This one-shot is dedicated to Mariah, since she unknowingly inspired the plot bunny, and to the people on Tumblr who were kind enough to want to read it :)
Feedback would mean the world to me.
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, or anything by The Killers (of which the title is taken from 'Mr Brightside')
Since the days of being a baby, Rachel had worked hard to improve herself in every manner. It started out when she overheard two mothers complaining about little children constantly crying in public, and determined to outdo other three year olds, Rachel refused to cry unless absolutely necessary, which strangers found adorable. Her dad and daddy were often bombarded with compliments on what a good girl she was, and Rachel took pride in being better than other children her age.
That was just the beginning. If criticised in any way, she would work hard to make sure that she improved herself until people were showering her with praise and positive comments, and this mentality stayed with her through high school, though her success rate plummeted as soon as she joined glee club. It was nearly impossible to keep up with the incessant demands of the student body when they all wanted such different things. The girls in the hallways sniped at her to wear more clothing, whereas boys she passed in the cafeteria whispered for her to wear less; where was the compromise? Teachers told her that she was a model student and that she shouldn't change a thing, yet her classmates spat words of discouragement, telling her she was a suck up and that she was trying too hard; who was she supposed to believe?
Whenever in this kind of crisis, Rachel used to turn to her fathers, who would insist that she really didn't need to change at all to please other people, but it never truly resonated within her until Finn Hudson was officially her boyfriend, and he told her the same things her dads had said all along; don't change because you're perfect.
So she tried her best to be herself, and once school was over for the summer, Rachel was determined to just let loose and have fun with her newly acquired boyfriend (third time's a charm!) while she could.
It was a Friday, and Rachel had spent all day at her dance class, which had drained her emotionally and physically. She regretted ever telling Brittany which studio she attended because she was supposed to be the star of the group, and as soon as the blonde joined, everyone became besotted with her. She made the other dancers laugh in a way Rachel had never managed to, and her effortless style and natural grace made their dance instructor, Miss Graham, fall head over heels for the girl, and Rachel was left in the dark, practicing her pirouettes alone.
It didn't matter as much as it should have done though. Once she was home and submerged in a bath full of bubbles and salts, she called Finn and complained about her ordeal until he cut her off and told her that she would always be his favourite dancer.
"Besides, only Britt and Mike are better dancers than you are; everyone kicks my ass."
"If it's any consolation, you're my favourite dancer," Rachel insisted, curling a damp piece of hair around her finger. "You're very cute, and it's obvious that you're trying your best."
"T-thanks Rach, that's... Just, thank you, okay?"
It was sad that Finn wasn't used to receiving compliments from people, so she'd made it her mission long ago to make sure that he knew how much she appreciated him.
"Hey, I forgot to mention, Burt's throwing a big barbecue party thing tomorrow for his family, and a bunch of Kurt's relatives are travelling down to spend the day. It's strictly a Hummel thing only, but I managed to convince them to let you come, you know, if you want to? I already cleared the food side with my mom, and she's gonna go buy you some burgers and stuff that don't have anything to do with meat."
Rachel's body tingled as her heart seemed fit to burst with affection. "I'd love to come, and I'm honoured that you'd think of inviting me."
She heard him chuckle on the other end of the phone. "You serious babe? You're all I think about, so you should know by now that I want you around me at all times."
"Well in that case, I can't really say no, can I?" She bit her lip, glancing at the clock that hung above the bath tub. "What should I wear? Should I bring any food? What if nobody likes me? Do you think I should prepare a selection of songs in case there happens to be karaoke?"
"Woah, Rach, relax, okay? I don't know who half of these people are, so for most of the day I'm just gonna drag you off to a corner somewhere and make out with you."Rachel blushed from head to toe though she didn't protest (why would she? It sounded like the perfect idea). "Erm, clothes... I dunno, how bout that pretty daisy sundress you have? It always looks super nice when you curl your hair and it hangs around your shoulders and it's just above your boobs and I um, ahem, getting a bit distracted, sorry."
"You, Mr Hudson, are adorable, though you're a terrible influence who is hell bent on corrupting me."
"Guilty as charged."
"I'll bring some tofu salad with me; how does that sound?"
"Sounds uh, yummy. Crap, look, okay, I gotta go 'cause Kurt's giving me the evil eye since I forgot to pick up Blaine from somewhere. If you can come over for about one, I'll be here to remind you how much I love your body and your dance moves. Night babe, I love you."
"I love you too Finn." The phone clicked off before she had the chance to respond further, but it wasn't as if she had much else to add, apart from a few incoherent phrases that resembled her frantic thoughts; she was sure that Finn's preoccupation with her body was something that she was never going to get used to.
She wasn't complaining though, and just thinking about the way he leaned down to plant hot and heavy kisses along her neck to rest on that spot behind her ear while running his hands down her sides and cupping her butt and-
She submerged herself under the water when her stomach made an embarrassing noise of excitement; hopefully this would be the first barbecue of many.
Glee!
There was still something she needed to change alright, and it was something that she had in fact struggled with for a long time (or at least, for as long as she'd known Finn). She hadn't voiced her concerns to him, since no doubt he'd deny that she had a problem, and he'd kiss her senseless until she admitted that she was being paranoid.
