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dhufflebee · 4 years ago

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damned thoughts, damning decisions (a Glee fanfiction)

One-shot Fandom: Glee Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Jesse St. James; Rachel Berry Additional Tags: Missing Scene; Confrontations; trying to make sense of Jesse's face-heel turn in "Funk"; Slight blackmail; Shelby is terrible (sorry)

Also read on: AO3 | ff.net Summary: Jesse is summoned by Shelby and given an ultimatum. A change (a betrayal?) of that kind needs some sort of reason, though, even for a mess of a teenager like he is.

I know it’s been years, but I’m still pissed at the bad writing re: Jesse at the end of season 1. He did have his dickish moments throughout the episodes, sure, but such an abrupt change in behavior makes no sense – there was no context or explanation at all, and we deserved more, as did the characters. I don’t think the events in Funk were part of the plan from the start (because nothing that happens or is said beforehand supports it), and I’m convinced that it was a later development, and an unwelcome one at that.

Hence, this bridge-the-gap scene that’s been on my mind since the first time I watched the show. I’ve read some great fics about this plot point over the years; I guess it was time to write mine. it’s not elaborate nor particularly insightful – mostly Jesse being a conflicted teenager under pressure and (sadly) an all-around mess. I just wish they’d put something in the show so the whole situation would feel less out of the blue.

Lastly, sorry to Shelby fans, but I kind of hate her. Also, peer pressure is a bitch (and I’m sure it played a huge part in the whole debacle, even if I just hint at it in this fic).

“So, what happened to ‘I regret never getting to hold her’ and all that?” Jesse asked with a hard voice, and dropped his school bag unceremoniously on the ground. He was tired after the drive from Lima to Akron on a school-day afternoon, and annoyed about being rudely summoned like some sort of minion. (He guessed he was a bit angry at himself as well, because it was not like he’d protested all that much.) Mostly, though, he was pissed at Shelby for the way she’d treated Rachel, his anger fueled by the fresh memory of his girlfriend tearfully recounting how she’d been rejected by her mother. Again.

“I beg your pardon?” Shelby retorted, arching an eyebrow, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

“That whole convoluted plan just so you could finally meet Rachel, and then that’s how you treat her?” Jesse tried to keep his voice steady, but the situation and Shelby’s blasé attitude were making his blood boil.

“Who do you think you are, our family counselor?” Shelby sneered, and Jesse barely suppressed the urge to up and leave right then and there. “What I decide to do with my life is none of your business.”

“It kinda is, though,” Jesse spat, bitterly. “Since, you know, Rachel is my girlfriend, and you are the one who forced me to take part in this charade!”

Shelby stared at him for a moment, then chuckled. “I seem to recall you being ok with it, mister ‘it’s going to be a good acting exercise’.”

“Well, I recall telling you I wasn’t all that comfortable with it anymore, and you ignoring me and even doubling down on it.”

“You seemed awfully comfortable with your spot amongst New Directions, though. And yet, you still went on spring break with Vocal Adrenaline,” Shelby mused, smirking unkindly.

Jesse inhaled sharply, clenched his fists and looked at his feet, the shame that had been in the back of his mind for the past months flaring up. “That’s not fair,” he whispered. “It was just Andy and a couple of others—they’re my friends…”

“Anyway,” Shelby interjected, matter-of-factly. “I don’t care about your holidays, and I don’t have any more time to waste. I told you to come here to say this—you’re coming back to Carmel by the end of the week.”

Jesse’s head shot up, and he stared at Shelby in utter bewilderment. “What? No!”

“Oh, I’m sorry—was there anything in our arrangement that made you believe I’d let you spend the rest of the year in that mediocre school?” she asked, sarcasm dripping from very word.

“But I thought—” Jesse frowned, and shook his head; he didn’t know how to finish the sentence (really, what had he been thinking?).

“You clearly didn’t,” Shelby said, raising her eyebrows. “I want you back in this auditorium by Friday. And I won’t be accepting excuses.”

“But I can’t!” Jesse pleaded. “What about Rachel?”

“Oh, Rachel understands that I’m not in the right headspace to be her mom at the moment,” Shelby answered, waiving her hand nonchalantly. “She was very sympathetic.”

Jesse’s anger came back in full force, burning at the pit of his stomach. “It was all a front, just so you know. She didn’t want you to feel like she was a burden, but honest to God, in hindsight she should have raged at you for being a —”

“Don’t you dare,” Shelby hissed, shutting him up. “You have no say in the matter.”

“I do, too! I’m owed the right to speak my mind,” Jesse exclaimed. “And whatever the circumstances, Rachel is still my girlfriend.”

“Yeah well, that has to end.”

Jesse deflated. “What?”

“I’m sure you realize that, if you come back to Vocal Adrenaline, you can’t keep dating the lead of New Directions,” Shelby said, with the tone one would reserve for an eight-year-old.

“But I don’t want to,” Jesse answered, his voice no more than a whisper.

“What was that?”

“I said, I don’t want to,” he repeated, standing a bit straighter.

“It was not a suggestion, Jesse.”

“I already told you, though! I like Rachel, for real. I know this all started as a ruse, but now I think I might even be—” Jesse couldn’t bring himself to finish his own thought. He was scared as hell to admit it to himself, let alone to Shelby.

“Well, it doesn’t seem like it’s ever stopped you before,” Shelby shrugged. “I gather your reputation as a callous, careless heartbreaker has to come from somewhere.”

Jesse didn’t know how to answer, because it was all true. And it stung like a bitch, especially because with Rachel everything had been different, was different, and he didn’t want to be that person anymore. He was starting to be ashamed of his old self—it was a weird sensation, but one he didn’t want to forego, and surely not in the way Shelby was ordering him to.

“Listen, I really don’t care about your imminent break-up with Rachel,” Shelby stated. “Just do it. And then come back here, ready to work.”

“And what if I don’t?”

“Then I’ll have to call the UCLA Admissions Office and have them revoke your scholarship,” she answered pointedly. “You know I have pull. Good luck asking your father for the money.”

Jesse was dumbfounded. No way in hell his father was going to give him a penny, let alone pay for his entire tuition. He wanted to say something, but the anger and dread he was feeling seemed to be an insurmountable obstacle for his voice.

This is practically blackmail, Jesse thought, annoyed. However, a part of his brain was more worried about disappointing yet another important adult in his life than about anything else. He hated Shelby for manipulating him and Rachel and the whole situation, but he was determined to not be looked at as ‘a failed project’ by anyone else. His family was already enough.

Lost in his thoughts, Jesse was beginning to hate himself as well, because he was actually considering going along with Shelby’s request. He couldn’t ask his family for money, and he couldn’t imagine not going to UCLA after boasting so much about it. In all honesty, he also couldn’t bear the thought of not winning his last national title as a senior; and God knows New Directions were not even close to being victory material, even with him as a member. Besides, no one liked him there or ever listened to him, even though they could really use his advice.

The thought of helming a great number and raising another national trophy was more and more appealing with every passing minute—and with that the certainty of actually being worth all the fuss, regardless of what his father always told him, and the confirmation his self-confidence (arrogance?) was not misplaced. The voice in his head (a voice that sounded painfully like Rachel’s) kept telling him he was reverting to his old dickish ways, but… well, he’d been suppressing that particular thought for a very long time.

After a while, Jesse lifted his head, his eyes meeting Shelby’s. He clenched his jaw, then nodded stiffly.

Shelby relaxed, and started gathering her things. “Good boy. Now, I want this break up with Rachel and with New Directions to be grand—there has to be no doubt that you have closed that door. Squash their morale, too, for good measure.” She shouldered her bag and started walking towards the exit. Then she turned around and added, almost as an afterthought: “I put Giselle in charge of the whole thing, by the way. Apparently, she already has some brilliant ideas or whatever. I don’t care what you do, just do it well. See you on Friday,” she said, before disappearing out the door.

Jesse sighed, and picked up his bag from the floor. Anger was still simmering somewhere in his guts, but it was being silenced by a wave of uneasiness and by a dull and persistent heartache. He grabbed his phone to check his notifications, and saw that Giselle had already written him a string of messages. He read them, purposefully ignoring the texts he’d received from Rachel in the meantime.

Jesse St. James, as I live and breathe. Ms Corcoran told me you’re coming back and let me tell you, fi.na.lly.

Anyway, I’ve already started planning a couple of fun things to remind those losers who the superior show choir is

Tomorrow be here sharp and ready cause we start rehearsing

Also there’s gonna be something special just for your girlfriend – we’re not comfortable with you simply breaking up with her. It has to be hard and memorable,, you’ve already played mole before and we’re not willing to risk it

Stay tuned for that (and remember it’s a deal breaker if you want us to back you up as lead ever again)

Jesse groaned, already dreading whatever the hell was coming. He tried to suppress the shame he felt by imagining himself holding a fourth national trophy (which was easy) and trying not to think about Rachel (which was very, very hard).

He spent the drive home furiously wiping the tears off his cheeks.

#glee #glee fanfiction #jesse st james #shelby corcoran #fanfiction #i've had this stored in my brain for close to a year and finally it has seen the light of day #glee (tv)#my fics

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gleekto · 5 years ago

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Summary: College AU/Famous!Blaine and Fanboy!Kurt - Kurt POV

Kurt really doesn’t have time to figure out the dating world between being a freshman at prestigious theatre school, LAADA, and his active but secret blogging life in the Sing!Fandom. So what if Sing! ended last year? There are still fics to read and actors to follow. Especially the uber talented heartthrob lead, Blaine Anderson. He can act. He can sing. He can even dance. He’s gay. He’s out. And he’s only 24. Kurt is willing to twiddle his thumbs and click refresh until Blaine Anderson’s next project.

He just didn’t expect the next project to be on his roommate Rachel’s new TV show.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Even Better Than the Real Thing (4/15)

It takes Kurt until the following afternoon for the haze to lift and for his feet to land back down on the ground after spending the evening floating. He finally logs on to his tumblr and to the entirely unsurprising 13 messages, all anonymous, all asking him if he heard about whether his source met Blaine. He deletes all of them and clicks on his direct message from Mercedes last night.

From LimaBlaineFan to MercedesSing! : Guilty as charged. You found me out.

MercedesSing!: So let me get this straight - Your roommate and close friend is literally working with Blaine Anderson?!

LimaBlaineFan: He’s her love interest. They kiss.

MercedesSing!: Please don’t tell me you’re jealous because you know that’s all acting and you have suddenly gone from number one fanboy to real life acquaintance overnight and there are a good few hundred followers who would be intensely jealous of you if they knew.

LimaBlaineFan: They don’t. And they won’t. But no, I’m not jealous. Blaine is indeed gay, and you know, he doesn’t have a boyfriend right now. Was too difficult to meet someone while on a show like Sing!

MercedesSing!: He did not tell you that.

LimaBlaineFan: He did. And we commiserated about growing up in Ohio - two gay kids. We’re like peas and pod, Blaine Anderson and I.

MercedesSing!: Shut up. You had a heart to heart with Blaine Anderson.

LImaBlaineFan: Now let’s not get ahead of ourselves. But I can confirm that he is even more beautiful in real life.

MercedesSing!: This is nuts. I’m happy for you. Hell, I’m happy for me. Do you think he can hook me up with Jo Johnson for some music lessons? Kidding. No not really. Anyways. You met Blaine Anderson. And shit got real.

Kurt and Mercedes plot out just the right amount of info to post publicly on his blog from his “source”.

My source confirms that Blaine Anderson is a genuinely nice guy, but you’ve all heard that before. He did find out that Blaine sang in his high school Glee club, and oh, he’s single right now. Don’t get any ideas though, fandom, because Blaine knows there’s a difference between a fan and a friend. Anyways, sounds like Blaine Anderson was as cute as ever - oh and he was wearing cherry red shoes.

...

