Disclaimer- I own nothing -.-
Finns POV
"Finn, I'm sorry but I really have to go. The ceremony starts in two hours and I still have to finish getting ready. I'll text you the address again, but please try not to be late." Someones voice speaks faintly in the background, to which Rachel replies to sarcastically before returning her attention to our conversation. "I know weddings aren't really your 'thing' and your afraid you won't know anybody, but please. Do this for me? If you decide not to show up, then I'm going to be left to dance with my creepy cousin Michael whose had a crush on me since the fourth grade" I can practically feel her cringe through the phone.
"Fine, but you owe me" I say as I finally give in, examining the tux that was currently laying on my bed. "I'll see you in a little bit. Love you"
"Love you too" I can hear the smile in her voice as she says this before the line goes dead, causing a smile of my own to appear. Tossing my phone lightly onto the bed, I head to the bathroom for a quick shower before getting ready. As I'm washing my hair, I remember back to when she first brought up our plans for the day, a little over three weeks ago.
The two of us were laying on my bed as music played in the background. It had been two weeks since we lost regionals, and a week since school let out for the summer. Neither of us were talking, both lost in our own thoughts as a familiar song began to play. Rachel's head rested on my chest as I mindlessly played with her hair, and I could feel her smile against me once she realized what song it was. As the lyrics to 'Faithfully' floated out from the speakers, she moved a little closer and I gently kissed the top of her head. It was times like these where it felt like things couldn't possibly get any better, where just relaxing in each others arms as a comfortable silence surrounded us was enough.
"Finn, what are your thoughts on weddings?" She asked as she looked up at me, bringing me from my thoughts.
"We're a little too young to be thinking about marriage, aren't we?" I joked, looking back at her with a teasing half-smile. The blush that rose to her cheeks as I said this caused a small chuckle to escape me as she glared.
"I didn't mean us, obviously." She clarified, still glaring. "My cousin Angela is getting married in a few weeks and she asked me to be a bridesmaid. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me. Its a small backyard wedding, nothing too big. It should be fun. Please?" As she finished, she was basically pouting, making it nearly impossible for me to say no.
"I'm not going to know anyone there. It'll be awkward"
"You know me!" she argued, "And my dads. So you won't be completely alone. And I promise, after the actual ceremony, I won't leave your side at all during the after party" After a moment of hesitation, her smile widened as I gave a defeated sigh.
"Fine, I'll go. But I'm not big on the whole 'wedding' thing. Especially when its for people I don't even know."
"Thank you" She said before leaning up to brush her lips against mine. "Besides, it will be good practice for when you have to go to Burt and your moms wedding" I scoffed at this, to which she rolled her eyes and muttered something about it being inevitable.
Almost an hour passes before I'm finally stepping out of the shower and heading back to my room. A thought occurs to me then, and my eyes widen. Running to my bed, I grab my phone and ignore the text before dialing a familiar number. I pace as I wait for her to answer, and notice she sounds somewhat breathless when she does.
"Hello?"
"Rach, are they expecting me to bring a gift or something? Am I supposed to show up with anything?"
"Finn! You don't have to bring anything, its fine. Just... finish getting ready and I'll see you in an hour" Her voice is rushed, almost frustrated. "Did you get my text with the address?"
"Yeah, I got it. I'll let you go, see you in a bit" She mumbles a quick 'See you soon' before the line falls dead again.
The next hour passes by quickly as I finish getting ready, and soon enough I'm in my car looking over the address one last time before heading off. The house is huge, even for someone who is related to Rachel. Sending a quick text to let her know I've arrived, I park on the other side of the street and make my way to the back yard. Everything looks amazing of course, and I briefly wonder how much all of it must have cost. As I make my way towards the area where the ceremony is being held, I realize that the yard is about the size of a small park rather than the back of someones house. Taking one of the only available seats left, an isle seat, it isn't long before some beginning music starts up and the first two brides maids walk by. What I see next causes my heart to beat rapidly in my chest, and my breath to stop for a moment.
