Author's Note: I feel it necessary to point out that this is likely (it was unknown at the beginning but is coming clearer and clearer) that this is Rated M strictly for language. I hope that doesn't disappoint anyone because we still have two chapters (this one and the final one) left and while this one is building up the climax, the next should be epically fun if I can pull it off. I haven't written it yet, though, so more to come, I suppose.

Regardless, thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing. You guys are always so awesome and DEFINITELY the reason I can't stay away. Individual shout out to Jann, who I hope will consider this chapter as bonus points on her prompt. :D Thanks again to all, and please let me know what you think!

Puck galloped down the basement stairs of the Hudson-Hummel house, bringing down a bag of chips and a few sodas that Carole had shoved in his arms on his way. They were growing boys, apparently. Shit, if Finn grew anymore they were going to have to build a special car for him to drive in. He already had to duck getting into his truck and legit slouched whenever he rode in Rachel's tiny ass smart car - if the car was really so smart, it would spit out all that Broadway shit she forced it to play and lock the radio on a good channel.

"Hey, dickface." Puck threw the can without warning, smirking when Finn caught it. Apparently after getting hit in the face so many times, he'd learned to always have his guard up. "Catch."

"You're an ass," Finn muttered, setting down the soda and picking back up his video game controller. "What's up?"

Puck shrugged. "Had to get outta the house before I grew a vagina. Ma and Sarah are pissin' themselves about some super gay dance."

"Dude," Finn warned, nodding his head toward the back of the room even though his eyes never left the TV screen.

Puck turned and saw Kurt and Blaine playing some card game. "Oh, hey."

"Likewise," Kurt muttered. "And don't worry about it. Your ignorance rolls right down my back now."

"Didcha take the stick out of your ass so Blaine could …"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Noah."

Puck whipped around to see Rachel walking down the steps, a plate of cookies in her hands. He waited with bated breath to see if she'd put them down in front of Kurt and Blaine or him and Finn. Puck might not agree that they were growing boys anymore, but he legit wouldn't turn down a baked good from Berry (or really anything she offered him). That shit was off the hook.

"They're vegan," she said brightly before sliding the bag of chips out of the middle of the coffee table in front of the couch and setting down the plate. "And kosher."

Puck grinned, reaching for a cookie before she even had the plastic wrap off. "Maybe after I win our bet Monday, I'll demand you bake a million cookies for me." He leered. "In just an apron."

"I would comment on how demoralizing your suggestion is, but it wouldn't be worth it because you aren't going to win." She hummed at the end of her remark before brushing by the two boys back toward the table where Kurt and Blaine were sitting. "Kurt, I trust you completed your assignment. Your participation is key to the execution of the task."

"About that …" Kurt looked up from the deck of cards he was shuffling, his expression solemn while Blaine was outright avoiding all eye contact. "There's been a snag in the plans." He rushed through the rest, seeing Rachel's face start to redden in anger. "The guys shared the plans to their respective girlfriends and convinced them to participate in …"

"Puckerman!" Rachel swirled back to face Puck, who had a shit-eating grin on his face, looking far too arrogant for someone who had a crumb stuck in the corner of his lips. "That's not fair!"

"S'not my fault once everyone sobered up they thought better of teamin' up for a senior prank with Miss Goody Two Shoes." He chuckled, seeing her mouth hang open. "'Sides, the bet was you could do a better prank than me, not boys versus girls."

A squeak came out from somewhere low in her throat, and he somehow managed to grin wider. He didn't know why, but he really got a kick out of pissing her off. She looked so damn hot all riled up, her face flushed and her chest heaving. Sometimes she would bite her lip to keep from screaming at him, and … OK. So he knew exactly why he did it. But Finn didn't, which is why when Rachel growled he flinched and sprung from the couch, the video game forgotten.

"I'll help ya, Rach. You don't even have to tell me what you're doing or anything, but I … I'll help you."

"Thank you, Finn, but I am perfectly capable of doing this on my own." She glared over her shoulder when Kurt began humming the famous Les Misérables song. He shifted his eyes, clearly not realizing he was doing it, before him and Blaine made a beeline for the stairs – out of the line of fire. "Let's just work on the number because apparently I have some planning to do."

"Number?"

"Rach is helping me with the one group piece," Finn explained. "I keep missing my cue on the dance steps after our duet."

"I doubt she can fix your two left feet, Frankenteen," Puck grumbled, sliding over in the couch and claiming the spot Finn had vacated. He grabbed the abandoned controller and started the game up again while Finn and Rachel moved some furniture around to give them more space. He peered over his shoulder while the game loaded up and felt his stomach clench at the sight of their starting position – Rachel's back against Finn's chest, his arm circled around her waist to hold her opposite hand, ready to spin her.

