Based on a prompt by itsoktonotbeok over at the P/R drabble meme: "Puck and Rachel run into each other under the mistletoe. But they're Jewish."
Excuse my spelling/grammar mistakes!
Happy Holidays, guys. :)
The girl stands in front of the large windows looking quietly out at the snowflakes which fall gracefully from the sky, doing hundreds of flips and spirals until they meet the white blanket that completely covers the large golf course below. She watches with a small, peaceful smile, one hand reaching up to rub lightly at her neck while the other carefully holds a wineglass filled with grape soda.
She's standing next to a large Christmas tree, one that's easily three times the size of her. It's decorated entirely with gold tinsel and ornaments, and in the reflection from the window, she can see the twinkling white tree lights occasionally illuminate her face, the light also bouncing off the delicate beading of her red dress.
From somewhere nearby, Frank Sinatra's Christmas album plays from an expensive stereo system, though his soothing voice can barely be heard over the buzz of conversation that fills the large ballroom. She appears to be the only person standing alone, as in the reflection she can see large groups of unfamiliar faces dancing, drinking, conversing and eating together. Occasionally she'll spot someone she knows, but she makes no effort to join in the festive celebrations. She can't help but feel a little guilty for not being more social. It's Judy Fabray's holiday party, and Quinn had been nice enough to invite the entire glee club. Still, that invite had occurred two weeks ago, when things were very different.
She can see Quinn in the reflection. She's standing beside Finn at the buffet table, eyeing him with distaste as he piles his plate high with mini sandwiches. After rolling her eyes at something he says, she looks away, her eyes scanning the crowd for something.
Rachel can't help but notice how beautiful the blond looks, in a white floor-length gown. Quinn always looks stunning, so it comes as no surprise.
Two more figures approach them, and Quinn immediately smiles, though Finn doesn't even seem to notice. Sam Evans hands his girlfriend a drink and gently kisses her nose, causing her to laugh softly. Santana says nothing, but simply steals one of Finn's sandwiches, winking at him when he spins around in confusion. The tall boy laughs, and his free arm casually wraps itself around her slender waist. Rachel thinks they look good together, Finn in his tux and Santana in a striking backless silver gown.
She sighs and drops her gaze, now ignoring the reflection. When she'd got the invite to a Christmas party she'd been excited, because even though she didn't celebrate the holiday, she loved all things festive. Originally, her plan had been to attend with her then-boyfriend Finn, but things had been strained between them for a while. They'd broken up for good just over a week ago, and Rachel hadn't been at all surprised when Finn had gone to Santana for a shoulder to cry on, and that shoulder to cry on had resulted in a relationship just three or four days later. She'd expected it.
And she isn't angry. Of course, it's not a secret that she's not exactly Santana's biggest fan, but there are no hard feelings.
She is, however, feeling more than just a little lonely.
The feeling intensifies when her eyes fall on a couple embracing on the golf course below, quite some distance away from the house. Her arms are tangled around his neck and his are wrapped around her waist, holding her close as they kiss under the falling snow. Despite the freezing temperature, they don't seem to feel the cold. They seem blissfully unaware of the world around them, and she smiles wistfully when she suddenly recognizes the couple as Mike and Tina. They look happy. She briefly longs for her relationship back, just so she can experience the same happiness, before remembering that she hadn't felt the same kind of love that she was witnessing for a long time.
She sighs.
A pair of strikingly hazel eyes meet hers in the reflection, and although she doesn't turn around to face Noah Puckerman directly, she offers him a small smile. He nods in acknowledgment and steps forward to stand beside her, following her gaze down to Tina and Mike. She knows that he understands instantly, but appreciates that he says nothing, simply watches the embracing couple for a moment as he takes quick sips of his beer. Strangely, Noah is one of the very few people that actually knows her and her emotions.
It's Rachel who breaks the silence first.
"You're underage," She says easily, her eyes on Mike and Tina who are now laughing as they brush the snow from each other. "You shouldn't be drinking."
Puck smirks a little and takes a defiant sip.
"Noah..."
"S'only my first one. I'm not gonna have anymore. I'm driving home later."
"How did you manage to get alcohol, anyway? Quinn said her mother was very strict on that subject."
"Why? Want some?" His tone is playful and suggestive, and she can feel his eyes on her.
"Absolutely not, Puckerman."
