A little update for y'all. :)
Rachel woke up with her alarm the next day and groaned at remembering she had a Bat Mitzvah party to work that afternoon. It was carnival themed which meant she'd have to be Rainy Rachel and that really stuck in her craw. Her clown make-up took forever to put on and take off and the costume puffed out making her look huge and she'd have to juggle and make balloon animals all day. Lucky for Rocco she learned how to tie balloon animals back in high school from her theatre teacher.
She rolled out of bed in the direction of the bathroom to get ready and instead of stepping onto her hardwood floor she stood on something warm and squishy. The squishy thing let out a loud groan and Rachel suddenly remembered that Finn had spent the night on her floor. She stepped off him on his other side and began apologizing profusely.
"I'm so sorry Finn. I forgot you were on the floor. I never have house guests so it slipped my mind. Sorry," she explained with a sympathetic expression.
He sat up and rubbed his stomach and arm where Rachel had stepped then looked up at her through half closed eyes. "S'okay. At least you missed my groin." That would have really sucked if she'd stepped right on his family jewels. He needed those to produce children.
Rachel went into the bathroom then a minute later popped back out with her hair done up in a tight ponytail.
"What are you doing up now? It's so early," Finn asked with a yawn. He never woke up before time was in the double digits.
"I need to get ready to go in to work. Rocco and I have a Bat Mitzvah party today at one," she said matter-of-factly as she walked over to her cupboard and pulled out some oatmeal and a water bottle from the fridge. "I'd offer you some breakfast but I don't know if you like vegan fair."
"Wait, slow down. You got up at eight to get to work at one? And what the heck is vegan?" Finn got up and walked toward her rubbing his tired eyes.
"I like to do yoga in the morning, eat breakfast then shower. Then I go to Rocco's to get into my costume and today's costume is particularly horrid. I need all the prep time I can get. Also, a vegan is someone who doesn't consume meat or any other animal byproducts."
"What's left to eat then?" he asked looking at her like she was crazy. Finn ate meat at every meal. He couldn't imagine never eating it ever.
"There's plenty left to eat. Look, I don't have time to explain all my dietary habits to you right now. Would you like some oatmeal at least?" she said rather exasperatedly.
"Sure, I like oatmeal." Finn paused and turned to look in the direction of Rachel's tiny bathroom as she set about making oatmeal. "Would I be able to use your bathroom?"
"Of course. Please remember to put the seat down though and wash your hands!" she called after him.
He shut the door and relieved himself then explored the contents of her bathroom after washing his hands. She had make-up all over the shelf over the toilet and spray bottles of this and that on the sink. In the tub there were more bottles of fruity smelling soap. He really wanted to take a bath, he was trying to impress Rachel and needed to be clean for it, but the tub was much too small for him to fit inside.
"Hey Rachel," he called out as he walked back into the main room. He stopped short however when he saw Rachel's perfect behind sticking up in the air and her head down at her ankles. She looked up at him through her legs. Her face was a deep red but Finn couldn't tell if it was embarrassment at being caught with her head between or legs or just from being upside down.
"Yes?" She stood back up straight and looked at Finn expectantly.
"Um, is there a bigger bathtub?" he asked jabbing his thumb over his shoulder toward the bathroom.
"No that's it. It should be plenty big enough for a shower though." Rachel was confused.
"How am I supposed to fit in there?"
"Have you never taken a shower? How do you bathe at home?"
"I have a huge bathtub at home where I take baths. How do you bathe?" Finn really wouldn't mind seeing a tutorial as to how Rachel bathed.
"Come with me." Rachel walked into the bathroom and threw back the curtain. "Okay, this is what you do. You turn on the hot and cold water until it gets to the temperature you like then you pull up this little handle and," water started flowing from the shower head and Finn looked impressed, "Voila! Shower time!" Rachel finished. Finn wondered why they didn't they have these things in McKinley. It would make life so much easier. "I'll leave you to it then. I only have Herbal Essences and coconut body wash so you'll have to use that but, have at. Try not to use all the hot water on me."
Rachel walked out of the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She took a deep breath as she tried not to imagine a naked Finn behind the thin bathroom door and tried not think about how badly she wanted to charge in there, kiss him senseless then let him take her against the shower wall. She shook her head and rubbed her hands over her face.
"Snap out of it Rachel. Nothing can happen. Even if he is sorry and isn't going to marry Quinn that doesn't mean you can be together. You're from two different worlds! He didn't even know what electricity was until yesterday! And there's no way I could survive without it. There are just certain things that I need and that is one of them," Rachel berated herself aloud as she wandered around picking things up and put her bed away. "Besides he's a king and you're a loser who lives in a single room working as a clown/magician's assistant because you couldn't make it on Broadway. It could never work."
