Echo (8/?)
Name: Echo
Author: iceonthewing / Tumblr
Spoilers: None.
Disclaimer: Glee is not mine.
Pairing: Quinn Fabray/Rachel Berry
Length: 11.000
Rating: R
Summary: The echoes of your lies are your most hidden desires.
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to ddizzle-swagron for being awesome on a daily basis. Also speshul thanks to imagine-me for editing it. <3
"I like you," Quinn cuts her off, still looking down. "A lot. Like, I just can't, for the love of God, stop thinking about you. Like you, as in I want to hold your hand and kiss you silly, like you."
Rachel takes a deep breath. It's one thing to hear it in Quinn's thoughts; those light echoes that, although holding so much truth, aren't anything like what Quinn is saying right now. Words. Out loud. Confessions.
"So, there." Quinn glances at her for a fleeting second.
"Okay," Rachel manages to say, barely containing her excitement.
"Okay," Quinn answers.
"Do you want to come over after class?"
"Yes," the blonde blurts almost immediately. Rachel can't hold her beam back anymore. She catches Quinn's lips quirking a little.
"Okay," she breathes. Quinn finally looks up at her through her eyelashes.
"Okay."
...
Rachel feels the vibrations in her seat as the bus driver starts the engine. She watches Mr Schue walk up and down the aisle, looking around and doing a mental headcount to make sure no one is missing.
“Alright so, do you guys have everything you need for the ride?” There’s a collective ‘yes’ and the teacher claps his hands. “Okay, then we’re good to go.” He motions at the driver who pulls out of the parking lot and goes to sit, but turns at the last moment to say, “And please behave. The ride to Columbus isn’t that long but don’t make me ground you…” everyone looks at him strangely, “or something.”
Rachel sighs and relaxes against her seat as the bus makes its way to the highway. She watches the trees and houses pass by, humming softly to herself, until she can’t help it anymore and glances to the empty seat at her right. She then subtly looks over the back of her seat and at Quinn, who’s sitting at the very end with Mercedes and Kurt and a magazine on her lap, chatting animatedly with her friends.
Just as if the blonde notices it, she snaps her head up and catches the brown eyes looking back at her and a slow smile grows on her face. ‘She wants me to sit with her,’ Rachel hears her thinking. Quinn looks over at Mercedes and Kurt, before back at the brunette with an apologetic smile and mouthing “later”. ‘It’d be a little suspicious to sit with her so soon, right? Better be safe than sorry.’
Rachel nods subtly before turning her attention back to the passing scenery outside the window and letting her mind swim in the memories of the past couple of weeks, a warmth settling in her stomach at the thought.
Quinn told Rachel that she’d be at her place after practice, but didn’t exactly specify how long that’d be, leaving Rachel to sit nervously on her bed, her back straight and her ears trying to pick out any sign of the cheerleader’s car.
She finally decided to change into something more comfortable to pass the time- a pair of yoga pants and one of her Dad’s old NYU sweatshirts, a couple sizes too big for her, but still her favourite for cold nights like that, when her fathers were out and she was feeling cuddly and in need of comfort. Rachel cursed Murphy’s Law when, halfway through slipping on the pants, the doorbell rang. She tripped when her foot got stuck in the pant leg in her haste to reach the door and cursed herself when, almost all the way downstairs, she realized she was only wearing her bra.
“I’m coming! One second!”
She ran back up and threw the sweater on, wasting three seconds to stop and check herself in the mirror and smooth her hair down and then another impressive three more to run back down. It was a personal record.
“Quinn. Hi,” she answered the door, completely out of breath.
Quinn raised an eyebrow, confused. “Are you okay?”
“Hmh? Oh yeah, yep. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?” The blonde inspected her appearance, then glanced behind her and into the house. “Is there someone in there?” She whispered. “Blink if you’re in danger.”
Rachel’s jaw dropped at what Quinn was suggesting, before she caught the telling twinkle on hazel eyes. She huffed. “Very funny, Quinn. No I am not being kidnapped in my own home. Now do you want to come in or not?”
Quinn chuckled. “Sure.”
Rachel moved aside to let the blonde in. Her eyes immediately indulged in taking Quinn’s appearance in. The girl was wearing her Cheerios’ red sweats and varsity jacket with a white t-shirt underneath. Her hair was wet, probably from the shower she must have taken after practice and it was still dripping a little down her back, making Rachel think that she must have run here. She smiled to herself.
‘Bedroom or living room?’ Quinn thought briefly.
“Come on, let’s go up to my room.” Rachel lead the way up, suddenly nervous at realizing Quinn was going to see her room for the first time. She stepped inside and spun on her heels, watching Quinn’s reaction closely.
The blonde seemed to take everything in; from the yellow walls, to the four poster bed, her eyes widening slightly at the number of bedazzled stuff on her desk.
“Cute room,” she said sincerely, “I like your rug,” she pointed at Rachel’s piano keys rug.
Rachel beamed. “Thank you.” She started fidgeting with the hem of her sleeves and awkwardly pointed to the bed. “You can sit wherever.”
Quinn took off her Cheerio’s jacket and sit on Rachel’s bed, followed by the brunette who crossed her legs and leaned against the headboard. Rachel started playing with the sleeves of her oversized sweatshirt again, not really knowing how to go from here.
‘Are we supposed to talk now or…? Should I ask something?’ Quinn pondered, leaning back on her hands and making her white shirt ride up a little, flashing Rachel glimpse of her abs. ‘I mean, why would she invite me if not for talking about… that? She still has to tell me, right? Isn’t she going to?’
Rachel bit her lips at Quinn’s thoughts. She never imagined the blonde could be this adorable when feeling insecure. It made her feel special.
“So… do you want to… talk?” Quinn finally asked frowning.
“Sure,” Rachel answered easily. “What do you want to talk about?” The fake innocence of the question went unnoticed by Quinn, who frowned even deeper, her gaze falling to the bed covers for a second. Rachel knew she was being a little mean, but she kind of liked teasing Quinn.
“I don’t know… don’t you- isn’t there something you want to talk about?” Quinn shrugged, trying to sound casual. “Something you want to tell me?”
“Something like what?”
‘Like you like me too, maybe?! Ugh!’ The blonde huffed. “I don’t know. You’d think after what I confessed this morning you’d have something to say.”
“You think?” She asked with a hint of a smile. She just couldn’t keep it anymore. Quinn of course caught it and rolled her eyes, a blush spreading on her cheeks.
“Jerk.”
Rachel giggled and reached out to wrap her hand around Quinn’s arm, pulling her up the bed and next to her. The blonde let herself be dragged without much resistance. She sat with her legs stretched out in front of her, her hands in her lap and her eyes on them. Rachel bumped her shoulder to catch her attention.
“Hey,” she said quietly when hazel eyes locked on hers. “In case you still haven’t figured it out after all that has happened these past weeks or I didn’t make it clear enough on Sunday night, I like you too.”
Quinn looked down at her hands again, biting her lip to fight back a smile in her own cute way of keeping her cool. She nodded and took a deep breath, regaining some composure, then cleared her throat.
“It’s just, really hard to believe, you know? I mean a month ago we were barely talking to each other.” She shrugged. “I think… I think I liked you since freshman year, probably sooner. I just didn’t want it to be true. That’s mostly why I was so mean to you.” Quinn dared a glance at Rachel, who was listening to her with a curious expression, not judging or reproaching like Quinn would have expected. “I thought you hated me. I think I wanted you to hate me so it would be easier to stay away from you.”
“I never hated you.”
“I know,” Quinn rolled her eyes. “You’re just too nice.”
Rachel shrugged, taking it as a compliment.
“And… I don’t know… I guess I feel like it came out of nowhere that you- that you like me too. It’s just hard to believe, after all these years,” Quinn mumbled, her eyes still fixed on her lap, the pretty rosy tint never leaving her cheeks.
Rachel breathed deeply, feeling a pang of guilt at how badly she had been handling this whole thing, leaving Quinn in the complete dark while she controlled everything like a puppet master.
“Quinn you are unbelievably beautiful. You’re smart, you’re charming, you’re a great singer- although a little sharp at times- a great athlete. You have that passion, that strength in you that just draws people in. Why wouldn’t anyone like you?”
“Fine, maybe. But you are not just anyone.”
“That much is true,” Rachel conceded with a nod, failing to see Quinn’s good-natured eye-roll. “Still, you have always intrigued me. Even when you were mean to me, I just wanted you to like me, to be my friend.” This time Rachel is the one that blushed. “I had such a huge crush on you and I didn’t even know it.”
“Really?” Quinn asked a little smugly.
Rachel dropped her head back and let it lull to the side with a small smirk. “Well, you’re really hot when you’re pissed and for some reason I was the only one who could get that much emotion out of you.”
Just like that the air around them seemed to shift drastically.
‘I want to kiss her. Oh God, I want to kiss her so bad.’ But Quinn didn’t move an inch.
“So,” Rachel said trying to sound calm, “now that we’ve cleared that up, what do you want to do?”
‘Kiss you,’ Quinn thought as she shifted almost imperceptibly closer to the brunette.
“We have a different selection of activities to partake in,” Rachel continued, “movies, board games.”
‘I just want to make out.’
