* 𝐋 𝐎 𝐍 𝐄 𝐋 𝐘 / 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 !

[SAOIRSE RONAN, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER] WHO’S THAT? OH IT’S [FINN SCHUESTER]. I HEAR THEY’RE [20] AND ARE KNOWN AS [THE HELPING HAND] AROUND [CHICAGO] THEY'RE ALSO AN [SOPHOMORE] AT [DEPAUL], AND A PART OF [ RADIO DEPAUL, FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHY.]THEY’RE KNOWN TO BE [COMPASSIONATE AND QUICK-WITTED] AND [NEUROTIC AND SELF-RIGHTEOUS]. SOME PEOPLE SAY THEY REMIND THEM OF [CONSTANT MOTION, OVERSIZED SWEATERS, & VIEWING LIFE THROUGH A CAMERA’S LENS.] ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT!

When Finn stopped dead in her track, he did the same, taken aback by her shock. “Of course I remember,” he stared at her with a curious smile, “why wouldn’t I?” When she resumed walking, he followed suit, but he couldn’t get over her read of that evening. “Why did you think that?” he asked, brows knit together as he stared at her in disbelief, “I was drunk but not that drunk.” Was he misremembering the evening? Huh. At her admission though, Leo’s cheeks unmistakably blushed. Averting his eyes, he cleared his throat and nodded. “Me too,” he admitted, stealing a glance at her, “it’s a good song.” 

Once they were posted up on the same chair with their cigarettes and drinks in hand, completely illuminated by the blue glow of the pool, Leo let himself stare at Finn. Away from all the noise of old classmates, nosey acquaintances and bad music, he could finally loosen up. “Looks like it,” he answered, taking a drag and discreetly blowing the smoke out through the corner of his mouth. He chuckled breathily at the thought of Finn’s mom throwing a fit over her smoking, momentarily visualizing that scene and validating it with an, “I can see that.” As they inched closer to each other, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Leo didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he found himself leaning in the more she talked about Chicago. He shared those same sentiments. “I love it,” he said, nodding while he ashed his cigarette, “and I live in an on-campus apartment. So not a dorm, but kind of.” A sigh. “What about you?” He laughed weakly at her question, mostly because? He just wasn’t that busy. “I do the same shit I did in high school,” he admitted, “I’m studying filmmaking, so it’s like a/v club but…way better equipment. I go to bars. House shows. Art shows.” A shrug. “Same shit everyone else there does, I guess.” Before he could ask Finn what she did for fun, she was asking him out to coffee. He wouldn’t have read into it so much had it not been followed by an earnest, i like talking to you. “We should,” he agreed, pulling his cigarette away from his lips to take another sip from his drink. College had made a more confident man out of Leo McCarthy. He was still a bit of a loner, but he’d gained some experience, and they were at a wedding for fuck’s sake. Bringing his cig back to his lips and letting it dangle, Leo put his drink down, pulled out his phone, and did his best to contain his smile as he tapped his screen. As Everlasting Light began playing through his speakers, Leo set down his phone and resumed smoking his cigarette, all the while keeping his eyes on Finn. 

📷

“you seemed to casual about the whole thing.” finn lightly defended herself, smile never leaving her face, “what else was i supposed to think?” then the admission, “i didn’t give your jacket back because i was embarrassed that you forgot.” perhaps years ago she would’ve shied away or felt uncomfortable at the confession, but being honest with leo flowed out of her just as easily as she brought the cigarette to her lips and puffed on it. “it’s still in my parents coat closet i’m pretty sure, so if you ever want it back.” she joked, laughing as she did. then a decisive, “it’s a great song.” 

their back and forth continued with a similar exciting ease and finn answered his question, “yeah, i’m in an on campus apartment too, they’re worlds better than the dorms i swear.” she enthused, then thought about it. “well maybe i just like my roommates better.” it seemed that they were leading very separate, but similar lives in chicago. more than ever, it affirmed that once they got back to school she’d be seeking him out a lot more. for now though, leo’s stare unmistakably locking onto finn had rearranged her priorities. throwing caution to the wind, she tossed her cigarette in the general direction of the pool (so sorry to the pool) and scooted closer to leo. meeting his eyes with her own, she gently took the cigarette from between his lips, and swapped them out for her own in a kiss. for old times sake. 

Leo glanced down at his suit and patted it as Finn doled out another compliment, “Then fuck the other one, I guess,” he stated, playfully raising his eye brows as they quickly exchanged glances. When she threw another compliment his way, one that was meant to be a callback to their night at senior homecoming, he hummed. “Ah…I’m pretty sure it was beautiful,” he teased, bumping his arm into hers as they walked, “…and so do you, by the way.” Although Leo kept his eyes downcast for the rest of the short walk to the bar, there was no denying that his lips were pulled up into a bashful smile. 

