Title: Worth The Wait
Spoilers: Up to 1x22 ~ Journey, a character introduced in season 2 and the university Quinn is accepted to in season 3 only.
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, so I'm just borrowing the characters and ideas for the fun of writing, *but* I do own the original characters, original plot and other original ideas.
A/N1: I edited this, so all mistakes are mine.
A/N2: Feedback keeps me writing, so please comment or review. :D
(Posted in 2 parts on LJ due to length restrictions. It's all in 1 part here on FF.)
...
A/N3: I wanted to do something for Halloween and this is what I came up with. Hope you all enjoy! Posting today, 10/31/2012, in honor of Halloween. Happy Halloween, everyone! (And respecting All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, Dia De Los Muertos and other similar days!)
A/N4: To explain the 'spoilers' a little more. Things in Glee Season 1 are possible. Sam Evans will be in here (joined in Season 2) and the university that Quinn will be going to (in late Season 3), Yale, comes up, but the events of Season 2 and 3 don't pertain to this story.
...
Monday October 27, 2014
It was a month into autumn and the temperature was cooler now, but Puck's light jacket was still all he needed to keep warm as he walked down the sidewalks of New York City, carrying his guitar in a bag over his shoulder. As he reached his destination, he pushed the door open and stepped into the warm café, finding it quite busy. Many of the tables were full, four people stood in line to place their orders and three were waiting for their items, with only two people behind the counter. Groaning inwardly, he quickly dashed into the staff office and dropped his things off, before returning to the front with his black apron on and clocked in for work, "dude, why didn't you call me in early?" He asked quickly, grabbing one of the drink cups to begin making the order.
"Sorry, but we were fine until about fifteen minutes ago," his friend, Sam, admitted, setting another cup by the coffee machine.
Being the most experienced person to work in the café, Puck quickly made the drinks that were ordered, while his other two coworkers took more orders and got food for the customers, but inwardly, Puck was fuming. "I really need to ask for a raise! I'm tired of this. My problem isn't with Sam; it's the others. They're newer here and I'm still making the same as them and most of the time I have to pick up the pieces when they're busy."
As the final coffees were handed over to the customers, Puck took a deep breath and shook off his frustration for a moment, before turning to the brunette girl, "Charlie, when do you get off work?"
The college Freshman glanced at the clock, "now," she admitted.
"Alright," Puck nodded, "we've got it covered."
As soon as she was gone, Puck glanced at Sam, "have you had a break yet?"
"No," Sam shook his head, "I can wait. You'll be here by yourself if I go."
"I'll be okay. Just go take a break," Puck said honestly, able to handle things for a short time by himself.
Sam eyed him curiously, but gave in, moving into the back area to take a break, giving Puck some time alone.
Taking a deep breath again, Puck began cleaning up from the rush they had. Cups were scattered around, coffee and milk were spilled on a few counters and while he wiped up the messes, his eyes scanned over the people in the café. Seated at the tables were various sized groups of students, many being from the nearby colleges and most were regulars. His focus landed on a group of familiar faces, two girls and two guys, who were usual customers, but he quickly noticed one girl was missing. As if on cue, the absent brunette walked in and headed right for the counter, so Puck stopped what he was doing and washed his hands. "Hey, Rachel. The usual?" He asked curiously, drying his hands before reaching for a cup.
"Yes please," Rachel blushed, nodding at him, "thank you."
Rachel had been coming to the café for just over two years, almost as long as she'd been a student at the college nearby; now in her third year. Puck had been attracted to her for a while, but she was always with her friends or only in long enough to get a coffee, so he'd never taken the chance to pursue much with her. He also didn't think she'd want to be involved with someone who just barely managed to graduate high school and was living paycheck to paycheck in a studio apartment, when she was going to college and had the potential for so much more.
"Here you go," Puck said simply, setting the hot mocha on the counter.
"Thank you, Noah," she replied, using his real name and not his nickname like everyone else used. She'd once asked him where 'Puck' came from, since it was on his name tag and he'd explained it was short for his last name, Puckerman. He also told her what his first name really was and ever since, she'd been calling him by that, because she preferred calling him 'Noah' over 'Puck'.
Taking the money from her, Puck noticed she seemed to be gathering the courage to say something, "is everything alright?" He wondered, handing back her change.
"Um, yeah, it is. Sorry, I'm a bit distracted today," she admitted, a blush growing on her cheeks. Reaching out for her change, Puck poured the coins onto her palm and their hands accidentally brushed together, causing sparks to crackle within her, "Noah, I..."
"Rachel! Are you going to join us? We've got a test to study for, remember?" A guy called out from the table where her friends were sitting.
Rachel sighed and bit her lip, "are you going to be here later?" She asked Puck softly.
"I'm closing tonight, so yeah, I will be," Puck nodded, confused at her change in behavior and also very curious about what she'd tried to say.
"Okay, I'll stop in tonight and we can talk. Thanks again," she held up the coffee and then stepped away from the counter and over to her friends.
Puck watched her walk away and noticed a tingling in his hand that hadn't been there earlier. "Was she... Nah, she probably just had a question or something," he thought, knowing the sensation was the stirring of feelings that he'd been trying to ignore for quite a while, and in the recent months, it'd become much harder to push aside. Now, after their brief touch, the thoughts filling his mind were making it even tougher to ignore and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to much longer.
...
As Rachel took a seat with her friends, she was upset with Kurt. She couldn't fault him too much, though; they were all there to study for a test in a few hours, but she had just gotten up the guts to ask the handsome barista if he had a girlfriend and Kurt had interrupted her.
Rachel had been drawn to Puck for quite a while. At first, she just found him attractive and nice. She knew part of it was because he was being polite to a customer, but as she continued to stop into the café, they got to be friendlier to each other. They'd talk lightly about the day, the weather, but they never went into too much detail about their lives. When she'd begun to get feelings for him, she tried to push them aside, imagining he wouldn't be interested in her, because in the times she'd hung out at the café with her friends, she'd seen many girls flirting with him, giving him their numbers and he usually flirted back, but he never seemed to flirt with her. Rachel also wasn't as forward as those girls; she usually was shy when it came to guys. She also was skeptical that he'd be interested in her, because she didn't look like the girls he usually flirted with.
She wasn't self-conscious, in fact, she was quite comfortable with who she was and how she looked, but because of what she was trying to become, she'd already dealt with rejection. She'd dreamed of being a Broadway star since she was a young child and was on her way towards her goal, but she'd already had a few auditions for small roles that she'd been turned down for, because of her looks. She wanted to give Puck the benefit of the doubt, but with past experiences, rejection because of her looks and the type of girls he usually flirted with, she'd been hesitant to pursue something in the past. Now, she'd finally changed her mind and realized she wanted to to know if he was interested in her.
...
Puck wasn't sure what it was about Rachel that drew him to her first. She was gorgeous to him, she had longs legs, a beautiful smile and a confident personality that he really liked. She was herself; she usually dressed in sweaters, something that most girls their age stayed away from, but it made her stand out, in a good way. It told him the busy New York life hadn't changed the girl who first walked into the café, dressed in a black skirt and pink cardigan.
He really wanted to get to know Rachel, but he kept hesitating; thinking she was too good for him and he was also afraid once she found out what he'd been doing, she wouldn't trust him or want to be with him. He slept around a lot in high school and that continued once he'd moved to the city and snagged the job at the café. With colleges and dorms nearby, he always had girls wanting to be with him and since he wasn't looking for a steady relationship and the girls seemed to be up for just some fun, it was win-win for both sides. He wouldn't have any 'ties' and the girls could get what they wanted, some coming back for more, while others moved on and with the continual change of students in and out of the area, there were always new girls around to pique his appetite.
