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TEXT MESSAGE ⇄ QUICK

QUINN: If you say so.

QUINN: Soon, that's all I care about.

PUCK: You can come whenever you want. Just text me first.

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splitzfabray:

At the curse word that drowsily slipped from his mouth, Quinn turned to disapprovingly scoff at him. “Puck!” It was a knee jerk reaction for her to protest against him cussing in front of their daughter, and she glanced away for a moment at how that reaction had come about. With Beth being too young to understand what they said and all, she normally wouldn’t have even said anything, but she guessed the last few hours caring for the tiny baby had put her in mom mode. It was both scary and reassuring at the same time, that she’d slipped into it so seamlessly without even thinking about it. The blonde waited until he’d gotten over his yawn before replying to his question, moving her arm back around the newborn as she peered up at them with a blank look on her face. “Yep,” She said, smiling down at her daughter. “It was surprisingly easy. And fun.” Quinn turned her head back to him to see him pull his phone out from where it’d been wedged underneath him and caught sight of unread messages from Santana Lopez. Knowing enough to know that that sight wasn’t meant for her eyes, she glanced to the side of him in way she hoped was discreet and was grateful for the noise Beth made so she’d have an excuse to turn away from him quickly, a small sinking feeling in her chest. She had to remind herself that it was only natural for her to want him to stay single, him being the father of her baby and responsible for their daughter and everything, but she knew it was more than that. She intended for both of them to move on, but she hoped it wouldn’t be like this with him. If he was going to be with someone else, she wanted him to date someone who he actually had a future with. Not booty calls with Santana Lopez of all people. 

Smoothing a hand over Beth gently, she offered the baby a tiny smile to let her know her noise hadn’t gone unheard. Still bothered by knowledge that he was already hitting up other girls while she was still working off baby weight, Quinn didn’t much respond to his observation that she seemed less nervous than she’d started out with. Then again, she’d kind of have to be, after hours of being with her. Quinn tightened her hold on Beth fractionally when the couch creaked underneath Puck as he sat upright and reached over to touch Beth, just in case she decided to squirm away so much. A covetous smile stretched across her lips once Beth squirmed closer into the circle of Quinn’s arms, and it only brightened when Puck confirmed that it meant that she was getting used to her. It was a relief that it seemed to be true, but also a relief that Puck didn’t seem to hold it against her. She could tell Puck was possessive and protective of Beth, and she guessed it was his job, but she didn’t want to spend the next however many years of raising Beth fighting against him and the proof that it wouldn’t be away was enough to make her brush away what she knew about him and Santana. It really was none of her business unless Beth got involved. Then she’d definitely make sure he knew it was her business. As much as she did trust Puck’s decisions, she definitely didn’t trust Santana’s. “Fine. I’ll stay for dinner. I’ll admit, though, that it’s mostly because I know Beth’s probably going to be hungry again soon and I want to feed her. Also, my mom’s working tonight so I’d have to cook for myself otherwise.” The easier to speak to him, Quinn shifted Beth so she could secure her well enough in one arm just in case she lost her balance when she rose and stood up slowly just to sit down on the couch beside him, admittedly mentally worn out if not physically. “I can’t believe how tired I am just from holding her and keeping her attention. You’re a lot more exhausted than you’re letting on, aren’t you?”

If asked, Puck would later say that the only reason he couldn't keep his soft eyes off of Quinn and Beth was because he was tired. He'd argue that he'd just woken up and he'd yet to have eaten, that he wasn't staring at them--he was just in a world of his own. He wouldn't admit that a smile tugged at the corners of his lips and that his heart began to hurt at the image and something hard tugged in his stomach as he watched them. Puck wouldn't admit he felt all of his energy leave him as he watched the girl he loved and his child embrace each other, and a relaxation he didn't know existed filled his muscles as he let the moment take him over. Because he promised Quinn he wouldn't hold their failure at a relationship against her, and he swore he'd never hate her, but as the blonde held their baby and smiled that gorgeous fucking smile he couldn't help but dislike her a little. Because they could have had this, they could have been like this every single day, and Quinn just didn't want it enough and it hurt. So with the knowledge he had the chance to move on with Santana safely in his mind, Puck sat up and let himself move closer to the girl holding his daughter and he absentmindedly let his hand move to the small of her back to keep them both steady as he looked down at the tiny girl in Quinn's arms. Even when he was asleep he missed her and he sighed gently as the girl looked up at him, almost like something settled right inside of him once his daughter caught his gaze.

