I Just Need You Now

Puck/Meghan ~ one shot

Takes place in "Iron Daughter". Puck and Meghan are in Leanansidhe's domain, the night before infiltrating SciCorp, and Puck comes to comfort Meghan. They kiss…what if they hadn't been interrupted?

Disclaimer: I don't own, rights go to Julie Kagawa. I am merely exercising creative license

I just couldn't sleep. I lay in bed, thinking about tomorrow, about everything that was at stake. Once again, everyone was depending on me. Everyone thought I could do this. But it was ridiculous! I wasn't anything special, I was just a teenage girl from a pig farming family in Louisiana! Daughter of the Summer King or not, I couldn't live up to what everyone was expecting of me. I couldn't even use my glamour anymore!

I turned over in bed, trying to get comfortable. But the thoughts kept coming.

Besides trepidation over tomorrow, thoughts of him came unbidden, as always.

Ash.

It felt as if there were a physical hole in me, caused by his absence. Missing him hurt, and not just emotionally.

I kept searching my memories for him, how his silver eyes would flash in the sun, the lithe grace of his fighting style, the strong muscles in his back…

The way he looked when we said goodbye.

A tear escaped me, thinking of the last time I saw him, when we parted ways. I could still remember, to the word, what he had said when he left. It had replayed over and over in my mind and dreams.

"I knew the laws, better than anyone. I knew it would end like this. After tonight, we'll be enemies. If I see you again, I might kill you. For real this time."

For real this time…

The tears came in earnest now, and I curled up into a ball. It was no use though, it couldn't fill the emptiness.

Suddenly the door opened, and I heard the cheerful voice of my best friend.

"Hey, Princess! Swiped some sandwiches from the kitchen! Thought you might be hungry, and you'll need your strength for tomorrow! Although, I tell ya, it wasn't easy, I - ….Meghan?"

I tried to stop the tears, but his stupid faerie ears still heard my sniffles.

I heard him set what sounded like a tray down, and felt his weight settle on the bed behind me, a comforting presence that was Puck.

"Meghan? Hey, you okay?"

I wiped the tears from my face and sat up, embarrassed that he had caught me in my breakdown.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just nervous about tomorrow, I guess."

I tried to avoid his eyes, afraid he would see there more than he cared to know. I felt a hand stroke my cheek, wiping away some of the stray tears.

"Look at me, Princess."

I turned to face him, startled by how close he was. His emerald eyes still managed to sparkle in the dark room, and the emotion in them was staggering. I was caught in his gaze, staring into his beautiful eyes. For they were beautiful. I had never really noticed before.

"It's going be okay. I promise. I'm here for you , no matter what."

He leaned his forehead on mine, his strong hands holding me close. I breathed in the scent of him; apples, forest, and sunlight, so much more earthy than Ash's frost. And I was enveloped by him. I knew that as long as he was here with me, I was safe. He was here for me, even if Ash was not. And he would never leave me, unlike the Unseelie prince that had so recently broken my heart.

As if reading my thoughts, Puck tightened his grip on me.

"I will protect you Meghan. And I will never leave you. I'll be at your side for as long as you need or want me. I swear it."

And then he kissed me.

The kiss was light at first, hesitant, giving me room to pull away if I wanted. But I didn't want to pull away, not at all.

With an intensity that surprised both of us, I reached up to tangle my fingers in his long, unruly hair, pressing myself against him. He responded in kind, leaning me back onto the bed, kissing a trail of fire down my neck, lightly sucking on my collarbone.

On instinct, my body arched up to meet his, and I pulled his weight down on top of me, needing to feel contact everywhere. He groaned, and came back to meet my lips with passion.

I wrapped my arms around his back, pulling us sideways. He realized what I was trying to do and rolled over, pulling me on top of him, his hands resting at my hips.

I put a hand on his chest, breathing heavily.

"What are we doing, Puck?"

He smiled the mischievous smirk that always seemed so at home on his face, looking up at me. But the look in his eyes couldn't hide his true emotions.

"Just go with it, Princess. Do what feels right."

He pulled me down to him and kissed me once more. Not passionately this time, but with a smoldering heat belying some other, deeper emotion.

I melted into him, and the kiss was as natural as breathing. This did feel right. This was right, this was how it was supposed to be.

I felt a stab of guilt, one wayward thought telling me I was betraying Ash, but I dismissed it. He and I could never be, he had said so himself. Winter and Summer were just too different, and he had left me.

But Robin…

Being with Puck was right, natural. He had always been at my side, as a best friend. And now, as more. And no rules of the court existed to stand in our way. He was an ancient faerie of the Seelie court, and I, it's mortal princess. Whatever we had between us was how it was meant to be.

He broke the kiss, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, and looked up at me.

"Meghan…I love you."

I smiled, happier than I had felt in a long time.

"I know Puck. I love you too."

He grinned in true happiness, pulling me back down to his chest with an excited kiss.

I fell asleep in his arms, warm, content, and safe.

And I could finally sleep, no longer plagued with sorrow over Ash. Because I was with Robin, and I would never be lonely again.