A/N: Thank you so so much for all the reviews! I hope I got back to everyone who did review, but if I didn't I'm really sorry and to those who are anonymous, I say a HUGE thank you! I really appreciate everyone's input and thoughts about Puckelberry's relationship:) I'm still going to take it slow (even though it kills me to do so!) because I'm still trying to stay in character and we all know Rachel Berry isn't the sexual type...or is she? *enter dramatic music here* Ok, sorry for the ramblings.
Oh! Don't forget to review! It's what breaths life into the story:)
Chapter 11
As the audience gave a deafening applause, New Directions took their place beside Rachel and gave deep bows. Puck pulled Rachel into a tight hug before they were escorted off the stage by the crew to prepare for the last performance of the night.
XOXOXO
Rachel was pacing in the room while everyone was sitting on the couches. The last group had performed and now all the Glee clubs were waiting for the judges' decision. No one even dared to speak. It was obvious that the tension was coming from the elephant in the room: Puck's accusation toward Quinn. If Puck was right, then there would be hell to pay for the blonde; but right now, they were just worried about their placement.
"Hey! It's up!" Rachel exclaimed. The group walked quickly down the hall where all the other Glee clubs were waiting. Mr. Schuester walked to the board and everyone held their breath. Rachel had a vice grip on Puck's hand and he was squeezing back slightly less strong, but still tight.
"What'd we get Mr. Schue?" Mercedes asked.
Will exhaled sharply and turned to his students, "Twelfth." Everyone turned to Rachel, waiting for her reaction.
Rachel glanced at Santana, who winked at her. "Twelfth place? Hell yeah!" The group erupted into cheers and hugged each other. They should've been disappointed, but considering that just that morning, they didn't have a set list, how could they not be ecstatic that they placed so high?
Santana pushed her way to Rachel and brought her in to a bone crushing hug. "What was that for?" Rachel asked breathless.
"Are you kidding me Berry? If wasn't for you, we would've been standing on stage with nothing but our breathing to fill the silence." She turned to Puck and gave him a hug too. "We're going out tonight so meet us in the lobby when I text you." She pulled away and went back to where Brittany was hugging everyone.
"All right guys" Mr. Schue hollered. "Let's get out of here and celebrate!" He clapped Sam on the back as everyone made their way through the other Glee clubs.
"Rachel?" Rachel turned around and saw Jesse standing in front of her.
Puck tightened his hold on the brunette's hand when he saw Jesse. "What do you want?"
"I want to talk to Rachel. Please?"
Rachel turned to Puck. "I'll be out in a minute." He started to say something but she cut him off with a kiss. "I promise." She watched as he glared at Jesse before making his way out of the theatre. "What is it Jesse?"
Jesse took a step forward, "I know you think I gave your set list to Vocal Adrenaline but I didn't."
"I know."
"You do?"
Rachel nodded with a smile. "I do. But I want ask you something about that and I need you to tell me the truth. Why were our bags in your room?"
"Because someone put them outside my door. I was gonna give them back the next time I saw you, but I didn't get a chance."
"What?" Rachel was completely baffled. "You mean they were just…outside your door? Why didn't I see them?"
"All I remember is that you were complaining about not wanting to be alone, I offered you my room but got rejected and you went off with Puck. Then I was practicing my routine of The Nutcracker and I hear a knock at my door, and there were the bags. I couldn't leave them out there so I kept them. Once I saw that one of the bags belonged to you, I looked through it and didn't find anything interesting so" he shrugged carelessly. "I kept it for the next time I saw you."
"What was in Kurt's bag?"
Jesse thought for a moment before answering. "A notebook with hearts surrounding the name 'Blaine'. Oh, and a poem. It actually was pretty good; very reminiscent of Longfellow, if not a little amateurish."
"And you're telling me the truth?"
"Rachel, I know I screwed up and because of that, I lost you. That's haunted me every day. I love you and I would never do that you, despite my intense hatred for your fellow Glee clubbers."
Rachel nodded and thought about what Jesse had told her. She didn't need to be told who gave him the bags but she couldn't put the timeline together. Unless… "When did you hear the knock?"
"About nine o'clock." Rachel scoffed and started to walk away. "Wait. That's it?"
