AN: Am I really that evil to update so late? Sorry about that. :(
This is a continuation of the first chapter, and one more to go.
x.
He decides to play the drums for her the next day. He hasn't played in a while, ever since he joined the football team, so he takes them out of the corner of the basement and invites Rachel over for a private concert.
Nobody actually even knows he plays, not even Kurt.
He doesn't miss the way she licks her lips when she looks at him as he plays. His eyes never leave hers.
The moment he stops she comes jumps him and engulfs him in a huge hug.
"Finn, you're really talented! I would know I'm very talented too. But all those years, why did you stop?"
"I don't know, I guess lost the beat."
"Well I'm very glad you found it again."
"Yeah, thanks to you Rach. You helped me find the beat."
His eyes move to her lips and she leans forward, their mouths just a second away from colliding. But the slam of the front door snaps them back into reality. Kurt just had to have perfect timing.
Instead he pushes her on his lap and places the drumsticks in her hand, "Here about I teach you."
It was probably a good thing Kurt came; a sign. It wasn't worth the risk anyways.
xi.
He comes home from work to find Rachel singing karaoke with Kurt. The moment he comes she shoves the microphone over to Kurt to greet him with their usual hug.
"Hey Rach, what are you doing here? You knew I had work today."
"Please Finn, my life does not revolve around you. I have you know that your brother invited me over for some diva-bonding time."
"Glad to know you missed me too."
"You know you're free to join us. I know!" she claps her hands together, "We should have a competition! The person with the highest score at the end of each song wins. But you only have one shot, so make it good!"
"What does the winner get?"
"The feeling of-"
"Sour Patch Kids."
"God no Finn."
"Fine then Kurt, the winner gets a hundred dollars' worth of candy, fifty from each player."
"No way am I going to spend a hundred dollars on candy."
"Fine, you Kurt can spend it on your expensive moisturizer. Okay, so are we game?"
"Sure. But to make it fair, each of us are going to be randomly selected a song from the microphone okay? Now to establish order."
"Okay Rach, how about whoever is closest to the amount of red Sour Patch Kids in this little bag, gets to choose to order."
"Fine, four."
"Three."
"Six."
"Rachel's right, it's four."
"Yes! Alright, Kurt's first, than you Finn, than me."
"Alright Kurt, your first song, is Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance."
"Are you serious? My vocal chords were not meant for this song! I demand a redo."
"Sorry Kurt. It's either you sing it or you lose."
"Fine."
"Wait, let me get my camera."
"You record me Finn Hudson, and I will blackmail you."
"Dammit." Taking a seat next to Rachel on the couch, he watched as Kurt sang. He actually wasn't that bad all.
"I feel sorry for you Hudson," she whispers to him "you're going against two very vocally talented people."
"Yeah baby, 96 take that. Boy I cannot wait to hear the giant sing."
"Okay Finn, you got Everything by Michael Bublé. An excellent song, I think I you can pull it off."
He knew this song, his mom played it before. He isn't sure why he agreed to this, Rachel's right, he lacks in vocal experience. He sings in the shower, or with Rachel sometimes, but he actually tries to sing. He sings the parts he knows to her, and the song does fit the way he feels about her, if he was his girlfriend. He likes the way her face mirrors Kurt's, both a wide eyed and staring at him with disbelief.
"Well look at that 98. Looks like your officially out of the game now Kurt. Now, all that's left is-"
"You can sing!" she stands up slapping him on the arm. "We should have done this sooner! I mean, think about all the duets we could do!"
"You. Are. So. Talented." She states, punctuating each word with a poke to his chest.
They never do finish that competition.
xii.
She's really beautiful. Like the way her hair is naturally perfect. Or the way her body is just so adorable and petite. Her smile, her voice, everything about her is perfect.
They're lying on a blanket under the mid-August sun. Her chest is against his and he decides right then and there that this is officially the best summer ever.
"What are your dreams Finn?" She asks him quietly.
He's a little taken aback. "I'm not sure really."
