Standing at her locker, Rachel stared long and hard at the 7-Step list she had compiled the previous week, wondering if she should just throw it out and forget about the entire thing. She hadn't received any calls or texts from Finn since his altercation with Bronson last week, and though he acted like his typical normal self during Glee on Thursday, he hadn't done much else to make her think she was any closer to her objective. In fact, he hadn't even bothered to call or text her over the weekend; true he had been away training with the National Guard, but he could have called or texted Sunday night once back, right? His weekend away caused her some worry due to his close proximity to a certain college woman named Candi Wayfor (or as Rachel referred to her, 'The Thing'). She'd only met Candi once, but it provoked a rather violent urge in her. Even now Rachel could feel her left hand starting to curl at the thought of ripping the tall woman's heart from her chest. But beyond that, Finn almost always called or texted upon his return, even if it was just to say hello and ask her how things went while he was busy.
This time, though, there was nothing. She sighed heavily.
"So heavy a sigh for one so young, Rachel."
The petite brunette turned, arching her eyebrow at Quinn and not expecting the blond gleek to even be addressing her in the hallways let alone begin a conversation. Quickly, Rachel stood and pulled her binder out of her locker along with her necessary books before closing it and turning to her fellow student. "Just lamenting my troubles, Quinn. I didn't mean to offend anyone."
Quinn chuckled as she fell in step with Rachel. "I'm hardly offended. I'm more curious than anything."
Rachel regarded her briefly as they walked, but shrugged one shoulder. "Curious about what?"
"Finn."
The Glee co-captain spun on her, eyes narrowing. "If you're asking whether or not I've given up on reconciling with him, the answer is a resounding 'no' and if you think for one minute-"
"Spare me the drama, Ru-Paul." Quinn rolled her eyes, her tone immediately cutting off any further ranting. "I'm not interested in whatever romantic hang-ups exist between giants and dwarves when they date. What I am wondering is what the hell happened to Finn this summer, because frankly he doesn't seem to even be the same person."
Rachel's shoulders tightened a bit as she regarded the blonde. "You noticed too?"
Quinn scoffed at her. "I dated him for longer than you, Rachel."
"Then why speak to me?"
"Because as long as I dated him, he never really talkedto me, not about the serious stuff at least. But you?" Quinn shrugged. "Even when he and I were together in sophomore year, he always ran to you to talk. Besides, it's hard not to notice the changes, isn't it? Rearranging rock songs into ballads, engaged and asking questions in Glee instead of just doing whatever Mr. Schue tells us, turning Bronson's face into hamburger." She looked around the halls before continuing, as if about to share a secret. "He even gave Mike the answer in history class on something about the Vietnam War. Seriously, when has Finn even cared about history? He pretty much slept through it last year."
Despite her misgivings talking to Quinn about this issue, Rachel relented and gave a slight nod. "I know. He's…changed. Grown, I guess. I know something serious happened to him this summer, but that's as much as I've coaxed out of him. He won't reveal exactly what happened."
"Really?" Quinn raised a faint eyebrow at her. "That's surprising, considering he tells you pretty much everything else."
Quinn's tone wasn't even bitter, Rachel noticed, making the young ingénue think that perhaps the blonde ex-cheerleader had matured a bit herself over the summer, no longer worried about whom she had once dated and how she'd lost him. Rachel was glad Quinn was approaching her without animosity for a change.
The two stopped walking upon reaching Rachel's classroom. "The only people who know what really happened are his family, and for once, Kurt isn't talking." Rachel swallowed and clutched her books to her chest. "It's a bit frustrating considering Kurt and Finn both call me their best friend. Now I can't get a straight answer from either of them."
The blonde nodded, then stepped towards her to talk more quietly. "Listen, I don't need to know what went down between you and Finn, but you're the best person to talk to him about everything. I mean, answering questions in history class and re-writing songs isn't a big deal, but he's about scared everyone to death in both the football and Cheerios teams by annihilating Bronson." She leaned in even closer, her voice almost a whisper. "I still have friends on the Cheerios dating football players. Latest rumour going around is that the team wants Coach Bieste to pull Finn's captaincy."
Rachel's eyes went wide with astonishment. "Pull his…why? Just because he defended me against a slushie attack?"
"No, because he broke Bronson's nose in two places and sent him to urgent care for six stitches. It's not exactly being a team player. But the other players are afraid to say anything to Finn for fear of getting the same treatment."
