Our Moves Make Up For The Silence: Puck/Rachel, R
Title: Our Moves Make Up For The Silence
Author: Kelsey / marliskelsey
Pairing,Character(s): Puck/Rachel
Rating: R, for Puck's mouth
Word Count: 5,740
Spoilers: Through 1x22, Journey
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. I can only dream.
Summary: Rachel’s not really sure when it started. The lingering glances. The electricity that hangs in the air whenever they are near each other, and lasts until he’s out of her sight.
A/N: I haven't written a P/R fic in so long, I thought it was about time. Takes place at the end of their Senior Year. Title from "All Of The Gin Joints In All The World" by Fall Out Boy. Hope you enjoy!
Rachel’s really not sure when it started.
The lingering glances. The electricity that hangs in the air whenever they are near each other, and lasts until he’s out of her sight.
She tried to ignore it. She focused on applying for university.
But it’s impossible. It continues to grow and grow until Rachel wonders how nobody else notices it. It’s really the only thing she is aware of anymore, the feeling making her head swim any time Puck is there.
It’s foolish. They have nothing in common - nothing but loaded stares across the room and shallow conversations about Glee and the ridiculous weather in Ohio. She’s not sure when the quasi-friendship came about either.
In any case, whatever they have - whatever it is - she’s not entirely sure she wants it to stop.
--
The camping trip was Mike’s idea.
Most everyone is excited about it, as it’s been the only source of conversation in Glee rehearsal for the past week, much to Mr. Schuester and Rachel’s dismay.
Even though they’re done for the year (forever, but that’s too hard to say) and there’s nothing left to do, she wishes that they could do tributes to favourite numbers from past years, as she had planned. Nobody seems interested though.
“Dude, are there going to be bears?” Finn looks momentarily worried at Matt’s question.
Rachel purses her lips.
“No, Matt. As I’m sure you all assumed, I took it upon myself to extensively research White Pines Campgrounds, including perusing park ranger files dating back twenty years. I can positively say to you that there have never been any reports of bear activity in the area, nor any accidents concerning any sort of wildlife. The representative I spoke to on the phone assured me it is very safe.”
Matt and Finn look appeased.
Finn smiles at her. He’s been texting her constantly, trying to figure out what to pack and what to bring and if there’s going to be any electricity and should he bring his Xbox?
Rachel is glad that Finn is her best friend. Really. But what is the point in texting her five times in two minutes to ask if he’s going to need waterproof socks and if they even make those.
In any case, Rachel is very excited.
She’s also nervous because the…thing with Noah hasn’t gone away. Two and a half days in a secluded campground with the boy who keeps sending you electric looks across the room isn’t how Rachel pictured her graduation trip.
Not that she minds, per se. It’s just awkward.
--
“Are you going on the camping trip, Noah?”
She poses the question on the second last day of school, after the last Glee practice, after everyone else has left the choir room and they are the only two left.
She asks for the good of the team - it wouldn’t be a bonding trip if one of them is missing.
She also asks because she genuinely would like to know.
Puck continues to cram things into his backpack haphazardly, leaning over to retrieve some papers that had spilled out and landed on the ground. He shrugs. “Dunno. Is there gonna be booze?” Rachel bites her lip. “Well, I will not be partaking in any alcohol consumption, but I think Matt said that he was going to dip into his parent’s selection, so you would be free to join in that, if you wish.”
Puck laughs. “Look at you, Berry. Cutting loose like a regular teenager.”
She blushes and he smiles and the ever-present electricity crackles between them like a live wire.
Puck pulls the backpack over his shoulder and looks down at her. “Yeah. I’ll come.”
Rachel smiles and nods, turning to leave the room but Noah reaches out and catches her wrist. He stares at it for a moment, like he’s surprised he even did it, and Rachel stares at it too. Puck opens his mouth, grasping for an explanation as to why he’s still holding it.
“I - uh - I’ll see you tomorrow,” he finally mutters, before dropping her wrist like it’s burning him and stalking out of the room to leave Rachel staring after him.
Her wrist tingles where he held it.
--
They meet on Brittany’s front lawn at six in the morning. Everyone just stares at each other for the first few minutes, too tired to climb into the slew of cars waiting for them, until Mercedes sits up and announces that she is not going to wait here any more.
Rachel stands and bites her lip. She really wishes they had preplanned the seating arrangements.
The cars fill quickly. Artie, Tina, Matt and Mike in Matt’s car. Quinn, Mercedes and Kurt in Kurt’s Navigator. She stares at the remaining cars, Finn waiting patiently beside her. Either Puck’s truck or riding with Santana and Brittany.
“Do you wanna go with Puck?” Finn asks, also trying to decide between the two rides. A long car ride with Santana isn’t the most appealing option for either of them.
Puck is leaning against his truck, staring at them.
Rachel steels herself and makes a move to get into Puck’s truck.
He steps forward, still staring at her, watching her as he announces that he’s going to go alone and he’ll bring the extra luggage. Puck then busies himself with loading bag after bag into the bed of the truck, avoiding her gaze.
Finn laughs, a little nervously. “I guess its Santana’s car, then,” he exclaims.
Santana glances over at the mention of her name and proceeds to sigh.
“Whatever. Just remember the two rules of the car. Number one, it’s my music or no music. And number two, no singing on the road.”
--
The car ride is going to be at least three hours for the fastest drivers.
Rachel pores over the MapQuest directions in her lap. Santana had taken one look at them and tossed them in the back without a second glance, but Rachel is keeping the sheet in the hopes of directing them back on track should they get lost (which, without directions and the fact that Santana is inevitably distracted by Brittany, is a very likely possibility).
Regardless, Santana’s car drives nice and smooth and Finn’s freakish body heat is very comfortable, even on the seat a few inches away from her.
She turns and looks out the window.
There truly is nothing compared to the wide, open road. Rachel smiles and holds her hand out the open window, enjoying the cool wind against her outstretched palm. Finn grins from beside her in the back seat and Rachel beams back. He’s adjusts his body - far too big to be in the back seat, but Santana is driving and she wanted Brittany beside her, so that was that - and leans his head back against the head-rest.
Rachel mimics him, and the motion of the car quickly rocks her to sleep.
--
When she wakes up, it’s absolutely breathtaking. It’s just perfect, everything Rachel has been daydreaming about for the past weeks.
The pines in the distance and huge and imposing, a barrier of green across an unblemished blue sky. She can only imagine the sunsets and sunrises yet to be experienced. Birds chirp and fly between the trees, and the campsite is nice and secluded, too far from the highway to be bothered with the noises of civilization.
She looks out the window of the car and if she weren’t so nervous about Santana using violence, Rachel would have her nose pressed against the glass.
Finn smiles at her. “Ready, sleepy head?”
She smiles and nods, pushing open the door and stepping into the crisp, fresh air.
Finn graciously pulls her bag from the car and looks around the parking lot appraising. He turns to her with an eyebrow raised, grinning that trademark impish grin of his, and if Rachel didn’t know him so well, she would have assumed he was just excited.
That smile meant an idea was forming in his head - and Rachel couldn’t help but worry a little bit.
“What?” she asks. Finn shakes his head.
