A/N: This is my first Glee story. I've been thinking about it for a while, and have decided to give it a go. It's AU and will have some fluff mixed with angst and emotion, but obviously a happy ending for our favorite couple!
Title from "Take Your Time" by Sam Hunt.
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of the characters.
The first time he sees her, he's barely awake.
It's February of his junior year at Ohio State University and he's just pulled an all nighter studying for a huge exam. He somehow drags himself to the coffee shop on the corner in need of a warm drink for his cold walk back to the apartment he shares with his brother and best friend. The place is packed when he gets there and by the time he gets to the front, he swears he's sleep walking.
When the busty blonde behind the corner hands him his drink, he openly rolls his eyes when he sees she has left her number along with his name and a heart on his cup. He's used to this, being the star quarterback for the Buckeyes and all, but right now all he wants to do is go home and take a long and well-deserved nap.
That is until he turns around and collides with another body. He uses grace he didn't know he had to balance his coffee and reach his arms out to steady the small girl. When she looks up and meets his eyes, he swears he stops breathing.
She's tiny, way shorter than him, and absolutely gorgeous. Her long dark hair is swept up into a neat bun and her chocolate brown eyes feel like they look right into his soul. Her nose is a bit larger, but on her, it's perfect. He has to restrain himself from leaning down and kissing her plump lips because that is all he can think about when he looks at them.
He's blaming his creepy thoughts on lack of sleep. Yeah, that must be it.
She's wearing black scrubs, he notices. And he suddenly finds himself wanting to get to know everything about her. She's still staring at him, and he wonders if she feels the same based on her intense stare. Someone else bumps into them and breaks them out of their trance as he once again goes flying into her. He steadies them both again but doesn't remove his hands from her arms this time. She's quietly giggling and he thinks maybe she's deliriously tired, too. But, he just has to talk to her.
"I'm so so sorry," he blurts out quickly. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you? I didn't get any coffee on you, did I?"
She giggles at his rambling and he swears he could get addicted to that sound. "I'm fine. No harm done," she says as the blonde behind the counter snootily calls "Rachel" while holding up a coffee and staring at Finn's hold on her.
The small girl slowly turns around and grabs the coffee and smiles at him. "Well, I have to get going. Duty calls," she says pointing to her hospital name tag and turning to walk away.
"Wait!" he blurts out as she reaches the door. She turns around and looks at him curiously. "I just.. What's your name?" he stutters out finally. She smiles at him with those perfect white teeth again and points to the name written on her cup while raising an eyebrow.
"Right, I knew that," he says lamely and she snorts a little and throws him a wink as she strolls out of the coffee shop. He wants to face palm at that moment, but he just groans as he takes a swig of his coffee, the name Rachel running through his head over and over.
He doesn't know what it is about this tiny brunette, he just knows he has to see her again.
The second time he sees her, he's a little drunk.
Not like sloppy drunk, but he's had a few beers and he just feels good. It's a few weeks after the coffee shop incident and they are having a party at some of the football guys' house for his best friend and roommate's 21st birthday. In all honesty, he would have rather stayed home tonight. The party scene is just not for him, but it's Puck's birthday and he would feel like a major asshole if he missed it. He and Puck have known each other since elementary school and it's no shock to him that they both ended up on the OSU football team. They make a pretty good quarterback and wide receiver pair and have been one of the reasons why OSU football has been so successful.
Anyways, he's playing beer pong and Puck sinks their last shot to beat their teammates Mike and Ryder when he sees her walk in. She's laughing and talking animatedly with a group of girls, but he doesn't see any of them. She's got on smoky makeup and her hair is down and curled and just so pretty.
He thinks he might drool a little when she slowly removes her coat to reveal a short, long-sleeved black dress. His eyes start at her long, curled hair and travel down to her tanned, toned legs showcased by the black pumps she is wearing.
"Holy fuck," Puck slurs as he stumbles into him. "Look at those legs. Imagine those wrapped around you as you-"
Puck doesn't finish his sentence as he turns around and slugs him on the arm. He can't talk about his Rachel like that. Wait, what? His Rachel? What the fuck is wrong with him? He's blaming this one on the beer. Yeah, that must be it.
