Take These Moments and Make Them Joyful

The summer is upon them and Puck's somewhere they never thought (wished) they'd be.

The grass is long and soft, brushing past bare legs as the Glee kids run in front of them. The sun is thick and heavy on their backs and Finn feels as though he could almost push through it; golden and sweet like honey or molasses as Rachel pulls down a blanket in front of them.

The meet-up is unexpected yet somehow familiar; Puck's aware in the back of his mind that he wanted to meet up with them; wanted to jam out with Mercedes and laugh with Brittany and play football with Kurt and discuss music with Tina and...

And see Artie again.

His wheelchair moves silent, pushed by a smirking Santana and he babbles to Quinn about TV and songs and slushies and Puck wants to scoop him up and kiss him, he's in that deep.

Tina puts on some music from her speakers as Rachel and Finn pull out food and they start to sing. Puck wishes he'd brought his guitar - if only to serenade Artie with something a bit more choice and infinitely less cheesy than anything Lionel Richie ever sung.

Artie ends up on the blanket, squeezed between Mike and Quinn and the sound of Brittany singing joyfully along to whatever Lady Gaga song she and Kurt have been obsessing over is enough to make Puck grin a big, goofy smile that belongs more on Finn's lips than his own.

Tina and Finn are huddling together, bitching about music while Rachel and Quinn discuss hair and laugh like the world's ending and they couldn't give a shit.

"Hey, Noah." Artie's voice is low and cheery against his shoulder as Puck leans back against him, smile evident. Puck wants to bottle the moment and sell it. He wraps a long arm around Artie's shoulders and presses his lips to the hair at Artie's temple.

"You... you don't mind them knowing?" Artie's rippling with tension, worry, anxiety and Puck places a kiss against furrowed brow and tousled hair.

"Like I give a fuck about 'em if they did." Puck's grinning again, tugging Artie into his lap with easy, practiced movements and then they're kissing and Puck's never felt so... so goddamn fucking happy in his whole life.

He wishes they could capture this moment. Snap it like a Polaroid and keep it forever for him to treasure. But Artie's here and warm and soft and strong in his arms and it's damn near idyllic as they can get in Lima.

The sun sets lazily and Chinese lanterns float across like sun-dappled moths, a gift from Tina's folks. The music shifts around as they start to dance - not Rachel's Broadway-Sectionals beautiful insanity.

Brittany takes Santana in her arms, Finn and Tina sway and even Matt and Mercedes share a lingering slow dance. The air smells like honeysuckle or some sweet shit like that and Puck pulls Artie into his chair.

Artie's going to Northwestern and Puck's aware that he's gonna follow him, no matter what. There's a scholarship there and he knows he can get in easy - although even if there was no scholarship, Artie'd still find himself with Puck as a roommate. Mine, Puck thinks possessively.

He read somewhere that you had take every moment as it came - not to worry too much about consequences or possibilities because life wasn't an infinite span of time. Take joy in everything you see.

Puck's seen his fair share of bad days and bad months and he can't feel guilty whatsoever for taking this chance - his chance - to be happy.

Joy radiates from every pore as he bends down to kiss Artie. Because there's hope.

Fin.