36 Some Nights
Puck really hadn't been certain what to expect from Nationals. The year before it had been a nightmare, they'd been unprepared and Finn had been acting like a first class idiot. This year the competition was being held in Chicago which Rachel was extremely excited about. Santana had been going on about shopping and Rachel kept talking about something called Second City and a Steppenwolf theatre. But this year they had Sue and Coach and even Shelby to keep them all on track.
He knew he wasn't going to get much time alone with Rachel, but it would be fun to see the city with her. Mike had offered to room with him and that way if Tina bunked with Rachel they could just switch rooms but Puck had looked at Rachel's tense face and shook his head. "It isn't that I don't want to man," He'd explained to the dancer, "But Rachel's way tense and she's gonna need her sleep."
"So you'll get her nice and relaxed so she can sleep," Mike had grinned at him.
"You can ask her man but I'm tellin' you, she's more likely to snap at you and tell you that proper rest is important," Puck shrugged. "But you go ahead."
Mike had trotted over to Rachel and Puck had watched wincing when she'd glanced at him with a hurt look on her face. Uh oh. Puck hurried over and slid his arm around her waist, "What's wrong Rachel."
"You don't want to spend the night with me?" She looked up at him with a frown.
"I wasn't sure you'd want me with you the night before the competition," Puck explained his reasoning. "I'd love it; know I'd sleep better with you next to me. But I wasn't sure how much rest we'd actually get. And I know that's important to you." Mike was smirking at him and Puck rolled his eyes, "Yeah whatever Other Asian, it ain't like I don't know I'm whipped. I totally don't care."
"He's not whipped," Rachel frowned at Mike. "Besides, I know for a fact that you sing Tina lullabies over the phone when she can't sleep."
Puck smirked at his friend as Mike blushed before looking down at Rachel, "It's up to you baby. If you want to switch rooms, I'm cool with it, even if you just want to sleep."
"Let's switch then, if it's all right with Tina," Rachel nodded. "And on the condition that you and Tina have to sleep as well Michael, otherwise this entire exercise is just stupid."
"Yeah," Mike nodded and went off to find Tina.
Puck looked down at Rachel, "You are the coolest girlfriend I've ever had." He couldn't help kissing her, she always tasted so sweet.
"I'm the only girlfriend you've ever had," She giggled up at him. "I think we're finally getting our rooms though, so we'd better get going. Or else you'll end up rooming with Sam and you know he takes his sibling responsibilities seriously."
"Oh yeah," Puck groaned. Since moving in with Rachel and her dads, Sam had become very protective of Rachel. The very painful hiccup in their relationship hadn't done anything to make him less inclined to shield her, and Sam had kept a close eye on them from that point on. Puck kept his arm around Rachel just in case someone bumped into her, the lobby was pretty crowded.
The rooms were decent, two full sized beds, and Puck counted himself lucky that they'd raised enough money through sponsors and everything that they weren't going to be four to a room. Mike was unpacking, hanging his costume up to get any wrinkles out of it and Puck figured he'd better do the same. According to the schedule they had tonight free, but they'd gotten in so late Mr. Schuester had told them that once they met in the hotel restaurant to eat dinner with the club they should all go to bed. Tomorrow was rehearsals, presumably their final chance to prepare, and the competition was the next day.
"Dude, we need to work out a shower schedule or anything?" Mike asked as he pulled out his shaving gear.
Puck chuckled, "Man unless I'm scrubbing down after work or practice, I take five minute showers at the most. Less if I can manage it."
"Geez man why?" Mike looked as if he'd never heard of such a thing.
"We got a small hot water heater," Puck shrugged as he continued unpacking. "Plus Bekah and my mom they gotta shower too. So the less I use, the more they got. It's part of why I shower at night. Gives them time to use it in the morning. Plus usually sleepin' ain't when I get dirty. Rather wash a day's worth of grime off in hot water. Though a cold shower in the morning has everything else beat to wake me up in a hurry."
"Shit man, no wonder you don't care about the communal showers at school," Mike shook his head. "You act so together, I forget your family doesn't have much in the way of money."
"Yeah, thank God for Rachel's Daddy or we woulda been payin' lawyer fees forever with that ATM mess," Puck sighed.
"Speaking of messes," Mike asked carefully. "I know that Finn pulled some shit after Rachel's party... what happened with that?"
"The DA was pretty pissed seeing how we'd gone out of our way to give him a second chance," Puck said as he pulled out his shampoo, razor and shaving cream. "Basically Rachel and I told her that whatever she decided to go with was fine with us. She had Finn charged as an adult and he's in the county jail for assault and attempted kidnapping. I don't know for how long."
