Prompt: Rachel's been gone for a while, and when she comes home, Finn does something to surprise her.
Prompted by: loveisnevergonex3 (Shelby) on tumblr, or xlostwithoutyou on here (:
you're the direction i follow to get home
She's been gone for three days, but it feels like forever.
"It's just two weeks," she says, her voice laced with static on the phone. "I'll see you soon, Finn, I will."
And he knows she's right, that she's been dying to go to this theater camp for practically all her life because it means she'll secure an audition for Julliard, but he still just misses her. He went a whole six months without her, so he hates going another two weeks.
"I'll be home before you know it," she says sweetly. "You'll see."
It's been three days, and it feels like an eternity.
…
"Are you just going to mope around for two weeks?" Kurt asks, leaning against the doorframe.
Finn pauses his session of Halo. "I'm not moping," he says defiantly.
"Fine, pining, whatever you'll call it," Kurt says, waving his hand. "The point is, Rachel doesn't want you to just sit here and be miserable."
"Who says I'm miserable?" he asks defensively.
Kurt raises an eyebrow. "Finn, you've been sitting in front of that television screen killing Nazi zombies for two straight days."
"That's Call of Duty."
Kurt rolls his eyes. "The point, Finn, is that instead of waiting for Rachel to come back, you should do something productive while she's away."
He sighs. "It's just… what if this camp changes everything, Kurt? What if she comes back and decides once again that New York is a bigger dream than her and me? I mean, I don't think she realizes that… that I'm not gonna make her choose."
Kurt's face softens, and he moves to sit at the end of Finn's bed. "Then show her that," he offers.
Finn looks at him, confusion etched on his face.
"Show her that you can be that guy, the one that will always be there, no matter what." He pauses. "Like what you did in New York. It really impressed her, you know, you going through all that effort."
He nods slowly. "So you're saying I should make a big gesture."
"I'm just saying that if you think she isn't sure, convince her."
Even after Kurt leaves a couple of minutes later, his words resonate in the air. Instead of unpausing his game, he reaches over to grab the notebook he keeps on his bedside table (because Rachel suggested he journal, okay?) and begins to write down ideas.
If Rachel Berry needs epic romance to convince her he's the one for her, she's gonna get it.
…
He's been planning for a week straight now, and he enlists Puck's help because honestly, he doubts anyone else has access to a spare key to the school.
"Why should I help you, Hudson?" he asks, pressing about five buttons at once as he tries to hit a cop on the screen. The game of choice today is Grand Theft Auto because, in Puck's words, "I've already lived it, bro. Therefore, I'm a beast at Grand Theft Auto."
"Because it allows you to cause some mayhem," he says, swerving his own car into a fountain. "And because you're the one who told me to go get Rachel back in the first place."
Puck smirks. "Worked too, didn't it?"
"Well, not really, but it definitely made me fight for her."
"Same thing," Puck scoffs.
"So will you do it?" Finn asks.
Puck sighs. "I guess, if it means that much to you, lover boy."
Finn claps him on the back. "Thanks, man."
"Don't mention it," Puck says gruffly.
Finn laughs.
"No, seriously, don't." Puck glances over at him. "No one knows about that key. It's for emergencies only. Like, if it's an emergency that I get into Lauren's pants but my ma's home."
Finn wrinkles his nose. "Yeah, dude, sure, our little secret. So you can get me in?"
Puck waggles his eyebrows. "You bet I can, Hudson. You bet I can."
…
She calls him the last night she's at camp. "I can't wait to see you," she sighs, and he thinks he can practically hear her pressing the phone closer to her ear. "I miss you."
"I miss you, too," he says quietly.
"What have you been up to?" she asks.
He pauses. She can't know, right? Kurt surely hadn't told her. He still wants her to be surprised, doesn't he?
"Finn?" she asks.
He clears his throat. "Oh, nothing much, you know, just… videogames."
She sighs. "Have you been wasting your life away in front of the television screen, Finn Hudson?"
