Well hello, there! Yes, I am alive and I've brought a brand new chapter for you all. I hope the fact it's twice as longer as usual compensates the delay on the update. Thanks to Pam for her awesome beta reading and to Rainy for her unconditional support :) This one's for you, girl. I hope it goes well with your morning coffee.
Disclaimer: All I have is a huge list of finals, and Glee is not one of them (how easy would that be? :D )
Chapter 17: You got me
Finn didn't tell anyone the time he was going to arrive. He was sort of being vague on purpose, expecting he could surprise Rachel since he knew she would be alone by the time he got there. Kurt had left him a key hidden in the hallway leading to their apartment, and he knew that both he and Santana had to leave early, unlike Rachel. He was expecting to find her sleeping, which was a long shot, to be honest, because, well, she's Rachel Berry. It also took a lot of effort to convince her that she did not need to pick him up at the train station, but the 'you know how bad trains are with schedules' and 'I don't want you to be waiting at the station for a train that might arrive hours later than it should' excuses had seemed to work.
He grabbed the key from under the 'welcome' mat and slowly opened the front door. Everything was quiet, which was a good sign. Rachel was likely to sing at every moment, so this could mean she was still sleeping.
He made his way to her room and peeked in, effectively finding her sprawled on her bed, her legs tangled in the blanket and her hair all over her pillow. Suddenly his heart started racing in his chest – he was with her, finally! He slowly walked to her bed and climbed onto it as quietly as possible. He leaned in to leave a soft kiss on her forehead. Her nose, her cheek, her lips. One, two, three soft kisses on her lips. He saw her lashes flutter slowly, and then her eyes went from squinty to almost comically big, as she caught onto what was going on. He feared for his life for a second, though. This was the girl who carried a rape whistle in Lima, Ohio, after all. He froze in place, hoping she realized it was him before she felt like defending herself, especially since one of her knees was dangerously close to his… business.
But then he saw her mouth curve into the biggest smile, one that he did not get to see in pictures or skype conversations. She locked her arms around him and hugged him – tighter than you would expect from such a tiny person. His face was buried in her neck, her smell intoxicating, as she kissed his temple and sighed contentedly.
They stayed in the same position for a while, their embrace speaking louder than any words could. Long distance relationships made you get tired of words, he realized.
He pulled away just enough to look her in the eye, their noses touching.
"Good morning." He whispered.
"Best morning." She replied, her big grin still intact.
He leaned in to kiss her, but his lips found the pad of her index finger instead. He opened his eyes, confused, in time to see her getting up from the bed.
"I'll just take a quick shower." She said, getting up.
"What?" he asked, his voice a couple of octaves higher than normal. Because really, what the hell was she talking about? Maybe he should have let her sleep a little longer?
"I will just take a quick shower." She repeated slowly, as if he hadn't heard her correctly.
Oh!
His face lit up – he didn't mind a shower either, now that he thought about it. She caught on immediately, shutting down his forming plan as she added, "On my own. I'll be right back with you."
He groaned. "C'mon, Rach!" He complained as he got up from bed.
"But Finn, I'm all gross-"
She trailed off as he stood in front of her, his arm supported by the wall behind her, caging her in place. He leaned down to her level, his lips only a couple of inches from hers, as he spoke lowly.
"Rachel Berry. I haven't seen you in weeks. I don't want you to be away from my sight for longer than it takes me to blink. I'm the one who's spent like ten hours on a train. Would you want me to take a shower on my own right now?" He asked, flashing her a charming, lopsided smile, while looking into her eyes in that way, the way that made her forget even her own name.
"Um, not… not really." She breathed.
"Okay, good, then." He leaned down and kissed her slowly, but she pulled away just when he was about to deepen the kiss.
"Alright, but let me just brush my teeth." She said, bending down a little bit to go under his arm, scurrying to the bathroom before he could stop her.
Damn her tiny size.
And she totally didn't "just brush her teeth". He guessed she (at least) washed her face and brushed her hair, too. He knew not even Rachel could take so long just to brush her teeth, no matter how insistent she was about her buccal health (see how insistent she is? He uses the word "buccal" now).
He waited right outside the bathroom, catching her by the waist as soon as she opened the door. They resumed their prior positions against the wall, except this time his lips crushed hers before she could come up with some other crazy idea. His hands left the wall and found a place between her soft camisole and the skin of her waist. He could feel her relax slowly, a soft whimper escaping her lips as his hands travelled down to her bottom. Her hands held onto his shoulders, her legs failing to support her properly after Finn's caresses. "Hold on," he said, as if reading her mind. He hoisted her up against his body and the wall, her legs wrapping around his hips.
He kissed her lips, her cheeks, her jaw and her neck, before moving down to her shoulder, her collarbone and – thank God it was a buttoned down camisole (that may have lost a couple of buttons by now) – her chest. She moaned in pleasure and he wished he could wake her up like this every morning.
"Soon," a tiny voice in his head told him, although that could wait. He had way more important business to attend to, like the gorgeous brunette moaning his name.
Another voice in his head made him pull away a little, which made him hate his own thoughts. He was contemplating reproducing them out loud, but he got distracted by the rising and falling of her agitated chest, and for a second he thought about ignoring them. He then realized he could get cockblocked by his own bad luck for the rest of the weekend, though, so he cleared his foggy mind just long enough to ask "How long do we have on our own?"
