When the red of Finn's taillights rounded the corner of the carpark and out of view, Rae threw her arms around herself and danced in the soft glow of the street lights. She felt weightless, like every doubt and insecurity she had ever carried has been lifted off her shoulders in one in glorious moment. She floated up the stairs in such bliss that she didn't even see Chanel until she walked right into her, knocking her laundry basket to the ground.

"Oh gosh," Rae yelped as she bent to pick up the basket. "I'm so sorry, Chanel. I'm just in my own little world."

"Oh, it's alright, Rae. How've ya been? It's been a while," Chanel smiled weakly.

Rae wasn't sure how to answer. On the one hand, she was simply feeling magnificent. On the other, the reason for her happiness is the same reason Chanel hasn't been around recently.

"Um. Oh, I'm just peachy, Chanellie. We really miss ya, ya know?" Rae answered honestly.

"I know. I just needed space, ya know. Can't really get over someone when you're constantly around them and all that."

"Yeah."

"Any ways. It was lovely to see yas. Maybe we could get dinner together soon. Ya know, just the girls."

"That would be brilliant! I'll talk to Iz and Chlo and we'll schedule something." Rae grinned.

"Right, well I better get goin'."

"Have a good night!" Rae turned to her door.

"Rae?"

"Yeah?"

"Uh, your lipstick is smeared." Rae felt her cheeks blaze hot.

Busted.

"Oh, ahem, thanks." She tried her best to clean the area around her mouth.

"Night." Chanel responded as she closed to door to her room.

Rae hit her head to the door in mild embarrassment and heard quiet shuffling, the squeak of a bedspring, and soft –

Classical music? Who the fuck is listenin' to that?

She unlocked the door and saw Chloe and her friend Clarissa sitting close to each on Chloe's bed, a notebook in each of their hands and a text book sprawled in front of Clarissa's crossed legs.

"Jesus, sweets! What was with the bang on the door?" Chloe asked half out of breath. "You gave us a right good scare."

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Rae apologized. "That was my head. I ran into Chanel outside after, uh, after I kind of made out with Finn…"

"OH MY GOD, RAE!" Chloe screamed at top volume as she jumped off the bed to wrap Rae in a tight hug. "How was it? Tell us everything."

Clarissa looked as if hearing all about Rae's steamy make out session with Finn was the absolute last thing she wanted to do.

"Oh, it's alright. You two can finish studyin'," Rae looked to see what that were studying and noticed the book was upside down. "Uh, whatever it is you're studyin'. I'll tell ya when Iz gets back!" Rae saw Clarissa's face relax slightly while Chloe's fell into a soft frown. She felt a sudden awkwardness in the air and decided it best to take a shower.

She closed the door to the bathroom and could hear heated whispers through it. She wasn't sure what they were arguing about and she was in too good a mood to worry so she turned the water on to drown them out. She undressed slowly, lingering on the places where Finn's hands had been placed barely 10 minutes before. As she always did when she looked at her naked body in the mirror, Rae thought about the things she liked about herself.

I like how plump my lips look after Finn has kissed them. I like that my hair is soft enough for Finn to run his hands through. I like how I know that kiss was as good for him as it was for me.

Rae smiled at herself and stepped into the already steam filled shower. She reimagined their kiss over and over until it was permanently engrained in her memory. She knew exactly where his hands were when he did that thing with his tongue. She could write an entire thesis on how it felt when he bit her lower lip.

Mmmmmmm

About ten minutes into her shower she heard their door close with a loud thud. She thought it was probably a good stopping point on her trip down memory lane; she probably would've drowned herself if she continued on with her thought process. She toweled herself dry, wrapped it around her hair, and threw on her favorite article of clothing: her bright as a tube of toothpaste bathrobe.

"Rae? What's this thing that looks like a Care Bear vomited all over it?" Finn laughed when he saw it hanging on the drying rack just the week before.

"Oi! Ya wouldn't be sayin' that if ya knew how comfortable it was." Rae answered him sternly.

Finn lifted it from the hook and rubbed it all over his face.

Oh, Jesus! My naked bits have touched that!

"You're right," he answered, his honey eyes bright with amusement. "It's very soft."

Rae smiled at the memory, wondering what would have happened if she would've just kissed him right then and there. Liam wouldn't have happened. The past week wouldn't have happened. They could have been having nights like tonight for the past 6 days.

We coulda been havin' kisses like that!