They kept her eyes fixed on each other with a consuming intensity. Rachel felt her mouth go dry as sandpaper and she licked her lips, Quinn following the path of her tongue with her eyes.
“Or w-we could stay here and- and talk?”
“If you want,” Quinn mumbled, her voice so husky it shook Rachel to the core.
“I don’t really want to talk,” Rachel said and in a bold move she pushed herself to a kneeling position and straddled Quinn’s lap, her hands on the blonde’s shoulders to steady herself.
“Yeah, me neither,” were Quinn’s last words before Rachel’s lips crashed against hers.
The brunette’s mouth was urgent and demanding, still as soft as ever but with a force that spurred Quinn on even more. The Cheerio let her hands rest on Rachel’s thighs, which were covered by the thin and tight fabric of the yoga pants, the warmth of Rachel’s skin almost burning her through the cloth.
Rachel was like a little flame; every part of her body that touched Quinn’s was scalding. The brunette parted her lips with a moan as Quinn licked the seam, delighted to let Quinn’s tongue in. She pushed herself closer to her, putting her arms around Quinn’s neck and breathed hard through her nose as Quinn’s cool hands made her way from her thighs to the small of her back, dangerously close to her ass.
But Quinn wouldn’t go there, not yet. Instead, she pushed the sweater up a few inches and tickled the skin on Rachel’s back with her fingertips, driving Rachel crazy. She moaned into Quinn’s mouth again as the blonde sucked on her tongue. Rachel rested her forehead against Quinn’s in an attempt to calm her frantic heartbeat and squirming body.
“Where did you learn that?” She asked, out of breath.
“What? You thought little miss president of the Celibacy Club wouldn’t be experienced, uh?” Quinn said smugly, satisfied with herself and Rachel’s state. “You’d be surprised how much you learn when you never let your boyfriends go past first base.”
Rachel raised her eyebrow in challenge. “Don’t look so smug, Fabray.”
Quinn glanced at Rachel’s chest that was still raising and falling hard with every deep breath and licked her lips. She fixed her gaze on Rachel’s swollen ones and accepted the challenge. “Make me.”
“Hey,” Quinn whispers as she slips into the seat next to Rachel.
“Hi,” is Rachel breathy answer. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t just lose herself in her own thoughts and felt like she was in her room again, kissing Quinn until her lips felt sore.
Quinn seems to like her flustered face just fine because she smiles knowingly and very slowly, very carefully, moves her hand from her own thigh to the edge of her seat, where her pinkie brushes Rachel’s.
Rachel glances down at it and moves her hand another inch, until the same pinkie is curled around Quinn’s. She raises her head with a cocked eyebrow and watches Quinn’s lips tug up at the corner before she covers her hand completely and squeezes. Rachel turns it up and their fingers entwine immediately, her gaze softening.
“I was just thinking about you,” she says conversationally.
“Is that true? About what?” ‘Bet it was about that first make out session in her bedroom…’
“Oh you know, about that time you kidnapped me after Spanish class,” she lies as the memories flood her mind.
The bell had just rung and as all the students left the Spanish classroom, she stayed behind to talk to Mr Schue about their Glee practice that afternoon. She approached him with an idea and the man seemed to brace himself but was left dumbfounded when she proposed an unconventional duet for Sectionals. Will was confused, seeing as she always wanted to have the spotlight. It was so strange that she wanted to give it to other people that the thought that she might have been plotting something crossed his mind.
Nice to know how much he trusts me, Rachel thought bitterly as she left the room and made her way to the cafeteria.
But at any rate, now that she had proposed it to Mr Schue and she knew she had an ally that would support her this afternoon in Glee, she just needed to mention it to the lucky members whom she had chosen to perform the duet.
But as the universe willed it, one of them found her first.
“Wha-“ she cried as a pair of strong hands grabbed the back of her argyle vest and pulled her into the janitor’s closet. Rachel, thinking the worst, started struggling against her attacker and yelling things like: “Unhand me immediately! My fathers have the ACLU on speed dial!”
“Rachel- Rach- ow!” Rachel heard as her elbow collided with something soft.
“Quinn?” The brunette turned bewildered, her eyes growing wide and worried as she saw Quinn holding her chest. “Oh my God, Quinn, are you okay?”
Quinn stared at her, holding her chest and out of nowhere, she started laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Rachel asked confused.
“I believe you just rounded second base.”
Rachel spluttered out an apology, her face red from all the air she was not breathing.
“I didn’t know you were into that stuff though,” Quinn kept on with her joke. Rachel huffed embarrassed and feeling a little bad for punching Quinn.
“Well, if you acted like a normal person and asked for me to meet you in here instead of kidnapping me, maybe I wouldn’t have to put my self-defence classes to use.”
‘Self-defence? That’s hot.’ Quinn stepped into Rachel’s personal space with her infamous cocked eyebrow and Rachel felt the warmth of her embarrassment melting into another completely different kind of warmth. “I would’ve asked, but I haven’t seen you all day.”
“I’ve seen you.”
“Really? When?”
“Oh you know, strutting down the hall, parting the student body like the red sea. Skirt flowing with the wind,” Rachel mumbled as Quinn pressed her body to hers and she felt herself trapped against the door.
“Perv,” she whispered barely two inches from Rachel’s mouth.
Rachel snorted. “Like you don’t wear it just because you know people are going to perv on you.”
Quinn just gave a half-shrug, before kissing Rachel, smirk still in place. It irked Rachel even more and she grabbed the lapels of Quinn Cheerio’s jacket and bit the blonde’s plump lower lip, effectively turning the smirk into a moan. Triumphantly, Rachel pulled back, giggling when a dazed blonde followed her, seeking her mouth.
“I just talked to Mr Schue.”
“Really, Rach? Really? We’re in a dark closet, kissing and you want to stop and talk about Mr. Schuester?” ‘There’s something wrong with this picture.’
Rachel ignored her comment. “I was telling him that for Sectionals it’d be interesting to have something fresh and new aaaand, uhm, Quinn, w-what are you doing?”
The cheerleader was leaving little bites and kisses down Rachel’s jaw and neck. She nudged the girl’s jaw and Rachel gave up without a fight, throwing her head back against the door.
“Well if you won’t kiss me I’m sure as hell not going to waste time talking about Sectionals. I have Glee, Cheerio’s practice and then my mom wants me to meet her new friends so it’s gonna be a long day.” And then she proceeded to ravage Rachel’s neck.
“O-oh, okay, but, as much as I l-like what you’re doing, I think you should really hear m-mhmm, hear me out, for this matter is of utmost importance to you- oh my god, right there!”
Quinn smirked to herself, having found a very sensitive spot on Rachel’s neck and planning to leave a nice hickey because even if she still wasn’t ready to claim the girl as hers in front of the entire school, at least she was going to let them know she was taken.
“T-the thing is, uhm, I t-think you should sing a duet with Sam for Sectionals.”
“What?” And just like that the blonde stopped her ministrations. She snapped her head up and looked at Rachel like she had grown another head. “What are you talking about?”
Rachel pouted a little at Quinn for stopping but when she noticed the blonde was serious she dropped it. “I think you and Sam’s voice would sound really good together and I was thinking we need to step up our game. It’s always been Finn and I doing a duet and it might be getting old- not my part of course, but Finn… once you have seen what he has to offer it doesn’t really go further than that. I talked about it with Mr Schue and he thinks it’s a phenomenal idea. Of course the solo would still be mine.”
Quinn had started shaking her head half into the rant and at this point she was even mumbling “no, no, no, no,” under her breath.
“Please Quinn.”
“No.”
“Just try it out this afternoon at practice. See how you two can sound great together.”
“You’re out of your mind.”
“I’m not. I know what I’m talking about. You’ll sound great.”
“Why would you suggest something like that?” Quinn asked with a groan.
Rachel put her arms around Quinn’s waist and pulled her in. “Because I like your voice and I think it’s underappreciated. Because you’ve never had a duet or a solo and because I trust you can make us win.” And as an afterthought she added, “and because I think Sam could be Glee’s new male lead. Finn is getting really tiring.”
Quinn sighed, dropping her head to Rachel’s shoulder, her eyes level with the sensitive spot she had just discovered a minute ago. “You really think I could make us win?”
“Absolutely.”
“But my voice is sharp on occasion.”
“We can work on that. I can give you private lessons at my house. The basement is soundproof,” something about the way Rachel said the last sentence sounded anything but innocent and it stirred something in Quinn’s stomach.
“I’ll need lots of practice,” she mumbled smirking.
“You look cute when you space out,” Quinn says quietly, breaking her from her reverie, “and I really want to kiss you right now.”
They might have been kissing at any and all waking moments since that day in Rachel’s bedroom but that doesn’t mean the blunt statement makes Rachel blush any less.
She checks on her teammates nervously. Santana is leaning her head against Brittany’s shoulder and they’re sharing earphones while the blonde plays with her Tamagotchi. Rachel can hear the virtual duck quacking from time to time. Mercedes and Kurt are still at the back, immersed in their magazines. Mike and Sam are playing with a DS and Puck, who’s sitting next to a glazed-eyed Finn, is leaning across the aisle to follow their game. Artie’s dad is driving him and Tina so that leaves Mr. Schue who’s at the very front, shuffling through sheet music. Suddenly the silence is broken by Sam’s cheers and he throws his arms up in victory, earning an impressed nod from Puck and a groan from Mike.
