The next day during lunch, Finn opened up the booth to a waiting line. The glee club had spent a lot of their rehearsal yesterday working on their routine for Regionals, but a group of them had gone over to Finn's house to make signs to post around the school promoting the fundraiser. Kurt and his friend Blaine helped, too, at least until Puck had used some of the paint to write "No Dudes" on every single poster.
It was insensitive, but Finn was kind of thankful.
Once again, the girls eased into the embraces, accepting his cheek or a light kiss on the lips with a sigh. The dollars were pouring in at the beginning of lunch, and then there was a lag in time where there was almost no foot traffic in the halls at all. Finn figured everyone was eating, which was uncool.
"This bites," he complained to no one in particular, happy at least some of the glee kids had decided to eat their lunch out in the hall so he wasn't all alone when it was quiet like this. "I'm starving."
"Finn," Rachel chastised softly, shaking her head while swallowing a bit of her sandwich. "You ate an hour ago. Mr. Schuester is letting you eat in his class, remember?"
"Oh yea." He grinned, thinking back to his lunch. His mom made a wicked peanut butter and jelly sandwich. That's why he had her pack three.
"You might be dumber than a sack of rocks, but this was a brilliant idea." Puck rarely let his envy of Finn show, but his statement had made it obvious. Score. "If I could get away with it, I'd set up a booth and charge chicks twenty bucks to give me blow jobs."
Finn closed his eyes tightly, preparing for the over-the-top argument that was no doubt about to spring from Rachel's lips. Puck's insult to him wouldn't be nearly as bad as the line of combative words his ex-girlfriend would have to say in response. Words like "feminism" and "demoralizing" echoed in his head.
"You think twenty bucks isn't enough?" Puck looked around at the other glee kids who were surrounding the booth, offering support or humiliation Finn wasn't sure. "Fifty seems like a lot."
"You'd charge money for them to give you blow jobs?"
Finn didn't know if he was more shocked that Rachel had said blow job or that she was participating in the conversation at all. He had noticed that she and Puck seemed to have a closer friendship than they did before, and while it sort of bugged him, he kind of got it, too. They've known each other for longer than even he and Puck had, what with being Jewish and all.
"Don't act like you aren't considering it, Berry." She glared at his lewdness, Finn mimicking the icy stare. Trust him; Rachel wasn't considering it. She and Finn had dated for six months and he'd barely gotten to second base. "Besides, I would make it an educational experience."
"Here comes the part where he makes a pun about giving tips." Quinn rolled her eyes, entering the conversation on a high note. Her voice had been cool and collected – still a cheerleader at heart – but her outer appearance was less so. She had a dollar in her hand that was shaking like a leaf until she placed it down on the makeshift table of the booth.
"You're going to kiss him?" Sam suddenly screeched, his eyes nearly boggling out of his head. "I thought you just wanted to hang out with the glee gang?"
"It's for charity," Quinn stated softly, her eyes never leaving Finn's and his never leaving hers. He swallowed thickly while she pushed some of her perfect hair behind her ear. She was wearing it down today and it looked really pretty. He almost said it, but instead he just handed the dollar to Artie who put it inside the safety deposit box.
"Well I'm going to watch!"
"Perv," Puck muttered, his eyes also glued to the two old flames. Finn turned to his friends for a moment, trying to give them the look that said "scram" that guys were just supposed to get, but it wasn't working. So instead he took a deep breath and looked back at Quinn. Audience or not, he could do this.
He leaned down to her level, brushing his lips against hers softly. She was wearing lip gloss today, which she hadn't been on Monday when she kissed him unexpectedly. It felt weird on his lips, but it tasted good. It was strawberry or watermelon flavored. Maybe cherry.
"OK. I think that's a dollar's worth." Sam pulled on Quinn's hand, effectively removing her lips from Finn's. "If you want to kiss old girlfriends, why don't you lock lips with Rachel or something. Leave my girl alone."
"I'm not your girl, Sam."
Quinn placed her hands on her hips and Finn again closed his eyes. Rachel might have surprised him a bit earlier talking about blows jobs and stuff (had he mentioned that was kind of hot?), but he knew Quinn. She did not like being told what to do. She was the one who bossed people around, not the other way.
"I'd hate to be you right now."
"I'd hate to be you period." Sam glowered at Puck, eventually ending the silent showdown to catch up to Quinn. Her class was the other way, but Finn knew she wasn't really heading there yet. She just wanted to make Sam work for it.
"What the hell is his problem?"
"Wouldn't you be pissed if your girlfriend kissed another guy?" He asked pointedly, his question posed to Puck but his eyes moving to Rachel.
"It was for charity," Puck answered absently, not hearing the thick meaning behind Finn's words. "It was just a kiss."
"Sometimes they mean more than just a simple kiss."
"Yes, Noah, sometimes." Again, Rachel's words were directed at Puck, but she was glaring at Finn. "Unless of course it is in an auditorium or a bowling alley."
"That's … different!" He sputtered helplessly.
"Or the hallway earlier this week." She cocked her head, daring him to refute her. But Finn couldn't He could barely breathe. She'd seen that? She knew? "Then it is just a kiss."
"It's not the same thing and you know it," he said, his voice considerably lower once he realized more people were out in the halls. A group of girls were walking up to the table, too.
"It's only not the same thing because I told you the truth."
Rachel turned on her heel then, walking away without ever looking back. And all Finn could do was to watch her. She wasn't his girlfriend anymore and he didn't have to run after her like Sam had to for Quinn. Besides, he didn't even know what he would say. She was right, after all.
Worth it is a slightly AU-ish one-shot by Paceismyhero set right after the Titan's winning game. Feeling on top of the world right now because for once things seem to be looking up (especially his rep), Finn decides to do a kissing booth for charity's sake. The whole of New Directions are brought in to help him, but things aren't always as easy as they should be. Everyone just seems to want to make his life harder...
It's a Finchel story, but everyone's weaving in and out of it; in a way, several relationships "fluctuate" around the kissing booth. But in the end, the kissing booth proves worth it for more than just a charitable reason.