Chapter 18

After freshening herself up in the en suite bathroom; which she was delighted to see was covered in pink tiles and lavender paint, Rachel changed into one of the dresses she had brought with her; a strapless elegant looking purple dress that hugged her body tightly flowing to just above her knees. It was one of the dresses she had bought in Ohio when she had gone to mall with James, remembering how he had looked at her speechless as he stood in front of the dressing room. His jaw had dropped as she emerged wearing it, and the sensation made her feel absolutely amazing. Giggling in the mirror, Rachel wondered if he would recognize the dress, as well as if his reaction would be the same. Pulling on her shoes, and after giving herself a final look over, Rachel headed out into the corridor and headed towards the staircase. As she walked past James' bedroom, she considered taking a peek inside before thinking better of it; his bedroom was his private space and she knew that James would show her on his own.

Walking down the stairs, Rachel was glad that she had chosen a pair of black pumps instead of her heels because of the fact it was a wooden staircase instead of the carpeted one at her own house. Navigating the staircase successfully in her tightly fitted dress, Rachel headed into the kitchen which was empty except for Andrea, who was stood typing on her phone as she leaned against one of the counters. Rachel smiled taking in his mom's appearance, as Andrea looked up and grinned at her. James' mom had changed into a skirt that matched her maroon blouse with a small white jacket draped over her shoulders.

"Rachel, you look beautiful" Andrea remarked, and Rachel smiled bowing her head slightly.

"Thank you, you look lovely" Rachel replied, and Andrea laughed softly thanking her. "Is James ready?"

"He should be" Andrea replied, and Rachel was about to respond when she heard footsteps hurrying down the stairs. She turned around and giggled softly as she heard his voice whining.

"Mom" He said, as he hit the bottom step and turned to walk into the kitchen, his head bowed as he was fiddling with the buttons on the white shirt he had changed into. Rachel turned and saw Andrea smirking as he continued complaining. "Mom, do you know where my jacket is? I can't remember…"

Rachel tilted her head and gazed at him as he stood in the doorway of the kitchen, his mouth open as he stood looking at her with amazement in his eyes.

"Rachel…." He muttered, clearly lost for words.

"How do I look?" Rachel prompted after a long moment of silence in the room, pierced only by Andrea's amused chuckle. Walking towards him, she moved her hands and finished buttoning up his shirt for him as he took a breath and leaned forward to kiss her lips softly.

"You" He said pressing another kiss to her lips. "Look amazingly, out of this world, incredibly beautiful"

Rachel giggled, before moving her hands to his neck and kissing him deeply again; his earlier protesting about not doing that in front of his mom seemingly far from his mind now. After a couple of minutes, they were interrupted by Andrea coughing as she headed past them. "Come on you two, we've got dinner to head to"

Smiling Rachel ducked her head in embarrassment, hiding against James chest as he rubbed her shoulders softly, his fingers massaging reassuring circles into her bare shoulders. After a few moments she looked up at him again and noted the smirk on his face.

"What?" She asked, stepping away from him

"Who's embarrassed now?" James chuckled softly, and Rachel shook her head at him and stepped past him into the hallway. "Hey wait"

"I'm kidding, I'm not angry" She laughed at his worried expression.

"I know, but you'll need to wear this later" James remarked with a smile as he handed her his leather jacket from earlier. "It gets cold in Portland later on"

"Thank you" She replied as he held the jacket for her to slip her arms into, pulling it close around her enjoying his smell on it.

"Come on" James said offering his arm to her after putting his own jacket. Giggling at his actions, Rachel did as he requested causing a smile to spread across his lips as he led her out the door and towards the car.

...

