Finn. 27. professor. #14. I'm really bad at the internet for someone who spends like, a decent amount of time on it. But HELLO. Finn Hudson's the name, teaching's the game and I'm probably the biggest dork you've ever met. Maybe. I might be lying, but I don't know who you know so I can't be, right? ANYWAY. I teach at NYU sometimes, and I'm usually fixing cars when I'm not doing that so if you need a tune-up or a history lesson, I'm definitely the dude for the job. Or if you just wanna say hi? I have a dog and she's way cooler than I am, so if you wanna meet her, you gotta meet me. Later!
Of course. I canāt promise that Iām going to be the most badass of laser tag partners, but Iāll do my very best to distract you from whatever is going on. Or talk and listen about whatās going on, if thatās what you want. Whichever you prefer, Iāll bring the fun to the table.
That was a semi-long explanation for me to say yes, and we can talk about or not talk about whatever you want.
Pft, even if youāre not aĀ ābadassā Iām sure weāll have a heck of a lot of fun trying to be badasses together. Or at least giant dorks, and Iām a pretty cute dork, so I think Iāve got that down pat. Thanks, Marls. I might take you up on that but for now, I donāt wanna ruin any vibes, so laser tag is a lot nicer to focus on.Ā
Iād like that. You know drinking is one of my favorite things to do.
PRIVATE
Finn. Iām always here. Always. Maybe I could stay a night or two at your place? I really donāt want you alone right now.
Sweet. You can pick the spot, and Iām honestly cool with going anywhere.Ā
[PRIVATE]
I know, San. Iāve never been great at asking for help, but I know youād be there if I asked. Um, yeah. That would... Iād like that a lot, actually. You can crash in my bed? I can totally take the couch, or whatever. But itād be nice. Not to... be alone.
You know my boysāll never say to goinā out,Ā āspecially with Rosyā¦ p sure Boomerās got a crush on her, anyway, so Iād think heād go anywhere with her. We could go Sunday? After temple. Iāll pick you and Rosy up in my jeep and we can hit up a nearby nature trail.
Shit, well I aināt wanna beat a dead-horse, but if you wanna do somethinā thatāll get your blood pumpinā more, paintballinā would probably be pretty dope. You can bet your ass it is, dudeā¦ canāt get past basic without beinā able to aim straight.
Pretty sure she probably has a crush on Boomer, so weāre probably doing them a favor lettināĀ āem run around together all the time, huh? Yeah, man, that sounds perfectā I can bring beer or snacks or whatever shit you might want on my end, just to make it fair.Ā
Shit, I havenāt been paintballing in forever, Iām so down to do that. You know any good spots near here? Iāll have to break out all of my stuff so if you give me some time to find it all, Iām super down. Ya know, I kinda figured that out, my man. Iād be real concerned if that happened a lot.Ā
Quinn turned her body so she could better face Finn, her elbow finding support on the beam that kept them from free falling into the city. The way his cheeks reddened and the way he jumbled over his words certainly peeked her curiosity and full attention. She had no idea what to expect, but as soon as the words were presented to her, she couldnāt help but feel a strong sense of affection for the college professor. There was a humbleness about him that was refreshing for Quinn and while it was so different than what she was used to, she was drawn to it. Perhaps it was the originality that he brought to the table that attracted her. Or perhaps it was his authenticity and willingness to expose himself that pulled her in. She smiled at the compliment. People complimenting her on her looks was not something that was new, but it still felt different coming from Finn.