Rachel made a face. "That's ludicrous, Quinn. Bronson has been egging him on for weeks; Finn finally caved and just gave Bronson more than he could handle. He's not a loose cannon or anything, unlike other fellow Glee clubbers I could mention."
"Hey, this isn't about Puck." Quinn said quickly and defensively, her eyes narrowing.
Rachel smiled slightly at her. "Who said anything about Puck?"
The blonde opened and closed her mouth quickly, then shook her head to clear away the thought, knowing she'd been caught off guard. "Look, all I know is that Finn's seriously freaked out his team-mates, not to mention the whole cheerleading squad. Who's at fault or who started it doesn't matter. Finn finished it and in the process has all but alienated the entire team."
Rachel chewed the inside of her cheek a bit, a bad habit she'd picked up from Finn when lost in thought or concentrating, and nodded finally. "Alright, I'll talk to him."
Quinn smiled a bit. "Thanks Rachel. I appreciate it. Besides, the team needs him as quarterback if they're going to win their conference again." She turned to proceed to her own class.
"Quinn?"
The blonde half-turned around. "Yeah?"
"Thank Puck for me for the advanced warning."
Quinn sighed again and shook her head, but didn't contradict Rachel's guess. The young brunette grinned a bit and walked into class, sitting in her assigned desk and waiting (again) for Mrs. Turley to show up for the English lesson. She turned her binder over and opened up to a fresh page, only to be met with a bright blue sticky-note on the clean page with a handwritten note on it.
#1. Rachel,
Music is made here, that much we know.
Something awaits where we drank Virgin Cosmos.
She did a double take, scanning the note again to make sure she'd read it right. Once satisfied she sat back and stared intently, not believing what she was seeing.
A note, a rhyming note, plain as day, in her binder (which was in her locker) scrawled messily in a boy's handwriting.
She knew that boy's handwriting.
Finn's handwriting.
What are you up to, Finn? She thought to herself, even as her mouth curved into a beam of a smile while she lightly touched the note with her forefinger. Her imagination began carrying her away on the possibilities until she heard someone clear their throat. She looked up to see Mike staring at her questioningly. "Hi, Mike."
He sat down in his chair across from her, regarding her still. "Did you just take some happy pills or something? I haven't seen a smile like that on you in weeks."
She grinned a bit more at him and then tucked the note into the front pocket of her purse. "No, just got an unexpected surprise, that's all."
Mike nodded as he pulled out his own books and turned to a fresh page of notepaper. He spoke his next words low so that only she could hear him. "You know, I don't think you need to worry about anymore slushie facials. I was warned in homeroom that Finn will seriously fuck anyone up who even looks at you wrong." He glanced up at her. "What happened, exactly?"
Rachel sighed and shrugged a bit. "Bronson was pushing his buttons and thought giving me a slushie facial would be the fastest way to convince Finn to fight him. Finn finally acquiesced to his demands, and Bronson was summarily pulverized as a result." She shook her head. "I don't think Bronson realized Finn had been training with the Guard all summer."
The tall Asian boy shrugged. "Not like Bronson didn't have it coming. He's been dissing Finn on the field for weeks. I heard he'd miss the next game but wasn't sure why. Maybe some downtime will convince him to back off." He turned back to Rachel. "I just hope the Bieste doesn't come down too hard on Finn."
"You think she will?"
"Hard to say. I mean, you know Finn, right? If she comes right out and asks him, he won't deny it."
Rachel bit her lip, wondering what would happen to the tall boy she so wanted to reclaim as her own. She knew Finn wouldn't ever deny responsibility for something he'd done, but if Bieste found out about their fight, she might eject both him and Bronson off the McKinley Titans for good. Still, as far as Rachel knew, there were no witnesses to the altercation, meaning no one could say for sure whether or not it actually was Finn who broke Bronson's nose (even if the circumstantial evidence was overwhelming).
"You gonna to see him today?" Mike asked while reviewing his homework.
She glanced back down to the sticky-note and smiled. "Yes, I have a feeling I will."
Rachel stepped out her English class, blue sticky-note in hand, and began to walk towards the auditorium. She wasn't thrilled about having to jostle and bustle through the busiest part of the school, which was a junction with about three separate hallways shooting off from it. Usually, given her petite stature, she could expect a number of book-bags and coats smacking her in the face. Normally that was by accident, though she wasn't sure it was always was when a Cheerio or jock was on the other end of it. But today, something very different happened.
