Fic: One and Only (Short Story)
Title: One and Only
Author: ajjha
Characters: Rachel, Puck, Rachel/Puck
Rating: PG
Summary: A series of moments between Rachel and Puck during their senior year.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Glee.
One and Only - A Short Story
She stopped singing love songs for Finn during her senior year. She didn’t stop singing love songs; she just stopped singing them for him. She can’t pinpoint a specific time when she decided that she would no longer rest her dreams for the future on the fickle shoulders of her first love. Somewhere along the line though, he stopped being the guy she would see herself waking up to every day. It surprised (and scared) her a little when Noah started showing up in his place.
She didn’t tell him though when she started singing love songs for him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He stopped being McKinley’s playboy during his senior year. He turned his attention toward homework and Glee and spat that he was still McKinley’s biggest badass when people started questioning his change. He just decided that he didn’t care anymore about freshman Cheerios and notches on his bedpost. He was graduating soon and with any luck, leaving Lima, so it was time for him to grow up a little bit. So he stopped thinking about which girl would be his next conquest to fuck and leave. It surprised (and scared) him a little when he started thinking about being with Rachel instead.
He didn’t tell her though when he started having dreams about her climbing through his window again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She gets slushied one day on her way to Glee. She’s focused on running lyrics through her head and doesn’t even see who does it. Kurt witnesses it though and ushers her outside and into the parking lot, ripping his scarf off his neck and using it to pat her down. She’s dripping with red syrup and curses at herself when she starts to cry. She hates feeling like this. Kurt tells her it’s ok to show weakness sometimes as she sobs on his shoulder. She’s still on his shoulder ten minutes later when Noah shoves Azimio toward her and he apologizes for the slushy shower.
She ignores Kurt’s “impressive Puckerman” remark and just sits in stunned silence as Noah turns and heads back into the school.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
His truck breaks down in the middle of January on a day when he is supposed to pick his sister up from school and take her to her piano lesson. He kicks the tire and swears under his breath as he stands in the middle of the McKinley parking lot. He doesn’t hear her car come to a stop behind him until she asks him if he needs a ride and then utters something about not extending him her generosity anymore if he is not going to get in and just let her freeze to death with the window rolled down. He ignores her chatter and makes fun of her car for the rest of the evening as she sits patiently with him and then takes both Puckerman’s home.
He ignores his sister’s remark about how pretty Rachel is and her questioning gaze as they walk in the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She shows up at his door the day before Valentine’s Day. She intended on going to see Mercedes but somehow ended up at his place. She half expects him to make some snide comment and send her away or ask her if she’s there to bone him. He does neither; instead he smiles as if he’s surprised and opens the door to let her in. She’s happy that he doesn’t ask her why she is there because she doesn’t have an answer. She sits on his bed, her knees pulled up to her chest and her legs covered with his blanket and they talk. She tells him about her plans for the future and runs over song selections for Glee and listens as he talks about fixing his truck and how he is struggling in Spanish class. She forces him to speak in Spanish the rest of the night and corrects him when he says something wrong. Its midnight before she knows it and they linger briefly at his front door before she tells him that it’s Valentine’s Day now and wishes him a happy day.
She ignores the feeling she gets in her chest as she pulls away and heads toward home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He’s at his locker when Finn walks by him carrying roses and a red teddy bear. He doesn’t have to watch to know they are for Rachel but he does so anyway. He locks his jaw and stares as she accepts the gifts and lifts onto her toes to give Finn a weak hug. When her eyes find his, he turns away and throws his books into his locker. He briefly reconsiders his earlier decision to not be a playboy, after all it is Valentine’s Day and there have been at least three Cheerios hint at a hookup, but then decides against it. When he slams his locker and turns to leave he finds himself face to face with Hummel.
