A Drop In The Ocean, a glee fanfic

Just a cutesy oneshot that I wrote a few weeks back. My imagined Puckleberry backstory to the lyrics of "A Drop in the Ocean' by Ron Pope. Enjoy!

I own nothing.

Rachel tugged at the hem of her little black dress as she walked into the club. She stepped into the bathroom for a moment to check over her appearance one last time. She brushed her hands over her dress soothingly as she appraised herself in the mirror. Her long, brown locks fell down to her waist in loose, sexy waves. Her eyes were smoky and her lips were red. A single silver bangle adorned her wrist and she wore tall, black heels to match her dress. She pursed her lips together once and shot a grin at her reflection. She was ready for this.

She left the restroom and headed over to the bar. There was a long line but her outfit caught the bartender's attention immediately and he walked away from another customer mid-order. She smiled up at the tall, blonde man as he asked her what she'd like.

"I'll have a Cosmo. Thanks." She purred.

He turned from her with a grin and she watched as he mixed her cocktail.

"On the house, Beautiful."

She tossed him another smile before walking away from the bar. She moved to the back of the building where she'd have a perfect view of the stage without being visible to the performers. Her heart stuttered as a familiar face took the stage.

"Hey everyone thanks for coming out tonight. I'm-" His words were cut off by impassioned cheers.

He'd gained so much success in the past year; she was amazed that he had decided to play such a small gig.

"I'm going to be singing a lot of new stuff for you guys tonight. So sing along with the stuff you know, sit back and enjoy the hell out of the stuff you don't."

Rachel leaned against the wall and watched the band play behind him. He'd been working with the same bassist Stan for years; the two of them were close from what she'd been told. His drummer Alec had deserted one of the best bands on the market just for a chance to back him up. Jeff, the keyboardist was talented beyond belief and his backup vocals really added to the overall quality of the music.

Noah hadn't changed much physically since she'd last seen him five years before. He'd lost the Mohawk at some point but his hair was still shaved close to his head. His hazel eyes still pierced whatever they touched upon and his lips still twitched into his signature smirk whenever he was pleased with something. His face had been gracing magazine covers for months now but she still drank in his appearance like she'd never see him again.

Standing here now, she had a hard time justifying how much time had passed since they'd last seen each other. She closed her eyes and she was somewhere else.

Rachel hurried towards her apartment in the pouring rain. She wished desperately that she'd thought to bring her umbrella with her to class this morning. She turned the corner and sprinted towards the door of the building.

"Don't marry him Rachel."

Rachel spun around in surprise and gasped when she saw Noah Puckerman leaning against a lamp post a few feet away. He clearly hadn't expected the rain either. His jeans and Henley shirt were plastered against his body. She glanced up at his face and his dark expression reminded her of his words.

"Excuse me? Noah what are you doing here? When did you get to New York?"

"You heard me. Don't marry him." He repeated, standing firm against the storm raging overhead and within him.

"Noah, I don't really see how that's any of-"

"Don't. Marry. Him." He repeated through gritted, chattering teeth. "He's a good guy but he's not a man, not yet. He's a broken, insecure child and he's trying to define himself with you. He's one of my best friends and I'd do anything for him, but I won't do this. I won't sit back and cheer you on as you walk away from your dreams and become his. He doesn't love you, not the way you think he does. He doesn't know how to love anyone but himself yet. He says he'll follow you here but he won't. It's him or Broadway. I thought you realised that the first time you got engaged."

Rachel stared at him and she couldn't figure out if she was more furious or confused.

"He asked me to be his best man."

"What did you say?" She wondered.

"What do you think I said Berry? Don't do it." He growled.

She stared at him and decided she needed to change the subject.

"Would you like to come up? It doesn't look like it's going to ease up anytime soon and you're wetter than I am."

She should have known how serious he was when he didn't make the dirty joke she was expecting. He didn't even crack a smile. He stared at her earnestly, willing her to understand and believe what he was telling her. Whatever he saw in her eyes wasn't what he wanted and he looked away from her.

"I said what I needed to say. Goodbye Rachel."

She said nothing as he turned away from her and walked into the night. She stood on that corner for a long time before she realised that he was gone and she was completely drenched.

She'd been horrified to hear that he'd enlisted in the Marines and had left from New York the following day. No one had heard a word from him for the next three years as he completed his tour of duty.

She hadn't broken up with Finn right away. She hadn't even broken off the engagement. He pushed for a wedding date but she kept finding reasons to put it off. It wasn't until a year and a half had passed that she realised why she hadn't chosen a date for the wedding. She still has a hard time pinpointing exactly when her love for Finn had fizzled but the decision to call off the engagement and their relationship had been far easier than it should have been. The only tears cried were on his side of the conversation and he'd probably never forgive her for the civility with which she dumped him.

Her relationship with Kurt had been forever damaged by her apathy towards his brother in the end. Blaine, Santana and Quinn had been thrilled that she'd finally moved on however. The three of them had made their way to New York by that time and they'd actually thrown a celebratory dinner when they'd heard the news. If she'd felt a little left out as she watched Brittany and Santana, Sam and Quinn and Sebastian and Blaine together, it had little to do with Finn. If she was honest about it and that only happened when she was very, very drunk; she hadn't been able to stop thinking about Noah after he walked out of her life that night.

He'd starred in her dreams many a night and her nightmares were vivid with what she imagined his life in the Marine Corps might be like. She found herself constantly lamenting how hard it would be to get a hold of him, despite the technologically advanced world she lived in.

