A/N: Here's a new story for you guys! It's completely A/U. I haven't read anything like it before (at least not featuring Finchel!). I really hope you like it; the only way I'll know you like it is if you leave tons and tons of reviews! And I don't own anything.
Battle: New York
Chapter One
Finn Hudson looked over the heads of all his fellow soldiers that were coming home, trying to spot his mom. It was nice to see all the other families being reunited, but he really wanted to get the hell out of here, go home, and change into some normal clothes. It's not like Finn didn't like being in the army – but after three years being deployed, you started to crave some sense of normalcy.
He adjusted the strap of his duffel bag over his shoulder, craning his neck left and right, trying to spot Carole. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime of searching, he saw his mom standing by a pillar in the crowded airport. Her gaze met his and she started crying instantly. Finn broke out into a wide smile and rushed toward her.
"Sweetie!" she sobbed, pulling him in for a hug.
"Hey, mom," he replied, hugging her tightly. She let go of him and reached up to cup his cheek.
"You look so much older," she said with a watery smile.
"It's been three years since you saw me," he said with a chuckle.
"That's not true. We video chatted every two weeks," she reminded him.
"Yeah, but those cameras are kind of crappy," he said, shrugging.
"Whatever you say, Finn," Carole said with a smile. "Let's get you home." Hearing this made Finn smile widely.
-glee-glee-glee-
"So how's Rachel doing?" Finn asked from the passenger seat. "She didn't return my last couple of letters."
"She's actually living at our house now," Carole said. From her tone, Finn could tell that something was off.
"Why? What happened?" Finn asked.
"Hiram died, sweetie," Carole said quietly. Finn's eyes grew wide. Of course she didn't return his letters after losing her dad.
"When?"
"Six months ago. It was colon cancer," she explained.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"That's not something you can just put in a letter, Finn. I thought you should find out face to face."
"But what about Leroy? Why did she move out if her other dad's still there?" Finn asked, feeling confused.
"He's not there, Finn," Carole said.
"Why not?"
"Right after Rachel graduated in May, Leroy left with a boyfriend. We found out shortly before the funeral that he had been seeing this man while Hiram was sick," Carole said, trying to keep her emotions in check.
"God," Finn moaned. "Is she okay?"
"I don't know most days. She got a job in Brooklyn working as a waitress. She said it kept her busy."
"What about NYADA? She was so excited when she got in," Finn said.
"She wants to take some time off before college. She has to save up some money, too. Leroy took everything with him," Carole said.
"What an ass," Finn said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"I agree with you. You should have seen Rachel explode when Leroy showed up to the funeral with his boyfriend. I've never seen her so angry," Carole commented. "She's not exactly the same best friend you left behind, Finn." Finn nodded in understanding, suddenly regretting leaving in the first place.
He and Rachel had been best friends for as long as he could remember. He and his mom had moved to New York after his dad died in Desert Storm. Finn was five when he first met two year old Rachel Berry and her fathers – their neighbors. From that point on, Finn and Rachel had grown inseparable despite their three year age difference. After hearing about how much she had been through while he was gone, he wished that he could have been there for her. In fact, she was all he could think about when he was away. He always wondered what she was doing or what song she might have been singing. He finally had the chance to find out for himself; he had three years of missed time to make up for.
He remembered the route to his house as if he had never left. They lived in the suburbs of New York, away from the sirens and loud people. They pulled up to his house and he was glad to see that nothing had really changed.
"The yard looks good," he commented, fully expecting to see a jungle.
"Rachel's amazing at yard work," Carole said. "She planted those tulips herself," Carole said, motioning to the beautiful pink and white tulips once she parked the car in the driveway.
"Those are her favorites," Finn said with a smile.
"I'm surprised you remembered that," Carole replied.
"It's hard to forget Rachel Berry and her flower preferences, especially after she made you memorize a list of her favorite things," Finn said with a chuckle.
"She made you do that, too?" Carole said with a laugh.
"Of course she did," Finn said.
"Well, let's go say hi," Carole said, climbing out of the car. Finn got out of the car and slung his duffel bag over shoulder and followed his mom into the house. He smiled when he heard Rachel's incredible voice filling the house.
Oh my man I love him so
He'll never know
All my life is just despair
But I don't care
When he takes me in his arms
The world is bright, alright
What's the difference if I say
I'll go away
When I know I'll come back
On my knees someday
For whatever my man is
I am his
Forevermore
Oh my man I love him so
He'll never know
All my life is just despair
But I don't care
When he takes me in his arms
The world is bright, alright
What's the difference if I say
I'll go away
When I know I'll come back
On my knees someday
For whatever my man is
I am his
Forevermore
Finn and his mom just stood there, listening to Rachel with smiles on their faces.
"Rachel, honey? We're home," Carole called. They heard the sink turn off and heard footsteps coming toward them. Finn set his bag down on the ground. When he looked up, his eyes bugged out.
It was the same Rachel Berry, but now she was hot. She was wearing short jean shorts that made her legs look miles long. The t-shirt she was wearing accentuated boobs that he was sure didn't exist when he left three years ago.
"Finn!" she shouted happily before practically throwing herself into his arms. She was only five feet tall and so tiny that it was no problem for him to catch her easily. He hugged her back tightly with a wide smile on his face.
"It's so good to see you, Rach," he said into her ear.
"You, too!" she said. Finn set her back on her feet. "You look even taller than before. I feel like a munchkin!"
"You haven't grown at all, have you?" he asked with a smile.
"Sadly, no," she said with a pout. "But Kurt has told me that my fashion sense has improved with my age."
He looked down at her red t-shirt. "I kinda miss the animal sweaters," he said with a chuckle.
"Don't worry, I kept a few," she said with a smile. "And dinner's already started. I have steaks marinating in the fridge and I plan on making your favorite banana bread for dessert."
"Sounds perfect," Finn said with a smile.
"You didn't have to do that, Rachel," Carole said with a smile.
"I wanted to for Finn's homecoming," Rachel replied.
"Hand me your things, Finn, and I'll throw the dirty things in the washer," Carole said.
"I can do it, mom," Finn protested.
"I finally got my baby back. Now let me spoil you, okay?" she said with a smile.
Finn chuckled. "If you say so," he said with a shrug. He handed his duffel to his mom. She kissed him on the cheek before walking into the laundry room.
"I grabbed you some beers from work since you're 21 now. I thought you'd like to drink one with dinner," Rachel said.
"I thought you worked at a restaurant. Don't they have strict rules and stuff?" Finn asked.
"I told Carole that I worked at a restaurant. It's actually kind of a… bar. I didn't want her to worry," Rachel said quietly. "The tips are better."
"I bet," Finn said with a chuckle. "Well, let me get out of this uniform and I'll be back down, okay?"
"I'll be here," she said with a smile. Finn went up the stairs quickly and changed into some basketball shorts and his favorite McKinley High School t-shirt before hanging his uniform up in his closet. He looked around his room once it was put away. Everything was just as he left it. Even his drumsticks were in their usual place on his drums. He smiled, truly happy to be home.
He then went back downstairs and heard his mom pulling out of the driveway. "Where's she going?" he asked Rachel, who was sitting on the couch.
"She went to get your favorite potato chips," Rachel said with a laugh. "She wants everything to be perfect."
"I'm home," he said, plopping onto the couch and putting his feet up on the coffee table. "Everything's already perfect."
Rachel smiled at him before reaching over and kissing him on the cheek. "I really missed you. Things haven't been easy without you around," she said.
"Mom told me about your dads. I'm sorry," he said more quietly.
Rachel nodded. "It sucked. I mean, it still sucks. Some days I just want to curl up in a ball and cry," she said, glancing at Finn. "But I don't. Dad wouldn't want me to be miserable. Especially over that lying, cheating piece of crap."
"I'm really sorry that I haven't been here for you," Finn said. "It kills me that you had to go through that on your own."
"Your mom was there for me. She's been incredible. I owe her so much," Rachel said. "And to be honest, I was pissed at you for the longest time for leaving. I mean, I couldn't even think about you without wanting to throw something."
"Sorry," Finn said in a small voice.
"Don't be. It was hard for a while, but now I understand why you did what you did. I admire you for that," she said with a small smile.
Finn smiled. "I just felt like the army was something I had to do. Does that make sense?" he asked, glancing at her again.