“Let’s go, Kurt. Off your laptop, put away your homework, we’re going to the cast open mic night.”

Kurt looks up over his computer skeptically. “Open mic night?”

“Oh come on. You don’t even have to perform if you don’t want to. And Blaine asked if you were coming-”

“He did? We talked for like five minutes. How does he even remember my name?” What.

“Yeah. I know it’s weird but I think you’re a good excuse not to have to be networking the whole night. For me too,” Rachel emphasizes. “Come on.”

Kurt nods his head from side to side, feigning indecision but of course he’s going. Blaine Anderson asked for him to come. Or asked if he was coming. Or whatever. He’s obviously going.

...

As he and Rachel are whisked into the Limelight - closed for a private event - by the security guard at the door, he’s sure he has accidentally fallen through a portal into the world of Sing!, with Blaine’s character, Roy Royson, up on stage as usual, serenading his on screen love interest with an unplugged version of an 80′s rock ballad. Today it’s Jack and Diane.

Only Roy Royson would be wearing a plaid flannel shirt and not a fitted red cardigan with tight dark blue jeans and a navy bowtie. And man, Blaine Anderson can rock a bowtie.

“He’s good, right?” Rachel gestures to Blaine on the stage, who sees them and gives a wink and smile. What a showman. “Talented.”

“He was on Sing!, Rachel. Not a shock that he can carry a tune,” Kurt shrugs. No way is he letting Rachel know how captivated he is. He’s seen Blaine as Roy perform on screen countless times and then on repeat, but something about seeing the real Blaine, all styled and a touch deliberately flamboyant but also very boyish singing classic 80′s rock, completely holding the live audience in his hands. He’s hard to look away from. By the time Kurt catches himself staring slightly open mouthed and manages to turn around to get a drink, Rachel already has a drink in hand and is sitting at a table with Jesse St. James and a few of the others he met the other week.

Kurt orders a ginger ale with one lime (can’t be caught drinking underage with the high profile cast), and turns towards Rachel’s table where Blaine is now conveniently sitting. Kurt would not have normally dared to sit beside him for fear of spilling his drink from shaky hands, or worse being tongue tied when being asked a mundane question, but it appears that the chair beside Blaine is the only empty one and Kurt is not sure if it’s a punishment or a reward. So it’s facing his fears or cozying up to the showrunner at a separate table. Awkward.

“Great performance,” Kurt starts as he sits down beside Blaine. “I can appreciate a strong stage presence despite the strange choice of music genre.”

Blaine looks up and his smile widens amusedly as he shifts his chair over to make more room. “Thank you,” Blaine nods and then leans in to Kurt’s ear. “Well, despite the choice of genre, I may have caught you staring.” Blaine winks. Did he just-

Kurt is mortified but Blaine just elbows him in the side and takes a sip of his beer. He was caught. But Blaine doesn’t appear to be mad, or embarrassed, or irritated - In fact, he seems happily entertained . Cocky bastard. “Well, my dad is a big Mellencamp fan, and I can’t say I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching a classic performance where the lead is in anything other than stone washed jeans and flannel.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Oh it’s a compliment.” Kurt turns to him. “I did try to do Mellencamp once in a Glee club assignment in my junior year - complete with the flannel. But somehow I couldn’t pull it off. My dad even called me out.”

Blaine laughs, eyes sparkling and staring right at him. Man, that eye contact. “Too forced?”

“Too straight,” Kurt answers and Blaine laughs again like Kurt is both funny and entertaining. “I think I got a lecture about not trying to be someone I’m not just to impress him. That he loves me just as I am blah blah blah.”

Blaine’s face turns serious. “That’s lucky.”

Kurt stares back. “I know.”

“So you were out?”

“Yeah. And maybe thanks to my dad and my Glee club, I survived Lima. But it wasn’t fun. Guess Lima’s just too narrow for all this fabulousness,” Kurt jokes, gesturing at today’s outfit - lime green tight army jeans with a purple button down and scarf. And of course a heart shaped broach.

“Lima’s loss,” Blaine says seriously, reaching out to touch Kurt’s arm. Kurt jumps and then Blaine’s hand is gone again. “Well, you’re in LA, now. The fun is only just beginning.” Kurt’s jaw drops slightly and he can feel himself staring at Blaine, again, and trying to stop being drawn to that impossible magnetism.

“Let’s go, Kurt! It’s our turn.” Luckily Rachel pulling at his arm against the magnetic force rescues him.

“What?”

“I signed us up, of course. Defying Gravity. Let’s go.” Kurt normally loves performing. Loves performing Broadway hits. Loves performing with Rachel. But performing in front of his celebrity crush - that was not on his agenda. “Come on!” She pulls him up on stage. Ah well. Good thing he’s a good actor. Game face is about to be in full force.

When they take their bows, the room full of appropriately enthusiastic applause, Kurt lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “That was great, Kurt!” Blaine seems genuinely excited. “You’re a countertenor - You have an amazing voice!” Kurt beams. He has an amazing voice.

Before he can second guess himself, Kurt turns to Blaine and whispers, “Thank you. And I assume your love of Broadway is why I caught you staring.”

Blaine laughs and chinks their glasses. “Guilty.”

...

When he gets home that night, high from all the performances, from the performing, from talking to Blaine Anderson again, he closes his door and screams silently into his pillow. He grabs his phone and texts Mercedes who is of course asleep in New York City.

Kurt: Mercedes, I’m back. We talked. Again. A lot. He kind of stared at me through my whole performance with Rachel. Which he admitted. And laughed. He even likes my voice. I think we’re friends. Like actually friends.

In the morning, Kurt wakes up to Mercedes’ reply.

Mercedes: Of course he likes your voice. You’re epic. And friends? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

#even better than the real thing #gleekto writes #took a few days but here is the next part!

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julienschuester · 5 years ago

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THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT

WHO: @ivystjamess & @julienschuester WHERE: st. james residence / mckinley high WHEN: homecoming, 9/26

If Julien had to rank organized school activities, school dances would definitely be in the top three. He loved everything about them from securing a date to dressing up to doing the cupid shuffle on the dance floor. He thoroughly enjoyed Sadie’s as a concept because it meant the girls had to ask the guys, but nothing topped the feeling of Ivy St. James asking him specifically...even if it was under the guise of being friends and Joey was joining them. Julien had agreed to meet Ivy at the St. James residence and even though he showed up twenty-three minutes later than he was supposed to, he was still the first one ready. Julien totally didn’t mind waiting though. He enjoyed hanging out in the living room and talking all things glee club and Grease with Jesse St. James while Rachel excitedly pestered Ivy about how much longer she was going to take.

All theater talk came to an a screeching halt though when Ivy made her way down the stairs. She looked beautiful ten times out of ten, but seeing her out of her cheerios uniform and all dolled up had Julien’s chin on the floor. He stared at her with not an ounce of subtlety and when he realized he was ogling in front of her parents, he quickly got on to his feet and met her at the bottom step. “Hi,” he greeted, sounding almost shocked, “you look nice.” In a rush because they had to leave for New York in the next thirty minutes, Jesse and Rachel instructed their daughter and her date on how and where to pose for pictures. Julien did as he was told, all while maintaining the same dreamy grin he always had around Ivy. After pictures were taken and goodbyes were exchanged, Julien and Ivy were left alone at her house waiting to get a sense of where Joey was at. “He’s not answering my texts,” he explained as he unlocked his phone and sent yet another message to their friend, “I’m gonna call him.” Julien dialed the number and let it ring and ring and ring until it went to voicemail.

“I think we should just go, legs,” he suggested with a shrug, not really sure what other choice they had as he stood up from the couch, “I’m sure he’s already on his way and if we don’t get there soon we’re gonna miss all the best songs. I gotta move my feet.” Julien did a little shuffle to show that he was serious about getting down in the gymnasium at McKinley. “Come onnnnnn,” he whined playfully, holding out his hands to Ivy and pulling her up off the couch, “let’s go. I can drive.” Julien felt bad that he didn’t have his own car to take her in, so he figured the least he could do was drive hers. “Also I just gotta say this again,” he started, lacing their fingers together as he pulled her in a little closer, “I mean wow just...look at you. Jeez, are you kidding me? I can’t believe it.” Some might say he was being over the top, but he genuinely could not help it. “You look amazing,” he said quietly as their eyes locked, heart racing at their proximity, “every person there is gonna wish they were me.”

#the way you look tonight #para #p: ivy #ivy

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bberryrach · 5 years ago

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st. berry// ftf:002

who: rachel berry and jesse st. james ( @jstj ) what: rachel gives jesse an ultimatum, and jesse ends up cuffed af where: rachel’s apartment. when: sunday, august 23 triggers?: mild sexual content and a very bad pun about aural exams

Jesse St. James

Though Jesse was still technically on summer break, his schedule had never been more packed. During the day, he worked through his reading for the next semester, and then spent his evening at the theatre, watching Rachel perform and shadowing the production team. Most of his nights (and any other spare moment he could find) were spent either sneaking over to Rachel's, or smuggling her over to his -- and though he had to be up to start on his college work, their nights just seemed to get later and later. He could never have predicted his life being where it was, but he really was enjoying every second.

Walking back from the show with Rachel, Jesse heard his phone go off, taking a moment to check it. He squeezed Rachel's hand once he'd read the message. "Sam's texted me that he's watching Jaws, so my place is a no go," he told her, putting his phone away. They'd managed to keep their secret so far, coming up with elaborate plans and strategies to cover their tracks. "I'll wait outside and if your place is clear, I can text Sam that I've gone home with a girl I've met. Which is... technically true. Otherwise I guess tonight is a bust and I'll have to go and watch people get eaten with Sam."

Rachel Berry

Rachel was exhausted. Working on two shows was hard enough, but sneaking around with Jesse managed to be another full-time job. Not that she was complaining; Rachel was having more fun than she had in a long while. With Jesse she felt lighter, more like herself. Even if they were toting around a giant secret on their backs.

She never appreciated the anonymity of the city as much as she did that summer. After rehearsals and shows, Rachel was able to walk, hands wrapped around Jesse's arm, down the street. No hiding, no sneaking about. Just the two of them, for a small, fleeting moment. Rachel looked up at Jesse with a small smile as he read his message, nodding as he spoke. They'd gotten used to this routine, but it felt new and exciting each time. "Marley should either be out or asleep," Rachel replied, checking the time on her phone. "She doesn't hang about much. But I'll check and tell you if the coast is clear." As she spoke, they reached the door to their apartment building. "You wait around the corner, and I'll text you?" Rachel asked, reaching up on her tip-toes to give Jesse a covert kiss.

Jesse St. James

There was definitely a part of Jesse that enjoyed the secrecy of their relationship -- a certain appeal to sneaking around, stealing kisses, sharing moments that only they knew about. But he also enjoyed these walks home, able to be with Rachel in the way he wanted to, without worrying about being discovered at any moment. Their covert relationship so far had been exciting -- but this was peaceful, and Jesse was surprised to find he liked that just as much.

"I hope so. I have to give her props, her schedule and introversion are convenient," he replied, already anticipating what they could get up to as soon as they got to Rachel's apartment. Only a few flights of stairs separated them from that now, and he nodded at Rachel's instructions, leaning down to meet her kiss with a smile. It already felt so natural to be like this with her, and as she began to walk away to head upstairs, he tugged her back. "Just in case," he muttered, leaning down for another kiss. If Marley was about, he wouldn't get another chance to kiss her tonight. "I'll wait for your text."

Rachel Berry

It hadn't taken long for Rachel to fall for Jesse. What had started out as merely a friends-with-benefits situation had quickly evolved, for her, into an affair of the heart. Rachel couldn't help it: getting attached was in her nature. And, with Jesse, it was easy. He was, in so many ways, what she'd always been looking for. Sure they weren't dating. Not really, at least. But it was hard for Rachel not to feel as if she were a part of a couple, walking arm and arm down the streets of New York City, stealing goodnight kisses.

