Title: Kiss Me in The Rain

Summary: "Don't blame me, Mason. Blame the world I was brought up in…" "Why?" "I have expectations placed on me. And you're not one of those expectations." Scarlett Anderson never wanted to say goodbye to Mason McCarthy. And maybe she doesn't have to.

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, I'm just borrowing the characters. I only own Scarlett Anderson.

A/N: NO FLAMES! Not accepted.

"You're breaking up with me?" Mason McCarthy hadn't been faced with this before. Scarlett Anderson was his first girlfriend. She was older than him by about 4 years, but that had never mattered to Mason. He had fallen in love with the tall, leggy blonde from the start. With her long waterfall of sunshine and wheat that shone in the sunlight, her beautiful brown eyes, her voice. Most of all he loved her laugh and her smile. He loved her smooth, soft skin and the way she let him touch her in places he'd never touched a girl before. They'd only been intimate a few times but those times they'd only touched. Scarlett wouldn't let her 17-year-old lover go any further. Mason had been wanting to tell Scarlett that he loved her. He had heard her say it multiple times but he had yet to say it back.

"Is it because I haven't reciprocated yet?" he asked, if it was he'd say it. Right now.

"No, honey. No not at all." Scarlett said, she put a hand on Mason's arm as if to calm him, "No. Mace…I just…I have to go back to New York and in my experience LDRs don't work." Mason frowned.

"LDRs?" He hadn't heard that acronym before.

"Long Distance relationships." Scarlett supplied, "look, I would be willing to try but they usually don't work out for me. I know you liked Jane at first but now she's with Roderick and I was the girl you took one look at and fell hard and fast. I love you Mason. I always will. But I just don't think it's going to work." She said, she gave him a kiss, softly on the mouth and turned to walk away. Mason felt his heart shatter as she walked away, he even saw that she herself was crying. He didn't realize he was until Rachel appeared in front of him.

"Mason? What's wrong?" She asked, she held out a tissue.

"Uh, it's nothing. Something in my eye." He said, Rachel didn't look at all convinced but nodded and walked away. She pulled out her phone and dialled Blaine's number.

"Rachel?"

"Can you do me a favour?"

"I guess."

"Talk to your sister. Ask her what the hell she has done to Mason! The poor guy looked heartbroken. If she has broken his heart-"

"Scarlett is going back to New York and she doesn't have a good track record with Long Distance Relationships. Look, she loves Mason I know she does, she barely shuts up about how talented and handsome he is. She…no I am lucky that I'm a heavy sleeper when he's over I'm sure." Blaine explained.

"Ok, ew. Just please tell her that sometimes LDRs work out. And that Mason is utterly heartbroken." Rachel said.

"I'll tell her, but Rach, I doubt it'll make any difference." Blaine said, "When Scar sets her mind on something you can hardly change her mind." Rachel agreed and knew that there was almost nothing she could do to change Scarlett's mind. She just hoped that Mason would smile again.

It happened later in the week. Rachel and Kurt asked the club to sing songs about loss. Mason didn't feel much like singing, but Madison picked a song that made him think even more about Scarlett. The Way I Loved You by Taylor Swift wasn't a bad song to pick, it suited Madison's voice and all – but it held all the things that had happened in the 5 months Mason and Scarlett had been together.

"I miss screaming, crying and kissing in the rain, and it's 2am and I'm cursing your name," Mason stopped listening his mind taking him back to moments when those things had happened.

It was raining and Mason knew it was stupid, but he was walking home in the rain. Scarlett had been upset and she'd yelled. He knew she hadn't meant it but it still hurt.

"Mason!" He turned to find Scarlett running behind him. He waited for her to catch up. They'd yelled and screamed at each other in her front yard not twenty minutes ago, now even with the rain Mason could tell she'd been crying. As she reached him she threw herself around him. Her arms looped around his neck, her legs wrapped around his waist and her lips pressed firmly on his.

"Mason…I'm so sorry I said those things. I didn't mean them at all." Scarlett said against his mouth, rain ran down their skin but Mason's hands didn't let her go. He held her tight against him, her hands had moved one on the back of his head in his hair, the other on his shoulder. Her deep brown eyes locked on his, and her breathing was in time.

"I love you Mason." She said kissing him again. He responded with enthusiasm.

FLASH

Mason had gone home and he knew Scarlett was still awake. It was 1:50am and he was stressing. He'd said some stupid things. Not hurtful just stupid. He still hadn't said he loved her. He had said that he adored her. There's a difference apparently. Mason looked up when his phone buzzed. A text from Scarlett.

Where do you get off? You adore me? Screw you Mason McCarthy!

He stared at the message. Screw You? Is that the best that she could do? Cursing his very name? A glance at the clock showed that ten minutes had passed it was now 2am.

Madison finished her song, but Mason had heard only that line he still applauded with the rest of them. But as soon as he could he escaped. He had to get out of there. It was stuffy and he was feeling faint.

Kurt found Mason running laps out on the track. He waited until the cheerleader slowed down until he approached.

"Are you alright? Rachel told me you were upset the other day." Kurt said, Mason took a deep breath before replying.

"Do LDRs work out?" He asked.

"Sometimes. It depends on the people. Blaine and I did until he came to New York and that's when it began to fall apart." Kurt said.

"Well what about me and Scarlett?" Mason asked.

"I'm not sure. Is that why? Did she say it wouldn't work?" Kurt asked.

