A.N. This story resulted from the Support Stacie Author Auction. Thanks so much to erinrachelle74 for bidding on me and prompting this Puckleberry story with the following two requests: Puck chasing after Rachel, and Puck standing up for her in glee rehearsal. That's all you need to know!

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or anything familiar.

…

When Rachel ran out of the Puckerman house after Noah had mentioned the words "future" and "relationship", she had a good reason.

Didn't she?

She tried to justify her actions to herself. If she could be honest, the idea of a future with him was really something she wanted. They had a perfect summer together and had grown so close, and Rachel had felt so carefree. Rachel wasn't used to feeling so…wonderful…and she hated the idea that it was all coming to an end. The thought of not letting this feeling go was very tempting. Then her practical side weighed in on the decision. She was afraid that starting a relationship with him now would keep her trapped in Ohio. Because she already knew that she wouldn't be able to leave him if she actually had him. She didn't want to be the type of girl who threw away her dreams and goals for a romance that might not last. Rachel would never forgive herself if she backed out of her plans to go to school in New York at the last minute—and her fathers would never allow it either. She had told herself throughout the summer that it was only a fling.

If it was a fling, that was one thing. But a real relationship? How could she deal with that? And with Noah Puckerman, long distance didn't seem like a realistic option. Rachel was a dreamer, but she was a realist too. That's why she did everything in her power to ensure that she would make it to New York to pursue her dreams. That's why Noah talking about their future when they were about to…consummate their…fling…made her question everything.

And run.

...

When Rachel realized that Noah was standing outside her door, just like he had their sophomore year, she felt her heart flutter. She had run, but he had chased her. Rachel knew this meant something important, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to find out what. She took a deep breath as she opened the door and stepped out onto the porch.

"Noah." She drank in the sad stare from his amber-green eyes. Her heart leaped into her throat. She felt so…much. Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Puck looked at her incredulously for a moment. He hadn't even had a chance to say anything yet, and she was already crying? But he snapped out of it and pulled her into his arms. "Baby, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" He stroked her hair tenderly as he tried to calm her down. He thought about how the roles had reversed from the last time he stood at her doorstep.

"I…just…I don't know if I can do this," she gulped out between sobs.

"Do what, Rach?" He began rubbing her back gently.

"Feel the way I feel about you, and then just leave." She clutched him tighter. She couldn't bear to look at him, but she needed his presence. She needed to feel him hold her.

"I know what you mean," he whispered.

"You do?" Rachel looked up at him slowly.

"I do." He nodded. "But I'm not gonna hold you back either."

"This was supposed to be a simple fling—our last to get it out of our systems!" Rachel lamented.

"It was?" asked Puck. "It wasn't for me. I mean, it isn't for me. That's what I've been trying to tell you."

Rachel thought her heart might stop. It was the same terror and thrill she felt when he had mentioned their future. But this time she knew that he wasn't going to ask her to stay in Lima for him. She wondered how her heart could feel as though it were aching and bursting at the same time. He was thinking of what was best for her instead of begging her to stay with him. She always knew there was more to Noah Puckerman than what he showed the world, but his selflessness in this moment was superbly astounding. She still didn't know what it meant that they both wanted more, but he wouldn't keep her from going after her dreams. Whatever was to come, she knew one thing right now. She needed him. "I know I look terrible, but would you kiss me?"

Puck choked out a laugh. "Rachel, you look beautiful," he said as he cupped her face in one hand and wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "You're always so beautiful."

Her lips trembled as tears threatened again. She stared into those expressive eyes in front of her, and she knew the depths of his feelings. She also knew the depths of her feelings for him. His hand moved from her face to cradle her head as he leaned down to meet her lips with his. Her arms flew around his neck and he held her close with left arm while his right hand tangled in her hair.

It took a few moments, but Rachel realized they were doing a fabulous job of kissing on her front porch, but there was somewhere else she'd rather be. She pushed apart from him briefly. "Inside. Upstairs." When he seemed frozen in place, she added, "Please?"

