A/N: I've been working on this for a while now, but then 'Hurricane' took over. Now I can focus on this one again, though. I quite like it, even if Finn tends to give me the creeps from time to time (more of that in later chapters). I should also mention that I have no beta and I always triple check for any mistakes but if you do find one, I'm sorry. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
A/N2: The title is from a Snow Patrol song (Just Say Yes).
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
"Rachel! Hey, Rachel!"
Rachel turned around and saw Mr. Schuester waving her over. She sighed and made her way over to the teacher. There was a tall boy she didn't know standing next to him and he was smiling at her. She returned a polite smile before addressing Mr. Schuester. "Yes, Mr. Schue?"
"Rachel, this is Finn Hudson," William said, motioning at the boy. "Finn, this is Rachel Berry, captain of the glee club." Finn was still smiling at her. "He just transferred here and he's interested in joining glee so I figured I'd get you to show him around, is that okay?"
She had really hoped to spend her free period sitting on the bleachers, watching Quinn do her sexy cheerleading thing, but a potential glee member was something she, as captain, couldn't exactly pass up on so she nodded with a fake smile. "That's perfectly okay, Mr. Schuester."
"Great, okay, I'll see you both in glee tomorrow," he said, patting Finn on the back before walking toward Miss Pillsbury's office. Rachel stopped herself from rolling her eyes and looked up at the tall boy.
"Ready?"
"Yeah, totally," Finn said eagerly.
"Okay, let's get going."
She showed him the classrooms, the choir room, the auditorium and the cafeteria before taking him outside because he wanted to see the football field. She should have known he was a football player. They walked onto the field and Rachel briefly pointed out the locker rooms before looking at the Cheerios.
"Those are the Cheerios, the best cheerleading squad in the United States. Their coach, Sue Sylvester, is without a doubt the most insane woman I've ever come across but she's also extremely talented at what she does," she explained, trying not to stare at Quinn too much.
"Cool."
"Yes, so, is there anything else you'd like to see?" Rachel asked, having finally succeeded in looking away from her girlfriend.
"Uh, yeah, yeah. Uh, I wanna join the football team so, like, where's the coach?"
"That would be the boy's locker room. I'll walk you; I have to go in that direction anyway."
The bell rang and the hallways filled with students rushing to get outside, to freedom. Rachel tried to hold a conversation with Finn but found that he either didn't understand what she said or he began rambling on about some sort of video game so she gave up. They reached the locker rooms and stopped walking.
"Well, just go inside and I'm sure you'll find Coach Beiste," Rachel said, relieved that this tour had come to an end.
"Alright, yeah. Cool. So, I'll see you in glee tomorrow, right?"
"Of course."
"Cool. Thanks for, uh, for the tour," Finn said with a goofy smile.
"You're welcome. Enjoy the rest of your day," Rachel replied, returning a small smile.
"Okay."
Finn waved before he entered the room and Rachel rolled her eyes as soon as he disappeared from view. She hoped he could at least sing. She made her way over to the girls' locker room and waited outside until finally, fifteen minutes later, the cheerleaders started to emerge.
Most girls ignored her, which she didn't mind. Ever since she started dating Quinn they had at least stopped making her life a living hell but she had absolutely no desire to interact with them.
"Hey Frodo."
"Hello Santana, Brittany."
"Rachie!" Brittany squealed as she pulled her into a crushing hug. Santana rolled her eyes at her girlfriend's obvious like for Rachel but didn't say anything. Rachel, who by now was used to Brittany's displays of affection towards her, returned the hug but was slightly relieved when she was let go.
"We saw you on the field earlier, who was that tall boy?" Brittany asked.
"Finn Hudson, a transfer student. Mr. Schuester asked me to show him around since he is thinking about joining glee club."
"Exciting," Santana uttered, looking completely bored. "Anyway, we gotta run. Q won't be long," she said as the duo walked past Rachel. "See you tomorrow."
"Have a pleasant evening!" Rachel called after them.
"Bye Rach!" Brittany yelled out before they turned the corner, leaving Rachel alone again.
She removed her mobile phone from her pocket and randomly scrolled through her pictures while she waited for the cheerleading captain to come out.
A hand came down on her shoulder and she jumped, turning around to scowl at the offender.
"Finn?"
"Hey Rachel, what're you still doing here?"
"Oh, um, I'm waiting for someone."
"Oh, okay. Your boyfriend?"
Rachel frowned at his question. "N-no, not my boyfriend."
Finn smiled widely at her. "Cool. So, like, you don't have a boyfriend?"
"No, I do not have a boyfriend."
"That's awesome."
Rachel failed to see the awesomeness but she made a jerky motion with her head that vaguely resembled a nod anyway. Before either of them could say any more a door closed nearby, making them both turn towards the sound.
"Quinn," Rachel mumbled, relieved.
"Hey Rach," the cheerleader said to her girlfriend while eyeing Finn warily. "Who's this?"
"Ah, um, Finn Hudson, he's a transfer student. Mr. Schue asked me to show him around earlier," she explained. "Finn, this is Quinn Fabray. She's also in glee club."
