Forever Starts with a Bubble
Inspired by lyrics from "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry, this is my proper debut to fan fiction, apart from small (really bad) stories! Read on! Completely AU!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
"You think I'm pretty without any makeup on, you think I'm funny when I tell the punch line wrong."
They were friends before. High school just got in their way. At fourteen, the bubble they'd formed together just couldn't work out how to extend it to the rest of the world. Obviously, they were still friends. They talked to each other at their lockers, and at least twice a week, Puck would walk Rachel to class, and, well, Trig (which they had together for the second year running) was THEIR time.
Even though Junior Year was approaching them (it was January), neither had any idea how to get the rest of the world to understand them. Clearly, they had talked about it: Puck was constantly dogged by Santana to make out/party/get drunk with her, but he flatly refused. Rachel had told him before Hanukkah that a main factor in his popularity despite him being in Glee, having Rachel as his best friend (apart from Finn) and refusing to attend parties (which was high school code word for drunken-make out gatherings) was that he started the slushying of Jewfro.
"But I wasn't even the one who thought of the idea, Rach!" Puck had said, trying to exude innocence to Rachel.
"Stop playing innocent, you may not have formulated the idea, but you performed the slushying. Therefore, that is why you have big kudos with hockey, basket and football teams and are generally popular," exclaimed a proud Rachel.
Unlike most conversations, Puck seemed to agree without much more persuading. It just went as a correct statement, with them moving on to why Rachel wasn't popular. Puck seemed to think that it shouldn't be because she was "smoking hot, babe". Rachel disagreed, and, even now the argument had still not come to a conclusion.
Walking to Trigonometry, the last lesson of the week, Rachel and Puck were still discussing why Rachel was considered unpopular.
"Noah, I'm part of Glee, choir, the dance troupe and I tutor people in MATH. For God's sakes, see for once how that equals unpopular," an exasperated Rachel exclaimed.
"But Rach, I'm part of Glee, teach guitar at the local Jewish center, am on the bench for football and also tutor Math!" smirking, Puck saw Rachel give a glare at the emphasised Math.
"Noah, seriously. Slushy facials are your brainchild and you maybe on the bench at the moment because of your injury, but everyone knows that you are one of the only football players who have a chance at a scholarship. Apart from Finn or Mike maybe. Happy? I haven't accomplished all of that, so!" smiling, Rachel walked into Trig, smugness written all over her.
Later that day, Rachel was sorting her locker out before Glee, so that she'd have all the required textbooks for the weekend of homework ahead. Slam! Rachel spun round, to be greeted with Santana, the resident Queen Bee now that Quinn was good friends with Rachel and no longer part of the Cheerio's. "Yes?" enquired Rachel.
"Stay away from Puck. He's mine, you bitch, not yours," turning to walk off, Santana quipped "Oh, and those skirts are hideous!" spinning on her heel, Santana sashayed off to Cheerio's practice.
Tears starting to form in Rachel's eyes were quickly wiped away as she headed to Glee practice. Fifth time, she thought, why won't she understand that Noah doesn't like her? Urgh!
"Rachel, Puck! Are the two of you ready to show us your duet audition for Regional's?" Mr Schue clapped apprehensively.
"Um, s'pose so, Rach?" Puck rose from his chair, grabbing his guitar on his way to the front of the choir room. The chords started, Puck concentrating on getting the mood right. Rachel started, sending her voice straight to Noah.
(Rachel, Noah, Both)
Dancin' where the stars go blue
Dancin' where the evening fell
Dancin' in my wooden shoes
In a wedding gown Rachel spun, now facing Noah, as he sung the next linesDancin' out on 7th street
Dancin' through the underground
Dancin' little marionette
Are you happy now? Smiling, Noah looked at Rachel,Where do you go when you're lonely
Where do you go when you're blue
Where do you go when you're lonely
I'll follow you
When the stars go blue
When the stars go blueLaughing with your pretty mouth (Laughing with your pretty mouth)
Laughing with your broken eyes (Laughing with your broken eyes)
Laughing with your lover's tongue
In a lullaby[x2]
Where do you go when you're lonely
Where do you go when you're blue
Where do you go when you're lonely
I'll follow you
When the stars go blue
The stars go blue, stars go blueFollow you
Follow youWhen the stars go blue
When the stars go blue
When the stars go blue
When the stars go blue
Where do you go when you're lonely?