This was a real issue though, and as soon as she stepped into the Hummel's backyard to try and locate her boyfriend, this one emotion swept through her body with such force that it wouldn't have surprised her in the least if she'd ripped off her sundress while screaming 'RACHEL SMASH!' at the top of her lungs, like some kind of crazed, Hulk-like figure (as an amusing side note, she'd once caught Finn wearing nothing but his Hulk boxers after the two had spent the day at the pool, and she forever associated the green monster with Finn's... you know, business).
Still, now wasn't the moment for reminiscing over the first time she'd really been aware of Finn's reaction and arousal regarding her presence, because as she blinked uncomfortably in the unnaturally bright sunlight, she witnessed a tall brunette laugh at one of Finn's weak jokes before running a hand down his arm in a 'I think you're funny and I want you to screw me' kind of way.
Rachel was ready to charge at the stranger and claim back what was hers, but before she could snort like a bull and begin her rampage, she was stopped by Burt, who was wearing a novelty 'kiss the chef' apron and a comical hat to match.
"Hey Rachel, glad you could make it," he said with a genuine smile, and he offered her an awkward hug which she embraced wholeheartedly (no pun intended). "You're looking nice today."
"Thank you Mr Hummel, and thank you very much for allowing me to attend such a sacred family tradition."
Burt let out a loud roar of a laugh that attracted Carole's attention, and she hurried over, eager to wrap her in an embrace of her own.
"Hi sweetie, you look lovely, doesn't she Burt?" Rachel's cheeks pinked at the compliment, and she watched fondly as Burt slung an arm around Carole's shoulders. "What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing much, but Rachel here thought that these barbecues were important." He shook his head with another laugh, then turned back to Rachel, smiling. "I force the family to come and visit once a year 'cause if I don't, no one would bother to keep in touch. Kurt always hates them 'cause he says that my side of the family is too uncivilised, but I think he's happier now that Blaine's keeping him company." He frowned and tightened his grip around Carole, who looked at him questioningly while Rachel scanned the yard for said Kurt and Blaine, trying desperately to ignore the way the slutty girl was hanging all over Finn like a disease.
"Hey Kurt, what did I say about a time and a place? Cut that out when we have guests."
Rachel had to bite back a giggle when she saw Kurt push Blaine off of his lap in a hurry, and judging by his red, puffy lips and the tinge of pink on his cheeks, the two of them hadn't just been swapping marinade recipes.
"Anyway, I'll leave you to it and I'll let you know when your special food is cooked, okay?"
"Thank you Mr and Mrs Hummel."
Carole placed a hand on Rachel's arm in an affectionate manner that made her gulp and fight back tears at the woman's general kindness. "Sweetie, please, call us Burt and Carole." They both smiled in a way that reinforced how much they loved each other before returning to the largest barbecue that Rachel had ever laid eyes on, and with a regretful sigh, she realised that she'd have to break Finn away from the evil skank's clutches.
See? This was something she had to work on; jealousy was one of her biggest problems, and always had been. Being an only child meant that she was used to the constant attention and adoration of her parents, and she hadn't needed to share that spotlight with anyone. That same mentality had been carried with her wherever she went, and had only been reinforced when she'd had to sit back and watch while Quinn stuck her lying, cheating claws into Finn's innocent flesh.
She really did have a problem, and she considered being blasé about the way that the brunette bitch- ahem, female stranger looked like she was going to pounce on Finn, but she was snapped out of her thoughts of intense jealousy when two warm, familiar arms snaked around her waist and pulled her into the chest of the love of her life.
"I'm very glad you went with the daisy dress," whispered the voice hotly against her ear. His breathe tickled at her hair and she shuddered violently, thinking of the tongue in that mouth and the magic it could do with hers and- "How long have you been here? I'm sorry if you were waiting a while, I was distracted."
He began to pepper eager kisses along the back of her neck, and Rachel groaned inwardly. Maybe she had it in her to be one of those girls who was unaffected by romantic competition, and Finn seemed to be focused on her now, so what difference did it make?
"I've only just arrived, and I saw you talking to that girl and having fun, so I didn't want to intrude." She curled her fingers into her dress because she had to try and resist yanking his shirt from his chest and licking him and kissing him and-
Sometimes she questioned her hormones, because she was almost positive that it was only males who were constantly obsessed with getting naked.
Girls want sex just as much as guys do, don't forget that!
As if it was easy to forget the constant simmer of a burn that tickled at her stomach and made her light headed when she was in Finn's presence.
"Oh God, Tanya?" Finn said with a moan, and sure, Rachel could do this, she could pretend that she didn't want to scream at the girl who'd had her grimy hands all over her boy, she could. "She's a total bitch and I really can't stand her."
"O-oh?"
"Oh's right," he muttered, his hands still wrapped around her waist as before, only this time, he focused his attention on the shell of her ear, which he engulfed in kisses while his tongue flitted back and forth against her, teasing her relentlessly; Rachel was already feeling lightheaded. "She's Kurt's cousin, or second cousin, or step-bitch, I forget exactly. This is the first time we've met, and you know what she said to me before I even told her my name?" He took her ear lobe between his lips and began to suck on her softly, occasionally grazing his teeth over it while she shook and whimpered beneath him. "She told me she was horny, but that she didn't want to do it with me because I reminded her too much of a really big toddler."
Rachel's eyes flickered towards Tanya the step-bitch, and the bubble of jealousy that had been eating at her heart dispersed instantly. "Slut," she hissed, and Finn straightened himself up while he took her hand in his, holding it like he was never going to let go.
