Your Turn
DISCLAIMER: GLEE AND THEIR CHARACTERS DO NOT BELONG TO ME.
Thursday II
A/N: Sorry that this is a week late! Last week was pretty intense and so was this one, plus I got sick. Anyway, this chapter will be pretty Finchel related, but in a completely platonic way. At least, for Rachel. I feel like some fics don't really iron out the whole Finn thing properly sometimes. I want them to be...proper, you know? And then there's some San/Britt/Quinn shenanigans. Oh and sorry for the change in Finn's texting from the last time. I decided to make it a bit more...realistic.
Also! Guess who's turning 17 in a few weeks? AND HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW SEASON YET?
xxxx
It's 1PM and Rachel is sitting at her kitchen table, happily eating a bowl of chopped strawberries she had prepared only a few minutes before. Her dads were out grocery shopping and she had just returned from a ballet class.
The whole day so far passed by like a blur, the only thing encompassing the girl's mind being the singing voice of one, Quinn Fabray.
She wasn't too familiar with the song but when the blonde sang it to her, all she could do was listen carefully, not only for accuracy but for the lyrics.
Simply remembering the lyrics gave her goosebumps. Why was Quinn so good at this whole romancing thing? Rachel always felt that Finn was rather clumsy in most of his lovey dovey attempts, but she loved them in the end because his heart was in the right place and he tried. But oh, did it work so much better when one was an expert at this. Rachel didn't even have to think things over, she just...knew that everything Quinn did was real and it felt real and it really did happen.
But what now?
Everything was perfect. She was ready, Quinn was obviously ready...what does she do now? Does she run into the arms on her beloved blonde lady and ask her out? Or does she wait for her to ask her out?
Her insecurities fill her stomach once more upon these thoughts. She still didn't get her answer as to why Quinn liked her, or well, loved her. But she didn't really need to hear those answers because she just knew that Quinn wasn't lying and that what she felt was exactly what she felt whenever the girl kissed her.
They had magic. They had chemistry. They had everything except for each other.
And that's when Rachel's phone buzzes.
wanna go to the park with me? -Finn
The young Diva is a little hesistant upon this request and actually a little surprised to hear from him after such a long period of time.
Is this a completely platonic invitation? -Rachel
...if you're asking if i'm asking u on a date then no, i'm not. -Finn
Okay, I will be there in a few minutes. Where exactly are you? -Rachel
on a bench near the playground. see u soon! -Finn
Rachel feels like sighing and rolling her eyes, but it had been a while since she heard from the boy and truly...she misses him. As much as she expects him to bombard her with silly attempts to regain her previous affections, she doesn't mind if she gets to see him and enjoy his company.
Maybe now they can get real closure and she can truly make her point in regards to why she isn't interested in him anymore.
Maybe now she can tell him that she's in love with Quinn Fabray.
That is, if the girl can even say that out loud and not just repeatedly in her diary or her secret blog.
xxxx
It's 1:30PM and Rachel is at the park sporting a simple red skirt and a shirt with a cute giraffe on it. It's quite casual and appropriate for playing around at the park. At least, that's what she assumed that Finn wanted to do.
And there he was, awkward, tall and adorable in his own way. There he was, giving her that half smile of his, staring at her with those dark eyes that lingers with want and typically enough giving her the one over.
"Hello, Finn," Rachel greets with a smile. This isn't the time for awkwardness, no. She must prove that they are only meant to be friends and nothing more.
"Hey Rach!" he replies, happily and removing himself from his previous place. The tall boy lurches forward and grabs the smaller girl in a quick hug before placing his hands on her shoulders.
"So I assume we are...?"
He grabs her hand and not in the way that he used to. In the next instant, without a word between the both of them, Rachel and Finn turn into 7 year olds again, fooling around the playground.
xxxx
And off the side, hidden in the trees are three sexy ladies. One with binoculars, one with an ice cream cone and the other filing her nails.
"Quinn, is this really necessary? I thought you said that Rachel was like, totally smitten with you," Santana says, staring at her nails intently as she fixes them.
The more intelligent blonde is watching the two brunettes acting like children at the playground. She makes growling noises every once in a while when Finn touches something of Rachel's by accident or totally on purpose.
Yes, Quinn does have a strange network everywhere in Lima. After all, she is Quinn Fabray. That day with Matt, Puck and Mike she had some other cameras set up in places. But she would never tell the guys...it was much more fun scaring them like this.
"She is, San, but Finn won't give up!"
"Don't worry, Q. You're so much hotter than Finn."
"Thanks, Britt but that isn't the problem! Finn and Rach have history and the only history that I have with Rachel involves cold drinks and pornographic pictures!"
"Don't you trust her?" Brittany asks, handing her cone over to Santana for a taste.
"Of course I do...but- I need to do this."
"But why are we here?"
"For oral support," Brittany chimes in right away.
"Moral, baby."
"Oh, right."
xxxx
Finn had planned this for a while, explaining his absense from Rachel's life for that period of time. He figures that Rachel never really had the chance to play at a playground with a friend before and that she would very much enjoy doing so. And here they are, going down slides that the frankenteen barely fit on and finding children that were actually taller than Rachel; playing around. Finn is satisfied with the way the brunette was acting. She didn't ask questions, surprisingly and she was really enjoying herself.
The Berry wonders what Finn's ulterior motives are, but she decides that she's been cruel to him for a long time now. Perhaps this was his apology for continuing to make a move on her when she clearly wasn't interested? Or perhaps a way of apologizing for not being the best boyfriend?
But all in all she doesn't care. Her fingers and hands reeked of the smell of metal and there was sand in her hair and gripping onto the fabric of her shirt. Monkey bars. Tetherball. Slides. Rope fences. Small wooden bridges. Captain of a false pirate ship. And maybe even an innocent game of tag with some of the children she's performed for as well.