Where do you go when the stars go blue?
As the last bars of the songs were softly being played by Puck, Rachel ran out, tears streaking down her face. Puck started to go after her, but was abruptly stopped by an "I'll go" from Quinn.
"That was beautiful, Puck," said Mr Schue, trying to break the awkward silence that had settled on the choir room.
Several hours had passed and Puck had received a text from Quinn, informing him that Rachel was fine. However, Puck wasn't quite sure.
Beep Beep! Look outside. N
Rachel stopped the DVD and, not bothering to look outside, text Noah back with a Come on up., knowing that he'd use the trellis even though her fathers loved him.
Tap Tap. "Push it, Noah, its ajar already," sniffing, Rachel simply acknowledged Noah with a nod before going back to her Phish Food ice cream.
Landing with a bump on her bedroom floor, Puck got himself up, and made a beeline for the vacant space next to Rach on her double bed. "How are you?" Puck said, encircling Rachel in a hug in the process.
"I'm sniff fine, Noah. You didn't have to come over, I know you have work to do"
"You're not, Rach, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, honestly Noah."
"Berry! Is it some guy? Cos seriously, you may get some silly remarks about you not being beautiful, but, even now, with no makeup on, and my sweats might I add, you look freaking hot!"
"As much as that is appreciated, Noah, that wasn't the reason I left Glee today in a hurry."
"Then what was it, Rach? Come on, -"
"Noah, no. If you want to stay, fine, but don't press the issue."
2hours later
"Wow, Rach, did you just Notebook me, cos I sure am crying. God, I'm supposed to be a bad ass, not a pussy-whipped guy!" Puck, wiping away tears, made his way to the part of the room Rachel kept her DVD collection. "Die Hard, I think."
Did he just say what I think he did? "Noah, firstly, that was A Walk To Remember," chuckled Rachel, "Secondly, what did that sentence mean exactly, because, even though I am a 4.0 GPA average student, I didn't understand that," said Rachel, crossing her fingers under the duvet, so that Noah couldn't see.
"Um. It meant I'm whipped. By you. Why else would I have come over here? Or not have any girlfriends? That film made me realise."
Jumping up and down at the statement Puck had just said, the two hardly realised Die Hard was actually on, until the credits started to roll…
"I might get your heart racing, in my skin-tight jeans."
They'd been together since that day, when they sung that country song for their audition. After that, well, when they'd stopped making out, they'd watched the first five seasons of One Tree Hill and had found a lot of parallels between their relationship and Naleys. Tonight marked their one year anniversary, and Puck was getting ready to take Rachel away for the night, having asked permission from her fathers when she was making Christmas dinner (Puck had stayed at the Berries over Christmas because his mum had taken his sister to Sea World, not somewhere he desired to go anywhere near).
I'll be over in five minutes, I love you. N.
Rachel looked at the text, and smiled. She was so happy. Having turned sixteen a month into their relationship, and on the brink of being seventeen, they had both finally worked out how to spread their bubble to the outer world. Quinn and Sam came into it rather quickly and slowly but surely, so did the rest of Glee club. Surprisingly, her two best friends were actually Quinn and Santana. Yeah, Santana, who would've thought?
It was Monday morning, and Noah and Rachel had just arrived at school after their weekend away. Leaning against his truck, the make out session was slowly getting more heated, until they heard a throat being cleared behind them. Turning, they were greeted with a smiling Quinn and a laughing Sam. "Alright Sammy boy?" said Puck, going in for the handshake, and going to the back of the truck, letting Quinn and Rachel have their private conversation that was almost bubbling out of them.
