Worth the Effort (Chapter Two: Getting a Clue)
Title: Worth the Effort
Author: hope813
Pairing: Finn/Rachel
Rating: PG-13
Warnings:Spoilers through "Sectionals"
Disclaimer: Sadly, this world is not mine.
Summary: Finn panics while trying to decide on the perfect gift for Rachel for Valentine's Day. Their first Valentine's Day together. Romance and humor are coming your way! This is a follow-up to my story, Baby, It's Cold Outside, but may be enjoyed separately.
Author's Note: In which I thank you again for reading and ask nicely (or beg) for your reviews.
“Um...Rach?”
“Yeah?”
“If...if you were a color, what color would you be?”
At this, she removed her lips from his neck and sat back on her knees. She blinked, clearly thrown off by the question. Or maybe it was the fact that he was trying to start a conversation while her hand had been quickly running down his body. “Finn, what are you talking about?”
Feeing like a moron, but knowing he had to get some clues about what she might like for Valentine’s Day, he continued. “Well. I know that pink is, like, your favorite color, but would you say it best...um...what’s the word I’m looking for?”
“Represents?”
“Right! What color best represents you?” He gave her an encouraging grin. She was still looking at him like he’d lost a few brain cells, but he was desperate!
“So...this is a philosophical question?” Rachel asked, her left brow arching.
Huh? “Yeah, totally,” he hastily replied. Go with it, man.
Well, at least she appeared to be taking the question seriously. And no longer seemed concerned for his sanity. Bonus! “Well, I need to think this through.” Rachel sat back on the bed, buttoning up her crisp white shirt. No, no, no! What kind of idiot stops an awesome make-out session with his hot girlfriend to talk about colors? Damn it. “Colors do say a lot about a person’s mood. There have been many studies on the subject. It’s called color psychology.”
“Uh-huh...”
“While I do love pink,” she said, sending him a warm smile, “I wouldn’t necessarily say it best represents me. Not all the time. Some days, I feel very pink--cheerful, upbeat, feminine. Other times, I closely identify with blue. Blue stimulates creativity, clarity, and control.”
Blue and pink. Okay...he could work with that. “Then,” she continued, “there is yellow. Yellow is energy, optimism, and also promotes good judgement. I like to think that I have my fair share of yellow days.” His thoughts flashed back to Rachel, singing in a bright yellow dress, looking like a ray of sunshine as she sang that mash-up of “Halo” and “Walking on--” oh! Now he got it! “And green--” Okay, this was so not helping. Apparently, Rachel was a rainbow. Not very useful information for possible gift ideas. “Since I am driven by emotion, I would say that every color represents a different aspect of my personality.” She nodded, clearly pleased with her self-analysis. “Finn?”
He pasted a grin on his face. “Totally. That makes sense.” What a bust! Still...there was a girl with a totally rockin’ body sitting next to him in bed, so he would just have to make the best of it. He eyed Rachel, smirking, and patted the spot next to him. “And since you are driven by emotion...” he added, letting his words hang in the air.
While it didn’t happen often, Finn loved that he could still make her blush--like she was right now. Rachel crawled back over and touched her lips to his, very slowly. Groaning, he flipped her over. He wasn’t in the mood for slow. Expertly unbuttoning her shirt (she’d made him practice after tearing the buttons off four others), he moved his hands down her perfectly smooth shoulders. Impatient--Rachel was usually impatient--she grabbed the back of his head, silently demanding his lips. Finn pulled back and tore off his shirt. Looking down at Rachel’s fluttering eyelids and flushed cheeks, Finn felt his chest tighten. He leaned down, his lips returning to hers, his hands continuing their exploration.
“Um...Rach?”
“Yeah?”
“If you were a piece of jewelry...”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Finn? You’re home early.”
“Hey, Mom.” He sighed, tossed his backpack next to the couch, and plopped down.
“Is everything okay?”
“Um...yeah, why?” How did his mom always know? Rachel could always read him, too. It still kind of freaked him out. It had to be like chick ESP or something.
She sat down beside him and tilted her head. “Because you never come home from Rachel’s before I leave for work. When you do come home, she’s with you.”
Busted! So much for their scam. “Why do you think that I bring Rachel home with me?” He would admit nothing.
“When I get home from work, the dishes are always done.” He could tell that she was trying to keep from laughing.
He hung his head. The dishes! His mom would never believe that he’d been doing them. But, wait... “So, you knew that Rachel was here every night? You’re okay with that?” He turned red, realizing what she must think. “Mom, we haven’t...you know. I mean, I totally want to...but oh God!” His eyes widened. Had he just told his mom that he wanted sex?