"Sucks for Mrs. Hummel," Mike whistled.
"Yeah, but she's got Kurt and Mr. Hummel," Puck sighed. "And I'm tired of worrying about Finn's problems. Rachel and I did our best. But enough is enough you know?"
"No I get you," Mike nodded. There was a knock at the door and since Puck was closest, he opened it.
Rachel and Tina along with the rest of their friends from Glee were waiting outside their door. Lauren and Santana were giggling and Puck could tell that they'd been assigned a room together. Artie was rolling his eyes at the girls and Puck knew the giggling was getting on his friend's nerves. "Hey we're just unpacking our junk," Puck explained.
"We're starvin' Puckerman," Lauren mock growled. "Primp later. Food now."
"You know how she gets," Santana laughed. "C'mon before she decides to go through our mangled bodies."
Rachel couldn't stop moaning, Puck's body...he made her feel so good. She felt so right, perfect, and beautiful when he was with her. She didn't know why, why a physical act that any two people of the opposite sex could perform, was so special when it was with him. Her heart was pounding and she felt like she couldn't breathe, and the only thing that mattered was Puck touching her. His hands on her breasts, his mouth on her skin, his body filling hers.
"Noah," She was trying so hard to not shriek his name, to not let anyone know that Puck was in her room. "Oh baby...please," Rachel shuddered. Her legs were wrapped around his waist, his body pumping into hers, hot and hard, demanding her response.
"Rachel, so fuckin' tight," Puck's mouth was hot on hers, "So good baby. God so fuckin' good." One of his hands slid down to squeeze her butt, helping her move on his cock.
She couldn't help it, Rachel nearly screamed as her body convulsed with sensation, pleasure upon pleasure building until she couldn't take it anymore. She could feel every millimeter of Puck's skin, filling her, covering her, infusing her body with his until she was bursting with it. She felt it when Puck's orgasm pounded through his body and into hers, one last burst of ecstasy to absolutely shatter her into nothing. All she could feel was pulsing blood and all she could see was the dark.
Sweet kisses on her face, tender fingertips tracing her jaw, Rachel moaned with the lingering sensation chasing over her skin.
"Baby," Puck's voice was gentle, rough with restrained passion, but so tender still. "Rachel, you all right?"
"Hmm... passed out?" She opened her eyes and blinked slightly at Puck's face so close to hers. "Felt so good...too good maybe."
"Never felt you go limp like that before," Puck's forehead dropped to hers and he kissed her hard on the mouth. "You scared me baby."
"You okay?" Rachel smiled, feeling how their bodies were still connected.
"Yeah," Puck grinned down at her. "Oh I'm better than okay baby." He slowly lifted his body off hers, rolling to one side and tugging her into the curve of his body. "Time to get some sleep though Rachel. Got the alarm set right?"
"Hmm..." Rachel nodded tiredly. "All set," She kissed his jaw. "Love you Noah."
"Love you too," He pressed a kiss to her hair and Rachel let herself slide into sleep.
It just felt right, being onstage, even rehearsing felt wonderful. Rachel knew she was glowing with excitement. Puck had that look on his face that he got when she was happy, pleased and hopeful and soft somehow. He looked like he was relaxed finally. It was funny, she worried so much about making him happy, she hadn't realized just how much he might be stressing about the same thing.
When their rehearsal time was over Rachel grinned at her boyfriend, "I love this." She admitted. "How are you doing?"
"I'm good," Puck was still smiling at her in that pleased way, "Like seein' you happy."
"I can tell," His arm wrapped around her shoulders and Rachel leaned into him. "I was thinking about that actually."
"What? That I like seeing you happy?" Puck grinned down at her. "C'mon, let's get some lunch. I know San and the rest of the girls are commandeering you for shopping this afternoon. Gotta steal my time with you when I can."
Rachel waited until they'd gotten something to eat before addressing the subject again, "No I was thinking... I didn't realize." She took his hand in hers and traced the lines on his palm. "I think a lot, about how to make you happy. Sometimes I worry that you're not."
"Oh baby I am happy with you," Puck squeezed her fingers. "Just bein' around you, I'm happier than I've ever been. Woke up this mornin,' you next to me, can't remember feelin' so good."
"That makes me so glad," Rachel smiled. "I guess I just realized when I saw you watching me, you must worry about making me happy too. You always seem more relaxed when I am."
"Yeah, you could say that," Puck nodded. "Don't so much worry as just...you know think about it."
"I know you would never do anything so unmanly as worry," Rachel teased gently. "But maybe you should know, I've never been so happy as when I'm with you."