Twenty minutes later, the three of them were walking into a restaurant named "The Orchard". In her opinion, it looked impressive on the outside with a large glass front that allowed you to look in on the restaurant. Rachel was impressed by how formal the tables looked, white clothes draped over them with flowers and candles at each one. In order to get to the main entrance, they had to walk over a glass bridge that passed over a small stream that seemed to run around the entire outside of the building as they walked over to reach the doorway Rachel smiled at a variety of coloured fish swimming beneath them. Entering through the door, they stepped into a small reception room. Rachel noted that there was a bar along with several green couches where people sat laughing and drinking. Rachel looked around as her well trained eyes heard a strings orchestra playing softly somewhere further into the restaurant. Looking around she saw several waiters wearing shirt, ties and waistcoats. The whole place was obvious a very expensive place to eat.

"I'll get us some drinks and check on our table" Andrea said, touching her songs elbow. After the two of them gave their request for lemonade, they were left together standing in the middle of the doorway.

"This is beautiful" Rachel murmured, her arm linked with James, looking up at him as he smiled back at her. "This looks really expensive, you don't have to go to so much trouble just for me"

"Rachel, you deserve to be treated to the best" He replied, kissing her gently on the lips as he guided her over to an empty couch. Rachel smiled, and gazed around to see his mom talking to a man stood behind a wooden desk obviously checking on their table. The two of them exchanged words and the man seemed to be familiar with Andrea; causing Rachel to wonder if they ate here regularly. When James spoke again, his lips close to her ear she couldn't help the smile that crossed her face "Besides, this is my mom's restaurant"

Rachel gaze flickered to him, and she saw the amused look on his face as it dawned on her. "Your mom owns this place?"

"Yeah" he said nodding. He looked away from her; Rachel smiled as she saw he was looking at the approaching waiter.

"Good to see you James" The man with a moustache said with a warm expression on his face. "Your drinks"

"Thanks Antonio" James replied, grinning as he took the drinks from the man.

"So your mom owns this beautiful restaurant...and you come here often?" She asked taking a drink of the lemonade that had been brought to her.

"Since I was a child" James said, licking his lips clean of his drink. Rachel itched to lean forward and kiss him as she watched the action. "Mom used to let me go in the back when I was seven and help Greg, the chef, make pizza"

Rachel giggled as she imagined a small boy with curly hair rolling dough out. Her thoughts were interrupted as Andrea returned to them holding a glass of red wine in her hand. "Our table should be ready in a few minutes"

"This place is beautiful, Andrea. Thank you for bringing me here" Rachel said, smiling as the older woman sat down next to her on the couch crossing her legs.

"You're welcome Rachel, but don't thank me" Andrea replied, and gestured towards James with her head. "James wouldn't have us going anywhere else. He made me make sure that everything was perfect"

"Thank you baby" Rachel said smiling, turning and pressing a kiss to his lips.

The three of them sat there laughing and talking as Andrea filled Rachel in on how James always used to love coming with her to work at the restaurant when he was younger so that he could learn to cook with the chefs. As ten minutes passed, a waiter came addressing Andrea formally as he led them through the restaurant to their table. Rachel admired the beauty of the restaurant, smiling as she spotted the collection of five string instruments playing in a corner of the building. When they arrived at their table, a beautifully decorated round table that seated four people; there was a centrepiece of a collection of white and yellow flowers surrounded by a wreath of rose petals. Rachel glanced at James, who flicked his eyebrows up at her as he held her seat out for her.

Dinner was beautiful, Rachel glad to take the chance to spend time with him as James told her about his last few weeks at school. Afterwards, Andrea told her all about how James was as a child as they ate dinner. Rachel had never seen James be so quiet during dinner, a blush permanently on his face as Rachel giggled at the embarrassing things his mom was telling her about him.

"You used to run around with pants on your head, naked?" Rachel said softly before laughing at the look on James' face as he closed his eyes and nodded slowly.

