[A/N]: I checked my e-mail recently and I only found out then that ff() sends you updates if people are following your story and it's quite nice to find out that people actually read the stuff I write! :D So thank yooooooou!
Anyway, sorry for the late update. I stayed at my grandma's for the Halloween season so there wasn't any internet connection.
I don't own any of the characters! [:
Rachel woke up the next day to the sound of the rain falling on her roof. Last night had been so wonderful that's why she was able to have a good night's sleep.
"Buongiorno Signora," Rachel greeted Aurelia as she closed the door to her apartment. "It's raining quite hard today isn't it?" she said, taking a seat near Aurelia's table. "Si. Good thing it did not rain last night," she winked at Rachel as she started preparing coffee for her. "Speaking of last night, how was your 'apology date' with Signore Anderson? Did you have fun?" she asked Rachel with a smile.
"It was wonderful Signorina! After the dinner at the cafe, we went to the plaza where I met Signore Dimitri. He is an amazing guitar player, and Blaine asked me to dance," Rachel said as she reminisced about what happened last night. Aurelia couldn't help but smile at the young lady as she was remembering the events that happened the night before. She could see it in her eyes; Blaine was special. And yet it was too soon to tell. And a beautiful young lady such as Rachel would surely attract many men around town. Especially when they hear her voice, which she had the honor to do so, and it was simple astonishing. "Well it seems like you did have fun. Good for you my darling, I am sure Blaine was such a gentle man," she exclaimed as she gave Rachel a fresh cup of coffee. "Will you be seeing him today? Blaine I mean?" Aurelia asked. "Well, I do not know his class schedule, but I hope we can bump into each other at the university grounds," Rachel told Aurelia. "I should've asked for his schedule! But he might freak out if I do though" Rachel thought to herself. After drinking her coffee, she started preparing for her classes. "There's always a next time anyway..."
Rachel's day was starting out pretty well in terms of her classes. Her professors were starting to recognize that she did not speak Italian very well and were making efforts in explaining the lessons in English, which is to Rachel's advantage. The skies have also started to clear up and the sun was shining brightly again in the school grounds so Rachel decided to eat lunch outside. As she was setting her things in the dried grass, she felt a familiar tap in her shoulder.
"Hi," Blaine said as he sat beside her. "I assume you're not eating with anyone today? Mind if I eat with you?" he asked as he removed his satchel from his shoulders. "No not at all!" Rachel said a little surprised by the sudden appearance of Blaine. As soon as Blaine sat beside Rachel, her heart also started it's familiar flutter whenever he was near. Rachel couldn't help it; Blaine was charming, sweet, funny, kind, and add the wonderful dinner he gave her last night, he was simply perfect.
"Hey, I just realized that I never got to properly thank you for last night," Rachel told Blaine as he started opening his can of cola. "Thanks, I really had a great time last night," and with that, Rachel gave Blaine a peck on the cheek.
Blaine's POV
"She kissed me!" Blaine thought as Rachel gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Eherm, uhm," Blaine made a noise as he cleared his throat. "I had a really great time too! Believe me, it was my pleasure to show you the wonders of Italy at night," he said as he tried to relieve the threatening redness of his cheek.
"I should really try to read stuff on the internet about blushing, this is just going out of hand," he thought as he reached for his sandwich. "Uhm hey Rachel, do you want a sandwich? It's all vegetables and stuff so you don't have to worry about the animals," Blaine smiled as he offered the sandwich to Rachel.
"Thanks! How about you? Aren't you a carnivore?" Rachel asked Blaine as she accepted the sandwich. "Yeah, I made this one for you," he winked as he said that to Rachel, and a visible blush formed in Rachel's cheek.
And so the day went on with them spending as much time together as possible. They exchanged cellular numbers so that it would be easier for them to contact each other and soon, they started talking to each other a lot. They even started spending most of their time together, and no one was complaining.
As the months passed by it was quite visible to everybody that Rachel and Blaine might possibly become a couple soon. Blaine was always a gentleman to Rachel, and Rachel showed Blaine that she really cared for him. There was only one thing missing though, and the one thing Rachel had been waiting for the past couple of months now: Blaine asking her to allow him to court her.
