Someone requested a soldier!Finn story a long time ago (seriously, it must have been like over six months ago), and I've only just now come up with an idea for it. Soldier!Finn is always one of my favorites, so I couldn't resist. Thanks for checking this out! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. This story title comes from the song "Hands Down" by Dashboard Confessional.

one.

She always saw him at the coffee shop.

He was so, so tall and had thick, messy hair. His height was what first had attracted her attention, but then she noticed the light sprinkling of freckles across his nose and his amber colored eyes.

He always ordered the same kind of coffee: the large dark roast. His voice was quiet and deep, his hands large and sure as they circled the coffee cup. He would sit in the corner of the coffee shop in one of the armchairs, sipping slowly at his coffee until it was gone. And then he would leave.

They went through this two times each week, and it was Rachel Berry's favorite part of the week. She had been working at the small coffee shop for the past two years, and hardly anything interesting had happened. Sure, they had their regulars, but no one had ever intrigued her as much as this man.

It was Thursday afternoon, just about the time that she should be seeing him. Rachel was a little late for her shift since she had an exam in one of her classes, and she rushed to tie her apron around her waist as she made her way out onto the floor. He was just entering the coffee shop as she reached the register, and Rachel made sure to give him a bright smile as she approached.

"Hello!" she greeted cheerfully. "What can I get for you today?" They were almost at the point where she could ask if he wanted his usual, but Rachel didn't want to say that just yet. She wanted to at least know his name first.

His lips tilted up at the corners; Rachel wasn't even sure that she could call it a smile. "A large of the dark roast, please," he said softly.

Rachel quickly got the coffee cup and filled it to the top. She snapped a lid on to it and then slid a sleeve around the hot cup and passed it over to the man. For the first time in the three weeks or so since he had been coming to the coffee shop, their fingers brushed.

Rachel was immediately aware of the tingles that ran up and down her arm. Her eyes widened, but she forced herself to tell him the total of the drink. When she handed him his change, their fingers brushed again, and Rachel knew that she hadn't imagined it. His brief touch made her feel something she had never experienced before.

Rachel was further intrigued when she looked into those amber eyes and saw nothing but a quiet sadness.

two.

The following Tuesday, he came into the coffee shop right on time. Rachel debated having his coffee ready for him, but she didn't want to seem too forward. Instead, she went through the usual motions as she contemplated some way to start a conversation with him.

Today, he was wearing a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt with a baseball hat covering his head of messy hair. Rachel was so distracted by his attractiveness that she hadn't realized she had over filled the coffee cup until the hot liquid was suddenly pouring out onto her hand.

"Ow!" Rachel dropped the cup and shook her hand out, embarrassed at having been so clumsy. In her years working at the coffee shop, she had never been so careless.

"You should run that under cold water."

Rachel looked up to find the man watching her, his amber eyes now showing concern. Too stunned that he had talked to her to say anything else, Rachel turned to the nearby sink and turned on the cold water. The burn was instantly soothed, and she allowed it to go for a few moments before she went back to the counter and finished getting his coffee.

But he ignored it as Rachel set it in front of him. "Can I take a look at it?" he asked. When Rachel tilted her head, he clarified, "Your hand, I mean."

"Oh. Uh… sure." Rachel held out her hand and he took it, running calloused fingers over the red, irritated skin. A little furrow appeared in his brow as he inspected her hand, but Rachel was more focused on the way his fingers felt on her skin.

"It doesn't look that bad," he declared after a moment. He released her hand as he nodded once, his face still generally impassive.

Still, Rachel smiled at him. "Thank you…" She trailed off, hoping that he would offer up his name.

He did. "Finn," he said. "My name is Finn."

Rachel's smile widened, and he blinked in surprise—it was like he couldn't believe how bright it was. "Thank you, Finn."

three.

When Finn came in that Thursday, he was the first to speak.

"How's your hand?" he asked in his quiet voice before Rachel had the chance to greet him.

Rachel was so surprised that he had been the first to initiate conversation that she paused. "It's fine, thank you," she said. "It was probably due to your quick thinking, you know."

