Soooooooooo. I know this isn't a Waiting For Superman update. It's been a really, really long week and I just needed a little break from the serious tone of that story and get my juices flowing again. Inspiration struck during The Tony's last night during on the Hamilton winning speeches (forgive me, I cannot remember her name for the life of me and lets just say I'm too lazy to look it up) and as I sat down to write this it kind of just spewed out. It's genuine fluff, there's no plans to continue it on but nonetheless I hope you enjoy it! As usual, I own nothing but the plot. Everyone else is RIB's. Thanks to Lauren for checking to make sure it wasn't crap.
A Moment Like This
She's nervous. As she sits on the bar stool her hairstylist has pulled into the large bathroom of her Brownstone, she can't help but feel all of her emotions - every single butterfly ignites in her stomach. She feels the woman tug at her hair as she continues to try and get her unruly as of late mop of hair to cooperate. She feels a grimace tug at the corner of her cheeks when the woman pulls to hard, and she hears a murmured apology. She can't help it. She's nervous.
"There, all finished," the woman behind her smiles. Rachel lifts her eyes to the mirror to see that the woman hired by her manager to do her hair has managed to work wonders. Her long brown hair is artfully twisted into a bun at the crown oh her head, with tendrils falling down the sides of her cheeks. She tries to take in the image of herself, tries to capture this moment as a breath passes between her lips.
"Look at you," a voice comes from the door of the bedroom, turning her attention from her own appearance to the other figure . "If it isn't my own future Tony Award winning Broadway star," the voice coos. He takes a step forward and stands in front of her appreciatively. With the way he's staring at her, eyes gleaming, a small smirk on his lips she has never felt better. She forgets her fears and nervousness for a moment as she stares up at him.
"Stop," she whispers as he reaches down and carefully places a kiss on her hairline, the closest he knows he can get on a night like this. She has a rule, a ritual - he can't kiss her on the lips on important nights. And this night, for many reasons more than she knows he thinks - is most important of all. "I'm not going to win, it's my first nomination," her lips purse as the words fall out and he stretches a hand out to wrap around her tiny body. She knows he likes her choice of dress - it's strapless, cherry red in colour and is fitted through the bodice. Something she's not used to wearing so often, and something she's sure she won't be wearing much longer. But the way he's looking at her, she feels more beautiful than she has in weeks. Being a Broadway star is hard. Harder than she ever thought possible. The grueling hours, endless exhaustion and criticism are constant reminders that she's not perfect. She's not the favourite. And sometimes she believes she'll never be. That's why she doesn't think she has a chance in hell of winning tonight. But he does. Because he looks down at her with that same grin, that same twinkling in his eyes as he always does. And for a second she believes that anything is possible.
She tries to take it all in. They walk into the Beacon Theatre after the grueling task to walking down the red carpet and her eyes can't take it in fast enough. The lights, the environment, the people. So many stars of other Broadway productions, past and present are here and she wants to hide behind her husband and clutch his jacket but she doesn't. She feels him squeeze her hand in reassurance and run his thumb along her knuckles in comfort. It takes everything to squeeze his hand back, she's so nervous. She feels small in a room full of her counterparts and competition. It's high school all over again. But she swallows hard as he lets go of her hand and wraps his arm around her waist, pressing his hand into the small of her back. She almost shivers against his touch because it's so familiar and so comforting, but it causes her to take a deep breath instead and let it out slowly. He's here with her, he's got her. They're together. It's them against everything, now and always. She only hopes she has a chance to show the world what he means to her.
They find their seats, because she's a nominee she gets an end seat (or so she thinks) and she lets him glide in beside her. She twists her hands in her lap for a moment as people chatter and find their seats around them. She does what calms her the most, twists her wedding ring and wedding band around and around her finger. Until she feels his larger hand come to hover over hers.
