Title: The Inevitable

Author: Kitty

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. 'Nuff said.

Pairings: PQ, SQ

Summary: For most of his high school life, Quinn Fabray was his dream girl – the perfect angel who could maybe save him from himself. But at the end of the day, it seemed she was, rather, just a regular girl who happened to be the love of someone else's life. (Told from Puck's POV.)

A/N: This is my first Glee fic ever. Hope I didn't disappoint!

He has to admit, he never really thought he would lose her.

The first time he admitted to himself – and to her – that he loved her, he was hoping for fireworks. He thought she would admit that she loved him too.

"Did you love me?" she whispered quietly, as they watched their baby girl – with her pretty little face and tiny hands and feet – behind the glass viewing window at the hospital.

Silence. "Yes, especially now," he mustered finally.

It had been hard to get that out, to willingly make himself vulnerable to another person. He'd never really done that before. Honestly, he never believed before that he ever would.

But then the fireworks never came, a sparkle never appeared in her eyes. There was the making of tears, yes, but they hadn't been tears of joy, as he had expected.

Instead, she gave him a tiny smile, squeezed his hand, and turned her back.

She didn't speak with him again for a long time.

Over the summer, he'd tried calling her. A couple of times, he even made it as far as her house, standing underneath the window of her room, ready to ring the doorbell.

Then one time, as he was standing there staring, he saw her inside, sitting with her mother in front of the fireplace. They seemed to be laughing at pictures in an album – he wasn't sure as he was only looking through the glass of their front door – and he'd honestly never seen her as free and relaxed as he had at that moment.

When he got home, he decided to send her a text message, "Q, would you please answer? This is the last time."

He called her after a couple of minutes, waiting as her mobile rung once, twice, thrice, twenty times.

Nothing.

After a while of staring at his phone – and his wallpaper of baby Beth from the hospital – he fell asleep. He had hoped she was just busy, would call him back or text him eventually. But. Well.

The next morning, the moment he woke up, he flipped open his phone – and felt a tightness in his chest.

No missed calls. No new messages.

The new school year began, he felt himself smile at the thought of seeing her – of actually being in the same room with her and breathing the same air.

She came back prettier than ever, her wavy blonde hair cascading at her shoulders, her pale pink dress bringing out the color of her cheeks and lips. He made his way to her slowly, trying to get eye contact. When she did see him though, her eyes were dull and empty, almost as if she didn't know him.

He stopped in his tracks as she brushed past him, savoring the few seconds her cool skin made contact with his bare arm.

Frustrated, he turned and yelled after her, "Yo, MILF!"

But unlike before, she didn't turn, didn't get all red in the face, fiery eyes burning with anger – and yes maybe a little lust too.

She went on her way, hips sashaying as she got into one of the classrooms.

He missed how he used to get a reaction out of her.

Some new girl was singing onstage, belting out "Listen" ala Rachel Berry. Maybe even better. The Filipina chick was amazing, actually.

Still, his mind was elsewhere. It was on the blonde girl standing beside him, all fresh and pure in her Cheerios uniform, hair up in that ponytail that he wanted to mess up. She was clapping and cheering – and all he really wanted to do was kiss her.

After the tryout, he couldn't take it anymore and pulled her into one of the empty classrooms beside the auditorium.

Immediately, he pushed her against the wall and crashed his lips onto hers, not caring that they could get caught any minute.

It felt like eternity to him but honestly, it lasted only a few seconds.

Why?

Because her lips didn't yield to him, didn't even attempt to open or kiss him back. She pushed him away the moment she realized what was happening.

Breathing heavily, she stared at him in the eyes for the first time in months.

He was hoping she would say something. Anything, really. But then she – again – turned her back on him and made her way to the door.

Before stepping out, she paused and sighed.

"Let it go Puckerman. Really," she said, turning her head slightly towards him. "We've…lost our time, our moment…y'know?"

When he got home, in the solace of his room and the comfort of the bed he had shared with her for a about a month before she moved into Mercedes' place, he started thinking maybe they had.

Rachel was being cheesy and singing a song for Finn during practice. She was doing good – as usual. But more than the way it was sung, what really got to him were the lyrics of the song.

You are the only exception.

He couldn't help it and turned to look at Quinn who was sitting behind him.

She was mouthing the words but wasn't really singing. He could tell.

And though he waited for it, that look of deep longing or regret – it never came. She merely glanced at him, with those unfeeling green eyes, and continued to sway slightly to the music.

It got him to think that maybe – maybe – he wasn't her exception after all.

Maybe he was just a blip on her radar, that one big mistake everyone's got to make in their life. Maybe.

He hadn't been celibate or really single after her, he had to admit that much. In fact, he probably even slept around more now that he didn't have to feel so guilty about cheating on his pregnant…partner.

Sure, he thought about Beth and Quinn but they weren't the only aspects in his life, you know?

Puck had football and food and glee and girls to think of too. And, well, girls, he had plenty of those.

Diane. Mischka. Debby. Arlene. Kate. Cristina. Vicky. Valerie. Tori. Santana, of course. The list went on. And on.

But even though he'd never been faithful to her, never even tried to commit himself to her, he'd always been content to think that she was at least, in her own way, faithful and committed to him. Kind of waiting for him to get his act together and mature, or some shit like that.

Then he came back from juvie, slipped into the choir room and there she was, sitting next to Sam Evans with his hand carelessly thrown over the back of her chair. The short-lived quarterback of the football team was making some kind of goofy face and she was laughing hard, covering her face with her hands before she used them to pinch his cheeks.

