Weekend Pass - Chapter 14
Warning: Mild Smut Alert
(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)
Finn's graduation day from basic combat training earlier in the day had happened quickly. Now he was enjoying his first weekend pass and dinner out. He was sitting in a downtown Columbia, South Carolina restaurant with the people he loved most. He and Rachel were sitting on one side of the table practically glued at the hip. Across the table sat Carole and Burt, and Kurt was sitting at the end of the table beside his dad.
"How's your steak?" Carole asked her son.
"Amazing. Compared to the MREs that our platoon was eating on bivouacs two weeks ago, this is like food from Heaven," Finn answered his mom never taking his eyes off of Rachel.
"What are MREs?" Kurt asked.
"Meals Ready to Eat. It's a prepackaged meal that soldiers eat when they're nowhere near a mess hall. They're not that good, but it beats starving," Finn answered his brother.
"Is it worse than the cafeteria food at McKinley?" Rachel asked squeezing Finn's hand a little tighter.
"McKinley food is fine dining compared to MREs," Finn laughed between bites of his steak.
"Are you going to eat the rest of your steak?" Finn asked Burt noticing the half eaten sirloin on his plate.
"No, I'd like to, but your mom won't let me. Help yourself."
No quicker than Burt said the words than Finn had the left- over sirloin on his plate.
"Don't they feed you in the Army?" Carole asked as she watched her son inhale his food.
"Yes, they feed us, but nothing like this. I haven't had a steak since out last cookout in Rachel's backyard last summer. How are Hiram and Leroy doing?" Finn asked Rachel.
"They're fine, they came to New York on business about a month ago and we spent the weekend together."
"Kurt where's Blaine? I sort of expected him to be on the flight from Ohio with Mom and Burt."
"Blaine has transferred back to Dalton for his senior year, and his work load there is a lot heavier. I saw him about three weeks ago. He came for fall break."
"Are you two still going strong?" Finn asked his brother.
"Yes, we're still exclusive, but the distance between us makes it hard. It'll be better next year when he graduates from high school and comes to New York to live with me and Rachel. We hope to have an apartment by then."
"I wish I was coming to New York to live with you and Rachel, but I will in a few years. I'll have money for college in my pocket, and Rachel can start her career on Broadway. With my Army training, I should be able to get a part time job as a mechanic. I'll get my ASE certification and learn all about diesel engines in the next thirteen weeks of AIT training."
"Is everything in the Army an acronym?" Kurt asked with a smirk.
"Pretty much, all of that texting has come in handy, but I still don't know what my sergeants are saying half the time."
"Don't mention the next thirteen weeks. These last ten weeks have been too long," Rachel sighed sadly.
"It won't be that long and your winter break coincides with the Army's Christmas Exodus. We'll have almost two whole weeks to spend together," Finn smiled trying to reassure Rachel.
"After AIT comes deployment. Have they given you any idea where they might be sending you?" Burt asked.
"The word on the street is Afghanistan. They need boots on the ground over there," Finn answered his step-father.
"Afghanistan! I was hoping that they would send you to Germany or something. Heidi says that the Army still has over 20 posts in Germany."
"Rachel, as of today, I'm a private. A grunt. They'll send me where they want to. I don't have any say in it. I'd like to pull all three years in Hawaii like Burt did, but he did his hitch during peace time. It's different now. I promise you, I'll be okay. Puck and I are going to look after each other. I'm going to be a mechanic so I won't be on the front lines. We've got the next 48 hours together. What do you want to do tomorrow?" Finn asked trying to change the subject.
"If you don't have any plans, I thought that you and Rachel might want to spend the day together," Burt interrupted
"That's a great idea! What are you, Kurt, and Mom going to do tomorrow?" Finn asked.
"That's the good part. A vendor buddy of mine pulled off the impossible. The University of South Carolina has a home football game tomorrow against Clemson. When I told him that we were coming to Columbia he arranged for us to use his company's season tickets. I thought that your Mom, Kurt, and I could take in a game and let you two have some time for yourselves," Burt smiled.
"But Burt, Finn might like to go to a football game, and Kurt hates football." Carole protested. "I can take Rachel and Kurt shopping while you and Finn go to the game."
