A/N: Hi y'all! So... I've decided that I can't keep starting new stories and then taking forever to finish them. However, it is really hard to stop myself from showing you guys new stories that have taken my interest and distracted my muse. So this is my solution! I'm going to upload all my random drabbles and parts of fics I hope to one day work on under the title of this story "The Various Lives Of Puckleberry". If you hate the idea then let me know. It was just a thought. That way I can know which one of these (if any!) you'd like me to continue working on and turn into a multi-chapter fic. Also, these are all going to be Puckleberry based.
It was a bright spring afternoon in New York City. The sky was a clear azure that the bustling inhabitants of the city of dreams would long for during the smoggy summer heat. As the crowds relatively thinned out after the lunch hour rush, a short Irish boy was seen pushing past elegantly dressed business people as he waved an envelope in the air excitedly. He sprinted across the street and three yellow taxi cabs screeched to a halt barely missing him. Horns blared and angry cries echoed around the busy street as Rory pushed open the door of 'Java the Hut'. The rickety bell above the door jangled and he scanned the crowded café for a familiar face. He spotted the Mohawk first; as usual his friends had claimed the cluster of mismatched loveseats and armchairs in the far corner. He hurried over and threw himself down onto his usual faded green ottoman. He grinned broadly, brimming with excitement, at his four friends. Sam threw him a grin and went back to explaining the concept of The Hunger Games to a very bored looking Quinn. Puck nodded his way before going back to what he had been doing when Rory arrived- calling the waitress over repeatedly. Santana snapped the heavy textbook in her lap titled 'Criminal Law in the state of New York: Cases and Commentary' closed and glared.
"Puckerman, I swear to God, if you don't stop calling her over here not only will you get her fired but I will crush your balls." Her perfectly shaped eyebrows shot up challengingly and tilted her head towards him "I'm not even joking. Finals are coming up and I am a woman on edge."
Puck snorted "go to a fucking library then." He turned and leaned over the back of the loveseat he was occupying to wave the waitress over. "Yo, waitress, can we get some service over here? I wanna order today you know."
The waitress's shoulders visibly tensed before she threw the cloth she'd been wiping down the tables with on the counter before spinning around to face Puck. Her steely brown eyed glare zeroed in on the mohawked sophomore of NYU before she stomped towards him, her short black miniskirt swished against her thighs with every step she took. She folded her arms across her chest and raised a single dark brow.
"Noah, you can't just sit here all day everyday making me get wait on you hand and foot. Eventually you are going to run out of money and I assume that would have a rather large impact on your social life. Don't you think?" Rachel asked sweetly.
Puck shrugged and pulled out his wallet "Rach, making you do shit for me is so worth it."
Rachel stomped a small ballet flat clad foot against the floor and pouted "Noah you're being ridiculous! This is a serious job. I need the money if I want an off-campus apartment next year!"
Puck grinned lecherously up at the short brunette "and I promise to leave you a very serious tip if you wear a shorter skirt tomorrow."
Rachel scowled and smacked the back of his head before turning to the others. She whipped a notepad from the small green apron tied around her waist and pulled a pen from the loose bun on top of her head. "Can I get you guys anything?"
They placed their orders and before long Rachel was handing out steaming mugs of coffee, cold glasses of refreshing iced tea and plates of fresh muffins. She skipped over to another table and Puck watched her skirt kick up a little with every step she took.
Sam snorted once he'd spotted what exactly had held Pucks attention for so long and took a long gulp of coffee. He spluttered and gagged. "Oh God! W-what …ugh! It tastes like something died in my mouth!"
Puck laughed and swallowed a mouthful of his own black coffee, wincing slightly.
Quinn pulled a disgusted face after sipping her iced tea. She daintily pushed the glass away from her and shook her head, her blonde pixie crop swaying about her face. "Whatever about iced tea, but how does somebody mess up making coffee?"
Puck frowned "hey, she's getting better at it."
Sam pulled a horrified face as he stuffed half a muffin in his mouth, trying to replace the taste of dead animal with bran.
Rory spluttered and coughed after a mouthful of tea "my God, how bad was she?"
Santana smirked into her muffin "bad…really, really bad. For the past two days during Rachel's shifts he's been watering that plant there with her indigestible coffee." She jerked her head at Puck and then nodded at the rather withered looking fern in the clay pot beside Puck's seat.
"We have to tell her, it's our duty, before she poisons anyone else" Sam gasped after hazarding a sip of Quinn's iced tea.
Puck growled and leaned across the low coffee table, levelling a menacing glare at his friends "listen up, nobody is telling her nothin' okay? I'll pay for all your fucking drinks if you all just pretend they were great or whatever. Capiche?"
Quinn grimaced at her beverage before chuckling "and what are we supposed to tell her when she sees we haven't actually drank anything?"
Puck scowled "she won't see that because we are going to throw the drinks in there" he raised his eyebrows at the dejected, drooping fern. Only two days of Rachel's coffee and the once tall leafy plant was really starting to show the effects of the hazardous beverages.
Rory dried to prevent his smirk from broadening "uh, Puck? I think the wee plant's going to die of food poisoning before Rachel can make a real pot of tea."
"I'll fucking buy Ben a new goddamned plant! Just pretend you like the stupid drinks!" Rory watched as Puck bravely struggled through half his cup of coffee before slyly tossing the rest into the large clay pot.
Rachel appeared just then and sat on the loveseat next to Puck. "So how're the drinks?" She looked expectantly from one face to another.
Puck threw an arm over Rachel's shoulders and grinned at her "great! Right guys?" He glared at each of them in turn. After the initial awkward pause they all began to jump in with their wholly positive feedback. Santana just smirked and opened her textbook once more.
Rachel frowned slightly "that's so weird…all of my other customers have been complaining. I thought maybe there was something off with the coffee…" she bit her lower lip and then glanced at her friends faces once more "but you guys think it's okay?"
Puck grabbed his mug off the table and held it upside down "see Rach? All gone. It was perfect."
Rachel beamed up at him, her eyes sparkling. She leant against him for a moment before sighing "no rest for the wicked. Will I see you guys at The Red Door later for karaoke?" She raised her eyebrows enquiringly at each of her friends.
Rory couldn't contain himself any longer. "I just met the love of my life!" He blurted out in his lilting Irish accent.
The entire group groaned in unison and rolled their eyes.
Rory shook his head "no really…this time I mean it! She is a freshman too and she loves my accent. I invited her to come out with us tonight."
His friends looked despairingly at each other before Puck slid his arm from around Rachel's shoulders and held his fist out to be bumped. "Alright lucky charms! Can't wait to see the freshman tail you caught." He waggled his eyebrows at Rory.
Rachel tutted and slapped Puck's chest before getting to her feet and making her way to a table of new customers.
Puck was leaning over the back of his seat watching Rachel as she laughed and joked with the elderly couple that had just sat down. He loved her laugh. He caught himself smiling at the sound. He sunk back down to face the others and met Sam's gaze.
"Dude, you are so whipped."
A/N: And there you have it...the first of many! Thanks so much for reading and remember, let me know if you want me to expand on any of the little outtakes you'll find here. I love getting feedback from you guys! :D