A/N: Last chapter! Hope you enjoy it!
Closure
Day Three
"Our last supper," Jesse says solemnly, chuckling as he sees Rachel scowl at him across the table. He reaches for her hand, interlacing their fingers. "That was a joke, by the way."
"But it wasn't," she says. "You leave tomorrow morning. This is our last supper."
"Well, then we will make the best of it." He sees that her spirits are still dampened and says, "I don't like it any better than you do, Rachel."
"I know," she sighs. "And I know that we're not supposed to be negative these four days, but you're leaving tomorrow! You'll be in California and I'll be here."
"We'll be fine."
"I'm going to miss you," she says, holding his hand tightly. "And Finn will probably try to get back with me again."
"Need me to talk to Hudson?" he asks with a slight grin. She shakes her head immediately and tells him, "No, I can handle Finn. I just, well, I like you being here." She smiles sheepishly and asks, "Why do you have to go to college?"
"I hear an education is important," he offers. "But that could just be a rumor."
"We'll be fine," she says firmly. "We will be perfectly fine."
"Exactly," he says. "So, there's nothing to worry about."
"Nothing to worry about," she echoes. He lets go of her hand to look through the menu and the small glances they steal of each other over their menus betray the cavalier exterior they so artfully constructed.
ST BERRY-ST BERRY-ST BERRY
They stand at the front door, Jesse's arms around her waist and he drops his mouth to hers again. He thinks to himself that by this time tomorrow he will be hours away. It hurts too much to think that, though, so he focuses on her mouth instead, running his tongue over her lower lip and sliding it into her mouth when she opens for him.
She breaks away and raggedly says, "We're making a scene again."
"I should be going," he echoes.
"No," she tells him hastily. "No, I don't want you to go."
"It's late."
"My dads aren't home tonight," she says, running her hands down onto his chest. "They're at a conference. And-"
"No, we shouldn't," he says. "They hate me enough already."
"I don't care. I-I don't want this to end, Jesse. I don't want these four days to end."
He sighs and kisses her tenderly. "This won't end after four days, Rachel."
"You know what I mean."
"Yeah," he relents. "I do."
"Come inside."
"I shouldn't."
"Jesse," she purrs, kissing him again. "Please come inside."
He decides then to stop thinking because every time he does it either makes him sad or he does something that he instantly regrets. So, instead of thinking he simply nods and follows her into the house. He follows her up to her bedroom and watches as she drops her purse on the ground and takes off her coat.
"You're spending the night," she tells him.
"Okay."
"And-" she breaks off, a blush spreading over her cheeks.
"Rachel?"
"I want you to spend the night."
He furrows his eyebrows, not understanding. "Okay, I'll spend-" he stops when he understand what she is asking for. "Rachel, we can't."
"I want to."
"I leave tomorrow morning," he tells her slowly.
"Even more reason to," she says, beginning to peel off her sweater. He goes to stop her but she has already stripped it off and discards it.
"Rachel, come on. This is ridiculous."
"No, it's not," she says, shaking her head. "Unless-unless you don't want to."
He slides his arms around her waist and murmurs, "Rachel, of course I want to."
"Then what's stopping you?"
She takes off her tank top that had been under her sweater and unzips her skirt, letting it drop and stepping out of it. Standing in front of him in only a bra and panties, she decides that he is wearing too much clothes and steps forward brazenly, grabbing the hem of his shirt and pulling it up.
"Rachel, stop," he says, grabbing her hands. "Please, just for a minute."
"I want this," she says fiercely. "I know you're preoccupied with my virtue-"
"Among other things."
"But I want this. I know you are leaving tomorrow and I know that this is my first time, but that doesn't change the face that I want this. I want you, Jesse."
"This is a bad idea," he mumbles, hands gliding along her bare skin.
She reaches up and tugs his face to hers, kissing him deftly. Her small hands tug at his shirt and he finds himself lifting his arms, letting her pull it off. Quickly she unzips his jeans and pushes them down. He steps out of them clumsily as his mouth fuses itself to hers. Her hands are everywhere and his own explore her body. He pulls away for a moment and gazes down at her, the complete trust in her eyes alarms him and he decides then that he cannot hurt her. He won't.
He leads her to the bed and has her lie on her back as he moves beside her, planting a knee between her legs. "You sure about this?" he asks once, wanting to make sure she hadn't changed her mind.
"Yes," she says.
"Okay."
He pulls her panties down, stroking the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. She trembles at his touch and he carefully dips a finger into her, watching her eyes squeeze shut. "Rachel?"
"It's good," she says, biting her lip when he begins to move his hand. "Good-it's good."
He adds another finger, watching her squirm as she feels things that she never knew existed. He knows that she is close and pulls out, gently spreading her knees further apart. He reaches down for his pants and takes out his wallet, pulling out the condom he kept in there. He pulls himself out of his boxers and slides it on before positioning himself at her entrance. He is above her then and she is looking up at him with obvious nerves, and he kisses her slowly.
"Are you ready?"
