The Cherry on Top

Mike sighed completely bored while sitting on one of those high bar stools in front of the mini bar counter, watching his friends screaming and moving things around the room. They were not in bar if someone thought that. They were at Rachel Berry's house; in her basement, where she had that mini pub, which the Gleek's used whenever they wanted to have fun.

Today was one of those evenings, during which the teenagers hung out. Usually most of them would get drunk and dance around the small space and sing their throats out, but today alcohol was a no go – cuz' Mr and Mr Berry were home, watching TV on the second floor.

Mike had no idea why Rachel still invited them all over if her parents were home, but he assumed that because it was Friday and she would most probably end up bored, she decided to let her friends suffer with her.

Not that it was actually boring.

It was pretty interesting watching his friends do all the work – sometimes dance injuries are quite useful, when needing an excuse for being lazy. It was not even that bad of an injury – he was trying out a new move, but apparently his muscles were not warmed up enough and his leg now hurt like hell.

Everyone laughed him out of course because – Mike injuring himself during a dance class? Never happened before. But in the end they all clapped him on the shoulder and let him sit, while they did all the work.

What work?

''Noah! Not your left! My left!''

That work.

Rachel finally realized that having her friends over meant that everything was in danger of getting lost or broken. So she decided that before the evening even started she would make them all move things around, creating space in front of the huge LCD TV Puck brought.

''Finn, push the table to that wall – the one with that painting. Rory, help him – for god's sake, he's gonna break that thing!''

It was funny how Rachel screamed orders at the boys, and it was even funnier watching them all obey her like puppies. They looked like they were scared of her, even though she was smaller than any of them.

''Kurt! Ku- For the love of th- Blain! Tell your boyfriend that those pillows are meant for sitting on them not for sleeping.''

Mike could laugh at the view in front of him, knowing that Rachel was once bullied by the same people she was commanding around now.

''Santana, please! You said you would sweep the floor!''

''Fuck off Berry! I'll do it, for god's sa- heeiii! Don't push me!''

''Brittany, tell your dear girlfriend that she should move her behind!''

Mike could not stop himself anymore. He had to laugh out loud, watching his friends behave like three year old children, while moving around furniture in order to make some space in the middle of the room where they placed the huge TV and improvised a large couch made of billions of pillows.

There were 15 people… How in the world are they gonna squeeze themselves in front of the TV he had no idea. It often happened that they all just visited Berry or Puckerman and took over the house and it also often happened that they just sat on something or someone when possible. If he was honest, he was quite used to it. He could not imagine if Berry or Puckerman were, but not seeing or hearing them complain about it, they must be.

Rachel seemed to find it even fun. And thinking about the devil…

''Hey Mike!'' Rachel greeted him and walked behind the counter where she began to make 15 glasses of hot chocolate. Uf… That will take some time the boy thought. She really must have the will power for that.

''Yo, Rachel. Need some help?'' he replied and moved around in his seat. Maaaan… He wished his leg was ok. It was really frustrating not walking around.

''Nah, don't worry. How's your leg?'' she smiled and danced around the mini bar, looking for cups.

''Uf don't worry. It's not that horrible. A day or two and I'll be new.'' He sang and laughed when he noticed her giggle. It was strange how it made him feel excited seeing her happy face.

She giggled at his rhyme and prepared the chocolate mixture, not even looking at what she was doing. She must be an expert, he thought.

''I still can't believe that it was you who got hurt. How did it happen, actually? I just can't imagine you…'' she trailed off and smiled goofily in front of herself. Mike tsked at her obvious behaviour that indicated her imagining him tripping and falling and screaming - and waived his hand in front of her face, looking at her playfully sceptical. ''Very funny…''

Rachel laughed, her voice ringing through his ears, making his eyes wide open and his heart beating a little faster.

''I-I'm-mmpfhh-I'm sorryyyyy….Pfhhhhaahahaha!'' She had to put down everything she held in her hand because she was shaking so much and with her appearance, she even made Mike chuckle a little.

''I'm really sorry…'' she giggled and tried to stay calm. ''I just imagined you do the splits and then your pants-phahahahahahaha!'' and there she was again.

''Oh shush…'' Mike smiled in embarrassment and laughed with her. She really did change. At the beginning of high school, he did not even know Rachel; les ever imagined he would be talking with her as if they were best friends. She changed so much during these high school years that he is surprised he did not notice it before.

Gone was the bullied girl with no self-confidence that tried to talk and sing her way through high school. She became this whole new person who had almost the whole school wrapped around her pinkie finger.

She became a person he admired.

''What's up you clowns!'' came a very Puck-like voice from somewhere and Rachel and Mike both turned to the side only to come face to face with Puck's awfully mean smirk that told them he knew something that others did not.

''Noah! Have you guys made spa-''

''Yeah yeah, chill. It's spacy and it's comfy. We're just waiting for the chocolate. Are you done yet?''

''You! You selfish slave driver! Why don't you help me instead of just waiting! Mike! Say something!''

''Yeah man… Why don't you?'' the Asian grinned at Puck's glare and dodged a hit from the mohawked boy.

''Hey! Don't hit him! He's injured!'' exclaimed Berry and grabbed Puck's arm.

Noah grinned again and winked at Mike. He pulled Rachel a bit closer, which made her squeak and laughed when he saw Mike's suspiciously jealous stare.

''You! Go help the others or something if you don't want to help me!'' Rachel playfully angry told him and tried to push him away. Puck on the other hand pouted like a kid and made big, nasty puppy eyes Rachel hardly ever resisted. ''Aww… Don't be mad. You know I came here just to see you.''

