Author's Note: So let's talk about how awesome you all are. Seriously, I am so in awe of the response to this. Thank you so much! This chapter title comes from "Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Rachel snatched up her phone as it began to ring. In her haste to get it, she hadn't had a chance to check the screen to see who was calling. She could only hope that it was Finn Hudson. It had been two days since their run in at the supermarket, and she had been on cloud nine since then.

Kurt and Santana had noticed the change in her demeanor. They had asked about it, but Rachel had tried her best to play it off. She had no idea what they would say if they found out she was going out for coffee with Finn Hudson.

"Hello?" she said as she answered.

"Hey, Rach!" Finn's warm voice caused tingles to spread down Rachel's spine. She grinned as she flopped down onto her bed. "How are you?"

"I'm good. How about you?"

"I just got off of work. Seventy-two hour shifts can be pretty brutal, but I have the next couple of days off. I figured we could go grab a cup of coffee tomorrow and hang out."

"That sounds great," Rachel said. She gripped her phone a little tighter in her hand and tried to calm herself down. It wasn't a date. It was just two old friends—acquaintances, really—meeting to catch up with each other.

Still, this was the first time that it would be just her and Finn. No sisters, no brothers, no other family members or friends around to cause any type of distractions.

"Great. I'll stop by your apartment and pick you up around three o'clock tomorrow. I know about this little coffee place that has some great vegan dessert options."

Wow. He was picking her up tomorrow. Not only that, but he remembered that she was a vegan and was taking it into account. She couldn't get over what a sweet guy Finn Hudson was.

"Alright. I'll see you then."

She could hear the smile in his voice. "Bye, Rach."

"Goodbye, Finn."

"You are a twenty-one year old woman, Rachel. You should not be acting like this."

No matter how many times she told herself that, Rachel couldn't get rid of the feeling of giddiness that was coursing through her. So there she was, standing in front of her closet as she tried to figure out what to wear. She finally pulled a pretty navy blue sundress out of her closet and quickly put it on. Tucking her feet into a pair of sandals, she grabbed her purse just as the intercom buzzed.

Rachel ran down the stairs and took a deep breath before she opened the door. Finn was leaning against the wall, his hands tucked into his jeans. He had on a white button down shirt, and his hair was tousled from the fall breeze.

God, it really should be illegal for him to look that good.

And there was that crooked grin. It was as if he was trying to make her melt into a puddle of goo on purpose. "Hey, Rach! You look be—" He paused and seemed to think for a moment before he continued. "You look really nice."

"Thanks, Finn. So do you," Rachel said. He held his arm out and Rachel took it, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow.

"It's only a couple of blocks from here."

"Alright. So while we're walking, you can tell me about what's been going on in your life. Kurt has told you all about me, apparently. So fill me in on what's happening with you."

Finn shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing has changed much since we last saw each other. I'm still working at the same station, Kurt still annoys me, my mother still worries about me. You know, the usual."

Rachel laughed. "It's Kurt's way of showing that he cares."

They entered the small café and ordered their drinks and desserts. Once they had their orders, they took a seat back in the corner of the café. Rachel swiped some icing off of the brownie she had and sucked it off her finger. She could have sworn that Finn's eyes zeroed in on the motion and darkened, but that couldn't have been possible. Finn never looked at her in that way before, so why would he start now?

He cleared his throat. "So how is your family doing?"

Rachel looked up at Finn, surprised that he would ask that question. She was under the impression that he didn't like her family very much. But his face was completely open and sincere; he actually wanted to hear her answer.

"They're good," Rachel finally said. "Mom and Russell are doing well. They're busy planning the wedding, and—" Rachel stopped abruptly. She didn't know if Finn knew about Puck and Quinn's upcoming nuptials. It still had to be a touchy subject for him, after all.

To Rachel's complete shock, Finn didn't look all that surprised by the news of the wedding. In fact, he just nodded his head and said, "Puck told me a little bit about it."

Rachel's mouth dropped open. "You've been talking to Noah?"

He smiled at the way she called Puck by his given name (it wasn't her fault that she thought Noah was a perfectly good name while Puck was not). "Yeah, I've talked to Puck. I saw him a few weeks ago at the gym and he told me all about the wedding and Beth. I'm glad that they're doing so well."

Rachel couldn't stop the words from pouring out of her mouth. "And you're not angry?"

Finn's brow furrowed and he gave her a confused look. "Why would I be angry?"

"I just… I thought… given everything that happened…"

Finn stared at Rachel for a long moment before he started laughing. "Rach, that was a while ago. Trust me when I say that it doesn't bother me anymore."

Rachel gave Finn a skeptical look. "Really?"

"Really. I promise." When Rachel still didn't look as if she believed him, Finn gathered up their things. "Here, why don't we take a walk in the park? That way, we can talk more. You can ask me whatever questions you want."

Ten minutes later, Rachel and Finn were strolling through the park. Rachel was still snacking on her brownie, and Finn had finished his cupcake long ago. She picked at the corner of the brownie as she looked up at Finn. He didn't look at all bothered by the fact that she was about to ask him questions about his failed relationship with her stepsister.

"So you're really over it?" Rachel asked suddenly.

Finn chuckled. "Yes, Rachel. I'm really over it."

"But…"

"But what? Would you rather that I was still hung up on what happened almost three years ago?"

"No! Of course not." Rachel shook her head. "I just can't believe that you're friends with Puck again. The last time I saw the two of you together, you punched him. Twice."

Finn snorted. "I wouldn't exactly say that Puck and I are best friends, but I don't hate the guy. Well… at least, not anymore."

