Before you say anything I'm already thoroughly aware of how badly I suck. Let me explain, I neglected to tell you all that I was moving because I did not think that it was relevant to my fanfiction writing pursuits, little did I know I would not have wifi for nearly the first two weeks of living in my new apartment, coupled with the fact that my work schedule has been pretty merciless lately, I hope you can understand why I haven't updated, I know it's not like me to leave you guys hanging, and hopefully this will truly be the last time I take this long to write a new chapter because not updating has been hell for me too.

He wonders to himself why she's so quiet now, it isn't like her to be this quiet, he may not know her well but he knows that being quiet is definitely not like her. He doesn't understand it, it was quite possibly the best date ever, around the time she began to sing Welcome To The Periodic Table in that adorable cartoon voice of hers and he found himself grinning uncontrollably that he decided it was definitely a date, because he just couldn't spend a day frolicking around New York city with a girl that amazing and not consider it a date. He wonders if she thinks it was a date too, he hopes she does, the way they walked arm in arm like a couple while she described the city to him in detail just felt a little too right, a little too easy, but maybe it was just him, maybe she got the wrong idea when he invited her along to dinner with Quinn as if he expected her to be joined to his hip from now on, no questions asked.

To tell the truth he wasn't sure what came over him, but less than 48 hours in the city and the thought of being apart from her seemed wrong somehow, maybe she was partially right about him wanting her there because she was simply a great pair of surrogate eyes, but thinking it over he knows there's more to it than that, he can't help but think he'd want her there blind or not, the fact is he just enjoys her company, and if she hadn't spent the last five minutes in total silence he would have thought she enjoyed his too, maybe he misconstrued the way she saw him, maybe she thought of him as just a charity case she could dote on, maybe that's why she ended up casually inviting the sound guy along for the dinner. She didn't have a thing for that guy, Puck he thinks he's called, did she? Just another thing to add to the long list of things that sucked about being blind, he had no way of knowing whether Puck was better looking than he was, although he definitely had the being able to see thing going for him, not that he's lost hope of getting his sight back, but at least for now he has to deal with with the fact that girls didn't exactly go crazy over the handicapped.

He knows that he's putting way too much thought into this, he can't help it, when she's not talking his mind can't help but go into hyperdrive, and he knows if he doesn't break the silence soon he'll over think things until there's no room left for thought, so he thinks of the most casual, neutral, non-threatening thing to say in this situation.

"So, that was fun," he finally offers, and he wishes he had some sort of visual cue to go by, but mercifully she speaks.

"It was fun," she agrees, a smile in her voice that he can tell isn't 100 percent genuine, he so wishes he knew what was on her mind, should he just ask? He wonders to himself, and he thinks it couldn't hurt.

"Penny for your thoughts," he says after a few silent moments. He can tell she's hesitating to speak and he wishes he knew why.

"This may sound like an odd question, but I'm curious," she starts tentatively. "What did you think of Quinn?" The truth is he hadn't thought about Quinn much beyond thinking she seemed nice, and that her vanilla perfume paled in comparison to Rachel's apple-scented shampoo.

"She seems okay, why do you ask?"

"Well, I don't know if you caught it but she seemed pretty into you."

He considers Rachel's words and wonders to himself whether it should matter if Quinn was into him or not, he doesn't know Quinn, she could be awesome for all he knows, but somehow it was hard to get his mind off of Rachel for long enough to even consider Quinn's possible awesomeness. Still, why would Rachel even bring up the possibility of another girl being into him unless Rachel herself absolutely wasn't into him. The thought makes his heart sink a little.

"Really?" he says faux nonchalantly. "That's kind of strange, I mean she just met me."

"It's not that strange," she replies. "I mean you clearly have some common interests, and you've had an interesting life and you know you... well you look the way that you look."

He thinks she means to say that he's handsome, and a smile reaches his lips at the comment, it was the second time she's complimented his looks and he has to admit it makes him feel good.

"Well, it's always nice to know that someone's into you, but I have to say she doesn't really seem like my type."

"Quinn Fabray is kind of everyone's type," she says with a bit of a dejected tone. "I mean I know it doesn't mean much to you now but..."

"But..." he says, urging her on if only to figure out if this conversation is going in a favorable direction.

"Quinn is a very beautiful woman Finn, probably the most beautiful woman I've ever seen up close, I don't know a single guy that doesn't fall completely in love with her at first sight."

And suddenly he gets it, she's not trying to see how he feels about Quinn because he wants to set them up. She's jealous, she's jealous of Quinn, he can hear it in her voice, and at the realization only one thought comes to mind.

This is fantastic.

He has to trust in Kurt's fashion sense, if he tried dressing himself for the night he'd probably end up going to dinner in mismatched shoes and his old Hall and Oates T-shirt with the hole in the armpit. Kurt keeps claiming to be too busy to tag all of his clothes for him, but Finn thinks that's just an excuse to be able to dress him whenever and however he wants. Giving Finn a makeover was always a dream of Kurt's, he just never thought that it would take him going blind to finally realize it.

