Thanks to Jess for beta-ing, and also for Jess because it's her birthday in a little less than an hour. :)
Inspired by the song "6 Months" by Hey Monday.
meant for no one but each other
i.
She finds him in the library, sitting in the corner of the self-help section, turning the snow globe he bought in the hotel gift shop over and over in his hands.
She frowns. "Where have you been?" she asks.
He stares straight ahead, not looking at her. "Hiding out," he says quietly. "Everyone hates me."
She feels a little twinge in her heart as her frown deepens. "No, they don't," she assures him. "And that doesn't explain why you haven't said a word to me since we've been back."
"Because you should be more pissed at me than anyone else," he says exasperatedly. He glances up at her, and the look on his face tugs at her heartstrings. "I screwed up! I'm humiliated. And we worked so hard for everything and I was supposed to be this – this big shot leader hauling everyone together and… I blew it."
Her heart pounds in her chest and she hates to see him so broken.
"It cost us the championship."
She closes the distance between them. "Look," she says, sitting down beside him. "Being an artist is – is about expressing your true feelings in the moment, no matter the consequences."
He looks contemplative, and she's almost scared to know the answer, but she finds herself asking anyway, "What were you feeling in that moment?"
"That I loved you," he says quietly, not missing a beat. "And that I would've… done or given anything to kiss you one more time."
She feels the tears well up in her eyes. Does she really mean that much to him, still, after all this time? "So you did," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "You gave it all up for one kiss…"
He nods beside her, letting out a little sigh.
She looks away, her heart still beating so loudly it's hard to believe he can't hear it, and somehow she whispers, "Was it worth it?"
"Yeah," he says quietly.
She grins. She can't help it. He thinks she's worth it. And out of the corner of her eye, she can see that he's smiling a bit as well.
"What about you?" he asks, and she turns to look at him again. "Was it worth it for you?"
She nods. "Yeah," she admits quietly, tears still welling up in her eyes. He nods a little bit, and she goes on, pushing her hair behind her ear. "Because in my heart, I know we'll have another shot at nationals."
The mention of nationals makes her think about New York and how she can't just go back into this with Finn pretending that she's not going to leave. So she takes a deep breath, because, if anything, he deserves to have the chance to get out before they get in too deep. She doesn't want to force him to go with her, but she doesn't want to leave him hanging with no explanation either.
"You have to know that I – I'm leaving, Finn." She glances up at him. He's still looking at her like she's the most precious thing he's ever seen, and it almost breaks her heart to whisper, "I'm going to New York and I'm never coming back."
Instead of nodding in acceptance like she expects him to, he gets this little smirk on his face, scooting impossibly closer to her. "Graduation's a year away," he points out. He's still inching closer, and she can't help but smile. "Got any plans 'til then?"
He cups her cheek then, and she melts into him once she feels his lips on hers, placing her hand on top of his. She feels at home as her lips move against his, feels the familiar tingles that shoot down her spine. The only thing that rivals kissing Finn is performing on stage in front of thousands of people, and for the first time, she starts to think that maybe, just maybe, she could have both.
She smiles as the kiss ends, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth briefly, still tasting Finn. She presses her forehead against his, running her fingers along the back of his hand. She's missed this, missed him.
She takes a deep breath in. "Okay," she says, getting up. "Let's go!"
"Where're we going?" he asks.
"Final glee club meeting of the year," she says, offering him her hand. She helps pull him up, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they exit the library.
They hold hands as they walk down the hallway, and she can't stop smiling. No matter what happens this time next year, for now, she has Finn, and that's more than enough.
They'll be okay.
ii.
It's so easy, being with Finn. They don't have to start over, because they already know each other so well. He knows that she's ticklish, knows that she loves it when he kisses right behind her ear, knows that she likes to lay on his chest with her ear pressed against him so she can hear the rhythmic beating of his heart.
Rachel likes to know that, even though they were apart for months and have only been back together for about a week, they still get each other, still fit.
"I never stopped loving you, you know," he mutters, playing with her hair. She's cuddled into his side, and she glances up at him, tearing her gaze away from West Side Storyon the screen. "Even when I was with Quinn, it was always you."
She bites her lip, grabbing his hand and lacing her fingers through his. "Me, too," she admits quietly. "I – I mean, no matter what, I couldn't stop loving you." She smiles softly at him, and he leans down, pressing his lips against hers.
"We're together Finn, aren't we?" she whispers.
He licks his lips. "Haven't we always been?"
She shakes her head, a smile on her lips. "You know what I mean. You and me, are we… more?"
"We always have been," he reiterates. "It's like, we're connected, Rachel. Like Ms. Sylvester said – you're on the other end of my tether, my soulmate or whatever. I love you, more than I've ever loved anyone. So, I mean, if you're asking if you're my girlfriend… Well, yeah. But you're so much more than that."
Her eyes soften, and she cups his cheek and leans up to kiss him again. She groans a little bit when he shifts so that she's sitting in his lap, and she pulls away. "You feel the tether, too?" she asks breathlessly.
He nods, kissing her again. "I do," he mutters huskily. "I could always feel it."
She smiles against his lips, curling her fingers into his hair, keeping his mouth pressed against hers. He doesn't ask for the words, but she gives them anyway. "I love you. So, so much."
He just kisses her again, and she melts, sighing into his mouth.
Neither one of them notices when the credits start to roll on the screen.
iii.
Rachel's dads go on a couples retreat to Jamaica for a week in June, and they agree to let her stay at the Hudson-Hummel home under the pretense that she is Kurt's guest, not Finn's. Kurt seems to be hellbent on making sure she obeys these rules as well, forcing her to let him give her a makeup tutorial and watch musical after musical with him. Normally she wouldn't mind, but she thinks it's ridiculous that she misses Finn when she's in the same house as him.
So, after Kurt finally falls asleep, Rachel sneaks out of his room and tiptoes down the hallway to Finn's. She pushes his door open gently. He's sitting on his bed, laptop in his lap, the light from the screen illuminating his face.
"Finn?" she asks quietly.
His eyes snap up to her face and he quickly slams the laptop shut, his room instantly cloaked in darkness.
"Finn," she hisses. "I can't see!"
She hears him fumbling for a second, and then she's blinded as he flips on his bedside lamp.
"What were you doing?" she asks.
"What are you doing in here?" he counters.
She looks down at her feet. "I – I miss you." It sounds stupid, even to her own ears.
He chuckles, and she looks up at him. "C'mere," he says, patting the strip of bed beside him.
She grins, crossing the room and climbing up next to him, tucking her feet under her as she curls into his side. He wraps an arm around her, dropping a kiss on her hair.
"What were you doing?" she asks.
He sighs. "I… It's nothing."
"Finn," she says quietly. She glances up at him. "Tell me. Please? You can tell me anything, you know."
"I know," he says quietly. He sighs again. "I – I was researching schools in New York."
Her breath catches in her throat. She stares at him in awe, her eyes wet, because, really, how did she get this lucky?
"I know it's stupid," he mutters. "But—"
Before he can finish, she takes the sides of his face in her hands, bringing him down to her level so she can press her lips against his. He has a smile on his face when she pulls away.
"What was that for?" he asks.
She ducks her head, peeking up at him from underneath her eyelashes. "I didn't know you were interested in going to New York."
"Baby," he says slowly, cupping her chin. "Of course I'm interested in New York. It's where you'll be."
