A/N: I love "Glee!" LOVE it. And it sort of caught me off-guard, because it seemed like one of those things that I so would not get into. And when it was like eight episodes in, I finally caved and decided to hop on my good friend Project Free TV and see what all the fuss was about. I watched all the way through "Wheels" in one night without pause, bought the soundtrack the day it came out, and bought a poster to put on my wall. God, it just creeps up on you, doesn't it?

So, naturally, I've been reading "Glee" fanfiction, and that got my bug going. This year has been really difficult for me, and I've been venting all my frustration out on my poor Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanfiction characters, so after the epic awesomeness that was "Journey" (the finale), I've decided to cheer myself up and write this. This plot bunny just sort of popped into my head, and it makes me cheerful to write it, so I'm going to, even though this pairing just…shouldn't…be…fun. Or so I keep telling myself.

Anyway:

Universe: Glee

Timeline: Set about a week after the events of the season one finale, "Journey" and veers into AU territory from there (also assumes that there are still a few months of the school year left after regionals).

Rating: T for some light sexual content and language

Pairings: Kurt/Puck, one-sided Kurt/Finn, Finn/Rachel, Artie/Tina

Warnings: Features some music but is not a songfic. Also, assumes that Finn has moved back in with the Hummel family after the explosion in "Theatricality," and that things are not okay between him and Kurt at the moment. Also, naturally, slash. You've been warned.

Glee

Kurt's Gamble

1. What Is This Feeling?

There's a certain quality to Kurt Hummel's voice whenever he's insulting one Noah Puckerman. His entire body gets in on the action – his pale skin gains color and immediacy; his perfectly plucked eyebrows snap together stormily; his full, almost feminine lips curl into a classic 1900's Hollywood-worthy sneer; his clear hazel eyes darken to the color of thunderous skies; and his voice drops down so that he sounds almost like your average guy when he opens his mouth and bites off "Idiot." It's almost an art form, really. Puck shrugged and shoved him into the nearest janitor's closet, then shut the door so he can't get out.

Daily ritual completed, Puck headed off toward Mike, Matt and Santana as they went toward the glee club meeting Mr. Schuester had called after school. Puck gave Mercedes a wide berth as the exasperated chocolate diva let her friend out of the closet (and Puck just had to laugh meanly there). They all head off to glee together, though, and that's where they all promptly stop fighting because they all generally like and respect Mr. Schuester too much to want him to give them his devastatingly effective 'I'm so disappointed in you because you're worth more than this' puppy dog eyes of doom. Puck figured that if he could master those eyes he'd be back in Finn and Quinn's good graces like that.

"Hey, guys!" Mr. Schue boomed on seeing them. Puck was a total badass, but even he had to admit (to himself) that he actually liked the fact that Schue is always so genuinely happy to see all of them. When they were all sitting, he beamed at them magnanimously. "So, I know that his out first official meeting since regionals, but I figure that we should really get started again!"

"Get started on what?" Finn asked, confused (to be fair, he's confused most of the time, Puck thought).

"Everything else!" Rachel exclaimed eagerly. She and Finn were still in the early, puppy love stages of their relationship, and though Finn somehow managed to calm her down a bit, she was still way too excited about anything and everything to do with performing in front of people. Their loss at regionals hadn't even managed to slow her down. "I mean, we've still got three whole months of school left – pep rallies, sports events, a school play, and other glee assignments; we need to do anything and everything we can to stay on edge!"

"Your voice has me on edge," Kurt muttered viciously from somewhere behind Puck, low enough that no one else heard him, and Puck stifled a surprised laugh. Kurt snorted rudely, and Mercedes hissed warningly at both of them before they caught Mr. Schuester's attention.

"That's right, Rachel – I couldn't have said it better myself," Mr. Schue praised her. She preened at the compliment.

"I think that you could have said it better," said Brittany. "Sometimes Rachel's clothes make her voice louder than it is." Kurt sounded like he was having an aneurism trying to not say anything, but the rest of New Directions was too used to Brittanyisms to say much.

