A/N: This is just a oneshot, but I hope you all enjoy it!

Also, there are some references to the army and some Yale stuff, both of which I'm not too familiar with, so I'm sorry if I'm ridiculously off about either.

Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Glee. The title of the story and the lyrics to the song belong are from a song by Kelly Clarkson.

Standing In Front of You

Take a breath and listen
Open up stop pushin'
All that you've been missin'
Standing in front of you
Everything you're fearin'
All the walls you're buildin'
Take a chance you're reason
Standing in front of you

They hadn't meant for it to happen. In fact, one could argue that they'd spent the last four - almost five - years making sure that it didn't. In the end, though, they found that no matter how hard they tried, there was nothing they could do to stop it. They were simply meant to be.

After graduation, they kept their contact to a bare minimum, only seeing each other at the yearly summer Glee reunions, or, on a couple occasions, wherever Nationals was taking place. Because of course they would both feel the need to support their former Glee coach and Glee club. She had also come home from New Haven for the summer after her first year back, but Quinn hadn't seen much of Puck, as he'd taken the route that Finn had originally planned on taking - joining the army. She had been a little surprised when she'd heard (and, against her will, worried too- it was the army after all), but after a little thought, it seemed like the perfect fit for him. He ended up training that whole summer, so they didn't see each other once, though she did wish him luck on Facebook.

And that was the extent of their communication. Trivial Facebook catch-ups (with the occasional mention of the daughter that would always keep them connected), short conversations amidst the rowdy summer Glee gatherings, and a quick hello if they just so happened to see each other on the street on the rare event when both were in Lima. That was it. It felt wrong, when she thought about it. After all they'd gone through together, they'd fallen so far apart that they couldn't even qualify as friends. Just old acquaintances.

Still, she knew it was for the best. Puck had been a distraction during her high school days - a nice one, sometimes, but a distraction nonetheless. And now that she was going to Yale, now that she was on her way to making something of herself, she just couldn't afford the risk that a potential friendship with him would bring. Because she knew, given their history, that a friendship would only last so long before they'd give into the attraction that they never could deny. She had a feeling that Puck's reasons for avoiding her were the same as hers. It was, after all, the reason they barely said a word to each other junior year, and it was the reason they kept themselves at arm's length the last half of senior year as well.

But then she graduated and those fears started to diminish, and it wasn't long before everything changed.

Instead of going into the Yale drama program, as she'd originally planned, Quinn had decided to take a different route. Her car accident had brought many things to light for her, but it was the extent of her injuries that made her realize that the drama program just wasn't realistic for her. She wouldn't be able to keep up with its rigorous activities, even out of a wheelchair, something that was hard to accept at first. But once she did, new options were becoming available and she decided to pursue a degree in teaching - specifically in English. Yale's undergraduate English program was one of the best in the country, and she had come to realize that writing was something she loved even more than drama and art. It was a decision she didn't regret, and now that she had graduated she hoped to get a job as a high school teacher.

Teaching jobs weren't exactly scarce, but they weren't readily available either, so she decided that she would move back to Lima for the summer and start her job search there. She was open to a job almost anywhere, but she also knew that there were multiple teaching positions available in Ohio and, after being away for so long, she found the idea of moving back home surprisingly enticing.

She hadn't had much time to think about Puck since moving home. Truthfully, she never thought about him much at Yale. It wasn't hard, since there was so little contact between them. But her job search kept her busy, and she never saw him around town, anyway. Eventually she learned it was because he was at a base in Kentucky, where he'd been for the past six months. It was a few weeks into summer that Rachel, who was visiting from New York with Finn, told her what was going on with Puck. Finn and Puck were still close friends and so he was always updated on Puck's status.

And then Rachel said that he was being shipped out in a few months, and Quinn's stomach had dropped.

"I thought the war was over?" She felt a little stupid saying that, but she truly hadn't realized they were still sending soldiers out.

