A/N: Here's a long chapter for you all. We are slowly moving along with our plot. If you're reading, please write a little review to let me know what you think or something you would like to see. They are greatly appreciated!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Glee.

Rachel turns 21 towards the end of April.

They've been dating around two months and she's just awesome. He doesn't think he's ever met a better girl in his life and it's safe to say he's falling... fast. Everything seems to be going perfect and he honestly couldn't be happier. Like, he's getting into better shape than he's ever been, which is good since his dreams are riding on being drafted. She cooks him all these healthy recipes and they actually taste good.

And she's been keeping him physically active, although it's not like it sounds. They haven't done that yet. But, they go running with Jax and to the gym a lot and Rachel's intense. It's a good intense, though and she makes him want to be better, like at everything. He's gotta keep up with her somehow.

They've been on plenty dates since the one at the park, and she stays at his apartment a lot. It's just easy, though, since Jax is there and she's too tired to go home a lot of the time. He gets that, because she's pretty busy, but he feels special that she always makes time for him. He introduced her to Kurt shortly after they started dating and they get along so well that sometimes he gets jealous. But, she always reassures him that he's the reasons she's there. She's awesome like that.

He's been around her friends as well and he thinks Santana may be warming up to him a little bit. Puck and Quinn are on and off dating depending on the day of the week, but when they're on, they sometimes go on double dates. They've even been out a few times with her friend Tina, who is now dating Mike. He thinks they're good together, and he's happy for his friend.

It's a Friday, the day before Rachel's birthday, and he is just getting home from a killer workout. Rachel had clinicals all day and they are planning on celebrating her birthday at his apartment just the two of them. He suggested that because he figured she would be tired after clinicals and she seemed really excited about the prospect of them getting some alone time. It's hard to come by with their busy schedules.

They are having a big birthday celebration for her tomorrow, with all of their friends, and something called a shot night. Apparently, it's a sorority thing and she has to take 21 shots, at least that's what Quinn told him. He doubts she'll get anywhere near that and is a little weary of the idea because his girl is a light weight, but it's her birthday and he'll do whatever she wants.

He smiles when he sees Rachel's car parked in it's usual spot in the parking lot and pulls in next to it. When he enters the apartment, he sees Kurt and Blaine lounging on the couch and he figures they must have let Rachel in. Kurt looks in his direction when he walks in and nods in greeting.

"Hey, dude," Finn says. "Rach here?"

"Duh," Kurt answers like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "She got here like an hour ago. I guess she got out early or something."

"Where's Puck?" he asks, fearing that he's already done something to piss Rachel off. They like to pick at each other, but Finn knows that deep down they really do like each other. Hell, Puck's been congratulating him for dating a Jew a lot lately.

"Him and Quinn had a fight or something and he said he's on the prowl tonight. So, who knows?" Blaine answers, chuckling.

Finn laughs and shakes his head as he heads to his room. He opens the door and he feels all of the air being knocked out of his lungs. Rachel and Jax are curled up on top of the covers and she's wearing one of his football sweatshirts and these tiny pajama shorts and she just looks so damn cute.

Jax stirs a little as he closes the door and peaks his eyes open to look at him. He closes them and lays his head back down when he realizes who it is as Finn kicks off his shoes and walks toward the bed.

"Hey buddy," he whispers, giving Jax's head a rub. He can't resist and leans over and places a little kiss on Rachel's forehead, which causes her to stir a bit.

"Hey you," she mumbles, squinting at him as she begins to wake from her nap.

"Hi legs," he chuckles, leaning in and giving her a little kiss. "Go back to sleep for a little bit. I'm gonna hop in the shower really quick."

"Good," she giggles, giving his butt a playful tap. "You stink."

He gives her a sarcastic look before hopping off the bed and into the shower. He hums some Journey song while he washes his hair, thinking about Rachel and her birthday the whole time. He really hopes she likes the gift he got her. It took him forever to find it, and that was only after breaking down and asking Kurt for some assistance. Fifteen minutes later, he walks out of the bathroom, freshly showered and wearing a pair of pajama pants and a white t-shirt.

Rachel's still on the bed, but wide awake now. Jax is lying next to her, and he smiles because the dog is just as protective over Rachel as he is. A pair of glasses are perched on her nose as she reads, which somehow make her look even cuter to him. A textbook is open on her lap, and he chuckles a little because she would be studying on the Friday night before her 21st birthday.

His chuckle must alert her of his presence because she looks up and gives him a smile. He swears she reserves this one just for him and his heart skips a beat thinking about it. He just loves her. Woah. He mentally shakes himself of the thought because they've been together for two months and he would probably creep her out thinking that in such a short amount of time.

He walks over to the bed and snatches her book out of her hands, plopping himself down on top of her. He holds himself up on his forearms, because she's so damn tiny and he doesn't want to crush her. He gently shakes his head, causing water droplets to fly onto her face.

"Finn!" she giggles, trying to push him off. Like that's gonna work. He's used to 300 pound linebackers coming at him. She's 100 pounds soaking wet, thank you very much.

