Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

Summary: Quinn thinks the first time she actually takes notice of Finn Hudson is when Brittany says, "Your names rhyme, that means you two should date." FinnQuinn, oneshot

My first Glee fic in a LONG time. I guess I've just been preoccupied with a bunch of other things - like other fandoms and school and whatnot, but this idea has been in the back of my head for the longest time, and I've been wanting to write a fic for this pair for the longest. Since there's just not enough! Anyway, please enjoy!


Just Another Rhyme Scheme


Quinn Fabray has it all.

Looks, popularity, captain of the Cheerios, good grades, a sweet demeanor, nice - albeit overbearing - parents, wonderful home life. Everything any girl would ask for has been given to her plus interest.

Everything except a boyfriend, that is.

The blonde cheerleader is notoriously picky when it comes to dating. Unlike so many other girls around her, she won't just pick up and date any guy that asks. Quinn has standards, unlike a lot of other Cheerios.

Most of the time, she doesn't mind. Her parents have taught her not to be obsessed with boys and everything like that. Though she has seen a few she has deemed cute, her parents always say, chiming in her ear like twin snakes, "Boys only want one thing."

Which is ridiculous, to her at least. There has to be more than that to guys. Their brains couldn't be that one-track minded.

Then again, just as she thinks this, she sees Noah Puckerman eying her like she's a piece of meat, and she realizes that her parents maybe weren't as batty as she'd originally conceived.

So, she decides to keep away from guys. At least for the time being. She'll look at a few of them, make a few sharp judgments as to why they wouldn't suit her, and go on her merry way, never thinking about anything else. This works for a while, until she gets into a rather strange conversation with Brittany and Santana.

It's after Cheerios practice, and they resting on a few of the tumbling mats left around the gym. Santana looks uninterestedly at her nails, while Brittany plays with the strands of a pom-pom.

Quinn is just taking a swig of her bottled water when the conversation starts.

"I think Puck is cheating on me."

Quinn raises her eyes to meet Santana's dull gaze, just as the aforementioned Cheerio bites gently at one of her nails. The blonde cocks her head to the side just as Brittany says, "You cheat on him, too."

"So?"

"I think you have your answer then." Quinn says, giving her friend a smile. The dark haired girl gives her the finger and Quinn laughs at that.

"I think that Schuester guy is really hot."

"He's a teacher, Brit."

Brittany brings the pom-pom to her face now and sneezes into it. Quinn and Santana give each other an odd look before the ditzy blonde says, "What?"

Quinn laughs to herself, secretly wanting to hug the girl, "Nothing."

Santana rolls her eyes, and says, "Anyway…oh, Finn? Quarterback? Total hottie. I think I'm - "

"Nah." Brittany interrupts flippantly, "He would be much better with Quinn."

Quinn was in the process of drinking from her water when the other blonde actually makes this admission, and she almost chokes on the crystal clear liquid. She coughs slightly, putting her fist in front of her mouth in a dainty gesture. The shock has yet to wear off, and she feels like her face is on fire, but she listens to the conversation more carefully then.

"And why do you say that?" Santana harshly adds, her dark eyes intense. "Quinn doesn't date anybody."

Quinn, despite herself, pipes up, "Yeah, why?"

"Your names rhyme, that means you two should date."

Quinn blinks, and then bursts into laughter.


Despite her hysterical reaction to Brittany's logic, Quinn actually finds herself considering it.

She actually finds herself watching this guy - Finn Hudson - whenever she gets the chance. For the most part, she feels like a creeper. Some desperate girl with no chance whatsoever pining after this guy that her friend suggested she date.

In reality, she doesn't even know why she's considering it - the flippant statement made by a dumb blonde stereotype.

In the hallway between classes she finds herself watching him - it is one of the most common times that she actually gets to see him. Suddenly, she feels a bit more like man-hands Rachel Berry than she'd ever imagined - a stalker-rapist-creeper-freak. She shakes her head, her bouncy blonde ponytail bobbing around her shoulders and face.

She ends up noticing certain things about him - how he's practically besties with Puck. They're almost like brothers, and it is something that touches her. She notices this innocence in his eyes, so unlike all of the other guys on that team of meatheads. Quinn actually finds herself smiling about his naïve character more than once.

And she tells herself, You don't like him. You don't like him.


Finn is in her Spanish class.

He isn't really the brightest crayon in the box, she realizes. But that isn't something that deters her and these strange feelings she seems to be developing. She wishes it were, but it isn't. Because somehow, these feelings seem to be getting more and more intense and more and more troublesome, and Quinn just wants to forget the conversation with Brittany and Santana ever happened.

And her crush is based on something so moronic. Their names rhyme. So what?

Ugh. Quinn leans her head on her opened Spanish book just as Mr. Schuester is spouting something off about verb conjugation. Some immature guys laugh. Finn is clueless.

"Hey."

Quinn blinks and raises her head, looking to the source of the voice. She ignores the way her heart skips a beat when she realizes that those innocent puppy eyes are directed her way, and his mouth is quirked in the most adorable smile.

Finn Hudson just talked to her.

"Hey?" She repeats like she has some kind of mental disorder.

"Uh, can I borrow a pencil?" He reaches back and scratches his head in a boyish way that makes her smile despite herself. She feels a slight hint of smug satisfaction as she realizes that his cheeks are a shade darker than when he first spoke.

"Sure." She says, and hands him a girly pencil. It's pink and has flowers printed on it, but Finn takes it without complaint, unlike most guys who would spout something about the pencil being too girly and whatnot.

