Slow Burn (9/9)
Title: Slow Burn (9/9)
Author: pucks09
Rating: PG-13ish
Length: 2,000
Summary: A detailing of the torturous events leading up to a first gay romance. The angst, the denial, the boobs.
Note: It was time to bring this one to a close.
The next two weeks were marked with flirtation and reciprocation, both girls seeing how far their nerves would let them go.
There were little things: Rachel gave Quinn a loaded glance when the brunette suggested they sing Leann Rimes’ “Right Kind of Wrong” for a movie soundtrack assignment, Quinn went out of her way to hold eye contact with Rachel in the hallway when they were walking past each other, and both girls took every opportunity to brush against each other when they were in close proximity.
There were bigger things: Quinn bitched out one of the hockey players when he was 10 feet away from Rachel with a Slushie, Rachel purposefully changed the choreography and grabbed Quinn’s hand when they practiced “Somebody to Love,” and both girls started saving each other seats in their shared classes and at lunch.
They were slowly getting to know each other, and it felt good. Quinn didn’t want to push Rachel to move any faster than she was comfortable with, and Rachel was gradually warming to the idea of having more than a physical connection with the blonde. Both were excited at their comfort in the friendship they were building, and both were anxious about the prospect spending an entire week of spring break apart.
At the end of the day on Friday before spring break, Rachel caught Quinn by her locker. The blonde smiled when she saw the shorter girl approaching.
“T minus 30 minutes,” Quinn smiled.
“I know,” Rachel sighed, “I can’t wait to have a few days to sleep in and bum around in PJs.” She looked up at the blonde. It was now or never. “So I realized last night that I don’t actually have your phone number...”
Of course both girls were fully aware of this fact, but their budding relationship was such a tightrope that neither wanted to upset the balance by pushing too hard. Quinn looked at Rachel for a second and took in the words.
“Well, I do owe you dinner, right?” Rachel let her words trail off.
Not wanting to spend much time away from the brunette, Quinn quickly replied, “you know what? I think this weekend would be the perfect time to collect.”
Rachel grinned as Quinn wrote her cell phone number down on a sheet of paper.
--------------------------------
An hour and a half later Rachel sat on her bed, typing in the text message she had written to Quinn, deciding that it wasn’t quite perfect, and erasing the entire message. For the fifth time. She pulled a pillow to her mouth and gave a frustrated moan.
Quinn was sprawled on her bed, pillow over her face, listening to The XX (her favorite chill out music), enjoying the feeling of having a full week ahead of her. She let the music roll over her as it floated through the air. Somewhere around the second verse she heard her phone buzz. She smiled into her pillow, somehow just knowing it was Rachel.
R: Are you enjoying your break?
Q: Rach it’s been 2 hours. But yes.
R: What are you doing?
Q: Listening to music. You busy?
Rachel inhaled sharply. Was Quinn going to ask her to do something? What should she respond? At this point she was very comfortable with the blonde, and was excitedly anxious to experience the progression in their relationship. There was the potential that they were about to have a whole lot of ‘firsts’ and she wanted to make sure that each of these moments was absolutely perfect. She exhaled.
R: Not at the moment…
The 90 seconds it took for Quinn to respond felt like 10 minutes. Rachel stared at the screen of her phone, holding her breath.
Q: Do you want to hang out?
Rachel grabbed her phone and pulled it to her chest. She wiggled a little, taking a moment to do a happy dance before responding. She took a deep breath and settled herself. She wanted to be in the proper, nonchalant mindset to write an appropriately neutral response. Even though she liked Quinn, she was still going to make the girl work for it a bit.
R: Ok. You can pick me up in 30 minutes if you want.
Perfect. It showed interest but left it up to Quinn to follow through.
Q: I’ll be there in 15.
Rachel raised her eyebrows and ran to her closet. She had very little time to put together the perfect ‘I was just casually hanging out by myself but I’m still ridiculously hot’ outfit.
--------------------------------
Quinn pulled up outside of Rachel’s house and was surprised to see the brunette opening the door. She must have been watching for me, the blonde smirked. She felt her breath hitch as she watched Rachel walk down the path. The girl was wearing a tight pair of jeans and a plain black tank top. Her hips swayed in a way that could only be described as delicately sultry.
“So you couldn’t survive without me, huh?” Rachel had practiced the line 20 times as she got dressed, making sure to sound playful yet interested.
“Hey, you were the one who texted first.” Quinn teasingly rolled her eyes and pulled the car back onto the road towards her house.
