Author's Note: While I don't like Finn Hudson at all for various reasons, it's not because of the character itself. He could be a great "male lead" but the way he is written is horrendous which makes me loath him. In this story I wanted him to grow up and become a human being who accepts what he cannot change and moves on. Nicole is an original character of mine so please don't steal her. Leave a review!


Step one: wake up

Step two: drag sorry self from bed

Step three: check phone for messages from Rachel

Step four: have the rest of the beer in the fridge

Step five: go to class

Finn Hudson had his routine down pact throughout his first year at college. It was great for the first few months, especially when Mr. Schue hired him back to help with glee club. Classes were even interesting (who would have guessed?) but he should have known things wouldn't last. As soon as he caught himself a break, things went downhill.

He started to notice Puck spending less time on campus and more at the "Lima Bean". He'd see his friend hunched over the table sipping his coffee as he typed away at the script on his laptop. Finn tried to read it once when he was back in the dorm, but he couldn't figure out the password. He had never seen Puck so determined to finish something. It almost worried him.

At the same time, Rachel wasn't calling him anymore. He woke up expecting a text, but received an empty inbox instead. Finn supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. After all, Rachel was making it big in NYC. She didn't have time to return calls from ex-fiancés. That title still stung. He wondered if he should have married her and asked her to stay in Lima with him. As he thought on it longer, he decided that would have been the wrong move. She would have been miserable stuck in the small town. Like her birth mother, she was made for bigger things.

What was worse, Finn's grades hadn't picked up as he wanted them to. He was passing, but just barely. More than once he considered quitting, but then he thought of the kids in glee club. How would he be able to teach them without a degree? No, he had to finish, even if it killed him.

By the time his first year was done, Finn was exhausted. He was so tired that apparently he didn't notice the signs. Puck never answered the phone in their dorm anymore. He would be gone for hours sometimes. He thought Puck was dealing but when he searched the room he couldn't find a stash. He called Rachel and asked if she knew what was going on (she was always so smart, she had to have an idea) but she avoided the topic completely. Finally, after his last final, he figured it out.

Puck was in love with Rachel. As he walked back to the dorm, his anger boiled inside. How could his best friend do it again? How could Puck steal Finn's—he paused. Finn's what? Rachel wasn't his property. They hadn't been together in at least five months. To his knowledge, Rachel wasn't with anyone at the moment. What was stopping Puck from taking a chance on the Broadway bombshell?

He continued back to the dorm and thought back to their high school days. They dated for, what, a week? Could it be possible that over the years the two had grown to love each other? It was possible. Finn's stomach twisted in knots as he thought more on this. Did Rachel care for Puck while she was engaged to Finn? The college freshman leaned against a nearby tree for a moment. No, Rachel was a lot of things, but she wasn't a liar. She would have told him if she didn't love him, or if she loved Puck. But that didn't change what Finn knew now. He shook his head and headed up the walkway.

When he entered the small room, he saw Puck's bag was open and his clothes were staring up at Finn. The freshman looked at his friend who was unplugging his laptop. Puck turned around and he paused. The young men stared at each other.

"Did she ask you to come?" Finn hadn't realized he was speaking till he heard his voice. Was it shaking? Maybe. He couldn't remember.

Puck stared at the floor as he nodded. "Yeah she—she suggested once I finished my screen play I come to New York to show it around NYADA. She mentioned some professors who could help me with editing and stuff." Puck looked up at Finn. "Are you pissed?"

Finn thought for a moment. He slowly shook his head. "No, I'm not. Good luck out there."

Puck nodded. He stuffed his laptop in the bag then zipped the duffel bag shut. He tossed it over his shoulder then walked over to Finn. They embraced briefly.

"Thanks bro, for everything."

Finn nodded and watched his friend leave. The dorm felt bare without Puck's guitar leaning against the wall. He wondered if his friend would stop off at his ma's place before leaving town.

During the summer Finn spent all his time working. By the time he closed up Burt's shop for the day, he was beat. He'd pass out on the couch then wake up and repeat his schedule until he went back to school in the fall.

Step one: wake up

Step two: skip class to go for a run

Step three: skip class to meet Mom for lunch

Step four: go to last few classes

Step five: go to sleep

Second year started off on a bad foot, and everyone seemed to notice. His mother lectured him about his grades, Burt wouldn't let him work in the shop until he focused on school, and Mr. Schue threatened to cut him from his position as glee club assistant if he didn't get his priorities straight. But how could he get his priorities straight when all he could think about was Rachel and Puck living happily ever after in New York?

It was almost Christmas when Rachel Berry walked into his life for the final time. Finals were over, and Finn managed to fail only one class. He was closing up Burt's shop early that night when she knocked on the wall. He looked over to see her standing there, her long hair covered in snowflakes. Her legs were crossed at the ankles and he noticed how furry her boots were. She wore a red trench coat and he noticed she wore a new scarf, multi-coloured, that wrapped multiple times around her neck. She looked so different from the girl he used to know.