His mother just sighed. “Finn, as much as I’d like for you to be my baby forever, you’re growing up. The truth is that a few months ago, I would not have been comfortable with you being alone with a girl in the house.” She rolled her eyes. “I would have panicked, actually. But, so many things have changed since then. First, I thought that you were going to be a father. Then it seemed too late to worry about you being alone with a girl. I was worrying about your future instead.” A sad smile formed on her lips. “After the truth came out, I worried less about the future and more about how you’d be when you woke up every morning. I prayed every night for my son to be all right. I prayed that you would be happy and whole again. Finn...I wished that I could make it all go away. I promised myself, God, the Man in the Moon, and anyone else who might be listening, that I would do anything just to see you smile again.” She sniffed, tears clouding her eyes. “And one day, you did. You came home, grinning ear-to-ear and said: ‘Mom, Rachel said yes.’ Just like that.” She ran her hand across his cheek.
Wow. He’d never really stopped to think what his mom had gone through after the baby drama. He leaned in and wrapped her tightly in his arms. “Thanks, Mom.” He rocked her briefly, mimicking the movement she’d used to comfort him as a child. She pulled back and gave him a quick kiss. “Thanks for trusting me,” he added.
Her brows shot up. “You’re a teenage boy! I trust her.”
Finn’s mouth dropped open in shock. Suddenly, his mother’s shoulders began to shake. “Ha, ha, Mom.”
“You--you should have seen your face!” She wiped the tears from her eyes as she struggled to control her laughter. Finn just stared at her, waiting for her to finish mocking him. Turning serious, she continued. “I do trust you, Finn. After everything you’ve been through, I trust that you will use good judgement and, when the time comes, you’ll be careful.”
Finn blew out a breath. That was for sure! He might even wear two condoms when he and Rachel finally did it. Huh...he wondered if that might help with arriving early, too. Damn it, he had bigger problems! If he didn’t figure out what to get Rachel, he could practically guarantee his virgin status until he graduated college.
“So, what happened with Rachel?”
“How do you do that?” he demanded.
“You’re here; she’s not. Not a difficult case to crack.”
“She got kind of annoyed with me for not being able to--” he froze. Control the word vomit this time, Hudson. “Um, concentrate.”
“Oh, well, Rachel is very dedicated,” she said. “I’m sure if you agreed to pay more attention to her needs, then you’d both be much happier.”
Finn almost choked. Well, he supposed it was good advice, either way you looked at it. “No,” he said, clearing his throat. “I couldn’t, um, focus, because I was too worried about what to get her for Valentine’s Day. I tried to get Rachel to give me some clues, but...yeah. That didn’t go over very well. She just thought I wasn’t paying attention to her.”
“Well, why don’t you ask a friend for some suggestions?”
Finn flung himself backward against the couch, covering his face with both hands. “I tried that. I asked this guy, Kurt, from glee club for help. It kind of wasn’t the best plan.”
“Why not?”
“He said that I should get Rachel a personality adjustment, but that it might be hard since they don’t sell them at The Sharper Image.” Finn lowered his hands and looked at his mother.
“Ouch,” she replied, making a face. “I take it that Kurt is not a fan of Rachel’s?”
“Um...no. I kind of forgot about that because I was so desperate. Then, he said to buy her a new wardrobe. That was his serious suggestion. So, I kind of went off about how he needs to give Rachel a break and that I like how she dresses.”
“And what did Kurt say?” She leaned forward, clearly interested.
“He said that I was totally hopeless. Then, he thanked me, saying that I’d killed his crush for good.” Seeing that his mother was going to chime in, he beat her to it. “Don’t ask.”
“Okay, then. Back to this problem...” She leaned back against the couch, her head turned toward his. “You do know that Rachel will love anything, as long as it’s from you, right?”
“Moooom,” he whined. “That is such a Mom answer. She deserves something awesome, okay?” He groaned. “I just can’t mess up again. I just...can’t.”
His mother simply stared at him, making Finn want to squirm. She released a deep breath. “Okay, then. What would blow Rachel away?” Before he could respond, she jumped back in. “And I don’t mean what would cost the most. It’s all about you doing something above and beyond to show her how much you care. Something unexpected. Something special that she’ll remember.”
Finn’s brows lowered. Unexpected. Special. Something that she’ll remember. His lips slowly turned upward. “So, Mom,” he started, offering his most winning grin. “Just how much do you trust me?”
Author's Note #2: Don't you hate me for ending the chapter there? Let me know what you think!
