A/N: So, everyone on Tumblr was playing around with the generator website gleekink(dot)web(dot)fc2(dot)com, so I decided to play around with it as well. And what do I get but a lot of really interesting and adorable prompts for some writer's-block-relieving drabble-writing! :D

Puck / Artie – Masks
(AU. Personalities are the same, but Artie is not in a wheelchair; the accident happened, but he was injured far less, even though his mother still died.)

Every Halloween, Quinn Fabray and her parents host a huge party. But it's a bit of a masquerade, because at this particular party, masks as a must. They are literally mandatory; you have to keep one on at all times, because: "it's Halloween and you're supposed to be pretending to be someone else," Quinn had specifically elaborated on her invitations.

Puck personally liked to scoff at these; he would always go, crashing it or not, but he usually found a way to take off whatever goofy, movie-monster-themed mask he initially wore to it.

This year, however, was different, because they're sophomores now and they know more people thanks to the Glee Club, and what's more, everyone is still new and getting to know one another, which is a bit of a thrill, and for Puck, it's a way to pick up girls… or whoever suits his fancy.

So this time around, Puck goes, and he decides to wear a V for Vendetta mask, because, hey, that graphic-novel-slash-movie is epic in all sorts of ways, and he can pull off that creepy smile pretty well.

When he goes to the party, though, it's a little difficult to distinguish guys from girls like he thought it would be, and there are a few people he doesn't even recognize.

Like Rachel Berry, for example. It takes her loud and skilled singing for him to figure out that this babe in a smokin' hot lime green dress with a pearly, pale green, silver-laced, white-feathered Marti Gras-looking mask to match is actually the fellow Jew girl.

Brittany and Santana are easy to find, however. They are the only girls at the Halloween bash who are linking their pinkie fingers, and Santana is a foxy cheetah girl with a cat mask and Brittany is an adorable mermaid with a shell mask, and it's just so obvious that Puck simply shrugs and moves on.

He comes across a Darth Vader, though, fully equipped with a voice changer, and he doesn't know who this guy is, but he might suddenly be a little in love with him (because on the days that Puck chooses not to go commando, he usually wears ones of his five different pairs of Star Wars boxers or briefs. He freaking loves those movies, and no one can ever take that fraction of nerddom away from him and his studly pride).

"Hey Vader," Puck greets with a smirk, and a soft chuckle comes out of the deep-voiced mask.

"Nice to see you, Puckerman," the masked guy replies, and sends a little shiver down Puck's spine. "Having a good time, I see."

Puck glances down at where the hidden eyes must be peering; in Puck's hand, there's a small flask full of some pomegranate Vodka. He shrugs. "Yeah, well. Gotta keep any party jumpin', right? Anyway, how'd you know it was me? This Vendetta mask is pretty discreet, I might add."

Darth Vader seems to smirk at that. "Come on, Puckerman; mask or not, your Mohawk sticks out like a sore thumb."

"Touché," Puck agrees, laughing. He tries to peer through the plastic to find the person's face. "Who are you, anyway?"

"Dance with me for a song and I'll tell you," Darth quips in that voice-changer-altered tone, and Puck can't help the grin that spreads over his face. He likes mysteries, deals, and challenges, and this feels like a wicked combo of all three.

"A'ight, Vader; you got yourself a deal. Would you like your song of choice to be down and dirty or slow and sweet? 'Cause I can go talk to Mr. DJ Matt up there and arrange either of the two."

The black-masked guy seems to cock his head, as if in thought. Then, slowly, he pokes Puck in the chest, answering, "Find a happy medium and I won't tell Schuester that you TP'd his house."

Puck goes white. "You know I did that? How? Where's your proof?"

"I was with you, of course. All of us footballers were."

"You're conniving and a bit of a cocky bastard, but I'm kind of digging it," Puck returns easily, slipping off into the crowd to change the song on request. He winds up with P.Y.T. by Michael Jackson, and it works, because it's a little dirty but kind of romantic at the same time, and Darth Vader seems satisfied.

They don't even care about everyone around them, because, really, with all the masks and bodies filling up Quinn's house, and with all of the loud music and food and chatter, no one notices or cares.

And so they fall into each other's arms easily, and they are nearly the same height – or they would be, if Vader's boots weren't so thick and Puck's own shoes weren't so flat. In fact, Puck's willing to bed the guy is shorter than him, and he's trying to remember who all came with him to toilet paper the Glee/Spanish teacher's house.

There was Karofsky and Azimio… Matt, Mike… Finn, Artie… and even Kurt, at first, until he chickened out because the dew was going to ruin his shoes and he didn't want to tarnish his perfect record. There were tow or three other guys, but Puck doesn't even talk to them, so why would they know him?

So… who…?

Not Finn, because Puck knows that Finn came as a old-fashioned guy-in-a-tux to match Rachel, and besides, Finn is much taller, even without boots like these. And Matt is the DJ, and Az is a different skin color and build than this, and in the colorful lights, Puck figures it has to be either Mike, Artie, or Karofsky.

"You gonna tell me who you are, yet?" Puck pushes as he moves his body around the Vader. He smirks. "Or do I have to take off that mask to find out myself?"

Darth chuckles again. "No, I'll tell you, Puck." And, without removing the helmet, he lifts the mask front and reveals his flushed, lightly sweating face with his crystal blue eyes and brown hair.

"Artie?" Puck says, disbelieving, amused, and a little affectionate. "I never wouldda thought, dude."

"Well, you never asked," Artie says in his normal voice, the changer off after he left the helmet lid up. "We probably have a lot in common that you don't realize. Like… do you like Halo? And man, I could live on waffles if they wouldn't make me fat."

And Puck's eyes shone a little then, because really, he never knew someone as perfect as Artie existed. "Hell yeah, I like Halo! Best game series ever. And waffles are my life, don't even joke."

It isn't until later when the masks are shed at the end of the party that Puck asks Artie to "hang out sometime," even though he really means, "go out on a date." But Artie says yes, and that's all that really matters, 'cause, hey, Puck thinks he might actually want something more for once, be it with another guy or not.