A/N: Hey guys. Another update! Just a quick AN to let you guys know I'm gonna be making updates bi-weekly from now on. Tuesday and Friday if everything goes well. Also, I have the biggest exams of my life in a month (God help me), so updates mighttttt not be regular… but after the ridiculous hiatus we've just had I'm gonna try and not leave you waiting too long. (:

It is 5am here, and I need sleep. Enjoy!

"No, no it goes like this. Watch." I played the notes slowly again for Puck. He wanted to learn the song I had been singing earlier when he came into the auditorium. I giggled when he messed them up - again - and knocked his hand away gently. "Why don't we leave this for now? You're not very talented with the keys…" I smiled so he knew I wasn't being mean and he shrugged.

"I'm a guitar man, what can I say? Seriously though, these are just the same notes repeated, why can't I get it?"

I could see he was getting frustrated so I stood and reached my hand out to him "Let's just go for a walk around the school, hmm? Take your mind off of it." I smiled softly and squeezed his hand when he took mine.

"A walk around the school? Wow, you're easy to please babe." I shoved him and we both laughed.

We continued on like that for a little while, wandering around the school holding hands and talking, stopping every now and then so Puck could press me against a locker to kiss me.

"Honestly Noah, keep it PG. We're in school."

"I know, but I can't help myself. I can actually do this now without you slapping me. Besides, I've done worse in school." he smirked down at me and I shoved him lightly again.

I kept on walking until I came to the choir room. I looked in the glass pane and my heart sank, everyone was laughing and dancing while Will tried to calm them and get on with the lesson. I sighed, "It's like I don't even matter to them. They don't care that I'm missing from the first rehearsal after they found out my secret." Puck wrapped his arms around my waist, "Rach, they probably just think you're still upset about Friday. They won't get worried till you miss a few. Don't worry about it." He dropped a kiss on my hair and squeezed me slightly.

"God, I'm so dramatic. " I laughed sadly, "There's still a half hour left, feel like sitting in?" "Yeah, come on." He grabbed my hand and pulled me in the door, but I dropped his hand as soon as our presence was known. Most people looked at us blankly, but some gave me small smiles. Finn grinned widely and beckoned us over.

"Alright then, from the top guys." Will said when we took our places.

The rest of rehearsal was grueling, I didn't sit down once and the dance was difficult, especially with Finn stepping on my toes and forgetting his lines in favor of trying to get the steps right. Finally, we were all gathering our stuff to leave. Most left without saying anything to me but Brittany stopped beside me as she walked out. Santana waited at the doorway silently, looking on and seeming like she wanted to say something.

"Hey Rachel. I just wanted to say I stand by my note. I'd love for you to text or call me, especially now. Especially if you ever feel like… you know." She touched my wrist gently and I could feel tears welling "I'm sorry about siding with Santana. You know how she is and if I'd known how bad things actually were, I wouldn't have supported her. Please just text me or something, ok?" I nodded and she hugged me firmly before walking away. Santana waited by the door and didn't seem angry at Brittany upon her return, so I presume Brittany had had words with her previously. I stared after them and wiped my eyes when Puck came up behind me and put an arm around me.

"What was that about?"

I smiled, "Brittany being adorable. She gave me a note a few days ago saying she liked me and was worried about me. She gave me her number and asked me to get in touch if I needed; she was just saying that it still goes. I think she spoke to Santana about it, she didn't seem upset when Brit approached me…"

"Oh. That's actually pretty awesome." He returned the smile and grabbed my hand, "Come on, let's get you home."

As we left, I saw Will walking out his office door. He promptly stopped when he saw my hand in Puck's and I lowered my eyes to the floor, following behind Puck.

"Are you sure you don't want to come in? We could watch Dawn of the Dead if you want?" I was sitting in Puck's truck with him, trying to persuade him to come watch a film. I didn't really want to be alone when Will got in, I wanted a little relaxation time before the questions started, and he was bound to be close behind us.

"I can't babe, I'm sorry. My mom's working late tonight so I have to cook for me and Sarah and it's already getting late. Glee ran longer than the norm today." He glanced in his rearview quickly before looking back to me, "Besides, here's Mr. Schue, you'll be fine. I'm sure you can even convince him to watch Funny Girl with you."

I sighed and leaned over quickly to kiss him, "Ok. I'll see you tomorrow." I hopped out of the cab and hurried up to my door. I beat Will to it and all but ran to my room. Not two minutes later, Will opened the door.