She lets him kiss her again then, and she knows she should be worrying about colleges and getting through the school year among other things, but she just can't be bothered because Finn's kissing her and it's perfect because he's perfect. He wants to go to New York with her.
They can talk about the details later. For now, just the fact that he wants to is all that matters.
iv.
"Finn? Finn, have you seen Rachel, she's not in – oh my god!"
Rachel's eyes snap open and she sits up, wiping the small bit of drool off of her cheek. She glances over to see Finn blearily sitting up as well. Then she looks over at Kurt, still standing horrorstruck in the doorway.
"Please tell me you two didn't…"
"Wh-what?" Finn says quickly. "No, what even…?"
"We're fully dressed and lying on top of the covers," Rachel points out.
Kurt narrows his eyes. "So nothing happened?"
"No!" Finn and Rachel both say exasperatedly.
Kurt rolls his eyes. "So you expect me to believe that you missed Finn so much that you came in here in the middle of the night and just happened to fall asleep?"
"Yes," Rachel answers honestly. "Because it's true."
Finn gives her a little half smile, lacing their fingers together, and she can't help but grin over at him.
Kurt scoffs. "You two are sickening, you know that?"
Finn just shrugs, putting an arm around Rachel and drawing her close to him, kissing her cheek. With a roll of his eyes, Kurt leaves.
Rachel giggles, burying her face in Finn's t-shirt. "That was so embarrassing," she moans.
"Why?" he asks, laughing, and she can feel the vibrations through the thin material of his shirt. "We really weren't doing anything."
"But he thinks we were," she says empathetically.
"So what if we had?" Finn asks. "It's none of Kurt's business anyway."
"Finn," she hisses.
"It's not," he says defensively. "It'll be between you and me. And that's it."
She blushes then, but she raises her head to look at him. She bites her lip. "I love you," she says quietly.
He grins, leaning forward to press his lips sweetly against hers.
"When it does happen, it'll be perfect," he murmurs.
"Because Kurt won't walk in on us?"
He chuckles. "That too. But mainly because it'll be with you."
She leans forward to kiss him again before he can notice the tears that well up in her eyes, placing her hand on the back of his neck to keep him close. She slips her tongue between his lips and groans as he tangles his hands in her hair.
She hears a noise that sounds like someone clearing their throat, and she reluctantly pulls away.
Kurt stares at them both, his expression half amused, half disgusted. "If you two are done eating each other's faces, Carole made breakfast. Although I know I personally have lost my appetite."
Rachel resists the urge to roll her eyes. "We'll be right there."
Kurt insists on watching them get out of bed and walking out the door, and he starts to make gagging noises when Rachel grabs Finn's hand out in the hallway.
She just sticks her tongue out at him. Finn's right; they shouldn't care about what Kurt thinks anyway.
v.
Finn miraculously doesn't forget their one month anniversary. She tries to remind him a week ahead of time, but he just winks at her, squeezing her hand which is resting on the console in between the driver's seat and the passenger's seat. "I got it, babe," he says.
She's still surprised when he actually does have a plan.
He doesn't tell her where they're going, and she has butterflies in the pit of her stomach. She imagines he's taking her to the lake in the park – the one where she sang and laid out a picnic for them all the way back in October. He probably had his mom prepare the food, of course, but they'll talk and laugh and lay back and watch the stars, legs and hands intertwined.
She's so busy imagining what he has planned that she doesn't notice when he puts the truck in park.
"We're here," he announces. She glances over to see him grinning goofily at her, then she looks to see where he's taken her.
"The bowling alley?" she asks skeptically. She can't help but feel a little disappointed.
His smile fades a little bit. "Well, I mean, it was kind of our first date, even if I was an asshole about it, and I thought we could… like… do it over?"
She doesn't say anything, but her heart swells. He's just so nice and sweet and kind and Finn. He wants to redo their first date. She almost wishes she had thought of it.
"Oh, God, you don't like it," he mutters, interpreting her silence differently. "Kurt said I should take you to a fancy dinner somewhere, I should've listened—"
"Finn," she interrupts gently, placing her hand on the side of his face so he looks at her. "I love it."
He breathes a sigh of relief. "Really?"
She nods. "Yeah, I do. It's perfect, really. Better than a silly old dinner."
The goofy grin lights up his face once more, and he leans across the console to kiss her. She sighs, melting into the kiss, but she pulls away once she remembers they're in the parking lot of the bowling alley.
"Well, come on," she chirps, opening her door.
He just smiles.
She already knows this'll be the best one month celebration ever.
vi.
Rachel hasn't improved when it comes to bowling. If anything, she's gotten worse.
"Oops," she says after throwing her fifth gutter ball, watching it roll slowly down the lane until it disappears behind the pins.
Finn just laughs. "You'll get there," he says.
She huffs. "I'll never be nearly as good as you."
"Yeah, well, I've had a lot of practice," he says, rubbing the back of his neck.
She senses there's something more there, so she waits, biting her lip.
He sighs, looking down at the ground. "I – I came here practically every weekend after we broke up."
"Finn," she murmurs quietly, reaching over to take his hand.
"Bowling's a good way to deal with stress," he tells her, finally raising his head enough to meet her gaze. "So when Quinn would talk about prom things or – or Kurt would gush about how happy he was with Blaine and I was just… not… I'd come here, play a set of ten frames."
She stares at him intently, her brow furrowed slightly, and she squeezes his hand.
"I didn't have to think," he admits quietly. "I could just bowl. It was just me and the pins, no heartache over you or Quinn or… or anything." He gives her a weak smile. "But it's cool now. I mean, we're together again and everything's… it's so great."
She smiles softly at him in return. "I love you," she tells him, leaning up to press her lips against his.
"I love you, too," he says, hugging her to him once she pulls away. "And hey, you still have one more ball on this frame."
She beams, letting go of him to reclaim her ball, which has already returned. "Show me how, just like old times?" she asks.
He nods, smirking. "'Course, Rach."
She stands at the end of the lane, ball in both hands, fingers in the holes.
"Okay," Finn says, standing directly behind her, covering both of her hands with his own. "You're gonna wanna hold it with this hand, then take a step forward, just like that." She grins, doing as he says. "Focus on the pins, stare down the one right in the middle. And then… you just… throw." She lets go of the ball right as he says the word, and it sails down the lane. Rachel holds her breath as it knocks into the center pin, and the others tumble down around it.
"I did it!" she squeals, and the next thing she knows, Finn is picking her up and spinning her around. "I got a strike!"
"Technically you got a spare," he says cheekily, setting her back down.
"It's our anniversary," she reminds him with a glare. "Don't ruin this for me, Hudson."
"Yes, ma'am," he says obediently. He kisses her then, and she feels him smile against her lips.
"Should we get a pizza, for old times sake?" she asks.
"But you're a vegan," he points out.
"Well, today is a special exception."
He just smiles that special smile he reserves just for her and grabs her hand as they go over to the concessions counter. He doesn't let go of it, not while he's talking to the girl clearly interested in him behind the counter, not when she hands him and Rachel their drinks, not until they sit at a table off to the side.
"I'm so lucky to have you, you know," Rachel admits quietly, looking down at her lap.
"Actually," Finn begins, and something in his tone makes her look up, "I'm the lucky one to have you."
She ducks her head, grinning.