But little did the people around them know that Blaine was having troubles sorting out his feelings for Rachel. Everything had been so perfect, as if they were really made for each other, that it was hard to actually believe it. Blaine had been into relationships, but every single time he would end up being heartbroken, and that just made him feel unsure of himself. He wants to court Rachel, god knows how much he does, but he is afraid that he will lose her someday and he just can't bear the thought of that. He'd rather be friends with her for now than feel like a ticking time bomb that might blow up anytime soon. That is why he decided that it would be best if he just stayed friends with Rachel. For now, at least, until he decides that he can actually be a good boyfriend to Rachel, and maybe possibly a good husband someday. But for now, he needs to sort his thoughts and feelings first.
"So has Blaine officially asked you to be his girlfriend?" Aurelia asked one day as Rachel was practicing her song for her music class. "No Signorina, I'm afraid he hasn't asked me yet," she said, suddenly feeling down about the situation. It has been months now and still, Blaine just kept showing her signs of interest. "Well he seems a bit slow, has he not understood that you too have feelings for him?" Aurelia looked at her, obviously disappointed. "Signorina, we spend time together almost every day and we're practically viewed by other people around us as a couple, but somehow Blaine just doesn't want it to be formal yet I guess," Rachel explained to Aurelia. "Ay! If he does not hurry, another handsome guy will spot you and surely try to steal you away from him. You cannot wait forever my darling," Aurelia told her as she started to water the plants around the lobby garden. "Aurelia, please don't think that. I want to be with Blaine! Just give him time and he'll get by," Rachel exclaimed. "You'll never know my darling, you'll never know..."
As another day of classes arrived, Rachel was suddenly stopped by Aurelia before she was about to close the door. "Tisero mio will you be meeting Blaine today?" Aurelia asked Rachel. "I'm afraid not Signorina, it appears as if he is currently busy and cannot go out with me today," Rachel explained with a sadness in her eyes. "Oh, I am quite sorry. He's growing cold isn't he?" Rachel nodded. "Well, it will all be alright, do not worry. Anyway, can I ask you a huge favour? I am craving for one of those biscottis from a cafe near the university and I was wondering if you could buy me some on your way home? Per favore?" Aurelia asked her. "Sure, it can't hurt to go out of my way once in a while right?" Rachel said to Signorina, and she walked out of the door.
"1 bag of biscotti please, and a cup of soy latte," Rachel told the barista as she prepared her payment to her orders. As she turned towards the door, she was surprised when she found herself crashing into someone, spilling her coffee all over the man's shirt.
"OH MY GOD! Mi dispiace! Mi dispiace! Oh god I am so sorry! I didn't see you! Oh no your shirt! Sta bene Signore?" Rachel said, panicking as she saw the wreck that was her own doing. "Sto bene Signorina," the man said, trying to wipe of the coffee from his shirt. "Oh dear, please let me buy you a shirt. It's the least I can do for what I did," Rachel told the man. And the man gladly agreed, saying that he needs the shirt for he will be late for work if he goes back to his apartment to change. And so they both headed to the nearest clothing store they could find and bought a new shirt. As the man was done changing his clothes, Rachel offered him a cup of coffee, and the man gladly agreed.
"Come si chiama?" the man asked Rachel as they started walking in the streets after getting their coffee. "Mi chiamo Rachel, and non parla Italiano, I'm sorry," Rachel said to the man, clearly pointing out that speaking to her in Italian would be like talking to a deaf person without the use of sign language. "Oh, mi dispiace. I'm Alexander and I clearly am an Italian. I assumed you can speak Italian from the way you talked to me earlier at the cafe. I am sorry I spilled your coffee, it was an accident. Oh and grazie for the shirt, it was very nice of you," Alexander told Rachel. "Oh, well I learned a few Italian phrases from my land lady. And you shouldn't be apologising, I was the one who ruined your shirt anyway," Rachel told Alexander with a smile. Staring at Alexander, Rachel couldn't help but notice how nice his smile was. It was gentle, and his eyes were the kindest of blue. She also couldn't help but notice his body. He had a nice build, not the creepy ones you see in other men who look like they're addicted to body building and steroids.