Puck stirred from his stupor to nod and follow her inside. He wasn't sure exactly what was happening, but he had a feeling something was about change.

And he had a feeling he was going to get laid.

But that was secondary to the unfamiliar feeling in his chest at that moment. He thought it might be warmth…hope…and longing…all combined in there somehow. He briefly wondered where her dads were as she led him upstairs—just like she had done those years before.

...

As she held his hand and pushed open the door to her bedroom, heat was already pumping through her and pooling between her thighs. She locked the door quietly behind them and slid her body against his. She shivered when she felt his hands travel up her sides and grip her shoulders. That's when he stopped and stopped her.

"Rach, you know I didn't come here for this right? I mean, I hoped but…"

"I know," she assured him. "I want this. I want you. Now." She tugged at his t-shirt to give him the hint to take it off. He obeyed.

She rewarded him by taking off her own shirt, standing before him in her bra.

He licked his lips in anticipation, admiring the contrast of her white bra on her tanned skin before reaching to free those perfect boobs. He felt the pulsing in his jeans as he fondled her, and he was all too willing to help Rachel slip the denim off—immediately followed by helping her remove her skirt and tiny white panties.

"You're so hot," he said in her ear as he went for her neck, working his way across her body with his hands and his tongue as she stood beside her bed. She was ready for him, so wet and glistening.

She moaned lightly in response and arched her body toward him. "You're amazing."

He smiled into her skin at those words, and took the opportunity to make a few more noises of enjoyment escape her lips before he picked her up and hovered over her in bed. But Rachel had other ideas, as she pushed him onto his back and crawled on top of him.

And he was definitely ready for her and this attention she chose to give him. When she slithered up his body to reach for a condom, he was more than ready.

...

As they reached their climaxes, Rachel breathed out, "Finally."

"Did I keep you waiting?" Puck asked her with one eyebrow raised.

Her flushed skin post-coitus flushed deeper as she explained, "That's not what I meant. That was perfect." She kissed him before they parted, and he took that opportunity to dispose of the condom and clean up in her bathroom.

He thought he knew what she meant. They finally connected. Finally came together this way. It wasn't the first time for either of them (clearly not Puck's first time), but it was their first time together. It was everything they knew it would be. Everything they knew it should be. (What they should have been doing a lot sooner, in his opinion. But better late than never. Much better.)

But their togetherness in that night did not change what was about to happen. She was going to leave. And not just someday far away. Soon. Like, some day this week.

He returned to her bedroom and slipped under the covers next to her. Puck was trying to think of a way to bring up his questions about what to do now without ruining the moment, when Rachel turned to him and sighed, "That really was incredible."

He smiled at her, "Yeah, it was."

"I'm so glad we finally…" she started, searching for the right words.

"Did it?" he offered.

Rachel giggled. "Well, yes, that too. I'm truly glad we 'did it'. But I meant that I'm glad we finally admitted our feelings and expressed them. Maybe I'm relieved that I admitted my feelings and got over my fear of what they mean."

"So, what are you afraid of with me?" he asked earnestly, turning to his side and propping up his head with one arm to look at her intently.

Rachel looked back at him, and thought she finally knew what it meant to be lost in someone's eyes. His intensity was staggering. She blinked a few times after he smiled at her staring. "I want to say foremost that I'm not afraid anymore. But I was afraid that if I let myself get involved with you, that I wouldn't follow my dreams—that I'd throw everything away to stay here with you." She paused as his face fell. "That sounds heartless, I know. I'm so sorry for the way that sounds. I don't know what to do really. But I know I want more, and I'm glad to realize that you do too. Forgive me?" She pulled him toward her so that he had little choice but to roll on top of her.

"There's nothing to forgive," he said as he looked down at her. "I don't know what to do either. I was hoping you would have a brilliant idea. It's true that I don't want you to leave me—things are just getting good," he leered at her a bit and she couldn't help but grin. "But I don't want to stop you from going either," he finished.

