Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

A/N: I know I said my next Glee fic would be about Mike/Tina but when I tried to write about them it somehow always got turned back around to Puck/Rachel. Weird, I know. Anyways, I have another futurefic I've been writing (One Step at a Time) and ever since I started that one I've been obsessed with them so I'm writing another one. As always, I hope you enjoy it. My friends read this before I posted and they seemed to like it but you never know. Criticism is always welcome but please don't intentionally be mean or hateful. Any mistakes are mine and I take full responsibility.

Rachel smiled down at the text that had just shown up on her phone. It was from Noah, of course. He was back in town and wanted her to meet him at the bar for a few drinks.

"I'm heading out guys." Rachel shrugged her coat on and waved goodbye to her coworkers before heading out into the chilly fall air.

Fall was Rachel's favorite season in New York. She liked the cool weather and all of the colors. The leaves were just beginning to change and people were pulling out their coats and jackets. She loved the fashion of fall too. People wore greens and purples and oranges. Yes, Rachel Berry loved fall for all of these reasons but mostly because it meant summer was over. Don't get her wrong; summer in New York is great but if it's summer it means Noah's not here. He always goes out to LA in the summer for his band. But now its fall which means Noah is back in New York where he belongs.

She pulled her green jacket tighter around her and couldn't stifle the giggle that escaped her lips as she neared the bar. Several people glanced at her when she laughed but none of them gave it much thought. New York City was full of crazies and Rachel was proud to be one of them.

Rachel and Noah had a complicated relationship. It had been that way since high school. They had never really dated – at least not since that short week sophomore year – but they had grown close. He was who she would go crying to whenever she got dumped or got rejected for a part she really wanted and she was who he went to when he had a bad day.

She took a deep breath before stepping into the bar. She spotted him instantly. Her eyes took him quickly. His broad shoulders, the curve of his neck, the way he stood leaning over the bar slightly, the way his shirt was a little too tight on his biceps. Then he turned to see her standing by the door and he smiled that smile that made her legs go wobbly and her mouth dry. She smiled back at the way his eyes sparkled and made her way towards him. He met her halfway and pulled her into a tight hug. She felt her breath hitch when the smell of his cologne hit her hard. She loved how he smelled. It was outdoorsy and kind sweet from sweat but mostly it was just… Noah.

"I think you get shorter every time I see you." He carefully placed her feet back on the floor and smiled down at her.

"For your information I have grown a quarter of an inch since you left." She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're the one that keeps growing on me."

"Come on, the guys got us a booth." Puck loosely wrapped his arm around her waist and led her through the bar to where they usually sat.

She grinned seeing the rest of the usual gang sitting at the large booth. Mike, Tina, Santana, Brittany, Finn, and Quinn. "Hey, guys." She slid into the booth followed by Puck.

"I'm surprised Puck got you to come out tonight." Santana teased. "We haven't been able to get Berry to join us for drinks in weeks."

"I've been busy." Rachel replied.

"Rachel got the role of Elphaba in a production of Wicked." Finn boasted proudly.

"Finn." Rachel blushed.

"That's great." Puck laughed. "I knew Rachel would make it big."

"It's not that big of a deal really." Rachel sighed. "It's off-Broadway."

"That's one step away from on-Broadway." Brittany said. "Right?"

"Yes." Santana patted her girlfriends arm.

"Enough about me. Noah just got back. Tell us everything." Rachel smiled over at Puck.

"It was fun." He nodded. "Pretty much the same as last year. The band is actually going to be here tonight. I convinced them to come visit New York for a few days." He glanced at his watch. "They should be here any second."

About that time the door of the bar swung open and some people walked in. "There they are now." He hurried over to get his friends.

He introduced them quickly and Rachel greeted each one. First was Matty Ingles, the lead singer, then Steven Smith, the bass player, Peter Willows, the other guitarist, and Ryan Blake, the drummer. As Puck introduced the last member Rachel paled. Luckily, she recovered quickly and greeted the drummer before backing up against the booth and watched as Puck, the band, Finn, and Mike were quickly engrossed in a conversation.

"Why do you look like someone just insulted Barbra Streisand?" Santana asked Rachel.

"Did you know about Ryan?" Rachel spat the name.

"Yea, Puck's mentioned her." Santana shrugged. "Why?"

"Because when he was talking about the band and said Ryan I thought of a creepy, stringy-haired guy that played in a rock band not some hot, big-boobed, bimbo drummer." Rachel complained.

"Wow. Green is really not your color." Santana smirked.

