Quinn had started and re-started her car eight times. Twice she had walked back to her door meaning to just have an early night and avoid the torture that would be this evening. But the thought of Rachel being at a party for probably the first time in her life was thoroughly appealing.
She wanted to use this opportunity to show the brunette that they could get past this awkwardness, they could go back to how they were. No matter how much it hurt her.
This in mind, she found herself pulling up outside Puck's surprisingly cosy-looking house ten minutes later. Glancing at the clock on her dashboard, she cursed under her breath. Ten o'clock. Her indecision had made her dead late, she hated being the last to turn up at a party. But she was here now so screw it. Sighing lightly she stepped out of the car and adjusted her short figure hugging dress. It was light red in colour and the plunging neckline made it that much more flattering. Her hair was straightened to within an inch of it's life and hung loosely about her face, outlining her delicately made up face. With a touch of smoky eye shadow to emphasize her sparkling eyes.
Shivering on the low doorstep, she gave her hair a final flick before stepping forward to ring the doorbell.
The door was flung open and clattered against the wall with a sharp snap. She barely had time to adjust to the change in scenery before a pair of muscular arms engulfed her.
"Hey you guys it's Quinn! Quinn's here! At the door! He slurred happily, clearly drunk.
"Hey Puck" replied Quinn calmly, attempting to disentangle herself from his giant bear hug.
Realizing what she was trying to do, he allowed his hands to drop to his sides immediately and gestured for her to head inside.
The cheerleader smiled her thanks and stepped further into the house, she surveyed her surroundings with a quirked eyebrow. The party was most definitely in full swing, now that she was in the living room she could see that this was the main gathering point for everyone. It looked like the entire student body of McKinley High had shown up. Football players, Cheerios, and her fellow Glee clubbers littered the area.
Tina and Artie were sitting together on the couch engaged in a lively debate about something or other, while Mike looked on morosely sipping his beer. Quinn snorted inwardly.
Would wheels and the Goth just make it official?
Spotting Santana and Brittany huddled together on the loveseat, the blonde made her way over, gingerly sidestepping a pelvic thrusting Kurt.
"Hey guys." She greeted, wondering where Rachel was.
"Hey Q" replied Santana, playing with Brittany's hair absentmindedly. "What took you so long to get here?"
"Oh ..I." mumbled the blonde trying not to blush "I just couldn't decide what to wear."
"I had the same problem. Santana kept ripping all my dresses when she got her Mac on" stated Brittany randomly.
Santana mumbled something about Brittany having too many beers and tried to change the subject.
"Anyways, you like you could do with a beer" commented the Latina, observing the blonde's darting eyes.
"Not tonight. I just want a quiet one. Something simply, uncomplicated for once." Replied Quinn distractedly still raking the room for a sign of the diva. "Hey you guys haven't seen Rachel have you?" she burst out unable to contain herself any longer.
The duo exchanged a meaningful glance.
"What?" wondered Quinn impatiently.
"She's in the kitchen." Replied Santana sounding highly amused. "She's pretty wasted, who'd have thought Rachel Berry knew how to throw down." She mocked before Brittany whispered something suggestive in her ear.
With a quick "Later Q." Over her shoulder the Latina tugged the taller blonde through the mass of gyrating bodies and disappeared up the stairs.
Not knowing what to expect, the blonde made her way towards the kitchen, stepping over a passed out Karofsky and pushed aside the swinging door into the room. What she saw stopped her in her tracks.
Rachel Berry was lying on the kitchen table making out with some random hockey player, while Finn looked on, occasionally egging her on.
Suddenly the brunette's head snapped up. Everybody turned to look at Quinn.
She hadn't realized she had spoken the diva's name aloud.
The diva was the first to recover and broke into a smile.
"Quinn! Look at this, I made a new friend." She slurred eyes glazed over. Santana was right, she was completely wasted.
The blonde's heart seemed to physically clench, her stomach lurched in disgust. She couldn't look at Rachel like this.
I need to get out of here. She thought desperately, backing quickly out of the room and running blindly towards the stairs, she opened the first door she came to and silently prayed that Santana and Brittany had chosen another room to have their rendezvous in. Somebody up there must have been listening because the room was empty. She shut the door hastily, diluting the sound of the pounding music that reverberated through the floorboards making them hum.