"Come with me?" Rachel whispered, almost mortified at the words as they left her mouth, but hopeful at the same time.

"All you had to do was ask," he told her as he kissed her softly.

"Really? You'll really just come to New York with me? I didn't even consider that as an option! Even though I wanted it with all of my heart—and probably for a lot longer than I've even admitted to myself. I thought it would be terribly presumptuous of me, but then I just could stop myself from asking, and…" Rachel realized that she was rambling all of her thoughts out loud and Noah was looking at her with amusement in his eyes and a smirk on his perfect lips. So she stopped talking and kissed him soundly.

"Thank you, Noah Puckerman," she said sincerely. "You've made me happier than I ever could have imagined I'd be without standing on a stage holding a golden award in my hand."

Puck barked out a laugh. That was Rachel Berry. That was his girl. "I try."

Rachel smiled sweetly. Then her eyes flashed and she looked at him slyly. "Well, you're very good at what you do."

"Rachel Berry, are you flirting with me?" he laughed.

"Is it working?" she fluttered her eyelashes.

He grabbed her in his arms and rolled her on top of him. "What do you think?" he growled.

Her eyes lit up as she felt the evidence. She kissed him instead of answering his questions in words. She thought he'd like that.

He did. He showed her just how much.

...

"Uh, Rach?" Puck began. Her head was on his chest and he was running his arm down her side. She was so beautiful. But he had to talk to her about some things before he let himself get carried away (again).

"Hmm?" Rachel asked without moving from her comfortable position.

"I don't really know what to do next…"

Rachel sat up, a look of worry crossing her face. "What do you mean?"

"Like the details. New York and stuff."

"Oh!" she said—rather happily. Then she climbed out of bed and began dressing.

"And now I don't know what you're doing," Puck said in a playful grumble.

She turned and smiled back at him. "I'm glad you're asking about the details. It shows we're serious and really going to do this. I'm getting dressed so we can start really making plans. I'll be leaving in three days you know. That's not much time."

"I know," he groaned and pulled a pillow over his head dramatically.

"Aren't you going to get dressed?" She sat at her desk in front of her computer and looked at him primly.

"If I have to…" he said reluctantly.

"You have to," she affirmed. "We have a lot to discuss. And I don't think we should let ourselves…be distracted…" she said slowly as she paused to stare at his bare chest and those lovely arms gripping the pillow. "Please?" she added.

He smiled at her from his place in her bed. (He looked so good there.) "This is too distracting for you, huh? Well, we can't have that." He stood up and gave her the full view of his naked body. She gasped and blushed. She couldn't help it. He was so magnificent.

He put on his clothes with a smirk. "I really do want to figure this out," he told her. "And I definitely need your help. So if we can't figure it out while we're naked in bed, then I'll be dressed." He kissed her sweetly on the top of her head. (She almost regretted her request for their clothes. But she really did need to concentrate.)

Puck took a seat on her bed where he could see what she was doing on her computer. "So, I'm probably too late to apply for any schools starting in the fall, and they're really expensive. I don't wanna be a loser without a college education, but I don't wanna be without you either."

Rachel felt tears threatening to well up, she was just so touched. She spun around in her chair. "I don't want to be without you!" She crossed to her bed and arranged herself on his lap. "And I won't make you give up your dreams either! If you can reach your dreams in New York, and I think you can, then we're golden! Fortunately, I have some ideas on what to do."

He kissed her lips quickly. "Hit me with 'em."

She kissed him again as she scurried back to her desk. "I think that schools in New York will be much more affordable if you live there and have status as a resident. It only takes a few months, an address, proof that you pay bills, and things like that." She began typing furiously. Puck had no idea what she was looking up, but of course, she didn't keep it to herself. "I'm searching for schools near NYU and checking their tuition rates. You were thinking about OSU, right?"

