Gemma and The Hallway Hands (Part 3 of ?)
Title: Gemma and The Hallway Hands (Part 3 of ?)
Author:emo_chick_87
Pairing,Character(s): Kurt/Puck, Gemma (OC)
Rating: PG-13 for language and content.(this part)
Word Count:2525 words
Spoilers: Season One.
Genre: Romance/Slight Angst/Dashes of Fluff
Warnings: Bullying.
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. Don't rub it in okay. I'm still in the depression stage.
Summary: McKinley High gets a new school nurse and she takes special notice of one Noah Puckerman... Get your mind out of the gutter... not that kind of notice.
Previously on GATHH: Part 1 Part 2
Puck could practically feel Figgins' glare on his back. A small smirk set on his face he strutted out of the office. Taking small comfort in the fact that his reputation had for once served him well. Everyone took the see no, hear no, speak no evil approach. Even Karofsky was keeping his mouth shut.
He knew the next time he did anything remotely naughty and got caught that Figgins would come down on him harder for it than he had to. When he was Kurt strolling down the hall like he owned the place again, he knew it was worth it. The small smile Kurt threw his way said all the thank yous he'd ever need.
He was pacing back and forth in Gemma office, railing at the injustice. On and on about how he might have pulled similar shit and was a dick to Kurt but he drew a line. And it was a line he always stayed behind. The small pffft of disgust stopped his pacing.
“What was that for?”
“You really think that because you didn't throw a slushie in his face or split his lip open, you never hurt him. Fuck Noah. You should know better than that. No matter what Karofsky did to him, what you did had to hurt more. Because you matter to him. Don't you get it? That kid is falling all over himself in love with you.”
“You don't know what the hell you're talking about. He's got his head so far up Finn's ass it makes me sick. If it comes down to me and Finn, that fucker wins every time.”
“Actually Noah, Finn was safe. Loving you meant pain to him for a lot of years. Now Finn is his brother. He wants you. He wants to be in your life. All you have to do is ask. Well that and stop all this pussy bullying shit. He doesn't want Puck. He wants Noah. Can you give him that?”
Puck slumped hard next to her on the bed. “I dunno. I haven't been Noah since I turned twelve.”
“Well think about it at least.”
When Puck nodded, she started to clean his blood-splattered hands. With each swipe over the broken skin of his knuckles, Puck remembered the day Noah was put away.
**
Up until sixth grade all three of them had been good friends. They were the only three people at the bus stop every morning and their stop was always first. They would pile on and claim the front seat. Kurt by the window, Noah in the middle and Finn on the end. Well, until Finn's body had grown so much that it had started to spill out into the aisle. Then he took the seat right across from them.
Sure they would go their separate ways when they got to school. Noah and Finn to the basketball court and Kurt to the small patch of grass under the bleachers that he'd claimed for himself. But if anyone asked them they were all friends. Which is how Kurt ended up being invited to Noah's twelfth birthday, the first boy/girl party he'd ever been to.
Frankly Kurt really didn't see what was so great about a mixed party. He'd much rather just stay and play video games with Noah. He'd known since he was ten that he liked Noah in the way boys were supposed to like girls. That Noah, with his loose brown curls and dark cinnamon eyes, was the one he wanted to be his first kiss.
The small Puckerman house was brimming with screaming, giggling eleven year olds. Kurt stayed standing against the wall, watching all the craziness unfold. He was smiling until he saw Amy Reid march over to Noah, grab both sides of his head with her hands and pulled him down into a kiss. Tears filled his eyes and hope died in his chest. Kurt had just watched Noah's first kiss get stolen and Noah hadn't pushed her away.
He looked across the room and saw Finn talking to Noah's little sister. Finn. He was safe. He was impossible. He was someone Kurt would never get but that was okay because he wasn't someone he really wanted anyway. He just liked the way the twinge in his chest didn't happen the same way it did with Noah.