He walks away after Kurt asks him if he is going to let Finn slip in and take her away again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She’s surprised, and maybe a little hurt, when he doesn’t ask her about Finn that night or any night after. She figures he knows she turned Finn down when she’s not back on his arm the next day. She finds herself at Noah’s house nightly now, back on his bed, back to correcting his Spanish and talking for hours. Some days, she finds herself at his locker between classes or reviewing his Spanish homework before school. It’s comfortable and she doesn’t know that she’s been this comfortable with anyone before. She finds herself pausing though one day when she goes to call Noah her friend. He laughs when he realizes what she’s doing and tells her that he wouldn’t be letting her on his bed every night if they weren’t friends.
Her heart flutters as he winks at her and then heads off down the hall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He’s surprised it took Finn so long to ask him so he’s prepared when he shows up beside his locker one day and asks what he’s doing with Rachel. He ponders a smartass response but then just shrugs and says they’re friends. It bothers him though when Finn says that no guys are friends with Rachel, they just want up her skirt, so he feels justified when he slams his shoulder against the locker and advises him that it’s not like that and to not talk about her that way. He catches Rachel’s shocked eyes as he stalks off.
He ignores Hummel’s smile and “impressive once again Puckerman” remark as he goes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She feels like she could vomit when she sees Quinn gently place her hand on his arm. Its two weeks until prom and she’s certain Quinn is back on her prom queen mission. She expected it to be with Finn though, not Noah. Part of her wants to interrupt, to possibly swat Quinn’s perfect hand from his perfect arm, but she can’t bring herself to move from her position at her locker. When she sees him smile brightly, she thinks she feels her heart literally break in two.
She agrees to go to the prom with Finn later that night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He doesn’t tell Rachel that he told Quinn he was going to ask her to prom. He can’t after she tells him she is going with Finn and he feels like the wind has been punched from his lungs. His defense mechanisms kick in and he shrugs his shoulders and asks if she’s handing Finn her V card too. She looks hurt momentarily but then bucks up and says maybe and then asks why he cares. He says he doesn’t, they’re just friends, and he hates the words as soon as they leave his mouth. He does care and the simple thought of Finn touching her makes him sick.
He agrees to take Quinn to prom later that night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She notices how wrong it feels to have Finn slip a corsage onto her wrist as they are leaving for prom. She’s not comfortable and it’s not the tight little dress Kurt helped her pick out that is causing it. Finn doesn’t seem to notice though as he places his hand on hers and whispers something about spending some time alone with her that night. She just turns away. Kurt shakes his head as she gets out of Finn’s car outside of the gymnasium and then slips beside of her. Wrong guy, Rachel, he says but she lets Finn take her hand and lead her inside.
She hides in the restroom for twenty minutes after Puck and Quinn make their grand entrance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
His eyes automatically search for Rachel when he walks into the gym with Quinn on his arm. By the time he finds her, all he sees is the back of her red dress as she vanishes out the door. He ignores Quinn’s questioning glare and asks her to dance instead. When she slides into his arms, he notices how wrong she feels there but says nothing. It’s a couple of songs later when he sees Finn lead Rachel back inside and onto the dance floor.
His breath hitches briefly when Finn spins her into the light and he sees for the first time how stunning she looks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She is determined to spend the rest of the night avoiding them so she stays in Finn’s arms and then in Blaine’s. She tries not to let it bother her when Blaine mentions that she should be happy at her prom and that Puck can’t keep his eyes off of her. She’s not successful. It’s at that point that she breaks down and she is thankful that it is Blaine’s arms that she is in and not Finn’s. He just pulls her tight and keeps her away from Finn’s prying eyes. She tells him everything then, every detail of every emotion she feels, that she has been feeling, for Noah. She tells him how much she is hurting and how hard it is to see him with Quinn. Perfect Quinn. Blaine just smiles, kisses her temple and tells her that she’s pretty perfect too and that he knows that Puck believes that.
She smiles when he hands her a microphone and tells her to do what she does best, tell him in song.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He thinks it’s pretty appropriate when Finn and Quinn are named prom king and queen. But he is surprised when it’s Rachel who takes the stage to sing right after. He’s about to turn and leave and avoid her serenade to Finn when her eyes catch his. He’s well aware that it’s the first time all evening that she’s even gazed anywhere near him and it stops him dead in his tracks. He half expects her to turn away and focus back on her first love but she doesn’t, she keeps her eyes solely on him.