"It technically is, but they still have guys over in Afghanistan. Puck was over there for nine months last year, so I don't think he'd too worried about it. I guess he's going to be there for a year this time, though."

That was news to Quinn. No one had told her that he'd been in Afghanistan last year. She felt a little annoyed that Rachel, one of her closest friends, hadn't even bothered mentioning it.

The next few days she couldn't seem to get her mind off of him. She didn't know why she was so anxious about him leaving. It wasn't like they were even friends anymore. But the idea of him being out in such a dangerous place for a full year was overwhelming to her, and she couldn't seem to push it out of her mind.

Thankfully, Quinn found herself somewhat distracted by this when she received a job offer at a school about twenty minutes from Lima. It was a preparatory school - one of the best in the state - and the pay and benefits were exceptional. She would start at the end of August. Now knowing that her move here would be permanent, Quinn found a nice apartment in downtown Lima, where she settled into her new life.

It was nearing the end of August when she saw him. She was sitting outside of the Lima Bean, sipping her iced coffee and enjoying the warm sun, when she saw him across the street entering a sub shop. He hadn't noticed her, or if he did, he didn't act like it. She was tempted to dash to her car and escape before he could see her, but she suddenly found herself realizing that she actually wanted to talk to him. Especially now that he would soon be gone for a year. So she stayed put and hoped that he would notice her on his way out.

He did.

The moment his eyes landed on her, his lips twisted into a big smile, his eyes lighting up in a way that made her stomach flip.

"Fabray," he said as he reached her. "I heard you were back in town."

"Yeah," she said, trying hard to ignore the effect simply seeing him had on her. It didn't help that he looked the best she'd ever seen him. His head was buzzed, but it was slightly longer than it had been when he'd shaved it during their sophomore year. He had lost a little weight since the last time she'd seen him, but he'd bulked up as far as muscles went. In short, he looked...gorgeous. She cleared her throat and focused on his face. "I got a job at Augustus Prep."

"Really? That's great." He pulled the aviator sunglasses off his face, perching them behind his ears, and stared down at her with a look that could almost be described as proud. "That's a pretty fancy school from what I've heard."

"It's one of the best in the state," she said matter-of-factly.

"Of course. Only the best for Quinn Fabray, huh?" He grinned down at her teasingly.

"I hear you're heading to Afghanistan," Quinn mentioned.

"Yup. I'm heading back to Fort Knox in about a week, then shipping out the next day."

"Wow, that's so soon. Are you worried about it all?"

"Nah. I've been there before. 'Course my mom's petrified, but she's scared of everything, so..."

"Well, you are her son. You can't really blame her."

He chuckled. "Guess not." He glanced around quickly. "I've gotta get going. Promised my sister lunch. But we should hang out before I leave. We haven't caught up in a while. You free tomorrow night?"

"Yes," she said, even though she wasn't totally sure. She'd promised Mercedes and Tina a Friday girls night, since Mercedes was in town for the next couple of weeks, but they hadn't officially confirmed anything. Besides, she couldn't deny him anything, although she wasn't sure why.

"Cool. Wanna meet up at Breadstix?" he asked.

"Breadstix," she said, grinning. "How high school. Sounds great."

They settled on meeting at seven before he bid her goodbye. She watched him go, the anxiety she'd felt from earlier settling back in. She and Puck hadn't actually spent time alone together since she left for Yale. They'd both seemed intent on keeping distance from each other. But Puck had really seemed to want to see her, and against her will, she felt the same. Now she couldn't help feeling that things were about to take a big change.

She was right. But she didn't know it yet.

The next day flew by and soon it was time to see him again. Quinn hadn't told Mercedes and Tina why she couldn't go out. She didn't want them to get any ideas. She tried to dress as casually as she could, but she ended up in a knee length navy dress that looked more suited for a club than a night hanging out with an old friend. They met at the entrance of the restaurant. Puck himself looked handsome in a v-neck gray t-shirt and fitting black jeans. He put a hand to her back as a hostess led them to a corner booth in the back. As they settled into their seats, she couldn't help but feel like they were on some sort of date. Of course they weren't, and it was best that way, but she still couldn't tear the feeling away.

