Puck was perturbed. This was partly due to the fact that he actually knew what perturbed actually meant due to a certain brunette and partly because she had the nerve to get on his case today about his "lack of commitment" to their project. She was so aggravating! He had a lot going on, what with football and his Fight Club and...okay, fine, he didn't have all that much going on, but this was the hardest he'd worked on an assignment since his 4th grade science project. She just didn't appreciate that his usual involvement in school was miniscule, so his performance on this project was actually quite impressive. Just to show her, he decided to make an unexpected visit to her house demonstrate his "commitment" to the project.
It wasn't until he had already rung the doorbell to the Berry home that he remembered why he had always insisted on working on the project at school or at his house. Puck wasn't good with parents, particularly fathers. And due to overhearing Rachel and Quinn's conversation, he knew that these two particular fathers knew enough about him to put their daughter on birth control upon learning of her project partner. However, Puck was caught quite off guard when her fathers welcomed him into their home and just sent him upstairs with directions to her room. Puck forgot to look up what "pragmatic" meant after overhearing the girls' conversation, but he was going to assume that it means 'ridiculously laid-back to the degree that when a stud like Puck arrives at your front door, you just send him right on up to your teenage daughter's room'. It's not like anything was going to happen up there, but they didn't know that.
Puck found Rachel's room quite easily what with the gold star on her door. He shook his head amusedly when he saw the walls were like a bubble-gum colored explosion, but realized she wasn't there. He heard music coming from an open door leading to what he assumed was the bathroom. He groaned when he looked in and was treated to the sight of her sitting in a bubble bath in the Jacuzzi tub. Was this girl trying to kill him? Puck leaned against the door frame, folded his arms in front of his chest, and waited for her to notice him. He couldn't help but admire the glisten of her tanned skin from the soapy water and the way that loose hairs from her haphazard bun fell into tendrils along the back of her neck. His reverie was broken by a high-pitched voice increasing in volume with each word spoken.
"Puck, what are you doing here?! We clearly need to have a discussion about boundaries because friends do not watch other friends in the bath. If we're even friends…perhaps acquaintance or classmate or colleague would be a more appropriate description for our relationship. I'm new to this sort of thing. The other day, Quinn casually referred to us as best friends in conversation and I was happily surprised because I didn't realize that she considered us to be such…Puck, what are you smiling at?"
"I'm smiling at you, Berry, because only you would debate the definition for our relationship while sitting naked in a bath with bubbles rapidly evaporating around you…"
The redness crept up Rachel's cheeks as she looked down to see if she was still covered and shooed him out of the bathroom. Puck was amused when about twenty seconds later, Rachel opened the door a sliver and requested he hand her the clothes sitting on her desk chair. Puck chuckled as he handed over white cotton panties along with yoga pants and a t-shirt…he would have expected nothing less.
When Rachel finally emerged from the bathroom, she looked annoyed…but it was difficult to not transfer that into a feeling of longing when she saw Puck stretched out on her bed. Snap out of it, Rachel…this is Puck after all.
"What are you doing here?"
"For the record, Berry, your dads sent me right upstairs…I didn't know you would be in the bath. Anyway, I'm here because you said I wasn't participating enough in our project. So I'm here as long as you need me tonight.
Rachel's mind strangely went to a dirty place as she thought about the various ways that she could need Puck.
"Well, I suppose I could reschedule my MySpace video for later this evening. I have wanted to talk over an idea with you. As you know, a large piece of the paper is to be devoted to a work of literature that captures the time period. I think we should use Pride & Prejudice and since I know you won't read the book, I thought we should watch the movie. And since you're free right now…"
"Um, okay, I guess…"
Puck was barely able to speak before Rachel had put the DVD in and pressed play. She looked around the room worriedly and Puck realized that she was wondering where to sit since he was lounged across her entire bed.
"Right here, Berry", he said, patting the spot next to him. What are you doing flirting with her…Finn told you not to mess with her…but I'm not messing with her…I just like the idea of sitting next to her…
Puck tried to ignore the enjoyment he felt when she eased herself onto the bed next to him, though at a safe distance.
"How long is this movie, anyway, Berry?"
"Well, it's not a movie so much as it is a miniseries and it's a wonderful version from BBC starring the incomparable Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy and I realize that it seems long but it moves along so quickly…"
Puck interrupted, "How long, Berry?"
"Five hours.
Puck grabbed the remote and pressed pause."
"Okay, Berry, this is not happening unless I get something out of this. I consider this a favor and as such, I demand a favor in return."
"Puck, I'm not some floozy that will just hop on her knees to pleasure you just because you're watching a long movie."
"Relax, jeez, I'm not talking about sexual favors, though I find it intriguing that the first place your mind went was to your knees", Puck said while waggling his eyebrows. "The deal is that you will get that tattoo you were talking about and I'm going to come with you."
Rachel thought for a moment and then said, "I'm not eighteen."
"If I can get around that, will you do it?"
"Well, I have been thinking about getting one someday and I suppose it couldn't hurt to have someone there who has experienced it before. Though I don't know why you're so interested in coming with me."
"So, you're in."
"I suppose I am. Now let's get back to the movie."
As the movie resumed, Puck didn't know what came over him, but the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Berry, I've got to say…before…in the tub...so hot, babe."
Rachel just smiled and moved a little bit closer to Puck on the bed, purely to get into a more comfortable position of course.
A few days later, Rachel laughed when she listened to a voicemail from Puck:
"Hey Berry. So my mom was watching the Pride and Prejudice movie this weekend and I needed to call you because while this MacFayden guy is pretty good, Colin Firth was better. I totally understand why you insist that Colin was meant to be Darcy. Shit, I can't believe I'm talking about this. Can you delete this voicemail? Okay, thanks. And, um, have a nice weekend."