A Puck & Quinn Story
By Brown Eyes Parker
Summary:
"You don't even care about me anymore," Quinn said, slapping his dinner on the table. Her eyes flashing with anger.
"Is that what you think?" He asked, not even bothering to conceal his own fury.
"You're always coming home from work late, and you don't kiss me anymore. We don't even talk anymore," she replied. "Who is it? Is it Santana?"
"I'm not cheating on you."
"I don't believe it."
He sighed. "Quinn. . ."
"I don't want to hear it," she said, her ire turning to sadness. Her eyes filled with tears. "Enjoy your dinner."
"Quinn, please!" He pleaded, his dinner forgotten, sitting on the table and getting cold. He followed her to their bedroom, but the door was closed and locked. He leaned against it, and slid down to the floor. He buried his face in his hands and remembered their high school days.
.
Flashback:
"It's late, you kids should be at home," the police man said, picking Puck's beer up and taking a long sip. "Go on now. Don't make me tell you again."
"Tonight's our senior prom though," Rachel replied. "And Puck's the only one drinking—"
"Go on home now," he repeated, winking at the girls. "We wouldn't want you all to get in trouble right before you graduate."
Finn picked up Rachel's coat and took her hand. "Come on babe, we don't want to be arrested the day before we graduate. We'll see you later Puck, Quinn, Sam. . ." he went through the list of names, and waved at them.
"I have to go too," Sam said to Quinn. "I'm sorry I can't take you home tonight. But all of my relatives are in town, and—"
"It's okay," Quinn assured him, kissing his cheek. "I understand."
"I'll take her home," Puck said suddenly.
"I don't know," Sam replied uncertainly.
"Oh come on, I won't do anything I'm not supposed to."
"Well, okay then. . . if you really don't mind Puck."
"I don't," he said sincerely. "I promise, I'll get her home safely."
Tina, Artie, Brittany, Finn, Rachel, Mercedes, and Kurt all exchanged looks. They knew very well that Puck wasn't exactly over Quinn yet. They all knew that he'd probably never get over her.
"We'll take her home," Rachel said suddenly. "Right Finn?"
"I don't mind," Finn agreed, nodding.
"It's okay guys," Quinn assured them. "I'm a big girl, and Puck's not going to hurt me."
"But are you going to hurt Puck?" Kurt muttered.
Nobody seemed to hear him as Sam pulled Quinn into a kiss and said goodnight. That was when everybody cleared out quickly, their goodbyes coming out in a hurried stream.
"Are you going to kiss me?" Quinn challenged as they walked to her house together. His car was in the shop, probably totaled beyond repair.
"No," Puck said. "I promised Sam I would make sure you got home safely. I think kissing you is included in that. And besides, if I kissed you it wouldn't be fair to any of us."
Quinn stopped and fiddled with her necklace. "Well. . . thank you."
Puck looked away from her, in the moonlight, with her hair down, glossy lips, and her navy blue prom dress with a sweetheart neckline that had silver detail work, he knew he'd throw caution to the wind and kiss her. And he really didn't want to get his heart broken again. With his eyes searching out the Big Dipper he said, "You look beautiful tonight."
"I'm down here," she said, pulling his chin down so they were at eye-level.
"Beautiful," he repeated, his lips suddenly a whisper away from her's.
Her breath caught in her throat, and she turned her face. "You may kiss my cheek."
Puck complied, because it was better than nothing. When he pulled away, her eyes were glistening with tears. "Oh Quinn. . . I didn't want you to cry."
"I'm not crying," she said, turning her face away and wiping an errant tear away.
"I could call Finn, have him and Rachel pick you up," Puck said, making a move for his cell phone.
Quinn stopped him. "No. . . don't. I'm a big girl. . . we can be friends, can't we?"
"I don't just want to be your friend Quinn. I've never wanted to be 'just' friends. I hate that phrase," Puck replied. "I'm not going to tell you again that I love you. And I don't want you to ask either. It won't ever get us anywhere."
