snack on later, and by the time they got back to the
auditorium, the Lima bus had arrived.
The next three hours passed in a blur for Dean, blending into one long stretch
of laughter, teasing, and singing while Puck played songs they all knew. It
seemed to Dean like they had all been in their dressing room only a little
while before they were suddenly on stage waiting for Rachel and Finn to finish
singing the opening to Faithfully.
When the curtains opened up, Dean started singing with the others, easily able
to hear Puck’s voice in front of him and Kurt to his right just past Mercedes,
and when the music for the mash-up of Any Way You Want It and Lovin’, Touchin’,
Squeezin’ began he moved into formation with the others without even needing to
think, grinning as he sang along. Puck glanced at Dean and then at Kurt while
he sang his solo, running one hand down his belly to his belt, and then when
they all got to cut loose towards the end of the mash-up, Dean almost started
laughing at the way Puck winked at him while he did the robot. Don’t Stop
Believin’ was next, and Dean loved the open parts of the choreography because
it let him bounce around and use some of the wild energy he had coursing
through him.
The cheers at the end of the song made him want to bounce around even more, but
he settled for hugging Quinn tight and laughing with her. He was so pumped by
how everyone in the audience had reacted to their performance that he felt like
he was flying as he followed Quinn and the others off the stage, grinning like
a fool as they thundered down the stairs en masse and he heard Rachel hollering
that they were going to win. He was pretty sure they would – they had to, they
had kicked ass – and was about to say so when a blonde woman stepped out of the
corner by the foot of the stairs.
“Quinny,” the woman said quickly, then covered her mouth as she started to cry
silently.
“Mom,” Quinn said softly, stopping to stare at the woman. “What are you doing
here? ... Is Dad okay?”
Dean moved to stand just inside the dressing room door near Quinn and listen as
her mother replied, “I came to hear you sing. You were wonderful.” Quinn looked
away, catching Dean’s eye for a moment while her mother went on. “I’m so sorry
I missed all the other times you performed. Were there a lot?” She paused like
she was waiting for an answer, but Quinn just looked at her and after a moment
the woman went on. “I left your father. Well, I kicked him out, actually. He
was having an affair with some tattooed freak.” The woman moved closer to
Quinn, reaching for her arms as she whispered something Dean couldn’t quite
hear over the noise of everyone else celebrating in the dressing room behind
him, then he caught, “I can turn the guest room into a nursery.” He missed the
next thing Quinn’s mom said because she was whispering again, but the blank,
kind of pained look on Quinn’s face made him think it was nothing good until
Quinn suddenly spoke.
“My water just broke,” Quinn said softly, staring at her mother.
“Shit!” Dean exclaimed, making Quinn’s mother look at him in shock as he moved
quickly towards Quinn, calling over his shoulder, “Puck, get your ass out here,
man!”
Dean had barely put one hand against Quinn’s back when she gasped suddenly and
her knees started to buckle as she grabbed her belly with both hands. Dean
caught her before she could fall and then Puck was there, giving Quinn’s mom a
death glare while Dean scooped Quinn up to hold her against his chest.
“What the hell did you say to her, you hateful old bitch?!” Puck asked, looming
angrily over Mrs Fabray as the crying woman cringed away from him. “Haven’t you
hurt her enough?”
“Puck, no,” Quinn gasped softly, shuddering as she clutched at her belly with
one arm, reaching for Puck with the other. “Not her fault, stop it.”
Puck looked back at Quinn, and he visibly fought to control himself as he took
her hand to hold it in both of his. “Is it Beth?”
Quinn nodded, biting her lip a moment and then relaxing with relief as the
contraction passed. “The doctor said doing too much might make me go into
labor,” she admitted then, breathing a little fast. “We need to get to the
hospital. Now.”
“I’ll drive,” Kurt said then, hurrying up to them with his bag, Quinn’s, and
Dean’s all slung over his shoulder by their straps. Mercedes was right behind
him, with the rest of New Directions crowding in behind them, including
Schuester and Sam.
Dean looked at Kurt. “Keys are in my right front pocket.”
Kurt moved to get them, slipping his hand into Dean’s tight black jeans without
hesitation, and then he was hurrying off towards the exit as he said, “I’ll
bring the Impala around. Noah, you stay with Dean and Quinn.”
Puck nodded but didn’t say anything, still clinging to Quinn’s hand and
watching her with something very like terror on his face.
“She’ll be okay, Puck,” Dean said gently, watching Puck with concern. He felt
like he should be running for the door, but if he did they’d just have to wait
outside in the hot parking lot, so he was going to give Kurt a few minutes to
get to the car first. “Women have babies every day.”
Puck nodded. “I know.” He tried to look like he believed it, but he obviously
didn’t.
“I’ll be fine, sweetheart,” Quinn said gently to Puck, smiling at him. “Calm
down.”
Dean watched Puck worriedly for a moment longer and then the fact Kurt had left
with their bags registered and he looked over at Sam. “Grab his guitar, Sam.”
Sam nodded quickly and dodged around the people crowded into the dressing room
doorway, returning only a moment later with the Gibson. “Here, Puck.”
Puck took the guitar, ducking into the strap to sling the Gibson across his
back without ever letting go of Quinn’s hand or looking away from her.
“Thanks.”
“Alright, kids,” Schuester said then, seeming to have made a decision.
“Everyone get your things and get to the bus, pronto. We’re not making them go
to the hospital in a strange town all alone.” He moved to Quinn’s mother as he
said more gently, “I’ll drive for you, Mrs Fabray. You’re in no shape to do
it.”
Dean nodded and started walking slowly towards the exit, not at all surprised
that Puck moved with him, still holding Quinn’s hand tightly. “We’ll see you
all there.”
“I’m getting you a police escort,” Schuester said quickly, and Dean glanced
back to see Schuester was following them as he guided Mrs Fabray along with a
hand on her elbow, his other hand holding his cell phone as he dialed with his
thumb. Quinn’s mother was staring at what she could see of Quinn over Dean’s
shoulder and just crying silently, looking kind of thoroughly wrecked.
“Tell them to look for a black sixty-seven Impala going like a bat out of
hell,” Dean said, pausing for Puck to open the door wide and then hurrying
outside.
Kurt was just pulling up with the Impala, and Dean was sure Kurt had run the
whole way to where the Impala was parked on the far side of the bus parking lot
with Mike’s battered Trans-Am and the bus the rest of New Directions had ridden
in. The kid was still breathing hard as he leapt out and opened the rear door
on the driver’s side for Dean and Quinn to get in. “Noah, sweetheart, get in
the front. I’m driving.”
Puck helped Dean get settled in the back with Quinn and then ran around to get
in the front without a word, and as soon as he was in Kurt was stepping on the
gas. Puck twisted to put his guitar in the back behind his seat and then
watched Quinn worriedly, never taking his eyes off of her even as Kurt drove as
fast as was safe towards the parking lot’s main exit.
Dean held Quinn’s hand, watching her with concern and wishing he could do more
as he heard the suddenly welcome sound of a siren approaching.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Puck was the one pushing Quinn’s wheelchair as they reached the maternity ward,
and two nurses were quick to move to intercept the crowd that was following
right behind him.
One nurse was a woman in plain green scrubs that looked about thirty and had a
sweet face, and the other woman wore scrubs with teddy bears and clouds all
over them and looked to Dean like she was probably in her fifties or a little
older. “You can’t all come in here!” the older nurse exclaimed, shocked. She
looked at Quinn, adding, “Pick no more than three people!”
Quinn looked over her shoulder, twisting to reach for Dean, who was right
behind Puck. “Dean.”
“Sure, beautiful.” Dean moved quickly to take her hand, shifting to the side
out of her way as she tried to see past the others. Dean turned to look too,
sure she was looking for Kurt, who had taken Lamaze with her, but Kurt had
gotten left behind while he parked the Impala.
“Kurt?” Quinn called, looking worried.
Everyone started moving apart to look behind them for Kurt, who ran up a moment
later with Quinn’s bag in one hand, breathless and looking scared. “What?”
“Oh thank god,” Quinn said quickly. “Kurt, I want you there.”
Kurt moved quickly through the others, giving Quinn a reassuring smile. “I’m
coming, sweetie.”
“Fine!” the younger nurse said quickly, even though she looked a little
surprised. She turned to block everyone else from following, her arms stretched
out. “Everyone else will have to wait outside. There’s a waiting room just down
the hall.”
“But I’m her mother,” Mrs Fabray blurted, trying to get past. “I should be
there, not those boys!”
“No!” Quinn said quickly, then gasped as another contraction began, her grip on
Dean’s hand tightening painfully. “Oh god that hurts!” She whimpered, curling
up around her stomach as the contraction shook her body, tears leaking down her
cheeks. It passed after a few moments and she slumped back in the chair,
gasping and shaking as she turned her head to glare towards her mother. “They
are Beth’s family, mother, and they are going to see her born!”
Quinn groaned as another contraction hit, much sooner after the last one than
the one before it had been, and Kurt looked at the nurses as he said quickly,
“She’s got to get to the delivery room now.”
The nurse who reminded Dean of someone’s grandmother hurried past them, waving
for them to come with her as she said quickly, “Follow me, quickly.”
Puck started Quinn’s chair forward again and then they were all running towards
a door that was marked 'Delivery'.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean could hardly believe he was really there as he stood at the head of
Quinn’s bed, watching her talk softly to Beth and trying to keep the stinging
in his eyes from turning into tears again. He had never seen anything like what
he had been through in the last half hour, and he knew he would never, ever
forget it. He had overheard several of the nurses talking about how foolish it
was for Quinn to have been on stage dancing barely an hour before Beth was
born, but the doctor said she and Beth would both be fine even though the
delivery had been dangerously fast. Quinn had to have stitches and she had lost
enough blood that they were giving her an IV, but the doctor had already told
her that both were nothing to really worry about and they would be sending her
home in just two days.
Quinn looked up at Puck, who was standing by the bed with Kurt at his side,
both of them smiling even though their faces were tear-streaked. “Do you want
to hold her, Noah?”
Puck inhaled sharply and then nodded, swallowing hard before he whispered, “Oh
yeah.”
Quinn smiled and looked at the nurse on the other side of the bed. “Could you
help us, please? We’ve never really done this before.”
The nurse, who Dean was more certain than ever must be someone’s grandmother,
smiled warmly at Quinn, nodding. “Of course.” She moved around the bed quickly
as Kurt moved over to stand by Dean and get out of her way. Kurt reached for
Dean’s hand to hold it tightly in both of his while he watched with Dean as the
nurse gently lifted Beth and then turned to Puck.
“Fold your arms like you’re already holding a baby,” the nurse murmured,
smiling at Puck warmly.
Puck lifted his arms into position to cradle Beth, and then a moment later he
was holding her and crying again as he looked down into her brown eyes,
smiling. “Hi sweetie. I’m your daddy.”
Beth blinked slowly, staring up at him, and Dean noticed again that Beth was
definitely as beautiful as her mother, despite the fact she was still a little
squashed from the hasty way she had come into the world. She had Quinn’s dark
brown eyes and something about the shape of her face reminded him of Quinn too,
enough that Dean figured the kid would be breaking hearts someday. After a
moment Dean smiled a little wider, thinking that with her parents, he shouldn’t
be surprised. If Beth turned out even half as attractive as either of them, she
would still be beautiful.
The nurse gave Puck a warm smile and patted his shoulder, looking down at Quinn
as she murmured, “And her daddy obviously loves her.”
Quinn smiled, tears in her own eyes as she nodded. “Very, very much. She’s a
lucky little girl.”
“I’m the lucky one,” Puck said softly, still staring at Beth and smiling with
tears running slowly down his face. Everyone watched them in silence for a few
minutes before Puck suddenly looked at Kurt as he murmured, “Baby, come say
hello.”
The nurse blinked in surprise, her eyes widening as she looked at Kurt,
confused and then suddenly looking disgusted.
“Kurt is his partner,” Quinn said quietly but firmly, and Dean wanted to kiss
her for the way she was looking at the nurse, practically daring the woman to
say the wrong thing. “Is that a problem?”
The nurse looked at Quinn and shook her head, moving quickly out of the way so
Kurt could get past her to go to Puck. “I…  No, Miss Fabray, of course not.”
“Good,” Quinn said, smiling in such a way that for the first time Dean really
saw the queen bitch Quinn could be when she wanted to be. He was surprised by
how much he liked that sharp edge to her smile and the hard look in her eyes.
He didn’t hang around tough women as a rule – they usually took one look at him
and then ignored him – but he found himself really liking that side of Quinn. 
“I want the records to show that Kurt Hummel is one of her parents and has
visitation rights just like her father does.”
“I’ll have to have the doctor speak to you about that,” the nurse said. “I’m
not authorized to change the records.”
“Then you need to go get him,” Quinn said, dismissing the woman completely as
she looked at Puck and Kurt. Dean followed her gaze and smiled as he watched
Beth’s tiny fingers close around one of Kurt’s fingertips, listening to Quinn
as she added, “We’ll be fine.”
The nurse left without another word and Dean moved to the other side of the bed
so he could take Quinn’s hand in his, giving her a wide smile as he murmured,
“You’re hot as hell, beautiful.”
Quinn laughed even though she blushed, lifting her free hand to brush at her
hair, which was damp with sweat and falling in tangles around her face and
shoulders. “You’re a liar, but I love you for it.”
Dean smirked and leaned down to kiss her, lingering for several moments, then
whispered, “You’re the sexiest thing in this room right now, and don’t you
forget it.”
Quinn blushed even more but beamed at him as she pulled his hand up against her
chest, holding it in both of her hands as she looked back over at Puck, Kurt,
and Beth.
Dean followed her gaze, smiling softly as he watched Kurt gently stroking
Beth’s cheek with one knuckle, unshed tears making his blue eyes shine brightly
even though he looked as happy as Dean had ever seen him, staring into Beth’s
deep brown eyes. Dean turned his attention to Puck’s face and had to smile even
wider at the look in Puck’s eyes as he stared at Kurt for a moment like he was
seeing something holy, then let his gaze fall back to his daughter’s face.
“Beth sweetheart, this is Kurt,” Puck said softly then, looking at Kurt again
just as Kurt looked at him in surprise, and they stared into each other’s eyes
as Puck went on. “He’s your papa, and your daddy loves him very, very much.”
“I love you too,” Kurt whispered, beaming despite the tears sliding down his
cheeks.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean was right behind Puck and Kurt when the nurse ushered them all back out to
the waiting room just a few minutes later. The doctor had insisted that Quinn
and Beth needed to rest for a few hours, and no amount of pleading on Quinn’s
part had been enough to get permission for them to stay. Dean was sure that
part of it was the fact the doctor disapproved of Puck and Kurt’s relationship,
but he didn’t say anything about it. Calling the doctor out on it would have
just made the whole situation worse, and Quinn did need some rest.
Schuester stood quickly as he saw them approaching, moving towards them. “Is
everything okay?”
Puck nodded, smiling as he pulled Kurt a little closer to his side, seemingly
unaware of the dried tracks of tears on both their faces. “Everything’s great,
Mr Schue. Better than great, even. Beth’s beautiful and just perfect, and
Quinn’s fine, she’s resting in her room and the doc says she can go home
Monday.”
Dean saw Mrs Fabray stand from where she had been sitting further down the room
away from the kids and Schuester, walking slowly towards them. “Can-- Can I see
my daughter?”
The nurse who had escorted Dean, Puck, and Kurt back to the waiting room was
the younger one who had intercepted them when they reached the maternity ward,
so she knew who Mrs Fabray was. She stood and looked at the woman for a moment
before she smiled and nodded. “Just for a moment, though. Your daughter needs
her rest.”
“Thank you,” Mrs Fabray said, starting to cry again as she hurried past the
others towards the nurse.
The nurse put one hand on Mrs Fabray’s back to escort her back into the
maternity ward, and Dean looked back at the others to see that everyone was
moving to pull Puck and Kurt into a group hug as Santana and Brittany both
started to cry despite the smiles on their faces.
Sam skirted around the group to move over to Dean’s side, looking at him with
concern as he murmured, “You okay, Dean?”
Dean smiled at Sam even though he was a little embarrrassed because he was sure
Sam could tell he had cried some, too. He had never been a part of anything
like what he had been through that afternoon, and it had gotten pretty
emotional for all of them more than once in delivery and then in the recovery
room. “Better than okay, baby bro,” he said, reaching out to sling an arm
around Sam’s neck. “I’m fan-freaking-tastic.”
Sam laughed and moved closer instead of trying to get away, wrapping his arms
around Dean in a hug that Dean was happy to return, holding Sam tight as Sam
murmured teasingly, “Even though Beth ruined your plans?”
Dean just laughed and nodded, letting Sam pull away when he tried to. “Yeah,
even with that. She’s healthy and Quinn is healthy, and that’s all that’s
important right now. Everything else can wait.”
“Not everything!” Finn said quickly, hurrying down the hall towards them with
his cell phone in one hand. “I finally got through to Rachel. She says we have
to have at least twelve members at the awards presentation or we forfeit. We’ve
got ten minutes to get there.”
“Everyone back to the bus!” Schuester exclaimed quickly, and a moment later
they were all running down the hall.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean followed everyone back into the green room, watching the others walking
along in near silence and wondering if there was any way to protest the
results. He just couldn’t see any way Vocal Adrenaline had performed better
than they did, even though he hadn’t seen the other group perform at all yet.
“It’s okay, everyone!” Rachel repeated for a fifth time, looking around at the
others. “We did good!”
“You were all amazing,” Schuester agreed, beaming. “Second place at Regionals
is a big deal, and it’s enough that Figgins will give us another year. You
should all be happy!”
“We should have won,” Puck said firmly, giving the second place trophy a dirty
look as most of the others made agreeing noises or nodded. “We kicked ass
today. There’s no way those Vocal Adrenaline dickwads did better than us.
Sylvester fixed the results somehow.”
“They were surprisingly good,” Rachel admitted, and everyone stared at her in
surprise. “They did Bohemian Rhapsody well enough to get the audience on their
feet, and then they followed up with Another One Bites The Dust and Princes Of
The Universe. It was ... impressive, and the audience loved them.” She paused
and then added, “They did their choreography flawlessly, which was enough with
those songs even though their vocals have all of the heart and soul of a throw
rug.”
“I still maintain that allowing them to perform Queen at all was a travesty of
monumental proportions,” Kurt said quickly, looking annoyed as he tossed his
head, flipping his hair back away from his face. “St James doesn’t have a tenth
of Freddie Mercury’s talent.”
“No, definitely not,” Schuester said quickly, looking around at the others.
“But Rachel is right, everyone. We’ve done really, really well and you should
all be proud of yourselves. I don’t know of any Glee club in the country that
started from scratch and took second at Regional competition in their first
year. With a start like this, I think we’ve got an excellent shot at Nationals
next year.”
“At least we’ll have next year,” Finn said then, obviously trying to look on
the bright side as he moved to drape his arm around Rachel. “If we start out
from the first day of school instead of messing around until Sectionals are
right on top of us, we ought to be able to put together something awesome.”
“I can help everyone with the choreography,” Mike said then. “I’m not playing
football next year, so I’ll have a lot more time for Glee. Dancing is a lot
more fun than getting beat to a pulp every afternoon for nothing. I’m never
getting off third string anyway, I’m too skinny.”
“I’m quitting football, too,” Puck said, nodding. “I’ll be at every Glee
practice next year.” He paused and then looked around, meeting the gaze of each
of them one at a time as he added, “I’ll be working too ‘cause I’ve got a kid
to take care of, but I’m going to make sure I have time for Glee. I wouldn’t
even have Beth if it wasn’t for so many of you helping to convince Quinn to
give me a chance, and I’m not gonna ever forget that.”
“I’m quitting Cheerios, too,” Brittany said suddenly, making everyone look at
her. She was standing with Sam, holding his hand tightly while Santana stood
near them, and she looked surprisingly determined as she turned her head
towards Santana, who was obviously shocked. “Coach Sylvester is making sure I
flunk out this year just so she can keep me in Cheerios longer, and I don’t
want to do anything else for her, ever.”
Santana reached for Brittany’s free hand to give it a squeeze as she suddenly
smiled warmly at her. “Then neither do I, baby.” She looked at everyone else,
adding, “And I know Quinn will feel the same, even though she loved being a
Cheerio. She’ll be with us all the way.”
“All for one, and one for all,” Tina said suddenly, smiling happily as she
leaned against Artie’s shoulder and looked around at everyone, holding one of
Artie’s gloved hands tightly in both of her own. “If we stick together we can
do anything.”
“And next year is our year,” Rachel added, beaming as she wrapped both arms
around Finn and leaned against him. “Vocal Adrenaline doesn’t have a chance!”
They all started nodding and grinning, and Schuester looked very happy as he
said, “Now that that’s settled, let’s start getting our things together. Your
parents will be at the school to get you in a little more than five hours, and
we’re stopping for pizza along the way, my treat.”
“We never brought our stuff back off the bus, Mr Schue,” Finn said then,
grinning. “You had us grab everything when we ran for the hospital, remember?”
Schuester laughed. “You’re right, I did!” He looked around, grinning. “Check
once more, just to be safe, and then let’s get going. It’ll take a while to get
enough pizza and drinks for all of us, and it’s at least a four hour drive
home.”
“We’re gonna head on back to the hospital, Mr Schue,” Puck said then, smiling
at Schuester as he put his arm around Kurt. “We were planning to stay overnight
anyway. We’re going to check on Quinn and Beth and then we’ve got a couple of
hotel rooms waiting for us.”
“Do your parents know about this?” Schuester asked quickly, surprised and
frowning slightly.
“Yes, sir,” Kurt said, smiling at Schuester. “You’re welcome to call my dad and
talk to him if you want.”
“It’s true, Mr Schue,” Finn said then, smiling. “They’ve been planning this for
over a week.” He grinned at Kurt and Puck. “Something about having dinner and
then celebrating until they’re all too tired to stand, much less drive for four
hours.”
Dean laughed. “And now we’ve got even more to celebrate,” he added, grinning.
“My room’s gonna be more lonely, but I can take it.” His room would actually be
empty, he was sure, but none of the others needed to know that. “We need to
stay close for Quinn anyway. She shouldn’t be stuck so far from home all
alone.”
“What about Sam?” Schuester asked, looking concerned.
Part of Dean wanted to say right then that Sam would have to stay in the extra
hotel room where Dean could keep an eye on him, but he couldn’t ruin the kid’s
weekend that way. Sam was fifteen and had a couple of pretty girls to keep him
occupied, and Dean knew the kid could handle it even though he still didn’t
like the idea of Sam being hours away from him. “He already made plans,” Dean
said after only a moment. “We’ve been plannin’ to stay all week, like Finn
said.”
“I’m spending the night with friends,” Sam said, smiling at Schuester and
looking utterly innocent. “Mike’s dropping me off.”
“Yeah, he’s riding back with me,” Mike agreed with a slight smirk at Sam, and
Dean realized that Mike knew all about how Sam, Brittany, and Santana intended
to spend the rest of the weekend.
“And us,” Brittany said quickly, beaming at Mike.
“So we don’t get in trouble again on the bus,” Santana added, giving Schuester
a sheepish grin that made Dean wonder what had happened on the bus on the way
there.
“I would say that’s good,” Schuester said slowly, “but I have a feeling I
really don’t want to know what you three have planned for the ride home.”
“Dude, it better not be anything,” Mike said then, frowning at Brittany. “I’ll
make you sit up front with me if I have to, Brit. Nobody has sex in my car but
me.”
Brittany pouted at Mike. “I wouldn’t, Mikey!”
“Mostly because Sammy wouldn’t,” Santana added, grinning. “Don’t worry, Sam can
say no when he needs to.”
“Barely,” Dean said, snickering.
Sam gave Dean a dirty look and then looked at Mike. “I promise, Mike. We won’t
do anything in your car.”
“Cool,” Mike said, looking relieved. Sam and Mike had a lot of classes together
and seemed to be becoming good friends, especially since Sam had been dating
Brittany. Brittany and Mike had been friends since they were little kids, and
Brittany adored him. Mike looked out for her like she was one of his sisters,
and he had been known to kick some ass if he thought anyone took advantage of
the admittedly dingy blonde.
Schuester sighed, looking at Dean. “I feel like I should lecture them or
something, but I guess if your parents don’t care, it’s really not my place to
tell them how to behave.”
Schuester didn’t comment about Brittany’s parents not liking the idea of her
having sex, but Dean was sure that was because Schuester had heard enough about
the girl’s reputation not to bother. Brittany had been as far as third base
with most of the guys she knew, including all of the ones in Glee except Dean,
whether she had ever dated them or not. According to Puck even Artie had gotten
lucky with Brittany while he was trying to help her get that perfect record she
wanted so badly, mostly because Brittany was curious just how much Artie could
do.
“Mom died when Sam was a baby, and Dad couldn’t care less what we do,” Dean
said truthfully, making most of the other kids look at him in surprise as
Schuester frowned. “I figure whatever Sam thinks he can handle is fine as long
as he’s being responsible about it and treating Brittany right, and with
Santana around he’s definitely gonna do that.” He glanced at Puck, smirking as
he added pointedly, “Sammy’s always careful, and that’s more than some guys can
say.”
“Dude,” Puck said with a little laugh. “One time I forgot, and I’m never gonna
hear the end of it.”
Dean smirked a little more. “You’re gonna have proof of your stupidity until
the day you die, dumbass. Of course nobody’s gonna let you forget.”
“Especially not Beth’s godfather,” Kurt agreed, giving Puck an amused smile.
“You must admit, it was stupid for someone of your experience to forget such an
important safety precaution.”
“I was knee-walking drunk, babe!” Puck exclaimed, laughing. “Finding a condom
and putting it on was about five shots of Jack out of my league. I barely
managed to figure out how to unzip my pants!”
Most everyone in the room started laughing at that, except for Schuester, who
looked sad as he ran one hand through his hair and looked away.
Kurt just stared at Puck while everyone laughed, waiting until they were
quieting down a bit before he said firmly, “You, Noah, are on the wagon. No
more than three beers, ever again.”
“I decided that about six months ago,” Puck said with a snort, reaching out to
shove Dean, who was still snickering. “Shut up and get moving, Deano. I want to
go see my baby girl again before visiting hours are over.”
“Drive safely,” Schuester said, looking somewhere between wry and amused. “Pass
along our congratulations to Quinn.”
“We will,” Kurt said, smiling at everyone before he started for the door,
tugging Puck along behind him by the hand. “Good night, all.”
“Bye!” Puck said cheerfully, following Kurt out of the room.
Dean snickered and started after Kurt and Puck, waving vaguely at everyone.
“See y’all Tuesday. Have a great trip home, and you stay out of trouble while
I’m gone, Sammy.”
“I will,” Sam said. “Are you coming home before then?”
Dean paused at the door, looking back at Sam. “It’s more than a six hour round
trip and Quinn’s gonna need a ride home, so we’ll likely just stick around
until she's released Monday if Burt and Nancy don’t mind. I’ll call and let you
know as soon as I find out when we’ll be back, okay?”
Sam nodded quickly again, smiling at Dean. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be
fine.”
“I know it,” Dean said with a grin. “You’re man enough to take care of yourself
now.” He turned to go, pretending he didn’t see the way Schuester looked like
he wanted to argue with that, then thought of something and looked back at Sam
as he reached for his wallet. “C’mere, Sam.”
Sam walked over to him as Dean opened his wallet, flipping through the thick
wad of bills inside to count out ten twenties. “Dean, no. I don’t need that
much,” Sam protested, surprised. “I’ve still got some cash.”
Dean held it out to Sam, smiling at him and pretending not to see the shocked
look on Schuester’s face at how much cash Dean was carrying, not to mention the
way the other kids were staring at him. What he had given Sam appeared to be
about half of what he had, though two hundreds tucked into the back of Dean’s
wallet meant he had kept closer to four hundred. “Shut up and take it. You've
got plenty of groceries, but I’ll feel better knowin’ you’ve got plenty of cash
too if you need it. Take Mikey and the girls out to eat before you head home or
something.”
“I’m not spending it,” Sam said as he took the money. “Or not all of it, at
least.”
“Totally up to you, bro. It’s yours,” Dean said with a grin. “See you when I
see you.”
“Stay safe,” Sam said with a smile, and then he turned away to walk back over
to where Brittany, Santana, and Mike were.
Dean turned to go again just as Schuester said, “Enjoy your weekend, Dean.”
Dean glanced back once more, smiling even though he figured from the way
Schuester was looking at him that the man would be wanting to have a talk with
him before long. “You too, Mr Schue.”
Schuester pasted on a smile for Dean and then turned to look at everyone else
as he said, “Alright everyone, come on, start looking for anything we might
have left behind the first time we left. We need to get this show on the road.”
Dean chuckled softly to himself as he headed quickly outside and towards the
Impala, which was parked on the far side of all the buses again. Kurt and Puck
were waiting for him to catch up, and the three of them walked together towards
the car as Kurt asked, “Are we going out for dinner after we see Beth again, or
getting room service?”
Dean looked at Kurt, smiling. “This is your night, sunshine. What would you
like to do?”
“Well, we are all dressed well enough to get into a nice restaurant,” Kurt said
softly, smiling as he looked at Dean and then at Puck. They were all still in
their black jeans and dress shirts with ties that actually tied instead of
clipping on, and they looked pretty good. “It would be nice to eat something we
can’t get at home.”
“I’m up for anywhere you want, babe,” Puck said cheerfully, smiling. “I’m so
happy tonight you could probably even talk me into sushi if you tried.”
Dean laughed. “Okay, no, not while I’m driving. I draw the line at places that
serve bait they didn’t even bother to cook.”
Puck snickered, repeating softly, “Bait.”
Kurt gave Puck an amused look and then looked back over at Dean. “I was
thinking more along the lines of a nice Italian place, or perhaps a
steakhouse.”
“Sounds great to me,” Dean said with a grin. “I’m a big fan of both.”
“Just don’t tell my mom,” Puck said with a grin. “Personally, I think no one
who has turned eating sweet and sour pork into a Jewish-themed ritual has any
room to lecture other people about keeping kosher, but yeah. She gets nuts
about it and she’d kill me if she saw me order surf and turf, or even a five
cheese lasagna.”
“We won’t tell her,” Kurt agreed, giving Puck an amused smile as he moved
closer to him, letting go of Puck’s hand to put his arm around Puck’s waist
instead. “Just like I’ll never tell her about your bacon cheeseburger habit, or
the fact a little birdie told me you always get at least one plate of fried
shrimp when you go to Ryan’s.”
“I knew you loved me,” Puck said then, smirking as he draped his arm around
Kurt.
Dean snickered and held his hand out in front of Kurt. “Gimme the keys,
sunshine.”
Kurt dug in his jeans pocket with his free hand, coming up with Dean’s keys
after a moment and offering them to him with a smile. “Why do you keep calling
me that?”
“Because you brighten up my day,” Dean replied, smiling even though he could
feel his face heating up. “And when I slip up and say it in public, I can pass
it off as something like the way I call Sammy princess all the time.”
Kurt glanced back to be sure they were out of sight of the auditorium’s exit
and then reached for Dean’s hand to take it, giving him a sweet, happy smile.
“You really feel like that?”
“I don’t say things I don’t mean,” Dean said quietly, smiling at Kurt for a
moment before he looked ahead of them again. “Not to people I care about,
anyway, an’ I care a hell of a lot about you both.”
“Thank you,” Kurt said softly, squeezing Dean’s hand as he smiled. “We’re lucky
to have you.”
Dean glanced at Kurt and Puck again, smiling as he saw the way Puck was
watching him and grinning. “I’m the lucky one, sweetheart. You two don’t need
me, but you’ve made me feel like I’m part of what you have anyway. I’m never
going to forget that.”
“We do need you,” Puck disagreed, smiling softly.
Dean looked at Puck, smiling. “I love hearin’ it, but no, you don’t. If I
hadn’t blown into town, you still would have him, Puckasaurus. You just might
not know that yet.”
Puck laughed softly at that, and Kurt smiled as he said, “I’d like to think we
would be together by now. Quinn and Mercedes were pushing us both pretty hard
when you dropped into the mix and made it easy for them.”
Dean grinned. “They were doing a pretty good job from all I saw. You were
starting to notice Puck wanted you, at least, and you would have been all over
him right there in class the moment you realized that song he played this
mornin’ was meant for you.”
Kurt laughed and nodded, blushing a bit as he looked at Puck, his blue eyes
sparkling in the late evening sun. “So true.”
Puck smiled and kissed Kurt, soft and sweet, then murmured to him, “Schue had
already agreed to let me play it in class the day Dean joined us. Schue and I
just got distracted by making Dean sing so it didn’t happen. Then by class the
next day I already had you and everyone knew it, so it wasn’t so important for
me to play it in public anymore.”
Kurt smiled happily, pausing as they reached the passenger side of the Impala.
He let go of Dean’s hand to turn and slide his arms up around Puck’s neck as he
murmured, “I’m glad you played it for me today.” He smiled a bit wider, adding,
“I might even ask you to play it again later tonight.”
“Anything you want, babe,” Puck agreed with a smile, pulling Kurt a little
closer as he kissed him again, a low happy noise rumbling in his chest.
Dean stood and watched them kiss for a long moment, smiling, then moved to the
passenger door and unlocked it before he said cheerfully, “Alright lovebirds,
get in. You can make out in the car.” He turned away to walk around to the
driver’s side of the Impala, glancing back across the hood to see that Kurt and
Puck were watching him with almost identical surprised looks that made him
laugh and stop instead of unlocking his door. “What?”
“You were next,” Puck said, looking kind of like he wanted to pout. “I’ve been
good all day.”
Kurt laughed and nodded. “What he said.”
Dean grinned at them and then glanced down to find the lock, unlocking the door
as he looked back over at car at them and said softly, “Not when we’re parked
right by the bus everyone’ll be headin’ for any minute. Wait until we’re at the
hospital, then we can park and take time to enjoy it.”
Kurt laughed, pulling away from Puck to move to the car and open the passenger
door. “He’s got a very good point.”
“He usually does,” Puck agreed with a grin. “Two of ‘em, right on top of his
head.”
Dean just laughed and got into the car.
 
                                      ~*~
 
When they got to the hospital nursery a little while later, Beth’s bed was
still in the front row with the name Puckerman on the tag, but Beth herself was
nowhere to be seen.
Puck went very still, staring at Beth’s bed with a lost expression, and it
didn’t take a genius to realize he had jumped to the conclusion something had
happened to his precious baby girl.
Kurt looked at Puck’s face for only a moment before he turned to Dean and
murmured, “I’m going to find a nurse. Could you stay with Noah, please?”
Dean nodded quickly, giving Kurt a reassuring smile. “I’ll take care of him,
you go find someone in charge around here.”
“Thanks, sweetie.” Kurt kissed Dean’s cheek and then hurried off down the hall
towards the nurses’ station while Dean turned back towards Puck, who was just
standing at the glass looking at Beth’s empty bed.
Dean moved to put one hand on Puck’s back, leaning close against his side as he
murmured, “She’s fine, Puckasaurus. She’s probably off gettin’ her diaper
changed or something.”
“Maybe,” Puck said softly, still staring at his name on the empty bed. “Or
maybe Quinn panicked and changed her mind again, or--” He didn’t seem to be
able to finish that thought, swallowing hard.
Dean reached for Puck’s jaw, making Puck turn to look at him as he said gently,
“You know that didn’t happen. If she ever decides she just can’t take bein’ a
mom, she’s givin’ Bethy to you and Kurt, or to Carole and Burt, not some
stranger.”
Puck tried hard to keep it together as he stared into Dean’s eyes for a moment,
but Dean could see the fear in Puck’s expressive hazel eyes and he knew Puck
was remembering all the times Quinn had said she wanted to give Beth up for
adoption. He was sure Quinn wouldn’t do that to everyone that loved Beth, but
he also knew that Puck didn’t really believe he deserved a chance to raise his
baby girl. Puck wanted it more than anything except maybe Kurt, so it was hard
for him to believe he could really have it.
After a moment Puck just moved towards Dean, wrapping his arms around him and
hiding his face against Dean’s neck, and Dean held him close as he whispered,
“She would never hurt you like that, babe, not now that she’s seen how much you
love your baby girl. You’ve just got to trust her.”
“I’m trying,” Puck murmured, and Dean had to close his eyes at how wrecked Puck
sounded, his arms tightening around him.
The few minutes that Kurt was gone seemed like forever to Dean as he stood
there and held Puck, trying to reassure him with his presence while Puck just
clung to him and waited in silence. Kurt finally managed to find a nurse who
came back to the nursery with him, and Dean was surprised to realize she was
the one who had ushered them out of the maternity ward when they left earlier.
“This is Melanie,” Kurt said with a reassuring smile. “She’s going to find out
what’s going on.” Puck pulled away from Dean to turn and reach out towards
Kurt, and Kurt didn’t hesitate to hug him as he said gently, “Noah, she’s fine.
I’m sure of it.”
Melanie reached out to put her hand on Puck’s shoulder for just a moment as she
said gently, “I’ll be right back.” She hurried to the nearby door labeled
‘Hospital Staff Only’, disappearing inside to go check the charts or whatever
it was that they kept records on.
Dean looked back at Puck, and he stepped a little closer to put one hand on
Puck’s back, murmuring, “Everything’s okay, you’ll see.”
Kurt could see Puck’s fear as easily as Dean, and he was holding Puck tightly
as he murmured, “Calm down, sweetheart. Melanie would have known if anything
happened, she’s in charge of the nursery for this shift and someone would have
told her if there was a problem.”
Melanie reappeared then, obviously very concerned about them even as she said
with a smile, “The Puckerman chart says that she’s with her mother for her
evening feeding.”
Puck let out a low strangled noise, slumping with relief against Kurt as he
whispered, “Oh thank god.”
“See?” Kurt teased gently, reaching up to stroke Puck’s hair even though he had
staggered slightly when Puck leaned so much of his weight against him. “Your
daughter is fine, Noah. Stop panicking.”
“Our daughter.” Puck looked a little embarrassed as he pulled away from Kurt
then, but relief was still winning out as he said softly, “And I couldn’t help
it.”
Melanie smiled. “You’ve got a very lucky little girl, to have a daddy who loves
her so much.” The way she was watching Puck and Kurt, fond and a little amused,
made Dean sure they had at least one ally at the hospital. Melanie’s reaction
to Kurt and Puck’s obvious love for each other was very different from the
grandmotherly nurse’s disgust or the cool dislike of Quinn’s doctor, and Dean
was glad that Kurt had run across her first. Puck was upset enough without
having to go through someone looking down on him just because he loved Kurt and
refused to hide it.
“Can we go see them?” Puck asked then, pulling away from Kurt a little further
as he turned to give Melanie a pleading look. “We’ll only stay a minute, I
promise. I just want to kiss Beth goodnight and make sure Quinn is okay.”
Melanie looked into Puck’s eyes for a moment and then smiled. “Visiting hours
are almost over, but I think we can bend the rules for a few minutes so Beth’s
daddy can reassure himself she and her mother are both fine.”
Puck blushed a bit at that, looking sheepish. “Thank you.”
Melanie patted his arm lightly. “It’s my job, sweetie. Now come on, Quinn needs
her rest and I’ve got a feeling she won’t settle down for the night until she
has seen you three. She was very insistent to her mother and the doctor earlier
about how important you all are to her.” She turned away to walk off quickly
down the hall, and Puck and Kurt were quick to follow her with Dean trailing
along behind them.
They walked for only a few minutes before Melanie was moving to open the door
of a private room, knocking lightly on the door and then leaning to look
inside. “You have visitors, Quinn,” she said with a cheerful smile. “A certain
mohawked young man is a bit worried about his girls, and his partner and their
friend want to tell you both good night.”
They could all hear Quinn’s happy laugh in the room. “Let them in, please.”
Melanie moved to open the door wide, smiling at Puck. “I’ll be back in a little
while to take Beth back to the nursery, but you can stay until then.”
“Thank you,” Puck said softly, moving to kiss Melanie’s cheek before he walked
quickly into Quinn’s room.
Melanie looked a little surprised but she was still smiling as she watched Puck
go, and Kurt smiled at her as he said softly, “Yes, and thank you for leaving
your dinner to help us. I was afraid he’d really panic if I didn’t find someone
quickly. He’s had a rough day and it’s all been a bit overwhelming for him.”
Melanie smiled and reached out to pat Kurt’s arm “I was glad to help.” She
moved a step away from them then, adding, “You two go on in, and I’ll be back
to get Beth when I’ve finished my dinner.”
“Thank you,” Kurt repeated, and then he walked into Quinn’s room.
Dean gave Melanie a smile and nodded to her before he followed Kurt into the
room, letting the door close behind him. He looked towards the bed then and had
to smile at what he saw, wishing he had a camera.
Quinn was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed with Beth in her arms,
wearing a pretty white nightgown that she had unbuttoned down the front to push
it aside for Beth to nurse. Puck was already sitting by them on the edge of the
bed, his expressive eyes shining and awed as he watched Beth with a rapt
expression.
Kurt moved around the bed to pause close to Quinn’s side, smiling warmly at
Quinn as he murmured, “Hello, sweetie.” He leaned to kiss her cheek and she
gave him a bright happy smile before she looked back down at Beth, watching her
with a soft, loving look in her eyes while Kurt moved a little closer to Puck.
“Everyone asked us to pass along their congratulations.”
Dean walked over to the other side of the bed, leaning to kiss Quinn’s hair
before he stepped back and sat down in the chair by the bed without a word,
watching with a smile. Quinn looked more beautiful every time he saw her, it
seemed like, especially when she was glowing with happiness like she was just
then. She obviously loved her daughter very much, and was very happy to have
her.
Dean could hardly imagine Quinn giving Beth up, and he wondered how that would
work out for them all later down the road. They had two more years of high
school, but Dean wondered how they would handle custody of Beth when the time
came to go their separate ways afterwards. Kurt had plans to stay and work for
his father while he attended a nearby college to study business with a minor in
fashion design, and Puck was planning to spend the summer learning how to be
useful at the garage so he could work there while he attended college too.
Quinn adored Puck and Kurt, but she had made no secret of the fact she didn’t
want to stay anywhere near Lima after she graduated.
Quinn looked over at Dean after a moment, still smiling happily. “I’m glad
you’re here. I wasn’t sure I’d see you again tonight.”
“You can pretty much bet on me being around anytime the nurses will let us in,
beautiful,” Dean replied with a smile. “We’re not leavin’ you here alone any
more than we have to.”
Quinn beamed at him a moment and then looked Kurt and Puck as she murmured,
“I’m glad you’re both here, too. The nurses have been after me to fill out the
birth certificate, but I wanted you both to choose her middle name.”
“Elizabeth Dana,” Kurt said quickly, smiling at Quinn and seeming not to notice
the way Dean was staring at them in shock.
Puck nodded, glancing away from Beth to look at Quinn. “Elizabeth for your
grandmother and Kurt's mom, and Dana for her godfather.” He looked over at Dean
then, grinning when he saw Dean’s face. “Because Dean’s a really cool name, but
almost as bad as Daniels would be for the middle name of such a beautiful
little girl.”
Quinn laughed softly. “Elizabeth Dana is definitely better than Jackie
Daniels.” Kurt laughed, nodding as he gave Puck a fondly exasperated look.
“Wow,” Dean said softly, finally finding his voice as he stared at Puck.
“You’re serious?”
“Definitely,” Puck said, grinning wider at Dean.
“I...  wow,” Dean murmured, completely floored as he just stared at the others.
He had no words for how it made him feel to know they thought that much of him,
and it made him wish again that he could stay even though he knew it could
never work.
“I like it,” Quinn said then, smiling happily as she looked back at Beth, who
had dozed off while she was nursing. Quinn moved one hand to gently tug her
nipple from Beth’s mouth, making Beth’s eyes open to blink sleepily up at her.
Quinn’s smile softened into the sweet, loving look she had been giving Beth
when Dean walked in, and she tugged her gown closed again as she said softly,
“You won’t remember your uncle Dean for long after he leaves us, but maybe if
we beg him enough he’ll come back to visit us all someday.” She lifted Beth to
her shoulder then, carefully supporting her there while she rubbed her back
slowly to burp her.
“And if he doesn’t, then we’ll just have to go find him,” Kurt said firmly,
smiling as he looked over at Dean again. “We all like to travel.”
“Car trips together are going to be fun if today was anything to go by,” Puck
agreed, smiling as he looked up at Kurt. He looked back over at Dean then,
adding, “If he’ll keep in touch so we know where to look.”
“I’ll try,” Dean said after a moment, even though the idea wasn’t exactly a
welcome one. “I can’t promise we’ll see each other again, but maybe we can talk
on the phone.” He was sure it would be hard as hell to say goodbye, but he
thought it might be even worse to talk to them afterwards and be reminded of
how alone he was and how much he missed them. After only a moment of thinking
about it, he admitted very softly, “If I can stand it.”
Puck’s smile faded away. “If it’s going to hurt you that much, babe, maybe it’s
a bad idea.”
“It’ll hurt,” Dean said softly, “but never hearing how you four are doing would
hurt even more, I think.” He smiled crookedly. “Just, don’t be surprised if I
listen more than I talk. I’m not so talkative when I’m tryin’ not to bawl like
a girl.”
“You need a laptop,” Kurt said suddenly, firm and sounding determined. “Then we
can email anytime we want and send pictures and things, and if it ever gets to
be too much to bear you can always come back to it later.”
Dean blinked and though about that a moment before he smiled slowly. “That’d be
really nice.” He had considered getting one before, but there were always other
things they needed more than they needed a toy. That it would let him keep in
touch with three people he cared about more than anyone he could think of
except Sam, Bobby, and his dad was enough to tip the scales in his head towards
getting one anyway, even though it wasn’t something they had to have. He could
use a laptop for research too, and Sam could use it for school, so it wasn’t
like it would be used only for email.
“We’ll get you one tomorrow,” Kurt said, smiling and pleased with himself. “We
passed a Best Buy on the way into town, and they’ll have a good selection.”
Dean opened his mouth to protest, but Kurt went on before he could. “You can
pay me back, if you insist, but I want to have time to get it all set up and
make sure you have everything you need for it before you have to leave. That’s
only a few weeks away, and we’ll all be too busy with finals and taking care of
Beth to go shopping.”
Dean just stared at Kurt for a few moments before he finally smiled. “Thanks,
sunshine.”
Kurt’s smile widened happily. “What’s the good of having money if I can’t spend
it on the people I love?”
The door opened then and they all looked over in surprise.
Quinn’s mother walked in with an Olive Garden tote bag held carefully in front
of her, stopping abruptly when she saw there were other people in the room.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know anyone else was here.” She paused, swallowing hard as
she glanced quickly at Puck, then she started to turn away as she said, “I-
- I’ll go.”
“Mom, stop,” Quinn said then, exasperated. Mrs Fabray turned back towards the
bed, biting her lower lip as Quinn added pointedly, “He is Beth’s father. If
you want to be in her life like you say, you’re going to have to stop running
away whenever you see him.”
“If ... that’s what you want, Quinn.” Mrs Fabray swallowed hard and then
nodded, moving towards the bed again. “I brought your dinner from Olive Garden.
I had them make your favorite.” She held out the tote bag as if to hand it to
Quinn, then realized Quinn’s hands were full with Beth and moved to set it on
the hospital table that was at the foot of the bed instead. “Chicken sautéed
with bacon over a spring mix salad with cheddar cheese and honey dijon dressing
on the side, just like you like it.”
“Thank you,” Quinn said softly, “but it would be nice if you said hello to
Puck, too.”
Mrs Fabray flushed, looking at Puck. “I—Hello. Puck.”
“You don’t have to be afraid of me, ma’am,” Puck said quietly, looking a little
upset, and Dean knew he was kicking himself for how he had acted earlier. “I’m
sorry about yelling at you like that today. When I saw Quinn in so much pain
with you right there, I remembered how she cried herself to sleep for weeks
after you threw her out, and I got kind of mad thinking you had come to hurt
her again when she should have been celebrating.”
“You... were there for her then?” Mrs Fabray asked softly, searching Puck’s
eyes for something.
“No, but Finn told me about it,” Puck said, obviously unhappy as he remembered.
“He didn’t know that Beth was mine then, and we were best friends so he told me
everything. He talked his mom into letting Quinn live with him, and for weeks
he told me every day how she was doing. I wasn’t with her like I wanted to be,
but I tried to make sure she was okay anyway.”
Dean shifted in his chair slightly and was still, feeling like he shouldn’t
really be there for such a private family discussion, but not uncomfortable
enough to get up to go. He knew that talking to Quinn’s mom again had been a
long time coming and he didn’t want to interrupt, so he just sat there
listening and watching them all.
“Quinn told me you have been taking care of her, though,” Mrs Fabray said then
with a slightly puzzled look. “That she lives with you and your mother and
sister.”
“Yes ma’am,” Puck agreed, nodding. “When Finn found out about me being the dad,
he beat the sh—crap out of me and then he went home and told his mom he didn’t
want me or Quinn in their house anymore. She stayed with Santana for a few days
until I found out about it, and then I had a long talk with my mom and she
agreed to let Quinn move into our guest room.”
Kurt let out a little snort and murmured, “And tell her why Nancy agreed,
Noah.”
Puck looked at Kurt and then back over at Mrs Fabray, blushing slightly as he
admitted, “Mostly because I told her if she didn’t, I was going to do whatever
I had to do so I could get a place for Quinn and I to stay. I wasn’t going to
let Quinn live on anyone’s couch, she’s too good for that.”
“I love you too,” Quinn said softly, smiling at Puck.
Puck smiled at Quinn, the expression in his eyes going soft and warm. “I know
you do, momma.”
Quinn smiled at Puck for a moment longer before she looked back over at her
mother. “Puck has been working two jobs for months to support me and Beth,” she
said then, calm and quiet. “You and Daddy would never let me date a boy like
him, but he’s done more than anyone could ever expect of him to make things
right between us. Even when I was treating him like dirt because I was so angry
about the mess I had made of my life, he was always there if I needed him. All
I had to do was ask him for anything, and he’d do whatever it took to take care
of us.”
Mrs Fabray looked at Quinn for a moment and then said quietly, “But he won’t be
marrying you.”
“No, he won’t,” Quinn agreed quickly, “and like I told you earlier, that’s best
for all three of us. He’s always going to be Beth’s dad, and I’ll always be her
mom, but we’re not in love and I won’t marry someone just because we made a
mistake together when we were drunk and lonely.”
Mrs Fabray flinched and looked away. “Like me, you mean.”
“Yes, like you,” Quinn repeated, nodding. “You may have been willing to settle
for pretending to have the perfect family, but I’m not. Puck is the best friend
I’ve got except for Kurt or Santana and Brittany, but we’d hate each other in a
year if we got married just because we had sex once and I got pregnant. I love
him, and I know he loves me, but not like that.” She paused and then added,
“And it wouldn’t be fair to Kurt, or to Santana and Brittany.”
Mrs Fabray looked at Quinn quickly. “So it’s true then? The things I’ve heard
from Candace?”
“I don’t know what rumors you’ve heard,” Quinn said, rolling her eyes.
“Brittany’s mother doesn’t talk to me anymore, not since you threw me out. I’m
not even allowed in her house.”
“That he used to—” Mrs Fabray broke off, flushing, but then she went on. “To
get paid to have sex with lonely housewives, but now he’s decided that he’s
gay.” She was very carefully not looking at Puck as she talked, and Dean had
the feeling she still half expected Puck to attack her. “You’re living with
him, but he’s sleeping with some boy in the Cheerios.”
“He’s in love with my best friend, who is standing right here, Mother. Kurt
just happened to be the one to make sure I had a ride to every doctor’s
appointment and Lamaze class I’ve had in the last few months, and I love him
like the brother I always wanted,” Quinn said pointedly, frowning at her
mother. “And if you have a problem with that, you should probably know right
now that Santana and I are not just friends, and haven’t been since seventh
grade. We’ve been going through a rough stretch because she was so upset I got
pregnant, but we’re still going to California together after we graduate. The
Lakers’ general manager has watched us compete several times, and he told her
at Nationals last week that we’ve got spots waiting for us on their
cheerleading squad when we’re ready for them.”
Mrs Fabray swallowed hard and looked away again. “I knew about Santana,” she
admitted quietly. “Candace told me last year that Brittany had told her she was
in love with Santana, and that you and Santana and Brittany are all more than
friends.”
“Then you should have no problem with Puck and Kurt,” Quinn said firmly.
“There’s no difference between what he has with Kurt and how I feel about
Santana and Brittany. If you can’t accept that, then maybe you should just go
now, Mother.”
Mrs Fabray stared at her daughter for a moment and then said softly, “I know
I’m not saying the right things, but I’m trying very hard, sweetheart.”
“I know,” Quinn said, taking a deep breath as she obviously tried to calm down.
“And it’s a start, at least.”
“I still want you to come back home, sweetie, no matter what,” Mrs Fabray said
then, taking a step closer to the bed as she wrung her hands. “We can turn the
guest bedroom into a nursery and I’ll get the best nanny available for little
Elizabeth while you’re in school.”
“Beth will be living with Kurt and his family,” Quinn said calmly, meeting her
mother’s gaze, and Dean wondered when Quinn had decided that. “Carole is going
to take care of her for us during school, and I don’t think Beth needs to be
shuffled back and forth all the time so she’s just going to live with them
until we graduate. Kurt, Puck, and I will take care of her when we’re not in
school, but we can do that more easily at Kurt’s anyway since we’re usually
there all the time. After we finish school, we’ll decide where to go from
there.”
“Speaking of Carole, I should really go call her and Dad,” Kurt blurted
suddenly, and when Dean glanced at him he had to smile at how wide-eyed Kurt
was. “It totally slipped my mind.” He moved to kiss Quinn’s cheek lightly,
looking sheepish. “I’ll have to go outside to get a signal, sweetie, so I’ll
just say good night now. I’m sure it won’t be long before we have to go anyway,
and if Finn has already told them by now, they’ll be having fits trying to get
a hold of me. My cell never works in big buildings like this, it’s probably
been going straight to voicemail since we walked in the door.”
Quinn smiled at Kurt and leaned up towards him, and Kurt leaned down again to
let her kiss his cheek. “Good night, sweetheart.” She glanced down at Beth’s
sleeping face and then back up at him, grinning suddenly. “Beth wants a kiss
from her papa before you go, though.”
Dean’s smile widened into a grin at the way Kurt let out a soft little
surprised laugh, and then Kurt said, “I still can’t believe you want her to
call me that.” Kurt leaned down to kiss the top of Beth’s head very softly,
smiling as he whispered, “Good night to you too, sweetie.”
Quinn watched him with a happy smile as she teased, “You are the love of her
daddy’s life, and you wouldn’t allow mama, so she has to call you something.”
Kurt let out a strangled little laugh and pulled away. “I’ll get used to papa,
I’m sure.”
“You’d better,” Puck said with a sudden grin, moving to rest one knee on the
bed as he leaned to kiss Quinn lightly on the lips. “G’night, momma. Call us if
you need anything, we’re only going to be about a mile down the road.”
Quinn smiled and nodded. “I will, I promise.”
“Good girl,” Puck said, kissing her again before he looked down at Beth, his
hazel eyes going soft and loving as he looked at her for a moment before he
leaned down to whisper against her wispy hair, “You’re just as beautiful as
your momma, sweetheart.” He kissed Beth’s hair softly and then pulled away,
giving Quinn another smile. “We’ll be back in the morning.”
“I’m sure we’ll be here waiting,” Quinn said with a little laugh. “They won’t
let us leave.”
Dean stood then, chuckling. “You shouldn’t be spending four hours in a car yet
anyway, beautiful.”
Quinn looked at him, amused. “I can sit in the Impala as easy as I can sit in
this bed. Easier, even, since the company will be much better than hospital
staff, and the purr of your baby’s engine will put Beth and I to sleep before
long.”
Dean laughed and moved to lean across the bed, kissing Quinn softly before he
grinned and murmured, “Sounds like I’ll have to remember not to take you for
long drives.”
Quinn giggled. “Not if you want me awake.”
Dean smirked. “I want you any way I can get you.” He brushed a ghost of a kiss
over Beth’s hair and then smiled at Quinn and kissed her again before he pulled
away, adding, “G’night, sweetheart.” He turned to go then, but when he saw Mrs
Fabray’s shocked face he paused, eyebrows going up. “What?”
“Who are you?” Mrs Fabray blurted, staring at Dean.
“He’s my boyfriend,” Quinn said sharply, “and you had better be nice to him.”
Mrs Fabray stared at Quinn in shock for a moment and then swallowed hard. “If
... that’s what you want, Quinny.”
“It is,” Quinn said firmly. “Dean is very important to me, Mother, and he has
to move away after school is out so I intend to spend a lot of time with him
while I can. I might even move in with him for the next few weeks.”
Dean looked at Quinn in surprise, grinning. “We’d love to have you, beautiful.”
His grin turned impish as he added, “I’ll even get out of bed and make you
bacon at four AM whenever you want.”
Quinn giggled and beamed at Dean, her eyes sparkling as she teased, “Now that’s
love, right there.”
Kurt laughed and started towards the door, reaching for Puck’s hand to tug him
along behind him. “Good night, sweetie. Mrs Fabray. We’ll be by sometime after
visiting hours begin in the morning, I promise.”
“Night, momma,” Puck echoed, following Kurt to the door as he glanced back at
Quinn with a smile. “Stay out of trouble.”
“I will,” Quinn replied with a suddenly wicked smile. “Enjoy yourselves
tonight.”
Kurt let out a little laugh and blushed, glancing back as he reached the door.
“We will, I promise.” He towed Puck out without letting him have a chance to
add anything, but the look on Puck’s face was enough to make Dean and Quinn
both snicker.
“Anything you need before I go?” Dean asked, grinning at Quinn.
“Not a thing,” Quinn said quickly, smiling, and then she seemed to think of
something and added quickly, “Except one thing.”
“Tell me and it’s yours,” Dean replied, grinning a bit wider.
“Who won today?” Quinn asked with a little laugh. “I completely forgot to ask
until now.”
“Vocal Adrenaline,” Dean said, amused. “We got second though, and Schue says
it’s enough that Figgy’ll let you all have another year.”
“Wonderful!” Quinn beamed happily.
Dean grinned and nodded. “Definitely. You’ll probably want to call and talk to
your girl about it, too. She and Brit are getting a ride home with Mike and
Sammy, but I bet they’d love to hear from you. They have some news for you too,
but I’ll let them tell you.” He moved to kiss Quinn again, mostly because he
could, and then headed for the door. “See you in the morning, beautiful.”
“Night, honey,” Quinn said happily, and then a moment later Dean was out in the
hall, where Puck and Kurt were talking quietly to Melanie.
“Visiting hours start at ten, and I’ll make sure you’re both listed as Beth’s
family,” Melanie was saying, smiling warmly at Puck and Kurt even though Kurt
was leaning against Puck’s side and Puck had an arm around him. “There’s no
reason you can’t spend the day with them, they’re perfectly healthy and the
activity will be good for Quinn. She needs to be up and around tomorrow, even
though she can’t go home just yet.”
“We’ll be here sometime around ten, then,” Kurt said with a smile. “And thank
you for all of your help tonight, Melanie.”
“You’re very welcome, sweetie,” Melanie said with a smile, starting towards
Quinn’s room again. “I’ll be on duty tomorrow from noon until eight just like
tonight, so come by the desk and let me know if you need anything.”
“Thank you, we will,” Puck said, smiling as he started Kurt down the hall.
“Have a good night, ma’am.”
“You too,” Melanie said cheerfully, giving Dean a bright smile before she
disappeared into Quinn’s room.
Dean grinned as he moved quickly to catch up to Puck and Kurt, falling in next
to them so Kurt was in the middle as he asked, “So are we heading out to eat,
or what?”
“Or what,” Kurt said promptly, smiling at Dean and reaching to take his hand as
they walked along the hall. “We won’t have time for shopping in the morning if
we’re going to be here at ten, so we’re going to Best Buy and then we need to
find a Toys-R-Us before we go get dinner.”
“What do we need at Toys-R-Us?” Puck asked with a little laugh. “Beth’s a
little young for toys, isn’t she?”
“We need a car seat, of course,” Kurt said, laughing as he looked at Puck.
“There might not be anywhere open on a Sunday to get a decent one, and Monday
morning we’ll be a bit busy at the hospital with Quinn.”
“If your dad lets us stay,” Puck said, giving Kurt an amused smile. “You still
haven’t called him to ask.”
Dean realized suddenly that Puck didn’t intend to ask his mom if he could stay
until Monday, just tell her that he was going to, and he wondered how it would
go over with her. Dean knew that Nancy could be strict even though she
sometimes let Puck do anything he wanted to, and he had a sneaking suspicion
that Nancy wouldn’t like them staying in Indianapolis. The declaration he
wouldn’t be home Saturday night had already gotten Puck a lecture that he
didn’t want to talk about, and Dean knew Nancy would not be at all pleased by
the idea of Puck being gone for another night.
“He won’t mind,” Kurt said confidently as they reached the corner where they
had to turn towards the exit. “He adores Quinn and he’s looking forward to
having Beth around, so he’ll say yes to anything I ask him for tonight I bet.”
Dean snickered, pretending not to see the way the two nurses at the maternity
ward desk were staring at them. The grandmotherly nurse who had been in the
recovery room with them after Beth was born was one of them, and she looked
disgusted again as she whispered something to the other nurse. It made Dean
want to pull Kurt and Puck in and make out with them right there in front of
the old biddy, but he behaved himself. “He is kinda wrapped around your
finger.”
Kurt grinned impishly at Dean. “Shh, don’t tell him.”
Dean and Puck both just laughed.
 
 
***** TWELVE *****
Chapter Summary
     Note: This chapter contains explicit underage sex.
 
Puck was smiling softly as he reached for Kurt’s hand, holding it with their
hands resting on the table as he murmured to Kurt, “Is it as good as you
expected?”
Kurt beamed at Puck, nodding. “The veal scaloppini is absolutely divine,
sweetheart. Here, try a bite.” He offered Puck a bite on his fork and Puck
grinned as he leaned closer and opened his mouth to take it.
“Excuse me, sir,” someone said quietly, making Dean look away from Puck and
Kurt in surprise to see an older man in an expensive suit standing next to him.
“I am very sorry, but there have been ... complaints made by some of our other
patrons. I’m afraid I am going to have to ask you to leave.”
Dean frowned, surprised. “What kind of complaints? We haven’t been loud or
bothered anyone.”
“That isn’t important, sir,” the man said quietly. “As manager of this
establishment it is my duty to see to it that our customers get what they want.
One complaint I could ignore, but there have been quite a few and I am afraid
that I must ask you to leave. I am very sorry, but I hope that you will
understand. There will be no charge for your meal, of course.”
“The one we haven’t gotten to eat, you mean?” Puck asked sharply.
Kurt stood up then with his face flushed red in embarrassment, dropping his
napkin on his plate as if he hadn’t been enjoying the meal he had barely
started. “Noah, Dean, please. Let’s just go.” He looked at the manager, adding,
“I’m sorry that—”
“Kurt, don’t you dare apologize to him,” Puck interrupted then, standing
quickly and looking angry. “He should be apologizing to you.”
Kurt looked at Puck and said softly, “He did, Noah. He’s just doing his job.”
He held his hand out to Puck, adding, “Now please walk me to the car. I find
myself in desperate need of some fresh air.”
Puck ignored the outstretched hand, moving to put his arm around Kurt instead
as he gave the manager a murderous look. “You’re lucky he just wants to get out
of here, mister.” Puck turned back towards Kurt and met his gaze, and the anger
in Puck’s eyes faded away into a pained look. “Let’s go, baby,” Puck said
gently, upset and unhappy but trying hard to do as Kurt wanted him to.
Kurt gave Puck a grateful smile and then they started towards the door
together, and just a glance around the room was enough to tell Dean that almost
everyone in the tiny, expensive restaurant disapproved of their relationship.
He saw more than one parent that seemed to be telling their children not to
even look at them, and quite a few people who looked disgusted or even angry as
they watched them go. It was enough to make Dean want to hurt someone, but he
knew that if he did, it would just upset Kurt more.
Dean stood and moved very close to the manager instead, staring into the man’s
surprised eyes with his tone of voice gone icy cold and hard as he said
quietly, “You should be thanking your guardian angel that the sweet kid you
just humiliated doesn’t want me to kill you for it.” He stared into the man’s
eyes a moment longer, enjoying the sudden fear there, and then he turned on his
heel to leave before he lost his grip on his temper and did something Kurt
would never forgive him for.
Dean followed Kurt and Puck to the passenger side of the Impala to unlock the
door for them, and then he walked around the car to unlock his own door and get
in as he wondered how often Kurt had been treated like that. The kid had
accepted it way too easily for it to be the first time, which filled Dean with
a frustrated, helpless anger at the world they lived in.
Their evening had gone so well since they left the hospital that Dean had begun
to feel that maybe he could just be himself, could survive coming out to
everyone and being honest for the first time in his life. The clerk at Best Buy
who had helped them had been sweet and funny and she had said twice how
adorable she thought Kurt and Puck were together, getting sappy and giggly over
the way they couldn’t seem to stop touching each other. Three different people
had helped them at Toys R Us, and all of them had been nice even though Kurt
had been holding Dean’s hand while he walked with his arm around Puck.
Dean had finally let himself relax by the time they got to the restaurant,
feeling safe to just enjoy himself and not worry about what anyone would think,
but reality just had to come crashing back down and remind him that his life
wasn’t ever going to be that easy.
Dean looked over at Kurt and Puck as he put his seatbelt on, watching as Kurt
waited for Puck to buckle up and then settled in close to him, looking kind of
sad as he slid his arms around Puck’s waist. “Thank you both for leaving,” Kurt
said softly then, not looking at either of them. “I know you didn’t want to,
but arguing with that kind of thing only makes it much worse.”
Puck turned a little in the seat as he wrapped his arms around Kurt, resting
his cheek against Kurt’s hair and looking guilty as he murmured, “I’m sorry,
baby. I should have kept my hands to myself better.”
Kurt pulled away from Puck to stare at him, frowning. “Stop that! I don’t want
you to keep your hands to yourself. I love knowing how much you want to touch
me, Noah. Please don’t ever hide that because someone we don’t even know might
not like it.”
Puck looked into Kurt’s eyes for a long moment before he said, “I could see how
much it hurt you to be asked to leave. No one would have known we’re together
if I wasn’t touching you all the time.”
“I’ve been asked to leave many times before,” Kurt replied sharply, “and you
weren’t even there, so it can’t have been your fault.” Puck looked helpless and
pained at that and Kurt sighed, lifting one hand to stroke Puck’s cheek as he
said more gently, “Sweetheart, I can’t hide the fact I’m gay, not and enjoy my
life in any meaningful way. Homophobic assholes will always spot me and
complain I’m dirtying up their air. It’s happened to me a thousand times, and
it’s going to happen again. We live in Ohio, and the ignorant rednecks
outnumber the intelligent people by a very large margin.”
“That’s really shitty,” Puck said, obviously upset. “I’m so sorry I ever made
you feel like that. It was never about you being gay, baby, no matter what I
might have said.”
“I know you didn’t mean the things you said, sweetheart,” Kurt said with a
sudden soft smile. “I always knew that. Why do you think it was always you I
ordered to throw me in the dumpster if you were there?”  Puck’s eyes widened in
surprise and Kurt leaned to kiss him lightly, and then went on with a fond
smile. “You said mean things sometimes, and you called me a fag every day for
years, but it never hurt like it did from the people that really hated me. You
were always careful not to hurt me, and you would make the other guys wait for
me to take off anything I didn’t want in the dumpster if I asked you to. I was
afraid of you a bit, yes, but only when your buddies were around to push you
into doing something drastic. Even when you knocked me into a wall to remind me
to stay out of your way, you never really hurt me. I guess you never noticed
that I didn’t try to get away if it was just you that approached me, or you and
Finn.” He laughed. “Well, unless you had a slushy.”
“I noticed it was always me you wanted to throw you in. I just thought you
picked me to show them you weren’t afraid of anyone,” Puck said softly, still
looking kind of surprised.
“Sweetheart, Karofsky terrifies me, and Azimio is even worse if I lose control
of my temper and make him mad,” Kurt said quietly, looking slightly amused. “I
learned a long time ago that people like them are just like wolves, and they
will attack at the slightest hint of weakness or fear. They have never
hesitated to hurt me anytime they caught me alone, but if I allowed them see
how scared I was it always just made it worse.”
“Like Karofsky did the day Dean scared the piss out of him,” Puck said quietly,
his expression unreadable.
Kurt nodded. “Exactly like that. He caught me as I was leaving the girls’
bathroom, and I was so surprised that I didn’t hide how much he scares me very
well. That gave him the confidence to throw me into the boys’ bathroom and
start making threats that I am very sure he would have carried out if Dean
hadn’t been there.”
“I should have been there,” Puck said softly. “I still want to kill him for
ever laying a hand on you.”
“You can’t kill that many people, sweetheart,” Kurt said with amusement,
leaning to kiss Puck again before he gave him a warm, loving smile. “If you
did, I’d have to kill you myself for getting the death penalty and leaving me
all alone, and then I would end up in jail and that just would not be pretty.
Orange clashes terribly with my skin tone.”
Puck laughed softly and kissed Kurt again, then smiled at him. “I’ll try to
restrain myself.”
“You do that,” Kurt said, settling against Puck side with a smile and looking
over at Dean. “We can go now.”
Dean smiled at Kurt, starting the car as he asked, “Got any preference for
where?”
“Let me check my phone and then I will,” Kurt said, shifting to dig into his
back pocket. “I should have done this earlier, but I had hoped Indianapolis was
a large enough town I wouldn’t have to.”
“Have to what?” Dean asked, curious.
“My phone has internet access, and they have web sites for everything now,
including finding queer-friendly restaurants,” Kurt explained, navigating
quickly through screens on his Blackberry. “I usually do a search when I go to
Dayton with the girls and they want to eat somewhere new, but sometimes I still
forget that I’m such a flamer.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Puck said, smirking at the way Kurt
looked at him in surprise. “I think you’re pretty close to perfect, babe.
You’re always looking good enough to eat, and you’re sexier than any woman I
ever knew.”
Kurt smiled and kissed Puck softly, then murmured, “I love you too.” He looked
back down to play with the Blackberry a bit more and then looked at Dean, still
smiling. “You’ll want to turn left when we leave here, and go six blocks before
we turn right into an Outback Steakhouse parking lot. We should all feel much
more at home there. They have excellent reviews for treating all their
customers well, and I know you both love a good steak.”
“You got it, sunshine,” Dean agreed, smiling as he turned in his seat to back
the Impala out of her parking spot so they could go.
As he drove towards the parking lot’s exit, Dean decided he’d have to look into
sites that could tell him stuff like that once he got his new Dell laptop up to
speed. He wouldn’t need it anytime soon, but after Sam was in college it’d be
nice to know where he would be welcomed. It wouldn’t be easy, but he intended
to find somewhere that the weather was nice and settle down for a while to see
if maybe he could go native. Sam had asked him to, after all, and Dean had
promised he would try.
Dean had already decided that once he was on his own, he was going to be as out
as he could stand to be.
 