"So Rachel, how come you're here in Italia?" Alexander asked Rachel as she was sipping her coffee. "Study, I came here to study," Rachel told him, smiling. "Oh, well that is nice. I am a student too, I just need a job to pay for my extra expenses," Alexander told him. "Well that's good of you, very independent I see. Well, I'm really sorry but I need to go now, my land lady is waiting for me you see. She's the reason why I went to the cafe in the first place," Rachel told Alexander. "Oh I see, well I have to get to work anyway. Thank you for the coffee and shirt."
Rachel was about to ride the bus when she heard Alexander calling her name. When she turned, she saw him trying to catch his breath and immediately approached him. "Are you ok? Why were you calling me anyway?" Rachel asked him, puzzled at his sudden need to talk to her. "I don't mean to be forward, and I don't want to creep you out, but you are one of the most beautiful ladies I have ever seen here in Italy and I would be incredibly devastated if I let go of you after this incredible meeting. And I would be very sad if I do not try, so, Rachel Berry, will you go out to dinner with me tomorrow night? That is, if you do not mind," Alexander said, obviously tired from his run.
Rachel was shocked at what she heard. She had never been heard anyone confess their sudden feelings for her before, and it certainly has never happened in a public place. All around them, people started staring and shooting smiles at them. It was as if Alexander had just proposed to her, and the people were waiting for her reply.
"Uhm, wow," Rachel said, trying to compose a good reply to this man's statement. "Well, I don't know what to say..." Rachel said, clearly confused.
"Blaine..." Rachel thought, thinking about the man who was in his heart. She was waiting for Blaine to say he loved her. She loved Blaine. But this man? She just met him a few minutes ago and here he was, trying to woo her with his words. And a dinner? That certainly reminded her of the night she and Blaine spent together. That magical night they spent under the moon with Signore Dimitri playing his guitar. And suddenly she remembered what Signorina Aurelia said to her this morning:
"You cannot wait forever darling."
And Rachel realised: where was Blaine nowadays? Sure they spend time together, they talk a lot, but now, he just became cold. And even if people think of them as a couple, the point of fact is, they weren't, and even if Blaine showed her that he felt something for her, he never really admitted it, and Rachel was just getting tired of all the waiting and hoping, not really sure of what she really was for him. "Signorina is right, I can't wait forever," Rachel thought to herself. "Blaine is perfect, but I just don't belong to his heart," she said, fighting the tears that were starting to well on her eyes.
"Yes, you may take me to dinner tomorrow night," Rachel told Alexander, trying to force herself to smile.
Rachel arrived at her apartment with a gloom in her eyes. She wasn't happy. She didn't really want to say yes to Alexander, but what was life without taking chances. As she gave the bag of biscotti, Signorina Aurelia noticed Rachel's mood, and couldn't help but ask.
"Tisero mio, what is wrong? Did you have a bad day at school?" Aurelia asked, taking a glance at Rachel as she turned her back to her to start her coffee machine. And then she heard a sniff. As she turned around, she found Rachel crying at the table. Worried, she rushed over to her and placed her arm around her shoulders, trying to comfort the little lady.
"Signorina..." Rachel said, trying to control her cries. "Who am I kidding? Blaine doesn't love me! I am just a friend, and I've been living in this dreamland of mine, interpreting his gestures when he just clearly sees me as a friend and nothing more. I feel so stupid!" Rachel exclaimed. Signorina felt Rachel's agony, and she couldn't help but feel bad about her. Blaine clearly has been nothing but a gentleman, but it could be possible that he really just saw her as a friend. "Tisero mio, do not cry," she said, trying to calm Rachel. "We all make mistakes, feel the wrong things, misinterpret actions, but that doesn't make us stupid! It makes us humans. So don't torture yourself for misinterpreting Signore Anderson's gestures. Hush now my dear, it'll be better," Aurelia told Rachel, still running her hand in Rachel's back. "You see, I said yes to a date this afternoon Signorina, and I just feel bad. I guess I just feel like I've betrayed him Signorina. But I just have to remind myself that we are not together. There's no heart to break ," Rachel told Aurelia, and with that she started crying again. It was how she felt. She felt like by saying yes to the date with Alexander, she had betrayed Blaine, and that she was purely cheating. But she always had to come back to the reality that they weren't together. It was all in her head.