They're both lucky, really. And when she sees him grinning as well, she knows that they're probably the luckiest people she knows.
vii.
Rachel really loves eating dinner at the Hudson-Hummel household. Carole always has a special little vegan dish prepared just for her, and she really adores both Burt and Finn's mother. Plus Kurt's pretty much her best friend besides Finn, so the nights she eats dinner there are nights she spends with her favorite people.
"This vegan lasagna is lovely, Carole," she gushes. "Absolutely splendid!"
"I'm glad you like it, dear," Carole says, looking at her fondly.
"Yeah, it's great," Burt agrees around his mouthful of lasagna. Even Kurt smirks a little as he forks some of it into his mouth.
"Excellent, Mom," Finn chimes in.
Carole beams at them all. "So, Finn says you're heading to New York after high school," she says conversationally to Rachel.
Rachel nods. "It's my dream."
"Mine, too," Kurt chimes in. "I think Blaine'll tag along as well."
"What about you, Finn?" Burt asks. "Planning on heading to the Big Apple?"
Rachel notices that Finn gives her a sideways glance before he says, "I mean, best case scenario, yeah. New York was pretty awesome, and hopefully I'll be able to make decent grades and end up there as well."
"But are you goin' for yourself or are you goin' for her?" Burt asks bluntly, gesturing to Rachel with his fork.
"Dad," Kurt hisses, and Rachel feels herself blush.
"I'm not gonna lie, Rachel's a big part of it," Finn admits. "But I'm not entirely sure what I want to do with my own life yet, so who's to say I won't find out in New York?"
Rachel's eyes soften as she reaches over to take Finn's hand, rubbing her thumb across the back of it.
"We'll support you," Carole says, looking pointedly at Burt, "no matter where you go to school."
"But do you think that you two'll be together forever?" Burt asks. "I mean, this is high school, Finn."
"Dad," Kurt says quietly once more.
"No, it's okay," Finn says. "I get it. You don't know if me and Rachel'll last, and not too many high school couples do. But Rachel and I are different. We just are. Always have been, really. So… if anyone's going to make it, I'm betting on us."
She feels her heart melt and if she weren't at a table with his entire family, she'd lean over and kiss him senseless. So, instead, she settles for whispering, "You believe in us that much?"
He looks over at her, giving her a little half smile. "Yeah. Don't you?"
She nods. "Yeah."
Burt shrugs. "Well, I guess that's good enough for me." Both Rachel and Finn share a confused look, and he adds, "You just remind me of… well, of me and Kurt's mom, I guess. No one thought we'd make it either."
Rachel ducks her head, biting her lip.
"Prove 'em wrong, alright?"
"We will," Finn promises, and Rachel nods.
"Certainly, Mr. Hummel."
"Call me Burt."
"Certainly… Burt."
He gives her a smile. "More lasagna, Rachel?"
She beams. "I'd love some."
viii.
Brittany throws a pool party in the first week of July, and Rachel convinces Finn to go with her.
"It's just the glee kids," she points out. "Come on, it'll be fun!" she adds when he still doesn't look convinced.
He sighs, but in the end he agrees.
So two hours later she finds herself on the edge of Brittany's pool, Finn's hand in her own as they sit on the side, her bare thigh pressed up against his swim trunks. She squeals as Noah splashes some water their way, ducking her head into Finn's bare shoulder. (He tried to keep his t-shirt on at first, but she told him she would wear a one-piece instead of her new bikini unless he took it off.)
"Are you guys gonna get in or what?" Noah questions, squinting at them in the sunlight. "We're thinkin' about having a chicken tournament."
Finn smirks down at her. "What do you think, babe?"
She grins. "We could take them."
Noah laughs. "Fat chance."
Rachel narrows her eyes. "You're on Puckerman."
ix.
Quinn looks less than thrilled when Noah recruits her to be his chicken partner, but she reluctantly agrees after she hears they're facing off against Finn and Rachel. It's not really a tournament at all; no one else wants to play besides Noah, really.
But Rachel was challenged, and she never backs away from a challenge.
So she finds herself hoisted onto Finn's shoulders, his hands gripping her legs firmly, facing Quinn and Puck across from them.
"Let's get this over with," Quinn mutters.
"Aw, c'mon Quinnie, where's that cut-throat, take no prisoners attitude?" Noah asks.
Quinn slaps him on the back of the head.
"Ow!" he whines.
"This'll be too easy," Finn says.
Quinn's eyes narrow. "Okay, Hudson. You're on."
The other glee club members hanging around the side of the pool all catcall, whooping and hollering, as Rachel feels Finn move beneath her, Quinn and Noah get closer.
"You ready, Berry?" Quinn asks, a slight sneer on her face.
Rachel swallows. "Bring it."
Quinn's within an arm's reach, and, although Rachel's never fought anyone in her life, she manages to shove her shoulder. Quinn only laughs.
Rachel takes in a deep breath, and she channels something deep inside her: Anger. Pent up frustration. Images of Quinn telling her that she would get Finn. That Rachel would end up heartbroken. Finn and Quinn dancing at prom.
She clenches her teeth, the anger bubbling up inside her, reaching past Quinn's outstretched arms and taking both of her shoulders, practically throwing her off of Noah. Quinn screams as she tumbles into the water, and scattered applause is heard around the pool.
"Goddamn it," Noah curses. "I didn't know you had it in you, Berry."
She smirks as Finn lowers himself into the water so she can dismount from his shoulders. "I did," he vows.
Quinn comes up sputtering then, and Rachel's sure that she's about to face the wrath of the queen bee, but to her surprise, she begins to laugh. "Nice one, Rachel! I honestly did not expect that."
Rachel looks up at Finn in confusion, and he just shrugs.
Before she can react properly, Santana screams, "Splash fight!" and Rachel is being drenched from all directions. She squeals and tries to hide behind Finn, but he just ends up tackling her, getting her even more soaked.
"Finn!" she chastises, but she's cut off when he presses his lips against hers, his tongue sliding into her mouth easily. She wraps her arms around him as he lifts her up slightly, but then all she tastes as chlorine as she takes another splash to the face.
"No suckin' face in the pool," Noah says with a grin, splashing the both of them again.
Rachel just laughs, leaning up to peck Finn's lips one more time.
Then she turns to Noah, a glint in her eye. She glances over at Finn. He gives a slight nod. Then they both bombard him with water.
x.
Finn ends up going on vacation for a week with Burt, Carole, and Kurt when their two month anniversary rolls around.
Rachel's a little bummed out that she can't actually see him to celebrate, but she understands the importance of family trips, especially as this is their first one as a family unit. Burt's taking them to Disney World, and Finn really couldn't be more excited. She's happy for him. (Her dads took her a total of three times when she was younger. This is Finn's first.)
He calls her on the afternoon of their anniversary.
"Hi," she says cheerfully, flopping down onto her bed. "How's Disney?"
"Great!" he says exuberantly. "It's really awesome. I mean, we're just hanging out at the hotel today, but the hotel itself is awesome."
Rachel laughs. "And what about the park?"
He immediately starts to talk about Magic Kingdom, where they went the day before, and how he and Kurt went on Space Mountain three times. "We even stayed for the parade," he says, and she can tell he's rolling his eyes. "Kurt was more excited about seeing the princesses than some of the little girls."
Rachel laughs. "I'll bet."
"It's raining here," Finn says suddenly. "Is it… is it raining in Ohio?"