"Do you plan on working at the theaters you whole life?"
"No, of course not. There's still Burt's shop."
"What makes you happy Finn."
He stops and reminisces, sure, he has some happy moments, but what was it about them that made him happy?
"The feeling of accomplishment, the thought that you made all this possible. Family, you…"
She smiles at him. "You know what's the best part about high school, you get to learn more about yourself, your dreams, your talents. Finn, I think you should join Glee Club with Kurt."
"Isn't that the club where-"
"Please, just try it. If you don't love it than you can quit. Please, for me?"
That did it for him. "Alright."
"You know, I have something to confess to you."
"What?"
"That day, at the movie theaters, when I first saw you, I knew there was something about you, something intriguing."
"Oh really?"
"And I hated myself for a while. Because, how is it that even though I had no idea who you were, I just couldn't stop thinking about you. I even wrote about you in my diary"
"That pink notebook that day…"
"Yes. I intended to continue treated you cold, and how you put it sour. I tried to convince myself that you were just like the other guys. But you were persistent and charming I gave in. And it was the best decision I've ever made. I thought you were interesting then, but now that I know you, only now do I realize just how amazing you're truly are. Finn, you're forever sketched in my life, and I don't know how to explain it, but…"
"I know" he replies, stroking her hair, "best friends for life."
He doesn't see the brief disappointment in her eyes with the word "friends."
xiii.
It's his last day at the theaters and it dawns on him that it isn't a horrible job.
He also realizes he's been a bit hypocritical. He told Rachel that she made assumptions about him without even knowing him while he was doing the same thing.
Turns out, that the puny guy with weird hair actually buys popcorn for the puckheads of the hockey team so no wonder he comes back with the same bag and drink everyday. As for the middle-couple, one of them is allergic to something they sell in the fast food restaurant next door so they have no choice but to eat here whenever they watch.
More people buy Sour Patch Kids each day, but he always makes sure to bring a box for Rachel.
xiv.
Rachel hasn't been answering her phone all day and he worried sick. Kurt has no idea where she is and he know Puck isn't getting off the couch.
He lets himself in the Puckerman household and runs to Rachel's room to find it completely empty.
"Dude, where's Rachel?"
"Gone."
"What?"
"She left dude, she's going back to New York. Good riddance too."
"She really left?"
"Well duh. What did you think was going to happen when summer ended?"
Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. She couldn't have left him. No goodbye? She didn't even mention it or give him a heads up.
"She didn't even tell me. She didn't even say goodbye!" He yells as he kicks a chair, angry at the thought that she didn't even care enough to try to bye.
"Stop feeling sorry for yourself bro. She probably didn't want to say goodbye because she knew you'd act like this."
"Don't you see, if I'd known, if I'd known… I would told her."
"Told her what? That you're a girl? Because seriously I think I see tears in your eyes and that's not masculine at all."
"That I'm in love with her okay!" He yells because he's been dying to say that for the past three months. "I love her, and now she's gone."
"Well what the hell are you waiting for? This is the part of the romantic film where you run after her and confess your love so go."
He barely has time to register what just happened before the door slams shut. Not only did he admit his love for Rachel to Puck of all people, but he just found out that Puck watches romantic films. There's no time to ask why because right now, he has to go find Rachel.
xv.
He wonders how the guys in the romantic movies do it.
First of all, he doesn't know a thing about her flight: her airline, her time, he doesn't even know what airport she's at.
It doesn't help that she's still not answering her phone.
He calls Puck, hoping he at least knows which airport she's at if not more. He does provide some information, 'land best known for their butt tits.'
He's practicing what he's planning to say the entire drive to Cleveland. He just can't find the right words.
Kurt, who's playing his personal assistant because he 'wants to be the Phoebe to his Ross like on the last episode of Friends', researches all the possible flights she could be on. Right now there's like seven and he definitely doesn't find that lucky.