He grabs both of her hands in one of his and holds them over her head, swooping down and giving her a long kiss. She pulls back, breathless and in a daze, and he loves that he has this affect on her because she totally has it on him.

"I was reading that," she breaths out as he releases her hands and plops on his back beside her. She immediately curls into his side and Jax curls into hers. His dog loves her more than him and he can't even be mad about it. He totally gets it.

"Yeah, well now you're not," he replies, playing with a a string of her hair. She nuzzles her face into his chest even further and he could fall asleep right now, but he can't because he promised her a birthday just the two of them.

"How were your clinicals?" He asks, genuinely interested in her day. He loves the way her eyes light up when she talks about nursing and he just knows she's going to be so amazing.

"Long, but I learned a lot. My patient got discharged, so I got to come home a little early," she explains. "I let Jax out when I got here, and then I must have fallen asleep."

"Are you hungry?" he asks, because he promised her dinner. "We can order something in and watch a movie."

"Mmmm," she mumbles, "Sounds perfect."

"How about pizza?" he asks. He knows she's vegan, but he's learned over the past couple weeks that she isn't 100% committed to the lifestyle. She cheats sometimes, and she's told him that pizza is her weakness.

She groans and he can tell she's totally craving pizza, she just wants him to rationalize it for her. "Finn, that's not healthy in the least bit. And totally not vegan."

"Well it's your birthday, silly girl," he says, tickling her side.

"Fine, fine," she relents, grinning. "But, you get to call and order it. And wait on me hand and foot since it is my birthday."

He winks at her while grabbing his phone, "Wouldn't have it any other way."

They've polished off a few pieces of pizza when she drops the bomb on him.

Okay, so it's not a bomb really, but it feels like one to him.

They're sitting on his bed with the pizza in the middle of them, chatting about her birthday when she tells him. Her dads and brother are coming in the morning to take her out for lunch for her birthday and she wants him to come along to meet them. Her dads. Plural. As in two.

Of course he would date a girl with two dads because one isn't scary enough. He must have been silent for a long time while having his internal freakout because when he begins to focus again, Rachel is giving him a weird look.

"Finn?" she asks, hitting him on the back. Apparently he was chewing a piece of pizza at the moment she asked him and it's lodged in his throat and he's coughing. Great.

He takes a drink and swallows, trying to hide his grimace because it actually kind of hurts a little bit. She looks really concerned and asks if he's okay.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answers, giving her a forced smile as she kisses him on the cheek. He doesn't know why he's freaking the fuck out. Maybe it's because he's never really had to meet a girl's parents before, or maybe it's because he can actually see himself being with Rachel and her dads' approval is very important.

"So you'll come tomorrow?" she asks with an apprehensive stare. "Dad and Daddy really want to meet you. And Logan can't wait. He's a big fan of Ohio State football and he pretty much idolizes you."

Okay, maybe that can work in his favor. He stores that bit of information in the back of his mind for later use. If her little brother idolizes him, then her dads have to like him, too. Right?

He smiles at her and leans in and gives her a little kiss, "Can't wait."

She beams as they continue eating and conversing. She sneaks little pieces to Jax every once in a while, who's waiting on the ground practically salivating. He thinks it's humorous that she doesn't think he knows what she's doing and it makes her even more endearing to him, if that's even possible.

They finish up eating and he cleans everything up before returning to the bed and plopping on it. He scoots up to the headboard and leans against it, opening his legs. He motions for her to come over and she sits between his legs. His arms automatically wrap around her from behind as she snuggles into his embrace.

"It's almost your birthday," he states, looking at the clock. "Excited to finally be legal?"

She chuckles a little and replies sarcastically, "Yes, I can finally go to clubs with my grandpa of a boyfriend."

He tickles her sides once more and laughs. He's only six months older than her, but she likes to joke about it with him. "You better watch it," he grins as she starts squirming, "Or you won't get your present."

He knows his girl. And he knows she loves presents, so he isn't surprised when she immediately shoots up, almost smacking him in the face.

"Gimme," she squeals, turning around in his lap and holding out her hands to him, giving him the best puppy dog eyes that she has.

He relents because those eyes get him every time and he thinks she knows it by the smug look on her face as he reaches in his night stand and pulls out the neatly wrapped box.

"Happy birthday, baby," he says, handing her the box and placing a kiss on her temple. He's a little nervous to be honest, because he's only gotten one girl a present ever and he just wants to make Rachel's birthday so, so special.

She carefully unties the ribbon that took him forever to do and opens the box, letting out a little gasp. He can't help but smile, because that is the kind of reaction he was hoping for as she gently picks up the gold chain with a star pendant. She's told him before that stars have been kind of her thing since she was younger. Something about being a metaphor and metaphors are important.

"Finn," she breathes, "I love it."

She leans in and kisses him passionately and he feels kind of dizzy. He wraps his arms around her and brings her in closer and pours everything he has into the kiss. His mom has always told him that you could fall in love in one moment, that's how she felt about his dad. He thinks he might have already gotten there with Rachel, and he can't help the overwhelmingly happy feeling that overtakes him when he pulls back and they meet eyes. The look in them tells him that she may be having that moment, too.