While a lot of people blamed the infamous stage kiss between Rachel and Finn for their loss at nationals last year, Puck knew it was more than that. Even with the badass song him and Finn had penned and then the group number, it had all been too disorganized. They'd barely had any time to practice, making up dance moves while other groups were performing. Half the group had written some of the lyrics on their hands in case they forgot. It was a mess.

But, this year, the glee club had been working hard to be prepared. They took what they learned from the audience and the judges at sectionals and regionals, and last month they created an ideal set list for the national competition in a couple of weeks. They'd practiced the songs a million times, and the dance routines both during the numbers and in transition were worked out and learned weeks ago. Now the group was just perfecting everything, ready to take Chicago by storm.

"Noah, can you please come here for a moment?"

Puck looked away from the game, trying to at least appear like he wasn't eager to jump at the sound of her voice. He sighed heavily. "Fine, but I ain't dancin' with him."

"Not necessary." Rachel extended her hand, curling her small fingers around his palm and setting them in the same position her and Finn had been. "Finn, watch."

Puck paused for a moment, inhaling the smell of her hair and just soaking in the warmth of her body and her smile before he remembered his best friend was standing two feet away watching the two intently. He snapped his wrist and sent Rachel spinning to his right. He kept his arm rigid so she'd stop on a whip and circle back in front of him, grabbing his other hand and repeating the same spin move on his left. Then he ducked under her arm and planted his right hand on her hip, leading her into the next steps while Rachel hummed the words the other members would be singing. It was a tango number, with couples performing the lyrics while everyone danced. Mike and Tina had a duet, Kurt and Blaine had a duet, him and Santana had a duet, and so did Rachel and Finn.

Awesome.

"Now, pretend you are Finn," Rachel instructed while still dancing. "Transition into the solo."

Puck nodded, knowing better than to mess it up because that's what Finn would do. Instead, he side-stepped Rachel as needed, crooning the first line of the solo. Rachel then jumped into his arms, singing her own line while he rotated her and then placed her back on the ground. The two finished the rest of the verse as a duet, moving into the same dance the rest of the group would be doing.

"That was wonderful, Noah." Rachel beamed at him before turning her attention back on Finn. "Now your turn."

Puck stepped back, watching Finn try again and fail again. He made it all the way to the end this time, but still banged his knee against Rachel's during the last bit of dancing. "Ya know, science shows there's a correlation between sex and dancing."

"Fuck off, dude."

Puck laughed, going back to the video game he'd left and pretending to be completely enthralled in it. He honestly wished he were; then his ears wouldn't perk up every time Rachel giggled or said something about doing it like Noah. He lasted a full hour before he gave up, tossing the controller down to the table and grabbing another cookie. He made his way to the stairwell, his foot on the first step before she called after him.

"Are you going home?"

"Probably not." He watched her face fall and sighed. "Why?"

"I thought you might be able to escort me back to my house."

Puck's eyes flicked to Finn's, and he furrowed his brows when the tall teen smirked. The fuck? Did he just fart and get away with it or what? "Sure." He watched Rachel light up, turning back to Finn to hug him goodbye. "Haul ass, Berry. I ain't got all night."

She glowered at him while grabbing her bag, speeding by him without realizing he was going to spend the next twenty steps staring at her perfect little ass. They both said goodbye to Carole and Burt and then Kurt and Blaine who had moved to the front porch. They were seriously like an old married couple, and even though it was kind of pathetic, Puck thought it was pretty funny, too. Plus, Blaine was a decent guy, so that made it harder to make fun of them.

"I don't mean to sound surprised by this, because I'm certainly not, but you are an incredible dancer, Noah."

"I know," he answered smugly while climbing into his truck. "And the correlation is true, in case you were wonderin'."

Rachel rolled her eyes as she secured her seatbelt, resting her bag on her lap before turning to face him. "You'll have to learn to take compliments eventually."

He shrugged, pressing his foot on the brake and shifting the truck into reverse. He sped down the driveway and then yanked the lever into the drive position, the truck jostling at the abrupt movements before propelling forward. Rachel grabbed the handle on her door tightly, her knuckles white when he took the first turn a little harder than necessary. She glared at him, but the force of the vehicular assault had pulled her closer to the middle of the cab seat (right next to him), so he didn't really care.

"It's a shame Finn and Santana's voices don't complement each other." He caught her eye in his periphery and she knew to explain herself more. "He'd probably be able to dance more easily with someone a little taller, and then you and I would be paired together."

