Author's Note: All done with the last part, and hopefully you all enjoy it. This chapter is really ephasized on what I've drawn up as the softer side of Puck, but I think it is still pretty close to character (just the part of his character the writers haven't really shown us yet but I know is there). Thank you everyone for the support and encouragement. It means a lot to me!

Puck strode confidently down the main corridor of McKinley High, his arm draped loosely over Rachel's shoulders. The pair earned some passing looks from other students, all the girls scowling at Rachel. She didn't seem phased by the new attention, though, continuing to hammer on about … something or other. He'd stopped listening (yes, he'd started) somewhere between locker numbers 300 and 500 when he realized her blouse was buttoned low enough that he could see the valley of her breasts from his spot next to her.

"See you in glee?" She asked hopefully while turning out of his embrace, his left side suddenly chilly. There was a draft now that her tiny body wasn't nestled against him, and he didn't like it. "Noah?"

He realized he was scowling at her for no particular reason and recovered as quickly as he could by nodding softly. She hesitated for a beat, looked around the hall for another moment, and then back at him. When she angled her chin higher, her face more directly facing his, Puck panicked.

"I'll even sit next to you."

She smiled, though not the full-out grin he'd received after their embrace last Friday, and went into her classroom. Puck stayed in the hallway long after the last bell rang, wondering what (yet again) he had missed. If it wasn't the less than subtle crossing of a woman's legs, Puck wasn't really good with body language. He was a direct guy who needed direct answers. He needed precise directions, and he figured Rachel would be the one girl who would be more than willing to oblige him. Plus, she could totally do it without seeming like a crazy bitch (ie: Quinn).

However, ever since Friday, Puck just felt more and more confused when he was with her. He'd taken her to the pizza place to hang out with everyone after the game, and even though they sat all the way across from one another at opposite heads of the table, they kept finding each other's eyes during the conversations. And when he'd taken her home, she'd leaned over the console of his truck and kissed him right on the lips before hopping out and running into her house.

On Saturday his mom made him spend the day "resting" in the name of their religion. He figured Rachel's dads were probably making her do the same since they'd both missed temple, so he didn't even bother calling her. And then on Sunday, when he'd texted her to see if she wanted to come over to suck face, she didn't even answer, but she didn't seem pissed when he'd called her this morning to see if she had a ride to school.

Walking into the choir room for glee rehearsal, Puck decided Rachel seriously needed to come with an instruction manual.

"What the hell is this I hear about you and the midget?" Santana got right in Puck's face, the latter barely past the piano before being attacked by the Latina. "Is it part of your community service?"

"No." Puck side-stepped Santana, not surprised when she reappeared in front of him, stopping his forward progress. He might have trouble figuring out Rachel sometimes, but he had memorized Santana's playbook a long time ago.

"So is it a joke? Are you planning something epic? I can keep a secret!" Santana's eyes lit up like she'd just found out her father was getting her seven new cars, one for each day of the week. And for the first time in maybe his whole life, Puck was ashamed of himself. He never thought he was good enough, and definitely had some regrets, but right then he was ashamed that he ever was anything like the girl standing before him.

"Noah?"

He turned at her questioning voice, closing his eyes at the look on her face. She tried to hide it, but he could tell, could see the pain flash through the orbs. It was weird, really, to know her so well and not at all in the same day. Hell, sometimes it was true in the same minute.

"Hey." His voice was soft, very un-Puck-like as he grabbed one of her hands away from where they were wringing in front of her body. She had nothing to be nervous about. "Let's sit down."

She nodded happily, her lip lost between two rows of white teeth even as her lips curved into a smile. Silently they compromised on a spot in the back row but in the center. Rachel talked about her afternoon classes while he listened, both of them trying not to pay attention to the heavy stares issued by Santana and then Brittany while they waited for the rest of the glee club to show up.

