Final chapter will be up soon...I know what it's going to be about, just have to write it.
Over the next few weeks, Puck and Rachel settled into a routine. They continued work on their paper, but focused most of their attention on the dance that they would be performing. Upon Rachel's request, Finn, Quinn, Kurt, and Tina had agreed to learn the dance and participate in the performance. Puck came to realize during their rehearsals (as Rachel insisted on calling them) that Tina and Kurt were actually pretty cool, even if Tina was still a little scared of him. Meanwhile, Quinn took these rehearsals as additional opportunities to observe the relationship between Rachel and Puck. Rachel had admitted to her that she had spent the night at Puck's house sleeping in his sister's bedroom, but Quinn had a feeling that this wasn't the entire story. Therefore, Quinn decided to take another route and focus her attention on Puck. However, since she couldn't confront him directly, she got more creative. One day when Rachel was running late, Quinn started talking with Finn about guys that she wanted to set Rachel up with. When Puck came nearby, she tried to bring him into the conversation.
"Puck, I'm trying to think of someone to set Rachel up with. Don't you think that Robert Arrington would be an excellent match for her?"
"Hell no! I mean, Berry doesn't need a date…why are you trying to set her up?"
"I'm her friend! That's what we do for our single friends. Unless you think perhaps she already has her eye on someone…"
"Whatever, Quinn, do what you want to do", Puck stated with annoyance as he stalked off.
"Oh yea, I am so right about this", Quinn said to Finn.
When the day of the dance performance finally arrived, their teacher was highly impressed.
"I have to say, I doubted that this partnership would work, but your paper was excellent and the dance today was exactly what I was looking for in terms of the creative component of the assignment. Congratulations. Oh, and Mr. Puckerman, this will be enough for you to obtain a B- in this class."
"Thank you so much", squealed Rachel.
When the teacher walked away, she flung her arms around Puck in a hug.
"We did it, Noah!"
"Yea, we did, didn't we, Berry? You need a ride home later?"
"That would be lovely, Noah, thank you."
After the night of his sister's accident, Rachel had come to realize that she was falling for Puck. She realized that waking up with Puck was the single most intimate moment she had ever experienced. She knew that she had a decision to make: move past her feelings or settle for having something casual with Puck that could potentially evolve into something else. Over the past few months, she noticed that Puck demonstrated care for her, but she knew that Puck didn't have 'relationships'. However, she knew for certain that Puck liked sex, so she planned to engage in sexual activities with the hope that he could grow to feel for her what she felt for him. She considered it to be an ingenious plan, but she had unfortunately underestimated Puck's level of feelings for her.
As the two walked through the empty hallways later that afternoon, Rachel decided that it was time to enact her plan. She was having doubts because she knew that it would be difficult to be sexual with him when what she really wanted was to be intimate with him, but she figured it was better than being nothing with him.
"Well, I, um, guess this is the end to our working together, huh?"
"Yes it is, Noah. I'll miss working with you." It's now or never…
With that thought in her mind, Rachel flung herself at Puck until she was practically pinning him against the lockers and kissed him with everything she had. Naturally, he kissed back eagerly, though he was confused as to her sudden 'attack' of him. He finally admitted to himself recently how much he cared for Rachel. He had decided that he was going to pursue her romantically, so he was caught off guard when she skipped over the typical courtship rituals (because Berry would totally call them that) and threw herself at him. When Rachel grabbed his hand and ran it under her skirt and up her thigh, he realized that something felt 'off' about this. It was incredibly hot and he was totally into it, but it almost felt like she was trying to convince herself of something by kissing him. And so, for the first time in his life, Puck decided to do the gentlemanly thing and find out why exactly it was that she was trying so hard to get herself into this before things got farther than he knew she would want them to. Needless to say, this was hard to do when she was kissing his neck like that.
"Wait, Rach, hold on", he said breathlessly.
Rachel pulled back and the only way to describe the look on her face would be defeat.
"Oh god, I'm sorry, Noah. I thought that…I just thought something… and I was clearly wrong. Can you please just forget this happened? I'm going to get a ride with Kurt. I saw him a few minutes ago so I know he's still in the parking lot."
Before Puck could even get out a word in protest, she had sped off down the hallway. He ran after her just in time to see Kurt pulling out of the parking with Rachel in the passenger seat. Shit, what the hell just happened?
Puck called Rachel 17 times over the weekend, but her phone always went straight to voicemail. On Monday, she successfully avoided him in the hallway and refused to even make eye contact with him during their classes together. So, finally on Monday afternoon, he realized he was going to have to do something he really didn't want to do: ask Quinn for help.
"Quinn, I need your help. Something happened with Rachel and now's she avoiding me and that makes it really difficult to try to get her to date me."
Quinn just smiled. "Ah, finally! Sorry…I'm just happy that you two finally figured out your feelings for each other. I've had the entire Glee club on standby since Rachel called me crying on Friday night, but wouldn't tell me why. I think I've got a plan, but we've got to get Mr. Schuester on board."
Quinn pulled out her cell phone. "Kurt, it's time. Get the phone tree started and tell everyone that we'll be meeting at my house at 6pm tonight."
Puck stared wide-eyed at Quinn as he realized that she had probably started devising this plan before he even knew he had feelings for Rachel. What have I gotten myself into? Berry better be worth it. Shit, what am I saying, she's totally worth it.