"Erm…thank you, Brittany," said Schue. "Anyways, as you all responded so brilliantly to the ballads assignment a while back, I'd like you each to pair off with your respective partners from that assignment. No ballads this time, though! I want you to duet on a song (or more than one song, if you'd like) and accompany it with either an act or a dance, and present it to the group by the end of the month! We're a show choir, so I think it's time we…showed!" He flourished his hands happily.

Puck shrugged at Mercedes – they worked well together, vocally, although things had been a little strained between them since that whole dating fiasco. And he did not dwell on that sanctimonious little speech she'd given him about not liking himself. He liked himself just fine. But the entire room went into a shocked sort of silence when Kurt Hummel stood up and said in a tone like ice, "Mr. Schuester, I'd like to switch partners."

Well, Puck hadn't seen that one coming. Everyone knew that Hummel carried a torch the size of Australia for Finn (well, except for Finn), and he'd been over his little sparkly moon when he and Finn had to sing ballads to each other. Sure, Finn was dating Rachel now, but Puck smelled a story. Kurt was doing his usual ice prince routine, but he was pointedly looking anywhere but the other side of the room, where people were staring at him, and Finn looked like he'd been sucker-punched while Rachel just looked royally pissed. Even Mr. Schuester looked taken aback.

"But, Kurt, you and Finn work really well together," Schue reminded him, nonplussed.

"I'd prefer to work with someone else," Kurt rejoined flatly. "And besides, I'm the best performer in here other than Rachel—" His lip curled slightly when he admitted that part "—and I could work with someone who's struggling more than he is to help up their game." He sounded coldly logical about the whole thing, but the way he wouldn't even say Finn's name had Puck sitting up. Some drama was better than no drama, and he was starting to be really grateful that he'd shown up today at all. Finn was looking more and more like Hummel's deathly cold voice had him feeling like the gay kid had run over his puppy, and Puck watched interestedly as Schue tried to think of what to say.

"Well, Kurt, the goal was to keep the teams the same because of the familiarity," he began, but in an unprecedented show of balls the pixyish soprano stepped forward and cut him off.

"I'm perfectly comfortable working with anyone in this room – in fact, I could perform with Rachel right now, as we're both ready." He eyed Rachel challengingly, and she angrily stood up as if to say, bring it on. The rest of the club watched, enthralled, as Mr. Schuester's hot air balloon of optimism deflated a bit. "I thought we could tackle 'What Is This Feeling?' from Wicked," Kurt continued. Rachel raised her eyebrow at the song choice, not that Puck recognized it. But before she could say anything, Kurt nodded to Brad the piano man (Holy shit! Was he there the whole time? Puck wondered, creeped out) before the two pissed off singers eyed each other with all the feeling of someone scraping dog crap off of their shoe, and then the singing began, and Puck was too busy grinning at the lyrics and the dramatic performance to say anything else.

Kurt: What is this feeling, so sudden and new?

Rachel: I felt the moment I laid eyes on you?

Kurt: My pulse is rushing—

Rachel: My head is reeling—

Kurt: My face is flushing—

Together: What is this feeling?

Fervent as a flame

Does it have a name?

Yes…loathing!

Unadulterated loathing!

For—

Kurt: Your face!

Rachel: Your voice!

Kurt: Your clothing!

Together: Let's just say:

I loathe it all!

Every little trait, however small

Makes my very flesh begin to crawl

With simple, utter loathing

There's a strange exhilaration

In such total detestation—

It's so pure, so strong!

Though I do admit, it came on fast—

Still, I do believe that it can last

And I will be loathing

For, forever loathing

Truly, deeply loathing you

My whole life long!

By the end of the performance, they were both flushed and in each other's faces and too enraged to notice that most of the club was cheering the way that their voices had blended into a strangely wonderful melody. Maybe it was how hurt and small Finn looked…nah, it was definitely the way that Rachel and Kurt looked ready to go Freddy Krueger on each other's faces that had Mr. Schuester leading the room in applause as he stepped between the warring sopranos, Puck decided.

