Chapter Text
"Can you believe it's only..." Rachel checked her watch. "601 hours, 37 minutes and 52 seconds until Valentines day?"
"Um, no?" Finn answered.
The choir room was empty except for them, everyone else too busy actually studying like they were supposed to be. It was very unlike Rachel to pick personal life over academics but in this case, it kinda made sense. There was something of a tradition in the Berry household to constantly make plans for important holidays.
You're probably thinking "hey, Valentines day isn't an important holiday", and to that, I would have to say "yes but it's Rachel Berry, so she has to go full out". She learnt it from her fathers, of course, who were somewhat overdramatic as well. Maybe not quite in her league but certainly up there. Why, just that morning Leroy had asked Rachel if she thought buying Hiram a diamond encrusted night light was too much for Valentines.
Obviously it was a ridiculous question.
Because, duh, of course it isn't too much!
Last year he'd given his husband a goddamn pony but the night light he got tripped up at?
Anyway.
Since there was no such tradition in the Hudmel home, Rachel felt it was her job to subtley hint to Finn what she wanted.
"Some say Valentines Day truly starts days before it begins. They say they need to put time and effort into whatever they get m- I mean, their significant other." She smiled.
Okay, maybe subtlety wasn't her specialty.
"Wow, they sound smart." Finn smiled back.
Luckily enough, catching on wasn't Finn's.
"They are!"
"Good, now, I have a list."
"A list? I thought we only did lists for Christmas?"
"Lists are perfect for all holidays." Rachel informed as she pulled a piece of folded up paper from her breast pocket. "Here is everything you could get me."
Before Finn could take the list from her, however, she flicked the top fold every so slightly and it acted as some sort of domino effect. Because the second it was flicked, the entire list suddenly unfolded completely and the paper was revealed in all it's glory. And glory was certainly the right word for it because it was truly, truly glorious.
Long too. Very long. Seemingly neverending. She was sat on a chair next to Finn, holding the top of the paper in the hand level with her face, and the bottom of the sheet reached Finn's feet. It was like a scroll containing all the secrets of the universe... Only it definitely wasn't because Finn had overheard Rachel being these presents up with everyone in Glee at least once over the course of the year.
He was probably supposed to overhear it, actually, considering, but still!
"Rach, that's a lot of choice."
"Exactly! You have so many options, you simply can't go wrong." She nodded. "But don't feel pressured to buy me something from the list, as long as I will definitely like it, use it and it's at least $30 in value."
"Oh... Okay." Finn took the list and scanned over the contents a few times. Damn, it was categorised! What the hell did 'exotic education' mean?
"Good, I am very excited." Rachel clapped lightly and rose to her feet once more. "I already have the perfect gifts picked out for you."
"Gifts?" Finn gawked.
"Of course, Valentines Day is very important to me!" She announced happily.
Valentines Day, a holiday celebrating attention and adoration and desire, was important to Rachel Berry... what a shocker.
"Now I need to go, I was assigned to Brittany in Math today and I need to make sure she knows how to spell 'Trigonometry' by the end of the class."
"How do you spe-"
"Bye, sweetheart." She beamed, placing a sweet kiss to her boyfriend's lips and beginning her journey out of the room. "I love you!"
"I love you too." He mumbled back, still perplexed by the list.
Rachel moved through the corridors with her trademark confidence. She was on her way to the library, where she would find Brittany, but until then she spared no time in owning every inch of linoleum she stepped on. The girl was arrogant, annoying, stuck up, obnoxious, infuriating, weird and disrespectful.
Which was obviously why Quinn stared at her from her locker as she passed the blonde Cheerio. Her hazel eyes were always glued to Rachel, and her lips were usually forming some harsh insult to throw her way. Not that the insults were still that common, they really weren't. Some people may even call the two friends now, and one of those 'some people' was Rachel herself. Quinn, on the other hand, was less sure of what their relationship really was.
All she knew was that Rachel was fun to stare out, fun to insult because it got her all flustered, and sometimes even fun to be around. And it wasn't like she couldn't stop staring if she wanted to, because she totally could, she just took great joy out of knowing the girl was...
The girl flipped her hair as she rounded a corner.
Quinn's mind went black.
Out of... Friendship! Or anger. Whatever one you believe.
"What is wrong with you?" Santana smirked as she reached Quinn at her locker. "Why are you drooling like a bus station perv?"
"I'm not drooling, I'm just trying to exist in peace. Thank you for ruining that, by the way." Quinn teased.
She turned around to actually look in her locker instead of leaning against it. She had nothing to take from it or look for, she just needed to look busy. And wipe off the drool that moistened her lip. Don't tell anyone. Except Santana. You might as well tell her because she already knew. She already knew everything, actually.
"No problem, I enjoy ruining things." Santana grinned as she leant into a locker, watching her friend in amusement. "Say, I didn't know you liked berries."
