fic: playing for keeps (finn/rachel) [1/?]
Title: Playing For Keeps (1/?)
Chapter: 1. My Only Hope
Words: 1,817
Spoilers: Mentions of everything till episode 2x10.
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or the characters. But the storyline is mine.
Rating: T. (But the rating will go up as the chapters progress)
Character/Pairings: Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry
Summary:This is a prequel to A Beautiful Somewhere. So it's got all the angst and drama of Finchel as we know them now, building up to what they are in that fic. The angst isn't there in this chapter, but it's going to appear at some point, along with a lot of fluff, smut and crazy.
Author’s Notes: This is dedicated to alifab because the sequel was her idea. Also, as my muse she helped me piece this whole thing together. I love you, Ali.
He doesn’t really remember the day that he decided he was going to marry Rachel Berry. It just happened. He remembers the day when he remembered that he had told himself he had thought about it before, but not anything before that. They were sitting in her room while she rambled on about how one day she was going to star in a production of RENT and she was going to blow the audience away with her rendition (Finn started memorizing the words she used so he could show off for her later) of “Out Tonight”. He was half listening, because he was more focused on the way her face lit up as she talked about it and watched as she waved her hands around like a crazy person. He tried to say something to remind her that he was there, but every time he opened his mouth, she would say something else and he’d forget what he was going to say in the first place. Not that he cared really, because this was about her. But that evening after they had dinner with her fathers he had asked her to go for a walk with him because he needed some fresh air before he dropped the bomb on her. And in true Rachel Berry fashion, she launched into another one her big dreams. Finn was terrified that she’d forget that there was no proof that he would get into any of the big New York schools. All these plans she was making involved him sitting in the front row, beaming at her while she performed and then showing up backstage as the doting boyfriend with a bouquet of roses to show her that he cared. He just let her talk as they walked, their fingers linked together to remind her that he was really there. Most people would have lost their patience being around Rachel when she talked about herself like that, but for some reason listening to her voice was soothing for Finn. Sure, he never knew what she was talking about half the time, but the thought of her being there with him was really all that mattered.
“I can already see it, my name in big lights at my first show and you and my parents being there to watch me on stage and…”
“Rach?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I talk for a bit now?”
“Okay?”
“Not that I mind you talking, I just really need to say something.”
“Finn… you’re worrying me.”
“No, it’s nothing bad. I promise. I just need to…” Finn shook his head, smiling as he looked at her and pulled her to sit beside him on a bench, “I just need to say it.”
“Okay.”
“I love you…”
“I know, baby. I love you too.”
“No, Rach, I’m not done.”
“Oh! Sorry, please continue.” He saw the hint of a smile mixed with absolute confusion on her face as she squeezed his hand. Finn swallowed hard and nodded, mostly to convince himself that he can say whatever it is that he needs to and wants to say.
“I want to marry you.” The smile turns into shock and her hand goes limp in his and Finn has to fight the urge to say something more. He knows what’s running through her head and a part of him wishes that he had worded that differently. If this had been Rachel, she would have rambled on for a bit before actually getting to the point, but he’s not Rachel. Unfortunately. The shock stays on her face for a few more minutes and when she blinks and looks up at him, his shoulders slump. “Finn, that’s a really huge step.”
“I know,” he takes a deep breath, preparing himself for the rest of his speech as she nibbles on her bottom lip and a part of him wishes she would stop doing that because it totally distracts him from what he’s about to say. Moving one hand to her bottom lip, he tugs on it gently with his thumb and looks up at her, “That’s really distracting.”
“Sorry,” a slight smile plays at the corner of her lips as she nods, “What were you going to say?”
“Right, of course,” he clears his throat and nods, smiling as he runs his thumb over the back of her hand, “I was going to say that I know it’s a really huge step, but look at how far we’ve come. I know that things were really shaky after the whole Santana issue and that I hurt you and that things changed for us after she told you what happened, but the fact that we were able to get back together after everything makes me believe that we’re ready for this.”
“Is that why you told Mr. Schuester you wanted to sing that Bruno Mars song at the wedding?”
