A/N: I do not own Glee, sadly. I hope you all enjoy, because if we're all honest with ourselves, even Puckleberry swayers (and I know at times I can be), we know they're endgame. They're inevitable.
It didn't just happen that Mr Schue walked in on him singing in the shower.
It didn't just happen that she turned up to Celibacy Club and changed all his preconceptions. (She taught him that word.)
It didn't just happen that he was paired up with her for a totally erotic performance of 'Push It'.
It didn't just happen that they kissed in the auditorium, or in the bowling alley, or on the stairwell, or on the stage at freakin' Nationals, or even in the Christmas tree lot.
It didn't just happen that Quinn got pregnant pushing him over to her. And hell, when he found out she'd gone and lied about the father being him, when in fact it was his best friend; that only pushed him further.
It didn't just happen that she re-joined Glee, regardless of his own lies and manipulation. (She taught him about manipulation too; she also said that Quinn was the queen of it.)
It didn't just happen that they're team captains.
It didn't just happen that he melted over her new look, even though he claimed to prefer her usual dress sense, he knew that she could put a paper bag on and still look beautiful.
It didn't just happen that her equally beautiful voice helped them to win Sectionals, after he bailed, for which he still feels guilty.
It didn't just happen that the second they try to make it work, Jesse St. Jerk had to get in the way. (And then, inevitably, got out of the way.)
It didn't just happen that he was the one she turned to when plagued with worry about her laryngitis.
It didn't just happen that he fell completely head over heels in love with her. Wouldn't you if you were singing 'Faithfully' like that?
x-x
So when he shuffles nervously up to her and tells her for the nth time that he's going out with Quinn again, he understands why she nods and tells him it's alright.
They're inevitable.
x-x
She watches them from a distance, but can still smile to herself.
It didn't just happen that he was her 'only exception'.
It didn't just happen that she let him go to second base with her without a request from him, upon a discussion of their children, to be raised in her faith – obviously.
It didn't just happen that they threw the duets competition in favour of other, less fortunate people.
It didn't just happen that they were Brad and Janet.
It didn't just happen that she thought his mother's wedding wouldn't be the only Hudson wedding she'd attend.
It didn't just happen that she was left stranded in a Christmas tree lot, feeling alone and unloved, after singing possibly one of the most heart-breaking Christmas songs. And she didn't even believe in Christmas.
It didn't just happen that he couldn't take his eyes off her in her duet with Noah.
It didn't just happen that he picked her a gold star necklace and chose to give it to her on Valentine's Day. (She sees now that she might have pressured him into a kiss, and maybe it was too hard to kiss her on the mouth – even if it was for a good cause – because he was struggling with conflicting feelings.)
It didn't just happen that he still-
It didn't just happen that he told her she was making a comeback. (Maybe he was inspired by her performance of 'Take Me or Leave Me – it was a pretty definitive song.)
It didn't just happen that when drunk she is unable to keep her hands off him.
It didn't just happen that she wrote a song about him that, in case he didn't remember, won them Regionals.
It didn't just happen he told her she was beautiful and not to get a nose job. He knew she hated her nose anyway, him hitting her in it changed nothing, he still thought she was beautiful and told her so in front of the whole group, including his very scary girlfriend.
It didn't just happen that rumours were spread about them, and inevitably, he can 'go his own way' and choose her.
It didn't just happen that she was the reason he got kicked out of Prom; because he was fighting over her, not aforementioned scary girlfriend.
It didn't just happen that she sang 'My Man' (which was the hardest song she ever sang; she thinks she just about managed to keep it together) and all she could see was him.
It didn't just happen that he broke up with aforementioned scary girlfriend after Sue's metaphor about the tether. Even Brittany could see that a tether bonded them.
And it didn't just happen that even so many years after that kiss at Nationals, when they're meant to be grown up and he's still flitting between Quinn and her, she still thinks about the kiss every night.
And she's pretty sure he does too.
x-x
So when he turns up at her door, in the pouring rain, with his hair sticking to his head, and rain clinging to his face, a sad look on his face, she can't help but get a lump in her throat.
"I love you," he says, the rain threatening to drown out his words.
"I know," she says, because she does, he does, and one day he'll realise it for good.
She leads him into her house and out of the rain and he takes her face in his hands, pressing his cold, wet palms to her cheeks and he kisses her.
Who knows, this time next week, he could be back with Quinn…
But she knows, and he knows as well – even if he's too afraid to admit it – that when it comes down to it, he'll always end up with her.
Because they're inevitable.