She wasn't stupid. She was aware that he was most likely only interested in her to get a one up on the competition, but there was just something about him she couldn't ignore. Something that made her nuts about him, just as he claimed to be with her when this all started.
Maybe it was because his ambition to be a star matched hers or that he took his craft just as seriously as she did, maybe even more so. He was extremely talented and she would be lying if she said that didn't factor into her attraction of him. Maybe it was his self assuredness of his talent or she thought, slightly gazing at him from the corner of her eye, as he sang along to the number the club was working on for the week, maybe it was the undeniable fact that he was extremely good looking and charming beyond belief.
Still singing along she shook her head slightly. No. Those just weren't it.
All of those things were great and she liked, possibly even loved, all of those qualities in him, but that just wasn't what set her heart a flutter every time he fixed his eyes upon her or caused the eruption of butterflies to go off in her stomach with every touch he bestowed. No. It wasn't those things at all.
The song was coming to end when she felt his hand in hers. Turning her head slightly she saw him smiling at her, but it wasn't his classic 'I adore you' you smile. This one looked somewhat mischievous, but before she could take the time to figure out what he was up to he had tugged her hand so that she spun into him. Then in front of the whole club, as the last note rang out, he dipped her quickly, only holding her there for a second, and then brought her back up, their faces intimately close. He looked completely pleased with himself, having knocked her breathless, and kissed the tip of her nose as most of the glee club laughed at how out of sorts Jesse seemed to leave their over talkative, bossy, female lead.
Just like that, standing within his arms, Rachel finally knew why it was she was so absolutely, one hundred and ten percent, insanely, crazy about this boy.
Jesse St. James really saw her. He would never shy away from her crazy antics, like he, always said he's quite the drama queen himself, and when he spoke to her he didn't look away. He would stare straight into her eyes, focus on her completely, and actually listen to her ramble off about whatever topic seemed to come to mind at the time. He didn't pretend to hear what she was saying and mumble "yeah" like Finn or even Puck would whenever she was telling him something. Instead, Jesse would engage himself into the conversations, often challenging her intellect, and doing some major rambling of his own.
Jesse was also never ashamed to be seen with her and was normally the one to initiate contact between them. Whether it was wrapping an arm around her shoulders or waist as they walked down the halls of school, or unconsciously holding her hand and running his thumb along her knuckles as they sat side-by-side at glee rehearsals. There was the assembly where they sat on the gym floor and he pulled her to sit between his legs so she could lay back against his chest, and then later as they stood and sang along with Mercedes, he had held her against him in front of the entire school only releasing her for a moment to clap. After the Madonna number, "Like a Prayer", the song had barely ended and he had rushed down from his spot alongside the choir, eyes alive with the excitement, joy, and passion he held for what they all had just performed together, to swoop her up in his arms, hugging her completely against his body, as he spun around with her, all while broadly smiling against her shoulder. He never really paid attention to who was around, if anyone was, he just would always be pulling her in somehow.
There was also something so right when the two of them sang together. As corny and dramatic as it sounded, even to her ears, there was something almost magical when they sang together. Sacred even and no one could touch or take that away from them. It connected her to him and vice versa in a way that she never could connect with anyone else; she could tell the moment they made eye contact during the chorus of hello that no one was ever going to sound as perfect singing with her as Jesse did.
She had definitely met her match in Jesse and though to some, basically glee club, they were an obnoxious couple, they were sort of perfect for each other.
The realization had her kissing him in a most inappropriate way, what with Mr. Shue and the club looking on, but she honestly didn't care at the moment.
Pulling away, slightly out of breath, but smiling nonetheless Jesse asked, "What was that for?"
She almost laughed at the surprise in his voice for her out of character behavior, "For being you."
He laughed pulling her close against him again, "I am pretty amazing aren't I."
She rolled her eyes at his complete confidence in himself, but couldn't really argue. "You really are."
His eyes took on certain shine she had never really paid notice to as he looked back into hers at the moment.
"You know," he said starting to lean forward. "You're pretty amazing too Rachel Berry."
As he closed the space between them to kiss her again she was sure he could feel her smile against his lips and from the slight upturn of his, she could tell he didn't mind one bit.
This didn't end up being very long, but it was something I just had running around in my head for the past few days. I actually really like how it turned out. Hope you all enjoyed!