A/N: Welcome! This is a one shot that I wrote but a LOT of the inspiration from it comes from the awesome Bakers over in the Puck/Quinn thread on Glee Forum. A few days ago we were all discussing how much we wanted to see Puck and Quinn stranded somewhere during a storm. This takes place in season 2 after Sectionals. Let me know what you think of it! I hope you enjoy! Xoxo-Katie

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, or else EVERYONE would be getting Quick for Chrtistmas

"What do you want, Puck?" Quinn asked as she answered her phone.

"Oh hi, I'm doing just fine, thanks for asking."

"Sorry. Hello, Puck."

"That's better," he replied smugly. "Hey, listen. I sort of have a problem. Do you think you can come over?"

"Is this a lame attempt for you to get me to come over to your house? Because, I have to say, that was pretty pathetic, even for you."

"Come on Quinn, don't flatter yourself."

"We've talked about this. I'm with Sam, I'm-."

"Wearing his ring, blah, blah, blah."

"You know what? I'm hanging up now."

"No wait!" Puck pleaded. "I'm sorry. Look, it's not for me. It's for Sara."

"Is she OK?" Quinn asked. She had a soft spot for Puck's little sister. They had grown close when she lived with them and she honestly missed the girl.

"Yeah, she's fine but they have this holiday dance thing at her school tonight and my mom's working a double shift. She's crying in the bathroom because she tried to put on some of my mom's make-up and I might have said something about looking like a clown."

"You are such an ass!"

"Yes, I know, but it was a little true! OK, I don't know what the fuck to do. Can you please come over?"

"Why not call Santana?" Quinn asked, trying to mask her jealousy. She was with Sam now. She shouldn't care who Puck spent time with, but something about the two of them together just rubbed her the wrong way.

"Because I don't want my sister going to the dance looking like a skank. I want her to look nice."

"Alright," Quinn finally agreed with a heavy sigh. "But I'm doing this for her not for you."

"Right, thanks. See you in a few."

Quinn arrived about twenty minutes later, make-up bag in hand as she rang the doorbell to Puck's house even though she had never given her key back to him. It felt strange to be in the place she had once called home for the first time since she left to stay with Mercedes.

"Took you long enough," she said, pushing past Puck as he opened the door. "It's freezing out there and it's starting to snow."

"Yes, come right in why don't you," Puck muttered, closing the door behind her. "I guess it's supposed to snow a shit load tonight or something."

"Whatever. Where's Sara and how much time do I have?"

"Upstairs bathroom and her friend is picking her up in thirty minutes."

"Alright, that should be enough time," Quinn calculated in her head. "I think you should stay down here. We don't need any more clown comments from you."

"But-," he tried to protest.

"I got this. Trust me."

Quinn took off her coat, scarf and gloves and thrust them to Puck before she ascended the stairs to find Sara. He rarely spent time with her outside of school and glee now, so seeing her in jeans, flats and a pale pink long-sleeved t-shirt with her hair down was a nice change from the Cheerios uniform and harsh ponytail.

When she reached the bathroom door, Quinn rapped on it gently and tried to turn the doorknob only to find that it was locked.

"Go away jerk face," came Sara's muffled response. "I hate you and I'm not going."

"Sara, it's Quinn. Your brother's downstairs, will you open the door? I came to help."

After a bit of shuffling, the lock clicked and the door opened just enough to reveal the dark-haired girl, her tear-stained face covered in make-up. Quinn felt terrible thinking about it, but she had to admit that Puck's sister did look a bit like a sad clown.

"Did Noah call you?"

"No," Quinn lied until Sara narrowed her eyes. "OK, yes, he did."

"Then I don't want your help."

"Sara, come on. He did it because he's sorry and wants to make you feel better. You can either let me fix it or you can sit here and sulk all night."

"Fine," the younger girl replied with a huff and motioned for Quinn to follow her into the bathroom.

"First of all, let's get all of this off," Quinn began, gently wiping her face with a cloth from her bag. "You don't need all of this Sara. You're pretty without it."

"Why did you even come over? Aren't you dating that guy Sam?"

"How do you know that?"

"I heard Noah telling Finn how much he hates him," Sara shrugged and Quinn had to suppress a grin. Guess I'm not the only one who's jealous.

"Close your eyes," she instructed and applied a very neutral eye-shadow before dusting on a pale pink blush. "I came because I know how important dances are and your brother sounded desperate."

"Will you put a braid in my hair the way you have yours?"

"Sure. Now, you don't need red lipstick. You've got such pretty pink lips, so we'll just put on a little bit of clear gloss over them and you're all set."

"Let me look!"

"No! Not until your hair is done. So…is there anyone special you're trying to impress?"

"No," Sara answered quickly.

"That means yes. Who is he?"

"Just a boy named Joey, but I don't think he likes me."

"How could he not?"

"He always throws stuff in my hair because he sits behind me."

"He's just trying to get your attention," Quinn said as she twisted and worked a bobby pin into Sara's hair. She could remember another boy who used to do something very similar. "Alright. All set. Now you can look."

"Wow," she replied, gazing at her reflection. "I feel pretty."

"That's because you are."

