AN : I do not own Glee or any of the Characters in this story. The title of the story belongs to Maroon 5 and I thank them and the writers of Glee for their inspirations. So yeah, I don't own anything. Don't sue me!
Rachel Berry was not one to sit and mope in her pyjamas all day. Even in the worst moments of her life she had powered on through, got up and dressed, done her exercise routine, never showing any sign of failing. She was after all a strong woman, she didn't need to sit around and feel sorry for herself. Not when the world outside her bedroom was filled with so many things for her to experience. Why would someone choose to waste away the day under the covers when they could be out exploring the many pleasures life afforded them?
But today wasn't a normal day, it was a day that required pyjamas, and movies and ice cream and feeling very sorry for herself. Her fathers had gone away for the weekend to some conference and she had decided she would invite Noah over to stay, and to keep her safe from any potential serial killers that might be running riot in Lima, Ohio. Ok, perhaps it was an irrational fear but it must happen in some places. Otherwise how would urban legends start? But nothing had quite gone the way she'd planned, and now here she was, sat in bed alone, scared and ready to stay in bed for the rest of time (or at least until school on Monday.)
**Flashback**
Noah was sprawled across her bed having just finished football practice. He'd rushed straight over to Rachel's knowing her fathers were away and she was on her own. He knew she hated being in the house by herself and she wouldn't forgive him if he didn't get there as soon as practice had ended. Every muscle in his body was aching, he felt like he could lie here forever and it would be perfect.
"Noah, you have to get up. You can't just lie there on my bed for the entire evening." She looked down on him from the side of the bed with that look on her face, that one that told him she wouldn't shut up unless he moved.
"Fine Rach, I'm getting up. Help me?" He held his hands out to her and as grabbed on to them he pulled her down on to the bed with him. She let of a small shriek and then laughed when he started to tickle her sides.
"Noah! Stop! I have things …. we need to …. please just let me..." he wasn't going to let her get up, no matter what she said. He'd decided he was going to use this weekend to his advantage and whether it killed him, he was going to make sure Rachel Berry remained in this bed with him.
"What have you got to do exactly Rachel? Hmm? It's Friday night, your dance classes for tomorrow have been cancelled, can't we just lie here for a bit?" He decided to use her trick and look as innocent as possible, wide eyes and sweetness. She of course saw straight through that but didn't seem to mind, "Fine. We can stay here. I guess you're right. I don't have anything I have to do tonight." Score! This weekend was going to be sweet!
**End of Flashback**
He shouldn't be feeling guilty. He hadn't done anything wrong, at least in his opinion. Damn. He knew it was his fault they'd have that fight but he just couldn't help it sometimes. He said the most stupid of things, she knew that about him, she should have known it hadn't come out the right way. It was a stupid thing to be fighting over anyway, and he knew she would blow it out of proportion. And now she was in that house all on her own, probably worried about being murdered. Oh god, he had to get back over there and make her forgive him. Where were his keys? More importantly, where were his pants? He'd thrown them somewhere when he'd got home. Pants? Pants where are you? Aah there. Under the bed. How did that happen? Oh never mind. Get back to Rachel's house immediately!
As he drove to the Berry house in a record time he couldn't help but think about what had caused the fight. If he was ever going to get her to forgive him he had to analyse the situation and realise where it had all gone wrong. Otherwise how would he get her to forgive him and let him protect her?
**Flash back**
"I don't deserve you." He didn't know why he'd said it but the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. She was sat between his legs, leaning back on his chest and he just couldn't stop himself. He'd been playing with her hair and she'd made this amazing purring noise and they'd just come out.
"What do you mean? Noah, you need to give yourself more credit. I'm nothing special. If anything I don't deserve someone like you." Her head dipped down as she tried to hide her face and not show him how insecure she was. He leant down and kissed her shoulder.
"What are you talking about Berry? You're perfect. We're perfect," he found her hand and put it in his, "But sometimes I can't help but feel like I'm holding you back. You're going to be a star babe, and what am I going to be? A Lima loser, just like everyone says."
He'd never seen her move so fast, as soon as the words had left his lips she had shot around to face him, taking his face between her hands, "Listen to me Noah Puckerman, you are not a Lima Loser. You can be anything you want to be. I know that if you just put a little more effort in at school, and stopped worrying about your reputation as a badass, then you could get in to a variety of colleges. Maybe even a school in New York..." The look on his face had changed suddenly. "What? What did I say?"
"I'm not Finn, Rachel. I'm not worried about my reputation. Do you ever think that maybe this is me putting in effort? Do you think I'm lazy? That I don't care about my future?"
"No, no that's not what I meant." She shook her head frantically, reaching for him but he pushed her away. "Noah, you know I just want you to be the best you can..."
