AN: Hey guys! So this is part eight of my Taylor Swift series as inspired by the amazing SpecialBookworm-394. Not only have I received great joy in writing these fics, but I have also gained a friend in her. I would like to dedicate this fic to my other friend 'Finn Hudson Loves Rachel Berry' who I just found out aced her math test so I thought I would do this as my 'WELL DONE!' present as I couldn't express how happy I was for her over PM and I know how much she loves Finchel (as you can guess by her name!). As usual, Glee and the music is NOT mine, I wish it was but hey ho, so on with the story! I hope you enjoy!
Set in the AU where Finn and Rachel live near each other and have been friends for years.
Rachel Berry was sat in her room on a typical Tuesday night, listening to Phil Collins and doing homework when she glanced out of her window into her next door neighbour's house. There she saw her best friend obviously arguing with his girlfriend on the phone about something. She grabbed her pad of paper and Sharpie before scribbling her note:
What's up with her now?
She waited until he got off the phone before holding the pad up and he smiled meekly, picking up his own pad and Sharpie before writing and showing her.
She was in a bad mood today and I told her if she kept her face that way it would get stuck like that.
He turned the sheet over.
She didn't think it was funny.
Rachel laughed and wrote her reply.
No offence, but that girl needs to whatever she has stuck up her butt OUT-
She turned her sheet over.
She needs to lighten up! It was just a joke!
Finn smiled softly before replying.
I know, but she didn't think it was funny.
He turned his sheet over.
I need to stop making those kinds of jokes.
Rachel quickly scribbled back.
NO YOU DON'T!
He wrote back.
I do, they just make her mad.
He turned the sheet over.
She never laughs at my jokes anymore :(
She made a sad face and wrote her note back but by the time she went to show him he was gone, probably for dinner. She read over her note again:
Coz she's a crabby bitch now!
She turned the sheet over.
I love you just as you are :)
She sighed and set the sheet on the side before getting on with her homework. Once it was done she put on 'You Can't Stop The Beat' from Hairspray and danced around her room, her window hidden from the street and her best friend gone.
Meanwhile, Finn Hudson had returned from talking to his Mom to find his best friend since they were in kindergarten dancing like an idiot to what sounded like a song from some musical Rachel forced him to watch once but couldn't remember the name- all he remembers is the fat chick helping the black people out- although he couldn't be sure as two windows stopped him from hearing properly. He grinned softly before getting his homework out and starting to work on it.
Rachel was sat on the bench waiting for the bus when Finn plopped down next to her. He was wearing the jeans he'd had since he had hit the end of his growth spurt at the end of Freshman year, now towering over a foot over her 5'2" frame.
"Hey." He smiled.
"Hey, you OK?"
"Yeah, I'm good thanks, you?"
"Yeah, I'm good thanks." She smiled.
They continued to chat until a car pulled up in front of them, one Rachel recognised all too well.
"I've gotta go, my ride's here. I'll catch you later, Rachel." He grinned and got up, waving to her before heading to the car. He got in and Quinn pulled him in for a long, slow kiss, Quinn watching Rachel over his shoulder. She looked away quickly and started looking through her iPod for a song to play before watching the two drive off.
This was it. She was finally going to do something she never thought she would do.
She was going to tell Finn Hudson, her best friend since they were in kindergarten, that she loved him.
She had managed to convince Finn to join Glee club when the auditions started, but unfortunately Quinn Fabray, the bane of her life, had joined also with her minions, Santana Lopez and Brittany Pierce.
She headed into the choir room and sat with Tina and Artie, chatting as if she had nothing planned. Soon she saw Finn and Quinn enter the choir room, Quinn sauntering in like she owned the place followed by Brittany and Santana linking pinkies. Soon Mr. Schue came in and kicked things stuff.
"Alright guys! Today-"
"Um, Mr. Schue?" Rachel raised her hand a little to catch her teacher's attention. "I have a song I'd like to sing."
"Sure, the floor's yours." Mr. Schue gestured to the front of the room and went to sit down as Rachel got up.
"This is for someone I really, really care about." She smiled over the group, making sure she didn't gaze at Finn for too long before nodding to the band. They began to play and she turned to the group, waiting for her cue and starting to sing.