"I'm sure she'd appreciate the compliment," Rachel teased, smiling into Jesse's touch as he leaned down to give her another kiss. While she found their clandestine affair exhilarating, these were the moments that moved her. Rachel gave Jesse's hand one final squeeze before walking inside of her building and up to her apartment. It was dark inside, and the only sound came from the hum of the air conditioner in the window. Marley was either asleep or, more likely, out. She pulled out her phone to text Jesse "All clear. See you soon." and she then waited by the door to let him in.

Jesse St. James

Jesse reluctantly let Rachel go, watching her as she headed upstairs, before resigning himself to leaning against the wall as he waited. As someone who'd always planned his future carefully - his professional future, at least - it was new for him to be approaching something so big with so much casualness. Because he knew that this had the potential to blow everything up for them -- knew that their friendship was at stake, and their friendship with others. And yet it was so hard to care when he was around her. If he didn't think too hard, he didn't have to worry. The future was murky, and Jesse was determined to ignore it.

Grinning when he finally received her text, Jesse let himself into the building and headed upstairs, texting Sam an excuse while he was on the way. He reached Rachel's door and knocked quietly, stepping in once she opened it. This was now a strange mix of new and familiar, still exciting, but also starting to feel routine. As soon as the door closed, Jesse reached for her, pulling her against him and ducking his head to kiss her once more. As eager was he was, a part of him relaxed at the sensation of her back in his arms, relieved that they'd get another night together.

Rachel Berry

"Hi again," Rachel said with a small laugh, reaching up to wrap her arms around Jesse's neck as he kissed her. She pushed the door closed with her foot, still intertwined with Jesse, as she led him through the doorway. They'd done this many times before, and yet each time, it felt so new, so exciting, to Rachel. Maybe because this isn't what she normally did. Rachel involved herself in serious relationships, in dramatic love affairs. It wasn't in her nature, even if she believed it could be.

"So what was your excuse to Sam?" Rachel asked, breathlessly, when she pulled away slightly to catch some air. Rachel wasn't one for lying, but if anything, this was an acting exercise. Two birds, one stone. She ran her hands down Jesse's arms, holding onto his wrists for a moment before letting go and pressing against his chest. She couldn't shake the odd feeling that, for as familiar as Jesse and his touch had become, she was feeling something new unbury itself within her.

Jesse St. James

"Hi," Jesse murmured between kisses, wrapping his arms around her waist as they shuffled into the apartment. He'd been with a lot of women before, but none of them had captivated him like Rachel -- he caught himself thinking about her all the time. She was already one of his closest friends, and one of his favourite people -- and this new element to their friendship had only strengthened it, in his eyes. This was easier and more exciting than any hook up he'd had in the past.

Smiling at her touch, Jesse shrugged, slipping his hand under her shirt to rest it on the small of her back. "I told him I'd gone out for drinks and caught sight of a cute girl," he told her. "It's 50% true, so I wouldn't even class it as an excuse. I do have my eye on a very, very cute girl."

Rachel Berry

A small shiver radiated by Rachel's back from Jesse's touch, an electric feeling she still hadn't gotten used to. While the two of them had fallen into routine around their secret affair-- after rehearsals, sneaking into one of their apartments, making up excuses for where they'd been and who they'd been with-- each touch was still new and exciting for Rachel. Jesse was one of her best friends, and she found herself fantasizing about all the more he could be to her. Yes, Rachel had recently gotten out of a longterm relationship, but with Jesse.. things were different. He understood her implicitly. He made her feel beautiful and wanted. And while she knew he didn't want anything serious, that this was just supposed to be a hook up, who was she to deny the longings of her heart?

"Would you like a drink?" Rachel asked, still smiling from Jesse's compliment. "That way, it'd be 100% true." Before he could answer, she led him by the hand to the kitchen, kissing him once more before pulling away to retrieve two glasses from the cabinet. She poured them each a glass of wine and handed one to Jesse. "Acting is one thing, but I wouldn't want to turn you into a liar," she said with a smile, reaching to hold his free hand again.

Jesse St. James

Jesse couldn't help but chuckle at Rachel's suggestion, following her over to the kitchen and meeting her kiss willingly. He felt strangely settled, taking the glass from her with a soft 'thank you'. "I like the way you think, Rachel Berry," he teased, holding up his glass to cheers hers quietly, aware that Marley might be asleep in her room. It was so easy to be with her like this, and as she reached for her hand, he threaded their fingers together unquestioningly, brushing his thumb over the back of her hand.

"I appreciate you looking out for me," he commented, settling back against the counter and sipping his wine. "I don't know if I'm the most moral of people, but it certainly helps to have you to serve as my moral compass. It's a full time job, but if anyone is up to it, I think you are. Our craft may be about pretence, but deception... deception is another thing."

Rachel Berry

“Of course,” Rachel said with a smile, taking a moment to look Jesse over. “That’s what relationships are for.” She took a sip of her wine, feeling fully contented in the moment. “I can’t be with a liar, now can I?” Rachel leaned in once more for a quick peck on the cheek, before pulling Jesse out of the kitchen and towards her bedroom, where they could talk slightly above a whisper.

As she walked towards the bedroom, pulling Jesse by the hand, Rachel suddenly felt a pit in her stomach. She knew they Jesse wasn’t one for labels. They had, in fact, agreed to keep things casual, label-less. But this was a relationship, wasn’t it? And was it so wrong to name it as such? Biting her lip, Rachel opened the door to her bedroom, waiting for Jesse to enter before closing it behind them.

Jesse St. James

Distracted by Rachel's closeness, it took Jesse a moment to register what Rachel had said. Relationships. Were they in a relationship? They'd agree to no labels, to keeping it casual (though exclusive), but what else could she have meant by being with him. A little dumbfounded, Jesse let Rachel drag him towards the bedroom, mind starting to race as he thought about all the implications of what Rachel had just said. Did she think they were a couple? Were they a couple? And did he want to be in a couple?

The door closed behind them, and Jesse took a breath, trying to calm his rising panic. "Relationship?" he asked, with a forced casualness, turning to look at Rachel. "I thought we agreed to just keeping it low key. Nothing serious."

Rachel Berry

“It is casual,” Rachel said, her eyes confused at Jesse’s tone. “But of course this is a relationship. We see each other every night, and neither of us is seeing anyone else. Wait—“ she paused, letting go of Jesse’s hand and crossing her arms around her chest, “you’re not seeing anyone else, are you? Because we had very explicit terms.”

Rachel suddenly felt insecure in the moment, and a little silly. Was she being naive for calling this a relationship? They were exclusive. But it was like Rachel to fall for someone who didn’t love her back, to imagine a love that did actually exist. Was she making all of this up, too? Rachel shifted unsteadily on her feet.

Jesse St. James

Jesse watched as Rachel crossed her arms, frowning at her question. They'd agreed not to see other people -- why did she need to ask him? Did she not trust him? "Of course I'm not seeing anyone else. We had clear terms. Clear terms which included not putting a label on this, which you just did." How could she think he'd broken their agreement when she just had two minutes ago?

Shuffling to lean against her vanity, Jesse crossed his own arms, a frown on his face. This wasn't how he'd wanted the night to go. "I didn't agree to a relationship. That wasn't in the terms, and you were the one keen to set them and keep this casual and quiet because of Finn and work. I'm just following your rules."

Rachel Berry

"I agreed for this to be quiet. And, for the record, this is casual," Rachel said defensively. "We sneak around at night, I've never pressured you into any obligation..." Rachel shook her head and took a step back, creating space between her and Jesse. "This is as casual as I can be."

Rachel closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Maybe it was presumptuous to call what they had a relationship, but it was, it was. Or maybe Rachel was just being delusional. But if Jesse didn't want Rachel anymore-- if he never wanted her to begin with-- Rachel didn't know if she could continue doing what they were doing. It wasn't like her. And it might hurt too much. "Well maybe I don't agree with the terms anymore," Rachel said finally.

Jesse St. James

"You asked for this to be quiet," Jesse reminded her, shaking his head. He enjoyed the sneaking around, but he wasn't the reason for it -- that had been her concern. He didn't understand where this was suddenly coming from... all he'd want was to enjoy their night together. This definitely wasn't how he'd imagined the evening going.

He watched her for a few moments, seeing the decision-making process spelled out on her face. He knew Rachel -- really knew her. When she opened his eyes, he was braced for what she was about to say. "Don't agree with them how?" he asked, "Do you want to alter them, or is this over?" As he spoke, a pang went through him, and he suddenly wasn't sure which idea panicked him most. He'd never been in a relationship before, never wanted to be... but did he really want to let Rachel go? Being with her was the highlight of every day. But the panic bubbled in him when he thought about the kind of commitment a girl like Rachel would need.

Rachel Berry

“And I stand by that,” Rachel said defensively, her fingers worrying a hole into the hem of her shirt. “For the sake of the show, and our friends, and Finn...” she let her voice trail off for a second. “It’s best that we keep things quiet. But you don’t have to flinch at the prospect of dating me.”

Jesse’s question took Rachel by surprise, and before she could even fully register what he asked, she could feel her eyes begin to well up. What even was this, and how could it be over if, according to Jesse, it didn’t even exist in the first place? Rachel shook her head and looked down. “I thought I could do this, but I can’t, Jesse. I can’t go on pretending like this is nothing. Because for me, it’s not. I’m not that kind of girl.”

Jesse St. James

Jesse listened to Rachel speak, shaking his head a little. "So you'll keep the terms that suit you but scrap the ones that made me comfortable," he summed up, fixing his frustrated gaze onto her floor. It wasn't the idea of dating Rachel that he flinched at -- it was the idea of dating anyone. He'd never been committed to another person, and this conversation from any other girl would have ended things immediately. Rachel was different, in every way -- but he was still terrified. There was so much at stake.

Looking up with a sigh, Jesse tried to ignore the niggle of guilt in his stomach, seeing her upset and knowing it was his fault. That wasn't what he wanted -- he knew that for certain. Her smile was his favourite thing in the world. "Then what is it for you? What do you want?"

Rachel Berry

"I want you to be comfortable," Rachel said, willing herself to be quiet, in case Marley was home, "but I can't do that at the expense of my own feelings. I've done that before, and I won't do that again." Rachel spoke firmly, but on the inside, she was shaking. All Rachel wanted was to be liked, to be loved, but this compulsive need had only hurt her before. She had to look after herself first. "I don't know," Rachel said haplessly, looking at Jesse with defeat.

"I don't know." She wanted nothing more than to fall into Jesse's arms, to make herself at home here, with her best friend, with the boy that made her feel beautiful. But she could only sacrifice so much. Rachel knew that she would only develop deeper feelings for Jesse; she couldn't string herself along just for a broken heart. "I want to be with you," Rachel said finally. "Or I don't want anything at all."August 9, 2020

Jesse St. James

The truth was, Jesse had gone into this trying to ignore the consequences. He'd wilfully ignored that there was no exit plan for this arrangement, not one that resulted in things going back to the way they were before. He knew Rachel, and he knew what she needed. And after all these years of pining for her, wondering what if... why could he not grasp that opportunity now it was finally here? What was he so afraid of?

So it came to this - an ultimatum. Lose her entirely, or find the courage to step up and be what she deserved. Because Rachel Berry deserved the world -- she deserved epic romance. Something Jesse didn't know a single thing about. "I don't know if I'm ready for that," he said finally, shrugging a little helplessly. "I've never even thought about being someone's boyfriend. We agreed on something different... Can you give me some time?"

Rachel Berry

“I don’t know what else you expected,” Rachel said, her voice a mix of confusion and defeat. In all honestly, Rachel didn’t know what she expected either. She was aware of Jesse’s reputation— in fact, she know him better than most— but Rachel thought this would be different. Either their affair would play itself out and become an embarrassing hook up story neither of them talked about, or they would end up together. And, call her a hopeless romantic, Rachel grew over the past month to believe in the latter.

