"See, I told you this place was fucking awesome." Noah Puckerman was gloating as they walked up from the parking lot. "Lake front cabins, easy access to the pool, and a restaurant included. It only cost us what, fifty bucks a person?"
"Yeah yeah, Puck, you're the man." Quinn gave him a playful shove. "I don't want to know how you got the deal, and I sure as hell don't want to what you told them to get them to rent the cabins to us."
Finn was too busy counting the number of couples and cabins to pay attention to the fact that his best friend and ex-girlfriend were flirting and laughing ahead of him. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before, but suddenly it was dawning on him. This 'weekend at the lake' summer trip was looking way too couply for him; a cabin for each couple, and even Kurt and Blaine and Mercedes and Matt had their own place for the weekend. When Rachel came trotting up by him, shouting something about Puck and his stupid ideas, he realized that at some point he'd somehow been tricked into sharing a cabin with his petite ex-girlfriend. It didn't help that he was completely and utterly still in love with her. Puck was telling her to shut it, explaining that he could care less about the emotional idiocy of Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson, but Finn was beginning to suspect otherwise. A lot had changed over the last few months, and even Puck had begun to show that he had some interest in the happiness of his friends.
"Get your panties out of a knot, Berry. Each of the cabins has separate bedrooms; you don't have to share a bed with Stretch." Puck was laughing, and Finn narrowed his eyes, quickening his step to catch up with the group.
"Noah! Noah, you lied to me. You said…" She was cute when she was angry, and right now she was like a tiny pit bull.
"I did not. I simply told you we were having a glee weekend at the lake. You chose to assume that it would completely chaste and family friendly; I simply let you assume."
Rachel huffed, and he had to bite back a laugh. The cabins were tiny, which explained the discount to some extent, and when they reached them, everyone split off quickly to get settled into their weekend homes. He could hear Rachel singing to herself in her bedroom, and he wanted to peek in to find out what had her in such a good mood suddenly. But he'd made himself promise not to go near that bedroom. It was bad enough that he was tormented by images of the tiny brunette on a daily basis lately; he didn't need the added thought of Rachel in bed, which lead to Rachel naked in bed, flushed and moaning his name. When they'd passed the pool all he could think of was Rachel Berry sunning herself in a bikini, letting him rub lotion all over her body while his hands slipped into places she'd never let him touch now that they were no longer a couple. Of course, he'd always loved summertime Rachel because she exchanged sweaters for tank tops and lost the cardigans over her strapless dresses, but summertime Rachel was also more relaxed and carefree, unconcerned with grades or bullies or school. Staring out the window, he sighed softly; the sun was already setting, and the colors splashed across the sky tinted the clouds. He imagined Rachel would be staring at it by now.
Moments later, he saw Rachel headed toward the restaurant, linking arms with Tina and Mercedes, and he paused. The little brunette was wearing a new skirt, from what he could tell, and it was so not typical Rachel. A tight jean skirt that only reached mid thigh, topped with a zip up hoodie and flip flops, he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her dressed so relaxed, and her laughter carried across the area. A lot had changed in the past months, like Rachel finally having friends in glee. He was glad; it had been hard for him to be friends with her after the break up, and she'd seemed so lonely most of the time. He missed her, missed being with her so much it hurt, but Rachel had seemed adamant about not getting back together until they had, in her words, grown up some. Fuck that. He'd thought, but Rachel was Rachel, and there was no arguing with her. Besides, he'd brought almost all of this on himself when he chose to be an absolute ass back in February. This was his punishment, and he knew it. With a sigh, he grabbed his jacket and headed out of the small cabin for dinner, looking forward to at least having a relaxing evening before he dealt with the difficulty of sleeping with Rachel Berry just a few feet away.
