Title: Love Was Meant For Beauty Queens
Pairings: Finn/Rachel, Finn/Quinn
Disclaimer: Glee is the property of Twentieth Century Fox and affiliates and not mine.
Spoilers: All of season 1 and spoilers for season 2. Although only in the loosest of sense as the story doesn't really follow canonical history.
Summary: Finn and Rachel attempt a friendship. Sequel to At Eighteen (Come Dance With Me). Alternate History.
LOVE WAS MEANT FOR BEAUTY QUEENS
Chapter 3
A second after Finn had rung the doorbell – his thumb was still pressed on the white button – he realized it probably wasn't the best idea to come round to some girl's house at 10pm in the evening. Especially when said girl was Rachel Berry and therefore had two dads to slaughter him instead of just the one. But it was too late now because he had already pressed the button and the cheerful tinkling notes of the bell were drifting into the night air.
He tried to think of some good excuse to tell Rachel's fathers when they opened the front door but the only thing Finn could come up with was the truth: I really need to see your daughter.
So instead he ran his hand through his hair a couple of times trying to flatten and straighten it. He practiced his introduction, making sure his hand was level and solid each time he pulled it out. (Puck had always said that there was nothing worse than a limp handshake, it said stuff about a dude, and Finn didn't want to give the wrong impression.)
He tested his voice, 'Hi Mr Berry, er, Mr Berries, I'm Finn Hudson.'
No, that didn't work. His voice was too high-pitched that it sounded almost squeaky.
He tried again, deepening the tone so he could sound mature and manly, 'Good evening, sirs, my name is Finn Hudson.'
Only his voice was too low now and it made him sound like the creepy stalker/serial killer dude in horror movies. He wanted Rachel's fathers to like him not call the cops as soon as they heard his voice.
Finn cleared his voice, took one, two, three deep breaths and tried again, 'My name is Finn Hudson and it is nice to meet you.'
'I know who you are, Finn,' Rachel said as she flung her front door open. 'What are you doing here?'
Finn blinked. Rachel was wearing pink cotton shorts patterned with white love hearts and little white ribbon bows tied on the side. She was also wearing a white tank with a big pink heart printed on the front – the same color as her shorts. It was obvious that she had just answered the door in her PJs. And Finn tried to stop his mind from going there, he really did, but it was only natural to think of PJs and then bed and he could just tell that Rachel wasn't wearing a bra. Finn's mind kind of exploded after that and he stood frozen at her front door with his hand extended out.
Rachel huffed at his lack of response and crossed her arms, which only had the effect of pushing her breasts up.
'If you're just going to stand there, I'm going to shut the door on you,' she threatened.
It took the door actually closing to snap Finn out of it and he jammed his body in the remaining space between the door and the frame.
'No, wait, I came to see you,' he told her.
'I don't think it is a very good idea for you to be here, Finn,' Rachel said but she only hesitated for the briefest of moments before fully opening the door again and letting him in.
She led him through the hallway, past the dining room with a large open plan kitchen and into a sizeable living room. The focus of the room was a huge flatscreen tv with a surround sound system. One wall was lined from floor to ceiling with rows and rows of DVDs and CDs organized in category and then alphabetically. Finn spotted a karoke machine with one mike out and he could imagine Rachel belting out a tune to her fathers each night.
'Take a seat,' Rachel said, directing him to the long white couch.
Finn sat down sinking into the plush cushions and gazed around. The living room alone was like half the size of his entire house. Rachel's home was modern and a lot nicer than anything Finn and his mom could ever afford. Although her home wasn't super sparkly like the Fabray household; the Fabrays had all these ornaments – antiques Quinn had called them – like a museum that it made Finn scared to touch like anything. His eyes caught sight of a familiar tiny glass cat curled up next to the silver frame with a photo of Rachel and her fathers.
Finn remembered the first time he went over for dinner at Quinn's house. It had felt weird wearing a sports jacket and a tie and Mr and Mrs Fabray had been arguing about a statute of a cat one of Mr Fabray's employees had brought him.