"I don't think there's anything left to say." Jesse grabbed her and pulled her into a kiss. She pushed away just in time to hear Puck behind her.
"What the fuck man?" Puck bellowed. "Get your ugly face off her!"
"Noah!" Rachel stepped in front of him to stop his advancement. "Jesse, I do not appreciate what you just did!" She had begun trying to push Puck toward the exit but was failing so she walked back to confront Jesse. "You know that I don't have any feelings for you and I'm sorry if you can't accept that."
"You'll never get over me Rachel" he called. His words stopped her and Puck at the door. "I'm the only one who understands you." He turned his gaze to Puck. "He has the same amount of affection for you as he does for a stranger's goldfish." Puck stared at the floor, hoping his anger would subside. "You think he'll still be interested in you after a fresh faced Cheerio approaches him?"
Rachel walked up to Jesse and gave him a hard smack, leaving a mark on his cheek. "You have no right to say anything about him! You have no idea who Noah is!"
"But I do know Puck; and I know that's the guy who's going to hurt you."
Rachel scoffed and resisted hitting him again. "Jesse, we are over. And for the record, you don't who I am either." She walked back and laced her fingers with Puck's, dragging him out of the theatre.
XOXOXOXO
"Are we going to talk about what happened?" Rachel asked quietly. The dinner at the restaurant had been quiet and awkward between them; whether anyone else noticed wasn't at the top of Rachel's 'Things I Care About' list. Puck however, was.
Puck showed no emotion in his face. "Why?"
"Because I think you're mad and I know I am."
"Why are you mad? Because he kissed you? Or was it the Puck bashing he gave me?" Puck sneered. He moved to sit in a chair by the window as he loosened his tie.
"Both actually." Rachel didn't want to get angry at Noah; she learned a long time ago that sometimes, one person in the relationship should set aside their problem and listen to their partner. And even though she was mad at Jesse for what he did and said, she knew Noah was more hurt than angry- though he was trying his best to hide it. She could feel the tension rolling from his body and could tell that this wasn't a Rachel moment; it was a Noah moment. She let her hair down as she listened to what was really bothering Puck.
"I don't understand why everyone just assumes I can't have a relationship. Yes, I was a tad bit of a-"
"Slut." Rachel interjected.
"I was gonna say player but I guess that word works too" he pouted.
"Since when do you care about what other people think?" Rachel sat on the bed across from Puck.
"I'm not worried about me, Rach. I'm worried about you. I don't want people to see you as another notch on my belt because you're not."
"I know that. And I don't care what people think- never have and I never will. That's the benefit of being an outcast."
Puck put his hand over his face and let his head fall back against the wall. "I just love you so fucking much that it kills me to know that maybe you still think of me as the guy who knocked up his best friend's girl." Puck felt hands on his chest and looked to see Rachel start to straddle him in the chair. "Wh-" Rachel cut him off with a deep kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Noah," she breathed when they broke the kiss. "I'm not going to lie and say that I don't think about you with Quinn… or Santana… or Brittany…or the countless older women" Puck groaned and threw his back again but Rachel pulled it forward so he could look at her. "But I also know you're not that guy anymore. Everyone makes mistakes and I am in no position to make you feel guilty for something you did a long time ago. I know you've thought about me and Finn- don't deny it because you know it's true, but if we really do love each other" Rachel still had a hard time wrapping her head around that idea, "then we both need to let the past go."
Puck sat silent, listening to everything Rachel was saying. "I never loved Quinn." Rachel gave him a curious look. "Did you think I didn't hear what she said in the elevator?" he could see her fighting back tears. "I know everyone thinks I did but it's not true. With her, it was the thrill of the chase. After she gave up Beth and all during the summer, we both knew the thing that held us together was the one thing neither of us was ready for."
"And what about me?" Rachel asked shyly.
Puck let out a heavy sigh and put his hands on Rachel's hips. She was still in her black dress from the competition and he noticed that the makeup she used to cover the bruise on her cheek was coming off, but she was still breathtaking. He gently kissed the sore spot but pulled back when he felt Rachel wince. "I never would've thought that I would end up falling in love, especially with you. And for Christ's sake don't ask me why because I have no fucking clue." He propped her head with his knuckle. "But I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life trying to figure it out- if you'll let me."
