Even though they’d discussed it a bunch and had tentatively made plans before, it wasn’t until now that Finn and Marley had actually been able to coordinate their schedules enough to get together and hang out. He’d promise to help show her the tricks of making his patented grilled cheese sandwich; the truth really was that he didn’t do much special with it but nevertheless was happy to be able to spend time with her and that she seemed interested to spend time with him as well. And being invited to her apartment for the first time was pretty cool too, Finn figured she might feel better about being on her own home turf rather than coming over to his place instead. Making sure to clean up after work and change into some better clothes than he normally would have worn, Finn went with jeans and a simple dark grey t-shirt so at least it wouldn’t look so obvious that he’d dressed up.
Thanks to a town with a very active rumor mill and some even more active busybodies there was word around town that perhaps he and Marley were keeping it secret that they were dating. It wasn’t true, but that didn’t stop Finn from wishing there was more legitimacy to it. A couple of years younger than him, Marley had just entered high school around the time he was thinking about graduating and they’d never really been been in each other’s orbit much. It wasn’t until both had left school that they’d really crossed paths much at all, usually around town but Finn always noticed how much happier he tended to be after running into Marley. Still, his lot in life was as a simple mechanic, and with her artistic dreams he knew she was destined for bigger things and not to be tied down to Lima, Ohio for long.
Knocking on her door Finn took a deep breath, and as Marley soon answered his knock and greeted him her smiled brightly back at her. “Marley, hi!” Her words were sweet and as she stepped back to let him into her apartment, he scanned it quickly before returning his gaze to her vibrant eyes. “Me too, I’ve been hoping we could make it work out. And hey, I love your place here. It’s very cool!” Finn groaned inwardly, hopefully he didn’t come across to Marley as too exuberant that it was off-putting, but gave her another smile. “It looks great, and so do you.”
That she and Finn both came from modest upbringings eased a little of the concern Marley had about inviting him over. It also helped that Finn was an extremely kind guy that wouldn’t look down on someone in a lower class. Even if they hadn’t been able to hang out too often, she always felt at ease around him. While his usual work uniform and grease-coated hands were pretty ruggedly attractive to her, Marley also appreciated his more clean-cut appearance. He had made an effort to look nice for her, as she did him. Never would Marley put any weight on words of the gossip blog, but maybe Finn was a little interested? Though likely not as much as she was.
“Oh I would have found a way to squeeze you in,” she promised giddily, making room for him to step inside. Not that she kept a busy social calendar-- it was mostly work that consumed Marley’s schedule. The closest thing she’d had to a date in a long time was the blind one at Breadstix, and she didn’t think that really counted. Though, Finn’s night may have been more promising than hers. “Thank you! You think so? It’s quaint, but I’ve done what I can with it.” Marley was beaming, proud for once of what she had managed to pull together. A guy like Finn complimenting was something she could get used to. His impress not only with her place, but Marley’s look made her brighten further; cheeks blossoming into a blush. She wasn’t sure if he was just being polite or not, but either way, the butterflies were already stirring inside her.
Still smiling, Marley bit at her lower lip, her expression becoming a little more shy. “Thank you. But you do too! I mean, you always do, but... I like being able to see your whole face. Without grease all over it.” She probably looked like a tomato now, with her awkward rambling. Hopefully Finn didn’t seem to mind. She’d had a crush on him for years, but was pretty certain this was the closest they’d ever been to each other. She could smell his intriguing cologne wafting under her nose. “Are you thirsty?” She piped up after a moment as she attempted to collect herself. “I’ve got water, tea, soda... and a few hard ciders. What goes best with grilled cheese?”
