A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! I'm pretty sure that I replied to everyone, but thanks to you anonymous readers as well. I continue to be humbled by the response to this story. Many apologies for taking so darn long to get this next chapter out. Only one more after this one. I'm kinda sad that it's winding down, but it had to happen eventually. A special thanks to my girls for reading and helping along the way. I couldn't do it without you. :) Also, I own nothing of Glee or the song used in this chapter. I own my sarcasm and sparkling wit though. Heh.


After a long day of sightseeing, the pair returned to her building and climbed the four required flights of stairs to Rachel's apartment. She rounded the corner to keep going. "Uh, Rach, your apartment is right here," Puck drawled, shifting the bag of Chinese takeout in his hands.

Rachel stopped, smiled. "I know that, silly. I thought we could eat on the roof. It's a nice night—good view." She turned and began her ascent.

"I'll say," he said lowly as his eyes lit on her long legs and perfect ass.

She glanced over her shoulder, noted his focal point. "You're incorrigible, Noah."

"I don't know what that means," he deadpanned, smirking up at her.

Rachel chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Oh, you do, too. Come on, Puckerman, I'm hungry," she ordered.

She hurried up the remaining flights of stairs, Puck hot on her heels, hoping that Kurt was able to pull off her request. Turning her key into the lock, she slowly opened the door and was not disappointed in her best friend's efforts. He'd strung several strands of white twinkle lights overhead and set up a romantic, candle-lit table for two. Soft music wafted through the air as she stepped out onto the rooftop deck and she smiled at her friend's handiwork. It exceeded her expectations; it was perfect.

"What's this?" he asked, a smile lighting his tone as he stepped out behind her. He looked around the rooftop and smirked at the classic Rachel Berry romantic atmosphere. "Berry, are you trying to seduce me?" he asked mischievously, wrapping an arm around her waist. "You do know that I'm a sure thing, right?"

Rachel shivered at the feel of his hot breath on her neck. It would be so easy, she thought. So easy to turn and drag him back down to her apartment and divest each other of their clothing, to devour each other; but tonight wasn't just about that. Tonight was about a little romance, spending their last night together. They still had talking to do, but she was intent on waiting and milking every last enjoyable moment left. She leaned back against him, smiled. "I know. Why don't you humor me anyway?"

He brushed the hair back off her neck and pressed his lips to the curve of her jaw, inhaled the sweet scent of her. "Do I have a choice?" he murmured against her skin.

"No," she smiled crookedly and wriggled free from his embrace, snagging the bag of Chinese food from his hand. "Let's eat!" She took a seat at the little table and pulled the white containers and chopsticks out of the paper sack.

Puck took a seat across from her and took one of the containers from her. "How'd you pull this off, Rach?" he asked, digging his chopsticks into the orange chicken.

"Oh, you know, I had a little fairy help me," she replied breezily.

"Does Kurt appreciate being called a fairy?" He grinned wickedly when she laughed.

"Shut up, Noah," she said drolly, reaching across the table to take back the carton of chicken.

Puck popped open a couple of beers, handing one to Rachel. "Cheers," he said, angling his bottle towards hers across the table.

"What are we toasting?" she asked playfully.

Looking at her over the candlelight, he paused, trying to find the right words, then he shrugged and said "You pick."

Rachel considered him across the table. "How about second chances and new beginnings?"

"I'll drink to that," he replied and clinked his bottle against hers.

Rachel always had better words than he did.

After dinner, they were leaning against the railing looking out over the city while Rachel animatedly pointed out various buildings and locations that could be seen from her rooftop. She also drew attention to the more interesting residents across the way that she and Kurt often had fun spying on. He teased her about turning into a Peeping Tom.

Puck watched her face light up as she talked, her love for the city abundantly clear. He knew, once more, that he'd done the right thing all those years ago by leaving so that she could carve out a life for herself and realize the success she was born to achieve.

She slanted a sideways glance at him and found him watching her with an amused expression. "I'm rambling again," she blushed, looking down at the ground. "Sorry."

"Why?" He draped an arm casually around her shoulders and drew her against him. "I like hearing you talk. You're happy here."

Rachel nodded in agreement, wrapping her arm around his back and snuggling in closer. "I really am."

"Good."

"Oh, look," Rachel pointed to an apartment across the street where an elderly couple danced in their living room. "Those two are my favorite."

"The old people?"

"Noah," she poked him in the side. "I think they're sweet. They always dance together after dinner—like they are still madly in love even after all these years."

"How do you know they've been together for a lifetime? Maybe they are newlyweds, or engaging in some hot affair while their spouses are out playing bingo," he drawled sarcastically.

"Oh, hush," she chuckled. "Don't ruin the little fantasy I have in my head."