"Put it on me?" she asks, holding out the necklace to him and turning around. He nods, and fastens the necklace on her neck before placing a kiss right by the clasp.

She turns around and he can see so many emotions playing on her face. "You're amazing," she whispers wrapping her body around his in a hug. The scent of her strawberry shampoo invades his senses as he places a couple kisses in her hair. He feels pretty accomplished right now, like he's done something right and it's the best feeling. "This is already the best birthday ever."

They stay like that for a couple minutes before she sits up suddenly. "I have to go show Kurt!" she squeals, jumping off the bed. Jax follows her as she runs to the living room and he sighs, grabbing his leash. He figures now is as good as time as any to take Jax out before they go to sleep.

He hears Rachel's excited babbling as he walks over to where Jax is waiting by the door. He drops a kiss to her hair as he passes, smiling at the knowing look Kurt is shooting him. He totally owes him, he knows.

He walks back inside a few minutes later after Jax is finished doing his business and groans inwardly as he hears Rachel telling Kurt about their impending lunch with her fathers. He ignores the amused look both Kurt and Blaine are giving him as he sits on the couch next to Rachel.

"You ready to watch that movie?" he asks, lightly stroking her leg as she wraps both of her arms around his arm. He's come to learn that Rachel is very touchy and has no problems with PDA. It made him feel all warm inside when he asked her about it and she told him that she just likes to be close to him. "I'm getting kind of tired."

"Oh yes," she replies, yawning as she stands up. "We need to get some rest before the big day tomorrow. Kurt's going to help me get ready. Its going to be fabulous!"

He knows she's super excited because a whole day with everyone's attention on her is like a dream day to Rachel Berry. Some people would find it annoying, but it's her birthday and he just wants her to be happy.

"I can't wait, my darling diva," Kurt replies airily, getting up and kissing her on the cheek. "I have so many great ideas."

Rachel beams and Finn starts to usher her out of the room before he can listen to an hour long discussion on all of Kurt's "great" ideas. He mumbles a 'night' as he kicks the door shut with his foot and turns around to find Rachel on the bed and Jax asleep in his kennel.

She beckons him over with a wag of her finger and he immediately complies, lying down next to her on the bed. She moves her legs so she is propped up on his stomach, straddling him as she leans down and gives him a long kiss. He groans, wrapping his arms around her as his hand creeps up the back of her shirt.

"I thought you said you wanted to go to sleep," he manages to get out between kisses, as her hands strip off his shirt. The feeling of her hands on his bare chest alone is making him summon the mailman and he wonders where he lost all self control. He feels like he's in high school again as she trails kisses up his stomach and he sucks in a breath.

She sits up and her hands find the bottom of his sweatshirt that she is still wearing. She slowly creeps it up the length of her stomach and torso, revealing her red lacy bra. His mouth goes dry, and he's losing every ounce of self control. They've been this far before, hell even further and he knows he's going to have to pump the breaks eventually because he wants their first time together to be so special. Rachel deserves that much.

That doesn't mean he can't enjoy it in the mean time, though. She swoops the sweatshirt over her head and throws it across the room before leaning down so their chests are touching and their lips are about a centimeter apart.

"Suddenly not so tired," she breaths before he surges up and rolls her underneath him, causing her to giggle hysterically.

His palms are sweating as he knocks on Rachel's door the next day.

He's so nervous and it's as if the universe hates him because instead of Rachel answering, Santana does and her expression shows just how much she is enjoying his pain. He swears Rachel told him that all of her roommates would be gone for the day, getting stuff prepared for the night.

"I'm about to go to work," Santana says in lieu of a greeting. "But this is gold. I hope the dads get here soon. I have to watch this."

He gives her a sarcastic smile and mutters, "Thanks, Santana."

She seems to grow a heart in the next five seconds because she puts a hand on his arm and forces him to look at her. "Dude, get that "I gotta take a crap" look off your face. You'll be fine. Rachel loves you, so they'll love you."

He swears a feather could knock him over right now because did Santana just say that Rachel loves him? She must notice her slip of tongue because she gathers up all of her stuff right as Rachel walks out of her room, slipping an earring in her ear.

"Well, as much fun as this has been, I gotta go. Happy Birthday, Ray. Love you. Bye Tubbs," she babbles as she rushes out of the apartment.

He's still trying to wrap his mind around everything that just happened, but he snaps back into reality when Rachel's voice fills his ears.

"I don't know why she calls you Tubbs. You are not tubby at all! You are in fantastic shape actually and Santana would be lucky-" she rants and he cuts her off with a scorching kiss.

"Hey birthday girl," he laughs as he pulls back and leaves her with a dazed expression. "These are for you."

He hands her the bouquet of white roses, her favorite, and he can't help but smile as blushes, thanks him, and goes to put them in some water. He sits at the island in her kitchen and his nerves set in once again. She seems to notice and walks over to stand between his legs.

"You'll be fine," she comforts him, placing her hands on his shoulders. He places a kiss on her wrist before joining their hands together and playing with her fingers.