"I think it makes perfect sense," Rachel replied.
"Alright. Enough with the sad stuff," Finn said, sitting up straighter. "What have you been up to, Rach? Any boyfriend or anything?"
"There was one guy, but he turned out to be an asshole," Rachel said with a shrug.
"What do you mean?" Finn asked.
"Let's just say that he didn't know what the word 'no' meant," she said with a smile. "I got to use my rape whistle. He still has trouble hearing."
Finn laughed and punched Rachel lightly on the shoulder. "That's my girl," he said.
Rachel smiled widely. "So what about you? Meet any nice girls in the army?"
"Nope. My platoon was all guys," Finn said.
"Oh... Quinn Fabray's been asking about you," Rachel said. "She was wondering when you got back."
"Well, she can keep wondering. I have nothing to say to her," Finn said stiffly.
"I thought you were over the whole thing with the baby?" Rachel asked.
"Rach, she tried to pawn some dude's kid off on me, acting like it was mine. That kind of stuff you don't forget," Finn said. "And knowing her, she just wants to get back with me. I'm not interested."
"Sorry I mentioned it," Rachel said in a small voice.
"Don't worry about it. You and mom are the only people I need," he said, leaning his head back against the couch, closing his eyes.
What he didn't see was Rachel smiling widely.
-glee-glee-glee-
They sat on the back porch and ate dinner together. Carole didn't question where Finn got the beers from, not that she should since he was of age. Finn wasn't that focused on his mom anyway. Rachel was the center of his attention. He couldn't help but be mesmerized by how much she had grown up. She carried herself differently now. She seemed more responsible and aware of the world than she had been before. Of course, anyone who had been through what she went through would change a little, too.
He also couldn't help but be in awe of how beautiful she was. She had always been attractive, but the last three years were really kind to her. Her hair was longer than he'd ever seen it and her skin was clear and tan and looked so soft. Her smile was as perfect and amazing as ever. And her laugh made him instantly happy.
He was a little shocked when he realized that he totally liked his best friend. And not just in the way that he just wanted to be around her. He also had the urge to kiss her.
"I have to leave for work in half an hour," she said as the sun started to set.
"Do you have to go to work tonight?" Finn asked with a frown.
"Sadly, yes," Rachel said, laughing at his expression. "But I'm off all day tomorrow. Maybe we can go do something."
"Are you taking Finn's truck or the car?" Carole asked.
"I can just take the car since Finn's back," Rachel said. "I hope you don't mind that I've been using your truck. I know it's bad for the engine if it sits there a while."
"It's no big deal," Finn said with a shrug.
"Well, I'll go get ready then," she said. "Just leave the dishes and I'll do them when I get back."
"Don't worry about it, sweetie. You baby me too much," Carole said with a smile.
"Whatever you say," Rachel replied. She stood and grabbed her plate and cup before taking it in the house.
"I'll be right back," Finn said, grabbing his plate and cup and taking it inside.
"Hey, Rach," he called before she could leave the kitchen.
"Yeah?" she asked.
"Do you want a ride to work?" he asked.
"You don't have to do that, Finn. It's your first day back. Just sit home and relax," she said with a smile.
"But I want to. I haven't seen you in three freaking years, Rach! I missed you," he said. Rachel smiled sweetly at him.
"If that's really what you want to do…" she said. "But you better come inside and let me have the bartender make you a drink."
"That'd be awesome," Finn said with a smile.
Carole was more than happy that Finn was going to spend the night on the town. He changed into some jeans and a polo shirt and waited for Rachel in the living room. Carole was already getting ready for bed.
Finn was surprised when Rachel came down the stairs. She was wearing a pair of short black shorts with some Converse sneakers and a very low-cut shirt. She had a black apron in her hands that he assumed she wore for work.
"Where are your clothes?" he asked in shock.
"I know it's slightly degrading to say this, but I make more in tips if I dress this way," she said quietly. "Do I look terrible or something?"
"No!" he said quickly. "You look amazing. I just wasn't expecting it."
"Well, thank you," she said. "You look quite handsome, Mr. Hudson." Finn blushed, which made her laugh.
