AN: Thanks again to everyone who reviewed or just read this story. You're all amazing!
*Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own Glee*
Noah
"You know, if I'm going to help you with this insane trek to check off everything on your list of things to do before you die when you're 200 years old, you're going to have to let me read it," I said to Rachel, looking over at her from the driver's seat.
After leaving her house, I drove back to the Hudson-Hummel house and had Kurt drive me to the used car dealership in town, where I proceeded to buy a crappy, used pickup truck. It was red, dented, scratched, and old—but it worked. I figured that if I was staying in town, I might as well get a car.
It cost three grand. I used the money that was originally intended for my tuition.
"After you tell me where we're going," she replied, drumming her fingers on her bare thigh. Rachel was dressed in a short sundress, and I couldn't help my eyes from wandering over to her bare legs ever few minutes. Luckily, she hadn't caught me staring yet.
"I told you, Berry. It's a surprise," I grinned, exiting off the freeway on the drive to the airport.
"You could have at least told me what I needed to pack for this spontaneous trip," she complained, sighing as she leaned back in the seat.
"Well, that would have given some things away. This is going to be a complete surprise—well, until we land."
"You mean until we get to the gate. I'm going to see where we're going."
"You would if we were taking a commercial jet. We're taking a small, private plane. You won't find out until we get there," I laughed.
"And how exactly are you affording to fly the two of us to some unknown destination on a private plane?" she asked skeptically.
I waved my hand in the hair. "Don't let it concern you. I have my connections." And I did. I'd put in a call to an old friend from high school, and she got me the private plane, the hotel reservations—everything.
Sometimes, it paid to have been such a whore during my McKinley High days.
"By connections, you mean you robbed a bank to pay for this trip, of course," she said, not a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"Oh, Berry, you're too funny," I teased, elbowing her in the side slightly as I pulled into the small airport, parking my car.
Rachel looked at me as I turned the car off. "Listen, Puckerman. If you're going to insist on coming along with me as I have the most amazing year of my life, then I have one rule."
"Shoot."
"Call me Rachel. It's really fucking annoying when you call me Berry. It makes me think you forgot my name—which is a possibility as to why you always call me by my last name instead of my first," she added.
I rolled my eyes but nodded my head. "Right, Rachel," I said, giving her a warm smile. "You can still call me Puckerman if you want, but you only ever do that when you're annoyed."
"Do not!" she huffed.
"Yes, you do. The rest of the time, you call me Noah. You're the only person besides my mom who calls me that," I told her, pulling the keys out of the ignition and stepping out of the car, leaving her inside while I grabbed our suitcases.
Rachel climbed out of the car, already on her phone. I guess spending even that little amount of time with just me was too much for her to handle. I tried to not let that thought hurt my ego.
"Yes, Daddy, we're about to get on the plane," Rachel was saying into her phone. Oh, it was just one of her fathers. She was just checking in—she wasn't completely irritated with my presence yet.
I walked into the hanger, seeing the pilot to our plane drinking a cup of coffee. He waved me over—we must have been the only people flying out at that time—and I headed in his direction, Rachel following behind me slowly.
"We're going to be leaving soon—No, I still don't know where we're going," she sighed into the phone. I saw her make a face—I couldn't tell if it was one of anger or frustration—before she sighed into the phone again. "Okay, okay!" she said, walking over to me and handed me the phone. "My dad wants to talk to you."
I gave her a confused look before taking the pink cellphone, instantly feeling like less of a man. I pressed it to my ear. "Hello?" I asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Sure, I'd met Rachel's fathers before—we all went to the same temple. But I couldn't tell you about any conversation I'd ever had with them because I'd hardly ever spoken three words to them.
"Noah, this is Leroy Berry," came a gruff voice from the other end of the phone. "I wasn't home this morning when you picked Rachel up, and I'm still not entirely comfortable with you taking my only daughter away from me, but Rachel's an adult and this is what she wants, so I guess I'm okay with it. Now, can you please tell me where you two are going?"
I let out a sigh. "I can't. Rachel's standing right here and it's going to be a surprise for her. I promise it's not anywhere dangerous or anywhere she's going to get hurt. We're only going to be there a few days, and then I promise to return her in perfect condition—maybe even in better condition than she left," I joked. I didn't hear him laugh—I guess he didn't find my joke funny.
"Just be careful, because if she comes back with any kind of injury, I will personally make sure you pay for it," he threatened. I got a terrifying image of Leroy Berry disposing of my lifeless body in my mind. I did not want that becoming a reality.
"Don't worry, sir. She'll be fine."
"Oh, and Noah?"
"Yes sir?" I asked, glancing over at Rachel, who was talking with the pilot while shooting worried glances over at me.
"If I found out this is some giant ploy to get into Rachel's pants…well, you'll never have any more kids," he said. "Have fun," he said before there was a click.