“Let me just get these bags to the campground and set up your tent. You can stay here and wait for the rest of us to come.” With that, he bounds off before Rachel has a chance to say anything. She watches him leave, running full blast for the trail with the sign marking White Pines Campgrounds.
She glances around the parking lot. Both Kurt’s and Matt’s cars are there, abandoned long ago by her early friends. It dawns on Rachel pretty quickly what this means.
She has to laugh. Only Finn would do this to her. Only Finn would notice what’s been going on - what everyone else seems to miss.
Rachel stands there awkwardly. It’s chilly in the woodsy area. She wishes Finn would have at least let her grab a sweater.
His truck is ridiculously loud as it pulls in.
Puck steps down from the truck, iPod ear buds still in his ears as he walks to the back of the truck and starts to pull suitcases and duffel bags down. Rachel can tell he’s singing, but she can’t hear him across the vast parking lot. Puck dances around a little bit and Rachel slaps a hand to her mouth to keep from laughing.
Puck spins around and thrusts his hips, before opening his eyes and catching sight of Rachel.
He freezes and stares at her.
Rachel fidgets with her shirt.
Slowly, carefully, he grabs as many of the luggage pieces as he can carry and begins the trek in her direction. Rachel watches him move. When he finally stops in front of her, they just look at each other for a moment, silent.
The familiar feeling in her stomach is back. The electricity is back too.
“You should really get your truck looked at. It doesn’t sound very good,” she blurts, breaking the silence. Puck looks at her incredulously.
“Nice to see you, too,” he remarks.
They fall back into the silence. Rachel rocks a little bit on her heels, a terrible habit she picked up to deal with the nerves before competitions and performances and particularly scary or frustrating encounters with her fellow students.
“Well, I’ve got to get going,” he says, gesturing towards the bags. Rachel nods.
“Carry on,” she whispers.
Puck walks past her towards the forest, gently brushing her shoulder as he goes. Rachel can only stand still and try to figure out why her heart is racing a thousand miles a minute.
--
Sitting around an open campfire as the sun sets beyond the line of trees in the distance, Rachel has never felt so alive.
And happy. That should be added. She’s never felt happier.
Surrounded by the faces of the people she loves. And she loves them, she does. Each and every one, even Quinn, even Kurt, even Santana. The fire flickers in the night, casting an orange glow on the kids surrounding it. Rachel smiles under the cover of Finn’s enormous jacket.
“And then, do you remember when we were at Nationals last year? The one blonde girl from the Georgia choir? She comes up to me after the performance and offers me a thousand bucks to go tell the judges that we cheated and rigged the competition. One thousand dollars, people. And she was pretty too.” Mike laughs at the end of his story, and the rest of the club join in. The memory of their first Nationals is a good one.
This was the typical conversation of the night so far. Just reminiscing about their time together.
This camping trip is their last chance - the last opportunity for them to cement this version of the McKinley High School Glee Club in their minds forever.
Rachel looks quickly across the circle at Puck, eyes trained on the flames.
She’s been doing this more and more frequently. Searching for something, she supposes, something in the way he looks at her that explains everything that’s been going on.
But there’s been nothing. Since their last conversation in the parking lot, he’s barely looked at her.
“Rachel? Earth to Rachel?” Finn waves a hand over her eyes and she snaps back into focus. The conversation has turned to plans for the next few days of their trip. Brittany is excitedly trying to convince everyone that they should go searching for animals in the woods, and judging from the amused expression on Santana’s face and the terrified looks on everyone else’s, Rachel doesn’t think that playing hide-and-seek with wild animals is going to go over well amongst the group.
“What about canoeing? I saw a kiosk down by the lake.” Matt offers. Several people murmur their agreement.
“And then the next day we can hike,” Quinn adds and then pauses, “but what about Artie?”
The boy shrugs. “No biggie. I can stick around here.”
Quinn still looks guilty.
“It’s fine, Quinn,” Artie says kindly, laying a hand on her shoulder.
“Mm, nature. Not really my thing,” muses Santana from her seat on the floor, looking down when Brittany curls further into her side. She looks disdainfully around at the surrounding woods. Quinn rolls her eyes. “You’re telling us this now. After we drove three hours to a nature park. You were all for this when Mike proposed it.”
Santana shrugs. “I can change my mind, can’t I?”
Quinn rolls her eyes again, clearly used to putting up with Santana. “Whatever. We’re hiking.”
“And then we can have a bonfire afterwards!” Tina smiles excitedly from her seat in Artie’s lap.
They continue to talk about their new plans late into the night, until Brittany is asleep in Santana’s lap and Tina’s dozing off. The guys are all still hyper, of course, but Rachel’s carefully followed sleep schedule is demanding that she go to sleep.
She stands from the campfire.
“Night, Rach,” Finn says beside her. Everyone else just waves. Puck doesn’t look up from the fire.
Rachel retreats to the tent she shares with Quinn and rolls out her sleeping bag. She wonders what the coming days are going to bring. She wonders if Puck will ever acknowledge her existence again.
She rolls over and hopes for sleep to come.
--
Canoeing is chaos.
The kiosk isn’t open when they get there in the morning and it doesn’t open until almost three o’clock. Everyone stands around and waits, talking and walking around, dancing and singing. The man who comes to open up is very surprised when he comes upon them, twelve teenagers performing complicated choreography in front of his secluded canoe stand.
Once they have their canoes, it’s a mad scramble to get in the thing with a partner. Kurt and Mercedes cling to each other until they can both clamber in and claim a boat. The usual pairs go off, leaving Quinn, Puck, Rachel and Finn without someone for themselves.
Quinn looks very torn. On one hand, she could go with Rachel. Puck and Finn in one canoe will only end in a stupid fight over who’s the better rower.
But then there’s the option of Puck. And that’s really not something she wants.
Rachel stands around awkwardly in her swimsuit, a tiny two-piece that she really regrets bringing on the trip because it is not suited to this, despite how nice it makes her butt look.
Puck is staring again.
She blushes. This…thing, whatever it is, involves a lot of staring and secret looks, she realizes. But at least he’s actually noticing her for once in this trip.
He brushes her arm again when he goes to claim a canoe.
“Finn, you in?”
Finn startles and turns to look at his friend. He smiles. “Sure!”
They put the boat to the water and tentatively step in, and when Finn tries to settle himself, Puck holds onto the sides of the boat for dear life, knuckles turning white.
“I’m canoeing with a sasquatch,” he mutters. Finn drops down unceremoniously into the seat behind him.
“Shut up, Puckerman.”
Rachel’s almost thankful that she doesn’t have to canoe with Puck. Almost. Perhaps the forced contact would turn into a discussion about the obvious tension between them, and the fact that Puck is ignoring it when Rachel can’t.
When they’ve gone and disappeared around the trees to the other side of the lake, Rachel turns to Quinn. “Would you like the bow or the back, Quinn?” she asks and Quinn quirks an eyebrow.
“Nice nautical terms, Berry,” she chuckles.
--
The lake is serene and beautiful. Rachel admires the scenery from her position in the back of the canoe, rowing idly along. The soft sounds of the water and the almost complete silence are possibly one of the best things she’s ever heard.
She casts a glance across the lake, where various canoes are scattered in the distance and sighs.
Quinn clears her throat.
“Have you noticed something about Puck?” Rachel startles, abruptly pulling her paddle from the water, before dipping it back in and hoping Quinn didn’t notice.
