take me back to the start

Chapter 18: The Greatest Thing You'll Ever Know

(The next morning).

The sunlight filtered into the bedroom of Finn's hotel suite, soaking everything with a golden glow, and waking Rachel up with one of its rambling rays.

As she lay in her hazy shroud, halfway between sleep and consciousness, she wondered why she felt so amazing. She felt thrilled, warm and fuzzy inside, and filled to the brim with joy.

And then she remembered.

Had it all been a wonderful dream?

No. Dreams didn't feel this real, this amazing.

Before opening her eyes, she tried to absorb the peaceful moment. She was lying on her back, and there was definitely a hand loosely intertwined in her right one, and a heavy (but oh so divine) arm draped across her stomach. Her legs were also entangled with a much larger pair. A thin messy sheet lay knotted around her feet. Her head was resting on her right cheekbone on a soft, slightly sweaty pillow.

She lifted her eyelids to the sight of a sleeping angel. No really, a ray of sunlight was falling on Finn's disheveled brown hair, giving off the illusion that he had a halo. He was sleeping on his side and their noses were barely an inch apart.

Rachel smiled as she carefully repositioned herself to lean on her side to get a better look at him, not breaking the contact of their bodies. He was so perfect, sleeping with his lips slightly parted, his broad chest breathing in and out softly.

It should really be illegal to be that good looking. It's distracting to the rest of us ordinary civilians.

She raised her left hand to lightly trace the constellation of freckles and moles on his sun-kissed face. After all these years, she still knew the pattern by heart.

At the light touch of her fingers on his face, Finn began to stir.

And as he fluttered his half moon shaped amber eyes open, she realized she couldn't deny this anymore. Deny the opportunity to wake up to this every morning, this big, handsome, comforting man next to her. Deny this sense of waking up and feeling complete. Deny her love for Finn Hudson.

"Good morning" she whispered, smiling widely before kissing him lightly on the lips.

Finn looked as if he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. As if he half expected last night to turn out to be entirely concocted by his imagination.

"Please tell me I'm not dreaming," he asked hoarsely.

His arm seemed to unconsciously tighten around her waist, as if he was afraid she'd disappear.

Rachel kissed him for a second time on the lips gently before answering.

"If you are, then I am too, which means we're both stuck in some alternate realm of the subconscious."

Finn's lips curved into a huge smile before he flipped on top of her and began peppering her neck and chest with kisses.

"Well," he said, looking up at her from between her breasts, "I'm pretty sure this would be the be the most awesome alternate reality ever, if we could just do this all day."

And with that he buried his head into her naked body again. Rachel giggled freely at his words, reveling in the physical contact of his mouth on her nipple, his warm, taught, body carefully on top of hers.

She pulled him up so she could look at him again.

"I agree," she smiled.

Finn laughed before placing a deep, heavy kiss on her lips. The kiss only lasted a couple of seconds, but both of them held on to it.