Finn Schuester was the same, but different. As she handed Leo his drink and answered her own question before he had a chance to, he stared at her with a look of unadulterated amusement. “Alright,” he agreed with a shrug, slowly dragging his feet in the direction she was leading them. Once they reached the pool deck, Leo aimlessly weaved through the tables and pool chairs, curiously scoping out the vicinity as he sipped his drink. When Finn asked a question, Leo spun around to look at her, at the cigarette in her hand, and at the empty pool chair next to the one she had chosen. “Sure,” he said, sitting at the end of her pool chair rather than in one of his own. He answered her question about smoking by pulling his pack out of his chest pocket, tapping it against the palm of his hand twice, and then bringing a cigarette up to his lips and lighting it with ease. “You carry your own now,” he observed with a hum, glancing at the pack she’d placed next to her drink before blowing out the smoke he’d been holding in and taking another drag. “It’s crazy I’ve never seen you at school,” he commented, staring at her unabashedly, “do you like Chicago?”

📷

shock apparent on her face as leo corrected her, finn briefly paused in her place rather than continue walking. “you remember that?” she asked, trying to reconfigure what her perception of that night, and the senior year following it now meant. picking her feet back up, she shook her head, cheeks pulling into a smile. “i have to be honest with you, i didn’t think you remembered. at all. turns out, you remember better than i do.” finn nudged him in turn, then paused “i think of you every time everlasting light comes on shuffle.” 

inexplicably, leo’s choice to sit at the end of her pool chair rather than an empty one made her feel breathless in an almost girlish and childish way. it didn’t hinder her ability to carry on conversation, but it did encourage her to scoot down, slightly closer to him. “i’m a big girl now.” she answered, playfully smiling as she took a drag. “i just about gave my mom a heart attack when she found out, but, she doesn’t care so much now.” useless information, but leo didn’t seem to mind, so finn didn’t either. “that is kinda wild though, i forget we’re in the same city.” she answered, scooting a little bit closer as she spoke about something else that gave her that breathless feeling, “do i like chicago? i love it.” it was definitely a more romantic take on the place, but it was certainly miles better than lima. “do you?” a final time, she scooted closer as she further prodded about his life at school, “do you live on campus? what are you doing that’s keeping you so busy from seeing me?” she joked, “kidding, but, we gotta grab coffee some time.” the puff of her cigarette, then, “i like talking to you.” 

By the time the actual wedding rolled around, Leo was already sick of his hometown. How was it that within the first day of being back in Lima there was already a girl fight rooted in old drama? Apparently high school never really ended. Leo showed up to the wedding with his family out of pure obligation. He kept to himself mostly, drinking discreetly and engaging in small talk only when he was approached. After being trapped in a conversation (more like an exchange of disinterested grunts) with Rocky Remington, Leo excused himself and made his way to the nearest empty wall. With his drink in hand, he was mindlessly looking at his phone when he heard a familiar voice. When he looked up and saw a rosy-cheeked, smiling Finn Schuester, he offered her tight lipped, lazy smile, followed by a short, “hey.” 

When she wrapped her arms around him, Leo hugged her back and let his touch linger briefly after he pulled away. “You stuck to your word,” he said with a nod, “tight.” There was something about Finn that made Leo not want to come across like a total grouch. Maybe it was the fact that she was someone whose company he actually did enjoy, so he didn’t want her to think otherwise. Whatever it was, he pushed himself off the wall, brushed his loose curls out of his eyes, and nodded. “A drink sounds good,” he agreed with a shrug, “I’ll come with you.” Leo finished off what little was left of the drink in his hand, put it down on the nearest table, and joined Finn on her journey to the bar. “Do I?” he asked with a slightly embarrassed chuckle as he glanced down at his suit and muttered out a thanks. “I almost wore the suit I wore to homecoming but…” he squinted at Finn curiously as a playful smile tugged at the corners of his lips, “I couldn’t find the jacket.” He wasn’t sure if she remembered making a big fuss about dry cleaning the jacket and then never giving it back, but the way he nudged her arm playfully with his elbow hopefully indicated that he was just joking. “You look good too,” he complimented as they approached the bar, “so what are we drinking?”