"There's more" Andrea said putting her glass of wine down. James had whispered in her ear that he would be driving them home allowing his mom to have a couple of drinks. "He had this soft animal…"

"Mom" He pleaded, his eyes wide causing Rachel to giggle. "Please"

"This soft animal, it was a rabbit and he called it Fluffy" Andrea continued, ignoring her son's plight as he buried his face in his hand groaning. "He used to take him everywhere, and insisted on taking him in the bath with him every night"

"Awww" Rachel cooed, placing a hand on James neck and rubbing reassuring circles on his skin. "That's adorable"

He raised his head and gazed at her, an eyebrow raised sceptically seeing if she was playing with him before laughing. She nodded at him, reassuring him that she was being serious and she really did think it was adorable.

"Adorable" She muttered, smiling. She managed to get out her next words before she burst into giggles "But really embarrassing"

"Laugh it up, Berry" James replied, chuckling softly with her. "You wait till I see your Dads next, and I get them to tell me all the stuff you'd rather keep a secret"

"You wouldn't" Rachel said, smiling still at him.

"I would" He replied, his lips upturned in a smirk as he looked at her mischievously. Giggling, she leaned over and kissed him softly.

….

An hour and a half later, Rachel was sat cuddling up to James sitting on his lap in one of the leather chairs in the living room of his house. Her left arm was draped around his shoulder as her fingers stroked his neck softly, her head resting in the crook of his neck. James was sat with his head resting gently against hers, a smile on her lips as she felt him press soft kisses into her hair. Her other hand was resting on his chest, as she relaxed with her eyes closed barely listening to the sound of a film playing on the TV. A smile covered her lips as she felt James' hand running up and down her thigh, the enjoying the intimacy of the action as his other rested on the small of her back just above her bum; his fingers running circles on the skin where her pyjama top had ridden up slightly.

When they arrived home from the restaurant, she had changed into her pyjamas as James put on a pair of sweatpants and an Aerosmith t-shirt, as he explained it's what he normally lounged around the house in.

Dinner had been amazing, leaving Rachel feeling as welcome in James' family as she knew he felt in hers. Andrea had left them to it, saying she had a busy day tomorrow and headed to bed just after nine thirty. James had put on the Dark Knight into the DVD player, smirking at Rachel's protesting as she saw the musical section of his family's DVD collection. She had given up her argument when he said that she might find it scary in some parts and they could cuddle together if she did get afraid.

"I've been dreaming of how good it feels to hold you" James murmured softly against her head as she shifted closer to him.

"You did?" Rachel replied, tilting her head up to look at him; moving her hand from his chest to tenderly hold his face. He nodded at her and she smiled leaning up slightly in request that he kiss her. Knowing that he would never give up the chance, warmness spread throughout her body as their lips met.

The two of them spent the rest of the film making out in his living room, Rachel enjoying the sensation of being able to be held by him; something that she had been sorely missing the last month. The feeling of his lips against hers was unbelievable, and when he moved his lips to her neck, enjoying that James was showing her how much he missed her as well, nipping and sucking gently on the skin in a way that made her moan softly. Relaxing in her arms as she shifted her body closer still, enjoying the feeling of longing that only made itself present when he was close to her.

After the film ended, Rachel reluctantly separated from James gazing up at him through her eyelashes to see the look of lust and want in his eyes and on his face as he was still evidently caught up in the action as she had been. Rachel smiled as she watched him take a breath before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Come on, we should go to bed" She said softly, freeing herself from him and pulling him up of the chair.

Hand in hand, Rachel felt happy as they walked up the stairs and along the corridor as they headed to where his bedroom and the guest room where situated, separated by two more rooms in between. They lingered in front of his bedroom for several minutes as she gave him a goodnight kiss, pulling away finally before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips and turning to walk further along. She didn't expect t make it far, and a giggle left her throat as she felt him pull gently on her hand, spinning around as she allowed James to pull her back to him.

"Where do you think you're going?" He said as he placed his arms around her shoulders, her hands resting on his waist just above the band of his sweatpants, as he began pressing soft kisses against her swollen lips.

"To my room?" She replied, frowning at him slightly.

