A/N: So I've been really inspired the past few days and I've been writing a lot. Now I've gotten to the best part so far(which is like 3 chapters away, so if you've enjoyed the first chapters, wait till you see what's coming), so I just want to upload this quickly so I can get to uploading that juicy stuff sooner! Sorry if it isn't that good, but I really don't have to patience to change anything, lol. Thanks for the great reviews, I'm so glad you like it! Some more very AU stuff coming up later but without further notice - major St. Berry fluff, enjoy!

"Jesse…" Rachel repeated, as she took his hand and shook it "You do look more like a Jesse."

They spent the rest of the evening laying on the hood of Jesse's car, gazing at the stars, enjoying the dinner Jesse had taken along for them, resembling a picnic (which wasn't much of a dinner at all, more like nutritious snack. Jesse didn't really like eating after sunset, it wasn't part of his diet but he made an exception this time.), talking about their interests, their hopes and dreams. It was strange how comfortable they felt with each other. Maybe it was because they were so similar, as they found out. Yet one major difference caught Jesse by surprise.

"I'm sure you know this but my mom's the coach of Vocal Adrenaline." Rachel started saying.

"Uh huh… That makes me wonder, how come I've never seen you perform before?"

"Well… this is actually my first year officially being in Vocal Adrenaline. Before that I was too busy focusing on myself - vocal lessons, dance lessons… Anything to give me a competitive edge. And since Vocal Adrenaline needed a new lead female vocal, my mom finally decided I was ready for it. And also, no freshmen allowed in Vocal Adrenaline."

"Finally? You're like 10 times better than anyone in there, and I think you still would be even without all that preparation." Jesse said.

"Thanks. And I do love what I do, I love singing and performing, I know that the stage is where I belong. But it seems I just push myself and push myself to be the best yet my mother just keeps pushing me further, not really appreciating the effort I put in to please her. 'When I was 17 I was already working on Broadway' she keeps saying…I sometimes makes me feel like… like a failure." She admitted sadly, that last word cutting like a knife into her. She had never told anyone this before; she would never show anyone she was vulnerable. But it was dark and she was with someone she felt comfortable with, so she just started opening up, not thinking about tomorrow.

Rachel loved how she could be herself with Jesse; she didn't have to pretend with him, or even worry that she might say something wrong and he would think less of her. She didn't know Jesse well but somehow she understood and felt that he was like her and he also liked her for her. Rachel could actually admit that she thought Fanny Brice was the most epic character ever, instead of Regina George, which she often said at school. Of course, she was popular just because of who she was, the star of Vocal Adrenaline, the daughter of the coach and a rich CEO etc. But her pathological need to be the absolute best, most popular and influential led her to do things that she didn't necessarily like. With Jesse she didn't have to put on her show face, he didn't seem to mind her strange taste, he actually agreed with most of what she said, which both invigorated and terrified her at the same time. But she was just going with the flow.

Jesse hadn't expected her to say something like that. From afar it seems she has the perfect life – she was popular, beautiful, talented…. Suddenly felt so sorry for her, he couldn't even imagine how she was feeling but if there was something Jesse St. James despised, it was being underrated. His father always said he was proud of him, even if Jesse himself didn't feel confident about his performance. Mr. Schue actually often told Jesse not to push himself so hard, saying that Glee was supposed to be fun not a burden. Jesse raised his arm and pulled Rachel close to him, comforting her.

"If it's any consolation, I think you're the most amazing and talented person I've ever met. Trust me, I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it." He confessed, rubbing her arm. He genuinely felt bad for her – such a talented and devoted girl, but without strong support at home.

"Thanks…" she said and smiled. Though it meant something that a guy like him said that, it still didn't mean as much to her as it would if her mother was saying it.

"By the way, you still haven't told me how you're such an amazing singer." She said, changing the subject.

It was true, he hadn't. He also hadn't told her he was in New Directions. This all seemed so irrelevant. They had talked about everything else except their personal lives. Well, at least Jesse hadn't said much.

"Maybe I was born with it. Maybe it's Maybelline." He shrugged.

Rachel smiled and rolled her eyes. She was a bit disappointed, since she had just opened up and told him the most personal thing she could think of. But she also kind of found it freeing that she didn't know much about him, maybe then she would hesitate when talking to him.

"Fine." She said, as she curled up next to him. "But I'm bound to find out eventually."

"By then you won't care anymore…" Jesse thought.

"And also…" Rachel continued. "I hope you understand that I can't be in a relationship or anything like that. I have to focus on my music career." This seemed quite funny, since she was snuggling with Jesse on the top of his car but he knew that she was just in denial and would fold sooner or later. Or at least he hoped so.

"I always find that funny when people say that. It's as if they haven't realized that the love is what gives their music depth." Jesse explained. He hadn't intended to use the word "love" but it kind of just slipped out.

Rachel didn't respond to this but Jesse had a feeling she agreed with him.

"It's past 11. Don't you think we should go?" She finally said, as she sat up.

"Do you really want to go home?" Jesse looked at her with a curious look, daring her to say that she didn't.

