Title: Waking Up in Vegas
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Set 5 years after "Take My Hand." Lauren just wanted to get away for a weekend and clear her head, but a twist of fate leads to a bit of a shock when she wakes up.
Notes: Written for Pizes Week. Ha! You thought I'd just leave you like that! I'm not that awful, guys. I strongly recommend reading "Take My Hand" before this so some it's in context, but if you're too lazy for that I suppose it isn't necessary ;P
Lauren wasn't sure what woke her up first-the sunlight streaming through the window, the snoring of the person laying next to her, or the growling stomach. She was definitely awake now though, but surprisingly not in full hangover mode. She must have had the sense to down a few Advil and some water before she passed out.
The previous night was a blur of drinking and gambling and dancing and forgetting about Adam. She had no idea when she'd split from the girls, where she'd ended up, or with whom. (Hey... when in Rome, right?) Sitting up, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes slowly. She looked around and furrowed her brow in confusion. This wasn't her room. Based on the decor it probably wasn't even the Luxor. She sighed and finally looked down to see who was laying next to her. All she saw was an arm and a leg sprawled out from underneath the big blanket. "Hey," she said softly, nudging the body.
There was a groan and the body rolled over. "Whussat?" mumbled a man's voice. Okay, so far, Lauren's sexuality seemed to be in tact, that much seemed true. She nudged him again and he lifted the pillow off his face. "Babe... it's too early for this shit," he grumbled.
When Lauren heard his voice, then got a glimpse of his face and the strip of hair on his head, she gasped. "Puck?" she exclaimed. The man looked up at her and smirked, and she knew it was him. Noah Puckerman.
"You don't remember last night, do you," he said. Lauren glared at him and he chuckled, looking her over. "It'll come back to ya," he said.
He rolled out of bed, naked as the day he was born and Lauren groaned. She lifted the sheet and sure enough she was without clothes as well. "Did we...?"
Puck chuckled. "Oh yeah," he said smugly. "I'm hurt, Lo. I'd think that even after five years you'd remember a night with the Puckzilla."
Lauren rolled her eyes. "You really still call yourself that?" she asked, slightly amused. When Puck's back was turned, she reached over the side of the bed to grab her underwear and a t-shirt she was assuming was his. She pulled both on then slowly got out of bed. "I'm gonna... hop in the shower," she said awkwardly. Puck opened his mouth to say something and Lauren tossed a pillow at him. "No, I don't need your help, or whatever smartass comment you were gonna make," she said.
"You haven't changed a bit," Puck commented with a wink. "But whatever. You uh... enjoy your shower. Then we can go grab some coffee and sort out last night."
Lauren gave a curt nod then continued into the bathroom. She turned the shower on then stripped, turning to the mirror to do her usual post-Vegas rundown, all the while trying to ignore the urge to think about the man in the other room. She was pretty satisfied with what she observed; no stitches, no new tattoos, minimal bruising and what she could only assume were lovebites from the previous night with Puck. As she smoothed her hands over her body though, something caught her eye. She glanced down and gasped. "PUCKERMAN!" she shouted, wrapping a towel around herself and storming from the bathroom.
Puck whipped around, pulling his shorts up and holding a t-shirt. "Babe, calm down," he said, hands held up in surrender.
Lauren held up her left hand. "What. The. FUCK. Is. This?" she asked, sticking her ring finger out. There, perched right on her finger, sat a McKinley High 2012 class ring.
Puck just chuckled. "Told ya it'd come back."
"I don't remember jack shit!" Lauren replied. "Now why is your fucking ring on my finger?" Puck counted down from five on his fingers and Lauren glared at him until it dawned on her. "No. No! Nononono! We did not get married!"
Puck chuckled. "Well I would assume so," he said. "Based on the ring being on your finger and the marriage certificate sitting on the dresser signed by Reverend Albert "The King" Presley and witnesses named Regina Phalange and..." he picked up the sheet of paper and smirked, "Princess Consuela Bananahammock, we got good and married last night."
Lauren was fuming. "If I was black-out drunk, why would you let me do it, you ass?" she asked.
"Hey now," Puck said defensively. "I didn't even remember until I saw the ring on you this morning. I just looked at the damn certificate when you were in the bathroom."
