“This is so exciting! Are you excited?” Troian clasped onto Keegan’s hand as they exited the car, looking up at the building they were currently walking towards. “I haven’t been sky diving in..God, who knows how long. I’m a little nervous,” she confessed. That might not have been the best thing to admit to somebody who had never done it before but maybe it’d help Keegan if she felt like it was brand new for her too. She honestly hadn’t thought he’d agree to doing this with her but like always, he took her by surprise with his bravery and willingness to try new things. “Treegan back in action, doing the crazy stuff,” she teased him and reached up to press a kiss to his cheek. He was always the first one she thought of when it came to adventurous things and she was happy that once again, he was willing to do whatever it took to make her smile. He always had been her favorite adventure buddy.
Walking in, Troian introduced herself to the instructor they were with and bit her lip in excitement as he began to walk them towards a room. “So since I’ve been before, I thought it’d be best if you jumped with me,” she explained to Keegan. “You trust me, right?” There was a little flirtatious twinkle in Troian’s brown eyes and she winked at him before tugging on the equipment that they would need as they jumped. All Troian was really concerned about was the parachute and she inspected it, crinkling her nose to make sure it wasn’t faulty. “How are you feeling?” She asked Keegan, wanting to make sure he wasn’t getting cold feet. @supitskeegs
nychuds replied to your photo: "@thegoldstar As today features fireworks …
@finnhuds: I had no idea you were into Batman.
Oh, well, I'm not exactly a fan of Batman, per se, but more an enthusiast for the warmth and comfort that comes only from a boyfriend's shirt. I'm sure Christian Bale's superhero is just wonderful though.
askfinnh replied to your post:is it true you still wear your Team Finn shirt to go you to bed because Jesse gets off on it?
You wear a VOCAL ADRENALINE hoodie to bed? We can’t be friends anymore.
Yes, I wear my boyfriend's hoodie to bed, Finn. While we may have had some rivalry with them in the past, their power in the show choir world has greatly decreased and I'm hardly wearing it as a sign of support for their flagging team. I miss my boyfriend during his extensive country-wide tour and this is just another way for me to feel close to him while he's gone.
Summary → Finn sleeps over Rachel's again and the both face a roller coaster of emotions and realizations
Finn arrived in front of the Berry home just moments after his final text to Rachel. He had opted out of every invite he'd received that Friday night, truly not in the mood to play social when he'd had such a hard week. No matter how much alcohol was involved in those events, he just didn't have it in him that night. Which was why he chose to go spend time with his best friend. She was okay with just hanging out and he could be himself instead of the fake, watered down version of himself that he had become in front of his peers. He did as Rachel said and grabbed the key from under the welcome mat on the front porch, then used it to get into the house. He walked in and made sure to lock the door behind him before he stepped up the stairs and to Rachel's room. He rapped his knuckles lightly against the wooden exterior of her bedroom door as he stepped through. "Hey you." he greeted her.
Rachel sat curled up on her bed, her warmest throw draped over her legs. She was attempting to finish another chapter of her book for English class but the dullness was starting to get to her. She rubbed her eyes then slumped against the pillows, her cheek against the soft cotton of her pillowcase. Her heavy lids were about to fall shut when she heard a knock and a voice. Before she even looked up, there was a smile on her lips. "Hey." Kicking back the throw, she pulled back the blankets, an open invitation for Finn to come right to her. "I'm glad you're here, though I'm a little surprised since it's Friday. I figured you'd be out."
Finn gladly joined her on the bed and pulled the throw blanket up their legs as he got comfortable beside her. "I just didn't feel like going out." he said with a shrug. "Besides, I hate it when you have to spend the night here alone. I'm glad I came here."
Rachel turned onto her side, a little in awe of Finn and his chivalry. At least that's what she liked to call it in her mind. She wasn't as much of a romantic as some girl were, but she couldn't help be play into the notion that on some metaphoric level, white knights still existed. If she ever needed any proof, all she had to do was look at Finn. "I do fine on my own, but I'll take you being here over that any day." Brushing her hair back, she tried to give him a very subtle once over. No new marks and the swelling around his eyes going down. If she had to settle on something making her happy about his home situation, it was that. "You know, you keep staying here and my fathers might just give you your own room."
Finn chuckled lightly "I'd just sneak in here to be with you every night." he rested his head against the headboard, looking over at Rachel with a small smile.
Rachel smiled up at him, shaking her head slightly. "That's very Shakespearean, Romeo, but I think they'd definitely have a thing or two to say about it. I think they are humoring me at this point by letting the last few times slide."
Finn "Well I won't make a habit of staying here too much." He shrugged his shoulders.