'Sweetie, it's hideous,' Mrs Fabray had murmured.
'I know it's common, lemon drop,' Mr Fabray had said, his voice booming through the empty spaces in the house. 'Just keep it on display for when George and his wife come over for dinner and then we can get rid of it.'
Finn had been smart enough not to mention that they had the same statute at home. Every time his mom had dragged him to help with the groceries, she would always stop at the local jewelers to admire the cat. It had cost 75 bucks and they didn't have that kind of money to spend on some pretty decoration. But Finn had seen how his mom's eyes had lit up and the soft smile that would creep on her face each time they paused by the display window. (His mom had always wanted a cat but she said his dad had been allergic and Finn got itchy and broke out in hives just like him.) In the end, Finn had saved up for months to buy the tiny glass cat with the two eyes made of green onyx; the store owner explaining all this stuff about jewels that Finn hadn't really cared about. The only thing that had mattered was that tight squeeze his mom had given him and the happiness that glowed on her face for weeks.
There was something inviting about Rachel's home. Maybe it was the sight of those two green stone eyes and the familiar way the light reflected off the curl of the cat's tail that comforted Finn. Maybe it was the twelve photographs of a beaming Rachel littered across the room. Maybe it was just because this was Rachel and this was her home and she was standing right in front of him.
'Why are you here, Finn?' Rachel asked, chewing the right side of her bottom lip.
'I just…' Finn didn't have the words so he just kind of looked at Rachel.
His desperation must have been so painfully obvious because she nodded her consent demonstrating that she wasn't going to fight his presence in her home anymore.
'Look, I was in the middle of making some hot chocolate,' Rachel said, 'and while I realize it is kind of hot out and that this isn't the most conducive weather for hot chocolate, I had simply had a craving. And what I'm really trying to ask is whether you would like me to make you a cup of hot chocolate too?'
'Yeah, that would be great,' Finn quietly agreed.
She turned and headed back to the kitchen leaving him alone in her living room. He picked up a photo of Rachel, staring at the way her eyes sparkled and the camera seemed to place all focus on her even when there were other people in the picture. She looked like she was around eight years old in a black leotard and a pale pink tutu and holding a massive gold trophy.
He tried to think back to third grade and he couldn't even come up with a memory of Rachel back then. They had lived in the same town their whole lives, gone to the same schools and yet she had barely registered on his radar (other than the girl that they sometimes egged and Puck slushied) until sophomore year when she had jumped out like a commando in hiding and ambushed him, and he had been on the lookout ever since. It was weird that he had barely noticed her once and now she was all that he could think about.
'Here, you go,' Rachel announced as she returned and handed him a mug.
'Thanks,' he said, taking a sip of the drink.
He closed his eyes enjoying the bitterness of chocolate and the sticky sweetness of marshmallows as the warm liquid rolled down his throat.
'This is awesome,' he told her.
'In certain Jewish circles, I am renowned for my hot chocolate,' Rachel declared, her voice strong and proud. But her voice quickly changed to low and gentle when she asked next, 'Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?'
Finn gulped his hot chocolate instead of answering straight away. He knew Rachel would start bugging him for answers shortly and that he would feel better once he had talked to her but he kind of just wanted to sit in silence for a little bit longer.
Finally, he opened his mouth and said, 'I've had a really crappy evening.'
He looked up at Rachel and he could see that she was really listening to him, her body leant forward and her eyes fixed on him.
'I was hanging out with Puck and the rest of the football team – and don't get me wrong, Puck is my best friend and I love football – but I'm so sick and tired of the same dumbass shit we always pull. Like nothing ever changes,' he continued. 'And it was kind of like what we were talking about this morning. Like what if this is all I am? Like I finish high school and I get to college and I realize that the only thing I know, the only thing I am good at is being some dumb jock that picks on kids who can't defend themselves. And I get stuck with the same type of jock crowd and we do the same thing over and over again and it just never ends.'