"Don't stay out too late, you have an appointment with Dr. Sylvester in the morning," Kurt says as he adjusts the collar on the shirt he bought for him as a welcome to the city gift, charcoal grey button-down according to Kurt's description, and he has to admit that that didn't sound bad at all, and the material feels nice against his skin.

"Whatever you say mom," Finn scoffs as Kurt hands him his blazer.

"Har dee har har," Kurt replies drily.

"Everything's going to be fine Kurt, Rachel is coming with me remember?" Finn says reassuringly.

"I'm aware," Kurt says with a sly tone. "You two really seem to be getting along well."

"Well, you were right about me not putting my life on hold until I can see again, and Rachel's really nice, why shouldn't I hang out with her?"

"Exactly," Kurt agrees. "But be careful Finn, you're not the only one that's been hurt, she could use a friend but if you can't help going for more just know that she's more fragile than she seems."

"Wait a minute, is she getting over a bad breakup too?" he says, a bit more anxiously than intended.

"She doesn't like to talk about it but her heart's been a little bit broken in the past, and she may seem like a pistol but I know deep down she's still not completely over it, I think it has a lot to do with why she can be so insecure.

"I don't get it," Finn says, shaking his head in disbelief. "What kind of soulless bastard would break Rachel's heart? Would be like tearing the stuffing out of a Care Bear."

"Aww that's so sweet, you really do like her," Kurt says a bit teasingly. "Be careful with her feelings Finn, she has a lot of them."

"I'm just taking things slow right now," he says honestly. "To tell the truth I'm not even 100 percent sure how she feels about me, although..."

"Although what?"

"Well I can't be sure but she did seem a little jealous that another girl invited me out."

"Jealousy toward other girls is always a good sign, and if she were anyone else I'd say milk the hell out if it, but this is my best friend so please don't dick with her emotions and give her a reason to keep being jealous."

"Trust me Kurt," Finn replies with a soft smile. "Rachel has absolutely nothing to be jealous about."

According to Kurt's description Rachel is wearing blue tonight, a short, swishy dress that shows off her reportedly amazing legs, and he can tell that her hair is down when he uncertainly places a hand on her back, feeling her soft hair beneath his fingers, and she smells so good he can't stand it, and when they arrive at the restaurant together after walking and talking together in that easy way that made Finn want to never stop, he's almost disappointed when he's greeted by Quinn at the door, he had somehow managed to forget that it wouldn't be just him and Rachel tonight.

"Rachel, Finn, you guys look amazing," Quinn says, a weird sort of dejection in her voice. "let's sit."

"Is Noah here yet?" Rachel says a bit anxiously as she helps Finn into the booth, and with just that innocent question he's launched back into self doubt, maybe she really did have a thing for Puck after all, maybe she was jealous of Quinn, but not for the reason he thought, she did say that men tended to fall in love with Quinn at first sight, maybe Puck was no exception, he shakes the thought off, just because she was curious about where her coworker was didn't mean she liked him that way.

"Restroom," Quinn replies a bit icily "I'm personally surprised he showed up, I think I made it pretty clear that this wasn't initially meant to be a group thing."

"By the way, I'm sorry for inviting him without asking you first, it just sort of slipped out," Rachel says.

"No worries, I wouldn't want you to feel like a third wheel." Rachel is simply silent at the comment. Finn wishes he knew what to say as well, if anything Quinn was a third wheel, but he didn't feel right saying that, he clearly didn't share Quinn's deliberate bluntness.

"Hey guys, you made it," the low voice of Puck proclaims as he takes a seat in the booth. "Finn, nice to see you again." He can't help but notice a bit of hostility in Puck's voice as he addresses him, and he thinks he may be onto something in thinking Puck has his eyes on Quinn.

"Nice to see you too," Finn replies.

"So, Finn," Quinn says, a bit of flirtatiousness in her tone as she thoroughly ignores Puck's return to the booth. "Tell me more about England."

"Well, I went when I was nineteen, it was this study abroad program at Pace."

"Pace university, that's impressive, when did you graduate?"

"I didn't actually," Finn says sheepishly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she replies.

"It's okay, I barely got in, my grades in high school weren't exactly the best, the only reason they let me go was because of my essay and a killer audition tape from Midsummer."

"Why didn't you finish? if you don't mind my asking," Quinn responds, with more of an accusatory tone than Rachel had upon asking the same question.

"Well, that would have required me coming back to America," Finn said. "But by the time the study abroad program was over I just couldn't leave."

"Why not?"

"It's actually a really sweet story," Rachel chimes in. "Except of course for how it ended."

"It's true," Finn continues. "I fell in love, she was this beautiful dancer from Spain, and she was so confident and smart and funny, and by our third date I knew that I had to stay. And I told her, "Santana, if I go back to America that means never seeing you again, and I'm just not okay with that' and she kissed me, and told me that she loved me, and I moved in with her the next day and transferred to Old Vic the next semester."

"You're a true romantic," Rachel says sweetly. "I'm just sorry that she broke your heart Finn."

"Well I 'd be lying if I said I shouldn't have seen it coming," Finn admits. "After awhile it felt like Santana was more like a really awesome guy friend, she always had my back when she wasn't busting my balls, we liked the same movies, and unfortunately for me we had the same taste in women."