"When will they be-" he starts, before he's cut off by the doorbell ringing. He inwardly groans, preparing himself for the meeting. Rachel's expression turns giddy and she runs towards the door and flings it open.

"Dad! Daddy!" she exclaims, hugging them. He notices that one is taller one with grey hair, Hiram he remembers, seems to be trying to peek around Rachel to get a glimpse of him. Leroy, he assumes based on what Rachel has told him, looks indifferent of his presence.

"Logey," her tone softens as she hugs her younger brother, who scrunches up his nose at the nickname. He's humorously taller than her, but he shouldn't be surprised. He's said it before, his girl's tiny. They all ramble birthday wishes to her and she basks in the attention for a few moments before turning to him.

She slips her hand into his and beams up at him. "Dad, Daddy, Logan, this is Finn."

"Mr. Berrys," he says, shaking their hands. Hiram excitedly shakes back and says something to Rachel about his strong handshake and that being a good trait to have. He can't really pay attention, though, because Leroy is sizing him up and down. He smiles shakily and pulls back before looking at Logan.

The young boy is looking up at him in awe. His messy brown hair flops over his forehead and he somewhat reminds Finn of himself. He's tall and lanky and has piercing blue eyes, very much unlike Rachel. "Hey, Logan," he greets, giving him a fist bump, which Logan eagerly returns.

"You're Finn Hudson," he finally manages to get out, and Finn thinks he might start hyperventilating at any moment. The Berry dramatic gene is a dominant one, apparently.

"I brought you something," Finn says, handing him a gift bag. "Your sister said you're a big fan, so I got you this. It's a thank you for your loyalty to the Buckeyes."

Logan opens the bag and takes out the football that he and some of the other guys have signed. Rachel and her father gasp, and he swears they are about to burst into tears as Logan holds the football up.

"Thanks, dude!" Logan exclaims, surprising him with a hug. "This is the best gift ever."

"It's not a problem," he smiles at him as he sees Leroy's face softens a little for a moment. However, the moment is fleeting as it turns steely again.

"Are we ready to go?" he asks, as they all gather their things and head out the door. Rachel's looking at him like he hung the moon and whispering how wonderful he is and he can't help but feel content at the moment.

He thinks maybe this lunch won't go that badly.

He's wrong.

While Hiram seems to take a liking to him, Leroy seems to be intent on grilling him about everything, including school, football, and girls. Luckily, Rachel and Logan have tried to help him out whenever they can, each time trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"I read that you're supposed to be a top 10 draft pick! That's so cool. I want to be a football player, too! I've been working a lot on my throws and runs," Logan exclaims between bites of his food. Rachel looks at him fondly and he loves being able to see this side of her, how she interacts with her brother.

"That's great, Log, but you need to chew with your mouth closed," she says in a motherly tone and he totally can see her being a great mom.

"So, you're going to the draft, Finn?" Leroy asks and Finn braces himself for what he is sure to be another grilling.

"Yes, sir, that's the plan."

"And what if you get hurt? Then what will you do? How will you provide for our Rachela?" he asks, taking a bite of his salad.

"Daddy!" Rachel sputters out, giving Leroy an annoyed look. Logan and Hiram seem to be content on just looking at their food.

"It's a valid question, princess," he states before turning back to Finn. "Her ex-boyfriend, Jesse St. James, is going to be a doctor. He just got accepted into medical school. What a great stable career to provide for a family. Oh, and he just comes from great parents. Dr. and Mrs. St. James are some of our dearest friends."

"Daddy," Rachel grits out between her teeth as she stomps her foot and he's glad the anger is not aimed towards him. Her other father just sits there in silence and shakes his head, clearly not going to get involved.

He can't help but feel a little down on himself after the ego beat down Leroy is handing him. He knows about Jesse, him and Rachel have talked about all their exes. In those conversations, she has mentioned how her father wants them to get back together. However, she has assured him that there is nothing there. From what Finn has gathered from these talks, Jesse seems like a flat douche.

"I'm just trying to get to know him better, sweet pea," Leroy promises. "Finn, what do your parents do? Doctors? Lawyers?"

"Ah, actually my dad was in the army. He died when I was a baby. My mom's a nurse, which is totally cool since that's what Rachel wants to do." He gives her a little smile and she grabs his hand, squeezing it gently. "My step-dad is actually a congressman here in Ohio. His name's Burt Hummel."

Leroy seems to perk up at this information as his eyes light up. "Your father is Burt Hummel?"

"Step-father," he corrects.

"Well why didn't you say something sooner?" he asks, seemingly happy and free-spirited all of a sudden. "Burt and I are dear friends. I've done a lot of work on his campaigns and on some charity events."

Leroy's mood changes in that instant and he seems to take a liking to Finn. They spend the rest of the lunch laughing and conversing between all of them and Finn breathes a sigh of relief. He can't help but feel a little put out that it is because her dad knows Burt and not because he seems to like him. Right now, he'll take what he can get.

