Tag: "Happy New Year, Finn." And he thought that maybe it just might be, and maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to go to the bar after all.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to Glee nor am I directly involved with any of the creators, writers, directors or actors.

So much, so young, I've faced on my own
Walls I built up became my home
I'm strong and I'm sure there's a fire in us
Sweet love, so pure
I catch my breath with just one beating heart
And I embrace myself, please don't tear this apart

"Bound to You" - Christina Aguilera

So in hindsight, maybe it wasn't the best decision to go to the bar that night. No, scratch that. It was the worst thing that he could have done at that time. What the hell was he thinking; the bar was the last place that he should be stumbling into, watching everyone celebrating while he just sat there in his own personal misery? Maybe it was the conversation he had with his brother the day before – or maybe it was just that he was getting so damn sick of seeing only the pale blue color of his walls every day.

It wasn't like he was depressed.

Okay, scratch that, too. Finn Hudson may have taken a slight dip into the depression pool.

He wasn't one of those serious cases that you see on T.V., one of those that requires a family meeting on how to "help" him. He was just sad. So goddamn sad, a good majority of the time.

What else was to be expected of a twenty-six year old man, living in New York City and jobless since he just finished his last exhibit. Not to mention that there just wasn't any inspiration he felt, though that might tie into the fact that his muse stomped all over his heart.

In the middle of said exhibit.

The day before Christmas.

Okay, so maybe that little dip into the pool was more like a cannonball.

That's how it was for a few days, though. Luckily, his brother let him wallow in his self-pity until the 30th. That was when Kurt came to his small apartment and gave him the biggest lecture he'd had since his mother found his special magazines when she was changing his sheets back during sophomore year of high school.

So that, along with that sick, nauseous feeling that he always got when he stared at the color of his walls for too long, was what pushed him out of bed. That's what helped him to finally throw away the framed photos of them and that stupid organizer that she got him for his birthday. Why he was given an organizer for his birthday, he'll never know, but he accepted it with a smile because he was just so, so in love with her.

Fuck.

No, he can't think about those feelings. He can't think about how her hair was so shiny, or how her skin felt so soft under his hands. Fuck fuck.

Maybe that is what really helped him to take those steps to the bar. He just needed to drink; drink and get so drunk that her perfect blonde hair would stop teasing him and he could maybe get those stunning green eyes out of his mind.

Everyone is in giant clumps when he makes it to the bar. That's to be expected though, especially with the clock getting closer and closer to midnight. A new year. That's supposed to be good, right? A time to renew yourself and to finally do all of those things that you've been putting off, saying that you'll do it another day.

It'd be a lot easier to move on and actually do something with his life, if only he could just quit thinking about her for one second.

When he finally makes it to the large bar in the middle, the music is loud and bodies fill the area. He tapped his fingers against the counter to signal for a beer and kept his head down, his forehead meeting with the grimy surface of the bar – the stickiness a telltale sign that there was just a bit of alcohol going around.

Something makes a thud in front of his head, and Finn finally lifted his head to look into the eyes of the only person who he has been able to call his best friend. She gave a familiar sneer before letting air out through her lips. Her fingers moved to rake through his hair and he found comfort in that small touch, finally lifting his whole head off of the bar. Santana stared at him for just a moment and then gestured to the beer, "It's on me, Lurch. Just try not to spit it all over like you did at Thanksgiving."

So maybe she wasn't the ideal best friend material, but she was the only person who had actually never made him feel like he wasn't good enough. They had their banter, but he knew that they had that friendship where it didn't matter if they stopped talking; it didn't matter if he moved across the world or if she yelled at him for hours. They were stuck, and that was the way it had been since grade school.

He smiled as best that he could at her before she was called down the bar. Finn brought the bottle to his lips and let the cold liquid make his body feel something other than the complete numbness that he had felt for the past week. His eyes moved around the bar as he swiveled in the bar stool, watching as couples swayed together on the pseudo-dance floor that had been created. There was a group in the corner where it appeared that none of them were dating, instead they were all just grouped together and laughing as one of the men tried to get one of the girls to try his shot.

Finn licked his lips and turned his gaze down to the bottle, his thumbnail picking at the label as he felt his nerves start to actually come alive. He took another drink and set it back on the bar as he faced that way again. It looked like Santana was on a break, and he watched as she slung a rag over her shoulder and hopped over the bar to sit in the spot next to him. In a flash, she took his bottle from in front of him and drank a large gulp, "How the hell can you even drink that shit?"

His lips curved and he gave a small shrug, "You get used to it eventually." Without missing a beat, the woman smirked at him and spat back with a quirked brow, "Is that how you thought about your little Princess?" Finn narrowed his eyes and grabbed his beer back, "Real nice, San."

With the flick of her hand, she dismissed his attitude with a softer tone, "Hey, you know that she wasn't good for you. She practically planned your whole life for you, and she wanted you to give up your dream. What the fuck, Huddy?"