She did. Quinn turns in her seat to look at Rachel knowingly.
“I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, Quinn.” She looks at her knees.
“Please, Rachel. Even Brittany can see what’s going on.” When Rachel still doesn’t look up, Quinn stops rowing and turns fully around so that she’s facing Rachel head-on.
Rachel really feels new sympathy for anyone who’s ever had to face down Quinn Fabray.
“The heated stares? Absolutely no bodily contact whatsoever, no matter what, not even when necessary? The blushing? Oh God,” Quinn grimaces, “don’t get me started on the blushing.”
Rachel looks up into Quinn’s face. The other girl stares back, her jaw set.
“I don’t blush that much,” she whispers. Quinn scoffs.
“You turn red the minute he walks within five feet of you.”
Rachel looks away and out across the lake. She used to feel safe in the fact that no one else seemed to know what was happening between her and Puck. At least that way it was easier to ignore it.
Quinn leans forward more. “He likes you,” she intones.
Rachel looks back at Quinn, who’s nodding to reaffirm what she just said. She scowls. “Well, he’s got a stupid way of showing it,” she mutters, glowering at the distant shapes of the other’s canoes.
Quinn throws her hands in the air.
“Whatever, Rachel. Don’t listen to me. But, please, for the sake of everyone, try to diffuse the sexual tension sometime soon. Watching you guys stare at each other is getting tiring.”
Rachel sulks for the rest of the canoe ride.
Mostly because she knows that Quinn is right.
--
That night is even more awkward. Rachel looks around the campfire constantly, wondering if everyone else has figured it out. She’s paranoid, probably.
But then Quinn catches her eye across the fire and jerks her head towards Puck.
Rachel looks over.
Puck’s eyes widen for a moment - still fixated on her face as they had been a moment before - before dropping to his lap, where he fidgets furiously with his fingers. Rachel sighs.
It’s getting ridiculous and Quinn is absolutely right. If they don’t put an end to this - if they don’t admit what’s happening - then they both are going to go away to different schools in different states and potentially never meet again without knowing what could have been. It’s time to put a name to what the electricity really is.
It’s wanting. It’s affection.
Rachel likes Puck. A lot. Way more than she ever should, but she does and there’s really no getting around it anymore.
Tomorrow. She’ll talk to him after the bonfire.
--
When Rachel wakes up in the tent, the sounds of people outside are floating through the canvas. She climbs out to be greeted by the sight of everyone else awake but her. She glances at her watch. It’s almost two o’clock.
“Why didn’t anyone wake me up?”
Santana glances up from her nails. “Because we were enjoying the quiet.”
Rachel rolls her eyes. “Do you ever do anything related to work, Santana?” The other girl just rolls her eyes and continues to file her nails from her perch on a rock. Everyone else is loading up backpacks with food, maps, compasses and water. Rachel walks to where Finn is staring at his backpack.
“I can’t make it all fit,” he groans. Rachel laughs. “That’s because you’ve included a hot plate. Are you planning on cooking meals out in the woods?” She pulls the hot plate from the bag. Sure enough, it zips.
Finn pouts a little as he slings it on his back.
Artie summons everyone’s attention. “Tina and I will stay here and guard the camp, and start to set up for the bonfire. Everyone else should split into two groups, and meet back here when it starts to get dark.”
Kurt looks at him. “Are you sure you don’t need more company? I feel bad that you have to be left out.”
Artie glances at Tina slyly, who flushes red and looks away.
“I think we can keep ourselves occupied.”
Kurt wrinkles his nose. “Thanks for that lovely visual.”
The groups split up, with Santana, Brittany, Quinn, Mike and Matt in one group, and because the fates are conspiring against Rachel, her group consists of Kurt, Mercedes, Finn and Puck. From the way Puck keeps looking at her, she can tell that he’s not thrilled either.
--
The trails are long and winding through the forest. Rachel, who’s annual family camping trip has her skilled in many areas of hiking, has no issue. Kurt and Mercedes are a different story.
“Look at my shoes. Just look.” Kurt stares down at his muddy hiking boots sullenly.
They’d been at it for hours, and the sun is slowly starting to dip below the horizon.
Mercedes just sighs and brushes some leaves off her sweater. Finn places a hand on his shoulder and smiles down at his step-brother. “Don’t worry about it, Kurt. It’s just some mud.”
Kurt grumbles unintelligibly.
Puck hasn’t looked up from the ground the entire hike, and has crashed into things several times. Trees, bushes, other people - everything. His eyes are still trained on his shoes.
She’s been compulsively analyzing his every action.
Rachel saves herself from walking over there and demanding they discuss this by reminding herself that she is planning an ambush for after the bonfire tonight.
She’s thinking of an opening line when her ears start to ring and her vision starts to haze.
Rachel looks up in confusion and Finn asks her something, but she can’t hear him. She can somewhat make out Puck and Mercedes running over to her. The ringing is getting louder and suddenly the ground is rushing up to meet her face, and then there’s nothing but a few panicked voices and complete silence.
--
“Fuck. Fuck. Rachel, wake up. Wake up!"
She opens her eyes slowly and hisses because the flashlight that someone is holding into her face is extremely bright and making her head pound furiously.
“Turn it off!” she growls, swatting at the light. It gets pulled away.
Rachel blinks to get used to the dim light. It’s dark and there’s a figure hunched over her. Where is she? The last thing she remembers is watching Puck avoid watching her. And she remembers her vision getting blurry and the awful ringing. But after that, there’s nothing. Panicked, Rachel tries to sit up, and grunts when two strong hands push her back down.
“Not so fast, Berry,” a voice rumbles and Rachel blinks furiously to clear her vision.
Puck’s face is literally inches from hers.
She sucks in a breath. “Hi,” she whispers. He’s curled over her body protectively. Puck blinks several times, seeming to come to the conclusion that she is now fully conscious before springing away and taking several steps back. “She’s awake,” he announces.
Finn, Kurt and Mercedes rush over immediately, blocking her view of Puck, who’s reverted back to his tried-and-true method of avoiding her.
Finn leans over and looks at her. “Rach, I was so worried,” he laments and Mercedes nods.
She sits up slowly, conscious of the pounding in her head. “I’m sorry you were worried. What exactly happened?” Finn looks at Mercedes, who looks over to Kurt. He starts.
“One minute we were just walking along and the next minute, you’re on the ground, unconscious. It was very dramatic, of course, we’d expect nothing less of you,” Kurt smiles fondly at this before leaning in close to whisper, “and then, out of nowhere, Puck pushes Finn out of the way to get to you. You were out for a good half-an-hour and he stayed with you the entire time. He was quite distraught, actually.” Rachel cranes her neck at this news, desperate to catch a glimpse of him. He rushed to her aid.
It would be more romantic if he wasn’t trying everything to pretend she doesn’t exist.
Kurt and Mercedes lean in further at the prospect of gossip. “What exactly is going on with you two?” Mercedes whispers, inclining her head curiously.
“He’s been staring at you longingly the entire trip, and now he’s come to your rescue. That screams forbidden love to me,” Kurt muses.
Rachel frowns. “First, I don’t need anybody to come to my “rescue” because I am a perfectly capable young woman, and I do not need a man to save me. And secondly, I can’t believe everybody else has noticed and I never knew!” Her cry is cut off by extremely soft hands covering her mouth. She stares exasperatedly at Kurt.
