A/N: Yet another one-shot I had saved on my computer
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or its characters
Noah Puckerman was wasting no time. He had finally got the word he was waiting for so action was immediately required.
He stopped at the grocery store to gather ingredients for the dinner he had planned. He made sure to get several of his wife's favorites, including the '88 Merlot she was so fond of. He also managed to snag a bouquet of roses from the flower shop before it closed.
Once at home he got to work. Dinner was prepared, the table was set with the wedding china, the roses were put in the Waterford crystal vase to act as a centerpiece and he put out the Tiffany candle sticks. While dinner baked in the oven, he showered and dressed for the occasion. He broke out his black dress slacks and the hunter green button-down she loved on him. When he heard her car pull into the garage, he lowered the stereo to a quiet volume so Marvin Gaye's soulful voice was a soothing whisper. He placed their made-up plates on the table then waited for her to walk-in.
Rachel entered the house through the adjoining garage. The aroma of her favorite dish was welcoming as it hit her nose. She took one glance at her husband standing at the counter, full wine glasses in hand, and couldn't help but smile. "What's all this?" she asked coyly.
He handed over her glass. "A little romance for my love." He leaned down and kissed her red lips.
"Marvin Gaye?" She raised a seductive eyebrow. "I'd say this is more of a seduction."
Noah led her towards the dining room. As he pulled out her chair, he whispered in her ear, "Is it working?"
"Most definitely, I'd say your chances of getting lucky are fairly high." She took a bite of the baby greens salad sitting next to her plate. It had been a long week at work and she was starving. "Oh my god this is so good!"
"It's the same salad I packed you for lunch."
Rachel shrugged her shoulders sheepishly. "I may have not had time for lunch today."
Noah just rolled his eyes. "Working on set lists again?"
"I can't help it. I want everything to be in perfect order for next year."
"I'm sure the Glee kids will do great with whatever you come up with."
"I'm just planning ahead." She took an innocent sip from her water glass.
Noah was picking up on her coyness, but chose to ignore it. He had his guarantee of getting laid tonight. Though that didn't mean he was gonna stop with the romance. Tonight was very special for the two of them.
Once they were finished eating, Noah suggested Rachel take a bubble bath to relax. She eagerly agreed with him. She had a new bubble bath she had been dying to test out but never had the time for.
While Rachel was in the bath, Noah went around their room lighting candles. He sprinkled rose petals around their bed, and turned down the goose feather comforter and 500 thread-count sheets that Rachel adored. He'd be lying if he didn't agree they were comfortable as hell.
She emerged from the master en suite with her white silk robe cinched securely around her waist. She smiled at the scene before her. Noah was sitting on the bed looking nervous, he was twisting his hands and bouncing his legs.
Rachel went and stood in front of him. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she asked, "What's wrong?"
Noah looked up into her concerned yet smiling face. "I started thinking what tonight's about, and I suddenly started feeling all this pressure. Like what if it doesn't happen? There's actually something riding on the line here."
"Noah…"
He cut her off. "I was excited all day after your phone call. And now I'm freaking out, Rach!"
Rachel took his face between her hands. "Noah, you have nothing to be worried about. It will be fine." She offered a comforting smile.
"But we've never actually tried for a baby before." He placed his hands over hers and stared into her eyes.
Rachel leaned down and kissed her husband. His nervousness was cute to her. Noah had been begging for them to start trying for the last six months. She originally brushed it off thinking his mother's nagging for a Jewish grandbaby was finally pushing him over the edge, but then she saw him with Finn's newborn son last month. She realized he was just plain ready to be a daddy. That's when she made an appointment with her doctor to discuss going off of her birth control.
She took his hands and squeezed them gently. "It's going to be okay."
Noah stood up from the bed. He kissed his wife gently on the lips then on the forehead. He whispered, "I love you."
"I love you, too," Rachel responded.
He reached for the tie of her robe. "I think it's about time I show you just how much I love you."
