AN: So I've had this story idea for a while because I absolutely love this song. It's 'Miss Me' by Joe Purdy and if you've never heard it I suggest you listen to it because it's amazing. Thanks for reading and please review! I love that you all read but reviews are amazing and make my crappy work filled days so much better. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or this song.
She had been seven years old when her favourite movie star had come into town. After begging her father's for almost a week to drive her into the local mall she had walked nervously up to get her autograph after waiting nearly half an hour in line. Rachel remembers being so nervous yet excited as she approached with her favourite poster of the actress she had carefully pulled from her magazine taking care as to not rip it even the slightest.
"My name is Rachel Barbara Berry and I am going to be just like you when I'm older." She stated in her best stage voice with her talent show winning smile.
"Well darling this town isn't where it's at; you need to head East to New York or West to L.A." The movie star stated with an air of superiority around her as she scrawled her autograph on Rachel's prized poster without a second thought or glance in the young girls direction. From that moment on Rachel knew the New York was where she needed to go and every day dream was filled with the skyscrapers of Manhattan.
Do you miss me?
Rachel Berry and Noah Puckerman had been unwilling participants in forced play dates since Rachel and her fathers had moved to Lima the same year she had met her idol. The Jewish community was small so it was virtually a given that the two young children would be forced together. When they first started playing, well for the first 5 years they knew each other they actually had an amazing friendship.
Summers were spent usually at the Berry household not only because they had a bigger backyard but also because it gave Noah a break from his baby sister and his tension filled house. More often than not the pair would get into all kinds of mischief and trouble which was usually instigated by Rachel instead of young Noah who was captivated by everything about his friend.
Days were spent simply laying in the grass in the backyard staring at the sky and telling stories and dreaming about what the future was to hold. Well Rachel was dreaming of what the future would hold, she was going to make it out of this town and she was going to be a star. For Noah he just liked listening to his friend telling stories of a great city that he'd only seen in movies, imagining living in a city where King Kong could climb to the top of a high building to swipe at planes blew his mind.
When the hum of the insects indicated the evening was approaching Noah would lead her into the bushes to hunt fireflies with the hope of filling his small jar his Mom had handed him for his grand adventure. Happy with the number they, he had collected because although she was always up for trouble Rachel was still a girl and refused to touch anything like an insect he happily handed the sealed jar to her.
"I know you like stars Rach and I don't know how to get you one of those but if all of these start glowing it will be like you've got your own star in this jar." Young Noah Puckerman said with the sincerity that only a young child could say. He was rewarded with a Rachel Berry smile which was about the nicest smile he knew.
"I'm am going to be a star you know. I'm going to live in a big house in New York and everyone is going to know my name."
"Are we still going to be friends Rach?"
"The best." The small girl replied with a gap tooth grin happily staring at the clouds dreaming of bigger and better things.
Do you miss me?
When the pair hit thirteen everything changed. Mr Puckerman walked out on the family, leaving behind an impressionable young boy. Rachel had tried to be there for her best friend but Noah had withdrawn from her and when he saw a picture of his father's favourite musician sporting a Mohawk the impressionable boy still so confused, angry and upset about his father leaving had an inspired thought that if he got that haircut his father would love him again and come back to them.
He excelled in sports which meant instantaneous popularity whereas Rachel Berry was set on becoming the star she knew she could be and spent every free moment in music and dance classes. There was no animosity between the pair at first, just simple extra curriculum classes and different social circles that was until the captain of the football team placed a grape flavoured slushie in Noah's hand. In a moment he came to regret for so many reasons the thought of Rachel Berry – the loud, musically talent and sometimes obnoxious geek having two fathers after his own had walked out on him sent the grape slushie flying into her face dripping down to cover what he knew was her favourite sweater with a tartan dog in the centre.
From that day on there was no more Noah, there was only Puck.
Do you miss me?
At fifteen the pair were once again thrust into each other's lives when Puck joined Glee club. Rachel of course was the Glee clubs star – which she made sure to tell everyone and anyone that gave her even a second to talk. Puck had successfully made Rachel's school days a nightmare using all the knowledge he had from their friendship to taunt and tease here mixed in with what at one point became a daily slushie facial. Everything was a mess, a class mate was pregnant and Rachel was in love with the child's father and Puck – well he knew the full story.
Of course to complicated things even more he and Rachel had a brief albeit passionate week of dating where he once again was privileged enough to be in Rachel's life. He'd realised just how much he had missed her in his life. Sitting in her yellow room, which had been that colour since they'd turned ten and she'd decided that although she loved pink it was time to pick a slightly more 'grown up' colour so he had been dragged along with daddies Berry to the hardware store to pick out a more mature room colour for a young star - yellow being close to the colour of a star. When he had asked her one time in their youth why she insisted on putting stars anywhere she could she'd smiled at him and put on her knowledgeable voice she reserved for lectures and when she knew she had information he didn't have to tell him why.