Rachel felt as though she were going to burst. No one had ever said anything close to that to her before and she could tell from his tone that he was one hundred percent serious. "Why do think it took us so long?"
"I don't know and I don't care. I'm just grateful that it happened before you went back to Finnessa."
"If he's your best friend, why do call him names like that?"
Puck shook his head, "We're not best friends and I don't think we ever were because we don't really like each other. Take you for example; it took us a long time to become friends- and even though you annoy the hell outta me with your non- stop talking about musicals, you've always been there for me; and I hope that you can say the same about me one day. But with Finn" He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It's complicated, I guess."
"Well regardless of what's going on with you two, I'm glad you were there when I wanted to get a nose job; that definitely counts as you being there for me and I'll always be grateful for that."
"I still don't understand why you wanted to get one. Your nose is fucking hot and I hate that you think you're not beautiful because you're hands down, hotter than any other girl I've seen. Even when you have clothes on, you're fucking hot, although I like the naked view better." He winked as she blushed deeply. "Speaking of, why don't we get these clothes off you? You look like you're suffocating in them." He grabbed the flimsy material and pulled it off slowly so he could marvel at her toned body being exposed inch by inch. "Yep. You're definitely restricted in this."
Rachel had a love/hate relationship with the way Puck made her feel; on one hand, she was a control freak so it always irritated her that her knees went weak and her self control was practically at a zero; but then the way he would look at her made her feel as though she were the only person in the room and his touch lit her body on fire. When he told her that she was beautiful, she knew he meant it. That's one thing she definitely loved: his honesty. He never says things he doesn't mean; it may not always be nice, but at least you know where he stands.
She lifted her arms as he pulled the dress over her head. The cold air hit her suddenly and Puck could feel the goose bumps forming on her skin. He stood up, wrapping Rachel's legs around his waist as he made his way to the bed. Puck slowly lowered their bodies to mattress, making sure that Rachel was comfortable. "Are you ready for this?" he could tell from her body language that physically she was, but he didn't want her to make a decision that she would regret later. They had only just revealed how they felt a few hours ago but they still had a long way to go. She wasn't even officially his girlfriend and he was about to take her virginity; he thought about how she must be still one for a reason and he highly doubted that it was because she didn't want it.
"Yeah" Rachel saw something change in Puck's eyes and it worried her. This was the first time she was ready for this step, and here he was the legendary Noah Puckerman being hesitant. "A-Are you?" she grazed her nails over his mohawk and he groaned into her stomach.
Just as Puck was groaning into the flat surface of Rachel's stomach, an angry knock burst his Berry bubble. "Puckerman! What the fuck are you doing in there?"
Rachel rolled her eyes and Puck was giving a look that was a cross between annoyance and amusement. "I'm coming Santana!" he hollered back. "As much as I hate to say this, you better get dressed quickly if you don't want to experience the wrath of Satan." He opened the door slightly to see Santana with her hands on her hips.
"Jesus, Puck finally. I've been texting you for the past ten minutes."
"I was busy San. What do you want?"
"We talked Mr. Schue into letting us go out by ourselves so grab Yentl and let's go. We have to get to the club before the bouncers change shifts." Puck watched as she walked down to the elevator.
"Babe, you ready?" he turned and saw Rachel with the same dress on Santana gave her earlier and her black heels. "Wow. I'm gonna have to keep an eye on you in the club."
Rachel giggled and walked out the door. "Thank you for the compliment. So how exactly are we going to get in? We're not even eighteen yet." She laced her fingers with Puck's as they strolled down the hallway and into the stairwell.
"I think the less we know, the better." Puck lost his footing on a step and cursed in response. "I'm getting really tired of taking these fucking stairs all the time, Berry."
"You know how I feel about elevators Noah. I just know the moment I step in one that it's going to break down and I'm going to die from dehydration or suffocate from lack of oxygen."
Puck opened the door and followed Rachel into the lobby where he saw their teammates waiting for them. "You're so paranoid, Berry. You're gonna have to learn to relax. Fortunately I know some great stress relief techniques." He smacked Rachel's ass as she led the way, earning himself a soft slap on the arm.
