Unfamiliar

Chapter 7: To the Ball, and a Happy Ending

Lauren emerged from the smallish room, each step making her wince a little. A sharp glare fell on the tiny brunette sitting in the chair across from her. "I'm never listening to you again. How did you even think about... this?"

"A young lady should always be well groomed, Lauren," was the half-hearted explanation that Rachel offered while keeping her focus trained on her magazine.

Lauren folded her arms over her chest. "I can guarantee you he's not going to see that, Berry."

Rachel turned the page. "You never know, and it's better to be prepared than caught off guard."

Oh, I know.

Lauren eased down into the chair next to Rachel, a scowl on her face. Lauren didn't care if Puck showed up at her house being his super sexy self - and he was sexy whether she'd admit it out loud or not - and showered her with chocolates and compliments and told her she was the most beautiful creature on Earth. Actually, if he ever said something like that, she'd laugh because cheesy lines weren't her style. He knew that. He also knew he wasn't going to be getting anywhere near her pants, much less into them, tonight, so this whole barbaric grooming process was a little stupid and pointless.

It wasn't so bad hanging out with Rachel, though. Before all of this, Lauren hadn't paid much attention to her, which was tough since Rachel never stopped talking. Lauren could understand her diva behavior, being a bit of one herself. The problem with Rachel was that she took it to a whole different level of crazy and that made a lot of people want to push her down the stairs.

Now, strange as it was, Lauren had gotten use to that side of her. Rachel actually wasn't so bad when she was thinking about someone other than herself and even though she still talked way too much in Lauren's book, she was pretty good at the whole friend thing. Lauren figured Puck had put Rachel up to being her friend, since the two of them had their own weird sort of friendship happening. Or maybe it was all Rachel. The reason didn't really matter to Lauren since she liked having someone to do girl stuff with.

Just not this. Or getting ready for the dance at Rachel's house. The idea of listening to Barbara Streisand whine for a few hours while Rachel gussied her up like a life sized doll was worse torture than getting her pubes ripped out. Lauren couldn't say that - she really was getting soft - so she opted to go home after they got their hair done and get dressed by herself.

Dress finally on, Lauren turned, trying to catch a glimpse of the back in her full length, bedroom mirror. What little of it she could see looked different than it had the day she bought it. For a split second, she felt a tinge of nerves. That was until she realized that the difference she was noticing was how much better she liked the dress on her body than she had the day she tried it on, and she had liked it a lot then. She looked damn good, and the fact that she thought so, after months of doubting and questioning it, made her excited. Actually, more excited.

She'd never admit to it but she had been looking forward to the dance. The rituals, like hair appointments and make-up and now the dress, had only added to that. Going with her guy, who just so happened to be the hottest guy in school didn't hurt things either. The thought of him trying to cop a feel - because even though he'd said a bunch of times that he was cool with waiting on the hot and heavy stuff until she was feeling it again, he was going to try - while they danced snuck up on her and turned her cheeks pink without her permission. She couldn't have any more of that tonight, especially not in front of Puck. He would pounce like a jaguar and, hot or not, she wasn't in any mood to fend him off.

By the way he was sweating it out in the living room, getting the 3rd degree from her father, Lauren figured she might not have to worry about that after all. There was even a little part of her that almost felt bad. Her father had always been protective but over the years he'd gotten pretty laid back, mostly because he knew Lauren could take care of herself. She still needed him - what girl didn't need her father - but when she started handling things on her own, he'd backed off a lot. If anything, Lauren always figured that he was proud that she wasn't the kind of girl who could be pushed around easily or that it made him feel like he'd done a good job with her. Whatever it was, he let her be independent. The surgery and the way she reacted had changed a lot of that. Her father hadn't become one of those clingy parents but he'd definitely amped up the 'big, bad, burly dad' routine, which Puck was always the one catching the brunt of it, being her boyfriend and all.

He was practically squirming when she finally took pity and walked into the living room. So much for 'no one intimidating Puckzilla,' she mused.

"Damn."

