June Hymn – The Decemberists
Set during the summer vacation after 'Journey to Regionals'. This is dedicated to egyouppt because Kenz, I just really love you :)

Here's a hymn to welcome in the day
Heralding a summer's early sway

Finn Hudson, a tall, awkward sixteen year old boy, stood in front of the window of some shop, looking nervous and out of place and generally not-so-good. His mom thought he was out with the guys from glee club, which was reassuring since he sucked ass at lying, and what he was doing was so mortifying that he didn't want her judging him.

He was sweating like a pig, and he regretted not getting a shower before he'd left 'cause he didn't need Quinn to leave after the trouble he'd gone to arranging things. Finn checked his watch, then remembered he'd left it next to his bed; shit. He glanced around nervously 'cause this felt dirty and wrong, and he didn't want to recognise anyone in case they told Rachel.

"Hey Finn."

And all the bulbs all coming in, to begin
Thrushes' bleating battle with the wrens

Finn turned to his right and smiled with relief as Quinn appeared beside him, a tiny wave playing on her fingers along with the tiny smile playing on her lips.

"Hey Quinn."

Disrupts my reverie again

"I'm sorry for making you do this," he said apologetically, sticking his hands into his pockets. He looked her up and down. "I mean, after the baby and everything. How is-"

"I don't know," she said bluntly. "Once I left the hospital the day I gave birth, she wasn't my problem anymore." Quinn brushed a strand of hair from her face and gazed up at Finn with a small smirk. "I'm glad you asked me to do this instead of Santana or Brittany." She pressed a hand to his arm and squeezed it gently. "Looks like you still have taste after all."

Finn wasn't really sure what she was getting at, but nodded and smiled, gulping, his mouth dry. "Okay, we'll have to be quick before anyone sees us." He cleared his throat as Quinn raised an eyebrow. "Rachel can't find out about this, alright?"

Quinn rolled her eyes and sighed with exasperation. "Let's get this over with."

Pegging clothing on the line
Training jasmine how to vine

Finn led Quinn into the small florists' whose window he'd been examining for the past fifteen minutes. He'd spotted the shop on his way home from Mike's the other day, and had decided that he wanted to get Rachel some flowers. They weren't dating or anything (yet), but Finn was okay with that, because he knew it was an ineti... ineviti... that word that meant it had to happen. His problem? He couldn't tell a lily from a dandelion.

He wasn't sure why he'd asked Quinn of all people. He'd briefly considered getting Kurt to help him choose the perfect 'I-love-you-Rachel-Berry' bouquet, but for whatever reason, Quinn was his default. He didn't love her though. He didn't even think she was hot anymore, and he really didn't want them to be more than just friends, you know, to make that perfectly clear.

That led to another question; why had she agreed? Well, probably loads of reasons; guilt (Puck thing), revenge (Rachel thing), Jesus (faith thing), or something like that.

Up the arbor to your door, and more
Standing on the landing with the war
You shouldered all the night before

God, asking Quinn to help was the best idea ever because as Finn looked around at the millions and millions of petals and stuff, he realised he didn't even know Rachel's favourite flower. Laaaame.

"Hi there, can I help you both?" came the voice of an overly eager middle aged woman, who looked like she'd just stepped out of a fairytale. Her long blonde hair hung around her shoulders, and was covered with flowers like glitter all over her head. Her dress was long and pretty, and she had a genuine friendly smile on her face.

"We're just looking for now, thanks," said Quinn in a slight drawl before she turned to examine the roses (how the fuck could people charge so much for a friggin' flower? Finn felt his stomach drop because there was a distinct possibility that he'd have to leave with a single leaf or something).

And once upon it
The yellow bonnets
Garland all the lawn

"Aren't these orchids beautiful Finn? The colours, the shape, the smell..." Quinn trailed off as she smelt the weird looking orchid things, and Finn was so goddamn bored. They'd spent far too long looking at flowers, and like, why did Quinn keep suggesting the most expensive plants? Besides, the 'orchids' reminded him of aliens, and the more he stared at them, the more they creeped him out. The fairytale woman hovered in the background, making suggestions now and again, but since Finn had no idea what she was going on about, he just had to nod and make mmm and aah sounds.

"Finn, you are being ridiculous. You asked for my help and you're not even making an effort! Just choose some flowers so I can go and have a nap, please."

