Fic: Shut Your Mouth (Finn, Ensemble) R (4/?)
Title: Shut Your Mouth
Author: hyperemmalawlz
Fandom: Glee
Chapter: 4/? - "Stand Up For Yourself."
Characters/Pairing: Finn, Ensemble.
Word Count: 2120
Rating: R (likely to rise in later chapters).
Summary: After the underwear incident, Karofsky and Azimio simply will not back off already when it comes to Finn. Things quickly go from bad to worse.
Spoilers: Up to 2x05, "The Rocky Horror Glee Show."
Warnings: Swearing, sexual harassment (to become sexual assault in later chapters), homophobia, implicit accusations of teacher/student.
Author's Notes: Written for the glee_angst_meme, the prompt: "After the underwear incident, things get a whole lot worse for Finn. The football jocks won't stop taunting him, but it's worse than before: their comments get really sexual. Then they begin awkwardly touching him when they're alone. He wants to tell someone, but it isn't rape or anything so he figures he should just suck it up. And then Korafsky and Azimo corner him in the locker room and force him to give them head. They tell him he was asking for it, and he starts to believe it."
4: Stand Up For Yourself
He has to go back to school eventually. Well, duh - still, Karofsky and Azimio mostly leave him alone in front of people. Apparently, they’re on probation for the whole locker incident. They only go up to him to tell him that - and bitch him out for getting them into trouble like that, because it’s somehow his fault. They just aren’t happy they have to not pointlessly harass him right now, he guesses.
He doesn’t ask about the texts and photos.
Unfortunately, at Glee that Wednesday, he manages to leave some sheet music in his locker. It’s not a big deal - Kurt and Rachel glare, because they take this way too seriously and get mad at interruptions, but he just walks off to go get the damn sheet music.
He really, really shouldn’t be surprised when they corner him in front of his locker, should he?
“Hey, Hudson,” says Karofsky. Finn groans. “Been awhile.”
“That’s because the principal has warned you off treating me like shit,” says Finn. “Now, will you just go away? I have stuff to do?”
Karofsky laughs. “Uh, hate to bring it up, but the Principal ain’t here. No-one is. Who’s gonna do anything if we do something to you?”
Finn winces. “Come on, guys, just let it go, okay? I just wanna get back to my club. I was getting the sheet music I left in my locker, okay?”
Karofsky and Azimio smirk at each other. “Yeah, I bet you wanna get back there,” says Azimio.
“The Queen Fag returning to the Fag hive? And what sort of celebration are you gonna be having?"
“That doesn’t even make sense!” yells Finn. “The club is half girls!”
Karofsky shrugs. “Guess they like to watch.”
“No! And that wasn’t the point!” Finn does his best to stand as tall as possible - his height advantage should be reassuring him about how much danger he’s actually in, but it’s kind of not working. It’s still two against one, and even Finn’s math can figure out that’s bad.
“Guys… seriously. This isn’t okay. What with the photos and the texts, and the constant talking about my sex life, and the - those dildos!” He pauses for emphasis. “Guys, you need to back off. If you did this sort of shit to a girl, she’d take out a restraining order. I tried to call you and tell you this; it didn’t work out so well, ‘cause you didn’t listen then, but please - Leave. Me. Alone.”
It doesn’t work. Karofsky and Azimio share mocking laughter for a second, before Karofsky shoves him against the lockers.
“Hey!” Finn tries to shove him back and make his escape, but when he pushes Karofsky back Azimio just holds him there. Soon, he’s restrained and trying desperately not to panic as Karofsky seriously invades his personal space. Don’t freak out, he tells himself, We’re in the middle of the corridor; anyone could come in; they wouldn’t be dumb enough to try something…
“Guys, this isn’t funny,” he says. “Let me go.”
Azimio smirks at him. “That’s weird. Thought you’d be jumping at the chance - you’re like that with every other dick in the school.”
Finn accidentally gives a very girly whimper of fear, and they laugh more.
“Please,” he says.
Suddenly, Karofsky lets him go and shoves him again. “Let we’d ever touch you,” he sneers.
Azimio and Karofsky laugh as they walk off. Finn leans against the locker, overwhelmed with stress and confusion. What just happened?
Don’t freak out, he tells himself, determined to stay calm. Don’t freak out.
Still, he waits until they’re firmly out of sight before he bends over to pick up the sheet music that fell on the floor.
*
“You took your time,” says Rachel as he returns, holding the sheet music. He shrugs it off.
“It took me some time to find it,” he says, shrugging it off. “My locker is kind of a mess.”
