CHAP 11 - EVERYTHINGS MAGIC PT1
CALLBACKS - part2…
On the entire drive to Callbacks, Finn's stomach was doing backflips and his mind racing a mile a minute. He was sure his word vomit would turn into actual vomit if his nerves didn't get under control by the time that glorious moment arrived and he finally got to meet her. Rachel. Rachel... it was just so good to be able to put a name to her face. He'd hoped having a couple drinks would subdue his nervousness - not to get a buzz, just enough to feel comfortable in his own skin.
That idea just sort of went out the window now that she's standing right here, mere inches in front of him. And her face - her gorgeous face - was looking straight up at him, rendering him stock-still.
Time froze as Finn took in the sight of her, completely unobstructed for the first time. She's wearing a soft, fuzzy, white knitted oversized beret with a small snowball tassel on top, a pink scarf, and the rainbow coat he now associated only with her; this makes Finn very happy, as if the universe were proffering further evidence that she was real and meant to be here with him.
His eyes seem to want to explore all of her at once. Peeking out beneath the colorful coat, he sees red and black plaid dressy shorts, with sheer black tights wrapped around her toned legs. As if to mock him, her knees are hidden away from view under the sexiest thigh-high boots he's ever seen - which look amazing on her inexplicably long legs.
He knew she was petite, but now standing this close to her, he's struck by just how much he has to crane his head down to really see all of her. Despite her black boots with 4 inch heels (which, did he mention, he really likes - A LOT), she truly was tiny; easily more than a foot shorter than him. A wave of guilt wracked him for towering so far above her, and the thought briefly crossed his mind to drop to his knees and just worship at her altar then and there, but he decides that might be kinda weird and embarrassing to both of them for a first meeting.
Her long mahogany hair with coppery golden highlights was cascading over her shoulders in soft wavy curls that still had a few stubborn snowflakes attached. Long bangs feathered over her brow and perfectly framed the apples of her cheeks, the slight rosy blush to which he decides came from the cold outside. Her big beautiful dark eyes were sparkling and unblinking, with just the right amount of smoky makeup to accentuate them. Then there's her lips… so full, smooth and shimmering, with a natural shade of pink gloss coating them. Perfect. He resisted the overwhelming urge to reach out and trace her bottom lip with his thumb while his mind wondered about the flavor of that gloss. He's hoping for strawberry.
For just a beat, his head was swimming with 'what now' thoughts. He knows he functions better with a playbook sometimes (thanks a lot, Josh). But in the end, Finn decided it was best to just follow the universe's lead and let it play out naturally.
So he takes a slow, deep, steadying breath, then it dawns on him: All the while that he's been standing here frozen, silently staring down at her, she's been a mirror reflection doing the same right back. And she's not freaking out or crying or running, or laughing at him for that matter (which would probably be the worst possible scenario).
Finn decides he can handle this. She's calm, if a little stunned maybe, but he guesses he can't fault her for that - he did just walk chest first into her. Still, her calmness is actually soothing his nerves far better than anything he can get from a bottle. It's infectious.
. . . . .
A human wall slams into her suddenly - a barrier she was certain didn't exist just moments ago when she'd stepped foot inside the club. She's used to this, given her small stature; a common hazard to the vertically challenged.
She looks up to better identify the obstruction and almost can't believe the sight of the face looking back at her. There is no mistaking it; the same eyes from the bus are presently fixed on her. She remains unmoving for fear the mirage may disappear or she'll wake from the dream.
Seeing him up close for the first time ever, she's dazzled by how impossibly handsome he is - not to mention astoundingly tall. His skin is creamy and smooth, his jawline is stubbled with probably a couple days worth of unshaved whiskers. She wonders what they'd feel like against her skin. His thick chestnut hair is trimmed in a tidy crew cut on the sides, but seems to swoop up into longer, bristly, messy layers on top that she wishes she could run her hands through.
She's impressed by his attire which seems completely suited to him - a heather gray hoodie pokes out from under a well-worn black leather jacket. His navy blue v-neck top with white stitching appears to stretch perfectly across his broad chest. Black jeans hug his extremely long and fit looking legs.
Hoping she's not being too obvious, she just can't stop studying his face. His pupils are slightly dilated and there's little splinters of gold mixed with dark flecks in his irises, which seem to dance from amber to cinnamon to charcoal depending how the light hits. No wonder they were like magnets on the bus. There are 3 larger freckles dotting his left cheek with a constellation of faded little ones sprinkled across the bridge of his nose. She wants to map those stars with her fingertips. And her tongue.
More striking than his appearance though, is the feeling washing over her. For reasons she cannot fathom, just being in his close proximity gives her a sense of ease, of comfort. She feels enraptured by his warm gaze and is surprised by her sudden desire to be swept up in his large muscular arms; somehow she senses a promise of safety waiting there.
As she peers up at him with bright curious eyes through long thick lashes, that pull begins to reel her in again. She notices when he shifts his weight just a fraction towards her, and the atmosphere suddenly changes.
There it was - the electromagnetic pulse. It was real. And from the look on his face, they both felt it.
. . . . .
"Rachel." Her name fell out of his mouth involuntarily. GOT YOU.
"Errol Flynn?" she quietly murmured to herself.
"Excuse me?" he asked with an amused tone.
"N-Nothing.." Rachel's slightly taken aback; did he just say her name? How can he possibly know? "I'm sorry, have we met?" She questions sweetly with a meek smile.
Her magical voice bathes him in warmth. He's heard it before but never this clear, never this close. And never while it was directed at him.
A wide dimpled smile reaches his eyes. He chuckles softly and sighs, "Oh… You have NO idea."
"What?" she narrows her eyes slightly. Is he trying to confuse her?
"You would've remembered if we had, wouldn't you?" he grins slyly.
"I do remember. The bus." She tightened her focus on him and added, "It's all I think about."
She can't believe she just admitted that out loud to him. His smile widened and he felt his heart jump.
The incoming patrons filtering through the bar entryway are flowing past them like water around a rock in a riverbed. They seem to be in their own safe little bubble and even the strangers trailing past know not to disturb the moment.
He extended a large hand in greeting toward her. As she slid her slender fingers across his calloused palm, they both felt the impact of the warm friction from that simple gesture; Rachel's knees began trembling and Finn's heart sped up. They never broke eye contact.
"I'm Finn. Finn… Hudson."
