A/N: It's been awhile but apparently someone lit a fire under my ass to spark up this stories again so here goes nothing. Unbeta'd because apparently I'm too impatient for a beta...
"No! No! No! It's all wrong! The flowers go over there and the candles over there!" Kurt yelled at the staff setting up the wedding hall. "Charlie, this is all wrong can't anyone do anything right without me having to babysit them. I cannot let my wedding get ruined because everyone who works at this hotel is incompetent." He blew out a frustrated breath and tossed his hands up in the air.
Kurt's fiancé Charlie looked around the room and shrugged, "Does it really matter as long as the end result is that we're married?"
Kurt's eye went wide as his mouth dropped open, "Does it matter? Does it matter? Does it matter? Who am I even marrying?" His voice rising every time he yelled the phrase. "Why would you possibly even ask that question of course it matters. If everything isn't perfect, the pictures will look terrible and I WILL NOT spend the rest of my life looking at terrible pictures."
Charlie bit his lip and looked around for an escape as Kurt ranted, "Oh look it's Rachel and Mercedes, they're here. Thank God!" He pointed to the two girls and quickly charge forward to approach them the rubber on the soles of his shoes squeaking as he came to a stop in front of them. "Thank God you two are here. Kurt's fucking crazy right now. I mean I've seen him crazy, but right now he's like," Charlie moved his hands wildly in the air, "Fucking crazy. And I have no idea what to do with him. In other words HELP!"
Mercedes gave stifled laugh as she patted Charlie on the shoulder, "You only thought you knew what you were getting into marrying Kurt. Be prepared there's a lifetime of even worse a head of you." She laughed to herself as her eyes turned to Kurt adamantly directing a caterer. "I got this. Charlie you go sit down and get a break. Rachel head to the bar, glass of wine for Kurt, something for yourself and I'ma need a crown and diet coke because this is going to be one long rehearsal." She snapped her fingers and point, "Everyone go now."
Rachel smiled as she patted Charlie on the shoulder, "It's going to be okay, Mercedes can handle Kurt." she whispered softly in his ear as she walked him over to the nearest seat. "And once the wedding is over everything will go back to normal and Kurt will go back to being just the way he always has been which is a little less crazy than you're having to deal with right now." She eased the flustered man into a folding chair against the wall and smoothed down his hair. "I'm going to go fetch drinks. I have Kurt and Mercedes order can I get you anything? You at least need a bottle of water Charlie."
Charlie nodded vigorously as he sat down, "Water's good. Alcohol would be better but with Kurt being the way he is I should probably save that until tomorrow."
"Good idea," Rachel nodded as she patted his head. "I'll be right back with that water and then I will promptly deliver alcohol to your fiancée and his co maid of honor. Once that is done everything should be running smoothly." She flashed her best Broadway smile at him before she turned her heels and headed off in the direction of the bar.
"I need a bottle of water, a crown and coke, and glass of wine, red not white, white makes him sick and the last thing we need is him sick on top of the stress." Rachel rattled off as soon as she got to the bar. She couldn't help but smile to herself as she took a moment to take in her surrounds. Kurt was getting married. And though she had attended weddings before this one felt different because it was Kurt's someone she knew and loved. Someone who after the wedding was said and done she'd get to be a part of his life and see how everything played out after the wedding. Sure Kurt was in fact going Bridezilla on the hotel staff but that was to be expected. She and Mercedes had a long conversation on the train from New York to Connecticut about how crazy Kurt was bound to be when they got there and which one of them would be handling his crazy. They argument had hit a stalemate halfway through their trip and while Rachel had suggested a sing off with the winner to be determined by fellow passengers, a simple game of rock, paper, scissors determined to outcome as to which of them would be the one to handle Kurt. Mercedes ended up on the losing end leaving Rachel with alcohol duty. An easy task that she was more than ready to handle she thought to herself as she patiently waited on the drinks.
"EXCUSE ME! EXCUSE ME LADY!" The loud yell of a young child broke her from her thoughts and Rachel looked down as she felt the small hands tugging on her dress.
She smiled at the young child who couldn't have been more than three or four years old, "Yes? Are you lost honey?" She leaned down to bring herself closer to the little boy's level.
"No," the boy quickly removed his hands from her dress and tucked them in his pockets, "You're really pretty." He said sheepishly as a blush crawled over his face, "I was just wondering if you'd seen Mr. Kurt. See we just got here and I'm possed to be his ring bear and…"
"Jace! What did I tell you about running off from your mother and me!" The young boy's words were quickly cut off by the booming voice of a man who was clearly out of breath from trying to keep up with the young boy.