“Partly, yeah,” he smiles at the memory of that day. She had looked amazing in that red dress and even though the dark cloud known as Santana was hanging over his head, he knew that there was only one girl he wanted to be with for the rest of his life, “I have never been this happy in my life before and while things with Quinn were great and our relationship was a little screwed up from the start, it’s always been you. I know that us going to New York together isn’t settled yet, but I am doing my best to make sure I do come with you to New York. So we can live in an apartment together, go to school together, so I can watch your first Broadway show, bring you flowers at the end, walk around Times Square with you and do the whole New York thing with you. But I also want to marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“What if we don’t go to New York together? What if you get into a school in Chicago, or right here in Ohio or worse, California?”
“We’re strong enough to make long distance work,” he takes her other hand, ignoring the nibbling of her bottom lip as he focuses on their hands, “I know it’s not going to be easy, but I want this to work. I need this to work because I know that when everything ends, I want to be with you.”
“But, what if?”
“We’ll figure it out. We have a few more months before we graduate and while I did get into schools in Chicago and San Diego, maybe I’ll hear back from something in New York.”
“How are you always so positive about this?”
“Because it made me realize that losing you is not really worth it. I did it so many times before and it took me every single time to realize that without you, I’m not myself. I know it sounds like a Hallmark card or whatever, but you’re my other half. Without you, I’m pretty much a nobody. I might be the captain of the football team and the co-captain of the Glee club and I might be popular and whatever, but none of that matters if you’re not there.”
He watches her process all of this and he’s actually very impressed with the way he’s laid it out for her. It’s the truth; he’s not sugar coating anything just to make her believe him. That’s the one thing he’s learned about their relationship - sugar coating things for Rachel always ends up badly. The truth hurts sometimes, but that’s exactly what she needs. Every single time.
“Okay.”
“Okay, what?”
“Okay, we’ll get married.”
“Wow.”
“What?”
“You didn’t ask me about a ring, or when we’re getting married, or where, or how or anything.”
“Finn, I’ve been planning my wedding since I was old enough to make scrapbooks. I already have everything planned out.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
“Don’t mock me, Finn Hudson!”
“I’m not mocking you, baby, I’m just stating the obvious,” he smiles as she pokes him and nods, “Do I feature in this scrapbook?”
“Maybe somewhere around page ten or something.”
“How many pages are there?”
“Each detail gets a page, just so that when I finally have to plan my wedding, all I need to do is hand it over to the wedding planner and everything is right there for them to look at.”
“How many pages do I get?”
“I’m not telling you that.”
“Guess I’ll just have to find out for myself then.”
“You’re never going to find my wedding scrapbook.”
“You mean the pink one with the picture of you and me at Mom’s wedding pasted on the front, tied up with a golden ribbon with ‘Mr. and Mrs. Hudson’ written across the front?”
“Finn!” she smacks him on the arm and Finn slides away laughing loudly as he shakes his head, “That’s what I thought.”
“How did you find it?”
“Your dad asked me to get some photo album from when you were a baby and I found it.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t mention it before!”
“I wanted to, but then I thought I’d wait for the right moment.”
“You’re terrible.”
“You love me more for it.”
“Unfortunately, you’re right.”
He walks her back to her house, kisses her on the doorstep and tells her that he’ll pick her up for school the next day. He really wants to stay the night, watch her fall asleep in his arms as he thinks about what their wedding is really going to be like, but he promised his mother he’d be home before midnight and it’s already way past his curfew. She pouts when he tells her he can’t stay, because he knows that with this wedding information in hand, Rachel Berry has some interesting things for them to do. He also knows about her list of things they have to try before they go away to college, only because they’re not sure if they’re going to be in the same city. It’s a pink sheet, a mile long, printed off her pink printer, laminated and stuck in her bedside table. It’s got almost 200 things on it and while she tells him it’s her bucket list, he knows better. It’s her Bucket List of Sex Positions. She doesn’t scratch stuff off of it because it will mess up the lamination, she just keeps another sheet of paper with it to scratch of the numbers they’ve done. He knows her whole routine when she wakes up in the morning, thinking that he’s fast asleep. It amuses him that his girlfriend has a Bucket List of Sex Positions, a very interesting list at that. He will never mention it, not like the wedding scrapbook with their heads pasted over random bride and groom pictures. This is one thing that Finn Hudson is going to keep to himself. Even after they get married.