She beams at him "You're Finn...," then asks playfully, "Finn… like a shark?"
With her small hand still locked in his grip, he licks his lips and his gaze intensifies. He takes in a slow breath, lightly presses a hand around the small of her back then leans in close to her right ear and whispers in a low voice, "Don't be afraid of the deep end… I don't usually bite, unless provoked," he inhaled again then added, "...or invited." He didn't wanna seem obvious about it, but he had to breathe in enough of her scent to satisfy his curiosity. Oh god she smells delicious. Whatever that perfume is, nobody but THIS girl should ever be allowed to wear it again.
Finn couldn't know the full extent of the sensory chain reaction his whispers would set off in Rachel (or well, maybe he could, since he'd attended an ASMR seminar for shits and giggles last semester).
His touch sent immeasurable voltage coursing through her. As he leaned in, she'd felt her hair move, just enough to tickle the shell of her ear as his nose and lips grazed against it, launching a cool ripple of goosebump trails across her scalp. He was close enough for her to breathe in, and his musky sweet Finn scent made her heart flutter. As he spoke, the warmth of his breath wafted across the hollow of her neck and sent the third shockwave, this time hot and demanding. A euphoric buzz and a heated flush swept across her cheeks. The coup de gras was the reverberation of his voice, which sent electric impulses that traversed down into her chest. Her heartbeat pounded a strange new rhythm and its enclosing walls tightened. A sudden shiver raced straight through her down to her toes, then rebounded like a slingshot and ended in a swarm of butterflies in her stomach. She felt her torso spasm and a sudden involuntary arching of her back that she had to restrain. She hopes he didn't notice.
He reluctantly pulled back to meet her eyes again and he hasn't let go of her hand. He's waiting for her reaction, but she's still staring back at him and looking sorta captivated at the moment. He feels pretty good about that.
Now she's trying to pull all her best acting skills together so she doesn't just scream his name and jump him right here in the middle of this bar. She clears her throat and says "Oh I see… good to know," she grinned back with a flirtatious twinkle. "Rachel Berry. It's so nice to make your acquaintance, Finn Hudson. Like the shark."
"Yes it is.. I mean, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Rachellll.. Berry?…. Manilow, or the fruit?"
Her decision to practice using her sea legs that night was probably wise, because her legs are turning to jello and her knees are mighty weak at this moment. Hell, Elphaba has nothing on Rachel Berry because she's actually defying gravity right now. Good thing she's still stuck to the spot where she's standing and he's still not letting go of her hand; she couldn't walk away from him now even if she were able. The feelings he's evoking in her now are so much more intense than that momentary glance across a crowded bus - and that's saying something.
"Umm, Rachel..?"
His soothing baritenor voice pulled her back to her better sensibilities. "Sorry? Oh, ah… fr-fruit."
She blinks quickly and narrows her eyes into almost a squint to help her refocus. "You said finally, right? And you said my name, before I told you… How…?"
Finn clears his throat. "Would you believe, magic?"
"Before today? Definitely not. Now? …the jury's still out."
He pulls up a sheepish sideways grin in response. "How about destiny then?"
"Destiny. Why destiny?" She bats her long lashes suggestively and doesn't miss the micro-change in his expression, or the fact that he keeps looking at her lips.
"You're not ready yet," he states simply.
"Ready… ? For what?"
"The deep end," he breathes out coyly.
She turns on her megawatt smile at him. It's all she can do to keep from grabbing him by his shirt and slamming her lips against his in this moment. "You really are a shark, aren't you? Or maybe you're one of those new-age crystal reading hippies…?"
Finn laughs loudly and then finally admits, "No, nothing like that… Truth? We have a mutual friend. Well, I guess he's a friend now."
What? Rachel's not sure she heard that correctly, because anyone who is close enough to her knows that she's been looking for 'Errol Flynn'. Why on earth would they've kept his identity a secret from her? Wait.. she's pretty sure she knows why, but wishes people would stop treating her like she's made of glass.
"Mutual… who?" She demands.
"Actually, I think we have a couple of mutual friends now…" and he points at the table across the bar to the left of center stage, where Blaine, Puck, and Kurt are seated. Puck grins at her, raising his beer bottle in greeting.
She gasps and her eyes go wide as saucers. "You've got to be joking."
"I'd never joke about who my friends are, especially not to someone I'm trying to impress."
Rachel's finding herself in the rare position of being at a loss for words. Has the world slipped off its axis or something? Then her brain catches up to what he said.. "You're succeeding so far, I think. Full of surprises, aren't you, Shark Finn."
He chuckles then clears his throat. "Listen I- I have some time to kill before the show starts. How would you feel about taking this conversation to a quieter place, just for a little while? You can join the guys at the table when we come back in. And maybe we can, I don't know, grab some food or something afterwards?"
"After what?"
"Well, my band is going on stage in a while… they'll want their drummer to join, so…"
"Stop it. YOU are the drummer in the show tonight?" NOAH… so sneaky! He's behind this meeting, wait til I get my hands on him!
He nods and winks in response, "Guilty. So…. about taking this to a quieter place..?"
She blushes and feels the heat travel through her whole body. What is he doing to her? "Well. That depends Finn, not-a-shark-who-bites, where would we go, this 'quieter place'?
"I don't care. Anywhere. The parking lot. The rooftop. A broom closet. You pick, as long as I can be back in less than an hour."
She's laughing so loud that it sorta catches Puck's attention, not like he wasn't looking at them the whole time anyway. But now he decides it's time to come check on the pair who'd all but willed themselves invisible to the rest of the bar-goers.
"Cuzz! There's my little Berry," he exclaims as he scoops her up in his arms in a big bear hug, lifting her off the floor and giving her a big sloppy kiss on the cheek, then gently setting her back down.
"Noah! It's good to see you, but you don't need to embarrass me!" she giggles and the sound makes Finn's heart swell.
"Sure I do, perks of being the older wiser cousin! Haha."
"Well, older is true anyway…" She corrects sarcastically.
"So I see you already met Finn." Puck says as he turns a pointed look at Finn and quirks up his eyebrow, "and why am I not surprised you two managed to find each other the very moment she set foot in this joint?"
As Finn's mouth hangs open to speak, she tugs Puck to the side and faces partly away from Finn. She lowers her voice to speak. "Noah, you don't need to check on me. I'm much better I swear. Actually, Shark Finn and I were just about to step outside for a few… I saw a coffee shop across the street that has some pretty exciting looking hot chocolate advertised in the window. We were just gonna run over there for a quick cup and be back shortly."