"What did you just say?"
"S-shut," she spluttered, shrugging slightly. "You know, as in, shut up? All the cool people are saying just the first word as a statement about the times we live in, and how we're always finding ways to abbreviate life. I-it's supposed to be ironic, you see?"
She knew she hadn't fooled him, because his eyes glinted in a way that meant he was amused, but he didn't call her out on it, which she appreciated (it probably wasn't wise to insult his family, even if it wasn't his by blood).
"C'mon, there's a sun lounger over there that has our name on it." Finn tugged her towards said lounger, where he'd already placed his towel as a 'back off and don't think about stealing my seat' warning, and as Rachel looked down at the chair, she felt an overwhelming love for her boyfriend.
Nobody was perfect, she knew that, but Rachel was positive that Finn was as close as anyone would ever come. Even in the way he'd spread his towel over the plastic lounger made her silently swoon, because unlike her, who would have spent ten minutes ensuring that it was straight and free of wrinkles and random bumps, Finn had pretty much thrown the towel in an awkward heap, thinking only to pull the edges out at the last minute. Yes, it would be slightly uncomfortable to sit on, but it was just typical Finn, and she was sure she was developing an unhealthy obsession with everything he did.
"Uh, babe? You haven't said anything for ten minutes and you've kinda been staring at my Spiderman towel..."
"Sorry, it just- Never mind. Would you like to do the honours?"
Finn nodded with a crooked half grin that made Rachel go weak at the knees (thank goodness she was about to sit down) and he sat down on the sun lounger, his legs too long and his feet hanging awkwardly off of the end. He opened his legs slightly so there was room for a cat, or an irregularly small brunette, and he patted the space as he gave her a look that said 'hurry up and sit down before I have to drag you and punish you later'.
Or, you know, something along those lines, she was paraphrasing.
Gladly, she settled between his legs, well aware that her lower back was leaning constantly against his crotch, and she curled up against his chest so she could smell his shirt. Finn had been freaked out by that the first few times, but now it was just her thing; she loved to smell him, since he always smelt incredibly good.
"How many people are expected?" she asked casually while she ran a finger up and down his arm, watching him shiver as she brushed her thumb over the inside of his elbow (it was a little known fact that the inside of Finn's elbow was extremely sensitive, and the first time that Rachel had kissed and sucked the soft skin, he'd creamed his pants without a moment's hesitation).
"I dunno," he said hoarsely, gritting his teeth as she absentmindedly traced patterns over his arm. "I think about ten more, maybe less or like, more."
"Uh huh," she murmured, leaning in so that she could run her tongue across the crook of his elbow. "Any more girls?"
"Y-yeah," he choked out. "There's this one chick, Burt's cousin's nephew's dog's aunt or something, that tried it on with me last time I saw her."
Rachel retracted her tongue like a frog that had just swallowed a wasp, and in fact, it felt like the wasp had stung her several times over, since all she could do was open and close her mouth without a sound.
"Don't worry about it though, okay Rach? Kurt could have a hundred hot female relatives fighting over me, but I'd only ever want you."
To stop herself from tearing up, she rolled her eyes and planted a playful kiss to his chin. "You're a little full of yourself, aren't you?"
"Only because my kickass girlfriend tells me how perfect I am allthe time; it's totally gone to my head."
"Hello brother, brother's significant other." Kurt planted himself down on the sun lounger next to Finn and Rachel, and reluctantly, she pulled her mouth away from Finn's face, managing a smile.
"Hello Finn's very annoying brother."
Kurt waved her off and looked longingly over to the barbecue where Blaine was helping Burt tackle some food. The three of them watched him hold a sausage out to Burt, and Kurt let out a loud, pining sigh that made Rachel feel sorry for him; she'd released many of those kinds of sighs in her time (including twelve different sighs that Finn could coax her into with just his tongue and his talented fingers).
"I wish I was that sausage," Kurt said absentmindedly, and Finn choked on thin air and Rachel pretended to be very interested in the ladybug that was scuttling across the grass in front of them. "Oh Lord, Janice and the twins are here. Little Miss Rachel, watch and learn; these girls are the definition of drama queen divas."
As if on cue, the very interesting ladybug opened its wings and disappeared into the sky, and Rachel's attention was drawn to three women who all differed in height, yet managed to look exactly the same (which was strange, since their mother looked to be about forty, and the twins were eighteen at best).
"Who are they, exactly?" she whispered to Kurt, worried that they'd hear her and unashamedly introduce themselves. Women scared Rachel in general. She'd learnt that boys were easy to read and even easier to understand, but girls, on the other hand, were the complete opposite. What a girl said and what a girl meant were two very different things, and their ability to switch from sweet to deadly in a second made Rachel hesitant about making female friends.
Janice, the older of the three, wore the biggest boots Rachel had ever seen, and they hugged her calves and made her look stick thin while saying 'look at me, I want you to do me in a bush'. Her clothes were extremely tight and were definitely aimed at teenagers, yet that obviously hadn't stopped the woman. The long blonde hair that hung from her head was from a bottle, though judging by how solid it looked, it was caked in so much hair spray and gel that a hammer would be needed to smash it from her head.
There was no need to describe her twin daughters in great detail since they were her miniatures, right down to the boots and dolphin tattoos that each wore 'proudly' on their shoulders.