                                      ~*~
 
It was after ten when Kurt unlocked the door to their hotel room, moving inside
and then holding the door open for Dean and Puck to follow him in.
Dean had Kurt’s gym bag and his own over one shoulder with Puck’s guitar slung
across his back, and he was carrying a box with a newborn-approved car seat in
it. The box said ‘some assembly required’, so they figured it would be a good
project for the next evening after visiting hours at the hospital ended. When
they were ready to put it together, Dean would get whatever tools they needed
out of the Impala’s trunk, but until then the box could just sit in their room.
The seat was a top-of-the-line model in soft grey and pink, and it looked
complicated enough that Dean expected it to take all three of them to get it
assembled.
Puck was right behind him with several bags that had prominent ‘Toys R Us’
logos on them and a nice black leather backpack that held Dean’s new Dell
laptop and the equipment that went with it. The bags wouldn’t all fit in the
trunk – there were a half a dozen more bags in there, all of them of things for
Beth because Kurt had gone a bit overboard – and Dean didn’t like leaving his
baby in a strange place with anything tempting in the seats, so they had
decided to just bring it all in the hotel.
Dean carried the box over to set it in the floor near the television, looking
around their room in surprise. “Wow.”
The room was much nicer than any Dean had ever stayed in with a king-sized bed,
a couch and two chairs, a coffee table, a small entertainment center with a DVD
player, and a small kitchenette complete with a tiny fridge, a coffee pot, and
a microwave. The carpet was a neutral cream color and felt deep and soft under
Dean’s boots, and furniture and the bed were all in matching shades of cream.
It all looked expensive to Dean, who was suddenly feeling a lot better about
how much the room had cost.
“This is nice,” Puck agreed as he put his bags down on the couch, grinning.
Kurt laughed and closed the door, walking over towards Dean and Puck as he
teased, “You’d think you two have never seen a hotel room before.”
“I haven’t,” Puck said with a laugh, reaching out to pull Kurt into his arms.
“Mom never goes anywhere.”
Kurt laughed and looked at Dean, leaning back against Puck’s chest and looking
happy. “I can’t believe you’ve never seen a hotel room, not as much as you’ve
moved around.”
“Hell, I lived in motels most of my life, but none of them were like this,”
Dean said quickly, grinning. “They were little fleabag places where you’re
afraid to take off your shoes because the floors stick to ‘em.”
Kurt wrinkled his nose. “There just isn’t enough ‘ew’ in the world for that
mental image.”
Puck snickered and kissed Kurt’s temple. “Try not to think about it, baby.”
Dean chuckled, putting his bag and Kurt’s on the couch before he shrugged out
of the strap on Puck’s Gibson, putting it in one of the chairs where it
wouldn’t fall and no one would stumble over it in the dark. Dean never slept
more than a few hours a night and he knew Puck didn’t either, so he figured
that either or both of them might end up awake at four in the morning.
“Come here,” Kurt said softly then, and Dean looked over to see Kurt was
holding one hand out to him and smiling.
Dean walked over to take Kurt’s hand, smiling too as he murmured, “Yeah,
sunshine?”
“I want a kiss,” Kurt said with a sweet smile, “and then I want to watch you
kissing Noah.”
“Anything you want,” Dean agreed with a sudden little grin, moving closer as he
leaned in to kiss Kurt, who made a low happy noise and let go of his hand to
slide his arms up around Dean’s neck instead. Dean’s hands settled on Kurt’s
waist as he pressed a little closer to him, feeling Puck’s strong arms against
his stomach between them as he and Kurt kissed slowly, exploring as if they
might take all night.
“It’s kind scary how hot that is,” Puck murmured near Kurt’s ear after a few
minutes, his arms still around Kurt’s waist between Kurt and Dean, holding Kurt
close while he watched them kissing only a few inches away. “Makes me want you
both naked and in my bed right this minute.”
Kurt made a soft noise into Dean’s mouth and shifted slightly between them,
pressing back more against Puck, who groaned and leaned down to start trailing
nipping little kisses along Kurt’s neck. Kurt ended the kiss with Dean then,
gasping as his head fell to the side to give Puck better access and he let his
hands fall to Puck’s forearms again. “God yes,” he gasped softly. “Please.”
Dean smirked and started to loosen Kurt’s necktie, leaning in to kiss him
softly again and then murmuring huskily, “Just relax and let us take care of
you.”
Kurt looked into Dean’s eyes for a moment, the pupils of his vividly blue eyes
blown wide with hunger, and then he finally whispered, “Okay.”
Dean gave him a soft smile and dropped the tie to the floor as he leaned in to
kiss Kurt again, this time keeping it tender and almost chaste while he began
to unbutton Kurt’s black dress shirt. Puck’s hands moved to help him, tugging
up Kurt’s shirts to free them from his tight jeans, and then Kurt was moaning
into Dean’s mouth and deepening the kiss as Puck’s hands slid under the soft
cotton of Kurt’s undershirt to stroke his flat, toned belly.
“So fucking hot, baby,” Puck breathed into Kurt’s ear then, and Dean could feel
Puck’s hips flex to grind gently against Kurt’s ass.
Kurt’s back arched and he rocked his hips back towards Puck with a needy sound,
and then Dean broke the kiss to start tugging Kurt’s shirts off. “You need to
be more naked, sweetheart,” Dean said quietly then, smirking as he saw the
slightly surprised look on Kurt’s face.
It only took Dean a moment to get rid of Kurt’s shirts and he was reaching for
Kurt’s belt when Kurt grabbed his hands and murmured softly, “You first.” He
swallowed hard, looking shy but very aroused as he admitted, “I want to watch
you with Noah first, and if I get naked that won’t happen.”
Dean smiled and leaned in to kiss Kurt softly again before he murmured, “Like I
said, anything you want.” He pulled away, tugging his tie loose and then
dropping it as he walked slowly towards the bed. “C’mon, Puckasaurus. Your baby
wants us to show him what he’s been missing.”
Puck made a low rumbling noise, nuzzling Kurt’s ear as he breathed out softly,
“Just tell us what you want to see, and we’ll do it for you.” He kissed below
Kurt’s ear and then pulled away from him, his gaze intent as he stalked slowly
towards Dean.
Dean tugged his shirt and tank top up and off over his head without bothering
to unbutton the button-front first, toeing out of the dress shoes he wore as he
reached for his belt, giving Puck a hungry little grin. “More naked.”
Puck reached for his tie, loosening it enough to pull it off over his head, and
then he was quickly unbuttoning his shirt, his gaze intent on Dean’s hands
while he watched Dean unfasten his jeans with a wicked smirk. He had already
kicked out of his shoes at some point, though Dean hadn’t noticed him doing it.
“Naked would be good.”
Kurt moved over to pull back the covers on the bed and then sat down on the
foot of the bed where he would be closer to them, pulling his knees up to his
chest and wrapping his arms around his legs as he watched Dean step out of his
jeans and boxers. “Noah’s right, you have a beautiful body, Dean.”
Dean looked quickly at Kurt in surprise, blushing even though he was smiling.
“I’m glad you think so.” He looked back at Puck just as Puck started to shove
down his own jeans, watching him intently as he added, “But I gotta think he
has me beat.”
Puck straightened and kicked his jeans aside, naked and hard and not even a
little ashamed of either one as he picked up one foot and then the other to
take off his socks. He was smirking and looking entirely too smug about the way
they were both looking at him as he moved towards Dean again, stepping in close
as he purred, “I’m gonna have you alright, but a beating has nothing to do with
it.”
Puck pulled Dean closer to kiss him, and Dean let out a soft noise as he melted
against him, his hands running over Puck’s muscular shoulders as Kurt murmured,
“You’ll understand if I agree with Dean, I’m sure.”
Dean made an agreeing noise but didn’t pull away from Puck, who was kissing him
like he wanted to eat Dean alive. Puck’s hands slid down to Dean’s ass after a
few moments, stroking and squeezing as Puck’s hips flexed in a slow dirty grind
against Dean that made him moan as his own hips jerked in response. They were
so close to the same height that their cocks aligned almost perfectly, rubbing
against each other with every move of Puck’s talented hips, and it felt
fantastic as far as Dean was concerned.
Puck broke the kiss then, trailing nipping kisses along Dean’s jaw to his ear
as his hips flexed again and then he growled softly into Dean’s ear, “I’m gonna
fuck you so good you’ll feel it all day tomorrow.”
“Please,” Dean whispered, barely even aware of Kurt any more as his hips moved
against Puck again, turning his head to catch Puck’s lips with his in a hard,
hungry kiss before he pulled away and murmured, “The stuff’s in my bag.”
“I’ll get it,” Kurt said quickly, practically leaping off the bed to head for
Dean’s bag.
Puck smirked, watching Kurt for a moment before he looked back at Dean, pushing
Dean back towards the bed as he said softly, “On the bed, Deano. I want you on
your back so I can watch your face while I fuck you.”
“Alright,” Dean agreed with a hint of a blush as he pulled away from Puck to
climb on the bed, moving to lay back against the pillows as Puck followed. Dean
spread his legs automatically to let Puck settle between them like it was where
he belonged, making a low noise as he reached for Puck and arching his back at
the way Puck immediately thrust against him, ducking to bite Dean’s throat.
“I’m gonna finger you until you come,” Puck purred against his jaw, grinding
their erections together slowly while Dean clutched at his back and shoulders.
He nipped at the sensitive spot near the hollow of Dean’s throat, nuzzling
aside Dean’s amulet to lick into the hollow too before he breathed out softly,
“And then Kurt’s going to watch me fuck you hard and deep until you come again
just from that so he knows how good it can be.”
“God yes,” Dean breathed out softly, canting his hips a bit to get a better
angle for Puck to thrust against him. “Please.”
The bed dipped next to them and Dean looked over to see Kurt was there with the
bottle of Wet and a handful of condoms from Dean’s bag, silent as he watched
them with hungry eyes.
Puck leaned to kiss Kurt and then took the lube and settled back on his knees
between Dean’s legs as he said, “Thanks, baby.”
Kurt smiled at Puck before he looked at Dean, licking his lips and then
hesitating a moment before he whispered, “Can I touch you?  While he-” He
blushed, looking a bit shy but very turned on. “While he fingers you?”
Dean reached for Kurt with one hand, giving him a soft smile as he stroked
Kurt’s side slowly. “You can do anything you want to do to me, sunshine.”
“Oh good,” Kurt said with a sudden smile, moving to lean over Dean’s chest as
he kissed him.
Dean was a little surprised by how forceful the kiss was but he decided
immediately that he liked seeing a more dominant side of Kurt, groaning softly
as he let Kurt devour his mouth hungrily.
Puck’s hand slid slowly up Dean’s belly, tweaking his nipple just before the
slick fingertips of his other hand stroked across Dean’s entrance, making Dean
spread his legs even wider with a low little needy noise. Puck could have
fucked him without stretching him at all just then and Dean would have loved it
despite the burn, but the feel of Puck’s fingertips so close to where he wanted
them made Dean glad Puck wasn’t going to rush.
Kurt nipped Dean’s lower lip and then began to trail soft little kisses down
his throat as Dean arched his back, closing his eyes and groaning soft and low
at the feel of two of Puck’s fingers pressing slowly into him.
Kurt pulled back to watch what Puck was doing, his hand stroking over Dean’s
chest, and Dean opened his eyes again to watch them as Kurt looked at Puck and
murmured, “Do you always start with two?” He blushed very red as he admitted,
“I have to start with one, and even then I have to go slow at first.”
Puck smiled and leaned to kiss Kurt again, gentle and loving, and then he
murmured, “Don’t worry, baby, I’ll be careful with you, I promise.” He flexed
his hand, fingertips pressing firmly against Dean’s prostate, and Dean’s hips
jerked up as he let out a low strangled noise that made Puck smirk as he looked
into Dean’s eyes. “Dean can take it a little rough. He loves it almost as much
as I love making him fall apart.”
Dean felt his face heating up and he opened his mouth to say something, but he
forgot what it was when Puck deftly began to massage his prostate with an
unhurried circling motion that felt marvelous to Dean. He didn’t even try to
stop the noises he was making as his hips lifted to try and get Puck’s fingers
into him even deeper, clutching at the sheets under him as his hips moved with
every flex of Puck’s hand. He fought to keep his eyes open, wanting to watch
Kurt and Puck even though he felt like just throwing his head back and getting
lost in what Puck was doing to him.
Kurt was looking at Dean’s cock, which was dripping precome against his belly,
and then he glanced at Puck and murmured, “Do you mind?”
Puck leaned to kiss Kurt again, lingering for a long moment while his talented
fingers made Dean gasp and writhe, and then he smiled at Kurt as he said
softly, “I meant it when I said anything you want to do with Dean is fine with
me, babe. Anybody else I’d have to kill for touching you, but you can do
anything with Dean and I’ll love it as long as you let me watch.” He smirked
wickedly. “Or help.”
Kurt kissed Puck again and then he looked at Dean for a second before he leaned
down to nuzzle at the head of Dean’s cock with his lips, earning a low whimper
as Dean tried to hold still. Kurt looked up at Dean’s face with a little smile,
searching his eyes for a moment before he leaned down again, moving one hand to
the base of Dean’s cock to hold it loosely as he licked slowly at the crown,
making a low noise at the taste of him while Dean shuddered under him.
Puck smirked as he tugged his fingers free of Dean’s body and then slipped
three fingers back into him, his free hand moving to Dean’s hip to help hold
him down. “Just go for it, baby. Dean’ll speak up if you do something he
doesn’t like.”
Kurt glanced at Puck, blushing more, and then he took the head of Dean’s cock
into his mouth, suckling softly as his tongue swirled over the sensitive flesh.
Dean shuddered again, muscles jumping under the smooth skin of his belly as he
fought his body’s need to thrust, unable to take his gaze off the way Kurt
looked as he took more of Dean’s erection into his mouth, his lips red and wet
and his cheeks hollowing as he began to suck harder. Dean found himself
thinking that his cock in Kurt’s mouth was hotter than it had any right to be,
and then Kurt did something with his tongue that made Dean gasp and finally
close his eyes as his hips lifted slightly.
“That’s so fucking sexy, baby,” Puck said softly then, his fingers twisting
inside Dean and making him writhe as he opened his eyes again. Puck was leaning
forward to kiss along Kurt’s shoulder, muscles in his arm flexing as he spread
his fingers to stretch Dean open a little more and then went back to teasing
his prostate with quick little flicks of his fingers that had Dean’s hips
trying to jerk up off the bed. Puck nuzzled the nape of Kurt’s neck and then
whispered, “I can’t wait to finally have that hot little mouth of yours on my
dick.”
Kurt groaned softly around Dean’s cock, and the vibration of it made Dean’s
muscles jerk again as a fresh spurt of precome filled Kurt’s mouth. Kurt made a
low purring noise and then he suddenly took his hand off the base of Dean’s
cock to let more of the shaft into his mouth, and when the crown nudged the
back of his throat he just kept going, swallowing Dean’s cock to the root like
he had been sucking cock for years. Dean whimpered, hips jerking at the feel of
Kurt’s throat working around of his cock, and then Kurt was pulling off to take
a deep breath and do it again.
“Holy shit,” Puck breathed out softly, watching Kurt with awe as his fingers
moved a little faster inside Dean, driving him towards the edge.
Dean let out a low whimper when Kurt’s head bobbed again, eyes closing as he
arched up and gasped, “Fuck. I’m so clo—” He broke off with another gasp as
Kurt swallowed around his throbbing cock, throat squeezing tight, and then Kurt
pulled back quickly to suck hard on the crown, tongue flicking against the
underside as his hand closed tight around the shaft and stroked in short little
jerks. Dean was coming a moment later, shuddering as his body clenched tight on
Puck’s fingers and his hips jerked with each pulse of his cock, groaning at the
way Kurt just made a hungry noise and swallowed it all down.
“God, baby, where did you learn that?” Puck asked softly. His fingers were
moving slowly inside Dean still, but he was stretching him carefully instead of
driving him so relentlessly towards orgasm.
Dean opened his eyes as he relaxed bonelessly and tried to catch his breath,
watching as Kurt finally pulled off of Dean’s cock with a soft wet pop, licking
his swollen lips as he looked into Puck’s eyes. “Remember how I said I can get
my knees behind my shoulders?” Kurt asked quietly, his voice deeper than usual
and a little rough. Puck nodded wordlessly, wide-eyed and looking like he kind
of wanted to eat Kurt alive, and Kurt’s reddened lips curved into a wicked
little smirk despite his blush. “I can also reach to suck my own cock.” He
paused and turned even redder as he admitted, “And I practiced with a toy some,
too. I wanted to know what I was doing if I ever got the chance to blow you.”
Puck groaned. “You are so letting me watch you suck your dick sometime.”
Kurt moved to kiss Puck, who growled and deepened the kiss immediately to lick
into Kurt’s mouth and share taste of Dean’s come, and then Kurt pulled away
just enough to whisper, “Promise.” He kissed Puck again, mouths open and
tongues sliding wetly together, and Dean shifted slightly to get more
comfortable, making a low noise when the movement made Puck flex his fingers,
thrusting them deeper into him again.
Kurt pulled away from Puck, licking his lips as he moved up to get a condom off
the bedside table and then laid down close to Dean’s side as he offered it to
Puck, murmuring, “You’re going to need this soon, I think.”
“Thanks, babe,” Puck said with a smirk, taking the rubber with his free hand as
he twisted the fingers still deep inside of Dean, making Dean groan and close
his eyes as his hips lifted. Puck repeated it twice more before his fingers
were suddenly gone, and Dean opened his eyes again to watch Puck putting the
condom on with practiced ease. “It’s not gonna last as long as I’d like,” Puck
murmured as he slicked lube over his cock a moment later, staring into Dean’s
eyes. “Watching that was just too hot.”
Dean lifted one hand to reach towards Puck, murmuring, “Stop makin’ excuses and
fuck me already. You couldn’t do it wrong if you tried.”
Puck laughed softly and moved to stretch out over Dean, his weight settling on
Dean’s chest and making Dean hum in appreciation as Puck kissed him lightly.
Puck’s hand slid under Dean’s shoulders then, and Puck pulled away just enough
to murmur with a smirk, “Just hold on and enjoy the ride, babe.”
Dean moved one hand into Puck’s hair to pull him into another kiss, his other
hand clutching at Puck’s shoulder as he lifted his legs to wrap around Puck’s
waist, and then Puck was thrusting into him in one quick move, burying his cock
deep inside Dean’s ass as Dean groaned. Puck was still for only a moment while
he let Dean adjust and then he began to move, hips settling into a slow steady
rhythm as Dean threw back his head, eyes closing as his hips jerked up to meet
every thrust, his cock already hardening again between them.
Puck nuzzled Dean’s throat, licking and sucking at the sweaty skin there before
he whispered against his skin, “Feel so fucking good, Deano.” He nipped Dean’s
throat then, hips thrusting a bit harder as he added huskily, “Love how you
just take all I can give.”
Kurt’s hand slid between them then, reaching for Dean’s cock, and Dean’s eyes
opened to look at him in surprise as Kurt began to jerk him off in time with
Puck’s thrusts. “You look so good together,” Kurt whispered, and then he
settled in closer to Dean’s side, pressing the hard denim-covered bulge of his
erection against Dean’s hip as he kissed him, his thumb stroking over the crown
of Dean’s cock. Dean could still taste himself in Kurt’s mouth as they kissed,
wet and hungry and so good that Dean could hardly believe he hadn’t wanted to
kiss Kurt at all just a few weeks ago.
Puck groaned softly as he watched them kissing, shifting up to brace his hands
on the bed again so he could watch them more easily as he thrust into Dean at a
slightly different angle, making Dean cry out softly into Kurt’s mouth as
Puck’s cock started rubbing against his prostate with every thrust. “Come on,
babe,” Puck murmured after a moment, his thrusts getting a little faster and
harder as he got closer to the edge. “Come with us. You know you want to.”
Kurt made a low noise into Dean’s mouth and shuddered, fingers tightening
around Dean’s cock as his hips jerked against Dean twice and then he came in
his pants. Dean whimpered into Kurt’s mouth at how tight the grip was on his
cock suddenly, right on the edge between perfect and painful as his body
clenched tight around Puck’s cock and he came a second time, just a few
dribbles of white painting Kurt’s hand and his own belly.
Puck shuddered and breathed out, “Oh fuck, baby.” His hips jerked, thrusting
hard and fast into Dean only a few more times before he stiffened and came with
a ragged groan, hips moving slightly with each spasm of his cock deep inside
Dean. He let himself settle over Dean’s chest after a few moments, seeming not
to notice the semen smeared between them as he slid his arms around both of
them, whispering into Kurt’s ear, “That was the hottest thing I ever saw.”
Kurt turned his head to kiss Puck, soft and sweet, and then whispered, “Ditto,
sweetheart.”
Dean wrapped his arms around both of them, letting his legs fall back to the
bed and tangle with theirs as he murmured, “I’ve got a feelin’ it don’t get
much better.” He licked his lips, watching the way Kurt and Puck were staring
into each other’s eyes as he smiled and added, “Or won’t for me, at least. I’m
pretty sure you’ll both be flying after you finally fuck each other.”
Puck let out a little laugh and murmured, “Give me a few minutes, I still can’t
feel my legs.”
Kurt giggled and kissed Puck again, and they both pretended not to hear Dean
snickering at them.
Dean watched them with amusement for a few moments before he smirked and
shifted under Puck, moving one leg back around Puck’s hips as he gave a little
thrust up towards him.
Puck made a low noise into Kurt’s mouth as his hips jerked slightly in
response, still mostly hard inside Dean even though he already came. He pulled
away from Kurt to give Dean a little smirk, hips rocking to thrust into him
again as he teased, “Someone getting bored?”
“Not even,” Dean replied with an answering smirk, “but if you’re gonna keep
your dick in my ass, you might as well put it to good use.”
Kurt blinked, his eyes widening just a bit as he stared at Dean and asked,
“He’s still hard?”
“He’s always hard if he’s inside me,” Dean said with a wicked little grin for
Kurt. “I kinda have to think the same’ll be true for you.”
Kurt stared at Puck, who looked smug. “I keep telling you I’m a stud, baby.
There’s a reason I was getting paid to fuck.”
Kurt laughed and then gave Puck a wicked smirk. “I might not argue anymore with
that after tonight.”
Puck smirked and kissed Kurt again, and then he pushed himself up off of Dean,
looking down at him. He gave one more hard thrust of his hips, making Dean
groan as his hips lifted to meet him, and then he pulled out of Dean’s ass and
removed the condom, tossing it in the trash can by the bed. “Fucking you is
always fun, Deano, but we promised to take care of Kurt, too.”
Dean scooted back up the bed to lean back against the headboard. “Does that
mean I get to help?”
Puck looked at Kurt, his expressive hazel eyes sparkling and warm with more
than a little hunger. “Well, baby?”
Kurt stared into Puck’s eyes for a few moments and then looked at Dean,
smiling. “I did ask you to be here.” He rolled away to get up off the bed then,
reaching for his belt, and Dean and Puck both watched avidly as he unbuckled it
and then started on the buttons of his jeans. There was a wet spot barely
visible on the denim from when Kurt came in his pants, and Dean wondered how
long Kurt would have tolerated the wet underwear that were surely under them
before he pulled away from them to clean up.
“I hadn’t noticed you were wearing button-fly jeans, babe,” Puck murmured,
shifting to move a little closer to the edge of the bed as he watched Kurt’s
fingers.
“Does it matter?” Kurt asked with an amused smirk, shimmying out of his tight
jeans to reveal a silky black thong that Dean would have thought was made for a
woman if it wasn’t so obviously shaped to accommodate a man. The thong’s pouch
was wet with Kurt’s come, but his cock wasn’t hard anymore so the tiny scrap of
material was just barely able to cover his package.
Puck licked his lips, watching Kurt peel the jeans down his pale, muscular
legs. “I like button-fly jeans.” He reached for Kurt’s hand as soon as he had
stepped out of the jeans, tugging him towards the bed with a little smirk as he
purred, “And I’ll get the rest, baby.”
Kurt let Puck pull him to the bed, climbing up on it in front of Puck on his
knees with sensual grace as he looked down at Puck’s twitching cock and
murmured with a little smile, “Looks like maybe you like thongs, too.” He
looked back up to meet Puck’s gaze, his smile widening slightly at the look in
Puck’s eyes. “A lot.”
“I’m gonna have fun ripping it off with my teeth,” Puck agreed, smirking
wickedly at Kurt as he moved his hands to Kurt’s slim hips and pulled him in a
little closer. He leaned in to kiss Kurt, letting some of how much he wanted
Kurt show in the kiss, and then pulled away slightly to whisper, “And then I’m
gonna lick your dick clean so I can get it all nice and dirty again.”
Kurt made a little strangled noise and moved closer to kiss him again, hands
lifting to Puck’s mohawk as he pressed close so that they were skin-to-skin
from knees to throat for the first time. Puck groaned softly into the kiss, one
arm going around Kurt’s waist to keep him close while the other hand roamed
over Kurt’s back, stroking slowly as if he wanted to learn every inch by touch
alone.
Dean licked his lips as he watched them kissing, making himself stay where he
was even though he wanted to go start exploring a little too. He hadn’t really
expected to want Kurt as much as he did, mostly because Kurt was nothing like
anyone Dean had ever been attracted to before, but seeing him with Puck had
somehow made Dean see him differently.
At that moment, Dean would have been glad to spend an hour or two exploring
Kurt’s slim graceful body. Kurt had well defined muscles that made it obvious
how much he danced and how hard he worked to keep himself in perfect condition,
and every inch of flawless skin Dean could see was smooth. Still, there was
nothing childish about Kurt despite the lack of body hair. He didn’t look
unfinished at all, and there was no baby fat on him to soften the lines of his
body, just sleek, pale skin that made Dean want to kiss and touch and see if it
was as soft as it looked.
Puck was the first to pull away from the kiss he was sharing with Kurt, both
hands stroking possessively over Kurt’s ass before he let him go and settled
back on his heels as he murmured, “Move over with Dean, baby. Lean back against
him.”
Kurt nodded and turned away from Puck to crawl slowly across the bed towards
Dean as he stared into Dean’s eyes like he wanted to eat him alive. Every move
was sexy enough to make Dean wonder where Kurt had learned to move like that,
slow and sensual and utterly predatory.
Dean let out a low appreciative noise and moved his legs further apart to make
room for Kurt to sit between them, waiting until Kurt was right in front of him
before murmured, “So fuckin’ sexy. I just wanna throw you down and suck your
dick until you scream.”
Kurt shuddered slightly, licking his lips as he put his hands against Dean’s
chest and leaned in as if to kiss him, then whispered with a little smirk,
“Wait your turn.”
Dean let out a little surprised laugh. “Dude.” Kurt turned around in front of
Dean, meeting Puck’s hungry gaze for a moment before he looked over his
shoulder at Dean, shifting back towards him to rub slowly against Dean’s body
with a low pleased hum. Dean managed to resist for only a moment before his
hands were on Kurt’s hips and he was whispering, “Fuck, that’s hot.”
Dean leaned to kiss Kurt then, but Kurt only let him for an instant before he
pulled away again, turning his head to look at Puck as he settled back against
Dean’s chest, one arm lifting to reach back and rest his hand on the back of
Dean’s neck. Dean let out a low purring growl as he nuzzled the side of Kurt’s
neck, licking and nibbling as he inhaled slowly, taking in the scent of vanilla
and cinnamon mingled with something that he was sure was an expensive cologne,
subtle but definitely not feminine.
Puck moved towards them then, his gaze never leaving Kurt’s eyes as he
whispered, “You look so good together.” He kissed Kurt then, plundering his
mouth hungrily before he pulled away again and murmured, “You should be on his
lap, though.” He reached past Kurt’s leg to pat Dean’s thigh, adding, “Legs
together, Deano.”
Kurt stared at Puck in surprise for a moment before he shifted to the side to
let Dean move so his legs were together, then he moved back into Dean’s lap to
settle astride his thighs. Dean pulled Kurt back against him again with a low
purring growl, smirking at Puck as he murmured, “I see where you’re goin’ with
this now, babe. Great idea.”
Puck smirked and moved closer, murmuring, “All my ideas are great.” He kissed
Kurt without giving him a chance to argue, putting enough hunger and need into
the kiss that Kurt let out a soft little noise and went boneless against Dean,
his hands lifting to slide into Puck’s mohawk and urge him on.
Dean watched them with a wicked little grin as he slowly stroked Kurt’s sides,
teasingly brushing his nipples on every stroke. When Puck began trailing
nipping kisses down Kurt’s throat, Kurt just let his head fall back against
Dean’s shoulder and let him, one hand still clinging to Puck’s short mohawk
while the other roamed restlessly along Puck’s shoulder.
Kurt let out a low whine when Puck licked into the hollow above his collarbone,
and Puck lingered there for a few moments, licking and sucking the sensitive
skin until Kurt was gasping, “Please.”
“Please what, baby?” Puck whispered against his skin, nipping gently at the
reddened spot he had made on Kurt’s collarbone. “Tell me what you need.”
“More,” Kurt replied softly, looking down at Puck with a slightly wild look in
his eyes. “Stop teasing me and do something.”
Puck shifted to kiss him again, then gave Kurt a little smirk. “Okay.” He
ducked to mouth Kurt’s damp thong without further warning, growling at the
taste and then sucking at the silky cloth as Kurt’s cock twitched and Kurt let
out a little strangled noise.
Dean nuzzled the side of Kurt’s neck, one arm going around Kurt to hold him
steady as he whispered into Kurt’s ear, “He loves how you taste, Kurt. I can
tell.” He moved his free hand down to stroke lightly along Puck’s cheek and
jaw, making Puck glance up at them as he dragged his tongue along the line of
Kurt’s cock, licking him through the material.
“Take them off, Noah,” Kurt said in a soft shaky voice, and then he took his
hands off of Puck’s shoulders to reach for the underwear himself. “Or let me.”
Puck caught Kurt’s hands before he could touch the thong, looking up at him
with a smirk. “I told you how I’d take them off, babe. Hands off.”
Kurt groaned softly, but when Puck let go of his hands he didn’t reach for the
thong again, instead moving them back to Puck’s shoulders to hold on as he
murmured, “You’re trying to kill me.”
“Never,” Puck breathed out softly, nuzzling Kurt’s throbbing cock again before
he moved to grab the narrow string across Kurt’s left hip in his teeth, giving
it a quick jerk that snapped it as Kurt gasped. Puck looked up at him again,
smirking as he purred, “I’ll buy you more.” He moved to the other side to do
the same thing and then grabbed the thong with his teeth, dragging it slowly
off of Kurt so the string back was pulled along the crease of his ass and
against his balls.
Kurt’s legs spread wider as he watched Puck, wide-eyed and breathing a little
raggedly. “Oh God.”
Puck tossed the ruined thong away with a little jerk of his head and then gave
Kurt a wicked smirk. “Dean calls me that sometimes, too.” He ducked to lick the
head of Kurt’s cock again, this time without anything between them, and he
groaned at the taste that flooded his mouth.
Kurt whimpered and his hips flexed as he tried to thrust, but Dean held him
down, purring into his ear, “None of that, sweetheart. Let him take his time, I
promise it’ll be worth it.”
Kurt opened his mouth to reply just as Puck took the head of Kurt’s cock in his
mouth, making Kurt moan instead of saying whatever had been on his mind. Kurt’s
muscles rippled as he tried to thrust into Puck’s talented mouth, but Dean held
him still, groaning softly at the way Kurt’s ass was flexing against his cock.
Kurt’s ass and thighs clenched again and then suddenly he was grinding back
against Dean instead, one hand reaching back to the back of Dean’s neck again
as he twisted to kiss him hungrily.
Dean growled softly into the kiss, keeping his eyes open to watch Puck, who was
sucking Kurt’s cock with enough enthusiasm to make up for the fact he hadn’t
had a lot of practice at it. Kurt broke the kiss after a few moments to gasp
for air, looking back down at Puck, and Dean purred into his ear, “Tell him
what you like. Do you want it hard and fast, or slow and easy?”
“I want him to fuck me,” Kurt whispered, staring into Puck’s eyes. “Enough with
the foreplay.”
Puck pulled off of Kurt’s cock with a wet pop and then licked his lips,
smirking. “Maybe I want to finish my snack.”
Kurt reached for Puck’s ears, grabbing them and making Puck lift up a bit in
surprise at the way Kurt tugged on them as Kurt said firmly, “If you don’t stop
teasing me, I’m going to scream.”
Puck let out a little surprised laugh, running one hand along Kurt’s thigh.
“Okay, baby, I hear you. Calm down.” He moved up to kiss Kurt, who groaned as
he tasted himself in Puck’s mouth, and then Puck murmured against his lips,
“Turn around, baby.” Kurt kissed Puck again, hard and hungry, then let go of
him to turn and face Dean, blushing just a bit. “Now back up so Dean can scoot
down the bed some,” Puck murmured into Kurt’s ear, pulling Kurt back against
him and then moving back as he urged Kurt to follow.
Dean smirked up at Kurt as he scooted down the bed under them, settling back on
the pillows and then reaching towards Kurt as he murmured, “C’mere, sunshine.
You’ll like what he has in mind, I promise.” Dean was sure he knew what Puck
had planned, and Kurt was going to love it. He and Puck had talked about sex
more than a little bit, and he was sure that Puck was going to start with Kurt
the same way Dean had begun with Puck that first afternoon when Puck was so
nervous. Puck had been more than a little shocked by what Dean had done, but he
had liked it enough to trust Dean afterwards and let Dean do whatever he wanted
to him, which made everything go smoother.
Puck let go of Kurt, moving to get the lube and another condom off the bedside
table, and Kurt swallowed hard as he moved into Dean’s arms, letting Dean pull
him down to lay on Dean’s chest. “Why can’t we do this face to face?”
“Because this’ll work better for right now,” Dean said with a smile, running
his fingers through Kurt’s sweat-dampened hair as his other hand settled on the
small of Kurt’s back. “Trust us, sweetheart.”
Kurt licked his lips and then nodded, giving Dean a soft little smile. “I do.”
Puck suddenly moved over them then, covering Kurt’s body with his own and
pressing him down against Dean a little more as he purred into Kurt’s ear, “I’m
gonna make you mine tonight, baby.”
Puck bit below Kurt’s ear then and Kurt gasped softly as he arched back towards
Puck, head tipping to the side to give Puck more access to his neck. Puck
growled softly and began trailing nipping kisses over Kurt’s back, licking and
sucking at his skin, and after a few moments Kurt moved to kiss Dean again,
every little twitch of his body making their cocks rub together deliciously
between their bellies. Kurt’s hips started to rock after a few moments,
thrusting shallowly against Dean as their kisses grew more heated and intense,
and then Kurt made a shocked noise into Dean’s mouth, pulling away with a gasp
to look over his shoulder, wide-eyed and blushing very red.
Dean looked over Kurt’s shoulder too, and he had to smirk when he saw Puck with
both hands on Kurt’s ass, smirking as he stared into Kurt’s eyes a moment and
then ducked to lick along the crease of his ass. Kurt whimpered softly, eyes
still wide as he gasped, “That shouldn’t feel so very good as it does.”
Dean snickered and nuzzled Kurt’s throat, licking at a reddened spot Puck had
left there before he purred against Kurt’s skin, “Just wait, it gets even
better.”
“How—“ Kurt started, and then he let out a little squeak and his hips jerked to
thrust against Dean. “Oh fuck.”
“Soon, baby,” Puck murmured, and Dean had to chuckle at how smug he sounded.
Kurt made another shocked noise and then he moved to hide his blushing face
against Dean’s neck as he whispered, “Feels amazing.”
Dean stroked Kurt’s back, nuzzling his hair as he watched what he could see of
Puck’s face over Kurt’s undulating hips, smirking at the soft wet sounds as
Puck rimmed him. “I know, baby.”
Kurt writhed against Dean, making strangled little noises and gasping as he
seemed torn between thrusting against Dean or pushing back towards what Puck
was doing, but it wasn’t long at all before pushing back towards Puck’s
talented mouth won out. Puck pulled away a few minutes later, licking his
swollen lips and looking very wicked as he reached for the lube to slick up his
fingers, his gaze never leaving Dean’s eyes.
Dean stared into Puck’s hungry hazel eyes, smirking a bit as he murmured to
Kurt, “Have you ever heard what they say about musicians and their hands?” Kurt
shuddered against Dean, nodding slightly without moving away from him, and Dean
watched Puck’s gaze drop to Kurt’s ass as he whispered into Kurt’s ear, “It’s
so true.”
Kurt shuddered again then, making a low noise and pushing back towards Puck’s
finger as he gasped, “God.”
Puck leaned down to kiss the small of Kurt’s back, muscles in his forearm
flexing slowly as he murmured, “Tell me when you want more, baby. I can do this
all night.”
“He will, too, if you let him,” Dean added softly, still watching Puck
intently. “He loves it.”
“Feels different than when I do it,” Kurt said softly, and then he let out a
soft sound and his hips jerked as Puck smirked, looking smug. “Better,” Kurt
added, gasping softly as his hips flexed again.
Dean groaned and moved his hands to Kurt’s hips to hold him still as he purred
softly, “None of that, sunshine. You can get off soon, I promise.”
Kurt made a low noise and shifted to push off of Dean’s chest a little more,
letting his head fall forward as he pushed back towards Puck’s hand. Puck was
smirking as he trailed soft kisses over Kurt’s back, whispering between kisses,
“So fucking tight, baby. Gonna take a while to get you loose.”
“More,” Kurt whispered with a soft whine, back arching as he tried to force
Puck’s finger deeper. “I can take another now.”
Puck groaned and moved his arm, and then a moment later Kurt let out a low moan
as he pushed back again. “Damn, baby,” Puck murmured, pulling back enough to
watch his fingers disappearing into Kurt’s body. “You should see this, Dean. So
fucking hot, and tight, God.”
“I’m sure,” Dean murmured, running his hands along Kurt’s sides and trying to
ignore how hard his cock was between them. “You were tight as hell, too.”
Kurt looked at Dean and then he was pressing closer to kiss him again, hips
undulating slowly against him with every flex of Puck’s fingers. Dean groaned
into the kiss, shifting restlessly under Kurt as he tried not to thrust up
against him, and then suddenly Puck murmured, “Would you like to fuck him,
baby?” Kurt gasped and pulled away from Dean to look over his shoulder at Puck,
who was smirking a bit as he flexed his fingers again, making Kurt whimper.
“He’s practically begging for it.”
“That’s something he should share with you,” Dean murmured, looking at Puck in
surprise. “I’m fine.”
Kurt looked back at Dean, searching his eyes for something as he murmured, “But
do you want me to?”
Dean stared into Kurt’s eyes a moment and then admitted, “Well, yeah, but I
meant what I said. You should have your firsts with Puck, not me. If you want
to fuck me after that, I’ll be ready and willing anytime you want me, but the
first time should be with him.”
“It will be,” Kurt murmured, then he made a low noise and moved back towards
Puck, looking over his shoulder. “He’s going to fuck me, and soon if he knows
what’s good for him.”
Dean chuckled softly, stroking Kurt’s sides and then tweaking his nipples as he
teased softly, “Let him take care of you, sweetheart. We’ll have other chances,
I promise.”
Kurt seemed to accept that, leaning forward to kiss Dean again, and then he
groaned into Dean’s mouth, back arching as he pulled away again and whispered,
“Fuck.”
Puck was smirking as he moved closer to Kurt, leaning to kiss his back as he
slid his free hand around to stroke first Kurt’s cock and then Dean’s. “In a
minute, baby.”
Kurt rocked backwards towards Puck, twisting as he reached back for Puck’s
neck, and Puck was quick to lean in and kiss him, hard and hungry. Kurt braced
one hand on Dean’s chest as he moved towards Puck even more, leaning back
against him, and Puck wrapped one arm around Kurt to help support him as they
kissed, the fingers of his other hand still moving inside Kurt.
Dean licked his lips as he watched them, and he barely even realized he was
speaking aloud as he murmured, “So fuckin’ beautiful.”
Kurt and Puck kissed for a moment more before they pulled apart to look at
Dean, and Kurt was blushing and looking surprised even as his hips undulated
slowly to move on Puck’s fingers.
“You’re both hot apart, but together...” Dean smiled softly, reaching up to
stroke Kurt’s sides as he stared into Kurt's eyes and murmured, “The way you
love him is the most beautiful thing I think I ever saw.”
Kurt blushed a little darker, looking down at Dean’s chest as he murmured, “You
don’t have to flatter me, Dean. I’m already naked.”
Dean laughed softly. “That’s plain pure truth, sweetheart, not sweet lies to
try an’ get in your pants.” He smirked. “I don’t have to lie to get you naked
an’ horny.”
Puck kissed the side of Kurt’s neck, then purred, “I think it’s just about time
to stop teasing you and show you what you’ve been missing.”
“God yes,” Kurt replied quickly, looking at Puck and obviously glad to change
the subject.
Puck pulled his fingers from Kurt’s ass then, making him whimper softly at the
loss as Puck patted his hip with the other hand. “Get comfortable, baby.”
Kurt looked back down at Dean, moving to one side of Dean as he said, “Scoot
over.” Dean scooted towards the side of the bed and then watched as Kurt laid
on his back next to him, looking up at Puck to watch as Puck slicked up his
sheathed cock slowly. “I want to see you, Noah.”
Puck smiled and wiped his slick hand on a corner of the sheet before he moved
towards Kurt, propping himself up over him with his hands on either side of
Kurt’s shoulders as he murmured, “That’s good, ‘cause I wanted to see your
face.” He leaned down to kiss Kurt then, soft and sweet at first but quickly
growing more intense as Kurt pulled him down a little closer, hips lifting to
rub up against him.
When they finally parted after a few moments, Kurt whispered, “I want you
inside me, Noah. Now.”
Puck groaned softly and kissed him again, hard and fast, then pulled back as he
moved closer, lifting Kurt’s legs over his shoulders and then pressing forward
again to kiss Kurt as his hand slipped between them. Dean shifted to get a
better view, making a soft noise at the sight of Puck rubbing the latex-
sheathed tip of his cock against Kurt’s entrance before he slowly pushed it
into Kurt’s ass, letting out a deep groan as his hips stilled with just the
head of his cock inside Kurt.
Kurt let out a low whimper into the kiss, shuddering as he threw back his head.
“God.” His legs flexed, trying to get some kind of leverage, but Puck had paid
attention when Dean was fucking him and there wasn’t a lot Kurt could do in
that position. Kurt moaned after a moment, the muscles in his thighs and belly
flexing as he gasped, “More. I won’t break.”
Puck groaned softly and pressed a little deeper into Kurt, trembling as he
closed his eyes and let his head fall forward, whispering, “You’re so fucking
tight, baby. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Feels good,” Kurt replied softly, reaching for Puck’s hips to try and pull him
deeper. “Please, Noah. I need—“ he broke off with a low frustrated sound, body
undulating as he tried to force Puck to move. Puck shuddered and leaned down to
kiss Kurt hungrily as he stopped fighting so hard to hold still, drawing low
needy noises from Kurt as his cock slid deeper into Kurt’s body a slow, careful
inch at a time.
Dean reached for his own cock as he watched them, biting his lip to keep back a
groan at the way his cock jerked when he touched it, a fresh spurt of precome
slicking his fingers. Puck’s hips were beginning to move in shallow thrusts and
Dean knew that Kurt was opening up more around Puck’s cock, easily able to
imagine the way the almost painful clench of Kurt’s body around Puck’s cock was
relaxing into that perfectly tight heat that made fucking a guy so different
from sex with a woman. Even anal sex with a woman wasn’t the same, though Dean
had never figured out why it felt so different.
Puck moved one hand to change the angle of Kurt’s hips and then Kurt cried out,
back arching as he threw back his head. Puck smirked, watching Kurt with a
possessive, hungry glint in his eyes as his hips sped up slightly, thrusting
smoothly into Kurt as Kurt clung to his arms, head thrown back and eyes closed
as he let out little gasps and cries with every thrust.
Dean’s grip tightened on his cock and his hand moved a little faster to keep up
with Puck’s rhythm, his ass clenching as he thought about how it felt to have
Puck pounding his prostate that way. He was getting close to the edge when Kurt
let out a low wail and came without his cock even being touched, making Puck
groan at the way Kurt’s body clenched tight around his cock, hips jerking to
thrust into Kurt erratically as Kurt’s cock pulsed, painting Kurt’s pale chest
with streaks of white.
Dean was biting his lip to stay quiet as he came all over his hand, watching as
Puck’s back arched a moment later and his hips snapped forward again as he
gasped, head falling forward as he came with a soft almost pained noise. His
hips kept moving slightly with the throbbing of his cock for a few moments
before he pulled gently out of Kurt’s body, watching Kurt intently and frowning
at the way Kurt whimpered as he pulled free.
Puck removed the condom and pitched in the trash, then moved to lay by Kurt and
pull him into his arms. Kurt rolled towards Puck and clung to him, trembling as
he hid his face against Puck’s neck, but not before Dean saw that he was
crying. “I love you, so much,” Kurt whispered.
“I love you too,” Puck replied softly, giving Dean a pained look. “Are you
okay?”
“Better than okay,” Kurt murmured, his arms tightening around Puck.
“Then why are you crying, baby?” Puck whispered, hiding his face against Kurt’s
hair. “Did I hurt you?”
“You didn’t, I promise,” Kurt said gently, pulling back to give Puck a loving
smile despite his tears. “They’re happy tears, sweetheart.” He kissed Puck
then, soft and sweet and so tender that it drew a low broken sound from Puck,
and then Kurt pulled away slightly, stroking Puck’s cheek with one hand as he
whispered, “I’ve dreamed about what it might be like to have you make love to
me for a long time now, but the reality was so much better than my fantasies.”
He kissed Puck again and Puck responded with a low groan, deepening the kiss.
Dean watched them kissing for a moment longer before he rolled off the bed to
walk quickly into the bathroom, cleaning himself up and then coming back a few
minutes later with a warm washrag. Puck and Kurt were watching the bathroom
door when he stepped out, looking concerned, and Dean chuckled softly as he
padded across the carpet back to the bed. “You can go back to kissing. I was
just gettin’ a rag to clean up with.” 
Puck smiled and murmured, “You do think of everything.” He did as Dean had
suggested, kissing Kurt again even though Kurt was giggling slightly into his
mouth.
Dean chuckled and climbed onto the bed behind Kurt, slipping the folded rag
between them to try and wipe off Kurt’s chest and belly, but after only a
moment Kurt started pressing closer to Puck and he laughed. “Alright, so you
are gonna have to stop for a minute. I can’t hardly get my hand between you.”
Kurt giggled again and pulled away from Puck, rolling to his back between them
to look up at Dean. “Sorry.”
Dean smirked and leaned down to kiss Kurt softly, then murmured, “That makes it
a lot easier, thanks.” He looked back down to watch as he stroked the warm wet
washcloth over Kurt’s toned chest and belly, murmuring absently, “You’d never
know you’re hiding so much muscle under those fancy clothes of yours.”
“Yoga and cheerleading definitely does a body good,” Puck agreed, and Dean
glanced at him to see Puck was watching Dean’s hand intently, smirking.
“And dancing doesn’t hurt,” Kurt added with an amused smile.
Dean smirked at Kurt, moving lower as he slid his free hand between Kurt’s
thighs and murmured, “Spread ‘em, sunshine.”
Kurt let out a soft little surprised laugh, blushing as he spread his legs a
little, and then Puck reached for Kurt’s leg, his hand sliding under it to pull
Kurt’s knee towards his chest. Dean started wiping up the excess lube, keeping
his touch gentle as Puck leaned in to purr into Kurt’s ear, “Feels good,
doesn’t it?”
Kurt nodded, not saying anything as he watched Dean with a loving look in his
eyes, and when Dean finally seemed to be done he murmured, “Thank you.”
Dean smiled, moving up the bed to kiss Kurt, keeping it gentle and sweet, and
then he whispered, “I like takin’ care of you.” He leaned over Kurt towards
Puck then, folding the rag the other way as he leaned over Kurt to start wiping
away the streaks of dried semen on Puck’s chest and belly. “And you.”
Puck smirked and reached for the back of Dean’s neck, murmuring, “C’mere, you.”
Dean climbed over Kurt and then leaned in without hesitation to kiss Puck,
letting him explore while Dean stroked the cooling washrag down over Puck’s
abs, then he pulled away to watch what he was doing as he gently started to
clean Puck’s cock.
Puck made a soft pained noise after only a moment and Dean looked at Puck’s
face in surprise to see he looked a bit sheepish. “I’m clean enough,” he said
with a little laugh, tugging Dean’s hand away from his cock. “Anything else can
wait for a shower in the morning.”
“Sore, huh?” Dean asked with a little smile, tossing the rag towards the
bathroom doorway, where it landed on the tile with a wet splat.
“Some, yeah,” Puck admitted, amused. “Kurt’s a lot tighter than you are.”
Dean smirked and moved to settle on the bed so Kurt was between them, enjoying
the way Kurt was blushing as he murmured, “He hasn’t had nearly so much
experience, Puckasaurus. He’ll learn to relax and enjoy it before long, and
then it’ll get easier for both of you.”
“I did enjoy it,” Kurt said, still blushing as he smiled at Puck. “A lot.”
“It was pretty damned amazing,” Puck agreed, smiling as he rolled towards them
to slide his arms around Kurt again, leaning in for a kiss.
Dean watched them kissing for a moment before he rolled off the bed again,
pausing to pick up the lube from where it had fallen in the floor before he
walked over to turn off the light in the bathroom, putting the lube on the
table on Puck’s side of the bed with the condoms and turning off the lamp there
before he walked back around to his side of the bed. Kurt had rolled over to
put his back against Puck’s chest, and they were watching him with soft smiles
as they waited for him.
Dean turned off the last lamp and climbed back into bed in the darkness,
pulling the sheet up over the three of them and then moving in closer to Kurt
and Puck as he murmured with a smile, “G’night.”
Kurt kissed him softly and then smiled and settled down, snuggling back against
Puck’s chest even as he reached for Dean to urge him closer. “Night.”
Dean obligingly moved towards Kurt a little more and then Puck leaned over
Kurt’s shoulder, kissing Dean softly before he settled down to hold Kurt close
as he whispered, “Sweet dreams.”
“Love you both,” Kurt whispered then, moving one hand to rest on Puck’s arm
where it was around his waist as he gave Dean a sweet smile.
“Definitely,” Puck agreed softly, keeping his arm snug around Kurt’s waist even
as he draped his other arm over him both, his hand settling warm and comforting
on Dean’s back to pull him a little closer.
Dean smiled as he moved one hand to rest on Puck’s arm, his other hand on
Kurt’s back between Kurt and Puck. “Same here,” he whispered, kissing Kurt
softly again before he relaxed, laying his head on the pillow. He was sound
asleep within moments.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean felt the bed shift under him and purred, slowly blinking awake for a
second time. He had already awakened once when Kurt and Puck were leaving the
bed, but he had heard Kurt murmuring something about a shower together so he
had stayed where he was to give them some time alone. He thought they needed
it, no matter what they might say differently, and he knew they would enjoy a
shower together more with room to move around. The tub in their bathroom was
big enough for two people to comfortably shower in, but it would have been
crowded with all three of them.
A familiar muscular body settled over his back then, damp and warm, and lips
brushed his ear as Puck breathed, “You look so damned hot all stretched out on
your belly, Deano, and this time I can fuck you good morning if I want to.”
Dean arched his back, pressing back against Puck’s half-hard cock as he looked
over his shoulder at Puck and purred, “As long as Kurt doesn’t mind.”
“Kurt loves the idea,” Kurt said softly on Dean’s other side, and Dean turned
his head to see Kurt was curled up on his side next to him looking very well-
fucked and happy. “I already had my turn.”
“I let him fuck me in the shower,” Puck whispered into Dean’s ear, making Dean
groan at the mental image. “You would have loved watching it, babe, both of us
all wet and naked while he fingered my ass and then fucked me against the
wall.”
“Sounds hot as hell,” Dean agreed, shifting under Puck to spread his legs a bit
in wordless invitation, staring into Kurt’s hungry eyes. Puck made a low
pleased noise and moved his hips to slide his cock between Dean’s legs,
thrusting slowly against him as his cock throbbed and hardened further between
them. Dean made a low noise and pulled his knee up further, whispering, “Stop
teasing and fuck me already.”
“Yes, do,” Kurt agreed, licking his lips as he offered Puck a condom and the
lube.
Puck smirked. “Whatever you want, baby.” He pulled away from Dean to settle
back on his knees between Dean’s legs, and Dean turned his head to watch out of
the corner of his eye as Puck murmured to Kurt, “You want to put it on, baby?”
Kurt smiled and moved gracefully onto his knees. “Oh yes.” He ripped open the
foil packet and then carefully smoothed the condom onto Puck’s cock, fingers
deft and gentle as Puck watched him with an intensely hungry look in his eyes.
Kurt smoothed lube over the condom and then leaned in to kiss Puck slow and
deep before he pulled away again, wiping the extra lube off on the sheet before
he laid back down by Dean to watch.
Puck moved back over Dean then, settling against his back as he murmured, “How
do you want it, Deano?”
“Hard,” Dean admitted softly, not quite looking at Kurt. “I want to feel it all
day.”
Puck kissed Dean’s shoulder and then pulled away, patting his hip. “On your
knees, babe.”
Dean moved quickly up onto his knees, folding his arms on the pillow and then
laying his forehead against them as he arched his back, shuddering at the feel
of Puck’s hands on his hips as Puck moved in close. Puck buried his cock in
Dean’s ass with no more warning, making Dean groan and lean back into it as he
heard Kurt let out a soft little gasp.
“Doesn’t that hurt?” Kurt asked softly, and Dean could hear the shock and worry
in his voice.
Dean shook his head, swallowing hard but not looking at Kurt as he whispered,
“Feels perfect.” He was still a little loose from the night before, but not
nearly as loose as he would have been if Puck had stretched him, which made it
more intense for both of them. He rocked back towards Puck again after a
moment, and Puck took the hint.
Puck pulled back almost all the way before he drove his hips forward again,
drawing soft noises from Dean with every thrust as their bodies slapped
together. Puck was holding Dean’s hips tight enough to bruise as he pounded
into him, making low noises of effort as he put all of his considerable
strength into every thrust, and then he suddenly moved one hand to push on
Dean’s back. Dean let Puck push him down further onto the bed, groaning at the
way the change in angle made Puck’s cock start hitting his prostate. Puck moved
his hand back to Dean’s hip, holding Dean steady as his hips moved a little
faster.
Dean was hardly even aware of the noises he was making, soft whimpers and needy
moans that trailed off into a low cry as he came without either of them ever
touching his cock, his body clenching tight around Puck’s cock. Puck growled
and leaned forward over Dean’s back, hips jerking to thrust into him several
more times before he bit Dean’s shoulder to stifle a yell, coming with a deep
groan. Dean shuddered, pressing back into it as Puck’s hips stuttered and
slowed, flexing more slowly with the pulses of his cock deep inside Dean until
they were both still, trembling and gasping for breath.
Puck finally pulled away to get rid of the condom, and Dean couldn’t quite look
at Kurt as he shifted to lay on his side on the bed, shaky and trying to
pretend that he didn’t feel half so raw and exposed as he did. He felt almost
like he should be ashamed of how much he liked having Puck pound into him like
that, as if it was wrong that sometimes Dean just needed to feel it, but it was
still true.
Puck moved in close behind him, his arms going around Dean as he nuzzled Dean’s
ear and whispered, “You okay, Deano?”
Dean nodded, admitting, “That was just a little...” He trailed off, still
trembling a bit as he came down and having trouble trying to find the right
words to say what he was feeling. If it had been just him and Puck, Dean would
have turned to him and they probably would have started making out instead of
trying to talk, but with Kurt there Dean felt like it wasn’t something he
should really do.
“Intense,” Kurt said softly, and Dean finally looked at him to see the slightly
awed look in Kurt’s eyes. “Thank you for letting me see that.” He paused and
then reached to take Dean’s hand as he added, “It was so overwhelmingly sexy it
almost hurt.”
Dean smiled slowly as he gave Kurt’s hand a squeeze, relieved that Kurt wasn’t
upset. “Yeah. That.”
Puck chuckled and kissed Dean’s shoulder, one hand stroking soothingly over his
chest and belly as he murmured, “Our boy does have a way with words.”
“Your boy,” Dean corrected softly, turning his head to look at Puck. “I’m just
a temporary thing, but he belongs to you heart and soul, just like you belong
to him.”
Puck kissed Dean softly and then whispered against his lips, “Let me have the
dream while I can.”
Dean made a low noise and kissed Puck again, wishing not for the first time
that he could stay.
 
 
***** THIRTEEN *****
Chapter Notes
     This chapter contains explicit sexual content.
 
When Dean walked out of the bathroom an hour later, he was wearing just the
faded old jeans he had worn for the drive to Indianapolis the day before. He
had a towel over his shoulder and he was feeling really good despite – or maybe
because of – the various bite marks on his neck, chest, thighs, and back, the
finger-shaped bruises on his hips, and the way his ass twinged when he moved
wrong. He would be remembering how hard Puck had fucked him every time he sat
down for hours, he was sure, but he was going to love every minute of it.
Kurt was sitting on the rumpled bed, which he had thrown the comforter over so
he wouldn’t have to worry about getting anything on his skin-tight white jeans.
He had the diaper bag they had bought the night before – which was a
surprisingly masculine dark green bag with pale grey trim that had made Kurt
laugh and grab it as soon as he saw it for some reason – sitting next to him on
the bed while he rooted through the Toys R Us bags.
Puck was nowhere to be seen and Dean padded over to the bed, smiling as he sat
down to watch Kurt while he took the towel off his shoulder to dry his hair.
“Where’d Puck go?”
“He just left to go get breakfast,” Kurt said with a quick smile for Dean, blue
eyes happy and sparkling as he found the pacifiers he was evidently looking for
and started to open the package. “He shouldn’t be long, he was just going to
Dunkin Donuts and then to get coffee.”
Dean chuckled, pitching the towel towards the bathroom and then smiling at Kurt
as he ran his fingers through his hair to comb it into some semblance of order.
“So you’re puttin’ the diaper bag together while we wait, huh?”
Kurt put the pacifiers into one of the side pockets of the bag, nodding. “Yes,
I thought we might want to have it if they’ll let Beth spend time with us in
Quinn’s room today.”
“Good idea,” Dean agreed, reaching for one of the bags to help sort things out.
“What’re we lookin’ for next?”
“The diapers,” Kurt said with a quick smile. “I think they’re in the bag that’s
still on the couch, though.”
Dean grinned and leaned to kiss Kurt, and then he got up and walked to the
couch. “I still don’t know how you were so sure what sizes to get everything.”
“Because I saw Beth’s chart, silly,” Kurt said with a soft laugh, and Dean
glanced over to see Kurt was grinning at him. “She weighs seven pounds and nine
ounces, which means anything made for a newborn should fit her.”
“And how do you know that?” Dean asked with a laugh, carrying the last three
Toys R Us bags back to the bed.
“I studied,” Kurt said with an impish grin as he reached to take the bag with
the diapers, “and I paid attention in Lamaze. They told us all sorts of useful
things I hoped I would need to know.”
Dean chuckled, sitting back down at the foot of the bed and starting to take
clothes out of the bag closest to him to fold them neatly as he teased, “I
really should have known you looked it up on the internet first.”
Kurt laughed and blushed slightly, taking a stack of diapers out of the package
to tuck them into the large main compartment of the diaper bag. “It’s easier
than asking someone, and I can check more than one source to make sure they
agree.”
Dean smirked at Kurt, barely paying attention as he folded a bright pink little
t-shirt that said ‘Daddy’s Girl’ across the front in glittery white letters.
“You’re just too shy to ask in person.”
Kurt watched Dean for a moment longer and then changed the subject. “Where did
you learn to fold clothes so neatly?”
Dean blinked and then looked down at the pile of clothes in front of him,
letting out a soft laugh as he looked back at Kurt. “I’ve been foldin’ Sammy’s
clothes as long as I can remember. I don’t even have to think about it anymore,
I just pick up clothes and they end up folded.”
Kurt smiled at that even though he looked just a bit sad as he asked softly,
“How old were you when your mom died?”
“It was just before I turned five,” Dean said quietly, but he was still
smiling. It didn’t hurt so much to think about his mother anymore, even though
he still missed her sometimes. He didn’t remember many specifics about her
except her smile and the way she always smelled like lavender and vanilla, but
he remembered how safe and loved she had made him feel. “It was a house fire, a
freak thing caused by bad wiring. Dad got Sammy and me out, but he couldn’t get
to Mom. Sam was six months old.”
“That had to be awful,” Kurt said, reaching for the baby wipes to put them in
the diaper bag. “I was eight when Mom died, and Dad just kind of fell apart. I
felt like I was the parent a lot of the time, he needed me to take care of him
so much. I did the cooking and cleaning for most of a year before he really
even noticed.”
“I know just what you mean,” Dean agreed, nodding. “Sammy called me Mama a lot
when he was just starting to talk.” He smiled wryly, reaching for a pale purple
onesie with butterflies down the front to start folding it as he added, “He
didn’t understand that he didn’t have two parents, and he knew who Dad was, but
people were always asking him where his Mama was so I ended up Mama until I
managed to convince him I was ‘Dee’. He called me that most of the time until
he was six or so, but that was a lot better than Mama so I never corrected
him.”
“You’re such a good brother,” Kurt murmured then, and Dean looked at him again
to see Kurt was watching him with a sweet smile. “Sam’s lucky to have someone
who loves him so much.”
“He’s my baby brother,” Dean said with a shrug, reaching for another bag to
finish folding the clothes Kurt had wanted in the diaper bag. “Sam’s been all I
really had for a long time.”
“What about your Dad?” Kurt asked gently, leaning to pick up the clothes Dean
had already folded so he could put them in the diaper bag.
Dean was silent for a minute, folding two onesies before he admitted quietly,
“Dad’s been leavin’ us on our own since Sam was two, and when Dad was around,
he wasn’t exactly father of the year material. I’ve been takin’ care of both of
us so long I don’t really remember anything else. Dad had no clue what to do
with two kids to raise.” He let out a little snort. “Hell, I didn’t even start
school until I was eight and Bobby caught me reading one of Dad’s dirty
westerns to Sammy one day. Bobby asked me about school then, and when he found
out I had never been he started trying to see what I had picked up. I could
read and write, and I could clean and fire a shotgun or cook simple stuff like
mac and cheese, but I had never done any real math or science or anything like
that.”
Dean reached for another bag to take out a pink t-shirt with a butterfly on the
front and began to fold it, still not looking at Kurt. “Bobby shamed Dad into
letting me go to school before it was too late for me to catch up, so Dad
dumped us on Pastor Jim – he’s a priest my dad served with in the military –
for most of two years. He worked with me until I could pass the tests to get
into third grade, and I’ve been stuck goin’ like normal people ever since.” He
smiled, reaching for a pale blue t-shirt with a unicorn on the front. “Sam’s
always been smarter than me and he could have probably gotten into third grade
too by the time he was through watchin’ Pastor Jim drill me on everything I
needed to learn, but I didn’t want him to miss out on being a baby while he
could. He had a lot of fun in pre-K even though the teachers kept trying to
talk Pastor Jim into getting Dad to have him tested to move up.”
“I wish Noah had beaten your father to a pulp like he wanted to,” Kurt said
suddenly then, and Dean looked at him in surprise to see that Kurt looked angry
and sad. “He deserves that and so much more. What he did to you was criminal,
Dean.”
“We managed,” Dean said with a shrug, embarrassed. “Dad was in pretty bad shape
after Mom died, and he did his best. It just hurt him to look at us, especially
me ‘cause he thinks I look a lot like her. He tried to keep us safe but stay
away as much as he could at the same time, and yeah, it was shitty sometimes,
but we made it. After a while it got to be a habit for him to get us set up
somewhere and then disappear, and he just never changed it.” He smiled at Kurt.
“We did all right. I’m not a Mom and Dad, but I think Sam turned out okay. I
always made sure he had whatever he needed, and enough of what he wanted to
keep him happy.”
“How?” Kurt asked softly, looking into Dean’s eyes. “Noah told me that your Dad
left you without any money a lot of the time.”
Dean shrugged, looking down as he checked the bags for more clothes and tried
to decide how much of the truth to tell Kurt. There weren’t any more baby
clothes, though, and after a moment he lifted his gaze to Kurt’s again. He
couldn’t look into Kurt’s eyes and lie, and after a moment he realized he
didn’t even needto, not with Kurt or Puck. Puck had done most of the things
Dean had, after all, and he made no effort to hide any of it. Dean thought he
could trust Kurt and Puck enough to do the same, at least with them, and he
started talking before he could change his mind. “I begged sometimes when I was
really little,” He admitted softly, “and later I stole when I had to, until I
was fourteen. That’s when I decided to quit stealin’ and I started sellin’ my
ass to pay the bills.”
“Oh sweetheart,” Kurt said softly, reaching for Dean’s hand as he blinked
quickly, his eyes shining with sudden tears. “I’m so sorry.”
Dean gave Kurt’s hand a squeeze. “Hey, no, don’t you cry for me, babe. I could
have gotten myself into a world of hurt the night I stood on my first street
corner waiting for some trick to pick me, but that’s not what happened. I got
lucky and a biker named Tony took me back to his dingy little apartment. He had
a thing for pretty boys like I was then, and he knew how to make sure I enjoyed
everything he did to me while he showed me how to make a livin’ as a rentboy.
He taught me a lot that helped out the next time I had to have cash, and he
made sure I liked it enough that it was a lot easier for me to make the choice
to do it again after that. I’ve been pretty lucky over the years since then,
too. I only ran into trouble a few times, and even then it could have been a
lot worse.”
Puck opened the door then, carrying a box of donuts and a cardboard box of
three tall coffees with the Starbucks logo on the side, but Kurt only glanced
at Puck before he looked back at Dean, asking softly, “You still do it, don’t
you?”
“When I need to,” Dean admitted, nodding. “Mostly I hustle pool, but if I’m
gettin’ too low on cash or,” he flushed but told the truth despite how it
embarrassed him, “just lonely as hell, I’ll find a street corner far away from
anyone Sam knows, and I’ll get laid and make a couple hundred dollars doing
it.”
“I thought you might,” Puck said quietly, and Dean looked over to see Puck was
watching him with a wry little smile. “I guess a rentboy knows one when he sees
‘em, huh?”
Dean smiled crookedly at Puck. “I’m the rentboy. You were a cabana boy,
remember? Lonely housewives instead of lonely men. It’s a totally different
thing.”
“No, it’s not,” Puck said with a soft snort, moving over to join them on the
bed. He leaned to kiss Kurt softly and then kissed Dean too before he settled
back on the bed. “It’s still sellin’ your ass to take care of your family.”
“Or your dick, in your case,” Dean pointed out, reaching for one of the
coffees, which smelled like a little piece of heaven to him.
“I bet you run into plenty of guys who want you to top,” Puck countered,
amused. “You got a nice dick, babe. There’s no way they all want to do the
fucking, and I can say from experience that you’re damned good at it.”
Dean grinned. “I can be a decent top when I need to be, yeah. I’ve even done
some kinky stuff if the guy was offering me enough, but only if I was the one
in charge of what went on. There’s no way in hell I’m lettin’ some trick tie me
up or anything like that.”
“That’s why you were willing to let me watch even before you wanted to do
anything with me,” Kurt said suddenly, and Dean looked at him in surprise. “You
had done that before, too.”
“I... Yeah,” Dean admitted, “a few times. Some folks’ll pay really well to
watch their guy fuck someone else. I’ve had men and women both that paid me
double just to sit in a chair and watch their guy fuck me, or get fucked.”
“I can see the attraction there,” Puck said with a laugh, opening the donuts.
“I’d pay to watch you with Kurt, I know.”
Dean chuckled, looking at Puck with an amused smile. “You get a free pass for
anything you want me to do, Puckasaurus.” He smirked. “You couldn’t afford me
anyway, you’re spendin’ all your cash on Bethy and Quinn.”
Kurt laughed softly and reached for a cruller, obviously trying to lighten the
mood as he teased, “Well, at least we know what my type is now.” Dean and Puck
both looked at him curiously and Kurt smirked, blue eyes sparkling. “Muscular,
experienced rentboys.”
Puck snickered but didn’t say anything because he had a mouthful of blueberry
donut. Dean grinned and was feeling kind of smug as he grabbed a Bavarian cream
donut, teasing Kurt, “And we don’t even make you pay ‘cause you are just that
sexy, sunshine.”
“Amen,” Puck agreed, laughing.
Kurt beamed, nibbling on his cruller as he started checking the bags on the bed
with his free hand to see what else needed to go into the diaper bag.
They all ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes while Kurt tucked socks
and tiny little soft booties and even a floppy pink hat into the diaper bag
between bites of donut or sips of coffee. The bags on the bed were nearly empty
when music started to play across the room, and Dean looked curiously towards
the sound as he listened to Bon Jovi sing.
“I'll be there for you, these five words I swear to you. When you breathe, I
want to be the air for you. I'll be there for you. I'd live and I'd die for
you, steal the sun from the sky for you. Words can't say what a love can do,
I'll be there for you.”
Dean wondered who was calling as he looked expectantly over at Puck and Kurt to
see them both looking at him, amused. “What?”
“That’s not my phone, Deano,” Puck said with a laugh, “and it’s not Kurt’s,
either.”
Dean blinked, surprised, and then he got up to start towards the sound as the
music began again. “Did you change another ringtone on my phone?”
“Not that one,” Puck said, grinning. “I did play with your tones this morning,
though, so I know who it is at least.”
Dean pulled his phone out of his bag, his eyes widening when he flipped it open
and saw Sam’s name. He put the phone to his ear quickly, frowning as he said,
“Sammy?”
“Hey!” Sam said cheerfully, and Dean could hear several people talking in the
background as Sam went on. “I just wanted to let you know my battery is about
dead, so don’t panic if you try to call and I don’t get it. I’m at Kurt’s, so
you can call here if you need me for anything. Finn told Carole and Burt that
I’d be stuck home alone all weekend and they insisted I come stay in Kurt’s
room until he’s back.”
“Thanks a lot, Hudson,” Santana said somewhere close to Sam. “I had plans for
this weekend.”
“I didn’t know they’d make him stay with us!” Finn protested, laughing. “I
thought Mom would just cook for him or something.”
Sam snorted and moved the phone away from his mouth as he said, “We could fill
a whole room full of books with what you don’t know, Finn.”
Dean laughed. “Oh, Sammy, that was cold, bro.”
“But true!” Sam pointed out quickly, and Dean could hear several girls giggling
in the background. Finn seemed to be the only other guy in the room with Sam,
unless Mike was there. Mike could be quiet as hell when he wanted to be,
usually leading up to a zinger that would have everyone laughing, even the
zing-ee. “I just wanted to let you know where I am. You can go back to whatever
you were doing.”
“I was eating breakfast,” Dean said, amused as he walked back towards the bed
with his phone. “And now I gotta kick Puck’s ass for lying to me, then we’re
going to the hospital to spend the day with Quinn and Bethy.”
“Hey, I don’t lie to you!” Puck protested, laughing.
“What didn’t he lie about?” Sam asked, and Dean could practically hear him
grinning.
“Changin’ your ringtone,” Dean said with a snort, giving Puck an amused look.
“He’s the one that keeps playin’ with my phone, and he admitted playin’ with my
tones again this morning. It’s not like I’ve left my phone where anyone else
could get to it since you called me Friday during lunch to let me know you went
to Sonic with Mike and the others, an’ your ringtone was still ‘Ride The Wind’
then.”
Sam laughed. “Now you can just apologize to him. Ichanged it.”
Dean blinked and pulled his phone away from his head to give it an incredulous
look, wide-eyed, then put it back to his ear and said, “Say that again?”
“I changed it,” Sam repeated, amused. “I heard the song on the radio the other
day, and I stole your phone out of your jacket yesterday while you were singing
with everyone to change my ringtone on it.”
Dean stared at the carpet a moment and then said slowly, “Sammy, dude, you know
that’s a love song, right?”
Puck snickered as Sam said, “Well duh, Dean.” Dean could practically hear Sam
rolling his eyes. “But that part of the song fits anyway. You’re always there
for me, and I’ll be there for you, too.”
“Aww,” Brittany said then, and she was so loud she was obviously very close to
Sam. “That’s so sweet, Sammy.”
Dean could hear them start kissing, and then Sam’s phone started to beep and
the soft wet sounds stopped abruptly. “Shit, it’s dying, Dean. I gotta go. Take
care.” He hung up without giving Dean time to say anything else.
Dean just looked at his phone a moment before he closed it, stuffing it in his
back pocket and feeling really confused as he walked back over to the bed.
“Sometimes I really wonder about that boy.”
“Sam changed it?” Kurt asked, smiling.
Dean nodded, lifting one hand to scratch his head. “Yeah, he did. Which is just
all kinds of crazy ‘cause he hates Bon Jovi, plus it’s a freaking love song,
but he said that I’m always there for him, and he’ll be there for me, so he
thought it fit anyway.”
“It does,” Kurt agreed, smiling.
Puck laughed, singing softly, “I'd live and I'd die for you, steal the sun from
the sky for you. Words can't say what a love can do, I'll be there for you.” He
paused and then nodded, smirking. “Yeah, sounds like how you feel about Sammy,
alright.”
Dean let out a little laugh. “Yeah, I guess it does.”
Kurt reached over to pat Dean’s knee, smiling. “Go put your shirt and shoes on
so we can go, sweetheart. It’s nearly ten.”
“Alright,” Dean agreed, reaching for his coffee cup before he got up again to
head for his bag, where he had put his regular clothes the day before when they
changed for Regionals. He drained his coffee along the way, tossing the cup
into the trashcan by the couch as he said, “You need to put shoes on too,
Kurt.”
“Which is what I’m doing now,” Kurt agreed, and Dean glanced at him to see Kurt
had followed him over to where their bags were laying on the couch with the
mesh laundry bag Kurt had used to gather up their performance clothes and
shoes. He gave Dean an amused smile, adding, “I rather think I’ll be done
before you are, though. Combat boots are a little harder to put on than my
shoes are.”
Dean laughed. “Might at that,” he agreed, sitting on the couch as he took his
socks out of his gym bag. “Especially since you don’t usually wear socks.”
“I hate socks,” Kurt agreed cheerfully, sitting on the arm of the chair to pull
on his favorite Converse high-tops.
Puck snickered and stood to start consolidating the Toys R Us bags into one
bag. “Hurry up, both of you. I wanna go see my baby girl.”
“Keep your pants on,” Dean said, laughing.
“Because if you don’t, we’ll never get there,” Kurt added with a wicked grin
that made Dean and Puck both start laughing.
 
