Disclaimer: Glee is not mine
Summer: I woke up one morning and I just knew.
Tom: Knew what?
Summer: What I was never sure of with you.
- (500) Days of Summer
Jesse's here.
The words reverberated through Rachel's head as she hurried towards her room. Quinn's announcement had snapped her back to reality and she'd left a confused Finn back at the pool with little more than an "I've got to go" and a caress on his cheek. Quinn had followed, telling her that Aunt Antonia had checked him in earlier this evening, under the incorrect assumption that she and Jesse were back together.
An assumption she'd gotten from Jesse. He'd simply put his acting skills to use and convinced Aunt Antonia that they were back together and he was here to join Rachel for the rest of her trip. Fortunately, Antonia hadn't been totally blinded by his acting skills and had not only tipped Quinn off; she'd placed Jesse in his own room.
"Why is he here? I told him it was over. He's ruining everything," Rachel fumed as she stomped towards her room.
"What are you going to do?" Quinn asked sympathetically.
"Nothing right now. I need to process everything that's gone on tonight. I'll deal with him in the morning," she replied as she rummaged through her purse, looking for her key.
"Are you going to tell him about Finn?" Quinn leaned against the wall, waiting for Rachel's answer.
Rachel's head snapped up. "There's nothing to tell."
"So I suppose what I just saw out by the pool was nothing?"
"I don't know what you think you saw, but we were just talking," Rachel insisted, refusing to look at Quinn and focusing on her key hunt.
"Rachel. Why don't you just admit it? I couldn't even tell where your head ended and his began," Quinn pressed, wishing Rachel would stop being so stubborn for once.
"Fine. We kissed, but it was merely the effect of the alcohol I've consumed tonight. I assure you it meant nothing." She frowned as she continued rummaging, wanting to find her key and just collapse on her bed. She finally found her key and quickly opened her door and stepped into the dark room.
"Goodnight," she called as she shut the door before Quinn could say anything else about what she'd seen by the pool.
Truthfully, that kiss was on repeat in her head. She leaned back against the closed door, her eyes drifting shut, letting the memories of that kiss wash over her. She pressed a hand to her lips tracing the swelling that Finn had caused, missing the feeling of his lips on hers. Almost reluctantly, she removed her hand, feeling her way along the wall for the light switch. She stepped further into the room, her eyes adjusting to the light.
"Hello, Rachy."
Finn trudged slowly back to his room, one hand holding the cheek Rachel had caressed.
Rachel.
The name alone was enough to set his head spinning. He'd never met a girl quite like her. She was stubborn as all hell, got under his skin and was incredibly competitive. Not to mention, she was a total Chatty Kathy, as his mom liked to say. She could talk the hind legs off a donkey and he was certain she knew more words than a dictionary.
And he loved it.
What he didn't love were the mixed signals. Anyone who knew him could attest that Finn was certainly no expert in women, but Finn was positive that even Casanova would have problems reading the mixed signals Rachel was sending his way. One minute she was telling him she hated him and refusing to speak to him, the next she was in his lap, furiously making out with him. Even when Quinn had interrupted them, she'd run off immediately, but still took the time to caress his cheek as she left. What did it mean? Was it a We'll pick this up later caress or more of a thanks for a good time but I'm not into anything serious caress?
He needed to talk to someone about this. Last time he'd checked on Kurt, he'd been sprawled on his stomach on his bed, sleeping the alcohol off, but maybe he was up now. Finn headed to his room, digging through his pockets to find the key he'd taken from Kurt earlier.
Kurt was still sprawled in the same position on the bed, dressed in his clothing from earlier. Finn smirked, knowing that he was going to be so pissed when he woke up tomorrow and saw the horrific state of his designer clothing, doubting that there was anything on his famous stain chart that would help that shirt. Finn crept over to the bed, poking Kurt in the shoulder. "Kurt? You still drunk?"
"No Dad, I swear that tiara collection isn't mine," Kurt mumbled.
"Dude, it's Finn. Wake up, I gotta talk to you," Finn replied, poking him harder.
Kurt cracked open one eye. "Go talk to Rachel. She dresses just as bad as you do." He closed his eye again, preparing to continue sleeping, blissfully unaware of the massive hangover heading his way.
"Are you insane? I can't talk to Rachel about Rachel!" Finn cried.
