A/N - Apologies folks. I've had a touch of writer's block for the next chap of RER:CHHTA, but one is in the works and I hope to have it done soon. Also, life has been getting in the way a little... Meantime my moose keeps taking me back to the prom. Hope you'll humor me and don't mind reading yet ANOTHER version - this time a total FIXIT. =)
It's time.
After months of meticulous planning and preparation, the night was finally here. He never really cared about being 'prom royalty' or even being 'on top', at least not so much anymore.
He thought the whole concept of begging for prom votes was lame and pointless and in a couple years when they graduated, nobody would give a crap about who was prom king or queen, so what did any of it matter anyway?
For a while he considered what would happen if he just shut off his phone and stayed home. He'd wrestled with it and fought against it (in his head anyway) and had finally come to accept the fact that he just needed to do this. It was a second chance and he was gonna take it.
He knows she'll be beautiful. He knows she'll be the brightest light in the room. He also knows she'll probably be totally pissed but he figures he'll cross that bridge when it's time to jump off it or something.
He was given a checklist in advance by his brother to be sure he didn't screw anything up or forget anything important. His mom was cool enough to pick up his tux from the rental shop for him, and Kurt was extra cool enough to make sure every last detail of his attire was perfect.
So now he stands in his room getting dressed. The powder blue cummerbund and bow tie lay there on his bed and looked up at him as if taunting him. Little blue reminders of what a world-class screw-up he's been lately and what his life has been reduced to.
Baby blue. Babies. A baby he could've been saddled with a year ago, but somehow he'd gotten a pass, a miraculous get-out-of-jail-free card that released him from that mess... that whole lying, cheating, backstabbing, sordid mess. And yet, look where he ended up. What the hell was wrong with him?
How the hell did he wind up in this same boat again? Oh yeah, right, he remembers how. He kinda put his heart into this, like, witness protection program, figuring it'd be safer there with the willowy beautiful blonde mean girl he knew couldn't ever hurt it again, versus leaving it bare and exposed, hanging off his sleeve where that gorgeous tiny little brunette force of nature could come along and steamroll it.
So he did all the GUY things like Puck had always taught him: he avoided. He denied. He pretended. He was cocky and cavalier and faked it for months, hoping eventually it'd just go away and get better.
But it's been months and all that crap was ancient history now. And it didn't get better and it didn't go away either. He let it all go too far anyway, let it get too deep under his skin, and really, he should've just gotten over her indiscretion at the time. It would've saved him so many sleepless nights and a lot of wasted time campaigning for something he seriously couldn't give two shits less about.
Yeah, she was way out of line, kissing Puck like that on purpose to hurt him, but god knows he'd been no saint either. He'd already hurt her more times than he could count over the span of their relationship. Granted, none of it was done on purpose, surely not like the way she took aim at his heart with a flamethrower, but still. Like that song in that Chicago musical says, maybe he had it comin'. He'd been a douche and he could admit that now.
Anyway, like he said, it's all ancient history now, and he can't go back and change the past. It'd be super cool if he could, 'cause he knows where he'd go. He'd go straight back to that auditorium picnic and just stay there with her, lost in the feel of her lips and the depth of her pretty eyes. He shoulda never left her behind that day, except maybe to properly reset the course of his life at the time... But that's from another lifetime ago, too.
Right now it's a different time, and a different girl, and a different Finn for that matter. And right now he's got a shitty baby blue tie and cummerbund staring up at him, making him wanna just strip down to his Rocky Horror costume, climb under the covers and stay home.
But he knows he's not gonna do that. He'd solidly made up his mind last night about how to remedy things as he laid awake tossing and turning. He was finally gonna do this right tonight and make it count for something. For once, he was gonna TRY to get it right, make the girl happy, and not be a total screw-up. Tonight he was gonna prove that he was part of something special.
Kurt finished tying the damn bow tie for him (again) and adjusted his cufflinks and checked to be sure there was nary a fleck of lint anywhere on the matte black rental tux.
His mom snapped a couple quick pictures of the pair of them before Blaine arrived and then he told her he had to make a quick stop somewhere on the way and didn't wanna be late so he had to bolt. He was a little ahead of schedule, but that's okay, he'd rather be early than late – in fact the earlier the better, so he headed out the front door.
Good thing he ran through that checklist (three times). He remembered everything, including a full gas tank, his overnight bag (with iPod, stolen bottle of real champagne – courtesy of Blaine's parent's private stash – and a change of clothes) which he'd loaded in his truck earlier (for the hotel room that nobody except Kurt knows about; the parents think it's for an overnight stay at Mike's after-prom party), and lastly but most importantly, the corsage.