For the next several minutes Rachel's mind went back and forth between fantasies of her and Finn together and chastising herself for thinking such things. Finally the bathroom door opened and Finn stood in the doorway of the steaming room dripping wet holding one of Rachel's small towels in front of his body.
"Um, Rachel, would you mind grabbing my clothes? I kind of forgot them and this towel doesn't cover everything," Finn said sheepishly. All she could do was gape at the sight of His Majesty standing there all drippy and hot and holding up a pink towel that barely covered his, what Rachel assumed to be, impressive package. "Rachel?"
She blinked a few times then finally snapped out of it. "Yeah, yeah, um, give me two seconds." Rachel picked up Finn's clothes that she had found draped on her dresser and walked back over to the bathroom to hand them to him. She stared at his chest and licked her lips as a drop of water ran down his abdomen and below the towel. Oh how she wanted to lick every drop off him.
Forgetting he needed both hands to hold the towel up, Finn reached out with his right hand to grab the clothes and the towel fell away from his body. Rachel's eyes bugged as they instantly zoomed in on what she had assumed correctly. Finn was very well endowed and now Rachel was having an even harder time keeping herself on the opposite side of the bathroom door.
When Finn noticed Rachel's reaction a few seconds later he realized that he was quite nude in front of her. He threw his clothes over his shoulder and picked the towel up once more blushing scarlet, he laughed nervously, apologized then closed the door again.
It was going to be harder than Rachel thought to send Finn home.
A semi-awkward hour and a half later Finn and Rachel were leaving her apartment when they ran into Jacob at the mailboxes.
"Good morning my sweet, gigantor," he greeted them when they walked up, narrowing his eyes at Finn.
"Jacob, I've told you dozens of times to stop calling me that. I am not 'your sweet' and I never will be. I'm not interested, I'm sorry. Now I need to go before I'm late for work. Have a nice day Jacob." Rachel tried pushing past him but he stood in her way.
"Is it because of him?" Jacob nodded at Finn whose eyebrows scrunched together.
Rachel looked up at Finn then back at Jacob. "No Jacob it's not. It's because I'm not attracted to you. To be completely honest I find your stalkerish obsession with me to be very creepy and I wish you would get it through your Jewfro that you and I will never happen. I'm sure there is a girl out there who will happily run her fingers through your poofy mane and adore your thick glasses and want to watch Battlestar Galactica with you but that girl is not me. Now please move out of my way."
Jacob stood his ground however. "But we could be so good together Rachel and if he's not your boyfriend what other prospects do you have?"
Just as Rachel was about to say she'd rather jump into the Hudson than date him, Finn stepped forward moving Rachel protectively behind him.
"Listen, Jacob. Rachel isn't interested so you need to back off or I will make you back off. Got it?" Finn threatened menacingly. Jacob gulped as Finn stared him down. He shook his head, hair bouncing everywhere and stepped to the side allowing the hulking man and Rachel to pass out of the building.
As they walked down the street Rachel commented on the situation. "You didn't need to do that. I could have handled him."
"I know you could have, but I wanted to. That guy seems like he's a little crazy and you shouldn't have to deal with that."
"He is. Sometimes I swear I can hear him breathing through the walls listening to what I'm doing. Very creepy."
The pair made their way on the subway up to Rocco's but as they approached the building Finn began to throw a little bit of a fit.
"Rachel I don't want to go back. Not without you. Come with me, please?"
She shook her head no at him. "Finn, you don't belong here and I don't belong there. This could never work. Besides I'm a 'commoner'. Isn't there a rule or something that says you have to be with a princess?"
"No. I can be with whoever I want."
Rachel looked a little surprised. "Oh, well, even so…I'm no one special. You deserve to be with someone who is your equal and that is not me."
Finn grabbed Rachel's wrist and spun her around stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. "Is that what you think?" He couldn't believe Rachel didn't think she was special. "Rachel, you are special. You're kind and smart and beautiful," Rachel blushed and looked down as he praised her looks, "and you believed in me before you even knew me. You're the most special person I know."
She glanced back up at Finn who was looking at her intently. "We should get you home. Your kingdom needs its king." Rachel smiled weakly at him then pulled her wrist from his grip and continued walking forward. Finn followed behind wearing sadness. What did he have to do to get Rachel to stay with him?