Rachel bit the inside of her lip, wishing she hadn't said what she did. Not even as a joke. "Don't worry about them. I can handle it. Stay here as often as you need to. It's not like we're doing anything we shouldn't be doing." Except spending the night with a boy who has a girlfriend, the nagging voice in the back of her mind taunted. It did that so often now that she was starting to second guess all of her actions and motives. "You're not hurting anyone by being here. Especially not them."
Finn "I don't know.. Quinn would be pretty mad if she knew I was staying the night here so much. And I really don't want your dads to like, lose trust in you or something. "
Rachel had wanted to ask him why, if he was worried about what Quinn would think of the two of them sleeping in the same bed, didn't he go stay with her. But Rachel had a feeling she knew the answer. Or, at the very least, she didn't want to know that what she thought was wrong. "They won't lost trust in me. Question it sometimes, maybe, but that will happen with or without you sleeping here." Reaching for the edge of her blanket, she twisted the end of a lose string hanging there. "Can I ask you something?"
Finn "I just don't wanna be the reason." he said softly. Finn had always been a little over protective and thought way too much when it came to the person next to him. Part of him knew he was going to have to let that go someday because he couldn't have her in his little bubble forever, but he just felt the need to try anyways. "Of course." he answered.
Rachel was apprehensive, even with his permission. The question touched on things they really never talked about, for whatever reason, and Rachel wasn't really sure she was ready to hear the answer. Curiosity always got her in the end, though. Knowing seemed to trump almost everything. "Have you ever done this with anyone before? Sleep together like we do?"
Finn's eyebrows furrowed in thought "Like.. Sleeping? No.." he shook his head.
Rachel didn't say anything at first, the implication of his statement quite clear. Still, it was like scratching an infected wound, or biting at an already bleeding nail bed. Rachel wasn't normally a masochist, but when it came to Finn and the topic of other girls, she couldn't seem to stop herself. "Other things than sleeping, then?"
Finn looked over at Rachel, for some reason apprehensive of telling her. "Quinn and I have been together for a long time.. " he pointed out.
Rachel felt the twinge she knew she would, even if she couldn't describe what, exactly, it felt like or what it meant. She hadn't expected it to be Quinn, though. The way she presented herself didn't leave her open for that kind of scrutiny, even if she was dating the most popular boy in school. Rachel should have guessed, though, and she felt a little stupid for not. "Yes, you have." It was the only response she could muster, especially when the hard lump in her throat made it hard to talk.
Finn scrunched his nose. "But honestly.. It's not Quinn.. " he admitted.
Rachel was confused. "What's not Quinn?"
Finn "Quinn and I haven't... " he trailed off. "Santana and I hooked up."
Rachel 's stomach turned, the knot making her feel instantly nauseated and her emotions hard to control. So she stayed quiet for what seemed like a very long time. A million questions, that's what she had to ask. "I suppose those things happen." The words were weak, and Rachel knew she wasn't hiding the hurt she felt at all. It wasn't so much what he'd done, but who. Santana. That girl never stopped bullying Rachel. The idea of Finn sharing anything with her, especially something so intimate, almost took Rachel's breath away.
Finn "I don't know why.. It's just like every time Quinn and I break up, she's there and it just happens" he explained.
Rachel wanted to scream, or throw something at him. Preferably something very sharp or heavy. The feeling of betrayal was just that strong. Anyone else, she could have accepted. But Santana? Rachel could feel her cheeks getting hot, but instead of one of her usual verbal tirades, she turned away from him quietly and climbed out of bed. "I'm going to make a snack. I'll bring you back one too." She tried to hold her composure but she practically ran from the room, relieved when she found herself in the kitchen and away from him. Gripping the counter momentarily, Rachel sunk down to the floor, tears creeping down her cheeks as she buried her face in her hands.
Finn could tell she was upset when she walked out of the room, but wasn't sure why when she had asked. He sighed and got up from the bed, following her downstairs moments after she had left. He walked into the kitchen to find her in the kitchen crying and he automatically felt remorse although he still wasn't entire sure what he had done. He walked to her and crouched down in front of her "Rach.. " he said quietly. "What's wrong? "
Rachel wiped her face furiously when she realized he'd come into the kitchen. "I was looking for something and thought of something else that was very emotional." Rachel wasn't a very good liar, not even at her best times and now definitely wasn't one of those times. "It's nothing."
Finn frowned "Is it what I told you? I didn't know it was going to upsetting... "
Rachel 's head shot up, a cutting glare landing square on Finn. "Don't flatter yourself!" She was practically spitting the words. "It's the fact that someone who says he's my best friend could have anything to do with such a horrible person. Santana is the worst kind of bully there is. Not just to me but to... well, anyone. And that's the kind of person you want to be intimate with? It's not upsetting, it's disgusting."
