Its near the end of seventh grade when Kurt can't take it any more.

The other boys have always been jerks but he's long past the point where he can still put up with it. So when Noah Puckerman pushes him into a locker, Kurt turns right around and punches him in the face.

He can't even bring himself to regret having done it. The other kids crowd around them and he can see the rage building in the taller boy's eyes.

"Fight, fight!" Someone begins to chant and the rest of the kids take it up with enthusiasm.

Noah Puckerman is going to kick his ass. Absolutely no one doubts it. Not even Kurt himself. But he's morbidly curious about just what he has been living in fear of for years.

The other boy absolutely pummels him.

But he doesn't leave the fight unscathed.

x

Next thing he knows he's waiting outside the principals office. And he really, really hurts.

For some reason that escapes him, they've sat Noah down beside him. The other boy is sporting a shiner. Kurt knows he looks much, much worse, but can't hold back a smirk. He'd done that. He hit Noah. Not many people could say that. He'd given the best fighter in him school a shiner. Not even the eighth graders messed with Noah Puckerman. It gave him a completely different thrill than looking at Noah usually gave him. Kurt blushed scarlet at the thought.

" You're stronger than you look Hummel. Not bad."

Kurt looked up at that. There was something odd in the other boy's gaze. Something almost wholly unfamiliar to Kurt. At least in regards to himself. He'd seen people look at his Dad like that though. He couldn't seem to place what it was called.

"Tell me that tomorrow when all the bruises show up." Kurt replied. Experience had taught him all about the darkening effect. It made him consider resorting to make up.

"About time you grew a pair," Noah said with a laugh.

Kurt snorted delicately. An action that took both grace and skill. "I've always had one. It's you people who can never accept that."

Noah laughed again, extending his hand towards Kurt."No hard feelings Hummel, I've always been a dick to you."

Kurt batted the blush that tried to flood his cheeks away. If only Noah knew.

Instead he grasped the other boys hand with his own, found it surprisingly easy to forgive him. Reopened his split lip by smiling.

He hurt. But Kurt had to spend some time with frozen peas on his stomach and back regardless. This just meant a longer time than usual. It was nothing new. The banter with the cute boy in the principles waiting room was though.

He was alive, the world wasn't ending. Yes he ached, but he didn't need to be hospitalized. He hadn't ended up in a coma, or in need of emergency reconstructive Surgery. He kind of wished he'd done it in fourth grade and saved himself the trouble.

Here he was, having a friendly conversation with someone who used to push him around.

Later, they even share an epic eye roll when the principal begins dressing them down. The principle has to go easy on him because it's his first 'offence'. And was then equally lenient on the repeat offender beside him because he wasn't very fond of Kurt.

It wasn't until his Dad came to pick him up that he placed what he'd seen in the other boys gaze.

Respect.

He doesn't let himself believe for a moment though, that suddenly they're friends.

x

For some reason Kurt really can't fathom, suddenly they're friends.

It's not even one of those really messed up pranks, when someone tries to pretend they're friendly with him only to turn on him while reveling in his humiliation. That only ever happened once. Kurt does have a working brain, thank you very much. He also watches a lot of musicals. He knows all about sub-plot.

Whoever had been trying it quickly gave up once they realized Kurt was wise to their game.

He's not wise to Noah's game.

Noah sits with him at lunch. He's mean to the other boys who try to pick on him. Often even before they try to pick on him. He laughs at Kurt's admittedly bitchy jokes. He even brings his really cute and dreamy tall friend along. And he does this every day. Without a hint of shame or sharing knowing smirks with any other friends. Really, if Kurt could get him stop talking about football, and start talking about vogue, he'd be the perfect best friend. As it is, he's does an exemplary job.

Then the serious name calling starts. The kind that isn't just mean, but cruel. It crosses the line.

One of the chubby boys starts it, David or Dean or something. He opens his big, blubbery mouth and says," Look, it's Homo and his Boyfriend. The Fags!"

In a move that defies everything Kurt knows about Physics, Noah manages to transport himself from beside Kurt, to on to tubby. Wasting no time and beginning to pummel the kid in a very similar fashion to how he'd pummeled Kurt. Tubby's too fat to escape the worst of it like Kurt had. Getting pushed around so often had caused Kurt to have dodging down to an art. Provided he could see it coming of course.

It's this remarkable power of observation that clues him in to tubby's other, equally chubby friend attempting to get in on the fight.

When the fact that two against one is very unfair fight penetrates Kurt's brain, he jumps right in.

