CHAPTER 4

AN: I'm still stunned at the reaction to this story. Every time I see that little email with a new review or story alert or favorite, I get so happy. Keep it up bbs ;D

Oh, and I love Chey :3

Rachel opened her eyes, her head still resting on Noah Puckerman's chest as he snored softly, his chest rising and falling with each intake of air.

Rachel sat up, taking in her surroundings. Maybe it had been a terrible dream. They weren't really on an island in the middle of nowhere. They were in New York, and for some reason, she'd slept in Noah's room.

Nope, it was true. She felt it in the pit of her stomach, just like she felt the sand between her toes as she stood up and exited the shelter Noah had built for them yesterday.

Rachel took a seat on a giant log on the beach, her face in her hands. She couldn't believe this was happening. She, Rachel Berry, the star of New Directions, was stuck on an island with only Noah Puckerman for company.

She didn't see how her life could get any worse at this point. She hadn't showered since the plane crashed, her breath smelled, and her clothes were starting to border on disgusting if she didn't get something new to wear soon.

She heard a loud yawn and turned her head. Puck was awake now, making his way out of their little beach shack and over to her, plopping himself on the log next to her, picking up a banana from their pile and peeling it, taking a bite out of it a moment later.

"Morning," she said quietly, playing with her fingers in her lap.

"Morning," Puck grunted, his mouth full of mashed bananas. "Sleep well?"

"Oh, yeah," she said softly. "It was nice." Rachel bit her lip, feeling the awkwardness between them. It was like they'd had a one night stand and this was the morning after. Except it wasn't. They'd just shared a mat. It was innocent. Nothing had even happened.

But it had. Emotionally at least. For Rachel at least. She felt a strange sense of closeness with Puck, one she hadn't felt yesterday. He was there when Finn wasn't. Granted, Finn wasn't here, but the fact still stood that Puck was here for her and Finn wasn't.

Was she starting to fall for him? Sure, they'd had good times in the past. Puck was there when he was trying to not be in love with Finn when he was dating Quinn. He was there when she found out about Finn's tryst with Santana. He was always there for her, but she'd pushed him off as a dumb criminal who could throw a football.

Puck looked over at Rachel, stunned she wasn't jabbering at a mile a minute, commanding him to do this or get her that. She was silent, which was odd.

"You okay?" he asked her, giving her a look.

Rachel was pulled from her thoughts when his voice interrupted them. "Huh?" she asked. "Oh, yeah I'm fine," she said, twirling a finger around a lock of her tangled hair. She tried to force those thoughts—the ones where she might be falling for Puck—out of her head, but they refused to budge.

He sighed at her, knowing she was lying, but not want to press the matter and get into a fight. She was the only other person here with him, and he didn't want to get into a fight.

"So listen," he said, looking at Rachel. "I was thinking we should head into the jungle again today. We need to find fresh water soon or we're going to get dehydrated."

Rachel bit her lip. "As much as I hate to say this, you're right, Puck. Plus, we need to find somewhere private we can shower. I don't exactly want to strip on the beach in front of you and go skinny dipping in the ocean just to make sure I'm clean," she said.

Puck chuckled. "Oh, I wouldn't mind seeing that," he teased. He really wouldn't. Puck could tell under the bad clothes she wore was an amazing body, and he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to see that body up close and personal.

He felt a hard smack on his arm and heard Rachel sigh annoyedly. "Stop being vulgar, Puckerman," she snapped. "You do not get to see what I look like naked any time in the future," she said, rising to her feet. "Now let's go. I really would like to be able to shower soon."

Puck grinned at her reaction, getting to his feet as well and following her into the jungle. He watched her from behind. The way her tiny hips swiveled as she stepped over a branch lying on the ground. The way she bit her lip as she paused, deciding which way to go. The way that one drop of sweat slowly inched down her neck.

Puck's full attention was on that little droplet that he didn't notice Rachel had come to a stop until he crashed into her and knocked her over.

"Smooth," she said," standing back up and daintily dusting herself off. "As if I wasn't dirty enough already," she said.

Puck grumbled some form of apology and got to his feet. "Why'd you stop?" he asked, looking around.

"Because of that," she said, pointing ahead. Puck looked, seeing a huge lake complete with a waterfall. The area was surrounded by palm trees and lilies. It was beautiful. It was perfect. But most of all, it was cool, refreshing water. He was hot and sweaty from spending all day yesterday walking around the jungle and building a shelter for the two of them. Without a though, he stripped down to his boxers and cannonballed into the water.

Rachel rolled her eyes, walking over and taking a seat on the edge of the lake, sticking her feet in. The water felt nice. Cool and wonderful. She'd have loved to jump in, but these were her only clothes, and she wasn't about to strip down to her underwear in front of Noah Puckerman.

Puck swam to the surface, a huge grin on his face. This was just what he needed. He turned and spotted Rachel sitting on the edge, her feet dangling in the water. "Berry, come in," he said, splashing her lightly. "The water's great."

"I can't. These are my only clothes. I can't get them wet."

Puck rolled his eyes. "Strip down to that cute cotton bra I know you're wearing and jump in with me."

Rachel's cheeks flushed red at that. "I can't do that. You'd be all over me."

