Stirring lightly in her sleep, she opened her eyes, feeling the first rays of morning light. A wonderful sensation passed over her then, as strong arms wrapped around her. She turned to face him. His amber eyes shone with a certain kind of glow that made her feel like a most treasured woman.
"Good morning beautiful."
"Hi," she said a little shyly. Last night's images flitted through her mind, and deep color crept into her face.
"You're blushing."
Finn's smile widened at her nervousness. Each time it happened, it would catch him off gaurd--her innonence was truly captivating. Everything about this woman was. From the way she would fidget with her hands when she was anxious, to how she said his name during lovemaking, she was the most lovely and marvelous thing he had ever laid eyes upon.
Rachel smiled up at him, touching his nose. Maybe it was just her imagination but she could've sworn she heard him talking sometime in the night. Brushing those thoughts aside, she took in his bed-rumpled hair, and amazing naked chest.
Finn Hudson sure was a sight. The man was perfection at its best, and he was in her bed, with an afterglow that absolutely undid her.
"Did you sleep well?"
"With you by my side I always will."
Rachel's heart did a tiny flip. Why did he always know to say the things that made her feel most loved? The emotion in his eyes, the sincerity with which they glittered made her breath get caught in her throat. It was too real, so pure and just . . . beyond any explanation. She bit her bottom lip uneasily, unsure as to how to talk to this man, who'd turned her world topsy-turvy.
"Good," she stated, her tone more aloof than she'd expected. What was wrong with her? Last night had been extraordinary, and Finn had shown her heaven, but now with the clarity of the daylight her head was reeling with the enormity of what she was now in.
Finn either didn't notice or chose not to because he placed a tender kiss on her lips, causing the already mixed up emotions in her to become even more of a whirlwind storm.
She couldn't help but give into his touch. It was a slow, sexy kiss that made her stretch like a feline, the movement utterly feminine.
Winding her arms around his neck, Rachel pulled him down further, pressing him against her chest. A feeling unlike any other spread itself through her, so strong that it seemed to tug at her heart. Unaware of the tears streaming down her face, Finn most tenderly kissed them away, tasting their saltiness.
"Princess what's wrong?"
Rachel pulled away and looked at him. Waves of pure emotion washed over her, and not having ever experienced anything like it before, the rare reality of it frightened her, bringing more tears. The way he was looking at her, with concern and love simply . . .
"I-I'm just glad you're here with me," she replied through a small teary voice.
"Me too."
He kissed the crown of her head, gently bringing it to rest beneath his chin. Closing his eyes briefly, he inhaled her sweet fragrance, wanting to keep it eternally present. Heaven didn't smell as good as Rachel Berry.
Rachel moved a bit, snuggling deeper into him. She buried her face in the crook of his neck. Finn felt the tears wet and soft. This sudden burst of emotion left him somewhat surprised. What had happened to make her cry so? Maybe he should back off a little . . .
He could sense an uptightness in the way she breathed, as if she were afraid. He hugged her closer, stroking her bare back tenderly, hoping she would relax.
She felt her emotions gain a firmer grip of her as he wrapped his arms tighter around her, making her more vulnerable. She had never been the emotional type, but recently, since Finn had made an appearance in her life, she'd been wearing her heart on her sleeve more than ever before.
And that frightened her.
What if something went wrong? What if all of this was just a beautiful dream she would soon wake up from? What if he . . .
Her heart told her that this was beautiful and good. The feeling of being held in this amazing man's strong embrace; so warm and comforting, like nothing could ever harm her.
But the fear in her head was like a nagging, constant alarm clock waiting to go off.
It made her dreadfully insecure and unsure. She felt like fighting against it, tearing it into shreds, chasing it out of her body until all that was left was surety and joy. But the devils of her nature wouldn't leave her be. She felt utterly wretched for feeling like such a failure. Why was it that she couldn't accept all that her heart was telling her was right?
He walked up the steps that lead to the front door. A cheery holiday wreath greeted him as he unlocked and opened it. Dropping his coat off in the small closet, Finn made his way to the den.
"About time you got here," Puck's voice floated through the air. "I was just about to send a search party," he continued in his usual joking manner.
Finn smiled slightly and sat down in the large couch next to him.
Puck looked over at Finn. Something was bothering him. He'd known him for too long, and knew that the look written across his face was one of unease. Although not exactly sure of what it could be that was making him restless, Puck suspected it had something to do with Rachel.
"What's wrong?"
"What? Nothing's wrong. Why would something be wrong?" Finn knew Puck was on to him. They knew each other too well.
"Of course there's something wrong Hudson. Now tell me what . . ."
"Gabrielle came to me last night," he replied abruptly.
