This is truly awful, I know, but my Puck/Quinn feels have been on overdrive and I absolutely HAD to write this. Hope you enjoy, anyway. Thanks in advance to anyone who reads and responds.
The members of the Glee club had left the room, some with tears in their eyes at knowing the last song had been sung. That is, all but two. Puck and Quinn stayed behind, looking around wistfully.
"What you thinking?" Puck asks her softly, giving her a nudge in the side and breaking her concentration.
She grins, poking him back. "I could ask you the same thing."
He shrugs. "The memories, man. A lot has happened in this room."
"You're telling me. A lot has changed, too."
"Like what?"
"Us as people, for one" Quinn points out. "Take Santana. Don't get me wrong, she's still Santana, but she's grown up in a lot of ways. She's definitely nicer, and she doesn't care as much about what people think."
"That's true."
"But," Quinn went on, "if I had to choose who's changed the most out of everyone, it would be you."
"What do you mean?"
"You've learned to respect people and stand up for them rather than bully them. Even though you slacked off in school, you worked hard to be able to graduate-"
"With a little help from someone I know." Puck interrupts her with a wink.
Quinn smiles. "Last but certainly not least, you've done something meaningful with your life by joining the military. You know what you want now, and you won't settle for anything less. That's how you've changed. To be perfectly honest, I couldn't be more proud of you."
Puck wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her into him, kissing her gently. "You know how much I love you, right?" he whispers when they pull apart.
Quinn nods her head, but a sudden look of worry flashes across her face.
"What's wrong?" he asks, his eyebrows creasing in concern.
"The whole long-distance thing… what if it doesn't work?"
"It will," he promises.
"But what if…"
He places a finger over her lips. "Shh…what happened to the Quinn a few minutes ago who seemed so happy?"
"I don't know. She thought about how difficult it might really get, I guess."
"Well, tell her to come back. It will work…because I love you."
A single tear runs down her cheek, and she looks up at him, the expression of distress still evident on her face. "What if that's not enough?"
Her expression and tone of voice was enough to break his heart. He wasn't sure what exactly had planted the seed of doubt in her mind, but he knew he had to get rid of it. "It is," he whispers, pulling her into him and rubbing her back. She squeezes him tightly, and they remain that way for a moment. Finally, he pulls her away, forcing her to look at him. "Do you love me?"
She nods.
"Then I promise you, that's enough. We'll call, text, video chat, see each other whenever we can… we'll make it work."
She sniffs, managing a small smile. "You seem so sure."
"I've never been more sure of anything," he tells her, wiping the last of her tears away. "You okay?"
"I think so. I just have one question."
"What's that?" he murmurs with a smirk, wrapping his muscular arms around her tiny waist and pulling her into him again.
"What am I going to do without you?"
"Aw, babe…" his expression softens as he kisses her forehead.
"Maybe that's the problem," she confesses quietly, gazing into his deep hazel eyes. "I'm not scared that it won't work between us. I'm afraid of how much I'm going to miss you when we're apart."
"I'm going to miss you, too. But we'll communicate twenty-four seven, and I'll see you as much as I can. Besides, don't you think we need to appreciate every moment we have together instead of worrying about how long we're going to be away from each other?"
Quinn squeezes him tighter and nuzzles into his neck. "Absolutely." Then, she pulls away, giving him another long, sweet kiss. "Thank you for making me feel better."
He smirks and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You said earlier yourself that I never settle for anything less than what I want, and damn it, Fabray, I want you."
Quinn felt her cheeks warm as they turned a light shade of pink. "Too bad Glee club is over. We could sing Ain't No Mountain High Enough next."
Puck shakes his head with a smile. "I'm sure it could be arranged somehow."
Suddenly, Artie wheels into the room. "Hey, guys, hate to interrupt, but the rest of us just got a great idea. We're gonna make a video for the future baby and share it with Mr. Shue. We want everyone to be in it. Come on!"
Puck grabs Quinn by the hand as they slowly walk out of the choir room, taking once last glance around.
It was hard to believe that was the last time they would ever see it. They both sensed each others sadness as they exchanged small, forced smiles. There was no denying how much they would miss Glee club, even if neither was willing to admit how much they loved it… at first.
Deep down, they knew the bright side was holding on to the memories. Even if the club had faded away, the memories never would.
That was when it occurred to Quinn to hold onto the memories she had with Puck. She already knew it wouldn't always be easy, but she also knew the memories she shared with Puck might make it a bit easier.
There you have it! If you enjoyed and feel the need to tell me that it's not as awful as I think it is, feel free to do so. If you feel the need to tell me that it IS as awful as I think it is, feel free to do so. All feedback is welcome & means the world. Thanks again for taking the time to read and/or comment!