This is a Tina/Finn story, and possibly a Rachel/Puck one as well. I'm probably going to get flamed for this….oh well it's an obscure pairing so the number of people who are going to read it are probably low – but I love these two. Finn is so naïve and obscure sometimes and Tina is so vulnerable, so I hope I don't go too OOC. If I do, give me a few reviews (hint, hint) about it and I'll change the story. Hehehe, I wonder if that'll really work.

P.S. Ignore any typos or spelling errors, 'tis human nature after all. Also I use the metric system

Anyway, on with the show!

Chapter 1

Tina sat at the far end of the room, a good two metres between her and everyone else in the group, and also, Will noticed, as far away from Artie as possible. Artie kept sneaking quick glances at Tina whenever he could, but Tina had her knees pulled up to her chest, and her head buried into her knees. He also suspected she had her ipod on, so there was no excuse to make conversation with anyone. Will was just happy that she had come on time today. Lately, she had started coming late and leaving early. Will didn't mind if she came five minutes late and left five minutes early, but when she started arriving twenty minutes late, Will really began to worry about her commitment she had to the New Directions.

Another person he worried about was Finn. Finn hadn't shown up at all today. The first time Finn had missed Glee club, he had asked Rachel if anything was wrong, or if he was quitting. Rachel's strained smile and forced words told him all he needed to know. Tina was avoiding Artie, and Finn was avoiding Rachel. The next week, Finn had showed up, but his singing was artificial and uncomfortable. Maybe it wasn't the best time to sing 'No one' by Alicia Keys.

After that, Finn began to miss about one in four rehearsals. Today and yesterday would make the first time he missed two rehearsals in a row. Mercedes was voicing her annoyance that Tina and Finn didn't make an effort anymore, and Kurt felt slighted by Tina and Finn, who brushed off any help that was given to them.

Will watched the group and wondered how two people could change almost all the dynamics in the group. Quinn had left the group, and with how things were between Puck and Finn, Artie was making things worse between him and Tina, so it was only a matter of time before Tina or Finn stopped showing up at all. Will looked at the gap and wondered how close it up. Or maybe he could fill it in instead. He picked up his pen and a piece of paper with a sly grin across his face.

Mercedes

Artie

Matt

Kurt

Mike

Santana

Rachel

Puck

Brittany

That'll work, thought Will and slid the paper out of view. He couldn't wait for Finn to show up.

"Okay everyone, change of plans!" Will cried out, clapping his hands.

"What do you mean 'change of plans'. The school fundraiser isn't too long from now, so we can't change plans! It's unprofessional!" Rachel looked hysterical at the fact they might have to start over again.

The others weren't as worried as they still had plenty of time until the fundraiser, but seemed disgruntled at the change. Finn sat grumpily in his chair, glaring at Rachel in annoyance. Kurt was surprised that Rachel didn't have two holes in the back of her head, especially since Finn had been staring at her with that expression all day.

"No, Rachel. Changes are to be expected and anticipated in whatever job you get." Will responded calmly, "I have decided for the fundraiser that we'll be performing in small groups, and performing three songs each."

Will pulled out a paper bag, and shook it a little with a grin on his face that most of the students thought was a little deranged.

"And this is how we're picking them" Will put his hand in the bag, and pulled out the first name, "Mercedes."

"I better get someone good," Mercedes leaned back in her seat, looking pleased with herself that her name was called first.

"Artie….and also Matt, that's group one. Kurt, Mike and…Santana, you'll group two, and Rachel, Puck and Brittany, you're group number three." Will smiled and put the bag down.

"Hey Mr Shue, what about me, my name wasn't called out" slurred Finn.

"Mine as well. Will there be two groups of four?" Tina asked timidly. Her hair fell and covered most of her face, but she made no move to correct it.

"No, no. You are the lucky two, who will be the only ones in a duet." said Will cheerfully, making sure he was keeping his smile in check.

"But Mr Schuester, Tina and Finn have never sung together, they aren't harmonised. How are they going to be ready in time? Finn and I have performed together many times, so we would be better suited for the duet." Rachel pointed an indignant finger at Finn and Tina. Finn's face switched between hope and anger, and looked as though he might burst a blood cell if Rachel kept on pointing that finger at him.

"Rachel, calm down, it was luck of the draw." Artie said calmly, but didn't look too happy about it either. Artie was sure that Rachel didn't even realise she was being rude, though sometimes she seemed to lack all common sense. Will had to suppress a chuckle bubbling in his stomach. Everything, he thought, was going according to plan.

"Yes, now on to the songs. I will let you pick your own songs, but there's a twist. I went around and asked all the students in my Spanish classes to write down the names of their favourite artists. You'll perform three songs each at the fundraiser, so that means you'll have to pick three artists per group. Then you have the choice of whatever song that artist has performed." The group all groaned when Will picked up a second paper bag and passed it around.