                                      ~*~
 
There was an unfamiliar nurse on duty in the maternity ward when they reached
the desk, and she frowned when she saw the guitar slung on Puck’s back. She
seemed not to notice the fact that Puck and Kurt were holding hands, or that
Kurt had a diaper bag hanging over his shoulder.
Dean didn’t get much more than a glance in his jeans, combat boots, and a
comfortable old Guns N Roses t-shirt he had found at a thrift store a few
months back, despite the fact he was carrying a Denny’s bag and a bouquet of
flowers. Puck had passed the food over to him because Puck was driving when
they got it, and Dean had been the one to actually get the flowers, so Kurt had
declared he got to be the bearer of both gifts.
The flowers were something Dean had wanted to get because Quinn’s hospital room
had been so bare the day before. Quinn’s bedroom at Puck’s house had a huge
poster of a field of wildflowers on one wall, and he remembered her telling him
that she loved flowers, so he had thought she might like some to brighten up
her room. He had gotten them at the hospital gift shop so it wasn’t like they
were an expensive arrangement or anything, and they were in a plain clear
plastic vase, but he hoped she’d like them anyway. He figured if he got a smile
from her they’d be worth the way Puck had teased him about taking ten minutes
to pick out the right bouquet.
“May I help you?” the nurse asked after a moment.
“We’re here to see Quinn Fabray and her daughter,” Kurt said with a smile for
the nurse. “Melanie said she’d make sure our names were on the list. Kurt
Hummel and Noah Puckerman.”
The woman blinked and then smiled at Kurt as she said, “Oh! The young men she
called to tell me about. Your Beth is a beautiful little girl, and so calm and
sweet. You must be very proud of her, Noah.”
Kurt laughed softly. “I am very proud of her, and she is a beauty, but I’m
Kurt. He’s Noah.” He looked at Puck, eyes sparkling and amused.
Puck was grinning at Kurt. “That’s a first, baby. Someone thinking you’re a
dad.”
“I know,” Kurt agreed laughing, “and probably a last, too.”
Dean snickered, agreeing completely. Kurt didn’t look very dad-like at the
moment, not that he ever did. He was wearing tight stretchy white designer
jeans – Dean was very sure they came from the women’s section at whatever store
Kurt found them in – with a slinky white long-sleeved t-shirt that clung to him
like a second skin. He wore a black vest over the shirt that had a fanciful
pattern embroidered on the lapels in a blue that matched his eyes, his black
Converse high-tops, and a black beret that Kurt often wore because it was one
of his favorite hats. The overall effect was very obviously gay, especially
when combined with Kurt’s pretty face and graceful, almost feminine mannerisms.
The fact he looked like he was about fourteen was just the icing on a very
queer cake.
The nurse looked at Puck as she took in the black t-shirt that said ‘Bad
Example’ across the chest and the ragged old jeans he wore, her attention
drifting back up to his mohawk for a long moment before she finally met his
gaze. “You’re Noah?”
Puck grinned. “Yes ma’am, though everyone but Kurt and my mom calls me Puck.”
He paused and then added, “Like the guy in that play by Shakespeare.”
Kurt looked at Puck, surprised. “You’ve read Shakespeare?”
Puck grinned wider at Kurt and quoted, “And, as I am an honest Puck, if we have
unearned luck now to escape the serpent's tongue, we will make amends ere long,
else the Puck a liar call, so good night unto you all.”
“Oh my God!” Kurt exclaimed, laughing. “I can’t believe you actually know
that.”
“Don’t act so shocked,” Puck said, amused and a little wry. “I know you call me
a Neanderthal all the time, but I’m not really dumb, baby. You do know that,
right?”
“Of course I know you’re not dumb,” Kurt agreed just a little too quickly,
looking pleased. “Just, Shakespeare is one of my favorite playwrights, and I
never would have thought you would like him. The only book I’ve ever seen you
read for fun was the ‘Kama Sutra’, and I still think you were just looking at
the pictures.”
Puck grinned. “That one was a lotmore fun than ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, for
sure.” His grin turned wicked. “You do have to read it too, though, or you can
hurt yourself trying some of that stuff. It’s not as easy as it looks.”
Kurt made a little strangled noise, wide-eyed. “I don’t want to know any more,
thank you.”
“You sure about that, babe?” Puck asked, still looking very wicked. “There’s a
reason it’s a classic.”
The nurse laughed and moved around the desk. “I can see that you two will keep
talking all morning if I don’t interrupt, so why don’t I just take you all to
Quinn’s room so you can talk there? I’m sure she’d love to have the company,
and little Beth is due for her next feeding soon anyway so you can spend time
with her too. Quinn has been rather lonely this morning, I think, and you both
seem quite capable of keeping her amused for a while.”
“Works for us,” Puck agreed quickly, grinning.
“Yes, we’re here to spend the day with them anyway, Ms….?” Kurt trailed off,
looking expectantly at the nurse.
“Just call me Sharon,” the nurse said with a smile, turning to start towards
the nursery. “If you’ll follow me?”
“Lead on, ma’am,” Puck said quickly, grinning as he moved after her, towing
Kurt along by the hand. “We’re right behind you.”
Dean chuckled as he followed Kurt and Puck quickly after Sharon, and only a few
minutes later she had retrieved Beth and they were walking down the hall to
Quinn’s door.
Sharon shifted Beth to hold her cradled in one arm as she reached the door,
freeing her other hand to open the door and then stepping inside as she said,
“Quinn, sweetie? Are you feeling up to visitors?”
“Not if it’s my mom, she’s fussed at me enough for one day,” Quinn said
quickly.
“It’s not your mother,” Sharon said with a soft laugh. “Puck and Kurt are here
with their friend.”
“Let them in!” Quinn said, sounding much more cheerful
Sharon opened the door wide. “You heard her, boys.” She started towards the bed
with Beth as she added with a smile for Quinn, “I thought you might want their
company.”
Puck towed Kurt into the room with him, grinning, and Dean followed them as
Quinn beamed at Sharon. “Definitely!” She was sitting on the bed in a fluffy
pink bathrobe over the same white nightgown she had worn the night before, and
Dean was surprised to see a woman in a white doctor’s coat standing by the bed
watching them with a slight smile.
“Perhaps we should finish our discussion later?” the doctor said, watching as
Sharon handed Beth to Quinn.
Quinn got Beth settled in her arms and then smiled at Sharon, murmuring, “Thank
you, Sharon.”
Sharon patted Quinn’s shoulder. “Anytime, sweetie.” She smiled at the doctor
and then at Puck, Kurt, and Dean as she headed towards the door. “Just send one
of your friends to get me if you need anything.
“I will,” Quinn said quickly, and then she looked back at the doctor, answering
her finally. “And there’s no reason for you to go. I have nothing to hide from
them.”
Puck shrugged out of the strap on his guitar as he walked over to sit on the
bed by Quinn, putting the guitar behind them on her pillow. He smiled at Quinn,
looking curious as he asked, “What were you talking about?”
“Things I’ll need to know after I go home tomorrow morning,” Quinn answered,
smiling at Puck. “Dr Royson was just about to tell me what I’m allowed to do
now that Beth is finally here.”
Dean grinned, putting the Denny’s bag and the flowers on the table at the foot
of the bed. “Sounds like somethin’ we’ll all need to know, for sure.”
“Definitely,” Quinn agreed, brightening as she noticed the flowers. “You got me
flowers?”
Dean walked over to lean past Puck, absently resting one hand on Puck’s thigh
to steady himself as he kissed Quinn lovingly, lingering when she made a happy
noise. He finally pulled away to give Quinn a smile as he said quietly, “I
thought you might like something to brighten up the room a little.”
“I love them,” Quinn agreed, beaming.
“Good,” Dean said with a wider smile, moving to sit in the chair by the bed
where he could see everyone while he listened to them talk.
“I got you a triple order of brown-sugar coated bacon at Denny’s, momma,” Puck
teased, grinning at Quinn. “Don’t I get a kiss too?”
Quinn laughed and kissed Puck soundly. “There. Do you feel better?”
“Yep.” Puck grinned at Quinn and then leaned over a little closer to her as he
stroked Beth’s cheek with his fingertip, smiling when Beth turned her head
towards the touch to look at him.
“I’m sure Dr Royson has better things to do than listen to us,” Kurt said then,
amused as he watched Puck with a smile.
Quinn gave Dr Royson a sheepish smile. “Sorry, please go on.”
“You’re very sure you want to discuss this in front of them?” Dr Royson asked.
“I’ll be living with Dean, he’s my boyfriend,” Quinn explained, “And Puck is
Beth’s father.”
Puck glanced up from Beth, smiling at the doctor. “And Kurt is my partner.”
Dean’s lips twitched in amusement. Puck had decided he liked the sound of
partner better than boyfriend, at least when he was referring to Kurt. Puck
didn’t seem to care what Kurt called him, as long as Kurt called him.
“And my best friend,” Quinn added with a smile. “He’s been with me to every
doctor’s visit in the last few months, not to mention Lamaze.”
“Luckily, I paid attention even when you were bored or sleeping,” Kurt said
with a laugh, putting the diaper bag on the foot of the bed and then sitting by
it as he looked expectantly at the doctor.
Dr Royson looked at each of the others and then looked at Quinn again. “Alright
then, if that’s how you want it, Quinn.”
Quinn nodded, smiling. “It is. I think you were about to tell me about how I’m
supposed to take care of the stitches?”
“Yes, I was,” Dr Royson said reluctantly. “You should apply an antibiotic
ointment like Neosporin twice a day to the external stitches, and visit your
usual doctor sometime in the next week for a full exam. If all is going well,
you should be able to have the stitches removed in a few weeks.”
Beth started making soft little noises, looking a little unhappy as Quinn said,
“That sounds easy enough.” She turned to offer Beth to Puck, smiling. “Beth’s
hungry, sweetheart. Hold her for me for a minute so I can get my gown open.”
Puck’s eyes widened but he didn’t hesitate to accept Beth as he murmured,
“Sure, momma.” He held Beth like she was made of glass, careful to support her
head, and Quinn kissed his cheek before she looked back at the doctor.
“You already said I’m not allowed to have sex for at least a month,” Quinn said
as she shrugged out of her robe, “but does that mean no fun at all, or just no
actual sex?” She started to unbutton her nightgown while she waited for an
answer.
“No penetration of any kind until your usual doctor approves it,” Dr Royson
said, still looking reluctant. “Orgasm shouldn’t hurt you as long as you
restrain yourself to no more than once or twice a day for the next few weeks,
but it’s very important that you refrain from cunnilingus and from any type of
vaginal stimulation until your doctor says otherwise.”
Quinn blinked, looking a little disappointed as she finished unbuttoning her
gown. “So in other words, nothing but fingers or a vibrator, and then only on
my clit?”
“Exactly,” Dr Royson said, nodding. “I know that you’re young and you probably
think you will want to do more, but it’s a very bad idea. You may find when you
try any sexual stimulation that the idea was much more fun than the actual
experience will be, but even if that isn’t true for you there are very good
reasons to restrain yourself for the next six weeks. Anything more than
clitoral stimulation can lead to air or bacteria entering the vagina, and that
can result in severe infections or even death, especially in cases such as
yours where there was tearing.”
“Won’t air get in no matter what she does?” Puck asked, concerned. “I mean,
most women get pretty active down there when they come.”
Dr Royson looked at Puck in surprise for a moment before she said, “No, that’s
not a concern, as long as there’s no penetration.”
“Then why is cunnilingus dangerous?” Puck asked quickly. “I mean, whoever she’s
with at the time doesn’t have to go after anything but her clit, so I’d think
that was as safe as fingers.”
Beth started squirming again, making little huffing noises and looking unhappy,
and Quinn leaned to take her from Puck as Dr Royson said, “It’s a very bad idea
because her partner would necessarily be breathing very close to her vagina,
which would expose her to oral bacteria as well as risk air being introduced.”
“So I get to have almost no fun at all,” Quinn said with a sigh, offering her
breast to Beth, who latched on and began to nurse hungrily. She looked over at
Puck then, pouting. “And I was looking forward to it, too. I hardly remember
the one time I was with you.”
“Dean can work around it, momma,” Puck said with a smile, amused.
Dean let out a little laugh, nodding even though he was blushing just a bit
because of the topic. “Yeah, I’ve got fingers and I know how to use ‘em.”
“Very well,” Puck agreed with a wicked smirk, making Quinn laugh.
“Shut up, you,” Dean said with a laugh as he reached out to punch Puck’s
shoulder, feeling like his face was on fire.
“Just the truth, Deano,” Puck said, smirking at Dean.
“You don’t have to say it in front of the doc though, you dumbass,” Dean
pointed out, still blushing.
“Eh, she doesn’t care,” Puck said cheerfully, looking at the doctor. “Do you,
ma’am?”
“It’s none of my business,” Dr Royson replied, even though she was looking kind
of confused.
Quinn watched Dean a moment longer, grinning, and then looked up at the doctor
again. “What about other types of sex?”
Dr Royson stared at Quinn for a moment before she said primly, “If you’re
referring to fellatio, there is no reason you might need to refrain from that.”
“What about anal sex?” Quinn asked, blushing suddenly.
“Definitely not,” Dr Royson said quickly, shaking her head. “There’s a high
likelihood it would cause you problems.”
Quinn looked over at Dean, still blushing. “Well, at least I get to do things
toyou finally. I still have to act like a nun.”
“Anything you want,” Dean agreed, amused. “I’m all yours.”
“Well, mostly,” Puck said, smirking at Quinn. “I saw him first, momma.”
Quinn giggled and teased, “If you borrow my boyfriend, I want to watch.”
“Maybe,” Puck said cheerfully, smirking as he looked over at Dean. “I think we
can probably talk him into that if we ask really nice.”
Dean laughed, feeling his face heating up even more as Quinn gave him a hopeful
look, grinning. “Please?”
“Talk to Kurt,” Dean said after a moment, letting out a little embarrassed
laugh. “He’s the shy one.”
“I think I’m done here,” Dr Royson said quickly then, and when Dean looked at
her in surprise he saw that she looked a little freaked out. “I’ll have the
nurse bring you a packet detailing everything you shouldn’t do for the next
four to six weeks.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Kurt said quickly, blushing red well past the collar of his
shirt. “I’ll make sure they all read it and follow the rules.”
Dr Royson started towards the door quickly, still looking disturbed. “Good luck
with that.” She left the room without waiting for anyone to reply, pulling the
door closed firmly behind her.
Quinn started giggling, looking at Puck. “We are so bad.”
Puck smirked at her, hazel eyes sparkling. “But we’re fun.”
“I think you traumatized the poor woman,” Kurt said, watching them with his
lips pursed almost as if he was annoyed. “And possibly me as well. A threesome
is one thing, but all four of us together in one bed would be nothing short of
frightening.” His lips twitched and he added, “Not to mention illegal because
three of us are underage.”
Quinn giggled and looked at Kurt. “Aww, sweetie, you know I won’t ask you to do
anything you don’t want to do. I know you’re afraid of girl parts.”
“I am not afraid of them,” Kurt protested quickly. “I just prefer to avoid
them, thank you very much.”
Puck grinned at Kurt, teasing, “Have you ever even seen girl parts, babe?”
“Yes, I have,” Kurt said with a soft snort. “I watched birthing videos in
lamaze andwith you, Noah, and then I was in the delivery room right next to
you, or have you forgotten that already?”
Puck laughed. “Okay, yeah, that was pretty bad.” He looked at Quinn. “There was
blood everywhere and Beth was moving before she was even out. It made me think
of that scene in that movie where the alien baby claws it’s way out of the
woman’s body.”
Quinn started giggling again as Dean snickered and said, “The looks on their
faces were priceless, beautiful. I thought they’d both pass out right there,
they were so pale, and then all of a sudden they cringed away and hid their
faces like little girls at a horror flick. All that was missing was the
shrieking.”
“Dude, that was when Beth’s head popped out all bloody and squished and smeared
with that nasty stuff that was all over her,” Puck said as he looked at Dean, a
little wide-eyed at the memory. “It was freaky.”
“What did you think she was gonna do, dumbass?” Dean asked, laughing. “Just
appear all neat and clean and ready to cuddle?”
“I didn’t think it’d be like that!” Puck said, letting out a little laugh. “The
video Kurt made me watch wasn’t bloody at all, and the kid just kind of oozed
out.”
“The woman in the video had an easier time of it,” Kurt agreed, amused. “But
she had a much slower delivery than Quinn did, and it was her third child.”
Quinn giggled, looking down at Beth as she gently tugged her nipple away from
the baby and then switched her to her other breast. “Well, nobody has to worry
about me ever having another child. Beth is it for me.”
“Until you get drunk again,” Puck teased, watching Quinn and Beth with a grin.
Quinn laughed. “Not ever! Not with a guy, at least.”
Dean snickered. “Gonna stick to girls after I drive out of town, huh?”
Quinn grinned at him, nodding. “And my girls are going to do the same thing
once Sammy’s gone. We might even move in together somewhere.”
“I happen to know of someplace cheap that’ll be available,” Dean said,
grinning. “The trailer me and Sam are renting isn’t all that great, but it’s
furnished, the landlord’s nice, and there’s no neighbors close enough to care
if you and your girls want to sunbathe topless.”
“Plus it’s not far from Kurt’s place,” Puck pointed out, grinning. “And there’s
a field of horses out back.”
Quinn looked surprised and pleased. “I’ll have to talk to Santana about it when
I call her later. That sounds really nice, especially the horses. I miss being
around them.”
“The rent’s only a couple hundred a month, and the power bill’s not too bad
either,” Dean said, grinning as he wondered when Quinn had ever been around
horses. “It’s got two bedrooms with their own bathrooms and all the appliances,
even a washer and dryer.”
Quinn beamed at him. “And Santana’s been there, so she’ll know exactly where
I’m talking about when I ask her what she thinks.” She looked towards Kurt
then, adding, “Could you please pass that Denny’s bag, sweetie? I’m starving.”
“Didn’t you eat breakfast?” Kurt asked as he reached for the bag, taking out
the cardboard container inside and opening it before he put it on the bed near
Quinn’s knee.
Quinn settled Beth carefully in one arm and then reached for the bacon, which
was coated with toffee-like melted brown sugar. “It was nasty. Dry toast and
plain oatmeal.”
Puck wrinkled his nose. “Eww.”
“I know, right?” Quinn said with a little laugh, and then she was munching on a
slice of the sticky, candy-coated bacon with a low happy moan.
Puck grinned wickedly at Quinn, teasing, “Been a long time since I heard you
make that noise.”
Quinn laughed, blushing as she elbowed him.
 
                                      ~*~
 
After Beth had been fed and changed – and Dean was nevergoing to forget the
hilarity of Quinn coercing Kurt into changing his first diaper – Beth went back
to the nursery, and Quinn insisted that they all go out into one of the
courtyards so she could see something besides her room.
Puck had brought his guitar along when they went to the nurses’ desk to ask
Sharon if there was a courtyard where they wouldn’t bother anyone by singing,
and Sharon had shown them the way to a small interior courtyard not too far
from the nursery. Sharon had given them the okay to play and sing if they
wanted to and assured them that she hardly ever saw anyone using the courtyard
now that it was posted as a smoke-free environment. She had barely gone back
into the hospital before Puck began to pick out a tune, and Quinn was smiling
happily as she turned to Dean.
“Sit down,” Quinn ordered, pointing at the bench where Kurt had already taken a
seat, very close to the small patch of lush grass Puck was sitting on.
Dean laughed and sat down next to Kurt, and then Quinn sat down on the bench at
Dean’s other side, flinching a bit as she lifted up off the bench quickly and
then tried again more gingerly. She sighed in relief as she sat just the right
way that time, looking happy as she relaxed against Dean’s side. Dean put his
arm around Quinn just as Puck finished the instrumental introduction of a song
Dean knew well. He had owned several cassettes of the album over the years,
even though Sam always made fun of him for liking Bon Jovi.
Puck began to sing after a few moments, looking up at Kurt with a sweet, loving
smile. “It's hard for me to say the things, I want to say sometimes.” Kurt
smiled at Puck, his blue eyes shining with love as he stared into Puck’s eyes,
listening to him sing.“There's no one here but you and me, and that broken old
street light. Lock the doors, leave the world outside. All I've got to give to
you are these five words and I—“
Dean joined in for the chorus, singing along with Puck as he put his other arm
around Kurt, glancing at Kurt to give him a soft smile. “Thank you for loving
me.”Kurt smiled back at Dean and shifted to lean against Dean’s side, blue eyes
sparkling as he looked back down at Puck to watch him sing. “For being my eyes
when I couldn't see, for parting my lips when I couldn't breathe. Thank you for
loving me. Thank you for loving me.”
Puck went on alone when the next verse began, singing softly with his love for
Kurt bright and shining in his hazel eyes. “I never knew I had a dream, until
that dream was you. When I look into your eyes, the sky's a different blue.
Cross my heart, I wear no disguise. If I tried, you'd make believe that you
believed my lies.”
Dean joined Puck for the chorus again then and he was a bit surprised that
Quinn joined in too, making him give Quinn a smile that she returned happily as
they looked into each other’s eyes and sang. “Thank you for loving me. For
being my eyes when I couldn't see, for parting my lips when I couldn't
breathe.” Kurt joined them then and Dean glanced at him in surprise, Kurt’s
higher voice blending in perfectly with them as they all sang,“Thank you for
loving me.”
“You pick me up when I fall down,” Puck went on alone, grinning. “You ring the
bell before they count me out, yeah. If I was drowning you would part the sea,
and risk your own life to rescue me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.” He played
the instrumental solo, nodding with the beat of the song, and then began to
sing again. “Lock the doors, leave the world outside. All I've got to give to
you are these five words and I—“
They all joined in together again for the last chorus, their voices blending
into a four-part harmony that Dean knew wasn’t as simple as they made it seem.
Dean was very glad that the other three were so good that they made it easy for
him to harmonize with them as he watched Puck sing, sitting on the bench with
his arms around Kurt and Quinn. “Thank you for loving me. For being my eyes,
oh… when I couldn't see. You parted my lips, when I couldn't breathe. Thank you
for loving me. When I couldn't fly, oh... you gave me wings. You parted my
lips, when I couldn't breathe. Thank you for loving me.”
“Thank you for loving me,” Puck went on alone, smiling and looking into Kurt’s
eyes. “Thank you for loving me...  Oh, for loving me.” He let the music trail
off then, and Kurt was just starting to stand to move towards Puck when someone
started applauding behind them.
Dean turned his head quickly to look towards the applause to see Melanie was
standing at the door that led back into the hospital, beaming. “That was just
beautiful!” She started towards them as she went on. “Sharon told me you were
here with a guitar so I came to ask a favor, but I didn’t expect you to be so
good! Are the four of you in a group together or something?”
“Thanks,” Puck said with a grin, pleased. “We’re part of one of the show choirs
that competed at Regionals yesterday.”
“Our choir took second place,” Kurt added, beaming and looking very happy as he
settled against Dean’s side again.
“It should have been first,” Dean said then, snorting. “I still say the judges
weren’t impartial. We were great.”
Quinn laughed and poked Dean in the side, teasing, “And so very modest.”
Dean did the only mature thing and stuck his tongue out at Quinn, making the
others all laugh.
“What’d you need us to do, ma’am?” Puck asked after a moment, grinning up at
Melanie.
“Well, when Sharon told me you were going to play and sing out here,” Melanie
said replied with a smile, “I wondered if perhaps you would sing for the
children in the pediatric ward instead. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it much
more than a few bushes will.”
Puck looked at the others, smiling and looking pleased. “I haven’t got a
problem with it, do you?”
Quinn shook her head, beaming. “I think it sounds like fun.”
Kurt stood up, nodding as he moved to offer Puck his hand. “And it’ll mean a
lot to the kids, I’m sure.”
“Oh yes,” Melanie said quickly, beaming as Kurt pulled Puck to his feet.
“They’ll feel very special, getting a private performance from such talented
young people.”
Dean grinned and stood up, offering Quinn his hands to help her to her feet.
“Well then, what are we waitin’ for?”
“Me, I think,” Quinn said with a little laugh, taking Dean’s hands to let him
help her up. She flinched only a little as she stood, looking a bit relieved
and rueful as she added, “I’ll be glad to have somewhere soft to sit again.”
Dean snickered, sliding his arm around her and pulling her close to his side as
he teased, “I just bet you will, beautiful.”
Quinn put her arm around him, amused as she looked up at him. “Next time all
the seats are hard, I’m sitting in your lap.”
“Lucky me,” Dean said, smirking at her.
Puck laughed, still holding Kurt’s hand as he moved his guitar around to his
back and grinned at Melanie. “Lead the way, ma’am.”
Melanie beamed and turned to head back into the hospital. “The pediatric ward
is just down the next hall, it’s not far at all. This will mean so much to the
children, I can’t thank you enough.”
“It’s our pleasure,” Kurt said quickly, smiling happily as they all followed
her. “We love to sing.”
“Especially for an appreciative audience,” Puck added, grinning widely.
“You’ll definitely have that,” Melanie promised as she opened the door, holding
it for them follow her inside and beaming. “There are seven children staying
with us right now, and there’s sure to be a few parents and siblings around as
well.”
Kurt looked much less happy at that news as he walked into the hospital
corridor again, and Dean was sure that he was remembering the Italian
restaurant they went to the night before. Children weren’t very likely to be
cruel to Kurt because he was gay, especially not when Kurt was there to sing
for them, but adults often didn’t hesitate to treat him badly just because he
was obviously queer.
Puck glanced at Kurt, his grin fading away before he looked at Melanie again,
asking, “Are you sure they’ll be alright with us being there, ma’am?” Melanie
gave him a surprised look then and Puck moved to put his arm around Kurt,
pulling Kurt in close to his side as he explained, “Kids aren’t usually a
problem, but we aren’t particularly welcome company to a lot of older people.
I’m not exactly the most clean-cut guy around, and being gay doesn’t help.”
“Everyone will be fine with you both,” Melanie said firmly. “And if they
aren’t, then they can just leave. I won’t have anyone robbing those children of
a chance at a private performance by such a talented group of youngsters.”
Puck smiled, looking pleased as Kurt gave Melanie a sweet, shy smile. “Thank
you, Melanie.”
Melanie patted Kurt on the arm, giving him a reassuring smile. “No thanks are
necessary, sweetie.” She started down the hall then, adding, “Come along, it’s
not far.”
Puck kissed Kurt’s cheek and started him moving after Melanie, and Dean and
Quinn smiled at each other as they followed.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean was stretched out on Quinn’s hospital bed with her curled up against his
side while they watched some chick flick – Dean hadn’t really paid attention
when Quinn told him the name, and he had already forgotten it – when the door
to Quinn’s room opened. Dean looked over at the door with a smile, expecting to
see Puck and Kurt returning with Quinn’s dinner because they had been gone most
of an hour, but instead Quinn’s mother slipped inside the room, stopping when
she saw them on the bed.
“I ... didn’t think you would still have company,” Mrs Fabray said a bit
hesitantly, and Dean was surprised by how sad she looked. “There are only a few
minutes left until visiting hours are over.”
“Well, I do, Mother,” Quinn said quietly, and Dean wasn’t surprised that she
was unhappy to see her mother. Quinn had told him about some of Mrs Fabray’s
attempts to bribe her home that morning, delivered amongst a lot of tears and
followed by a passive-aggressive guilt trip. Mrs Fabray had promised Quinn
everything from a new car to having no curfew or rules to live by as long as
she came home every night, and even offered Quinn a credit card with no
spending limit on it, trying to buy her love. Dean wasn’t at all surprised that
Quinn got angry instead of going for it. “What did you want?”
“I just wanted to say good night,” Mrs Fabray said softly, “and let you know
I’ll be here around ten in the morning to take you home.”
“Dean is taking me home, Mother,” Quinn said firmly as she lifted her head to
give her mother a level stare. “We’re all heading back the same way we got
here, together in his Impala.”
Dean gave Quinn a gentle squeeze with the arm he had around her shoulders,
giving Mrs Fabray a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, ma’am. We’ve already got a
carseat for Beth and I’m a very good driver. We should get into Lima around
lunch time if they let Quinn go at nine like they said they will.”
Dean felt sorry for Mrs Fabray and thought she really did regret how she had
let Quinn go so easily. He hoped she and Quinn could find some kind of middle
ground between them so they could be a family again before he had to leave.
Quinn was tired of relying on Puck for everything, but she just couldn’t figure
out a way she could work, attend school, and help take care of Beth, so Dean
figured that made it important to fix things between Quinn and her mom. Quinn
wouldn’t have to worry about supporting herself or Beth anymore once she was
letting her mother pay her bills again, which would take a lot of pressure off
Quinn and Puck and let them both have a more normal life. Mrs Fabray was
loaded, not her soon to be ex husband, and Dean was sure the woman would be
glad to throw as much money at Quinn as Quinn would accept, if only to try and
make up for what she had done when Quinn got pregnant.
“Oh,” Mrs Fabray said quietly. She just stared at them for a few moments before
she added, “I didn’t know your friends were staying to take you home again.”
“Of course they stayed,” Quinn said with a sigh, laying her head back on Dean’s
chest as she went back to watching the movie. “They’re our family and they
would never leave me or Beth in a strange place with no one to care about us.”
“I was here, Quinn,” Mrs Fabray said softly. “I care.”
“You care when I do what you want me to do,” Quinn agreed, glancing over at her
mother. “And when I argue with you, you try to lecture me like I’m still
twelve, then try to buy me.” She looked back at the movie. “I’m an adult now,
Mother, not the little girl you and Daddy threw out because she made a mistake.
I had to grow up and learn to take care of myself, and I won’t go back to being
treated like a child.”
“I’ve told you I’m sorry over and over,” Mrs Fabray said quietly, and she
looked to Dean like she might start crying at any moment. “I was afraid to go
against your father. You know how he is.”
“I know that when it was something you cared about, you evidently had no
problem kicking him out,” Quinn said pointedly, looking over at her mother
again. “You stood up to him for having an affair, but when I needed you it
wasn’t that important. You just looked away and let him take away my car and my
bank account and throw me out on the street, pregnant and scared and forced to
rely on the kindness of strangers.” She turned back to the movie. “You’ll just
have to forgive me for not being overjoyed that you suddenly care about me
again now that I’m not pregnant anymore.”
“Is there anything I can do to help you forgive me?” Mrs Fabray asked, a few
tears sliding down her cheeks.
“Just go home, Mother,” Quinn said tiredly. “I’ve had a long weekend and I just
don’t have the energy to try and talk to you right now.”
Dean knew how true that was. Quinn had tried hard to hide it, but she had tired
easily that day, and her mood had fallen right along with her energy level.
Dean and Kurt had both tried talking her into taking a nap, but she had refused
the idea, insisting she had done nothing but sleep when they weren’t around,
even though Dean had his doubts about that. There was a crossword puzzle book
by Quinn’s bed that was nearly completed, and Dean kind of doubted it had been
that way when Quinn packed it.
Mrs Fabray inhaled slowly and then let it out, nodding. “Alright, sweetheart.
When you’re ready to talk to me again—“
Quinn cut her off, still sounding tired as she finished for her, “I know where
you live. Now please, leave me alone.”
“Whatever you want, Quinny,” Mrs Fabray said quietly, looking at Quinn for a
long moment before she looked at Dean. “Take care of her, please?”
“You’ve got my word, ma’am,” Dean said quietly, giving Mrs Fabray a smile even
though he was strongly reminded of the way John had told Puck to take care of
him. “She’ll be safe staying with me.”
“And after you’re gone?” Mrs Fabray asked quietly. “Where will she go then? She
mentioned that you’re moving soon.”
“She’ll still have Puck and Kurt, and Kurt’s parents, who all consider her and
Beth as part of the family,” Dean reminded Mrs Fabray gently. “Not to mention
Santana and Brittany, and everyone else in Glee. She’s got plenty of people who
love her and will keep her safe.”
“They can’t do worse than you did, Mother,” Quinn said quietly, not looking at
her mother. “At least none of them turned their back on me for making one
stupid, drunken mistake.”
Mrs Fabray flinched, turning towards the door. “Good night to you both.”
Quinn ignored her mother, but after a moment Dean said quietly, “Good night,
ma’am. Drive safe.”
“Thank you, Dean,” Mrs Fabray said quietly, looking back at him. “Have a nice
trip home tomorrow.”
Dean nodded. “We will, ma’am.”
Mrs Fabray gave Dean a watery smile and then turned and left the room, closing
the door softly behind her.
Dean looked at Quinn then, wanting to see her face, but the way she was laying
he could only see the top of her head. He shifted the arm he had around her,
starting to stroke her upper arm slowly with that hand as he murmured, “You
okay, sweetheart?”
Quinn was still and quiet for a few minutes, and he was just starting to think
she had fallen asleep when she said finally, “I think so.” She lifted her head
to look at him, her brown eyes dark and tired but calm. “I should have done
that yesterday and made her leave then.”
Dean smiled and lifted his free hand, stroking her hair back from her face
gently. “You weren’t ready to do that yet yesterday.”
Quinn smiled. “No, I guess not.”
The door opened again and Puck walked in with a familiar-looking take-out drink
in one hand, looking over his shoulder with a very confused expression. Kurt
followed Puck into the room with a covered aluminum container in his hands,
waiting for Puck to close the door before he asked with a similarly confused
look, “Have pigs started to fly and no one told me?”
Puck let out a little laugh, nodding. “Good question!”
Dean chuckled, propping himself up on his elbows as Quinn sat up next to him.
“What happened?” Quinn asked, reaching for the remote to mute the movie.
“Your mother just practically tackled Noah to hug him and tell him thank you,”
Kurt said then, still looking a bit confused as he walked over to put the
container he was carrying on the table at the foot of Quinn’s bed. “She didn’t
even say what for, and then she took off down the hall like the hounds of hell
were at her heels.”
Dean snickered, sitting up and swinging one foot off the bed to drop it to the
floor, leaving the other leg bent sideways in front of him as he watched Kurt
moving the hospital table closer to Quinn so she could eat.
“It’s about time,” Quinn said with a snort, looking interestedly at the foil-
covered dish even though she was exhausted. “What did you bring me? It smells
delicious.”
Kurt smiled and situated the table in front of Quinn, adjusting the height so
she would be able to eat comfortably off of it, and then he began to remove the
foil cover with easy efficiency. “Your favorites, of course.” He pulled the
foil away with a flourish finally, smirking as he revealed chicken and fries
both covered in cheese and bacon with a wedge of some kind of pie in a plastic
container in one corner. “Alice Springs Chicken with cheese fries and a slice
of cheesecake with raspberry sauce.”
“Oh, you do love me,” Quinn said softly, beaming at Kurt. “It’s perfect.”
“Of course it is, sweetie,” Kurt said, still smirking. “I do pay attention to
what you like.” He kissed her cheek and then gave her a sweet smile. “I wish we
could stay, but it’s already after visiting hours and Melanie says she can’t
let us bend the rules for long. Her supervisor will be coming on duty in a few
minutes.”
Quinn made a face even as she reached for the plastic fork tucked into her
take-out container. “I know, but only one more night and then I don’t have to
be alone ever again unless I want to be.”
They had decided to move Quinn’s things to Dean’s house the next day, since
they would have to miss a day of school anyway. Nancy had told Puck on the
phone earlier in the afternoon that she wanted Quinn out if Beth wouldn’t be
raised kosher, and Puck had gotten so angry that he told his mother not to
expect him home any time soon before he hung up on her. Nancy had tried to call
Puck at least a dozen times that Dean knew of since then, until Puck had
finally turned off his phone.
Puck didn’t want to talk to his mom while he was angry enough to say things he
didn’t mean, so he intended to avoid her for the next few days. Burt and Carole
had already agreed that Puck could stay with Kurt and Beth as long as he needed
to, and Dean was pretty sure that Puck had no intention of sleeping anywhere
else unless Kurt went with him. Puck loved his mom and his little sister and
Dean was sure he’d be spending a lot of time at their home once he and Nancy
both cooled off, but Dean was also sure Puck would never go back to sleeping
alone when he knew he could be with Kurt instead.
Dean and Sam would be the ones to take Quinn to get her things, and while they
were there they were going to get some of Puck’s things for him, mostly his
clothes. Quinn didn’t have much to move besides Beth’s things, her own clothes,
a small portable stereo, and a computer that doubled as her television, so it
wouldn’t take them very long to pack her things. Dean was expecting Nancy to
make some kind of a scene, but he figured that between him and Sam they could
keep it under control. Puck said that Nancy wouldn’t be mean to Quinn with
witnesses there to see it – much the way John could pretend to be super-dad in
public, Dean was sure – so they didn’t expect too much trouble.
“At least for the next month,” Dean agreed, smiling. “It won’t take us long to
get you moved into my place.”
Quinn turned to look at Dean, smiling. “Because you’re the sweetest boyfriend
ever.” She leaned towards him, obviously wanting a kiss, and Dean was quick to
oblige, kissing her lovingly until she finally pulled away again to give him a
sweet, happy smile. “I’m looking forward to telling you goodnight and not
having to watch you leave, even if I’m not allowed to have any fun with you.”
“Me too, beautiful,” Dean agreed with a soft smile, leaning to kiss her again
before he stood to move towards the door. “We’ll be here bright and early in
the morning.”
“Nine!” Quinn said quickly, smiling. “I get out of solitary confinement at
nine.”
Puck snickered, moving around the bed to put the drink he was holding on the
table in front of Quinn with a wide grin. “Who else loves you, momma?”
“You do!” Quinn laughed softly and lifted her arms towards Puck. “And for a
Java Chiller, you get a hug!”
Puck laughed and leaned down to hug her, kissing her cheek. “Just don’t hold on
too long, or you’ll make Kurt jealous.”
Kurt laughed, moving over to where Puck’s guitar was sitting propped up against
the wall in the corner of the room. “There isn’t the slightest chance of that,
Noah. Just so you know.”
Puck let go of Quinn to turn back towards Kurt with a grin. “You don’t care if
I hug pretty women?”
“I don’t care if you hug Quinn,” Kurt corrected, amused as he started towards
the door. “She has a free pass to do anything with you that she sees fit, as
long as you’re both sober.”
Dean snickered at that while Quinn sipped at her coffee drink, giggling, but
Puck looked surprised. “Seriously, baby?” Puck asked, moving after Kurt as he
reached for his guitar.
“Yes, seriously,” Kurt said with an amused smile for Puck as he let him take
the Gibson. “She has good judgment and I trust her completely, as long as she
hasn’t been drinking.” He smiled at Quinn. “Good night, sweetheart.”
Quinn swallowed and then said with an impish smile, “Good night! Have fun with
my boyfriend.”
Kurt blushed as he turned to go, reaching for the door. “I’m very sure we
will.”
“Someone should,” Quinn said with a laugh. “He’s much too sexy to make him do
without.”
Kurt just laughed and walked out into the hall, and Puck snickered as he paused
at the door to look back at Quinn. “Night, momma.”
“G’night, daddy,” Quinn said teasingly, making Puck laugh as he turned to walk
out of the room.
Dean smiled at Quinn, asking quietly, “You’ve got my number if you need
anything, right?”
Quinn nodded, giving him a sweet smile. “I’ll call if I do, I promise.”
“Even if you just get lonely and want to talk,” Dean said, moving back to the
bed to put one knee on it so he could lean towards her, smiling softly. “I
won’t mind, beautiful.”
Quinn reached out to put her hand on the back of his neck, tugging him a little
closer with a smile. “You are the sweetest guy I ever dated,” she murmured, and
then she was kissing him again, slow and sweet. She let go of him after a few
minutes, pulling away as she said softly, “Good night, honey.”
“Night, sweetheart,” Dean replied with a smile, kissing her forehead before he
turned away and walked to the door.
Kurt and Puck were nowhere in sight when he got out into the hall, so he closed
Quinn’s door quietly and began to walk towards the nursery, sure that was where
he would find them. He rounded the corner a few moments later and grinned when
he saw them, congratulating himself on knowing them so well as he slowed down
to give them a few more moments.
Puck was holding Kurt in his arms with Kurt leaning back against his chest,
both of them smiling softly as they stared at Beth. Puck’s Gibson was slung
neck-down across his back to free up his hands, and Dean figured that there was
a better than even chance Puck would play it on their way to find something for
dinner. Kurt wanted to drive, which meant Dean would be in the middle because
Puck really couldn’t keep his hands to himself when Kurt drove. It would have
been adorable if it wasn’t so dangerous. Puck could drive just fine while
someone felt him up – Kurt had tried it to give him a little of his own
medicine, and he was very nonplussed when it backfired – but Kurt had a habit
of closing his eyes and ending up in the next lane.
Dean reached Puck and Kurt then, not really even thinking about it as he
stopped by them with one hand on Puck’s lower back, smiling at them. “Ready to
go?” he murmured softly.
Puck took one arm from around Kurt to put it around Dean instead, tugging him
closer without saying anything, and Kurt smiled as he turned and did the same,
leaning to kiss Dean softly. Dean wrapped his arms around both of them with a
soft pleased hum even though he was blushing because anyone could come down the
hall and see them.
Kurt pulled away after a moment to give Dean a sweet smile, his blue eyes
sparkling. “I’ve wanted to do that all day.”
Dean blinked in surprise. “Quinn doesn’t care if you want to kiss me, baby,” he
said softly. “She kind of wants to watch, even.”
“Which is why I didn’t want to do it in front of her,” Kurt said with a soft
little laugh, blushing. “I don’t want to encourage her.”
Puck snickered, leaning to kiss Kurt and then Dean before he gave them both a
squeeze as he grinned at Kurt. “I’m sorry, baby, but not letting her watch you
kiss Dean isn’t going to make her forget she wants to watch him with us.”
Dean snickered, nodding. “What he said. She’s had the idea stuck in her head
for a couple weeks now.” He let out a little laugh. “She liked the idea before
I did, even.”
“I know,” Kurt said with a soft laugh of his own, pulling away to take each of
them by the hand and start towards the exit. “I still don’t want to encourage
her, though. I feel guilty enough about what I’m doing with her boyfriend
without doing it in front of her.”
“She doesn’t see it like that, babe,” Puck said, amused as he gave Beth’s
sleeping face one last glance.
“She figures that if anyone owns me, it’s Puck,” Dean admitted quietly, not
quite looking at Kurt or Puck even though he could feel them both staring at
him suddenly. He paused and then added, “And she and I won’t be doing anything
sexy anyway. Just, y’know, so you know. Santana called a little while ago, and
while they were talking she asked Quinn not to even fool around with me.”
“Is Santana going to dump Sam?” Kurt asked, and when Dean finally glanced at
him he saw Puck had moved to walk with his arm around Kurt, who was leaning
against Puck’s side as they walked, and they both were looking surprised.
“Santana has only actually fucked him once according to what she told Quinn
tonight,” Dean said with a shrug. “She told Quinn they’re with Sammy because
Brit thinks she loves him, and Santana doesn’t want to make Brit unhappy. Quinn
agreed that Brit can keep fucking Sammy, but she told Santana that if she
couldn’t fuck around with me, then Santana couldn’t have Sammy. Santana agreed
that she’s not having sex with him again, but she’s going to be there sometimes
when Brit does because Brit likes it that way, so Quinn is still going to live
with me. We just won’t be doing anything past a little kissing.”
“Sam won’t be real happy about that,” Puck said, frowning slightly as they
turned the corner closest to the nurses’ station.
“It’s not very fair to him,” Kurt agreed, also looking a little unhappy. “He
really likes Santana.”
“I don’t think Sam will mind, really,” Dean disagreed, smiling and waving as he
saw Melanie wave to them. “Sam’s crazy about Brit, but he’s kind of afraid of
Santana, I think. She orders him around like he’s a lap dog.”
Kurt laughed softly, letting go of Dean’s hand to wave to Melanie and then
looking back at Dean with a smile. “That does sound like Santana, but she
treats all her boyfriends that way, not just Sam.”
Puck snickered, nodding to Melanie with a warm smile before he looked back at
Kurt and Dean. “She even ordered me around, at least until she checked my
credit score.”
Dean laughed. “She did what?”
“Stole my wallet one night and then got online and checked my credit score,”
Puck said with a snort, grinning. “She dumped me the next day ‘cause my credit
is too bad to suit her.”
Kurt laughed softly, looking amused. “I didn’t know that was why she dumped
you. I thought it was because of what happened in celibacy club the last time
you went.”
Dean smirked at Puck. “Mr ‘I Fucked Every Cougar In The County And Got Paid To
Do It’ was in celibacy club?”
“At least I wasn’t pregnant at the time, like Quinn!” Puck said, laughing.
Dean laughed, shaking his head. “Dude, that’s just all kinds of fucked up.” He
laughed again and then looked at Kurt. “What happened the last time he went?”
Kurt smirked at Dean. “Well, according to Brit, they were doing an exercise
where they had to dance with a balloon between them and prove that they weren’t
getting too close.”
Puck laughed, smirking. “That was fun.”
Kurt gave him a fond look, amused, then looked back at Dean. “Noah was dancing
with Santana, of course, and from what Brittany said later, he was so good at
moving his hips that he managed to get Santana off without ever popping the
balloon that was between them.”
Dean laughed, looking at Puck, who was smirking and smug. “She kept pretending
she thought it was nasty, but she didn’t really try to get away until after she
came.”
Dean snickered as Kurt gave Puck a little smirk, adding, “Brittany said that
Jacob tried to copy you during the next meeting and Santana made Quinn kick him
out of the club because he came in his pants.”
Puck snickered. “I don’t doubt it. He was always moaning about how he was going
to kill himself ‘cause he was horny all the time and getting close to girls
made him ‘arrive early’.”
“Dude actually said that?” Dean asked, laughing.
“Oh yeah! He was always asking me and Finn for advice while we waited for the
girls to let us all into the celibacy club meetings,” Puck said, laughing. “He
kind of worshipped us ‘cause we were dating Cheerios then.”
Kurt laughed. “Asking Finn for advice on how not to ‘arrive early’ is like
asking Dean for advice on how not to love classic cars.”
Puck snickered, nodding. “Dude still has a hair trigger, even though Rachel’s
been working on him for weeks now. She makes him jerk off before she’ll go
anywhere with him because she says otherwise she can’t trust him not to
embarrass them both in public.”
Dean laughed. “That’s just sad.”
“But very true,” Kurt said, chuckling. “Rachel seems not to realize that if she
were to take care of it for him he wouldn’t be so excited by the idea anymore,
and he might stop embarrassing her so often.”
Puck snickered. “That makes too much sense for Rachel, babe. This is the girl
who made Finn come in his pants the first time he kissed her and somehow
decided that meant he hated her.”
Dean started laughing, moving to hold the door for Kurt and Puck to go outside
as Kurt said, “She can give Brittany a run for her money in the stupidity
department if Finn is involved.”
Puck laughed, nodding. “And win, even.”
“Y’all are mean,” Dean said as he followed them towards the Impala, snickering.
“No, just refreshingly honest,” Kurt said cheerfully, making Puck and Dean both
laugh again.
 
 
***** FOURTEEN *****
Chapter Summary
     NOTE: This chapter contains explicit underage sexual content.
 
Dean stroked Kurt’s hair soothingly later that night, licking his lips and
wondering if they looked as swollen as they felt. He had never sucked anyone
off while he was getting fucked before, but he had kind of loved it so he hoped
whatever damage Puck had done fucking his mouth wasn’t as obvious as it felt.
He wanted to do that again soon, and it would be hell if he had to avoid it so
Sam wouldn’t ask questions.
The room was dark except for the light coming from the bathroom, which had been
the only light Kurt left on when they got into bed most of two hours earlier.
Kurt and Puck had made definite plans for the evening while they were getting
Quinn’s dinner, but Dean had soon found himself between them anyway. Kurt had
wanted Puck to fuck him again and then let him watch Puck with Dean, but it had
only taken Puck a few moments of fingering Kurt to find out Kurt was sore from
the night before. Puck refused to make it any worse, so Kurt was stuck with
topping for at least a few days before Puck would let him try again.
Kurt had pouted about it until Puck reminded him how much Kurt had liked
fucking him that morning, and how much Dean loved to bottom, and Kurt had
quickly decided to enjoy the change in plans. Kurt had insisted that Puck be
the one to fuck Dean first, and Puck and Dean had agreed easily enough. Puck
had driven Dean half out of his mind by fucking him slow and gentle while Kurt
made out with Dean and explored his body with lips and teeth, and then Dean had
ended up on his knees, sucking Puck’s cock while Kurt fucked him harder than
Dean ever would have believed him capable of. Kurt was stronger than he looked
and he had excellent control despite his lack of experience in bed.
Kurt was curled up against Dean’s chest, and his arms tightened a bit around
Dean’s waist to keep him close as their breathing finally seemed to even out.
They had both been breathless when they finally collapsed to the bed, and Kurt
had been shaking like a leaf as well, which was why Dean had ended up holding
him while he stroked Kurt’s hair.
The bed dipped behind Dean and then Puck was pressing close to Dean’s back,
kissing Dean’s shoulder before he murmured, “You’re gonna have to lay back for
a minute, baby, so I can clean you up.”
Kurt pulled away from Dean to give Puck a soft little smile, blushing as he
rolled to his back. “A shower would probably be a better idea, as sweaty as we
are.”
“Sweating’s good for you,” Puck said with a grin, leaning over Dean to kiss
Kurt before he started to use a washrag to clean Kurt up.
Kurt blushed as he watched Puck clean up the smears of lube and semen on his
skin with a soft look in his eyes that made Dean smile. “So are showers, and
then I wouldn’t be quite so sweaty.”
“That wouldn’t help the sheets, though,” Puck pointed out, amused as he
finished cleaning Kurt up. “If you shower, you’ll still just have to get back
in a sweaty bed.”
Kurt made a face. “True, which would be worse than being all sweaty to begin
with.”
Puck chuckled and nodded. “Which is why I got a rag.” He turned his attention
to Dean, giving him a gentle smile as he murmured, “You next, babe. On your
back and open up.”
Dean pulled one knee up to his chest, rolling onto his back to give Puck easier
access despite the way he was blushing. “I could have done it myself.”
“I know,” Puck said quietly, his free hand stroking along Dean’s upraised thigh
as he ran the warm washcloth over Dean’s ass, wiping away the lube that slicked
his skin. He moved on to Dean’s cock and balls after a few moments, lingering
over cleaning Dean up even though he didn’t really need it that badly, staring
into Dean’s eyes as he finally whispered, “I kind of like that you’ll let me do
this for you, though.”
Dean felt his face heating up more even though he smiled. “I’ll let you do
anything you want to do to me.”
Puck smiled and leaned down to kiss Dean, languidly exploring his mouth as he
stroked the washrag slowly up over Dean’s belly and chest, and then Puck
finally pulled back to whisper almost soundlessly against his lips, “I love you
too, Dean.”
Dean blushed further and kissed Puck again instead of trying to answer, letting
go of his leg as he moved to wrap his arms around Puck, who let out a low
purring growl as he deepened the kiss a little. Kurt’s hand slid across Dean’s
chest to take the washrag and then Dean heard it hit the tile floor in the
bathroom with a wet splat a moment later, but he didn’t try to pull away from
Puck. He loved having Puck leaning over him, pressing him down against the bed
while he got lost in the feel of Puck’s muscular body and slow, sweet kisses,
his senses filled with the scents of sweat and sex and Old Spice mingled with
cinnamon and that expensive cologne Kurt wore.
Puck pulled away after a few minutes and then Kurt was pulling Dean towards him
as he leaned in to kiss him, moaning softly into Dean’s mouth when Dean
deepened the kiss. Dean rolled towards Kurt, pulling Kurt against his chest
again, and Kurt pressed in close as they kissed for a few minutes, tongues
sliding wetly together while Dean explored Kurt’s mouth much as Puck had just
done to him.
Kurt was the first to pull away, breathing hard as he whispered, “Love you.” He
kissed Dean again softly and then shifted to tuck his head under Dean’s chin,
curling up close to his chest with a soft happy hum as Dean gave him a squeeze.
Puck pulled the sheet up over them and then settled against Dean’s back,
wrapping his arms around Dean to hold him tightly as he murmured, “We both love
you, Dean, and we don’t want you trying to stay away, thinking we need time
alone once we get home.”
Dean flushed, shifting slightly because he had thought quite a bit about doing
just that, especially since Quinn would be living with him.
“It’s not going to be easy," Puck added, "but we’re going to make time to be
with you without Sam catching on.” He kissed Dean’s shoulder softly, then
whispered, “Please don’t pull away from us until you have to.”
“I won’t,” Dean murmured softly. He shouldn’t want them, shouldn’t want to let
them have as much as he had to give, but that didn’t stop it from being the way
he felt. It scared him to realize that he would do anything for them, and he
closed his eyes as he swallowed hard, embarrassed by the way he was suddenly
trembling.
“Promise us,” Kurt murmured, kissing Dean’s chest as his arms tightened around
Dean’s waist a little more, and Dean could hear the concern in Kurt’s voice
even though he couldn’t see his face.
“I promise,” Dean whispered, giving Kurt a squeeze as he kissed Kurt’s hair.
“I’ll be with you both as much as I can, as long as I can.”
“Thank you,” Puck whispered into his ear, kissing the soft hollow below it
before he settled in against Dean’s back and relaxed, lips brushing against the
nape of Dean’s neck in another soft kiss.
Dean moved one hand to run it along the arm Puck had so tight around him,
whispering into Kurt’s hair, “I’m the one who should be thanking you.” He
paused, swallowing hard again and then admitted softly, “I love you both more
than anyone I ever knew except Sammy.”
“Then stop trying to do what you think is best for us and just let us love
you,” Kurt murmured, rubbing his cheek against Dean’s chest slowly as his arm
tightened around Dean a little more.
“I will,” Dean agreed softly. “I’m yours until I have to leave, if you want
me.”
“We do,” Puck whispered as he grabbed Dean’s hand, lacing their fingers
together against Dean’s belly as he kissed Dean’s shoulder again. “Get some
sleep, babe,” he added softly after a moment, his tone gentle and loving.
Kurt kissed Dean’s chest softly again before he whispered, “We’ve got you,
sweetheart, and we’re not letting you go, not yet.”
Dean closed his eyes, taking a soft shuddering breath as he tried to make
himself relax, trying not to think about what the future held for him. He had a
few more weeks to enjoy the taste of heaven he had found in Lima, and he
intended to do his best not to let the hell that waited for him after he left
ruin even a minute of it.
He had no idea how he’d ever be able to go back to fucking random girls in
storage closets and back seats.
 