"It's about time!" Mercedes sighed. "We've been waiting forever."
"Whatever. We're all here so let's go." Santana led the way down the street like a mama duck with a trail of baby ducks after her. When they arrived at the entrance, she grabbed Brittany from the back of the group and said something in her ear and even though no one else knew what she said, Puck had a sneaking suspicion that it involved a false promise of a threesome with a bouncer.
"I wonder what they're doing." Rachel commented as Santana and Brittany flirted with the large bouncer.
"Believe me babe, you definitely don't want to know." Whatever it was that they said, it must've worked since they were being escorted in.
XOXOXO
Puck had been to a lot of seedy clubs before, but this was definitely low. Despite the rest of the Glee club getting hammered, he only had a few drinks to loosen him up. He didn't think Rachel had meant what she said during Alcohol Awareness Week when she swore to never drink again but here she was- sober and staying away from the alcohol. "You wanna dance?"
Rachel glanced at the dance floor and saw everyone getting sweaty and panting. "Um, no thank you. Despite the many things in my life I wish to accomplish, getting some infectious disease from the undoubtedly toxic fumes coming from the many people who- judging from their appearances- haven't showered in a few weeks, is not at the top of my list."
Puck blinked, trying to remember if there were any words in that long sentence that he recognized. "So is that a yes or no?"
The tiny brunette rolled her eyes at him. "It's a no."
"What? I couldn't hear you. Did you say yes? Okay, well you asked for it." He grabbed her hand and dragged her to the dance floor. The music thumped the floor as Puck started to dance with Rachel and was pleasantly surprised when she started to get into it just as much as he was.
Rachel found that if she stayed away from the guy on her left that was emitting a disgusting smell and the girl on her right that looked like she just got out of a crack house, then dancing with Puck could be quite erotic.
When a new song would come on, Puck would bring her closer to his body and gently glide his hands up her thighs, letting his hands graze under the dress. After she lost count of the number of songs that they danced to, the sights and smells that repulsed Rachel at first had begun to encourage the "Santana" buried deep within her. She could feel everything- Noah's movements mixed with hers, the salty smell of their sweat, the sexual beat of the music- merging into a sensual environment that threatened to over take her controlled exterior.
The dance floor had started to clear to make room for Brittany when Slave 4 U came on; everyone was mesmerized as the tall blonde made her way around the large wooden floor. "Wow" Rachel said with admiration. She had the perfect view from her seat in front of the floor. "If Brittany's IQ was as brilliant as her dance moves, she would be the smartest person in the world since Einstein."
Puck nodded in agreement but Rachel knew he had no idea what she was talking about. "Who's Einstein?" he saw her give him a look, but couldn't tell what it was since the lighting was so low; he wagered that it probably bordered on annoyance.
"You know" Rachel turned in her seat to face Puck, who was standing next to her. "I never realized how great of a dancer you are. A guy who can sing, dance and play the guitar? That's such a lethal combination. How ever do you manage to juggle all those talents?" she said, feigning a mock tone.
"That's not all of my talents, Berry" he winked. "Hopefully, you'll find out sooner than later."
Rachel mulled over his words when she heard Rihanna's 'Only Girl' come on. She squealed with delight and took Puck's hand to lead him to the dance floor, taking the initiative to start the dancing.
Puck wasn't stupid, despite what his report card said; he'd listened to the song before so it didn't surprise him in the least that this would be the song that Rachel chose to express her feelings. He watched as she turned slowly between his arms, the different colored lights highlighting the striking facial features and her black hair that framed them. Kurt was right- red was definitely her color.
"You mind if I cut in?" the pair looked up to see Finn standing next to them with an excited expression.
Puck rolled his eyes but looked to Rachel for a response. "Sure" she replied. As Puck walked off, Rachel called out for him. "Don't go too far Noah because you're next." Then Finn was twirling her around as the next song came on.
Puck walked back to the bar where Santana was sitting with a drink. "Hey" he nodded. He took her drink and downed it with one gulp. He knew before it reached his lips that it was Jack and Coke.