Rachel walks out wearing a deep red dress and carrying a bouquet of white roses, looking more angelic than anyone has the given right to. Her hair is partially up in a messy but perfect bun while the rest curls lightly just past her shoulders, and the smile she gives me as she walks by is enough to stop my heart. When did I become such a girl? I think briefly to myself as the music changes. Everyone stands to watch the bride make her entrance, but my eyes are glued on the brunette at the front as she stands with two other girls, smiling back at me.
The ceremony is short but sweet, and before too long everyone is making their way out of their aisles to congratulate the bride and groom. As I begin heading out to a less crowded area to look for Rachel, I stop when I hear my name.
"Finn" And there she is, making her way towards me with a smile lighting her face. "Hey, that wasn't so bad, was it?" She asks as she gets closer. "I told you there was nothing to-" Meeting her halfway, I cut her off when we meet and kiss her gently but passionately before she can say anymore.
"You're beautiful" I say softly as I pull back, my voice almost a whisper. I'm not even aware of the words as they spill from my mouth, but the blush that rises to her cheeks tells me that it was the kind of reaction she was looking for. "And you were right, that wasn't so bad" I admit with a small shrug.
"Told you. You just have to stop worrying about stuff like not knowing anyone. I mean, that's how you make friends, isnt it? You go out and meet people" Her small hand reaches down and takes hold of my own as we begin walking towards an empty table, lacing our fingers together as we go. "You look really nice too, by the way. I never really noticed how good you look in a tux" She adds as we reach the table.
"Yeah well, don't get used to it. This is pretty much a one-time-only thing" I mumble playfully once I take a seat. Smiling, she stands in front of me, between my knees as her hands find my shoulders and my own find her waist.
"With the exception of your mother and Burts wedding, of course" She reminds me, smirking before lightly pecking me on the lips. I simply grumble in response, pouting a bit as I do so. A soft laugh escapes her as she gently rocks my shoulders back and forth. "Why are you so against them getting married? Burt makes your mom happy and he really loves her. Shouldn't that be enough?" I know her question is rhetorical, so I stay quiet instead of speaking, knowing she is about to continue anyway. I'm now looking at anything but her eyes. Her tone is more serious this time, but also much softer. "Finn, I know he isn't your father, and I don't think he's trying to be. But Burt cares deeply for your mother. He loves her and wants to make her happy. She hasn't forgotten about your dad, Finn. She just realized that maybe she finally deserves to feel loved like that again. And she needs you to be there to support her in this, your her son and she can't do this without you" I feel her eyes on me the entire time she speaks, and her thumbs are gently caressing the skin over my collar.
"I hate when your right. Especially when it comes to stuff like this" I admit, looking back up into her eyes for the first time since she began. She lets out another soft laugh and smiles proudly.
"Well get used to it, because I tend to be right about most things" She jokes before leaning in and pressing her lips to mine again, lingering for a moment before pulling back. Just as she is about to move to sit on my lap, the bride comes over looking relieved.
"Rachel, there you are! Before the after-party starts, we're doing pictures" She explains before turning her attention to me, briefly. "Mind if I borrow her for a few minutes?" Her smile is friendly and joking, and Rachel lets out a soft laugh of her own as she steps to her cousins side.
"Go ahead. I'll be waiting right here" I promise, shooting a small wink at my girlfriend encouraging her to go before they both head back in the direction she originally came from.
As I wait for her return, I think back over all the things Rachel had mentioned. Burt wasn't trying to take my fathers place, he had assured me of that on several occasions. My mom seems to really care about him too, she practically lights up whenever he walks in the room. Still, a part of me feels like we're going behind my dads back in a way. I know he would want her to be happy, he would want both of us to be happy. With Rachel around, its kind of hard not to be, no matter how sappy that sounds. It seems like thats how my mom is with Burt sometimes too. Like nothing can really bother her when they're together. I guess the two of them getting married wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, as long as he makes my mom happy. Its not like he would hurt her anyway, Burt isn't that kind of guy as far as I can tell.