Previous Chapter
Chapter One: Panic and Priorities
Author: hope813
Pairing: Finn/Rachel
Rating: PG-13
Warnings:Spoilers through "Sectionals"
Disclaimer: Sadly, this world is not mine.
Summary: Finn panics while trying to decide on the perfect gift for Rachel for Valentine's Day. Their first Valentine's Day together. Romance and humor are coming your way! This is a follow-up to my story, Baby, It's Cold Outside, but may be enjoyed separately.
Author's Note: In which I thank you again for reading and ask nicely (or beg) for your reviews.
“Um...Rach?”
“Yeah?”
“If...if you were a color, what color would you be?”
At this, she removed her lips from his neck and sat back on her knees. She blinked, clearly thrown off by the question. Or maybe it was the fact that he was trying to start a conversation while her hand had been quickly running down his body. “Finn, what are you talking about?”
Feeing like a moron, but knowing he had to get some clues about what she might like for Valentine’s Day, he continued. “Well. I know that pink is, like, your favorite color, but would you say it best...um...what’s the word I’m looking for?”
“Represents?”
“Right! What color best represents you?” He gave her an encouraging grin. She was still looking at him like he’d lost a few brain cells, but he was desperate!
“So...this is a philosophical question?” Rachel asked, her left brow arching.
Huh? “Yeah, totally,” he hastily replied. Go with it, man.
Well, at least she appeared to be taking the question seriously. And no longer seemed concerned for his sanity. Bonus! “Well, I need to think this through.” Rachel sat back on the bed, buttoning up her crisp white shirt. No, no, no! What kind of idiot stops an awesome make-out session with his hot girlfriend to talk about colors? Damn it. “Colors do say a lot about a person’s mood. There have been many studies on the subject. It’s called color psychology.”
“Uh-huh...”
“While I do love pink,” she said, sending him a warm smile, “I wouldn’t necessarily say it best represents me. Not all the time. Some days, I feel very pink--cheerful, upbeat, feminine. Other times, I closely identify with blue. Blue stimulates creativity, clarity, and control.”
Blue and pink. Okay...he could work with that. “Then,” she continued, “there is yellow. Yellow is energy, optimism, and also promotes good judgement. I like to think that I have my fair share of yellow days.” His thoughts flashed back to Rachel, singing in a bright yellow dress, looking like a ray of sunshine as she sang that mash-up of “Halo” and “Walking on--” oh! Now he got it! “And green--” Okay, this was so not helping. Apparently, Rachel was a rainbow. Not very useful information for possible gift ideas. “Since I am driven by emotion, I would say that every color represents a different aspect of my personality.” She nodded, clearly pleased with her self-analysis. “Finn?”
He pasted a grin on his face. “Totally. That makes sense.” What a bust! Still...there was a girl with a totally rockin’ body sitting next to him in bed, so he would just have to make the best of it. He eyed Rachel, smirking, and patted the spot next to him. “And since you are driven by emotion...” he added, letting his words hang in the air.
While it didn’t happen often, Finn loved that he could still make her blush--like she was right now. Rachel crawled back over and touched her lips to his, very slowly. Groaning, he flipped her over. He wasn’t in the mood for slow. Expertly unbuttoning her shirt (she’d made him practice after tearing the buttons off four others), he moved his hands down her perfectly smooth shoulders. Impatient--Rachel was usually impatient--she grabbed the back of his head, silently demanding his lips. Finn pulled back and tore off his shirt. Looking down at Rachel’s fluttering eyelids and flushed cheeks, Finn felt his chest tighten. He leaned down, his lips returning to hers, his hands continuing their exploration.
“Um...Rach?”
“Yeah?”
“If you were a piece of jewelry...”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Finn? You’re home early.”
“Hey, Mom.” He sighed, tossed his backpack next to the couch, and plopped down.
“Is everything okay?”
“Um...yeah, why?” How did his mom always know? Rachel could always read him, too. It still kind of freaked him out. It had to be like chick ESP or something.
She sat down beside him and tilted her head. “Because you never come home from Rachel’s before I leave for work. When you do come home, she’s with you.”
Busted! So much for their scam. “Why do you think that I bring Rachel home with me?” He would admit nothing.
“When I get home from work, the dishes are always done.” He could tell that she was trying to keep from laughing.
He hung his head. The dishes! His mom would never believe that he’d been doing them. But, wait... “So, you knew that Rachel was here every night? You’re okay with that?” He turned red, realizing what she must think. “Mom, we haven’t...you know. I mean, I totally want to...but oh God!” His eyes widened. Had he just told his mom that he wanted sex?