Her fathers drop them back off at Rachel's after their lunch and wish her luck on the rest of the night. They have an event to attend in Cincinnati that night and have to leave quickly. He promises Logan that they will see each other soon and he will play some football with him because he's taking a liking to the teenager and it would make Rachel so happy. As they drive off, Rachel beams at him, so he figures he must have done something right.

"What?" he asks, as he settles on her bed, picking up one of her stuffed animals.

"Thank you."

"For what?" he asks, even though he knows what she's talking about, as she leans down and kisses him.

"I know that probably wasn't the easiest, but you did great," she states, reaching a hand out to pull him up. "Now you need to go."

"What? Why?" he whines, ready to lay down and take a well-deserved nap or keep kissing, either one would be fine with him.

"I have to shower and get ready! It's my night!" she exclaims and he rolls his eyes, but relents as he starts walking towards the door.

He turns around once he reaches it and gives her a quick kiss, "I'll see you later."

"Hey Finn?" she calls out while he's walking back to his car.

"I think you're going to like my outfit," she winks then shuts the door.

His only response is to groan.

Holy fuck.

Those are the two words that come to Finn's mind when he goes to pick Rachel at her apartment. When he returned home earlier, he passed Kurt who was on his way out the door to go help Rachel get ready. He was informed that he was under strict instructions to not even think about returning to Rachel's until 6 that night so Kurt could do his magic. Whatever that meant.

He spent the rest of the day hanging out with Jax and Puck when he came home. After some video games with Puck, they had both retreated to their bedrooms to get ready for the night. Puck and Quinn seemed to suddenly be on stable ground again, and he doesn't ask about it because he's sure he doesn't want to know how he earned her forgiveness.

Now, walking into the girls' apartment, he feels like he needs to send his brother a thank you note or something because Rachel looks amazing. Like, she always looks beautiful, but tonight she looks downright hot.

Her hair is done in big, voluminous curls cascading down her back and her makeup is smoky. She's got on this bright red lipstick that makes her lips look even bigger and all he wants to do is pull them into his mouth.

She's wearing a flowy black shirt, a black leather jacket over it, and these tiny black shorts that seem to be painted onto her ass. A smile comes to his face when he realizes she's wearing the necklace he got her. His eyes continue down her legs, damn those legs, to her feet. They are encased in a bright red high heel and those are 'fuck me' shoes if he's every seen a pair. She looks smokin' and he can't help but be reminded of an 80's rock video. His favorite.

He must be drooling and making a fool of himself because everyone's staring at him. Puck finally knocks him in the back and he's forced out of his daze. Rachel's smirking at him, along with Santana and Quinn, while Kurt, Puck, and Mike are laughing. She knows the effect she's having on him, as his pants are feeling a little tight.

Rachel saunters over to him as Santana turns on some music and everyone begins to start pre-gaming the night. He's the designated driver for the first part of the night, so he will not be partaking.

"Hi, QB," she breathes, leaning up and pecking his lips quickly and he tastes vodka already in her mouth. She reaches up to wipe the lipstick he's sure is on his face off. "You look handsome tonight," she states looking down at his dark wash jeans and white button up.

"You. Are. Gorgeous," he whispers, accentuating each words with a kiss somewhere on her face before pulling back. "You look seriously hot."

She giggles and he thinks she may be a little tipsy, or maybe she's just basking in his attention. "I told you that you would like it."

"I love it," he says and catches himself before he lets out the 'I love you' that was about to fall off his tongue. Now is not the time, dumbass, he thinks as he looks around at their friends dancing and laughing around the room.

He grabs her hand and they walk over to where Quinn and Santana are calling Rachel's name as they pull out a red and white sash that says '21 and fun'. Rachel squeals while she puts it on and her excitement for the night is contagious. Kurt and Blaine hand her various shot necklaces to put around her neck, while Tina hands her a pretzel necklace that she has made. Whatever that is. Brittany is distraught because she had a pin for her to wear, but Lord Tubbington is holding it hostage. Rachel assures her that it's okay.

He motions for Puck to hand him the bag that he brought in and he slips his gift out of it, coming up behind Rachel as she tries to console Brittany. Quinn gave him specific instructions on what to get, so he hopes that he didn't screw it up. He places the sparkly red tiara on her head as he winds one arm around her waist, pulling her back into him and kissing her cheek.

Rachel is giddy as she's been going on and on all week about wanting a tiara to wear for her birthday. He briefly wonders how it's possible for someone to look hot and cute at the same time as she saunters off to make sure she looks presentable before they go to dinner at her favorite Mexican restaurant. The plan is for the ten of them to have dinner and then the rest of their friends will meet up with them at the bar.

They all pile into his and Blaine's cars, as Kurt has appointed Blaine the other DD because he plans on celebrating with Rachel. He swears Kurt thinks it's his birthday as well and the thought makes him roll his eyes. He can't be too annoyed, though, because he's happy his brother and girlfriend get along so well.

