A/N: I have decided that I am just not cut out for chapter stories, so I decided that I should just write one-shots and see if that goes any better.
A/N: Puck and Rachel are probably OOC, but I guess I was kind of going for that. Also, this story line is way over done but I don't mind one bit. =)
Disclaimer: I don't own glee.
Noah, Not "Puck"
Noah "Puck" Puckerman enter the double doors of McKinley High with his signature smirk placed on his face. In his hand was a Big Quench from the local 7-11 down the street.
The students in the hallway watch him make his way through the crowd because they know exactly what is about to go down, and it is not going to end pretty for the school freak Rachel Berry.
Meanwhile, Rachel was at her locker completely oblivious to the commotion going on around her as she gathered her things for the school day. Rachel Berry was nothing but organized.
Just as she was about to shut her locker door, an outside force shut it for her, she looked up to see Noah and looked in his hand to see the cup he was holding. Everybody in the hall went quite as they waited for Puck to throw it at her.
Instead of flinching like she normally would, she just smiled at him, took the cup, and said, "Thank you, Noah."
Then she walked off to her class. All of the students were stunned. They were expecting her to get covered in colorful ice and then do one of her famous storm outs to the bathroom.
They all glanced at Puck, who was looking at Rachel leave with a soft smile on his face. After she was out of sight, he turned to the students in the hall and said, "What the hell do you think you are looking at?"
He plastered his smirk back on his face and made his way to the nurses office, there was no way in hell he was going to go to math class, he was far to badass for that.
While Puck skipped Rachel actually went to class because there was no way she was going to get a scholarship to a good performing arts school, thus ending all of her chances of making it on Broadway.
Even as she sat in class though, her mind was elsewhere. Thinking about how this thing between her and Noah started…
Flashback:
It all started after the "Run Joey Run" disaster, Finn was angry with her and Jesse needed to "think" about their relationship. She never meant to cause anyone pain, she just wanted to boost her reputation.
She was sitting in the chorus room and tried to figure out ways to apologize to the three boys. She decided to start with Noah, thinking he would be the easiest.
So the next day Rachel entered the school determined to find Puck. She checked the hallway where his locker was and couldn't find him there, but she then remembered that he had morning practice and found him by the gym locker rooms.
"Noah!" She shouted. She still felt guilty so she was slightly hurt when he ignored her.
"Noah!" She shouted again. This time he turned around and felt bad he ignored her the first time after seeing the look on her face. She looked guilty, a little hurt, and slightly irritated.
He sighed and asked, "What the hell do you want, Berry?"
She stopped in front of him and said, "I am here to formally apologize to you, my actions during the "Run Joey Run" video were completely unacceptable, and I am sorry if my actions led to any-"
Puck got her off by saying, "Berry, relax. I don't care, you didn't hurt my feelings, I'm not a pansy ass like St. James and Hudson."
In fact, he knew exactly what she was feeling after the whole Babygate thing broke loose, he knew what it was like to have damage to your reputation, it is why he took the glist off of her locker.
Rachel narrowed her eyes at the term he used to describe her boyfriend and friend. She didn't bother to give him a lecture, she just nodded and spun around on her heel to go in the other direction.
It was later that day that she tried to apologize to Finn. It was right before glee rehearsal and they were the first two there, practice wasn't for another fifteen minutes.
She hesitantly moved over to Finn and opened her mouth to speak when Finn spoke up instead. "Rachel, I don't want to hear your apology right now, I just can't believe you would hurt my feelings like that, you know? It's not something I would expect from you Rach."
Rachel was a little surprised that she felt tears pricking the corner of her eyes, so she got up quietly and sat in the hallway outside before Finn could see them.
She didn't notice Noah strolling down the hallway as she let the tears silently roll down her face, she was to caught up in the fact that she disappointed one of the few friends she had.
Puck was about to enter the chorus room when he saw Rachel sitting off to the side with her eyes closed and tears leaking out of them. He never liked it when girls cried so he figured that was the reason he felt a tiny tug at his heart.
He loomed over her and attentively said, "Berry?"
Her name broke her out of her musings and she quickly lifted her hand to wipe the tears off of her face.
