#zmfinn

Quinn: With her graduation party well under way, Quinn floated through the backyard like she was walking on cloud 9. All of the people she loved most were in her small backyard. For a quick moment Quinn missed her old home which had a pool and a jacuzzi and would have created a much better party but still, everyone came. Everyone gathered in the heart of the Zone to celebrate graduating. Quinn spotted Finn and she smiled over at him before approaching him. Hooking her arm into his, Quinn dragged Finn into her house for a quiet moment alone. "I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you." Quinn started as she rummaged through the desk in the living room. "I have a graduation card for you somewhere. i forgot to bring it to the actual ceremony."

Finn: had no idea why he had allowed Quinn to talk him into attending this party. Especially after he'd confessed why he hated them. He figured tonight would be just another excuse for the kids to get drunk and him to drive them home. He mingled with a few of his classmates, laughing and thoroughly enjoying himself and for him, that didn't happen often. When he saw Quinn looking at him, he smiled and waved, excusing himself from the small group and meeting her halfway. He almost wondered where she was taking him before they entered her house and he looked around, nodding his head as it still looked just as he remembered. "Thanks Quinn. Honestly, I wouldn't even be standing here if it wasn't for your tutoring. You helped me out so much." He said, watching as she rummaged in a drawer. "That's really not necessary. I feel like I should be giving you something. Oh wait..." He said, handing her a small envelope. "The contents of that are top secret. For your eyes only." He grinned, shaking his head at his own joke.

Quinn:"Please! It's not like I am giving you a college fund. It's just a card." Quinn commented as she pulled the card out of a drawer and turned around to give it to him. "No you don't owe me any-" Quinn trailed off as Finn pulled something out of his pocket. "Top secret huh?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow up at him. Tearing open the envelope, Quinn was genuinely surprised at what she read. Quinn wasn't usually taken aback by these sort of things, but Finn was heavily committed. "Are you sure this isn't meant for Sugar?" She asked Finn as she leaned her hip against the desk. Suddenly she felt like the wind had been knocked out of her.

Finn: "Yeah but the last time I got a card, there was money in it so I tend to get excited when I get one." He laughed, running a hand through his hair before opening the envelope and pulling the card out. He read the words and chuckled to himself before pulling her in for a hug. "Thank you for this. Its really nice, Quinn." Finn said, stepping back as he waited for her to read what he'd given her. "No, its for you. Cuddles are harmless. Its something best friends do. I even did it with Puck once but it felt weird so we never spoke of it again. But yeah, that's yours. And you don't have to use it if its going to make you feel weird." He said, shrugging his shoulders. "Its not that big a deal you know?"

Quinn: "I didn't say it would make me feel weird... I just wasn't sure it was really for me." The image of Finn and Puck cuddling popped into Quinn's head and she had to laugh. "I don't even want to know what got one of you fools so low that you had to cuddle each other, but that's a great image. And thank you." Quinn said, putting a hand on his bicep. "I'll keep this for a sad rainy day." She told him as she tucked it into the desk. "You haven't told me what your plans are now that we have graduated..." Quinn reminded Finn as she flopped down on the couch and patted the seat next to her. "What does the future hold for Mr. Finn Hudson?"

Finn: "Well you can always use it with someone else if you prefer. I suck at buying presents for girls so I figure a night of hanging out and cuddling wouldn't be so bad. It's like it'll mean anything. Cuddling is actually very harmless and has been known to cure sleeplessness." He smirked before shaking his head at her. "That's a good idea. I will say there was alcohol involved and leave it at that." It hurt to bring up his best friend and know that they'd never speak again but he'd been dead for years now and it was finally time to let go of the past and look to the future. "Well, I honestly don't know. I know it doesn't involve football, that's for sure. I had enough of it in high school and I can't do it on an even bigger stage."

Quinn: tucked her feet up and sat Indian style while she listened to Finn speak. She frowned slightly. Between the fact that Puck was gone and Quinn would never see Finn play football again, she was suddenly a bit too sad for a party. It was weird to think Finn was just done with football, especially since Quinn wasn't done with cheering. "Wow. It's weird to think about us growing up and growing out of the things we are known for. It breaks my heart a little that I will never see you play again." She mentioned, looking down at her hands in her lap. "We might be a minority in this world, but I never felt more normal than cheering at football games. Like, I was a head cheerleader. I was the girl so many movies were about. It didn't matter that I had some power that was frowned upon. I know being popular doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things, but being head cheerleader and cheering at those games made me feel like I was a regular 17 year old girl who could do anything and go anywhere. Even if it was just for three or four hours on Friday nights."

