Disclaimer: I don't own Glee and I am in no way making money from this.
One-shot
No More Hair Straightener!
Slipping into Rachel's bedroom through her window in the middle of the night when you were more than a little drunk was no easy feat; Puck only managed it because Rachel was a heavy sleeper. He had a mission in mind and a set of tools in his back pocket would do the job nicely.
"Fuckin' Finn messes with my fuckin' perfect girl. Just wants another clone. Fuckin'…." He muttered to himself as he made his way to the little vanity dresser. Sure enough the hair straightener was there ready to destroy Rachel's hair again the following morning. Puck picked it up and began hacking at the cord with wire cutters. Once it was cut in pieces he took a screwdriver out and took the thing apart. Her bedroom door opened but he didn't notice and she didn't wake.
He picked up this lipstick color he hated on her and wrote a message on her mirror. "I want my gorgeous curly haired girl back." Carrying the tube with him went into her bathroom and poured the newer shampoo and perfumes down the drain and searching a bit found the old stuff she used before Finn. Sure enough it was under the sink and he put it where the new stuff had been. He wrote another message on this mirror. "I want my soft and sweet girl back."
When he made his way back in her room he once again completely disregarded the shadow in the doorway watching him with an amused look. Puck went into her closet and after some searching found her one pair of blue jeans. With great glee he hacked them almost into daisy dukes leaving only a few strips to hold in together then he cut other pieces out in strategic places. He grabbed a piece of paper and wrote "You know how to use them. Don't hide."
He looked around the room and frowned when he saw the poster board with Finn pictures on it. He took it down and turned it to face the wall writing "He's ruining my perfect girl." on the back. Then he stood back up and taking a flask from his pocket took a healthy drink before turning and looking down at Rachel. Asleep and cute in a little purple tank top and panties her covers kicked off and fuzzy socks on her feet he smirked and swayed and if he hadn't noticed the shadow he sure noticed the hand on his shoulder. He turned and looked down at Hiram, the shorter Dad and silently offered the flask.
Hiram took the flask and after a sniff of the cheap whiskey shrugged and took a drink himself. He handed it back to Puck and took a look around his daughter's room noting the messages left in lipstick.
"She's perfect. She shouldn't have to change." Puck muttered and took another drink.
"No she shouldn't. Come on Noah let's get you home." Hiram turned him and led him out of the room.
"Okay." Puck was surprisingly steady on his feet and Hiram wondered how he'd gotten here as his truck wasn't in sight but got him into the vehicle and drove him home. Puck thanked him for the ride and Hiram waited until the boy was inside before pulling out and driving back home.
He'd woken up when the fence outside had been hit and was followed by the creak of footsteps along the rooftop and had already been at the door by the time two heavy boots had eased on to the floor. He'd relaxed once he'd seen it was Puck and slipped the safety back on his gun. Then he'd watched him work through Rachel's room destroying things that Finn had influenced before looking down at Rachel like he'd wanted to climb in with her. Rachel was a heavy sleeper but even she'd noticed Puck climbing in the bed with her. Maybe, Hiram snorted quietly to himself as he reentered the house. His daughter had slept through a tornado once.
He checked on his little girl once more but she hadn't moved. He closed the window screen again and pulled the sheet over her body before going back to bed. Leroy, like their daughter was also a heavy sleeper and hadn't moved. Hiram drifted off thanking the heavens that Rachel's room was sound proof and would block most of her scream when she woke up in the morning.
Puck covertly watched Rachel as she came down the hall. Her natural loose curls bouncing with every step, bright pink teddy bear t-shirt, short red skirt, ankle socks with lace and tiny red heels. He smiled at her bright and crazy colored eyelids, there was his gorgeous girl. He saw Finn have that constipated look on his face again as he approached her and Puck slipped closer to hear the conversation.
"Rachel what gives?"
"Good Morning how are you?" Rachel replied curtly as she checked her eye makeup in the mirror before gathering her books for the day.
"What's wrong with you?" Finn pitched his voice low but Puck still heard him and clinched his hands into fists.
