King And Queen Of Hearts

The air of the classroom was refreshingly cool upon her skin, whispering across the back of her neck and making her run a distracted hand over the damp curls of her hair. The pounding beats of Lady GaGa's 'Monster' could still be heard drifting through the corridors that led away from the gymnasium, accompanied by the cheers and laughter and general merriment that echoed through the school, still going as strong as ever despite the fact the dance would soon be drawing to a close.

She knew that someone would come looking for her eventually, but until then Rachel was content to stand in the stolen quiet – letting her thoughts resurface from the noisy activity that had swallowed them for the past few hours and giving her body the chance to recover after the exhilaration of dance and drama that had taken up most of the night. Her breath misted so faintly on the glass as she turned her eyes away from the troubled expression of her reflection, lifting her head to allow her gaze to drift through the constellations that lit the sky above the school, finding comfort once more within the stars that forever guided her.

It wasn't that she hadn't been having a good time. A small smile touched her lips as she thought back on the memories of her friends. She thought of Kurt and Blaine taking to the floor in their coronation dance, defying the jeers and intimation with all their usual grace and style and coming out all the stronger for it. She had never been so proud of him. She thought of cheering on her fellow members of glee club as they rocked the junior prom beyond all expectation, rising to heroes in their peers' eyes, even if it was just for one night. She remembered dancing with Mercedes and Sam until she was breathless with laughter, twirling on the dance floor until she was dizzy and posing for a parade of photos – both official and not. They had ended on a high, just like they always did.

So why did she feel so unsettled?

Rachel worried her bottom lip gently between her teeth as she reluctantly turned her thoughts towards the significantly more dubious moments of the night's excitement. With all its twists and turns, there was no denying that this evening hadn't turned out like any of them had quite expected. And while it may seem like they had all ultimately risen above such adversities with a few touching gestures, she knew from experience that the after effects of tonight's emotional outbursts weren't going to go away any time soon.

As she played through the series of dramatic events in her mind one more time, Rachel could help wondering exactly what kind of minefield she had walked herself into this time. Everything felt all jumbled up inside and she couldn't get a firm grip on the tempest of emotions that filled her, let alone discern who they were directed at. Perhaps she should have known better. Looking back, things were bound to kick off from the very beginning of this saga – there was simply too much resentment and bad feeling between the boys for Finn to have ever handled Jesse's return smoothly. And yet, she argued with herself in frustration, he had no right to behave the way he did. Not when he was the one who broke up with her and then promptly returned to dating Quinn, flaunting their relationship in her face at every opportunity. So it was okay for him to move on but not for her? Did he just want her to be miserable and alone, to sit and pine quietly in the corner until someday when he felt like magnanimously forgiving her for a single thoughtless transgression – one that frankly stacked quite low next to the mountain of his stupid decisions? Maybe he thought she had only agreed to see Jesse again as some kind of revenge, just to stir things up and provoke a reaction. Biting her lip with a frown, Rachel realised that the worst part was that she couldn't completely convince herself to the contrary. Had she? Perhaps. Subconsciously at least. And why did that make her feel so guilty? It wasn't as if Jesse had never used her for all the wrong reasons, she thought defensively.

God, she hadn't felt this confused since… well, since the last time Jesse was in her life.

She dropped her head with a groan then as a depressingly practical problem suddenly presented itself to her whirring mind. They had all arrived together this evening on their double dates, and Jesse had been the one to drive them over to McKinley from Breadsticks. And now he was gone – along with his car, presumably. Just great. The situation was hardly dire but even though she knew that Kurt would be more than willing to give her and the others a lift back home tonight, Rachel couldn't help feeling like a third wheel. She sighed, long and deep and thoroughly fed up. Kurt and Blaine, Sam and Mercedes, Mike and Tina, Finn and Quinn… Everyone had someone. Maybe that was all she would ever be – a third wheel. An unwanted, ill-fitting, extraneous burden that would never quite belong.

Looking up from her melancholy thoughts, she glanced back into the window and let out a small shriek. It was the shock more than anything that made her yelp at the figure that had suddenly materialised in the reflection behind her, standing close just over her shoulder and shrouded in shadow, though fear and panic were quick to join the party. She spun around and a hand abruptly clamped over her mouth, a warm body pressing into hers with silent warning.

