Omg it feels like years since I've updated but finally, a new-long!-chapter. Hope this makes up for the wait. School is kicking my butt this semester (when I'm not on Tumblr).
The carnival bat mitzvah party was in full swing and Rachel had just finished making a balloon poodle for a little girl when she looked up to find Finn surrounded by a gaggle of pre-pubescent girls. He looked really uncomfortable being gazed at like a tender piece of meat by the children but Rachel couldn't help but find him hopelessly adorable. She walked over to the group to try to save him.
Finn didn't know how this happened. He had been sitting along the wall minding his own business simply watching Rachel wander around juggling and making balloon animals for children when a young girl walked up to him and began talking to him.
"Who are you?" she asked with a slight blush.
"Um, I'm Finn."
"That's a nice name. Why are you sitting by yourself Finn?" She twirled her hair around her finger and stared at the floor as she spoke.
"I came with my friend but she's working so I can't really stay with her."
"Lindsay, what are you do-whoa! Who are you?" another girl said as she walked in Finn's direction.
Lindsay answered. "This is Finn."
"Hi Finn! I'm Paige!"
"And I'm Lindsay! I forgot to mention that."
"Nice to meet you both," Finn said with a tight smile. The girls giggled and yet another girl came over to them.
A few minutes later Finn was stuck. Seven girls had come over to him giggling and asking questions about who he was and normally this wouldn't be a problem because as the king he dealt with things of this nature frequently but today it was a problem because Rachel had told him not to draw attention to himself. Having multiple young ladies around him was not making that easy. It was also hard to give answers that didn't reference McKinley.
"How old are you Finn?" one of the girls asked.
"Twenty-three," he answered uncertainly. He was trying to think of a way out that didn't involve mowing the girls down in an attempt to bolt for the exit.
"That's only 10 years older than me! Ten years isn't a lot," she replied suggestively.
"Um..." Finn wasn't sure how to respond. He definitely did not want teenage girls chasing after him.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Lindsay asked. All the girls held their breaths as they waited for Finn's answer.
"Um," just as Finn was about to say no he spotted Rachel walking his way and made an impulsive decision. "Yes, I do. She's right there."
The seven girls' heads swiveled around and landed on the sad clown who had been making balloon animals.
"That girl?" Paige screeched, appalled. "She's a clown!"
"Hey girls! Does anyone want a balloon animal?" Rachel said with enthusiasm as she made it to the group. For reasons unknown to her all the girls were glaring at Rachel with hatred in their eyes.
"Hey Rach, I'll take a balloon animal." Finn stood up and towered over the girls. They looked up at him with awe on their faces and he could swear he heard one girl whisper about how beautiful he was.
"She doesn't seem like your girlfriend," one girl said with attitude as she crossed her arms over her chest and stared between Finn and Rachel.
Rachel looked confused. "I'm-"
"The best girlfriend ever!" Finn insinuated wildly, cutting Rachel's sentence off before she could even start it. He pleadingly stared at her. Finn needed to get the girls to leave him alone.
Catching on, Rachel played along. "Right! That's me! Best girlfriend ever!"
The girl still didn't seem convinced. "If she's your girlfriend then kiss her!" the girl with the attitude challenged.
What was happening? Why was a 13 year old so adamant about whether or not Rachel was Finn's girlfriend? Or better question, why was Finn letting the 13 year old force him into this situation?
"Why do you care so much?" he asked the girl back in a sassy manner.
"Because I do! This is my bat mitzvah party so you have to do as I say otherwise I'll have my daddy kick you and the sad clown out!"
Rachel looked panicked now. She couldn't get kicked out of the party she was working! She wouldn't get paid then and it would look bad on her. Without even thinking about the potential consequences, Rachel pulled Finn's head down and kissed him full on the mouth with total abandon.
She had only meant it to be a quick kiss to get this girl to leave Finn alone and keep her job but of course the crazy hormones that lusted after him kicked in and had other plans. Finn had been caught off guard by the sudden contact but once he realized Rachel was kissing him he hastily reciprocated taking her into his arms and turning it into a full on make-out session.
The group of girls dissipated disappointedly as it had become pretty obvious Finn and Rachel weren't planning on stopping. Unfortunately for the enraptured couple, Rocco was planning on stopping them.
"Rachel!" he yelled at her. The sudden call of her name snapped Rachel out of her libidinous stupor and she ripped herself from Finn's mouth and twirled around to find Rocco steaming at her. "What the hell? We are at a child's bat mitzvah party! Not a sex club! Please refrain from sucking his face until you are in the privacy of your own home! We are professionals Rachel and we will conduct ourselves as such!"