"Huh? What?" She asked, her voice a little hoarse, and he couldn't help the smile that his lips formed, because apparently he was not the only one with a foggy mind, and itwas him making her feel that way. It was like old times but, like, 2.0 because now they had their shit figured out and still had the future ahead of them. It didn't seem so scary anymore.
…She still looked confused, though.
Oh, right.
"Until the guys are back, Rach. How long do we have?" He kissed her collarbone again.
"Um… until… today? Friday. Ten, probably. To be completely sure." She mumbled.
"Okay, good." Finn replied, and she felt his smile on her skin. He held her tighter, pulling away from the wall he was holding her against and taking her to her bed. He laid her there softly, taking a moment for his eyes to soak in the view before him. Her soft dark waves were everywhere, her bangs messy and her lips slightly swollen. The morning light hit her tan skin just right and God, she was beautiful. He could see a soft pink coloration spreading on her cheeks and her neck and he knew if he stared for longer she'd start covering herself and he really didn't want that. So he joined her in bed and left a kiss on her rosy cheek.
"Why did you get all blushy?" He asked. But he knew the answer. It was like one of those questions that you asked but you didn't really need the answer; he knew she had told him what they were called before but, again, he had much more important business to attend to right now.
"Because you're staring," she whispers.
"Because you're beautiful", he says, pulling away to look her in the eye.
She smiled honestly, her eyes soft, and placed her hands on both of his cheeks, pulling him down, their noses touching. She replied with a "You're pretty handsome yourself" before she kissed him. The kiss quickly escalated, their hands rediscovering each other's bodies. Finn's arm suddenly got tired of supporting the weight of his own body, so he grabbed Rachel by her waist and rolled them over, a small yelp escaping her mouth as she ended up on top of Finn.
"That's better. Now I can't crush you." He smiled, making her giggle.
"Alright then." Rachel replied. She placed her legs at each side of his body, her torso lying on his, and resumed their kissing. "I feel like this is not very fair, though," she stopped, sitting down and moving her hands to the hem of his t-shirt, lifting it slowly as she caressed his sides. Except Finn didn't move one inch. "Honey, I could use a hand here, you know".
"Where, baby?" He asked cheekily.
"Don't be silly!" she smacked him softly where her hand was. "C'mon, sit down."
"But I'm enjoying the view!" Finn replied in a childish tone, making Rachel giggle. "Alright, alright." He said, finally sitting down and kissing her lips quickly before he took his t-shirt off. He lay down again, grabbing Rachel's waist and taking her with him, a small groan escaping his lips at the skin-to-skin contact.
She made a trail of kisses down his torso, ending up at the waist of his jeans. She undid the button and zipper easily, and moved aside to take them off, along with his boxers. He gasped as she took him in her hand, stroking a couple of times before pulling her hair in a ponytail – and where did that hairband come from? Doesn't matter. Holy crap, he never thought seeing her doing her hair could be so hot.
She leaned down and took him in her mouth, moving slowly, her lips going up and down his length, as his hands fisted the sheets around him. His moans fueled her actions, making her go faster. It took all of his willpower to make her stop in time.
"Baby." He said, a hand on her shoulder and his breathing heavy. She looked at him with what he thought was concern in her eyes. "I swear I love what you're doing, Rach, but I wouldn't like this to end before it starts." He smiled sheepishly, and she mirrored him.
He sat on the bed, kissing her as he helped her get off her pajama shorts and underwear. Once they got rid of the garments, Rachel kneeled in front of a sitting Finn, her legs at each of his sides. They resumed their kissing, their hands pulling them closer together. Finn's hands ended up on her hips, and Rachel muffled a moan against his shoulder as he sunk into her. She moved slowly at first, until they both adjusted and found a pace. Their bodies followed their own rhythm, fueled by their passion and the feel of each other. It wasn't long before Finn felt he couldn't take it anymore. He touched her the way he knew made her come undone, and he followed right after, holding her body tightly.
They laid on her bed in silence, simply enjoying each other's company, Finn's hand caressing Rachel's hair, as her fingers danced on his chest softly.
"Welcome to New York." She said, kissing his shoulder.
"A very good welcome, actually." He joked.
"I'm glad you liked it." She replied, showing him a big smile as she rested her chin on his chest.
"I missed you." He told her, playing with the wavy ends of her hair.
"I missed you, too. A lot." She replied, and something that seemed to be sadness crossed her features.
Maybe that was why they hadn't tried long distance, Finn thought. Maybe they just knew they would miss each other too much. But even though it got tough sometimes, at this very moment he felt like the happiest man on Earth. Yes, they made the right choice. He wouldn't change this for the world. Or maybe for a permanent stay in her arms, instead of just a couple of days.
"Soon enough" the little voice spoke again.
Exactly, he thought. Soon enough.
"But hey!" He said, trying to break the charged silence. "We have a whole weekend for us. Not even Santana or Kurt could ruin my mood right now." He grinned at her.
"You're right." Rachel replied, returning the grin and hugging him tightly. She sighed then, returning to reality after the mention of her roommates. "Speaking of Kurt and Santana… what time is it?"
"Let me see… nine forty." He answered, checking his phone.