"Alright!" Mr. Schuester clapped his hands together, effectively quieting the tangent conversations in the room and bringing the attention to himself. "Last week's performance was fun, but we need to get back on track. Regionals is less than a month away, and now's the time we really need to buckle down."

"Mr. Schuester is right!" Rachel stated, standing up from her seat next to Puck and joining Mr. Schue by the piano. "Vocal Adrenaline aside, Kurt and the rest of the Warblers have been improving with each passing day and we need to keep our focus if we really want to make it to Nationals this year." She pressed her palm to her heart, her eyes scanning the room. "While I'm destined to spend a good portion of my insanely successful career in New York, for many of you this competition could be your only opportunity to see the Big Apple."

"I think what Rachel is trying to say is that the other groups aren't just going to give it to us because we want to win." Mr. Schuester touched the girl's shoulder softly, pushing her lightly back toward her seat by Puck.

She had a wide smile on her face and he reciprocated it even though he was the only one. Everyone else was either scowling or rolling their eyes, depending on whether they were upset or just used to Rachel by now. Puck might want an instruction manual for her, but she severely needed one for society in general.

Step 1: People don't like it when you point out everything they won't accomplish in their lives.

"If we want to take the trophy home, we're going to have to work really hard this month. And with Valentine's Day around the corner, I figure this week's assignment is obvious." Mr. Schuester quickly turned and faced the dry erase board, popping the top off his marker and pressing the writing instrument against the flat surface. Writing over the letters several times in an effort to bold them, he finished by drawing a heart around the small word and then turned around. "Love."

"Is for suckers," Santana sneered.

"And that's a perfectly fine opinion to have, Santana." Mr. Schuester replaced the cap on the marker, tossing it carelessly on top of the piano while he rested his elbows against the black, shiny surface. "Love, like many things, doesn't mean the same thing to every person. For some it is about friendship, for some it's about one person, and for others it is about multiple people."

The members of glee club took time to evaluate the others in the group, the dynamic of love a frightening concept in such an incestuous group. Between Finn and Rachel, Finn and Quinn, Quinn and Sam, Mike and Tina, Tina and Artie, Artie and Brittany, Brittany and Santana, and Santana and … well … everyone, the performances could go a lot of ways, probably for each person. It was all dependent on their mood at that particular moment.

"And that is the exact reason why this will be an individual assignment." A few people groaned, apparently their initial ideas lost after that condition. "I really want you guys to look inside yourselves and pick a song that means something, one that tells a story."

Without much left to say, Mr. Schuester clapped his hands together again, signaling they could start their planning. Puck followed Rachel as she shot up from her seat, walking over to Mercedes and Artie. The two girls were comparing diva notes – apparently they didn't want to end up coming prepared to sing the same song (glee clubs equivalent to wearing the same dress at the Oscars) – while Artie asked Puck if he was ready for basketball season now that football was done.

Puck shrugged in disinterest, his head turning slightly to the left to look back at Finn. He was still sitting next to Quinn, but his eyes were on Rachel. Puck smiled. He might not be the football captain or the basketball star, but he did have something very coveted. So he slid his arm across her shoulders, tossing Finn a knowing smirk before answering a question from Lauren, who had joined their circle while he wasn't paying attention.

Apparently she was nervous about performing in front of everyone for the first time, and Rachel and Mercedes were giving her tips. It was weird to picture Lauren as shy, as she almost seemed more badass than even Puck. Her song choice – "Love Stinks" by The J. Gelis Band – was pretty rock and roll, and Puck would have remembered that he wanted to be her friend if he wasn't so focused on Rachel at that moment.

He couldn't get over how comfortable his arm was secured over her shoulders, as if it was the most natural resting spot for the appendage. Plus, depending on how he positioned said arm, he could easily cover her mouth with his hand if she was talking too much or he could reach down and grab her boob. There were definitely some advantages to having a short … uh … person? Kissing partner? Girlfriend?

Shit.

