Disclaimer: As usual no ownership is claimed or implied to any characters, storylines or songs, they all belong to other people, the imagination is mine alone and I apologise for that most sincerely.
A/N: This could be a typical day in Glee not related to any episodes that have been aired, so slightly AU-ish. Find Shakira on You Tube if you haven't heard this one for a while - it's always worth a listen.
Song: italics - both, normal - Quinn, in brackets (xxx) - Puck at same time as Quinn.
"Underneath Your Clothes"
"Hey guys", said Mr Shue as he entered the choir room on Friday afternoon. "What I want you to do is pair up but I'm not really looking for duets from you, we've done that loads, I'd like you to find a song that means something to each particular pairing or describes you and then one of you will sing it to the other in front of everyone."
All the New Directions looked at each other puzzled. Rachel was the first to ask "Mr Shue? Who'll be choosing the partners?"
"You can choose your own partners Rachel, I'm sure you're all friends enough to sing something nice to each other. And we'll have two celebrity judges." he said with a smile.
"I choose Rachel" said Finn quickly, taking hold of her hand and smiling at her.
"No shock there Finnessa" muttered Santana. "I choose Britts" she added louder, smiling.
"Quinn" stated Puck and leant over to kiss her on the cheek.
Mercedes hurriedly nabbed Sam, which made him smile widely, Artie chose Sugar.
"Blaine, I choose Blaine" said Kurt breathlessly. Blaine nodded his agreement.
"Do we need to ask you two?" said Mr Shue to Tina and Mike who were sat close together exchanging 'Asian kisses', they both shook their heads, rubbing their noses together even more.
"That leaves you two together, ok?" Mr Shue pointed at Rory and Joe, they looked slightly uncomfortably at each other but murmured their agreement to the pairing. "Ok, you have until Monday to come up with something, we'll start then, and I will pick the order the pairs go in, I'll draw one name from each pair out of the hat - Brittany, there is no duck before you ask, ok?"
"What do the winners get Mr Shue?" asked Rachel.
"The winners, drum roll please" he pointed at the band, "will sing their song for sectionals, ta da" said Mr Shue, hands out stretched to his sides, show smile on his face, eyes wide.
Quinn and Puck were the first to leave when Mr Shue dismissed them a short while later. "Any ideas about what you want to sing to me yet babe?" asked Puck as they walked towards his truck confident that she would want to.
"Actually I have. I put my ipod on shuffle this morning and I heard a song I haven't listened to in a long time, I think it might work but I'd like you to play your guitar for it, think we can practice over the weekend?"
"Sure" shrugged Puck, "I've got to work tomorrow but we can practice tonight, tomorrow night and Sunday if you want"
Later in their bedroom Quinn found the song again on her ipod and played it through the speakers. Puck listened to it a couple of times, nodding thoughtfully. "You know, even though she sings it totally alone I think it would be really good if I sing a few of the lines with you." He found the lyrics online and pointed to the lines he meant. "Not all of it, just like an extra emphasis on those words, what do you think?"
"I think that's a great idea." Quinn leant over his shoulder and kissed his cheek draping her arms round his neck peering at the computer screen. "Want to give it a quick trial now?"
"Sure, let me just see if Sarah needs anything first before we get really involved with this." Puck left the room to check on his sister. Quinn was no longer surprised at his thoughtfulness towards his little sister, he demonstrated it daily. Quinn was really glad that she had refused first her mother's request then her demand that Quinn return to her family home once they had given Beth up. She loved living in the rough and tumble of a loving family, she felt at home here as she never had living in the cold unfeeling 'everything for appearances' sake' bosom of her own family.
They practiced the song a few times over the weekend, sometimes Quinn alone and sometimes Puck adding his voice in harmony. Sarah was a willing audience and voted them through to the next round - X Factor style. Sara was the one who decided that the best version was when Puck sang some of the lines with Quinn.
"Can you come to Glee Club on Monday and vote for us then?" joked Quinn, giving the younger girl a hug. "Mmmm, I love you Sar-bear", she loved having a younger sister to spend time with, better than the barely disguised hatred that was the only thing on offer from her older sister as she was growing up.
On Monday afternoon after school everyone trooped into the choir room. Mr Shue, Miss Pilsbury and Coach Bieste were already there waiting for them. They all quickly settled down.
"Mr Shue? Why are they here?" asked Rachel.
"Miss Pilsbury and Coach Bieste are the celebrity judges. If it's a tie then I get the deciding vote"
"Great" grumbled Santana, "congratulations Hobbit, you've already won and you haven't even sung a note or shed a tear yet, yay." she said with a fake smile clapping quietly.
"Not necessarily Santana, we have a lot of amazing talent in this room, hey, it could even be you!" Mr Shue clapped his hands together then addressed the class, "Everybody ready? Good. Ok, first up we have…"drawing a piece of paper out of the upturned hat on the piano "Quinn and Puck, come on guys, show us what you got."
"Right, ok, this is a beautiful song and I hope we do it justice, I hope you like it" said Quinn a little shyly while Puck set up two stools in front of the piano, then he picked up his guitar and got comfortable, he was sat sideways on to the group, Quinn sat facing him, their knees almost touching, her hands clasped on her lap. Puck started playing his guitar and as he did so he and Quinn stared tenderly at each other, then Quinn began to sing:
"You're a song Written by the hands of God
Don't get me wrong 'cause
This might sound to you a bit odd
But you own the place
Where all my thoughts go hiding
And right under your clothes
Is where I find them
Underneath Your Clothes
There's an endless story
There's the man I chose
There's my territory
And all the things I deserve
For being such a good girl honey
Because of you
I forgot the smart ways to lie
Because of you
I'm running out of reasons to cry
When the friends are gone
When the party's over
We will still belong to each other
Underneath Your Clothes
There's an endless story
There's the man I chose
There's my territory
And all the things I deserve
For being such a good girl honey
Underneath Your Clothes
There's an endless story
There's the man I chose
There's my territory
And all the things I deserve
For being such a good girl honey
I love you more than all that's on the planet
Movin' talkin' walkin' breathing
You know it's true
Oh baby it's so funny
You almost don't believe it
As every voice is hanging from the silence
Lamps are hanging from the ceiling
Like a lady tied to her manners
I'm tied up to this feeling
Underneath Your Clothes
There's an endless story
There's the man I chose
There's my territory
And all the things I deserve
For being such a good girl honey
Underneath Your Clothes
There's an endless story
There's (I'm) the man I (you) chose
There's (I'm) my (your) territory
And all the things I (you) deserve
For being such a good girl"
As the last notes died away Puck leant forward and brushed a gentle kiss on Quinn's lips. The applause from their team mates was loud and unexpected, they both looked towards their friends smiling. "Was that ok Mr Shue?" asked Puck with a half smile. Mr Shue just continued clapping, shaking his head, he didn't look like he could talk for a second.
"Guys, that was wonderful - just exactly what I had in mind when I thought about this week's lesson. You took something sung by one person and made it suit both of you, amazing!" Mr Shue finally managed.
"Oh Punkin'" Coach Bieste wiped the tears from her eyes, "That was amazing, the chemistry between you two is unreal" Miss Pilsbury just clapped and nodded her head in agreement.
Puck and Quinn smiled at each other, Puck held out his hand, Quinn took it in both of hers. "I love you" she mouthed silently to him.
"I love you too, you're my life" he whispered back.
A/N: How was that?