Finn pulled back "It's not like I ever let her talk that way to you without saying anything. I really don't think you can get offended by who I hook up with, it doesn't involve you. I shouldn't have told you." he stood up.
Rachel stayed on the floor, vacillating between being fuming mad and as upset as he'd accused her of being. "You want to spend any of your time, hooking up or not, with someone who is awful to me, I guess you're right." She pushed up her feet and passed him. "It doesn't involve me at all."
Finn grabbed her hand gently "Rachel, stop.. I'm sorry, okay? I don't think in those situations. "
Rachel stopped and looked down at their hands. It was very likely that she was being dramatic, and she knew it. One of her shortcomings was being too self-aware, or so she'd been told on occasion. "I...don't know what to say. I guess there isn't much to say."
Finn " You know you're more important to me than anyone and I don't like hurting your feelings. I'll stop associating with her. "
Rachel eased her hand away from his, a sad realization taking hold. "I can't tell you who to be friends with or not. I suppose this is all just part of growing up. We get older, move on, make different friends."
Finn "I'm not moving on from you.. It was just stupid." he shook his head.
Rachel felt like crying again. The idea of them moving on in anyway had always been pushed to the back of her mind, even though it was inevitable. This news about Santana seemed to make it more so. It always started small like this - the two of them being completely different and participating in different social circles. Then it would be graduating from high school and moving away and sometimes texting and... the world was just going to get bigger. And even though she knew she'd become more important in so many ways, she knew that there was a distinct likelihood that her importance to Finn could fade away, no matter how many times he promised otherwise. "It's not. It just...it happens, like you said. No one thinks about it."
Finn "You're not mad at me then, right?" he asked softly, hopefully.
Rachel gave him a sad smile. "Aren't I always mad at you, Finn Hudson?" She wanted to laugh, seeing as it was a joke, but she couldn't.
Finn "Well... More mad at me than usual." he said with a small smile.
Rachel shook her head, not sure how it was that he could put her throw this roller coaster of emotion and still set everything to rest with just that smile of his. "I'm not. But just remember this moment when I hook up with someone you don't like because you won't be able to stay mad at me because of it."
Finn nodded his head slowly "I will try." he agreed. "Now can we go back to bed? I had a long day and I just wanna hold you and sleep."
Rachel thought about not relenting and letting him lay back down, but she could see what he was saying was an absolute truth. His eyes, his face... every part of him looked exhausted. "Of course we can." She moved towards the stairs, knowing that he'd follow with ease.
Finn followed behind her up the stairs and back to her bedroom. He lay back down and when Rachel joined him, his arm wrapped around her.
Rachel laid down next to Finn, not resisting even a little when he put his arms around her. Rachel knew this was only going to get harder for her, and more confusing, but she wasn't letting herself be realistic right now. It felt nice, these moments between the two of them. Even if it didn't mean anything, and Rachel knew it didn't, she couldn't bring herself to stop.
Finn "I feel like a jerk now." he said after a few minutes of silence.
Rachel didn't need to ask why, but she wanted to give him the chance to explain and get it out if he needed to. "Why?"
Finn "I don't know.. I guess I don't really think about the people I hang around with. And I shouldn't be friends with people who are bullies."
Rachel wished she had affirming words for him, but... there was truth to what he was saying. Maybe he didn't realize it, but Rachel knew that Finn was better than that. He'd never been the kind of person who needed to walk on other people to feel good. She understood, to some degree, why he associated with those people - there was a very high premium on popularity in high school - but she didn't think it was okay. "I don't think anyone looks at another person and first seems their shortcomings. You see the things you enjoy, the things you have in common. That's why you're friends. But if there's something you feel is wrong, you have to make a stand and say so. Even if it means losing a friendship."
Finn nodded his head "Yeah.. You're right. I should be standing up more often. Especially for you. I'm going to change that."
Rachel wanted to ask why he got to protect her all the time but she wasn't allowed to do the same for him when it came to his home life. Not that there was much she could do, but Rachel wished he'd let her take on the role and try. She knew not to bring it up, though. They'd already had one emotional explosion since he'd gotten there. Having another would be too much for both of them. "You don't have to worry about me Finn. As much as I loathe some of the things the people you know do, I do alright for myself."
Finn "I know you do but... I don't know, it hurts me that someone I love is being hurt all the time and I just want to stop it." he said with a shrug.