āWell, I will admit, youāre looking quite dapper yourself, so consider me thoroughly impressed.ā Quinn hoped that her words would help calm him, but she was never good at providing comfort. Being surrounded by the elite and high class people was status quo for Quinn and she never considered how that the people that werenāt used to that feel. She took a look around, sinking her teeth into her bottom lip.Ā āIf youāre not comfortable here, I wouldnāt be opposed to going to a place thatās more your speed.ā She finished her drink and placed the empty glass on the tray of a waiter that was passing by.Ā āThe last thing I want is for you to feel out of place. Not for something as minuscule as drinks. We can have drinks anywhere.ā
Finnās blush deepened incrementally at the compliment, and a surge of bright, smug pride shifted through him almost immediately. It was an encouraging thought that, at the very least, Quinn might think of him even half of what he thought of her already and that prompted a crooked, easy smile on his face. He swirled the whiskey in his glass lazily, eyes drifting across Quinnās face as she spoke, hoping very briefly that he wasnāt being entirely creepy in the way his attention could fixate on her so readily. In the way everything in him could focus on her before he knew exactly what was happening. He finished his drink and passed it off to a passing waiter with a soft smile, tilting his head back for a moment to study the sky, mentally running through a list of bars he could take Quinn to that wouldnāt make her think any less of him, though that thought felt a little ridiculous to even have had in the first place.Ā āThereās actually this little dive bar I like to come to maybe ten minutes from here if we catch a cab?ā He quirked an eyebrow, grinning.Ā āWeāre gonna be completely overdressed but Iām okay with that if you are,ā He tossed a playful wink in Quinnās direction,Ā āItās called the Broadway Dive.ā
He stood and cast another lingering look at the few in front of them before he turned his attention back to Quinn,Ā āDoes that sound alright?ā He felt a vague chill in the air as he waited for a response and wondered if it was the height of the area they were in, or a genuine cold from before he found himself shrugging his jacket off and smiling, quite shyly in Quinnās direction.Ā āIt feels like itās getting a little chilly, and Iām really hoping youāll take my jacket. Iām a space heater, really, so I definitely wonāt need it.ā
It had been a weird turn of events. Quinn was never one to engage and initiate connections, but there was something about the NYU professor that caused her to act out of character. Her trip to Savannah was unexpected to say the least, but the phone call she received from Finn upon her return was even more so. It seemed as though she made just as much of an impression on him that he did on her. So it was easy for her to extend the invitation once more. Quinn was a creature of habit and she very rarely traveled outside of Manhattan, so it was only natural that she invited Finn to one of the bars that she frequented often.Ā
The Press Lounge seemed like the perfect place for a first date encounter. The views of the city and the river were absolutely breathtaking and the music was upbeat. The combination of that and the martinis sheād been drinking put her in a fairly good mood, but as she looked over to Finn as they took in the views at the edge of the rooftop, he didnāt seem to be on the same level as she was.Ā āAre you doing okay over there?ā Quinn asked, a slight hint of concern in her voice.
As beautiful as his home town had been in its own way Finn could remember the exact moment heād laid eyes on New York City as a too-gangling, over-eager eighteen year old with almost more excitement than he should have been able to contain in himself. Heād been struck by it. Breathless and awed and just high on being in the city in the first place. Meeting Quinn had inspired similar feelings in him, and he had accepted her invitation for a proper meeting with an immediate eagerness and overall excitement heād worried later might have been a bit too much for how little they knew one another. In spite of that, heād been excited to see her. And as their night had progressed heād been rather close to elated, drinking in Quinnās presence with an ease and comfort that surprised him.Ā
If anything it was their surroundings that distracted him. His eyes shifted across the city-scape and he was amazed, yet again, that heād settled somewhere so beautiful. But he was so, so far out of his depth he felt a bit like heād been body-snatched; like some other, reasonably good looking, moderately intelligent guy had been stolen from his high-brow society and replaced with Finn. Heād been reluctant to admit that to himself, let alone to Quinn, and as his eyes shifted to meet hers, he could manage little more than an openly sheepish expression as he took a slow sip of his whiskey to calm himself.Ā āIām...ā He cleared his throat, a flush creeping into his cheeks,Ā āCan I be totally honest? This place is... a lot fancier than anything Iām used to. I even... dressed up for you. To uh... impress you. Which, sounds lame, I guess, when Iām admitting it out loud. Iām just a goofy dude from Illinois, so itās... I donāt know. Iām really bad at this. You look amazing, and I feel a little out of place.ā
Yeah? You wanna go get a drink or something one of these nights? We can do anything as long as it doesnāt involve hanging out on my couch.Ā
[PRIVATE]
Honestly? I really donāt know. Itās been... weird. Iāve gotten a little too drunk some nights just trying to block it out and that freaks me the fuck out. And Iāve seen Katie a few times but I havenāt had the balls to even ask to see my dad yet, so... I donāt know. Iām feeling a little lost, I guess.