The second he hears her voice, everything and everyone else disappears and he knows she is singing only to, and for, him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She feels tears spring to her eyes as the words fall freely from her mouth and she sings her feelings to Noah.
You've been on my mind
I grow fonder every day
Lose myself in time
Just thinking of your face
God only knows
Why it's taken me so long
To let my doubts go
You're the only one that I want
I don't know why I'm scared
I've been here before
Every feeling, every word
I've imagined it all
You'll never know, if you never try
To forgive your past, and simply be mine
I dare you to let me be, your
Your one and only
Promise I'm worth it
To hold in your arms
So come on
And give me a chance
To prove I am the one who can
Walk that mile
Until the end starts
If I've been on your mind
You hang on every word I say
Lose yourself in time
At the mention of my name
Will I ever know
How it feels to hold you close
And have you tell me
Whichever road I choose you'll go
I don't know why I'm scared
Cos I've been here before
Every feeling every word
I've imagined it all
You'll never know
If you never try
To forgive your past
And simply be mine
I dare you to let me be your
Your one and only
I promise I'm worth it
To hold in your arms
So come on
And give me a chance
To prove I am the one who can
Walk that mile
Until the end starts
The music continues but the words stop flowing as she watches Noah climb the stairs and walk onto the stage. Her heart feels like it may beat out of her chest as she steps back from the microphone. Before she can even react, he strides across the stage, wraps his arms around her tiny waist and lifts her up to meet his kiss. She can hear the murmur from the crowd watching them and she knows she should care about Finn’s reaction about now. She doesn’t.
She remains wrapped in his arms, reciprocating his kisses for the rest of evening and she thinks, knows, this is exactly the comfortable place she is meant to be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They are each other’s one and only. It’s only appropriate that they finally declared that with a love song.
Author: ajjha
Characters: Rachel, Puck, Rachel/Puck
Rating: PG
Summary: A series of moments between Rachel and Puck during their senior year.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Glee.
One and Only - A Short Story
She stopped singing love songs for Finn during her senior year. She didn’t stop singing love songs; she just stopped singing them for him. She can’t pinpoint a specific time when she decided that she would no longer rest her dreams for the future on the fickle shoulders of her first love. Somewhere along the line though, he stopped being the guy she would see herself waking up to every day. It surprised (and scared) her a little when Noah started showing up in his place.
She didn’t tell him though when she started singing love songs for him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He stopped being McKinley’s playboy during his senior year. He turned his attention toward homework and Glee and spat that he was still McKinley’s biggest badass when people started questioning his change. He just decided that he didn’t care anymore about freshman Cheerios and notches on his bedpost. He was graduating soon and with any luck, leaving Lima, so it was time for him to grow up a little bit. So he stopped thinking about which girl would be his next conquest to fuck and leave. It surprised (and scared) him a little when he started thinking about being with Rachel instead.
He didn’t tell her though when he started having dreams about her climbing through his window again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She gets slushied one day on her way to Glee. She’s focused on running lyrics through her head and doesn’t even see who does it. Kurt witnesses it though and ushers her outside and into the parking lot, ripping his scarf off his neck and using it to pat her down. She’s dripping with red syrup and curses at herself when she starts to cry. She hates feeling like this. Kurt tells her it’s ok to show weakness sometimes as she sobs on his shoulder. She’s still on his shoulder ten minutes later when Noah shoves Azimio toward her and he apologizes for the slushy shower.
She ignores Kurt’s “impressive Puckerman” remark and just sits in stunned silence as Noah turns and heads back into the school.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
His truck breaks down in the middle of January on a day when he is supposed to pick his sister up from school and take her to her piano lesson. He kicks the tire and swears under his breath as he stands in the middle of the McKinley parking lot. He doesn’t hear her car come to a stop behind him until she asks him if he needs a ride and then utters something about not extending him her generosity anymore if he is not going to get in and just let her freeze to death with the window rolled down. He ignores her chatter and makes fun of her car for the rest of the evening as she sits patiently with him and then takes both Puckerman’s home.