Later that day, in Glee club practice, Mercedes and Kurt were discussing the outfits everyone would wear at Regional's next month. (Yes, they got through again!)
"So, I was thinking that we have skinny jeans and black lacy/leathery tops for the group number and then when we have Finn and Santana doing their duet, they wear red maybe? Or green? Oh, and for Pucks solo, he wears a checked shirt, to go with the country feel," said Mercedes, now looking over at the rest of Glee for their approval of her ideas.
"Sounds lovely, Cedes," said Quinn.
It was here, Regional's was finally here. After a month of rehearsing, shopping and bouts of laryngitis, the McKinley High Glee club were finally going through their first and last dress rehearsal for their group number, Just Say Yes by Snow Patrol.
"Right guys, starting positions!" clapped Mr Schue.
Girls, Guys, All Solos indicated
I'm running out of ways to make you see
I want you to stay here beside me
I won't be ok and I won't pretend I am
So just tell me today and take my hand
Please take my hand, sang Tina
Please take my hand, sang MikeJust say yes, just say there's nothing holding you back
It's not a test, nor a trick of the mind
Only love
It's so simple and you know it is
You know it is, yeah
We can't be to and fro like this, sang Kurt (to Blaine) as the group circled each other
All our lives
You're the only way to me, sang Rachel
The path is clear
What do I have to say to you, sang Puck
For Gods sake, dear, sang Finn
For Gods sake, dear, sang Santana, winking at Finn
For Gods sake, dear, sang Mercedes
For Gods sake, dear , sang Sam and Quinn
For Gods sake, dear, sang Blaine, smiling at Kurt, before the group made a pathway for Puck and Rachel to walk up.Just say yes, just say there's nothing holding you back
It's not a test, nor a trick of the mind
Only love, sang Puck and Rachel as a duet, looking at each other with love in their eyes.Just say yes, coz I'm aching and I know you are too
For the touch of your warm skin
As I breathe you in
I can feel your heart beat through my shirt
This was all I wanted, all I want
Its all I want
Its all I want
Its all I want
Its all I want
Just say yes, just say there's nothing holding you back
It's not a test, nor a trick of the mind
Only love
Just say yes, coz I'm aching and I know you are too
For the touch of your warm skin
As I breathe you in
Bowing, the music faded out to a smiling and happy Glee Club. "That was great guys, really!" Mr Schue smiled, proud of his clubs accomplishments. "But we need to get on the bus now; otherwise we'll be late getting to the hotel. Five minutes guys!" said Mr Schue, walking off to find Ms Pillsbury.
"Rach, babe! Hey, wait wait!" shouted Puck, running to catch Rachel before she slipped into the changing rooms.
"Noah, hello. What can I do for you?" smirked Rachel, walking straight into her boyfriends open arms.
"Well, you able to keep those skinny jeans?" Puck said roughly, littering Rachel's neck in the process.
"Really Noah? Skinny jeans? But yes, I am…I will wear them tonight. Get your heart racing!" gently shoving Noah away, Rachel walked into the changing room, purposely sashaying more than necessary.
Urgh, thought Puck, hitting the wall to stop him following Rachel.
"Babe, you know I love you, right? Like, you're my endgame love you? Rach!" said Puck, hearing a muffled "yes" from Rachel, who was in the shower. Looking in the mirror, making sure he looked right. Thankfully, Sam and Puck had been able to change rooms behind Schuesters' back.
"I'll be out in a minute, Noah!" called Rachel from the bathroom.
The door opened, and Puck spun round, to be faced with the most gorgeous site he had ever seen. Rachel was dressed in the skinny jeans that made his heart racing, pairing it with red heels, silver jewellery and a green one shouldered flowing top.
"How do I look, Noah?" asked Rachel, giving a swirl.
