A/N: This story is completely AU, which I typically don't do, but since we had absolutely nothing to go on Quick-wise in season 2, I figured why not? And what I mean by it being AU is that Puck and Quinn don't know each other. Quinn grew up in Lima, Puck grew up in Philadelphia, and they both moved to NYC after high school. That's really all you need to know for now. A large chunk of this story is already written (I started it late last year and I've been slowly working my way through it), but I didn't want to post it until I knew I was going to finish it. And I'm confident now that I will, so here it is…Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Glee. And that's that. The title of the chapter and the lyrics to the song belong to Natasha Bedingfield. The title of this story is a song by Owl City.

Chapter 1: All I Need

All I need is what I've got
My soul is free and I've got more than enough
I believe in love and I'll never stop
That's why all I need is what I've got

It's much too cold for him to be wandering around the city, especially since he has no destination in mind. The January wind is raw and biting despite the clear, cloudless sky draped above. Puck doesn't think he's ever been so cold. Even the thick black scarf wrapped all the way up over his nose isn't enough to protect him from the chill. He should head home or he's bound to get sick, but he has little desire to stay cooped up in his tiny apartment - which is probably almost as cold as it is outside considering he hadn't been able to afford to pay his whole rent this month (and last month and the one before...) and his landlord repaid him by turning off the heat.

Across the street, a bustling, very warm looking Starbucks tempts him. He knows he needs to save every penny he has, but that doesn't stop him from reaching into his pockets and searching around for the three dollar bills he still had from the his subway performance two days earlier. His eyes narrow with indecision as stares down at the money. To spend or not to spend?

He doesn't exactly have a lot of money right now. His job at a small, little-known about music store doesn't pay too badly, but lately he hasn't been getting many hours due to declining business. Sometimes he'll bring his guitar down to the subway or streets and try to make some extra cash, which is really his only saving grace these days. When he moved to New York City only months after graduating, he knew it would be hard; he just didn't expect it to be this hard.

His eyes move from the money back to the welcoming Starbucks. He used to go to this very Starbucks every day, back when his best friend Artie still lived with him. Now, though, he has no one but himself to help with the rent. After Artie got married and moved out and Puck's financial situation continued to worsen, he thought more than once about asking his mom for help, but he quickly counted that option out. His mom barely makes enough money to pay her own bills as it is, and so he could never place his own burdens on her.

Still, he's not opposed to treating himself to a cup of coffee now and then. Plus, the three dollars he spent on his drink will be worth more than just coffee. It'll be worth at least a couple of hours of sitting in his favorite spot - the armchair at the corner of the very warm store - playing around on his iPod touch. This thought quickly settles it. He looks both ways and then jogs across the street and into the coffee shop.

The heat hits him right away and he immediately knows he's made the right decision. He's happy to see that the store's mostly empty. Just a couple people on their lap tops at the tables by the window. It's an unusual sight, even at two in the afternoon, when most people are either at work or school. This is New York City, after all. The busiest place on earth.

He walks up to the front counter with a big smile on his face, already more than happy with his decision to splurge. His smile widens at the sight of the only barista in the room, who comes to greet him. He's seen her here before, just a few times, but she was always the one making drinks, so he never actually got a chance to speak to her until now. He always admired her, though. It's hard not to, considering she's the definition of sexy.

"What can I get you?" The tone in her voice isn't exactly the cheerful, welcoming kind he's used to hearing from the other people who work here. She gives him an impatient look, but he's lost in her blond hair, which is pulled back into a simple pony tail (he wonders how much more amazing it would look pulled down...), a slightly annoyed expression on her face - which only enhanced her appeal. He likes a girl with a bit of an attitude.

"What. Can. I. Get. You?" she repeats, this time enunciating her words like he's an ape who can't comprehend the human language.

He cocks an eyebrow, impressed at her feistiness. He likes this girl alright. "Vente americano, two pumps of vanilla." Normally he has four or five pumps, but he can't afford that much today. Two will just have to do.