"Hey!" The bell-like voice pulls me from my thoughts and forces a smile on my face as I see the familiar brunette headed towards me. "Miss me?" she asks, her smile causing my heart to skip a beat.
"Of course" I respond, the smile on my face growing as I speak. "All done with the pictures?"
"Yeah, but they asked me to do something for them, so I'm going to have to break my promise tonight" She explains, biting her lower lip nervously.
"What promise?" Confusion is etched in my tone, and a soft chuckle escapes her as she takes in my apparent lost expression.
"I promised you that I would stay by your side for the rest of the night. Turns out, I might have to leave you hanging for a few minutes. They asked me to sing for their first dance as a married couple. They actually chose a pretty good song, too. I Turn To You by Christina Aguilara. Not many people choose it for their first dance, but I think it's sweet. They were going to listen to a recorded version of it, but Angela thought it would be sweeter if I sang it given my extensive history and years of training. Plus there's the whole family thing" I cant help but laugh a bit as she rambles on, and I briefly wonder whether its because she is doing it because she feels guilty about breaking her promise, or out of habit.
"Babe, babe." I interrupt, trying to slow her down. The look on her face tells me it was because she was feeling guilty. "Its fine, okay? I think its nice that they asked you. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." The relaxed smile that slowly forms on her face tells me that I've done my job in reassuring her.
"Good, and thank you." She says as she takes a seat on my lap, my arms slipping around her waist. We sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes as her hands play with the back of my collar and mine trace random patterns on her dress. "So, how should I repay you for actually showing up tonight?"
"Well considering how amazing you look and the fact that I get to be your date, I guess I can let this one slide." As I say the words, her smile grows and a faint blush rises to her cheeks. Her hands slowly fall to the lapels of my tux where her eyes rest as well.
"Things arent going to change after the summer, are they?" The timidness in her voice is hard to miss, and the way she is biting her lower lip tells me shes afraid of my answer.
"What do you mean?" I ask, furrowing my eyebrows slightly.
"I mean, your not just going to...you know, return to football and forget about the rest of us again, are you? Forget any of this year ever happened? About Glee club, about singing, about...me?" I've never heard Rachel sound so unsure of anything in all the time that I've known her, and it sends a thrill of protection through me as I realize what shes asking. My expression softens and I use my index finger to gently force her to look at me.
"Rachel, that's never going to happen. After everything that's happened over the past year, I'm not just going to forget it all and throw it away." I promise, "I'm coming back to Glee when school starts, and no amount of slushies thrown in my face is going to stop me." I pause for a moment to smile at her, and see the corners of her mouth twitch up slightly as well. My tone becomes more serious as I go on, and my hand gently rests on her cheek as I continue. "And I promise that I will never forget about you, Rach. I cant. I love you too much to just let all of this go once we head back to school. Your not going to get rid of me that easily, I'm in this for the long haul" I finish with another small smile.
"I needed to hear that" Her voice is almost a whisper, and the blush has returned to her cheeks.
"Is that whats had you so stressed out for the past few days?" She simply nods and looks back down, playing with my lapel again. I let out a soft, quiet laugh and move my hands to the tops of her arms, pulling her closer before placing a soft kiss to her forehead. "I love you" I whisper softly.
When she finally looks back up at me, its only for a few seconds before she is pressing her lips to mine. "I love you too" she mumbles before kissing me once again, both of us lingering in the moment.
"Oh my God, you guys are so cute!" A somewhat familiar voice interrupts us, and we pull apart to see Angela, the bride, standing there with her new husband. "Sorry, we didn't mean to interrupt. You guys are just adorable! Aren't they adorable?" She gushes, smiling widely at the two of us.
Her husband simply laughs, "How long have you two been together?"