"Oh, hello Noah, I didn't see you there, glee is starting soon and we should be getting in there."
She didn't really make any move to get up so Puck crouched down so he was at eye level with her.
He didn't know what came over him, but it reminded him of when his sister would come into his room after a nightmare or when there was a raging thunderstorm. He would take her in his arms and protect her from all of her problems.
He was a badass, but loved his sister more than anything in this entire world. He had to be the dad she never had after his deadbeat father left.
So he moved from his spot in front of Rachel, to next to her up against the lockers. They stared at the other wall when he asked her "What's up, Berry?"
She just sighed and said, "I think my boyfriend is going to break up with me, and I just disappointed one of the few friends I have." She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on top of them.
Puck has never seen Rachel with out her crazy ass smile plastered to her face, and it threw him for a loop. "Listen, Finn will come around. He always does, he just needs to lick his wounds a bit. As far as St. James goes, he is an idiot if he lets you get away."
After the last few words left his mouth, Puck mentally slapped himself. So he got up quickly and offered her his hand and said "We should get to glee." Then proceeded to act like it never happened.
End Flashback.
That was the first time Rachel really got a glimpse of Puck's true colors. After that moment they formed a strange friendship of sorts. They would talk occasionally over the computer and would say hello in the hallway.
Little did she know that Puck had been discreetly watching over her, making sure slushies stopped, and that nobody bothered her. He felt bad that she had no one to look after her.
Her class ended and as she walked through the hall and saw Noah, he came up to her and began talking in quiet tones. "Hey, how are you today?" He brushed a stray hair from her face.
She glanced up and said, "Great now, will you be accompanying me at lunch today?"
He laughed a little bit and replied, "Yes, Rach, I will be sitting with you at lunch." He then proceeded to wrap his arm around her and kiss the side of her head. Then said, "See you then."
Rachel blushed then hurried to her next class. As she sat in English listening to her teacher read Romeo and Juliet she thought about the time her and Puck actually had and in depth conversation.
Flashback:
He was silently looking out for her after that day in the hallways, so when she was late to glee, he couldn't help but ask, "Where is Rachel?" Then quickly interjected, "I mean I only noticed because it's been five minutes and she hasn't said something completely obnoxious."
He didn't want the other glee kids to think that he actually cared. Even though he kind of did.
Quinn and Mercedes quickly told the glee club about spying on Vocal Adrenaline and then Mercedes ended with "Ms. Corcoran, their coach, she's Rachel's mom."
To keep up with the act, he said "Well that's it, Rachel is going to jump ship over to Vocal Adrenaline."
She looked at him pointedly and said "Never, I'm completely devoted to New Directions."
The girls preformed their Gaga number and Puck stayed behind as everyone left, Rachel noticed and stayed as well.
He plopped up onto the stage and waited for her to sit down. Slowly she made her way to his side.
They said nothing, and didn't look at each other. Finally he said "How did you know?"
She replied, "Jesse forced me to listen to a tape of her when I told him I wasn't ready, and it just got stuck. I recognized her voice immediately."
Puck's jaw was clenched when he heard about St. Doucher. When he felt her quiver a little bit he put his hand over hers.
In a heartbreaking tone she said, "She decided she didn't want to be my mother, that we should just acknowledge each other from a distance."
Then she started to sob. He just let her, and wrapped his arms around her as he did so. He started to talk about his deadbeat of a father. "Listen I know what it's like to not have someone love you the way you want them too."
She just nodded against his shoulder. Then said "I love my dads, they do everything for me, but sometimes I just wish I had a mother to braid my hair and talk about boys, things that only a mother can do."
He dragged his hand up and down her arm as she started to calm down. "My sister never got to meet him. I am the only one who looks after her." He subconsciously gripped her tighter.
"Noah, you are not your father, your sister is lucky to have you and so is Quinn." She curled further into him without a thought.
"Quinn?" he asked.
"You are so devoted to taking care of her and your baby." She answered.
"She's my daughter, I'm going to take care of her as long as I can before she is taken away from me." He said determinedly. Then an idea popped into his head.
"I just think I figured out the point to this week's assignment."
Later that day he sang Beth to Quinn and finally got what he wanted, a chance to meet his daughter.