"Shark Finn….?" He throws a slightly menacing glare at Finn, who just looks innocently at the floor, puckering his lips and sucking in his cheeks.
"Yes Noah… I'm fine, honestly. So please, go enjoy your company, in your seat, at the table, by the stage, NOAH. OH! Please also keep an eye out for Tina, she's supposed to be meeting me here but wasn't sure what time," Puck rolls his eyes but nods in agreement.
"We'll be back very soon. And I promise I'm fine. You'll be the first to know if I'm not." She leans in closer and continues in more of a whisper through gritted teeth, "And also, I KNOW you hid him from me for some length of time; we WILL be having a further conversation about your ridiculous caveman ways at a later time in private!" Puck grimaces at her last statement.
WIth that, she kisses Puck on the cheek and pulls Finn toward the door with an ear to ear grin still attached to his face. Finn looks back at Puck and sees him mouthing the word 'TOILET' and pointing at him, causing his smile to shrink considerably.
xo—glee*glee*glee—xo
HOT CHOCOLATE IN A QUIETER PLACE….
As they begin to cross the street to the coffee shop, Finn realizes the snow that's still falling has accumulated nearly 2 inches by now. He looks again at those super-sexy but maybe not-so-practical boots she's wearing and offers her his arm for support.
She smiles wide and accepts his gesture, wrapping both her arms around his outstretched one, "So you're a chivalrous Shark. You're very kind, thank you."
He nods and chuckles softly to himself. "I try…. My mom raised me right from the time I was a guppy I s'pose." She burst into a hailstorm of sweet giggles that made his heart sing.
They walk to the coffee shop just a half block up the street in a comfortable silence.
. . . . .
Rachel felt goosebumps from Finn's touch on her arm.
Why did I ever get off the bus that night? I should have stayed put as soon as our eyes met. This guy - so far - is the most perfect human I've ever met - a perfect gentleman. He really seems to be smitten with me too, so far... and this impromptu hot chocolate on a snowy night scenario - so romantic, just like the movies! It just feels too good to be true. Guys like him just don't exist, and if they do, they certainly don't want girls like ME. But I wonder how long it'll last until a dark side emerges. Or he turns out to be a criminal with a drug habit. Oh Rachel STOP IT! Not everyone is like that monster! At least that's what Dr. Tanaka keeps telling me. Maybe I'll just enjoy it while it lasts, carpe diem… and if it's all just a dream, well, I never want to wake up.
. . . . .
Finn held the door to the coffee shop open for her.
This is like some crazy chick-flick of a dream, right? I'm asleep and I'm going to wake up any moment and fall out of bed? Because MY luck, it's never this good. The universe has teased me forever with this gorgeous, rare creature and then all of a sudden, here she is - with ME. So far this girl is more awesome than I ever imagined - and I imagined A LOT. She's really here, on MY arm. Going for hot chocolate together, in the snow. Me and the most perfect woman I've ever met. I can't mess this up with her. I don't care how much shit the guys are gonna give me if I'm late getting back, it'll be worth it. And if this is just a dream I don't want to wake up, like EVER.
. . . . .
Once inside the coffee shop, they order their drinks and Finn adds a blueberry muffin which they agree to share. They choose to sit at a booth in the quietest section of the shop.
Before she sits, Rachel slides out of her coat, and Finn almost chokes on his beverage. He can now fully appreciate what was hiding under it for the first time. It's a very, very low cut sheer, slinky dark red blouse, with a lacy peep-through section covering the very very low cut part. (Ok, there might be one of those girl's magic trick skin colored cloth things behind the lace, but the illusion is working well enough on him at the moment as his blood begins to heat up.) The blouse has long sleeves that are split open from shoulder to wrist, with long button-up cuffs wrapping her tiny wrists.
She's simply breathtaking. And he's so spellbound right now that he's wondering how he's gonna be able to perform on stage at all with this vision sitting in his eyeline all night. And NOT think about kissing those exposed bare shoulders. His pulse starts thumping in his throat.
Rachel notices his reaction to her attire and presses her lips together with a hint of a smile as she sits down across from him.
"I just wanted to say, Rachel, you look amazing. That red top is.. really… special. And y-you, you just look incredible. But um, aren't you cold?" He's been wondering about her skimpy all-season clothing choices forever now, and considering the current weather, he just doesn't want her to get sick.
She beams a pearly smile at him. "Aww thank you so much Finn, you're really sweet. You look really handsome yourself tonight, if you don't mind me saying. As to your question, no, I'm perfectly comfortable right now, but if I do get cold you'll be the first to know, I promise," she flirts back.
He hopes she's telling the truth, but he's looking at that blouse believing it isn't gonna keep any secrets from him either way. And now he's pretty sure he's just going to have this permanent smile stuck to his face for the rest of his life. His cheeks are already aching. No, he doesn't mind anything about tonight.
She takes a sip of her warm beverage and clears her throat. "So now, Mr. Shark. There seems to be something very odd going on and I need answers."
"Well, Ms. Fruit. I'm not sure which answers you're seeking, so I guess you'll have to ask me a question first." He tilts his head to the side and straightens up a little in his seat. "In fact, let's make a game of it.. 20 questions? You ask me something, I'll answer and you also answer that question about yourself. Then it's my turn to ask. Deal?"
She knows she's already liking this guy, probably too much for her own good. Nobody is this charming for real, are they? "Okay.. deal, but I go first! How do you know my cousin Noah?"
Of course she'd jump right into the deep end. "Through Blaine," Finn smirked, taking a victory sip of his drink.
Her interest was piqued, she didn't expect him to have an answer at the ready."Well that stands to reason, I mean, Noah's been Blaine's friend almost as long I have, I guess it makes sense you'd know them both. Looks like Blaine has a date for the night, but didn't tell me? I saw another fellow there whom I didn't recognize…. Well that is, he looked like his date based on the brief interactions I saw. It's just odd he didn't mention it…"
He's pretty sure she meant that rhetorically and he wants to volunteer the info, but she agreed to the game. So he says, "ask me who the other guy is with Blaine."
She smirks but plays along. "Who is the unknown gentleman with Blaine?"
