Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. I'm just borrowing my favorite characters for a bit.
Rachel all but jumped out of Quinn's Ford Taurus and slammed the door to avoid hearing anymore of her best friend's warnings. She knew what she was doing. She had been waiting years for this opportunity. He had refused to be hers in high school and did his best to skirt her attentions whenever she was home for a school break. Tonight she was determined to become his.
Caution was thrown to the wind as she channeled the personas of the "loose" female characters she played in college productions. She always went out for those roles hoping to learn what it is he wanted. She never figured it out. She didn't care either. Thanks to the fashionable stylings of one Kurt Hummel, she was sexified and on the prowl. Gone were the argyle sweater vests and knee socks of high school. In college she had picked up some real style thanks to attending the same school as Kurt, but she never took that one step up until tonight. The dark skinny jeans looked like they had been painted on her body, the black corset top accentuated her upper half and the stilettos gave that extra ounce of hotness.
Silence overcame the crowded room when she walked through the door. She paid no mind to the catcalls and whistles of the men and the glares of the women. She was on a mission, and her mission was twenty paces in front of her leaning over the pool table lining up his shot.
He could hear heels clacking against the floor. Assuming it was another bimbo; he paid no mind and focused on winning the fifty bucks that were riding on this game. All he had to do was sink the eight ball and the money was his.
He took his shot but never saw if it actually made it into the pocket. He was being dragged by the hand through the crowd by a sexy brunette with an amazing ass. Could those jeans be any tighter?
She led him to his truck in the back parking lot, not surprised to see he was still driving the same one after all this time.
He found himself confused. How did this girl know his truck? He had definitely never seen her before. At least that's what he thought before she turned around to face him. "Berry?"
"Hello, Puck," she replied in a sultry voice.
Puck was rendered speechless. The woman standing before him was Rachel Berry? The girl he refused to lay a hand on since the first day of high school when she flounced down the hall in a black mini skirt that had all the guys wondering what was underneath it? The star of his dreams that resulted in thousands of cold showers?
He was broken out of his daze by that voice of hers again. "Are you gonna stand there and drool or are you gonna take me back to your place?" Mesmerized, he went to open the passenger door for her before running around the truck to get in the driver's seat.
It took Rachel's fumbling with his belt buckle for Puck to come to his senses. Normally he'd be helping a girl out if she was struggling, but this was Rachel Berry. She was worth a lot more than a quickie in his truck in the parking lot of his apartment complex.
He pulled away from the kiss and gently pushed her off his lap. The look of hurt in her brown doe eyes caused his heart to lurch. He could tell she felt unwanted, and that was not the case at all. He tucked a stray curl behind her ear affectionately with a soft sigh. She stared at him expectantly, waiting to see what he was going to do next.
"Look Rach, I think you deserve a lot more than meaningless sex in my truck."
"Then take me upstairs to your apartment," Rachel replied with a sexy smirk. She felt a glimmer of hope that her plan of seduction might still work, until he spoke again.
"Rachel, no."
His hard gaze made her feel like she was five-year's old being scolded for sneaking a cookie before dinner. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes. She bit her lip in an attempt to fight them off.
Puck knew his words came out harsh, but he had to get his message across that she wasn't going to be some cheap fuck. When he saw her eyes misting over, he knew he had to backtrack. Even after years of dealing with his mother's random outbursts of waterworks, he could not stand to see a girl cry. He quickly pulled her into his arms and placed a gentle kiss on the crown of her head, whispering words of comfort in her ear.
Rachel wanted to resist his hug. She wanted to push off his chest and slap him across the face, but she couldn't do it. She had wanted to be wrapped in his embrace for too long to fight him off. Of course in her mind, she thought this wouldn't take place till after a round or two of passionate lovemaking, but who was she to complain. Obviously Puck cared about her if he refused her.
Puck couldn't say he wasn't surprised that Rachel didn't slap him. He had even braced himself for it. He never thought she would accept his comfort so willingly. He also never thought holding her in his arms would feel so right.
He had so much to say, but he didn't want to have the discussion in the deserted parking lot so he broke his number one rule when it came to women. He tilted Rachel's chin so she was staring into his eyes. "Rach, would you like to come up to my apartment and talk?"
Rachel gave him a soft smile and nodded. She let him help her down from the truck, and she allowed him to lead her by the hand until they reached his couch, which had probably seen better days thirty years ago.
She took a moment to take in her surroundings when he went to the kitchen to get them both some water. The apartment was very tiny and fairly messy, giving away that a guy did indeed live there.
"I'm really sorry about the mess."
His voice brought her out of her visual exploration of the apartment. She took the water bottle he offered. "Thanks." She smiled softly.
Puck took a seat next to her on the couch, but still left a decent amount of space between their bodies. "I normally keep this place a lot neater, I swear. Work has just left me little time to do nothing but sleep and eat."
Rachel shook her head with an eye roll. "Noah, you don't have to justify how you keep your apartment to me. With the exception of the pizza boxes and takeout containers scattered about, I think this is a pretty nice place you have here."
Puck snorted in response. "C'mon Berry, you and I both know this place is a dump."
"At least you're living on your own. I had to move back in with my dads after failing in New York, talk about humbling." She took a shy sip from her water.
Puck tried to look surprised when she mentioned New York, but her solemn expression told him there was no need to pretend. She must have known Quinn had filled him in on her situation.
"Rachel," he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "I don't think you're a failure. I think what you did took a whole lot of guts. You're nothing but courageous in my book." He gave her nose a playful flick with his index finger.