Only, Rachel's suggestion of white gardenias with a green ribbon seemed wrong in this instance. He still couldn't believe the kindness and openness of her heart, that she'd go so far as to give that kind of advice to him about flowers for another girl – particularly for THAT girl. Especially not when he could see so plainly written all over her face how it made her feel even just saying the words. His heart clenched thinking of how she managed to put their friendship ahead of her own feelings, even if it truly hurt her. So he thought long and hard about it, and decided the corsage should have white orchids with just a blush of baby pink in the centers and a gold ribbon. He hopes she likes it, because he thought it was way more appropriate than what Rachel suggested.
It took him a solid week of planning and self-administered pep talks in the mirror to work up the nerve to pull this off. He's not always been the best boyfriend or the most romantic guy for that matter, and he knows she's screwed up pretty bad on more than one occasion too, but they need this. At least, he hopes maybe this one perfect night can help make things okay.
In all honesty, he hadn't really been looking forward to this stupid night for the whole of his high school existence, but now that it's here, he figures he's gonna make the best of it, make it count. It could actually turn out to be one of the best nights of his life if everything works out the way he hopes. Quinn was right when she said these were his memories in the making too, so he's gonna suck it up and have the best damn night of his life even if it kills him. (It cost him two months of savings to get that hotel room, after all.) But if it does kill him, at least he tried and nobody could accuse him of skimping on the details.
. . . . .
He pulled up in the driveway and cut the engine. Showtime. The house looked the same as always. No matter what lay in wait on the other side of that front door, the familiar tulip border along the walkway was still cheerily there to greet him at least, immaculately manicured as usual, next to an inviting concrete conduit he'd traveled countless times before that could prove to be either the start of the very best or the end of the very worst part of his evening so far, depending on what happened in the next few minutes.
He just hoped swapping out the stupid blue bowtie for a white one at the last minute doesn't look too doofy (and good thing he'd finally paid attention when Kurt showed him how to tie it for the millionth time). He hopes she'll approve – assuming she doesn't like, slap the stupid out of him when she sees him and throw him out on his ear or anything. He really didn't wanna kiss that concrete walkway.
Deciding it's now or never, he grabbed the door handle and pushed the creaky truck door open, dropping his giant polished black patent leather-clad feet out onto the asphalt. He slung the door shut behind him, took a deep breath and began his journey up the little stone walkway.
He was sweating bullets under that penguin suit and felt his heart racing with each footstep striding alongside the tulip border as he inched closer to his destiny (or his doom) and that big red door. He took the last two steps up the front stoop, paused to collect himself (checking his reflection in the glass window of the storm door to be sure his hair wasn't all sticking out like a rooster or anything ridiculous like that) and pressed the doorbell. Then he waited with eyes sealed shut. He heard soft shuffling and murmured voices from the other side and suddenly the red door swung open, at the same time as did his eyes.
"Oh... Finn?"
"Um. Hi, hello Mr Berry, sir. I'm sure you're probably uh, pretty surprised to see me, but... if it's okay, I'd really like to see Rachel. Like, I really just... well, I really really need to see her. Please, sir?"
Trying to conceal the smirk that threatened the corners of his mouth, Hiram Berry attempted to keep a stern but neutral expression as he gazed upon the nervous tall teen before him. "Certainly yes, yes, you're so right, ah, surprised... that's the word, indeed. Well... Hmm sure, son, come on in. You ah, you still know where the den is, I'm sure, so why don't you go on inside there, and ah, make yourself at home. I'll just go check on Rachela." Finn watched the older man scurry down the opposite hallway, as he called out toward the kitchen "LeRoy? LeRoy, we have a surprise guest! Young Mister Hudson is here. Won't you bring him a cool beverage and come say hello? I'm off to check on our little Star."
Half a can of Coke and what felt like the longest fifteen minutes of his life later after being interrogated by LeRoy Berry and explaining his plans, Hiram finally reappeared. "She was right behind me, she should be here in just a moment. LeRoy, shall we go check the status of the lamb in the oven?"
The two men exchanged uncertain looks then left him standing alone in their den. When Rachel didn't immediately reveal herself, Finn began to pace the length of the room nervously, stopping to admire each of the photos adorning the bookcase as he passed them. Smiling baby Rachel at six months old, her thick head of hair already forming little ringlets. Toddler Rachel in her tap costume with a first-place ribbon proudly clutched in one hand. Seven-year-old Rachel in her little pink tutu and ballerina slippers. (He really likes that one 'cause he's always loved her in pink.)
He's seen all these photos hundreds of times before, but it's been a while and he's missed seeing and remembering all these versions of Rachel Berry that came before the one he knows best. The one he's currently hoping won't totally murder him in her father's den on prom night.
