Just a little gift to all loyal St. Berrians and us in the late-November Birthday Club, Cris and Northstar especially :) I can't thank you enough for all the support and kindness you have given me. Happy Birthday, girls!
Hope y'all enjoy.
Better With Two
~o~
Soft, dark eyes traced the flickering patterns of candlelight as they danced across the shadowed walls and ceiling of the small bathroom, splashes of colour shining all the brighter for the darkness they lived in. Forgotten memories played at the edge of her lips, a serenity within her gaze that mirrored a captivated little girl as she sat upon the porch of her dads' house so many years ago, chin tucked in her palms and eyes just as bewitching as the electric fireflies they watched shimmer through the night air. Those same eyes that had never stopped following the stars, seeking out the fire and chasing the rainbow – that still looked upon the winking lights of this sleepless city with awe every night.
Like she still couldn't quite believe it.
The sweet murmur of her running music was the only sound to break the quiet, echoing out from the iPod dock that was located in relative safely on the tiles beside the sink. Blinking lazily, she allowed the familiar songs to drift through her mind like a soothing mantra as she watched the ripples of light bending to the whim of scented flames, reflected up by the burning candles that framed her watery oasis. With a contented sigh she stretched out her limbs, wriggling her toes and flexing her fingers, before sinking down deeper in the curved tub that was currently filled high with sweetly perfumed water and a good six inches of bubbles and foam.
The bath itself was ridiculously outsized in the small bathroom of their cramped apartment, out of place and exceedingly impractical. It took up more than half the floor space, leaving the other features to be crammed in alongside it in the most awkward way, but Rachel had been utterly adamant. She was almost dwarfed in the size of it, but that just made her love it even more. Even though she was usually a shower person, due to time constraints and sheer convenience more than anything else, she simply refused to be denied the option of choosing to have a bath now and again. Rare as it was, sometimes it was just a necessity. Sometimes she just needed to sink under the water, shut out the world and embrace the silence – a moment to just be with herself again.
Not to mention, it was the second best cure to a ten hour rehearsal that she knew of. An affectionate smile tugged the corners of her mouth with the unbidden, but certainly not unwelcome, turn of her thoughts. The first and best such elixir to her soul was currently in the other room, left to finish the washing up after dinner. Not that that counted for much, seeing as they'd had takeaway, but it was still his turn and she wasn't about to argue him on it.
Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back and allowed her mind to go blank, concentrating solely on the gentle lap of water against her body, washing away the tension as the rich lather worked its magic upon her weary bones.
It had been a long day.
She felt the familiar tingle of his presence long before she sensed the draft of air that slipped over her naked shoulders – the warmth of his gaze and electricity in his silence as unmistakable as ever. She just knew he was smiling even before she heard it in his voice.
"The Pierces on repeat and the really expensive bath oils? Things must be serious."
Rachel sighed without opening her eyes, indulgent resignation but no real accusation in her tone. "Don't you ever knock?"
"Why would I?" he challenged smugly. "It's my bathroom too."
"It's called common courtesy. Didn't your mama teach you any manners?" she grumbled.
Jesse grinned at the way she slipped so easily into the idioms of their alter egos without even realising it. It really was completely adorable – not that he'd ever be willing to admit so. He crossed the floor quietly, walking the few steps to move beside the tub she was reclined in, leisurely allowing his gaze to soak in every inch of the tableau of love and beauty before him, a reverent awe touching his mind all over again. She never failed to take his breath away, even after all this time.
"It's nothing I haven't seen before," he pointed out, his tone soft and teasing. "Or most of Manhattan for that matter."
She cracked an eye open to glare at him half-heartedly. "Does this intrusion have a purpose? And I hope for your sake, it's a damn good one."
His lips tugged in response and Rachel lowered her gaze, blinking as she finally noticed the proffered phone in his extended hand. He rolled his eyes as she glanced up to his face again, his expression one of long-suffering exasperation tempered with amusement. "Quinn is throwing a tantrum about something or other. Just for a change."
Rachel blew out a breath and dutifully took the phone from him, slumping back against the rim of the bath. "What's wrong?"