"Have you ever heard of knocking?" I snapped from my place on the bed, "I could have been changing."

"Doesn't apply. Open door policy, and I've seen you naked anyway Rachel." I blushed at the memory of him pulling me from the bath. "You know you're meant to have the door open."

"And if I don't? You gonna break my bedroom door too?" I looked pointedly at the still splintered wood of my bathroom door.

"What was that with Puck?" he responded. His voice held nothing of the calm and soothing tone he usually possessed. I couldn't place this… this almost malice in it.

I groaned, "None of your business. Get out of my room; I'm still angry at you!"

"No. I want to know why you were holding hands with Noah fucking Puckerman! Are you dating him? I thought you wanted to give this a shot?" He gestured between the two of us and I reached for my pillow.

"I said get the fuck out of my room! You are so frustrating!" I launched the pillow at him and it hit him square in the face. He grunted and picked it up, flinging it across the room.

"I'm frustrating? You are the frustrating one in this relationship Rachel! Do you not get how difficult this is for me? You've barely told me anything about how you're feeling and now you're dating Puckerman? I don't know how to help you if you won't tell me what's going on in your head!"

"I told you! You know how I feel! Now get out of my room before I forcibly remove you and then go into the bathroom. I won't fail this time either, you want that?"

He looked hurt, but turned to leave. "Leave the door open. It's the only thing I've asked of you. Come talk to me when you're not annoyed anymore." With that, he strode out of my room and down the stairs. I groaned and buried my head in the pillow. Life was not this complicated two months ago.

Puck's POV

I jumped up the steps to Rachel's door the next morning, taking them two at a time. I knocked and hummed under my breath while I waited. Mr. Schue answered the door and I smiled.

"Hey, Mr. S. Rach around? I'm bringing her to school.""Uh, hey Puck. Yeah, she's in the shower at the moment though. I wanted to talk to you actually." He closed the door behind him as he stepped onto the porch. His voice was low - almost threatening - when he asked, "Are you and Rachel dating?"

"Yeah, Mr. S, just started yesterday." I put the flowers I'd bought for Rachel down on the porch swing and turned back to him.

"Do you think that's such a good idea? I mean, she's going through a really rough time, and the last thing she needs is a boyfriend. Especially one as flaky as you. I mean, you know, you're not the most loyal and truthful guy…" he trailed off.

"What? Yeah I think it's a good idea. I really like her, she likes me. She agreed to go out with me. Why wouldn't it be a good idea?" I was getting confused and a little angry; who did he think he was?

"Well I don't, Puck. I think you should leave. Take your flowers with you, please. I'll bring her to school." He turned back to the door and disappeared inside before I could respond. I turned and left, confused as all hell at his defensive tone.

At lunch, I found Rachel at her locker and waited for her to finish putting her books away before mentioning this morning.

"So… I came to your house to get you this morning and something funny happened…"

"Oh?" She didn't look too interested.

"Yeah, Mr. Schue bit my head off. Basically told me we shouldn't be dating and kicked me out. What's his problem?"

She stiffened immediately, "God, that man! He is so frustrating. He's moodier than me and more emotional than a pregnant woman!" I gave her a weird look and she continued, "Been living with him for a couple weeks, remember? Anyway, I'll find out what it's about." She smiled up at me and I returned it, not satisfied.

I found Mr. Schue at the end of lunch in his office and I knocked gently. He waved me in without looking up from his magazine.

"What's up?" He asked. Again, without looking up.

"I could ask you the same question." His head snapped up at my voice, "What the hell was that about this morning? I asked Rachel, but I didn't really get any answers." I leaned against the wall just inside the door and he cleared his throat.

"It was nothing, Puck. I just don't think it's a good time for you to be in a relationship with Rachel."

"The hell it was nothing. You pretty much yelled at me; what the fuck?"

"Language, Noah."

"No, fuck that! I want to know why you think you know my girlfriend better than I do. We might only be dating a day, but I've known her longer than you, and we both came into her life trying to help her at the same time this year. I've spent more time with her as well. So what makes you think you know her better?"

"I don't. I just have more experience so I know now is most definitely not the time for her to be dating a temperamental teenage slut like you!" His words confused me. The Mr. Schue I know would never say those things. But I refused to let it go. I was going to get to the bottom of this.