"SARA! Your ride is here, hurry the hell up!" Puck called from downstairs. "Don't forget your sleepover stuff!"

"Shit, I have to go. Thanks Quinn!"

"You're welcome," she replied as Sara practically flew down the stairs, grabbing her duffle bag at the bottom. "And don't curse!"

"Thanks again," Puck said as Quinn came down a few moments later. "Like I said, I really didn't know who else to call."

"Don't worry about it. I miss seeing her."

"I'm pretty sure she missed you, too. Now she doesn't have someone to gang up on me with."

"Oh, we did not gang up on you," Quinn said defensively. "At least…not very often."

"Sure," Puck replied, enjoying the light, comfortable moment between the two of them. How they had gone from talking every day, falling asleep together on the couch, laughing and being close, to casual meetings and barely speaking, he would never know.

"I should probably get going," she said a little awkwardly and made a move towards the door.

"Why? Got a date with Sam? Sorry. You don't have to answer that."

"Actually, he's out of town this weekend. What about you? You're not getting ready to go out with Santana?"

"Nah, haven't tapped that in awhile."

"Eloquent as ever, Puck."

"Did you expect anything different?"

"No," she smiled.

"I was gonna order some take out," he said, looking at his feet and then up to her. "You wanna stay for some?"

"Puck-."

"From the place you like," he tempted.

"Just dinner?"

"Just takeout and you're buying your own. I'm not your boyfriend."

Quinn winced, though she wasn't exactly sure why. No, he certainly wasn't her boyfriend. Not anymore. What would be the harm in eating some Chinese food together? She asked herself. It wasn't like she had any other plans for the night. We can just be friends again, right?

"Fine, I'll have-."

"Sweet and sour chicken and fried rice," Puck finished with a grin. "I remember."

An hour later, they were on his couch, finishing their dinner and laughing about him spending the entire night in a port-a-potty the previous week. He told her that his mom didn't even realize he hadn't been home because she was working as many doubles around the holidays to make a little extra cash.

"Alright, open your fortune cookie," Quinn said, tossing it to Puck, who removed the wrapper and crushed the cookie.

"It says Be mischievous and you will not be lonesome. Your turn," he replied and watched as Quinn unfurled her piece of paper, her eyebrow shooting up curiously. "What's it say?"

"Nothing nearly as good as your."

"Just tell me."

"No! Then it won't come true."

"Jesus, it's not a birthday wish, Quinn. You know that's part of the Chinese takeout rule at the Puckerman house. You have to read it aloud."

"Fine. Mine says The one you love is closer than you think."

Puck was silent for a moment as she held his gaze for a few beats before he shrugged his shoulders and stood to take his container into the kitchen.

"Maybe Sam isn't as far out of town as you think he is."

Quinn chewed on her lower lip and tried to push out the other unspeakable thought that was running through her mind. Get it together. It was just a fortune cookie, she told herself and followed Puck.

"Man it's really coming down out there," she observed, looking through the window over the sink. "I should really get going or my mom will start to wonder where I am."

"You're in a rush to go out in that?" he asked. "I don't think so. The roads are probably icy as shit."

"I've got to get home somehow."

"It's been snowing for a little while, right? I'm sure the plows will come around eventually. We could watch some TV and see how the roads are in a little bit."

"Well," Quinn said hesitantly. "I really don't like driving in the snow. Let me text my mom. I'll tell her I'm at Brittany's or something."

She didn't really like lying to her mother, but Quinn knew she wouldn't think very highly of the idea of her being at Puck's in the first place. In fact, if she knew her daughter's actual whereabouts, she would probably hijack a snowplow and drive across town to get Quinn. For now, what Judy Fabray didn't know, wouldn't hurt her. When Quinn returned to the living room Puck was on the couch, feet up on the coffee table, flipping through the channels. She took a seat somewhere between his spot and the other end of the couch, careful to leave some distance between them and pulled her feet up under her legs. Suddenly a chill ran through her body and she shuddered visibly.

"You OK?" Puck asked, taking notice of the fact that she had started rubbing her hands together.

"Just a little chilly."

"Here, let me see," he said, instinctively reaching for her hands. "Damn, they're like ice, are you dead or something?"

He began to rub them together a bit between his own hands when his palm caught on something sharp and he pulled back to see the cold metal of her promise ring. He stared at it briefly, not knowing whether he should be pissed the he never thought of something stupid like that or jealous because she probably never would have worn it, so he decided to be both and released her hands as he sat back once more. He went back to flipping through the stations until Quinn stopped him with a squeal.

"Wait! Go back two channels!" she instructed and he complied.

"Elf? Are you fucking kidding me? Did you forget that I'm Jewish?"

"We watched it last year, remember?" She knew he remembered because Puck didn't just forget things like that. He may pretend and play dumb, but ninety-five percent of the time it was just an act. She remembered that night so well. "It was the night you brought me that tiny Christmas tree."

"And we hid it in the corner of my bedroom."

"But you would close the door and turn it on when I went to sleep at night for a whole week."

"Yeah, I remember that night. We watched Elf and then you thought it would be awesome to try spaghetti with maple syrup, neither of what we had in the house."