"No you're not" He smirked down at her. Rachel felt amusement rise up in her, as he held her tightly ensuring she couldn't walk away from him placing soft kisses on her lips

"Baby, if you want me to come to school with you tomorrow I need to go sleep" She murmured against his lips.

"You really think I'm letting you sleep in there?" He chuckled softly pulling back a couple of inches, Rachel gulped as she felt his breath on her lips.

"Where would I sleep then?" She replied quietly, gazing at his smiling face and she knew the answer even as the question left her lips. Rachel bit her lip as she answered it for him; "In your bed?"

"If you want to" He said, pressing another kiss to her lips. "If you don't want to that's okay"

"I want to" She said instantly.

"Good" He murmured before connecting their lips again.

Rachel's mouth opened all too willingly for him, and she knew she wouldn't have been able to sleep so close to him but yet so far away from his warm arms. That night they had shared a bed in Ohio had been the best night sleep she'd had, knowing that there was someone who cared about her so close. Still, the thought that they might be caught by a disapproving mum who would stop them visiting each other crossed her thoughts. Attempting to argue the point as he kissed her again; the words left her without any real conviction against his lips "Your mom…"

"She doesn't need to know" He said placing one last kiss before he pulled back and looked at her smiling. "Come on"

Rachel nodded at him, biting her bottom lip as he turned around and opened the room to his bedroom, still keeping one of her hands held tightly in his. There was a feeling of wariness in her stomach, knowing this was the first time she was actually going to see his bedroom for the first time, but not only that; the knowledge she was also going to be sleeping in his room; a boy's room, a boy who she was in love with, for the first time. That feeling however, was overwhelmed by the want she felt to be close to James in that moment.

James flicked the light switch on in his room, and Rachel grinned as she observed his room. Compared to the rest of the house, his room was completely different. Instead of the maroon, or gold wallpaper that could be found in the other rooms; James room was painted in a light blue colour.

His king-sized bed was covered in a dark blue quilt and as she walked towards it she couldn't help but touch it; smiling at the soft material beneath her hand. The walls of his room were covered in several posters of movies; she recognized a Batman poster, a Star War poster that featured all the characters from all six films as well as several from other sci-fi films. Rachel smiled as her eyes ran over the small cabinets and bed side tables that littered around; all of them neatly organized as when he had stayed in her guest room.

Making her way over to the desk where a computer was placed, there was a bookshelf next to it filled with various books and CDs. Rachel smirked as she saw two shelves dedicated to comic books.

"Comic books?" She asked, turning around to see him looking at her with a curious expression, obviously eager to hear her opinion.

"What?" He said smiling. "I've collected them since I was seven or eight"

"Nerd" She replied playfully as he walked over to her and took her in his arms.

"You love me anyway though" He said, smirking at her. Rachel throat clenched slightly at the words, knowing that she had started to feel that way towards him but not ready to say that out loud.

"You wish" She replied before leaning up to kiss him softly.

"You want to use the bathroom first?" He asked, as he pulled away from her. Rachel nodded at him, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she headed towards the door.

His bathroom was covered in white tiles and paint, and she saw several different hair care products; allowing herself to giggle at the obvious high amount of attention he paid to his hair, he was such a girl. After getting herself ready for bed, she entered his room again and smiled at him sat on the bed pressing the screen of his phone before looking up at her as she closed the bathroom door. Walking over to him, she stood in between his legs and let her fingers run through his curls.

"You have a lot of shampoo and conditioner" She teased, tilting her head to look at him while biting her lip.

He raised an eyebrow at her, smirking as he responded. "I seem to remember you saying, several times in fact, how much you loved how fluffy and soft my hair is"

"You are still a girl for the amount of stuff I saw in there" She replied, giggling softly.

"I'm a girl huh?" He said raising an eyebrow, to which she nodded at him. "Well I guess I'll have to show you how wrong you are"

Rachel giggled as he kissed her neck softly, her eyes fluttering closed as he spent several minutes paying attention to the spot that he had discovered drove her crazy.

