Happy Holidays
A Glee Fan Fiction
Chapter 8

Rachel Berry walked into school Monday morning with Noah Puckerman right at her side. Arm in arm, they strongly resembled the much younger couple that had paraded down the hallway sophomore year, while a star-struck girl babbled on about something that a very tough, mohawk-ed boy couldn't even remember since he hadn't been listening. The younger Puckleberry had been terrified of being mocked relentlessly-only on the male's part, of course. But this new generation? They couldn't have been happier. They didn't care if a slushy came their way or their cliques tried to break them apart. They had one another and they understood one another. What more could they possibly need? They had a love that was flawless, pure, and innocent. And honestly, in a high school relationship, that was all they could really ask for. Trust and love were all their relationship needed.

"You know, Rachel, I really fucking love you," Puck said, pulling her closer to him to plant a kiss on her cheek before letting go of her and giving her a little shove towards her locker with a gentle slap on her ass.

Rachel looked back at him with a mock-glare before walking towards her locker, noticing the lack of a little gift attached. She sighed as she twisted the dial on her lock and pulled the clasp downwards. She opened her locker and smiled at the long, rectangular box on the lowest shelf, right on top of all of her books. She removed the box and pulled off the lid, the only decoration on the box being a silver bow that looked incredible on the black box.

"No," Puck shook his head, reaching out to place a hand on her wrist, stopping her from opening it. "Read the card first," He insisted, reaching into her locker and plucking a piece of folded up gold-star-patterened paper from the middle shelf and holding it out for her between two fingers.

She frowned, giving him a slightly confused look as she accepted the paper and unfolded it, glancing over his messy scrawl.

Whenever I see an old couple, I think about you and me. Because I want us to be that old couple that people look at to realize that love really does exist. You and me, baby? We're that couple people look at and say 'damn, they're still together?' And I know that I'm selfish and want to be the only guy in your life, but I really don't want to be your whole life-just your favorite part. All my life I wanted to just give up on love, after the mess that happened between my parents, but you were there the entire time and you made me believe in love. I knew that as long as you were there, somebody was out there waiting for me. And you know what else? I like you. You're pretty swell. And I mean, you're kind of rock and roll, too-maybe even a little lovely, too. I love you, Rach, forever and ever.

She grinned, smiling up at him as she put the paper back into her locker to be hung up at a later date.

The thing with Puck was that he was just surprisingly sweet. He was that one person that she would meet in her life who was unlike anybody else. She could talk to him for hours and hours without ever getting bored. She knew that no matter what she told him, he would never judge her. He was her soulmate. The person that was like that to somebody else was nothing short of a soulmate. And she was never going to let him go-just like nobody should ever let their soulmate go.

"Okay, you can open it now," He smiled sheepishly, head lowered towards the ground.

The other thing about Puck was that, no matter how sweet he was, he would always turn around and act as if that wasn't him. He wasn't romantic or caring. Even though he was honestly the most romantic boyfriend Rachel had ever had. And he was the type of guy who would care about her even when they were angry with one another.

She slid the lid completely over the box and smiled at the silver chain settled in the velvet.

Rachel had had many necklaces to define who she was over her high school years. In her freshman year she had worn a golden star around her neck that sparkled just as brightly as she was sure she would be shining one day. When she was a sophomore, she had worn a beautiful Star of David necklace to broadcast the fact that she was Jewish and proud of the fact. Junior year she had been given a beautiful diamond necklace that read FINN, telling everybody that she was his girlfriend and nobody else could have her. When they'd broken up, he'd given her a silver star, which she had worn until she'd been able to wear FINN once again for the beginning of their senior year. But never had a necklace described her in such a way as the one she had just been given.

This one was not a warning to other boys to star the hell away from her because her boyfriend was a strong, popular boy who would kick any guy's ass who tried to mess with her. It was not a way to tell people that she was a member of the very small Jewish population at school. It did not show everybody that she thought she was better than them by broadcasting that she was a star. This one just showed that she was a part of a loving, romantic relationship.

"Puckleberry?" She raised an eyebrow at the silver chain with the silver font across it, tiny little diamonds studding the letters.

