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So he totally gets that he has a temper -it's one of those things he gets from his Dad that he hates, along with his build and his general appearance. His eyes is his mom's side of things, apparently so is willingness to stick around when shit gets difficult, because his Dad just bails while his Ma works her fucking ass off for them. It's not like he means to get into fights, he doesn't, but he's totally at the stage where Kurt is his boy and God help anyone that makes negative remarks about the kid because Puck will go toe to toe with the devil for that kid. It's scary in this sort of committed but kind of private sort of relationship that they've got going on.

But when his Ma freaks out over this whole custody thing and him getting in fights -which is only because his Dad is fighting for custody after not caring for eight years and Puck just needs to punch something- it makes him shut the hell up and just use this annoying little fact that he's become somewhat verbose since he started chilling with Berry. Then again, seeing the confusion and surprise on Azimio's face is worth it.

Writing the letter, which is annoying all by itself, is just fucking difficult. Because he's never been good at this whole sharing feelings thing, he's just never really done it. He grew up with an emotionally detached father -because Noah ruined things- and a mother who had to work nineteen hours a day, and then he ended up being a part-time parent to his little sister when said emotionally detached piece of shit walked out on them. So he's never really had the luxury of talking about feelings and shit, because he just had to suck it up and get on with it. But Kurt getting him to talk it out, getting him to figure what the fuck he wanted to say, it helped out, because at least he knew his reasons why and it wasn't just some stupid, pathetic, whiny case of being unwanted. Mostly.

So he gets it out, folds it all up and engages in a nice little make out with Kurt since he's sure he's earned it for actually writing a coherent letter about his fucking feelings. Of course Kurt has to add some more weight to shit. It's not that Puck doesn't want to tell his Ma and Burt, he really, really does. And he sort of wants to tell Rachel and Mercy too -because at least then they won't be hidden at school and Puck doesn't need to fight the urge to just pin Kurt to the lockers and kiss him senseless sometimes. Mostly, Puck's a little worried about reactions -he's not the best kid to date anyone, as much as Burt might like him, he's probably not what Burt would like for Kurt's first boyfriend. And his Ma, well, his Ma knows him. The possibility that his mother will throw a fit, because she knows about his past and about his habits, and stop him from dating Kurt in a bid to protect the kid, well that would sting just a bit. Not that he hasn't earned it.

But when Kurt mentions Sarah being gone for the weekend, the same weekend that Burt planned to take his Ma to some better homes show thing in Dayton, well, "I really, really want us to go further than getting off over the clothes. Like, you know, I want, I mean, I'm ready to-" Puck has to just stop, lean his head against Kurt and breath, because yeah, he knows.

"Yeah?" They've been messing around for a good while now, and there have been feelings since the start, Noah can admit that, because it's impossible not to feel something when he's seen Kurt at his most adorable. They were going slow though, and while Noah knew that Kurt wasn't ready, Noah probably had been for a while, just waiting for Kurt to trust him enough or feel enough or want it enough.

"I want to tell Ruth and Dad first." Trying to tell their parents sort of fell by the wayside with the divorce and custody hearing, but it was an important step to take before they got further in their relationship. "So, next weekend, we tell them?"

"Yeah, babe, we tell them." Puck's determined that, whatever the outcome, they'll both have told their parents and their best friends (don't ask him when Berry became his best friend, he doesn't even know himself) about their relationship.

But first, they get called to family court -seriously, he thought that shit was made up, for like television cases or stupid reality shows or whatever. He never actually believed that he'd be sitting in this weird ass white room (who made rooms white these days?) with Burt and Kurt sitting behind him and Sarah and his Ma with Mr Berry and his father across the room with his lawyer. He hates the fucker even more for dragging this out when he's not even going to stick around Lima, so what's the point?

So the judge, this older lady with blonde hair, blue rimmed glasses and rosy cheeks, tells them that while this isn't traditional, the nature of the case made her want to understand the children's point of view. Noah doesn't even know if Sarah understands what's going on.