Kurt didn't answer, opening his eye again to look at Finn, who took it as a sign that he was sober enough to listen. He stood up, pacing the room, trying to gather his thoughts before he spoke. "So like, I was just down at the pool and Rachel shows up bullshitting about how amazing and wonderful Sam is, which I know she's just doing to annoy the shit out of me. I called her out on it and the next thing I know, she's in my lap and we're making out. It was awesome and I think it would have gone even further, but Quinn interrupted us, telling Rachel that Jesse's back. So then-"
"You know I wish that I had Jesse's girl," Kurt mumbled. Finn paused his ramblings, hoping that Kurt wasn't going to start singing Jesse's Girl over and over again. I'm Henry the Eighth I am had been incredibly annoying and he wasn't ready for round two of Karaoke by Kurt. He stared out the window as he began his musings again.
"Right. Anyway, once Rachel heard that Jesse was back she jumped up saying she had to go and caressed my cheek. What does that mean? Does it mean that she's into me and the make out was simply her way of letting me know she wants to start a relationship? Or does it mean that maybe she did, but now that the fiancée is back she changed her mind? Or maybe it means that this is just a fling? What do you think?"
He ran his hand through his hair in frustration, tugging on the ends as he turned towards the bed again, only to find Kurt sound asleep. "Some help you are," he muttered. He still needed someone's opinion about this whole situation, because if he internalized it anymore, he was going to explode.
Pacing commenced again as he considered his options. Obviously, he needed someone sober, someone who would stay awake and actually offer advice. Normally, his mom would be his go to person for advice, but he was still slightly peeved at her for calling the tour guide. Plus, he knew that she was back in the United States driving Burt crazy with her excitement over what Kurt had told her about Rachel, and at the moment, he preferred that she nag Burt and not him. Burt was out; since chances are his mom would be nearby and probably wrestle the phone away from Burt once she realized it was Finn on the phone. He could try Mercedes or Tina, but doubted that they'd have any advice.
Kurt shifted on the bed, still sleeping. "Not tonight, Blaine," he mumbled.
Finn stared at him, momentarily grossed out, until he realized that Kurt had given him the perfect person to call. He grabbed Kurt's phone, dialing quickly and tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for it to ring.
"Hey babe!" Blaine's cheerful voice came through the phone after only 2 rings.
"Uh…it's Finn. I have Kurt's phone," Finn explained, feeling the need to clear that up before Blaine said anything Finn didn't ever need to know about Kurt.
"Oh, hey! Where's Kurt? Is he ok?"
"He's fine. Drop dead drunk at the moment, but fine." Finn smirked, thinking how this time tomorrow; Kurt was most definitely not going to be fine.
"Uh oh. What did he do?" Blaine asked, knowing his partner all too well.
"He outed some poor woman for wearing knockoffs and then puked all over another woman after he criticized her hair dye." He chuckled, remembering Giulia covered in vomit. "He's sleeping the six Long Island Iced Teas off now."
Blaine laughed. "Ouch. So what's going on then? I heard you met someone? Carole's so excited; she can't stop talking about it."
Finn groaned. "Great. Just what I need."
"Why? What happened? All I heard last time I talked to Kurt was about shopping and the incredible chemistry you two had," Blaine asked.
Finn sighed. "What I'm about to tell you, you cannot tell my mom. Is she in the room?"
"No, she's out grocery shopping. What is it?" Blaine asked, sensing that his dull recovery was about to get a lot more interesting.
"Good." Quickly he filled Blaine in on everything that had happened. "So now I don't know what the hell is going on. What does that caress mean? Is it a relationship starter, a thanks but no thanks or something else? What do you think?"
"She doesn't know that you know about the fiancé?"
"Nope. She doesn't know that Kurt knows either."
"Well if she doesn't know that you know, she might be intending to come back to you once she sorts it out because if she thinks you don't know, Jesse probably sounded like Jessica to you, you know?"
"I don't know," Finn said doubtfully.
"Look, I'm not an expert in women, but she might be just as confused as you are. It sounds to me like she wants to be with you, but is confused by the idea of Sam and the Fiancée. She's really been waiting for someone with that name since she was eight?"
"Yeah and he's such a tool. He's got a Jewfro. Kurt was having a field day critiquing his leisure suit."
"That should be good for you then," Blaine surmised.
"You would think, right? But she's so stubborn that she's hanging out with him just to annoy me," Finn replied, kicking one of Kurt's suitcases over in frustration.
"You really like this girl, don't you?" Blaine asked quietly, hearing a loud thud coming through the phone and knowing that something in the room most likely had a dent in it.
