A/N: Thanks for all the interest in this story. It's so much fun to write that it's basically doing it on its own. Just a brief note about the songs used in the mashup: first is Secret by Maroon 5 and second is What's Love Got to Do With It by Tina Turner. Because I can't link to specific YouTube videos here, I will say the idea of combining these songs was not my own, but something Maroon 5 has been performing in concert. I did rearrange the lyrics to fit my purposes. But if you want to hear it (and you should watch it because Adam Levine is so hot he'll make your tongue melt in the video I watched), go do it. The one I watched was a concert in Bristow, VA in August.

Disclaimer:I don't own Glee, otherwise they would be able to sing dirtier stuff like this.

Get It Out

Puck leaned carefully against the open door of Rachel's locker and swung it slightly so he could talk right in her ear. "Mornin'", he drawled slowly.

She turned her head slightly, but was otherwise engaged loading her bag with books and stuff for the next couple class periods. "Fifth period is not exactly morning." He couldn't mistake her tone of voice or slight smile.

"So…two more classes 'til glee," he said conversationally.

"Oh, good. You remembered the eight comes last." She sounded distracted as she looked through the bag to make sure she had everything.

"Ha. Ha ha." He said, his voice dry as she reached up to gently remove the locker door from his grasp before she shut it and twisted the lock. "You think you're so funny."

He moved in time with her as she started walking down the hallway. "No. Just honest," she said with a shrug. Her voice was slightly higher than normal and yes, he definitely noticed.

So he had given her something other than a daily injection of Puck for the last weekend; apparently he'd given her his last shred of man-ity, because he noticed shit like her tone of voice. He sighed, too. "Just not honest enough to come out of the closet."

She rolled her eyes and turned to come to a stop. "I'm not a lesbian."

"Oh, trust me, I know." He said firmly. He dropped his voice as she yanked him into the vacant classroom she had stopped at. She pulled him inside and now her voice was not high, but was more of a low hiss.

"We talked about this. We agreed." Her eyes shifted around the room, making sure it was actually vacant as she continued. "You have a reputation to uphold and I have damage control to do with glee club. I can't look fickle to them."

"How does lying help with that?" He asked, confused; dude, he had just asked probably the most brutally honest person he'd ever met in his life that question. What the fuck was the world doing? What was this girl doing to him?

"You're telling me you want to admit what…what…" as she struggled for words, he thought he might have a rough idea what the problem here was. "We don't even know what's going on outside of sex. Maybe we should ponder on that for a bit before we even entertain the possibility of attempting to explain it to our friends."

"You think there's something going on outside of sex?" He asked, his cocky smile starting to spread across his face. "I mean…I… really?"

She sighed and put her hand on his arm. "I don't really know what's going on, I just know that instead of taking time to figure it all out like I did with Finn, I just kind of jumped you." She looked down. "Now I just have to figure out why and what it is about you. But there's definitely something."

She kissed his cheek and left right quick because she didn't want to be late for class. He didn't want to be a girl and think about all the relationship shit, so he actually went to class. He made it to two classes in a row. Even his teachers seemed surprised to see him. One of them asked for his name.

Glee hadn't come fast enough, but as soon as he saw Finn giving him the stink eye from the back row of the choir room, he thought maybe he'd been a little too excited to get here. Even Rachel hadn't arrived yet.

Well, he had no fucking idea what he'd done to get on Hudson's bad side already. Football was just starting up, so it had nothing to do with game performance. They hadn't hung in a while, so there was no sort of video game shit talk to be had. They had worked through (ignored) all the Quinn stuff over the summer and it had slowly gotten less awkward at least. That was something. So what the fuck was his pansy-assed problem now?

He knew Rachel wasn't going to sit by either of them. He might as well go figure it out. He ambled up the steps to the back row and sat down next to him.

"What's the problem, dude?" Puck said. He was starting to learn that maybe it worked better, maybe it was more badass, to just be straight up about this stuff.

Finn huffed out a breath and sat up in his seat, leaning forward. Puck noticed the look on his face change and Puck let his gaze wander to the door. Rachel had just come in.

"I saw you, all right?" Finn said quietly.

"Saw me…" Puck asked, lowering his voice. Rachel's eyes had flickered up to them and he could sense just by how stiff her motion was that she didn't believe this conversation was innocent.

"After class on Friday, I talked to Rachel for a minute in the auditorium and she was just hanging out at the piano. Well, I forgot my bag when I left so I went back to get it."

Puck felt the bottom drop of out of his stomach. "And…" Just because he knew didn't mean he was going to just outright confess to anything.

"How long has it been going on?"

"What?"

Finn looked at him with an angry stare. "I've said it before and I hate repeating myself. Don't play dumb—you're too fucking dumb to play dumb."

Puck sighed. "What do you really want me to say?"