"What did he say?" Puck asked, fully knowing what the answer was.
Finn paused for a moment and then looked over at Puck. "I have to go back . . . on Christmas."
Puck knew this one was coming. His friend had become too attached to Rachel and now the consequences were here. "What else did he say?"
Briefly closing his eyes, Finn ran a hand over his jaw. "The only way I can stay is if Rachel confesses to loving me. But not just words Puck, she has to truly mean it, but I guess you already knew that."
"Yeah," he replied quietly. “I saw Gabrielle too.” A heavy hush descended upon the room then, the two angels lost in their own thoughts. Before coming to earth Puck had always been the one that lightened up the mood, injecting his energetic humour into things, but now he really didn’t know what to say. There was nothing to say. Nothing he could do.
"I know how much she means to you . . ."
"It’s not just that. I love her. I never thought I’d love someone as much as I love her. And now that I do, she’s going to be taken away from me," he said, choking a little on his own words.
"Finn, you knew the rules. You know it’s forbidden to fall in love with any human charges."
"Whoever made The Rules didn’t think of Rachel Berry," he said fiercely. Finn turned so that he was fully facing the other angel. In a much softer tone he said, "I love her Puck. More than I ever imagined. And I will do anything for her. She’s my heart."
The way that Finn's entire face softened and the way his eyes glowed, was enough for Puck to know that his friend was more than just in love with Rachel. It pained him to think that if she didn’t profess her love to him, Finn would go back, never to remember the great love that he’d once known.
And Rachel wouldn’t be able to survive another shattered heart. If she didn’t remember Finn, then maybe it was for the best. Puck thought of the glass angel Santana had bought, and in a strange way, it brought him some sort of comfort, knowing that at least Rachel would have that to resemble Finn, even if she didn’t know it.
In the back of his mind, Puck remembered what Gabriel had told him the night before.
"He knew."
"Who? What are you talking about?" Finn questioned.
"Gabrielle. He knew all along that you were to fall in love with Rachel."
Finn's eyes widened. "What? How . . .?"
"When he came last night, him and I talked. Finn he knew from the very beginning that you would love her. That’s one of the reasons why he sent you to her. So he knew how you felt, and he sent you to her not only to help her, but also for you."
He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t believe it. "I don’t understand."
"It’s not made for understanding. It’s just one of those things that happen. Only the higher powers know why they do what they do,” he replied simply. We’re mere angels in their wake."
Rachel sat at her desk, staring into the screen, at the blank page that should be her story. She was spending the afternoon working on the article that Cecilia needed. But unlike before, when writing came to her so naturally, Rachel was having a hard time just thinking about what to do.
The reason: Finn Hudson.
He’d left earlier, after he’d made her that breakfast he’d promised her. They’d talked, mainly about her and what her plans were for Christmas. She’d told him that she planned to spend it with Santana, Jesse and Quinn, a small intimate dinner with her closest friends. When she’d asked him what he was doing, he’d simply said that he was going to the Children’s Center, helping spread a little Christmas joy to those less fortunate.
She smiled at that thought and imagined he’d be great with children. His gentle nature and sweet touch was what those kids needed. And the more she thought of it, the more she was convinced that the man whom she’d spent last night with was one of those people who only came once in a lifetime. So extraordinary and wonderful.
But amidst that were her feelings of apprehension and unease. Because her heart had been shredded with the truth of the lie that she’d lived for the past two years, Rachel was wary and overly cautious of anything that might bring her happiness. It was there, constantly in her, causing a deep gash in her being, and now more than ever she was finding out that it was making her put that dreaded distance between her and her loved ones.
And in the past few days, the only thing that lit the glimmer of hope was the man with the amber eyes. But yet he was also the one that had caused this whirlwind storm of dizzying emotions inside her.
A sudden noise sounded at her window, and startled Rachel quickly went over to see what it was. Curious she propped it open and looked down to see what had made the crash. She gave a little gasp when she saw a small roll of parchment paper tied with a white ribbon. Rachel looked around, but saw no one. Slowly she reached over and took it into her hands. Almost reverently, Rachel untied the ribbon, and unrolled the parchment.
In love we often doubt what we most believe.
Her hands slightly trembled as she read its message. What was happening? She felt her heart do another tiny flip, and right then an enveloping breeze surrounded her. She raised her face to the heavens, as if searching for an answer. She thought of Sean, and wondered if he was looking down upon her.
"Are you trying to tell me something? Are you up there?" she whispered hoarsely. "Please. I need to know."
A single tear rolled down her cheek, and she wiped it away sadly. The sound of the doorbell interrupted her wandering mind. She set the paper down and hurried to answer it.