Part 2! Covers the Superbowl episode, Silly Love Songs, and Comeback. Enjoy!
"I saw you look at me."
She slams her locker shut and rolls her eyes.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"While Rachel and I sang that stupid song. You were looking right at me. Evans didn't look too happy about it."
"You're delusional."
"Really? I'm the crazy one here? Because last time I checked, you're the one who thinks you can pull off two lives, cheating-"
She grits her teeth, "Shut up."
"Make me."
She stares at him hard, jaw set and teeth clenched.
"I don't care about you and I don't care about glee. I'm quitting."
"What? Why?"
"Miss Sylvester says we have to. Regionals is the same day as the championship game."
"So you care more about your popularity now?"
She glares at him, adjusting her uniform top, and it's not like it's ever been any different. They might as well have no history. No future.
"Guess I should've known, huh? You'll always be the same."
He turns to leave, shoving his hands into his pockets. He's the one to walk away this time, but her words stop him.
"What do you mean?"
Her face doesn't move, stone cold as he answers: (as if she didn't already know)
"You always live for other people instead of yourself."
…
Sometimes opposites work. Like magnets connecting or stars aligning.
Sometimes they don't, like in math class. The negative overpowers the positive and it's gone.
For a while, they orbited around each other. Came together. Separated. Glued together like magnets. Except now looking back on it, maybe they were just solving the equation wrong.
She follows her head instead of her heart, follows the crowd instead of her passion, uses her popularity like a security blanket. Without that, she has nothing.
Except him.
Usually, for better or worse he follows his heart (though some may say his dick, but if they knew him well enough they'd think differently) instead of his head, and sometimes he gets in trouble for that but at least he knows what it's like to step over the edge, taste the fruit, whatever, instead of always wondering what it'd be like to take a risk once in a while. Like her.
She stepped off into the shadows once and that got her pushed off her pedestal forever. She has to climb her way back up. She's desperate for it, like an addiction. How does she live without it?
He knows she's scared. She's scared to change and she's scared to be less than perfect, less than what she was. He symbolizes all of that. He's everything she shouldn't have, everything that will drag her down; the person who caused her parents to cut her out of all the family photos.
Maybe the grass is a little shabby on his side of the fence, but it can't be so bad if they face it together. If only she could figure that out.
…
He expects her to show up at the game, to actually choose him for once, but she doesn't. She chooses her reputation. Again.
He doesn't expect her to show up when Finn goes off to fetch them, either. He gives that speech to the rest of the football team figuring it'll never work, but damn if he doesn't try anyway.
He'd like to think he knows a thing or two about fighting for what's important.
He wants to make Quinn, and Beth, proud. He really wants it to be a moment he'd tell her about, even if he never sees her again. He wants to have something that makes him important, proud, something, versus all the other shit that's going on. Maybe something that'll show Quinn no one cares if she's a cheerleader or dating him. Maybe to make himself more popular. At least something so she'll look him in the eye.
Except when she returns for the halftime show, she's only making eyes at Finn. Last time he checked, Finn wasn't her fake/real boyfriend.
After the game they're back his place having some fun with the zombie make up and he asks her.
"I wasn't looking at Finn."
"Do you think I'm an idiot? Do you seriously feel like so much crap that you need three guys to make out with?"
"Shut up."
"I'm just saying-"
"I said shut up, Puckerman."
She's a liar. He knows it, but he won't call her out.
It really only gets worse from there on.
…
She can date someone else while they're together? Well he can too.
Lauren Zizes is a firecracker. She isn't like anyone else he's ever dated. Spicy. Independent. Stubborn.
Well. She's like one other girl - on the inside anyway. People just wouldn't know it at first glance. Not anymore.
He sings to Lauren for their Valentines Day assignment, and yeah, he makes sure to shove his ass right in Quinn's face. She looks at him, almost smiling, splitting her glances between him and Sam. After all, wouldn't want him to get suspicious.
Except then shit gets really weird, because Quinn starts looking at Finn even more than she looks at him or Fish Lips.
She knocks on his car window after glee practice that day, and he unlocks the door as she climbs in, face hard as she glares at him.
"Why the hell would you sing to her?"
"Same reason you're dating Sam. Or is it Finn now? Hard to tell."
"She's disgusting, Puck. When I was pregnant, you told me you hated fat girls-"
"Have you always been this bitchy and I just didn't notice? I thought getting out of the uniform would take care of that."
She scowls, "Lauren Zizes might even be a bigger loser than Rachel. Not to mention she's the size of a house."
Maybe he doesn't have true feelings for Lauren, but that doesn't mean Quinn needs to be making fun of her body.
"Would you talk about Mercedes like that?"
She looks away, staring down at her lap, "Mercedes isn't trying to steal my… you… away."
He lifts her chin with his finger, "It hurts, doesn't it?"
