Dinner was at nine, for everyone. Or, well, either at seven or nine, but Puck and Finn wouldn't survive the evening if they ate at seven. Well, they might survive, but they would get sugar-shock from all the candy they'd eat. Then they'd be awake all night and sing themselves, and everyone else, tone-deaf. Kurt spoke from experience.

So they were going to eat at nine every evening and dinner was, of course, an “activity” they would partake in together. In other words, the New Directions ate together at a large table. Kurt didn't really mind, they'd been uncharacteristically nice to him after his breakdown earlier, but that didn't mean he looked forward to it. Especially since the ‘let's all be nice to Kurt'-thing started to wear of and Mercedes was, apparently, the only person it didn't apply to. He didn't know why, but she seemed even colder than before and spent the whole day with Quinn and Santana. Moreover, the latter spoke more to him than Mercedes all day. For the love of all that's holy, why would Satan, of all people, speak more to him than his supposedly best friend? Ex-best friend now though, but still. He'd get through it though and at least Rachel was nice for most of the day, and Puck seemed like a completely new person. Kurt didn't think it would last, but for now he sat next to Puck at dinner, on purpose.

“Hey Princess, what's up?” God, that nickname again. Puck seemed to alternate between calling him Kurt and Princess all the time. Actually, he usually called him Princess when they talked more. Weird.

“Nothing much. Just hiding from the sun on a boat.” Puck gave him a quizzical look. “You know, since I don't tan. I just get ugly red spots.”

“But it's night.”

“And that makes my job that much easier.”

“Right. You shouldn't worry too much, you need more than a few red spots to become even remotely ugly Princess.” It took a few seconds for Kurt to process his words and when he finally did he just stared at him in shock. Puck, however, was already deep in conversation with Sam and Finn and didn't notice. You think you know people.

The others talked lively after that, but Kurt just ate in silence. He didn't pick up on anything that interested him and no one tried to include him anyway. His phone suddenly buzzed and he took it out, confused. Who would text him at this hour? He'd already talked to his dad earlier and he didn't really receive texts or calls from anyone else. It was from a number he didn't recognize; he frowned, but opened it nonetheless.

You look so sad. Lighten up little kitty. Tomorrow will be a new day, filled with rainbows and puppy-love. –Blaine

Kurt stared at his phone for a moment, Blaine was actually texting him. And just to tell him to be happy. He thought for a moment before he typed back.

K: Wouldn't that be a bad thing if I'm a cat?

B: Not when the puppies are as sweet and loveable as Blaine. (This is Nick, I'm borrowing his phone.)

K: Borrowing, right

B: I can't let him have all the Kurt-fun. Just going to steal your number and then I'll return it.
Kurt grinned down at his phone, probably looking like a mad person.

K: Where are you guys anyway?

B: Turn around

He did, the warblers sat at a table not too far away from their own. Blaine smiled and waved at him, Jeff bounced up and down, waving with both hands like a maniac and Nick blew him a kiss. This made Jeff elbow him in the ribs and in return Nick gave him a sweet kiss, right on the lips. They had to be the most adorable couple ever.

B: You look like you're a Niff-fan. (Blaine's back)

K: Niff?

B: Warbler name for Nick and Jeff.

K: That's so cute

B: We thought so

Kurt's phone buzzed again, once more with a message from an unknown number.
What's he saying about me now? He's got the ‘I'm talking about you'-look. (Nick)

K: He's just telling me about Niff.

N: Please join the Warblers.

K: Huh?

That was sudden and weird, why would he just change topic like that and ask him to join? He didn't go to their school and he was already in a glee-club.

N: Niff is supposed to be a Warbler thing. If you join it'll still be a Warbler thing. If you don't it'll be for everyone and I don't know if I can survive that.

Kurt laughed out loud, earning a few weird looks from his classmates. He didn't care about that though, he didn't need their approval.

K: I think you'll have to. Jeff would probably kill me if you died.

N: I doubt that, he's too nice.

N: Maybe we could make you an honorable Warbler? That might work.

K: Can you do that?

N: I can't, but maybe…

Kurt waited for a few minutes, eating the rest of his food before he got a new message.

B: We're so making you an honorable Warbler. We'll have to ask Wes, but I'm sure he'll like the idea.

K: How can you be so sure?

B: ‘Cause I'm asking

B: And he likes you. All the Warblers do.

Kurt blushed at that, it was really weird to have someone say that. He'd spent his entire life with his dad as his only real friend and then this gang of talented boys came along and wanted him to hang with them.

B: I'll call a Warbler meeting to make this happen. I'll text you later. Just call me whenever if you want to talk or sing or scream or eat ice cream or cookies or whatever.

K:Ok, thanks.

N: You can call me too

J: Or Jeff here

N: We're spying on your conversation.

Kurt laughed again and sent thank you messages to both Nick and Jeff. Who knew texting could be so fun? “What are you laughing about Princess?”

“The stupid adorableness of Warblers.” He froze, why did he say that? Would Puck be mad at him for texting the boys? Did Rachel hear him? Would she lose it again?

“Well if they make you laugh like that you should hang more with them. You've got a nice laugh; you should show it more often.” Kurt looked at him in surprise. This turned out to be a really weird night.

“Thanks Puck.”

“Anytime Princess.”

*

“So, how are things going with you and Quinn?” It was later in the evening and the boys were back in their room. Puck half-sat, half-lay on his bed, waiting for Sam to answer. “It's good man, it's good. Though I'm ready for things to go further, and she's just not.”