But here Jesse was, telling her that he needed to think about it— about them— and Rachel felt foolish. Wrapping her arms around her torso, she shook her head and looked down to hide her broken expression. “You don’t need time,” she said finally, sitting on the edge of her bed. “I think you’ve made your decision.”

Jesse St. James

Jesse wanted nothing more than to sweep her up in his arms and make all the promises he wanted to make. But he had to be sensible -- for both of them. Rachel deserved better than someone who needed time to think about it. He wasn't sure he could give her what she needed, and if he couldn't... things would only get worse. At least ending things now saved them both heartache in the future.

"Maybe," he replied, trying to ignore the ache in his chest. If she felt it was that simple, and it wasn't -- then maybe it wasn't meant to be. No matter how much it hurt him to think about walking out of that door and back into their old friendship. The last month had been exciting, and he'd been happy -- but maybe it was only ever meant to be temporary. "I think I should go."

Rachel Berry

Rachel’s stomach churned as Jesse spoke, his maybe hitting her in the gut. This was for the best, she knew, but part of her wanted him to say that she was right, that they should be together, as a couple. But if it hurt this much to break off a casual fling with Jesse, what would happen if they broke up? Her heart would be broken, and their friendship would never be the same.

“I think you should too,” Rachel said, looking towards her bedroom door. She pulled her legs up on the bed, hugging them towards her chest. Jesse could see himself out; she couldn’t bare to look him in the eyes.

Jesse St. James

Jesse's instinct was to go to her, to kiss her goodbye the way he had over the last month. But not anymore -- this was over. Nothing hurt more than the crushed expression on Rachel's face, and though he wanted to say something, to be some kind of comfort -- he knew he couldn't be. Instead he just nodded, pushing himself up off the dresser and leaving wordlessly. There was nothing more to say.

It was nearly two in the morning, but Jesse was wide awake. Pacing in the hallway between his apartment and Rachel's, he was undecided on how to approach this. It couldn't wait until morning -- he had to see her again. But he couldn't just walk in. Taking a breath to calm himself down, he went to sit on the stairwell, pulling his phone out to text Rachel instead. He just had to hope she was awake.

Need to see you. Can I come over?

Rachel Berry

Rachel wasn’t going to sleep tonight. She knew that from the second Jesse walked out of her door. Had she made a mistake, giving Jesse an ultimatum? Had she made a mistake for even hooking up with Jesse to begin with? She didn’t want to lose Jesse, but she couldn’t keep him either. It wasn’t fair to either of them.

It’d been hours since Jesse left, and Rachel had hardly left her spot on the bed, getting up only to change into pajama pants. So when her phone vibrated at 2 AM, she nearly jumped. She didn’t want to talk to Jesse; she had nothing left to say. Rachel threw her phone under her pillow, abandoning it, message left on read, for what felt like forever. But Rachel couldn’t resist Jesse, drawn back to the phone, despite her best intentions.

Door’s unlocked.

Jesse St. James

Sat on the staircase, scrolling mindlessly through social media, it seemed like forever before Rachel replied. Maybe he'd be sat out here all night, waiting for a response -- he wasn't sure how long to give it before giving up and going to sleep. Maybe she was already asleep herself. He was debating how much longer to stay when he saw the notification, heart leaping as he read her reply. Door's unlocked. Maybe he'd actually get a chance to fix this.

Getting up, Jesse headed into Rachel's apartment, closing the door as quietly as he could behind him. Marley would definitely be home and asleep now -- they couldn't afford to make much noise. He took the familiar path over to Rachel's room and knocked on the door as gently as possible, opening it and slipping into her room. "Hi," he greeted, relief flooding through him at the sight of her. Now wasn't the time to smile, but it was hard to not feel hopeful about the future. "I need to say something."

Rachel Berry

Rachel wasn’t sure what Jesse would say or what he wanted. All she knew is that there was no way she’d fall asleep tonight unless she saw him again. Hearing the quiet creak of the door open and close, Rachel quickly wiped her hands across her face. As much as she loved drama, she didn’t want Jesse to know just how much she’d already invested in them.

“Hi,” Rachel said softly, looking up at him from her spot on the bed and chewing on her bottom lip. She was glad to see Jesse, but wary of what he had to say. “If you’re going to ask me to quit the show, my answer is no. You won’t find a better Ariel than me, especially with such short turn around.”

Jesse St. James

Jesse couldn't help the fond smile on his face, shaking his head softly. Of course Rachel's concern was the show -- she was a consummate professional, as always. "You know I'd never ask you to quit the show," he told her, moving to perch on the bed next to her. Even if things stayed rough between them, the show always came first. "It's about us. I told you earlier that I'd never even thought about being someone's boyfriend, but that wasn't entirely true."

Taking a deep breath, Jesse thought about where to begin -- resisting the urge to reach over and take her hand. That could come later, when she'd forgiven him. "A couple of years ago, there was this girl I couldn't stop thinking about. I got it into my head that if I could make it work with anyone, it would be her. But she had this boyfriend so I never did or said anything, I just swallowed it and moved on." He looked up, meeting her eye. "Anyway, she and the boyfriend broke up, and I finally got my shot with her. And I screwed it up horribly tonight, but I'm hoping that I might get a second chance to show her that I really want to be with her, no matter the terms. I'm ready to be with her. If she'll have me."

Rachel Berry

Rachel nodded, of course she knew. That was exactly the problem with her and Jesse. They were, in so many ways, the same. Both ambitious and driven, both talented, both with dreams bigger than their friends could imagine. It was easy for Rachel to only see the ways they complimented each other and the potential they had. But they fundamentally clashed, Rachel reminded herself. She wanted commitment, and Jesse did not.

At least, that's what she thought. Raising her brows into a worried knot, Rachel listened confusedly to Jesse as he spoke. She stared at the spot between them on the bed, resisting the urge to interject Jesse's story and ask why are you telling me this? Until she understood: Jesse was talking about her. She couldn't control the smile spreading across her face and the feeling of affection rising in her. "I didn't know that," Rachel said, lifting her chin to meet Jesse's gaze. She wanted nothing more than to kiss him right then and there, but she resisted. How could she trust Jesse was telling the truth? Was he even capable of commitment? She paused for a second to think. "Are you sure that this is what you want? Because you have to be certain. I like you Jesse, I really like you. But if you commit to me, and it turns out you didn't mean it... I'm not sure I could get over that."

Jesse St. James

Jesse watched the smile on her face, trying to resist a chuckle as the realisation dawned on her. Of course she was the only girl for him -- she was his better half in every way. He was incredibly lucky to get a second chance with her. Walking away from her earlier had been agony, and he wouldn't do it again. "You didn't need to know. You were happy, and I was patient," he replied teasingly, reaching out to take her hand. "I'm sure that this is what I want. I'm sure that you're what I want."

Shifting a little, Jesse lifted their hands, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of Rachel's hand. She deserved the world, and he was going to do everything he could to give it to her, no matter how strange it felt to be putting a label on a relationship with a girl for the first time. But she wasn't just a girl -- she was the girl. "I'm scared, too. But I trust you, and I trust how I feel about you. This can work, and -- I'm willing to take the risk even if it doesn't. I've never felt that way before. But you've always known you're special, Rachel Berry.”

Rachel Berry

Rachel blushed as Jesse kissed her hand, intertwining their fingers as he lowered them. "I trust you, too," she said, looking Jesse in the eyes. And she meant it. She knew that Jesse wasn't one for commitment, and she knew that the circumstances of their relationship were less than ideal. But Jesse waited for her. After all these years, after Finn. And while Rachel thought she was happy during that time, compared to this moment, it felt like nothing. They could make this work.

"You make me feel special," Rachel said, placing a hand on Jesse's shoulder and kissing him with conviction. But Jesse was wrong: Rachel knew she had a talent, but she never saw herself as wanted. Except here, in this moment. "Let's take the risk," she said as she pulled away. "I know this is new for you, and I know we have to sneak around, but we can figure this out together. And if you want, I can give you notes," she finished, her mouth turning into a flirtatious smile.

Jesse St. James

As Rachel said she trusted him, Jesse felt the weight of his decision -- of the commitment he was making. He held her feelings in his hands now, and he knew he had to do everything to protect them. Hurting her would be the worst thing in the world. About to reply when she kissed him, he was quickly distracted, all his anxiety melting away. He was just relieved to be kissing her again. This was definitely worth it. They were definitely worth it.

"Together. That's the important thing," Jesse agreed, squeezing her hand and letting his lips curl into a grin. God, he liked her so much. "I can't promise to be the best at this, but I can promise to try. And you know I'm a very attentive student. How much of my grade is going to be made up by quizzes? And are there ways to earn extra credit...?" he asked, leaning in to press a teasing kiss to the corner of her mouth. "I'm happy to put the hours in."

Rachel Berry

Rachel nodded at Jesse's words. They were a team now. They'd been a good team before, and they could do it again. Rachel had full faith in the two of them. And if this was a mistake, if they would fail, at least they'd fail pursuing their passion. "I've never met a single thing you're bad at, Jesse," Rachel said, fondness in her voice. "And anyways, I'm a very good teacher."

Giggling through Jesse's kiss, Rachel cupped her hands around the back of his neck. Any of the hurt and sadness from the past few hours had dissolved, leaving only a fluttering feeling in her chest. "Oh, there will be many pop quizzes," Rachel started, shifting on top of Jesse, "and your final grade with certainly depend on your performance on them. And as for extra credit--?" she raised a teasing eyebrow and bit her lip, "I think we can work something out." With a small laugh she leaned down and kissed Jesse again.

Jesse St. James

Jesse chuckled a little, tilting his head in concession. "You're not wrong. Maybe I am going to be a great boyfriend. Especially with such a great teacher." Boyfriend. He, Jesse St. James, was someone's boyfriend -- and he was ecstatic about it. As she moved to straddle him, Jesse felt a flush of heat, excitement stirring in him. At least the evening could get back on track now.

"I'd ace any quiz about you. And you've never had any complaints about my performance before," he grinned, hands sliding up her thighs as he leant in to meet her kiss. Their situation was complicated, but all it took was one flirtatious glance from her, and Jesse was hooked. He couldn't walk away from this. "So, teach... what are we going to do first?"

Rachel Berry

“I believe it’ll be impossible for us to fail,” Rachel replied, looking into Jesse’s eyes. She found him endearing in the moment— she was usually the one following his lead, looking up to him. This was a new side to Jesse, a vulnerable side. And she was happy to have accessed it.

“That’s true, you’re a straight A student so far,” Rachel smiled, a shiver going up her spine at Jesse’s touch. She placed a hand on his cheek, stroking her thumb across his skin for a moment, before sliding both her hands down his chest. “I think before we can officially start our lessons, you need to take a placement test. To see how much you already know.” She leaned in to kiss down Jesse’s neck, pressing her body against his. “It’s very important for boyfriends to be properly placed in the right course level.”

Jesse St. James

With Rachel having so much faith in them, it was hard for Jesse not to believe, too. After all -- they already knew everything about each other. They had great chemistry, compatible life goals... there was no reason to think that anything would go wrong. "Then I trust you," he replied, smiling softly. She was Rachel -- he was always safe with Rachel.

Leaning into her touch, Jesse watched her as she spoke, sliding his hands around to her back to pull her closer. "And what does the placement test entail?" he asked, biting his lip as Rachel's lips found his neck. It took him a few moments to be able to formulate his next sentence, deeply distracted. "I'm a high achiever, so you can really test me hard. I can handle it..."

Rachel Berry

The heat of their bodies so close to each other only cemented to Rachel how right their match was. She and Jesse were compatible on every level, and she felt a responsibility in making this work. Jesse trusted her, and she trusted him implicitly, as well. He was her best friend, and now so much more.

