Chapter Seven – Prelude

A/N- It's not much but here's a mini update to help you through till I can get you something more substantial. Also anything in italics occurred Before.

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For one shining moment Rachel saw stars. Her heartbeat and breathing faded away and she was adrift, lost in the seemingly unending series of waves that washed through her, over her, and in her. She felt the tickle between her brows as her eyes rolled up to the back of her head. She felt the tingling in her toes and her fingers that somehow mirrored the sensation you get when your appendages "fall asleep." She used to describe to Noah as her limbs "waking up" because it was the same only different. Instead of things going dead, they were coming alive.

Rachel bit her lower lip as she slowly drifted back to consciousness. The realization that her legs were now wrapped around his waist as he carried her up the stairs and to her room should have bothered her, but she was incredibly sleepy. She always got tired after she came.

It was actually one of the reasons that had propelled them so quickly and deeply into a sexual relationship. Despite feeling tired almost all the time, she'd had a hard time falling asleep when she was sick. They'd been kissing by then. Mostly chaste stuff, but sometimes things would get a little heated for a moment, but neither of them had ventured under the other's clothing or let their hands travel south of the equator.

She remembered yawning into his kiss that afternoon. They'd been sitting on the couch watching MTV. She'd turned to ask him something and he'd kissed her. Her heart had started to race but then she'd ruined the moment by yawning into his lips. He'd teased her about it, asking if she counted kisses these days instead of sheep to help her fall asleep. She'd just rolled her eyes and said she would if she could. The doctors had just told her that day that if she didn't start getting at least 8 hours of sleep every day on her own they were going to have to start her on some sleeping pills.

"Why don't you just, you know, rub one out?" Puck asked, clearing his throat half way through so his voice won't break. Sure it had changed right after eighth grade but sometimes it acted up. Like when he was with Rachel. Talking about sex. She wondered if Noah knew she knew why he cleared his throat. It was too cute a thing for her to ask him about though, so she knew she'd never ask.

It took her a second to understand what he was getting at, and when she did Rachel wrinkled her nose and turned away because her face suddenly felt like it was on fire. She bumped his shoulder with hers so he'd know she wasn't making the face at him but at the idea. "Can girls even do that? I mean can we 'rub one out' like boys do? Doesn't that mean like- you know- guy specific stuff?"

He cleared his throat again. "You know what I mean. Just… try it. You'll sleep like a baby after."

She snorted and looked at him. (Snorting was considered an undignified and inferior form of expression in the Berry household, but somehow when she was with Puck it seemed normal and appropriate.) "First of all, as an older brother you know better than I do that babies don't sleep as well as that expression makes it sound like they do. Secondly I doubt highly that the reason for said expression has anything to do with masturbation. And thirdly… it's not as easy for girls as it is for guys."

"So you're saying you don't touch yourself?" Noah asked with a smirk. "Don't lie. I'll know if you lie Rachel. You walked in on me last summer so you already know I do, so don't even try to tell me it's too embarrassing to admit."

"Whatever Noah. I'm barely fifteen. This is SO not a conversation I should be having with my boyfriend or best friend with benefits or whatever it is you are since we haven't actually discussed the terms and labels of our relationship." She knew she was being loquacious, but he was making her nervous and when she was nervous she talked. "But regardless of our social status, no I don't really…"

Rachel snuck a look over at him and then turned her attention back to the television. Puck was staring at her like she was the most fascinating thing on the planet. She could tell he was genuinely curious because for once his face didn't harbor a hint of mischief. He almost looked disappointed though and she was surprised to see she felt like she let him down by not being 100% open and honest. She sighed and ripped her eyes from the television and looked back at him.

"Okay fine, I've tried it. I just…" Rachel wanted to crawl up and die right now, but Noah still looked so darn fascinated with her and while she'd never admit it, she kind of liked it. It made her feel like the most important person in his world. So she sucked up her embarrassment and forged ahead. "Anyways Noah I don't think I'm doing it right because it's never… It's not as good as when we… I don't think it's going to help me fall asleep, okay?"

Suddenly that hint of mischief was back and he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "I would totally be willing to offer my services if you think I could do it better than you. If it helps, don't think of it as fooling around, think of it as getting your daily dose of love from your holistic healer." He leaned in and stole three kisses, each successively longer and more intense than the last. "And PS not only am I your primary care physician, but I'm totally your boyfriend now and you know it."