"OSU Lima first," he corrected. "It costs like half as much as the main campus. It's under $5000 a year. And I'd live at home, which would suck, but Mom didn't trust me not to waste her money my first semester. Oh, and I kinda delayed making any plans because I was hoping something like this would happen."

"Really?" she squeaked.

"Really."

Rachel remembered how upset he'd been at lunch one day when he had asked her what he should do with his future. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth formed a small 'o'. Puck blinked as he realized what she must be thinking about. Then he laughed when she scurried back into his lap and took his face in her hands. "Noah Puckerman…" she said as she covered his face in kisses. "You…are…the…sweetest…thing…ever."

"Don't tell," he chuckled. Then he deadpanned. "No. Seriously. Don't."

She smiled and gestured that she had locked her lips and thrown away the key. Then her face turned serious. "I'm sorry it took me this long to realize…this. Us."

"It's ok," he shrugged.

"No, I really am sorry that I was too self-absorbed," she shook her head. "It's a problem for me, and I need to work on that."

"I wasn't exactly telling you what I was thinking…" Puck said. "So how could you have known?"

"I'm glad I know now."

"Me too," he said honestly.

She felt so comfortable and safe in his arms, but she reluctantly left his lap and went back to her chair after another kiss. "Well, we do have a lot more to determine. We need to think about your interests, what schools to apply for, where you should live, what work you might do to earn money while you're earning resident status."

"Shit, Berry," he said as the weight of the situation hit him. "I don't have the money to live in New York. I've been working all summer, but what I've saved is like nothing there. I'll have to get a place right away to even get a job." Puck was starting to fear that this was all a pipe dream and that everything was going to crumble and leave him with a Rachel-less reality.

Rachel frowned at the predicament. Then her face lit up. "I was going to live in the residence halls at NYU, but Daddy has family members in New York who were offering to let me rent a room for a very reasonable rate!"

"And you think they'd let me rent it instead?"

"Actually," she started in her shy yet somehow still flirty voice, "I was thinking maybe I'd find out if the offer was still open so that we could live there together…"

Puck's eyes widened. Because, whoa, that was pretty fast. But at the same time, that would be so much better than living with one of the Berrys alone while Rachel was living in some dorm room that probably didn't allow dudes to stay overnight…

"Do you think they'd be cool with that? And what about your dads?"

"Well, my family isn't exactly the most traditional… So I think my dads will be very understanding. I don't know about my relatives since I haven't really spent time with them outside of visits to go to shows in the city and things. But hopefully I can convince them that you will be a great tenant too, so the fact that we're not..." She paused because she didn't want to even say the word 'married' and see him go running. But she couldn't think of what to say and not make it awkward, so she just continued. "And we'd pay them for utilities, so the fact that there is an extra person living in their rental apartment would be taken into account." She paused. "I'm more worried about what your mom might think."

"I wouldn't have to tell her," Puck said automatically. He laughed at Rachel's shocked expression. "Relax, I'm kidding. She loves you. I'm sure she'd be pretty thrilled with the idea actually." (Like, planning their wedding thrilled, but no way in hell was Puck going to say that out loud. He wasn't ready for that level of crazy. Moving in together in like, a few days, was already enough crazy.)

Rachel appraised his small smile and had a feeling she knew what he was thinking. "It's too late for me to call Eli and Becca tonight, but I'll talk to Dad and Daddy, and we'll see if we can get this figured out. If that doesn't succeed, then we'll come up with an alternative plan. Maybe you would have to keep working here to save up some money for a while before you join me."

Puck nodded, but he really wasn't a fan of that alternative. He was hoping for the first option. Though as Rachel stood up and took him by the hand, he realized he wasn't a fan of directly talking to her dads about this either.

"Uh, where are we going?" He was afraid he knew.

"Downstairs to talk to Dad and Daddy," she stated.

"They're here? They've been here this whole time?"

"Of course they're here! It's 11 o'clock at night, three days before I leave for New York!"

"And they're not gonna freak out that you're dragging me downstairs, from your bedroom? When we didn't even say a word to them when I got here?"