Finn gave Kurt a pleading look and Kurt immediately read his mind.
"Oh Contraire," I think that it would be a great opportunity for the three of us to spend the afternoon at a football game together. Rachel and Finn can use the rental car, and we can take the hotel shuttle to the game," Kurt offered trying to save Finn and Rachel's alone time.
"I agree with Kurt!" Finn added quickly. "I've seen enough football from inside the game, and I'd like to show Rachel around. I think the three of you would have a great time at the game and Burt and Kurt could have some time together too. The guys at the base say that the USC/Clemson game is the biggest instate rivalry. Sort of like Michigan and Michigan State."
"But son," Carole protested again.
"Ah Carole, let the two love birds have some time together. They have been apart for two and a half months and it'll be Christmas before they see each other again. Our plane doesn't leave until late Sunday evening and you can spend Sunday with Finn. Rachel needs to see him too," Burt said to his wife.
Carole finally agreed with her husband and the five of them retired to their two hotel rooms for the evening. Burt, Carole and Rachel were in one room and Finn and Kurt in another, but no one really got any sleep. The five stayed up together until the wee hours of the morning just talking. Kurt told Burt all about school and his roommate Snake while Carole and Rachel monopolized Finn.
Early the next morning Kurt was getting everyone up early for breakfast. He had roused Finn and ran next door to wake their parents and Rachel by banging on their door. Rachel slipped out of her bed and ran past Kurt to the boy's room to jump on Finn who had the cover pulled over his head.
"Wake up, wake up, this is our day together and I don't want to waste a minute of it," Rachel giggled as she peppered Finn's face with kisses.
"Rach, I've been getting up at five am every morning for PT and this bed is actually big enough for me," Finn groaned trying to pull Rachel under the covers with him.
"That's enough of that," Kurt protested. "You two have the whole day to catch up, but right now our parents are expecting us to join them for breakfast downstairs."
"Okay Rach. You go and get ready for breakfast and I see you in a bit. I know I need a shave, and I have to brush my teeth. I'll be ready in five minutes.
"I can't wait!" Rachel laughed as she jumped off of Finn's bed and ran back to her room to get ready for breakfast.
Down stairs Finn and Rachel were once again sitting side by side glued at the hip. Rachel was feeding Finn his ham and eggs and was asking who made the bigger commitment to his breakfast, the hen or the pig. This question had totally baffled Finn. He was also feeding Rachel her breakfast of fruit and steel cut oatmeal.
After breakfast, everyone return to their rooms and prepared for the day. Kurt, Carole, and Burt met the shuttle bus down stairs at nine-thirty so they could attend all of the pre-game activities that came with the season tickets including a company tailgating party. Rachel and Finn watched them leave, but before they left Kurt told Finn that he would give him a heads-up call before they left the game that afternoon.
Waving goodbye to Burt, Carole, and Kurt as they left the hotel lobby for the shuttle, Finn and Rachel couldn't wait to get back upstairs. When the shuttle bus closed its door and headed off, Finn and Rachel raced to the elevators and back up to Finn's room.
Alone in the ascending elevator, Rachel jumped up and wrapped her legs around Finn's waist eagerly unbuttoning his shirt collar as she kissed his jaw line. Finn was already working his way under Rachel's sweater.
"Excuse me, this is the second floor, are you getting off?" An elderly woman blushed at the two intertwined lovers in the back of the elevator.
"We'll take the next elevator. It's obvious that our serviceman here has not seen his girlfriend in quite a while. Let's leave the young couple alone," The elderly woman's husband winked at Finn before the elevator doors closed again.
Pulling their clothes back together, Finn and Rachel both burst into laughter. "I think we should cool it until we get to my room," Finn laughed. "We might get arrested for indecent exposure."
"Yes I think we should since this elevator has a camera in the corner," Rachel laughed pointing at the camera attached to the ceiling.
"I'm sure this isn't the first time that something like this has happened," Finn smirked as placed his hand over the camera's lens.
Back at Finn's room he fumbled with the door's key card before the two practically fell through the doorway. Scampering over to Finn's bed, Rachel jumped on it and was soon joined by Finn after he removed his boots and put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door.
Covering each other with urgent kisses, they tried to get each other's clothes off as quickly as possible without loosing contact with each other.
