Hi Guys! So I finally found out how to add the horizontal lines, so i'll try to modify the first chapter, didn't know how to do that hehehehe.
Jesse finally entering the picture! hope you like it!
Disclaimer: I dont own any of glee characters, and this has been inspired by Chiquislover25 story named "Daddy" so go give it some love because it's just the cutest thing ever.
Oh, this is going to suck... she corrected herself. Just her and her fricking bad luck. Of all the people she could meet at an audition, why did it had to be Jesse St. James. He wasn't supposed to be here, he was supposed to be in sunny LA. And even if he was in New York, why did they had to be auditioning for the same Broadway show. Wasn't New York big enough for the both of them to not cross paths?
They had left things a little bit hazy last time they saw each other at Nationals in Chicago. Not on bad terms, but they had a complicated relationship, as much as she didn't want to see him, she was sure he had every reason to not want to see HER after the previous Nationals fiasco in New York.
"Rachel?" Jesse's suave voice always had a way to make her nervous and she felt her body tingling with anticipation. He had a cocky smile as always, what had become his signature smile, that reached his blue eyes. "You got a callback for Wendla? I got one for Melchior" he said enthusiastically and gesturing his draft. His posture was so relaxed and talked to her as if they were long-time friends; and that confused Rachel, wasn't he supposed to be holding grudges towards her?
"Gee my luck" she said unenthusiastically in contrast to his tone and trying to appear non approachable, his somewhat friendly disposition was throwing her off. She still felt a little bit guilty after Nationals in New York because of that kiss, and before an audition, that was the memory she wanted to think of the least.
He blinked a little bit befuddled, and it looked almost as he had understood something that was out of Rachel's grasp. He formed a half-smile with something that looked almost like resignation and realization in his eyes.
"Rachel, I don't want things to be awkward if we both get the part, which not to be arrogant, but we'll most likely do, just take a look at this room?" he snickered with that half-smile still plastered in his face and Rachel could tell he was a little bit dubious of how to proceed to calm her hesitance towards the situation. He was on the brink of grabbing his hair as he always did when he was nervous.
She nodded not completely convinced, but looked down to her hands situated on her hips and closed her eyes and sighed. He was right, the room was filled with nervous looking amateurs. If this was the best they could find for the callbacks, then they got the part in the bag most likely. So, it was better to approach this now rather than in the audition room if they had to perform together.
"Jesse… thanks for the faith in me but you should hate me; this is mostly me being awkward about Nationals in New York" she said embarrassed and avoiding to look him in the eyes.
"Oh, well I'm not longer bothered by that you know. I still have a profound admiration for you and your talent, professionally speaking" he said searching her gaze and with the confidence she always liked about him "…and hey you made it to New York, with your engagement I was wondering how that may play out" he finished a little bit awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck and regretting the second those words left his mouth, he really didn't want to be entangled with Rachel Berry's love life.
Flashes of that night 3 weeks ago came to her mind, her suspicious nausea and Finn leaving her at the train station, it made her eyes a little bit teary so she tried to focus her gaze on the other actors waiting to be called as well, so she could compose herself. There was something about less experienced people losing it that made her feel a little bit better and superior.
"Yeah well, Finn and I broke up before I came here" she said a softly still avoiding his gaze.
"Oh" if she thought he was uncomfortable before, well now he most definitely was. "I'm sorry to hear that"
"No, you don't" she snorted unconvinced sounding a little bit humored by that statement, the cynical aspect of it sobering her a little bit.
"I'm not sorry that how things played out got you where you belong, Rach" he used her nickname and it was the first time in 2 years so it made her stomach clench a little bit. Mostly out of surprise because it had been some time. "But believe it or not, I'm not fond of you feeling pain, you know?" he huffed amused.
She laughed bitterly quirking an eyebrow at him and folding her arms.
"I know I don't have the best track record on that, but I learned my lesson and I wish you all good riddance even if it is at the side of Hudson."
Jesse calling Finn his last name and not an insult was progress and it was the best she could get out from him. Ok she could live with this evolved version of Jesse St. James. He sounded honest and he did seem to have matured a little bit, he looked calmer and his cutting throat edge was toned down a bit. If he was able to look past her actions then so could she, no reason to hold grudges. Since he was in New York, running into him in auditions was always a possibility, so acting like adults was the better option for the both of them and Jesse seemed open to that possibility. Why not, lets give it a try Rachel thought.
"Good to know Jesse, and for what is worth, I also wish you good things, I no longer want you to get eaten by a lion" she replied with an air of superior morality and showing she had decided to take the high road. In response he shrieked with laughter, she could tell it was an honest laugh, and a contagious one she discovered since she began to chuckle a little bit too.
"Well then Miss Berry I call this a truce, who knows maybe we'll play this side by side on this audition at some point, lets knock this out of the park shall we?" he said raising and eyebrow with a hint of arrogance and stretching out his hand to which she did the same and began shaking it. She was going to continue their friendly banter but closed her mouth when she saw a lady coming out of the room where the casting panel was.