When they got to Rocco's he answered the door immediately with a big happy grin on his face. "Good morning you two! How was your night? Mine was fantastic!" He literally waltzed back down the hall with an invisible partner humming a nameless tune as he went.
"Well someone is in a good mood," Rachel mumbled as she shut the door behind Finn. "Okay, come on Finn. You need to get back."
Finn planted himself firmly at the door. "I'm not going back. Not unless you come with me."
"Finn I told you we don't-"
"Belong in each other's worlds. Yeah, I heard you but what if you're wrong? What if it wasn't an accident that you found the door? Maybe you were supposed to." Finn ducked down to look Rachel in the eye. "Did you ever think about that?"
"Why do you have to make this so difficult Finn? It's hard enough as it is." Her brow furrowed and she bit her lip.
"You want to come with me. I know you do. Why are you fighting so hard against this?" He knew she wanted to be with him so why was she being so reserved about it?
"I hardly know you Finn. I can't just go gallivanting off to some kingdom with a man I don't know. I have responsibilities here and my dads… I can't just leave them all behind."
"Then I'll stay here with you."
"No," Rachel stated rigidly. "You have much bigger responsibilities in McKinley. You can't leave them for me. I won't let you. I don't care if I have to hire big burly men to put you in that cabinet I will not let you stay here because of me."
"Well, I'm not going back until you come with me." He crossed his arms over his chest and stood his ground.
"You're being ridiculous."
"I don't care. I don't want to lose you."
"You don't even know me."
"So maybe I don't know every detail about your life but I know that you're a good person and that you aren't happy and I want to make you happy."
Rocco reappeared in the hallway then. "Rachel, you should start getting ready. I know how long it takes you to do your make-up."
"Yeah, Rocco, I will." She smiled at her boss then turned back to Finn. Maybe it wouldn't kill her to spend one day in McKinley with him, just to look around. After all, he had spent a day in New York. "If I come with you, you'll go back?"
Finn twitched his mouth. "Yes."
Rachel looked down the hall. "I have to go to this party today but maybe tomorrow, I guess I could spend the day with you there since I'm off. But only a day! I can't stay there forever."
His face lit up and he pulled Rachel in for a big hug. He brushed his fingers over her hair and she discreetly sniffed his chest. The embrace lasted a little longer than a friendly one should until Rachel noticed and pulled away.
"Only a day." She stuck her finger out and stared him down.
Finn put his hands up. "I got it. Only a day." He only had a day to try to change her mind but that was more than enough.
"I have to get ready now. You can go sit in the living room and watch TV."
"What's TV?" He raised his eyebrow at her.
Rachel put her hand to her forehead. "Sorry, I forgot. Here, I'll show you." She led Finn to the living room and sat him down on the couch. She flicked the TV on and handed Finn the remote to show him how to use it. Once he got the gist she left him alone to peruse the channels and went into her dressing room to become Rainy Rachel.
It took her nearly an hour to get her make-up on. The white face paint was the easy part; it was the minute details that always gave her trouble. She had to have her eyes done up to look like storm clouds and raindrops dripping down her cheek. On her other cheek was a red umbrella blowing away in the wind.
She dug her multi-blue colored polka-dot tea-length clown dress out of the closet and stared at the wretched thing. She had nightmares about this dress. It itched like nothing else and the bottom was always knocking things over due to the puffy navy blue tulle. Plus the zipper often stuck and once it took a team of two men to get her out of it. This was by far the worst thing Rocco made her wear, even worse than the awful princess dress.
Rachel pulled the monstrosity on and began zipping it up until it wouldn't move anymore. She tugged on it a few more times, growing more frustrated with each failure. Rachel looked in the mirror and saw that a bit of the fabric had gotten caught about halfway up. She tried to wiggle out of the dress but it was already too far on her body. The only way she was getting out was with assistance.
Rachel sighed and looked at the ceiling using some rather un-Rachel like language in her head. Frustrated, Rachel ripped the door open and moved down the hallway. As she got closer to the living room she could hear yells coming from Finn and Rocco.
"Foul? How was that a foul? It was totally in the line!" Finn screamed at the TV. "The ump has no idea what he's talking about." He shook his head disapprovingly before noticing Rachel standing in the doorway with an amused expression.
Finn stood up. "Rachel, you look, um, pretty?" he said as if unsure what response to give when his eyes scanned her appearance.
"You don't need to lie. I look ridiculous, but I am a clown so... Anyway, could one of you help me? My zipper is stuck again." She turned around to reveal the stuck zipper and more importantly the smooth creamy skin of her upper back.
