Disclaimer: I do not own the Glee references nor the song, that belongs to Nickelback.
A/N: Quinn is about to start her junior year at Yale, in fact, she's leaving Lima tomorrow, will there be enough time?
"You're sure this is a good idea" Finn hissed from his elevated position, behind his drums set up in the back of Puck's truck. He felt like an ass. He was screwed if any of the neighbours called the cops.
"Do you have a better idea?" Puck growled back. "It's got to be this way, it has to be a huge gesture," he insisted. "Didn't she ever make you watch those 80's Brat Pack movies?"
"No, I got away with all that," Finn replied, giving Puck a superior smile. "It was just you that got shafted with all the touchy feely crap," he grinned, leaning over the side of the truck to high five Sam.
"Well, can we get on with it?" Sam's loud whisper came from the side of the truck. "I'm on a promise with Brit and if I don't get there soon Santana will have reaped everything I've spent all day sowing," he grumbled.
"I don't care as long as I don't get arrested," Artie put in with a shrug. "Are you sure that's the right room?" he asked, indicating the windows above them.
"Of course I'm sure," Puck replied, rolling his eyes. "I spent most of senior year sneaking in and out of it," he reminded them. "Wasn't too bad, Judy only caught me a couple of times," he admitted.
"What happened when she did catch you?" Artie asked, the grin on his face unmistakable,more than a little curious.
"We just pretended not to see each other," Puck answered, shrugging his guitar strap onto his shoulder a little more comfortably. "Are you ready?" he asked, they all nodded, ready to play. "Let's go.
"This time, this place
Misused, mistakes
Too long, too late
Who was I to make you wait?
Just one chance
Just one breath
Just in case there's just one left
'Cause you know, you know, you know
I love you
I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me and you'll never go
Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore
On my knees, I'll ask
Last chance for one last dance
'Cause with you, I'd withstand all of hell to hold your hand
I'd give it all
I'd give for us
Give anything but I won't give up
'Cause you know, you know, you know
I love you
I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me and you'll never go
Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore
So far away, so far away
Been far away for far too long
So far away, so far away
Been far away for far too long
But you know, you know, you know
I wanted, I wanted you to stay
'Cause I needed, I need to hear you say
That I love you (That I love you)
I have loved you all along
And I forgive you (And I forgive you) for being away for far too long
So keep breathing 'cause I'm not leaving you anymore
Believe it
Hold on to me and never let me go
Keep breathing 'cause I'm not leaving you anymore
Believe it
Hold on to me and never let me go
Keep breathing
Hold on to me and never let me go
Keep breathing
Hold on to me and never let me go"
They all watched as the front door opened slowly. "What are you doing here Puckerman?" Quinn asked from the doorway, her arms wrapped defensively around her, a slight frown on her face.
"I'm singing to you," Puck explained, wondering then why he'd said that. "Well duh, numbnuts," he added silently to himself.
"But why?" Quinn asked, hunching her shoulders up. "Why now? You've had all summer to say something and now, the day before I go back to college you're here, singing to me, making me…" she broke off and took a deep breath. "I can't do this again with you," Quinn told Puck, the crease between her eyebrows deepening. "How many times have we tried this? Long distance just doesn't work for us," she reminded him.
"It didn't work when you were in New Haven and I was in LA," Puck agreed. "And it didn't work when you were there and I was here in Lima," he added. "I forgot to tell you that I applied for a job in New Haven," he said with a smile, his foot resting on the bottom step. "I got it," he informed her, his smile growing wider, his other foot taking the second step.
"Doing what?" Quinn asked nervously, her breathing speeding up, her pulse jumping about erratically.
"See, that's why that song was the perfect choice," Puck said, climbing yet another step closer to Quinn as she took a step out onto the wide veranda. "Remember the video for that song?" he asked. He knew that she did, they'd watched stuff like that together all the time, through sophomore year when they lived at his house, through senior year when he spent most of his time here at her house, through that summer before she'd gone away to be a freshman at Yale.
"I remember," Quinn nodded, her bottom lip catching between her chattering teeth. "You finally did it?" she asked, looking straight ahead into his eyes as he now reached the step below her.
"I finally did it," he nodded. "And I'm going to be a fire fighter," he told Quinn proudly, sensing the shock and disbelief from the friends gathered in front of the house. "Well, I'm on the training program," he qualified with a shrug. "I start next week," Puck murmured with a grin. "Know anywhere in New Haven that's cheap to rent? I don't mind sharing," he said, his smile barely contained now as Quinn's smile reached her eyes.
"I suppose I could use a room-mate," Quinn shrugged, her shining eyes betraying her deliberately disinterested answer.
"Cool," Puck whispered. "What time do we leave tomorrow?" he asked, stepping up onto the veranda in front of Quinn.
"Does your mother know?" Quinn asked, evading his question.
"Yep," Puck nodded. "So does yours," he added, nodding behind her to where both of their mothers stood glasses of wine in their hands. "I sort of planned this as a two pronged attack," he admitted.
"Seriously?" Quinn asked, looking at the two older women. "You both knew about this?" she demanded. They both smiled and nodded.
"With Noah it's just easier to go with the flow," his mom reminded Quinn. "You should know him well enough by now," she added pointedly.
"Quinn, you are never going to be happy, never going to be whole until you two are together properly," Judy said softly. "There's only so much time you can spend hiding your true feelings and I think the last year was so telling on both of you," she nodded, looking at her trembling daughter. "Neither of you coped very well spending the entire year not talking, not texting, not touching. We're not naïve," she indicated between herself and Mrs Puckerman, "we know what you've always been to each other, meant to each other. Maybe it's time you both admitted it to yourselves and to everyone else," she encouraged.
"I'm game," Puck whispered to Quinn, taking her hand and turning to face their friends still watching the live action soap opera. "Hello, my name is Noah Puckerman and I'm in love with Quinn Fabray," he announced with a smile, lifting Quinn's hand to kiss her fingertips, his laughing eyes keeping contact with her bright ones.
"Hello, my name is Quinn Fabray," Quinn began, her voice husky, barely audible, thick through the lump in her throat. "My name is Quinn Fabray," she tried again after clearing her throat, "and I love this asshole, Noah Puckerman," she sighed as he dragged her into his arms. "And we're leaving tomorrow to go to New Haven," she added as Puck's little sister whooped with joy and their friends clapped and cheered along with their moms.
"Finally," Puck breathed into Quinn's neck.