"That's good to know," Puck was smiling at her widely now. "I know that I don't always act like it in public... you know mushy and all."
"You're my Noah, especially when we're private," Rachel grinned. "I like that I'm still yours even when you're acting more...Puckish."
"And I like bein' yours even when your Diva-ness is to the extreme," Puck's smile spread to a grin and then faded as he saw something over her shoulder. "And I'm glad we got to talk about that because you are bein' kidnapped by a group of shopaholics."
Rachel sighed and stood, slinging her purse over her shoulder, "Great. I'd rather spend the afternoon in bed with you." She admitted wryly, "But bonding with my teammates is also important to the cohesiveness of the club."
"Well Tina and Mike had already told me that we're switching rooms again tonight," Puck reminded her and Rachel shivered happily. "So I'll see you at dinner?"
"Yes," She nodded and bent down to kiss him lightly on the mouth, only to be yanked into his lap and kissed passionately, his lips and tongue devouring her and demanding a response. She was moaning into his mouth, totally forgetting where she was, when Santana's yell of her name finally got her attention.
Rachel blinked dazedly as Puck set her on her feet and smirked at her wickedly, "See you at dinner baby." He threw down some bills for the meal and his hand cupped her cheek gently for a moment before he took off.
She was still blinking in shock when Lauren tugged her towards the restaurant's exit, "C'mon B." Santana was laughing. "Fresh air'll get some blood back to your brain."
"Huh?" Rachel was still feeling Puck kiss her and it was a city block before she was really paying attention to where they were going. By that time Santana was explaining to Tina and Sugar, the two girls who hadn't kissed Puck, just how potent Puck's kisses were. All Rachel could do was nod her agreement.
Puck stretched and grinned as several joints popped back into place. He'd never slept better in his life than when he was next to Rachel. The sex was great, and that was the understatement of the decade, Rachel was so passionate and he just felt so much when he was with her, sex had never been better. But it was more than that.
She was always up for sex, and that was great because he was too, but even when they couldn't, when Rachel wasn't feeling well, he still wanted to be with her. Puck grinned again as he began to get dressed. Rachel had shooed him out when Tina had knocked on the door, but not before promising him that they'd room together again that night. If they won, they'd be celebrating. And if they didn't win, then they could console each other.
He figured either way they'd make each other feel pretty good. Puck took a deep breath and ran a hand over his jaw before he put on his dress shirt, "Mike I gotta shave before I put on my shirt." He warned the guy as he entered the bathroom. Mike was showering and yelped in surprise when he entered.
"Dude seriously?" The dancer sounded irritated.
"It'll take five minutes," Puck reassured him. "I'm used to doing this with cold water man." He grabbed the old flat razor his nana had given him from his grandfather and the shaving cream. A bit of hot water on the blade, a damp cloth on his face and the shaving cream.
He was vaguely aware of Mike behind him drying off and then staring, "Dude what are you doing?"
"Shavin' man," Puck ran the blade over his throat and up his jaw. He did the same on the other side, and carefully ran it up the underside of his chin. Several careful swipes around his mouth and up his cheeks and he was done. Mike as still staring.
"Seriously? With a knife?" Mike had a towel wrapped around his waist.
"It's a flat blade," Puck explained. "When I got old enough to shave my Nana taught me usin' this. It was my grandpa's." He folded it and put the blade away along with the sharpening strap. "Wouldn't know how to shave with a regular razor. And my ma's never had to buy me anything but shaving cream."
"I'm amazed you haven't sliced your throat," Mike was running his own electric razor over his face. "And how did you keep your little sister from touchin' it?"
"Mostly by keepin' it out of her reach," Puck chuckled. "An' my ma had a talk with her when she got old enough to reach."
Mike shook his head and Puck had the idea that his friend really had no clue what it was like to use old things because new ones got used up or broken. His grandpa's old straight razor had lasted three generations now. It wasn't that Puck would have minded having money to get disposable razors or electric ones like Mike had, but he doubted Mike would be able to shave if the power went out and Puck was used to dealing with cold water and a flat blade.
"Better get movin' man," He advised after a moment, tucking his equipment back into the case. "Schue was talking about one last run through before we had to get into the auditorium."
"Yeah, won't take me long," Mike nodded and Puck went back to the bedroom to put on his shirt and vest. The costumes were in keeping with the retro songs, straight black and white, a tux look for the guys and swishy skirts with tight bodices and sashes that tied behind their necks and streamed down for the girls.
