Hey guys! Here's chapter nine! Hope you love it, it's not one of my favourites but oh well! Also yes, THERE IS SOME FINCHEL! Happy or bad? Find out!

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Chapter Nine:

Broken Strings

Jesse's mouth ravished against Rachel's as he gently pushed her downwards on the couch. He spread her legs apart, positioning his body comfortably with hers. Rachel smiled sweetly against his lips, tightening her hold around his neck.

Her heart fluttered happily as she thought about the events that got her and Jesse to this state in their relationship. Just hours ago, she was watching him nail a perfect performance in West Side Story, his voice and skills memorizing her into oblivion. He was beautiful, captivating, inspiring her to reach her Broadway goals once again. She thanked and congratulated him with a small kiss on the lips, but he took her fully in his muscular arms, kissing her passionately, enlightening her with true bliss.

Rachel suggested going out to dinner, eager to get him all to herself, though Jesse politely declined, asking to go to her place instead. When they arrived at her place, they talked, like really talked, about music, and plays, and anything to do with their mutual passions. They warmly held hands, occasionally stealing a kiss or two on their desperate lips, but Rachel wanted more, she wanted him.

And so here they lay, making out like teenagers on her living room couch. She silently prayed in thankfulness for the man that God has brought her to. He was perfect, not a single flaw showing through his chirpy personality. He liked the things she liked; he did the things she has always wanted to do. They were a power couple in the making, but there was just one, single person standing in the way of the excellence of this moment.

Finn. She couldn't get his stupid face and Santana's stupid threat out of her mind. It was like a bell, ringing in her head every five minutes to remind her of how much of a failure she was. Rachel didn't want to let Finn go, she didn't want to give Santana the advantage of taking him away from her. But she didn't know what to do; the threat and promise of Santana's words feared her more than anything. Her feelings for Finn were slowly changing, but she couldn't figure out what they were changing to, if they were good or bad.

Jesse's ascending hand distracted her from her thoughts, and she pulled away from their building kiss. She dragged his hand away from his crawling destination, giggling slightly at his effort. This wasn't Sam, she wasn't going to bang him the first night, and she was going to do this right. "Don't you think this is going too fast?"

Jesse shrugged, leaning in towards her once more. "We'll go as slow as you want baby," he mumbled against her lips. She smiled sweetly, deepening the kiss as her tongue entered his parted mouth, dancing with his own.

His raving hands weaved through her hair, tangling strands in his curling fingers. She tugged on the collar of his shirt, drowning him deeper within her, wanting to taste more of him. They weren't going to go all the way, but she still wanted to go pretty far. She's only been with one man exclusively in her life, her high school boyfriend, Matt Rutherford, the boy she thought she was in love with. Rachel just didn't feel the flame with other men; she couldn't catch the connection that her and Jesse shared; a connection that she was pretty sure only existed between them.

"Ahem." Rachel shoved forcefully again Jesse's chest, pushing him off of her quickly as her roommate's voice echoed throughout the living room. Kurt's eyes zoomed in on Rachel's swollen lips, his gaze shifting between her and Jesse, who was desperately trying to hide his growing member.

"H-hey Kurt," Rachel stuttered, ruffling her hair normally. Kurt smiled sarcastically at her, raising his eyebrows towards Jesse. "Who's this?"

"Oh, uhm, this is my . . . uh, friend, Jesse." She paused slightly, beaming up at Kurt happily. "Jesse St. James."

Kurt's face brightened at the familiar name, his mouth hanging open longingly as he stared at the boy in front of him. He extended his trembling hand towards him, smiling widely. "Wow, just wow, Mr. St. James, I am a huge fan . . . truly, I love your work!"

Jesse chuckled lightly. "Is that so?" he asked questioningly, arching his eyebrows at him. Rachel stared at him in confusion, appalled by his changed and cocky behaviour.

Kurt, although, didn't seem to notice. "Yes! I've seen your show about a million times, even without Rachel!" he cried in happiness, patting his hand against his fluttering chest. Jesse gulped harshly, staring at him with cold eyes. "Really? What's your favorite scene? The part where I go shirtless? I'm sure that's the reason you would have seen it more than once."

Rachel's eyes widened in shock; staring at this once charming man in disbelief. "Jesse!" she whispered angrily, shaking her head to stop. She looked up at Kurt, who was looking at Jesse coldly. "Actually," he mumbled, his eyes burning in defense, "my favorite was when you died."

Jesse tilted his side to the side, nodding his head as Rachel tried unsuccessfully to hide her giggles. "Good one, almost as good as the amount of boys that try to win a date with me. Sorry, but you're not really my type, I'm not into the desperate, fan girl . . . fags."

Rachel stood up quickly from her seat on the couch, standing in front of Jesse with hurt and sympathy in her eyes. "Jesse, I think you should leave," she murmured, pointing to the front door at the end of the apartment hallway. Jesse shrunk into the couch, smiling widely at her. "But baby we were just getting started."

"She meant what she said St. Jackass, get out of our house," Kurt hissed, crossing his pampered hands over his arms. Jesse slithered at him, wiggling his eyebrows as he walked past him. "What? So you could have me all to yourself later?"

"Jesse. Leave. Now." Rachel shoved him towards the exiting door lightly, looking at Kurt apologetically as she passed him. She opened the door in advance for Jesse, pushing him out of the tense atmosphere of the apartment. Jesse turned around slowly, leaning against the wall frame of the door. "So will I see you again?"

Rachel squished her lips together in thought, shrugging her slump shoulders. "I don't know Jesse, can you please just leave?" she asked urgently, beginning to close the door on his face. He stuck his foot out, blocking the door from closing fully. "What? No goodbye kiss? And not from your friend." He cocked his eyebrows towards Kurt, who standing miserably in the hallway, his expression set in stone.

Rachel laughed sarcastically, shaking her head in disbelief. "Goodnight Jesse," she mumbled before finally slamming the door on his charmed face, still high from her kisses. She sighed heavily as she turned to face Kurt, her heart beating dramatically at the expected tears falling from his polished cheeks.

"Kurt," she whispered, stepping towards him, "I am so sorry, I didn't know he was like that. If I did, I wouldn't have – "

"What? Invited him over? It's fine, Rachel really, this is your house too, I can't ban him from the house, but I can make sure that you tell me when he's coming over, so I don't have to be here." He took a deep breath, looking at her contently. "It's just . . . old now you know? I've dealt with that crap in high school, it doesn't bother me as much as it used to."

Rachel nodded her head in understanding, hugging him gently. She pulled back to wipe away the silent tears that wept slowly down his cheeks. Kurt laughed lightly as he looked down, tracing random patterns on the skin of his palm. "Do you like him?" he asked lightly, still staring away from her.

Rachel shrugged, a small smile gracing her lips. "I did . . . or do, I, uhm, I don't really know anymore," she giggled, draping her arm across Kurt's shoulder. She walked him over to the living room, plopping themselves down on the cushioned couch.

Kurt exhaled deeply, staring at the blank television screen in front of him. "How about Finn?"

Rachel froze. "What about him?" she squeaked out, her voice chopping from the uncertainty in her tone. She hated the way the topic of him made her heart beat uncontrollably inside her chest.

"Well, I haven't exactly heard from him or saw him in a while . . . and even when I did," he paused momentarily, "you know, he really is a nice guy."

Rachel nodded, a false smile darkening her features. "What do you mean?" she wondered idly. Kurt shook his head repeatedly, waving his hand towards her like he was trying to fan her away. "No, never mind, forget I said anything, so you going to the opening gala of my magazine Saturday night right?"

Rachel beamed at him, her dark mood suddenly shifting. "Of course! Quinn and I are going shopping tomorrow for our dresses, would you like to join us? I could really use your input," she cried in happiness. Kurt laughed at her rambling, patting her back reassuringly. "Sorry Rach, but I'm hanging with Blaine tomorrow. Is that weird for you?"

She shook her head in bewilderment. "Nope, I'm kind of glad actually, it would be a disaster if I fell in love with him or something . . ."

"That would have been hell I'm sure. But just remember, for tomorrow, your body types suites short and tight, so look at Aritzia or something, you'd look fabulous in one of those," he directed, running a slender finger along the rim of her thigh. "Get it cut right there, it honestly would just look so perfect."

Rachel giggled, nodding her head in agreement. "Alright Kurt, I promise I won't let you down."

The doorbell rang throughout the small apartment, signaling a visitor. Rachel looked at Kurt in confusion, tilting her head towards the front door. "You invite anyone?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Kurt shook his head in declination. "Uh no, I didn't . . . it's probably the mail or something, I'll go check, and please start making dinner, I haven't eaten since noon."

Rachel got up from the comfortable couch, setting her way into the small kitchen as Kurt walked up to the front door. "And make sure you cook something that isn't entirely vegan!" he shouted after her before gripping his hand on the knob, swinging the door open happily.

He looked up in shock as he witnessed Finn standing in front of him, his palms sweating with anxiety. He smiled uneasily at him, swaying back and forth on his two, lengthy feet. Kurt blinked rapidly at his stepbrother, staring at him like he wasn't there. "Finn, what are you doing here?"

An expression of pain conflicted through his features, but he hid it easily, blinking away the evidence. "Uhm, I was just wondering if I could see Rachel," he mumbled, knotting his fingers together nervously.

Kurt nodded, looking back towards the kitchen, arching his back to try and find Rachel's tiny frame. He turned back to Finn slowly. "Actually Finn, I don't think right now is a good time to – "

Rachel stomped into the hallway of the apartment, her eyes deep in concentration as she looked down at the cookbook in her hands. "Hey Kurt, do you have any idea how to cook this chicken parmesan, the recipe says we need to . . ."

Her voice trailed off slowly and uncertainly as her eyes separated from the page, looking up to meet Finn's enchanting gaze. She stared at him widely, her mouth agape by his unexpected presence. "Finn . . ."

Kurt's glare shifted between Finn and Rachel, slipping pass towards Rachel. "I'll be in my room if you need me okay?" he whispered silently in her ear. Rachel nodded against him, waiting until his bedroom door slammed shut till she stepped towards Finn, her body shivering slightly.

She stared up at him, her eyes enduring as she analyzed his expression. She gasped lightly when she noticed the purple bags under his eyes, signaling his tiredness. "Why did you come by Finn?" she wondered lowly.

He shrugged. "I just . . ." he stepped closer towards her, his body almost in contact with hers as their heated frames breathed in together. "I'm sorry, Rach, honestly I really am. I was a dick and I shouldn't have lied to you. I just really don't understand what's been happening with us lately, and it scares the hell out of me, and what you said about Santana, about me being love with her wasn't true. I don't . . . I miss you Rachel, you're the last thing I think about before I go to sleep . . ."

His eyes ran softly along her saddened expression, reaching forward and swiping his large thumb over a teardrop that escaped. "I want my best friend back, please, I will do anything for you to forgive me."

Rachel stared up at him brokenly, her heart silently breaking in her chest as the need to throw herself in his arms and hug him tightly, accepting his offer, grew tighter and tighter inside her chest. Stay away from us hobbit, Santana's voice echoed throughout her head, you do that, and I won't bother you out of the city.

"I'm sorry Finn," she whispered, choking back the rack of sobs that threatened to spill. "I just can't put up with the stress anymore. I think we need to take time apart Finn, slowly realize who we are without each other reminding us."

Finn breathed out heavily, looking at her suspiciously. "Did Santana say something to you?" he demanded angrily. Rachel looked conflicted for a second, but removed the evidence quickly, shaking her head in declination. "No, Finn, S-Santana said nothing . . .

He stared at her, not buying it. . "Tell me if she did, I will – "

"Finn, please." She closed her eyes swiftly, squeezing her eyes dry from all tears. "Just please go." She kept her eyes shut, she couldn't watch him leave, it would ruin her.

A soft sob escaped her mouth when she felt his warm lips press gently against her forehead. He lingered on there for a second before she felt him pull back, weaving her hair with his fingertips. "Goodbye Rachel."

The faltering sound of his footsteps sounded throughout the room, and when she opened her eyes again, he wasn't there . . .

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Awwww my poor little Finchel! I'm sorry guys, but I had to do this, Rachel is supposed to feel threatened by Santana! Also yes, there will be a gala in this story! It will actually be chapter eleven and twelve, because it'll be pretty long! What do you think is going to happen with Finn and Rachel at the gala guys! Here are some spoilers for next chapter called 'Hurt.'

- Rachel and Quinn shopping spree! Woo!

- Their shopping spree gets ruined by two unexpected people . . . any guesses?

- We will see some awesome Quinn in this chapter, sticking up for Rachel!

And that's it for spoilers, tune in and find what happens next chapter. Love ya guys and please review! Xoxo

PS: GLEE WAS SO DAMN AWESOME LAST NIGHT!