"Whoa, easy, it's just me."

Wide eyes darted up to meet the amused gaze of her intruder and promptly narrowed in a thunderous glare. Her face fell into a scowl as she quickly shook off his grip and pushed herself away.

"Jesse! Give me a heart attack why don't you?" she grumbled, putting a hand to her chest to feel her breath still beating hard and fast under her fingers, racing with the influx of adrenaline that had rushed through her. All of which she stubbornly put down to the unceremonious manner of his appearance, despite the fact the pounding in her ribs wasn't as quick to ease as she had expected. She smacked his shoulder with an angry whisper. "What are you playing at?"

Jesse held up his hands, meeting her eyes with a softly taunting smile. "Hey, couldn't have you screaming your lungs out and bringing the whole school running in here. Especially as I'm now technically trespassing, I suppose."

He looked positively proud at the concept, a sharp glint in his gaze that she remembered well. Ever the joyful trouble-maker. Rachel tried to resist the urge to roll her eyes, a venture that was only partly successful. Trust him to break back into the school and sneak up on her in a darkened classroom, nearly making her jump out of her skin, all barely over an hour after being kicked off the premises for getting into a fight. He was such a drama junkie. A reluctant smile tugged the corner of her lips. Takes one to know one…

He slipped his hands back into his pockets, his piercing eyes dark and playful as they held her own through the quiet, everything in his stance just as calm and unhurried as ever despite the clandestine circumstances of their meeting. The sleeves of his suit jacket were pushed up to his forearms, his navy tie hung loose and undone around his neck and the crisp lines of his shirt were worn and crinkled from the evening's festivities. The whole effect was ridiculously attractive and was not helping to control her skipping heartbeat in the slightest.

"Thought you got thrown out," she remarked at last, cocking an eyebrow in pointed accusation.

"Finn got thrown out," he corrected with a smug smile. "I, on the other hand, am not so easily dissuaded."

"But coach Sylvester…"

"Dazzled her with my rhetoric," he replied breezily.

Rachel rolled her eyes but was unable to hide her smile. "Not even you are that good, Jesse."

He laughed at that, warm and natural and effortlessly charming. "No," he conceded, catching her eyes with a familiar smirk. "But I'm sneaky as hell."

"You're telling me." Rachel shook her head, her smile fading as apprehension crept along the edge of her mind, her eyes darting nervously to the doorway over his shoulder. "You better hope she doesn't catch you back here."

But Jesse merely shrugged, dismissing the danger with an easy arrogance. "I know she's the terror of McKinley, but this isn't my school. She holds no power over me." He paused for a moment. "Except for the fact that she's, you know, pretty nuts."

"You don't know the half of it." Rachel shuddered miserably, crossing her arms. "She loves nothing more than making our lives as difficult as possible."

"So I noticed," he said with a wry smile. Before she could pass comment he carried on, his voice firm and confident. "Don't worry about it. There are very few things that scare me and Sue Sylvester certainly isn't one of them. I've faced far worse than her before and lived to tell about it."

Rachel eyed him curiously. "Am I allowed to ask what does scare you?"

He held her gaze quietly for a moment, a veiled challenge in his words that neither expected an answer to. "Are you sure you want to know?"

There was no resentment or demand in his voice, no accusation or bitterness in his expression that she could decipher through that beautiful mask – perhaps only a hint of wistful regret and frustration that both let pass unspoken. She smiled sadly and glanced down, allowing the question to dissipate into the air without protest.

Jesse stepped forward slowly, lifting his hand to touch the rouge glow on her cheek, a soft frown falling over his features. "That looks sore."

Rachel shivered as she felt his long, elegant fingers gently skim over the inflamed skin, as cool and soothing as summer rainwater. He traced the curve of her cheekbone, the simple gesture impossibly intimate and tender, and the stinging bruise was suddenly painless. She looked away uncomfortably, forcing the nonchalance into her tone even as she refused to meet his eyes.

"Quinn and I had a little set-to in the bathrooms," she mumbled, shifting away so that he was forced to drop his hand.