'Finn, you know that's not true,' Rachel denied.
'Do I? Do I really? Because some of the shit that I pulled, hell, some of the shit that I pulled on you in the past, doesn't make me so sure.'
'The fact that we're even having this conversation means than you're so much better than all that,' Rachel told him. 'Besides, college is the time of metamorphosis, an opportunity for reinvention. We're going to get to college and we will not be the same people we were in high school. We're going to be so much more. And it is going to be fabulous, I just know it.'
Her eyes were serious and intense – earnest, he thought recalling a word from his past SAT prep – as she spoke and Finn could only believe her.
'Thank you,' he said, his voice rough with emotion. 'Look, I should go. Your dads will get real mad if they find out I'm here. I'm sorry for bothering you, Rach.'
'Dad and daddy aren't home,' she informed him. 'They're away until next Sunday on a conference for work.'
Finn went still for like half minute at her words because he hadn't come to Rachel's home for that, he really hadn't, even if it was the only thing on his mind now. He was suddenly too aware of her knee against his thigh and the thin white straps of her tank that could be so easily slipped off her shoulder.
Hurriedly, Finn grabbed the mug and drained the rest of the hot chocolate. He needed the distraction, to have the ceramic glass as something to occupy his hands before he lost control and not touching Rachel was no longer an option.
Rachel laughed and he arched an eyebrow in question.
'You have a hot chocolate moustache,' she told him, fighting back her giggles.
He put the mug down and swiped his mouth with the end of his palm.
'Have I got it all?' he asked.
'No, you missed a spot,' she said and laughed again as he rubbed his mouth with the back of his palm. 'You're aiming at the wrong spot. Here, let me help you.'
Her thumb brushed against the left edges of his upper lip and Finn felt that familiar jolt that passed through his body every time Rachel Berry touched him. Her eyes locked with his and Finn bit back a groan as Rachel slowly drew her thumb to her mouth licking off the trail of chocolate and marshmallow on her thumb.
The air seemed static, like full of electric shocks, and the hairs on Finn's arm were standing up.
She crawled over so that she was straddling him, his lower body captured between her thighs. Rachel briefly pressed her mouth against his – too short to count as an actual kiss – before her tongue ran over his lips.
'Mmm, you taste sweet,' she observed.
His arm snaked around her waist and he didn't think it was fair that Rachel was the only who got to taste so he captured her lips and it was sugary sweetness mixed with chocolate and he couldn't seem to get enough of it.
He sucked on her bottom lip, her breath hot against his face. He angled his face so he could have better access to her mouth and slipped his tongue in. She arched back at the sensation and her hips were grinding into him and it felt completely awesome. His hand snuck under her tank and his fingers ran over the bumps of her ribcage until he hit breasts.
Finn had been totally right, Rachel wasn't wearing a bra.
His thumb swirled over her boobs and he got that much harder when he felt her nipples peak and harden. He was still kissing Rachel and Finn thought that he might never stop if he was given a choice.
Mid kiss, their lips still fused together, Rachel inched herself off the couch, parting slightly away from Finn.
'Don't go,' he mumbled his protest.
'Come upstairs,' she said instead, tugging his arm with both her hands.
And okay, her idea was better.
Rachel was always coming up with the best ideas.
So he followed her up the steps, turning left at the small hallway and stepping into her room. He was holding her hand and it was so tiny, delicate like the dandelions Finn used to pluck when he was six. He would give the dandelions to his mom and she would blow the little white blooms letting them dance in the air while he had tried to capture them in the palms of his hands to make a wish. Finn didn't let go of Rachel's hand, not even when she dragged him to the edge of her bed and they tumbled onto the mattress.
With his spare hand, Finn lifted Rachel's tank up until there was an expanse of skin running from the top of her cotton shorts to where the bottom of her tank scrunched up to her chest. He placed kisses along her hips and across the flat of her stomach. The ribbons on her shorts tickled his chin so Finn inched her shorts down.