                                      ~*~
 
“I’m getting my tubes tied in knots as soon as I’m eighteen, I swear.”
Dean snickered, looking away from the road at Quinn, who was obviously annoyed
as she shifted carefully in the seat again. “I don’t blame you, sweetheart.”
They were already about an hour out of Indianapolis, and Quinn had been getting
steadily unhappier as they went because she was so uncomfortable. The local
painkillers she had been given to ease the pain after the rough delivery had
long ago worn off, and the Tylenol that the nurses gave her afterwards didn’t
really help at all according to Quinn, especially if she tried to sit down on a
hard surface. The Impala’s front seat seemed to be just exactly the wrong thing
for her to sit on as sore as she was, and her temper was getting shorter by the
minute, not that it had been especially long that morning to begin with.
“It’s so unfair that I had sex once and I’m going to be paying for it for the
rest of my life,” Quinn complained, scowling. “I don’t even remember if I liked
it!”
Dean grinned. “You had sex with Puck, sweetheart. You liked it, trust me on
that.”
“It’s not even a little bit fair that you can have sex all you want, either.”
Quinn gave Dean a dirty look. “The world would be a completely different place
if men could get pregnant too.”
“I’d still never be one of them,” Dean said, laughing even as he blushed.
“Nobody gets near my ass without a condom, no matter how drunk I am.”
Quinn rolled her eyes. “Oh shut up!” She let out a little annoyed huff, and
then added with another scowl, “Smartass.”
Puck was smirking as he leaned forward over the back of the seat behind Dean,
offering Quinn a pillow. “Try sitting on this, momma.”
Quinn blinked and then gave Puck a sudden relieved smile. “You’re a genius.”
She kissed him soundly, grabbing the pillow and half-standing in the car to put
the pillow in the seat by Dean, her teeth clenching as the way she moved set
off another stab of pain. She sat back down on the pillow a bit gingerly,
letting out a relieved noise when she managed to get settled at least mostly
comfortably. “Oh god. So much better.” She shifted to pull her feet up into the
seat, settling closer to Dean as she looked back over the seat at Puck. “I’m
glad one of us is using their brain this morning. Beth would be in trouble if
she had to count on me to do all the thinking today.”
Dean chuckled and put his arm around Quinn, giving her shoulders a squeeze as
he murmured, “You would have thought of it eventually.”
Quinn looked back at Dean, smiling wryly. “Like I thought of my bag, at the
hospital? Ten minutes after we pulled out of the parking lot?”
Dean snickered. “You had Bethy on the way out, beautiful. You were distracted.”
“It’s perfectly normal to be feeling a little scatterbrained right now,
sweetie,” Kurt added, reaching over the seat to pat Quinn’s shoulder. “Your
hormones are going to be crazy for weeks, trying to get back to normal.”
Quinn made a face. “I know, I got the lecture this morning from Sharon.” She
rolled her eyes and then parroted in a sickly-sweet tone, “’You’re going to be
experiencing some mood swings, honey, but it’s nothing to worry about. Just try
to relax and remember that your friends all want to take care of you, and
you’ll be fine.’” She snorted. “I don’t need taken care of.”
“Except when you do,” Puck pointed out, and Dean wasn’t even a little surprised
when he glanced in the rear view mirror to see that Puck was grinning. “Like
when you wake up so angry you scare the candy striper who tried to bring you
breakfast.”
Dean glanced at Quinn and then quickly looked back at the road again, fighting
hard not to laugh at the look on her face. Sharon had told them that Quinn made
the girl cry, and very nearly threw her breakfast at the girl, too.
“She brought me oatmeal again,” Quinn said, torn between being sheepish and
annoyed at the memory. “And it was cold with no butter or brown sugar or
anything. I didn’t even get the dry toast or the jello they gave me yesterday!”
“Uh, huh.” Puck snickered. “Sweetheart, do you remember when you kneed me in
the balls for telling you that you were gorgeous a few weeks before you got
pregnant?”
Quinn giggled suddenly. “I had PMS from hell that day. You limped for two days,
and I felt so bad.”
“And I was sore for more than a week,” Puck added with a laugh, making Dean and
Kurt both snicker while Quinn giggled again. “Do you remember how you dealt
with the hormones then?”
“Chocolate-hazelnut Java Chillers,” Quinn said promptly, still giggling. “I
lived on them for three or four days every month. Chocolate and caffeine did
wonders when I wanted to kill people.”
“There we go then,” Dean said, still snickering. “Start keeping an eye out for
the next Sonic, beautiful.”
“And when we get to Lima, head for Wal-Mart, babe,” Puck added, and Dean
glanced into the rearview mirror to see Puck had settled back next to Beth to
watch her sleep with a smile. “You haven’t got any chocolate in the house.”
Quinn laughed and twisted to look over the seat at Puck again. “How do you know
that?”
“’Cause I helped put up the last two batches of groceries,” Puck said, giving
Quinn a grin. “He’s got good coffee and he’d curl up and die if there wasn’t a
fresh pot a couple times a day, so you’re set there, but he and Sam don’t have
any sweets other than cereal.”
“We never had the money to waste on sweets when we were kids,” Dean said as he
switched lanes to pass a little old lady who was driving forty miles an hour in
an old Pontiac the size of a tank. “Sam fusses at me if I bring them home very
often now. He says the way I eat’ll kill me by the time I’m thirty, and I don’t
need to rot out my teeth, too.”
“He might have a point,” Kurt said, sounding amused. Dean glanced into the rear
view mirror again to watch as Kurt tucked his bare feet under him in the seat
and shifted a little closer to Beth’s carseat, which was between Kurt and Puck
because the seat’s instruction manual said the middle was the safest place for
her. “You do seem to live on food you can get from a drive-thru.”
“And cereal,” Dean added quickly. “I eat cereal all the time. And I eat nachos
too, when I get the munchies and I don’t want to drive to town. And...” He
tried to think of something else he had eaten in the last week that wasn’t
take-out, then laughed slightly. “Puck, help me out here. You know what we’ve
got.”
“He’s got chicken noodle soup in the cabinet, and Hamburger Helper,” Puck said,
snickering. “And there’s milk and cheese in the fridge with the Pabst and the
Dr Pepper and the root beer, and last I saw he still had some stew meat, and
there were carrots and a few apples in the bottom drawer. I don’t think he
actually eats any of the carrots or apples, though; he buys them for the
neighbor’s horses. And he doesn’t drink much of the beer, but he makes a coffee
run at least twice a week.”
Kurt let out a little laugh. “That’s just sad.”
Dean looked at Puck in the rear view mirror, trying not to laugh. “I said help,
dumbass, not make it worse! And the apples are for me, I had one just the other
day.”
“I can’t help and tell the truth too,” Puck said, snickering. “You eat even
worse than I do, babe.”
“Okay, no, that’s not sad,” Kurt said then, looking relutcantly amused. “That’s
scary.”
Quinn giggled. “I am declaring myself the official cook in the Winchester
household for the next month. There will be actual cooked food for dinner every
night from now on. We are so going to get some vegetables on the way home, and
actual honest-to-god wheat bread, and some fruit that will not get fed to the
neighbor’s horses.”
Dean groaned. “You sound like Sammy.”
“Except Sam can’t cook at all,” Puck added, snickering. “He burned boxed mac
and cheese the other day.”
“Neither can Dean, from the sound of it,” Quinn pointed out, making Puck and
Kurt laugh.
“Hey!” Dean protested, giving Quinn a surprised look. “You haven’t even eaten
my cooking yet, and you’re already putting it down.”
“Sweetheart, if you live on Sonic burgers and nachos, you don’t cook,” Quinn
said, looking very amused as she patted his thigh. “Don’t worry, I’ll make
things you like too, I promise.”
Dean sighed and grumbled, “Sam’s gonna love this.”
Quinn giggled and kissed his cheek while Kurt and Puck snickered at him in the
back.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Shopping had gone quickly after they finally got back to Lima, mostly because
Kurt made Quinn write a shopping list on the way and then he insisted that she
and Puck stay in the car with Beth while Kurt made sure Dean got everything
Quinn wanted. Kurt had ordered Dean around like a nagging wife in the store and
Dean had meekly done as he was told, trying not to laugh at the looks he was
getting from people. He didn’t think Kurt had noticed until Kurt walked up to
him in the produce department and gave him a sweet little smile as he put a big
bag of carrots in the buggy.
“For the horses,” Kurt said quietly, blue eyes sparkling. “And now we’re done,
so I won’t be embarrassing you for much longer, sweetheart.” Kurt turned away
without waiting for a reply to start quickly towards the front of the store,
and Dean had to laugh as he followed him with the half-full buggy.
They had crossed about half of the front of the store – they had parked near
the other entrance – when Mike and Sam were suddenly walking on either side of
Dean, both of them grinning widely. Mike had a huge bag of Cheetos and a case
of Mountain Dew, and Sam was carrying two containers that held the ingredients
and toppings for a chicken club salad in neat little compartments and a small
bottle of Ranch dressing.
“Hi, Dean,” Sam said, grinning at him as he added the things he was carrying to
Dean’s buggy. “Having fun?”
Dean snorted a laugh. “Not so much, no.”
“Oh, shut up,” Kurt said cheerfully, looking over his shoulder at Dean as he
stopped at the end of a checkout line. “I let you get that god-awful canned
cheese and that jerky that’s terrible for you, not to mention the candy bars
and the brownie mixes.”
“You say that like I’m not the one buyin’ these groceries, Kurt,” Dean pointed
out, amused.
“We got everything on Quinn’s list,” Kurt pointed out with a smirk, reaching up
to resettle his beret slightly. “Who’s paying isn’t the least bit important.”
“I knew it wasn’t Dean’s list,” Sam said, laughing as he pretended to root
through the cart. “There’s vegetables in the buggy, and food that doesn’t come
in a box or a can.”
Mike snickered as he followed Sam’s lead and put his Mountain Dew and Cheetos
into the buggy too, and then he pointed at a blocky package as he asked, “Is
that tofu?”
“Yes!” Kurt said quickly, giving Dean a dirty look. “And it’s good, so do not
start with me about it again!”
Dean lifted his hands in a ‘don’t hurt me’ gesture. “I didn’t say a word.”
Kurt looked at him a moment more as if to make sure he was sincere, then turned
his attention to Mike. “You should recognize tofu if anyone would. I know your
mother cooks with it all the time, and so does Tina.”
“She does,” Mike said with a laugh. “That doesn’t make it good, though.”
Dean snickered. “I just hope it’s not as much like toe jam as it sounds.”
“Hope in vain, my friend,” Mike said, patting Dean on the shoulder.
Kurt gave Mike a dirty look. “Shut up! I want him to at least try it before he
declares it nasty. I cook with it often, and it’s good!”
“Quinn said she’s doing all the cooking, though,” Dean pointed out, amused.
“Does she know how to use the stuff?”
Kurt blinked and then looked a little crestfallen a moment before he brightened
again. “I’ll just give her my recipes, that’s all. She loves tofu, we get it
all the time when we go out for sushi.”
“Of course you do,” Sam said with his hazel eyes sparkling, and he was grinning
so wide that Dean shoved him.
“Get the hell out of here,” Dean said then, trying not to laugh.
“Can’t,” Sam said, smirking at Dean as the line finally moved. “You’re paying
for our lunch.”
“Why aren’t you in school, anyway?” Dean countered, following Kurt forward and
then waiting while Kurt began to unload the shopping cart.
“Because it’s lunch time, duh,” Sam said, rolling his eyes.
Kurt looked over the buggy at Mike, a skeptical look on his face. “You’re
having Cheetos and Mountain Dew for lunch?”
Mike grinned and nodded. “Yep!”
Dean laughed and looked at Kurt. “See? It’s not just me! Cheetos are food!”
“I’m going to teach you to eat real food if it kills us both, Dean,” Kurt
threatened, lifting Mike’s drinks onto the conveyor belt and then giving Dean a
level look. “Cheetos are air and fake cheese, not lunch.”
“You can try, sunshine,” Dean said with a smirk, “but I’m still gonna love me
some Cheetos, especially the Puffs.”
Kurt stuck his tongue out at Dean, making Mike and Sam crack up while Dean
tried very hard to keep a straight face. He was sure that if he laughed Kurt
was going to hit him, and Kurt was a lot stronger than he looked so it might
actually hurt.
The woman who was checking them out seemed to be trying hard not to laugh too,
and Kurt was muttering to himself under his breath as he moved to let Dean,
Sam, and Mike pass him with the buggy. Mike and Sam moved to start putting
groceries in the buggy immediately, shifting stuff around to get their lunch in
one bag while Dean just stood and watched the lady behind the counter ring
everything up.
Kurt kept shooting Dean dirty looks, but Dean pretended not to notice as he
paid for the groceries and then the four of them headed outside. Sam had
grabbed the buggy and stepped up on the back, riding it through the lot while
Mike towed him along, grinning.
The Impala was only a few cars down from the end of the second row away from
the door, and they were almost to it when Kurt held out his hand in front of
Dean. “Let me drive? Please?”
Dean looked at Kurt a moment, taking in the hopeful, pleading look in his eyes,
then laughed and started digging for his keys. “Alright, I guess. I did drive
for nearly four hours straight.”
Kurt beamed and took the keys, leaning up to kiss Dean’s cheek quickly before
he hurried around the car. “Just put the groceries in the back, Sam. There’s
room in the seat.”
Sam was staring at Dean, eyes kind of wide, and Dean rolled his eyes. “Dude,
grab your rabbit food and go back to school. I will get the groceries.”
“No, I got it,” Sam said quickly, turning back towards the Impala as Mike
opened the back door on the driver’s side.
Mike leaned down to look into the car as he reached to put a bag in the back
seat, then quickly jerked away again, turning his back and blushing. “Oh god,
Quinn, put those away! You’re at Wal-Mart, for fuck’s sake!”
Quinn laughed, and when Dean moved around the passenger side he wasn’t at all
surprised to see she was still curled up on all three pillows in the passenger
side of the back seat. She had Beth in her arms and had unbuttoned her blouse
all the way down the front, revealing a lacy nursing bra and a lot of skin
while Beth nursed hungrily. “If you don’t want to watch me feed Beth, don’t
look!”
“I won’t!” Mike said quickly, putting groceries blindly into the back seat and
then grabbing his Mountain Dew and the bag that held his Cheetos and Sam’s
salads. “I’m gonna get the car, Sam.”
Sam snickered. “Go on, I’ll be done in a minute.”
Mike hurried off without another word, and Sam moved to put the rest of the
groceries into the Impala, blushing very red as he tried not to look anywhere
close to Quinn.
Dean snickered and reached into the open passenger door, giving Puck’s shoulder
a gentle shove. “C’mon, man. Out. You know I’m not lettin’ you ride next to
Kurt while he drives.”
Puck looked up at Dean, pretending to pout. “I won’t feel him up while he’s
driving, Deano, I promise.”
Dean tried not to grin but he knew that he was failing miserably. “Or tickle
him. Or kiss him, or otherwise encourage him to wreck my baby.”
“I won’t touch him at all,” Puck agreed as he slid towards the middle, grinning
suddenly.
Dean snorted and got in, shutting the door as he muttered, “I’m so gonna regret
this.”
Sam snickered, and Dean looked over the seat to see Sam putting the last two
bags – three different kinds of wheat bread – into the back. “Thanks for making
Dean get real food, Quinn.” Sam was blushing beet red as he smiled at Quinn,
but he managed to keep his gaze firmly on her face.
Quinn gave Sam a pleased smile. “You’re welcome, Sam. You’ll have to help me
shame him into eating some of it.”
“Sure,” Sam agreed, grinning suddenly.
Dean reached over the seat, pretending to swat at Sam. “Get your butt back to
school, brat.”
Sam laughed and pulled out of the car. “I’ll see you at three-thirty, Dean.”
“You better be out front waitin’ when we get there,” Dean warned.
“I will.” Sam closed the Impala’s door and then turned away, pushing the empty
buggy towards the nearest cart corral. Mike’s car rumbled up behind Sam just as
Sam was letting go of the buggy, and then Sam grinned widely as he jumped to
slide across the Trans-Am’s hood like he was in a movie or something, making
Dean laugh as Sam got in and then Mike roared off.
“Mike is in desperate need of a new muffler,” Kurt said then, making Dean
glance over at him. Kurt had turned sideways in the driver’s seat to watch Beth
and Quinn, and he was smiling and looking amused. “His car sounds even worse
now than it did Friday.”
“I’m thinkin’ he lost the muffler somewhere this weekend,” Dean said,
snickering. “That sounded like straight pipes to me.”
Quinn giggled and Dean twisted in the seat to look at her to see she had
switched Beth to her other breast. “He probably did, the way he drives.”
“I’ll have to have him bring it by the garage next weekend,” Kurt said, still
amused. “Dad’s got a junker out back I can rob the muffler off of.”
Dean looked over at Kurt, grinning. “You fix your buddies’ cars for free?”
“I’ll fix Mike’s car for free,” Kurt agreed with a soft laugh, “or Noah’s, and
Finn is family so he’ll get the same if he ever gets a car. Brittany’s car is
under warranty and none of the others have cars yet except you. I doubt you’d
let me work on your baby, not that she needs it.”
Puck snickered, giving Dean a fond look. “I’m doubting that too, babe. He loves
us, but not that much.”
Dean laughed, blushing. “Nobody works on my baby but me.”
“It’s just a car, Dean,” Quinn said then, and Dean could practically hear her
rolling her eyes.
Dean twisted around to look at Quinn quickly, frowning. “This is so not just a
car. I mean, dude! I grew up in this car, and raised Sam in her, and I’ve been
in this car or on the hood when I got laid more times than I can count anymore.
Hell, Sam was born right where I’m sitting ‘cause Mom waited too long to tell
Dad it was time to head for the hospital. One of the things I remember best
about her is watching over the seat while Mom told Dad to stop panicking and
catch Sammy, ‘cause he was coming whether Dad liked it or not.”
Puck started to rub Dean’s thigh as he said, “Ease off, Dean.” Dean glanced at
Puck quickly and saw the concerned look in Puck’s eyes as he added more gently,
“She was just teasing you, babe.”
“I didn’t mean it, really,” Quinn said quickly, and she was obviously kind of
upset, which made Dean feel like an ass. “I know you love your car,
sweetheart.”
Dean flushed and settled back into his seat, turning towards the front of the
car again and not looking at anyone. He felt like a freak for getting so upset,
but he couldn’t help it. The Impala meant more to him than just about anything
in the world except Sam. “I’m sorry, just... People are always saying she’s
just a car, and it makes me kind of crazy sometimes. The Impala is the only
home I really remember having. She’s family.”
Quinn reached over the seat to put her hand on Dean’s shoulder, sounding sad as
she said, “I won’t tease you about her again, sweetie. I promise.”
Dean lifted his hand to cover Quinn’s hand with his and give it a squeeze,
still not looking at anyone. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I over-reacted. I should
have known you didn’t mean it like it sounded.”
“Beth looks like she’s just about asleep,” Kurt said then, and Dean was
grateful to him for changing the subject. “Who don’t you get her strapped back
in so we can head home, sweetie?”
Quinn gave Dean’s shoulder another squeeze and then pulled her hand away. “We
should get the groceries in the fridge,” she said quietly, and Dean heard her
moving around a bit before the straps on Beth’s carseat clicked shut. “Alright,
we can go.”
Kurt turned back towards the front to start the Impala, smiling. “We’ll be
there soon, and then you can relax while we put groceries away.”
“That’ll be nice,” Quinn agreed as Kurt began backing out of the parking space.
Puck reached for Dean’s hand, lacing their fingers together, and Dean looked at
him in surprise to see Puck was giving him a concerned look, his hazel eyes
gentle and a little worried. He didn’t say anything, but Dean could see the
question in his eyes and he smiled slightly to let Puck know he was okay,
giving Puck’s hand a squeeze. Puck returned the smile, obviously relieved as he
turned his attention towards the road, and Dean looked back out the passenger
side window while Kurt drove slowly towards the road, fighting the urge to curl
up against Puck’s side as he tried to be content with just holding his hand.
Dean had kind of gotten used to cuddling with whoever wasn’t driving over the
last two days, but they were finally back in Lima, which meant they had to be a
lot more careful about how they acted. It hadn’t mattered if they kissed or
touched in public while they were in Indianapolis where no one knew them, but
in such a small town it would be common knowledge within hours, especially if
they did it in broad daylight.
Everyone knew who Puck was because of his mohawk and the fact he had knocked up
the head cheerleader, slept with half of the lonely housewives in town, and
then turned gay, so it was sure to be hot gossip if he was seen doing anything
with a guy that wasn’t Kurt.
 
                                      ~*~
 
By the time Dean finished putting away the groceries and turned to lean back
against the counter to see what the others were doing, Quinn was curled up on
the couch, watching with a smile while Puck fastened a fresh diaper around
Beth. Quinn had decided that Puck was the official baby changer after she got
peed on early that morning, but Puck didn’t seem to mind and was deft and
gentle as he put Beth back into her purple onesie with butterflies on the front
and down one leg.
Kurt moved over close to Dean’s side then, sliding his arms around Dean’s waist
and leaning up to kiss him softly on the cheek. Dean looked at Kurt in
surprise, automatically putting one arm around him as Kurt gave him a soft
smile and murmured, “Why don’t we join them, sweetheart?”
Dean smiled and shook his head. “I’ve got things to do. You go have a seat
though, I won’t be long.”
“What needs done that can’t wait?” Puck asked, looking over his shoulder at
Dean in surprise.
“I need to wash some sheets, for one thing, since I’m sure Quinn wants a clean
bed to sleep in tonight,” Dean said quickly, amused by the surprised looks on
Puck and Quinn’s faces. “We’re probably also out of towels again since there’s
a pile knee-deep on the back porch, and I’m expecting to find out Sam’s out of
clean clothes when I go in his room. I haven’t been in to get the dirty ones
since last week, and he goes through ‘em pretty fast the way he layers stuff.
He knows how to wash them himself, but I doubt he bothered, not with Brit
around to keep him occupied.”
“Sam’s lucky he has you,” Kurt said quietly then, and Dean looked back at him
to see Kurt was looking calm and serious as he gave Dean a squeeze. “I’d offer
to help, but I have a feeling I’d just be in your way.”
Dean chuckled and patted Kurt’s hip. “You probably would, sunshine. You don’t
know where anything is an’ I’ve been doin’ laundry without help since I was
five.”
Kurt smiled and leaned up to kiss Dean, and then he pulled away to walk towards
the couch. “I may not be able to do the laundry for you, but Noah and I can
make dinner while you’re busy later, at least.”
“That’d be nice,” Dean agreed, smiling as he watched Puck pick Beth up to
settle her gently back in her carrier, which was in the floor in front of the
couch.
The base for Beth’s carrier was still securely strapped into the Impala’s back
seat, where it would stay until there was a good reason for Beth to have to
travel again. Melanie had told them just before they left that it wasn’t
especially good for a newborn to be exposed to a lot of people, so Beth would
be staying in the Hummel home for the next few weeks except for her scheduled
doctor visits. Quinn’s doctor had planned to induce Quinn after they returned
from Regionals, so everything was ready for Beth even though she had arrived a
few days early. Carole had already quit her job so she would be available all
the time to help with Beth, so there was no reason Quinn should have to miss
any more school, though she did have a doctor’s note stating she shouldn’t
hurry between classes. As long as she took it easy for a while and carried a
pillow to sit on, she shouldn’t have any trouble.
Puck sat back on the couch again after he got Beth securely strapped in, and
then Kurt sat down between Quinn and Puck as Dean added, “Just not the tofu,
please?”
Quinn laughed softly as she moved over to settle against Kurt’s side, reaching
for his hand to hold it in both of hers. “You might like it, Dean. It’s really
good when it’s cooked right.”
“I’ll like a batch of stroganoff a lot more,” Dean pointed out with a laugh,
pushing away from the counter. “We’ve got plenty of stew meat to make both
boxes.”
Kurt chuckled softly, giving Dean a fondly exasperated look. “Dean, I am not
making Hamburger Helper for dinner, not even with real meat. We’re all eating
at my house, and you’re going to eat some vegetables for a change.”
Dean made a face, heading for the hall. “How’d I know you were gonna say that?”
“Because it was obvious as hell,” Puck said with a laugh. “Don’t worry babe,
I’ll make him cook some meat, too.”
Dean paused at the end of the short hallway, grinning at Puck. “Thanks. Remind
me I owe you one.”
Puck smirked wickedly. “You bet.”
Dean laughed and blushed a bit as he headed towards Sam’s room, pretending not
to hear the way Kurt and Quinn were giggling at him.
Sam’s room was a mess, as always, but Dean still snorted in amusement when he
saw that the bed had been changed since he saw it Saturday morning. He had been
pretty sure Santana would refuse to sleep in a bed with dirty sheets, and it
looked like he was right.
The dark blue plaid sheets that Dean had put on the bed Thursday were piled in
the floor by the bed, but the beige sheets on the bed smelled like sex, sweat,
and perfume so Dean stripped the bed again, stuffing all of the sheets into an
ugly green pillow case. He set the pillow case aside on the bed when he was
done and then moved to the pile of dirty clothes in the corner to start
gathering them up into the hamper, wondering if the kid’s aim would ever
improve. Sam at least got all the clothes into the corner where the hamper was
these days, but he hardly ever bothered to put them in it when he missed.
Dean was just standing up with the hamper when Puck stepped into the room with
an armful of sheets off Dean’s bed, smiling. “Let me help carry at least,
babe.”
Dean nodded towards the pillowcase full of sheets on the bed. “You can grab
that, then.”
Puck walked over to kiss Dean lightly and then moved to grab the sheets as Dean
walked through the house towards the back porch. “I told y’all I had it
covered.”
“I know,” Puck agreed as he followed Dean, “but I’m bored. I can play pack mule
and then sort clothes or something.”
Dean laughed as he moved across the living room, where Kurt and Quinn were
happily curled up together on the couch, watching them with amusement. “You can
carry ‘em to the porch, but there isn’t really room out there for two people to
be sortin’ clothes.”
“Noah thought you’d let him help even though you told me no,” Kurt said then,
and Dean glanced over to see he was smirking.
Dean grinned. “If you were gonna be in the way as little as you are, sunshine,
he’s damn sure gonna be.”
Quinn giggled. “He’s been stuck in a car all day, Dean. He wants something to
do, and you did say you owe him one.”
“Well, I’m not volunteering me,” Dean said quickly, laughing and blushing a bit
as he leaned the hamper against the wall by the back door to free one hand so
he could open the door. “Every sheet in the house is dirty, and all the towels,
and most of Sam’s clothes too, from the look of it.”
Puck moved in close behind Dean then and Dean glanced back to see Puck was
smirking wickedly. “Once the sheets are in the washer, you won’t have anything
to do for a while, though.”
Dean stared into Puck’s eyes a moment, unable to keep from grinning a little
wider at the cheerful hunger there, and then he turned away to carry the hamper
out onto the porch as he said, “Only if Kurt and Quinn don’t mind.”
“They don’t,” Puck said quickly, smug as he followed Dean onto the porch,
closing the door behind him while Kurt and Quinn laughed.
Dean chuckled softly as he moved over to the washer, kicking towels out of the
way so he could set the hamper down. “I didn’t hear you ask them that.”
“I asked before I went after you,” Puck said, smirking as he put the pillowcase
full of sheets on the dryer.
Dean glanced at Puck, amused as he turned the washer on and then opened it,
asking softly, “Pretty sure of yourself, huh?”
“Sure of you,” Puck agreed with a smile, his hazel eyes softening with love.
“Sure that you want it as bad as I do, for pretty much the same reasons.”
Dean looked into Puck’s eyes a moment longer and then started putting sheets
into the washer. “And why would that be?”
Puck moved over behind Dean, sliding his arms around Dean’s waist as he nuzzled
his ear and whispered, “Cause you love me, and you love the way our bodies fit
together like missing puzzle pieces we didn’t know were gone.”
Dean took a slow shaky breath and made himself reach for the detergent to dump
half a scoop of Tide in on top of the sheets, putting the scoop back in the box
before he finally leaned back against Puck. “Sounds awful familiar, I gotta
admit,” he said softly then, running his hands along Puck’s forearms.
Puck kissed the hollow below his ear gently and then murmured, “It’s kind of
scary how much I want you. I should feel guilty for it, but I can’t.”
“I can.” Dean tilted his head to give Puck more access to his neck. “Doesn’t
stop me from wantin’ you, though.”
“Don’t feel guilty about this, baby,” Puck whispered between soft kisses to
Dean’s throat, lips brushing Dean’s skin the whole time. “Kurt loves you nearly
as much as I do, and Quinn made her choice.”
“I know,” Dean agreed, barely loud enough he could hear himself over the
running water as the washer filled. “And it’s not them, not really. I’d feel
guilty even if they weren’t in the picture.” He shivered slightly as Puck
nipped his neck, hoping Puck would be careful not to leave a mark, then he
admitted, “I always feel guilty for bein’ with a guy.”
Puck reached for Dean’s chin, turning Dean’s head to make Dean look at him.
“I’m not just some guy,” he murmured softly, staring into Dean’s eyes. “I love
you, and I know you feel the same way about me. That makes this okay, baby, no
matter what anyone else might think. Love is never wrong.”
“I wish I could believe that,” Dean whispered, turning a little more to kiss
Puck softly. Puck responded with such gentleness and love that Dean let out a
soft little broken sound as he melted closer to him, his hands stroking along
Puck’s arms. Dean finally made himself pull away after a few minutes,
breathless and trembling a bit as he turned to slide his arms up around Puck’s
neck and whispered, “I’m trying to believe it.”
“I know you are,” Puck agreed softly, his arms tightening around Dean as he
kissed him tenderly. Puck lingered as if he had nothing better to do, and it
was easy for Dean to let himself get lost in the slow gentle collision of lips
and tongues, slick and hot and nothing short of perfect.
Dean heard the familiar opening theme of ‘Jeremiah’ begin fairly loudly in the
house after a few minutes and he finally made himself pull away from Puck. “We
should go back in.”
“They’ll be fine without us for half an hour,” Puck disagreed softly, his hands
stroking slowly over Dean’s back as the washer finished filling and the
agitator clicked on, suddenly loud enough to drown out even the television. “I
know you need this as much as I do.” He kissed Dean again, slow and deep and
putting enough need into it to draw a low moan from Dean as he melted closer,
submitting just as he was sure Puck had known he would. Puck made a low pleased
noise into Dean’s mouth, his hands drifting down to Dean’s ass as he whispered
against his lips, “Let me love you, baby.”
“Okay,” Dean breathed out softly, and then they were kissing again and he
stopped trying to think as he let himself just soak up the love Puck was
offering him so freely. He wanted it, craved it like a dying man in the desert
craved ice water, but he knew that – like that man in the desert – getting too
much of what he wanted might be worse than none at all. Every time he let
himself fall into Puck’s arms and forget the world, it got a little harder to
make himself not fall into Puck’s arms the next time Puck gave him that look
that said better than words ever could just how much he wanted Dean, no matter
who might see them.
They stood kissing for what seemed like forever to Dean even though he knew it
wasn’t really very long, and by the time Puck began trailing gentle little
nipping kisses down Dean’s throat, Dean was breathless and so hard it hurt.
“How do you want it, baby?” Puck whispered against his throat, and then he was
biting Dean’s jugular.
Dean whimpered softly at the feel of teeth, trying to be quiet as his back
arched and his hips jerked against Puck, too aroused to be anything but
truthful as he murmured breathlessly, “The quickest way I can get you.”
Puck growled against his throat and pulled away to look into Dean’s eyes, and
the hunger and need in his hazel eyes made Dean swallow hard. “Tell me.”
Dean licked his lips and then kissed Puck again, feeling his face heat up as he
whispered against his lips, “I’ve thought about it sometimes, on the swing.” He
bit Puck’s lower lip gently, sucking on it, then breathed out softly, “I want
to ride you.”
Puck groaned and kissed him again, hard and fast, then pulled away and moved
towards the porch swing, jerking his t-shirt up and off. “You’re wearing too
many clothes, babe.”
Dean knelt to untie his boots so he would be able to get his jeans off,
watching the play of muscles in Puck’s shoulders as Puck turned around to face
him again. Puck stuck a condom packet between his teeth and then unfastened his
pants, pushing his jeans and boxers down before he sat on the porch swing with
them pooled around his ankles. Dean bit his lower lip as he straightened again
to toe out of his boots and then quickly remove his jeans and boxer-briefs, but
he didn’t bother removing his socks, since he’d be getting dressed again fairly
soon. While he stripped he watched Puck put the condom on with quick, efficient
ease, his gaze intent on Puck’s fingers as he realized neither of them had any
lube.
Puck held out a hand to Dean as soon as he was done, looking intensely
predatory as he said quietly, “Get over here.”
Dean didn’t hesitate, moving quickly across the porch and then climbing onto
the swing astride Puck’s thighs as Puck’s hands reached up to cup his face,
pulling Dean down into another hungry kiss while the swing swayed beneath them.
Dean moaned softly and pressed closer, his hand sliding immediately between
them to find Puck’s cock and give it a squeeze, and then Puck was suddenly
pulling away to look at him with a little surprise.
“Need you now,” Dean whispered, kissing him again, and Puck growled softly as
his hands moved down to Dean’s ass to help guide his hips closer.
“Y’ got me,” Puck mumbled into his mouth, and then Dean was sinking down onto
his cock with a low whine because he wasn’t nearly loose enough for them to be
fucking with just the lube on the condom. Puck’s hands tightened on Dean’s
hips, making him stop as he pulled away to look into Dean’s eyes, concerned.
“You should let me stretch you, baby. I know you wanna feel it, but I don’t
want to hurt you.”
“You won’t,” Dean said quickly, kissing Puck again before he could argue
anymore. Dean rocked his hips as best he could with Puck holding them so
tightly, shuddering as Puck’s cock sank a little deeper into him, his body
spasming around the intrusion as Puck groaned, sounding pained.
“Fuck,” Puck gasped between kisses, and Dean could feel him shaking as Puck
fought not to thrust, unable to keep from making tiny little movements of his
hips that pushed his cock deeper into Dean a fraction of an inch at a time. “So
fucking tight like this,” he whispered, letting his head fall forward against
Dean’s shoulder as the swing swayed under them. “Can’t tell if it hurts or
feels too fucking good.”
Dean took a shaky breath, his hands sliding down Puck’s arms to cover Puck’s
hands on his hips as he whispered, “Feels fan-fucking-tastic. Trust me.”
Puck let out another low groan and then loosened his hold on Dean’s hips, and
Dean bit the inside of his lip to keep back a loud moan as he slowly sank the
rest of the way on Puck’s cock. He started to relax a little as soon as Puck
was buried in him to the hilt, his hands running restlessly over Puck’s arms
and shoulders for a moment before Puck pulled back to look at him, concerned.
Dean smiled at him and kissed Puck instead of saying anything, putting the
driving need and love he was feeling into it, and Puck made a low strangled
noise as he wrapped his arms around Dean, deepening the kiss.
They just kissed for several minutes as Dean’s body adjusted to having Puck’s
cock buried balls-deep in him without any stretching at all, and then Dean
slowly began to rock his hips, making soft little noises into Puck’s mouth at
the way Puck’s cock seemed to have a homing instinct for finding his prostate.
Puck’s hips began to flex then, nudging up into Dean gently as the swing rocked
under them, and Dean let his head fall back with a low groan as he held on to
Puck’s shoulders, eyes closing as he got lost in sensation.
Dean had been sure his body would open up around Puck’s cock pretty quick
because Puck and Kurt had both fucked him thoroughly the night before, but even
though he had been right, it was still very different than it usually was. The
lack of lube made everything more intense, and the drag of the condom against
abused skin was a drastic contrast to the bursts of pure pleasure every time
Puck’s cock nudged just right against his prostate.
Dean was making low noises almost constantly even though he was fighting hard
to stay quiet, holding on to Puck’s shoulders tight enough to bruise as his
hips began to move a little faster. Puck’s hand moved to his cock after a few
minutes as Puck growled into his ear, “Just fucking come for me already, baby.”
Dean whimpered at the sudden feel of Puck’s callused hand tight around his
painfully hard cock, and he grabbed Puck’s face between his hands to kiss him
hard, trying not to think about the needy little sounds he was making as his
hips jerked. Puck began to really thrust up into him then, one hand holding
tight to Dean’s hip to steady him as the swing jerked under them with the force
of Puck’s thrusts. Dean was coming a few moments later, his muscles clenching
as his cock spurted between them, painting streaks of white on Puck’s chest and
belly while he whimpered into Puck’s mouth, still kissing him hungrily.
Puck groaned into Dean’s mouth, shuddering under him as the tight heat
clenching around his cock wrung his orgasm from him, hips twitching upwards
with each throb of his cock deep inside Dean. Puck released Dean’s cock after a
moment to wrap his arms around Dean, holding him close as their kisses slowly
gentled, the driving hunger fading into something soft and sweet and so loving
that it made Dean feel warm all over.
Dean shifted his hips slightly after a little while to try to get more
comfortable as the pleasure he had felt in the heat of the moment faded away
into a throbbing burn around Puck’s still-hard cock, and he made a pained noise
before he could stop himself.
Puck was the one to finally end the kiss then, looking into Dean’s eyes with a
concerned frown as he murmured, “If you try to tell me that didn’t hurt, I’m
gonna kick your ass for lying to me.”
Dean felt his face heating up as he looked into Puck’s eyes and said softly,
“It was worth it.” He realized that for the first time since they started
fucking he could feel Puck’s cock going soft inside him, and he hated himself a
little for the pained look in Puck’s hazel eyes as he finally realized that
knowing he had hurt Dean was what it took to make Puck lose interest in keeping
things going right through a second round.
Puck sighed as he lifted one hand to stroke Dean’s cheek. “I don’t like hurting
you, baby,” he whispered, staring into Dean’s eyes. “I can make it good for you
without the pain.”
“It’s always good,” Dean said quickly, feeling guilty and stupid for pushing
Puck into fucking him dry. “Better than good, even. Just, I wanted you now, not
after we found some lube. I’m not even sure there isany.”
“I don’t need lube to stretch you and slick you up,” Puck pointed out gently,
leaning to kiss Dean softly before he added, “I love rimming you. The way you
whine and beg for my dick makes me so hot I can hardly stand it.”
“I know,” Dean said softly, wishing he could think a little more clearly when
all he wanted was to be fucked. “I’ll wait next time,” he added. “I’m sorry.”
“Shh, no, don’t be sorry,” Puck whispered, kissing him tenderly again as he put
his arms back around Dean, tugging him a little closer. Dean melted against
him, kissing back with his all of his heart, and Puck made a soft little noise
as his arms tightened around Dean.
Dean shifted in Puck’s lap after a few minutes, making another pained noise as
Puck’s cock slipped out of him, and Puck ended the kiss with a little unhappy
sound. Dean couldn’t meet Puck’s eyes for more than an instant once he saw the
regret in them, laying his head on Puck’s shoulder as he held on tightly to
him, unable to keep himself from whispering softly again, “I’m sorry.”
Puck sighed, lifting one hand to stroke Dean’s hair as he nuzzled behind Dean’s
ear and murmured, “Next time I’m not going to let you call the shots, babe.
You’re going to let me take care of you even if I have to tie you down.”
Dean shuddered slightly at the thought, surprised to realize he kind of liked
the idea, as long as it was Puck that was doing it. “You can, if you want,” he
admitted after a long moment, kissing Puck’s neck and enjoying the salty-sweet
tang of his sweat. “I’ll let you.”
“Don’t tempt me,” Puck said softly, and Dean was relieved to hear a hint of
amusement in his voice. He kissed Dean’s shoulder softly and then he was still
except for the way his thighs flexed as he slowly rocked the swing.
Dean let himself relax completely, closing his eyes as he just soaked up Puck’s
comforting presence and scent, enjoying the feel of Puck’s arms around him as
the porch swing slowly swayed under them. He knew he’d have to get dressed
again soon and then get another load of laundry going while they all headed to
Kurt’s house to wait for school to be out, but for now the washer was still
running so he felt like he could let himself have a few more minutes.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Puck was the first back into the house and Dean followed him inside, red-faced
and subdued as he watched Puck walk quickly into the hall and disappear into
Dean’s bedroom without even glancing at Kurt or Quinn.
Puck was more than a little upset about the fact there had been a hint of blood
on the condom when he took it off, and he was headed to get rid of it and wash
his hands while he tried to get his temper under control. For a minute there
Dean had almost expected Puck to hit him, but he knew it wouldn't be that easy.
He'd pay for making Puck hurt him next time they had sex, when Puck would act
like he was made of glass and drive Dean out of his mind with wanting him
before he finally fucked him.
“Is everything okay?” Kurt murmured quietly then, looking concerned as he
reached for the remote to stop the DVD they had been watching. Quinn was curled
up against Kurt’s side, bright-eyed but looking kind of tired and worried, and
Dean had to look away from them.
Dean nodded, running a hand through his hair and then looking down at the worn
linoleum floor as he admitted softly, “I pushed him into fuckin’ me dry, and
he’s kinda upset about it.”
Kurt sighed and then said gently, “Sweetheart, I know you like it rough, but he
hates hurting you.”
“I know.” Dean shifted his feet as he shoved his hands into his pockets, still
looking down at the floor. “I just wanted him so bad, an’ I’m pretty sure there
isn’t any lube in the house.”
Puck walked back down the hall then, moving straight to Dean to take Dean’s
face in his hands as he said firmly, “Stop it, Dean.” Dean looked into Puck’s
eyes, swallowing back the apology that wanted to come tumbling out when he saw
the determination in Puck’s eyes. “You are going by the drug store on the way
to get Sammy, and you are gonna buy me a couple boxes of those little packets
of lube they sell, and then you’re gonna stop feeling guilty because I hurt
you, alright?”
Dean nodded, not trusting himself to speak, and Puck kissed him softly, keeping
the kiss gentle and loving even when Dean tried to deepen it, and after a
moment Dean took his hands out of his pockets to wrap his arms around Puck,
moving closer to him.
They probably would have stayed that way a lot longer if Quinn hadn’t spoken up
then. “That’s so hot.” Dean pulled away from Puck with a little laugh, blushing
and glancing over at the two on the couch as Quinn turned to Kurt and said, “I
want you to make me a video of themtogether sometime. I know you have a camera,
Brit showed me the video you two made with Tina.”
Kurt laughed, blushing very red. “That would be a very bad idea.”
“I won’t let anyone else watch them, I swear,” Quinn said quickly, smirking at
Kurt. “Not even Santana, not unless Dean says she can watch with me.”
Puck snickered and kissed Dean lightly again, then pulled away to move towards
Beth’s carrier. “You two can talk in the car about the porn tape we’re so not
making.”
“Let’s not and say we did,” Kurt said quickly, getting up off the couch.
Quinn sighed and looked a little unhappy, waiting for Puck to pick Beth’s
carrier up and move towards the door before she stood up, flinching only a bit.
“If I can’t enjoy him myself, at least I could watch.”
“You’re better off not knowing what you’re missing,” Puck said, smirking over
his shoulder at Quinn as he opened the door to go. “Santana’ll kill you both if
you can’t keep your hands to yourself.”
“Dude, Santana has nothing to worry about,” Dean said firmly, moving after the
others towards the door. “It’s kind of hard to accidentally fuck someone when
you’re wearing clothes.”
“I don’t even get to see you naked?” Quinn complained as she stopped by the
door, giving Dean a surprised pout.
“Sorry beautiful, but no,” Dean said, moving to kiss her cheek. “I’m not
fucking up what you’ve got with your girls, not when I’m gonna be gone in
barely a month.” He passed Quinn to follow Puck and Kurt towards the car,
trying to ignore the burning ache in his ass that seemed to triple in intensity
as he walked quickly down the stairs. “I’ll sleep on the couch if I have to.”
“If you do I’ll just go climb into bed with Sam,” Quinn threatened, following
him outside and closing the door hard behind her. “I’m not sleeping alone, you
promised me I wouldn’t have to.”
Dean glanced back to watch as Quinn moved slowly down the stairs, seeing the
way the clenched her jaw against the pain and then moving back to offer her his
hand, which she accepted grudgingly. “Then either accept that I’m not gettin’
naked, or tell your girl to put up or shut up,” he said quietly. “I won’t mess
your life up like I’ve done with mine.”
“What the hell are you talking about, messing up your life?” Puck asked
suddenly. Dean looked towards him quickly to see that Puck was frowning and
looking upset while Kurt leaned into the back seat to latch Beth’s carrier into
the base. “Do you mean me?”
“No!” Dean said immediately, surprised and shaking his head. “Babe, no, never.”
He glanced at Quinn to be sure she didn’t need any more help and then moved
over to Puck quickly to rest his hands on Puck’s upper arms as he stared into
Puck’s unhappy hazel eyes. “I’m never gonna regret anything I’ve done with you,
except when I hurt you.”
“You haven’t ever hurt me,” Puck pointed out, still frowning.
“Not yet,” Dean said quietly, trying to hide how much the truth hurt as he went
on, “but I will and there is nothing I can do to stop that. I can’t stay, and
it’s gonna hurt like hell when I drive away. No matter how hard we try to tell
ourselves that we can take it like a man when the time comes, Kurt’s still
gonna spend a lot of time picking up the pieces when I walk out on you. That is
what I regret.”
“Kurt’ll be hurting too,” Puck pointed out softly, his frown fading into a sad
expression that made Dean hate himself a little bit more. “It’s not just me
that loves you, Dean.”
“I know,” Dean agreed, “and I hate myself for ever gettin’ so close to you
both.”
Kurt moved out of the car to stand close beside them, and Dean flinched at the
hurt look in Kurt’s eyes as Kurt asked softly, “Isn’t what we have worth a
little pain to you?”
“Baby, that’s not it at all,” Dean whispered, turning to pull Kurt into his
arms and hide his face against Kurt’s hair. “I hate myself for hurting you, and
hurtingNoah, not for how I’m gonna hurt when I go. I don’t care about how it’s
gonna hurt me, I’ve always been alone and I’ll survive it again, I’m sure, but
it kills me knowing I’m gonna hurt either of you.”
Kurt wrapped his arms around Dean, holding onto him tightly. “You’re worth the
pain, sweetheart. The way you make me feel is much too special to ever regret
it, no matter how much it hurts when you leave us.”
Puck moved to put his arms around both of them then and murmured into Dean’s
ear, “Stop hating yourself for how you feel about us, Dean. We won’t ever
regret loving you, no matter what happens later.”
Dean made a soft noise and moved one arm around Puck, holding onto them both as
he whispered, “I just don’t want to hurt you.”
“We don’t want you hurting either,” Puck said gently as Dean heard a car door
close. “None of us can stop that, though. All we can do is try to enjoy what
time we have.”
“But to do that you have to stop this,” Kurt said then, pulling away to look
into Dean’s eyes. “You can’t keep tearing yourself up for something you haven’t
even done yet.”
“I can’t help it,” Dean said softly, blinking quickly and inhaling as he prayed
the stinging in his eyes and sinuses wouldn’t turn into tears. He hated to cry
more than anything he could think of except maybe cleaning Sam’s bathroom. Dean
hated to even go into the kid’s bathroom after they had lived in a house a few
weeks, but he always put it off even though he knew that would make it even
worse when he finally did clean it. They had lived in too many motels with
bathrooms that magically cleaned themselves while they were at school, and Sam
was an utter slob because of it.
Kurt lifted one hand to stroke Dean’s cheek gently even though his tone of
voice was suddenly hard as he commanded firmly, “I want you to try, Dean. Try
very, very hard.”
Dean shuddered slightly, swallowing hard as his eyes widened just a bit in
surprise at the way having Kurt order him to do something made him feel. “I
will. I’ll try.”
“I want you to promise me you’ll stop thinking about what happens after school
is out,” Kurt added, his tone of voice still leaving no room for compromise.
“There is no day but today, Dean. I want to hear you say it.”
Dean nodded. “I promise. No day but today.”
Kurt kissed him then, quick and hard, and then pulled away to walk around the
Impala as he said calmly, “Good, now get in the car.”
Dean risked a glance at Puck and he had to smile at the shocked, hungry look in
Puck’s eyes as he watched Kurt walk away.
“You too, Noah,” Kurt added suddenly, and Dean looked over at Kurt again to see
he had stopped on the far side of the car to look at them both again. “And get
the keys. You’re driving.” He got in the car without another word, closing the
door firmly.
Dean looked at Puck again, meeting Puck’s gaze as he dug in his pocket for the
keys. “It’s kind of scary how hot he is when he goes all bitchy dom.”
“Almost as scary as how much it makes me wanna just hop to and do anything he
says,” Puck agreed, taking the keys and then giving Dean a gentle push towards
the car. “Get in, before he gets any more pissed.”
Dean let out a strangled little laugh and moved to get in the driver’s side,
sliding over into the middle as he risked a glance into the back seat, where
Quinn was waiting for them. Quinn looked sad and worried, and Dean forced a
smile for her as he murmured, “Cheer up, beautiful. We’ll be okay.”
“I know,” Quinn said softly, trying to smile. “I’m sorry I was being an ass
over the no naked thing.”
“Don’t be,” Dean said quickly, turning to face forward as Puck slid into the
driver’s seat. “I kinda like knowing you still want me, no matter how screwed
up I am.”
“You’re not screwed up,” Kurt said firmly, reaching over to take Dean’s hand in
his. “You’re not straight, but that doesn’t make you a freak, Dean.”
“Bein’ bi is just the beginning, sunshine,” Dean said with a soft little
chuckle, giving Kurt’s hand a squeeze. “You still have no idea how deep the
messed up goes.”
Puck started up the Impala and twisted in the seat to look behind them as he
started backing up, grinning at Quinn. “Part of it is that he really likes to
be dominated, and kinda likes the idea of being tied up, too, even though he
said the other night that it’s something he doesn’t do.”
Dean laughed and blushed very red, elbowing Puck in the stomach. “Shut up,
asshole.”
“It explains a lot,” Quinn said then, teasing. “No wonder Dean’s so sweet and
loving. He’s a subbie.”
Dean turned to look at her, trying not to laugh again. “I am not!”
“Sweetheart, you kind of are,” Kurt said with a soft snicker. “You love it when
Puck pins you against something and fucks your brains out.”
“That just means I’m a bottom,” Dean said quickly, amused and beet red as he
turned his attention back to Kurt. “I’ll admit to that, at least to you three.
Gettin’ fucked just flat does it for me, especially when it’s him. His hips are
a lethal weapon, I swear.”
“So does being ordered around,” Kurt pointed out, giving Dean a tolerant smile.
“You take orders very well, sweetheart, and you love having someone you can
trust enough to not have to think before you do whatever they tell you to do.”
Dean blinked, surprised. He hadn’t really thought about it like that before,
but once he did he realized Kurt was right, which made him blush even more as
he looked at the stereo, feeling kind of embarrassed and sheepish. “How in hell
did we get to the point you know my kinks better than I do?”
Kurt laughed, soft and happy, and then he kissed Dean’s cheek lightly. “I pay
attention and I love watching you with my boyfriend, so I’ve seen the way you
shiver and jump to obey when he’s so horny he starts growling and ordering you
around.”
“Oh god,” Dean muttered as he let his head fall forwards a bit, closing his
eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose between the thumb and forefinger of
his free hand. “Can we please change the subject? To something
completelydifferent?”
“How ‘bout them Yankees?” Quinn asked brightly, and then they were all
laughing.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean was about fifteen minutes late pulling up to the high school that
afternoon, and he was surprised to see that Sam was sitting on the hood of a
sexy as hell midnight blue Camaro with Brittany in his lap. He pulled the
Impala up next to Brittany’s car, which was right in the middle of the nearly
deserted parking lot, and saw Santana was sitting in the driver’s seat, relaxed
and smiling as she watched Sam and Brittany. The car’s stereo was on, playing
some pop song Dean didn’t recognize, though he immediately liked the lyrics.
“—Makes me that much wiser, so thanks for making me a, fighter. Made me learn a
little bit faster, made my skin a little bit thicker, makes me that much
smarter, so thanks for making me a, fighter.” 
Santana turned the music off then, looking amused as she lifted her hand to
give Dean and Quinn a little finger-wiggling wave and called, “Time to go,
baby.”
Dean let out a little laugh and waved back to Santana, turning his attention
back to Sam and Brittany, who were finally starting to pull apart, both of them
flushed and disheveled. “Having fun there, Sam?” he called out his open window.
“I was,” Sam said, giving him a dirty look.
“Brit got bored,” Quinn said then, and Dean looked at her in surprise to see
Quinn looked very amused and fond. “I’m surprised she didn’t have him fucking
her right there on the hood.”
“He wouldn’t,” Brittany said then, pouting at Sam as she climbed off of his lap
to stand in front of him. “He told me no.”
“Santana said not to, baby,” Sam reminded her quickly, looking sheepish as he
slid off the hood to put his arms around Brittany, pulling her close as he
looked up into her eyes. “She made me promise.”
“Santana’s no fun anymore,” Brittany muttered, looking past Sam at her
girlfriend.
“It won’t kill you not to fuck him in public, baby,” Santana called, amused.
“Now get in the car. Sam’s got work to do, and we need to go study.”
“Only if you’re going to study me first,” Brittany said quickly. “I’m horny.”
“I’ll take care of you right, baby, I promise,” Santana said with a soft little
laugh. “If you get in right now.”
Brittany brightened and kissed Sam quickly, and then pulled away to hurry
around the car. “Bye, Sammy. See you tomorrow.”
Sam let out a little huff of a laugh, running his hand through his shaggy hair
as he moved out from in front of the Camaro and then turned to watch Brittany
and Santana. “Bye.”
Santana started the Camaro, giving Sam a smirk as she blew him a kiss and then
gunned the gas, sending the Camaro leaping forward as Brittany’s happy laughter
floated out the open windows.
Sam watched until the Camaro was out of sight and then walked to the passenger
side of the Impala to get in the back seat, closing the door and then saying
quietly, “We can go, Dean.”
“You okay, kiddo?” Dean asked quietly, starting the Impala forward to pull
around and out of the parking lot much more slowly than Santana had left.
“I’m fine,” Sam said shortly, even though he was frowning as he looked out his
window.
“I’m sorry Santana’s being such a bitch to you, Sammy,” Quinn said quietly
then, turning in her seat to look over the back at Sam.
“I expected it soon,” Sam said with a shrug, giving Quinn a smile that Dean
could easily tell was faked. “She’s not really into me, not like Brit is.” He
paused slightly and then amended, “Or was.”
“It’s my fault,” Quinn admitted. “San doesn’t want me doing anything with Dean,
so I told her that if I had to keep my hands off my Winchester brother, she had
to do the same with hers. She was going to let Brit keep being with you though,
or at least that’s what she told me.”
“I know,” Sam said, nodding as Dean stopped at the edge of the highway, wanting
to watch Quinn and Sam talk more than he wanted to drive. “I was listening
while you two talked about it.” He paused and then added, “Brit was kind of
upset about it, but I don’t think she told Santana. She feels like Santana
doesn’t believe she really cares about me.”
Quinn sighed and turned around to face forward again. “Santana shouldn’t have
said those things with you and Brit there, but it wasn’t the first time, and
I’m sure it won’t be the last. She thinks Brit is a lot stupider than she
really is.”
“I wish she wouldn’t do that,” Sam said quietly, looking back out his window.
“Brit isn’t stupid, she’s just different.” He paused slightly and then added a
bit more pointedly, “And you can drive, Dean. We’re already running late.”
“Sorry,” Dean said quickly, looking back at the road as he pulled out onto the
highway to head towards the Puckerman home. “Burt and Carole were makin’ over
little Bethy and we all got kind of distracted laughing at the faces Burt was
making, trying to get her to smile.”
Dean didn’t mention the stop at the drug store on the way to school. Quinn had
reminded him to get more lube and threatened to tell Puck if he didn’t bother,
so he had made them another five minutes late by running into the Eckerd’s
across the highway from Wal-Mart. He had bought two boxes of the packets of
lube, a box of condoms, and two bottles of Wet, a big one for his bedroom and a
small one to replace the nearly empty one he had begun keeping in the car. The
little old lady behind the counter had looked at him like he was a serial
killer or something, which had made Dean feel like crap again, ruining the good
mood he had after he got to watch Burt meet Bethy for the first time.
“It’s okay,” Sam said with a sigh. “Just, I don’t want to talk about it
anymore, okay? Talk about something besides my love life.”
“At least you have a love life,” Quinn pointed out, grumbling.
Sam let out a little laugh. “You’re still making out with him. That’s as much
as I got today.”
Quinn opened her mouth to argue, then glanced at Dean and closed it again,
staring at him as she giggled. “I had almost forgotten that.”
Dean laughed softly, blushing as he realized Puck must have left fresh marks on
his neck after all. He really shouldhave gone into the bathroom to check before
he left, not that it would do any good. He already had to make sure he didn’t
let Sam see him shirtless anymore. He had hickeys all over him, and bruises
that were very obviously from someone holding his hips from behind while they
fucked him. His jeans were enough to cover the bite marks on his ass and
thighs, but they didn’t cover his hips quite high enough to hide the finger-
shaped bruises. “I’m not sure if I’m offended you forgot already or not.”
Quinn giggled again and reached over to pat Dean's thigh. “Don’t worry,
sweetie. You’re unforgettable, I’m just so tired right now I barely remember my
name.”
Sam snickered. “Yeah, you remember that when Santana notices those hickeys at
school tomorrow and gets all bitchy about them.”
“She did say I could kiss him,” Quinn said quickly, twisting to look back at
Sam again.
“This is Santana you’re talking about,” Sam pointed out. “She said I could
sleep with Brit, too, but when I left a mark on her Santana made sure I
regretted it. When she sees you marked Dean, she’s gonna see red.”
“Why do I get the feeling it’s gonna be all my fault?” Dean asked, laughing.
“Probably because it will,” Sam agreed, snickering. “Your ass is grass, and
Santana’s the lawnmower.”
Quinn just looked at Dean a moment and then started giggling.
Dean gave her a dirty look, trying to hide his amusement. “I can see you’ll be
a big help.”
“I’m sorry,” Quinn said quickly, still giggling. “Just, I can so see her
tearing into you for letting me bite you.”
“Lucky me.” Dean snorted, making a mental note to tell Puck and Kurt to keep
the biting below his neck. He loved it and they knew it so they bit him often,
but if Santana was going to go bitchkitty over every hickey he had in the next
month, he wanted as few to be visible as possible.
 
