Title: An Inevitable Course of Events
Pairing: Rachel/Puck
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I wish.
A/N: This is my first foray into the Glee fandom. I've seen the iPod challenge floating around and decided to give it a try. I may have listened to one song twice, but I couldn't help it! Also, some of these got really angsty, which is a departure for me. I usually write fluff. And I don't seem to know the meaning of the word drabble so some of these are more like double, triple, or even quintuple drabbles.
Foggy Day (In London Town) – Michael Bublé
Rachel made her way through the crowd as she got off the train at her stop. She was already running late for rehearsal and didn't want to waste anymore time. Appearing in the West End was just the latest feather in her cap after taking Broadway by storm. She may have loved New York, but felt in London she had found her true home.
She was brought out of her musings as she was jostled by the crowd and felt her feet go out from under her. Before she could even brace herself for the fall, she felt two strong arms wrap around her and settle her upright.
"You should be more careful," a husky voice crooned in her ear. "Wouldn't want to give your understudy the chance to take over," the man who had caught her said with a wink.
"I'll see you later, Noah," Rachel replied with a wink of her own as they continued toward the exit.
"You bet, babe. After all, you owe me for the save and I plan to collect."
Rachel laughed as she pecked him quickly on the lips before they headed in different directions to start their days. Yes, London had become her home but that was only because Noah was there with her.
Gravedigger – Dave Matthews Band
Rachel stood at the mouth of the open grave, her unseeing eyes focused on a point in the distance. The rain pouring down didn't seem to bother her — it just blended with her tears as they slipped down her cheeks. So focused was she on her grief that she startled when two hands came down on her shoulders. They eased her away from the gaping hole in the ground and back against a solid body. The two figures stood in silence for a few moments until Rachel broke down in heaving sobs and wrapped her arms around her companion's waist.
"It's not fair, Noah," she cried. "We only had three years with her."
Puck ghosted his lips over his wife's forehead and just held her. He had no words to offer her. She was right; it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that they had to bury their daughter before her fourth birthday, but then life wasn't fair.
Smile (Charlie Chaplin Cover) – Glee Cast
Her heart was breaking into a million tiny pieces, but no one would ever know it by the smile on her face. Rachel turned away from the tender scene in front of her and silently slipped away from the choir room door. She couldn't stand the sight of Noah serenading Quinn's ever expanding belly. She had lost out to Quinn Fabray once again.
Sway – Michael Bublé
Puck watched from his vantage point at the table as Rachel's hips moved smoothly back and forth. She was currently holding court on the dance floor and giggling like mad. His girl was turning out to be a very happy drunk.
"Noah!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck and falling into his lap. "This is the best 21st birthday ever!"
"I'm glad, baby," he replied. "You ready to get out of here?"
"Not until you dance with me," she said, pouting prettily and batting her eyes at him. "Please?"
She knew he couldn't resist that look, the little minx. He was five seconds away from throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her out of the club as it was.
But who was he to deny her a dance on her birthday? Taking a deep breath, Puck pulled Rachel to her feet and led her back out onto the dance floor where she immediately tested his resolve by plastering herself as close to him as possible.
Puck clenched his teeth and tried to think of anything else other than how good she felt pressed against him. It wasn't really working. Rachel was doing her best to remind a certain part of his anatomy how sexy she could be. She had tucked her face into his neck and her hot little mouth was concentrated on one particular spot that she knew drove him crazy every time. Puck lasted one whole minute against her torture before he was hauling her into a fireman's carry and making his way out of the bar, a giggling Rachel smiling and waving to their whooping crowd of friends.
Smile – Uncle Kracker
She made him smile. He didn't have an explanation for it. Maybe it was her crazy. Maybe it was her belief in him. Maybe it was the fact that she had stuck by him through everything. Maybe it was the way she moaned his name when he kissed that one spot just under her right ear. Whatever it was, he knew she was it for him — had known since they were teenagers, even after she'd dumped his ass on the bleachers that first time. Now as he waited under the chuppah for her to join him, he knew he was the luckiest bastard in the world because she had agreed to be his. And he couldn't keep the smile off his face.
Hips Don't Lie – Shakira featuring Wyclef John
Rachel kept her eyes on the mirror in front of her trying to perfect the hip circle and hip drop that she had just learned in class. She still had an hour until the studio closed for the night, so she wanted to get the movements down pat before she went home. While she had a practice area in the basement, she didn't really want either of her dads to see her doing these movements. Not that she was embarrassed; they had, after all, encouraged her to take this class. It was good to expand her knowledge of other types of dance they had said. She agreed; it was a good idea to expand her horizons. That didn't mean she wanted them to see her performing hip twist figure eights or torso undulations. Rachel felt that it would be a little awkward for her fathers to see her doing such sexy movements.
It was nearly an hour later before she was finally happy with her grasp of the movements and how they fit into the routine they were gradually building. Rachel packed up her things and headed out to her car. She gave the studio owner a smile on her way out to the parking lot and wished her good night.