"Would you like to have breakfast?" She asked brightly. "I baked cookies!"
"She baked cookies!" Santana exclaimed, annoyed, incorporating new evidence to her never-ending debate of Finn and Rachel dating. She and Kurt were getting back from work together; they were only a few blocks away from the apartment now, to see what they needed for lunch, since Rachel didn't seem to be able to pick up her phone. "I never got cookies when I arrived, Nancy! And now she's not even picking up the phone? They're fucking, I can smell it. Remind me not to borrow sheets from Berry ever again."
"First of all, we didn't even make you a bed when you got here, because no one invited you. Second of all, in the hypothetical case that they are dating, you're assuming they would only use Rachel's bed. I wouldn't be so hopeful, and I'm speaking from experience here." Kurt countered, Santana huffing in response.
"We have to hurry up and get there if we want to catch them."
"We don't even know whether Finn is here already."
"Yes, we do, because Berry always picks up the phone. She's ranted about me not answering her like a bazillion times. The only reason she would not answer is because she's fooling around with someone."
"You are crazy, you know that?"
"You still love me."
"Definitely crazy." Kurt mumbled as he tried to follow Santana's quick steps.
As they arrived to the apartment, Santana tried to pull the door open, only to realize it was locked from the inside.
"The hell? We never lock the door!"
"Oh no." Kurt said to himself, dragging his hand over his face.
Santana took a few more seconds to arrive to the same conclusion Kurt had, but once she did, she started banging on the front door with her fist.
"BERRY! OPEN THE DAMN DOOR! I BETTER NOT FIND YOUR BARE ASSES ON SHARED FURNITURE OR I'LL GO ALL LIMA HEIGHTS ON BOTH OF YOU!"
"Santana! Stop before someone calls the police or something!"
"Shut up, Hummel!" Santana replied, annoyed. Then she turned around to pound on the door again, only to find nothing in its place, stumbling into the apartment abruptly.
"Whoa, Santana! You okay?" Finn asked, trying to help his friend recover her balance.
"I'm fine." She said nonchalantly, shaking him off and straightening her clothes as if nothing had happened. "What the hell were you two doing, though?"
"Um… having breakfast?" Rachel asked innocently as she came into the living room, showing the cup of coffee in her hand to make her point.
Santana narrowed her eyes at her friends but said nothing. Instead, she walked past them towards the kitchen. "Good. I'm hungry".
"Oh, I'm good too, thanks Tanna. Yeah, I've missed you, guys. The trip was good, thanks." Finn joked.
"Whatever, Frankenteen." Santana dismissed him through a mouthful of Rachel's sugar cookies.
Finn only chuckled in response, already used to Santana's "friendly" manners. He turned to Kurt, who gave him a quick welcome hug, although he too went to the kitchen for something to eat, Finn following him.
"Why was the door locked, though, Rachel? We never lock the door." Kurt asked with fake curiosity. He knew he had probably lost the bet to Santana, so he might as well have some fun while he found out.
Finn could see the slight panic in Rachel's eyes, so he interceded. "Oh, that was me, sorry. I got in with the key you left and then closed from the inside again. From habit, I guess."
"But you never lock the door at home either." Kurt replied, arching an eyebrow at his brother suspiciously.
"I do at my dorm room, Kurt. Drop it." Finn mumbled lowly. As if on cue, Rachel grabbed the plate on the table, asking "Who wants more cookies?" in an overly cheery tone, earning smirks from both Kurt and Santana.
This was going to be harder than they expected.
The four friends spent the rest of the morning catching up, until they decided to get something for lunch.
"Should we order something?" Santana suggested.
"Chinese?" Kurt agreed.
"How long has it been since you guys last cooked?" Finn laughed.
"Oh, come on, last time I checked all you could cook was grilled cheese. With an iron." Kurt commented.
"You should check again, then." Finn said, and Kurt arched an eyebrow at him disbelievingly. "S'all about survival, dude." He shrugged, replying to his brother's implicit question.
"I cook, too!" Rachel added.
"You only put together those disgusting green things that you probably eat on the subway on your way to work." Santana countered, disapprovingly.
"Yeah, I don't know how you can live only on salad." Kurt added.
Finn looked at her questioningly, although Rachel wouldn't meet his eyes, dismissing Kurt nonchalantly instead, as she got up to clear the table. He would have to ask later. For now, he would just make sure all of their friends ate something that didn't come out of a box.
"Um… what if I cook something for you guys?" Finn asked.
"Oh you don't have to…" Kurt started, only to get interrupted by Santana smacking his shoulder in protest.
"Shut up, Hummel! He's staying here for free, the least he can do is cook something."
"So you should be cooking for us too, Tanna?" Rachel asked jokingly.
"Nope, I paid my dues already-"
"Figuratively speaking, of course." Kurt interrupted.
"Whatever. I did. So I don't need to cook. Frankenteen does." Santana countered, narrowing her eyes at Kurt.
"Alright then." Finn said, still amused by their friends' passive-aggressive interactions. "Let's go get some stuff from the grocery store."
"But there's some-" Rachel tried, before Santana interrupted her.
"We need something that's not green, Berry."
"Sorry Rach, but I agree." Finn laughed at Rachel's pout.
