Finn and Rae were rather awkwardly sat on her couch, alternating looks between each other and the walls.
Finn let out a huff, "So.."
Which seemed to be the extent of his pondering.
"Want me ta put on a tape?"
"Course." Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a mix he made last night. "This one."
Rae flipped the tape in her hand as she walked to the stereo. She noticed side a had FAR written across it and b-side AWAY. Puzzled, she turned back toward Finn, who had his head down, elbows resting on his knees. Finn was wondering if she'd ask about the writing on the cassette. He wanted to be more direct, but when he took pen to tape he chickened out and wrote FAR and AWAY. Even his heart seemed to roll its eyes at the meaning. Finn and Rae: Always Wanting and Yearning. He could kick himself, it was so dumb. Scratching at his earlobe, he turned his head slightly to peek at Rae, pinkening as he caught her eye. She too quickly turned back to the stereo, grabbing onto the stand to stabilize her balance, which made him chuckle. She embodied how he felt just then. Off balance. He only hoped she was there to catch him.
Pressing play, Rae walked back to the couch made herself comfy, the lyrics of 'If You Could Read My Mind' flowed through the living room, wrapping them in a warm embrace. Finn was a few inches away from her, but both struck a similar pose, reclined with legs outstretched and crossed at the ankles. Her head was back, eyes closed, and he took the chance to rove his eyes over her body. Oh, what a body it was!
He was startled when on his return journey up, he was met with a mischievous glint in hers. The tips of his ears started to burn. Is she thinking what I'm thinking? Finn pondered, as a lopsided grin took over her features.
"It's a shame really," that wasn't what he expected; off his puzzled expression, "I can't make fun of you for this."
The corners of his lips twitched, but Finn bit back the disappointment. Maybe this was a lost cause. Did she really see nothing in his eyes just then? He felt certain his desire shone through. As the silence between them lengthened and started to become uncomfortable, he opted for a more playful return. "I'm not the one with the Boyzone cassette."
Sucking her bottom lip in for a moment to think of an excuse, she retorted, "It's Chloe's."
He swatted the side of her thigh with the back of his hand, "Liar." Instead of retreating, as he was wont to do, Finn picked at the outside seam of her jeans. As if he could pry the fabric apart with his fingernail. It was a small touch, but one they both enjoyed. Her muscles tensed as one finger became two and then slid upward. Rae couldn't stop the small squeak that escaped, and was acutely disappointed, but eager as she felt the beginnings of a letter being traced out with both fingers.
Tracing out each letter down to her knee, Finn went back up to her mid thigh as though he was using a typewriter. An incredibly alive and vibrating typewriter. T-H-I-S-I-S-N-I-C-E. Rae nodded emphatically. It didn't matter to either of them if he was talking about the music, the time together or his touch.
His finger was poised to start another letter when his voice startled her out of the lovely sensations coursing through her lower extremities.
"Wanna come to mine for dinner Saturday?" By the way her eyes grew to saucers, Finn knew that was the last thing she expected to hear. Realizing his hand was still resting on her thigh, he snatched it back with much reluctance. Rae straightened up and pushed herself back against the arm of the couch, to his dismay much farther from him.
"Why?" She flinched at the defensiveness she heard in her tone.
"'Cause I wanna have dinner with you... and my parents." What was with her tone? What was so wrong with having dinner with him? He could see the problem with his parents. It didn't exactly thrill him either, but not for any reason she might think.
"Your parents too?"
"Will you stop doing that." Finn huffed.
"What?"
"That!" He threw his hand in the direction of her mouth.
"Oh." With a rather dubious look, Rae apologized. "I don't know Finn."
He decided to come clean, a little bit, as to why he was asking, "Look you don't have to if you don't want to, it's just my dad and I were going through some of Nan's things and well, you've been there for me so much since she passed," he wasn't sure quite how to express what he really wanted to say, so he went with, "and my parents would like to thank you." It was best not to mention no girl had ever been over to dinner with his parents before or that he was wanting to bring her into his family.
