love like fools ➙ glee

forty-four ; bella notte.

trigger warning: very heavy implication of an E.D. in the conclusion of this chapter. there will be " *** " when this section begins.

. . .

"Gather 'round ye boys and girls, listen ye to my tale of two boys and one girl, but which one will win her? And which one is destined to fail?"

Alicia looked over at Jesse, unease tightening her chest. He was singing along to the music on his phone, earbuds in, but there was something about the newest song's opening that set her on edge. The rest of the New Directions had drifted ahead after Will and Rachel in their haste to check into their respective suites, eager to officially begin their New York adventures, but Alicia and Jesse strayed behind. Other than Finn, a dozen or so feet in front of them, they were separated from the group.

Jesse had been singing along to his earbuds for the entire walk, including during the New Directions impromptu performance in Central Park, opting not to participate. Now that they were slightly more isolated, aside from the hundreds of New Yorkers bumping into them, her worries were coming to the forefront. He had been so distant lately.

"Jesse--" she started, but of course, interrupting a performance by Jesse St. James was impossible. At least, for Alicia.

"Complicated situation, made harder every day--"

"Boy number two, there is someone for you. Just forget her and walk away."

Alicia jolted, not expecting to hear Finn's familiar baritone. She hadn't expected him to know the song, either. The thought of Jesse and Finn having anything in common, even something as simple as alternative rock bands, made her frighteningly uneasy. Apparently they'd drifted closer to Finn than she'd thought, too.

"Don't be fooled, be careful which one that you choose," Finn continued. If she'd expected Jesse to react more volatile from Finn's unwelcome participation, she was surprised. He appeared indifferent. His expression was a blank mask.

"Second boys will be first choice to somebody better than you," Jesse added.

The chorus repeated twice more, Alicia observing the sudden vocal companionship of two boys she'd thought loathed each other. The topic of the recognizable song by The Brobecks was also a little upsetting. She wanted to convince herself that it was a silly coincidence, or perhaps she was reading into the situation. But she'd finally run out of lies this year.

The song died off, and Jesse began humming a melody that sounded similar to Another One Bites the Dust. The sudden mixture of nostalgia and discomfort nearly knocked Alicia out. She remembered Regionals last year like it was yesterday -- Jesse's betrayal and her unending faith in his character. She knew, deep down, that he may have betrayed the New Directions, but he hadn't really betrayed her.

Shouldn't that be the same thing? Shouldn't she feel awful over that?

Well, she didn't. Her faith in Jesse was unshakable. It was one of the only facets of her feelings that she could consistently rely upon. It was only proven when Jesse made his daring return after Valentine's Day, and she'd texted him later that night. You came, she said.

You called, he'd responded.

Any unease she felt now was ridiculous. It was probably just repressed nervousness over Nationals. She linked her hand through Jesse's, pretending not to notice when Finn glanced over his shoulder at the pair. "It means a lot to me that you came with us to Nationals. Even though it meant you had to purchase your own plane ticket."

Jesse shrugged. He wouldn't meet her eyes. "I guess I couldn't stay away."

"From the competition?"

A beat passed. Jesse's thumb brushed over the back of Alicia's hand, but before she could feel too peaceful, he was already pulling away. "Something like that."