With a constant reminder from his mom about his lifestyle, Puck knew she wanted him to find someone to make him happy and not continue to play around. He knew it was because she didn't want a 'pregnancy scare' again, like he'd had when he was in high school. He didn't want one either, so he was always extra careful and made sure he kept condoms with him. He also didn't want a 'scare' to turn into the real thing; at least until he was ready to be a dad, something he didn't know much about because his father took off when he was a kid, leaving him, his mom and baby sister.
Puck had graduated from high school in June of 2012 and immediately moved to NYC from Lima, Ohio. He got the job at the café after being in the city for a week and in October of the same year is when Rachel first came into the café, as a Freshman in college, but it wasn't right away that he'd begun to grow feelings for her. Like with all the customers, he was polite and the only way he learned her name was because they always wrote the customer's name on their coffee cups, so they knew who it was for. If it wasn't for that, he wasn't sure how long it would have been before he'd learned her name. The following summer, she'd gone home for a break, so he didn't see her for almost three months and over her absence, he realized he missed seeing her. That September afternoon when she stopped in, on her way to a class for her Sophomore year, he felt a relief to see her again and that's really when his feelings began to grow.
Since then, he'd tried to ignore his feelings, by continuing to sleep around, but it didn't seem to be the same. He was beginning to want a real relationship and only was able to see himself in one with Rachel. With her gone for another summer, it had only strengthened his feelings and decided that sometime before the end of 2014, he was going to take a chance and ask her out. He'd never been nervous about asking a girl out before, but Rachel was different and he wanted it to be the 'right time'. He also didn't want to do it in front of her friends, who she always seemed to be with when she was in the café. She also hung out with a few guys, one of them named Kurt, who hung all over her and Puck wondered if he was her boyfriend, which was another reason why he'd hesitated to ask her out; he hated rejection.
All of these thoughts were now dancing around in Puck's mind as he wondered what Rachel was going to ask him. He didn't want to expect anything, but he was curious if she was going to ask him out. She seemed very mad at Kurt for interrupting her and when she asked him if he'd be there later, a tinge of hope stirred within him. He could tell whatever it was made her nervous about asking him and though there were other options, asking him out seemed to fit their situation the most.
...
"Dude, are you okay? You've been cleaning since I went to break," Sam admitted.
"I'm fine," Puck replied, shaking from his thoughts, "you guys made a mess during the rush," he added.
"Yeah, well, it's only going to get messy again," Sam shrugged, "I'm closing with you and Kevin tonight, too."
"Really? I thought you got off at four," Puck commented.
"I was scheduled to, but Kim has a big test tomorrow and wanted tonight off so I said I'd work a double. Can't complain at the extra hours," Sam explained.
"Yeah, I get ya," Puck nodded, "did you clear it with Colby or Dianne?"
Sam nodded, "yeah. They're cool with it."
"Sweet," Puck smirked, "sounds like it's gonna be a great night!"
...
In the two hours that Rachel and her friends spent studying for their test, she couldn't help glancing towards Puck several times, most of the time, meeting his eyes. They'd smile at each other and then return to what they were doing, trying not to draw too much attention to the fact they'd been looking at each other.
At three-thirty, the five students collected their belongings and got back in line to get another round of coffees before heading to class. Puck and Sam quickly made their orders and Rachel made sure she was the last one in line. Puck was making the friends drinks and he decided to make her usual again. As she stepped up to the counter, he sat the cup down, "good luck on your test, Rachel," he smiled.
Rachel's cheeks flushed, but she returned his smile, "thank you, Noah," she replied, handing Sam her money.
Before Sam could do anything, Puck took the money and handed it back to her, "it's on me," he said simply, earning a surprised look from both Sam and Rachel.
"Noah, I... I shouldn't..." She bit her lip nervously.
"Don't worry about it. I can cover a drink for under five bucks," he assured her, pulling out his wallet and handing his own five to Sam. "Now, go on before you're late," he added, seeing her friends waiting for her by the door.
"Thank you so much," she blushed, "I'll... I'll see you later, Noah."
"No problem and I'll be here," he said, grinning and waving at her as she stepped away from the counter.
Rachel returned his wave and after a brief moment of eye contact, she turned and joined her friends, leaving the café.
"Holy crap! What was that?" Sam gasped, staring at Puck. "Do you... Is there something you're not telling me?"
Puck shrugged, "I don't know. I think I like her."
"You think you like her, yet you just bought her a coffee? You've never done that before, for anyone," Sam grinned, "I think you do like her."
"Maybe I do," Puck agreed, taking a deep breath, "she was trying to ask me something earlier, but her friends interrupted. She's gonna come back later tonight."
Sam nodded, "so when she gets here, are you gonna take a short break?"
"I'd like to. At least a few minutes," Puck replied, looking at him, "I don't even know what she was going to ask, so don't go making a big deal out of this, alright?"
"Alright, I'll be cool. It's just a little odd, because I've never seen you like this," Sam commented, motioning to him.
"I know. I've never really felt like this towards someone either," Puck admitted, shrugging, "so I'm gonna see what happens."
"I'd do the same thing," Sam agreed, "good luck."
"Thanks, man."
...
Their third coworker, Kevin, came in at four, to work with them until closing a ten, so the guys talked and took care of their duties. Sam took his thirty minute 'lunch' break around four-thirty and Puck took one when he got back, not sure when Rachel would arrive and knew they couldn't eat too late or they'd get behind on their clean-up for closing.
"Are you gonna play tonight?" Kevin asked when Puck got back from his thirty minute break.
"I don't know," Puck admitted, glancing at the empty stage, "I guess I could for a while."
"You don't have to, I just happened to see you brought your guitar and thought you were going to," Kevin shrugged.
Puck nodded, "I know. I'll think about it. I usually bring it all the time, because I don't want to leave it at my place."
Kevin nodded in agreement, "I get ya, man. Something as important as that, I wouldn't leave it at my place either."
...
Besides having a great location, Puck loved the café because it had a small stage. He moved to NYC to pursue a career in music and when he found the place, on an open-mic night, he was hooked. He applied that night and the next day got an interview and was hired by the end of it for a full-time job. There was also opportunities to play music for customers when he felt like it, giving him more experience playing for people, to see if he really wanted to continue with music. He taught himself how to play guitar at a young age and those who had heard him play at the café over the years, loved his voice and encouraged him to continue. They also loved the variety of songs he chose to sing, picking songs from other artists in various generas that others would recognize, because he didn't have enough confidence to play his own music in public yet.
It was a Monday, which wasn't normally an open-mic night, since the owners held it later in the week, and it was pretty quiet, so Puck decided not to play that night. He also wanted to be available when Rachel arrived so he could talk to her and not be distracted.
The hours seemed to tick by and once Kevin got back from his break, a little after seven, Puck was beginning to lose hope that Rachel would show up. He knew she still had a few hours before they closed, but he couldn't remember ever seeing her in the café that late at night, so he began to wonder.
Puck didn't have long to be lost in his thoughts, because the three employees quickly got busy, when people were leaving the theater down the street and stopped in after their movie had ended, or on their way to an evening show. Midway through their rush, Puck glanced up and saw the familiar beautiful brunette walk in, alone, and he waved at her in the middle of taking orders and she returned the gesture, before taking a seat at one of the small tables to wait until he was free. "She's here. Now I think I'm nervous," Puck thought, returning his focus to work so he didn't make a mistake.
Taking orders one-by-one, Puck and the guys continued to work, in hopes the 'rush' would end soon, so they could relax for moment. A few people towards the end of the line, a blond girl Puck had slept with once, reached the counter and he mentally groaned, "shit! If Rachel is really here to ask me out, I hope this chick doesn't do anything to ruin it!"
"Hey Puck!" The blond grinned happily, "I didn't know you were working tonight."
"Hey," he smiled politely at her, "I work most nights," he added, writing her drink information on a cup as she gave it to him, before handing it to Sam who was making them.