The dinner is great and he loves how well their friend groups have blended together. He laughs as Puck and Mike join in with the workers as they dance and sing 'Happy Birthday' to Rachel in Spanish. He cringes as they buy Rachel a total of four tequila shots and he can tell she's getting drunk because her eyes start glazing over and won't stop touching him. Not that he really minds that part. He almost cries when Quinn gives an emotional birthday toast about their friendship that strikes a chord within him. He's really glad she has someone like Quinn that will always be there for her.

They decide to go to this kareoke bar called Callbacks that he's never been to before. The place is right up Rachel's alley as he knows how much she loves to sing. They have a reserved section that some of Rachel's sorority sisters are already sitting at, as well as some of his football buddies. They all sing her 'Happy Birthday' as she walks in and she once again basks in the attention, while hugging his arm with both of hers. He knows she's doing it to help herself stand up correctly because the alcohol is seriously hitting her.

Deciding that the bar is close enough to his apartment that they could walk home if needed, he goes up to the bar to order a drink while Rachel uses the bathroom. He needs some form of alcohol in his system if he's going to go up there and sing, which he knows is going to end up happening once Rachel releases the eyes on him.

He stands there for a while watching the plastic looking bartender get everyone but him drinks. He tries to get the guy's attention multiple times, but he seems set on not getting him a drink. This really surprises him because he's usually treated like a celebrity around town. He's still trying desperately to get the douche's attention when he feels a pair of slender arms wrap around his waist from behind and hot breath on his ear.

Grinning, he moves to the side a bit, letting Rachel stand beside him at the bar. He loves that the skyscrapers she is wearing on her feet bring them closer to being face to face and he can't resist leaning down and grabbing a pretzels off her necklace with his teeth.

"Hey!" she cries, shoving his face away as he licks at her hand. "Those were mine!"

He's about to retort when the douche walks over to them and interrupts. "Rachel!" he exclaims, looking at her too long for Finn's liking.

Rachel looks up at him and gasps, "Brody! How are you?"

He leans over the bar and gives her a hug and Finn tries not to get jealous because he doesn't want Rachel to think he's that guy. And who knows? They may just be friends, but judging by the way Brody is looking at her, the friendship may be a one way street.

"Can't complain. You look great. Is it your birthday?" he asks, not even acknowledging Finn's presence. Duh, ass hat, it's her birthday, he wants to retort because she's wearing a sash and tiara and that's not a normal staple in a girl's wardrobe.

"Yep!" Rachel replies happily, grabbing his arm. "Brody, this is my boyfriend, Finn. Finn, this is my friend Brody. We lived on the same floor freshman year and he was in some of my classes."

Brody seems to finally notice his presence, and gives Finn an uneasy look. "You look familiar," he says, seemingly sizing Finn up.

"Uhh, probably from football," Finn says, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. It's not something he likes to brag about. "I'm the quarterback."

"Oh, probably not," Brody says, rather rudely. "I don't really watch sports. They're too caveman like for me."

Finn doesn't know what to do with that comment, so he just brushes it off. "Well it was nice to meet you. Can I get a beer? And whatever she wants," he says, nodding at Rachel who's beaming at him.

"Sure," Brody mumbles, handing him a beer and making Rachel a fruity looking shot. "It's on the house. Happy birthday, Rachel. Save me a song later?" he winks at her before walking to another part of the bar and Finn seriously wants to punch this guy's face in.

Rachel downs the shot and grabs Finn's hand to lead him to a table with their friends. Everyone's pretty drunk and passing around a song book to decide what they are going to sing. He can't help but glance back at the bar, where he sees Brody glaring at him from afar.

"What's wrong, baby?" Rachel asks, nuzzling his cheek with her nose. He turns to her and places a kiss on her temple, trying to shake off what just happened because he doesn't want to ruin her birthday. Besides, she's barely given Brody any attention.

"Nothing."

Santana stomps over at that moment and detaches Rachel from him, barking something about all the girls singing a song at her. He shakes his head and moves to sit at the booth with Mike, Puck, Kurt, and Blaine as his attention focuses towards the stage.

The music to "Livin' on a Prayer" starts and he grins because it's one of his favorites. Then, Rachel opens her mouth and starts the first verse and he becomes entranced because her voice is phenomenal. He's heard her sing in the shower, so he's always known she is good, but right now she is seriously blowing him away and he feels her voice touch something within him. If he didn't know that he loved her before, he sure as hell did now.

It doesn't hurt that her and the other girls are doing all of these sexy rock moves as they parade around the stage singing. They all have great voices, but Rachel's is far superior. He can tell this isn't the first time they have done this as it seems like a well choreographed number. He looks around and all of the guys' jaws are hanging open as they watch. He can't help but feel a little proud because his girl's up there and she's killing it. He spots Brody, who also looks mesmerized by Rachel and he has to stop himself from going over there and closing his mouth for him.

The song ends and they flounce off the stage. Rachel settles on his lap, throwing back another shot and asking him what he thought.

He can't find the words to express exactly what her voice does to him, so he settles for giving her a hard kiss on the mouth. "So sexy," he whispers as his tongue finds her ear. She moans and tightens her hold around him his tongue travels down to her neck, her hand settling on his chest. He knows she must be drunk is she's letting him do this in public, but he figures he'll take what he can get. Besides, he hopes he's sending that Brody dude the message that Rachel is taken.