Finn briefly ogled Quinn, who rolled her eyes in annoyance, before shooting her a goofy smirk. "Hi."
"Hello..."
"You're a cheerleader?"
Quinn nodded tersely.
"That's cool."
"Sure..."
Rachel cleared her throat and grabbed onto Quinn's forearm. "Right, well, we should go. Goodbye again, Finn. We'll see you tomorrow."
"Right, okay. Um, which way is the parking lot?" Finn asked.
"We're going that way, too, just follow us."
He smiled at the girls and together they made their way out to the already deserted parking lot. Quinn and Rachel walked towards Quinn's red Beetle VW when Finn spoke again. "Cool car," he said. "Is it yours, Rachel?"
"It's mine," Quinn said, already disliking this guy. They stopped near the car and Quinn hovered beside Rachel. Finn looked like he wanted to speak again so she quickly opened the passenger door for Rachel. The smaller girl gave her a grateful smile.
"See you tomorrow, Finn," she said before getting into the car. Quinn slammed the door and glared at Finn before she rounded the car and got into the driver's seat. Finn stood in the same place until they were out of view before he went to his own banged up truck.
The next day Quinn kept spotting Finn from the corner of her eye every time she was with Rachel, which wasn't as much as she would like. At lunch they sat down with Santana, Brittany, Kurt, Mercedes, Tina and Mike when Finn lumbered up with a full lunch tray.
"Rachel, hey," was the first thing he said. Santana frowned at Quinn, motioning her head in the tall boy's direction. Quinn shrugged but shifted closer to her girlfriend.
"Hello Finn," Rachel replied courteously.
"Mind if I sit here?"
"Um, no, I guess not..."
"Great!"
Rachel could practically hear Quinn grit her teeth as the boy sat down on the other side of Rachel and she inconspicuously moved her right hand under the table to let it rest on Quinn's thigh. She gave it a squeeze, trying to placate her girlfriend.
"Hello, I'm Kurt, and you are?"
Everyone looked at Finn, who apparently hadn't realised he had been spoken to since he was still staring at Rachel while shovelling fries into his mouth. Kurt frowned and cleared his throat. "Excuse me? Hi?"
Finn finally looked around and found that all eyes were on him. He blinked. "Huh?"
Santana snorted at his obliviousness.
"I tried to introduce myself. I'm Kurt Hummel," Kurt replied kindly.
"Oh, right, sorry. I'm Finn Hudson," Finn said, glancing at Kurt with a curious look on his face.
"I'm Mercedes Jones," Mercedes said in an attempt to defuse the awkwardness. Finn smiled at her and then the rest of the kids began introducing themselves. They talked a bit about glee club before the bell rang and they went their separate ways.
Santana pulled Quinn aside after AP Literature, ducking inside an empty girls' bathroom. Quinn frowned at her best friend and waited for her to speak with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes?" she asked impatiently. She wanted to make it to glee in time to prevent Finn from sitting anywhere near Rachel.
"What's the new kid's deal?"
"How the fuck should I know?"
"He's so all over Frodo, it's disgusting to look at. It's one thing seeing you drooling over her, don't tell anyone I said this but yeah, you two are hot together, that jolly green giant though? Ugh, so gross."
Quinn sighed and ran a hand through her hair before shrugging. "It'll blow over. I mean, the guy tried out for QB, he'll hook up with a Cheerio and leave Rach alone."
"What if he goes after her?"
"I don't know, San. She doesn't like him, that much I do know, so I guess I'm not worried."
"Alright, just checking," Santana said as she looked in the mirror and winked at herself. Quinn rolled her eyes. "Just know that B and I have your back, if the douche decides to put the moves on our hobbit."
"Thanks," replied Quinn unsurely. "Now let's go, I don't wanna be late for glee."
"God, eager much?" Santana mumbled as she followed Quinn outside.
"I may not be worried about Finn, but I still don't want him around Rachel."
Santana slid in between Finn and the doorway and quickly took the seat on Rachel's left, earning a few curious glances from the others. She ignored them and watched Quinn hurry past the large boy to sit on her usual spot to Rachel's right. Rachel frowned at the two cheerleaders and offered Finn, who was obviously making his way over to her, an apologetic smile. He glared at the Cheerios and begrudgingly took the seat behind Rachel.
"What was that about?" Rachel asked her girlfriend.
"What was what about?" Quinn tried to look innocent but Rachel saw right through her. The smaller girl gave her a 'don't play stupid with me' look and she caved. "I didn't want Finn to sit next to you," she whispered, looking behind them to see Finn staring at the back of Rachel's head. She snarled at him and he blinked at her before looking away.
"Quinn..."
"The guy's totally into you, Berry. Don't tell me you haven't noticed," Santana interjected.
"I-I don't, no. No. He's just being nice, that's all."
Rachel had noticed the attention she'd gotten from Finn but didn't think he wanted more from her than a potential friendship. The fact that Quinn and now Santana acted overprotective of her seemed laughable to her.