"More experience? What the fuck does that mean? If you had more experience with suicidal teenage girls, you would have noticed the signs sooner and she wouldn't have been in the hospital. If you mean with girls, that's a load of shit; I have a lot more experience with the ladies. And if you mean Rachel, well, what the fuck do you mean? So which is it? And from what I hear, I'm not the temperamental one. Choose your words wisely Schuester, I don't appreciate people thinking they're smarter than me, or more 'experienced'." I cracked my knuckles; this guy was really getting on my nerves.

"You really wanna know Puck? If you really wanna know, I'll tell you." He sidled closer and I nodded. "More experience with Rachel. Did you know she told me she loved me not long after she got out of the hospital and that we kissed? Did I tell you about that? No? Hmm…" he came closer again, his eyes unfocused , "Did I tell you we fucked?" He practically whispered in my ear and I shoved him away. He stumbled across the room and smirked when he saw the anger on my face. "Oh yeah, Puck. I took her virginity. She was such a good little slut. Actually, now that I think about it, it's fine that you're dating, because you're a slut too. She'll always come back to me though. I'm much better than you, and she'll realize that."

"Don't you dare call my girlfriend a slut. What is wrong with you? You're calling a girl who has serious issues a slut for sleeping with you? Says a lot about you man." He lunged at me and punched me in the face. Apparently I hit a nerve. I shoved him back and punched him in the stomach, "What is your problem? Suppressed rage much?"

We continued fighting and screaming at each other until Rachel walked into the room, "What the hell is going on here? Will! Get off him!" She pushed Mr. Schue - who she was apparently on first name basis with - off of me and knelt beside me. "Puck? Shit, Puck you're bleeding everywhere. Where is this coming from?" Her hands hovered over my body, and I waved her off and sat up.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I spat out some blood.

"Right. Then would someone like to explain what the hell is happening here to me?" She looked furious.

"I came in here to see what his problem was this morning and he went crazy. Started hitting me. But not after telling me something interesting. Did you fuck him?"

Her mouth dropped open, "What? NO!" she whirled around to face Mr. Schue, "What did you say to him?" She screeched and I winced.

"I -" He started, but I cut him off.

"He said you told him you loved him. That you made out and then he fucked you. He said you were a good little slut and then called me a slut, multiple times." I could see she was almost crying, "Is that true, Rachel? What the fuck? You slept with Mr. Schuester?"

"I - What? No!" She turned back to Mr. Schue again, "What the fuck did you say that for? Who do you think you are? I trusted you! I told you what was wrong with me; I let you stay in my home, and this is what I get? You telling everyone what happened to me, then calling me a slut and telling my new boyfriend a lie? Why did you say I slept with you?.This just doesn't seem like you. Why would you say these things?" Silence. "Answer me Will or I swear to God!"

Mr. Schue looked panicked, his eyes becoming more focused. When he spoke, his voice was softer, "I'm sorry. Rachel I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to! I was just angry and I really don't want you dating Puck! I'm so much better for you! I love you, please…"

I stood with my mouth open, unable to believe what I was hearing. Rachel looked pissed, "No, Will. Another thing you didn't mean to tell anyone. Did this just slip out, too? I can't trust you. I don't want to trust you; you're just making everything worse. I don't love you. In fact…" she walked closer, "I hate you."

Mr. Schue looked heartbroken and he turned to walk away, "Goodbye, Rachel." and with that, he was gone.

Rachel immediately turned back to me, "Shit. Puck, you're still bleeding. Wait here." She slipped out of the room and returned with the choir room's first aid kit. "Sit down, Ill clean these up."

I sat in Mr. Schue's recently vacated chair and winced as she cleaned my wounds.

"Did you really tell Mr. Schue you loved him?"

"Yes."

"Did you mean it?"

"I don't know, Noah. I thought I did but I'm not so sure now…"

"Why did you agree to go out with me then? Did you seriously not sleep with him?"

"Because I like you Noah. I know you're sweet and caring underneath that bad boy façade. We grew up together remember?" She smiled softly, "You've been amazing recently, and I need someone who's going to be there for me, who's good for me. You meet all of those specifications and more. You're pretty much wonderful, all things considered. And I do really like you." She placed her hand on my cheek and I smiled at her, "And no, I did not sleep with William."

"Awesome. You're not a slut by any stretch of the mind by the way, don't listen to Schuester."

She gave me a soft smile, "Neither are you, babe. Come on, let's go back to mine. I can tend to these better there. And screw afternoon classes; we're going to watch Funny Girl. " I groaned and followed her out to her car.