She walked unimpeded through the busy hallways.
Completely unimpeded.
Finding it strange that she hadn't yet encountered anyone bumping or knocking into her, she glanced up from Finn's note to look at the hallway before her. Sure enough, all the students, no matter what grade they were in, stepped aside immediately for her and waited until she passed by before continuing to their own lunchtime activities. Her eyebrows scrunched a bit in confusion as she walked by a large group of jocks from the swim team, all of whom immediately pushed themselves against the lockers to let her go by. Turning from them to go into the adjacent hallway, she was further surprised as other athletes, these from the school's track and field team, not only stepped out of her way but then also pulled or pushed their non-athlete friends aside for her, as well.
She continued along until she came to a group of Cheerios and Santana glanced at her. Unlike her usual snarky self, instead her face registered relief and she grabbed Rachel's arm by the elbow and held her close. "Thank God you're here, Yentil. I'm late for lunch with Brittany and don't feel like fighting the crowds." She pushed Rachel ahead of her a little and shouted out above Rachel's head. "Hey, step aside, people. Rachel Berry wants to go this way."
Immediately, people sprang apart in front of her, most deciding to stop in front of the lockers to allow her to pass than to dare walk or amble past her. Rachel's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but she turned back to Santana as the Latino continued to walk with her, hand still on her elbow. "Is this a trick?" She whispered to the Latino cheerleader.
Santana turned to her. "What?"
"A trick? Is this a trick or something?"
"Is what a trick?"
Rachel waved an arm around the school hallway. "All of this! Is it a trick to make me think my fellow students have afforded me some sense of respect for my superior talents and they decided today to just allow-"
"Puh-lease!" Santana rolled her eyes, even as her mouth held a barely contained smirk. "Spare me your delusions of grandeur, Little Miss Muffett. The only reason people are parting like the Red Sea for you is because they're 'fraid Hudson will rip them a new one if they so much as bruise you. It's amazing what tenderizing someone's face with your knuckles can do."
Her mouth opened wide in astonishment, and Rachel halted herself, causing Santana to take a step past her and turn with questioning eyes. "What? This is all because Finn…Finn…"
"Won the McKinley Heaveyweight Title? Bet your sweet ass, Boo-Berry. You now have pretty much free reign to go anywhere you want in these halls unimpeded. Now, if you don't mind, I'm kinda late for meeting Brittney? Can we get walking again?"
Rachel frowned a bit and fell into step beside the spunky Latino. "I think it's disgusting the only way to gain someone's respect is through violence, Santana. People shouldn't be worried or concerned about Finn in relation to me. I don't want to be treated any different–"
"Whatever, Tinkerbell." Santana waved off her comments dismissively. "You love the attention, so stop the half-hearted protests."
"Of course I love the attention, Santana, but only for the right reasons. For my superior vocal talents or incredible acting abilities or-"
"Or short little mini-skirts or the knee-high socks that scream 'I'm-little-Miss-Innocent-look-at-my-mile-high-legs'!" Santana shook her head in disbelief. "I see right through you, Thumbelina. You'll take whatever attention you can get. And right now, the whole school knows who you are and that you belong to Hudson. After seeing Bronson's sorry looking mug around here this morning, they aren't gonna do squat to you."
"I don't belong to Finn. We're just close friends."
"Call it what you will, Betty Boop, but like it or not, everyone thinks of you as Finn's girl. And now that they know he's not afraid to dust them up if they cross you, they'll think at least twice before aiming another frozen beverage in your direction." They stopped finally outside the cafeteria and Santana turned her around to face her directly. "Okay, I'm already five minutes late for lunch with Brittney, so, tell me, how do I look?"
Rachel glanced up and down, noting that not a single hair was out of place in her tight ponytail, not a smudge of makeup was seen on her face, and not a speck of dirt was evidenced on her pristine white and red uniform. She shrugged. "You look…like a Cheerio?"
The cheerleader rolled her eyes. "Oooh, good one, Hobbit. Nice to see you can answer a question intelligently. 'Kay, I'm done with you. Begone!" She clapped her hands, shooed her away and then proceeded into the cafeteria without a backwards glance. Rachel shrugged a bit and then turned, heading towards the auditorium in the adjacent hallway.
