Fic: The Perfect Present (1/5)
Title: The Perfect Present
Author: europebound11
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Mainly Puck and Quinn and Quick. Minor SQ. Might be a mention of other pairings, but nothing major.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Up to latest episode.
Summary: Sam and Quinn seem like the perfect couple, but Puck sees the truth. This holiday season is the perfect time to make things right.
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.
Two weeks before Christmas...
Puck's POV:
It was fourth period on a Friday as I walked down the halls to get to my locker before lunch. I needed my books for my afternoon classes, but as I began taking out the appropriate textbooks, an all too familiar laugh made me turn.
Sam and Quinn were passing by laughing at something Sam had said. What did he have that I didn't? As far as I could tell, I was way more bad ass than he was. But maybe that wasn't what Quinn was looking for. No, that couldn't be it. The whole reason she hooked up with me was that she wanted to be more adventurous and risque. As far as I was concerned, I was the perfect person to go to for that sort of thing.
Before I continued to think about all the reasons Quinn had to reject me, something caught my eye. Something was missing from this all too perfect picture. Quinn was missing the sparkle in her eyes that she had carried throughout the entire previous year.
Despite all the negative things that happened last year, Quinn always seemed to try to be happy. I liked to think that I had something to do with it. She always seemed to be extra cheerful around me. That is, when I wasn't being an ass.
As I looked more closely at Quinn, I realized that she was actually being reserved with Sam while trying to exude the image of being completely open with him. It still amazed me that I could read her like an open book, but I guess that's what you get for being in love with someone.
This wasn't the Quinn I knew and loved. This was a closed off and almost self conscious Quinn that I never wanted to see.
As Sam continued on some tangent while Quinn pretended to listen, I merely sighed and walked away from the “happy couple,” heading towards lunch while mentally telling myself that I would need to talk to Quinn later.
xxx
It was now free period for me and I ventured down to the home ec room - I had a feeling that a certain blonde would be in there preparing something for the Glee club as she promised she would the previous day.
My suspicions were confirmed when I walked in and saw Quinn putting something in the oven. She, however, didn't notice me as I leaned on the door frame, just watching her.
“Looks like this is the only place we can ever be around each other anymore.”
Quinn quickly turned around and sent me a warm smile when she realized that it was in fact who she thought it was at the door. Her smile was genuine and I could tell that she wasn't trying to keep it there.
“Need any help?” I asked.
“Sure,” she answered without any hesitation.
I walked over to the counter where she was working as she gave me a spoon to start putting some dough onto cookie sheets.
We made small talk about glee club and the holidays coming up, and then reached an elongated period of silence that I felt the need to break. “So what's with the ring?” I asked, curiosity getting the best of me.
“What ring?” Quinn asked absentmindedly, which I must say, amused me just a little bit.
“The ring that you've been wearing every day on your ring finger for the last two weeks.”She looked up at me with a questioning gaze. “What?”
“Nothing, I just never thought you paid attention to that sort of thing,” she replied honestly.
“I pay attention to more than you think, Quinn,” I said sincerely as Quinn merely smiled back at me. I turned back to the dough as I repeated my earlier question, “So what with the ring?”
“Oh it's nothing. Just something Sam gave me,” she answered awkwardly.
This wasn't nothing. She was never uncomfortable around me. This was most definitely something. “It can't be nothing, Quinn. You've been wearing that ring every day and on your ring finger no less.”
“So?”
“So that usually means something to most people. Especially to people who are in a relationship,” I stated matter of factly.
“Well you're wrong. This ring was merely a gift and I'm wearing it to be nice. That's all.”
“Well if that's all, then why did I see Sam doing a happy dance in the locker room while telling Finn that you said yes to his proposal?” I had to restrain myself from gagging at the word proposal.
She momentarily stopped filling her spoon with dough as she just stared down at it. “Quinn?”
“What do you care?” her voice held an icy tone that I was not expecting.
“Why wouldn't I?”
“Because you're Puck, you don't have emotional attachments to any girls and you sleep around just for the hell of it. So why would you care about me or my relationship?”
At that my chest tightened. I couldn't bare to think that that's what she truly believed about me. “Is that what you really think of me, Quinn? That I just sleep around and don't care about anybody?”
“Your actions certainly prove it.”
“Oh right, because everything that happened last year wouldn't prove otherwise.”
“Don't you dare bring up last year,” she said sternly, but I saw the slight glint in her eyes. Having to give up Beth affected both of us to a great extent, and I think I dealt with it much better than Quinn did. Correction, she didn't want to deal with it.
“Quinn, we can't just avoid the topic forever,” I said softly.
“I said I don't want to talk about it, Puckerman,” Quinn firmly stated. I knew better than to push her on this particular subject.
“Fine, we'll forget it - for now. But don't you dare think that we're never going to discuss last year because whether you like it or not, Quinn, it happened and we can't take it back. And I wouldn't take it back even if I had the chance to. So don't you dare think that I don't care about you, Quinn, because you're the one person in this entire school that I care about.” I was on edge now. I knew that if I stayed, I'd do something I'd regret later. So, I put down my spoon and started moving towards that door as I saw Quinn's eyes glaze over.
“Oh, and by the way, congratulations on your promise ring or whatever it's called. I'm sure Sam makes you extremely happy judging from the way you were acting around him earlier. Honestly, I hope you two are super happy together.”
And without sparing her another look, I turned and walked out of the room, letting out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding.
xxx
A/N: So yay or nay? Let me know whether you like it or not! This is the first part and it's not a very long chapter. The next few chapters should be longer. The POVs are going to change throughout the story. But yeah, please leave a review and happy holidays everybody!
