This is set during 'A Very Glee Christmas', just after Finn officially broke up with Rachel in the tree lot. Enjoy, and review please! :)
Rachel walked along the pavement; kicking the snow she detested so much. It was 8pm, and snowing heavily. She held back the tears, not only from the break up but also from the fact that she was freezing and had to walk home in the snow.
A set of headlights lit up the night, turning the white around her yellow. When the car stopped next to her, she cast a quick glance at it and hurried on, but once she registered what she'd seen she stopped. She knew that car. Her pulse quickened as the door opened. Not now, please not now. She thought.
"Rachel?" Jesse asked. It had been five months since he'd seen her, and the last thing he'd expected her to be doing was to be outside whilst it was snowing.
"Je-Jesse." Rachel said, a lump in her throat. Not only was she now having to deal with what had just happened with Finn, but also all the bittersweet memories of the past year were churning around her mind.
Jesse just watched her. He was home for Christmas, opting to spend it with his cousins than his parents. He'd hope to run into her, but now he had, all the things he'd planned to had left his mind, leaving him to do nothing but stare at the girl he'd thought about for 5 months.
"What are you doing here?" Rachel eventually broke the silence.
"I'm home for Christmas." Jesse told her. "When I say home, I mean my uncles."
Rachel nodded, avoiding his eyes. She tensed as he took a step towards her.
"Are you okay?" He questioned, noticing her red eyes and depressed expression. "I know you hate snow, but I didn't think being in it would make you cry."
"Its not the snow." Rachel replied. "It's- it's…"
"Finn?" Jesse asked bluntly. Rachel nodded. "Let me guess… he did something stupid, you did something stupid to get him back, he found out, you've been trying to win him back, he rejected you?"
Rachel looked up at him. "Have you been stalking me or something?"
"No." Jesse replied with a slight smirk. "It's just you two are very predictable together. And I can read you like a book."
"If I'm so readable, tell me why I'm walking home in the snow then." Rachel challenged, surprised at how she seemingly wasn't too mad at him.
"Well, that's not about you. I assume Finn stormed away, took his car and forgot that he brought you wherever you went, leaving you to walk home alone in the snow you hate so much." Jesse answered.
"Spot on." Rachel muttered, crossing her arms defensively, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Jesse.
They lapsed back into silence, both wanting the other to make the first move. Jesse was the first to speak this time.
"Would you like a lift home?" He asked. "I know how much you hate these conditions."
"No thank you." Rachel said automatically.
"Why?" Jesse frowned at her, confused.
"Just because you came back at the time that I happened to break up with Finn, it doesn't mean you can waltz back into my life Jesse." Rachel told him, her fingers tightening their grip on her crossed arms. "You did what you did, and that isn't going to change."
"I know that. But I'd hate to see you out in the snow, considering your hatred for it. And you haven't given me a chance to apologise." Jesse replied.
"Well go ahead." Rachel replied, brushing some snow out of her hair. "Apologise."
"I'm sorry for being an idiot. And for hurting you, and for lying to you." Jesse said with a sigh. He'd spent so long picturing his apology, and it was usually a lot less lame that it had turned out.
"That was deep and emotive." Rachel replied coolly, looking him in the eye.
"I know." Jesse muttered. "I'm not great with stuff like that. But are you sure you don't want a lift? It's the least I can do."
"Fine. But this is just a lift purely because I hate snow." Rachel clarified, trying to cover the fact that her defence was wavering.
Rachel got into Jesse's car and found it surprisingly warm.
"If you love snow so much, why is your car so hot?" She asked him.
"One of the best things about snow is coming into a warm house and having a hot drink. I love the contrast." He answered.
"Makes sense." Rachel replied.
They drove back to Rachel's house in silence, Rachel happy to be out of the snow but panicking at the idea of Jesse being here, and Jesse thanking the god he didn't believe in that he'd managed to find her.
When they got to Rachel's, they both stood outside her door in an awkward silence.
"Thank you for driving me home in the snow." Rachel finally broke it.
"No problem." Jesse answered, his eyes roaming her face. She was wrapped up, but he thought this made her look even more adorable. "Look, what I said earlier, I mean it. And I want us to be on good terms again." He took her hands in his, and to his surprise, Rachel didn't yank her hands away.
"Jesse… I don't know." Rachel replied. "There's so much going on lately, I don't know what to think or feel."
Jesse reacted by instinct. He bent down and pressed his lips to her, kissing her hesitantly. At first, Rachel was too shocked to move, before a battle of head against heart took place. But she found herself kissing him back and knew her heart had triumphed. Jesse deepened the kiss when he felt her reciprocate it, but eventually one of them pulled away.
"What do you feel now?" Jesse asked her
Rachel thought for a moment. "Jesse I can't do this." She told him, trying to keep the longing out of her voice.
"Why not?" Jesse asked.
"Just because." Rachel answered, pulling herself out his arms, as they'd slunk around her waist during the kiss. "I'll see you around Jesse." She said, opening her door.