There was only one empty seat at the massive table they were sharing, and it was right next to Rachel, who was sipping a milkshake and chatting with Kurt about some musical that she'd gotten to see over spring break. He'd almost forgotten that she had switched from vegan to vegetarian, allowing herself dairy as long as it wasn't in excess, until he found himself watching her wrap her lips around a straw in a chocolate strawberry milkshake. He missed her lips, and the recollection of the last time he'd kissed her was painful. That was the moment he chose to let destroy his relationship. She looked up at him and smiled, and he instantly regretted almost all his decisions from that day forward. Lying to Rachel about sleeping with Santana had been dumb, but continuing to lie, and then treating her like she was irrational and foolish when she found out had been the most idiotic move possible. He'd driven her to Puck and then punished her for it repeatedly, when he should've been apologizing and groveling.
He glanced over at Quinn and Puck, who looked like a normal couple for the first time in what seemed like forever; Quinn was laughing at whatever crass joke Puck had told, and he had his arm around her holding her to his side. They were happy, and it was real. Finn regretted more than anything that whole kissing booth fiasco; kissing Quinn, convincing her to cheat on Sam, and then the two of them dating because it was easier than being alone. Sure, that whole being on top of the food chain thing had been great, but it had all been so fake. Making out with her just made him miss making out with Rachel, and the lack of slushies hadn't been worth the hurt on Rachel's face when it seemed like he chose Quinn over her again. Fuinn Revisited had only lasted a month and a half, and the fight that exploded when he told her it wasn't going to work reminded him of how much he missed what was real.
"We can't keep doing this, Q. It's fake, and I'm sick of the lie of it all." He told her when he met her after practice.
"What? Are you stupid or something?" Quinn's biting remark made him wonder why she was only this rude to him; she hadn't treated Puck like this.
"I'm tired of the fake relationship; it's stupid. We're pretending to be the golden couple, but neither of us means it." He sighed. "You don't love me, and I sure as hell don't love you. I'm tired of lying."
"You really are an idiot. We've got it all; we get to be in glee and still run the school. You want to throw it away because you don't feel anything?"
"Face it, Q. You think I'm an idiot, and you treat me like a trophy at parties, and then push me around and don't want anything to do with me." He shook his head. "Can't you see how ridiculous it is? And I know you think about Puck more than you think about me. You stare at him in glee, and you think I don't know. Why don't you just go back to him?"
"I've told you…"
"What? Because of his reputation? Because you have to be sweet pure Quinn and you can't have someone like him attached to you? Fuck Q, don't you see how stupid that is? That's a shitty way to treat someone who cares about you."
"Shut up, Finn, just shut up."
"No! For once I'm not going to let you tell me what to do. I'm not going to keep dating you just because it's easier that way. I'm not going to walk around pretending we are Mr. and Mrs. Clean Cut All American so that you can keep up appearances. I'm done."
"So what, you're breaking up with me? Is this over Rachel? Because she moved on, Finn, you aren't going to get the girl back now. You lost her, Finn, and it's time you got over her."
"It's not about her. It's about how I'm through pretending." She rolled her eyes and acted as though he was being ridiculous. "Come on, Quinn, neither one of us is happy. What's the point?"
"Whatever, Finn. We break up, and then what?"
"Nothing. We just go back to being normal. And maybe you can give Puck a second glance." The withering glare from Quinn, followed by a storm out, signified the end of Fuinn Revisited, and all he could think was 'thank Cheesus'
At least something good had come of it; Quinn finally let Puck have the chance he deserved, and they were happy. A waitress came by to take their orders, and Finn was brought back from memory lane. He ordered a burger and fries and returned his attention to the table. There was an animated conversation going on about how placing second at Nationals was leaps and bounds above not getting out of Regionals last year, and Rachel seemed particularly happy that they'd stomped the hell out of Vocal Adrenaline with Jesse watching at Regionals. Mercedes commented that she thought they'd lost Nationals with the duet, pointing out rather bluntly that it was missing something special, and Puck agreed. He thought he was going to say that he and Quinn should've done the duet instead of Finn and Rachel, but instead he remarked that the duet was missing the passion of "Faithfully". Finn winced, though he knew they were right. A glance a Rachel confirmed that she felt the same way. Someone called for a subject change, easing the tension.