"You're a natural," he teased Quinn, leaning a little closer to her subconsciously as they both looked down at a bleary-eyed Beth. It kind of scared Puck how much the young girl looked like Quinn but he was glad for it, his secrets hopes coming into fruition that his daughter would end up looking like Quinn; all pale skin and hazel eyes and full lips. She was going to be a heartbreaker and Puck knew it, but he was ready for the challenges. Or, well, he wouldn't kill every guy that took his daughter out--just some of them. "But believe me, I'm totally down with you feeding her. She's totally freaking greedy and when she starts you ain't got a damn chance of getting anything to eat until she's finished. I'm kinda excited to get a full meal before she freaks out and figures I'm eating and she ain't."

Puck hadn't underestimated what it was going to be to be a full-time dad, but he hadn't been expecting such a demanding cry from such a tiny girl. Any moment that Puck needed to do something, Beth would decide that was the perfect opportunity to call out for his attention and he was kind of glad for Quinn now. Because, it seemed, the girl was desperate for all types of contact with their daughter and he was more than willing to let her have it if it meant he could eat and shower like a normal person. He laughed softly as she admitted that she was tired just holding the girl and Puck leaned in, pressing a kiss against Beth's full cheek and let out an amused noise as the tiny girl startled slightly at the touch.

"You kinda get used to it. But I always look hot, even when I'm tired as hell, so I ain't too stressed about it," he reassured her, standing up from his spot so he didn't do something ridiculous like mirror the kiss he'd laid on Beth's cheek onto Quinn's. He was trying so hard to not be a clingy asshole with the blonde but he was finding it hard; his mom had told him it'd fade, that he was full of hormones and fatigue and that it was harder to fall out of love than it was to fall into it. But that didn't stop his chest from hurting as he moved away from her and he nodded his head, indicating the girl to follow him into the kitchen.

"I'm only good at pasta," he admitted, taking the items from the cupboard and setting everything up on the stove. Filling the pan with water, Puck started the pasta and rooted around until he found a sauce to go with it. Cooking for Quinn was a rare opportunity and he turned around, raising his eyebrow at her as he lifted his hand to show off slightly and put on a fake French accent--pasta was from France, right?--to make her smile. "Please, sit. Enjoy. Food will be along shortly, pretty lady."

HANGING BY A MOMENT ⇄ QUICK

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TEXT MESSAGE ⇄ QUICK

QUINN: Of course I did. It just didn't involve The Simpsons.

QUINN: That's lovely.

QUINN: I will, but I actually don't want to be alone with Beth all night yet just in case something goes wrong.

QUINN: Maybe we could put an air mattress on the floor or something? If not, you know I don't really care if we share a bed. Not like we haven't done it before.

PUCK: When you stay over we're gonna watch it.

PUCK: But okay, that kinda makes sense. I'll check if we got a mattress and if not I'm down for sharing. Tell me when you wanna try and I'll make time.

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QUINN: I have no idea what you're talking about.

QUINN: Is that a legitimate offer?

PUCK: Did you even have a childhood? I'll show you at school.

PUCK: 100%. I'll even sleep on the couch so I can swear you won't wake up with a boner against your thigh.

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QUINN: What does long hair have to do with crazy cat ladies?

PUCK: She's like the crazy woman off The Simpsons.

PUCK: Stay over one night, you can check it out.

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QUINN: Yeah. And her hair's getting long.

QUINN: Still am, hopefully.

PUCK: Yeah, it's kinda cool. She looks like a crazy cat lady in the mornings.

PUCK: Wouldn't know but you probably are.

