Tenth Time's The Charm (Puck/Rachel)
Title: Tenth Time's The Charm
Category: Glee
Genre: Humor/Romance
Ship: Rachel/Puck
Rating: T
Warning(s): Language
Word Count: 1,185
Summary: Puck has been proposing to Rachel pretty much once a year for the past ten years. This year, though, he's pretty sure she finally won't say no. Written for the Puck/Rachel Drabble Meme.
(1)
The first time he proposes to her is the summer after senior year. It’s been a long day of packing up her room for her move to New York, and she brings him freshly made, ice cold lemonade while he takes a break.
He takes it from her with a big grin, toasting her with it before taking a big gulp. “Damn that’s good,” he gasps out, swiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. “Berry, you’ve gotta marry me.”
She laughs, thinking he’s kidding, teasingly quipping back, “You only like me for my lemonade,” before leaving to pour herself a glass.
(2)
The second time he proposes to her, they’ve just attended Wicked, after they spent eight months eating ramen to save up the money for two tickets in the nosebleed section.
She spent the whole show mouthing along the words, starry-eyed, while he spent the performance staring at her, realizing that he has to be in love with this girl, to be sitting at a Broadway show in a suit, and have it not bother him in the slightest.
So afterwards, while they’re waiting for the subway, he asks her, but he makes his move right as the subway pulls in and she doesn’t hear him.
(3)
One would think that third time would be the charm, but Puck’s really not surprised that things didn’t go his way.
The table was set with their finest china (a mix-matched set bought for five bucks at the local flea market) and the only silverware they had. Wine was served in plastic cups, with the pea sized diamond ring at the bottom.
He turned around with a smile, the words falling from his lips easier than he ever thought possible, only to find her chair empty, and moments later, to hear retching sounds from their bathroom.
It turns out that if clam shells don’t open naturally while cooking, you aren’t supposed to pry them open and serve them anyway.
(4)
He proposes for the fourth time in the middle of a fight, desperate to get her stop crying, hoping she would smile for him, and say YES!
He’s really not surprised when instead she huffs, rolls hers eyes and walks out with her purse.
(5)
When he proposes for a fifth time, it’s after a trip back to Lima to see New Directions perform, still under the dubious tutelage of Mr. Schue. When asked for their critique, for once, Rachel is restrained, and does not mention how many of them were out of key, and more than a few were off rhythm.
They all admire how much she’s grown and matured, and he swells with pride to see the beautiful flush on her face as she smiles and laughs with the people she swore would hate her forever.
He figures that that night would be a perfect time to propose. Right in front of the locker that was witness to all the slushie facials over the years.
She smiles sweetly, but says no, not yet, and walks away, confident that even after rejection, he will follow her.
He does of course.
(6)
Things are looking better for them. They’ve moved into a bigger apartment in a nicer neighborhood, they’re china all matches and is from an actual store, and they can actually afford to take cooking lessons.
She’s been landing small, but steady roles on Broadway, and creating a buzz with her voice and her passion. He’s been singing his heart out in local bars and selling songs on the side.
He traded in his pea sized ring for a more noticeable rock, and has regained his confidence back after the last rejection.
He’s steeled his nerves and crossed his fingers, but is still not all that surprised when she says, once more, no.
(7)
Steady. That’s the best way that he can describe their relationship. They’ve been together for eight years, seen the highs and the lows.
Most women would be pissed if after eight years, they still didn’t have anything to show for it on their finger. Not his girl, though.
He doesn’t know whether or not to be relieved or disappointed, but after the seventh year of rejection, he settles for pissed the hell off and lets the hole in the wall speak for him.
(8)
They break up once, in the nine years they’re together, which even a clueless idiot like himself, can tell is pretty impressive.
Though at the time, it didn’t feel all that impressive when he was sleeping on Mike Chang’s couch for a week.
The first thing he does when they reconcile is propose. She flatly refuses, and they nearly break up all over again.
(9)
He loves her. Jew God knows he loves her, he’d have to be to still ask for her hand after eight years of rejections, but he does anyway.
It’s Hanukah, and she decorates their spacious apartment to the nines, tinsel and mistletoe (his idea) everywhere. Their families come up and they spend the holiday laughing and having a good time.
He tries to force her into saying yes by making it public, looping the ring on some twine and hanging it on the menorah.
To her credit, she doesn’t reject him in front of their families.
But still, it’s a rejection.
(10)
Nine proposals. Ten years. It’s been a long time, but it feels like a blink of the eye to him. In some ways, he can laugh about it. It’s kind of become a running tradition. There’s even a betting pool, over how he’ll propose, and when she’ll finally say yes.
He runs hot and cold. Some days he’s pissed about it. Some days, he can laugh about it. But he still loves her every day.
This year, he can chuckle, joke, and grin about it. Hell, he even places money in the pool over when she’ll say yes.
This year, he’s finally sure she won’t say no.
Because this year, he’s not taking no for an answer.
“So what are we going to do?” She asks him, looking so young in his old McKinley high football jersey, and her cotton pajama bottoms. She doesn’t even come close to looking like the expectant mother she is.
He smirks and tosses her the ring box. “You wanna know what we’re gonna do? We’re gonna get married.” He cut her off as she opened her mouth to speak. “It’s not going to be any time soon, either. It’s going to be in five months, when you have a big baby belly, so everyone can know it’s a shotgun wedding, ‘cause babe you had your chance to marry me. You had nine of them, but now you’re out of options. Because there’s no way another kid of mine is going to be a bastard, and I love you too much to let you go. I mean, god damn it woman, don’t you think I’ve waited long enough?”
So with tears in her eyes (half were of anger, half were of joy) Rachel Berry accepted the tenth proposal of Noah Puckerman.
(The End)