On the way to her job, they both sang along to the radio with the windows down like they had back when they were both in high school. Rachel's voice still knocked his socks off even though he had heard her sing thousands of times.
They were surprisingly able to find a parking spot in the crowded streets of New York on a Friday evening.
"Rachel, this isn't kind of a bar. This is a bar," he said, glancing at her.
"Actually, it's a sports bar," she said, sticking her tongue out at him. "The other employees are really nice. And the bar manager even lets me sneak a beer every once in a while."
"Since when do you drink?" he asked, slightly shocked.
"Since after daddy died. It helps me feel just a bit happier. Don't worry, I don't go overboard, just enough to relax," she said.
"You really have grown up, haven't you?" he said.
Rachel shrugged. "I had to," she said. Finn nodded in understanding.
The bar was actually a pretty cool spot to hang out in. There were mostly guys there, watching some baseball game on one of the many televisions in the place. Finn took a spot in the back corner, in perfect view of the television and Miss Rachel Berry. She brought him a drink first before attending to the other customers. She moved around easily and always had a friendly smile on her face. He also smiled widely when he saw that people really did leave her huge tips.
She grabbed him another beer and brought him some mozzarella sticks.
"The manager says thanks for serving your country and that it's on the house," she said with a smile.
"Tell him I said thanks," Finn said with a smirk.
"Will do," she said. "I get off in two hours. Are you just gonna stay here?"
"Yeah. I kinda like it here," he said with a shrug. Rachel smiled widely before walking off to tend to her customers.
Finn felt pretty good with the beer in his system. He was more relaxed than he had been in a long time. He quickly decided that he'd accompany Rachel to work as often as he could. He was even kind of making friends with the table of guys next to him.
Finn was surprised when Rachel came over to him and said that it was two in the morning.
"Are you ready to leave?" she asked.
"Yeah. That's fine," he said, chugging the rest of his third beer.
"Hand me your keys first," she said, holding her hand out.
"I can drive," he protested. She looked at him with that Rachel Berry glare. He reached into his pocket and grabbed the keys.
"Excellent. Let's go," she said happily. She reached out and grabbed his hand, leading him toward the front door. He smiled at the casual contact and held her hand a bit more tightly.
Finn talked a lot more on the way home, thanks to the copious amount of alcohol in his system. He kept Rachel laughing, which was one of his favorite sounds.
She pulled into the driveway, way too soon for Finn's liking.
"Ready to get to bed?" she asked after she turned the engine off. She turned and realized that Finn was staring at her. "What?" she asked.
"You're beautiful," he said unabashedly.
"Thank you, Finn," she said with a smile. "You're the sweetest." Before she could react, Finn reached across the cab of the truck and pulled Rachel in for a kiss. She was shocked at first, but then she started kissing him back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer to him.
Then, she realized that she was kissing her best friend. The same friend that was probably kissing her just because he was slightly drunk and craving some female attention after being away for three years. She pulled away quickly.
"We can't do this, Finn," she panted.
"Why not?" he asked breathlessly.
"I'd rather not do anything with you that you wouldn't do when you're sober," she replied.
"But I like you, Rach. And I want to do this," he said, trying to lean closer.
"No, Finn," she said in a small voice, pulling away.
"Do you not like me?" he asked, sounding hurt.
Rachel giggled. "Of course I like you, Finn. I've had a crush on you since I was ten," she said, cheeks turning a little red.
"Really?" Finn asked with a smile.
"Really," she said. "If you still want to kiss me tomorrow when you're sober, we'll talk, okay?"
"Okay," Finn said with a small pout.
"Now, let's get you in bed, cowboy," she said, pulling the keys from the ignition and putting them in her pocket.
"I painted over that cowboy wallpaper my senior year," he said with a smirk.
"I know. I just like messing with you," she said with a smile, making Finn chuckle.
-glee-glee-glee-
The next morning, Finn wasn't feeling too terrible. He drank some in the army after he turned twenty one. And he wasn't exactly a saint in high school, so he had already developed a tolerance to alcohol. He just felt really tired and there was a tiny ache in his forehead. He got up out of bed and realized it was after ten in the morning. He had seven hours of sleep; it was more than he was used to getting in the army.
He stretched and yawned loudly before stopping at the bathroom. He noticed that Rachel's door was open. He figured that she was already downstairs.