Puck showed no emotion, didn't even nod in agreement. The last thing he needed to do was admit that he had dreams (literally) of Finn breaking his leg during practice or a game and Puck having to swoop in as the lead in glee. It was funny considering he'd only joined the stupid group sophomore year to be closer to Quinn, and now it was the best part of his day. It was where his real friends were. It was something he was actually good at and used to give him some direction for his future. And, of course, it's where she was.

"You really are willin' to sacrifice anything to win, aren'tcha?"

"Not everything." She shrugged. "Unfortunately we all can't be like you, sacrificing our happiness for the supposed greater good."

He dared to look at her when he paused at the next stop sign, his eyebrows knitting together when her expression gave nothing away. He was playing with fire, and not in the fun way. This was destructive. Just this line of thinking could burn down everything he'd worked so hard to build. They wouldn't be able to just start from the ground up again; this would sear the entire foundation, turn everything to unmanageable ashes.

Luckily his phone started to ring and gave him the perfect excuse not to respond to her. "Yea?" His mother's voice echoed through the receiver, telling him she had to go into work at the hospital and that he needed to pick up Sarah at the middle school. She didn't even wait for an answer before hanging up. "Minor detour."

"Everything alright?" Rachel asked in concern.

"Ma had to go to work, so I gotta pick up the rugrat at school."

"What is Sarah doing at school on a Saturday evening?"

"There was some bitch ass dance, I guess."

Rachel sighed dreamily, just like his mom and sister had been doing while talking about the dumb event before he left to go to Finn's. "I still remember our seventh grade end-of-the-year dance. It seems silly now, after experiencing two proms. I still remember the gymnasium being so beautifully decorated, even if I only got to see the side the girls stayed on while the boys gathered on the other side."

"Shit was so lame."

"Think what you will, but I remember you looking quite dashing that evening." She grinned at him. "For the five minutes you were there before running off to heaven knows where with Santana."

"And a bottle of Jack she'd stolen from her brother's dresser." Puck grinned, only really remembering that night because he'd had sex for the first time. It was Santana's first time, too, though she'd given head to basically everyone on the football team by then. It was sort of sad how she still equated sex with power. Puck knew better, but it was only because he'd tried to use it to stop the growing feelings he'd had for Rachel and realized he was powerless. "I didn't even know you were there."

"Not unusual," she lamented, her eyes moving down to her lap sadly. "I sat alone at a table all by myself the whole night."

"Watchin' Finn, no doubt."

She snorted out a laugh, shrugging a little. "As I said," she lifted her eyes back up to him, smiling shyly, "it seems silly now."

Puck slammed the car into park the second he pulled into the parking lot, looking at her with a hard, unyielding expression. "Why, 'cause alls you'd haveta do is snap your fingers now and he'd be by your side?"

Rachel narrowed her gaze on him, the two just staring at one another for a good minute. He focused on the different emotions swirling in the depths of her eyes, and she couldn't help but watch the anger in his break away to reveal the real reason for his outburst. She opened her mouth only to have her rebuttal drowned out by the familiar chattering of Puck's younger sister. Sarah spoke a mile a minute about so and so having a party and everyone being invited and she wanted to go. She was midway through her desperate plea before she even acknowledged Rachel.

"Come on, Rach! Tell him how important this is." She stared wide-eyed at the brunette. "It's my first co-ed party!"

"Whoa!" Puck had moved the gear shift to drive, but then kicked it right back into park. "There's gonna be boys at this thing?

"Noah!" Sarah whined. "Gabby's parents will be there." She turned to Rachel. "And it's not just boys. Ryan Anderson is going to be there."

Rachel hummed in response. "He sounds dreamy."

"She didn't say anything but his name," Puck scoffed, finally kicking the truck into drive and pulling away from the school. "Did you ask Ma?"

"She only said no because she can't pick me up in the morning." Her eyes turned even more desperate. "If you …"

"Nut-uh."

"Noah! Please!" Sarah squirmed in her spot, forcing Rachel closer to Puck. "I'll do your chores for a month!"

Puck pretended to think about it, but the only thing he was paying attention to was Rachel's hand sitting gingerly on his thigh. He was pretty sure she didn't even know she was doing it, but her thumb was moving ever so softly up and down over his jeans. He struggled to keep his eyes from shutting (only not letting them because he was driving), but the tingling feeling that moved up his spine was hard to ignore. Even harder than his junk was getting, which after much longer would be pretty noticeable.

"Noah, quit torturing her. What's the address?" Sarah sprouted it off almost before Rachel had the last word out. "Wonderful. We'll stop at home so you can change into some more appropriate attire, and I'll pick you up tomorrow morning. You just have to promise to be on your best behavior this evening."