"You…you look…stunning, babe," replied Puck.
Taking Rachel in his arms and giving her a huge hug, the couple seemed to be in bliss at that moment. Breaking away, Puck went to his bag and produced a black velvet box, hearing a faint gasp behind him, he smirked before turning around.
"Babe, I love you, you know that. Like, my heart races so much when you're in the room. But, I want people to know this, you understand? This is no engagement, shit no, that's gonna be classy, way classier that this. But still, I want us to be us. And forever starts today," walking up to Rachel, opening the box, Puck smiled, knowing he'd just quoted a song that she loved.
"I, I, Noah, this is beautiful. I love you too, so so much. And, forever started last year, you idiot! Or…to be more precise, forever started that first time we met at temple when we were 5 years old," smiled Rachel. Puck took the ring out of the box and slid it onto her ring finger, admiring it before bringing her in for a kiss.
Later that evening, the blissful couple walked downstairs to the Glee clubs suite to be met with surprise by their friends, only to find them looking between Quinn and Rachel. Both girls looked surprised, then happy, running to each other to compare rings. Sam and Puck? They smiled and laughed, before seating themselves next to the person they knew would be next to them forever and a day.
"I finally found you, my missing puzzle piece. I'm complete."
At first, the promise ring shocked McKinley, but not because Rachel had one (there had been a bet going on for that. Mike now owed Tina $20). Oh no, the promise ring that surprised the school was Quinn's, given to her by Sam. But that was just over a year ago, and the foursome was graduating. The four were planning a road trip to California before they flew to New York to move into their off campus apartment. All four of them were headed for NYC with Puck going to Columbia with Quinn and Sam attending NYU with Rachel. Surprisingly, Puck was going to major in Business. The quartet (rarely seen without at least one of their little group) was moving into an apartment in Brooklyn that had enough space for them all to live happily.
Graduation was fantastic. The seniors in New Directions sung for the final time together, welling up into tears multiple times throughout their performance. Quinn delivered a beautiful and surprisingly memorable valedictorian speech, and the football team didn't mess the whole experience up. Now though, that was just a memory, for the two "power" couples of the class that graduated that day were graduates from somewhere else, and were heading back to Lima for two very special occasions, happening soon after one another.
Sam and Quinn looked at one another, the memory of last Saturday still vivid in their minds. Snapping out of their reverie, the two looked in front of them, to look at their best friends, their happy day finally here.
"I love you. Everything about you, and I am completely and irrevocably in love with you. That day, 6 years ago, when that fateful week of our disastrous fling came to an end because I was a wus on the bleachers, that day was the day I fell in love with you. Rachel, you brought out something in me that I wanted to stay. You are the reason that I am in the top ten of lawyers in New York, and why I am who I am. Rachel Berry, I love you, I'm in love with you. My missing puzzle piece, the girl who's hand is meant to be in mine. Today, I take these vows to make you my wife. Forever," wiping away a tear, Puck smiled at the crying Rachel, her eyes bursting with love.
"Rachel," said the rabbi.
"Noah, sometimes you aggravate me with your dirty laundry, but I am so in love with you, it confuses me. Even when I was with Finn, there was something I couldn't find with anyone but you. I find everything about you amazing. You made me be Elphaba, your help on countless nights when I knew you needed to be studying, and you refused. I love you for it, and so much more. I want to spend forever with you, the two of us against the world. Today, I take these vows for this to become true," smiled Rachel.
"Rings," asked the rabbi, looking to Sam and Quinn.
"Here you are," said the other married couple simultaneously, laughing at the cheesiness of the previous moment, with their best friends.
Sliding the rings on each others ring fingers, the couple smiled at each other and leaned in for the kiss as the rabbi said "I now pronounce you, man and wife." Forever had started.
A/N: So, hey guys. I'm new to writing decent length one-shots and I want some feedback. What do you think? I'm planning on another few one shots from song lyrics like this, but reviews would be appreciated!