Rachel gulped and ashamedly dropped her head and stalked off in the direction of the bathroom. Rocco stared at Finn through squinted eyes. "I don't approve of the place but nice work." He gave Finn a thumbs up then started to walk away before backtracking a little. "By the way, you've got make-up all over your face. Might wanna go clean it off."
Finn furiously began wiping at his mouth.
Rachel had avoided Finn for the remainder of the party and none of the girls had bothered him again. He replayed their kiss over and over in his mind, wondering what it would be like to take things even further in a more private place, like his bedroom.
Finn wasn't promiscuous but he wasn't a virgin either. He had sex every so often, generally with his oldest female friend Brittany but that was just to get off. It wasn't emotional, it didn't mean anything; it was purely for the feeling. He never had a very deep emotional connection to any sexual partner before but he had a strong feeling that sex with Rachel would be much more than just physical. After only knowing her for a day he already felt a very deep connection to her, as if he were tethered in a way, and he thought there was no way it wouldn't spill over into a fantastic romp in his sheets.
As he watched Rachel wander around, catching her glimpsing back at him every so often, he couldn't help but think that sex with her wouldn't just be emotionally great but physically as well. She had an amazing body and her butt was something else entirely. He thought back to that morning when he caught her with her head at her ankles.
"Hey Prince Goofy, want some cake?" Rocco asked coming over with two plates of marble cake.
"Sure...and I'm a king." Finn took a plate from Rocco and shoved a forkful into his mouth.
"Who are you exactly? You keep saying you're a king, you know squat about baseball, you mysteriously appeared in my house dressed like a Disney character..."
"You probably won't believe me."
"Try me," Rocco pressed.
Finn sighed. Rachel had told him not to talk about McKinley and being a king but this was Rocco. He was Rachel's friend...sorta. And it was his cabinet he'd come through.
"I'm not from here. Not just New York but this...world. I'm from a place called McKinley and I'm the king of it. Rachel found a doorway into my room through that cabinet in your spare room and that's how we met. We started talking and we really connected but things got complicated so Rachel left and I followed her. That's how I got into your house."
Rocco looked skeptical. "You sure you ain't crazy? 'Cause that sounds kinda crazy."
"Pretty sure I'm not." Finn took another bite of cake.
"How did things get complicated exactly?" Rocco was very interested in Rachel and Finn's relationship. It was rather soap operatic and Rocco really did care about Rachel's happiness. She was kind of like the daughter he never had.
"I kinda didn't tell Rachel the truth about who I was and I didn't mention that my mother was trying to force me to get married."
Rocco started laughing. "That's always a good way to get into a woman's pants. Lie to her. You came clean though right?"
Finn shook his head. "Yeah. I never wanted to lie to her. It was just nice to talk to someone who didn't know me at all. Everyone in my kingdom knows me or thinks they know me and they never want to talk to me because they think I'm interesting or like what I have to say. Rachel wasn't like that. She was easy to talk to and she was actually interested in who I was."
"She's like that...when she's not talking about herself anyway. The girl almost never shuts up." Rocco took a forkful of cake. "I tell ya though, I could listen to her sing all day. She's got a voice like an angel. Still can't believe she didn't make it to Broadway, or Off-Broadway, or even Off-Off-Broadway."
This caught Finn's attention. Rachel had mentioned Broadway nearly every time they spoke yet never said exactly what it was. "Hey Rocco, what exactly is Broadway? Rachel's never explained it before."
Rocco raised an eyebrow. "You must really not be from around here. Well, see, it's this street here in Manhattan where all the big musicals are located. It's been Rachel's dream since conception to play a leading lady in one of the Broadway musicals here but it hasn't happened yet. She went to school for it and spent over a year auditioning for everything but for some reason no one wanted her. She gave up after a while because she stopped believing in herself. I kept trying to get her to jump back in and told her that I wouldn't have a problem searching for a new assistant if she had to leave 'cause she got a part, but she wouldn't."
"That's horrible! I'm sure Rachel would blow everyone away if given the chance." Finn couldn't believe Rachel had been turned down for over a year. Yeah, maybe he hadn't heard her sing before but Rocco said she was 'like an angel'. That had to mean she had a magnificent voice.
And no wonder Rachel thought she wasn't special. She had been rejected over and over reinforcing the idea that she wasn't. If Finn had anything to say about it, and he had a lot to say, he would make sure Rachel never felt that way again. He was going to do everything in his power to make her feel wanted and appreciated and truly special.