They were at the grocery store's line for the check out when Finn realized they had forgotten one item from their list. "Damn, I forgot to get the pepper."
"Oh, I'll get it, don't worry." Rachel said before she ran to the spices aisle.
She came back a minute later, with no pepper and a very annoyed expression on her face. Finn thought she looked adorable.
"What happened? It was on the top shelf?" Santana asked, sarcastically.
"Very funny. Yes, it was, Santana." Rachel answered, annoyed.
"Um… okay, c'mon," Finn said, before Santana could piss Rachel off even more. "Let's get that evil pepper down from the top shelf, Rach." He offered, chuckling (only slightly, since he appreciated all of his body parts).
He put his arm around her shoulders as she guided him back to the spices aisle, Santana and Kurt observing them.
"I can't believe you still deny it, Petunia. They're eye-fucking so hard right now the security guard would arrest them if he saw them." Santana said.
"I'm not sure security guards can do that…" Kurt argued.
"Would you focus? You should be paying by now."
"Not until I hear them admit it, Satan."
"It's gonna be a fun weekend." Santana smirked as she saw Finn and Rachel walking back together. She had apparently forgotten she had ever been pissed, and Santana would swear her hair was just a little bit messier than it had been a few minutes ago.
The four friends walked back to the apartment. Rachel held Kurt's arm, both engrossed in their own conversation, as Finn and Santana walked a few steps behind them.
"Would you stop, Lurch?" Santana said, seemingly annoyed.
"Huh?" Finn asked, confused.
"Don't play fool. I know she has that cute little skirt and although it's hard for me to admit it, I know she has that cute little ass too, but it wouldn't hurt my eyes so much if you were more discreet with your staring."
"I don't know what you're talking about, Santana." Finn denied.
"Yeah, right, tell that to your red face, cowboy." She said, patting his shoulder. "Oh and also, I made her buy that cute little skirt. You can thank me later."
Finn sighed but didn't comment. He knew there was no point in trying to argue with Santana. But, he would try to be more careful from now on.
Fortunately for them, Rachel was a good actress (and had probably seen things like this coming), because when Santana asked over lunch "What happened to that together-when-in-the-same-city arrangement of yours, guys?", Finn almost choked on his food. Especially when his brother added "More like sleeping-together-on-every-piece-of-shared-furniture-when-in-the-same-city' arrangement."
"We just decided that this time it would not work when we have to share a small apartment with no walls with two other people." Rachel answered seriously.
"So you're saying you're not fucking? Not even when the both of us are gone?" Santana asked disbelievingly, gesturing between herself and Kurt.
"Santana!" Rachel squeaked, horrified.
"Geez, Tanna, we're eating!" Kurt added, with a grossed out expression.
"Is this what the whole weekend is gonna be like?" Finn asked, slightly amused, he had to admit.
"Well, it depends on how long you guys can keep your hands off of each other." Santana smirked.
"It's not happening, Santana." Rachel huffed.
"It's funny," Finn added. "Because if you did find us together, you would probably make a huge scandal like you did just a couple of hours ago when you found the door was locked".
Santana rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, but could not argue with Finn's logic.
Rachel cleaned the table after lunch while Santana and Kurt got ready for work in their own rooms. Finn had just taken a quick shower and was now getting some of his stuff settled.
"Someone's gonna have to sleep on the couch tonight." Santana said lowly, knowing Kurt would listen through their curtain/wall.
"I know… and I'm the small guy, so I'm guessing that's likely to be me." Kurt sighed.
"Unless…" the Latina added.
"Oh no, here we go again."
"Do you want your bed or not?"
"At what cost?"
"What time do you leave work today?"
"Three thirty. I just have to get some stuff ready so Monday isn't a nightmare after the weekend."
"Well I've been working some extra hours so I could totally leave at that same time."
"What are you planning, Satan?"
"We could tell them we arrive, say, an hour later than we actually will?"
"My eyes are going to be damaged, aren't they?"
"Well you gotta choose, Porcelain. It's either your eyes or your bed. I ain't sleeping on the damn couch. If we catch them, they're surely gonna share Berry's bed."
Kurt only sighed.
"I've noticed you've given up already. You wanna pay me, Nancy?"
"Well, I can't say I'm still as convinced as I was when we first placed the bet, but I still want proof, Satan."
"And proof you'll have! Just pick me up after work. Don't get in here without me."
"Oh well, I guess I have no option."
By the time they were both ready to leave, Rachel was doing the dishes, Finn helping her by drying them with a cloth and putting them in the cupboards. Kurt and Santana said their goodbyes, making sure to announce what time they were going to get back. The second after the door slid closed behind them, Finn threw the cloth away, hugging Rachel by the waist quickly, hearing a small yelp in response.
"Leave those bad, ugly dishes for later, baby." He whispered in her ear, making her laugh.
"What kind of pick-up line is that?"
"My line. And I don't need pick-up lines 'cause I have you already." He winked. "C'moooon, babe, I will finish up the dishes later, I promise."
"I'm done anyway, don't worry." She said as she turned around to face him. "But now that you've showered, let me take a quick shower too."
"But Raaaaaaach." Finn whined, almost like a kid.
"You're a big kid sometimes, you know? We have plenty of time until the guys come back anyway." She winked.
"Do you need help?" He asked cheekily.