“It’s a very rigorous test— I don’t intend to go easy,” Rachel said with a smile. “Question one,” she started again, her fingers finding the hem of Jesse’s shirt and tugging it upwards, “what does a boyfriend do when a girlfriend does this?” Rachel let her hands graze across the skin of Jesse’s bare hip, leaning down again to meet his lips with her own.

Jesse St. James

Jesse kept his eyes on Rachel, a grin on his face as she spoke. He'd always thought Rachel was beautiful, but from the moment of their first kiss, something in him had ignited, and he couldn't get enough of her. Their chemistry was off the charts, and his skin tingled with her touch. Meeting her kiss happily, Jesse slid his hands under her shirt, pulling away for a brief moment to tug it over her head.

"Well..." he murmured, leaning in for more kisses, slow and contemplative. "Probably this." With a grin, Jesse flipped them suddenly, planting Rachel firmly on her back and covering her body with his. "You know, I had to learn French at school..." He kissed a path down her neck, continuing southwards as he hooked his fingers into the waistband of her skirt. "And I got an A+ in the aural..."

#ftf:jesse #jesse

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thenewgradianhq · 2 years ago

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WEEK 015: March 20th — March 26th

BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK:

MAR. 21st: Ashton Evans will turn 29!

MAR. 21st: Sam Evans will turn 29!

MAR. 26th: Jesse St James will turn 32!

EVENTS THIS WEEK:

No events this week!

TASKS THIS WEEK:

Please see below the cut for your pairings for this weeks random text pairings task — make sure to post your starter text before 6PM EST on Sunday 26th March!

Private messages containing your random anon match should have been sent and received! If you opted in but haven't received a DM from myself, please DM me ASAP!

TEXT PAIRINGS:

Alastair Wilde & Levi McClarington — [ @gradianalastair & @leviticxsmcc ]

Atticus Hummel & Enzo McIntosh — [ BLOG TBA & @mcintxshenzo ]

Auggie Abrams & Felix Wilde — [ @gradianauggie & @wildefelix ]

Cole Tolentino & Knox Smythe — [ @coltonmcc & @kncxsmy ]

Carlos Balmaceda & Tobias Wilde — [ @gradiancarlos & @txbiaswilde ]

Damian Rose & Hunter McClarington — [ @gradiandamian & @huntermcc ]

Dany Clarington & Remi Puckerman — [ @danyclxrtn & @remipxck ]

Elijah McCarthy & Emiliano Castillo — [ BLOG TBA & @emilixnocrc ]

JoJo Smythe & Max Rose — [ @jojosmxthe & @gradianmax ]

#gg;week: 015 #thenewgradianhqgazette

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jessestjamesnyc · 7 years ago

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4th July: Text Convo

DARIUS: Happy 4th of July, St. James! JESSE: I... thanks. Happy 4th of July to you and your son as well. JESSE: Are you drunk? DARIUS: Thanks, man. I think I've seen enough red, blue and white balloons to last a lifetime by now. DARIUS: Uh, no? Are you? JESSE: They're everywhere, it's crazy. If people cared this much about the country on any other day of the year, we wouldn't be in this current mess. JESSE: Not at the moment. All in good time. Sorry, I was just surprised to hear from you... thought you may have been drunk texting everybody in your phone. DARIUS: Indeed. I suppose they just wanna enjoy a fun day, because they never what's gonna happen the next. Not these days, at least. DARIUS: Ah, haha. It's fine, I get it. I just thought of saying hi and all that. See if you were okay. Are you? JESSE: Depressing, but accurate. I'll give you that. JESSE: Well, I can't say I'm excellent but I'm doing okay all things considered. JESSE: Thank you for checking in, but go enjoy your 4th of July with your son. I get the impression you don't get to see him as much as you'd like. DARIUS: I takes time To get over someone you love, but it gets there. DARIUS: I will. I am. But it doesn't take much time to check in for someone. DARIUS: You're doing anything on Sunday evening? JESSE: If you say so. Maybe one day I'll believe that. Hopefully. JESSE: Good, you shouldn't waste the time you have with him. But I appreciate the message. JESSE: Darius, I'm going to be perfectly honest and say that right now, I'm pretty much never doing anything. But I don't know if I can handle another drink at your club, no matter how good the bartender is. I think I need to abstain from alcohol for a little while. DARIUS: Haha, don't worry. I wouldn't let you go down that road either anyway. DARIUS: How about some good, old fashion italian ice cream? JESSE: I feel like as the club owner, you should probably want me to drink more of those ridiculous cocktails, but I appreciate that. JESSE: ... sure. That could be fun. And it'll get me out of the apartment again. DARIUS: That didn't sound so certain. DARIUS: You don't have to say yes to be polite. DARIUS: I'm butting in too much. Sorry. I'll leave you alone. JESSE: No, I wasn't just saying yes to be polite. Sorry, I was dealing with my agent about officially announcing what's going on with Rachel and I. JESSE: I just hesitated because I can't promise I'll be very good company. DARIUS: You're going public about it? Damn. That's a lot to deal with. DARIUS: It's okay. I understand that you want to be alone. JESSE: Yes, but I'm trying to look at it like ripping off a bandaid. Has to be done so... JESSE: It's not that, I just wouldn't be very interesting company and I feel like in your line of work you're used to some interesting people. JESSE: Raincheck? DARIUS: Sure.

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nycjessestjames · 7 years ago

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Cousin Meet Up || Chelsea, Louis and Jesse (Unfinished)

LOCATION: NYC

TIMING: September 08, Dinner

TAGGING: @chelseavictoriaxoxo, @whatifprincelouis & @nycjessestjames

Jesse: had been rushing around all day, finalising everything for his return to Broadway. He hadn't had time to go back to the apartment so had texted Chelsea to say he would meet her there, as he would be going straight from the theatre office. Truthfully, he was ... even ecstatic wouldn't cover the emotions. The past few months had been a turbulent time for him, and with his life pretty much going down the drain, he was working back. Having Chelsea staying with him had been such a huge boost to his mood, and he was glad not to be alone in the apartment anymore, especially being his baby sister. And now he was expecting a child, and going back on Broadway, meeting new people... after everything, he felt that maybe his life was getting back on track. Slowly, maybe, but it was getting there. For now though, Chelsea and Jesse had agreed to have a dinner to meet Louis in person. They'd all talked online, but discovering you had a secret cousin - and not a distant cousin, a first cousin - that also happened to be living in the same city as them, was bizarre enough. "Table for three, St James?" He asked the waiter at the door and he took him to the table, Jesse being the first one to arrive.

Louis: Time felt like it was going slowly though he found himself thinking back at the past few days he has spend in NYC. It was a bit of an eventful thing, finding family - getting lost and get in an argument with Darius. Maybe meeting Jesse wasn’t that much of a bad thing, he might need someone to talk with who will be honest and wouldn’t take his feelings in mind as much as a few others did. At least he could say he wasn’t truly alone, though his birthday made him feel like he lost something valuable. Perhaps that’s why he decided to listen to the voice in his mind that told him to appreciate the people he still had rather than the people he lost. Chelsea was brighter than he could imagine, yet she did hold a bit of a mature attitude in the way she talked. Jesse was pretty much a mystery to him, but it wasn’t hard to figure out why he was so upset. Perhaps he should take today as the opportunity to tell Jesse that he wouldn’t go after Darius heart anymore.

He wouldn’t do that with anyone, for a very important reason. When he had reflected on it, it had felt unfair - too soon. Perhaps even too much to hope for. Looking at his watch he decided that it was time enough to leave, the club wasn’t open and wouldn’t be for hours. He would easily recognize his cousin, before he closed his door he found himself checking if nothing was forgotten. He had taken his key, laptop was in his safe and he took his wallet with him. Seems like he had everything for a proper first meeting. What did he have to lose?

Jesse: Jesse sat at the table, his eyes scanning the restaurant almost constantly. He always felt uncomfortable, being the first to arrive, and even more so when he was meeting somebody he didn't know. Well, he supposed he knew Louis in a way, and he would recognise him with no problems, but he didn't know him. They'd never met, and - as far as he had been told - neither had Louis and Chelsea. He poured himself a glass of water, not wanting to order even a drink until somebody else was at least here, and pulled his phone out to see if there were any messages. From either Chelsea or Louis, or the production.

Louis: It wasn’t a place he had visited before but then again when Louis was thinking about it, he didn’t even explore NYC at all. His routine was groceries, apartment and Sassy Nights. Maybe he just needed to go out more, but then again he wasn’t the type to go to places on his own. When he entered he was asked if he had made a reservation, he frowned. He mumbled his cousin name hoping Jesse did in fact reserve and was guided to where Jesse was seated. “Already starting healthy?” He asked his cousin, not sure how to behave around this family member. Then again the Richardson family were a bit more polite and withdrawn in their first meetings.

Jesse: The voice startled Jesse out of his thoughts and he looked up to find the man he'd recently found to be his cousin standing beside the table. He looked down at the glass of water and laughed, "hardly. I've consumed my weight in Ben and Jerry’s over the last few months, I don't think one glass of water will help with that." He set the glass aside and then hesitated. He didn't know what people did in this situation, it wasn't exactly something one could Google. Clearing his throat, he stood up and offered his hand for Louis to shake. "I think we can skip the name introductions though."

Louis: There was a soft curl in his lips when he heard his cousin’s remark, then again he couldn’t really add much to it considering he had been trying to keep himself from eating the chocolate he had been given for his birthday. In a way it was torture as well, it was something he absolutely adored eating yet Darius told him not to overdo it. Ever since their last argument he actually listens to the man's advice. “Oh, so I don’t have to do the whole Hi I’m Louis anymore. It’s a bit of a shame.” He said with a more broad smile. “I guess the next step is me taking a seat.” He chuckled as he seated himself down. “Don’t worry if it’s awkward I take the full blame.”

Jesse: Jesse shrugged and sat down again as well, "it doesn't have to be awkward." He paused, and gave a quiet laugh, "okay, probably a little. I'm not exactly well versed in meeting secret cousins. But I'll try not to be an asshole because we're family and all." Glancing down at his watch, his brow furrowed in thought. Chelsea was larger than life, and she would immediately make the whole thing less awkward. Even if Jesse was used to being charming, there was just something different here. "Speaking of family, I'm sure Chelsea won't be long. She hasn't messaged to say she's running late but we're both a bit early anyway."

Louis: “Well, I could say the same but you weren’t a secret to me so..” Louis remarked, chewing on the inside of his cheek and sighed. “Honestly, you don’t have to be less assholy because of something like being family. I’d prefer if you were just honest.” He signed the waitress and ordered himself a coke. “Yeah I decided to come a little bit earlier since I managed to get lost the first few days - I could imagine it happening again with ease. New York is just..too big sometimes.” He smiled.

Jesse: "Mmm," Jesse hummed in response, and then shrugged a single shoulder, "perhaps. But I think my sister would - and probably could - skin my alive if I was a complete dickhead to you. And honestly, it's not that I enjoy being the asshole. Sometimes things just come out. But you-," he eyed Louis quizzically, "- you seem okay. As long as you're much the same in person as you are online, at least." He took a long drink of his water, and then cleared his throat again. He supposed if Chelsea wasn't going to be here, they could hardly just sit in silence. "So... how long have you been in New York then?"

Louis: Louis listened to Jesse, nodding a few times to assure his cousin he was listening. And in a way he understood - he was known as the black sheep at home. It wasn’t as if he did it on purpose but he was just different from the rest of his family. He couldn’t fulfil their expectations. “That’s a careful judgement for a few conversations we’ve had.” He said smiling when his drink arrived. “I’ve been here for over a week - took me two years to arrive but I managed to finally get here. It wasn’t always fun doing business over Skype calls. But there wasn’t much of a choice. I’m just glad to finally be able to continue Sassy Night with the ability of seeing what happens. Not that Darius didn’t do an amazing job, it’s just different if you see the place with your own eyes.”