"Nothing's wrong with me."
"You look different."
"No this is the way I always look."
"No…" Finn shook his head confused and distressed, "You're different. You're standing out. Everyone notices you."
"Ah Finn thank you. I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said about my appearance." Rachel flashed him a curiously oblivious smile and turned to go to class. As she passed Puck some ways down the hall she snagged his arm, "Walk with me Noah."
"Looking good today Rachel. Smell good too." Noah smiled at Rachel's brightly painted nails and marveled at how tiny her digits were compared to his own.
"Thank you. Check out my eyes." Rachel closed her eyes and trusted him to lead her through the hallway as he looked down at the bright swirls of pink and red on her eye lids. The pink lined her eyes and curled out on the sides as well.
"Nice." Rachel beamed at him and bounced happily beside him.
"Thank you Noah."
"Don't ever change Rachel."
"I won't."
"Good."
They stopped in front of her classroom and Rachel dug something out of her little suitcase and handed it to Noah.
"Dad says to use the front door next time."
Puck opened his hand to see a key. A house key. His breath caught a bit.
"And Noah?"
"Yeah." He looked back into her eyes to see softness there under the bright happiness.
"Thank you."
"Anytime baby, anytime."
At glee that afternoon Rachel bounced in. Still happy. It was like she'd been wearing this too tight suit of armor for a long time and today she ripped it off and went running naked in the fields. It'd taken a breaking and entering and a very long talk with her fathers and a few other family members to do it but Rachel Berry was free. To be judged by her peers.
"Oh my god it's even worse than you said!" Kurt exclaimed.
Rachel looked and met the judging eyes of peers and desperately tried to block Kurt and the others out with the kind and encouraging words of her fathers, and cousins and aunts who'd watched her become a clone and pulled her back. In her mind's eye see saw Puck's lipstick messages about her room and when she opened them she quickly found his hazel eyes.
They were currently burning a hole into Finn for whatever he was saying but when he glanced up he held her gaze and smirked.
"So Kurt can wear a skirt but I can't wear bright and happy clothing?"
"What?" Finn sputtered.
""It's a kilt I'll have you know that's different because.." Kurt defended himself
"A kilt implies a Scottish ancestry and plaid neither of which you possess." Rachel interjected. "What about Tina? You all defended her decision to be Goth but criticize my own fashion choices?"
"That's because I actually have a style. You have this weird kindergarden slash grandma look."
"As opposed to the all-black random fishnet look? And don't even get me started on the Cherrios. Gee should I wear the cheerleading uniform or the cheerleading uniform? Decisions decisions I'm so confused." Rachel retorted with unusual vemon.
"It's actually a really hard choice sometimes." Brittney commented.
"I'm just saying that you shouldn't draw any more attention to yourself than you already do." Finn said in a placating tone of voice.
"Why not? I like attention. I enjoy being unique. I like unicorns, and teddy bears and reindeers, bright happy colors, and inventive eye makeup. I like my hair curly and long and the way Noah's eyes dilate when I bounce in my short skirt. I like the way I am and I'm not letting you all change me again because it's not what you want so. Back. Off." Rachel replied hands on hips glaring at Finn then sweeping the room with her gaze.
"Okay everyone let's just settle down." Mr. Schue came in and waved everyone to their seats.
Rachel bounced up to sit by Puck who was snickering at the way Schue's eyed Rachel's bright clothing choice.
"Are you prepared for a performance today Rachel?" Schue asked somewhat bemused at Rachel's teddy bears.
"I'm always prepared for a performance Mr. Schuster. But no, I didn't have anything specific in mind for today although I have several songs in my back pocket should you need one?" Rachel inquired.
"No, no that's fine." Schue said, "You seem really upbeat today?"
"Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous amounts of energy merely to be normal." Rachel smiled at her fellow glee clubbers happily and leaned against Puck's shoulder. He smiled down at her triumphant.
I thought about trying to sneak the song "According to You" by Orianthi in but it just didn't wanna go. The quote from the last line is by Albert Camus.