So she pushed thoughts of him aside and followed her dreams. She dropped out of NYADA after her second year of classes when she landed the role of Fanny Brice on Broadway. She ignored the pangs of discomfort as she realised that he wasn't in the crowd on opening night. It wasn't his fault, he was a million miles away and there was nothing she could do about it. He probably didn't even know about her success.

She'd recently been cast as the lead actress in the movie adaptation of her favourite book. Her agent had actually been the one to mention this little show in the city. She couldn't remember ever having mentioned knowing Noah, but she had a feeling that Felicity had noticed the sigh that always escaped her whenever she saw his picture. She supposed bursting into tears in the middle of a coffee shop the first time she heard his music hadn't helped her all that much.

Her surroundings came back into focus as Noah strummed his guitar one last time and reached for a bottle of water. She admired his beauty and the strength in his arms as he joked around with the crowd.

"I have one last song for you tonight folks. This one is pretty personal and I've never played it in public before."

"Maybe some back-story Puck. Always so damn mysterious." Alec quipped behind him and the crowd cheered.

Noah shot his friend a look but smiled slightly at the crowd. His hand rubbed at the back of his neck and Rachel pushed off from the wall. He was uncomfortable for some reason.

"As some of you may know, I completed a tour with the Marine corps a few years back. I wrote a lot of music while I was there. A lot of it you'll never hear, but this one means a lot to me. You know the story. Boy loves girl, girl chooses other boy. And so the first boy decides to enlist." He smiled self-deprecatingly. "Enjoy. It's called 'A Drop in The Ocean'."

Rachel found herself slowly moving through the crowd towards the stage as he began to play. His explanation was ringing in her ears as he began to sing.

It's just a drop in the ocean
A change in the weather
I was praying that you and me might end up together
It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert
But I'm holding you closer than most,
Cause you are my heaven

I don't wanna waste the weekend
If you don't love me pretend
A few more hours then it's time to go

As my train rolls down the east coast I wonder how you keep warm
It's too late to cry
Too broken to move on

And still I can't let you be
Most nights I hardly sleep
Don't take what you don't need from me

It's just a drop in the ocean
A change in the weather
I was praying that you and me might end up together
It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert
But I'm holding you closer than most 'cause you are my heaven

Misplaced trust and old friends
Never counting regrets
By the grace of God I do not rest at all

New England as the leaves change
The last excuse that I'll claim
I was a boy who loved a women like a little girl

And still I can't let you be
Most nights I hardly sleep
Don't take what you don't need from me

Heaven doesn't seem far away anymore
No
No
Heaven doesn't seem far away

Rachel reached the stage and his gaze fell on her almost naturally. She wasn't sure what she expected but a blinding smile wasn't it. The emotion in his voice swelled and she could see his band-mates looking around for the cause of it.

Heaven doesn't seem far away anymore
No
No
Heaven doesn't seem far away
Oh
Oh

She couldn't look away from him as he took the final chorus. Memories of their time together washed over her and she wondered how she hadn't seen it before. The love he felt for her had always been there, in his eyes as he watched her from afar, in his chest as he held her while she cried over Finn and on his lips as he sang to her softly when she sought him out for comfort. He'd begged her not to marry his friend because he'd known that he'd always love her more, love her better.

A drop in the ocean
A change in the weather
I was praying that you and me might end up together
It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert
But I'm holding you closer than most 'cause you are my heaven
You are my heaven

The music faded out and he didn't speak a word as he jumped off the stage and landed on his feet inches from her. His eyes raked over her hungrily and she was grinning happily by the time his eyes met hers once more.

"You're here." He breathed out.

She had no time to reply as he swept her into his arms and his lips crashed against hers. She clutched at his biceps as her knees gave out. His arms wound around her waist and he pulled her even closer. Their mouths were open and his tongue demanded submission from her. She gave him the upper hand willingly.

They broke apart as the stunned silence turned to fierce and joyous cheers. His forehead touched hers as they fought to catch their breath.

"I like your song." Rachel panted before poking him the chest. "You never told me."

"I love you."

"Thank God." Rachel exclaimed. "I love you too. I had no idea how much until that night."

There wasn't a hint of his smirk as he grinned down at her.

"I have a show to finish Babe. Stick around?"

Rachel kissed him and nodded.

"You don't have to be anywhere?" He asked as he stepped back.

"I've waited for this moment for almost five years Noah. There's literally no place I'd rather be."

He kissed her once more before climbing back up on stage. He made a joke to the crowd and apologized for 'jumping the prettiest girl in New York.' She ignored the jealous female fans as she found a seat by the stage. As the band performed their last five songs, the smiles never left Noah and Rachel's faces.

"I'm your heaven huh?" She asked him later as they lay naked in her bed.

Noah laughed and nodded. "Which is funny since I half-expect to go to hell from all the dirty thoughts your little skirts used to cause in high school."

"No-ahh." She drawled, smacking his chest.

He rolled over and traced her jaw-line with his lips. "You're everything Rach. You're all I've thought about since I hit puberty and you're all I've wanted and needed for as long as I can remember. You were the only thing that kept me going while I was doing my tour with the Corps. Because even if you never loved me back, you were still out there, shining brighter than anyone and everyone else."

Tears pricked at Rachel's eyes as she looked up at the man she'd always dreamed of but never recognized.

"You don't have to worry about me not loving you back."

"Yeah?" He asked.

"You're my heaven Noah."

Thanks for reading!