A/N: New chapter! I've split up the last four days they spend together. This is the first two. Enjoy!
Meet the Parents (Again)
Day One
They go to a local coffee shoppe with just enough privacy for what Rachel secretly thinks of as their first official date. She doesn't say this aloud; not knowing that if she did Jesse would echo the same thing. They sit in the back corner, her hands curled around a soy misto as they play the typical getting-to-know you games.
She's surprised that there is so much she didn't know about him. She was besotted by him, maybe even in love, and she didn't have the slightest idea as to what his favorite ice cream was, or favorite book.
"Rocky Road," he responds to the first inquiry, and she thinks that the admission fits him perfectly. "You?"
"Bubble Gum," she answers, smiling to herself as she recounts a memory from her childhood. "I used to go with my dads to this ice cream place by the house. We'd all get Bubble Gum and sit on this ledge on the side of the place. I remember my feet never touched the ground and I would kick them against the ledge when I spit out the bubble gum pieces." She laughs for a moment and tells him, "This one time I dropped my entire cone. I was pretty clumsy and started crying and refused to let my dads buy me another one. Daddy ended up giving me his."
"I've never had Bubble Gum ice cream," Jesse muses. "Sounds strange."
"It kind of is," Rachel agrees. "But a good strange."
He laughs and leans back as he asks, "Favorite movie-not musical."
She smiles at the fact that he knows to make the distinction. "When Harry Met Sally…"
"No Barbra?" he teases.
"Well, she has favorite musical," Rachel answers with a grin. "Figure I should spread my movie affection."
"Good thinking."
"It's only fair," she jokes.
"And that is a good movie. It's where I learned the white-man's-overbite. It's a real hit with the ladies." He demonstrates his skills and she laughs into her hand, thinking that just when she thinks he cannot get any more adorable, he goes ahead and crashes her expectations.
"Please, never do that again," she chides with a wide grin. "Now, your turn. Favorite movie-non musical."
"The Godfather."
She rolls her eyes and says, "You are such a boy."
"What? It's a good movie."
"What is with boys and that movie? Finn loved it. Puck quotes it on a weekly basis. Even Kurt tolerates it."
"Um, because it is genius," Jesse spells out. "And there is lots of blood. And guns. And that one nude scene."
"Jesse!" she gasps, reaching across the table to slap him.
He laughs, jumping back in his seat as she attempts to slap his arm a second time. "What? You wanted to know why men liked it!"
"It's disgusting."
"It's a fact."
She shakes her head and retorts, "My movie has no nudity."
"Yeah, and it has Billy Crystal in it. That's a good thing."
She laughs despite herself and admits, "True."
"You've never seen my movie, have you?" She shakes her head. "Well, at the end of these four days that answer will change."
Day Two
"Rachel, your father and I would like to speak to you," Rick says, gesturing for his daughter to follow him into the sitting room. She had been heading upstairs to call Jesse and feels an uncharacteristic pull of irritation with her parents. She obeys, though, and walks into the sitting room. Rick is already sitting and gives her a small nod when he sees her. No smile, though.
"Is everything okay?" she asks, thinking the worst from her father's reserved behavior. "You're-you're both okay, right?"
"You've been spending a lot of time with that Jesse boy," Rick says, his dislike noticeable. "We know that you two are friends but we have the feeling that something has changed in the past few days-"
"And if this is true," Jay continues, "we would like to have him over for dinner. Meet him properly for a second time."
"You want to have Jesse over for dinner?"
"Only if we are correct in thinking that things have changed," Rick clarifies. She can read the hope in his voice that things have not changed. She glances at Jay whose face is impassive. Now or never, she thinks.
"How does tonight sound?"
ST BERRY-ST BERRY-ST BERRY
When Rachel tells Jesse over the phone of their plans for the night his response is, "I am under scrutiny much too often at your house."
"Well, maybe you shouldn't have been an ass last year," she answers.
"Valid point."
"Now, I should warn you that my dad Rick is not exactly happy about our getting back together. He, um, actually is not too happy about anything involving you. My dad Jay does not have strong opinions on the topic."
"So, you're saying I need to be extra charming tonight for your father?"
"No!" she says immediately, eyes widening at the terrible prospect of Jesse, oozing with charm, facing her father who absolutely detested that sort of thing. "Daddy hates charm. He sees right through it."
"I'm a master at charming parents," Jesse assures her. "Don't worry."
"Jesse, please-"
"Everything will work out."
"No charm," she says firmly. "No charms. No winks. You need to just be yourself and they will warm to you."
"Fine," he relents. "I will dial back my charm."
"Not dial back, extinguish, fumigate."
"You can't fumigate charm-"
"Well, you better figure out how to because my parent's approval is important to me. I need them to like you, Jesse."