It was comfortable, idly chatting with the various glee members, and since he'd gotten to know Blaine, he enjoyed talking to him about football and sports. Finn and Blaine were in the middle of a conversation about baseball, and Rachel was picking fries off his plate the way she did when they had first begun dating. He smiled slightly, hoping that this was some kind of sign that maybe they could start fresh. But he wasn't going to push the issue with her. He noticed that she was still wearing the necklace he'd given her in February, and that gave him a little more hope.
"Fuck!" Puck swore loudly when he spotted the rain out the window of the cabin he shared with Quinn. "This better not last all weekend."
They were all gathered in their cabin, and a crazy game of never have I ever had ensued, lasting until 11 PM. No alcohol was involved for a change; Puck had forgotten, and no one complained. It was strange to see Rachel and Santana laughing at the same secret joke, and Finn found himself wondering what they were giggling about. Santana said something about not hiding it forever, which caused Rachel to throw a pillow at her, and his curiosity was definitely peaked. Now Puck wanted his cabin back, and he was serious about kicking them out, rain or not. After a lot of moaning and growing, the group started to disperse, taking off in the rain toward their own cabins. Finn followed Rachel out of the cabin and into the rain, trotting along beside her in an effort to protect her from the cold water that was seeping through their clothes.
"Here Rach, get under my jacket before you get soaked." He held up his hooded sweatshirt so that she could move closer and be a little drier.
"I'm fine, Finn. Don't worry about me." Sometimes her independence felt more like a rejection, and it stung like a bitch. "Thank you though."
"But…" He tried to convince her to let him shield her, but she shook her head.
"It'll be much faster, and we'll be much drier." Rachel's matter-of-fact tone told him not to argue with her, and he watched the tiny girl race through the rain toward the cabin.
Luckily they had managed to snag a cabin just a one down from the one where Puck and Quinn were staying, but luck didn't prevent the rain from falling much harder and soaking them to the bone. Rachel made it inside first, and when he stepped into the warmth of their cabin, he heard her declare that she was going to get out of her wet clothes and into the shower, promising that she would leave him some hot water for his shower. Suddenly an image of Rachel allowing him to slowly strip away her wet clothes and kiss each inch of skin as it was revealed flashed through his mind, followed by her asking him to join her in the shower; he knew he shouldn't fantasize about her like that, especially when she was just a few feet away in the shower, but he kept thinking about how damned sexy she was and how amazing it would be to make love to her in the shower. For a second his hand slid down to his growing erection as he contemplated relieving his arousal, but then he remembered that Rachel might stick her head in at any moment to tell him that he could shower. He couldn't let her catch him rubbing one out and moaning her name.
"Finn…" It was ten minutes later, and Rachel was standing in his door, wrapped in a towel. "The shower is open. I'm headed to bed."
"Thanks Rach." He had to literally rip his eyes away from her body; all he could think about was that she had nothing on under that towel, and he wanted her to drop it so that he could see all of her. "Good night."
The bathroom smelled like strawberries and vanilla, and it was so very Rachel; he breathed deeply as the steam surrounded him, and he almost hated to cover up her scent with the smell of his own shampoo. As he glanced around the room, he noticed that she left her things in neat tidy rows on the counter, and he couldn't help but imagine what it might be like to live with her. As usual, all roads led to an image of Rachel, and damn it if this one wasn't particularly inviting. Living with Rachel meant having her all to himself, and having Rachel in his arms every night was something he dreamed about all the time these days, which was dumb because she still seemed dead set on being apart. As he finally stepped into the shower, he closed his eyes and let the water run over his body; the images of Rachel flashed through his mind, one after another as he showered. For months after the break up all he could see when he closed his eyes was Puck and Rachel, his hands tangled in her dark hair and all over her tiny beautiful body, and it made him want to put his fist through Puck's face. Then one night he was laying in his bed and when he closed eyes there was just Rachel, smiling up at him, standing on her toes to kiss him, running her tiny fingers through his hair, resting her head on his chest, and letting him touch her. After that, she was always there in his dreams, and he started to see her when she wasn't even there. He saw her at basketball games when he knew she wouldn't go, and he saw her in some fast food restaurant she'd never step foot in because the smell of greasy meat turned her stomach. He was pretty sure it wasn't normal to miss someone that much.