Both Rachel and the boy froze at his words the boy from sheer fear of punishment but Rachel froze for an entirely different reason. The voice it was that of a man. Not of the young man she'd known in high school but the man that young man had become and even with the age and gruff she'd have recognized it even if it had been calling out from New York City street corner. Her eyes closed as she placed her hand on the terrified child's shoulder. "It's okay I know exactly where Kurt is," she said quickly and smiled a reassuring smile before she drew in a deep breath and stood up straighten herself and coming face to face with a man from her past..
"Rachel?" The booming voice that had yelled at the little boy became soft and gruff.
"Hello Finn," she forced a smile for a moment then bit down on her bottom lip. She had known it was him as soon as his voice sounded through the room. The voice he used to yell at the young boy was one she'd once imagined hearing him use to yell at their own children years ago when they had been together. Rachel quickly bit her lips as she forced the old memories and fantasies away.
"I- ah- I," She shook her head and pressed another smile as he stuttered and then pressed an unsure half smile at her, his eyes clearly searching for the next words to say.
"You were chasing after this fellow her I assume," she said as casually as possible and reached down to ruffle the young boy's hair before switching her voice into a curt and professional tone. "Well no there's no need. He's in safe hands and Mr. Jace has already informed me that he is our ring bearer. So if you don't mind I'm going to escort him over to Kurt where he will be able to learn what his duties as ring bearer entail." Her head nodded forward as she reached for the drinks on the bar. "So if you don't mind you can find us over there," she nodded as she began to pick up the drinks the glass of wine slipping from her hand.
Finn darted forward out of instinct to catch the glass as it started to fall, their skin making the briefest moment of contact before he quickly pulled away and tucked his in his pocket.
"If you need us." She nodded as he let go and turned making her way in the direction of Kurt with the young boy following in tow as she desperately tried to keep her questions and emotions intact.
Finn stood at the bar with his mouth hanging half opened as he watched Rachel and Jace make their way into the wedding hall.
"Are you okay?" he felt a hand graze again his back in a semi comforting manner.
"I'm fine," he responded his eyes still fixated on the doorway, watching as Rachel glanced over her shoulder the two locking eyes for what felt like an eternity before she disappeared into the hall and out of his view. "I just need a drink." Finn mumbled at Alison as he motioned for the bartender to make his way over to him.
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Rachel let out a sigh and closed her eyes as she leaned against the door of the empty conference room. Weddings were stressful and Kurt's was no exception, in fact it was probably the most stressful wedding ever. But it was over and everyone was off having fun at the reception down the hall. Rachel full intended to join them, but she needed a minute to catch her breath without having another camera in her face or Kurt turning another minor detail into a huge crisis. She blew out another breath as she relaxed against the door, wishing that she had grabbed a bottle of champagne or at least a drink to bring with her. Something to take the edge off, she didn't want to admit it to herself but a part of her knew she was hiding from Finn. The evening before had been awkward to say the least and she hadn't expected the flood of emotions seeing him would bring forth. After ten years she had hoped those emotions were buried so deep that nothing could flood them forward. But the second he'd given her that stupid half smile he'd always used she knew she was in trouble.
"Ahem…"
Rachel jumped slightly at the sound of a throat being cleared. Her eyes grew wide as she looked in the direction of the sound full prepared to give some speech about wandering into the wrong room until she saw Finn sitting in the back corner out of the view to anyone who was to just glance in the room. "Finn? I… What are you doing in here?" She paused looking for words as her mind raced, her hand reaching for the door knob ready to slip out of the room as quickly as she slipped in.
"By the looks of it, the same thing you're trying to do... Hiding. " He said gruffly before kicking out the chair across from him. "There's too many people out there, I'm tired out shaking hands and awkward introductions. Drink?" He asked as he held up a bottle of champagne at her.
"Oh you're my hero right now," Rachel laughed as she slumped into the chair and looked around for a glass. "It's insanity out there."
"No glasses. Bottle or bust." Finn laughed slightly and shot her a bit of a grin before he shook his head and shrugged, "I'd expect no less than insanity from Kurt, some people never change."
"True," she responded as took a long drink from the bottle and placed it back in between them, an awkward silence falling over the room. They had barely exchanged any words the day before and now they were sitting together just the two of them and bottle of champagne. Rachel didn't even know where to start a conversation. How do you catch up with someone you haven't seen in ten years? Someone you'd been madly in love with at one point in your life. Someone who still looked exactly the same except the innocence in his eyes had been replaced by something Rachel couldn't exactly figure out.
"I hate weddings," he said finally breaking the awkward silence between them before he reached for the bottle, taking a long sip before he pushed it back in Rachel's direction.
Rachel furrowed her brow and tilted her head in a questioning manner before she sighed and relaxed back into her chair, "Well I guess after you've gotten your own out of the way they kind of lose their appeal… You're wife's pretty… Alison… I think that's what Kurt called her yesterday."