"No thanks, I'm a big girl." Rachel replied, laughing at his defeated expression. "You can watch TV or something in the meantime." she said as she kissed him on the cheek. "It'll be quick."
It was definitely not quick.
He understood that girls had a lot of stuff to do in the shower – Rachel had gone through that lesson more than once with him – but he just wanted her to hurry up so he could hold her and kiss her and…
The bathroom door opening got him out of his reverie, and he saw a bathrobe-clad Rachel getting out. He immediately stood up from the couch he had been sitting on and rushed to her side, hoisting her up by the waist and taking her back to the couch with him.
"Finn! Let me get dressed at least!"She protested in his arms.
"No need for that, Rach, it's a waste of time. Clothes were not gonna last long on you anyway." He smirked.
Rachel gasped dramatically but still sat on his lap, straddling him, her robe letting him see the soft skin of her legs, teasing him. She kissed him softly, her hands tangling in his hair, as Finn's hands caressed her thighs up and down under the towel fabric.
They took their time with each other, the urge of their first encounter now quenched. Her hands travelled down his chest, landing on his stomach, as Finn's ended up on her backside, under the elastic of her underwear (which he was slightly disappointed to find there, by the way).
Their breaths were growing labored as their hands and lips explored each other's skin. Finn turned his body so he could help Rachel lie on the small couch, undoing the knot on her waist afterwards. He leaned down, careful not to put his weight on her, and kissed her passionately, one hand fondling her breast over the fabric of her bra. He kissed her collarbone, her chest and her sternum. His lips reached her stomach, then her hipbones and down her legs, as she helped him slowly remove her underwear. He went back to her mouth for a moment, leaving a scorching kiss, before nipping her bottom lip. He caressed his way down her body again, his mouth teasing her lower stomach and eliciting small whimpers from her. She quickly lifted her hips to meet his mouth, to which he responded with a strong hand pushing her down against the couch again, making her groan in frustration – and somehow, frustrated Rachel was hot as hell.
Finn nipped the inside of her thighs as his fingers grazed her most sensitive spot, but he stopped as soon as she lifted her hips off the couch, earning another frustrated groan from her.
"Fiiiiiinnnn."
Finn said nothing, but motioned her to lower her body again. She sighed, but obediently returned to her original position. He licked her nub slowly as his fingers teased her entrance. Rachel squirmed in place after his sweet torture, and even though she was used to being the one in charge, she could not deny that she loved when Finn took control. Her mind quickly abandoned these thoughts, though, since all she could do was feel the way Finn was touching her, his finger slowly moving inside of her. He added a second one after he gained a faster pace, her voice moaning his name being all he could concentrate on.
He licked her bud again a few times before he saw her fall apart, unintelligible words slipping from her lips, as her hands ran through his hair. A moment later, once she regained her breath, she kneeled in front of him, and kissed him passionately, only breaking the kiss for the few seconds that it took her to remove his polo shirt. His hands were about to unclasp her bra when a distant, yet somehow familiar sound distracted him. He tried to place it in his head but the woman in front of him was making it hard for him to-
"I KNEW IT! I FUCKING KNEW IT!"
That was not the woman in front of him talking – yelling.
"OH MY GOD! SANTANA!"
That was the woman in front of him talking – yelling – but it did not sound good at all.
"The couch? Really!? WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND COUCHES!?"
And that was not a woman.
Okay, he could place all the sounds around him now – sort of. Maybe it was time for him to talk.
"Holy crap! What are you two doing here?"
Yeah, that's all he could manage. He had to think of the mailman too, okay?
"We live here, Captain Blueballs. Time to take some blood to the other head for a change." Santana snapped.
"Wait, I thought you guys said you would get here in like an hour or so?" Rachel asked, now covered with her robe, a slight tinge of panic in her voice.
"And we thought you two said you were not gonna fuck. Let alone the shared furniture detail. I guess we're even now." Santana replied with an ironic smile. "By the way, you owe me, Hummel."
"Not now." Kurt gritted through his teeth.
"My ass. Pay, Nancy." The Latina countered, not really caring about being subtle.
"The hell is going on!?" Finn asked, confused.
"Oh, nothing, just a little bet." Santana said with a fake sugary tone. "Thank you guys, by the way. You just earned me twenty."
"YOU BET ON OUR RELATIONSHIP!?" Rachel asked, horrified.
"Yeah, what the hell?" Finn added. "I mean, I could expect it from you, Santana – no offense…"
"None taken." Santana shrugged.
"…but, duuuuude!"
"You should try to babysit Satan yourself before you judge!" Kurt said in defense.
After everyone calmed down (and was fully clothed), the group moved the conversation to the kitchen – no one really wanted to use the couch anymore. The Kurtana inquisition had begun.
"This is why the door was locked today, too, isn't it?" Santana started.
"Crap! Should've locked the door again." Finn lamented.
"Yup. There's your answer." Kurt said to Santana, who still wasn't satisfied with the information she had gotten so far.
"Are you two dating? Or just banging?"
"Santana!" Rachel complained (yet again), never used to the Latina's forwardness – or language.
"We're dating, Tanna. Trying to make it work long distance." Finn answered patiently.
"Why did you never tell us anything?" Kurt asked honestly.