"Wait!" Jesse cried, running to his car, grabbing something and running back again. "I got you this." He offered her a box. "It's not a Christmas present, although I know you do celebrate the secular side of it. It's a birthday present. Your birthdays in two days."
"Thank you Jesse." Rachel said quietly, staring at the gift. "I'll see you around." She repeated, entering her house and closing the door.
It was Christmas day, and Jesse and his little cousin Ellie were in his car. Jesse had got permission from his uncle to borrow the six year old, although not for long.
"Where are we going Jesse?" Ellie asked. "It's Christmas and you drag me out of the house like this!" She was very well spoken for her age; everyone found it adorable.
"We're going to visit a friend of mine." Jesse told her.
"What's your friends name?" Ellie questioned.
"Rachel." Jesse focused on driving.
"Is she your girlfriend?" She probed.
"It's complicated." Jesse replied.
"Why did you bring me along to visit her?"
"Because you've got the cute factor." Jesse answered his cousin, tapping her nose as they stopped at the traffic lights. "Now shush."
Ellie didn't shush. She sung along to the Christmas songs on the radio instead. When they arrived, Jesse swore to her his ears were bleeding. He took her hand as they walked up to Rachel's door, and lifted her up to bang the knocker.
Rachel answered it, her eyes widening when she saw Jesse.
"Happy Holidays Rachel." Jesse told her.
"Why are you here?" She asked him. "And why is your cousin here?"
Jesse frowned. He'd brought Ellie to have the cute factor, but he knew that if he didn't need her she'd be very annoying when it came to talking to Rachel. He turned to the six year old.
"Ellie." He said, kneeling down. "I bet you can't run to that lamppost and back in the time it takes me to say my ABC's five times." He challenged, pointing at the lamppost down the far end of the street.
Ellie puffed her chest out. "I can do it walking." She replied.
"Okay. Three, two, one, go!" Jesse said, and Ellie walked off. "A… B… C…" He called after her, before turning back to Rachel.
"Nice idea. Play on her competitive side. Typical St James." Rachel muttered.
"Rachel, there's some stuff I want to say." Jesse said, and she nodded. "I'm so sorry. I was dumb; I messed up. Please forgive me. Because I need you to. And, it's Christmas, the season of good will to all men!"
Rachel just looked at him, so he carried on.
"I… I thought it was for the best. I wanted you to get over me quickly, but it didn't help me get over you. I've spent the past months thinking about you, and missing you, and mentally apologising to you." Jesse told her, looking her in the eye, trying to read her emotions. "Please Rachel. Give me another chance."
Rachel's eyes flickered around his face, trying to sense whether he was lying. When she came to the conclusion he wasn't, she reached up onto her tiptoes and kissed him softly. Jesse responded, pulling her closer and reaching up a hand to stroke her cheek. When they broke apart, Rachel didn't leave his arms.
"I want to make this work Rachel." Jesse said, trying to show her he meant it. Rachel nodded.
"So do I. I've been thinking since I last saw you. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't have feelings for you, and if I haven't kept them for the past five months, regardless of Finn or Puck." Rachel replied. "Look, I'm wearing the necklace you bought me." She pointed to the gold star necklace Jesse had given to her for her birthday.
Jesse grinned and kissed her again, more passionately than before. He then pulled her into a hug, and she closed her eyes against his chest, breathing in his aroma, the comforting smell she'd missed so much.
"S...T…U…V" She heard Jesse say, and she looked up to see Ellie strolling towards them. She jumped to the finish next to Jesse as he said W, and grinned.
"Told you I could walk it." She said.
"I should never have doubted you." Jesse replied, releasing Rachel but keeping an arm around her waist. Ellie glared at him.
"Don't think I didn't see you two." She told him, hands on hips. Jesse raised his eyebrows at her as she continued. "When you say 'it's complicated', is it less complicated now?" She asked. "Because I wouldn't say snogging on the steps is very complicated. Crying and sobbing is complicated. Snogging isn't."
Rachel laughed and leaned her head against Jesse's shoulder "Thank you for that clarification Ellie." Jesse told his cousin. "But everything's fine now." He said, glancing at Rachel. "We don't need your cute factor."
The six year old pouted. "I'll be in the car if you two need some time." She said, winking as she pranced away.
Jesse laughed and turned back to Rachel. He smiled, and bent down to kiss her again, feeling better than he had in a long time.
"I should go now." He told her eventually, his eyes never leaving her face. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
Rachel nodded and pecked his lips.
"Okay Jesse." She smiled and untangled herself from his arms.
Jesse pecked her cheek once more before leaving. He opened the car door and sat down in the drivers seat. Ellie turned to look at him.
"I think now is time to discuss my payment." She said.
"What payment?" Jesse asked
"The payment for me not telling everyone about what I just saw." Ellie replied.
"Oh, your bribe." Jesse grinned. "You're not getting one. Tell everyone you want; tell the world! I wouldn't mind at all."
Ellie's face fell. "I don't get any sweets?"
Hope you enjoyed that, it was kinda rushed when I wrote it. Reviews are love!