"Yes! Yes! Yes, of course! I will! I promise I will!"

Puck sighed as the girls hugged tightly, partially upset because his eardrum suffered some damage from Sarah's excitement. More so, however, because Rachel had to remove her hand from his thigh to wrap her arms around the young girl. The second he pulled into the driveway, Sarah jumped out and ran inside. The two teenagers followed her route through the house by the lights that came on in her travels, each chuckling at the frantic movements they noticed from outside Sarah's bedroom window.

"Don't be such a curmudgeon, Noah." Rachel smiled. "Your sister is far more innocent and much smarter than you ever were at that age. There is nothing wrong with her engaging in some harmless, adolescent fun."

"She's too young for this bullshit."

Rachel laughed out loud. "You do realize you were just recalling your own experience at the same dance, full of underage drinking and premarital sex, right?"

Puck felt sick. "This is different." His eyes moved to the front door, watching Sarah hurry to lock the house back up and run back to the truck, clad in jeans and a shirt with a small bag hanging off her shoulder. "She's different."

"You won't be able to protect her all the way from New York."

He debated her words for the entire trip, tuning out their mindless chatter about the dance. He really didn't care that Tiffany danced with Derek even though she was best friends with Kara who everyone knew was in love with Derek and was only dancing with Nate to make Derek jealous. The only thing he cared about was that Rachel had a point, one he hadn't considered.

Everything had happened so fast. He applied to a few schools in New York because Rachel had convinced him and Finn didn't want to do it alone. He never expected to get in. He figured he'd go to State like everyone else and take the standard four-year pit stop on the road to becoming a townie. But then he got accepted, full ride and all, and Rachel jumped into his arms chanting how proud she was and … he hadn't considered anything else.

"Thanks, Noah!" Sarah quickly undid her seatbelt. "Thanks, Rach!"

Rachel grabbed the small girl's hand just before she fled the vehicle. "Do me a favor, Sarah." She smiled as the young girl nodded eagerly. "No matter what happens tonight … kiss that boy."

Sarah blushed, nodding shyly. "I will. See you tomorrow!"

"The fuck?" Puck asked, waiting until Rachel turned to face him before he continued. "'Splain yourself!"

"You wouldn't understand, Noah." Rachel shook her head, moving over to the proper seat while Puck began to drive toward her house. Sarah's friend didn't live far from Rachel, so it was going to be a short trip. "You're the type of person who naturally acts on your instincts. You're spontaneous and daring and so sure of yourself."

"And that gives you permission to tell Sarah to mess around tonight?"

"A kiss is hardly messing around. And the point is that I just don't want her to regret not making a decision." Rachel looked out the window, her voice quiet. "While I honestly doubt Mr. Anderson is The One, it's much worse for her to never know one way or the other simply because she let the opportunity pass her by."

Puck pulled into the Berry driveway, noticing the entire house was dark. "Ya sound like you're talkin' from experience."

"I believe it is too late for me." Rachel pulled out the handle of the door, letting the heavy metal swing away from her as she looked back at him. "But Sarah is your sister so there's a good chance she has some of that willingness to takes risks under all that exuberance."

Puck placed his hand over hers, halting her slow retreat. "You take risks every day, B."

"I'm not speaking of the fashion variety."

"I ain't either." He looked down at their hands, noting that she wasn't pulling away. Why did he constantly find himself in this situation? Maybe it was just to prove how wrong she was; he was a coward. He was too worried about what would happen with his friendship with Finn and his friendship with Rachel to act on an impulse (if it can even be considered an impulse after a minimum of a year having it). For the first time in his life, he was thinking before acting, and it was killing him inside. "You're the bravest person I know."

Rachel had been watching him over her shoulder, but then she swiftly angled her body more directly in front of his. She left her one hand nestled underneath his, moving the other to his left cheek and tilting his head a fraction of an inch before crashing her lips against his. He wrestled with his willpower at first, but then she opened her mouth and captured his lips differently and he felt his resolve start to break. Her tongue slid into his mouth a nanosecond later, his own recoiling at the contact even though his hand tightened its grip on her.

She released him from her embrace a moment later, her eyes fluttering open and staring at him for a few seconds before she continued on her original retreat. "Thank you, Noah."

He watched her move across the pathway to her front door, his lips still on fire long after she was inside the house. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white, and he rammed his forehead against the top of the circle a few times in frustration. His whole body was humming from her kiss and all he wanted to do was plow right through the Berry front door and have his way with her, but he knew he shouldn't. He couldn't.