By the time he got out of the shower, the rain had turned into a full-fledged storm, and he could hear the rain hitting the windows as the wind picked up outside. He wrapped a towel tightly around his waist and hurried down the hall to his bedroom; a loud clap of thunder shook the cabin, and he frowned, recalling that Rachel was terrified of thunderstorms. A quick look in Rachel's room revealed the petite girl curled up under the blankets, hugging her pillow; he thought he saw her shaking, but when he said her name she simply murmured that she was fine and dismissed him as if she didn't need him. It stung like a bitch, and he was glad that she couldn't see the way he winced in the darkness of her room. He missed the way she used to need him and the way she'd run to him when she was afraid or worried. He missed being able to hold her and make her feel better. Her dismissal felt like a bitter rejection, and he bit his lip, whispering good night to her before heading to his room. Quickly digging out a pair of boxers from his bag, he tugged them on and threw himself on the bed; it was still thundering when he finally drifted off to sleep, trying not to think about Rachel and how much he missed her and how much he hated that she no longer needed him and how much he wanted to be with her.
A bright flash of lightning followed by a loud crash of thunder shook him awake, and through blurry vision he thought he saw Rachel standing in the doorway to his room. At first he was convinced that he was still asleep because there was no way in hell that Rachel Berry was standing there wearing nothing but a football jersey that reached her knees. There was another flash of lightning, and he could see that she had kept the jersey she'd worn in the game, probably because no one would ever be small enough to wear it; the following crash of thunder made her jump and squeak, and it would've been adorable and hilarious if he hadn't known just how scared she actually was.
"Rach?" His voice was slightly gravelly, and he barely sat up in bed. "Are you ok?"
"Storm…" She didn't speak above a whisper.
"I know. You can curl up here if you'll feel better." He patted the bed, and when she hesitated he simply lifted an eyebrow. "I promise I won't try anything, Rach. I won't even touch you. I'll even sleep on top of the covers."
"Finn, I don't…" But she was already walking across the floor, and she sat on the edge of the bed. "Just for the night, y'know, because of the storm. Promise you won't…"
"Come on, Rach, you know me better than that." He wondered how serious her concern actually was, and he hoped she was joking; she had to know by now that he wasn't the kind of asshole who took advantage of girls.
She crawled into bed, careful not to touch him, and curled up tightly under the blankets; true to his word, he kept on his side of the bed, stretched out on his back, and he tried to go back to sleep. It was way easier said than done; his mind raced with thoughts of the girl next to him, and he couldn't help but think about the fact that she was wearing almost nothing and she was in his bed. A quick glance at Rachel told him she was already asleep, and his eyes finally closed. He was half asleep, almost afraid to let himself fall completely asleep because he knew he'd dream of her, when it happened; the storm outside had died down some, and it was only raining hard instead of all the thunder and lightning. He felt a shift on the bed, and his eyes slowly opened to what seemed like the most vivid dream ever. She was hovering over him, her lips centimeters from his, and she had moved so that when she leaned back she would be sitting on his thighs. He was almost afraid to touch her, afraid that if he did he would wake up and she'd simply be curled up in the bed next to him sleeping. He opened his mouth to speak, but her lips captured his in a soft kiss. There was no way in hell this was actually happening, but it was a great dream. Her teeth caught his bottom lip, tugging it gently, and he let out a moan, breaking the silence in the room.