"My brother Kurt - and I'm not sure I'd describe him as a gentleman exactly…. By the way, that's two for you, and you still owe me some intel, Ms. Fruit," he teases.
"Excuse me? TWO? I think you're cheating already, not-a-biting-shark FINN!" She laughs, "also, how can I tell you anything about your brother? And how do you know Blaine anyway?"
"That's 4 now. And you still owe me for the first 2 - well, for all 4 now actually… have you ever even played this game before?" he jests with her.
She's laughing pretty hard now, and with big eyes and mock defensiveness responds, "What!? You're definitely cheating now…. Maybe you've played this game too often!"
"Hardly ever. Actually until right now, I'm not sure there's ever been anyone I really wanted to play it with."
She can't believe anyone can be so adorably genuine - especially not someone like HIM. She already feels a connection that deepens with each passing moment, like she's known him forever, and the butterflies are swarming fast and ferocious again.
"Okay fine. Despite your obvious but charming trickery, you get to ask me 4 in a row, but first you have to further explain to me how you know Blaine, and how they all ended up at that table together as your guests apparently?"
Finn agrees to her terms and supplies (most of) the story. He explains meeting Blaine through the coffee shop and meeting Puck through Blaine at karaoke and how they figured out Puck work together now; he also tells her how he introduced Kurt to Blaine. He just leaves out all his ulterior motives in trying to find her and the parts where he's been grilling Blaine and Puck for weeks now trying to meet her. And, oh yeah, the parts where he's been seeing her everywhere and admiring her from afar for the better part of a year.
He figures things are just going really too well right now. He wants to tell her everything; he actually feels guilty not being honest about it all up front. It just seems like something most girls would shy away from. Then again, he doesn't think she's ANYTHING like most girls. He knows he will tell her eventually.
"WOW. That's an incredible story, with a whole lot of unusual coincidences, isn't it? While I am really happy for Blaine and Kurt, I'm still just wondering why Blaine didn't mention anything to me about dating anyone, or making new friends for that matter…. He and I are so close. And NO, that's not a question for YOU!" She quickly scoffs.
"Ok Ok," he says with a light chuckle, "but tell me about you and Blaine, how did you meet?"
Rachel rolled her eyes a little before explaining how they met on set of a student directed play almost four years ago. Blaine was cast as the piano player and they'd have mini karaoke sessions after practice ended. He's been her 'best gay' ever since.
Finn just enjoys watching all her different facial expressions and listening to the cadence of her voice. She could be reading the phone book and he'd be mesmerized.
"Yeah, Blaine is a cool guy and a hell of a good drummer, though he doesn't seem to think so. I'm glad I've gotten to know him, and I'm really glad you have such a great friend in him. He speaks very highly of you…" he decides he needs to change topics before she asks the question that he doesn't want her to ask - like, why did he make friends with Blaine in the first place.
"But it's still my turn for the next FOUR! So… first question… Are you in school, did you go to college?"
"YES, I was one of a select few in the nation accepted to NYADA's musical theater program in my enrollment year." She launches into a 15 minute discourse about school and her Broadway aspirations. Finn listens intently and never once looks bored. She adds that to her growing list of reasons why she SHOULD fall in love with him.
She finally stops for a breath, looks down at the table and says, "You know, you really don't have to pretend to be interested; it wouldn't be the worst thing if Broadway didn't impress you. Not everyone regards musical theater as an impressive career move or appreciates the talent it takes to get there."
"Stop it. How could you think I'm anything less than impressed? You're like, seriously downplaying your awesomeness. If I was a Broadway bound star I'd probably shout it from the rooftops. And to set the record straight, I'd never fake interest in something that's important to you. I DO think it's fascinating, I think YOU are fascinating. And I'm seriously blown away just to be in your presence right now." He's truly taking her breath away and blowing up that list of hers at this moment. He continues, "The kind of talent you must have to get where you are, and go where you're heading, to dream that big, it IS impressive. I hope to see you in a show some day." He hopes he's convincing her of his belief in her.
Her heart is melting at his sincerity. Then he reached across the table and lifted her chin so he could look directly into her eyes "Rachel, I have no doubt you will be a big star. I can see how determined you are, and I can't believe passion like that doesn't get rewarded. Plus, I already think you're pretty dazzling and I haven't even seen you perform yet. So please don't make it sound like no big deal. It is a big deal. YOU are a big deal."
She's fighting hard to keep the threat of tears from brimming. He's just sort of laid his heart bare to her and she's not sure what to respond to first. "You would do that really? You'd want to come to my show?"
He dropped his hand from her chin and put it over her hand on the table. "Hell yeah, with bells on! I'd be the loudest one in the audience!"
"Well I can certainly arrange tickets for you. We open in January. Have you seen or heard of Oklahoma! yet?"
"Ahh.. yeah I've heard of it, probably heard some of the music too.. courtesy of my brother - well, he's technically my step brother, but I just think of him as my brother now. My sometimes super annoying but usually well meaning little brother - hahaha." She grins warmly at his clearly endearing opinion of his brother, despite the back handed compliment.
"You and Kurt I think are going to become great friends. He's more into fashion nowadays - OH yeah, be forewarned about that - he LIVES for makeovers. There was a time when performing was all he talked about, before this job anyway. But I've heard the Wicked soundtrack 'til my ears bled, thanks to him."
Rachel's eyes go wide, "Really? He loves Broadway and Wicked? That's my dream role by the way, Elphaba - well, that and Fanny Brice, you know, Funny Girl. Oh, I can't wait to get to know him!"
Ooohhh! Is that what Puck was laughing about at karaoke? Funny Girl… Now I get it. Sort of.
"I mean, there was a time when Broadway was his goal, but it was never his ETHOS like it is for you." (He made a mental note to thank Josh for that line.)
She pauses and considers the fact that he called Broadway her ethos. How does he just GET me already?
"So that I'm not accused of CHEATING again, I guess I need to respond to my own question," he glances at her with amusement. "I'm about to graduate NYU from the percussion studies program, only a few months to go. Which is great because I think things with our band are starting to pick up, and it's really where I want to focus my energy full time - well, full time while working around 3 jobs. Still gotta pay the bills in the meantime."
Rachel looks pleasantly surprised to learn how he's pursuing his own musical interests. Was the universe actually listening to her when she described her dream guy? "Finn, that's so incredibly noble and admirable! You're following your dreams, while getting your education and supporting yourself…. I'm very impressed. It sounds like a tremendously heavy workload though."
