It's pretty fucking incredible how the whole damn world can turn on it's axis, and nobody else seems to notice. Sure, everybody clapped and said cheered, and Schue beamed, but it seems I'm the only person in the room who recognizes our duet as what it was. And what is was is...well. I don't really know, I guess. But it was more than a duet. It was like vocal sex or something. The way she looked at me when we sang totally gave me the overwhelming urge to drag her into the nearest cave and have my way with her. A stronger desire than usual. I'm even breathing a little heavy, and I know it's not just from those long notes. Rachel is still smiling up at me, and I have to smile back. "Told you we would kill it," I tell her quietly, and she laughs. Does she feel the same knots in my stomach that I do? I can't tell, and it's not like I can fucking ask her. Hey Rach, do you feel like time just stopped when we sang together? Ha. That would go over great.

We're quiet for a minute as the rest of the club starts leaving the room, gossping about stupid shit like everything's totally normal. "Can you still give me a ride home?" She asks, and I nod. The text she sent me this morning was like a paragraph long, and completely hilarious, in a Rachel way. Instead of just asking for a ride like a normal human being, she ranted about how her dads were going to a seminar on raising gifted teenagers, and how she asked Quinn, but Quinn has something for Cheerios, and "if it's not too much trouble" she would appreciate if I would be willing to "provide her transportation." It actually made me laugh out loud, because God, this girl is like an alien or something. Obviously I said yes, because I'm whipped like a horse. No big deal. I'm digging out my keys when I hear the cough behind me, and the voice. Oh, shit.

"You guys were really good." Finn has his hands stuffed in his pockets, and is totally looking at Rachel, but hey, at least he's not trying to rip me a new one. This is the first sentence he's said to me since the you-treat-your-girl-like-shit-so-I'll-show-her-what-she's-missing incident, and I'll take whatever I can get. It's Rachel who answers, obviously.

"Thank you, Finn," she tells him, sounding like she's running for fucking president like she always does. "You and Mercedes were wonderful yesterday. As your co-captain, I was very impressed." He just gives her that stupid sideways smile and those puppy dog eyes he's so fucking good at. (How does he do that anyway? Because honestly, if that was the only way to get Rachel, I'd be on my knees begging him for lessons).

"Thanks, Rach. Puck..." He turns me me now. "Can I talk to you alone for a sec?"

Fuck.

"Sure, dude." I hand Rachel my keys. "You mind warming up my car? I'll be there in a few." She looks confused, but nods, and we both watch her leave. Finn is quiet for a minute, but I totally know what's coming. The kid may be kind of a moron, but he's been my friend since we were in diapers, and he's a goddamn genius when it comes to my love life. Well, sex life usually, but whatever.

Sure enough, he cuts straight to the point. "You like her," he says, and it is not a question. For a second, I think about denying it, but shit, it's gonna get around sooner or later, and he might as well hear it from me. I've fucked with his life enough.

"Yeah."

He looks pissed off for about half a second, but it disappears pretty fast, and he just looks at me like I'm a sort-of interesting TV show or something. "She likes you too. I can tell." Yeah, right. He's quiet for another minute, but then shrugs. "She's awesome, you know?" Of course I fucking know.

"She really is," I tell him, and because I'm totally a glutton for punishment, I ask the question I've been dreading the answer to. "You still love her?"

"I'll always love her. But...I don't know. Santana and I have been hanging out a little, and-I don't know. Maybe there's something there." Normally I would laugh at that, because for Lopez, something means a good lay, but it's kind of true that Satan's slightly less heinous when he's around. Who the hell could have known? He shrugs again. "Just-be good to her, okay? Better than I was. She deserves it." And then it's over. He slaps me on the back and strolls out of the room, and I know that's all it takes for us to be cool again. Damn, I love being a guy. Even if he's shit wrong about her liking me. He's still Finn after all, and therefore totally retarded.

When I get to the car, Rachel is sitting in the passenger seat, fiddling adorably with the radio. "Hey," I say, and she smiles, but it's not her zillion-watt show smile. She looks a little sad, actually, and I'm not sure when in the hell I started noticing shit like that. I kind of want to hug her. What's wrong with me lately?

"What did Finn want to talk about?"

"Nothing really. He just wanted some workout tips."

"Oh." I can tell she doesn't believe me, but she doesn't say so, and we drive in silence until we reach her driveway. "Noah?" she asks shyly, and my heart beats a little faster when she says my name. "Can I say something?"

"Sure."

She turns toward me, but she's not looking me in the eye, which is pretty weird for her. She usually stares straight at people to the point of creeping them out. "I'm glad you grew your mohawk back."

I let out a surprised laugh, and she gives a hesitant smile. Not a sad one, either. "Me too," I reply. Now can I say something?" She nods. I love you, I love you, I fucking love you. "I like your crazy cat sweater." This time, she giggles, and her cheeks flush pink. God, she's beautiful. I'm thinking maybe I'll ask if she wants to chill sometime this week, like sort of a date, only not really, because there's no way I'm gonna ruin this totally perfect day with a rejection, and I've gotten pretty damn good at spinning things to sound different than what they actually are.

I open my mouth to ask her, but before I can say a single word, she leans over and presses her lips to mine.