Amy's hands were covered in something sticky and her lips were chapped. If this was what kissing was Noah didn't want anything to do with it but then he looked up and saw Kurt's eyes filled with tears, staring at Finn. Fuck. Kurt liked Finn. It wasn't fair. Noah wanted to be Kurt's boyfriend. He was even going to ask him after the party. Instead he just leaned down and kissed Amy again. Stupid Finn always got what his his.
After the party his ma grabbed him by the ear and pulled him into the kitchen. Thrusting his head back and forth, trying to survey the damage.
“Bubala, what did you do to your beautiful hair?”
“I dunno. I think Amy put something in it.”
“See, Christian girls. No class. Noah we're going to have to shave it off.”
Noah's hand went to his head. “No. I don't want to. I like it like this. It'll be fine.” The truth was he wanted to keep his curls. Every once in awhile Kurt would pull at a single loose curl and giggle as it snapped back into place. Kurt's giggle was his favorite sound in the whole world.
“We don't have a choice. Now sit still or I'll cut you with this thing. I'm serious Noah, quit squirming.”
Noah cried when his curls started to land in his lap. After it was done he went to his room and combed his hand down the small strip of hair that ran down the middle of his head. His ma said she wouldn't have her baby boy running around the neighborhood looking like an Aryan Nation Nazi Youth Skinhead. He wondered if he'd ever hear Kurt giggle again.
On the following Monday, Kurt was trying his best to make googly eyes at Finn. It was really hard because Finn's head wasn't proportionate to the rest of his body and he had gunk built up on the corners of his mouth. It was made even harder when he turned and noticed Noah standing behind them. His curls were gone and for some reason Kurt took it personally.
“What did you do to your hair?”
“Nothing, okay. It's just a haircut.”
“Yeah well it looks stupid.” Kurt really didn't think it looked stupid. He just wanted to hurt Noah like Noah had hurt him.
“Well no one asked you, fag.” Noah punched him hard in the arm and pushed him onto the ground.
Kurt's white pants were smeared with mud and his wrist hurt from where he'd landed on it. Tears started to stream down his face.
“Screw you! I HATE YOU, PUCK-” The -erman was cut off by Kurt's choked sobs. Kurt laid curled there until the bus came. He sat in his seat by the window as he watched Noah stomp to the very back of the bus. Finn gave him a small sad smile before he followed Noah to the back.
That was the day Noah became Puck, Finn became the one in the middle and Kurt started getting rides to school.
**
When Puck was finished in Gemma's office the bell sounded and a loud hum filled the hallway. With Gemma by his side, it was time to head to glee. His head was full of things he hadn't thought about in years. Lives he could have lived. Love he could have had. It was hard to admit to yourself that everything wanted in life was at your fingertips the entire time. He just had to reach out and grab it.
The problem with that was he wasn't the same boy that fell in love with Kurt over juice boxes and Super Nintendo. The people he surrounded himself with blunted his sharp edges. Dulled who he could be. He'd spent his lifetime kissing the Amy Reid's of the world. Hard gruff girls that would pull his hair, leave scratches on his back and hickeys on his chest. What he craved was the soft yielding arms, the pale expanse of unmarked skin and his name said softly from even softer lips.
When they got to music room he craned his head toward the door. A silent invitation for Gemma to follow him in. With a nod she stepped into the room. Gemma could feel the difference in that room. The subtle shift of being unwelcome in the hall but embraces by these four walls. She wished she had something like that when she was in high school. A space on campus that meant safety and acceptance.
Looking around she recognized a few faces. On Monday, she walked into the washroom to see Tina fumbling with tissue trying to stop the bleeding on her thigh. Gemma pulled her skirt up slightly and saw the straight angry lines that ran parallel to the hem line. One of them had opened and was dripping down the inside of Tina's thigh. Gemma got the bleeding to stop and now had a standing appointment every Monday to talk to Tina.
Brittney had come in on Tuesday for a pulled hamstring that she said she got from putting her leg to far over her head. She also recognized the latina girl that had brought her in. She hadn't introduced herself but the blush that spread across her cheeks told Gemma that it wasn't a cheering related pull.