Lauren sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I cannot fucking deal with this right now," she said. "I'm gonna take my shower then I have to figure out what happened last night." Puck nodded and Lauren went back into the bathroom. She showered and dressed in her clothes from the night before, then went out to the room. She looked around and didn't see Puck anywhere, so she decided to poke around a bit. All she could gather was that she was at Treasure Island, which was at the opposite end of the strip from her hotel. She sighed and sat on the foot of the bed. How could this have happened? She hadn't seen Puck since their high school graduation five years ago and the night afterwards... Then they hadn't said so much as two words to each other. A "like" or comment on Facebook every now and then was as much contact as they'd had. Yes it was Lauren's fault, but still. This was not where she wanted to be right now.
She was pulled from her thoughts as Puck came back into the room, putting his phone in back in his pocket. "That was my lawyer," he said. "Unfortunately since we erm... consummated the marriage... we can't get an annulment. But since it's not like there's anything that needs to be dealt with in terms of spousal support or anything, a divorce should be simple. Just a couple of signatures on a couple of lines." He smiled briefly, a small smile that didn't quite fit.
Lauren just nodded, the room filling with an awkward silence. "Right. Well how 'bout that coffee?" she suggested. She stood and they walked from the room, down to The Coffee Shop in the main lobby. Lauren ordered her drink then had to fight to ignore the urge to roll her eyes as Puck flirted with the waitress while he ordered. When the girl walked away, Lauren looked up at Puck. "So... why are you in Vegas?" she asked.
Puck smirked. "Bachelor party. Finn and Annabel are tying the knot in-"
"Wait... Finn? As in Hudson?" Lauren asked. "I thought he and Berry..."
"No, they never actually got married," Puck replied. "A year out of high school, Hudson realized the New York lifestyle wasn't for him. Yentl gave him an ultimatum... if he left New York she was leaving him. He came to his senses and moved to out to LA to study film acting where he and Annabel met. Finally got his ass to move out of my place when they got engaged."
Lauren raised her eyebrows. "Wow... Never really took Finn for one to... well grow a backbone," she said. "Wait... You're living in LA?" Puck nodded. "Well shit!" She chuckled and Puck quirked an eyebrow at her. "I'm living in Long Beach!"
Puck's eyes near about popped out of his head. "What are you doing in Long Beach?" he asked. "So not where I pictured Lauren Zizes after high school."
Lauren smiled. "I could ask you the same thing," she said. "But it's family shit. My parents split after I started college and my dad moved out there to be closer to his brothers. He got sick right before my senior year at OSU, so I transferred to Cal State Long Beach and moved in with him so I could take care of him. He died right before I graduated and I just... stayed. I'm a juvenile probation officer with the state." Puck moved to reach his hand across the table and Lauren retracted. "I'm fine. I've coped," she said with a shrug. "Now you. What brought you to LA?" she asked.
"Easy," he replied with a shrug. "The money." Lauren looked at him questioningly and he smiled. "I'm a regional manager with one of the biggest pool and spa maintenance companies in southern California," he said. "I started with pool cleaning, and that's a huge industry as is. When I had enough money I hired a couple other guys, and we took off. SoCool bought us out a year and a half ago and took me on as an assistant junior manager. And now I'm in charge of the accounts for all of Southern California. Shelby and Beth come to visit during the summers." He smiled proudly. "If you ever need a pool cleaning, hit me up," he said.
Their drinks came and Lauren grinned across the table at Puck. "Yeah, will do," she said. She took a sip of her drink then sighed "Now for the more important matter at hand. Last night."
Puck nodded and Lauren bit the inside of her cheek. "What's the last thing you remember?" he asked.
Lauren furrowed her brow. "Um... Oh! Running into you at Centrifuge at MGM Grand. Besides the whole getting married thing, I'm not sure what happened between that and waking up, it's all a bit of a blur."
Puck nodded. "I do remember at least being in the chapel," he said. "Though even that is hazy."
"But you remember hooking up last night?" Lauren asked skeptically.
Puck chuckled. "Hard not to," he said. Lauren made a face and Puck sighed. "What, are you telling me you've never thought about graduation night? Not once in the last five years? Honestly Lauren, I don't know how. I was never able to stop thinking about it. I mean you left me a fucking note the morning after I told you I loved you, and I didn't hear from you since. Of course I'm not gonna just let that go."