He ignores his sister’s remark about how pretty Rachel is and her questioning gaze as they walk in the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She shows up at his door the day before Valentine’s Day. She intended on going to see Mercedes but somehow ended up at his place. She half expects him to make some snide comment and send her away or ask her if she’s there to bone him. He does neither; instead he smiles as if he’s surprised and opens the door to let her in. She’s happy that he doesn’t ask her why she is there because she doesn’t have an answer. She sits on his bed, her knees pulled up to her chest and her legs covered with his blanket and they talk. She tells him about her plans for the future and runs over song selections for Glee and listens as he talks about fixing his truck and how he is struggling in Spanish class. She forces him to speak in Spanish the rest of the night and corrects him when he says something wrong. Its midnight before she knows it and they linger briefly at his front door before she tells him that it’s Valentine’s Day now and wishes him a happy day.
She ignores the feeling she gets in her chest as she pulls away and heads toward home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He’s at his locker when Finn walks by him carrying roses and a red teddy bear. He doesn’t have to watch to know they are for Rachel but he does so anyway. He locks his jaw and stares as she accepts the gifts and lifts onto her toes to give Finn a weak hug. When her eyes find his, he turns away and throws his books into his locker. He briefly reconsiders his earlier decision to not be a playboy, after all it is Valentine’s Day and there have been at least three Cheerios hint at a hookup, but then decides against it. When he slams his locker and turns to leave he finds himself face to face with Hummel.
He walks away after Kurt asks him if he is going to let Finn slip in and take her away again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She’s surprised, and maybe a little hurt, when he doesn’t ask her about Finn that night or any night after. She figures he knows she turned Finn down when she’s not back on his arm the next day. She finds herself at Noah’s house nightly now, back on his bed, back to correcting his Spanish and talking for hours. Some days, she finds herself at his locker between classes or reviewing his Spanish homework before school. It’s comfortable and she doesn’t know that she’s been this comfortable with anyone before. She finds herself pausing though one day when she goes to call Noah her friend. He laughs when he realizes what she’s doing and tells her that he wouldn’t be letting her on his bed every night if they weren’t friends.
Her heart flutters as he winks at her and then heads off down the hall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He’s surprised it took Finn so long to ask him so he’s prepared when he shows up beside his locker one day and asks what he’s doing with Rachel. He ponders a smartass response but then just shrugs and says they’re friends. It bothers him though when Finn says that no guys are friends with Rachel, they just want up her skirt, so he feels justified when he slams his shoulder against the locker and advises him that it’s not like that and to not talk about her that way. He catches Rachel’s shocked eyes as he stalks off.
He ignores Hummel’s smile and “impressive once again Puckerman” remark as he goes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She feels like she could vomit when she sees Quinn gently place her hand on his arm. Its two weeks until prom and she’s certain Quinn is back on her prom queen mission. She expected it to be with Finn though, not Noah. Part of her wants to interrupt, to possibly swat Quinn’s perfect hand from his perfect arm, but she can’t bring herself to move from her position at her locker. When she sees him smile brightly, she thinks she feels her heart literally break in two.
She agrees to go to the prom with Finn later that night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He doesn’t tell Rachel that he told Quinn he was going to ask her to prom. He can’t after she tells him she is going with Finn and he feels like the wind has been punched from his lungs. His defense mechanisms kick in and he shrugs his shoulders and asks if she’s handing Finn her V card too. She looks hurt momentarily but then bucks up and says maybe and then asks why he cares. He says he doesn’t, they’re just friends, and he hates the words as soon as they leave his mouth. He does care and the simple thought of Finn touching her makes him sick.