It was the next day at school when Rachel realized that her new class might be on her mind more than she thought. She found herself noticing the way her hips were moving when she walked down the hallway and putting a little more swing into her stride than normal. It made her feel sexy, and she decided to go to the auditorium and do a little dancing instead of going to lunch. She didn't realize that she wasn't the only one who had noticed.
Puck watched as Rachel moved down the hallway in front of him. There was something different about the way she was moving…it was almost sensual. He followed her as she bypassed the cafeteria and headed toward the auditorium, his curiosity getting the best of him. What was she up to?
Rachel set up her iPod and found the perfect song. After digging through her bag for the hip scarf she had taken to carrying with her since class started, she tied it around her waist and then pressed play. When the music started playing, she let herself go and just started moving to the beat.
Puck was stunned at the sight before him. Where had Berry learned how to move her hips like that? He watched, mesmerized as she flicked her hips up and down and began doing this shimmy thing. He shifted uncomfortably as he started to harden and press against his zipper; it was a commando day and those metal teeth weren't doing him any favors. He almost lost it and groaned out loud when she moved her entire torso in a wave; he barely managed to keep the sound from escaping his throat. He was both thankful and disappointed when the music came to an end and Rachel stopped dancing.
Maybe he had let her go too easily he thought to himself as he slipped out of the room.
Girlfriend – Avril Lavigne
"Mr. Schue, I have a song I'd like to sing," Rachel said as she made her way to the front of the choir room.
"Alright, Rachel," Mr. Schuester replied. "Go ahead."
"Brittany, Santana, some back up please like we rehearsed?"
The rest of the Glee club looked on in confusion as Brittany and Santana also came to the front of the room to join Rachel.
Rachel nodded to the band and the first notes were an upbeat rhythm, something that shocked everyone.
Hey, Hey, You, You
I don't like your girlfriend
No way, No way,
I think you need a new one
Hey, Hey, You, You,
I could be your girlfriend
Rachel kept her eyes on Puck as she danced and sang so he would know that she was singing to him. She had thought about ways to get him away from that skank Jamie Michaels, and figured that putting it out there in this manner was the most direct. She could tell the rest of Glee club were surprised to hear the swear words coming from her mouth, but she had decided to leave them in to give the most impact to her message.
The room sat in stunned silence as the last notes faded away, not quite able to believe that Rachel Berry had sung that song. Puck was the first to break the stillness; he strode to the front of the room and grabbed Rachel's arm, guiding her out the door.
"Noah, what?" Rachel began as they made it to the hallway, only to be cut off by his lips on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back passionately.
"So does this mean I'm your girlfriend?" she asked with a smile when they broke apart.
"Shut up, Berry," Puck answered and captured her lips again.
You're Not Sorry – Taylor Swift
She could barely breathe. She thought it was different this time — that he had finally changed. But that wasn't the case. When did I turn into that girl? She wondered as she threw her clothes into the suitcase. The one who could make excuses and keep overlooking the obvious? She had given up everything for him. Not anymore. This was the last time. It wasn't okay that he kept doing this to her. She zipped the suitcase on her former life and wheeled it to the door.
"Are you ready?" Puck asked. "Really ready this time?"
"Yes," she replied. "I've given him too many chances, and he treats me like we're still in high school. I'm done."
He took her hand and led her past his glowering former friend who tried one last time to convince her to stay.
"Rach, you know I love you," Finn growled.
"Stop, Finn," she replied, raising her hand. "I can't do this with you anymore. I deserve to be with someone who's only with me. I'm leaving and I don't want to see you again."
She pulled Noah out the door and made it all the way outside before leaning against the building and breaking down. She clutched her stomach as the sobs spilled out and tried to catch her breath.
"I know it's for the best," she told him as she gradually regained control over herself. "But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt right now."
Puck pulled her into a hug and then tucked her into his waiting car. After stowing her suitcase in the trunk, he pulled away from the curb. Rachel watched as they sped away from her old life. She gave Noah a smile and finally allowed herself to think about the future.
Can't Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
As he spun her around the dance floor, Rachel couldn't help but smile at her husband. She couldn't quite believe it had been 25 years already. One Broadway career, three kids, and two dogs later, she knew she was as much in love with him now as she had been during their brief high school fling. Oh, she hadn't wanted to admit it at the time, but she had known even then (it was the reason she dumped him). She had always been a little psychic and had seen glimpses of their future together. It had scared her. How could it be possible to find "the one" so early?
She thanked her lucky stars that he had come back into her life two years after graduation when she was attending Julliard. They had been inseparable and when he finally asked her to marry him she had barely given him time to get the words out before she was saying yes and kissing him. It hadn't always been easy (goodness knows they fought all the time), but they made it work. And she couldn't be happier than she was at this moment.
When You Say You Love Me – Josh Groban
His world narrows whenever she says those words. It's like they're the only two people on earth at that moment. He can't hear anything else; his focus is only on her voice, like he can't believe that she's really saying them to him.
He didn't believe her the first time. She'd had to smack him on the back of the head to get her point across. Afterward he had kissed her senseless. She didn't seem to mind that he didn't say them back that time. But he more than made up for it later. He always was an actions speak louder than words kind of guy.
Plus, you know, she was kind of psychic. She already knew.