"That's it?"

He hands her the three dollars, already knowing the cost. "That's it."

She takes the money and quickly hands him a quarter and a nickel back. He stuffs it back in his pocket, thinking that with this, he's got enough change at home to buy another drink tomorrow. The barista walks over the machines and starts on his drink. He walks slowly over to the counter in the corner, just a few feet from his favorite chair, where he waits for his drink and watches her work. He can tell that his watching annoys her, which only amuses him.

"Hey, can I ask you a question..." He narrows his eyes as he tries to read her name tag, "Quinn?"

She looks over at him with that same annoyed expression she's been wearing since he got here. "Mmm."

He takes that as a yes. "Don't you have to be, you know...cheerful, to work here?"

He says it playfully, and he's actually a little surprised that she senses this too. He had been thinking that this girl didn't have a sense of humor.

"It's not a part of the contract," she says, smirking at him.

"Then why is everyone else here so happy, as opposed to you and your moping."

"I'm not moping," she says airily, "I've just been up since five in the morning, was at school until ten, and have been working here for three hours. I'm tired."

"Well, I guess I can get that."

She snorts, but doesn't say anything, just walks to the counter and hands him his drink. He looks at her curiously.

"What?" he asks.

She gives a wry smile and shakes her head. "Nothing."

"You think I'm not the type of guy who wakes up at five in the morning, huh?"

"Well, no. But it's your fault for my preconceived notions, since your little mohawk just oozes responsibility."

He laughs and runs a hand over the mohawk he's had since high school. His mom begs him to get rid of it every time he visits, but he won't let her touch it. He'll cut it off someday, but when he does, it'll be on his terms.

"You don't like my hawk? Come on, it's awesome."

"It's not."

"It is. Everyone but you can see that. Well, everyone but you and my mom."

"Smart mom you've got, then."

He snickers at her attempts to make fun of him. "Funny. Well, I've had enough insults to my hair today." He points to his armchair. "Just letting you know, I will be spending the next few hours camped out over there. The heater at my apartment is currently out of order and I need a warm place to chill out for awhile."

"Thanks for informing me," Quinn says dryly.

He gives her a wink, knowing it'll probably annoy her to no end. "No problem, babe."

As expected her face scrunches up distastefully. Chuckling softly, he turns around and heads to his corner, where he sinks into the fluffy red armchair, throws on his headphones, closes his eyes, and loses himself in the music.

888

"Not too busy around here, huh?"

Quinn looks up from the book she was reading and greets her co-worker Katie with a small smile. "Nope. It's been really slow. Everyone's probably at Duncan's."

Katie laughs as throws on her green apron and leans against the counter. "That or the weather's keeping everyone inside. It's insanely cold today."

"The news said it's the coldest day of the year," Quinn remarks.

"Is it bad that I'm actually loving it? Slow days are so rare nowadays."

"And I'm taking full advantage of it." Quinn holds up the text book she had been studying every free chance she had. Accounting. She isn't at all interested in the subject, but it's a requirement for her course of study. Plus, no matter how much she despises it now, it'll come in handy when - or should she say if - she opens her own business.

Katie cringes. "That looks fun."

"Oh, it's pure joy. I've got my first test coming up tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I'm going to fail."

"Quinn Fabray? As in the girl who tells me she got straight A's through all of high school and beyond? Fail a test? Not possible."

"I thought so too. Until now."

Katie gives her an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "Don't stress yourself out, Quinn. You'll do great, I know you will. And you know I know everything."

A customer walks in and Katie tells Quinn she'll handle it. Quinn settles back into studying the differences between accrual and cash-basis accounting, which she doesn't think she'll ever be able to grasp, before she catches herself glancing over to her right, where mohawk boy is still sitting, eyes closed, listening to his music. Every now and then he'll hum the tune to the song he's listening to, but otherwise, he hasn't said a word for two and a half hours. It's been wonderful.

Katie starts making the customer's drink. "So how's that roommate search coming?"

Quinn sighs. "It's not."