Mason nodded, "I've been with Scarlett 5 months and she says LDRs don't work and it's not because I haven't said that I love her – I do – but for her it seems that it's the distance."

"For Scarlett it's the sentiment. She's done LDRs before. She said that so you wouldn't be forced to say I love you if you weren't ready." Kurt said.

"But I am!" Mason exclaimed.

"Then chase her. This Weekend. Friday night get on a train and go to her. Scarlett has told me that she loves it when guys chase her." Kurt urged.

"WHAT?!" Scarlett stared at her producer utterly shocked, there was no way she was going to be full-on, real-life dating her co-star. No way. Not happening.

"Scarlett it will help with the on stage chemistry." The Producer said.

"I can handle chemistry fine! It's him that's the problem." Scarlett snapped.

"It is a bit on-sided, Paul. She is giving him everything and he's just not giving it back." The Assistant said from the row behind the producer.

"I'm not dating him. I have a boyfriend. No way." Scarlett said.

"What's this boyfriend's name, Scarlett?" Paul asked.

"Mason McCarthy." Scarlett remembered then that's she'd broken up with him before she left Lima, but didn't alter her statement in the slightest.

"Fine. You have a boyfriend. Dump him. Date Richard." Paul said.

"No. Not happening. He learns chemistry or I'm out and I know you can't do this production without me. You need me for this." Scarlett knew. The Producer dismissed them both. Scarlett walked outside and she smiled it had started to rain. She loved the rain, but right now it brought back a memory she wasn't ready for.

The pavement glowed, it had rained that day and the pavement looked magical. Junior Prom had just finished and Scarlett wrapped her arms around Mason's neck kissing him softly.

"Dance with me." She whispered against his lips.

"But it's wet." He said with a chuckle.

"Dance with me Mason McCarthy." He pulled her into his arms and spun her around as they neared her car. He held her as they swayed backwards and forwards as they danced in the carpark. He held her tightly, but gently. She smiled as she started to sing.

"There's something about the way, the street looks when it's just rained, there's a glow off the pavement, you walk me to the car, and you know I wanna ask you to dance right there, in the middle of the parking lot, yeah." Mason laughed, as they continued, "You take my hand drag me head-first, fearless, and I don't know why but with you I'd dance in a storm in my best dress, Fearless." Scarlett allowed Mason to spin her around once more before pulling her in for a passionate yet loving kiss.

FLASH

Mason stood under the eaves of the school staring at Scarlett. She had her arms out, her head tipped back, mouth open and she was spinning around. She paused and looked at him.

"Come and Dance with me Mace." She said with a smile.

"Are you crazy Scar? We'll get wet!" He protested.

"That's the point. It either water or red dye number 5. Dealer's choice." She shrugged, Mason sighed and ran to her catching her around the waist and lifting her up to spin her around, she screamed with laughter as he did. They danced together, people watched them like they were crazy, but they ignored it. Mason stopped and pulled Scarlett close to him kissing her. He held her flush against him and kissed her for all he was worth. Never letting up, he loved her and this was how he proved it.

Scarlett sighed, but Mason wasn't here, he wasn't going to dance with her in the rain, not here. She made her way slowly back to her hotel, but before she got there a hand grabbed her arm, she turned sharply to tell them to let go and was faced with the boy she'd just had a dizzying daydream about.

"Dance with me in the rain, Scarlett." He said, pulling her flush to his chest.

"Mason? What are you doing here?" Scarlett asked, pulling her hand free and stepping back.

"I came to ask you again why did you break up with me?" He said.

"I told you. LDRs don't work." She snapped.

"This one can. Because others you've had did. I've chased you here to New York. I love you, Scarlett Anderson. More than anything else in the entire world. More than singing, more than cheerleading. More my life. If I had to give up my life for you to be happy, I would. Because your happiness means everything to me." He said, his eyes had filled with tears but he didn't let them fall.

"What if I told you to go back to Lima and that I'm happy here?" Scarlett said.

"Then I'd go home. I'd go back to Lima and stay there and you'd never hear from me again. But tell me again, and this time tell me the truth, why did you break up with me?" He said.

"Don't blame me, Mason. Blame the world I was brought up in…" She began.

"Why?" He repeated, firmly.

"I have expectations placed on me. And you're not one of those expectations." Scarlett said, "My parents want me to marry a performer so that my children can be performers. They don't want me to marry a Cheerleader."

"Cheerleaders are performers too." He pointed out. Scarlett nodded.

"I know that. I look at you and I see a young man who is doing everything he ever wanted. A handsome, strong, kind man who I could spend the rest of my life with. My parents – in particular my father – would see a wimpy spineless white pasty kid with a cheerleader outfit on. Not the person he would want me to marry." She said.

"Is that what I am to you? Wimpy? Spineless?" Mason frowned.

Scarlett shook her head, "I just said no. You're amazing, you're so handsome, strong and so very, very kind. I love you Mason for who you are. Not for what people see." Scarlett said stepped back to his chest, "Dance with me Mason. Dance with me in the rain." Mason wrapped his arms around her frame but didn't move.

"We don't need to dance in the rain. We just need to be together." He said.

"If you're not going to dance then," Scarlett wrapped her arms around his neck, and jumped wrapping her legs around his waist, "Kiss me." He smiled and didn't need telling twice. He pressed his lips against hers and felt her smile and sigh into the kiss. Anyone who says sunshine is happiness have never been kissed in the rain.