Disclaimer: Still not owning Glee.

He makes his way to the choir room, refusing to let himself break down because he's a dude and dudes don't do that. He grimaced with relief when no one seemed to be present in the room and plopped down on the piano bench and let his head fall into his hands. He couldn't believe that he had fucked up so badly, that he had let her go again and he wanted to kick himself because this time it seemed unlikely that he would ever get her back. And now, because he didn't have the courage to man up and swallow his pride, he had to endure seeing his Rachel in the arms of some other guy, and it was his fault. And she wasn't his Rachel anymore. She didn't even dress like Rachel anymore. What the fuck was with her outfit, anyway?

The sound of a throat being cleared came from the doorway and he turned and almost let out a groan because of course it had to be her. It just had to be her to find him when he was thisclose to just losing it. They stood watching each other, and then all of a sudden she turned into Mr. Schue's office and he's really confused and then even more so when she exits holding a first aid kit and sits on the bench next to him. She sets the kit on her lap then opens it and takes his hand in hers and he's not breathing and wondering what the hell is going on when he spots the blood on his knuckles. Oh right. He punched a locker. He hadn't even felt anything.

They sat in an awkward silence as Rachel bandaged his hand. After a while he couldn't take the quiet and asked what was up with her clothes. She launched into some story about how the football team had decided to slushie her more than usual today and she didn't have any extra clothes so she borrowed things from the Glee girls. A corner of his mouth twitched up in his infamous half smile because she hasn't changed from her normal clothes, and because the Glee girls let her borrow clothes, which meant they were friends, and he knew that having friends meant the world to her. She had always tried so hard for friends and now she had them and it was because of that song of hers, the one that had touched every single person's heart. The song that got them to Nationals. The song she had written for him.

The smile slid off his face and she noticed and she lost hers too and before he could stop himself he was asking why she was still with what's-his-face, Ben, because she had written that song for him and they kissed at Regionals and shouldn't that mean that they were back together?

She's shaking her head sadly and saying she can't expect platonic kisses such as that to get her hopes up and now he's cutting in asking how the fuck that was platonic. She bites her lip and says in a shaky voice that he was just caught up in the moment, and that it didn't mean anything. He's so beyond pissed now, though not at her, but at himself, because he'd have to have been a real douche to her to make her think that kiss was anything less to him than it was. He tells her that. He tells her it meant everything to him, because she meant everything to him and that nothing would be changing anytime soon.

She draws in a ragged breath and looks like she is about to cry and he hates himself again. God, why is he always making her cry? She wants a chance to move on, she says, just like he got a chance to move on with Quinn and maybe for once have a relationship that isn't involved with Glee, because that's all she's had and maybe she just needs something new.

He still doesn't get it; cause if they both feel the same way there shouldn't be a need for moving on, right? They should be together. And now she's whispering that she doesn't know if they can, because no one is supposed to get more than a second chance and they've already had their two and she's afraid that it just won't work out. That's bullshit, he tells her forcefully, and she jumps slightly at the outburst but it is bullshit, because if people only get second chances than how can the third time be the charm? He believes that, that the third time will be the charm. It has to be.

She takes a deep breath and he's holding his own and then she says she would be willing to maybe try again and his heart is about to burst he's so fucking happy but before he can sweep her off her feet she continues and says she still needs some time away from him like that. She says that they needed a chance to grow up because they felt this grown up kind of love for each other (and he nearly fucking dies because she just about says the words 'I love you.') but they were still just kids and they needed some time to learn how to be themselves before they can be them again, be Finchel again.

He's not going to lie, he's a bit disappointed, but he reminds himself he should be happy because he gets another chance. Maybe it's not in the way he was looking for, but it was damn well good enough for now. Before he talks himself out of it, and before she can object, he leans over and captures her lips between his. They find themselves relaxing into each other, his hands splayed across her lower back and hers behind his neck and they still freaking fit together and he's about to explode, whether from love or lack of oxygen, he didn't know. She pulled apart, and he's pleased to note that it's a rather reluctant move, and they smile softly at each other before the other Glee kids are filing into the room. They sit on opposite sides of the room and avoid speaking to each other for all of rehearsal, but they sneak peeks at each other from the corners of their eyes and he thinks that maybe it's not perfect, but it's a whole hell of a lot better than fireworks.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed that! I know I did! I actually like the ending so much I considered leaving it off like that…but then I remembered all the things I have planned for this fic. So on it goes. Stay tuned!