"Quinn," Katie says in a disapproving tone, "you're running out of time. The month's almost over."

"I know. It's just the idea of having a complete stranger moving into my home, invading my personal space...It's weird."

"People do it all the time here. It's pretty much a necessity for most people. But you know you don't have to do it. You could ask your parents."

"No, I can't," Quinn says, a determined edge in her voice. It's not that her parents wouldn't help her out if she asked. On the contrary, she knows they would. They already pay a portion of her rent anyway, not to mention her college tuition, which isn't cheap. She just can't ask them for anymore, especially since finding a new roommate will solve all her problems. She just wishes Rachel had waited a little while longer to move in with Finn. It would have saved Quinn the stress of having to find a new roommate, at least for a little bit longer.

"Should I just drop the subject?"

Quinn gives her a grateful nod.

"Okay then, I will." A smile comes to Katie's face as she seems to notice something. "Ah, Puck's here."

Quinn looks at her curiously. "Puck?"

"The guy over in the corner with the mohawk. He used to come in everyday, but I haven't seen him around in awhile."

"Puck." Quinn tests out the name with a cluck of her tongue. "What kind of name is that?"

"I don't know. Nickname, maybe? I think it's cute. He's cute. Matter of fact, if I wasn't taken, I'd be tempted to try to get to know him a little better, if you know what I mean."

"Really? He seems like kind of a jerk, to be honest."

Katie chuckles quietly, shaking her head. "You would think that."

"I can't help it. He just seems so...arrogant."

"I don't think he's arrogant. Just a little over confident."

"Same thing."

"No, it's not. And why the intense hatred for a guy you just met?" Katie asks, looking more than amused as she finishes the latte she was making.

"It's not hatred, it's just annoyance. I've had a long day and for some reason he and his stupid mohawk really bother me."

Katie just laughs. "Fine. I won't argue with you any longer. Puck is an arrogant jerk with a stupid mohawk. Now get back to studying or you're gonna fail."

Quinn glares playfully at Katie, who goes back to help a few more customers who've walked in. She stares back at the text book, but it's only a few seconds later when her eyes stray his way again. He's just sitting there, a peaceful smile on his face, his fingers tapping his knee at a steady beat. Against her will, a small smile creeps onto her lips. Okay, so maybe he's not that annoying. At least when he's not speaking. She can't deny he's attractive, even with the mohawk. Katie seems to like him too, which means he can't be as cocky as she thought, since Katie doesn't put up with guys like that. She feels kind of bad for him, actually. He said his heater is broken and it's only getting colder as the evening goes on. He'll be in for a cold night.

Great. Now she feels really bad for him.

She sets down her book and grabs a cup from the stack next to her before walking over the coffee machine. She doesn't even realize what she's doing until the lid is sealed on tight and she is walking over to him. She sets the coffee down on the side table next to him, intending to just slip away and deny it when he later asked if it was her who brought the coffee, but unfortunately Puck notices her.

"What's this?" he asks, glancing at his new cup of coffee in confusion.

"I believe it's called coffee."

Puck stares at her. "I don't have any more money on me right now."

"I wasn't asking for money, was I?"

He smiles a little (and she hates that she finds his smile so charmingly cute). "No."

"So drink it and shut up."

She walks away from, sending a feeble wave in the acknowledgment of his quiet thank you, and finds her way back to her textbook. She feels a little bad for studying on the clock, but she thinks of the hours of overtime and the holidays she's put into this place in the three years she's worked here and feels a little better about it.

"Reading on the job? That's a big no, no."

She sighs as she looks up from her book and finds Puck leaning against the counter, a grin on his lips. "I liked you better when you didn't speak."

He says nothing, just stares at her, that cocky smile of his still there (she isn't finding it so charming now), and takes a very slow sip of his coffee. She glares at him.

"What? I'm not saying anything."

She rolls her eyes. "You're very, very annoying."

"Well, I won't be annoying you much longer. I'm on my way out." He pats his stomach. "Puckasaurus is in need of some grub."