Shit man, Iām always down to do something. If Iām not working, Iāve got to keep active, you know? Otherwise I go stir-crazy and that aināt something anyone wants to see.
We could hit up an arcade and do some lazer tag, if thatās your thing. You can guarantee yourself a win if you got me on your team, too,Ā ācause my aim is on point.
You wanna take the dogs out somewhere? Rosyās been bugging the shit outta me to get out and do more than we have been, and Iād be down to like, I dunno. Go on a hike or something. Anything thatās not being stuck at home.Ā
Oh, yeah? Youāre the second person whose thrown laser tag on the table, so Iām startinā to think that might be my best bet. Youāre pretty badass, man, I trust your aim just fine.Ā
I think we all need a little bit offĀ āfall off Earthā time every once in a while, but now that youāre coming back to our lovely planet, Iād suggest something like laser tag or one of the amusement parks. A really nice injection of fun, you know?
I donāt think Iāve done anything like that in months, so Iād definitely be on board for it. I definitely feel like Iām not getting as muchĀ āfunā time in my life as I probably should and it... sucks. Real bad. Would you wanna tag along if I did like, the laser tag thing?Ā āCause itās a heck of a lot more fun, in my experience, if Iām doing it with other people.Ā
NOTES: This is, essentially, the thing Finnās been dealing with thatās kept him away for a while.Ā
Head half buried under pillows as the bright Summer sunlight streamed through his bedroom window, foot hanging off the bed along with half of his blankets, hair mussed and wild as it spread across his sheets: Finn slept soundly, yet unaware of the gentle, persistent knocking at the door. He rolled to one side restlessly, dragging a pillow along with him as he stirred, the distant knocking becoming louder and louder in his ears with every second his brain attempted to struggle into wakefulness. He groaned into the pillow, reaching blindly with one hand for his phone and succeeding only in knocking it and an empty bottle of water from his bed side table. The clattering startled him into an upright position as his blankets pooled around his waist and he dragged a hand slowly over his face, yawning as he reached for his phone a second time.
7:53 AM.
He sniffed, squinting at the time dubiously as the knocking continued. A brief noise of irritation escaped him at having been woken prior to his alarm and he sighed lowly as he pushed himself unsteadily to his feet and stretched, tossing his phone lazily onto his bed as he padded through his apartment on quiet feet.
āI know Rosy didnāt get out again, sheās sleeping. Is there something elseāā His words died in his throat all at once as he stared openly at the woman in front of him.
Familiar blonde hair and bright, kind eyes that he sportedā the same his mother didnāt share with him; the same his father had lent him all those years ago when he was born; the same features he hadnāt seen since he was four years old watching his fatherās back as he walked out of their home. As heād left them.
A lump settled tightly in Finnās throat and he swallowed around it uselessly for several seconds as he pressed a hand to the door frame to steady himself, knees trembling and struggling to hold him upright. The womanās eyes softened and he watched her with an obvious detachment as she began to reach for him and paused for a brief second, staring at him with such clear and obvious affection that he felt sick to his stomach.
āGod, you are the spitting image of your dad, honey.ā
Her voice was roughā raspy in the pleasant way that voices could be, kind and warm and everything Finn could remember from countless afternoons spent in her company, playing with his cousins as his parents and his aunts and uncles laughed happily in the back ground. Everything that had been idyllic about his initial time with his family; everything he dreamed about on the off days he wished he could find a way to go back.
He swallowed again, realizing all at once that he was standing half-naked in front of his aunt ( whom he hadnāt seen in roughly twenty-three years, and who looked as excited to see him as anyone had ever been about anything ).