"Well, cake break is over. I need to go start packing up. This party's almost over."
Rocco left Finn to his thoughts about Rachel and walked over to the table where he had been painting kids' faces. Rachel was already cleaning up when he got there. Suddenly he got an idea.
"Hey Rachel, when was the last time you saw a show?" he asked trying to perk her interest.
"A while. I haven't had much spare cash. Why?" She stopped packing up the paint and watched Rocco dig around in his fanny pack.
"Why don't ya take His Majesty out to one tonight? He's never been. My treat," he said as he shoved two hundred dollars in her hand. "It ain't gonna get too gooda seats but there are always cheap seats left and they're better than no seats."
Rachel's mouth fell open. "Rocco, I can't accept this!"
"Take it. You need to have some fun and you should show Finn your favorite part of New York before he goes home."
"Are you sure? You really do not need to do this." She felt it was too much and so undeserved.
"You're fired if you don't take it. How 'bout that?"
Rachel smiled widely and hugged her boss tightly. "Thank you Rocco. This really is too much though."
Rocco pulled out of the embrace and looked at Rachel. "You need a night out. Why don't you go collect your prince and head out to the van? You got a date to get ready for." He waggled his eyebrows at her.
Rachel huffed indignantly. "Finn is not 'my prince' and this isn't a date. He's just a friend!" she asserted.
Rocco gave her a 'yeah right' stare. "Did the meaning of friend change? I've certainly never kissed my friends the way you kissed Finn. That was definitely more than a friend kiss." He made a smoochy face at Rachel as she went red in embarrassment.
"We are professionals and we will conduct ourselves as such!" Rachel said, throwing Rocco's words from earlier back at him.
"Just go get Finn." He waved her away and went back to cleaning up his stuff.
Rachel walked over to Finn who stood up when she got close.
"Hi," Finn said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck.
Rachel nervously glanced between Finn's face and the floor. "Hi. So, um, we're getting ready to leave but, uh, Rocco, he suggested that I take you to a show tonight before you go home. Would that be something you would be interested in?" She looked up at Finn with a sparkle in her eye he had never seen before.
"Yeah, that would be fun. What show?"
"I don't know. I guess it would depend on what tickets are available since it's such short notice. We can look for some when we get back to Manhattan. We should, um, go out to the van to wait for Rocco."
"Yeah, yeah." The pair started walking toward the exit when Finn decided to ask Rachel about her singing. "So Rocco said that you're a great singer. I'd love to hear you sometime."
Rachel smiled at the floor. "I'm pretty good. I don't sing much these days though; usually only karaoke in my apartment and the shower."
"What's karaoke?"
"It's just when you sing along to a song."
"Maybe you could sing karaoke when we get back to your place," Finn suggested. He really did want to hear Rachel sing. Most people didn't know it about him but he loved music. Finn liked to sing in the tub and play the drums. It was a big hobby of his but he didn't get to partake in it often.
"Maybe..." Rachel smiled up at him and they walked out to the parking lot.
A few hours later Rachel was fussing over what to wear to the theatre that night. She wanted to dress up a little since she still considered going to a show a big deal and though she wouldn't admit it to Rocco, she wanted to impress Finn. She had convinced Rocco to keep Finn at his place while she went home to get ready and even though they had only been apart for about an hour now she already missed his presence. Was it normal to miss someone you barely knew after only an hour?
Rachel held up multiple dresses to herself trying to decide but they all made her look too childish. She didn't want to look childish; she wanted to look like a grown woman, a sexy grown woman. Perhaps it was time to update her wardrobe. That new thought wasn't going to help her right now though. Though she did have one dress that she never thought she'd get to wear.
Once upon a time Rachel almost had a date. He was cute as a button, adorably sweet and had the sexiest Irish accent. Rory Flanagan had been the closest thing Rachel had ever had to a relationship. He had been spending a semester abroad in the music department at NYU and had been one of the very few people even willing to talk to Rachel past her first semester at school.
Rachel boldly decided to ask him on a date to which he accepted but two days before he had to cancel as he got a gig singing in some Irish quintet and had to leave immediately. She had played it off like it was no big deal but on the inside she died a little.
The night she was supposed to be out with Rory, Rachel spent annoying her roommate with her tears, the dress she bought specifically for the date hanging unworn in her closet. She had never really had another opportunity to wear it, until now. She walked over to her dresser and pulled the slinky black dress out. She shook it out, noticed it needed to be ironed and set about getting date worthy ready.