Author: europebound11
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Mainly Puck and Quinn and Quick. Minor SQ. Might be a mention of other pairings, but nothing major.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Up to latest episode.
Summary: Sam and Quinn seem like the perfect couple, but Puck sees the truth. This holiday season is the perfect time to make things right.
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.
Two weeks before Christmas...
Puck's POV:
It was fourth period on a Friday as I walked down the halls to get to my locker before lunch. I needed my books for my afternoon classes, but as I began taking out the appropriate textbooks, an all too familiar laugh made me turn.
Sam and Quinn were passing by laughing at something Sam had said. What did he have that I didn't? As far as I could tell, I was way more bad ass than he was. But maybe that wasn't what Quinn was looking for. No, that couldn't be it. The whole reason she hooked up with me was that she wanted to be more adventurous and risque. As far as I was concerned, I was the perfect person to go to for that sort of thing.
Before I continued to think about all the reasons Quinn had to reject me, something caught my eye. Something was missing from this all too perfect picture. Quinn was missing the sparkle in her eyes that she had carried throughout the entire previous year.
Despite all the negative things that happened last year, Quinn always seemed to try to be happy. I liked to think that I had something to do with it. She always seemed to be extra cheerful around me. That is, when I wasn't being an ass.
As I looked more closely at Quinn, I realized that she was actually being reserved with Sam while trying to exude the image of being completely open with him. It still amazed me that I could read her like an open book, but I guess that's what you get for being in love with someone.
This wasn't the Quinn I knew and loved. This was a closed off and almost self conscious Quinn that I never wanted to see.
As Sam continued on some tangent while Quinn pretended to listen, I merely sighed and walked away from the “happy couple,” heading towards lunch while mentally telling myself that I would need to talk to Quinn later.
xxx
It was now free period for me and I ventured down to the home ec room - I had a feeling that a certain blonde would be in there preparing something for the Glee club as she promised she would the previous day.
My suspicions were confirmed when I walked in and saw Quinn putting something in the oven. She, however, didn't notice me as I leaned on the door frame, just watching her.
“Looks like this is the only place we can ever be around each other anymore.”
Quinn quickly turned around and sent me a warm smile when she realized that it was in fact who she thought it was at the door. Her smile was genuine and I could tell that she wasn't trying to keep it there.
“Need any help?” I asked.
“Sure,” she answered without any hesitation.
I walked over to the counter where she was working as she gave me a spoon to start putting some dough onto cookie sheets.
We made small talk about glee club and the holidays coming up, and then reached an elongated period of silence that I felt the need to break. “So what's with the ring?” I asked, curiosity getting the best of me.
“What ring?” Quinn asked absentmindedly, which I must say, amused me just a little bit.
“The ring that you've been wearing every day on your ring finger for the last two weeks.”She looked up at me with a questioning gaze. “What?”
“Nothing, I just never thought you paid attention to that sort of thing,” she replied honestly.
“I pay attention to more than you think, Quinn,” I said sincerely as Quinn merely smiled back at me. I turned back to the dough as I repeated my earlier question, “So what with the ring?”
“Oh it's nothing. Just something Sam gave me,” she answered awkwardly.
This wasn't nothing. She was never uncomfortable around me. This was most definitely something. “It can't be nothing, Quinn. You've been wearing that ring every day and on your ring finger no less.”
“So?”
“So that usually means something to most people. Especially to people who are in a relationship,” I stated matter of factly.
“Well you're wrong. This ring was merely a gift and I'm wearing it to be nice. That's all.”
“Well if that's all, then why did I see Sam doing a happy dance in the locker room while telling Finn that you said yes to his proposal?” I had to restrain myself from gagging at the word proposal.
She momentarily stopped filling her spoon with dough as she just stared down at it. “Quinn?”
“What do you care?” her voice held an icy tone that I was not expecting.
“Why wouldn't I?”
“Because you're Puck, you don't have emotional attachments to any girls and you sleep around just for the hell of it. So why would you care about me or my relationship?”
At that my chest tightened. I couldn't bare to think that that's what she truly believed about me. “Is that what you really think of me, Quinn? That I just sleep around and don't care about anybody?”
“Your actions certainly prove it.”
“Oh right, because everything that happened last year wouldn't prove otherwise.”
“Don't you dare bring up last year,” she said sternly, but I saw the slight glint in her eyes. Having to give up Beth affected both of us to a great extent, and I think I dealt with it much better than Quinn did. Correction, she didn't want to deal with it.
“Quinn, we can't just avoid the topic forever,” I said softly.
“I said I don't want to talk about it, Puckerman,” Quinn firmly stated. I knew better than to push her on this particular subject.
“Fine, we'll forget it - for now. But don't you dare think that we're never going to discuss last year because whether you like it or not, Quinn, it happened and we can't take it back. And I wouldn't take it back even if I had the chance to. So don't you dare think that I don't care about you, Quinn, because you're the one person in this entire school that I care about.” I was on edge now. I knew that if I stayed, I'd do something I'd regret later. So, I put down my spoon and started moving towards that door as I saw Quinn's eyes glaze over.
“Oh, and by the way, congratulations on your promise ring or whatever it's called. I'm sure Sam makes you extremely happy judging from the way you were acting around him earlier. Honestly, I hope you two are super happy together.”
And without sparing her another look, I turned and walked out of the room, letting out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding.
xxx
A/N: So yay or nay? Let me know whether you like it or not! This is the first part and it's not a very long chapter. The next few chapters should be longer. The POVs are going to change throughout the story. But yeah, please leave a review and happy holidays everybody!