Rachel couldn't stop grinning. The giggles bubbling up inside her were hard to control in the car, but she managed for the three minute drive home. She practically skipped through the house and up the stairs to her room, earning her an odd glance, a wry shake of the head, and a loving smile from her fathers. Once she reached the comfort of her room, she allowed herself to dissolve into giggles against her door. She stood up and made her way to the bed, falling onto it in a fit of mirth.

She was actually very proud of her acting abilities today. She had thought for sure that the smile threatening to break across her face would have given her away, but he hadn't seemed to notice. Sometimes the malady of male obliviousness came in quite handy for her. She rolled over and grabbed her purse, her giggles mostly under control and brought out her trophy. She hugged it to her, breathing a sigh of contentment. She put her prized possession on her nightstand and changed into her pajamas. Her style of nightwear had changed dramatically in the last few months. From flowy, silky nightgowns to worn-out, oversized t-shirts and a pair of shorts.

She hurried through her nighttime routine and climbed into bed at precisely ten o'clock. She fell asleep with plans of tomorrow running through her head.

…

Rachel awoke at 6 am as usual, and went through her daily routine like normal. The only change was the furtive glances at her nightstand and a few giggles that ensued because of that. Finally, it was time for her favorite part of the day. Time to get dressed.

She pulled on a pair of gray knee socks and padded over to her nightstand in her underclothes. She unfolded the shirt that had caused all of her gleeful girlishness and pulled it over her head. It was gloriously large and soft, and smelled just like he did. Rachel gathered the extra fabric into her hands at her chest and snuggled the shirt as she walked to her closet, inhaling his scent that seemed to always softly surround her now. As she picked out the rest of her outfit, her mind continued to wander to his reaction when he saw her at school today. It made her laugh to imagine him wanting to snip at her and not being able to in front of everyone. It should prove to be highly entertaining.

Rachel had been secretly dating Noah Puckerman for a few months now. They hadn't wanted to tell anyone, because they didn't really want to deal with all of the drama that would cause. And the secrecy added an air of danger to it, and made Rachel feel like a screen siren in one of the old black and white films she was making Noah watch with her. And it made Noah become more creative with dates, which Rachel wasn't complaining about. Last night, he had made them a picnic and they drove over to the lake, to this secluded spot no one knew about. And then, of course, they'd headed back to his house for a heated make-out session. And when Noah had gone downstairs to talk to his mother, Rachel couldn't help tidying his room a bit. And when she found his favorite shirt, and the one he absolutely refused to let her steal, just lying on the ground, she couldn't help herself and folded it quickly, putting it in her bag. When he came back, she could barely keep the smile from showing and made an excuse to leave quickly. She wondered whether he'd even noticed it gone, yet.

She finally found the perfect skirt to go with the gray and white baseball tee. She tied a pair of gray Ked's onto her feet and skipped down the stairs, bookbag in hand. "Morning, Dads!" she said with a smile and kiss on the cheek for both of them.

"Morning, sweetheart," was the chorused reply, before they delved back into their original conversation about some legal matters Rachel knew nothing about. She made a quick breakfast and finished it in record time. She grabbed her keys, kissed each dad on the head once more and walked out to her car. She pulled out of her driveway and made the five-minute drive to school, hoping the day would go by quickly.

…

The first few classes were mercifully quick and soon enough Rachel found herself standing in front of the door to Spanish class, the bell about to ring. She could see the back of his mohawked head, as he was turned around to talk to Mike. In some twist of fate, most of the Glee Club was in the same Spanish class, which was actually very helpful. She straightened her skirt and walked in as the bell rang, and just as Noah turned back to face the front. She subtly watched his face for a reaction as she made her way to her seat by Quinn. His face went from impassive, to happy, to slightly shocked, to incredulous as he shook his head slightly. Rachel grinned and sat down, hiding her face behind her curtain of hair.

Spanish dragged on, made longer by the small glances they would throw at each other. When Mr. Schue told everyone to partner up, Rachel hurriedly asked Quinn to pair up before Noah could claim her. Luckily, Quinn and Finn were fighting again, so Quinn agreed. Finally the bell rang, and Rachel jumped up out of her seat, making her way out of the classroom before Noah could catch up and snipe at her. She turned and threw him a wink right before she left the room. She hurried to pre-calculus, and ignored the stares her occasional laughs were earning her. They were nothing new.

The rest of the day dragged on, and she was happy to finally be let out at 3. She walked quickly to her locker, wanting to get home as soon as possible to do her homework. She had made a deal with herself that she could only go to Noah's after her homework was done. She spun the dial to her locker quickly. She put the books she didn't need back and placed everything she would need in her backpack. She was about to close the door when the bright orange post-it on the inside of the door caught her eye. She pulled it off and read it.

Berry,
Stop stealing my shirts.
N.

P.S. You can make it up to me tonite

Rachel looked around the hallway, and saw the back of his head disappearing around the corner. She grinned and tucked the note into her bag. She shut her locker and walked out to her car, even more excited for tonight.

[Inspired by this image: ./tumblr_loq1n2vHlZ1qaikglo1_]