Before he could move on to admire the next photo, he heard the slight ruffle of a gown and a soft throat clearing behind him. He shot straight up as an arrow and spun around on his heel to face her as she stood in the doorway frozen, beautiful huge chocolate eyes swimming in disbelief staring up at him, and he lost all ability to breathe or speak.
"Finn? Wh-what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at Quinn's by now, or on your way there at the very least?"
He took in her appearance, drinking it in slowly as his eyes raked up her tiny frame from the delicate gold heels on her tiny feet up her sexy toned legs right up to her sparkling, confused eyes. He was simply captivated by her beauty. She held him hostage in this trance as she stood before him in her strapless baby pink prom dress, her lovely bare shoulders exposed and ripe for the kissing. He just wanted to reach out and touch her, to feel her luscious silky mahogany locks that were worn partially down with soft tendrils framing her gorgeous face. Her makeup was light and blush and perfect. She was simply a vision and even more enchanting than he'd been dreaming about these past few nights. Quinn Fabray had nothing on Rachel Berry in that dress.
"Finn...? Are you–"
"So damn beautiful," he finally murmured, then cleared his throat a little, shaking off his momentary stupor and found his voice. "You're breathtaking, Rach. I mean, WOW. You look... completely amazing. Like a princess."
She blushed and smiled shyly, clutching at the little star charm that hung around her neck (suddenly feeling a little embarrassed that she'd chosen THAT particular necklace to wear; you know, the one he'd given to her as a belated Christmas gift on Valentine's Day).
"Th-thank you... and um, you look wonderful too. Very handsome. I'm sure Quinn will be very impressed. But I still don't understand why you're here?"
He swallowed hard, blowing out a soft breath, and knew this was the make-or-break moment. With as much confidence and courage he could muster, he looked her directly in the eyes and stated plainly, "I'm here to take you to prom. If you wanna go, that is... with me, I mean. I–"
"Finn, you have a girlfriend. And I have a date," she quickly answered without humor. To say she was flummoxed would be quite an understatement and he could see a mix of confusion and possibly amusement flash in her features as she spoke.
"Well, no."
"No? No, what?"
"No, I don't have a girlfriend anymore, or a prom date for that matter." She looked like she was about to launch into some epic Rachel Berry speech berating him for his insanity, but he kept going while he still had the chance. "And I know this is like, really last minute so maybe it's kinda not cool, but I hope you can look past that point, because I would very much really like you to be my date tonight. Also um, Sam isn't coming. Actually, he and Mercedes are probably at Quinn's house as we speak."
Her eyes became saucer-shaped and he could see she was more than a little irritated now. "WHAT?! Wh-what have you done?! Finn Hudson, have you lost your–-"
"Nope. I haven't lost my head – in fact, I can say with certainty that I just found it. Turns out it was shoved pretty far up my backside for a while there."
She cringed and narrowed her eyes. "Finn, that's a rather crass statement, and–"
He smiled that crooked half-smile of his, flashing a dimple, figuring it couldn't hurt to pull out the big guns a little early. "I know, I know, I'm sorry, but it's not like it isn't the truth," he chuckled softly as he shuffled a step in her direction. Her expression screamed 'I am unamused' and he decided he needed to get more serious too.
"Rachel... the truth is, I miss you. I've been missing you for a long time... For months. I miss us. And I love you. I've never not loved you, from the minute I first heard you sing. Maybe I've fought it or tried to deny it or bury it or was confused by it, but... but there's just no getting around it. Facts are facts."
He took the final couple of steps to stand directly toe to toe with her and took both her hands in his then placed her left hand over the right side of his chest. Looking deep into her eyes, he spoke softly. "I told you once before, you touched me, right here," then he slid her hand over to the left side of his chest, "and then you took the thing that used to be over here and claimed it as your own. It's still yours and I don't want it back."
Tears formed in her wide doe eyes, but he could still see the sadness there too. As he continued holding her hand against his chest, he cupped her cheek with his other hand and stepped a little closer to her until their bodies were nearly flush against one another.
"I love you, Rach, you're just... you're everything to me. And I'm sorry for everything and that it's taken me so long to get here... Yeah, we need to talk about some stuff still. I know we both made mistakes and we hurt each other, but I'm so far past all of that now. I'm so over the thing with Puck, okay?
"And, and Quinn, well, that was just... I'd call it a mistake, but in all honesty, I can't. Up until yesterday I thought it was a HUGE mistake, but now I know it was really just a detour, or maybe a wrong turn... it was me finding my way back home where I belong. Back to you. I'm so sorry that it hurt you, me, and Quinn. I never meant to hurt you, Rach, I promise I didn't."
She inhaled sharply and closed her eyes as a few tears escaped down her cheek. "Finn..." she started softly, but he shook his head and kept talking.