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QUINN: Well, for one, I know what position I always wake up in and it's usually on my side.

QUINN: And for another, I couldn't have even slept on my stomach when I was pregnant, so you're just imagining things. So there.

PUCK: Gotta admit she's kind of adorable when she sleeps though, right?

PUCK: So were you.

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QUINN: I'm pretty sure I don't sleep like that at all.

PUCK: How do you know? You're asleep.

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He knew he needed to stop being with her like this, especially if he wanted them to have a normal relationship for Beth, but sometimes it was too easy to be honest with her about how he felt. Deep down he knew he was too intense though, he knew he could make situations uncomfortable because she just didn’t want him the way he wanted her and he nodded as he decided it was past time to just--let it go. It hurt but they weren’t exactly compatible and they argued more than they even spoke, so as she walked up the stairs he turned away and told himself to stop. He had to stop; if not for her then for his own sanity because what guy pined after a girl who was so brutally honest about how they weren’t going to be anything again. They barely were anything, he recalled his mom telling him. She lived with him because she had to and she fell for him because she was confused and he needed to let it go, he really fucking did.

With a sigh he made his way into the kitchen, fixing a quick drink and he pulled his phone out of his pocket to reply to a message Santana had sent earlier. The girl was still mad because of the Brittany situation but as long as Puck stayed away from her, Santana was willing to overlook his indiscretion and they could make like before and hook up. Initially he’d said no, sure he couldn’t touch a girl without seeing Quinn’s disappointed face but he needed to move on and Santana was always his best distraction. Firing off a rapid text that said they could meet up on Thursday night, Puck pocketed his phone in an attempt to believe if he didn’t see the message then he hadn’t sent it while the girl he was in love with was sat upstairs, and he walked back into the living room. Quinn had him so messed up it was unreal and as he lay on the couch, ears trying desperately to point out any sound she might have been making, he wondered if his life would be different if he’d said no that night. He wouldn’t have had Beth, that was for sure, but he wouldn’t hurt like this either. Not wanting to think about it--he was probably overtired--Puck lay back and closed his eyes to finally catch up on those hours of sleep he’d missed.

It felt like only seconds later and his eyes were opening, the sound of Beth crying startling him, and for a confused moment he felt incredibly guilty that he’d fallen asleep when his daughter needed him. He sat up, ready to go to her, when he heard Quinn retreating back up the stairs and he knew she was fine--that they were both okay. Just knowing Quinn had her was enough for Puck to fall back asleep, his fatigue finally taking over. 

When he awoke a second time it was to the husky voice of Quinn and God could he get used to that. Groggily he opened his eyes, zoning in on the image of Beth in Quinn’s lap and he let out a soft “Fuck,” at how good it was to see. His eyes closed again and he swallowed thickly, finally feeling rested for the first time in weeks, and he took a moment before shifting so he could sit up and lifted a hand to rub at his eyes. “You two have a good time?” Puck yawned, moving his hands from his eyes to rub over his scalp roughly and turned to look at them with brighter eyes than he’d had before. Tired eyes, soft features and bare-footed Quinn looked like everything he ever wanted as she sat with his daughter and he almost laughed out-loud at how unfair that was when he’d promised himself he wouldn’t let himself fall back into her again. During some point as he slept, his phone had fallen from his pocket and lay uncomfortably beneath his. As he picked it up, he pressed a button to highlight the screen and saw a series of texts from Santana that assured him a date on Thursday. 

Fuck, there was that guilt again and Puck avoided Quinn’s eyes as he put the phone on the table next to them.

“You look--” amazing, perfect, like-you-should-be-here, “way less nervous than when you first turned up here, Q. I told you it wasn’t difficult keeping Monkey occupied.” he reached out, tracing his finger against Beth’s cheek, laughing slightly as the tiny girl startled at the sudden touch and moved away from it and closer to Quinn. “And she looks like she’s totally getting used to you. I knew she would.” Puck licked his lips, finally looking up and meeting her eyes as he sent her a smile that told her he was proud of her for stepping up and being a mom rather than the girl everyoe told her she needed to be. “Seriously. You can come over whenever you wanna see her; she knows you and I tell you straight up she’ll miss you when you go. So stay for dinner and we’ll work out some schedule of when you get to see her and we’ll go from there. Sound cool?”