"You make that joke every day and I hate to inform you, but it gets less funny every time. It was never funny in the first place."
"Totally was." She nudged the blonde's arm and smiled. "I'm hilarious. I'm also right."
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"I do, my Psychic Mexican Third Eye never lies."
"Your 'Psychic Mexican Third Eye' is a pimple between your eyebrows that you popped three years ago." Quinn closed her locker and faced her friend again. "It doesn't know I feel."
"No, Q, you don't know how you feel. Which is why I have to tell you." Santana informed. "I also have to tell you that, as a fellow member of the Sapphic express-" Quinn rolled her eyes. "Your taste leaves about as much to be desired as your lady friend's sense of style."
"My lady friend?"
"Yes. But hobbit or not, I'll totally help you."
"I don't want or need your help." Quinn stated, looking over Santana's form.
Her stance was much tenser than usual, and her eyes seemed to be staring off into the distance. Some would have said this was very unlike her, since she was rarely anything but fabulous. But Quinn knew her better than that.
She knew Santana often felt tense, but only when she was thinking about-
"Brittany." Quinn said it and Santana immediately looked into her eyes.
"What about her?"
"Valentine's Day is coming up, you don't know what to get her."
"Don't change the subject."
"I'll help you with your lady friend if you want." Quinn offered. "On one condition."
Santana stared at her friend suspiciously for a moment or two, before finally giving in. It would be her first holiday with Brittany being her official, out and proud girlfriend and it needed to be good. Not too big, not too small, not too much, not too little, just right.
She knew a song would be involved either way, but she also knew there needed to be more than that. But what exactly that more should be? She had no god damn clue. Brittany was so complicated, buying her things was never as simple as people thought. Maybe Rachel had the right idea with the lists.
"Fine, what condition?"
"You stop making jokes about Berry." Quinn replied.
"You drive a tough bargain." Santana smirked. "But fine, I'll just mock you for other things."
"I can deal with that."
***
As lunch time rolled around, other gleeks were starting to panic about Valentines. To normal people, it didn't matter all that much. But they weren't normal people, were they?
Example? Well at the moment, Blaine and Kurt were participating in a double date with Sam and Mercedes. They didn't ditch school to get a nice meal at Breadsticks or to go shopping or to just hang out together as a group. Oh no, they were still very much on school grounds. Because their idea of a double date was to eat packed lunches in the library while horny jocks made out with their lady friends in the corner.
Blaine was planning on the shared lunch being a good lead up to a conversation with Kurt. Maybe not a good lead up, actually, but certainly a way to bring it up. He had yet to discuss the topic of sex with Kurt because he didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable, but he figured hanging out with a girl who committed herself to abstinence before marriage would be an easy way to bring it up.
Afterwards, of course.
Sam wanted to have this meal lead up to a conversation as well. Not with Mercedes because they'd already had a discussion about sex like mature young adults in a healthy relationship and come to an understanding by being brutally honest with one another. That wasn't an issue. He was more invested in getting some advice from the other boys in romance. Gay people were good at romance.
Kurt was good at romance, actually. So was Mercedes. They were both very well versed in the art of seduction, love and compassion despite their lack of sexual experience. Their hearts were sweet enough to make sugar jealous and they were using them to come up with a perfect plan.
"Me and Kurt need to go now." Mercedes smiled, winking at her boyfriend. "We have something to talk about."
"Is it a gay thing or a girl thing?" Sam asked as he smirked teasingly at his girlfriend.
"Well, I'm a gay thing and she's a girl thing so it's safe to assume both are involved." Kurt replied. He linked his arm through Mercedes' and beamed at his boyfriend. "See you after school, Blaine."
"Not if I see you first." Yes, it was a cheesy line, but it made Kurt grin so why not?
As the two walked, arm in arm, out of the room, Sam turned his attention to the gelled up boy opposite him. Blaine barely noticed until the blonde grabbed his arm and stared him down with wide eyes. His face was intense as his fingers threatened to tear into Blaine's flesh.
The two had never spent an especially huge amount of time together before but when they did end up alone together it was... actually pretty decent. They got on very well, that's all there really was to it. Blaine was worried that Kurt would be jealous that he got on so well with Sam, like he did with Sebastian.
But that jealousy never came. He couldn't figure out for the life of him why it wasn't the same with Sam.
Maybe it was the blatant sexual attraction Sebastian felt towards Blaine and the fact he never shut up about how much better Blaine would be with Sebastian and how awful Kurt was and he definitely had a point because-
"I need your help." Sam stated.
"What do you mean?"
"Valentines Day! I'm freaking out!" He freaked out. "Mercedes is literally the best person I've ever met! She has the best voice and the best hands and the best lips and the best laugh and the best smile and, have you ever touched her hair?"