"It is, and my spare time has been pretty non-existent; but like I said, graduation is coming soon. When are you done with school?"
"I have almost enough credits now, this play I'm in will put my very close to done, We get partial credit for performing professionally." She thinks for a moment and states "I guess that means we'll be graduating at about the same time then? I'll be done by spring."
"Me too. That's awesome."
Finn leans into the table, thinking carefully."Alright, second question. What's next after graduation for you?"
"Actually that's your third question.. Your 2nd was when I'd be done with school," she giggles at Finn as he throws his hands up in surrender and concedes, "Ok yes, you got me!"
She laughs and answers his THIRD question. "Well, I expect it will be a lot of what I'm already doing, going on auditions and continuing to pursue Broadway. Since I was a child I'd hoped to have at least one Tony award under my belt by the age of 25, but the clock is ticking fast now. Maybe that was an overzealous goal by a naive young girl," she says quickly, blushing in slight embarrassment.
Finn hears a hint of despondency in her confession. "Rachel don't ever give up on your dreams. You still have time - and even if it takes a year or 2 or 5 longer than you'd hoped, you won't be able to reach it at all if you give up or begin doubting yourself. I can totally tell you're the type of person who usually gets what she sets her sights on. Just keep dreaming big and working hard, I just know it'll happen."
Even though it's been less than an hour since she met him, she really wants to kiss him right now.
"You're amazing, you know that? Most guys would either tune me out or laugh at me, or tell me how unrealistic I am. You're turning out to be the antithesis of every guy I've ever met - outside of my daddies of course, and Noah. They've been my only real support for, forever, I suppose. I'm still trying to decide if you're some kind of alien," she giggles and pops a piece of blueberry muffin in her mouth. "What about you, after graduation? Will you stay in the city?"
FInn is completely addicted to her laughter and her sweetness and her sense of humor now. He's wondering if she's always this cheerful and positive. She's just so pure and honest. Innocent, that's what Puck called her. He's right. The thought crosses his mind that maybe she shouldn't be this sweet and funny and well adjusted, considering that Blaine and Puck keep mentioning she's still getting over something really bad.
Now he's wondering about that jerk ex of hers who Puck was ready murder. He really wants to ask her about it, but this isn't the time or the place. And maybe he isn't supposed to know anything about it; he doesn't want to get Puck in trouble. She probably doesn't want to talk about it either. Finn just wants to assure her that he'd never be THAT guy, and that he'd do everything in his power to keep her safe. For the rest of our lives, til death do we part.
"Well, firstly, I feel compelled to assure you that I am NOT an alien," he smirks at her and catches her snickering while still nibbling on her muffin. "As for the band. Yes I think for awhile at least we'll all stay put in the city. Sam and Mike will also be graduating this spring, so they're tied to here for now too. But you never know, if we end up recording a demo and finally get the attention of a producer or record label, things could change."
Rachel suddenly felt a slight drop in her heart when he suggested they could possibly leave New York if the band were to be signed. She wants them to succeed, but she wants him to stay close. But Broadway only exists in NYC. She knows that seems selfish, and guesses she'll just have to leave this issue to the universe to determine their fate. If they even have one yet? Maybe she's getting ahead of herself… but she is certain she really wants a future that includes Finn Hudson.
"Hmm. Question number four. Ahhh… What is yourrrr favorite…. color…. flowers?" He grinned from ear to ear.
Rachel almost choked on the hot chocolate she was sipping and snorted a laugh and it's the cutest sound he's heard from her yet. Her megawatt smile returned volley with "Ok Mr. Cheating Shark. That's technically numbers four AND five - to which the answers are, pink.. and.. orchids, but not necessarily PINK ORCHIDS." she emphasized, in case he happened to get any ideas.
He makes an innocent face and chuckles at her while nodding his head. "Funny, I would have guessed daisies," he muses. "Orchids are really nice too though, sophisticated. Equally fitting I think."
The ease she's feeling right now getting to know Finn, exchanging this simple banter with this exceptionally charming and devastatingly handsome man, is such a welcome retreat from the nightmares of her past month. Yes, she is coping much better, especially now that a certain monster has been apprehended by authorities. But that knowledge alone does not always keep the bad dreams at bay; nor do the prescription medications or the therapy sessions she's been attending.
But sitting here, in a little coffee shop on a snowy Friday evening with Finn, it's like he's breathing new life into her and putting the pieces back together. He is warm and vulnerable and a little bit goofy. And he looks at her like she's the only girl in the world. She really hopes that might be what he's thinking, because she's looking at him like she never wants to stop. In an impossibly short period of time, he's already unwittingly repairing the damage that someone else caused and she's starting to feel like she can't be made whole again without him. He's making her realize that she can keep her heart open and maybe it'll be okay.
She doesn't think she wants this night to ever end.
"Can I propose that we pause the game until later, since it's already taken us this long just to get through the first 4 questions? Plus you've probably got to be heading back to the club…." She notices his face drop just a little. She quickly adds, "But we can resume after your show, and maybe after you take me for that bite to eat. How does that sound?" she flutters her lashes with a hopeful look on her face.
Like he's going to say no to her. Ever.
He reaches across the table and takes her hand, gently tracing small circles over her knuckles with the pad of his thumb. Soft as silk, just like I knew she would be. "That's an awesome idea. What kind of food are you up for tonight?"
"Anything to go. Something vegan would be a bonus."
"To go.. Where?"
"Maybe… your place…? If that's okay?"
Oh. My. God. Words Hudson. Find some words fast and don't screw this up!
She saves him from himself by quickly adding, "But I want to be clear, NO funny business, it-it's just so we can resume our game in private is all." She offers a teasing grin, but she mostly means it. She just hasn't told him her definition of funny business; she figures they cross that bridge later.
"Ahh… Yeah, sure my place would be totally fine, if that's where you want to go…. And don't worry, I already explained the odds of you being bitten, so… " he shows off his full-dimpled grin and her legs are turning to mush again.
"Yes, I remember.. Unless invited, right?" she says with the hint of a smile, then bites her bottom lip.
He swears pure fire is coursing through his veins now and dammit, she's driving him crazy with those lips. "Right."
Before returning to the club Rachel stops in the restroom and touches up her makeup. She comes back to find him standing there waiting with her coat in hand, holding it out to help her back into it. "Finn you're just such a gentleman."