"When she's not driving me crazy, she's amazing. I told Kurt, when I first saw her, I couldn't stop staring at her. I remember thinking that this could be something, and I was right. She's gorgeous and I actually have to remind myself to not get lost in her eyes. She fits against me perfectly and when she hugs me, I feel like I'm home, you know? Every time we kiss, I feel it in my toes, man. Wait. Don't tell Kurt what I just said," Finn panicked, knowing Kurt would make fun of him non-stop after telling his mother.
"So maybe you should tell her what you just told me," Blaine advised.
"Maybe," Finn said doubtfully. "But maybe I should wait and see what's going on with the fiancé first."
"Why? She already called off the wedding, didn't she? You think she's gonna get back with him?"
"Why else is he here?" Finn countered. "If I was him, I'd be trying to get her back."
"That doesn't mean she'll go back."
"True," Finn conceded, feeling slightly hopeful. He could see Kurt stirring on the bed and hoped he hadn't heard his beloved luggage getting kicked.
"Don't wait too long. Just tell her what you told me, and I'm sure you'll be bringing her home to meet Carole," Blaine predicted.
Over on the bed, Kurt suddenly sat up, his hand flying to his mouth. His unfocused eyes closed for a moment before he jumped off the bed, running into the bathroom.
Finn watched him go, sighing. "Sorry, Blaine, gotta go. Kurt's praying to the porcelain throne." He could hear Kurt loudly retching and really hoped he had made it to the toilet bowl. He hung up the phone before Blaine could say anything, rushing to help Kurt.
But not before the thought crossed his mind that his mom would like Rachel very, very much.
"Hello Rachy."
Rachel's eyes widened at the unwelcomed sound. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing. When I left for California, you were safe in our apartment and we were still engaged," Jesse responded, crossing one leg on top of the other.
"Brittany planned a Bachelorette Party," Rachel defended. "How did you even know I was here?"
"Well Rachel, after I got that unpleasant phone call from you, I immediately checked the GPS on my phone. Imagine my surprise when it revealed that you called from Italy. My fantastic memory recalled Quinn once mentioning this place, so I headed right over."
"How did you get in here?" Rachel asked as she crossed her arms, not moving from her spot by the door.
"You forget that I once played the role of Assistant Concierge Erik in Grand Hotel. I'm very familiar with the back of a Concierge desk," Jesse replied as he stood up and walked over to her.
Rachel watched silently as he placed a kiss on her forehead. He started to lean down to kiss her lips, but she ducked and darted under his shoulders into the room, not wanting him to realize that her lips were swollen from making out.
And maybe she didn't want to lose the feeling of Finn's kiss on her lips.
"Rachy, what's wrong?"
"Stop calling me Rachy! I hate it! And what's wrong is that you shouldn't be here. I called off the wedding, remember?"
"Oh, that." He waved his hand dismissively. "You didn't mean that. It's clearly a case of cold feet."
"No, it's not." Rachel shook her head firmly. "I meant what I said. I'm not in love with you."
"Rachel, don't be silly. Of course you love me; you just need to remember. We've been together for the last two years. You're the Magnolia to my Gaylord, the Marian to my Professor Hill, the Laurie to my Curly, the-"
"Jesse, enough! Let me ask you this. If you love me so much, what's my favorite flower?" Rachel asked quietly.
"Roses. I get them for you all the time," Jesse stated confidently.
"No. It's Stargazer Lilies. This is what I mean. We don't talk. I never bothered telling you and you never bothered to ask." Rachel shook her head slowly. "I don't regret the last two years, but I'd regret the rest of my life if I stayed with you."
"You're panicking because I don't know your favorite flower?"
"It's not just that. It's a whole lot of things." She stared at him, seeing in him a new light. Jesse was once again brushing aside her feelings, assuming that he knew what she wanted.
"Rachel-" Jesse began, trying to pull her into a hug, his face a mask of confusion as she sidestepped his embrace.
"You need to leave. Now." Rachel pointed towards the door. "Please don't find me anymore. I think it would be better for us both." She took his hand, placing her engagement ring in it, closing his fingers over it.
"Clearly you need to sleep on this." He leaned toward her to kiss her again, frowning when she ducked him once more. "I'll see you in the morning."
Rachel watched him leave, relief etched across her face. A part of her had hoped that Jesse would simply accept what she had said on the phone and leave her be, but she should have known that he'd show up and just ignore what she'd told him.