"Uh-"
"Because it's the best!" Sam exclaimed. "I love her so much." He fell back into his chair with a contented smile on his face, dreaming about his girlfriend like she was the only thing to dream about. "I don't know what to give her for Valentines Day, it needs to be the best thing for the best girl."
"Well, there's a lot of choices." Blaine tried to help. "Um... It just... Needs to be personal."
"Yeah?"
"Of course, it's all about showing how much you love them in your own way."
"So what are you doing for Kurt?"
"Oh, well, I'm going to-"
"Sing him a song and take him to Breadsticks." Sam said with Blaine, surprising the black haired boy with his knowledge of his thought process. It really shouldn't have been that much of a surprise.
"How did you..." Blaine started, then trailed off.
"Don't worry, I get it, it's your thing. I just want my thing to be special."
"But-"
"Don't worry."
"I-"
"Ooh!" Sam shouted. "You can help me by coming to the record store with me! I need to find the perfect Bieber song... Then I need about fifty balloons and a scary amount of candles." He slammed one hand on the table and pointed the other one at Blaine. "You in?"
"Um-"
"Awesome! Let's-"
The phone ringing in Blaine's pocket intercepted the conversation very smoothly. Well, conversation wasn't the best word for the aggreessively positive, one sided exchange, but it was interrupted nonetheless.
"Duuuuuuuuuude." Sam whined. "We gotta go places!"
"Sorry, I just have to take this." Blaine said.
And he took the phone call.
***
As Blaine spoke down the phone in the library, a different couple waltzed through McKinley together.
Mike held Tina's waist and lifted her into the air, spinning her around as if presenting her to the world. The bright smiles on their faces lit up the corridor that they danced down on so elegantly, Mike setting his girlfriend down once more. While one set of hands intertwined, the other set rested upon each other's bodies and their eyes rested upon each other's faces.
With grace and love, their dancing feet carried them down the hallway. Not once did their eye contact break or their smiles falter, for the only thing residing in their hearts was a deep desire for one another. Even as they reached their destination of Puck's locker so they could walk to their next class with him, they didn't stop. Mike paused in front of him and Tina wrapped her arms around his torso from behind. Again, still beaming with relentless joy.
"What the fuck was that?" Puck asked the happy couple.
"It was enchanting." Brittany answered on their behalf, standing besides the mohawked boy.
There are two types of people, I guess.
"Thank you, we're just having a really good day." Tina smiled.
"Being in love just makes everything better." Mike added, until he realised- "Oh, sorry Puck."
"Why?"
"Because you're lonely." Brittany replied.
"Right, thanks for clearing that up, Britt." Puck smirked.
"Being single isn't bad, or lonely, it only sucks when you want someone." Tina informed, looking up at her single friend. "And you always want everyone so that's never really an issue."
She acted like she had no idea, but she so did. Of course she did. Tina and Puck spent every Chemistry lesson together making shit that shouldn't explode explode, bitching about Rachel getting too many solos and - of course - talking about hot people.
Yes, people. Because Puck was the only person who knew Tina was bisexual and Tina was the only person who knew Puck was pansexual. They were like the siblings neither of them ever had. Well, Puck did have a sister, but she was too young to appreciate how sexy everyone was.
Anyway, that's why Puck had to roll his eyes when Tina made such a comment about wanting someone. She was fully aware that he wanted someone, fully aware that he couldn't have that someone and fully aware that he made a 'goofy lil angry face' whenever she made such remarks. He loved the girl but she exhausted him.
"Yes, T, thanks." He said monotonously, earning him a wink from the sly girl herself.
"I have a few friends in dance class that'd be up for going out with you." Mike suggested.
"What a lovely suggestion." Tina hugged Mike tighter.
"There's lots of Cheerios that want you." Brittany offered next. "What about-"
Puck opened his locker and a myriad of panties, flowers and lockets fell from it. He stepped aside for the waterfall of strange gifts, onto which a passing cheerio chucked a tulip.
"Thanks, Bella." He smiled.
"Woah." Mike smirked. "That... All from Cheerios?"
"Hot." Tina mumbled.
"I have those knickers." Brittany mused.
"It's a fucking nightmare, I got enough pussy for a lifetime but..." He paused. "Whatever."
"Aww, Puck wants looove." Mike teased. "I don't blame you dude, it's the best." He linked his fingers into Tina's. "You get laid every day."
"Every day." Tina whispered into her boyfriend's ear.
"By the most amazing person in your life." Brittany added. "Who's the most amazing person in your life?"
"Wow." Kurt giggled, reaching the group with Mercedes at his side.
As he gawked at the ridiculous pile of Cheerios gifts and used panties - bizarre - Puck smiled at him. Not Mercedes, not Brittany, not Mike or Tina, because he barely even realised anyone else was there. In that moment, it didn't matter that anyone else was.