Finn: "It is weird but also terrifying. Like, I'm an adult. Me. I'm like the most immature person in the world. I don't think I'm ready for this." He admitted, leaning his head back on the couch. "And I can't go to college because mom can't afford it and I didn't get a scholarship so the only optiion for me is to help in the fight. I'm going to start working with Travis and accompany him when he goes to DC and hopefully we can change their minds." He said, shrugging. "Mom thinks I'm going to die and no one else seems to really give a shit so its perfect." He laughed, shaking his head. "You can do anything and go anywhere. Its going to happen. I'm very charming and adorable and if I can get those guys in DC to see that, we will be able to have normal lives. Besides, you have a friend with superspeed. If you wanted to go somewhere, all you had to do was ask."

Quinn: "Finn..." Quinn murmured. "I give a shit." She said, putting her hand over his. Pursing her lips, Quinn couldn't help but feel sad that everyone's life was changing and maybe things would change for the worse. "Girls think you're charming and adorable..." Quinn said, smiling a little at the boy sitting next to her. "But government men might not think the same, you know." Sighing a bit, Quinn just leaned back and matched Finn's position, looking at him sweetly. "You don't think you will die do you? Because if you think you will, you've already dug a grave for yourself with that negativity...." Quinn added, even though she was truly concerned about how Finn was viewing his future.

Finn: laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "I managed to land a great girl so obviously something is working. I just, I've never been very confident about myself so when Sugar came along, it was like everything fell into place. I saved her life and in return, she gave me the self-confidence I'd been missing. And I really needed that. It was during a time in my life where I felt like a freak and she told it was okay to be different. It just sucks that we can't be together like want to be. I'm tired of being seperated by a wall." He said, looking over at her when she asked if he thought he would die. All Finn could do was shrug. "I don't know. If I do, its going to be fighting for something I believe in. But as of right now, I have no intentions of dying yet. I still have a lot of things I want to do first."

Quinn: All Quinn could do was nod at Finn as he expressed his distraught over the disconnect in his relationship. It was tough just living in the Zone, and being a teenager in the zone, she couldn't imagine falling for someone outside of the Zone. "I'm sorry it's so hard on your guys. Is she going to college? Will that be hard for you?" Quinn asked him, not really knowing where to take the conversation. She didn't know Sugar very well and that was fine with Quinn. Finn was her friend and she cared about him, but Sugar and Quinn could never get close with their situations the way they were. Plus, Sugar lived a life Quinn used to live so the jealousy got the best of the blonde most days. Sighing with relief when Finn said he had a will to live, Quinn wrapped am arm around his neck and pulled him in for a hug. "Good. You had me worried there for a minute." she told him while they embraced for a little bit longer than they probably should have.

Finn: "I don't know what her plans are. She's still got a year of school left. I was going to wait on her in the hopes that we could finally go to school together but the way things look now, that might just be a pipe dream that will never come true." He said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm probably just being paranoid. I mean, I don't get to see but maybe 4 hours a day and while that might be enough for some people, its not for me. I can't take her anywhere I want too because its always under supervision from her parents and then there's the whole curfew thing. It would be easier if she'd come to see me but for some reason, she won't." He confessed, leaning into the hug she was giving him. He didn't care that it lasted longer than it should have. Right now, Finn needed someone to listen. Someone he knew would be brutally honest and tell him what he should do. As he ran his hand up and down her back, he felt his cheeks heating up and he pulled back, looking into her eyes and smiling softly.

Quinn: felt sorry for Finn. Sugar had a position of power and she didn't seem to care about it at all. "If she had half a brain, she would use it to help you fight. She's got money Finn. And believe me, I understand that it isn't everything but she could use her power position to help the cause. You deserve better than someone who is going to make you risk your life everyday when they won't risk theirs." Quinn had a tendency to get preachy when she felt strongly about something, but as Finn rubbed her back through their hug, she felt her anxiety over a situation she had no control over start to dissolve. Pulling back a little, Quinn's eyes dropped to Finn's lips got a split second and she had a sudden urge to kiss him. "You, um, you just deserve better than to feel like second string..." She whispered, punctuating her statement with a deep swallow.