Rae shook herself to remind her that things are all better now. She opened the bathroom door to find a visibly upset Chloe sitting at her desk. "Ya alright, Chlo?"

Chloe forced an obviously fake smile, "Yeah, babes! It's just… This group project. And Clarissa just… It's just really stressful."

Even though Rae knew there was more to it than just a group project, she nodded in understanding. Chloe would tell her what was going on if she needed to.

"So tell me about your weekend then!" Chloe asked, this time with a genuine smile. Rae told Chloe everything from Finn showing up at the cemetery, to the sign at the train station, to the drunk "Shoop" girls, to their kiss. Chloe was the perfect audience. She "oohed" and "awed" at all the appropriate parts.

"Oh, Chlo. It was absolutely perfect." Rae gushed.

"I'm so pleased for ya, Rae!"

"Thanks for finally knockin' some sense into him." Rae looked at her friend warmly.

"What are sisters for," Chloe responded with a smile. "So, like, what does this mean now, though? Because you weren't so sure yesterday."

"What d'ya mean?" Rae asked, confused.

"I mean. Are you two boyfriend girlfriend? Are you friends with benefits? Like. What are you?"

Rae hadn't thought of that. "I guess I just kinda assumed we'd be boyfriend girlfriend now, ya know. He did tell me he loved me. And I love him."

"Did you say it tonight?"

"Uh. No?"

"I think you should talk about it. I don't want you goin' into this thinkin' it's one thing if he's thinkin' it's somethin' else. I just don't want to see ya hurt again. Last week was unbearable for me to see ya like that, knowin' I couldn't help."

Rae smiled in appreciation for her friend. "Thanks, Chlo," she said softly placed her hand on Chloe's. "I really appreciate that. Things are better now, though. I promise. We're havin' lunch together tomorrow and I'll bring it up then. Deal?"

"Deal," she smiled back, pulling Rae into a tight hug.

"Where's Iz?" Rae asked as they pulled apart.

"Seeing a movie with the lads."

"You didn't wanna join?"

"Oh, no. I had a – to study – to work on this project." Chloe rapidly burned scarlet and turned to avoid Rae's eyes.

What is goin' on with her?

"Gotcha. So what were you and Clarissa workin' on?"

"It's for our Business Strategies lecture. We have to create a product and discuss how we're gunna sell it and market it and blah, blah, blah."

"Sounds fun! And it's just you and Clarissa in the group?"

"Um, no. We're just, um, we're responsible for the marketing side of it."

"Interesting," Rae said, trying to stifle a yawn. "Soz, I just realized how tired I am."

"No worries! You had a crazy weekend," Chloe beamed. "Get some sleep. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Night, Chlo."

The next morning Rae sat through the longest Introduction to Dramatic Studies ever. Her head jerked to clock so often that it didn't really surprise her when she pulled a muscle in her neck.

Ouch! Calm your tits, woman.

She was more anxious for this lunch than she was the previous Monday because of all that transpired last night. Chloe was right, they needed to define what they were to each other. It was clear they cared very deeply for each other and that they have beautiful chemistry, but if Finn didn't want to be her boyfriend, what would that mean? If he just wanted to fool around a little, would she be okay with that? Would she be ready to be his girlfriend, though? She loves him so much but the looks she got from the other girls just for being his friend were almost too much to bear, what would it be like if people saw him hold her in public? Or kiss her in public? Would he be embarrassed?

Oh, Jesus. Calm down, Rae. Calm down. He didn't seem to be too embarrassed when he was runnin' his hands all over your body last night, did he? And remember, you are perfect. It's nothin' to do with that they think or feel and all to do with how you and Finn think and feel.

"That will be due next time we meet. You are dismissed." Dr. Pam's shrill voice broke through Rae's thoughts.

Oh, fuck. What's due next time we meet?!

The rest of the class had already cleared out and Dr. Pam was sitting hunched over her desk, reviewing the assignments that were turned in today. She held a petite frame, with short pepper-gray hair that always had a flower in it. She was a little eccentric, there was no hiding that. Case in point, Pam was her first name and if you called her Dr. Montelone, she wouldn't respond. She came from America after she received her doctorate in Shakespeare. Not really, but Shakespeare is her specialty and she wanted to be closer to his roots. She wore the same sky blue button-up shirt tucked into a black ankle length pleated skirt with white Keds every class. And while she may have looked like someone's sweet little grandma that would make you cookies, and she was, she was not someone to cross. She once stopped the entire lecture to scream, at no one in particular, because someone called Shakespeare "The Bard." Apparently, calling him that is frowned upon in close knit Shakespearean circles. She was very reluctant to repeat herself if you missed an assignment for any reason, let alone because you were too busy daydreaming about what people may or may not think about you being with your may or may not be boyfriend. She was busy scribbling notes on someone's paper when Rae finally mustered up the courage to speak.

