Stronger than This (5/?) Finn: Phase One
Title: Stronger than This. (5/?) Finn: Phase One
Pairing: Santana/Brittany; Santana/Puck bromance
Rating: R (For Language)
Summary: Finn’s POV a month after “Sexy”. This fic starts with some pent up Santana angst and builds to battle royal.
Spoilers: Season 2: Sexy
Chapt 1: Santana - Chapt 2: Artie - Chapt 3:Puck - Chapt 4: Rachel - Chapt 5:Finn - Chapter 6: Santana - Chapter 7: Kurt
Chapter 5
Finn: Phase One
The beast’s eyes bore into mine.
I flinched and grit my teeth standing up to the challenge. I may not be the smartest kid at this school, but when it came to physical control and athletic determination, no one could beat me. Gripping the iron bar on the floor, I planted my feet apart and took in a long breath.
Coach Beiste stood before me, her thick neck and thin lips firmly set. “Let’s go.” She said, her voice sounded graveled, not encouraging, but demanding. I knew she was expecting me to show leadership in this moment, to show effort and hard work, to be the example. If I was to remain quarterback for next year’s team, I couldn’t let her down.
As I prepped for the lift, a few of the guys huddled around to watch: Sam, Puck, Karofsky, and Artie. It wasn’t that I would be lifting a truck, but an average kid of my size and strength could normally lift around 150 lbs with the bar; last week, impressively, I lifted 170 lbs; today, Coach Beiste was challenging me to lift 180 lbs. Few high school kids my size would even try for it. I had never hit the number before, but I could feel her confidence in me and among the watching eyes of my teammates… I felt an adrenaline push.
My mind focused as I counted to three, then with all the strength in my arms and legs I threw myself into a squat, heaving the bar to my chin. Pushing with all the strength in me, I quickly lifted the bar above my head before dropping it back down on the rubber mats under my feet.
The guys clapped and cheered as I stumbled a moment, dizzy and shaking. It was only a second or two of energy to lift the bar, but I was immediately drained. My arms hung limp as jello to my side and I looked to Bieste for approval.
Her thin lips gave a hint of a smile as she nodded and walked away. “To the showers!” She yelled dismissing us from weightlifting class.
In the locker room, I stood in the shower for as long as time could possibly allow before my next class. I let the hot water burn as it rolled down my face and back. The near scalding temperature felt cleansing and fresh against my aching muscles.
I would have stayed under the water longer if I hadn’t seen what was going on at the end of the locker room. Curiously, I turned off the water, toweled down a bit, wrapped it around my waist, and crept toward the stifled commotion.
Puck and Karofsky stood huddled together. At first it was hard to make out if they were arguing or not. As crappy as Puck had been to me in the past, I wasn’t going to walk away from defending him to the likes of Karofsky. Kurt not being here, was his fault after all, and mornings would be so much easier if we could just come to our classes together: Homework, rides, studying. The creep had it coming to him.
It wasn’t until I came closer that I realized the mumbles weren’t confrontational, but calculated.
Karofsky scratched his chin and whispered. “None of this makes sense to me,” he said; his voice lowered. “Are you just messing with me? Stealthyly, I backed up, hid behind the row of lockers, and came around so I could hear them better. I had no idea what was going on, but I did know that it wasn’t good.
If you’re messing with me Puckerman, the guys and I are going to throw you into the dumpster daily until graduation.
“I’m not messing with you dude. I’m serious,” Puck stated firmly.
Karofsky’s eyebrows knit together, “So if I do this… Santana will let me take her to prom next week.”
“Yes.” Puck nodded. “And…” It was obvious that Puck was searching for something to seal the deal. “And… she’ll let you touch one of her boobs.” I laughed to myself; I couldn’t help it. Whatever it was Puck was up to… somehow, I doubted Santana had added that piece.
“Alright,” The large oaf said reaching out to take Puck’s hand.
“Deal.” Puck agrees with a devious smile. They shake and quickly disperse.
Something was not right, but I had no idea what.
