Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Believe it or not, we're not too far from the end. I'm thinking we're going to have around 25 chapters to this story.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This chapter title comes from the song "Brave New World" by Iron Maiden. This song was also used as the title for the One Tree Hill episode 3x10.
While the party kept going, inside Rachel's room, Finn and Rachel were in their own little world.
In the back of his mind, Finn was surprised that they hadn't torn each other's clothes off already. It was easy to ignore that little bit of information, though, and just relish the fact that Rachel was in his arms, her body pressed against his, and her fingers in his hair as she returned his kiss with passion.
Finn and Rachel traded slow, deep kisses, hands stroking over backs and tangled in hair. After several months apart, it was like they were taking the time to relearn one another. And while Finn knew that sex was off the table tonight—there was no need to rush the progress they had been making, after all—he still couldn't resist trailing a line of kisses down Rachel's neck, stopping to suck gently on where her pulse was racing.
"Finn," Rachel half-whispered, half-moaned. Her fingers stroked through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. Finn smiled and pressed another kiss to where her neck met the slope of her shoulder, knowing that this little impromptu make out session was likely over.
Finn shifted off of Rachel, but kept an arm draped over her waist, unable to resist holding her close. Rachel looked surprised, blinking up at Finn with wide eyes. She licked her lips, looking quite dazed, and seemed incapable of speech for several long moments.
Finally, she asked, "…Why did you stop?"
Now it was Finn's turn to stare at Rachel in surprise. "You said my name and I thought that was the cue to start the conversation about what we're doing here."
"Oh. I…" Rachel blinked rapidly, surprised that having a conversation dissecting the current interaction between them was not at the forefront of her mind. She had spent months thinking about and harping on how she and Finn needed to actually communicate in order to see what their next steps would be. The second she ended up back in Finn's arms, it had all completely flown from her mind.
That was a large part of why Rachel had been holding herself back from Finn. She loved him deeply—she wouldn't have married him if she hadn't. Being in Finn's arms had a way of making Rachel forget every problem that ever existed. She felt safe and loved with him, like they could overcome anything together.
Rachel cleared her throat. "I, um… I didn't want you to stop," she told him shyly. Her heart thudded in her chest, unsure of why she was suddenly being so shy around Finn, but this felt like a pivotal moment for them, and she wasn't about to mess it up by stopping to talk. She wanted to kiss him for at least a little longer.
Thankfully, Finn seemed to have the same idea. His lips came back down over hers, his body covering hers as he shifted over her once again. His hands smoothed down the sides of her body until they could hook under her thighs, where he guided her legs to wrap around his waist.
Rachel moaned as their bottom halves came into intimate contact with one another's. She lost herself after that, in the feel of Finn's hands on her body, his tongue stroking along hers, his lips moving against hers. She couldn't help rocking against him, and she knew that they were quickly reaching the point of no return.
Without saying anything, they both agreed to end their embrace at the same time. The kiss slowed, ending with Finn's forehead pressed against Rachel's. His hands slid back up from her thighs, and Rachel's legs dropped from around Finn's waist. Finn shifted off of Rachel once again, and she turned on her side to face him.
"We have to talk about this," she finally admitted.
Finn smiled at her, having known that this was going to come. "Yeah, we do." Rachel hesitated, and Finn's smile grew wider. "I'll start, because I know you're thinking it: what does this mean?"
"Hey! I wasn't…" At Finn's knowing look, Rachel sighed and rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine, I was thinking that. It's a valid question, though!"
"Of course it is. But do you want to ask the big question, or the little questions?"
"It depends." Rachel's eyes narrowed. "What's the big question?"
Finn hesitated, unsure if he should jump right into it. The big question was the obvious one: did this mean that they were getting back together? Ever since their lunch date—where Rachel had picked the very telling location of the place they got married—Finn had been hoping that they were headed in the right direction. There hadn't been any more pained and awkward silences between them, at any rate.
That didn't mean they were ready for the very big, very obvious question about where their relationship was headed. Reconciliation no longer seemed impossible, but that also didn't mean that Rachel would be ready to jump right in to a relationship once again.
"I think you know what the big question is," Finn finally said in a neutral voice.
Rachel bit her lip and toyed with the edge of his white t-shirt. "Ask it anyway."
Sighing, Finn dropped his head forward, until he could brush his nose against Rachel's. He pulled back just enough until he could look her in the eyes and asked, "Does this mean that we're getting back together?"
There was only the briefest of pauses before Rachel quickly said, "Yes."
"Yes?" Finn's head jutted back, his eyes widening in surprise. There had been so many agonizing moments over the past five months, a lot of times when Finn thought that despite his best efforts, this might not work out. Hearing Rachel say that the worst of it was finally over, though… well, it almost didn't seem real. "Wait, seriously?"