"Isn't this whole situation enough reason to try and keep it to ourselves?" Rachel countered, annoyed.
"We just wanted to get used to the idea ourselves before we told anybody." Finn explained. "Guess we were not very good at hiding it." He added, with a crooked smile that made Rachel's tension fade away.
"Yeah, you really weren't." Kurt laughed.
They all remained in silence for a few seconds, letting the new information sink in. It was Santana who finally spoke again.
"Okay, you definitely owe me now, Hummel."
"SANTANA!" everyone said in unison.
Santana suggested they could all go celebrate that night, "since Rachel can't get clingy drunk and call Finn at three am anymore". Rachel hadn't been glad to be reminded of that episode, but a kiss from Finn quickly made her forget about it.
After they had a snack at the apartment together, they went to their rooms to get ready for the night out. Finn was the first one to be done and was sitting on Rachel's bed, watching her come and go from the mirror to the closet.
"Why is it so easy for men to choose an outfit? It's not fair!" She complained, looking at her boyfriend. "You look handsome, by the way." she smiled.
"You should not let Kurt hear that, he'll give you an hour-long lesson on men's fashion, with flashcards and all." Finn said. "And you look really good yourself." He smirked.
"Don't be silly, I'm just wearing this until I decide what to put on tonight." She said, looking down at the old clothes she had on.
"You look good to stay here with me, and cuddle and pretend we watch a movie and end up doing something else." He said, walking to her and hugging her from behind, leaving a kiss on her neck.
"Sounds good." She mumbled, getting lost in his embrace. She was turning around to kiss him when they heard Kurt's voice through the curtains.
"I heard that! No way you two are leaving me alone with Santana. You said you'd come, there's no way out now." He said, entering Rachel's room. "And get dressed already, Rachel. You're probably going to choose the wrong outfit anyway… Is that a button?" He suddenly asked, crouching to grab a small rounded object from the floor.
"Oh, yeah, that. It must be from… yeah, thanks, I had been looking for that!" Rachel stuttered, quickly snatching the button from Kurt's hand as she heard Finn chuckling behind her.
"You know what, I don't even want to know." Kurt said before leaving the room.
Rachel frowned at Finn, who simply shrugged and smiled at her. She found herself smiling back – she couldn't really be mad at him. She turned to her closet again, taking a hanger in her hand.
"What about this?" she asked Finn, showing him a short black velvety dress with a flared skirt.
"I think you'll look amazing, babe." He smiled, and gave her a peck on the lips.
That dress was killing him. Turns out, Rachel was a little tipsy, and tipsy Rachel was carefree and enjoyed to sway her hips to the rhythm of the music, twirling and dancing with her body really, really close to his and… killing him.
He was now sitting in a booth, having a beer and watching her and Santana dance and have fun. Soon enough, though, his girlfriend's shoes – that made her oddly tall, something he wasn't really used to – made her tired.
"Fiiiiinn, baby, can we go home?" She whined, sitting on his lap.
"I don't think the guys want to go home yet, Rach." Finn replied, nodding in the direction of their two friends, who were now dancing together.
"Even better, it'd be just the both of us." She said in a sultry voice, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.
Even though she was a little sloppy, he couldn't help but get lost in it all – her sitting on his lap, her dress, her voice, her hand at his neck…
"Alright, let me tell Kurt and Santana. You stay here." He said, sitting her in his place before he walked to the dance floor.
He got back a moment later, a key to the apartment in his hand.
"'Kay, I have the keys, and Santana and Kurt already know we're leaving. Santana told me to say 'wanky' to you for her." He joked, making her giggle. "Ready to go?"
"Ready to go!" Rachel exclaimed, standing up and holding Finn's hand.
"You want to me to call a cab?" He asked. They were just a few blocks away, but he knew she might not want to walk them in those shoes.
"It's okay, I can walk." She smiled sweetly, and they headed out of the pub and to the apartment.
As soon as they were out, he took off his jacket and put it on her shoulders.
"Thanks Finny, you're so chivalrous." She said, her words a little slurred, resting her cheek on his side as he held her body against his. Finn smiled widely at the memories her words elicited, kissing her head sweetly.
They got to the apartment quickly – Finn having to piggy-back her only about half of the way. Rachel kicked her shoes off quickly and hooked her index fingers in the belt loop of his jeans, trying to pull him towards her bedroom (and obviously failing).
"Come on, Finny, let's get to bed." Rachel suggested in a whiny tone. Finn knew that even though she could not do anything but sleep in her state, it was pointless to argue with her. So he followed her to her bedroom, hoping he could trick her into sleeping without her making a scene.
"Help me out of this stubborn dress, please." She said, after fumbling with the zipper a couple of times without being able to unzip it. Finn chuckled but otherwise obliged.
And damn, she looked great. She looked great in the dress, she looked great with the upper half of it off and the skirt still on, she looked great completely out of it. She looked great because she was great, and he couldn't be more proud of her, he couldn't be happier for her. For them. Every time he looked at her, he was reminded that he was not scared of the future anymore, and that was something he was grateful for. She'd always say that she had done nothing but support him, that he had done all the hard work. But the truth was, hadn't it been for her support and her believing in him, he wasn't sure he would have been able of to do "the hard work".
"Finny?"
"Huh?"