“Darling, in the midst of a secretive conversation, shrieking isn’t recommended,” he quips and pulls his hands away.
Mercedes and Kurt stand, helping Rachel to her feet. She dusts off her hiking gear.
Mercedes leans in close to her ear. “That boy is crazy about you.”
Rachel sighs. She pulls her backpack back on. “We should leave if we’re going to make it back by sunset,” she says brusquely. Kurt and Mercedes share a knowing glance before pulling their own packs on and moving back in the direction they came, Finn bounding ahead and Puck lagging behind.
--
The bonfire goes off without a hitch, a nice change to the day. Kurt and Mercedes waste no time in telling everybody that Rachel passed out on their hike, despite her assurances that it was just dehydration.
They won’t admit it, but Rachel suspects they told the Puck part too.
From the way everyone is looking between her and Puck (still avoiding her eyes), Rachel’s actually pretty positive that that is the case.
Tonight, they’re singing and dancing around the campfire. Brittany and Mike lead a rather spirited rendition of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” while everyone else either sings along or watches in amused silence. The bonfire casts light across the entire fire pit and every person crowded around it.
In a way, Rachel never wants this to end.
As excited as she is to finally make it to New York, she’s a little scared too. This is familiar. This is home.
The party is lasting long into the night. Puck’s disappeared somewhere. Rachel’s dozing off when Quinn pulls her aside and hands her a note. She rolls her eyes as she places the folded paper in Rachel’s palm.
“You guys are so third grade,” she murmurs before going back to rejoin the group.
Rachel unfolds the paper curiously.
Rachel,
Meet me in the woods right now.
Puckasaurus
Puck
Noah Puckerman
She gulps. Not even the endearing name re-writing can make her feel less anxious.
Rachel folds the note carefully and puts it into her pocket, ignoring the hammering of her heart and telling Finn that she’ll be right back.
--
She seriously regrets the decision to meet Puck in the woods beyond the campground because it’s dark and scary and Rachel is far too talented to die at eighteen years old.
“Noah?” she whispers, but the forest is so vast and thick that her voice disappears a foot from her face.
Rachel continues through the brush, glancing around for any glimpse of the boy she’s supposed to be meeting. She can still hear the faint sounds of the Glee Club in the distance, but they’re getting quieter and quieter the further she walks from them, and she’s seriously considering turning around.
Two arms suddenly encircle her waist and Rachel screams.
“Fuck, Berry, stop screaming. It’s just me.” Puck smirks.
She wonders why he’s acting so normal. Buffoonish, yes, but that’s normal for him.
Rachel sucks in a breath and fixes him with a glare. “Would you begrudge me a scream if you had turned out to be some crazed maniac killing off teenagers in the woods?”
He snorts. Rachel bites her lip.
“Noah, would you unhand me please?”
His arms drop from where they had been draped around her and he steps back a good two feet. “Sorry,” he murmurs and Rachel just nods her forgiveness.
They stand in the quiet of the forest for a moment, Rachel listens to the faint sounds of her Glee Club in the campground, where she snuck away from them dancing and singing and laughing into the night.
“Are you going to tell me why you asked me to meet you in the forest of all places, or are we going to stand around like this forever?” She asks.
Puck looks away and murmurs something.
Rachel steps closer. “Pardon?”
He says it again. Rachel tilts her head, because really, must every teenage boy mumble when he has actual feelings to talk about or does this only apply to the boys she likes?
“I still can’t hear you, Noah.”
He scowls and steps closer. “Damn it, I like you!” he shouts. Rachel jumps at his outburst.
“What?” she squeaks.
Puck growls and throws his hands in the air.
“Goddamn, for someone with perfect pitch, you have really shitty hearing!”
Rachel’s brow furrows angrily. “I take offense to that, Noah. I have perfect hearing. I heard you just fine there. It’s not my fault that instead of just speaking louder, you continue to mumble along, which is very rude, by the way. Now, either speak up and tell me why you’ve asked me here, or I am going to go back to the warmth of the fire and you can either choose to follow me or not.” She stares at him expectantly. Puck just looks at her, his expression torn.
He begins to pace in circles while Rachel is paralyzed to the spot. He’s muttering and gesturing wildly and Rachel glances towards where the camp is, wondering if she should perhaps get someone to help him.
Suddenly, he stops and looks at her. Rachel glances over her shoulder and when she turns, he’s barreling towards her.
When their lips meet, Rachel yelps in surprise.
It’s hard and aggressive, and Rachel has to take a few steps backwards with the force of his body pressing against hers. She can feel his hand snaking around her side and coming to rest on her lower back. It holds her in place.
Not that she wants to move. Because despite the harsh desperation of it, it’s also very nice.
When he pulls away, Puck rests his forehead against hers and breathes heavily. His hand is gone and he steps away.
“It’s just, like, you and Hudson act like you’re still dating, and then I always end up fucking second-guessing myself like a loser whenever I want to talk to you. Because all I want to say is that you’re a cool chick, cooler than I ever expected, and you’re smokin’ hot. And I like you. But every time I say it out loud, I just feel lame. So I couldn’t say it. But, damn it, I can’t let you go away to fucking NYU and not know that I fucking like you.”
He stares at her imploringly, his hands outstretched like he’s asking her to understand.
Rachel moves her mouth but no words come out.
His face falls and Puck looks at the ground. “And I just fucking poured my heart out like a pansy, and you don’t even feel the same way. Fucking great. That’s my luck.”
“I do, though.”
His eyes snap up and lock on hers, and Rachel shivers a little bit. “What?” he sputters.
Rachel can’t help but smile, because he feels the same way. “God, you have poor hearing,” she teases.
He feels the same. He feels the same. He likes her. Noah Puckerman and Rachel Berry have feelings for each other.
Puck frowns. “Don’t joke with me, Berry. Don’t tell me I just expressed feelings and shit for nothin’.”
She wants to laugh. She does laugh. “I’m telling the absolute truth, Noah. I too share romantic feelings for you, and I think that you should come back over here and kiss me again.”
He smirks at that and walks over until he’s pressed against her chest.
Puck leans down and drops a kiss to her shoulder.
“We can see each other on breaks. And visit each other on campus. And we can text and call each other.”
He presses a kiss to her ear.
Rachel stomps her foot. “On my mouth,” she whispers, frustrated and Puck chuckles. “Baby, I’m just getting to the good stuff,” he comments.
“Good.”
And then he kisses her again, on her mouth, and there are fireworks and electricity and joyous music.
At least that’s what Rachel thinks.
--
When they back to the camp hand-in-hand, everybody claps and wolf-whistles. Quinn rolls her eyes and mutters “finally”.
When the packing commences the next day, and there’s crying and laughter and promises to stay in touch, he’s there. When she climbs into the cab of his truck, Finn frowns a little bit and whispers his concerns with being alone in a car with Brittany and Santana.
Kurt, who’s beside him, rolls his eyes.
“Ride in our car, goof. I think we can squeeze you in.”
And when they get home to Lima, there’s a lot more kissing.
--
Rachel’s not really sure when it started. The lingering glances. The electricity that hangs in the air whenever they are near each other, and lasts until he’s out of her sight.