Finn ran a hand through his short brown hair and swallowed the lump in his throat. "W-What are you doing here?" he stammered.

Rachel came fully inside the deserted shop and crossed her arms. "I came to see you."

"Why? Did something happen to Puck?"

She blushed. "No, Noah is doing well. New York looks good on him." Finn noticed the way her eyes sparkled as she talked about Puck. Finn's stomach dropped.

"Then why are you here?"

Rachel walked over to the car he had been working on earlier and leaned against the nearby pole. "Daddy called last week. He said while you were changing the oil in his car he noticed how sad you are. He asked if I knew anything, and I said I didn't. So I decided to come down for and see what's going on," she explained. She glanced at the floor when back at him. "So, what's going on?"

Finn opened his mouth then shut it. He wanted to tell her how he still loved her, that they would get it right this time, and that he would be the man she always wanted. But he couldn't say those things. She already had the man she wanted, and he was probably waiting up for her in their bedroom back in New York.

The young man sighed and stuck a wrench in his tool belt. "Nothing, Rach. Nothing's going on."

She narrowed her eyes. "Please don't lie to me Finn. I find it insulting."

"I'm not lying, I-"

She shook her head. "Is it because of Noah and I?"

Finn lowered his gaze. "No, it's not. I'm—happy for you. Both of you. I just-"

"You want to know why."

"Yes! Exactly! Why him? Why not-"

"You?"

Finn frowned. "Could you stop doing that? I'm trying to talk here."

Rachel held up her hands. "My apologies. Go ahead."

Finn didn't say anything for a minute. Then he let out a sigh. "Fine, you were right. Why not—me?"

The young woman took a long time to answer. "Finn, when we were in high school, you were everything I could ever want. You were—perfect to me. And there's always going to be a part of me that sees you in your glory days of glee club. But, that's not who you are anymore. That's not who I am. I'm not the freak who was bullied every day for most of my high school career. I have friends now and my dreams are coming true. I know what I want. And Noah—he knows what he wants." She smiled suddenly. "He's always known. He's always been there. He told me the first day he came to the apartment that when he was in LA he wanted to call me every day, but he didn't know if you were there or what was going on. I told him I wished he had called. He's a man now Finn. And I'm a woman who loves him deeply. I know it is hard to accept, but it's what's going on."

Finn shook his head. "That's not a good enough explanation. You owe me something better than that!"

"I don't owe you anything Finn!" she shouted. They stared at each other then Rachel looked away. "I didn't come here to shout with you. I want to know if there is anything I can do to help you."

He turned his back on her as he shook his head. "Just leave, alright? I don't need anything from you or Puck." He heard her sigh.

"If that's what you want. Goodbye Finn. I wish you luck with your dreams of becoming a teacher." He heard her heels click clack as she exited the shop. He turned around when he couldn't hear the echo anymore. The last thing he saw was her hair floating behind her.

When she was gone, Finn screamed. He reeled around and tossed one of the containers that held tools. That night, he tore the place apart. That same night, he rebuilt it.

Winter semester came and went, but this time his grades were far better than the years before. By his fourth and final year, Finn's schedule was looking much better than in previous years.

Step one: wake up

Step two: go for a job before class

Step three: GO TO CLASS

Step four: study in library

Step five: do homework then get to bed early

His plan of action was working, to his surprise. He even decided to take a summer course. That was how he met Nicole. He was sitting in his usual place near the window when he heard a chair being pulled out. He looked up from his textbook and saw a girl with dyed orange hair sit across from him. His eyes widened and his gaze went to her lip piercing then the tattoo on her collarbone that read "winter is coming". He raised his glance and realized she was staring at him. He blushed.

"Hi," she said, her smile startling him.

"Hi," he replied. He noticed she was wearing a green army jacket and a bright pink top underneath. Finn blinked a couple of times to try and adjust his eyes to the brightness.

"What are you studying?"

"Uh, physics." He flashed the text book. "Gotta get it done before I graduate."

She smiled. "Freedom at last."

He chuckled. "Yeah, finally. Feels like I've been here forever."

She nodded. "What are you taking?"

"Education. I'm gonna teach at McKinley High School."

"Wow, big plans! Sounds fun."

He nodded. "Yeah, it's where I went. My old glee club teacher talked with the principal and he offered me a position." He paused. "What are you taking?"

She pulled a stack of newspapers out of her duffel bag. "Journalism, specifically print."

Finn squinted. "I didn't even know we had that."

She laughed. "You're not the only one. But I'll be done after fall semester, thank God."

Finn laughed along with her. She extended her hand to his. "Nicole."

He took her hand and shook it. "Finn."

"Pleasure to meet you Finn. Now, are you going to help me look for an interesting article in these papers or do I have to beg?"

He chuckled and grabbed a paper. "Only if you can explain this physics equation to me."

"Deal."