Rachel pouts. “That’s why I made you those dividers, Finn.”
“And I use them!” he defends himself before he realizes it might not be a great idea. “I just, um… don’t use them very well?”
“Whatever,” says Santana from behind him. “Can we just get on with it, already?”
They do so. They sing and dance and Mr. Schue tries to teach him the choreography - Finn’s still a bit jumpy, which doesn’t help much. He tries not to be - it’s not like anything happened, but it still makes him squirm a bit when someone touches him - he hopes Rachel won’t be holding his hand or anything.
After rehearsal ends for the day, Mr. Schue calls him back. “Finn? Can I talk to you for a second?”
Finn frowns in confusion, but he does so. After the last of his fellow Glee clubbers have walked out, he steps toward Mr. Schue.
“So, um… what is this about? Did I do something wrong?”
Mr. Schue sighs. “No, Finn,” he says. He walks forward and tries to put a comforting hand on Finn’s shoulder - Finn unwittingly pulls away, and Schue is quick to retreat. “Look, I’m worried about you. Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” says Finn. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Schue shrugs. “All rehearsal, you were… kind of jumpy. You wouldn’t let anyone touch you, not even Rachel - I was just wondering if something was making you act that way?”
“It’s nothing,” says Finn, and yeah, he sounds too defensive. Schue raises an eyebrow at him, and he sighs.
“Okay, maybe it’s not nothing,” he admits, “But it’s not a big deal. Really. I don’t want to make you…”
“Finn, just tell me what’s going on,” says Mr. Schue.
“…You know those guys, the ones who are kind of always assholes to the whole club? The ones who put those, um…”
“Yeah, Karofsky and Azimio,” says Schue. “Pretend I can be bothered calling out your language. What is it?”
Finn sighs. “They’ve been… pretty bad for awhile now. Since I did that whole walk-down-hallway-in-underwear thing. They’ve gotten pretty creepy about it - they s-” he doesn’t want to bring up the text thing. It would just make Schue worry - he doesn’t need that. “…They keep going on about, uh, well, my sex life. Or what they imagine it to be. And they will not back off, no matter how many times I tell them it’s really not cool.”
It’s a very understated version, but Schue still looks really mad - shit. “And, the incident with the sex toys was…?”
Finn blushes. “Them expressing their opinion, I guess. They said they thought I’d own more than that.”
Schue inhales. “Did this have anything to do with why it took you so long to get the sheet music?”
Finn shrugs. “…Yeah. I mean, it wasn’t a big deal. They cornered me outside my locker and we bitched at each other. I’m turning into a total girl with those two, honestly.”
Schue doesn’t laugh. “Have they tried anything… physical…?”
Finn shakes his head. “Nah.” What happened just before doesn’t count - they held him against a locker, so what? Plenty of guys have done that to him. And the texts and stuff definitely don’t count - that’s kind of the point. “Mr. Schue, it’s not really a big deal, but… It’s weird, you know?”
Schue nods. “You know, if this is making you uncomfortable, I could probably talk to Figgins about getting them in trouble for it.”
Finn grimaces. “Got a feeling that wouldn’t work. I don’t think that dude likes me much.”
Schue shrugs. “Couldn’t hurt, right?”
*
“William, I'm not sure what you're asking me to do.”
Will groans. “Karofsky and Azimio are bad news,” he says. “Finn - he was trying to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal, but he was pretty clearly terrified of them. You have to do something about this.”
“Schue, Mr. Karofsky and Azimio are already on probation for Monday's incident. Fair's fair. They haven't done anything to infringe upon that since the time they were warned, to the best of my knowledge, and hence I can hardly punish them.”
“Are you even listening to me?!” asks Will. “Look. Finn told me they were making repeated intrusive sexual comments, after Finn had told them more than once he wasn't okay with it. I'm pretty sure that's the Disneyfied version too. This probably constitutes sexual harassment, and if not, it's serious bullying.”
“I'm sorry, Schue, but my hands are tied. You're telling me this. Without a complaint from Mr. Hudson himself, the schoolboard and I are powerless to do anything about this.”
“Look, you don't have to take immediate disciplinary action,” says Will. “Maybe just have him talk to Emma to start, hey? Get him to open up; be honest about how bad this is getting. I know he wasn't telling me the full truth.”
“And if you're wrong?” Figgins asks. “We planted ideas about two innocent students in the minds of staff for no real reason? Mr. Hudson learns he cannot go to his teachers without them overreacting? Two of our students learn they are both unwelcome and untrusted at McKinley High?”