But she never wants it to end.
Author: Kelsey / marliskelsey
Pairing,Character(s): Puck/Rachel
Rating: R, for Puck's mouth
Word Count: 5,740
Spoilers: Through 1x22, Journey
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. I can only dream.
Summary: Rachel’s not really sure when it started. The lingering glances. The electricity that hangs in the air whenever they are near each other, and lasts until he’s out of her sight.
A/N: I haven't written a P/R fic in so long, I thought it was about time. Takes place at the end of their Senior Year. Title from "All Of The Gin Joints In All The World" by Fall Out Boy. Hope you enjoy!
Rachel’s really not sure when it started.
The lingering glances. The electricity that hangs in the air whenever they are near each other, and lasts until he’s out of her sight.
She tried to ignore it. She focused on applying for university.
But it’s impossible. It continues to grow and grow until Rachel wonders how nobody else notices it. It’s really the only thing she is aware of anymore, the feeling making her head swim any time Puck is there.
It’s foolish. They have nothing in common - nothing but loaded stares across the room and shallow conversations about Glee and the ridiculous weather in Ohio. She’s not sure when the quasi-friendship came about either.
In any case, whatever they have - whatever it is - she’s not entirely sure she wants it to stop.
--
The camping trip was Mike’s idea.
Most everyone is excited about it, as it’s been the only source of conversation in Glee rehearsal for the past week, much to Mr. Schuester and Rachel’s dismay.
Even though they’re done for the year (forever, but that’s too hard to say) and there’s nothing left to do, she wishes that they could do tributes to favourite numbers from past years, as she had planned. Nobody seems interested though.
“Dude, are there going to be bears?” Finn looks momentarily worried at Matt’s question.
Rachel purses her lips.
“No, Matt. As I’m sure you all assumed, I took it upon myself to extensively research White Pines Campgrounds, including perusing park ranger files dating back twenty years. I can positively say to you that there have never been any reports of bear activity in the area, nor any accidents concerning any sort of wildlife. The representative I spoke to on the phone assured me it is very safe.”
Matt and Finn look appeased.
Finn smiles at her. He’s been texting her constantly, trying to figure out what to pack and what to bring and if there’s going to be any electricity and should he bring his Xbox?
Rachel is glad that Finn is her best friend. Really. But what is the point in texting her five times in two minutes to ask if he’s going to need waterproof socks and if they even make those.
In any case, Rachel is very excited.
She’s also nervous because the…thing with Noah hasn’t gone away. Two and a half days in a secluded campground with the boy who keeps sending you electric looks across the room isn’t how Rachel pictured her graduation trip.
Not that she minds, per se. It’s just awkward.
--
“Are you going on the camping trip, Noah?”
She poses the question on the second last day of school, after the last Glee practice, after everyone else has left the choir room and they are the only two left.
She asks for the good of the team - it wouldn’t be a bonding trip if one of them is missing.
She also asks because she genuinely would like to know.
Puck continues to cram things into his backpack haphazardly, leaning over to retrieve some papers that had spilled out and landed on the ground. He shrugs. “Dunno. Is there gonna be booze?” Rachel bites her lip. “Well, I will not be partaking in any alcohol consumption, but I think Matt said that he was going to dip into his parent’s selection, so you would be free to join in that, if you wish.”
Puck laughs. “Look at you, Berry. Cutting loose like a regular teenager.”
She blushes and he smiles and the ever-present electricity crackles between them like a live wire.
Puck pulls the backpack over his shoulder and looks down at her. “Yeah. I’ll come.”
Rachel smiles and nods, turning to leave the room but Noah reaches out and catches her wrist. He stares at it for a moment, like he’s surprised he even did it, and Rachel stares at it too. Puck opens his mouth, grasping for an explanation as to why he’s still holding it.
“I - uh - I’ll see you tomorrow,” he finally mutters, before dropping her wrist like it’s burning him and stalking out of the room to leave Rachel staring after him.
Her wrist tingles where he held it.
--
They meet on Brittany’s front lawn at six in the morning. Everyone just stares at each other for the first few minutes, too tired to climb into the slew of cars waiting for them, until Mercedes sits up and announces that she is not going to wait here any more.
Rachel stands and bites her lip. She really wishes they had preplanned the seating arrangements.
The cars fill quickly. Artie, Tina, Matt and Mike in Matt’s car. Quinn, Mercedes and Kurt in Kurt’s Navigator. She stares at the remaining cars, Finn waiting patiently beside her. Either Puck’s truck or riding with Santana and Brittany.
“Do you wanna go with Puck?” Finn asks, also trying to decide between the two rides. A long car ride with Santana isn’t the most appealing option for either of them.
Puck is leaning against his truck, staring at them.
Rachel steels herself and makes a move to get into Puck’s truck.
He steps forward, still staring at her, watching her as he announces that he’s going to go alone and he’ll bring the extra luggage. Puck then busies himself with loading bag after bag into the bed of the truck, avoiding her gaze.
Finn laughs, a little nervously. “I guess its Santana’s car, then,” he exclaims.
Santana glances over at the mention of her name and proceeds to sigh.
“Whatever. Just remember the two rules of the car. Number one, it’s my music or no music. And number two, no singing on the road.”
--
The car ride is going to be at least three hours for the fastest drivers.
Rachel pores over the MapQuest directions in her lap. Santana had taken one look at them and tossed them in the back without a second glance, but Rachel is keeping the sheet in the hopes of directing them back on track should they get lost (which, without directions and the fact that Santana is inevitably distracted by Brittany, is a very likely possibility).
Regardless, Santana’s car drives nice and smooth and Finn’s freakish body heat is very comfortable, even on the seat a few inches away from her.
She turns and looks out the window.
There truly is nothing compared to the wide, open road. Rachel smiles and holds her hand out the open window, enjoying the cool wind against her outstretched palm. Finn grins from beside her in the back seat and Rachel beams back. He’s adjusts his body - far too big to be in the back seat, but Santana is driving and she wanted Brittany beside her, so that was that - and leans his head back against the head-rest.
Rachel mimics him, and the motion of the car quickly rocks her to sleep.
--
When she wakes up, it’s absolutely breathtaking. It’s just perfect, everything Rachel has been daydreaming about for the past weeks.
The pines in the distance and huge and imposing, a barrier of green across an unblemished blue sky. She can only imagine the sunsets and sunrises yet to be experienced. Birds chirp and fly between the trees, and the campsite is nice and secluded, too far from the highway to be bothered with the noises of civilization.
She looks out the window of the car and if she weren’t so nervous about Santana using violence, Rachel would have her nose pressed against the glass.
Finn smiles at her. “Ready, sleepy head?”
She smiles and nods, pushing open the door and stepping into the crisp, fresh air.
Finn graciously pulls her bag from the car and looks around the parking lot appraising. He turns to her with an eyebrow raised, grinning that trademark impish grin of his, and if Rachel didn’t know him so well, she would have assumed he was just excited.
That smile meant an idea was forming in his head - and Rachel couldn’t help but worry a little bit.
“What?” she asks. Finn shakes his head.
“Let me just get these bags to the campground and set up your tent. You can stay here and wait for the rest of us to come.” With that, he bounds off before Rachel has a chance to say anything. She watches him leave, running full blast for the trail with the sign marking White Pines Campgrounds.