He shrugs and says humbly, "You must not have known many decent guys before me, huh?"
She turns to face him and speaks quietly, "Actually I've never known ANYONE like you before. I honestly didn't think you existed on this planet actually. I've never been this happy to be so wrong."
He feels really good now but has absolutely no reply, because what can he say to a compliment like that?
xo—glee*glee*glee—xo
The pair cross the snow covered street back toward the bar, stopping at Finn's truck on the way for his drum kit bag. As they reach his truck, he turns to Rachel with a quizzical look on his face and a burning question he needs answered.
"Hey Rach, when you first saw me in the doorway here, you said something… what was it? It almost sounded like my name?"
She blushes, first at the sweet nickname he's just used, but then more because of her silly slip up. How can she possibly explain Errol Flynn to him without sounding foolish? She tries to cover her embarrassment. "Well Finn, that's just, y-you're mistaken.. I-I think you heard incorrectly. Besides, you were pretty distracted yourself, I'm sure you imagined it." She beams a big soft smile at him, hoping he'll just let it go.
He studies her through tight eyes for a long moment. There's a cloud of vapor from her breath floating in the air around her and snowflakes catching in her bangs, twinkling like diamonds and competing with the shine of her eyes in the soft glow of the street lights. Her big chocolate brown-eyed gaze is piercing him, capturing his heart. But then she's biting that bottom lip again, and he just can't resist his urges anymore. Without a word, he takes one step toward her, splays one large hand against the small of her back and the other gets lost in the silky locks of hair behind her neck, pulling her tight against him. He leans down and kisses her full lips, so soft and tender. He doesn't try to deepen it, he just had to taste that lip gloss.
Yep. He decides strawberry is definitely his new favorite flavor.
When he pulls back from the kiss, his dimples are on full display in a Cheshire cat grin, but her eyes are still closed and she's still standing there in sort of a trance. After a moment she opens her eyes slowly. In a huskier voice than he's heard her use before, she says, "It's about time."
xo—glee*glee*glee—xo
CALLBACKS - SHOWTIME!
They enter the club hand in hand, fingers laced together. He leads her to the table to join the guys who are all waiting eagerly for their return, but they aren't alone. Finn notices Mike has joined their table and offers him a high five greeting. He also notices a small attractive girl with pink streaks in her long jet black hair whom he's never seen before, but who seemed to be quite preoccupied with Mike.
Rachel immediately clears his confusion up by hugging the petite Asian girl. "Teeny! You made it! I'm so sorry I wasn't here when you came in, but I hope Noah has been behaving himself and providing you adequate company?"
Puck shoots her a sideways smirk and rolls his eyes. "B. c'mon, the Puckmeister is WELL above 'adequate'... aske any chick in here." The girls simply pretend not to hear his comment.
"That's ok Rachel. Yes, well… Puck has just been his usual charming self, but that's ok, Blaine and Kurt have been great!" she laughed as Puck rolled his eyes and took a long drag from his beer.
"Finn, this is my roommate Tina Cohen Chang… Tee, this is Finn Hudson, my, my ah.. new friend. He's also the drummer for the band tonight!"
Tina of course has already been filled in by the boys at the table as to the nature of Rachel's 'new friendship' and exactly who he is. Tina has been staring at Finn's eyes the entire time, as if to find whatever caused her roommate to walk through the door looking completely entranced about a month ago. She's pretty sure she understands, and simply smiles gleefully at Rachel. Finn reaches a long arm across the table to her and shakes her hand, "Nice to meet you Tina, hope you enjoy the show tonight!" then he looks to Mike with a curious expression. Mike for his part simply shrugs and snakes an arm around Tina's waist, which kind of answer's FInn's unspoken question.
Finn grins at him and introduces Rachel to Mike, who waves at her and offers a welcoming smile "So nice to FINALLY meet the infamous Rachel! And you don't look anything at all like an apparition.. Which is great!" Rachel just stretched a confused smile on her face, but didn't notice Finn standing behind her throwing a death glare at Mike urging him NOT to speak any further. Finn should have informed ALL his bandmates what was not to be said in front of Rachel tonight; calling her an apparition would've definitely been at the top of that list.
Rachel looks at Blaine and says "Well sir. I'm aware you've been keeping secrets from me. That's just not like you Blaine! We usually tell each other everything, yet I had to find out from Finn, someone I just met."
Blaine's not entirely sure which secrets she's referring to; does she mean the Finn secret, did he tell her everything about his quest to find her? Or does she mean his friendship with Finn? Or his new relationship with Kurt? Or, oh my.. She's right. Too many secrets… Blaine decides to play it neutral, "I'm sorry Diva. Sweetheart, you've been dealing with so so much lately, and I just—"
She cuts him off "NO. I'm never dealing with so much that I don't have time for you!" She pulls him into a quick hug and says in his ear "We'll talk more another time but please don't ever think you can't share things with me. I love you Blainey."
He squeezes her tight. "And I love you too Rachel. We'll talk, maybe let's do lunch next week?"
She nods in agreement "Yes, lunch sounds wonderful!"
Kurt is now silently volleying his head back and forth between Finn and Rachel like he's watching a tennis match, anxiously awaiting a formal, proper introduction to the lady of the hour. Finn catches on quickly and slaps him on the back of the head "HEY! Watch the hair, FINN!" Kurt shrills.
"Rachel, this is my brother Kurt. Try not to make any sudden moves, he seems a little wound up tonight," he said with a smirk directed at his brother.
Disregarding Finn's jabs, Kurt jumped out of his chair to pull Rachel into a full body hug, which she graciously accepted. "Kurt! It's so nice to meet you, I've already heard so much about you!"
Kurt releases her, directs a puckered face to Finn and says "Good things I hope?"
Finn rolls his eyes in response. Rachel came to Finn's defense before he could speak, "Of course, Finn clearly cherishes you and he just knew we would become fast friends." Finn is simply amazed by this girl's immaculate diplomacy.
Kurt then steps back from Rachel, holding her at arms length, then begins doing what he does best - analyzing her style. "Well I love the big lug too, even if he DOES treat me like a servant sometimes! Now, my dear, it's an absolute pleasure to meet you, and can I tell you, this ensemble is utterly STUNNING! May I admire you?"
Rachel already knows Finn is right - she and Kurt are going to be BESTIES!