 
***** FIFTEEN *****
 
Dean wasn’t surprised to see Nancy’s car in the driveway when they got to the
Puckerman house, but he was a little surprised to pull around back and realize
Puck’s truck was still there, too.
“I forgot Puck left the Ranger here,” Dean said quietly as he turned off the
Impala, looking over at Quinn.
“I’ve got his keys,” Quinn said, reaching over to take Dean’s hand. “Kurt and I
talked about it earlier. We’re going to move my stuff with it and then Puck
will drive it back to Kurt’s after we unload everything. They might need it
before the Navigator is fixed.”
“Why didn’t he come?” Sam asked, curious.
“That’s right, I didn’t tell you, did I?” Dean asked, looking back at Sam, who
shook his head. “Puck and his mom got into it yesterday, and he’s staying away
from her until he cools off.”
“Dude, that bad, huh?” Sam asked softly, looking concerned. “Is he okay?”
“Yeah, he’s fine,” Dean said, nodding. “He just doesn’t want to see her until
he’s sure he won’t say anything he doesn’t really mean.”
“Must have been pretty bad,” Sam said quietly. “He doesn’t seem like the type
to stay angry so long.”
“Nancy told him she wanted me out if I wasn’t going to raise Beth Jewish,”
Quinn said quietly, turning to look at Sam. “He told her he doesn’t keep kosher
anymore and that he’s not forcing me or Beth into it, and then it got messy.
From what I gather, she said a lot of things about Kurt that he’s having a hard
time forgiving.”
The back door of the house slammed then and they all looked over to see Sarah
hurry down the steps and to the car, opening Quinn’s door to climb in and
across Quinn to sit in the middle, pulling the door shut again as she went.
“Mom’s been crying for two days,” she said quietly to Quinn, looking unhappy
and worried. “Where’s Noah? He always knows what to do to make it better.”
“He can’t make it better this time, sweetie,” Quinn replied quietly, reaching
to put her arm around Sarah, who moved to curl up against Quinn’s side,
clinging to her.
“Where is he?” Sarah repeated softly, laying her cheek against Quinn’s
shoulder. “Is he okay?”
“He’s fine, he’s with Kurt and Beth at Kurt’s house,” Quinn said gently.
“You’ll get to see him again soon, I promise, just not tonight.”
Sarah was quiet for a long moment and then pulled away from Quinn to look up at
her, brown eyes sad. “Mom’s really sorry she said all of those mean things.
She’s been calling and calling and he won’t talk to her anymore.” She paused
slightly and then added, “He won’t even answer when I call him.”
“He doesn’t have his phone, kiddo,” Dean said quietly, making Quinn and Sarah
both look at him. “Noah didn’t want to say anything to your mom that he didn’t
really mean, so he put his phone in my glove box until he’s not so upset with
her.” He leaned past Sarah and Quinn, turning the latch to open the glove
compartment and get the phone, glad he hadn’t put the lube and condoms in there
yet and that there were enough napkins in there to cover up the gun. He closed
the glove compartment again quickly before offering Sarah the phone so she
could see it was turned off. “He hasn’t checked it since he hung up on her
because it hurt him a lot that she was saying the things she did.”
“She didn’t mean it,” Sarah said quietly, reaching to take the phone and hold
it tightly in one hand as she stared at it. “She likes Kurt, she doesn’t really
think he’s any of those mean things she called him when Noah said he was
staying in Indianapolis with him until today.”
Dean sighed and rubbed his face, wondering what else Nancy said that Puck
didn’t tell him or Kurt about, and how much of it Sarah had heard. Puck had
taken his phone out to the Impala while he was talking to Nancy, angry and
hurting and not wanting the others to see him crying, and he had been gone
quite a while before he came back. Puck told them he just sat on the Impala
until he cooled off, but Dean realized finally that Puck must have spent at
least some of that time arguing with Nancy. “Maybe she didn’t, kiddo, but Noah
loves him a lot and it hurt to have her say those things about him. It makes
him really sad to think she would be mean to the people he loves.”
“Like Quinn, and Beth,” Sarah agreed, looking at Dean. “He loves them both a
lot, too.”
“Yeah, kiddo, he does,” Dean agreed, giving Sarah a small smile. “They’re his
family, just like you are.” He smiled a little wider, adding, “Beth even looks
a lot like you.”
“Does she really?” Sarah asked, looking at Quinn in surprise.
Quinn smiled, nodding. “She does. She has the same dark curls and brown eyes.”
“Noah used to have curls, too,” Sarah said suddenly, smiling. “He keeps them
all cut off now ‘cause he hated them.”
The back door to the house opened again and they all looked towards the sound
to see Nancy standing at the door looking fairly devastated but obviously
trying hard to keep herself together. Her straight hair was pulled back into a
careless ponytail and she looked like she had aged ten years since the last
time Dean had seen her, less than a week before. She had always been rather
petite and thin, but she looked tinier than ever in one of Puck’s favorite
button-front shirts, which she held wrapped around her like she was cold. “You
can all come inside,” she called. “Please.”
Quinn reached for her door immediately and Dean followed her example, getting
out and walking around the car. Quinn and Sarah were already walking towards
the steps so he followed them with Sam right behind him.
Dean nodded respectfully to Nancy as he paused to let Quinn and Sarah go up the
stairs first, offering Quinn his hand to steady her because there was no
railing. Quinn could climb stairs just fine, though with a little pain, but her
balance was still off because she had gotten so used to having a baby belly.
“Mrs Puckerman,” he said quietly, not really sure of what else to say but
feeling like he had to say something.
Nancy flinched slightly but forced a watery smile for Dean. “Hello, Dean.” She
moved aside then to let Sarah and Quinn go in the house, her gaze flicking to
Puck’s cell phone in Sarah’s hand and then back to Dean with a pained
expression in her eyes. “I thought I asked you to call me Nancy?”
“I wasn’t sure you still felt that way, ma’am,” Dean admitted, following Quinn
up the stairs. “From what I hear, I’m right at the top of your sh—shoot list
right now.” It was a pitiful recovery, but he had tried. That had to count for
something.
Nancy swallowed hard, closing her eyes for a moment before she looked at Dean
again and said softly, “I’m very sorry for what I told Noah, Dean. I was upset,
and shocked, and I said things I didn’t mean at all.”
“I’ll pass that along to him, ma’am,” Dean said quietly, meeting Nancy’s gaze.
“I’m not the one you hurt, though, so don’t apologize to me.”
Nancy stared at Dean for a moment and then asked softly, “How can I tell him
how sorry I am if he won’t even speak to me?”
“Why don’t we go inside?” Quinn said. “You and Dean can talk about this while
Sam and Sarah help me pack.”
Nancy flinched again and turned away, walking into the house. “You don’t have
to leave, Quinn. I just said that because I thought you had nowhere to go, so
it would force you to raise Beth Jewish.”
“I’m leaving because I want to. I’m tired of eating kosher, so I’m moving in
with Dean. And Beth doesn’t live with me anyway,” Quinn said quietly, following
Nancy inside. Dean was right behind her, and he saw Nancy turn to stare at
Quinn in shock.
“You gave her up?” Nancy asked quickly, obviously upset. “After all Noah and I
did for you?”
“You would think that, I suppose,” Quinn said with a frown at Nancy, and then
she sighed. “But I’m not an unfeeling bitch, Nancy, no matter what you
evidently think of me. No one could ever love Beth more than her daddy does,
not even me, so she’s living with him and Kurt.”
Nancy stared at Quinn a moment longer and then whispered, “Noah’s not ever
coming back to me, is he?”
“I don’t know,” Quinn said quietly, walking towards the living room doorway as
she reached for Sarah’s hand to pull Sarah along with her. “He wouldn’t talk to
me about it after you broke his heart. He didn’t want me to see him cry.” She
glanced back as she reached the kitchen doorway. “Sam, come help me and Sarah,
please.”
“Sure.” Sam moved quickly to follow Quinn, not looking at anyone, and a moment
later Dean was alone with Nancy.
Nancy waited until she heard Quinn’s door close and then looked at Dean as she
said quietly, “He told me everything about this weekend, Dean. I know you
stayed in that hotel room with them.”
Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking down. “He shouldn’t have
done that.” Dean looked back up at Nancy, adding very softly, “Please keep it
to yourself, ma’am.”
“From Sam, you mean,” Nancy murmured. “Noah said you don’t want him to know.”
“I don’t want anyone to know,” Dean said just a little sharper than he
intended, making Nancy flinch slightly even though he didn’t raise his voice
above a whisper. “It’s not something I expected to happen.”
“He told me that too,” Nancy admitted, looking away. “That you were supposed to
end up with Quinn for the night while he was with Kurt, but she had Beth and
then things got out of hand after you three got to the hotel.”
“It wasn’t the night we had planned, for sure,” Dean murmured, glad Puck hadn’t
told his mother the whole truth.
“He’s really not coming home, is he?” Nancy whispered, still not looking at
Dean.
“Not to live here, no ma’am,” Dean said gently, wishing he didn’t have to have
this conversation with Nancy but sure that Puck was still too torn up about it
all to handle it. If Puck had tried, there would have been a lot of crying – on
both sides – and probably a lot of yelling, and Dean was sure it would have
just made things worse. Since Puck couldn’t do it and Kurt was afraid to hear
first-hand what Nancy thought of him, it fell to Dean. It was something he
could do for them to make their lives a little easier, and he wasn’t about to
back away from it.
“He loves you and Sarah very much,” Dean added after a moment, “but he loves
Beth and Kurt too much to walk away from them like you wanted him to do. Kurt’s
father asked Puck to call him Dad last week, and after Kurt called and told
Burt and Carole some of what went on between you and Puck yesterday, Burt said
that Puck was welcome to live with them for as long as Kurt wants him there.”
He paused slightly and then added, “And Kurt will never tell him to leave. He
loves Puck more than anything, and he’s crazy about Beth.”
“I didn’t mean it,” Nancy whispered, looking at Dean again as she started to
cry. “I thought if I threatened to kick him out he would give up and come home.
He’s just a boy.”
“You were wrong,” Dean said simply, meeting Nancy’s gaze. “He’s not a kid you
can threaten into doing what you want, not anymore. He’s a man grown with a
partner he’d die to protect and a beautiful daughter he’d move mountains for,
and it killed him that you made him choose between them and you.” Dean fell
silent, but after a moment he felt compelled to add just a little pointedly,
“If anyone else had hurt him like that, I’d be out for blood right now. Just so
you know.”
Nancy stared at Dean for a moment in silence with tears sliding slowly down her
face, then she turned away as she started to sob, wrapping her arms around
herself.
Dean stood watching her cry for a minute or two before he sighed and moved over
to turn her back towards him, pulling her into his arms. Nancy held herself
rigidly away from him for only a moment before she collapsed against his chest
and started to sob even harder, clinging to his shirt as he stroked her hair
and murmured, “He still loves you, Nancy. He will be back to visit you and
Sarah, I promise you that, he just needs to be with Kurt and Beth, too.”
Nancy just stood there crying and clinging to him, so Dean rested his chin on
her hair and held her to wait for her to get it all out of her system. He was
sure she needed the comfort of being held pretty badly to be willing to accept
it from him. If she had called Kurt names for what he and Puck had, then she
must think Dean was even worse, especially since she thought he fell into bed
with Kurt and Puck while his girlfriend was in the hospital after giving birth.
It took a special kind of asshole to do something like that.
Nancy’s sobs quieted after a while and then she finally fell silent for a few
minutes before she whispered, “Thank you.”
Dean squeezed her gently, not even thinking about it as he kissed the top of
her head and then murmured, “He’d do the same for my mom, if I had one.”
Nancy let out a little noise caught somewhere between a laugh and a sob,
pulling away from Dean to look up at him. “He would, wouldn’t he? He’s such a
good boy, no matter how much trouble he gets into.”
“Yes ma’am,” Dean said gently, giving her a slight smile as he let her go and
stepped away. “He’s a great guy, that’s why he’s my best friend.”
“He’s more than that,” Nancy murmured, looking into Dean’s eyes as Quinn’s door
opened and then closed again and someone walked towards them down the hall,
footsteps seeming loud in the otherwise silent house. Quinn stepped into the
kitchen just as Nancy said quietly, “He must be for you to care about his
mother enough to want to take care of me right now.”
Dean shook his head. “No ma’am, that’s not how it is.”
“Dean is just that sweet,” Quinn said, walking over to Dean to lean up against
his side and kiss his cheek. She smiled at Nancy and then turned to head
towards the pantry, opening it and then leaning inside as she added, “He takes
care of people, if they’ll let him. It’s who he is.”
Nancy looked from Quinn to Dean and back, obviously unhappy, and Dean was sure
she was trying to decide if they had told Quinn about what happened at the
hotel. Dean sighed and murmured, “Stop looking at me like that. She knows what
happened.”
Quinn turned around quickly with a box of trash bags, eyes wide. “You told
her?” she whispered furiously, looking at the door to the rest of the house and
then back at Dean. “How stupid are you?!”
“Not as stupid as Puck, evidently,” Dean replied softly, snorting. “He told
her, not me.”
Quinn stared at Dean a moment and then started back towards her room,
muttering, “We have really got to have a long talk with that man about keeping
his pretty, talented mouth shut.”
“Tell me about it, beautiful,” Dean agreed, watching her go.
“I think I missed something somewhere,” Nancy said then, and Dean turned back
towards her to see she looked confused.
Dean sighed and nodded towards the door. “Can we at least go outside to talk
about it, please?”
Nancy looked at him only a moment before she walked past him and out the back
door, and Dean followed her as she walked out to sit on the steps. Dean closed
the kitchen door and then moved after Nancy, sitting down by her and scrubbing
his hand through his hair as he waited for her to start talking.
“I thought Quinn was in love with you,” Nancy said after a few moments, and
Dean looked at her to see she was frowning at him. “I’m sure Noah told me you
and Quinn are dating, and that she was supposed to share a hotel room with you
after Regionals. Sarah says you’re always holding her and kissing her, but
she’s not upset about what happened, even though she just said a little bit ago
that she’s moving in with you.”
Dean flushed at the way Nancy’s gaze kept straying to his neck, nodding. “Me
and Quinn are close,” he agreed, “but she’s been in love with Santana for
years. I knew from day one that I’m just the guy on the side to cuddle with
until she and Santana get things sorted out because Santana got so bitchy about
Quinn having Puck’s baby. Santana doesn’t seem to hold it against Puck too
much, but she was really pissed that Quinn slept with her boyfriend instead of
her.”
“And you don’t care that she’s using you,” Nancy asked, incredulous.
“I don’t have any room to complain,” Dean said quietly, looking over at the
Impala. “I ended up in bed with her best friend and the father of her child
while she was in the hospital.”
“Noah told me that,” Nancy said quietly. “I know he’s got a bad habit of
thinking below his belt, but I had thought Kurt was a little smarter than that,
and you seemed so level-headed and mature that I thought you two would keep him
out of trouble.”
Dean looked back at Nancy, frowning. “We’re consenting adults who were so
fu—freaking relieved that Quinn and Beth were okay that we were about to rattle
apart, and things happened. It’s not like we went out partying and ended up
with strippers or something. It was just sex between friends.”
“Kurt is sixteen, and Noah is seventeen,” Nancy pointed out, making Dean look
away again. “I can easily believe their hormones got the best of them in the
excitement of the moment, but you’re twenty, Dean. You’re old enough to know
better.”
“I’m not as strong as you seem to think,” Dean said quietly, staring at the
Impala. “I get lonely, Nancy, just like anyone else. Quinn’s my girlfriend and
I care about her, but she doesn’t love me and we don’t do anything but hold
each other or kiss.” He let out a snort. “And Santana’s not real pleased about
either one, so I bet even that stops soon. I’m gonna end up sleepin’ on my own
couch.”
“So you’re telling me you took advantage of my underage son because your
girlfriend doesn’t put out,” Nancy said disapprovingly. “You’re actually going
to try and use that as an excuse?”
Dean looked at Nancy quickly, frowning and annoyed. “I let Puck fuck me because
I can’t make myself say no to him, if you absolutely must know.” Nancy’s eyes
went wide, but Dean went on before she could say anything. Being so honest with
her went against every instinct he had, but something told him it was the only
way she would ever understand why he was sleeping with Puck. She could get him
arrested if she wanted to because Puck was underage and sodomy was illegal in
Ohio as far as Dean knew, so he’d get a double whammy. That meant he really
needed to make her understand if he could, and the only way he could do that
was to tell her the truth. “I’m sorry he felt the need to tell you about it –
and he’s gonna hear about that from me, count on it! – but I just don’t have it
in me to look him in the eye and say no, not when I want it just as bad as he
does and we both know Kurt is fine with it. It’s just sex, and it’s not like
Puck hasn’t done it before about a million times. You can call me weak or
whatever you want, but don’texpect me to hurt him for you or anyone else,
lady.”
“What about Kurt?” Nancy asked softly, looking a little confused again. “I can
believe Noah made the first move with you, he talks about you all the time and
I know he’s very ... physical with people he likes, but Kurt isn’t experienced
like Noah is. He’s just a boy, Dean.”
“He’s old enough to know what he wants and take it,” Dean said pointedly, sure
she’d take that exactly the way he meant it. “He is young, and I tried to stay
away from him, I did, but he’s pretty hard to resist when he wants to be. He
and I are almost as close as I am to Puck, and it’s just as hard for me to tell
him no when he wants something from me that I know I’m gonna enjoy giving him.”
Nancy stared at Dean for a long moment, searching his eyes with an unreadable
expression, and then she asked very softly, “Dean, have you ever had a
boyfriend before? Before you met Noah, I mean?” She paused and then added,
“They didn’t ... make you do anything you didn’t want to do, did they?”
“Neither of them would ever force anyone into sex,” Dean said sharply, fighting
to keep his voice down as he glared at Nancy, angry she assumed the worst of
Puck and Kurt so easily. “I’ve never had a boyfriend, no, but that has
absolutely nothing to do with it. I don’t do this kind of thing, not with
anyone but him.” He paused. “Well, him and Kurt. They are a package deal.”
“This kind of thing?” Nancy repeated, and the way she was looking at Dean made
him feel even more defensive and angry even though he wasn’t sure why.
“Having sex with someone who’s already in a serious, committed relationship,”
Dean said pointedly. “I don’t poach. I don’t need to.”
“Are you falling in love with my son?” Nancy asked quietly, still looking at
Dean with what he suddenly realized was pity. “And please don’t lie to me.”
“No,” Dean said quickly. “I’m not that stupid.”
Nancy sighed and then said very softly, “I told you I didn’t want you to lie to
me, Dean.”
Dean flinched, looking away. “Are you calling me stupid?”
“No, I’m saying you just lied to me,” Nancy replied, and the gentle tone of her
voice was worse than being yelled at would have been. “Or maybe you lied to
yourself, I suppose. You care about him a lot more than you want to admit.”
“I never denied that I care about him,” Dean said quietly, still not looking at
her. “That doesn’t mean I’m in love with him. It’d be monumentally stupid to
let myself fall for someone else’s guy.”
“Love doesn’t care what would be smart, Dean,” Nancy said quietly. “It would be
nice if that were true, but it’s not. My own marriage is a prime example of
that. I loved Noah’s father more than anything in the world except our
children, even though he never did anything to deserve it. I knew I couldn’t
trust him, but love made me forgive him for hurting me time and time again.”
Dean swallowed hard and was quiet for a few minutes before he murmured, “Well,
whatever it is I’ve got with Puck and Kurt, I’m sure you’ll be glad to know it
won’t last long. Me and Sam are leaving town when school’s out.”
“Why?” Nancy asked, and even without looking at her Dean was sure she was
frowning again. “You love Noah very much, I can tell. Why would you leave him?”
“Because I can’t stay,” Dean said bluntly, looking down at the scarred toe of
his combat boot. “He and Kurt are in love, Nancy, the head-over-heels, soul-
deep kind of love that people dream a lifetime about finding. They care about
me too, sure, but Iknow the difference between their love for each other and
what they feel for me, even if they forget sometimes.” He looked over at Nancy
again finally, sure she could see how much it hurt him as he said quietly, “I
just get to share your son sometimes, and I won’t have even that much for long.
I might wish for more in my weaker moments, I’ll admit that, but it’s never
gonna happen.” He shook his head, looking at the Impala again. “No, they know
that I’m gone in a few weeks as well as I do, and they know I won’t ever be
back. Whatever we’ve got isn’t going to last long enough to be love. It’s just
sex and loneliness and the hell of my life all mixed up with a gorgeous guy
that’s pretty much everything I ever wanted, except the most important thing.”
“Which is?” Nancy asked softly.
Dean looked at Nancy, giving her a crooked little smile. “He’s not mine, and he
never will be.”
“That’s got to be terrible for you, Dean,” Nancy said quietly, reaching out to
put her hand on his arm. “I don’t know how you can stand it.”
Dean looked away from her as he inhaled slowly and then breathed out just as
carefully, fighting for control of himself as he wished he hadn’t been so
honest. Saying it out loud had made it all hurt more. “I can stand it,” he said
finally, “for the same reason I can stand every other painful thing in my life,
Nancy. I don’t have a choice.” He stood and turned away to go back in the
house, stopping with his back to her after only a couple of steps. “Please
don’t tell anyone,” he murmured softly then, trying very hard not to let how he
was feeling show in his voice. “I don’t want Sam to ever know his big brother
is a fag, much less that I slept with someone else’s boyfriend.”
“I won’t tell a soul, Dean,” Nancy said softly. “I promise.”
“Thank you,” Dean said quietly, walking back into the house.
Dean intended to go help pack up Quinn and Beth’s things, but instead he found
himself walking down the hall to Puck’s room, going inside and closing the door
behind him. He walked over to the bed and flopped onto his back to stare up at
the ceiling, and then he smiled slightly despite how much he was hurting. There
was a poster over the bed of a blonde woman all spread out on the hood of a
classic Mustang in the tiniest cutoff jean shorts Dean had ever seen and a
couple of pasties on strings that were pretending to be a bikini top. He
admired the car a lot more than the woman, but they both had sweet lines and he
was sure Puck had spent a lot of time laying right where Dean was, fantasizing
about driving them both way too fast.
The room smelled like Old Spice and Puck and citrus, and after a minute Dean
closed his eyes to just lay there and breathe, trying hard to do like he had
told Kurt he would do and not think about tomorrow. Today was what he had, with
a sweet girl who loved him like he was even if she wasn’t in love with him, and
two guys who loved him enough to want to fix everything in his life and take
care of him. He knew he was very lucky, and as he thought about them he started
to feel that way, too. Tomorrow might be hell, but in that moment he had
reasons to be glad he was alive, and he wanted that, wanted to enjoy it while
he could.
He had been sprawled there for about twenty minutes and was finally relaxed and
feeling calm and almost happy again when someone tapped quietly on the door.
“It’s just me, honey. Can I come in?” Quinn asked softly, barely loud enough he
could hear her.
“Sure, beautiful,” Dean said quietly, not bothering to move. Quinn was already
well aware of the fact he was a fool over Puck and wouldn’t think any less of
him for lying on Puck’s bed to pull himself back together. Knowing her like he
did, he was sure she had done the same thing before herself. It should have
embarrassed him that he was acting like a girl, but just then he couldn’t make
himself care.
Quinn opened the door to slip inside and then closed it back behind her,
walking over to climb carefully onto the bed with Dean and curl up against his
side. “I love coming in here,” she murmured softly. “Everything smells like him
and it makes me feel so safe and loved, just like he does when he holds me.”
Dean wrapped his arm around her, smiling softly as he looked up at the poster,
not really seeing it. “He’s good at that.”
“He is,” Quinn agreed, and then she was silent for a few moments before she
went on again. “Sam and Sarah are already carrying my things out. I mentioned
to Nancy that I was going to get Puck some clothes, and she said she thought
you were doing it.”
“I didn’t come in here to be useful,” Dean admitted. “I was heading for your
room, but I ended up in here instead. I’m not really sure why.”
“I am,” Quinn said, lifting her head to look at him, and when Dean looked
towards her she gave him a soft smile. “You came in here for the same reason I
do. You needed to feel close to him.”
Dean looked into her eyes a moment and then admitted, “You might be right.”
“Of course I am,” Quinn said quickly, smirking suddenly. “I’m usually right.”
She leaned to kiss him lightly and then pulled away to get off the bed, patting
his thigh. “Now come on, help me get his things.”
Dean sat up, swinging his booted feet off the bed as he watched her move
towards the dresser with a smile. “You think it’ll take us both? He’s only got
like, five pairs of jeans to his name, and maybe twice that many shirts.”
Quinn laughed, reaching into her skirt pocket to pull out a garbage bag as she
gave Dean an amused look. “No, those are just all he wears. He’s got lots of
nice clothes too because that’s what Nancy gets him for his birthday, hoping
that eventually he’ll have to wear them. I sort of doubt Kurt will let him wear
the same old jeans all the time anymore once he knows that Puck has so many
nice pairs of Dockers.”
Dean snickered and stood, moving over to hold the garbage bag. “You’ve got a
point there. I’m almost afraid to see how Kurt could possibly make him look any
better than he already does, though.”
“He can, trust me,” Quinn said with a soft laugh, opening the bottom drawer to
take out an armload of Dockers that looked like they had never been worn. “Kurt
knows all the tricks, and he’ll be only too happy to ‘lose’ Puck’s old baggy-
assed jeans.”
Dean laughed as he watched Quinn put the clothes into the bag he was holding.
“Remind me to bake him some brownies if he does.”
“I’ll help,” Quinn said with an impish grin, reaching for the next drawer,
which held several pairs of much older jeans and about a dozen t-shirts. She
took out three pairs of jeans and all the t-shirts, tossing them in the bag,
then moved to the next drawer to get a dozen pairs of socks and then a few
pairs of boxers and boxer-briefs that looked like they had never even been
worn. “He won’t wear these unless Kurt makes him, but I’ll throw them in
anyway.”
Dean smirked. “Kurt won’t do that for long, I don’t think. He’ll learn to like
him commando.”
“Puck will make sure of that,” Quinn agreed, laughing as she moved to the other
side of the dresser to get more t-shirts and button down shirts, and a stack of
the long cargo shorts Puck loved to wear when it was warm. She had to work at
it to get all the shorts in the bag, and then gave Dean a smug smile. “Alright,
you can take that to the truck now.”
Dean snorted, grinning as he tried lifting the bag. “This bag weighs a ton,
beautiful.”
“I know, that’s why you’re carrying it instead of me,” Quinn agreed, moving
over to Puck’s desk to get his letterman jacket off the back of his chair. She
shrugged into the jacket and then she picked Puck’s school backpack up off the
floor and set it in the chair, unzipping the main compartment and then putting
Puck's laptop into it before she opened one of the desk drawers. Dean watched
with amusement as she took out three boxes of condoms, a half-empty bottle of
Astroglide, a worn old leather collar with a brass tag on it, and a pair of
leopard-print fuzzy handcuffs, stuffing them all in the backpack before she
opened another drawer to get two external hard drives for a computer.
“What are those for?” Dean asked, amused.
“Puck’s music collection, his porn, and his games,” Quinn answered promptly
with a smile, putting the hard drives in the front pocket of Puck’s backpack
and then zipping it closed. “He keeps it all on external drives so he won’t
lose anything if he crashes his laptop, plus he can grab them to take with him
when he spends the weekend at Finn’s house.” Her smile faded away as she zipped
the main compartment of the backpack up. “Or he used to, anyway.”
“Why aren’t he and Finn close anymore?” Dean asked quietly, hefting the bag of
clothes as Quinn picked up the backpack and then grabbed Puck’s gym bag before
she moved towards the door.
“Because of me,” Quinn said quietly, moving to the door and then turning to
look at Dean. “Finn was in love with me, and I made him think Beth was his for
a long time before Rachel found out the truth and told him. He wanted to kill
Puck, and I think Puck would have let him do it if Mr Schue hadn’t pulled Finn
off of him.” She swallowed hard. “It was awful to see. We all knew Puck could
kick Finn’s ass if he wanted to, but Puck just let Finn hit him over and over
like he thought he deserved it. Puck’s eyes were so dead and Finn was just so
angry, and everyone was too shocked to try and stop him until Mr Schue got
there.”
“Damn,” Dean said with a sigh, looking away. “He got smashed and did something
stupid, sure, but even I know Finn’s the best friend he ever had.”
“Yeah,” Quinn agreed, “he was. Finn used to live just down the street and
Carole always watched Puck and Sarah while Nancy worked, so Finn and Puck spent
all their time together until Puck started dating girls. They were still
together a lot even after that, but then Puck got kind of messed up about Finn
and it all started to go wrong. He wanted everything Finn had, even used to
steal Finn’s clothes to wear all the time when he stayed over.” She let out a
little laugh. “And I know he loves me for me, but I still think he had sex with
me mostly because I was Finn’s.”
Dean looked at Quinn in surprise. “Seriously?”
Quinn nodded. “I think so.” She paused and then asked, “Did you know that Puck
dated Rachel, too? After Finn fell for her, Puck swooped in and picked her up
right out from under his nose, but it didn’t last long even though Nancy begged
him to stay with her. Rachel is Jewish but she drives Puck crazy, and all the
jocks were giving him hell for dating her, so he bailed pretty quickly.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say it’s Finn he really wanted,” Dean said
slowly, surprised.
“Don’t ever tell anyone I said this, but I think you’re right,” Quinn agreed
with a sad little smile. “He’s never been too bright about things where his
heart is concerned, and it killed him when Finn refused to talk to him anymore.
He’s always needed someone to point out the obvious for him, and it was too
late with Finn long before he got to the point I could have made him see the
light.” Her smile widened and she added, “I had to tell him he was in love with
Kurt a dozen times before he really noticed it was true, and I know Kurt had to
tell him he was falling for you at least as many times before he did anything
about it.” She opened the door and walked out then without waiting for a reply.
Dean stood and stared at the empty doorway for more than a minute before he
headed after her, completely unable to help the way he was smiling.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean parked the Impala behind Carole’s car, turning off the ignition and then
getting out as Quinn slowly pulled the Ranger onto the grass by Burt’s truck.
Kurt’s Navigator was still in the shop and Finn had parked Carole’s car in the
Navigator’s usual spot, so Dean wasn’t surprised that Quinn had chosen to park
on the grass instead of behind Burt’s Dodge Ram. Puck usually parked on the
grass if Carole’s car wasn’t already there, so it made no sense to block Burt’s
truck in. It had already been decided that Dean would drive the four of them to
school until the Navigator was back, so the spot on the grass was sure to
become Puck’s parking spot anyway.
Dean walked around Burt’s truck to the Ranger, opening the driver’s door and
then smiling at Quinn as she turned to put her hands on his shoulders. He
lifted her down out of the truck the same way he had helped her get in, earning
a kiss before she pulled away to head towards the front door. “Thanks,
sweetheart.”
Dean leaned to get Puck’s keys out of the ignition, automatically pocketing
them with his own keys as he closed the door to follow Quinn, grinning.
“Anytime, beautiful.”
Sam was standing on the Hummels’ front porch, waiting for them with a slight
smile as he moved to offer Quinn his hand while she climbed the steps. Quinn
beamed at him and kissed his cheek on her way by. “Such a sweetie. No wonder
Brit’s crazy about you.”
Sam let out a little laugh, blushing as he ran his hand through his hair, and
Dean grinned as he hurried up the steps. Quinn opened the front door to go in
without knocking – Burt had told her in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t
allowed to any more, since family doesn’t knock – and Dean moved past Sam to
follow her, grinning.
Everyone was still in the living room where they had left them earlier, though
Finn and Rachel had taken over the old leather recliner that Carole was in when
they left. Puck and Kurt were on the couch next to Burt’s chair, both of them
smiling as they watched Burt, who was holding Beth and looking at her like she
was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen. Carole was sitting by Kurt on the
couch looking very happy and amused as she watched Burt, Puck, and Kurt all
stare at Beth, who was sound asleep.
Quinn walked straight over to Burt’s chair and leaned down to kiss his cheek
before she teased softly, “You have to put her down eventually, grandpa.”
Burt looked up at Quinn with a slightly sheepish smile. “I did. Kurt gave her
back to me after he changed her.”
“Because he practically begged me to,” Kurt added with a smile, and Dean could
tell how very happy Kurt was about the way Burt had taken to Beth.
“I always wanted a little girl to spoil,” Burt admitted as he looked over at
Kurt. “That’s probably why I let you get away with so much.”
Puck snickered and Kurt elbowed him with a laugh, looking somewhere between
amused and wry as he said dryly, “I’m not a girl, Dad.”
“No, but you bring home a lot of clothes from the girls side of the store,
especially jeans, and you spend more on shampoo and stuff than your mom ever
did,” Burt teased gently, smiling. “I know, I see the credit card bills.”
Kurt let out a little surprised laugh, blushing. “Jeans made for girls fit me
better.” Puck smirked at Kurt, hazel eyes sparkling and wicked, and Kurt
covered Puck’s mouth with his hand, eyes widening. “Whatever you’re thinking,
keep it to yourself.”
Puck snickered and kissed Kurt’s fingers, making Kurt smile as Puck reached up
to pull his hand down. “I was just going to say they look much better on you,
babe.”
Kurt smiled a little wider. “Liar.” He kissed Puck’s cheek and then looked down
as he took Puck’s right hand in both of his, obviously very happy.
Burt watched them a moment longer, smiling softly, and then he made an obvious
effort to drag his gaze away as he looked over at where Sam and Dean were
standing, then looked over at Carole. “We really do need more furniture.”
“I keep telling you we need a bigger couch and a loveseat, honey,” Carole
agreed with a laugh, nodding. “The kids have a lot of friends.”
Quinn giggled and moved to sit on the arm of Burt’s chair, making him look at
her in surprise as she gave him an impish grin. “There’s room for all of us, if
we get a little creative.”
Puck laughed and nodded, looking over at Sam and Dean. “Pick an arm, guys.”
Sam laughed. “I’ll take the floor, thanks.” He suited his actions to his words,
moving so he’d be able to see the television, where a baseball game was playing
with the sound muted. “We need to think about unloading the truck sometime,
though. There’s furniture in the back that goes here, besides all of Beth’s
stuff and Puck's clothes.”
“Furniture?” Puck asked in surprise, looking from Sam to Dean before he added,
“Dude, seriously. Sit.” He patted the arm of the couch by him. “You know I
won’t bite.”
“That’s debatable, actually,” Kurt said with a soft snort, giving Puck a dirty
look.
Puck grinned at Kurt, his gaze going to the hickey that was still visible on
the side of Kurt’s throat even though Kurt had tried to cover it with makeup.
“Dean is so not you, baby.”
Dean chuckled and walked over to sit on the arm of the couch by Puck, keeping
his expression amused even though the arm of the couch wasn’t very comfortable.
His ass was still sore, though not as bad as it had been right after Puck
fucked him on the swing, and the shape of the arm of the couch made it
difficult to find a position that wasn’t too terribly uncomfortable. He ended
up shifting to rest his weight on one thigh and lean on the back of the couch
behind Puck’s shoulders, and he was trying not to think about the way Rachel
was watching him as he looked at Puck and said, “Your mom asked if you had
gotten Beth another bed yet, and then insisted we bring the bassinet for her.”
Puck stared at Dean for a moment and then looked at Quinn. “The cherry
bassinet?”
Quinn nodded, looking kind of pleased and surprised as she thought about it.
“The one she got when you were born, yes. She said she wanted Beth to use it.”
“Huh,” Puck said softly, looking down at his knee.
“I told you she would come around, sweetheart,” Kurt murmured, running one hand
along Puck’s forearm. “She loves you too much to stay mad for long.”
Puck looked at Kurt, smiling slightly. “I know you did, but I didn’t really
believe it.” His smile turned wry. “You didn’t hear all the crap she said,
baby.”
“She’s real sorry about that,” Dean said quietly, shifting to dig in his back
pocket with his free hand and then offering Puck’s cell phone to him. “She
wants you to call so she can apologize.”
Puck stared at the phone a moment and then looked up at Dean, searching his
eyes. “For what?”
“For all of it,” Dean said, giving Puck a soft smile. “She didn’t mean any of
it, Puckasaurus, not really.”
“She cried all over Dean when you didn’t go home with us,” Quinn said then,
making Puck look at her in surprise. “They spent a long time talking while Sam
helped me and Sarah pack my stuff.”
Puck looked at Dean again. “She blamed you for the whole thing.”
Dean let out a little laugh. “I know that, believe me, and you’re gonna get an
earful from me about it later, I promise. She was worried about you though,
man, not pissed. To her you’re still that twelve year old boy who shaved his
hair into a mohawk at his best friend’s house one weekend.”
Carole laughed. “I remember that. I felt so bad about it when I caught them,
but Finn had already shaved half of his head so I had to let them finish.”
Dean looked over at Carole, grinning. “Boys do stupid things, Carole, it’s a
law.”
“You’re a boy too, Dean,” Carole pointed out then, looking amused.
“And I prove it by doin’ somethin’ stupid all the time,” Dean said quickly,
grinning at Carole while most of the others started laughing.
Puck was still looking amused as he finally took his phone from Dean,
murmuring, “I’m kind of afraid to listen to the messages she left for me.”
“You can’t, so don’t worry about it,” Dean said quietly, moving the hand he had
on the back of the couch to rest on Puck’s shoulder without really thinking
about what he was doing. “You’ve got two on there from Sarah that she wanted
you to hear, but Nancy had me delete all the ones she left you.”
Puck looked up at Dean, searching his eyes for something again. “Did you listen
to them?”
“Not after the first one,” Dean said with a wry little smile. “That was more
than I really wanted to know about her opinion of me, and then Nancy begged me
to just delete them all before you could hear them, so I did.”
“She blamed it all on you, didn’t she?” Puck asked, frowning.
Dean let out a laugh. “Dude, I was the responsible adult that promised to keep
her precious son out of trouble and then not only let you share a hotel room
with your boyfriend, but also didn’t drive you home when I told her I would.
She was not pleased with me. I’m evidently the only one of us old enough to
know better in her book, so that made the whole thing my fault.” He knew Puck
would understand exactly which thing he meant, and was glad he wouldn’t have to
spell it out. He kind of hoped he wouldn’t really have to tell Puck exactly
what Nancy knew about their weekend, even though he did intend to lecture Puck
some about telling people they were fucking. Everyone would have been happier –
not to mention safer – if Nancy never knew that.
Puck sighed and looked down at his phone. “I’m sorry, Deano.”
“Eh, don’t be,” Dean said, brushing it off. “She’s apologized to me and wants
to do the same to you, so I’m cool.”
“Nancy really was sorry,” Sam said suddenly, making Dean and Puck both look
over at him in surprise. Sam looked kind of serious but he smiled at Puck as he
added, “She even hugged him when we left.”
Puck laughed, looking up at Dean again in surprise. “Dude, my mom hugged you?
She hardly ever even hugs me!”
Dean smiled crookedly. “Yeah, she did. I think she’s seen the light man, really
I do. Give her another chance.”
“I’ll call her after dinner,” Puck agreed after a moment, shifting to tuck his
phone into the right front pocket of his jeans where he usually carried it.
“Ack!” Kurt jumped up, hurrying towards the kitchen. “Speaking of, I was
supposed to add the cheese on top five minutes ago.”
“On top of what, sunshine?” Dean asked, turning to watch Kurt go with a grin.
Kurt stopped in the kitchen doorway to grin at Dean. “Lasagna.”
“Dude! I love you!” Dean said quickly, laughing as Kurt disappeared into the
kitchen.
“Me too!” Sam added, and when Dean looked over he was pleased to see Sam was
beaming. “We never have lasagna unless you count that Hamburger Helper stuff.”
Puck snickered. “That’s not lasagna. Kurt’s is from scratch, and he even makes
his own pasta.”
“Or has his well-trained boyfriend make it,” Carole said then, teasing Puck
with a smile.
Puck laughed, blushing a bit. “He was busy, and I’m hungry.”
“Is there any for me?” Rachel asked suddenly, speaking up for the first time
since Dean, Sam, and Quinn walked in. Dean looked over at her to see she was
watching Puck and Dean with a speculative look in her eyes as she smiled and
added, “If not, then Finn should take me home soon or his dinner will be cold
by the time he returns.”
Dean forced himself not to react to Rachel’s scrutiny even though he was
suddenly hyper-aware of the fact he was sitting leaning against Puck’s shoulder
with one arm around him. He could hardly believe it had ever seemed like a good
idea to him to sit by Puck, and he decided right then and there that he
wouldn’t be sitting by him again, not around other people. When he was so close
to Puck it felt right to touch him, and Dean hadn’t even realized how cozy they
were until Rachel’s attention made him think about it.
“There’s plenty,” Puck said quickly, grinning at Rachel and seemingly oblivious
to how she was watching them. “We made four pans. One with vegan pasta with
spinach, mushroom, and cheese for you and Finn, one spinach, mushroom and
chicken, and two four cheese with Italian sausage.”
“Dean!” Kurt called suddenly.
Dean was glad of the excuse to move as he pulled away from Puck, turning to
look towards the kitchen. “Yeah, kiddo?”
“Come help me, please,” Kurt called.
“Sure,” Dean agreed, getting up to walk towards the kitchen.
“Seems like he’s got Dean pretty well trained, too,” Rachel suddenly said,
making Dean look back at her in surprise from the kitchen doorway, his eyebrows
going up at the smirk on her face.
“Kurt’s playing with lasagna,” Sam said, laughing. “Dean’s not stupid enough to
miss out on a chance to steal some.”
“Sam!” Dean said quickly, giving Sam a dirty look. “He can hear you, dumbass.
Now he’ll pay attention!”
Sam just laughed at him, along with most of the others in the room.
“Dean, just shut up and get in here,” Kurt said firmly. “You’re not stealing
any lasagna.”
Dean gave Sam another dirty look and then turned away to walk into the kitchen.
Kurt was sucking on two fingers as he sprinkled cheese on a pan of lasagna with
his other hand, looking pained, and Dean moved over to the sink to quickly wash
his hands. “You should have that hand under cold water, not in your mouth. How
bad did you burn yourself?”
Kurt pulled his fingers out of his mouth with a little laugh and sprinkled a
little more cheese on the pan he was working on before he moved to the sink.
“It’s not bad, but I don’t want to try juggling molten-hot pans right this
minute,” Kurt admitted. “Potholders are on the counter.”
Dean chuckled slightly and dried his hands as he moved to get the potholders.
“Just tell me what goes where, sunshine.”
“That pan back in the bottom oven, and then take out the other pan,” Kurt said
quickly, sounding a bit pained as he ran cold water on his hand.
Puck walked into the kitchen then. “Go sit down, baby. Me and Dean’ll handle
it.”
“Wash your hands first,” Kurt agreed without even trying to argue, which made
Dean glance at him in surprise. Kurt was looking at his fingers with a pensive
expression, and Puck walked over closer to him to look too.
Dean turned back towards what he was doing, sure Puck could handle a couple of
burned fingertips, and opened the lower oven so he could put the cheese-covered
lasagna back on the lower rack. He took a foil-covered pan off the top rack and
then closed the oven with his foot before he carried the heavy lasagna pan back
to the cutting board where the other pan had been.
“Baby, you need to get those in ice water,” Puck said gently then, and when
Dean glanced over he frowned slightly at Puck’s concerned expression. “They’re
already starting to blister.”
“I will, right now,” Kurt agreed, moving towards the cabinet to get a bowl.
“You know how much cheese I usually put.”
“Lots,” Puck agreed, smiling as he turned the hot water on to wash his hands.
Kurt laughed. “Yes.” He carried a small bowl over to the fridge, putting
crushed ice and then water into it out of the dispensers in the door.
“Where do you keep the silverware again?” Dean asked, making Kurt and Puck both
look at him.
“Drawer by your hip,” Puck said quickly, drying off his hands.
Dean laughed and opened the drawer, taking out a fork and then using it to peel
the foil off the lasagna pan. “Should have remembered that.”
“And I should have thought of what you’re doing,” Kurt added, moving around the
counter to sit on one of the stools, his fingers already in the bowl of ice
water. “Then I wouldn’t have burned myself.”
Dean grinned at Kurt, flipping the loosened foil on top of the first one Kurt
had removed. “I don’t like to cook me,sunshine.”
Puck snickered. “Amen.”
“Oh shut up, both of you,” Kurt said, laughing.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean was on the back porch getting the second load of sheets out of the dryer
when Sam walked out the back door, closing it quietly behind him. Dean glanced
over at him, smiling, and then put the armload of sheets on the dryer to start
folding them as he said, “Your sheets are done, Sammy. I was just gonna bring
them to your room.”
“Can we talk, Dean?” Sam asked quietly, making Dean look at him again in
surprise. “Please?”
“Sure,” Dean agreed, turning to face Sam while he folded the dark blue plaid
fitted sheet he was holding. “What’s up?”
Sam nibbled on his lower lip a moment and then blurted, “It’s weird, you
sleeping with Quinn. I mean, she’s kind of with Santana, and she just had your
best friend’s baby, and just...  Don’t you think it’s kind of wrong?”
Dean sighed as he began to fold the fitted ends of the sheet towards the
middle. He had been expecting Sam to go after him about sleeping with Quinn,
though he had really expected it to happen sooner. He hadn’t thought that Sam
would be able to keep his opinion to himself past finding out Dean was still
going to sleep in his own bed despite the fact Quinn would be there. Sam had
evidently gotten the idea somewhere that Dean was giving Quinn his room and
Dean would be sleeping on the fold-out bed in the couch. That had lasted until
Puck was on his way out and had teased Quinn about not having to sleep alone
while Sam was listening.
“We’re just gonna sleep, Sammy,” Dean pointed out patiently. “She’s not
cheating on your girlfriend with me, I promise.”
“Then why is she leaving hickeys on your neck, Dean?” Sam asked quietly.
“That happened before Santana told her to quit fooling around with me,” Dean
lied as he finished folding the sheet, leaving out the fact that Quinn hadn’t
been the one to bite his jugular or leave the hickey in the hollow below his
other ear that morning. He still could hardly believe Puck had thought it might
be a good idea to mark him somewhere so obvious not once but twice, and he knew
Santana was going to give him hell for it.
“Dude,” Sam said, his eyes widening in surprise. “You were macking on her the
morning after she had a baby?”
Dean flinched and turned away from Sam to put the folded sheet on the washer
and grab another. “Thanks, Sam. Means a lot, knowin’ you’ve got such a high
opinion of me.”
“Dean, no,” Sam blurted. “Shit, that came out wrong.” Dean glanced at Sam to
see he was running his hand through his shaggy hair and looking upset. “I know
you didn’t push her to do anything. Just, didn’t she learn anything?”
Dean turned back towards Sam, not even trying to hide how hurt and annoyed he
was. “We kissed for five minutes, Sam, and there is absolutely no reason we
shouldn’t if we want to. I’m not gonna knock her up by kissing her.”
The door opened behind Sam and he whirled to look as Quinn leaned against the
doorjamb, giving Sam a cold look. “I don’t know what Santana might have told
you to do, but you are not my keeper, Sam, and you will not keep giving Dean
hell over the fact I bit him. I like the noises he makes when I do that, and I
love the way it makes him writhe, and I’m not going to stop doing it because
you think I shouldn’t be kissing him.” She snorted, obviously annoyed as she
added pointedly, “And you’ve got no room to get all self-righteous with either
of us anyway. You’ve slept with both of my girlfriends more than once, and I
know you’ve done a lot more than kiss them. I have never done more than kiss
Dean, and I never will.”
Sam was beet red and looked mortified. “I’m so sorry, Quinn. I didn’t think you
could hear us.”
Quinn’s brown eyes narrowed and she pushed away from the doorjamb to stalk
towards Sam, getting right in his face and staring into his eyes, which made
Dean realize she was almost as tall as Sam when Sam was slouching like he was
doing just then. “I don’t care if I was in the next state, Sam. If you have a
problem with what Dean is doing with me, then you come to me, you don’t wait
until you’ve got him cornered and then rip his heart up over it just because
he’ll let you. I don’t want to be a bitch to you because you’re usually really
sweet and I like you, but when someone hurts people I love I can make Santana
look sweet and innocent, and I can and willkick your ass if I have to.”
“I didn’t!” Sam protested quickly, looking at Dean. “Tell her, Dean! I would
never hurt you, you know that.”
Dean couldn’t make himself meet Sam’s gaze as he said very quietly, “It doesn’t
feel good when you make it sound like I’d force my girlfriend to put out while
she’s in the hospital, Sam. You always say you don’t mean it afterwards, and I
try to believe it, really I do, but it still hurts like hell that my baby
brother thinks I’m that worthless.”
“I don’t think you’re worthless,” Sam said softly, his voice pained.
“Then why, Sam? Why do you always assume the worst of me all of a sudden?” Dean
asked as he looked back over at Sam, trying unsuccessfully to hide how much it
hurt. “It didn’t used to be like this, and I don’t know what the hell I did to
make you suddenly think I’m such scum.”
“I don’t think you’re scum, God! I just--” Sam took a deep breath and then said
quietly, “I’m sorry I keep saying things wrong and hurting you, Dean, I just
want to understand. I know you better than anybody and I’ve never seen you act
the way you’ve been acting the last few weeks.”
“Is that good or bad, Sam?” Dean asked softly, praying that the stinging in his
eyes didn’t turn into tears. He would never forgive himself if he cried in
front of Sam.
“That’s what I’m trying so hard to figure out,” Sam said slowly, his eyes full
of pain. “Just, you haven’t been acting like yourself. Sometimes you’re all
quiet and so miserable it scares me, and then I’ll turn around and you’re
grinning like a fool and singing ‘Heaven’ with Puck while you wash the dishes.
It’s kind of freaking me out.”
Dean scowled. “It always comes back to him.” He snorted. “Hell, I sat on the
couch by Puck tonight too, Sam, and I poured his tea when I was filling
glasses, and then I let him help me carry Quinn’s dresser in my bedroom. Dude,
how did I not notice I must want in his pants?! Only I guess I must want in
your pants too, since I got you a Dr Pepper and sat by you on the way home, and
I made you your favorite fucking brownies, and God, I was just folding your
sheets so I could make your bed for you. What kind of sicko am I?!” His eyes
were burning with tears he tried to blink away as he turned to grab Sam’s
sheets, deciding that he wasn’t going to fold them for Sam, not tonight. He
turned back to Sam to give him the sheets, too hurt and angry for once to care
about the hurt look in Sam’s eyes as he shoved the wadded up sheets into Sam’s
arms. “Fold your own fuckinglaundry, Sam, and make your own goddamned bed, too.
I’m out of here.” He turned away quickly to head out the screen door, letting
it slam behind him
“Dean, wait,” Sam called, but Dean didn’t even slow down.
“Stay there! I’ll be back when I get back,” Dean said as he walked quickly
across the yard, trying to make his voice cold and hard despite the tears
blurring his vision.
The neighbor’s pasture was the one place Dean was pretty sure Sam wouldn’t
follow him, so he ducked through the boards of the fence and started to walk
quickly away across the pasture, angling away from the neighbor’s house. He had
asked the neighbor – who happened to be their landlord – if he minded them
petting the horses or feeding them carrots, but he hadn’t asked permission to
roam the pasture so he would just as soon not get caught doing it. Old man
Reynolds was a nice guy, but Dean didn’t want to push his luck with him.
 
                                      ~*~
 
It was very late when Dean finally walked in the front door, closing it behind
him softly because the house was dark and still and he didn’t want to wake
anyone.
“Sammy’s still waiting for you on the back porch.”
Dean turned quickly to look towards the couch, where he could just barely make
out Quinn’s blonde hair. She was wrapped in the worn USMC wool blanket off of
his bed, and as his eyes adjusted to the dark house he could see how sad and
tired she looked as she added softly, “He’s really sorry. He stayed there just
like you told him to.”
“I know,” Dean murmured with a sigh. “He’s always sorry. And I didn’t mean he
had to stay on the porch, I just didn’t want him running after me.”
“He didn’t mean to hurt you, Dean,” Quinn said gently. “He’s fifteen, and he’s
a boy, so he’s not really very good at saying how he feels.”
“He probably got that from me,” Dean said quietly, turning away to walk into
the kitchen. “You can go to bed, I’ll be there in a little while.”
“Promise?”
Dean opened the fridge and then looked back towards the couch to watch her get
up as he reached into the dark fridge for two beers, finding them by memory.
The fridge bulb had blown sometime over the weekend, and he hadn’t figured out
where he’d have to go to get a new one yet. He wasn’t even sure how to get the
old one out, really. He’d have to empty the top shelf of the fridge to get to
it, and it had seemed too much like work so he hadn’t done it yet. “I promise I
won’t make you sleep alone tonight, sweetheart.”
“Thank you,” Quinn said quietly, looking at him a moment before she turned away
and went down the hallway without another word.
Dean popped the caps off of both beers and then went to the back door, opening
it and then walking out onto the porch, where Sam was curled up on the porch
swing. Dean tried very hard not to think about what he and Puck had done on the
swing earlier that day as he walked over to sit down by Sam, offering Sam a
beer without looking at him. He was half afraid that Sam wouldn’t accept it,
and then Sam was very still for long enough to make Dean think that he might
have really screwed the pooch.
Dean was just about to pull his hand back and go inside to leave Sam alone when
Sam finally reached for the beer. “I know saying I’m sorry isn’t enough this
time,” Sam whispered then, and his voice was so ragged and raw that Dean closed
his eyes in pain. Sam had been crying pretty hard to sound so messed up, and he
knew that he had been the one to cause it. “I don’t know what else to say,
though.”
“Sorry is always enough, Sammy,” Dean murmured, unable to make himself look at
Sam as he took a drink of his beer.
“It’s not, though,” Sam disagreed, “not when I hurt you so bad I made you cry.
You never cry, Dean.”
“I do, I just don’t let you see it,” Dean admitted softly, looking at his beer
like it was the most interesting thing in the world. “I’m human, Sam. I get
lonely, and sad, and happy, and horny, and everything else, just like you do. I
just work real hard to make sure you don’t see most of it.” He took a drink of
his beer and then added, “I’m sorry I haven’t been hiding it all well enough
the last few weeks. I don’t have to hide anything from Quinn, or from Puck and
Kurt, and I guess I’ve been letting that bleed over around you. I’ll try to do
better.”
“I don’t want you to hide how you feel,” Sam said quietly, and Dean could feel
the movement as Sam turned towards him, making the swing sway slightly. “I want
you to trust me like that, too, Dean.”
Dean finally made himself look at Sam, sad but calm. “I’m sorry, Sam, but some
things I just can’t share with you. You should understand that, you hardly ever
tell me the truth when I ask how you’re feeling.”
Sam flushed and looked away. “It’s none of your business sometimes.”
“That’s right,” Dean said quietly, “so I don’t ask again, and I don’t guilt you
for not feeling like you want to share something with me. I just let you have
your privacy, and I try to be there when you get ready to let me help.”
Sam looked back at Dean and was quiet for several minutes before he asked
softly, “How do you put up with me?”
Dean smiled. “It’s part of the job description.”
“As my keeper?” Sam half-asked, looking resigned.
“As the best big brother ever,” Dean corrected, smiling wider.
Sam snorted a little laugh. “You are pretty awesome, sometimes.”
“Sometimes?” Dean repeated, pretending shock. “What’s with this ‘sometimes’
shit? I am always awesome!” He reached out to snatch away Sam’s beer,
muttering, “Sometimes my ass, see if I buy you beer anymore...”
Sam grabbed Dean’s arm, laughing. “Dean, stop. You’re always the most awesome
brother I ever had, I promise.”
“I’m the only brother you ever had, dumbass,” Dean pointed out.
“And you’re awesome,” Sam added, grinning. “You kick ass at being my big
brother.”
Dean pretended to think about it before he offered Sam’s beer back to him,
grumbling, “Yeah, well, try to remember that a little more often, Sammy.”
“I will, I promise,” Sam said quickly, taking his beer back. He shocked Dean
then by moving to lean against Dean’s side as he murmured, “I really am sorry.”
Dean was still for a moment before he let himself relax back next to Sam,
draping his arm around Sam’s shoulders. “I know, kiddo. I’m sorry too.”
“Next time I say something that stupid, just hit me,” Sam said softly, and then
he slowly shifted a little closer, almost like he was afraid Dean wouldn’t like
it.
Dean gave Sam’s shoulders a reassuring squeeze, pulling Sam against his side
firmly even as he murmured, “Hell, I don’t want to hit you that often. I’d go
to jail.”
Sam laughed and elbowed Dean in the ribs, muttering, “Jerk.”
“Bitch,” Dean responded, smirking as he turned his head away from Sam to take a
slow drink of his beer. When he looked back at his little brother, Sam was
giving him a soft, sweet smile Dean didn’t often see from him, which made Dean
smile back as he murmured, “What?”
Sam shook his head. “Nothing,” he murmured, still smiling as he turned more
towards Dean and laid his head on Dean’s shoulder, sliding his free hand
between Dean’s back and the swing to hold on to him.
“No, that look was something,” Dean murmured. “But, whatever you say.”
“I was just thinking about how much I love you,” Sam admitted, not lifting his
head off Dean’s shoulder. “I never tell you, but I do. A lot.”
“Love you too, Sam,” Dean murmured, tightening his arm around Sam as he
impulsively kissed the top of Sam’s head. “There’s nothing more important to me
than you.”
“Not even the Impala?” Sam asked softly.
“I love her like I love breathing, Sammy, but she still doesn’t rank higher
than you,” Dean said softly, closing his eyes as he realized he had fucked up
so bad he had made Sam doubt his place in Dean’s heart. “Please tell me you
know that.”
“I do,” Sam agreed, and Dean could hear the smile in his voice.
“Good,” Dean said quietly, smiling again with relief. He turned his head to
take another drink of his beer and then relaxed, laying his cheek against Sam’s
hair. Sam pulled his feet up into the swing, curling up against Dean’s side as
he sipped at his beer, and Dean began to slowly rock the swing as he just tried
to commit every moment to memory.
Holding Sam wouldn’t last long, he knew.
 
 
***** SIXTEEN *****
Chapter Summary
     NOTE: This chapter contains explicit underage sexual content.
 
The next several days passed in a blur for Dean, and it seemed like no time had
passed at all before it was suddenly lunchtime on Friday.
Everyone Dean really gave a damn about – except Bethy, of course – was in the
Glee classroom, where Mr Schue had brought them pizzas and a cooler full of
drinks as a reminder that he thought they had done amazingly well at Regionals.
Mercedes was talking with Matt, Tina, and Artie, all of them grinning and
enthusiastic over whatever it was they were talking about. Dean was betting on
it being about the date they had planned for that evening. Matt had finally
gotten up the nerve to ask Mercedes out on Tuesday for a double date with Tina
and Artie, and Matt and Mercedes had been practically inseparable ever since.
Matt was the polar opposite of Mercedes, shy and quiet where she was loud and
sassy, but they seemed to get along well and Kurt said he thought they might
actually last a while.
Schuester was sitting on the piano bench, smiling and laughing as he talked to
Finn and Rachel, who were talking animatedly about a car they planned to pool
their money together to buy. Neither of them had enough money for a car of
their own, but if they put all they had together they could just barely afford
a ’72 Corvette that a customer of Burt’s was selling. The car needed paint and
a lot of electrical work, but the engine had barely a thousand miles on it and
it was all original equipment otherwise, and Kurt and Burt had already promised
Finn they’d help restore it if Finn and Rachel bought it. Finn and Rachel were
going with Burt after school to talk to her dads and then go look at it, and
Dean was sure that Finn would be driving the ‘Vette home that night, proud new
owner of a soon-to-be-hot car. Rachel didn’t have a license yet, so Finn would
be doing all the driving until she did.
Sam was sitting in the back with Mike, laughing about something while Quinn,
Santana, and Brittany talked nearby, all of them looking happy even though Dean
knew Quinn and Santana were still on slightly shaky ground. Quinn and Santana
had fought twice during the week, both times over Sam and Brittany, and Santana
was the only one who was more surprised than Dean had been that Quinn had won
both times. Santana seemed to be adjusting to the reality that Quinn had
changed a bit though, and she had asked Dean if she could spend the night with
Quinn that night, so he thought they might finally be sorting things out.
Brittany would be sleeping with Sam while Dean would be alone on the couch,
which was really not where he wanted to be, but he wasn’t going to complain.
Sam was a lot happier now that he had his girl back, so Dean could survive
being on the couch for the next few weeks.
Dean had plans to play pool in Dayton with Kurt and Puck that night to refill
his wallet – he was down to about sixty bucks – and give the other four some
privacy. Playing pool would lead to taking a drive out to the farm with Kurt
along for the first time, so he knew that he’d be tired enough that night to
sleep anywhere he laid down. There had been mention made of them both fucking
Dean bent over the hood of his baby, and they knew he could hardly wait even
though he felt like he probably should have been ashamed to admit how
thoroughly he got off on the idea. He loved the simple fact that he could trust
Kurt and Puck with the truth and never have to worry about how it made him
look.
Kurt and Puck were sitting off to the side of the room on two of the stools as
Kurt watched Puck pick out an intricate tune on his guitar, and Dean let
himself glance over at them even though he had been trying hard not to. Puck
was smiling softly as he played, his eyes closed as he moved with the music
slightly, and Kurt was watching him with a sweet, rapt expression that left no
doubt about how he felt.
Dean didn’t quite recognize the song, not really, but it felt so familiar that
he was sure he should. “What’s that you’re playing?” he asked after a moment,
making Puck open his eyes to look towards Dean, still smiling that same sweet,
gorgeous smile.
“You know it, you just don’t realize it,” Puck said quietly, then looked down
at the guitar as he began to play a tiny bit different, fingers moving more
quickly through the intricate melody that Dean suddenly knew.
“So when the sun goes down,” Puck sang after a moment,“an' those nights are
growing colder, I will be there, looking over your shoulder...”
Dean smiled and joined in without really thinking about it. “'Cause the deeper
the love, the stronger the emotion, and the stronger the love, the deeper the
devotion.The deeper the love, the stronger the emotion, and the stronger the
love, the deeper, the deeper, the deeper the devotion...” He realized what the
next part was then and stopped singing along, but he couldn’t make himself stop
watching Puck and Kurt.
Puck lifted his gaze from the guitar to look into Kurt’s eyes, still smiling
gently as he sang quietly, “I’m never gonna let you go, in my heart I know, I
love you, I love you. Oh babe, I really love you...”
Kurt didn’t say a word, just standing and moving to rest both hands on Puck’s
shoulders as he kissed him.
Everyone started clapping then, and Dean looked around in surprise as he
laughed, blushing just a bit because he had almost forgotten they were there.
Most of the girls were beaming and looking like they thought Puck and Kurt were
the sweetest thing ever, and the guys were all obviously pleased and amused.
Even Finn, who had been kind of weirded out by Puck and Kurt being together at
first, was grinning as he watched them, and Dean hoped it wasn’t his
imagination that Puck and Finn had been getting closer over the last week. They
did live in the same house now, and Dean really wanted them to work things out.
There was a lot of history there, and Dean knew that hurting Finn like he did
was Puck’s biggest regret. Puck didn’t have many other close friends, just
Kurt, Quinn, and Dean, and Puck still missed how he used to hang out with Finn
all the time.
“I’d say that you two should do a duet in competition next year,” Schuester
said with a grin, “but I’ve got a feeling you might make out on stage and the
judges definitely wouldn’t like that.”
Kurt pulled away from Puck, blushing very red as he moved back to his chair. “I
would never do that in public.”
“Wal-Mart, last night,” Dean said then, smirking at Kurt. “I seem to remember
you and Puck diving for tonsils for about ten minutes right out in front of God
and everybody while we were waiting to check out.”
Most of their friends started snickering at that while Kurt laughed and blushed
very red. “Wal-Mart does not count. People go in there in their pajamas and
hair rollers.”
Dean snickered. “Uh-huh, suuure. Methinks the lady doth protest too much.”
Kurt blinked and stared at Dean while their friends laughed again. “You so did
not just call me a lady.”
“Of course not!” Dean agreed, smirking. “Must have been your imagination,
sunshine.”
Puck snickered and looked down at his guitar as he started playing random
little bits of something, teasing, “You’ve got the manners for it, you gotta
admit that.”
“I am a gentleman,” Kurt said frostily, giving Puck a dirty look. “I do not
wear dresses or pearls or any of the common accoutrements of a lady, and I am,
in fact, male.”
Puck looked up at Kurt then, smirking wickedly. “I remember, baby, I promise.
You proved it real well this morning in the shower.”
Kurt couldn’t keep from laughing at that, blushing even though he suddenly
looked smug.
A glance around the room made it obvious most of their friends were shocked to
realize Kurt topped with Puck at all, which made Dean grin a little wider. Puck
did look the part of a stud, and acted it, too, but Dean knew how much Puck
enjoyed being fucked. Kurt knew that Puck loved it just as well as Dean did, so
he wasn’t even a little shy about telling Puck when that was what he wanted to
do. Puck was still a little in denial about it sometimes when he was feeling
like he had been too much like a wuss about something, but not enough to ever
turn Kurt down.
“Why don’t you play something else, Puck?” Schuester said quickly then, and
when Dean looked over at him he snickered at the look on his face. Schuester
looked a bit wide-eyed and was blushing, obviously wanting to steer them away
from the subject of sex.
Puck laughed. “Sure, Mr Schue. Any suggestions?”
“No Day But Today,” Quinn said quickly, making Dean look over at her in
surprise.
Quinn was holding Santana’s hand and looked happy, her brown eyes sparkling as
Santana watched her with a proprietary little smile, and Dean was suddenly very
sure he wouldn’t be sleeping in his bedroom anymore. Even though Santana
wouldn’t be with Quinn every night, she wouldn’t want him sleeping with her
girl and Dean really couldn’t blame her. Quinn was beautiful and if she were
his, he wouldn’t have wanted to share her either.
Dean and Quinn never really did anything anymore, barely even kissed, but no
one else seemed to believe it so they had pretty much given up trying to
convince people of the fact. They loved each other, and Quinn was very
important to him, but somewhere along the line he had stopped seeing her as a
possible sex object and started seeing her as someone he loved dearly and would
do almost anything for. It was almost like having a sister, except for the fact
she slept in his bed in frilly little nighties and used his chest for a pillow.
“Seriously?” Puck asked, and Dean glanced back at him to see Puck looked
surprised and amused. “There’s hardly enough of it to call it a song.”
“Please?” Quinn said quickly. “I haven’t heard it in a while.”
“Yeah, go ahead,” Mercedes added suddenly, smiling. “It’s a good one.”
Puck looked amused still as he shrugged. “Sure, I guess.” He looked at Kurt,
smiling. “You’re singing with me, I hope?”
“Definitely,” Kurt agreed, smiling as Puck began to pick out an intricate tune.
“But with the finale verses too?”
Puck nodded, and then a moment later he started to sing. “Look I find some of
what you teach, suspect, because I’m used to relying on intellect, but I try to
open up, to what I don’t know.” Kurt joined in then, his high sweet voice
harmonizing effortlessly with Puck’s deeper baritone as they went on, “Because
reason says I should have died, three years ago...”
Most of the others joined in then, but Dean hardly glanced at them as he
watched Kurt and Puck, who were carefully not looking at him even though he was
sure Quinn had asked for the song for his benefit. “There’s only us, there’s
only this, forget regret, or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other
way, no day but today…”
Puck kept playing, and then Kurt went on alone as Puck watched him with a soft,
loving smile. “There is no future, there is no past...” Puck joined in then,
singing softly, “Thank God this moment’s not the last.”
Mercedes, Rachel, Tina, Artie, Quinn, Brittany, and Mike all joined in again,
and Dean smiled as he listened to them, still watching Puck and Kurt. “There’s
only us, there’s only this, forget regret, or life is yours to miss. No other
road, no other way, no day but today...”
The others fell silent again as Puck sang quietly, “Will I lose my dignity?
Will someone care? Will I wake tomorrow, from this nightmare?” Puck smiled
wider as Kurt joined in and they went on a little louder together. “There’s
only now, there’s only here, give in to love, or live in fear. No other path,
no other way, no day but today. No day but today… No day but today…” Puck
stopped singing then and Kurt echoed softly with a sweet happy smile, “No day
but today.”
“That was great,” Schuester said when Puck let the music trail off, and when
Dean dragged his gaze off of Puck and Kurt he saw Schuester looked surprised
and pleased. “Do you know the other songs from ‘Rent’, Puck?”
Dean let out a little snicker, looking back at Puck, who shot him an amused
look before he looked at Schuester. “A few of them. That one, ‘La Vie Boheme’,
‘Santa Fe’, and ‘One Thousand Kisses’. Kurt’s always got them playing in the
background it seems like.” He gave Kurt a little grin. “Though I did convince
him to stop playing that minutes song.”
“I play them among a few hundred other songs,” Kurt pointed out with a laugh,
giving Puck a tolerant grin. “Don’t blame the fact you like them enough to
learn them on me.”
Puck grinned at Kurt. “I can play almost anything by ear if I’ve heard it often
enough.”
“Do you know Wanted, Dead or Alive?” Sam asked suddenly, making Dean turn to
look at Sam in surprise.
Sam was still sprawled in his chair next to Mike and they were both looking
amused about something, though what that might be was anyone’s guess. Mike had
a quirky sense of humor that Sam seemed to get without even trying, and they
were often laughing at a joke no one else got.
“Sure,” Puck said with a laugh. “That’s a classic.”
“Play it,” Finn said quickly then, grinning. “Bon Jovi’s always good.”
Puck glanced at Schuester, who smiled and nodded. “Go ahead, Puck. I think
we’ve probably all heard that one.” He looked around at the rest of the class,
adding, “Sing it with us, guys?”
Artie, Matt, and Finn nodded, looking pleased, and Mike grinned as he added,
“Sure.”
“Just the boys, though,” Rachel said quickly, looking around and smiling as the
other girls grinned, nodding.
“Okay,” Puck agreed with a soft laugh, and then he began to play.
Dean couldn’t resist singing along whenever he heard the song, which he figured
was probably what prompted Sam to suggest it, and when Puck began to sing, Dean
joined in with him. “It's all the same, only the names will change. Everyday,
it seems we're wasting away. Another place where the faces are so cold, I'd
drive all night, just to get back home.”
Schuester, Artie, Mike, and Finn all joined in then, making Dean look over at
them with a wide grin as the six of them sang the chorus. “I'm a cowboy, on a
steel horse I ride. I'm wanted, dead or alive. Wanted, dead or alive.”
They all fell silent then as Puck played the intricate melody between verses,
and then Mike went on with Dean and Puck into the next verse. The way Mike was
grinning made Dean suddenly sure it was one of his favorite songs, too, and he
wondered if maybe Sam had asked about it because he knew that. “Sometimes I
sleep, sometimes it's not for days. The people I meet, always go their separate
ways. Sometimes you tell the day, by the bottle that you drink, and times when
you're alone, all you do is think.”
All of the other guys joined in for the next chorus, even Matt and Kurt, and
Dean was surprised when he saw Sam was singing too, though softly enough Dean
couldn’t actually hear him. “I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride, I'm wanted,
dead or alive. Wanted, dead or alive.”
Puck was grinning as he played the next guitar solo, which sounded very
different on an acoustic, but was still awesome enough that when Dean glanced
around as they all picked up the next chorus he saw just about everyone was
grinning as wide as he was. “I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride. I'm wanted,
wanted, dead or alive. Wanted, dead or alive.”
Puck went right into the next verse without a pause and Dean went with him, a
little surprised to realize only Schuester and Mike were still singing with
them. “And I walk these streets, a loaded six string on my back. I play for
keeps, 'cause I might not make it back. I’ve been everywhere, and still I'm
standing tall. I've seen a million faces, and I've rocked them all. ‘Cause I'm
a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride. I'm wanted, wanted, dead or alive. And I'm a
cowboy, I got the night on my side, and I'm wanted, wanted, dead or alive. Dead
or alive, dead or alive, dead or alive. I still try, I still try, dead or
alive. Dead or alive, dead or alive, dead or alive, dead or alive... Wanted,
dead or alive.”
The girls all started applauding then as Rachel beamed and looked around. “We
need to really do more songs like that next year. Maybe a Bon Jovi mash-up?
They’ve certainly done enough songs for us to choose from.”
“And it’d be more fun for us guys,” Finn added with a laugh, looking pleased.
“Like the Kiss songs we did during theatricality week.”
“Dude, no way,” Puck said quickly, laughing. “Can you imagine the getup we’d
end up in? Mullets and leather pants and those freaky clothes, and there are
just no words for that level of no, man. I may be bi, but there is still no way
I can rock leopard print.”
Dean snickered as Schuester laughed and stood. “We can think about that another
time. No working on new music for competition until next year, remember? You
guys earned it!”
Rachel beamed up at Schuester, teasing, “But we might need the summer to find
the wigs...”
“I love you all, but I am not wearing a mullet for anyone ever again,” Kurt
said then, laughing. “Once was quite enough.”
Puck smirked at Kurt. “You looked kind of good last time, babe. Blonde is so
your color.”
Kurt laughed. “You do realize that you saying such a thing only proves you have
no taste whatsoever.”
“I have great taste!” Puck protested, laughing. “I’m with you, aren’t I?!”
Kurt blinked. “There’s no good answer to that. No matter what I say, you’ll
win.”
“I know.” Puck smirked, smug. “I love it when that happens.”
Schuester chuckled, moving towards the pizza boxes to start putting the few
slices left over all into one box as he said, “We should do this again,
everyone. It’s been fun, but we need to start thinking about getting to class.
The bell will ring in just a minute or two.” He glanced over at Dean, smiling
as he added, “Would you give me a hand, Dean?”
“Sure,” Dean said quickly, smiling as he jumped up to go help clear away the
empty cans and boxes. People started getting up and gathering their things to
head out of the music room, but Dean didn’t bother to hurry even when he heard
the bell. He had Spanish next period, so he knew he could get away with being a
few minutes late.
Everyone but Puck and Kurt was already gone by the time Schuester went into his
office with the last of the pizza to put it in the tiny dorm fridge behind his
desk. Schuester came back with a trash bag, which he offered to Dean with a
smile as he said, “I should get to class before the other students do. Do you
mind finishing up and taking the trash out to the dumpster?”
“Not if you won’t get me for bein’ late,” Dean replied with a grin, taking the
trash bag.
Schuester grinned. “You’ve got ten minutes before I’ll notice.” He turned to
go, grabbing his briefcase on the way past the piano as he looked over at where
Kurt watching Puck put his guitar away. “Would you mind giving him a hand,
Kurt?”
Kurt smiled quickly at Schuester. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t get lost on the
way to class.”
Schuester laughed. “Which was why I asked. Thanks.”
Dean laughed and started stuffing trash in the garbage bag as he grumbled, “I
see how y’all are.”
Schuester just breezed out, grinning.
Puck put his guitar in the cabinet he usually kept it in at school, then walked
over to help Dean as he said with a little smirk, “Ten minutes, huh?”
Kurt laughed softly, picking up his books and then just holding them as he
watched Puck and Dean put the last few napkins and empty cans into the trash
bag. “You can wait until tonight,” he murmured softly enough they could barely
hear him over the noise out in the hall as everyone hurried to their next
class.
Puck looked over at Kurt, sticking his full lower lip out in a comical pout.
“But baby...”
“No,” Kurt said with a soft laugh, pointing towards the door. “Go to class!
Dean can protect me just fine on our way to Spanish, and I happen to know you
have a test.”
Dean grinned at that, even though he knew Kurt wouldn’t need protected. The
hockey team was behaving themselves frighteningly well as far as the gleeks
were concerned, though they were making life hell for that Jacob kid and his
friends. At least one of Jacob’s geek squad had ended up in the dumpster every
day that week, and Jacob himself had caught at least four slushies to the face
that Dean had heard about. He probably should have cared, but he didn’t, not
really. Jacob was a creepy little dweeb and his buddies were at least as bad,
and Dean was more likely to slushy them himself than try to protect any of them
from the wrath of the jocks.
Puck made a face and started towards Kurt as he grumbled, “Damn. I hoped you
had forgotten that.”
Dean tied the garbage bag shut without even glancing at it, watching Puck and
Kurt with amusement. Puck had actually been going to math class all week, but
only because Kurt was bribing him with sex or blow jobs, depending on his mood
and how much Puck didn’t want to go to class that day. Rachel and Mercedes were
both kind of incensed by it, but Kurt was definitely of the ‘whatever works’
school of thought. If making sure Puck got off first was all it took to get
Puck to go to his classes, then Kurt was perfectly happy to disappear into one
of the storage closets for part of lunch period every day.
It was a win-win situation as far as Kurt was concerned. Kurt got laid, and
Puck was enjoying the rewards when Kurt found one of his papers with a good
grade on it enough that he might actually make a decent grade on his finals for
a change. Puck wasn’t at all stupid, he just had no patience for school, and –
much like Dean – seldom bothered to pay attention unless he had a good reason.
Kurt had managed to give Puck that reason, and Puck was actually planning to
take a few college classes after he graduated. Kurt had already promised to
make it worth his while, and Dean knew Puck wanted to find out how Kurt would
do that.
Burt had made it plain several times that week that he would like Puck to help
him run the garage after graduation, and somewhere along the way Kurt had
succeeded in convincing Puck that taking a few business-related college courses
would be a good investment of his time. Burt wanted to be able to take time off
to spend more time with Carole and Beth when he felt like it, maybe even take
Carole on a few trips, and he thought Puck would be a great choice to run the
garage for him while he was gone. Burt didn’t like leaving it for too long with
any of his current employees, but Puck was family and Burt already trusted him
completely.
“Well, I didn’t,” Kurt said, amused. “And you already told me you would go if I
would drink a beer tonight, so I expect you to do it.”
“I’m going,” Puck agreed as he paused by Kurt to kiss him, and Dean was sure
Puck’s sudden grin afterwards was at the thought of Kurt after he drank his
first beer. Dean figured there was a good chance Kurt would be relaxed and
horny and that was always a fun combination. Puck started towards the door
quickly as he added softly, “Enjoy your ten minutes with Deano, baby.”
Kurt laughed. “I promise.”
Puck disappeared out into the hall without another word, still grinning widely.
Dean chuckled as he slung the trash bag over his shoulder and then walked
towards Kurt, amused. “It won’t take us ten minutes to walk out to the dumpster
and then get to class, sunshine.”
Kurt smirked. “I know.” He turned away to start towards the door, adding with a
glance over his shoulder, “Coming, Dean?”
“I hope so,” Dean murmured quickly, following Kurt with a laugh.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean hummed softly as he kissed Puck’s shoulder, enjoying the feel of Kurt’s
body pressed so close against his back as he stroked over Puck’s smooth
muscular chest with one hand. One of Puck’s arms was around Dean with his
calloused hand sandwiched firmly between Dean’s back and Kurt’s belly, and
Puck’s other hand was resting on his own belly as he stared up at the stars.
Dean was feeling a little muzzy-headed from too much to drink, but it wasn’t
enough to ruin the evening, just enough to make him relax and enjoy himself
without thinking what tomorrow might bring.
The moon was high and bright in the sky over them, giving them plenty of light
to see by as they relaxed on the blanket Dean kept in the trunk for just such
an occasion. There was a breeze rippling the tall grass around them, and a
light rain had fallen earlier in the evening that left everything smelling
fresh and green. The grass was still a little damp around them, but the old
military surplus blanket they were stretched out on was thick enough to keep
them dry.
The Impala was parked only a few feet away from the blanket, almost glowing in
the moonlight that reflected off her sleek paintjob, and the soft sound of the
radio could be heard through the open windows. Dean had never really liked the
song that was playing, finding it too slow to be interesting, but just at that
moment he found himself with a new appreciation of it. He hadn’t ever paid
attention to the actual lyrics before, but as he listened to it there between
Puck and Kurt he realized he felt the lyrics right down to his soul, which was
kind of sappy and a little scary, but still had him smiling softly.
“Nights in white satin, never reaching the end, letters I've written, never
meaning to send. Beauty I'd always missed, with these eyes before. Just what
the truth is, I can't say anymore. 'Cause I love you, yes I love you, oh how I
love you..." There was an instrumental pause and then the song went on. "Gazing
at people, some hand in hand, just what I'm going through, they can't
understand. Some try to tell me, thoughts they cannot defend, just what you
want to be, you will be in the end. And I love you, yes I love you, oh how I
love you...”
Dean’s fingertips strayed to Puck’s nipple then, idly toying with the small
silver hoop there as he murmured, “I wish I didn’t have to go home.”
Puck moved his free hand to tangle his fingers with Dean’s, holding his hand
still on Puck’s chest as he whispered, “So do I.”
“Then stay with us tonight,” Kurt said softly, kissing the nape of Dean’s neck
as he tightened his arms around Dean’s waist. “You said you’re sleeping on the
couch anyway, so Quinn’s not waiting for you.”
Dean sighed against Puck’s skin, closing his eyes as he laid his cheek against
the spot he had kissed a few minutes ago. “I can’t, sunshine,” he murmured,
wishing there was some way he could. “There would be too many questions, and I
don’t have any decent answers.”
“Carole finally bought the new furniture for the living room,” Kurt murmured,
and then he kissed Dean’s neck again. “The hide-a-bed is in our room now, since
the girls stay with me so often.” He kissed a bruise on Dean’s shoulder that he
and Puck had bitten so often it had become semi-permanent, tongue flicking
against the sensitive skin in a way that made Dean let out a low pleased hum.
“We can tell everyone you’re too drunk to drive home.”
“I didn’t drink that much,” Dean protested without bothering to move. “I can
make it from your place to mine, it’s just a few miles and it ain’t like I
gotta walk it or something.”
Kurt and Puck had stuck to one beer each that night, which had been just enough
to help them both relax and enjoy the evening, but Dean hadn’t shown the same
restraint. Dean had several beers while he played pool, secure in the knowledge
Puck was driving from Dayton back to Kurt’s place, and then the last guy Dean
had fleeced had started buying him tequila shots, obviously hoping he could get
Dean get drunk enough he would lose. There had been well over two hundred bucks
on the game, and Dean had ended up having to deck the guy after he won despite
all of the shots. He wasn’t quite drunk enough to stagger, but he probably
would have gotten his ass handed to him by the guy’s friends if Puck hadn’t
been right behind him by then looking like he wanted to kill something.
He had definitely had enough that he was way over the legal limit, but he had
driven after as much on several occasions. He was sure he would have a hangover
to pay for it – he always did after tequila – but it had been worth it. He had
almost two thousand dollars in his wallet and he had enjoyed himself immensely
that night, playing pool while Kurt and Puck watched his back. He had loved the
admiring looks they were giving him all night, and by the time they left all
three of them were horny enough they didn’t even make it out of the parking
lot, instead falling into the back seat together to make out and get off before
the drive back to Lima.
“Maybe, but you’ve had enough that I really don’t want you driving,” Kurt said
gently, and Dean could feel Kurt smiling against his shoulder. “And Sam would
be the first to say that you’d never let us drop you off and then keep your
baby until tomorrow.”
“True,” Dean admitted, feeling a little sheepish.
“Burt put a lock on our door to give us some privacy after Finn walked in on us
again,” Puck said suddenly, and Dean shifted to look at him as Puck smiled at
Dean, looking hopeful. “If we mess up the hide-a-bed, no one will ever know you
didn’t sleep there.”
Dean looked into Puck’s eyes a moment and then put his cheek against Puck’s
chest again, smiling softly. “Okay, but one of you will have to call Sam. If he
talks to me, he’ll know I’m sober enough to drive.”
Kurt kissed Dean’s shoulder again and then pulled away to move towards the pile
of clothes near their feet. “I’ll call him. He’ll believe me, I’m sure.”
Dean watched Kurt digging for Dean’s jeans to get his phone, and then a moment
later Kurt flipped it open and was calling the first number on speed dial. He
moved back towards Dean and Puck as he listened to it ring, laying down against
Dean’s back again where they would all be able to hear both sides of the
conversation.
“Hey Dean,” Sam said suddenly after a few moments, sounding breathless and
laughing. “What’d you need?” A girl murmured something in the background and
then Sam added, “Make it quick.”
“Hi Sam,” Kurt said, smiling. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I wanted to let you
know Dean’s had too much to drink and he won’t let us just drop him off, so
he’s sleeping on our couch tonight.”
There was a long pause and then Sam said slowly, “Dean drives half drunk all
the time.”
Dean rolled his eyes, not at all surprised Sam didn’t believe the excuse but
hoping Kurt could convince him better than Dean usually could.
“He’s a lot more than half drunk, Sam, and I thought he could sleep on our
hide-a-bed as easily as on yours,” Kurt said, laughing softly. “He’s laid out
flat right now.”
Puck snickered, adding loud enough Sam could hear him, “And drooling.”
Dean had to work at it not to snicker, biting Puck’s chest lightly in
retaliation for the drool remark. He was laid out flat, but he was definitely
not drooling on Puck’s chest.
“How much did he have?” Sam asked with a little laugh, sounding surprised.
“Half a dozen beers I know of, and then the last guy he was hustling decided to
buy him shots of tequila to try and throw off his game,” Kurt explained,
amused. “I lost count of the shots after the seventh one.” He let out a soft
laugh, adding, “He still won, but I’m a little amazed he walked to the car
without help.”
Sam snickered. “Dude, no wonder he’s out. Even Dean would be smashed after a
six-pack and half a bottle of tequila.” He laughed. “I’ll let Quinn know, she
and Santana wanted to talk to him when he got in.”
“Anything important?” Kurt asked, curious. “I think I can wake him up, if it
is.” He paused a moment and then laughed. “Well, maybe. If I try really hard.”
“Let me go ask,” Sam said, and then he moved the phone away from his mouth,
making his voice sound much quieter as he said, “I’ll be right back, baby.”
There was a pause as Brittany murmured something Dean couldn’t make out, and
then Sam let out a little laugh. “I promise, Brit. If they want to talk, I’ll
just give them the phone.”
Dean heard the sound of a door opening and then a moment later Sam was
knocking. There was another pause and then the sound of a door opening as
Santana’s voice said sharply, “This had better be really important, Sammy.”
“You know I wouldn’t bother you if it wasn’t, San,” Sam said quickly, and he
sounded sheepish. “Dean’s drunk and passed out on Kurt’s couch, but I know you
wanted to talk to him tonight so I thought I’d better find out if they should
try to wake him up.”
“Give me the phone,” Santana said quickly, and then a moment later her voice
was much louder as she said, “Go back to bed, Sam. You can have it back
tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Sam agreed easily, and then Dean heard the sound of doors closing.
“If Dean's passed out, then who am I talking to?” Santana asked then, sounding
curious.
“Kurt,” Kurt said with a little laugh. “What was it you needed to talk to Dean
about?”
“I was going to ask him to join me and Q tonight,” Santana replied, and Dean
was sure from the sound of her voice that she was smirking. “She didn’t want
him sleeping alone on the couch and talked me into letting him share with us.
You think he’s sober enough to enjoy it?”
Dean shook his head, and Kurt chuckled softly. “I’m sure he would have liked
the idea a lot, but right now he smells like a tequila factory and he’s so out
of it I doubt he’d be any fun.”
Santana snickered. “Let him know tomorrow, then. It’ll be just the thing to top
off his hangover.”
Quinn laughed in the background and there was the sound of a sharp slap on bare
skin. “Be nice! Give me the phone.”
“That was nice!” Santana protested, but there was a slight clatter as she
passed over the phone.
“Am I talking to Kurt or Puck?” Quinn asked then, sounding amused.
“It’s me, sweetie,” Kurt said, chuckling softly.
There was a loud rustling then as Quinn said, “I want a drink, Sanny. I’ll be
back in a minute.”
“Would you bring me one of those brownies that Dean made, baby?” Santana asked,
sounding hopeful. “They were awesome.”
Dean smirked, pleased. His brownies might come out of a box, but he was damned
good at following the directions. He hadn’t ever made them often until Quinn
moved in, but when he did they were always a hit with Sam, not to mention
anyone else he let try them. The secret was buying the right brand of mix and
then adding in a chopped-up candy bar or two. His most recent batch had gotten
a bar of fancy dark chocolate that cost him nearly five bucks, but it had been
so worth it. When Quinn tried the first one, she had made the kind of noises
usually reserved for really good sex, and then she had made him promise to let
her watch when he made more.
Quinn laughed. “If you want.” There was a moment of silence and then a door
closed and there was another pause before Quinn murmured, “Alright, I’m alone
in the kitchen. Is Dean really passed out drunk?”
“No,” Kurt said with a soft laugh, and Dean shifted onto his back to look at
Kurt in amusement as he listened. “He’s had enough that I really don’t want him
driving, but he says he’s driven in worse shape.”
“I figured as much,” Quinn said, laughing softly. “Are you three still at the
farm?” Kurt made a little agreeing noise, blushing, and then Quinn asked, “How
will you get him to your room without giving away the fact he’s not drunk,
then?”
“Very carefully,” Kurt said quietly, smiling at Dean despite his slight blush.
“I doubt anyone will be up still, but if they are, he’ll just have to stagger
convincingly.”
Dean let out a little laugh. “Won’t be hard to do, I promise.”
Quinn giggled. “I wish I could be there to watch.”
“I don’t,” Kurt said quickly, blushing redder as he let out a little laugh.
“But you won’t be missing anything. Nothing is happening with Beth’s bed just
across the room.”
“You mean to tell me you and Puck aren’t even having sex?” Quinn asked,
laughing.
“Not in my bed,” Kurt said with a little laugh, and Dean had to grin at the way
Kurt was blushing. “Not until Beth moves into her room.”
Burt had declared his new home office would be Beth’s room since he didn’t need
it anyway, and Carole had immediately decided that it needed repainted first.
The dark green walls that Burt had chosen weren’t right for a little girl, so
Carole had repainted the room in pale pink with a border of butterflies around
the ceiling. The room was done, but it still smelled like paint so Beth wasn’t
allowed in there yet. The window was open all the time with a fan in it to air
it out, and once the fumes were completely gone her things would be moved in.
“Kurt, sweetie, Beth’s much too young to know or care what you two are doing,”
Quinn said then, sounding very amused.
“Maybe, but we’d still wake her up,” Kurt admitted as he looked intently at
Dean’s shoulder, stroking his free hand along Dean’s bicep.
“I know Puck can be quiet when he wants to, so I guess that makes you the noisy
one, huh?” Quinn teased, making Dean and Puck both snicker as Kurt laughed,
beet red and obviously very embarrassed. “Let me talk to Dean.”
“Alright,” Kurt said, blushing still but looking a bit amused as he offered
Dean the phone.
Dean took the phone and settled it against his ear, grinning as he murmured,
“Hey beautiful.”
“Hi honey,” Quinn said, sounding happy. “You enjoying yourself?”
“Oh yeah,” Dean said quickly, smirking at Kurt. “You?”
“Definitely,” Quinn agreed with a soft laugh. “Even though I talked Santana
into letting you sleep with us, so of course you won’t be here.”
“There’s always next time, beautiful,” Dean said with a soft little laugh. “You
know I love you, but given a choice I think I’m gonna have to stick with the
guys I’ve got on either side of me right now.”
“I bet!” Quinn said, laughing. “Are they naked?”
“Oh my god,” Kurt muttered, hiding his face against Dean’s shoulder.
“As a jaybird.” Puck snickered and reached over Dean to stroke Kurt’s hair as
Dean smirked, smug. “Just picture it beautiful. All three of us stretched out
on a blanket by my car, in the middle of a moonlit field while—“ He paused for
a moment, listening to the radio.
“What if I were Romeo in black jeans? What if I was Heathcliff? It's no myth.
Maybe she's just looking for, someone to dance with.”
Dean let out a little laugh. “While No Myth plays on the radio.”
Quinn made a little happy noise. “I do love the mental images you give me.”
Dean heard his old fridge opening and then the soft clink of glass bottles
rattling against each other as she added, “You enjoy yourself, honey, and I’m
going to go do the same. Santana’s naked on your bed waiting for me.”
“I hope that wasn’t a beer you just got,” Dean said with a soft chuckle.
“Forgetting and breaking the rules might get you dead, beautiful.”
“It’s my SoBe Energy drink, Mom,” Quinn replied, and Dean could almost hear her
rolling her eyes. “And I can still have a snack after Santana and I share the
last brownie,” she pointed out, sounding smug. “That and my fingers will be
enough to get me there.”
Dean laughed. “Enjoy. I think I’m gonna see if I can’t get laid again before we
find some clothes.”
“The answer to that is ‘oh hell yeah’,” Puck said quickly, and Dean glanced at
him to see Puck was watching him with a wicked grin that made all kinds of
promises.
Kurt laughed softly and added, “As if there was any doubt.”
“Gotta go, beautiful,” Dean said then, smirking and pretending he didn’t hear
Quinn giggling at them. “See you tomorrow.”
“G’night, honey,” Quinn agreed, still sounding amused. “Love you.”
“Love you too,” Dean replied, smiling. He had gotten used to Quinn saying the
same thing before they went to sleep every night, and his response was
automatic now. “Night.”
Quinn hung up and then Dean closed his phone, tossing it towards his clothes as
he looked first at Kurt and then at Puck, hopeful and grinning. “How do you
want me?”
“Naked,” Puck said promptly, smirking and wicked as he reached to pull Dean
towards him.
Dean smirked as he rolled against Puck’s side, throwing one leg across Puck’s
thighs. “You got that already. Next?”
Kurt moved against Dean’s back again then, pressing close as he murmured into
Dean’s ear, “I want to watch you ride him.” He bit Dean’s shoulder right on the
mark Puck had been sucking at earlier, making Dean shudder and moan softly as
his hips flexed to rub his rapidly hardening cock against Puck’s hip.
During the weekend in Indianapolis Dean had finally realized that he had a
thing for being bitten, and Puck and Kurt both loved the way he would react.
Dean liked seeing the marks they left on his skin, liked the feeling that they
wanted to claim him as theirs, and they both had made it plain they knew it
even though he hadn’t told them as much. Keeping the bruises and hickeys hidden
wasn’t easy, but it was so worth it. They had bitten him in the same spot on
his shoulder often enough in the last week that he had a semi-permanent bruise
there that was extra-sensitive, which was why they both kept going back to the
same spot again and again. The slightest scrape of teeth across it was enough
to make him gasp and moan, and Puck and Kurt had both enjoyed pointing out on
more than one occasion that they loved when Dean made those helpless, needy
noises.
Puck groaned at the way Dean was grinding against him, watching Kurt lick and
suck at the dark purple mark that stood out so vividly on Dean’s pale freckled
shoulder as he growled, “Fuck yeah.”
“Sounds good,” Dean agreed quietly, a little bit breathless as he reached back
to run his hand along Kurt’s hip. “What about you, baby?”
Kurt licked a slow trail up to Dean’s ear and then breathed out softly, “I’m
going to let you ride him until you come, and then I’m going to push you down
on his chest so we can both fuck you. Together.”
Dean shuddered and whispered, “Oh fuck yeah.” He moved over Puck without any
more urging, capturing Puck’s mouth in a hungry kiss that Puck returned with
interest, tongue thrusting slick and hot into Dean’s mouth to explore. Dean
moaned softly into the kiss and let Puck take over, submitting freely to Puck’s
plundering of his mouth until he was starting to get lightheaded from the lack
of air. He finally dragged himself away from Puck then to look at Kurt,
murmuring, “We’re gonna need rubbers, babe.”
“And the lube,” Puck added, his voice low and husky as he ran his hands over
Dean’s back.
Even though they had both already fucked Dean and he was sure he was plenty wet
and open, he wasn’t surprised that Puck was insisting on more lube. Puck was
still being as careful with Dean as he was with Kurt, who took a lot of
fingering to really open up, but Dean knew it was his own fault. He didn’t
protest even a little bit, despite the fact he was sure he could take them both
right then with no prep at all. He had loved it when he could feel it for days
after Puck fucked him, but Puck and Kurt both hated the thought of hurting him
and he wouldn’t push either of them into doing it again.
Kurt smirked and put his hand on Dean’s head, tangling his fingers in Dean’s
hair and tugging to guide him back towards Puck’s mouth. “You just worry about
kissing Noah, sweetheart, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Okay,” Dean breathed out softly, and then he was kissing Puck again as Puck
shifted under him, pulling his knees up to brace his feet against the blanket-
covered ground beneath them.
After only a moment or two Dean began to move, undulating slowly against Puck’s
firm muscular body as he ran one hand over Puck’s mohawk just to enjoy the feel
of it against his palm. Puck’s callused hands stroked down to his ass to
squeeze firmly as he thrust upwards suddenly, making Dean groan into his mouth.
Dean was soon making soft little noises as their movements rubbed their cocks
together, sweat and precome making the space between them hot and slick.
Kurt moved in close behind Dean then, kissing the small of his back and then
whispering against his skin, “The way you like Noah to pound into you, you’ll
love this, Dean.” Dean whined softly at the feel of two fingers thrusting into
his ass suddenly, cool and slick with lube, and he pushed back towards Kurt’s
hand as Kurt purred softly, “We’re gonna make it so good for you.”
Kurt trailed little nipping kisses over the upper curve of Dean’s ass, and then
he was licking between Puck’s spread fingers on the cheek of Dean's ass,
tasting both Dean and Puck’s skin with every slow lingering swipe of his tongue
that made Dean writhe. Kurt’s slim fingers began to move inside Dean, stroking
and curling to massage his prostate with consummate skill, and Dean let out a
soft needy little noise as he shuddered and ended the kiss with Puck. He looked
back over his shoulder towards Kurt, breathing rough and fast as he growled,
“Stop fuckin’ teasing me and get a rubber on Puck’s dick before I forget all
the reasons I know better than to let anyone do me raw.”
Kurt lifted his head away from Dean’s ass, licking his lips as he smirked and
curled his fingers in Dean again, making Dean groan as his hips jerked. “Move
up so I can.”
Dean quickly did as he was told and shifted further up Puck’s body, turning
back towards Puck to kiss him again just as Kurt’s fingers slipped free of his
ass. Dean heard the sound of a foil packet being ripped open and then a moment
later Puck growled into the kiss, his hands flexing on Dean’s ass as he jerked
Dean’s hips down against his belly. Dean was sure he’d have bruises later,
marks from Puck’s fingers like stripes on the pale skin of his ass, and the
mental image made him whimper as he flexed his hips, grinding against the firm
muscles of Puck’s abs.
Kurt patted Dean’s hip a moment later, murmuring, “All ready, sweetheart.”
Dean reached down between himself and Puck with no further urging, still
kissing Puck as his fingers found Puck’s latex-sheathed cock. He gave it a firm
squeeze as he pulled away from the kiss to look down into Puck’s eyes, shifting
up and back to sink down on his cock in one smooth movement.  Puck groaned, his
hands moving to Dean’s hips to hold on tightly as he growled, “Fuck, baby.”
“Okay,” Dean agreed, and then he began to move his hips, rocking them slowly
while he braced his hands on Puck’s chest, still staring down into Puck’s eyes.
Kurt moved closer behind Dean between Puck’s legs, arms sliding around Dean as
he pressed against his back and whispered into his ear, “So fucking hot, Dean.
Love the noises you make, the way you love this.” He nipped Dean’s earlobe
gently, then purred soft and low, “I could watch you ride him all night, but I
really want to feel what it’s like for both of us to be balls-deep inside you.”
Dean groaned at the mental image, hips moving faster as Puck growled and began
to thrust up into him with quick little jerks of his hips. Kurt’s hands slid
down to Dean’s cock and balls to start stroking and teasing then, and Dean
tipped his head back on Kurt’s shoulder as he moved his hands to cover Puck’s
hands on his hips, holding on tightly as he let himself get lost in what they
were doing to him.
The radio was still going quietly in the background, and Dean was just barely
aware enough to register the familiar sound of one of his favorites by Tesla.
“It's not what you got, it's what you give. It ain't the life you choose, it's
the life you live. It’s only what you give, only what you give, only what you
give. It's not what you got, but the life you live.”
 