Rachel frowned again. "You may have a point…"

"I may?"

"Fine, you have a good point!" she huffed. She dropped his hand and crossed her arms. "I suppose it would be best if you come by tomorrow and we all discuss this openly together."

"How openly are we talking?"

"Oh, not completely openly," Rachel said hurriedly. "Unless they ask us directly; then I don't really want to lie."

"So, what exactly are you saying?"

"I think we admit that we are in a relationship openly. And if pressed, we can admit that we are in a sexual relationship," she was whispering by the end, and a light flush colored her cheeks.

"Are you sure you're ready to do that? We don't have to try to live together if it's going to embarrass you or make you feel bad."

"I don't feel bad or embarrassed," she said firmly. "I want to be with you. I want to live with you. I want to go on this next adventure of our lives together."

She was very convincing, Puck thought. "Well, I'm sold! Now we just have to sell everyone else on the idea. Starting tomorrow."

"Yes, tomorrow."

"So I guess this means I can't stay over and risk your dads waking up and finding me in your bed, huh?"

"I think you're right that it would be best if you leave," she nodded. "As much as I don't want you to go," she added, "it's better if we start fresh tomorrow."

"Are you suggesting I sneak out through the window?" he smirked.

"I'm highly recommending it, yes."

"And do you think I should do this sneaking out now?" He eliminated the distance between them and let his hands settle on her hips.

She nodded slowly. "It's better than to risk falling asleep and waking up to the scenario you just mentioned."

"Bummer," he said as he dropped his hands quickly and spun away to head toward the window.

"Noah!" she whispered loudly. "Get back here and kiss me goodbye, you tease!"

His eyes sparkled and his lips twitched into that smirk. "Ok, Bossy."

"Don't call me that! It sounds like a name for a cow or something," she pouted.

She was so cute with her lower lip stuck out like that. He swooped down and nibbled it. She gasped in surprise, but the sound was swallowed by Puck deepening the kiss and taking advantage of her open mouth. Rachel moaned lightly at the pleasure and the regret that he really shouldn't stay. No, she couldn't let him stay…

She didn't let him stay…much longer.

...

They had always been comfortable with starting things up easily—but they had always ended things quickly in the past. This time was different. Or at least, it was supposed to be. Puck decided he'd wait before even mentioning to his mom that there was the possibility of moving to New York until after they had worked things out with Rachel's dads and Eli and Becca (whoever they were exactly). The fact that everything was happening so fast—she was leaving in two days—made Puck nervous. He didn't like this feeling…nervous. Could they really get everything worked out in time? Or would he end up registering for classes at OSU Lima after all?

Brunch with the Berrys went ok. Not perfect, but pretty good, considering. Her dads weren't too surprised at the situation—they had been around all summer to realize that their daughter spent every free moment she could with him. They didn't pry about the sex stuff, but there were some tense moments when Puck knew that they knew, and if felt kinda weird. But the one thing they didn't budge on was Rachel spending her first year in the college dorms—it was all already worked out—she had her roommate assignment, the first room and board payment had already been made—and they insisted that it was an important part of the college experience. They did, however, call up Eli and Becca Greenberg, who were Rachel's second cousins apparently, and managed to get him into their rental unit. And for that he was super-grateful. He figured that Rachel would spend a lot of time there with him anyway. Plus, living together right away would have been a really huge step.

Rachel had already investigated several college options with him—and once he could get resident status, at some places the tuition was actually cheaper than OSU Lima, but of course it cost more just to live in New York, so that was a trade off. But there was hardly a comparison.

New York had Rachel.

...

