Just a short one-shot that's been on my computer for ages. I was sorting through things and came across it.
Review, please.
Rachel Berry was a Broadway star. As in she'd been Elphaba in Wicked, Maria in West Side Story, Mary in Mary Poppins (it wasn't her favorite, but it had been her first starring Broadway role) and Eponine in Les Mis. There was no denying that she was a star.
But she knew for a fact that she wouldn't be there without him. The man who was currently sitting on the couch in her dressing room smirking at her in the mirror. She knew that without him she'd still probably in some off-off-Broadway production where she was in the Chorus. She would not have got this far.
Dreams only went so far. The sixteen year old inside of her had the huge dreams of Broadway, of fame, of everyone knowing her name, of falling in love with someone. She had not expected that someone to be Noah Puckerman before they even left Lima. It was though. It was Noah, it was always Noah. Without him her dreams would've been just that, dreams. Now they were reality.
She'd gone to Julliard, he had gone to NYU and after their first year living on campus they decided to get an apartment together. It hadn't been much, a studio apartment, their living conditions were cramped but they didn't care. They were never there a lot anyway.
Julliard had been amazing. Four years of her life she'd never forget. In fact, since high school, she didn't think she'd be able to forget any of it. Noah's constant presence in her life since the slushies had started. High school had so many memories she wanted to remember and her college years had been so much better. Living with her boyfriend who was studying to work in music production. It was perfect.
That was until her first five auditions. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She had never been criticised so much in her life. She had gone home on many occasions, tears threatening to spill all the way home. The moment she walked through her apartment door, she would. She'd cry and when his arms wrapped around her and held her close it still took so long to stop the tears falling. As soothing as being in his arms was. A sincere as his words were.
It had been after the third audition that he told her he loved her for the first time. She had said it to him so many times and his response had been 'Me too, babe.' He never said them until that moment. She had looked up at him, surprised by his words and he had just smiled and her, kissed her softly and mumbled them against her lips. She could still remember it clearly and as she looked at him through the mirror of her dresser, she smiled at him. "I love you." She whispered but loud enough for him to hear.
"I know, babe. I love you too."
The butterflies never stopped, never. They were always there when he was around. She was always going to want that feeling there, she knew it.
When he had kissed her after she got her first ever role, she had never wanted it to end. She was crying again, this time though, it was happy tears. The part wasn't much and it wasn't on Broadway, but it was a start. Not the lead role either, but right then, she would've taken the chorus. The show ran for eight months before their director decided it wasn't working and he'd had an offer to work on something else. Something off-Broadway rather than off-off-Broadway. She had been the only one he approached, saying their lead would be going on maternity leave shortly after he started and if she wanted it, the role was hers. True Rachel Berry style, she jumped at the opportunity.
She hadn't even waited to get home before telling her boyfriend. She'd called his cell and a mumbled 'hello' was a clear sign he'd been sleeping. Muttering her apologies she began to ramble (again, true Rachel Berry style) about her day. It wasn't until her boyfriend told her to shut up and get to the point that she realised she'd been talking for ten minutes and not actually told him. She was shaking when she did tell him though. She was getting closer to her dream and if he hadn't remained by her side, she wouldn't even be that close.
They'd celebrated that night. Well, with take-out, two beers and some amazing sex. She knew he was good in bed, but he seemed to take it to a whole new level that night. If this was how he got when she got a role off-Broadway, what would he be like if she landed herself a role on Broadway. (She'd later find out that he refused to let her stop celebrating until the sun was coming up. And the sex? Mind-blowing.)
Her role in that production took up more of her time that being alone with her boyfriend seemed non-exsistent. With his new job for Sony Music, she barely saw him. It was two weeks before her birthday and her director told her that she was having her birthday weekend off and she didn't get a say in the matter. Of course, she didn't argue. It meant time with Noah.
She found out that he had been the one to contact her director and ask for him to tell her to take the weekend off. Apparently it hadn't been that difficult to convince the guy, because he agreed she should take a bit of time off.
That weekend was definitely one she'd never forget. Her Fathers came down to New York, they'd gone out to dinner and then the four went to see Wicked and Noah held her hand, giving it a squeeze every so often. She knew he was telling her that one day she'd be on that stage, dressed as Elphaba. Who knew that he was right? Her and Noah had spent the Saturday together, they had plans with her Fathers in the evening, but he wanted the day alone with her. And as cliché as it was, he proposed in Central Park. He'd got a picnic together and they were just laying there beside one another after eating, their hands laced together as he rolled onto his side and asked her to marry him.
"Marry me?" He said softly, his eyes not leaving the brunette beside him.
"What?"
Rolling his eyes, Noah chuckled and leant over to kiss her softly. "Rachel Berry, will you marry me?"
"You're serious?" She whispered as she rolled onto her side so they were facing one another. When he nodded his head, she leant in and pressed her lips lightly against his. "Noah Puckerman, I'd be honored. But you know this means you're stuck with me for the rest of your life? Crazy and everything."
Laughing, Noah nodded his head and kissed her nose before sitting up and looking in the picnic basket, pulling out a small box from the bottom and opening it. "I wouldn't want it any other way. I wanna be by your side when you get on Broadway, because you will. I wanna have your crazy kids and grow old with you."
She watched him as he took out the white gold ring and slipped it onto her finger.
The smile hadn't left her face for the rest of the day. Turns out engagement sex is just as amazing as make-up sex.
Of course, her Father's had known all about it. Noah had asked their permission and apparently they'd actually laughed when he done it. They weren't sure why he was asking because they couldn't picture her with anyone else. Honestly, neither could she.