"Why aren't you dancing with Stubble McStubbles?" She ordered another drink for herself and then one for Puck.
"She's dancing with Finn." He grumbled.
"Again, why aren't you dancing with Yentl?" she reiterated. God! Do I have to do everything for him?
"Cut the shit Satan and just say what's on your mind."
"Why haven't you sealed the deal yet? Is she pulling a Quinn and not giving it up?"
Puck chuckled slightly, "She's not like Quinn in any way so no, that's not the problem. In fact, we were getting close when I-" Puck took a long drink from his glass, not wanting to say what the problem was.
"When you what?" Puck continued to drink but Santana wasn't one for patience. "Get your lips off Jack and finish your sentence."
Puck slammed his empty glass back down on the counter out of frustration. "I froze."
"What?" Santana couldn't believe it. Puck was an amazing lay, even if he wasn't her cup of tea anymore. "I find it hard to believe that you have any problems getting hard. You practically walk around all day with a boner."
Puck shot a glare at her, but she didn't seem to care. "That wasn't the problem." He could tell he had peaked her interest. "I-" he glanced around to make sure no one could hear him before finishing. "I got scared all right?" Santana almost didn't hear him because his voice had dropped so low.
"Let me guess. Your hands got clammy, you couldn't breathe and you felt like you were going to pass out."
Puck rose a little from the wooden bar. "Yeah. How'd you know?"
"Because that's what happened to me the first time Brit and I had sex after I told her I loved her."
"Did you get over it?"
The hot tempered Latina seemed to be lost in thought with an answer. "You know how we always made fun of the people who said that having sex was better with feelings?" Puck nodded slowly to encourage her to continue. "Well turns out, that they had it right. Don't get me wrong, we still fuck like rabbits but- I don't know; it was like I was a virgin all over again. I guess you could say that she popped my intimacy cherry. But to answer the question you won't ask: the sex was way better"
Puck had never heard Santana openly admit anything but disgust for words like: intimacy, love, virgin (hell she'd rake Rachel over the coals for being one if she didn't respect the tiny star), monogamy, etc.; and those words were just as foreign to Puck as they used to be to her. "You like feeling like a virgin again?" he asked with raised eyebrows.
"Don't be stupid. I don't feel like that anymore; it was just the first couple of times. And don't act like that's not how you're feeling because it's clear to my dead cat that she's popped your emotional cherry." She saw his face twist into several expressions and it made her laugh a little.
"Great. Thanks a lot, Satan. That really builds my confidence."
"Don't get so offended. I'm sure that after you fuck her in some random place that you're going to maintain your sex god status."
"She's not going to be just another random fuck." Santana looked at him with intense curiosity. "I love her. When she's ready, I'll be there."
"You love her?" Santana gasped. "Please tell me for all our sake that she knows this."
Puck nodded and couldn't hide the smile that spread across his face even if he wanted to. "I told her right before we sang."
"That explains why you guys looked like animals in heat on stage. What did she say when you told her?"
"She said she loved me too." Puck put as much pride as he could muster into that statement.
"Mazel Tov!" Santana clinked their glasses in celebration. "Now we just gotta work on getting her all sexed up for you."
"Not that she needs it, but she looked awesome when we went to Victoria's Secret and she tried on some lingerie. I had to think of dead kittens to stop from taking her right there in the dressing room."
"Really? Hm. You know, I'm going shopping with her tomorrow for clothes. Anything you want me to persuade her to buy?"
"None of that fancy shit. It takes too long to rip off." He and Santana chuckled as they turned around to watch Brittany dancing with Quinn and Rachel dancing with Finn.
"What are you going to do about Frankenteen?" Puck's glare at the quaterback didn't go unnoticed by Santana.
"Nothing. It's Rachel's decision if she wants to be friends with him, not mine. That doesn't mean I don't want to fuck up his face, but I would do anything to make her happy, even if it means putting up with Finnocence." Santana was still staring at Brittany when he turned his eyes back to study her. "Why are you taking Rachel shopping? You hate her."
"I want to talk to her about something. And don't ask, because I won't tell you."
Puck's face turned serious as turned his body to her. "If you're going to do something humiliating or pull some Carrie shit, I won't hold back because you're a girl" He warned. "I'm serious Santana."