"Breathe," he whispers into her ear. He places a kiss on her ear lobe almost in confirmation and she relaxes. She allows herself to lean into him for a moment as she closes her eyes and breathes deeply. She just needs a minute to take it all in, everything that's surrounding her - everything about this night - she wants to remember it all because she needs to. She's a memory keeper, makes scrapbooks and writes in journals and tonight above all else she hopes she can channel everything she's feeling into capturing it all on paper. Because surely she's going to want to look back on this night over and over.
She tries to watch the show with rapt attention. She smiles and claps every time her company is mentioned, but she can't help but feel her nerves get worse. They've won a few awards - best revival and best featured actor in a musical but by the time her category comes around she's full on sweating because she's nervous. She's so nervous she doesn't even hear them call her name at first, the blur of the moment bookended by the camera shining in her face and her beautiful husband pulling her up until she's on her feet and in his arms for a brief second.
She won!
As she tries to keep straight, tries to walk calmly to the stage she stares at the words on the screen and she immediately feels tears well in her eyes.
Rachel Berry-Hudson - Lead Actress in a Musical - Funny Girl.
Her breathing is erratic by the time she reaches the stairs and the attendant helps her up. She's nearly sobbing when she gets to the podium and the award, heavier than she imagined, is thrust into her hands and the lights are on her.
"Oh my God," she breathes as she looks down at the award for the briefest of moments. She clutches her fingers around the trophy and she feels the tears slip from her eyes. "I...I can't believe this is happening right now...oh my God," she half laughs into the microphone. She raises her eyes to the audience and immediately catches the teary eyes of her husband. Finn grins back at her, his lopsided smile ever present as he raises his hand to blow her a kiss. She smiles back and takes a steadying breath. "I...I had a whole speech planned but never imagined I would be getting to use it tonight. I can't remember a single word," she laughs nervously as her fingers curl tighter around the trophy. "I want to thank my fathers, Hiram and Leroy first and foremost. For being the first people to ever believe in my crazy dream. For all of the singing and dancing lessons, I can never ever repay you for everything you gave me and taught me," she lets out a shaky breath to try and force herself to remember what and who else she wants to thank. "I want to thank Mr. Schuster, my high school Glee club director and mentor. If it wasn't for you Mr. Shue, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have found a way for my dream and I wouldn't have found the love of my life," a lump forms in her throat as she looks up to meet Finn's eyes once more. "And lastly, but most importantly I want to thank my husband, Finn. Baby, from day one you've been my biggest champion, my biggest fan and my biggest support. Your love means everything to me and you are the reason I get to stand here today and hold this trophy. It's your love and support that has gotten me through even the toughest of nights, the longest of days and the most harrowing of mornings. You've held me when I've cried, when I've done nothing but laughed and you listen when I talk, most of the time. You are the best of the best baby, and every day I am so thankful that you chose to let me love you, that you love me," her eyes are teary and she knows without a doubt that her mascara is now running down her cheeks but she can't bring herself to care. The next few words come tumbling out before she has a way to stop them. "I can't wait to share with our little one just how inspiring their daddy really is," she sighs. "You are my something special. Everything is for you. Thank you!"
The play off music starts, and she gives Finn one more teary smile before turning to walk off stage. There's murmurs through the workers and stage hands as she walks towards the press room, but she keeps to herself mostly. The smile is permanently on her face as she clutches the trophy in one hand, and she discreetly tries to hold a hand to her stomach with the other.
She hadn't planned to tell him in her speech. She had only found out yesterday that she was 8 weeks pregnant. But in the moment, it came flooding out.
She realizes as she walks into the press room that people are talking. She can't tell if they're talking to her specifically but her name is called several times and she sees a few people rushing towards her. Her publicist is the first one to find her and the older woman pulls her into a hug immediately. She's known the woman, Jane, for years so she's not surprised when she whispers a congratulations into her ear. She's sure it's not just for the award.
She takes pictures but doesn't do interviews. She doesn't want to talk to the press and even though she can hear them murmuring about the slip she had made in her acceptance speech she doesn't care. She'll get Jane to set something up with one for tomorrow. It doesn't even matter to her when or who she talks to. All she wants now is Finn.