"Janice is my aunt's sister in law, and her daughters are Coco and Caramel."
Rachel let out a snort that elicited a laugh from Finn in response. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude but um, Caramel, r-really?"
"I know," Kurt said flatly. "Thank God they're not related by blood because seriously, there is no excuse for those awful miniskirts that they're barely wearing. Ooh, excuse me, Blaine's alone and that's my time to strike!" Kurt disappeared in a literal cloud of smoke, and though Finn had once again began to trail kisses all over Rachel's neck, she couldn't stop staring at the two blonde twins, who waved at Kurt and giggled when they caught Blaine's eye.
"I can't believe Caramel is a legitimate name for a young girl," she whispered. She was inexplicably mesmerised by the cheap hair colour and their air of self importance that she didn't notice Finn's ministrations had stopped.
"Yeah, I know, crazy right? But I'm pretty sure it was Coco that tried to stick her tongue down my throat, I never really asked."
Oh, that, jealousy again. Rachel did her best to pretend that it was okay, but at the end of the day, she was Rachel Berry, and she wasn't the type to take anything lightly, especially when Coco and Caramel (seriously?) sat on the lounger that Kurt had vacated, their eyes trained on Finn's vacant expression.
"Hi Finn," they purred in unison, and Rachel felt her heart catch in her throat. Why did everyone have to be so beautiful? They reminded her of Quinn, with their perfect faces and perfect hair and a smugness that made her feel inadequate, and Rachel gripped Finn's hand like she was frightened they were going to pounce and rip him limb from limb.
"H-hey... Um, Choco, Caramel, this is Rachel."
Rachel had to try immensely hard to bite back a giggle as Coco's face briefly turned red with embarrassment, and for a second she pitied the girl, because she knew that if she was in her position and Finn had forgotten her name, she definitely would have taken it to heart.
As such, Coco glared at her with her fake blue eyes (the contacts were painfully visible in the sun) and her lip quivered, and Rachel suddenly worried that she was going to pounce and rip her limb from limb.
"It's Coco," she sniffed, brushing her fingers through her hair as she gave Finn a dazzling smile, and Caramel did the same, to which he simply nodded awkwardly and half stared at the two blondes. The jealousy in Rachel's veins began to seep into every pore. Finn was incredibly naive when it came to the feelings of others (except hers, which she held proudly in her heart likes a precious gem she'd found on the sidewalk). He'd never been one to realise that people were genuinely mesmerised by his presence, and he'd never been one to spot the signs of attraction until it was spelled out in big letters that said person was crushing on him (again, she took pride in his ability to know that she had loved him from the first time they met).
Therefore, Finn didn't seem to notice the way the two girls completely ignored Rachel while gushing about how 'amazing' their lives were, and he didn't seem to notice the way Caramel kept trying to touch his leg, and he definitely didn't seem to notice the way Coco kept looking at his lips then licking her own; Rachel was close to clawing their eyes out, but she was a dignified character, and she really didn't blame them for being interested in such a man of perfection.
She just had to trust their relationship more, and she knew how much Finn loved her, so what was there to be jealous about? Jealousy had always been an issue in the past, but this time they were dating for keeps, and she didn't need the green emotion to ruin anything between them. Therefore, she mentally patted herself on the back as she climbed off of the sun lounger, and tried to ignore the way Finn's face fell at the lack of Rachel between his legs (it sounded dirty but she couldn't think of a way to phrase it differently).
"I'm going to go and socialise with your family," she said with a smile reserved only for him.
"But you can socialise here, can't you babe?" Both Coco and Caramel wrinkled their noses at the endearing term while it made Rachel beam from ear to ear, but she couldn't be with him all the time, otherwise she'd become too comfortable and she wouldn't be able to ever let him go.
"I'm only going to be a little distance away," she whispered softly, and ignoring the blonde girls who seemed ever the more disgusted by the relationship in front of them, Rachel leaned down, took Finn's face between her hands, and planted a long, lingering kiss on his lips. She teased his mouth open with her tongue before brushing it over his own, and took satisfaction in the way that he sighed against her, his hands moving towards her neck to try and entice her to stay. "I love you Finn," she said breathlessly, and then she walked away from him, her heart pounding, her eyes glancing back once to see the look of oblivious love on his face.
She thought she was smart, leaving him like that to prove that she was the better person, but she realised with a sick longing that she knew literally none of the people before her. Her first thought was to cling to Kurt's side like a lost puppy, but he was nowhere to be seen, and Rachel felt a different pang of jealousy when she assumed he'd disappeared with his boyfriend for company.
"Hey Rachel, you're looking a little lost; everything okay?" A soft hand on her elbow caused her to almost scream out in shock, and with wide eyes, she turned to face a very amused Blaine Anderson (one of his enormous eyebrows was cocked in surprise, and that in itself cheered her up immensely).
"A little," she admitted shyly. "I really don't know anybody."
"Well you're in luck, because Eric here wanted to introduce himself."
It finally registered that Blaine wasn't alone, and Rachel wasn't sure how she'd missed the huge boy beside him, who towered over Blaine in the way that Finn towered over her (he still wasn't as tall as her charming boyfriend, but it was nice all the same).
"How do you do? I'm Rachel Barbra Berry," she said with a smile, and she stuck her hand out at the boy. She found that there was nothing like a strong handshake to kick-start a friendship, and it was also an excellent way to analyse a person's character. She'd always been sure to have a firm yet gentle approach, letting the shakee know that while her hands were soft and dainty, she meant business, and she wasn't just some silly little girl.