She looks out her window, where the sunlight is trickling in. "Nope," she says. "Why?"
She hears him sigh. "I guess… it would just feel like we weren't so far apart if it were, you know?"
Her heart gives a little pang. "Hey," she says softly. "You'll be back in a couple of days, right?"
"Three," he says quietly. "It feels like so long."
"It'll go by faster than you think," she says with more confidence than she feels – because, honestly? She really misses him.
"Happy anniversary," he says quietly.
She smiles softly. "You remembered."
"'Course I did. Even more since I can't actually see you."
She bites her lip, then admits quietly, "I miss you."
"I miss you, too," he says with a sigh. She hears a door open then and a muffled, high-pitch voice. "I gotta go," Finn says. "Kurt wants me to help him get ice, so I gotta…"
"Yeah," she says. "Of course." She waits for a second, then she says, "I love you."
"I love you, too."
"Oh, and Finn?"
"Yeah, babe?"
"Happy anniversary."
She knows he's in Florida which seems forever away, but she swears she can feel him smiling.
xi.
Her dads don't let her go to the airport to meet Finn, and they won't let her wait at his house, either.
"He'll come over here once he's ready and well rested," her daddy assures her. "I'm sure he'll be tired and want to at least take a nap first."
So her daddy is surprised when Finn shows up at their house an hour after his flight landed. (Rachel's not.)
He says hello to her fathers before she takes his hand, dragging him up the stairs before they can greet him in return.
She practically jumps Finn when they reach her room, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, attaching her mouth hungrily to his. He somehow maneuvers them over to her bed, setting her down on it and hovering over of her.
"I missed you," she mutter feverishly as he presses his lips to her neck.
"I missed you, too," he breathes against her skin. "So much."
"Mmm," she hums, pulling his face back up to hers. His hand snakes under her tanktop, his fingers ghosting over the skin of her stomach. She kisses him like she's never kissed him before: with urgency and need all in one. She slips her tongue into his mouth, moaning a little bit when his hand traces the outline of her bra.
He pulls away to look at her, and she can only imagine what he sees: swollen lips, mussed up hair, flushed cheeks.
"You're beautiful," he mutters.
She grins, gripping the back of his neck and kissing him again.
xii.
Rachel decides she wants to have a dinner party at the beginning of August. When she proposes this plan to Finn, he just stares at her. "A dinner party?" he asks doubtfully.
"Couples only, of course," Rachel says briskly. "Which essentially means Kurt and Blaine, Tina and Mike… oh, and I guess Noah and Lauren as well." She turns to look at Finn, who is still gaping at her slightly.
"A dinner party?" he asks again. "Like… what does that entail?"
She smiles a bit at his word choice – helping him study for the SATs is really paying off – as she says, "Well, dinner, of course. Maybe a chicken parmesan or something. And some party games. Maybe Broadway charades!" She beams up at him. "Oh, Finn, please say you'll host one with me? Please please please?"
She pouts up at him as he rakes a hand through his hair. He sighs. "Uh, yeah, sure, babe. I'll, uh, host a dinner party with you."
She squeals, wrapping her arms around his neck. "This'll be so fun," she vows, kissing the side of his neck as he wraps his arms around her waist. "You'll see."
She's already planning the whole thing in her head. She's ready to feel adult, to have a nice evening with friends. It's so grown-up, really.
She's about to start her senior year, so she's already almost there.
xiii.
The dinner party does not go as planned. Kurt helps her out in the kitchen, but somehow she still manages to burn the chicken. Mike and Tina are the only ones who arrive on time (besides Kurt and Blaine as they're already there), and when Noah finally does arrive (a half hour late), he doesn't have Lauren with him, but Quinn.
"Change of plans," he says gruffly. "Lauren's at wrestling camp. So she dumped my ass."
Rachel manages to squeak out an, "Oh," as Noah brushes past her, Quinn following behind him.
"Are those two…?" Tina asks her hesitantly, watching them as they head into the living room.
Rachel shrugs helplessly. "I have no idea."
She manages to rope everyone into the dining room and starts to dish out the overly-done chicken when the doorbell rings.
"I'll get it," Finn says hastily, no doubt catching the panicked look on Rachel's face.
She nods as he exits the room, dishing some rice onto Tina's plate. She hears chatter from the entrance hall, a girl's voice. Loud. Slightly snappy.
Rachel feels herself flush as Finn comes back into the room, looking uneasy, Santana and Karofsky following him inside.
"Thanks for inviting us to the party, Berry," Santana says acidly, taking a seat next to Mike.
Rachel just gapes, unsure what to do or say. Karofsky hovers uncomfortably next to Santana until she looks up at him and snaps, "Sit down, King Kong." So, looking even more uncomfortable, he does.
"S-Santana, what… what are you doing here?" Rachel manages to ask.
"This is for couples, right?"
Rachel nods. She has a bad feeling about this.
"Well, Dave and I are dating. Our invite must've gotten lost in the mail, right?" She glares at Rachel pointedly.
"I… uh…" Rachel glances around the table helplessly. Finn just grimaces back at her; Mike and Tina stare at their plates. Kurt seems to be laughing, his hand covering his mouth. Blaine is glaring at Karofsky. Quinn is inspecting her fingernails, and Noah is snickering.
"Well, Berry?" he asks, raising an amused eyebrow.
She resists the urge to roll her eyes. "You and Karof – Dave – can stay," Rachel says grudgingly.
Santana beams. "Great. Now, where's the food?"
Rachel feels panic rise up in her stomach. She only has six pieces of chicken prepared.
"Just a minute," she squeaks out. She looks at Finn pointedly, grabbing his wrist and dragging him into the kitchen.
"Babe, I'm all for making out but is now the best time?" he asks, smirking.
"Finn," she moans, whacking his chest. "We are in the middle of a crisis here!"
He furrows his brow in confusion, so she hisses, "We don't have enough food to feed them!"
"Sure we do," he says easily.
She looks at him doubtfully, but he continues, "We'll just give them our chicken – I mean, you weren't going to eat yours anyway. We can have the rice or whatever, right? And the vegetables?"
She nods, her eyes filling with tears as she snakes her hand around to the back of his neck, standing on her tiptoes to press her lips against his.
"What was that for?" he whispers as she breaks away.
"You're amazing," she whispers back in reply. "Thank you."
He just grins at her, reaching around her to grab the plate of chicken.
The rest of the dinner is spent in mostly awkward silences, Rachel trying desperately to keep conversation going, and failing. Tina and Mike seem intimidated by Santana's presence, and Santana keeps scowling whenever Rachel speaks.
"So, Quinn," Rachel tries. Quinn looks up from her peas, her expression bored. "Are you and Noah… together now?"
Noah chokes on his rice, and Quinn glares at her. "No," she says crisply. "He needed a date, ran into me at the supermarket, and I decided to take pity on him and said yes when he asked me to accompany him."
Noah snorts. "Yeah, okay. Let's pretend that's how that went."
Quinn opens her mouth to retort and Rachel decides it's time to move onto the game portion of the evening. "Who's up for Broadway charades?" she asks loudly.
Quinn and Santana both glare at her.
Needless to say, the evening definitely doesn't go as planned.
xiv.
Rachel loves office supply stores, and she especially loves buying new supplies for the upcoming school year. She convinces Finn to go with her the week before school starts, fifty dollars from her dads in her pocket.