Wrapping her fingers around the window ledge, she leant back against the glass and stubbornly studied the floor between them. She thought she heard him sigh, though it was too low to tell for sure, and it was a long moment before he finally offered a response.

"Well, that was a long time coming."

She raised her head before she could stop herself, belligerent objection in her eyes, but he cut her off before she could voice them.

"You have spent the majority of your time for the past two years chasing after her boyfriend and undermining their relationship at every opportunity," he pointed out calmly, a dry smile hinting about his lips despite the darkness in his gaze. "How do you expect the girl to react? Personally, I think she has been remarkably restrained so far."

"That's not…I…" Rachel opened her mouth in a familiar argument, yet the conviction left her halfway through her breath and she trailed off into a huff, slumping back and folding her arms sullenly. She felt oddly disconcerted and more than a little put out. Granted, Jesse was hardly an objective third party in all of this, but his typically blunt assessment of the situation simply cut too close to the bone not to contain uncomfortable truth. Maybe he had a point. Rachel chewed her lip, reluctantly reflecting back on her behaviour with a wince of embarrassment that she sincerely hoped he couldn't discern in the low lighting of the classroom.

He smiled and walked closer, catching her in his arms and resting his hands lightly on her hips, testing the waters with his usual smooth confidence. "Come on, Rach, don't sulk," he cajoled teasingly, pulling her against him and tilting his head to meet her eyes. "It's okay, I get it." His smile tightened an inch. "I don't like it, but I get it."

Rachel watched him in silence, studying every shadow of his face and those ever ambiguous eyes, still unsure what she was looking for. Her breath caught in a tremor as she felt him trail his hand up her side, his eyes leaving hers to follow his fingers as they absently stroked a loose lock of hair back behind her ear. Jesse shrugged faintly, his voice soft and knowing. "You can't help it," he said quietly. "It's who you are. It's how you live. You decide what you want the most out of life and you go for it – come ruin or rapture." He moved his mouth to the sensitive skin just under her ear, brushing his lips over the vein in her throat, close enough for her to feel the shiver of his words as they sunk into her body before they even registered in her mind. "Just like me."

Rachel realised then, too late, that this was no game of dare or passing fancy. This was all or nothing, sink or swim, and Jesse was in it for the fall this time. She pressed her lips together, almost too afraid to breathe, to succumb to the pain of the known and lure of unknown. She blinked long and hard, mentally fighting against the pull of the precipice, the rush of air and inviting expanse of sky that beckoned at the tips of her toes. She didn't think she would survive the rocks a second time…

"Jesse…"

She raised her head as she felt him step back, breaking the warmth of their contact, however briefly. She sent him a questioning glance, confused by the mixed signals of his actions until she saw him give a small bow and hold out a hand, a secret smile on his lips.

"We never did finish our dance."

She stared at him for a moment, scepticism written across her features, before finally concluding that he was indeed being serious. An indulgent grin tugged her mouth and she rolled her eyes even as she reached out her own hand to his, letting their fingers entwine before following his lead and moving close to him once more.

Music filtered through the hallways, drifting out from the gymnasium in a soft rhythm that wrapped around them both, filling the quiet of the classroom as the two teenagers slipped back into an achingly familiar embrace. Rachel clasped her hands loosely around his neck, an unbidden flutter stirring in her stomach as she felt his arms encircle her waist, his touch light but unerringly firm, subtly guiding her closer to him with each sway of their bodies. She couldn't help but smile. He never missed a trick did he?

"Still," she heard him say at last, amusement running through his voice, "I'm sorry I missed that. A scrap in the girls' bathrooms is always good entertainment."

Rachel pulled back a few inches to look at him, sliding her hands along his neck and tugging at a tangled curl in teasing reprimand. "You're the one who got kicked out for getting into a fight with Finn, remember?"

Jesse shrugged defensively. "He started it."

"What are you, six?"

He looked like he was about to argue some more but Rachel just laughed with a soft shake of her head. Leaning in, she rested her cheek against his shoulder once more, nestling into his neck and closing her eyes as she felt his petulant response melt into a grudging smile against the top of her head.