Kurt then pivots to Finn to fill him in on what's gone on there while he was out with Rachel. "Yes Finn, while you and the lovely mademoiselle were off 'chatting' over chocolat chaud, the adorable Tina Cohen-Chang arrived, and then so did the rest of your bandmates. I've already made the necessary introductions," then he leans closer so only Finn can hear him "and Tina and Mike have been chatting a bit themselves! Isn't it a funny coincidence?" he adds with an excited expression on his face. "Also, Josh is in the back room and asked you to join him there as soon as you got back."
"Thanks man. Did he seem ok, or pissed or anything?" Finn asks a bit anxiously.
Kurt, looking rather bored with being Finn's secretary, waved a hand in the air at him "Finn, I realize you always automatically assume I'm your beck and call girl, but not tonight. I'm merely relaying a message. It's you're bed, now go lie in it!"
Yep, balls are about to get busted.
Finn turns to Rachel, who grabs onto his forearm as he leans into her ear again. "I've got to go in back to see Josh for a few, and it's nearly showtime, so I'll probably see you after. Do me a favor though - pay attention to the show. Close attention." Without even thinking about it, Finn presses a soft chaste kiss to her cheek. Her thighs went up in flames he winks at her then walks away, looking over his shoulder at her with that sideways grin, when she calls out "break a leg!"
xo—glee*glee*glee—xo
The bar room lights have dimmed and the stage lights go dark. Rachel's bouncing in her seat trying to see Finn as he takes his spot behind his drum kit. She can barely make out the silhouettes of the 3 other band members on stage.
A spotlight hits Figgins, who grabs the mic from the DJ table across the room and in a monotone voice, introduces the band. "Simma down folks. We haff, a real treat, for you, tonight. Pliss welecum, my favrite band, Vocal Adrenaline."
Josh immediately grabs the attention of the room with his booming voice.
"GOOD EVENING FOLKS! We want to thank y'all up front for joining us and our merry little band of misfits on this snowy cold evening tonight. Hopefully we don't kill your holiday cheer. Boys, you ready to make a little MAGIC tonight?" He points to Finn.
On queue, Finn counts in the beat with his sticks and kicks off the opening song - one which he just recently wrote.
Despite a lengthy debate backstage with Josh - who AGAIN pushed for Finn to sing his own damned original songs - Finn only agrees to sing with Josh on the chorus.
[ EVERYTHING'S MAGIC ]
And do you ever feel like you're alone?
And do you ever wish to be unknown?
I could say that I have, I could say that I have
And do you ever feel things here aren't right?
And do you ever feel the time slip by?
I can say that I have, And I can say that I have
So hear this please
And watch as your heart speeds up endlessly
And look for the stars as the sun goes down
Each breath that you take has a thunderous sound
Everything, everything's magic
Just sit back and hold on, but hold on tight
Prepare for the best and the fastest ride
And reach out your hand, and I'll make you mine
Everything, everything's magic
And do you ever lay awake at night?
And do you ever tell yourself don't try?
Don't try to let yourself down, Don't try to let yourself down
And do you ever see yourself in love?
And do you ever take a chance, my love?
Because you know that I will, Because you know that I will
So hear this please
And watch as your heart speeds up endlessly
And look for the stars as the sun goes down
Each breath that you take has a thunderous sound
Everything, everything's magic
Just sit back and hold on, but hold on tight
Prepare for the best and the fastest ride
And reach out your hand, and I'll make you mine
Everything, everything's magic
"OH MY GOSH Rachel! They're so good!" Tina yells into her ear.
"They really really are Tee! I had a feeling they would be!"
"So… Mr. Sexy Eyes, Errol FINN… how's THAT going?"
Rachel beams her megawatt smile at Tina and curls her head down to her shoulder. "He's just AMAZING. And, it's still going, after the show that is.. Don't wait up for me tonight!" and she winks at Tina.
Tina's eyes grow huge and she laughs loudly then leans to Rachel again, "That's incredible! And I want ALL the details tomorrow! But Rachel… as your best friend, I have to ask, are you sure—"
"YES Tina, I'm absolutely fine. Besides, Finn is a perfect gentleman. He's really different.. I-I just.. I'll explain tomorrow, okay?" Tina nods and wraps an arm around her friend's shoulder to squeeze her tight.
The band launches into another Finn-original song. The girls jump to their feet, throwing their hands up, pumping fists to the beat and dancing in place.
[ HALLUCINATIONS ]
And you look real close, Cross the lines and the road
It is there to decode, What you thought was a ghost
Or a spark to explode, It's the start of the show
It's the part you love the most, When your heart will implode, within
"Hey Kurt, your brother's band is insanely good!" Blaine says loudly.
"Yes they've really come a long way – you should have heard them in the beginning! But these 2 songs here, I've never heard before… Finn said he'd been writing a LOT lately, I think these are his, and they are sensational!"
Do you believe in hallucinations, silly dreams or imaginations
Don't go away 'cause I feel you this time
Don't go away 'cause I need you here this time
Do you believe in hallucinations, any dream or it's revelation
Don't go away 'cause I need you here this time
Don't go away 'cause I'm making you all mine
I'm making you all mine
I'm making you all mine
I'm making you all mine
Rachel feels Finn's eyes on her the entire time. She can't stop watching him either, in awe of his on-stage presence. He's not a hallucination, and she absolutely believes in magic now. Maybe even destiny too.
Josh speaks to the crowd again. "This next song is something pretty special, and it's being dedicated to someone pretty special here tonight" Josh looks directly at Rachel, and continues, "Actually, these first 3 songs, we can thank our incredibly DUBIOUS drummer back there, Mr. Finn Hudson, for whipping them up on the fly in the past week. He's found some new limitless inspiration lately… so here goes nothing. This is called 'BREATHE'"
My hands shake clasped with fear, As you come near,
to say goodnight, just like a dove, a peaceful sign
To help us by, as you come in, Let this begin
Stars fall like dust, our lips will touch, We speak too much
Did you know that I love you?
Come and lay with me, I love you
And honestly, I will love you
You make me feel alive, And I'll love you,
Until the end of time
I've got a lot to say, if you will let me
It's always hard, when you're around me
But here right now, there's interest in your eyes
So hear me out, and hear this the first time:
That I love you (come and lay with me)
That I love you (and honestly)
And I love you (you make me feel alive)
That I love you
Till the end of time
Tears are threatening to spill from Rachel's shimmering brown eyes. She's looking at Finn who blows her a kiss between the beats.