Eric took her hand and shook it nervously, and Rachel felt her lips twitch with an automatic grin. His handshake said that though he was tall and intimidating (and incredibly muscular, might she add), he was a gentle giant, and she liked that about him, even if she knew nothing but his name.
"Er, nice to meet you, I'm Eric," he choked. Rachel laughed to herself; why was he so nervous? She really had no idea why, since her and Blaine had to be two of the least intimidating people in existence.
"I was just telling him about how I spend most of my time performing with The Warblers." Blaine patted Eric's shoulder with what looked like pity, and the tall boy shrugged at Rachel, causing her to giggle.
"That's nice," she grinned. "You're built rather nicely. Do you play any sports, Eric?"
"Oh, that's right, I was just about to tell you how much I love football too!" Taking a frightened looking Hummel relative by the hand, Blaine led him to where he was previously seated with Kurt, leaving Rachel to amuse herself once more.
"What did that guy want?" asked an agitated growl from behind her.
"Hello Finn!" Rachel cooed, wrapping her arms tightly around his chest. "Who, Blaine? I think he was just being friendly."
"No, not him, that- that really tall dude! I've never seen him before and God, why the hell was he staring at you like that?"
Rachel blanched as she turned around to glance over at Eric, who was looking more and more uncomfortable as Blaine told him The Anderson Story (of which she had been forced to listen during their disastrous experimental dating stage).
"Eric? He just-"
"Eric," Finn practically spat, and Rachel felt a rush of adrenaline pulse through her body; he was jealous! She tried her best to stop herself from smiling since she didn't intend to make him angry, but oh wow, the way the vein in his neck protruded with frustration and the way steam seemed to snort out of his nose and ears made her stomach fill with hot little butterflies.
There was no denying it; a jealous Finn made for an incredibly hot Finn.
"Eric's the dumbest name I've ever heard. And look at him, all tall and just like, I dunno, awkward, staring at you like you're a piece of meat. And you don't even like meat, but he doesn't know that so he has no business-"
Rachel stood on the very tips of her toes and kissed him with lips that were tugged into a loving smile, and Finn returned the gesture immediately by wrapping his arms around her, pulling her up against him while she perched on his feet to boost her height. She wanted, more than anything, to pull him into a dark corner so he could cover her in sordid, passionate kisses, but she was well aware that now wasn't the time and place, so she reluctantly pulled away, granting him with one last peck on the cheek,
"How were the twins?" she asked innocently while she ran a finger over his sore, reddened lips (Finn had the best lips she'd ever seen, and there were even nicer when they were swollen from their kisses).
"Ugh," he said with a roll of his eyes, "don't even get me started. They're pretty boring and I can't remember which one is which. Besides, they kept picking on your dress, and I love your dress."
Rachel smiled and showed Finn one of the many spins that she was famous for in dance class, and the slight breeze lifted up the hem of her dress to show off her legs (which, she noticed, Finn stared at while he muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'mailman').
"Food's up!" called Burt to the mass of Hummels who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, and there was a sudden rush to grab a plate and wait in an unofficial queue while Burt handed out sausages and burgers and chicken wings and a whole host of different meats.
"Here you go Rachel, I um, I got you a plate." Rachel did a double take as Eric walked up beside her and held out a paper plate, looking uncomfortable in the searing glare of Finn.
"T-thank you Eric, that's very kind of you." She took it from his grasp and wrapped her fingers gently around his arm as a thank you, and the boy gave her the first proper smile she'd seen.
"I'll see you later."
"Okay, see you." He waved and went to join some other boys who were all grinning in Rachel's direction, and though she could hear Finn clenching and unclenching his jaw, she had to say, she was flattered by his attention; she wasn't used to strangers being nice to her.
"Come on, let's get in line," he said sourly. He tugged her to stand behind Kurt's Uncle Andy and Aunt Laura, and he barely said a word when the two of them tried to invite him into their conversation, letting out the occasional grunt when he felt like it. "I'm gonna get a drink, save my spot," he said to no one in particular, and he stalked off, leaving Rachel with the two relatives.
"What's biting the kid?" asked Uncle Andy. Rachel had met him once before at Burt and Carole's wedding, and the resemblance to Mr Hummel was uncanny. Bald like his brother, he was slightly shorter, though he shared the same green eyes that Kurt's dad was notorious for. Though she hadn't had the pleasure of spending a lot of time in his presence, Rachel like Andy Hummel; he was very kind and wildly charming, and it was clear that he adored his wife.
"Oh, I think he's just jealous because one of Kurt's cousins handed me a plate." Both her and Uncle Andy shared a laugh, and she felt the tops of her ears burn at Finn's expense.
"Ah, yeah, I saw you talking to Eric. He's Harold's boy. He's not so talkative and it takes him a while to warm up to people, but he's good all the same."
Rachel had no idea who Harold was, but she nodded along anyway since it was only polite, and she was determined to make a good impression.
"How long have you and Finn been dating now, Rachel?" asked Laura Hummel, and Rachel was sure that that was the first time she'd heard the small, mousy looking woman speak. The two of them contrasted wildly against each other. Andy, from what she could gather, was the life and the soul of the party in the same way that Burt was, and if he wasn't telling some story about his many adventures travelling across America, he was entertaining people with his countless jokes that had everyone in stitches. Laura, on the other hand, seemed to blend into the background, simply gazing up at her husband in admiration while he did all of the talking.
