11She Is the Only Exception
Chapter 2
Summary: Quinn doesn't want to be with Puck, for a couple of reasons. And yet…she just can't stand being away from him. Rated for intensely charged moments and a few swear words.
Special thanks to:
CAS, bologna121, ktsm10, and Tayler for leaving some very nice reviews that prompted me to write faster. Thank you ever so much!
Quinn bolted out the door the moment Rachel was done singing. Puck wanted to run after her, but Mike Chang just had to ask questions about football practice tomorrow morning. Didn't Mike Chang have a girlfriend? Shouldn't he be with her, and not bothering Puck? Stupid jackass…
Puck managed to dodge around everyone else (not that it was all that hard. Finn and Rachel were sucking face, Mercedes and Kurt walked out arm in arm, and Santana and Brittany were giving each other weird, lovey-dovey looks [were they together? He heard that they went out on dates together with other guys, but he had never personally been on one…]) and run outside. He really didn't want to talk to anyone today. Actually, Puck hadn't wanted to talk to anyone the last few months. Not since Quinn had started ignoring him.
Puck didn't understand why Quinn was ignoring him at first. They had seemed so perfect together, more perfect than anything he had ever known (Lord Almighty, when had he started saying cheesy stuff like that?) and then all of a sudden, Quinn was giving him the cold shoulder. After about a week Puck realized it was because of Beth.
Shelby sent him pictures of his baby girl (because it didn't matter if he had given up his rights to Beth, she would always be his baby girl, in his mind) and even though she wasn't even four months yet, it was obvious Beth was related to him. She looked like a smaller, girly version of himself. It made Puck happy, knowing that if Beth one day wanted to find him, there would be no mistaking him for anything but her father. Puck realized that Quinn would see Beth in him, and wouldn't be able to bare seeing the child she gave away every day.
Although Puck understood, it did piss him off a little. After all, Beth looked like Quinn. Beth had that angelic glow that he loved so much about Quinn. From what Shelby had told him, Beth was very calm as well, and hardly ever cried, just like Quinn was now (except for after Quinn had the baby. Then, she wouldn't stop crying, but Puck couldn't blame her. He had decided to actually go to Health class this year, and even the vague diagram of what happened was enough to make him want to cry out with pain. That baby's head fat, like a watermelon, and the hole the baby had to come out looked like the size of a small cantaloupe. Like, holy crap. He would never put himself through something that traumatic for someone else, of that he was sure of). When Puck saw Quinn, he saw Beth. He understood how Quinn felt. Shouldn't that mean that she would want to be with him?
Puck couldn't stand being near other people. About mid June, was when he started to get this way. At first, he just cut out the guys. He cleaned a lot of pools for a lot of cougars (and got paid extra, if you catch his drift) and hung around Santana a whole helluva lot (for obvious reasons). Then, he stopped hanging around Santana as much, cleaned less cougar pools and more kiddie pools and old people pools, stopped hanging with Santana completely, and switched to only kiddie and old people pools. Puck hadn't had sex in almost three months. He was the definition of sexually frustrated, and while it bugged him from time to time, when he looked at Quinn, his sexual problems didn't matter anymore (except on August 24th, when they got the better of him and again last weekend. He was only human). If he could prove to Quinn that he wasn't a complete man-whore, maybe she would at least attempt a relationship.
Although, Quinn being willing to stay in the same room with him for longer than thirty seconds would also help their relationship.
It was stupid of him to stare at her while Rachel was signing that song, and he knew it, but Puck couldn't help himself. It just fit perfectly and she had completely brushed him off in the hallway that morning, so he was feeling a bit rejected (Puck also thought that Quinn would sound much better singing that song, but he'd never say that out loud for fear of Rachel cracking him one to his boys, and that was the last thing he needed).
Puck knew he had scared Quinn away in the choir room, and he was kicking himself for it. So when Puck saw her standing outside waiting for her ride, he knew this was his chance and thanked the Lord for giving it to him.