"Sarah, how old are you?" She asks the question while looking at some piece of paper and Sarah is perched on this seat beside the weird docket place or whatever.

"I'm eight years old." They had her birthday a week after her actual birthday which also served as the date that him and Kurt actually got together. "I'll be nine soon, and then, Mama says I can get a puppy." To Sarah this is just any other day, except she needs to sit in a room and answer questions.

"That's very nice. Puppies are a lot of responsibility. Do you think you'll be able to manage that?"

"Yes ma'am. My brother, he's showed me all about taking care of things, because he has a guitar and you've gotta keep it good. And I know that I'd take care of a puppy, because they're little and they need love. And I can be good like that and take it out and teach it tricks and love it really good." Sarah is dead set on this puppy, and Noah catches this look that Hiram shoots his Ma and he figures that Sarah's talk about the puppy is more than just a puppy. But whatever.

"Sarah, what about your father? Has he taught you how to take care of things?"

"Burt isn't my real dad. He's just like, my stand in dad. Noah says that he's as close to a dad as I need, because he's all epic and stuff. Burt is Kurt's dad, but he wants to be mine and Noah's dad too, and I think he should be."

Sarah is beaming like she just got some prize in school with the judge chick says she can go sit beside her mother again and she just turns to Noah from where she sits and he's still over in the seat he was directed to.

"Mr Puckerman, you've got quite a record here." Shit, they actually let her see his school record? Or was that his actual criminal record from that time he might've got stoned and might've done some really stupid shit to OSU's fountain? "Fights at school, skipping class, insubordinate to teachers. A bit of a problem child, are you?"

"No ma'am, just a bit of an unruly teenager." He can say it, because beyond his fight with Dave and Azimio a week ago, he's been the poster child for good behaviour -mostly because Kurt or Rachel were attached to him practically. And since moving in with Burt and Kurt, his grades have gone up, his attendance has gone up, his GPA is actually above average. She should have all that in her files.

"You're a member of the football team, and the basketball team, you joined the glee club this year and I have a rather colourful note from the school guidance counsellor." Oh, he hit on Miss P. once, that might come back to haunt him. "Your grades have turned around in the last few months, your attendance and overall attitude as well."

"Stability does that, ma'am." He's so fucking polite it hurts, but Rachel gave him this vicious verbal beat down on his manners and how he'd better pull them out his ass or she would knock his head into the nearest wall -he needs to re-evaluate his friendship with her if she's going to get violent.

"And this stability has come from, where?"

"My Ma's boyfriend. Cause we're not scrounging to pay bills, and Ma's not working twenty hours a day to make ends meet, and I'm not playing Dad to my little sister, and there's some semblance of a role model to follow." He knows that she knows how he feels, she's got their little letters, their feelings about the man sitting over to Noah's right, she understand that they don't want anything to do with him.

"And the fight last week, Noah?"

"People were using derogatory terms to describe a friend, my Ma had just told us that our father might get joint custody, I was angry, I lashed out. It's the first time in a year that I've had an altercation at school." And it was his father's fault -that and Azimio's colourful language.

She just nods her head, looking through the paper and notes she's got all over the place, and declares that she'll make her decision and return shortly. Hiram seems to think it looks good, but his Dad is still over there, staring at Sarah like he knows some secret. Noah turns in his seat, as Burt leans over to talk to his Ma and Mr Berry, Noah sort of coaxes Kurt forward.

"I know this isn't ideal, but I think we should tell them now."

"What?" See, it's not ideal, because Kurt sort of planned for them to sit down at the table in the kitchen and explain things, and yes, that would be the civilised way to do things, and Noah knows this, but Puck has things that he needs to take care of and one of them is not letting his Dad have any chance at getting near Sarah so that he can screw her up like he screwed Noah up. It's just never going to happen. And that means Puck has to go with his gut.

"I get that you want to do this a certain way, but please just listen to me this time. We need to tell them now." Because God only knows how long the woman will take to decide just who deserves to raise them and if they don't work this right shit could go down and Puck's not having that. He protects his little sister whatever the cost.