"My gold stars a metaphor for me, being a star."
He'd nodded at the time accepting this but as soon as he had gotten home he had hassled his Mom into explaining what a "mettafour" was.
Their week long relationship brought them back together briefly, she'd gotten a glimpse at the man Noah had become and he finally took a moment to appreciated the beautiful young woman she'd become. He didn't go back to throwing slushees at her but they didn't go back to the friendship they'd had. They just existed.
Do you miss me?
She'd dated his best friend Finn and it had annoyed him more than he had let on. She was his, he had claim to Rachel Berry and all her dreams of bigger and better things. They were seniors now and the golden couple had broken up after a tumultuous year and a half of dating which had driven Puck to the brink of insanity having to watch them together then watch them fight and break up and then get back together. He wasn't sure when it had happened but somewhere in amongst being forced to spend time together as a 'you're dating my best friend' duty he found himself enjoying the friendship again. It was more than a friendship though, it always had been.
When Rachel and Finn had finally ended their relationship Puck – Noah had been there to be a comforting shoulder to her and somewhere in amongst a many a night filled with relaxing blue grass tunes they'd found their way back to the playful friendship they'd had years before. He'd offered to take her to the Fall fair and although he'd blamed it on the crowds filling the Lima fields Noah had held her smaller hand in his the whole night and listened as she told him with wide eyes of her visit to New York in the summer with her father's to inspect the college she was set to attend in the following year.
"Fuck Rach, you really do have it all planned out." He'd responded unable to explain the feeling that filled the pit of his stomach at the thought of her leaving and the friendship they'd finally rebuilt was set to be torn apart again.
"I think my dad's think I'm going to pack up my belongings and leave now. I just can't wait to finally get out of this town and move onto bigger and better things Noah." Unable to respond and not knowing what had become of his voice he'd simply nodded and plastered what he hoped was a reassuring grin on his face. The familiar strains of a blue grass song filled the night's air and the pairs eyes met as matching grins made their way to their faces.
"C'mon, let's fucking dance Rach." Noah had stated tugging her through the crowds to the makeshift dance floor and pulled her tightly against him. A minute into their dance the sky had opened up above them and the sheets of rain had them soaked in seconds. Undeterred the pair danced until the last strains of the banjo filled the nights air.
Noah had kissed her that night. He had walked her to her door both of them sopping wet and he'd looked down at her to say good night and seen the way the porch light illuminated her and he'd been unable to stop himself from lowering his lips to hers and capturing them in a searing kiss.
From then on the couple had been inseparable spending every moment together even though they both knew their relationship had an expiry date.
Do you miss me?
The last time Noah Puckerman had seen Rachel Berry he had been standing on the street outside her family home waving to her as she had sat in the back seat of her the family car with tears streaking down her face. If anyone dared ask him if he had cried he hadn't it was just a really windy day that day and some dust had blown straight into his eyes. They'd both known there would only be so long they would be together before her drive and search for stardom would send her further East and on to bigger and better things.
It wasn't as if he was going to be far from her, he'd accepted a partial scholarship to a school in Philadelphia and although that was so much closer than Ohio to New York it had been a mutual agreement that things needed to end.
Sitting at the desk at his office in his very own office he couldn't help but re read the email that his mother had sent him. She was still the nosey old Jewish bat she'd always been, constantly keeping him up to date on the events – if they could be called that in Lima and although they usually amused him this one failed to do that.
'Apparently Rachel Berry has a new man, some big city businessman and it's serious. I ran into her father's at the grocery store and they were flying out to meet him. They seem to think she's trying to hide Lima from him because she insisted they visit.'
Of course she had found someone, she deserved someone. Having finally broken onto Broadway the year before something which he was ridiculously proud of her for she'd amazed critics and the general public alike. He'd known she would and he was thankful she'd not gone ahead with what she had brought up many, many years ago as they'd camped out under the stars and hadn't changed her name. Noah had gone home on every holiday for the first year in the hope that Rachel too would make her way home. She hadn't.
The only time he had heard of her returning was for her daddy's sixtieth birthday and even then it had only been for a very short overnight trip. Of course they had emailed but those too tapered off after only a few months away at school. Work, school, performing and life had simply gotten in the way. The email was open before him taunting him with his mother's words. It was as if he'd kind of always hoped that they'd once again find their way back to each other like they'd done so before. Finally hitting the 'x' in the corner of the screen he closed out of the email that had shattered his day before shutting down his computer. Looking out into the office space of the sports agency he worked for he couldn't help but smile, he'd made it out of that crappy town and he'd made something of himself. Sure he had a daughter that he'd never met that he'd fathered at an age far too young but he was out of Lima and he hadn't lived up the Lima stereotype of a Lima loser. She hadn't either, his Rachel Berry had grabbed the stars he'd been unable to reach for her– he'd just offered her a jar of bugs that had glowed at night.