Rachel 's insides turned warm and she moved closer to Finn, her head resting against his shoulder as she burrowed into that safe space they occupied. Rachel could think of no other place in the world she'd rather been than in this place with Finn. Not even New York, which she loved. It paled in comparison, even. "Your concern means a lot to me. The good news is that I'm not hurting right now, so you don't have to be either." She sighed contently. "It's a little like nothing else matters here."
Finn smiled softly "Good. That's how I feel when I'm with you too I'm happy when I'm here." he said quietly.
Rachel knew the way she felt at the moment wasn't the way that most people felt about their best friends, especially when their best friends were only their friends. Still, she focused on something else... on him being happy there. "You could be happy here all the time, you know. I mean, I know you have other things you feel like you need to deal with but there's always a bed here for you."
Finn "Thank you.. I don't want to overstay my welcome though." he ran his hand along her side.
Rachel hardly made out what he said, her attention trained solely on his hand. It was such an innocent thing, but no one touched her like that and the newness of it made it feel like there was a tug of war happening between some form of giddiness and unease. Tentatively, and with as much subtlety as he could manage, she moved her hand to the back of his neck, her fingers gliding through the ends of his hair. "That won't happen."
Finn closed his eyes and rested his head against hers "I guess we'll see.." he said softly.
Rachel tilted her head up and kissed his forehead, letting her lips linger a beat longer than she should have. "Silly boy." Her fingers continued to move in his hair, hoping that it would sooth him.
Finn in a way, Finn knew this wasn't okay. They were being intimate and he shouldn't have been letting that happen. In a bigger way though, it felt very right. His breathing was beginning to slow "You're gonna make me fall asleep.
Rachel didn't want him to go to sleep. There two sides of Rachel fighting each other at the moment wanted him to be awake for completely different reasons, some of them wrong on levels that she didn't want to comprehend. She needed to listen to her more rational, reasonable voice that was saying he needed sleep and that sleep was the best for them both right now. "I can stop if you want." Her follow through, so it seemed, was awful.
Finn opened his eyes to look at her, a very serious question looming in his mind. "Rach.. Do you ever wonder what it would be like if.. We were more than friends?"
Rachel was completely caught off guard by his questions. Of course she'd thought about the two of them as he described it, but never as more than a few fleeting moments because it was never something she envisioned happening. Telling him that she had wouldn't change that. Still, when she looked back at him, there was no way she could be dishonest about it. "Sometimes."
Finn nodded his head "I was just wondering." he said and lay back against the pillow. "Goodnight." he kept his arm around her.
Rachel felt a little like the wind had been knocked out of her by his quick dismissal, but what had she really expected? Turning back onto her side, Rachel forced her mind to clear and forget that they'd talked about this at all, or that they'd shared these moments, as she closed her eyes and waited for sleep. "Goodnight."
Summary → Rachel and Finn catch up and reminisce over pizza.
Finn drove his old beaten blue truck to Rachel's house, glad that he was going to be spending time with his best friend. Rachel was the only person in the world that he felt comfortable enough with to tell her even half the things that were going on in his messy life and she always made things feel better while he was with her. When he pulled up to Rachel's house, he grabbed the pizza he bought from off the passenger seat before making his way up the front porch and straight into the house. He and Rachel had been so close for so long, the Berry men practically looked at him as part of the family and Finn normally came and went as he wanted. He walked upstairs to Rachel's room "Hey!" he put the pizza on her dresser and plopped down onto her bed.
Rachel probably should have been more apprehensive about someone walking into her home without announcing himself, but she didn't even look up when she heard the front door. The sound of Finn's familiar steps put her mind at ease and she pushed her laundry basket into the closet just before he walked through her door and dropped down onto her bed. "One of these days, you're going to break it doing that." She was teasing, of course, which was a side of her that only Finn saw as he was the only person she felt comfortable being that casual around. "I could only imagine explaining that to my fathers. 'Well, daddy, Finn was the one who broke my bed.' " She took the pizza box from the dresser and grabbed a fresh towel to place it on so she wouldn't stain her comforter with grease. "Though, knowing them, they wouldn't be at all scandalized considering the source."
Finn laughed at her comment "They would probably think we did it by jumping on the bed or something super innocent. " He sat up once she placed the pizza on the bed and opened the box, taking a piece out and beginning to eat it.
Rachel nodded as she reached over, taking a slice of pizza. "In the end, they most likely would. It would surprise me if, for even the briefest moment, the thought of something else crossed their minds." She nibbled on the edge of her slice, looking at him thoughtfully. "We are two relatively attractive people. We're also teenagers. Our history doesn't immediately trump that in their minds. They are fathers, after all."