He thought Rachel tasted like cupcakes. Her lips were chocolate and marshmallow but her skin was vanilla and pink frosting. Finn loved cupcakes.
Her shorts were down to her ankles and Rachel kicked them off. He touched her down there, feeling the warmth and the wetness and his fingers didn't feel too clumsy. Everywhere was warm: the air, the room, the bed, Rachel. He found a rhythm like a beat of the drums: two fingers pushing into her like a clang, a stroke, and her body was a cymbal shaking. One hand between her legs and the other still holding her hand, their fingers entwined, and it felt natural like music.
She panted as he circled and then curled his fingers, her heels digging into the bed. He felt her tightening, her body shifting, angling against his hand. Her nails dug into the back of his left hand and she squeezed his hand so hard even as everything clenched and her head was tossed back, her dark brown hair spilling against her pink bedspread.
He slipped his fingers out and Rachel whimpered at the lost of contact.
They were both greedy for more.
Finn was hard – was it possible to even be this hard? – and it didn't take long for him to be naked and pressing down onto Rachel, her tank thrown to the floor. She had turned to pull open the first drawer of her bedside dresser and grab out a foil package while Finn traced his way up her body with his lips. Finn didn't want to think what it meant that she had a pack of condoms lying round or what it meant that two weeks ago he had filled his wallet with a string of condoms.
When he finally, finally slid into her, he chanted silently to himself mailman, mailman, mailman while their bodies adjusted. Her hips met his when he pulled out and then pushed back in again. Finn found her hand again and their fingers tangled while they continued the motion of in and out. Their breaths hitched as they got closer and he nipped at her skin; teeth, tongue and lips grazing over her shoulder, collarbone and neck.
He was jerking now and then there was nothing left to do but spill into Rachel.
They were drowsy after and Finn brushed her slick, sweaty hair aside placing a kiss on her forehead. Rachel curled up and he pulled her body close so that he was wrapped around her. They fell asleep in that position.
-o-
When the alarm rang in the morning, Finn rolled to the side, his arm reaching out as he hit the snooze button and then promptly fell back to sleep.
When Finn woke up the second time, he figured he was still dreaming. He had had this dream before: almost every fortnight in sophomore year, eleven times in junior year, five times in senior year before Prom and then every single night since then.
Although Finn had never felt this content before and the smell of Rachel's hair was amazing. It was all coconut and vanilla and Rachel seemed to taste and smell like all these different flavored cupcakes, which totally explained why he couldn't get enough of her, so he buried his face in her hair and let the dream continue.
The third time that Finn woke up he knew it was a dream even though Rachel was shaking him and saying, 'Finn, Finn, wake up. It's 8 o'clock already and I cannot believe I overslept and we are going to be late for school. Finn!'
Blearily he squinted one eye open and he could just make out the image of a half naked Rachel so it was cool, he was still dreaming, even though the whole trying to wake him up to go to school was new and different. He reached out and pulled Rachel down so that she toppled on top of him and gave her a bear hug. He liked the way her breasts were squished against his chest and the feel of her snuggled up in his arms. He felt the beginnings of morning wood and the dream was turning real interesting now because he had never had a morning sex dream before.
'Seriously, Finn, you have to get up so we can go to school,' Rachel insisted.
'Don't want to,' he whined into her hair. 'Like this dream.'
'Finn, this isn't a dream,' Rachel whispered in his ear and that was kind of hot.
'Feels like one,' he murmured, his hands running over her thigh and across her butt.
A second later he felt her index finger and thumb gather and twist his flesh.
'Ouch, that hurt!' he yelped, jumping away so that he nearly rolled out of the bed.
Finn rubbed his arm trying to soothe the redness away.
'Sorry,' Rachel said although she didn't sound very sorry. 'It was the only thing I could think of to make you realize that this isn't a dream. Although, I have to admit that I'm rather taken by the idea that you dream about me.'