"Well maybe this is the best of me!" He interrupted her, he knew she hated it but he couldn't help himself. "Maybe I'm a loser Rachel, maybe I'll always be a loser. You know I am so tired of you pushing me all the time. I try to keep up with you but maybe we're too different, maybe we're not meant to be together forever like you want. You'll be going off to New York and I'll be here working some shitty job that pays next to nothing and you won't even remember my name in a few years."
She looked hurt, he could tell she wanted to cry but his girl was stronger than that, she wouldn't let him see how much his words were upsetting her. "I'm sorry if you felt like I was pushing you Noah, I just want you to achieve everything you want to. I didn't think..."
"No, Rachel. You didn't think. You never think! You just speak to people like you're so much better than them, like if they're not as good as you then they must be a slacker. And maybe it's true, maybe you are the most hard working person on the entire planet but that's not me. I can't be that person that...that...I just can't be like you." He took a breathe. Her face was hard and he knew then he was going to get it. She was going to go crazy and he knew he deserved it. He'd not really meant any of what he'd just said. He wasn't entirely sure why he'd said it in the first place. He wanted to go to New York with her, he wanted to be her forever, but sometimes she just had so much faith in him that it was easier to disappoint her than let her see him fail.
"I think you should go." She was calm, why was she calm? "Noah. I think you should go home now." He didn't understand what had just happened. But he grabbed his jacket and left like she'd asked. Not looking back as he drove away, but he couldn't ignore the sensation in his stomach. Was that guilt?
**End Flash Back**
Rachel was pulled out of sleep by a loud banging coming from downstairs, her mind automatically thinking it was a murderer. Oh god, she was too young to die. She hadn't even won a Tony yet. But wait, why would a murderer be knocking on her door? That didn't make any sense. They surely wouldn't announce their presence in such a way, it would defeat the whole object of the sneak attack. She slowly got out of bed and crept downstairs. She wasn't going to tell the person she'd heard them, it could still be a complete pyshco after all. At the bottom of the stairs she hesitated, was there something around that could be used as a weapon?
"Rachel, open the door it's me. Rach? Please? I know you're looking for a weapon. I'm not a psychotic murderer. Please baby, can you just let me in?"
She froze, why was Noah here? Had he come back to say more horrible things to her? There was only one way to find out. She edged towards the door.
"Why should I let you in? You were horrible to me before." She stood on the opposite side of the door imaging his face. He'd be getting agitated with her now. But she needed him to say he was sorry, and this was the only way she would get that. If she let him in she'd automatically forgive him once she'd looked in to those eyes, or he'd kissed her in that way he did when she was mad. She needed this apology. She needed to know why he'd been the way he had.
"I didn't mean what I said before, I'm just not used to people believing in me. I'm worried that you'll wake up one day and realise I'm not worth it, that I'm a failure and that you could do so much better. I know I'm a dick sometimes ok? I know I can be pig-headed and a jerk but my brain just says disappointing you will hurt less than letting you see me fail. You have to go slow with me. I'm not used to this. I'm not very good at trusting people and so sometimes you need to go easy on me."
She had her head resting against the door, it made sense. He didn't like to show it but she knew how insecure he was really, how much his father's rapid departure had effected his ability to let someone all the way in. "So...?" She had to ask, it sounded like he needed to know she was still there listening to him. And she needed more. She needed an "I'm sorry."
"So, I know it isn't perfect and one day you might turn around and tell me to go but you can have it all. Everything I am and everything I've got. I'll try harder, I'll let you push me. I'll do anything. Just let me in baby, please? I'm sorry."
There is was, the words she longed for. She quickly unlocked the door, swung it open and pulled him inside. As soon as she had relocked the door he pulled her to him. Softly kissing her lips until she pushed for more. Their embrace becoming heated and passionate. She pulled away gasping for air, "I'm sorry too. And I'm so glad you came back. I was so scared Noah, I foolishly put the news on before I went to bed and there were all these..." She was silenced by his mouth over hers. He didn't want her to be frightened and he knew this was the best way to get her to relax.
"It's ok baby, I'm here now. You'll be safe. I wouldn't let anything happen to you." She took his hand in hers and lead him upstairs to her room. She pushed him down on the bed, he didn't resist. She continued to kiss him until he pulled away. "I'll never walk away again." She looked puzzled and happy and her eyes were doing that weird girlie glazed thing. "I'm never gonna leave this bed." And with that he rolled her over so he could look down at her. She giggled, he loved that giggle. "Me either."
And with that Rachel Berry's aversion to weekends in bed was gone. She could get used to spending days in bed with Noah Puckerman.