                                      ~*~
 
Puck was snickering as he carried Dean into the basement, both of them
listening as Kurt and Carole went down the stairs in front of them. From what
had already been said Dean knew that Carole was carrying Beth, but unlike
Carole, Beth had been silent so far.
Beth was the reason Carole and Burt were awake. They had heard her crying over
the baby monitor that had been put in the living room and got up to feed her
and soothe her back to sleep. It wasn’t something that took both of them, but
Burt had insisted on taking care of Beth and Carole loved to watch him with
her, so she had tagged along. Beth had been fed a little while ago and changed,
and then she fell asleep on Burt’s chest while Carole watched them from the
couch.
Dean was busy pretending to be out cold, which really wasn’t all that difficult
to do. He was exhausted and still very buzzed and he was sure he would have
been staggering if he had tried to walk, which could have gotten someone hurt
if he lost his balance on the stairs that led down to the basement. That was
why Kurt had told Puck to just carry him, which was really a stroke of genius
on Kurt’s part as far as Dean was concerned. Dean got to just hang limply over
Puck’s shoulder and play dead, which suited him to a tee even though it was
making his head swim.
Burt hadn’t said a thing when they walked in the front door, but Carole was
being very much a mom and Dean was glad he didn’t have to try to explain
himself to her just then. He was dizzy as hell from hanging head-down over
Puck’s shoulder, so when he ‘woke up’ to get thrown into bed he was sure he’d
have no trouble weaving convincingly. He wasn’t sure he could stand without
help, not any more, so playing too drunk to walk would be easy.
“I can’t believe you let him drink so much, sweetie,” Carole was saying as she
followed Kurt. “He smells like he took a bath in tequila.”
“I didn’t notice the guy he was playing pool with was buying him shots until
he’d already had several,” Kurt explained quickly, sounding sheepish enough
that Dean was sure he was probably blushing. “He was winning, and I think the
guy wanted to get him drunk enough that he would lose.”
Carole sounded amused as she asked, “How much was riding on the game?”
“I’m not sure,” Kurt said, “but it was their second game.”
“Two hundred bucks,” Puck said helpfully, and Dean could hear him smirking as
he carried Dean across the room towards the couch. “The guy lost a hundred the
first time, and he got sore about it so Dean said they could go double or
nothing. The guy started buying Dean the tequila then, but he still lost
again.”
“I doubt that went over well,” Carole said with a soft little laugh. “Does Dean
really make all of his pocket money hustling pool like Finn told us?”
“Yes ma’am,” Puck said, snickering as he stopped, shifting Dean a bit on his
shoulder. “In one night he can make twice what he could make in a month of
working at Mickey D’s, and playing pool is a lot more fun than slinging
burgers.”
Dean could hear the sound of someone opening the hide-a-bed as Carole laughed
again and said, “Of course it is.”
“Alright, put him down,” Kurt said then, sounding amused.
Puck bent forward with no further warning and Dean fell onto the hide-a-bed,
letting out a little bit of a groan as he stirred and blinked his eyes open,
then closed them again quickly. After hanging upside down so long he really was
too dizzy to stand, just like he had thought he might be. The room was lit only
by the lamp beside Kurt’s bed and spinning in an entirely unpleasant way, and
he had no trouble sounding muddle-headed as he mumbled, “Dude... Why’s
everythin’ so spinny?”
Puck snickered and grabbed Dean’s hands, pulling him up into a sitting
position. “Cause you’re drunk, Deano.” Dean opened his eyes again, trying to
focus on Puck in the dim lighting as he blinked several times, swaying and
feeling light-headed and shaky. “Help me get him out of his coat, babe,” Puck
added then, looking past Dean. “He’ll sleep a lot better without it or the
boots.”
Kurt chuckled and climbed onto the bed behind Dean to brace him with his hands
against Dean’s shoulders. “I’ll hold him up while you strip him.”
Carole laughed softly and Dean looked blearily towards the sound to see she was
on the other side of the couch by Beth’s bassinet. “Don’t enjoy that too much,
boys.”
Dean blinked and then flushed, frowning as he looked back up at Puck, who was
tugging his arm out of the sleeve of his coat. “Dude, quit.” He pretended to
try and get away from Puck, slapping at Puck’s hands ineffectually. “Go steal
Kurt’s clothes. He’s th’ one into that kin'a thin'.”
Puck snickered. “Relax, Deano. We’re just getting rid of your coat and boots
before we pour you into bed. No one is after your ass.”
Dean blinked a few times, pretending to think about that, and then started
‘helping’ Puck instead while really just making things more difficult for him.
“Tha’ sounds good. ‘M kinda sleepy.”
“I just bet you are,” Kurt agreed with a laugh. “Now hold still.”
Carole laughed again and Dean looked over to watch her heading up the stairs as
she said cheerfully, “Good night, boys.”
“G’night, ma’am.” Puck snickered and then added, “And I got him, babe. Go kill
the baby monitor so Dean won’t keep them up if he starts singing Whiskey River
again.”
“Love tha’ song, man.” Dean let out a little snicker and then started singing
very off key, “Whiskey river take my miiiind... Don't let her mem’ry torture
meee.”
The sound of Carole’s snickering was cut off as she disappeared out the door to
the kitchen, closing it behind her.
Kurt pulled away then, and Dean turned his head to watch as Kurt scooted off
the other side of the hide-a-bed to go turn off the baby monitor by Beth’s
bassinet. Dean kept singing, getting worse instead of better because he didn’t
really know any of the song except the very first part. “Whiskey river don’ run
dryyyy… You’re all I got t’ carry meeee.”
Kurt started giggling as soon as the baby monitor was turned off and said,
"It's off." Dean was glad to fall silent as Kurt walked quickly back to the
hide-a-bed, stepping up onto it. Kurt walked across the bed, dropping to his
knees behind Dean again and collapsing against his back as he murmured,  “Oh my
God.”
Dean snickered as he leaned against Kurt and murmured, “So I did okay?”
“Fantastic, babe,” Puck said with a smirk, bending down to kiss Dean soundly.
“Now you can really let Kurt have your coat, though.”
Dean laughed and shrugged out of his coat, which Kurt took and tossed to the
foot of the bed before he leaned in to kiss the side of Dean’s neck and then
murmured, “I’m going up to get a couple of bottles of water and lock the door.
I’ll be right back.”
“Okay, sunshine,” Dean said softly, smiling at Kurt as he shrugged out of his
flannel shirt.
Puck knelt to start working on Dean’s boots as Kurt scooted off the bed again.
“Grab the Tylenol too, baby. Dean’s gonna need them in a few hours.”
“I will,” Kurt agreed with a soft laugh, hurrying up the stairs to disappear
back into the kitchen.
Dean snickered softly and looked down at Puck as soon as the door closed,
starting to tug his t-shirt up and off as he admitted, “Dean’s almost as
smashed as he was acting.”
“I could tell,” Puck said, grinning up at him as he tugged one of Dean’s boots
off.
Dean’s boot knife fell out in the floor as Puck tipped the boot up, making Puck
look down again to grab the wickedly sharp old Sheffield knife Bobby had given
to Dean when he was thirteen. It wasn’t a big knife, only about eight inches
from razor-sharp tip to the end of the stag handle, but it was as sharp as any
knife could be and it had saved Dean’s life more than once. It had belonged to
Bobby’s grandfather and was intended for Bobby’s own son, but Bobby said Dean
was the closest thing he’d ever have to a son so he had wanted him to have it.
It never left Dean’s boot unless he was going somewhere with metal detectors
and people that might try to confiscate it.
Puck tucked the knife back into its sheath in Dean’s boot, fastening the thin
strap that usually kept it there out of sight and then looking back up at him
as he murmured, “Thought you might need it tonight, huh?”
Dean shrugged slightly, dropping his t-shirt in the floor by Puck and then just
sitting there and looking at him with a slight smile. “It crossed my mind. You
didn’t know the folks at that pool hall in Dayton like you do here in town, an’
I was plannin’ on fleecin’ the natives. That usually leads to me fightin’ my
way back to the car.”
“Not with me to watch your back,” Puck pointed out, smiling as he looked back
down and began untying Dean’s other boot.
Dean reached out to run his hand over Puck’s mohawk, enjoying the way Puck
leaned into his touch as he agreed softly, “No, not with you watchin’ my back.”
Puck looked up again, pulling the other boot off as Dean let his hand fall back
to the bed next to him. “But it’s a habit that has kept me alive a few times.
When I’m goin’ to hustle pool, I always pack a little extra insurance.”
“Like the gun you put under the driver’s seat after we got back to the car,”
Puck said, smiling as he put Dean’s boot aside and moved up onto his knees to
lean closer to him.
Dean’s eyes widened. “Tell me Kurt didn’t see it.”
“He didn’t, babe,” Puck agreed softly, running his hands along Dean’s sides.
“You were so slick getting rid of it that I almost missed it myself. I would
have if I wasn’t watching you two kiss.”
Dean relaxed a bit, relieved. “I don’t want to worry him with stuff like that.”
“Me either,” Puck agreed with a soft smile, leaning in to kiss Dean before he
suddenly stood up, giving Dean a shove so he sprawled back on the bed. “Now
play dead while I steal your pants.”
Dean stifled a snicker, watching through his eyelashes as Puck unbuckled his
belt, then moved on to unbuttoning the fly of his jeans. “Nobody’s watchin’
now,” he murmured softly as Puck finished.
“Will be,” Puck whispered, and then the door at the top of the stairs opened.
Dean closed his eyes quickly as he heard Kurt say, “He’ll be fine, Dad, I
promise. He’s been drunk before and he’ll survive the hangover. He’s probably
already out like a light, and Noah and I will be asleep too before long.”
“If you’re sure,” Burt said, sounding like he wasn’t sure he believed it. There
was a pause as Puck dragged Dean’s jeans down and off, and then Burt asked
quietly, “What are you doing?”
“Stripping him,” Puck replied with a little bit of a laugh.
Puck grabbed Dean’s feet to drag them up onto the bed, rolling Dean over onto
his belly in the process, and Dean prayed that there wasn’t enough light for
Burt to see the bruises on his hips or the bite marks on his back and shoulder.
Dean was sure Burt was observant enough to realize that they weren’t really the
kind of thing Dean would have gotten from sex with a woman.
Puck started tugging the sheet up over Dean then, keeping his voice down
because Beth was asleep as he added, “Isn’t it obvious?”
“Well, yeah, I guess. But why?” Burt murmured, sounding a little confused and
uncomfortable.
“Dad, we’re not going to do anything to him,” Kurt said then, and Dean could
practically hear Kurt rolling his eyes. “Dean is going to be miserable enough
in the morning without sleeping fully dressed, too.”
“He usually sleeps naked, according to Quinn,” Puck pointed out helpfully,
dragging the light blanket up over Dean and then moving away from the hide-a-
bed. “He’s gonna have to survive the boxers, though. There’s just so much I’m
willing to do for any guy who isn’t Kurt, and wrestling him out of his
underwear is so not on the list.”
Kurt laughed. “Just shut up and go get ready for bed, Noah.”
“Sure, babe,” Puck agreed easily, and then Dean heard the bathroom door open.
“Good night, son,” Burt said then, sounding almost amused. “Breakfast will be
around nine. Carole’s making biscuits and gravy, it’s Finn’s favorite.”
“And yours,” Kurt teased as Dean heard him put something on the table by the
couch. “Beth will wake us up long before then, don’t worry. We won’t miss it.”
“Good,” Burt said, and he sounded much farther away. “It’s Finn’s birthday
tomorrow and Carole wants us all together for breakfast to do the whole
presents thing since he and Rachel are driving into Cincinnati as soon as we
get back from picking up the ‘Vette.” He paused. “You did get him something,
right?”
“I know, Dad,” Kurt said patiently, amused. “And yes, we got him something
weeks ago. Good night.”
“We did?” Puck asked suddenly, making Burt laugh just before the door at the
top of the stairs closed.
Kurt chuckled and murmured softly, “He’s gone, Dean.” Dean opened his eyes to
look towards Kurt’s voice, seeing that Kurt was sitting on the queen-sized bed
unlacing his knee-high boots. Kurt looked into the open bathroom with an amused
smile as he added, “And yes, sweetheart, we did. You don’t remember helping me
pick out that car stereo with the iPod dock? I made you go with me because I
never know what Finn would like.”
Puck laughed and then moved into the bathroom doorway wearing just his jeans
and holding a toothbrush. “Oh yeah! Where did you put it?”
“In the closet,” Kurt said, taking off his boot and then switching to his other
foot. “It’s in the back on my hope chest, already wrapped and ready.”
Dean blinked and then smirked, rolling to his side and propping his head up on
one elbow as he tugged the sheet up a little higher on his side. It was always
cool in Kurt’s room because it was a basement, which was another reason Burt
had insisted that his home office be turned into Beth’s room. He thought it was
a little too cold down there for her already, and it would get even colder when
summer had passed. “You’ve got a hope chest?”
“It was my mother’s,” Kurt said, giving Dean a quelling look.
“But the tiara collection he keeps in it definitely was not,” Puck pointed out
with a wicked grin, disappearing back into the bathroom.
Dean snickered at the way Kurt blushed as he tugged his other boot off and then
stood to carry the boots towards his closet. “Shut up, Noah.”
Dean watched as Kurt disappeared into the walk-in closet, laying there quietly
and waiting until Puck walked back out of the bathroom to walk over to Kurt’s
bed and pull back the covers. Kurt came back out of the closet a few moments
later wearing only a tiny pair of dark green silk shorts that looked
suspiciously like part of a girl’s pajama set, but he was looking very edible
as far as Dean was concerned so he wasn’t about to point it out. Kurt often
wore women’s clothing, he was just subtle enough about it that most people
didn’t notice.
Well, unless Kurt wore a corset to school, which from what Dean had heard had
happened more than the one time he had seen it. Then everyone noticed and many
would comment on it, wondering what he wore under his clothes on those days.
Only Dean and Puck knew for sure that Kurt wore a lacy silk camisole against
his skin when he wore the corset, or that he always wore a tiny black thong
under his skinny jeans.
Kurt moved into the bathroom without even glancing at Puck or Dean as he
murmured, “Go lock the door, sweetheart.”
“Okay,” Puck agreed easily, heading for the stairs.
Dean watched Puck trot up the stairs two at a time and then lock the door
before he started back down more slowly. He smiled as Puck walked towards him,
enjoying the way Puck strutted as he preened a little under Dean’s appreciative
gaze. He looked damned good in nothing but a pair of low-slung jeans, and he
knew it as well as Dean did.
Puck stopped next to the bed, giving Dean a smug little smirk as he murmured,
“C’mon, baby. Up and at ‘em, if you wanna sleep with us.”
“You sure it’s a good idea?” Dean asked softly, smiling up at Puck.
“Door’s locked, so it’s safe enough,” Puck replied quietly, leaning down to
pull back the sheet and blanket Dean was covered with. “I’ll even make sure you
don’t break your neck getting that far.”
Dean scooted so he could swing his legs off the bed and sit up, swaying a bit
at the way the sudden movement made his head swim. “Gonna need that, I think.”
He let out a strangled little laugh, adding, “And a hand gettin’ to the
bathroom, once Kurt’s done in there.”
Puck snickered. “I figured.” He reached for one of the bottles of water by the
couch, opening it and then offering it to Dean. “Drink this, it’ll help with
the hangover you’re sure to wake up with tomorrow.”
Dean took the water bottle, giving Puck a wry smile. “Drinkin’ water’s exactly
what I want to do when I need to pee like a racehorse.” He took a deep drink
from the bottle despite his words, sure Puck was right about him needing it.
Getting drunk on tequila always left him dehydrated, which made the morning-
after headache even worse if he didn’t drink enough water before he passed out.
Kurt walked out of the bathroom then, amused and smiling as he murmured, “I’m
done, sweetheart. Go ahead.” He walked to his bed, climbing in under the covers
as he added, “I laid a toothbrush for you on the counter.”
Dean offered Puck the mostly empty water bottle again, amused. “Was that a
hint, sunshine?”
Puck snickered, closing the water bottle and putting it by the bed as Kurt
laughed softly and looked over at Dean. “A hint that you can brush your teeth
if you want, yes. Not that you have to or anything. I kind of love the way you
taste right now.”
“Like come and you and a hint of tequila,” Puck added as he offered Dean both
of his hands, giving him a wicked little smirk. “Delicious.”
Dean laughed, blushing as he took Puck’s hands. “I’ll brush my teeth.” Puck
hauled him to his feet and then Dean swayed a bit as he got his balance,
closing his eyes at the way his head went spinny again. “Shit, that was a bad
idea.”
Puck snickered, pulling Dean’s arm over his shoulder so he could help him to
the bathroom. “No, the bad idea was drinkin’ all those shots that guy bought
you.”
“It was free Cuervo,” Dean muttered, blushing redder as he walked with Puck
towards the bathroom. “I kind of lost count of how many I’d had.”
“I figured that out about the time you got to the eighth one,” Puck said,
chuckling as he stopped at the bathroom door with Dean, giving him an
appraising look as he took Dean’s arm off his shoulders. “You gonna be able to
piss without help?”
“Yes,” Dean said quickly, letting out a little laugh as he started moving
carefully into the bathroom, swaying only a bit as he grabbed the counter to
steady himself. “I been usin’ the bathroom all by myself since I was four.”
Puck snickered and turned to head for the bed. “If you figure out you’re wrong,
just say something, babe.”
“Go to bed,” Dean said, feeling like his face was on fire as he walked slowly
towards the toilet, leaning on the counter. He felt like his eyes were
floating, and he couldn’t keep from making a soft little relieved noise as he
finally dragged out his cock and let go. He’d had way too much beer, twice what
he would usually drink if he went out alone, and it seemed to take forever for
him to empty his bladder.
Puck started snickering out in the bedroom after a few moments and Dean let out
a little laugh, blushing. “Shut up, asshole.”
Kurt giggled too then, and as Dean shook off the last drop and tucked his cock
away again he could hear Kurt murmur, “Be nice, he’s had a rough night.”
“He’s had a really good night, baby,” Puck corrected quietly, sounding smug.
“He knew he could enjoy himself ‘cause we’d make sure he got home in one
piece.”
Dean moved to the sink to wash his hands, and the sound of the water drowned
out whatever Kurt said in reply. It was true, and he wasn’t really surprised
that Puck knew him well enough to have figured it out. Dean never drank so much
when he was hustling pool alone, but with Puck there to watch his back, he had
felt like he could just relax and enjoy himself. He still hadn’t intended to
get drunk, but the idea didn’t scare him like it would have if he were on his
own or with just Kurt. Dean would have stayed at least mostly sober if he was
alone with Kurt, but Puck didn’t need anyone’s protection and would have been a
little offended if Dean acted like he did.
He reached for the unopened toothbrush that was on the counter after he
finished washing his hands, taking it out of the package and then looking in
the medicine chest for the toothpaste. He was amused when he saw that there was
a tube of Rembrandt toothpaste on the bottom shelf next to an economy-sized
tube of Aquafresh, thinking it said a lot about Kurt and Puck without needing
to say a thing. He put some of the Aquafresh on his toothbrush and then closed
the medicine chest as he started brushing his teeth.
He glanced at himself in the mirror then and stopped to just stare a bit,
surprised. His greenish-hazel eyes were muddled and glazed, making how drunk he
was very obvious, and he had faint bite marks scattered all over and dark
finger-sized smudges of bruising on his hips above his low-slung boxers, but
the most surprising thing, at least to him, was the expression on his face. He
hadn’t really even noticed he was still smiling until he looked into the mirror
and saw how happy and relaxed he looked.
The smile faded away as he realized he couldn’t remember ever looking at
himself in the mirror and seeing that kind of a smile.
 
 
***** SEVENTEEN *****
 
Dean woke up slowly the next morning, opening his eyes and then closing them
quickly again as he flinched at the way the light from the open bathroom door
made his head pound. He felt like he had been run over by a truck, sore all
over and exhausted with the kind of headache that usually came from meeting a
wall headfirst. He was nauseated too, and after a moment the thought crossed
his mind that death might feel better.
It took Dean a few minutes to notice Puck was running one hand along his back,
slow and soothing. He just laid there and soaked it up, slowly relaxing again,
and he was almost back to sleep when Puck murmured gently, “C’mon, babe. You
need to roll over, then you can go back to sleep.”
Dean groaned softly and then mumbled, “Do I gotta?”
“Yeah baby, you do,” Puck murmured, sounding amused. “I gotta get you back in
your own bed.”
Dean took a slow shaky breath and then another before he forced himself to roll
over to his back with a pained little noise. His head felt like it just might
explode as he whined, “Kill me. Please.”
Puck chuckled and leaned down to kiss him softly, then murmured, “Don’t you
dare barf on me.” He pulled Dean up to a sitting position then and Dean gasped
at the stab of pain in his head, then Puck’s arm was around his back and his
other arm slid under Dean’s knees.
Dean realized what Puck was doing then and opened his eyes in surprise,
whimpering at the way the light from the bathroom door made his head pound as
he closed his eyes again. Puck stood up with a little grunt of effort then,
shifting carefully to be sure he could carry Dean in that position. He started
slowly towards the hide-a-bed a moment later as he kissed Dean’s temple and
then whispered, “Shh, I got you, baby.”
Dean was very still as Puck carried him the short distance to the hide-a-bed,
grateful for how careful Puck was when he laid him on the cold sheets. He
opened his eyes again then, squinting at the pain in his head as he looked up
at Puck, who was watching him with amused concern. “Y’ shouldn’ta done that. ‘M
too heavy.”
“I can bench press two-twenty, babe,” Puck said softly, chuckling as he reached
for the sheet and then the light blanket, covering Dean up. “You want to try
some Tylenol?”
“Dry,” Dean agreed, letting his eyes fall closed again. “Drink anythin’ now an’
I prolly will puke.”
Dean listened to the soft sounds of Puck reaching for the Tylenol Kurt had left
by the couch and getting some out of the bottle. “Two or three?” Puck asked
softly just as Dean heard the bedroom door open.
“Three,” Dean whispered, opening his eyes just enough to see Kurt coming down
the stairs with Beth cradled against his shoulder. He was a little surprised to
see Kurt was wearing a pale purple robe. Puck had folded the purple robe
several days back while he and Dean were folding the laundry, mentioning Kurt
wore it when he was sick or upset, and seeing Kurt actually wear it made Dean
wonder if he was feeling okay.
The robe had butterflies embroidered on the lapel and was obviously made for a
woman, but it was one of the few items of women’s clothing Kurt wore that he
hadn’t bought. The robe had belonged to his mother, who had loved butterflies,
and Puck had told Dean privately that he was sure that was why many of the
things Kurt bought for Beth just happened to have butterflies on them. Neither
of them ever said anything about it to Kurt, but they both encouraged him
whenever they caught him looking wistfully at some other cute girly thing
covered in butterflies.
“Open up,” Puck murmured, making Dean look back towards him as he obediently
opened his mouth. Puck dropped one pill in Dean’s mouth and then waited for
Dean to swallow it before they repeated doing the same thing twice more. The
pills tasted nasty, but Dean would rather put up with the taste than risk
drinking anything just then.
Kurt put Beth to bed and then moved around the hide-a-bed to stand by Puck,
looking worriedly down at Dean as he whispered, “Are you sure he’s okay,
sweetheart?”
Puck put his arm around Kurt, giving him a squeeze as Dean finally noticed Puck
was completely naked. “He’s just hung over, baby. He’ll survive, he just won’t
like it much until noon or so.”
Dean let out a little huff of a laugh and then groaned at the fresh stab of
pain in his head, closing his eyes. “Ow. Don’ make me laugh, asshole.”
Puck snickered and reached down to pat Dean’s hip. “Go back to sleep, babe.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Dean muttered, rolling carefully to his stomach – way too
many rock stars had drowned in their own puke for him to ever sleep on his back
drunk – and then relaxing with a soft groan. Their hide-a-bed wasn’t as
comfortable as Kurt’s pillow-soft bed, but it would definitely do.
Kurt leaned down to put one hand on Dean’s shoulder then, kissing his temple
before he whispered, “Sleep it off, sweetheart.”
“M’kay,” Dean agreed softly. He heard Puck and Kurt move away, and then the
bathroom door closed just before he drifted off again.
 
                                      ~*~
 
A few hours after the first time Dean woke up found him awake again and trying
to convince himself to get out of bed. His head wasn’t pounding so much
anymore, and his bladder felt like it might explode if he didn’t stagger into
the bathroom sometime soon, so he figured he didn’t have much choice about
trying it. He had been trying to talk himself into it for a few minutes, but so
far being still had won out.
Dean heard the door to the kitchen open then and someone ran lightly down the
stairs. He was just starting to wonder why Kurt was in such a hurry when a body
landed on the bed next to him, bouncing him in a way his stomach hated.
Dean groaned and hid his face against his pillow, suddenly nauseated again as
he muttered, “G’way an’ let me die in peace.”
“But I came all this way just to see you, honey,” Quinn said near his ear,
sounding way too amused to suit him.
Dean snorted, trying not to smile but failing miserably. “Liar.”
Dean could hear someone else coming down the stairs as Quinn giggled and kissed
his shoulder right where Puck and Kurt liked to bite him when they fucked him
from behind, making him let out a little surprised noise. The bruise was extra
sensitive because he had been bitten there several times the night before,
which always made it just that much more intense whenever someone touched him
there again.
“I was just coming to see if you needed help getting to the bathroom,” Quinn
explained, still sounding very amused as she ran one hand over his bare back.
“Puck didn’t think you could walk that far on your own yet, but he’s elbow-deep
in washing dishes.”
Dean blinked, turning his head to look at Quinn. She was wearing a strappy
white sundress covered in tiny pale pink flowers and looked gorgeous, her brown
eyes sparkling happily. “How’d he even know I was awake?” Dean asked after a
moment, smiling a little wider.
Santana was just walking up to the bed behind Quinn, looking amused and happy
in jeans and one of Dean’s flannel shirts as she smirked at him and said, “We
could hear you muttering to yourself on the baby monitor.”
“It was kind of funny,” Quinn added, giggling.
Dean snorted, feeling his face heat up as he turned away from Quinn and Santana
again, rolling to put his back to them as he threw back the covers. He hoped
that Santana wouldn’t comment on the bruises on his hips or the hickeys and
bite marks that were scattered over his body. Puck liked to bite almost as much
as Dean liked being bitten, and Kurt loved the way Dean reacted to being
bitten, so Dean's body was littered with marks ranging from vividly dark purple
bite on his shoulder to the fading yellowed places still lingering to remind
him of the previous weekend.
“I’m glad someone’s enjoyin’ my mornin’,” Dean muttered as he swung his feet
off the bed and then sat up, groaning and closing his eyes when the room
started to spin. “Damn, I hate a tequila hangover.” He’d be dizzy and nauseated
until he downed a few glasses of water and had a cold shower to clear his head,
not necessarily in that order.
“Then why’d you drink so much, silly?” Quinn asked with a laugh, crawling
across the bed to get off of it next to him.
Dean opened his eyes to give her a slightly amused smile. “’Cause the other guy
was payin’ for it, mostly.”
Quinn laughed and offered him her hands. “Seems to me you’re the one paying for
it now.”
Dean snorted, not taking her hands. “I always forget that part until it’s too
late.”
Quinn giggled and leaned to grab his hands. “Come on, let’s get you on your
feet.”
“You sure you’re up to it?” Dean asked, giving her a searching look. “I’m
pretty heavy, beautiful, an’ not too likely to be steady on my feet right now.”
Santana walked around the bed to take one of his hands from Quinn, giving Dean
a smirk. “Quit making excuses and get your ass out of bed, Winchester.”
Dean let out a little laugh and then both girls were hauling him to his feet.
He staggered, swaying as Quinn moved quickly to his side, wrapping both arms
around him with a giggle. “Easy, honey.”
Santana moved against Dean’s other side, looking past him at Quinn as if he
wasn’t even there between them. “Once we get him to the bathroom you’re on your
own with him. I know you like him and all, but I’m not helping anyone take a
leak.”
Quinn laughed. “Just shut up and help get him that far, San.”
Dean was blushing very red as he pulled away from them, glad that his head
wasn’t swimming quite so bad anymore. “I can make it on my own, damn.” His head
was pounding still, of course, but his balance was good enough he was sure he’d
make it as he started towards the bathroom, saying a little louder, “An’ I
didn’t need a couple of babysitters, Puck. Asshole.”
Quinn and Santana both started giggling and he flipped them off without looking
back, and then a moment later he closed the bathroom door firmly behind him.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean was feeling almost human again after he showered and chased three more
Tylenol with plenty of water he had gotten by the convenient method of opening
his mouth while he was showering.
When he walked back out into Kurt’s room, he was glad to find it empty again of
everyone but Beth, who was sleeping peacefully in her bassinet. His jeans from
the night before and his belt and coat were laid neatly in one of the chairs
and he leaned against the chair to put on his jeans and belt, leaving his coat
in the chair where it was. He found his shirts in the floor nearby, but a quick
whiff of them was enough to make him drop them right back where he found them.
He didn’t remember spilling any tequila the night before, but both shirts
practically reeked of the stuff so he figured he must have at some point.
He considered what he would wear for only a moment before he went to the new
black chest of drawers tucked into the corner by the bathroom to dig out one of
Puck’s McKinley High Football t-shirts, tugging it on before he went back to
the hide-a-bed to sit down and pull his boots and socks on. He didn’t bother to
tie the boots, just tucking the laces into the tops and then grabbing his cell
phone and his keys out of his jacket and making sure his wallet was still in
his jeans before he headed upstairs to see if maybe he could find something to
eat.
When he opened the kitchen door, he saw that Quinn, Santana, Puck, Kurt, and
Carole were all gathered around the island with mugs of fragrant coffee that
smelled like the stuff from the cafe downtown. Puck was dressed almost
identical to Dean in jeans and another McKinley High t-shirt, and Kurt was
looking surprisingly relaxed in a pair of tight jeans and a bright blue t-shirt
several sizes too big for him that said ‘athletic dept’ on the front. Dean
recognized the shirt and was a little amused that out of everything to choose
from in Kurt’s room, he had chosen to wear one of Puck’s favorite shirts.
Carole was in her usual stonewashed jeans with a cream-colored peasant blouse
that looked really good on her, sipping at her cup of coffee. Santana still
wore jeans with one of Dean’s flannel shirts, which shouldn’t have looked
nearly as good to him as it did, especially since she had tied the front up in
knots and likely stretched the flannel all to hell. Quinn had found a worn grey
McKinley High Football zip-front hoodie somewhere and was wearing it open over
her sundress despite the fact it swallowed her whole.
Dean was sure at first that Quinn was wearing one of Puck’s hoodies, since he
knew she loved to wear Puck’s clothes because they smelled like him, but then
Quinn turned a little further away from him as she responded to something
Santana had said. The number on the back was a five, not twenty like it would
have been if it belonged to Puck, and Dean wondered whose hoodie it was for a
moment before it dawned on him it probably belonged to Finn. It was way too big
to be Kurt’s.
The fact Quinn might be wearing Finn’s hoodie made Dean wonder if maybe Finn
was finally talking to Quinn again, and he hoped that the answer was yes. Dean
knew that Finn, Puck, and Quinn had grown up together and been best friends for
years before they messed it up by dating, and he hoped that they could get that
back someday. So far Dean hadn’t seen Finn and Quinn say more than a few words
to each other – just whatever was necessary for politeness, mostly – but he
hoped Finn was finally beginning to forgive Quinn. With Beth living in the same
house with Finn and her new nursery right next to Finn’s bedroom, it would make
life easier on everyone if Finn could make peace with Beth’s mother.
Dean pushed away his thoughts, sure that everything would work out. Burt likely
wouldn’t allow anything else, not the way he doted on Beth and Quinn, who he
had said more than once was one of the sweetest girls Kurt had ever brought
home. There wasn’t anything Dean could do about it anyway, so it wouldn't do
anybody any good for him to add it to the list of things he was worrying about.
The kitchen smelled delicious despite his nausea, and Dean was hoping for some
leftovers as he asked, “Is there one of those coffees for me?"
Quinn turned around and gave Dean a quick smile, nodding. “Have a seat, honey.
I’ll heat it up for you.”
“Knew you loved me,” Dean said with a pleased smile, moving to the only empty
stool, which was between Puck and Santana.
Santana gave him a slightly narrow-eyed stare as she murmured, “Watch it,
Winchester.”
Dean grinned at Santana, amused. “Don’t worry, girl. We already talked about
the whole poaching thing, remember? It’s not my style.”
Dean and Santana had actually had several discussions about the fact Santana
still didn’t believe Dean wasn’t really after her girlfriend. Dean kind of
hoped that the bruises and hickeys she had seen on him that morning would help.
It wasn’t really very likely at all that a girl would leave the kind of bruises
he had on his hips, and Quinn just plain couldn’t have done it. Quinn wasn’t a
weakling by far, but she had small, delicate hands and the finger-shaped
bruises on Dean’s hips were obviously made by someone with much larger, long-
fingered hands.
Someone like Puck, in fact.
Everyone who knew them knew that Puck and Dean spent all of their free time
together if they weren’t with Kurt and Quinn. Puck was always happy to hang out
with Dean so Kurt and the girls could do something together, even though he was
a self-professed sex shark and wasn’t happy unless he got laid as often as
humanly possible. Which, y’know, for Puck was often. Dean had counted seven
times in a day while they were in Indianapolis before he quit keeping track and
just assumed Puck was always ready and willing. So far, he hadn’t been wrong.
Dean was sure Santana would figure out what was going on between him and Puck
eventually, but he wanted to try and keep her from talking to Sam about it.
That meant he and Quinn needed to have a talk with her about it before too much
longer so Quinn could prevail upon her girlfriend not to out Dean just because
she could. He had a sneaking suspicion that having that talk was why Quinn had
talked Santana into letting him sleep with them the night before, which made
him feel a little guilty for skipping out on it so he could sleep like the dead
with one of Kurt’s arms across his back all night.
Quinn turned away from putting a mug in the microwave, looking amused. “San, be
nice. Dean’s not trying to get in my pants, I promise.”
Santana gave Dean a skeptical look and then tossed her head. “Whatever you say,
Q.”
Puck snickered and murmured, “We know who’s wearing the pants in that
relationship...”
Santana shot Puck a death glare. “Don’t make me kick your ass, Puckerman.”
“Who, me?” Puck asked, trying to look innocent as he sipped his coffee.
Santana let out an annoyed little sniff and looked away.
“Are you feeling up to breakfast, Dean?” Carole asked then, and when Dean
looked over at her he saw that she looked pretty amused. “There’s bacon, and I
made biscuits and gravy.”
“That’d be great, ma’am,” Dean said quickly, pleased and grinning. “It smells
great, and it’ll save me from havin’ to drive to the diner downtown to order
the same thing.”
Carole laughed and got off of her stool to move towards the refrigerator.
“You’re one of those men who believes in a greasy spoon breakfast to cure a
hangover, hmm?”
“No ma’am,” Dean replied with a little laugh. “But that still doesn’t mean I’m
gonna turn down homemade biscuits and gravy.”
“It’ll keep, Dean,” Carole said with an amused smile, pausing by the fridge. “I
can make you a plate to take home so you can eat it when you’re feeling
better.”
“I’ve got to eat something this mornin’, ma’am,” Dean said with a grin. “Might
as well be something I’m gonna enjoy.”
“If you’re sure,” Carole said with a soft chuckle, opening the fridge to get
out the leftovers from breakfast.
The microwave binged and then Quinn carried a large mug of coffee over to Dean,
leaning against his side to set it in front of him. “Here, honey,” she
murmured, giving Dean a little teasing smile. “I know how you need your
caffeine in the morning.”
Dean kissed Quinn’s cheek. “You are an angel.” He reached to pick up his mug
and take a sip, pretending not to notice the look Santana was giving him and
humming happily at the taste of the organic coffee from that little place
downtown he still didn’t know the name of. Puck had been bringing him and Quinn
coffee every morning on his way back to Kurt’s after he ran the paper route,
and Dean had become addicted to the stuff just like the rest of them were.
Dean’s cell suddenly began playing music then, making him hurriedly shift his
mug to the other hand to dig into his pocket. “I ain't nothin' but a simple
man, they call me a redneck, I reckon that I am, but there's things going on
that make me mad down to the core.” He flipped the cell open then, not
bothering to glance at the screen. “Hey Bobby. Whatcha need, man?”
“Dean,” Bobby said, sounding a little relieved. “Did you and Sammy leave yet?”
Dean blinked, his eyes widening as he remembered he was supposed to take Sam to
Bobby’s that weekend. “Shit, I forgot all about it. I got plastered last night
hustling pool with a buddy of mine and I just barely crawled out of bed.”
Puck snickered, giving Dean an amused look. “Plastered would have been an
improvement, Deano.”
Dean made a face at Puck, moving the phone away from his mouth. “Shut up,
Puck.”
Bobby let out a little snort of a laugh. “You just keep forgettin’ about it,
boy. I’m in Wyoming, and I won’t be back home before next week, if I’m lucky.
I’m on my way to Arizona to help John deal with something.”
“Just a sec, Bobby.” Dean glanced around at the others, who were all watching
him interestedly except for Carole, who was building him a plate of breakfast. 
He put down his coffee, moving the phone away from his mouth as he smiled at
Quinn and murmured, “I’ll be back in a minute, beautiful. Don’t let Kurt drink
my coffee.”
Kurt laughed. “I have my own!”
Dean grinned. “I know you and coffee, sunshine. You could drink yours and mine
and still want more.”
“I’ll protect your coffee, honey,” Quinn said with a soft laugh, looking
amused.
Dean winked at her and then turned away from the island, walking quickly to the
back door and then outside. He closed the door behind him and then moved a few
feet away from it as he said quietly, “Bobby? Is Dad okay?”
“He’s fine, son,” Bobby said with a sigh. “Really pissed at you right now, but
he’ll get over it.” He paused and then added, “I’m on your side, for what it’s
worth. I told him before he went to get you boys that you need to finish
school, an’ I’ll keep tellin’ the stubborn bastard until he starts listenin’ to
me.”
“Thanks,” Dean said quietly, relieved. “What is it he needs your help with?”
“Some mythical evil spirit called a Chindi that turned out to be not so
mythical,” Bobby said then, sounding almost amused. “He can’t find anyone down
there that knows how to kill the damned thing, so he called me in to help hunt
it down. It’s been eating people down near Albuquerque for the last couple
months since some damn fool dug it up, so your dad headed down to see what he
could do. It’s a wily son of a bitch and he’s havin’ trouble cornering it
alone, so I’m gonna help him go after it. It might take a while with us not
knowin’ what kills the damned thing, but we’ll keep tryin’ until we get the job
done.”
“Sounds like maybe you’ll need more help,” Dean said quietly, looking across
the yard at the shimmering surface of the pool. “If you need me, say the word.
I’ve got friends here that Sam can stay with if he has too. My girl is living
with us so Sammy won’t be alone, and Puck – he’s the guy I was playin’ pool
with – won’t mind keeping an eye on them both for me.”
“Boy, if you don’t keep your ass in that school after you finally scraped
together the balls to stand up to your daddy, I’ll kick your ass myself next
time I see you,” Bobby said sharply, and Dean found himself smiling at the
scowl he could hear in Bobby’s voice. Bobby could always be counted on to want
what was best for them. “You just worry about passin’ this year for a change
an’ keepin’ Sammy safe. I’ve got your daddy’s back, and if we can’t handle it,
Bill Harvelle’ll come give us a hand. I already talked to him, askin’ if he’d
ever run into one of these things, and he said to just let him know if we need
him.”
“If you’re sure,” Dean said quietly, still smiling.
“’Course I’m sure, boy,” Bobby said gruffly. He was quiet for a moment and then
said quietly, “Sounds like you’ve made some good friends for a change, if you
can trust ‘em with watchin’ over Sammy for you. Is that Puck guy the one that
got all up in John’s face?”
“He told you about that, huh?” Dean asked, looking down at the cement floor of
the porch. “That was Puck, yeah. He’s had my back more than once when I needed
him.”
“I wish you didn’t need backup to talk sense into your daddy, but I’m glad he
was there,” Bobby said after a moment, sighing. “John’s not real impressed with
him. Said he’s a steroid-poppin’ punk with a mohawk an’ no respect at all for
his elders.”
Dean laughed. “Well, he got the mohawk part right, but Puck’s not really much
of a punk. He’s workin’ two jobs to feed his family while he’s goin’ to school
full time, an’ he still finds time to be a football jock. He got the muscles by
liftin’ weights whenever he’s bored.” He snickered, adding, “And he gets bored
easy.”
Bobby snickered. “Sounds like your daddy when he was younger. He was always
runnin’ or workin’ out when he wasn’t at the garage where he worked, said it
was the only way to be sure he’d be ready for anything.”
“Sounds like something Puck’d say, for sure,” Dean agreed, surprised to hear
Puck might be anything like John was before the demon burned out all the best
parts of him. He didn’t remember anything about John back then except that he
had idolized him, which hadn’t really stopped until he was thirteen. That was
the summer John knocked him on his ass for the first time – Dean had tried to
refuse an order, he didn’t even remember what anymore, and a heartbeat later
John had backhanded him to the floor – and Dean had realized the loving Dad he
idolized was a memory mixed with wishful thinking. “The good old boys out here
have a fight club ring, and Puck’s in the thick of it. He makes good money when
he goes.”
“Oughta teach the kid to play pool,” Bobby said, sounding amused. “Hell of a
lot easier way to make money.”
“I’ve been tryin’, but it’s not easy,” Dean said, laughing. “He makes Sammy
look like a freaking pro.”
“Speaking of Sam,” Bobby said then, “Tell him I’m real sorry about havin’ to
put him off. I’ll make it up to him somehow.”
“I will,” Dean agreed. “And don’t worry, he’ll survive. His girlfriend’s got a
car and so does the guy he’s been hangin’ out with, and they’ll take him
anywhere he wants to go. He can wait a little longer.”
The door opened behind Dean then and he turned in surprise as Sam walked out,
looking worried. “Puck said you’re talking to Bobby. Is Dad okay?”
“He’s fine, Sammy,” Dean said quickly, giving Sam a reassuring smile.
“Let me talk to him, son,” Bobby said then. “You stay out of trouble, okay?”
“Sure, Bobby,” Dean agreed, smiling. “You take care.”
“You too,” Bobby replied. “See you later.”
“Soon, even,” Dean added, nodding. “Here’s Sam.” He didn’t wait for Bobby to
reply again before he passed the phone to Sam.
“What’s wrong?” Sam asked immediately, still worried.
“Nothing you need to worry about, Sam,” Bobby said quickly, and Dean decided he
really should turn his phone down again. Puck kept turning it up because he was
nosy and liked listening in when other people were on the phone, but Dean
didn’t much like the fact he could hear Bobby plainly, which meant anyone
nearby could hear whoever he was talking to. Most of the time that was fine,
but sometimes Dean didn’t want everyone around him knowing what he was talking
about. “I just called to tell Dean I won’t be around this weekend, so you
boys’ll have to come up another time to go by the DMV. They’ll never let Dean
talk ‘em into giving you a permit unless I’m there to vouch for you, but I just
can’t be there this week.”
“Don’t worry about it, Bobby,” Sam said, surprised. “I was just looking for
Dean so I could tell him it can wait until after school’s out. It’s only three
more weeks.”
“Thanks, Sam,” Bobby said then, sounding relieved. “I hate disappointin’ you.
Dean told me how bad you wanted to get behind the wheel, an’ I know he wanted
to make that happen for you this week.”
“It’s okay, really,” Sam said quickly, smiling. “Be careful with whatever it is
you’re hunting.”
“Don’t worry about me, boy,” Bobby said a little gruffly, but Dean could hear
how pleased he was. “I’m tougher than those old boots of your brother’s, I’ll
be fine.”
Sam laughed, looking down at Dean’s boots. “That’s pretty tough.”
Dean smiled, amused. Sam and Bobby had both tried to get him to buy new boots
over and over again, but Dean refused to do it. His combat boots were a Marine
issue pair he’d found in Bobby’s attic when he was eight, packed away in a
trunk with the Alice pack Dean still used for school. Dean had kept the boots
until he could wear them, and he wasn’t giving them up. A lot of people wore
combat-styled boots, but few could say they wore combat boots that had actually
been in combat in Vietnam. They were still about a size too big for him so he
was pretty sure he’d never outgrow them, and they were the most comfortable
shoes he had ever owned. He’d had them resoled barely a year ago, and he
figured that as long as he took care of them right they would probably last him
another twenty years.
“Damn straight it is,” Bobby agreed with a laugh. “You boys stay out of
trouble, I gotta get back on the road.”
“Alright, Bobby, we will,” Sam agreed, still smiling. “Drive safe, and good
luck.”
“Call me when you get there,” Dean added, leaning in close to the phone. “I
want the number of where you’re stayin’, since you never remember to charge
your cell.”
“Tell him I will, Sammy,” Bobby agreed with a soft little snort. “Even though I
don’t need a mother hen.”
“You know how Dean is, Bobby,” Sam said with a snicker. “He worries about all
of us.”
“I know it,” Bobby agreed, chuckling. “Talk to you boys soon.”
“Bye,” Sam said, smiling. Bobby hung up and then Sam closed the phone and
offered it to Dean. “You heard him, right?”
Dean nodded, taking his phone to put it back in his pocket. “Yep. But I ain’t
no mother hen.”
Dean turned to head back into the house, walking to the island where a plate of
steaming biscuits and gravy was waiting by his coffee mug. Everyone was gone
except Quinn, who was looking amused as she ate raspberries out of a bowl.
“Everything okay, honey?” She asked quickly, giving him a smile.
“Everything’s fine, beautiful,” Dean agreed, sitting back down on his stool and
reaching for his coffee. “Where’d everyone go?”
“Burt and Finn just got back with the Corvette,” Quinn said with a soft little
laugh. “They’re all out front drooling.”
Dean laughed, putting his coffee back down and then picking up his fork as he
teased, “And you don’t wanna see it?”
“It’s not like it’s my only chance,” Quinn said, looking amused the happy groan
Dean let out when he tasted the biscuits and gravy. “I’m sure that nothing else
will get done around here for weeks but working on that car. Rachel’s dads
wouldn’t let her pool her money with Finn’s to buy a car that needed so much
work done on it, so Burt said he’d give Finn the money to buy it as long as
Finn lets him restore it. Finn said yes, of course, and from what Burt said
during breakfast, they’ll be busy with it for a while. Practically everything
needs redone or overhauled except the engine.”
“And the power door locks,” Puck added with a laugh, walking into the kitchen
again.
Dean swallowed, smirking at Puck. “You sure about that?”
“Not really, but at least they worked when Burt tried them,” Puck said quickly,
grinning. “That’s more than the headlights will do, or the brake lights, or the
wipers, or pretty much anything except the engine and the tranny. That’s why
Burt wouldn’t let Finn drive it home last night.”
Dean snickered. “I hope they didn’t pay too much for it.”
“The guy wanted two grand, but after Burt got under the hood and started
grousing about all the work it needed, the guy sold it to him for fifteen
hundred,” Puck said with a laugh. “The guy didn’t have a clue what he had, or
could’ve had I guess. He had stored the ‘Vette in a barn in his back pasture
since his uncle left it to him, and mice chewed the wiring and the interior all
to hell. ”
Dean snickered. “That’s just sad.” He took another big bite of biscuits and
gravy, hungry despite his nausea and hoping that the food would settle his
stomach like it usually did. Tequila hated him and always gave him a hangover,
but water, a handful of Tylenol, and eating a big breakfast with coffee usually
cleared the last of it away. He’d already had six Tylenol in as many hours and
plenty of water, and he was working on the coffee and breakfast part.
“Are they going to start working on it today?” Sam asked curiously, and Dean
looked over his shoulder in surprise as he realized Sam had followed him back
inside and then stopped behind him.
“Yeah, they’re gonna take it down to the garage in a few minutes.” Puck sat on
one of the stools at the island, giving Sam a grin. “Burt’s gonna spend all his
free time playing with the ‘Vette until he gets it restored, I’m sure. That was
his price for giving Finn the cash to buy it. He’s letting Finn borrow the Ram
today so Finn and Rachel can go to that baseball game in Cincinnati, but Burt’s
planning to tinker all weekend.”
“Is Mike still going to get his muffler fixed?” Sam asked, looking curious.
“Last I heard, yeah,” Puck agreed, nodding. “Once Dean’s finished with his
breakfast, we’re heading that way to meet Mike. Kurt’s supposed to call him on
the way.”
“Cool,” Sam said with a smile. “I’ll go catch a ride with Burt, then. Maybe
they’ll let me help out until Mike gets there. I’ve been helping Dean with the
Impala since Dad gave it to him when he turned sixteen.”
“Go for it,” Puck said quickly, smiling at Sam. “Burt’ll appreciate the help,
I’m sure, and a seventy-two ‘Vette isn’t gonna be all that different from an
Impala.”
Dean snorted, looking over at Puck. “I’m bettin’ there’s no way in hell it has
a four-twenty-seven big-block V-8 under the hood that can do zero to sixty in
seven seconds flat.”
Quinn giggled as she put her empty bowl in the sink. “You’ve done it now,
Puck,” she teased, walking quickly past him towards the door to Kurt’s room.
Puck laughed, glancing at Quinn as she disappeared into the basement and then
looking back at Dean with a grin. “Settle down, Deano. I wasn’t talking bad
about your baby. I meant they’re both Chevrolets.“
“Well, yeah, okay. I’ll give you that much,” Dean conceded, nodding. “Both pre-
seventy-five Chevys even, so they got a lot in common, but that thing’s been in
a barn for who knows how long. I worked hard to make sure my baby is mint.”
Puck grinned at Dean. “Close to it, anyway.”
“Closer than any other Impala you’ll ever drive,” Dean said with a sudden
smirk, taking another bite of his breakfast.
Sam snickered and started towards the living room. “Whatever. I’m going to ask
if I can go. See you later, Dean.”
“Y’ got your phone?” Dean asked around a mouthful of food.
“Yes!” Sam said quickly, not even slowing down as he passed through the living
room towards the front door. “In my back pocket with my wallet and my knife.
And I’ve got most of a hundred bucks too, so I’m set.”
“Good man,” Dean called with a laugh, and then took another bite of his
breakfast, which was disappearing quickly.
Puck snickered and walked over closer to Dean, leaning on the island next to
him as he watched him eat with a fond, amused smile. “Sam carries a knife too?”
Dean nodded, chewing quickly and then swallowing before he murmured with a
grin, “Sweet little butterfly knife. He knows I won’t let him out of my sight
without one.” He took a drink of his coffee, humming in pleasure at the rich
flavor, and then set the mug where Puck could reach it as he added, “He’s been
packing it since he was eight.” He looked down at his plate, picking up the
last slice of bacon to swipe it through the gravy. “He was catching hell as the
new kid in a town down near El Paso, and he was a scrawny little thing, so I
taught him to fight.”
“Who taught you?” Puck asked softly, and Dean glanced up as he munched the
bacon to see a sad look in Puck’s eyes.
Dean chewed and swallowed, then murmured, “Dad. He started me on hand-to-hand
lessons when I was five, and gave me my first gun when I was six.” He smiled.
“I still have it, a Remington 870 twelve-gauge shotgun. It’s at home under the
couch.”
“Your dad’s kind of messed up,” Puck said quietly. “You know that, right?”
“Yeah, I do,” Dean agreed, nodding as he looked back down at his plate. “He’s
all I ever had, though, besides Sam and Bobby, so I didn’t really know how
messed up I was until I got older.” He got another bite of biscuit and gravy
and ate it, not looking up. Puck hadn’t said anything by the time he swallowed,
and after a moment he finally looked at Puck again as he added softly, “He made
me a fighter, an’ I’ve needed it too many times to count, so I can’t hate him
for it. I got all the same training a Recon Marine gets and then some.”
“How old were you?” Puck asked softly.
“When he started, or when he stopped?” Dean took another sip of his coffee.
“Both,” Puck replied.
“I was five when he started, like I said,” Dean said quietly. “He quit putting
me through my paces just after I turned eighteen. Said that if I didn’t know it
by now I was a lost cause, and then he gave me my .45. That’s the ivory-handled
pistol under my front seat with all the engraving on it. My mom gave it to him
when he got out of the Marines, and he wanted me to have it.” He paused and
then added, “Dad quit carrying it after she died, but he couldn’t get rid of
it, so he left it with Bobby until he decided I had earned it.”
“What about Sam?” Puck asked gently. “Did he do the same to him?”
Dean smiled. “No, Sam was my job. I protect him and take care of him, and I
taught him all he knows. He’s hell on wheels when he needs to be, especially
with a knife. I’m a better shot, and I can take a punch better than he can, but
give him a blade and he could kill me easy if he wanted to.”
“You taught him well, then,” Puck said with a sad little smile. “When did you
start?”
“I started the hand-to-hand stuff as a game when he was seven. He used to love
it, trying to beat me.” Dean smiled a little wider at the memory. “He was eight
when I started him with a knife and let him shoot a hand gun for the first
time. I started him on my old Browning Hi-Power, and the very first time he
held it, he managed to hit five out of six cans. I was so damned proud of him.”
“Do you still do it? Teach him to take care of himself, I mean?” Puck asked
quietly.
“No, when he turned fourteen he asked me to stop the lessons as his birthday
present,” Dean said quietly, amused. “He hates gettin’ up early, and we always
did hand-to-hand bright and early weekend mornings. I told him he could quit if
he could get me in a kill hold, and he did it.” He snickered. “Did it a little
too good and knocked me out, which scared the crap out of him until I came
around.”
“Poor kid,” Puck said softly, but he was chuckling. “Still, he must be pretty
good if he managed that.”
“He could probably take you down if he wanted to,” Dean agreed with a sudden
smirk. “I know he could handle Karofsky or Azimio, if he would fight them.”
Puck grinned. “He doesn’t like to, huh?”
“Not even a little,” Dean agreed. “He beat down a guy about twice his size a
couple years ago, and he’s been letting people push him around ever since. He
felt sorry for the guy even though he made Sam’s life hell for over a week
before Sammy finally bowed up and thoroughly kicked his ass in front of half
the school.” He chuckled. “Think of it this way. It was kind of like him
beating the shit out of Azimio would be. That’s the kind of size difference
there was, and Sam just mopped the floor with the kid. I was so damned proud of
him.”
Puck grinned wider. “I would have been too. Looking at him, I’d never expect
it. He’s nearly as skinny as Kurt.”
“I am not skinny!” Kurt said then with a laugh, making Puck and Dean look over
at the doorway as Kurt breezed into the kitchen, followed by Santana and
Brittany. “I am slim.”
Puck grinned at Kurt. “Baby, it’s the same thing.”
“No, it’s not,” Kurt said quickly, smirking as he stole Dean’s mug to take a
drink of his coffee.
“Thief!” Dean said with a laugh, reaching out without thinking to swat Kurt’s
ass. “Get your own!”
Kurt squeaked, eyes widening as he stared at Dean.
Puck snickered and took the coffee mug from Kurt to pass it back to Dean as he
teased, “That’s my ass, hands off.”
Dean snorted and took his coffee, giving Kurt a dirty look because it was
nearly gone. “He deserved it.” He looked back at Puck, adding, “Maybe if you
spanked him when he did it to you, he’d learn not to steal a guy’s coffee.”
“He’d like that too much,” Santana said suddenly, smirking as she went past
them to Kurt’s door with Brittany tagging along at her heels.
“I would not!” Kurt protested quickly, indignant. “I do not like to be hit!”
Santana laughed and opened the door before she stopped and smirked at Kurt.
“Don’t try to lie about something like that when you’re wearing jeans that
tight, Kurt.” She breezed through the door into Kurt’s room and Brittany
followed right behind her, giggling as they went to go join Quinn.
Puck snickered, his hazel eyes sparkling as he checked out Kurt’s crotch. “She
kind of has a point, babe.”
Kurt’s face was beet red as he gave Puck a quelling look. “You will never
mention this again.” He gave Dean a little of the same look, adding, “Or you.”
Dean grinned at Kurt, playing innocent. “Mention what?”
“I didn’t hear anyone mentioning anything,” Puck added, grinning widely.
“Very good,” Kurt said quickly, looking relieved as he picked up Dean’s empty
plate and mug to carry them to the sink.
Dean smirked at Puck once Kurt’s back was turned, biting his lower lip and
miming swatting something.
Puck winked at him, smirking wickedly.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean rolled the mechanic’s dolly out from under the old dark blue GTO, looking
amused and dragging the muffler with him. “Dude, we should put this one on the
‘Vette and give Mike her muffler.”
They were in the back corner of the parking lot behind Hummel’s Tire and Lube,
well away from the garage where Burt was tinkering with the Corvette with Kurt
while Sam helped him and Mike watched and played gopher.
Puck was grinning and leaning against the trunk of the GTO as he watched Dean
work, Dean’s tool bag open on the trunk next to him. “That bad, huh?” Puck
asked,
“More like this one’s that good.” Dean grinned and sat up, reaching out with
his free hand towards Puck, who quickly took his hand to pull him to his feet.
He hefted the glossy cherry-red muffler he had pulled off the GTO, smirking at
Puck as he said, “This glasspack is damn near identical to the one on my baby.
It’ll make that ‘Vette’s four-oh-five roar, but it ain’t gonna do a whole hell
of a lot for that Trans-Am of Mike’s. I’d bet cash money it’s still got the
engine and head gaskets it had when it came off the line, and there’s just no
way to make an engine sound sexy when it needs an overhaul that bad.” He
snickered, shaking his head as he looked down at the muffler and laid it gently
on the trunk of the GTO. “Nope, putting this on the Trans-Am would be a waste.”
Burt laughed then, and Dean turned in surprise to see Burt was walking towards
them across the gravel parking lot. He looked amused and pleased as he said, “I
was coming out to tell you the same thing. Kurt just told me he was going to
give Mike that muffler and I had to tell him no.”
“Smart man,” Dean said with a laugh. He glanced down at the screwdriver and
wrench he had stuck in his waistband, pulling them loose and then dropping both
into his tool bag as he gave Burt a wide grin. “Want me to swap out this one
with the muffler on the ‘Vette, then put that one on Mike’s car?”
“Sam is going to put the ‘Vette’s muffler on the Trans-Am,” Burt replied,
looking amused. “He and Mike are already working on getting it off while Kurt
cleans up the exhaust pipe on the Trans-Am. The ‘Vette’s muffler is in good
shape, it’s just not a cherrybomb like was on the GTO.”
“What’s the story on it, anyway?” Dean asked, turning as he moved around the
side of the car to get a better look at the GTO. It had obviously been in a
wreck at some point and was missing the hood and front bumper, but from what
Dean saw the damage looked like it was mostly cosmetic, except for the fact a
metal pipe had somehow been driven through the radiator and busted the engine
all to hell. “Seems to me like it’d be worth restoring. It’s in decent shape
except for the damage to the front end and the engine, and I bet you can find a
hood and a bumper pretty easy if you cruise a few junkyards.” He looked back at
Burt, smiling. “You can get a pretty penny for a restored GTO if you advertise
a little.”
“I’ve been thinking about it for a year or so, I just never got around to it
because I'm always busy and the front end needs so much work,” Burt said with a
smile, moving to join Dean by the GTO and look at it. “It’s a sixty-nine
Liberty Blue Judge. My dad drove one just like it when I was your age, and I
always wanted one. I was on the way to tow a car for a friend when I saw this
one in a guy’s front yard with a ‘cheap to good home’ sign, and I had to stop
right then and buy it.” He laughed. “Kurt had a fit when I brought it home.” He
gave Dean a little grin. “I told him it was going to be his first car.”
Puck snickered at that as Dean laughed and said, “I bet he had kittens. He’s
not really the type to want a classic muscle car.”
“He loves riding in them or playing around under the hood,” Burt pointed out,
“but he doesn’t really want to drive one all the time.” He looked amused. “He
likes his bells and whistles too much.”
“He’s sure got plenty of them in the Navigator,” Puck said, grinning widely.
“Somebodymade sure it’s got just about every gizmo it can hold.”
“I tried,” Burt said with a pleased smile for Puck, then looked back at Dean
and nodded towards the garage. “Wanna come give an old man a few pointers on
completely rewiring the ‘Vette’s electrical system? I’ve never done that on a
Chevy that old, and Sam tells me you helped somebody rewire a seventy-one
Chevelle a while back.”
Dean laughed and nodded. “I sure did.” He reached for his tool bag, zipping it
shut and then hefting it and grabbing the glasspack as he grinned at Puck.
“Make yourself useful and bring the dolly, Puckasaurus.”
Puck laughed and bent to grab the mechanic’s dolly. “Might as well, I’m sure no
use fixing a car.”
“Give it time, man. You play gopher real well, and that’s a good start,” Dean
pointed out, and then he turned his attention back to Burt, still grinning.
“Lead the way, boss. It just so happens that this must be your lucky day.
You’ve got an extra mechanic that specializes in classic Detroit steel, an’
he’ll work for food and the occasional beer.”
Burt laughed. “Lucky me!” He turned to head back into the garage, and Dean and
Puck were quick to follow him.
 