Kurt interrupts their moment as he pretends to gag. "Can you stop sucking face? It's my turn to sing with Rachel," he all but whines.

Finn once again rolls his eyes, but loosens his grip. She gives him an apologetic look as she follows Kurt onstage to sing a duet.

He sits back and watches her the rest of the night as she sings different songs with various groups of people. She seems so at peace and it's like she belongs up on stage. Him and the guys throw back a few more beers and he's having a really good time. That is until a little while later when the sound system guy calls for Brody and Rachel to come up and sing a duet.

She looks a little stunned as she walks toward the stage and he can tell she did not sign up for this. That only leaves one option and he seriously wants to punch the face off the little creep. Rachel, ever the entertainer, simply grabs a mic and gets ready to perform. The opening notes of "Give Your Heart a Break" start playing and it takes everything inside of Finn not to storm out and make a scene. Or kick a chair. He really feels like kicking a chair right now.

He watches, unamused, as Brody starts circling Rachel as they duet and it makes him want to vomit seeing her with another guy. He knows that it sounds totally predatory, but he just doesn't trust this Brody guy.

After what feels like ages, the song finally ends and Finn frowns as he sees Brody walking towards their table. Apparently, his shift has luckily just ended and he can celebrate with them for Rachel's birthday.

"That was fantastic!" Kurt screeches clapping as they return to the table, and Finn can tell he's totally drunk. "You all have great musical chemistry!"

Finn suddenly feels like he's going to vomit and Blaine gives him a look as if to say he was sorry for Kurt's words. Rachel is looking at her feet, and he kind of feels bad for her because the situation is so awkward. That is until the next words leave Brody's mouth.

"That's not the only chemistry we've had. Right, Rachel?" he nudges her side in a joking manner. As the implications of the statement weighs down on Finn, he is pretty sure he is actually going to vomit. Puck looks like he wants to rip the tool's head off, too, and that makes him feel only a little better. He meets Rachel's eyes before he stands up abruptly. He needs some air, like right now.

He makes his way through the loud bar hastily and doesn't hear Rachel calling after him until he's outside leaning against the brick of the building, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

"Finn!" she calls, trying to sprint in her heels towards him. He feels bad because those heels have to be killer to walk in and she's drunk, which isn't helping the process. He catches her as she stumbles to him, and helps her stand upright, her eyes blazing. "What the hell was that? I know Brody comes on a little strong, but I didn't do anything!"

"You slept with THAT guy?" He all but yells the statement and he suddenly feels a little drunk, too. His head is spinning and he can't get the image of Brody and Rachel together out of his mind. They've talked about exes, but they've never had this conversation before.

"Finn, you can't possibly be mad about stuff that happened before I knew you."

He knows she's right and he knows that his own record isn't spotless. He went a little crazy his freshman year after he left the small town life. It just physically pains him to think about Rachel with other people like that.

"It was my freshman year after Jesse and I broke up," she starts before he cuts her off, telling her that he really doesn't need to hear this.

"I think it's important, Finny," she says, dropping down next to him on the ground and grabbing his hand. She's giving him those eyes and he doesn't think he could ever stay mad at her. Not that he really had a reason in the first place when he comes to think of it. "We need to have this talk sooner or later if our relationship is going to work and we are going to trust each other."

"I know," he relents. "I just don't like thinking about you with somebody else.. like that."

"You think I do?" she asks sarcastically, still holding his hand. "We need to be honest with each other. We can't be angry over things that happened in the past. So as much as this kills me to ask, how many for you?"

She looks apprehensive as the words leave her mouth and he raises her hand to kiss it before answering. "Ten."

"Ten?" she asks, her voice raising an octave. "Wow."

He suddenly becomes defensive because he feels like she's judging him. "Ten's not that many," he blurts out. "You should hear how many girls Puck has slept with. Mike, too."

"I'm not judging you, Finn," she says, looking at the ground. "That's just a lot to live up to whenever the time does come."

"Baby," he lifts her chin up as he speaks. "You're perfect. None of those other girls made me feel like you do."

It's true. Although they haven't had sex yet, he knows that it's going to be the best because she's the best. And he loves her. He almost tells her, but he chickens out.

"Four," she admits, looking him straight in the eyes. "I've slept with four guys."

He's really surprised and relieved at the number because he figures guys would be throwing themselves at her. I mean, just look at her, but she looks kind of ashamed right now and he has no idea why. He doesn't really care about Brody that much anymore and he wants to go back to having fun. It is her 21st birthday and they can have this discussion some other time. He thinks they've come to somewhat of an understanding anyways.

"Okay," he mumbles, wanting to talk about anything but this. She's shivering a little and he pulls her up so they're standing face to face. He leans in and gives her a sweet kiss. "Let's go back inside."

He starts to head back in the building, but she uses his hand to yank him back to her. She pushes him against the wall with strength he didn't know she had and connects their lips. He moans into the kiss before she pulls away. She's biting her lip and looking at him shyly, and he wishes he had a camera to capture how she looks in this moment because it literally takes his breath away.