This time it was Rachel who stayed behind and waited for him.
Then on impulse he hugged her tightly and said "We need to hang out more."
Rachel just nodded.
End flashback.
It was lunch time and she entered the cafeteria disappointed when he didn't see Puck anywhere. Suddenly she felt hands on her waist and then heard someone whisper "Got you."
She spun around, recognizing the voice immediately and smiled widely. "Hey Noah."
He said "Lets eat!"
She just laughed and he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
While she ate she started to remember the first showings of his affections towards her.
Flashback:
"Meet me out in the parking lot." She heard through the phone. She quickly got to her destination and had a small seed of hope planted in her stomach.
After Vocal Adrenaline was finished nailing her with eggs, Jesse finally came up to her. He was hesitant to throw it, until she told him to do it.
They were both unaware of the audience member they had during this encounter.
Jesse finally smashed the egg on her forehead then left with the rest of his team. She didn't let out her tears until she thought she was completely alone.
When she felt someone embrace her, she recognized it as Puck, thinking about when he hugged her after she told him about her mom. This time it almost felt protective like he was trying to keep her free from any more harm.
These thoughts were confirmed when he placed a light kiss on top of her head.
The next day when she recounted the event to the rest of the glee clubbers, he got angry. Ready to go beat up St. Doucher and the rest of his crew.
After he calmed down a bit, which was all Rachel's doing, he asked her if she wanted to come hang out at his place this weekend. He knew her parents weren't home, and he didn't want her to be by herself.
When she went there on Saturday, she was surprised to see what looked to be about a six year old girl in his arms. Then quickly remembered that he had a sister. She then took a look at his face and noticed that he looked extremely tired.
"Hey Rach, come on in."
"Hello Noah, are you feeling well?"
He shook his head saying. "Not really, Nina her got really sick last night and Ma was working the graveyard shift. So I had to watch out for her."
Rachel's heart swelled a bit at his confession.
"She's just about asleep, come with me upstairs then we will watch a movie or something up in my room."
Rachel just nodded her head and followed Noah.
He gently laid Nina on her bed and pressed a kiss to her forehead, and said "I love you, Ninabean."
As they left the room, Rachel said "I won't tell."
Then quietly asked, "Why don't you care if I know about how you really act?"
He just stared at her and replied, "I know I can trust you, plus you are the only one who really understands me Rach, and I need someone like that in my life."
(She was the first person he called when Beth was born a few days later. She came over that night and hugged him as he struggled with the unfamiliar emotions he felt and the pain he felt after losing his daughter.)
They then climbed into his bed, he pulled her to him and they began watching a movie that seemed pretty old.
They both just sighed contently.
After that day they realized that their feelings could no longer be ignored. So they began to hang out more and more.
Two weeks later they were on Rachel's couch, both sprawled out with her laying on top of him watching some movie but not really paying attention to it.
Puck speaks up and says "I like you Rach, and I really wanna be with you."
The way he says it so nonchalantly and out of the blue makes her smile because it's just like Noah to do something like that.
She turned her head and smiled down at him, "Of course." Then she kissed him.
Then they went back to watching the movie satisfied with what just happened.
End Flashback.
It's been about two months since that night.
As Noah went to go get their food she saw a silhouette of a figure looming over her. She looked up to see Dave Karoffskey with a slushy in his hand.
Before anything could happen though Puck came back to the lunch table.
"Is there a problem Karoffskey?"
"Not yet Puckerman."
Then Puck sneered. "Then get the hell away from my girl."
Then Karoffskey backed off. Rachel smiled up at Noah and said "That was very chivalrous of you, thank you Noah."
Noah just smiled down at her, then he kissed her.
Noah was her protector, her confident, her best friend, and her safe place.
People often ask how she dates a guy like Puck, she says that she doesn't.
They don't get what she means, but in her mind she adds, "I'm dating Noah."
She smiled as she thought about how Noah would play with her hair when he thought she wasn't paying attention or when she was about to fall asleep. When he would hold her tight when she wasn't feeling well or had a bad day. The Noah that would support all of her crazy ideas and always had to have some sort of contact with her.
It was Noah, not Puck.