Rachel giggled. "Thanks, that's what everyone seems to say. I don't know. It's just I feel that maybe the whole situation could have been avoided." She turned her eyes to the ragged carpet, afraid of the smoldering gaze that his eyes elicited.
"Look at me, Rachel."
When she refused to pick her head up, he placed his hand under her chin and tilted her face up so he could stare into her glistening brown orbs. "Don't ever blame yourself. That professor was a sick bastard for trying to exchange a part for sex. I'm disgusted that nothing happened to him, yet you were basically dismissed from the university. You did the right thing by saying no and reporting it no matter what you may think."
Rachel just let out a heavy sigh as she settled her head onto his chest. Puck placed a comforting arm around her and kissed the crown of her head. "How come hearing you say it makes everything feel better?" she said softly.
"What?" Puck replied, the questioning evident in his tone.
"You saying it's not my fault," she played with the buttons on his dress shirt, "I don't feel guilty anymore."
He twirled a strand of her chestnut hair around his finger and nonchalantly answered, "It's because I'm a badass, that's why."
Rachel playfully smacked his chest. "I'm not even surprised by that."
They sat in a comfortable silence for awhile, her playing with the buttons on his shirt and him twirling her hair. He would drop the occasional kiss to her head and he could feel her shoulders curl up in contentment each time.
Surprisingly he broke the silence first. "I like this."
"Me too." Though Puck couldn't see it, he knew she was smiling. "I wish we could stay like this forever."
"It doesn't have to end tonight. You could stay here with me."
Rachel looked up at him with raised eyebrows at his suggestion. He rolled his eyes in response.
"Come on," he pushed her up and led her to the bedroom, "let's find you something to sleep in."
Rachel stood by and watched him rummage through his messy dresser drawers. He came up with a black wife beater and a pair of red basketball shorts. "I think these should work for you." He then pointed her in the direction of the bathroom.
When she returned, he had changed into a pair of sweats but was shirtless. The bed was turned down. She would be lying if she said she wasn't surprised that it was actually made. He took her hand and led her to the bed. Once she was under the covers he went to turn off the light. He slid in behind her and pulled her close. With his arms around her waist and his head settled in the crook of her neck, Noah Puckerman drifted off into a peaceful sleep. Rachel Berry dozed off as the warmth of his body radiated against her skin.
Puck woke up to a weight on his chest. Looking down he smiled at the sight of Rachel lying across him with her head over his heart, her arm across his abdomen and her legs tangled with his. He watched her sleep, admiring how beautiful and angelic she looked in the morning light peaking through the curtains. He couldn't explain the warm feeling the view caused in his chest, but he didn't want it to ever go away.
Rachel awoke with a start when she felt her cheek pressing against someone else's skin. Raising her head she was greeted with the sight of Noah smiling lazily at her.
"Morning beautiful," he greeted.
"Morning," she murmured with a yawn while settling back into his chest. She started drifting off again thanks to his nimble fingers playing with the tendrils of her hair, resulting in a scalp massage, but the blaring ring of Puck's cell phone prevented her from achieving slumber.
Puck hit the ignore button without even looking at the phone. He was determined to keep the perfect feeling going and even toyed with the idea of asking Rachel to spend the day with him in his apartment tucked away from the rest of the world. It was the chorus of Defying Gravity coming from the living room that made him ask her.
As she went to leave the bed, he gently grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Don't."
She looked at him questioningly.
"Let's shut off our phones for the day, lock the doors, keep the blinds closed and spend the day hiding away from the world." He cupped her cheek with his rough palm.
Rachel removed his hand and kissed the spot where his palm met his wrist. "Why should we hide?"
"Because we have the opportunity to take the time to make up for what we lost thanks to my sheer stupidity of ignoring you. We can figure us out before we face the inquisition from Quinn, Finn and Kurt." He ticked off their mutual friends on his fingers.
Rachel gave him a pouty face. "But why stayed cooped up inside all day? We can go out and still avoid everyone."
"And may I ask what you would wear? I don't think that sexy little top you were sporting last night would be very appropriate for anywhere we may go." A hint of lust passed through his eyes as he remembered how great her cleavage looked.
"You've got clothes. I can improvise with my jeans and heels. Kurt has taught me well."
"Well you do give my clothes far more justice than I ever can." He tugged on the wife beater hanging loosely on her form. "It's quite the turn on actually." He placed a seductive kiss on her bare shoulder.
Rachel let out a soft whimper. "Noah."
"We're already in bed. How about you let me see what's underneath these, hmm?" His fingers drifted to her sides and began to creep beneath the tank top.
Rachel badly wanted to give into temptation but reluctantly chose not to. "Noah, no." She pushed his hands away.
He brought his hands up in mock defense. "It was worth a shot."
"Well, your chances may improve if you take me out for some breakfast." She batted her chocolate eyes at him playfully.
"Fine woman you win." Puck crawled out of bed. "Man you drive a hard bargain," he muttered as she started rummaging through his drawers for some clothes.
Rachel snuck up behind him and slipped her arms around his waist. She stood on tiptoes to kiss the family crest tattoo on his left shoulder.
"You change your mind?" Puck turned around in her arms with a smirk on his face.
"I'm just looking for my good morning kiss." She replied with an innocent smile.
"Then here's good morning," he kissed her waiting lips, "and good night." He kissed her again.
"Good night?" She pulled away a bit from his embrace.
"From yesterday, babe." He gave her a playful wink as he removed her arms from his waist. "Now I'm going to shower. You go through my clothes and find yourself something to wear." He left standing dumbfounded in the middle of his bedroom. Noah Puckerman a romantic? Who would have thought?