"That sucks. I bet you miss out on a lot of nightlife," she said, leaning over and reaching out to rest her hand on his arm, "maybe we could hang out tonight," she suggested with a wink.
"Damn it! Of all the nights!" Puck mentally sighed, quickly handing the blond back her change and seeing a hurt look on Rachel's face. "I've got plans tonight. Maybe some other time," he replied, trying to get rid of the blond.
"Alright," she sighed, "but if you change your mind, you know where to find me," she added, moving down to the small counter to wait for her drink.
Puck nodded and looked at Rachel across the room. She definitely seemed more nervous than she did a few minutes prior and she looked to be more on edge. Realizing he still had a few customers to help, he quickly took their orders and passed the drink cups down to Sam and Kevin. Just as he helped the final person, he looked up to see Rachel pushing the door open to leave. "Crap," he muttered, glancing at Sam, "I'll be back," he said quickly, moving around the counter and heading for the door quickly. Glancing to the left and right once he was outside, he saw her walking down the sidewalk and chased after her, "Rachel, wait up!"
The brunette stopped once she heard her name, knowing he'd followed her. Turning around, she looked at him and took a deep breath, "hello, Noah."
"What's wrong?" Puck asked quickly, having a feeling he knew what it was.
"Um," she bit her lip and closed her eyes to gather her thoughts, "I... I apologize for interrupting your work shift. I shouldn't have come," she admitted, not wanting to tell him the truth.
Puck stepped closer to her and shook his head, "you're not interrupting," he commented simply. "Now what is wrong?"
Rachel shook her head, "nothing... I was just being foolish."
"Foolish? What the hell, Rachel? What are you talking about?" He wondered, knowing exactly where the conversation was going.
"Foolish to think you were interested in me. That our brief conversations over the past two years meant something, but obviously that's not true," she said firmly.
"I am interested in you," Puck said quickly, closing the last bit of distance between them, "I like you Rachel and I have for a while now."
Rachel's eyes widened and began to get skeptical, "you're just saying that. I've seen the way you flirt with others, but you've never flirted with me. I also heard what that blond in there said to you. It's obvious you're more interested in extra curricular activities than anything else," she shook her head, "so again, I was also foolish to think you'd be interested in a relationship."
"Give me a chance to show you I am, Rachel. Yeah, I've slept around, but I have been interested in you for a while and I want to get to know you. You're honestly the first girl that I have ever wanted to be in a relationship with. I've never flirted with you, because I never felt I had to, to get close to you, and I enjoy that fact that we can actually have conversations about things. I also like that you come in and say 'hi' and ask me how I'm doing. You don't just come by, hand me your number or address and expect me to hop into your bed. You're different than the others and I want to see where things go between us, Rachel," Puck said honestly, taking a chance and reaching up to let his hand gently rest on her upper arm, "come on, Rachel. Give me a chance, please."
As his hand rested on her arm, Rachel felt sparks and loved the warmth building within her; it was a simple touch, yet it told her she wanted to be with him even more, but logic was holding her back, "I want to," she said truthfully, letting her eyes close for a brief moment while her thoughts played a mental tug-of-war. Her heart wanted to give him a chance and trust that he was telling her the truth, but logic told her that he'd slept around and she wasn't sure if she could trust he had or would change; she was scared of being hurt and was afraid of making the wrong decision.
Reaching out to take his free hand in hers, she squeezed it gently and smiled weakly at him, "Noah, I need some time," she murmured, fighting back tears when she finally looked at him, "I'm sorry."
Puck wanted to be pissed, but he understood and was willing to wait for her, so he squeezed her hand and nodded, "don't be sorry. I get it, but just know I'm not going anywhere and my feelings aren't going to change. I want us to try."
"Me too," she nodded at him, "I just need some more time," she finished, letting go of his hand and stepping away, before turning around and heading in the direction of her dorm, leaving him standing on the sidewalk.
"This is not how I expected this conversation to go," she thought as she walked, tears falling from her eyes, "I should have known he's slept around; many guys our age do. I just wish I would have thought more on this. He seems so nice and wonderful, but how could I have not realized that? I feel so stupid!"
Seeing someone flirting with Puck was not new; Rachel had seen it many times in the past. It bothered her, but never this bad and she realized it probably upset her the most because she'd just gotten the courage up to ask him out and because she wanted to have a relationship with him. She also knew even if they started dating, girls would still flirt with him and she'd be left with only his word that he'd never act on the offers. It was something she had a hard time dealing with, since her last relationship ended with her ex cheating on her. Now she was left with a lot to think about and decide.
Her walk brought her to her on-campus dorm and as she went into the building, instead of going to her room, she went to her best friend's and knocked, hoping he was still there. When Kurt answered the door, his eyes widened, "oh my God! Rachel, what's wrong?" He gasped, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the room, "what happened?" He asked quickly, wrapping her in a hug as soon as he shut the door.
"I... I..." She choked out a sob and curled into him for a moment to let her emotions drain out, "I went to talk to Noah," she murmured.
"Noah? Oh! Puck from the café?" Kurt asked, guiding her over to the small couch he had, "what happened? Is he seeing someone?"
"No," Rachel shook her head and wiped her eyes once they sat down, "he wants to try a relationship with me," she said honestly.
Kurt eyed her, now completely confused, "wait, he's single and wants to be with you, so why are you crying? This is a good thing, isn't it?"
"I saw a girl offering herself to him and I..." She paused and then went on to explain what she'd seen, how Puck followed her and what their conversation entailed.
"Oh sweetie," Kurt pulled her into his arms, "I understand why you'd be upset, but he went after you. Shouldn't that be enough to prove he's into you? If he wasn't, he wouldn't have cared if you took off."
"But he knew I was coming back tonight to talk to him. Maybe it was because he wanted to know what I was trying to ask him today," she suggested.
"Maybe, but still. He's into you and you're into him. Just because he flirts with girls and they flirt with him, doesn't mean he's going to cheat on you if you're together. He's been single so he can 'play the field'. If you don't give him a chance, you'll never know and then you'll always wonder what could have been. Isn't it better to see what happens and then if things don't work out, at least you tried?" Kurt asked softly, trying to stay as neutral as possible. "I know you don't want to be hurt again, but what if he doesn't hurt you? What if he makes it clear he's taken and treats you right?"
Rachel bit her lip, now realizing Kurt was right. She shouldn't continue to be scared of relationships because of her past and the good that could come from her and Puck's relationship outweighed the drawbacks, "thanks, Kurt. Sorry for just showing up."
"Don't worry about it. That's what friends are for," he assured her, "do you feel better?"
"Yes," she nodded, "I think I just needed to talk to someone about this. It wasn't until tonight that him flirting with others really bugged me. I haven't liked it in the past, but he hasn't been anyone to me except a nice guy who works at the coffee shop that I have a crush on. Now that I think about it, I don't have a right to be upset about this right now. We're just acquaintances, but if we started dating, then I could be upset about it."
"I get it," Kurt assured her, "and you have a right to be concerned about it, but yes, right now, you guys aren't anything specific, so getting upset about something like that is unnecessary and not your place. Puck seems like a nice guy and I think if you did get with him, he wouldn't sleep around or flirt with other girls," he added, "I don't know him specifically, but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. Do you think you'll go back to talk to him tonight?"
Rachel thought about his question and shook her head, "no, I don't think so. I need a few days to cool off."
"Good idea. Don't forget Friday night. Maybe if you cool off quick enough you could invite him to the Halloween party," he suggested.
"I totally forgot that was this Friday!" Rachel gasped, remembering the dorm's Halloween party they were hosting.
"Do you have your costume?" Kurt wondered.
"Yes, I already have it, but I just forgot that Halloween was Friday," Rachel took a deep breath, "I'll be cooled off by then."