There, he thought, he could do this and not flirt with her. Easy.

HANGING BY A MOMENT ⇄ QUICK

Quinn couldn’t help but to exhale heavily when he approached them again. It wasn’t that he was terribly annoying or that she didn’t want him near, it was just that it was much harder to firmly decide to actually watch her daughter by herself when it was clear he was having second thoughts about it himself, despite his words of agreement. Ever since her parents had kicked her out the year before, she felt so far from the teenager she actually was. Now that she was an actual mother, she constantly felt as if she needed to remind herself that she was indeed sixteen years old and about to be a junior in high school. It was often a relief to know she still had time to get some semblance of a childhood back. She peered at him with light hazel eyes, watching for the moment he told her no, he couldn’t possibly nap when he was so worried about Beth, but it didn’t come. Instead, he seemed to just accept it. “I will,” She promised. Beth was much too important to risk, especially when the only consequences Quinn might face were a grumpy Puck and a wounded ego. 

Her chin lifted a little when he continued to compliment her, making sure she knew he noticed all of the new curves motherhood had gifted her with along with how the end of that motherhood had brought back her slender frame. While his comments did wonders for her damaged body image at the moment, it was not really decreasing her wariness about his use of a pet name for her. She knew herself well enough to know that someday, eventually, she’d probably let her tangled emotions and feelings for him take over. Her life had just seemed to become divided in sections according to how involved with him she’d been- Barely flirting while dating Finn, then cheating on Finn, then hating Puck, then having doubts about who would be Beth’s father, then getting caught, then getting in deep with him until they’d finally had their fight and split. Since Beth was born, he’d been on the outskirts, making casual appearances. She could feel it, how due she was for another level of involvement with him, and him calling her sexy and constantly being shirtless was not helping. “Yeah,” She agreed casually to his remark that he’d quit if she didn’t like it. “Okay, now I really think I should take her upstairs so you can sleep. You look like you need it.”

With that, Quinn turned away from him, very much feeling like they could stand at the foot of his stairs and talk for the rest of the day- especially about their mutual uncertainty about Quinn being alone with Beth- if neither of them moved away. Shifting her weight for a moment, Quinn adjusted her hold on Beth more comfortably and then carefully moved up the stairs, slowly so as not to trip over a stair, but not so slow that he’d feel the need to assist her. At no point over the next few hours or so did Quinn feel absolutely certain about a single thing she did for the baby. It was enormously intimidating how many things she seemed not to know, how many details he hadn’t given her or she hadn’t read. She did what Puck said still, letting her voice become higher and sweeter while she spoke to Beth, saying things out loud and reading her baby books several times in a row just for the benefit of Beth getting to know her voice. Beth cried, of course, an awful noise that Quinn thought would tear anyone in two. While it made Quinn’s cheeks immediately redden with frustration, Quinn was surprised to realize that she didn’t mind the sound of her daughter’s cry at all the way she minded other babies’ cries. Hoping the crying didn’t reach Puck’s ears, Quinn swooped into the kitchen and, trying not to bang around much in search of all of the baby supplies, made Beth a lukewarm bottle of formula, taking extra care to eliminate air bubbles and then burp her gently after she finished. Yet, there was still a bout of spit up Quinn was left to clean. She changed her diaper twice, too, never sure if she’d waited too long or short of a time to change it, or if she put the diaper on too loose or tight. She sat on Puck’s bed, wondering if he’d mind, and did all of the little exercises the books said to strengthen her arms and legs, even though Beth only seemed annoyed by all the tugging. 