He barks out a short laugh and takes another drink. "Of course you don't. I, uh, flirted with the bar lady."
Rachel rolls her eyes, but a fond-sort-of-smile takes over her face. "Of course you did. Stupid question on my part."
The boy grins. "Yup."
There's a brief silence between the two as they sip their drinks and watch the snow fall from the night sky. It's getting heavier, falling faster, and Tina and Mike are now heading back to the hotel, hand-in-hand. The footsteps they leave vanish almost as soon as they step away.
"You look good tonight, Berry." Puck says suddenly, and Rachel turns away from the window to look up at him, her dark eyes a little brighter and her cheeks flushed with pleasure.
"You think so?" She's smiling. He's the first person to compliment her tonight, with the exception of her daddy.
"Yup." He pops his 'p' and he nods, his eyes traveling over her entire body. "Your dress. It's uh, you know. Nice."
Rachel beams at him, her free hand reaching up to play with the gold chain she's wearing around her neck. "Thank you, Noah."
He shrugs and says nothing, but returns the smile anyway. They both turn back to the window at the same time, just as a ripple of laughter breaks out over the crowd behind them. She hears Finn's laugh a little louder than she hears the others, and it makes her stiffen, just a little. She suddenly feels slightly guilty for standing with Noah, since it was her make-out session with the mohawked boy that ultimately led to her break up with Finn. She looks at her feet, swallowing her guilt.
She suddenly feels Noah's large, calloused hand touching her shoulder gently, in an unexpected act of compassion.
"You, uh, holding up okay?" He says a little awkwardly, and she appreciates his effort. She knows that Noah isn't the best at talking about feelings.
She tilts her head up to look at him again.
"I'm okay." She confirms. "I still feel guilty for, well, you know."
A blush spreads across her cheeks, and she hears Noah chuckle under his breath.
"Yeah, you probably shouldn't have done that." He agrees, taking his hand off her shoulder after rubbing it briefly with his thumb. "But don't beat yourself up about it. It was understandable. And he was just as fucked up as you were, so you can't take all the blame."
Rachel smiles and shakes her head a little. "And just when did you get so wise and caring?"
"I told you, babe. I made a promise to God to be nice to my fellow Jews."
"Oh, that's still ongoing?"
"Hell yeah. Except I changed it again, to just good-looking Jews. I really fucking hate that Jewfro kid."
Rachel giggles and nods in agreement, smiling warmly at him before looking back outside. The snow is frosting over the corners of the glass, and she thinks it has a pretty effect. She's always loved everything about the winter, including the parties and festivity, but right now she's wishing that she was home wearing her pink flannel pajamas and fuzzy white slippers, curled up in front of her fireplace with a hot chocolate and her favorite book.
"I can't remember why I came to this stupid thing," She says suddenly, more to her own reflection than to the boy's next to her.
"Me either." His voice agrees. "We don't even celebrate Christmas."
Her eyes meet his in the glass, and she confidently holds his stare.
"Why did you come?" She asks curiously. "I didn't expect a sophisticated Christmas party hosted by Judy Fabray to be your kind of thing."
He scoffs. "It sure as hell isn't. Hudson asked me to come."
"But Finn's over there."
"No duh, genius. He's ditched me for Satan all night."
She smiles at him sympathetically. "It's a new relationship. Give it time. They're still in the infatuated phase."
He grins back at her. "Yeah, thanks, Dr. Phil. So you don't mind Finny D and the devil herself being together then?"
She thinks about it for a second before shaking her head. "No, not really. I saw it coming."
Noah looks at her seriously, trying to figure out if she's lying. She says nothing else, but keeps smiling, enjoying his company. In just five or ten minutes of conversation, he's made her feel a lot better.
"So why did you come?" He asks, and Rachel moves to face him once again, setting her glass down on the table next to them.
"I think I felt like I had a point to make," She said confidently, having already asked herself that question earlier. "I didn't want to be the over-emotional teenage girl staying at home with movies and chocolate."
"Babe, chocolate and movies sounds way more fun than this crappy party."
"I agree."
They both laugh, and Rachel can't help but wonder how she feels so comfortable with Noah. He's quickly become someone that she always ends up opening up to. She likes the thought, though it kind of amazes her, considering he was the one that started the form of torture known as the slushie facial on her very first day of high school. They've both grown, Rachel realizes, and the thought makes her smile just that little bit bigger.