They moved slowly as they danced, smooth and seamless and ever in sync, lost inside a private world that was always so temptingly close. They had been denied the opportunity of couple's dance earlier in the evening, since Rachel herself had been the one to provide the music for that occasion, and even now Jesse wasn't entirely sure if that timely separation had been a product of coincidence or design.

He remembered watching her up on that stage, letting her voice fill his thoughts with a warmth he had never been able to find anywhere else, allowing the memories to consume his mind with a bittersweet wonder. She drew his gaze with the same effortless authority she had always commanded, just as raw and fearlessly passionate as she had been in the moment of their reunion. He had listened to her sing her song of defiant sorrow tonight with a swell of pride and cramp of guilt, even though it wasn't directed at him – not this time, despite all seemingly fitting parallels. That was a reason to hope, right? Jesse knew that she had always been captivating. Her emotions shone through in every breath, bold and undaunted, every break and scar in her heart adding new depth and power to her soulful voice. She had changed so much and yet not at all and as he had stood there, surrounded by crowds of McKinley students but aware of only one, he found he could think only of how much he would be content to listen to that voice for the rest of his life. To wake up to those eyes, feel the warmth in her body against his, and know that that light, that sun in her smile, was for him only. Despite everything else they would share with the world, that gorgeous smile would always be his.

It was a strange feeling to say the least, and one he was entirely unaccustomed to. Jesse had never felt an impulse to share his life and future with anything other than fame before.

Bringing his thoughts back to the present, he drew her closer and skimmed his lips across her forehead, as if to convince himself she was truly here, warm and real and safe in his arms. He felt her stiffen so fleetingly against him, but she didn't object or pull away or stop the gentle rhythm of their dance. Regardless of what had passed between them or what was still to come – for tonight, for this moment, she was with him and him alone. And that was enough… for now.

"So what else did I miss?"

Rachel smiled and opened her eyes, pouting her lips in thought as she contemplated her response. As much as she longed to simply absorb herself in the comforting beat of his heart and soft rocking of their bodies, she never could resist the chance to share hot gossip and especially with someone who thrived on all the melodrama just as much as she did. And so she told him of the controversial election results and all that had followed, frowning at the memory of her friend's humiliation but affectionate pride filling her voice as she went on to describe his ultimately triumphant coronation.

Jesse smiled faintly, an unmistakable note of admiration in his words. "Good for Hummel. Maybe there's hope for you lot after all." He paused for a moment before remarking, "I bet Quinn was less than thrilled at losing out on the title though."

"I think she was more pissed that Finn got himself thrown out in the first place," Rachel muttered wryly. "She didn't take too kindly to his little 'intervention'."

There was an indefinable hesitation before he spoke again.

"And you?"

Rachel shrugged. "It was childish behaviour. I don't know why he even did it. It's not like I wasn't…" She bit her tongue and Jesse smirked at the admission she wouldn't let pass her lips. It wasn't as if he hadn't felt the physical proof after all, both then on the dance floor and now in each other's arms, moving to the straining notes of their own music. The pulse of her heart, the rush of her breath and press of her body – they all gave her away. Still, being a gentleman, he wasn't about to point it out.

"I'm flattered," he murmured softly. "But that's not what I meant."

She sighed, adjusting herself against him to bring their gazes together, subdued wariness but a fresh conviction kindling in those painfully bright eyes. "I didn't appreciate it, if that's what you mean," she said quietly.

Jesse inclined his head almost imperceptibly in understanding. He touched his thumb to the corner of her mouth, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "It's a start."

She held his gaze for a moment longer, before shifting to lay her head down on his shoulder once more. As they danced through the darkness, swaying gently to the echoing music, Rachel touched her finger to the button hole of his jacket, her brow furrowing sadly as she realised it was now missing the petals of the flower she had placed there earlier that evening. The absent sight hurt somehow and she was seized with the determination to replace it, to wrap her hands carefully around his lapel all over again, to see the smile in his eyes as they met hers in tender amusement and something indefinable. The brush of their fingers as she slowly dropped her hand and he offered out his arm in typically theatrical style, making her laugh as she hooked her elbow through his and dragged them both into the restaurant after Sam and Mercedes.

