After Deployment

25

Quinn hung out with Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine for most of the day. They watched movies and caught up, and just enjoyed each other's company.

After dinner, Quinn said goodbye to her friends and headed back to her apartment. She glanced at her phone and saw she had missed calls from Puck, but no voicemails or texts.

Quinn tried calling Puck back as she walked home, but he didn't answer.

Quinn hurried home and threw the door open, hoping that Puck was just asleep. She raised her eyebrow when she saw Puck sitting on the living room floor with a bottle of whiskey in his hand and empty beer bottles littered across the floor.

"You were supposed to sleep." Quinn muttered. "Not drink."

Puck picked his head up and looked at Quinn. His eyes were red, like he had been crying.

Quinn furrowed her eyebrow as she closed the apartment door and joined Puck on the floor.

"Noah." Quinn said softly as she put her hands over Puck's, gently taking the whiskey bottle from him.

Puck looked at Quinn.

"Were you crying?" Quinn asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry, Quinn." Puck said softly. "I'm so sorry."

Quinn climbed onto Puck's lap and wrapped her arms around him. "It's okay. You're okay."

Puck wrapped his arms around Quinn and held her.

Quinn listened to the sound of Puck's breath, his chest rising and falling with each inhale and exhale.

When Puck's breathing was steady, Quinn picked her head up and looked at him.

"Babe." Quinn said softly. "Let's go lay in bed. We can talk about this later, okay?"

"I'll meet you inside." Puck replied. "I gotta clean up in here first."

Quinn shook her head. "We can clean up later. You need to sleep."

Puck bit his lip.

Quinn stood up and reached her hand out towards Puck. "Come on."

Puck took Quinn's hand and carefully got up.

Quinn put her arms around Puck and helped him into the bedroom. She walked over to the door to close it.

"I love you, Noah, and I just..." Quinn trailed off as she looked at Puck, who was passed out on the bed. She sighed as she crawled into bed beside Puck and held him.