She glances around the parking lot. Both Kurt’s and Matt’s cars are there, abandoned long ago by her early friends. It dawns on Rachel pretty quickly what this means.
She has to laugh. Only Finn would do this to her. Only Finn would notice what’s been going on - what everyone else seems to miss.
Rachel stands there awkwardly. It’s chilly in the woodsy area. She wishes Finn would have at least let her grab a sweater.
His truck is ridiculously loud as it pulls in.
Puck steps down from the truck, iPod ear buds still in his ears as he walks to the back of the truck and starts to pull suitcases and duffel bags down. Rachel can tell he’s singing, but she can’t hear him across the vast parking lot. Puck dances around a little bit and Rachel slaps a hand to her mouth to keep from laughing.
Puck spins around and thrusts his hips, before opening his eyes and catching sight of Rachel.
He freezes and stares at her.
Rachel fidgets with her shirt.
Slowly, carefully, he grabs as many of the luggage pieces as he can carry and begins the trek in her direction. Rachel watches him move. When he finally stops in front of her, they just look at each other for a moment, silent.
The familiar feeling in her stomach is back. The electricity is back too.
“You should really get your truck looked at. It doesn’t sound very good,” she blurts, breaking the silence. Puck looks at her incredulously.
“Nice to see you, too,” he remarks.
They fall back into the silence. Rachel rocks a little bit on her heels, a terrible habit she picked up to deal with the nerves before competitions and performances and particularly scary or frustrating encounters with her fellow students.
“Well, I’ve got to get going,” he says, gesturing towards the bags. Rachel nods.
“Carry on,” she whispers.
Puck walks past her towards the forest, gently brushing her shoulder as he goes. Rachel can only stand still and try to figure out why her heart is racing a thousand miles a minute.
--
Sitting around an open campfire as the sun sets beyond the line of trees in the distance, Rachel has never felt so alive.
And happy. That should be added. She’s never felt happier.
Surrounded by the faces of the people she loves. And she loves them, she does. Each and every one, even Quinn, even Kurt, even Santana. The fire flickers in the night, casting an orange glow on the kids surrounding it. Rachel smiles under the cover of Finn’s enormous jacket.
“And then, do you remember when we were at Nationals last year? The one blonde girl from the Georgia choir? She comes up to me after the performance and offers me a thousand bucks to go tell the judges that we cheated and rigged the competition. One thousand dollars, people. And she was pretty too.” Mike laughs at the end of his story, and the rest of the club join in. The memory of their first Nationals is a good one.
This was the typical conversation of the night so far. Just reminiscing about their time together.
This camping trip is their last chance - the last opportunity for them to cement this version of the McKinley High School Glee Club in their minds forever.
Rachel looks quickly across the circle at Puck, eyes trained on the flames.
She’s been doing this more and more frequently. Searching for something, she supposes, something in the way he looks at her that explains everything that’s been going on.
But there’s been nothing. Since their last conversation in the parking lot, he’s barely looked at her.
“Rachel? Earth to Rachel?” Finn waves a hand over her eyes and she snaps back into focus. The conversation has turned to plans for the next few days of their trip. Brittany is excitedly trying to convince everyone that they should go searching for animals in the woods, and judging from the amused expression on Santana’s face and the terrified looks on everyone else’s, Rachel doesn’t think that playing hide-and-seek with wild animals is going to go over well amongst the group.
“What about canoeing? I saw a kiosk down by the lake.” Matt offers. Several people murmur their agreement.
“And then the next day we can hike,” Quinn adds and then pauses, “but what about Artie?”
The boy shrugs. “No biggie. I can stick around here.”
Quinn still looks guilty.
“It’s fine, Quinn,” Artie says kindly, laying a hand on her shoulder.
“Mm, nature. Not really my thing,” muses Santana from her seat on the floor, looking down when Brittany curls further into her side. She looks disdainfully around at the surrounding woods. Quinn rolls her eyes. “You’re telling us this now. After we drove three hours to a nature park. You were all for this when Mike proposed it.”
Santana shrugs. “I can change my mind, can’t I?”
Quinn rolls her eyes again, clearly used to putting up with Santana. “Whatever. We’re hiking.”
“And then we can have a bonfire afterwards!” Tina smiles excitedly from her seat in Artie’s lap.
They continue to talk about their new plans late into the night, until Brittany is asleep in Santana’s lap and Tina’s dozing off. The guys are all still hyper, of course, but Rachel’s carefully followed sleep schedule is demanding that she go to sleep.
She stands from the campfire.
“Night, Rach,” Finn says beside her. Everyone else just waves. Puck doesn’t look up from the fire.
Rachel retreats to the tent she shares with Quinn and rolls out her sleeping bag. She wonders what the coming days are going to bring. She wonders if Puck will ever acknowledge her existence again.
She rolls over and hopes for sleep to come.
--
Canoeing is chaos.
The kiosk isn’t open when they get there in the morning and it doesn’t open until almost three o’clock. Everyone stands around and waits, talking and walking around, dancing and singing. The man who comes to open up is very surprised when he comes upon them, twelve teenagers performing complicated choreography in front of his secluded canoe stand.
Once they have their canoes, it’s a mad scramble to get in the thing with a partner. Kurt and Mercedes cling to each other until they can both clamber in and claim a boat. The usual pairs go off, leaving Quinn, Puck, Rachel and Finn without someone for themselves.
Quinn looks very torn. On one hand, she could go with Rachel. Puck and Finn in one canoe will only end in a stupid fight over who’s the better rower.
But then there’s the option of Puck. And that’s really not something she wants.
Rachel stands around awkwardly in her swimsuit, a tiny two-piece that she really regrets bringing on the trip because it is not suited to this, despite how nice it makes her butt look.
Puck is staring again.
She blushes. This…thing, whatever it is, involves a lot of staring and secret looks, she realizes. But at least he’s actually noticing her for once in this trip.
He brushes her arm again when he goes to claim a canoe.
“Finn, you in?”
Finn startles and turns to look at his friend. He smiles. “Sure!”
They put the boat to the water and tentatively step in, and when Finn tries to settle himself, Puck holds onto the sides of the boat for dear life, knuckles turning white.
“I’m canoeing with a sasquatch,” he mutters. Finn drops down unceremoniously into the seat behind him.
“Shut up, Puckerman.”
Rachel’s almost thankful that she doesn’t have to canoe with Puck. Almost. Perhaps the forced contact would turn into a discussion about the obvious tension between them, and the fact that Puck is ignoring it when Rachel can’t.
When they’ve gone and disappeared around the trees to the other side of the lake, Rachel turns to Quinn. “Would you like the bow or the back, Quinn?” she asks and Quinn quirks an eyebrow.
“Nice nautical terms, Berry,” she chuckles.
--
The lake is serene and beautiful. Rachel admires the scenery from her position in the back of the canoe, rowing idly along. The soft sounds of the water and the almost complete silence are possibly one of the best things she’s ever heard.
She casts a glance across the lake, where various canoes are scattered in the distance and sighs.
Quinn clears her throat.
“Have you noticed something about Puck?” Rachel startles, abruptly pulling her paddle from the water, before dipping it back in and hoping Quinn didn’t notice.