He laughs. "Maybe a little bit."
"Well, that's about to change," she tells him. He can practically hear her pacing. He loves that he knows her so well. "We'll have to start up our Tuesday and Thursday morning jogs again."
"Sounds great, babe," he grins, and he really is looking forward to them. "I can't wait until you're home."
"Me neither," she admits quietly. "Camp's great, don't get me wrong, but… It's not as much fun when I'm missing you."
He swallows, and he wonders if this is like a metaphor for New York, like she won't enjoy New York if he's not there. He knows it's stupid though, because she's going anyway, no matter what. And he's going to do his best to make sure he's going with her.
"I miss you, too, Rach," he says. "I really miss you, too."
…
Her dads agree to let him go with them to the airport to pick Rachel up. The car ride over is really awkward, with him scrunched up in the backseat of their BMW, trying his best to answer the questions her daddy throws at him. (Thankfully he doesn't throw out the 'what are your intentions with my daughter' one. He doesn't think he could handle that.)
He tries not to scan the crowd too much as the people spill out of her flight terminal, but it's hard not to. He's just so anxious to see her.
He sees her first, her hair tied into a knot on the nape of her neck, a few strands framing her face. She's wheeling her suitcase behind her, and when she sees him, her face breaks out into a smile.
"Hey," she says, stopping in front of him, smile still in place.
"Hey," he replies.
They look at each for a moment, then suddenly her lips are pressed against his, her hand grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him closer. He grins, putting his hands on her waist.
Then he remembers her dads. And he doesn't think they'd appreciate him sucking their daughter's face at the airport. Or, well, anywhere, really. So he pulls away.
She's still smiling up at him.
Her dad clears his throat pointedly. Rachel tears herself away from Finn to hug her fathers, and she watches her with this warm feeling in the pit of his stomach.
He's so glad she's home.
…
"Finn, we can't be here!" she hisses, tugging on his arm and trying to drag him back to his truck.
He laughs, loosening her grip on his sleeve and lacing her fingers with his. "But I have something for you."
"If we get caught we could be arrested," she says worriedly.
"Babe," he says slowly, pushing the key in the lock. "It's a school. And we're not vandalizing anything, and we're not really breaking in, even. I mean, I have a key."
She huffs, but she slips inside when he opens the door.
"Where to?" she asks, crossing her arms.
He smirks. She looks so cute when she's annoyed.
"You'll see," he says, grabbing her hand and leading her down the hallway.
"The auditorium?" she asks incredulously as he opens the side door for her. "Finn, if you wanted me to sing a solo for you all you had to do was—" She takes in a sharp breath, and he can't help but feel proud of himself. She turns back to him, tears in her eyes. "You recreated our first date."
"Well, it's not really our first date," he amends, "but it's the first time I realized that I had feelings for you that were deeper than feelings for anyone else."
She ducks her head, walking over to the blanket he has spread out on the stage. She smoothes down her skirt then sits delicately. "Well?" she asks. "Are you going to have a picnic with me or not?"
She smiles, and he sits down on the blanket beside her, pulling the picnic basket toward him. "Virgin cosmos," he says, taking out a thermos and some plastic cups, "courtesy of Kurt."
Rachel giggles.
"And some finger sandwiches," he says, taking out a Tupperware container, "courtesy of my mom."
"How many people were in on this?" Rachel asks, laughing.
He shrugs. "They just like seeing me happy, I guess. And they know I'm happiest when I'm with you."
The corner of her mouth twitches and she gives him a small smile. He knows she remembers what comes next, confirming this when she says quietly, "You know, you can kiss me if you want to."
He grins. "Oh, I definitely want to."
She laughs as he tackles her, assaulting her mouth with his, and she tastes like promises and happiness and home.
He'd literally want to be nowhere else besides in this moment, with the feel of her under his hands and the taste of her on his tongue.
No matter what the future holds, he plans on having Rachel Berry forever.
Feel free to alert/favorite/review (: