Chapter 3

He couldn't even tell you how he got here: from the bathroom and being tempted by Quinn, to the darkened glee club room where he spent some of the best days of his life.

"I'm telling you Rachel, nothing happened. She was just cleaning me off after your boyfriend so viciously decided to ruin my face."

She hated the way he said boyfriend. It was vicious, evil, angry.

"I'm sorry Jesse, I just…I lost you once. I don't know if I could bear losing you again. It hurts too much."

He hated that feeling, the feeling of letting her down, like when he walked out of the Glee Club room after singing Total Eclipse of the Heart, running away to spring break, escaping after egging her. It seemed like all he did was run away, and damn it, he was tired of it. Now he didn't want a getaway.

He grabbed her arm, forcing her to look up. Her eyes pierced through him. What felt so amazing was that she trusted him. She didn't just take this as a casual hookup. She knew what they had was real, and she was willing to fight for it.

"You have to tell me that you'll dump Finn for me, Rachel. And God help me, I mean it. I don't want him getting all the glory for having you. I want you, Rachel. I want everyone to know that you're mine. And no one else's."

Her heart was beating fast inside her chest. She was taking the biggest risk of her life, except in the near future when she will move to New York City and try (and succeed) to make it as a broadway actress. But this? This seemed even more serious.

"You have to promise me something then.

His breathing became hitched. He tried not to show her he was nervous. He had come back for this. And if she walked away now, he would have no choice but to return to Carmel High with his tail between his legs like a stupid puppy. A kicked puppy. And his pride would be mortally wounded forever.

You can't hurt me again. I really couldn't take it. And….no more eggs, okay?"

He smiled and pulled her in for a hug, kissing the top of her head. He missed the way she folded into his arms just right, how her hair brushed against the sides of his biceps, how her breathing felt against his chest.

"I promise to never hurt you ever again." He kissed her lips, and in a moment he was pulled back in to how wonderful she was, how good she tasted, how much he missed her.

This was all happening so fast. She almost couldn't handle it, but the way she pulled her in…it felt real. It felt right. She was finally back to where she belonged, her home. She felt at home wherever he was. Maybe it was that Romeo and Juliet love story they had, except this time, it was like Juliet had lived, Romeo had never died, and at this point, they had all lived happily ever after.

Jesse just happened to look out the slightly cracked door, to see an angry Quinn on the warpath.

"Jesse? Rachel? Okay, what the hell is going on in here?"