Finn shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged his shoulders. "I know some basic stuff," he said, referring to medical knowledge. Rachel nodded her head and they sat in a surprisingly comfortable silence for a moment before she reached for a large coffee cup.

"Would you like your usual?" she asked.

For the first time, Finn cracked a small, barely there smile. The corner of his mouth lifted it up, and the adorableness of the action made Rachel's heart skip a beat. She had never felt an attraction like this before—it was instant and deep, much more than just physical. Rachel wanted to get to know this man.

"I guess I do have a usual," he said.

Rachel filled his coffee cup and set it in front of him. "That's not a bad thing, you know."

Finn nodded his head and dug around in his pocket for the money. When Rachel handed him his change, she said, "Have a nice day, Finn."

"Thanks, Rachel. You too," he said. He must have read her nametag, but Rachel still blushed when he said her name. All she could do was smile like a dope at him as he picked up his coffee. The corner of his mouth tilted up slightly in that half smile again.

Rachel wanted to have more of a conversation with him, but there was something in his eyes that led her to believe he had a pretty haunted past. She didn't want to press him or scare him away with her crush. So for now, Rachel was content with getting Finn his coffee.

four.

The next time Finn came in, a man with perfectly coiffed hair followed him.

Finn had a plainly exasperated look on his face as he did his best to ignore the man following him and walked right towards the counter. Rachel pressed a hand to her mouth in an attempt to stifle her giggle, but Finn saw her. His expression lightened a little bit when he noticed her laughing.

"You don't have an extra-large coffee, do you? I definitely need it," Finn said.

The man behind Finn let out a dramatic gasp. "I heard that, Finn Hudson!"

Finn ignored him and this time Rachel didn't bother to hide her giggle. "I'm sorry, Finn," she said as she got his usual cup and filled it up with freshly brewed dark roast. "But this is the largest size we have." She handed it to him and their fingers brushed once again. Rachel could feel her cheeks begin to heat up, and she ducked down in order to hide it.

The other man stepped forward. "Well, if you think that dealing with you is any easier, Finn, you're wrong." Turning his attention towards Rachel, he asked, "Can I have a French vanilla cappuccino with extra foam? And an extra shot of espresso, since I have to deal with this one."

Finn rolled his eyes. "I hope you don't think I'm paying for your coffee," he said instead of acknowledging the other man's insult.

"Relax, Finn," he said as he pulled out his wallet and retrieved a credit card.

Finn sighed and took a long sip from his coffee before he said, "Rachel, this is my brother, Kurt. Kurt, this is Rachel."

"The barista?" Kurt suddenly looked very interested. "So you're the barista."

Finn's pale cheeks suddenly turned a light shade of red, and he rubbed the back of his neck. Rachel tried not to overthink Kurt's statement and Finn's reaction to it. But then Finn looked up and caught her eye, his lips lifting up into a smile. Rachel smiled at him in return before Kurt interrupted.

"Rachel, may I ask you a question?" Kurt inquired.

Rachel looked towards Finn, who was shaking his head in exasperation. Unsure, Rachel said, "Uh… sure?"

Undeterred by Rachel's hesitant response, Kurt continued, "I'm trying to get Finn to meet my boyfriend. As my older brother, Finn should meet my boyfriend, right?"

Rachel took a moment to seriously consider Kurt's question. "I suppose so," she finally said. "If you've been dating him long enough, he should meet the rest of your family."

"Ha!" Kurt exclaimed in victory. "I've been dating Blaine for a long time now, Finn. You just haven't been around to meet him. It's time to change that."

At the vague mention of Finn's absence, he tensed. As soon as the words left Kurt's mouth, he looked immediately apologetic. With a nod in Rachel's direction, Finn picked up his coffee cup and went to his usual seat in the corner. Kurt watched his older brother for a moment before he sighed and turned back towards Rachel.

"I'm sorry about that," Kurt apologized. "He's been getting better, but you know…"

Rachel nodded her head as if she knew what Kurt was talking about. But all she knew was that she would do just about anything to keep that sadness from Finn's eyes.