Finn "You really think they would consider us to be hooking up? " he asked with raised eyebrows. "I don't know. I mean, yeah you're gorgeous but we're extremely close.. We're like brother and sister. "
Rachel didn't know how to take his comment, as it came off as more of a backhanded compliment than anything. "I don't know that they'd spend much time focusing on it, but I'm sure it's crossed their minds once or twice. I imagine it does all fathers when it comes to their daughters."
Finn "Well... I want to protect you too much to do something like that. " he said with a nod and finished eating his slice of pizza. "Anyways how's your day been? "
Rachel almost said, 'good to know,' but she didn't think she could be convincing in her delivery, a rarity for her. But she was convinced that no matter how good an actress she was, Finn could see through her. He'd known her far too long to fall victim to any well-crafted facade she could muster. "I have a feeling that any boy should be more wary of you than my fathers." She set her half eaten slice of pizza back in the box, as she didn't have a plate. "It's been a typical day. I got on the elliptical this morning, then practiced vocal runs. Now I'm sitting here, eating pizza with you."
Finn laughed. "They will. I'll kick anyone's ass who messes with you. " he said with a nod. "Sounds like a pretty good day. " he said with a smile. "Especially the pizza part."
Rachel wiped her mouth unceremoniously on the back of her hand. "Not all boys are going to 'mess with me.' It's quite novel, I'm sure, but one could actually like me at some point. That's what I was referring to." Watching him eat, seemingly relaxed and content, Rachel couldn't help but smile a little. "Isn't the pizza part always the best for you?" She pulled her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on them. "How about your day? Anything worthwhile happening?"
Finn "I know that, Rach. You're awesome. You're going to get the best dude ever someday. Someone who isn't gonna waste their life in Lima." he said with a shrug as he grabbed a second piece. "Um.." his day had started out calm, his father had been gone for a majority of it but as usual things had gone down immensely the moment his dad arrived home. "Nah.. I just played Xbox and stuff"
Rachel watched him closely and carefully when he talked about his home life. She didn't want to seem like she was trying to make something of nothing, or overanalyze what he was saying, but the slightest change in his demeanor told her it wasn't as simple as he made it sound. She wasn't going to push, though, because she'd promised she wouldn't. "That sounds stimulating. Hopefully the 'and stuff' included some homework and studying."
Finn scoffed. "Of course it didn't." He shot her a playful smirk. "But no, nothing happened today except a stupid fight with Quinn. " He rolled his eyes.
Rachel "Oh." Rachel wasn't at all surprised by him skipping homework, and she would have launched into a lecture about the importance of maintaining good grades had he not brought up the fight with his girlfriend. "That's unfortunate. Is it prying if I ask what it was about, or what made it so stupid?"
Finn "She thinks I drink with Puck too much," he said with a shake of his head. "She wouldn't really know. It's not like she knows my every move. But now she's all freaking out and saying I shouldn't hang out with Puck and go to parties anymore."
Rachel wanted the reasons for Finn and Quinn's fight to actually be stupid so that she could rally behind Finn. The problem was... Quinn had a point. If he was drinking with Puck, then maybe they should spend less time together. Rachel would never say that since, after her, Finn had known Puck the longest, but she agreed that if Puck was the push behind bad behavior, he wasn't really the kind of person Finn should be mimicking. "There's nothing wrong with enjoying a party, but you and Noah both shouldn't be drinking so heavily if that's what you're doing at them." She nudged the corner of the pizza box with her toe. "Are you both drinking that much?"
Finn shook his head "Nah.. Just like on the weekends. She's just making a big deal out of nothing. I mean, she can't tell me who I can hang out with."
Rachel nodded in agreement. Quinn didn't have the kind of pull to make Finn stop being friends with Puck. No one did. Still, she understood the worry - or what she perceived as worry - on Quinn's part. "Every weekend?"
Finn looked over at Rachel. "You're not getting all weird too are you? Just a little bit. I'm not drinking enough to worry about."
Rachel worried about him regardless of whether or not alcohol was involved. "Any drinking in my book is enough to be worried about but I'm not going to give you a hard time about it. Just don't let me find out that you've been driving while intoxicated. Then we'll have a huge problem." Her voice was stronger when she said that, more authoritative, kind of like it was when she spoke to the glee club. "And just so you're aware, drinking to numb the pain of whatever is going on in life never works. I'm not saying that's what you're doing but, if it is, the bad feelings will catch up with you eventually."
Finn "I wouldn't do that," he said in assurance. Sometimes he hated the way Rachel knew him so well and even though she had pegged his actual behavior down, he wasn't going to admit to it. "I don't think they would, but that's not what is happening. "
Rachel didn't know whether or not to believe him, though the little voice in the back of her that she attributed her pseudo-psychic senses to was screaming that he was lying. "As long as you're being safe, and not trying to hurt yourself, that's what counts. Because I'm pretty sure that's what Noah does because his home life is a bit of a mess." She looked at Finn with earnest eyes. "I don't want you to go down the path that he has."