Rachel smiled at that and waived at Quinn who watched them, almost dying from laughing.

''Aww… I hope you know your girlfriend is laughing behind your bag instead of being jealous.'' She told her friend and Puck looked back seeing Quinn sitting on the floor, wiping away tears of laughter.

''Ts… And I thought this might work.''

''Too bad for you. Now go away!''

''Yeah yeah. Kissy!'' he pouted his lips and Rachel leaned her head to the side, so he could kiss her cheek like he always did. Mike was impressed of how good friends the two of them had become and could not imagine himself being that intimate with a girl without being her boyfriend. But it seemed it was ok for them.

Puck then pressed a big, fat, nasty kiss on Rachel's cheek and licked her skin.

''Eeeewwww!'' Rachel screamed and playfully pushed him away. Puck laughed in her face when her sharp finger pressed into his chest threatening him.

''You're gonna pay for this!'' she exclaimed and he laughed again, pouting his lips, asking for a kiss as a payment. Rachel quickly grabbed a wet sponge and pushed it on his mouth, making him scream in disgust.

''Why… You little midget!'' the mohawked boy called and made Mike, who was still watching them roar in laughter, almost falling from his seat.

''Puck! Stop playing around and bothering Rachel and come help push the table to the other side!'' called Quinn and interrupted the quarrel between the best friends. Like the perfect boyfriend he became, Puck immediately jumped away, glared at Rachel who send him a hand kiss in goodbye and marched towards his girlfriend, only to greet her with a big, childish hug.

''Those two really are something, aren't they?'' Rachel smiled at Mike and continued with what she was doing before.

''Yeah, they are. But the two of you are also… hm… special…'' Mike replied carefully, but received a careless wave of her hand from Rachel. ''Don't worry. We're just playing around. Noah and I consider each other as siblings and Quinn knows that the most. I can't imagine having more that friendship with him, really.'' The girl explained calmly, not a trace of regret or lies on her face.

''That's… admirable…'' Mike was still amazed, but what made him even more surprised was the adult-like behaviour Rachel pulled.

''You really have changed, you know?'' he suddenly blurred out and blinked in embarrassment. But Rachel just smiled at him, making him blush and threw him a wink. ''Thanks.'' She mixed the prepared chocolate and tasted it.

''Mmmm… Good…'' she mused and searched for the decorative crème. When she found it, she turned back towards Mike and caught him staring at her. She smiled again and leaned on the counter.

''Hey…'' she started carefully, knowing that she might start a sensitive topic. ''How are you…''

Mike caught on her question and shrugged his shoulder. ''Alright I guess. It's been months already. Tina and I have become friends again…'' he told her, his eyes glancing at Tina for a moment.

Rachel smiled at that and leaned back, working on the crème.

''So… Mike… Any other girl caught your eye?'' she asked him cheekily and squeezed the crème over the chocolate.

Mike smirked at her, licking his lips. ''Well… There might be…'' he laughed at her raised brow and leaned on the counter, watching her work on the drinks.

''Of course there is someone for you – just look at you! Nice, good looking and smart. What else could a girl ask for?'' she smiled at him and then gasped as she remembered something. She quickly jumped towards the fridge and opened it.

Mike's heart was beating a little faster after he heard these words come from her mouth. But he had to keep his cool. It does not mean that she means something by saying such things. He quickly tried to change the topic.

''I still can't believe how different you are, you know… You went from hiding in the toilet from your bullies, to commanding them around.'' He told her, not understanding why she was suddenly holding a small plastic box of cherries.

''Yeah… I know…'' she trailed off and looked around, smiling at her friends. ''I like it this way.'' She noticed then that he was staring at the cherries in confusion. She was quick to explain.

''It's a new thing in coffees…'' she started, nodding her head towards the cherries and opened the box. ''They make hot chocolate with crème and a cherry on top.'' She looked him in the eye and smiled. ''But only for lovers.''

Mike blushed at that like a tomato and was wondering if there was a hidden message in her words and her look that made the room for him incredibly hot. In the meantime Rachel put all the cups on a big tray and threw a cherry in her mouth. She nibbled at it and took the stone out. She looked incredibly sexy while doing this and Mike gulped down his sudden excitement that was making his chest too full to breathe normal.

''F-for lovers?'' he asked, trying to hide his embarrassment. Rachel smiled at him again and put a curl of hair behind her ear.

''Well, it actually started with girls making a hot chocolate for the guy they liked. And the cherry on top the crème was something like a confession.'' Rachel started to explain and walked around the counter. She sat down on the chair next to Mike and leaned her head on her hand. She smiled while innocently staring at the dark-haired boy in front of her that had a hard time hiding his nervousness.

''Then a girl that got the guy she liked in that way started to work at a coffee and suggested to make hot chocolate with a cherry on top for couples. It soon became a successful investment and now every coffee in Lima has a custom of the so-called 'Cherry on Top' Hot Chocolate.'' Her eyes watched him and her tongue licked her juicy lips and Mike was completely at los of words.

Rachel put a cup of hot chocolate on the counter for him and stood up. Mike was too busy with staring at her with big eyes to notice that she took a couple of cherries in her hands. Then she pulled at the tray and grabbed it with both hands.

''I'll bring these to the others.'' She told him, not once looking away. ''They will all receive a cherry from the one they like; I have told them what this custom means.'' She giggled and winked at him.

''So… I f you want to join the club…''she smiled gently at him, her cheeks slightly rosy and walked away. Mike watched her interact with the others, laugh at jokes and talk about something that they all found shocking. She glanced in his direction and he quickly looked away and reached for his chocolate pot she made for him.

When he looked at it, he gasped in surprise.

There was a cherry on top.