"Hi guys, sorry for the waiting, the audition will begin shortly, it will consist of 3 phases and on each phase your partner for the scene or duet will be randomly chosen by a draft. So, we shall begin with…" she made a pause to read her clipping board "Rachel Berry? Jesse St. James? Come with me"
"I wasn't prepared to be proved right by the universe that quick" he said stifling a laugh.
"What are you, a psychic?" she replied accusingly.
"Hi guys; did you get the partiture and demo for "The Word of your Body"?" asked Mr. Sater as they were entering the room.
"Yes" said Jesse and Rachel at the same time and making Steven smile a little.
"Great, let's hear it then. And if you can put a little bit of your own interpretation into the song it would be greatly appreciated" replied Kim with a calm smile. Steven discreetly furrowed his brow towards her, she was playing dirty because he had a slight preference for this girl to play Wendla.
They didn't send any cues nor explanation to how this scene would play out but as the obsessive students Jesse and Rachel that they were, they were ahead of them and each had some ideas on the choreography that had formed in their heads since the moment they heard the demo.
So, Rachel, proactive as always, took the lead and guided him to the floor in the center of the room, she turned a little bit so she was almost giving him her back and he did the same; understanding how she wanted to portray the song. They looked into their eyes one last time and faintly smiled and nodded to each other. One last breath and they were ready.
The music began to faintly play behind them and suddenly everyone disappeared from the room. It was just the two of them.
Just too unreal, all this
Watching the words fall from my lips
Baiting some girl with hypotheses
Haven't you heard the word of your body?
As they began to sing the song, Jesse began to softly touch her, just barely grazing their hands and Rachel took the cue and followed his lead.
Don't feel a thing you wish
Grasping at pearls with my fingertips
Holding her hand like some little tease
Haven't you heard the word of my wanting?
When Rachel said the words "fingertips" she delicately began to hold his hand sending shivers down Jesse's spine by the softness of her touch which then gave him the impulse to turn towards Rachel and when she began to feel him twist towards her, she did the same some seconds later and hold both of his hands. He began to stand up and she did the same almost in sync looking at each other.
O, I'm gonna be wounded
O, I'm gonna be your wound
O, I'm gonna bruise you
O, you're gonna be my bruise
As they began to sing this part without losing each other's gaze, they were transported to their shared past together, and how these lyrics applied to them. Jesse had hurt Rachel. And then she did the same to him.
Never out of spite but it was just how things played out. Sometimes teenage love came with the angst that this song talked about.
As they realized how this was resonating to both of them, they understood and Jesse nodded almost imperceptibly, just for Rachel to see so she responded by looking at him with a peaceful fondness that Jesse then mirrored.
Maybe this could morph into some kind of friendship after all.
Just too unreal, all this
Watching his world slip though my fist
Playing with her in your fantasies
Haven't you heard a word, how I want you?
As the words "playing" left Jesse's lips he felt the sudden urge to place her between his arms with her back close to his chest, so when Rachel felt the pull, she followed his lead and fell comfortably in his embrace placing her head against his arms and feeling the warmth of his body.
O, I'm gonna be wounded
O, I'm gonna be your wound
O, I'm gonna bruise you
O, you're gonna be my bruise
Jesse took her hands and moved them gently upwards so she almost looked like Rose in the titanic. Without touching her he tenderly caressed her and Rachel then again took his hands and she turned towards him and began to gradually return to the floor with Jesse doing the same as they ended the song.
Almost like magic, suddenly the room was filled with people again and it wasn't just the two of them. Jesse gave Rachel one last look and quietly said:
"Wow"
"I know" she replied just barely loud enough so he could hear.
Steven had to take some minutes to order his thoughts. He was truly in shock. Now he not only vouched for Ms. Berry but also for Mr. St James. Both of them. Together.
Kim had presented the kids a test that most likely many other performers wouldn't be able to pull off so neatly, it was still rough and needed some work on it but the concept of it allured Steven. He didn't know where they had gotten the sudden idea of that portrayal of the scene, and neither the synchronization in their choreography, almost as if they knew what the other was thinking.
Now he was seriously considering to use the filming record of their audition to show it to their dancing crew so they could work with that.
But aside from the fact that they materialized a choreography our of thin air in 3 minutes and following each other's lead as if they had worked together for ages, it was the intimacy of their touch that had Steven craving for more of them as Wendla and Melchior.
They understood the basic concept of the song. A newly discovered desire of each other's characters and executed it in an electrifying way, almost made him embarrassed to witness such a confidential exchange.
The way that they looked at each other tugged at his heart.
He knew he had to play his cards right so Kim could see it too.
He turned to look at Kim and knew she was at a loss of words for the scene that they had witnessed so he just had to be discreet in his next movements, she was definitely leaning towards them.