Finn shook his head and looked back up to the front of the room. "I don't know." Rachel was arranging music and doing the "captain's" duties. "But I'm done, man. I'm fucking done with you. I'm over your stupid game-playing bullshit."

"Wait, hold up. You assume I'm playing her?"

"Given the five minutes it took you to talk your way into her pants, yeah," Finn said, his low voice still sharp. As various glee club members were entering the room, they were all eyeing the two boys curiously. Although they hadn't come to blows, it was pretty obvious from their posture that the conversation was serious.

"It's not like that," Puck said. They weren't looking at each other now, but were both staring at Rachel. She was trying to keep tabs on them subtly, her hands busy sorting music even as her eyes were on them.

"Whatever it's like, it's like this: she's worth it. I love her. I really love her. And I'm just waiting for you to drop the ball."

He'd barely admitted it to himself, and would probably recant it if given the opportunity, but Puck couldn't stop the words that came out of his mouth next. "I love her, too."

"For now," Finn said easily. He wiped his sweaty palms over the thighs of his jeans and then stood up. "Break her heart and I'll break your face."

Finn moved down to help Rachel, and as the rest of the club filtered in, it just looked like another normal day. But for Puck, it kind of felt like everything had changed and shifted just a little bit. He wasn't sure he liked it.

When they had talked, even though it was mixed in with other things, she had said he had a reputation to protect so she understood if he didn't want to be part of an exclusive couple. He had wondered about her reputation—and she had been brutally honest about the differences between them. He was a football stud, he was a 'lascivious flirt', and a borderline criminal. She was, on the whole, a good girl but a total nerd who was mocked by the people more like him and borderline bullied. She honestly didn't expect him to come to her defense or be her 'knight in shining armor' because she didn't need one. She could get by just fine.

He let out a deep breath as he watched Finn talking to her. She was hesitating, not totally into the conversation, but she was smiling at least. He knew she could get by just fine but the question he had to answer was if he could. She had changed something about him. He didn't need to entertain or amuse himself with being nasty because he had other options now. Dumping someone in the dumpster or throwing a drink in their face just didn't hold the same appeal as earning a real smile from her (or hearing her say his name when he had worked so hard for her to moan it, but that had only happened once. Okay, three times over the course of the weekend and that was it, he would swear to it). She made him believe he could actually be a good person, and he already knew from experience that letting her down was the worst fucking feeling in the world.

Even as Rachel chatted casually, very superficially with Finn, she could feel Noah looking at her. Her eyes darted over there once or twice, just as she looked around the room and pretended to be doing a head count, and when she saw the intensity he was watching her with, it was like she could feel his hands on her. It made her squirm a little, truth be told. And whatever it was, all of it, she wanted to feel it again. She bit her lip and redirected her attention to Finn. He was talking animatedly about how Schue had asked him for ideas for their assignment and he thought he'd found a good one that she would really like.

Schue came in shortly and it was almost a relief for her. She and Finn moved to seats in the front row.

"So we have a while to get ready for sectionals yet," Schue started in his typical manner. "But I got to thinking, thanks to Finn mostly, about how we just spent so much time apart. What did you guys do this summer? With that in mind…" he turned to the dry erase board and printed a word in black ink that made Rachel's heart jump into her throat.

Secrets.

Schue entered into a short monologue about how secrets were the key to most Broadway shows (he had flicked a glance at Rachel but had been surprised when she didn't start listing her favorites), movies, and there was a lot of musical material for it. He hoped for mashups they could try to mess around with for sectionals, but they could work in groups or alone. He just wanted the word 'secret' either in the title or featured prominently in the words.

Rachel looked over at Finn. He only gave her one, quick glance, but his jaw was set unusually hard. He knew. That's what he'd been talking about with Puck and now he was finding a way to get his revenge on her? No.

Not a single one of them were surprised when Schue launched into a version of the eighties jam Secret Lovers; all of them knew it was about the weirdo guidance counselor anyway.

Rachel folded her arms tight against her chest and fought the urge to fume out loud. She would find a way to get back at him. Her mind was like a musical catalogue. She could flip through it and find something quickly, right?

After Schue's song, everyone drifted into the usual sort of pairs. Rachel fought the urge to groan. She was not pairing with Finn for this assignment. She wasn't masochistic, and she knew it would hurt. Of course she had feelings for him; she had wanted all that so badly. The stuff with Noah had come up so suddenly she was having trouble figuring it all out. She was way too confused to mix that with any sort of singing and dancing together.

She looked over her shoulder, her eyes finally landing on Mercedes and Kurt. They were excitedly discussing possibilities for the assignment. She bit her lip. She might be able to bend them to her will. All she had to do was pick songs they loved or knew or could rock. It would have to be a mashup for sure.