"Well… yes." Rachel didn't realize that the answer had been that easy until Finn had asked the question. They had been building up to this for weeks now. Rachel had known that this was going to happen, ever since she had gotten the courage to ask Finn on their lunch date. Yes, they had so much more to figure out, but they had reconnected. One of the biggest hurdles had been cleared, finally. "I'm sorry," she added, closing her eyes as she pressed her forehead to Finn's chest.
Finn stroked his hand down Rachel's back, and played with the ends of her silky hair. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of his chest, and the urge to run around shouting about his rediscovered happiness was quickly taking over. "For what?"
"I've made this so hard because I've been so afraid." Rachel found it easier to talk to Finn's chest than to look into his entirely too knowing eyes. "I've wanted this, for us to get back together, especially since we came back home. But I was so angry, so hurt, that I couldn't see past it, and I—"
"Hey." Tangling his fingers in Rachel's hair, Finn gently tilted her head back so he could look her in the eyes. "You can't take this all on yourself. This whole thing was just as much my fault as it was yours."
Rachel felt a twinge at that, but she knew he was right. They had both been so dumb, so worried about how the other would react, that they let their desire to protect the other's feelings take over. Why couldn't they have their dreams and each other, all at once? They had already taken the biggest leap by getting married.
Relationships were about the work, about choosing the other person every day. Relationships took compromise, and communication was key. Rachel and Finn had started their relationship by caring and looking out for one another, with faith and understanding. It was time for them to grown with their relationship, instead of being afraid of making mistakes.
Because mistakes were going to happen. That was how the growth happened, and they would weather it all—together.
"I know we have a lot to talk about, still," Finn said. "We can't just… brush aside everything that happened. But can't we be happy that we're back together? For a little while, at least?"
Rachel's heart squeezed in her chest, and she felt tears rush to her eyes. Finn's heart was so big, his capacity to love and forgive so great, despite the pain he had been through. He was just so good, and Rachel loved him all the more for it.
"Of course." Reaching up to touch his cheek, Rachel kissed him sweetly. "I love you, Finn."
"I love you, too."
He moved in to kiss her again, his eyes shining suspiciously. Just as their lips were about to touch, they heard a loud "WHOOP!" come from outside of Rachel's door. Then someone—who sounded suspiciously like Puck, shouted, "It's about fucking time!"
Rachel dissolved into giggles while Finn sighed and rolled his eyes. But he was smiling, because while their friends might be totally ridiculous, they were a large part of the reason that Finn and Rachel had managed to find their way back to one another. The fact that they hadn't chosen sides, and instead had found a way to support both Finn and Rachel, meant the world to them.
"I guess we should get back out there," Rachel said.
"Um, yes, you absolutely should!" Santana shouted through the door, proving that all of their nosy friends had been eavesdropping. "We have so many questions!"
Rachel had been trying to get off the bed and straighten out her dress, but Finn wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her back down on top of them. "Just for that, they can wait and listen to us make out some more!" The last part of Finn's sentence was shouted at the door, making Rachel laugh out loud.
"Well, I'm out," they heard Puck say. But Rachel and Finn stopped listening as they kissed once again, letting the world around them fade away.
"Good party, huh?"
Rachel finished knotting her hair into a messy bun and then turned to face Quinn and Santana, who were both watching her with annoyingly smug smiles on their faces.
The party had cleared out around one in the morning, but Puck, Finn, Kurt, Blaine, and the River Park boys had hung around until three. Santana had spent the night at Quinn and Rachel's place, and they were all meeting at Anne's Café that morning for a late breakfast.
"I'd like to think it was a great party," Santana teased, waggling her eyebrows at Rachel suggestively.
"Ugh, fine, it was a great party. Is that what you wanted me to say?" Rachel put her hands on her hips, waiting for them to start teasing her about how she and Finn disappeared around two in order to make out once again. Instead, Quinn smiled widely and rushed forward to hug Rachel.
"I'm just so happy that you and Finn are finally back together! Now it really is going to be the best year ever!"
Rachel laughed and patted Quinn's back while Santana rolled her eyes. "You know, I kind of miss angsty Quinn," she said, which is something so told them at least once a week, purely just to annoy Quinn.
"It's exhausting being angsty," Quinn quipped, refusing to let Santana's attempts to push her buttons get on her nerves. "Plus, there's way less angsty stuff going on, especially now that Finn and Rachel are back together."
While Rachel was relieved that Santana and Quinn were at a place where they could joke about what happened with them and Puck last year, it was still a little dicey to get into. It was better to change the subject, so Rachel suggested that they leave to get to the café before the boys, so they could get a head start on the coffee consumption.
Thankfully, Quinn and Santana agreed. Anne had seen the girls walking up to the Café and already had three steaming lattes ready for them. They took their seats at the counter and Rachel laughed at the way Anne could barely contain her smile. Clearly, despite the late hour that her son had arrived at home, he had still managed to tell her about Finn and Rachel's rekindled relationship.
"Alright, out with it," Rachel said with a wave of her hand.
