6 Ficlets for Gleek Land
Part two of gifts for the Christmas Gift Exchange at gleek_land. General spoilers for all episodes, up to and including Glee, Actually.
For kait_18:
Christmas Wish, Finn/Rachel, G
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[Christmas Wish]
Finn wasn’t sure exactly what it was that brought him back to that Christmas tree lot in Lima. He hadn’t been there since junior year with Rachel, and it had been for the glee club, not each other. They hadn’t even really been on good terms at the time. Lately, Rachel had been one of the only things on Finn’s mind. After her call, the talk she’d given him about the true meaning of the glee club, he hadn’t been able to get her voice out of his head.
Or the absence of her voice, for that matter.
Finn had desperately wished he could have gone to the showcase, even just to hide in the back. Earning a spot to perform there had been a huge accomplishment for Rachel, even though Finn hadn’t been surprised to hear it in the least. She was the most talented person Finn had ever met and he’d probably always be jealous of her talent and ambition.
As he turned a corner, Finn found himself smiling slightly, remembering back to the innocent little girl he’d met in their sophomore year. Rachel had been so lost in her ambition she’d pushed people away and made his head hurt with all her rambling about things he didn’t understand. As the years went on, he’d developed a slight understanding of everything she’d talk about. By senior year, it was no big deal to hear all of the things about Broadway and Barbara and New York. Now a year later, he missed it more than he could possibly ever admit.
His smile morphed to complete and utter shock when he turned to look at more trees, only to nearly run into the very person that had been on his mind for days. “Rachel?”
With genuine surprise on her face, Rachel turned to face Finn, slightly embarrassed. “H-hey, Finn,” she responded nervously.
This had been the first time they’d seen each other since the musical. It stung a little, seeing Finn, but Rachel couldn’t decide if it was the mere fact that they were right there in front of each other, or at the fact that Finn looked so completely downtrodden. “How’s the glee club?” she asked conversationally.
It was difficult to break the awkward tension. Rachel found herself doubting if such a thing could ever truly be broken again between her and Finn. “They’re… doing their own thing,” Finn shrugged.
He explained how Tina and Blaine were Cheerios, and Artie was a drum major, and that people were finding other places to fit in. Mostly, Finn just tried to hide the looming feeling of failure he’d felt since they lost sectionals. “Finn?” Rachel cut him off, mid conversation about Marley and how he was trying to help her get better through song.
Awkwardly, Finn paused, lips pursed nervously, and looked down at Rachel. “I miss you,” she said softly. “Sure, I miss the rest of them, too, but… you and I have far more history than I do with any of them, and… I want to hear about you.”
He nodded slowly, but words failed him. “Breadstix?” she suggested.
Finn’s lips curved into a gentle smile, and he nodded. Maybe his Christmas wish might come true, after all. Finn just wanted to be back on good terms with his first love. In that moment, it seemed to be a reality.
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For fincalian:
Happy New Year, Kurt/Rachel, G
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[Happy New Year]
“Kurt, you’re insane!”
Rachel’s laughter echoed throughout Central Park, and it even turned a few heads. She and Kurt had been enjoying a bottle of champagne to ring in the new year, and as a result, Kurt in all of his slightly tipsy glory had decided it was time to make snow angels and have a snowball fight.
His hand held Rachel’s as they escaped the subway tunnel and rushed towards his favorite spot in the entire park. Kurt’s laughter mixed with Rachel’s in a sweet melody, the streets now empty at two in the morning. “We could get in trouble!” Rachel called out at him.
Kurt just looked over his shoulder at the diva trailing behind him and said, “Then don’t be so loud!”
His smile was brighter than she’d seen in months, and Kurt could say the same for Rachel. New York had come with ups and downs, like any move was destined to do, and they were finally, slowly bouncing back. Kurt had NYADA to look forward to, and Rachel had finally escaped Cassie’s class and made her first mark among her peers. Now, they had Christmas break to relax before classes would begin again and life would turn into another wave of stress and difficulties.
When they got to the park, Kurt reached out for Rachel’s other hand as well, and he led her into a wooded area, filled with a few inches of snow and the most gorgeous, untouched snow-covered trees. “Kurt!” Rachel hissed, the amusement still evident on her face.
