Love Makes You Do the Wacky

(RATED M; Q/P/R/F, P/R)

CHAPTER VI- Talking

Rachel stood by her locker the next morning, chatting with Mercedes, Tina, and Kurt. She was in the middle of a sentence when she saw Kurt's eyes glaze over and Mercedes and Tina roll their eyes. She was about to ask what was wrong when she felt a pair of arms encircle her waist. She turned her head to get a glimpse of the owner of the arms.

When she saw his hazel eyes and tanned skin Rachel turned back to the others. "Noah," she said coldly.

Puck unwrapped his arms from her waist and stood between Rachel and the three other glee clubbers. "I need to talk to you."

"Well, I don't need to talk to you." Rachel looked him dead in the eyes. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back to my conversation." Rachel tried to push past him, but Puck just moved right back in front of her.

"We'll see you later, Rachel…," Kurt trailed off as he started walking down the hall with the other two.

Rachel followed them with her eyes, but when she looked back up at Puck with a stony expression on, Puck had his eyes fixed on her with a guilty look on. "I need to talk to you, Rachel," Puck repeated.

"Fine. Since you interrupted my conversation with the others…. What?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what? Trying to get me to have sex with you so you could leave me, or just being you?" She asked with her eyebrow raised.

"Both. Although I was never going to leave you."

There was an awkward pause between the two, but Rachel broke the silence. "What am I to you?"

The words cut him like a knife. "You're my girlfriend."

"Am I? Or am I just another girl?" Rachel crossed her arms over her chest. "Why is it that Noah Puckerman never opens up?"

"It's not like you open up all that much either." He said, harsher than he meant it.

"I have opened up. I've given you all that I can!"

"No! You haven't, Rachel! You're never…," he thought of the word, "vulnerable."

She was taken aback by his vocabulary choice. "You're one to talk. You never open up!"

"Rachel," Puck calmed his voice. He held her by her upper arms as he spoke, "I do love you," he whispered.

"Then prove it to me."

He let her go and ran a hand through his hair, "Coach is making us choose."

"So I heard." Her voice was harsh. She was never harsh when she spoke. She was always as nice as possible, or as nice as they deserve it, in order to try and be their friend. "Choose glee over football – No. Choose me; choose us over your friends; your popularity and I will give myself to you." She stepped closer to him and placed a hand on his chest. Her breath shuddered as she spoke, "I'll make love with you."

Puck got a genuine grin on his face as he pulled Rachel in for a hug. She breathed in his scent and melted into his chest. When she looked up he said, "Mind if I come over tonight? Around seven?"

"My parents will be home."

"Good. I'm gonna take you out to dinner and a show tonight. But first I'm gonna meet your parents."

She smiled a teary smile and was pulled in for a hug before he escorted her to class.

From the distance Finn looked on at their encounter. He was putting away his history book when he noticed them. They were arguing; Rachel was throwing her hands in the air and crossing them over her chest; Puck was running his hands through his Mohawk. He was smiling at the anger that was very present in Rachel's eyes, but when the anger dissipated and she said three words to Puck, Finn's nostrils flared. I love you. He knew that's what she said. I love you. This couldn't be happening. It was just too crazy! So Finn set off to find the one person, other than Puck, who he really didn't want to see.