A/N: Many thanks to those of you who are reading this story! Many thanks and COOKIES to those of you who are adding this story to your alerts, reviewing or favouriting (so not a word, but whatevs) this story! You guys are all awesome!
Hopefully you enjoy this chapter. I did a lot of editing on this chapter from the original one, meaning that I took out some extra stuff. I hope you all like it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I merely used Ryan Murphy's amazing characters to get me out of my writer's block.
Rachel stood outside Quinn's bedroom door. She pressed her lips together, contemplating whether or not she should risk bothering Quinn again. Deciding that talking to Quinn about their glee number was worth getting the stink eye, Rachel stood up straighter and knocked.
"Rachel… what is it now?" Quinn demanded, swinging the door open.
"I wanted to see if you were comfortable." She scanned the inside of Quinn's new room, noting that the bed wasn't made the way that she had suggested (she'd suggested using all eight of the pillows she'd provided her with, but Quinn was only going to use three of them). She smiled weakly at Quinn. "Do you need anything? Food? Water?"
Quinn clicked her tongue in annoyance. Taking a deep breath, she stepped aside, letting her in. Rachel beamed and practically bounced into Quinn's room. When she arranged herself on Quinn's bed, she motioned for the other girl to sit next to her.
"Okay," she started as soon as Quinn was settled in beside her. "I have figured out the arrangement for our mash-up. Quinn, it is going to be amazing!" Quinn raised her eyebrows, nodding uncomfortably. Is her entire life centred on glee?
"Really?" Quinn asked in a monotone. "You don't say."
"Picture this," Rachel said, waving her right hand with a flourish. "A dark auditorium filled with our peers from glee club. A single light shining on me! Cue the intro. It's sensual, melancholic and will captivate our audience." Rachel's eyes took on a sheen and Quinn wondered if Rachel was still in the room with her. As if waking from her daze, Rachel continued. "Oh, and for costumes, I've decided that we'll both be wearing gold gowns and will have crimson roses in our hair..." Her smile grew four sizes more, but when she noticed the pained look on Quinn's face, her face fell. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing. The baby just gave me a really hard kick." Quinn explained, massaging her left side. Probably thinks your idea is ridiculous. "It's fine."
Rachel looked uncertain and rose to leave the room, telling Quinn she'd be back shortly. She came back with two glasses of water and handed a glass to Quinn. The girls shared an awkward smile; the surrealism of their situation wasn't lost on either of them. They had gone from enemies to roommates in a matter of months and it had both of them reeling.
Rachel chanced a look at the girl beside her and studied her. Quinn may have been two sizes bigger, her clothes may not fit as well as they once did, but she was still beautiful. She understood why Puck found her attractive… why Finn had dated her. She really didn't know what she could say to Quinn to make her feel better, but Rachel did know that she needed someone in whom she could confide.
"What?" Quinn snapped when she couldn't any more of Rachel's staring. Quinn had been preparing for bed when Rachel had come knocking on her door and she was in no mood for another Rachel and Quinn Hallmark movie moment.
"I was just wondering how it is that you never dated Puck," Rachel explained. "Before Finn, that is," she added when she saw Quinn's look of disdain.
"Why would I date Puck?" Quinn argued. Is it getting unreasonably warm in this room? Quinn shifted in her spot. "He's not looking to have a relationship with me."
Rachel smiled. Just because Rachel Barbra Berry was exceedingly self-aware and observant, did not mean that teenagers her age were as mature as she. She patted Quinn's hand comfortingly, annoying Quinn even more with her condescension.
"Don't tell me you never noticed him watching you in Spanish, Math or during glee club." When Quinn stared back in confusion, Rachel rolled her brown eyes in exasperation. "Quinn, Puck joined glee club for you."
As Puck drove to Finn's house, he felt his stomach knot. He parked, reviewing his game plan.
All right, Puck. Go in there and show the chump how sorry you are.
He stepped onto the asphalt, spitting out the dip he had in his mouth, and made his way to the Hudsons' front door. Taking a shaky breath, he knocked.
When Mrs Hudson opened the door, Puck saw the surprise etched on her features. She blinked, as if waking from her daze.
"Noah!" A smile lit her weathered face. "Oh my goodness!" She pulled the teen into a hug and when she pulled back, Puck saw that her once jubilant smile, showed sadness. "I saw your mom earlier this week." Puck nodded.
"Yeah, uh… I told her."
"Good," she smiled warmly at him once more. "Listen, I think I know why you're here, but just so you know," she paused, looking deeply into Puck's eyes. "You broke Finn's heart." Puck felt as though a bucket of ice water had been thrown on him. "Please be kind. He's a bit… fragile, still."
Puck nodded and let Mrs Hudson lead him to Finn's room on the second floor. He buried his hands deep in his pockets and prayed. God, man, if you can… could you please let the words flow? I promise I'll stop chewing and, hell, I'll even go to temple more often. Just, please, let Finn forgive me, man. Mrs Hudson knocked on the door and Puck held his breath.
"Finn, honey? You have a visitor."
As soon as Finn saw Puck in his doorway, his face darkened. He glared at Puck and said, "Mom, I have homework," despite the fact that he was currently playing a video game.