"Good, because Puck's a pretty hot catch," Kurt winked.
Rachel blushed, "he definitely is."
...
When Puck walked back into the café, Sam was the first to ask him how things went. Puck just glared at him and went into the back to start doing dishes; he was not in a good mood.
Sam gave Puck some space, but after a short time, curiosity got the best of him and he headed into the pack, "so, I'm guessing it didn't go so well?"
Puck sighed, "I don't know. Kind of. She wants to go out, so that's great, but she was leaving because she got pissed when she saw the blond chick flirting with me," he admitted, "I think she's been cheated on in the past. Yeah, I sleep around, but I'd never cheat on my girlfriend. That's just not right," he said honestly, "and we do want to try a relationship, but she just needs some more time, so I'm gonna give it to her. I'm hoping she'll cool off in a few days."
"Wow, that sucks man," Sam replied, "I hope she does, too. She seems like a nice person, from what I've seen."
"From what I've gathered she is, too. Probably deserves better than me, but I'm definitely not going to mention that to her; at least not right now," he told him.
"Don't sell yourself short. You're doing pretty good for yourself. You live on your own in New York City. You've got a full-time job, time to play music when you want. It's a lot better situation than other people our age who come here. Granted this isn't some high-class lawyer job or something, but it pays the bills, gives us benefits and vacation days, right?" Sam wondered.
"Very true," Puck took a deep breath, "you're right. I didn't think of it like that. Thanks."
"No problem. Sometimes an outsider's perspective helps," Sam admitted, "you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm good. I said what I wanted to her and I'm hoping she'll give me a chance and won't wait too long to talk to me again. I don't have any way to contact her; hell, I don't even know her last name," Puck smirked at the realization.
Sam laughed, "well, the next time you talk to her, maybe you could ask her," he suggested.
Puck nodded in agreement, "I will."
...
Puck couldn't stop thinking about Rachel or their brief conversation Monday night. She hadn't been into the café since then and he missed her. He wanted to see her smile again, to listen to her talk and just know she was okay. He still felt bad about her reaction and hoped he could have a chance to reassure her and prove that he wasn't going to cheat on her. He had a cheating father, so he knew all too well the destruction it caused and he'd never be his father.
Through missing Rachel over the next few days, Puck was beginning to worry about her. He was used to seeing her several times a week, sometimes multiple times a day, so it wasn't like her to not come in at all. Her absence, along with their conversation, made him wonder if she had been scared off and wasn't coming in because she was afraid to see him.
He was also mad at himself for two other things. He didn't feel it should have taken him so long to say something to her about a relationship; he hadn't said anything yet and if she hadn't brought it up first, he wouldn't have for a while, so he was upset that he'd wasted so much time. He was also pissed because he had no way of contacting her. He should have gotten her number or at least known her full name so he could look her up on Facebook, but he'd never thought about it before. Now that he hadn't seen her, he wished he had.
A few of the people Rachel hung out with the most in the café, had stopped in a few times over the next few days, but none of them said anything to him. He didn't really think it was a good idea to ask them about her, even though he wanted to, because he didn't know her relationship with them and he didn't feel it was their business; it was between him and Rachel.
...
Thursday night the owners, Colby and Dianne, were there, along with Puck and Sam for open-mic night. A few people had played for the small crowd and though Puck had his guitar, he wasn't in the mood for playing. A little after nine-thirty, the last performer finished and customers began to leave, since the café closed at ten. Puck and Sam began moving around the sitting area, wiping down tables and chairs before putting them up for the night.
About nine-forty-five, the door opened and Puck looked up, seeing one of Rachel's friends, Kurt, walk in. At first Puck thought he was there to get something, but when he walked right to him, Puck got a nervous feeling in his stomach, "uh, hi. Weren't you here earlier today?" He asked, remembering he'd been in that afternoon.
Kurt laughed, "caffeine at this time of night? Uh, no. I'd never sleep if I did get some. I actually came to talk to you."
"Me?" Puck raised a curious eyebrow, while his stomach did flip-flops.
"Yes. It's about Rachel," Kurt said, "and I know you're working, so I can wait until you're off, or we can talk now. I just don't want you to get in trouble."
"Um, I think I can have a few minutes," Puck admitted, glancing at his boss, "Colby, can I have like five minutes?"
"Yeah, go for it, Puck. Just make it quick," Colby replied.
Puck nodded his thanks and motioned to the exit. He and Kurt moved outside and stayed by the door, "alright, what's up? Is she alright?" Puck asked concerned.
"She hasn't been in an accident or anything like that, if that's what you mean," Kurt assured him, then took a deep breath, "it's why she hasn't been here for the past few days."
Swallowing nervously, Puck nodded, "she's decided we shouldn't date and doesn't want to make it awkward?"
"No, that's not it at all, actually," Kurt corrected, "she does want to date you. She really likes you," he paused, gathering his thoughts and sighed, "Rachel is... I love Rachel. She's one of my best friends and she's an amazing singer, dancer and performer, but when it comes to relationships, sometimes she can be a little, um, clueless. I'm not trying to scare you away or anything, but actually, she feels horrible for overreacting the other night and has wanted to come back to talk to you, but she's embarrassed."
"Embarrassed? Why?" Puck gasped in shock.
"Because of how she overreacted," Kurt told him, "she," he laughed lightly, "Rachel and I went out with some friends one night at one of our favorite restaurants and we had one of our regular servers. It was Rachel's turn to leave the tip and she forgot until we got back to our dorm. She was so embarrassed and instead of returning the next day to give our server a tip and apologize, she avoided the place for like a month."
Puck laughed lightly, "seriously? A month? But I don't get what she's embarrassed about from the other night? She got upset. There's nothing wrong with that."
"I know that and you know that, but she's embarrassed that she overreacted and now that she's had a few days to cool off and think about it, she doesn't feel she had a right to make a big deal about what happened. She now also feels like you'll be mad at her for telling you she needed more time and I think she's worried you'll have changed your mind," Kurt explained, knowing he was taking a big chance by telling Puck everything.
"I'm not mad at her at all and I definitely haven't changed my mind. I am mad at myself, though, for not knowing how to contact her and for waiting so damn long to even say something," Puck replied, rubbing his forehead, "I was being an idiot and should have said something sooner."
"Personally, I think it was better that Rachel initiated that conversation. Before summer break, she split up with her boyfriend, because he cheated on her and she needed time to heal. I'm not saying you'll be a rebound, because she really likes you and I think she has way before she started dating the ex, but what I'm getting at is if you had said something sooner, she might have turned you down, even though she liked you, because she was still healing," Kurt told him.
"That makes total sense," Puck nodded, relaxing a lot. "So, should I call her or something?"
"Actually, I have a better idea," Kurt pulled a bright colored piece of paper from his jacket and handed it to him.
"What's this?" Puck took the paper and glanced over the flier, advertising a Halloween costume party at a dorm.
"Our dorm is throwing a costume party tomorrow night for Halloween. I don't know if you're working or already have plans, but we're on the committee that has put it together. It's not gong to be anything fancy; it's mostly food, drinks, music, cheesy games and decorations. You don't even have to dress up, if you don't want to or don't have time," he explained, "she's going to be there, in a place she's comfortable and seeing you there, might be a good thing. You guys could talk and maybe exchange numbers so you could be in contact and we don't have to keep catching you at work," Kurt motioned to the café. "What do you think?"
Puck smiled in relief and looked at him, "I'll be there. I close again, but as soon as I'm off I'll be over. The address isn't far from here, right?" He motioned in the direction he thought it was.
"Yeah," Kurt nodded, "we have midnight as an end time, but the majority of guests will be residents in the dorm or on campus, so we'll probably go a lot later. Do you have an idea of what you might wear?" He wondered, "so I know what I'm looking for when you get there?"
