Because His Jacket Smelt Good
By WhatWeReallyWant67
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, but if I did, Mark Salling would always be shirtless. Always.
Blank faced and cold, Rachel sat on the first step outside McKinley School. Cold because it was December and she left her coat in her locker. Blank Faced because she wasn't feeling anything. Anything but cold. She drew her legs towards her chest, and rested her chin on her knees.
She looked down at her hand. A golden chain with a charm rested in her palm. "Finn".
She didn't cry when she looked at it. She made excuses that it was his fault, but in all truth it was her. She had done it. It was her fault that they had broken up and that she was sitting here alone in the cold without Finn to ask the janitor for a key so he could go inside and get her jacket, or without the ride she usually got from him.
She didn't have a car, and her father's were at some couple's retreat, and so here she was sitting on a stoop wondering how she was going to get home. The students of McKinley High had long left, the wave of people hurling themselves to their cars and driving away had long since cooled and now only teachers who stayed after remained, walking with shoulder bags to their crappy cars. Rachel watched them go, not shedding any worry for the girl who sat without a jacket, fingers cold and heartbroken.
"Need a ride, Berry?" The voice called from behind her and she looked up slowly.
It was Noah, standing in full glory.
"Why are you still here? Shouldn't you have gone home by now."
"Nah, I stay after to do badass stuff. Do you need a ride?"
She nodded and stood, swiping the dirt off of her plaid skirt.
"Thanks." She said quietly.
"I heard about Finn. I'm sorry, it's kinda my fault."
"Kinda?" She hissed.
He shrugged and took off his jacket. He wrapped it around her shoulders. Shocked at the kindness, she looked up at him and he looked at her back and motioned towards his car like it was nothing.
She walked to his truck and got in. As soon as he got in the car he turned on the heat and Rachel leaned into the blast and rested her head on the cool dashboard.
He started to drive, way to fast, but Rachel was too black inside to care. Her insides were charred, and if they got in the crash at least maybe her outside might get warm as well.
His jacket smelt good. Like the soap he undoubtedly used and something else she couldn't quite place, maybe cigarette smoke?
"Thanks for the ride." She said quietly.
"No big. A girl shouldn't be left out in the cold."
"Noah, I never pegged you for a gentleman." She smiled lightly.
"I'm not. It's just a waste."
She laughs. Of course that'd be his thought process.
They pulled up at her house and he looked like he was contemplating something.
"Are your parents home?"
"No, they're at a conference. Why?"
"You wanna come over my place? My mom loves you and I think she'd make cookies if I told her we were studying together."
Rachel looked back at her house and then at the boy sitting in the car with her. She thought about the idea of going to his house and the idea of cookies and warmth to the idea of going inside and eating the salad she had put in the fridge that morning.
"Yeah, okay." She said and drew the jacket around her shoulders closer to her and leaned back.
"And Rachel?" she looked at him, and he put his hand over hers and it felt so warm. So warm where hers was cold.
"Yes?"
"I meant what I said at sectionals about liking you."
"Thanks Noah, that means a lot." She let him hold her hand as they drove to his house.
Because it did mean a lot. It meant that she was going to be okay. She was going to be okay because Noah liked her, because he gave her a ride, because he was holding her hand. But most of all, because his jacket smelt like his soap and cigarettes and it didn't smell like Finn. But it still smelt good.