A/N: Howdy!

Okie dokie, I forgot to mention on the last chapter, Quinn is slightly out of character in this story, because while Beth still exists in this, Quinn isn't hell bent on screwing up things for Shelby.

Hopefully you all like this chapter :) My friend read it for me, but she's slightly biased haha It might be a few days until I can update again, because my other stories have been seriously negleted because of this one lol

Reviews are extremely welcomed, and definitely appreciated! I'd love to hear what people think of this story, even if you don't particularly like it!

xoloveJBox

Chapter Nine.

Nikki walked into the choir room on Monday, a new spring in her step after a hectic, but good weekend. She was one of the last to arrive to rehearsal, and when she entered, the others all looked expectantly at her.

"Well?" Puck asked when she didn't say anything for a while.

"Well what?" she queried, feigning ignorance.

"Tell us you're not going to Alabama!"

"I'm not going to Alabama." Nikki replied warmly, and a round of cheering erupted. "Which reminds me," she added when the noise level lowered. "Since my mother would be half way through packing up our house if you guys hadn't spent your entire weekends decorating; Saturday night, breadstix, my treat."

"Ok guys, sorry I'm late. Let's get going, huh?" Will said as he walked in, interrupting their celebrations.

For the next hour, the glee club ran over their numbers several times, and when the minute hand of the clock swept around full circle, everyone but Nikki and Puck left.

"I didn't think we'd be doing this anymore." Nikki observed when the two were alone.

"I didn't make you stay/" Puck shrugged indifferently.

"Well, I just thought that we wouldn't have to anymore since it won't be long until I'm better at this than you anyway." Nikki joked as she wandered over the piano.

Puck laughed "Oh really?"

"Yes." She replied, a wry grin on her face as she began pressing down seemingly random keys on the large instrument, no particular song coming out.

"Can I ask you something?" Nikki enquired.

"Shoot." Puck smiled.

"Why does everyone call you Puck?"

"My last name's Puckerman." He explained

"Oh," Nikki replied "What's your first name?"

"Noah."

"Noah," Nikki said quietly, rolling the name around her tongue "I like it. Noah suits you."

"What about you? What's Nikki short for?"

Nikki laughed and began to play a song, singing to avoid the question.

"Making my way down town, walking fast, faces pass as I'm home bound..."

Puck watched her as she sang, her eyes sparkling, the first time he had heard her properly since the day she had auditioned for them.

As she finished, Puck had forgotten his question, and as he gazed at her, he knew that there was something about Nikki Winters that took his breath away.

Every time.

"Will you teach me something." He asked, the request escaping from his mouth before he'd had chance to think about it.

"Sure" She replied softly, shuffling over and tapping the stool. Puck climbed in next to her, their shoulders brushing slightly. Puck wasn't sure what made him actually listen as she began to explain to him; he had no interest in learning the piano, because he enjoyed his guitar too much, but her voice was captivating and melodic, and he found it hard not to pay attention.

"Ok, now you try." She told him. Puck placed his fingers on the keys and played what she had shown him, but it sounded odd and he knew he'd done it wrong.

"No, like this." Nikki corrected him gently, reaching across and taking his hands to physically show him. However, Puck took her warm, long, slender fingers and wrapped them in his, their palms touching, thumbs brushing.

It was now or never, he thought.

Nikki felt her breath catch in her throat as Puck leaned closer to her face. She knew what was coming. Even if she had wanted to, Nikki couldn't have moved or objected in that moment, glued to the spot by the subtle, but fierce intensity of what was unfolding. She closed her eyes just as Noah's lips swept softly against hers, landing on her cheek before returning to her lips.

Puck had always laughed at the analogy of a first kiss being like fireworks; he had found it incredulous and hard to believe. But now he understood it, and it was so much more than he had expected. Her lips were smooth and soft, like freshly made bed-sheets, or undisturbed snow in the early hours of a winter morning. Puck could taste the lingering remnants of the milk and honey lip balm she favoured. Her hair tickled his face, and the frame of her glasses scratched slightly his cheek, but he didn't care.

He didn't care. He couldn't imagine a more perfect moment in his life.

Nikki felt Puck take her other hand, intertwining fingers as they kissed. She sat rigid for a minute, unsure what to do. She hated to admit that she'd never been kissed before, and she began to wonder if she was even doing it right. Nikki found herself comparing it to all the soppy romance novels that she thrived on, and then cursed herself for being so childish. This wasn't the pages of a book, filled with imaginary characters, and events that were so perfectly timed that couldn't possibly be true; this was real life, and it was happening to her, right then! With this bewildered realisation fluttering through her fogged mind, Nikki relaxed. She hoped that her disappointment wasn't too evident when Puck pulled away; still gripping her hands, and looked deeply into her eyes. She was dizzy with the proximity, but the very thing that had sent her reeling was the same as what was keeping her grounded.

"I have to go home." She whispered, thinking 'No! No you don't! Don't tell him that!'

"Let my drive you." He replied, just as quietly, leaning in and kissing her cheek. She nodded, and they got up, gathered their things; and as they walked out the door, their hands found each other again, like magnets. As she felt Noah's thumb rubbing soft, small circles against hers, Nikki couldn't help but partake in her own impression of the Cheshire Cat.