                                      ~*~
 
It seemed to Dean like Saturday and Sunday just flew by, but he had a lot of
fun working on the Corvette with Burt, Puck, Kurt, and even Finn. The fuse box
in the Corvette had turned out to be in good shape, and the main wiring harness
and most of the connectors were fine, so all they really had to replace were
the more exposed wires that mice had turned into twisted wads of scrap. They
got the chewed-up wiring ripped out on Saturday, and then on Sunday they ended
up using the wiring from the GTO to replace pretty much all of it.
Once Dean had showed Burt and Kurt how to go about removing the old wiring from
the connectors without breaking them and then putting good wires from the GTO
back in place, it was pretty easy for the three of them to get the job done,
despite how tedious it was. Dean had taken the wiring to the back end of the
car while Burt and Kurt were working on the wiring under the hood and in the
interior, and Puck and Finn had both learned a lot while they played gopher.
They had ended up tearing wiring out of the GTO to be used in the Corvette, and
Dean was pretty sure that by the time the Corvette was done either of them
would have been able to help rewire a car themselves if they had to.
By Sunday afternoon the Corvette was road-worthy again with working lights and
windshield wipers, new belts and hoses, and four brand new tires. Finn was
beside himself over the fact Burt was going to get it inspected and get all the
paperwork done the next day so that if all went to plan, Finn would be driving
his new car to school on Tuesday. Burt was going to talk to a friend in Dayton
sometime that week about getting the Corvette repainted, and Kurt had already
declared he would be ordering the new upholstery and supervising while Finn and
Puck replaced it. The Corvette’s old black vinyl seats were in ratty shape,
literally, and Finn hadn’t argued at all when Kurt said the only way to redo
them properly was in black leather with chrome accents, especially since Burt
was paying for it.
The Corvette wasn’t the only car that got worked on that weekend, though.
Saturday afternoon Mike’s car had gotten a muffler and then Sam had given the
Trans-Am a thorough once-over while Mike watched avidly. Mike didn’t know a lot
about cars but he wanted to, and he was more than a little in awe of how good
Sam was at finding a problem and fixing it. Mike’s iffy door locks were soon
traced to a loose connection in the driver’s side door that took Sam about a
minute to fix once he got the door apart, and then Sam had adjusted the
carburetor, replaced two bad spark plugs, and refilled the transmission and
brake fluid.
Mike brought the car back on Sunday because Sam wasn’t done playing with it
yet, and then the Trans-Am had gotten an oil change and new air and oil filters
before Sam and Mike spent most of the afternoon detailing the car. Mike hadn’t
ever cleaned the leather seats or treated them before, so Sam had passed on
some of Dean’s lessons in keeping leather seats supple so they wouldn’t crack.
Cleaning the leather and then rubbing it all down with saddle-soap had led to
cleaning the rest of the interior because the seats looked so good, and then
Mike and Sam had decided the outside of the car really needed washed and waxed,
too.
It was a little after five Sunday afternoon when Carole called Burt and
declared it was time to come home. Burt got in the Ram and left a few minutes
later, but Kurt commandeered Finn to help with the cleanup. Kurt wasn’t about
to leave until everything was back where it belonged and ready for the garage
to open the next day, and he intended to make sure Finn did his fair share
since it was his car they had been working on all weekend. Puck wanted them to
get done as quickly as possible, so he decided to help out by putting tools
away and getting the rolling toolbox back into the secure storeroom where Burt
usually kept it.
While Kurt, Puck, and Finn were working in the garage, Dean wandered out back
to see if Sam and Mike were done with waxing the Trans-Am yet. It was parked in
the shade under the awning behind the office where Burt usually parked the Ram,
and Sam and Mike were both going over it with soft cotton rags as they buffed
the freshly waxed hood. The car was looking much better, and Dean walked across
the parking lot to go get a closer look.
“Damn, boys. You’ve been busy,” Dean said as he reached the Trans-Am, grinning
widely. The blue paint, which had been badly oxidized when they started, was
looking a hundred percent better, bright and shining instead of dull and almost
frosted-looking like it had been when Dean saw the car earlier that morning.
Mike grinned at Dean as he ran a rag over the hood of his car one last time,
and he was looking so proud and smug that Dean had to laugh. “Sam’s amazing, I
didn’t know how to do any of the stuff he’s had me doing today.” He gave his
car a quick visual once over and then looked over the hood at Sam, who was
finishing up the passenger side of the hood. “I owe him big.”
Sam was grinning widely despite the way he was blushing as he let out a little
laugh. “No you don’t, I had fun helping you with it.” He looked at Dean. “I’ve
had lots of experience helping Dean take care of the Impala.”
Dean grinned at Sam, walking over to him to sling an arm around Sam’s neck as
he ruffed his hair with the other hand. “And you obviously paid damned-good
attention, too!” Sam twisted away, punching him lightly in the belly, and Dean
let him go as he looked back at the car, grinning. “You did fantastic on this
thing, really. I’d hardly even believe it was the same car.”
Mike preened, beaming. “So you don’t think it’s a piece of shit anymore?”
Dean laughed. “The engine is still a piece of shit,” he disagreed, “but the
rest of it’s startin’ to look pretty hot, I gotta admit. Save up a few hundred
bucks to get that engine rebuilt, and you’ll have yourself somethin’ special.”
“Or wait until school is out and let us do it,” Kurt said suddenly, and Dean
turned to see Kurt and Puck walking towards them with Finn trailing along
behind them. “Noah wants to learn about working on cars, and I haven’t rebuilt
an engine in a while. We can make a weekend out of it, it’ll be fun.” Kurt was
looking pleased and surprised as he let his gaze roam over the Trans-Am,
asking, “How did you fix the paint?”
“Polishing compound,” Sam said quickly, grinning at Kurt. “It takes a while,
but it does wonders for faded or scuffed paint. The Impala was the same way
when Dad gave it to Dean, and we spent a whole day the next weekend going over
every inch of it, buffing out scratches and getting rid of road grime Dad had
left on it for years. We went through probably twenty pounds of washrags doing
it, but once we put a couple coats of wax on you could hardly tell Dad had
neglected it so long.”
“Washrags?” Finn asked, laughing.
“They’re cheap in bulk, and they work great with polishing compound,” Dean said
then, grinning. “I wouldn’t use them on her now – my baby’s always waxed and
clean – but back then, they did the job.”
“Dean waxes his car every time he changes the oil,” Sam added, giving Dean an
amused look.
“Every other month whether she needs it or not,” Dean agreed. “My baby’s worth
a little pampering. She’s faster than anything her size I’ve put her against,
and tough as hell, too.”
Kurt chuckled. “Dean, a car only needs the oil changed every three thousand
miles.”
“I know it, but there’s been a few times my baby did that many miles in two
weeks,” Dean said, laughing. “Last time it was from Marietta, Georgia all the
way up to South Dakota and then back down to Pass Christian, Mississippi before
we drove to South Dakota again. Dad only gave us a couple of days in between
trips that time, and I didn’t get to change the oil until we were in South
Dakota the second time, but my baby didn’t have even a little problem with it
even though she covered close to five thousand miles between oil changes.”
“Why in the world would you have to make a trip like that?” Kurt asked,
surprised.
“We went up to visit Bobby at the start of the summer last year, and then Dad
got a call saying one of his war buddies had died,” Dean said with a shrug. “We
had to pack up again and drive down for the funeral, and then we headed back up
to Bobby’s place.”
Sam was giving Dean a slightly wide-eyed look but Dean tried to ignore it.
Telling someone the state Bobby lived in was more than John would easily
forgive, and Dean knew he would have been in for a serious beat down if John
heard him. Bobby’s junkyard and home were the closest thing the Winchesters had
to a safe house, and Dean had been told never to tell anyone about it for as
long as he could remember. He had even passed the same lectures on to Sam and
punished Sam if he forgot, so he was sure he’d hear about it eventually from
Sam.
Dean was going to have a hard time explaining why Kurt and Puck were family to
him, but it was the simple truth as far as Dean was concerned. He had even
considered giving Bobby’s phone number to them when he left so they could get
in contact with him if they needed to, but he had decided finally that he had
better stick to email for a while. Leaving was going to hurt, and he didn’t
need Bobby passing on a message to call them while Dean was at Bobby’s place
that summer. If Bobby saw the way Dean was sure to fall apart when he heard
their voices again, he’d know exactly what Dean had been doing with them.
Kurt was just opening his mouth to say something when music suddenly started to
play and he reached for his back pocket. It took him a minute to get his
Blackberry out of his pocket because his jeans were so tight, and Dean listened
to the song with amusement, wondering who Kurt had given it to as their
ringtone.
“I fight authority, authority always wins. Well, I fight authority, authority
always wins. Well, I've been doing it since I was a young kid and I come out
grinnin’.”
Kurt finally got the phone free and pushed a button, putting it to his ear
quickly. “Hey Dad.”
Dean grinned. Mellencamp wasn’t really the kid’s style, but it fit Burt to a
tee.
“Did you boys leave the garage yet, son?” Burt’s response was loud enough Dean
could hear it clearly even though Kurt was standing a good five feet away, and
Dean was suddenly sure that Puck had been playing with Kurt’s phone too.
“No, we were just about to,” Kurt replied, amused. “What did you forget?”
“My wallet. I put it in my desk in the office while we worked today so I
wouldn’t lose it again,” Burt replied, sounding sheepish. “I just went to pay
the pizza boy and realized I left it there.”
Kurt laughed. “I’ll get it for you, Dad.”
“Thanks,” Burt said, and he sounded pleased. “Carole ordered enough pizza for
everyone, so don’t take too long getting home.”
“We won’t, Dad. See you in a few minutes,” Kurt said quickly, smiling.
“See you then.”
Burt hung up and then Kurt pushed a button to turn his phone off again, tucking
it back into his back pocket as he looked over at Mike. “Are you coming home
with us, Mike? Carole ordered pizza.”
“Nah, me and Sam are taking Brit and Becky out for dinner and to see a movie in
Dayton on the IMAX screen,” Mike said quickly, grinning. “Brit and Becky both
want to see some cartoon, and Brit talked Sam into getting me to take them to
it. Her mom won’t let her drive anymore without supervision, but she says Sam
and Becky don't count, and Santana doesn’t want to go.”
Dean snickered. “Sounds like fun. Only not.”
Mike laughed. “Sam worked on my car all weekend and he’s buying me dinner and
putting a tank of gas in the car, so I’m cool.”
Dean grinned at Sam. “And you tried tellin’ me I’m whipped.”
“You are!” Sam said quickly, laughing even though he was blushing. “I walked in
Thursday night and you were washing Quinn’s bras by hand in the kitchen sink. I
just bribed my best friend to do us a favor!”
“They needed done and she didn’t feel like it after bein’ in school all day,”
Dean pointed out, amused. “There ain’t nothin’ shameful in taking care of my
girl. I can follow the instructions on a tag and rinse out her hand washables
when she needs it. It ain’t like it’s difficult.”
“Except she’s not really your girl,” Finn pointed out then, making Dean look
over at him in surprise. Finn was grinning as he added, “She’s Santana’s girl.
She just sleeps at your house.”
“And cons you into washing her laundry,” Puck added, snickering.
“Eh, now you’re both gettin’ technical,” Dean said with a laugh, and then
looked at Kurt with a grin. “Go get your dad’s wallet so we can get moving. I’m
hungry and somebody mentioned pizza I don’t have to make or pay for.”
Kurt laughed and turned away to head into the garage again past Puck and Finn.
“I’ll lock up while I’m in there. You can pick me up out front.”
“You got it,” Dean agreed, waving Puck and Finn towards the Impala. “Go on, get
in. It’s not locked.”
“Can I drive?” Puck asked quickly, grinning at Dean.
“It’s like, three miles,” Dean said, laughing.
“Please?” Puck begged, giving Dean a comical pout.
Dean snorted, grinning. “You’re so fuckin’ pitiful, man.”
“Is that a yes?” Puck asked, brightening.
“You know it is,” Dean agreed, amused as he dug the keys out of his pocket and
tossed them to Puck. “You better wait until I’m in it before you go wandering
off.”
“Sure!” Puck agreed, turning away to walk towards the Impala.
“Looks to me like you’re the pitiful one, Dean,” Sam said then, snickering.
Dean reached out to shove Sam, laughing. “Just get the hell out of here,
bitch.”
“Gladly, jerk!” Sam said, laughing as he started towards the passenger door,
looking across the car at Mike. “We getting gas before we pick up Brit and
Becky?”
“Hell no,” Mike said, smirking as he tossed the rag he was holding into a
nearby trash barrel and then moved towards the driver’s door of the Trans-Am.
“You’re getting gas on the way home. I should be down to a quarter of a tank by
then.”
Dean laughed. “Sounds like he’s smarter than you gave him credit for, Sammy.”
Sam laughed and closed his door, then reached one hand out the open window
towards Dean, grinning. “I need some cash.”
Dean snickered and moved towards the car, already reaching for his wallet. “You
always need some cash these days.”
Mike laughed and said, “You have no idea how lucky you are, Sam.”
Sam looked over at Mike in surprise. “Lucky? Why?”
Mike waved at Dean with a little laugh. “You’ve got the coolest big brother
ever, that’s why! You still had some cash when he gave you a hundred bucks on
Friday, and not only are you already asking for more, but he’s giving it to
you.”
“Hey, yeah,” Dean said with a laugh, pausing as he was starting to count out
some cash for Sam. “What happened to the hundred you still had yesterday
morning?”
Sam let out a little laugh and looked up at Dean. “I spent most of it on the
stuff I got at Auto Zone for the Trans-Am. You know it’s not cheap to get what
you need to do the job right.”
Dean snickered. “Well, as long as you spent it on something important.” He
looked back down at his wallet, counting out seven twenties and then offering
them to Sam. “That’s it for this weekend, though. Wait until Monday to hit me
up for more.”
Sam took the money quickly, grinning. “Sure.”
“That’s tomorrow,” Mike pointed out, and when Dean looked over at him he had to
laugh at the envious look on Mike’s face as he stared at Sam. “Like I said,
Sam, so freaking lucky!”
Sam grinned widely at Mike. “He is kind of awesome, yeah.”
Dean laughed. “Don’t get arrested, you two.” He turned away without waiting for
an answer to walk over to the Impala, which was already rumbling quietly while
Puck waited for him, grinning. Finn was in the back seat looking amused and
kind of bored.
“Have fun with Quinn and Santana,” Sam called then, making Dean look back
towards him in surprise.
Mike started the Trans-Am then, and Dean had to grin a bit at the difference in
the way it ran. The car sounded much better with a new muffler and spark plugs
and the adjustments Sam had made to the carburetor, enough that Dean realized
the engine might not have to be totally rebuilt after all. Sam had always
complained about it when Dean made him give up a day to work on a car with him,
but Sam obviously knew his stuff and that was the important thing, at least to
Dean. Someday Dean might not be there to fix a car for the kid, and Sam would
need to be able to do it himself.
“Are they planning something?” Dean called back.
“Yep!” Sam said, laughing as Mike started driving quickly towards the exit.
Dean chuckled and turned back towards the Impala, walking to the passenger door
and getting in. He had barely closed it when Puck started the car moving,
grinning widely as he asked, “Any clue what they’re up to?”
“Not even a little one,” Dean replied, amused. “With Santana involved, I’m
almost afraid to ask.”
“You should be,” Finn said, snickering. “She doesn’t like you very much.”
“No, you think?” Dean asked, laughing as he looked over his shoulder at Finn.
“You’ve been sleeping with Quinn,” Finn pointed out with a grin. “Santana hates
everyone who does that.” He laughed. “She hated me even, and I never got to
second base.”
Dean blinked and laughed, wondering how Quinn had convinced Finn he got her
pregnant if he never even got her shirt off. He knew Finn was kind of dumb, but
damn.
“She doesn’t hate me,” Puck pointed out with a little laugh, pulling around the
side of the garage to stop out front of the big bay doors, where Kurt was
waiting for them by the curb.
Dean opened his door to let Kurt get in but didn’t bother getting out as he
watched Puck and Finn talking, amused.
“That’s because she expects you to screww around anytime you get the chance,”
Finn said quickly, still grinning. “You cheat on everyone.”
Kurt let out a little laugh as he leaned into the car, looking at Finn. “Not
everyone, Finn. Just girls.”
Finn snickered and watched as Dean helped Kurt climb over him to get settled in
between Dean and Puck, waiting until Dean had closed his door again before he
said, “I guess it doesn’t count as cheating if you both do it, huh?”
Kurt twisted around to look at Finn, eyebrows going up. “Do what now?”
Finn snorted, grinning. “Don’t even try to deny you’ve been messing around with
Dean. I know you, Kurt, but I know Puck even better.”
Dean laughed, surprised and wondering when Finn got to be so observant. “Since
when?” He looked at Kurt and Puck. “Just exactly what happened last night,
anyway?  Last I remember is leavin’ the bar.”
Puck snickered, starting the Impala towards the Hummel home. “I learned my
lesson about having sex with anyone who’s smashed, Deano, don’t worry. We
hauled your drunk ass home and poured you into bed.”
“I don’t know what Finn’s been smoking,” Kurt added with an amused look, “but I
am kind of offended he didn’t share.”
Puck laughed. “Me too, now that you mention it.”
Dean looked back at Finn again and had to laugh at the surprised, confused look
on Finn’s face. “Dude,” Finn said after a moment, “you mean you’re not screwing
around with him?”
Puck snickered, looking over his shoulder at Finn. “Think about it for a
second, Finnster. Can you picture Kurt ever putting up with his guy cheating on
him, or being in a threesome?”
Finn blinked and looked at Kurt again, staring at him for a moment before he
began to look kind of sheepish. “Well, no. Not really.”
Puck laughed. “Exactly. He'd bite my dick off or something, if he didn’t just
tell Burt and let him shoot me.”
Dean snickered. “Nah, man, he’d make a keychain out of your balls.”
“Or all of the above,” Puck agreed, laughing.
Kurt was smirking, smug and pleased as he looked at Puck. “Carole’s right, you
are getting rather well-trained.”
“Woof,” Puck replied with a grin, making Kurt and Dean both laugh.
“But if you’re not all screwing around, why does Kurt call him sweetheart?”
Finn asked, looking confused. “And why does Dean let you drive his car all the
time? I heard Sam telling Mike that even he doesn’t get to drive it.”
“’Cause he’s my best friend and I’d rather let him drive than listen to him
whine about it,” Dean said, snickering. “He’s such a pitiful bitch over my
baby, it’s sad.”
“That still doesn’t explain why Kurt calls you sweetheart,” Finn pointed out.
“Dean is one of my best friends,” Kurt said then, turning his head to give Finn
an amused look. “I call Brit sweetheart, too, and Quinn, and Mercedes, and
Tina, and even Mike sometimes when he’s being particularly sweet and adorable.
It doesn’t have anything to do with sex, Finn. I promise.”
“Oh.” Finn looked thoughtful for a moment and then let out a little laugh,
shifting in the seat. “I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t tell anyone else what
I thought, huh?”
Dean snorted, amused. “Yeah, it is. I might have had to kick your ass for
spreadin’ lies. The last guy who called me a fag ended up in the hospital.”
“Dean!” Kurt said, laughing as he punched Dean rather hard in the side. “Stop
being an asshole.”
Dean just laughed and draped one arm around Kurt’s neck, reaching with the
other hand towards his hair.
“No!” Kurt squeaked, swatting at Dean’s hand. “Don’t you dare!”
“Too late!” Dean feinted towards Kurt’s left to get him to move his hands and
then he quickly went for Kurt’s hair again and made it. “Score!”
Puck and Finn both started laughing as Dean thoroughly messed up Kurt’s hair.
“You’re dead, Dean!” Kurt exclaimed, elbowing him in the belly, but he was
laughing when Dean let him go.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that before,” Dean said, smirking at Kurt smugly.
Kurt’s hair was sticking up all over and as messy as Dean had ever seen it,
including straight out of bed after a night of sex. “You’re all bark and no
bite, sunshine.”
“I’m going to kick your ass,” Kurt threatened, craning his neck to use the rear
view mirror as he lifted both hands to try and finger comb his hair back into
place. “Thoroughly!”
“You and whose army?” Dean teased, smirking and watching Kurt as Puck turned
into the Hummel driveway to park behind the Ram.
“My army of Noah!” Kurt said with a laugh, looking at Puck. “Right?”
Puck turned off the Impala and then gave Kurt a wide-eyed, innocent look. “But
you made me promise not to beat people up unless they hit one of us first,
baby. You made me swear it on Beth’s life. Dean would never hit you, you remind
him too much of Sammy.”
Kurt let out a little squawk. “Noah!”
Puck laughed and leaned to kiss Kurt soundly, then gave him an impish grin. “I
love you.”
Kurt gave him a dirty look, but he was obviously trying not to laugh. “Kick
Dean’s butt for me and prove it, then.”
“But baby, he’s my best friend,” Puck protested, grinning impishly still at
Kurt. “Besides, if I beat him up, I won’t get to drive his baby anymore.”
Kurt did laugh then. “And we all know how you like that.”
“She’s sex on wheels,” Puck agreed, smirking.
Finn opened his door to get out, amused and rolling his eyes. “It’s just a
car.”
Puck and Kurt both looked quickly at Dean, laughing at his expression as he
reached for his door.
“Dude! She is so not just a car!” Dean protested, getting out to scowl at Finn
even though Finn was most of a head taller than he was. “My baby is a classic,
and she’s hotter than any car you will ever drive.”
“A Corvette is hotter than an Impala any day!” Finn responded, smirking at Dean
as Kurt let out another little laugh. “When Burt’s through with my car, it’ll
fly.”
“Okay, that’s enough!” Kurt quickly got out of the Impala, grabbing Dean’s arm
to start dragging him towards the house. “Please don’t kill my brother in the
front yard, Dean. The neighbors will talk.”
Puck got out of the Impala as Dean glared at Finn a moment longer and then let
Kurt drag him along, scowling as he muttered, “Big dumb ox.”
“Hey!” Finn protested with a slight laugh, even though he looked annoyed.
Dean heard two car doors close and glanced back to see Puck was flinging his
arm around Finn’s shoulders as he grinned and said, “Just let it go, man. Trust
me. You do not want to piss him off by talking bad about his baby. Calling him
a fag again would be smarter.”
Finn gave Dean a dirty look and then turned his attention to Puck as they
walked towards the house. “I get enough of that ‘big dumb ox’ crap from Kurt.”
“Kurt can’t kick your ass,” Puck pointed out, smirking. “Dean could without
trying hard. Trust me on that. He could kick your ass and mine without getting
a scratch on him.”
Kurt patted Dean’s arm, pulling Dean’s attention back to him as Kurt gave him
an amused look. “Forget it, Dean, please? He’s Finn. He says stupid things all
the time, but he’s really harmless, and he means well.”
Dean let out a little snort, pausing as Kurt reached to open the door and let
out the enticing smell of pizza. “Only for you, sunshine. Because you asked so
nice.”
Kurt moved out of the way to wait for Dean to go in first, giving him a pleased
grin. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
Puck snickered as he moved up behind Dean then, pushing him into the house.
“Inside, Deano. There’s a pizza with your name on it.”
Dean brightened a bit and let Puck push him towards the sound of voices in the
kitchen. “Do you think they got one with anchovies?”
“Yep,” Puck said, laughing. “Kurt loves them, and Carole and Burt both know
it.”
“At least he has good taste in food,” Dean said then, moving more quickly to
get away from Puck.
Puck laughed and started after him. “You’re going down for that one, Deano!”
Dean just laughed and ran for the kitchen, sure he could hide behind one of the
women and keep Puck at bay.
 
 
***** EIGHTEEN *****
Chapter Summary
     NOTE: This chapter contains discussion of past physical and emotional
     abuse.
 
Dean glanced past Quinn at Santana as he started the Impala later that evening,
smiling. “Where are we taking you, girl?”
“Your place,” Santana said quickly, smirking at him. “I’m spending the weekend
with Quinn, remember?”
Dean’s eyebrows rose and he put the Impala into gear to start towards home with
a little laugh. “Well, yeah, but I thought you were heading home tonight.” He
had hoped it, really. Sleeping on his own couch definitely wasn’t his idea of
how he wanted to spend his night. It wasn’t half as comfortable as Kurt and
Puck’s couch, and the company – or complete lack thereof – made sure he didn’t
sleep near as well as he would have liked. He had discovered that he really
enjoyed not sleeping alone, and going back to it suddenly was kind of rough.
“I called my mom and told her I was staying again,” Santana said, smirking and
smug. “She doesn’t care. I’ve spent the night with Quinn a million times.”
“And told her mom she was with me a hundred more,” Quinn added with a laugh.
“Mom likes you,” Santana pointed out, giving Quinn a little smirk. “You’re all
sweet and wholesome and she hopes it’ll rub off on me.”
Dean snickered. “Wholesome. Right.”
Quinn laughed and slapped Dean on the arm. “Shut up, you.”
“She’s good at acting the part at least,” Santana said with a little laugh,
then her expression turned wicked. “Almost as good as you are, Dean.”
Dean laughed and looked over at Santana. “What part am I supposed to be
actin’?”
“A straight one,” Santana said with a smug look. “I even believed it until
yesterday, and I saw through Quinn’s good-girl act when we were five.”
Dean stared at Santana for a moment and then looked back at the road. He had
known it wouldn’t take her long to put two and two together, not once she saw
the bruises and hickeys all over him Saturday morning. “Should I panic about
now, beautiful?”
Quinn giggled and shifted closer to Dean’s side, hooking her arm through his.
“You can trust her, sweetie. She already promised me not to tell anyone, not
even Brit, and she can keep a secret a lot better than Puck can.”
“Okay,” Dean said, hoping that Quinn was right. “Good to know.”
“I still can’t hardly believe you’re a bottom boy,” Santana needled then,
smirking still, “but I saw the bruises yesterday. You let him tear you up.”
Dean blushed, laughing as he glanced over at Santana. “Girl, you’ve been there
and done that with Puck. Don’t even try an’ tell me you don’t know how good it
feels to have him bend you over and fuck you silly.”
“It’s not the same thing, though. I have a g-spot,” Santana pointed out, still
smirking. “And a clit.”
“Nope, but I have a dick and a prostate,” Dean countered quickly, turning on
the dirt road that led to the trailer. He looked over at her, smirking. “Goin’
by how most girls react when I find their g-spot, it’s pretty much the same
thing.”
Santana blinked and then let out a little surprised laugh. “So you really do
fuck girls?”
“Hell yeah,” Dean said, laughing as he turned into his driveway. “I stuck to
girls before Puck, an’ I’m sure I’ll go back to them after I ride out of this
hick town when school’s out. I don’t meet many guys worth riskin’ my life for,
an’ my dad’d kill me if he knew I’m bi.”
Santana looked at Quinn then, looking a lot less happy. “You told me he wasn’t
after you anymore.”
“I’m not,” Dean said with a snort. “Quinn’s gorgeous and sweet an’ I love her
to death, but I don’t poach, girl.” He parked the car and then looked at
Santana. “I don’t need to. If I want to get laid, I can hook up any time I want
to with Puck or Kurt or both and get fucked stupid.”
Santana stared at Dean for a moment, looking surprised, and then said, “That’s
the real reason you didn’t bother looking at me when I was naked in your
bedroom before Regionals.” She reached past Quinn to touch the bite on Dean’s
shoulder through his shirt, making his eyes widen just a bit as she added, “I
saw the bite on your shoulder that morning, but it didn’t dawn on me whoever
gave it to you was behind you until I saw it again yesterday.”
“I don’t cheat, either,” Dean said quietly. “Not on anyone who matters.”
“And Puck definitely matters to you,” Santana said, nodding. “I saw that weeks
ago, I just thought you were too straight to do anything about it.”
“I’m not,” Dean said, smiling wryly. “He’s almost as irresistible as he thinks
he is.”
Quinn smiled and let go of Dean's arm, patting his thigh. “I vote we move this
into your bedroom.”
Dean’s eyebrows went up and he looked at Quinn in surprise. “Why the bedroom?”
“Because I want to see you naked,” Quinn replied, giving him an impish grin.
“And Santana’s decided she wants to see how you are in bed after all.”
Dean snorted, amused. “Besides the fact Sammy still kind of thinks of her as
his girl, what part of I don’t cheat didn’t you get, beautiful?”
Quinn blinked and then looked a little unhappy. “I didn’t think I counted as
cheating.”
“Sweetheart, you don’t, but I’m not gonna have sex with you when it could kill
you,” Dean said gently, reaching for her hand. “I know you love the girl, but
Santana isn’t you and I won’t be gettin’ in bed with her to do anything but
sleep.”
“Oh,” Quinn said softly, smiling again. “I think I can live with that, once you
put it that way.”
“You said it yourself, beautiful,” Dean pointed out softly with a smile, “if
anyone owns me it’s Puck, he just loves you too much to ever make you sleep
alone.” He looked over at Santana, adding, “Besides, the way your girl was
actin’ yesterday mornin’, I got to think she’s only agreed to something like
that because she thinks she has to if she wants to keep you.”
Quinn looked quickly at Santana, frowning, and Santana’s chin lifted slightly
and she gave Dean a dirty look. “You need to learn to keep your mouth shut,
Winchester.”
Dean snorted, amused. “Well, you ain’t puttin’ cuffs on me and gaggin’ me with
my own dirty socks like you did to Puck, so you can just forget it, spitfire.”
Santana blinked and then let out a surprisingly girly little giggle. “He told
you about that?”
“He tells me everything, girl,” Dean said, smirking at Santana before he turned
away to open his door, letting go of Quinn’s hand to grab his keys as he got
out. “I’m gonna go make a batch of brownies, if you two want any.”
“We do!” Quinn said quickly, and Dean glanced back to see she was following him
out the driver’s door with Santana right behind her.
Dean laughed and waited for them both to get out, then closed his door and
started towards the house as he teased, “I see how you two are. You just want
me for my brownies.”
“They taste better than you do, I’m sure,” Santana said quickly, making Quinn
giggle.
Dean laughed and stopped by the steps to offer Quinn his hand out of habit,
giving her and Santana a patently faked scowl as he mock-threatened, “You’d
better be nice or I’m going to forget how to make those damned brownies.”
Quinn giggled and took his hand, stepping up on the first step before she gave
him a quick kiss and then an impish grin. “I love you.”
Dean snickered and swatted her butt with his free hand. “Get your pretty ass in
the house, woman.”
Quinn laughed and hurried up the stairs and into the house with Santana right
behind her.
Dean followed them, amused and wondering what kind of an evening he was in for
as he followed them to the kitchen, where Quinn sat in the chair that had a
nearly-new cushion tied down on it. Dean went to the cabinet to get out the
brownie mix while Santana went to the fridge to get one of the energy drinks
she and Quinn liked so much.
Dean waited until Santana took a seat at the table next to Quinn, then headed
for the fridge to open the freezer, digging under the frozen vegetables as he
asked, “What kind of candy do you want in it, beautiful? I’ve got dark
chocolate, milk chocolate, and a Heath bar.”
“Oh, the Heath, definitely,” Quinn said.
“And the dark chocolate,” Santana added quickly. “That sounds really good.”
Dean laughed, grabbing the Ghirardelli chocolate and the Heath bar and then
closing the freezer to give Quinn and Santana an amused smirk. “You two are
chocoholics.”
“Yes, we are,” Quinn agreed immediately, beaming. “And you’re a sweetheart for
making us the most decadent brownies ever.”
Santana laughed, nodding. “I’m starting to see why Quinn likes you so much. You
like to spoil her.”
“I do,” Dean agreed as he put the candy on the table, and then he went to the
cabinet over the sink to get down one of the mixing bowls he and Sam used for
cereal. He brought the bowl, a fork, and the brownie mix to the table and then
went to the fridge to get out an egg and a stick of butter. He walked back to
the table then, setting the egg in the bowl and then taking the butter to the
microwave and getting a coffee cup out of the cabinet above it as he asked, “So
just how much did you tell her, beautiful?”
“Just that she was right about you, Puck, and Kurt,” Quinn said, amused. “She
already sort of knew. You did let them mark you up Friday night.”
Dean chuckled softly, blushing as he put about a third of the stick of butter
into the cup and stuck it in the microwave to nuke for thirty seconds on
medium. “That wasn’t all from Friday night,” he admitted as he moved back to
the table to start making the brownies.
“I knew that,” Quinn said with a little giggle, “but there were new bruises,
not to mention the hickeys.”
Dean laughed, still blushing as he broke the egg into the mixing bowl. “Well,
yeah. We had a really good night.”
“They took you to the farm, didn’t they?” Santana asked, and when Dean glanced
at her he saw she was smirking. “Puck loves it out there.”
“I kind of like the place myself,” Dean admitted, nodding as he started to
scramble the egg up so it would mix in well. “It’s nice and private, and we
don’t have to worry about gettin’ caught.”
“Of course not,” Santana said with a laugh. “Nobody would mess with the
Puckerman place, not with Puck’s reputation.”
Dean looked at Santana quickly. “Seriously?”
Santana nodded, obviously surprised. “You didn’t know? His grandfather owns it,
but he never wanted his son to marry a Jew, so he won’t let Puck have it until
he’s dead.”
“So he’ll inherit, not his dad?” Dean asked, looking back down to add the mix
to the egg and start stirring them together.
Santana nodded. “Yeah, the old bastard says his son is worthless, but he wants
the farm to stay in the family. Puck goes to see him a few times a year to
check up on him and let him know that he’s been keeping an eye on the place for
him.”
“Huh,” Dean said softly, and then the microwave binged and he moved to get the
butter, barely aware he was smiling.
“You look happy about that,” Quinn said softly then, and when he glanced at her
he saw she was smiling.
“I am,” Dean admitted, carrying the butter back to the table to begin stirring
it into to brownie mix. “Like she said, Puck loves it out there, and so does
Kurt. I’m glad it’ll be theirs someday.”
“If they can afford the taxes, it will,” Santana pointed out, making Dean look
at her quickly. “The old man is exempt because of his age, but when he dies
that will change. There’s a couple hundred acres out there, so it won’t be
cheap.”
“Puck’ll manage,” Dean said confidently, smiling as he carried the bowl to the
sink and set it on the counter. He reached into the drawer by the sink for a
measuring cup and then added a fourth of a cup of water to the brownies before
he tapped the measuring cup on the sink and dropped it back in the drawer.
“Between him and Kurt they’ll be making good money at the garage before too
long, and Bethy doesn’t need that much yet so they’ll be able to save some for
a while. Puck doesn’t know much about workin’ in a garage now, but you only
have to show him how to do something once before he’s got it down pat. By the
time he finishes school he’ll be ready to start workin’ full time with Burt.”
“If he keeps the job,” Santana said with a little snicker. “He never has
before, not if he has to work with an actual boss.”
Dean grinned at Santana as he moved back to the table with the bowl, amused.
“He was never workin’ for Burt before, sweetheart. Burt gets Puck pretty good
an’ treats him like the man he is, not some wet behind the ears kid. Besides,
Kurt can keep him out of trouble, I’m sure.”
“He’s not like he used to be,” Quinn added, giving Santana an amused look.
“He’s grown up a lot since he peed in the fryolator at Mickey D’s.”
Dean blinked and then snickered as he went to the oven. “Dude. That’s just
wrong, not to mention dangerous.” He reached to take out the pans that were
piled in it and then turned it on to preheat to three-fifty.
Santana laughed. “Tell me about it! When they turned it on the next morning, it
heated up for a little while and then it kind of exploded. His boss ended up in
the hospital.”
“What’d the guy do to piss him off?” Dean asked as he grabbed the brownie pan
and the rest of the stick of butter off the counter and then moved back to the
table.
“He fired Finn for mixing up too many orders,” Santana said, amused.
Dean laughed as he started to rub the stick of butter around in the pan.
“That’d do it, alright.”
Quinn grinned, watching Dean as she said, “Speaking of Finn, is it my
imagination or are he and Puck hanging out a little more?”
“They’re hanging out a lot more,” Dean said, giving Quinn a pleased grin. “I
think Finn might finally be ready to forgive him.”
Santana snorted. “He should have done that a long time ago. He’s Puck. The only
reason it was surprising he got a girl pregnant is because she was supposedly
my girl.”
“I was your girl as much as you were mine,” Quinn pointed out to Santana,
looking amused. “You were having sex all the time with Puck. I only had sex
with him once, and I was so drunk I don’t even remember it.”
“Which is good,” Santana said quickly, “or you never would have lived with him
for months without doing him. He’s an ass sometimes, but he’s fantastic in
bed.” She looked at Dean, smirking. “Isn’t he?”
Dean laughed as he finished buttering the brownie pan and set it on the table,
closing the butter wrapper neatly. “You’ll never hear me deny it, unless you
ask when Sammy’s around.”
“I wouldn’t out you,” Santana said. “I know how much he idolizes you, and I get
why you don’t want him knowing about it. There’s a lot my family doesn’t know
either. My momma would snatch me bald and then beat me to death if she knew
half what I’ve done with Puck.”
“Glad we understand each other,” Dean said, pleased as he moved to the fridge,
opening it to put the butter up and then take out a zip bag of brown sugar. He
carried it back to the table and then opened the bag to get a small handful and
begin sprinkling it into the buttered pan.
“That’s why they taste so different when you make them!” Quinn blurted,
laughing. “You add brown sugar.”
Dean looked over at her, grinning. “Bobby’s wife used to make all her cakes and
stuff with either brown sugar or cinnamon sugar sprinkled in the buttered pan
instead of flour, and he taught me. I’ve got a few of her best recipes tucked
into my wallet so I won’t lose them. Cherry pie and peach cobbler, and these
kick-ass cookie things she called magic bars.” He sprinkled the last of the
sugar he was holding into the pan, and then picked up the pan to tap it and
make sure any excess sugar was shaken into the corners or around the sides of
the pan. “She loved to bake more than anything else, and Bobby’s still got all
the cookbooks even though he hardly ever uses them unless me and Sam are with
him for a holiday. Then he goes all out for Sam.”
“Not for you?” Quinn asked.
Dean put the pan back down and picked up the bowl of batter, then gave Quinn a
crooked little smile. “Bobby knows I don’t need it, but Sam does. He still
expects holidays to mean something, and we try to make sure they do, at least
for him.”
“You do everything for Sam, don’t you?” Santana asked quietly, and when Dean
looked at her she stared searchingly into his eyes as she added, “The house,
the cooking, cleaning... All of it.”
Dean looked at Santana a moment longer and then looked down to pour the brownie
batter into the pan. “Well, yeah. He’s my baby brother, it’s kind of my job.”
“No, it’s kind of your dad’s job,” Santana pointed out. “Since you haven’t got
a mom.”
Dean snorted. “Do you see a dad around either?” He glanced at Santana, then
back at the bowl as he scraped the last of the batter into the pan and then he
turned away. He tossed the bowl into the sink and then grabbed one of the four
knives stuck into the battered old knife block by the sink, walking back to the
table with it. “We’re better off without him anyway, a lot of the time.” He put
the knife on the table to open the candy bars. “Dad doesn’t see a point to life
beyond what matters to him. If he was here, he wouldn’t let Sam date, and he
would give him shit for caring about school, and he’d always be on my ass about
giving him money and not being strict enough with the kid, and just, no.” He
picked the knife back up and then started quickly chopping the candy bars right
on the tabletop, not bothering to watch what he was doing as he looked again at
Santana and said firmly, “I can take care of Sam just fine.”
“You do,” Santana agreed, quiet and a little subdued. “I just don’t know how
you can do it. I mean, my parents make me crazy, but I still want them around.
I can’t imagine raising my little brother without any help.”
Dean snorted as he looked down to make sure he got all the candy chunks small
enough. “Sweetheart, your parents are nothing like my Dad, I promise.” He
paused and then added, “Dad threatened to kill me the last time I saw him, and
he would have beaten the crap out of me if Puck hadn’t pushed between us and
told him where to go.”
“Was he drunk?” Quinn asked softly, and when Dean looked over at her he saw she
looked sad.
“No, beautiful,” Dean said gently, “he didn’t have that much of an excuse. He'd
probably had a couple beers, but he definitely wasn’t drunk when he was here,
and he wasn’t drunk when he decked me in Oklahoma a few months back, or when he
beat me half to death and damn near broke Sam’s jaw for trying to stop him the
time before that in Louisiana. If I don’t say yes sir and do whatever he says
in a hurry, he gets mean fast. He didn’t used to be that way, but he is now.”
“Why haven’t you just taken off?” Santana asked, frowning. “If you just got in
the car and drove he’d never find you two.”
“He’s my dad,” Dean said simply, shrugging one shoulder as he looked down to
start sprinkling the candy onto the brownies, trying to be sure that the dark
chocolate and the Heath were both spread evenly. “Sam’s scared of him now, even
though he tries to hide it most of the time, but I guess I’m not that smart.
He’s still my dad, and he’s all the blood family Sammy and I have except each
other. I still love him no matter how bad he treats me sometimes.”
“That really sucks,” Santana said, and the annoyed tone of her voice made Dean
glance at her again. She looked angry and sad all at once as she went on. “I
may not have liked you too much ‘cause you always have fresh hickeys and I
thought you were making out with Q, but even I know you’re a good guy that
tries really hard to do the right thing even when it’s not what you want to do.
You don’t deserve any of that shit.”
Dean smiled crookedly. “Thanks, girl.” He looked back down, sweeping the last
of the candy bits into one hand to sprinkle over the brownies, and then he
picked up the pan to carry it to the oven and put it in. He grabbed the timer
off the back of the oven and set it for thirty-five minutes, then put it on the
counter and turned around, leaning back against the counter and looking at the
girls with a smile. “So, what now, ladies?”
“Cuddle time on the couch?” Quinn asked quietly, looking wistful.
Dean’s smile softened. “You sure your girl is going to enjoy that, beautiful?”
“I think it sounds like a great idea,” Santana said quickly, making Dean stare
at her in surprise. Her chin lifted slightly as she added, “I didn’t like you,
Dean, but that’s mostly because you didn’t let me see you. I only saw the sexy
hunk who was sleeping with my girl and wanted in my pants so bad when he blew
into town.”
Dean laughed and looked down, lifting one hand to run it through his hair and
feeling sheepish as he murmured, “I deserve that one.” He looked back over at
Santana, adding, “I don’t let anyone see the real me unless I trust them, girl.
It wasn’t personal.” He let out a little laugh. “Hell, even Sam doesn’t see the
real me most of the time.”
“And don’t think he doesn’t know it,” Santana said quickly. “That’s why he’s so
jealous of Kurt and Puck.”
Dean blinked, his eyes widening. “Do what now?”
Santana rolled her eyes. “He’s jealous of them, dumbass. It makes him crazy
when he sees you laughing and hanging out with them. He feels like you like
them more than you do him.”
“It’s not the same!” Dean blurted, shocked. “He’s my baby brother, I’m not
gonna treat him the way I treat the guys I’m sleeping with. I mean, damn, I am
all kinds of fucked up, but even I am not gonna go down that road, not for
anyone.”
Santana stood up, picking up the energy drink she was sharing with Quinn as she
said gently, “You told Sam you’re not fucking them, Dean. He thinks they’re
just your friends.” She paused and then added, “Even though he’s pretty well
convinced you would be fucking Puck if it wasn’t for Kurt. He thinks you’re in
love with Puck, but so far in denial you can’t admit it to yourself.”
“You shouldn’t be telling him any of this,” Quinn said firmly, standing up and
moving towards the couch. Santana moved to follow her as Quinn added, “New
rule: no more talking about Sam unless he’s here.”
“Why not?!” Dean asked, moving to follow them and frowning. “He’s told me the
same stuff before.”
“Dean, honey, do something for me, please?” Quinn asked softly, stopping by the
couch and turning to look at Dean.
“Anything,” Dean said quietly as he stopped by her, frowning a bit and feeling
confused by the sudden request.
“Sit down and let me cuddle with you, and stop thinking about anything but
watching Jeremiah with us,” Quinn said, giving him a hopeful little smile.
“Just relax and let yourself be happy with somebody that loves you and forget
about all the things that don’t matter right now.”
“No day but today, huh?” Dean murmured, smiling in spite of himself.
Quinn smiled wider. “Exactly.”
“You asked them to sing that for him,” Santana blurted, staring at Quinn in
surprise.
“I did,” Quinn agreed, giving Santana an amused smile. “He didn’t know it was a
song, and Kurt or Puck couldn’t exactly suggest it, not without giving away
things they shouldn’t.” She looked at Dean, amused and fond as she added, “He
had already stepped in it enough by singing The Deeper The Love with Puck.”
Dean blushed and moved to sit on the couch, settling back comfortably as he
admitted, “I almost sang the ending of it with him, too, but I caught myself.”
“Barely,” Quinn agreed, grabbing the universal remote and then sitting next to
Dean, curling up against his side as she turned on the television. “Get the
lights, baby, would you please?” She turned on the DVD player and then waited
for the disc to load so she could skip to the next episode she hadn’t seen yet,
which Dean knew was Journeys End In Lovers Meeting. He had seen them all, of
course – he loved the show – but Quinn hadn’t gotten to see them all yet and he
loved the fact that she made sure he got to share them with her. They watched a
few episodes whenever they had an evening at home, and Dean had grown to
treasure the simple pleasure of holding her and watching Jeremiah and Kurdy
kick some ass.
“And grab me a beer?” Dean added hopefully, giving Santana a little grin. “I
did make you brownies and all.”
Santana looked at them for a moment and then went to grab Dean a beer, popping
the cap off on the counter and then turning off the kitchen lights before she
came back to the couch and sat down at Dean’s other side, making him look at
her in surprise. Santana offered him his beer with a smile as she said, “Just
shut up and enjoy it while you can, before I change my mind.”
Dean grinned and took his beer, murmuring, “Yes ma’am.” He took a drink of his
beer and then tucked it between his thighs where it wouldn’t spill, settling
back again as he put his arms around Quinn and Santana, glancing at each of
them. “We comfy?”
Quinn beamed at him and pushed play on the episode, then put the remote on the
couch by her and shifted to tuck her feet under her, wrapping both arms around
Dean and snuggling against his side. “Perfect.”
Dean chuckled and kissed the top of her head, then looked at Santana curiously.
“How about you?”
Santana looked at him for a minute and then smiled and kicked off her shoes to
copy Quinn’s position except for not putting an arm behind him. She leaned her
head against his shoulder as the show began, covering Quinn’s hand low on his
belly with her own as she murmured, “Shut up and watch the show, Dean.”
Dean chuckled softly and did as he was told, watching Kurdy and Jeremiah argue
like an old married couple as he relaxed and just enjoyed the simple pleasure
of holding someone and being held.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean woke up slowly the next morning, purring into his pillow at the feel of a
soft hand on his waist and lips ghosting over the bruise on his shoulder as
someone too slim to be Puck pressed against him. Teeth grazed his skin a moment
later and he arched into it with a low groan, his ass lifting without him
really even noticing or thinking about it, sure it had to be Kurt behind him.
“Fuck, baby,” he whispered, shifting to push back towards the body behind him a
little more, not quite awake enough to wonder why Kurt would be in his bed.
“Lube’s under the mattress.”
“You’re so easy,” Santana murmured into his ear then, sounding amused, and
Dean’s eyes opened wide in surprise. “It’s no wonder Puck likes having you
around.”
Quinn was laying on her side in front of him, looking fond and more than a
little aroused in nothing but a pair of lacy underwear and a skimpy halter top.
“Good morning, honey.”
Dean blushed very red as he hid his face against his pillow, grumbling, “Y’all
are cruel.”
Santana giggled and kissed the bite mark on his shoulder again. “Aww, sweetie,
I wouldn’t tease you and then leave you ... hanging.” She licked the bite and
then sucked at it, her hand sliding around under him towards his cock as she
whispered against his skin, “I’ll take care of you, I promise.”
Dean snorted and pushed to roll away from Quinn, forcing Santana off his back
as he growled, “I told you I don’t cheat.” He stood up on the bed between them
instead of climbing over either of them, and then he walked off the end of the
bed and into the bathroom without looking at them. He closed the door behind
him quietly, and the click was loud in the tiny room as he locked it behind
him, leaning back against the door.
“I told you that wouldn’t work,” Quinn said quietly out in his room, and he
closed his eyes as he listened. “I shouldn’t have let you talk me into it.”
“He’s still a guy, and he said he’s not gay,” Santana said, sounding surprised
and confused. “Guys just don’t turn down a free hand job.”
“Dean does,” Quinn said then, so quiet he could barely hear her. “He’s not like
other guys, San, I told you that.” He heard footsteps moving towards the
bathroom and then Quinn murmured just on the other side of the door, “Dean? I’m
sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Dean replied quietly, opening his eyes and looking up at the
bathroom’s dingy, water-stained ceiling as he wondered when he had turned into
the kind of guy that hid in his bathroom to escape two beautiful girls who just
wanted to watch him come. “Don’t worry about it, beautiful.”
Quinn didn’t reply for a moment and then said softly, “We’re going to get
dressed and then I’ll wake Sammy and go make breakfast. It’s just after six.”
“I’m gonna shower,” Dean said, moving towards the shower as he said it. “I’ll
be there before long.”
“I’ll have coffee waiting,” Quinn said.
“Thanks.” Dean turned on the water, drowning out whatever else might have been
said out in his room, and then he stripped out of his boxers and climbed into
the shower.
Ten minutes later Dean walked back out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped
around his hips, glad to find his bedroom empty. He went to the door first,
closing it before he went to the battered old dresser his clothes were in,
getting out boxers and stepping into them before he got out jeans and a t-shirt
and hurriedly pulled them on. If Sam came to his room to borrow socks or
something, Dean didn’t want him seeing anything that would upset him. He had
been getting dressed in the bathroom after his showers, and sleeping in a t-
shirt, too, but Quinn and Santana had talked him into just the boxers the night
before. He wouldn’t let them do that anymore. Sleeping with Quinn and Santana
was already enough to make Sam unhappy, but Sam seeing the hickeys all over
Dean after that would have been too much for either of them to bear.
Once the hickeys and bruises all over his pale skin were covered, he let
himself relax a bit, moving over to the bed with a clean pair of socks to put
his boots on. When he had his boots laced up tight with the laces tucked in
neatly, he put his wallet and his switch into his back pocket and then left his
room, pausing at Sam’s door and glancing at his watch before walking down the
dark hall towards the kitchen. Quinn had said she would get Sam up, so he
wouldn’t bother the kid. Sam had gotten in around eleven the night before and
was sure to be dragging that morning, so Dean would let him have a few more
minutes before he made sure the kid was out of bed.
Quinn was at the stove cooking bacon when he got to the kitchen, while Santana
sat at the table slicing a tomato, a bowl of lettuce already sliced next to
her.
Dean didn’t say a word to either of them as he went to the coffee pot, reaching
into the cabinet over it to get his mug and then filling it. He was just
lifting it to his lips to blow on it when Quinn said gently, “How does a BLT
sound for breakfast?”
Dean looked at her quickly and forced a smile when he saw how worried she was.
“Sounds great, beautiful, as long as I get more than one.”
Quinn smiled back at him, brightening visibly but still just a little hesitant.
“Three?”
Dean grinned. “Now you’re talkin’.” He moved over to kiss her lightly, mostly
to be sure she knew he wasn’t mad, and then he turned away to head for the back
door, adding, “Call me when it’s ready. I’m gonna do a load of clothes.”
“Okay, honey,” Quinn agreed, and when he glanced back as he went out the door
he saw she was smiling happily again.
Dean closed the door quietly behind him and then walked over to put his coffee
on the dryer before he started sorting a load of clothes out of the pile next
to the washer, humming quietly to himself. He barely even noticed when he began
to sing as he tossed jeans for him and Sam into the washer, his voice soft and
low but sounding kind of happy.
“When it's through, it's through. Fate will twist the both of you. So come on
baby, come on over, let me be the one to show you. I'm the one who wants to be
with you. Deep inside I hope you feel it too. Waited on a line of greens and
blues, just to be the next to be with you.”
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean had to work harder in class as finals approached, actually doing his
homework at home as he tried to drag his grades up to passing, and it seemed
like the week flew by because of it. Friday night found him spending a few
stolen hours on the farm with Puck and Kurt, and then his weekend seemed to
vanish into a blur of working with Burt on the Corvette and hanging out with
the people he cared about, mostly at Kurt’s house. 
It seemed like the weekend had just started and then suddenly it was Monday
again, and Dean was in homeroom listening to the teacher say that there were
only eight days of school left. He barely paid attention to anything else that
was said in class, doing his work on autopilot as he tried to not think about
the fact he had less than two weeks left to be with Puck and Kurt. He already
missed them because they had all been so busy the last two weeks that they had
a hard time finding time and an excuse to steal a little time alone together,
but soon he wouldn’t get to see them at all.
Dean walked into Glee quiet and a little subdued, and a glance told him Quinn
was in the back with Santana and Brittany. Puck was sprawled in his chair with
his arm around Kurt, both of them looking at something on Kurt’s cell phone.
Mercedes and Matt were there and talking quietly about something, and Mike was
sitting back in the back looking bored. He moved to his usual seat by Kurt
without really thinking about it and sat down, and he had barely gotten settled
when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He shifted to pull it out, flipping it
open to read the text.
It was from Kurt. ‘whats wrong?’
Dean kept from looking towards Puck and Kurt only because he knew there were
other people there who would be sure to notice. Explaining why they were
texting while they sat next to each other instead of just talking would be kind
of hard, so he hoped to avoid it. ‘just tired.’
Dean heard Puck snort very softly next to him and then Kurt responded, ‘liar.’
Dean had to smile slightly at that, amused that they were reading his texts
together. ‘am tired sunshine. just didnt say what im tired of.’
Kurt’s reply came back almost immediately. ‘no day but today.’
Dean’s smile went a little crooked as the others started arriving. ‘im tryin.’
He closed his phone and put it away, looking up as Schuester breezed in,
looking harried.
“I’ve got good news and bad news, guys,” Schuester said then, looking around to
be sure everyone was there.
“What’s the bad news?” Mercedes asked quickly, and when Dean glanced over he
could see she was frowning.
“Figgins declared on Friday afternoon that we have to have a final exam,”
Schuester said, looking kind of unhappy but trying to smile anyway. “Which
brings me to the good news. I get to decide what the exam is.”
“So what’s it gonna be?” Dean asked, hoping it wouldn’t have anything to do
with reading music. He still couldn’t make heads or tails of it, though at
least he finally knew that ‘1b’ stood for first baritone, or Finn, and ‘1s’ was
first soprano, Rachel. All of them had their own designation like that, right
on down to Matt’s designation as ‘1bs’, or first bass, even though he was the
only one whose voice could go low enough to call it a bass. Dean was ‘3b’,
third baritone right behind Puck.
“Well, I was talking about it with a friend this weekend, and he suggested that
I assign a song to each of you,” Schuester said, smiling. “I decided that we’d
have a repeat of the week last semester where you all sang something that
described where you were in your lives. I want to see how things have changed
since then.”
“So that’s our final?” Puck asked, and when Dean glanced at him he saw Puck
looked pleased. “That’ll be easy, Mr Schue.”
Dean looked back at Schuester, who was grinning at Puck. “Figgins didn’t say I
had to make the final difficult.”
Most of them laughed at that and then Kurt asked, “Do we have to work alone, or
can we do a duet with someone?”
“I’d really prefer everyone does their own thing, Kurt,” Schuester said
quickly, and Dean was sure he had known the question was coming. “It counts as
a final exam grade and duets would make grading a lot more difficult to justify
if Figgins gets nosy.”
“I can work with that,” Kurt said, smiling as he settled a little more
comfortably against Puck’s side.
“When will we be performing our songs, Mr Schuester?” Rachel asked then, and
when Dean glanced at her he saw she was beaming happily.
“I thought we could meet in the auditorium after school on Friday,” Schuester
said then, smiling. “That gives you all week to find the perfect song and work
on it.”
The idea pulled Dean out of his funk a bit, distracting him from how very
little time he was going to have with Puck and Kurt before he had to leave
them. “Any rules about what we have to sing?” Dean asked, curious. Singing a
song to describe himself actually sounded kind of like fun to him, though he
wasn’t sure what song he would choose. If they were going to be singing in the
auditorium after school, then Sam would be there watching and listening, and
that meant Dean had to be a little more careful.
“Just that it has to be about you and how you feel, or where you are in your
life,” Schuester replied, smiling. “Something that speaks to you, Dean, that
you get right down to your soul.”
“Cool,” Dean said, smiling. “Sounds like it oughta be an interesting
afternoon.”
Schuester laughed, nodding. “I think so too.” He looked around at everyone
else, adding, “Any more questions?”
Dean glanced around and saw a lot of people shaking their heads, and then he
looked back towards Schuester.
“Great!” Schuester said, grinning. “I know most of you have tests later today
and everyone has finals to study for, so consider this class an extra study
period this week.”
Kurt spoke up quickly then, looking hopeful. “Can I go get my books then, Mr
Schue?”
Schuester nodded, looking around. “You can all go to your lockers if you need
to, but I expect you to come straight back here.” He let his gaze rest on Puck
and Kurt again then, adding with amusement, “And that goes for all of you. No
getting lost in a storage closet along the way.”
Kurt blushed very red. “We’ll behave, Mr Schue.”
“Well then, go on,” Schuester said, waving towards the door as he turned to
walk into his office. “I’ve got papers to grade.”
Quite a few of them stood to go then, heading out into the hall, but Dean
stayed where he was even though Puck had followed Kurt out into the hall. He
didn’t really want to study, especially since the only tests he had that day
were Spanish and Chemistry. He was going to breeze through both without trying
hard and he knew it. He would have all evening to study, so he wasn’t going to
worry about the next day’s Psychology test just yet.
His phone started vibrating again and Dean reached to pull it out of his
pocket, flipping it open to see Puck had sent him a text.
‘get ur ass 2 ur locker’
Dean snorted, amused, and shut the phone without replying. He pretended to
think about it a moment longer and then stood, heading for the door without
bothering to explain himself. No one seemed to care, so he walked out and down
the hall towards the side hall that held his locker, which happened to be not
far from Kurt’s locker. He was surprised that there was no one around as he
walked down the side hallway, and he was just starting to wonder what Puck had
wanted him to go for when a storage closet he had just passed opened.
Dean looked back to check the hall, but there was no one in sight. Puck leaned
out and grabbed Dean’s arm to pull him into the storage closet. It was just a
small one, intended for odds and ends the teachers along that hallway might
need to store, and it was pretty crowded with Puck, Kurt, and Dean all in
there. More than half of the limited floor space in the tiny room was taken up
by cardboard boxes of textbooks that were stacked neatly along one side,
leaving very little room for the three of them to stand.
Puck turned to put his back to the door, pulling Dean in even closer to him as
he murmured, “I hate seeing you hurting.” He didn’t give Dean a chance to
answer before he kissed him, and Dean made a soft little noise as he moved
closer, his arms going around Puck.
Kurt stepped up close behind Dean then, sliding his arms around Dean’s waist
and kissing the side of his neck softly before he whispered into his ear, “We
both hate it, sweetheart.”
Dean kissed Puck for a few more moments and then Kurt was pulling him back, and
he willingly let Kurt pull them apart enough he could turn his head and kiss
Kurt, enjoying the difference in angle as Puck watched them and whispered,
“We’re going to do something tonight, just the three of us.”
Dean kissed Kurt a moment longer and then made himself pull away to look at
Puck, licking his lips for a taste of the cherry lip gloss Kurt loved. “We
can’t,” he murmured softly. “We’re all gonna have homework, an’ studying for
finals, an’—“
Puck kissed Dean to shut him up and then murmured, “And bullshit. We’re going.
You, me, and Kurt have a date with a blanket under the stars.”
Dean stared into Puck’s eyes a moment before he smiled softly. “Alright.” He
kissed Puck again, letting the gentle, loving kiss say the things he couldn’t,
and then murmured, “Thank you.”
Puck smiled and kissed him again, then whispered, “Kiss Kurt, babe. We need to
get back to class.”
Dean obediently turned to kiss Kurt just as slow and lingering as he had kissed
Puck, and then he leaned to grab a Trigonometry book off the shelves. “I’ll go
first an’ let you know if the hall’s clear.” He brushed past Puck to get out of
the storage closet, and he was glad to see the hall was deserted. He passed the
book back to Puck, who tossed it back where Dean had found it before he came
out, towing Kurt by the hand. Dean continued to his locker to grab his
Psychology book, which he needed to study for the test the next day if he’d be
going out that night.
Kurt went to his own locker to get something, and Puck loitered in between the
two as he murmured, “Head for our place after school.”
Quinn had plans to study that afternoon with Dean, Brittany, Sam, and Santana
at the trailer, but Dean knew they wouldn’t really miss him if he didn’t show
up for it. Sam wouldn’t be at all surprised he had blown off studying with
them, though he would probably have something to say about it when he found out
Dean was at Kurt and Puck’s the whole afternoon.
Dean looked over at Puck, nodding. “I’ll even do my homework at your place,
Kurt can help me with my Trig.” They would need some way to use up the evening
until nightfall, which wouldn’t be until nearly nine, and then suddenly he
realized how. “And maybe you can give me a guitar lesson? Teach me to play
whatever I end up doing for the final on Friday?” Puck had given him a few more
lessons on the guitar, enough that Dean could play an acoustic arrangement of
Stairway To Heaven and Ride On, but he still wanted to learn more before he had
to leave Lima behind.
Puck grinned, pleased. “You got it.”
Dean grinned back. “Cool.” He turned away again and headed back towards the
music room, feeling a lot better than he had been just a few minutes earlier.
He heard Kurt’s locker close then as they headed after him, and he could hear
them only a few feet behind him all the way back to Glee.
He kind of liked that feeling.
 