Finn kept eye contact with her for a long moment, then broke it and looked down at the bed with a shrug "Can we talk about something else?"
Rachel pursed her lips, knowing that she was pushing too hard but feeling like she wasn't pushing hard enough. In the end, she didn't want to push him away all together, so she conceded to a topic change. "Of course." She looked down at the pizza box. "Like how much pizza you can eat?"
Finn looked down at the box of pizza, seeing only a couple of pieces left. "I'm a hungry dude, what can I say?" he joked with a smile. "Did you ever think that maybe I don't eat too much and you just don't eat enough?"
Rachel blushed, not use to anyone commenting on her eating habits... or anything, really. "I eat plenty. I consume the correct number of calories to support my dance endeavors as recommended by my nutritionist."
Finn "You can be so stiff sometimes," he said with a laugh. "Don't get me wrong, I admire that you're so strict and aware of yourself but I really don't get how you do it."
Rachel often had to remind herself that the way Finn said things was different than everyone else. Whereas other people were trying to be mean to her, Finn was trying to be sweet in his own way. "Having focus helps. I know what I want to do and I'm learning what it takes to get there." She raised a shoulder in a half shrug. "I have no doubt you could do the same."
Finn "Maybe.. But not everyone knows what they wanna do from the time they're born. I have no idea what I'm going to do after high school."
Rachel "That's very true." Rachel paused. "But I don't think you need to. It's kind of like anything that's special. You'll know when you need to, and when you do, you will do everything to make it happen."
Finn nodded his head "Well hopefully it happens before school ends."
Rachel leaned forward and put her hand on his arm. "You will figure it out, Finn. And if you need a hand, you have that." Smiling, she gently stroked his forearm. "You don't have to do it by yourself."
Finn "Thanks Rach." he smiled softly. "You're a good friend. "
Rachel felt the flutter in her chest that she normally did when he smiled at her. She'd always gotten a special kind of feeling when he did that, but it was different now and made her a little... afraid. "I should tell you that it's only you I'm such a good friend to." She cleared the box from her bed and stretched out a little, nudging his knee with her heel.
Finn lay back "You're a good friend to everyone you let in your life."
Rachel turned her head slightly to look at Finn. "You and I are different, obviously. I mean, I really don't consider anyone a friend the way I do you." She wanted to take his hand, like she use to when they were young, and just lie there holding it. That was one of the things that age had changed about them. There was no longer a comfortable physicality they shared. Rachel usually scrutinized every move, every touch, gauging whether it was 'okay' or not.
Finn "No one is my friend the way you are either. I feel like no matter who comes in my life, you'll always be the most important. "
Rachel didn't bother trying to hide her elation, and she threw caution to the wind when she scooted over and laid her head on Finn's shoulder. "Remember when we were kids and my dad's put all those ridiculous glowing stars on the ceiling of my bedroom, thinking that it would somehow motivate me?" She stared up, reminiscing. "And we would turn the lights off and pull the blinds in the middle of the day, just to see them glow?"
Finn put his arm around her when she rested against him. He smiled at the memory "And then I would make us play astronaut. You always insisted on being the astronaut and me being the alien." he remembered with a chuckle.
Rachel turned into him more as his arm came around her, feeling that it was right even if, in reality, it might not be. "That's because you were a strange and unsual creature then. You still are."
Finn looked over at her, their faces just inches apart. "Yeah, but you like me so what does that say about you, goober?"
Rachel could feel Finn's breath against her cheek as he spook, and she was glad that he reverted back to a stupid nickname because otherwise... "Only because the most beautiful things in the world are different. You fall into that category."
Finn let his lopsided grin fall over his features "Then you're the most beautiful person I know."
Rachel could feel the breath catch in her throat and she made quick work of recovering herself. She knew she should have countered his statement, seeing as he had a girlfriend and all, but the idea that he could think she was beautiful at all stopped her. "Well, if someone like you can think so, it must be true then."
Finn "It's very true. You don't give yourself enough credit at all. "
Rachel closed her eyes and, for a second, pretended that all of this was real and not a very confusing situation. She let herself believe that a boy - it didn't have to be Finn, just anyone really - could think she was beautiful. "Thank you for saying so." The words were quiet, and she almost couldn't believe it was her voice saying them.