Jesse: "Only a week?" Jesse asked, surprised, "I thought... we first spoke nearly three weeks ago. Chelsea had only just moved in, I'm sure of it." When Louis mentioned Darius, he pressed his lips together and looked down, "Darius does seem like a great manager... he was very helpful when we first met at the club. I was going through a bit of a rough time after Rachel and I filed for divorce. He was nice. He's a good manager, you should keep him around." He paused, and then swallowed the apprehensive feeling he wasn't even sure why he had, "and probably stop pissing him off if you're planning to confess your undying love to him."

Louis: “Well I never been one to keep track of time, which kind of tells me I need to stop my routine and focus more on social things - or I need to buy myself a calendar.” He smiled. That smile widened when he sensed something off his cousin. “You really like him do you, well I can’t blame you - but if it makes you happy. The confession won’t be made in the first place - “ He sighed deeply before adding. “I think you would be a better match than I do - plus I’m not really sure it’s a good idea for me to focus on things like...fondness over someone. Don’t worry too much.”

Jesse: Jesse's gaze snapped up to Louis' and he gave him a weird look. "I mean. He's my friend, I think. And he's a good man. I'm not... I'm not interested in him. Not like that." He gave a choked off laugh and shook his head, "I'm not... I'm... you know, I just ended a marriage. I'm not looking to date anybody. I just don't want him to get hurt. That's... that's all." His voice was certain.

Louis: “Well let me just tell you that if you do however end up having those feelings for Darius. Don't feel like you shouldn't and if you do like him. Tell him.” Louis smile faltered for a moment. “Trust me when I say there is no bigger regret in life than not telling the one you love you loved them. Because you never know if you can tell them the next day.”

---

Jesse: Jesse just shook his head, "I don't like anybody. Except Rachel maybe but honestly, even then... I don't know. I don't really even think of her anymore. When we first separated, all I could do was think of Rachel and how I wasn't going to get her back. It’s not really public knowledge, and I don’t want it to be public knowledge, but you’re family and I trust you won’t say anything. She had an affair and I knew she was going to move on like our marriage had meant nothing. And it hurt and I wanted things to go back to like they were. But now, I don't think of her like that. I think I need to take some time for myself before I even begin to think about committing to anybody else. "If you say that, why didn't you tell them then? Or if you're talking about Darius, why don't you tell him?"

Louis: “Well you surely had a lot to deal with, a divorce is painful but I think you might be right when you say you should give yourself time.” Louis nodded. “I am glad you told your maybe cousin this story.” It was a soft tease , something to make this conversation less well it certainly left a heavy undertone. “I guess to know my reason I might need to explain why it took me two years to get to New York City in the first place.”

“My parents are incredible people, they are involved with charity. Their children are smart and they are happy with each other. But they wanted me to marry a girl, get a law degree and play the part so well that they could decide who to love and who to have as a friend. They tired me out mentally.”

He smiled. “The first person I fell in love with was actually my best friend. He was sarcastic and direct and he honestly was a nice person. But he knew my parents well enough to know that as long as I remained in that house we never could be together. He never told me untill I got his letter.”

He took a sip of his glas his hold tightening against it as he forced his next words out. “He died two years ago due to an illness- we were planning to open sassy night as a club for everyone. Where no one should feel worried about who they are and where they came from. What music they listen or what clothes they wear. It was a combined dream. Like always he gave me the push to move forward to stop being a coward and be honest to myself.”

“So that advice is from own experience.”

Jesse: Jesse looked down and gave a single nod, "well. I'm sorry to hear that. About your friend. And your family not really understanding. Your mom seems very different from my Dad, but knowing about his childhood, I’m sure she wasn’t always like that. Because I'm fortunate that my parents were rather supportive of what Chelsea and I wanted to do. I've never told them that I'm..." He trailed off. He'd maybe said it to Darius recently, but he wasn't really ready to tell the world. Even if their conversation just moments earlier showed that Louis probably knew regardless. "It doesn't matter. I'm sure they'd be fine regardless." He paused and then offered Louis a brief, almost sad, smile "I'm sure your friend knew. That you loved him."

Louis: “He did, he actually pretty much rubbed it in my face in his final letter.” He couldn’t help but laugh. “But that just was how Ian was, he was the type of guy that could make you accept your weaknesses and certain other things by twisting them.” “And well my mom is unique on her own - I think she would be the only person I might tell the truth too - after all she did get the whole backlash after marrying my dad.She is a romantic at heart, I feel like she wouldn’t be the one to judge me if I told. My dad is a different story. He is prideful. I find it foolish at time.” He rolled his eyes. “But in the case of Darius, I highly doubt it is mutual - And I feel like sometimes it’s better not to tell.”

Jesse: Jesse gave a soft laugh and nodded, “sounds like he put you on the right track then, even after death. And Sassy Nights is very popular. The few times I’ve been there, it’s always busy. They had a pride event there in June… I think every man and his dog went.” He shrugged, pouring himself more of his water and glancing down at his watch. Chelsea would no doubt be here soon. The time they had agreed to meet had passed by a few minutes now, and she hadn’t messaged to say otherwise. “I’m guessing because I sadly have no royal blood in me - though I think that’s up for debate - that your father is the one with the royal bloodline? Since my father certainly doesn’t know anything about that. That probably explains the foolish pride.”

Louis: “He was a man who knew how to use his words that was true. And actually that’s because Darius simply is that hard working - he was hired by the both of us so we knew he was capable - I just regret it took me that long to claim my position as the boss. However I was grieving so even if I went I wouldn’t have been a great help.”

“And yeah the royal blood flows in my dad’s veins - but let’s be real. We have presidents he is just as royal as a rock now.” He huffed slightly. “He can be a prick - he judges people at times and his expectations are not realistic in the slightest.”

“I think you and Chelsea might be the more normal minded people out of the family. Well my mom is too, it seems like our caring and human side comes from the ST. James part of the family. Talking about that side...Where is Chelsea?”

Jesse: “Well… I mean, technically the manager is still the boss. Or a boss,” Jesse replied with a shrug, “not to you, of course, but he’s the manager. His job is the be the boss of everybody else when you’re not there so… it’s fair enough the employees see him as their boss. It’s not like a one boss only type situation. Isn’t it better they respect both of you as the boss, as opposed to just you coming in and trying to remind everybody you’re the only boss?”

Jesse snorted, “right. I think you’ll find some people will tell you I’m an asshole and only an asshole.” He sounded mildly bitter with those words, and it was obvious he was referring to specific people. Or a specific person. “And I don’t know. She should be here soon. She hasn’t messaged to say she’s running late so she’s probably nearly here.”

Chelsea: Chelsea left the rehearsal studio and headed to meet her brother and Louis for lunch. The brunette got a cab to the restaurant and walked inside. She looked around to find her brother and Louis but there was a lot of people but she spotted Jesse finally and walked over, “hey boys! Sorry i’m so late rehearsal lasted longer than expected today. Anyway it’s so so good* to see you Louis.”

Louis: Louis turned to greet her with a smile. "Well if it isn't my favorite cousin." He couldn't help but stuck out his tongue at Jesse and winked. "It's nice to see you again Chelsea - It gives me the time to formally wish you congrats on getting the role of Anna in Frozen. As someone who is a fan of Disney I couldn't help but get you a little something to celebrate." He looked into his bag that he had taken with him and gave her his gift for her. He then smiled. "It's nice to have the family together - though it certainly isn't everyone it sure feels a lot brighter now." He grinned.

Jesse: Jesse rolled his eyes at Louis' words, shaking his head. The man was ridiculous, but Jesse could see them - and Chelsea - becoming not just cousins, but friends. "I didn't get a gift," he said petulantly, crossing his arms, "he's playing favourites for sure." He stood up and gave his sister a quick hug and they all sat down at the table. "And don't worry about being late, Louis and I were just getting to know each other and neither one of us as killed the other yet, so I'm sure we'll be fine." He winked at Chelsea. It was still weird, having discovered a whole family they didn't even know about until recently. Louis was their cousin - and not even some distant cousin, their first cousin - and they'd never even heard of him until a couple of weeks earlier.

Chelsea: Chelsea gave her cousin Louis a big hug and smiled big, "It's been way too long." Taking the gift from Louis she opened it and gasped, "Louis it's beautiful! Thank you!" The brunette looked at her brother and walked over to hug him, "hey Jesse and you already gave me a gift, remember? The gift of becoming an aunt." Chelsea was happy her brother and cousin were getting along well and she sat down at the table. "Shall we order food?'

Louis: "Well I can't completely say I'm playing favorites because I've got something for Jesse as well." Louis laughed as Chelsea greeted him. "I'm glad you liked it - I'm a Disney fan so I might have a bit of an collection of these. But I generally have a thing with musicboxes and antique." He smiled. "Yeah, I'm actually getting a bit hungry."

Jesse: Jesse chuckled, "I meant where's my gift from Louis. He didn't bring me anything. I'm a gift in your life as itself." He grinned at Chelsea, their sibling banter being all too familiar between the two of them, and Bradley when they were younger. As much as he loved his younger brother too, it had been nice, living with Chelsea as adults. It was different from when they were kids, but not in a bad way. His brain caught up to what Louis had said, "By all means, feel free to give me this gift at any time. I do agree though, food first." They looked over the menus and soon enough, called over the waiter to place both their drinks and food order.

Louis: Louis rolled his eyes, digging into his bag once again and gave his cousin the gift he had bought him as well. "There you go, telling I didn't bring you anything. Rude and here I was thinking we were bonding." He smiled, looking at both siblings. It made him remember his sister, in a way he hated how they didn't talk anymore. "Honestly I know it might be early but I'm ordering the mac and cheese."

Chelsea: Chelsea looked over the menu and decided on what she wanted, "I'm going to go with a simple grilled chicken salad. Gotta stay away from the carbs so I can fit in my costume." The waiter came over to the table and took orders from everyone. Chelsea took a sip of water and looked at her cousin, "So Louis how long are you in NY for? Where are you staying?" The brunette looked at her brother, "So any luck finding a new apartment? I've been looking for my own place and i'm actually going to see a place after this." Chelsea knew it would be hard to find an apartment that allowed dogs but she was determined to find one.

Jesse: Jesse couldn't help but laugh at the snowglobe Louis presented to him, "very funny. I'll have you know, I'm going to look way better in my costume than that. But thank you. I appreciate it." He set it on the table next to Chelsea's Frozen one. When Chelsea ordered her food he frowned at her words, but didn't say anything. "Beef burger, extra bacon. Aioli with the fries, thank you." He passed the menu back to the waiter as he left. "Yes, actually. I saw a place today I think will be good. They allow pets so you and Sirius are both welcome to be there too. But I have to go back next week to have another look before I sign anything."

Louis: Louis grinned as he heard Jesse's reaction and smirked. "I'm sure you will look amazing in the hatter costume and do a job. I'm supporting the both of you so as soon as the tickets are for sale I'm ordering one." He looked at Chelsea and smiled. "Apparently longer than I thought - about a month. I have my own place - It also allows pets but I don't own any."

Chelsea: Chelsea smiled hearing her cousin speak, “well we have to hangout more often now that you’re closer.” The food came to the table and everything looked good. Chelsea ate some of her salad, “your foods look really good and smell good too.” As Chelsea was eating she then realized that she forgot to put Sirius in his crate and she knew Jesse would killer her if the dog got into anything, “So Jesse please don’t kill me but I was running a little late and totally forgot to pit Sirius in his crate..” She nervously laughed awaiting her old brothers reaction. She looked at Louis with a help me kind of look.