Sighing she headed towards the bathroom, hoping the hot water would help clear her head. She spent a long time in the shower, finally deciding that she needed to talk to someone about what was going on, but who? Finn was out, she certainly couldn't talk to him about Jesse. She didn't want to talk to Brittany or Quinn about this, since they were blinded by their feelings for Finn. No, what she needed was someone who'd tell it like it is, which left one person.
Stepping out of the shower, she pulled on her pajamas, grabbed her room key and headed towards the one person she knew wouldn't hold back.
Rachel knocked softly on Kurt's door, hoping he was now sober enough to talk. The door swung open after a moment, revealing not a sober Kurt, but a sleepy eyed Finn. She'd obviously woken him, he was wearing only a pair of shorts and his hair was messier than usual. She stared at him for a second in surprise, before launching herself into his arms, suddenly needing his arms around her. They stayed like that for a minute, each relishing in the feeling of the other.
Rachel finally broke away, still staring at him. "Thank you."
"For what?" Finn asked, stepping aside to let her in.
She didn't answer, glancing around the room instead. "Where's Kurt?" she finally asked.
Finn jerked his thumbed towards the bathroom. "Sleeping it off on the floor next to the toilet." He sat on the bed, watching as Rachel fingered random pieces of Kurt's wardrobe scattered about the room, while she nervously paced.
"What's the matter?" He could tell something was bothering her, suspecting it had something to do with the fiancée. He rubbed his eyes as he waited for her to answer.
"You're tired," Rachel said immediately. "I should go."
"No no, I'm ok," Finn assured her, not wanting to let her leave.
"You have a sleepy look about you, and however adorable it may be, I shouldn't be bothering you," Rachel insisted. "I really only came to see how Kurt was doing." As if on cue, Kurt began vomiting. Rachel ran to the bathroom, concerned. She sat on the floor, next to Kurt, rubbing his back as he retched into the toilet.
Kurt looked at her as he took a drink out of the glass Finn had left on the floor next to him. He settled his head back on the cool tile, closing his eyes. "I approve of you as a sister-in-law," he mumbled, still slurring slightly. "Much better than Santana." He fell asleep immediately, leaving Rachel to mull over his words as she stepped out of the bathroom, leaving Kurt sleeping on the floor, clutching his glass and snoring slightly.
Finn was lying on the bed, eyes closed and one arm behind his head. Rachel stared at him, her eyes roaming over him and taking in his prone form. Silently, she tiptoed over to the other side of the bed, pulling back the covers and climbing in.
Finn felt the slight shift of the bed, but didn't open his eyes, afraid to have his hopes dashed in case he opened them and saw Kurt. He squeezed his eyes tighter letting his hope soar when he felt someone snuggle against his body and place a hand on his stomach.
He really hoped this wasn't Kurt.
Tentatively, he opened one eye, relieved to see Rachel's small body pressed up against his. The arm behind his head immediately came down to wrap around Rachel's shoulder, his eyes closing in contentment.
"Who's Santana?"
The words caused his eyes to fly open. "How'd you hear about her?" he managed to choke out.
"Kurt mentioned her just now. Who is she?" Rachel left out the part about getting Kurt's approval as a sister-in-law, although just like before, the thought sent a shiver through her body.
"Just an ex-girlfriend of mine that Kurt hated." He shrugged, hoping Rachel would drop it.
She didn't.
"Oh. Did you date for a long time?" Rachel asked, shifting slightly so she could place her head on his shoulder.
"Not really," he replied, lifting his hips a little so he could slide under the covers like Rachel was. He pulled up the covers, making sure Rachel was sufficiently covered.
"So what happened?"
"She dumped me. Said she met someone else," Finn stated matter of factly, leaving out the part about the man-boobs.
"I'm sorry," Rachel said quietly, quickly picking her head up off his shoulder to look at him.
"Don't be. Santana was a bitch," Finn said bluntly, the hand wrapped around her shoulder rubbing it softly. "She treated me and my family horribly."
"Why did you date her at all then?" Rachel asked quietly, her nails grazing lightly over his chest.
"At first, I think I was so blinded by her body that I guess I just put up with all her snide remarks. I think deep down I knew something was off, but it was easier than being alone, you know?"
"I understand," Rachel said thoughtfully. Finn had just unknowingly voiced the thought that had been running through her mind for a while. "How long ago was this?"
"A year ago. She dumped me via cookie." He quickly explained how Santana had publicly dumped him, to the outrage of Rachel. "Ever since then, I've been single, not in any rush to date, despite what my mom thinks."
"Why?" She inhaled discreetly, letting the smell of his cologne invade her nostrils.
