Knight in shining whatever
Noah Puckerman was pissed. And not in a "someone turned me down" way (which only happened twice, 'cause no one could really turn him down), not even in a "I failed a test and now my mom is gonna give me shit about it" way. No, this time he was royally pissed. All the students of McKinley High had learnt how to recognize it because it normally involved being slushied in the face or thrown at some dumpster.
And the reason of his anger? It absolutely weren't Rachel and Finn talking just a few lockers away from him but ignoring him completely, because he and Berry were just friends (and he didn't want anything else, thank you very much). If Rachel wanted to get back with his stupid best friend it was her choice. Who cared that he treated her like crap? Who cared that they had broken up a hundred times already and probably will break up again? Certainly not Puck.
So instead of going there and punching Finn in the face (just defending his friend), Puck turned around and went to his first class (and yes, now he was actually going to classes, and it had nothing to do with some brunette with big brown eyes and her "you can have a future if you work hard for it" speech, ok?)
/·/
"So, will you help me?"
"Rach, don't you think this is a little weird even for us? You're asking your ex-boyfriend for romantic advice." Finn replied slowly.
"I understand your concern, Finn. But you and I are still friends, right? And you are Noah's best friend, right? So, who could tell me what he likes better than you? Remember that I helped you with that cheerleader…"
"Ok" If there's one thing that Finn had learned in all the times (and there had been a lot of them) that he had dated Rachel, it was that her speeches went on for hours if she wasn't interrupted so he agreed 'cause she was Rachel and she was gonna get whatever she wanted anyway. "What do you want me to do exactly?"
/·/
"Hey"
Puck looked up from his guitar to see Finn standing awkwardly in front of him.
"What's up, man?" Puck said trying to be as nice as possible (it wasn't like he was jealous of him or anything, anyway)
"Nothing much" Finn sat down beside him in the choir room "How's everything? Are you still dating Lauren?"
"Eh… no" They had broken up a while ago, but were still friends and even Finn had to know that. (Of course Lauren thought that Berry was the reason of their break up but she couldn't be more wrong)
"So, you're seeing anyone?" Puck shook his head without looking at him "Are you interested in anyone?"
"What's this grilling for, Hudson?"
Finn scratched the nape of his neck nervously, if Puck realized what he was doing and for who, Rachel was going to kill him. Of course that was if Puck himself didn't kill him first for trying to manipulate him.
"Well, you know…" Puck was still looking at him suspiciously, and Finn couldn't think of any convincing reason for this sudden interest in his friend's love life "Just curious"
Finn looked quickly at his left and Puck noticed for the first time that Rachel seemed very interested in their conversation, when she saw that Puck was looking at her she blushed guiltily and averted her gaze.
Puck clenched his jaw, did Berry think that because she was happy and fucking in love everyone had to be the same? Why did she care if he was with someone or not? And why had she sent her stupid boyfriend to do the dirty work?
After the rehearsal was over he didn't even wait for her (they had developed the habit of walking together to their cars and talk about their day, shut up), he stormed out of the class and was already in the parking lot before she had time to react.
/·/
Since apparently Puck's bad luck was never ending, that Friday Santana decided that she was going to throw a huge party. The last thing he wanted to do was go to a party (and no, he didn't want to spend his Friday night watching Berry's videos online, in case you were wondering) but Puck knew that it was kind of an obligatory thing, with him being Lima's resident badass and all.
So, when he showed up at Santana's (way past midnight 'cause he wasn't one of those pathetic people who arrived at the beginning of the party) and saw Rachel and Finn whispering together in a corner, he didn't even blink, he just grabbed a beer and looked for some dumb (and blonde) cheerio who could cheer him up.
/·/
"What is wrong with him tonight?" Rachel asked to Finn for the fourth time. Puck hadn't even acknowledged their presence; instead he was talking to a bunch of cheerios. She had tried to talk to him twice and he hadn't so much of looked at her. Rachel was starting to think that all (the stares, the long talks, the touching) was in her head, didn't Noah want to be with her? "Doesn't Noah want to be with me?"
"Sure" Finn said, but he averted his gaze. Rachel looked at him suspiciously.
"Finn Hudson, didn't you asked him this morning if he had feelings for me?"