It wasn't really like that. Okay, maybe it was. From the time that he met Quinn Fabray, it was as if he didn't need to worry about anything that didn't involve what she wanted. He was actually surprised when she told him that she wanted him to go for his dream. Of course there was a 'but', and that included that his dream could only last for four years and then he had to settle down with her and get married and have exactly two babies, but they had to be with at least two years difference so she could get her body back into shape – and there was just so much!

Finn blew through his lips against and let his forehead fall into his palm, his elbow supporting the weight. He shook his head and tried to find his voice, "It... Fuck. It was nice to have someone, okay? Maybe we weren't perfect, but what relationship is? A-And she wanted to be with me forever. It's nice for someone to look at you and decide that you're good enough for that, that you are who they really want."

A hand rubbed his back and he tried to give a thankful smile, but it just came out to be a twitch of his lips. Santana finished off his beer and slapped him lightly on the back, "Listen to me, Finnocence. You know that I'm not a real big believer in relationships, but I know of a good one when I see it and that one was simplemente malo. I really wish you would have let me talk to her." He actually laughed softly, remembering how she had threatened to go Lima-Heights on her the minute that she found out what happened and he knew exactly what she meant when she said "talk".

Sighing, he sat up straight and chewed on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. He knew that she was right. He wasn't happy, he hadn't been happy in that relationship since after the first year. Still, he really thought that she was his future. Maybe her planning wasn't his perfect life, but it was better than what he could come up with on his own.

It was a brand new year, though. Or at least... it would be in three minutes and twenty-two seconds. Finn cleared his throat and actually managed a smile to fill out his lips. He looked over at his friend and she quirked her brow at him, a question on if he was okay. His smile widened just a bit and he nodded, pulling her hand from his hand and bringing it to his lips to press a kiss against her knuckles, "You're right. It's time to move on to... to bigger and better things. I don't... I don't need her."

Santana gave a genuine smile back to him and pulled her hand from his to slap his cheek lightly twice, "Thatta boy. You know that if I batted for your team I would be all over that. Rebounds are my specialty." Finn made a face at her and swatted her hand away, "Yeah, yeah. Just get me another drink." Santana hopped off of the stool and bumped her hip against his, "Drunk rebounds are even better."

He shook his head at her as she pushed herself back over to the other side of the bar. Another minute passed and Finn could hear as the excitement grew. Even if there wasn't a clock miles around him, he was pretty certain he could tell exactly what time it was just by how loud the crowds were getting. He drank from his second beer and swiveled in his stool again.

A second look around the bar told him just how much everyone was looking forward to the new year.

The couples had stopped dancing and were now standing around the television sets in the corners, watching a band perform on the stage over in Hollywood. His eyes traveled back over to the friends in the corner and a smile twitched on one side of his mouth as he saw the same girl who was being practically force-fed a shot was now flicking liquid from her own class across the table. They were all still laughing and a part of him wished that maybe he knew them. Maybe then he wouldn't feel so hollow when one person leaves his life.

Another minute passed and Finn set his empty bottle on the bar, Santana quickly replacing it with another. He offered a grateful smile and was about to turn in his stool again for more people-watching, when suddenly a body almost smacked straight into his. Something dug gently into his shoulder and Finn furrowed his brow as he turned to look at what was inflicting the dull bother against him.

It was a party hat.

And it said 2013 on it, with glitter glued on each number, and it had to be the ugliest thing he had ever seen.

At least, that's what he thought until he saw the long brown hair that was messy from the string, parts of it sticking out of the scarf that she wore. Finn stared at the flimsy hat, frowning as it was snagged in the long locks. He almost reached out to help the poor woman, but that would be weird right?

Instead, Finn just turned back forward and tried to ignore the sensation as the corner of the hat pushed into his arm again. It wasn't painful, it was just annoying.

She didn't notice. How could she when she was busy giggling, trying to calm herself down enough to actually get something from the bar that she made so much trouble in getting to.

If her laugh wasn't so damn musical, he might have said something.

His throat felt dry, so he took another sip and it was then that the girl finally realized that there was someone next to her, or that's what he could deduce as he heard her voice then, "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry. I didn't even realize my hat had fallen off!"

And it was the most beautiful sound he had heard all his life.

It took him a moment to realize that she was actually addressing him, that she wasn't just talking to someone else. He slid his eyes over towards her and his heart just about stopped when he realized that it was the girl at the table in the corner.

She was still smiling at him, and all he was doing was staring at her.

Say something. Say anything. She is a human being, talk to her like one. Don't just sit there!

"It was poking me."

You should write speeches. Dumbass.

Except, then she started laughing. She adjusted her hat and the string snapped back into place and her eyes were bright, so bright as they focused back on him, "I'm truly sorry about that. My friends-" she hitched her thumb back to show him the corner table that he had stared at, "-they like to give me a hard time, so they said it was my turn to buy the drinks since I just became legal to drink. I think I may have overdid it tonight."

How did she have enough air for all that?

He blinked at her and his mouth dropped open a bit, "O-Oh." Fuck, seriously? Just be normal! He cleared his throat and offered her a small smile, "I-It's time for celebration though, right? A new year?"