She opened the back door to the auditorium and slowly ascended the stairs to the stage, expecting to find a tall, adorable quarterback there as she made her way from behind the curtains. Instead, there was merely a prop pillow with a prop silver tray on it. On the tray was yet another blue sticky note. Rachel kneeled down to read it.
#2. Rachel,
Hours we spend here, perfecting our songs,
Please venture to the place the Glee members belong.
The petite brunette smiled again, shaking her head in mirth as she pulled free the blue sticky note again. He was sending her on a quest! She couldn't believe it. Well, okay, she could believe it since it was actually happening, but she was still shocked that this was Finn of all people who was leaving her these notes.
Who are you kidding, Rachel? Her mind intoned silently. This has Kurt's help written all over it. Now, having figured that out, that doesn't mean Finn isn't trying.
Rachel nodded in satisfaction at her own deduction and smiled as she quickly put the pillow and silver tray back in the small props room off the auditorium. She walked up quickly through the rows of chairs and out the side door to come back into the school hallway, her steps sure as she made her way to the choir room. She kept her smile plastered on her face, graciously thanking students who still seemed to be jumping out of her way quickly lest they feel the wrath of Finn Hudson.
She reached the choir room and glanced around, wondering where exactly Finn would put a note for her since there wasn't any obvious silver trays or decorative pillows here. As her eyes scanned the corner of the room, they fell automatically to the drum-set, and she laughed a bit at her own silliness for not recognizing right away that of course Finn would leave his next message on the very instrument that defined him. She walked over and pulled the blue sticky-note off the closest cymbal, reading the written message.
#3 Rachel,
We shared a kiss here, a kiss of certainty,
The one kiss shared when you were taller than me.
P.S. – Please collect from the closet the player Mp3.
Rolling her eyes at the awkward (but still utterly adorable) rhymes, she felt her smile grow in intensity. Finn was sending her on a pursuit for him through the school, and try as she might, she couldn't deny how much fun it was. She carefully folded the sticky-note and slipped it in her purse beside the other ones before proceeding to the choir room's closet to pull out the iPod dock.
"AAAAGGGHHHH!" A shrill scream of panic erupted from the closet and Rachel went wide eyed at the sight before her. There stood Sam, shirtless, facing her with swollen lips and mussed hair in front of an equally shirtless Mercedes who had pressed herself flat against Sam's back to hide her waist-up nakedness. On the floor lay a large, black lace bra, black button shirt in a woman's cut, and a blue t-shirt large enough for the blonde football player.
"Oh, hi guys. Don't mind me." Rachel said as she quickly averted her eyes and looked up at the top shelf for the iPod dock. She couldn't see it, so continued looking along the shelf, turning from her friends as she did, not really concerned with their obvious discomfort.
"Doesn't anyone knock anymore?" Mercedes bit out harshly, still squeezing herself into Sam's back.
"Not for a closet." Rachel responded without looking at them. She grinned as she saw the item requested and pulled down the portable stereo, oblivious to the incredulous looks both Sam and Mercedes were giving her. She turned back to them after ensuring the power cord was still attached. "Just need the stereo for Finn, that's all." She raised an eyebrow at them. "I take it, Mercedes, given your current state of undress, all the problems between you and Sam are resolved?"
"They'll be resolved a lot quicker if you leave us alone!" Mercedes snapped, her eyes glaring daggers.
Sam swallowed, seeming more embarrassed about being caught than worried that Rachel was still standing before them. He glanced back at his girlfriend. "You told her we had problems?"
"It was weeks ago, Sam. Don't worry about it. It would seem that everything is just fine between you two now given your current...uh...activities. So, I'll leave you to it. Carry on." Rachel smiled a bit more before closing the door to the closet, ignoring Mercedes' burning stare and Sam's confused expression. She tucked the iPod dock under her arm, patted her purse to ensure she still had her sticky-notes, and continued on to the next place.
Has to be the stairwell, Rachel thought to herself.
She reached the stairs and began climbing them slowly, her eyes intent for any sign of another blue sticky note. As she climbed, she found she was starting to kind of enjoy the wide berth she was given by other students. Inching closer to where she thought she and Finn had kissed before their first Regionals competition, she spotted another blue sticky-note just underneath the handrail, easily missed if one wasn't looking for it. Rachel pulled it free to read the hand-written note.