“I feel you bro, Rachel's like that as well. But she's even more of a prude than Quinn,” Finn commented.

“That's what you get for being in a relationship. You should do like me and just enjoy life of being hot and single,” Puck grinned at them. “I don't have to put up with all the touchy-feely stuff and I still get laid.”

Kurt sighed internally; he missed girl-talk. He happened to like touchy-feely stuff very much, but all the guys were concerned about was getting laid. They were worse than Santana and Tina put together. Tina was usually quiet, bud judging by her comments about Mike and their affairs, and his smug look at the moment, they'd done a lot more than Finn and Rachel.

“Something wrong Princess?” Puck looked at him and Kurt shook his head. “I just don't get your guy talk.”

“That's ‘cause you haven't tried it yet Princess. I swear, if you had a taste of Puckzilla you would understand it all.”

“Is that an invitation Puck?” Sam laughed. “Nah, just stating a fact.”

“Sure,” Sam didn't seem convinced. Kurt looked at them and tried to swallow, but he found he couldn't do it. Not because of what Puck said, but because of the memories his words triggered. He'd done much more than any of them knew and he'd hated every freaking second of it. Memories washed over him like deadly waves and he hurried into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

He was slammed in one of the ugly, stinky, red lockers. It hurt, but it wasn't anything he wasn't used to. Karofsky had done much worse before. That was usually in a crowded hallway, not an empty locker-room, but the setting didn't matter. Except it did. Instead of the fist he'd expected he was attacked by something much worse, a pair of big rough lips. He tried to get away, tried to scream, but to no avail. Karofsky was at least three times as big as him and many times as strong. He forced one leg between Kurt's and kissed him deeper, harder. Kurt whimpered and tears escaped his eyes as a big hand found its way under his sweater and rummaged over his stomach. He tried to bite to get the ugly lips off his own, but that apparently turned the jock on.

Kurt couldn't breathe, he tried and tried, but air just wouldn't come. It felt like everything around him tried to strangle him. It was his clothes, Karofsky had touched this shirt once and now it wanted to kill him. He forced his vest and shirt off and threw them at the wall. He gasped, air, wonderful air.

The locker-room door flew open just as Karofsky's hand moved to his ass. He jumped away from Kurt at once and straightened himself up as Puck came into the room. “What's up?” He said, looking at Karofsky. “Just telling Tinkerbelle that this actually is the boys locker-room and he should get the fuck out of here.” Puck gave him a weird look and shook his head before he turned to Kurt. “Mr. Schue wants to talk to you, said it was important. Kurt took that opportunity to get out of the room fast as hell. He spent about twenty minutes locked in a bathroom to collect himself before he went to find the teacher. He, however, had nothing to say to him and hadn't seen Puck since glee-club the day before. That was when Kurt forgave Puck for everything, absolutely everything, he'd ever done to him. Even the day he spent thirteen hours in a dumpster because his arm broke and he couldn't get out.

“Hey Princess, you okay?” Puck knocked once before he opened the door, gasping at the sight that met him. Kurt stood with his back to him, but quickly turned when he came in, trying to hide his body with his arms.

“Don't… I'm busy… Leave me alone,” Kurt stammered out, but Puck had no intention of leaving. He only got a glimpse of Kurt's back, but that was enough. He closed the door behind him and stepped closer to the smaller boy. “Princess… Kurt, let me see.” He shook his head and tried to back away, but Puck laid a hand on his shoulder and stared at him until he bowed his head in resignation and slowly turned around. His back was black and blue, filled with bruises and scars.

“Oh Kurt, I'm so sorry.” He stared at the small figure, one question running through his mind. Which of these did I make? He hadn't been nice to Kurt in the past, he was painfully aware of that, but he didn't know that things were this bad. Karofsky and the other jocks were assholes, but the boy in front of him looked more like a victim of torture than a high school boy. “I'm so sorry.”

“It's not your fault.”

“Are you kidding me? I was one of your worst bullies Kurt. This,” he put a hand over an old, red and particularly big scar on his right shoulder, “I made this.”

“It's okay Noah, I forgave you some time ago.” Puck looked surprised at him for a moment. He'd never actually called him Noah before, but that didn't matter at the moment. “That's not possible. How could you forgive something like that?”

“You saved me Noah. You saved me from something much worse than any of this. I don't know if you remember, I'm not sure you even realized, but you saved me and I forgave you for everything.” Puck pulled him into a hug. Of course he remembered. He didn't know what happened inside the locker-room that day, but he'd never seen Kurt like that; so deflated, so broken. “I'm still sorry Princess,” he murmured before he stepped back.

“Thanks Noah,” Kurt said as he turned around with a half-smile. “Could you do me a favor?”

“Sure Princess, what?”

“Can you bring me a t-shirt from the closet?” Puck looked at him for a second before he laughed. “Sure,” he replied as he went out of the room. The other guys gave him curious looks as he pulled out a tee from the closet and turned back to give it to Kurt. He didn't care though, he hardly ever bothered with the opinions of others, and right now he had more important matters to think about that. Kurt came out a moment later, wearing the grey t-shirt that was a little big on him. He threw the shirt and vest he'd been wearing all day into his suitcase and sat down on his bed, giving Puck a small, thankful smile. He returned it with a wink. Kurt might have forgiven him, but he wasn't able to do that just yet. He would protect Kurt from now on though, and in time self-forgiveness would hopefully come.