A/N: So I wrote a Puckleberry one-shot last night, thinking that that would be enough to rid me of my fic ideas, but apparently not. So here's a new story. I'm not sure how long it will be, as I'm terrible at multi-chapter fics, but we'll see where we end up. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Glee or any of it's characters. Also, I don't own any products, brands or songs mentioned in future chapters.

It had been five years since he'd seen Rachel Berry. But staring at her petite figure from the other side of the overcrowded tent, it felt like it had been only yesterday that heartbreaking tears had ran down her cheeks as she looked up at him with wide, chocolate brown eyes. He couldn't shake that image of her, as an eighteen year old fresh out of high school, hopeful, ambitious, and slightly crazy.

She looked different, and yet exactly the same. She had the same long, shiny brown hair that drove him crazy, and the long tanned legs which peeped out from underneath her red dress reminded him of lazy summer days spent by her pool. She moved her hands the same way as she used to, one gracefully out in front of her, trying to illustrate a point, as the other clutched a wine glass by its stem. But she smiled differently. It wasn't as radiant, as stunning, but small, graceful, just like the rest of her. Why did it feel to him, then, as though it didn't quite fit?

'Puck!'

Noah turned his head automatically at the sound of his high school nickname, grinning as Will Schuester bore down upon him. He smelled like Jack Daniels and cologne as he grabbed him in a quick one-armed hug.

Laughing ecstatically, Mr Schue let go of him and drew back to look at him fondly. 'I'm so glad you could make it.'

Noah shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of his former Glee Club, and Spanish, teacher. 'Actually it's just Noah now, Mr- Will.'

'Mr Will hey?' Will smirked. His green eyes were slightly glazed over and his bow tie hung haphazardly from his neck. 'Actually it's just Will now, Noah.'

He chuckled and shook his head. 'Sorry I didn't make it for the ceremony, I just couldn't get an earlier flight at the last minute and-'

'Don't be stupid! I'm just so glad to have all my Glee kids here for this day. It means so much to me that you all made the effort.' Will's eyes misted over and Noah prayed to the good lord that the man wasn't about to start crying.

'Well, look, I'm not going to keep you, you should get back over to your wife.' Noah smirked as he said the word, and the older man grinned and searched the crowd until they landed on the redhead in the very centre of the dance floor.

'Will do! I'll talk to you later though Noah, and thanks again!' He was swept away into the faceless crowd and Noah's hazel eyes were drawn back to the spot Rachel Berry last stood. She wasn't there anymore, and he fought the lurch of disappointment in his chest, dangerously close to his heart. It wasn't right to be having those sort of feeling about Rachel again, it wasn't. He hadn't seen some of these people in far too long and he was leaving at the end of this week to go back to Indianapolis. It was no use dwelling on might have been. If different decisions had been made, if he had been different.

Noah threw back that last of the bourbon in his glass and set it down on the table nearest him. This was a wedding damn it and he was going to have fun.

***

Yeah, so he was drunk. It was okay though, so was everyone else. He hadn't spotted that red dress or those legs in about an hour, and felt lighter than air. He and Finn were pulling out some old moves from Glee club, laughing at themselves and everyone around them. He hadn't spoken to Finn in months. Sure, they'd managed to keep in touch after he moved, and he'd come down to spend the occasional weekend with his Ma and sister, but after a while life started to interfere. It felt different now, but in many ways, exactly the same. Noah promised himself he'd make more of an effort in the future.

He'd spoken to Quinn Fabray once that night. It had been hard to do without his heart kind of hurting. She had gotten her figure back, and looked like the angel he remembered her as when they were 16, wearing a white dress and silvery stuff around her eyes. She was nervous, he could tell by the way she twisted her hands, but had this quiet elegance about her he had always admired. As she said goodbye, their eyes had connected, and Noah had known she was thinking about the same thing he was- their baby girl. Even now, after all this time, it comforted him to know that he wasn't the only one in the world who thought about his daughter, if she was safe, happy. Noah pulled Quinn into a hug, and it made him feel like he was 16 again and she was looking tiredly up at him from a hospital bed as he held her, this bundle of perfection. They parted with a smile, and Noah felt more at peace than he had in a long time.

Being here, in Lima, felt right. In felt good to be somewhere he knew like the back of his hand. Indianapolis still didn't feel like home, though he had lived there for two years. He did construction work mostly, but liked to play his guitar and sing at this bar just down the street from his apartment. Music made him feel like he was home, and sitting in the back of his truck strumming Sweet Caroline as a brunette smiled adoringly at him.

She was torturing him. He hadn't talked to Rachel Berry once that night, hadn't even locked his hazel eyes with her brown ones, and he could swear he could smell the perfume she used to wear every time he turned around, hear her laughter in his ears in time with the beat of the music.

This is ridiculous. Straighten up, dude.

Gesturing to Finn that he was going to get a drink, Noah made his way to the bar, hands in his pockets, head low. He felt like he couldn't breathe.

And then there she was. Standing next to him, telling the barman her order. He stared at her, dazed. She was even more beautiful up close. Although, he knew that. 'Rachel.' He managed to say throatily. She turned to him and time seemed to slow as he finally, finally got to stare into the depths of those eyes. Her long lashes fluttered and he saw the surprise register on her face, before it was replaced by a smile. One of those small, controlled ones. He didn't like it. But he had no right to argue. Rachel Berry was standing before him.