"Wait," Finn paused. "The last couple of weeks have been so rushed; I didn't get by the PX. Did you bring some protection, or should we go and get some before we get completely naked?"
"Better than that, I'm on the pill. I've been on it for about six weeks now," Rachel smiled while tugging at Finn's undershirt. "I made an appointment with an OB-GYN after I got to New York and my cycle returned to normal. No more broken condoms for us."
Finn bit his lip, "You did that for us? We can ride bareback?"
"Yes cowboy, we can ride bareback. It'll be the first time that we don't have anything between us. No latex and no worries. I mean no worries if you've been tested."
"Rach, you know I was tested long before our first time, and there has been no one but you ever since."
"You're my first and only," Rachel smiled against his lips as she unbuckled his belt.
Later Rachel was resting her head on Finn's chest as he slept peacefully. Once again she was trying to make a memory. A memory of how he felt against her, the smell of his skin, the sound of his heart, his relaxed breathing.
With her fingertips she traced the freckles on his chest, on his neck, and up to the ones that were scattered across his nose and cheeks. She must have disturbed him because he reached up to scratch his nose in his sleep. Placing a small chaste kiss against his lips, his eyes fluttered open. She could fell his lips curl into a smile against hers.
"Good morning Beautiful," Finn sighed against her lips.
"It's not morning anymore silly. It is well past three in the afternoon," Rachel nuzzled into his neck.
"Is that why my stomach is growling? Are you ready for some lunch?"
"Yes, we've had an amazing morning, but I'm ready for something to eat and a shower. Since Burt was good enough to leave us the rental car, don't you think we should go and put a few miles on it? If we don't they're going to know that we never left the hotel," Rachel suggested.
"That sound like a good idea. I think we should leave the windows open while we're gone too. This room smells like sex, and you know how keen Kurt's nose is," Finn laughed as he watched his naked girlfriend scamper off in the direction of the shower.
She already had the hot water running when she came back to the bed and teased Finn, "Care to join me? The shower is big enough for two," Rachel winked as she threw her towel at him.
Finn untangled himself from the sheets and caught her on the way back to the bathroom. Both of them tumbled to the floor by the hotel room door. They were tickling each other when the tickling turned to passion.
Neither of them heard their hotel room door being opened until it hit Finn squarely on the top of his head. "Ouch!"
"What are you doing on the floor?" Kurt started to ask before he took in the sight in front of him. Kurt had banged a naked Finn on the top of his head with the door. Before him he saw Finn's bare back followed by Finn's bare butt. Beyond Finn's bare butt were two pairs of tangled legs. Tiny long ones and Finn's tree trunk legs.
Looking down at his feet, Kurt saw two pair of brown eyes looking up at him in shock. Rachel was beneath Finn. Finn was resting his weight on his elbows and was covering both of Rachel's exposed breasts with his hands.
"What are you doing here? Didn't you read the Do Not Disturb sign?" Finn snapped at Kurt trying to hide Rachel's nakedness with his own body.
"I called but no one answered, and who leaves a Do Not Disturb sign out at four in the afternoon? Dad and Carole are next door trying on their souvenir sweat shirts from the game. I'll stall them while you get some clothes on and for Pete's sake, cut off the shower. It's like a steamy locker room in here."
Rachel grabbed her clothes and ran to the bathroom to dress and get the knots out of her hair.
Finn threw open both balcony doors to let in some fresh air. He made his bed quickly and found Rachel's panties in the sheets. He threw them through the bathroom door to her just as she was about to get dressed without them. Finn was soon back in his Army fatigues and Rachel brushed her hair with Kurt's hair brush.
Flipping on the TV, Finn and Rachel jumped on the couch side by side and were watching the post football games results show when the trio from next door knocked on their door.
"Hi you two. Didn't you go anywhere? The rental car hasn't been moved," Burt asked with a suspicious look on his face.
"Naw, with graduation at Fort Jackson and USC's home game against Clemson we thought that the traffic would be horrible so we stayed here and enjoyed each other's company. That was some win for the University of South Carolina wasn't it?" Finn asked trying to wing it.
Rachel could see Kurt standing behind the parents giving Finn the "cut throat" sign. Rachel knew their goose was cooked.