A little while later at Rocco's they were trying to find something more than jeans and a plaid shirt for Finn to wear out. Finn was quite a bit larger than Rocco so it was proving rather difficult but luckily Rocco was a collector of enough junk he was able to find something passable that belonged to his son. It was only a navy blue blazer and black dress pants over a plain white t-shirt but he looked pretty good. Rocco had a feeling Rachel wouldn't much care what Finn wore as she would probably find him studly in anything.
"So what's this Chicago about?" Finn asked as he slid his shoes on. Though they weren't the same size, Rocco somehow had the same size feet as Finn and let him borrow some dress shoes.
"Some women murder some guys and sing about it. That's basically it," Rocco grumbled. Chicago wasn't exactly his favorite musical. He personally was a fan of The Producers and South Pacific.
"Sounds...interesting." Just then they could hear a knock on the door.
"That's probably Rachel. I'll get it." Rocco left Finn staring at his appearance in the mirror. He had to admit he looked pretty good in the clothes Rocco had helped him find and they were much more comfortable than anything Kurt ever dressed him in.
Finn exited the room and walked down the hall to meet Rachel at the door. As she came into his sight his breath hitched a little and his brain stopped working all together. She had on a form-fitting black dress with only one thick strap over her left shoulder and it hugged every curve on her body perfectly. Her hair fell over her exposed shoulder in soft curls and her eyes sparkled as she looked at the men in front of her. Even Rocco seemed a little stunned by how nicely Rachel cleaned up.
Finn cleared his throat to speak. "Wow, Rachel, you look...stunningly beautiful." Her cheeks turned pink at his words and she glanced at the floor.
"Thank you. You look very handsome yourself," she replied shyly. There was a thick silence that fell over them until Rachel remembered why she was dressed to the nines. "We should probably go. The show starts at seven."
Finn gulped and shook his head. "Yeah, let's go." He turned to Rocco and shook his hand. "Thank you for letting me borrow your clothes. I will return them tomorrow."
Rocco waved him off. "Keep 'em. I have no use for size giant. I just want my shoes back." He shoved Finn out into the hall with Rachel. "Have a good night you two! Remember to use protection!" He winked at an embarrassed Rachel.
"You are such a dirty old man," she hissed back at him after chuckling awkwardly.
"Yes, yes I am." He winked at her, waved goodbye then closed his door.
Ignoring Finn's amused expression, Rachel spoke. "So, I figured since I'm wearing this we could take a cab. I'd rather not ride the subway in heels." Rachel noticed Finn look down at her feet then back up her legs slowly. His cheeks pinked slightly.
He shook his head. "Sure, whatever you want."
After that they fell into a semi-awkward silence. It wasn't that neither had anything to say or they felt uncomfortable, it was just that Rachel was afraid if she even looked at Finn looking at her she'd lose her mind and throw herself at him right there in the cab. As for Finn, he was thinking about the time he almost killed the royal messenger by running him down with his horse to keep from erupting inside the pants he was borrowing. Rachel looked too beautiful to even handle in her black dress.
They really needed to get into a crowd.
When they finally arrived at the Ambassador Theatre the sexual tension eased slightly as there were now people around to distract Finn and Rachel from each other. They quickly made their way to their seats all the way in the back of the theatre.
"Have you seen this musical before?" Finn asked, looking forward. Even being in a crowd wasn't helping much with his problem below the waist every time he looked at Rachel's exposed legs.
"A long time ago. I haven't been to any shows in a while. Rocco pays me enough to make rent and buy food but it doesn't leave much extra. I think you'll like it though. It's got a lot of dancing in it and the songs are fantastic," Rachel praised. "This was actually one of the shows I auditioned for last year."
She was about to launch into her original plan of performing in Evita, Oklahoma! and Funny Girl and earning a Tony by 25 but the lights dimmed and the audience fell silent as the show began.
About two and a half hours later Finn and Rachel were exiting the theatre.
"That was awesome. Those women could really sing and the dancing and sets were great." Finn had thoroughly enjoyed himself. Sure they had plays and musicals in McKinley but nothing on that scale. This blew everything at home out of the water.
"Yeah, Roxie and Velma were alright. A little pitchy here and there…" Rachel remembered now the other reason she hadn't attended a show in a while, the pangs of rampant jealousy. It sucked watching other people live your dream. That fact aside the show, as always, had been pretty amazing. "So, New York really comes alive at night. Was there anything else you maybe wanted to do before going home?" Rachel inquired. She wasn't quite ready to go home yet.