She ran her hands up and down his chest, her fingers teasing over the little buttons of his shirt. "I think that's an excellent idea, Mr. Puckerman." She started undoing the tiny buttons, revealing his chiseled chest to her now hungry eyes.
Once Rachel had his shirt off, Noah picked her up and tossed her lightly onto their bed. He quickly crawled over her and suppressed her giggles with teasing kisses. "You ready to make a baby, Rach?"
He never gave her an opportunity to respond.
One month later Rachel was darting around the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on the dinner she had prepared for herself and Noah. The wedding china was out and candles were lit. Sparkling cider bubbled in champagne glasses.
Hearing the distinct rumble of his truck in the driveway, she practically ripped off her apron, flung it into a corner then fluffed her hair and smoothed the non-existent wrinkles in her favorite little black dress.
Noah entered through the garage and immediately called out a concerned, "Babe?"
"Hi honey!" Rachel greeted him before pecking his lips with a kiss. "How was your day?"
"Long and tiring." He tugged off his necktie. "I hate meeting with corporate." He finally glanced around the kitchen and dining room, noticing the spread his wife had put out for them. "What's all this?"
Rachel tugged him into the dining room. "I thought we'd do a nice dinner tonight."
"So in other words, it's the first day of summer vacation and you already have cabin fever." He went to take a sip of what he thought was champagne. He looked at his glass with a raised eyebrow. "Sparkling cider, babe?"
"Uh-huh," she started serving him, "And we've got a baby greens salad, baby back ribs, baby carrots and your favorite baby roasted potatoes." She smiled expectantly.
"You seem to have a theme going tonight, baby." He smirked. "Trying to tell me something?"
Rachel bit her lip, a nervous habit when she was overly excited about something. Realizing there was no point to rein in her happiness, she squealed, "I'm totally pregnant!"
Noah jumped out of his chair and picked her up, spinning her around in a tight hug. "This is amazing!" He set her down and stared into her eyes. "You have no idea how happy you just made me."
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. "We did it, Noah."
"And it didn't even take that long. Damn, we're good." He gave his signature smirk.
"Well you know what they say," Rachel ran her hands up his chest seductively.
"What's that?" He asked pulling her closer to his body.
"Practice makes perfect."
Noah hauled her off to the bedroom. Dinner could always be re-heated.
Mid-way through Rachel's pregnancy, Noah had to go on a ten day business trip. He bribed his sister, Becca, to come stay at the house during her fall break from school, which conveniently fell during his trip dates. It cost him a sacrifice of his Mom's sweet potato casserole so her favorite corn casserole could be made on Thanksgiving and the $300 Coach purse she had been lusting after. (Rachel had it in three colors) To the concerned husband, it was worth it. He didn't want Rachel alone.
Though she felt she didn't need it, Rachel appreciated the company. She and Becca would meet every day during her lunch hour then they would spend the evening curled up on the couch with a movie.
The last three days of Noah's trip were also a three-day weekend for Rachel. Since Finn was also away, Brittany stopped by with baby Lucas. The bouncing boy was now six months old. Rachel couldn't believe how big he had gotten! He was the spitting image of Finn. Given Finn's size, it was hard to imagine him as an infant, but there was now a clear picture available.
Noah returned right before dinner. Rachel and Becca had prepared one of his favorites, lasagna with garlic bread.
When he called out, "Honey, I'm home!" Rachel felt a light fluttering in her stomach. The baby had kicked for the first time!
She squealed and dashed, as well as a pregnant woman could, into Noah's arms. He hugged her close then pulled away slightly to kiss her lips. One of his hands traveled over the swell of her belly. He reveled over its slight growth. "That's my baby in there."
"I felt it kick for the first time!" Rachel smiled up at him. "We heard your voice, and I felt the baby."
Noah crouched down, raised Rachel's shirt slightly, and kissed her bump softly.
Becca chose that moment to walk in the room. "Are you guys done being lovey-dovey? I'm fucking starving!"
Noah pointed a finger at her and warned, "Language, my kid might hear you."
"Whatever, daddy-o. Can we eat now?" She whined.