Finn leaned over and pressed his lips to her cheek, knowing he was being overly intimate with the girl in his arms but amongst everything in his life she was always the consistent happy place and he had a lot of confusing love toward her because of it. When he pulled away, he rested his head back against the bed and looked up at the ceiling again. "Why did you ever take those stars down?"
Rachel 's cheek burned in the spot where Finn's lips touched it and she held back a soft sigh sitting at the back of her throat. If she were the kind of girl who could take what was someone else's... then again, hadn't Finn belonged to her first, if he belonged to anyone at all? Maybe in a different way, but he'd always been hers. A fact that she couldn't think about right now because it would sink her completely. "I don't know. I guess I felt like I outgrew them. That they weren't sophisticated enough for a more grown-up me." It sounded pretentious, and plain stupid, as she said it.
Finn thought about her answer for a moment before nodding "Well I miss them." he said softly.
Rachel laid there next to him, contemplating his words. "So do I."
Finn "We should put them back up someday." he suggested
Rachel peeked up at Finn, seeing the earnestly in what he was saying in his expression. It made her feel like she was melting. "I think I'd be up for that. But that just means you're going to have to come here in the afternoon and we're going to have to pull the shades and pretend it's a starry night like we use to."
Finn looked over at her with a smile "I would like that." he said softly.
Rachel , in a moment of what she could only categorize as weakness, leaned in and nuzzled Finn's cheek before kissing it like he had hers. "That settles it then." She stayed there for another long moment, then gave him room to breathe. "You know, if you wanted to stay here tonight, you could?" So you don't have to go home, she thought, but didn't say. So you don't have to sleep in your truck, or not at all.
Finn smiled softly as he felt her lips press against his cheek. He looked up at the ceiling "I don't know, I haven't really been sleeping all that well.."
Rachel wasn't going to say it, but she wasn't letting him leave. "I know, you mentioned it." Pulling at the comforter so she could pull it over them, Rachel scooted as close as she could and draped her arm over his midsection. "All the more reason to stay. I mean, I am an excellent co-sleeper and, under my tutelage, I imagine you'll sleep better than you have in forever."
Finn looked over at her and tried to decide if he should "Okay... I can stay. "
Rachel kissed his cheek again, more briefly this time. "Good." She couldn't save Finn, that she knew, but she could certainly help.
Finn "but if you snore or fart in your sleep, I'm out. " he teased.
Rachel slapped his stomach lightly, pretending to be affronted by such an accusation. "Don't be disgusting, Finn. Besides, I wouldn't kick you out if you did this things, which is much more likely."
Finn laughed at her reaction "Fine, I won't leave if you slip one."
Rachel crinkled her nose. "I absolutely will not so you have nothing to worry about."
Thank you for the vote of confidence, Finn, it is, as always, appreciated. How are you? I do hope your arm is recovering as quickly as possible but I'll make sure I drop off another care package soon.
Lucy: Lucy walked into her house and sat on the couch in the livingroom.
Lucy: Lucy reached for the remote and turned the tv on.
Finn: Finn walked into the living room and saw his sister. "Whats up Luce?" Finn asked taking a seat beside her.
Lucy: "Nothing really." She smiled. "How have you been? We haven't talked in a while."
Finn: "I have been winning homecoming King" He said joking.
Lucy: Lucy laughed a little. "I was there for that. Did you have fun with Santana?" She asked.
Finn: "Naw, she ditched me" Finn shrugged.
Lucy: "Oh, I'm sorry." Lucy said with a frown. "Wait, If Santana left.. Then who did you hang out with?" She asked slyly.
Finn: "Just a random chick, we bailed and she puked on my shoes" Finn said.
Lucy: "That doesn't sound like fun." Lucy grimaced.
Finn: "Naw, I ended up taking her home. I was going to originally ask Rachel but Santana asked me first" Finn said causally.
Lucy: "Oh, I'm sure that Rachel would have loved to go with you." Lucy smiled.
Finn: "I don't know, I think she is pretty into Santana" Finn said smiling.
Lucy: "Speaking of being into somebody... are you?" Lucy said with a sly smile.
Finn: "Not really, and yourself?" Finn asked not joking at all.
Lucy: "...Um..Yeah, actually I am." Lucy said, knowing that Finn would probably not like who she said she liked.
Finn: "Who? David?" Finn asked.
Lucy: "No, we broke up." Lucy grimaced a bit and took a deep breath. "It's actually Michael..." She said and then immediately sunk into the couch a little.
Finn: "What the hell, Lucy" He said jumping up "He is a fucking slut and will screw you over"
Lucy: Lucy squirmed around, putting herself deeper into the couch. She was right, he doesn't like it. "No he's not! He's a nice person. We went to Homecoming together and we had a great time!" Lucy exclaimed, getting off of the couch.