He's there the moment she steps out of the press room. He's leaning against the wall, much in the same fashion as he always has. But his eyes are on hers the moment she comes in to his vision and before she can even utter a word he's got his arms around her in a tight hug that seems to force the breath from her lungs and the tears from her eyes.
"I love you so incredibly much," he murmurs as his hands grip her hips and his mouth finds her ear. There's lips everywhere in a moment, and she whimpers the moment they hit hers. The kiss is everything as he tries to move her closer to him, pulling her into him as if he's trying to meld them to be one person. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knows they should move to a private space, there's dressing rooms back here and one of them is surely going to be empty as she hears another performance hit the stage. But the way he's kissing her, the way his lips are moving over hers, insistent and slow all at the same time cause her all at once to lose her breath. Her hands have found purchase on the lapels of his tailored suit jacket, a gift from Kurt to make sure he looked ever so dashing.
She's breathless when they finally pull away and his hands pull her closer, enough to wrap around her waist and clasp at the small of her back. A small smile crosses her lips when she briefly thinks, even just for a moment that in a few months he might not be able to do this so easily, hold her so closely. Her eyes well as she thinks about it, the images that her mind conjures up about the little boy or girl who is currently growing inside of her cause her to break out into happy tears.
She wonders then, if they can leave now. Finn is staring down at her with love and adoration in his eyes, and she wants to take him home. His hands move to rub the tears from her eyes slowly with the pads of his rough thumbs, years of spinning wrenches and rebuilding transmissions have left his hands chapped but it all feels so...familiar. Feels like home.
He must have read her mind, because he waves over Jane in that moment, who gives them the go ahead to get out of here. Funny Girl wasn't nominated for any more awards that she was needed for, just technical ones but she didn't really care anyways. Finn sweeps her away in that instance and before she can blink they're out in the limo that drove them here and he wastes no time in hauling her, albeit carefully, into his lap. He stretches his legs out in front of them so they can sit comfortably and as soon as the limo starts to move his hands are on her abdomen.
They haven't been trying, seriously. After a visit home for Christmas in which Carole and Burt both waxed poetically to both her and Finn, Kurt and his partner Leo about having grandchildren, both her and Finn had decided to leave it up to fate. And fate had come through.
She looks down at her husband with tears in her eyes as his thumbs carefully draw circles and imaginary pictures on her stomach.
"We're having a baby," he whispers. His eyes don't leave her stomach, not for a moment but she knows he's talking to her. The wonder and awe in his voice are enough to tell her as much, along with the gentle touches. Her heart is racing against her chest as she looks down at him, before reaching a hand up to run her fingers through his tussled hair.
Everything she has ever wanted is wrapped in this man. She meant the words she spoke in her acceptance speech; he is everything to her and for her. He takes care of her in ways she never imagined she would need. The way he draws her a hot bath before she has to ask, the way he just knows when she needs her space just by looking at her. He knows every nook and cranny of every nuance of her personality. He's her rock, her hero and her knight in shining armour. He cares for her and about her in a multitude of ways - and as his hands continue to glide over her still flat stomach she feels like she may burst. Because in that moment, his whiskey eyes turn to look up at hers and she just wants to cry.
"I love you...so incredibly much," he breathes the words that he had spoken at the theatre but there is something blanketing the words right now. His hands move up to cup the back of her neck and she allows him to dip her towards him, capturing in that one move and the one kiss that seems to breathe fire into her belly how much he loves her. How much he appreciates her and how much excited he is that she's having his baby.
He carries her up the stairs in a practiced hurry, balancing her in his arms like he's done a million times before. Her legs are bent over his strong arm, while his other one cradles her head. Her arms are slung around his neck to keep her upright as much as she can and her mouth dances along the column of his throat. He's shed his jacket, and even his tie while she has abandoned the sky high heels Kurt had picked out for her to wear. She feels warm and loved and happy and the moment he places her down on the bed, his eyes are burning into hers and she wants more. He's quick to strip himself of his pants and starts to unbutton his shirt as she moves her legs lazily, trying to relieve the ache that has burning between her legs since the car. She wants him more than she can express with words and once he's stripped himself of the button up she can't take it anymore and she sits up in a haste to grab for him.