It amazed Rachel that she wanted to do so much for someone who wasn't really much more than an acquaintance. But every time she looked at Finn, she knew that he was different. He was special, even if he didn't realize it.

five.

It was a Monday when Rachel saw Kurt once again. Thankfully, the coffee shop wasn't that busy, so Rachel had some time to talk as she wiped down the counters. She gave the man a welcoming smile as he approached the counter.

"Hello, Kurt," she greeted. "What can I get for you?"

"Just a cappuccino with skim milk," Kurt said as he returned Rachel's smile. "And I was wondering if I could talk to you, actually."

Rachel went about making sure that the milk was steaming properly before she turned back towards Kurt. "Of course," she said. Maybe she would be able to learn more about Finn. Rachel didn't want to be so obviously curious about Finn, but she couldn't help herself.

Kurt sighed before he took a seat on one of the stools by the counter. "I'm sure that you've realized by now that Finn has some… issues."

Rachel's heart ached with the knowledge that her suspicions had been right; something had happened to Finn. She bit her lip before she said, "I didn't know that there were issues, but I can see that he's so sad."

Kurt smiled for real then; he seemed to be planning something, and Rachel wasn't sure what he was getting at. But before she could ask, Kurt said, "How much do you know about Finn?"

Rachel queued the espresso and waited as it filled Kurt's cup and then poured the steamed milk and foam into it. She lifted it to make sure that it was light enough before she put a lid on the cup and passed it over to Kurt.

"I know that Finn really seems to appreciate a good cup of coffee," Rachel said in response to Kurt's question. "And he's really sweet." Rachel's cheeks pinked when she realized how she said that, but it only made Kurt's smile widened. "But I don't know much beyond that."

Kurt nodded his head. "Well, there's something that you should know," he said. "Finn recently finished up his last tour in Afghanistan."

Rachel was beginning to understand what made Finn so sad, but she didn't want to make assumptions. "So he was in the army, then?"

"He was," Kurt affirmed. "He joined up when he was just out of high school. It was kind of a surprise to everyone, since he was this amazing football player."

"Really?" Rachel could see Finn being the captain of the football team. He just seemed like the kind of person who would be a wonderful leader, so it didn't surprise Rachel at all.

Kurt nodded his head and took a sip of his drink. "He could have had a scholarship to any number of schools, but he turned them all down and joined up instead. Nearly gave his poor mother a heart attack when he told her that he was being shipped out. I don't think I've ever seen Carole cry so hard." At Rachel's questioning look, Kurt continued, "That's how Finn's father died. He was in the army."

Rachel's heart broke even further for Finn. She could imagine that most people wouldn't even want to leave their house after going through all of that, but it was a testament to Finn's character that he was still interacting with people daily.

"Look, I'm not going to tell you exactly what's happened with Finn or why he's here twice a week. That's his story to tell you. But I just wanted to let you know that since Finn has been seeing you, things have been… better."

Rachel had no idea what to say to that. She could only blink in response as she tried to absorb what Kurt said. She made Finn's day better? She liked the thought that with their short interactions over the past few weeks, she had somehow made Finn feel just a little happier.

Kurt smiled as he watched Rachel think over what he said. "Finn has talked about you a few times," Kurt revealed.

"He has?" The words burst from Rachel's mouth before she could stop herself, and she tried to control the flutter in her heart. She didn't want to read too much into Kurt's statement, but she couldn't stop herself from feeling excited.

Kurt grabbed his coffee cup and stood up. He knew that if he stayed here any longer, Finn would probably kill him. In fact, he was probably already in for a beating because he had showed up to talk to Rachel, anyway. Finn always hated it when Kurt meddled.

"Thanks for listening, Rachel. And if you could not tell Finn that I was here, that would be great," Kurt said.

Rachel laughed. "I'll do my best," she promised.

six.

"Wait." Rachel's roommate, Tina Cohen-Chang, waved her hand in front of Rachel's face in order to get her attention. "Hot coffee boy's brother showed up at the shop to talk to you?"