"Almost three months" Rachel, Angela, and myself say at the same time. "But its felt like much longer" Angela goes on. As I'm giving her a curious look, she laughs before explaining herself. "Oh, Rachel talks about you constantly! Even before you guys actually got together, your name was always on her lips! And when she was dating that overly-quaft guy from Carmel, she still talked about you more than him." Its plain to see where Rachel picked up her rambling skills from. I cant help but laugh when the brunette on my lap hides her face in my neck in embarrassment from her cousin. "By the way, I thought that whole Jesse's Girl thing was really sweet of you. I tormented her for weeks about not dumping the other guy on the spot"
"Angela!" Rachel squeals in humiliation. Her face is almost beat red, and I cant help but let out another soft laugh.
"Alright, I'm sorry. I'll leave you two alone. I'll come find you when we're ready for the first dance" The bride says, finally giving in and walking off with the groom.
"I cant believe she just did that, I'm so sorry. That was humiliating" Shes biting her lower lip and refusing to look me in the eye, her cheeks a bright red shade. Its one of the most adorable things I've ever seen.
"Rach, don't worry about it. There's nothing to be embarrassed about, I talk about you just as much. Just ask Sean, its nearly impossible to shut me up once I start going. Always has been, actually." I admit with a slightly embarrassed chuckle. This makes her smile and shake her head, most likely trying to decide whether or not I'm just saying this to make her feel better.
We fall into another comfortable silence, both of our thoughts leaving us for a few seconds as we simply enjoy the quiet together. "They did an amazing job with the decorations" She speaks up finally, briefly glancing at the area surrounding us. "I guess being related to a wedding planner has its perks" I can only assume shes talking to herself, as her voice is much lower now. Giving her a quick glance, she answers my silent question. "My cousin Amber. Shes a hopeless romantic, so becoming a wedding planner was kind of a given for her"
"Rachel, dear!" An elderly woman passing by greets with a growing smile before making her way over towards us. My mind briefly flashes to Rose from Titanic, the older version of course.
"Hey Grandma Lynn" Jumping excitedly off my lap. Rachel all but runs to meet her halfway, her smile growing as she does so. After the two hug and chat for a few seconds, she returns to me only to grab my hand and pull me up with her. "Grandma, I'd like you to meet someone." She announces as we approach. "This is Finn Hudson, the boy who currently holds my heart" Her introduction causes my heart to do an unsteady jolt in my chest, and I'm unable to hide the small smile that stretches over my lips. "Finn, this is Grandma Lynn. The one who bought me my very first West Side Story soundtrack" The laugh that escapes her forces another smile out of both me and her grandmother.
"Pleasure to meet you" I say softly as I gently shake her hand.
"Oh Rachel, hes such a sweetheart! And so handsome!" I feel my cheeks burning up as she gushes, and the two talk for several more minutes before the elder one walks off to catch up with another family member.
Just as I'm about to say something, one of the other bridesmaids interrupts us once again with an apologetic look towards me. "Rach, they're almost ready for their first dance and they need you over there so they can start" The blond explains. With a simple nod, Rachel grabs my hand once again and pulls me with them towards where everyone else is sitting and waiting.
"Sorry about this. It won't take long, I promise" she whispers as we reach an empty table towards the back of the room.
"Its fine, go. I'll be right here watching you" I promise, pecking her lightly on the lips before sending her off.
"Alright, alright, alright! Time for the first dance! Everyone clear the floor for the happy couple" The DJ says enthusiastically as Rachel reaches the stage. The music starts and Rachel's voice is soon filling the hushed room.
When I'm lost
In the rain
In your eyes I know I'll find the light
To light my way
The room goes silent at the sound of her voice, and I can only assume by the looks on some of their faces they've never heard her sing before.
When I'm scared
And losing ground
When my world is going crazy
You can turn it all around
Her eyes are on the happy couple, and the smile on her face is hard to miss as she watches her cousin dance. There's a degree of pride in her eyes as she watches them, and I quickly wonder how close the two of them are.
And when I'm down, you're there
Pushing me to the top
You're always there
Giving me all you've got
I glance over to the table where her fathers are currently seated, and watch the pride in their own eyes grow as their daughter continues to sing. Rachels eyes quickly scan over to them as well, and her smile grows once she spots them before turning her attention back to the couple at hand.