“They're not innocent!” yells Will, much louder than he means too. Figgins jumps in his seat, and Will sighs. “Sorry. But you cannot say you're comfortable with this sort of report - even the potential a student is being harassed is an obvious problem, and it needs addressing. Can you really not see that?”
“The burden of proof is on the prosecution, not the defense,” says Figgins.
“This isn't a court case; this is a kid-”
“This is three kids, Schue. And two of them need us every bit as much as the third one does, and they deserve the benefit of the doubt.”
“Can we not pretend this is happening in some kind of vacuum?” asks Will. “Karofsky and Azimio are bullies. They make a habit of tormenting the entirety my Glee club in as many varied and interesting ways as possible, not just Finn. They pulled a prank that was humiliating and more than a little sexual less than a week ago. Do you seriously believe they wouldn't do anything wrong?”
Figgins just blinks at him. “Why is this so important to you, William?”
Will's taken aback. “Huh?”
Figgins sighs. “Finn Hudson. Why is it so important to you? Why are you fighting so hard to protect him than I've seen you fight for anything before?”
Will still doesn't get it. “Because... he's my student, and I think he's in trouble...?”
“Schue, you have had students in trouble before, and doubtless will again. Yet... somehow I'll doubt I'll see this sort of reaction from you in regards to anyone else.”
Will frowns. “What do you mean?”
Figgins sighs. “William, I don't take saying something like this lightly. But I have to bring it up - having observed you for the last year or so, you do seem... unusually protective of one Finn Hudson. Attached, if you will. At some points, it has unsettled me.”
Will gapes at him. “What are you accusing me of?”
“I refuse to make accusations,” says Figgins. “And I am certainly not telling you Mr. Hudson - any student - does not deserve your respect and support. But if I were you, I would be careful before associating yourself too closely, and too publicly.”
“You're blackmailing me,” Will suddenly jumps out of his chair in anger. “That's what this is. You don't want to do anything about this, so you accuse me of being the bad guy and say-”
“Schue, calm down!” calls Figgins. “Don't be absurd. But I have been perfectly clear on this matter - I have neither the ability, nor the certain motivation to do this. The choice still lies with Finn Hudson himself.”
“But he's scared. He's seventeen, for christ's sakes.”
He wants to help Finn. But if people start making accusations...
He cares about Finn, but if he's willing to give up his life for one student - that would make it seem like Figgins has a point.
Finn will be okay, right? He's a strong kid.
Author: hyperemmalawlz
Fandom: Glee
Chapter: 4/? - "Stand Up For Yourself."
Characters/Pairing: Finn, Ensemble.
Word Count: 2120
Rating: R (likely to rise in later chapters).
Summary: After the underwear incident, Karofsky and Azimio simply will not back off already when it comes to Finn. Things quickly go from bad to worse.
Spoilers: Up to 2x05, "The Rocky Horror Glee Show."
Warnings: Swearing, sexual harassment (to become sexual assault in later chapters), homophobia, implicit accusations of teacher/student.
Author's Notes: Written for the glee_angst_meme, the prompt: "After the underwear incident, things get a whole lot worse for Finn. The football jocks won't stop taunting him, but it's worse than before: their comments get really sexual. Then they begin awkwardly touching him when they're alone. He wants to tell someone, but it isn't rape or anything so he figures he should just suck it up. And then Korafsky and Azimo corner him in the locker room and force him to give them head. They tell him he was asking for it, and he starts to believe it."
4: Stand Up For Yourself
He has to go back to school eventually. Well, duh - still, Karofsky and Azimio mostly leave him alone in front of people. Apparently, they’re on probation for the whole locker incident. They only go up to him to tell him that - and bitch him out for getting them into trouble like that, because it’s somehow his fault. They just aren’t happy they have to not pointlessly harass him right now, he guesses.
He doesn’t ask about the texts and photos.
Unfortunately, at Glee that Wednesday, he manages to leave some sheet music in his locker. It’s not a big deal - Kurt and Rachel glare, because they take this way too seriously and get mad at interruptions, but he just walks off to go get the damn sheet music.
He really, really shouldn’t be surprised when they corner him in front of his locker, should he?
“Hey, Hudson,” says Karofsky. Finn groans. “Been awhile.”
“That’s because the principal has warned you off treating me like shit,” says Finn. “Now, will you just go away? I have stuff to do?”
Karofsky laughs. “Uh, hate to bring it up, but the Principal ain’t here. No-one is. Who’s gonna do anything if we do something to you?”
Finn winces. “Come on, guys, just let it go, okay? I just wanna get back to my club. I was getting the sheet music I left in my locker, okay?”