"Whatcha thinking about?" Noah asks easily, and Rachel brushes her long brown curls out of her face.
"I'm thinking that you're acting very unPuckzilla-like right now, hanging out with the sad little girl in the corner, as opposed to drinking your body weight in beer."
Puck grins and rolls his eyes heavenwards, but quickly stops. His playful grin turns into a full-on smirk in less than a second, and he tilts his head back to freely stare at the ceiling. Rachel, a little confused, follows his stare, and her face flushes when she catches sight of the mistletoe that hangs above their heads. She immediately hides her face with her hands and groans, though she's actually rather amused. And her heart is undoubtedly beating a little faster.
"Mistletoe." He states simply, wearing a suggestive crooked smile.
"Yes Noah, mistletoe." Rachel speaks into her hands, causing her voice to sound muffled.
"Too bad we don't celebrate Christmas stuff." She hears him say, and she peeks at him through her fingers. He laughs at her childishness and takes a hold of her hands, gently tugging them away from her face.
"Yes. Too bad," She says quietly, trying her hardest not to smile. "If we did, you'd have to kiss me."
Noah fakes a sigh, shaking his head in disgust. "And that would be fucking terrible."
"Terrible," She agrees.
"Terrible," He repeats the word again, sitting his beer bottle next to Rachel's glass on the table. He stuffs his hands in his pockets, his eyes never leaving hers. She's seriously blushing, and she hates that there's no way to cover it up.
"But, uh, since we're at a Christmas party and everything," Noah's voice is factual and optimistic, and Rachel can feel the corners of her lips pulling up in a smile. "We should try and blend in, you know? When in Rome and all that shit."
Rachel's stomach does a flip, and she struggles to keep her composure. With a tone of voice that matches his exactly, she replies. "I suppose you may have a point, Puckerman. It may seem ungracious to go against the Fabray's traditions, especially when they've invited us especially."
"Exactly, babe." He smirks and steps closer, and Rachel takes a steady breath, holding up her hand in warning.
"One little kiss. One, Puckerman. And keep your hands to yourself. We're in public."
"Deal."
Keeping his hands in his pockets, Noah slowly bends down to her level. Rachel closes her eyes, placing just one hand on his shoulder when his lips meet hers in the softest, briefest kiss she's ever had. He pulls back after just a second and her eyes flicker open in surprise. He's smiling. She thinks she is too, but she can't be sure.
There's a silence between the two the lasts for at least twenty seconds. Rachel's lips, although she was barely kissed at all, seem to be tingling, and she can't stop herself from licking them. Noah's eyes follow the movement, and he takes his hands from his pockets to run them over his mohawk.
"Noah?" Rachel eventually speaks, trying her best to sound as calm as she possibly can.
"Yeah, babe?"
"Can you kiss me again?"
He laughs and steps closer. "Sure thing, beautiful."
"But, um, you don't have to be so carefu-"
She stops with a squeak as Noah's hands suddenly entangle themselves in her hair, pulling her towards him with a force she couldn't possibly resist if she tried. Her own hands go straight to his arms, running her small fingers over the defined muscles. Suddenly, his lips are on hers with no hint of the previous tenderness. This kiss is determined and passionate, rough and completely 'Puck'. She loves it, and she kisses back recklessly, her hands moving to rest on his cheeks, holding him to her. He sweeps his tongue against her lips and she whimpers, completely melting against him. He smells amazing.
"Mmph, wait, wait." She somehow manages to pull away from him, her breath coming out in quick gasps.
"Something wrong, baby?"
"Finn."
"What? Why the fuck are you thinking of him when you're kissing me?"
"No, no!" Rachel protests quickly, grabbing his hand in reassurance "I just mean, I don't want him to see this and we should... We should go somewhere else and maybe kiss some more." She blushes deeply, and hears Noah breathe a sigh of relief, letting go of her hand to wrap his arm around her waist.
"I don't want him to get mad at you this time." She admits, and Noah quickly kisses the top of her head.
"Come on, Rach. I know a great little couch on the top floor."
It makes her laugh and bite her lip when he starts pulling her impatiently towards the door, flashing her a huge, anticipating grin.
Maybe she is pretty glad that she came after all.
Review? :3