The fact was, as much as Puck wanted to tell Rachel to quit being selfish and focusing on herself, he couldn't help feeling for her. No matter what happened, Rachel would always be a part of his life, and like it or hate it, he would always care for her on some level. And it sucked when he thought about it. Rachel really was being left out of everything, even though a lot of that was her fault. It didn't mean that she didn't still hurt because of it. His dark eyes moved over her face, his head tilted a bit as he watched her. "Rachel... It's not like we wanted you out of everything. It was just... Well, it seemed like you didn't really want to be a part of it if Kurt was involved. And... Fuck, I know I didn't have the nicest response when you asked to meet up with me, but you have to understand that Blaine was seriously hurt by what happened. I don't usually go into things to take sides, but there was a pretty clear right and wrong this time." Still, he couldn't help the sympathetic look on his face. He knew she wasn't an evil person, and that she'd never wanted to hurt Blaine, and deep down, she didn't even really go into it to hurt Kurt so much as to get back what she thought was rightfully hers in Blaine.
And then she was angry and hurt, and tears were streaking her face as she asked for the explanation of something that Puck wasn't sure he could give her. It hit him hard and fast that she really was right. People held her to a higher standard for some reason that not even Puck was sure he could name, though it was something he was just as guilty of as anyone else. For a moment, Puck said nothing, watching as she tried to leave, only to slump back into her chair, sobbing with the heartache that seemed to have so much more to it than just the recent upset with Blaine and Kurt. And without even thinking about it, Puck moved to the other side of the table, taking his chair with him, to sit next to her and wrap her in a tight embrace. He brought his hand up to gently stroke her hair at the back of her head, and simply let her cry. "Shhhh..." he whispered comfortingly. "I'm sorry, Rachel. I'm really sorry. You're right, babe. You're right that people expect more of you, but it's because we know you're capable of so much more than you think you are." It was true. Somewhere along the way, Rachel had lost so much of the almost annoying level of self-confidence she'd once had, and with it, she'd lost so much of what made her Rachel. "I'm sorry, Rach," he repeated, holding her gently against his shoulder.
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And then she was angry and hurt, and tears were streaking her face as she asked for the explanation of something that Puck wasn't sure he could give her. It hit him hard and fast that she really was right. People held her to a higher standard for some reason that not even Puck was sure he could name, though it was something he was just as guilty of as anyone else. For a moment, Puck said nothing, watching as she tried to leave, only to slump back into her chair, sobbing with the heartache that seemed to have so much more to it than just the recent upset with Blaine and Kurt. And without even thinking about it, Puck moved to the other side of the table, taking his chair with him, to sit next to her and wrap her in a tight embrace. He brought his hand up to gently stroke her hair at the back of her head, and simply let her cry. "Shhhh..." he whispered comfortingly. "I'm sorry, Rachel. I'm really sorry. You're right, babe. You're right that people expect more of you, but it's because we know you're capable of so much more than you think you are." It was true. Somewhere along the way, Rachel had lost so much of the almost annoying level of self-confidence she'd once had, and with it, she'd lost so much of what made her Rachel. "I'm sorry, Rach," he repeated, holding her gently against his shoulder.