AN: All right, its Friday. Enjoy my darlings!

Disclaimer: Totally don't own anything.

7 Nights of Rachel BerryFriday

Rachel came down the stairs Friday morning practicing her speech in her head but when she entered the kitchen she was shocked to find Noah sitting at the table staring intensely at her. Her speech that she had spent hours memorizing flew right out the window. Noah pointed to the chair opposite him and Rachel obediently took a seat wringing her hands together. There was a tense silence and then Noah spoke, his face expressionless.

"Truth time Rachel no more putting it off, why did you run from New York?"

Rachel knew that it was now or never and she dug in deep and spoke from her heart trying to explain everything she had felt before her not-wedding and what she was feeling now.

"I thought I was ready to get married; I really did. Jesse and I had been together for two years and everyone else we knew had taken the next step so Jesse and I agreed that it was time for us to get married as well. Jesse and I love each other, we do, but I don't think it's ever been the 'I would die without you' love. We've always been comfortable with each other; everything was always so easy between me and Jesse."

Rachel left it unsaid but they both heard it. Not like it was between us.

"So Jesse and I got engaged and planned the wedding. I was going to go through with it; I was going to smile and say 'I do' to the one man who I knew never made my heart race, who never fought with me until we were hoarse from screaming, who never made me crazy. I was in my wedding dress ready to go and then I looked at myself in the mirror and it was like I didn't recognize myself. I didn't know who I was. The me I remembered was driven and daring and always willing to take chances but the woman who was staring back at me was settling, and she was afraid of looking into her past and seeing her deepest regrets. I asked myself if I had any regrets and I had just one," Rachel knew she was rambling but she was telling it the best way she knew how. The way she was feeling it.

"Which was?" Noah asked tightly and Rachel's brown eyes met his across the table full of sadness and sincerity.

"You Noah," Rachel whispered and a look of shock crossed over his face before the emotionless mask fell back on. Rachel leaned forward over the table her eyes remaining locked with his, "Do you remember the graduation party?"

"You mean the one where I told you that I had actual feelings for you and you told me to come over the next day so that we could talk about it and I turned up at your house only to find out that you had jumped on the first flight to New York and never contacted me again?" Noah asked unkindly bitterness and sarcasm dripping from his words. Rachel knew she had hurt him badly but she hadn't known how much she had hurt him until that moment. Noah narrowed his eyes a little and then shrugged, "Naa, doesn't ring a bell."

"I never apologized for that did I?" Rachel said apologetically and Noah gave her an ugly smile that looked so out of place on his handsome face.

"I learned my lesson, you taught me well," he replied snidely and Rachel bowed her head accepting the hurt he was throwing her way. She knew he had to have a lot of pent up resentment towards her for what she did. She would bear the brunt of his anger, she deserved it.

"I'm so sorry I did that to you Noah. I was scared and cowardly. Everything that you felt for me I felt for you too and it scared me. I couldn't say it out loud to you because I knew that if I did I would never want to leave you and I still had so much to do. So I left. I should have told you why but I was just a stupid kid scared of what I felt for you and what that would mean," Rachel felt a couple of stray tears escaping and she hurriedly brushed them away. Noah stood up and moved over to the sink leaning onto it for a moment before turning back to face her with his arms folded across his chest, his face impassive and unforgiving.

"It's all in the past now," he told her tightly but Rachel shook her head.

"Not for me, Noah, I never stopped having these feelings for you. It wasn't until a couple of years later when I realized what a huge mistake I had made but I never came back because I figured that you would have moved on. So I settled for Jesse but just settling isn't good enough for him or me. That's why I jumped on the first plane and came here, to you. Hoping that even after all these years that you would still want me," Rachel said those last words hesitantly and then she waited. A long silence filled the air. Noah was just staring at her but she couldn't read his decision which was frightening because she used to be able to read him like a book. Rachel hurriedly started speaking again to fill in the awful silence, "And I would completely understand if you wanted nothing to do with me. The way I acted was horrendous and..."

"Rachel, you're an idiot," Noah finally spoke up and all the words Rachel was about to say faded away. There was the slightest hint of affection in that sentence, there was still hope.