"Thanks, Quinn."

"No problem."

Finn turns back around, leaving Quinn to her thoughts.

He said my name.


"Ooh, Finn is staring at you!"

Quinn tries to hide her blush. She's not the blushing type. She's not really the romantic type, to be honest, but somehow this really gets to her.

"He's a hottie. You're so lucky!"

"We're not dating." Quinn deadpans, trying to hide her elation.

"Oh, you should."

The blonde girl laughs, feeling déjà vu.


During the first football game of the season, she realizes it.

He is walking onto the field, talking animatedly with Puck, his face alight with all the enthusiasm of a child, when she feels it.

A tugging sensation, stemming from her chest. She almost stops her cheering when it hits her full force, causing her to visibly widen her eyes. The feeling that surges through her is something that she is rather unfamiliar with. A fondness that she can't remember feeling for anyone else that wasn't a direct relation to her.

Finn moves his face and stares at Quinn before giving a sheepish smile. She stares blankly before blinking, a moment of dumbfounded glee washing over her, and smashing her pom poms together rapidly, but keeping a kind of quiet composure about her features. Her face is almost like a mask, not betraying the rush of emotions filling her small body.

And, darn him and his innocence, Finn blushes before turning away to huddle with the rest of the team.

As soon as his back is turned, that's when she lets go. Just a bit.

Before she knows it, she's full out grinning. A face-splitting, teeth-baring grin that would only be present on certain dorks at Lima High - not on Queen Fabray.

But there it is, damning her.

She wants to deny it. She wants to scream that it isn't true. She wants to hide from the curious glances of Brittany and Santana. But she can't. Her mind is a muddle of thoughts, all centering around Finn, Finn, Finn, perfect Finn.


She sees him goofily spill spaghetti sauce on his shirt at lunch.

She thinks she has a huge, all-encompassing crush on him.

She doesn't tell anyone.


Quinn hates Valentine's Day. She's never really understood the concept of the romantic holiday. It seems all too mushy and contrived, most of the time. All the things that the guys give their girlfriends are just pieces in a game.

She wonders when she became so cynical.

Walking to her locker after the last bell rings, she takes notice of a conspicuous piece of paper taped to the metal door, as well as a…

Wait, her eyes have to be deceiving her.

Quinn walks closer, peering skeptically at the item taped on the door, and when she gets right up to it, she realizes that her eyes hadn't been playing games on her. She reaches out and takes the piece of paper in her hands. It's a piece of notebook paper, not the kind of frilly red-and-pink affair that most guys have been tossing her way all day. Her eyes focus on the elegant white flower taped to her locker door, and she feels a lightness settle around her.

A lily.

She takes the tape off the stem of the flower and examines it. It's a real, living flower. Not like the fake plastic ones she's seen all day. Her hands are trembling slightly from anticipation, and she bites her lip as if to quell the movement.

She takes the paper between shaking fingers and unfolds it, reading the masculine scrawl etched onto the paper.

I…don't know what to say in these things. Um, I heard you liked lilies. Happy V-Day. - Finn Hudson.

Her shoulders are shaking after she reads the note. Soon, she throws her head back and lets loose a loud, boisterous laugh that has her in tears.

Through the laughter, she feels her fondness for Finn grow and grow by leaps and bounds.


The next day, Quinn confronts him at his locker.

"Hey."

Finn seems startled by her sudden presence, at the sudden sound of her voice in his ears. He turns and gives her an owlish look before sheepishly smiling. "Um, hey."

"Lilies are my favorite flower," she says, as if it's the most obvious fact in the world. Except that she didn't know how in the world Finn knew that.

"Yeah…"

"Thank you."

Finn just stares at her as if she's grown another head. Like this was the strangest thing that could have ever happened to him. She almost wants to slap him. And then kiss him.

Quinn isn't used to being the one to have to ultimately make the move, and the very notion of it causes butterflies to form in her stomach and batter their wings furiously. Still, she steels herself and says, "Do you want to grab something to eat later…maybe?"

His face perks up, almost like a faithful golden retriever, "Like a date?"

She almost bites out a sarcastic response to it, but something in his expression melts her, and she reels it back in. "Yes. Like a date."

"Sounds good!" Finn says, his expression so bright and innocent it takes her by surprise.

"I'll see you after school, then." Quinn says, and before she has time to quell the notion in her head, she leans up and presses her lips against Finn's cheek. She can almost feel the blush blossom beneath her lips.

She pulls away from him, leaving him shocked and in awe. She tries not to feel a sense of arrogance that she was the one to make this happen to him, but then she realizes that he should feel the same kind of confidence - simply because he was the only person who had been able to break through her guards. And he hadn't even tried. Hell, she wasn't even sure how it happened, it was so subtle.

"Uh, I'll walk you to class." Finn says after a while, almost like he doesn't want to leave her company just yet.

Quinn sends a flirty glance his way, and wonders why it feels so natural to be around him like this, "Ah, so chivalry isn't dead, after all."

"Is chiva - whatever…is that bad?"

She smiles, "No, not bad. It's actually pretty amazing."

Finn grins at her and sneakily folds his hand into hers as they make their way down the hall.

For once, Quinn doesn't pull away.


End.

And there you have it! My first piece of Quinn-centered fanfiction. It won't be the last. I find her character very interesting to write about, and the FinnQuinn pairing is one of my favorites. I hope that everyone liked this fanfic of mine, and I would love to hear your opinions and whatnot on it! It would make my day that much better!

Thanks so much for reading!