"I have my high school football jersey, so I'll probably wear that and my Letterman's jacket. It's red," Puck told him, knowing they'd been talking more than five minutes.
"Okay, I'll keep an eye out for you sometime after ten, right?" Kurt asked and when Puck nodded he smiled, "great! I'll let you get back to work. See you tomorrow!"
"See ya, man," Puck nodded at him.
Kurt waved and headed towards his dorm and Puck went back into the warm café. Grinning as he looked at the flier, he then folded it up and slid it into his pocket so he didn't lose it, before getting back to cleaning.
"Oh come on, you're not going to say anything? Dude, what was that all about?" Sam asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
"Rachel's friend invited me to a party their dorm is throwing tomorrow night. Rachel's gonna be there and it's a great way to see her," Puck smirked, "and that's all you're getting."
"Fair enough. Hope things work out," Sam told him.
Puck nodded in agreement, "me too, bro."
...
Friday, October 31, 2014
Keeping in mind that Puck still needed to talk to Rachel before he could fully relax, he was able to sleep a lot better than he had been, because he at least knew Rachel hadn't given up on them. He hoped that him showing up at the party wasn't going to upset her, but it was a chance he was willing to take because he wanted to see her.
Not having to be at work until two in the afternoon, Puck did a load of laundry, making sure his jersey and jacket were clean; the two items not worn since the previous Halloween. He wasn't very original for his costume, but his bosses wanted the workers to all wear something and he figured since he still had his jersey, he could get some use out of it.
When Puck got ready for work, though he usually took his guitar with him, he decided since he didn't know when he'd be back, he'd leave it at home. His apartment complex wasn't the most secure, but they had added additional safety features to the apartments, like extra locks on the doors and windows, but a few of his neighbors still had been broken into, so he was always extra careful. He'd found a few odd hiding spots around his place to keep things important and this time he also used one of his hiding spots for his guitar.
Leaving for work, Puck was looking forward to that night. If the previous years were any indication, after sundown, the café would be very quiet and since his boss would be there, a few of the workers would probably get to go home early, but he wasn't expecting that. Kurt was planning on him getting to the party sometime after ten and he'd have plenty of time to meet up with Rachel to talk to her, but if he got off early, he wouldn't complain.
Arriving at the café, his coworkers were in the middle of an afternoon rush, all of them dressed up in some sort of costume. Sam and Kevin were closing with him that night and Sam was already there, so Puck took his jacket off, hung it up and joined Sam by the time clock, waiting to start their shift.
"I bet you're excited for tonight," Sam grinned.
Puck shrugged, "yeah, I'm definitely glad I can see Rachel," he agreed, "I just hope she doesn't get upset for what her friend did."
"I'm sure she'll understand and be happy to see you. Besides, you two have to find somewhere else to spend your time, other than here," Sam commented, "like taking her out on a real date or something, so you're not only together here."
"Yeah, I know," Puck laughed lightly, "and we will, but I hope things also stay the same, you know? She'll come in once and a while with her friends to hang out and then I can take a break to spend a few minutes with her, so I can actually see her during the day."
"That's understandable," Sam agreed, "and if Colby keeps you with weekends off you'll have them to spend together, too."
"He will. You and I are the only ones who always work during the week because we're not in school, so they can work weekends. It's nice to have them off and since Rachel is a student, she'll have her weekends free, I'm guessing. I don't know for sure. I'll find out tonight."
...
Rachel moved around the main level of her dorm and checked things off her list. Since the day before, she and the rest of the party's committee had been decorating and preparing for the event. The lobby of the dormitory had a large cafeteria, kitchen, and 'living room', perfect for entertaining and some of the culinary students had offered to help with the food and drinks. She, Kurt and his boyfriend, Ryan, were taking care of decorating and rearranging the furniture and their friends Tina and Mercedes were dealing with the small stage for entertainment and the audio equipment, including a karaoke machine and amp for people to play their own instruments.
The preparations helped Rachel distract herself from the conversation with Puck. Now she was more embarrassed and worried he'd change his mind, so she'd decided to stay away from the café for a while, in hopes it would give him a chance to calm down, too. Kurt kept reminding her she couldn't stay away forever and she knew that, and also didn't want to, but part of her was still nervous and a bit scared to talk to him, afraid of what he'd say.
"Rachel, why aren't you in your costume yet?" Kurt asked, already partially dressed in his Lady Gaga inspired outfit.
"I've been making sure everything is close to being ready," she glanced at the clock and saw it was just after six, "and it's only going to take me like ten minutes to get ready. I'm borrowing my costume from Quinn and I don't want it to get ruined, so I'm waiting until the last minute," she explained, checking something else off the list attached to the clipboard she'd been carrying around.
When Rachel mentioned their friend from high school, currently in her third year at Yale, Kurt raised a curious eyebrow, "what are you borrowing from her?"
"I'm not telling," Rachel grinned, "you'll see when I change."
Rachel chose that moment to walk away, to continue what she'd been doing and Kurt turned to his boyfriend and smiled brightly, "this is perfect!"
"What is?" Ryan asked, completely clueless to what he was talking about.
"Quinn was the head cheerleader of our high school's cheer team," Kurt started.
"Okay, so what? Rachel's got her uniform?" He wondered, "nothing wrong with that."
"Exactly! It's perfect, because Puck told me he was going to wear his high school football jersey and his Letterman's jacket. You do know the stereotypes between football players and cheerleaders, right?" Kurt asked, hopeful.
Ryan laughed, "of course I do. I grew up in London, but also went to some high school here. I know all about that," he reminded him and then smiled, "and you're right. It is perfect."
"I just hope everything works out between them," Kurt admitted, glancing towards Rachel, "I hate seeing her alone. I know we're young, but she's never had the best luck with relationships and I hope Puck is the key. I know I'm putting a lot of faith in him, but he just seems so different than the guys Rachel's dated in the past and maybe that's what she's needed. I also hope she doesn't get mad at me for telling Puck about the party tonight."
"She's not going to be mad at you," Ryan assured him, "if anything, she'll be thankful you told him and this may be the change she needs."
Kurt nodded and took a deep breath, relaxing, "that's my hope."
...
The café, like Puck expected, was super slow and when his boss asked who wanted to get off early, Sam and Kevin both suggested Puck, because they knew he had plans. Heading right for the dorm, he realized as he got closer that he'd been there before. Some of the girls he'd slept with lived there, so his stomach knotted up, as he worried about how things would go, but he tried to push it aside. He wanted to see Rachel and he was going to do anything to make sure that happened, and to prove to her that he could be trusted.
Glancing around the large living room as Puck walked inside, he was hoping to find Kurt or Rachel in the crowd of students, but with everyone dressed up, some with heavy makeup on, it was hard to see everyone's faces, especially because of the 'eerie' lighting for Halloween. Hearing his name over the music and the amount of people talking, he looked in the direction he thought it was coming from and sighed inwardly when he saw the girl that caused all the problems Monday night, "damn it. Of all the girls, it has to be her!" Lightly pretending like he didn't hear her he continued to look around, hoping to see Rachel.
"Hi, Puck! Did you miss me?" The blond, dressed in a skimpy nurses uniform walked up to him, "do you need a little medical attention?" She winked, slipping her arm around his.
Puck froze as she touched him, and took a step away from her, shaking her off, "look, you've gotta stop."
"But why? Didn't you have fun that night we spent together?" She asked, pouting.
"You seem like a nice girl, but I'm not here for you," Puck looked up and saw familiar brown eyes staring at him, "I've got a girlfriend now," he finished, walking away from her and right over to Rachel, "I'm not my father. I'm not going to cheat on you," Puck said firmly, praying she didn't smack him.