"Shit, Finnessa. What the fuck was that for?"
Rachel's eyes lock with his at that moment, and he doesn't even bother responding to Puck as he shoots her a half-smile and starts walking towards her. She turns and whispers something to the group of girls and begins walking towards him as well.
They reach each other at the center of the room and he smiles dopily, the alcohol having it's desired effect. Her eyes are a little glassy, her cheeks have a flush to them, and he thinks she might be drunk, too.
She's just adorable.
And he guesses he must have said that out loud because her cheeks turn even more pink and she beams at him. He wishes he could stop embarrassing himself in front of her, but she's just so cute. He's Finn Hudson, quarterback, and girls throw themselves at him all the time. Usually, he's pretty smooth, but this tiny brunette has taken away any game he's ever had. He realizes he doesn't know her last name and they are just staring at each other, so he decides introductions are in order.
"I'm Finn. Finn-" he starts before she cuts him off.
"Finn Hudson," she states, and he whips his head up and gives her a questioning look. "I don't live under a rock. I know who you are, Mr. Quarterback. I'm Rachel Berry."
Rachel Berry. It fits her, sounding so nice and so pretty just like her. He's starting to feel a little dizzy and she's swaying a bit, so he suggests they go outside to get some air and talk. She gives him a hesitant smile, nods, and turns around to her friends. The only one left still standing in their original spot is a beautiful Latina that glares daggers at him as Rachel motions that she is going outside with him.
He doesn't dwell on it, as he grabs Rachel's hand and leads her through the house. They pass another one of her friends, a pretty blonde that is pressing Puck against a wall, lips attached. Puck high fives him as he walks past, never once stopping his motions, and he thinks he recognizes the girl as one that has been at their apartment. Quinn, he thinks, only remembering her name because it rhymes with his own. He chuckles a bit at that, which causes Rachel to look up at him.
And, god, it feels like the air just got knocked out his lungs again. Maybe it's the alcohol, but he's never felt this way just looking at someone as she stares up at him through her long lashes, while biting her bottom lip. He can't resist and reaches out and releases her lips from between her teeth, his finger brushing the bottom one as they come to a stop outside.
He almost leans down, but he second guesses himself as they sit on the stairs on the back porch. There's no one outside as it is a little chilly and he suddenly feels bad as he sees Rachel shivering. She's still smiling at him as he grabs a blanket from a basket outside and wraps it around both of their shoulders.
"Thanks."
He bumps her shoulder a bit and says, "So, since you know who I am, tell me about yourself. Tell me all about Rachel Berry."
She giggles slightly, while wrapping the blanket even further around herself, which draws him closer. He takes a chance and slips his arm around her shoulder.
"Well, I'm a junior. Nursing major from Cincinnati," she begins, leaning further into his embrace.
"Ah, that explains the scrubs," he says, relishing in the feel of her so close to him. "Although, I have to say, I do enjoy what you're wearing tonight as well, legs."
He feels like a total douche once the nickname comes out of his mouth and he half expects her to slap him in the face. He gets really bad word vomit sometimes, which gets that much worse when he's drinking. She just blushes and replies, "Anyways, I live with some of my sorority sisters. They're the reason why I'm here tonight. My best friend, Quinn, and your friend Noah have been hanging out."
"A sorority girl? So you like your jello shots and monogramming?"
She snorts as he winks at her. "Hardly, my time is spent studying or at the hospital for my clinicals. Not that big of a partier, although it's nice to let go every once in a while. And I may have had a jello shot or two tonight," she giggles. "What about you, football star? You like your women slutty and your drinking games?"
He lets out a hearty laugh, not admitting that he had in fact been playing beer pong before she walked in. He doesn't want her to think that he's a stereotypical athlete/player because in all honesty, he's not. He's just Finn Hudson, small town boy from Lima, Ohio. So, leaning closer to her, he replies, "I guess you're not the only one that doesn't live up to stereotypes."