"Weren't you watching the game at all?" Carole asked looking confused. "Clemson lead from the opening kick off. It was a pretty one sided game so we left early even though Kurt wanted to stay. I'm surprised. I didn't think Kurt liked football."
"It's an acquired taste," Kurt jumped in. "Show Finn and Rachel your sweatshirts that you bought before the game."
Carole modeled the bright orange Clemson Tigers sweatshirts that she had on. "I picked it because it had a big orange kitty-cat on the front. I'm glad that I did since they won."
"What do you have on the front of yours?" Rachel asked Burt. "It looks like a chicken."
"It's the University of South Carolina's Gamecock," Burt answered her smiling.
"What's a gamecock?" Rachel asked clueless.
"It is a fighting rooster, and that's me, one old fighting rooster," Burt beamed.
"I wouldn't say that too loudly around here," Finn said almost in a whisper. "Gamecock football is almost a religion here just like Buckeye football is back home in Lima."
"I still don't care," Kurt acidly remarked. "When you two wear your sweatshirts together, the orange and the burgundy will clash horribly."
"We don't care either. I'm going to wear mine with pride and Carole is going to wear her kitty-cat one with pride too, Burt remarked to his son.
"Mom, Burt, it's the Clemson Tigers. Please don't call them kitty-cats. At least don't do it when I'm around," Finn pleaded with his mother.
"Speaking of cats, this room smells like one had been in here?" Carole said sniffing the air.
"Maybe the people before us had one. This is a pet friendly hotel. By the way, I'm starved is anyone ready for dinner?" Finn asked trying to change the subject.
"Not me. I'm still stuffed from the game," Burt said rubbing his belly.
"Me too, why don't you three kids take the car and go out to eat," Carole offered.
"Not me. I'm not sure what I had to eat at the game, but I think I'm going to be seeing it again before this night is over," Kurt said holding his stomach. "You love birds take the car and have fun. Just don't wake me up when you come in Finn."
Rachel went back to the room she was sharing with Carole and Burt and took a shower and dressed. Finn was trying to do the same in spite of Kurt's wise-cracks.
"It's a good thing that I'm the one who opened the door on you and Rachel," Kurt chuckled almost to himself.
"Yeah, if it had been your dad, he wouldn't have stopped with banging my head once with the door. Thanks again for going with the parents to the game. I know that you hate football, and it has been so long since I've had any time with Rachel. I owe you one," Finn said patting Kurt on the back.
"All I ask is that you and Rachel keep your activities on your bed and not mine," Kurt acknowledged his brother.
"Don't worry, that's the beauty of hotels. Most rooms come with two queen size beds, and we didn't touch your bed."
"Just your bed, and the bathroom, and the floor. I'm surprised that you didn't try it out the balcony," Kurt smirked.
"I'm taking Rachel downtown for dinner. Do you want us to bring you anything?" Finn asked.
"Maybe some Alka-Seltzer if my stomach doesn't get any better. I ate something at the game that doesn't like me," Kurt burped.
A few minutes later Finn knocked on Rachel's hotel room door and soon the pair was on their way to downtown Columbia.
"Do you think Mom and Burt suspect anything?" Finn quizzed Rachel.
"I'm sure they do. What do they expect? We haven't seen each other in ten weeks. At least you're sharing a room with Kurt. I'm sharing a room with your parents."
"I'd rather be sharing a room with you," Finn smiled as he maneuvered the rental car through the traffic. "Look for a parking space. I haven't driven downtown before, but I looked it up on my phone and there should be a vegan restaurant near by."
"Did I tell you what your mom and Burt have planned for tomorrow? They want the five of us to meet up with Noah, his mom, and little sister and go to the Riverbanks Zoo." Rachel said while pointing out an empty parking spot.
"Ah man. I spent 24 hours a day with Puck. His little sister whines, and his mother nags," Finn complained. "Why would I want to go to a zoo and watch a bunch of animals mate when you and I can stay at the hotel and do the same thing?"
"Finn, you make our lovemaking sound so animalistic," Rachel laughed.
"Our love making is animalistic. Don't you remember?" Finn asked smugly as he wheeled the car into the empty parking space.
