Love you forever.
When Santana gets into trouble and has no one to turn to, will Puck still be there to lend a helping hand?
AU Santana doesn't love Brittney and is dating Karofsky.
"Hey sweetness," Puck smiled as his best friend opened the door. He'd been giving Santana lifts to school since she'd crashed her yellow sports car 6 months ago, and they'd become close often spending the evening together to talk and watch tv rather than just having sex.
"Hi Puck, give me a sec to grab my bag" Santana called as she sashayed down the hall to the kitchen. Puck tilted his head as he watched her.
"Man, all that cheerleading has given her a GREAT ass!" he smirked.
The ten minute car journey was passed by singing along to the radio and subtle flirting. Puck pulled into the parking space he claimed as his own and cut the engine.
"Hey babe!"
Puck frowned at the steering wheel. He'd only just undone his seatbelt when Dave 'stinking' Karofsky had already opened Santana's door and kissed her.
"See you later Noah, have a good day" Santana was gone before Puck had the chance to return the comment.
"She's your best friend! DO. NOT. RUIN. THIS. BY. FALLING. FOR. HER!" Puck hit his head against the wheel to enforce each word. But it was to late. He'd made the mistake of laying his soul bare a few weeks when they'd been sat in her room munching pizza…
"So how are things with you and Dave?" Puck asked, pulling the cheese off his food and twisting it round his finger.
"AMAZING!" She smiled up at her best friend from her place on the floor. "He's so nice and kind and generous and gentle…" She trailed off in a daze.
Puck clicked his fingers in front of her face, "Earth to Satan" She came around and blushed slightly.
"So enough about me" a blush still lingering on her face, "Whats up with you? Any girls you're interested in?"
"No not really… I'm looking some one who I can look after, who can look after me, someone who understands me and someone who loves me for everything." Puck looked down shyly and it was his turn to blush.
"AW! That's so cute! I love that!" Santana exclaimed. Puck couldn't work out if she was teasing him or genuinely thought that.
"I..uh..have to go…" Puck grabbed his phone and left the room before Santana had a chance to stop him.
"Sloppy freak show babies!" Sue shouted through the mega phone. "Do it again from the start! And make sure the lifts are higher, more daring and more impressive!"
"Ok girls, we need to nail this one" Santana huddled with the cheer squad, "Don't be scared of falling because we wont drop you… Ready?"
The girls arranged themselves into formation ready for the music to begin.
Now I've got a confession
When I was young I wanted attention
And I promised myself that I'd do anything
Anything at all for them to notice me
The cheerio's erupted into cartwheels, somersaults and wiggling hips
But I ain't complaining
We all wanna be famous
So go ahead and say what you wanna say
Santana and her girls span and danced to the beat gearing up the climax
You don't know what its like to be nameless
Want them to know what your name is
Cuz see when I was younger I would say
Five girls were thrown into the air, Santana being one of them. It was then everything stared to go wrong. As Santana was lifted for the final time, her attention was caught by Puck and Finn watching them. It turns out she wasn't the only one to notice their audience. Three of the girls were waving and flicking their hair at the boys and failed to concentrate on what they were meant to be doing.
What were they doing? Those girls were watching him and not the brunette beauty flying above their heads. He couldn't even remember their names, Hannah, Rihanna, and Brianna or something like that… Stupid blonde girls with stupid rhyming names. Why wouldn't they stop looking at him and turn back to the task at hand which was catching Santana from falling. Then he realized they weren't going to turn around and it was too late! She was already rapidly descending.
"NO!" Puck jumped up and leaped down the bleachers to the middle of the field but the faster he ran, the further away she seemed.
They say that time slows down when something bad happens, and for Santana, time couldn't have gone any slower. She felt like Alice falling into Wonderland and hoped the impact would be painless like it was in the fairytale, but as she heard the screaming around her and heard her own disembodied voice call out for help as the ground got closer and closer until she felt to sharp pain of impact and everything went black.
He sat next to her holding her hand wishing he'd been there, been able to catch her. He looked at her, with her manicured nails, false eyelashes and breast implants. He was so lucky and she was SO hot. His eyes continued to scan her and they rested on the bandages. She had a broken ankle and three broken ribs. Not much really, nothing that would damage her looks and the bruise appearing on her face could easily be covered up with make-up. She was still the best looking girl in the school and she was all his.
He stood in the doorway watching the figure in the seat beside the bed and wishing more than anything that he could swap places and be the one to hold her hand and stroke her cheek until she started to stir. She was so beautiful, even lying on a hospital bed with her hair fanned out across the pillow and the shadow of a bruise starting to creep up the left side of her face. She was just perfect in his eyes and he couldn't think of a more beautiful person inside and out. He knew the side of Santana that no one else knew, the kind, helpful, sensitive girl, who helped build race tracks for her little brother or made cupcakes with his sisters, the girl who cried watching Marley and Me. Puck knew the real Santana and he would look after her no matter what.
