So I haven't written any fanfiction in a while, and I apologize to everyone who was a reader of my OTH story. I just couldn't seem to find the right words to finish it.

But anyway, here is my first Puckleberry story, and hopefully not the last! Enjoy.

*I am not in any way associated with Glee, the characters or the team apart of making this wonderful show.*

She was leaving for New York in the morning. He was leaving for Los Angeles that night. She didn't know how it all became so messed up. She didn't understand why it took so long for her to realize how he felt. And now she had done the unthinkable. After all this waiting, flirting and unspoken opportunities, she had let it all slip away. She had let him slip away.

Being with Finn was the easy way out. Being with Finn was a piece of cake. No matter how many times he broke up with her, hurt her, or cheated on her, he always found a way back into her life. By the end of senior year, there were no feelings left between them whatsoever. Noah was only her go to guy; when Finn broke her heart he was there to pick up the pieces and put them back together, until Finn stomped on her heart over and over.

The long nights they spent together, Noah just holding her in his arms while she cried into his shoulder, soaking one shirt after the next. It soon became a regular occurrence. Finn would break up with her and Rachel would go crying to Noah for comfort until Finn decided he wanted her back. And every single time she took him back. And every single time Noah would remind her of the hurt she went through. She assured him she was fine, that he wouldn't hurt her again.

It wasn't until senior prom that Noah realised he couldn't take it anymore. Seeing Rachel sitting at the table alone, under the shining lights and the slow music playing, he didn't want to be the 'go to guy' anymore. She looked so sad, so broken. She was staring out at the couples dancing, all so in love. Quinn had somehow managed to come into the picture once again, Finn promising it would only be 'one dance'. Yet here they were, three dances later, and the two looked more in love than Rachel had ever noticed. A tear rolled down her eye as she realised she would never be number one in Finn's life. She would always be second best.

Noah watched her run out the gym doors, her purple dress flowing over her body as she ran. Her hair was curled around the sides of her face, hiding the hurt she was feeling. Noah felt like it was his fault. He should have intervened in their relationship much earlier, he should have stopped it from getting this far. She was hurt. He took his last sip of the spiked punch before following after her, finding her sitting on the edge of the flower garden, her heels thrown to different sides, her make up smudged across her face, her dress scrunched up in her hands. He had never seen her so hurt, so fragile. The bright, determined girl no longer existed. Instead, a hurt, damaged, fragile girl sat in her place. He remembered the conversation that night so clearly.

"Hey now, no Rachel I know would let a silly boy get to her." He leant up against the doors of the gym, his signature smirk on his face. It soon turned into a frown when he realised Rachel really wasn't okay. He sighed, walking over to sit next her, placing a protective arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him like it was so natural.

Rachel sobbed a little as she spoke. "I'm done with him, Noah. I'm done." Noah had heard that come from her mouth more times than once.

"Rach…" He pulled her face to look at hers, to look her in the eyes. "This is it, Rach. After this week, we will no longer be seniors, trying to find out place in the world. You have to be done with him, okay? For good." Noah sighed, kissing her forehead as he rubbed her arm soothingly. She just nodded, but he still wasn't so convinced. "Promise me, Rach. Finn is a fuckin' douchebag. I don't want him to hurt you anymore." She nodded again as she snuggled into his body.

She reassured him one last time. "I promise, Noah. I'm not going back to him. We're done." He still wasn't 100 per cent convinced. But he trusted her. He did every time. God, when did he become so whipped? He wanted to tell her how he felt, that somehow through the tears and breakups of Finchel, that he had fallen for her, hard. It was now or never, right?

"Rach. I… I love you."

"I love you too, Noah. You know that. You're my best friend."

"No, Berry. You don't understand. I'm in love with you."

"Oh."

That was it. She didn't know what else to say. Instead, she made some excuse that her fathers were expecting her and she was gone. She was lying to herself. Deep down inside she knew she felt the same way, but it had always been Finn. And now it was New York. She couldn't let love get in the way anymore.

Rachel placed the last of her clothes into her suitcase, zipping it up and placing it beside her door. She was actually leaving tomorrow for New York. Ever since she could remember, it had been her dream. Her whole life revolved around performing. That was until Noah came into the picture. He made her reconsider all the decisions she had made in her life. Only she didn't realize it until after he confessed his love for her. She had spent the whole entire week from prom up until graduation trying to figure out what this all meant. Trying to convince herself she didn't feel the same way.

So she avoided him. She made it her mission to forget about him, forget about the memories, the feelings, the confession. She just wanted to forget it all. To move on and make a life for herself in New York. She couldn't be putting love first after she had worked so hard to get to this place. She ignored the texts, the phone calls, the facebook messages, the emails. She had ignored them all, but nothing seemed to make his face go away. He was there, and he was always going to be there.

She picked up the photo of the two of them from her bedside table, the photo from their senior prom, before Finn had broken her heart for the last time. And she hadn't gone back to Finn. She had kept her promise. She wasn't going to be the girl who got her heart broken over and over anymore.

She looked so happy with Noah; anyone who didn't know them personally would think they were together. Maybe that's what she wanted. She threw the photo frame across the room at the wall, glass shattering onto the carpet. She burst into tears as she pulled her legs to her body, her hair strewn messily across her legs and arms as she cried into her knees. She only moved when she heard her phone vibrate. She pulled her head up, her bracelet becoming tangled in the mess. "Stupid bracelet." She muttered as she yanked it from her hand, before putting it in front of her eyes when she realized just who had given it to her. Sighing, she checked her phone.

Goodbye.

This was it. It was now or never. It all suddenly came to her. This couldn't be goodbye, because they were only just starting. She grabbed her keys as she bolted out of her room and down the stairs, running for dear life to her car. She managed to stay on the speed limit the whole ride there, a sigh of relief escaping her mouth as she saw his truck still parked in the driveway. She saw the familiar figure putting the last bag into his truck as she ran up the driveway. He turned around as he heard footsteps, shocked to see her there.

"Rach..?" He managed to get out before Rachel pulled herself up onto his body, her legs wrapped around his waist, her mouth meeting his. This was it. The start of the rest of their lives. He deepened the kiss, his hands pressed against the bottom of her thighs, keeping her up on his body. She pulled away, pushing the hair away from her face.

"I love you." She smiled.

Puck's grin only became bigger. "It's about time." Rachel giggled a little, waiting to hear the words back. "I fuckin' love you too, you drama queen."

It was the start of the rest of their lives, wherever they ended up together.

I hope you guys liked it.

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