Everyone seems to be minding their own business.
“Someone might see,” Rachel says but still leans a tiny bit forward, eyes fixed on her target: Quinn’s pink lips that are shinny from the lip-gloss.
“Everyone’s minding their own business.” Rachel knew that, but there’s still a risk. Quinn doesn’t seem to mind though, because she ducks her head, her eyes jumping from Rachel’s eyes to her lips and leans in excruciatingly slow. “It’s been too long,” she mumbles.
“We hung out yesterday,” Rachel whispers back with a half smile, her breath hitting Quinn’s face and she feels smug that Quinn needs the proximity as much and as frequently as she does.
“Too long,” Quinn repeats with a head shake and goes in for the kiss.
“Ladies.” Sam appears out of nowhere and startles them both, making them jump apart like they’ve been burned and look guilty until they realize who the cause of the interruption was.
Quinn glares and Rachel plants her cheek on the cold glass of the window to cool her warm skin and make the blush go away. Sam for his part, looks far too amused and not concerned enough by Quinn’s murderous look.
“Cockblocked you, didn’t I?” He whispers with a grin. Quinn could smack him silly. In fact, Rachel hears her think just that.
“Go away.”
“Hey, I just came to see how my favourite secret couple is doing,” he is still whispering but both Rachel and Quinn’s eyes go a little wide at that statement. They start stuttering out at the same time.
“We’re not-“
“Would you shut up?“
“Is not like that.“
“I swear to God, Evans…“
“Hey, it’s cool. You know that, Quinn.” He raises his hands defensively and looks at her pointedly. Quinn sighs and purses her lips as she slumps back in her seat. “Actually I just came to ask you for your phone.” Quinn cocks an eyebrow at him. He scratches the back of his neck. “We were playing Mario Kart on Mike’s DS and I just beat his record and now he won’t let me play anymore.” He sends a quick glare in Mike’s direction. Rachel briefly thinks it resembles a puppy trying to see from behind its bangs. “And you have Angry Birds on your phone. I just need some distraction or I’d start thinking about our s-song and I’ll puke my breakfast or jump out the window. Probably both.”
Before Rachel is able to beg Quinn to lend him her phone, for they can’t afford losing a member or they’d be disqualified, the blonde grumbles a little and jerks her hips up and out of the seat to fish her phone from her very tight jean’s pocket. Rachel’s mind flood with images at the sight and her eyes go a little wide, before scolding herself for being such a teenage boy around Quinn.
Quinn hands him her phone with a pointed look that says, ‘now get out of my sight and don’t you dare cockblock me again’. No really, Quinn thinks that as she hands it over.
When Sam leaves Rachel finds the perfect opportunity to ask about that issue. She’s not sure how it happened because Quinn hasn’t elaborated much but she knows Sam knows about them and they have some sort of deal and Quinn trusts him 100% even if she acts like she doesn’t.
“Do you think you could fill me in, in what happened with Sam?”
‘I suppose if Sam knows about us, it affects Rachel and that would mean she also has a right to know about him…’ Quinn looks thoughtful for a moment. ‘Ah, you know what? Screw it. He shouldn’t have cockblocked me. Twice.’
“Okay.” Quinn’s eyes shoot to the roof of the bus as she recounts the events. “It all started after you proposed your brilliant idea of a duet between he and I.”
“The solo would be mine, of course,” Rachel added at the end of her proposition. The first idea was received pretty positively; Puck even patted a dumbfounded Sam in the back and Mercedes and Kurt clapped and squealed a little for their friend Quinn. But someone wasn’t so agreeable with this last statement.
“What?!” Mercedes spat, raising her hand in a very ‘pause’ manner. Everyone in Glee club quieted and waited on the edge of their seats for the epic fight that was surely going to take place. “Oh, hells no. I want that solo too. Who gave you the right to just… assign it to yourself?”
“But Mercedes, you have to bear in mind that no one in this room has-“
‘Oh, she better not.’ Mercedes was fuming.
“-my years of training, exceptional talent or drive. And we know that’s what we’re going to need to win. Of course, I’m not saying you’re voice is anything less than wonderful, but even you lack my experience when on a stage, for I have been singing since-“
“That’s it, Diva-wannabe! We’re gonna have at it now!” Mercedes said standing up in a rush. Rachel shrunk back a little. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Quinn gripping her chair with white knuckles, two seconds away from bolting up. “Diva-off!”
Everyone in the room except Quinn and Mr. Schue (who had been watching the exchange silently, as per usual) exploded in cheers and whistles. Rachel looked at her favourite blonde for help and Quinn decided if Mr. Schue was going to neglect his duties as a teacher, it was time for her to intervene.
“Wait, wait!” She yelled over the ruckus. The room fell silent again with everyone waiting on pins and needles to see what the blonde had to add to the argument. What no one expected was her to be on Rachel’s side. “Mercedes, Rachel's right.”
“What?!” A couple of people, including Mercedes, spat at her.
“Look, you can all act like Rachel is the bad guy here and be all indignant because she’s bluntly saying she’s better than you but let’s be honest, she is.” She looked around, daring someone to contradict her. “She’s simply the best one of us. And I’m sorry Mercedes but I’m- we,” she pointed at herself and Sam “are not ready to have that much responsibility on our shoulders if we’re not sure that the backup is only the very best. You’re amazing, you’re a powerhouse; we all know that, and there’s no need for a diva-off. There’s no need for you to show us how good you are. We know it. Rachel would be the first to admit it.” She looked at the girl in question for confirmation and Rachel nodded frantically, her eyes wide and bright. Mercedes smiled faintly at her.
“You can have the solo at Regionals,” Rachel blurted suddenly. Mercedes looked at her confused.
‘Is she really going to give it up that easy or it is just a trick?’ She thought.
“I promise! I can sign it to you. Do you- do you want me to- let me-“ she spun in a circle, looking around for something to write on, “let me get some pen and paper. I’ll sign it.”
Mercedes chuckled at her antics. “No, it’s fine. I believe you.” She looked at the rest of the members of the club. “You’re all witnesses. Rachel promised me the next solo, huh?” She then turned to the shorter girl with a kind smile and an accepting nod. “You better kill this one.”
“Don’t I always?” Rachel replied cheekily.
Mercedes laughed again as made her way to her seat, where Quinn received her with a grateful nod and a muttered ‘thank you’.
Moments later, Rachel was handing out the sheet music for the group song and duets (to Quinn and Sam) and Mr. Schue was announcing the end of the practice, reminding them that they had Glee again tomorrow and everyday until the day of Sectionals.
Rachel stayed behind like always, looking over the songs they were going to perform and Quinn pretended to be very interested in the sheet music of her song with Sam. She actually was, though, when she saw that the song was the classic Dirty Dancing’s The Time of My Life. But when the last of the Glee Club members left the room, she dropped the papers and walked over to her girl.
“Hey,” she said as she leaned on the piano next to her. Rachel continued shuffling through the sheets, but a small smile made her way to her face.
“Thank you,” she muttered.
“What for?”
Rachel stopped and bit her lip, then turned to the blonde. “For that before. Standing up for me. No one has ever done that for me. Not even Finn.”
Quinn shrugged. “You were right and Mercedes was just being a brat. And I’m tired of watching how the Glee Club throw shit at you and expect you to still be okay with it and then save the day, like last year.”
Rachel’s eyes blurred with unshed tears and she hid her face behind her hair. “I appreciate it a lot more than you think.”
“Hey,” Quinn whispered as she ducked her head to catch Rachel’s eyes. When Rachel looked up, she leaned her forehead on hers. “It was time I did something for you.” ‘I owe you so much,’ she thought but didn’t voice it.
Rachel gave her a watery smile and leaned in. Just as they were about to kiss, someone cleared their throat. They jumped a few feet apart, their heads snapping to the voice with wide, scared eyes. Sam was standing there awkwardly, his bag slung over his shoulder and his hand in his pocket. He smiled sheepishly.
“Uh sorry, I can come later if you guys want…”
“No!” They both said at the same time.
Rachel started grabbing her stuff and she sent a last glance in Quinn’s direction.
‘Please don’t run away from me. Please don’t be scared, please God, please. I can’t do this without you.’
“So remember to practice those high notes and the breathing techniques I taught you.” Rachel said loudly. She wasn’t running away, she was just trying to save their alibi. “I’ll call you later,” she added quietly, only for Quinn’s ears and smiled at her meaningfully.
Quinn nodded before Rachel spun and with a tight smile at Sam, left the room.
“So…” Sam breathed.
“Yeah.” Quinn cleared her throat. “Was there something you wanted?”
“Oh yeah. Uhm, I was wondering if you wanted to get started with our song today. It has to be at my place though, ‘cause dad works ‘till late and my mom is going to drive Stacy to her dance class and my brother is alone so I have to look after him,” he said in a rush.
Quinn thought she didn’t really have another option. They needed to practice and she knew sooner or later Sam would ask about what he had just witnessed. “Sure.”