Puck drove past his house and back toward Finn's. They'd all learned a lot in the past few of years, and the one thing Puck had taken to heart was lies were always worse when they came out later. He'd seen it ruin Quinn's life, he'd seen it split up Rachel and Finn, and it was a big reason why he and Lauren broke up. No matter how Finn might react or how much could be ruined, it would be nothing in comparison to what could happen if he never told him at all.

He skidded to a stop outside the Hudson-Hummel house, effortlessly shifting into park even as he opened the door and started to get out of the truck. Bounding up the front porch steps, he didn't hesitate before pulling open the screen door and pushing past the front door. He could hear the TV in the living room on, the familiar sounds of an Indians game and the colorful commentary of Burt and Finn leading Puck in the right direction. Blaine and Kurt were also in the room, though Blaine looked much more interested in the baseball game than Kurt.

He waited until the inning was over before saying anything. "Yo, Finn."

"Jesus, Puck!" Kurt placed a hand over his heart, looking startled. "You scared me to death."

"I wish," Puck muttered, never moving his eyes off Finn. "Dude, got a sec?"

Finn nodded, grabbing the empty cans of soda and Burt's beer and placing them in the empty chip bowl that was sitting on the coffee table in front of Burt. The two teenagers moved to the kitchen, Puck pacing in the small space while Finn cleaned up. He had driven over to the house so quickly that he hadn't really given much thought to what he would say once he arrived. Did he tell Finn that Rachel kissed him or that they kissed? He wasn't exactly unwilling even though she'd clearly initiated the whole thing. Then again, why stop there? Maybe he should go for broke. Like, it wasn't a lie but he wasn't exactly being honest about his feelings for Rachel. Maybe he should man up and tell Finn just so the guy would know that Puck had changed.

"Mom's around here somewhere so if this is about the prank …"

"It ain't about the prank." Puck exhaled a heavy breath. "It's about Rachel."

"What about her?"

"I … she … we … " Puck groaned, stopping in front of the refrigerator and dropping his head against the white-painted metal. His hands reached up and gripped each side of the freezer door, clenching it so hard that he thought he could rip it off the hinges if he really wanted to. Slowly he looked over at his friend, his voice hoarse. "I like her."

"Well, duh." That same smile from before was back, still confusing the fuck out of him. "Of course you like her. Have you screwed anyone since you were trying to fuck her out of your system?"

Puck blinked a few times, his head slowly lifting away from the cool metal. "S'cuse me?"

"It's cool, dude." Finn shrugged. "I had my shot, and now we're friends. But, you guys … I dunno. You could really be something."

Puck wasn't sure how to react. There was the knee-jerk reflex that told him to openly mock how gay Finn sounded or at least say something about Puckasaurus not being able to be tied down. He also felt like he should refute him a little, if only for the same reasons he'd been denying it for so long as is; he promised Finn he wouldn't go after Rachel. Instead, he settled for a manly bob of his head, no emotion showing other than an amused smirk.

"Ya know, for being as dumb as rocks, you're pretty smart."

Finn chuckled and the two said a silent goodbye before Puck left to go back to his house. Even though his mom and sister were both out and he had the whole place to himself, he found himself alone in his small room, sitting on the edge of his bed in the dark. Trying to outwit his own thoughts, he busied himself by first taking a long shower and then texting back and forth with Finn about the plan for the pranks on Monday. Then, maybe because his phone was in his hand and he couldn't help himself, he clicked onto Rachel's name to shoot her a quick text before he could think about it.

R we still studyin 2gether 2morrow?

He felt like such a girl, holding his phone in both hands and just waiting for it to buzz with a text. He wasn't sure how much damage had been done by the kiss. After all, just because Finn was cool with whatever was happening between Puck and Rachel, it didn't mean that Rachel was. She'd said it just this evening; kissing is hardly messing around. Maybe her embrace had just been a thank you and not her own battle of wills losing.

Rain check.

Puck groaned, getting his answer in two short words. Maybe his friendship with Finn would stay intact, but things with Rachel were ruined. She probably regretted it instantly and was now in the middle of some heartfelt confession with Finn. The two would patch things up and both of their friendships with Puck would fade because Finn knew about Puck's feelings for Rachel and he'd be uncomfortable with either of them spending time with him.

I'm busy planning the best prank ever. ;)

He grinned slowly, reclining to a laying down position while his arms fell to his sides. It was only about ten at night and he wasn't sure if he could get his mind to shut off long enough for him to fall asleep, but he had to try. He wanted to be well rested for tomorrow so he and Finn could perfect all their prank plans, maybe even bring the other glee kids in more to help seal the deal. He had to win because if she lost he wouldn't just get anything he wanted; it was quite possible he'd get everything.