Author's Note: I got my "Glee – The Complete 1st Season" set yesterday and, given that I have "Road to Sectionals", I rushed to check the back nine. As I watched "Hell-O" for the millionth time, I couldn't help but notice how cute and cozy and all-around happy Jon and Lea looked during their duet. Jon looked thrilled to be singing with her and she looked ecstatic to have him there. (Yeah, I'm kinda on a St. Berry high. Sue Lea and Jon for their cuteness).
Hence, I had to try my hand at a St. Berry story. This is set after "The Power of Madonna" but before "Funk", for obvious reasons, and also a slight rewrite (because I seriously refuse to watch "Funk" unless it's the adorable part where Puck wants to kill Jesse, and also the awesome Give Up The Funk). Hope you like it. (And a big sorry for all my Puckleberry fellas for the slight betrayal. But nowadays I'm all for Team St. Puckleberry!)
Oh, and a question: why the hell didn't a new episode of Glee air this week? My friend Camilla and I download from the internet every Wednesday and this week we couldn't, and we also couldn't find out why "The Rocky Horror Glee Show" will only air next week.
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to RM, who is fucking Glee up by insisting on keeping Finchel together.
Not Perfect
My first St. Berry. Be nice!
She hears the hurried whispers of Kurt and Mercedes behind her, and even though they're being more discrete then their usual, it still drowns Mr. Schue's words about this week's assignment. The warm, masculine hand splayed on the small of her back is, as she has gotten used to in the last weeks, the reason for their gossiping.
"I don't think he's playing her, Kurt…" She can hear Mercedes' reluctance in admitting they may be wrong about Jesse's motives for being with her, and her heart soars because she knows this is thanks to Jesse's pride and openness of their relationship. It doesn't matter for him that the world knows they're boyfriend and girlfriend – in fact, he wants the world to know, if his Facebook is proof enough of anything. (Jesse St. James is in a relationship with Rachel Berry. One day, we'll be Broadway royalty).
She hears Kurt snorting disbelievingly and she can picture him rolling his eyes and wrinkling his nose slightly. "Please, Mercedes. He is an actor – an excellent actor. Of course he has to play the part of adoring boyfriend perfectly, even if it is for Rachel". He pauses for a moment and then adds maliciously, "I should say, especially if it is for Rachel".
The soft, lazy caress in her back stills completely, and a quick glance at the handsome face of her new boyfriend tells her that, like her, he has been hearing everything that his new teammates are saying. That's the price to pay when you have extremely sensitive hearing, I guess, she thinks and gives him a sad smile, leaning her head against his shoulder. He wraps his arm around her waist and his fingers find their way under her sweater, caressing the smooth skin underneath the fabric.
"Don't listen to them", he whispers to her, placing a kiss at her scented hair and snuggling his cheek deeper against the silky locks. "You and I know the truth".
She nods softly because it's true – only they know how their relationship is at heart. Everyone else looked at him and recognized him and immediately filed them as the Vocal Adrenaline spy and the fool that was going to end up heartbroken. No one knows that they see themselves in each other. The flaws she hates in herself, she sees as qualities in him and loves them, and the same applies to him. They're bound by talent and trust – trust that they'll love each other completely, flaws and all.
"I love you", she whispers, and he smiles. A true smile. Her smile.
He feels his skin tingling, and the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. She's by his side discussing Neil Diamond with Puckerman – he hears the other boy mentioning Sweet Caroline with a smirk, and she looks at him fondly and chuckles, saying, "Oh, Noah" before returning to the subject. Quinn pipes in every now and then, her hand resting on her expanding stomach, and he wraps an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder and presses a quick kiss to her temple.
Quinn smiles softly at him – at them, actually – but then looks past him, and a guarded shadow falls over her face, as she shakes her head slowly. He looks over his shoulder, and, unsurprisingly, Hudson is glaring at him, jealousy turning his face ashen and distorted, and he sighs, half impatient, half resigned, because he and Rachel are two months into their relationship and he has gotten used to being subject of many a glares from the quarterback.
Rachel shifts in her seat and leans against his side, and her breath is soft and warm on his neck (he shivers slightly in pleasure) when she says, "Ignore him. I love you".
Quinn grins at them and pokes Puckerman's large bicep. "Puck, your spawn wants a Snickers bar. As in, right now if you don't want the baby to be born resembling a big chocolate and peanut butter mix". Puckerman rolls his eyes and nods, leaving the choir room, and his so-called 'baby mama' settled more comfortably on her chair. "Finn can't seem to make up his mind", she offers, easily but quietly, and he feels Rachel sigh and nod next to him.
"What do you mean?"
"Early this year, he was always jumping back and forth Rachel and I, because he thought I was having his baby and he loved me, but he was attracted to Rachel and she understood his newfound interest to glee club while I didn't, in the beginning, I mean". She smiles at him. "I wasn't always the loser girl who got pregnant by her boyfriend's best friend, you know. Like you, I used to be royalty".
"And then I blew Babygate open, as in, I told Finn the truth after figuring out by myself that Noah is the father. Noah took over the role of father-to-be, Finn could be with me, and for a while we were together. But, as an admittedly high-maintenance girl, I proved to be more than he wanted to have, so he dumped me – to, quote, 'chase his inner rockstar', unquote", Rachel says wryly. Quinn rolls her eyes and nods.
"In Finn's mind, Rachel wasn't supposed to move on. And face it, RuPaul, it's your own fault because you were available to him. But she did, and she is happy with the person she moved on to". Puckerman returns with the candy Quinn asked for, and she rises. "I need to go for a walk. My ankles are starting to look larger that an elephant's. C'mon, Berry, let's take a spin".
His girlfriend nods and presses her lips to his, whispering "I love you" against his skin, before walking away with the pregnant former cheerleader. He and Puckerman watch the two girls' retreating back before the footballer turns to him and stares him down with eyes that are intimidating but protective.
"Hurt her and I'll kill you", he says seriously, and Jesse looks at him for a long moment, his skin still warm from where Rachel's touched it, and he nods once. Only once, but very solemnly. The other boy nods back and adds, "So… What do you think of Queen?"
They're not perfect. They're not. He still acts like he's better than the rest of them, and she still wants to be accepted by everyone.
But she loves that he is like her – that he is better than their other teammates. And he loves that she is ambitious and driven – that she has her entire life mapped out in front of her eyes.
They're not perfect. And that's okay.