Puck noticed that she switched her bag to her other shoulder, and that she moved the shoulder around gingerly. He figured it was pretty sore from carrying around that big bag.
"You know, if that's too heavy, I could hold it for you," he offered. She jumped up like she had been electric shocked, and then went back to staring straight in front of her.
"I'm fine," she said coldly, her words a knife cutting through his heart.
"Okay, whatever," Puck said, backing off quickly. She continued looking anywhere else but at him. Puck was going to leave, he really was. It wasn't his fault that she had this effect on him. It was her fault for being so incredibly undeniable to him and his body. Although, it wasn't any of the normal things that made him stay. It wasn't her short skirt, or her hair, or her breasts, or even her smile. It was her hands.
Puck realized how weird that sounded. What do hands have to do with anything? Well, Puck was kind of in love with the thought of holding hands with Quinn. Puck had made out with plenty of girls, hooked up with just as many, but holding hands? That was too intimate. It showed that you were really with the person, and weren't afraid to announce it to the world. Sex? Any two strangers could have sex. Hell, there were glory holes in hundreds of bathrooms throughout the world, purely for the chance to have sex with someone with remaining a stranger. Hand holding? There was nothing anonymous about hand holding. When Puck had taken Quinn's hand after she had had the baby, it was the most intimate moment of his life (he couldn't believe he just thought that. It was so freakin' cheesy!). Puck had been on a mission to hold Quinn's hand ever since then. When he saw that hand on her shoulder, it was just begging for him to come and hold it.
So he answered her hand's begging.
Puck walked up behind her, pressing himself up against her. He had to stop himself from groaning out loud at the contact. He was in awe at how perfectly their bodies matched up with each other. It was like he was made to hold this one girl, he was made to be with this one girl forever (he seriously needed to stop letting his mom talk him into watching those romantic comedies. It was movies like that that were making him think like this). He could feel the effect he was having on her already, and smiled. She had been missing him just as much as he had been missing her.
"Quinn," Puck whispered in her ear. He felt her shiver and had to stop one himself.
"Puck, just-"
"Please. Please Quinn," he begged. He needed her so badly. Puck needed to feel her skin beneath his, needed to hold her and feel the satisfaction of the fact that Quinn was Puck's and Puck was Quinn's and that was how it was going to stay whether they wanted it to be that way or not. Puck didn't just want Quinn. Puck needed, truly needed her. He wasn't even in control of his body anymore. He found that his right hand was tracing a line along her arm, leaving a trail of goose bumps in its wake, and Puck didn't remember putting his hand there. He loved the feel of it though, the feel of his skin against hers.
"Puck, I can't," she said hopelessly. He had her. Finally, after all these weeks, she was letting him in.
"Yes, you can. Just say yes." Puck took his other hand and put it on her left shoulder, pushing the messenger bag down, her arm along with it. The bag fell to the floor, forgotten. Puck took his hand and started to trace circles on her wrist, aching to hold it, but not quite yet working up the courage to do so.
"I…" but she stopped, unable to continue.
Puck finally did what he had been longing to do: he gently threaded his fingers between hers. It felt so good, so intimate; he felt he might burst with happiness.
Puck's lips were very close to Quinn's but he knew that if he kissed her now, she would run. Instead, he kissed her neck, which was the next best thing. He knew she liked it when he kissed her there. He started at the bend of her shoulder, then slowly and sensually worked his way up to the crook of her neck. He pulled back when he got to the end, wondering if what he was doing was okay. Quinn let a small moan escape (had there ever been a sexier noise than that moan just then?) and moved her neck to the side, which he took as a happy invitation. The simple kissing seemed like too much and not enough at the same time. Puck decided that it was not enough, and nibbled lightly, causing Quinn to moan rather loudly.