"Rachel, could we talk?" Finn approached the pair urgently, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets as his gaze moved back and forth between Rachel and Puck. The taller boy's eyes softened when he looked at his former girlfriend, and hardened when staring at what Puck knew would be former best friend if this thing with Rachel ended up really happening (which it might not considering his huge lapse in protocol).

"Sure," she agreed in a breathless manner, a strange feeling coursing through Puck's stomach. He'd felt jealousy before, obviously. His entire demeanor between Quinn and Finn last year had been tinged in green, but this was different. This was stronger, more volatile than he ever imagined possible.

He didn't want to just push Finn away from Rachel and tell him to get lost. He wanted to rip his eyes out and tell him never to look at his girl like that again. He wanted to find that stupid Finn necklace Rachel had specially made and melt it into a gold coin that just said, "Fuck you" on it and give it to him. Or take the necklace and choke him with it. That would be cool, too.

"Actually," he decided to take a more mature route (that was why Rachel was by his side right then to begin with, right? Because he was growing up?), and used his words instead of his fists. "Could we talk, too?" He looked at Finn just as icily as Finn had been looking at him. "First?"

"Uh …" she trailed off, looking back and forth between the two men. They were still staring at one another, the silent showdown accomplishing nothing other than starting a dull ache in both of Puck's temples. "This is very unusual. Normally no one wants to talk to me."

"I'm sure he can wait." Finn pointed to Puck, his attention back on Rachel. "Mine's pretty important, and won't take long."

"You're the expert on finishing quickly," Puck joked, sulking maybe just a little when Rachel allowed Finn to lead her out of the choir room. He didn't need to follow to know what the conversation was about. But he also didn't want to sit there while Santana glowered at him the whole time, trying to light him on fire with just her mind.

"Puck, I trust you'll be able to keep the streak alive and find an appropriate song from a fellow Jewish musician?" Mr. Schuester asked comically, more than likely noticing the teen's unusually sour demeanor. Puck tried to appear hard on the outside, but he wasn't a bad person. Mr. Schuester knew this, and had been keeping an extra watchful eye on him ever since he got back from juvie. In fact, Puck and Mr. Schue were pretty tight, the latter sort of like a mentor to Puck.

Dude didn't know shit about women and his life seemed to overall suck, but he was good people.

"My people haven't let me down yet, Mr. Schue." He grinned and strutted outside the choir room, claiming to need to use the restroom before walking out. Puck stopped after only a few steps past the door frame when he heard the growing voices of Finn and Rachel.

"I know what you're doing and it is not going to work."

"What am I doing, Finn? Please tell me. You seem to have all the answers lately."

"You're trying to make me jealous." Puck's jaw tightened in response to Finn's arrogance, but then he considered his words. It wouldn't have been the first time Rachel had used Puck to make Finn jealous. Hell, it wouldn't even be the second time. "You think if I see you and Puck together, I'll dump Quinn and get back together with you."

"While I just love the portrait you have of me in your mind, you couldn't be further from the truth."

"So, what?" Finn rolled his eyes, his hands back inside his pockets. "You're like … into Puck now?"

"Whether or not that is true is between Noah and me." Rachel bowed her head, Puck hearing the hesitance in her tone. She didn't want to say anything definite because he had been an idiot and hadn't realized they hadn't made anything official. "You and I … we were a nice story, the quarterback dating the choir girl. But … we aren't good together." Rachel lifted her eyes back to Finn's, and Puck wished he could see the expression on her face at that moment. "And you can't keep doing this."

"This what?" He pouted.

"You can't have both of us," she stated clearly, not wanting to mix words. "If you love Quinn and are dating her again, then don't expect me to sit on the sidelines and watch."

"And if I pick you?"

Rachel had started to turn around after her statement, but then Finn's words stopped her dead in her tracks. Halfway turned, she could see both boys in her periphery. Puck was standing as still as stone by the choir room door, and Finn was still holding the same position he had since she'd basically called him out on his selfishness. It was her call.

