Hills And Valleys: Quinn/Mike, PG
Title: Hills And Valleys
Author: marliskelsey
Pairing,Character(s): Quinn/Mike
Rating: PG
Word Count: 988
Spoilers: Through 1x13, Sectionals
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. I can only dream.
Summary: Quinn’s not sure when Mike Chang became her shoulder to lean on.
A/N: Quick little fic, because I can't get this couple out of my head. AU. Hope you enjoy!
She knew this day would come. All her faults and her lies were always going to get out in the end, because Quinn knows that the days of her perfection are over.
It’s quiet in the hallway alcove and Quinn is grateful, because she doesn’t have to pretend.
She’ll paste on a brave face tomorrow.
Suddenly, a warm body plunks itself beside her, a hand extends toward her. “Do you need a ride?” Quinn looks up. Mike’s face is so open, so honest. She doesn’t even question it. She just takes his hand.
He pulls her to her feet, steadies her. Walks her to his car. She clings to his side, grateful for the support.
Quinn’s not sure when Mike Chang became her shoulder to lean on.
* * *
"Why did you stop for me?”
He shrugs, looks over at her earnestly.
“I have no reason to be mad at you, Quinn.”
She looks at her hands.
“I ruined everything.”
“No, you didn’t. You’re gonna be fine, Quinn. You’re Quinn Fabray, you’re gorgeous and kind at heart and you’ll be fine.”
He’s smiling so sweetly. She can’t stop herself.
Their lips collide and Quinn’s heart breaks a little bit more.
* * *
His touch is warm across her skin, her shoulder, her face.
She relishes in it, and in the adoration that shines from his eyes. Adoration she doesn’t deserve, because she knows deep down inside what this is.
“You’re so beautiful.” He smiles and pecks her forehead.
He’s just another football player, a comfort. A boy who dances with undeniable grace. A boy who makes you feel like you mean something again with the brush of his lips against yours. A boy who deserves better than her.
Quinn savours his light, because she decides that she will never feel it again.
* * *
They’re at the beach.
Its freezing cold, but they don’t really care.
Mike loves this place. He used to come here with his older sister, and he tells Quinn that he wants to share it with her.
It’s nice, normal. But she’s not happy.
It’s like there’s a bubble around her heart, blocking the full force of any emotion so that it’s only a tingle of something so much greater.
She realizes that Mike’s sharing this huge piece of his life with her, and she can’t even appreciate it.
“Let’s go home, Mike. It’s too cold.”
* * *
Quinn shows up at Santana’s house, feeling numb.
She had broken up with him not minutes before, and run like a scared little girl before he could say anything.
Quinn tells herself that this is better. This is what is best.
Her phone rings. She lets it go. It beeps with a new text. She doesn’t even glance up.
He’ll forget her someday.
* * *
She almost wishes he would just freeze her out and ignore her, because it would be so much easier on both of them.
She just can’t deal with another smile, another greeting. “Hey, Quinn, what’s up?”
Quinn can only smile a little and wave back, and build his hopes again only to crush them because she won’t let herself use him as her crutch.
* * *
Quinn finds herself missing him sometimes.
Missing the way he made her feel, the way he didn’t judge her or date her for the wrong reasons. The way he smiled and said her name.
She misses the comfort.
But even that is starting to sound like a lie . . .
* * *
“Hey, Quinn, can I talk to you for a second?”
She snaps.
“What, Mike? Why can’t you just leave me alone?”
He’s taken aback.
“Look, I know you’ve got this weird impression that you’re not good enough for me, but . . .”
She sighs.
“Just stop, Mike. Stop and please, let me be.”
She leaves him, again. He’s still staring at her when she walks out the door.
* * *
When she wakes up the next day, pregnant and alone, Quinn realizes what she just threw away and curls back into the bed in Brittany's guest room.
* * *
He asks her one day after Glee rehearsal. It’s been a long day, full of glares and back pain and the baby kicking like she’s some sort of unborn soccer prodigy. She’s eight months along now, and it’s finally starting to dawn on her that soon she’ll be pushing a living, breath human being out of her body.
“Hey, Quinn, got a minute?”
She turns around, wary.
The words all come out in one breath, tripping over each other in their race to get out.
“I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go to prom with me and it’s completely okay if you don’t, considering our history and the fact that you’re pregnant, and I’m not sure if you were even planning on going at all, but you know, if you were planning on going maybe you’d like to go with me? Please? Maybe?”
Slowly, deliberately and not without doubt, Quinn nods her head.
The radiant smile that breaks across Mike's face says she's made the right decision.
He crushes her against his chest and takes off down the hall, dancing around like a goof and shouting something about picking her up at five thirty.
* * *
When he picks her up, he tells her she looks like an angel.
They dance together to a slow song and Mike doesn’t complain once about the protruding baby bump that Quinn knows is digging into his stomach, even if he won’t admit it.
She laughs with her friends, giggles while Rachel tries to get Finn to stop dancing like he’s being electrocuted, claps politely when Finn and Santana are announced as Prom King and Queen and snickers into her palm with Mike as the king and queen dance together awkwardly.
When he drops her off, he gives her a nice, long kiss.
Quinn thinks it's perfect. The baby kicks in agreement.