"I um, not long, actually," Rachel said quietly, looking down at the paper plate in her hands.
"I was an idiot and I broke up with her before Christmas." Finn hung an arm around her shoulders, and she looked up to see that he'd mellowed a little; water had apparently done him some good. "While we were apart, I was still in love with her but didn't want to admit it, and then I pursued her until she gave in and kissed me in front of hundreds of people at a showchoir championship in New York. We've been together what, like, three weeks now?" He leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead, and Rachel couldn't help but smile in embarrassment. "Best three weeks of my life."
"You're your mother's son alright," Uncle Andy said with a laugh, and Rachel giggled when she saw the expression that Finn pulled in response. Though he hadn't said it verbally, she knewexactly what he was thinking; 'duh, of course I'm her son, she's my mom!'
While they waited in line for their food, Rachel rested her head against Finn's arm, and he held her as they silently basked in the moment. Even if it had only been three weeks, Finn was right; they really had been the best three weeks they'd ever experienced together.
Before long, the two of them were sitting on a sun lounger with their food. Finn's plate was stacked high with at least five sausages, six slices of bacon, three burgers and countless cubes of meat that Rachel had no hope of identifying. She was going to chastise him for eating so unhealthily, but when she spotted some of the tofu salad that she'd brought underneath a rack of ribs, she bit her tongue and smiled at him brightly, slowly eating the vegan alternatives that Burt had cooked especially for her.
"This is nice," she said as she gazed around the yard, surveying the people that came in all shapes and sizes.
"Yeah, but it doesn't have any meat in so it can't be that good."
Rachel playfully poked him in the side, and he almost choked on a sausage. "I'm not talking about the food, though it is lovely. No, I mean, this family event is nice, don't you think? Everyone's getting along and the weather is wonderful and I'm here with you." She shrugged slightly. "I hope we can do this again in the future."
"Yeah, but next time we're definitely not inviting that Eric creep."
Rachel rolled her eyes, though she did so in amusement. He hadn't let it drop that said boy had been watching her while they ate, but it wasn't as if he was being obscene about it, unlike two blonde twins who kept trying to attract Finn's attention.
"He's not a creep; he seems rather sweet."
"Because he wants to get in your pants."
"Finn!" she squeaked, mollified. "Are you telling me that boys are only capable of being nice when they want something in return?"
Waving a sausage in the air, Finn flung his hands up, as if to say 'well duh'. "Boys like him do!"
"He reminds me of you, actually," she said with a coy grin, and she savoured the way that his cheeks seemed to burst with colour. "I mean, he's tall, slightly awkward looking in an endearing sense, and he seems nice."
"God, why not just marry the dude?" Finn bit a chunk off of his burger and stuffed the rest of his mouth with food as he looked away in frustration, and though she got slight satisfaction from seeing him so worked up, she knew that he was sensitive when it came to certain topics, and she didn't want to push him too far.
"Because the boy I plan to marry in the future is taller, is even more awkward in the best sense possible, and he's perfect."
Finn swallowed his food and raised an eyebrow. She could tell that he was trying to stop himself from grinning by the way his lips quirked as if twitching, and she leaned into him to nuzzle her nose against his. "Oh yeah?"
"Oh yeah," she murmured before kissing him softly on the lips. With his free hand, Finn trailed his fingers up her bare leg and Rachel shuddered and it suddenly seemed extremelyhot and-
"How's the food, kids?"
Rachel jumped back and smiled up at the face of Burt, who was holding a bottle of beer in one hand and a slightly burnt sausage in the other. His cheeks were rosy and his eyes distant, and Rachel grinned at Finn as he stifled a laugh; he seemed to be a little bit tipsy.
"S'awesome, thanks Burt."
"No problem son, no problem. If you want, you can both have a drink." He swayed a little on the spot, and Rachel hoped he wouldn't topple into the swimming pool. "Just one o'course, but you're both responsible and smart and responsible." He gave them a knowing look and stumbled off to find Kurt, leaving Rachel to roll her eyes. She hadn't drunk since the disaster that had been alcohol awareness week, and not planning to try it again, she decided she'd stick firmly with the orange juice that she'd been drinking all afternoon.
"What do you say, shall we share a beer?"
Rachel kissed Finn's cheek as she patted him on the knee. "I'm going to politely decline, but it's okay if you want one."
He bit his lip as he thought about it, then snatched her orange and took a generous swig, much to Rachel's annoyance (though she probably shouldn't have laughed at him if she'd wanted to let him know how inappropriate that was).
"Nah, I don't wanna drink on my own, and if I get hammered, I might not see that Eric guy hitting on you."
"You're still worrying about him? He's part of your gamily for goodness sake! See, he's not even- Oh, hi!" Rachel was about to say that the boy in question wasn't even looking their way, but as she glanced over in his direction, he was staring and waving, and she could practically feel Finn's blood pressure rising.
"I'm gonna go and have a word with that dick. Will you hold my plate for me?"
Before she could protest, Finn jumped off of the seat and stormed over to sit with Eric and his friends (or brothers, Rachel wasn't sure who was who anymore). She knew that sooner or later, she and Finn would have to have a serious conversation about jealousy and boundaries, because really, had he not noticed the way that Coco and Caramel had been practically claiming him for their own? She'd had the self confidence and self respect to walk about and leave Finn to it because she trusted him, and honestly, Eric was harmless, and Finn was basically shouting to the whole world that he was still insecure in their relationship.
