A/N – Well, I don't know. I was bored, and this has been stewing in my head for while. Hope you enjoy.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Glee.
The Things He Didn't Notice:
Realistically, he thinks he should have seen it coming. You see, Finn figured they may not make it through the wedding; he wasn't actually positive he was even ready to get married. But he didn't think he and Rachel would break up. Okay, so that's a lie, but he figured they'd get back together, like they always did. He definitely wasn't expecting this to happen.
The news of Quinn getting in a car accident had been horrific. All at once, everyone was trying to get to the hospital, Rachel was trying to change out of her wedding gown, and everyone was either on the verge, or already in tears.
He remembers how the police at the hospital came out and told them she was texting while driving, and he sees Rachel almost collapse, he doesn't think anything of it when Puck catches her before she hits the ground, they are going through a tragedy after all. If he's being honest, nothing would have made him worry about what was happening with Puck and Rachel, he didn't think anything ever would. Rachel loves him.
"This isn't how a wedding is supposed to be," she speaks so quietly Finn thinks he hears her wrong, but she's looking right at him when she says it, Puck sitting on her other side, holding her hand. That doesn't mean anything though, right? "Finn, weddings are supposed to be magical and exciting, and the best day of a woman's life. This is not the best day of my life," and Finn sighs.
"Rach, we aren't married yet, and Quinn's been in an accident-" he stops abruptly when he sees the tears run down her face, and the look in her eyes.
"You don't think I know that, Finn? I just became friends with her, and she was texting me when that truck hit her!" She pauses to take a deep, shaky breath, "maybe this is a sign."
Hes completely confused now, "what's a sign?" Rachel sighs aggravated.
"This, Finn! Maybe we aren't supposed to get married. Just... I know you're going to try to protest, but please don't. I can't do this anymore. I'm not ready to share my personal space with a boy yet. Where do you see us living Finn?"
"Here, in Lima of course. We'll get a little two story house and have a few kids." He says with a duh look on his face.
"I don't want that! I want Broadway and New York, and I'm not staying here." She takes off his ring and gently slides it to him, then she tightens her hold on Pucks hand, and stares straight ahead.
Quinn is okay now. That was about a month ago, I mean, she's not completely healed, but she's getting there. She didn't blame Rachel for anything, even so, Rachel still apologizes every time she sees Quinn with a look of pain on her face.
Seriously, he had expected everything to go back to normal once Quinn got out of the hospital. He expected Rachel to come back to him, but she didn't; he expected her to stop spending so much time with Puck, but she didn't. Honestly, he didn't get it. Finn sat with the rest of the gleeks at lunch and watched in amazement as Puck made Rachel laugh, wholeheartedly. She'd never laughed that way with him. He wasn't sure if what he felt was jealousy or if he just wondered why he could never make her smile so big, or laugh so hard.
As he walks into glee that day, Puck is sitting in his new spot next to Rachel, but he notices the way his arm is casually slung around the back of her chair, and the way he wraps her hair around his index finger, just to let it unravel, and flatten it again between his thumb and forefinger, and it seems that he doesn't even notice hes doing it. He watches the way rachel leans into him, subconsciously, and the way her fingers drum against his thigh. Is he the only one who finds this weird? No one else seems to be giving them a second glance, after all.
Thinking back on all of the signs, he realizes, he should have known.
It was in the way Puck went out of his way to find Rachel and specifically slushie her, I mean he spent so much money on slushies just to toss them in her face? It was in the way Rachel's eyes always flitted over to Puck during love songs. It was in the way Puck stood up for her when no one else would, not even Finn himself. It was in the way Rachel knew he wouldn't be a Lima Loser. The way Puck only let his mom, his sister, and Rachel call him Noah. It was the way Rachel got all riled up when Puck said something lewd. It was the way Puck could convince her not to change. The way Rachel forgave Puck for starting the bullying that she goes through. The way Puck's first solo was for her. There were so many things that should have told Finn to expect this, and yet, he didn't.
Graduation comes and the glee club sings one more time for all of McKinley High. This time though, no one laughs, no one throws anything at them, they just get applauded as everyone cries.
It's after all the diplomas are handed out, and everyone is meeting their families that Finn sees it happen for the first time. Puck hands Rachel a letter, and when she reads it, she gets a giant smile on her face and throws herself into Pucks arms. He watches as Puck spins her around, and then the way they look at each other when she's on the ground again. Puck has a look in his eye that Finn has never seen before, and he realizes with a start, that it's love. He doesn't look away until Puck leans down and gently brushes his lips over hers, by then he feels like he's invading on a private moment.
Now, just two years after high school, he sits in the audience and watches two people promise themselves to each other, forever. With a soft smile as the ceremony ends, he thinks 'I guess she's ready to share her personal space with a boy now'.
While Finn dances with Quinn, who had been Rachel's made of honor, yes, they are best friends, he watches Puck dance with Rachel. He sees what he missed when they were in high school now. He sees the love shining in both of their eyes, and it actually looks like the best, happiest, day of both of their lives. Glancing down at Quinn, who's looking at him, he thinks he may just get to have his happiest day ever, too.
Fin.
A/N – Sooo, what'd you think? I'm really nervous about this one. I've never really written anything like it before. R&R, tell me what you thought!
Katie.