Chapter 34

"Why do you keep saying that?" James asks a look of astonishment on his face as she looks up at him.

"Because she was. I know that she was better than me" She replied softly, sadness in her voice.

"No she wasn't; she was good but you were incredible. You blew that song out of the water"

Rachel smiles weakly. After the call back, she'd grab his hand and pulled him away to a quiet place so that she could let emotions out. Rachel Berry didn't like other people seeing her weaknesses and she didn't want anybody but James with her.

"You're sweet and I love you" She replies, fiddling with her thumbs. "But you have to say that, I'm your girlfriend-"

"No I don't" He interrupts her shaking his head as he kneels in front of her. "I wouldn't lie to you at all; Believe me, If I thought you were sharp on a note or didn't quite hit it I'd tell you. But you weren't, you were perfect, better than perfect"

"You think so?" She asks, biting her lip nervously. Deep down she knows that there is one thing she'll always get from James; complete and utter honesty about everything. It's been that way since the moment she met him, there's something about his eyes and the way he looks at when he talks to her that she can't help but see the truth in his words.

He nodded at her and leaned forward to kiss her. Rachel smiled against his lips, cupping his face in her hands as his fiddled idly with the side of her dress as they shared tender kisses for several minutes. Regrettably, Rachel pulls away from him as she rests her forehead against his, enjoying the way his fingers are playing with the pattern at the waist of the dress that she's wearing.

"I love you" She murmurs and he smiles back at before pressing a final soft kiss against her mouth. Rachel believed him when he told how perfectly she sang the song and to see the way he looked at her as he explained it was mesmerising. Sighing happily, content to believe what he said to her, she laces her fingers through his as she stands up from the seat. "You ready to go home?"

"Yeah, lets go" He replied, pulling her close as they start to talk out into the corridors. Rachel smiles to herself and rests her head against his shoulder as they walk, cuddling into his side when he moves his arm and snakes it around her shoulders so that she fits snug next to him.

...

They drove home, Rachel was quiet a she thought the audition; trying to get the thoughts that she hadn't been good enough out of her head. The two of the walked into the house hand in hand as they made their way towards the kitchen. Her Dads and Andrea weren't home so they made themselves comfortable and got started on their homework. Over the next hour the three adults made their way home, and when Leroy entered kitchen he pressed a kiss against her head and ruffled James hair teasingly.

"How did your audition go, baby girl?" She hears Leroy ask, smiling as she looks up at him.

Rachel puts a smile on her face before she answers him. Despite how much she trusts James and she felt a great deal of reassurance after hearing him insist that her performance of "Out Here On My Own" was perfect, Rachel can't help but think that she wasn't as good as he was telling her. "I think it went okay"

She was sat with James at the kitchen table as the two of them went through their homework together, helping each other if there was anything that they were struggling with.

"Okay? She was so much better than Okay" James said, touching her shoulder "You were perfect Rach"

"Stop" Rachel blushed, looking down into her lap. "I wasn't-"

"Don't be modest, baby, you were" He insisted, giving her a look that shut her up. "They'd be crazy not to give you the part"

"That's great sweetheart" Hiram smiled warmly as he stood cooking dinner. "Your Daddy and I have both made sure we have the entire of your opening week off to that we can watch every performance"

"Dad" Rachel moaned embarrassedly, shaking her head but she couldn't help the smile that came across her face. She loved her Dads and how supportive they were off her; they would make sure to take time of work to try and come to every one of her performances since she was a small girl. "You don't have to do that"

"Sweet pea, you know we love coming to watch you perform" Leroy replied, squeezing her hand from his seat next to her. "Besides its good practise for when you're a superstar and we get to proudly watch our daughter belt out the greatest Broadway hits."

"Daddy" Rachel giggled, burying her face in her hands. "You two are so embarrassing"

"We just love you baby girl" Hiram replied laughing. "We are looking forward to watching you play Maria in the school musical, I've dreamed of you playing that role since they day you first started singing"

"I haven't found out if I've gotten the role yet Dad, please don't jinx it" She replied, chewing her bottom lip nervously.

"It's in the bag" James said winking at her. Rachel blushed, leaning across the gap in their chairs and kissing his cheek softly. Honestly it was lovely to have him in her life, while it was always nice to have her Dads tell her she was amazing, it meant more to her when it came from someone who wasn't related to her; especially James. Even though she wasn't as confident in how well she had done at the call back, simply knowing that he thought she'd been the better singer was beyond amazing.

"How was your first week at school, sweetie?" Andrea asked, placing her coffee mug down on the table in front of her.

"It was amazing" James replied, putting his pen down on top of his notebook. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands as he stretched.

"You're not missing your friends?" Leroy asked across the table from her and James.

"I miss them a lot" James admitted, a small smile on his face. "But, everyone at McKinley has been so welcoming; I haven't really noticed it to be honest"

"That's good" Leroy replied nodding his head.