Puck laughed a little. "Berry, I promise to be a perfect gentleman. I'll keep a five foot distance if you want," he promised.

Rachel bit her lip, still hesitant. She didn't exactly trust Puck around herself half naked.

"Rachel, I swear on Jewish God not to do anything inappropriate."

Rachel sighed, standing up and pulling the zipper of her skirt down, pulling the material off her and dropping it to the ground. She unbuttoned her shirt, shedding that as well before diving into the water.

She hadn't changed her mind because Puck promised to be a gentleman. Or because he swore on God. It was because he called her Rachel.

Rachel kicked to the surface, swimming over towards Puck who was grinning at her. "You were right. This feels amazing," she said.

Puck laughed a little, doing his best to keep his eyes off her. She really did have an amazing body—that vegan diet was working wonders for her. Plus all those hours of dancing for Glee Club helped keep her in tip top shape. He just couldn't believe it had taken him so long to realize how gorgeous Rachel really was.

Sure, he thought she was hot in a dorky sort of way. But, here on this island, he saw the beauty of her, and not just outer beauty. She was kind, caring, and she'd been sweet to him the entire time they'd been here.

Then, there was her outer beauty. Her perfectly defined lips. Her deep brown eyes, curtained by dark lashes, her long, dark hair…

Puck shook that thought off. What was he thinking? She was Finn's girlfriend. They'd get rescued and she'd go home to him. They'd get married and have a perfect life together. And Puck? He'd end up working as a mechanic or something, stuck in Lima for the rest of his life. Rachel would go on to do great things while he's be stuck as some small town screw up who wasn't even worthy of the school freak.

"Noah?"

Rachel's gentle voice penetrated his thoughts. He looked up. Good lord. If the sight before him didn't give a man an erection, then he must be gay.

Rachel was standing in the water, drenched from head to toe. Little droplets of water rolled down her skin, leaving a wet trail behind them. His eyes focused on her small breasts, which were covered minimally by her bra. Her wet locks hung behind her, but a few strands of hair hung in her face perfectly.

It took all his self control not to seize her and take her right there, but Rachel deserved more than a quick fuck in the water. She deserved epic romance. Besides, he wasn't going to force himself on her.

"Yes?" he choked out, trying to even his voice as the thoughts of Rachel filled his mind.

Rachel looked at P, studying his features. His perfect bone structure, his lips which her just begging to be kissed, and his Mohawk. Oh, what she would give to run her fingers through it…

What was she thinking? She loved Finn. Finn, her boyfriend. The same boyfriend who had slept with Santana Lopez and lied about it to her. What was to say they weren't fucking now that she was out of the picture?

That thought drove her crazy. She didn't know what her boyfriend was doing. Or who he was doing. The simple fact was Finn had done it and she still refused to put out. He was going to get it from somewhere else, especially now that she was out of the picture and Santana was more than happy to let him shove it in her.

"Rachel? You okay?" Puck asked. Rachel turned her head toward him, tears brimming in her eyes. Puck moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. "What's wrong?"

"Just…I don't know what's happening now that we're gone. What if they don't even care that we're missing? Finn's probably sticking it to Santana. You know how she is. And how they were after he and I broke up earlier."

Puck remembered. After the whole fiasco after Sectionals, Finn had basically flaunted it in Rachel's face that he was banging Santana, reducing her to tears more than one practice. Which was why Puck didn't understand how she could have gotten back together with him.

He'd always admired Rachel for keeping her head held high during those few months Finn was whoring around with Santana, but he'd lost it all as soon as she took him back.

"It's alright," he said, patting her back gently. "Everything's going to be okay. I'm sure Finn and Santana aren't doing it like rabbits," he said a little unsurely. He honestly wouldn't put it past either of them.

Rachel looked up at Puck as he looked down at her. Their eyes met before his lips were pressed against hers, consuming them in an intense kiss.

Rachel had lost all sense of reason. She was sad. She wasn't thinking. Puck was there. She was lonely. Those were all excuses running through her mind about what she was doing. But she knew they were all a lie. She knew the real reason she was kissing Noah Puckerman.

She wanted him.

Puck let his lips continue to meet hers, his one hand resting on the small of her back while his other reached up to tangle in her hair. His tongue traced along her bottom lip before it pushed through her lips and met with hers. She let her hand trail down the defined muscles of his abs before reaching the waistband of his boxers, hooking a thumb into them.

Instantly, Puck pulled away. "Rachel, wait," he said. "We can't do this. Not here. Not now."

Rachel pulled back as well, frowning a little. "Why not?" she asked, the hurt clear in her voice. Did he not want her? Not in that way at least?

Puck shook his head, hearing her disappointment. "No, Rachel. It's not that I don't want this. Really, I do. But you deserve more than a quick fuck in the lake. You deserve romance. Courting. You need to make me work for it. Because you're worth that and so much more."

Rachel looked at him, confusion in her eyes.

"We will do it," he promised. "But not yet. It has to be perfect." He pecked her lips again before running his thumb along her cheekbone.

Rachel wrapped her arms around Puck, burying her face in his chest. His arms snaked around her hips as the two teenagers stood there in the water, not saying a word, but hearing the unspoken words that came from their embrace.