They spent the next hour in easy conversation. Puck caught her up on what he'd been doing the past couple of years. He also told her about his mom and his sister, Sarah, who was going into her junior year of high school now. In turn, she told him about her last year of college, and why she'd decided to come back home, as well as about the school she'd be teaching at.

Once the catching up was over, the conversation shifted into reminiscing about the old days, but eventually the topic moved to a more sensitive subject. Puck mentioned that he'd seen Beth a few months back when he went to New York to visit Finn and Rachel. Quinn hadn't seen Beth in over a year, so she was glad to have Puck update her on their daughter, who would had turned eight this past April.

Talking about Beth opened the doors to other topics that they'd typically avoid. For instance, he asked her if he was dating anyone.

"No," she said. "I was seeing a guy a few months ago, but we broke up when I decided to move here. We weren't serious or anything, so it wasn't a big deal."

"So you and Dreads never worked out past graduation, huh? What a shocker."

Quinn chuckled. "I can sense your sarcasm. Joe was a sweet guy, but he and I were just weren't right for each other. Besides being Christians, we didn't have much in common, not to mention the age difference wasn't going to work."

"And you hated his hair. Don't lie."

"His hair was endearing," she said, grinning.

"My mohawk was endearing. His hair was just gross."

"Your mohawk was pretty cute," Quinn relented.

"Yeah, it was."

"Anyway, last I heard he was living in Africa as a missionary. He's been there since he graduated, which is why he hasn't shown up for any Glee reunions."

"Another shocker," Puck said.

"What about you?" she asked, turning the tables on him. "Are you dating anyone?"

"Come on, Quinn, five years may have gone by, but I haven't changed that much. No girl is gonna tie the Puckasaurus down."

She rolled her eyes at his horrible nickname and spent the next few minutes teasing him about it. By the time the bill came, neither were ready to leave. Puck walked her to her car, walking so closely that his hand kept grazing her side. She couldn't say she didn't like it.

"Tonight was fun," Puck said, leaning against the car.

"It was."

"We should do it again sometime. You know, before I leave for a year and all. Which pretty much means we should do this again within the next week."

Unable to help herself (the wine had really gotten to her), Quinn released a flirty smile, her hand moving to graze his chest. "I'd really like that."

His hand caught hers. "Yeah?"

She felt time slowing, her eyes latching to his, his face moving suddenly closer. "Yeah..."

And then he was kissing her, and her arms were wrapping around him, lost in the moment. She kissed him with an intensity she hadn't felt in years. His passion matched her own, their lips moving together in perfect synch, his hands cupping her cheek, hers grasping the back of his t-shirt, her fingers digging into his skin.

The sound of a car honking in the distance finally pulled them apart. When she stared up into his eyes, reality set in.

"Puck..."

"I know," he said, his eyes darkening slightly.

"I just...I like you, but we can't...not now." She struggled to know why though. This wasn't high school. They were adults now. Why couldn't they be together? She wasn't sure, but after years of pushing him away, the idea of being together felt foreign.

"I know," he said again, and he let out a low chuckle as he released her. "I'm leaving in a week, anyway. Wouldn't work between us."

She didn't say anything to that, mostly because she didn't know what to say, but also because she didn't believe he was right. They could work. If tried, they could.

Puck ran a hand along the back of his head, looking suddenly nervous. "I'm having a going away party a week from today. It's gonna be at Roadies. A lot of people are gonna be there, if you wanna come..."

"I'd love to," she said, because after all this, of course she wanted to see him off.

"Good, then I guess I'll see you there."

She nodded. "You will."