Finn: "He is a douche who is only using you to make Santana jealous" He said pissed off.
Lucy: "No, he's not." Lucy said, slightly pissed off herself.
Finn: "How do you know? Are you dating?" He asked.
Lucy: "We're not...but..." Lucy said, slightly upset. "That doesn't mean that he wants to screw me over!"
Finn: "No he just wants to screw you" Finn yelled.
Lucy: Lucy was fully upset now. "So what if he does? I have the capability of saying no if I want to!" Lucy yelled at her brother.
Finn: "Doesn't seem like it" Finn said before he could catch himself.
Lucy: "Excuse me?!?!?!"
Lucy: Her eyes started to water.
Finn: "I am so sorry" Finn said mentally hitting himself.
Lucy: "No, what did you mean?" She asked him furiously.
Finn: "It just came out wrong" He said.
Lucy: Lucy shook her head. "No, that was you believing in all of the gossip about me that Jacob Ben Israel puts on his blog." She said with a tear coming down her face.
Lucy: "Did you even think to come and ask me if the stories were true?" Lucy asked.
Finn: "How many aren't? He asked.
Lucy: "Do you want me to go through every story about me on JBI's blog?" She asked.
Finn: "Yeah that sounds like a great idea" He said nonchalantly.
Lucy: Lucy sat down on the couch again. "I think that the first one was the love triangle between Michael, Santana, and I. Michael and I made out in his car that night, it's not that big a deal. " She said getting out her phone and going to the gossip blog.
Lucy: "The one about me being in love with my best friend Victoria, was totally made up." She chuckled.
Lucy: "Then there's a post about the party at our house..."
Lucy: "David and I did date, but we broke up because he didn't trust me."
Finn: "Because of who?" He asked.
Lucy: "He didn't trust me with guy friends..." She said, and then she whispered. "Mainly Michael."
Finn: "See Michael fucks everything up" He said.
Lucy: "No he does not. David had trust issues. It wasn't Michael's fault."
Finn: "Then it was yours" He said.
Lucy: sighed. "No it wasn't. I didn't do anything wrong. I was just hanging out with a friend."
Finn: "Still....Whatever, Luce." he sighed
Lucy: sighed as well. "Why don't you like Michael, just out of curiosity.."
Finn: "Because he's an asshole!" he said, as if it were obvious
Lucy: rolled her eyes, "Maybe he just acts that way around the football team..." She suggested.
Finn: "No, I've seen him. He does things to other kids, and he's just stringing you along."
Lucy: "You've seen him, but you never tried to get to know him?"
Finn: "I HAVE tried, but he's just a dick!"
Lucy: sighed, getting irritated. "Did you ever think that some people think that you're intimidating? Maybe he was trying to show that he isn't afraid of you?"
Finn: "Whatever, Luce. Can we just talk about something else?"
Lucy: "Sure, What do you want to talk about?"
Finn: "I don't know...Why did you and David break up...?"
Lucy: "The short answer is that he didn't trust me, so I ended it."
Finn: He made a face. "So? A lot of guys have trust issues."
Lucy: "It was the fact that he was so ready to believe Jacob's GOSSIP blog over me, and that really hurt..." She frowned, feeling tears starting to form.
Lucy: "Enough people were calling me a slut, I didn't need it from him too."
Finn: He shrugged. "Good riddance, then. I don't really like the Smythe's anyway." he said, sitting back down
Lucy: shrugged. "Sebastian's actually pretty cool. What do you have against him?" She asked, curiously.
Finn: He rolled his eyes. "He just has this snarky face and always makes these faces at me and stuff. Like, he thinks he's better than us."
Lucy: "Maybe it goes back to the intimidating thing that I was talking about earlier, I don't know though." She said.
Finn: He shrugged. "Whatever. Point is, I don't like him. But, I don't want you to be with Michael, either."
Lucy: sighed."Who would you want me to be with then?" She asked.
Finn: "I don't know...I just don't want you getting into things with someone who's just using you."
Finn: "I'm sure there's other guys that like you."
Lucy: "I just haven't found them yet. Also, Just an observation, but you seem to hate the guys that I like..."
Finn: "I don't, you just like guys that aren't good for you..."
Lucy: sighed.
Finn: He looked down at his phone. "I'm meeting up with Puck...I'm sorry, Luce."
Lucy: "It's okay. I'll see you later then.." She smiled.
Finn: He smiled, getting up. "Bye." he said, grabbing his keys
Lucy: "Bye." She waved, watching Finn walk toward the door to leave. She turned to face the TV and started watching Big Bang Theory.