Still sore from the morning’s weight lifting class, I felt myself weak and tired throughout the day. My gorilla arms hung limply at my sides, too exhausted to even lift a pencil to paper. I had no energy for Rachel, who zipped past me in the hall, or for Mr. Shue, who seemed giddy with anticipation about his plans for nationals. He made a point during Spanish class to encourage me to come with song ideas ready.
I nodded with a wide, fake grin. “You got it Mr, Shuester.” I lied. If I knew Rachel Berry, she probably already had a whole selection ready to present for the both of us. She was great like that. I could just ride on her coat tails and sail through glee too, like the rest of my classes today.
I almost thought to skip glee entirely, but as I left my last classroom of the day, Quinn stood waiting for me. She was leaning against the lockers wearing a yellow sundress just above her knees. Quinn Fabray really was beautiful. She smiled as I approached her. “Hey.” She said lifting from the lockers and walking toward me. “Let’s walk to glee together.”
I grinned stupidly and reached for her hand. As we walked, her fingers felt soft and small in my large hands.
“I heard about weightlifting today,” She said, “I’m really proud of you.” My cheeks warmed as I nodded. It really was an accomplishment. “If you keep it up Finn, you and I are going to be sho-ins for prom king and queen.”
As easy as that, my spirits fell and I let go of her hand. “Quinn,” I complained rolling my eyes. We stopped in the hall in front of the choir room. I could see Rachel and Brittany already inside looking through music together. I focused my attention back on Quinn. “I’m starting to think that’s all you care about these days: Prom king and queen.” I shrugged, “I don’t even want to do it if that’s all you want from me.”
Quinn pulled me aside as Puck and Santana passed us walking into the choir room together. Before they passed completely, I caught a devilish grin on Pucks face dancing with excitement. Santana too eyed me carefully and anxiously. I could feel tension suddenly as if at any minute the sky was going to crash down upon me. Quinn pulled at my attention again. “It’s really important to me Finn!” She said, the frustration in her voice built. Along with her building frustration my senses heightened, there was danger in the air. I glanced back to Puck who watched wide eyed. The halls were full of students pushing past.
Quinn stomped her foot, “You’re not even listening to me.” She shouted. And I wasn’t… I saw it coming. Behind Quinn, the danger came toward us. A wall of players from the football team headed for the choir room with determination set in their eyes. Karofsky led the mob. My voice trailed. “Quinn…”
Caught up in our small spat, she turned from me and walked right into the wall of players. One by one, they circled around her. Kids in the hall stopped to watch. “Quinn!” I yelled.
Like a rabbit caught between a pack of wolves, Quinn’s eyes searched for an opening and when she found none, she searched for me. There was nothing I could do. On cue, the football team splashed a tidal wave of red and purple slushy onto her. The sweet cherry and grape smell splashed through the hall.
Immediately the kids watching in the hall laughed; some of them had their phones out and were recording everything. Quinn stood in the middle of all of them, covered from head to toe in the cold liquid. Red chunks of it dripped down her forehead and off her chin to the puddle of slush at her feet.
Pushing past the crowd, I rushed to her. The football players left laughing as I tried to wipe the red from her eyes and face. She winced. “It’s in my eyes,” she said. The red liquid shone from her lips.
“Here, here…” Mercedes and Tina pushed past me. “We have this.” I was grateful, watching Tina and Mercedes swoop in and guide Quinn to the bathroom. I had no idea what to do. I stood befuddled as the crowd of spectators slowly dispersed finding entertainment elsewhere. I heard them talking, posting the video on youtube and emailing it to one another.
I stayed standing until the school janitor rolled his cart to the large pool of slushy and begrudgingly took out his mop and bucket. Mr. Shue guided me into the choir room and Rachel had saved me a seat on the front row beside her. I smiled a ‘thank you’ in her direction.
As Mr. Shue explained his plan for nationals… I couldn’t help but overhear Puck and Santana whispering behind me. Mr. Shue explained that to decide the solo for nationals this year, we were going to be asked to each perform a romantic ballad at prom… the glee member with best number there would be doing the solo ballad in New York. Rachel jumped with excitement beside me squeezing my knee… but I couldn’t concentrate on them, all I could hear was Puck.
“Phase one complete,” he said, “You ready for phase two?”