Disclaimer: I own none of the characters used in this piece of fiction.
Author Notes: This piece started as a drabble that took on a mind of it's own. Written for a prompt posted at the drabble meme at puckrachel on livejournal. Though I believe the prompt might have gotten lost in the transition of things.
Two Am Wake-Up Call
"Rachel?" Mike asked the moment the other line picked up.
"Michael," Rachel started, her voice tinted with sleep, "I would hope you have an excellent reason to be calling me at," there was a brief pause as she turned to look at a clock as he assumed, "two am. Michael, do you have any idea how late it is? I require-"
He quickly interrupted her before the little diva could get too far into her rant, "Rach, look I'm sorry. I know it's really late. But you were the only person I could call." Which, hey, was true; He knew Santana would refuse to pick up her cell phone. He probably wasn't to far from assuming right that Brittany wouldn't answer either. Mercedes would just bite his head off. Quinn was out of town for the weekend and Tina; well she was sound asleep on his bed.
He heard the girl sigh and some rustling that he figured meant she was getting up out of bed, "What did you need?" she asked a little less snippy.
It was now or never. He couldn't deal with it anymore. Hopefully in a matter of minutes it would all be Rachel's problem.
"I need you to come to my house and pick up Puck."
There was a soft snort from the other end, "I see no reason for Noah to need my assistance to return home."
Mike sighed as he ran a hand down his face, "Please, Rach? Puck's had one too many drinks and I really don't think sending him home like that would be smart. The dude would probably walk out into the middle of the street and get hit by a car or something. Or what if he stumbles and fell and hurt himself? That would all be on you Rach. And he's starting to freak me out. He's been in the corner since I first let him in my house. He's been so damn quite. You know Puck, Rach. He's a talkative drunk. This it's normal. Plus, Tina's here. I don't need her waking up to Puck doing something creepy."
Rachel sighed heavily, "Fine. I'll only be a few minutes." She gave a short and he couldn't stop the grin that appeared on his lips when he heard her muttering about the consequences of having a true friendship under her breath before she hung up.
It was only a matter of minutes before the grin melted from his lips as he turned and faced the little problem he had been settled with. Being friends for years had set up ample of moments where he was met with a different façade of Noah Puckerman. But he really wasn't feeling this drunken version of Puck, who only seemed to want to sit in the corner and mop while muttering incoherently. He definitely didn't know how to handle this and was really hoping Rachel would.
- X -
Rachel was beginning to think taking her car to Mike Chang's house would have benefited her more than just walking the short 10 minutes to her house. It was around two fifteen in the morning and she was walking the streets in a wooly jacket and pajamas. She pushed the thought away as she reached the front porch and prepared to knock, exclaiming as her wrist was grabbed and she was pulled into the house.
"Thank God you're here!" he nearly exclaimed, closing the door behind her.
"Yes, well where is he?" she asked, stuffing her hands into the wooly pockets for warmth.
Mike chuckled from behind her, engulfing her in a hug, "you seriously have no idea how happy I am you came. I don't know how to deal with him like this." The tall Asian released her and Rachel could only raise her brow in question. Mike nodded towards the living room.
She found him in the corner beside the TV, his mouth moving though she couldn't really understand him. Rachel glanced at Mike, who only shrugged. The petite diva shook her head, "Noah?"
Puck's head snapped up the moment he heard her voice, a haphazard smile playing on his lips as he tried to stand to his feet. "Berry, it's fucking awesome to see ya!" the line break practically collapsed on the girl as he went to hug her.
Rachel held up as much of his weight as she could manage before Mike was by her side to help her. Her brows knitted together as she took in the tall boy. "I thought he was practically comatose in the corner."
Mike through up his hands, "he was…until you got here."
"Chang," Puck's voice came out muffled from where his head rested on Rachel's shoulder, "shut the fuck man."
The sober pair blinked at the drunken teen. Rachel pinned Mike with a glare, "you owe me for this Michael."
Mike hastily nodded as he wrapped one of Puck's arms around his shoulder, "he needs to go home."
Rachel frowned, "He can't. His mother would kill him. I…" she paused as she thought over her options, which weren't very many. She could have called Finn and see if he'd house his friend for the night. She nixed that idea the moment she realized the high possibility of Puck saying something to taller boy. The only option was to offer her home to him. Her fathers were out of town for the weekend and with any luck she could just dump him on the couch and let him sleep off the effects of his drinking. "He'll stay at my house."