Karofsky and Azimio smirk at each other. “Yeah, I bet you wanna get back there,” says Azimio.
“The Queen Fag returning to the Fag hive? And what sort of celebration are you gonna be having?"
“That doesn’t even make sense!” yells Finn. “The club is half girls!”
Karofsky shrugs. “Guess they like to watch.”
“No! And that wasn’t the point!” Finn does his best to stand as tall as possible - his height advantage should be reassuring him about how much danger he’s actually in, but it’s kind of not working. It’s still two against one, and even Finn’s math can figure out that’s bad.
“Guys… seriously. This isn’t okay. What with the photos and the texts, and the constant talking about my sex life, and the - those dildos!” He pauses for emphasis. “Guys, you need to back off. If you did this sort of shit to a girl, she’d take out a restraining order. I tried to call you and tell you this; it didn’t work out so well, ‘cause you didn’t listen then, but please - Leave. Me. Alone.”
It doesn’t work. Karofsky and Azimio share mocking laughter for a second, before Karofsky shoves him against the lockers.
“Hey!” Finn tries to shove him back and make his escape, but when he pushes Karofsky back Azimio just holds him there. Soon, he’s restrained and trying desperately not to panic as Karofsky seriously invades his personal space. Don’t freak out, he tells himself, We’re in the middle of the corridor; anyone could come in; they wouldn’t be dumb enough to try something…
“Guys, this isn’t funny,” he says. “Let me go.”
Azimio smirks at him. “That’s weird. Thought you’d be jumping at the chance - you’re like that with every other dick in the school.”
Finn accidentally gives a very girly whimper of fear, and they laugh more.
“Please,” he says.
Suddenly, Karofsky lets him go and shoves him again. “Let we’d ever touch you,” he sneers.
Azimio and Karofsky laugh as they walk off. Finn leans against the locker, overwhelmed with stress and confusion. What just happened?
Don’t freak out, he tells himself, determined to stay calm. Don’t freak out.
Still, he waits until they’re firmly out of sight before he bends over to pick up the sheet music that fell on the floor.
*
“You took your time,” says Rachel as he returns, holding the sheet music. He shrugs it off.
“It took me some time to find it,” he says, shrugging it off. “My locker is kind of a mess.”
Rachel pouts. “That’s why I made you those dividers, Finn.”
“And I use them!” he defends himself before he realizes it might not be a great idea. “I just, um… don’t use them very well?”
“Whatever,” says Santana from behind him. “Can we just get on with it, already?”
They do so. They sing and dance and Mr. Schue tries to teach him the choreography - Finn’s still a bit jumpy, which doesn’t help much. He tries not to be - it’s not like anything happened, but it still makes him squirm a bit when someone touches him - he hopes Rachel won’t be holding his hand or anything.
After rehearsal ends for the day, Mr. Schue calls him back. “Finn? Can I talk to you for a second?”
Finn frowns in confusion, but he does so. After the last of his fellow Glee clubbers have walked out, he steps toward Mr. Schue.
“So, um… what is this about? Did I do something wrong?”
Mr. Schue sighs. “No, Finn,” he says. He walks forward and tries to put a comforting hand on Finn’s shoulder - Finn unwittingly pulls away, and Schue is quick to retreat. “Look, I’m worried about you. Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” says Finn. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Schue shrugs. “All rehearsal, you were… kind of jumpy. You wouldn’t let anyone touch you, not even Rachel - I was just wondering if something was making you act that way?”
“It’s nothing,” says Finn, and yeah, he sounds too defensive. Schue raises an eyebrow at him, and he sighs.
“Okay, maybe it’s not nothing,” he admits, “But it’s not a big deal. Really. I don’t want to make you…”
“Finn, just tell me what’s going on,” says Mr. Schue.
“…You know those guys, the ones who are kind of always assholes to the whole club? The ones who put those, um…”
“Yeah, Karofsky and Azimio,” says Schue. “Pretend I can be bothered calling out your language. What is it?”
Finn sighs. “They’ve been… pretty bad for awhile now. Since I did that whole walk-down-hallway-in-underwear thing. They’ve gotten pretty creepy about it - they s-” he doesn’t want to bring up the text thing. It would just make Schue worry - he doesn’t need that. “…They keep going on about, uh, well, my sex life. Or what they imagine it to be. And they will not back off, no matter how many times I tell them it’s really not cool.”
It’s a very understated version, but Schue still looks really mad - shit. “And, the incident with the sex toys was…?”
Finn blushes. “Them expressing their opinion, I guess. They said they thought I’d own more than that.”
Schue inhales. “Did this have anything to do with why it took you so long to get the sheet music?”