Mercedes, Artie and Matt were pleased with their artists: Mary J Blige, Justin Timberlake and Stevie Wonder. They quickly began discussing which songs to choose and what

Kurt, Mike and Santana were less pleased with their selections, having only heard of one of the artists, The Supremes. Kurt and Mike had vaguely heard off Roy Orbison and The Clash, but at the back of their dads' LP collection.

Rachel was ecstatic at the choices seeing this as her time to shine. Puck and Brittany, on the other hand, were worried at how they were going to pull off three ballad artists. Enrique Iglesias, they could handle, but Celine Dion and Elvis Presley were going to be hard to sing. Puck swore inwardly, who even liked Celine Dion nowadays anyway.

Tina looked ill when she pulled out her piece of paper, Taylor Swift. She didn't do sweet or sugary. Finn's selection was a little better by her standards, but he didn't look too happy. She supposed that the Lost Prophets were an acquired taste. The only one either of them seems to be pleased with was the Beatles, but were less than enthusiastic about their artists. Will briefly wondered if he should have rigged that selection as well.

"You've got today to pick out the songs between you, and I want you to tell me your choices. You'll also need to rehearse in you free time and on weekends if you can. This fundraiser means a lot to this school and town, so I know you do your best." Will saw Finn and Tina in the corner of his eye, and knew that he'd have to keep an eye them.

The end of the day came, and though most of the groups were still deciding which songs to sing, they had picked out at least two or three songs for each artist. Finn and Tina hadn't said one word to each other all day. Finn had been staring at Rachel the whole time, and Rachel seemed to persistently turn her back on him. Tina stayed curled in her chair, ignoring the glances and attempts the group made to talk to her. Will was resolute in getting them to work together, and they begrudgingly promised to meet up over the weekend and decide then.

It wasn't until Will had put the keys in his car that he realised tomorrow was Saturday, and neither of them had said when or where they would meet up.

Finn pulled his jacket further around his neck, and wished he had thought more about the consequences of storming out of his house with no money and no his phone. He was extra pissed because he had nothing to do and seemed to snap at anything and anyone. He turned into the Mall, savouring the distraction it would bring, even if he didn't have any money. He needed to be a place where he knew Rachel wouldn't be. Rachel would be practising fervently, and not be hanging around the Mall like every other teenager. Rachel seemed to be everywhere and she was blatantly ignoring him. The Mall therefore, was the best place to stop thinking about her. He felt bad for breaking his promise to Mr Shue, but he couldn't be anywhere near Rachel for a while.

He wandered the mall aimlessly for an hour before he realised the flaw in his plan. Not having Rachel around only made him think of her even more. He was also feeling extra guilty about not rehearsing when Taylor Swift's 'Love Story' belted out of the speakers of the music store he rushed past. Sitting down in defeat, he wondered how he would apologise to Tina for ditching her. She was probably sitting in the music room or something, patiently waiting around.

He saw a flash of black in the brightly lit Foresters Pharmacy. Maybe he didn't have to feel so guilty after all. Tina was creeping through the aisles and looking over her shoulder like someone was following her. He walked into the Pharmacy and walked down the aisle and saw Tina scanning through different hair dyes. Finn wondered why she would want to hide the fact she was colouring her hair, as blue wasn't discrete, so more would make no difference. He stepped closer, making sure she didn't know he was there.

He was now standing directly behind her, and could see why she was sneaking around suspiciously. She was looking at different shades of black hair colour and fumbled with a packet, looking for instructions.

"You know, you're gonna have to try harder than that it you don't want anyone to recognise you." Finn smirked as she squeaked and spun around so quickly, she almost fell over.

"Finn, what the hell! You scared me!" Tina said between heaving breaths. She hid the packet behind her back, but it was already too late.

"You should try a cherry red or even a golden blonde" Finn chuckled.

"What?" Tina said shakily. She tried to shuffle around Finn, while keeping the hair colour out of his sight. Finn smirked.

"I mean that black ink you've got hidden behind your back, not at all suspicious by the way." Finn said smugly.

Realising that she'd been caught, she huffed and showed him the packet. He took the packet and gave it a once over. It was a normal brand of black hair dye: black and cost too much.

"So why are you changing your hair back to black any way. Blue not Emo enough?"

She snatched the hair dye back, and slung it into her basket and began walking to the cash register, pausing momentarily to look at the make up.

"My dad is up for a promotion and apart of the promotion means dragging his family to boring restaurants and dinners and parties where old men really don't know the term 'sexual harassment'" she blushed but continued, noticing the look of disgust on Finn's face, "and, er, for some reason, that means no blue hair, no skulls, no black clothes and no more Goth-Emo-Rocker chic"

"Ouch, that sounds harsh" Finn gave her a sympathetic pat on the back and walked out with her after she paid.

"Ah, erm, yeah. I have to get a new wardrobe as well. If I come back with anything black that isn't for my hair, my mum said she'd dye everything I own pink" Tina cringed at the thought, but Finn couldn't help but imagine Tina in a baby pink t-shirt and pink mini skirt.

"I know what your thinking and you should stop right now if you know what's best for you." Tina scowled.

Finn smiled sheepishly and tried to look innocent. Tina huffed and turned to browse a shop window, but Finn noticed a small smile on her lips.