"So we went to Super Wal-Mart at two-thirty in the morning and then I decided I wanted ice cream instead because they had a Ben and Jerry's display up."

"Which we had at home," Puck smiled at the memory. "That was a good night."

"Yeah," Quinn agree, almost sadly. She didn't know why, but he always seemed to be able to cast a spell on her with his soft eyes and warm voice. "So, Elf it is then!"

"Fine, I guess since you're stuck here, it's only fair."

Despite the commercial breaks, the movie was still over long before the snow plows made any real progress on clearing the roads because the fluffy white flakes were falling at such a steady pace.

"This has been fun Puck, but I've really got to go home," Quinn said sincerely as she tried to reach for her coat, only to have him pull it out of her grasp. "Hey, give me my coat!"

"Do you see how much snow is still out there? That would come up to your knees!"

"Well, I'll just have to risk it."

"Quinn, it's a fucking blizzard out there. There's no way you're driving in that. If the plows haven't been able to get out there, your shit ass little Jetta isn't going to make it."

"I can't stay here. My mom is expecting me home at some point tonight."

"Just tell her you're sleeping at Britt's. She would buy it and it's not like Britt would remember if you did or not."

Quinn shook her head and bit her lip. "I don't know."

"Look, you can pretend like you're going home all you want, you can even click your heels together, but I'm not letting you out there to get into an accident or to get sick or something."

"God! Why do you care?" Quinn burst out finally.

"You know why."

"Right, just because you don't want me to get into an accident?" she asked unbelievingly.

"No, because I still fucking love you Quinn, OK?"

"You what?"

"You heard me. You think that just because you didn't say it back or because you're with someone else and he gave you a cheap ass ring it would change?"

"What about Santana?"

"What about Sam?" he countered.

"It's different. We're not sleeping together," she shot back at him.

"You're right. It's worse because you have a relationship."

"You don't know a damn thing."

"You're right, I don't know that your favorite movie is the Notebook, you're afraid of heights and of the dark, you like yellow because it always reminds of spring, you broke your pinky finger in the second grade, you hate mayo and living up to your sister's reputation, but no, I don't know a damn thing about you."

"Well you don't know everything about me," Quinn said quietly, still a little stunned.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I miss something?"

"I love you, too."

I'm not joking about this, Quinn."

"Neither am I," she replied seriously.

"Well, normally people tell other people that kind of thing," Puck said for lack of something better to say.

"I know, it's just…I thought it would go away and then it didn't and the school year started and you went to juvie and then Sam and I-."

"You can stop talking now," Puck said, silencing her by pressing his lips firmly against hers and taking her face in his hands. She responded immediately to his touch by wrapping her arms around his neck and granting him more access when he gently traced her bottom lip with his tongue. He broke away momentarily to kiss a path from her jaw to her neck, causing her to moan lightly.

"Mmm, wait," she said breathlessly. "I never called my mom."

"Gimme your phone," he murmured, pulling it from her back pocket and sending what was quite possibly the world's fastest text message ever, tossing it onto the couch when he was finished. "All done."

"What did you say?"

"Bad snow, sleep Britt's."

"She's going to think I turned into a caveman."

"Please stop talking about your mom when I'm trying to make out with you."

"Sorry," Quinn giggled and kissed her way all over Puck's face except for his lips. She was amazed by her own shamelessness, but for the first time in a long time she didn't feel guilty because she knew that she was being honest with herself. She never felt that way when she was with anyone else but Puck. It was like she could lose and find herself all in the same moment. It was terrifying and wonderful, like free falling with a parachute, there was rush of raw emotion and security all at once. She noticed herself being pulled up off the group and clasped her legs around his waist. "What are you doing?"

"If you want to stand at the front door, that's cool, but I was going to go upstairs."

Puck carried her effortlessly up the stairs and into his bedroom, laying her down gently onto his unmade bed. He proceeded slowly, giving her the control to decide what she wanted to do and was a little surprised when he felt her fingers tug up on the hem of his t-shirt. He helped her pull it over his head and tentatively reached for hers, looking up to gage her reaction, grinning when she nodded against the pillow. After he discarded her shirt, he kissed the soft skin of her shoulder, gradually making his way down her arm to her right hand. He looked at the ring that seemed like it came from the bottom of a cereal box and then up to Quinn, locking eyes with her as he slid it off of her slender finger and replaced it with a tender kiss. Smirking, he shoved it into his back pocket.

"I don't want to see that damn thing on your finger again."

"You don't have to worry about that, but maybe I should give it back to him."

"If he wants it back, he can come get it from me," Puck said and joined their lips together once again.

Much later, they were both fighting sleep as they lay facing one another. He pulled the covers high over her shoulders for about the third time as she snuggled in closer to him, laying her head on his chest. She loved the way it gently rose and fell and loved being able to hear his heart beat steadily match the rhythm of her own. Just as her eyelids grew too heavy to hold up, he nudged her head with his own.

"Hey, I think I just heard a snow plow. I guess you can go home now."

"That's OK," she replied with a sigh. "I'd rather be here anyway."

"Oh really?" he said, kissing the top of her head. "I think I'm OK with that."