This Doesn't Need To Get Complicated: Chapter Three
This Doesn’t Need to Get Complicated
Chapter 03
Chapter One | Chapter Two
((XX))
Rachel sat right on the edge of the bar stool, both hands wrapped tightly around the glass of sparkling water she had ordered for herself when she walked in twenty minutes ago, but had yet to touch. She had been set on another quiet Friday night in her apartment, with a good novel and some music; when Santana had called, surprising her, and demanded that she come out to the bar.
“We have to play nice,” she scoffed when Rachel couldn’t help but question why Santana would voluntarily invite her, and she knew that this was Noah’s doing.
The other girl was on the opposite side of the bar now, focused on the game of pool and intense round of flirting with a group of college aged tourists, and Noah was somewhere else, getting ready to go up on stage.
She smiled quickly at the bartender who made sure she had everything she needed, and went back to listlessly staring around the room. She knew, deep down, that she would be spending a lot more time with Santana now and that they would need to get past the lingering tension of their high school rivalry.
Picking up her glass, she slid down off the seat and made her way across to the game; ready to join Santana for the next round.
*
Rachel laughed at something that one of the boys, visiting from Germany, said as Santana continued to beat them all soundly in the latest round of pool. They heard Noah’s voice coming from the microphone in the background, and the beginning chords of a song strummed for his guitar.
“So do you come here often?” The one standing next to Rachel, Klaus, asked; his accent heavy as Rachel strained to understand him.
“Recently,” Rachel admitted nodding. “I’m here with…” she faltered; she had trouble describing the complexity of her relationship with Noah to friends, much less a complete stranger. “I…I came with Santana.” She decided that was her safest option, smiling at the girl who had cocked a knowing eyebrow.
Neither of them was paying much attention as to what was happening on stage, so Rachel almost jumped a mile high when Puck’s calloused fingers skimmed across her lower back as he joined them at the table, his beer already in his hand.
“You doing okay?” He muttered to Rachel, as Klaus finally managed to get the cue stick off Santana.
“I’m fine Noah,” Rachel answered just as quietly. “I’m having fun with Santana at the moment.”
“Relax Berry,” Puck groaned out, running a hand through his hair. He was sitting slumped in an armchair in Rachel’s living room, a beer bottle in his hand; his favourite, that Rachel had remembered to buy when she was at the grocery store that morning. He was talking to the closed and locked bathroom door, and he had been getting no reply since the sound of the lock had turned a couple of minutes earlier.
He wasn’t going to let her go through this alone again. The moment he had agreed to do this for Rachel, with Rachel, he knew he had accept a lifelong, life changing responsibility and he was sure that he wasn’t going to start it off by letting her go through the disappointment of another negative test, knowing that she had most probably let herself get her hopes up again.
He wasn’t going to let history repeat itself, and be like his own useless father; a sperm donor who couldn’t be counted on for shit. He was going to be there for his child, and be involved in their life, and he was going to be there for moral support for Rachel every step of the way.
Rachel sat on the closed toilet lid, ignoring the feeling of déjà vu that had washed over earlier while she was waiting, because this time everything was different. She hadn’t used the second test, but she didn’t need it. She could feel it this time.
She was pregnant.
Quickly washing her hands, she burst out of the bathroom surprising Puck, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Reflexively, one hand went to her lower back to keep her steady.
“I’m pregnant,” she whispered, lifting her head off his shoulder so he could hear her. “I’m going to have a baby. We’re going to have a baby.”
“That’s great Rach,” he kissed her cheek softly. “You’re going to be a great mum.”
She giggled, the sound making her sound a lot younger than the twenty five she really was; she like the new label. “You’re going to make a terrific father,” she told him earnestly. “This baby is going to be so lucky. Thank you so much for everything Noah.”
The two of them stayed like that; Rachel’s arms wrapped around his neck, his hand resting on her back, neither of them in a hurry to move away.
“Okay, Berry. Get up.” Puck eventually said, patting her back as she slowly pulled away from him. “What do we do now?”
Rachel had told Puck that the pregnancy should be kept between the two of them for the first couple of months, until the first trimester passed and the chance of miscarriage decreased. He had seen the logic in her explanation, but the next time he had seen Santana she had guessed straight away.
“Jus’, shut up about it though. She doesn’t want anyone to know yet.” He warned her. “You know you have to actually be nice to her now though, right?”
“She’s fine Puck,” Santana insisted; taking position for her turn again. “She’s a big girl, she can take care of herself.” She shot her friend a warning glare and he instantly backed off.
*
The fact that Rachel’s pregnant doesn’t really set in until the three month mark, when he’s sitting next to her in the ob-gyn’s waiting room, surrounded by a number of women in different stages of their pregnancies.
He notices one woman, and thinks that she must be at least seven or eight months along. His eyes dart down to Rachel’s flat stomach and he tries to imagine her stomach swollen with his child. He can’t even picture her that big.
He knew she was restless to get this appointment over with, she’s struggled the last couple of months to keep it a secret, and she just want to tell someone the good news.