.

leo’s mention of homecoming had her furrowing her brows as she thought back a couple of years to senior year. she hadn’t intentionally forgotten she’d asked him to the dance, and they ended the night making out on the hood of her car, but time was funny like that. “i like this one better.” she told him confidently, figuring it best maybe she not get into the logistics of how she was embarrassed to bring back the jacket because he hadn’t remembered kissing her and so on. instead, she offered him a compliment reminiscent of one she’d issued that night. “you still look pretty, by the way.” while finn did mean it, she was also curious to see if leo even recalled when she had said that in the first place. 

at the bartender’s approach, finn ordered two moscow mules for them and looked at leo as if to answer his question, then returned to their discussion. “thanks, i try.” she shrugged, not greatly affected by the compliment. well, at least not outwardly. her chest was greatly impacted by the rapid thumping of her heart. “do you still smoke? i could go for a cigarette.” she said, taking the drinks and extending one to leo. one sip of hers and she gestured for leo to follow, “i don’t care if you don’t smoke anymore, we’re hanging out. come with me.” walking backwards, finn proceeded to guide them out of the venue. only once did she bump into someone and fortunately, it was just vanessa santos, who was too drunk to even care. a few more turns and finn had led them out to an empty lap pool that stood separate from the main swimming pool. there were a couple of tables and pool chairs strewn across the pool deck in preparation to be put out in about a month for memorial day. for finn though, they served as a place to set her drink, and sit as she lit a cigarette. politely, she asked leo, “are you gonna sit?” 

Leo had, unsurprisingly, made very few trips back to Lima since graduating high school. It made sense. There was very little left for him in his hometown. His whole life was in Chicago now, and if he ever had the opportunity to travel, he liked to visit New York or Toronto or literally anywhere else. The Puckerman-Remington wedding was an exception though. Leo had lived next door to the Puckerman family for most of his childhood, so he felt a weird obligation to be there. His dad agreed. This meant that come Thursday, Leo had hopped on the train from Chicago to Lima with nothing but a small duffel bag and his backpack. He’d only be in town for a few days, so he could pack light. 

Leo knew that the weekend would be full of reunions and awkward chance encounters, but he hadn’t expected those to start on the train. When he felt a hand around his wrist and looked down to see none other than Finn Schuester, he had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. “Hey,” he said back flatly, the tiniest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as they locked eyes, “I am. I’m guessing you are too.” As far as company went, Finn was actually not bad, so he had no reason to refuse her offer. “Sure,” he shrugged as he slumped into the seat across from her and carefully placed his bags in the seat beside him. It would’ve been easy for Leo to just put his headphones in and stare at Finn in silence for a majority of the ride, and truthfully, that’s probably what high school Leo would’ve done. But he’d done some growing in the last couple of years. He was less broody, more open, more social. “What’s that?” he asked, eyeing her planner, “don’t tell me you’re doing homework.” A light chuckle. “Still an overachiever?” 

.

the train ride passed much faster than finn’s first journey back to lima, and that was undoubtedly thanks to leo. they bantered, caught up, and just generally enjoyed each others company. it left finn wondering why they hadn’t hung out more in high school, or even, the last two years at school. while it did make her frown to think she’d lost time for a potentially incredible friendship, she knew there was no use on dwelling in the past, just looking forward to the future. finn thought that when she had arrived to lima, maybe she would’ve been more excited, but instead, she found herself feeling weirdly sad she’d have to part ways with leo. she sucked it up though, gave him a quick hug, and promised to see him at the wedding. 

always one to hold up her promises, a slightly inebriated finn schuester made her way through the crowds of dancing people to a lone leo mccarthy. “hey!” she called from a minor distance, just to get his attention. it would’ve been horrible to have trekked across the venue in heels only for leo to disappear upon her arrival. flashing a smile, finn truly seemed at ease. beyond having alcohol to loosen her up, time away in chicago had served her well. no longer was she paranoid about setting a bad example for julien, or her parents catching a disappointed glimpse. she could just be. part of her being wasn’t the most physical, but she still met leo with a brief hug. “i told you i was gonna see you here.” her hand lingered on his bicep as she scanned his expression. hm.  “you don’t look like you’re having that much fun.” finn said, simultaneously blunt and concerned. “i won’t ask you to dance, because i’m not sure either of us really wanna do that, but can i get you a drink?” she offered, already inching towards the bar. before fully disappearing though, she issued a warm compliment, “you look killer, by the way.” 