Chapter: 1. My Only Hope
Words: 1,817
Spoilers: Mentions of everything till episode 2x10.
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or the characters. But the storyline is mine.
Rating: T. (But the rating will go up as the chapters progress)
Character/Pairings: Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry
Summary:This is a prequel to A Beautiful Somewhere. So it's got all the angst and drama of Finchel as we know them now, building up to what they are in that fic. The angst isn't there in this chapter, but it's going to appear at some point, along with a lot of fluff, smut and crazy.
Author’s Notes: This is dedicated to alifab because the sequel was her idea. Also, as my muse she helped me piece this whole thing together. I love you, Ali.
He doesn’t really remember the day that he decided he was going to marry Rachel Berry. It just happened. He remembers the day when he remembered that he had told himself he had thought about it before, but not anything before that. They were sitting in her room while she rambled on about how one day she was going to star in a production of RENT and she was going to blow the audience away with her rendition (Finn started memorizing the words she used so he could show off for her later) of “Out Tonight”. He was half listening, because he was more focused on the way her face lit up as she talked about it and watched as she waved her hands around like a crazy person. He tried to say something to remind her that he was there, but every time he opened his mouth, she would say something else and he’d forget what he was going to say in the first place. Not that he cared really, because this was about her. But that evening after they had dinner with her fathers he had asked her to go for a walk with him because he needed some fresh air before he dropped the bomb on her. And in true Rachel Berry fashion, she launched into another one her big dreams. Finn was terrified that she’d forget that there was no proof that he would get into any of the big New York schools. All these plans she was making involved him sitting in the front row, beaming at her while she performed and then showing up backstage as the doting boyfriend with a bouquet of roses to show her that he cared. He just let her talk as they walked, their fingers linked together to remind her that he was really there. Most people would have lost their patience being around Rachel when she talked about herself like that, but for some reason listening to her voice was soothing for Finn. Sure, he never knew what she was talking about half the time, but the thought of her being there with him was really all that mattered.
“I can already see it, my name in big lights at my first show and you and my parents being there to watch me on stage and…”
“Rach?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I talk for a bit now?”
“Okay?”
“Not that I mind you talking, I just really need to say something.”
“Finn… you’re worrying me.”
“No, it’s nothing bad. I promise. I just need to…” Finn shook his head, smiling as he looked at her and pulled her to sit beside him on a bench, “I just need to say it.”
“Okay.”
“I love you…”
“I know, baby. I love you too.”
“No, Rach, I’m not done.”
“Oh! Sorry, please continue.” He saw the hint of a smile mixed with absolute confusion on her face as she squeezed his hand. Finn swallowed hard and nodded, mostly to convince himself that he can say whatever it is that he needs to and wants to say.
“I want to marry you.” The smile turns into shock and her hand goes limp in his and Finn has to fight the urge to say something more. He knows what’s running through her head and a part of him wishes that he had worded that differently. If this had been Rachel, she would have rambled on for a bit before actually getting to the point, but he’s not Rachel. Unfortunately. The shock stays on her face for a few more minutes and when she blinks and looks up at him, his shoulders slump. “Finn, that’s a really huge step.”
“I know,” he takes a deep breath, preparing himself for the rest of his speech as she nibbles on her bottom lip and a part of him wishes she would stop doing that because it totally distracts him from what he’s about to say. Moving one hand to her bottom lip, he tugs on it gently with his thumb and looks up at her, “That’s really distracting.”
“Sorry,” a slight smile plays at the corner of her lips as she nods, “What were you going to say?”
“Right, of course,” he clears his throat and nods, smiling as he runs his thumb over the back of her hand, “I was going to say that I know it’s a really huge step, but look at how far we’ve come. I know that things were really shaky after the whole Santana issue and that I hurt you and that things changed for us after she told you what happened, but the fact that we were able to get back together after everything makes me believe that we’re ready for this.”
“Is that why you told Mr. Schuester you wanted to sing that Bruno Mars song at the wedding?”