The security guard doesn't seem moved with his 'wanting to catch a girl before she leaves forever story.' He has no money in his wallet either, only his box of Sour Patch Kids. When he tries to bribe him with that, the security guard nearly calls for back-up.
He sighs in relief when Mrs. Puckerman comes out of nowhere to same him and he can't help but wonder where she was when he needed her before this whole thing happened, but nevertheless now that she's here he's one step closer to finding Rachel.
He borrows some of her money to buy the cheapest ticket just so he could get through security. He sneers at the security guard as he enters the terminal.
She's at gate 64 and her flight leaves in thirty minutes, but knowing Rachel, she's probably one of the first to board.
He sprints to the gate and is heart almost drops at the sight of the gate, they're boarding now, and there's no way he can find his 5'2 girl in the crowd. He knows she's probably inside the plane and just the thought of her, sitting there on the plane oblivious of his feelings towards her make him angry. He didn't come all this way just to be stopped by some old grouchy flight attendant.
He works his charm with the younger flight attendant, who also finds him romantic and she agrees to go check inside the plane for her.
He stares at the gate, his eyes not blinking, waiting for her beautiful face to come out.
He's confused when the flight attendant shakes her head.
She's not there.
xvi.
He falls into a state of depression as he slumps his way out of the gate.
Where did he go wrong?
He holds back a tear as he watches the plane take off. Where is she? Did Mrs. Puckerman lie to him? It wouldn't be the first time someone lied to him. Or was Rachel actually there, she just didn't want to see him?
He decides he might actually use his boarding pass to Columbus, just to get away from all this.
He figures it's time for comfort food and stares at his box of Sour Patch Kids. Not even Sour Patch Kids alone could get him out his funk. He sighs and heads over to the nearest mini store to buy more junk with the money from Mrs. Puckerman.
He frowns when he sees the empty stock of Sour Patch Kids.
"Excuse me," he asks the cashier, "where are your Sour Patch Kids?"
"Sorry kid, someone just bought the last five. I didn't know someone that tiny could eat that much. It's not even that great either. I like the Watermelon one's better. I'm sure there is some of those."
Just his damn luck.
He walks around the terminal absentminded, ignoring everything around him. It isn't until he hears a "thud" that he realizes he knocked someone's five boxes of Sour Patch Kids on the floor. So this is the girl who stole his Sour Patch Kids.
"Gosh I am so sorry," well not really but he says it anyways as he kneels to the floor to help her pick them up.
"Finn" he hears her breath, and he stops because he would know that voice anywhere. He looks up at her when his light brown eyes meet her dark ones it's almost déjà vu. Almost, but it isn't, because he isn't the same guy he was three months ago.
"Rachel" he smiles, because she's here, and he knows he's not dreaming because just by looking at her eyes again he could tell she's real. "What are you doing here? Puck's mom said your flight-…"
She smiles and even though it's been only hours since the last time he saw it he missed it already. "I had to change it; my dads are running late so I pushed back my flight until later. I think the real question is: what are you doing here?"
"You left, you didn't say goodbye."
She frowns and sighs while she looks down, "You know I hate goodbyes. I've experienced too many of them and I couldn't bear to say goodbye to you, so I didn't. I know what you're thinking, that it's not goodbye; that we can still keep in touch. But it's time to face reality. I live in New York, you live here, face it, it's useless trying. Summer's over Finn. This, whatever this is, is done. I can't… I can't…" she stops, taking a deep breath.
"Look, everything's already said and done." She continues again. "So if you came here looking for a goodbye, it's too bad, I'm not giving you one."
With one final nod she begins to walk past him but he grabs her wrist and spins her around so that their faces are only a few inches away.
"I didn't come here to say goodbye. Look, Rachel, I don't know how to say this but-… Umm… You're like… you're like a bunch of Sour Patch Kids…"
"Finn, what did you just call me?"