His fingers toyed with the ends of her hair as they leaned against one another, watching the elderly couple dance across the way to the tunes wafting out of the radio on her rooftop.

If I could take you away
Pretend I was queen
What would you say
Would you think I'm unreal
'Cause everybody's got their way I should feel

Rachel shifted ever so slightly when this particular song began playing, memories of a dance long ago swirling in her mind. He mumbled something against her hair that she couldn't discern. "What?" she whispered back.

"Do you remember this song?" he repeated.

She turned her head and looked up at him, nodding. "I can't believe you do," she said, incredulous.

A wicked smile flashed across his face. "I remember the way you looked in that white dress. Fuck, that thing was short. I really just wanted to see what was under it." He chuckled when she rolled her eyes. "I also remember the way your face blushed a thousand shades of red when I told you to dance with me. But you tried to cover it up like you were annoyed instead."

"Dance with me," he clipped, grabbing for her hand, a smirk on his lips.

"Is that any way to ask a girl to dance?" she scoffed, trying in vain to tug her hand free as her face blushed hot.

"It's how I ask," he retorted, pulling her close.

She put her hand on his chest to stop his advance. "I'm here with Finn."

"Yeah, and at the moment he's dancing with Quinn. So for once in your life, Berry, just shut up and stop thinking so damn much. Dance with me."

Her heart beat a rapid tattoo in her chest as he drew her against his body in a shadowy corner of the high school gym. His hands splayed firmly on her hips possessing her completely for those few wonderful minutes.


Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love, for real
Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love for real
Want to be your everything

Everything...

Puck wrapped his hands around her waist and she slowly looped her arms around his neck. "What else do you remember?" she asked as they swayed absently on her rooftop, the bustling city a million miles away.

The corners of his mouth turned down as he looked down at her. "I don't know."

"Yes, you do, you just want to pretend like you don't."

She'd hit that one square on the head. His lips twitched into a smirk. "Your hair smelled like coconuts. And even though I was a total stud and had slept with a lot of girls, I remember feeling completely different while you were pressed against me—like none of them had ever mattered. I guess they didn't. No one ever mattered until you." A wistful smile fluttered across her features, and he grinned back at her. "I felt like such a fucking pussy for having feelings and shit."

A breathy laugh escaped her lips. "Always so eloquent, Noah."


Everything's falling, and I am included in that
Oh, how I try to be just okay
Yeah, but all I ever really wanted
Was a little piece of you

"What about you? It seems only fair for you to tell me what you remember, too."

"My palms were sweating and my heart was beating so hard that I was sure you would hear it and walk away laughing at me." Rachel looked down at her feet, remembering those feelings of that vulnerable and confused sixteen year old. "When you looked at me, it was as though you could read every thought in my head. It was unnerving and thrilling and it made my knees knock together. I—I remember feeling more in that one dance with you than I ever had dating and mooning over Finn."

And everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love, for real
Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love for real

"God, I wanted to kick his ass when he came over after the song was done and you left with him."

Rachel grinned. "Why did you want to beat him up when I was the one that walked away?"

"Because I couldn't hit you," he teased. "You'd found a way to worm yourself into my life without even really trying and I didn't want you there, but I wanted you there, too. Damn witchy woman. And St. Finn got to take you home."

"It worked out eventually," she reminded him and he smirked, rubbing his thumb in circles on the small of her back. She'd broken things off with Finn the next week, realizing that it wasn't fair to begin a relationship with him when she had feelings for someone else—though it had taken them both longer to finally admit those feelings to one another.


Everything will be alright
If you just stay the night
Please, sir, don't you walk away, don't you walk away, don't you walk away
Please, sir, don't you walk away, don't you walk away, don't you walk away

Here she was, standing in the dark, dancing to this song with this boy, with so many words on the tip of her tongue and feelings in her heart. Just like the last time.


And everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love, for real
Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love for real

She could make things different this time—would make things different this time. She wouldn't walk away with things left unsaid. Despite the lost years between them, she knew if she didn't grab this chance, she'd kick herself for the rest of her life. Rachel leaned back, peering up at him with wide eyes and blurted "Time in!"

Puck's brows drew together and he shook his head, confused. "What?"

"Time in," she repeated, another smile tugging at her lips. "I don't know how we make it work once you leave, Noah, but I want to try—really, really want to try. We can talk, e-mail, letters…we can write letters!" Her voice kept notching up and up as she prattled on.

"Wait, you want me to write you a letter?" he asked evenly, wanting again to shake his head at the crazy and beautiful woman in his arms who liked throwing him for loops.

She laughed and her eyes went wild and bright. "Not just a letter, but lots of letters. We can get to know each other again through them. It's old fashioned—romantic."