"I guess ever since then, I've been waiting for someone who likes me for me. A tall, clumsy, drum playing art teacher. Someone who doesn't want to change me like Santana did. That description really makes me sound lame, doesn't it?" He ran his free hand through his hair, wishing he could control what came out of his mouth for once.
"It does sound lame, but only because you forgot Smurf Lover," Rachel teased.
"Right. A tall, clumsy, drum playing Smurf Lover of an art teacher," Finn amended, laughing. "Santana never considered my opinions, thinking she knew what was best for me and ignored my wants. My mom doesn't get that I'm waiting for someone who gets me."
"I understand completely." Rachel pressed her head down on his chest, his heartbeat reverberating in her ear. She'd never said it out loud, but Jesse frequently ignored things that she liked or wanted.
They stayed silent for a few minutes, falling into one of those comfortable pauses shared by Kindred Spirits, the kind where no words are necessary.
"So…Jesse?" Finn ventured, addressing the elephant in the room.
"Yeah," Rachel answered unenthusiastically. He's my…" she trailed off, unsure of how to finish the sentence.
"Fiancée?" Finn supplied.
Rachel picked her head up in surprise, sitting up slightly. "You knew? How?"
"Brittany."
"Oh." Rachel seethed for a second, making a mental note to have a discussion with Brittany about sharing information with strangers. "Did she at least inform you that he's now my ex-fiancée?"
"She mentioned that you were planning on cancelling the wedding. What went wrong?" He stared up at her, rubbing her arm soothingly.
"I think it was a combination of things," Rachel said slowly, relieved to actually unburden herself about Jesse with someone. "Even when he was proposing, I remember standing there, convincing myself to say yes."
"That's not a good sign," Finn agreed.
Rachel placed her head back down, her hand finding his, intertwining their fingers as they rested on his stomach. "Jesse and I dated for two years, and I could never bring myself to move in with him. That should have tipped me off that something was off. Brittany and Quinn both met their husbands in college and I'd look at their relationships and notice the differences between theirs and mine. Artie calls Brittany everyday during lunch so they can eat lunch together over the phone and Noah actually shaved his Mohawk that he's worn since we were eight off for Quinn. When he first brought Quinn to meet our family, I noticed that he had a special smile just for her. Jesse gets upset if I call him at all during a show, and I don't think he has a smile just for me," she said a little sadly.
"Not every relationship is the same though. You can't compare them, it'll make you crazy," Finn pointed out, his hand around her shoulder brushing some hair off her neck and curling it around his finger.
"No? Well how about this then," Rachel challenged. "Quinn, Noah, Artie, and Brittany all had the Moment. Quinn noticed Noah as soon as he walked into the bar and couldn't take her eyes off of him. Brittany was dancing in a college showcase and saw Artie in the band as she danced and felt a connection with him. My grandmother always told me that when you meet the one you're supposed to be with, you'll just know; that it's like coming home."
"Coming home?" Finn repeated, his mind reeling from the fact that Rachel's grandmother used the very words that he himself had said to Blaine.
"Brittany and Quinn both said the same thing as Nana; that it would be like meeting an old friend. Quinn said after speaking with Noah that she knew he'd have an important place in her life and he told me that she wouldn't put out on their first date, but it didn't bother him because he just wanted to spend time with her, listening to her tell him things that she never told anyone else. It wasn't like that with me and Jesse. I have lots of things that I never told him, including the fact that I hate to be called Rachy." She shuddered at the dreaded nickname. "I never even told him about the Fortune Cookie or the Gypsy."
"So I guess you never had that moment with Jesse?" Finn asked, hoping she'd say that she'd had that moment with him and not Jesse.
"No. We worked together for six months, before he offered to give me some singing pointers over dinner. Like you were with Santana, I was so in awe of him at first, I guess, that I was willing to overlook the fact that there was no moment. When I went wedding dress shopping with Brittany, it struck me that I was more certain about my wedding dress than I was about Jesse."
"He's here to get you back, then?" Finn asked, rubbing her shoulder again, this time with more force. He hated that Jesse was here, but if he was Jesse, he'd sure as hell be flying to Italy to get Rachel back too.
"He was waiting in my hotel room. We had a talk and I explained how I felt, but he still thinks it's just cold feet. Hopefully, he'll leave tomorrow when he sees it's not. I already told my fathers it was off and Quinn told Noah, which means the rest of the family should know by now."
"Does he know why you're here?" Finn asked curiously.