"Yeah, all of Rachel's friends are being super nice about letting me join the New Directions and everything" James said leant his forehead against his palm as he rested his elbow on the table. "I'm actually a bit surprise"

"They love you because you are amazing baby" Rachel said smiling at him proudly as she moved her hand to entwine their fingers together.

A little while later and Rachel was sat cuddled up against James as they sat on the armchair together in her living room with her Dads as the four of them were watching TV. Well, she wasn't really paying much attention to the TV, instead focusing on the soothing path of his hand up and down her thigh. Sighing happily, she snuggled closer to him as she nuzzled his chest with her face lovingly.

James had gotten up to bring her a drink when she'd asked if he wanted one he had told to sit and he'd make it for her; he was such a sweetheart towards, whenever they were together he refused to let her do anything preferring to do it himself. Whenever she was with James, she always felt as though she was the most special person in the entire world and he treated her like she was a princess.

It took him a couple of minutes before he came back into the living room carrying a mug of hot chocolate for her, settling it on the small table next to her chair before leaning down to press a kiss against her forehead.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning alright Rach?" James says and she closed her eyes, smiling at the feeling of his soft lips against the skin on her forehead.

"Are you going to bed?" She asked, stroking her hand across his arm.

"Yeah I am, got to get up early to go with mom" He replied nodding his head.

"I'll come with you, we can cuddle for a little bit" She said smirking at him as she went to stand up from her seat in the lounge.

"You don't have to" James says shaking his head. "It's only 9:30, babe. You don't have to go to bed when I do; we've gone upstairs and cuddled every night this week; stay with your Dads"

"You sure?" She asked, chewing her bottom lip. He was right, this week she hadn't spent as much time with her Dad and Daddy as she normally would, but that wasn't a bad think; she'd been spending time with her amazing, handsome boyfriend. She supposed that he was right though. "Okay, I'll see you in the morning?"

"Yah, of course" He replied winking at her. "You're coming up with your Dad at around ten right?"

"I am yeah" Rachel nodded, smiling at him. Licking her lips, she leaned up and pressed a kiss against his lips. They shared several chaste, tender kisses before he pulled back and winked at her.

"Night baby" He said softly, kissing her again before stepped away and headed towards the stairs.

"Goodnight son" Leroy said, a small smile on her father's lips as James walked past the couch.

Rachel sighed and shifted in the chair, getting comfortable sitting there without James underneath her. It felt strange to sit on a chair now without being on his lap. It was her favourite position; she could shift as close to his body, enjoying the way that his arm would wrap protectively around her as he ran his fingers through her hair or the tender, loving way that he would caress her thigh.

She stayed downstairs with her Dad's for a couple hours more as they watched a biography on Lisa moneli together. Spending the time with them was nice, she hadn't really sat down with them and just enjoyed the family time since Andrea and James had been staying with them; not that she hated having her boyfriend close by but it was just perfect to be able to relax with her Dads for a night instead.

After kissing both of them on the cheek, Rachel had quietly walked up the stairs towards her room as she tried to be careful not to wake James up. Andrea was staying at their new house so that she could meet the mover van when it brought the things they were bringing with them from Oregon. James was driving up with Leroy in the morning and the two of them were going to help his mom with the unpacking. She and Hiram were driving across town to where the house was a little bit later in the morning to take a look around.

Rachel was excited about getting the chance to look around considering it meant she could see the beginning of the new part of his life in Ohio. They were already so important to each other, both of them a large part of the others already; but the idea of helping in arranging and decorating his new house appealed greatly to her, the fact that she and her Dads were going to be part of it was especially touching to her.

Slowly pushing the door open, Rachel bit her lip as she saw James sleeping in her bed. He was led on his side facing away from her but she smiled at seeing him with the covers pulled up to his neck though as she walked further into her room towards the bathroom, her heart warmed at seeing Fluffy next to him in bed; knowing that she liked sleeping with the toy even when she actually had him to cuddle up next to.

After getting changed and ready for bed, she pulled the covers on her side back as slowly as possible in order to try not to disturb him. As she settled in bed, just as she was closing her eyes; a smile crossed her lips when she felt James shift in bed next to her, moving closer to her as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed her against him as she felt his mouth on her neck as he kissed her gently.

"Hey…sorry I woke you" She murmured, turning her head to gaze at his sleep heavy eyes.

"It's alright" His voice is quiet; obviously showing that he was still asleep a little bit. "love you"

"I love you too" She replied, kissing his cheek before settling into his body as she felt him pull her even closer. Yeah, this was perfect.

Rachel wakes up a few hours after James has left with her Daddy to go to his new house; stretching out across her bed to try and wake herself up properly, enjoying the sound of a small crack as her body unfolds from the position she'd slept in next to James. While she loved waking up next to him, he took up a lot of room in her bed with that large but beautiful body of his. There wasn't something as good as that feeling in a morning when she could stretch without kicking her boyfriend next to her.

