Set after "special education"...puckleberry friendship..

He watched her from the corner of his eyes as they danced and jumped all around the stage to the beats of "Dog days are over". She skipped and frolicked like nothing was wrong with the world, like her heart hadn't just be shattered to a million pieces by the tall boy a few steps away from her. If Puck had ever doubted that Rachel wasn't a good actress (not that he ever had), he would have been mocked by the smile that played across her face right now. So much for Mr. Schue's accusation of Rachel not being a good sport or being selfish.

When the performance ended and he watched most of the glee members drive or being driven out of the school gate, he made his way back to the auditorium. He knew she would be still there, since he hadn't seen her since their dance number.

As he opened the door, he saw the petite frame of the brunette sitting on the stage with her feet dangling off the edges. Thankfully, God was being kinder to him since she wasn't crying. He wondered how long she had, before her tear glands had run dry. But still the sight of her all defeated and mourning hit a strange, uncomfortable bundle of nerves in the pit of his stomach and for a moment or two he contemplated whether he should just turn on his heels and flee to the warmth and comfort of his truck. But hell...fleeing was for pussies and he certainly wasn't one. And those 24 hours in the port-a-potty had definitely in no way been a stain on his perfect manliness methods. If anything, they had actually spurred the indestructible Puckerman charm…and not to mention the renewed alliance with God himself.

So taking a deep breath, he started his way towards the stage. The sound of his feet walking towards her broke her from whatever reverie she was lost in. She lifted her head and let out a sigh when she saw who it was.

"Hey, what are you still doing here?" Puck asked, taking a seat next to her.

"I could ask you the same question", Rachel replied without looking at him.

"Yeah, sure you could. But I asked you first. Besides, shouldn't you be home so that you can go all crazy and work on your plans to beat Tommy Tune at the Tony's or something?"

Rachel looked up at that. And instead of the trademark Rachel Berry scowl followed by the influx of a thousand-word marathon, he was greeted by a ghost of a smile playing at her pink, soft lips.

"You remember that?" she asked, her eyes glinting with surprise.

"Pretty much", Puck replied, looking down. For some reason, he couldn't meet her eyes then. And he wasn't sure if it was because he was afraid of what she might see in his, or if he feared what he wouldn't see in hers.

The thing about Rachel...she made him feel strange things. And these feelings weren't just restricted to the lower half of his body (though more than often they tend to dominate there), but also some weird churnings in the pit of his stomach when he saw her sometimes (read : all the time), or that unexpected thudding of the drum somewhere in his chest (he refused to refer to it as the beating of his heart) that had escalated when she had tangled her arms in his last week, or right now when the sound was making it impossible to stop staring at her plump, dry lips and think of a sensible, bad-ass thing to say to her to break off the awkward silence that had fallen between them.

With all of the self-control that he could muster, Puck shut his eyes to try and focus on the right thing to do. Bending over and kissing her didn't seem the most feasible option, considering that she was in the condition that she was in right now, because of their last (totally hot like hell) liplock session. Which apparently reminded him of why he was sitting here with her in the first place.

"Listen, Rachel. I'm really sorry about Finn and you."

Okay. So that was a lie. He wasn't the littlest bit sorry about the break-up. In fact he was the opposite of it. Maybe a bit sorry about his part in it, or because he would never want to see her hurt and broken like that. His undeniable urge to protect her seem to be expanding by bounds these days. But she didn't need to know that.

"It's okay. It's not your fault; you know…at least not entirely." She lightly touched his hand with hers.

Its okay...he remembered those soft words leaving her lips as she had sat on his laps last year in the boys bathroom.

Its okay…somehow he couldn't help but wonder if that's when this, whatever this is, had all begun. The moment her chocolate brown eyes had forgiven him after all he had put her through, when he had looked into them to see a better version of him that he secretly hoped to be… for her…

Or maybe it had begun when they'd locked their eyes into each others, with matching smiles, as he had called her his "sweet caroline"…

Or maybe the first time she had called him Noah and he had let her, not only because he didn't want an hour-long lecture about his "unacceptable demeanor" to use his real name, but also because he had liked the sound of it coming from her lips in her sweet, gentle voice…

Shit. Scratch that. He can't be thinking of all such things. There's no way in hell the Puckster's gonna be feeling all these crappy feelings. Damn Rachel and double damn his weakness for all things Rachel Berry. He felt the urgent need to steer clear of all these thoughts.

As he shot back to the present, he realized her hand was still rested on his, which didn't particularly help with the clearing process. So he decided a change of topic might.

"So do you want a ride home?"

"That would be really nice of you, Noah." She replied with a smile, although it didn't quite reach her eyes.

So Puck took her hand in his and jumped off the stage and made his way towards the exit and into the hallway. While they walked through, he realized her hands were wound around his guns. He couldn't help but smirk.

"This is kinda becoming our trademark Puckleberry walk, eh?"

"Puckleberry? I was of the notion that you found it humiliating. In fact I'm positive you were the one to not-so-kindly point that out when I last mentioned it", Rachel said, an eyebrow raised at him.

"I didn't say it was any less now, but considering the fact that you absolutely love it, I will take it", he said with a wink. He was glad that Rachel was returning to her loud, annoying (read: cute, endearing) self.

"I do not absolutely love it, Noah." Rachel pouted at him.

And then added, quite matter-of-factly, "Okay. Maybe a little." She laughed a little laugh, subconsciously placing a strand of her hair behind her ear. And Puck couldn't help but wonder for the umpteenth time if she knew how hot (read: beautiful) she looked when she did that.

"I knew it, babes", Puck said with a smug smile on his face.

Rachel's laughter died down and she let out a sigh.

"Does this make me a bad person, Noah? To walk with a boy I cheated with on my boyfriend after we just broke up? I mean, the whole school seems to be hiding behind the bushes ready to attack me for the slightest mistake they seem to assume I made. Why am I the only one who gets yelled at and ridiculed when the rest of the glee club isn't exactly winning a Nobel for an act of selflessness either? Why does Finn call me mean and unfeeling when he did the same things to Quinn while they were dating? Why do I have to struggle more than everyone else to just make it through this school? Is it so unreal to dream of a future that I am sure awaits me? Is it a crime to want to be different? To want to be respected and appreciated for the reservoir of talent that I am? Or am I really such a terrible person? Tell me, Noah." Rachel's voice that had begun as a whisper had now reached a decibel that Puck was quite sure only dogs could hear.

As she finished her speech, Puck held a panting Rachel by her shoulders.

"Rachel, first of all, CALM DOWN! God…just breathe already ok?... I thought I might have to take you to emergency. And second of all, you aren't a terrible person. You are insane and crazy and focused and stubbornly talented and driven and different. But definitely not terrible. See, when I said I kinda like you, I meant it alright?"

"Really?"

"Yeah." And then she hugged him. The warmth of her body pressed against his did wondrous things to him. He stroked her hair as she stood there, leaning into him and he knew he was not the only one who liked it.

When they finally broke apart and continued their Puckleberry walk, he turned to her.

"And walking with me doesn't make you a bad person, Rachel. It just makes you incredibly attracted to me." He said with a smug.

"Noah!...", she gasped, before catching on his playful mood and punching him lightly on his arms."You know I must add that you are surprisingly good at this."

"I know. I'm absolutely amazing at pretty much everything. But what exactly are you referring to?"

"Being a friend."

As he watched a genuine smile spread across her face, the one that made her eyes sparkle like the star that she was, he knew there was no turning back now. And although he dreaded the idea of where this might lead, he put up his hands and surrendered.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

this is my first write-up ever. so pls review...thanx...