"Are you okay? You've been staring at the wall for a while." She asked, with serious concern.
Could she be any cuter?
"Yeah, I'm just…" He said, and couldn't help leaning down to kiss her lovingly. They stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds after they broke the kiss, his hands on her cheeks. "Alright." he said finally, taking them both back to reality. "Where are your PJs? Let's get you to bed."
"What?" she asked, confused.
"Your pajamas, Rach." He answered slowly, as if speaking to a little kid.
"But… but…" She pouted "Don't you want me, Finny?"
Oh, crap. He should have seen this coming. Clingy-drunk-girl Rachel on full swing.
"I do, baby, trust me. But you're a little drunk and I think you should sleep, alright?" He said sweetly. He could still see a tinge of disbelief in her expression, so he added "We can still cuddle" with a smile and a kiss on her forehead.
Rachel sighed reluctantly and took her pajamas from under her pillow, putting them on.
"That's my girl." He smiled, taking his shirt and jeans off before he tucked her in bed. He walked around it then, getting under the covers and letting Rachel get comfortable against his body.
Probably one of the best weekends ever.
Rachel was the first one to wake up, finding herself in Finn's embrace. She shifted her body, resting her chin on his chest, and as she looked at him, she couldn't help but smile. He looked so peaceful, almost childlike. Could he be any cuter? She closed her eyes for a moment and imagined what it would be like to wake up next to this man every day. She sighed, knowing that it'd probably be a long time before that happened. Their situation was not ideal, studying in two different states and trying to maintain a job and a long distance relationship at the same time, seeing each other every few weeks – or even months. But they were trying, they were giving their best and they would never regret it or wonder 'what if'. They were not giving up on each other – or on themselves – so easily. He had been right when he had said that if they were meant to be together, then they would be together. They just had to give it time. They had finally found themselves in the journey, which was no small deed. She could no longer see the lost boy who was afraid of the future in Finn's eyes; she couldn't be prouder.
The man in her arms stirred, his lashes fluttering, and he held her closer to himself.
"Morning, Rach."
"Hey." She whispered, kissing his cheek softly.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, caressing her hair.
"I'm okay." She smiled. "Thanks for taking care of me last night."
"No problem, babe." He replied before kissing her forehead.
They stayed in bed for a while, enjoying the moment, until Finn's stomach suddenly grumbled, making Rachel laugh.
"Are you hungry?" She asked.
"I'm not." He denied, as his stomach made another noise.
Rachel laughed again as she got up from bed, taking his hand. "Come on, let's make something to eat."
"But Raaaach… Stay in bed with me a little longer." Finn pouted, refusing to get up.
"But you're hungry! Come on, we've stayed in bed long enough." She insisted.
"You can't really be unproductive for too long, can you?" He laughed as he got up lazily.
"No, not really." She smiled sweetly as she pulled his arm, taking him to the kitchen.
They started cooking together, kissing or tickling each other playfully as they sang along to the radio.
…You got me, yeah, you got me
The way you take my hand is just so sweet
And that crooked smile of yours
It knocks me off my feet
By the time they reached the chorus of the song, Rachel was dancing around, using her spatula as a microphone, as Finn drummed with a couple of spoons against the counter.
Oh, I just can't get enough
How much do I need to fill me up?
It feels so good, it must be love
It's everything that I've been dreaming of
I give up, I give in, I let go
Let's begin
Cause no matter what I do,
Oh
My heart is filled with you…
"Jesus! Can you both just SHUT. THE FUCK. UP!?"
Finn and Rachel both froze in place, spatula and spoons in hand, and turned around to find an angry, just-woken-up Santana glaring at them – a pretty funny sight, if you asked them, since she was still in her pajamas and Colbie Caillat's lovely song was still playing in the background. They avoided looking at each other because they knew it would be impossible not to laugh.
"Thank you! What the hell are you doing, filming a romantic comedy? Geez. It's disgusting! I'm gonna throw up." She protested.
She took a couple of steps towards the bathroom, but quickly went back to the kitchen. "And there better be plenty of food by the time I get back!" Santana added before leaving again, mumbling something in Spanish. Finn and Rachel finally burst out into laughter once they heard the door closing.
"I heard that!" They barely heard Santana's voice complaining, which only made them laugh harder.
The rest of Saturday flew by. After everyone had brunch – Kurt waking up just a little later than Santana – they decided to show Finn around. They took him to their places of work, to that café they loved so much, to the park they usually visited, and even the music store they had recently discovered.
At every place they visited, Finn could picture a short scene. Picking up Rachel after rehearsal, having a picnic at the park or a coffee with their friends. Maybe even working at the music store. And with each scene he questioned more and more why he was so against this place the last few times he had visited. Maybe it was not the place itself, maybe he was scared of what it meant – independency, adulthood. But now he understood he didn't have to have it all completely figured it out in order to move forward. He knew what he wanted, and he knew he was going to do all he could in order to get it.
Before they realized, it was time to head back home. They all went to bed early, since Finn had to leave the next morning. Even though he insisted they didn't have to wake up with him, they all wanted to at least have breakfast with him and get to say goodbye before he left.
His alarm went off around six am. As he turned it off he felt Rachel groaning and stirring next to him. He hoped he had not woken her up – even though they did go to bed early, it was their last night together, so none of them really felt like sleeping.
