Seeing her boyfriend walking toward her in the hallway, Rachel stood up straighter, her face blank. “Hey,” she greeted him.
“Hey,” he replied and bent on his knees a little to be level with her face. “You still mad at me?”
“I’m not mad at you,” she whispered. She glanced up at his face to see his eyebrows furrowed together.
“Is this one of those tricks that girls do by saying they’re not mad but they really are?”
She resisted the urge to laugh and he shook his head. “Why do you look so sad?” he asked, concern in his tone as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
She self consciously crossed her arms, her voice quiet. “Am I a bad person to be doing this?”
Finn sighed, “you’re not a bad person. You’re just desperate.”
Her eyes snapped up to his, burning a hole through him.
“Not in a bad way,” he said quickly once she glared at him. He sighed again, taking both her hands in his and rubbing her knuckles with his thumbs. “I know you’re worried about getting into that school that you’ll try anything, but… you don’t need to be student council president. You’re already the lead in a musical and you have so much talent, it’s overflowing.” He grinned as a small smile appeared on her face and he continued, “you’re a star, Rach. You’re destined to shine.”
Nodding, Rachel looked down at her shoes before looking back up at her boyfriend. “Kurt needs this more than I do.” she said and he smiled.
“I’m proud of you, baby.”
“Why?” she laughed, her heart skipping a beat at the term of endearment. “I didn’t really do anything.”
“But you have!” he exclaimed, his hands still holding hers, “you’ve matured so much, Rach. And I think I have too.” he grinned again, “it’s cool. But scary.”
Giggling, she squeezed his hands, “but you’re still my adorable, boy-at-heart Finn, right?”
“Always,” he winked and she giggled again. He always knew how to make her feel better.
Rachel sighed contentedly as he pulled her towards him, smiling into his chest once she felt his lips in her hair. “Mmm,” she murmured, squeezing him and snuggling closer, “I love your hugs.”
“I love you.”
Tightening her grip on him, her mind went back to all the memories -good and bad- that had happened in this hallway. Thinking of when they broke up, before, when he had told her he loved and that they were a part of something special, she looked up into his brown orbs, resting her chin on his t-shirt clad chest.
“I know you do,” she whispered and he leaned down to kiss her. “I love you too.”