Just as he had done when she had climbed into bed with him the night before, when James had woken up earlier in the morning; she had felt something inside alert her to it and had woken up to see him getting dressed. Rachel had been quite happy to just lay there and admire him as he pulled on a t shirt; the light peeking through her curtains highlighting his muscular body just enough that she could smile as she saw his muscles tense and relax. He had come over and pressed a tender kiss against her lips before disappearing out of her room.

It seemed strange, but ever since they had spent time together this summer; Rachel could always feel something deep inside her that alerted her when he was awake and doing something. A smile crossed her face as she though back to Coach Sylvester's sister's funeral and what had been spoken about tethers. At the time Rachel hadn't thought much about it, but maybe with James she was beginning to appreciate what their sometimes crazy coach had meant.

Rachel showered before getting dressed; choosing to wear a pair of blue skinny jeans and a casual pink t shirt underneath one of James' large pullover hoodies. The temperature has taken a plummet in the last week and she's been very glad that she can borrow his warm jumpers to pull on; loving the smirk that sits on his face when he sees her wearing them but also blushing furiously when people have mentioned it at school. Adjusting herself in the mirror, Rachel takes a moment to enjoy his scent before she heads downstairs to eat breakfast with her Dad.

She turns into the front room and smiles as she sees her father seated at the kitcen table as he reads the newspaper. As she practically skips into the room, he looks up and gives her a warm smile as she presses a soft kiss against his cheek.

"Morning babygirl"

"Good Morning Dad" She replies happily, settling herself down in a chair across from him as she pours herself a bowl of cereal. "Have you spoken to Daddy since he left?"

"Yes sweetheart" He says nodding his head, looking at her over the top of his glasses. "He called about a half hour ago just to say that they've unloaded all of the things from the trucks"

"Okay" She replies, smiling brightly. "I'll just have something to eat then we can go"

Her Dad looked at her amused, sensing her excitement and just nodded at her. "Alright sweetheart"

The two of them sit together as she eats her breakfast, a smile set on her lips as she chews the cereal. She practically leaps out of her chair to rush over to the sink to wash her dish and she's sure she heard a chuckle from her father but she ignores it. it might be a little excessive to get excited about seeing James' new house, but it's just that final piece of confirmation that he's actually moving to Ohio and it's not all just some dream that she'll wake up from and find herself alone in her bed. She's pretty sure that's not the case, the two of them had created plenty of moments this past week that remind her how much he loves her; her particular favourites being the stolen kisses in between classes at school rather than the intense make out sessions on her bed where maybe she's allowed his hands to get comfortable all over her body. Who is she kidding, she loves every single moment she spends with him and Rachel sat with a smile on her face in her Dad's car as she imagined the opportunities they would get in the future as well.

Lima isn't a big town by any stretch of the imagination, but it still takes them over half an hour to drive across town to get to the neighbourhood where James' new house is. In fact, Rachel is pretty sure that this as far way as you can get from her house while still being in the Lima school district. As they pull into his street, Rachel admires the houses; while they look big as hers and certainly not as big as James' house in Oregon, they are definitely not small. She chews her lip subconsciously, of course James' mom and Dad would buy a nice house; it made sense considering Andrea would be spending a large amount of time in Lima, not to mention the fact that James would be there for the next 8 months or so.

Her dad had already been to visit the house with Leroy and Andrea a few days earlier in the week, so she wasn't surprised when he pulled up outside one of the houses and stopped the engine. She looked at him for confirmation and as if he had seemingly read her mind, nodded at her with a smile on his face. Quickly unbuckling her belt, Rachel climbed out of the car and had to force herself to wait for her Dad rather than sprint up the path to the house.

As he joined her the two of them walked, agonizingly slowly she thought to herself, up the driveway; she rolled her eyes as she saw James' car sat in the driveway along with the one she recognized as her Daddy's.

Rachel couldn't help but admire the house, it was a beautiful white brick front with large bay windows. The garden had a small patch of grass next to the driveway with a beautiful flower bed set right in the middle, it was simple but still managed to look elegant. The front door was open as they reached it, Hiram didn't have any hesistation in stepping inside. Rachel shrugged before following him in, smiling as she recognized her Daddy's voice coming from the end of the hallway in what she assumed was the kitchen followed by Andrea's soft laughter.

The hallway was a long one that ran right to the back of the house, wide enough so that four people could stand side by side, with three open archways that signalled where a room was. As they walked past two of them, Rachel saw a cream painted living room where leather sofa and TV had been set up on the left, followed by a small study where several boxes lay unpacked on her right. As they headed through the last archway at the bottom of the hallway, Rachel smile widened as she saw a wide open kitchen and dining area painted cream again. Directly across from her was a set of glass sliding doors that were closed, but Rachel could see the garden through it; split into two by a thin flowerbed. On the left was a patio area while on the right was grass, but in the middle of the grass was a small pond where she could faintly see gold fish swimming around.

