Welcome to the Fallout

[acontrollist]

She tells Kurt later that night. Of course she does. He's her best friend and she's been trying to work out this...thing with Noah since it started Sophomore year, in between Finn and Jesse. And he's happy for her, which is great. It's just...he's a little too happy. A little too loud.

And guess who he lives with?

She's at her locker the next day (she hasn't seen Noah yet. She hasn't looked. She knows he's usually late and she's painfully punctual, so it's pretty much a moot point.) She's not expecting Finn to approach her. And she's definitely not expecting to hear "Puck? Puck? Are you kidding me?"

"I'm not sure how it's any of your business, Finn."

"He’s bad for you."
 
"You don’t know what’s bad for me, do you?"
 
"C’mon, Rachel, I know you better than anyone."
 
"So you kept hurting me on purpose, then?"
 
"Rach-"
 
"No, Finn, stop. I won’t-…even if I wasn’t trying this...thing with Noah-"
 
"Rachel, wake up! He only wants what he can’t have!"
 
"And why can’t he have me, Finn? I don’t belong to you.  We're over, okay? We're done. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to make sure I have all of my homework for the day."

"You know you do, Rachel. Come on, we need to talk about this..."

Comments

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

Puck does plan to tell Finn the next day about him and Rachel. Of course he has no idea that he already knows and is causing a scene by her locker as Puck makes his way to school, late as always. Finn's his best friend and Puck does feel bad because Finn's probably still in love with Rachel, but frankly he thinks Finn had his chance and fucked it up by making her choose between him and New York, so whatever. Finn will just have to suck it up. Puck would never make her choose like that because... well, he knows she'd choose New York over him and it's a decision he wouldn't be offended by. At the back of his mind he knows at the end of the year Rachel will be out of Lima and it's going to suck a lot when he says goodbye to her... but what's that quote? Better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all? Puck doesn't know which dude said that but he'd buy them a beer because he can totally relate.

He wants to catch Rachel before class starts and heads to where her locker is, but he hears Finn's yells before he sees them arguing in the hallway. He immediately heads towards them, driven by his instinct to protect Rachel and explain to Finn that he wasn't trying to hurt him on purpose. But anger flares up inside him when he hears Finn bad-mouthing him. He's supposed to be his friend. He knew Finn wasn't going to be over the moon about this but he has no right telling Rachel why Puck wants to be with her for reasons that couldn't be further from the truth.

Putting himself between the two of them, Finn might have been taller than him but Puck's stance is still intimidating as he stares Finn down. "Dude, you have no idea what you're talking about, so shut the hell up."

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"No, dude, you know what, I'm fucking sick of this! First Quinn, now Rachel? Seriously? What is it with you and chicks I like?"

Rachel shuts her locker, stepping away from Finn a bit (and coincidentally, towards Noah). "I don't like what you're insinuating at all, Finn. This has nothing to do with you."

"No, Rachel, you-. You're not stupid. You know what's going on! He only wants you because I do! That’s all! A month ago you made him wanna set himself on fire and as soon I tell him I miss you he’s all over you! That’s all!"

Rachel was sure she'd gotten over the whole crying thing. But apparently Finn still has at least that much power over her and she folds her arms tight around her books, eyes trained on her ballet flats when she speaks. "…I hate you, Finn." And considering that he just told her that her boyfriend doesn't really like her? She has every right to.

And that shuts him up. "Rachel...Rach, you don't mean that."

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

"Dude, I can't help the way I feel." He hadn't fallen for the girls Finn liked on purpose. It had just been Puck's crappy luck that he liked the same girls his best friend liked, with Finn always getting there first and Puck being tortured by watching them together. Well, no more. Puck is the one with Rachel now and he's going to do everything with her he should have done the first time round.