"You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset,
She's goin' off about somethin' that you said,
'Coz she doesn't get your humour like I do,
I'm in the room it's a typical Tuesday night,
I'm listenin' to the kinda music she doesn't like,
And she'll never know your story like I do,
But she wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts," She tugged lightly at her sweater in emphasis.
"She's Cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers,
Dreamin' about the day when you wake up and find that what you're lookin' for,
Has been here the whole time,
If you can see that I'm the one who understands you,
Been here all along so why can't you see,
You belong with me?
You belong with me," She danced a little to the music before singing on her cue once again.
"Walkin' the streets with you and your worn out jeans,
I can't help thinkin' this is how it ought to be,
Laughin' on a park bench thinkin' to myself,
Hey isn't this easy?" She shrugged lightly, a soft chuckle escaping her lips as she sang the line.
"And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town,
I haven't seen it in a while since she brought you down,
You say you're fine, I know you better than that,
Hey, what you doin' with a girl like that?
She wears high heels, I wear sneakers," She pointed at her sneaker-like pumps she had chosen especially.
"She's Cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers,
Dreamin' about the day when you wake up and find that what you're lookin' for,
Has been here the whole time,
If you can see that I'm the one who understands you,
Been here all along so why can't you see,
You belong with me?
Standing by and waiting at your back door,
All this time how could you not know?
Baby, you belong with me, you belong with me," She danced once again to the music before launching into the next part once again.
"Oh, I remember you comin' to my house in the middle of the night,
I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're 'bout to cry,
And I know your favourite songs and you tell me 'bout your dreams,
Think I know where you belong, think I know it's with me," She took the risk and looked right over to Finn who was watching her with complete shock.
"Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you?
Been here all along, so why can't you see?
You belong with me,
Standing by and waiting at your back door,
All this time, how could you not know?
Baby, you belong with me, you belong with me," She reached into her cardigan pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, one that had obviously been folded and unfolded, read and unread.
"You belong with me,
Have you ever thought just maybe,
You belong with me?" She slowly unfolded the piece of paper.
"You belong with me." She held it up, the words she had wanted to say for nearly two years on show for everyone in the room to read:
I love you just as you are :)
She watched him, trying desperately to gauge a reaction from him. He broke his gaze from her and went into his backpack, pulling out his notebook and pulling out a folded piece of paper. He stood up and took a few steps forward before unfolding the paper, holding it up for her to see.
I love you.
Her breath hitched in her throat as she read the three little words she had been dying to have come from him and looked up, grinning softly. Finn grinned and began to dip down when a voice interrupted them.
"Finn Hudson!" They broke their gaze from one another to look at a very angry looking Quinn Fabray. She had her hands on her hips and was glaring daggers at the two. "What do you think you're doing? I'm your girlfriend, not her."
"Well, now Rachel's my girlfriend and you're not." He smiled before turning back to Rachel and dipping down, pressing his lips gently against hers. She rested a hand on the side of his neck as she smiled against his lips, their lips moving in sync. They soon broke away, smiling at each other before suddenly snapping to look around the group, remembering where they were. Santana, Brittany and Quinn had left the room but other than that everyone else looked pleased that they had got together. Tina knew how Rachel felt about Finn and was grinning madly at her friend. He turned back to her. "You wanna get out of here? I think we need to talk."
"Sure, let's go." She took his hand and the two walked out of the choir room. They headed to Rachel's car before getting in.
"So how long?"
"Have I loved you? Since ninth grade." She smiled shyly. "You?"
"Since Freshman year." He smiled. "Wanna head home?"
"Sure." She grinned. Before she could start the engine Finn leaned over and kissed her softly, breaking away before she had chance to respond.
"I love you."
"I love you too." She grinned, starting up the engine and pulling out of the parking lot and heading home.
AN2: So what did you think? If you have the time, please feel free to review, if you're a member on here I will always respond, even if it's just to thank you for reviewing! Also, if you have any time please take a moment to go on my profile where a poll is currently running where YOU, my dear reader, can decide which Taylor Swift song I do next! It would really mean a lot if you could- the sooner I have a winner, the sooner I'll write another one! Until next time, my dear readers! :)