Rachel eyed him for a moment and couldn't resist smirking when she saw the hurt look on the blond's face. Deciding to make the girl even more pissed, she stepped forward, reached up to wrap her arms around his neck and pulled him down so she could kiss him, letting their lips connect for the first time.
Puck had a brief moment of shock when she kissed him, tasting a grape flavored drink on her lips as he slipped his arms around her waist. He wasn't sure what the kiss meant, but he hoped it was a good sign.
Sharing their first kiss in the middle of a crowded party, was the last thing Rachel expected, but after seeing him brush off the advances of the blond and knowing she wasn't the only girl who'd flirted with Puck, or done more with him, she wanted to make it clear he was taken. She knew they hadn't talked about anything official yet, but remembering what he said to her and feeling the way his arms wrapped around her in response, she had a really good feeling he wasn't going to turn her down. After hearing a few whistles and catcalls from people around them, Rachel began to blush and gently broke their kiss to lock eyes with him, "I believe you," she said softly.
"I'm so glad," he smiled, relaxing at the news.
Returning his smile, Rachel gently let go of his neck and settled back on her feet, since she was shorter than he was. Catching a glimpse of the blond girl with a pissed off look on her face, Rachel felt she and Puck should go someplace more private.
Before the two could walk off, the blond stormed over, "he was mine first!" She commented at Rachel, reaching out to grab Puck's hand.
"I was never yours, so let go of me!" He snapped, shaking off her hand and stepping back.
Rachel slipped between them, crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the girl, "about all you were was a mediocre fuck. You're nothing but a cell phone number to him, so leave him and us alone. Maybe you should run along and play with boys your own age instead of trying to jump into bed with a real man. Then you might have better luck finding someone to be with," she told the girl, knowing she was being a little harsh, but was fed up with constantly seeing girls flirting with him, "besides, if Puck and I weren't dating, do you really think we would be dressed up like a football player and cheerleader? We planned this out, like many couples do," Rachel added, knowing it wasn't true, but the blond wouldn't know that.
The girl stared at Rachel and then glanced at Puck, "I hope you fucking lose my number, asshole!" She responded, before storming off.
"Don't worry! It's already gone," Puck called out and the girl paused briefly, so he knew she heard her, and then he turned to Rachel, "way to go, babe!"
Rachel took a deep breath and calmed down, "wow! There must be something in the material of this uniform."
"Yeah, one very hot little Jewish American Princess," Puck replied, smiling proudly, then leaned in, "I should warn you that I have a thing for cheerleaders," he whispered to her.
Before Rachel could verbally respond to his comment, her cheeks flushed, "damn, Rachel! Or should I call you Quinn? She'd be proud you wore the uniform well," Kurt commented, holding up his cell phone.
"You filmed that?" Rachel groaned.
"Hell yeah! I'm so sending this to Quinn," he smiled, then stepped closer, "and I'm proud of you for sticking up for you guys. It must be the uniform."
"It's possible," she agreed, "I... I probably shouldn't have done that, but I was just fed up."
"Don't second guess yourself. You were perfect," Puck assured her, draping his arm around her shoulders.
"Thank you, Noah," she smiled at him, "should we go somewhere quieter to talk?"
"Wait! Before you do, I want to get a picture of you guys together," Kurt said, resting his hands on their shoulders and guiding them to an empty area. "Quinn is going to love this!" He smirked, stepping back and snapping a few pictures on his camera of them.
"Sorry," she murmured to Puck.
"Don't be," he smirked, slipping one hand around her back and then bent slightly to put his other behind her knees to lift her up, "let's have some fun, girlfriend."
Rachel blushed and giggled at what he'd done, then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him briefly, "boyfriend," she replied, realizing those two words were all they needed to confirm the status of their relationship.
Gently putting Rachel back down on the floor, he shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, "just to make it official."
Rachel snuggled into the warmth, not realizing how cold she'd been, but wearing a very skimpy outfit, with her arms and legs exposed, she'd gotten colder than she expected and Puck's jacket was a perfect way to warm up. "Kurt, I think we have enough pictures."
Kurt smirked, "alright, but I figured I wouldn't see you guys again tonight, so I was making sure I had a few that actually turned out. I'll email them to you."
Taking her boyfriend's hand, Rachel waved at Kurt and guided Puck towards the elevators and hit the 'up' button. As soon as they stepped onto the empty elevator and were on their way up to Rachel's floor, Puck slid his arms around her from behind, "hey, babe," he murmured, resting his chin on her shoulder.
Smiling lightly, she settled back against his chest, "hey, Noah," she replied softly, "you're here."
"I am," he nodded, "a little birdie told me you'd be here tonight."
Shifting so she could look at him, she raised a curious eyebrow, "Kurt?"
"Yeah, he came to the café last night and told me," he explained, "and I'm glad he did."
"I am, too," she agreed, turning completely around and wrapped her arms around his neck again, "I should have come back to see you sooner, but I..."
Puck pressed a soft kiss to her lips, "it's okay. Don't worry about it. It's in the past," he assured her, guiding her off the elevator when the doors opened on the sixth floor.
"Really? Shouldn't we talk about it?" She wondered, pointing in the direction of her room.
"Yeah, but we don't have to right now. It's up to you," he said honestly, looking up at the door numbers, "what room are you?"
"I'm 625," she replied, turning and shifting from his arms to take his hand and show him the way.
While they walked, Puck finally took a moment to really look at what she was wearing. The uniform she had on was similar to the one he was used to from his high school, but there were some differences. He quickly figured out from what Rachel and Kurt talked about downstairs and a person named Quinn, that it was from their high school and instead of the school initials on the front, like his, the letters spelled out 'Eagles', which he assumed was the school's mascot. The color was primarily royal blue, with red and white stripes and accents, but the style was different. The top was shorter, so it exposed her toned abs and the skirt was a little shorter and one sold piece of blue material that pleated at the waist band and had red and white stripes around the bottom of it. "I don't know what looks better on you; that uniform or my jacket," he smirked.
Rachel blushed as they finally paused outside her room and she casually bent over to get her key that she'd stashed in her shoe. A light groan from her boyfriend was easy to hear in the empty hallway and she grinned as she got her key and stood up, "like what you see?" She wondered, unlocking her door and pushing it open.
"Definitely," he nodded, letting her guide him into her room.
Once the two were completely inside, Rachel closed the door and locked it, then turned to him, "it's not much, but it's home," she admitted, motioning around to her small room. A small bed was off to one wall with a desk near it. A few shelves with books and personal items sat under a window and across the room she had a dresser and a few tables with a TV and DVD player and a mini fridge. He also saw into the small bathroom, "it's pretty cool. I live in a studio apartment. Bathroom isn't much bigger, but my place is larger. I even have a washer and dryer which is rare to find. It's also a lot cheaper than having a one or two bedroom. Can hardly afford the studio," he explained, looking around.
"At least you have a full-time job so you can pay for it," she commented, resting her hands on his shoulders and guiding him back to the bed, "have a seat. I'll be back."
Taking the hint, Puck sat down on the edge of her bed and then reached out, resting his hands on her hips, "where are you going?"
"Was just going to go take my hair out of this ponytail," she murmured, kissing him gently on the lips, before stepping away.
As Rachel moved into her bathroom, she removed the clips and hair ties she had holding her hair back and brushed it out gently, then took a moment to look at herself in the mirror. She still had Puck's jacket on, which didn't quite match the colors of her uniform, but she didn't care. The jacket made her feel comfortable and safe, even though it was quite large on her and it smelled just like her boyfriend. She'd waited for so long to feel his arms wrapped around her and all the dreams and fantasies she'd thought of flooded her mind and she needed a moment to short her thoughts out.