She couldn't help but hope she'd bump into him again throughout the next week, but she was so busy preparing for school that she didn't have time to get out much. She thought of calling him too, but after the kiss, it would just be too much for both of them.

Friday night came quickly. Puck's mom had ended up renting out the whole bar and it was packed with Puck's friends and family. Quinn found Mercedes, Tina, and Rachel huddled together by the end of the bar, all looking in good spirits. She saw Puck's mom talking with Carol Hudson and promised herself that she'd stop by and say hi. She didn't see Sarah anywhere, but she imagined she was somewhere with Puck - who, funnily enough, she couldn't find either.

It wasn't until nearly an hour later that she felt a hand graze the back of her shoulder. "Thanks for coming," Puck whispered into her ear.

She swiveled the chair around, smiling gently at him. "No where else I'd rather be."

The next few minutes, Puck talked with Mercedes and Tina, both of whom he hadn't seen in a while. Quinn focused on him, a growing sadness welling up within her. He was leaving tomorrow, and she wouldn't see him for a year. It felt wrong. Even though he'd been back in her life for only a week, he'd made such a big impression that it would be hard to let him go again.

After over a half hour of talking, he ended up being pulled away by Finn, who insisted that they play one last song before left. That in turn resulted in a night of karaoke - not exactly surprising, since that always happened when the former Glee clubbers got together. Hearing him sing again brought back memories - good and bad, but mostly good. For the rest of the night, she found that she couldn't take her eyes off him.

Once the crowd started thinning out and people started saying their goodbyes, Quinn started to think about heading home herself. But there was something stopping her. This was the last night she'd see him in a year and she felt like she had to take advantage of any moment she had. By the time midnight rolled around, nearly everyone but Finn, Rachel, herself and Puck had left. Rachel threw her a look as she told Finn that she was exhausted, and so they said their goodbye and it was just the two of them. They walked outside together, just as they had the week before.

"I guess this is it," Quinn said as she stood in front of her car.

"I guess so."

"I'm sorry we haven't talked much these past few years." She wasn't sure where it came from, but she had to say it.

"Me too," he said, and the regret was more than clear in his voice. "Maybe we could...you know...write, or email, or whatever..."

"We should," she said, unable to stop herself. If this had been a few weeks ago, before they entered each other's lives again, she wouldn't have even considered it. But things had changed, and she found herself more drawn to him than ever.

Puck's face twisted up into the cutest smile. He looked almost surprised by her answer. And that only made her feel guiltier. She brought a hand up to his cheek, running her thumb against the stubble.

"We won't lose touch this time," she said firmly. "I promise."

Puck didn't say anything, just stared into her eyes with that intense look she had come to know so well during her pregnancy days.

And for the second time in a week, his lips crashed down to hers. This time she didn't resist. She couldn't if she tried. Because he was leaving tomorrow, and this was their last chance for an entire year. She wanted to give him something to remember her by.

And she knew exactly what she wanted it to be.

She ended up driving them to her apartment. She'd only had a glass of wine, and that had been hours ago, so her mind was clear. Puck looked a little worse for wear, but he wasn't really drunk. If he had been, she probably would have put a stop to this.

They spent the night in her bed, making love over and over for the first time since their first time over eight years ago. She was a bit rusty at first. Despite loosening up over the years, sex still wasn't her thing. But it didn't take long for her to get into it, and after the first few times, it felt completely natural to her.

Neither got much sleep, both wanting to enjoy the very limited amount of time they had with each other. By the time morning rolled around, they were exhausted in the best possible way.

At half past seven, Puck finally rolled himself out of bed. "I'm supposed meet my mom and sister for a goodbye breakfast at eight," he said as he searched for his clothes.

"I think your clothes are in the living room," Quinn said, standing up. She threw on an old t-shirt and a pair of shorts before leading him back out. She was right. His clothes were in a pile just a few feet away from the front door. They'd only made it as far as the couch when they got home last night. After years of pent up tension between them, they just couldn't wait any longer.