He was cursing his tie when he answered the door. Everything else was done but his damn tie and it wasn't a regular tie like he'd worn to court. This one was something specific and he did not get it. Rachel was standing there and he couldn't help smiling through his aggravation, "Hey, Rachel can you help me with this damn thing?"
"Part of my duties as your girl," His tiny diva smiled up at him and began to tie what she called a Windsor knot. When it was done she used the tie to pull his head down and kiss him.
"Now that I could really get used to," Puck grinned and looked at her in her costume. "Damn you look good enough to eat."
"Didn't you already do that," Santana chuckled as she and Lauren came out of their room.
"Oh you know me, when it comes to what I love, always ready for more," Puck kissed Rachel's forehead. "You ready angel?"
"Ready to kick some Vocal Adrenaline ass," Rachel gave him a wicked grin and Puck had thoughts of pushing up her skirts and fucking her backstage. His hand started to wander lower and she gave it a smack, "Behave yourself Puckerman."
"Damn," Puck pretended to wince as they all gathered in the hallway. "If I behave now can I misbehave later?"
"As much as you want," Rachel's whisper was for his ears only and she gave him a wink that sent all the blood left in his brain rushing to his dick.
Puck groaned, "And now I really, really wanna win."
The other groups were good, but none of them had anyone he thought was anywhere near the power and sheer awesome that was Rachel's voice. Puck grinned to himself as he and Rachel took opposite sides of the stage, Rachel at the piano and him with his guitar. The plan was to slowly walk towards her, singing, while she played the piano, and at the end of the song she'd leave the instrument and walk towards him, so they had only the guitar for a few lines. Brad would slide in and take over for the last lines and the closing of the song, and then he'd be set for the next two numbers.
The last time they'd been here, they'd tanked the whole thing, unprepared, last minute, everyone so blinded by the idea that they were finally at Nationals that they'd forgotten they still had to work to win. Now... Now it was on him and Rachel to start them off right. He began to strum the guitar as Rachel took her place at the piano and walked slowly out onto the stage. A few beats and then the lyrics began, "When you lose your love..."
Rachel's voice was perfect, and they melded together on the last lines, it felt like when they made love, when their bodies fit together so perfectly he couldn't tell where he ended and she began. "That's when love itself becomes a lethal weapon..."
The rest of the choir had come out slowly, their steps reminiscent of dancing, elegant and drifting in accordance with the slow music of the ballad but they'd taken the stage. The band had lined up behind them, a wall of sound. Puck handed his guitar off to Coach and took his place at Rachel's side again. "Ladies and Gentlemen," He greeted the crowd.
"We present, New Directions," Rachel finished with a grin.
Poco wasn't as well known as Journey, but the song was catchy, sweet and retro and most importantly, they could believe it when they sang. Energy practically crackled through the air, their voices resounding with hope, with love and resolve. As long as they didn't give up, anything was possible.
And then it was time for their modern number. They'd decided that the first lines, would be sung by the group as a whole, proving they could mesh their voices perfectly. They'd practiced over and over, finding the exact combination of notes that sounded powerful and right. And they stood, ramrod straight, arms at their sides, like soldiers, voices resounding,
"Some nights I stay up cashing in my bad luck
Some nights I call it a draw
Some nights I wish that my lips could build a castle
Some nights I wish they'd just fall off..."
Artie, Blaine and Kurt joined their voices for the next few lines, with the rest of the guys echoing them in question, and the girls joining them on the last lines, sweet and sad. And then it was all of them singing together again, until the next verse,
"But I still wake up, I still see your ghost
Oh, Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for oh
Whoa oh oh (What do I stand for?)
Whoa oh oh (What do I stand for?)
Most nights I don't know anymore...
Oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh,
Oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh..."
Puck got the first two lines of the verse, an angry voice, raging against the world, Sam and Dave joining him on the second two lines. Rachel's voice joined in on the last two lines, her sweet voice furious with everything she'd gone through in school,
"This is it, boys, this is war - what are we waiting for?
Why don't we break the rules already?
I was never one to believe the hype
Save that for the black and white
I try twice as hard and I'm half as liked,
But here they come again to jack my style..."
Kurt and Blaine took the chorus this time, the rest of them echoing, providing a backdrop for the almost sweet voices of the two guys,
"That's alright (that's alright)
I found a martyr in my bed tonight
She stops my bones from wondering just who I am, who I am, who I am
Oh, who am I? Mmm... Mmm..."
The girls took over the second verse, defiance and desperation in their voices,
"Well, some nights I wish that this all would end
'Cause I could use some friends for a change.
And some nights I'm scared you'll forget me again
Some nights I always win, I always win..."