He descended the stairs when the smell of coffee hit him. He smiled in appreciation; coffee had grown to be one of his best friends over the last couple of years. He entered the kitchen and saw Rachel looking out the window, nursing a cup of coffee in her hands. She was wearing pajama pants and a tank top; Finn couldn't help but think that she looked beautiful in the morning.
"Morning, Rach," he said, walking over to the coffee pot.
"Good morning, Finn," she said with a smile. She turned and her eyes widened. Finn was only wearing a pair of basketball shorts. Since when was Finn Hudson so buff? Apparently, the army had been very nice to him. "How'd you sleep?" she asked after forcing herself to focus.
"Pretty damn great, actually," he said with a smile. "Thanks for making coffee."
"No problem," she said. "How are you feeling after last night?"
"Not too bad," he said, shrugging. "What about you?"
"I'm… uh, I'm fine. Why?" she asked.
"I thought you'd be pissed at me for kissing you," he said, taking a sip of his coffee.
"You remember that?" she asked, her face growing red.
"I wasn't wasted, Rach. I do have an alcohol tolerance," he said with a smirk.
"Oh," she said awkwardly.
"Are you mad?" he asked.
"Not mad, no," she said after a moment. "It just took me by surprise."
"Did you mean what you said? About liking me since you were ten?" he asked.
Rachel nodded. "Did you mean what you said?"
"Totally," he said with a smile. "I like you, Rach."
"When did you come to that conclusion? It seems rather abrupt if you ask me," she said, still seeming nervous.
"Not really. Honestly, you were all I could think about when I was gone," he said, looking into her eyes. "Then I came back and these feelings just hit me. I finally understood why I couldn't stop thinking about you." Rachel turned and set her coffee down before walking up to Finn.
"I've waited forever for you to say that," she said with a smile.
Finn set his coffee down and smiled back at her. "Sorry I kept you waiting," he said.
"I think I can forgive you," she said. "Still wanna kiss me?"
"Hell yeah," he said quickly. Rachel giggled before reaching forward and pulling him toward her. When their lips met, everything else fell away. They completely forgot they were in the middle of the kitchen in their pajamas.
The first thing that Finn realized that Rachel was a damn good kisser. Then, he felt this warmth spreading through him. To him, it meant that they were supposed to be together. It felt perfect.
One of Rachel's hands was around his neck and the other one was slowly trailing down his chest. Finn could fell goosebumps break out all over him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. His other hand was in her soft hair, keeping her lips on his.
Finn pulled away when his breathing was labored. His eyes met hers; he could see that her pupils were dilated and he could hear that she was breathing heavily, too.
"Wow…" she said, sounding amazed.
"Totally wow," he agreed in a small voice. Rachel laughed at how silly he sounded. "So do we get to do that all the time now? 'Cause I might seriously die if I never get to do that again."
"If you really want to, I have no protests," she said with a smile. Finn smiled widely, cheering on the inside.
-glee-glee-glee-
Finn and Rachel spent that day hanging out around the house, watching movies. Now, they sat rather close to each other, usually with their fingers interlocked. They also kissed each other whenever they wanted. Carole came home from work and realized how close they were sitting to one another.
"It took you two long enough," she said with a smile.
The next day, Finn and Rachel made it official. She even introduced Finn to her coworkers as her "boyfriend," which made them both smile widely.
When they had been official for a week, Rachel started sharing his bed with him. They didn't have sex or anything, but Finn did hold her close every night.
It's not like Rachel didn't care about Finn, she just wasn't quite ready for that aspect of their relationship yet. Finn, always the gentleman, was more than willing for Rachel to be ready.
When Finn received his first paycheck from the government, he took Rachel out for their first official date. They had been dating for a month at this point, so the date was extremely overdue.
Finn was dressed in his nicest khaki shorts and polo. Rachel had on a red sundress since it was so warm outside on this summer night. He took her to a nice restaurant that had outside dining, which he knew that she would love.
After that, he surprised her with a walk through Central Park.
"How's your first date going?" he asked her as they walked slowly through the park. His fingers were interlocked with hers.
"It's pretty perfect," she said, looking up at him with a wide smile."What do you think?"