"Do you think I'll need a laminator?" she asks him seriously, surveying it with her head tilted slightly to the side.
He laughs. "Rach, no."
"I could need it," she says thoughtfully.
"For what?" he scoffs.
"For our sheet music, for my papers, for—" She's cut off when he grips her shoulders, leaning down to press his lips gently against hers.
"You don't need a laminator," he breathes.
"Okay," she whispers back, looking up at him from underneath her eyelashes. "But what about sparkly pens?" she asks, breaking away from him and heading down an adjacent aisle. "I always like to spice up my note taking!"
She hears him laugh as he trails behind her.
"What?" she asks, spinning around so she's facing him, her arms crossed.
"You are too cute, do you know that?" he asks, a glint in his eye as he cups her cheek, leaning down to kiss her again.
"Finn," she giggles, pushing him away. "We're supposed to be shopping for school supplies, not canoodling in the aisles."
"Can't we do both?" he whines, playing with a strand of her hair.
She slaps his hand away. "No. Now help me pick out some sparkly pens."
He sighs dejectedly, turning to study the display with her. She smirks a little, looking over at him when he laces his fingers through hers.
They end up cutting out of shopping early, grabbing a few binders, notebooks, and, yes, a pack of sparkly pens, to go make out in his truck, but it's so worth the extra trip she has to make later in the week to get the rest of her supplies.
It is still summer after all, if only for another week.
xv.
Their three month anniversary falls on the first day of school. Finn grumbles when she calls to wake him up at six thirty in the morning, swearing that this will be the worst day ever.
"But don't you know what today is?" she asks, trying not to let her excitement bubble over too much. Today can't be anything less than perfect because school is starting back up again and they're seniors and she and Finn have officially been back together for three months. Everything is perfect.
"'Course I do," he says easily.
She grins, her heart beating faster. Of course he wouldn't forget.
"It's the first day of school. I'll pick you up at about seven thirty?"
Her heart drops and she frowns.
"Rach?"
"Oh, uh, sure, that's fine," she says, trying not to let her disappoint cloud her tone.
He doesn't seem to notice, saying, "Great! I'll see you then, okay?"
Then he hangs up. No 'I love you.' No 'happy anniversary.'
She hauls herself up off her bed and into the bathroom. So far, it looks like the first day of school is going to suck.
She's feeling less-than-chipper when Finn picks her up an hour later. She climbs dejectedly into the passenger's side of his truck, not looking at him but staring out the window instead.
He doesn't seem to notice her dampened spirits, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek before starting the engine. He's seemingly cheerful as they drive along, whistling to a few songs on the radio. Rachel doesn't understand. He really forgot – and he's perfectly at peace of mind. He doesn't even notice how distant she's being – or attempting to be, at least.
He barely parks his truck in the school parking lot before she hops out of the cab, slamming the door behind her.
"Whoa, Rach, wait up!" he says, hurrying behind her.
She ignores him, walking even faster. How could he forget? She's not even sad about it any more – just angry, the fury boiling in the pit of her stomach.
He catches up to her when she reaches her locker, grabbing her wrist and gently spinning her so she's facing him. "Hey," he says, his voice soft as he takes in her angry expression. "What's up?"
"What's up?" she asks incredulously, her eyes narrowing into slits. "I can't believe you, Finn Hudson! You forgot our anniversary!"
Instead of looking guilty or upset like she expects, the corner of his mouth turns up in a small smile. "No, I didn't," he says, his voice cool and confident.
She gapes at him. "You did," she says adamantly. "Our anniversary is today, Finn."
"I know," he tells her. He sighs. "I was… I had this whole surprise planned out for you but now…"
She studies him, the way his face falls and he looks down at his hand on her wrist, and she softens. "You had a surprise planned for me?" she asks quietly.
"Well, yeah, I mean, I was going to take you back to my house and mom was cooking this special vegan meal and it was going to be all out of nowhere and stuff…" He frowns.
Rachel takes his hand and squeezes it. "You would do that… for me?"
"Of course," he says, his voice low. "I'd do anything for you."
She grins, standing up on her tiptoes and moving her hand to his shoulder as she kisses him, his lips warm and soft beneath hers.
"I'm sorry," she murmurs as she pulls away. "I – I ruined your surprise, and I'm sorry."
"Don't be," he tells her quickly. "We can still have dinner together, it just won't be a surprise. It'll be great."
She smiles, ducking her head.
"But, uh… I guess I'll go ahead and give you your present."
She looks up at him curiously as he fishes into his back pocket, pulling out a poorly wrapped box.
"You got me a present?" she asks quietly.
"Well, not so much as a present as… returning something to you." She looks up at him in confusion, but he just hands her the box. "Just open it."
She does, peeling away the paper (red with gold stars, which makes her smile a bit) and quickly stuffing it in her pocket. She lifts up the lid of the box, and her breath catches in her throat. The four letters she hasn't worn since November, gold and spelling out her boyfriend's name, stare back up at her.
"What…?" she asks.
He answers her unasked question. "I found out you gave it to Kurt for 'safekeeping' in, like, April, when I was looking for my copy of Men in Tights in his room. I think he thought that movie was about something totally different but anyway, I found this. So I just kind of… took it. And I've been meaning to give it back to you."
She just looks up at him, tears welling up in her eyes.
"I figured now would be as good a time as any," he continues. "I mean, seeing as it's the first day of school, and I don't need any other guys trying to come in and steal my girlfriend." He smirks.
She bites her lip, giggling. "So you like that this marks me as yours?" she whispers, inching closer to him. "You like that your name is around my neck?"
"Mmm," he murmurs, pulling her closer to him and leaning his head down so his lips are inches from hers. "I really do."
She smiles as he kisses her, and she thinks that this could actually be the best anniversary yet.
xvi.
The first glee club meeting of the year is the following afternoon. Rachel grips Finn's hand tightly as they enter the choir room, smiling at Quinn, Santana, and Brittany. Brittany's the only one who smiles back. Rachel thinks Santana and Quinn might still hold her disastrous dinner party against her.
"Ignore them," Finn mutters, dropping a kiss on her hair as they take their seats in the front row.
She smiles. That she can do.
Mr. Schue introduces them to the four new kids that have decided to join glee club, and Rachel smiles at them all. She can't wait to take them under her wing and mold them into the bright shining stars that will remain after she is gone.
Her stomach churns and she glances up at Finn. It hits her that this really is their last year.
"Hey," he whispers, looking down at her. "You okay?"
She plasters another smile on her face and nods. "Yeah," she whispers. "Of course."
They'll just have to make this year count, that's all.
xvii.
Seniors have to attend a mass meeting with Ms. Pillsbury in the auditorium to discuss college plans. Ms. Pillsbury keeps telling them they need to apply early, to take the SATs as many times as possible, and Rachel can feel Finn tense next to her.
He's unusually quiet on the drive to her house, and he still hasn't said a word when they pull into her driveway.
"Do you want to come in?" Rachel asks quietly.
He lets out a sigh. "Just say it, Rach."
"Say what?" she asks in confusion. She honestly has no idea what he's talking about.
"I'm not good enough," he says quietly. "I – you're going to New York and I'm going to be here in Ohio and I just… you can tell me, okay?"
"Finn, I—"
"You can tell me that I'm not New York City good," he clarifies, still staring at the steering wheel.