"His name is Finn," Rachel said immediately. Before she had known Finn's name, she had designated him with the title "hot coffee boy." But Rachel wanted to be the only one to call him that.

Tina waved her hand. "Whatever, Finn. His brother came to talk to you?"

Rachel nodded her head before she turned off the stove. She spooned some of the pasta dish she had made into a bowl and then took a seat at the counter. "I guess I'll find out if Finn knows when I see him tomorrow." Rachel looked around the apartment and noticed that the third bedroom door was closed. "Where is Santana, by the way?"

Tina shrugged her shoulders. "I sent her out to get us a bottle of wine. And stop trying to change the subject, by the way. Tell me more about this talk with Finn's brother!"

Before Rachel could reveal more of her surprising encounter today, the door to their apartment opened and her other roommate, Santana Lopez, walked in. She violently hung her keys on the hook next to the door and took her jacket off, throwing it on the ground.

"I hate people," she declared. "Okay?" Santana set the bottle of wine on the counter and pointed at it. "Everyone at that store knows that that's our favorite bottle of wine. It was the last one, so they saved it for us, right? Well some bitch tried to steal it right out from under my nose!"

Rachel and Tina exchanged a look and tried to stifle their laughter. While each of them certainly had a flair for the dramatics, Santana was the most violent of the three of them. The Latina noticed her friends laughing, and she glared at them and snatched the bottle up once again.

"If the two of you are going to be assholes, you don't get any wine. I had to fight that bitch off for this."

Tina retrieved three wine glasses from the cabinet. "Oh, we know you did, Santana," she said. "Now stop bitching and pop it open. Rachel was just about to tell me what hot coffee boy's brother said when he visited her at work today."

Santana handed the bottle of wine over to Tina and sat next to Rachel at the counter. "Hot coffee boy's brother visited today?" she asked with interest. Rachel had been talking about this guy since he had first showed up at the store. Any development at all was exciting.

Rachel scowled at her friends. "His name is Finn," she repeated.

Santana rolled her eyes. "Relax, Berry. We know that he's your hot coffee boy. Tina has a boyfriend and I'm currently after that hot blonde yoga instructor, anyway."

"Still," Rachel said.

Tina popped the cork on the wine bottle and poured all three of them glasses. Passing them out, she said, "Will you just tell us what Finn's brother said already?"

Rachel couldn't help the smile that spread across her lips. "Kurt said that I make Finn's day better," she revealed.

"Get it Berry!" Santana called with a hoot.

Tina clapped her hands, happy for her friend. "Awww, that's so cute! He's totally going to ask you out."

Rachel really didn't want to get her hopes up (even though it wasn't really working). "I doubt it," she said. "From what Kurt said, I think that Finn has a lot of things to figure out in his life right now. I wouldn't want to get in the way of that."

Santana snorted a took a long sip of her wine. "Who knows, Berry? You could be that ray of sunshine he's been looking for."

Rachel swatted at Santana. "Stop that! This is serious, Santana."

Tina smirked knowingly. "Well, it seems as if you really want to get to know Finn. I wouldn't shut it down just yet, Rachel. Especially after what his brother said."

"Oh, I'm not shutting it down," Rachel said immediately. A slow smile spread across her lips. "I still have hope."

seven.

It was an unusually slow day in the coffee shop on that Tuesday, so Rachel was able to see Finn the moment he walked in. He went to the counter immediately, and Rachel offered a bright, "Hello, Finn!" as soon as he was near enough.

Finn's lips quirked up, as if he wanted to smile at her greeting. But instead of returning it, he said, "I know he was here."

Rachel immediately knew what Finn was talking about. Remembering her promise to Kurt, however, Rachel tried to play dumb. "Who was here?" she asked with her eyes widened in innocence.

Finn's eyes cut towards Rachel pointedly; he totally wasn't buying her act. "My brother," he said dryly. "I know he was here. What did he tell you?"

