Warning: You might get cavities from this chapter. Ooey-gooey sweetness, etc.

Last Chapter Recap: Finn and Rachel have a frisky morning before Santana returns from her visit with Quinn. Rachel and Finn have brunch with Kurt who wants to take Finn (gasp) shopping. Finn hints at surprise plans for Rachel later in the day.

I Would Give You the Stars

Sometime After Brunch with Kurt and Finn...

By the time I got up the eight mountain-like flights of stairs and into my apartment, lugging my library books for my History of Theatre project and milk for Santana, I was a bit cross, even I'll admit. I forgot to ask Finn to get the milk, so I picked it up, after all it was for my roommate.

I called out softly as I unlocked the apartment door, lest Santana come at me with pepper spray. She was a little too vigilant when it came to security. A good thing overall, but I had almost been maced twice already, when arriving home especially late after evening workshops at NYADA. I always tried to let her know it was me before any sudden movements.

"Hey, Rach," Santana greeted me in a bathrobe and her hair in a towel, just leaving the bathroom, "I'm working the evening shift tonight, so I won't be home until around 11. Thought I'd give you and Naked Big Foot a heads up," shuddering delicately as she glanced behind me (as if 6'3" Finn could be hiding behind 5'2'' me).

Santana worked at a cafe near the NYU campus a few nights a week. I always wondered how she made any tips. I could only guess that the patrons liked her sassy version of tough love, because she seemed to do okay. Actually, Santana's brash personality seemed to fit right in here in the city.

"Where is he anyway, did the Army haul his ass to the brig for being out of uniform or something?"

"No- Kurt declared he needed some brother-time with Finn, so they went shopping, of all things," I answered, as I put the milk in the fridge. "Kurt has decided it's time to update Finn's wardrobe."

Santana's eyebrows shot up into her towel at this. "Almost wish I could be there to see that," Santana replied, "Do they have a Big and Tall Section at Baby Gap these days?"

Interesting that Santana had a similar opinion about Finn's wardrobe. "Actually, I'm a little concerned about what Kurt will talk Finn into buying, but Kurt insisted I would be pleased with the results. Well, this gives me a chance to work on my project due next week, so I'm hoping for the best. Hey, with this morning being so um...rushed..."

"That's one way to put it," Santana mumbled.

Blushing I continued as though I hadn't heard her, " How was your trip to New Haven? How's Quinn? I imagine she's really busy since she decided on pre-law."

Santana shrugged, "Quinn is Quinn. Those Yalies don't know what hit them. We went to a party last night, which was epically boring, but whatever. She said to tell you and Jolly Green,' hi.' She asked when you were going to use your rail pass."

"I'll have to wait until after first block classes finish, but I'd love to see her. I'll text her, and set something up. Maybe we could all three hang out here one weekend..."

Santana and I continued to discuss day-to-day roommate subjects for a while. After she left to dry her hair, I turned to the pile of books and papers that would hopefully be a project one day soon. Working steadily, I looked up from where I sat in the chair in my room and noticed it was going on 3 o'clock. Hmmm...Finn was having a marathon torture session with Kurt.

I ambled into the kitchen for a snack, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl. Standing at the sink munching my apple, I noticed a frying pan that Finn had put in the drying rack after washing it. He'd made me vegan grilled cheeses last night in between all the sex. Actually, even the grilled cheeses had turned into a heavy make-out session culminating in creative use of the kitchen stool, which I was now staring at absently. My hand went to my throat unconsciously, my fingers brushing over a small sensitive patch of skin. There was a reason, I'd worn my hair down today. Finn was generally very careful not to mark me where others could see it, but we'd both been carried away by the moment many times last night. I felt a naughty little thrill of desire shoot downward through my body. When would I ever have enough of him? Never, I hoped.

This brought me to his comment before we parted after brunch, so I was again burning with curiosity. What special plans could Finn have in mind? Speaking of plans, Finn was planning a surprise for me- what kind of fiance was I not to reciprocate? As I mulled over various things Finn might like, my eyes fell on his headphones, that were sticking out of his bag. I had a wonderful idea, a brilliantly, classically Rachel-esque idea. I hoped there was enough time. I grabbed my laptop and the other things I would need and jotted a note to Finn that I hoped I'd be back in an hour or so. I yelled good-bye to Santana as I left.