"Today was our day Finn. Your mom wants to spend time with you too. If this is what she wants to do then we should do it," Rachel said ignoring Finn's comments.
"Okay, as long as I get to spend the day with you, but the minute Puck's little sister starts whining we should bail!" Finn suggested giving Rachel a quick kiss on the cheek.
When the pair returned to the hotel that evening, Carole and Burt were already asleep. Kurt was monopolizing the bathroom with an upset stomach.
It was a warmish night for fall so the two sat up until well past two AM on the balcony watching the city below them.
"What are you thinking?" Finn asked as he nuzzled Rachel's ear.
"I'm thinking how much I love you and how this time tomorrow we will be hundreds of miles apart again," Rachel sighed heavily as she snuggled into Finn's side for warmth. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking that I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have you love me. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm glad that you're mine and I'm yours. The next three years are going to be tough, but knowing that you're in New York waiting for me will get me through anything."
No one slept in on Sunday morning except Kurt who had spent the night in the bathroom.
"Do you want me to stay here with you son?" Burt asked. "You look a little green."
"No Dad, I'm okay. I have crackers and Gatorade. I'll be fine with some peace and quite. The four of you go on without me."
No one wanted to leave Kurt alone but he insisted. He wanted to sleep and he wanted Carole to have some time with Finn as well.
The Puckerman's were waiting at the entrance to the zoo, when the Berry/Hudson/Hummel's arrived.
"Noah, long time no see," Rachel hugged Puck.
"Yeah, I haven't seen you in 48 hours," Finn joked. "You haven't changed a bit. How did your mother talk you into a trip to the zoo?"
"It's more for my little sister, plus I wanted to see my Jewish-American Princess too," Puck hugged Rachel back.
"She's my Jewish-American princess and don't you forget it," Finn warned Puck.
"Until you put a ring on that finger, Rachel Berry is still on the market. Mom would love for me to have a beautiful Jewish girlfriend. Wouldn't you Mom?" Puck asked loud enough for his mother to hear him and to annoy Finn.
"Rachel, I still don't see what you see in this overgrown Gentile in the first place," Puck joked.
"My future," Rachel smiled looking up at Finn's smiling face.
After a few hours of strolling from one animal exhibit to another everyone was ready to head to their hotels. Finn and Rachel had spent the entire visit holding onto one another and sneaking kisses when they thought no one was looking.
Finn had to report back to the base at six PM. Kurt and Rachel's flight left for New York at eight followed by Carole and Burt's flight to Ohio at nine-thirty.
Kurt was feeling better after sleeping in all morning. After a quick lunch they let Kurt sleep away the afternoon while Finn joined Burt, Carole, and Rachel in their room.
The NFL was on so Burt and Carole watched the game from the comfort of their hotel bed while Finn joined Rachel on hers. The Green Bay Packers were playing the Jacksonville Jaguars, but Finn really didn't care. Burt cheered the game while Carole mostly dozed. Finn pretended to watch the game while snuggled up next to Rachel.
It seems like the game was over before it even started. It would be soon be time for Finn to report back to Fort Jackson.
Finn woke Kurt up as he gathered up his things in their shared hotel room.
"Kurt, I have to report back to duty in a little while. Thank you for coming to my graduation, and for giving me some alone time with Rachel. I'm sorry that you're sick.
"It's okay, you'll just have to owe me one," Kurt smiled weakly. "I'll look after Rachel for you in New York. You look after yourself for me okay?"
"I will, I'll have to turn my phone back over to my sergeant when I get back to the barracks, but I'll call you and Rachel when I can – Okay?" Finn asked his brother.
"With one final hug Finn was gone. He took his gear and Carole and Rachel drove him to the base. Carole stayed in the car while Rachel walked Finn to the security gate.
"I'll see you in thirteen weeks," Finn whispered into her hair as he hugged her tightly.
"Break a leg," Rachel whispered as she held him tight.
"I love you," Finn whispered back.
-/-
Until the next chapter, thank you for reviewing and following my story. I'm sorry that my updates are getting further and further apart. I have a lot of personal stuff going on in my life right now. I try and get the next chapter up faster. Sincerely, Whistler Nights
Alka-Seltzer is owned my Bayer/Schering
Gatorade is owned by PepsiCo.