"So, erm, what's going on with you and Rachel?" Tina asked suddenly.

Finn was caught off guard by the question, and had just realised that he'd managed to stop thinking about Rachel. He scowled and sat down on the nearest bench he could find. He managed to forget about her for a short while, and the very reason he forgets, brings the subject back up.

"That bad, huh?" Tina sat next to him, and generally looked concerned.

"Well, what about you and Artie, want to tell me all about that then?" Finn snapped.

Tina hung her head dejectedly, like all the times she knew Artie was staring at her, letting her hair cover her face. She looked very uneasy, and looked as though she could cry at any minute. Finn's anger soon dissipated. He knew it was a low blow and felt like a jackass for saying it in the first place. Tina was most likely going through the same thing or at least something similar. He knew first hand how volatile these situations could be. One minute you think you're all good, the next, you're a mess.

"Look, I'm sorry; I'm just in a bad-"

"He said no" Tina whispered unevenly.

"What was that?" Finn was shocked she even answered him, and not slapped him. But then again, this was Tina.

"He said no," this time she said it a little louder, but still as weak, "I asked him out, but he said that most of his crush was based on my stutter and that he feels now that he doesn't really know me," she let out a little sob, Finn wrapped an arm around and rubbed her back comfortingly.

"I told him that I was still me, but then he said I wasn't. A huge part of me to him was my stutter, and now I'm someone else. He said he wants to get to know me better before he thinks he could consider going out with me." Her shoulders were trembling by the time she finished and her breathing was raspy.

"Well then he's an idiot." Finn asserted, "Everyone has their weird quirks, and if he only liked you for you stutter, then he didn't really know you"

Tina was confused whether or not that was supposed to make her feel better, looked up at Finn uncertainly. He smiled at her encouragingly, and Tina smiled back the best she could. She could see Finn was trying to be nice, and appreciated the effort. Finn used his sleeves to wipe her tears and gave her another smile.

"Thank you" Tina said softly.

"I supposed since you poured you heart out, it's only fair I do the same,"

"Oh, no, you don't have to!" she said quickly.

"It's only fair, and to be honest with you, I need to get it off my chest." Finn stretched out on the bench trying to get comfortable. He had a deep frown on his face, and Tina sat patiently, waiting for him to start.

"I don't know really what happened. All I did was ask for a kiss. We were in the street, yeah, but I don't really understand it" he sighed and sunk further into his seat, "she stars lecturing me and telling me that she has her future and dreams to think about and how she can't have anything happen to ruin them. I asked her what the hell she was on about, and she was talking about Quinn. How Quinn was pregnant, and that she didn't want the same to happen to her and ruin her chances at becoming a star."

He rubbed a hand over his face and didn't know how to continue. Tina placed a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to see her giving him the smile he gave her earlier. He took a deep breath and turned to look at Tina properly.

"Then, I blew up, at Rachel. Quinn is a sore spot, for me, because of, well, you know. I was angrier that she had brought up Quinn more than anything. We started fighting, and the next thing I know, I've been dumped. All I wanted to do was kiss her." Finn looked completely bewildered, and Tina could understand why. Only Rachel could make a connection between a kiss, teen pregnancies and her life on Broadway in three seconds flat.

Finn sank his head into his hands, leaving Tina unsure what to do. She tentatively wrapped her arms around Finn, hoping that it wasn't too awkward. Finn let out a laugh, and Tina wondered if she had done something wrong. Finn patted her leg and stood up.

"Thanks for letting me do that. It was weighting me down. I really didn't know who to talk to, so I'm glad it was you." Finn smiled. He felt ten times better, though it still hurt to think about.

"Don't you find it weird how neither of us actually planned to meet up this weekend, and we end up spending nearly an hour together" he stretched his muscles and began walking away. Tina hurriedly picked up her bags and followed him, a little confused at his change in mood.

"Though I doubt Mr Shue will be too happy that we haven't practised, or chosen the songs we're going to sing" he laughed, however, Tina could she that the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Let's go bowling" she said unexpectedly

"Bowling?" Finn looked at her like she'd gone crazy, and Tina speculated if she had as well.

"Yeah, bowling, I need a distraction. I'm sulking, and you're sulking, and I know why you're sulking, which is reminding me why I'm sulking, which is making me sulk even more. So I think we need a distraction" she said all in one go.

Finn was a little shocked that the girl who had a stutter most of the time he knew her, could say so much so quickly. She was fidgeting, nervously waiting for an answer.

"You're actually kind of talkative, aren't you" Finn said bluntly

"I am?" Tina replied hesitantly

"Yeah, probably you're just making up for lost time."

"Probably"

"So, bowling it is then."

And that's chapter one. I was hoping to make it more psychological than it probably came out. I wanted to make a stable foundation to base their relationship on, so it believable. The bowling was meant to represent Finn's and Rachel's date at the bowling alley and Finn making the first steps to move on. I hope it wasn't too rushed or anything.

Remember to Review! – And flames aren't helpful, they're just ignored.