Summary: AU starting from Mash-up. "Because she loved him. She knew she loved him. But she saw him staring at her. She saw it."
Pairings: Rachel/Puck
AN: I know it seems all quick, but it'll make sense in the long run. The conflict won't be in the beginning. The minor problem gets resolved in the beginning, and then bigger problems start (which I'm sure you can guess). Gets it? YA GETS IT?
By the way, I read everywhere that the Glee timeline is pretty screwed up so I'm just trying to get it to fit in the way I want it to for my story. I hope that's alright with everyone!
"So…" Noah started.
"So…" She continued.
They were sitting in the bed of his truck, in an empty school parking lot.
"So you think I'm a stud, huh?" He asked with a smirk on his face. She rolled her eyes and began to crawl off of his car. "Wait, no wait!" He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back towards him. "Why… why did you pretend that you liked Finn?"
She shrugged. "I figured it would be easier to go along with it if you already believed that I was in love with him. I couldn't figure out any other reason for breaking up with you that I could tell you."
He groaned and looked away from her. "I feel like a total douche. So you weren't using me?"
"No, but apparently, you were using me," she snapped.
"No, I wasn't," he told her. When she scoffed, he grabbed her face and made him look straight at him. "I wasn't, Rach. My mom was moaning and groaning about how I don't have a nice Jewish girlfriend that I can marry in the future."
"How is that not using me?" she asked in annoyance.
"Would you let me finish, babe?" She rolled her eyes and made a lock-key motion with her mouth and fingers. "The night she was yelling at me for that, I had a dream of you in some kind of long nightgown with that Star of David necklace you have. It was like you raided my grandma's closet but you were so damn hot to me that I had to take a cold shower once I woke up."
"That's…romantic."
He sighed and looked at her. "The week that we dated, I actually felt… cool, Rach. I wasn't stressed, I didn't feel jealous of Finn… it was just you and me and that was pretty awesome. All the troubles I had in life just… suddenly disappeared. And all of those compliments you were throwing my way? Man, I felt like I could actually be someone, not just some Lima loser."
"Why do you think you're just some Lima loser, is my question," she said, grabbing his hand.
He frowned, not sure what to say, but decided to go with the truth. "It's something Quinn called me a while ago."
Rachel nodded, wrapping her arms around her legs. "I don't think you're a Lima loser."
"I don't think you have man hands… or look like RuPaul." He looked at her with a hesitant frown. "Why… why do you like me and not Finn?"
She shrugged. "Finn was never embarrassed by me. You pretty much showed me off in front of the whole school as if I was something special. I don't know, Noah. Finn gave me butterflies but with you it was like there were eagles in my stomach. All you ever had to do was look at me and I'd go crazy. When I was holding your hand, I felt like my skin was on fire."
She blushed red at having confessed her feelings.
"No one has ever told me that before," he said quietly. "Mostly because I was a mega asshole to most of the girls I've been with."
"You were great to me if that counts for anything."
He nodded.
"To tell the truth, I think I was trying even harder with Quinn because I was trying to distract myself from how angry and…upset I was when you broke up with me… if that counts for anything."
"Well, knowing that you were thinking about me is kind of hot."
"Yea?" he asked with a grin on his face. Her nod urged him to continue. "I was picturing baking with you instead of Quinn that day you saw us throwing shit at each other."
"You're just trying to make me smile now," she said, her blush getting darker.
"No really, I mean it. Finn told me about those 'I'm Sorry' cookies you once made and how good they tasted. I like a girl that can cook. I… I really think that I may not be over Quinn yet, but you can help me get over her maybe?" Who was he kidding? Mercedes was right. Quinn chose who she wanted, so why couldn't he do the same?
"I told Finn that I was over him because of you," she blurted out.
He stared at her for a second and, as if she told him that she wasn't wearing any panties, he lunged at her and kissed her with so much passion that she thought she was going to pass out.
"We said we were going to take it slow," she groaned, pushing him away and inching closer to the other side of the room.
"And why did we say that again?"
"Because you're 'totally not over Quinn,' as you so eloquently put it. I understand that, and I know you have feelings for me too, but I need to know you're devoted to me and only me if we're going to have a relationship."
"Baby, I am so devoted I built you a shrine." She rolled her eyes and threw her backpack on the chair between them so that he couldn't get any closer. "It's called 'Rachel's boobies are so fine, I wish she'd let me call them mine'."
"Wow, how poetic," she said with sarcastic joy. "I'm so flattered."
"Does it make you want me?" He sat on her lap and swayed his hips back and forth, giving her a rather…not seductive lap dance. "Does it turn you on?"
"Get off of me," she growled, trying to push him off.
"Tell me you like it!"
"Noah, get off!"
"Tell me ya want me!"
"Would you cut it out!"