If anyone were to see the two from afar, they can easily say that they were probably brother and sister who were far too old for a playground.
And so this play time spans until 5:30PM and the two are exhausted. Finn was surprisingly prepared with water and some watermelon for the two to share. The two don't really exchange many words with each other, but Rachel's waiting for Finn's move and Finn's waiting for a good moment to...do what he wanted.
Meanwhile, up in a different tree, there sat the same three. This time, Brittany and Santana are tangled up in each other and Brittany's telling Santana about the dream she had last night while Quinn is till watching the ex-power couple. She has the confidence and she knows that in the end, Rachel will choose her. But something just doesn't feel right if she were to just let Finn Hudson have his go at Rachel without doing some sort of spy work...and everyone else was busy.
"Finn, I had fun today. So I must say, thank you very much."
When Rachel's voice rang, Quinn shut up the other two and ignored Santana's middle finger. The two shut up anyway and listened intently to the intelligent blonde's breathing and the pair of brunettes below them.
"You're welcome, Rach. I had a lot of fun too," his smile turns into a charming one and both Quinn and Rachel recognize it right away. Santana has to put her mouth over Quinn's to stop her from attacking the tall boy right then and there.
"I do hope that this clears up the fact that we are, in fact only friends."
And Quinn manages to calm down from that sentence, allowing Santana to roll her eyes and Brittany to sigh in relief.
"But you had fun today, right? Doesn't that just saw how much of a good boyfriend I can be?"
The three in the tree watch Rachel carefully as an array of emotions dance through her eyes and as Finn watches her, hope absorbed in his face.
"It proves how excellent of a friend you are, Finn. I'm sorry to have to repeat this over and over again but-" she pauses to place a hand on his, "I no longer reciprocate the feelings that you apparently still have for me."
And here Finn laughs a little, "Apparently? Rach, I love you. It's real, it's true and I'm not going to betray you like Jesse. I still don't understand why this won't work. Why can't we just try again? Why can't you just be in love with me like before?"
Santana nearly gags, Brittany is a little lost and Quinn feels like stranggling the boy. Does he think that he can get Rachel back like this? Was it going to work? Her hazel eyes begin to burn holes into the young diva as she awaits for an answer.
"It is not that simple, Finn. I never wish to lead anyone on."
"You were so into me before..."
"Finn, please do not give me that face. I cannot control the way my feelings work and you should know that."
"Why is this so complicated? I thought you really liked me, Rachel."
"I do like you, Finn. Just, not in the romantic sense."
"It can always come back, can't it?"
"Finn, please do stop being so stubborn."
"No! Rachel, I love you, I love you, I love you!"
"Repeating the same phrase over and over again does not make it any more true. And it isn't that I don't believe you, it's just that..."
And this is the part that makes Quinn's stomach twist and turn.
"What? Tell me Rach, what is it?"
"I..."
Quinn wants to hear it, she wants to hear what she thinks Rachel is going to say. Even if it isn't to her, she needs to hear those words so that she doesn't have to do this stupid spying thing ever again.
"I'm in love with someone else."
Brittany celebrates silently before Quinn gets a shoulder rub from both of her best friends. A success!
"Who? Who else can there be? No other guy gets you like I do, Rach. No other guy."
"And that is what you believe, Finn. And you are probably right if you dismiss my fathers as a part of that list of people who understand me."
She takes a sip of water before continuing, her voice firm and clear, trying to show Finn that she was completely serious.
"So?" the boy continues a little impatiently.
"The thing is, this person who I am in love with is not of the male gender."
"...A chick?"
"I am afraid so," well, not really.
"But...I don't get it. You're straight, aren't you? You went out with me, then Puck then Jesse, then me again...And who is it? I don't get it!"
Quinn doesn't feel any guilt for her snickering in the trees.
"It's Quinn."
And that the three didn't expect. Did Rachel seriously just say exactly who it is?
"Quinn?" the tall boy's face makes a messed up face before going through a variety of confused facial expressions. Though not as confused as Rachel expected, which isn't too bad in reality.
"Yes, and that is why I cannot go out with you or try again, Finn. I-" her eyes are darting away at some moment but she mostly tries to keep her gaze on the tall boy.
"But why her? Rach, she's made your life a living hell! Don't you remember? It hasn't really been that long you know!" The young Diva almost cringes at the intention and frowns at the reasonable and expected accusations. It's nothing new.
Quinn's facial expression is hard to read now and Santana and Brittany exchange looks. Rachel manages a smile though, a small but shy smile that just reminds both Finn and Quinn why they loved the tiny girl so much.
"I realize that, and I forgive her."
Finn's face falls at this.
"But-"
"Stop for a moment, Finn. I know it's complicated and honestly I don't know what to do or how to approach the issue now but at least I have it figured out."
And it happens again. Rachel gets up, kisses the boy on the forehead awkwardly on her tippy toes, swift and sweet before turning to leave.
"I truly hope that you understand what I feel and what I'm doing, Finn. And I want to believe in your words about your love for me. I'm afraid though that as ideal of a dreamer I am, we've already had our downs and honestly I cannot think of another to go at it again and endanger both my own and your heart."
And he stares, not entirely sure what to say right now. Maybe it was time for him to stop and let go. It was clear that Rachel wanted someone else and it was...to his dismay a girl. If he truly loves her, if he really is her friend then he should support her, right?
But that doesn't stop the aching in his heart.
xxxx
A/N: Hey guys! If the both of us are lucky, I can get in one more chapter tomorrow! Please do review!
Next time: The whole Glee club gathers to discuss Rachel and Quinn. Turns out Finn already had a heads up about the two before Rachel confirmed it. And what's this? Gambling?