Half an hour later she was sitting on Sam’s couch with Sam at her side, plucking aimlessly at the chords of his guitar and his brother, Stevie, curled up on the loveseat, reading a comic book.
The silence was stifling. Quinn knew he wanted to ask but he feared her reaction. She sucked on her teeth and played with the hem of her Cheerios’ skirt. She wondered what Rachel was doing right now.
“Hey, Stevie,” Sam called.
“Yah?”
“Don’t you have homework to do?”
The boy looked up at his brother with big pleading eyes. “B-but I just started this number!” He showed them the cover of his X-Men comic.
“That’s a good number…” Sam mumbled thoughtfully. He shook his head. “But you should go do your homework and then you can read it after dinner. Sound good, buddy?”
Stevie sighed long and deep, like kids do when they want to imitate adults. “Alright…” He dropped the comic on the table and ran up to his room, leaving Quinn and Sam alone in silence once again.
Sam jerked his head to get his hair out of his eyes and smiled sheepishly.
“So…” Quinn looked at him questioningly. “Rachel, huh?”
Quinn shook her head dumbfounded. She never imagined he’d be so direct about it. But what surprised her most wasn’t the bluntness of the question; it was the complete casualness of the situation. Sam almost looked like he didn’t really care that much, like he might have known all along. “…No?” She tried.
“It’s cool, you know. I should have guessed when you said you liked someone but you’d been a bitch to them. I hear people talking. I know you used to torture her.” Quinn looked away ashamed. “At first I was confused: why would Quinn torture a girl like Rachel? She’s sweet. She doesn’t really represent a threat to her status. She’s nice to everyone.”
“I know, I know. I was just so-“
“But then I realized those rumours weren’t true anymore. I mean, yeah, maybe you were a bitch before I transferred but I haven’t really known that Quinn. I’ve known the one that waits at Rachel’s locker to walk her to class and the one that defends her in Glee Club. And then, the one that almost kisses her in the choir room after practice.” Sam smiled goofily and Quinn turned a nice shade of red. “I might be dyslexic but even I can play ‘join the dots’.”
“I- I don’t know what you want me to say.” Her voice shook a little.
“Are you guys like… together?”
“No. No.” She shook her head then stopped. “Maybe. No. I don’t know.”
“You like her?”
Quinn looked at him irritated.
“Hey, I saw you almost kissing her. I know you like her, I’m just asking because it’s polite or… whatever.”
“Fine. Yes.” Quinn rolled her eyes and softened a little. “Yeah, I like her.”
“And she likes you?”
Quinn gave a half shrug and bit back a smile. “I think so.”
“But you’re not together?”
“Not yet,” Quinn said before she even realized what she was saying. Sam didn’t seem to give it too much thought.
“Mhmm…” he mumbled as he started strumming his guitar again. When Quinn thought he was going to drop it, he spoke again. “I’m bisexual.”
Quinn choked on her own spit. “What?”
Sam shrugged, a little insecure this time. “Well, I guess since I know your secret it is only fair that you know mine. This way you know I’m going to keep yours and I know you’re going to keep mine.”
“But… why did you tell me?”
“Dunno. No one really knows here. Feels good to talk about it with someone.” He looked up at her from under his bangs. “You’re okay with that, right?”
Quinn’s eyes widened and she snorted. “Sam, I just told you I’m planning on dating Rachel Berry. I think I might be more than okay with that.”
He smiled that adorable smile that was exactly like his brother’s and made him look even younger. “Cool.”
“Yeah.” It actually felt good to talk about it with someone, Quinn thought. It was… liberating. Brittany and Santana knew but she hadn’t really talked to them about it, since they were BrittanyandSantana exclusively as of lately. In fact she didn’t see herself voicing her doubts about Rachel to them at all; the image of a teasing Latina making fun of her and a sweet but not very helpful blonde came up in her mind. Suddenly the idea that Sam knew about them didn’t sound so bad. It actually excited her a little. “So… is there any guy you like?”
“That’s mostly how it went,” Quinn finishes the story that Rachel had been so attentively listening to.
“So?” The brunette asks expectantly.
“So…?”
Rachel makes a ‘duh’ face. “So is there? Any guy that has called Sam’s attention?”
Quinn can’t believe this girl. “Oh my God, you are such a gossip,” she laughs.
“I am not! I’m just curious. I won’t tell anyone.” Rachel laces her arm around Quinn’s and presses into her, practically sitting on her lap. “Tell me. Tell me, tell me, tell me.”
Quinn looks at the shiny, mischievous brown eyes and knows she can’t say no to this girl. She sighs. “Fine. But you better not tease him about it.” Rachel crosses her fingers over her heart. “He thinks Kurt’s cute.”
“Well, duh. Kurt’s really pretty.”
“And… he thinks…” Quinn says stretching it out, “that Puck is hot.”
Rachel gasps, her eyes widening. Her eyes glace over for a moment and Quinn looks at her curiously.
“What? What? What are you thinking?” Quinn nudges her when she doesn’t reply.
“That would be so hot,” she finally mumbles.
…
Rachel can tell they’re nearing their destination when Quinn squeezes her hand before changing seats to sit next to Sam. Crumpled sheet music in hand, she can see them going over the lyrics, choreography steps and just mentally preparing themselves for it.
When they arrive, Mr. Schue tells them to find a bathroom to get changed while he announces their arrival. Minutes later, New Directions, clad in white and gray dresses and black and red pants and shirt, wait at the Green Room for their turn.
They can hear the contestants being announced through the speaker. They sound good, but not as good as them.
“We’re better than them. We got this,” Santana says, breaking the charged silence. It’s the second time they’re in this position and even if they won the first time, the nerves are still there.
“Santana’s right, we got this,” Finn adds, always positive. The choir on stage changes songs; the first notes of a Lady Gaga’s song start to sound. “E-even if they have Gaga.”
Beautifully merged voices flow through the speaker and the members of New Directions listen with rapt attention. Okay, they sound really good.
“We’re better, right? I mean we got- we got Rachel,” Artie stutters. “And Time of My Life. That’s a classic. Who doesn’t love a classic?”
“We should’ve gone with Gaga…” Tina mumbles.
“Okay, enough.” Mr. Schue jumps to his feet and shuts the speaker off. “Stop worrying so much about the others, guys. You know how good you are. You have to trust yourselves. I want to see you shine like only you can when you get out there, okay?” There are some nods. “Okay?”
“Okay,” they chorus.
“Alright, I’m gonna go find my seat. You’re up after the break. I’ll see you then.” He looks at his kids proudly. “You’ll be great. Break a leg, guys.”
The mood is clearly lighter when Mr. Schue leaves. Rachel watches Britt and Mike going over the choreography for Finn, Puck and Tina. Mercedes and Artie are warming up their voices and Kurt and Santana are peeking into the hallway to see if they can catch a glimpse of the last performers. She glances to the furthest corner to see Quinn slumped down in her chair with Sam hovering over her with a worried face.
Rachel frowns and approaches them.
“Hey, is everything okay?” She asks resting her hand on Sam’s shoulder.
‘Oh thank God, Rachel,’ Sam thinks relieved. “You talk to her. She’s not listening to me.”
“About what?”
‘She doesn’t want to perform.’ “Just talk to her,” the boy says instead.
“Quinn?” Rachel crouches in front of the blonde when she refuses to look up at her. “Quinn?”
“I- I can’t.” Quinn gulps loudly. She shakes her head. “I can’t go out there. Nope. I’m not ready. I won’t do it.”
“Quinn, what are you talking about? Of course you are ready, you’ve been practicing so hard; you and Sam.” Rachel looks up at Sam who shrugs defeated. “I get that you’re nervous but I know you’ll be amazing. You have nothing to be afraid of.”
“Rachel,” Quinn says through clenched teeth, “last time I performed on a stage my water broke. Don’t you see? I can’t go out there. I’ll screw it up.”
“That’s ridiculous! Quinn, one bad experience doesn’t mean anything!”
‘I’ll mess up the words, I’ll trip, I’ll disappoint her. I’ll disappoint everyone.’ The blonde releases a shaky breath. “I’m not you, Rachel, I don’t light up the stage. I- I- I-“
“Come with me.”
Rachel grabs Quinn’s hand and pulls her out of the room and to an empty one. No one pays attention, apart from Sam who sends a quick prayer to whoever is listening that Rachel will be able to convince Quinn. She’s their only hope right now.
Once in the room, Rachel locks the door and spins on her heels before lurching forward and crashing her lips against Quinn’s. She kisses the air out of her; kisses her until her lungs burn and her head is fuzzy and foggy and she feels it from her lips to the tip of her toes. She kisses her worries away, her hands cupping her neck, eyes shut tight and her lips pressed so hard against Quinn’s, that she can feel her teeth behind them. Quinn’s body relaxes and her arms slip almost unconsciously around Rachel’s slim waist.
The kiss loses force slowly, until Rachel is merely brushing her lips against Quinn’s. Her eyes are open, watching Quinn’s conflicted expression. Without moving an inch, she speaks.
“You’re going out there and you’re blowing them away because I know you can and because I trust you, okay?”
Quinn’s eyes flutter open and Rachel has never seen them so close and so vulnerable. They look golden. Like honey.
“I’m ready.”