They were halfway through the drive, trading mildly flirtatious one-liners, when Rachel realized that she had never been to Quinn’s house or met the girl’s family. She allowed herself to wonder what they might be like. She knew that her parents were different from most other’s, not just because they were gay but because her relationship with them was so open and loving. Rachel couldn’t imagine what parents might be like who would throw their scared teenage daughter out of the house because she was pregnant. Lost in thought, Rachel knit her brow.
“Is something wrong?” Quinn asked gently.
“No,” Rachel turned to look at her, “I just realized that I’ve never met your parents.”
“Oh. Well I barely see them anymore, which is probably for the best. They’re on vacation for a few days. St Barts or something.” Quinn tried to sound like she didn’t care, but Rachel could hear the hurt in her voice. She wanted to cheer the blonde up.
“So we’re going to be alone then,” the words came out more suggestively than she intended, and the brunette blushed.
Quinn parked the car and led Rachel into the house.
“My room is up this way. We can listen to some music if you want.”
She took the brunette’s hand and led her upstairs. Rachel let out a sigh and paused in Quinn’s doorway, trying to make a mental image of this moment. She stepped through the door, knowing there was no turning back.
“I’ve been listening to this album nonstop for the past few days,” Quinn said, motioning to the CD that was sitting on her bedspread. “It always puts me in a good mood.”
Rachel immediately recognized the album from the cover art. “The XX! I don’t usually like hipster music, but for some reason I really enjoy them.”
Quinn playfully threw a pillow at Rachel. “I’m not a hipster!” She put the CD on shuffle.
Rachel smiled and plopped down on the bed next to Quinn. Both girls sprawled on the bed, facing each other, as the first song started. Somehow Rachel’s arm found its way to Quinn’s waist.
They stayed like that for the next few songs, smiling lazily and singing the words together. The band was perfect for Quinn’s vocals, and Rachel found herself simply listening to the blonde just as often as she chose to sing along.
Both girls were totally relaxed. Rachel watched through heavy eyelids as Quinn reached forward and tucked a piece of brown hair behind her ear as an excuse to keep her hand on Rachel’s shoulder. The next song started, and Rachel listened to Quinn sing along.
You’re hotter than a summer day in California
You got me melting like a sundae and I want you
I know you’ve been waiting
You’ve been waiting a long time for me
But if you wait a little longer this is how it’ll be
Rachel shuddered at the words and the blonde opened her eyes to look at Rachel for the chorus, adorably overacting with the song to make the smaller girl smile.
Oh it’s gonna be hot like fire
I’m gonna take you, take you higher
Rachel scooted herself a little bit closer to the blonde, letting their knees touch, as she began to sing the next verse in a throaty whisper that gave Quinn goosebumps.
You shouldn’t have said ‘take our time’
I’ll let you know when I’m ready if that’s alright
I won’t keep you, I won’t keep you, I won’t keep you holding on
But if you wait on me, I promise you it won’t be long
The two girls sang the chorus together, voices barely audible, words coming from deep within their chests.
Oh it’s gonna be hot like fire
I’m gonna take you, take you higher
You can’t resist -
Rachel’s lips were on Quinn’s, each nerve sparking at contact, warm breath filling the small gaps between them. It was so natural to both of them that it felt like a memory. Quinn whimpered as Rachel’s tongue traced her bottom lip, slowly caressing her mouth. It was gentler than Rachel imagined, considering the fire of attraction the two shared. The brunette moved her hand from Quinn’s hip to latch onto her belt loop, pulling the taller girl in closer. The blonde traced her hand lightly from Rachel’s shoulder, up her neck, and into her hair. Rachel couldn’t help but moan when their legs intertwined, hungry for more contact. Quinn smiled into their kiss as they moved apart, still within centimeters, bodies connected. Rachel silently marveled at how perfect this first ‘first’ felt, any last hints of hesitation drifting away. They laid together quietly, listening to the song playing, lost in each other.
And I’ll cross oceans like never before
So you can feel the way I feel it too
-----------------------------
“So you bagged man hands…” Santana could barely hold back her laughter, but Quinn didn’t care.
“I didn’t bag her, as you so tactfully put it.” Quinn couldn’t control her lazy smile as she thought about the previous afternoon. “We just listened to music and sang together. And kissed.”
“Quinn and Rachel sitting in a tree, F-U-C…”
“Brittany! Nothing like that happened! We aren’t ready yet.”
“Wait, Q. So are you two dating now? Are you going to be Mr. and Mrs. Stubbles? Will we have to wear argyle bridesmaid dresses?” Santana started into another fit of laughter.
Quinn was quiet. After a moment, Santana realized that her friend hadn’t responded.
“I really like her, S. It’s never been like this with anyone else.”