He honestly feels like punching Finn for all the crap that comes out of his mouth. "Rachel, don't listen to him. It's bullshit..." He can see tears forming in her eyes and he hopes it's because of Finn being an asshole and not because she believes what Finn is saying about him right now. When he hears Rachel tell Finn she hates him, it shuts Puck up too. He can see how much Finn has upset her and he touches her arm to let her know he's here for her. He'd rather hug her but doing such a thing in front of Finn would probably make him go crazy and start kicking chairs in a rage.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"That's the problem. That's always been the problem, you don't listen, Finn! When have I ever, ever said something that I didn't mean? You don't know me at all, for all the time I spent trying to get you to see me. You don't miss me, you miss having someone at your beck and call who worshiped you." Puck reaches out to touch her arm but she pulls back. She doesn't want to be touched right now. "Just-...I'm going to class." She knocks her shoulder against Finn's, hard (because years of getting shoved into lockers will teach you a thing or two), walking fast down the hallway.

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

He looks a little proud when she knocks against Finn's shoulder, but he can't help but frown when she pulls away from his touch. It makes him think Finn has put doubts in Rachel's mind about the person he is.

"If she believes any of the shit that just came out of your mouth, I'm gonna kick your ass," Puck promises Finn with a glare before walking quickly after Rachel.

"Rachel, wait!"

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"Go to class, Noah!" She calls back. She doesn't slow at all, or turn to look at him, burying her face against her sleeve for a split second to brush the tears out of her vision.

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

"Not until I know you're okay." He doesn't give up chasing after her, seizing her by the arm to get her to stop. He just wants to help dry her eyes, hold her, something. "C'mere..." He pulls her into his arms.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

She falls against his chest and just lets out one sob, tucking her face against his neck. "Is it true?" She whispers. And god, she hopes it isn't but... "Please. Please don't lie to me, Noah. I can't handle it."

Did you see the episode?

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

"No. Finn will say anything to get you back. He has nothing to do with how I feel about you..." He pushes her face back, cupping her cheeks in his hands to get her to look at him. "You've gotta believe me."

I totally did! Poor Puck xD

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

She nods. "You know I do. I just...I needed to know. Ask. Make sure. But you know I believe you, Noah." She braces her hands against his hips, thumbs stroking the muscles of his stomach.

I'd wish she have lost her virginity to Puck instead.

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

Rachel believes him. His girlfriend believes him. "Good," he smiles in relief and leans forward to press a sweet and simple kiss to her lips, their first public hallway kiss as a couple. "I dunno how he found out," he says afterwards, leaning his forehead against hers. "I was gonna tell him bro to bro..." So much for that.

Me too. And Puck, apparently.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"He probably heard Kurt squealing and dancing in his room last night." She shrugs, smiling a little at the kiss. "It's okay. I don't care if he knows. I'm...I'm my own person, now. And I want what I want. And what I want is you," She leans up, her lips barely touching his. "To go to class." She pecks his lips and drops down, turning to head to class.

"See you at Glee!"

his eyes look so sad: http://fuckyeahpuckleberry.tumblr.com/post/12544357478 :(

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

The fact that Kurt is happy for them (at least one of their friends is) brings a smile to his face. He gets a little shiver from her words before she adds the last part of what she says, the boring part involving learning, and he rolls his eyes at her fondly.

"Tease," he manages to get out before she turns to leave. "Later, babe."

Glee club was going to be interesting if Finn showed up... Hopefully he wouldn't, but they'd have to tell Mr. Schue the reason why.

Re: his eyes look so sad: http://fuckyeahpuckleberry.tumblr.com/post/12544357478 :(

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

Finn actually tries to talk to her later in chemistry, but she manages to ignore him. He tries again when she's on her way to AP US, but she ignores him then too. The note in her locker is enough. It's got her name scrawled on the front and she can tell by the handwriting who's it is. But she doesn't tell Noah about it.

She's already in Glee when everyone arrives. The beginning is freestyle, like always, and Kurt and Blaine go. Just before he decides to move on though, Rachel raises her hand. She's sitting up in the top row with Kurt and Blaine, and they've all been whispering the entire time they've been here. She'd been debating performing, since it's only something she's been working on since lunch, but if Finn turns and gives her the moony eyes one more time she's going to shoot someone.

Of course, by now everyone's heard about Puck and Rachel getting back together. And most of them assume that's what she wants to sing about. Of course, that's all until she actually starts to sing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAGdsnkSvtM).