Jesse: Jesse laughed, "what do you mean now he's closer? More like now we know he exists. It wasn't like Dad knew his sister had kids. No offence," he said, directing the last two words at Louis though it wasn't like the other man was unaware the St. James' has no idea the Richardsons even existed until the past couple of weeks. He let out a sigh at Chelsea's words, shaking his head, "he's a good dog, so as long as he doesn't damage the apartment, it'll be fine. I don't care if he chews the furniture or anything, I'm getting rid of all of it when we sell the apartment anyway. And pretty much all the important things are in boxes now."

Louis: "Don't worry Jesse, I'll always be your maybe cousin." He couldn't help but these Jesse about their first conversation. "I'm not opposed to it after all we are family, and you both are more than welcome at my place. That includes the cute dog I've seen in your post Chelsea - "Was it a Harry potter reference, if it was you got yourself some brownie points with me." He grinned. "All food looks tasty, I don't have to worry about work since the club opens till late at night. I should have checked if the guys had free days but with this planning I forgot - so if I rudely start typing on my phone, it's just to check if I am supposed to turn off the alarm."

Chelsea: Chelsea was relieved her brother was mad about the dog. Looking at Louis, “he is named after Sirius Black from Harry Potter. I’d love to come to your club sometime to see it.” Chelsea barely touched her salad as she wasn’t that hungry. “So when are we moving Jesse? I still have to pack my room up and what not.”

Jesse: Jesse looked over at Louis and nodded, "it's fine. The club must be pretty busy then?" He shook his head at the mention of Chelsea's dog's name, smiling, "yes, and he's a little terror. Don't get me wrong, Chels, he's a great dog... but I really liked those shoes." He stuck his bottom lip out in a pout because if anyone could pull off the petulant pout, it was him. "You're not eating your salad," he commented, watching her, "did you want some fries?"

Louis: He smiled as he watched the siblings interact, it made him remember the siblings he left at home. Mostly his sister - at times it was hard to hear nothing of her especially of all siblings Isabelle was the one he was most close with. It made him focus on the food, nod slightly but not say much into their conversation. There was something that bothered him about his job lately and it was a bit of a tough situation to discuss. In a few weeks he'd have to go back to his hometown to see Ian again, and he wasn't looking forward to it that much. "If you need help with the move I'd gladly help - if it's packing or carrying anything just ask and we can arrange when."

Chelsea: Chelsea looked at her brother, “i’ll but you new shoes don’t worry and he isn’t a terror he’s a baby who is teething and needs to chew. No fries i’ll eat more salad.” She took a bite of her salad and a drink of water. “So Louis if you aren’t busy after this you should come meet Sirius. He’d love you.” Chelsea’s phone buzzed and she answered the call and it was the landlord of their current apartment, “i’m so sorry i’ll be home soon” the girl said. “Jesse I got to go Sirius is barking up a storm and the landlord is getting annoyed. He threatened to call animal control if I don’t keep him quiet. Lovely seeing you again Louis.” Chelsea grabbed her stuff and hugged Jesse.

Jesse: Jesse smiled at Louis, "thanks. We may take you up on that offer, I haven't owned a car in years. There was never much of a point in the city." He was surprised when Chelsea stood up to leave, and he set his burger down, "did you need me to come too?"

Louis: Louis nodded. "If you'd like we can all go to meet Sirius after we finish dinner here? Though I can imagine Sirius will bark since I'm still a stranger. It was nice seeing you Chels." He then looked at Jesse and smiled. "No problem, my car is in my garage so I'd be happy to lend it out for your moving day, I think the jeep has more space than my sportcar."

Chelsea: Chelsea looked at her brother, “you better come incase the landlord starts with me when I get to the apartment building.” Chelsea asks for the check and smiles at Louis, “he’ll warm right up to you after a good sniffing “ The brunette said gigling. Chelsea was worried the dog got into things in the apartment which was making her nervous. The waitress came with the check and placed it on the table, “split three ways?” Chelsea asked?

Jesse: Jesse quickly finished off the last of his burger, picking at a couple of the fries that were left and then dusted off his hands. He'd expected to sit around for a little bit at the restaurant, maybe get some dessert, but he'd convinced the building manager to let Sirius stay in the apartment while they were selling, so he knew that they had to abide by the restrictions he'd put in place when he agreed. "Okay, I'm coming. You coming to meet Sirius, Louis? And it's fine, I've got the bill this time. Maybe we can make this a semi regular thing then."

Louis: "Yeah I'm following you give me a second to have me pack my food- It'll be my food for later." He said as he walked to the counter, having it packed and returned. "Did any of you come by car? I got mine parked outside - I can drive you to the flat it'll be quicker?" He asked both Chelsea and Jesse. He was pretty excited to meet the dog, but that was because he kept thinking of getting an therapy dog for himself.

#parawhatif #whatifprincelouis #chelseavictoriaxoxo #// i feel like too much time has passed for us to get back to this so i posted it - hope that's okay haha

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smythehq · 1 year ago

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📲 sebastian x jesse

sebastian: i'll call a truce on one condition. @jessetm

#( timeline: week two )#( interaction: text messages )#( text messages: jesse st. james )#( talking to: jesse st. james )

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christophersonhq · 1 year ago

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📲 kc & jesse

kc: i still can't believe we pulled this off. i gotta hand it to you, your connections really paid off. kc: thanks for doing this with me. i know you have a lot of plans, but this was all i had, and i've put everything into it. kc: if you ever need a favor, i got you. @jessetm

#( interaction: text messages )#( text messages: jesse st. james )#( talking to: jesse st. james )#( timeline: week eight )

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what-if-rpg · 5 years ago

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Welcome to the family, DEX! Your application to JESSE ST. JAMES was accepted. I am really happy to have you around! Make sure to read the beginners checklist, and remember, have fun! I can’t wait to roleplay with you! Have fun!

IN CHARACTER

CHARACTER NAME: Jesse St. James CHARACTER AGE & DATE OF BIRTH: June 30th 1990, 29 OCCUPATION: Broadway Actor & Director FACE CLAIM: Jonathan Groff HOMETOWN: Lima, Ohio. CITY WHERE LIVES NOW: New York and Los Angeles. SEXUAL ORIENTATION & GENDER: Bisexual Cis-Male. RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Engaged to Cooper Anderson. POSITIVE TRAITS: + dedicated, + expressive, + imaginative NEGATIVE TRAITS: - arrogant, - bossy, - harsh CHARACTER QUOTE/LYRIC: “I remember when I used to be nervous.”

HEADCANONS

Jesse tries to be a good dad. However, he gets too caught up in his work. He is largely absent from Moriah’s life, but he cares about her more than anything. He will always make her Birthday, always send her a card during Hanukkah and tries to remember whatever she’s currently into. More recently he’s had a change of heart, he’s growing into his role as a father and wants to be active in her life. For her future, he wants her to go on and be a Broadway star; Jesse can sometimes be a bit pushy towards that.

During his marriage, Jesse fell for a charming nitwit on Broadway, Cooper Anderson. The two were in a show together and it was celebrating their cast party that they kissed, and Jesse realised he had feelings for men as well as women. He started dating Cooper in secret, he tried to ignore the situation rather than confront it to ease his thoughts on cheating. It became tricky trying to convince the eagle=eyed theatre fans when they noticed the flirty chemistry..After his divorce, Jesse officially started dating Cooper.

He never knew his real father and his mother never spoke of him. From what he can remember, his relationship with his mom was rough. She was always working and whenever he got to see her, she would be sleeping. Leaving him to find ways to entertain himself. The main escape he had was Disney movies. He adored Disney as a child as it was his main dependency. He loved pretending to be Tarzan, Hercules and Captain Hook. Sure, Hook was a villain, but he was a damn fun villain. And, what? Was he going to be Simba? No thanks, way too much fur.

Complications happened with his birth mother when Jesse was four years old and he was placed into a Foster Home. It took a year before he would come to learn he would not be seeing his birth mother again and was placed with the St. James family. They were wealthy and always encouraged Jesse to pursue what made him happy.

His love for acting formed from the movies he loved to watch. Originally, he wanted to play Captain Hook at Disneyland. This was before he learnt he was talented and had a decent chance of making it within the theatre world.

Jesse and Cooper became a Broadway tag team, the two seemed to always end up in the same shows and rumours began that the two were dating. He wasn’t sure how or why, but the people loved the idea of him and Cooper being a thing. While the two never really saw the appeal and interest they soon realised it was better for their careers to feed into this fantasy. From then on they were known as The Broadway Couple.

CONNECTIONS

PARENTS: Francesca and Gordon St. James: The two fostered Jesse when he was five years old. They have always supported their son in everything he has ever done. He is definitely closer to Fran as he always enjoyed cuddling up with her and watching Disney; even when he was probably too old to be having Disney marathons with his Mom. He respects his dad but they are distant. BROTHER: Jasper St. James: His younger brother seemed to grow up idolising his older brother. Jesse loved the attention but definitely didn’t always return it as maybe he should have. He learnt, when he was seventeen, that his brother had an addiction. Jesse started to try to take a more active part in his brother’s life, but found he was often pushed away or wasn’t prepared to handle the effects of a sibling with a drug problem. SISTER: Chelsea St. James: Chelsea has always been closer to Jesse than their brother Jasper. He adored having a younger sister and would often help her with her career. He wants her to have a good relationship with his loved ones. FIANCE: Cooper Anderson: The two have always had an interesting relationship. From the moment that little nitwit, in dire need of direction and pointers, joined their Les Miserables cast, Jesse found a new project to work on. They went on to spend performance night after performance night with one another but eventually, Jesse found himself having feelings for Cooper. Those feelings didn’t materialise and deepen until they shared a drunken kiss at a cast party. Before long he was looking at the man who shared his dressing room in a new light. It was confusing at first but soon they found themselves lost in stolen nights and hidden kisses. Jesse was conflicted when it came to his marriage so he pretended to ignore the situation. It wasn’t until Rachel confronted him about her own affair that he confessed he was doing the same. Then, did Jesse immediately move into Cooper’s apartment. The two can bicker and get on each other’s nerves but deep down, Jesse does love Cooper. From then on, the two began their own life, pursuing their careers in each coast of America. A few months after Jesse proposed to Cooper did he suggest they start a new chapter in fostering. Jesse wanted to better himself as a father and begin to start a family with this man he called home. He got used to the teenage attitude and Jesse does have a love for the girl, maybe he’s not so bad at this father thing after all. Things weren’t all happy sailing. Since their engagement in September, Jesse and Cooper have faced constant bombardment from press and gossip-seekers alike. The constant comments, withheld callers and general harassment led to early nights and distant feelings. He regrets taking out the frustration on their relationship. Troubles tested them and it became real when he saw the same look behind Cooper’s smile, they both knew; no matter how much they tried to be strong for their foster-child. He hated seeing them depart for New York and it’s been hard adjusting to life on his own. Jesse doesn’t know where things stand, he doesn’t know where they stand. Calls and texts are the sticky-tape that holds their relationship together but Jesse fears the “what’s next..” He doesn’t know how he can cope with a relationship that spans fifty states. EX-WIFE: Rachel Berry: Jesse and Rachel lived a very beautiful love story. After being high school sweethearts for a couple of months, Rachel and Jesse met again and decided it was time to really get together, and maybe try to live their Romeo and Juliette love story. But like those star crossed lovers, Jesse and Rachel’s happily ever after was not to be. Their marriage came to an end after Rachel confessed her feelings for (an affair with) Quinn and ironically, Jesse came clean about his affair with Cooper. The two are currently working together for the sake of their daughter, Moriah. DAUGHTER: Moriah James Berry: Jesse wasn’t ready for fatherhood. He thought he was but when Moriah was born, he couldn’t help but feel vulnerable, unprepared and a failure. He loves her with all of his heart and would do anything to make her happy, but he has a tendency to put his work before anything else. Jesse wants to be a better father for her, but he has a lot to work on with himself first. He has never been one to try and fix other people, he just prays he will never have to try and fix Moriah. As of recent months Jesse has noticed a change in himself. He catches himself looking forward to Moriah’s visits more and more. He feels like he’s come on in his role as a father to both of his daughters, foster and biological. Jesse wants to make more of an effort to be in her life; to give her the father he knows she deserves. FRIEND: Quinn Fabray: Jesse respects Quinn. While he was unemployed in Los Angeles, he took up culinary classes and learned how to bake and cook various meals. He often messages Quinn for new ideas on recipes. When he comes to visit, he brings cookies or other baked goods for Moriah and takes suggestions too. Since relocating to LA, he has taken a new role as a show choir director. The kids are lazy and their lack of interest frustrates Jesse. He is planning on asking Quinn to stop by one of their rehearsals to try and motivate them as a past glee club member. Other than that, Jesse and Quinn like to discuss directing techniques together.