Part 2
Author: iceonthewing / Tumblr
Spoilers: None.
Disclaimer: Glee is not mine.
Pairing: Quinn Fabray/Rachel Berry
Length: 11.000
Rating: R
Summary: The echoes of your lies are your most hidden desires.
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to ddizzle-swagron for being awesome on a daily basis. Also speshul thanks to imagine-me for editing it. <3
"I like you," Quinn cuts her off, still looking down. "A lot. Like, I just can't, for the love of God, stop thinking about you. Like you, as in I want to hold your hand and kiss you silly, like you."
Rachel takes a deep breath. It's one thing to hear it in Quinn's thoughts; those light echoes that, although holding so much truth, aren't anything like what Quinn is saying right now. Words. Out loud. Confessions.
"So, there." Quinn glances at her for a fleeting second.
"Okay," Rachel manages to say, barely containing her excitement.
"Okay," Quinn answers.
"Do you want to come over after class?"
"Yes," the blonde blurts almost immediately. Rachel can't hold her beam back anymore. She catches Quinn's lips quirking a little.
"Okay," she breathes. Quinn finally looks up at her through her eyelashes.
"Okay."
...
Rachel feels the vibrations in her seat as the bus driver starts the engine. She watches Mr Schue walk up and down the aisle, looking around and doing a mental headcount to make sure no one is missing.
“Alright so, do you guys have everything you need for the ride?” There’s a collective ‘yes’ and the teacher claps his hands. “Okay, then we’re good to go.” He motions at the driver who pulls out of the parking lot and goes to sit, but turns at the last moment to say, “And please behave. The ride to Columbus isn’t that long but don’t make me ground you…” everyone looks at him strangely, “or something.”
Rachel sighs and relaxes against her seat as the bus makes its way to the highway. She watches the trees and houses pass by, humming softly to herself, until she can’t help it anymore and glances to the empty seat at her right. She then subtly looks over the back of her seat and at Quinn, who’s sitting at the very end with Mercedes and Kurt and a magazine on her lap, chatting animatedly with her friends.
Just as if the blonde notices it, she snaps her head up and catches the brown eyes looking back at her and a slow smile grows on her face. ‘She wants me to sit with her,’ Rachel hears her thinking. Quinn looks over at Mercedes and Kurt, before back at the brunette with an apologetic smile and mouthing “later”. ‘It’d be a little suspicious to sit with her so soon, right? Better be safe than sorry.’
Rachel nods subtly before turning her attention back to the passing scenery outside the window and letting her mind swim in the memories of the past couple of weeks, a warmth settling in her stomach at the thought.
Quinn told Rachel that she’d be at her place after practice, but didn’t exactly specify how long that’d be, leaving Rachel to sit nervously on her bed, her back straight and her ears trying to pick out any sign of the cheerleader’s car.
She finally decided to change into something more comfortable to pass the time- a pair of yoga pants and one of her Dad’s old NYU sweatshirts, a couple sizes too big for her, but still her favourite for cold nights like that, when her fathers were out and she was feeling cuddly and in need of comfort. Rachel cursed Murphy’s Law when, halfway through slipping on the pants, the doorbell rang. She tripped when her foot got stuck in the pant leg in her haste to reach the door and cursed herself when, almost all the way downstairs, she realized she was only wearing her bra.
“I’m coming! One second!”
She ran back up and threw the sweater on, wasting three seconds to stop and check herself in the mirror and smooth her hair down and then another impressive three more to run back down. It was a personal record.
“Quinn. Hi,” she answered the door, completely out of breath.
Quinn raised an eyebrow, confused. “Are you okay?”
“Hmh? Oh yeah, yep. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?” The blonde inspected her appearance, then glanced behind her and into the house. “Is there someone in there?” She whispered. “Blink if you’re in danger.”
Rachel’s jaw dropped at what Quinn was suggesting, before she caught the telling twinkle on hazel eyes. She huffed. “Very funny, Quinn. No I am not being kidnapped in my own home. Now do you want to come in or not?”
Quinn chuckled. “Sure.”
Rachel moved aside to let the blonde in. Her eyes immediately indulged in taking Quinn’s appearance in. The girl was wearing her Cheerios’ red sweats and varsity jacket with a white t-shirt underneath. Her hair was wet, probably from the shower she must have taken after practice and it was still dripping a little down her back, making Rachel think that she must have run here. She smiled to herself.
‘Bedroom or living room?’ Quinn thought briefly.
“Come on, let’s go up to my room.” Rachel lead the way up, suddenly nervous at realizing Quinn was going to see her room for the first time. She stepped inside and spun on her heels, watching Quinn’s reaction closely.
The blonde seemed to take everything in; from the yellow walls, to the four poster bed, her eyes widening slightly at the number of bedazzled stuff on her desk.
“Cute room,” she said sincerely, “I like your rug,” she pointed at Rachel’s piano keys rug.
Rachel beamed. “Thank you.” She started fidgeting with the hem of her sleeves and awkwardly pointed to the bed. “You can sit wherever.”
Quinn took off her Cheerio’s jacket and sit on Rachel’s bed, followed by the brunette who crossed her legs and leaned against the headboard. Rachel started playing with the sleeves of her oversized sweatshirt again, not really knowing how to go from here.
‘Are we supposed to talk now or…? Should I ask something?’ Quinn pondered, leaning back on her hands and making her white shirt ride up a little, flashing Rachel glimpse of her abs. ‘I mean, why would she invite me if not for talking about… that? She still has to tell me, right? Isn’t she going to?’
Rachel bit her lips at Quinn’s thoughts. She never imagined the blonde could be this adorable when feeling insecure. It made her feel special.
“So… do you want to… talk?” Quinn finally asked frowning.
“Sure,” Rachel answered easily. “What do you want to talk about?” The fake innocence of the question went unnoticed by Quinn, who frowned even deeper, her gaze falling to the bed covers for a second. Rachel knew she was being a little mean, but she kind of liked teasing Quinn.
“I don’t know… don’t you- isn’t there something you want to talk about?” Quinn shrugged, trying to sound casual. “Something you want to tell me?”
“Something like what?”
‘Like you like me too, maybe?! Ugh!’ The blonde huffed. “I don’t know. You’d think after what I confessed this morning you’d have something to say.”
“You think?” She asked with a hint of a smile. She just couldn’t keep it anymore. Quinn of course caught it and rolled her eyes, a blush spreading on her cheeks.
“Jerk.”
Rachel giggled and reached out to wrap her hand around Quinn’s arm, pulling her up the bed and next to her. The blonde let herself be dragged without much resistance. She sat with her legs stretched out in front of her, her hands in her lap and her eyes on them. Rachel bumped her shoulder to catch her attention.
“Hey,” she said quietly when hazel eyes locked on hers. “In case you still haven’t figured it out after all that has happened these past weeks or I didn’t make it clear enough on Sunday night, I like you too.”
Quinn looked down at her hands again, biting her lip to fight back a smile in her own cute way of keeping her cool. She nodded and took a deep breath, regaining some composure, then cleared her throat.
“It’s just, really hard to believe, you know? I mean a month ago we were barely talking to each other.” She shrugged. “I think… I think I liked you since freshman year, probably sooner. I just didn’t want it to be true. That’s mostly why I was so mean to you.” Quinn dared a glance at Rachel, who was listening to her with a curious expression, not judging or reproaching like Quinn would have expected. “I thought you hated me. I think I wanted you to hate me so it would be easier to stay away from you.”
“I never hated you.”
“I know,” Quinn rolled her eyes. “You’re just too nice.”
Rachel shrugged, taking it as a compliment.
“And… I don’t know… I guess I feel like it came out of nowhere that you- that you like me too. It’s just hard to believe, after all these years,” Quinn mumbled, her eyes still fixed on her lap, the pretty rosy tint never leaving her cheeks.
Rachel breathed deeply, feeling a pang of guilt at how badly she had been handling this whole thing, leaving Quinn in the complete dark while she controlled everything like a puppet master.
“Quinn you are unbelievably beautiful. You’re smart, you’re charming, you’re a great singer- although a little sharp at times- a great athlete. You have that passion, that strength in you that just draws people in. Why wouldn’t anyone like you?”
“Fine, maybe. But you are not just anyone.”
“That much is true,” Rachel conceded with a nod, failing to see Quinn’s good-natured eye-roll. “Still, you have always intrigued me. Even when you were mean to me, I just wanted you to like me, to be my friend.” This time Rachel is the one that blushed. “I had such a huge crush on you and I didn’t even know it.”
“Really?” Quinn asked a little smugly.
Rachel dropped her head back and let it lull to the side with a small smirk. “Well, you’re really hot when you’re pissed and for some reason I was the only one who could get that much emotion out of you.”
Just like that the air around them seemed to shift drastically.
‘I want to kiss her. Oh God, I want to kiss her so bad.’ But Quinn didn’t move an inch.
“So,” Rachel said trying to sound calm, “now that we’ve cleared that up, what do you want to do?”
‘Kiss you,’ Quinn thought as she shifted almost imperceptibly closer to the brunette.
“We have a different selection of activities to partake in,” Rachel continued, “movies, board games.”
‘I just want to make out.’