The thought snapped into her head before she could even get across the room to them.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Kurt said as Rachel dropped into the chair beside him.

"Are you nervous?" She asked. She looked over her shoulder at Puck; they had barely spoken in the last two days because he had told her she needed to figure out what she was after before they were doing that again. She had managed to unmask him as a horrible liar by practicing her admittedly rough seduction skills, but she knew what she wanted now and she was going to make him go crazy in his seat. She could only hope he would accept the invitation, because the other part that was directed at Finn….well… even if Mercedes was singing most of it, it wasn't going to be well received. She could almost see in her mind the look that would be on his face as he realized she didn't necessarily want love—at least not from him right now.

"Of course not," he scoffed. He looked at her out of the corner of her eye. "I would think you'd be more nervous."

Yeah, Kurt had played her like a cheap fiddle and got all the details in about ten seconds flat during their first rehearsal.

She blew out a breath. "No. It's way easier to express myself this way and I deeply appreciate you for letting me borrow your vocal talents to do it."

"Yes. It was a real sacrifice staring at Adam Levine on YouTube with you two last night."

Rachel laughed out loud, tossing her head back and resting a hand on Kurt's shoulder. He had been right there with them drooling and he knew it. It was getting harder and harder to stay adversarial with him, especially when he had been so interested in what was going on with her—even if she had to admit that the more salacious aspects of the gossip made it right up Kurt's alley. Mercedes seemed to be right there with him in that respect, too. The trouble was, she knew as soon as she told them she was going to have to out her relationship with Noah to the whole group.

So much for the drama she'd been trying to avoid by pairing with Finn. This was just going to be even worse. She sighed to herself, barely hearing Schue's words as he welcomed them to class and barely committing herself to the warmups.

She looked over her shoulder at Noah and he winked. She gave him a coy little smile. She had at least told him that she was going to try to perform today. She bit her lip and turned around, unable to hide the smile.

"Wow, girl. You better keep your eyes off him while you're singing," Mercedes said and Rachel couldn't fight the squeaky little giggle that over took her.

Maybe in all of this, she was losing that girly, high feeling of starting a relationship. She really was a drag, wasn't she?

"Okay, so our Secrets assignment…anyone prepared?" Schue asked. He had been talking the whole time and Rachel hadn't heard a damn word he said. Kurt and Mercedes raised their hands, and each one of them grabbed one of Rachel's at the same time, so with four hands in the air, they secured their spot as first to go.

The song had a fairly long introduction, which worked out well as Rachel shrugged out of her long peacoat. She'd been trying to hide the short, kind of tight, red skirt she'd been wearing. Why was Tina Turner always wearing super short red skirts? She shook her head. It was because of the legs. She had strapped on chunky red shoes in an effort to show off her own legs, but didn't feel nearly as confident with it as the pop icon obviously was. And this choreography called for her to be very confident.

She and Mercedes were stepping and moving to the first part of the song while Kurt tugged at his hat as Rachel started in on the words at long last.

Watch the sunrise, say your goodbyes

Off you go

Some conversation, no contemplation

Hit the road

The notes were a little bit low for her range, but she worked it out anyway. She walked around behind Kurt to give him the center for his next little part.

Car overheats, jump out of my seat

On the side of the highway, baby

Our road is long, your hold is strong

Now Mercedes took over, restraining the volume of her voice even as it maintained its usual intensity until she belted out the last two words.

Please don't ever let go, oh no

All three of them huddled together back to back as they uttered the main point of the song and could actually feel the grade they were earning, and they all instantly relaxed a little more, settling into the sexy groove of the music.

I know I don't know, but I want you so bad

Everyone has a secret, oh, can they keep it?

Say no they can't—oh, hey.

Rachel broke away, her feet still moving even as she looked at Noah while she sang the next part. The short skirt, the extra makeup, the strutting around—she could tell it was getting to him.

It may seem to you that I'm acting confused when you're close to me

If I tend to look dazed, I've read it someplace I've got cause to be

There's a name for it, there's a phrase that fits

But whatever the reason, you do it for me

He smiled and nodded, moving his head in time with the music in that totally sexy, over-confident way that was dripping with attitude and Mercedes and Rachel doubled up to sing their hearts out for the next main chorus.

Oh, what's love got to do with it, got to do with it?

What's love, but a second hand emotion?

What's love got to do with it, got to do with it?

Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?

Rachel took on the Tina Turner part (again—she was kind of surprised Mercedes had refused) as Mercedes and Kurt doubled up on a tight harmony for the interwoven themes from the first song. They had all been amazed how easily two totally different songs came together. It had been one of their easiest mashups ever, even with the three hottest heads in the room working on it.

(Cool these engines, calm these jets, I ask you how hot can it get?)