"Okay, okay, if you say so." Kurt doesn't look too happy, and Noah swears he'll make it up to him, somehow, but he just needs to do this. "Dad, Ruth, I, Noah and I have something to tell you." They keep it mostly hushed, Kurt getting the attention of the adults and both of them turning to listen and yeah, the kitchen idea would be way better than this but really.

"It's sudden and not the right place, but it just-" Puck shakes his head, "Kurt and me are dating, sort of, in a whole 'we haven't told anyone yet' sort of way, but we're pretty serious and we figured you should know, considering everything that's going on and where we all live and yeah. So, we're together." Kurt reaches out, lacing his fingers through Noah's and it's partially what Puck expected and half what he hoped for and exactly what follows is just how he read things.

See, Noah doesn't remember a lot about his Dad, there are things, these little things that come to him from time to time -like what brand of cigarettes his Dad smoked, like his favourite meal, like the shows he watched on television when he was drunk, like how he'd sneer at Hiram and Leroy Berry at Temple while they doted on little Rachel.

For once, everything sort of snaps together for him; his Dad sees him holding Kurt's hand, the judge walks back into the room, his Ma and Burt just stand there a little shocked and the next thing he hears is his father's voice in a tone he's never forgotten because it was the most common one he heard. Blind hatred.

"What the fuck, are you some kind of fairy? My son ain't no fag, what the hell did you do to him." He's almost sure that he's going to get hit, like he can see it coming, he even tenses for it. Kurt's safe behind the little barrier that comes up to their waists, especially when Burt automatically grips at Kurt's shoulder as Elijah Puckerman advances towards them and past his lawyer, fists clenched and Puck's pretty sure he can take a punch for this, it's worth it.

"Mr Puckerman," that's a tone Puck's heard a lot too. But it stops his Dad dead in his tracks, just as his Ma grabs his arm and pulls him back but he sticks in front of her just in case, and Sarah's left watching it all with wide eyes. "Considering the flagrant disrespect in my court room, and the abhorrent language used, I see no other outcome but to give Ruth Puckerman sole custody of both Noah and Sarah Puckerman and order you, Elijah Puckerman to pay child support benefits in the sum of one hundred and sixty dollars a week. Back dated." There's this look of pure ire in the judge chick's eyes and Noah just watches his Dad's hands clench and unclench while his Ma clings to his arm.

It could've gone better -the whole telling their parents, but it's not exactly a horrible outcome all things considered. If they see a cent of that money, Noah will laugh himself stupid, but at the very least, Sarah won't be subjected to their father, she won't suffer the disappointment of him making his promises and never following through, she'll know Burt as her father figure, or Noah as it -if he's royally screwed up his mother's relationship with Burt he might need to beat himself into a coma- because she deserves the best.

"Have you ever done anything without an explosion?" Kurt asks him as they file out of the building towards the car, his Ma's already said they'll talk about it at home and his father has already stormed off. At least Kurt is still talking to him.

"On occasion, I've been known to do thing with a small pop, but usually that's because of a wet fuse." He's not sure if they'll play this analogy out or not, but it's just nice that Kurt isn't ignoring him in a huff. "You okay?"

"You knew he'd get angry, didn't you. That's why it had to be then."

"I didn't know for sure, it was just an impression he left, back when he was around long enough to leave them." He gives Kurt a small smile, "I'm sorry, I know you wanted to do this right, and that definitely wasn't doing it right. But any chance he had to be around Sarah wasn't worth it."

"Come on, we have a firing squad to go home to."

The fact that his mother hasn't looked at him since they left the court room is worrying. The fact that Burt hasn't said a word makes him anxious. Sarah is just happy that she likes Noah's new girlfriend, and then they have to explain the gender terms and how they're both boyfriends while she argues that one of them needs to be the girlfriend and Kurt turns around and says that since Noah is the emotionally needy one, he's the girl. Burt almost smirks when Noah just agrees.

