Title: Still Wanting

Fandom: Glee

Pairing/Characters: Rachel Berry, Jesse St James (implied Rachel/Finn, Rachel/Jesse)

Rating: FR13

Disclaimer: Glee belongs to Ryan Murphy and company.

Prompts: Written for day 16 at mini_nanowrimo where I signed up to write 250 words a day during the month of November 2010.

Notes: Set post Season One, but does not contain spoilers for Season Two

Summary: Jesse confronts Rachel just before Regionals.

Word Count: 534

 

He's standing in front of her and she has to resist the urge to go running back into his arms. She's with Finn now and she shouldn't want to kiss or touch Jesse St James. And even if she wasn't with Finn, well Jesse betrayed her and broke her heart. Yet Rachel still takes a step forward instead of ignoring him. Jesse smiles at her and she tries to ignore how fast her heart starts to beat at the sight of that smile.

“Rachel,” Jesse says with a smile.

“What do you want?” Rachel tersely asks as she folds her arms over her chest.

“Did you think that I'd miss this?”

“I don't see why this would interest you. After all Vocal Adrenaline didn't make it to Regionals this year.”

Rachel can't keep the vicious smirk off of her face yet Jesse just laughs at her words before taking another step closer to her.

“They lost because they don't have either Shelby or myself on their side anymore,” Jesse says. “But that's not why I'm here, Rachel and you know it.”

She shivers when he says her name and she steps backwards. Jesse keeps stepping forward and she keeps stepping backwards until her back hits the wall. He stops when they're standing toe to toe and Rachel has to tell herself that she's not interested in anything that Jesse has to offer. She has to tell herself that she doesn't want to touch him much less kiss him, no matter how hard her heart pounds in her chest.

“Your dress is pretty,” Jesse tells her.

“Why are you here?” Rachel asks.

“Do you think that I wouldn't be here?” Jesse asks. “Do you really think that I'd miss the moment when Rachel Berry's star begins its ascent?”

“I don't see why you would be here.”

Jesse leans forward and places his hands above the wall just above her shoulders. She shivers again and the smirk on his face melts away.

“Despite everything that's happened, I still love you.”

“How pleasant but I am over you. I love Finn.”

Jesse laughs at her words. He leans down and whispers in her ear.

“If you love Finn so much, then why are you trembling? Why are you still here? You can have your precious Finn now but we both know that in a few years you'll have outgrown him, don't we Rachel?”

“Y-yes,” Rachel whispers.

“I'm here because I wouldn't miss this for anything.”

Jesse picks up her hand and kisses the palm before he folds her fingers over her palm. She doesn't yank her hand away, instead she stares up at him and she tells herself that it doesn't mean anything. Still when she rushes to the stage, Rachel swears that her hand still tingles where Jesse kissed it. And even though, Rachel doesn't look for him in the crowd, she knows that he's there. And that knowledge pushes her to perform her best.

When they win, Finn picks her up in a hug and Rachel hears Jesse's words from earlier about how she'll outgrow Finn in time. It makes her hold him tighter because she knows that Jesse is patiently waiting in the wings.

((END))

 

Go back to Glee Fanfiction or back to the Main Fanfiction page?