Rachel sat up, her eyes meeting his, and he couldn't help but stare at her; the jersey had bunched up slightly, and he could see the soft olive color of her thigh against his skin. He sat up slowly, still convinced that this could not be real. She ran her tongue along her bottom lip, reaching for his hands, and he blinked furiously as she placed them on the hem of the jersey; the sudden realization that she wasn't wearing anything but a pair of panties underneath it hit him like a Mac truck. His breath hitched, and he was embarrassed by the way his hands were shaking; he hoped that she didn't notice when he grasped the hem, pulling it up and over her head. Her eyes were closed, and he found himself staring again, this time at Rachel Berry sitting on his thighs wearing nothing but a pair of little boy short panties with stars on them. He couldn't help but think about how undeniably Rachel they were, and he could feel himself growing more aroused by the minute. And then he saw it, glittering against her skin, she had a little gold star at her navel; so that's what Santana had been giggling about earlier. She had gotten her navel pierced, and it was so unlike her but at the same time it was the sexiest thing in the world. That must've been where the girls went that night after they placed second at Nationals. He reached out a gently brushed it with his fingertip, feeling her sharp intake of breath, and he swallowed thickly, trying to maintain control.
When her eyes opened, they found him staring, and he let his gaze rise to her face; suddenly he was lost in her dark eyes, trying to figure out just what she was doing there, until she reached for his hands again, silently giving him permission to touch her. God, he wanted to touch her everywhere at once, and for a moment he didn't know where to begin. This was nothing like that horrible fiasco with Santana, which had left him feeling sick and empty, and while he's seen enough on Skinemax to know the basics, being faced with a real life nearly naked Rachel Berry was another story. He desperately needed to make this perfect for her. His hands slid up her sides gently until his huge hands covered her breasts completely, and she arched to him with a moan. He'd heard her moan before, when they were making out, but this was different. It was like she hit a different note, and had he not been completely focused on not exploding in his boxers he would've been reminded of how proud she'd be that he was getting better at hearing notes.
She moved forward, until the warmth of her center brushed his tented boxers, and he let out another moan; gently, he let his hands caress her breasts, thumbs brushing her nipples and basking in the way she tenses and gasped in delight with each touch. Her hips rocked, and it was his turn to tense; suddenly her fingers were tracing over his chest, making his muscles tighten, and traveling lower and lower until they were brushing the waistband of his boxers. He desperately wanted her to go lower, and she seemed to sense it, her hips bucking into his until he could feel the warm moisture on her panties on the fabric of his boxers. His hips lifted, grinding against her until her head fell back and she moaned loudly; he shifted his weight, carefully rolling them over until she was beneath him, her small body covered by his, and he fit perfectly between her open legs like they were made to fit together. Later he'd swear that was exactly how it worked. His lips moved over her neck, making her shiver, and he rocked his hips, pressing his rigid length against her center and drawing another gentle moan from her lips.
"Rach…" He groaned her name as her hips bucked, and all he could think about was that thin fabric separated him from her; oh god how he wanted to buried within her, completely one with Rachel.
She captured his lips, her fingers raking through his hair, and her eyes fell closed; his tongue slid past her lips, exploring her mouth and reveling in the taste of her. Kissing her was just as he remembered; even the slightest contact with her lips sent a shockwave through him. He let his fingers ghost down her sides, and when they reached her hips he pulled her up against him, feeling her moans against his mouth; her hands slid down his body in response, moving down to cup his painfully hard erection and ripping a moan from his throat. He savored her touch, and she tugged at his lower lip with her teeth, soothing it with her tongue as her fingers hooked the waist band of his boxers and tugged down. Reluctantly his mouth left hers as he lifted his body to finish removing them, and when he lowered himself back between her legs he nearly lost it; the warm dampness of her panties against the bare skin of his erection reminded him of just how close he was to her, to being inside her. She bucked her hips, and he moaned her name, imagining her hot tight heat surrounding him. He had to back off to keep from exploding, an image of the mailman flooding his mind.
"So damn beautiful… oh god Rachel…" He gazed down at the petite woman beneath him, because after tonight he could only see her as a woman, her face flushed, her lips parted and swollen, eyes full of love and lust and pure need.