"Did you mean what you said earlier?" she asked suddenly without looking up, breaking the quiet with the low words.

"What?"

Rachel felt him breathe his reply into her hair and the warmth tingled all the way down to her toes. She swallowed and wondered why her throat felt so dry. "About sticking around?" She hesitated before quickly adding, "You know, starting up your own consultancy business?"

Jesse stayed quiet for a moment, holding her close to him, soaking in the serenity of her presence as he considered the lyrics of her question. "If there's a want for it," he answered carefully.

Rachel got the feeling they were moving to a very different yet oh-so familiar dance, swaying and stepping around words and feelings with more nimble evasiveness than their skilled feet could ever hope to achieve.

"I could have a word with Mr. Schue. If you…wanted. I mean, it would be stupid to let experience like yours go to waste."

"I think Finn might object to that," he replied lightly, a smirk in his voice that told all too easily of his enjoyment at the prospect.

Rachel frowned and clenched her hands a little tighter into the silk of his shirt. "Tough," she muttered vehemently. "He doesn't own the club. He doesn't get to decide what's best for us." Jesse didn't say anything but she could feel his smug smile as tangibly as if it were pressed against her skin, and she couldn't bring herself to admonish it.

The haunting chorus of Adele's 'Someone Like You' was drifting through the hallways, soft and sweet and lingering. Jesse drew her tighter into his arms and she willingly folded into his embrace, pressing so close to his body that he half wondered if she wasn't trying to bury her way under his very skin. If only she knew that she was already there. A small smile touched his lips. He knew that Rachel was just as protective of her club as she was of her heart. Admittance into one could only bode well for the other, and Jesse could afford to be patient this time.

Sliding his hands slowly along her waist, he clasped his fingers together over the small of her back and caressed his thumbs against the satin of her dress, eyes slipping shut to indulge in the vivid memory of the velvet skin that ran just underneath his palms. He felt her tremble slightly, unconsciously, and wondered for a moment if she'd unknowingly fallen privy to his thoughts. Her head was still tucked under his chin, resting against his chest, and so he couldn't see the soft flush that coloured her cheeks or the tip of a tongue that ran along her bottom lip as the parallel tracks of their thoughts drew ever closer to converging.

The gymnasium door must have been pushed open, for suddenly Adele's rich voice grew all the bolder and clearer around them, loud enough for Rachel to lift her head in surprise. Their eyes met through the shadows, locking them together even before his arms tightened around her waist and her fingers found their way to the lapels of his jacket. The kiss slowly melted into a blur of heat and darkness and the silver taste of starlight. Sensation overtook Rachel's mind and body, blinding her to everything but the force of his touch but somehow making the world shine all the brighter for it.

She knew then that this dangerous dance would ultimately save or destroy them both. This path would take them to the brink, the edge of their endurance, and at that moment she found herself almost exhilarated by it. Sometimes the soar was worth the plunge. And with the feel of his arms currently cradling her close, his body wrapped securely around hers, even the prospect of the rocks didn't seem so daunting. She knew there was danger and inevitable heartache beckoning at the edge of such a tentative and fragile sense of trust, but she just didn't have the heart to let it in. Not right now. Doubt and resentment could reclaim her tomorrow. For this evening she just wanted to share her prom night with the boy who held her so fiercely – her date, her adversary, her twisted Romeo, her dark side of the moon.

As they broke apart to catch their breath, she felt his hand gliding over her shoulder to gently grasp her neck, his thumb coming to rest at the hollow of her throat. "It's not over, you know." He moved his mouth to the shell of her ear, letting the warm words penetrate deep into them both. "It'll never be over."

Rachel shivered and squeezed her eyes shut. Pressing her face into his shoulder, she sought out the hot comfort of his body as she grasped her fingertips into the planes of his back, willing herself to sink away into his embrace and his promise.

They would never be free, never able to return to the people they had once been. Yet as Jesse twirled her gently in his arms, holding her close in the moonlight of the classroom and rhythm of the music – for the first time, Rachel felt that maybe that might not be such a condemnation after all.

~o~