"I'm just so happy you and Finn are back together!" Anne exclaimed, at the exact moment the bell above the door to the cafe chimed once again. Finn, Puck, Kurt, and Blaine had arrived, and with one look at his mother, Puck was easily able to tell what the girls were talking about. He rolled his eyes as he made his way to the counter, lifting one of the glass cloches to retrieve a chocolate chip muffin.
"Jeez, Mom, could you chill out for like one second?" Puck bit into the muffin and sighed happily. By some miracle, no one had woken up with a debilitating hangover after the party, but they did all have that general feeling of exhaustion after a late night. Everyone in their little group was dressed in comfortable clothing, and Puck was sure that they were about to put a serious dent in his mother's coffee supply.
Completely ignoring her son, Anne ran from around the counter to hug Finn and Rachel at the same time. They hadn't even had the chance to properly greet one another yet, but they laughed and gladly returned Anne's hug. It was just another reminder of how everyone had been rooting for them from the very beginning.
Anne was soon back behind the counter, promising to whip up an entire breakfast spread for all of them. Settling on the stool next to Rachel, Finn leaned over and kiss her tenderly. She smiled and gripped the strings of his hoodie, using them to pull him closer to her and kiss him again.
The bell above the door to the café chimed again, but no one paid much attention to it. Everyone was chatting about the party, Finn and Rachel were still kissing, and Anne was pouring them new cups of coffee. When a familiar—and unwanted—voice cut through the morning bustle of the café, everyone froze.
"So it's true, then. The two of you are back together."
Finn parted from Rachel with a heavy sigh, closing his eyes for a long moment. He inhaled sharply and opened his eyes once again, looking over at his father.
Christopher Hudson was standing in the middle of Anne's Café in an expensive suit, with a dark green folder tucked under one arm. Rachel released an annoyed sigh of her own. She hadn't missed coming into contact with Chris over the past five months. When she hadn't seen him once the school year started, she had wondered if he had moved away. She had guessed it was too good to be true, unfortunately.
Puck stood up and moved so that he was half in front of Rachel, and situated himself so that he was next to Finn, ready to back him up at any given moment. Chris cast a brief look towards his older son and sneered at him before turning back to Finn.
"I expected better of you, son. You could have been rid of this… union weighing you down." He said it as though it was a dirty word. "You could have had everything. College prospects, to Ohio State, just like we've always dreamed. But you're going to throw it all away to play at house again?"
Finn lifted his chin and crossed his arms over his chest. His father had shown up at First Down a few times, but Finn had gone out of his way to avoid him. "I have nothing to say to you." At this point, Finn had decided that refusing to engage in Chris's antics was the best way to handle the situation.
"Hm. Well." Chris paused to cast another sneer Rachel's way, and she narrowed her eyes at him in a glare of her own. He didn't scare her in the slightest. "If you change your mind, I took the liberty of drawing up some divorce papers for the two of you. Just in case."
Finn squeezed Rachel's hand and then stood up, crossing the café to where his father stood. He held his hand out, and Chris—for once—was surprised as he handed the folder over. Finn opened it and, without looking at the contents, pulled the papers out and ripped them in half, then into quarters. He put the pieces back into the folder and returned them to Chris.
"You're a fool," Chris snarled.
Anne, who had been doing her best to remain silent as all of this unfolded—she wanted to give Finn a chance to say what he needed to his father—stepped out from behind the counter and put herself between Chris and the kids. His eyes, which at one point had looked at her with affection, were empty as he stared down at her. This was not the man that she had known in high school, and her heart broke for Finn and her own son. They should not have had to deal with a man like this.
"Get out." Anne's voice was quiet but firm. Her order was simple, but it did the trick; Chris turned on his heel and left the café, being sure to slam the door behind him.
Finn exhaled slowly and scrubbed a hand over his face. "This isn't over."
Puck and Rachel moved at the same time, coming to stand on either side of Finn. Puck clasped Finn on the shoulder while Rachel reached down and took his hand, holding it between both of hers.
"No, it's not over," Rachel agreed. "But we'll handle it."
Finn smiled down at Rachel, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. He smiled at Puck, as well, who returned his grin before he swiveled towards his mother. "Seriously, how could you think that dating him was ever a good idea?"
Anne gave her son a patient look. "You do realize that you wouldn't be here if I hadn't dated him, right?"
"Oh. Right." Puck thought about it for a moment, then grinned smugly. "I might be the greatest thing that Chris Hudson ever did."
Everyone started laughing as Finn rolled his eyes. Rachel swatted at her best friend's chest, trying her best to be annoyed even as she fought her own smile. "Noah!"
"What?" Puck held his hands up. "I'm just trying to lighten the mood!"
Rachel shook her head and took Finn's hand again, leading him back towards the counter so that they could finally have some breakfast. As they sat there with their friends and the conversation turned to more relaxed subjects, they all knew that everything was going to be okay.
Thanks for reading! Hope that you all enjoyed this chapter!