"Everything," came the terse reply in her ear, the familiar voice a little higher-pitched than usual in a way that signalled her friend's capacity for patience was reaching danger zone once more. "Everything is wrong. My mother is visiting and is totally driving me crazy, as well as drinking us out of house and home; the band has gone and cancelled because they suddenly got offered the chance to open for a Def Leppard tribute act; Gretchen has fallen out with Alex over some stupid lover's tiff – again – and they are now refusing to sit together. Not to mention, Noah's sister won't stop calling me about the bridesmaids' dresses, the centrepieces don't match the tablecloths and my Uncle Elliot is insisting on giving a toast!"
"What's wrong with that?"
There was an impatience sound through the phone that sounded a little like retrained hysteria. "Are you kidding me? I don't want the whole congregation hearing the story of how I wet my pants the first time I saw a life-sized Mickey Mouse at Disneyland!"
She giggled. "Why not? It's a classic."
"Rachel!"
"Okay, okay," she quickly appeased, stifling her laughter and trying to sound suitably concerned about the issues at hand. A task that was made all more the difficult as she felt Jesse move to sit behind her, the warmth of his touch falling over her skin like summer moonlight as his hands drifted along the tops of her shoulders in a wandering caress. Rachel's eyes flickered shut of their own accord as she felt his fingers stroke slowly down her spine, light and graceful, slipping lower to deftly rub into the muscles of her back, knowing instinctively all the places she knotted the worst and easing the dull twinges just as skilfully. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she surrendered to the blissful pressure of his hands, shifting to allow him better access in his ministrations.
She could vaguely hear Quinn talking on in her ear and murmured what she hoped were appropriately sympathetic sounds in response. She let her head tilt forward obligingly as Jesse moved the massage back up to the curves of her stiff shoulders once more, those strong and talented fingers working out the cricks in her neck with an effortless efficiency.
She knew he was playing with her, but she couldn't help but feel grateful all the same.
"Rachel?" Quinn's voice rose with impatience. "Rachel, are you listening to me?"
"Mmmhuh," she mumbled distractedly, too lost in the feel of Jesse's touch to muster a more coherent reply.
There was an irritable exclamation down the line. "Ugh, can't you two keep your hands off each other for five minutes? I'm having a situation here!" she snapped, complaining so loudly that Rachel had to pull the phone away from her ear with a wince. Jesse only laughed.
"Tell her to take one of her mom's Prozacs with a shot of Jack Daniels."
"That's not helpful," she muttered reprovingly.
He pressed his mouth against the column of her throat, smirking against her skin. "Wasn't trying to be."
She pulled a face, trying to hold back the grin on her lips as she returned her attention to her friend again. "Quinn, I am listening, I promise. Stop freaking out. It's still six weeks to the wedding – plenty of time for stuff to go wrong and be fixed a dozen times over."
"And that's supposed to be reassuring?"
Jesse skimmed a kiss across the nape of her neck and the phone almost slipped from her fingers. Twisting around, she flicked a handful of bubbles at him in playful warning, raising a finger to her lips pointedly. She refocused on Quinn's words just in time to pacify the fresh wave of anxiety that the impending bride had latched onto, this time revolving around the finer details of her dress and matching accessories.
"I'm bringing the veil, remember?" Rachel sighed in exasperation, rolling her eyes affectionately. "Yes, don't worry, the order all came in on time and I picked it up this morning. It's beautiful, perfect, trust me. Just try and calm down, okay? Everything is going to be fine, you'll see. I mean, really, as long as you both turn up to the ceremony on time, everything else is essentially filler."
She suspected Quinn was about to form another round of objections, but both were soon distracted by the sound of shouts and slamming and a general scuffling in the background.
"Great," she heard her friend groan wearily. "Luke has locked himself in the cupboard under the stairs again."
Rachel smiled knowingly. "Still embracing the Harry Potter phase with a vengeance, huh?"
"I could kill Noah sometimes for introducing him to all that in the first place. They're seriously as bad as each other. I'd better go."
Nodding absently, Rachel merely listened as Quinn hastily added a few more duties to the ever expanding list before bidding a quick goodbye and finally hanging up. Putting the phone aside, she huffed loudly and allowed her head to fall back into Jesse's therapeutic hands, sinking into his touch gratefully as he continued to weave his fingertips through her wet hair.
"I swear, sometimes I think this whole 'maid of honour' thing is really just some form of revenge for high school."
Jesse smiled, moving to retrieve the luffa from the bathwater. "We don't have to go," he suggested in a low voice, more than willing to play devil's advocate in their endless debates. He felt her shake her head with a reluctant sigh, a shiver raking through her body as he slowly kneaded the sponge along her skin. A smirk tugged the corner of his lips, his eyes dark and liquid with admiration as they followed the rivulets of warm soapy water that travelled down the smooth planes of her back.