"No… but if we don't leave right now we'll stay here all night." She said, knowing it was true.

"Well then I guess I'd better get a blanket." Jesse proposed, already getting up and getting a blanket from his trunk. Rachel didn't even bother asking why he had a blanket in his car, she was just glad he did.

As sunlight hit Rachel's face she rubbed her eyes and groaned in irritation, then opened them and saw Jesse. They were still on the lid of his car. It was morning. They had stayed there all night. She had told him things she would never ever tell anyone.

"Oh, God!" She yelled worriedly, as she quickly sat up from Jesse's arms and fixed her hair which she could feel was quite messy. She was amazed that Jesse's hair was still almost perfectly intact and a flush of jealousy ran through her but was quickly overcome by the fluttering in her stomach.

"Mmmm… what is it? If it's a bear I wouldn't bother trying to run, they really like Berries…" Jesse muttered, still asleep and not opening his eyes. He had such a bad, and I mean bad sense of humor in the morning.

"Get up!" Rachel hit him on the chest "You have to take me home before my mom wakes up!" She knew deep down this was highly unlikely, since her mom got up very early, even on a Saturday morning but it was still worth a try.

"Alright…" Jesse said, as he rolled off the car and landed on his feet. He might have still been asleep but he was conscious enough to understand that Rachel really needed to get home before her mom catches her.

They both quickly got in the car, Jesse yawned as he raised his hand to put the key in the ignition.

"Hey…" Rachel said, as she put her left hand on Jesse's hand. "I had a lovely time." She said sincerely but also a bit embarrassed.

"Anytime." he smiled back at her.

Right at that moment Rachel's phone rang. Her eyes widened in worry as she saw who was calling.

"Great…" she muttered. Then she took a breath, told Jesse to be quiet and flipped her phone open.

"Hi mom…I know, I'm sorry, me and Giselle were having a movie night at her place and I fell asleep and just woke up like 3 minutes ago, I was about to call you… Yes, of course we watched "The way we were", mother… Oh… When will you be back? …Ok, see you tonight, bye."

"She sure is a pro at this." Jesse thought as he listened to her come up with an effortless lie to her mother, though it's not like it was anything unusual among teenagers. Perhaps it was just the way she said it, even he almost believed her and he 100% knew it was completely false.

She closed the phone and gave out a little sigh of relief. Rachel's mom bought her story about Giselle and told her then not to hurry home for she was heading to Chicago for the weekend. Rachel was more than thrilled to hear this, it meant she was off the hook and able to spend some more time with Jesse, which she surprisingly wanted to do. She quickly sent Giselle a text saying "FYI, I was at your place all night ;) xo" and she knew her friend would understand immediately.

"So… How about some breakfast?" She turned to Jesse as she flipped close her phone and smiled invitingly.

"Smooth, Berry. Very smooth." Jesse said, raising one eyebrow, a bit surprised at the sudden change of heart.

Rachel just gave an obnoxious smirk and shrugged.

"You could come over to my place if you want. My parents aren't home and I make some mean waffles." She proposed.

"And yet again you are breaking the rules of a first date by already inviting me in." Jesse teased as he started the engine.

"What can I say… I'm a rebel." she laughed, and they drove off to her house.

"So who's this Giselle girl that I'm supposed to be?" Jesse asked as they were driving to her house.

"She's my friend from school. She's also in Vocal Adrenaline so my mom knows her and trusts her. If by any chance she asks Giselle what happened she'll back me up 100%."

"Sounds nice."

"Only as long as you don't piss her off," Rachel admitted. "Vocal Adrenaline girls are pretty hard core."

Rachel wasn't even exaggerating; Vocal Adrenaline girls were the worst kind of girls in school. At least most of them. It was one way to handle the pressure of being in such an intense club. The competitiveness, the pressure, the determination…it all added up to a terrible bitch. Who knows what Vocal Adrenaline would be without those mean girls. After all, their choir motto was "Aut neca aut necatus eris" or "Murder or be murdered."

"Ok, since you're coming to my house, I at least get an answer as to what school you go to." Rachel finally laid down some ground rules.

"Fair enough. McKinley High. My dad's a Spanish teacher there." He answered, without hesitating. He still wasn't sure whether to tell her "hey, by the way, I'm also the lead of your biggest rival". Not yet.

"See, was that so hard?" Rachel teased and smiled. "At least I know you're not some drop out who lives in his car."

"You knew I didn't live in my car. I told you about our interior designer redoing my bedroom last month. Weren't you listening?" This was one of the things they had talked about the previous night, as they discussed their tastes and interests.

"It was a metaphor." Rachel rolled her eyes.

They pulled up to Rachel's house and went inside. Rachel lived in a gated community and her house was very nice. They must had a gardener taking care of their perfectly trimmed lawn and flowerbeds. Everything seemed a bit overwhelming - they even had a pool in the back.

"Who has a pool in Ohio?" Jesse said, as if stating a ridiculous fact. Though the fact of the matter was, he was pretty impressed with everything. He wasn't sure what her dad did for a living but he definitely did it good. And her mom probably makes a nice salary, with Vocal Adrenaline being national champions and all. Plus Carmel High was pretty prestigious and mostly rich kids went there.

