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

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..."

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"I don't-. I'm not happy. Still. But I keep fucking up and I'm trying to be man enough to own up to it, so...there's nothing I can really say. I'll be alright, eventually. And you guy are happy, so-yeah."

Rachel lets go of Puck's hand, crossing the room and leaning up to kiss Finn's cheek. "Thank you." But make no mistake, Finn, she makes her way right back over to Puck, tucking herself underneath his arm. "Come on, before everyone gets to hear that Hannah's ringtone is Barbie Girl."

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

"I'm sorry, man," Puck tells Finn and he genuinely means it. But he won't give Rachel up for him. Not in a million years. "I'll take good care of her. I promise."

He's glad when Rachel is back by his side, his arm coming around her shoulders as they leave Finn and make their way out of school.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

She's silent until they leave the parking lot. And then she says, "Does taking good care of me include stopping at the gas station and buying me a grape slushie?" Doe eyes and all.

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

That has him blinking at her indecisively. He did buy her favorite slushie that one time but he has a feeling if he buys it for her now, now she's officially his girlfriend, it totally means he's whipped. But he did promise Finn he'd take good care of her... and he does want to make her happy. And grape slushie seems make her happy.

And those fucking doe eyes. He can't say no to them.

"Yeah, it does." He tilts his head towards his car, gesturing for her to get in once he unlocks it.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"You don't have to." She sees the indecisiveness in his eyes and as much as she wants this, him, she knows that he's had this whole thing with relationships since they were kids and she doesn't want to force this. "I was only kidding..." She opens the door of the truck, climbing in (because she's 5'2 and his truck is massive).

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

Rachel looks so tiny in comparison to his truck that he'd almost offered to help her in. "It's just a slushie. It's not a big deal," Puck reasons with himself as he sits in the driver's seat and starts the car.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"Noah." She takes his hand off of the steering wheel, squeezing it so he'll look at her. They both know that it's not a just a slushie. "I don't want to force this or you or make you uncomfortable...you can say no."

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

"What?" He says confusedly as she takes his hand of the steering wheel, leaning back in his seat to look at her. "I'm not uncomfortable. I'm just not used to taking care of anyone other than myself." Unless it was sexually, then he'd 'taken care' of a lot of women in the past... "Just let me buy you a slushie. I've done it before. I'm fine with it," he shrugs at her. Maybe there had been some hesitance before but he wants to a good boyfriend and good boyfriends buy shit for their girlfriend. "Stop being dramatic and let me drive," he gives her a teasing smile before leaning in and giving her a short kiss.

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"Stop having a mohawk and buy me a slushie." Since they're asking for the impossible and giving orders here. She grins against his lips, settling back in her seat and buckling up.

[puckingaround.livejournal.com]

He felt so naked without his mohawk the last time he shaved it, though. He scoffs at her as reverses out of the parking space and heads towards the nearest gas station. "You love my 'hawk, don't deny."

[acontrollist.livejournal.com]

"Mmm, maybe." She reaches up, scratching her nails against the back of his head, through the 'hawk.

Rachel lets Puck buy their slushies, but she insists on buying one for Hannah and the 8 year old is just getting off of the bus when they pull into his driveway.