"I was thinking about getting you one that said NOAH so everybody knew that you were mine and they couldn't have you, and then getting a PUCK one for all the times you're angry at me, because I'm sure I'll mess this all up a few times, and I need people to know that you're mine even when you're mad at me, but then I remembered your face when you got the FINN necklace and I knew you didn't want to wear your guy's name around your neck." Puck admitted sheepishly, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Do you like it?" He asked, slowly lifting his head up to meet her gaze with a hopeful expression.

"Of course I like it," SHe grinned, reaching upwards to hold her hair up. "Can you put it on for me?" She wondered.

"I'm jealous!" Kurt Hummel whined during lunch that day as he and Rachel sat together in the choir room, waiting for their significient other to meet them, as the four Gleeks would be enjoying lunch together. "I just...I want a relationship where we can talk like best friends, have fun like kids, argue like husband and wife, and protect each other like siblings," He complained, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm offended," Blaine Anderson objected as he walked into the room, sitting down besides Kurt and giving him a little kiss on the cheek.

"Well, we can't all be as awesome as Puckleberry," Puck shrugged as he slid into the seat besides Rachel, plopping an arm around her and pulling her closer to him. "And not everybody can be as lucky as Rachel to have a boyfriend as awesome as I am," He bragged.

"I don't know, Noah," Rachel sighed, leaning against her boyfriend with a smile. "I have to admit that Klaine is pretty bad ass. Maybe not as bad-ass as Puckleberry, but they've got to be a close second. And since they were here longer, we might as well just make them number one, shouldn't we?" Rachel teased, reaching up and giving Puck a kiss on the cheek before sticking her tongue out at Kurt and Blaine. "I'm totally kidding-nobody could possibly be as cute-couple-worthy as Puckleberry. We're a couple of hot Jews and it's only natural," She beamed at them in an extremely mocking way.

"I hate you. You are a bitch," Kurt declared, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling at her.

"A complete and utter bitch." Blaine agreed.

"A hurtful bitch."

"That made me cry!"

"Hey-don't talk about my-"

"PUCKERMAN!" Finn Hudson snapped as he stormed into the room, face red with rage as he glared at his supposed best friend.

"Oh good lord," Kurt muttered under his breath. "Finn, do not do this right now,"

"No, you know what. Let him do this. Because we need to talk," PUck said, standing up. "We're going to settle this shit once and for all," Puck declared.

"You're a-"

"No. We're not getting into whatever type of fight you want to get into in front of Rachel. I'm not hurting her like that. Come with me. Kurt, Blaine-keep my girl right there and don't let her leave," Puck said, grabbing FInn's arm and dragging him from the choir room.

"I don't know whether I should follow or listen," Rachel whispered.

"Definitely listen," Kurt said.

"I don't want Puckerman kicking my ass," Blaine agreed.

"Noah! What happened to you?" Rachel cried out, hurrying towards Puck.

In all honesty, he looked fine. There wasn't a single bruise on his face and there was a severe lack of cuts on his face. He wasn't even limping. But he was smiling which showed that something must be wrong. Something must be horribly wrong.

"Finn and I worked everything out. It's all good and we didn't even stoop to any of that violence crap you'r always telling me not to stoop to, alright? We talked it out and while he's not exactly crazy about me and you being together, he's realized that you're mine now and he can't have you back. We're all good, okay? He's not going to cause any troubles for us, okay?" He asked, smiling down at her with a slight sparkle to his eyes.

"We can be together? Without any bull shit from Finn? Really?" Rachel asked, eyes wide as she beamed excitedly. "Noah, are you serious? Finn doesn't care anymore? He's okay with us dating and he's not going to try to break us up or cause any bull shit?" She asked, reaching up to hug him, pulling his face closer to her own for a kiss which he immediately deepened. After all, Finn wasn't being a dick due to their relationship anymore and there were only three days left before Christmas break. What trouble could they get into for all of the PDA they were doing?

"Yeah, baby, we can be together," He said, picking her up and twirling her around, setting her back on the ground before planting another kiss on her lips.

"I love you," She whispered, burying her face in his shoulder as he held her close to him.

"I know," He told her, his hands sliding from her waist to her hips and then her ass, giving it a tight little squeeze. "And I love you too," He growled into her ear.

"I have a present for you tonight," She told him. He raised an eyebrow as he studied her. "Come over tonight-my dads are going to be out of town for the next two days for business." She winked, giving him another kiss and smiling as he eagerly responded.

END