Finn blew a scoff out through his nose and shook his head reaching the bottle and slugging more down before answering her, "Alison's not my wife. And I'm not married anymore. Guess you missed that memo it's about five years old." His voice bitter as he raised his hand and pointed to his empty ring finger trying to make a question out of the touchy subject.
"Oh," Rachel responded softly and shrugged. "I didn't know. After Kurt came home from your wedding I just… Well I stopped asking about you. It hurt too much. I know it had been years since we'd broken up and we didn't even date for that long but… You were my first love and," she reached took the champagne and drank several small sips before she pulled the bottle away and looked at it for a moment before she looked back at him biting her lip. "A part of me was always holding onto hope that one day you would show up in New York and sweep me off my feet the way you'd done during junior year. We'd forget the past, make a future and have this wonderful love story. Then I found out you were getting married and well…" She held up the champagne bottle to him before bringing it to her lips and finishing off what was left of the bitter drink that had long grown warm.
Finn felt his eyes narrow as she watched Rachel drink, her words rolling around in his head and causing the bitterness inside him to begin to bubble."Yea real life's not some fucking love story. In real life every time you think you've met the girl of your dreams something bad happens. In real life every girl you've ever been in love with leaves you. In real life you don't get the girl. In real life you think you've gotten the girl and you're crazy about and you're in love and you think you're finally over all the other girls who screwed you over and you're over that one girl who just left. Who just left and left your heart broken and didn't even think to ask if you were planning to go with her. She just left. But eventually you get over that and then you find THE girl and she's the one. And she gets pregnant, and you're thrilled and you rush to get married as soon as you can because this time you're capable of taking care of a family and this time you think you might be able to figure this whole thing out so you're happy. Then she loses the baby, you get divorced and a year later she marries your best friend. And you feel like life's just kicked you in the teeth one more time. Like fate is just giving you the middle finger. Real life's not some fucking fairytale love story Rachel. I took my head out of those clouds about five years ago."
Rachel swallowed hard and pursed her lips together, "I didn't know about that." She paused to study his face again wanting nothing more than to reach forward and hug him for comfort but letting the decade of distance between them keep her instincts at bay.
"Well like we've already established it's been ten years I wouldn't expect you to know any of it." Finn said with a bitter sigh and looked at the empty bottle between them. "You drank all my champagne. I guess that means we have to go join the madhouse now."
Rachel pressed a smile at him as she shook her head, "I have an idea. Don't move." She pointed before standing up and gracefully exiting the room.
Finn wasn't sure what Rachel was up to but if it meant he got to stay hidden away from all of the people in the next room over, then he was willing to go along with just about any idea Rachel had.
Rachel ducked into the hallway and looked from side to side to check if anyone was lingering around before she quickly moved down the hall towards the kitchen. Moments later she returned to the conference room she and Finn had been hiding it and proudly held up two bottles of champagne.
"Oh my god Finn Hudson? I haven't seen you in what ten years? How have you been?" She broadly grinned as she moved back to her seat across from him.
Finn shook his head lightly and watched in awe as she uncorked the first bottle. A feeling of warmth he was certain had nothing to do with the alcohol washed over him. As he felt his lips curl into a smile, Rachel Berry always had been full of surprises.
"Look you're smiling. Good. Now seriously all that bad stuff is out of the way, tell me how you've been. Where are you living now? Back in Lima? Because I've been home quite a few times and I haven't seen you around."
"Cincinnati. I co-own a sporting goods store. FS Sports and Equipment. The first year we were open we sponsored a little league team and one of the assistant coaches for the Reds son was on the team. Now we deal equipment to the Reds and the Bengals. It's nothing exciting but we do alright. I bought a house four years ago. Puck actually helped me fix it up."
"Puck? He's not dead or in jail by now?"
"Nope. Our first summer out of college he took his bar mitzvah money and put a down payment on this old shell of house in downtown Lima, spent the summer fixing it up, then sold it. Realized he could make money doing that, after a few houses he realized he could buy a couple of house rent them out and never have to work. He travels a lot considers himself retired. Every so often he blows into Cincinnati and sleeps on my couch. Because despite owning homes, he's actually homeless. After my divorce he stayed with me for a while. Made sure I didn't drink myself to death…"
Rachel cleared her throat and reached over for the champagne bottle her hand colliding with Finn's as she did. "Sorry," she said softly pulling away and tilting her head toward. "And that's all fine and dandy about Puck but I didn't ask what he was up to, I asked about you."
"I was getting there," he smiled and shrugged slightly before he took a swig from the bottle and placed it back on the table. "Anyway he's the one who convince me to buy my house. It was this old beater of a place near Hyde Park. It's not much, two bedrooms, one bath. The kitchen's tiny and I barely have a backyard. It's still not much to look at but it was a whole lot worse when I bought it." He drew in a breath and cracked a half smile at her as he shrugged. "It's nothing special but it's mine. And it's something no one can take away from me. Well except the bank if I don't pay the mortgage but..."