"I realize that me just showing up like this tonight is risky, because I know I haven't paid my dues or made things right with you yet. But I want to, so bad. I need you to know what you mean to me, Rach. I need you to know that either I'm taking you to the prom tonight or I'm just not going.
"Either way, I'm not walking away from here without you tonight, because I know you love me as much as I love you, and this was always supposed to be OUR night together. I screwed up and let us miss the last few big holidays, but I'm not screwing this up, too. I want us to fix this thing between us because, well because I can't keep walking around with the better half of me missing.
"So... Rachel Berry. If you wanna be mad and yell or scream or slap me, well, go on and get it out of your system. I can take whatever you wanna dish out. But it's not gonna change things for me. And when you're done, I'm still gonna take you to that dance and try not to step on your feet too much while I make an ass of myself dancing to some lame DJ techno-music, and we're gonna get our picture taken in the little photo booth thingy there, and we're gonna have a sing along with our friends when a Journey song comes on, and I'm gonna kiss you under the twinkle lights in the middle of the dance floor and hold you close while we sway to some really slow sappy love songs. I might even start singing Faithfully to you so you remember who we still are... Because ready or not, you're still my girl, and I'm still your guy, too. I'm forever yours... always have been, and always will be."
By that time, Rachel's tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks and she couldn't form a word to agree or protest over the lump in her throat. So she did the only thing she could at that point: she popped up on her tiptoes while pulling him down by his lapels and crushed her lips to his in a bruising kiss.
He fought the urge to tangle his hands in her hair that was fixed so pretty, so instead he cradled her cheeks in his hands and kissed back with everything he had, enjoying the taste of her watermelon-flavored lip gloss.
After several minutes she pulled back and found her voice. "I have to admit, you're awfully presumptuous, Finn Hudson, hijacking my prom night. What would you do if I sent you away and refused to go anywhere with you?"
He smiled and wrapped his hands around her hips pulling her tighter to him. "I'd camp out on your front lawn and sing your favorite songs all night until you changed your mind or I lost my voice, whichever came first."
She flashed her megawatt smile then and said, "Well, I guess, for the sake of my neighbors and my own beauty rest, it would probably be best if I didn't turn you away then, huh?"
"That'd probably be the smart choice," he smiled into another kiss, this time soft and lingering. Then he whispered in her ear, "Shh.. I don't want your dads to hear, but you have your overnight bag packed, right?"
She eyed him suspiciously. "Yes, it's with Mercedes already, but... h-how did you know I was having a sleepover at her house? Did Kurt tell you?"
"Yeah, something like that," he winked and stole another sweet kiss. "But you should probably know, I hijacked your sleepover plans too." He silenced her with another kiss before she could ask any other questions and whispered that he'd explain later.
. . . . .
After Rachel re-touched her makeup and her fathers managed to capture a few (dozen) photos, they set out for the evening. Finn walked confidently along the little concrete pathway towards the driveway with Rachel's arm twined through his while the cheery little tulip border bade them farewell.
As he helped her up into the passenger side of his truck, he reached into the back seat to retrieve the corsage. "Oh yeah, I didn't forget... I hope you like it. The uh, the gardenias with a green ribbon was a nice suggestion and all, but my girl actually looks better in gold, just like the star she already is," he said as he slipped the wristband over her right hand. "And um, I thought orchids were a better choice, too, since they're more rare and unique, like my beautiful girl."
Rachel blinked away the shock, partly to fend off the tears threatening to reemerge then smiled brightly and pressed a sweet kiss to his cheek as she held a hand against his rugged jaw. "They're just lovely, Finn, thank you. Seems you didn't need any advice after all, did you?"
He thought for a moment before responding. "Well, yeah, actually, I kinda did... 'cause you also asked that I be as supportive of you as you've been of me. And you reminded me that as long as we weren't together, I didn't get a say in who you dated. Well, I decided that wasn't acceptable and I needed to remedy that situation. So right after that conversation we had, after you walked away from me, I went to break things off with Quinn and tell her I couldn't take her to prom."
Rachel frowned a little at this new information. "B-but Finn, she was so looking forward to going as your date! You were campaigning together and it meant so much to her... that wasn't very chivalrous to do that to her at the last minute."
"Yeah, I kinda knew you'd feel that way, too, plus I really didn't wanna be a total douche. Which is why I also talked Sam and Mercedes into taking her instead of you. And honestly, Quinn wasn't as upset about the breakup as you might think, either. She said she was surprised I waited this long. I think she's more worried about being prom queen than anything. So who knows, maybe Sam and Quinn will end up back together tonight too?"