"Noah where are we going? I'm supposed to be looking after my little brothers!"
"Relax, Finn and Rachel are looking after them so I could treat you." Puck said guiding the blindfolded brunette to his car and opened the door. "In you climb. And DON'T remove the blindfold!"
"You do realize I'm going to kill you later" Santana said with mock anger. Puck poked his tongue out before realizing she couldn't see him.
After what seemed like hours, the car stopped moving and the car door was opened. Puck helped Santana out and across the car park to the entrance of their final destination. Once through the doors and seated, Puck reached across and undid the scarf that was being used as a blindfold.
Santana blinked at the sudden brightness as her blindfold was removed. She was seated in Breadstix, her favourite place in Lima, and she smiled at the nervous boy across the table.
"What's all this for? It's not my birthday and it's not yours…" She trailed off with a small frown on her face.
"It's to treat you and you looked like you could do with a night off." It was true, since she'd come out of hospital she'd had to come back to school, assist Coach Sylvester with the Cheerios, watch her brothers after school and catch up on the work she'd missed. Tired was an understatement and Santana had been falling asleep in the car to and from school.
"Thanks, you're so sweet! I'm going to the restroom to sort my hair out." Santana gave Puck a hug and walked to the bathroom. She went straight to the mirror and pulled her favourite lipgloss out of her pocket. She pursed her lips to slick the lip gloss on and smiled. Puck was so sweet for thinking about her. She lifted her hands and removed the bobby pins and hair elastic allowing her hair to tumble around her shoulders in soft curls. She smiled knowing that she could never be like this with Dave, in her own clothes, minimal make up and natural hair. He liked the Cheerios uniform, straight hair and makeup. Puck took her for herself not for who she tried to be and she felt comfortable with him and he made her smile. This was going to be a good night.
Puck looked up as the door swung open and Karofsky walked in with a blonde cheerleader. Puck watched with disgust as Karofsky lent over and kissed her just as Santana walked out of the restroom with a smile. Puck grabbed their coats and rushed over to her.
"We're going, its getting late."
"But we haven't even eaten yet," Santana said looking miserably over at the table. Suddenly her eyes found the reason for Puck's unease. Sitting at a table at the back of the restaurant, was Dave and a blonde cheerleader. She felt her eyes well up as she pulled away from Puck's grip and marching up to the recipient of her fury.
"How about you come back to mine for a little you-know-what?" Karofsky said with a wink.
"HOW DARE YOU?" Santana screamed, "I thought you loved me? Yet you're here with HER!"
"Babe I do love you, but…"
"I don't want to hear your excuses," Santana started to sob. She turned and ran from the building.
Puck stood for a moment unsure of what to do before running to the parking lot and jumped into his car driving in the direction that Santana had run. He peered through the rain looking for her. This was not how the evening was meant to end, she was meant to realize she loved him and dump that douche bag Karofsky. Puck cut the gas as he spotted her sitting on a bench in the park. He ran to her and put his arm around the sobbing girl. Neither spoke, both grateful for the silence and comfort. When the rain began to come down harder, Puck pulled Santana to her feet and towards the car.
The journey home was a quiet one and it was almost 10 o'clock when they arrived at the Lopez house. Puck reached for his phone from his pocket and dialed Santana's mothers phone number.
"Mrs. Lopez? Hi… Is it alright if I stay over with Santana for a bit tonight? She's had a shock and she's very upset… I'm sure she'll explain when she's ready… mhmm yeah… Thanks so much!" He ended the phone with a click. "Come on you, lets get you inside and off to bed." Puck said with kindness.
Help a shaking Santana out of the car and Puck wanted to just pick her up and carry her over to the door but he knew she wouldn't appreciate it so patiently walked with her to the door at a pace slower than either were used to. Pushing the door open and walking in to the lounge puck saw his two friends curled up on the sofa watching some pathetic chick flick.
"Rachel? Can you help Santana get change? She's had a shock." Puck asked his friend. Santana stood in the door way shivering, her mascara leaving trails down her cheeks.
"Sure." Rachel stood cautiously and walked over to Puck.
"Don't ask her about what happened, I don't want her getting upset again." Puck said sternly. Rachel nodded and walked over to the wet girl.
"Come on San, lets get you changed out of those wet clothes."
Almost an hour later and Finn and Rachel had just left, so Puck wandered upstairs. He checked that Dan and Jaiden were asleep. Dan was curled up in his crib clutching one of Puck's old hoodies. Puck smiled, he knew that Santana wasn't the only member of the Lopez he loved, his affection stretched to these little boys and beyond. He proceeded to the room he hadn't been in since the pizza night incident. She was sitting in the bed hugging her knees, looking so young that he wanted to scoop her up and hug her. He sat beside her and smiled down at her. He put an arm around her and she snuggled close. They stayed like that until she drifted off to sleep and Puck promised himself, he would never let her be hurt the way she was tonight.