Rachel laughed softly. "Quinn would kill me," she stated in a blasé tone, a mischievous smile playing about her lips. "And don't you even think about ducking out of it and ditching me with some lame and convenient excuse. If Kurt is being summoned back from Milan – there's no way in hell you're getting out of this." She arched her leg lazily out of the hot pool, bending her knee and letting the sparkling sheen of bubbles slide down her thigh, drawing his hungry gaze in a deliberate and wicked provocation. Jesse clenched his hand a little harder than he intended, releasing a rush of scalding water from the sponge to cascade over her sensitive skin, making her suck in a sharp breath through her teeth. He leaned in and brushed his mouth over the swell of her shoulder, nipping lightly, half in apology and half in teasing reprimand.
A small giggle passed her lips and she tilted her head to allow him to nuzzle further into the crook of her neck. Jesse pressed his face close to her pulse and breathed deeply, drinking in the heady aroma of her scent until his mind was reeling and his whole being burned with yearning. God, he loved her.
When she spoke again, he could feel each word as they hummed through her throat and slipped into the steamy air of the bathroom.
"Besides," she said slowly. "It's been too long since we were back home."
She fell quiet then, dragging her fingers through the water in absent swirls. Jesse forced himself to pull back, his eyes sombre and thoughtful as he watched her, his hands still teasing along the ridge of her shoulder blades. He couldn't honestly say he ever really embraced the prospect of their trips back to Ohio – Lima had stopped being home to him a long time ago. For him, it would only ever be a trap of tangled and bitter memories, the echoes of regrets and pain that had once defined them both and which they had no wish to ever revisit. If it were up to him, he would never set foot there again, but he knew all too well how much Rachel missed the family she had left behind. Though her dads visited them as often as they could, it had still been over five months since they had last seen them and he knew that being so far removed from the embrace of her family took its toll on her sometimes. Jesse smiled sadly as he found himself, not for the first time, envying the close relationship Rachel shared with her dads. Yes, they talked every week – either by phone or skyping – but they all knew it just couldn't compare to a real hug, to sharing their news in person. This wedding wasn't just a chance for her to see old friends again, it was a much needed visit back home with her family – and he could never begrudge her that.
He kissed the top of her head, a tender smile curving his lips. "Okay," he murmured softly. He felt the subtle relief that relaxed her body, soaked in the beat of her pulse as it whispered through the thrum of her warm skin, and he couldn't stop the overwhelming sense of peace that settled between his ribs – relishing the unspoken happiness and understanding that flowed through her body. Once more, he felt himself left utterly humbled by the incredible girl in his arms. She always wore her emotions so boldly, every strength and vulnerability bravely held out there for all the world to see. It was what made her such a powerful actor – and it was why she owned his heart so fervently and completely.
Sliding his thumbs up the back of her neck again, Jesse frowned as he noticed her wince slightly at the pressure. "You are stretching properly, right?" he asked, unable to help himself as he felt the stiff tension that lingered in her muscles. Rachel scoffed, refusing to dignify such a ridiculous question with a response, and his expression turned sly. "You know, if you were really feeling that stressed, I can think of much better ways of helping you unwind…" He trailed off suggestively, grazing his teeth over her earlobe.
Rachel bit her lower lip in a smile, her heart fluttering wildly in her chest, but she kept her voice even as she composed her reply.
"Baths are perfectly relaxing on their own."
"Better with two," he murmured, his breath warm and sweet against the shell of her ear.
She arched a toying eyebrow. "Is that a fact…"
Jesse slid around to sit on the rim of the tub beside her. She held his gaze with an enigmatic quirk of her lips as he touched his hand to her face, palm cupping her chin and his thumb stroking lightly across her cheekbone. Rachel raised her hand to grasp his neck as he gently drew their lips together, using the leverage to pull herself even closer to him as the burning caress slowly deepened.
Breaking the kiss only barely, she brushed her lips over his with a tantalizing smile and trailed her hands lower on his chest. "Hold your breath," she whispered softly against his mouth.