Which is why Mike smirked crookedly at Puck's happy little face, and Brittany exchanged a look with Mercedes. It was also why Tina leant over and smacked Puck in the forearm to bring him back to reality.
"Oh, right, uh..." Puck shrugged. "The girls went a bit crazy, Valentines coming up."
"In, like, 24 days. Why would they get so insane now?" Kurt chuckled.
"Long waiting list, right Puckerman?" Mercedes teased.
"Not really, he gets through them pretty quickly." Brittany said.
"Amazing." Kurt laughed as he scanned the pile again. And again. Because it just didn't seem right. "These flowers will die soon and make that locker smell worse than your gym bag, Puckerman."
"I'll save one." Mike smiled, picking a rose from the pile and giving it to Tina. She took a performative inhale before tucking it behind her ear.
"It smells like lady parts and dead plant." She grinned.
"My favourite scent." Mike returned as he picked her up once more and carried her, cackling playfully, towards their next class.
"Hey, wait!" Brittany called and ran after them. "Be quick Puck!"
"Yeah." Puck nodded. He looked down at the pile, then back at Kurt and Mercedes. "Wanna help shove used panties, flowers and other weird shit back into my locker?"
"I'd rather not, sweetie." Mercedes smiled.
"I do not want to catch anything." Kurt teased. "I also don't like touching flowers."
"Why, that's ridiculous?" Puck chuckled.
"Shut up, it is not, flowers are ripped from the ground just to die slower in the hands of morons that want a Valentines make out session."
"Make out session? You think that's what these flowers are for?"
"Shut up, I don't want to think about that."
"You're such a prude." Puck started rooting around in his locker.
"I'm not a prude, I'm just sensible, unlike some."
"You callin' me a slut, Hummel?"
"Perhaps." Kurt joked. "Affectionately though."
"Mm, affectionate bullying. Been there."
"What do you..." Kurt stopped talking out of shock when Puck suddenly presented him with a- " Pink Camellia?"
"Yep, some Cheerio gave it to me earlier, and it's fake so it won't die." He offered. "Plus, they're your favourite, right?"
"How did you know that?"
"You're loud and never shut up, I know more about you than anyone should."
"Mean." Kurt smirked as he accepted the fake flower, slipping it behind his ear the same way Tina did. "But thank you."
"Now will you-"
"I'm not helping you."
"Fine, piss off then."
"Happily." Kurt teased back, returning the smile Puck gave him.
"See ya later, Lady." Puck waved as Kurt began to walk away. He watched.
Mercedes watched him watch.
"He has a boyfriend." She stated plainly.
"Wha-"
"Just." Mercedes interrupted. "Don't be... The way you always are." She warned. "Kurt deserves better than that."
And she walked away, leaving Puck to furrow his eyebrows and return to the mess he needed to clean up. Ignoring the sudden ache in his heart, he crouched down in the empty hallway to put everything away.
She was right.
***
"Yellow diamonds in the light," Rachel sang. "Now we're standing side by side."
"As your shadow crosses mine," Finn continued, circling his girlfriend in the choir room. "What it takes to come alive."
"It's the way I'm feeling I just can't deny," Quinn sang as she stared at Rachel and strung up Valentines decorations.
"But I've gotta let it go." Artie added, his eyes glued to Tina and Mike.
"We found love in a hopeless place," Tina and Mike harmonised as they danced together. "We found love in a hopeless place."
"We found love in a hopeless place, we found love in a hopeless place." Blaine and Kurt sang as one, Blaine hugging Kurt from behind.
"Shine a light through an open door," Sam sang to Mercedes, taking her hand and spinning her through giggles. "Love and life I will divide."
"Turn away 'cause I need you more." Mercedes returned. "Feel the heartbeat in my mind." She pressed her forehead to his.
"It's the way I'm feeling I just can't deny," Puck watched Kurt laugh against Blaine's body.
"But I've gotta let it go." He sang with Quinn and Artie.
"We found love in a hopeless place,"
Santana and Brittany swayed
"We found love in a hopeless place."
Mike dipped Tina.
"We found love in a hopeless place,"
Tina didn't see Artie frown.
"We found love in a hopeless place."
Sam did see as he twirled Mercedes.
"We found love in a hopeless place,"
Mercedes glanced at Quinn.
"We found love in a hopeless place."
Quinn stared at Rachel.
"We found love in a hopeless place,"
Rachel danced with Finn.
"We found love in a hopeless place."
Finn looked at Quinn.
"We found love in a hopeless place,"
Quinn frowned with Puck.
"We found love in a hopeless place."
Puck watched Kurt.
"We found love in a hopeless place,"
Kurt held Blaine with both arms.
"We found love in a hopeless place."
Blaine held Kurt with one.
...
Hopeless was the perfect word.