Santana scoffed before turning her attention to Brittany, who had flopped down next to her. Quinn shook her head in disbelief. "Come on, Rach. He couldn't be more obvious."
"Quinn, I'm not continuing this ridiculous conversation with you. Even if he is vying for my attention, may I remind you that I'm very much unavailable and have absolutely no interest in possible suitors."
The blonde couldn't help but smile at Rachel after that ridiculous but endearing speech. Rachel returned the smile and Quinn decided to drop the subject for now.
During the rest of the week Finn subtly tried to get closer to Rachel under the guise of needing help with his singing, mostly under the watchful eyes of Quinn, Brittany and Santana until Rachel got fed up with them and told them to stop following her. So far Finn hadn't tried anything so the three friends kept their distance to avoid the wrath of Rachel.
The weekend came and Quinn was set to spend her Saturday with Rachel. They decided to go to the mall, Rachel needed new clothes and Quinn was more than happy to help her pick out some things.
After a tiresome afternoon, during which both girls had bought a good amount of clothes, they stopped by the Lima Bean to rest their weary limbs and get refreshed. While Quinn went to get their drinks Rachel searched the room for a table, smiling when she found the perfect spot in the back. She lifted their bags and made her way over to the free table. By the time she had shoved all of the bags in the corner someone sat down in the seat opposite hers. She straightened and smiled until she realised it wasn't Quinn who had joined her, but none other than Finn Hudson.
"Finn? W-what are you doing here?"
"Hey Rach," he said with his typical goofy smile. "I saw you in here when I passed by the window so I figured I'd come in and say hi."
"Oh, uh, hi."
"Can I get you anything to drink? My treat."
"That's really kind of you but I'm here with Quinn and she's currently getting our drinks so I'm going to have to decline your offer."
"Oh. Quinn, huh? Did you guys go shopping together?" he asked with a nod towards the shopping bags.
"Yes, we did."
"That's nice. You spend, like, a lot of time with her, don't you?"
Rachel frowned at him. Did he not know she was in a relationship with Quinn? Was he really that oblivious? It wasn't like they were overly affectionate in public but they certainly didn't hide the fact that they were together. However, she couldn't think of a specific time where she actually told him Quinn was her girlfriend.
"Well, yes. It is customary to want to spend time with one's significant other so..."
"Oh right."
She could tell he hadn't understood what she had said and sighed warily. She saw Quinn coming towards them with two drinks in her hands and a serious scowl on her face. This probably wasn't going to end too well. "Look, Finn, maybe you should go."
"Why? I just got here," he said, stretching his gigantic legs under the table and bumping against Rachel's leg while doing so. Instead of removing his leg he merely smirked and pressed closer.
"I know but Quinn's –"
"Rach, I'm sure Quinn won't mind. She gets to spend more than enough time with you, she can share."
"I highly doubt it," Rachel murmured under her breath as Quinn finally reached their table. She put the two coffee-filled mugs down and sat down in the chair next to Rachel's, looking ready to throw Finn out herself if need be.
"Hudson, what are you doing here?"
"Just wanted to talk to Rach, that's all."
"Rach?" Quinn asked incredulously, looking from Finn to Rachel. "He's calling you Rach now?"
Rachel shrugged, not wanting to make a big deal out of this. She knew Quinn could get possessive of her and honestly, she didn't mind, but when Finn was around the other girl picked apart every word and every look just to find something to complain or warn her about. Granted, his continuous presence was starting to get on her nerves but she refused to believe that the boy was benign like Quinn and Santana suggested.
"You call her that all the time," Finn said, not realising that Quinn was about to murder him.
"Finn, this really isn't the right time," Rachel said quickly, before Quinn could respond. "We'll talk on Monday, okay?"
Finn's brow knitted in confusion. Rachel was looking at him with wide brown eyes and Quinn was trying to kill him by glaring at him. "Um, I guess," he muttered disappointedly as he got up, hitting his knee on the table and pretending nothing happened. "Oh hey! Can I, like, call you, maybe?"
The sound of teeth grinding hit her ears and Rachel glanced at her girlfriend, she looked every bit the Ice Queen that she used to be. She quickly nodded, trying to get the tall boy away from the seething girl. "Fine, call me later." She grabbed a pen from one of the bags and hastily scribbled down her phone number on a napkin, handing it over to Finn with a grimace.
He took the napkin and smiled widely, finally walking away but not before having winked at Rachel.
"You gave him your number? Are you serious?"
Rachel huffed, getting tired of Quinn's irate behaviour. "Will you stop acting like a crazy person? There is nothing wrong with Finn!"
"That's because you're always trying to see the good in people! He's a creep, Rachel. I don't want him anywhere near you."
"I know you're used to everyone bending backwards to fulfil your wishes but we are in a relationship and you can't control me or who I spend time with!"
Quinn scowled at Rachel. She didn't like feeling incapable and she didn't know how to make her girlfriend realise that she was right. What she did know was that anger wasn't the way to go about this; it would only push the smaller girl in the direction of Finn and she did not want that. "Fine," Quinn sighed. "Have it your way, Rachel."