#4 Rachel
Unknown to many, if you proceed as you are
You'll reach a plateau not very far,
It's not that high up above the school,
But the sights it affords you are all pretty cool.
Her brows furrowed a bit as she glanced up the stairs from the second floor. Did he mean for her to go onto the roof? She looked up the stairwell from the entrance of the second floor to see that yes, indeed, the stairwell did continue up along the walls of the building to another level. Rachel had never before paid attention to it since going up the stairs beyond her own class level never interested her. Taking a deep breath, she continued along the stairs until she reached the top, where there was a large door ajar by just an inch or so to indicate it was open. Another blue sticky note adorned the centre of the exit.
#5 Rachel
Thank you for coming, you're nearing the end,
Continue outside, you'll see your best friend.
Rachel took a moment to smile, settle the nerves in her stomach and close her eyes, hoping she'd see Finn there with a large bouquet of flowers or a gift or box of chocolates or even just a nice greeting card for her. She straightened her outfit a bit before taking a breath and then pushing the door open to be greeted by the bright sunlight and cool November air.
Once her eyes had adjusted to the light, she looked across the roof to see a large, grey blanket spread out on a portion of the roof with different pillows around it. Beside these pillows was a small table on which sat a small, gas powered camping stove, and next to that was a cooler that, Rachel guessed, held different food items and beverages. Finn sat in front of the small stove, stirring something in a pot cooking on the burners, and turned upon hearing her approach.
"Rachel." He greeted warmly, standing formally to go over and envelope her in a big hug. Once again, their eyes held each other's gaze longer than necessary, before Rachel finally blushed looked down to the roof, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Finn rubbed her shoulder and arm a bit before reaching for the stereo. "You brought it. Thanks."
She beamed at him before walking around and taking in everything on the blankets. Escaping her prior notice were some paper plates, plastic cutlery, along with napkins and drinking glasses.
She couldn't believe it. He wasn't just bringing her up here to give her a gift, he seemed to be cooking her lunch.
Turning back towards him, she raised questioning eyebrows. "What is all this?"
Finn shrugged a bit and smiled. "It's a present for you." He stepped over the blankets and stirred a liquid in the pot again before turning back to her. "I never really thanked you for the picnic you gave me when I joined Glee, you know? So…I thought about it, and decided to show you how I'd have done it. I mean, I know you're not big into camping and stuff, but this way I figured we could combine the best of both elements; kind of a camp-style lunch, but without even leaving school. And since we both have study-hall next period…" He left the sentence hanging and shrugged a bit. "I wasn't really able to pull a piano up here though, so I thought maybe we could listen to the iPod with the stereo. I brought some batteries for it, and it's not too cold today, so…"
Rachel's heart felt like it was melting in her chest. She giggled and then pulled Finn into a huge hug, burying her face into the fabric of his shirt and squeezing him hard before turning her head up towards him. "It's perfect. I'd love to have lunch with you." She stepped up on her toes and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek, inhaling his scent and letting his wonderful smell tickle her nose and make her heart race.
"Awesome." Finn grinned again and then gave her another fond hug. Rachel honestly felt like she could just stay in his embrace the entire lunch hour and still feel like their time would be well spent. Nothing could compare to how warm, safe and utterly happy she was in his arms.
"Oh, you're probably cold." He quickly released her, much to her slight groan of protest, and then ran around to a large duffle bag on the other side of the cooler. Finn ruffled around in it for a bit before pulling out his blue double-extra large hoodie. He walked over and handed it to her, smiling that same, trademarked lopsided grin he always wore when highly amused. "I think you might want to borrow this. You know…again."
Her eyes went wide with surprise before smiling slightly and accepting the garment from him. "I…did Kurt or your Mom tell you…"
Finn shrugged and held her gaze, still smiling before he cleared his throat. "It still smelled like your shampoo and perfume." He smiled more genuinely. "It was a nice smell to come home to. Plus, it'll keep your clothes clean if you spill any soup."
Okay, he is seriously making my heart flutter with all of this. Like, serious palpatations and holy crap, I feel like I'm thirteen and have my first crush. Rachel returned his smile and scurried into his sweatshirt, reveling in how Finn's scent once again surrounded her and how the garment made her feel safer and more secure. She noticed Finn staring at her and again she blushed before noticing the stove. "Uh, Finn? The soup?"