"I thought you were going to sing karaoke for me?" Finn asked looking down at her as they started to walk in the direction of Times Square.
"You really want to hear me sing, huh?"
"Well only if you're good. If you sound like a dying cat like Lord Motta's daughter Sugar then I don't really want to," Finn joked. He wasn't joking about Sugar though. She truly was awful. Even the animals ran at the sound of her singing.
"Well, I don't really want to disturb my neighbors and I'm sure Jacob would probably try singing along through the walls if we go back to my place. I do know of a karaoke bar not too far from my apartment though," Rachel mused. She had never been to a karaoke bar before as that was the type of place one really needed friends to go with and enjoy but Finn wanted to hear her sing. She really hadn't performed outside the shower in a while and kind of missed the stage and Finn was a friend.
"Let's get a cab," Rachel announced with a smile and pulled Finn to the edge of the sidewalk.
About 20 minutes later Finn and Rachel were walking into a crowded karaoke bar in which a tone-deaf woman was singing Toxic by Britney Spears. She was God-awful but it appeared everyone in the place was too drunk to even care. They found a table toward the back of the room and Rachel perused the song catalogue. Of course it was all top 40 type songs, no one wanted to listen to Broadway classics while drunk at a bar.
"Do you want a drink?" Finn asked as Rachel was hemming and hawing about which 80's song to sing. Rachel looked up at Finn like a scared doe. She wouldn't mind a drink but she had a feeling if Finn got one in her, by the end of the night he'd be in her.
A vision of Finn on top of her making her come undone flashed before her eyes. "Um, sure. I'll take a Cosmopolitan. Thank you."
"It's no problem," he replied with a smile. Finn stood up and began to walk toward the bar until he remembered a vital part of the equation. "Rachel, I actually don't have any money." He felt like a jackass having to ask Rachel for money when he was the one to offer to get her a drink. "I promise, I will you pay you back for everything when we get back to McKinley."
"Oh don't worry. It's on Rocco tonight anyway." She pulled out the little extra cash left over from buying their cheap seats for Chicago and handed it to Finn. He smiled at Rachel then went to get their drinks.
While Finn was busy at the bar, Rachel finally picked her song and put her name down on the list. Based on who was currently singing it appeared that she would have to wait three more performances. She went back to the table to find Finn sitting there waiting for her. He smiled at her brightly.
"So when are you going to sing?" he asked taking a sip of the beer he had bought for himself.
"Three songs away. Normally my go to song would be Don't Rain On My Parade but it wasn't on the list. I think the song I chose is a good 80's classic though." Rachel sipped on her Cosmo and turned to look at the man singing Livin' On A Prayer.
"I have no idea what those are but I'm sure you'll do great." Finn gave her an awkward thumbs up before internally berating himself for being so absolutely lame.
Rachel smiled, appreciating the support. "So what are we going to do in McKinley tomorrow? I'm sure there aren't karaoke bars there."
Finn chuckled. "No, not really. There are bars but not as interesting as this," he commented looking at the guy singing and diving off the stage to land on a table. "Do you like horses?" He wasn't sure what brought it up but now it was out there.
Rachel's eyes widened at the question. "I do. I've never ridden one but they're very beautiful creatures."
"We'll have to fix that. I have a mare that I think you'd like."
"Of course you do because that's something a king would have along with his castle," Rachel replied in a sarcastic manner.
They chatted about Finn's stable and how he'd take her out riding tomorrow then maybe they could sneak out to town and wander around. He was excited to show Rachel his home and try to convince her not to leave. Though they had only known each other for a short period of time, Finn knew that Rachel was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He just needed to show her that he was the one for her.
"Rachel Berry! Come on up!" the DJ running karaoke called out to the place. Rachel bit her lip and nervously smiled at Finn before getting up and walking toward the stage. It had been a long while since she had performed in front of an actual audience and even though she knew she would kill the song she was about to perform she was anxious. This wasn't just any old audience watching, it included Finn and she was singing a song whose chorus fairly accurately explained what he did to her.
Rachel took the microphone the DJ handed her as he introduced her and the song to the audience who clapped half heartedly. The synthesized beat started and Rachel stared out at the tables full of people. She took in a deep breath as she looked at Finn who smiled softly at her.
Rachel closed her eyes and let the music take over.
Watching every motion in my foolish lover's game
On this endless ocean finally lovers know no shame
Turning and returning to some secret place inside
Watching in slow motion as you turn around and say
She opened her eyes and found Finn immediately. Despite all the people around them it was as if they were the only two in the room and she was singing just for him.