She did. Quinn turns in her seat to look at Rachel knowingly.
“I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, Quinn.” She looks at her knees.
“Please, Rachel. Even Brittany can see what’s going on.” When Rachel still doesn’t look up, Quinn stops rowing and turns fully around so that she’s facing Rachel head-on.
Rachel really feels new sympathy for anyone who’s ever had to face down Quinn Fabray.
“The heated stares? Absolutely no bodily contact whatsoever, no matter what, not even when necessary? The blushing? Oh God,” Quinn grimaces, “don’t get me started on the blushing.”
Rachel looks up into Quinn’s face. The other girl stares back, her jaw set.
“I don’t blush that much,” she whispers. Quinn scoffs.
“You turn red the minute he walks within five feet of you.”
Rachel looks away and out across the lake. She used to feel safe in the fact that no one else seemed to know what was happening between her and Puck. At least that way it was easier to ignore it.
Quinn leans forward more. “He likes you,” she intones.
Rachel looks back at Quinn, who’s nodding to reaffirm what she just said. She scowls. “Well, he’s got a stupid way of showing it,” she mutters, glowering at the distant shapes of the other’s canoes.
Quinn throws her hands in the air.
“Whatever, Rachel. Don’t listen to me. But, please, for the sake of everyone, try to diffuse the sexual tension sometime soon. Watching you guys stare at each other is getting tiring.”
Rachel sulks for the rest of the canoe ride.
Mostly because she knows that Quinn is right.
--
That night is even more awkward. Rachel looks around the campfire constantly, wondering if everyone else has figured it out. She’s paranoid, probably.
But then Quinn catches her eye across the fire and jerks her head towards Puck.
Rachel looks over.
Puck’s eyes widen for a moment - still fixated on her face as they had been a moment before - before dropping to his lap, where he fidgets furiously with his fingers. Rachel sighs.
It’s getting ridiculous and Quinn is absolutely right. If they don’t put an end to this - if they don’t admit what’s happening - then they both are going to go away to different schools in different states and potentially never meet again without knowing what could have been. It’s time to put a name to what the electricity really is.
It’s wanting. It’s affection.
Rachel likes Puck. A lot. Way more than she ever should, but she does and there’s really no getting around it anymore.
Tomorrow. She’ll talk to him after the bonfire.
--
When Rachel wakes up in the tent, the sounds of people outside are floating through the canvas. She climbs out to be greeted by the sight of everyone else awake but her. She glances at her watch. It’s almost two o’clock.
“Why didn’t anyone wake me up?”
Santana glances up from her nails. “Because we were enjoying the quiet.”
Rachel rolls her eyes. “Do you ever do anything related to work, Santana?” The other girl just rolls her eyes and continues to file her nails from her perch on a rock. Everyone else is loading up backpacks with food, maps, compasses and water. Rachel walks to where Finn is staring at his backpack.
“I can’t make it all fit,” he groans. Rachel laughs. “That’s because you’ve included a hot plate. Are you planning on cooking meals out in the woods?” She pulls the hot plate from the bag. Sure enough, it zips.
Finn pouts a little as he slings it on his back.
Artie summons everyone’s attention. “Tina and I will stay here and guard the camp, and start to set up for the bonfire. Everyone else should split into two groups, and meet back here when it starts to get dark.”
Kurt looks at him. “Are you sure you don’t need more company? I feel bad that you have to be left out.”
Artie glances at Tina slyly, who flushes red and looks away.
“I think we can keep ourselves occupied.”
Kurt wrinkles his nose. “Thanks for that lovely visual.”
The groups split up, with Santana, Brittany, Quinn, Mike and Matt in one group, and because the fates are conspiring against Rachel, her group consists of Kurt, Mercedes, Finn and Puck. From the way Puck keeps looking at her, she can tell that he’s not thrilled either.
--
The trails are long and winding through the forest. Rachel, who’s annual family camping trip has her skilled in many areas of hiking, has no issue. Kurt and Mercedes are a different story.
“Look at my shoes. Just look.” Kurt stares down at his muddy hiking boots sullenly.
They’d been at it for hours, and the sun is slowly starting to dip below the horizon.
Mercedes just sighs and brushes some leaves off her sweater. Finn places a hand on his shoulder and smiles down at his step-brother. “Don’t worry about it, Kurt. It’s just some mud.”
Kurt grumbles unintelligibly.
Puck hasn’t looked up from the ground the entire hike, and has crashed into things several times. Trees, bushes, other people - everything. His eyes are still trained on his shoes.
She’s been compulsively analyzing his every action.
Rachel saves herself from walking over there and demanding they discuss this by reminding herself that she is planning an ambush for after the bonfire tonight.
She’s thinking of an opening line when her ears start to ring and her vision starts to haze.
Rachel looks up in confusion and Finn asks her something, but she can’t hear him. She can somewhat make out Puck and Mercedes running over to her. The ringing is getting louder and suddenly the ground is rushing up to meet her face, and then there’s nothing but a few panicked voices and complete silence.
--
“Fuck. Fuck. Rachel, wake up. Wake up!"
She opens her eyes slowly and hisses because the flashlight that someone is holding into her face is extremely bright and making her head pound furiously.
“Turn it off!” she growls, swatting at the light. It gets pulled away.
Rachel blinks to get used to the dim light. It’s dark and there’s a figure hunched over her. Where is she? The last thing she remembers is watching Puck avoid watching her. And she remembers her vision getting blurry and the awful ringing. But after that, there’s nothing. Panicked, Rachel tries to sit up, and grunts when two strong hands push her back down.
“Not so fast, Berry,” a voice rumbles and Rachel blinks furiously to clear her vision.
Puck’s face is literally inches from hers.
She sucks in a breath. “Hi,” she whispers. He’s curled over her body protectively. Puck blinks several times, seeming to come to the conclusion that she is now fully conscious before springing away and taking several steps back. “She’s awake,” he announces.
Finn, Kurt and Mercedes rush over immediately, blocking her view of Puck, who’s reverted back to his tried-and-true method of avoiding her.
Finn leans over and looks at her. “Rach, I was so worried,” he laments and Mercedes nods.
She sits up slowly, conscious of the pounding in her head. “I’m sorry you were worried. What exactly happened?” Finn looks at Mercedes, who looks over to Kurt. He starts.
“One minute we were just walking along and the next minute, you’re on the ground, unconscious. It was very dramatic, of course, we’d expect nothing less of you,” Kurt smiles fondly at this before leaning in close to whisper, “and then, out of nowhere, Puck pushes Finn out of the way to get to you. You were out for a good half-an-hour and he stayed with you the entire time. He was quite distraught, actually.” Rachel cranes her neck at this news, desperate to catch a glimpse of him. He rushed to her aid.
It would be more romantic if he wasn’t trying everything to pretend she doesn’t exist.
Kurt and Mercedes lean in further at the prospect of gossip. “What exactly is going on with you two?” Mercedes whispers, inclining her head curiously.
“He’s been staring at you longingly the entire trip, and now he’s come to your rescue. That screams forbidden love to me,” Kurt muses.
Rachel frowns. “First, I don’t need anybody to come to my “rescue” because I am a perfectly capable young woman, and I do not need a man to save me. And secondly, I can’t believe everybody else has noticed and I never knew!” Her cry is cut off by extremely soft hands covering her mouth. She stares exasperatedly at Kurt.