"Oh! Right." He turned and quickly grabbed a ladle, stirring the contents of the small pot in front of him and smiling. "Whew! Just in time. I thought maybe I'd burned it." He deftly worked between the soup and then put a small, flat metal pan over the second stove burner and pulled out what looked to Rachel like pre-prepared sandwiches. He spoke as he worked with the stove and utensils. "Hope tomato soup and grilled cheese is okay. I used that vegan type cheese for you, though, so don't worry about going against your diet."
Rachel almost jumped up and down while clapping her hands behind his back, but caught herself just in time from doing such a juvenile stunt. Once again, her heart seemed to swell a bit, and as she stepped closer to watch Finn prepare the food (while leaning down and strategically placing a hand on his broad, muscular back and so wanting to do more). She deeply inhaled the aromas of the soup and sandwiches before speaking. "Did…did you add some spices to the soup?"
Finn nodded. "Yeah. I had to do mess duty at least once a week in the Guard, and one of the tricks the cooks there used for making simple canned foods taste better was to add some spices and herbs. They always used fresh stuff, but I could only find the bottles at home and had to make do, so…" He shrugged a bit and checked the underside of the grilled cheese to ensure it wasn't burning.
Finding another stool on the blanket, Rachel sat down beside Finn and the stove, a beam of a smile on her face as she took it all in. Here was Finn, using his newly acquired skills learned from the Guard to prepare a hot picnic lunch with her on the roof of the school. It almost mimicked their very first meal/date together in the auditorium but had a distinct, Finn Hudson 'here-and-now' twist to it. She noticed he used the large military duffle bag that was (she assumed) acquired from the National Guard, to carry everything not edible, and then a cooler to bring the sandwiches, soup and disposable dishes and cutlery. "So, how exactly did you get this all up here? I mean, I know you put it in the duffle bag and cooler, but didn't you have teachers or maintenance staff question why you'd need all of this or why you were bringing it up to the roof?"
Finn glanced in her direction, looking sheepish. "Well, it was a collaborative effort."
Collaborative? Rachel thought, shocked that such a word had just escaped his mouth. And in the proper context, too. "How so?"
He shrugged, still attending to the food. "Kurt helped me gather everything I needed, even though he thought this was a horrible idea for treating you to lunch. I brought all the stuff that wasn't edible over on the weekend after I got back from training and shoved it in my football locker. Puck was more than happy enough to point out what route to take in the school to avoid all the staff and get this stuff up here. Let me tell you, the lack of security for this building is appalling, but it did help me get this ready for you, so…" He shrugged again. "I just…I really wanted to do something nice for you. Something I knew you wouldn't forget." His gaze held hers again, and this time she was positive she saw something in it that wasn't there before.
Desire. Serious desire.
A blush began to go through her cheeks, and she looked down shyly, smiling a bit still before glancing back up at him. He smirked a bit and then turned back to the food. As she watched Finn work, she noticed he seemed completely at ease with his tasks, his shoulders back and a look of contentment on his face. His large striped sweater and puffy vest didn't seem to hamper his progress or movements in the slightest, and the confidence he exuded was calming to her; a stark difference from the unsure, sweet, but utterly clumsy boy she knew from two years ago.
Really, she wanted nothing more than to grab his face between her hands and kiss him senseless.
Well…what's stopping you? Her mind querried. She stirred a bit, restless as indecision shot through her about whether or not to proceed.
What, I should just jump up and start…start…sucking face?
Why not? It's kinda how things started to begin with, right?
Well…sorta. I mean, we kissed, then we kissed again, then all the baby stuff happened with Quinn and-
Yeah, yeah, we know what happened. We were there. Okay, so, are you going to be a typical teenage girl and always wait for the guy to come to you, or are you going to be a modern-day woman and claim what and who you want for yourself?
That determined it. She would go over and kiss him soundly. So soundly, he wouldn't remember his own name. Yes. It was decided. She would go right now and-
"Hey, it's ready!" Finn said excitedly as he ladled some soup into a Chinette bowl and handed it to her.
Damn, Rachel. You really have to stop arguing with yourself so much.
She sighed a bit at her lost chance to kiss him and accepted the bowl with a smile, again inhaling the scent of simple tomato soup enhanced with the herbs and spices Finn had added. The quarterback next handed her a plate with a grilled cheese sandwich and some cutlery, and she grinned a bit more at taking it and putting it on her lap. For good measure, she watched as Finn placed a bottle of her favourite iced tea beside her before grabbing his own lunch and settling back down on his stool facing her.