Puck had tried to tell her that she should be able to tell a friend, especially since Santana knew; but she had been adamant that she wanted as little people as possible to know until she had reached the first milestone.
He would have tried to reason with her, that she needed someone to confide in besides him, if a pregnant and hormonal Rachel hadn’t completely freaked him out. He had just nodded and agreed with her instead.
His hand reached out to her knee, massaging it gently as her foot began to bounce. “Don’t stress,” he murmured to her quietly. “We’re going to get in there soon enough.”
“Our appointment was for ten minutes ago, Noah.” She grumbled; she had never been good with patiently waiting.
“And we’ll get there soon. Just stop worrying.”
She stopped bouncing her knee when he didn’t move his hand, and started to gnaw on her bottom lip instead. He sighed, and let her be. He had to begin to pick his arguments, and this one just wasn’t worth it.
“Miss Berry,” a nurse appeared from the hallway leading into the offices, manila folder in hand as she glanced down at Rachel’s name.
“Finally,” The tiny brunette groaned, launching out of her seat; pulling Puck behind her.
*
Half an hour later, they were back under the late afternoon sun, walking the distance back to Rachel’s apartment. Tucked into her handbag, she had all the brochures that had been offered to her, regarding prenatal health and nutrition and exercise; everything that she hadn’t picked up at her first appointment or found in her nights of internet research.
“You good?” Puck asked as they stopped at a corner, waiting for the lights to turn green. “It’s a lot to think about…”
Rachel nodded, reaching up to tuck a couple stray strands of auburn hair behind her ear. “It’s good, I’m excited. I can’t wait to be a mother.” Rachel beamed. “It’s just…I’m really going to be a mother.” She let out a little squeal, and Puck laughed as they began to walk again.
Unlocking the front door to her apartment Rachel almost lunged to her phone; eager to call Kurt and finally tell him the good news. He was never going to forgive her for keeping this a secret from him for the last three months, but she hoped that the promise of godfather would appease him, and soften the blow.
Puck laughed as he grabbed a beer out of her fridge, watching her face light up as she listened to Kurt’s reaction over the phone. Sitting down on one of her counter stools, he realized that he was going to have to tell his mother now - and god knows how that would end up.
My aim is to start writing more than one chapter for this fic every two months. This last year I’ve had so much time to write, but I’ve been struggling with the longest stretch of writer’s block ever. Nothing’s coming to me and I’m trying to work through it.
Until then, review, because I do know where I’m taking this story. (That’s a bonus at least)
Chapter 03
Chapter One | Chapter Two
((XX))
Rachel sat right on the edge of the bar stool, both hands wrapped tightly around the glass of sparkling water she had ordered for herself when she walked in twenty minutes ago, but had yet to touch. She had been set on another quiet Friday night in her apartment, with a good novel and some music; when Santana had called, surprising her, and demanded that she come out to the bar.
“We have to play nice,” she scoffed when Rachel couldn’t help but question why Santana would voluntarily invite her, and she knew that this was Noah’s doing.
The other girl was on the opposite side of the bar now, focused on the game of pool and intense round of flirting with a group of college aged tourists, and Noah was somewhere else, getting ready to go up on stage.
She smiled quickly at the bartender who made sure she had everything she needed, and went back to listlessly staring around the room. She knew, deep down, that she would be spending a lot more time with Santana now and that they would need to get past the lingering tension of their high school rivalry.
Picking up her glass, she slid down off the seat and made her way across to the game; ready to join Santana for the next round.
*
Rachel laughed at something that one of the boys, visiting from Germany, said as Santana continued to beat them all soundly in the latest round of pool. They heard Noah’s voice coming from the microphone in the background, and the beginning chords of a song strummed for his guitar.
“So do you come here often?” The one standing next to Rachel, Klaus, asked; his accent heavy as Rachel strained to understand him.
“Recently,” Rachel admitted nodding. “I’m here with…” she faltered; she had trouble describing the complexity of her relationship with Noah to friends, much less a complete stranger. “I…I came with Santana.” She decided that was her safest option, smiling at the girl who had cocked a knowing eyebrow.
Neither of them was paying much attention as to what was happening on stage, so Rachel almost jumped a mile high when Puck’s calloused fingers skimmed across her lower back as he joined them at the table, his beer already in his hand.
“You doing okay?” He muttered to Rachel, as Klaus finally managed to get the cue stick off Santana.
“I’m fine Noah,” Rachel answered just as quietly. “I’m having fun with Santana at the moment.”
“Relax Berry,” Puck groaned out, running a hand through his hair. He was sitting slumped in an armchair in Rachel’s living room, a beer bottle in his hand; his favourite, that Rachel had remembered to buy when she was at the grocery store that morning. He was talking to the closed and locked bathroom door, and he had been getting no reply since the sound of the lock had turned a couple of minutes earlier.