His right hand seemed to think that being on her arm wasn't enough and had moved to her stomach. It weaseled its way under her Cheerios uniform, lightly skimming over her stomach flesh. A million goose bumps arose under his fingertips and let out a quiet groan at the contact. His thumb lightly brushed up against the wire of her bra. He wasn't stupid. He knew she wouldn't let him grope her in the middle of the parking lot, nor was she ready for him grope her at all, privately or not.
Quinn moved her head to look into his eyes. He stared at the beautiful orbs that looked back into his own.
"Quinn," he moaned, the sound escaping his lips. He wanted her to make the first move, to let him know that this wasn't just him imagining things and that she really did want him back badly.
His want was answered as she moved in slowly, her eyes closing. He leaned in as well, taking his time.
Their lips touched each other ever so softly. Puck was afraid he was going to lose it right then. She trusted him, trusted him to make this kiss last forever and be sweet and kind and gentle, all the things he hadn't been able to give her before. He gladly showed her all he was capable of, taking his time, making the kiss slow and unhurried, like he could stand here all day and be content with simply kissing her and holding her hand in his.
I SAY A LITTLE PRAYER FOR YOU. FOREVER, FOREVER, I GIVE YOU MY HEART…
"Oh!" Quinn breathed, lunging for her discarded backpack.
"Damn it," he whispered fiercely, cursing whoever was calling for interrupting their moment.
Quinn hurriedly said a few things to the person on the other line and put her phone away.
"Quinn-"
"We can't do this Puck. I can't do this!"
"So we'll take it slow, super slow. I'll wait Quinn," Puck pleaded and he knew he meant it. Yes, he had slipped twice the last three months, but if he had Quinn, he wouldn't slip. Even if all he could do was hold her, or kiss her between classes and hope and pray that none of the teachers saw, it could hold him by until she was ready to have sex again. Even if that moment didn't come for another year, if Puck had Quinn to hold hands with, he was willing to wait.
"No Puck, you won't. You say that now, but in a week you'll get antsy and go out and get back with Santana or some other girl," Quinn told him. He shook his head.
"Not this time. Not for you. If it was any other girl…but I'd wait for you Quinn. I'll wait until you're okay, I'll wait," he insisted. Quinn kept shaking her head for some reason. He was losing her and he knew it. Puck said the words without thinking, but after they came out he knew they were the right thing to say. "Quinn…do you really think you're the only one who misses Beth?"
His words made her eyes pop back open. He continued.
"I miss her too, so much. I know you think she looked like me, but I thought she looked like you. Every time I look at you, I see her. It hurts, I'm not gonna lie but…wouldn't it make sense that you be with the one person who understands how you feel?" Puck asked her quietly. Quinn closed her eyes again. "Quinn…please." Puck hesitated a second, wondering if he should say the words. They were true, of that he was sure, but would she be ready to hear them? He decided she was. "Quinn I-"
"NO!" she yelled, putting her hand over his mouth. "Do NOT finish that sentence," she whispered.
"What if I meant it?" he asked his words only slightly muffled by her hand. Puck realized how incredibly close their lips were. He wanted to kiss her again, so badly. He wanted to kiss her and hold her close and tell her that everything would be alright and that they would get over Beth eventually, or at least heal a bit from her. Quinn removed her hand from his mouth and let it slide down to his chest. He clasped his hand around hers, keeping her close. Puck leaned in a bit, silently asking permission.
"If…you…I just…" No. No, I can't. I won't. "I'm sorry Puck. I can't." Quinn picked up her bag and ran in the direction of the main entrance, tears streaming down her face.
Puck let her go. It wasn't time yet, that was all. He would try again some other time, and maybe the time would be right. It just wasn't the right time yet. That was all. It just wasn't the right time.
Puck had to tell himself this. He had to believe that there was hope, because if he didn't believe in Quinn and him, then what was there left for him to believe in?
There goes chapter 2. This is as far as I'm planning, although if you have a suggestion and it inspires me enough, I may add another chapter.
I really hope you like it. Reviews make my day! *hint hint*