"What?" she asks in disbelief. "Finn, how could you… why would you think that I would think that?"
He gives a half-hearted shrug, and she unbuckles her seatbelt, leaning over to grab his face between her hands, turning it so he's looking at her. His sad brown eyes study her face.
"You are so good," she tells him. "It doesn't matter where you are – if you're here in Ohio or New York City or California – you'll always be good, good enough for me and good enough for everyone, okay?"
His mouth twitches upward for a fleeting second.
"And just for the record," she says, her voice low and meaningful, "I'd love it if you ended up in New York with me. But only if it's what you want. I – I don't want you to throw away your life for me, Finn."
Now he's the one who looks confused. "Rachel… I don't want to live a life without you in it, don't you know that? I want to go with you to New York because the one thing I definitely know I want in the future is you."
Her eyes fill with tears as she crashes her lips into his, her hands frantically tugging at his hair. A few tears slip down her cheek.
He pulls back, wiping the tears away with his thumb. "I love you," he says quietly, his words sounding like a promise.
She sniffs. "I love you, too." She pauses, adding, "We'll make it, Finn. I know we will."
He just smiles.
"Now do you want to come in?" she asks.
This time, he obliges.
xviii.
Rachel doesn't realize that she's not alone in the bathroom until she walks out of the stall, locking eyes with Santana in the mirror.
"Hobbit," she greets shortly, going back to applying her mascara.
Rachel rolls her eyes. "Hello, Santana." She pushes up the faucet tap, squeezing some soap onto her hand before sticking her fingers under the lukewarm water.
"Please tell me Frankenteen's not hiding in the stall because you two just did the nasty," Santana deadpans, never looking away from her reflection.
Rachel glares at her. "No, he's not. Not that it's any of your business, but you would be the last to know if we ever engaged in sexual intercourse."
Santana laughs. "Oh my God, you really are a virgin, aren't you?"
"So what if I am?" Rachel asks indignantly, although her cheeks are tinged pink. "I'm just saving myself for the right person, that's all."
"And that's not Finnocence?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Actually I – I think it is," Rachel admits. "I just… I'd know if I'm ready, right?"
Santana shrugs.
"And I'm not ready," she says firmly. "Not – not for that."
"Okay," Santana says slowly.
"Sorry," Rachel says quickly. "I just… it feels good to say it, I guess."
"That you're not ready for sex?" Santana asks.
"Yes," Rachel confirms.
Santana looks at her quizzically through the mirror. "Is Hudson pressuring you or something…?"
"No!" Rachel nearly shouts. "I mean, no, nothing like that. Finn's always a perfect gentleman – he's never even pressed about sex or anything."
"So he's gay," Santana says.
"Wh – no! He just cares about me enough to respect that I'll let him know when I'm ready," Rachel says indignantly.
Santana rolls her eyes. "Every boy wants to get some, Berry. He's not going to wait forever, you know."
"He won't have to," Rachel tells her. "It's not like… like I want to be a virgin forever. I want it, too."
"Whatever," Santana says. "Not gonna lie, I checked out of this conversation about two minutes ago. If you and Frankenteen decide to get down and dirty, no one's going to be surprised, the way you eye fuck when you duet anyway. The sexual tension has been palpable for years. But you're probably right. When you're ready, you'll know."
Rachel's honestly a little shocked – and not at Santana's use of vulgar language. "I – you really think so?"
Santana shrugs. "You always seem to with the right person."
And with that, she exits, the bathroom door swinging shut behind her.
Rachel glances at her reflection in the mirror, shock still etched on her face. Santana was civil to her – and she actually gave her advice. Advice she just might follow, too.
Who knew Santana could be a decent human being?
xix.
This is only the second ever homecoming game Rachel Berry has attended, the first one being last year, where she wore her winter coat and practically froze in Lima's cooler-than-average September weather.
This year's different; with the temperature in the low sixties, she's clad in Finn's practice jersey and letterman jacket, red and white spirit beads around her neck and black streaks of paint on her cheeks. She stands practically the whole game, torso hanging over the edge of the fence as she (along with most of the student body) screams her boyfriend's name.
There are two minutes left in the game, and, miraculously, McKinley is up by a touchdown. Finn glances up at the stands, catching Rachel's eye. She blows him a kiss, and he grins before going back to the huddle.
Her heart pounds in her chest as the whistle blows, the clock winding down as Finn's arm cocks back, the pass sailing down the field into Noah's waiting hands. The crowd cheers wildly as he scores a touchdown, and McKinley wins its first homecoming game in fifteen years.
Rachel cheers arguably loudest of all, her throat growing sore, and she sees Finn beam up at her, taking off his helmet as he points to her in the stands.
"I love you!" she screams.
"I love you, too!" She can barely hear it over the roar of the crowd, but it doesn't matter because she knows he said it.
He won. She wants to just run onto the field and kiss him senseless, but she doubts Coach Beiste would approve, so she stays where she's at.
Besides, they'll have plenty of time to celebrate later anyway.
xx.
The morning of their four month anniversary, Finn comes to her door with flowers in his hand and a smile on his lips. She pecks him on the lips, taking her flowers – daisies, her favorite, she's impressed – and putting them in a vase before they head to school.
"Decided not to pretend to forget it today?" she teases as they exit her neighborhood.
He laughs. "Seeing as it completely backfired last time, no."
"So does that mean no surprises?"
He smirks, never taking his eyes off the road. "I never said that."
She looks at him curiously. "Finn, what—"
"Not telling," he says quickly. "You'll find out soon enough."
She knows he won't budge, so she sighs, looking out the window.
Finn holds true up until fifth period, when they have glee. Rachel watches him curiously as he shares a look with Mr. Schue, then with Brad.
"Oh, what the hell is happening," Mercedes sighs as Finn clears his throat. Rachel looks at her pointedly.
"Uh, I don't know if you guys know or whatever but today is mine and Rachel's four month anniversary since getting back together," Finn begins.
"We know," Quinn snaps. "You both already had a nauseating wall-to-wall conversation on Facebook."
"Right," Finn says. "Well, uh, I wanted to do something special, so… I'm going to sing Rachel this song."
"Oh, God," Quinn mutters, rubbing her temple, but Rachel quickly ignores her as Brad begins to play and Finn begins to sing. Her heart melts and she focuses on the cadence of his voice, the look in his eyes that's reserved just for her.
It's times like these that she realizes just how lucky she really is.
xxi.
Senior superlatives are very important. They can make or break you; they determine who gets remember and who doesn't in high school.
So, naturally, Rachel decides that she'll have to win one. More specifically, she and Finn will have to win cutest couple.
"Rach, this is stupid," Finn complains when she grabs his arm and drags him through the lunchroom, heading toward the nearest table.
"Just smile," she says through gritted teeth.
He sighs but he goes along, holding her hand through her spiel about how they should clearly win this not-so-coveted award, and she beams up at him when she's finished.
The kids at the table just stare at them.
"So… you want us to vote for you for cutest couple?" a red-headed girl asks slowly.
Rachel nods excitedly. "Uh huh!"
"We can't vote. We're only sophomores."
Rachel feels her smile freeze on her face.
"C'mon, Rach, I'm starving, let's go get food," Finn says, gently dragging her toward the lines.
"Oh God, that was a disaster!" Rachel moans once she and Finn are in line for tacos, burying her face in Finn's shoulder.