"I'll be right back" James whispered, placing one last kiss her neck before walking towards and disappearing into the bathroom.

Rachel sat with a smile on her face as she perched cross-legged on top of James bed. Gazing where he had placed his phone down on the bedside cabinet, Rachel titled her head noticing the picture frames that adorned it. Shuffling forwards so that her legs dangled over the side of the bed, she bit her bottom lip as she inspected them. Aside from his phone, there were four picture frames that took pride of place next to his bed; the first was the family picture that she recognized as the one that he had brought to Ohio with him. The second was a picture of him with his sister Charlie at her high school graduation; the sight of a 14 year old James with incredibly curly hair that ran to his shoulder causing her to giggle. The largest picture was of the Scale Blazers in what she saw was obviously their celebratory picture after winning nationals. The group of kids all wore huge, happy grins on their faces and James was in the centre of the group holding the nationals trophy above his head; Matt and Lucy on either side of him.

A smile on her face as her gaze turned to the picture closest to his bed, and her heart warmed to see it was one of the two of them. Rachel recognized the picture has having been taken when she had brought James to dinner with her dads and Kurt in New York. Reaching forward, Rachel picked the picture frame up and cradled it in her hands, her thumb subconsciously rubbing James face. It had been taken a couple of weeks before they had started dating, but in it James pressed a kiss to her cheek and she could see the smirk that was on his face. In the picture, Rachel saw herself blushing at the action, knowing that at the time she had started to develop a crush on him and had even started to wonder if he would ask her out.

"That's my favourite picture of us" Came James voice next to her, and he was snapped out of her trance recalling that day noticing that he was sat next to her on the bed.

"Why?" Rachel asked softly. She had dozens of picture of them on her phone, and had printed a couple out to frame in her room. The ones she considered her favourite had been after they had started dating; pictures taken during their nights at Callback's or even when he had come to Ohio. One of the most emotional for her was the one that had been taken at dinner the first day he had arrived in Ohio. The two of them were sat in between her Dads, who both had a hand placed gently, almost protectively on James' shoulder. The intimacy of the picture brought tears to her eyes at how accepted he had been into her family.

"That was about the time I started to really want to be your boyfriend" He answered, and she giggled as his hand moved to cover hers as it held the frame.

"It still took you two weeks to ask me out?" She teased, her eyes darting to his lips and as he shifted on the bed to be closer to her.

"Yeah" He replied, and his tongue licked his bottom lip. "I could never work up the courage to ask you on a date. You made me…you still make me nervous"

"I make you nervous?" She replied, and he nodded at her slowly; causing a smile to erupt on her face. "I thought big shot national champions didn't get nervous around 12th place losers?"

"You are too beautiful" He said simply, and with that moved forward and pressed his lips against hers. Rachel let out a moan instantly at the contact of his warm lips against hers, his tongue slipping in to duel with hers, as her mouth opened for him; not wanting any barrier between them.

The picture was put to the side as Rachel lent back on the bed, her hands gently pulling him on top of her as he shifted to continue kissing her without crushing her body under his. After a few minutes he pulled back, before laughing gently at her. Rachel frowned slightly, pressing her swollen lips together in confusion.

"What's funny?"

"You have no idea how many times I've thought kissing you on this bed" He said pressing another kiss to her lips as she smiled under them.

"It's a good thing we have plenty of time over the next few days then" She giggled as he pulled back once more.

"Not tonight though, I…we have school tomorrow" he sighed defeatedly. Rachel nodded as the two them pulled the covers back and climbed into his bed; sighing contentedly as she snuggled into his embrace, enjoying the soft sensation of his mattress and the warmness of his quilt and more importantly the feeling of safety that his arms around her provided.

"Goodnight Rachel" He whispered next to her ear, before pressing a kiss to her neck.

"Night baby" Rachel replied affectionately, wriggling her body closer to him; closing her eyes as a smile covered her lips.

….