Chapter 19

As Rachel's eyes flickered open, she was greeted by the sound of muffled singing coming from somewhere close by. Groaning softly at being awoken from her slumber, Rachel rolled over in an attempt to cuddle into James' body only to discover that he wasn't in bed next to her. A strange feeling of worry came over her in that moment; waking up alone in his bed. Sitting up, Rachel brushed her fringe out of her face as she glanced around the room. The morning sunlight had started to peek through the blue material curtains cascading into his room, as the sleepiness left her, Rachel smiled realising where the singing was coming from; the bathroom where James was probably getting ready for school.

As the fact dawned on her, the worry was replaced by happiness realising that she was in Oregon with him. The memories of the previous night, how her heart had felt complete as she had stood in his arms the previous night; how every time their lips had touched, she felt an overwhelming ecstasy that flowed throughout her entire body. As their tongues touched it ignited something within her that caused heat in body, and lust to cloud her thoughts.

Biting her lip Rachel lay back down in bed and stretched her arms out to the side, she was reminded of how comfortable sleeping with James had been. His body had been warm and welcoming to her; making her feel completely at home despite the fact she was far away from her dads, but that didn't mattered to her; her heart belonged to James and he was the one who could make her feel safe, more than anyone else who had been in her life before.

Rachel led there for several minutes as a content smile sat present on her face, before being interrupted by the sound of a door opening followed by a soft male voice singing a song she recognized as one by the backstreet boys. Giggling about how relaxed he seemed Rachel turned onto her side, resting on her elbow as her hair flowed over one shoulder, watching James as he dried his hair with a towel, water droplets still visible on his chest from the shower he had just been taking.

Her fingers subconsciously rubbed over her lips as she watched him; naked aside from the slim fit jeans he was wearing, her mind running off to wild places where she could touch him and do so much more than she had ever felt of doing before; god how is it possible that she could have this incredibly handsome, hot guy to herself? It didn't seem possible that she was there in his room, led in her skimpy summer pyjamas as he stood in front of her barely dressed.

"Hey baby" His voice came softly, and she smiled feeling the bed dip slightly as he sat on it next to her. Opening her eyes, she grinned at him as he leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to her lips.

"Morning" She replied, giggling as he stretched out next to her on his bed on top of the quilt. "What time is it?"

"Just before seven" He asked, as one of his hands moved to gently cup her face; his thumb rubbing circles on her cheek. "Did I wake you?"

"You did, but I normally get up earlier than this" Rachel replied, nuzzling his hand with her cheek. "I didn't hear your alarm"

"I turned it off, since I woke up before it went off. Normally I get up at like, half past five to go for a run but instead I spent an hour or so just watching you sleep" He said, the corners of his lips upturned in a smirk as her eyes widened and Rachel found herself licking her lips.

"You watched me sleeping?" She asked, giggling as he nodded. "That is super creepy"

"You look so adorable and incredibly cute while you sleep" He replied. Rachel watched him, feeling her eyes well as he spoke about her "I've missed you so much so I couldn't wake you, I just led with you in my arms"

"I l…I think you are amazing" Rachel said smiling, catching herself as she was about to tell him she was in love with him. There was a look of pure affection in his eyes as he described how much he had missed her, the feelings that she mirrored completely, and Rachel couldn't help but wonder if he was in love with her as well. She found herself wishing it to be true, eager for them to share that connection with one another on top of their already present affection for one another. He didn't seem to notice her change of words and instead he simply pressed a kiss to her lips that she eagerly returned, easing her back against his bed and pulling him lightly against her as she wrapped an arm around his neck pressing her tongue into his mouth.

Several happy minutes later, he pulled away from her and nuzzled her cheek with his nose. Rachel grinned closing her eyes at the sensation of affection she got from being close to him. Opening her eyes as he pulled away, she giggled as he chucked his towel at her.

"Hey" she moaned through her giggles.

"Go get ready" He said smirking at her, "I'm going to finish getting dressed and then when you come downstairs I'll make you some breakfast"

"Okay, I'll see you in a little bit" She smiled at him as he made his way towards the door, grabbing a grey t-shirt along the way.

Sighing happily as she waved her hand at him as he disappeared out into the corridor, Rachel climbed out of his bed and made her way to the guest room she was supposed to have slept in last night. Imagining what Kurt would say if he knew how scandalous she was acting; sleeping in the same bed as her boyfriend, a giggle escaped her lips as she made her way down the hallway. At the fresh towels in her en suite bathroom as she waited for the water in the shower to warm up, Rachel was smiling widely at how caring and considerate James was; ensuring her stay with him was perfect.

….

Half an hour later; Rachel skipped along the corridor of James' family household, down the stairs before turning and heading into the kitchen, the sound of Andrea and James talking away.

"Yeah, she was just taking a shower when I checked on her" She heard him say as she paused at the doorway. He was stood behind the stove holding a pan in one hand and a wooden spatula in the other as he cooked breakfast. As her pumps made a clicking noise on the laminated floor, he looked up at her, a smile quickly growing on his face as she made her way into the room.

"Good Morning Rachel, dear" Andrea voice called warmly, his mom sat at the large glass dining room table; a coffee cup in her hand and an empty plate in front of her. "I was just asking James if he'd checked to see if you had slept well. I hope the guest room was comfortable enough for you?"

Hearing Andrea's words, Rachel found herself struggling to control the giggles that were trying to escape her throat. Rachel glanced over Andrea's shoulder, smiling as she could see James biting his lip; his eyes wide as he gazed at her; as if to silently remind her not to mention what the two of their sleeping arrangements had actually been. Biting her lip, Rachel nodded her head ever so slightly to him; wordlessly telling him that she understood as she returned her attention to Andrea.

"I did, I slept like a baby last night…the bed was perfect" Rachel replied making her way over to the fridge. Her hand lingered on the door, as she turned to his mom again "Do you mind if I make a drink of orange juice?"

"Of course sweetheart, help yourself" Andrea said smiling, and Rachel opened the door picking up the cartoon of juice she saw on the shelf as Andrea's spoke again "I was going to make you some breakfast but James insisted that he do it…apparently you've tasted his omelettes before"

Closing the fridge door, Rachel smiled at hearing the words, turning to see James smirking as he shook the pan gently. As she finished pouring two glasses of orange juice for the two of them, she made her way over and he leaned down to place a kiss on her lips. As they separated he moved his lips and kissed near her ear, murmuring softly so that only she could hear; "Thank you for covering with her"

Pulling away, Rachel nodded at him before turning and smelling what he was cooking, the beautiful smell of the herbs coming from the pan wafting in her nose; seducing her senses completely. Licking her lips, she smiled up at him; "It smells amazing"

James quirked his eyebrows up and down at her, a smile on his lips as he reached over and grabbed a plate before he flipped the omelette out of the pan onto it and handed it to her. Taking it from him, Rachel leaned up and kissed his cheek whispering a thank you before walking over and settling down in the chair across from his mom. Reaching for a set of utensils from the woven bowl in the middle of the table, Rachel tucked into the food James had cooked her as he sat down next to her.

"As good as the last time?" He asked after she had swallowed a few bites. Rachel looked up at his smirking face and nodded.

"Better" Rachel moaned appreciatively, as the bite of food she had taken overwhelmed her taste buds.

"You're welcome baby" He said softly. As she ate, she listened to him talking to his mom; offering her own words in between a bite. A quarter of an hour later his mom disappeared out of the room, saying that she had to go into her office and do some work for the restaurants she ran. Rachel finished eating her omelette, settling her knife and fork down; reaching for her glass to take a sip of her juice to wash her mouth out. As she placed the glass back down, she noticed James looking at her with a curious expression on his face.

"What are you looking at?" Rachel asked softly, leaning her jaw into her palm as her elbow rested on the table, before giggling "How pretty I look today?"

"No, I mean you do look beautiful. Incredibly beautiful" He replied, smiling at her. Rachel bit her lip, observing him as his eyes wandered to her chest "That's my jacket isn't it?"

Rachel looked down at her outfit; she had put a white skirt on with a pink blouse underneath a green hooded jacket. It was too big for her, due to the fact she had taken from his suitcase before he left Ohio. It had been a selfish thing to do, but she wanted something to remind her of James while they were so far away. A few times over the past month she had worn it to school, but most of the time she wore it around the house. Gazing back up at him, she licked her bottom lip before replying ; "Yeah it is. I hope you don't mind but I sort of borrowed it when you were in Ohio"

"I was wondering where that one was" He smiled at her, a chuckle escaping his lips as she giggled along with him.

"Do you mind that I took it?" She asked, wrinkling her nose as she wondered if he would be angry about her.

"No" He said reassuringly, shaking his head at her. James reached his hand out and took hers in his, rubbing his thumb on the skin on the back of her hand. Smiling, Rachel watched the action enjoying the relaxing sensation. "It looks much better on you than it ever did on me. Feel free to take anything of mine, if it looks as good as this on you"

Rachel giggled at him, leaning across the table and kissing him softly. Pulling back, she sighed happily. "I love being able to do that"

"Me too" He replied, leaning over and kissing her lips again. For a good twenty minutes, they sat in his kitchen talking as James told her about what classes he had that day at school; and Rachel was happy that he had study hall in the afternoon meaning they could spend some time alone during the day. As they headed out to his car after he headed up to his room and grabbed his bag, James explained to her that he would drop her off at home after school, because he would be heading back there to check on the preparations for sectionals. Smiling sadly, Rachel nodded understanding that the couple of hours they would be apart would be worth it considering she would get to see him perform for the first time in a competition environment.

….

On the quarter of an hour drive to his school, Stanley High, Rachel was singing along to the music playing as James drove them to his school, a smirk sat on his face as he listened. He had told her that she could plug her iPod into his car and play her own music from the speakers. One of her hands rested on his leg as he drove, her body subconsciously looking to have some contact between them even when both of his hands were firmly placed on the steering wheel of his car. As he pulled into the senior parking lot of his school, Rachel bit her lip as she watched the students walking towards the large building in front of them.

While she had been excited to see the place where he attended school, actually being there caused some doubts of worry to cross her mind; wondering what his friends would make of her. The insecurity of how she was treated at McKinley by the wider student body outside of New Directions was making her doubt that she would be accepted here, even if she was James' girlfriend. The only two people from Oregon, other than James, that she had met were Matt and Lucy and while she got on well with the two of them it was no guarantee that his other friends would also like her. From what he had told her, a number of his group of friends included guys that were on the football and basketball teams as well as several members of the cheerleading squad; the exact same people who were determined to make her life hell back home in Lima.

"Hey. Baby" James voice came next to her, as she felt his hand touch her neck gently; turning her head to look at him, a look of concern on his face. "You okay?"

"What if your friends don't like me?" She admitted in a soft voice; showing her vulnerability at that moment. There was something about his touch, it was like a soothing presence, which made her feel safe and comfortable to open up to him "What if they hate me and make your life hell because we're dating. I don't want them to –"

She was interrupted as she felt his lips pressed against hers, his hand on her neck pulling her close to him. Moaning softly, she settled into his touch as her doubts were silenced. Instead they were replaced by calm and safety as he reassured in the way only the man she loved could.

"Rachel" He muttered softly as they pulled away, licking his lips as she caught her breath. "They are going to love you"

"You sure?" She asked softly.

"Yes" He said firmly, his tone attempting to drawn all her doubts away. "You're perfect, and everyone; all my friends are going to agree once they meet you. Trust me"

Rachel smiled, nodding her head at him as he looked at her with a reassuring look in his eyes that she couldn't help but believe in his words. "I trust you"

"Good" He said, before pressing a soft kiss against her lips that was so affectionate she couldn't help but smile against them. "Come on"

"Okay" Rachel replied, giggling as he winked at her before she followed him out of the car, walking over to his side and curling into his side as he gestured to her with a raised arm; a wordless invitation to join him in her favourite position. Smiling up at him, he led her towards the school.

As they walked, several people called his name and greeted him as Rachel watched him return their greetings warmly with a nod of his head or a thumb's up from his free hand. After the twentieth or so time it happened, Rachel couldn't help but giggle at him; causing him to look down at her with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

"You're very popular" She observed, smirking at him.

"I guess" James shrugged his shoulders at her, "You'd be surprised how many people want something from you when you win nationals"

"You love being the centre of attention" she teased as they arrived at his locker in the corridor, to which he chuckled softly. As he opened the door, she looked inside; biting her lip as she saw the picture of them pinned on the inside of the door as he pulled a couple of books from it and placed them in his bag. "I like that you have a picture of us everywhere"

"I like seeing your face wherever I am" He replied, leaning down to kiss her on the lips softly. Smiling against his soft lips, she attempted to deepen it as her hand moved up to his neck when a voice snapped them away from one another.

"Hey dude"

"Hey Dan" James replied, and Rachel turned to face the guy who the voice belonged to after wiping her lips with her thumb. Stood with a kind looking smile on his face was a guy who was a couple of inches taller than her boyfriend, with a mop of blonde hair. Her eyes flicked to the orange letterman jacket that Dan was wearing and she gulped at noticing he was a jock. "What's up dude?"

"History? First period?" Dan said smirking. "Just like every Friday?"

"Right yeah, yeah. Sorry, I was a distracted" James replied, Rachel biting her lip as watched his eyes flicked to meet hers then back to his friend, a smirk having appeared on his lips. "This is my girlfriend, Rachel; she's visiting from Ohio"

"Ah, so you're the famous Rachel Berry huh?" Dan asked, as he extended his hand; a warm smile on his face. "I'm Dan Tenant and I've heard a lot about you"

"Hi, nice to meet you" She replied, extending her hand tentatively as Dan took hers in his larger hand and shook it gently.

"It seems that James wasn't lying about how pretty you are" Dan complimented her, and she couldn't help the slight blush that appeared on her cheeks at his words. It was embarrassing to know that James talked about her to his friends in that way; but it also made her feel amazing inside.

"Alright, alright; stay away from my girl" James laughed as he pulled her into his arms. Willingly going to him, Rachel giggled placing her hands on his chest as he surrounded her tightly; tilting her head up to him asking for a kiss. James smirked at her, before lowering his lips to meet hers. After a few short chaste kisses they separated and she winked at him.

"How do you know James?" Rachel asked, smiling politely at his friend as she leaned her head against James' chest, his arms wrapped protectively around her waist as he held her close.

"We've known each other since elementary school" Dan said, smirking at her boyfriend. "Us two and Matt were best of friends"

"That's nice that you guys are all still friends" Rachel smiled, kissing James on the cheek as he removed his arms from her waist and took her hand in his.

"Dan and Matt don't get on any more" James said softly.

"How come?" Rachel asked, and she saw Dan stiffen slightly; causing her to bite her lip nervously

"They both liked Lucy and yeah…" James said, and patted Dan on the shoulder

"So you're going to join in on Jimmy's lessons?" Dan asked as the three of them walked through the corridors; Rachel glanced at James and he smiled sadly noting the abrupt change in conversation.

"Yeah" Rachel replied as she curled deeper into her boyfriend's side as James led her towards where she assumed his first period class was.

"I would have ditched if it wasn't sectionals tonight" James said, chuckling softly. "Not that Rachel would have let me"

"Yeah" Rachel giggled, snuggling into James' shoulder. "I couldn't miss an opportunity to see you around your friends either"

Dan laughed at them, and Rachel giggled softly. "Oh man, you are going to regret that when they tell her all the embarrassing things about you"

Rachel laughed again as they entered a class room and she was about to reply when a stern man's voice came, causing her eyes follow the direction it had come from; settling on a man stood in a shirt and tie at the front of the class.

"Mr Agrisino, I hope you have that history report for me"

"Of course Mr Howard; wouldn't dream of missing your deadline" James replied, smirking slightly as he moved his arm from around her and reached into his bag removing a few pieces of paper that were stapled together. "Here you are"

"Thank you, Mr Agrisino" His teacher replied, gazing at them over the rim of his glasses "I would have been disappointed if you'd used Glee Club rehearsals again as a reason to get an extension"

"Wouldn't have dreamed of using it a second time, sir" James said turning around to face her and rolling his eyes at her, causing her to struggle to contain a giggle in.

"And you are?" The man's attention turning to her

"I'm Rachel Berry, I'm…I'm visiting James and" She replied apprehensively.

"She's got a pass to come in my classes with me today" James finished for her, his hand finding hers as he entwined their fingers. Rachel tried to stop the blush from covering her face at the intimate gesture in front of his teacher. Luckily, as she focused her eyes on him instead of James; feeling more reassured as she saw Mr Howard's gaze was kind.

"I remember you mentioning it" Mr Howard replied, before he let out a chuckle "About four times yesterday"

"I was very excited" James said softly, turning his head to gaze at her. Rachel met his eyes and smiled, a blush very firmly planted on her cheeks now.

"Try and keep your hands to yourselves, I don't appreciate any forms of PDA being shown during my classes" Mr Howard said, and Rachel giggled softly. "Why don't you show Miss Berry to her seat?"

"Yes Sir" James replied, a smirk on his face as he started walking to the back of the class, greeting a few people along the way; her hand clasped tightly in his.

Rachel settled into the chair James pointed to, unzipping her jacket and placing it on the back of her chair. Raising a hand to her face and pushing some hair behind her ears, a smile covering her face as she felt an arm nudge her back, looking over her shoulder and seeing James resting his arm on the back of her chair. Watching as he turned his head and glanced at the front of the classroom, Rachel followed his gaze and saw that Mr Howard was looking towards the board; she bit her lip as she turned back to James and he leaned over and kissed her softly. Giggling quietly, she placed her hand on the table with her palm facing upwards; an invitation for him to link their fingers. James smirked silently, and she smiled as he faced the front of the class again. After a couple of seconds, Rachel licked her lip as he wordlessly linked their hands.

"Alright class, as we were discussing yesterday" Mr Howard's voice boomed through the classroom. Rachel spent the period listening intently as the teacher talked them about the cold war, stealing glances at the guy next to her. It was fun to watch how James was in class; his very calm and relaxed personality coming across in the way he slouched slightly in his chair, his head propped up by his arm as it rested his elbow on the table on front of him. Despite the fact that she was sat next to him, and normally he took every opportunity to kiss her or simply touch her face, his attention was focused completely. He would look at her every now and then but Rachel was pleased to see that despite how relaxed he seemed in class, he took rigorous notes and focused intently on the teacher.

As the bell for the end of the period ended, she was walking side by side with James, their fingers entwined, Dan and another guy who was called John down the corridor. They made small talk, the two guys teasing James about how much he had been talking about her in the month they'd been back at school; Rachel giggled and squeezed his hand as they told her that he was always seemed happier after talking to her on the phone during their lunch period.

The rest of the morning, Rachel sat in on James' classes each time meeting a few more of his friends and after watching him interact confidently in his Italian class; giggling at how proud he seemed to be as she watched him speak fluently in the language he was brought up speaking with his mom. As the bell rang for lunch period after an algebra class; she was surprised to see him paying more attention to that than in the rest of his classes, which he explained was due to his difficulty with maths as a whole while Rachel was cuddled into James' side as he led her to the lunch room.

Glad that he didn't seemed embarrassed to share that fact with her, his admitted academic weakness making her feel that much closer to him, Rachel was proud of the fact he dealt with it by paying more attention rather than getting frustrated at himself. After placing a kiss on his lips, he led her through a door into the large open room.

A frown appeared on her face as he led her past the queue of people waiting with trays to get some food, instead he seemed to be steering them towards a table at the far end of the room. As much as she enjoyed being cuddled into his side, Rachel stomach was rumbling quietly every minute or so; kissing his cheek she removed her arm from around his waist intending to get some lunch; causing him to look at her confused.

"As much as I enjoy just sitting and cuddling with you; I'm really hungry" She said, turning to head towards the queue. She was able to step a couple of feet away before she felt a hand grip hers and she turned around to see him grinning at her as he pulled her back to him.

"James, I'm really-"She started before James pressed his lips to hers silencing her. Her pout softened as he kissed her, her mouth opening under his at which point he pulled back; causing her to groan as he pulled away. "You suck"

"Mhmmm" He moaned softly, pressing another kiss against her lips; she couldn't help but smile against his lips. "I've got some lunch for us"

"Okay" She replied, her lips slightly swollen from him pressing his lips against hers. Linking their hands again, she leaned into his side as he led her over to the back of the room. As they approached a table set aside from the rest, she saw that it was almost full with people who were already sat down chatting and talking to one another. Biting her lip nervously, she turned to gaze at James' smiling face.

"Who are they?" She asked, gesturing with her head towards the table he had picked out. As her nervousness about being around his friends returning to the forefront of her mind, she felt James squeeze her hand and lean down to kiss her cheek.

"They are the Scale Blazers" He said softly, moving his lips to place a kiss just below her ear Her head tilted at his touch to allow him more access to her neck, groaning softly as she felt his lips leave her skin and he began to pull away, before he paused a couple of inches away causing Rachel giggle as she heard him whisper; "You look beautiful"

Approaching the table, Rachel watched as she spotted Matt look up from his sandwich as he sat next to Lucy. Giggling as a smile grew across his face, before he jumped up from the table and walk around to her.

"Rachel" He practically shouted, as she moved forward and embraced him; giggling at how he was hugging her tightly. As he pulled back after a couple of seconds, she looked up at the smile on his face.

"Hi Matt" She said, still giggling. His hands rubbing her shoulder. "It's really nice to see you; it's been so long since I've seen you"

"I know Berry, I missed you too" He replied, gesturing to the table behind him. "How are you liking Oregon so far?"

"It's great" Rachel replied, smiling as she felt James hand land on her waist; turning and grinning at him as he high fived Matt.

"My boy best be treating you right" Matt said teasingly, smirking at James

"Yeah" Rachel said, leaning up and kissing her boyfriend on the cheek. "He's being really considerate and sweet"

"Good, I'd hate to have kick his ass" Matt laughed, causing her to giggle as James shook his head.

"Like you could buddy" James said, punching Matt's shoulder playfully.

"Ready to introduce yourself to the gang?" Matt asked, gesturing to the table behind them. Rachel nodded softly, looking nervously at James.

"Come on baby" James said smiling at her, taking her hand back in his. He led her the short distance to the table and gestured for her to take a seat. Smiling, she sat down as the faces of most of the people of his glee club turned to look at her. "Guys this is Rachel"

"Hi" She said sheepishly, waving a hand before putting it down into her lap and wringing her hands nervously. There was a chorus of voices as the group all welcomed her, and James took a few minutes after sitting down next to her introducing his friends in the group; waving his hand at each one in turn telling her who was her.

"What do you think" James asked in her ear, before leaning down and opening his bag pulling out a plastic container and two forks.

"They seem nice" Rachel replied, chewing on her bottom lip. "What have you got in there for lunch?"

James laughed, causing a few people to look at them, turning to her and pushing some hair behind her ear and pressing a kiss to her cheek. "You are so cute"

"I am" Rachel agreed, giggling and nudged him with her shoulder. "But seriously, I'm hungry"

"Okay, Okay" James laughed, kissing her lips softly. "The benefit of having a mom who owns a restaurant is that she makes me amazing meals for lunch"

"What's on the menu today?" Rachel asked, smiling widely at him as she leaned her head on her palm placing her elbow on the table top

"Pasta, tofu and salad" James replied, opening the container and handing her a fork. Rachel smiled before dipping her fork in eating the food he had brought for them.

For several minutes, they ate; as James introduced her to Anthony, the ginger sophomore who she was sat next to, as well as Stacey and Evie who were sat across from them at the table. After eating, including several attempts of James to steal her fork that caused much laughter at the table, she talked for a good ten minutes with the two girls across from them, as well as with Matt and Lucy. It had been even longer since she had seen Matt, and she had really missed him; his sense of humour in particular. He would always make her laugh every time they talked. Him and Lucy seemed to be as happy together as they had been in New York, as they sat across from her holding hands , laughing and joking.

After twenty minutes or so, Rachel was happy about the fact that his friends in the Scale Blazers seemed to like her, she enjoyed that she, obviously, shared musical interests with them; Rachel felt her smile grow. To her right, James was sat the corner of the table, with a free spot on his right, leaning on his arm with a smile on his face as he watched her interact with his friends.

"You're coming to sectionals tonight, right Rachel?" Stacey asked, Rachel thought that the blonde haired girl seemed to be very kind; much like all the people she had met so far seemed to be. Maybe it was something with people from Oregon?

"Of course, I'm excited to see you all perform tonight" Rachel replied smiling. Glancing at James, she giggled as he winked playfully at her, nudging him with her shoulder as she added "Especially this guy"

As the laughter died down, she saw James shift in his seat his mouth opening to respond when he was stopped as a head of red hair appeared in between them. Rachel eyes widened slightly as she took in the girls appearance; the red hair belonging to a girl wearing an orange cheer leading outfit; after seeing Dan's letterman jacket, James had informed her that orange was his schools colours and they were displayed proudly throughout the corridors and on the sports teams uniforms.

Rachel watched as the girl pressed a kiss to James' cheek before sitting down on his other side placing an arm through his and sitting a little closer than Rachel thought appropriate. A frown appeared on her face, as she glanced at Matt and Lucy who gave her reassuring smiles. Looking confused, Rachel turned towards her boyfriend seeing if she could get his attention again, only to see that he was looking at the new arrival as she talked to him about something to do with school.

"Can you believe that James? It's completely insane to want to do that, so I told Mrs Harris that she had to reconsider it; I mean we can't be doing that today of all days" The girl rambled on, as she reached into her bag and pulled out tin foil wrapped sandwiches. Rachel took the chance as she was talking to take her appearance in. The red haired girl was very pretty, of course she was a cheerleader after all, and her hair was pulled in a bun on the top of her head. Rachel shifted uncomfortably in her chair, edging nearer to James as jealously came over her; the way this girl had come in and stolen his attention away so simply threatening her.

"Thanks Heather" He smiled at her, to which Rachel saw the girl wink at him, finally removing her arm from his. Despite the fact she had only just seen this girl for the first time, and hadn't even been introduced yet; Rachel didn't like this Heather one bit.

As she reached for James hand, she was glad to see that before their fingers touched he turned back to her and gave her the biggest grin as he spoke again. "I've got to introduce you to my beautiful girlfriend, Rachel. Baby, this is Heather; one of my best friends"

"Hi" Rachel said, putting a confident smile on her face despite her worries about the way Heather acted towards her boyfriend. Her eyes fluttered as she felt his lips against neck as he leaned over and kissed her.

"Nice to meet you" Heather replied, and Rachel couldn't help the smirk that crossed her lips as she saw the other girl jaw clench slightly at James' sign of affection. She would have to ask James about this girl later, but for the moment; the fact James was caught up in telling his friend about how brilliant his girlfriend was enough to push her doubts away.

"How long are you here for, Rachel?" Heather asked several minutes later as Rachel cuddled into James' side, his arm draped around her shoulder.

"Until Sunday afternoon" Rachel replied, smiling as she felt James' arms tighten around her. Titling her head, she kissed his jawline softly as he rested his cheek against her forehead.

"Only a few days after a month? That must be tough" Heather remarked, a sly look on her face that Rachel didn't like. This girl was looking to cause trouble between her and James.

"They're strong, they talk on the phone every day" Matt said and Rachel looked at him thankfully; to which he just winked"

"Yeah, but it's so much better having you here in person" James replied, and Rachel looked at him as he gazed at her smiling. "Remind me when I next see your dads to thank them. They're great in letting you visit for sectionals. I haven't had any of Hiram's bean soup in ages"

"Dad misses talking to you too" Rachel giggled and pressed a kiss to James' lips. "He has no one to talk to football when you aren't around"

"I've got to rub in the fact the Seahawks beat Leroy's team" James laughed, and Rachel punched his shoulder.

"Dude your team is crap, you shouldn't brag" Matt teased, and James shot him a dirty look.

As they laughed and finished talking; it was only a few minutes till the end of lunch period when she heard heather speak again.

"We've got study hall second period this afternoon; I'll meet you in the library like normal James?"

"Actually Hev, not this week; me and Rachel are going to head to the coffee shop around the corner and see if I remember her order still" James replied, causing her to giggle as he gazed at her biting his lip as he continued; "What do you think babe?"

"Sounds perfect" She responded, as James leaned down and kissed her again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Heather with an annoyed look on her face as James lips touched hers again; causing Rachel to smile against his lips.

After sitting through his English literature class; where Rachel sat in between Matt and James, who both seemed to be attempting to distract each other as they sat at the back of the room. A little while later, she walked with James for several minutes before arriving at the coffee shop he had talked about earlier. Along the way, he had asked her what she made about his team mates; and Rachel told him that they all seemed nice and friendly people as they settled down at a table for two.

"It's really sweet you remember my coffee order" Rachel giggled as she stirred her hot drink slowly. Across from her, James looked at her with a proud smirk on his face.

"I told you; I remember everything about you because it's all important to me" He replied, and Rachel felt herself blush.

"Charmer" She said, biting her lip as he took a sip of his drink, a smug look on his face.

After a few minutes of silence as the two of them drank their coffee, their free hands lay entwined on top of the table. Rachel swallowed a sip of her drink, smiling at the sensation of his thumb rubbing the back of her hand gently and met his eyes with hers. Taking a breath, she took the chance to talk about the issue that had been bothering her since lunch. "Heather seems nice"

James snorted, as he put his drink down on the table. Rachel raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"You're one of few people who would describe Heather as nice" He said chuckling to himself.

"That's not a very nice thing to say about one of your best friends" She teased him, the undertone of the conversation; her dislike of the red headed girl and attempt to get more information out of her boyfriend about her, coming through slightly.

"Don't get me wrong, I love her to bits" James said a small smile lips, as Rachel gripped his hand tighter subconsciously. He squeezed her hand back affectionately, before opening his mouth to speak; "she's nice to her group of friends; but she's not very nice to people who aren't among them"

"How long have you known her?" Rachel asked, leaning forward and resting her head on her hands as she propped herself up with her elbows.

"Only since freshmen year. We had the same world history class" He admitted, sighing as he leaned forward in his seat, mimicking her pose and smiling at her. "She was a cheerleader; extraordinarily popular even after only a couple of months at high school. I had a few friends, but I'd yet to find a purpose; until I was encouraged to join the glee club by Matt. He'd already been accepted, and me and Heather both auditioned to join the Scale Blazers on the same day. I was really nervous but she was a kind and reassuring before I auditioned. Our friendship bloomed from there really"

"That was nice of her" Rachel replied, smiling at him.

"Yeah, we started hanging out more after we got accepted and she made me feel included in her friendship group. She supported me when I auditioned for my first solo in glee club towards the end of freshmen year; I loved Bon Jovi and I got it; then I came back for Sophomore year and got made lead" James smirked at her. "Her and Matt have been like my lieutenants in the Scale Blazers ever since; us three along with Dominic and Rosie are the council at the moment"

"You two seem close" Rachel asked, chewing on her lip. James looked at her with a slight frown before he shrugged his shoulder.

"Yeah we are" James replied looking down at the table "Heather was someone who didn't know me before I came here, but still took the time to listen to me and take interest in being my friend. She's been there for me when I've felt down about my dad"

"She helped you with him?" Rachel asked, moving one of her hands to push his fringe from where it hung over his forehead, continuing to slide her hand slowly down his face until it rested against his cheek.

"She listened" James shrugged, trying to shrug it off. "Like I said she's great with me and a few of her close friends, but with everyone else she's like a whole different person. Matt and Lucy don't like her much, in fact Matt doesn't see her as anything but, and I quote, "a hot bitchy cheerleader"

Rachel smile was weak as she listened to him mention Heather's attractiveness, feeling doubts in her mind. Taking a breath she smiled softly but speaking; "Did you ever have feelings for her?"

"What do you mean?" James asked confused, and Rachel giggled at him.

"You know like, wanting to date her?" Rachel asked weakly. Instead of finding something to worry about, she saw his eyes widen in surprise as he quickly dismissed her question

"Heather? No, no, no. Just….no" He said, and Rachel felt her doubts go away. "She's like my sister, god no"

"Just checking, like I said you seem close" Rachel asked, smiling slightly.

"You mean because she hugged and kissed me?" He asked, and Rachel nodded slightly. "I'm sorry if that made you feel uncomfortable, It's just how she greets her friends. It doesn't mean anything"

"It was a little bit worrying" She admitted, smiling at him. "You never really mentioned how close you two were before…I thought you might have been hiding her from me"

James smirked at her, before he leaned forward to kiss her. Smiling against his lips, she enjoyed the physical draw that the two of them had to each other. As he pulled back, he whispered softly; "You're the only girl I think about when we are together. You and only you. Your touch sets is the one that sets my body on fire"

Rachel giggled again, connecting their lips as she enjoyed the feeling of knowing that he was hers; the feeling of love she felt growing as he caressed her cheek gently with his fingers. A few minutes later, he nuzzled her cheek with his nose before leaning back in his chair and finished drinking his coffee. Chewing her bottom lip, Rachel looked at him for several moments before he quirked his eyebrows up at her. "What?"

"I'm in….I'm really happy that we can spend the next few days together" Rachel replied, linking their hands again.

"Me too. Thanks for listening baby" He said, lifting one of her hands to his lips and kissing her knuckles. Rachel watched him, thinking of how much she loved him; the knowledge of that had been set in her mind for the last couple of days, the difficulty being now in how to tell him.

…

After drinking their coffee, talking about some more of his friends as James asked her what she thought of the group, the two of them walked hand in hand back to his school to sit through his last period; Chemistry. They spent half an hour or so talking with Matt and Lucy after school, before James insisted that he take her home so he could get some dinner before he had to head back to school and help the student council with the scale blazers dressing room before sectionals later that night at Stanley high.

"Catch you later Rachel" Matt said as he pulled away from the hug, as Lucy gave her one as they parted.

"You better not mess up tonight Hawkes" Rachel teased him as she allowed James to lead her to his car. Waving over her shoulder at Matt, she saw him with a grin on his face as he stood with his arm around Lucy.

As James drove them home, Rachel sat singing along with him to the Mariah Carey album she put on; giggling at the fact that James knew the lyrics to the songs.

"You are such a girl!" She giggled at watching James' shocked face.

"What? It's perfectly acceptable for a guy to like Mariah, her songs are beautiful" He replied, shaking his head at her, a smirk on his face.

"Whatever you say" She teased, laughing as she moved her hand to cover his on the gear stick. "I like you anyway"

"Good. James smirked back at her. "I was getting…."

Rachel frowned as she saw his open mouthed expression, seemingly lost for words as he turned his car into the drive way of his house.

"Baby?" Rachel asked as she followed his gaze, a grey range rover parked in the driveway of his house that hadn't been there that morning or the previous night. Confused, Rachel looked at James as he stopped the engine and stepped out of the car heading quickly towards the doorway. Rachel followed and caught up to him as he opened the door, grabbing his hand. "Baby what is it?"

"That car" He said a dazed look in his eyes, and for a moment she was worried before a smile erupted across his face. "It's Charlie's"

"Your sister?" Rachel asked, smiling at his infectious smile. To which he nodded, a grin on his face as he leaned down and kissed her lips.

"Come on, I can't wait for you to meet her" He said, biting his lip as he tugged her hand gently, leading her into the house. Rachel gulped, she had heard a lot about sister and how much they meant to each other. Giggling nervously, Rachel put on her show smile eager to make a good impression.

….