"I..." She just shakes her head, wondering if he really just referred to himself as a Puckasaurus. "I don't even know what to say to that."

"I'm always leaving the ladies speechless."

"Not for the reasons you think, I'm sure."

Puck just laughs and backs away from the counter. He raises a hand in farewell. "Later, babe. Thanks for the coffee."

She watches him leave, her lips twitching into an unimpressed smirk. Yes, she liked him much better when he was silent.

888

When Puck arrives at his apartment a few minutes later, he's thinking he'll just grab a few pairs of clothes and crash on Artie's couch. He'll freeze to death tonight if he stays at his own place. Plus, he's sure Artie won't mind, and he's pretty sure Tina won't mind either, as she's always been pretty lax about him hanging around their place.

Puck hikes up the four floors to his room (damn elevator is broken again), wishing he was still back in his armchair at Starbucks. It was the vest afternoon he's had in weeks, that's for sure. Mostly it's because it was so relaxing, but he also particularly enjoyed today because of the beautiful barista he'd had the pleasure of meeting. He annoyed Quinn, he knew that. He clearly isn't the type of guy she's normally into. But that just makes him want her all the more. Artie does always say that Puck likes a challenge.

He stops on his floor to catch his breath and searches through his pockets for his key. He quickly finds it and begins walking down the hall to his room, only to be stopped a second later at the sound of his name. He closes his eyes, mentally preparing himself for the conversation to come.

Then he turns on his heel and faces the music. "Hey, Mr. Kowalski."

His landlord wears a grim smile. "Noah. Nice to finally see you. I've been trying to contact you for a week, but you've been conveniently out every time I've tried."

"Yeah, uh...You're probably wanting to know when I'm gonna have all the money I owe you ready..."

"Actually, I'm not."

Puck's taken by surprise. "Really?"

Mr. Kowalski crosses his arms, his lips twitching into a frown. "I'm sorry, Noah, but this isn't good news. I have to put my foot down. You've been late on your rent for over six months, and three of those months haven't even been the full amount. Not to mention, you still haven't paid for last month at all."

"Mr. Kowalski, I'm sorry, I've just been in a bad financial place lately. But I promise you I will pay you every cent I owe you. And last month's rent is coming tomorrow, I promise. I got my paycheck today. I just need it to go through the bank."

But Mr. Kowalski shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Noah, I really am. I just can't let this go on any longer. I'm going to have to ask you to be moved out by the end of the week."

"The end of the week," Puck murmurs. Knowing there is nothing he can say to get Mr. Kowalski to change his mind, he has no choice but to agree. "Alright."

It's probably for the best anyway. He knew this would happen eventually.

"I'm sorry, Noah," Mr. Kowalski says again, before leaving Puck by himself.

Puck runs a hand over his forehead, letting out a few select curse words to vent his frustration. He shakes his head slowly, not even remotely surprised at his bad luck, and walks to his apartment. It's freezing, as expected. He grabs a duffel bag, walks over to his bedroom drawer and stuffs a pair of jeans and sweatpants, along with a couple of t-shirts into it. He pulls out his cell phone and texts Artie to ask if he can stay with him and Tina tonight. Artie's response comes within the minute, telling him that he can.

As Puck locks up the apartment that will only be his for a couple more days, he wonders if he'll ever catch a break.

Somehow, he doesn't think so.

So there's chapter 1. I've got about 15 chapters planned, so this is only the beginning. I hope that you don't find any of the characters too OOC, although at times it was unavoidable due to the whole AU aspect. Plus they're not teenagers anymore, so Quinn's not going to be the ice queen bitch and Puck's not going to be the immature jackass. Well, at least not all the time. You'll still see those sides of the characters, just not as much.

Anyway, I'd love to know what you all think, so please leave a review if you can! Like I said earlier, I've got a lot of the story all written. I'm going to be selfish, though, and wait to post the next chapter until I've gotten a decent response. Thanks for reading!