She just gazed at him in awe. "Maybe... Stranger things have happened, haven't they? Now Mr Hudson, do you mind explaining what you meant when you said you hijacked my sleepover too?"
"Oh, right. Uh, look don't freak out, okay? You can totally say no and still keep your original plans to stay with Cedes if you really want to, but I just thought we could use an evening to ourselves. So I... I got a hotel room – NOT because I had anything specific in mind other than talking, because like I said, I know we need to do a lot of that. But y'know, it's not very often we have the chance to be out all night without interruptions."
Rachel felt her cheeks flush crimson as she considered the idea of the two of them alone in a hotel room all night without parents or Kurt or any other unwanted distractions. She knew Finn was nothing but honorable and certainly didn't think for one moment he had anything lecherous in mind (although she wasn't sure she could say the same for herself, depending on how things went this evening).
Finally, she looked into his warm, earnest, hopeful amber eyes and grinned when she saw him visibly relax when she didn't immediately explode at him. "You're right, it's not that often. I think it would be a wonderful idea, so I'd be happy to spend the evening with you. I just can't believe you planned all of this."
He smiled a half smile, raised her hand to his mouth and brushed his lips softly against her knuckles. "I just missed you so much and... I just wanted us to have a good night together, a night to remember. I mean, I expect I'll have to share you at prom, but afterward, I just want you all to myself."
She flashed a warm smile at him. "I've missed you too, Finn. So much. And I'm not freaked out by your forwardness, even though maybe I should be. Who knows, I might even be pretty happy about having my sleepover plans hijacked... I'll keep you posted," she winked.
. . . . .
Twenty minutes later, Hiram Berry answered his front door for a second time that evening.
"Ah, Mr Berry, good evening! So nice to see you again. Is our lovely young ingénue nearly ready to go?"
Hiram smirked ruefully. "Why hello, Jesse! Ahh... you know, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but I'm afraid you just missed her. Seems another suitor beat you to the punch and they've already departed for the evening."
"What? Are you seri– hold on. You're saying she stood me up? That's just not possible. Who else would she have gone with?"
"Hmm... yes, well, I'mmm pretty sure her boyfriend was escorting her this evening."
"Boyfriend? But she didn't ha– Oh. Wait. Let me guess. Finn Hudson?"
Hiram nodded once and smiled sympathetically. "It seems you're a little too late, young man."
Jesse snorted without humor, shaking his head. "Right. Seems like that's been the case from the very start."
. . . . .
"Oh my god, LOOK!" Kurt and Blaine were at the refreshments table with Mercedes, Tina and Mike when Tina suddenly squealed joyously, pointing and bouncing, calling their attention to the gym entrance as Finn and Rachel appeared, entering the prom with arms linked. Finn was gazing down at his petite date with a look of pure love and adoration as Rachel reflected the same back up at him.
"Well I'll be damned. It looks like his hair-brained plan actually worked after all," Kurt exhaled with a certain amount of disbelief in his tone.
"His plan?" Blaine asked.
"Yes, HE actually conspired to win the heart of his little Diva back tonight by staging a last minute prom-posal of sorts at her house. I thought he was a little insane, but then, so is Rachel, so I guess it all worked out after all. And thank Liza I don't see any bruises or obvious signs of a beating, so Diva must have forgiven his insanity and accepted his ludicrous plans for the night."
The gel-haired boy smiled and nodded then asked, "It appears so – and they look quite happy together. But wait, what happened with him and Quinn?"
Kurt shrugged before supplying, "All I know is that he broke up with her three days ago. Mercedes said she and Sam were supposed to bring her tonight but she told them not to bother, she had other plans. Speaking of Quinn, has anyone seen her?"
. . . . .
Blaine was on stage performing a Black Kids song with Brittany and Tina acting as his backup singers. The night had been playing out wonderfully and drama-free so far. Initially, Rachel and Finn had garnered a certain amount of (unwanted) attention from confused onlookers; after all, they were supposed to be broken up and Finn was supposed to be escorting a prom queen candidate to this shindig, not a Gleek. But the crowd's fascination with this turn of events wore off quickly (especially after Finn told several people in no uncertain terms to mind their own damn business) and all the Gleeks remained in a relatively tight group enjoying the evening together.
Sam and Mercedes seemed to be having a great time, dancing much of the night just the two of them, which sort of confused Finn. He'd kind of expected his shorter rival to have resumed his pursuit of a certain blonde-haired green-eyed Cheerio, then it dawned on him: Quinn Fabray had so far remained unseen for the night. None of the Gleeks had seemed to pay any real attention to this detail until the time was approaching for the announcement of prom queen.
Santana was the first to question her absence and to poke fun at Finn, asking where he'd stashed the body and how his usually clumsy Jolly Green Giant self had managed not to get any blood on his pretty white dress shirt.