He kisses the top of her head, and then tilts her chin up so she's looking at him. "I just don't get why it matters so much to you, Rach," he admits. "I mean… Quinn was all about stuff like this, but you… weren't. Until now."
She sighs. "It's just… I want people to remember me, you know? I want them to come see me on Broadway in five years and think, 'Oh, hey, that's Rachel Berry, one half of McKinley High's class of 2012 Cutest Couple!'"
Finn laughs. "Rach, I guarantee people will remember you, no matter what."
"You really think so?" she asks, her voice small even to her own ears.
He grins. "Baby, I know so."
She kisses him then, and she thinks he's right. She doesn't need to win a dumb title in the yearbook; she has all she needs already.
"No more campaigning?" Finn asks when he pulls away.
She nods. "No more campaigning."
He grins, grabbing a tray and dishing out a taco.
She smirks, then adds, "We'll probably win on our own anyway."
Finn just laughs.
xxii.
She first sees her at the beginning of October. It's seventh period and she's walking alone to Government when she sees the flash of long dark hair, and she's sure she's imagining it until she turns around.
It's Shelby. Shelby, in her school. Shelby, walking down the hallway. Shelby, Shelby, Shelby.
Rachel doesn't realize she's stopped moving until she gets jostled by a few kids trying to get around her to make it to class on time. She just stares. She doesn't remember where she's supposed to be, and she doesn't care.
Shelby finally sees her, giving her a small smile. The hallway is practically empty now, the bell practically about to ring.
"Hello, Rachel," she says quietly.
"What are you doing here?" Rachel asks bluntly.
"I'm – I'm back," Shelby says, a false note of cheeriness in her voice. "I'm teaching French now, since Mademoiselle Robinson is on maternity leave."
"And – and you didn't bother to tell me you're back in town?" she asks, her voice cracking.
"Rachel," Shelby says, her voice soft, patronizing. Rachel hates it. Right now, she kind of hates her. "We agreed we didn't want to do that. That this way would be better."
"No," Rachel says, tears catching in her throat. "You decided."
The bell rings overhead, and Shelby looks at her with softness, pity, in her eyes. "Rachel, I'm sorry. I really am. But I have a second chance now, with Beth, and we… we don't have time to talk about this right now. I have a class to teach."
A tear slips down Rachel's cheek. "You had a second chance with me," she says tersely. "You chose not to take it."
She turns on her heel then, forgetting all about Government, trying to forget about the mother who doesn't want her. She just needs to get out, so she doesn't focus on anything but the slap of her flats on the tile floor and the sting of the tears in her eyes.
xxiii.
She's been sobbing for the good part of an hour. She called her daddy to come pick her up, claiming sick, and she's been sobbing on her bed ever since.
She hears her door creak open. "Daddy, I told you I just don't feel well," she manages to choke out, turning over to see – not her daddy – but Finn, looking at her with a concerned expression etched on his face.
"Rach, I was so worried – you left school early, and I had no idea but you're clearly upset and your dads let me in and whatever I did I'm so sorry." He says it all in one breath, his words tumbling over each other, but she only shakes her head.
"It's not that," she wails."Sh-Shelby is b-back."
"Baby," Finn murmurs, sitting down on her bed next to her curled-up frame and rubbing her back gently. "You – you saw her at school?"
Rachel nods, sobbing even harder. "Sh-She's teaching there now. And I saw her and – and – and she st-still doesn't w-want me, Finn. She never w-wanted me."
Finn's expression is still concerned as he pulls her into his lap, rocking her back and forth gently. He just holds her while she cries, pushing her hair back and kissing her hair, her cheek, her eyelids. He wipes away her tears with his thumb, and he just holds her until she's all cried out.
"She's missing out, you know," he says quietly. "You are so great, Rach, and if she can't see that… Well, that's her loss."
Rachel shakes her head. "I just… I'm never going to be good enough for her, Finn."
"Hey," he says quietly. "Don't say that, okay? You're more than good enough, Rach. You're too good. She doesn't deserve someone as wonderful as you."
"She doesn't need me like I – like I need her," she sniffs. "She – she has Beth n-now."
"You don't need her either," he points out quietly. "You have grown into such a beautiful, stunning young woman without any help from her at all. She missed out, Rach. It's her loss."
She just looks at him for a moment, wondering what she ever did to deserve someone as wonderful as him. She cups his cheek and kisses him. He's right – she's been fine without Shelby. But Finn, Finn she does need. She needs him like she needs air. Without Finn she feels hopeless, and things literally aren't the same.
"For the record, you'll always be good enough for me," he whispers when she breaks away, wrapping his arms around her tightly as she drapes her arms around his neck, leaning her head on his chest.
"Finn, I really love you," she whispers back.
She doesn't look up at him, but she knows he's smiling as he replies, "I really love you, too, Rachel. I really love you, too."
xxiv.
Rachel knows that Finn is nervous about applying to schools, but she tells him that they can set aside a day to fill out applications together. So that's what they do on the second Saturday in October.
She lays out her applications to Julliard and NYU and he starts in on his pile of seven in the surrounding area, plus one for NYU as well. She makes him apply to Ohio State – as a backup, of course.
After she finishes up her applications, she helps Finn with his, telling him he can use the same essay each time with a little tweaking. He tries to get her to write the essay for him, but she refuses, telling him she believes in him.
"More than anything," she promises.
He leans over to kiss her on the nose and says he believes in her, too.
She elbows him playfully and tells him to go back to writing his essay. He smirks but he does, and she watches him, his brow furrowed in concentration and his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth a little as he writes.
She's nervous about whether or not she'll be called to audition for Julliard, nervous about whether or not she'll get into any of the three colleges at all, but she thinks that, as long as she has Finn's, things might be okay.
He glances up to see her staring and he grins.
Scratch that, they'll definitely be okay. Better than okay, even. They'll be perfect.
xxv.
Finn tells her to dress up for their five month anniversary. So she does.
He's already waiting downstairs when she comes down at six thirty, wearing a low-cut pink dress that's hemmed right above her knee. Finn's jaw drops when he sees her. She smiles, taking in his suit and tie and the bouquet of flowers he brandishes at her.
"They're beautiful," she murmurs, smelling them. "Daises are my favorite."
"I know," he replies with a smile.
Her dads insist on taking pictures of them before they leave – because apparently they're just too cute – but Rachel finally manages to convince them that they need to leave at five til seven.
"Is it Breadstix okay?" Finn asks, helping Rachel into his truck.
"It's perfect," she beams.
And it really is. Somehow, these anniversary celebrations just keep getting better and better.
xxvi.
Rachel's honestly surprised when she's invited to Santana's annual Halloween party.
"Well, in case you haven't noticed, we're kind of friends now," Santana says drily when Rachel tells her this.
Rachel blinks. She guesses they kind of are.
She convinces Finn that they should coordinate costumes and they arrive at Santana's just as the party is getting into full swing – because "you never arrive on time," Finn tells her knowingly.
"I look ridiculous," she hisses, adjusting the bustier she's wearing with the Wonder Woman W on it. She feels so self-conscious – her boots come up too high, her skirt is too short, her Wonder Woman halo keeps sliding off.
"You look hot," Finn tells her.
She narrows her eyes at him. "You would too if you were wearing a costume."
"I am!" he says defensively, gesturing to his t-shirt with the Superman emblem on it.
She rolls her eyes. "Doesn't count."