                                      ~*~
 
When Dean got to Kurt’s house, he was surprised to see that Kurt’s Navigator
wasn’t there yet. The Navigator had been gone when he got out to the parking
lot, so he had expected to find Kurt and Puck waiting for him.
Burt’s Ram was gone too, but Carole’s car was in the driveway so Dean grabbed
his backpack and got out of the Impala, heading for the front door. Burt and
Carole had told him not to bother knocking anymore, so he barely slowed down as
he reached the door, opening it to walk inside as he called, “Hello! Anybody
home?”
“In the nursery, sweetie,” Carole called, sounding pleased.
Dean smiled and dropped his backpack by the kitchen doorway, inhaling the
delicious aroma of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies as he headed down the
hall to Beth’s room. The door was open and he stopped there to lean against the
doorjamb, smiling as he watched Carole rocking slowly in the antique rocker
that had been in the Hummels’ attic since Kurt's mother died. Kurt had
forgotten all about the old chair since it was put away, but when Burt had
brought it down out of the attic Kurt had immediately fallen in love with it.
He spent hours in the nursery with Beth, rocking her in the chair while Puck
was sprawled nearby on Kurt’s old couch, which had been moved to the nursery
because they needed more places to sit. Beth was a very popular girl with the
Hummel family, and there were usually at least two people with her whenever she
was awake, unless of course someone was carrying her around the rest of the
house.
Carole was smiling at Dean and looking happy as she rocked slowly with Beth
cradled in her arms. “Kurt called and said to let you know they had to take
Sarah home because the girl she usually rides home with was out sick today.
Noah wants to get something from his closet while they’re there, but it
shouldn’t take them long.”
“Cool,” Dean said, smiling wider. “I wondered where they were. They left school
before I did, so I figured they would be here waiting.”
“Kurt said for you to go on down and make yourself at home,” Carole said,
amused. “There’s a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies on the counter in the
kitchen, and milk in the fridge.”
Dean grinned. “You’re a saint, ma’am.”
Carole laughed. “No, I just know young men very well.” She paused slightly,
looking down as Beth squirmed a bit and then relaxed again with a sigh. Carole
looked back up at him then, adding, “There’s dough in the fridge for at least
two more batches, so you three can have the ones I made already.”
“We love you too,” Dean said with a wide grin.
Carole made a shooing gesture with one hand, looking happy. “Go on, get started
on your homework. Kurt said you have a lot of Trig you’re going to need help
with.”
“I sure do,” Dean agreed, chuckling. “Me an’ math just don’t get along too
well.” He turned to go and then paused, looking back at Carole curiously.
“Anything I can do for you before I grab the cookies and head downstairs?”
“Nothing, sweetie, thank you,” Carole said quickly, giving him a warm smile.
“Go enjoy your cookies.”
“Yes ma’am,” Dean said, smiling at Carole before he headed back down the hall
to the kitchen, scooping up his backpack without pausing as he walked through
the kitchen doorway. He shrugged into the strap and then got a glass out of the
cabinet over the sink, taking it to the fridge to get a glass of milk before he
grabbed the plate of cookies and headed for Kurt’s open door.
He left the door open for the simple reason his hands were full, heading down
the stairs and across Kurt’s room to put the milk and cookies on the coffee
table that had been returned to its old place in front of the couch. He had
just dropped his backpack in the floor and sat down when he heard a door close
upstairs on the baby monitor, and he smiled as he reached for a cookie to
nibble on it, listening to the sound of booted feet approaching Beth’s room.
“Hi honey, I’m home,” Burt’s voice said teasingly a moment later, and Dean had
to grin at the way Carole laughed.
“Well hello, stranger,” Carole teased, sounding happy. “I didn’t expect to see
you so early. I thought you’d still be in Dayton with Finn’s car.”
“Ron got to it early,” Burt explained, and then there was a short pause before
he murmured in a very different tone, “Hello, sweetheart. How’s grandpa’s
little angel?”
Beth didn’t reply, but then Dean knew Burt hadn’t expected her to. She was
still way too little to respond to much of anything except Quinn’s scent or the
smell of milk, but that never kept people from talking to her. It was
especially hilarious to listen to Burt or Finn with her. They would both talk
baby-talk gibberish at her and make the goofiest faces, trying to get her to
smile. Kurt had tried explaining to them all repeatedly that Beth was too young
to really smile in reply to anything yet, but it never kept Burt or Finn from
trying to get that first real smile from her whenever they got the chance.
“Beth is fine, and ready for another nap,” Carole said quietly, sounding amused
and fond. “I was waiting for her daddy to get home so he could say hello before
she’s asleep again. He didn’t get to this morning because he and Kurt woke up
so late.”
Burt snorted, sounding somewhere between amused and wry as he said quietly, “I
saw them when they went running through on the way out. They were awake, they
just didn’t get out of bed.”
Dean grinned, sure that was true. He had seen Puck and Kurt when they got to
school that morning, if only for a moment as they passed him in the hall, and
they had both had that just-got-laid look. He was glad that it amused Burt
instead of annoying him, and wondered if the guy could be any more awesome.
Whatever made Kurt happy was all Burt seemed to care about, so he adored Puck
despite the fact he was having sex with Burt’s pampered, angelic – at least to
hear Burt tell it – son.
“Same difference,” Carole said with a soft laugh.
Dean heard the door close again and then faintly heard Kurt’s voice saying,
“I’m going to make a snack, sweetheart. Do you want anything?”
“Yeah, baby. A roast beef sandwich the size of your arm,” Puck said quickly,
making Kurt laugh. Puck was obviously much closer to the baby monitor than Kurt
was, and then a moment later Puck sounded even closer to it as he added, “Hey
Dad. Aunt Carole.”
“Hello, son,” Burt said, and Dean was glad to hear how pleased Burt sounded as
he wondered when Puck had started calling Burt ‘dad’. Burt had told him to
weeks ago, sure, but Dean hadn’t ever heard him do it before.
“You’re just in time to kiss Bethy good night, Noah,” Carole added, sounding
amused. “She’s ready for another nap.”
“I hoped I’d catch her awake,” Puck said quietly, and Dean was sure he was very
close to the baby monitor, which was on a table by the rocking chair. There was
a short pause and then he murmured, “I’ll tuck her in, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course I don’t, sweetie,” Carole said quickly. “I’ve got cookies I want to
get in the oven anyway.”
“Cookies?” Burt asked quickly, and Dean grinned at how hopeful he sounded.
Carole laughed. “Yes, cookies. Your favorites, even.”
“I love you,” Burt said then, sounding happy and kind of smug, and Dean had to
snicker at how much he sounded like Puck. The more he was around Burt, the more
he realized that Kurt had fallen for someone just like his dad, down to the
fact Puck and Burt had both played the same position in football. It was really
kind of adorable, especially since Burt seemed to be very aware of how similar
to him Puck was. It had led to Burt and Puck getting along wonderfully, which
exasperated Kurt sometimes even though Dean was sure that Kurt loved how close
Burt and Puck were getting.
“You enjoy a little quality time with Beth, sweetie,” Carole said, amused.
“She’s been fed and changed, but I’m sure she’d love it if her daddy would sing
her to sleep.”
“Sounds good to me, too,” Puck agreed, and Dean grinned a little wider at how
happy he sounded. Puck loved his little girl to distraction, and Dean knew he
often wished he could be there to take care of her even more often, despite the
fact Puck and Kurt handled most of Beth’s feedings when they were home. Burt
sometimes beat them to the three AM feeding by checking on Beth before she even
had a chance to cry, but otherwise it was mostly Puck or Kurt that fed her
unless they were at school.
Quinn had been serious about not wanting to be a mom, but no one blamed her for
it. Quinn still fed Beth if she was at Kurt’s when Beth got hungry, and she
used a breast pump three times a day to put up milk for Beth that Dean
delivered to Carole every morning on the way to school, but she didn’t spend as
much time with Beth as Dean had really expected she would want to. She
obviously loved her baby girl, but she just wasn’t cut out to be a mother and
she knew it. Lucky for Beth, Puck and Kurt were happy to be Beth’s parents, and
Carole and Burt were the doting grandparents that Dean figured every kid should
have.
Dean could hear two sets of feet walking out of the nursery, and he was just
reaching for his milk a moment later when Puck began to sing softly. Dean took
a deep drink of the milk, listening as Puck sang, “Sometimes I wonder if I'd
ever make it through, through this world without having you, I just wouldn't
have a clue.”
Dean put his milk down and reached for his bag to open it, smiling and singing
along with Puck very quietly.“‘Cause sometimes it seems like this world's
closing in on me, and there's no way of breaking free, and then I see you reach
for me. Sometimes I wanna give up, wanna give in, I wanna quit the fight, and
then I see you baby and everything's alright, everything's alright.”
Puck hummed the short break between verses and then went on, and Dean sang
along quietly as he opened his Trig book, looking for his assignment.“When I
see you smile I can face the world, oh, you know I can do anything. When I see
you smile, I see a ray of light, oh, see it shining right through the rain.
When I see you smile, baby when I see you smile at me.”
Puck ended the song there so Dean stopped singing too, listening as Puck
whispered, “G’night, baby girl. Your daddy loves you.”
Dean smiled and listened to footsteps leaving the nursery as he finally found
the right page, where he had scribbled in his book the cryptic note, ‘ch23 o –
ch24 o – ch25 a’. He laid the book by him in the floor, settling back against
the front of the couch as he took out the spiral he always did his math in and
then began to put the heading on the paper. He was starting on the first
problem a few moments later, copying it and then beginning to work out the
equation carefully, making sure to show all of his work because Robertson
insisted on it.
Dean heard footsteps on the stairs a few minutes later and looked up, smiling
when he saw Kurt coming down the stairs with a plate holding two huge
sandwiches and another of vegetable sticks arranged neatly around a bowl Dean
knew would be homemade ranch dressing. Kurt’s messenger bag was slung over one
shoulder and he looked happy and relaxed, which made Dean smile a little wider.
Puck was right behind Kurt with a plastic bag of bottled drinks and a glass of
milk, and he stopped at the top of the stairs to turn and close the door,
locking it behind him. Dean was surprised to see Puck had a battered old guitar
case slung on his back with his backpack, and as he watched Puck walk quickly
down the stairs he wondered when Puck had gotten a second guitar. Puck’s Gibson
was sitting in Kurt’s weird hanging chair with the case against the wall behind
the chair out of the way, so that couldn’t be the guitar Puck was carrying.
“I’m glad to see you started your Trig, sweetheart,” Kurt said as he reached
the table, giving Dean a sweet smile when Dean looked quickly up at him. Kurt
put the food he was carrying next to the plate of cookies as he added
teasingly, “I was afraid I’d have to bribe you to get you to do it.”
Dean grinned. “I won’t say no to bribes,” he murmured, “but I’ll still do my
homework if you don’t. I don’t ever wanna take Trig again, and that means I
gotta do good on the homework an’ make an A on the final or I’m screwed.”
Puck snickered as he put the bag of drinks next to Dean, teasing, “Sounds to me
like you’re screwed.”
Dean laughed and reached out to swat at Puck, who quickly dodged out of reach.
“Shut up, asshole. I’m not doing near as bad as I was before Kurt and Quinn
started helping me.”
Puck went to get the Gibson, bringing it over to put it in one of the chairs
close to the couch and then shrugging out of the strap on the case on his back
and dropping his backpack in the floor with a thump. He put the battered case
into the chair with his Gibson, setting it down carefully enough to make Dean
certain it had a guitar in it, and one Puck cared about at that.
Kurt giggled, drawing Dean’s attention back to him as Kurt said with a wry
smile, “It’s true you’re doing much better, sweetheart, but I’m still not sure
you can expect an A on any final except Spanish and Chemistry.”
“Neither am I,” Dean admitted with a little laugh, “but I can try. I gotta get
A’s in Trig and Psychology for sure if I’m gonna pass for the year.” He hadn’t
told anyone yet, but he had already decided that he was going to stop throwing
effort after foolishness if he failed again. There was no reason to keep
bothering with trying to fight his way through school when he could get a GED
at any community college in the country by just taking a test, and with a GED
and what he knew about cars he could get a job as a mechanic easy enough.
Puck snickered and took a seat in the floor across the coffee table from Dean,
reaching for the plate of sandwiches. “Good luck with that.” Puck took a big
bite of his sandwich, which Dean was glad to see was roast beef, cheese,
lettuce, tomato, and mayo on French bread. That was Dean’s favorite sandwich
just about, and there was another one on the plate that was about to have his
name on it.
“Then we need to study Psychology, too,” Kurt said, sitting on the couch by
Dean and giving him an encouraging smile. “You can do it, I know.”
“I’m glad somebody thinks so, sunshine,” Dean said with a soft chuckle, and
then he changed the subject. “Is one of those sandwiches for me?”
“Yes,” Kurt said, amused. “I happen to know you skipped lunch.”
“With you,” Dean agreed softly, smirking as he leaned to get the other
sandwich. He paused before he took a bite, looking at Kurt as he asked,
“Speaking of what we were doing during lunch, won’t they ask questions if they
notice the door is locked?” He took a big bite of his sandwich, making a low
happy noise because it was just about perfect, right down to the fact Kurt had
put sharp cheddar cheese on it instead of American.
Kurt gave Puck an amused look as he murmured, “Noah has taken care of that
already.”
Puck swallowed what he was chewing and smirked at Dean. “I always lock it now
when I go through it.”
“He locked Dad in here with us yesterday,” Kurt added with a soft laugh,
reaching for his plate of veggies and dressing and then curling up on the couch
with the plate on his knee. “Dad said he was glad to see Noah was using the
lock, but he’d rather be outside the room before it needed locked.”
Dean snickered. “Sounds like him.”
Dean watched Kurt nibble on a carrot stick he had just dunked in the bowl of
ranch dressing as Puck murmured, “So it’s safe, as long as we don’t get loud.”
Dean looked quickly at Puck, who was smirking. “Well, that and we keep our
clothes mostly on, in case someone knocks.”
“We don’t have to strip for you to bend me over your chair and fuck me silly
after we eat and get homework done,” Dean said quietly, smirking at Puck. “If
you want to, that is.”
Dean took another bite of his sandwich as Puck grinned wickedly at him,
murmuring, “I want.”
Kurt chuckled softly and murmured, “As if there was any doubt of that.”
Dean turned his head to look up at Kurt, chewing quickly and swallowing to grin
up at him. “Sure there was. He might have wanted you to do him instead.”
Kurt smirked at that idea, looking at Puck. “That does sound like fun.”
Puck’s wicked smirk didn’t slip a bit. “I love my life.”
Dean and Kurt both just laughed as they went back to eating their long-overdue
lunch, and a moment later Puck followed their example, somehow still managing
to look wicked and smirky.
 
                                      ~*~
 
“Finally!” Dean said with a scowl, dropping his pencil on his spiral notebook
and then reaching over to close his Trig book with a thump. “God, I hate math.”
Puck chuckled, looking up from the history book he was reading. “Want me to
check it over, babe?”
“Please,” Dean agreed quickly, offering Puck his spiral. “I think I got it
finally.”
Dean knew that Puck was making good grades in math even though he had never
bothered to go to the class until Kurt asked him to. Numbers just clicked for
Puck without him really trying, which Kurt said was part of the fact Puck was
so talented musically. Dean was skeptical that one could have anything to do
with the other, but Kurt insisted that being good at math and being an
outstanding musician went hand-in-hand. Kurt also said that Dean’s talent for
chemistry was part of the fact he was a tactile learner, not a visual one, and
Dean could kind of see that so he couldn’t completely ignore Kurt’s theory on
Puck and math. Dean was much better at remembering something he had done than
he was at remembering things he read about.
Puck took the spiral and then held out his hand again, smiling at Dean. “Gimme
the pencil so I can fix anything I find.”
“Would you?” Dean asked, grinning suddenly as he passed over his pencil. “Your
handwriting’s damn near as bad as mine, so I bet Robertson won’t notice.”
Kurt laughed softly and reached out with one foot to poke Dean in the shoulder
with his toe. “You should fix them yourself, sweetheart, so you know what you
did wrong.”
Dean laid his head back on the couch to look up at Kurt, pouting. “I know what
I did wrong. I didn’t get a GED when I flunked out last year.”
Puck snickered at that, and Kurt was obviously trying not to laugh as he said,
“Dean, you’re entirely too smart to settle for a GED.”
“I don’t need one ‘cause I’m stupid,” Dean pointed out with a laugh, “but I am
gettin’ one if I flunk again. It’s embarrassin’ as hell already being nineteen
and a junior, and I am so not gonna go through two more years of high school.
I’d be legal before I even get a diploma, an’ that’s just plain pathetic.”
Kurt sighed, looking kind of sad. “Sometimes I really wish I could just shoot
your dad.”
“Me too,” Dean agreed, amused. “But I can’t blame it all on him, sunshine.
Sammy’s been dragged around just like I have, an’ he’s a year ahead of kids his
age and on the honor roll. I bought into Dad’s line of bullshit that school
wasn’t important for too long, an’ I’m gonna be payin’ for it for the rest of
my life.” He grinned. “Lucky for me, a mechanic doesn’t need a college degree.”
“A lot of them don’t even have a GED,” Kurt agreed, still a bit sad but
smiling. “Dad’s got two working for him now that barely speak English.”
Puck snickered, looking up from Dean’s paper. “Baby, they both went to high
school at McKinley.”
“And learned nothing except how to throw a football and chase skirts,” Kurt
said with a laugh. “Greg is about as clever as the average rock, and Larry is
even less intelligent. They only graduated because Tanaka got them a free ride
so they could play sports.”
Dean laughed. “Maybe I should have tried that.”
“Works for me,” Puck agreed with a laugh. “I don’t half try in class, but they
pass me anyway ‘cause I’m the only guy on the football team besides Kurt that
has ever scored.”
“That won’t happen next year, though,” Kurt pointed out, amused. “You’re not
going to play football.”
“I know,” Puck agreed, amused. “I’ll have to actually go to class and do
homework, but—“ He smirked, wicked and predatory. “—my baby likes to make it
worth my time.”
Kurt looked pleased and smug. “And will keep doing so, as long as you make
decent grades. I intend to have you in a few of my college classes with me.”
“Just the business ones,” Puck said quickly with a grin. “Fashion’s so not my
thing, baby.”
“I never would have guessed,” Kurt said dryly, looking pointedly at Puck’s t-
shirt.
Dean had caught Kurt beaming when he looked at it a couple of times, but he had
also seen Kurt giving the shirt dirty looks. Kurt didn’t seem to be able to
decide if the t-shirt was offensive or the coolest thing ever, but Dean had
seen the back earlier so he already knew why Kurt couldn’t decide if he liked
it or not.
The t-shirt was red and had white print on the left side of the chest that
looked vaguely like a baseball logo and said ‘The Other Team’, and Puck had
taken it to a local custom-printed clothing shop and got them to put a small
'20' under the logo on the front, and a large white ‘20’ on the back just below
the word ‘Switch’. Puck had been, of course, referring to the fact he liked to
top and bottom, and Kurt knew that as well as Dean did, though Dean wasn’t sure
how many of their friends understood it. Dean had seen more than a few people
giving Puck’s back slightly confused looks that day, though Schuester had
turned beet red when he saw it in Glee that morning and Quinn, Santana, and
Rachel had all just giggled whenever Puck walked by them.
Puck smirked and looked smug as he glanced down at his shirt. “You know you
love it, babe.” He looked back over at Kurt, hazel eyes sparkling. “You still
haven’t worn the one I ordered for you, though.”
Kurt laughed. “And I won’t, not in public.”
“It’s not like it’s bad,” Puck said, laughing. “It just says ‘Too Fabulous To
Be Straight.”
“That doesn’t mean it isn’t tacky,” Kurt pointed out, amused. “It’s purple and
the words are in rainbow glitter, Noah. It’s hideous.”
Dean smirked at Puck. “I still say you should have gotten him the pink and
silver ‘That’sPrincessBitch To You’ shirt.”
Kurt laughed and kicked Dean in the shoulder. “Ass!”
Dean snickered, reaching up to rub his arm as he teased, “You know it’s true!
You love being bitchy at people who annoy you.”
“It’s his favorite sport,” Puck agreed, laughing.
“Shut up, both of you, and get busy,” Kurt said, trying not to laugh. “I’m done
with my homework.”
“Same here.” Puck smirked wickedly as he looked back down at the spiral he was
holding to go back to checking over the last of Dean’s homework. “You got
anything else you gotta do tonight, Deano?”
“Nope,” Dean said quickly as he leaned to reach for one of the last two
cookies. “I’m not studyin’ the Psychology until tomorrow morning. Maybe then
I’ll be able to remember it long enough to pass the test in fourth period.”
Kurt snorted, and Dean glanced up at him to see he was obviously amused. “I’ll
help you study in Glee tomorrow. Schue is going to let us have the class as an
extra study period all week, remember?”
“That’s when I meant,” Dean agreed, grinning up at Kurt. “I’m sure not gonna do
it before school. I was kinda hoping to drag your boyfriend into a closet
then.”
“You might even be able to drag us both into one, if you get lucky,” Kurt
pointed out, smirking.
“If we don’t get to school five minutes before the bell again,” Puck added with
a snicker.
“I heard you two were too busy getting off to get to school,” Dean teased then,
looking from Kurt to Puck. “Carole said something about how you got up too late
to see Beth this morning, but Burt told her you were awake, just not out of
bed.”
Puck laughed and looked up from checking Dean’s homework. “That was so Kurt’s
fault. He was the one doing the fucking, I just held on for the ride.”
Dean smirked and looked up at Kurt, teasing, “Oh yeah?”
Kurt laughed, blushing. “He’s my boyfriend, I can fuck him good morning if I
want. He said so.”
Dean and Puck both snickered at that and then Dean said, “And me too, for that
matter.”
Kurt preened. “I am good at it.”
“You sure are, baby,” Puck agreed, smirking.
“Great even,” Dean added quickly, also smirking. “You learned from the best,
after all.”
“I am pretty awesome,” Puck agreed, making Dean laugh and look over at him
again.
“Yeah, but you learned from me,” Dean pointed out, smug.
“Oh yeah,” Puck agreed, giving Dean a wicked smirk. “And I intend to do a
little practicing with you just to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything as
soon as I finish checking your homework.”
“So stop talking and get busy,” Dean said, laughing.
Puck grinned and looked back down at Dean’s homework, scanning over it as he
said, “You could be getting him ready, baby.”
“Sounds like fun,” Kurt agreed with a grin, climbing off the couch to walk
towards the bed. “I believe mention was made of bending him over a chair?”
“Yep!” Puck agreed cheerfully, glancing over at Dean. “You need to move.” He
pointed at his favorite of Kurt’s chairs, which was the most comfortable one in
the room by far. “Right there.”
“Anything you want, babe.” Dean smirked and popped the last of his cookie into
his mouth, and then he obediently climbed to his feet, munching happily as he
walked towards the chair and began to unbuckle his belt.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean shifted slightly on the couch later between Puck and Kurt, humming softly
and enjoying the way Kurt was curled up against his right side with one leg
across his lap while Puck leaned against him on the left, holding his hand.
They had been relaxing for a little while, just sitting together and talking
quietly, and he didn’t really want it to end even though he knew he should
think about going home. It was after seven, and Quinn probably expected him to
be home for dinner.
He noticed the old guitar case again then and looked over at Puck, who was
sprawled next to him bonelessly, looking smug. “I meant to ask earlier. What’s
the old guitar case for?”
Puck let out a little laugh. “An old guitar.” He leaned to kiss Dean, tasting
of come and a hint of the cookies he had eaten earlier, then he got up to walk
over to where he had put the old case down. It was battered and scarred but
intact with a long leather strap attached to it with screws so it could be
slung on someone’s back instead of carried by the handle. “We dug it out of my
old closet while we were there to drop off the squirt.”
Kurt shifted further from Dean to sit next to him then, smiling as he added,
“Luckily it was easy to find.”
Puck laughed, nodding as he carried the case back to the couch, and then he was
offering it to Dean with a grin. “Merry Christmas.”
Dean’s eyes widened and he stared up at Puck. “Do what now?”
“Take the guitar, baby,” Puck replied, obviously trying not to laugh. Dean did
as he was told, still wide-eyed as Puck sat back down next to him and added,
“It’s yours, so you can keep practicing.”
“Dude.” Dean looked at the case for a moment, then back at Puck, frowning. “I
can get one from a pawn shop, you don’t need to give me one of your guitars.”
“It’s not just any guitar,” Puck said quietly, giving Dean a soft, loving
smile. “It’s a 1938 Martin, and they don’t make them like this anymore. It was
the first guitar I ever played, when I was nine. I bought it at a flea market
for twenty bucks from a guy who had no idea what he had.”
“You need to keep it then,” Dean said, trying to hand it back to Puck.
“Seriously, I love you for wantin’ to give it to me, but I can’t take it.”
“If you don’t take it, I’ll never forgive you,” Puck threatened, looking more
determined. “I want you to have it. I never play it anymore, not since Mom
bought me the Gibson when I turned sixteen, and it was just hanging in the back
of a closet being wasted.” His expression softened again as he added more
gently, “Please accept it, babe. It’ll make me happy to know you’ve got it to
remember me by.”
“I’m never gonna forget you,” Dean murmured, staring into Puck’s eyes. “You
don’t have to give me your first guitar to make sure of that.”
“I want you to have it,” Puck repeated softly.
Dean looked into Puck’s eyes for a few more moments and then turned to look at
Kurt. “Help me talk some sense into him?”
“I can’t, sweetheart. I agree with Noah,” Kurt said gently. “He truly wants you
to have it.” He smiled, adding, “And you know as well as I do that you’ll enjoy
playing it a little more because he gave it to you.”
Dean looked at Kurt a moment longer and then looked down at the old black
guitar case, suddenly sure he had to take it even though he still felt like he
shouldn’t accept it. He knew he was going to have to leave them behind soon,
and having Puck’s guitar to play when he was missing him would be a special
kind of torture, equal parts painful and reassuring. Kurt was right, though, he
would love it much more because it was Puck’s first guitar, and he loved
knowing Puck wanted him to have it. It told him a lot about how Puck felt about
him, and made him feel kind of awed and very loved.
After a few minutes Dean laid the case on his knees and then unfastened the
latches one by one, opening the case to see a battered old guitar in a darker
wood than any unpainted acoustic guitar he had ever seen before. The guitar had
obviously seen a lot of use and was deeply scratched and worn on the front from
being played for so many years, and it smelled like exotic wood of some kind
with just a hint of Puck’s scent mingled in.
“It looks rough, but it still sounds smooth and sweet as molasses,” Puck said
softly then, making Dean look at him. “I tried it when we dug it out of the
closet, and it’s still in tune even though I haven’t played it in over a year.”
Dean stared into Puck’s eyes for a moment and then murmured softly, “You’re
sure about this.”
“Yes,” Puck replied quietly, smiling. “Sure as I am that I love you.”
Dean smiled. “I love you too.” He leaned towards Puck, who met him half way
with a tender, loving kiss that drew a low noise from Dean. When he finally
pulled away he smiled at Puck again as he asked, “Does this mean I get a lesson
tonight?”
“Yep,” Puck agreed easily, grinning as he stood to go get his Gibson. “First
you need to get to know your guitar, then we’ll try something new.”
“Okay,” Dean agreed, holding the Martin in one hand while he closed the case
and set it in the floor. He shifted a little further over on the couch then so
he wouldn’t accidentally elbow Kurt while he tried to play, and then he ducked
into the Martin’s plain worn leather strap before he settled it in his lap. He
smiled at how comfortable the guitar felt, a little smaller than the Gibson
with a slightly different shape that he liked the feel of as it rested across
his thighs. He settled the fingers of his left hand on the neck of the guitar
and took a worn old ivory pick out of the strings at the narrowest part of the
neck with his other hand, then gave the strings an experimental strum with the
pick. He looked up at Puck with a surprised smile at how good it sounded, the
tone clear and deep and as close to flawless as any guitar Dean had ever heard.
Puck grinned at him, sitting in his favorite chair with the Gibson in his lap
as he said quietly, “That guitar can make anyone sound as good as me, babe.”
“I can believe it,” Dean agreed with a soft laugh, smiling as he looked back
down and began trying to pick out the first few notes of the only acoustic
version he had ever heard of ‘Stairway To Heaven’. Dolly Parton had performed
it on one of her albums, but Puck had taught it to him before he admitted that
to Dean. Dean had already fallen in love with the sound of it when they played
it on the Gibson by then, even though he might never have even listened to it
if he knew Dolly performed it first, and it was quickly becoming his favorite
version of the song.
It sounded even better on the Martin, so good in fact that he was soon grinning
like a fool as he played. The Martin fit in Dean’s arms like it was meant to be
there, and it was so easy to play that he was soon singing along as he played,
still watching his fingers to be sure he didn’t mess up the notes.
“There's a lady who's sure, all that glitters is gold, and she's buying a
stairway to heaven. ... When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all
closed, with a word she can get what she came for. ... Ooh, a stairway to
heaven.”
 
 
***** NINETEEN *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
 
Dean spent every free moment that he could with Puck and Kurt that week, even
though Sam had started giving him odd looks after Dean brought the Martin home
on Monday.
Dean really was studying with them and learning to play the song he was going
to perform as his Glee final exam, but he was also stealing time with them for
sex or even just to be together, and he wasn’t going to give that up just
because Sam seemed suspicious. Sam was always suspicious these days and it
didn’t do any good to try and talk to him about it, so Dean had decided to try
and ignore it. It wouldn’t be long before he was alone again and he wanted to
enjoy what he had with Puck and Kurt while he could.
The week flew by despite the fact Dean wished it would last forever, and it
seemed like no time before he was sitting by Kurt and Puck in the auditorium on
Friday afternoon, waiting patiently for his turn to sing. He had the Martin
sitting between his feet, much the same way that Puck was sitting next to him
with the Gibson, and he was feeling a little nervous as it got closer to his
turn. They had drawn numbers in class that day to see what order they would go
in, and Dean ended up last.
Rachel finished her song – some boring thing about being a star that made Dean
want to stick his fingers in his ears – and everyone applauded politely for her
even though most of them looked amused or bored or both. It really had been
pretty predictable of her to sing about being a star, and no one really seemed
surprised by it, not like they had been when Kurt kicked off the afternoon by
singing a song by someone named Jewel that was called Morning Song. Dean hadn’t
ever heard the song before Kurt got on stage and sat at the piano to play it,
but he kind of loved it and he knew Puck felt the same way. When Kurt had left
the stage, Puck had met him at the stairs to kiss him like he never intended to
stop.
Schuester smiled at Rachel, waiting for the applause to stop before he spoke.
“That was very good, Rachel. Why don’t you have a seat?” Rachel nodded quickly,
beaming, and walked towards the stairs that led off the stage as Schuester
looked around. “Alright, who’s next?”
“That’s me, Mr Schue,” Puck said immediately, grinning as he stood and shrugged
into the strap on his Gibson.
Schuester waved towards the stage. “It’s all yours, Puck.”
Puck walked over to the stage, swinging his guitar around in front of him and
then turning towards everyone else as he said, “I don’t see a point to climbing
on stage when I can sing it here just fine.” He settled his guitar in his hands
a little more comfortably and then began to play, looking at Kurt with a warm
smile as he began to sing.
“We were drawn from the weeds, we were brave like soldiers, falling down under
the pale moonlight. You were holding me, like someone broken, and I couldn't
tell you but I'm telling you now. Just let me hold you while you're falling
apart. Just let me hold you and we'll both fall down. Fall on me, tell me
everything you want me to be, forever with you, forever in me, ever the same.”
Puck played the short instrumental between verses and then went right into the
next part, smiling lovingly at Kurt the whole time like no one else was even
there.“We would stand in the wind, we were free like water, flowing down under
the warmth of the sun. Now it's cold and we're scared, and we've both been
shaken. Hey, look at us baby, this doesn't need to be the end. Just let me hold
you while you're falling apart. Just let me hold you and we'll both fall down.
Fall on me, tell me everything you want me to be, forever with you, forever in
me, ever the same. Call on me, and I'll be there for you and you'll be there
for me. Forever it's you, forever in me, ever the same.”
Dean dragged his gaze away from Puck to look at Kurt, smiling when he saw the
tears in Kurt’s eyes as he watched Puck with a sweet, happy smile. He looked
back at Puck then, listening as he sang the rest of the song, which Dean knew
wasn’t the one Kurt had been expecting. Puck had practiced Sweet Child Of Mine
several times that week and had let Dean and Kurt think that was what he was
singing for the final, even though Dean hadn’t ever heard Puck actually say
what song he was performing that day. Kurt hadn’t told them what he wanted to
sing either, though, so Dean figured Kurt wouldn’t complain.
“You may need me there, to carry all your weight. But you're no burden, I
assure. You tide me over with a warmth I'll not forget, but I can only give you
love. Fall on me, tell me everything you want me to be, forever with you,
forever in me, ever the same. Call on me, and I'll be there for you and you'll
be there for me. Forever it's you, forever in me, ever the same.
“Forever with you, forever in me, ever the same”, Puck finished quietly,
letting the music trail off a few moments later. There was a moment of silence
and then everyone was applauding, even Kurt, who was still beaming with tears
sliding down his cheeks.
“Wow, Puck,” Schuester said after the applause started to trail off, and Dean
was amused to see he looked surprised and really pleased. “When I said I wanted
a soul-bearing song, you sure delivered.”
Puck let out a little laugh, blushing as he walked over to the empty seat
between Dean and Kurt. “Well, you said you wanted a song about where I was in
my life, so yeah.” He looked into Kurt’s eyes, smiling softly. “I’m pretty deep
in love.”
Kurt beamed at Puck, reaching for his hand as he said softly, “And you’re not
alone, I promise.” He looked over at Mr Schue again then, wiping his eyes with
his free hand as he waited expectantly for Schuester to say something.
Schuester smiled and looked around. “Who’s next?”
“Me,” Dean said, standing up and then shrugging into the strap on the Martin.
He still didn’t quite think of it as his, even though Puck refused to even
consider accepting it back. Dean moved to stand in pretty much the same place
Puck had stood and then looked at Schuester, fidgeting a little. “This isn’t
really my kind of music, but Quinn’s got the CD and when I heard the song the
other day I really liked it. I think it fits what you wanted, Mr Schue.”
“Go ahead, Dean,” Schuester said, giving Dean an encouraging smile. “I’m sure
we’d all like to hear what you have to say.”
Dean nodded and looked down at the old Martin as he settled his hands on the
strings, taking a slow deep breath before he started to play, smiling slightly
at the clear sweet tone of the old guitar. He began to sing about ten seconds
into the song, still looking at his fingers as they moved over the strings
quickly, carefully picking out the upbeat tune.
“Well, I went to bed in Memphis, and I woke up in Hollywood. I got a quarter in
my pocket, and I'd call you if I could, but I don't know why, I gotta fly. I
wanna rock and roll this party, I still wanna have some fun. I wanna leave you
feeling breathless, show you how the west was won, but I gotta fly... I gotta
fly... Like Steve McQueen, all I need's a fast machine, and I'm gonna make it
all right. Like Steve McQueen, underneath your radar screen. You'll never catch
me tonight.“
Dean’s smile widened into a grin that he barely even noticed as he started
singing the second verse. “I ain't takin' shit off no one, baby that was
yesterday. I'm an all American rebel, making my big getaway. Yeah you know it's
time, I gotta fly... Like Steve McQueen, all I need's a fast machine, and I'm
gonna make it all right. Like Steve McQueen, underneath your radar screen.
You'll never catch me tonight.”
Dean played the instrumental break, nodding with the beat of the song, then
started into the next verse. “We got rock stars in the Whitehouse, and all our
pop stars look like porn. All my heroes hit the highway, ‘cause they don't hang
out here no more. Well, you can try me on my cell phone, you can page me all
night long, but you won't catch this Freebird, I'll already be long gone...
Like Steve McQueen, all we need's a fast machine, and we're gonna make it all
right. Like Steve McQueen, underneath your radar screen, you'll never catch us
tonight. Like Steve McQueen, all we need's a fast machine, and we're gonna ride
it all night. Like Steve McQueen, underneath your radar screen, and you'll
never catch me tonight...”
Dean played through to the end of the song and then let the Martin fall silent
as he finally looked up, letting out a little surprised laugh when everyone
started clapping and hooting. He blushed very red, lifting one hand to run it
through his hair as he grinned and looked down, starting towards his seat. Sam
looked really proud of him, beaming and clapping with the others, and Dean
hoped that Sam’s doubts about how he had spent his evenings that week were
gone. It wasn’t an easy song to learn, not by far, and he had worked hard on
it.
“That was fantastic, Dean!” Schuester gushed, standing up and giving Dean a
wide grin when Dean looked towards him. “I’m so proud of you for learning to
play it, I’m sure that took a lot of work even with such a fantastic guitar.”
Dean blushed even redder, shrugging out of the Martin’s strap and then sitting
back down by Puck as he replied, “More work for Puck than for me. He had a hell
of a time teaching me to play it.”
Puck laughed. “You weren’t that bad, Deano.” He grinned at Dean and then looked
over at Schuester, adding, “He put a lot of hours into learning it, though, so
make with the extra points, Mr Schue.”
Schuester laughed. “I can’t give more than a hundred, Puck.” He looked around
at the others, grinning widely as he added, “And I think everyone got that
today. You all did great jobs on your songs, and I’m really proud of how far
you’ve come this year. I can’t wait to see what next year brings us all.”
“A National trophy,” Rachel said promptly, and everyone laughed and cheered.
Schuester laughed. “I think we can do it, too!” He grinned widely at them,
waving towards the door. “We’re done here, you’re all free to go.”
Everyone started getting up to go, grabbing their things and talking animatedly
to each other.
Dean stood and shrugged into the Martin’s strap again, settling it neck-up on
his back just as Sam walked over to him. He looked at Sam curiously, smiling at
the bright grin on Sam’s face as Sam said, “Dean, that was awesome! You’re
really good with that guitar!”
“It makes me sound a lot better than I am,” Dean disagreed with a little laugh,
feeling his face heat up. “I can barely play it.”
Puck snorted. “Barely play, my ass! You did good, Dean. I couldn’t have played
the song any better.”
Dean looked at Puck in surprise, staring at him a moment before he grinned.
“Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously,” Puck said with a laugh, draping his arm around Kurt as he
started him towards the exit.
“Listen to Sam,” Kurt added with a smile. “He knows good music when he hears
it.”
Sam smirked at Dean. “Yeah, listen to me!”
Dean laughed and started towards the door, not even having to think about it
anymore as he kept one hand on the Martin’s strap to hold it steady. He had
carried it around a lot in the last week, and was getting used to the
comforting weight of it on his back. “Okay, okay. I was awesome.”
Sam snickered, walking with Dean towards the door. “You were, definitely.” He
gave Dean an impish grin. “And now you need to be awesome again. I asked Brit
out and she said yes, but I’m broke.”
Dean laughed, already reaching for his wallet as he teased, “I should have
known you were buttering me up for something.”
“I don’t have to butter you up to get cash,” Sam pointed out, grinning.
Dean snickered, glancing over at Sam and then back down at his wallet as he
started to count how much money he had. “What kind of date are we talkin’,
little brother? Sonic and the movies, or a nice dinner, or what?”
“Breadsticks and then a movie,” Sam replied, “but Santana and Quinn are coming
with us.”
Dean had about four hundred bucks, so he counted out two hundred and then
offered it to Sam, smiling. “Two hundred oughta cover you all and then some.”
“Easy!” Sam agreed quickly, grinning widely. “Thanks, you’re the best.”
“You better remember it, too,” Dean agreed, laughing as he glanced towards
where Puck and Kurt were walking out the door. “I’m gonna go play pool with
Puck and Kurt tonight and have a few beers, so don’t worry about me if I’m
late.”
“Call if you’re not coming home,” Sam said, and Dean looked at him quickly to
see Sam looked amused. “Seems like every time you play pool with Puck, you get
drunk,” Sam explained with a laugh.
Dean grinned. “Well, hey, it’s not always I have somebody willing to carry my
drunk ass home and toss me on their couch to sleep it off.” He laughed.
“Especially not a comfortable couch. That thing we’ve got kills my back.”
Santana and Quinn had stopped trying to get into Dean’s pants, but Dean still
didn’t sleep with them when Santana stayed over, not anymore. That meant he had
ended up on the couch a lot, since Santana had already started moving into the
trailer with Quinn. Dean’s clothes had even been moved into a basket in the
living room to give the girls more room for their clothes in the bedroom, and
the girls had taken a couple of trips to Dayton with the Ranger to get things
they wanted for the house. That was why Dean was getting low on money again
already. He had been giving Quinn cash to buy stuff for the house, though she
had tried to refuse until he pointed out he got the money by playing pool with
Puck, so it wasn’t like it was a hardship to have an excuse to go get more.
Sam snickered as they got to the door to the auditorium. “At least you won’t be
sleeping on it for much longer.”
“I know,” Dean agreed, forcing a laugh and hoping Sam didn’t see how pointing
out that simple fact had hurt. “You stay out of trouble tonight.”
Sam didn’t seem to notice Dean’s faked laugh, giving Dean a grin. “I will. See
you when I see you.” He turned away without waiting for a reply to lope across
the parking lot to Brittany’s Camaro, which was already running with Quinn in
the driver’s seat and Santana next to her. Brittany opened the back door as Sam
approached and then scooted over to let him get in with her. Quinn reached out
her window to wave to Dean and he smiled as he waved back to her, walking
towards where the Impala was parked by Kurt’s Navigator.
Kurt and Puck were waiting for him, leaning against the Impala’s hood, but Dean
was in no hurry as he walked towards them, dodging cars as the others left. It
was starting to sprinkle and he glanced up at the sky, wondering if they were
really going to get the heavy rain that had been forecast. The weather guy on
the local classic rock station had said it would storm heavily every day for
the last week, but so far he had been wrong. There had been a few sprinkles,
but nothing even worth measuring.
Finn was just peeling out in his newly repainted cherry red Corvette when Dean
got to the Impala, and Dean had to snort as he watched him go, muttering, “That
boy’s gonna ruin them tires.”
Kurt laughed. “I’ve tried telling him the same thing, but he just grinned at me
and said Dad does the same thing when he drives it.”
Dean snickered, looking at Kurt as the light drizzle of rain faded into nothing
again. “Well yeah, he probably does, but Burt’s just as nutty over that car as
Finn is. I keep expecting them to build a shrine to it in your living room or
something.”
Puck laughed. “Carole would never put up with it.”
Dean snickered again as Kurt added with a smirk, “Not from either of them.”
Dean grinned at Kurt and changed the subject, asking, “So, where to first? We
dropping off the Navigator before we head to Dayton?”
“Unless you want to leave the Impala at your place,” Kurt said, looking amused.
“The Navigator gets better gas mileage, and the AC works.”
Dean snorted, grinning. “I never want to leave my baby anywhere, sunshine. You
oughta know that by now.”
“Our house then,” Kurt said with a laugh, turning towards the Navigator’s
passenger side. “While we’re there I want to change, and then we can head out.”
Puck moved to get in the driver’s side of the Navigator, grinning, and Dean
chuckled as he walked around the Impala. “Works for me. I’ll be right behind
you.”
Dean opened the rear driver’s side door to put the Martin in its case on the
back seat and belt it in, and then closed the door again and got in the
driver’s seat to start the car. When Puck pulled out of the parking space next
to him, Dean let him get a couple of car lengths ahead before he followed.
 
                                      ~*~
 
It was after two in the morning when Dean pulled up outside Kurt’s house for
the third time that day, leaving the Impala running as he looked over at Puck
and Kurt.
Puck was looking relaxed and happy as he sprawled in the passenger seat with
his eyes closed and his arm around Kurt, who was curled up against Puck’s side,
mostly asleep. Dean had done well playing pool and made a little over fifteen
hundred dollars before they called it a night and Puck drove the Impala back to
Lima. They had gone out to the farm instead of going home, and spent over two
hours having sex and relaxing in the Impala’s back seat as they listened to the
rain on the roof and talked.
The fact they wouldn’t have too many more chances to be together was the
elephant in the room all evening, but they had all avoided mentioning it,
instead trying to keep the conversation light and happy. It had worked, sort
of, but Dean was still very aware he probably wouldn’t visit the farm with them
again. He was trying not to think about it, trying to keep them from seeing how
much it hurt knowing that, but every once in a while the pain he saw in their
eyes that told him they knew.
“Let me know when you get back tomorrow,” Dean murmured, smiling. “I’ll make
some kind of excuse to come over.”
Kurt had been begged to go to a cousin’s wedding and sing, and he had agreed
only with the stipulation that he got to bring his boyfriend. They had been
promised a gourmet meal and printed sheet music to work from, so they were both
willing to give it a try. The cousin was one of Kurt’s few relatives who adored
him, and he wanted to help make her wedding special even if the girl’s motives
weren’t exactly pure. The cousin had wanted Kurt to sing mostly because her
mother was homophobic and she wanted to annoy the woman, who happened to be
Kurt's least favorite aunt.
Kurt would be singing with Puck, who planned to take his guitar and play backup
for whatever songs the girl wanted them to do, and they had decided they would
both be a little bit more out and proud than usual. Considering Puck’s newfound
fondness for gay pride t-shirts – he had four now, all of them ordered off the
internet – Dean was sure that was going to be something to see. The promised
spectacle was almost enough to make him want to tag along, but not quite. Kurt
had loved the excuse to buy Puck a suit in dove grey that perfectly matched
Kurt’s favorite suit, but Dean had absolutely no intention of getting stuck in
a similar outfit for a whole day.
“Guitar lesson,” Kurt murmured, pushing away from Puck and stretching with a
low groan. He smiled at Dean as he relaxed again, adding quietly, “The wedding
is supposed to be over at three, and it’ll take about an hour to get home.”
“Call me when you get in,” Dean said again, reaching over to give Kurt’s hand a
squeeze. “I’ll be here before you even have time to scrub off your makeup.”
Kurt giggled, blushing a bit. He had bought some new makeup for the occasion
and planned to wear eye shadow and a hint of lipstick just to freak out his
aunt a little more. “I will. Sleep well.”
Dean smiled and nodded. “I will, sunshine. G’night.”
“Night,” Kurt echoed, giving Dean’s hand a squeeze and then letting go as he
looked at Puck. “Wake up, sweetheart.”
Puck opened his eyes, looking wistful. “I’m awake. I was just listening to the
rain and you two and wishing we didn’t have to do this.”
Kurt sighed. “I feel the same way, sweetheart, but we do.”
“I’ll be fine,” Dean added quietly, holding his hand out to Puck, who took it
to hold on tightly. “You two go get some sleep, and I’ll see you tomorrow,
okay?”
Puck looked into Dean’s eyes a moment and then finally nodded. “Alright. Love
you, babe.”
“I love you too,” Dean replied, smiling softly at Puck and giving his hand a
squeeze before he let it go as he glanced at Kurt too, adding, “Sweet dreams.”
“Night,” Puck murmured with a sigh, turning to get out of the Impala.
“Good night,” Kurt echoed with a sweet smile, and then he was following Puck
out of the car.
Dean watched them run through the rain to the house, waving to them when they
paused at the door, and then he headed for home as he let the smile on his face
fade away. It was harder to smile for them than he wanted it to be, and it just
kept getting harder. The worst part was that he knew that they saw through his
brave face to the pain inside, but didn’t say anything because he was trying so
hard to be strong for them.
It got harder every day. 
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean left the school on Tuesday afternoon without even stopping to talk to Puck
and Kurt, who were standing by the Navigator talking to Mercedes, Tina, and
Artie when he got to his car.
He threw his backpack into the passenger seat and fired the Impala up, and a
moment later he was peeling out of the lot. He headed out much faster than he
needed to, and he was more than half way to the farm before he even realized
where he was going. He gunned the gas then, sending the Impala leaping forward
a little faster, and he didn’t slow down very much at all when he turned onto
the dirt road that dead ended not far past the farm’s driveway.
The Impala fairly flew down the old dirt road, sending up a cloud of dust, and
then she was coasting down the rutted driveway as Dean tried to rein in his
temper a little before he did serious damage to his baby. He parked in the
usual spot behind the old barn and then got out and started walking, heading
towards the pond that was hidden in the trees a few hundred yards away. He took
a seat on a downed log by the pond when he got there and then he just sat and
stared at the water, breathing hard and still so angry and frustrated that he
just wanted to kill something.
Report cards had been passed out that day, and every class had made Dean a
little more anxious and frustrated, which turned to anger when he got his Trig
report card and found out he had flunked it impressively for the year, again.
His B in Trig for the last grading period, while hard-fought and light years
better than any other grade he had ever gotten in a math class, hadn’t been
nearly enough to bring his average for the year up to anything approaching
passing. He had also flunked Psychology, and was only two points shy of doing
the same in English and a whopping five points safe in Chemistry. His highest
grades were in Glee – which didn’t even count, so it was no help – and in
Spanish, the only class where he had averaged a B for the year.
Dean heard a car coming up the driveway after a little while but he didn’t
react, and he wasn’t surprised at all when Puck and Kurt moved around in front
of the log a few minutes later. Kurt crouched down in front of him and put his
hands on Dean’s knees, concerned and upset as he asked softly, “Baby, what
happened?”
Dean let out a little snort and looked away across the water, unable to meet
Kurt’s gaze. “I flunked the year by two fucking points.”
“Oh sweetheart,” Kurt whispered, moving to sit by him and slide his arm around
Dean’s back. “And after how hard you worked, too.”
“Eh, I fucked up too bad before we ever hit Ohio,” Dean said, trying to make it
sound like he didn’t care even though he really did. He hated feeling stupid,
and it made him feel like an idiot to realize he had worked so hard for the
last several weeks when he had no prayer of making up for the rest of the year.
He could have spent all his time with Puck and Kurt, but instead he had
actually done homework and studied, and it was all a complete waste of time he
could never get back. “I could have aced Trig and Psychology this time and I
still would have failed. I did last year and the year before, so I don’t know
why I thought I could do any different this year.”
Kurt leaned against him and wrapped both arms around Dean’s waist to give him a
hug, laying his head on Dean’s shoulder as he murmured, “At least you already
had decided to get a GED. I know you hated the thought of being in school
again.”
“Yeah, I won’t be going back,” Dean agreed. “Fuck that shit. I’ll get a job
while Sam does the school thing next year. No matter where we end up, there has
to be someone that needs a mechanic.”
“You’re not going tomorrow?” Puck asked quietly, and Dean finally looked up at
him to see Puck looked sad and pained.
“No, I’m not,” Dean said quietly, looking into Puck’s eyes for a moment before
he looked away across the pond. “I’m packing up tomorrow while Sam’s at school,
and we’re heading out after I pick him up.”
“Damn, baby,” Puck whispered, turning away. “I thought we might have a few days
yet, at least.”
“Bobby called me just after I got to Chemistry,” Dean said quietly, trying to
keep his voice steady even though the pain in Puck’s voice made his eyes burn.
“Dad’s at his place waiting already. They wanted me to put Sam in the car and
drive straight through to be there tonight, but I told them I was stopping
tomorrow night when I got tired and they'd just have to deal and expect us
there sometime the next day. Dad took a job they can’t handle without at least
three people, but it's not enough of an emergency to drive all night to get
there.”
“Can’t they ask someone else?” Kurt asked softly.
“No,” Dean murmured simply, looking down at the ground between his boots. “Dad
hasn’t got many friends anymore, and none of them can drop what they’re doing
right now to help him. Bobby already made some calls tryin’ to find someone
else.”
“You left Sam behind, you know,” Puck said quietly, making Dean look up at him
even though Puck’s back was still towards him. “He was walking across the lot
behind you when you peeled out. I asked Artie to get his dad to give him a ride
home, but he was pretty upset when we headed after you.”
“Damn,” Dean said quietly. “He was supposed to ride with the girls.”
“They decided to go shopping with the money Quinn’s mom gave her for making
straight A’s all year, and Sam didn’t want to go,” Kurt said quietly. “He said
he wanted to spend the afternoon with you.”
Dean let his head tip forwards, his shoulders slumping. “Sounds like I’m going
home, then.”
“You could just call him,” Puck pointed out, and Dean looked back up at him to
see Puck had turned back towards them, but his expression was closed up tight
because he was working so hard to hide how he was feeling. “He has a cell
phone.”
“I can’t do that to him, babe,” Dean said quietly, pained. “He’s gonna be
thinkin’ I’m pissed at him, an’ it’s not true.” He paused and then added, “You
wouldn’t just call if it was Kurt you ran out on.”
“Kurt’s my partner, not my little brother,” Puck pointed out gently. “If it was
Sarah, I would just call.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that to Sam,” Dean murmured, swallowing hard. “He’s
all I have.”
“Yeah, I guess he is,” Puck agreed quietly, his eyes suddenly full of pain.
“You’re already gone.”
Dean flinched and looked away. “You know this isn’t easy for me.”
“I know,” Puck agreed, “and it’s killing me to see you fall in on yourself as
you try to rip away from us in such a hurry, like we’re a fucking band-aid.”
“Noah, it’s not like that,” Kurt said then, lifting his head off of Dean’s
shoulder and sounding pained. “You know how it’s killing him that he has to
go.”
Dean looked over at Puck again then, and he took a shaky breath as he saw the
way Puck’s eyes glistened with tears. “I’m sorry I’m doing this wrong,” he
whispered, his eyes blurring as he tried unsuccessfully to blink away tears of
his own. “I’ve never had to figure out how to say goodbye to someone I love so
damned much before. I’m shit at it, obviously, but I’m doing my best.”
“It hurts like hell seeing you cry,” Puck said quietly, lifting one hand to
wipe his own eyes roughly. “It hurts worse knowing I made you do it because I’m
hurting so damned much I’m taking it out on you.” He turned away, adding,
“Maybe you should go, Dean. Go spend some time with Sam, you need that more
than you need us right now.”
Dean pulled away from Kurt and stood up, looking down at him as he said softly,
“Now you know why I started hating myself for hurting him a long time ago.”
Kurt flinched and looked down at the ground, and Dean turned to go, walking
only a few feet before he stopped. He kept his back to them as he asked, “Is
this goodbye?”
“Seems like it,” Puck said quietly, his voice rough with pain and tears.
Dean was still and quiet for a moment before he said quietly, “I do love you,
and I will never forget that.” He started walking again before he could give in
to the impulse to turn around, but a tiny part of him hoped they would come
after him.
They didn’t.
 
                                      ~*~
 
Dean threw the last garbage bag of clothes into the back seat of the Impala and
then headed back into the house. He glanced at the digital clock by the
television on his way back to his old room, sighing when he saw it was already
eleven twenty. School would be out at noon, so he didn’t have much more time
before he had to go.
He checked the closet in his old room and then looked in the bedside table,
only a little surprised to find the bottom drawer was now stocked with two
dildos, a strap-on, condoms, and lube, along with the three paperbacks he had
tucked in there. He took his books and then bent to check under the bed before
he headed into Sam’s room to check in there for anything that might have been
left behind when they packed Sam’s things the night before. It only took him a
moment to be sure Sam had gotten everything, and then he was carrying the books
into the living room.
He added the books to the Rubbermaid tote that held the Nintendo systems and
then latched the lid down tight, moving it to sit next to his guitar by the
door. He paused then, thinking a moment before he walked into the kitchen and
got a carrot out of the fridge. He headed out back with it, walking to the
fence and then whistling loudly to get the attention of the horses, which were
a ways off across the field.
The black mare lifted her head to look towards him and then he whistled again,
smiling when she nickered and started towards him at a gallop. It had taken her
a while to start coming to his whistle, but he loved seeing her run towards him
so willingly, even though she had plenty to eat without his measly little
carrots.
The mare slid to a stop about ten feet from the fence, tossing her head with a
little nicker and then prancing closer to nuzzle his cheek in greeting. “Hey
girl,” Dean murmured, reaching up to stroke her face with his free hand as he
closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against her cheek a moment, inhaling
the mingled scents of horse and salt and grass. “I just wanted to give you one
last carrot.”
The mare nuzzled him for a few moments longer and then looked expectantly for
her carrot, and Dean offered it to her as he stroked her neck with his free
hand, murmuring, “Quinn’s gonna keep giving you your carrots every day, pretty
girl, but I’m gonna miss you.”
The mare crunched through her carrot, not really paying much attention to him,
and he suddenly felt stupid for wanting to tell her goodbye. “I don’t know why
I’m even doing this. You won’t miss me, not as long as you still get fed.” He
fed the rest of the carrot to the mare and then patted her neck. “Good bye,
girl.”
Dean turned away to walk back into the house, pausing on the back porch to make
sure that he hadn’t left any clothes in the washer or dryer. He hadn’t, so he
continued on to the front door, slinging the Martin’s case on his back and then
opening the door before he picked up the Rubbermaid tub and looked around one
last time.
The house looked very different than it had before Quinn moved in, with bright
posters on the walls and colorful throw rugs on the floor that somehow seemed
to match the patchwork curtains Quinn had made herself in Home Ec class from a
bag of scraps she bought at a garage sale. The couch had a new cover on it, two
dark green king sized sheets that Quinn and Santana had cut and tacked down
neatly in such a way it almost looked like a new couch, and there was a real
entertainment center now with a big flat-screen television they had found at a
pawn shop and Quinn’s stereo and the DVD player Dean and Puck had picked out
what seemed like months ago.
Dean finally turned away, walking outside and closing the door behind him
before he walked down the stairs to the car. He put the Rubbermaid tub and his
guitar in the back seat with everything else, tucking both in between the bags
of clothes where they would be protected from banging around, and then he
closed the door and opened the driver’s door to get in. A glance at his watch
told him that he had twenty minutes to get to school, and then he started the
car and backed out of the driveway for the last time to drive slowly towards
the high school.
It was still a few minutes before noon when he got to the school according to
his watch, but the parking lot was already half empty and he had to wait
several minutes to get in to the lot as cars streamed past honking and
celebrating that school was out for the summer. The Navigator was still parked
in its usual spot with Mike’s Trans-Am next to it where the Impala was usually
parked on one side and Brittany’s Camaro on the other, but none of the kids
were around the cars so Dean pulled into the lot and parked near the sidewalk
to wait, sure Sam was probably saying goodbye to his girl.
All of the students were in a hurry to leave, as were the teachers, and the lot
was pretty much empty when Mike, Quinn, Brittany, Santana, and Mercedes all
finally came out of the school, crowded around Sam and talking animatedly with
him and each other.
Dean had to smile at how happy they all looked until he saw Puck and Kurt
trailing at the back of the group. Puck looked like he hadn’t slept in days,
and Kurt’s eyes were red and puffy from crying, and Dean had to look away,
staring down at the steering wheel as he cursed himself for a fool. It had been
unforgivably selfish of him to start a relationship with them, and he hated
himself for how badly he had obviously hurt them. The fact he hurt himself at
least as much didn’t seem nearly enough punishment for the pain he knew he had
caused them, and would be causing them for weeks or even months to come.
The kids walked up to the car a few moments later and Dean forced a smile as he
looked up at the sound of the passenger door opening. Sam gave him a smile as
he got in, and then someone opened Dean’s door, making Dean turn in surprise to
see Quinn there, smiling.
“I want a kiss goodbye,” Quinn said, tugging at his arm. “Get out of the car.”
Dean let out a little huff and got out, and then Quinn wrapped her arms around
his neck, jumping up to wrap her denim-clad legs around his hips as she kissed
him. His hands automatically went to her ass to support her as he kissed back
with a low surprised noise, lingering for several minutes before he tried to
pull away. She let him, dropping her feet back to the ground and giving him an
impish smile as she said, “I expect you to call when you get where you’re
going. I want to at least know you made it safe.”
“I will, I promise,” Dean agreed, smiling softly as Santana walked up to join
them, wrapping her arm possessively around Quinn. “You take care of yourself,
beautiful, and that spitfire of yours.”
“I will,” Quinn said, “and you take care of yourself and Sammy. We’re going to
miss you both a lot.”
“We’ll miss you too, girl,” Dean admitted, smiling still. “It’s gonna be hard
going back to eating all of our own cooking. I hope I can remember some of what
you and Kurt taught me.”
Brittany giggled, walking up then to beam at Dean as she said, “You’re still a
sweetheart, Dean.” She didn’t give Dean a chance to say anything before she
leaned in to kiss him full on the lips, making his eyebrows go up even as he
returned the kiss. She pulled away after only a moment, beaming at him. “And
now I kissed every junior in the school.”
Brittany looked so happy that Dean had to laugh, feeling a little amused as he
said, “Glad to help you get that perfect record, sweetheart.”
“I knew you would be,” Brittany said, and then she was running lightly towards
her car as she called, “Call me later, Sam!”
“I will!” Sam called back. “Promise!”
Brittany beamed and then she was getting into the driver’s seat of her car as
Quinn giggled, making Dean look back at her. “I’d better go give her the keys,
honey,” Quinn said with an amused smile, stepping close again to kiss his
cheek. “Drive safe.”
“Promise,” Dean agreed, and then Santana was leaning up to kiss his cheek too
before she and Quinn walked towards the Camaro.
Mercedes was in front of Dean a moment later, looking amused and pleased as she
said, “We’re gonna miss you next year, white boy.”
Dean snickered and teased, “I’ll miss you too, Aretha.”
Mercedes laughed and gave him a hug, then started towards the Navigator as she
said, “Hurry up and say goodbye, Kurt honey. I’m supposed to be home in fifteen
minutes. Mom’s taking me out to lunch.”
“We’ll make it,” Kurt said quickly, moving over towards Dean. He stopped in
front of Dean, looking up into his eyes as he said quietly, “I’m going to miss
you, so very much.”
Dean’s smile faded away, and he knew Kurt could see right through his attempt
to hide the pain and regret he was feeling as he murmured, “I’m gonna miss you
too, sunshine.” Kurt looked so sad and pained that Dean decided he didn’t care
who was watching as he took a step towards him and hugged Kurt’s tightly,
whispering into his ear, “Love you.”
Kurt hugged back tightly, holding on for several long minutes before he
whispered almost soundlessly, “I love you too.” He kissed Dean’s cheek and let
go then, pulling away as he tried to smile for Dean even though he was crying.
“You had better keep in touch, or we’re going to hunt down Bobby’s place and
wait there until you show up.”
Dean knew it was an idle threat – South Dakota was huge, and all Kurt knew was
Bobby’s first name and that he ran a junkyard – but he still smiled slightly as
he murmured, “I promise, kiddo.”
Kurt nodded and then turned away, walking quickly towards the Navigator and
leaving Dean alone by the Impala with Puck.
Dean looked into Puck’s eyes, seeing the pain and regret there that he knew
Puck was seeing in his own eyes, and he tried to sound cheerful as he said,
“Give Bethy a kiss for her Uncle Dean, would you?”
Puck nodded. “I will.” He hesitated, and then he stepped in close to hug Dean
tightly enough to bruise, and Dean could feel Puck trembling as he hugged him
back just as tightly. “I’m sorry,” Puck whispered into his ear, sounding
pained.
“Don’t be,” Dean whispered, squeezing him a little tighter as he added, “I love
you.”
“Love you too, babe,” Puck breathed out softly, and then he was pulling away.
“I’ll call you tonight, okay?”
Dean nodded, trying to smile even though Puck had tears in his eyes. “We’ll
stop for the night around nine.”
Puck nodded, blinking away tears as he pasted on a smile. “I’ll call around
nine-thirty then.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Dean agreed.
Puck stared into his eyes a moment longer and then nodded. “See you around,
Deano.”
“Someday, Puckasaurus,” Dean agreed, and he was surprised to realize he really
felt like he would see Puck again. “I’ll show up when you least expect it.”
“You’d better still have my guitar,” Puck said, trying to tease and lighten the
mood.
Dean let out a little laugh, even though all he really wanted to do was cry.
“Count on it.”
Puck smiled and then he turned away without another word, walking to the
Navigator.
Dean got back into the Impala, turning it back on as he risked a glance at Sam,
who wasn’t even looking at him as he watched Mike walk to his Trans-Am and get
in. “We ready to go?” Dean asked after a moment, and Sam looked at him quickly,
giving him a smile that was as faked as Dean’s own. Sam wasn’t as close to
tears as Dean was, but the pain in his eyes was still hard for Dean to see.
“Sure,” Sam said, bending to reach for the box of cassettes in the floorboard.
“What music do you want in?”
Dean took one last look at the Navigator where Puck was holding Kurt while they
both cried, and Mercedes was looking kind of shocked as she stared at Dean. He
was very sure she had figured it out, but it didn’t really matter, not anymore.
He had already told Puck and Kurt that they could tell Mercedes after he was
gone, as long as she promised to keep it from anyone who might tell Brittany or
Mike. Sam would probably never talk to any of the rest of them again, so it
didn’t matter anymore if they knew Dean had fallen for Puck like a ton of
bricks and then learned to love Kurt nearly as much simply because Kurt was
Puck’s world.
Dean looked away from the Navigator again and started the Impala forward,
heading towards the exit without letting himself look back again. “Surprise
me.”
Dean kept his gaze firmly on the road as he turned onto the highway and gunned
the accelerator, sending the Impala leaping forward. Sam was very quiet next to
him, and Dean was just beginning to think Sam was about to start asking
questions he couldn’t answer when he heard the familiar clunk of a cassette
being pushed into the stereo. Sam turned the volume up as music began to play
near the end of a song, and Dean had to smile slightly despite the pain that
was making his eyes and chest both burn.
“— busting loose, I'm letting go, out on this open road. It's independence day,
on this lost highway, hey hey!”
Dean didn’t even glance towards Sam, pretending not to notice the tears he
could feel sliding down his face as he began to sing along softly when the next
verse began.
“Oh patron saint of lonely souls, tell this boy which way to go. Guide the car,
you got the keys, farewell to mediocrity. Kicking off the cruise-control, and
turning up the radio. Got just enough religion, and a half tank of gas, come
on... Let's go! I finally found my way, say goodbye to yesterday. Hit the gas
there ain't no brakes on this lost highway. Yeah I'm busting loose, I'm letting
go, yeah I’m out on this open road. It's independence day, on this lost
highway, hey hey!”
 
 
~ End
Chapter End Notes
     ... Yeah, I know. Dean didn't get his happy ending, and neither did
     Puck and Kurt, really, but their stories aren't finished here. I've
     got the next part of Dean's story finished now, as well as over
     150,000 words of the parts of Puck and Kurt's lives that Dean knew
     nothing about during the first half of this story. I hope that if you
     liked this, you'll go on to read the rest of the series. :-)
     Feedback is love.
  Works inspired by this one
      No_Air by SeeEmRunning
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