"Finn?"
Of course she would wake up.
"Keep sleeping, baby. It's early."
"What time is it?" She mumbled against his arm.
He thought she was the cutest thing when she was all sleepy and holding onto him.
"Six am. Super early. Go back to sleep." He whispered.
"I'm going to make breakfast." She said, kissing his forehead. She got up and went to the bathroom before heading to the kitchen.
Finn sighed after his stubborn girlfriend, but got up and followed her anyway.
"Let me help you." He said, hugging her from behind and kissing her cheek as she was gathering what she needed for cooking.
She turned around in his arms and smiled, before he leaned down and kissed her lovingly, lingering a bit longer than usual. She pulled away and rested her cheek on his chest, Finn hugging her tightly and kissing the top of her head. There was no need for words; they both knew what was going on. They had spent a great weekend together, but it was time for Finn to go back to Ohio. He had promised himself he would not show how bummed he felt about it, but he couldn't shake the need of holding her tight and never letting go again.
As if she had read his mind, she whispered softly into his chest "It'll be alright, okay?" She pulled away to look at him before she spoke again. "It's not easy, but it's so worth it." She smiled reassuringly. Rachel saw Finn smiling back and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him again sweetly. "Come on." She said, taking his hand. "You need to eat something."
They both ate breakfast silently – on their own, since Kurt and Santana had decided the day before they would wake up a little later so they could give Finn and Rachel some alone time. After that, Rachel helped Finn get everything ready.
Once they finished, they laid on her bed for a while, simply enjoying their last moments together.
"I'm gonna miss you." Finn said, his hand going up and down her back lazily.
"Me too." She sighed. "But we'll see each other again soon, right?" She looked at him with an encouraging smile.
"Yeah. Next time it's your turn to visit. Do your dads have any cruise or business trips planned anytime soon?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows jokingly.
"Shut up." She laughed, swatting his arm playfully. "I'll come to Lima as soon as I can." She added seriously, before trying to convey all of her feelings for him in a loving kiss.
When everyone was ready to go – even a moody, half-asleep Santana – they took a cab to the train station. Finn and Rachel sat on a bench there, him holding her against his body, while Santana and Kurt found something to eat at the station's shop. They both stood in front of the bench after they came back, drinking their coffee silently.
"I'm so happy for you guys." Kurt suddenly said, breaking the silence.
Finn and Rachel smiled at him in thanks.
"Yeah, I mean, it's disgustingly sweet, and I probably wouldn't be able to stand you for longer than two days, but it's good to see you together, instead of listening to both of you moping around." Santana agreed. "I may deny this in the future, though." She added, making Kurt roll his eyes.
"Thanks, Tanna." Rachel said honestly.
It was not long before they heard Finn's train being announced.
"Well, that's me." He sighed before standing up and taking his small suitcase, never letting go of Rachel. They all walked outside with him, looking for the correct platform. Once they got there, Finn took a deep breath – he could not postpone the goodbyes any longer. He let go of Rachel reluctantly to give Kurt a hug.
"Goodbye, little bro."
"Bye Finn, thanks for the visit. It was nice having you here." Kurt smiled.
"Thanks for inviting me." Finn smiled back, pulling away and hugging Santana.
"Bye, Santana." He said. "Take care of her, 'kay?" He added in a whisper.
"'Course." She replied before letting go to speak louder. "Take care, Yeti. And thanks for the twenty bucks." She added, making Finn laugh.
He did his best to keep a smile on his face before he got back to Rachel, who was holding her own body tightly as she watched her friends' and boyfriend's goodbyes. She tried her best not to look sad, too.
"Bye Rach." He said, his voice low, before he hugged her tightly, lifting her off the ground. They got lost in a loving kiss, until the last announcement of his train broke their small bubble.
"Take care." Rachel said, her feet on the ground again, caressing his cheek sweetly. "And call me when you get there, okay?"
"Sure thing." He replied. "You take care, too." He added and pecked her on the lips one last time before boarding the train.
She waved at him as the train wheeled away, and then stood there, simply watching it become a small figure in the horizon. Santana and Kurt stood by, cautiously waiting for her reaction. The Latina looked at Kurt intently and he stood closer to Rachel, passing his arm over her shoulder.
"Come on, Diva." He said, his hand going up and down her arm comfortingly. "Let's get back."
Rachel smiled softly, thankful for the gesture, and nodded, following him and Santana as they walked to the other side of the station to find a cab.
The journey back to the apartment had been unusually silent. Rachel was sitting between her two friends, her head resting on Kurt's shoulder.
"Come on, Berry." Santana said finally. "You guys have been through worse than this – I know 'cause I caused some major trouble myself – I'm sure you'll be living in the same city eventually." She offered, rubbing her thigh affectionately.
"Yeah, I know." Rachel blew out a deep breath, sitting up straight. "You're right, Tanna. If we're meant to be together, we're going to be together, whether it's in New York or on the other side of the world." She smiled softly, her friends smiling back at her.
It wasn't easy, but it was so worth it.
A/N: The song mentioned is You Got Me, by Colbie Caillat, which also gave this chapter its name.
So what did you think? What did you love, what did you hate? Let me know with a review! They really warm my heart :)