"Bon Appetite." He said with an exaggerated flourish, causing her to giggle a bit just before she took a bite. Carefully, she tasted it and her eyes went wide was she allowed the hot liquid to settle on her tongue, marveling at how much flavor a few spices and herbs had managed to produce in the soup.
"Finn, this is so…so good for being so simple. I'm really impressed."
"Thanks." Finn nodded at her, though she could see a slight blush colouring his cheeks. In typical Finn Hudson fashion, he grabbed his grilled cheese and dipped it into the soup, eating a bit of both at the same time, and Rachel internally cheered for joy at the little 'Finnism' that hadn't changed. "I hope the sandwich is as good, too. I tried to ambush it a bit, you know, with some extra flavours and stuff."
"Ambush?" She chuckled again at the choice of words, but shook her head and smiled even as she swallowed a bit more soup. "Your military training is influencing your vocabulary, Finn. I think you meant 'embellish'."
His face fell a bit at her correction, but he quickly recovered with his half-grin and had another bite of sandwich. "Well, I almost got the right word." He mouthed around his meal, shrugging a bit. "I'm getting better."
She nodded her agreement. "Yes, your vocabulary has improved remarkably since your return. I didn't know the National Guard was also offering English classes to its recruits."
Finn laughed at her comment, even as he had a sip of his own drink. "Nah, it wasn't that. It was trying to read all the guides and manuals and training lessons. And three very patient, college-aged bunk mates who didn't mind me asking them for the meaning of a different word every couple of sentences." He sighed and took a slurp of his own soup, swallowing quickly. "Thank God for good friends."
Rachel pursed her lips a bit after swallowing her soup and then looked at him seriously. "Speaking about friends, Finn, you have quite a few who are worried about you."
Finn looked at her with a surprised expression, his eyebrows going up. "Worried? Why?"
"Well," Rachel stirred her soup a bit before looking back up to him. "For everything that happened with Bronson."
His shoulders slumped a bit and he swallowed noisily, even while nodding. "Yeah. I guess even if the staff didn't see it, word's gonna get around, right?"
"I…I think you've scared them, Finn." She carefully put her soup and sandwich down on the blanket and moved over to kneel beside him, squeezing his forearm. "I got the sense they think you went completely psychotic on him."
"But I didn't!" Finn protested to her, his face twisting into a plea for her to understand. "Rachel, I swear to God he started it. I didn't think I had a choi-"
"I know, Finn. Really, I do. I know you don't do things like this unless you have no other option, but that doesn't mean you didn't put doubts about your sanity into everyone's mind. After all, last year Karofsky bullied Kurt all the time and you said it wasn't possible to do anything because you needed to maintain team unity. This year I get one slushie facial and you went completely berserk on my assailant."
She could see Finn looking down at the ground, clenching his jaw. "Like I said before, Rachel, I made a lot of mistakes last year. I should have kicked Karofsky's ass when all that crap went down with Kurt. I was an idiot and…" He sighed and shook his head before turning to look at her earnestly. "I'm not that guy anymore, though, Rachel. I'm not the guy who's gonna ignore that kind of stuff. It's not right. And I'll be damned if I let an ape like Bronson go after you when you're not even half his size. But I get it. I'll…I'll be careful around the team and make sure they know I'm not psycho and, that it was just a one time thing between me and Bronson."
Rachel held his gaze with a soft smile. "Okay. And I must say I appreciate your gallantry, Finn. Really, I do." She laughed a bit as she thought back to her quest to get to the roof. "Did you know I can walk pretty much anywhere in the school now without getting blocked off? Everyone is so afraid you'll do to them what you did to Bronson, they all jump out of my way now. You'd think I was a celebrity of some kind."
"You will be, Rachel." Finn said without a hint of humour or disbelief, causing her to turn towards him in surprise. He gripped her hand in his and squeezed. "I don't doubt that for one second. Wherever you go, whether it's New York or California or England, it won't matter. You're gonna make it. You're gonna be huge. Especially if they all see what I see."
The glee co-captain could feel herself blushing again at his words and coyly, shyly looked down. What was it about this boy that just a few words spilling from his lips and a simple touch of his hand could send shockwaves through her body and lightning to race along her nerves? Not even her chance meeting with Patti Lupone got her nerves jittery and jumbled like they were right now, like they were no matter when it was he looked at her or complimented her. She returned his hand squeeze and brought her eyes up to meet his again, noticing how full of awe and affection they had for her.