“Darling, in the midst of a secretive conversation, shrieking isn’t recommended,” he quips and pulls his hands away.
Mercedes and Kurt stand, helping Rachel to her feet. She dusts off her hiking gear.
Mercedes leans in close to her ear. “That boy is crazy about you.”
Rachel sighs. She pulls her backpack back on. “We should leave if we’re going to make it back by sunset,” she says brusquely. Kurt and Mercedes share a knowing glance before pulling their own packs on and moving back in the direction they came, Finn bounding ahead and Puck lagging behind.
--
The bonfire goes off without a hitch, a nice change to the day. Kurt and Mercedes waste no time in telling everybody that Rachel passed out on their hike, despite her assurances that it was just dehydration.
They won’t admit it, but Rachel suspects they told the Puck part too.
From the way everyone is looking between her and Puck (still avoiding her eyes), Rachel’s actually pretty positive that that is the case.
Tonight, they’re singing and dancing around the campfire. Brittany and Mike lead a rather spirited rendition of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” while everyone else either sings along or watches in amused silence. The bonfire casts light across the entire fire pit and every person crowded around it.
In a way, Rachel never wants this to end.
As excited as she is to finally make it to New York, she’s a little scared too. This is familiar. This is home.
The party is lasting long into the night. Puck’s disappeared somewhere. Rachel’s dozing off when Quinn pulls her aside and hands her a note. She rolls her eyes as she places the folded paper in Rachel’s palm.
“You guys are so third grade,” she murmurs before going back to rejoin the group.
Rachel unfolds the paper curiously.
Rachel,
Meet me in the woods right now.
Puckasaurus
Puck
Noah Puckerman
She gulps. Not even the endearing name re-writing can make her feel less anxious.
Rachel folds the note carefully and puts it into her pocket, ignoring the hammering of her heart and telling Finn that she’ll be right back.
--
She seriously regrets the decision to meet Puck in the woods beyond the campground because it’s dark and scary and Rachel is far too talented to die at eighteen years old.
“Noah?” she whispers, but the forest is so vast and thick that her voice disappears a foot from her face.
Rachel continues through the brush, glancing around for any glimpse of the boy she’s supposed to be meeting. She can still hear the faint sounds of the Glee Club in the distance, but they’re getting quieter and quieter the further she walks from them, and she’s seriously considering turning around.
Two arms suddenly encircle her waist and Rachel screams.
“Fuck, Berry, stop screaming. It’s just me.” Puck smirks.
She wonders why he’s acting so normal. Buffoonish, yes, but that’s normal for him.
Rachel sucks in a breath and fixes him with a glare. “Would you begrudge me a scream if you had turned out to be some crazed maniac killing off teenagers in the woods?”
He snorts. Rachel bites her lip.
“Noah, would you unhand me please?”
His arms drop from where they had been draped around her and he steps back a good two feet. “Sorry,” he murmurs and Rachel just nods her forgiveness.
They stand in the quiet of the forest for a moment, Rachel listens to the faint sounds of her Glee Club in the campground, where she snuck away from them dancing and singing and laughing into the night.
“Are you going to tell me why you asked me to meet you in the forest of all places, or are we going to stand around like this forever?” She asks.
Puck looks away and murmurs something.
Rachel steps closer. “Pardon?”
He says it again. Rachel tilts her head, because really, must every teenage boy mumble when he has actual feelings to talk about or does this only apply to the boys she likes?
“I still can’t hear you, Noah.”
He scowls and steps closer. “Damn it, I like you!” he shouts. Rachel jumps at his outburst.
“What?” she squeaks.
Puck growls and throws his hands in the air.
“Goddamn, for someone with perfect pitch, you have really shitty hearing!”
Rachel’s brow furrows angrily. “I take offense to that, Noah. I have perfect hearing. I heard you just fine there. It’s not my fault that instead of just speaking louder, you continue to mumble along, which is very rude, by the way. Now, either speak up and tell me why you’ve asked me here, or I am going to go back to the warmth of the fire and you can either choose to follow me or not.” She stares at him expectantly. Puck just looks at her, his expression torn.
He begins to pace in circles while Rachel is paralyzed to the spot. He’s muttering and gesturing wildly and Rachel glances towards where the camp is, wondering if she should perhaps get someone to help him.
Suddenly, he stops and looks at her. Rachel glances over her shoulder and when she turns, he’s barreling towards her.
When their lips meet, Rachel yelps in surprise.
It’s hard and aggressive, and Rachel has to take a few steps backwards with the force of his body pressing against hers. She can feel his hand snaking around her side and coming to rest on her lower back. It holds her in place.
Not that she wants to move. Because despite the harsh desperation of it, it’s also very nice.
When he pulls away, Puck rests his forehead against hers and breathes heavily. His hand is gone and he steps away.
“It’s just, like, you and Hudson act like you’re still dating, and then I always end up fucking second-guessing myself like a loser whenever I want to talk to you. Because all I want to say is that you’re a cool chick, cooler than I ever expected, and you’re smokin’ hot. And I like you. But every time I say it out loud, I just feel lame. So I couldn’t say it. But, damn it, I can’t let you go away to fucking NYU and not know that I fucking like you.”
He stares at her imploringly, his hands outstretched like he’s asking her to understand.
Rachel moves her mouth but no words come out.
His face falls and Puck looks at the ground. “And I just fucking poured my heart out like a pansy, and you don’t even feel the same way. Fucking great. That’s my luck.”
“I do, though.”
His eyes snap up and lock on hers, and Rachel shivers a little bit. “What?” he sputters.
Rachel can’t help but smile, because he feels the same way. “God, you have poor hearing,” she teases.
He feels the same. He feels the same. He likes her. Noah Puckerman and Rachel Berry have feelings for each other.
Puck frowns. “Don’t joke with me, Berry. Don’t tell me I just expressed feelings and shit for nothin’.”
She wants to laugh. She does laugh. “I’m telling the absolute truth, Noah. I too share romantic feelings for you, and I think that you should come back over here and kiss me again.”
He smirks at that and walks over until he’s pressed against her chest.
Puck leans down and drops a kiss to her shoulder.
“We can see each other on breaks. And visit each other on campus. And we can text and call each other.”
He presses a kiss to her ear.
Rachel stomps her foot. “On my mouth,” she whispers, frustrated and Puck chuckles. “Baby, I’m just getting to the good stuff,” he comments.
“Good.”
And then he kisses her again, on her mouth, and there are fireworks and electricity and joyous music.
At least that’s what Rachel thinks.
--
When they back to the camp hand-in-hand, everybody claps and wolf-whistles. Quinn rolls her eyes and mutters “finally”.
When the packing commences the next day, and there’s crying and laughter and promises to stay in touch, he’s there. When she climbs into the cab of his truck, Finn frowns a little bit and whispers his concerns with being alone in a car with Brittany and Santana.
Kurt, who’s beside him, rolls his eyes.
“Ride in our car, goof. I think we can squeeze you in.”
And when they get home to Lima, there’s a lot more kissing.
--
Rachel’s not really sure when it started. The lingering glances. The electricity that hangs in the air whenever they are near each other, and lasts until he’s out of her sight.
But she never wants it to end.