They looked good together, actually – like they were genuinely happy.

One time, after one of their practices for their mash-up performance, Sam approached him with a sheepish smile.

"Hey Puckerman."

"Yo Ladylips," he replied, arms crossed in front of his chest, trying to look as intimidating as he could.

He wasn't sure if it was the fact that the other boy had come from an all-boys, doubtlessly testosterone-filled boarding school or the fact that Sam had a body as fit and strong as his but apparently, his attempt to intimidate didn't work.

The blond moved his head to indicate he wanted to walk out with Puck and all the latter could do was follow.

"About Quinn…" Sam started.

"What about her?" he said, though he could already tell what was coming.

"I really like her, you know? I…"

"Well Mr. Lemon Juice, I think that much is obvious," he interrupted.

Laughing, the other boy continued, "Right. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure we were cool. I've heard things…and she's filled me in on the stuff that happened the past year and I just wanted to make sure that my pursuing her won't get in the way of anything else you two might have left to fix. Or of any…remnant feelings."

"Well…I…" and for once, Noah Puckerman found himself lost for words.

Sensing his discomfort and hesitation in replying, Sam stopped walking and turned to face him completely.

"Look. I guess I know that there is still something going on here. Maybe some issues. But I just want you to know that if you do decide to – I don't know – let her go, maybe, I'll take real good care of her. Quinn's amazing. She's head cheerleader and she's pretty and popular and any guy would kill to have her but…I'm in it for real, you know? I enjoy talking to her. I like singing with her. I love how underneath it all, she's this regular girl who likes watching crappy movies for the heck of it, eating chili hotdogs and going on roller coaster rides. And I like how she isn't this stereotype – she's smart and reads books and can stand watching dorky stuff like Avatar if you make her. She's…"

"Go for it man," he blurted out, not waiting for Sam to finish.

The blond had known Quinn for roughly three weeks and he already knew more about her than he did.

He was singing along to his iPod when Finn sat down beside him at glee practice.

I see you drivin' round town with the girl I love

And I'm like, fuck you and uh, fuck her too

"Dude," Finn whispered, elbowing him.

"What's your problem, Hudson?"

Finn rolled his eyes, indicating the pair a couple of rows above him. As usual, Sam and Quinn were all over each other. Well, not really all over each other but being all…couple-like. He was writing something on her binder and she was laughing and blushing at the same time, both oblivious to their surroundings. It was like they were inside their own happy bubble.

"Well, what about them?" Puck whispered, annoyed.

"Nothing…well…I was actually just wondering how you felt about it all, you know?"

"Whaddya mean all? You were with Quinn, I got her pregnant. I was never with her for real and now she's found Sam. End of story."

"Really?"

Looking up at the couple again and running his hand over his mohawk, Puck answered with a sigh, "Besides, he's good for her. I never was, you know? Even when I tried to be what she wanted me to be, I couldn't. I'm not the kind of guy who makes girls like Quinn Fabray happy."

He couldn't help but stare at her from the doorway. She was so pretty in her red dress, her hair down and cascading down her shoulders as she twirled herself in front of the mirror. She was, in all honesty, glowing.

Knowing it was a mistake but finding himself gravitating towards her nonetheless, he felt his feet take the few steps needed so he could stand behind her. Hesitantly, he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Oh!" she said with gasp, surprised at seeing him so near. "What do you want?" she continued with a half-smirk, half-smile.

"I…you just look…really pretty. Tonight."

Laughing, she replied, "Thanks Puckerman. I don't think you ever told me that before. Thank you."

Tiptoeing slightly, she gave him a hug before pulling away and squeezing his arms.

"It's okay Puck. We're all going to be okay." Smiling, she looked up at him with a soft expression in her eyes that could only mean one thing – forgiveness. "We're all going to move on, in our own time."

Just at that moment, footsteps could be heard behind them and a blond head appeared in the mirror's reflection just as Quinn dropped her arms to her side.

"Hey, Quinn…Puck. Wedding's about to start!"

And just like that, Quinn Fabray sashayed out of the room, a skip to her step, as she hooked her arm into Sam's. The blond boy gave Puck a slight salute as they made their way.

He didn't know what disturbed him more – the fact that she had so happily left him standing dumbly in the room or the fact that Sam didn't even look the least bit jealous.

Perhaps he wasn't really a threat to their romance anymore. If he ever was to begin with.

They hadn't officially come out and said it but everyone knew that Sam and Quinn were officially a couple now. There was something about the dynamic of their whole relationship that had changed.

He seemed to be holding her closer, touching her more – and she didn't seem to mind one bit.

"So, you two like official now?" Finn finally blurted out one day at practice, after the two shared a quick kiss in public for the first time.

"Seems like it," Quinn had replied, giggling a little before melting her body into Sam's.

She looked up at him with such warmth in her eyes that it almost made Puck want to scream and punch Sam. Never had she looked at him like that – never had she been as happy or as giddy or as sweet with him. Come to think of it, she'd never been like that with Finn either.

"Looks like it's actually real this time, Quinnie," Mercedes interjected with a wink.

Noah Puckerman couldn't have said it better.

For most of his high school life, Quinn Fabray was his dream girl – the perfect angel who could maybe save him from himself.

But at the end of the day, it seemed she was, rather, just a regular girl who happened to be the love of someone else's life – Sam Evans'.

And just like that, he lost her.

THE END