They kept her eyes fixed on each other with a consuming intensity. Rachel felt her mouth go dry as sandpaper and she licked her lips, Quinn following the path of her tongue with her eyes.
“Or w-we could stay here and- and talk?”
“If you want,” Quinn mumbled, her voice so husky it shook Rachel to the core.
“I don’t really want to talk,” Rachel said and in a bold move she pushed herself to a kneeling position and straddled Quinn’s lap, her hands on the blonde’s shoulders to steady herself.
“Yeah, me neither,” were Quinn’s last words before Rachel’s lips crashed against hers.
The brunette’s mouth was urgent and demanding, still as soft as ever but with a force that spurred Quinn on even more. The Cheerio let her hands rest on Rachel’s thighs, which were covered by the thin and tight fabric of the yoga pants, the warmth of Rachel’s skin almost burning her through the cloth.
Rachel was like a little flame; every part of her body that touched Quinn’s was scalding. The brunette parted her lips with a moan as Quinn licked the seam, delighted to let Quinn’s tongue in. She pushed herself closer to her, putting her arms around Quinn’s neck and breathed hard through her nose as Quinn’s cool hands made her way from her thighs to the small of her back, dangerously close to her ass.
But Quinn wouldn’t go there, not yet. Instead, she pushed the sweater up a few inches and tickled the skin on Rachel’s back with her fingertips, driving Rachel crazy. She moaned into Quinn’s mouth again as the blonde sucked on her tongue. Rachel rested her forehead against Quinn’s in an attempt to calm her frantic heartbeat and squirming body.
“Where did you learn that?” She asked, out of breath.
“What? You thought little miss president of the Celibacy Club wouldn’t be experienced, uh?” Quinn said smugly, satisfied with herself and Rachel’s state. “You’d be surprised how much you learn when you never let your boyfriends go past first base.”
Rachel raised her eyebrow in challenge. “Don’t look so smug, Fabray.”
Quinn glanced at Rachel’s chest that was still raising and falling hard with every deep breath and licked her lips. She fixed her gaze on Rachel’s swollen ones and accepted the challenge. “Make me.”
“Hey,” Quinn whispers as she slips into the seat next to Rachel.
“Hi,” is Rachel breathy answer. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t just lose herself in her own thoughts and felt like she was in her room again, kissing Quinn until her lips felt sore.
Quinn seems to like her flustered face just fine because she smiles knowingly and very slowly, very carefully, moves her hand from her own thigh to the edge of her seat, where her pinkie brushes Rachel’s.
Rachel glances down at it and moves her hand another inch, until the same pinkie is curled around Quinn’s. She raises her head with a cocked eyebrow and watches Quinn’s lips tug up at the corner before she covers her hand completely and squeezes. Rachel turns it up and their fingers entwine immediately, her gaze softening.
“I was just thinking about you,” she says conversationally.
“Is that true? About what?” ‘Bet it was about that first make out session in her bedroom…’
“Oh you know, about that time you kidnapped me after Spanish class,” she lies as the memories flood her mind.
The bell had just rung and as all the students left the Spanish classroom, she stayed behind to talk to Mr Schue about their Glee practice that afternoon. She approached him with an idea and the man seemed to brace himself but was left dumbfounded when she proposed an unconventional duet for Sectionals. Will was confused, seeing as she always wanted to have the spotlight. It was so strange that she wanted to give it to other people that the thought that she might have been plotting something crossed his mind.
Nice to know how much he trusts me, Rachel thought bitterly as she left the room and made her way to the cafeteria.
But at any rate, now that she had proposed it to Mr Schue and she knew she had an ally that would support her this afternoon in Glee, she just needed to mention it to the lucky members whom she had chosen to perform the duet.
But as the universe willed it, one of them found her first.
“Wha-“ she cried as a pair of strong hands grabbed the back of her argyle vest and pulled her into the janitor’s closet. Rachel, thinking the worst, started struggling against her attacker and yelling things like: “Unhand me immediately! My fathers have the ACLU on speed dial!”
“Rachel- Rach- ow!” Rachel heard as her elbow collided with something soft.
“Quinn?” The brunette turned bewildered, her eyes growing wide and worried as she saw Quinn holding her chest. “Oh my God, Quinn, are you okay?”
Quinn stared at her, holding her chest and out of nowhere, she started laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Rachel asked confused.
“I believe you just rounded second base.”
Rachel spluttered out an apology, her face red from all the air she was not breathing.
“I didn’t know you were into that stuff though,” Quinn kept on with her joke. Rachel huffed embarrassed and feeling a little bad for punching Quinn.
“Well, if you acted like a normal person and asked for me to meet you in here instead of kidnapping me, maybe I wouldn’t have to put my self-defence classes to use.”
‘Self-defence? That’s hot.’ Quinn stepped into Rachel’s personal space with her infamous cocked eyebrow and Rachel felt the warmth of her embarrassment melting into another completely different kind of warmth. “I would’ve asked, but I haven’t seen you all day.”
“I’ve seen you.”
“Really? When?”
“Oh you know, strutting down the hall, parting the student body like the red sea. Skirt flowing with the wind,” Rachel mumbled as Quinn pressed her body to hers and she felt herself trapped against the door.
“Perv,” she whispered barely two inches from Rachel’s mouth.
Rachel snorted. “Like you don’t wear it just because you know people are going to perv on you.”
Quinn just gave a half-shrug, before kissing Rachel, smirk still in place. It irked Rachel even more and she grabbed the lapels of Quinn Cheerio’s jacket and bit the blonde’s plump lower lip, effectively turning the smirk into a moan. Triumphantly, Rachel pulled back, giggling when a dazed blonde followed her, seeking her mouth.
“I just talked to Mr Schue.”
“Really, Rach? Really? We’re in a dark closet, kissing and you want to stop and talk about Mr. Schuester?” ‘There’s something wrong with this picture.’
Rachel ignored her comment. “I was telling him that for Sectionals it’d be interesting to have something fresh and new aaaand, uhm, Quinn, w-what are you doing?”
The cheerleader was leaving little bites and kisses down Rachel’s jaw and neck. She nudged the girl’s jaw and Rachel gave up without a fight, throwing her head back against the door.
“Well if you won’t kiss me I’m sure as hell not going to waste time talking about Sectionals. I have Glee, Cheerio’s practice and then my mom wants me to meet her new friends so it’s gonna be a long day.” And then she proceeded to ravage Rachel’s neck.
“O-oh, okay, but, as much as I l-like what you’re doing, I think you should really hear m-mhmm, hear me out, for this matter is of utmost importance to you- oh my god, right there!”
Quinn smirked to herself, having found a very sensitive spot on Rachel’s neck and planning to leave a nice hickey because even if she still wasn’t ready to claim the girl as hers in front of the entire school, at least she was going to let them know she was taken.
“T-the thing is, uhm, I t-think you should sing a duet with Sam for Sectionals.”
“What?” And just like that the blonde stopped her ministrations. She snapped her head up and looked at Rachel like she had grown another head. “What are you talking about?”
Rachel pouted a little at Quinn for stopping but when she noticed the blonde was serious she dropped it. “I think you and Sam’s voice would sound really good together and I was thinking we need to step up our game. It’s always been Finn and I doing a duet and it might be getting old- not my part of course, but Finn… once you have seen what he has to offer it doesn’t really go further than that. I talked about it with Mr Schue and he thinks it’s a phenomenal idea. Of course the solo would still be mine.”
Quinn had started shaking her head half into the rant and at this point she was even mumbling “no, no, no, no,” under her breath.
“Please Quinn.”
“No.”
“Just try it out this afternoon at practice. See how you two can sound great together.”
“You’re out of your mind.”
“I’m not. I know what I’m talking about. You’ll sound great.”
“Why would you suggest something like that?” Quinn asked with a groan.
Rachel put her arms around Quinn’s waist and pulled her in. “Because I like your voice and I think it’s underappreciated. Because you’ve never had a duet or a solo and because I trust you can make us win.” And as an afterthought she added, “and because I think Sam could be Glee’s new male lead. Finn is getting really tiring.”
Quinn sighed, dropping her head to Rachel’s shoulder, her eyes level with the sensitive spot she had just discovered a minute ago. “You really think I could make us win?”
“Absolutely.”
“But my voice is sharp on occasion.”
“We can work on that. I can give you private lessons at my house. The basement is soundproof,” something about the way Rachel said the last sentence sounded anything but innocent and it stirred something in Quinn’s stomach.
“I’ll need lots of practice,” she mumbled smirking.
“You look cute when you space out,” Quinn says quietly, breaking her from her reverie, “and I really want to kiss you right now.”
They might have been kissing at any and all waking moments since that day in Rachel’s bedroom but that doesn’t mean the blunt statement makes Rachel blush any less.
She checks on her teammates nervously. Santana is leaning her head against Brittany’s shoulder and they’re sharing earphones while the blonde plays with her Tamagotchi. Rachel can hear the virtual duck quacking from time to time. Mercedes and Kurt are still at the back, immersed in their magazines. Mike and Sam are playing with a DS and Puck, who’s sitting next to a glazed-eyed Finn, is leaning across the aisle to follow their game. Artie’s dad is driving him and Tina so that leaves Mr. Schue who’s at the very front, shuffling through sheet music. Suddenly the silence is broken by Sam’s cheers and he throws his arms up in victory, earning an impressed nod from Puck and a groan from Mike.