"Sorry, yeah, okay." Finn shuffled awkwardly around the shop because he really did have to choose something. The roses were expensive, yeah, but that wasn't what put him off; roses were really cliché, right? Besides, they didn't really suit Rachel somehow.

Orchids? Nope, alien flowers were totally not his thing.

Lilies? They smelt weird and whatever was in them stained his jacket as he touched them.

Tulips? Nope. Pansies? Nope. Fuchsias? Nope nope nope nope nope.

Finn was on the verge of choosing any old crap when he noticed a basket of flowers in the corner of the shop, hidden away behind the alien plants. He pointed at them lamely. "What are they?"

The fairytale woman picked up the basket and showed them to Finn properly. "Daisies."

Finn looked to Quinn for guidance, but she just rolled her eyes (she'd been doing that a lot). "Daisies Finn, seriously? You dragged me here and wasted most of my afternoon so you could get RuPaul some daisies?"

And you were waking
And day was breaking

Finn ignored her 'cause he was totally getting the daisies. "I'll take them please," he said to the woman. She smiled and nodded, and wrapped them up in special paper; he hoped Rachel would like them, even if they were cheap, and even if Quinn disapproved. The two of them left the shop, and though Finn had been planning to ask her if she wanted to get a coffee (he didn't drink coffee but adults always said that, and it made him sound like he wasn't just some dumb kid), but the frown on her face made him change his mind.

"Well, I hope she likes them," she said bitterly.

"Thanks for helping Quinn; sorry that I took so long and stuff."

The two of them made eye contact, and that was that; Quinn went her way and Finn went his, all the way to Rachel Berry's house.

A panoply of song
And summer comes to Springville Hill

Finn stood on the front step of Rachel's house with the flowers hanging awkwardly in his hand, and after taking about fifty deep breaths, he knocked on the door and panicked; did he have time to run away before-

"F-Finn?

A barony of ivy in the trees
Expanding out its empire by degrees

Maybe not. "Hey Rach, is this a bad time 'cause I can come back-"

"No!" she squeaked, smiling shyly. "No, I'm on my own this afternoon, so would you like to come in?"

She looked so pretty. Rachel wasn't hot like Santana was hot, but she was so pretty. She was wearing a summery dress that was covered in- Finn felt his heart flutter (man, when had he become such a girl?) 'cause her dress was covered in daisies; fuck yeah. Anyway, she was pretty because she wore awesome clothes, and she had her hair in pigtails and her eyes were shiny and her lips were juicy and she was so fucking pretty.

Ahem.

"Sure, thanks." Hiding the daisies behind his back, Finn nervously followed her into the house, wondering if she could hear his heart slamming against his chest.

"This is a lovely surprise," she said brightly as she led him into the living room. "I was going to call you actually, but I wasn't sure if... Well, we haven't really spoken about... Can I get you something to drink?"

And all the branches burst to bloom
In the boom

Finn shook his head. "No thanks Rach, but have you got a vase or something?" He produced the bunch of daisies and held it out to her awkwardly. "And some water I guess, 'cause they'll need to drink and stuff."

Heaven sent this cardinal maroon
To decorate our living room

Rachel looked at the daisies in quiet admiration. "These are for me?"

"Yeah..." Finn was still holding them out to her, and since she hadn't taken them, did that mean she didn't like them? He kept a straight face 'cause she didn't need to see his disappointment.

"I love them, thank you so much." She took them (thank God), pressed them to her nose then smiled her trademark Rachel Berry smile that gave Finn butterflies. "What made you get daisies?" she asked curiously.

Finn cleared his throat and shrugged; should he tell her? "It's really lame but..." The flicker of sadness on Rachel's face was enough to crack him. "I was looking at all these over the top flowers, all the really full-on plants that were expensive and bold, and then..." He shrugged again, lowering his voice as he didn't quite meet Rachel's eyes. "Then I saw the daisies, and they're like you I guess. They're overlooked because they just seem simple and pretty at first, but when you really look at them, they're beautiful, you know?"

He wasn't sure what happened after that, but Finn felt Rachel's lips against his own and he kissed her back and he was pretty sure that she loved him like he loved her. She didn't say it, but whatever, he had the whole of summer to wait for her to say it.

And once upon it
The yellow bonnets
Garland all the lawn
And you were waking
And day was breaking
A panoply of song
And summer comes to Springville Hill