Rachel shook her head against his chest. "No. I didn't want to hurt him, especially since he'd asked me if there was anyone else when I called him. I'd told him no, only the idea of one."
The sound of Kurt once again vomiting filled the room. Finn sighed. "I'll go," he volunteered. He got out of bed, feeling like he and Rachel were parents taking care of a newborn baby.
Rachel watched him go from her position on the bed. She could see Finn kneeling next to Kurt, patting his back, ready to hand him a new glass of water. He glanced up for a second to see her watching and threw Rachel a smile that she couldn't help but feel was just for her.
In between taking turns caring for Kurt, they continued snuggling on the bed, talking long into the night. They talked about everything, right down to a heated debate about which flavor of gummi bear was the best. Rachel found herself asking him the kind of questions that she'd never dare to ask Jesse and sharing thoughts that she'd never even told Brittany, let alone Jesse.
Eventually, talked out, they fell asleep in each other's arms.
"Ugh…" Kurt cracked open an eye to take in his surroundings. Why was he sleeping on what appeared to be the bathroom floor? He sat up quickly, which was a mistake, since it only increased the pounding in his head. He sat still for a moment, waiting for the pounding to decrease to a dull throb before he attempted to place his hands on the toilet and try to stand.
There. He was successfully on his feet. He opened his mouth several times, which felt like he'd swallowed a bunch of cotton balls. Slowly, he reached out and placed first one hand and then the other on sink, steadying himself before he lifted his eyes to the mirror.
Oh. My. Gaga.
His hands gripped the sink tightly as he took in his appearance. His normally perfectly coiffed hair was looking suspiciously Finn like, sticking up every which way. His skin, which he normally took such pride in, was pale and sunken, and thanks to his night on the floor was imprinted with the design of the floor tiles. He probed his skin gently, wondering if he'd packed his emergency skin replenishing moisturizing kit. His skin was forgotten immediately when he allowed his eyes to roam down to his new Marc Jacobs shirt, which was stained with a combination of alcohol and what appeared to be bits of vomit. To his horror, several buttons were missing from the front of the shirt and a large hole could be seen on the seam near the shoulder.
In short, he looked like he'd been hit by a Mack truck. The only thought that could rise above the throbbing in his head was that he needed to find his stain guide and fast.
Ever so slowly, he turned and gingerly stepped out of the bathroom. Concentrating on placing one foot in front of the other, he made his way towards his suitcases, not noticing anything other than the floor in front of his feet. Wincing at both the effort required to lift his train case onto the bed and the sound of the clasp snapping open, he rummaged through the train case looking for his more comprehensive stain chart, hoping he didn't wake Finn and Rachel sleeping in the bed.
Hold on.
Finn and… Rachel?
In his bed. Great. He was going to need to switch rooms.
He stopped rummaging to focus his eyes on the occupants of his bed, praying that he could see some clothing. Rachel was snuggled against Finn, her head resting on his chest, the covers completely covering her up to her neck, although the hand she had on Finn's chest was peeking out from under the blanket. It was clear that Finn had no shirt on, but at the moment Kurt was more concerned with what was –or wasn't- being worn under the blanket. He watched them for a moment, struggling with an internal debate over whether or not he should pick up the covers to check for clothing. If Rachel was naked under there, that would do nothing for him, but if he picked up the blanket and saw Finn –his brother- naked, that would scar him for life. He decided to take his chances with Rachel. Cautiously, he picked up the blanket behind Rachel and lifted it, breathing a sigh of relief when he caught a quick glimpse of a tank top and pajama shorts.
The blanket moving must have been felt by Finn because he shifted slightly and opened his eyes. "Morning Kurt. Is that this season's look in hangover couture?" he smirked. His smirk turned to a smile when he realized who was in bed next to him.
Kurt, his head pounding too much to think of a witty reply, simply glared at him and slowly began his walk of shame back to the bathroom. Finn watched him go, tempted to slam a door just to annoy Kurt, but not quite willing to get out of bed yet.
The reason for his reluctance began stirring next to him. He stared down at her, watching as consciousness gradually took over her body and marveling at how beautiful she was, hoping that didn't make him seem stalkerish. He could feel her stretching next to him, her eyes still closed as she gave a sigh and cuddled against him, trying to find a more comfortable position.
Finn could tell the exact moment full consciousness took over. Rachel's eyes snapped open, although she didn't remove her head from his chest. "Hey, you," he said, letting his hand rub up and down her back lightly.