For a shield from the storm
For a friend, for a love
To keep me safe and warm
I turn to you
A part of me is amazed that her voice still has the ability to speed up my heart rate after all this time, but I don't think that will ever change.
For the strength to be strong
For the will to carry on
For everything you do
For everything thats true
I turn to you
Our eyes lock as she continues, our matching smiles growing a bit more with every word she sings.
When I lose the will to win,
I just reach for you and I can reach
The sky again
I can do anything
'Cause your love is so amazing
'Cause your love inspires me
And when I need a friend,
You're always always on my side
Giving me faith,
Taking me through the night
Several eyes are on me now, but my own stay locked on the brunette on stage as she smiles back at me.
For a shield from the storm
For a friend, for a love
To keep me safe and warm
I turn to you
For the strength to be strong
For the will to carry on
For everything you do
For everything that's true
I turn to you
For the arms to be my shelter
Through all the rain
For truth that will never change
For someone to lean on,
"Shes pretty amazing, isn't she?" I hear someone ask rhetorically as they come and stand next to me. My smile simply widens at the question.
"Shes perfect" I whisper, just barely loud enough for my own ears.
For a heart I can rely on through anything
For that one who I can turn to...
For a shield from the storm
For a friend, for a love
To keep me safe and warm
I turn to you
For the strength to be strong
For the will to carry on
For everything you do
For everything that's true
I turn to you
As she soon finishes off the song, most of the room all but bursts into applause and she quickly steps off the stage. The DJ begins talking again before playing more upbeat music, but its all lost on me as I make my way towards the girl who has quickly become my whole world. When we meet in the middle, her smile is shy but bright as she approaches.
"So, what did you think?" She asks still looking somewhat shy, as if she was anything less than perfect.
"You were amazing, Rach. Always are" I assure her, wrapping my arms around her waist before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "Half the people here were in tears, so I'd say that kind of answers your question"
"Only half?" She asks jokingly, glancing around the room. Her arms slowly go around my shoulders before I lean down and gently press my lips to hers. "Thank you again for showing up" she mumbles against my lips.
I simply nod in return, and we stay locked in each others arms for a period of time. The party continues on like that for the rest of the night, with Rachel sticking to her word about staying by my side while also visiting with a few relatives. Finally at around midnight, the DJ announces that there's only one song left for the night before the party comes to a close. As the music slows down, I feel Rachels small hand take hold of my larger one as she steps in front of me.
"Lets dance" she suggests softly, pulling me towards the dance floor with her where several other couples are gathering as well. Taking our previous position once again, we begin to sway back and forth slowly with the beat. As she relaxes in my arms, I pull her closer and place a soft kiss to the top of her head. When she finally looks back up at me, the smile on her face nearly melts my heart. Leaning down, I graze my lips over her jaw before finally reaching her ear.
"I love you" I whisper softly before lightly kissing her cheek. Feeling her cheeks warm up under me, I cant stop the small smile that breaks across my face and I pull back slightly to look at her. Shes smiling shyly but brightly up at me, and is lightly chewing on her lower lip. Running the tip of my thumb gently over her lip, I pull it from between her teeth.
"I love you too" her voice is soft, almost to the point where I cant hear it. But I do, and the words, though I've heard them before, never fail to make my heart pound wildly against my ribcage. Brushing a strand of hair from her face, I lean in once again and press my lips to hers. I'm never usually as sappy as I have been tonight, but something about the petite brunette in my arms brings out that side of me. As Puck has pointed out on almost a daily basis, I'm in too deep. In a way, maybe hes right. But at this moment, where everything I really want is in my arms, I can't find anything wrong with that. So maybe just this once, I'll let him be right.
A/N- Okay, so its kind of really out of character for Finn as far as the inner monologue goes, but its also the longest piece I think I've ever written so I think that should earn me some bonus points. I know its really fluffy, but I couldn't really help myself. Its also taken me a few days to write this, so reviews are more than welcome as always. Thank you guys for your continued support and I really hope you stick with me. If you have any ideas for a one-shot, no matter what they are who is in it, let me know! I'm always open for suggestions.