Seeing Puck at the party was a shock to her, but she was really glad he showed up. She was also extremely happy that they'd finally kissed and confirmed their relationship and they seemed to be further along in their relationship than many new couples just getting together. They'd known each other for two years and learned tidbits about each other in the many times they'd talked, so they were far from strangers and now that they were together, she was looking forward to learning more about the Noah 'Puck' Puckerman of Lima, Ohio.
"I want to talk and spend time with him, but I also want more. I want to share the physical experience others have had with him. I've even dreamed and fantasized about it," she thought, a blush growing on her cheeks again. Studying herself in the mirror, she smiled and nodded, "it's time to make my dreams a reality," she confirmed.
Kicking off her shoes and socks, she reached behind her and unzipped the skirt, then slid it off her hips, along with the red shorts, leaving a pair of red lace panties. Taking his jacket off for a moment, she worked herself out of the top and left her red lace bra on, then slid her arms back into his jacket, drew it closed around her and stepped back into her room to find him laying back on her bed where he'd been sitting. "Noah?"
Hearing his name, Puck sat up and smiled at her, "yeah?" He raised a curious eyebrow at how she was holding his jacket closed, "everything okay?"
"It's perfect," she smiled, stepping closer to him.
Puck quickly realized she didn't have her skirt on, "babe, did you take the uniform off?"
Rachel nodded and came to stand between his legs, "I did," she reached out and rested her hand on his soft cheek, "I was thinking we could celebrate the start of our new relationship," she suggested, letting go of the jacket, revealing her undergarments and nothing else.
"Gorgeous," he sputtered out, as his eyes took in the sight of her tanned skin and toned body, wearing nothing but his jacket, and her bra and panties. Reaching out and resting his hands on her hips, he gently guided them up her sides and then slipped them behind her back and pulled her closer to him, "are you sure about this, baby? I wasn't expecting this tonight, but if you really want to, I won't say 'no'," he said softly.
"I really want to be with you, Noah, all of you," she assured him, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips, "I mean it."
...
"Noah, that was wonderful," Rachel murmured against his chest as they snuggled under her blankets. "I'll never forget our first time together. Thank you for being so gentle, caring and respectful," she smiled happily. "You made me feel so comfortable and safe. I've never felt that before."
"No thanks needed, babe. I treated you the way you deserve to be treated. I'm glad that's how you feel and hope you always feel that way with me," he returned her smile and gently rubbed her back, "you were amazing, too, babe."
Rachel's hand rested gently on his bare chest, feeling his heartbeat slowing as they both relaxed and she sighed happily, "better than in my dreams."
"I'm glad I could make your dreams come true," he winked, "but if you don't mind me asking, what were they about?"
A light blush grew on her cheeks, "um, us getting together, but also being together. I've wanted to feel what other girls have felt with you, because I know you've slept with others," she admitted, biting her lip nervously.
Puck reached up and brushed some hair from her face, "I have been with others and I've been open about that, but they've all been quick fixes or something to pass the time. What we have is so much more than that. I have true feelings for you and I'm not going to hurt you by hooking up with anyone else, I promise," he said, knowing he'd already told her that earlier in the evening, but wanted to say it again.
Rachel smiled again and kissed his lips, "I know. I believe you and have feelings for you, too," she told him, then bit her lip, "but I do apologize for earlier. It was uncalled for."
"No it wasn't," Puck shook his head, "you had every right to snap at her. I was so proud of you for doing that. Someone needed to stand up her and even though I could have, she needed to know I was taken, so you marked your territory. I don't mind that," he assured her, "as long as you don't get too carried away," he added with a wink.
"I won't," she promised, "I'm usually not like that, but I do wish there was a way for other girls to realize you were taken."
"Trust me, babe. I'll make it clear," he replied honestly, kissing her forehead.
"Okay," she smiled and shifted over a little, "sorry my bed is so small. It's not made for two people," she admitted, grabbing her phone.
"It's okay, we can make it work," Puck replied, leaning back against the wall, since her bed was pushed up against it, "or maybe next time we could spend the night at my place. I have a bigger one."
"We could arrange that," she grinned as she held her phone, "what's your number?"
Puck gave her his cell number and she added it to her contact list, then sent him a text message to give him her number. His phone was still in his jeans on the floor, so he faintly heard the beep from the new message, "I'll add your number to mine later. What's your last name?"
Rachel looked at him curiously, "it's Berry, like the fruit."
"Rachel Berry, huh? Cool," he smiled, "now I know. I realized I had no way of getting in touch with you, because I didn't have your number and couldn't look you up on Facebook, because I didn't know your last name."
"Oh, I didn't even think of Facebook! I should have looked you up. I was the one who knew your last name," she returned her phone to her nightstand then shifted closer to him again to keep warm.
Puck draped his arm over her and shrugged, "it's all good. We know how to contact each other now."
"We do," she nodded and relaxed for a moment, tugging the blankets further up on them, "Noah, would you..." She blushed, "would you be interested in staying the night?"
"You want me to stay? Wow," he shifted, "that's something new for me. I usually don't," he admitted, gathering his thoughts, but before he could say anything more she jumped in.
"Oh, I see. You... You don't have to, I just thought..." She started.
"No, babe, wait," he waved off what she was saying and reached up to rest his hand on her cheek, "I've just never stayed the night with a girl before, because they've never meant anything to me. Things are different now and I do want to stay with you, so if you want me to stay, I will."
"I want you to stay," she smiled brightly, shifting to press a kiss to his lips, "and I'm glad you are, because I finally got you all to myself and I don't want you to leave."
Puck grinned at her response, "yeah, I definitely agree with that and thanks for making this the best Halloween I've ever had. I don't usually celebrate it."
"You're welcome," Rachel replied, but then got curious, "why don't you like to celebrate it?"
"Well, that's a long story, but basically I'm just not a fan of dressing up and trick-or-treating. I've only dressed up in the last few years because my boss wants all of us to and my jersey was easy because I had it and my jacket from high school," he explained.
"That's understandable. Not everyone likes to dress up," she agreed, "was it from a bad experience when you were younger or something?"
"Not really," he shrugged, "I just," he paused, trying to figure out how to explain, "when I was really young, I was into it all, but after my dad took off and my sister was born, it wasn't fun anymore. Mom was working long hours as a nurse and my sister and I went with my best friend and his mom, but I was quickly losing interest. By middle school, I had stopped dressing up and started thinking it was pointless, especially when I had to wander around the neighborhood to take my sister trick-or-treating. Not my idea of fun, and I still think it's pointless. I only do it now so I don't piss my boss off."
"I get it," Rachel nodded, "and I'm sorry you don't have the best memories of Halloween, but I'm glad I was able to be a part of your best one," she smiled, pressing a kiss to his lips.
Puck returned her kiss and rolled to his back, so she could lay over him, "I am, too," he murmured, running his hand up her back, gently teasing her soft skin.
Rachel shivered under his touch and though part of her was turned on by the intimate gestures, she also was cold, "Noah," she blushed, inching closer to him.
"Babe?" Puck started, noticing her change and could feel her skin getting prickly, "you okay?"
"I am," she nodded, shifting, "sorry."
"Don't be. It is a little cool in your room. We could put some clothes on, at least something to help keep warm, if you'd like," he suggested.
"Are you sure?" She bit her lip, feeling horrible about ruining the moment.
"Yeah, it's cool," he smirked at the double meaning of 'cool' and then shifted so he could sit up, "I definitely don't want you to get sick," he replied honestly, glancing at her as she continued to lay back on the pillows, "though I will miss the view," he added, seeing her chest exposed and her body showing just how cold she really was.
Rachel sat up and grinned, "I assure you, Noah, you can see it again," she promised, "within reason," she added with a wink.
"Fine, I won't ask for one at work," he sighed, watching the view as she got out of bed, "damn, baby, you are hot."