"You are not cheating," Aurelia said calmly. "If you feel that it is time to let your heart try something new, then let it. Who knows, maybe you'll enjoy the dinner and be surprised at the outcome yourself. Come on now darling, let your heart explore Italy. It is a wonderful place and many wonders await you. Do not enclose yourself in one person such as Blaine Anderson! I know he is an almost perfect man, but he is not the only man out there. Just have fun tomorrow night and let events happen by themselves," Aurelia told Rachel. At this Rachel started to stop crying. Aurelia was right. Blaine isn't the only person in the world, and who knows; maybe Alexander is a good man too. "Grazie Signorina," Rachel said, hugging Aurelia tight. "You are always welcome..."
And so, the dinner with Alexander came. Rachel decided to wear something casual for a dinner. A nice yellow empire cut dress with a brown ribbon. Alexander came to pick her up in her apartment, and before she left, she gave Aurelia a smile. "Have a nice evening," Aurelia told her, and she closed the gate.
"You look beautiful," Alexander told her as he opened the door to his car. "Thank you," Rachel said, giving him a small smile. As he drove to the restaurant he had decided to bring her to, they passed by the plaza where Rachel and Blaine had their first dance. Rachel couldn't help but feel a little sad at the sight. "I must give him a chance," Rachel thought to herself. "I know this is awkward for you," Alexander said to her while keeping his eyes on the road. "And I just want you to know how thankful I am that you agreed to this. Forgive me for being so forward," he said, glancing at Rachel. "Oh no, don't worry about it. I appreciate the courage you showed me on the street. Thank you, I have never been so flattered in my life" "LIE. Blaine made you feel better before," Rachel told herself. "Oh god Rachel stop it. This is not Blaine, stop comparing Alexander to him! Just try!," thought Rachel, mentally smacking herself in the head.
"So where are we going?" Rachel asked Alexander. "Just a restaurant near the main street. They serve delicious pastas there, I'm sure you will love them," he said, smiling at Rachel.
When they arrived at the restaurant Rachel was surprised at what she saw. It was a beautiful restaurant, and even from the outside she could tell that it was expensive. "You work and study right?" Rachel had to ask, because let's face it, if Alexander had to work to pay for extra expenses at school, then there is no way he could afford to bring her here. "Well, my parents try to train me early in life, but we own restaurants worldwide and this would be one of them. I just have to work to know how hard the real life is, parent's decisions you see. I asked him to let me pass for tonight. Shall we come in?" Alexander told her with a smile, offering his hand for Rachel to take.
And the night progressed wonderfully after that. Rachel was surprised at the amount of fun she was having in this dinner with Alexander, or Alex, as he told her to call him by his nickname. She found out that his parents were quite rich and that they just preferred that he experience life living the way normal middle class people do. She also found out that he is study business in one of the most prestigious schools in Italy. He also told her that he loved dogs and he owns a dog which he named Tomato, because he loved tomatoes in his salads and he loved tomato sauce in his pizzas. By the end of the night, Rachel thought about Blaine less, and appreciated how Alexander was treating her. As their dinner ended, Alex offered to drive her home and she gladly agreed.
"Thank you for the wonderful dinner," Rachel told Alex as he walked her to the gate of her apartment. "I had a great time," she said. "I had a wonderful time too," he said. "Rachel?" Alex said before Rachel closed the gates. "I really had a great time. Would you mind if I started visiting you in school or in your apartment?" Alex asked, slightly hesitant with his question.
"No, not at all," Rachel told him with a smile and waved goodbye as he started walking towards his car.
[A/N]: SORRY
Wow you must feel annoyed by Rachel or Blaine right now, but I have a reason I SWEAR.
Will update very soon!