After exhausting nearly every guaranteed-safe activity she could do with Beth- save anything that required leaving the Puckerman residence- Quinn finally checked the clock on her phone to find that she’d let Puck sleep for a few hours. Realizing too late on the stairs that she’d abandoned her shoes in his room, she padded back into the living room barefoot, tip-toeing around his sleeping form on the couch. Beth blew spit bubbles, but still stared up at Quinn happily while the blonde slowly lowered herself down to a seat in front of the couch, near his ankles. With one arm around Beth’s upper body and her lower resting on her knees, Quinn reached a hand over to tap on his jean-covered calf. “Say, ‘Daddy, wake up!’” Quinn spoke quietly to Beth, as if she could say anything even if she understood Quinn, and then turned her head towards Puck. She hesitated for a moment, knowing feeling constantly overwhelmed for the past few hours had transformed her from her normal put-together self to someone with clammy hands, pink cheeks, frizzy hair, and the smell of baby powder and formula in her nose. Shaking her head at her self-consciousness when he literally watched her give birth a few months ago, she tapped him a little more firmly and said, in a normal voice, “Hey, Puck, wake up.” 

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TEXT MESSAGE ⇄ QUICK

QUINN: I sleep like that?

PUCK: Maybe with less butt.

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PICTURE MESSAGE → QUINN FABRAY

Contact: Baby Mama Message: She sleeps like you.

Attachment:

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Of course he was anxious about being away from Beth but he was also nervous that maybe Quinn would get too attached, that she’d decide Puck wasn’t doing well enough on his own and that her household--with her mom and their money and the constant support--would be a better place for their daughter and she’d leave with her. And of course he had trust issues when it came to Quinn, who wouldn’t? As much as he loved her--(and God did he love her))--she was also a master manipulator; worse still, she knew she was good at twisting situations, at bending people’s will, at getting her own way. And uck didn’t want that; he didn’t want her to decide that Puck wasn’t good enough to raise Beth alone, he didn’t want her to get too close and make a different choice like she had before.

But instead of saying any of that, rather than admit why he was so argumentative or why he felt the need to be so clingy, he simply nodded and gave her an accepting, “That’s cool. you’re probably right.” Because Quinn was Beth’s mom and the image of her holding their daughter was too strong, plus he’d have to learn to trust in Quinn’s belief in him. Sure he wasn’t used to it-- no matter how hard she showed she trusted him and even, to a point, loved him--but he was definitely going to try harder for the sake of the tiny blonde in the girl’s arms. He moved closer and ran his hand down Beth’s back, relishing the feel of her tiny body beneath his palm, and he decided to simply accept that this was going to happen eventually anyway and that Quinn needed this time with Beth to bond. “Make sure you wake me up though, for anything. I know you totally have this Q but I’m still gonna help if you need it.”

He watched as she reacted to Beth’s little movements and smiled, his head tilting fondly and he hated how this could have been his end result. He could have been here with both of them, absent-mindedly flirting while a mini version of them both took in the world around her with curious eyes. But almost like Quinn had sensed what he was thinking she broke it with her words and Puck shook his head at himself. It was too easy to fall into her again and again, so he resorted back to playful banter rather than admitting how much he wanted to be them again despite all the evidence they shouldn’t have ever been a thing to begin with. “You are a babe, Fabray. You still got your pregnancy boobs and you’re sexy as hell,” he teased, voice soft though he let out a confident laugh. “I’m just calling it like I see it. But if you really don’t dig it then I’ll quit, don’t trip.” 

HANGING BY A MOMENT ⇄ QUICK

As he stood up from where he’d been sitting on the couch cushions, she immediately adjusted her hold on Beth, worried that he was coming over there to declare her incapable of supporting her daughter. Even if he had and she was, it really wasn’t through any fault of her own. There was only so much natural maternal ability could make up for and holding a feeble baby perfectly  was not one of them. Still, she didn’t want to hear it if she could avoid it. But he had a smile on his face and not a worried grimace, and he was clearly reveling in her compliment. She rolled her eyes playfully at his insistence that he always looked good, raising an eyebrow as he looked down at himself and likely just then realized that he was partially nude in front of her. She waited on him to make some kind of suggestive remark that she’d have to automatically shoot down on principle as she was so often accustomed to them doing once it wasn’t appropriate to tease other anymore. Instead, he just thanked her and wasted no time in returning the compliment. “Thanks,” She said with an amused smile, shifting her arms around Beth while the baby shifted her weight so Quinn was more cradling her instead of holding her to her shoulder. Quinn guessed the baby was just trying to get a better view of her mother.