"Finn, please. Just talk to Noah." She smiled at Puck again, leaving the two boys alone. Puck finally exhaled and slowly entered the room, closing the door behind him. He didn't know where to begin, so he stood in the middle of Finn's bedroom, shifting his weight on his feet. Finn, on the other hand, was still intently playing on his PSP.
"Hey… man," Puck said, extending his right hand.
"Leave." Finn replied, still staring at the TV screen. "Go see Quinn and dick around with her. I hear she's living at Rachel's now."
Puck felt his temperature rise. He clenched his jaw, trying hard to control his temper. He scoffed, laughing at how stubborn Finn was acting. Sure, Puck knew that what he and Quinn had done to him was shitty (he'd be the first to admit it), but Finn had never loved Quinn. He knew he cared about her, hell Finn had idolized Quinn since the sixth grade, but Puck knew that Finn didn't love her. Quinn, on the other hand, had risked everything to keep her lie going. Why? Because she wanted Finn. Why? Because she loved him. Unable to control himself, Puck yanked the controller from Finn's hands and stood in front of the TV.
"You never loved her!" Puck practically yelled.
Finn stared back at Puck, his face showing his confusion. He took back the controller and sat up straighter. He shook his head, a hand sweeping through his brown hair.
"She was my girlfriend." He said looking at Puck in disbelief. "Who the hell cares whether I loved her or not. She was my girl and you were my boy. Or so I thought." He scoffed. Puck shifted his weight again, debating if he should leave. It wasn't like this chat of theirs was going anywhere. Puck looked at Finn again and saw understanding light his face like it did whenever he finally understood how to use a math formula. Finn squinted, licking his lips, and nodded slowly.
"You love her." He spat. Finn looked at Puck with disgust. "If you wanted her so much, why didn't you ask her out instead of me?"
Puck swallowed hard. Shit. Does everyone know how I feel about Quinn? He pursed his lips, feeling more awkward than ever before. He watched Finn, noticing how confused he looked, and took that as a sign to speak.
"Finn, I'm sorry."
Finn looked up at Puck. "You know, I never noticed it before." He let out a soft chuckle. "Probably because I was too into her to see how you acted around her… but you've always liked Quinn." Puck clenched his jaw. "I mean, ever since we were little. It isn't a recent thing or whatever. Wow. I'm such an idiot." He kept shaking his head. "You guys couldn't stand to be together because of what happened." He took a deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut. "Not because you guys disliked one another, but because there were actual feelings. I know that now. I see that now. I was so goddamn stupid."
Puck cleared his throat, making Finn look up at him. "I know I can't take back what happened between Quinn and me. I know that. Right? But for what it's worth, I'm sorry." Finn stared at Puck, studying him. He swallowed hard before his mouth curved into a small smile.
Taking Finn's smile as a cue to keep talking, Puck continued. "You know, I kept it a secret to protect Quinn." He sighed, but kept talking. "She loves you, Finn. She was just afraid of losing you."
Finn shook his head angrily. "If she had loved me, she wouldn't have slept with you."
"She was drunk!" Seriously. This guy is an idiot. I forgot how difficult it is to speak with him. "And she was scared. Of losing you, of telling her psycho parents, of getting kicked off the Cheerios, of becoming a social reject." Puck spat the last word out, feeling the bile rising in his mouth. He stared at the carpet in Finn's room. "You shouldn't hate her."
Finn smiled unhappily. "I never hated Quinn." Feeling as though the rock in his chest was lifted, Puck looked at Finn. "Her parents are whack," Finn continued. "I know why she lied." The boys shared an awkward smile. Finn inhaled. "I did hate you, though," he added dejectedly.
"Did?" Puck inquired, his eyebrows rising in disbelief.
Finn nodded. "I don't hate you anymore. I did back in December and I did up until a few weeks ago, but hating you takes too much effort. And you aren't worth it," Finn ended, standing up. Bashful and uncertain, he extended his hand and Puck graciously took it. He smiled at Finn, feeling freer than he had in days, and when Finn sat back down on his bed, Puck felt comfortable enough to sit on the floor.
Rubbing his face in exhaustion, Finn breathed out one word. "Why?" Puck shrugged. Sitting up straighter, Finn continued. "I mean, you liked her, why didn't you say so and ask her out, instead?"
Avoiding Finn's earnest stare, Puck answered slowly. "I knew she'd say no to me…" It was a truth he was too afraid to voice out loud, but Puck knew that he owed Finn some honesty after the heartbreak he'd made him go through in the fall. Finn looked confused. What? Do I have to spell it out to him? Puck rolled his eyes.
"Quinn is perfect, right?" Finn shrugged, the hint of a smile on his lips, which encouraged Puck to keep talking. "I mean, She's smart, athletic, gorgeous… she's… wow." He looked at Finn furtively, seeing that the smile was still there. "You? You're near-perfect. You're nice, athletic and could probably kill someone by stepping on them. Quinn deserves perfect." Finn nodded, finally understanding part of why Puck and Quinn had done what they did. Realizing that the usual confidence that Puck exuded was missing, Finn took pity on him.