She studied the room. Anything to distract her from what she had just witnessed. It was Puck's bedroom. A double bed dominated much of the left side of the room, set against it was a small bedside table where a small picture frame rested. She perched on the edge of the bed and picked up the photo. It was Puck and his mom. He was around ten of eleven she guessed studying his face, he had a crop of light brown hair that flopped into his blue eyes, ending in an eye-crinkling grin. He looked so carefree and happy that Quinn felt a smile coming to her face.
Just as she was setting the picture back in it's place, the door opened and Puck stumbled in smiling at the sigh of Quinn, who smiled guiltily in return. She was actually snooping in his room in the middle of the his party after all.
The boy seemed unfazed however and swaggered towards the bed before sitting down beside her, they settled into a comfortable silence before she felt him shake with laughter.
Perplexed, she turned to face him. "What?" she asked.
"I've finally got you in my bed." He chuckled good-naturedly.
The blonde laughed and clipped him across the ear with her hand.
"Ow." He complained, "I was just trying to lighten the mood babe."
Quinn giggled but otherwise did not reply and they settled into another comfortable silence, enjoying the momentary respite for reality.
She felt the drunken Puck sigh and glanced at him questioningly.
"She's drunk. She doesn't know what she's doing." He stated, returning her gaze.
"I don't know what your-" began Quinn trying to remain calm. How did he know?
"Rachel. You like her." He stated, it wasn't a question.
Quinn for her part was rooted to the bed trying not to gape.
"Look I don't know what Berry's been telling people but-"
Puck held his hand up obviously not appreciating the growing hysteria in her voice.
"Look Quinn, Berry didn't say anything about you. Well she did, but not in the way your thinking. All she's been asking all night is when your gonna get here." He admitted sounding amused.
She felt herself begin to smile despite herself and he continued.
"It's kinda obvious that you've got the hots for her. People think I'm just some stupid jock, but when I was in prison I got used to watching people, got good at knowing what they were thinking and stuff. I saw you protecting her when you thought nobody else was looking, I saw the way you looked at her when she sang. It's the way I used to look at you" he commented smiling depreciatingly.
Quinn who had hung on his every word was in utter disbelief at his astute observational skills. She smiled sadly at him.
"Your a great guy Puck." She whispered stroking his knee comfortingly "and any girl would be lucky to have you. But I'm not her." She finished now close to tears.
He nodded as though it's what he expected.
"I think ..I think I love her." The blonde whispered, tears now spilling down her cheeks.
His head snapped up.
"Damn, I knew you liked her but .." he trailed off probably remembering the same thing as Quinn. How she used to torment the girl that now held her heart. Ironic, didn't begin to describe this situation.
"Just between us." He leaned in conspiratorially which she mimicked her interest piqued. "I think ye would make a way hotter couple then Finchel" he winked.
Quinn broke out into a fresh fit of giggles and for the second time, clipped him across the head.
"Well I better head back down. There's a new cheerleader that said she wants to feel my guns" he grinned cheekily flexing his muscles.
Laughing sarcastically the blonde pushed him towards the door before turning serious.
"Puck I ..Thank you." She blushed, genuinely grateful.
"My pleasure babe. Now give me a goodbye kiss." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"How about a friendly peck?" she smiled before leaning forward onto her tip toes and pecking him lightly on the lips.
Just as their lips met, the door flew open. They broke apart guiltily as a very drunken Rachel stumbled through the door. She took in their close proximity and her eyes flew to Quinn's hands which rested on either side of Puck's face, to Puck's arm wrapped around the blonde's waist holding her firmly in place and her eyes bulged.
"Rachel what-?" began the blonde watching the brunette's face contort in rage.
"Oh I'm sorry that I interrupted your little make-out session." She spat nastily. "I'll just leave you to it shall I!" she screeched, eyes flashing dangerously.
With a final glare at Quinn she slammed the door shut and they heard her storm down the stairs, shouting at people to get out of her way.
"Me doth think the lady does protest too much." Declared Puck before following the brunette out the door.
Quinn was rooted to the spot. She didn't know what surprised her more. Rachel's reaction, or the fact that Puck even knew who Shakespeare was.