"Boys," she muttered under her breath as she stabbed up a piece of tofu with her plastic fork.
"Can't live without them, can't live without them." An unfamiliar voice broke Rachel's train of thought and sat down beside her, wearing one of the nicest smiles she'd ever seen (inconveniently, it was attached to the face of one of Kurt's 500 cousins).
"Actually, I'm sure the phrase is can't live with them, can't live without them."
"Same difference. So, hi, I'm James." And then James smiled in a way that made Rachel's heart race because wow, was he smouldering? His deep brown eyes seemed soft and welcoming, and his hair, fair and curly, looked lovely, and she found herself wanting to run her hands through it and-
Snap out of it! She shook her head and looked back down at her food because what was she doing? Finn was elsewhere defending her honour, or something just as pointless, and here she was, practically swooning over strangers!
"I'm Rachel, Finn's boyfriend." She held out her hand then retracted it immediately because she knew without touching him that his fingers were feather soft.
"Finn's boyfriend eh? The dress hides your gender well."
"I uh, I meant g-girlfriend, he's my girlfriend."
The boy raised an eyebrow and she pressed a hand to her forehead. "I'm Finn's girlfriend. I'm sorry, I'm not usually so incoherent but I was caught off guard."
Rachel looked over towards Eric, desperately trying to gain Finn's attention so that he'd return and remind her that he was still the hottest boy she'd ever seen, but he was no longer seated where he'd been five minutes ago, and with what felt like a slap to the face, Rachel spotted him laughing and joking with another girl. She wasn't the step-bitch from earlier, and her name didn't begin with a C, and oh my goodness, who the hell was she to be stroking Finn's hair like that?
Rachel was about to jump out of her seat and tell the girl where to go when someone caught her hand and Finn caught her eye. The two of them both stared at James, who hadn't taken the 'I'm not single' hint, and who was running his thumb over Rachel's knuckles. She would have shouted at him for being inappropriate, but oooh, it felt nice, and she really wasn't complaining. She looked back at Finn, trying to apologise through her eyes, but then the girl had the audacity to hug him, and Rachel felt her temper reach critical peak.
And then she felt an unfamiliar hand on her leg and she was sure that she'd never moved so fast as she darted towards Finn with only one mission in mind.
Luckily, he seemed to be on the same wavelength since he brushed the girl aside and made a beeline for Rachel, grabbing her hand and yanking her into the house. She lost count of how many people they passed in their mad dash to Finn's bedroom, but when she stopped to think about it, it didn't really matter one way or the other.
Finn lifted her up in one swift motion and slammed his bedroom door behind them before his lips crashed onto hers, his anger and jealousy and raw emotion present in every motion and movement.
Rachel was a sucker for romance, and while she loved big gestures and tender moments and small kisses that made her heart flutter, she couldn't deny that the rough and ready approach was just as amazing, if not better. Finn was usually so gentle with her, like she was made of porcelain and he was afraid to drop her, but as he pushed her forcefully up against his wall, she could feel that he'd forgotten his previous restraint. His tongue forced its way into her mouth (not that she had any complaints), and it dipped in and out roughly, skimming her own and grazing the roof of her mouth in his haste, and all she could see were stars and Finn and passion and-
"Finn," she moaned loudly, hooking her legs around his waist before grinding her hips into his. She had no idea what had come over her, and no idea if she was acting even remotely sexy, but judging by the strangled groan in the back of Finn's throat, it was having some kind of effect on him all the same.
"Nnngh, God, so jealous," he muttered angrily, moving his mouth to her neck where he attacked her with the occasional nip. Rachel knew that he was going to leave a lot of hickeys, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. "So many jerks staring at you, but you're mine, all mine."
"Always," she squeaked breathlessly, dragging her nails over his shoulders before pulling on his hair. She usually treated him like she would a cat, softly stroking his hair while he murmured how much he loved her, but under the circumstances, she found herself tugging wildly at it, smiling when she felt him hiss against her neck. "No one but me gets to touch your hair."
"My mom sometimes likes to," he growled, and Rachel found herself giggling as she smacked his shoulder.
"Finn, this is the hottest make out session we've ever shared; could you please refrain from mentioning your mother?"
The spell was broken as she felt him chuckle against her collarbone, the vibrations making her shudder and giggle even more. He carefully let her down, and Rachel took her hand in his to lead him to the bed, where she patted the space beside her until he had his arms around her body while she smelt his shirt; that was much better.
"God, I don't know what came over me, but seeing you talking to other guys, and seeing them look at you in the way that I look at you..." He shook his head and let out a loud sigh. "I've never been good with the jealousy stuff."
"Prom," they both said in unison, and Rachel stifled a laugh while Finn blushed in the most adorable way possible.
"Yeah, that." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at her, guilt written all over his face. "I can't help it, you know? It's not like I don't trust you Rach, 'cause I do, I totally do. I just-"
"Don't trust other people."
"Yeah, right, exactly." Finn pressed a kiss to the top of Rachel's hair. "I mean, let's face it, if I was in their shoes, I'd totally be hitting on you all the time, even if you had a boyfriend."