"Tell me it makes you-"
"UHM, HELLO!" A new voice cut in, startling the two.
Rachel squealed and jumped up. "Oh! Mr. Schuester! Thank God you came! Noah was trying to… push me violently off my seat. If it weren't for you he'd still be harassing me. I demand he be put on probation or-"
"Rachel, I don't want to know…" Mr. Schuester said, waving his hand. "Your secret is safe with me. Just… no more inappropriate dance moves in the choir room."
"It wasn't me! Noah was the one who was-"
"I take all credit for the inappropriateness, Mr. Schue," Puck said, raising his hand with a sigh and giving Rachel pointed look.
She harrumphed in his direction and turned away.
"Never give girls looks like those, Puck," Mr. Schue told him with a laugh. "I'm only telling you this now so you don't figure it out the hard way."
"Don't worry, Mr. Schue. I'm so getting boob action later." She squealed in embarrassment for the second time that day as she tripped over her chain on the way out of the room. "Sorry for the inappropriateness once more," he told his teacher with a nod.
Will shook his head and walked to the piano to set his bag down. There was no way he was ever going to get these kids to listen to him.
~*~
I can't believe he's making us do this. I just can't believe he has such low confidence in us!"
Noah watched Rachel's butt sway back and forth as she swayed out of the choir room and out of his view. He rolled his eyes and quickly followed after her. "Berry! Would you relax!"
"I will not relax," she snapped. "Can you believe the nerve of that man? I warned him against those lousy, good for nothing tricks and he goes completely against my advice and makes us do some ridiculous number where we DISTRACT THE CROWD WITH OUR HAIR?! Does he really have no faith in us?! I have never been this angry in my whole entire life!"
She nearly ripped his door off as she climbed into his truck and waited for him to drive her home. He winced as she slammed the door shut. "She's gonna break my freakin car because of this? Like really?" he muttered to himself. Once he was settled into his seat, he turned the car on and looked at her. "Come on, babe. It won't be that bad."
"It won't be that bad? Are you out of your mind? Does he even know who I am? I am Rachel Berry!"
"You've won many awards and competitions and he has no right to underestimate a group that you are in," he finished for her. "Just give Mr. Schue some time, babe. He'll realize that he's being ridiculous, alright?"
She pouted and crossed her arms, turning away from him. "I do have a right to be upset, don't I?"
"Hell yea, babe. We're awesome. He's just freaking out after watching those hottie girls dancing on our stage."
"I thought you were agreeing with me so that you could 'go to boob town?'"
"Well, they weren't that hot," he answered quickly. Her eyebrow popped up as she stared at him. "Really ugly, I mean. They were like… hideous. I mean…with the hair… and the pants…"
She rolled her eyes. "Just drive. You're in the safe zone."
"Woo! Destination boob town, estimated time of arrival, 15 minutes."
"I can't even believe you just said that out loud."
"Do I still get to go to boob town?"
"Does taking things slow even mean anything to you?!"
Puck knew it was wrong. He knew this was really, really wrong especially since he ditched Rachel with the lame excuse that his mom was sick. But Quinn was finally considering giving him some daddy time! How could he deny that? I mean sure, he still had some kind of feeling for Quinn, but he pretty much knew that Rachel was awesome too. He just desperately wanted that baby girl to be calling him 'daddy,' not some idiot who thought that he could get a girl pregnant by means of hot tub.
Maybe that was really all he needed. He could have his kid without having Quinn, right? It's not like he actually wanted her. Like for real, he could have any girl he wanted. He just wanted a family for Drizzle (God, he couldn't even believe he didn't think of that name first).
"Are you ready?" Quinn asked him as she reached up and pressed the door bell.
He shrugged, his hands deep in his pocket. "As ready as I'll ever be."
About an hour later, he was really wishing that he didn't agree to this. These kids were demons. They had to be the children of Satan. These demon children of Satan were like… exactly the nightmares he used to have when he was little. There was no possible way that his baby could turn out like this.
"What the hell do we do?" Quinn whispered to him.
"I don't know," he answered back sarcastically. "How about we stay tied down as they destroy the house some more?" Before she could respond, his phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket. Oooh, Rachel telling him she was going to sleep so he shouldn't text her tonight. He briefly forgot where he was and wondered what she was wearing to bed.
"What are you doing?" Quinn spat in annoyance.
"Sorry," he told her after typing a quick 'goodnight, hot stuff' on his phone and shoving it back into his pocket. "So… we standing up?"
Quinn rolled her eyes and tugged at the rope before it loosened and fell down to her waist. "Alright guys! Who wants to sit down and hear a cool song?!"
The three boys stopped in their places and stared at her, waiting for her next move.
"Alright, Puck," she said with a grin. "Go get that guitar from your truck. It's time to serenade these lovely children."
~*~
"That was so great," Quinn told him with a grin. "I can't even believe it. It's like…it's like we could actually handle that kind of stuff."
