Disclaimer – I do not own Glee, nor do I currently have any pink lemonade
Hello out there, as always thank you for reading
Here's to a new chapter, just one more to go after this (like an epilogue to just finish it off nicely – hopefully)
Chapter 43 – Pink Lemonade
The following morning, Tina woke up in Puck's arms, her head resting on his chest and a small pool of her own drool around the boy's nipple. Sitting up, she wiped a string of saliva away from the corner of her mouth and ran her hand through her hair with a sigh as she recalled the events of the night before.
"You ok, Goth Babe?" Puck asked groggily.
"F-fine," Tina stuttered and Puck frowned at her as he too sat up in the bed.
"Whoa, don't start that stuttering shit up again," Puck warned her.
"S-sorry," Tina winced. "It's j-j-just that las-t ni-night w-w-w, urgh," she growled to herself in frustration and took a few calming breaths, determined to complete the sentence. "Last night was… rough."
"I get that," Puck replied. "But you're still Queen T and you're still a badass."
"Just without any strength," Tina remarked bitterly.
"There's more to being a badass than being able to kick ass," Puck told her. "You've gotta have the look and the attitude and trust me, you own that."
"I just… I wish I didn't feel so hel-helpless," she grimaced as she stuttered once more. "I'm not saying I want to sneak out at night and go looking for trouble again. I just wish I could feel safe and confident if trouble ever came my way."
"Maybe I can help you with that," Puck offered and Tina raised an eyebrow in askance. "I could teach you some basic self-defence. You and Kurt. I want my boy to be able to hold his own if I'm not around to protect him; especially with jerks like Karofsky around."
"You could teach me to fight?" Tina asked hopefully.
"Not to fight, to defend yourself," Puck corrected. "There's a difference."
"Right, well, yeah, thanks, I'm definitely up for that," Tina said.
"Good," Puck nodded kicking off the covers and standing up. "You want some waffles?"
"Sweet holy hell, you're naked," Tina blushed covering her eyes. "That is so inappropriate, what is wrong with you, what would Kurt say?"
"Probably tell me how nice and big my cock is," Puck smirked proudly.
"Just put some pants on and cover that monster or I'll cut it off," Tina threatened still shielding her eyes.
"Don't worry Puckzilla, Queen T doesn't mean it," Puck said comfortingly.
"Eww, you named it and you talk to it?" Tina asked.
"What?" Puck shrugged. "Don't you talk to your vagina and call it Queen T's Queen V or something?"
"Do I look like the kind of girl who would name her vagina and hold a conversation with it?" Tina asked.
"I always figured you'd be pretty freaky in the bedroom department," Puck admitted.
"Just get dressed and make me waffles," Tina commanded him. "You're really disturbing me right now."
By the time the waffles were ready, Kurt had knocked on the door and been let in by Puck's little sister. Following the smell of freshly cooked waffles, Kurt found Puck and Tina eating at the table together. He immediately rushed to Tina and embraced her tightly before checking her over for any sign of injury.
"Relax, Kurt, I'm ok," Tina told him.
"I've been so worried," Kurt said before turning to acknowledge his boyfriend with a kiss. "Thank you for taking care of her."
"Told you I would, babe," Puck grinned. "And just so you know, I'm gonna be teaching you and T how to defend yourselves."
"What? Noah, I don't go around starting fights," Kurt pointed out.
"I know," Puck nodded. "But with Karofsky and some of those other jerks giving you shit I need you to be able to block an attack and throw a damn good punch if you need to."
"I hardly think that's necessary," Kurt argued.
"This is happening Kurt," Puck told him sternly. "I'm not taking no for an answer. I can't look after you all the time. I want you to be safe. Both of you," he added looking to Tina.
"Puck's right, Kurt," Tina supported. "I'd definitely feel better if I knew a few basic fighting manoeuvres. I don't ever want to feel vulnerable and helpless like I did last night."
"Alright," Kurt relented. "I guess it would be sensible to know a few basic defensive techniques. But nothing too violent," he insisted and Puck nodded in agreement. "So, what actually happened last night?" Kurt asked the girl sitting opposite.
"I don't really wanna talk about it," Tina answered through a mouthful of waffle.
"You shouldn't bottle these things up and keep them to yourself," Kurt advised her.
"I won't," Tina promised. "I just don't wanna talk about it right now. I think I'll probably head over to see Artie. Maybe if I tell him he'll get so mad at me that he'll forget he's avoiding Rachel and end up talking to her again just so he can complain about how angry I've made him and how stupid I am."
"You're not stupid," Kurt told her.
"She went out on her own at night looking for trouble, she's stupid and she knows it," Puck stated sending Tina a charming grin.
"Screw you, Puckerman," Tina retorted with a laugh as she kicked him in the shin.
XXX
After Tina had left, Puck decided he would make a start on teaching Kurt some basic self-defence. The session soon turned into Puck manhandling Kurt onto the bed, stripping him of his pants and hoisting his legs up before burying himself inside of him.
"You know, babe," Puck panted as he eased himself inside of Kurt who was whining softly underneath him. "This isn't really the way to defend yourself if some jerk attacks you."
"You're not a jerk and you're not attacking me," Kurt pointed out as he raked his well manicured nails up and down Puck's back. "Besides, I could never want to defend myself against you, especially when you do… ah, THAT!" he exclaimed as Puck rocked into him at just the right angle.
"You like that, huh?" Puck smirked and Kurt practically purred when he repeated the movement.