"I know," Rachel admitted then she stood up and moved over to him, not touching him just yet as she didn't want to scare him too much with what she was about to say, "I still love you, even after all this time."

Noah's face finally broke and a pained look came over him. Rachel reached up a hand to touch his cheek and Noah grabbed her hand and held it against his face desperately closing his eyes as though to live in her touch.

"I can't say it back Rach, for all I know I'm going to wake up tomorrow and you will be on your way to New York," Noah told her in a broken voice and Rachel took his face between her hands and stared into his eyes leaning in to press a quick kiss to his lips.

"Then I'll make it simple for you, if you say it, if you still feel the same way, I won't ever leave," she promised him and Noah stared down at her, his mouth opening and closing but no words came out.

"Rach I..." he finally started to say something but their conversation was interrupted by the sound of loud knocking on his front door.

Puck tore himself out of Rachel's grasp and stalked to his front door. If this was Mike or Matt he was going to tear them apart with his bare hands, he wouldn't even care if it made Brittany cry and Puck kind of loved Brittany in a 'she's-my-lovable-dumb-sister' way and hated to see her cry. Puck wrenched the door open with so much force that it slammed into the wall behind it startling the person standing on his front porch. Come the fuck on? Seriously? Puck knew the universe had to hate him because Jesse St James was standing outside his fucking house.

"Hey Puck, long time no see. Is Rachel here? I checked her New York apartment and Shelby's and her dad's and I tried to think of where else she could be and I kind of came up with here," Jesse asked him smiling amiably and Puck just continued to stare at him like a mirage.

"The fuck?" Puck muttered out loud and Jesse's smile faltered a little as he looked around awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with Puck staring at him.

"Noah who is…Jesse?" came Rachel's small questioning voice from behind him and Puck turned back to her.

"Rachel, I was hoping we could talk," Jesse addressed her and Puck resisted the urge to punch him out for even looking at Rachel. Rachel risked a glance up at Puck's face before nodding and forcing a smile.

"Yes, of course," Rachel said to Jesse and as she passed Puck she placed a hand on his forearm and gave him a squeeze. Puck's hand reached out to grip hers for a long moment and then; he let her go. He fucking let her go. Rachel stepped out onto the porch with Jesse and then closed the front door behind her. Puck had fucking let her go; he was an idiot.

Puck didn't mean to eavesdrop. So what if he pushed the window open so that he could hear their conversation? It was hot inside the house and he wanted to feel the breeze. He leaned a little further out and peeked out of the window to get a good glimpse of the pair.

"We're quite a pair aren't we Rachel Berry?" Jesse was saying and Rachel gave a giggle.

"Yeah, we're quite the pair," she said softly and Puck watched in horror as Rachel slipped her arms around Jesse's waist and they hugged each other tightly. A sick feeling coiled in the pit of his stomach as he stormed to the front door.

"What the fuck?" Puck threw open the front door startling the couple apart.

"Noah..." Rachel began but Puck shook his head violently.

"Two minutes ago you were in there telling me you were in love with me and now you're out here reconciling with St Douche," Puck pointed a finger in Jesse's face rudely.

"Hey," Jesse interrupted indignantly but Puck continued talking over him.

"This is just typical Rachel Berry, you come sweeping into my life when I forced myself not to think about you for years and suddenly you're the only thing on my mind, asleep awake, all I think of is you. Then you tell me that you're still in love with me and I think maybe, just maybe we can work out this time but then the next minute you've bent me down and you've fucked me over again, right up the fucking asshole," Puck knew he wasn't even making sense but he didn't care. He'd caught Rachel's verbal diarrhea that was the only excuse he could think of to explain what he said next, "Every time you make me fucking love you and I hate you for doing that shit to me."

Puck's chest was heaving with fury, his hazel eyes fixed on Rachel accusingly. Jesse tapped him on the shoulder and Puck clenched his fists turning.

"Can I just interrupt your rant to inform you that I was just telling Rachel how thankful I was that she didn't come to the wedding because it forced me to accept my sexuality? I like guys Puck, and Rachel was just saying how ridiculous we had both been pretending with each other," Jesse explained quite simply, throwing a mischievous smile Rachel's way.