Confusion flickered through his dark eyes for a split second before she abruptly fisted her hands tight in his shirt and flashed an evil grin. In one sudden movement, she broke his balance and yanked him down to fall ungracefully into the tub on top of her, sending them both sprawling. Water sloshed over the edge of the bath, thoroughly soaking Jesse beyond salvation as exclamations and peals of giggles filled the air. Rachel shrieked and raised her hands to attempt to shield herself as her lover splashed waves of hot bubbles at her, twisting and laughing as each struggled to right themselves and find their balance one more, caught up in a tangle of limbs and drenched clothes.
"So we're playing dirty, huh?" he confirmed with a wicked lift of his mouth, running a hand through his dripping hair, their gazes locking in a mutual dare of desire.
She grinned and wagged a finger at him. "Hey, if you interrupt bath time, you have to take the consequences."
"Indeed," he replied in agreement, an unmistakable glint of revenge gleaming in his eyes.
Rachel squealed and scooted away from him playfully, pulling her legs up to her chest, but Jesse was having none of it. Reaching out, he hooked his hands behind her knees and pulled her back down to him again, trapping her in his embrace. She yelped in protest but couldn't stop smiling as he gently pinned her in place and angled his body over hers, bringing their faces tauntingly close but not yet touching. His fingertips were rubbing small circles into the sensitive skin at the back of her knees, sending a wave of heat shooting through the pit of her stomach, her whole body clenching in longing anticipation. Jesse smirked infuriatingly, feeling the response such a simple touch could elicit and enjoying every moment of it. She pouted her lips in a sulk, but the spark in her eyes urged him on better than words ever could.
Ducking his head, he finally relented and caught her lips in an achingly hard kiss, delving all the deeper as he heard her moan and buck softly in submission. Her hands travelled up eagerly to wrestle with the soaked shirt that clung to his chest like a second skin. Together, they quickly worked the garment off him, Rachel all but ripping it apart in her impatience, before they blindly threw it to the bathroom floor and sank down into the welcoming water once more.
The candlelight delicately illuminated her features, casting a golden glow upon her skin and only accentuating the lush curves of her body that ran under his hands. Jesse pressed his mouth to the dip of her collarbone, earning another moan of encouragement as he slowly moved lower, kissing down her glistening breasts and over her stomach with a torturous dedication that made her writhe all the more. He heard her sharp intake of breath as he allowed his tongue to trail lightly over her navel, tasting the heady scents of the essential oils that she so adored as they mingled with the natural sweetness of her skin. It was dangerously intoxicating and threatened to overwhelm his senses completely. He could eat her up…
"God, Rach…"
She was practically purring under his touch, instinctively curving her back and arching her hips into his with a command he recognised well and was more than ready to answer. His arms snaked around her waist in response, pulling her up out of the water just enough not to drown himself as he worshipped his way down her body. Bubbles twinkled like diamonds on her silky skin as he kissed lower and lower, feeling her gasp and tremble as he finally slid between her legs, a shuddering moan escaping them both at the contact. Jesse traced his tongue over her skin teasingly before sliding deeper, tightening his grip almost painfully in an attempt to ground them both against the pull of the beckoning abyss. He felt her squirm in pleasure under him and at that moment he didn't care if he ever came up for air again – she was the sweetest taste in the world and he drunk her in like a dying man.
Rachel could hardly breathe, suffocated by the fire that sparked in her veins, her belly and deeper still – building and burning until she didn't think her body could contain it any longer and she found herself all but begging him to let her go. To break her into pieces, let her vanish in a rush of flames, combust into embers only to rise from the ashes all over again.
Just then she felt him move his mouth an inch away from her core and swore under her breath, more than prepared to smack him in sheer frustration if she didn't currently need her arms to support herself. The hot ache and liquid pressure were almost unbearable, and god, she needed him…to…Jesse…
"Bastard," she muttered lovingly, her chest heaving with laboured breaths as she struggled to hang onto some semblance of control, even as she yearned to surrender over to him completely.
She felt him smile as he pressed a kiss to her wet skin, caressing along her inner thigh almost lazily. She should have expected as much. Jesse knew every inch of her body, every sweet spot to torture and peak to conquer. He knew exactly how to bring her to heaven and hell, to push her past her limits and make her suffer for every exquisite second of it. He knew every sound she could make and enjoyed drawing each one from her in as many creative ways as he could imagine – gifts to be savoured and treasured again and again. Rachel had a hard time being quiet at the best of times, and with Jesse exploiting his absolute command over her body, it was outright impossible. The fact that it also seemed to excite and spur on his attentive efforts was hardly an incentive to try and restrain her avid approval.