Take my breath away
Take my breath away
Watching, I keep waiting, still anticipating love
Never hesitating to become the fated ones
Turning and returning to some secret place to hide
Watching in slow motion as you turn to me and say, my love
Take my breath away
It was scary how right this song was. Rachel's voice and stage presence was taking his breath away. He had never heard such a beautiful voice and that it came out of Rachel was even more amazing. She was already something else without it. He watched completely enraptured of her never taking his eyes off hers which seemed to be staring just as intently back into his.
Through the hourglass I saw you, in time you slipped away
When the mirror crashed, I called you and turned to hear you say
If only for today, I am unafraid
Take my breath away
Take my breath away
Watching every motion in this foolish lover's game
Haunted by the notion, somewhere there's a love in flames
Turning and returning to some secret place inside
Watching in slow motion as you turn my way and say
Take my breath away
My love, take my breath away
My love, take my breath away
My love
My love, take my breath away
The song ended and Rachel took a shaky breath as the world flooded back. Her eye contact broke with Finn and she looked around at the people in the bar who were all clapping wildly and whistling, including Finn who had stood up and started 'woo'-ing loudly. On cloud nine at her stellar performance, Rachel curtsied and blew a kiss. It had been so long since she had received true praise for her talent that it was almost overwhelming. She really missed it.
Rachel walked off the stage and back to their table, her heart beating rapidly in her chest from the thrill. "So what'd you think?" she asked a little apprehensively. Rachel took a sip of her drink to remoisten her suddenly dry throat.
"You have the most beautiful voice I've ever heard. Why aren't you on Broadway? You blew Roxie and Velma out of the water!" Finn crowed. He had a huge smile on his face which was making Rachel smile and blush.
"That is a question I've pondered the answer to myself on multiple occasions. Apparently casting directors for all the shows I've ever auditioned for didn't think the same as you." She folded her hands in her lap and stared down at them.
Finn lifted her chin so she'd look at him. "They're wrong. You were brilliant up there. When you were singing, I could feel it…all the emotion and feeling you were trying get across."
Rachel swallowed thickly as Finn leaned closer. As his lips were just about to touch hers a waitress interrupted them.
"Excuse me, sorry. Um, Troy, the DJ, he told me to let you know you're one of the three finalists for the karaoke contest."
"I didn't enter the contest," Rachel said with minor confusion. She looked at Finn who just shrugged not knowing either.
"Yeah you did. You signed up right here." She pointed to the list that read 'Karaoke Competition Contestants' which clearly said Rachel Berry on it. Rachel hadn't even realized there was more than one sign-up sheet to sing. "The winner gets free drinks for the night so you might as well and with those pipes, I'm sure you'll win."
"Okay. I'll pick a song out I guess."
"Oh you don't need to. The finalists have to sing a song at random to make it a little fairer. Those are Troy's rules. You'll be last up since you were the last to make it in."
Rachel uneasily smiled at the woman who wished her luck.
"She's right you know. You'll definitely win. All these other people we've heard so far haven't been very good," Finn assessed. He took a swig of his beer. "And hey free drinks!" Rachel just laughed at him.
As Rachel watched the first two finalists perform she had to admit that Finn had a point. An off-key middle aged woman went first butchering Kelly Clarkson's Since U Been Gone while the second finalist, a college aged guy, sang Rockstar by Nickelback. Finally it was Rachel's turn. She took the stage and waited for Troy to announce the song she'd be singing.
"Okay Rachel! The iTunes shuffle gods have spoken and your song is…S&M by Rihanna! This should be interesting. Take it away Rachel!" He started the music and Rachel just stared at him agape.
She walked over to the booth he was DJ-ing from and whispered harshly at him. "I can't sing this song! It's not me at all!"
"That's the point of the random picking. You never know what you get to work with. I once saw a 300 pound man win singing Material Girl. I think you can handle Rihanna. Now sing!"
By the time she walked back out to center stage she had missed most of the 'na na na come on's but prepared herself for the first verse. She was very hesitant about singing this song as it was about hardcore kinky sex which was not her in the least. Though she loved to sing the song whenever it came on her iPod at home that didn't mean she was comfortable singing it in public.