Any sense of calm just disappears when they get home; Sarah is told to go play upstairs, Noah and Kurt are ordered into the kitchen -and at least they get the kitchen for part of this, right? Burt sits down while Noah's Ma starts fiddling with things in the kitchen -the kettle, the fridge, the oven, the microwave, eventually she runs out of things and just turns to stare at Noah like he's a total stranger. It's not a nice feeling.

"How long?" Kurt's staring at his hands.

"Since Sarah's birthday." It's not technically true, because there was the kiss a week before that, and the feelings before that, but they actually look at Sarah's birthday as being when they started seeing each other. "We ah, we just, it just happened, Ma." Because Puck wasn't into Kurt before, really. He wasn't. But that whole 'getting to know people' thing was actually a legit good way to find someone to date and not just have sex with.

"And everything else?" Noah knows this means the girls at school and the pool cleaning cougars and the few teachers.

"Done." Long done, over and done. "Ma, it's just Kurt. Just me and Kurt and it's a little sudden maybe, but it's serious." The problem with not really having a solid line between friend and child with his mother is that she knows so fucking much that it's hard for her to really see him as her son all the time. Because she knows that he's fucked the cougars and she knows that he slept with Quinn while she was dating Finn -she knows that's the reason he doesn't hang out with Finn any more too.

"I swear to your grandmother, boy, you are my son, and I love you, but if you break his heart I will tan your hide so hard you won't be able to move for a month." As far as his mother freaking out goes, it's pretty tame.

"Dad?"

"Am I happy? No, no I'm not. Because you boys didn't tell us, and we've been pretty trusting. But, you are both old enough to make these decisions. But what Ruth stands true. You two need to understand the position we're in." And they do, or Noah does at least, he's pretty sure Kurt does too because Kurt's always been pretty damn smart. It's awkward because Ruth cares about Kurt and Burt cares about Noah -it's true, Noah understands this. So yes, if something were to happen, it would make things awkward. But really, Noah isn't intending on letting anything happen.

He's pretty sure he's in love with Kurt.

"Dad, really, I don't think there's anything to worry about. Noah and I," Kurt turns to smile at him, and for a blinding second it's like he knows, like he can just read Puck's mind and get in there and know, "we're good." They are so, so good.

As far as explosive declarations go, it's fairly tame. Sarah comes back downstairs with a tiara that she just planks on Noah's head to declare him Kurt's princess and then goes away again.

"I vote no more Lucky Charms for Sarah, clearly there is LSD in there."

Telling Mercedes and Rachel is more dramatic than telling their parents; Mercedes stops talking to Kurt for the first half of the day, because he kept the secret for so long, Rachel glares at Noah after warning Kurt to 'take care of him' and then she demands to know why he never told her before. By lunch time though all they want are details, except Noah and Kurt have pointed out that they'd like to keep this private, like not letting the whole school know, at least until they know what's happening at home.

Getting Rachel Berry to agree to keep a secret is like getting Brittany to ace physics. It's pretty damn impressive.

"So, it's not the weekend." Kurt sort of lies out on his bed, while Noah is on the floor, feet up on the end of Kurt's bed and the bedroom door is wide open.

"Kurt, dearest prince of mine, do you honestly believe that Ma and Burt are seriously going away for the weekend not while Sarah is at her party?" He'll point it out again, his mother knows him, and the only reason he got left at home without Sarah the last time was because she thought Kurt was a calming influence. Now she knows that Puck wants to tap that ass, there's almost no way she's going to leave.

Burt probably feels the exact same and Noah is definitely gearing up for a serious case of blue balls.

"Dad's already booked their hotel room."

"You know, realistically, I think Burt wants to go. They just got Ma's divorce through, the stress of the custody hearing is over, they likely want to get their boots knocking," (he's still not a hundred percent down with knowing what his Ma and Burt get up to, but it's all relative really) "You think he'll still want to go?"

Kurt's too busy plugging his ears with his fingers and singing 'la la la' loudly over Puck's suggestion. But maybe there's still hope for their weekend plans after all.