"I guess so," she whispers as she leans up slightly and he takes a leap of faith and lowers his head to hers. Their lips finally meet and he feels like fireworks are going off all around them. Her lips are so soft and plump, and she tastes like strawberries and tequila, and he just can't get enough. She opens her mouth further and moans as he tangles his hand in her soft hair and pulls her almost into his lap. Her arms circle around his neck and she plays with the hair at the base and he sighs because he's never felt like this before. After a few minutes, they pull away when the need for air becomes too much and he just stares at her, while running his fingers through her perfect hair.
He's about to lean back in, when there's a loud crash and two girls stumble outside. He recognizes one as the Latina from earlier, and she's holding the hand of a skinny blonde, once again glaring at him.
"Rachieeee," the blonde whines, "we gotta go. Lord Tubbington called and it's an emergency. Quinn's outside waiting already."
The Latina rolls her eyes before fixing another glare at him. "Sasquatch, hands off. Rachel, you have three minutes," she barks before turning on her heel and dragging the blonde girl away.
Rachel's still somewhat in his lap and looking at him with her mused hair and bright eyes. All he wants to do is continue where they left off or just keep talking to her, but she gives him an apologetic smile and moves off his lap to sit next to him. He grabs her hand and plays with her fingers and he can't believe all the feelings that are hitting him. He's only talked to this girl for a total of like 10 minutes, but he feels like he's known her forever.
"I'm sorry about Santana. She can be a little abrasive sometimes. And Brittany, that's her girlfriend, she lives in fear of her cat," she says as she begins to stand up, laughing. He stands up with her and places both arms around her shoulders, pulling her close to him for a hug.
"It's alright. Are you sure you have to go, Rach? We can stay here, play some beer pong? Talk?" he asks as she wraps her arms around his waist and looks up at him.
"As totally stereotypical as that sounds," she giggles detangling herself from his arms, "I really do have to go. I have a lot of studying to do tomorrow and you heard Brittany, it's an emergency."
He pouts a little and grabs her hand, spinning her back around, "Can I see you again?"
She leans up and kisses his cheek, while whispering, "Call me, QB."
He grins and releases her, putting his hand on his cheek, where her lips have left a tingling sensation. He watches her walk away as she turns and gives him once last wave before walking to the front of the house.
It's a few minutes later when Puck starts catcalling him when he walks inside that he realizes he did not get her number.
The third time he sees her, he's bored.
It's been three days since Puck's birthday party and he's spent most of his free time at the library. Lame, he knows, but he just has to see Rachel. After realizing how much of an idiot he was for never asking for her number, he begged Puck to ask Quinn (who he was kind of dating) to help him out. She must have thought his misery was entertaining since she told him he was going to have to earn it.
So once again, here he is at the same computer he's been at for hours on end in the last three days. The only difference is his buddy Mike from the football team has tagged along. He has homework to work on, too, so it's not totally creepy that he's pretty much living at the library these days. Besides, Quinn acted like Rachel spends a lot of time here so she's bound to show up eventually, right? He's beginning to think that Quinn lied to him and she and Rachel are sitting in their apartment laughing at his expense. Santana, too, probably. He could definitely see her being involved.
He's so caught up in thinking about them mocking him endlessly, that he almost misses the petite figure of his musings walking by him. He watches curiously (not creepily, okay?) as her and an Asian looking girl put their things down at a table near him and begin to move around the library. He can't help but grin at the look of determination that crosses her beautiful features as she desperately tries to reach a book on the top shelf right in his view.
She's dressed casually today and he can't help but admire the curve of her ass in her leggings as her oversized sweatshirt rises up as she reaches for the top shelf. He can't believe he never noticed how nice her behind was with the short dress she was wearing the other night. Then again, with those legs out, who could blame him? He really needed to stop thinking about those things or he was gonna have to bring out the old mailman tactic and that would just be embarrassing in the library.
Walking up behind Rachel, he easily grabs the book that she had been reaching for, causing her to spin around quickly.
"Finn," she gasps, clutching a hand to her chest. "You scared me!"
"Hey, legs," he says while shooting her that lopsided smile his mom told him could win any girl's heart since he was young. The blush that crosses her face does not go unnoticed by him.