His mother just sighed. “Finn, as much as I’d like for you to be my baby forever, you’re growing up. The truth is that a few months ago, I would not have been comfortable with you being alone with a girl in the house.” She rolled her eyes. “I would have panicked, actually. But, so many things have changed since then. First, I thought that you were going to be a father. Then it seemed too late to worry about you being alone with a girl. I was worrying about your future instead.” A sad smile formed on her lips. “After the truth came out, I worried less about the future and more about how you’d be when you woke up every morning. I prayed every night for my son to be all right. I prayed that you would be happy and whole again. Finn...I wished that I could make it all go away. I promised myself, God, the Man in the Moon, and anyone else who might be listening, that I would do anything just to see you smile again.” She sniffed, tears clouding her eyes. “And one day, you did. You came home, grinning ear-to-ear and said: ‘Mom, Rachel said yes.’ Just like that.” She ran her hand across his cheek.
Wow. He’d never really stopped to think what his mom had gone through after the baby drama. He leaned in and wrapped her tightly in his arms. “Thanks, Mom.” He rocked her briefly, mimicking the movement she’d used to comfort him as a child. She pulled back and gave him a quick kiss. “Thanks for trusting me,” he added.
Her brows shot up. “You’re a teenage boy! I trust her.”
Finn’s mouth dropped open in shock. Suddenly, his mother’s shoulders began to shake. “Ha, ha, Mom.”
“You--you should have seen your face!” She wiped the tears from her eyes as she struggled to control her laughter. Finn just stared at her, waiting for her to finish mocking him. Turning serious, she continued. “I do trust you, Finn. After everything you’ve been through, I trust that you will use good judgement and, when the time comes, you’ll be careful.”
Finn blew out a breath. That was for sure! He might even wear two condoms when he and Rachel finally did it. Huh...he wondered if that might help with arriving early, too. Damn it, he had bigger problems! If he didn’t figure out what to get Rachel, he could practically guarantee his virgin status until he graduated college.
“So, what happened with Rachel?”
“How do you do that?” he demanded.
“You’re here; she’s not. Not a difficult case to crack.”
“She got kind of annoyed with me for not being able to--” he froze. Control the word vomit this time, Hudson. “Um, concentrate.”
“Oh, well, Rachel is very dedicated,” she said. “I’m sure if you agreed to pay more attention to her needs, then you’d both be much happier.”
Finn almost choked. Well, he supposed it was good advice, either way you looked at it. “No,” he said, clearing his throat. “I couldn’t, um, focus, because I was too worried about what to get her for Valentine’s Day. I tried to get Rachel to give me some clues, but...yeah. That didn’t go over very well. She just thought I wasn’t paying attention to her.”
“Well, why don’t you ask a friend for some suggestions?”
Finn flung himself backward against the couch, covering his face with both hands. “I tried that. I asked this guy, Kurt, from glee club for help. It kind of wasn’t the best plan.”
“Why not?”
“He said that I should get Rachel a personality adjustment, but that it might be hard since they don’t sell them at The Sharper Image.” Finn lowered his hands and looked at his mother.
“Ouch,” she replied, making a face. “I take it that Kurt is not a fan of Rachel’s?”
“Um...no. I kind of forgot about that because I was so desperate. Then, he said to buy her a new wardrobe. That was his serious suggestion. So, I kind of went off about how he needs to give Rachel a break and that I like how she dresses.”
“And what did Kurt say?” She leaned forward, clearly interested.
“He said that I was totally hopeless. Then, he thanked me, saying that I’d killed his crush for good.” Seeing that his mother was going to chime in, he beat her to it. “Don’t ask.”
“Okay, then. Back to this problem...” She leaned back against the couch, her head turned toward his. “You do know that Rachel will love anything, as long as it’s from you, right?”
“Moooom,” he whined. “That is such a Mom answer. She deserves something awesome, okay?” He groaned. “I just can’t mess up again. I just...can’t.”
His mother simply stared at him, making Finn want to squirm. She released a deep breath. “Okay, then. What would blow Rachel away?” Before he could respond, she jumped back in. “And I don’t mean what would cost the most. It’s all about you doing something above and beyond to show her how much you care. Something unexpected. Something special that she’ll remember.”
Finn’s brows lowered. Unexpected. Special. Something that she’ll remember. His lips slowly turned upward. “So, Mom,” he started, offering his most winning grin. “Just how much do you trust me?”
Author's Note #2: Don't you hate me for ending the chapter there? Let me know what you think!
Previous Chapter
Chapter One: Panic and Priorities