Quinn sighed a bit once he let her know that he knew she was nervous over having Beth alone. She hadn’t told him that, of course, but since when did he have to be told to know what she was feeling? It was a very frustrating yet sometimes convenient habit he had. She sunk into a hip and tried to relax and actually listen to his advice. Her first instinct to advice was to always push it aside and pretend she didn’t need it, but even she was terrified enough of being completely responsible for a human being to admit to herself that she did. Her hazel eyes followed his nervous movement as he scratched the back of his neck, and a smile wandered onto her features, oddly calmed by the fact that both of them were nervous right then. Her face brightened when he offered to accompany her upstairs, supposedly because he wanted her not to be nervous being alone with Beth. “And you’re not offering to do that because you have separation anxiety at all, right?” Quinn teased, remembering her own torturous feelings of possession and inate worry whenenver Beth was in someone else’s hands. It’d faded with absence, of course, but with how perfect and tiny and warm she felt in Quinn’s arm, it would likely be just as hard to shake as before.

The blonde shook her head to herself and chuckled at him, but it was without malice. She knew he’d meant it as an offer to help, too, if not entirely. Besides, what she’d said was true. Fatherhood looked extremely- and annoyingly- good on him, and it only endeared him to her more. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was their daughter he was getting so nervous about. “I wouldn’t mind if you came with us, but I’m gonna have to be alone with her eventually. Might as well get over it now when she’s in a pretty good mood and you’re in need of sleep.” She pointedly looked him a little below the eyes, as if fixating on dark circles and then added with a lift to her shoulders. “Plus, if I really need something, I have no problem waking you up,” She said with a little laugh, though it was completely true. One of Beth’s little hands absent-mindedly pressed flat against Quinn’s collarbone, making her lean back and look down in surprise, a relieved and adoring smile gracing her lips before she held tighter onto the baby and then tossed “You probably shouldn’t call me babe, by the way” towards him, trying to keep her tone casual.

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You’re not gonna be a stranger but I’m done talking ‘bout this when I’m trying to give you everything you asked for. Pick a day and I’ll make sure she’s ready to go with you.

Yeah, we are equally her parents, but you were the one insinuating that you needed to protect her from me. I never demanded that. I’ll see her whenever you let me and I’m available. I just want to see her often enough that I’m not a stranger to her. 

Fine. It might have to change later once school starts up and I have Cheerios, but I’m free all summer for the moment.

[puckhard-blog]

I never said I’d do any of that and I’m not gonna; she’s yours just as much as she’s mine. All I ever said is you can’t demand when and where you can see her when you gave that up to have a ‘normal’ life. Not really sure why you got this idea I’m gonna take her away from you, you should know after everything I’m not gonna break up her family.

How ‘bout this? We set up a day or something when you can have her. Just you and Beth. That way you’re involved and I actually get some sleep.

The problem isn’t trusting her with you, the problem is trusting that you won’t keep her away from me the next time I don’t do something you think I should do or I do something you think I shouldn’t. I don’t see why you can’t trust me when I’m telling you that I want to be in her life one hundred percent. It might not really matter yet, but I don’t want her to have to feel like wanting me around is going against you.

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Her eyes were on him and even though he wasn't looking at her, even though his focus was on Beth, he could tell she was looking for him to explain his flattering words. Of course he wanted her to stay the way she was; he wanted her in his house, with them, all the fucking time. It didn't matter that she didn't love him like he loved her or that she wanted to be a cheerleader more than a full-time mom; he just wanted Beth to have her mom and dad around her, at all times, like normal kids did. Although, he reasoned, Beth wasn't a normal kid--not with teenagers for parents, both of whom couldn't go a conversation without bickering--and he just hoped he and Quinn could work something out where Beth wouldn't ever have to notice tension. The conversation veered off however and he was saved from opening up to her again by explaining Beth's routines, a thing he never thought he'd ever have to do at such a young age and, yet, it came almost all too naturally. Of course he struggled, of course he did, but he was new at this and it wasn't like he didn't enjoy the challenge; but it felt right, being a dad felt right. And he just hoped Quinn could see she'd made the right choice in handing Beth over to him rather than some nobody they'd never see again. 