"Well, if it makes you feel better, Quinn never even let me touch her butt," he offered, shrugging his massive shoulders. He was blushing again and though Puck had known that all along, he was glad that Finn was trying to make him feel better.
"See?" Puck said with a smile, pointing an accusatory finger at Finn. "You're nice. You're Finn Hudson." Puck nodded. "Quinn deserves a stand-up guy. Not someone who will hurt her all the time."
"You know, if you really care for her, like I'm assuming you do, you could lay off the cougars and cheerleaders." Finn advised, raising an eyebrow.
"I have. Trust me. Hell, I haven't had a booty call with Santana since November! Besides, pool season won't be back until May, so you know my cougar tail-chasing's on hold." He smirked for show, but his face quickly softened. "But Quinn doesn't trust me. Hell, I don't think she'd trust me, again." The boys stared at one another again, neither knowing what the next step should be. "So, we're cool…?" Puck asked.
Finn looked at Puck sideways, and shrugged.
"We're not friends… but we're okay." Puck nodded.
Both boys stood up and Puck walked towards the door. Remembering Santana and her plan to take over the world, one dumb jock at a time, he turned to look at Finn, again.
"Hey, tell Santana to lay off. It's embarrassing." He said, shrugging a shoulder.
"Oh, yeah… it's weird," Finn laughed, rubbing his neck uncomfortably.
"Well, just so you know, Rachel's saving herself for you." Puck said in response. Finn smiled, blushing at the mention of Rachel's name. "Yeah, she uh, only dated me back in October to make you jealous." Finn and Puck both smiled at that, finding it hard to believe that they were having an actual conversation again.
"I know," Finn's blush deepened and he fidgeted with his hands. "I'm not ready for another… relationship, yet."
"Well, my advice is to tap that, instead of Hopez." Puck said. Finn let out a small chuckle, shaking his head at Puck's words. He was still the same guy he'd raced his Tonkas with in grade school. Well, maybe not the exact guy, since four year-old Puck wouldn't tell four year-old Finn to 'tap' girls their age. At least Finn didn't think so.
Puck smiled. "I know that you liked Rachel even while you and Quinn were dating, so… just do it."
He pulled open Finn's door, but Finn's voice stopped him.
"Well, just so you know, Quinn doesn't care about me like you think she does." Finn shoved his hands in his pockets, avoiding Puck's eyes. They weren't much for talking about their feelings even when they were hanging out every day.
Puck nodded and left Finn's room. At least now he could say with conviction that he and Finn were on the mend. At least now he knew that Finn didn't hate Quinn.
He could only hope that Quinn wouldn't run back into Finn's arms when he told her.
"And how do you know this?" Quinn asked, trying to seem unaffected by what Rachel had said. Rachel smiled.
"Puck didn't deny it when I asked him." Quinn stared at Rachel, one eyebrow raised in disbelief. Rachel scoffed lightly and smiled. "When we broke up, I asked him if he'd joined glee to be closer to you and he never denied it. I took that to mean yes."
Quinn laughed, hugging her arms lightly. She chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully and sighed. "So that's why you told me to reconsider adoption? You know that Puck does want to make things work?" Rachel nodded.
"He's not as vapid and unintelligent as I thought." Rachel contemplated out loud. "I mean, dating him was a ruse to make Finn jealous on my part," Quinn looked at Rachel wearily. "Sorry." Rachel looked sheepish. "Thing is, dating me was Puck's way of getting over you, Quinn. He didn't think he stood a chance, so he gave up altogether."
Quinn cleared her throat and remembered Puck's habit of sexting. She had asked him in November if he cared for her and he vowed that he did, but his actions proved otherwise. How could she trust him again? As though she could hear Quinn's thoughts, Rachel spoke again.
"Seeing as I'm the only one of us who has ever dated Puck, I can safely say that he's a very considerate boyfriend." Quinn felt jealousy rise in her chest. She had Finn, even when I was with him, and she dated Puck, while I was expecting his child. Why am I living here, again? Her eyes involuntarily welled with tears of rage. Notcing this change, Rachel kept talking. "I know that what I'm saying isn't easy to swallow, Quinn... but I'm telling you this so you can let go of your irrational fear that Puck will cheat on you. He won't. He cares for you and he cares for that baby."
Quinn let out a shaky breath. "What makes you so sure?" Rachel winced at the ice in Quinn's words. "He cheated on Santana with me in the summer and he sext Santana while we were babysitting together. I don't think that fidelity is in his vocabulary." Quinn stood and walked to her door. She was done talking to Rachel.
Rachel nodded, a sad smile on her face. "I know you don't feel as though Puck cares for you," Quinn rolled her eyes. Can't she just leave me alone? "But if he didn't care for you, he wouldn't have joined glee. He wouldn't have tried getting over you. He wouldn't have sought you out after Finn found out. He's like a little boy in many ways, Quinn, but you can't deny that there is tenderness in his eyes when he looks at you. I see it, but you seem to ignore it."
Rachel stood and swept out of Quinn's room, leaving a very agitated pregnant teenager to sort through her fears.
A/N: Rachel is meddling now... God how I love her!