"You'd still want her." Slowly she turned back toward Finn, meeting his gaze with as much understanding as she could muster up. "And that isn't fair to me, or her." She shrugged sadly, Puck knowing that she didn't really have a problem with Quinn anymore. "I don't want to just be wanted. I want to be needed."

Rachel lifted on her tiptoes and kissed Finn on the cheek, only able to reach because of his suddenly slumped position. Puck tried not to show any emotion on his face, but when Rachel turned and walked closer to him, he couldn't help but smile back at her. She didn't just make him act differently, but she made him feel different, too.

No matter how shitty his day was going, whenever he saw her, she made it better. Whether she was talking his ear off about something utterly unimportant or if she was just smiling back at him, it fixed everything. He hadn't noticed before because he was so wrapped up on Quinn and in the social caste system that was high school, but Rachel was the only person in his life who made him feel good about himself. She was always pushing him to be better, but she never judged him for his past.

"Time for our talk?"

Puck considered his options, thinking about everything he wanted to say to her in that short amount of time he'd been listening her talk with Finn. All her seemingly odd behavior from this weekend made complete sense now, and he wanted to tell her that he wasn't using her either. He wanted her to know that she was his girl, and he wasn't playing games anymore.

"Or we could do something else besides talk." Puck waggled his eyebrows at her, smirking into her giggle.

It was good that she was used to him by now because those types of comments weren't going to stop just because they were dating. In fact, considering the correlation between the boyfriend-girlfriend label and the frequency of make-out sessions, Puck figured those comments would only increase.

"Inside," she demanded, pushing against his chest and walking back into the choir room. Puck stopped before the chairs, stopping Rachel's ascent to their seats softly by her hand.

"Actually," Puck cleared his throat, looking away from her and over at Mr. Schue. "If it's OK with you, Mr. Schuester, I'd like to go today."

"You have a song already?" He nodded quickly, his eyes moving back to Rachel's. She blushed under his scrutiny and sat down in the seat directly across from the stool Mr. Schuester moved toward the center of the room. Puck grabbed his acoustic guitar and quickly tuned the instrument, taking slow, deep breaths to calm his nerves. He'd serenaded her before, but he was putting a lot on the line this time.

And Joshua Radin wasn't exactly the stud Neil Diamond was, either.

Baby you

You got what I need

Baby you

You got my sunshine

Baby you

You got what I need

Baby you

You got my sunshine

When I see you

It's a beautiful world

But when you're gone

I want you in my arms

I'm telling you for the last time

Baby you

You got what I need

Baby you

You got my sunshine

Every night

I notice you're all alone

One day you might

Let me love you

I'm on fire

Can't you feel my desire?

I want to take you higher

It's a simplest thing

Always so hard to see

That I want to be

The one and only

Making you feel love

Oh darling I need love

It's all I can dream of

Baby you

You got what I need

Baby you

You got my sunshine

Baby you

You got what I need

Baby you

You got my sunshine

You got

My sunshine

When Puck finished the last chord, he lifted his eyes off the fret of his guitar and moved them to Rachel, surprised to see she was already out of her seat. Before he could even say anything, her lips were on his, and he was reminded of the embrace in her bedroom last week. Passion.

Mr. Schuester cleared his throat after a few beats, the rest of the club apparently already gone. Their teacher praised Puck's performance before meandering to his classroom, giving the pair some privacy. If it hadn't been Rachel, Puck knew Mr. Schue would have issued a warning that he was only right down the hall (read: no funny business).

"I know it might sound a little soft, but," he hesitated for only a moment, more just trying to regain his breath than anything, "will you be my girlfriend?"

She responded with another scorching kiss, which was answer enough in Puck's world. Because even though he'd used a song to tell her how much she meant to him and how much he needed her, her kiss told him the same thing.

And it was nice to be needed.

Author's Note: The song is Joshua Radin's "You Got What I Need" from his The Rock and the Tide album. If you don't already know it, please youtube it. He's amazing.