Puck's mouth dropped open and he was rendered speechless. Jesse and Rachel both frowned at him curiously then turned to each other.

"You sure know how to pick them my darling," Jesse said to Rachel leaning over to press a kiss against Rachel's cheek and Rachel looked over at Puck fondly.

"You mean damaged and emotionally stunted?" Rachel suggested and Jesse just chuckled in response.

"See you guys," Jesse inclined his head at Rachel and then Puck who was still stunned then he wandered back to his rental car and drove away.

Puck finally regained the ability to speak but before he could say anything Rachel spoke.

"Noah Puckerman," Rachel turned to him her voice stern and Puck winced knowing he was about to get the lecture of his life when Rachel's face melted into a bright smile, "You love me."

Holy fuck he had said it out loud. Puck didn't even think, he just jumped in his truck and pulled out of the driveway knocking over the garbage bin as he left leaving Rachel standing there stunned in his driveway. He was an asshole.

After an hour Rachel was sure Noah wasn't coming back anytime soon so she called Kurt, who was still in town, and Brittany who didn't mind calling in sick to work telling them that she needed them desperately. Kurt arrived with his make up bag and a bottle of wine while Brittany bought chocolates the two arriving within moments of each other. Rachel was supremely thankful for their foresight into bringing supplies for a potential sob fest.

"Puck turned up at work driving like the devil was on his heels, what did you do?" Kurt asked her placing his make up bag down and gesturing for Rachel to take a seat which she did obediently. Kurt was trying to branch into make up as well as hair to expand the salon and Rachel was his favorite blank canvas. Brittany started pouring wine and snapping off pieces of chocolate handing them out. Rachel stuffed a piece of chocolate into her mouth.

"I told him," Rachel huffed downheartedly and Kurt raised an eyebrow pulling out some tweezers. Rachel winced in anticipation of the eyebrow pluck she was about to receive.

"And?" Kurt persisted sarcastically his blue eyes twinkling with playful mischief, "Did he declare his undying love, sweep you upstairs and make love to you?"

Rachel gave him a glare and Kurt shrugged and started plucking almost viciously. Kurt knew exactly what happened he just liked hearing horrible things out loud. It was a quirk of his.

"He ran away obviously," Rachel snapped at him wincing every time he ripped a hair out. Brittany gave Rachel's hand a gentle pat.

"Oh Rachel I'm so sorry, I'll get Mike to talk some sense into him...actually I'll get Matt to do it. Mike had mad tae kwon do skills but I'm a little worried Puck might snap him like a twig," Brittany amended her plan frowning a little and Rachel laughed at the mental image of Puck snapping Mike in half. Mike was a gorgeous young man but just so…

"Your man is very twig-like," Kurt mused thoughtfully saying exactly what Rachel had been thinking to Brittany who gave a resigned nod.

"Don't send Matt or Mike, I think he just needs time to work things out on his own," Rachel stopped Brittany from setting her boyfriends on Noah and Brittany looked skeptical but smiled cheerily.

"You going to be okay Miss Diva?" Kurt asked his voice softening in a way which Rachel knew meant he actually meant what he was saying. Kurt was a complex guy but once you got to know him you figured him out. If he made fun of you that meant he liked you, if he was nice to you he was most likely backstabbing you and if he used that soft voice, that meant he was really concerned. Rachel and Kurt understood each other, which was why they were such good friends.

"I will be," Rachel assured him then she paused to look out of the window.

As soon as Noah comes home to me.

When it hit six in the evening Puck knew he couldn't put off closing shop any longer. He paced back and forth at his truck for ten minutes, then wasted another ten minutes sitting in his truck looking for a new radio station to listen to. He knew he had to go home to see Rachel but he didn't know what he was going to say to her. Puck figured now was as good a time as any to finish up his left over pot that he had been hiding in his glove box; he really needed to relax. Taking a toke his mind drifted back to one night Senior Year when he and Rachel had been in his truck and he had finally convinced her to get high with him.

"Noah, I can't feel my nose," Rachel cooed going cross eyed as she pointed to the middle of her face and Puck laughed.

"It's there Berry, trust me," Puck told her leaning over to kiss the tip just to prove it to her and Rachel giggled, causing Puck to laugh again.