It took a little longer than I had hoped, but I was home a little before 5 pm. Finn was nowhere to be seen, but there was a pile of shopping bags, some with logos I recognized in the corner of my bedroom. It was really hard not to look in them to see what he bought . He probably wouldn't mind, but perhaps he wanted to show me himself. I certainly would enjoy dressing and undressing the model for my own personal fashion show of Finn's new clothes.

Anxious to get the show started I pulled out my phone to text him:

Whr r u? Hom sn? XO

My phone buzzed within a minute with his response:

B thr sn DNT Lk in bags! XO bk

Well, trouble averted there, but those bags were just sitting there calling out to me. Open me! Look in me! He said he'd be here soon. I could wait. I would wait.

My inner voice really was being strict today. I purposefully walked out of my room, determined not to snoop, no matter how much it killed me not to. It was truly a lot to ask of Rachel Berry. I was mulling over the idea of going in and at least picking up the bags and giving them a pat down, since that wouldn't technically be looking in them, when there was a knock at the door. That had to be Finn. I had wanted to give him a key, but he'd said Santana's head might spin in complete circles on her neck if I did. Probably a good call.

I walked, well- ran actually, to open the door and launched myself at my rather startled fiance.

"Hey, Rach," he chuckled softly into my hair, "I missed you, too. You should have checked to see who it was. I could have been some stalker or something."

I grinned up at him, "My Finn-senses were tingling."

He leaned down to murmur, "Is that all that's tingling? I'll have to see what I can do about that later."

"Later? What is this later?" I faux-whined at him.

Heated kisses followed, as I basically took up residence against his wonderful chest. Finally, we separated, a little breathless. Nice to see army PT couldn't stop that kind of breathlessness.

"Wow, babe, remind me to go shopping with Kurt more often."

"I'm just glad you survived in one piece," I responded, my eyes running up and down his tall frame, "Not wearing your new clothes yet? Was it too terrible? Are you so traumatized that you can't bring yourself to wear them?"

"No, Kurt was pretty cool about it. He actually listened when I told him I wouldn't wear chinos so tight they showed all my um... business. Shocker, it was kind of fun, and we got loads done. Sorry I was gone so long, babe. I want to spend as much time as I can with you, but Kurt did keep saying, 'Just try on one more shirt, Finn, it's in your color palette' or whatever."

"I can't wait to see what you got," I rubbed my palms on his chest, "I thought maybe I could have my own private fashion show. I'll be your... dresser." (AND undresser, if I have anything to say about it!)

"Sure, we have a little time before Operation Surprise Rachel begins," he replied.

My surprise had its own code name. Goody! I fought not to jump up and down at that, as I followed Finn to the pile of shopping bags in my room.

"What would you like to see first? I got some jeans, a few shirts, and a pair of pants. We didn't get to shoes, but I got a new jacket that's awesome, and it was at this place Kurt knows where things were fairly cheap, so it didn't cost a fortune. That coet-courtier – or however you say it- stuff was wicked expensive."

Well... I barely made it through a pair of jeans and two shirts before I just had to pounce on the man. Who knew a dresser had to touch her model so much?

Afterwards...

Lying on the floor of my room (We didn't get to the bed.), with my head on Finn's bare chest, I said, "I liked the jeans a lot. They fit really well. The last shirt was a good color for you. Sorry, I popped off a button pulling it off of you. I'll sew it on again for you later."

Finn shot me one of his half smirks, "Thanks! I could tell you liked them, Rach. I'm so glad they met with your approval. I'd hate to think what you would have done to me if you hadn't liked them."

At this, I teasingly elbowed him in the ribs, "Unless you take to wearing a fluffy bunny suits or something, I like pretty much anything you wear. Now that I think of it, you'd look pretty cute in a bunny suit."

"Don't even think about it, Rachel Barbra Berry," Finn huffed as he prepared to get up from the floor, "So are you ready to prepare for OSR?"

For a second I shot him a confused look, "OSR? Oh... you mean Operation Surprise Rachel?"

"Yes, if it's one thing the Amy just loves- it's acronyms, so I've kind of gotten in the habit. For example: you are my IHF who I like to MSE."

"Errr...translation, please?"