"But Rach, we don't live in old fashioned times. We have these crazy inventions called the telephone…and e-mail."

"Don't make fun of me," she chided, slapping his arm. "We'll talk and e-mail, too, but we should write each other letters. It takes time and effort to craft a well-thought out letter. I think it would show each other that we both want to figure out where this goes and that we're both putting in the work since we can't see each other."

And everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love, for real
Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love for real

I want to be your love, love, love

He stared at her, considering, as the song faded out and another faded in. She'd switched gears on him without warning, but then again, she'd always done that. It was one of the many things he'd loved (still loved?) about her, even though at times it made him want to wring her neck. Rachel was giving him another chance, telling him she wanted to make things work. If Rachel wanted some letters, he'd write her some fucking letters. Puck dropped his head and captured her lips with his, slowly savoring her mouth, letting their tongues tangle lazily. "Okay," he murmured when their mouths pulled apart, their foreheads resting together.

The big smile stretched slowly, lighting up her face. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. But I don't want any lectures about how shitty my spelling is."

She rolled her eyes, but giggled. "You're so romantic, Noah," she said sarcastically.

"Shut up." He pressed his lips firmly to hers again, lifting her off the ground, feeling her legs come around his waist.

"You're really going to be gone for six months?" she asked breathlessly when she leaned back. She saw his Adam's apple bob when he swallowed thickly and nodded wordlessly. Her lips thinned and she nodded back, forcing to keep the sadness at bay. She unfolded her legs, dropped down to the ground and laced her fingers through his. "Come on," she whispered, leading him silently over to the door. There were more words that needed to be said, but the only way she could think to express them at the moment was by showing him.

There was an ache in her heart as she inserted the key on the final lock to her apartment with trembling hands. The sand in the hourglass was almost gone and once it was, he would be gone, too. She needed him to know how much she would miss him. He combed his fingers through her hair, brushing the lightly calloused tips over the nape of her neck, making her whole body shiver. Puck laid a hand over hers and helped her turn the key so they could step inside. She relocked the door behind them, feeling his lips pressing against her shoulder. He turned her around in his arms and captured her lips over and over again until her head went fuzzy.

"You're shaking," he murmured against her mouth, feeling her fingers curl into his arms in response. Puck tilted his head back slightly and arched a brow at the sad look on her face. He was pretty sure though, that if someone held a mirror up to his face, he might have a similar expression. Jesus, he was going to miss the hell out of her. "You okay?" His voice came out in a gravelly whisper. Rachel peered up through hooded, chocolate eyes and nodded slightly.

"I just—" she began, but her voice cracked, her eyes falling away from his. She focused on the soft material of his shirt beneath her fingertips. "Need you," she whispered so softly that he'd barely heard her.

He tipped her chin up with his index finger and waited until her eyes met his again. "Rachel," he murmured reverently, stroking the pad of his thumb across her cheek. He swallowed hard, words getting lost in his throat when her eyes swam and shut. This was their goodbye and it was hard for both of them.

She rose quickly to her tiptoes and planted her lips over his, the threat of tears blooming behind her tightly closed eyes. He bent down and scooped her up into his arms, dropping kisses along her hairline. Her blood thrummed excitedly as he cradled her, crossing her tiny apartment in a few unhurried strides. This was what she needed, she thought, what they both needed, as Puck nudged the bedroom door open with his foot and carried her over to the bed, setting her down gently. The mattress sank beneath their weight when he crawled on after her. Rachel shifted up to her knees and ran a hand slowly down his chest, feeling his heart beat under her touch.

Puck wrapped his wide hands around her waist and pulled her closer, their denim clad thighs bumping together in the process. Moonlight slanted over the middle of the bed, illuminating her face as she looked at him through the darkness. Her big brown eyes were warm and still a little sad when she grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and lifted it up slowly. He raised his arms and helped when she could no longer reach. Her fingertips brushed a feather light path over the hard planes of his stomach and she pressed her lips against the dip in his collarbone. His eyes fell closed when her lips made contact with his skin and kissed a leisurely trail up towards his mouth.

He wanted the warmth of her skin pressed against him so he tugged the tank top over her head, discarding it haphazardly behind him. Long, silky chestnut strands spilled over her shoulders and flirted with the delicate swells of her breasts that seemed silver in the light of the moon. Puck stared at her for a beat before pulling her flush against him and fisting his hands in the dark sheet of hair. He kissed one corner of her mouth, then the other, feeling her breath sigh out around him as he laid his lips fully over hers again. She opened her mouth to him, the kiss growing more and more breathless as their tongues circled together.