On Wednesday, Matt had come into her office with a pretty severe bump on his head and a dislocated shoulder. He told her that he walked into the corner of his front door. His downcast eyes and shaky voice made Gemma take pictures and fill out the form that she had to fill out to report abuse. The next day he came in and gave her a tight hug and whispered thank you into her neck.
On Thursday, she'd come face to face with the infamous Finn. He'd taken a hard hit in practice and she really hoped that concussion accounted for at least some of the dimness. Because if it didn't, yikes.
She was pulled out of her inventory by the smell of Kurt's cologne and his softly whispered voice.
“You came. I wasn't sure you would.”
“Of course I came. I got an invitation by two very cute boys today. How could I pass up the chance? How's the wrist?”
“Not bad.” Kurt held up his wrist that was tightly wrapped in a tensor bandage. “It aches a bit but that's normal. I'll take some aspirin when I get home.”
“What's that? Did someone draw on it?”
“Yeah, Brit did. I told her that a tensor bandage wasn't the same as a cast but she wouldn't listen. It's pretty much impossible to say no to her anyway. It's supposed to be a dolphin but the ink bled a little bit. It will probably stain my skin for a week.” Kurt grabbed her hand and dragged he toward a group of chairs in the middle of room. She noticed that Noah was far from anyone else in the room. Like he was trying to disappear into the drywall.
“So, when does this party start?”
“As soon as Mr Schue is finished having a long drawn out conversation filled with copious amounts of sexual tension with the guidance counselor. So anytime between 8 am and my death.” Kurt quipped.
Gemma was about to ask more about this mysterious Schue character when the curly haired man from her first day strutted into the room. Ahh so this was the guy that had all the girls in the teachers lounge a flutter. He was cute. He might be ripe for a quick tumble in the future. Noah seemed to notice her heated glances in Schue's direction because he pulled his chair up beside her.
“I thought you were a dyke. Why are you eying Schue like you want to eat him?”
Kurt seemed to perk up and Gemma could see him trying to eavesdrop without looking like it.
“First of all, don't use that word. I'll let it go this time because you are still in sensitivity training. Second of all I never said I was gay. I'm queer identified. That's not the same thing.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? Queer is gay.”
Gemma gave a quick glance to the piano and noticed that Schue was in a heat discussion with the accompanist and a girl wearing a skirt that was a really inappropriate length for high school. It looked like it might take awhile, so she would probably have enough time to give Noah a quick schooling.
“Okay, if you want me to be specific I guess you could say I'm bisexual but I identify as queer because the bi label seems a bit limiting. It seems to leave out pre-op and post-op transsexuals and I'm all about equal opportunity. I can't really discuss this much more though. I could lose my job by talking about my sexuality. They'll think I'm trying to recruit you. Even though you and me both know that ship sailed a long time ago.” Gemma gave Noah a long look before turning her attention back to the front of the room.
While Puck listened to Schue drone on and on about why Rachel was the perfect choice for some stupid song about a few of her favorite things, he had time to think about what Gemma had told him. Sexuality had always seemed to rigid and restrictive. But the way Gemma talked about it made it seem like freedom. Maybe it really was okay to like kissing girls and still want to kiss guys too. Maybe he really could be Noah again. He was still going back and forth between the yes of Kurt and the no of his life when Mr Schue clapped his hands and said it was time to wrap it up.
He gave a quick wave of Gemma as she headed out the door and waited until almost everyone had trickled out before he stood up to grab his guitar. His hand had just curled around the worn plastic handle when he felt a light tap on his back. He turned around and was face to face with Kurt.
Kurt gently picked up his hand and brushed his thumb lightly against the broken skin across his knuckles. He whispered a quiet thank you, Noah before he dropped Puck's hand and rushed out the door.
When Puck got home that night he threw his clippers in the garbage. He missed his curls. He wondered if Kurt would still grab one of them and giggle. Either way, he was ready to be Noah again.