"Finn, that's not... they don't... you don't... I'm just glad that I could be there for you. Getting a smile out of your grumpy arse is thanks enough for me."
He chuckled, leaning his arm across the back of the couch. "I'm not sure how to take that." Slightly leaning in toward her, he turned his chocolate eyes onto her in what he hoped was a woeful expression; if he could keep biting back the smile threatening. "Please Rae, it'd mean a lot to me." He watched as she bit her lip. He almost had her, he knew it. "You can even see my baby pictures."
"Okay. Saturday it is." Her tone one of merriment. Finn quickly squashed the urge to whoop and clap his hands together. Instead he took her left hand in his and with his right index finger said: T-H-A-N-K-Y-O-U.
The rest of the week seemed to whiz by, almost as if everything hinged on this weekend, this dinner. Finn thought in several ways it did. This was a completely new experience for him. He nodded to the gang from his spot as they made their way to their usual table at the pub with Rae pulling up the back, arm and arm with Chloe. Chop flopped onto the seat next to Finn, while Izzy took the one across from Chop; Chloe took the chair on the other side of Finn, leaving Archie at the corner and Rae next to Izzy. At least he could see her, if not talk to her. What passed for talking with them. He loved the nearness of her and missed it when she wasn't beside him and the fact that they could communicate without a sound, just touches and looks. It was strange and wonderful.
He had noticed a few pointed looks from Chop lately though. Clearly wondering why Finn was spending so much time with his hand under the table, but no one else seemed to notice and Chop had yet to comment. Something which he was grateful for. Wasn't like him at all, Finn reflected.
Coming out of his own musings, he just caught the tail end of Izzy's sentence, "... my house tomorrow night."
Chop clapped his hands together, that mischievous glint entering his eyes and taking over his entire face, "Do I hear another sexah party?"
"No, you do not! This is girls only." Came the curt reply from the redhead.
"Uhm..." Was as far as Finn got, silently thanking Chop for having a big mouth.
Chop's brows shot up, "Oh, I see, us guys can't be expected to offend such delicate sensibilities of the ladies."
The eyes of the table all turned to him curiously.
"What? My sister was watching one of those Jane Austen movies." Apparently, that was his defense and he was sticking to it.
"Well then boys, since the ladies are occupied, whats say we find a party. I heard Tommy was having a bash out at the old barn house. "
Finn felt a sudden pain in his shin. He glared over at Rae. She was looking a bit desperate. He felt a bit desperate. The whole gang didn't need to know their business, but unless they both lied, there wasn't another way around it.
Shrugging, Finn took a gulp of his beer. He smiled into his glass when Rae let out a huff and turned to Izzy, "I can't come tomorrow night."
"Why not?"
"Finn's dad bought him a couple crates of records and I already promised to go through them with him, I mean we don't want out ears bleeding do we?"
Arching his brow, Finn was clearly not amused at her excuse. While the rest of the table chuckled. Archie raised his glass to Rae, which only raised Finn's hackles. Chloe apparently bored of the conversation got up to mingle about with Barney and their other cohorts; as did Archie a moment later. Feeling some of the tension leave his body, Finn added, "And have dinner with my parents."
Izzy's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and immediately leaned into Rae, who flushed becomingly at whatever whispered words had just came out of the redhead's mouth.
While Chop's low whistle drew Finn's irritation. "Well well well, you've never had a girl meet your parents before." To which Finn smacked Chop on the back of the head. Maybe it'd knock some sense into him. Flickering his panicked eyes to the girls he noted they were now deep in conversation. Finn tried to convey in a look that Chop needed to watch his mouth or at least quiet it down. For once Chop just nodded, clapped Finn on the back, and picked up his own glass while scanning the room. Finn did the same.
One more day. He felt like he was teetering on the edge of something. The turning in his stomach equal to the flutter of anticipation.