"You take the first letter of each word. You are my IHF, Incredibly Hot Fiance, who I like to MSE, Make Scream in Ecstasy. Get it?"

I had trouble getting off the floor I was giggling so hard, "Oh, I like that! I'll have to think up some for you."

"There already is one for me: STUD," Finn smirked as he reached down to help me up. (Well that's a little vain.) "Seriously Tall, Uncoordinated Dancer." (Ooh. I see.)

"Oh, stop it. Your dancing's not that bad. You have really improved tremendously since the whole broken nose incident, which we shall not discuss."

I asked Finn where OSR was happening, and what I should wear. Didn't want to be under-dressed or over-dressed after all. And all I got were cryptic responses. Wear a comfortable dress, he said, but he wouldn't even give me a clue about where we were going. Hmmmm... what could it be? He also banished me from my own bedroom while he got dressed. Hmmpf... spoil sport.

I got ready in the bathroom fairly quickly. I was wearing my cute little black dress (LBD), which was comfortable and sexy (I hoped), tapping my foot on the living room floor, by the time Finn finally opened my bedroom door.

Warning: sappy gabbling about hot boyfriend to follow... wait for it... Now: There stood the most handsome man in the world in black pants that fit to a T complimented by a collared black shirt, stretching just-so across his broad chest and …..Adidas trainers. At least they were mostly black. I seriously was going to have to look into having my jaw wired shut, the way it had been dropping open at random times lately.

"Finn you look...so amazingly handsome. Kurt really has outdone himself. Of course, he had good raw materials to work with."

He blushed. I loved it when he blushed. It highlighted his freckles.

He walked over and took my hand, "You look really beautiful, but then you always do. Are you ready? I think it's dark enough." As he was glancing outside the apartment window, I noticed the large flashlight Santana and I kept for emergencies in his other hand.

"Let's go," I said, my mind was just fizzing with excited ideas. Why did he have a flashlight? He was dressed up, but not too much. Then he grabbed a small cooler near the front door that I hadn't seen before. A clue! A cooler? Sporting event- nah, we were too dressed up for that. A picnic in Central Park. Possible. When we left the apartment, we didn't take the customary staircase down to the street like we would normally. We went up the stairs instead. Ah-ha! I, Rachel Berry, at the risk of sounding immodest, had brilliant skills of deduction. The rooftop- We were going to the roof. This was going to be awesome!

Finn led me through the same battered metal door that accessed the roof. It was pretty dark up there, even with the city lights, so Finn turned on the flashlight and led me through all the duct work and piping to what I had told him was my favorite corner at the edge of the roof. It was even darker here, and I could hear the hushed rumble of traffic below. A gentle breeze floated around us.

As my eyes adjusted to the very dim light, I couldn't believe what I saw. There was an old quilt of Santana's spread on the floor of the rooftop along with several throw pillows from our apartment. In the center of the spread there was a candle in a glass lantern that I remembered from Kurt's apartment. Finn set the cooler on the quilt. Oh- a romantic rooftop picnic! I slowly took the couple of steps separating Finn and me and reached up and kissed him softly, humbly and murmured quietly, "Thank you so much, Finn. This is the best surprise."

"Rach, before we light the candles, I'd like to show you one of your gifts while it's still dark. Have a seat on the blanket," I noticed he was shining the flashlight at a low white-washed wall nearby, at the edge of the rooftop. "There- that ought to charge it enough." Charge what? I looked at the blank white wall in question.

He sat next to me on quilt, facing the wall, and flicked off the flashlight. Darkness fell around us, except for straight ahead on the wall! Now there were letters glowing on it's seemingly plain surface:

For Rachel Berry, Star of my heart.

I love you always.

Finn Hudson

Around the letters there were dozens of stars drawn in the same glow-in-the-dark paint.

"You said you couldn't always see the stars up here, especially the Finn Star I gave you... so I wanted to give you stars that you could see any time you wanted- at night anyway. When you come up here to look for me, like you said, at least this part of me will be here. If I could, I would give you the stars, Rachel Berry." He whispered the last before he kissed me tenderly.

Note: My limited experience with glow-in-the-dark paint showed that it needs to be exposed to the sun or a light source to start glowing. My apologies, if this is incorrect.

Thanks so much for reading! Hope you liked it. Reviews brighten my day.