It was as if he had said the most magnificent thing in the world. Her eyes widened and the prettiest pair of lips he had ever seen parted as she sucked in a quick breath and holy hell, how was she so lovely? And why the hell was that the perfect to describe her? His vocabulary for women usually stayed with "hot" or "pretty", but here he was thinking that this woman – this stranger was absolutely, and purely lovely.

She reached out and gently took his cheeks in her hands, "Exactly! You understand! You must be a wonderful human being..." Her voice trailed off and he knew that she wanted his name.

"U-Uh, Finn."

God, no wonder he failed Spanish in high school. He can't even grasp English.

"Finn! Yes, you understand. We're in the most beautiful city in the world and it's the start of a new year, and it's just time to do everything that you've ever wanted to do!" She ran her thumb over his cheekbones and he couldn't breathe.

Thankfully, she pulled away and he very quickly took a large sip of his beer. She made a face at him and shook her head, "I've tried that, and it is just atrocious. How can you drink that?" Finn licked his lips then and turned his eyes to lay them on her, "I..." And then he just looked at her, at the way that her eyes were actually asking him – she wasn't just asking for no reason. Her bottom lip was held captive by her teeth and just briefly did he let his gaze drop there. He focused on the way that her hair felt just so and his fingers itched to feel if it was as soft as he thought it was.

Shit.

She still wanted an answer.

With a smile that wasn't as forced as he thought it would be, Finn just shrugged his shoulders, "I guess I just like it."

Her grimace disappeared and she nodded, "Okay then, Finn." She suddenly broke into a giggle and her hands slapped down on the bar, "I forgot that I have to order the drinks! Oh no, and I haven't even introduced myself!"

She found his hands with hers and damn it if her hands weren't the softest that he'd ever felt. Finn looked down at their fingers and smiled for just a moment as he compared the sizes, but then she was talking and he knew that he had to listen to her or he would regret it.

"-irthday is in December, actually! It's my birthday month, Finn. Oh-oh! My name is Rachel Berry, by the way. Rachel Barbra Berry, and before you ask – yes I was named after the legend herself, Barbra Streisand." He had no idea who that was, but he did know that Rachel Berry was in front of him now and that was enough to keep his smile on his face.

Seemingly pleased by his reaction, she continued, "I'm going to be famous, you know. That's why I'm in New York – other than that I was born here. I'm going to be on Broadway, Finn and – oh my gosh, it's only thirty seconds until the new year! Only thirty more seconds and then we're going to get that brand new start!"

A part of him, a big part of him actually, was thinking (hoping?) that maybe she meant that that brand new start included them together, but as soon as he had that thought he erased it. No, she was obviously tipsy and they had just met a minute ago. It didn't matter that her voice was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard and it only matched that she may just be the most beautiful person he had ever seen – in that way that is so subtle until it was all that he could see.

Everyone was counting down and her hands were still in his and he knew that he just wanted to hold on, even if his head was telling him that nothing good could come out of it. He wanted to hold on to Rachel Barbra Berry for as long as she would let him.

"Finn?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her, "Yeah?"

She smiled at him then, and her eyes looked still so bright and the way that she grinned at him made him believe that every bit of her was just that bright. That smile was moving, and Finn realized that he really needed to quit losing himself in this girl.

"Are you alone?"

"I-I... Not right now. I'm with you right now."

And again it was like he had said the most perfect thing because her smile widened and she gave a nod, "You are correct!"

And then she started counting down and Finn swallowed thickly. His palms were on fire as she touched her fingertips against them. He looked down at them and the voice around him all joined together, "Ten!... Nine!... Eight!... Seven!... Six!..."

"Finn!"

He looked up again and she was still smiling as she squeezed his fingers. His mouth opened and he found himself breathing out the numbers with her, "Five... Four... Three... Two... O-"

And that's when Finn Hudson finally thought that maybe he didn't need to dip in that pool anymore, because Rachel Barbra Berry was kissing him and if she was going to be a star then that meant that maybe he did mean something. He didn't focus on the fact that she had been drinking, or that her lips tasted like something fruity – all that mattered was that her hands were holding on to his cheeks so softly and she just kissed him so nicely. It wasn't quick or filled with passion. It was soft and slow and so, so lovely – just as lovely as she was.

It lasted years. They didn't pull away until the year was a minute old, and Finn was gasping for air as he just kept his eyes closed. She giggled at him and smoothed her thumb over his cheekbone again, "Happy New Year, Finn."

And he thought that maybe it just might be, and maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to go to the bar after all.

Author's Note: Hi there! Thank you so much for reading, and I hope that you could take the time to put a review in! That really helps, more than you could know! Don't worry, this isn't a one-shot. It started out being that way, but then I decided to split it up into short chapters - because I think it would just be a better told story that way, and I can take more time with the characters and plots. :)

I hope that you enjoyed this first chapter, and I'm super excited for this story!

I hope you all have a fantastic start to your New Year! :)