"I just walked in the door, take a chill pill."
"That doesn't stop you when you visit home. It's the first thing you always say to Mom!"
Rachel giggled at the banter between the siblings. "Becs, the baby is actually hungry too. How about you get the plates ready? Noah and I will be right there."
"I knew there was a reason why I loved my niece or nephew! They're on my wavelength!"
Noah crouched back to be level with the belly. "Please, don't be anything like your aunt."
"I heard that!" Becca yelled from the dining room.
A few days later it was time to find out the sex of the baby. Noah picked Rachel up from the high school on his lunch hour.
The parents watched in fascination as the doctor moved the wand over Rachel's belly, revealing different parts of the baby. "So do we want to find out the sex today?" Both nodded their heads eagerly.
"Alright, let's see if the baby is cooperating today." She moved the wand down. "Ah, here we go," she pointed to the screen. "Congratulations Mom and Dad, it's a boy!"
Noah let out a loud whoop while Rachel cried happy tears. They couldn't be more thrilled. Both had found themselves referring to the baby as a he ever since Rachel found out she was pregnant. It was cool to know they had both been right all along.
Now they just had to decide on a name.
The couple was snuggled in bed. Noah had ESPN going on the TV while Rachel browsed through the baby name book.
"How about Matthew?" Rachel looked at her husband expectantly.
Noah didn't remove his eyes from the television screen. "Too common."
"Nathaniel?"
"Same initials as his old man? That could work. Put it on the list."
"Samuel?"
"Too biblical."
"Sean?"
"Too Irish."
"Seth?"
"Too blah."
"Tobias?"
"Sounds like a fat kid."
Rachel smacked him in the bicep with the book. "Noah Puckerman that's an awful thing to say!"
Noah rubbed his arm, feigning injury. "Please tell me you don't associate the name Toby with a kid who eats like three sandwiches for a snack."
"You do that every day!"
"And I workout every damn day so I can!"
"Ugh fine! Zachary?"
"Put it on the list."
Rachel scribbled it on the pad of paper she kept by the bedside. She looked over the short list of names she and Noah had agreed on. He read it over her shoulder. "That whole book and we only have five names?"
"Someone had a complaint for the majority of them." Rachel raised her eyebrow, daring him to come up with a retort.
He just shrugged his shoulders. "Guess that makes the decision easier."
"How about we both write down our favorite name and then we'll show it to each other?" Rachel suggested as she ripped a sheet of paper from the pad and handed it to Noah.
Noah stole the pen from her hand and quickly scribbled his choice. Rachel took a few moments to decide, mainly because she thought he husband's impatience was amusing.
"Alright, switch." She handed him her slip of paper.
They glanced at each other's selections and then grinned. They had chosen the same name.
On February 22 Ian Nathaniel Puckerman was born. He was a whole screaming 7lb. 6oz. and 20 in. of baby boy. Rachel had braved 17 hours of labor after Ian decided to come a week early. His parents were thankful though, they didn't want their son to be stuck with a Leap Day birthday.
When he was only a few hours old, he sported a faux-hawk courtesy of his Aunt Becca and Uncle Finn. Noah thought it was genius. Rachel found it atrocious. "What have you done to my baby?" She cried as she tried to flatten it.
"Babe," Noah tried to reason, "leave it. It looks cool."
Rachel glanced down at the now feeding baby. His hair had refused to go back. "I guess he does look kind of cute."
Noah and Finn exchanged high fives.
"Rach," Becca approached her bedside, "you know I would never let my nephew rock a lame hairdo."
"Becs, he's totally a Puckerman. He's only hours old, and he's already a mini badass."
"Noah Puckerman!" Rachel gasped. "Language!"
"Sorry babe." He kissed his wife's forehead then took Ian from her arms. He looked down at his son. "Sorry little dude, Daddy isn't on the ball quite yet. But don't worry. I've got your mommy to keep me in line." He sent Rachel a wink.
She mouthed "I love you" to him, and he mouthed it back.
The Puckerman family would do alright for themselves.