Even though Rachel and Puck had been pretty wrapped up in each other during the summer, most of the former glee clubbers came out to the Berry house before she left for the airport. Basically, all of the members of New Directions who hadn't left town yet came to say farewell to Rachel. Finn, Quinn, Tina, Artie, Mercedes, and Kurt stuck around the longest. "You're gonna do so great, Rach," Finn told her. She beamed and thanked him politely. Quinn politely agreed with Finn, but something in her eyes told Rachel that she believed it too. Tina got a little weepy and just hugged Rachel really tightly until Artie suggested that Rachel might need undamaged lungs in order to blow everyone away at NYU. So Tina nodded and released her as everyone laughed. Mercedes said, "I get one next, you diva," and gave Rachel a warm hug. Kurt stepped in to say "Rachel, even though we have been rivals, I think I'm actually going to miss you."

"Thank you, Kurt," Rachel said as she received a hug that looked more awkward to the onlookers than it felt to the two of them.

Finally, it was Puck's turn. She held him tightly, and he tilted her chin up to give her a long kiss amid the 'ooohs', 'awws', and 'ews' of the others. He flipped Kurt off from behind Rachel's back for saying 'ew'. That little fucker.

"Goodbye, Noah," Rachel said.

"See you soon, Rach," Puck replied.

"Promise?" she asked.

...

Puck moved to New York a week later.

His sister cried, and his mom wiped some tears of her own too. So maybe Puck got a little something in his eye as he was leaving. It did kinda suck to leave his kid sister just as she was starting to become a teenager. It freaked him out, so he was probably better off in another state where he couldn't easily beat some poor kid to a bloody pulp for looking at her wrong. "But don't think I won't be back here to check up on you and kick any little punk's butt who tries anything stupid," he told her seriously.

"My baby's growing up," his mom said. And Puck felt sort of proud and sort of sad at the same time. He was growing up; he was taking his next big step out in the world. He was nervous about it, but he was ready. He was ready to be with Rachel for real. He knew it was going to be awesome.

... Eight months later ...

It was the end of Rachel's second semester at NYU and the end of Puck's first semester at Hunter College. They had both kicked ass on their final exams. Rachel had moved out of the dorms after her finals, and they had moved her into the rental with Puck, where they'd be for the fall semester (and probably until Eli and Becca kicked them out since finding a place to live in the city was hard as fuck).

They were both excited about actually living together. Like the best was still ahead of them. But before that, they would spend part of the summer back in Lima to visit their families. The day before they were leaving for Ohio, they had gone out for a wonderful day on the town to celebrate, largely consisting of Rachel dragging her man around to all the best places she could think of to visit during the day, talking nearly nonstop. Puck thought it was a combination of adorable and that special brand of crazy he'd grown to…know. He could tell she was wearing herself out by the way she started to slow the stream of chatter. He decided he had to get her home so she wouldn't be too tired for other celebratory activities that night. So he suggested that they cap off their day with a walk through Central Park as the sun was setting.

What? He could be a little romantic and still be a badass. In fact, it was a requirement of being a ladies' man. Puck squeezed Rachel's hand and gave her a wink. He loved the way she smiled up at him.

They walked hand in hand in comfortable silence as they thought about the year.

"Isn't amazing, Noah?" Rachel began as they reached the lake. "To have come this far from Lima, Ohio? For the two of us to be here, together like this?"

"It's funny to think where we'd be if I didn't pursue your crazy little ass," Puck smirked. "You really made me work for this!"

"Do you think…? Was it worth it?" Rachel asked him, her eyes wide and vulnerable.

Puck smiled as he pulled her close. "Totally."

She melted into his arms as he kissed her deeply and with such passion that she knew he meant it.

As they parted from their kiss, Puck grinned. "I'd be lost without you, Crazy."

Rachel rolled her eyes and shoved him away playfully as she huffed. "Don't call me 'Crazy'. That's worse than 'Berry'." But she knew that his words were Puck's way of saying 'I love you'. And she knew that she loved him. And one day, she knew that Noah would be ready to tell her he felt the same way. She didn't have to wait long. About twenty seconds.

"Hey," he hauled her to him again and looked into her eyes with such a piercing gaze that Rachel involuntarily held her breath. "You know I love you, right?"

Rachel beamed as she sighed happily. "I love you too, Noah Puckerman."

...

End