"Jealous Finn is so sexy," Rachel murmured under breath because she couldn't bring herself to say it louder than a whisper. She could see Finn grinning smugly out of the corner of her eye, but she refused to give him the satisfaction.
"Jealous Rachel is hotter, but she was barely there today; should I be worried?"
Rachel glared up at her boyfriend while he laughed to himself; he'd known all along that she was jealous of all the attention on him?
"You're evil, Finn Hudson!" she whined, pressing a hand to her forehead. "I thought you were oblivious to how many girls were looking at you, and I tried to be a good girlfriend by not getting riled up!"
"I was totally waiting for you to start licking my face or something just as awesome, and I uh-" He rubbed his neck again (his nervous, adorkable trait). "I thought you were, you know, not really bothered by it all."
There were a lot of things Rachel had a hard time believing, including, but not limited to the rumour that had been going around school that Coach Beiste had a pet panther, that Santana had her lady parts pierced, that Noah had made out with Lindsey Lohan, and that Finn believed that she hadn't been affected by the way the girls had looked at him.
"Come on, there's something I need to do," she said firmly. She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of his room, and though Finn kept trying to ask her what was going on, she ignored him, focused only on the plan that was placed firmly in her mind. She smiled when Kurt's relatives smiled at her, she giggled and waved when she saw Blaine dancing, clearly drunk, and when she and Finn were once again in the back yard, she pushed him carefully towards a group of intimidating, beautiful girls.
"Go and socialise," she insisted, resisting the urge to kiss away the confused wrinkles on his forehead.
"Rach, I don't want to, I want-"
"Go." She pushed him again (obviously, not in an overly aggressive way because she was not violent or abusive, and she knew that Finn could easily pick her up and toss her a hundred metres if he so chose) and watched innocently as he stumbled into a pack of hungry girls who were eager to get a taste of her delicious boyfriend. One whispered something then pinched his cheek while another checked his ass out without trying to be subtle, and as the minutes ticked by, the girls seemed to close in on Finn, who looked like he was downright terrified.
When she was sure that enough time had passed to prove her point, Rachel took a deep breath, counted to five in her head (in Spanish, might she add, since she liked to try and use that budding talent whenever possible), and then she stormed over to join her boyfriend, who was getting lost in the sea of girls.
"Excuse me!" announced Rachel, and everyone in the group turned to face her, including a very confused Finn Hudson. "You're all wasting your time, because this boy-" She stepped forward, a hungry, power crazy glint in her eye, and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pulled him down for a fiery, 'this is what true love looks like' kiss. She felt her knees go weak and her toes curl and a warm wetness pool between her legs, and she broke apart to finish the lines she needed to say. "Because this boy is mine." And then she ran her tongue right across Finn's face, sparing no bit of skin while her hands curled into fists in his hair.
"Okay, God, we get it, he's taken," said one nameless face, and the girls dispersed to talk to other members of the family while Finn stood, immobile, his lips red and his eyes wide and his hair dishevelled and sticking up in all directions.
"What the fuck just-"
"Finn!"
"What the hell just happened?" He blinked a couple of times then stared down at Rachel as she stared up at him to mirror his expression.
"I wanted to mark my territory, while proving that I'm very much consumed with jealousy when I see you even talking to another girl."
"Oh... Wow."
"Was it too much?"
"Hell no."
Rachel beamed at him. "I'll have to try harder next time then."
Glee!
The afternoon soon turned into night, and various candles were lit across the yard as people began to relax and mellow a little more, joining in with family stories and reminiscing over roasted marshmallows and a lot of alcohol. Everyone had had an amazing time, all the food had been eaten and enjoyed, and best of all, Finn had decided to try and beat Rachel at her own game. Somehow, he'd managed to convince her to 'socialise' without him, which roughly translated to 'if I see a guy glance at your boobs, I'm gonna come and lick you too'.
Literally.
Rachel tried chatting harmlessly with Eric's younger brother, and before she'd had time to squeal over their mutual love of the theatre, Finn had whisked her out of her chair so that he could take her breath away with each devastating kiss that he forced upon her (definitely a good thing). Even when Blaine had innocently tried to brush a leaf from Rachel's dress, Finn had appeared from thin air to remind her that he was the only one who got to touch her, and it had taken five throat clearings and a shoulder tap until he'd let her go (he'd still managed to lick her face though, and Rachel couldn't stop her face from tingling).
Sadly, before she knew it, it was time for her to leave so that she wouldn't miss her curfew, and she began the task of saying goodbye to every guest that she'd talked to that evening (including the ones that had been all over Finn for the majority of the day).
While Finn had gone to locate her coat and purse, Rachel bid farewell to Eric, who had made sure to stay away after her boyfriend's many threats. It was a shame really, since she knew that given the chance, the two of them could have been good friends.
"Hey, Eric, could you do me a favour?" she whispered quickly as she saw Finn leaving the house with her belongings.
"Um, sure?"
"Will you kiss me on the cheek?" She knew her request was absurd, and she half expected him to decline, but not needing to be told twice, he swooped down and pressed his lips to her skin while Finn stared on in shock.
"Thank you, I owe you one," she murmured with a grin. She began to walk towards Finn's truck, waiting patiently for him to react, and when he scooped her up in a frenzy while attacking her with his mouth (and touching her in places that made her blush), Rachel knew that though it was an issue she'd eventually have to overcome, jealousy definitelyhad its benefits.