The guys joined in and layered their voices behind the girls; it was a rush how they sounded together. Kurt, Artie and Blaine sang the echo this time, an almost sweet question,
"But I still wake up, I still see your ghost
Oh, Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for, oh
Whoa oh oh (What do I stand for?)
Whoa oh oh (What do I stand for?)
Most nights I don't know... (oh, come on)..."
They'd worked it out so that each of them had a different question, Blaine had the first one, then Puck, then Rachel, Mercedes taking the last line, the echo,
"So this is it. I sold my soul for this?
Washed my hands of God for this?
I miss my mom and dad for this?
(Come on)..."
Kurt and Dave worked with Quinn and AZ on the next part, the rest of them again layering and echoing the music,
"No. When I see stars, when I see, when I see stars, that's all they are
When I hear songs, they sound like this one, so come on.
Oh, come on. Oh, come on. Oh, come on!"
Puck and Blaine grinned at each other, taking the next verse, Rachel and Quinn backing them up, descants around the near chant of their singing,
"Well, that is it guys, that is all - five minutes in and I'm bored again
Ten years of this, I'm not sure if anybody understands
This one is not for the folks at home;
Sorry to leave, mom, I had to go
Who the fuck wants to die alone all dried up in the desert sun?"
Rachel soloed the next part sorrow like tears in her voice as she sang, Mercedes joining her on the third line, her powerful voice wailing the high notes,
"My heart is breaking for my sister and the con that she call "love"
When I look into my nephew's eyes...
Man, you wouldn't believe the most amazing things that can come from...
Some terrible nights... ah..."
Then it was what Rachel laughingly called a rout, their voices blending, layering, crying out in unison and individually for the finale,
"Oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh,
Oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, whoa, oh, oh
The other night you wouldn't believe the dream I just had about you and me
I called you up but we'd both agree
It's for the best you didn't listen
It's for the best we get our distance... Oh..."
All the dancing, the fancy footwork, everything they'd done, it took them right back to their original places, standing straight again for the last lines,
"It's for the best you didn't listen
It's for the best we get our distance... Oh..."
Puck waited, held the position, willed everyone to remain motionless, not to move until the applause broke. The silence seemed to last forever, until he half expected to hear crickets like in an old Bugs Bunny cartoon, until the clapping started and turned into a roar. As planned, they all bowed in unison before breaking character. Puck grabbed Rachel and dragged her close, wrapped her in his arms and lifted her up so their mouth's met in the hottest, sweetest kiss yet.
"We did it Rachel," He grinned. "We really did it."
"Yes, we did," Rachel kissed him once. "We did." At that moment Puck didn't care if they won or not, he had everything he wanted right in his arms.
Author's Note: So just a little more background on Puck to go along with Nationals. I always thought that Puck (my Puck anyway) wouldn't do anything showy but when it came to trying to help out his mom with money he'd do a lot of little things. Shaving with a flat blade that was his grandfather's struck me as something he would do because it saves money and he wouldn't have to bother his mom for anything. I figure Puck might have been screwed up emotionally from a young age but he loves his mom and there's not a lot he wouldn't do for her.
A lot of people don't realize just how much being low income effects. It's everything, from the amount of hot water you have to air conditioning in the summer or heat in the winter. It's the food on your table and how many changes of clothes you have. I've touched on this earlier in the story but its something most people don't notice. When you're broke, you layer clothing in the winter because maybe you can't afford to turn the heat up to seventy six degrees. In the summer you can't run the air conditioner all the time, so you wear as little clothing as possible. It isn't just not being able to have the latest X-box or console game. It's very basic, less money means less luxuries, vacations are just time off, not trips to Disneyworld, and summer is when you can work a couple of jobs instead of just one, so you have money to pay for clothes in the next year. And being sixteen means you can finally work legally and get paid decent, instead of under the table.
And you work. I come from a family of five kids and money was always tight. I was lucky I wore uniforms to school through 8th grade and they were hand me downs from my cousins who went to a sister school. But I was babysitting when I was twelve and working a part time job when I was thirteen. One way or another I've been working since I was twelve years old. I've had a thirty year work career and I'm not even forty-five.
I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me. I've got a solid work ethic because of my background. But maybe people who are still in school will think twice before they make fun of the kid who wears the same five outfits every week. Or the ones who don't have a brand new coat every winter. I hope this makes people realize that there are people in our own schools and neighborhoods who are worrying about their next meal, the bills, where they'll find the money for gas or shoes. Maybe we can all be a little less judgmental and a little more tolerant and not mock people for things beyond their control.
Wow...okay this kinda got away from me but I really mean what I've written here so I'm not going to take it out. Just something to think about okay guys?