"Serious about what?" they looked to see Brittany and Rachel walking toward them.
Santana and Puck mirrored each other's movements as they turned back to their drinks. "Nothing babe. Don't worry about it." Rachel eyed the liquid in Puck's glass. "You want to try some?"
"No thanks. I don't want to get thrown up on again." The three teens turned to Brittany, who was sipping from Santana's straw.
"Come on Rachel." Brittany pleaded as she held a glass for Rachel to take. "I promise to warn you if I feel sick."
Rachel took the drink and sniffed it. "It smells like Coke."
"But it tastes like Jack." Santana retorted. "Just drink it, Berry."
Puck was slightly amused when Rachel made a face after she took a sip. "It tastes gross." She coughed out.
"That's because you're not supposed to drink it sip by sip babe." Puck took the drink from her hand and set it down.
"Well let's see how fast you can drink yours then." She challenged. Puck smirked and downed his drink in one gulp. "Oh. Well that answers that question." Not to be outdone, Rachel picked her drink back up and downed it one gulp also.
"Whoa Berry!" Santana exclaimed. "I thought you were a lightweight!"
Rachel wiped her mouth and shrugged. "I don't have a gag reflex so it doesn't bother me. It's just the taste I hate."
Puck tuned out the moment he heard no gag reflex. Apparently that's all Santana and Brittany heard too. "You lucky piece of shit!" Santana hollered at Puck.
"I'm guessing that not having one is a good thing?" Rachel asked. This time, her innocence was genuine and Puck thought it was hilarious.
He pulled her into his chest and trapped her between his legs. "It's a very good thing. Just don't tell any one else that."
Santana wanted to get into a drinking game but Puck forfeited when Rachel ordered a drink so she could participate. Due to her lack of drinking stamina and petite body size, Puck knew Rachel would need help tonight and if he were drunk, he wouldn't be able to do that.
Rachel had only four drinks before she began to start slurring her words, but continued to drink. Her dancing though was spectacular; she could feel Puck's dick kept getting harder with each thrust she did with her ass and it made her bolder as the night went on. She had completely lost track of time and before she knew it, she was being brought outside with the rest of the Glee club as the club was starting to close.
XOXOXOXO
Puck tried to help Rachel walk as they started back toward the hotel but it was useless. Santana, Brittany and the rest of the group- excluding Rachel and Quinn- weren't lightweights, so they were fine with walking by themselves. The atmosphere was fun until Quinn started berating Finn with what she thought were his imperfections.
"Finn had it right when he called her the angry drunk girl" Rachel observed. Puck looked behind him and saw Finn with his 'kill me now' face and laughed so hard, he had to stop walking so he could catch his breath.
Rachel didn't know what was so funny, but she laughed anyway which made her begin to feel dizzy. She started to fall over when she felt someone's arms catch her just as she almost hit the ground. Her feet lifted from the concrete as her head rolled onto a muscular chest. It's either Sam or Noah she thought hazily. She rubbed her hand against the face and felt stubble lining the jaw area and knew immediately that it was Noah holding her. When he shifted her higher so that her face was by his neck, Rachel inhaled the faint scent of the cologne he wore hours ago. She opened her eyes and focused in on Puck's face. "You're so beautiful, Noah" she slurred.
Puck had assumed Rachel was asleep when he was walking with Sam because of the lack of noise coming from her. When he saw her falling, he barely had time to catch her before her head hit the concrete and then she didn't say anything so he thought that she must've passed out. As Puck was carrying her, he couldn't believe how light she was, for which he was extremely grateful because is she had been any heavier, he wouldn't have been able to carry her for as long as he did. As Puck was hitting the 'up' button on the elevator, he heard her say something about him being beautiful and it made him chuckle. "Well thank you babe. You're pretty gorgeous yourself." He walked into the elevator and pressed their floor's number. "Why do you think I call you My Hot Jewish American Princess?"
Rachel groaned as she felt the alcohol churning in her stomach. "I've always loved that nickname."
"You have? Well then, I'll be sure keep it for later use." Puck was surprised how short the elevator ride was. Maybe it was because compared to the last time he was in it; it took him nearly forty five minutes to get to the bottom floor. He heard Rachel groaning and saw that she was going pale. "You ok sweetheart?"