"Not exactly" Finn had the decency to look guilty "He didn't really tell me anything"
"What?" Rachel screamed so loud that, despite of the music, a few heads turned in their direction "Finn" she lowered her voice and he had to strain his ears to hear her "you told me that he liked me, that's why I came here in the first place"
"I tried, ok? Did you think that he was just gonna start talking to me about his feelings?"
Rachel didn't say anything because yes, she thought that he was gonna just talk about his feelings, wasn't that what friends did? (not that she knew anything about that because her closest friend was Kurt and she couldn't really tell him anything, at least if she didn't want the rest of the school to find out).
"I think I'm going to leave" she still could record some song and put it online, that way the night wouldn't have been completely useless. She tried not to think about the pang she felt on her chest at the thought of leaving Noah there with all the cheerleaders.
Finn walked her to the door without trying to convince her to stay (both of them knew that this wasn't really her scene and she will be better somewhere else).
"You're leaving already?"
Rachel felt her stomach twitch at the sound of his voice. She turned around and there he was, looking at her with those hazel eyes like he had the right to. Finn looked at both of them like he would rather be anywhere else but there.
"Yes, I'm not feeling well" She lied "Not that you would care about it or anything"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Puck knew that he had behaved like a jackass all night but she had Hudson, it wasn't like she wanted to spend the night with him or anything. And he had been ready to ignore her all night but when he saw them leave together so early (he tried not to think about what they were probably going to do, for his mental sanity) he just couldn't help it, even though he knew that it was a bad idea, he followed them outside.
"Nothing, it's just that you haven't been in your best behavior this night" Rachel sniffed and willed herself not to cry, at least not yet "It's ok. See you on Monday" She started to walk to her car. It had been all in her head, after all.
"Wait, Berry!" he pulled her arm but she didn't turn around "Dammit, Rachel!"
She stopped in her tracks; he almost never called her by her full name, it was how she knew when he was being serious.
"I'm sorry, ok?" that made her turn around; it was the first time that she heard him apologize ever "I know I've been kind of a jerk"
"Well, why?" she wasn't going to make it easier for him "Why have you behaved like that?"
Puck stayed silent. How was he supposed to explain that he hated the idea of seeing her with Finn? That he wanted to throw up and then punch his friend in the guts and then throw up again every time he saw them together?
"I see…" disappointed, Rachel started to walk to her car again. She tried to convince herself that it wasn't a big deal, she wasn't expecting a big and emotional speech anyway.
"I was jealous, ok? Of you and Hudson. And I know that I'm and idiot to even think that you would choose me over him, but whatever" he said trying to hide his nervousness "That's why"
"What…?" Maybe he could comfort himself thinking that he had left Rachel Berry speechless (yeah, not so much) "Why would you be jealous of Finn?"
Puck looked at her like she was mentally challenged or just really really stupid "'Cause you're dating him"
"I am most certainly not" she turned to Finn who thought that they had forgot about him (and by the look of Puck's face he had) "Did you tell Noah that we are dating?"
He shook his head vehemently "I swear I didn't, Rach!"
"I saw you two together and I figured it out" Puck answered at the questioning look of Rachel's face "It's ok, Berry, you don't have to lie. I get it"
Then Rachel did something that left the two buys stunned: she threw herself at Puck and kissed him. Then, before he had time to react (and he definitely wanted to react), she pulled away and burst out laughing. He frowned, was that her idea of a joke?
"I'm sorry" she said wiping the tears of her face "It's just that… this is so ridiculous! I was trying to get your attention all night and you thought I was dating Finn again. Finn of all people! Why would you think that?
"Hey!" Finn replied half-heartedly.
"Well, isn't Hudson like your knight in shining whatever?"
"You should know better than anyone that he is definitely not"
"Hey!" Finn complained again, but was ignored by both of them, too busy looking at each other. He decided that they needed their privacy and it was best (for everyone's sakes) for him to leave. Not that they would notice that he was gone anyway.
"So" Puck wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him "What does this mean, Berry?"
"I don't know, what do you want it to mean?" She raised her eyebrows "I mean, I've already made a move on you, I think it's time that you take a little the initiative here, Noah. Be a man and everything"
"Fair enough" Puck picked her up bridal style and she squealed, grabbing him by his shoulders.
"What are you doing?"
"Sweeping you off your feet" he answered taking her to his car "I am, after all, your knight in shining whatever"
"And I wouldn't have it any other way"