AN: I got inspired by my "5 Things Mike Chang loves about Rachel Berry" and this was the result.

5 Things Matt Rutherford loves about Rachel Berry

5.) She's got dreams, big dreams. Dreams that should probably scare him, but instead they amaze him. She's so determined, so completely sure of everything that it's intimidating to tell her about his own dreams, because he's afraid she'll laugh and say "That's not a dream. It's a fantasy!" His dreams don't seem all that big, compared to hers, but she always loves to listen to him ramble on. She amazes him with her complete faith in his dreams, and her drive to help him make them come true. It just makes him love her more.

4.) She loves holding hands. It took him a while to get used to that, because as much as he cares about Santana as a friend, she was never the hold-your-hand type of girlfriend. She was more, come-here-and-let-me-shove-my-tongue-down-your-throat. Not that he was complaining at the time, but still, it's nice for things to be simple. It's just nice to be with someone. Rachel will slide up next to him, kiss his cheek, and slip her small hand into his, and it's perfect.

3.) She loves his brothers, older and younger: Rashad (age 20), Jack (age 12), Austin (age 5), and Remy (age 3). They are crazy and nosy and loud-but she loves them anyway. She babysits them, hangs out with them, takes them to school, and comes to all of their games (for the various sports they play). And they love her. Possibly more than they love him, but he understands.

Before he'd started dating Rachel, his house had been chaos. His parents were divorced; they only saw their dad every other weekend, and on some holiday's, so it was hard for his mom to take care of five kids and keep the sixth in college. The house was always in a mess, sports gear, toys and homework spread out over the entire house. They family never ate dinner together, and hardly ever got chance to do family things. Then Rachel came.

She breezed in and fixed everything. The mess of stuff went to their proper places (after she created proper places), dinner was on the table and not in the living room, and they had family nights. Everything became organized and neat. She even cleaned Matt's room, brave girl.

2.) She's not afraid to stand up for the people she loves. Not at all. Usually, it's just her fathers that need defending from cruel people at school and the grocery store. She's always defending the Glee kids, no matter how bad they treat her. And sometimes it's Matt. He doesn't mind, because really, it's kinda hot to see her with her hands on her hips in the classic Rachel Berry 'I-am-Queen-of-the-world-and-you-are-a-mere-peasant' stance. Usually it's over something stupid and possibly funny, like Rachel, Quinn and Santana arguing over whose boyfriend his hotter/sweeter/cooler/nicer, etc. So it's no big deal.

But then there are the times when he has to stick up for her after she's been slushied by some asshole, and said asshole will come to school the next day with a bruised face. After Matt paid him a visit at his house (because he wasn't going to get caught fighting in school and get suspended) the slushies would stop from that particular asshole. But there was always another one.

1.) She never found it hard to say I love you. Never. She didn't hesitate, didn't hold it in, she just let it all out, and bared her soul for the world to see. At first, he'd resented her for that, just a little. Because it was hard for him to say it, and he knew it hurt hr feelings when he wouldn't (couldn't) say it back, but she always said she understood.

And when he finally said it back (three months after she said it the first time) they both knew it was worth the wait, because they both meant it.

Plus, Rachel had already planned their lives together (i.e. college, living together, marriage, babies, retirement) so it was a relief when he said he loved her.

That's one other thing he loves about Rachel. She always has a plan.