Full of love. Love for her.
But was he still in love with her?
You think he'd have prepared all of this for just a friend? Her mind asked her.
No, there was no way. He still loved her. She was sure. It was time to lean in and capture his lips with hers. She swallowed and-
"Your food is getting cold, Rachel."
"What?"
Finn motioned back down towards her meal, which sat barely touched on the blanket. "Your food. I mean, you haven't even tasted the sandwich! Really, try it out. I practiced last night to get the flavor right."
Rachel, I know you're utterly smitten by him, but sometimes I, your rational side, really wonder whywhen he's a complete master at ruining the mood.
"Of…of course! My food." Rachel smiled brightly to hide her disappointment. She quickly reached down to pick it up again, had another bite of soup (it was still warm, so she was content with it), and then nodded at his urging to have a bite of the faux grilled cheese. Quickly she took a medium sized bite and tasted it, her eyes going wide as the flavours danced along her tongue. He really had made a good grilled cheese. She tasted oregano, basil, a hint of pepper, garlic and –
He used garlic.
Garlic.
If there was one taste in the world she knew was absolutely horrible to have on one's tongue and breath before trying to kiss, it was garlic. And Finn hadn't used a lot of garlic, but it was enough for her to know that the taste would linger.
"Good, right?" Finn grinned, his demeanor eager and looking for her approval.
Not as good as a kiss would have been. Rachel bemoaned inside her mind. Still, he had gone out of his way to prepare such a nice 'camp-style' lunch for her, dragging everything up to the roof where there was a wonderful view of the city and river. So she smiled and nodded. "The sandwich is excellent, Finn."
He smiled brightly and grinned, dipping his second sandwich into his soup and having another huge bite, seemingly content to enjoy the scenery with her. She cursed and kicked herself for getting distracted by him and the lunch, but decided to enjoy this 'date' for what it was. There were certainly worst ways to spend her time than enjoying a simple, hot meal on the school's roof-top.
Besides, there would be more opportunities. Of that, she was sure.
Finn collapsed in the chair, staring up at the ceiling of the basement and shaking his head. He and Kurt had been working non-stop on this song and no matter how hard and focused Finn's attention had been he just wasn't able to get the hang of it. "You've got to be kidding, Kurt. I can't do this."
"Not with an attitude like that, Finn." Kurt retorted disdainfully as he reset the songs on his laptop computer. "But your vocal range can reach these notes. You just have to practice and get the breathing right."
Finn stared at him open mouthed. "Kurt, you're asking me to sing a song that's been made famous by a Broadway star! I don't have that kind of range or power."
Kurt rolled his eyes. "Please! I heard you when we performed 'One' in the auditorium in sophomore year. You have a better range and far more power than you believe. You just don't like to use it because it's not safe for you."
"You're gonna compare U2 to this? I mean, seriously, have you actually listened to this guy perform? How the hell do you think I could even keep up with that?"
The smaller teen turned on Finn and crossed his arms. "Finn, I told you I'd help you get back together with Rachel, and I'm doing my best, but you can't keep fighting me on this. The best way to communicate with her is through song, and this song from this show will say a lot more to her than anything you could possibly write on a blue sticky-note." Kurt smiled a bit. "Unless, of course, you simply want to give Rachel your letter."
"You know why I can't, Kurt."
"Again, I think you're being ridiculous, but since that's your decision, then this is the plan. Trust me, Finn. You sing this song with her and she'll be putty in your hands. And it's just in front of the club. It's not like I'm asking you to do this for Nationals."
"Thank God." Finn shook his head, but sipped his bottled water, shrugged and stood up, facing Kurt again. "Okay, you're right. I keep practicing, it'll only get better, or at least good enough that I won't embarrass myself in front of the others."
Kurt smiled at him and leaned forward to pat his cheek. "There's the Finn Hudson I know. The one who will plow through anything no matter how much damage he causes."
"Hey, if I cause any damage, it's all your fault. You're the one promising success here."
"And I always deliver on my promises, Finn." Kurt turned and clicked on the song again before facing his brother. "Again, I'll take the female lyrics, you take the male's. Ready?"
Finn nodded before taking a deep breath. "From the top."