Puck drapes his arm around her, holds her tight and says "Seems like he's got it pretty bad for you B. What about you? How're you feeling about this guy?"
"Noah, I think.. I think I could fall in love with him.. Or, or maybe I already have…. ? Is that crazy?"
"YES! It's INSANE because you've known him for like, 5 minutes!" He tosses down a shot of tequila then sees the doubt he just planted in her face. A pain of regret pinches his brow. "Listen B. He seems like a good guy. I've only known him a couple weeks myself, but I did my due-Dillinger on him before I agreed to let him meet you."
Rachel's face reflects the shock in hearing Noah's last words, "You wha.. I KNEW you had something to do with this arrangement tonight Noah Elijah Puckerman! And by the way it's due-DILIGENCE. You said Dillinger, which is the name of a gangster, and also a gun I think."
"Right. I said what I meant," he winks at her and kisses her cheek. She smiles and rolls her eyes but hugs him tight and in his ear says "thank you Noah, I know you're looking out for me. I love you so much."
He hugs her tightly and whispers, "Love you too cuz, and I'll never stop looking out for you."
Josh interrupts Rachel & Noah's moment. "This next song is a cover, from a great band named Lifehouse who probably doesn't get enough credit I think. It's a pretty great story about a boy, chasing a girl, and promising he's gonna catch her and never let her go. Because he's 'ALL IN'."
… I came to my senses, Letting go of my defenses
There's no way I'm giving up this time
Yeah, you know I'm right here, I'm not losing you this time
And I'm all in, nothing left to hide
I'm falling harder than a landslide
I spend a week away from you last night
And now I'm calling, calling out your name
Even if I lose the game, I'm all in
I'm all in tonight, yeah I'm all in, I'm all in for life
Finn had asked Rachel to pay close attention tonight, and that's exactly what she's been doing. She cannot believe the wrote those songs - inside of a week? - and while working several jobs AND going to school. She's blown away by his talent and his dedication to his craft.
More importantly though, the message behind those songs is not lost on her; Finn's laying all his cards on the table, telling her exactly how he feels. But she doesn't understand HOW he could feel so much, and have prepared this setlist to convey his message before he even met her?
This was definitely going to be asked in the game when they resume it at dinner tonight.
Josh breaks in on Rachel's thoughts to address the room again.
"This song is another cover, from an artist who proved you sure as hell don't need American Idol's victory lap to be a winner. This is one of Chris Daughtry's many masterful big ol' FUCK YOU's to those Idol people… And a damn fine song. Sing along if you know it."
Josh turns around to look at Finn with some not-so-hidden double meaning.
[ START OF SOMETHING GOOD ]
You never know when you're gonna meet someone
And your whole wide world in a moment comes undone
You're just walking around and suddenly
Everything that you thought that you knew about love is gone
You find out it's all been wrong …
… I know that it's gonna take some time
I've got to admit that the thought has crossed my mind
This might end up like it should
And I'm gonna say what I need to say
And hope to God that it don't scare you away
Don't wanna be misunderstood
But I'm starting to believe that
this could be the start of something good
Everyone at the table has been having a blast. The band has been on fire tonight. They've played half their set and are taking a brief 15 minute break.
Standing up from his kit, Finn immediately focuses eyes on Rachel. As he heads to the few steps that lead down the side of the stage, he sees her shoot up off her stool. By the time he's down the last step, she's launching herself up at him, and he willingly catches her, sweeping her up off the ground in his arms. She wraps both of her arms securely around his neck and crashes her lips into his.
Without a doubt, Rachel Berry definitely believes in magic, and she's in his arms right now.
xo—glee*glee*glee—xo
A/N - Do you need a cold shower too? :)
I hope this chapter was worth the wait! Let me know your thoughts & feedback, please review!
…...
I have to give a huge shout out to Scarlett88 for all her INCREDIBLE help with the last few chapters! Loving this collaborative/beta work with you!
…...
This chapter was very special for me to write, and it took a little longer to fine tune than I wanted, but MY muse was still singing so I had to keep going. :)
I was inspired to write this story after reading so many incredible author's work, but also, because I wanted to send a big old love letter to FINCHEL FANS, and more importantly, to Finn Hudson and our beloved Cory Monteith. Both are gone way too soon. Fortunately we can still love our adorable quarterback here in the ether of cyberspace, with new stories to honor his legacy. By doing so, we're also honoring the memory of Cory. In another week he would have been 41 years old this year. Happy Heavenly Birthday Cory - we miss you and your talent!
More FINCHEL-ISCIOUS goodness to come in Part 2! Stay tuned!
Loads of song credits this time! Even though not all of these are mentioned in the chapter, here's the full setlist for the band's show. These songs have all been my inspiration while writing.
VOCAL ADRENALINE's FULL SETLIST FROM THE CALLBACK'S SHOW IS AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE -
Goto YouTube and Search: "anothergleekgirl playlist callbacks setlist" - or PM me and I'll send the link if you have trouble locating it
playlist?list=PLscjHdhHpyeGDmwVSzNz4laRXGvI9EKQb
(songs in BOLD were mentioned and lyrics excerpts appears in this chapter)
1] Angels & Airwaves - Everything's Magic * used as an original VA song written by Finn
2] Angels & Airwaves - Hallucinations * used as an original VA song written by Finn
3] Angels & Airwaves - Breathe * used as an original VA song written by Finn
4] Lifehouse - All In
5] Daughtry - Start Of Something Good
6] Guns N' Roses - Patience
7] Angels & Airwaves - Shove
8] Imagine Dragons - Walking The Wire
9] Angels & Airwaves - True Love
10] Radiohead - All I Need
11] Glee Cast/Finn Hudson - Can't fight this Feeling (cover of REO Speedwagon)
12] Angels & Airwaves - Clever Love
13] Bonnie Raitt - Feels Like Home
14] Journey - Any Way You Want It
15] Coldplay - Magic * previously used as an original song written by Finn in Ch7 Furt - The Philosophers
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I don't own anything - except my free will to borrow from great artists who've been showcased within… thanks be to them!
THANKS FOR READING! PLEASE REVIEW!
FAITHFULLY FINCHEL FOREVER XOXO
—gleegleeglee—