Do you miss me?
Months later Rachel Berry found herself boarding a plane. Her current show had just finished it's run and even though she would much rather jump straight into rehearsals for a new play, go to London, stay in New York or simply anything else her father's had begged and pleaded that she return to the place that for the most part she had managed to avoid since she had escaped eight years previous. There was nothing for her there. Then again there wasn't anything for her in New York right now either. Being the naive girl from a small town she'd not thought that Wall Street type men would really be as cliché as the movies and TV shows had made them out to be. When she had walked in to her fiancé naked snorting cocaine off his secretaries equally naked body she realised she should have put more faith in their portrayal. Willing herself to not shed anymore tears on the man who was not worth anymore of her precious time she took her seat and pulled her black with gold stars emblazoned upon it eye mask and put it on in the hopes of sleeping through the short flight and putting a stop to excessive analysis on the failure of her relationship. Strangely the only thoughts that filled her head were of a boy she'd not seen since she'd left. His loving hazel eyes were the last thing she thought of before slipping into a peaceful sleep.
Do you miss me?
"Puck, you need to take a holiday. You basically sleep in the office at the moment and you've not taken a holiday in over a year. If you don't say yes I'm going to have the locks changed and not give you access until you've taken some time off." His boss filled his doorway and spoke to him in a jovial tone but one that Puck knew from experience meant no arguments.
"If you're sure Sir, I mean I'd really rather not but if you're going to have to go to the trouble of calling a locksmith I should really take the time off you suggest." His boss let out a deep belly laugh smiling at the younger man.
"You're a great employee Puck. Really great, but you need to take some time out. I'll see you back here in two weeks – take longer if you want. Go out and find yourself a nice lady, you're a young good looking guy and you need someone to keep you from sleeping in this office!" After speaking his mind the large man turned abruptly and left Puck to his thoughts. He really didn't want to go anywhere and with all his friends being stuck at work there really wasn't anything for him to do in Philly. Releasing an audible sigh when his mother's voice flooded his brain harassing him to come home for a visit because he hadn't been home in over a year he knew what he needed to do. Fucking Jewish guilt.
Do you miss me?
The first few days that she was home she didn't leave the house. Indulging in lazy behaviour she absolutely abhorred she slept in late and watched movies all day before having a nice dinner with her father's of an evening. She hadn't realised just how much she had been running herself around, barely taking a break between schooling, college and performing.
Noah had done much the same however he had taken the time to catch up with Finn Hudson and his very pregnant wife Quinn. He'd helped his mother fix up small problems around the home which kicked his Jewish guilt into overdrive about how long it really had been since he'd been home.
After being home for four days he'd decided he really should venture out and although he knew there was nothing he really wanted to see in town the pull of a nice strong coffee from his favourite coffee shop in town was as much motivation as he needed. He hadn't been in his seat long checking his emails from his BlackBerry when a familiar voice drew his attention. Looking to the counter he realised that no matter how many years had gone by he'd always recognise that voice and that body. That body that seemed to have gotten even better looking and still did things to he knew would get him arrested for public indecency if he were to ever act on them. His table, closest to the pickup counter afforded him a view as she marched towards it trying to put her change away still unaware of his open appreciation of just how good she looked.
"Well, well what's the Broadway star Rachel Berry doing in a town like this?" He finally asked unable to keep to himself much longer. The shocked expression that over took her face as she looked up and met his eyes before a full fledged smile over took it was enough to make his heart race.
"NOAH!" The high pitch squeal caused the other patrons to look up but he couldn't bring himself to care as he managed to rise from his chair before she all but launched her small frame into his arms.
Do you miss me?
The next few days were spent catching up. There were years that had passed them and there was time that needed to be made up. When she'd seen that the fair was on she'd all but dragged him to it, though he'd deny it if anyone asked he wanted nothing more to go with her like that had in their younger more innocent years. After they'd spent far too much on food, rides and games the pair found themselves sprawled on the grass near the old oak tree they'd carved their names into years gone by in the backyard of her family home staring at the stars.
"You really did become a star Rach." He'd murmured as he rolled himself on his side so he could see her face in the moonlight. Unable to resist she pulled him down by his neck to meet her in a kiss that filled them both with warmth.
"Do you miss me?" She asked in a voice so soft he could barely hear. Shaking his head as he lent so there was only a small gap between their lips he finally responded,
"Not anymore."