Partway through Blaine's song, any questions of Quinn's whereabouts were finally laid to rest when they finally saw her enter the gym – on the arm of none other than Jesse St James. Kurt was the first to gasp and call attention to the newest arrivals.
"Can you believe she brought HIM as her date? What kind of twisted, bizarro, alternate universe are we living in!?" He gasped.
"Well this should be interesting," Mercedes mused. "Wonder if White Boy's gonna keep his cool over this?" nodding her chin in the direction of Finn, who was far too lost in Rachel's eyes to even notice what was happening.
Puck read the room and shrugged. "I'm sure he'll be just fine. He's too busy burying his face in the Berry patch over there to even notice. Now, never mind that boring shit; everyone cover me, I'm gonna get that punch bowl spiked tonight one way or another if it's the last thing I do. Coach Sue has been M-I-A for a few minutes so I think I gotta good shot right now! Lauren, baby you stand in front of the punch bowl for me."
"Huh... Yeah, Coach Sue hasn't been seen haranguing anyone for a while now, which is odd. Come to think of it, where's Artie? He's disappeared too." Mike mused out loud to nobody.
. . . . .
Quinn spotted Finn and Rachel dancing and laughing as Blaine's song continued. She whispered in Jesse's ear and guided them to the dancefloor right next to the happily reunited couple. Jesse couldn't resist making his presence and his ridiculous conceited smirk known.
"Well hello there Miss Berry. You're quite the vision in pink, aren't you? How thoughtful of you to stand me up the way you did. You know, if you'd intended to reunite with this giant Oaf over here, I wouldn't have wasted my time getting a limo or renting this tux."
Rachel frowned realizing that Jesse and Quinn were now right next to them and clearly both seemed to have an ax to grind. Before Rachel could speak, Finn immediately put himself between his petite date and the bane of his existence. He glanced between Quinn and Jesse and decided maybe things worked out the way they should – ruthless attention whores as they both were, those two certainly seemed to deserve each other.
"Sorry man. Rachel made a last minute change in plans, but as you can see she's no longer available, and she doesn't need you coming in here ruining her night. So maybe just uh, tend to your own 'date' there, and back off her," Finn spat at the shorter curly-haired boy, glancing at Quinn, who seemed to be shooting daggers at both him and Rachel. He knew that look all too well and it seemed Scary Quinn was out in full force.
"Or what? Who's gonna make me, Hudson? You?" Jesse sneered. "Everyone knows you're a talentless loser. Rachel must've dug deep into the gutter if this is who she decided to go slumming with tonight. I thought she had better taste than that, but it seems I was mistaken."
"Finn, just ignore him please," Rachel tried soothing Finn, but her words seemed too lost in a sea of testosterone to have any impact. Jesse's smug goading was all Finn needed to hear. He'd wished for any excuse at all to finally get some payback at the little asswipe for crushing Rachel's heart last year, and Jesse's comments seemed to supply just the fuel he needed.
Finn stood straight and tall, ignoring Rachel's plea. He squinted down at the shorter guy in front of him and leaned into Jesse's personal space. "Yeah, I'm gonna make you. Now I said BACK OFF, little man."
At that, Finn felt Rachel's little hand wrap around his forearm. She tried again a little more insistently. "Finn, come on, please don't let him ruin our evening... it's not worth it. He's not worth it." Finn turned to face her, relaxing his posture and flashing a soft smile as Rachel leaned up to place a sweet kiss on his cheek. The next thing he knew, they both ended up on the floor as Jesse St James shoved Finn hard, knocking them both off balance and toppling them over.
Finn quickly recovered, jumped to his feet and took both Rachel's hands to help her off the floor. "You okay, Rach?" Rachel nodded, adding "I'm fine Finn," while smoothing her dress and Finn continued to assess her for any damage. He then turned his rage on the source of their spill.
Before Jesse knew what hit him, Finn's fist landed in his face. Quinn shrieked as the two boys began a shoving match and suddenly Sue Sylvester appeared, grabbing the pair of boys by their scruffs. "That's it for you, Marvelous Marvin! You too, Sugar Ray!"
"Wait! Coach, it wasn't Finn's fault! Jesse St Sucks knocked him and Rachel to the floor and started the fight!" Santana defended.
"And what do you know about it, Sandbags?" The tall tracksuit-clad woman sniped at the Latina.
"I know that Quinnterfering over here is just jealous and probably trying to ruin Rachel's night. I know that Finnocense was just defending himself and his Lady Hobbit. He might be kind of a Class A Simpleton most of the time, but he's not usually a fighter and certainly not one to ruin a Finchel reunion night for him and his little dwarf."
