Title: But unlike You
Category: Glee
Ship: Rachel/Puck- mention of past Finn/Rachel
Rated: PG
Genre: Drama/Friendship
Word Count: 1176
Summary: Finn knows he's in trouble the second the words spilled from his mouth. Finn POV.
PuckRachel Drabble meme:
ELIOTPUCK: She got you, man. You got a little blood right there.
HARDISONFINN: Yeah, she's Rachel's got a right hook like a freight train.
ELIOTPUCK: She put her hips into it like that?
HARDISONFINN: I'm pretty sure she did.
ELIOTPUCK: That's my girl, man!
HARDISONFINN: Stop. Don't teach people how to do that. –greydawning
xxx
To be fair, not only does he not mean it, but he regrets the words that spilled out of him in his moment of rage and he knew—he knows he's going to get decked the second the words left his mouth. It's just not from whom he expected it from.
He was sure it would come from Puck, he's in love with her and he just insulted her, but through teary eyes, a by-product of his bleed, possibly broken nose, he sees that Sam, Mike and Blaine are holding back a furious Puck. Kurt and Mercedes are staring him down like he's a piece of old gum on the bottom of their shoes. Brittany is holding onto Santana's hand while the Latin girl curses in Spanish under her breath at him. He's pretty sure he catches a 'hijo de puta' in there. He might be failing Spanish but he knows what that means. Even Quinn who hates Rachel is staring at him in disbelief and that's when he knew he's messed up. No one can claim he's a genius, not even him.
"You hit me!" He groans; his words muffled through his hands as he tries to control the bleeding from his nose.
"You just called me a slut!" Rachel yells back at him, glaring, her face bright red with anger.
"You're sleeping with Puck!" He screams at his ex-girlfriend.
He watches as Rachel shakes her head at him tiredly before turning her back at him. She walks over to the guys and asks them to let go of Puck, completely ignoring him. His teeth clenched with the knowledge that a few months ago she would have never done so. Before Puck can move once he's free, she places herself in front of him, her hands holding onto his shirt forcing his former friend to look down at her. He watches as she raises a hand to caress the frown off Puck's face, her other hand taking his. He looks away, feeling his jaw tighten even more at the obvious display of familiarity between them. She walks out of the room with Puck, never once looking back at him; the throbbing in his chest feels worse than the one on his face.
The rest of Glee soon follows the duo's footsteps until he's left alone with his bloody nose and guilty conscience.
xxx
It's not really surprising that Puck seeks him out later on the bleachers. What is surprising was that he sits down next to him and hands him a cool wash towel instead of rushing him and finishing what his girlfriend started in the music room. His stomach turns at the thought; Rachel is Puck's girlfriend, not his anymore. He stays quiet as Puck looks out at the field, he can see the tension pouring out of Puck and he does have enough survival instinct to know that his buddy is more than ready to rip him apart at the smallest provocation.
"She got you good man," Puck murmurs, giving him a sideways glace, lifting his hand, he points out to his face to the side of his nose. "You got a little blood right there."
"Yeah," he agrees as he wipes it off, wincing when he bumps a tender part. "Rachel's got a right hook like a freight train."
Puck raises an eyebrow as he studies him. "She put her hips into it like that?"
He looks at him wondering. "I'm pretty sure she did."
A slow spreading but wide smile takes over Puck's face as he lets out a deep laugh. "That's my girl, man!"
Finn winces again, this time at the words. "Stop, Puck. Don't teach people how to do that."
Puck shrugs as he looks back out. "Not people, just Rachel."
They were both quiet for a moment because they both know that the statement is about more than just teaching their small diva how to fight. "Why Rachel, Puck? Why her?"
He watches as his friend sighs and looks down. "Because I love her, man, I'm sorry that it hurts you and that you're angry, but you and Rachel were done, you're doing by the way when she and I started up again, I love her… it's as simple as that."
"I love her, too." He answers, annoyed at the snort his friend lets out.
"You love her till Quinn winks at you or till you get bored and want something better, someone better."
Puck continues, now giving him his full attention. "That's the difference between you and me, you think there is someone better out there than Rachel, and I know there isn't because she's already the best. She's crazy, dramatic, she schemes and scraps to get her way, but, she has a heart as big as her dreams, she's beautiful on the outside but that's nothing compare on the inside. She's the best either of us will ever have and we are two lucky sons of bitches to have that girl ever love us. I realize it, you don't."
He hates the truth behind the words. "So you're better for her?"
Puck smirks at him. "Fuck no, man, I'm a fuck up and I'll fuck up so much with her I'm sure. But unlike you, I'll never treat her like she's lucky to have me at her side' cause I know the truth is I'm the lucky one. I'll try everyday to be better and be worthy of her. Can you say the same, honestly?"
He remains silent, wishing he can answer back, to dismiss everything Puck is saying but he doesn't. He can't.
He doesn't say anything as Puck gets up.
Puck is down the bleachers when he finally finds his voice. "Puck? Why did you come out here?"
Puck looks up at him and smiles amused. "Rachel asked me to come out here and check on you, she didn't want us to 'lose years of friendship on her behalf', her words."
"After what I said to her…" He trails off, feeling like crap.
Puck shrugs. "She's better than us, man."
He stands up and starts to make his way down. "I didn't mean what I said Puck and I'm sorry I said it, tell her that, will you?"
His friend nods before his face turns hard. "You ever say anything like that to her again..."
"And you'll kill me." He says, seeing the answer in his friends green eyes.
"Glad we understand each other, brother."
He watches as Puck walks away heading for the parking lot. In the distance, he sees her waiting by Puck's truck. He watches as they meet up, he can't hear what they say but he sees even from where he stands as Rachel gives Puck her 'Rachel smile' and goes on her tippy toes to hug him. They stay like that for a moment and somehow she finds his gaze over Puck's shoulder, and it hurts that her smile dims as she looks at him.
He nods at her, hoping she understands that he's sorry. He hopes she does.