His eyes turned to her after he explained her routine and he smiled softly, leaning away a little to watch her, and he took in Quinn's reaction. On the outside she seemed calm, understanding, but Puck knew what the widening of her eyes meant--even if it was the slightest twitch--and he smirked to himself at how cute she could be when she let her guard down. He moved that thought out of his head by asking about dinner and it was only when she looked up at him did he realise Quinn might have wanted to spend time with Beth alone and offering dinner would take time away from their bonding. An apology was on his tongue but she agreed quickly to pasta and he simply nodded, watching as she stood up and his protective instinct kicked in as his eyes immediately dropped to his daughter to make sure she was still relaxed despite being moved. As she walked away his eyes closed, getting used to the thought of Quinn taking Beth away from him, and he wondered if he'd ever get used to the feeling of seperation despite the fact he wasn't far from her at all. A smle broke on his lips at Quinn's words and he laughed, standing up from the couch too and shrugging at her. "I always look good," he gloated, glancing down at his bare torso and only just realising it probably wasn't appropriate in her company. "But thanks. You look really freaking good yourself right now."

He leaned against the doorframe as he took her in; soft features looked back at him, her arms curved around their daughter and he wasn't sure of the last time he'd seen her look so terrified, so nervous and yet so happy. If not being with him made her look like that then he could live with it, he decided, because fuck she looked so good now she wasn't scared and trying to live up to expectations all of the time. "I know you're kind of tripping about having her alone and stuff but, seriously, Beth is easy. Just, y'know, get to know each other and stuff--talk to her 'bout your day, I dunno. Just 'til she gets used to your voice and crap." Puck scratched the back of his neck nervously as he looked at her, hazel eyes glancing to Beth who had taken on a confused look that never failed to make him smile. Babies, it seemed, had two general looks: pissed off and confused, both of which amused Puck endlessly. "If you're worried I could come upstairs with you? I'm probably gonna be in bed but I could, I dunno, just be there if you need anything. Unless you wanna be alone with her and then I'll chill downstairs," he offered, glancing around. While he knew what he said about not wanting to be around Quinn, and that still stood, it was his own selfish need to be near Beth that he was struggling with. He'd get over Quinn, they'd move on and he'd deal with it. Now he just wanted to help, to show Quinn she could trust him, and he shrugged at her. "Your choice, babe."

HANGING BY A MOMENT ⇄ QUICK

When he confirmed her thought that Beth’s eyes would likely be even darker and more like her own and Puck’s, Quinn leaned down more over the baby, tucking hair behind her ears so it wouldn’t tickle her. She examined her eyes as much as she could without moving too close and disorienting her. As long as the wait felt to Quinn, it hadn’t been that long since Beth was born, and there was still an overall blue to the baby girl’s eyes, though they had darkened a bit. She didn’t want to say this out loud in case he took offense- their differing levels of involvement with Beth was obviously a sore topic-  but it was starting to look like Beth would resemble her the most. Between her light hair, fair skin, and the light green tinge to her eyes, her maternity was in no way questionable. Puck was still there, a little, in the texture of her curls and the shape of her mouth. “She has your ears,” Quinn comment off-handedly, gently letting her fingers run along her daughter’s ear lobe, then realized that maybe recognizing that should’ve been odd. The blonde gazed at the baby- rememorizing what she looked like as she suspected she so often would have to, what with her swift growth and Quinn not seeing her on a daily basis- until she leaned back enough as Puck reached over to touch the baby and not her, as she predicted. She watched the easy way he touched her, not like Quinn was right now, trying to decide how much force was too much and too little, and was admittedly jealous. 