Kurt just smiled and shushed her as he started spinning them in a circle, hands met between them as they leaned backwards with the momentum. While Rachel had a little voice in her head telling her that they could get in trouble, she was far more caught up in the pure joy she felt. Acting like a child after having to grow up so quickly with her move to New York was a godsend.
Without warning, Kurt released Rachel’s hands, and he giggled as he watched her tumble into the snow. “Kurt!” she shrieked.
He fell to his knees next to her, looking down at his best friend in amusement. “You shouldn’t have let go!” he teased playfully.
Rachel rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue, but she didn’t move. In fact, she was happier than she had been in a while and she loved the feeling. Her limbs lay outstretched around her, in the perfect position to make snow angels. Her hair was slightly snarled, resting in a mess around her in the snow. The dark hair was a gorgeous contrast against the white snow, and Kurt smiled down at her one last time before rolling onto his side next to her.
He moved his arms and legs, imprinting a snow angel on the snow beneath him, and he watched as Rachel did the same. “Happy New Year, Rachel,” he said softly, staring up at the stars.
Rachel’s fingers reached out to entwine gently with Kurt’s, and she smiled as she replied, “Happy New Year, Kurt.”
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For narnialover7:
Never Change, Finn/Quinn, PG
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[Never Change]
After Breadstix, Finn had been just expecting to go home, to try to come up with some way to lead the glee club to a win at sectionals, but instead he’d found Quinn waiting for him, leaning up against the driver’s side door of his truck. “Hey,” he said, mostly happy but a little bit confused. Quinn hadn’t seemed to be in her right mind when he’d met up with her earlier.
“Hi,” she smiled sweetly.
Finn paused in front of her and looked down at her in confusion, and she just laughed. “Do you want to go back in and get some dessert?” she suggested. The other cars of her peers were leaving, and it meant the two of them were alone. “I wanted to talk to you.”
Quinn wanting to talk to someone was a bit dangerous, but he wasn’t really going to turn her down. He knew that sometimes she was volatile at best, and he didn’t know what had happened to her since she’d gone to college. He nodded, and they went back inside to be seated. Finn ordered a soda and their biggest slice of apple pie, and Quinn ordered an iced tea and a sugar cookie. “What’s up?” he asked, looking across the table at her.
“Well… you might be hearing… things… from Santana soon,” she said softly.
The embarrassment on Quinn’s face was something Finn hadn’t been expecting to see, and he didn’t know what to make out of it. He was a bit concerned, and at the same time, wasn’t surprised at all. Quinn always had some dark secret or something she was hiding. That was just the way she worked - she rocked the mysterious thing. “Okay…” he replied slowly.
“Look. It’s not easy, going to an Ivy League school and having all this homework and having Shelby send me pictures of Beth, and…” she sighed, pausing a beat. “I seemed weak for years. I went through so much and dealt with a lot, and I really didn’t want to seem like that same person. Everyone else has changed and grown up, so I wanted to, too.”
Finn still didn’t understand where Quinn was going with this. “Santana thinks I’m dating my psychology professor. I mean… I put the idea in her head. But… I want you to know, since you’re bringing me in as a role model to those girls in the glee club… that it’s not true,” Quinn confessed.
“So, why did you make it up? I mean, you say you’re with that guy a lot. Your psychology professor, I mean,” Finn said, recalling past conversations he’d had with Quinn on Facebook chat.
“He’s my psychiatrist. I’m getting all this mess in my head worked out. It’s something I should have done back in high school, but I didn’t know I was supposed to. Or how to do it. I’m… I’m trying to get back to me, you know?” Quinn explained timidly.
Finn hadn’t been expecting that confession, but he couldn’t deny how excited it made him. “Quinn, that’s great,” he smiled at her.
She’d been expecting nonchalance or maybe slight disgust, but not happiness. Finn’s smile was infectious, and she just blushed and smiled in reply. It felt good to confess that she was getting the help - and now Quinn had that extra support for when things got rough. She felt lucky to still have Finn, and she swore to keep in better contact with him, especially if she would get to see that smile more often. She’d always had a soft spot in her heart for Finn. That would probably never change.