Rachel dropped the act, but she didn't want to divulge the full nature of her and Kurt's conversation. She shrugged her shoulders. "We just talked for a little bit, that's all."

"Okay, sure." Finn didn't sound at all convinced as he gave her a skeptical look. But Rachel couldn't help but smile at him, and it wasn't long before Finn returned her smile with an upturned corner of his mouth.

Taking pity on how uncomfortable he was about the whole situation, Rachel said, "Look, he didn't tell me too much. You don't have anything to worry about."

"Thanks, Rach," Finn said quietly. The nickname slipped easily off his tongue, and for some reason, it made Rachel's cheeks flush. "I appreciate it."

Rachel smiled at him once again as she went about getting Finn's regular cup of coffee. She knew that Finn wasn't likely to open up about his past—and she doubted that he would ever really open up to her. Rachel was just the barista that he happened to see over the past few weeks. Rachel felt a connection there, but she didn't know if Finn felt the same.

Rachel passed the cup of coffee to Finn, and their fingers brushed with the exchange. Finn's eyes connected with hers and the cup paused between their hands.

After a long moment passed, both Finn and Rachel seemed to realize that they were basically holding hands over a coffee counter. Rachel could feel her cheeks begin to turn red and she brushed her hair behind her ear to distract herself.

To Rachel's further surprise, Finn took a seat at the counter instead of at his usual spot in the corner. Rachel picked up a rag and began to wipe the counter down, trying to give herself something to do instead of staring longingly at Finn like she wanted to. For some reason, the coffee shop really was almost empty, so Rachel didn't really have anything to do. She really hoped that she didn't say something embarrassing to him.

Finn took a long sip of his coffee, and Rachel watched him and tried not to make it too obvious. He really seemed to enjoy the coffee, taking his time sipping it as if he might not have it again. Rachel hadn't realized that Finn was watching her watch him until one side of his mouth lifted up in a smile.

"I didn't have a lot of good coffee while I was deployed," Finn said by way of explanation. "So when I get it now, I really enjoy it." When Finn saw Rachel's look of surprise, he let out a chuckle. "I'm figuring that Kurt told you I was in the army."

Rachel smiled warmly at Finn. She wanted to reach across the counter for Finn's hand, but she forced herself to keep still. She didn't want to overstep her boundaries. "That's really amazing, Finn." She didn't tell him everything Kurt told her, because it was up to Finn what he wanted to share.

Finn took another sip of his coffee and shrugged his shoulders. Rachel could understand Finn's reluctance to share his issues in some random coffee shop. From the sound of it, it seemed like Finn was getting the help he needed.

Several moments of comfortable silence passed before Finn looked up, his amber eyes flashing with amusement. "So… What did Kurt tell you?" he prodded again.

Rachel's cheeks began to heat up at the thought of what Kurt said. She wanted to think that she made Finn's day better because when she saw him, her day was better as well. She looked forward to the Tuesdays and Thursdays when Finn would come into the coffee shop—and she was especially eager for them now since she and Finn seemed to be talking so much more.

"Honestly, he didn't really tell me much other than you had a football scholarship in high school and you turned it down to go into the army based on family reasons." Rachel fiddled with the tie on her apron and shrugged her shoulders again. "I promise he didn't go too much in depth."

"I'm not mad at him," Finn quickly reassured. "It's just that Kurt likes to meddle."

Rachel laughed. "I know how that is. My friends never keep their noses out of my business."

Finn let out a small chuckle and then started to tell Rachel a story about something Kurt did in high school. Almost completely forgetting that she was at work, Rachel leaned against the counter and listened to Finn's story, completely enthralled.

She hadn't seen him this animated… well… ever. And the sparkle in his amber eyes and the slight smile on his lips was something that Rachel wanted to see a lot more of.

eight.

Later that night, after her shift, Rachel was browsing the shelves of one of her favorite bookstores. Finding several books that looked interesting, Rachel purchased them and headed back out onto the busy street. She had a long night ahead of her with the amount of studying and homework she had to complete.

Rachel hadn't even gone a block before she noticed a familiar figure leaning against the wall of a building. It was Finn; his shoulders were slumped and his large hands were covering his face.