She watched in silence as he got dressed, feeling a sudden wave of regret wash over her. But it wasn't because she regretted last night - far from it. It was because she regretted that they'd wasted so much time over the last few years. By the time they'd gotten their act together, they'd only had time for one night.

"I wish you didn't have to go," she said, like it could actually make a difference.

"Me either." Puck reached for her hand, pulling it up to his lips and kissing her knuckles. "Especially now."

She smiled softly, remembering the last time he said those words. By the looks of it, he remembered too.

"We'll email, though," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "We'll talk on the phone. We can even Skype."

Quinn rested her head on his chest. "It won't be the same."

"I know. But it's all we can do." He looked down at her. "I don't want to lose you again, Quinn. Just promise me that no matter what happens in the next year, we won't lose each other."

"I promise," Quinn said. "We're not the same people we were in high school, Puck. There's no reason to push each other away anymore."

"No." He wiped the hair from her eyes, rubbing his thump along her jaw. "There isn't."

Since she had driven them here last night, she had to drive him back to Roadies, where he'd left his car.

"I told my mom I was staying at Finn and Rachel's," he said as they arrived in the nearly vacant parking lot. "Not sure if she bought it or not, but I'm a grown ass man so I don't really care."

She laughed. "Maybe when you get home you should buy your own place."

"Maybe I will," he said. "Or maybe I'll just mooch off my mom for the rest of my life. God knows she'd love it if I did."

The mood sobered as he stepped out of her car. She followed him out. He put a hand to her face, cupping her cheek.

"We have horrible timing, Fabray."

"Nothing new there," she said with a chuckle.

"I guess this is goodbye."

"Only for now," Quinn said. "I'll see you in a year."

"Sooner, hopefully. I should get some leave. I asked to be back for a few days during December, for Hanukkah."

She perked up at this. "That's only a few months away."

"Yup. It won't be so bad. You'll see. Time moves fast, anyway. Last time I was there it only felt like a couple of months."

"But last time you didn't have a..." She was about to say girlfriend, but she wasn't really sure they were there yet, so she said the only thing she could think of. "Me."

"No," he said, grinning. "I definitely didn't have a you waiting for me last time."

"Be safe," she said, looking down at the ground. "I need you to be safe."

"I'll try." He tipped her chin up with her hand. "Don't go falling for any dreadlocked hipsters or blonde airheads while I'm gone."

She couldn't help but laugh at that. "Like I said, we're not in high school anymore."

"Thank God for that." And then his lips were on hers and for a few wonderful moments they were lost in each other.

"Parking lots are our new thing," Puck said with a grin as he finally pulled away.

"Looks like it."

He was still holding her hand as he took a step back. "I'll send you my contact info when I get over there."

"Okay," she said.

He squeezed her hand. "What a difference a week makes, eh?"

"It's almost unbelievable," she said.

He sighed. "I don't really know what else to say. Goodbyes suck. Or maybe I just suck at them."

She didn't know what to say either, other than the obvious. "I'll miss you."

"Yeah." He kissed her hand. "I'll miss you too."

He let go of her hand, turning towards his truck. She leaned against her own car, her eyes locked on him. He backed his car out of its spot, stopping as he pulled in front of her.

He rolled down his window. "Later, Fabray," he said with a wink.

She grinned. "Later, Puckerman."

His lips twisted into the smile she loved so much. And then he was pulling away, away from her, away from them. But not really. Because despite the fact that he was leaving her for a year, they were closer than they'd ever been before. This was just the beginning for them, the start of something that had been years in the making. The start of the rest of their lives.

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed that. It may very well be last Glee fic since myobsession with the show is virtually nonexistent now, but I'm hearing some good things about the finale so we shall see. I'd love it if you left me a review to let me know what you think, but either way, thanks so much for reading!