"Well, Kurt, I think that you definitely made your point," he said, trying to quell the looks on Kurt and Rachel's faces. "And since I don't want you to fall back on working with Mercedes all the time, I think that we could just have the two of you swapping partners—"

"—and put me with the creature?" Kurt asked, horrified, gesturing at Puck.

"Hey!" Puck said indignantly.

"Take it or leave it," Schuester said flatly. After what appeared to be a furious internal war that Puck watched play out on the other boy's incredibly expressive face, a war that had Puck interested in the outcome despite himself, Kurt bowed his head as if he had just been told he had incurable brain cancer. Puck would have felt offended if he didn't think that the coming weeks between the two of them might be downright interesting with this new, non-Finn-obsessed Kurt.

"Kurt, can we talk?" Finn asked as Schue wrote the assignment change down in his notebook.

"No," Kurt said flatly, not even glancing in his direction.

Even Quinn was staring at him in unconcealed shock now, and she hadn't been really engaged in anything glee-related since they'd sang "To Sir, with Love" to Mr. Schue a week back.

"Kurt—do you need to go shopping or something?" Mercedes offered.

"Or, you could help Tina and I shelve books in the library for our community service assignment in civics class," Artie offered helpfully.

"I'm not depressed!" Kurt protested loudly, drawing the club's attention their way once more. Mr. Schuester was regarding the boy like he was a volcano about to erupt, and, really, considering how little Kurt actually lost control like this the comparison wasn't a bad one. "I do not have to hang on to Finn Hudson's every word just to get by!" Even Mercedes was drawing back in amazement; Finn was just looking sick to his stomach with guilt. "And I do more than shopping and rule-following! I just want people to stop treating me—"

"—like a girl?" Puck suggested meanly. If looks could kill… "Well, if you aren't depressed, what are you feeling?" He surprised himself by actually wondering about the answer.

Kurt's fists clenched, his color rose, and Puck realized suddenly that Kurt was totally colorless today – designer pants and shirt, sure, but no color, no frills, lace, scarves, or fancy shoes. "I…am…pissed," Kurt said furiously.

"Well, if you don't want me to tell you you're a girl, quit acting like one," Puck said reasonably. Which was apparently the really wrong thing to say, as Kurt stood up and in his anger managed to make himself look about a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier, trembling with pure emotion as he lifted his bag.

"I am not a girl!" he roared, voice coming out surprisingly deep. The entire room had gone very quiet as their eyes were glued on Kurt. Finn was looking guilty and heartsick, as if Kurt going off the deep end was all his fault somehow. "I am mad as hell!" With that, he swung his shoulder bag around so hard it caught Puck full-force in the back of the head, making him yelp in surprised pain as he tumbled forward and fell off his chair.

"Kurt, this meeting isn't over," Mr. Schuester protested weakly as Kurt stalked toward the door like an enraged cat.

"Whoops," said the boy who'd never missed a class by choice, his voice hard and cold as icicles, and with that, he left, slamming the door behind him so violently that the glass rattled.

"Um…what the hell just happened?" Santana asked, which Puck thought pretty much summed it all up.

"He's possessed!" Mercedes suggested.

"Don't look at me when you say that!" Tina protested.

"Why did he say 'whoops'? He left on purpose. When I have accidents, I don't tell people," Brittany said. Santana patted her hand awkwardly.

"Er…Mercedes, maybe you should work with Kurt this month…" Mr. Schuester said, sounding worried.

"Nah, Mr. Schue," Puck said determinedly. "I got this."

Oh, yeah – things were definitely getting more interesting around here…

A/N: So, what'd you think? It was more fun than I thought it would be, especially trying to come up with something that Brittany would say! And I'm sorry if Kurt seems somewhat OOC during this, but I just can't see him going through Finn being such a supreme jerk at the end of "Theatricality," losing at regionals, having to continue living with Finn despite all the drama, going through his dad and Finn bonding, and being treated the way he's treated without finally just plain losing it, so you'll have to tell me.

The next chapter should be up soon. Reviews are love!