He'd dreamed of this moment a million times, and yet, he was still terrified. This had to be perfect for her, and he would never forgive himself if he screwed it up. Kissing down her neck, he nibbled her skin softly, feeling her move on the bed beneath him; without thinking, he latched on to the juncture between her neck and shoulder, nipping and sucking until he left a small mark, and when he realized what he'd done, he whispered an apology, expecting her to pull away from him or that he was going to wake up from whatever this dream was. But instead she simply let out a gasp and trembled beneath him, which he took as encouragement to continue. She was letting out these tiny little whimpers as he kissed over her chest, his lips enveloping a nipple; he reveled in the taste of her skin, sucking gently as she gasped and moaned. His fingers rolled her other nipple, tweaking it gently until she was writhing on the bed; when she let out a moan that seemed loud enough that they could hear it across the lake, he let his lips drift lower until he found her navel. He felt her take a sharp breath as his lips brush the tiny gold star there, and he couldn't help but wonder what possessed her to get it in the first place; a whimper shook him from his thoughts, and he looked up at her with a small crooked smile as his fingers hooked into the waist band of her panties. Waiting until she was watching he tugged gently and her hips lifted from the bed to let him pull them down.
"God, Rach… do you know how gorgeous you are?" He sucked in a breath, staring down at her for a moment.
He wasn't sure when it hit him, but as he let his gaze travel over her body he realized that this was no dream; experimentally, he let a finger dip into her heat, drawing a moan from her lips, and closed his eyes. He knew the image of her naked beneath him, so warm and willing, needing him, would be burned in his mind forever, and he desperately want to prolong the moment; his finger slid along her entrance, and she moved on the bed again, her dark eyes meeting his. A second finger stroked her, growing slick with her moisture, and he couldn't resist bringing his fingers to his mouth to taste her. Her eyes widened as she watched him, and she pulled him down for a fierce kiss; it was his turn to be surprised as he felt her small hand wrapping around his length, stroking him gently before guiding him toward her entrance. It was all he could do not to lose it right then and there, and the mailman flashed before his eyes instinctively. He hesitated, unsure if she was really ready, but her hips lifted and let his tip slide into her. A low moan ripped from his throat, and he closed his eyes; it was so hot and slick and wet, and oh god it was all he'd dreamed about for so long.
"Rach? Rach, are you sure?" The question came out a husky whisper, and he couldn't believe he was even in the position to ask it.
"Finn… oh god, Finn… I need…" Her voice was breathless and soft, and it was colored by need that he'd never heard in her voice before; she was looking up at him with those big dark eyes, and he could swear she was looking directly into his soul. "Please…"
Her hands slid down his arms, and her tiny fingers twined with his; she squeezed his hands tightly as he slowly pushed forward, sucking in a breath at the tightness that surrounded him. Rachel let out a soft cry, and he slowed his movements to almost a stop, desperately trying not to hurt her; when her hips lifted, he let himself continue, his own moans joining hers. He kept his thrusts slow and smooth in an effort to maintain control, and her could feel her hips rotating slowly beneath him; she buried her face in his shoulder, her lips pressing to heated skin, and he closed his eyes. He found a steady rhythm, and Rachel whimpered some nonsense about god and drummers and his name. His hand slipped between them, locating her swollen clit, and he rubbed it in slow gentle circles, drawing moans that were almost more beautiful than any song from her lips. He wanted it to last forever and for her to come with him, but her reactions made it difficult; she was moving beneath him, her body pressed to his, and every now and then something inside her clenched. Her lips found the juncture where his neck met his shoulder, and she nipped and sucked at it; he knew there would be a mark there in the morning, and the sensation shot through him far too quickly for him to think of the mailman. His hips jerked once, twice, and then a third time before he released, and he felt her shudder beneath him; his fingers worked her clit firmly until she was moaning out his name and clinging to him, every part her small warm naked body pressing to him. When she finally relaxed, his eyes met hers, and she smiled up at him; she'd never looked so beautiful, or so he imagined, as she did in the afterglow of their union.
"Finn…" She whispered his name, though her eyes were falling closed, and she snuggled against him; before he could respond, she was already asleep.
"I love you, Rachel." He kissed the top of her head, his arms wrapping around her; he let himself drift off to sleep, breathing in the scent of strawberry and vanilla as he held her close.