In Kurt's defense, this is only his second fight, so he goes with his instincts and takes the other boy from the back. They roll for a bit, and things get hazy, Kurt manages to wrap his legs around Chubby's waist, and squishes it in a vice like grip. His hands fist and he begins to pound on the bigger boys head. Everything's a blur of screaming and people chanting fight. He doesn't even realize he's won until Noah pulls him away and pats him on the back.

"Thanks man" Noah says, through a split lip of his very own.

"You guys were awesome!" Finn says brightly, appearing beside them. The kid is absolutely pristine. It's the first indication Kurt has that Finn may not be a dream boat.

It's not the last.

xXx

"I fucking hate Finn!" Kurt hisses. Usually, he doesn't like to curse. Noah knows that. It's simply Kurt's way of informing his friend that he is all sorts of pissed at him. Well him too, but mostly Finn. "Where is that Dumb ass anyway."

"Geez, Princess will you chill? We've got this, We won't even need Finnesa" Noah says. Like he'd ever reply with anything else. Cocky was Noah's default setting. Like snarky was Kurt's, or Finn's was stupid.

"Oh he'd better show." Kurt murmured darkly, "Like Hell the guy gets us into a fight with the only kids our age possibly capable of kicking our asses, and then not even deign to show his pretty face."

"God Princess seriously, take a chill Pill. Come on babe, you know we kick all sorts of ass!" Noah says, and Kurt realizes with more alarm than horror that he's excited about this.

Maybe Finn's terminally stupid was spreading.

"Not in Lima heights we don't. At least I'm not a hundred percent sure Noah. And please for Gucci's sake, will you stop calling me babe. Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I'm a girl." And oh, how he loved how open he could be with Noah about it. They'd had that conversation when Kurt had turned down a Porn Mag his friend had procured especially for his birthday. Kurt knew he would never have a more embarrassing birthday.

Still, it was worth it. Noah was amazingly cool about it. Neither boy found it worth the headache to tell Finn.

"You're prettier than most" Noah shot back with a friendly smirk, perhaps flirt was his actual default setting."And twice as bitchy."

Or maybe not.

"Oh, Ha Ha." Kurt replies dryly, "You wound me to the quick."

Further banter was interrupted by Finn actually showing up, "Sorry guys, but mom made some spaghetti an-"

"Save it," Kurt cut him off. That never stopped being satisfying."They're here."

The other kids emerged between some buildings, there were some girls trailing after them.

"Hey what's with the chicks" Noah called out. Despite the bad ass persona , Noah had a soft spot. Her name was Sarah Puckerman and her very existence insured that Noah would never strike a woman. Not that Kurt thought he would have anyway. Despite the crassness with which he chased them, Noah was a gentleman at heart."They're pretty hot."

Deep, deep in his heart.

"To watch your fool asses get beat, duh!" One of the girls answered for herself. She looked Hispanic, with dark hair and eyes. The smile on her face also made some long dormant survival instinct in Kurt howl at him to hide.

"Didn't you bring one", one of the other boy's called out, nodding towards Kurt, "Hey, wheres your third?"

Kurt glared at the speaker, memorizing his face and angling his body towards him in a way Noah knew to mean Dibs."I resent the implication. And just for that, I'm going to kick your ass."

The other team laughed. Kurt narrowed his eyes even further.

The sad thing was Finn was liable to miss the implication.

"I'll cream him for you Kurt" Finn offered. See? Kurt wasn't making this up.

"He's mine" Kurt whispered. Somewhat grateful the other guys were too far away to have heard the exchange. How embarrassing.

How he rued the day Noah had gotten it in his head to teach him how to fight. And how he rued his ability to excel at everything he tried...Well, no, not really. Kurt was rather fond of that.

"Are you guys gonna stand there all day? Or are you gonna fight." It was the dark haired girl speaking again. She shot Noah an Interested look. He replied with what Noah thought was a sexy smile. Kurt gave it a six out of ten.

"Lets fight!" Finn said, suddenly all down for the action macho. Completely tensing up. The only thing Kurt thought he was good for in a fight was ending it before it started. The guy was really, really tall. Some people looked at him and completely missed the dopey expression and blatant lack of brain cells. Versache knew Kurt had. On occasion, it was useful. Mostly he and Noah insured Finn only got in their opponents way.

The other guys attacked them.

It turned out they really hadn't needed Finn.

Noah got the dark haired girls phone number. Kurt advised him to burn it.

xXx

okay so this might be going somewhere. My little brother is thirteen and all he does after school is play basketball and get into fights. I wondered what Kurt would have been like if he fought in school. This was the result. Tell me what you think. I'm leaning towards Puck/Kurt right now but that could change. Given a good reason of course. Freshman year at mckinley could be very interesting~