He started to walk away, and Quinn ran to catch up with him. She placed her hand on his arm. "Do you love me?"
"I told you not to ask," he whispered, avoiding her eyes again.
"I need to know," she whispered back.
"You have Sam. . . wonderful, important Sam, who's going to Harvard next fall. Sam, who's going to be a lawyer, and one day conquer the world. Sam, who maybe one day will even be the president of the United States," Puck said, finally looking at her. "Why would my love matter in light of all you can. . . and probably will have with Sam?"
Quinn swallowed hard, and brushed a stray lock of her hair away. "I don't know. You tell me."
That's when Puck kissed her, whispering I love you over and over again. And that's when Quinn knew what she had to do.
.
"I heard from Sam the other day," Quinn said to Puck in passing as they at their lunch at the local community college.
"That's nice," Puck replied, taking her straw out of it's wrapping and putting it in her diet Coke. "How's he doing?"
"Are you sure you want to hear about this?" Quinn asked. "I know you're okay with Sam and I being friends and everything, but do you really want to subject yourself to hearing how he's doing?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"I don't know why you would," Quinn said. "Every time we talk about him, you always feel bad that you're not at an Ivy League college, and you don't have the greatest future. And then you always wonder why I'm with you instead of Sam—"
"So, I didn't plan my future out very well," Puck replied. "I didn't think that I'd have an injury and that I'd have to drop out of football because of it."
"What were you going to do if football didn't work out when you were finished with college?"
"I don't know, football was going to work out."
"Well, at least you have your job with Mr. Hummel on the weekends."
"And I have you all of the other days," Puck said.
"Stop it, you're making me blush."
"I like it when you blush." Puck smiled. And then he grew serious. "Will you do me a favor?"
"Anything," Quinn replied.
"Will you marry me?"
"You're proposing?" Her eyes widened.
"I think I am," he answered. "I don't have a ring. . ." and then his eyes lit up, and he took off his high school ring. "But this will have to do for now."
"I-I-I-I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll marry me."
"Okay," Quinn finally agreed, laughing a little bit. "I'll marry you."
And that was the day that Puck swore to himself, he would make something of himself. He would become just as important as Sam. He would be somebody that Quinn would be proud to call her husband. He would make Quinn proud to carry the last name of Puckerman.
.
They only waited three months before they got married. Once Christmas break rolled around, they tied the knot with only their close friends (Will, Emma, Beth, and Shelby included) and family in attendance.
She was a vision in a white strapless dress that fell to her knees. Her hair was curled and pinned up, and she was wearing his high school ring on a chain around her neck.
Rachel, fresh off her first Broadway play (one where she was nominated for a Tony) along with Mercedes, and Brittany were her only attendants. Finn, who had followed Rachel to New York and was playing football for one of the colleges there, was Puck's Best Man. Kurt and Artie were the only other two who stood up with him.
He cried when they exchanged their vows. But it was okay, because she was crying too. They had come so far from their high school days. And in all of his life, Puck had never expected that Quinn would one day really be his.
.
Present Day:
"Don't you understand?" Puck asked, finally finding his voice.
"I don't want to talk about it!" Quinn replied, her voice muffled by the door between them.
He pressed on, because he needed to tell her how he really felt. "All of the late nights. . . everything that I'm doing, is for you."
"Oh really?"
"I was always afraid that I wouldn't be able to match up to Sam. He's everything that I'm not." Puck sighed. "And he's everything I want to be."
The door opened and he landed on his back. Quinn stepped over him and pulled him up so he was looking in her eyes. "If I really wanted Sam and what he had to offer, would I be with you right now?"
Puck shrugged.
"All I want is you Puck," Quinn said, leaning in to kiss him. "I love you."
"I love you too," Puck replied sincerely. "I've always loved you."
_The End_