"Um, excuse me, Dr. Pam?" She asked timidly.

"'Cupid is a knavish lad, thus to make females mad'," Dr. Pam responded without looking up from her notes.

"Er, what?" Rae was confused.

"Shakespeare, Ms. Earl."

"Right. Um, I apologize for this but I wasn't payin' attention when ya assigned us, um, whatever it was that ya assigned us."

"I noticed," her rheumy cobalt eyes finally met Rae's. "Again I say, 'cupid is a knavish lad, thus to make females mad'."

"Oh! Well, yeah. Kinda. I guess. I mean, I used to be mad. But I'm not anymore. I mean, um, ahem, anyways, I'm really sorry, Dr. Pam. I promise it will never happen again."

"That's quite alright, Ms. Earl." She offered a small smile of understanding. "The assignment was to pick any monologue or soliloquy we've read so far and put it in your own words."

"Will do! Thanks, Dr. Pam." Rae turned to leave.

"Oh, and Ms. Earl?"

"Yeah?"

"'Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind'. Remember that."

Rae's breath caught in her throat.

Oh, shit. How the fuck did she know what I was thinkin'… Can you read my mind, Dr. Pam?

"Uh, ahem. Right. Thanks."

"See you next week." And with that, she went back to the papers in front of her.

Shit. If Dr. Pam could figure out what was botherin' me after one day of day-dreamin' in her class, surely Finn would be able to spot it right away! But that quote she said… What was it? "Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind." That's so true! It's what I've been tryin' to convince myself of for years. Finn doesn't care what I look like. He actually seems to like the way I look. And so what if some twats don't like seein' the two of us together, I like seein' us together. And that's all that should matter.

Rae arrived later than usual to the union and was practically jubilant when she saw the ever familiar silhouette of Finn sitting at their table.

"Was startin' to think you were gunna pull a me by standin' me up," Finn quipped as he stood to kiss her cheek.

"I would never. That's somethin' only dickheads do."

Finn chuckled gently, "so where were ya then?"

"I, uh, I was thinkin' about somethin' in class and I missed an assignment." Rae was restlessly fidgeting with her hands in lap.

"What were you thinkin' about, eh?" Finn smirked under soft pink cheeks.

"Uh, about us, actually." Finn's cheeks went from pink to red in a flash. "Wow, uh, I suddenly feel like I don't know how to act around ya."

"Wait, what? What do ya mean?" Finn was getting nervous. "What do ya mean you were thinkin' about us or that you don't know how to act around me? Rae, last night was incredible. This can't be the end already."

"No! Oh, god no! Shit. This is not what I wanted to happen. Last night was the best night of my life. I don't mean I want this to end, believe me. That's the last thing I want. What I mean is," Rae took a deep, shaky breath. "What are we? Are we friends? Are we boyfriend girlfriend?" She swallowed hard.

Finn let go of a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Oh! Well, um, I was kinda hopin' you would be my girlfriend." His eyes eagerly searched her face, hoping she felt the same way.

"Ask me."

"Wha'?"

"Ask. Me." She whispered.

"Oh!" He flushed. "Rachel Hannah Earl, will ya be my –"

"How do you know my – "

"Rae!"

"Sorry! Continue," she giggled.

"Rachel can't wait for the question to be finished Earl, will ya be my girlfriend?"

"Yeah, alright." She winked at him.

"You cheeky little," Finn leaned across the table and met her lips instantly.

If this was any other time and with any other person, Rae would've dodged his kiss instantly, being in front of all these people. She knew people were watching them, she was even expecting a sneer or two when they broke apart but for right now, she didn't care. This was Finn. Her Finn. He's always had a way of making her feel like she was the only person he could see in a room full of people. In this moment, she couldn't understand why she was so scared before. As expected, there were some confused expressions, some whispers behind hands, and one particularly nasty glower came from a blonde sitting a few tables over but the only look Rae really noticed came from the bluest eyes she's ever seen. Dr. Pam was at a small table in the corner of the union with an easy smile resting on her face. She gave Rae a small nod and went back to her meal.

That Shakespeare, he sure knew what he was talkin' about.