Author:emo_chick_87
Pairing,Character(s): Kurt/Puck, Gemma (OC)
Rating: PG-13 for language and content.(this part)
Word Count:2525 words
Spoilers: Season One.
Genre: Romance/Slight Angst/Dashes of Fluff
Warnings: Bullying.
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. Don't rub it in okay. I'm still in the depression stage.
Summary: McKinley High gets a new school nurse and she takes special notice of one Noah Puckerman... Get your mind out of the gutter... not that kind of notice.
Previously on GATHH: Part 1 Part 2
Puck could practically feel Figgins' glare on his back. A small smirk set on his face he strutted out of the office. Taking small comfort in the fact that his reputation had for once served him well. Everyone took the see no, hear no, speak no evil approach. Even Karofsky was keeping his mouth shut.
He knew the next time he did anything remotely naughty and got caught that Figgins would come down on him harder for it than he had to. When he was Kurt strolling down the hall like he owned the place again, he knew it was worth it. The small smile Kurt threw his way said all the thank yous he'd ever need.
He was pacing back and forth in Gemma office, railing at the injustice. On and on about how he might have pulled similar shit and was a dick to Kurt but he drew a line. And it was a line he always stayed behind. The small pffft of disgust stopped his pacing.
“What was that for?”
“You really think that because you didn't throw a slushie in his face or split his lip open, you never hurt him. Fuck Noah. You should know better than that. No matter what Karofsky did to him, what you did had to hurt more. Because you matter to him. Don't you get it? That kid is falling all over himself in love with you.”
“You don't know what the hell you're talking about. He's got his head so far up Finn's ass it makes me sick. If it comes down to me and Finn, that fucker wins every time.”
“Actually Noah, Finn was safe. Loving you meant pain to him for a lot of years. Now Finn is his brother. He wants you. He wants to be in your life. All you have to do is ask. Well that and stop all this pussy bullying shit. He doesn't want Puck. He wants Noah. Can you give him that?”
Puck slumped hard next to her on the bed. “I dunno. I haven't been Noah since I turned twelve.”
“Well think about it at least.”
When Puck nodded, she started to clean his blood-splattered hands. With each swipe over the broken skin of his knuckles, Puck remembered the day Noah was put away.
**
Up until sixth grade all three of them had been good friends. They were the only three people at the bus stop every morning and their stop was always first. They would pile on and claim the front seat. Kurt by the window, Noah in the middle and Finn on the end. Well, until Finn's body had grown so much that it had started to spill out into the aisle. Then he took the seat right across from them.
Sure they would go their separate ways when they got to school. Noah and Finn to the basketball court and Kurt to the small patch of grass under the bleachers that he'd claimed for himself. But if anyone asked them they were all friends. Which is how Kurt ended up being invited to Noah's twelfth birthday, the first boy/girl party he'd ever been to.
Frankly Kurt really didn't see what was so great about a mixed party. He'd much rather just stay and play video games with Noah. He'd known since he was ten that he liked Noah in the way boys were supposed to like girls. That Noah, with his loose brown curls and dark cinnamon eyes, was the one he wanted to be his first kiss.
The small Puckerman house was brimming with screaming, giggling eleven year olds. Kurt stayed standing against the wall, watching all the craziness unfold. He was smiling until he saw Amy Reid march over to Noah, grab both sides of his head with her hands and pulled him down into a kiss. Tears filled his eyes and hope died in his chest. Kurt had just watched Noah's first kiss get stolen and Noah hadn't pushed her away.
He looked across the room and saw Finn talking to Noah's little sister. Finn. He was safe. He was impossible. He was someone Kurt would never get but that was okay because he wasn't someone he really wanted anyway. He just liked the way the twinge in his chest didn't happen the same way it did with Noah.