Puck held a hand firmly at the small of her back and gently laid her back against the pillows. Rachel cupped the back of his head and captured his lips once more. Teeth nipped, tongues soothed, hands roamed, legs tangled as they rolled. She straddled his lap, feeling the evidence of his arousal straining through the denim barrier between them. He watched intently when her small hands reached between them and undid the buckle on his belt.

She unfastened his jeans and eased the zipper down, lightly raking her nails over the sensitive skin just above his boxers. He sucked in a breath and kneaded his fingers into her thighs. Rachel wriggled towards the foot of the bed, trying to tug off his jeans as she went. Struggling, she tried again and huffed out a frustrated breath. He chuckled and reached down to help her. "It's like a time warp in here," she said, laughing suddenly. "I'm the clumsy seventeen year old virgin who can't get your pants off." Her laughter floated through the air and loosened up the knot in her chest. She flopped down beside him on the bed and glanced over to find him smirking at her. "I sure know how to ruin the moment," she mumbled, embarrassed.

He chuckled again then kissed her cheek. "I dig your crazy, Berry," he told her, making her smile crookedly. He sat up and kicked his jeans off onto the floor. Turning, he helped Rachel tug her own jeans off then rolled on top of her, smoothing the hair out of her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something else, but he pressed his finger against her lips, silencing her. "No more talking," he rasped, determined to get back to the moment. She smiled and kissed the tip of his finger, wrapping a leg about his hips. He smiled back and dropped his lips to hers.

Rachel sighed when his skilled lips moved over her jaw and feasted on the sensitive spot below her ear. His hands deftly moved behind her and unclasped her bra, baring her breasts to him. She shivered again when he bowed his head and drew a nipple into his mouth. She cupped the back of his head, holding him there as he worshipped.

Puck kissed the valley between her breasts and trailed down, feeling her arch and writhe beneath him. She murmured his name when he dipped his tongue into her belly button, moaned it when he traveled down even further to strip her panties off and use his mouth on her.

She sucked in a breath when his tongue flicked against her, dug her heels into the mattress as everything inside her tightened. She gasped when the pressure spiked and released; trembled as heat spread throughout her entire body. "Noah," she whimpered, reaching for him.

Her skin was hot and glistened in the moonlight when he looked at her; her lips were parted, trying to catch her breath. She was gorgeous. And she was his. He rolled onto his back, pulling her astride him. Her dark hair was mussed and it curtained her face. She reached for him again, looking down with warm, dreamy eyes. He sat up and crushed his lips to hers, inhaling sharply when she shifted and wrapped her long legs around his waist. She sank down over him then, joining their bodies together. "God," he groaned, feeling how hot and tight she was around him. He held onto her while she rocked her hips tortuously slow against his.

Rachel saw his eyes closed tightly and she could feel how tense he was. "Okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he rasped, feeling the heat start to bundle in his stomach. He opened his eyes and the loving look in hers made his breath catch.

Rachel kissed him softly, pressing her chest against his, longing to be as close as possible to him while she writhed slowly. She buried her nose in the crook of his neck, inhaling the scent of him, committing it to memory.

Another wave rose higher and higher and came crashing down around her. She went rigid, her mouth round, as the pleasure coursed through every nerve ending she possessed. Her mind was still foggy when he flipped her onto her back and hiked her legs high up on his hips. And plunged.

Puck pounded into her over and over. Beads of sweat formed on his brow and his legs burned from exertion, but he continued, wanting to draw every ounce of pleasure he could from both of them. His movements bordered on desperate as he pressed himself even deeper inside, hearing the high-pitched moan escape her lips.

She drew her knees up higher, felt him go even deeper. Her eyes rolled back in response and her hands reached around seeking purchase on his back that was slick with sweat. "Yes," she hissed when he hit just the right spot.

He looked down at her then. Seeing her eyes scrunched tight, bottom lip caught between her teeth, her breasts bouncing in time with his thrusts did him in and shoved him over the edge. "Rach." He thrust against her again and his whole body went stiff as he spent himself inside her. He sagged limply against her and buried his face in her hair. "God," he panted, his heart hammering against his ribcage.

Rachel ran a hand gently over the back of his head as she tried to catch her own breath. She could feel his heart beating wildly against hers. She yawned and stretched beneath him, completely sated.

Afraid that he was crushing her, he rolled onto his back and pulled her with him, settling her against his side. She snuggled closer, resting her head against his chest. His fingers twisted around a long dark curl, feeling the sleepiness creep over him, too. "I'm really going to miss this," he said deeply.

"Me, too," she sighed.

"I wasn't just talking about the sex," he said, clarifying. He looked down at her and tipped her head up.

Rachel smiled, tears swimming in her eyes again. "I know."


Song: "Be, Be your Love" by Rachel Yamagata