He agreed with her, a big smile on his face. "It was pretty awesome how quickly you got them to calm down, and did you hear what that lady said? They'd NEVER fallen asleep like that before. We were pretty freakin awesome."
"Yea," she told him softly. "Listen, Puck, I'm really considering letting you into this child's life, but that would mean telling Finn and-"
"And Rachel," he cut in. His eyes widened when he realized what he said. Did he really just say that? Like really? What the hell was he thinking?
Quinn gave him a questioning look before laughing at him. "Why would we tell Berry?"
"I uh… she's kind of… my girlfriend again."
"W-what? I thought you two broke up?"
He scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "We got back together after we spoke to each other about what happened between us. We weren't really going to tell anyone yet especially since Tina, Kurt and Mercedes have been giving me shit for some reason," he tried not to wince since he knew the actual reason. "And she wants to take it slow and all, since we pretty much screwed it up last time but I figure, if you're considering letting me be the baby daddy, I have to tell Rachel the truth."
…Did he actually formulate that whole little ramble? Was that what he really wanted to do? Well, he didn't want to lie to Rachel, that much he knew, but was he seriously going to tell her the truth? That would SO get him dumped again.
"Y-you're joking. What is up with everyone liking her?"
"What do you care? She isn't going after Finn anymore so everything is taken care of."
"And I shouldn't be concerned that she has you wrapped around her finger?"
He frowned. "She doesn't have me wrapped around her finger. Like I said, we're still talking things slow. She doesn't know about the baby but… she did kind of know that I was into you for a while. It's not like she's going to throw you down a flight of stairs, Quinn."
"I… I thought you still liked me."
They stared at each other and he shook his head. "You've got to be kidding me. I've been chasing after you for like… what, ever and you finally show some kind of interest in me now? I... I'm sorry Quinn, but I… I kind of like Rachel. She's pretty cool."
They stopped in front of Finn's house and, by that time, Quinn was shaking with anger. "Well you can forget tonight. If I'm not sure of your devotion to the baby, then how am I supposed to have you in her life?!"
He grabbed her arm before she could jump out of his truck. "You're actually basing my love for the kid on how much I like you? You're out of your mind, Quinn. One day you're gonna realize that I would've been an amazing guy for her. Not Finn, not any other guy that'll come into your life. Me."
She glared at him and pushed him away. "Whatever, Puckerman," she sneered before quickly running into the house.
He sat there for a few seconds and smacked the steering wheel with the palm of his hand.
How did everything fall to shit so quickly?!
"Noah, Noah!" Rachel giggled, grabbing onto him and hugging him tightly. "You were right! He realized how ridiculous he was being! Aren't you so happy that you don't have to wear that stupid wig anymore?"
Noah smiled down at her and kissed her forehead. "I don't know, I think the wig was pretty cool. It brought out the color of my eyes."
"No, it didn't," she told him flatly. "You looked absolutely absurd and outlandish, Noah. It almost traumatized me enough to never want to look at you again."
"Lies!" He gasped, a hand flying to his heart. "Admit it, you thought I was beautiful."
"No, I didn't!"
He pushed her down onto a chair and began tickling her sides. "Come on! Say it! You wanted to run your fingers through my beautiful, long hair."
"It looked s-silly!" she stuttered out, tears of laughter piercing her eyes.
"Say you thought I looked gorgeous!"
"You l-looked l-like a big h-hairy monster!"
He laughed and pulled her back into a hug.
A month. A good, long month and not only was he allowed to explore with his hands, but he was so going to boob town like 24/7.
If he had to tell the truth… Quinn might be hot but Rachel was the shit. Like she was totally awesome. Not only was she telling him about how awesome he could be in his future but, as much as he hated to say this, she was ridiculously cute when he was cuddling with her.
Most importantly, he so was serious about her if he was actually able to withstand sex and enjoy his time with her anyway.
And he could honestly tell anyone in the whole damn world, even Karofsky, that he would so choose Rachel Berry over Quinn Fabray.
He's pretty sure that the only reason he ever even wanted Quinn was because she was so ridiculously unattainable. And just because he was totally diggin' a different girl didn't mean that he didn't care for Drizzle. He would TOTALLY be an awesome dad and if he thought really hard about it, Rachel would be an awesome role model for Drizzle. DUDE, HE SO DIDN'T THINK THAT THOUGH, IF ANYONE EVER ASKED. Especially, Quinn. She'd shove something so far up his ass that he'd be able to spit it out.
But yea.
He liked her.
He really, really liked her and he had no idea why he didn't see it before.
Well yea he did, otherwise he wouldn't have started going out with her but wow.
One month. It only took one month for him to know.
And boy did he know how much he liked her.
He just really hoped he wouldn't lose her when he told her the truth.