“Partly, yeah,” he smiles at the memory of that day. She had looked amazing in that red dress and even though the dark cloud known as Santana was hanging over his head, he knew that there was only one girl he wanted to be with for the rest of his life, “I have never been this happy in my life before and while things with Quinn were great and our relationship was a little screwed up from the start, it’s always been you. I know that us going to New York together isn’t settled yet, but I am doing my best to make sure I do come with you to New York. So we can live in an apartment together, go to school together, so I can watch your first Broadway show, bring you flowers at the end, walk around Times Square with you and do the whole New York thing with you. But I also want to marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“What if we don’t go to New York together? What if you get into a school in Chicago, or right here in Ohio or worse, California?”
“We’re strong enough to make long distance work,” he takes her other hand, ignoring the nibbling of her bottom lip as he focuses on their hands, “I know it’s not going to be easy, but I want this to work. I need this to work because I know that when everything ends, I want to be with you.”
“But, what if?”
“We’ll figure it out. We have a few more months before we graduate and while I did get into schools in Chicago and San Diego, maybe I’ll hear back from something in New York.”
“How are you always so positive about this?”
“Because it made me realize that losing you is not really worth it. I did it so many times before and it took me every single time to realize that without you, I’m not myself. I know it sounds like a Hallmark card or whatever, but you’re my other half. Without you, I’m pretty much a nobody. I might be the captain of the football team and the co-captain of the Glee club and I might be popular and whatever, but none of that matters if you’re not there.”
He watches her process all of this and he’s actually very impressed with the way he’s laid it out for her. It’s the truth; he’s not sugar coating anything just to make her believe him. That’s the one thing he’s learned about their relationship - sugar coating things for Rachel always ends up badly. The truth hurts sometimes, but that’s exactly what she needs. Every single time.
“Okay.”
“Okay, what?”
“Okay, we’ll get married.”
“Wow.”
“What?”
“You didn’t ask me about a ring, or when we’re getting married, or where, or how or anything.”
“Finn, I’ve been planning my wedding since I was old enough to make scrapbooks. I already have everything planned out.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
“Don’t mock me, Finn Hudson!”
“I’m not mocking you, baby, I’m just stating the obvious,” he smiles as she pokes him and nods, “Do I feature in this scrapbook?”
“Maybe somewhere around page ten or something.”
“How many pages are there?”
“Each detail gets a page, just so that when I finally have to plan my wedding, all I need to do is hand it over to the wedding planner and everything is right there for them to look at.”
“How many pages do I get?”
“I’m not telling you that.”
“Guess I’ll just have to find out for myself then.”
“You’re never going to find my wedding scrapbook.”
“You mean the pink one with the picture of you and me at Mom’s wedding pasted on the front, tied up with a golden ribbon with ‘Mr. and Mrs. Hudson’ written across the front?”
“Finn!” she smacks him on the arm and Finn slides away laughing loudly as he shakes his head, “That’s what I thought.”
“How did you find it?”
“Your dad asked me to get some photo album from when you were a baby and I found it.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t mention it before!”
“I wanted to, but then I thought I’d wait for the right moment.”
“You’re terrible.”
“You love me more for it.”
“Unfortunately, you’re right.”
He walks her back to her house, kisses her on the doorstep and tells her that he’ll pick her up for school the next day. He really wants to stay the night, watch her fall asleep in his arms as he thinks about what their wedding is really going to be like, but he promised his mother he’d be home before midnight and it’s already way past his curfew. She pouts when he tells her he can’t stay, because he knows that with this wedding information in hand, Rachel Berry has some interesting things for them to do. He also knows about her list of things they have to try before they go away to college, only because they’re not sure if they’re going to be in the same city. It’s a pink sheet, a mile long, printed off her pink printer, laminated and stuck in her bedside table. It’s got almost 200 things on it and while she tells him it’s her bucket list, he knows better. It’s her Bucket List of Sex Positions. She doesn’t scratch stuff off of it because it will mess up the lamination, she just keeps another sheet of paper with it to scratch of the numbers they’ve done. He knows her whole routine when she wakes up in the morning, thinking that he’s fast asleep. It amuses him that his girlfriend has a Bucket List of Sex Positions, a very interesting list at that. He will never mention it, not like the wedding scrapbook with their heads pasted over random bride and groom pictures. This is one thing that Finn Hudson is going to keep to himself. Even after they get married.