'Yeah, well next time try and come up with a less painful way,' he grumbled, still rubbing his arm.
Rachel grinned as he spoke, her hair falling across the side of her face and she really had the most awesome bed hair. Although he was kind of concerned about the fact she was grinning like that. Maybe she got off on like pinching him which was kinda worrying but also a total turn on.
'You said next time,' she explained.
Rachel had once told him that she was little bit psychic and Finn guessed it must be true because she was always able to read his thoughts.
'Yeah, well, there will be a next time,' he said, 'unless…unless you don't want…?'
'No, I want,' she answered, kissing him on the lips. 'I definitely want.'
He thought briefly about morning breath but found he couldn't even be bothered to care when Rachel deepened the kiss (hopefully she didn't find his breath too rank). Finn was thinking about how he could maybe make that morning sex thing a reality when he realized that Rachel had maneuvered him some distance away from the bed. He was kinda impressed with her super ninja Jedi mind tricks and maybe he could ask her for some tips or something because he bet they would come in handy in a game.
While he was chewing over that thought, she pushed him back – Rachel was kind of strong for someone so tiny – and slammed a door in his face. Finn looked around and found himself in a bathroom.
'Take a shower, brush your teeth,' she yelled through the door. 'There should be spare towels and toothbrushes in the cabinet. 'I'll get ready in dad and daddy's room. We need to get to school.'
He heard her footsteps getting softer and softer as she padded away and as he stepped into the shower – cold, definitely cold – he thought of ways to work on that morning sex thing because it really was the most awesome idea.
-o-
Finn's car came to a standstill at what was like the last remaining spot in the McKinley High parking lot. They had missed homeroom ages ago and it was around the middle of first period now. Rachel was panicking in the passenger seat, taking these quick little breaths with her brow all furrowed. Finn thought she looked adorable.
'It's not the end of the world, Rach,' he told her. 'You're acting like you've never skipped a class before.'
'That's because I've never missed a class ever. I have perfect attendance record since pre-school or at least I had a perfect attendance record. What if they make me serve detention, Finn?' she gasped in alarm.
Finn laughed because Rachel really was too cute for words. He flicked the windshield wipers off because it was drizzling, which was like Finn's favorite kind of weather ever. Tiny drops of rain splattered onto the front window and Finn let a smile creep onto his face. Today was going to be a perfect day, he just knew it. He pulled the keys out of the ignition before turning back to Rachel and dropping a kiss on the top of her nose.
'No one's gonna give you detention for being late to class,' he said. 'It's like the last couple of weeks of school. No one cares. In fact, I'm pretty sure it is like mandatory to skip a couple of classes. Now, c'mon, we need to get outta here unless you rather skip class for the entire day. And I'm totally up for skipping the entire day, if you want. Just so you know.'
'I'm not going to miss anymore of class than I already have,' she told him in horror. 'Maybe if I plead with Mrs Wilson, I might be able negotiate an extra paper to make up for the missing time and my absence won't have to go on my permanent record.'
Finn laughed again as he hopped out of the car. 'C'mon, let's go. And remember, I'll pick you up at 7 at your dance studio like we discussed. Are sure you don't need me to drive you to rehearsal?'
'Yes,' she said, 'I like to walk to the studio after school. The twenty minute walk acts as a perfect extra warm up after spending too many sedentary hours at school.'
'Okay.'
They walked side by side towards the main entrance doors. The rain sprinkled down on them, not heavy enough to actually get them wet. At the steps, Finn could see a clutter of beer cans and bottles by a tipped over metal trashcan. Dark ashes scattered along the grass and Finn looked away, shutting out the reminder of that particular part of last night. His hand itched out to hold Rachel but she was making a dash through the doors saying something about how she could still make it to the last fifteen minutes of first period if she hurried.
Finn didn't hurry. He took his time sifting through books and crumpled bits of paper in his locker.
The bell rang and students rushed out of class and corridors weren't so empty anymore.