Feels so good being bad (Oh oh oh oh oh)
There's no way I'm turning back (Oh oh oh oh oh)
Now the pain is my pleasure 'cause nothing could measure (Oh oh oh oh oh)
Love is great, love is fine (Oh oh oh oh oh)
Out the box, outta line (Oh oh oh oh oh)
The affliction of the feeling leaves me wanting more (Oh oh oh oh oh)
'Cause I may be bad but I'm perfectly good at it
Sex in the air, I don't care, I love the smell of it
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But chains and whips excite me
As Rachel repeated the chorus she looked at Finn who was staring at her with his mouth open. She smirked at his expression and suddenly felt the urge to work the song better. She danced around, sauntered back and forth across the stage engaging the audience and every so often when she'd glance at Finn who looked like he was drooling, she would shake her booty a little more.
Oh, I love the feeling you bring to me, oh, you turn me on
It's exactly what I've been yearning for, give it to me strong
And meet me in my boudoir, make my body say ah ah ah
I like it-like it
'Cause I may be bad but I'm perfectly good at it
Sex in the air, I don't care, I love the smell of it
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But chains and whips excite me
Rachel finished out the song staring Finn down like a lioness looking for a tasty wildebeest, her sexual frustration being completely channeled into the raunchy song. Once it was over and every guy in the place was catcalling and whistling at her, Troy immediately crowned her winner.
After she curtsied and thanked everyone again, Rachel went back to the table to find a fresh Cosmopolitan waiting for her. "That was exhilarating! I've never sang a song or danced like that in public before. Maybe if I had I'd have gotten a part in a musical by now." She chugged down her drink.
"You are definitely the best performer I've ever seen," Finn reiterated before polishing off his own drink.
Rachel tapped the shoulder of the waitress walking by. "Could we please get another Cosmo and," Rachel grabbed Finn's bottle to see he had a Sam Adams, "another one of these." The woman smiled at her and went off to grab more drinks. Rachel turned her attention back to Finn. "We are going to celebrate this little victory! Drinks are on me tonight!"
Nearly three hours later a drunk Finn and an even drunker Rachel were stumbling into her building laughing about Rachel losing her shoe in the sewer. She had bet Finn that she could run faster than him and when attempting to remove her heels to start the race, she ripped her shoe off more forcefully than intended. It flew out into the street and Finn, being the chivalrous gentleman that he was, ran out to the street to grab it for her but as he stood back up a car came by and nearly hit him. In his haste to get out of the way, the black pump flew out of his hand and rolled into a drain. Rachel had burst out laughing when Finn dropped to the ground to try to get it out but the smell alone made him pop back up before even trying to rescue the shoe. He told her to add it to the list of things he'd pay her back for.
The lost shoe totally distracted both of them from their 'who can run faster' bet and since she now only had one pump thus making her uneven, Finn picked her up bridal style and carried her down the street until they made it to her door.
"I swear I'll get you a new shoe!" Finn exclaimed as he and Rachel started walking up the stairs.
"You keep saying you'll pay me back but McKinley money won't be any good here," she stated, sticking her shoe in his face.
"I wasn't gonna give you money. I was gonna have a tiara made for you that you could do whatever you wanted with."
Rachel's mouth fell open and she bounced up and down excitedly. "I've always wanted a tiara! I'd be like a real princess then," she giggled, taking her key out of her wristlet.
"You'd be a great princess…or queen." Rachel stopped giggling as she looked at Finn's serious expression, his eyebrows furrowed in thought.
Before she knew what she was doing Rachel wrapped her arms around Finn's neck to bring him down to kiss him fiercely. She squeezed him tightly, not wanting to ever let go while Finn picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist. He pressed her up against the door and ran his hands down her sides and under her butt. They lost themselves in each other forgetting they were in the middle of the hallway until a screech broke their heated make-out.
"Rachel! How could you do this to me, my sweet?" Jacob's shrill nasally voice cried out from his doorway.
Finn and Rachel turned their attention toward the Jewfro-ed nuisance and both rolled their eyes. Rachel tapped Finn indicating he needed to put her down then wobbled over to Jacob.
"Jacob, I'm gonna to say this as nicely as I can while I'm drunk! I'm not 'your sweet' and we are not together and we never will be because I don' like you and you creep me out all the time." She leaned forward and brought her shoe up to her face and held it like she was trying to use it to tell him a secret. "Also, don' tell him, but I think I'm fallin' in love with Finn, but you can't tell him!" she disclosed to a dejected Jacob loudly in what she thought was a whisper.
Behind her, Finn couldn't help the smile that spread across his face at Rachel's words. She had just admitted she was falling in love with him. He knew she had felt something for him too and now he had proof from Rachel herself. When he brought her back to McKinley he had to convince her not to leave. Though he may have never voice the words aloud, even to himself, Finn knew he was in love with Rachel. There was no way he could go home and stay there without her. He would fight for her until he died if necessary.