Mike blinked and he could have sworn he heard a mumbled 'Yes' from the intoxicated teen. "Are you sure? Maybe I should just have let him mop in my corner all night."
The petite diva rolled her eyes, starting slowly towards the door hoping Mike would get the hint. He seemed to as he helped her manage the deadweight that was Puck.
"Need help carrying him back?" Mike asked as he opened the door.
Rachel shook her head, "I can manage. If I can just straighten him…" after a point look, Mike adjusted Puck, getting the linebacker as straight as possible. The drunken fool grinned back at him.
"Thanks Mikey, for the place to stay," Puck turned his head and nuzzled Rachel's cheek, "but Berry-bear's got me from here, later."
"Berry-bear?" Mike copied, fighting a smile as Rachel glared in response. The petite teen huffed softly, slowly making her trek away from the front door. Mike offered a cheerful wave to the departing pair as a pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind.
"You can be rather devious when you want to be Mister Chang."
Mike grinned, turning to his girlfriend, "I know."
- X -
Now she was really regretted leaving her car back at home and for rejecting Mike's assistance. She really underestimated just how much of Noah's weight would be left to her to carry. Rachel ground her teeth as they continued their slow, very slow back to the Berry residence.
"Noah, if we are you make it back in one piece I will need to please prevent yourself from pressing against my side," she stated as Puck leaned closer.
"Impossible," the drunken teen mumbled, his head resting heavily on hers.
Rachel sighed, "Noah, your making it incredibly difficult to proceed home."
His head bobbed, "S'ok.'
The girl frowned, "No, it most certainly is not okay!" she huffed, tempted to release the boy and leave him to be found the next morning. She might have had the teen not practically held her hand in a death grip.
Puck chuckled, his whole body vibrating into hers as he did so, "Babes, you gotta relax or you might wake everyone up."
"Noah.." she started warningly. Rachel knew it was a losing battle to even try and talk to him in his current state but she couldn't help it. Even as adorable as he was Puck was still as irritating as if he were sober.
"Ray-Ray," she had to admit though the little nicknames coming from his mouth were sweet, "you know I love you right?"
Her head whipped in his direction, "Excuse me?"
His oh-too-familiar smirk played on his lips, "I…love…you" he enunciated as though talking to a child.
Brown eyes blinked as they came to a stop. Puck stumbled forward as he tried and failed to keep himself upright, taking the petite girl with him. Rachel landed with oomph on top of the boy, his hands holding her waist to keep her still.
"Noah, you can not go around staying 'I love you' to a young woman when you clearly don't mean them." She promptly extracted herself, after a good fight to remove his hands, and stood to her feet.
Puck sat up slowly, watching her, "I can if they're true babe."
With arms tightly wrapped across her chest, Rachel stared down at him, "Noah, you're drunk. I'd be a fool to take whatever you say seriously. Now stand up, we're home."
After a few falls, and finally some assists from the petite diva, Puck found himself on his feet. Rachel promptly stood beneath his arm once again and pulled him towards the house.
- X -
Rachel finally settled the teen on the couch, "Noah, you can stay here for the night as I think trying to help you up the stair just may kill the both of us and we're far to young for death." She nodded to the pillow and comforter she had retrieved from the guest room, "Use those should you get cold," than pointed to the glass of water resting on the coffee table, "try and drink some of that before you fall asleep. I'll have aspirin ready in the morning as I'm sure you'll be torment by a horrendous hangover. Goodnight Noah."
Before she could walk up to her bed room, Puck grabbed her hand, "Stay with me?"
Brown eyes stared into deep hazel, the boy's eyes both demanding and pleading for her to stay. She began to shake her head, this whole situation was weird. With one phone call, her night had been…well she couldn't exactly say it was ruined. Though drunk and surprisingly a far-cry from his typical persona, Puck had entertained her, and she'd deny it until the day she died that she found the way his lips were currently pouted was adorable.
She caved with a sighed, "This once shouldn't hurt."
His lips curled upwards into a smile as he gave her hand a forceful tug. For the second time that night, Rachel found herself on top of McKinely's playboy, his arms wrapped around her waist as he held her close.
"You know, Bear-bear (she flushed, again with the nicknames), I really did mean it," he mumbled against her hair.
Rachel blinked as her mind drifted back to his earlier words, "Noah, I…" she was interrupted by a soft snore. The girl smiled resting her head against his chest. "I love you too, Noah."
End.
Prompt: Rachel takes care of a drunk Puck, and he's had a secret crush on her for a while now.