"I cannot believe I let you convince me to do this," Rachel said for the hundredth time and Puck shrugged grinning charmingly.

"I can't believe it took me so long to convince you, it was easier getting you in the sack than getting you to smoke up," Puck laughed at her and Rachel pouted taking his words to heart. She crawled across the cab of the truck and straddled his lap.

"You don't think I'm a slut do you Noah?" Rachel asked him seriously and Puck was stunned. A slut? Rachel had sleep with two guys; Finn whom she had been dating at the time, and himself and even then it had taken him the better part of the year to get into her pants.

"Rach, you are seriously asking me, Noah Puckerman McKinley Man Whore, if I think you are a slut?" Puck asked in disbelief and when Rachel nodded Puck took her face between his large hands and smiled, "Rach you are beautiful and talented and crazy as all hell but you are definitely not a slut. You slept with Finn cos you loved him and you slept with me because…well I don't know why the hell you slept with me."

Rachel gave him this look, like he was just so silly.

"Because I care for you deeply Noah," Rachel said like it was something he should have already know and all Puck knew was that no one had ever made him feel the way Rachel did. He had the weirdest feeling that no one ever would.

He had just finished up his last joint when his phone rang startling him out of a trance. Puck flicked the phone up to his ear making sure the caller wasn't Rachel because; well fuck, he still wasn't ready to talk to her.

"Hey Puck what's going on?" Finn's voice came loudly through the speaker and Puck grinned to himself.

"Finn man, what the fuck is up bitch?" Puck asked his friend emphasizing every second word then laughing at himself. Fuck when did he get so funny? He should film this shit. Finn sighed deeply.

"You're high aren't you?" Finn asked like he already knew the answer and Puck snorted.

"Fucking oath."

Puck could practically see Finn shaking his head. Fuck him, the dude was clearly jealous.

"I heard Kurt's visiting, I haven't seen him since Christmas," Finn told him thoughtfully and Puck thought back to when he arrived at the garage that morning. Kurt had been dancing around to some musical and singing at the top of his lungs into a wrench. Fucking embarrassing man.

"Yeah the dude's all up in my garage playing some shithouse music and it's fucking with my work chi," Puck muttered to Finn distractedly and Finn laughed.

"I have no idea what you just said."

"When you coming to visit man? I could use you around right now."

Though Puck didn't know how Finn would feel about the fact that Puck was trying to…whatever he was trying to do with Rachel. Rachel and Finn had parted as friends but Puck still felt a little awkward about the whole Rachel/Finn drama.

"Easter holidays," Finn told him, then he added with warmth in his voice, "Tell Hannah congratulations for winning Nationals."

Puck frowned.

"Hey, how did you know she won?"

Seriously Puck had only gotten the text that morning. He hadn't even told Rachel yet.

"You just told me," Finn said quickly and Puck's frown depended.

"I did? That's weird I don't remember telling you," Puck said in confusion.

"Uh, the phone's cutting out man, call you later," Finn ended the call abruptly.

Puck stared at his phone frowning. Something just wasn't adding up there but he was way too stoned to figure out what. He'd think about it later, when he didn't have Rachel Berry floating around in his head. Puck threw his phone down and then ran a hand over his head. A drink that's what he needed. A nice cold beer. Then he would go home and deal with Rachel.

Sneaking back into his own house hours later drunk and a still little stoned Puck felt a little like an asshole. He crept up the stairs and peeked into his room to find Rachel curled up in a ball on his bed and breathed a silent sigh of relief. She hadn't left. Puck stumbled into the room and Rachel sat up suddenly awake but when she saw him standing there she gave a small smile and held out her hand to him. Puck collapsed onto the bed beside her and pulled her back flush against him so that he was spooning her. He wasn't ready to talk just yet, he just wanted to hold her but there was no way he would say that shit out loud. Luckily for him Rachel understood him because she just snuggled back into him and went to sleep. Puck inhaled the scent of her hair, mangoes, and closed his eyes feeling comfortable and content.

And all because of fucking Rachel Berry.

AN: two more chapters to go! Yew! Get excited people.

Well hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review! Love you guys long time!