Puck was looking straight at her, missing the displeased snarl on her dad's face, so she assumed his comment was about how she looked. And why wouldn't it be, chimed her inner Lauren, as she stepped closer to him.

Puck shot out of his seat, plastic box in hand. "Got you this."

He was mumbling a bit, and there was some fumbling with the box when she didn't immediately reach for it. Lauren smirked at the idea of him possibly being nervous, especially over something like a corsage that was already starting to wilt around the edges, but she couldn't deny that the fact he'd bought her one was sweet. Maybe she wasn't so put off by cheesy romance after all.

"Not bad, Puckerman." With the flower securely placed on her wrist, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Her lips landed dangerously close to his mouth and she could see her father's face change colors from the corner out of the corner of her eye. It was surprising that he didn't tip the recliner.

After a serious exchange between the two men about behavior - Puck was to keep his hands to himself or he'd lose them and God help him if anything other than his tie came off - and curfew, that ended in Lauren kissing her father sweetly as he dropped the keys to his Tahoe into her hand and pushing Puck out the door.

"He's gotten pretty...intense," Puck said as he opened the car door, offering her his arm so she could climb into the passenger's side.

Lauren laughed. "He's never been like that before. Must be you." Tugging at his tie, her lips found his before she climbed into the jeep. "He probably saw the way you were looking at me and figured you were trouble."

The comment seemed to bring Puck back from his stupor because that crooked, devilish smirk, that got her every time, cropped up. "Oh, I am trouble. He doesn't even know."

Lauren couldn't keep her eyes from rolling in his direction. "Keep it in your pants."

He just kept smiling, not saying anything. Lauren wondered if he was thinking and feeling what she was: they were starting to feel normal and easy again.

It had to do with the fact that she was starting to get use to herself again. With his help, of course. Looking at him, she wondered if he really knew it. With as cocky as his ass was most of the time, she couldn't figure how he wouldn't. But that was Puck - that part that really don't show. He was always trying to help everyone feel good, not just her, and he was never trying to take credit for it. He'd never cop to it, mostly because it hurt his badass rep, but he was a pretty good guy.

Reaching over she took his hand. He wasn't surprised, not that she could see anyway, but it was almost like he didn't expect it. Lauren wasn't about to explain it either. There wasn't much need. If he didn't get it, he would. Or he'd just be glad she was back to showing affection, and probably more than she had in the past. He deserved at least that much from her and she knew it. He had let all his walls down in the last few months, and his heart was hers. He'd said so. And she felt the same way, and she'd been working hard to show it.

Pulling up in front of the school, Lauren waited while he ran around to get her door again. He was really busting tail to do this right and her inner HBIC approved. She would have to take it easy on him tonight, an impulse that was still tough for her a lot of the time. "Thanks," she said before looping her arm through his and walking into the dance by his side.

The gym was decked out in red and silver, the school colors, and really tacky mood lighting that made Lauren frown. Did the stupid girls in her class really find this romantic? Not that It mattered much to her, especially when she caught Puck staring at her with a stupid grin on his face again.

"This is pretty lame," she offered, standing rooted in the doorway, forcing people to move around her.

Puck shrugged, putting an arm around her shoulder. "Yeah, but we'll make it fun."

"You know how to do that with your pants on?" she scoffed. "I thought all your fun was the naked kind."

"Only if you want it to be, babe," he said, giving her a little wink.

"You heard my dad." She pulled on his tie. "Anything more than this comes off and you're dead."

His head dropped, and his lips jutted out in what Lauren could only describe as the fakest pout she'd ever seen in her life. "Guess I'll have to keep Puckzilla Jr. at home. Your dad kills me and you'll totally move on and get naked with someone else."

"Probably." She tried to keep the response nonchalant but it took too long for her to make it and she knew that she had given something of her true feelings away - and that let him know she was a sinking ship. No one could ever replace him, especially now.

His arm came around her waist and put his chin on her shoulder, kissing her just below the ear. "Alright, pretty girl, what'll it be? Pictures or a dance?"

"Since I'm feeling generous, both." Turning her head, she pressed her lips to his. "C'mon."