"I don't think it could be any better," Finn replied with a smirk. They continued walking in companionable silence until they reached a bridge in the middle of the park. Rachel let go of Finn's hand and walked over to the side of the bridge. She brought her hands up in front of her and leaned against the wall.
Finn smiled before walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her stomach. "Don't make fun of me for saying this, but I don't think I've ever been happier than I am right now," he said into her ear.
Rachel turned to face him with a smile on her face. He was smiling down at her as well.
"I love you," she said suddenly, but meaning every word. His eyes widened, but the smile didn't leave his face.
"I love you, too," he replied.
"You don't have to say it back right away. There's no pressure or anything," Rachel said quickly. Finn laughed before kissing her on her forehead.
"You're so silly sometimes. It's a good thing I love you," he said firmly.
"Really?" she asked in a small voice.
"Really," he replied.
Rachel looked into his eyes for an immeasurable amount of time. "I'm ready," she said, nodding.
"Ready for what?" he asked, a little confused.
"I'm ready to make love to you, Finn," she with a small smile.
"Are you sure?" he asked. "I mean, we agreed we would wait a while and I'm totally cool with that…"
Rachel kissed him quickly to stop his rambling. "I'm sure," she said. "Take me home, Finn."
Finn couldn't walk out of Central Park fast enough.
As soon as they were in his room, their lips were connected. Their kisses were frantic, but still full of love. They were both still thriving off the high that came with saying "I love you" for the first time.
Rachel tugged on Finn's t-shirt as they kissed. He grabbed it and pulled if off of himself, revealing his tight and muscular chest. Rachel ran her hands down his chest, loving the feeling of her skin on his. Finn reached around Rachel's back and pulled her zipper down while Rachel kicked her flip flops off of her feet. When her dress hit the floor, Finn pulled away to look at his incredible girlfriend.
She was standing there in only underwear with a smile on her face. This was the first time he had actually seen her without a bra on. He was at a loss for words.
"I hope that you not being able to say anything is a good thing," Rachel laughed. Finn nodded firmly. He stepped back toward her and wrapped his arms around her midsection before bringing his lips back to hers.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered into her lips. He felt Rachel smile under his kisses before she reached for the button on his pants. She undid them quickly and they fell to the floor. She pulled away from him for a moment.
"Let's go to the bed," she said quietly. She pulled on his hand and led him to his bed. She climbed on first, lying down on the pillow. Her hair was sprawled over the pillow and her lips were slightly swollen. Finn had never seen anything sexier in his entire life. He smirked before joining her on the bed.
-glee-glee-glee-
"That was perfect," she said with a smile.
"Really?" he asked with a smile. She nodded, smiling wider. "I think it was, too." He reached out and grabbed her waist, pulling her onto his chest. His lips found hers and they kissed more slowly than they had before. "I love you so much," he whispered when they pulled apart.
"I love you, too," she said with a beautiful smile. Then, she covered her mouth as she yawned.
"I was gonna ask for a round two, but you should get some sleep," he said with a chuckle.
"Let me clean up first," she said. She kissed him once more on the cheek before climbing out of bed. She bent over, trying to find her underwear. Finn sat up, appreciating the view.
"Damn, my girl's hot," he said with a smirk. Rachel turned and smiled at him.
"And my boyfriend's pretty damn sexy," she said with a wink. She grabbed one of Finn's t-shirts off the floor and put it on. "I'll be right back," she said before opening the door and walking out of the room.
Finn reached over and grabbed some tissues from next to his bed and wiped himself off. He then grabbed his boxers off the floor and slipped them back on. Minutes later, Rachel joined him in bed.
"Now do we get to do that all the time?" Finn asked.
"If you're lucky," she said with a smile. "I have work tomorrow night, but your mom's working during the day…"
Finn smiled widely. "This whole living together thing's pretty damn awesome," he said, making Rachel giggle.
-glee-glee-glee-
A month later, Carole took a trip to her sister's up in Toledo, leaving Finn and Rachel home alone. Most of the time, they were kissing or having sex, but sometimes, they were also arguing like most couples do.
"I don't know why you're still making a big deal out of this, Finn. What happened last night is over with," Rachel said while stirring the pasta for dinner.