'Noah!' God he missed the way she said his name, back when she had been the only one to call him that, apart from his Ma. The 'o' was so soft and the 'ah' lasted just a fraction longer than usual. He used to love to hear his name coming from those lips, whether she whispered it into his ear or screamed it so everyone would know she was his.

He grinned at her, and couldn't resist, pulling her close to him. He breathed in the scent coming from her hair- it smelled different. Not like strawberries, but of vanilla.

He released her almost shakily- god it had felt so good to hold her. To know that she was real, that Rachel Berry existed in this world.

She seemed a little unnerved too. 'What a greeting.' She smiled up at him. She was still so small. 'It's been far too long, Noah.'

He just drank in the sight of her, wanting to touch her again. To feel her skin, so soft, so warm, against his own.

'Excuse me, sir?' Noah turned with irritation at the interruption, but it was just the bartender holding out a bottle of beer. He took it from him and waited as Rachel picked up her wine glass. The barman began to pack up shop for the night, now that everyone was sufficiently intoxicated. He gestured to the nearest table.

'Come sit with me, catch up.' He was surprised at how normal he sounded. This was the girl who had turned his whole life upside down. They had started dating Senior year, after all the baby drama had finally died down and Finn and Rachel had broken up for the second time. It had been the best year of his life. But, like most good things, it had come to an end.

'Of course!' She followed him, beaming, and smiled a little bit wider when he pulled out her chair for her. 'How chivalrous of you, Noah.'

He sat opposite her, gripping the neck of his bottle. The lights from overhead played shadows across her face and he shook his head, smiling.

'What? What is it?' Rachel was smiling too.

'Just, sitting here with you, it's...surreal.'

She nodded. 'I know what you mean. How have you been? I ran into your Mom a few months ago when I was visiting, she told me you'd been living in Indianapolis. Are you still there?'

'Yeah, yeah it's been good there. I have my own apartment, and I'm working pretty good hours. Construction, mostly. But I guess we all have to start somewhere.' He raked his gaze over her. Her red strapless dress gave him a perfect view of her slender neck and he remembered what it felt like to touch her there, feel her shiver underneath him...

'So what about you? I heard you've been living it up in New York. Been dazzling Broadway with your amazing talent, have you?'

Rachel's cheeks turned pink at his compliment. 'I've just been doing small plays, mostly. But like you said, you have to start somewhere.' She stopped talking and just looked at him, a small smile playing about her red lips.

Just the simple act of having her look at him like that made him hot all over. 'What?' his voice sounded huskier than usual.

'You're different, Noah. You've even got a full head of hair.' She giggled. 'Was the hawk not badass enough for you anymore?'

A grin made its way onto his face and he shook his head. 'The hawk will always be badass enough for me, but in the real world, I found out, people respect you a little less when your name is Puck and you have a stupid haircut.'

She looked surprised. 'Oh! So you're not going by Puck anymore? Wow.'

'You didn't think I was going to go by that for my whole life, did you?' Noah asked, furrowing his brow at the look on her face.

'Well, no, of course not, it's just...'

'Just?'

She shook her head quickly, tendrils of hair dancing around her face. 'It's nothing, don't worry.'

'No, come on I want to know!' He leaned towards her. 'You've caught my interest now.'

She bit her lip and his gaze was immediately drawn to the spot. Those lips... 'I don't know. I just used to like the idea that I was the only one who called you that.' She said softly.

His breath caught in his throat. He gazed at her, and she met that gaze head on. 'I guess I just don't like the world sharing our little secret.'

The world was still for a moment, but he shrugged it off and grinned. 'My name was such a big secret? I really was a badass.'

She giggled, and he noticed her smile grew even wider this time. She glanced around the room, surprise masking that smile. He looked around too. The tent was almost empty. When had that happened? He smiled at the figures of Will and Emma, wrapped up in each other, still swaying on the dance floor. Finn, Mike and Matt, drunk off their asses, danced in a corner with grins on their faces. Noah snorted, shaking his head.

He looked back at over the girl sitting across from him, who was staring at the newlyweds, and an idea popped into his head.

'How are your dancing skills?'

'What do you mean, Noah? My dancing is more than adequ- Oh that's not happening.' A look of realisation dawned on her face mid-sentence and he chuckled. He stood up and walked around the table to her.

She shook her head rapidly. 'I really don't want to, I should probably be getting back anyway-'

He smirked and took her hand with his. Regardless of her protests, she followed.

'Noah, really.'

'Come on Berry, for old times' sake?'

He had her there. He held one of her hands to his chest with his, curling the other around her tiny waist, and began to sway. The song that was playing was soft and slow and he sighed as Rachel leaned into him. He could feel her heart beat against him. It was faster than it should be. Was he the one making her heart beat faster?

His own heart was thumping loudly in his ears, and he could feel the heat of her skin through her dress on his fingertips.

It had been five years. Five very long years since he had broken this girl's heart. She was even more beautiful now then she had been then.

Rachel took a deep, shuddering breath against him, and looked up. They were so close. A strand of hair fell from her bun and he reached out to tuck it behind her ear, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

She gaped up at him and removed her hand from his chest gently. 'I've got to go now, Noah.' She whispered, and turned on her heel.

He gazed after her, barely even registering the trio of Finn, Mike and Matt singing 'I Will Always Love You' as the the only girl he'd ever loved walked away.

He could still fee her warmth, and felt something give inside him. Noah Puckerman could finally breathe again.

A/N: Hope you guys liked this :) Reviews are always welcome.