"Yeah, Jesse St James doesn't even go to this school! In fact, he's not even a high school student anymore! He graduated from Carmel last year, he's over 18, an adult and doesn't belong here!" Kurt supplied.
Sue eyed Finn skeptically as Rachel further pleaded his case through tear-filled eyes. "Please Coach Sylvester, Finn honestly was only protecting me. We were minding our own business when Jesse came and said some terrible things to us then shoved Finn first and knocked me on the floor. Please don't take this out on Finn!"
"Oh sure, play the part of the sweet innocent damsel in distress," Quinn snarked mirthlessly.
"Oh shut it Mommy Dearest," Santana sniped. "You probably put this brillo-headed loser up to it anyhow."
"Okay okay ENOUGH, all of you! St James, the exit is THAT way. The rest of you disperse before I find Figgins and have you all sentenced to a forced labor camp. Lord knows my Cheerios could use some new uniforms and the sweat shop I normally use was shut down by the Peruvian government last month. Porcelain and Aretha over there sure look like they know their way around a sewing machine." With that, she turned and escorted Jesse St James out of the gymnasium.
. . . . .
"Last dance of the night. Shall we?" Finn smiled down at Rachel with his hand extended.
"I'd love to," she smiled back as her eyelashes fluttered.
Finn sang softly in Rachel's ear as they swayed to the music.
What if I told you it was all meant to be
Would you believe me, would you agree
It's almost that feeling we've met before
So tell me that you don't think I'm crazy
When I tell you love has come here and now
Rachel's hands went to Finn's cheeks and urged him down into a sweet kiss just like he'd described, in the middle of the dance floor under the mirror ball and soft twinkle lights. She felt like a princess at that moment.
. . . . .
"Did you have a good time tonight Rach?" Finn asked as he poured the bootleg champagne for them in their hotel room.
"I did. The little sprinkling of Jesse drama aside, it was a magical evening, Finn. I'm sorry you didn't win prom king though."
He smiled ruefully. "I'm not. I really didn't care about all that prom royalty crap. I shoulda listened to my gut and walked away from Quinn as soon as she became all Crazy Prom Quinn." Rachel nodded in understanding without looking at him, something which he took notice of and amended his statement. "Actually I shoulda listened to my gut and never gone back to her in the first place."
Rachel forced a smile glancing up at him and glossed over his last comment. "I voted for you, you know."
"You did?"
"Of course I did. I'll always root for you, no matter what... Thank you for tonight, Finn," she replied with a soft smile.
He smiled and brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. "No, thank YOU. Thank you for taking a chance on me again, on us. You could've easily told me to take a hike and I would've deserved it after all the times I've let you down."
"Finn, don't say that. We... we've both made mistakes, as you pointed out earlier tonight. And I just need to tell you again how sorry I am for the one that hurt you so, so badly and ruined what we had. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did."
Finn set down his champagne, turned his body to fully face her and took her hands in his. "Hey, I forgive you, Rach. And I understand now... or well, I think I do. I messed up, big time. Not just by lying to you, but the way I reacted when the truth came out... I let you down first. I shoulda paid better attention to how you were feeling instead of getting so hung up on the fact that we weren't together when I was with Santana. I was such a douche to you in the green room at sectionals, too, and I never said how sorry I am for not hearing you out or how I acted that night. I shouldn't have talked to you the way I did. I damn sure shouldn't have let Santana say the crap she said."
Rachel squeezed his hands and looked down at her lap as they sat side by side on the end of the queen-sized bed. "Why were you so upset that night Finn? You've never yelled at me like that before."
"I guess it was more because I was mad at myself for even getting involved with Santana in the first place. Then hearing how everyone in Glee already knew about it – which I didn't know until then – the shame and embarrassment of it all came crashing back down on my head. It kinda felt like Babygate all over again. It didn't even occur to me that it probably felt the same to you. But y'know, sometimes my temper takes over and I lash out at the wrong people. I do stupid things without thinking about it and live to regret them later."
"Yeah, I can relate. Especially about doing stupid things... like kissing another guy instead of just talking to the person I love most in the world..."
Finn cupped her cheek and stroked his thumb lightly over her soft skin. "Rach, can we both agree we screwed up and we forgive each other? And promise to do better and TALK to each other going forward from now on? Because I just wanna forget all that crap and start again."
She nodded and wiped a tear away. "I'd like that, Finn. Very much. And, no more secrets, no more lies EVER, like you said before... I promise."
"Me too." He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. After a beat, he leaned back looking into her beautiful brown eyes. "So... does that mean we're officially back together?"
"Is that what you want?"
"More than anything. I love you, Rach, and I want to be your boyfriend again."