Rachel couldn't help the blush that grew on her cheeks, "to be honest, you're one of the few guys who feel that way. Many, um, don't think I'm attractive."
Puck got up and moved to her, before she could get her shirt on and wrapped his arms around her from behind, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder, "baby, you're beautiful and any guy that thinks otherwise is either an idiot or blind."
Settling against his chest for a moment, she smiled, "thank you."
"You're welcome," he replied, kissing her cheek before letting go.
Rachel slid her night shirt on and turned around as he was putting back on some clothes, "you know, we don't have to go to sleep right now," she admitted, "actually, we could still go out and do something."
"We can do whatever you'd like," Puck replied, putting his boxers and t-shirt back on, then sat back on the edge of her bed, "I usually don't go to bed until after midnight, so I'm fine with staying up."
Thinking about their options, Rachel stepped over to him and slid her arms around his neck, "didn't you say something about your place?" She wondered, "like you had a bigger bed?"
"I did say that," he confirmed, reaching up to rest his hands on her hips, "and it'll be warmer there, but if we go," he grinned, "you gotta put that uniform back on."
Rachel giggled, "oh yeah? And just why is that?"
"I told you I have a thing for cheerleaders," he grinned, "and having my girlfriend dressed as one is like icing on the cake," Puck admitted honestly.
"Well, in that case, I'd be happy to put it back on," she winked, gently resting her hands on his cheeks, "and maybe I'll think about buying my own, so I can return Quinn's. Then sometime I could surprise you."
Puck smiled and turned his head to gently press a kiss to one of her hands, "surprise me, huh? I really like that idea."
"I thought you might and I do, too," she agreed, smiling and relaxing as she leaned into him. Feeling his arms wrap around her waist, Rachel had a thought and giggled lightly, "I still can't believe we were dressed like a couple tonight, you know? Like the stereotypical football player and cheerleader."
"Yeah, same here and when I think about it, it's like totally rebellious," he smirked.
"What do you mean?" Rachel wondered curiously.
"I'm wearing red, black and white. You're wearing red, white and blue. I know you're from a different place, so we wouldn't have played against each other, but if we had been in the same area, we could have been rivals. Dating someone from a rival school, especially in the situation of the football team and the cheer team, no one would approve of it. I mean, there isn't a rule about it or anything, but it's just not done," he told her, "does that make sense?"
"It does," Rachel nodded and kissed him, "and actually I experienced that and you're right. No one liked it," she bit her lip, "sorry, you probably don't want to know about my past boyfriends."
"I don't mind, especially since it sounds like it goes along with our conversation," he replied.
"When I was in high school, I was in the Glee Club and I briefly dated the lead singer in the club that was our biggest rival," she explained, "and many of the members of my club, including Kurt, Quinn, Tina and Mercedes, were not happy that I was dating him. Thankfully we didn't last long."
"Ah, alright. I get it. Yep, you definitely understand what I meant," he nodded and then thought for a moment, "so, I'm familiar with Kurt, Tina and Mercedes, because they've been into the café before, but who is Quinn? It's her uniform you have, right?"
"Yes," Rachel confirmed, pulling away from him so she could start getting dressed again, "she's one of my best friends, but when Quinn and I began Freshman year of high school, we hated each other, but over the few years, things changed. There were some circumstances that helped us become friends," she slid into her underclothes and then moved into the bathroom to get the uniform and returned to finish what she'd been saying, "I decided to dress up as something people wouldn't expect and I asked her a few weeks ago if she had her uniform, which she did, so she sent it to me. She's currently in her third year at Yale," she told him, then blushed as she zipped up the skirt and top, "she, um, could be a bitch to people, so that's what our comments meant about something with the uniform, because what I did was something Quinn would have done."
Puck nodded in understanding, "I see," he stood up and moved over to her, now standing in the middle of her room in the uniform, "well, either way, I'm glad you did that and I think you look amazing in the uniform. No one would expect you to go as a cheerleader? Why not?" He wondered, "I mean, with those legs and how flexible you are," he licked his lips and looked her over again, "I'm surprised you never were one, because you'd make a perfect cheerleader."
Rachel's cheeks flushed at his compliment, "thank you, Noah, but it's not something for me and I've learned over the years that I'm far from perfect."
Pressing a kiss to her lips, Puck rested a hand on her cheek, "babe, that's a matter of opinion," he winked, before stepping away to grab his jeans.
Smiling at his response, Rachel took a moment to relax and glanced at herself in the mirror by her dresser, "that means a lot, Noah, that you'd say that."
"Just being honest," Puck replied with a smile as he put his shoes back on, "are you gonna finish getting ready?"
"Yes," Rachel nodded, moving to collect a few things, "I'm glad we're going to your place."
"Really? Why?" He asked, tugging his long sleeve t-shirt on that he'd worn under his jersey.
"Because there will be less chance of interruption if we're there. Kurt and our other friends might stop by in the morning, not realizing you're still here and I don't want to text them to say you are staying or we will, for sure, have visitors."
Puck laughed lightly, "I get it. Your friends can get nosy, huh?"
"They are sometimes. They mean well and are curious, but sometimes they can get a little overwhelming," she admitted, folding up some clothes and putting them in her larger purse so she didn't have to wear the uniform the next day, "would you be alright with me showering at your place in the morning?"
"Of course. Bring what you need," he assured her, putting his jersey back on and going for his jacket, "I'm off tomorrow and Sunday. I don't know what you have for plans, but if you wanted, we could hang out."
"I'd like that and I'm free all weekend, too," she replied moving into her bathroom again to get a few items and then brushed her hair, before returning to the room to get her own jacket, "are you ready?"
Puck glanced around to make sure he had everything and checked his pockets, "yep, I'm all set. You?"
"I think so," she slid her arms into her black jacket and then zipped up her bag and slipped it onto her arm. Grabbing her cell phone, she put it into her jacket pocket and smiled at Puck, "let's go."
Following Rachel out of her room, Puck let her lock the door and couldn't help feeling relieved that everything had finally worked out. Earlier in the week he'd been skeptical that they'd have this chance, but now that they were finally a couple, all his worries and concerns drifted away and he was able to focus on her.
Pocketing her keys, Rachel slid an arm around Puck's waist and he reacted by putting one of his arms around her shoulders as the two walked towards the elevator. All of Rachel's embarrassment and nerves were gone and they'd been replaced with excitement and curiosity at where their relationship would go next, but for the moment, she settled with just taking it one step at a time and enjoying the time she had with him.
As they paused at the elevator and waited for the doors to open, Rachel turned to him, "Noah, I just have to say something," she started and when he looked at her curiously, she continued, "it's about damn time!"
Puck couldn't help a light laugh escape his lips at her words and he nodded in agreement, "I totally agree, babe," he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. As their kiss ended, he looked her in the eyes, "but I gotta say, babe, you're definitely worth the wait."
Rachel turned to slip her other arm around him in a tight hug, "so are you, Noah," she smiled brightly, "um, do you..." She paused, blushing lightly, "if we're together next Halloween, do you think we could match again?"
Eying her, Puck thought about everything her question meant and guided her onto the elevator when the doors opened. Returning her smile, he kissed her on the lips gently and nodded, "yes, I think we could definitely arrange that."
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A/N5: Hope you all enjoyed! Review and let me know!
A/N6: I've heard there are not many new Puckleberry fics out there and I wanted to let you all know that I have tons of ideas for my WIPs and also many for new one-shots. I also have a few other WIPs I'm working on that I haven't posted yet (but will soon), so I'm not going anywhere. I'm sticking around! Puckleberry forever!
A/N7: Thanks for all the help and support over the years! You all are amazing! It means so much to me!
A/N8: If you wanna keep up with me on Twitter and Tumblr, I'm EJ8302. I reblog a lot of Mark, Lea, Puckleberry and Lark pics and things on Tumblr.
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