Finn was so caught up in his thoughts about Rachel he hadn't even noticed she had thrown her remaining shoe at Jacob's head when he called her 'my sweet' again and puckered up to kiss her. It was her gripping his hand tightly that brought Finn back into the hallway.
"And stop stalking me you…you stalker!" She turned on her heel, found her key again and burst through her door dragging Finn in behind her. When it was closed and locked she pushed Finn down onto the couch, straddled him then removed his blazer from his body. They kissed frenziedly as if the other would disappear when their lips no longer touched while Rachel tugged Finn's shirt off over his head. She raked her nails down his bare chest, finally getting to feel the body she had seen so much of already but had never been able to touch.
When Finn couldn't figure out how Rachel's dress came off exactly, she stood up and pulled the shoulder down allowing the dress to slip easily to the floor. She stood there in her strapless black bra and satin black panties. Her eyes smoldered while she licked her lips before she walked over to her dresser to search for the one condom she knew she had.
While Rachel wasn't touching him, Finn was able to think a little clearer about what was going on. This had been the very thing he had been fantasizing about since meeting Rachel but now that it was happening he wasn't sure he wanted it to, at least not like this. They were drunk, Rachel very much so, and chances were she wouldn't remember much in the morning. Finn didn't want that. He wanted her to know what was going on and to remember it and to really want it. The alcohol was clouding her brain and he didn't want to take advantage of that. He wanted his first time with Rachel to be something special. Sex during a drunken haze should not be the way two people who love each other share their first time.
"Rachel, Rachel," Finn called out trying to get Rachel's attention. She was digging around furiously in the top drawer pulling underwear and socks out. When he got her attention she turned to look at him holding a familiar looking flesh tone object in her hand. "What…what are you holding?" He squinted to get a better look. "Is that a…do you keep men's penises in your drawer?"
Rachel's eyes widened as she realized what she was holding in her hand in plain view for Finn to see. She chucked it back in the drawer, her cheeks already red from the booze going even redder. A nervous laugh escaped her lips.
"That…that's nothing. Not what I was looking for." Dropping the subject, she went back to digging around in the drawer. Finn stood up from the couch this time and turned Rachel around to face him.
"Rachel. Stop. We…we need to talk about this."
Rachel ran her hands down his bare chest to his waistband. "I don't want to talk."
Finn stilled her hands which were working on unbuttoning his pants. "Well I do." He led her over to the couch and sat her down then sat down next to her. He let out a shaky breath. "Rach, I want to do this so badly," he closed his eyes, this conversation paining him to have, "but not like this. We're drunk, you're really drunk and I don't want our first time to be like this. I want it to be because of more than just Cosmopolitans. I want you to want me to make love to you while sober."
Rachel looked really disappointed. "You don't want to have sex with me?" she asked sadly.
Was that the only part she had heard?
Finn took her face in his hands and leaned his forehead against hers. "I want to make love to you, but not this way. I want you to feel special and loved and I don't want anything clouding your judgment. Please don't take this the wrong way." He closed the gap between their lips once more and kissed her softly.
Somehow through the drunkenness she understood. When Finn put it in those terms, this seemed too rushed and definitely much less romantic than the picture he had in mind.
"Okay, we'll wait. But not too much longer I hope," she mumbled against Finn's lips.
"Whenever you're sober and ready, I'm ready." Finn pulled away a little and looked around noticing for the first time that Rachel's bed wasn't out. "How do you get your bed out?"
Rachel looked around her realizing it wasn't out also. She stood up, pulling Finn with her and yanked the cushions off her couch. She pulled the bed out and threw her pillow onto it before digging a nightgown out and pulling it on then settling into bed for the night. Finn picked up his blanket and pillow he'd used the night previous and made to lie down on the floor again.
"What are you doing?" Rachel asked, not understanding why Finn was getting onto the floor.
"I'm going to lie down."
Rachel smiled at him. "You can sleep up here with me tonight if you want," she said innocently. "We might not be having sex but we can still sleep together tonight."
Finn chuckled a little as he shucked his pants and crawled next to Rachel on the bed. Once comfortable, Finn pulled Rachel against him tightly. She caressed his cheek.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"For what?" Finn asked back.
"For following me to New York."
Finn smirked and kissed her forehead. "I'd follow you anywhere, Rachel."
They hugged each other tighter and easily drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
Just an fyi since a few people asked, the way time works will be explained. Just haven't gotten that far in the story yet. :)