"That's because it is a big deal, Rach. I saw that guy grab your ass!" Finn said.
"Yes, but I politely told him to keep his hands to himself. I'm not quitting my job just because a few people have a few too many drinks. I need to save up money."
"So you're okay with dudes personifying you?" he asked, starting to get angry.
"It's called objectifying, sweetie. And no, I'm not okay with it, but I'll put up with it," she said. She switched the stove off before stirring the sauce again and turning that burner off.
"What? Do you like the attention? Are we not having sex enough that you have to have other dudes grab you?" he yelled in frustration.
Rachel turned to face him abruptly. "I can't believe you just said that!" she shouted, looking hurt. Finn's anger suddenly evaporated.
"Shit, Rach. I didn't mean that," he said, walking up to her.
"Just stay away from me," she said, stepping away from him. Then, with a glare, she stomped to the back door and pulled it open before slamming it shut behind her.
"Son of a bitch," Finn moaned.
Finn gave Rachel fifteen minutes to cool off before following her outside. She was sitting in a lawn chair with her knees pulled up to her chest. He sat beside her on another chair. She turned her head away from him.
"Rachel, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that at all," he said, almost sounding like he was pleading. "It's just really hard to watch your girlfriend be violated by some drunk dude and not being able to do anything about it."
"You didn't have to make it like I enjoy it," she said with a frown.
"I know. I just wasn't thinking. You know I rarely think before I talk," he said with a shrug. "Do you really think you can forgive your boyfriend, who really, really loves you, for being an idiot?" he asked, looking at her with his saddest pout.
"That's not fair! You know I can't resist the puppy dog eyes!" she said with a small smile.
"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" he asked hopefully.
Rachel groaned. "You're lucky I love you," she said with a smirk.
"I am lucky you love me," he replied. "And I'm lucky you let me love you." Rachel laughed.
"You're such a cornball," she said with a smile. Finn reached over and kissed her once on the lips. He sat back on his lawn chair and reached across, grabbing Rachel's hand and intertwining their fingers.
They both sat back and looked up at the sky. "Is that a shooting star?" Finn asked, noticing a shape that seemed to be falling toward the earth.
"I don't know," Rachel said, sitting up. "That's not the path they normally take. That looks like it's coming down, not going across the sky." They both kept their eyes on the object, following its path.
"Is it an asteroid?" Finn asked after a few moments.
"Maybe," Rachel said, sounding worried. "Whatever it is, it's going to hit something."
They watched it until it disappeared behind the trees. "Do you think it fell?" Finn asked.
Before Rachel could answer, they saw a blinding light followed by a loud explosion. Finn knew that sound.
It was a bomb.
They both jumped up in fear. Rachel was looking toward the explosion with confusion and fear written on her face. Finn's army training kicked in. He grabbed Rachel's hand and pulled her toward the house.
"We need to get inside! Now!" he shouted. Rachel didn't respond; she was still staring in the direction where it hit. Then, something else caught Finn's attention.
There was another one falling toward the earth.
Finn grabbed Rachel and threw her over his shoulder roughly before running into the house. He could hear her starting to hyperventilate while they were descending into the basement. Finn went over to the safest part of the house, which was concrete on all sides. He set Rachel down before grabbing some blankets that were sitting by the washer across the room. He put a blanket down on the ground and sat on it, pulling Rachel into his lap.
"It's okay, Rach," he said soothingly. They both jumped when they heard the sound of another explosion. He continued rubbing her back while she cried into his chest. The sound of explosions continued to ring through the night.
"What's happening?" Rachel sobbed.
"I don't know, babe," Finn replied. The only way he was staying calm right now was because he was trained to do so. "But I swear I won't let anything happen to you."
Finn and Rachel sat in the basement for the rest of the night, feeling the ground shake from the impact of the explosions.
TBC
-glee-glee-glee-
A/N: You might be wondering what in the world is going on… Well, we won't know for sure for a while, but things are going to get difficult for Finn and Rachel. Please continue reading and leave some reviews to tell me if you like it or hate it! And this chapter was slightly rushed. I had to set up their relationship, but this story isn't only about that. There's much more drama and action and sadness and happiness coming your way. Happy reading :)