Somehow she loses her dress in a hurry, and she watches as his eyes dilate and his hands run up the smooth skin of her sides when he realizes she's not wearing a bra. He slows down his movements to trace her skin slowly, allowing his fingers to lazily move up her sides and run under the curve of her breast. Her breath heaves as his knuckles brush along the underside of her breast and she feels a shiver run over her body. Her breasts are sensitive, given the new pregnancy, but it had been so long since they had taken the time to love up on each other at their own pace. She gasps when his rough palms cup her breast and she feels her hips arch up against his.
"Finn," she whines as he gently touches her, using one of his hands to pluck at her nipple while he uses his tongue on the other to lave at the bud. She moans at the sensations before she feels him trail his lips from her breast up her neck to her lips. She presses her lips hastily to his the moment their close to hers, and she spreads her legs to allow him to settle between hers. She moans as she feels him roll his hips into hers, his erection and want for her evident, even through her panties and his boxers. She gasps against the feeling when his hands dance along her sides once more, ghosting down her skin before reaching the hem of her red lace panties. She bucks her hips when his fingers hook in the sides of her panties to pull them down her legs.
"Baby," she whispers. He looks up at her and their eyes connect and she feels all the breath leave her body. He's staring at her with a glint in his eye, like she is his every dream and every breath and she wants to scream at the top of her lungs that she has the best husband in the world. His lips meet her hip bone as he continues to stare at her, his eyes darkening as his lips travelled along her hips, missing where she wants him the most.
The burn is slow, he takes his time to build her up and the moment she uses her feet to push down his boxers she has to bite her lip and throws her head back when she feels him lift her legs and pushes back to spread her wider. She moans loudly when he pushes into her at first, her legs wrapping around his waist immediately to pull him closer.
"Rachel," he gasps as he pushes into her, using his arms to support his body over hers. His face buries in her neck as her hips raise to meet his as their movements start to speed up. She's closed her eyes as their movements have increased in speed, but at the sound of his voice she forces them open. He's staring down at her and she shivers. "I love you so much baby," he murmurs. He moves his hands to grasp her hips and in a swift move he manages to roll them over.
She sits astride him, and his hands gravitate to her flat stomach as she uses her own to keep her upright as she begins to swivel her hips in a way that causes him to lose coherent thought and he moans out loud. She craves those moans, and the feeling of oneness that making love gives them.
It doesn't take long, just a few more touches and she's soaring above the clouds, while she still feels him pulsing inside. She rolls over and allows him to keep going, using her heels to push him further inside until he's going limp with exhaustion.
When they're fully sated, he pulls the soft white duvet over their slick, tired bodies and he curls her up in his arms with her back to him. His hands cradle her abdomen as he drops soft kisses to her hair. She's content in that moment, taking a deep and slow breath as she gets comfortable in her husband's arms.
"We're having a baby," he whispers into her now matted and unruly hair.
She smiles and sniffles, rolling over in his arms so she's facing him. She reaches up and brushes her fingers along his forehead, moving his sweaty bangs from his skin. He puckers his lips in that moment and places a kiss on her lips, soft enough that it felt like a butterfly had flittered across her lips. She smiles sleepily before she agrees with him.
"We are," she sighs. His hands reach up to run through her hair before running down to her stomach once more.
"When did you find out?"he questions. "Why didn't you tell me?" His fingers dance along her abdomen and circle her belly button.
She sighs again in his arms. "Yesterday. I took a test yesterday but I didn't have time. I wanted to get you a gift and..." The ability to speak was lost as his fingers ran along her body and a look of utter love came across his features.
"It was perfect. You're perfect. I love you so much," he breathes as his lips press against hers once more.
The End