When he replied to her question about what she needed to do with a request for her to simply look like she was looking, she glanced over at him for a moment. He was so confusing sometimes. He didn’t want her over there because he needed space and he didn’t trust her, but he still loved the sight of her, apparently. It really wasn’t fair, even though he could hardly be blamed for not having his feelings in perfect order. He definitely did not have a monopoly on that. Her eyes implored him to clarify, to simply tell her he meant that the sight of her as a mother was good to look at, that’s all, but he didn’t. He wasn’t even looking at her yet. Knowing he wouldn’t catch it, a flattered smile softened her features, which only grew as the tiny baby stretched out her legs, almost like she was warming up to Quinn’s presence. The blonde tried to look knowledgable as he instructed her that Beth would soon want to eat, though the first thing Quinn’s mind jumped to was what she didn’t know. Where were they? How much was she supposed to feed her at a time? How long were they supposed to be warmed? Were they even really supposed to be warm? How much was she supposed to burp after? She quickly tried to reason with herself before she bombarded him with questions; The kitchen wasn’t unfamiliar to her, she’d find the bottles. It was milk, it must have been refrigerated. The baby wouldn’t eat more than she wanted, and it was probably meant to fill her up anyways. She was fairly sure they were supposed to be lukewarmed so she’d just gradually nuke it until it got there, and she supposed Beth would burp as much as she had to and that was that. Besides, she had the Internet and The Pregnancy Bible on her side. 

All Quinn could do was nod and carefully file that information away in her head. She liked to move around, which wasn’t surprising considering she was a baby with very little ability to move herself. She liked to be talked to, and hopefully the possibility that she’d recognized Quinn’s voice enough from when she was pregnant to let it soothe her. His tone was joking, making harmless jokes at their daughter’s expense, but Quinn didn’t think to crack another smile. She took this too seriously, especially knowing that he didn’t take her commitment seriously. When he suddenly asked if she was staying for dinner, her first instinct was to ask “What?”, but caught herself in time, biting her tongue to subdue the awkwardness of the situation. Still, she was delayed to respond as he asked her what she wanted to eat, as if she’d already answered him, as if it were a few months ago and the only food Quinn really consumed was takeout and whatever Puck cooked her. With the added heartwarming sensation of feeling the small soft body of Beth in her hands, balancing her carefully, and the sight of him in the most casual of outfits possible, this felt eerily what life would’ve been like had she decided to live with both Puck and Beth and raise her as a couple. As much as she’d relentlessly opposed it, there was a contentness in this feeling of being taken care of while taking care of someone, which was why she easily replied, “Pasta’s fine.” Shifting a hand to carefully cradle Beth’s head on her thighs, Quinn used her other hands to pull her purse back up on her shoulder and the readjusted her hold on Beth before slowly, slowly, standing up. “We’ll get out of your way now. I can tell you’re tired,” Quinn said, planning on leaving the living room at least while he was falling asleep. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do with two full hands and little purpose until Beth seemed hungry, but she figured she could always follow the familiar path to Puck’s bedroom and see what he’d gathered together for her, maybe read her a book or something. “I’ll give you one thing,” She added, meandering at the bottom of the steps. “I know it must be hard, but fatherhood looks good on you.”

[puckhard-blog]

Last time, Fabray, I want you involved. You’re a pain in my ass, you annoy the hell out of me and, yeah, I worry you sometimes want shit you can’t have and then you bail when you get it. But I want you involved with her ‘cause, deep down, I know you’d be the best thing for her. I want you to prove me wrong ‘bout worrying because what I think about you shouldn’t be what Beth thinks about you, you’re her mom and you should see her. You trusted me with her, Quinn, so fucking trust me.

No, I don’t. Most of the time life changes it for me and I just adjust accordingly. You can say that, but that doesn’t mean you mean it, because in the same breath you’ll just as easily say that she needs to be protected from me and that she’s just some distraction to me. You should know me better than that, and if you don’t, then you can’t really want me to be involved.