I don't own any of Glee, not the DVDs or CDs (yet) nor the copyright. I do own my gratitude for all the reviews. Thanks so much eveyone I really appreciate it!

Chapter Fourteen

Something about being able to stay home from school with permission is just awful, because, Puck thinks miserably, the only time your mom let's you stay home is when you are contemplating beating your head to release the pain. Morbid, Puck thought. But, as he was currently on day five of his crappy sickness, fitting. Apparently Rachel had come by on Friday afternoon and Saturday she watched his sister for his mom. Sunday he remembers a little of because Rachel had unfortunately just reached to grab the trash can when he frantically flailed out before upchucking. Puck grimaced in disgust, not only did she get punched in the stomach but she had to shower off his vomit.

Now, looking wearily at his alarm clock, at 5:37 am on Wednesday, he was beginning to feel better. Which sucked, because before he at least was practically unconscious to the aching and grogginess. His mom poked her head and asked kindly,

"Anything I can get you before I leave? Remember I have to work both shifts today. And I think that I'm going to stay for overtime, get a little more money out of them."

Puck grunted, "Nah, I'm good."

His mom came in and kissed his forehead, "Alright, well keep getting better honey. Your sister is staying with that friend of hers tonight so you don't have to worry about her."

He grunted again and his mom patted his knee before leaving. A little bit later his phone chimed. Groaning he pulled at the charger before squinting at the screen.

'I'm coming by before school. Your mom said you were more lucid last night.'

Frowning he wondered what Rachel wanted. He typed out an ok and sent it. Not even five minutes later his front door opened and closed.

"It's just me Noah," she called as she jogged up the stairs. She opened his door cautiously before sitting down at the foot of his bed, pulling her legs up.

He twisted and pulled at his sheets frustrated, "So?"

Rachel looked away from him briefly, "I missed talking with you. With you talking back. No one talks to me like you do. Like a friend, I mean."

"Can't keep up with you," Puck tossed to his other side. He looked for his water before realizing Rachel was handing it to him. "Awesome."

Rachel's eyebrows were furrowed and staring at him. Too tired to be polite, Puck said bluntly,

"Checkin' me out when I'm sick? Kinda twisted there Crazy."

She flicked her gaze up to his eyes and glared at him, "I really don't like you calling me that. And it's just you've lost a lot of weight in the past five days."

"Happens when you upchuck every hour."

"I realize that Noah. Thank you for the update. I happen to know how often you vomited intimately."

Puck rolled his neck before flicking the sheets off, "God, it's uncomfortable. Flip the fan on?"

"I would be glad to," Rachel saucily retorted. "There. Happier?"

"Nope. Never," Puck glared at her.

Rachel blew out a quick spurt of air exasperated, "You know that is not what I meant by that. You are just cranky and taking out your frustrations on me."

"Who are you convincing there Berry?"

Puck felt guilty about being so… cranky with the only person other than his mother that took care of him willingly. But he really wasn't in the mood to make nice. Instead he nodded over to the other side of his bed.

"Wanna join me?"

Rachel scrunched her nose, "I'm not risking getting sick by doing any such thing."

"But you would if I wasn't sick," he stated. "I don't blame you. I am a stud."

The look Rachel gave him displayed annoyance, but he totally didn't care, he was right. Any girl who had this opportunity would grab it with both hands. He chuckled.

"I can only deduce what you are thinking right now, but considering it is you it must be repugnant."

"English!"

"It is English. Proper, articulated, grammatically correct English," Rachel shot back.

Puck wound up sitting partially upright, pillow under his shoulders, Rachel sitting back straight next to him as they continued talking. He was lolling his head at some point still weak, which was highly embarrassing because guys like him don't do weak.

"My dads seem to think that I need to have other options besides Julliard, Carnegie Mellon, and NYU which I found both unnecessary and understandable. The dichotomy of that situation has left me in a quandary, but make no mistake I will not need to settle for anything less."

Her monologue was boring enough to calm whatever illness decided it could take on the Puckman. He looked at his alarm clock noticing that Rachel was going to be late for school even if she sped all the way. Ah well, not his job to tell her what time it was. She continues to prattle on and just as he was slipping into a restful sleep Rachel shrieked.

"Wha? Wha's happ'nin'? Someone in the house?"

Rachel was hastily untangling their legs, which Puck wondered how they got that way in the first place, and screeching about something.

"Fuck, wha's goin' on Rachel?"

"I'm late for school! How could you let me sit here and talk for so long? My attendance record will be tarnished forever! Are you laughing? Oh, coughing, is that a new symptom? Or are you just thirsty, here is some water. I really must leave but I will come back this afternoon."

Puck laid his head down ignoring the pounding ache as he listened to Rachel race out of his home and out of the driveway with a squealing of tires. When the glee club had their fall invitational, this time Rachel was there the entire time; he found that Glee was higher on Rachel Berry's importance list than speed limits. The football players had practice so they had been at school the entire day. Rachel had stayed to make sure everything was perfect but upon hearing that they hadn't eaten dinner yet, she insisted on buying them a nutritional meal. The others forced him to go along so he could stop her from getting any tofu shit or veggie wraps. That's stuff ain't dude food.

After arguing in the grocery store for some time they finally agreed on something. And realized that they needed to hurry back so the football players could eat and have time to settle before the performance. By they he means Rachel. She literally kept her foot on the accelerator the entire drive back, which was both an adrenaline rush he enjoyed and something no one would believe unless they were present. Luckily, the guys had been impatient and were waiting in the parking lot when Rachel skidded into a parking spot mere feet away from Matt Rutherford.

He groaned and flipped over once again burying his face into his sheets where Rachel's perfume lingered.

A/N: Please guys, if you have any ideas I would be glad to take a pen to it. It's easier for the hand to write when the imagination flows!