"Rachel!" Santana squeals, giggling and holding two shots as she comes toward them. "Wow, you look hot!"
Rachel glances up at Finn, who mouths, 'Told you.'
"Here, have a drink!" Santana says, giving Rachel one of the shots.
"Oh, I really shouldn't—"
"Drink!" she demands.
So Rachel throws the liquid to the back of her throat and swallows. It burns at first, but she decides it isn't so bad.
"Woo!" Santana screams. "Let's party!"
Rachel just smiles up at Finn. He shrugs.
"C'mon, Superman," she says, dragging him toward the living room where the sounding a pumping bass is coming from. "You owe me a dance."
xxvii.
Two hours and several shots later, Finn and Rachel end up in Santana's guest room, their mouths fused together as they stumble inside. "Door," Rachel manages to pant out, and Finn quickly closes it, locking it behind him, before fervently attaching his lips to her neck.
"Oh God," Rachel mutters, and she can hear the music pumping downstairs and the alcohol pumping in her veins as Finn gently pushes her back onto the bed, his hands sliding up her sides, his fingers coming dangerously close to the swell of her breasts.
"Finn," she mutters, raking her fingers through his hair.
"Hmm." She feels the vibration of his voice against her skin.
"Please, just… touch me."
He pulls back to look at her. "Are – are you sure?" he asks.
She nods, biting her lip. She's had a few drinks and so has he, but she's not drunk. She wants this, she knows she does. "I'm not ready to go all the way," she tells him quickly. "But I just… I need something more."
He swoops down and kisses her fiercely, swirling his tongue in her mouth. She moans a little bit when he pulls away, kissing down her neck instead, nipping at her skin, his tongue darting out to soothe the bites he leaves.
He kisses the tops of her breasts peaking up over the bustier, reaching around her to untie the knots keeping it in place. He struggles a bit, so she sits up and reaches behind her to help him, her fingers daftly undoing the strings. She shrugs the bustier off and Finn's gaze immediately drops to her strapless bra.
"Got a one track mind much?" she giggles, cupping his chin and kissing him.
"Oh, I've got other things on my mind as well," he promises, reaching behind her again to undo the clasp of her bra – a feat he mastered a few months back. The material falls from her breasts as he lays her back down against the bed, one hand immediately cupping one of them, his thumb flicking over her nipple.
She sighs, gripping his hair as his mouth circles around the other one, his tongue warm and wet and there.
"Oh my God," she moans as he switches sides, and then suddenly his warm, wet mouth is gone, his hands traveling further south.
"Finn, what are you doing?" she asks as his thumbs hook into the waistband of her skirt.
He doesn't answer as he slides the material down her legs.
"Finn?"
He looks up at her, his eyes hooded. "Rach, do you trust me?"
"Of – of course," she breathes.
"Then… please let me do this for you. There's something I want to try."
She swallows then nods. He tugs down her underwear then, and she's completely naked in Santana Lopez's guest room.
"God, you're beautiful," Finn mutters, dropping butterfly kisses on her stomach, and she feels a tug in the pit of her stomach – wanting, needing him in a way she's not so sure about.
"Finn, I – I n-need—"
He grins, sliding down between her legs. She closes her eyes and a soft 'oh' escapes her lips as he darts his tongue out, tasting her. She focuses on the feel of his tongue inside her, warm, wet muscle everywhere at once, in and out, fast and slow, exploring every inch of her that's never been explored before.
The feeling in the pit of her stomach expands, spreading to her fingers, her toes, and everywhere in between. She knows she's close, but she doesn't know to what.
His teeth graze her clit and then she loses control, spiraling over the edge, her body shaking with a sensation she's never had before.
He pulls his up and grins at her, crawling onto the bed to lay beside her. She cuddles into his side.
"Finn, that was… wow. I – I never even… Wow."
She looks up to see him smirking.
"You're pretty proud of yourself, huh?" she asks, her tone light.
He shrugs. "Well, yeah, I mean… knowing I'm the only one who can… affect you like that."
She grins, kissing him, her hand going to his belt buckle.
"What are you doing?" he breathes between kisses.
She pulls away to smirk at him, her fingers undoing his zipper. "Returning the favor."
His eyes get wide but he doesn't protest when she slides his jeans down his legs.
He doesn't protest when she "returns the favor" either.
xxviii.
Wednesday nights are study nights. Rachel sets them up, but half the time she's already finished her homework when he gets there, which leads Finn to believe they're make out nights instead.
"Rach, I can do my homework tomorrow," he whines. "Can't we just fool around for a little bit?"
"No," she says firmly, removing his hand from her waist. "You are going to learn about King Richard and the Crusades if I have to reteach all of it to you myself."
"Why did I take European history?" Finn mutters. "I hate history."
"Because you love me and we wanted a definite class together," she reminds him sweetly.
"If I get a question right, do I get a kiss?" he asks.
She pretends to ponder this. "How about a kiss for every five questions you get right?"
"What?"
"Take it or leave it."
"Fine," he concedes. "I agree to your deal."
And he even gets a B on his test on Friday, so Rachel decides Study Wednesdays are a success – even if they do end up distracted by the end of them.
xxix.
Kurt drags her to the mall with Mercedes on a Saturday and specifically states that Finn isn't allowed to come.
"You need a G.N.O.," he tells her.
"A G.N.O.?" she asks.
"Girl's night out, of course!"
She only rolls her eyes.
They're in the middle of JC Penney when she gets the first text from Finn, one that says 'i miss u' with a sad face at the end of it.
She quickly types up a reply, saying that she misses him as well.
what are u up to?
She glances over at Kurt, who is currently sifting through the clearance rack, trying to find her something that "doesn't look like it was made by the grandmother of a five year old."
Kurt's trying to give me a makeover.
She's barely sent the message when she gets a reply.
y? ur perfect the way u are.
She smiles, biting her lip.
"Are you texting my brother?" Kurt demands, trying to snatch her phone out of her hands.
"Why?" she asks, brandishing it out of his reach. "Is that against the rules?"
"Yes!" Kurt exclaims as Mercedes snatches her phone, scrolling through her text messages.
"Ugh," she groans. "You two sicken me."
Rachel just rolls her eyes as Mercedes gives her her phone back. "Thank you."
"Rachel, what part of 'girls night out' did you not understand?" Kurt snaps.
"Okay, okay, fine," she sighs. "I'll text him goodbye, and that's it, okay?"
Kurt sniffs but nods.
Kurt's making me stop texting you. I love you! Xoxo
She shuts her phone for emphasis when she's done, but she gets a little beeping notification a few seconds later.
aw ok :( i love u too. talk to u when u get home.
Kurt eyes her suspiciously until she pockets the phone, but nothing can wipe the smile off her face.
She thinks she definitely prefers when she and Finn stay in over Girls Night Out any day.
xxx.
Their six month anniversary is the most special one yet. Somehow Finn manages to convince Mr. Schue to leave him his keys, and they end up having a picnic in the auditorium, just like they did over two years ago.
"Finn, this is amazing!" Rachel breathes. "How – how did you…?"
He shrugs. "You're just worth it, so I made it happen."
She feels tears sting her eyes, and she just really wants him to kiss her, just like she did forever ago. "You know," she says quietly, "you can kiss me if you want to."
He grins. "I want to."
And then he does.
Thank you so so much for reading, and if you review, I will be eternally grateful! :)