A/N: This is just a short one-shot I wrote while in class today. It's set at the end of "Preggers". I also wanted to let everyone know that I just started a Tumblr (at the suggestion of a lovely anon!) for all of my stories. I'll be posting short one-shots like this (hopefully, pretty often) as well as "sneak peeks" for my longer fics like "We Can Do This" and "Leave My Window Open". So, if you want to follow me you can just type in ktwrites and then add it to the regular tumblr thing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.
"Go away," she says when he approaches her after their practices are over. It's still light out and anyone could see them, especially Finn.
"I want to apologize," he tries, sliding between her body and her car so that she can't reach her door.
"Move."
"I'm sorry."
"Fine. You're sorry. Can you please get out of the way?"
She really just wants to go home, do her homework, go to bed and wake up from this nightmare. She goes to bed every night praying to a God that has never let her down before that she'll wake up and things will be normal again, but she knows deep down inside that nothing will ever be normal again.
"No," he replies, telling himself to stand firm and not give in. "Can we go somewhere and talk, please?"
It's a combination of the last word of his sentence and the look on his face that makes her nod her head and quickly follow him behind the bleachers. They've been here before, more than once, and if the circumstances were different, she probably would have smiled at the memory.
"Start talking," she demands, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I'm sorry I got so upset with you earlier today, but think about how I felt. I just found out from my best friend that you're having a baby and, by the way, he thinks it's his."
"What did you want me to tell him?"
"I don't know, maybe the truth?"
"You know I can't do that."
"Can't or don't want to? Those are different things."
She thinks for a moment, letting her arms fall to her sides and her shoulders sag a bit. "Can't."
"Damnit, Quinn. You really think Finn is going to be a better dad than me? He can't take care of a fucking goldfish."
His words are angry but his voice is soft. He almost feels like he's begging her to pick him first just once. He wants to be there for her, he wants to help her but it's so hard when she keeps pushing him away. He wouldn't say that it hurts his feelings, but it definitely wounds his pride. When she rejects him time and time again, it's not like every other rebuff. It's like her words are the sharpest blade. When they cut through him he almost doesn't even feel the pain, at least not at first, but the gash is there and it's pretty deep. Enter Santana, Brittany and every other girl he's ever used to staunch the flow of blood and numb the pain.
"I can count on him," she says.
"You can count on me."
"Doubtful."
"You've never tried. Never even gave me a chance. I had to find out second hand."
She does feel bad about that. She did want to tell him herself, but that would require them to be alone together and, well… that usually led to other things.
"I'm sorry. I was going to tell you. I wanted to tell you, but I also knew that you would act like this."
"Act like what?" he asks, shrugging his shoulders.
"This. Wanting to help, wanting to fix things, wanting to be with me."
"What's wrong with wanting to do those things?"
"Finn. I just don't want to hurt him."
But you can hurt me? he wants to ask, but bites his tongue and nods before looking away across the football field. "Shoulda known."
"It's just easier this way, for everyone. I know I'm asking a lot, but can't you just please respect it, for me?"
She gets him right there. For me. Of course, he would do anything for her, whatever she asked, no matter what the cost to himself was.
"OK," he replies slowly and takes a step towards her, closing the small gap between them. "But if you need me or need anything, you know I'll be there, right?"
"I know," she whispers and reaches up to kiss him on the cheek. She does know and for that reason, she's not the slightest bit surprised when he walks into Glee rehearsal the next day, his hand discreetly gliding across her back as he moves to stand behind her.