āFuck, uhā Aunt Katie, I need to go getāā He motioned towards his unclothed torso and managed a sheepish smile as she laughed and encouraged him to go and get dressed. Heād shoved an arm through a t-shirt haphazardly before he stopped again, hurrying back towards the door and crossing the distance towards her in a few short steps, āWhatās going on? Are you okay? Is Dad okay?ā
Katieās face softened and for a brief, terrifying moment Finn was worried something horrible had happened before she nodded briefly, āHeās fine, honey. Itās actually part of the reason I came to visitā think we could go somewhere and talk?ā
Finn squinted, shoving his t-shirt on the rest of the way as a fierce rush of indecision flared through him at the question. On the one hand, he hadnāt seen Katie in twenty-something years and the sight of her was enough to make him want to cry, and find every possible way to spend time with her and feel, just a bit, like his father and the rest of his family hadnāt completely forgotten about him. On the other, he was furious. Furious that without his consent, there she wasā there his father was, essentially, gently demanding things from him in a way he wasnāt even vaguely prepared to deal with. He swallowed, his fingers curling and uncurling from fists to open palms before he gave her a short nod.
But heād never expected anyone from his dadās side of the family to come looking for him; not after so much time had passed and especially not when it seemed like his dad would never be a part of his life again. As much as it stung to consider, heād really started to accept that that would be the case.
As he stared at his aunt from the corner of his eye, her entire visit felt like someone had slapped him square across the face.
They stepped into the coffee shop as Finn willed himself to relax, taking a few short breaths through his nose as Katie reached out to squeeze his shoulder. He wasnāt scared, not really. His aunt had taken care of him whenever his parents couldnāt when he was a kid and heād adored herā she was a few years younger than his dad and heād followed her everywhere she went; she was his hero. Having her with him now felt surreal, like heād blink and sheād be gone and heād be left to deal with having imagined a family that hadnāt been his for a long while.
āIāll get us something to drink?ā He raised a brow as he turned towards her, tapping his fingers restlessly against his thighs as she reached up to ruffle his hair and he turned away with a laugh.
With Katie around, things had always been okay, and he had to believe that no matter how many years itād been, that wouldnāt change. She loved him, and heād missed her so much it was all flooding back to him at once as he returned to their table and slid a drink in front of her with trembling fingers.
āHowād you know to find me here?ā He hadnāt realized it was a question that warranted asking until the image seared itself against his eyes yet again; his dadās back as Finn had waddled behind him, crying and begging for him not to leave.Ā Ā
āHonestly? I called your ma; talk about a blast from the pastā I wasnāt sure if she was gonna hang up on me right then.ā
He snorted, āMom would never just hang up on you. She does love you, yāknow.ā
Katie smiled as she fiddled with the edge of the napkin tucked under her drink, watching him with keen, penetrating eyesā heād always thought Katie had some sort of supernatural gift when it came to reading people, and as a child heād been half-convinced that she was some sort of human lie detector; capable of unraveling a person to their very bones and finding everything that made them a person in a few short glances. He shifted under the attention, restlessness surging through his fingertips in the short moment it took for him to drum a lazy pattern against the tabletop.Ā
āIām not gonna say I know what Iām doing, here. With all of this. Itās... excuse my language, but itās a fucking lot to deal with, Katie. But that doesnāt mean you canāt talk to me. You donāt have to look at me like that.ā
She blinked several times, a brief, astonished expression flickering across her features before she grinned, āYouāre right. Of course youāre right. If Iām being honest, I donāt... really know how to do any of this either. And youāre a grown man, honey, you can say āfuckā if you want to.ā
He blinked, owlishly, a brief smile curling at the corners of his lips as he considered the comment for a long, quiet moment. His smile faded as he busied himself taking sips of his tea, āIs he around? Like, did Dad come with you?ā
āNo, not this time.ā Her smile was almost mournful, āHe was worried itād spook you a little too much if we came on too strong, but we do miss you, Finn. And weād all really love to see you. I think your dad always thought he couldnāt fix what heād done, yāknow, with leaving you and your momāā
āHe didnāt even try!ā He interrupted her furiously, glaring down at the mug pressed against his palm as his fingers tightened around it. He took a breath and closed his eyes, exhaling sharply through his nose, āI never heard anything from him after he left. He couldāve died and I donāt think Iād have known it. Mom never said anything bad about him, yāknow? I always wanted to see him again and he neverāā His eyes stung as he rubbed at them, a sharp, bright point of anger stirring in his chest as tears slipped down his cheeks for just a moment before he rubbed them away angrily.