Amy's hands were covered in something sticky and her lips were chapped. If this was what kissing was Noah didn't want anything to do with it but then he looked up and saw Kurt's eyes filled with tears, staring at Finn. Fuck. Kurt liked Finn. It wasn't fair. Noah wanted to be Kurt's boyfriend. He was even going to ask him after the party. Instead he just leaned down and kissed Amy again. Stupid Finn always got what his his.
After the party his ma grabbed him by the ear and pulled him into the kitchen. Thrusting his head back and forth, trying to survey the damage.
“Bubala, what did you do to your beautiful hair?”
“I dunno. I think Amy put something in it.”
“See, Christian girls. No class. Noah we're going to have to shave it off.”
Noah's hand went to his head. “No. I don't want to. I like it like this. It'll be fine.” The truth was he wanted to keep his curls. Every once in awhile Kurt would pull at a single loose curl and giggle as it snapped back into place. Kurt's giggle was his favorite sound in the whole world.
“We don't have a choice. Now sit still or I'll cut you with this thing. I'm serious Noah, quit squirming.”
Noah cried when his curls started to land in his lap. After it was done he went to his room and combed his hand down the small strip of hair that ran down the middle of his head. His ma said she wouldn't have her baby boy running around the neighborhood looking like an Aryan Nation Nazi Youth Skinhead. He wondered if he'd ever hear Kurt giggle again.
On the following Monday, Kurt was trying his best to make googly eyes at Finn. It was really hard because Finn's head wasn't proportionate to the rest of his body and he had gunk built up on the corners of his mouth. It was made even harder when he turned and noticed Noah standing behind them. His curls were gone and for some reason Kurt took it personally.
“What did you do to your hair?”
“Nothing, okay. It's just a haircut.”
“Yeah well it looks stupid.” Kurt really didn't think it looked stupid. He just wanted to hurt Noah like Noah had hurt him.
“Well no one asked you, fag.” Noah punched him hard in the arm and pushed him onto the ground.
Kurt's white pants were smeared with mud and his wrist hurt from where he'd landed on it. Tears started to stream down his face.
“Screw you! I HATE YOU, PUCK-” The -erman was cut off by Kurt's choked sobs. Kurt laid curled there until the bus came. He sat in his seat by the window as he watched Noah stomp to the very back of the bus. Finn gave him a small sad smile before he followed Noah to the back.
That was the day Noah became Puck, Finn became the one in the middle and Kurt started getting rides to school.
**
When Puck was finished in Gemma's office the bell sounded and a loud hum filled the hallway. With Gemma by his side, it was time to head to glee. His head was full of things he hadn't thought about in years. Lives he could have lived. Love he could have had. It was hard to admit to yourself that everything wanted in life was at your fingertips the entire time. He just had to reach out and grab it.
The problem with that was he wasn't the same boy that fell in love with Kurt over juice boxes and Super Nintendo. The people he surrounded himself with blunted his sharp edges. Dulled who he could be. He'd spent his lifetime kissing the Amy Reid's of the world. Hard gruff girls that would pull his hair, leave scratches on his back and hickeys on his chest. What he craved was the soft yielding arms, the pale expanse of unmarked skin and his name said softly from even softer lips.
When they got to music room he craned his head toward the door. A silent invitation for Gemma to follow him in. With a nod she stepped into the room. Gemma could feel the difference in that room. The subtle shift of being unwelcome in the hall but embraces by these four walls. She wished she had something like that when she was in high school. A space on campus that meant safety and acceptance.
Looking around she recognized a few faces. On Monday, she walked into the washroom to see Tina fumbling with tissue trying to stop the bleeding on her thigh. Gemma pulled her skirt up slightly and saw the straight angry lines that ran parallel to the hem line. One of them had opened and was dripping down the inside of Tina's thigh. Gemma got the bleeding to stop and now had a standing appointment every Monday to talk to Tina.
Brittney had come in on Tuesday for a pulled hamstring that she said she got from putting her leg to far over her head. She also recognized the latina girl that had brought her in. She hadn't introduced herself but the blush that spread across her cheeks told Gemma that it wasn't a cheering related pull.