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For leigha_berry:
A New Year, Kurt/Rachel, PG
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[A New Year]
It was New Year’s Eve, and Kurt was alone.
He sat in his apartment, contemplating whether he should open the bottle of champagne that Isabelle had given him as a gift, the live broadcast of the ball drop from Times Square playing on his television. Kurt had thought about going to see it in person, but he didn’t want to go alone. It wouldn’t be safe, and on top of that, he had nobody to bring with him. His dad had left for Lima to spend New Year’s with Carole and some of her work friends, and Blaine had to go back with Kurt’s dad because they’d travelled together.
So, Kurt was alone. Deciding that it was basically his only option, Kurt popped open the bottle of champagne and poured himself a glass of it before putting a stopper back on it and sliding it into the door of the refrigerator.
Lonely and alone, he wandered back to the living room and sat down on the couch. Copies of Vogue lay on the coffee table, but he’d read them all at least four times over. He didn’t know what else to do, though, so reluctantly Kurt reached out for a random copy of Vogue and started reading, sipping at his champagne as he did so.
The sky had turned from the blue of the sunset to a dark black, illuminated only by the glow of the city, and Kurt knew that midnight was fast approaching. He was watching as a countdown began on the television (only thirty minutes left!) and sighed as he thought about how completely depressing this New Year’s was. In the past, he’d at least had Blaine or his family or someone, but now he was alone.
With a mere fifteen minutes left on the clock, the door to the apartment slid open and Rachel bounded in. With a huge clash, her bags hit the floor and tumbled over as she dropped them and rushed over to Kurt. “Did I miss it!?” she asked frantically.
“No,” Kurt replied, sitting up properly on the couch, a bit confused by her presence. “I thought you weren’t going to be here until Thursday?” he asked.
“And miss New Year’s with you?” she asked in amusement. “Never!”
Rachel tugged off her jacket and spotted his glass of champagne. “Are you going to get me a glass of that?” she asked playfully.
Kurt just shook his head and laughed. He was glad to have her back, but sometimes her presumptuous side bothered him. Happiness overpowering annoyance, Kurt smiled and made quick work of pouring her a glass of champagne as well. “Thank you,” she grinned as he handed it to her and they sat down on the sofa together. “I like watching the ball drop this way better,” she confessed. “It’s warmer.”
She smiled and leaned over, her head resting on Kurt’s shoulder, and she gently reached down to hold Kurt’s hand in her own. Their free hands held their champagne, and together, they counted down until the new year, toasted with their champagne, and drank. Maybe the upcoming year wouldn’t suck so bad after all, Kurt mused with a smile as he watched Rachel and took a sip. She smiled right back, thinking the exact same thing.
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For chamilet:
No Problem, Finn/Kurt, PG
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[No Problem]
The news about his dad’s cancer wasn’t sitting well with Kurt. He’d tried to keep his composure when his dad first told him, and biting back the tears took the most self-control Kurt had ever exercised, but as soon as his dad had gone to bed and Kurt was sure he was asleep, he broke down. For almost a full hour, Kurt cried into the pillows on the couch, his bed currently occupied by his father so he’d have somewhere comfortable to sleep. Blaine was in Rachel’s bed, and that left Kurt to his own on the couch.
Kurt was so used to going to Rachel when he needed anything - to vent his frustrations, for a hug if he needed it - anything. But now she was gone with her dads on a vacation and Kurt didn’t know what to do. The thought that he could realistically lose his dad all over again had Kurt in a tizzy, completely devastated and frustrated with whatever had done this to his dad.
Finally, his thoughts led him to pull out his cell phone, and a quick press of a button had his phone calling number three on his speed dial: Finn. “Yeah dude?” Finn answered instantly.
Finn had never been one to answer the phone with a simple “hello,” much to Kurt’s frustration sometimes. In this particular moment, Kurt was just glad that Finn had answered. “D-did dad tell you…?” Kurt trailed off.
The emotion was evident in his voice. Kurt sounded stuffy, he was sniffling, and his voice was so soft and weak that Finn knew exactly what Kurt was referring to. “Yeah,” he replied solemnly. “I’m so sorry, Kurt.”