Rachel shifted her head to stare up at him, her eyes wide. "Good morning, Finn." She extracted herself from him and sat up, suddenly shy. "How's Kurt?"
"He's got the hangover from hell I'd say," Finn replied smirking. The bathroom door opened again, to reveal a still disheveled Kurt standing unsteadily in the doorway. Whatever he'd been doing in the bathroom hadn't helped, since he looked exactly the same as when he went in. Finn quickly grabbed his cell phone off the nightstand and snapped a picture, sending it off to Blaine, Mom and Burt as revenge for all the pictures Kurt had sent of those girls the tour had found for him. Kurt didn't even have the energy to protest, trudging over to the bed and carefully draping himself across the foot of the bed.
Rachel immediately went into concerned mode. "Kurt? Do you need some water? How about some Tylenol?"
"Or maybe another Long Island Iced Tea?" Finn added slyly, chuckling when the only reply he got was a very unKurtlike middle finger waving weakly in the air.
"Kurt, you should shower, alternating between cold and hot water. Some food will do you good; so you'd better show up at breakfast. You need to replenish the vitamins in your body, you know," Rachel directed. "I'm going to go get dressed in my own room, but I'm leaving Finn in charge of helping you get ready." She climbed over Finn, who bit his lip when she inadvertently brushed her groin over his. He quickly pulled the covers over himself, hiding his lap, hoping Kurt wasn't planning on moving in the next few minutes since there was no way Finn could get out of this bed without humiliating himself.
He watched from the safety of the bed as Rachel fussed over Kurt for a few minutes, before turning to him. "I'm leaving now. I probably shouldn't have been here at all, but…thank you." She leaned over and kissed his forehead gently, slipping out of the room before he could say or do anything. Finn lay back against the headboard, still feeling Rachel's lips on his forehead.
"I may have a hangover the size of Texas, but I'm not blind. You two looked like a married couple, cuddled up the way you were," Kurt spoke to the ceiling, not bothering to pick up his head. "Spill."
"Nothing happened. She just came to see how you were doing, and while you were puking your brains out, we talked." He shrugged, wanting to keep the specifics of their night to himself. "You need help getting to the shower?"
"I'm not leaving this bed until the room stops spinning. Tell me what happened and why it had to happen in my bed." Kurt remained draped over the foot of the bed, not planning to move for a long time.
"Nope." Stealthily, Finn got out of bed, quickly scooping Kurt up and depositing him in the shower. He turned the water on, soaking Kurt clothes and all. "I'm gonna wait outside. You heard Rachel. Take a shower; it'll make you feel better." He ignored Kurt's sputtering, turning the water as cold as it could go until Kurt agreed. "You owe me dude, for taking care you," he called over his shoulder as he walked out.
He leaned against the closed bathroom door, reliving the night. Despite what he'd just said to Kurt, he couldn't help but feel it was the other way around. He totally owed Kurt since it was Kurt's inebriated state that caused Rachel to come to his room and end up spending the night. He wasn't sure what was going to happen, but felt that things had suddenly shifted his way.
Sam Evans and fiancée be damned. Finn Hudson was about to get the girl for once.
Rachel played with her fork, anxiously looking up every time someone came out onto the terrace, disappointment filling her each time she realized it wasn't Finn. She'd snuck back to her room, showered and dressed, her night with Finn on her mind the whole time. Brittany and Quinn were across from her, since she'd immediately put her bag on the seat next to her when she'd arrived, saving it for Finn. Brittany had tried to sit there, and it had taken some quick thinking on Rachel's part (along with a shove) to keep Brittany from sitting there. She'd kept the events of last night to herself, not yet willing to discuss them with Brittany or Quinn.
"Waiting for someone?" Brittany asked slyly, taking a sip of her tea.
"I'm just concerned about Kurt. He lost a lot of vitamins and I'm sure is severely dehydrated," Rachel replied, unable to help the grin that formed on her face when she saw Finn and Kurt come slowly through the door. "Here he comes now."
"Right. That grin that just came on your face is all for Kurt's welfare," Quinn commented drily.
Rachel ignored her comment, her eyes following Finn and Kurt slowly making their way over to the table. Kurt was back to looking like Kurt, dressed in an impeccable outfit, but his slow gait and enormous sunglasses revealed his hung over state. "Hello, Kurt!" she called out cheerfully, handing him a glass of orange juice as he sat next to Quinn. She smiled at Finn as he helped Kurt sit. He returned her smile with one of his own before heading over to the buffet.