On Wednesday, Matt had come into her office with a pretty severe bump on his head and a dislocated shoulder. He told her that he walked into the corner of his front door. His downcast eyes and shaky voice made Gemma take pictures and fill out the form that she had to fill out to report abuse. The next day he came in and gave her a tight hug and whispered thank you into her neck.
On Thursday, she'd come face to face with the infamous Finn. He'd taken a hard hit in practice and she really hoped that concussion accounted for at least some of the dimness. Because if it didn't, yikes.
She was pulled out of her inventory by the smell of Kurt's cologne and his softly whispered voice.
“You came. I wasn't sure you would.”
“Of course I came. I got an invitation by two very cute boys today. How could I pass up the chance? How's the wrist?”
“Not bad.” Kurt held up his wrist that was tightly wrapped in a tensor bandage. “It aches a bit but that's normal. I'll take some aspirin when I get home.”
“What's that? Did someone draw on it?”
“Yeah, Brit did. I told her that a tensor bandage wasn't the same as a cast but she wouldn't listen. It's pretty much impossible to say no to her anyway. It's supposed to be a dolphin but the ink bled a little bit. It will probably stain my skin for a week.” Kurt grabbed her hand and dragged he toward a group of chairs in the middle of room. She noticed that Noah was far from anyone else in the room. Like he was trying to disappear into the drywall.
“So, when does this party start?”
“As soon as Mr Schue is finished having a long drawn out conversation filled with copious amounts of sexual tension with the guidance counselor. So anytime between 8 am and my death.” Kurt quipped.
Gemma was about to ask more about this mysterious Schue character when the curly haired man from her first day strutted into the room. Ahh so this was the guy that had all the girls in the teachers lounge a flutter. He was cute. He might be ripe for a quick tumble in the future. Noah seemed to notice her heated glances in Schue's direction because he pulled his chair up beside her.
“I thought you were a dyke. Why are you eying Schue like you want to eat him?”
Kurt seemed to perk up and Gemma could see him trying to eavesdrop without looking like it.
“First of all, don't use that word. I'll let it go this time because you are still in sensitivity training. Second of all I never said I was gay. I'm queer identified. That's not the same thing.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? Queer is gay.”
Gemma gave a quick glance to the piano and noticed that Schue was in a heat discussion with the accompanist and a girl wearing a skirt that was a really inappropriate length for high school. It looked like it might take awhile, so she would probably have enough time to give Noah a quick schooling.
“Okay, if you want me to be specific I guess you could say I'm bisexual but I identify as queer because the bi label seems a bit limiting. It seems to leave out pre-op and post-op transsexuals and I'm all about equal opportunity. I can't really discuss this much more though. I could lose my job by talking about my sexuality. They'll think I'm trying to recruit you. Even though you and me both know that ship sailed a long time ago.” Gemma gave Noah a long look before turning her attention back to the front of the room.
While Puck listened to Schue drone on and on about why Rachel was the perfect choice for some stupid song about a few of her favorite things, he had time to think about what Gemma had told him. Sexuality had always seemed to rigid and restrictive. But the way Gemma talked about it made it seem like freedom. Maybe it really was okay to like kissing girls and still want to kiss guys too. Maybe he really could be Noah again. He was still going back and forth between the yes of Kurt and the no of his life when Mr Schue clapped his hands and said it was time to wrap it up.
He gave a quick wave of Gemma as she headed out the door and waited until almost everyone had trickled out before he stood up to grab his guitar. His hand had just curled around the worn plastic handle when he felt a light tap on his back. He turned around and was face to face with Kurt.
Kurt gently picked up his hand and brushed his thumb lightly against the broken skin across his knuckles. He whispered a quiet thank you, Noah before he dropped Puck's hand and rushed out the door.
When Puck got home that night he threw his clippers in the garbage. He missed his curls. He wondered if Kurt would still grab one of them and giggle. Either way, he was ready to be Noah again.