“He’s your stepdad, Finn, you can be upset, too. You don’t have to pretend that this only affects me,” Kurt said, his tone a bit sharper than usual. Finn didn’t reply, and Kurt winced. “Sorry. That was mean. I just… we’re a family now, Finn,” Kurt said, his voice now calmer and more gentle. “It’s okay if you’re upset, too.”
“I don’t want to lose him, man, but mom says that he should be able to get better,” Finn confessed. “It’s still risky though. Like… I love him. We’re a family together.”
“I know,” Kurt said, tears falling down his cheeks all over again. “I can’t lose him, or any of you.”
Kurt cried into a throw pillow, completely disregarding how it might harm the fabric because hugging said pillow to his chest was much more of a comfort than he could possibly put into words. “It’s going to be okay, Kurt,” Finn insisted. “Me and mom are taking good care of him, and we’ll make sure you know everything all the time.”
“Really?” Kurt asked hopefully.
Knowing that he’d be miles and miles away from his dad during a time like this was really hard for Kurt. He’d contemplated leaving New York and NYADA, but Blaine had talked him out of that during their time ice skating. “Of course, Kurt,” Finn replied.
“Thank you,” Kurt said softly.
“No problem. Get some rest though, okay? You get to hang out with him all day tomorrow,” Finn told Kurt optimistically.
“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right,” Kurt nodded, wiping his tears away. “Thanks, Finn.”
“No problem, bro.”
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For patchsassy:
The One That Got Away, Rachel/Jesse, G
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[The One That Got Away]
Rachel usually made it a point to scope out her entire audience before performing. She’d peek from behind the curtain and see whether there were rivals, agents, any of those sorts of people that she’d have to work extra hard to impress and show-up. Before the showcase, she’d looked, but she hadn’t seen anyone “special,” so to speak. Just a bunch of people she had classes with, along with presumably some parents, Brody, and Kurt.
That didn’t stop Rachel from putting on a show, anyway.
Her song went wonderfully, as did her encore performance of her favorite Christmas song, and after that, she’d waited impatiently only to find out at the end that she’d won. Rachel felt so unbelievably accomplished and she knew that she’d made her first mark at NYADA. It was the first of many, but it still left her with an elated, bubbly feeling.
Afterwards, once her phone call with Finn had ended, Rachel was on her way to the back room to gather her jacket and purse so she could go back to her apartment with Kurt, she was stopped by a familiar voice. “You’ve improved.”
Rachel spun around to find herself face to face with none other than her ex-boyfriend, Jesse St. James. “Jesse?” she asked curiously.
He nodded, that half smirk, half smile still plastered on his face like usual. “What are you doing here?” she pressed.
“Well, I was in town, and I figured I could come check out the showcase. I didn’t know you’d be performing,” Jesse confessed.
He hadn’t told Rachel that he’d auditioned for NYADA, or that she’d gotten into the school of his dreams, as well. Being in the school was a bittersweet thing for him, but Rachel had always been the one that got away for him. He wished he hadn’t been so blinded by winning, so brainwashed by his peers, that he’d hurt her and let someone as amazing and talented as her get away.
Sometimes he wondered where the two of them would be if he hadn’t done what he did, egging her in the parking lot at school, especially knowing that she was a vegan. Maybe they’d be engaged now, and they’d be taking NYADA by storm, stealing all the leads and winning all the showcases.
But instead, Jesse was no better than Finn, back at his old school, teaching his old glee club. That thought hurt Jesse the most, even though Rachel saw nothing wrong with it. In fact, it made sense in her mind that she’d go for the same types of guys.
Rachel’s shyness only clued Jesse in further to how much he’d missed out on. She’d clearly changed, but he didn’t know in which ways, and doubted he ever would. “Thank you for coming,” she said politely.
Jesse nodded and said, “Of course. You were brilliant. Much better range. You belong here.”
Rachel smiled brighter, and she nodded, flattered. She opened her mouth to speak, but Kurt cut her off as he approached. “Ready to go?” he paused when he saw their exchange, and held Rachel’s jacket and purse out to her without another word.
“Yeah,” Rachel said, slowly drawing her eyes away from Jesse so she could grab her things. “Thanks again for coming, Jesse. It was great seeing you.”
Jesse nodded, and he watched with a sad smile as Rachel and Kurt walked away.