"No, no, no! It's not an insult! It's a compliment! 'Cause you know they're just like awesome you know, and original and special, and unique… and umm…. you know the whole 'sour, sweet, gone' thing it is like you because you can be a diva if you want to but like you're super sweet and I just want to eat you. Wait, that came out wrong. Yeah well anyways and the whole gone part, I mean you're leaving, but just because you eat a Sour Patch Kid, it's not necessarily the end of the world. There are like, billions of Sour Patch Kids and they're all the same. Plus they keep making more each day."
"What are you saying?" All it took was one look at her face to know that she wasn't getting what he was trying to say.
"Rachel, it doesn't matter that you're leaving because it doesn't change the way I feel about you. It like, say each and every single one of the billion Sour Patch Kids represented a part of you, together they make the World's Greatest Candy, and no matter where you are, I'll always have a part of you. Because Rach, you're forever a part of me. I know it's crazy and we just met like months ago, but… I love you. You know what, scratch that. I'm in love with you." He turns away from her to see that they have an audience. He figures they wanted to see the classic romantic scene at the airport and decides to use that to his advantage.
"I, Finn Christopher Hudson, am totally, completely, 100%..." he yells before turning back to Rachel "in love with you, Rachel Barbra Berry."
She still has a shocked look on her face and yeah, he probably might have just ruined their whole friendship. But honestly, it was worth it. Yeah it was a spontaneous outburst but he meant it, every word and now he knows he has no regrets.
"Do you think… that maybe… you could love me?" he whispers to her, afraid of her answer.
The moment she shakes her no he's heartbroken. It' so much worse and deeper from Quinn which is stupid considering the fact that Rachel and him weren't even boyfriend-girlfriend. But he knows now, that what he felt from Quinn and any other girl is nothing to what he feels for Rachel. He just had to wait before she was leaving to tell her that. Accepting defeat, he nods before turning from her.
"Wait…" she grabs his arm and spins him around just like he did to her a few minutes ago. "I don't think I love you Finn." She pulls his face closer to hers and smiles at his shocked face. "I know I love you." And with that her lips are on his and holy crap he's kissing Rachel Berry. Not only that' Rachel Berry told him she loves him. He can barely hear the applause of the crowd watching them because of the sound of his own heart.
They pull apart and he already misses the feel of his lips on hers. "I've been wanting to do that all summer." She states smiling, resting her forehead on his.
"Me too." Was all he manages to say before his lips were on hers again. He pulls as closer to him as possible, because they have to make up for lost time. His hand is stroking her face while hers is on the back of his head pulling him closer. His tongue finds hers and no he doesn't think they're rushing things because this was long overdue.
They continue to make-out until they call her flight. By then their little audience is long gone because they have been kissing for well over two hours. He knows that this doesn't change the fact that she's leaving. Heck, he doesn't even know when he's going to see her again.
"I have to go" she whispers quietly to him.
Suddenly he gets an idea. "Do you have a Sharpie?
"Y-yes, hold on." She digs through her bag and pulls it out. He knew that Rachel Berry always comes prepared.
He takes the box of Sour Patch Kids he was planning to give to her before this whole scenario occurred and writes on it before giving it to her. She flashes him her beautiful smile and he knows he finally did something right.
"Do you really think we can do this? The whole long distance thing?"
"I have no doubt about it babe." He smiles because he can actually call her that.
She immediately jumps him and kisses him one last time. "I love you."
"I love you too. Call me when you land."
She smiles and blows him a kiss before she boards the plane.
xvii.
She can't help but to read his message on the box of Sour Patch Kids he gave her while she's on her way to New York.
Rach,
I love you more than all the Sour Patch Kids in the world, and I would gladly give up my "addiction/obsession" as Kurt calls it, just to be with you.
Love, Finn
She doesn't care they've only been officially together for about two-and-a-half hours. She doesn't care that they're say a thousand miles away from each other. She doesn't care that they haven't even went out on a date. No, she doesn't care how hard long-distance relationships are, because no matter what, she knows they always have Sour Patch Kids to remind them of each other. Right now, the only thing she cares about is the fact that she loves him, and that he loves her.
Review! Please :)