I hung up the phone before walking back over to Rachel and the pilot, handing her the phone. "What did my dad want with you?" she asked, looking me over suspiciously.
"Nothing, he just wanted to wish us a safe trip," I lied, Mr. Berry's last words buzzing in my head. Was I doing this to just get into Rachel's pants? I tried convincing myself no, that I was doing this because we were friends and I wanted to help her out while taking a year off school.
But that wasn't entirely true—Rachel and I had never really been friends, something she'd told me more than once since I'd decided to help her.
Rachel was hot, something I had never failed to notice. She was a hot Jew and I was a hot Jew—maybe that's why I wanted to help her.
No, that wasn't it either. All the progress I'd made since high school, all the changes I'd made to my life, were they all for nothing? Was I still the same jerk I was back then who was willing to do and say anything to get a girl to drop her panties?
No, I wasn't. I was different now. I was a better person. Hell, I hadn't slept with anyone since the summer after I graduated. I'd turned over a new leaf, became a new person.
But what was that saying? Old habits die hard or something along those lines. Maybe I'd just tried to convince myself I was different, but deep down I was really the same. Maybe this was a big ploy to get Rachel to sleep with me, only I didn't even know it yet.
No, if I wanted to sleep with her, I would know. I followed Rachel onto the plane, taking a seat beside her. The close proximity to her made my stomach start doing flips and my hands started sweating. No, I didn't like her like that. I tried telling my body to stop getting all hot and bothered with her right there, but it refused to listen.
Rachel leaned close to me, her hair falling below my face. I took a breath, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. She smelled like something fruity and flowery at the same time, though I couldn't pinpoint what the exact smells were. All I knew was that she smelled amazing.
Rachel sat up straight when she saw I was breathing heavily and sweating. "Noah?" she asked, looking up at me, her dark eyes scanning my face with concern. "Are you okay? You don't look well right now," she said, placing her hand on top of mine.
Everything was going into overdrive right now. I couldn't think and I didn't know why. All I knew was that if Rachel leaned in any closer, I'd lose it.
I managed a quick nod and she leaned back, though she kept her hand resting on top of mine. I turned my hand slightly so hers was cupped in mine. She didn't seem to mind that since she didn't pull her hand away. I smiled to myself, though I could feel my heart beating in my chest.
No, this was not okay. I didn't get like this around girls. The only girl who caused me to act like this was Quinn Fabray, and Beth was the result of those feelings.
I bit my bottom lip, raking a hand through my hair. How the hell did my body know I liked her when my brain didn't? Nothing made sense when it came to Rachel, something I was slowly starting to realize. In two days, she'd managed to make me quit school, take her on a wild trip, and now she was making me fall for her.
Maybe it was just because I hadn't been with a girl in a while and she was the first one I'd spent any time with. Yes, that had to be it.
My body didn't seem to care about that thought, though. Sweat was falling from my forehead and my hands were trembling.
"Scared of flying?" I heard Rachel ask as her eyes searched my face.
"Uh, yeah," I lied. I hoped she bought it and didn't try to figure out why exactly I was acting the way I was.
"I used to be afraid too," she said, leaning her head on my shoulder in the most innocent way possible. Of course, her closeness just made me go more insane. Multiple situations ran through my mind, all of them involving her clothes strewn across the floor and me inside her.
I shook that from my mind instantly. This was not a way to get into her pants, this was me being a nice guy and helping a friend out. As long as I kept telling myself that, maybe it would be true.
We were in the air for a few hours, me trying to stop myself from pinning Rachel to the floor and kissing her like no one had kissed her before. Rachel remained oblivious to everything I was feeling. She slept with her head on my shoulder for most of the flight.
I felt the plane drop a bit as we began the landing process. Rachel stirred slightly, yawning as she sat up. I saw her face go a bit red when she realized she'd fallen asleep on me, but I gave her a small smile, which seemed to make her feel a bit better about the whole thing. "We almost there?" she asked, combing her fingers through her hair.
"We're landing right now, I think," I said, looking out the window. All I could see was the water surrounding the entire island, making me grin. A few days in the sun was the perfect way to start this insane idea of hers.
The plane landed on the small runway as the pilot hit the brakes, eventually coming to a stop. I grabbed our bags before helping Rachel to her feet. I looked down at her before looking away.
Rachel seemed to frown at that. Great, now she probably thought I didn't want to be here with her or something. Well, maybe that was better than her thinking I was some kind of sex maniac who just wanted to fuck her.
The doors opened and a staircase lowered to let us off the plane. I walked out first, carrying both our suitcases with me.
Rachel followed behind, looking around the whole time. I figured she was trying to figure out where we were.
"Rachel, welcome to Bermuda," I laughed, grinning at her.