Everyone seems to be minding their own business.
“Someone might see,” Rachel says but still leans a tiny bit forward, eyes fixed on her target: Quinn’s pink lips that are shinny from the lip-gloss.
“Everyone’s minding their own business.” Rachel knew that, but there’s still a risk. Quinn doesn’t seem to mind though, because she ducks her head, her eyes jumping from Rachel’s eyes to her lips and leans in excruciatingly slow. “It’s been too long,” she mumbles.
“We hung out yesterday,” Rachel whispers back with a half smile, her breath hitting Quinn’s face and she feels smug that Quinn needs the proximity as much and as frequently as she does.
“Too long,” Quinn repeats with a head shake and goes in for the kiss.
“Ladies.” Sam appears out of nowhere and startles them both, making them jump apart like they’ve been burned and look guilty until they realize who the cause of the interruption was.
Quinn glares and Rachel plants her cheek on the cold glass of the window to cool her warm skin and make the blush go away. Sam for his part, looks far too amused and not concerned enough by Quinn’s murderous look.
“Cockblocked you, didn’t I?” He whispers with a grin. Quinn could smack him silly. In fact, Rachel hears her think just that.
“Go away.”
“Hey, I just came to see how my favourite secret couple is doing,” he is still whispering but both Rachel and Quinn’s eyes go a little wide at that statement. They start stuttering out at the same time.
“We’re not-“
“Would you shut up?“
“Is not like that.“
“I swear to God, Evans…“
“Hey, it’s cool. You know that, Quinn.” He raises his hands defensively and looks at her pointedly. Quinn sighs and purses her lips as she slumps back in her seat. “Actually I just came to ask you for your phone.” Quinn cocks an eyebrow at him. He scratches the back of his neck. “We were playing Mario Kart on Mike’s DS and I just beat his record and now he won’t let me play anymore.” He sends a quick glare in Mike’s direction. Rachel briefly thinks it resembles a puppy trying to see from behind its bangs. “And you have Angry Birds on your phone. I just need some distraction or I’d start thinking about our s-song and I’ll puke my breakfast or jump out the window. Probably both.”
Before Rachel is able to beg Quinn to lend him her phone, for they can’t afford losing a member or they’d be disqualified, the blonde grumbles a little and jerks her hips up and out of the seat to fish her phone from her very tight jean’s pocket. Rachel’s mind flood with images at the sight and her eyes go a little wide, before scolding herself for being such a teenage boy around Quinn.
Quinn hands him her phone with a pointed look that says, ‘now get out of my sight and don’t you dare cockblock me again’. No really, Quinn thinks that as she hands it over.
When Sam leaves Rachel finds the perfect opportunity to ask about that issue. She’s not sure how it happened because Quinn hasn’t elaborated much but she knows Sam knows about them and they have some sort of deal and Quinn trusts him 100% even if she acts like she doesn’t.
“Do you think you could fill me in, in what happened with Sam?”
‘I suppose if Sam knows about us, it affects Rachel and that would mean she also has a right to know about him…’ Quinn looks thoughtful for a moment. ‘Ah, you know what? Screw it. He shouldn’t have cockblocked me. Twice.’
“Okay.” Quinn’s eyes shoot to the roof of the bus as she recounts the events. “It all started after you proposed your brilliant idea of a duet between he and I.”
“The solo would be mine, of course,” Rachel added at the end of her proposition. The first idea was received pretty positively; Puck even patted a dumbfounded Sam in the back and Mercedes and Kurt clapped and squealed a little for their friend Quinn. But someone wasn’t so agreeable with this last statement.
“What?!” Mercedes spat, raising her hand in a very ‘pause’ manner. Everyone in Glee club quieted and waited on the edge of their seats for the epic fight that was surely going to take place. “Oh, hells no. I want that solo too. Who gave you the right to just… assign it to yourself?”
“But Mercedes, you have to bear in mind that no one in this room has-“
‘Oh, she better not.’ Mercedes was fuming.
“-my years of training, exceptional talent or drive. And we know that’s what we’re going to need to win. Of course, I’m not saying you’re voice is anything less than wonderful, but even you lack my experience when on a stage, for I have been singing since-“
“That’s it, Diva-wannabe! We’re gonna have at it now!” Mercedes said standing up in a rush. Rachel shrunk back a little. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Quinn gripping her chair with white knuckles, two seconds away from bolting up. “Diva-off!”
Everyone in the room except Quinn and Mr. Schue (who had been watching the exchange silently, as per usual) exploded in cheers and whistles. Rachel looked at her favourite blonde for help and Quinn decided if Mr. Schue was going to neglect his duties as a teacher, it was time for her to intervene.
“Wait, wait!” She yelled over the ruckus. The room fell silent again with everyone waiting on pins and needles to see what the blonde had to add to the argument. What no one expected was her to be on Rachel’s side. “Mercedes, Rachel's right.”
“What?!” A couple of people, including Mercedes, spat at her.
“Look, you can all act like Rachel is the bad guy here and be all indignant because she’s bluntly saying she’s better than you but let’s be honest, she is.” She looked around, daring someone to contradict her. “She’s simply the best one of us. And I’m sorry Mercedes but I’m- we,” she pointed at herself and Sam “are not ready to have that much responsibility on our shoulders if we’re not sure that the backup is only the very best. You’re amazing, you’re a powerhouse; we all know that, and there’s no need for a diva-off. There’s no need for you to show us how good you are. We know it. Rachel would be the first to admit it.” She looked at the girl in question for confirmation and Rachel nodded frantically, her eyes wide and bright. Mercedes smiled faintly at her.
“You can have the solo at Regionals,” Rachel blurted suddenly. Mercedes looked at her confused.
‘Is she really going to give it up that easy or it is just a trick?’ She thought.
“I promise! I can sign it to you. Do you- do you want me to- let me-“ she spun in a circle, looking around for something to write on, “let me get some pen and paper. I’ll sign it.”
Mercedes chuckled at her antics. “No, it’s fine. I believe you.” She looked at the rest of the members of the club. “You’re all witnesses. Rachel promised me the next solo, huh?” She then turned to the shorter girl with a kind smile and an accepting nod. “You better kill this one.”
“Don’t I always?” Rachel replied cheekily.
Mercedes laughed again as made her way to her seat, where Quinn received her with a grateful nod and a muttered ‘thank you’.
Moments later, Rachel was handing out the sheet music for the group song and duets (to Quinn and Sam) and Mr. Schue was announcing the end of the practice, reminding them that they had Glee again tomorrow and everyday until the day of Sectionals.
Rachel stayed behind like always, looking over the songs they were going to perform and Quinn pretended to be very interested in the sheet music of her song with Sam. She actually was, though, when she saw that the song was the classic Dirty Dancing’s The Time of My Life. But when the last of the Glee Club members left the room, she dropped the papers and walked over to her girl.
“Hey,” she said as she leaned on the piano next to her. Rachel continued shuffling through the sheets, but a small smile made her way to her face.
“Thank you,” she muttered.
“What for?”
Rachel stopped and bit her lip, then turned to the blonde. “For that before. Standing up for me. No one has ever done that for me. Not even Finn.”
Quinn shrugged. “You were right and Mercedes was just being a brat. And I’m tired of watching how the Glee Club throw shit at you and expect you to still be okay with it and then save the day, like last year.”
Rachel’s eyes blurred with unshed tears and she hid her face behind her hair. “I appreciate it a lot more than you think.”
“Hey,” Quinn whispered as she ducked her head to catch Rachel’s eyes. When Rachel looked up, she leaned her forehead on hers. “It was time I did something for you.” ‘I owe you so much,’ she thought but didn’t voice it.
Rachel gave her a watery smile and leaned in. Just as they were about to kiss, someone cleared their throat. They jumped a few feet apart, their heads snapping to the voice with wide, scared eyes. Sam was standing there awkwardly, his bag slung over his shoulder and his hand in his pocket. He smiled sheepishly.
“Uh sorry, I can come later if you guys want…”
“No!” They both said at the same time.
Rachel started grabbing her stuff and she sent a last glance in Quinn’s direction.
‘Please don’t run away from me. Please don’t be scared, please God, please. I can’t do this without you.’
“So remember to practice those high notes and the breathing techniques I taught you.” Rachel said loudly. She wasn’t running away, she was just trying to save their alibi. “I’ll call you later,” she added quietly, only for Quinn’s ears and smiled at her meaningfully.
Quinn nodded before Rachel spun and with a tight smile at Sam, left the room.
“So…” Sam breathed.
“Yeah.” Quinn cleared her throat. “Was there something you wanted?”
“Oh yeah. Uhm, I was wondering if you wanted to get started with our song today. It has to be at my place though, ‘cause dad works ‘till late and my mom is going to drive Stacy to her dance class and my brother is alone so I have to look after him,” he said in a rush.
Quinn thought she didn’t really have another option. They needed to practice and she knew sooner or later Sam would ask about what he had just witnessed. “Sure.”