"I don't feel good." Rachel could feel the lump in her throat but she knew that they must've been really close to their room because Puck had stepped out from the elevator.
"I know honey but we're almost there, I promise." He struggled to get the key from his back pocket and rushed to open the door with the stupid keycard. He quickly kicked the door open as soon the handle was turned and headed for the bathroom just in time for Rachel to empty her stomach. Puck grabbed her hair and held it for her until she stopped heaving. "I'm gonna get a towel real quick ok?"
Rachel grasped Puck's hand and refused to let go. "Don't go. Please?" She still had her head in the toilet so he wouldn't see her face. Even though Rachel was mortified, she was grateful that he was there and held her hair back, otherwise she would've looked much worse.
"Ah, okay." Puck stretched as far as could for a towel while still holding on to Rachel's hand. He found that getting the towel was easy; it was getting the towel wet that turned out to be the hard part. "I'm gonna clean you up a little bit ok? You're burning up and you need to cool down."
"Don't ever let me drink again Noah." She tried to glare when he chuckled but since he was seeing her at her absolute worst and didn't seem to care, she was in no position to scold him. As he swept the towel over her cheeks and mouth, she hadn't realized how hot she was. She could see the concern in his eyes and it made her stomach flutter, causing another wave of heaving.
Puck had never felt more helpless than he did whenever Rachel would stick her head back in that toilet. He stayed by her side for the next three hours, holding her hair and wiping her face each time her stomach gave her a reprieve. She finally stopped just long enough for Puck to go and get one of his shirts to put on her. Undressing Rachel was easy since she only had a dress on and if she hadn't been so sick, Puck would've copped a feel. Before Rachel's next wave hit, he ordered some bread and a couple of water bottles from room service. "Hey Rach? Look at me sweetheart, you need some water."
Rachel brought her face from the bowl and saw Puck holding a piece of bread and a water bottle. "What are these for?"
Puck opened the bottle for her as he sat in front of her on the floor. He had put some towels under her so her legs wouldn't be cold, but she was still shivering. "The water's for hydrating and the bread is to soak up the alcohol. Believe me, you're going to feel a lot better in the morning because of these." Rachel took the water and started to gulp it down before he could stop her. He almost didn't get to her fast enough when the water came back up. After she was able to catch her breath, Puck held the bottle for her to drink. "Take sips, not gulps" he said gently.
Rachel alternated between nibbling on the bread and sipping the water. She started to feel better and told Puck to help her to the bed when she was seized by a violent heaving period. She must've passed out afterward because she woke up with her head on a pillow and a comforter over her and Puck. "Oh Noah" she groaned. "You don't have to stay here. Go to bed."
Puck leaned on his forearm and smoothed her hair. "Nah, I'm good here."
"You can't possibly be serious. It's a bathroom floor!"
"It could be the city street for all I care. I'm not moving so there's no use in arguing with me Rachel Berry. Just drink your water and eat your bread like a good Jew." She laughed for the first time since they got back and it made him feel better because if she was laughing, then she must feeling better also.
Rachel wanted to kiss him so badly at that moment but could only imagine how horrible her breath must smell. She put her hand on his cheek instead, "I love you. Thank you for staying with me."
Puck lifted up to kiss her forehead, which was much cooler than before. "I love you too. And you're welcome." He let her snuggle into what she called "the nook" between his arm and shoulder socket. He didn't want to put the weight of his arm on her in case she needed to get up quickly so he just rested his head on hers instead. "Good night Rachel."
"Night, Noah."
XOXOXOXO
Rachel woke up at noon to a splitting headache. Noah wasn't there, but she did see a note pressed to the door of the sink cabinet which was at her eye level on the ground.
Hey Babe,
If you're reading this that means I'm still in line for your lunch. I know you have a headache so I put some aspirin on the counter next to the water bottle. Don't get up too fast otherwise you'll be tasting last night's dinner all over again.
Love, Noah
P.S. Don't worry about your shopping trip with Santana. She's passed out on her ass too.
P.S. 2: You're really sexy even when you're sick.