"I love you," she whispers and he swears his heart soars out of his chest. She's giving him that look again and he'll never get tired of it.

"I love you too, legs," he grins after a second, and picks her up as she wraps her legs around his waist before they dive in for another kiss.

Take that, Brody.

They finally go back inside about a half an hour later.

He could have stayed leaned against the wall kissing Rachel all night, but a group of people walked by, shouting at them to 'get a room.' He seriously thinks about it for a moment and the look on Rachel's face says she is, too. But, he realizes that all of her friends are inside to celebrate her birthday and that would just be rude to ditch them.

Quinn has a round of shots waiting for them when they get back and Puck's giving them a sly look like he knows what they were doing. It might also have to do with the fact that he's got red lipstick on his neck, but he can't bring himself to care right now. Brody is nowhere to be seen and he has a strong suspicion that Puck took care of it for him.

Kurt, Blaine, Tina, and Mike apparently left a bit ago after Kurt and Tina started to feel sick. A lot of their other friends also have left as it is nearing closing time, leaving Finn, Rachel, Puck, Quinn, Santana, and Brittany. They seem hellbent on getting Rachel plastered and keep giving her drinks, which makes Finn feel a little uneasy. She's going to have a killer hangover in the morning.

They finish out the night with a few more songs, and Finn even finds himself on stage singing "Faithfully" with Rachel. The combination of the alcohol and Rachel's puppy dog eyes make him relent to anything she asks and she looks mystified when they sing together. Brody can say whatever he wants, they have real musical chemistry.

She practically drags him off stage and is kissing him anywhere she can reach, mumbling how amazing his voice is, as they stumble back to the table. Santana raises her eyebrows, laughs, and motions that she and Brittany are leaving in a cab.

He grabs Rachel's clutch as he decides that it's time to leave because he can tell she's super drunk and getting very handsy. He walks outside, where he finds Puck and Quinn waiting for them and they decide they will all walk back to the boys' apartment together. He doesn't want to risk his entire future just to drive home.

He hoists Rachel onto his back and she automatically wraps her arms and legs around him. She leans her head forward so it's resting right by his and nuzzles his ear with her nose. Puck does the same to Quinn next to him and they start the short trek to their apartment.

She starts licking his ear again and he has to tighten his grip on her to stop from dropping her. He keeps trying to get her to stop, but after a while just lets it go. There are worse things that could happen to him than his super hot girlfriend kissing his ear he decides.

"Hey, Berry. Think you can wait til we get home to eat Finn's ear?" Puck asks, him and Quinn chuckling at Rachel's wanton behavior.

"As a matter of fact, Noah," Rachel slurs, "We are gonna do it all night long when we get back to the apartment."

He seriously wants to face palm right now because he can't believe that just came out of Rachel's mouth. She doesn't like when he cusses or says anything the least be offensive, yet here she is proclaiming they are gonna do it. All. Night. Long.

Puck bursts out laughing and nearly drops Quinn as Rachel gives him a glare. "Is that so? Better hope you didn't drink too much tonight, Finny boy. Would hate for you to not be able to keep it up."

He's about to retort when Rachel beats him to it. "I think he will be fine 'keeping it up.' Finn is very large and-"

He clamps a hand over her mouth to keep her from finishing that sentence and breathes a sigh of relief when they stop outside their apartment door. Puck can't stop laughing and Quinn has fallen asleep on his back. Luckily, Kurt and Blaine left the door unlocked so they could walk right in. Puck retreats to his room, while Finn heads towards his. He can hear Kurt retching in the bathroom and he really hopes Rachel doesn't have the same fate.

She goes limp as he deposits her on the bed and she's looking at him through hooded eyes. Her gaze is lustful and she pulls him down for a kiss. Jax starts barking from his kennel and he knows he needs to be let out, so he untangles himself from Rachel's embrace. He opens the kennel and Jax pounces on the bed next to Rachel, licking her face while she giggles.

"Hi Jaxy!" she continues to giggle as he hooks the leash on the dog.

"C'mon, bud. Let's go outside. Be right back, Rach."

He comes back in his room five minutes later to find her passed out on his bed, still fully clothed. He grins because she looks so peaceful as he lets Jax off the leash. The dog immediately jumps on the bed and settles next to Rachel.

He pulls her shoes off, along with all her necklaces and tiara. He goes to his drawer and fishes out a pair of pajamas for him and a t-shirt for her. He changes quickly before sliding her clothes off carefully and slipping the shirt over her head. She stirs a bit as he places her under the covers and slides in behind her. She turns over in his arms and lays her head on his chest, while throwing her arm over his stomach.

"Mmmm," she mumbles, placing her freezing toes on his calf making him squirm a bit. "Love you."

"Night, baby," he whispers while kissing her temple. "Love you, too."

He finds himself envisioning future birthdays they celebrate together as he drifts off to sleep.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the new chapter. Please review! I wanted to throw a little drama in there, but also our Finchel cuteness!