"What is wrong with me?" Rachel pouted.

"You've got it bad for Puckerman." Santana shook her head.

"I hate you." Rachel crossed her arms.

"You love me." Santana laughed.

"Oh, just go home and scissor your girlfriend." Rachel hissed.

"Feisty." Santana smiled. "I like that."

"I do not like Noah." Rachel told her.

"You're right." Santana shrugged. "You love him." She teased Rachel.

"Since when did you revert back to fourth grade?" Rachel asked.

"I'm just saying." Santana giggled. "You totally have the hots for Puck. Ain't that right, Brittany?"

"What?" Brittany hopped over to Santana's side.

"Isn't Rachel completely in love with Puck?" Santana asked.

"Ever since high school." Brittany nodded.

"Oh, what do you know?" Rachel huffed and sank back down into the booth to sulk.

"We're heading out." Santana told the group. "Bye, Rachel."

Rachel just glared at the Latina girl and watched as Santana and Brittany walked out of the bar hand-in-hand. She sighed and sunk deeper in the booth, frowning when she saw Ryan hopelessly flirting with Puck. Rachel rolled her eyes when Ryan laughed loudly and put her hand on Puck's arm. It was obvious Ryan wanted Puck and Rachel couldn't possibly be the only one that noticed.

Puck saw Rachel sitting in the booth nursing a glass of beer and tore himself from the group before going to sit by her.

"You've been oddly quiet tonight." He noted taking the beer from her hands and talking a big gulp.

"That's mine." She complained. He smirked and sat the glass back in front of her. "I fully intend to get drunk tonight. Like so drunk I can't walk. I don't have to work tomorrow so I don't mind sleeping off a hangover."

"I don't think I've ever seen you drunk." He shook his head. "I'm sure I'll like Drunk Berry." He leaned to whisper against her ear and she fought back a shudder at the heat of his breath. She was still mad at him. She wasn't exactly sure why though.

"I'm sure you would too. I hear she's very fun." Rachel replied and hoped he didn't notice the way her voice waivered a bit. He didn't. "You look like you have a fan." She motioned to where Ryan was staring over at Puck.

"Who? Ryan? Naw, we're just friends." Puck brushed it off.

"Does she know that?" Rachel asked.

"I guess." He shrugged.

"Have you slept with her yet?" She urged on.

"Yet? Hell no. Matty has a strict no sex policy between band mates." Puck told her. "Besides, I think she has a boyfriend back in LA."

"Oh." She tried to sound like she wasn't extremely happy to hear that piece of information and if she hadn't gone through years of acting lessons she was sure her voice would have betrayed her.

"Finn tells me you have a boyfriend." Puck told her.

"He's probably talking about Paul." Rachel shrugged. "He plays Fiyero."

"So you two going to be the next Idina Menzel and Norbert… whatever…?" Puck asked.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Paul is talented."

"Have you slept with him yet?" He repeated her words and smirked.

"He's gay." Rachel shook her head.

"That's good." Puck nodded.

"Why?" She asked taking a sip of the beer in front of her.

"You know why." He smiled and she did too. She tried to stop the blush from spreading across her face but failed miserably. "You wanna get out of here?" He asked.

She matched his gaze and smirked. "That depends."

"On what?" He questioned.

"On what you plan on us doing." She told him.

"We could go back to your place." He leaned towards her. "Maybe put in a movie, pop some popcorn, maybe some other stuff." He whispered suggestively.

"Other stuff?" She asked quietly.

"Yea." His voice was husky and his breath was hot on her neck.

"We can watch Rent." She suggested.

"Yea." She felt his fingers jump up and brush against her bare thigh. Why did she have to wear this short of a skirt? "Damn, Rachel." He groaned. How was she always so soft and warm?

"You can crash on the pull out couch." She continued.

"Mm-hmm." He agreed but didn't sound too excited about that idea. "You ready to go?"

"Let's go." She pushed him out of the booth and he threw his arm over her shoulder. "See you guys later." Rachel smiled at Quinn, Tina, Mike, and Finn. "Tomorrow maybe."

"Bye." Finn waved at them and Mike gave Puck a knowing smile which Puck chose to ignore.

They left the bar and Rachel took a little too much satisfaction in the fact that Ryan was glaring at the way Puck had his arm around Rachel's shoulder. She grinned to herself and looked over at Puck as he reached out to hail a taxi. She watched as the headlights of passing cars danced on his face. Yes, this is why Rachel Berry loved the fall.