WHO @leo-mccarthy​ and finn schuester. WHEN wedding weekend. WHERE train ride / actual reception.

finn’s bank account was seriously hurting after a trip to lima two weekends in a row, but both were occasions that felt worth the cost. the train ride from chicago to lima was about six hours. not terrible, but definitely tedious. luckily finn had come well equipped with journals, and books, and plenty of music downloaded to entertain her as she head back home for the wedding. situated in place before the train took off, she began her to do list once they reached lima. 1. unpack dress and iron it. 2. send boss apology flowers for taking two weekends off in a row. 3. take some pictures. 4. have fun. finn always entered lima with the objective of behaving herself and setting an example, but now that her little brother was away at college, she was hoping to shed that caution. 

reviewing her to do list and planner, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a skinny boy with a mop of black hair loading onto the train. granted, that could be just about any guy who’d ever listened to the mountain goats boarding the train, but out of curiosity, she looked up. could it be? hands moving faster then her brain, she reached out and grabbed at the guy’s wrist, effectively stopping him in his tracks. if this wasn’t leo, she owed this stranger a serious explanation and a coffee. as she met the face of the individual, a smile of relief crossed her expression, “hey.” she finally greeted, dropping her grip on him she uttered a quick sorry, then jumped right back into conversation. “i thought that might have been you! are you heading home for the wedding?” she asked, then glanced at the open seats around her. looking back up at leo, she offered, “wanna sit?”

CAM: The jokes will only get better.

CAM: Of course you have a planner. So sophisticated.

CAM: Oh, it's cool. How's the fam?

CAM: Rad. Add a hangout with Cam to your planner for that weekend.

FINN: we can only hope.

FINN: i've always had a planner!

FINN: good! i have nephews!!!!

CAM: Do you know my favorite type of tea?

CAM: It's you, shawTEA.

CAM: Okay, dad joke over. How's Chi town? Windy? Also, what day are you getting here for the wedding and when are we hanging out?

FINN: i can't wait until youre an actual father.

FINN: but please hold i'm gonna check my planner.

FINN: i get in next thursday!

WHO: finn and dan schuester, ft. the twins. WHEN: saturday morning, 4/10. WHERE: nia and dan’s home. WHAT: finn spends some time with her brother and his two new babies.

it’s not every day that a person becomes an aunt or an uncle, and for finn schuester, who valued her family above all else, she made it a mission to get out of chicago and back to lima ASAP to meet her nephews. 

the entire train ride, she felt kinda foolish, knowing in just two short weeks she’d be on her way back home again for the lima equivalent of a royal wedding. the moment she got into the car with her dad who talked her ear off the entire drive to dan’s, it felt worth it. finn loved being away for school. loved. in chiacgo, she was free from all the responsibilities and image she liked to uphold in lima. finn felt like a normal, twenty year old who went out with friends, had fun, and generally enjoyed the college experience. but she was bursting at the brim to meet the newest schuesters. 

finn had chosen to stay with dan and nia rather than with her parents, which had just as many cons as it did pros. pro: no mom and dad to fuss over potential significant others, grades, and activities. finn could only entertain the questions for so long. con: waking up at 5 am saturday morning to her nephews shrieking as if they were trying to break the sound barrier. 

thrusting herself out of bed, finn, incredibly characteristically, rushed to help out. pausing only to loop her hair into a bun, she made quick timing into the nursery only to find dan standing there outnumbered two to one. “need some help?” she asked, yawning from the doorway to which dan eagerly gestured to gus, still screaming in his crib, then explained, “please, it’d be great if nia actually got to sleep in this morning.” 

“yeah, no problem.” 

SAMMY: Yeah, I have a really fast editor. Columbia literally hooks you up with the best of everything, literally no joke there!

SAMMY: oH OKAY! so nvm about that, send pictures then!

SAMMY: But I am happy that you are enjoying it there! I feel like I am more so coasting along - waiting for the album to finish up

FINN: i said no hooking up with them!!

SAMMY: Just got to add some backing vocals to them and some ad-libs. Been trying to find peeps who want to do backing vocals with me - i'd love to share that love with friends! But I'm just gonna cave and do em tomorrow - so maybe SAturuday!

SAMMY: Uhm who are these roommates... And I need pictures so I can confirm if I will or not. This is just how it goes don't hate the player hate the game.

SAMMY: JKJK kidding kidding. But I didn't think you had guy roommates anyways.

FINN: oh really that soon?!

FINN: awesome i literally can't wait!

SAMMY: Two pop songs, one ballad, and one song that sounds like a disney love song and makes me shivers aks;ldjfkls;djf

SAMMY: OH its okay! There are a lot of people I still got to catch up with! But I can come see you any time you want, tbh! I would love to hang out and fully catch up!

FINN: so when are you sending them to me so i can play them during my next shift at the station?

ZOE: thanks finn! how was lima?

ZOE: it was good. minus the whole breakup.

FINN: his loss.

FINN: parents were good, mostly hung with cam.

FINN: your spring break pics were so cute!!!

SAMMY: Actually not to bad! I have been working more on writing songs, than focusing on what drug interactions aren't good combinations with each other.

Sammy: How about you?! What's new in your life?!

FINN: write anything good?

FINN: hey hey hey