Finn shrugs. “…Yeah. I mean, it wasn’t a big deal. They cornered me outside my locker and we bitched at each other. I’m turning into a total girl with those two, honestly.”
Schue doesn’t laugh. “Have they tried anything… physical…?”
Finn shakes his head. “Nah.” What happened just before doesn’t count - they held him against a locker, so what? Plenty of guys have done that to him. And the texts and stuff definitely don’t count - that’s kind of the point. “Mr. Schue, it’s not really a big deal, but… It’s weird, you know?”
Schue nods. “You know, if this is making you uncomfortable, I could probably talk to Figgins about getting them in trouble for it.”
Finn grimaces. “Got a feeling that wouldn’t work. I don’t think that dude likes me much.”
Schue shrugs. “Couldn’t hurt, right?”
*
“William, I'm not sure what you're asking me to do.”
Will groans. “Karofsky and Azimio are bad news,” he says. “Finn - he was trying to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal, but he was pretty clearly terrified of them. You have to do something about this.”
“Schue, Mr. Karofsky and Azimio are already on probation for Monday's incident. Fair's fair. They haven't done anything to infringe upon that since the time they were warned, to the best of my knowledge, and hence I can hardly punish them.”
“Are you even listening to me?!” asks Will. “Look. Finn told me they were making repeated intrusive sexual comments, after Finn had told them more than once he wasn't okay with it. I'm pretty sure that's the Disneyfied version too. This probably constitutes sexual harassment, and if not, it's serious bullying.”
“I'm sorry, Schue, but my hands are tied. You're telling me this. Without a complaint from Mr. Hudson himself, the schoolboard and I are powerless to do anything about this.”
“Look, you don't have to take immediate disciplinary action,” says Will. “Maybe just have him talk to Emma to start, hey? Get him to open up; be honest about how bad this is getting. I know he wasn't telling me the full truth.”
“And if you're wrong?” Figgins asks. “We planted ideas about two innocent students in the minds of staff for no real reason? Mr. Hudson learns he cannot go to his teachers without them overreacting? Two of our students learn they are both unwelcome and untrusted at McKinley High?”
“They're not innocent!” yells Will, much louder than he means too. Figgins jumps in his seat, and Will sighs. “Sorry. But you cannot say you're comfortable with this sort of report - even the potential a student is being harassed is an obvious problem, and it needs addressing. Can you really not see that?”
“The burden of proof is on the prosecution, not the defense,” says Figgins.
“This isn't a court case; this is a kid-”
“This is three kids, Schue. And two of them need us every bit as much as the third one does, and they deserve the benefit of the doubt.”
“Can we not pretend this is happening in some kind of vacuum?” asks Will. “Karofsky and Azimio are bullies. They make a habit of tormenting the entirety my Glee club in as many varied and interesting ways as possible, not just Finn. They pulled a prank that was humiliating and more than a little sexual less than a week ago. Do you seriously believe they wouldn't do anything wrong?”
Figgins just blinks at him. “Why is this so important to you, William?”
Will's taken aback. “Huh?”
Figgins sighs. “Finn Hudson. Why is it so important to you? Why are you fighting so hard to protect him than I've seen you fight for anything before?”
Will still doesn't get it. “Because... he's my student, and I think he's in trouble...?”
“Schue, you have had students in trouble before, and doubtless will again. Yet... somehow I'll doubt I'll see this sort of reaction from you in regards to anyone else.”
Will frowns. “What do you mean?”
Figgins sighs. “William, I don't take saying something like this lightly. But I have to bring it up - having observed you for the last year or so, you do seem... unusually protective of one Finn Hudson. Attached, if you will. At some points, it has unsettled me.”
Will gapes at him. “What are you accusing me of?”
“I refuse to make accusations,” says Figgins. “And I am certainly not telling you Mr. Hudson - any student - does not deserve your respect and support. But if I were you, I would be careful before associating yourself too closely, and too publicly.”
“You're blackmailing me,” Will suddenly jumps out of his chair in anger. “That's what this is. You don't want to do anything about this, so you accuse me of being the bad guy and say-”
“Schue, calm down!” calls Figgins. “Don't be absurd. But I have been perfectly clear on this matter - I have neither the ability, nor the certain motivation to do this. The choice still lies with Finn Hudson himself.”
“But he's scared. He's seventeen, for christ's sakes.”
He wants to help Finn. But if people start making accusations...
He cares about Finn, but if he's willing to give up his life for one student - that would make it seem like Figgins has a point.
Finn will be okay, right? He's a strong kid.