She had almost forgotten how amazing his touch felt on her skin. Looking back, Rachel had no idea how she ever went seven years without feeling Jesse's arms around her, because now – she feels as though she breaks apart little by little with each passing day they go without embracing.

The two had been standing in the terminal of JFK airport for twenty minutes. Neither was speaking, and it took all of their energy just to remind themselves to breathe. It had been a long three weeks until Jesse's quarter had finished, and school projects and theatre rehearsals did nothing but add to the stress of the two soul mates living separate lives. When Jesse had called a few hours ago to say he was boarding the plane in Columbus, Rachel had left rehearsals immediately to sit patiently and wait for him to make his entrance. He still had the ability to steal her breath away simply by walking within her vicinity.

"Remind me again why I live in Ohio?" Jesse whispered into her hair, trying to breathe in the strawberry scent so deeply that it would stay with him throughout the duration of his visit.

Rachel kept her eyes closed as she leaned her head against Jesse's shoulder, not yet willing to separate herself from his body. "I can't think of a single reason," she stated, honestly. She could feel his fingers playing delicately along her back, making abstract designs into her skin out of sheer desire for intimacy.

As Jesse felt the small bumps rise on the skin he was currently stroking, he felt the hair on his own arms raise as his jeans became a size tighter. How could anyone possibly have this affect on him at the age of twenty six? He should have outgrown these bursts of hormones, but just the thought of his girlfriend elicited feelings in him that he hadn't realized were hidden so deep. "Err, maybe we should hail a cab and head on over to your apartment. You have a couple more hours before your show, right?"

It was the cue Rachel had been waiting for. She grabbed as much of his luggage as she could handle before heading towards the car lane, willing herself to walk briskly and not break out into a full on jog. She needed Jesse. She needed him in the car, in her apartment, and inside of her. She almost felt sorry for all of the vacationers that were waiting in line as she darted directly into a cab, but hearing Jesse's laughter at her obvious line cut only solidified her decision. Tourists be damned – Rachel Berry was on a mission.

Basking in the afterglow of making love with Jesse, Rachel inattentively ran her fingers through the patch of hair just below his belly button. They were lying together on Rachel's mattress with the fan pointed in their direction, trying desperately to beat the heat of the hot New York humidity. Jesse was resting on his back, stroking his fingers through Rachel's hair, as he began to hum the song that always reminded him of the brunette that was currently draped across the right side of his body.

Rachel smiled into her boyfriend's torso, recognizing the song immediately by Jesse's harmonized humming. She had never told him – had never even hinted at it, but each night when she performed the song in front of hundreds from the stage, she pictured Jesse and his beautiful smile. As his humming slowed, she picked up the notes and began singing them softly into his chest, feeling for perhaps the first time in her life absolute precision in both the song and the atmosphere.

"Without you
the tides change
the boys run
the oceans crash"

Jesse smiled towards the ceiling, hearing Rachel's perfect pitch although she kept the song at a low whisper. He rolled over onto his side so he could face her as they continued the song, singing the words into each others eyes while tears played at the corners of Rachel's lids, threatening to spill from her lashes.

"The crowds roar
the days soar
the babies cry
without you

The moon glows
the river flows
but I die
without you."

Both of them were smiling as Jesse stretched his head down to lightly peck Rachel on the lips, tasting the salt from her tears that had landed on her plump feature. "I can't explain how happy I am that I'm finally here," he whispered, allowing his body to relax as he wrapped his arms around Rachel's petite frame.

"It seems like it took you forever," she answered, meeting his eyes with hers. Through rehearsals, wedding planning, and sleep deprivation, the only thing she'd wanted the last few weeks was Jesse, and she was finally in his grasp again. She sighed deeply at the thought of her impending departure, wishing she could lie naked with him for the remainder of the day, but her alarm was telling her otherwise. It was time to get ready for her performance, and she kissed his chest once more before standing to walk to the shower.

Jesse rolled over onto his back again to enjoy the view of Rachel walking to the bathroom, wondering again how it was that fate had played in his favor. "I think I'm going to look for a job while I'm here," he shouted over the running water that Rachel had already started. He saw her peek her head around the doorframe, eyebrows raised in a sudden shock. "I mean, just something part-time, like waiting tables. You're going to be performing a lot and I want to help out around here."

She turned back to test the temperature of the water, trying to hide the disappointment in her expression. "You know you don't have to do that," she shouted back, pulling her hair into a loose bun above her head.

"I know I don't, but I want to," he replied, now standing in the doorway of the only separated room in the apartment. "Besides, if I don't find something to occupy my time, I'll end up spending my entire break lounging in your theatre and critiquing your dance moves."

She moved to place a playful slap on his chest, but he caught both of her wrists and pinned them against the wall above her head, leaning into her as they both smiled into the rising steam around them.