"Noah," Kurt whispered gripping the back of his boyfriend's head and pulling him down for a kiss.
XXX
As Tina had predicted, Artie was furious when he learned of her misguided decision to roam the streets alone at night in search of trouble.
"Are you insane, Tina?" Artie demanded to know as he wheeled himself directly in front of her and gripped her wrists as he looked up at her. "I mean, seriously, are you? Do you have any idea what could have happened to you out there?"
"I know, I was stupid," Tina admitted. "I'm sorry, ok."
"God damn it Tina, if anything ever happened to you…" Artie trailed off and Tina found herself cowering under his gaze. Even in his wheelchair Artie could still look intimidating when he was feeling passionately furious or protective. "You're a real fucking idiot, you know that?" he swore rather harshly.
"I know," Tina nodded. "That's probably why we're best friends," she suggested. "Because you're a real fucking idiot too."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Artie asked defensively.
"Just that I make the mistake of wandering out alone at night to fight the big bads of Lima," Tina answered. "While you make the mistake of distancing yourself from Rachel. I know I was dumb and that I could have gotten beaten up or… or worse. But not only could you be slowly tearing apart your own heart by staying away from Rachel, but you're tearing hers apart too. And what for? A freaking chair? That chair doesn't define you Artie, it never has. I've always seen past your chair, you know I have. And so do the other guys in Glee. So does Rachel. It's time you do too."
"Fine, I'll go and see Rachel," Artie agreed. "But only because I'm so crazy mad at you, got it?"
"Got it," Tina rolled her eyes before sending a fond smile to the back of her friend's head.
XXX
Arriving at the Berry household, Artie simply looked at the house. His anger over Tina's reckless behaviour had abated and in its place was a swarm of nerves. He had no idea what he would say to Rachel. He was seriously contemplating heading on home without seeing the girl at all when the front door opened.
"Don't even think about it Artie Abrams," Quinn Fabray said. "That girl needs you and you need her."
Quietly, Artie made his way up the driveway. He let out a sigh and kept his eyes on the floor as the blonde stepped out to wordlessly help him up the doorstep.
"How's she been?" Artie asked.
"Kind of a mess," Quinn answered honestly.
"What am I supposed to say to her?" Artie wondered aloud.
"Anything you can to make her smile," Quinn told him. "But if you make her cry, I promise you they won't find your body," she threatened. "Rachel, sweetie, someone's here to see you!" Quinn called out angelically and Artie eyed her warily as she headed off to the living-room.
"Artie?" Rachel asked uncertainly as though her eyes were deceiving her. "You're here," she smiled as she descended the stairs in one of her old favoured mini skirts and a stylish sweater that must have been picked out by Kurt.
"Yeah, I hope that's ok," Artie offered.
"Of course it is," Rachel beamed stopping on the last step, her hand on the banister. She wanted to rush to the boy and hug him but didn't know if such a gesture would be appreciated so she held herself back.
"I figured maybe we could talk," Artie said adjusting his glasses nervously.
"We could go in the backyard seeing as the suns out," Rachel suggested and Artie nodded before following her through the house feeling grateful that the Berry men had a slope at the back door.
The pair sat at the picnic table together, Rachel sitting on a chair in the sun while Artie was in the shade.
"I've really missed you Artie," Rachel dared to say as she surveyed the boy carefully. She was sure she spied a faint smile on the boy's lips but he still wouldn't make eye-contact with her. "I was hoping you'd be interested in performing a duet together for Glee Club. You know, if you wanted to, there's absolutely no pressure," she babbled. "Or we could have a double date with Kurt and Noah. Maybe even a triple date with Brittany and Santana. They aren't officially out about dating yet but even without hearing their thoughts and seeing visions I'm confident it will happen any day now. Of course that's only if… you know… if we're still dating. Are we still dating? Oh Artie, please say we're still dating because if we're not then I will just die. Not literally of course. I won't literally die. I'll die in the teenage girl sense where everything is a dramatic matter of life and death and if you and I are over my soul will forever be incomplete and a part of me will be dead even though my heart continues beating."
"Hi guys," Quinn's sunny voice interrupted Rachel's ramblings. "I brought you some pink lemonade. Drink up," she smiled brightly placing it on the picnic table before heading back into the house and discreetly watching them from the kitchen window.
"Rach," Artie said finally looking up to make eye-contact.
"Yes?" the girl asked.
"I'm sorry I haven't been around since…" he trailed off. He didn't need to complete the sentence. They both knew what he was referring to. "But I just needed some space."
"I understand," Rachel replied. "I mean, ok, I guess I can't really ever understand fully. But I try to and I want to be whatever it is you need me to be."
"Just be yourself, Rach," Artie told her. "That's all I've ever wanted from you."
"That's all I want from you too," Rachel said earnestly.
"Look," Artie moved closer to the brunette girl. "I don't really wanna talk about the accident, or the chair, or any of that crazy Choir Room stuff that happened. I just want us to carry on like nothing's changed, like everything's normal, you know?"
"Artie, nothing has changed," Rachel told him. "And everything is normal."
"Good, good," Artie nodded. "Look, can we just ignore the fact things have been weird these past weeks and ignore the fact that the lemonade is pink and that Quinn is totally spying on us from the kitchen window and just… can we just be kissing right now?"
"Kissing?" Rachel checked.
"Kissing," Artie confirmed.
"Go away Quinn!" Rachel yelled out before scooting into Artie's lap and wrapping her arms behind his neck as she met him in a kiss.
To Be Continued…
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