She doesn't say anything. Instead, they fog up the windows showing each other how important they are.
…
She smiles, "I told Sam he's the only one I'm kissing."
He snorts, "You should've added that he's not the only one you're fucking."
"But we don't… do that."
"Right," he grins as he pulls her towards him again, "That's my job."
…
"He's getting suspicious, you know."
"Of me?"
"No. Of Finn."
"Of course he is. We should get paid for this."
"Should I do it?"
"Do what?"
"Kiss Finn."
"If you want to."
"What kind of answer is that?"
"Well, what do you want me to say?"
"I don't know, be protective? Jealous?"
"If you wanted me to be jealous, both your little boyfriends would be in the hospital and everyone would know just exactly who you're having sleepovers with."
She gets gloomy and crosses her arms, "You're so dumb."
"You want everything all at once. Life's not fair."
But she's determined to have her way. She's ambitious and conniving. She's also a pretty good liar – he knows that all too well. They're used to keeping shit under wraps.
So he watches her paint her nails a bright shade of blue the night before. It's only supposed to be a ploy to get Sam off her back, but he thinks she's not finished with Finn. She's not finished with any of them.
He's not a psychologist or anything, but maybe she wants to hold onto so much (him, Sam, Finn, popularity) is because she still can't get over letting go her little girl.
She's trying to fill the hole and it's not working.
He misses Beth too. But he'd rather be with her than any other girl. That's enough to make him feel somewhat whole again.
…
"Hey Puckerman, you heard your baby mama's sleeping with the enemy?"
He slams his locker shut, "What do you want now, Santana?"
"Quinn. She's seeing Finnocence on the sly."
"I'm with Lauren, not Quinn."
"Oh, please. I think I've slept with you enough to figure out your habits. The two of you are fucking behind everyone's backs. Dunno why you see a point in masquerading it, but you are."
"Quinn can do whatever she wants."
"I'd be pretty jealous if I were you. I mean, she's got three guys wrapped around her finger while you can even get one."
"If you're trying to bring me down, it won't work."
"Aw, really? The queen bitch can't break Pucky's wittle heart?"
"Nope, because unlike you, I know what's really going on."
She narrows her eyes, "Do tell?"
"Sorry. Classified information."
She yells after him as he walks away, "I'll find out, you know! I always find out!"
It doesn't really matter who Quinn's kissing, because he's the one keeping her bed (and maybe her heart) warm.
…
She manages to catch mono from his would be best friend, and Sam must be stupid or desperate because he believes her when she says she didn't cheat.
She's bedridden for two weeks. He sneaks in through her window after her mom goes to sleep.
"I told him we're taking a break until I figure things out with Sam."
"Sure. Did you also mention you were wearing my shirt?"
"Shut up," she smiles a little before leaning over to cough, "Besides, I like your shirt."
"You stick around for more than just my clothes, babe. I say just break it off with both of them now."
"I'd rather have Sam be jealous of Finn than you."
She protests when he crawls in bed with her, kissing her forehead.
"You'll get sick."
"I've had mono so many times-"
"I don't want to know."
"Take me nursing you back to health as a Valentines Day present."
"… I guess I could deal with that."
…
Turns out, she doesn't have to break any news to Sam. Santana spills the beans about her and Finn and Justin Beiber Experience walks away from her for good.
"Anyone who thinks Color Me Mine or Beiber Fever is good enough for you is a loser."
"Thanks, Puck, but that still doesn't make me feel any better."
"Don't tell me you loved him."
"I… don't know."
"Well do you love Finn?"
"I think… I always wanted to be in love with him."
"What about me?"
"I'm not supposed to love you, okay? It just… isn't me."
"Says who? Your family? Your reputation?"
"Last time I took a chance with you… a real chance… I got hurt."
"You think being with me in secret is any different from before? What's going to change is anyone knows?"
"I'll… be a slut."
"You're more of a slut now than you ever were with me."
She doesn't answer him. It seems like she never will.
…
"Why didn't you tell Evans about Quinn and me?"
Santana smiles as flicks her hair in the mirror, "So you admit it?"
"No. I just thought…"
"Look, I know you all think I'm completely heartless, but I'm not. I figure if you two are keeping a secret, you're relationship's screwed up enough without me interfering. Besides, Tubbers tends to bring out the best in you, though I have no idea why."
"You're… smarter than I thought."
"Course I am. Nobody likes a dumb slut."
…
He takes off the promise ring for her while he kisses the nape of her neck. She doesn't complain.
He'll replace it in the morning with his own, as a real Valentines Day present. She only smiles and puts it on a chain to wear around her neck.
"Wouldn't want to get too suspicious."
At least it's somewhat of a step forward. She'll come around eventually.
She has to.
I hope you liked it! I'm so excited for next week's episode. Puck's bringing winecoolers ;)