"You never called me," she states coldly, not meeting his eyes from under the brim of her hat.
"You never gave me your number!" he exclaims. There was no way she was going to put this all on him. He had been hanging out at the library for three days straight trying to talk to her. He had been to the library maybe three times ever before this week.
"I did too! I told Quinn to give Puck my number to give to you once I realized that I hadn't given it to you. But of course, the star quarterback never called. Let me guess, you were too busy screwing blonde cheerleaders-" she whisper rants, and he swears he sees her stomp her foot a bit. If she wasn't being so damn difficult, he might think it was a little cute.
"The only thing I've been busy doing is pretending to do homework so I can talk to YOU," he cuts her off loudly, and a few people turn and stare at them. He's totally going to kill Puck for making him look like a douche.
Rachel has her head down, and grabs his arm, which is still holding her book, to lead him towards the back of the library where less people are. He thinks she's probably going to yell at him, but when she looks up at him, her expression is not one of anger, but of awe.
"You really came here to look for me?" she asks. When he nods, she smiles a bit and asks, "How long?"
"The past three days," he blurts out, and his cheeks flame up in embarrassment. He totally wasn't going to admit that, but the word vomit got the best of him again.
"Why didn't you just ask Quinn for my number?" she asks, her face softening. "That would have been a lot easier."
"I did ask her, but she told me I had to earn it," he admits, and can't help help but hang his head when a small smile graces her face. "Which I totally am not doing right now."
She puts a hand on his arm and bites her lip, "You're not doing so bad, QB."
His heart soars a bit at the look she's giving him and he's thankful they have cleared at least some of the confusion. He feels her hand still resting on his arm through the material of his long-sleeve t-shirt and its making it very hard for him to concentrate.
He clears his throat and hands her book over to her. "Well, I'll just let you get back to studying-," he looks down at the book, "The Guide to Getting It On?"
She turns the most adorable shade of red and he can't help but laugh at the look of pure embarrassment she is sporting.
"Looking for some pointers? 'Cause you know, I would be a more than willing participant for the sake of research," he teases, wagging his eyebrows.
She punches him swiftly in the arm, which barely feels like anything cause the girl is tiny and he's used to getting hit on the football field, and snatches the book from him quickly.
"If you must know, I did not intend to pick up this book," she says looking down. He barely hears her next words because they are so soft and she has yet to pick up her head. "I saw you when I first walked in and wanted to get your attention, so I reached for the first thing I could find. Lame, I know."
He places his finger under her chin and lifts it so that she is looking at him. Her lame? No way. He doesn't ever think he will get tired of the way their eyes lock and the emotion that passes between them and he completely forgets everything he was planning to say.
"Rach," he blurts out and he loves the way her eyes light up when he says it, "go on a date with me tomorrow night."
"Finn, I would love to," she says and he kinda wants to lean down and kiss her right then cause she looks so cute with her hair in a messy braid. But, he refrains himself cause right now, he has a date to plan and it has to be perfect. Instead, he grabs her hand and they walk back towards the front of the library, where they spot Mike and the Asian girl that came with Rachel whispering and sitting closely to one another. He turns toward Rachel and raises an eyebrow and she just shrugs.
"Here," she says handing him the offending book, "Put those giant genes of yours to good use."
He grabs the book and stretches up to place it back on the shelf when he feels eyes on his backside. He turns around to find Rachel obviously checking out his butt.
"Like what you see?" he teases while giving it a little shake.
"Nope, you're doing it wrong," she teases back, giving his butt a little swat as he catches her hand in his own.
"Oh yeah? You learn that in your book? What else is in there that I need to know?" he asks reaching back toward the book.
"Finn!" Rachel exclaims, stomping her foot a little. Okay, it totally is cute. And he wonders if he's always going to think every quirk of hers is perfect. So far, so good.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," he says, slinging his arm over her shoulders and leads her back to the table to actually work on some homework.
He better get it finished now because he has a date to plan.
Thanks for reading. This chapter was just to set up how they met, ect. Pure fluff. I have everything planned out and it's going to be a wild ride! Let me know what you all think. I should have a new chapter out soon!