Rachel immediately felt concern flood through her. Without a second thought, Rachel walked towards Finn. Not wanting to startle him, she quietly called his name to garner his attention.

"Finn?"

Finn's head snapped up at the sound of Rachel's voice. His eyes were rimmed with red and they were puffy, and Rachel felt her heart break for him. He swallowed hard and stood up straight, trying his best to give her a small smile. Rachel bit her lip as she watched him, wanting nothing more than to pull him into her arms and hug him.

"Hey, Rach," he said in his quiet, steady voice.

But Rachel didn't want to make nonchalant small talk. Stepping closer to Finn, Rachel reached out and placed a gentle hand on his arm. Finn's eyes widened slightly as he looked at Rachel, down at her small hand against his pale skin, and then back up at her.

"Are you alright?" Rachel asked softly.

Finn opened his mouth, as if he was going to say that he was perfectly fine. But he seemed to think twice, as his mouth suddenly closed and he ended up shrugging his shoulders. Rachel's fingers gently stroked against his skin without her realizing it.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Finn offered her another small smile, and this one seemed more genuine. "Not really. Thanks, though."

Rachel gave him a reassuring smile to let him know that she wasn't trying to pressure him. "I know that I'm just some girl you met at a coffee shop," she began. "But if you ever just need someone to lend an ear, I'm here."

This time, Finn actually smiled. It was the first true one Rachel had ever seen from him, and it made her heart stop. The sweet, endearing half smile on Finn's face fit him so well, and Rachel wanted to see it more. To Rachel's further surprise, Finn actually reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Rachel sank into Finn's embrace, sliding her arms around his neck. She had to stretch up on her tiptoes in order to accommodate Finn's height, but they made it work. Finn buried his face in Rachel's neck, holding her to him almost delicately.

"I know, Rach," he murmured in his deep, gentle voice. "Thank you."

Perhaps Finn was just searching for comfort, but Rachel took quite a bit of enjoyment from the embrace. She liked the way his large, strong body covered hers, and she liked even more the way his arms wrapped around her. Rachel focused on the feeling of Finn's large hand spreading across his back and the sound of his heart thumping steadily under her ear.

She didn't know how long they stood there like that, but it didn't seem to really matter. Rachel closed her eyes and she could have sworn that Finn's arms tightened around her even more. She couldn't begin to explain the intense connection she had with Finn Hudson, but she certainly wasn't going to question it.

"Hudson! Are you going to get back in here or what?"

Rachel pulled back from Finn a little to see an older blonde woman standing in the doorway of the building they were next to. Finn cleared his throat and tightened his arms around Rachel once again, holding him to her for a moment before he let go completely.

"Sue," Finn acknowledged. "Yeah, I'll be right in."

Sue looked at Finn and then at Rachel. With knowing eyes, she nodded her head and said, "You can have a few more minutes." She went back into the building then, and Finn's cheeks turned pink as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"That's Sue Sylvester," Finn told Rachel. "She's the head of the therapy group I go to."

Rachel reached forward and squeezed Finn's hand. "I guess I should let you go, then."

Rachel moved to walk away, but Finn held fast to her hand. His calloused fingers stroked across the back of her hand, and he gave her that adorable half smile again.

"You're not just some barista," Finn said quietly.

Rachel squeezed Finn's hand again and couldn't stop the beaming smile that formed on her lips.

nine.

Rachel wiped her sweaty hair away from her face and pulled her jacket tighter around her body. She was so thankful that her dance rehearsal was finally over. Now she could finally start with the weekend and pretend like she didn't have any work due on the following Monday. She just wanted to have a fun time with her friends and not worry about how she had to work on Sunday afternoon.

"Rachel! Hey, Rachel!"

Rachel turned to find Kurt waving at her. To her surprise, she saw one of her classmates, Blaine Anderson, holding his hand. She smiled and accepted Kurt's hug when he reached her.

"Rachel, how are you?" Kurt greeted.