Half an hour later she was sitting on Sam’s couch with Sam at her side, plucking aimlessly at the chords of his guitar and his brother, Stevie, curled up on the loveseat, reading a comic book.
The silence was stifling. Quinn knew he wanted to ask but he feared her reaction. She sucked on her teeth and played with the hem of her Cheerios’ skirt. She wondered what Rachel was doing right now.
“Hey, Stevie,” Sam called.
“Yah?”
“Don’t you have homework to do?”
The boy looked up at his brother with big pleading eyes. “B-but I just started this number!” He showed them the cover of his X-Men comic.
“That’s a good number…” Sam mumbled thoughtfully. He shook his head. “But you should go do your homework and then you can read it after dinner. Sound good, buddy?”
Stevie sighed long and deep, like kids do when they want to imitate adults. “Alright…” He dropped the comic on the table and ran up to his room, leaving Quinn and Sam alone in silence once again.
Sam jerked his head to get his hair out of his eyes and smiled sheepishly.
“So…” Quinn looked at him questioningly. “Rachel, huh?”
Quinn shook her head dumbfounded. She never imagined he’d be so direct about it. But what surprised her most wasn’t the bluntness of the question; it was the complete casualness of the situation. Sam almost looked like he didn’t really care that much, like he might have known all along. “…No?” She tried.
“It’s cool, you know. I should have guessed when you said you liked someone but you’d been a bitch to them. I hear people talking. I know you used to torture her.” Quinn looked away ashamed. “At first I was confused: why would Quinn torture a girl like Rachel? She’s sweet. She doesn’t really represent a threat to her status. She’s nice to everyone.”
“I know, I know. I was just so-“
“But then I realized those rumours weren’t true anymore. I mean, yeah, maybe you were a bitch before I transferred but I haven’t really known that Quinn. I’ve known the one that waits at Rachel’s locker to walk her to class and the one that defends her in Glee Club. And then, the one that almost kisses her in the choir room after practice.” Sam smiled goofily and Quinn turned a nice shade of red. “I might be dyslexic but even I can play ‘join the dots’.”
“I- I don’t know what you want me to say.” Her voice shook a little.
“Are you guys like… together?”
“No. No.” She shook her head then stopped. “Maybe. No. I don’t know.”
“You like her?”
Quinn looked at him irritated.
“Hey, I saw you almost kissing her. I know you like her, I’m just asking because it’s polite or… whatever.”
“Fine. Yes.” Quinn rolled her eyes and softened a little. “Yeah, I like her.”
“And she likes you?”
Quinn gave a half shrug and bit back a smile. “I think so.”
“But you’re not together?”
“Not yet,” Quinn said before she even realized what she was saying. Sam didn’t seem to give it too much thought.
“Mhmm…” he mumbled as he started strumming his guitar again. When Quinn thought he was going to drop it, he spoke again. “I’m bisexual.”
Quinn choked on her own spit. “What?”
Sam shrugged, a little insecure this time. “Well, I guess since I know your secret it is only fair that you know mine. This way you know I’m going to keep yours and I know you’re going to keep mine.”
“But… why did you tell me?”
“Dunno. No one really knows here. Feels good to talk about it with someone.” He looked up at her from under his bangs. “You’re okay with that, right?”
Quinn’s eyes widened and she snorted. “Sam, I just told you I’m planning on dating Rachel Berry. I think I might be more than okay with that.”
He smiled that adorable smile that was exactly like his brother’s and made him look even younger. “Cool.”
“Yeah.” It actually felt good to talk about it with someone, Quinn thought. It was… liberating. Brittany and Santana knew but she hadn’t really talked to them about it, since they were BrittanyandSantana exclusively as of lately. In fact she didn’t see herself voicing her doubts about Rachel to them at all; the image of a teasing Latina making fun of her and a sweet but not very helpful blonde came up in her mind. Suddenly the idea that Sam knew about them didn’t sound so bad. It actually excited her a little. “So… is there any guy you like?”
“That’s mostly how it went,” Quinn finishes the story that Rachel had been so attentively listening to.
“So?” The brunette asks expectantly.
“So…?”
Rachel makes a ‘duh’ face. “So is there? Any guy that has called Sam’s attention?”
Quinn can’t believe this girl. “Oh my God, you are such a gossip,” she laughs.
“I am not! I’m just curious. I won’t tell anyone.” Rachel laces her arm around Quinn’s and presses into her, practically sitting on her lap. “Tell me. Tell me, tell me, tell me.”
Quinn looks at the shiny, mischievous brown eyes and knows she can’t say no to this girl. She sighs. “Fine. But you better not tease him about it.” Rachel crosses her fingers over her heart. “He thinks Kurt’s cute.”
“Well, duh. Kurt’s really pretty.”
“And… he thinks…” Quinn says stretching it out, “that Puck is hot.”
Rachel gasps, her eyes widening. Her eyes glace over for a moment and Quinn looks at her curiously.
“What? What? What are you thinking?” Quinn nudges her when she doesn’t reply.
“That would be so hot,” she finally mumbles.
…
Rachel can tell they’re nearing their destination when Quinn squeezes her hand before changing seats to sit next to Sam. Crumpled sheet music in hand, she can see them going over the lyrics, choreography steps and just mentally preparing themselves for it.
When they arrive, Mr. Schue tells them to find a bathroom to get changed while he announces their arrival. Minutes later, New Directions, clad in white and gray dresses and black and red pants and shirt, wait at the Green Room for their turn.
They can hear the contestants being announced through the speaker. They sound good, but not as good as them.
“We’re better than them. We got this,” Santana says, breaking the charged silence. It’s the second time they’re in this position and even if they won the first time, the nerves are still there.
“Santana’s right, we got this,” Finn adds, always positive. The choir on stage changes songs; the first notes of a Lady Gaga’s song start to sound. “E-even if they have Gaga.”
Beautifully merged voices flow through the speaker and the members of New Directions listen with rapt attention. Okay, they sound really good.
“We’re better, right? I mean we got- we got Rachel,” Artie stutters. “And Time of My Life. That’s a classic. Who doesn’t love a classic?”
“We should’ve gone with Gaga…” Tina mumbles.
“Okay, enough.” Mr. Schue jumps to his feet and shuts the speaker off. “Stop worrying so much about the others, guys. You know how good you are. You have to trust yourselves. I want to see you shine like only you can when you get out there, okay?” There are some nods. “Okay?”
“Okay,” they chorus.
“Alright, I’m gonna go find my seat. You’re up after the break. I’ll see you then.” He looks at his kids proudly. “You’ll be great. Break a leg, guys.”
The mood is clearly lighter when Mr. Schue leaves. Rachel watches Britt and Mike going over the choreography for Finn, Puck and Tina. Mercedes and Artie are warming up their voices and Kurt and Santana are peeking into the hallway to see if they can catch a glimpse of the last performers. She glances to the furthest corner to see Quinn slumped down in her chair with Sam hovering over her with a worried face.
Rachel frowns and approaches them.
“Hey, is everything okay?” She asks resting her hand on Sam’s shoulder.
‘Oh thank God, Rachel,’ Sam thinks relieved. “You talk to her. She’s not listening to me.”
“About what?”
‘She doesn’t want to perform.’ “Just talk to her,” the boy says instead.
“Quinn?” Rachel crouches in front of the blonde when she refuses to look up at her. “Quinn?”
“I- I can’t.” Quinn gulps loudly. She shakes her head. “I can’t go out there. Nope. I’m not ready. I won’t do it.”
“Quinn, what are you talking about? Of course you are ready, you’ve been practicing so hard; you and Sam.” Rachel looks up at Sam who shrugs defeated. “I get that you’re nervous but I know you’ll be amazing. You have nothing to be afraid of.”
“Rachel,” Quinn says through clenched teeth, “last time I performed on a stage my water broke. Don’t you see? I can’t go out there. I’ll screw it up.”
“That’s ridiculous! Quinn, one bad experience doesn’t mean anything!”
‘I’ll mess up the words, I’ll trip, I’ll disappoint her. I’ll disappoint everyone.’ The blonde releases a shaky breath. “I’m not you, Rachel, I don’t light up the stage. I- I- I-“
“Come with me.”
Rachel grabs Quinn’s hand and pulls her out of the room and to an empty one. No one pays attention, apart from Sam who sends a quick prayer to whoever is listening that Rachel will be able to convince Quinn. She’s their only hope right now.
Once in the room, Rachel locks the door and spins on her heels before lurching forward and crashing her lips against Quinn’s. She kisses the air out of her; kisses her until her lungs burn and her head is fuzzy and foggy and she feels it from her lips to the tip of her toes. She kisses her worries away, her hands cupping her neck, eyes shut tight and her lips pressed so hard against Quinn’s, that she can feel her teeth behind them. Quinn’s body relaxes and her arms slip almost unconsciously around Rachel’s slim waist.
The kiss loses force slowly, until Rachel is merely brushing her lips against Quinn’s. Her eyes are open, watching Quinn’s conflicted expression. Without moving an inch, she speaks.
“You’re going out there and you’re blowing them away because I know you can and because I trust you, okay?”
Quinn’s eyes flutter open and Rachel has never seen them so close and so vulnerable. They look golden. Like honey.
“I’m ready.”
Part 2