I've been taking on a new direction but I have to say,

I've been thinking of my own protection

(I know I don't know you, but I want you)

(So bad)

It scares me to feel this way

Puck's face fell as the last of her words rang out. She looked at him the whole time she was singing and, even though he couldn't stop watching, it was getting hard for him to keep up the expression that he was just enjoying the song and not actually listening to what she was saying. Her stare was so intent on him that he could feel the other club members watching him. Damn her. She was telling the entire glee club about him and telling him that she didn't know what she wanted in the same fucking breath. Not fair. She could've at least warned him. Then again, she probably knew there was no way he could pissed while she was prancing around in that skirt. He had been very detailed when he told her how much he liked her legs. And if he had to admit it, he could admit he knew what she was singing and he agreed.

Everyone has a secret, can they keep it?

Say no they can't.

Say no they can't.

All three of them had taken different vocal parts for the ending that tied back to the first song and they stood together, a powerful vocal triumvirate in the middle of the room, all breathing hard from their effort as they looked to their peers.

"So what's the big secret?" Santana said. She was probably mad they had covered Tina Turner and not invited her in on it since her voice was big enough to do it.

The ending pose Rachel, Mercedes and Kurt had struck came undone as they all faced forward.

"Rachel and Puck are," Finn said from the front row, his eyes landing on Rachel even as he spoke.

She had kind of known he knew but it didn't stop her eyes from widening a little bit when he said the words.

"Isn't that right, Rachel?" He finally asked when she didn't answer. She peeled her eyes away from him and looked over his shoulder and all the way across the room to where Puck was sitting quietly.

When her eyes landed on him, he stood up. He didn't look around the room, but kept his eyes locked on her.

"Yeah, that's about the size of it," he offered in a voice laced with a challenge.

Finn was starting to sit up in his chair and Schue felt the intense need to restore order before it resulted in punches being thrown. Judging by just how quiet Rachel was, she was deeply afraid of that kind of confrontation. If she, the least fearful person in the room in a lot of ways, was afraid then it was with cause.

Finn had teamed up with a new kid, Sam, to sing "Dirty Little Secret"; it was ironic because, as Sam was new and part of the football team only Finn had known him out of the group. Finn had recruited him single-handedly. Of course Brittany and Santana worked together and chose the Madonna song "Secret". Rachel wondered if it had something to do with Puck.

In short, by the time glee was over, she felt slightly battered and a little disoriented. It might've just been her self-centered nature coming out a little bit, but she felt like the whole assignment was directed at her and she hated that feeling.

She and Finn had some stuff to finish up after class and she was downright wary as she headed toward Schue's office. She was afraid of what he would say, and she had never really felt that particular way about him before; it just added to the unease.

Instead, it was Puck who grabbed her by the wrist and gently turned her to press against the wall beside the office.

"You did a great job," he breathed, his voice low and rumbling in his chest as he brought her arm and his hand above her head.

"Th-thanks," she stammered, looking over the intensity in his green-eyed stare. "I'm sorry I just kind of…put it all out there. I should've at least warned you first."

He nodded. "You're pretty fearless. I figured something like that would happen." He dropped his head so his breath danced over that sensitive spot on her neck where the mark he'd left on Friday was just starting to fade. "It's what I would've done too. Kinda badass."

Her eyes fluttered closed and she sighed. "Well, I have to be if I'm trying to keep up with your reputation."

Noah pressed against her more insistently. "There's only one way you need to worry about keeping up with me and that's not it."

She bit her lip to repress the moan. Even though all she could feel was the hard press of his hot body against her, she knew Finn and Schue were both around somewhere and she needed to cool down if for no other reason than privacy's sake.

Noah's thumb was tracing a circle on her wrist that made her heartrate speed up. She was so lame at all this flirting stuff and she knew it. He was getting to her with the simplest thing and she wasn't sure what to do that would get to him in the same way, she just knew that she desperately wanted to. So she leaned her head forward slightly and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth. As she pulled away and looked up at him, he was so close she was almost cross-eyed.

"Let's see how I do. See you after football practice?"

It took him a minute to answer and if she wasn't mistaken, that was his erection pressing against her. "Keep the skirt," he mumbled, giving her one more small kiss. "And the shoes."

"I have some dancing to do," she agreed; she was pretty sure he pressed against her more insistently as she bit her lip.

"Then you'll keep up just fine." He agreed. He pressed his hand against the wall to push away from her. "Laters."

Rachel sighed and sunk into the wall a little bit as she watched him go. She had propped her right foot against the wall while they were talking and she was glad now because she had to concentrate on her posture to actually keep standing. She let out a sigh that was altogether too embarrassing and, when Schue happened by with a raised eyebrow glance as if he were saying Oh, really? she buried her face in her hands and giggled uncontrollably. At least it was out in the open. She could stop faking and restraining—because really, wasn't emoting way better for the acting career she had ahead than repression?