"Dude, not to cheapen your pain or anything, but that is pretty freaking hot," Puck says, thawing a bit.

"Must you be such a pig?" Quinn scoffs.

"Well, he's sort of right," Finn says, shrugging. "I mean it was devastating and everything but I'm still a guy."

"Finn you are far from just a guy," Rachel says.

"Thanks Rach," Finn says warmly. "I'm sure the same can't be said for whoever you..." and he trails off, he wasn't supposed to know about Rachel's past heartbreak, and he certainly wasn't supposed to bring it up in front of her friends. He can feel his face growing red and he hopes someone changes the subject.

"Whoever what Finn?" Rachel says, not angrily.

"Nothing, I didn't mean anything," Finn says as convincingly as he can manage, and he can't see her face but he can imagine there's a look of embarrassment on it."

"Did Kurt tell you about Jesse?" she continues, defeatedly.

"I didn't, I mean..."Finn tries to think of something to say to get off the subject, because the last thing he wanted to do was embarrass her.

"It's okay Finn, we already know," Quinn says.

"Could we maybe not talk about it?" Rachel says and there's something a bit frantic in her voice. "I'm sorry it's just, it was a long time ago and I like to keep it in the past. "

"I'm sorry Rachel I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay Finn," Rachel says, and the warmth in her voice relaxes him, she's not angry.

The rest of the evening went by nicely, at least for Finn and Rachel, who spent most of the night chatting away like they we're the only two people in the room while Puck and Quinn quietly tolerated each other, they didn't mean for the double date to end up being so one sided, he really did plan on discussing Quinn's class, but somehow him talking about starting and ending with a Q and A session turned into a very long conversation with Rachel about how much the world needs a musical based on Braveheart and how she could write the lyrics and he could handle the music and they could play the male and female leads and you think I could pull off a kilt?" and your Scottish accent is very convincing."and now as they walked hand in hand back to Kurt's because their hands just happened to brush on the way out of the building and Finn knew an opportunity when he saw one, he's a bit surprised by what she has to say next.

"I'm over him you know," she says out of nowhere, making him pause a bit as they walk. " Jesse, I didn't want you to think that the reason I didn't want to talk about it is because I'm not over him"

"That's not what I was thinking."

"What were you thinking?"

"That you are over him but you may not be entirely over what he did to you."

"How much did Kurt tell you?" she responds after a bit of a pause, not denying Finn's words.

"That he broke your heart," Finn says carefully. "Is that true?"

"I really loved him," she admits. " He just didn't love me back, not enough anyway, not enough to get over the fact that I couldn't be what he wanted."

"And what's that?"

"What all guys can't admit that they want, someone perfect," she says simply. "Someone like Quinn."

"Rach, I'm sure Quinn is everything you say she is, but you're totally right..." he starts, and as he speaks he stops walking, getting her to face him even as he can't look her right in the eye. "it doesn't mean anything to me."

"Because you can't see her?" She deduces.

"No," he replies, and he wonders if too soon to confess how deeply in like with her he's fallen in such a short time, especially considering the circumstances, but he hears the sadness in her voice and he has to take a chance. "It doesn't mean anything to me because I think I sort of have a thing for someone else."

He waits anxiously for her response, she knows what he means by that right?

"Finn can I ask you something?" she says after a few silent, torturous moments. "What if I wasn't what you pictured? What if I wasn't beautiful? Hypothetically I mean."

"Kurt told me," he starts.

"What did he tell you?" she says, and he can't be completely sure but he thinks her voice has risen in panic a bit, and he silently wonders why.

"He told me that the only person who doesn't see how beautiful you are is you," he continues. "And I may not be able to see your face just yet, but somehow I know, he's right Rachel."

He wonders what she's thinking, once again lamenting the fact that he can't read her face, hoping that he brought her some comfort with his words.

"Finn," she finally says. "I'm going to kiss you now."

"Okay," he chokes out nervously, he told Kurt he would take things slow, but if the lady wanted a kiss who was he to protest? And as she places her small hands on his shoulders and presses her criminally soft lips against his, he's seriously happy that he didn't protest, and he wraps his arms around her waist, clutching his cane with one hand and grabbing ahold of her jacket with the other, pulling her closer as they kiss on the busy sidewalk, and he doesn't think any girl has ever kissed him like this before, so gently and sweetly yet with an underlying passion he can feel throughout his entire body, and he thinks he can safely deduce that she's not interested in Puck. Nobody who kisses like this could possibly have her mind on someone else. He may not have been able to see, but feeling her kiss him like that almost made all of his other senses seem unnecessary, maybe being blind didn't have to totally suck after all.

And here I go again making Jesse the bad guy, I hate to do it especially after his last appearance, but it's AU so I don't feel too badly about it. There's a reason Quinn was so drawn to Finn so quickly, and I'm not sure whether that reason will make her more or less likable, but I'm aiming for more, also So We meet Again should be updated no later than Thursday. anywhoo, as always, stay tuned folks!