#Jesse St. James #Glee RP #Glee RPG #RP #RPG #Accepted

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kriskubed · 8 years ago

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Klaine Advent 2017 - Stir

Post-canon, pre-baby

AO3

Kurt and Blaine were enjoying a lazy Monday morning at home, putting off the inevitable chores and errands that needed to be done and lingering over their coffee, Blaine on the couch with a book propped up on his knees and Kurt tucked on the window seat sketching.

Blaine’s phone buzzed on the coffee table and he reached for it, opening a text from Cooper:

Have you checked your Twitter lately? You should check your Twitter.

Puzzled, Blaine swiped over to the app and opened it. His notifications were marked 20+, but that was nothing unusual. He tried to post things for his Broadway fans every few days, and that always generated likes and comments. But this time as he scrolled through his mentions there were definitely more than usual. Some were directed solely at him, others included Kurt, and all seemed to include some form of the word “congratulations.” As he continued scanning the messages the words “you’ll be great dads” suddenly jumped out at him. But only their close friends knew that Rachel was carrying their baby. They hadn’t announced anything publicly yet.

“Hey, Kurt, you should come see this,” he said.

Kurt looked up curiously then moved to sit beside Blaine, who passed him his phone.

“But how…?” Kurt said as he took in what was happening.

“I have no i…” But Blaine interrupted himself mid-word as he noticed the headline on the link attached to one of the messages. “Well, that explains it. Here, look.” He tapped at it and a blog post popped up:

Broadway Baby Bump!

Rumors have been rampant for months speculating that Broadway’s darling Rachel Berry (Funny Girl, Jane Austen Sings) and her actor/director hubby Jesse St. James are expecting their first baby. Turns out Rachel is expecting, but not with Jesse! Sources confirm that Rachel is carrying the baby for fellow Broadway favorites (and her former high school classmates) Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson (both currently starring in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe? ). Congratulations to the dads-to-be!

Kurt scrolled down to the comments underneath, which were filled with even more excitement and congratulatory messages.

“Wow. Who knew this would cause such a stir? And who are these ‘sources’?” Kurt wondered. “People seem to be happy for us, but I’m not sure I like being outed like that.”

“I don’t mind that people know, but yeah, it would have been nice to have been the ones to announce it,” Blaine said. He searched his memory trying to recall if they’d mentioned it to anyone who might have had reason to leak the news.

“I wonder if…” they looked at each other knowingly. “Rachel,” they said aloud together. She had always been one to create buzz for herself.

Kurt picked up his own phone and quickly dialed, leaving it on speaker so Blaine could hear. He used his sweetest tone when she answered.

“Rachel, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about the Broadway blogs picking up the news that you’re carrying our baby, would you?”

“What?! No, of course I - “ Rachel started to protest, but was interrupted by Kurt’s admonishing voice.

“Rachel…”

“Ok, fine, I did it. I’m sorry, I should have asked you guys first. I hope you don’t hate me. Tony nominations are due soon and I thought it couldn’t hurt for people to know what a selfless thing I’m doing. Plus people really have been starting to guess and I felt bad for Jesse, because of course people would assume the baby is ours.”

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other and shook their heads. They wanted to be mad, but they’d been friends with Rachel for too long for this to faze them much. Yes, she’d stolen their thunder, but that was really nothing new either.

“It’s ok, Rach,” Blaine said. “But maybe let us put out our response first before you address it, ok?”

“Of course, whatever you want. I won’t say anything until you do.”

“Thank you. We’ll call you later,” Kurt said, ending the call. Then he turned to Blaine. “Well, I guess we have an announcement to make, how should we do this?”

They debated their options and decided to keep it simple. Kurt went to grab a tiny onesie from the stash of baby items they’d been slowly accumulating. On its front were the words “My daddies love me” enclosed in a rainbow heart. He and Blaine leaned in close together, the onesie draped over their shoulders where they touched, and Kurt snapped a selfie of the two of them smiling broadly. Together they composed a caption and together they each posted the photo to their own Twitter accounts:

It’s true! We’re expecting an addition to our family and couldn’t be happier! Thank you all for your congratulations and well-wishes!

Then they wisely turned off their notifications and went back to savoring their lazy day.

#klaine advent 2017 #klaine advent: stir

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gleekto · 6 years ago

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All In the Past (12/13)

Prompt: You were the bane of my existence in high school but now we’re going to college together AU

Cheerio!Kurt/ Jock-Football!Blaine

Summary: Kurt Hummel is tolerating his senior year of high school. He’s head cheerio, which affords him some protection from the hamhock bullies who ruined his designer knock offs in his first few years. He can manage his one last year with that new charming transfer student, Blaine Anderson. swooping into his school, rising to popularity, and completely ignoring him. Next year he’ll be free from a world where everyone is afraid of the gay kid.

He just didn’t expect Blaine Anderson to swoop into his college world too.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11

Part 12: News

They still have two days before they leave for homecoming when Rachel makes the post on her Facebook page.

Rachel Berry is dating Jesse St. James.

She shows Kurt the messages flooding in fast and furious.

So sorry about you and Blaine.

What about Blaine?

You scored the former lead vocalist of Vocal Adrenaline?! Great news! Or is this great news?! Is Blaine okay?

You’re both still coming to Homecoming, right?

Later she posts a picture of her and Blaine together smiling, each making a thumbs up. Blaine and I are all good. We’re better off as friends! We’ll see you at Homecoming!

Blaine leans over their table in the cafeteria to show Kurt the post which was followed by 20 likes and numerous thumbs up emojis. “So you’re really doing this, huh?”

“We are. Yeah,” Blaine says.

“I don’t need credit for your coming out.”

“Wouldn’t be worth it otherwise,” Blaine shrugs. “Though I do look forward to the looks on Karofsky’s and Azimio’s faces,” Blaine sighs almost happily.

“You’re not scared?”

“I’m scared,” Blaine says matter of factly. He takes Kurt’s hand across the table and interlaces their fingers. “But I also don’t care.”

It’s been three days since they slept together. Three days of Blaine’s texts -

Can you meet me? Need to copy your sheet music from last week before glee club

Ran into Jenny on campus. She was so thankful - I think we did a good job ;)

Winky emoji. But he’ll forgive him. Mostly because that text was quickly followed by Only you could pull off that white strait jacket shirt. So hot. And then “I’m willing to watch you escape....Too much?” Kurt laughed out loud in the otherwise quiet library and quickly stopped himself.

Lucky for you, you have one get out of jail free card, Kurt texted back.

Blaine also called him on both nights “to plot the homecoming reveal” but they ended up talking until 2am. They went through the requisite opinions on professors versus McKinley teachers, Kurt wondering at how Blaine put up with that dweeb Mr. Schuester all year. Though Blaine had a point that Kurt had put up with Coach Sue - Didn’t she call you Lady Hummel?

“That was Santana,” Kurt laughed fondly. “But I warned her to stop or else I would drop her from top of the cheer pyramid. Sue just called me Porcelain.”

“You’re anything but fragile.” Blaine was already defending his honor. Unnecessary but kind of nice.

“Because of my ghost white skin.”

“Mmmm,” Blaine hummed. “That’s not that bad.”

“Santana was worse. Be warned, when she finds out about this - God-” Kurt stops.

“What?”

“Let’s just say to expect inappropriate questions about what I look like naked.”

“I like what you look like naked.” Blaine didn’t miss beat.

“Blaine.”

“Am I embarrassing you?” The voice at the other end of the line was surprisingly relaxed.

“Not really,” Kurt huffed. “Sort of.” He heard Blaine hum affirmatively, inevitably thinking it was cute. Forget that. “You can go on.”

“Go on?” Blaine sounded surprised, pleasantly.

“Well, I’ve got to know exactly what you plan to say to Santana about my porcelain white body.”

“I can’t figure out if you’re actually shy or not,” Blaine said as if that was an answer. Kurt was pleased. He may have nerves but he likes this feeling and he will just breathe through whatever jitters arise if the result is hearing Blaine swoon over him. His body. God, it’s so weird. But amazing.

“I’m an enigma,” Kurt said. “Go on.” He heard Blaine’s breath shiver.

“I can’t wait to see your body again,” Blaine answered this time. “I’ve been thinking about it.”

“Me too,” Kurt interrupted in a moment of well-faked boldness. Blaine continued so it must have been okay.

“I want to do what I did again. And more.” And more.

“I’ll do it to you too next time,” Kurt quickly defended. “What you did, I mean.” Kurt was so red, he was eternally grateful Blaine couldn’t see.

Blaine’s breath hitched again. “I’ll go to sleep thinking about it,” Blaine said quietly before the call ended.

How the hell was he supposed to go to sleep? He didn’t, obviously.

Kurt now looks around them at the bustling students crowding the cafeteria, paying no attention to them just sitting there holding hands. The whole scene is novel for Kurt, his eyes flitting everywhere confirming the ordinariness of it. But Blaine is cool as a cucumber, eyes only on him.

“You’re really not tortured about this gay thing, are you?”

Blaine laughs. “I was never tortured about this gay thing. And definitely not tortured about this gay thing,” Blaine squeezes his hand. “The closet was torture. Especially with you in that red stretchy McKinley cheerleading uniform-”

“Kurt, Blaine!” Matt from the LGBT Centre. Matt of the ill-advised matchmaking.

“Oh my god,” Kurt quickly grabs his hand back. He’s been caught.

“Glad to see there were no fights at the shift the other night,” He winks. As if he knew the whole time. “Or you know, maybe there were. Whatever works for you.”

“Shut up, Matt.” Kurt sighs.

“Turns out you actually like him, right?” Matt is enjoying this way too much.

“Turns out,” Kurt blushes.

“Nobody wants to be on the wrong side of that wrath,” Blaine adds.

Matt laughs, “Think I might’ve been for all those shift set-ups. But now you can just say I have great intuition, right Kurt?” Kurt rolls his eyes. “Just remember to send an invite to the wedding.” Matt claps them both on the shoulder and practically skips away.

“Just so we’re clear, I’m not ready to get married,” Blaine says, half in jest, all in earnest.

“How about you start actually talking to me with our high school friends and then we’ll talk venues,” Kurt deadpans as his phone buzzes. “Speaking of which-” Kurt holds up his phone for Blaine to see Santana’s text.

Santana: Given that I’m leaving the Greek islands to return to the world’s most boring town, I assume that at least you’ll be there to provide a little New York intrigue at our Cheerios pre-party at Quinn’s?

Kurt: I’ll be there.

And I’m bringing someone.

He looks at Blaine before he hits send. Blaine nods, and then it’s done. Barely ten seconds go by before Santana buzzes five times in a row.

A GUY?

WITH YOU?

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

GET IT, KURT!

I DIDN’T KNOW YOU HAD IT IN YOU.

WHO IS HE?

Kurt smirks down at the phone, satisfied.

Yes, a guy.

He goes to NYU.

Be nice. Or I”ll never provide New York intrigue in our boring town again.

Kurt has never been one to shy away from a dramatic entrance.

#gleekto writes #this was a fun one #all in the past

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