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nubianamy · 3 years

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Dave/Finn futurefic, PG, 25k romantic drama, based on the Hallmark Christmas movie Cross-Country Christmas

Dave climbed out of the cab, avoiding several pedestrians hurrying toward the terminal, and tucked his phone more securely against his neck. "Mom, I'm just—I'm at the airport now. No, I heard you. That was the wind. Really, I heard it the first time, you don't have to—" He stifled a sigh as he set his suitcase on the curb amidst a sea of predictably black bags, then gave the cabbie a perfunctory smile and passed him a couple of dollars. Into the phone, he added, “No, I mailed it to Dana two weeks ago. I don't remember, something from her baby registry. Do I have to know what it’s called? She wanted it, I bought it."

Dave found himself distracted by a man in a brown jacket climbing out of the cab behind his. He was talking on the phone, too, loudly enough so that there was no way not to overhear the conversation.

"... make it by tomorrow afternoon, no problem," the man was saying. When he laughed, there was something familiar about his voice, but he was turned away and Dave couldn't see his face.

"Mom... Mom.” Dave put a little edge into his voice. “I’m going inside now. I'll call you after I land. I love you too. Tell Dad not to worry.” He had to say goodbye twice more before he managed to end the conversation.

"Not without me," protested the man in the brown jacket, still laughing. "Come on, mom, I’m flying all the way there. The least you can do is wait for me to make the fruitcake." He reached for the handle of Dave's bag, then cast Dave an apologetic, familiar grin that stopped Dave in his tracks. It had been over a decade since he’d seen that grin, but it was, without a doubt, Finn Hudson.

Finn didn't seem to notice who he'd smiled at, because he just grabbed the correct bag and set off toward the terminal. Dave stood there on the curb and watched him go. There was no way he was going to call anything after him, no matter how friendly that smile had been, because—really, what did you say to the stepbrother of a guy you’d tormented? By the time he finally recovered his bearings, Finn was long gone, and Dave headed off to the terminal alone.

But when he got through security and made his was across the airport to his gate, Finn was there, again. Dave continued to keep his distance, but he watched Finn settle his long frame in one of the chairs by the window.

In many ways, Finn looked the same. He had a similar build as he had in high school, still long and lanky, and a smile that still came easily, even when directed at strangers in airports. Now, however, he appeared to be more at home in his body than he'd been back then. The awkwardness Dave remembered was gone, leaving behind a casual confidence that did not appear to be feigned.

Dave almost sat in the empty chair beside him, but ultimately decided to keep to himself until the flight attendant called him to board. Finn remained a couple of steps ahead of Dave as they entered the plane, but Dave was the one who made sure he had a seat on the aisle, one ear listening to Finn strike up a conversation with the flight attendant.

"Hey, excuse me..." Finn smiled up at her, all boyish earnestness. "Do you happen to have a set of over-the-ear headphones I could borrow?"

"I'm sorry, sir, those are only for our first class passengers," she said. "Can I get you anything else?"

Finn nodded in apparent understanding. "I just can't use the in-the-ear kind. Are you sure you don't have one extra pair?" As she shook her head apologetically, he shrugged easily, reaching into the pocket in front of him and holding up a little wrapped package. “Also… I wanted to pass this on to you and your crew. I know you work extra hard at this time of year, and I really appreciate everything you do. Happy holidays.”

She looked taken aback, but she smiled as she accepted the gift. "Well, that is really very thoughtful of you! Thanks.” Then she paused, glancing over her shoulder, then leaned in toward Finn. “You know, I'm just going to take a look and see if we might have an extra pair of over-ear headphones for you after all, okay?"

"Only if it's no trouble." He kept the smile directed at her until she was out of sight.

Dave shook his head, chuckling. He leaned into the aisle to catch Finn's attention. "Asking for headphones like that... does that actually work?"

"I don't know," Finn admitted. "We'll see." Then he did a double-take. “No way. Dave Karofsky? What are you doing in Los Angeles?"

"I live here. You too?"

Finn nodded. "For eight years now. Came for grad school and never left.” His smile increased, approaching brilliance. “What do you know, we both got out of Lima. Are you on your way home for the holidays?"

"My folks are hosting family dinner for me and my sister.” He tightened the seat belt across his lap. "I don't get home much anymore."

"Tell me about it." Finn paused in his conversation as the flight attendant approached him again, handing him a plastic-wrapped bundle. His smile broadened. “Thank you!”

She put a finger to her lips. “It’ll be our secret.”

Dave shook his head in incredulity as Finn unwrapped the headphones. “I can’t believe you got her to give them to you.”

“Becoming a therapist definitely taught me something about how to talk to people.” He admired the headphones for a moment, then held them out across the aisle to Dave with a teasing grin. “Maybe you should take them. You’re the one who missed out on Glee club in high school, after all.”

Dave waved him off, chuckling. “You couldn’t have paid me to join any clubs back then, but that doesn’t imply I wasn’t listening to music.” He cocked his head. “What about you? What are you listening to these days?”

Finn’s smile faded. He hesitated, then withdrew the headphones. “On second thought, maybe I’ll use them after all.”

Dave just nodded, not questioning Finn’s sudden change of heart. He dug out his own earbuds, plugged them into the jack on the back of the seat in front of him, chose an inoffensive audio track from the selection, and closed his eyes.

That kept him distracted well enough for the initial part of the flight, though the air was too rough for him to really tune out. It wasn’t long before the music was interrupted by a weary message from their flight crew. “Well, folks, I’m sorry to report there’s a weather system ahead of us that’s closed airports all the way across the Rockies and well into the Great Plains. We’re going to have to land in Flagstaff.”

Dave’s stomach sank. The other passengers around him were muttering to one another, and from what little he could see of Finn’s face, he was feeling just as dismayed as Dave was. He gripped the armrests with both hands and held on until they finally landed unevenly on the tarmac.

“When can you reroute us?" asked another passenger.

“You’re going to need to talk to a gate agent,” the flight attendant said, as patiently as they could. At least they didn’t look worried, which was about the only positive thing Dave could say about the situation.

The airport was crowded with people trying to get back into the air or onto the highway. The only answer Dave could get to all of his requests for transportation was, “I’m sorry, everything is delayed; you’ll have to wait.”

From the back of the rebooking line, he caught sight of Finn having a conversation with an agent. Even from this distance, Dave could hear Finn’s volume increase with each sentence.

“What do you mean there aren’t any taxis?” he demanded.

Dave tried for the fifteenth time to get a call through to his mom, but kept getting a message that the call couldn’t connect. He sighed, wondering if he should attempt to find a pay phone.

He didn’t get very far, though, before Finn appeared beside him, tugging his arm. "Come on."

"What—" Dave protested, stumbling after him. "Where are we going? I have to pick up my bags.”

“You can’t. They checked them through to Ohio.” Finn grinned. “But I found us a ride to the rental car place. And you'll never guess who's here in Flagstaff!”

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Written for @davesdude80 for the 2021 Dave Karofsky Discord Secret Santa Exchange.

#glee fanfiction #fave #hudofsky

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