He wasn’t going to let her go through this alone again. The moment he had agreed to do this for Rachel, with Rachel, he knew he had accept a lifelong, life changing responsibility and he was sure that he wasn’t going to start it off by letting her go through the disappointment of another negative test, knowing that she had most probably let herself get her hopes up again.
He wasn’t going to let history repeat itself, and be like his own useless father; a sperm donor who couldn’t be counted on for shit. He was going to be there for his child, and be involved in their life, and he was going to be there for moral support for Rachel every step of the way.
Rachel sat on the closed toilet lid, ignoring the feeling of déjà vu that had washed over earlier while she was waiting, because this time everything was different. She hadn’t used the second test, but she didn’t need it. She could feel it this time.
She was pregnant.
Quickly washing her hands, she burst out of the bathroom surprising Puck, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Reflexively, one hand went to her lower back to keep her steady.
“I’m pregnant,” she whispered, lifting her head off his shoulder so he could hear her. “I’m going to have a baby. We’re going to have a baby.”
“That’s great Rach,” he kissed her cheek softly. “You’re going to be a great mum.”
She giggled, the sound making her sound a lot younger than the twenty five she really was; she like the new label. “You’re going to make a terrific father,” she told him earnestly. “This baby is going to be so lucky. Thank you so much for everything Noah.”
The two of them stayed like that; Rachel’s arms wrapped around his neck, his hand resting on her back, neither of them in a hurry to move away.
“Okay, Berry. Get up.” Puck eventually said, patting her back as she slowly pulled away from him. “What do we do now?”
Rachel had told Puck that the pregnancy should be kept between the two of them for the first couple of months, until the first trimester passed and the chance of miscarriage decreased. He had seen the logic in her explanation, but the next time he had seen Santana she had guessed straight away.
“Jus’, shut up about it though. She doesn’t want anyone to know yet.” He warned her. “You know you have to actually be nice to her now though, right?”
“She’s fine Puck,” Santana insisted; taking position for her turn again. “She’s a big girl, she can take care of herself.” She shot her friend a warning glare and he instantly backed off.
*
The fact that Rachel’s pregnant doesn’t really set in until the three month mark, when he’s sitting next to her in the ob-gyn’s waiting room, surrounded by a number of women in different stages of their pregnancies.
He notices one woman, and thinks that she must be at least seven or eight months along. His eyes dart down to Rachel’s flat stomach and he tries to imagine her stomach swollen with his child. He can’t even picture her that big.
He knew she was restless to get this appointment over with, she’s struggled the last couple of months to keep it a secret, and she just want to tell someone the good news.
Puck had tried to tell her that she should be able to tell a friend, especially since Santana knew; but she had been adamant that she wanted as little people as possible to know until she had reached the first milestone.
He would have tried to reason with her, that she needed someone to confide in besides him, if a pregnant and hormonal Rachel hadn’t completely freaked him out. He had just nodded and agreed with her instead.
His hand reached out to her knee, massaging it gently as her foot began to bounce. “Don’t stress,” he murmured to her quietly. “We’re going to get in there soon enough.”
“Our appointment was for ten minutes ago, Noah.” She grumbled; she had never been good with patiently waiting.
“And we’ll get there soon. Just stop worrying.”
She stopped bouncing her knee when he didn’t move his hand, and started to gnaw on her bottom lip instead. He sighed, and let her be. He had to begin to pick his arguments, and this one just wasn’t worth it.
“Miss Berry,” a nurse appeared from the hallway leading into the offices, manila folder in hand as she glanced down at Rachel’s name.
“Finally,” The tiny brunette groaned, launching out of her seat; pulling Puck behind her.
*
Half an hour later, they were back under the late afternoon sun, walking the distance back to Rachel’s apartment. Tucked into her handbag, she had all the brochures that had been offered to her, regarding prenatal health and nutrition and exercise; everything that she hadn’t picked up at her first appointment or found in her nights of internet research.
“You good?” Puck asked as they stopped at a corner, waiting for the lights to turn green. “It’s a lot to think about…”
Rachel nodded, reaching up to tuck a couple stray strands of auburn hair behind her ear. “It’s good, I’m excited. I can’t wait to be a mother.” Rachel beamed. “It’s just…I’m really going to be a mother.” She let out a little squeal, and Puck laughed as they began to walk again.
Unlocking the front door to her apartment Rachel almost lunged to her phone; eager to call Kurt and finally tell him the good news. He was never going to forgive her for keeping this a secret from him for the last three months, but she hoped that the promise of godfather would appease him, and soften the blow.
Puck laughed as he grabbed a beer out of her fridge, watching her face light up as she listened to Kurt’s reaction over the phone. Sitting down on one of her counter stools, he realized that he was going to have to tell his mother now - and god knows how that would end up.
My aim is to start writing more than one chapter for this fic every two months. This last year I’ve had so much time to write, but I’ve been struggling with the longest stretch of writer’s block ever. Nothing’s coming to me and I’m trying to work through it.
Until then, review, because I do know where I’m taking this story. (That’s a bonus at least)