He was a little surprised when the Asian chick who liked to dress in black – Tina something, he knew her surname was kind of like Chang's only different, oh yeah, Tina Cohen-Chang – came striding towards him. Finn's first thought was 'Oh crap' because the last contact he had with Tina was in sophomore year when she had yelled at him and made all these rude hand gestures and Finn hadn't even known that girls knew how to do that.
'I-I h-h-heard what you d-did for Artie,' she said.
Tina didn't look mad, which Finn figured was a good thing. It was hard to tell because Finn thought all that dark makeup made her look angry most of the time although it also kind of suited her in a good way.
'Yeah?' he asked real slow-like, because Finn didn't want to say too much just in case she was mad.
Tina's face broke out in a smile and Finn was struck by how pretty she actually was.
'I take back everything I said about you in the past,' she said. 'You're really nice, Finn.'
Tina left before Finn could say anything and he was feeling warm inside, like real good about himself. It also occurred to him that Tina hadn't stuttered once during her last couple of sentences and that was kinda weird. Her voice sounded real nice when she didn't stutter and Finn made a note to ask Rachel about it later.
With that settled, Finn tried to think about what class he had for second period. It was one of those science classes, not Biology but the other one. Oh yeah, Chemistry. He was pulling out his Chemistry textbook when his locker slammed shut.
'Sup, Finnessa,' Puck greeted, with Mike Chang in tow behind.
'Dammit, dude,' Finn groused, 'you nearly got my fingers.'
'Yeah, whatever,' Puck shrugged. 'So you gonna tell me what's got you PMSing? 'Cos you've been acting like a real chick who hasn't had her pussy eaten out by the Puckmeister in a few days. That's not an offer, by the way.'
'Crude much?' Finn asked, rolling his eyes.
'No, seriously, dude,' Puck insisted. 'First you're going all ape-shit over that wheelchair kid and just now you were talking to that goth chick. And this morning, I totally saw you acting all chummy with Rachel Berry. Like what the fuck was she doing in your car in the first place?'
Finn mixed a little bit of lies with a little bit of truth, just like how Puck had taught him, and said, 'It's no big deal. It was raining. She was running late. I offered her a ride.'
'Yeah, well, I'm not down with that and it has to stop,' Puck told him. 'Look, you're my boy and all so I'm gonna explain it to you in real simple terms 'cos we all know that you can be a bit slow on the uptake sometimes.'
'Screw you,' Finn retorted. 'Do you have to be such an asshole like all of the time, dude?'
Puck ignored him and continued his speech, 'Okay, remember when we were in pre-school and there was that toy, fuck knows what they were called, with all those colored shapes? And you had to fit the right colored shape into the right hole? You used to love that game, like we literally had to drag you kicking and screaming away from it.'
'Yeah, so what?'
'Well, life is kind of like that toy. You, me and Chang here, we're like those kickass red circles. The wheelchair kid, the goth chick and Berry, they're the green squares. And red circles and green squares don't fit together, kapeesh?'
'That makes like no sense,' Finn told Puck. 'And I don't see you riding Chang's ass about not showing up last night.'
'Yeah, but that's different,' Puck stated. 'Chang has that Asian mother of his that went all batshit crazy and cursed at us in like Asian during freshman year when we tried to get him to do stuff. Dude, it was scary.'
Chang was no help. He just stood behind Puck, lifting his hands up in a 'What can you do?' kind of gesture.
'Look, Finn,' Puck said, 'I'm only saying this 'cos you're my bro and all. Just don't screw with the world order.'
Puck sauntered off and Finn was left staring at Mike Chang.
Chang held his hands up in front of him all defensive like and said, 'Don't look at me, dude. I think Tina's kind of cool.'
There was something familiar in Chang's eyes as he spoke so they left it at that and headed off to class.
When Quinn slid into her usual seat beside him in Chemistry, Finn knew he should be focusing on the world order. He spent his class staring at the clock on the wall instead, watching the big and little hands tick over and wishing it was 7pm already.