Lauren sighed and stared at Puck. She might as well tell him. "Me either," she admitted. "I'm so sorry. I know it was wrong to leave like that but I was young and scared and it was easy at the time..." She looked down at the table. "I've had to stop myself from looking you up a few times. Convinced myself it wasn't worth it. And then my dad got sick and Adam happened and-" She stopped herself and mentally facepalmed. Why did she have to go and bring up that good for nothing douchebag?
"Hold on..." Puck said. "Adam. Name sounds familiar. You brought him up last night-"
"Unemployed sleezeball ex-Fiancé who fucked our roommate," Lauren said bluntly. "On our one year anniversary. In our bed. Had been for the last month." She shrugged. "So I took our cat and our paycheck and moved back into my dad's old place that was luckily still in my name. Then I sold the engagement ring and booked me and the girls an emergency weekend here."
"The girls?" Puck asked.
"That would be Regina Phalange and Princess Consuela Bananahammock," Lauren replied with a chuckle. "I should probably call them actually..." She checked her phone and was surprised to see only a few texts from her friends.
**Dude I think you got hitched last night... And my bra is missing... Call us when you come around :D**
**Morning Mrs. Puckerman! We went back to the suite last night so call us when that beast lets you outta bed ;) XOXO**
Lauren laughed as she sent quick replies. "They'll be fine," she said, looking back up at Puck and pocketing her phone.
Puck shrugged. "Whatever," he said with a grin. "So how long before your 'emergency trip' did the thing with your ex happen?" he asked.
"Today's Sunday, right?" Puck nodded. "Then a week ago," she said.
"Lo... shit, I'm-"
Lauren held a hand up. "Unless you're sorry for that asshole who has never worked a day in his life and now has no source of income or that home-wrecker that asked me to pick up her prescription gonorrhea antibiotics the day before I caught them, don't say it," she said. It was still so easy to open up to Puck, but she didn't need anyone pitying her. She couldn't handle it.
Puck just nodded, a small smirk on his face. "Right then," he said. "Well why don't you let me walk you back to your hotel. We can see if anything jogs our memories." He downed the last sip of his coffee and stood, offering a hand to help Lauren up.
Lauren smiled and let him help her up. Puck tossed a couple bucks on the table then they left. They went out into the bright Vegas sun. It was only eleven and the temperature on all the big billboards read seventy degrees. As they walked, Puck and Lauren chatted about this and that... Old classmates, work, life outside of Lima. Lauren had to admit that it was nice to be able to talk with Puck like this, but something had been eating at her since Puck brought it up. "So... You said you still think about... That night?" she asked at last.
Puck sighed and nodded. "Not just the sex, though let's be real, that was amazing." Lauren chuckled softly. "I meant what I said that night. And it's all still true." He stopped her and turned to look at her. "Lauren, we were young. And I get that I have a lot of baggage. But I really did... still do... believe you're It for me," he said. "It's not coincidence that we live a half hour from each other or that we met here this weekend." He ran a hair through his mohawk and looked at the ground for a moment before looking back up at Lauren. "Despite what you think, I could never hate you," he finally said. "Knowing you were scared of us and I couldn't do anything about it broke my heart. But it never made me stop loving you."
Lauren bit her lip and studied Puck's expression. "I..." She sighed. "Me and Adam... I loved him," she said. "But it never scared me like you did." She furrowed her brow. "He was safe y'know? He depended on me, and I guess my money, and I figured he would never really hurt me. You didn't need me, and that freaked me out..."
She didn't realize they had started walking again until Puck stopped her again, this time in front of her hotel. "It was a control thing," Puck said simply. "I get that." He looked at her and smiled sadly. "But Lauren... I do need you. I've needed you since I was a junior in high school. Why do you think I tried so hard back then?" Lauren looked at her feet and Puck tilted her chin back up so he could see her eye-to-eye. "Look. Me and Finn head back to LA tonight. Take a few days to just recover, then call me when you get back. I'd love to take you out sometime. Maybe we could see where things go from there." He slipped Lauren's phone from her pocket and typed his number into her contacts, then handed it back to her.
Lauren laughed and rolled her eyes, putting her phone back. "You do that with all the girls?" she teased. She grinned and bit her lip. "Tell you what," she said. "We get that divorce, then I'll let you take me for a celebratory dinner. And maybe we can see where things go from there."