"I'm sorry that that had to happen," Rachel said quietly. "I noticed something between them before, but I didn't think much of it. You didn't deserve what happened."

Finn's eyes softened as he looked down at her. "Rachel…" He took her hand and led her over to a bench. Once they were situated, Finn turned towards her. "Are you trying to tell me that you think the whole thing was your fault?"

Seriously? How did he read her so well? "Not my fault, exactly," Rachel said as she toyed with the hem of her dress. "I should have said something before, when I realized that something was going on between them—"

"Rachel, please stop." Finn squeezed her hand. "I never once blamed you for what happened. How could I? It was in no way your fault. It wasn't your job to tell me that there was something going on between Quinn and Puck. Honestly, I should have realized it sooner."

"I'm just glad that you're doing so well, Finn," Rachel said.

Finn smiled at her, and that dimple appeared in his cheek. "I am. And I was glad to hear that Puck and Quinn were getting married, and that Beth was growing up so well."

Rachel shook her head. "You're amazing," she said softly, and Finn's cheeks flushed red. She popped the last of her brownie into her mouth and licked her lips. Finn's eyes remained trained on her mouth. After a long moment, he reached out and cupped her cheek.

"You have some icing right here," he murmured as he brushed his calloused thumb against the corner of her mouth.

Finn's eyes were dark as he gazed down at her. Rachel slid her hand over Finn's as her heart pounded loudly in her ears. She had dreamed about this so many times, and now it was actually happening. It was almost unbelievable as Finn inched closer to her.

"You know," Rachel whispered. "You can kiss me if you want to."

Finn's thumb brushed against her bottom lip. "I want to," he breathed.

A moment later, Finn's mouth came down over Rachel's. As soon as their lips touched, Rachel knew that she wouldn't be able to get enough of this feeling. Her fingers locked in his hair as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Finn's tongue swept lightly across her bottom lip, and Rachel's mouth parted.

She would never get over this feeling. This was the best kiss that Rachel had ever received. Finn made her feel things that she had never felt before. When breath became a necessity, they broke apart. Rachel beamed at Finn and he smiled at her before she closed the gap between them again, pressing her mouth to his.

Rachel got lost in the feel of his lips on hers for a few blissful moments before she suddenly realized who, exactly, she was kissing. With a gasp, Rachel pulled back from Finn and stared at him with wide eyes. He smiled at her and reached forward to kiss her again, but Rachel pushed on his chest.

Finn's brow furrowed. "Rach?"

Rachel pulled herself out of Finn's embrace and scrambled off the bench. "I… I'm sorry, Finn. I can't."

He stood up and reached for her again, his amber eyes shining with concern. "Rachel, please—"

"No, Finn," Rachel repeated as she backed away from him. "I can't."

The last thing Rachel saw was the look of utter hurt on Finn's face before she left.

Santana came snuck up behind Rachel and yanked on her ponytail. Rachel jumped and grabbed her head, turning to glare at her friend. "Santana!"

The Latina put her hands on her hips and gave the petite brunette a pointed look. "You've been acting weird for the past two days, Berry. What the hell is up?"

Rachel immediately looked away. "Nothing. Everything is fine."

"Yeah right," Santana said with a snort. "I don't believe you." When Rachel didn't say anything, Santana tilted her head and nudged her shoulder. "Come on, Rachel. I know you. I can tell when something is bothering you."

Rachel sighed and brushed her bangs back from her forehead. She could tell that she wasn't going to get out of this one. But there was no way that she would give her any specifics. While Santana was fiercely loyal and wouldn't go blabbing about it, Rachel knew that she was going to rag on her for this for a very long time.

"What if you did something that you knew was wrong, but it just felt so right that you wanted to do it over and over again for the rest of your life?"

There was a suspicious knowing look in Santana's eyes as she crossed her arms and watched Rachel. Finally, she said, "Then I would say that if it felt so right, then it couldn't be wrong. Do you want it?"

Oh, did she want it. "More than anything."

"Then go after it, Berry. Don't be afraid to do something that makes you feel good. As long as it's not harmful or illegal. Although, there are some things that are illegal that are definitely worth doing at least once."

Rachel laughed. "It's not illegal, Tana. But thanks for your concern."

"Have fun, Berry. And don't worry, I won't tell Kurt why you've been such a spaz lately."

Just like it had for the past two days, Rachel's phone rang at five o'clock. Finn's name flashed across the screen, and she bit her lip before she picked the phone up and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Rachel." Finn's voice sounded relieved. "I'm sorry if I did anything to make you feel uncomfortable—"

"You didn't, Finn," Rachel interrupted in a quiet voice.

Now he sounded surprised. "I didn't?"

"No." Rachel curled up into a ball on her bed. "I was really glad that you kissed me. More than glad, actually."

"I don't understand, Rachel. Why did you run away, then?"

Rachel's heart was pounding her ears again. The truth spilled from her lips before she could stop herself. "I guess I just felt guilty."

"Felt guilty? About wh—" Finn stopped himself when realization suddenly hit. He sighed. "Rachel, I think we need to talk."

"We do," Rachel agreed. It didn't help that she really wanted to see Finn again.

"I'm off right now," Finn said. "I don't know if you want to come over here, or if you want me to go over there…"

Rachel would feel a lot more comfortable on her own turf. "Kurt and Santana are going to be out for the rest of the day. Why don't you come over here?"

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Author's Note: I know I'm cruel for ending it there. But, you know: I had to create some type of suspense. :) Right now, I'm really big on building Finn and Rachel's relationship and having them work through their problems together, so that is really going to be a main focus here. Thanks for reading!