Turning her attention from the garden, she smiled back at Andrea as the older woman spoke; "Good Morning Rachel"

"You're house is beautiful" Rachel remarked walking over to where her Dads were stood, leaning up and kissing her Daddy as he embraced her.

"Thank you very much" Andrea replied, smiling kindly at her.

"Have you done unpacking everything?" Hiram asked.

"Not quite, we've got all the heavy stuff done" Andrea said, filling the kettle with water at the sink. "it's mostly just unboxing the small stuff and hanging pictures"

"Well, why don't we have a coffee then we can make a start on finishing" Leroy said smiling. He seemed to notice that she was wanting to go find James by the way she was fiddling with the sleeves of her jump because his next words snapped her attention to him; "James is upstairs sweetheart unpacking his stuff in his room"

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked half heartedly. Honestly, she wanted nothing more than to just spend time with James in his room but she had offered to help get the house ready. "You don't need me to help?"

"Please Rachel sweetheart, you really think my son is capable of doing it by himself?" Andrea laughed. "He'll be playing around with his xbox the second he finds it, ignoring the rest of the stuff"

"You're probably right" Rachel giggled. "I'll go find him"

Her Dads smiled at her in amusement as she turned and walked towards the stairs. As she reached the top she could hear music playing, vaguely recognising it as Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust". She walked a little further down the corridor, noting that there was about five doors before she reached where she could hear the music coming from. Biting her lip, she turned the handle and pushed it open; as she looked inside his room, Rachel quickly raised her hand to his mouth and pressed her lips together.

James was stood in the middle of the room with his back to the door, dancing along to the music. Beside the fact that he looked super cute, his hands were stretched open by his side as he rocked his hips to the music as his head was bowed. Rachel was struggling to stop herself from laughing at discovering what James apparently does when he's alone in his room.

She watched him for a few minutes, moving her hand away from her mouth to rest under her chin as she stood there with an amused smile on her face. She was definitely going to enjoy tormenting him about this, but until he realised that he had company what was the harm in watching him? Who could blame her for watching her incredibly hot boyfriend with the amazing body rocking his hips to this song, and she definitely enjoyed watching the way his ass moved.

When he spun on the spot, she knew he would have seen her; her smile growing as she saw him stop dancing and remain still for a few seconds before extending his hand and turning off the music with the small remote in his hand. When he turned to face her, his eyebrows were creased in a frown as he tried to his embarrassment.

"Hey baby….I didn't realise you here already" He said quietly and Rachel thought the way that his entire face had turned red was absolutely adorable.

"What were you doing?" She asked teasingly as she took a step towards him.

"No-nothing" He replied shrugging his shoulders trying to appear nonchalant.

"It looked like you were dancing?" She said before she burst out in to giggles. She laughed at him for a good five minutes as he just stood there shifting on his feet uncomfortably with a small embarrassed smile on his face before he finally reacted.

"Alright chuckles; lets see how funny you find this" He said and she was about ask what he meant when she yelped as he pushed her back against his bed, a second later moaning into his mouth as he pressed their lips together while he knelt above her; her hands coming to wrap around his neck as his pulled her legs around his waist.

She loved this side of James that came out when they were together, he took control and got her worked up as they made out; his possessive side that came through only when he was with her. The way his lips against hers, and against her neck as he gently sucked on the skin at her pulse point had her mind racing with all kind of possibilities. The next few minutes went by quickly as they just rolled around on his bed together; his hands had made their way underneath her clothing and were gently stroking the small of her back when she nudged him. it wasn't that she was uncomfortable with it, she'd let him get to second base on a few occasions, but the timing or the place wasn't exactly intimate enough where she wanted to let him.

"James" She murmured softly in his ear as she squeezed his shoulder; the signal she knew he had understood to mean she wanted to stop when they had been making out. His lips stopped at her neck and she felt him nod before he pressed a final kiss as he pulled back and smiled at her.

His hand came to push her hair back out of her face, moving down to cup her cheek as he pressed a chaste kiss against her lips. "I love you"

"love you too" she murmured back, her breathing still not completely under control. "Even if you do dance around your room when you think no one is watching"

He laughed and pulled her closer as she giggled along wih him. not that she remembered, but they had apparently shifted so she was cuddled into his side as they stretched out on his bed.

"I told you we were going to make out on this bed" He said proudly a few minutes later, a smirk on his face. Rachel rolled her eyes at him before letting her smile grow.

"Yes you did" She replied, leaning up to kiss him once more.

...

A/N :

I've been busy the last week but here's an update! :) Chapter 35 should be up at the weekend.