[Glee] Wonderstruck, K (1/1)
Title: Wonderstruck
Rating: K
Summary: She steps out into her anti-prom wearing the perfect dress and with perfect hair, ready to dazzle. What she least expects is to see him staring at her with wide eyes, his jaw hanging open, as if he’s…
Spoilers: 3x19 - Prom-asaurus
Summary 2: Or in which Rachel walks out of the bathroom one minute earlier.
A/N: Because no matter what this show does to me, all I see is Puckleberry. No regrets. I will go down with this ship! IDK why I do this to myself. Seriously.
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. Oh and the title is from Taylor Swift's 'Enchanted'.
.-.
Rachel stares sadly at her reflection, almost glad to be hidden away from the rest of the world. She wonders what Finn is doing right at this very moment, but her heart clenches at the idea of him in Quinn’s arms, dancing together like the perfect prom king and queen ought to on this, the night of nights; looking like they belong together.
Rationally, she knows it’s silly. She and Quinn are friends now. Quinn has moved on, and Finn is hers, but the lonely freshman girl inside her remembers what it was like all those years to see him and to have him look through her like she was invisible. She’s come full circle, she thinks.
It hurts, and Rachel pretends, even as she wipes furiously at the tears sliding down her cheeks that her pain is all about Finn.
Why would it be about anything else?
She loves him, and he’s off being the king to some other girl.
She groans, wiping more furiously, frustrated at herself for thinking this way. Finn is hers, she has to remind herself, he loves her.
But she can’t stop the small voice in her head asking, then why do you feel this way?
Rachel has never felt so invisible. Not even back at the beginning when she had no friends and everyone would ignore her. At least then she knew she had her dreams to sustain her.
Now what does she have?
A short knock echoes throughout the tiny hotel bathroom and Kurt’s voice sounds through the door, “Rachel, honey, do you need help with your hair?
“No, I’m fine,” she replies abruptly, forcing her voice to sound normal as she wipes away the remnants of her tears.
She quickly fixes her make-up and hides all traces of her sadness, smoothing down her hair one last time. She must admit, she does look rather pretty tonight. At least she got to wear her dress.
Her best show smile stretches across her face and finally satisfied by her appearance, Rachel opens the door and announces, “Alright, let’s let the anti-prom fashion extravaganza begin!”
The response is less than enthusiastic, and she almost stomps her foot in annoyance when she notices that nobody’s looking to see her grand entrance, but then she has to remind herself that that’s what the old Rachel used to do.
She steps out into her anti-prom wearing the perfect dress and with perfect hair, ready to dazzle. What she least expects is to see him staring at her with wide eyes, his jaw hanging open, as if he’s…
Puck’s head has turned to peek at her from behind the back of one those ugly hotel chairs, and she watches as his eyes widen in surprise, the rustle of some unseen bag of chips pausing abruptly.
She also doesn’t expect the sharp intake of breath she feels as his eyes rake over her body. She doesn’t feel invisible right now. In fact, she feels like the only girl in the world.
Rachel shoots him a small, unsure smile, as she flicks her hair over her shoulder and subconsciously smoothes out the nonexistent wrinkles in her dress.
“How do I look?” she asks, taking another step out of the bathroom.
She watches Puck swallow thickly and open his mouth to answer, but another sharp knock of the door interrupts him.
Rachel barely notices as Becky exclaims in a high-pitched and excited voice, “Finally, the room service is here! I want special cocktails!”
Her eyes are still focused on Puck’s, but she can’t stop the wave of confusion that washes over her. He’s never looked at her this way before. She feels like nobody has. It has her holding her breath, and a weird unfamiliar tension to settle in her chest.
But whatever spell they’re under is broken abruptly when the door opens and she hears Finn’s voice, “Hey Becky!”
Her eyes dart up and her smile widens. It isn’t a show smile this time.
Finn appears through the door way and surveys the room before his eyes land on her.
He pauses as he sees her, his face slackening in surprise. “Hi,” he says, rather breathlessly, and it feels like she’s the only person in the room. She ignores the voice telling her that it’s not the same as feeling like the only girl in the world.
“What-what are you doing here?” she asks Finn, and he shoots her that boyish grin she loves and shrugs his shoulder.
“Well, I’ll keep it simple, I love you. You’re beautiful. Prom sucks without you.” He hands her a gold box with a bright pink ribbon and she smiles, but even as she accepts, for whatever reason her mind registers the sound of a softly rustling chip packet starting up again.
It takes her a moment to realize that Finn is leaning forward to kiss her, and she leans forward awkwardly to accept. If Finn notices anything unusual, he doesn’t mention it.
Finn speaks again, and she finally remembers why she feels so awkward. She turns back to look at Puck, but he’s staring into his chip packet, as if he’s trying to scrape out whatever is left at the bottom. She can't shake the feeling that he is purposely avoiding her gaze.
She doesn’t hear Finn’s words until he says “fiancé” and it feels like a ton of bricks has hit her.
What is wrong with her?
Not five minutes ago, she was lamenting the fact that Finn wasn’t here with her, and now she’s… what is she doing?
She takes Finn’s hand determinedly as Blaine and Kurt walk past and begins leading him out the door, but Finn tugs her to stop. She sees that both Becky and Puck haven’t moved an inch.
“Are you guys coming?” she asks, half hoping they (he) won’t, and half hoping they (he) will.
She doesn’t realize she’s holding her breath again until he speaks, “I’m good, you guys go ahead.” It’s strange the feeling that washes over her. She chooses to believe it’s relief (and not disappointment).
“Come on, dude,” Finn protests, completely oblivious to her uneasiness. “I need my wing man.”
Puck refuses to meet her gaze as he shakes his head again, and Rachel needs to shake the uncomfortable feeling at the pit of her stomach as he says, “I’ll go next year.”
So she turns and leaves straight away; ignoring the guilty pang she feels as she goes.
.-.
It’s not until much later, after she’s been announced prom queen, and she’s finally dancing in Finn’s arms, her ear pressed against his chest, and she feels like this moment should be all that she ever wanted (should be) that she sees Puck again. He’s dancing with Becky, the ridiculously sweet cardboard crowns sitting upon their heads.
For a moment their eyes meet, and Rachel is reminded of those fleeting moments in the hotel room. She tries to smile at him weakly, but he’s already looked away, focusing all his attention back on Becky, as if telling Rachel that she doesn’t really matter.
And although it works, she can’t help but think that he’s never look at her that way before. Like he was…
(But yes, he has, Rachel, an unheard voice tells her. You were the one who wasn’t looking.)
…wonderstruck.
.-.
A/N: I know it’s weird but I couldn’t get the “Something There” lyrics from ‘Beauty and the Beast’ out of my head while writing this. IDK IDK. It’s just my sad Puckleberry brain telling me to not lose hope, when all other indications say otherwise. (Why? WHY?)