"I'm so glad it's the weekend," Rachel said honestly.

Blaine nodded his head empathetically. "Rehearsals were rough," he said.

Kurt looked between the man next to him and Rachel. "You two know each other?"

"We're in some classes together," Rachel confirmed.

Kurt clapped his hands together excitedly. "Well, that's it then! I was already going to invite you to dinner before, but you definitely have to come with us now."

Rachel blinked in surprise at Kurt's rapid-fire speech. "Um… what?"

"We're having dinner with Finn and our parents tonight," Kurt explained. "You have to come with us!"

"Oh Kurt, I don't know," Rachel said. "I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Please, you wouldn't be intruding. Besides, my stepmother really wants to meet you. Finn mentioned you to her a few times."

"He has?" Rachel asked, even more surprised than before. This time, she didn't even bother to ignore the little thrill of excitement that ran through her. She figured that it was pretty much time to stop denying her massive crush on Finn.

"He has," Blaine told Rachel. "Carole hasn't stopped talking about meeting you since Finn first let your name slip."

Rachel bit her lip and bounced slightly on the balls of her feet, trying to decide what to do. Of course, she wanted the chance to see Finn again, but she didn't want to press him. They had seen each other briefly on Thursday when Finn came in for his usual coffee, but they hadn't had a chance to talk since Rachel had been so busy with other customers. This would have been the first time that they would be spending a prolonged amount of time with one another since Rachel had found him outside of that building.

"Finn will be happy to see you," Kurt added, knowing that all Rachel needed was a little bit of encouragement. Truthfully, he just wanted to make sure that his big brother was happy. This girl he met at the coffee shop seemed to be what was going to do it.

Rachel thought for another moment before she finally nodded her head. "If you're really sure, I'd be more than happy to go. But I don't have anything to change into." Rachel couldn't believe that she was going to show up at Finn's parents' house in sweaty and in her practice clothes.

Kurt took a moment to study Rachel's appearance. "Hmm, your workout ensemble is cute, but it's hardly suitable for dinner. There has to be something you can change into—"

"Kurt, relax. Rachel looks fine. This is just a casual get together." Blaine rolled his eyes at his boyfriend's antics and gestured for Rachel to follow him.

Hitching her bag higher on her shoulder, Rachel followed Blaine and Kurt to the waiting taxi cab. A smile began to form on her lips at the thought of getting a chance to spend time with Finn outside of the coffee shop, and she couldn't deny the excitement that began to course through her.

ten.

As soon as Carole Hudson-Hummel saw Rachel, her face lit up. "Oh, you must be Rachel! It's so nice to meet you, dear." Instead of shaking Rachel's hand, she pulled her into a hug. Finn was standing behind her and looked kind of embarrassed by the whole display. He rubbed the back of his neck and gave Rachel a sheepish look, and she thought it was the sweetest thing.

"I'm sorry that I didn't come prepared," Rachel said once Carole had released her. "Normally I'd bake something and I wouldn't show up in sweaty workout clothes."

Carole was obviously utterly thrilled that Rachel was attending their family dinner. She could have shown up in a brown sack and Carole wouldn't have cared. "It's no problem at all. And we have more than enough food as it is, I promise. Say hello to Finn and then I want you to take a seat and you can relax for the rest of the night."

Carole hurried back into the kitchen, leaving Finn and Rachel standing in the living room. She moved closer to him, nervously tucking her bangs behind her ear. Finn gave her a small, reassuring smile in response.

Finn was the first to speak. "I'm sorry about that. My mom can be a little bit overbearing sometimes."

"Your mom is sweet," Rachel said as she shook her head.

"She means well," Finn said. Even though Finn was still a little bit embarrassed, Rachel could tell that he was very close to her mother and cared for her a lot. It only endeared Finn to Rachel even more. "By the way, Blaine told me what happened. I hope they didn't… you know… make you feel like you had to come."

Rachel quickly shook her head to reassure Finn and reached out to put a hand on his arm. "No, it wasn't like that at all. I wanted to come."