"You left out heated pool, Mr. Know-it-all. A girl with a voice such as mine couldn't possibly swim in water colder than 90 degrees, it would be nonsensical. And I take a swim every morning to wake myself up."

"Oh…Far out." Jesse exclaimed, raising his eyebrows and nodding his head.

"Who are you, Michael Lang or something?" Rachel said, as she couldn't understand who says that anymore. There was just something about Jesse that drew her in and found him fascinating.

"I'm surprised you even know who Michael Lang is. I thought the hippy genre was a little out of your league. But I'll take that as a compliment." Jesse replied proudly.

After giving a semi-tour of the first floor, which was in fact bigger than Jesse's entire apartment, they headed to the kitchen.

"Do you mind if I go upstairs and freshen up?" Rachel asked, a pleading look in her eyes that said she was wasn't comfortable in her designer dress for breakfast.

"Not at all. But that's totally unfair, just you know."

"Make yourself at home, I'll be right back." Rachel smiled and headed upstairs.

Jesse just nodded and took a look around the living room, examining the family photos, trophies, books and other things they had there. He smiled as he saw Rachel's first singing competition trophy. She had come in 1st place and she was only 2 years old. This was nothing compared to him, he had been only 8 months old (he was very musically verbal, as he would say).

After Rachel had changed, fixed her hair and make-up, she went downstairs and saw Jesse looking at her family photo albums.

"You didn't tell me you grew up in New York." Jesse said, without looking at her, but knowing that she was coming his way.

"I wouldn't quite say that. We moved when I was 8, when my mom retired from Broadway. And it's not like you say much about your own life, either." Rachel said and turned for the kitchen.

"Ok, fine. What do you want to know, Rachel Berry?" Jesse said, putting the album away and heading towards the kitchen, which Rachel had almost reached.

"Well… What made you the way you are?" She said, as she opened the refrigerator door and looked through the products inside, taking out the eggs, some maple syrup and a ton of different berries – blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and any other kind of berry you could think of.

"I was expecting more of a "what's your favorite color" type of question but alright," Jesse said, as he sat down behind the counter top, on the other side of Rachel.

"But… That's a secret I couldn't possibly tell anyone." he continued "Maybe after a while you'll figure that out yourself." Truth was he just didn't really have an answer for her, and Rachel sort of suspected this but she was just checking.

"Ok. How about you last name?" she continued to interrogate him.

"St. James." Jesse answered, without hesitating. He couldn't possibly lie to her, though the fact that she might find out that he was a geek from New Directions might make her never want to see him again pretty much terrified him. Jesse didn't want to mess this up.

"Are you serious?" Rachel asked skeptically, stopping what she was doing to look at him.

"I know, it's a total rock star name, thank you. But it's 100% real. As is my talent, btw."

"Whatever you say. So why did you come up to me at the book store?" She kept asking, as she poured some flour in a bowl and getting some sugar from the cupboard.

"I found you intriguing after seeing you at Sectionals. I thought it was a shame that two so talented people such as ourselves weren't acquaintances. That just wasn't right. And I simply had to seek you out and point out your flaws." he joked.

"You're such an egghead." She laughed.

"I'm not!" Jesse grinned and shook his head.

Rachel went around the counter and faced him, reached over, grabbed an egg and smacked him on the head with it, with an unsure look on her face, yet she tried to keep on a brave face.

Jesse, outraged, and having egg dripping down his forehead, opened his mouth in shock as Rachel tried no to burst out laughing. He grabbed the bowl of flour and took a handful of it and threw it in Rachel's face. She gasped and reached for the sugar, throwing at him as he tried to stop her. While she was laughing and covering him with sugar he got hold of the maple syrup and before Rachel had time to cry out "no!" she felt the cold syrup in her hair, on her face and neck.

"Now that was too much!" She yelled and she took the syrup out of Jesse's hands and did the same to him. Jesse saw the only thing left on the counter untouched – the cartons of berries. He quickly opened them and threatened smearing them all over Rachel's face.

"Jesse St. James, you wouldn't!" she cried out, a part of her being pleased that she could finally say and even more that she knew his whole name.

They were both laughing so hard this whole time they could barely catch their breath. They were ridiculously covered in waffle ingredients but it was clear that they were having the time of their lives. They felt so free, so careless. Jesse took a blueberry and squished it on Rachel's cheek, smearing it all the way from her right cheek, over her mouth to her left cheek. She gasped in shock and without a second thought did the same with a raspberry. Then suddenly she felt the taste of raspberries combining with blueberries as Jesse kissed her on the lips, then trailing off to lightly kiss her syrupy cheek, her neck and then rose up back to her lips. If there was one thing Jesse had in his advantage it was that he didn't have to taste raw egg, which Rachel thought she did as she kissed him but she didn't even mind.

"You were right - you're waffles really are great." Jesse said as he broke away from the kiss just for a moment, before kissing her again.