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

Not only does Puck go to class like Rachel wants him to but he actually attends more than one. Not that he pays much attention when he's actually in the classroom but at least it'll boost his attendance record. He's really trying harder to be a better student lately to stay in Shelby's good books and make his daughter proud to call him her father.

Puck is one of the last ones to arrive at Glee (he should probably buy himself a watch, though the odds of being on time after wearing one are slim). Finn predictably glares daggers at him as he enters and Puck sits as far away from as possible which happens to be in front of Rachel, which he likes because he feels like he's guarding her in the way with Kurt and Blaine sat either side of her.

He doesn't know what to expect when Rachel gets up, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed as he curiously watches her stand in front of them. He remembers being impressed when that Filipino girl sang the same song, but Rachel's version is so much more powerful as she directs it at her ex-boyfriend. Whether Finn will actually listen to Rachel after this and back off is debatable. It might just make everything worse. Whatever happens, Puck is proud of her.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

Everyone else remembers the filipino girl singing it too. But to see it used for it's original purpose (which was to rip Jamie Foxx a new one...) is honestly a little funny and kind of awesome too. Rachel's tiny, not nearly intimidating enough to really get Finn to back off. But her voice is big enough for the entire club and maybe Finn will actually listen this time.

Whether he does or not, Rachel plops herself right into Puck's lap, Mr. Schue talking about getting into groups to write something up for sectionals. "Hi." She smiles, a little out of breath.

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

Puck has just finished participating in the round of applause for her when suddenly she takes a seat on his lap. It's a bold move of hers, especially with Finn in the same room but Puck's certainly not complaining.

"Hey..." His hands gravitate to her hips to keep her sitting where she is. "You were awesome," he tells her, which he's she already knows, but it's always nice to hear it from someone else, right?

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

Finn's just gonna have to get over it. And besides, she totally has a legit excuse, since Kurt and Blaine are sliding down the seats to join them in working on an arrangement or new song for Sectionals. "Really? I was worried, since Sunshine did it already and I've only been working on it since lunch but it was...necessary."

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

"'Sup," Puck acknowledges Kurt and Blaine with a nod of respect when they move seats to join them. "Since lunch?" His eyes widen at Rachel. "Holy shit..." In other words, he's impressed. He thought she'd at least worked a few days on that, given how good it was.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. It needed to be said." She shrugs, taking her notebook from Kurt. "Alright guys, any suggestions?" She leans back into Puck's chest, scribbling at the top Setlist.

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

Puck does have suggestions... just none that are serious. With Rachel using him as a chair, he rests his chin on her shoulder, occasionally brushing his lips against the back of her neck. "We should do Sexy and I Know It (http://youtu.be/wyx6JDQCslE)," he puts in his two cents, trying to be helpful but failing miserably.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

She starts to write, but scratches it out, elbowing him in the ribs and writing down Last Friday Night at the suggestion of Kurt. "I would like to do another original, but I don't really have any ideas..."

When Glee ends, Rachel shoulders her bag and reaches out to take Noah's hand. "I promised Hannah I'd braid her hair today."

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

Puck just sniggers to himself when she elbows him since she hadn't done it hard. Sometimes he thinks he's simply hilarious.

Holding Rachel's hand already feels as habitual as brushing his teeth twice a day but he tries not to think about it because he might just get scared and purposely fuck everything up so he doesn't have to deal with feelings he's never felt before. "Oh yeah? What about me?" Not that he wants his hair braided of course, which would be impossible anyway, but he's kind of got a thing for her combing her fingers through his mohawk. He's like a puppy that wants to be petted. "I'll pass on the braiding but feel free to stroke the 'hawk later." He really has perfected the act of making everything that comes out of his mouth sound sexual.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"Maybe." She laughs, knocking her hip against his as they cross the room to leave. "Sarah first." It looks like it's just them now, so she' a little startled when of course Finn calls out to them.

"Puckerman.

"...If you hurt her, I'm gonna bust your fucking nuts open."

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

He's been expecting Finn to say something since Rachel sang that song that was obviously directed at him. He rolls his eyes at the threat before turning to Finn and giving him a nod that's serious, but rest assured, he won't be hurting Rachel, at least not intentionally.

"Do we have your blessing now? You're my best friend, dude. I don't want us to fall out over this..."