Marry Me?

ii.

The second time he asks her, they're lying in her tiny bed in her even tinier dorm room at Ohio State. Quinn says her roommate is staying with her boyfriend, so they have the room to themselves for the night. They don't do anything, though. (Well, besides make-out for a few hours.) Mostly they just lie on Quinn's bed, his arms around her and her head on his chest. Strangely enough, Puck almost prefers this peaceful sense of just being together to sex. (Almost. He's still Puck, after all.)

As he holds her, he thinks of the past nine months, since Puck's spur of the moment proposal in the Burger King parking lot. (Which he didn't tell anyone about: not his mom, not even Finn. He has a feeling Quinn didn't tell anyone, either. He loves her for that.)

Quinn and Puck have fallen into a routine. He drives up to visit her almost every other weekend, and she comes back to Lima at least once a month. Sometimes she stays in her mom's house, but usually she stays with Puck in his rundown apartment. Despite its shabbiness, she says it feels more like home than her parents' house.

Quinn likes college – like, really likes it – and Puck's so proud of her. She's decided she wants to be a guidance counselor, like Ms. Pillsbury (well, technically Mrs. Schuester now, which is just crazy within itself). He knows she'll be brilliant at it, and he's not just saying that.

He plans on reaching his potential as well, but he knows his path doesn't lead to college. School was never really his thing. Right now he has a job in Burt's garage and he has Quinn and he's happy, he really is. But he can't help but feel like he wants something a little… more.

He really needs to stop talking to Finn. Every time he stops in to see him when Quinn has class, (Finn's at Ohio State, too) they play a little Halo and always, always, always end up talking about Berry and how much Finn misses her. It's kind of pathetic, actually. Sure, Rachel's at NYU, but she and Finn still Skype every night and speak constantly on the phone. Puck only has his visits with Quinn and the occasional phone call, and that's fine by him. Sure, he misses her when they aren't together, but he doesn't go insane like Finn does.

The only thing Puck is jealous of in Finn and Rachel's psychotic relationship is how sure they are of it: how they are positive everything will turn out fine, and they'll always be together. Predictably, Finn had given Rachel a promise ring on the day of their high school graduation, and Rachel likes to refer to it as her pre-engagement ring, a sign of their commitment to each other.

He knows that he and Quinn are committed to each other. He does. He just wants a… symbol of it. He wants her to be his forever. He wants to marry her someday. Seeing her plan out her future and taking his own steps toward making one for himself, he can't help but think of Quinn, dressed in white, walking towards him down the aisle.

He kisses the top of her head and holds her a little bit closer. "I wanna marry you, Quinn. Is that so weird?"

She doesn't answer.

"I mean, I know it's a little strange, coming from me. I know I haven't exactly been fond of commitment in the past. But that was before you. You changed me. And I love you; you know that. I'm saying I wanna get married tomorrow, or next week, or even next year. Just… someday. So, Quinn Celeste Fabray, will you marry me someday?"

She still says nothing.

"Quinn?" He looks down. She's sleeping peacefully, her eyes closed and breathing staggered.

He sighs. It figures she'd be asleep when he gives her his first real proposal.

"Good night, Quinn," he whispers, pressing a kiss to her hair. His last thought before drifting off to sleep is, At least she didn't say no.

It's enough consolation for now, but he plans to refine his speech before he asks her again. Even he knows that you don't turn in the rough draft; you make your final product way better. He plans on asking her in such a unique, awesome, romantic way that she won't be able to say no.


An update, as promised! Next update should come either Friday or Saturday, depending on if I get time to right. I have a big pyschology project to work on, so... No promises on the Friday deadline. ;]

Thank you to all of you lovelies who reviewed/favorited/story alerted this story! I hope your pleased with this next part, haha.

Oh, and if you're just now reading this ficlet (or even if you're not), please don't forget to review! (: