Chapter 30
I'm not leaving, because I'm staying in Ohio.
The words were whirling in her head as she sat there at the kitchen table in her house. Rachel brain was working overtime, trying to process what he had just told her; he wasn't going back to Oregon? James was going to stay in Ohio? Her eyes were set on James' face as she searched them for an explanation.
"You're…staying?" Rachel asked, staring at her boyfriend as he nodded at her with a smile on his face. She couldn't return it, opening and closing her mouth as she tried to think of what to say to him. After a few seconds, Rachel shook her head as her frown deepened in confusion; "I don't understand what you're telling me"
"I'm telling you that I'm moving to Ohio" James replied, a smile still sitting on his face as his tongue darted out to wet his lips. Rachel smiled weakly as he leaned forward and took hold of her hands in his. "I'm moving here for you"
"You're transferring for me?" Rachel asked, her breath catching in her chest as she felt tears welling behind her eyes. Her hands were shaking slightly as they sat in James', his thumbs rubbing gentle circles on the back of her hands to try to relax and soothe her. As she stared at him, James' smile widened but her eyes were trained on his, wanting to confirm what she thought he'd said; it felt like a dream where she'd wake up and she'd be alone in bed without him.
"Yeah I am" He replied simply and that was all the confirmation she needed as her face erupted in a huge grin. Rachel jumped out of her seat and wrapped her arms around James' neck as she felt him pull her onto his lap. As she settled there, Rachel buried her head into the crook of his neck as her tears of happiness rolled down her cheeks. She James chest rose up and down as she led against him as he chuckled lightly, his arms wrapping around her body and pulling her closer against him.
Rachel smiled against the skin on his neck, nuzzling him gently with her nose as she settled there comfortably in his arms; she shifted closer after a few long moments as she felt James hand that was resting in the small of her back start to move slowly as his hand moved in slow motions, the silk material of her pyjamas stroking her skin.
When he pressed a kiss against the side of her face, Rachel sighed happily in his arms before pulling back from cuddling against him; shifting so that she could gaze into his eyes, settling on his lap as she rested one hand against his chest while the other covered his as it rested on her thigh. James was looking at her with a smile on his face as he raised his free hand and pushed the hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear before he rested his hand on her neck. Gazed at him, she saw his mouth part as he whispered; "I love you"
"love you" Rachel replied, moving forward and pressing a kiss against his lips.
When they separated Rachel smiled as she gazed into his eyes; happiness coursing through her as she leaned into his touch against her skin. Licking her lips, a thought occurred to her. Had James really thought this through? He couldn't just decide one day that he was going to move states, arrangements needed to be made and it took planning before he could. As the thought lingered, her eyebrows angled into a frown.
"You okay? James asked, his voice snapping her out of her thoughts and as she gazed at him, he had tilted his head to gaze at her. Rachel smiled at him sadly, moving her hand from his chest to cover his hand that was rubbing her jawline with his thumb.
"How…How can you transfer here? You can't just leave and stay with me, where would you stay? here? Your mom and dad would have to agree to it…" Rachel said softly, gripping his hands tighter as she spoke; frowning at him again as he smirked at her "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Baby, you're worrying. Everything is okay; relax" He chuckled as he moved his hand from her neck and stroked her cheek gently.
"No, everything isn't okay; you told me that you're transferring and got me excited but you can't! Your mom and Dad would never let you transfer so you're going to have to leave" Rachel spoke quickly as she let her worries seep through into her into her voice as it increasingly high pitched. She was getting worked up, her tears starting to roll down her cheeks when James leant forward and kissed her to silence her. Rachel moaned against his lips and moved her hands to cradle his face in her palms as she kept him close to her, scared that pulling away would mean that she would have to face him leaving her.
Their lips separated after a few tender kisses, and Rachel rested her forehead against her boyfriends as he moved his hands so that he could wipe away the tears that were trickling down her cheeks.
"Please don't cry, Rach, I love your beautiful smile." She giggled lightly at his words, smiling at him. When he smiled back at her with his handsome smile, she felt her breathing slow and at his words; she calmed down. Letting out a final breath, Rachel shifted closer to James and rested her head against his shoulder as she rubbed his chest with her hand. "Why are you getting worked up?"
"Because you're going to have to leave me" Rachel replied as she gazed up at him through her eyelashes, gripping his dressing gown to reassure herself he was there with her.
"Why am I going to leave you? I just told you that I'm transferring, everything is going to be okay" James said with a smile. Rachel's bottom lip quivered and she felt James hand squeeze her thigh.
"No it's not okay, you can't just move here to be with me" Rachel moaned quietly pursing her lips to steel herself.
"Sweetheart" Her Dad saying her name brought her out of the bubble she had been sitting in. When she looked up Rachel saw her dads and Matt; realising that they had been sat quietly watching her and James' exchange over the last few minutes. Rachel looked at her them while she still was holding onto her boyfriend for comfort and support and saw the smile on her father's face.
"James is telling you the truth, baby girl, everything is okay" Leroy said as he gave her a wink. Rachel sat up on James lap, moving her head away from his shoulder and looked back at her boyfriend.
"You're really moving here?" Rachel asked and James nodded at her instantly, a happy smile on his face as he continued stroking her leg.
"I am" He reassured her.
"To Ohio?" She asked and James started laughing.
"Yes I'm moving to Ohio" James said in between laughs before leaning forward and kissing her cheek. "I'm transferring to McKinley to be close to you babe"
Rachel smiled at widely, leaning forward and hugging him again tightly. When she pulled away, she spoke again "But what about your parents?
"They already agreed" James replied with a smirk. "This is real"
"I can't believe it" Rachel said with a grin on her face. The shock of the surprise was a lot to take in; she'd been expecting to be saying goodbye to her boyfriend later that day, but instead she'd only be saying goodbye to Matt and James would be staying with her in Ohio.
"Well, sweet pea; you better believe it because Andrea and James are staying with us for a few days while they sort out everything" Hiram answered her as her head shot between her father and James, her frown returning.
"Wait…Andrea is coming?" She asked staring at James disbelievingly and when he nodded at her she snapped her eyes to her fathers. "You knew?"
"Yes baby girl, we did" Leroy replied with a chuckle.
"When…how….what?" She asked looking searchingly at her father's faces as they moved over and joined her and James at the kitchen table.
"Your father and I spoke to Andrea on the phone on Tuesday" Leroy explained in a calm voice. "She told us that she would be coming to Ohio in order to finalize their move"
Rachel wide smile turned into a huge grin across her face as she listened to her Dad explain the situation. While she trust James completely and knew that he would never lie to her, there was something reassuring about her Daddy confirming everything to her. She turned to James and he gazed at her with the same happy grin that she was wearing herself. Opening her mouth, Rachel voice was filled with joy. "This is really happening"
"It is Rach" James replied and at his words, she moved forward and gave him a kiss, smiling against his lips as she let out her enthusiasm through the contact. When they separated again, she let out a relieved sigh. "You okay?"
"This just seems too good to be true" She said, chewing her bottom lip. Raising her hand, she rested it on his face and gently stroked the side of his head. "How did this even happen?"
"We'd like to know as well. We agreed to let you and Andrea stay here for a few days, but all your mom said is that you were transferring" Hiram interrupted and Rachel smiled at her Dads before returning her gaze to her boyfriend.
"First of all, the most important reason why this is happening is because I miss you so much when I'm not close to you" James said and Rachel could see his eyes already welling with tears, knowing that if he started her own would follow, Rachel squeezed his hand tightly. "The last few weeks have been the worst, knowing that I'm in love with you but knowing that I can't hold you in my arms. Ever since you came to visit for sectionals, I haven't been myself; I've been depressed and it's like something has been missing from my life. That was you"
"I missed you too" Rachel replied softly, both of them having tears run down their cheeks as they gazed into one another's eyes. James bowed his head as he smiled, looking back up at her as he spoke again.
"A few days after you left, my mom talked to me and I told her about why I was upset" His voice was quiet as he spoke "When my Dad came home the other day, he and my mom told me over dinner that they were looking at opening a new restaurant and that Mr Atherton had told them about premises that was for sale in Akron. My dad said that my mom had told him all about you and how deeply we felt about one another and he said that they were prepared to let me move here and go to Carmel High so that I could be closer to you"
Rachel smile grew as she sat on his lip listening to him explain the situation. It was surprising, but also incredibly touching that it almost brought fresh tears to her eyes about how much both of their parents believe and trusted in their relationship. Even James dad who she knew to be incredibly strict about his son's education was prepared to let his son move to Ohio and to transfer to Carmel so that he could enjoy his relationship with the girl who he loved. As she thought over that, the name of the school he had mentioned lingered and she frowned before she spoke again. "Wait…you're transferring to Carmel? I thought you said that you were coming to McKinley?"
"I am" He said giving her a reassuring smile. "They wanted me to go Carmel at first, because of Mr Atherton and how he's done to help me over the last few years. My mom and Dad have known him for years, but I told them that I only wanted to go McKinley. Dad wasn't convinced but I begged him to let me; so that I could see you everyday"
"He agreed?" Rachel asked smiling back at him.
"Yeah, he did" James replied nodding his head. "Mom helped with that. She told him that McKinley was a good school and that your grades were so good. It took a bit of convincing, but he agreed and told me that as long as my grades stay the same as what I'm getting at Stanley High then there shouldn't be a problem"
Rachel wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and pulled him into a tight embrace, holding him close to her to make sure he felt the overwhelming happiness that was coursing through her body at him doing this for her. They stayed like that for a long few moments, before she pulled away and glanced back to her Dads who were wearing smiles on their faces. Matt was stood leaning against the breakfast island with his head bowed.
She realised that while she was happy about James transferring to McKinley to be with her; he would be giving up everything that he had at home for. It was touching though that he was prepared to give up everything for the love of his life, but had he though about what it would be like to be away from his family and all of his friends at school. Facing James again, she looked at him and wet her lips before she spoke again; "Are you sure about this? That this is what you really want?"
"Of course it is. I love you" James replied without a moment of hesitation as he gazed back at her with a smile on his lips. She returned it weakly; her eyes drifting downwards as her thoughts lingered on what this meant he was giving up. James seemed to recognize she was worried about and her eyes snapped back to meet his as he spoke again; "You don't want me to transfer?"
"No, no, no. James, I love you and having you here with me would be a dream come true"" Rachel said shaking her head at him, moving her hands and resting them on his cheeks as she cupped his face. James smiled and nodded slightly at his words "Do you really think you could leave everything behind? I can't ask you to give up all your friends for me. If it doesn't work out you'll end up hating me"
"Baby" James replied softly, squeezing her thigh gently with his hand. "Don't say that okay? For one thing, I could never hate you. Ever. Secondly, you aren't asking me to give anything up; I've made this decision on my own. Sure I'll probably miss my friends but that isn't your fault. I'm miserable without you and missing you is a hole in my heart; its worse than how I feel about leaving Oregon and coming here without my friends."
Rachel smiled at his words, nodding at him as she bit her lip. Looking at him again, she giggled at him as he winked at her before he spoke again. "I've already told my friends and they understand"
"So you're okay with this?" She asked, turning her head and gazing at Matt across the room.
"Well, I don't like the fact that my best friend is moving so far away. But I get it; he's been miserable" Matt replied with a sad smile. "Besides, he's going to come visit us and we're going to college together next year"
Rachel smiled and nodded understandingly. Turning back to her boyfriend, she cupped his cheek with her hand and rubbed circles with her thumb on his skin; speaking softly as she did. "If you're sure about this?"
"I am. This is what I want. You are what I want" James replied in a confident voice that squashed all of her concerns that he was only doing this for her and not because it was what he really wanted for himself.
"In that case" Rachel said, allowing her face to grow into a wide grin again. Before throwing her arms around him again, she announced happily; "Welcome to Ohio!"
….
The five of them sat at the kitchen table for a little while longer as James and her Dads filled her in on what the details of his move and transfer to Ohio. She was surprised to hear that only had James father, Robert, had visited McKinley on Friday to talk to Principal Figgin's about McKinley high school; he and Andrea had already agreed to buy a house in the Lima school district a week ago. Apparently his parents had been looking into the possibility of moving to Ohio a few weeks before she had even gone to visit James in Oregon; when his father had been notified about a building that would make good premise for a restaurant that Andrea could set up and manage.
Andrea had started the process of James transfer on Thursday and she was flying to Lima that evening in order to have a look around McKinley herself before she confirmed the papers that would enable him to go to school in Ohio. After an hour, she went upstairs to her bedroom in order to get showered and changed out of her pyjamas before they took Matt to the airport early that afternoon. Rachel stood underneath the water, washing her body as she dwelt on how quickly things had changed between her and James; they'd only known each other around three months now and they had already slept in the same bed as well as saying that they loved each other. Their relationship was deep love and now he was moving in order to go the same school as her. She was ecstatic about the fact she was going to have her boyfriend around all the time; they would be able to spend practically all of the time together, but she wondered in the back of her mind if he had really thought the idea through properly. Rachel loved him immensely, but she didn't want him to do this and then regret it later down the line; it could cause tension between them and she couldn't bare the idea of them falling out. Taking deep breaths, Rachel reassured herself of what he had said to her; that he wanted this. He wanted to be close to her above all else.
After getting showered, Rachel dressed in a pair of jeans and a casual red t shirt; heading across the hallway and down the stairs as she pulled James' green hooded on top. Pulling her hair up into a ponytail as she hit the bottom step, Rachel turned and walked into the living room; a smile crossing her face as she saw James sat on the couch resting his elbow on the arm rest as he supported his head on his palm. It felt so normal to have him there, for James to be in her house, sat on her couch watching TV. Walking over to him, she leaned over the back of the couch and pressed a kiss against the top of his head, smiling as he leant back and gazed at her.
"I could get used to having you here" Rachel murmured as she walked around the couch and sat down next to him, giggling as he pulled her into his arms.
"Mhmm" He replied kissing her forehead as she settled against his chest, wrapping an around across his waist.
The two of them sat there watching TV together for a large part of the afternoon along with Matt. He had told her about how on Thursday James had told all of the Scale Blazers about how he was transferring to Ohio for his girlfriend and how they had all taken it. All of them had been upset about how their friend was leaving them; with the seven who had been in club with James since freshmen year had been particularly hit hard by the news and there was a huge amount of tears from both James and his friends. Rachel own eyes had welled up about that and she had gripped James tightly as he reassured her that he was okay, but she couldn't help the feeling that James was understating how badly it had affected him to try and make her feel better.
"How did Heather react?" Rachel asked curiously. James had told her that he hadn't spoken to Heather for the week following Rachel's visit, but the girl had apologised to him and promised that she would try and respect his relationship with Rachel. James friendship with her had been damaged by it, where they hadn't talked as much as normal since the incident.
"She cried" James replied and Rachel could see his own tears silently falling from his eyes. She had pressed a kiss against his cheek and slowly stroked his neck soothingly as he told her "She thought it was me punishing her for how she treated you. I gave her the biggest hug and promised. I promised her that it wasn't, that I'd forgiven her and I just had to be close to you. But I felt so awful watching her and Lucy cry"
"It's okay bud, Lucy gets it" Matt said with a smile as Rachel pulled him into a hug as she felt him cry in the crook of her neck, her own tears rolling down her cheeks at how upset James was; his tears making her heart break. After ten minutes, she felt him stop sobbing and he pulled away from her, raising his head and gazing into her eyes. Rachel gave him a warm smile as she saw his puffy, red eyes before leaning forward and pressing a tender kiss against his lips; when he smiled against hers, she felt especially close to him, glad that she could comfort him when he so clearly needed.
"I love you" He murmured as they separated
"You too baby" Rachel replied, settling against his chest again.
...
Rachel spent the next couple of hours with James and Matt after comforting her boyfriend, as the three of them sat in the Berry's living room together. Around three thirty in the afternoon, Rachel offered to drive Matt to the airport with James instead of her Dads; knowing that after how emotional James had gotten earlier that he would appreciate the privacy to say goodbye to his best friend.
The car ride was a surprisingly upbeat environment with Matt and James joking around, teasing each other in the back seat as she drove them to the airport. Glancing in the mirror, she saw the two of them laughing and she couldn't help but smile as she saw her boyfriend's happy face; glad that he seemed to be taking it well. After a short drive to the airport, James helped Matt carry his bag into the airport and helped him check in to his flight. They'd arrived around an hour before his flight was due to leave, and the two of them stayed o keep Matt company as they sat around at the Starbucks drinking coffee.
The time passed quickly as they sat there talking to each other for around forty minutes before Matt said that he was going to go through to the terminal and wait for his flight. Rachel was the first one to give him a big hug as she knew it would be at least a couple of months before they would see each other again and in fact it could be even longer now that James was moving to Ohio.
"We'll talk on Facebook" He assured her as the two of them separated and Rachel nodded at him, a small smile on her lips as she stepped back.
Rachel watched as James was stood a few feet away from them with his hands in his jean pockets, a small frown on his face. She could see that his eyes were full of emotion as watched her step away from Matt. Rachel gave him a weak smile before he moved forward and walked towards his friend. Her heart ached when the two boys embraced tightly, moving her hand to cover her mouth as she tried to keep herself composed; knowing that James would already be crying. Her boyfriend's back was to her, but by the look on Matt's face she could tell that they he and her boyfriend had fallen apart. The two boys stood embraced for a few minutes before they separated and she got a look at James face, with tears still slowly running his cheeks. James offered his hand out and Matt clasped it in his.
"I'm sorry" James murmured quietly, and Rachel nearly cried at the tone of his voice.
"Don't" Matt said more confidently, glancing at her with a smile before looking back at James. "Don't feel bad about this alright? No-one is angry at you, not me; not anyone"
James nodded his head and glanced at her a smile on his face that was in stark contrast to his puffy red eyes. She gave him a warm smile and James eyes seemed to brighten up at seeing her which made her heart warm; knowing that she would be able to comfort him.
"I'm gonna miss you buddy" James said and Matt nodded back at him.
"I know man, me too" Matt replied and Rachel giggled as she saw him punch James' shoulder as he spoke again; "You better make sure you get to nationals so we can kick you ass"
James laughed and smirked as he looked between her and Matt before he replied. "Don't count on it. Me and Rach are going to be unstoppable"
The two boys embraced each other again and Rachel smiled at seeing the smirks on both of their faces before Matt turned and walked down the corridor towards the terminal. James was stood watching his friend disappear with his hands clasped together in front of him and Rachel walked towards him, biting her lip as she saw him wringing his hands. Reaching out, she placed one of her hands over his and took one of them in hers, intertwining their fingers.
Stepping in front of him, Rachel looked up at him and saw his watery eyes as he met hers; wanting to cheer him up, she leaned up and pressed their lips together. Rachel couldn't help but smile against his mouth when she felt James arms wrap around her shoulders and pull her closer towards him; placing her own hands on his waist. Rachel was glad that she could be there for him; in the past when she had kissed him at the airport with one of them crying, it was because the two of them were being separated from the person they loved. This time, Rachel was glad that it was because James was moving to Ohio. Rather than being heartbroken leaving an airport, she would be leaving with her boyfriend and despite the fact that he was upset now, she knew that he was as happy as she was about his moving to Ohio.
After a few minutes, Rachel felt him pull back from their kiss and she smiled as he rested his forehead against hers; his hand slowly caressing its way up her neck before cupping her cheek. Rachel licked her lips as he gazed at her with a slightly smile on his lips before he murmured; "I love you"
"love you too" She replied, letting out a content smile as his thumb stroked her cheek. "You okay?"
"I will be" He said softly, lifting his forehead from hers and took her hands in his. "I get to have you every day, I'll be fine"
Rachel couldn't help but grin back at home before pulling him back down for another cuddle.
…
A couple of hours later and the two of them were stood in the airport again as they waited for Andrea's plane to land in Ohio. After stood cuddling in the airport, they had driven a short way to a mall and found somewhere to get something to eat. Rachel was glad that James seemed to brighten up after half an hour or so, and soon the two of them were laughing over a pizza they were sharing. Simply being around her seemed to lift him out of the sadness and Rachel was glad that could be there to cheer him up like he had done many times in the past. Following their meal they had looked around a few shops before heading to her car to pick his mom from the airport.
They were stood waiting in the foyer of the airport and Rachel was amused by the fact that James seemed nervous. She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her throat as she watched him glancing at the arrivals screen every few seconds. It was about five minutes after the flight landed and she knew it was his dislike of flying acting up; but she thought it was the most adorable thing in the world as he held her hand tightly, biting his lip.
"Baby, she'll be here in a moment" Rachel had said with a grin on her face as he looked at her queerly.
"Yeah I know" He replied smiling at her. "You know how I am with planes. I need to see her to make sure she's alright"
Rachel nodded at him, leaning up to press a kiss against his lips to try reassure him and to try and release the tension she knew he was carrying. Pulling away, Rachel smiled as he pulled her into his arms; resting her head against his chest as she felt him place his chin on the top of her head.
They waited for a few more minutes and Rachel was the first out of the two of them to notice Andrea; nudging her boyfriend gently and giggling as his confused expression turned into a huge smile as his eyes rested upon his mom. Andrea waved at them as she made her way over and pulled her son into a hug as she arrived at where they were stood. Rachel smiled as she watched the scene before feeling Andrea pull her into a hug as well, giggling as they separated a few seconds earlier.
"Hello Andrea" Rachel said brushing her bangs out of her eyes.
"It's great to see you, sweetheart" Andrea replied. "How was your birthday?"
"it was great" Rachel said happily, a smile sitting on her lips. Glancing at James for a moment, she felt her smile uncontrollably grow. "Even more amazing when James told me the good news this morning"
"I suppose we should head to your house then" Andrea replied with a warm smile on her face as she touches both her and James shoulders gently. "I have some things to discuss with your Dads"
…
When they arrived at Rachel's house a little while later, James had carried his moms suitcase into the house, settling it down in the hallway as they were greeted by her Dads. Rachel watched from the side as the two of them took turns in hugging Andrea; a grin on Rachel's as she watched the exchange, remembering how well the three of them had gotten along in New York.
James had taken his moms suitcase up to the guest room, as Rachel followed her Dads into the kitchen where they made everyone a cup of coffee. When her boyfriend made his way back down, the five of them sat at the kitchen table.
"How was your flight mom?" James asked.
"It was fine sweetheart, everything was fine; no emergencies" Andrea replied in a calm voice and James nodded. Rachel admired how well the woman dealt with people, especially with her sons discomfort; speaking calmly that along with the softness of her voice was naturally soothing. "I want to thank you Leroy and Hiram, for letting us stay; We would have been more than happy to stop in a hotel"
"Don't mention it Andrea, we're happy to have you both" Hiram answered and Rachel shot her Dads a grateful look. Even though James was moving to Ohio, the idea of not sleeping in his arms for a few days sounded horrible even if there would be plenty more opportunities.
"Even so, I appreciate it" Andrea replied taking a sip of her coffee. Rachel sat there nervously waiting for James' mom to speak again; eager to hear what was actually going to happen now that she was in Ohio with her son. James squeezed her hand and she gave him a grateful smile.
"I can tell that both of you are excited about us moving here" Andrea said softly causing Rachel's gaze to meet his moms "I'm sure James has filled you in"
Rachel noticed that Andrea was addressing her, considering that she had talked to Leroy and Hiram on and gave the woman a nod. "Yes"
"James mentioned that you and Robert have purchased a house?" Leroy spoke up and Rachel watched the conversation intently
"Yes, we have" Andrea replied with a smile. "About a month ago now, we started the process. If all goes well then we should be able to move in later this week"
"Where you planning on moving here regardless of what James had told you?" Hiram asked, placing his coffee cup down on the table. Rachel watched as Andrea brushed her hair behind her ear in a somewhat nervous action.
"An opportunity came up for us to expand our restaurant business. Robert and I decided that it would be a good investment" Andrea spoke again. "The plan we had was for Robert to open and manage the one in Ohio while I stayed in Portland with James. But when I saw how upset my son was, I knew that we should give him the chance to decide; he is my biggest concern"
"Of course, we understand" Leroy replied nodding with a smile on his lips. "If we had the opportunity, I think Hiram and myself would consider a similar thing"
Rachel was surprised at her fathers; not understanding how much they wanted her to be happy with James until that moment. She hadn't even considered that her fathers would allow her to transfer to be with her boyfriend; but finding out that they would brought a tear to her eye. She smiled at James as he leaned over and pressed a kiss against her cheek. His lips lingering for just a few seconds in comfort.
Andrea went on to tell them that she would be staying in Ohio with James and her husband was going to spend more time in Portland watching over their restaurants there. Every few weeks, she would have to go home for a week or two. Rachel listened as their parents talked for around an hour, deciding on the details for the next few days; she was incredibly grateful that her fathers were letting Andrea and James stay with them until they had the house ready by the weekend or early the next week.
"One last thing" Andrea said as Rachel was about to drag James up to her...their... room. The two of them paused before sitting back in their seats. "I'm sure you had a conversation with your fathers about your sleeping arrangements?"
"Yes" James replied confidently as Rachel blushed next to him, gripping his hand tighter to reassure herself as she nodded.
"Since we're going to be living in Lima now, there would have to be changes to our agreement" Andrea continued and Rachel gulped as she wondered if that meant they would be prevented from sleeping in each others beds? "Correct me if I'm wrong Leroy, Hiram; but I think leaving it upto the two of you to decide where you want to sleep on a night by night basis?"
"I couldn't agree more" Leroy replied, and Hiram nodded his head firmly. "You can sleep here or at James, sweetheart. As long as you let us know, we're okay with what you decide"
Rachel lip quivered as she listened to her Dads and James mom agree to give them even more freedom in their relationship than they already had. It felt amazing to have that support from their parents and she couldn't help but smile at them appreciatively. "Thank you Daddy"
"Yeah" James said, his voice was weak and she could the happiness on his face. "We really appreciate it"
"We know sweetheart" Andrea replied with a kind smile. "We know"
After their conversation with the parents, Rachel and James went upstairs to her room. They decided to watch a film before they went to be and when he told her that he was going to take a shower before he got changed into something comfier, Rachel decided to ring Kurt and tell him about what had developed that day. To say her friend was excited was an understatement, as Kurt practically yelled "SHUT UP" down the phone as she filled him causing her to giggle manically along with him. James chose that moment to come out of the bathroom in his blue pyjama bottoms with an amused look on his face as he made his way over to pick up a top.
"You okay Rach?" He asked, amusement in his voice as he tried not to laugh at her.
"I just told Kurt how you're moving to Ohio" She replied biting her lip to control her giggles. After a few seconds she raised her eyebrow at him as her eyes gazed across his well defined chest. "And please put a top on baby, you're very distracting"
James smirked at her, making a point of leaning close to her as he pressed a kiss against her lips before standing and heading to his bag.
"Now he's naked huh? Hot" Kurt's voice came down the phone and Rachel blushed furiously.
"No, he's not; He doesn't have a shirt on but yes he is very hot" Rachel giggled down the phone. "Anyway! do you want to hear the details or not?"
Rachel led on her bed with James as she finished her phone call with Kurt, before putting the phone down and cuddling into his side as he wrapped his arms around her. Rachel sighed contentedly in his arms; yep she could get used to this.
/
A/N : Yep James is staying in Ohio and transferring to school with her :-)
This chapter just explains why he is moving. This was originally supposed to be Chapter 25 or so in the story, but I wanted to advance the story a bit more while I figured out where to put James since I had a plan to have him transfer to Carmel and Vocal Adrenaline at first with Mr Atherton but I decided that it would be fun to right James at McKinley and how he acts with the glee club and the bullies there
Should have a few more updates this week when I finish reading over chapters