Title: Forever Yours
Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own Glee. Otherwise, well… *evil smirk*
Warning(s): Fluff? And some hormonal teenage boy thoughts
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Finn/Rachel
Rating: PG-13ish
Word Count: 1,316
A/N: I've had this saved for a couple of months now. I have no idea why I haven't posted it yet. So here it goes. This was inspired by Finn's awesome "I love you" in the season one finale. I hope you guys enjoy it
Don't have all the words to tell
I know cause I've already tried
All I know is that when you are here
You make me feel alive
"Just to Be Where You Are" - Lifehouse
In some ways, Finn has always known that Rachel was the one.
She just has this thing about her that pulls him in and even if he wanted to fight against it, he couldn't. It's that strong. Really.
He knows that it's lame and cheesy but he doesn't care because it's Rachel and every time he sees her, his heart jumps. Her smile is infectious and when she sings… Sometimes, he thinks that if everything fell apart in his life and nothing went his way then all he would need is to hear Rachel sing because, when she sings, ieverything/i just feels right. He can't really explain it because he's not really good with words but it's an awesome feeling. It's like this warm sensation that just spreads through him and cheers him up; kind of like when his mom makes her hot cocoa during Christmas time.
Except, you know, Rachel is definitely not his mom.
The way she wears those skirts that stop at mid-thigh or those deceivingly tight sweaters is enough to make a guy go crazy. Sometimes, when they're in glee rehearsal, all he can do is stare at her, especially her legs, and he's not sure whether he can make it through the whole practice or not because he usually starts to have a problem. Maybe not a full scale Quinn Fabray/hot tub problem but it is definitely close enough.
Especially since Rachel only seemed to get hotter every school year with her skirts somehow always getting shorter. And Mr. Schue didn't help Finn out at all by wanting him to sing some type of solo during those isensitive/i moments. It's kind of creepy the way Mr. Schue had that whole thing on lock. Thankfully, Finn was usually able to play it off by hiding behind the drum set because everyone knows the drums are his thing (and let's face it – if it comes down to Finn dancing or Finn playing the drums, there's only one real option).
But right now, standing in the empty lobby with Rachel, moments away from singing their hearts out for Regionals, Finn knows that this isn't a hide behind the drums moment.
It's a hot cocoa moment.
He looks over at her and he can tell that she's anxious. Her hands are grabbing at her black and gold dress nervously and then smoothing out the wrinkles she's just created.
Finn smiles. He can't help it. She's cute.
She always is.
Finn remembers the first time he really noticed her.
It was when they were in the first grade and they were taking school pictures. They had both been in the same class and she was the first one to take her picture. He remembers looking at her and thinking that she was funny because she kept making faces at the camera that he only saw in the magazines his mom looked at when she was eating doughnuts and talking about something called a diet.
"Please," the photographer had begged. "Just sit still and smile."
Little Rachel stuck her bottom lip out in a defiant pout. "But you haven't even seen my happy shot."
"Fine." The photographer had run out of patience. "Show me your happy shot."
Finn watched with a small giggle as Rachel threw her head forward, flipping her hair over her face and then swung back really fast so that her hair flew behind her perfectly as she laughed for the camera.
At the time, Finn had felt a pang in his chest as he watched her and he didn't know what it was. But he did know that it made him nervous, almost like he had to go pee but it was different - in a good way. And when she turned that smile on him two seconds later, Finn's mouth had hung open because the light right above her was shining like a light from Jesus and Finn, being six years old, had suddenly come to the conclusion that Rachel Berry was an angel. He swore he could even hear music playing somewhere in the distance.
When she looks over at him now, his heart does that flipping thing that it did back when he was six years old. And this time he knows she's not an angel but he doesn't care because she's even better. She makes him feel alive; even more than football or that time that he had stolen that Butterfinger from the gas station.
Before he realizes his feet are moving, he's already standing in front of her and, suddenly, he has this overwhelming urge to kiss her.
He guesses it's the same urge she had in the stairwell at school earlier that week. He remembered trying to give her a stern pep talk. Then, somewhere in between him telling her that they were going to win Regionals and the fourth period bell ringing, she pressed her lips against his.
He had wanted to wrap his arms around her and pull her into him but he couldn't move. Instead, he'd just closed his eyes and pushed his lips back against hers, wishing she would realize how much he cared about her and how badly he wanted to be hers. He'd been chasing after her for so long but because of Jesse she'd pushed him away – which killed him. Didn't she know how he felt about her? She had to. Otherwise she wouldn't have been kissing him in the middle of the school day where everyone could see.
And now she's right here. She's just waiting. All he has to do is pick her up and press his lips to hers. It's so easy.
He thinks it's going to happen until she says, "Break a leg."
His mouth opens to tell her the same but, instead, he hears himself say, "I love you."
At first he isn't sure he actually said it, because it sort of just slipped out, but it only takes one split second and a brief self-assuring nod to confirm to himself that he did. And guess what? He's okay with it. Actually, he thinks it's pretty sweet that he finally said it.
His heart is pounding at like 500 miles per hour and his hands are starting to get a little sweaty but he doesn't care. He just told the girl of his dreams that he loved her and she didn't turn him down. She didn't say it back but that's okay. He doesn't want her to.
He can see the surprise in her eyes but she doesn't move away. She just gives Finn's hand the lightest of squeezes and has this smile on her face that makes Finn 110% sure that telling her how he really felt was the right thing to do.
He quickly goes back to his place because he knows they're about to start and he wants this moment to stay perfect. He doesn't want to mess it up by saying something stupid or acting retarded.
The announcer starts to introduce them and the notes from the piano begin to play out. Finn knows he's going to have to sing in just a matter of seconds. He knows that that's what he should be focusing on but, honestly, he can't go out there without one last look at her.
She looks beautiful and Finn swears that he could stay here forever. A grin spreads quickly across his lips and he realizes that loving Rachel and singing with her in this place is more epic than anything that has ever happened to him. (And yes, that includes the time he beat Halo 2 in fourteen hours.)
In fact, he's never been this happy in his entire life. So, even if they completely flop – which they won't because Rachel gives him chills every time they sing "Faithfully" in rehearsal – he'll always have this moment; this one awesome moment where he loved Rachel Berry.