āHe shouldāve tried harder, Katie. Itās notā itās not right to just leave a kid and make them wonder if their dad didnāt love them enough. Thatās notāā His words caught in his throat as he raised a hand to his face and sobbed, recognizing the pressure of his head pressed against his auntās chest as she hugged him only vaguely as he cried.
He was sure there were people staring; sure that he could feel their glances prickling his skin as his shoulders quaked and his throat went raw. He registered the soothing tone Katie was humming into his ear as the lullaby sheād always sung him when he was a child and the tears started all over again, āHe took allĀ of you away from me!ā
āI know, honey, I know. But he wants to fix itā we all wanna fix it. Can we try to do that? You deserve to know how proud we are of you, and honestly, I fucking miss you, kid. Your cousins miss you, your dad misses youā we need our little monkey back.ā
He hiccuped as his tears ebbed and rubbed furiously at his eyes as he managed a shaky nod, āIād be okay with trying. Iād be okay with trying to be a family again.ā
Well, life has a way of making me drop off the face of the Earth, apparentlyā and Iāve definitely spent more time curled up with Rosy the last little while than Iād wanna admit. Anyone want to break my streak of alone-time and yāknow, actually do something? Itād be beyond appreciated.
Santana: Of course I want to go with you. We're friends.
Santana: Your Spanish is funny and adorable all at once so it's fine.
Santana: You don't need to speak Spanish. English is a thing too. Besides, I thought it could be fun and you're super tall so you can put my on your shoulders so I can see over the crowd.
Finn: I know we are! I just know I'm gonna stick out like a sore thumb, so I wanted to double check :P
Finn: Oh my god, shhhhhhh.
Finn: Why do I feel like this is gonna be a whole day of giving you piggy back rides and stuff?
Quinn: recognized the voice as soon as her name rolled off of his tongue and she wondered if it was natural to miss a voice that she was still getting acquainted to. She couldn't help but smile at the way he stumbled over his words in the most endearing way possible. "I wondered when you were going to call, I know we were supposed to get those drinks far sooner than this, but family business came up that I needed to tend to back home." She paused, not liking how much she was saying to this stranger and refocused. "In other words, I would love to grab that drink with you," she clarified. "Regardless of how awkward you're being," the last part added with a teasing tone.
Finn: felt genuine concern creeping through him as Quinn explained, at least vaguely, what had taken her from the city in the first place. "Is everything okay?" Perhaps it was inappropriate, but he had always been a deeply caring person and he could feel it, in some way, that those feelings were arguably amplified where Quinn was concerned. "You don't have to answer that, actually. Where are you from? That's an easier question, right?" He smiled softly, wondering if it would be possible to hear someone's smile over the phone if it was intense enough. "I'm glad to hear it. Some people think the whole awkward thing is pretty cute... I'm kind of hoping you're one of them." He took a moment to settle down on the couch, "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
Indeed. I, for one, do not believe in luck. Fickle, unpredictable, uncontrollable; these words go against every grain of my being. Success doesnāt happen by chance. People would have never won a lottery if they had never played.Ā
Iām Hunter Clarington,Ā and Iām not even remotely bi-curious.
Okay, so Iām guessing you totally could have summed all of that up into: working hard is gonna make you successful, and being lucky is probably just bullshit in general. I dunno. Something like that.Ā
... Thank you, Hunter, for that information. I definitely wasnāt thinking about hitting on you.Ā
Santana smiled softly at Finn as her friend reached out to interlace their hands. Squeezing back gently, she pulled her hand away just as the waitress arrived at their table with their orders. Thanking her, the brunette reached for her latte and took a small sip before placing the cup back down.Ā āThank you for this. I always have the best time when we hang out.ā Santana admitted softly.
Finn had taken what was arguably the largest bite of sandwich he could fit into his mouth in the few seconds before Santana spoke, and a blush burned the tips of his ears while he chewed furiously to be able to respond without spewing food across the table.Ā āYouāre my best friend, San. I always wanna spend time with you.ā He managed, coughing lightly at the sheer amount of food heād managed to eat to achieve normal speech,Ā āBut I have the best time too. No matter what weāre doing. Itās awesome. You know we can hang out whenever, right?ā