Finn: "I don't think she really cares about the cause if I'm being honest. I mean, I love her, but at the same time, she couldn't give two shits about whether we get equality or not. She's got a nice life outside the Zone and whether we get the same doesn't seem to bother her. She's happy out there. Is it wrong to want the same things? My mom's not the richest woman but she still tries to get me things I desire. I was born inside these walls but I don't want to die inside them either. I'd love to explore the outside world. I've heard so much about Paris and Italy and I want to be able to go there with someone special." He said, his eyes making contact with hers. He felt his shoulders drop almost instinctively as he leaned in, his lips inches from hers.

Quinn: knew exactly the kind of life Sugar had outside of the Zone. It wasn't all that long ago that Quinn had the same kind of life. It disgusted Quinn that Sugar could be so careless with someone who proclaimed he loved her every chance he got. What Quinn wanted to say was that Sugar was selfish and narcissistic. She wanted to say that she went to Paris once and it was beautiful and she thought Finn would really love it. Instead, the words that came out of Quinn's mouth were not controlled by her brain. "I want to kiss you so much right now." She whispered. It definitely wasn't one of the million things she should have said to Finn in this moment, but she was already letting her hand rest on his neck as her body started to lean against his.

Finn: gulped rather loudly at her words, a lump forming in his throat as he thought about the words that had just left her mouth. On the one hand, he could grant her request because it was something he'd been thinking about ever since she'd agreed to tutor him. Quinn was everything he could want in a girlfriend. She was smart, funny, attractive, and like him. He wouldn't have to hide who he was with her. He could be himself completely. But on the other hand, he was in love with Sugar and kissing Quinn would be breaking an oath he promised he never would. As she inched closer to him, he stopped and pulled away. "I, um, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." He said, the lump rising higher in his throat, threatening to cut off his air supply. "I think you're amazing and everything a guy could want. But I can't do this to Sugar." He finished, backing away from her to sit in a chair at the table.

Quinn: It was all happening too fast and excruciatingly slow at exactly the same time. So much so, Quinn wondered if someone at her party was playing with time and showing off with a power they had recently perfected. Then Finn pulled away and time reset itself. Everything was moving at a normal pace again. He removed himself from the couch and Quinn just let out a heavy breath. He was right. They shouldn't kiss each other. It would be a horrible idea. Pulling her knees to her chest, Quinn just smiled at Finn's words. You don't have to compliment me because you don't want to kiss me, Finn. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that or tried to either. I don't know what came over me." she explained as she grabbed a pillow and rested it on her knees so her head could lay on top of it. "It's not a big deal. No harm. No foul."

Finn: let out a small laugh and shook his head. "I didn't compliment you because I don't want to kiss you. The truth is, I did want to but I can't. I can't do that to Sugar." He explained, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "I do think you're amazing. And smart. And you were able to take a not smart guy and turn him into an AB student. That says that a lot." He smiled, pulling her in for a hug. "If things had been different, we'd still be kissing." He said, trying to make light of the situation. "Consider it forgotten. Well, I probably won't be able to forget it but I certainly won't bring it up again." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her cheek. "There. Now we got our kiss."

Quinn: just shrugged her shoulders at Finn and listened. She wasn't going to argue with him. He had every right to pull away and say no. Still, something inside of Quinn was disappointed because she knew that Finn wanted to kiss her back just as badly. "Finn, it's not a big deal." Quinn repeated as he hugged her. With his comment about how they would still be kissing, Quinn pushed him away him away playfully and smacked his arm. A slight blush colored the apples of Quinn's cheeks as Finn kissed her. "Shut up." She told him while rolling her eyes and pushing herself up off the couch. "Look before we go back out there, I meant what I said about Sugar and how selfish she is being. I also meant what I said about kissing you. You know where to find me if your situations change." Quinn smiled brightly and punctuated her offer with a wink before pushing Finn out of the living room and back towards the party.

Finn: gave her a weak smile and nodded. "Right. Not a big deal. We didn't do anything, there's nothing to feel guilty about." He said, laughing when she pushed him away. "What? Its true. If Sugar knew some of the things on my mind during our tutoring sessions, she'd have kicked me to the curb long ago. I mean, I'm not a cheater but I'm also a guy and you're a beautiful woman and I'd be crazy not to notice that." He complimented, rubbing the back of his neck before falling silent. He had to stop himself before he said something he'd regret or worse, did something he'd regret. "I 'll definitely keep that in mind. Perhaps if things change for me in the future, I'll look you up. But right now, I'm happy with her."