He agrees to take Quinn to prom later that night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She notices how wrong it feels to have Finn slip a corsage onto her wrist as they are leaving for prom. She’s not comfortable and it’s not the tight little dress Kurt helped her pick out that is causing it. Finn doesn’t seem to notice though as he places his hand on hers and whispers something about spending some time alone with her that night. She just turns away. Kurt shakes his head as she gets out of Finn’s car outside of the gymnasium and then slips beside of her. Wrong guy, Rachel, he says but she lets Finn take her hand and lead her inside.
She hides in the restroom for twenty minutes after Puck and Quinn make their grand entrance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
His eyes automatically search for Rachel when he walks into the gym with Quinn on his arm. By the time he finds her, all he sees is the back of her red dress as she vanishes out the door. He ignores Quinn’s questioning glare and asks her to dance instead. When she slides into his arms, he notices how wrong she feels there but says nothing. It’s a couple of songs later when he sees Finn lead Rachel back inside and onto the dance floor.
His breath hitches briefly when Finn spins her into the light and he sees for the first time how stunning she looks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She is determined to spend the rest of the night avoiding them so she stays in Finn’s arms and then in Blaine’s. She tries not to let it bother her when Blaine mentions that she should be happy at her prom and that Puck can’t keep his eyes off of her. She’s not successful. It’s at that point that she breaks down and she is thankful that it is Blaine’s arms that she is in and not Finn’s. He just pulls her tight and keeps her away from Finn’s prying eyes. She tells him everything then, every detail of every emotion she feels, that she has been feeling, for Noah. She tells him how much she is hurting and how hard it is to see him with Quinn. Perfect Quinn. Blaine just smiles, kisses her temple and tells her that she’s pretty perfect too and that he knows that Puck believes that.
She smiles when he hands her a microphone and tells her to do what she does best, tell him in song.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He thinks it’s pretty appropriate when Finn and Quinn are named prom king and queen. But he is surprised when it’s Rachel who takes the stage to sing right after. He’s about to turn and leave and avoid her serenade to Finn when her eyes catch his. He’s well aware that it’s the first time all evening that she’s even gazed anywhere near him and it stops him dead in his tracks. He half expects her to turn away and focus back on her first love but she doesn’t, she keeps her eyes solely on him.
The second he hears her voice, everything and everyone else disappears and he knows she is singing only to, and for, him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She feels tears spring to her eyes as the words fall freely from her mouth and she sings her feelings to Noah.
You've been on my mind
I grow fonder every day
Lose myself in time
Just thinking of your face
God only knows
Why it's taken me so long
To let my doubts go
You're the only one that I want
I don't know why I'm scared
I've been here before
Every feeling, every word
I've imagined it all
You'll never know, if you never try
To forgive your past, and simply be mine
I dare you to let me be, your
Your one and only
Promise I'm worth it
To hold in your arms
So come on
And give me a chance
To prove I am the one who can
Walk that mile
Until the end starts
If I've been on your mind
You hang on every word I say
Lose yourself in time
At the mention of my name
Will I ever know
How it feels to hold you close
And have you tell me
Whichever road I choose you'll go
I don't know why I'm scared
Cos I've been here before
Every feeling every word
I've imagined it all
You'll never know
If you never try
To forgive your past
And simply be mine
I dare you to let me be your
Your one and only
I promise I'm worth it
To hold in your arms
So come on
And give me a chance
To prove I am the one who can
Walk that mile
Until the end starts
The music continues but the words stop flowing as she watches Noah climb the stairs and walk onto the stage. Her heart feels like it may beat out of her chest as she steps back from the microphone. Before she can even react, he strides across the stage, wraps his arms around her tiny waist and lifts her up to meet his kiss. She can hear the murmur from the crowd watching them and she knows she should care about Finn’s reaction about now. She doesn’t.
She remains wrapped in his arms, reciprocating his kisses for the rest of evening and she thinks, knows, this is exactly the comfortable place she is meant to be.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They are each other’s one and only. It’s only appropriate that they finally declared that with a love song.