"Shhh! Rachel, I'm right here, must you yell? It's bad enough I found you in my bed with Finn this morning, now you're intent on making my hangover worse?" He took a very small sip of his orange juice, not noticing the interested looks Brittany and Quinn assumed at his words.
"Care to explain, Rachel?" Brittany asked innocently. "How did you end up in bed with Finn?"
"I was helping to take care of Kurt and I fell asleep," Rachel defended. "It was nothing."
Kurt snorted, grabbing his head immediately when the pounding increased. "That didn't look like nothing. You two were snuggled so closely together that I couldn't tell where he ended and you began. I actually had to check to make sure that you had clothes on."
"Really?" Brittany and Quinn said simultaneously.
Rachel was saved from answering by the unwelcome appearance of Jesse. "Hello, Rachel," he said brightly, sitting down next to her and attempting to kiss her temple. Rachel recoiled immediately, ducking away from him.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed, annoyed by the fact that the seat she'd gone to great lengths to save for Finn was now occupied by Jesse.
"Eating breakfast with my fiancée. What are we doing today?" he asked, grabbing all the slices of cantaloupe off Rachel's plate. She seethed; he knew cantaloupe was her favorite and he'd just taken it all.
Finn came over to the table a plate in each hand. He placed one in front of Kurt, sitting down on next to Brittany. He eyed Jesse with interest, his amber eyes flickering between Rachel's annoyed face and this stranger, knowing instinctively that this was the fiancée. "Hi, I'm Finn, and this is my brother Kurt," he said casually, holding out his hand to Jesse.
"Jesse St. James, but I'm sure you know that from the many press write ups about me. I'm also Rachel's fiancée." He shook Finn's hand, glancing curiously over at Kurt, who'd slumped down, his face practically in the plate of food Finn had brought him. "Is he special?" Jesse whispered loudly to Rachel, not noticing the angry look on her face.
"Jesse, a word?" Rachel stood up and stomped off to a secluded corner, Jesse following closely behind.
"Rachel, what's the matter?" he asked.
"We. Are. Not. Engaged." She gestured between the two of them. "And how dare you insinuate that Kurt is special, just because he's not falling at your feet. He's simply hung over."
"Not this again. I told you, it's cold feet," Jesse leaned one arm on either side of her head, effectively pinning her against the wall. "As for what's his name, can you blame me for thinking he's special? He's practically sleeping in his eggs, and the big one seems pretty simple to me. They seem like good friends for Brittany."
"Don't insult my friends," Rachel warned, stepping out from in between his arms.
"Fine. I take it back." Jesse rolled his eyes. "Why don't we spend the day together? We can be simple tourists. It'll be a good acting exercise."
"Jesse get it through your head. You and I are over. I'm sorry if you came all the way here thinking that there was something left to save, but there isn't. I don't want to spend the day with you; I don't even want to spend breakfast with you. Please try to understand." She stomped back over to the table, noting with annoyance that Giulia the stripper was now seated at the table next to Finn, along with Luca. She caught Finn's eye as she sat down, who seemed just as annoyed that Giulia was there.
"Rachel, you remember Giulia right?" Luca asked.
"Hello Giulia. What are you doing here?" Rachel responded bluntly, noting that Giulia was still in the same clothes from last night.
"Luca and I had the sex last night," she responded cheerfully, stealing a strawberry off of Kurt's plate. "I plan on Finn, but he no want, so I have the sex with Luca instead. Maybe I have the sex with Finn tonight." She dragged a finger down Finn's arm enticingly.
Rachel choked on the tea she'd just sipped, unable to look at Finn. "Excuse me…I'm…I'm just going to get some cantaloupe."
"Oh, here, have mine. I know it's your favorite, so I brought extra for you," Finn said, tipping his cantaloupe onto Rachel's plate.
Jesse watched this exchange with interest through narrowed eyes. The man he'd mistaken for a simpleton was getting a blinding smile from Rachel, simply for bringing fruit for her. He hadn't been serious when he'd asked Rachel if there was someone else, but he was starting to rethink that. He'd planned to be back on a plane to New York tonight, Rachel by his side, but this unexpected development might throw a wrench in his plans.
Not that he was worried. He was Jesse St. James, Broadway star.
And stars always get the girl.
A/N: Ugh...I know what's going to happen and even I'm sitting here going, "God, Jesse's got to go."
Magnolia and Gaylord are from Showboat, Marian and Professor Hill are from The Music Man and Laurie and Curly from Oklahoma!