Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.
A/N: I needed a break from my very hectic personal life so I wrote this chapter. It only took me about an hour so it's not that good but I'm happy with it. We're delving into a Puckleberry relationship this chapter. Not a romantic relationship but a friendship.
"Kurt?" Rachel opened her front door in the morning to find Kurt, Blaine, and Tina on the other side. "Blaine? Tina? What are you guys doing here?"
"Puck asked us to come check on you." Kurt explained stepping into the house.
"You seemed really upset last night after you talked to Finn." Tina said. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked.
"No." Rachel said honestly and then sighed. "But I guess I'll have to eventually, right?"
So after they were settled in the living room Rachel slowly told them everything and she felt Kurt and Tina both take one of her hands and squeeze tightly.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Tina asked, visibly upset.
"I'll kill him." Blaine started to get up but Rachel grabbed his hand pulling him back onto the couch.
"You don't have to." Rachel shook her head.
"Oh, but I want to." Blaine shook his head angrily. "I never liked Finn that much. I just put up with him because he was Kurt's brother but no more. If I ever catch him alone…"
"What? You'll attack him with one of Kurt's scarves?" Rachel smiled. "Look… I didn't tell you guys this so you would be mad at Finn. I told you because… because Santana knows and I didn't want you finding out from her. This isn't Finn's fault."
"It's not yours either." Kurt said and realized Rachel actually thought it was. "Listen to me, Rachel. This wasn't anybody's fault. What happened wasn't because of something you did."
"Finn seems to think so." Rachel sighed. "I just wish he could understand how difficult it was for me. When I needed him the most he just left me."
"I'm serious, Rachel, give me the sign and I'm sure I could scrounge up a few guys from work to beat Finn's face in." Blaine offered.
"Thanks." She nodded. "I think… I think I just need some company right now. I don't want to be alone."
"Of course, sweetie." Kurt patted her hand. "Blaine and Tina have to get to work but I'll stay here all day if you want."
She nodded again, telling Blaine and Tina goodbye, before letting Kurt lead her to the bedroom and they both crawled onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling.
"Rachel?" Kurt asked quietly.
"Hmm?" She replied.
"Did it hurt?" He wondered. "I'm sorry if I'm overstepping some boundaries here…"
"It's okay." She reached down to take his hand. "Honestly, it didn't hurt that much. There was some cramping but… but it was nothing compared to how I felt when I woke and was told that my baby was gone." She bit into her lip for a few seconds. "I felt so… alone."
"I'm sorry." Kurt whispered.
"Me too." She said just as quietly.
"Can I ask when it happened?"
Rachel took a shallow breath and closed her eyes as the tears streamed out again. "March. March 23rd."
"Sweetie." Kurt wiped her tears away with his free hand. "Why don't you try to get some sleep?"
"Yea." Rachel nodded.
It was later, much later, that Rachel finally woke up. She hadn't realized how exhausting this big move had actually been on her but when she woke up she saw that it was nearly six o'clock at night and she had fallen asleep at ten this morning. She groaned, sitting up slightly, and when she felt the hard body next to her she furrowed her brow. Kurt couldn't still be here, could he? When she flipped on her bedside light she screamed seeing who exactly was sleeping in her bed with her.
"The fuck?" Puck yelled jerking out of his sleep. "What's wrong?" He asked sleepily when he saw how freaked out Rachel was.
"What are you doing in my bed?" She asked standing up and wrapping her sheet around her. She wasn't naked but she was in her pajamas and Noah Puckerman did not get to see her in her pajamas – especially since they only consisted of a tank top and a pair of blue cotton shorts.
"Do you have to yell?" He tried to rub the tiredness from his eyes.
"Noah Puckerman?" She gasped. "Are you naked? In my bed?" She saw that that he had the blanket – her blanket – pulled up to his bare chest.
"Rachel." He groaned, throwing the blanket back and stood up. Thankfully, he had his blue pants still on and she saw that his wife beater and his blue uniform shirt were both hanging over the chair in the corner of her room. "Why do you have to be so loud?"
"Sorry." She mumbled staring at him intensely.
It wasn't her fault that Noah looked even better now than he had in high school. His 'guns', as he liked to call them, had somehow gotten even larger and he still had some of the best abs Rachel had ever seen. She licked her lips and wondered why she was letting herself get sucked into this trap. Noah Puckerman was not a good choice for her. He was rude and crass and vulgar. He did one night stands and picked up trashy women from bars. On the other hand, the way he had kissed her last night was far from any way he had ever kissed her before. Last night had been careful and gentle.
"I showed up here about two hours ago and Kurt said you were sleeping. He had to get home to Blaine so I told him I could stay. I didn't want to wake you but I was really tired so I thought I'd lie down and get a short nap." Puck said and much to Rachel's dismay pulled his wife beater over his head and started to pull on his blue shirt. As he fumbled with the buttons he swore under his breath something about small buttons and big fingers. "I'm sorry I scared you. I didn't think I'd be asleep that long." He frowned. "Damn it. I hate these damn buttons."
"Let me try." She tossed her sheet back onto the bed and walked over to Puck.
"Thanks." Puck let his hands fall to his sides and watched as she started to quickly button his shirt up.
"You know… there's something about a man in a uniform." She smiled absently. "I'm sure if you wore this down to the bar women would be throwing themselves at you."
"Why is that?" He asked.
"I dunno…" She shrugged and looked up to meet his eyes. "Something about knowing that you risk your life every day after you put this on. It's dangerous and sexy." She saw him smirk and wished she hadn't said anything.
"You think I'm sexy?" He was clearly amused.
"No…" She shook her head, continuing to button the shirt slowly. Though she wouldn't admit it, she liked being this close to Noah. "The uniform is."
"Right." Puck chuckled.
"You should try it sometime." She shrugged. "I'm telling you this uniform will get you home with some tramp lying under you in record time."
"Could you possibly be one of these women?" He looked down at her hands as they shakily did their work.
"I…" Rachel smiled as well. "No."
"Why not?" He looked offended that she would reject him so quickly.
"Because I know the man under this uniform." She finished with the last button and stepped away. "And I won't be another tally mark on his bedpost."
"I'm not seventeen anymore, Berry. I've changed." Puck countered. "I don't make tally marks on my bed. I just keep the panties as a souvenir shoved in the back of my closet." He joked but Rachel didn't think it was that funny.
Rachel snorted and pulled her bedroom door open, making her way to her kitchen and he followed closely behind her.
"I have changed." He insisted.
"I'm sure you have." She nodded pulling a bottle of water from her fridge.
"I guess I should go then." Puck sighed, looking at the time on the clock. "I'm probably going to hit the bar for a little bit. Wanna come?"
She smiled and walked over towards him. "No… but thanks for offering." She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him softly on the cheek. "Goodnight, Noah."
"Night, Rach."
Puck let her lead him to the front door and as she shut it in his face he felt the urge to say something but he couldn't find the right words before he heard her turn the lock and then the light flipped off. Even through the door he could hear her sigh and then pad out of the room. He groaned, running his hands over his short hair and stalked off towards his cruiser. It had been ten years since he had seen Rachel; ten years since he had even thought about her but now that she was back in Lima he wasn't sure why he couldn't stop thinking about her.