Just when she thought she couldn't bear it any longer, he finally submitted to her ragged pleads and expertly released her from the brink with an enviable flair and flourish. And not a second too soon. The music melted into a warm haze in the back of her mind, drowned out by the pounding of blood and swallowed up in pure sensation. Nothing existed outside of their embrace. For Rachel, there was nothing else in the world but his wondrous hands, the heat of his body and oh-so-talented mouth – this boy who possessed every last piece of her and wasn't even aware of it. For a snatched moment of eternity, everything else blended into a blissful blur and there was nothing but him.
As his slender fingers explored and stroked every aching inch of her, Rachel bit into her swollen lips, swallowed down a whimper and thanked for the umpteenth time whoever had gifted the piano unto the world. Jesse was the most musical person she knew, and she was his favourite melody to play by far. No matter what else came and went, no matter how turbulent the journey, her conviction never wavered. On stage and in private, Rachel and Jesse would always live within the lyrics of each other.
She caught his gaze again as he slowly drew back from her, both taking a moment to soak in the presence of the other, marvelling at everything that went said and unsaid every day. Rachel giggled breathlessly as she watched him, eyes glowing and head dizzy with desire as she fluttered down from the crashing waves of ecstasy she had spiralled into. He raised a quizzical eyebrow at her, the corners of his lips soft with silent affection.
"Aren't you glad now that I insisted on a king-size tub?" she teased coyly.
Without waiting for a reply, she pushed herself up and kissed him deeply, working her deft fingers over the button and zip of his jeans. She felt him smile, their hands fumbling together as they tackled the cumbersome manoeuvre of stripping the sopping wet jeans from his agile frame. As they finally tossed the drenched items of clothing aside, Jesse instantly leaned in to claim her lips again, grinning against her mouth.
"Your wisdom knows no bounds."
She gave a muffled laugh before he cut her off with another kiss and they slid back down into the bath, limbs entwined. Her hands were everywhere – stroking, exploring, enticing and repaying the torture inch for inch. His mouth was bruising on hers, his body tight with aching restraint, and yet he still took her so gently – so agonizingly slowly that she wanted to scream and cry into the crook of his neck. Rachel was so hot that she wasn't sure if the steam was rising from the scalding water or their writhing bodies anymore. It could just be her imagination, but even the flames of the candles around the tub seemed to jump and flicker a little brighter, burning all the hotter in the heat of their fire.
Her skin smelled like cherry blossom and vanilla and it made him kiss her all the harder, wanting to reach through that rich layer of scents, as pleasing as it was, and taste the girl underneath. To drink in all that she was, everything she meant to him. Her passion and her ambition, her stubborn will and forthright manner, her compassion and her flaws and her complete devotion to whatever she set her heart to. This was his Rachel, real and whole and so fucking talented it blew his mind. He drew back and her eyes shone with a breathtaking beauty he couldn't verbalise as they met his, her body was open and embracing under his, her skin as flawless as alabaster and as soft as silk. Burying his face into her neck, he sunk deep and gave over everything to her, and he did it without hesitation or regret.
The opening strains of 'We Are Stars' filtered through the air as the lovers settled down together in the low light, warm and languid in the wake of their spent passion. Rachel breathed deeply, feeling his heart slowly calmly along with hers, a dreamy smile curving her lips.
Well, that was something new.
Sure, they'd shared showers often enough, but there was just something so luxurious about a bath. She giggled softly, watching the way their toes played together at the other end of the tub. She tugged her fingers through his wet and tangled curls, lulled contentedly by the feel his hand gliding along her side, fingers lightly tracing her ribs as they slipped gracefully through the water that wrapped around them.
"You should definitely take baths more often."
He felt her laugh under him and smirked to himself, turning his head lazily to press a kiss to her breast, running the tip of his tongue over the curve of her nipple and earning a surprised gasp from her. She really was too delicious.
Her fingers tightened in his hair and he could hear the smile in her voice.
"I'll bear that in mind."
~o~
AN Even though I am taking a break from the current season of Glee, I just can't seem to get St. Berry out of my head, no matter how much my muse sulks and protests and tries to make it as hard for me as possible. I think I'm winning her back over though, slowly but surely! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated and welcomed :) Thanks for reading.