"Rachel, I really care about you. They will see that and know that I'm not here to start trouble. I'm here because I want to be with you."
"Thank you," she says softly. "And be here at seven."
"Want me to bring anything?"
Immediately she says, "Your best behavior."
She can hear his smile as he says, "Now, that you didn't have to ask for, Rach."
ST BERRY-ST BERRY-ST BERRY
Jesse knocks on the door, feeling a touch of nerves as he goes through the list of people who can open the door. He is hoping for Rachel because there is a high probability either of the fathers will open with some sort of weapon. He had thought through this dinner a bit more throughout the day and came to the conclusion that if he were Rachel's parents, he would vehemently hate himself. After everything he had done, he was surprised he was still allowed in the house. Even on their front porch.
The door opens and he holds his breath until he sees Rachel on the other side. She reaches for his hand and pulls him in, giving him a quick hug. Her smile is tight as she examines his outfit and nods approvingly. "You look nice."
"This is an important dinner."
She smiles at him softly and holds his hand firmly as she turns toward her parents, who had watched the entire exchange with one carefully composed expression and another decidedly sour. "Dad, Daddy, you remember Jesse, right?"
"Of course we do," Jay says, offering Jesse his hand. He takes it quickly and shakes it in what he hopes is a trustworthy manner.
"Dinner is ready," Rick sniffs, giving Jesse one look before turning on his heel and going into the kitchen. Rachel gives her father a look and he sighs, "He takes a bit longer to come around." He glances at Jesse and assures him, "He'll come around."
Jay moves to join his partner in the kitchen and Rachel sighs, shaking her head. "I'm sorry in advance for whatever happens at dinner. I really thought he would be civil, considering this is their idea."
"I'll be fine," he assures her. "No matter what happens, this is part of it, right? Meeting the parents, dealing with the awkwardness, it's all a part of it."
She looks up at him with warm eyes and murmurs, "You really are good, Jesse. You are."
He gives her a quick kiss and then says, "We better go into the kitchen."
Grudgingly Rachel nods and they make their way into the kitchen. He spots stuffed peppers on top of the stove and voices, "Those look delicious."
"They are Rick's special recipe," Jay says.
"Daddy is a master chef," Rachel supplies, hoping some ego fanning would make her father in a better mood. Sure enough, Rick smiles slightly and says, "Don't talk me up too much, sweetie."
Jesse sits down at the table and Rachel takes the seat beside him. The food is brought to the table and once they are seated they take pause for a moment, unsure how to proceed. Jesse doesn't know if they say grace; Rick is trying to decide whether to offer their guest food first; Jay is waiting for his partner to make his decision; Rachel is wishing all of this wasn't happening.
"Jesse, you start," Rick finally says. "You are the guest after all."
Everyone can tell it nearly pains Rick to say this but Jesse takes this as a step forward and smiles as he says, "Thank you, I can't wait to try this." He scoops a pepper up and places it on his plate, pouring some gravy over it.
"So tell us what you have been up to while you've been home," Jay proposes jovially. Jesse watches the other father's lips set into a firm line and he inwardly sighs. This is going to be a long dinner.
ST BERRY-ST BERRY-ST BERRY
"He still hates me," Jesse remarks as Rachel walks with him to his car. "I can't believe it. He-"
"He will come around," Rachel tells him firmly. "He will. It might just take him a bit. Like, a few years."
Jesse shakes his head. "I'm good with parents."
"I'm sure you are," she says, placing a soothing hand on his arm. "There are just some extraneous circumstances here."
"I'm sorry I couldn't win them over more," Jesse says, winding his arms around her waist. "I know it's important to you that they like me."
"My dad Jay doesn't hate you," she says, smiling slightly. "That's a start."
"I never thought I'd have to settle for 'doesn't hate you'."
"New experiences," she offers. "Thank you for doing this, for coming."
He leans forward and catches her lips with his, kissing her slowly. She presses her body against his, sliding her tongue into his mouth. A fire seems to spread beneath her skin and she presses herself to him more firmly, wishing they were in her bedroom and not out on an open street.
"Why are we outside?" he mumbles, echoing her thoughts.
"Later," she promises, pulling away slightly. "We will continue this later."
He grins and kisses her once more. "Alright, I better be going."
She nods. "Have a safe ride home."
He hesitates and then takes one more kiss. He can still taste her on his lips as he steps away and climbs into his car. She steps back onto the sidewalk and crosses her arms over her chest as he pulls away from the house. She watches him turn the corner and drive out of sight before turning and heading back into the house.
A/N: Next chapter will have the last two days. Did you like this? I actually hate writing meet-the-parents stuff but I felt it was needed. Hope it wasn't too painful to read! Please leave feedback :D