"I love you too, Finn. So yes, I'd love to be your girlfriend," she said as she reached for his shoulders. He dipped down, placing a gentle kiss on her lips as she ran her fingers through his russet hair.
The next few hours were spent with the reunited couple rediscovering each other intimately. Rachel still felt it was too soon to take the final step together, but she knew that as long as they continued to heal and grow together, she'd be ready soon. For now, they were content to please each other in all the ways they'd done in the past, only this time for the first time they did so fully unclothed. After finding their peaks together several times, they finally fell asleep tangled in one another's arms.
. . . . .
"Oh! Hi honey, you're finally home! I didn't hear you come in. How was prom?" Carole asked with a cautious smile. "Did you and Quinn win prom king and queen?"
"Hey Mom. Uh... no. Isn't Kurt here?"
"No, he spent the night at Mercedes' house, and then they planned an afternoon of shopping today."
"Oh uh, well, I guess you missed out on a lot of eventful details then." He debated mentioning the fact that his step-brother in fact had won prom queen, or the fact that he almost busted a couple dudes in the mouth for their shitty comments about it. Instead, he decided that was Kurt's news to share when he was ready.
"Okay, well fill me in! I've been waiting all day to hear how it went."
"Um. I broke up with Quinn a couple days ago and took Rachel to the prom instead."
"WHAT?! You did? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Well, it was sorta like, a last minute thing. I didn't know for sure if she'd go with me until last night. I just...I couldn't take Quinn, Mom, not when I still love Rachel. I guess I never stopped, y'know?"
"Sweetheart, you don't need to tell me that. I've known it all along. But, well, what happened with Quinn? How did she take the news?"
"Oh well, you know Quinn. She was kinda mad at first, but she seemed like she moved on fast enough. Are you mad at me, for ditching her at the last minute before prom like that?"
"Mad? Finn, why on earth would I be mad? I mean, yes, you could've decided to do that a little sooner than mere days before the prom, but to be honest, I was never happy about you two being back together in the first place after what happened last year. And I don't think you were either. I was more disappointed that you gave that girl a second chance at all. So, ah... you and Rachel...?"
Carole watched as a glorious wide grin spread across her son's face. "Yeah. We're back together now."
"Really? Oh, that's wonderful sweetheart! So everything is worked out between the two of you, things are good?"
"Yeah, I think so. We both apologized for all the sh– crap we put each other through and we really TALKED through a bunch of stuff. Things we shoulda probably said a long time ago. And we promised to just talk to each other about everything going forward, no more secrets."
"Sounds like a pretty good plan to me. You look so happy, baby."
"I am Mom. I just love her so much, y'know?"
"I know. And she loves you too Finny, just as much. So treat her right this time and don't screw up my future plans."
"Your future plans?"
"Yes! I expect a grandchild or two somewhere in your future – FAR in your future of course. And naturally, that means we need to plan a wedding first, and–"
"Whoa whoa... Mom? Can you slow down and hold your horses a little bit? Geez, we just got back together not even 24 hours ago!"
"Oh I know Finny, I'm just excited. I'm so happy for you both... I really do adore Rachel and think she's exactly the right one for you."
Finn felt the blush rise in his cheeks at his mother's candor. "I'm glad you do. I do too... and hey, maybe we can discuss wedding plans in a couple years. And grandbabies too... But first I gotta start thinking about what I'm gonna be doing in New York, 'cause I won't be screwing up MY future plans either."
"New York?"
"Yeah... Well, you know, Rachel's moving there after we graduate. I mean, we haven't really talked about all that stuff just yet, at least not seriously, but there's only one Broadway."
"And there's only one Rachel," Carole added knowingly.
"Exactly. And I'm never letting her go again."
Carole hugged her son fiercely and whispered "I really hope not. So, you just let me know when you're ready to pop the question. I have something for you to give her... and I know your dad would want her to have it, too."
Finn's eyes went wide as he questioned her. "Mom? You mean... no, that was yours. Dad gave it to you."
"Yes. And then Dad sent me Burt. Honey, it's a family heirloom now, sort of, just sitting in my jewelry box. Rachel's already family... so it's only right that it becomes hers someday, when you're ready."
Finn couldn't help the tears that welled in his eyes. He tried to hide them but a couple escaped anyway. "Thanks, Mom. I love you."
"Oh, I love you too, baby, so much. I'm so proud of you... And your father would be so proud of the man you're becoming, too. So now... let's talk about your ideas for New York!"
Finn groaned knowing that he'd just set himself up for a long afternoon, but he took it in stride. After all, the plan was to never lose Rachel again, and if that meant hours-long discussions about colleges or jobs in New York, he'd do whatever it took. Finchel was endgame, after all.
SONG CREDIT: Kelly Clarkson - A Moment Like This