A vision of pulling that zipper down and seeing all of what was underneath it filtered through Finn's brain and it was taking so much effort not to act on the thought.
"Yeah, I can...I can help with that." Finn moved forward as Rachel pulled her hair around to expose her back fully. He took the zipper between his fingers and worked the stuck bit of fabric out of it. He slowly pulled it back down a little to make sure it was clear then began to pull it back up smoothly until it was fully closed. His fingers lingered at Rachel's exposed neck lightly brushing over her skin.
She looked back over her shoulder at him, thinking that moment could be something so much more before remembering where she was and how she was dressed. Sad clowns were definitely not sexy nor were intimate relations in your boss's house.
She turned back around smiling awkwardly at Finn. She tried to make it less awkward by attempting to have a conversation about the Mets game Rocco had recorded from the day prior on TV.
"I didn't know you were a baseball fan." She gestured to the screen.
Finn looked back at it. "Oh, I'm not, I mean, I've never seen it before. It seems like fun though. Rocco explained it to me and said the Mets were the team to root for."
"Well Rocco is wrong. The Yankees are the team to root for. Rocco is just a delusional Mets fan who thinks they actually have a chance at winning every year." She looked accusingly at her boss.
"Just you wait Rachel! The Mets are gonna do it and when they do, I'm gonna dance all the way to your apartment and rub it in your Yankee lovin' face!" He pointed a gloved finger in her direction. He was completely dressed in his clown garb minus the red nose.
"So I should root for the Yankees then? Where are they from?"
"They're the other, better, New York team. I don't follow the sport too much but my dad has always been a huge Yankees fan so I mostly just support them because of him," Rachel lowered her voice, "Plus it annoys Rocco to no end and it's pretty funny to watch him get so flustered over it. He doesn't have many friends to talk baseball with so I watch games with him sometimes."
"Finn, don't let those legs and that smile talk you into rooting for the damn Yankees. The Mets are the real New York team."
Finn looked back and forth between Rocco and Rachel. It didn't really matter which team he chose as he'd probably never watch baseball again but he felt as if he should pick one.
"Is there a third option?" he asked trying to diffuse the argument.
Rocco scoffed. "Not in New York, son. It's the Yankees or Mets and no matter which team you root for everyone hates Boston."
"Finn, you can root for whomever you want. Don't let the old man scare you into rooting for the inferior team," Rachel said with a smile.
"Inferior team? Why you...! Rachel, you're damn lucky you're so good at tying balloon animals and juggling otherwise I'd be out looking for a Mets fan to replace you!" he yelled out angrily shaking his fist at her, his wig hair bouncing on his head just as angrily.
Rachel only chuckled. "I'll let you two get back to your game. I need to put my wig on." Rachel turned to go back down the hall and Finn sat back down.
"That woman, I tell ya. Horrible taste in sports teams but man, she's great. I'm so glad I hired her. She's a real doll and she doesn't even realize it. Not too many other gals her age would spend afternoons off watching baseball with their aging boss," Rocco said after Rachel had disappeared. Finn shook his head in agreement.
"Finn, can I ask ya a question?"
"Sure."
"Do you got a thing for her? For Rachel?" Rocco leaned forward waiting for Finn's answer.
He swallowed and lightly shook his head. "I've liked her since I first saw her and I think she likes me too but she keeps fighting against it."
Rocco shook his head in understanding. "Well son, don't give up on her. You seem like a nice kid, even though you did break into my house," he narrowed his eyes at Finn, "but that's what Rachel needs. I don't think she's ever had a boyfriend and that may be why she's so scared. If you really want her and think she wants you too don't give up. She's too good a girl to be alone forever. Rachel deserves all the happiness in the world."
"Believe me sir, I won't. Rachel's the best woman I've ever met and I don't plan on ever giving up on her."
Rocco shook his head. "Good to hear."
The men could hear Rachel padding down the hallway again and ended their conversation. She came into the doorway wearing a bobbed light blue wig with a tiny navy blue top hat with a wilting flower on top. She looked so sad even with the smile on her face it was almost heartbreaking.
"Rocco, would you mind terribly if Finn stayed here?"
"What? No, Rach, I wanna go with and see you work." Finn said standing up.
"Finn, you don't need to-"
"Ah, Rachel, it's fine if he wants to come. He can carry all the heavy stuff." Rocco stood up and slapped Finn on the back as he winked at him. "Alright, let's head out!"
Before Rachel could even begin to try to change Rocco and Finn's minds, Rocco shoved a box of supplies into Finn's arms and ushered him toward the door. All Rachel could do was follow behind.
Well this would be interesting.