Rachel watched as Finn went on a ramble about his house. He wasn't making a big deal of it but she could hear the pride in his voice, it reminded her of the way he used to talk about Glee. Even though he was talking about his house and his adult life for a moment they were both sixteen again, and it was all Rachel could do to stop the feelings of sixteen year old self from pushing forward. "It sounds like a great place Finn; I'll have to come see it one day." She stopped and her face dropped slightly as she realized the implications in her word. "I mean if you..."
"You should totally come see it one day if you're ever in Ohio. Well I mean in Cincinnati since apparently you still go back to Ohio." Finn grinned then titled his head forward. "What about you? How's Broadway?"
"How do you know I'm on Broadway?" She quipped raising her eyebrows at him.
"Because if there's one thing about you I never doubted it's that you were going to be some huge Broadway star." Finn wiggled his head as he took down the remainder of their second bottle of champagne and began to uncork the other one she's snuck into the room.
Rachel bit her lips at him and toyed with the table cloth for a moment, "Well you were right to have never doubted my talent. The first few years in New York were a struggle. I even had to get a job to support myself and I don't know what I would have done without Kurt and Mercedes. But all the auditioning and pacing the pavement started paying off a few years ago. This year might even be my year to win a Tony." She held up crossed fingers and shook them in the air as she spoke. "Of course if those responsible had half a brain they would have noticed years ago that I am far superior to half of the people who've won the award before me."
Finn hung his head down and laugh, "You are still the same Rachel Berry I knew some things..." His words were cut off by Rachel's hand clasping over his mouth.
"Rachel! Rachel!" Mercedes voice echoed into the room from the hallway.
"Don't say a word." Rachel whispered as she stared down the door listening as the footsteps got close.
"Oh shit," Mercedes exclaimed as she pushed her way into the conference room and spotted Finn and Rachel frozen in place, Rachel's hand still over Finn's mouth. "I don't even want to know. It's picture time and Kurt is having a damn aneurysm because no one can find you. So just zip your clothes back up and get a move on."
"We've just been talking." Finn started to explain as they stood up.
"En-en, no explanations just move. Don't make me go all drill sergeant on your ass. I got abandoned with Bridezilla. Pictures both of you now!" Mercedes pointed to the hallway and the threesome began walking back towards the reception.
"Where the hell have you been?" Kurt called out as soon as Rachel was in his line of sight. "It doesn't matter now," he waved his hand in the air grabbed both the girls by the shoulder. "Just stand here and look like this is the happiest moment of your lives."
Finn smiled and watched for a moment as Kurt and the girls posed for a picture taking in the sight of Rachel in her bridesmaid dress and committing the image to memory like it was the last time he's ever see her. When he was sure he had a clear recollection he began to quietly walk towards the bar.
"Where do you think you're going?" Finn froze at Kurt's words and swiftly turned around.
"Um, the bar?"
"Oh no sir. You are needed for pictures. I need a family picture and while we're all standing here I want one of the four of this. A semi reunion of the McKinley High's New Directions." Kurt stamped his foot down and pointed to the spot next to him. "You. Here. Now. No arguing."
"Okay, okay," Finn held his hands up before tucking them in his pockets and moving to the spot next Mercedes.
"No, no, no, that's not going to work," Kurt fussed before grabbing Finn and moving him in between him and Rachel. "That's better, now look happy damn it!"
Finn laughed as he took his hands from his pockets, wondering for a moment where to put them before casually letting his arm drape over Rachel's shoulder. He felt Rachel tuck in against him as they waited for the flash to go off.
"Now that's over someone get me another glass of champagne stat!" Kurt yelled as he broke away from the group to hunt down a server with Finn following behind him on the same mission.
"Hey," Finn quickly turned around to see Rachel tugging on his shirt. "I know this is a long shot but would you dance with?"
"I'm still a terrible dancer," he told her as her hand slowly slipped into his.
"I was counting on that," Rachel laughed as both their eyes travelled down to their entwined hands.
"Well then I guess you're prepared. Hopefully your feet are too."
Sometimes years can feel like mere minutes and in that moment as they made their way to the dance floor the decade between Finn and Rachel turned into minutes. Her head rested softly against his chest. His hands awkwardly placed on her back as the music guided them into a state of peace. For that moment no one else in the world existed and anyone who looked at them could tell.
"What is that?" Alison tapped Kurt's shoulder as he sucked down his drink.
"What is what?"
"That!" She pointed to Finn and Rachel on the dance floor. "In all the years I've known Finn I've never seen him dance, not even once! So what is that?"
Kurt looked to the dance floor and studied the couple. Even if he wanted to go break them up he wasn't about to. It was the first time he'd seen Finn even close to happy in years. "That my dear Alison is history. And it looks to me like it's catching up with the present."