Finn smiled at her and then reached forward and took her hand, leading her out onto the back patio. When he realized that he was holding her hand, he went to drop it, his cheeks turning red in embarrassment. But Rachel stopped him but squeezing his hand and giving him a sweet smile.

Blaine and Kurt were already sitting at the table and gave Rachel a knowing look when they saw how Finn interacted with her. Their reaction was fueled even more when Finn pulled out Rachel's chair for her. Finn's stepfather, Burt Hummel, was sitting at the table as well.

Carole came bustling out of the kitchen with plates full of food, and Finn immediately jumped up to help his mother. Burt stood as well and then teasingly chastised Kurt for not doing the same. That led to Blaine joining in on the teasing, and then Kurt tried to redirect it all towards Finn when he returned.

That's how most of the dinner went. In between the questions that the Hudson-Hummel family asked Rachel, they would constantly tease each other and tell silly stories. Rachel had a wonderful time getting to know them, and she really enjoyed how she got to find out more about Finn. He didn't seem to mind either, and he often joined in on the storytelling.

Towards the end of dinner, Rachel stretched a little in her seat, and her foot nudged against someone else's under the table. Surprised, Rachel pulled her foot back and looked to see whose she had accidently bumped so she could apologize. Blaine, Kurt, Carole, and Burt were all busy talking, but Finn's eyes caught hers.

Rachel bit her lip in embarrassment. Of course it was Finn's foot she had bumped under the table. When Rachel made to pull back, Finn's foot nudged hers again. His amber eyes were twinkling with mischief, and he did it again to be sure that Rachel knew he was doing it on purpose.

They sat like that for the remainder of dinner.

eleven.

Rachel accepted the last wet dish from Finn and dried it before she set it aside. Kurt had been given the task to clear the table and Finn had to wash the dishes. Feeling like she should help in some capacity, Rachel offered to at least dry the dishes that Finn was washing.

Rachel leaned against the counter and watched Finn empty the sink of the soapy water. He stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Rachel with that half smile playing on his lips.

"What?" Finn asked.

Rachel could feel her cheeks beginning to heat up at having been caught staring. She couldn't help herself, though. Finn made such a mundane task look exciting. "Nothing," she said quickly. "This night was just very nice."

Finn nodded his head and crossed his arms over his chest. Rachel tried not to stare too hard at the way his muscles tensed in his arms. "I'm sorry Kurt kind of harassed you into coming. He can be a little overbearing sometimes."

"He didn't harass me," Rachel was quick to assure.

That smile quirked Finn's lips again, and Rachel's heart skipped a beat. "I'm glad you came," he said quietly.

"You are?" The question slipped out of Rachel's lips before she could stop herself. Finn took a step closer to her.

"Yeah. It was really great having you here."

Rachel was still leaning against the counter. She didn't really even think she could more for fear of her knees giving out. She could smell Finn's clean, strong scent and feel the warmth from his body.

"I really enjoyed spending time with you," Rachel said, unaware that her voice had dropped to a whisper. Something was building between them, and it wasn't going to be long before it was going to erupt.

Finn's arms fell from across his chest and he moved forward again. Now he was standing directly in front of Rachel. His arms came up and he put them on either side of Rachel against the counter.

Rachel was positive that her heart was going to beat right out of her chest, it was thudding so hard.

"I'm glad," Finn breathed. His lips were barely an inch from hers now, and Rachel couldn't take it anymore. She closed the remaining distance between them and pressed her lips to Finn's.

One of his large hands came up to cup her cheek as his lips moved gently against hers. Rachel strained up onto her tiptoes, doing her best to get closer to Finn.

When Finn pulled away, his hand remained against her cheek, his calloused fingers stroking against her skin. For once, his amber eyes weren't shadowed with pain and sadness. A full smile bloomed on his lips and he bent to kiss Rachel again.

Rachel was so glad that Finn had decided to start going to the coffee shop she worked at.

So I hadn't exactly planned on this being more than one part, but I decided that I wanted to explore this story a little bit more. I can't imagine this having more than two or three parts. Thanks for reading!