She nods, eyes shut as he slides in. She gasps as pain spreads through her and he drops his mouth to her cheek, murmuring, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"Keep going," she says, curling her legs around his waist as he sets a rhythm. "Keep going."
He presses himself to her, his mind a jumble of thoughts, but one stands alone. Beneath her, she is the most beautiful creature she has ever seen. He sees her eyes flash and she moans, "Jesse."
"I'm here," he says. He pushes her arms back and interlaces their fingers above her head as he moves. He can feel that he is close, nearly there and the expression on her face tells him that she is too. He drops his mouth to her neck, nipping and then sucking gently. She turns her head and catches his lips, kissing him hungrily. She pulls away, biting his bottom lip gently as she climaxes. Her mouth is pulled open as she makes a noise that he has never heard before and then he lets himself go, the final release sweet and complete.
He pulls out, moving beside her and draping an arm around her waist. He kisses her shoulder and asks, "Are you okay?"
"That was good," she breathes out. They lay there for a while in silence, their breathing returning to normal. She is tucked securely against his body and he his hand rests heavily on her hip as they come back down. After a while Rachel says, "Everyone says that the first time is bad, but that was good."
"We've got some chemistry," he agrees, kissing her shoulder.
"Let's do it again," she says after a moment, turning his face to her and moving her lips against his.
"Again?"
"You want to, right?"
He chuckles, running his hand up and down her side. "Well yeah, but don't you think we should rest up a bit?"
"Cuddle?" she teases.
"Yeah, why not?" He pulls her closer against him and presses a gentle kiss to her shoulder. "You're really okay?"
"More than," she says, turning in his arms to rest her head on his chest.
"So, you and Finn never…"
She shakes her head. "It never felt right. He would pull back or I would. Something was holding me back."
"And today?"
She grins. "Nothing held me back because it is right. We are right."
"I love you, Rachel."
She opens her mouth and closes it, too surprised to say anything. Finally she mumbles, "You do?"
He chuckles, kissing the top of her head. "You really think I would have done that if I hadn't?"
"I love you, too," she tells him, taking his hand and kissing it tenderly. "I love you too, Jesse."
ST BERRY-ST BERRY-ST BERRY
Day Four
Rachel has been dreading this day for a long time. In fact, she has dreaded it since she first peaked a glance of his shoes through the stair posts. It wasn't just him going to California, it was his leaving in general. She didn't want to lose him again, but she took some solace in the fact that he didn't want to leave this time, either. He wasn't leaving her, only the state of Ohio.
"I'll call," he promises. "Every day I'll call."
"And we can have skype dates," Rachel offers. "That way we can see each other. And I'll visit."
"We can do this," he says, his voice wavering. She reaches up and tugs his face to hers, kissing him soundly.
"No, Jesse, we will do this. We don't have a choice because I'm not giving you up and you're not staying here. So, we'll make it work."
"I love you," he murmurs, touching her cheek tenderly. She can see all the pain in his eyes that is ripping through her chest and she presses her face into the crook of his neck, trying to memorize his smell, the feel of his body against hers.
"It was nice of them to come with you," Jesse says, tilting his head toward Mercedes and Kurt who were standing back by themselves. Mercedes had just gotten her license and offered to drive them to the airport.
"They know I'll be a mess when you leave," Rachel says, already feeling the tears form.
"You're not a mess," he murmurs.
"Not yet, just wait until I have to watch you walk away."
"Don't," he says simply. "Both of us will turn at the same time. We won't have to watch the other go off."
"Not a bad plan," Rachel agrees, nodding her head. "Do we have to do it now, though?"
"My flight is soon," he admits begrudgingly. "And I still have to get through security."
Rachel sighs. "So, this is goodbye?"
"For now," he corrects. "Good bye for now."
He kisses her and she holds onto him tightly, wanting to remember this moment for all the forthcoming nights alone. She thinks of the night before and shivers.
"Alright, I think it's time," Jesse says.
"Goodbye, Jesse St James," Rachel says with a sad smile. "It was nice seeing you this break."
He laughs slightly and says, "Same to you, Rachel Berry."
Both turn at the same time and Rachel forces herself to not turn back. It is easier this way, but when she reaches her friends she cannot stop herself from taking once glance back and tears spring to her eyes when she sees Jesse doing the same thing.
"Come on, Rachel," Mercedes says gently, taking her arm. "It'll be easier for you if you leave."
She allows herself to be tugged out of the airport, a heaviness settling on her chest. It had come to an end. His vacation, their four days, it had all ended and she finds herself remarkably empty.
"Cheer up," Kurt says, knocking his elbow into hers. "He is so in love with you, it is sickening."
She smiles slightly and then her phone buzzes and she pulls it quickly out of her purse. The text is from Jesse and she smiles as she reads the silly message. With that text, the small bit of communication, the emptiness fills just a bit. And she sees then, that they will pull through this. One phone call or one text at a time, they will work their way back to each other. And if nothing else, summer break is already on the horizon.
A/N: Since it is the last chapter, I would love to hear ALL your thoughts on this. Please leave feedback.
And for those who are reading "Sit in My Corner"- that has an update today, too :D