"Ready for round two?" Jesse groaned into her ear, and Rachel could already feel his hardness pressing into her stomach. She didn't have time to answer before he was pulling her into the shower, sweat and soap mixing so beautifully with pleasure and moans.

They awoke a few days later to the sounds of Don't Stop Me Now by Queen blaring from Rachel's phone. She had never been a classic rock fan, but Jesse's persuasion was starting to weigh on her, and even she had to admit that the tune was the best with which to start the day. Choosing it as her alarm ringtone was only fitting, and Jesse laughed despite his exhaustion as Rachel reached across him to silence the device.

"You need to get up," Jesse said, his voice heavy with sleep. She sighed deeply into his side as she mumbled something about coffee and her desire to sleep another fifteen minutes. "Fifteen minutes will turn into an hour, Rache, and you have to be at rehearsals by then. If you want that Tony…" he began to say, but he'd already gotten Rachel's attention. She was up and on her way to the coffee pot before he even finished the word award.

"That's easy for you to say, Jesse. You get to sleep all day."

"Might I remind you that I work until four o'clock in the morning? It's not as though I enjoy sleeping the days away," he stated, stretching his arms above his head and grabbing two clean mugs to share with his girlfriend. Jesse had received a bartending job at the first location he had tried – a small bar known mainly to tourists as The Willow Tree, but it was conveniently located a block and a half away from Rachel's show. She had started to make it a habit of joining him after her performances, but he knew it was only a matter of time before her own schedule caught up with her sleep deprivation.

"Speaking of days," Blaine interrupted on his way to the fridge, helping himself to a glass of milk before straightening his tie in the mirror located a foot away, "I could use some help with a couple of my students. Jesse, if you aren't too exhausted from the bar last night, I would really appreciate your opinion." He stood before the couple and hoped he wasn't crossing any boundaries at his request, but he'd heard Jesse's voice countless times (via Rachel's persistent YouTube requests while Jesse was in Ohio) and knew his voice differed greatly from that of his own. Not only would that be an asset to Blaine's students, but he assumed Jesse also had a wealth of knowledge regarding musicals.

He exchanged glances with Rachel for a moment, wondering where Blaine's interest had come from, before returning his attention back and agreeing to meet him on campus in an hour.

"Great, get my number from Rachel and call when you get to the area. I'll meet you nearby or give directions to the building."

"Great," Jesse replied. "I'll see you in a bit."

After Blaine left, Jesse raised his eyebrows towards his girlfriend, looking for answers although it was plain to see that she shared his expression. "I have no idea," Rachel answered to the inaudible inquiry.

"It's not that I mind helping – not at all. Actually, I'd enjoy getting back into the university swing of things, but it just seems a little out of the blue, doesn't it?"

"He so rarely asks for help from anyone, even Kurt. Granted, we all know that Kurt has been spending every single moment of the day planning the most over-the-top wedding you will ever attend, but still," Rachel shrugged her shoulders as she poured Jesse a cup and handed it over the counter, "I think it could be good for the both of you. Maybe Blaine could find a friend, and you could find something to occupy your time while I'm away earning that Tony award," she said, wrapping her arms around his torso and laughing up into his piercing blue eyes.

Jesse was rushing from the subway station, trying desperately to find his away around a city that appeared almost enitrely foreign to him, as he searched for Blaine's number in his cell phone. The heat was nearly suffocating him, and he was already running late due to his shower with Rachel that morning. Finally locating Blaine's name in his address book, he pressed the mobile button to connect a call.

"Hey, Jesse?" Blaine answered, obviously waiting on him that afternoon. Upon hearing the confirmation, Blaine gave him the directions to meet directly outside the building he was teaching in, hoping Jesse was somewhat familiar with the area. It took him almost fifteen minutes, but shortly after he hung up the phone, he saw Jesse's head full of curls rounding the corner.

"Hey, thanks for coming this afternoon. I'm sorry if I put you on the spot… and if this seems a little out of the blue, but I could really use the help."

"It's no problem," Jesse responded, "but I should warn you that I teach middle school students. I haven't taught a college student since I was earning my own masters degree."

"It's nothing to worry about. These kids are here because they want to be, not because they're being forced into it, and I honestly think you'll have a good time. It's a talented bunch – I'm just needing help with musical selections, and Rachel claims you know Broadway better than anyone."

"That might actually be accurate – excluding her, of course."

"Well, she said that too." They both laughed heartily regarding Rachel's personality, and Jesse thanked the heavens above that she hadn't changed that much since he'd met her so many years ago.

"Well," he started as he followed Blaine through the door, "let's do this then."

I know this seems like an in between chapter, and that's because it is. But I have plans, I promise. Hold tight.

And now, I am going to take the time to shamelessly promote my other fic – iPod Shuffle. Details are in the first "chapter" so head on over and let me know what you think. I love writing this story, but I wanted to try my hand at some one shots.