It was almost too soft to hear across the phone line.
“She feels like home to me. It’s been so long since I’ve felt as grounded as I do when we’re together.”
Santana looked at Brittany in shock. Sure, she would smirk when Quinn talked about how hot Rachel’s legs looked in those short skirts, but she hadn’t realized how emotionally invested her friend had become.
“Sorry, Q.” Santana said earnestly, “I didn’t realize…”
There was another pause, and Santana wasn’t sure if Quinn was still on the line.
“Well I hope you fall hopelessly in love and move off to New York together and get married and have kids and take them to feed the ducks in Central Park and invite us to Rachel’s Broadway shows and live happily ever after.” The lightness and acceptance in Brittany’s voice made all of the girls smile.
“Let’s just start with tonight’s dinner,” Quinn replied, happy that her friends now understood how important Rachel was. “Obviously it’s our first real date and I want to look good. What should I wear?” A pair of black pants caught the girl’s attention. “Nevermind. I got it.”
Quinn hung up and pulled on her leather pants.
---------------------------------
“Hey, babe! Look!” Quinn pointed to a half-page advertisement in the Times, prominently displaying Rachel’s face and the caption “Coming Soon: Oklahoma! Starring Tony Award Winner Rachel Berry.”
Rachel took a breath and smiled at the blonde. “This never gets old.”
“Seeing your name in lights?” Quinn laughed.
“No,” Rachel answered thoughtfully, “spending the afternoon in Central Park.”
Two brunette girls, 8 and 10, ran up to the two women on the bench. They looked at their parents with hazel eyes, begging for more breadcrumbs to feed to the ducks. Quinn obliged.
“Make sure you call San and Britt about their tickets for opening night,” Rachel reminded her wife.
“Of course,” Quinn beamed, “it’s tradition, after all.”
Author: pucks09
Rating: PG-13ish
Length: 2,000
Summary: A detailing of the torturous events leading up to a first gay romance. The angst, the denial, the boobs.
Note: It was time to bring this one to a close.
The next two weeks were marked with flirtation and reciprocation, both girls seeing how far their nerves would let them go.
There were little things: Rachel gave Quinn a loaded glance when the brunette suggested they sing Leann Rimes’ “Right Kind of Wrong” for a movie soundtrack assignment, Quinn went out of her way to hold eye contact with Rachel in the hallway when they were walking past each other, and both girls took every opportunity to brush against each other when they were in close proximity.
There were bigger things: Quinn bitched out one of the hockey players when he was 10 feet away from Rachel with a Slushie, Rachel purposefully changed the choreography and grabbed Quinn’s hand when they practiced “Somebody to Love,” and both girls started saving each other seats in their shared classes and at lunch.
They were slowly getting to know each other, and it felt good. Quinn didn’t want to push Rachel to move any faster than she was comfortable with, and Rachel was gradually warming to the idea of having more than a physical connection with the blonde. Both were excited at their comfort in the friendship they were building, and both were anxious about the prospect spending an entire week of spring break apart.
At the end of the day on Friday before spring break, Rachel caught Quinn by her locker. The blonde smiled when she saw the shorter girl approaching.
“T minus 30 minutes,” Quinn smiled.
“I know,” Rachel sighed, “I can’t wait to have a few days to sleep in and bum around in PJs.” She looked up at the blonde. It was now or never. “So I realized last night that I don’t actually have your phone number...”
Of course both girls were fully aware of this fact, but their budding relationship was such a tightrope that neither wanted to upset the balance by pushing too hard. Quinn looked at Rachel for a second and took in the words.
“Well, I do owe you dinner, right?” Rachel let her words trail off.
Not wanting to spend much time away from the brunette, Quinn quickly replied, “you know what? I think this weekend would be the perfect time to collect.”
Rachel grinned as Quinn wrote her cell phone number down on a sheet of paper.
--------------------------------
An hour and a half later Rachel sat on her bed, typing in the text message she had written to Quinn, deciding that it wasn’t quite perfect, and erasing the entire message. For the fifth time. She pulled a pillow to her mouth and gave a frustrated moan.
Quinn was sprawled on her bed, pillow over her face, listening to The XX (her favorite chill out music), enjoying the feeling of having a full week ahead of her. She let the music roll over her as it floated through the air. Somewhere around the second verse she heard her phone buzz. She smiled into her pillow, somehow just knowing it was Rachel.
R: Are you enjoying your break?
Q: Rach it’s been 2 hours. But yes.
R: What are you doing?
Q: Listening to music. You busy?
Rachel inhaled sharply. Was Quinn going to ask her to do something? What should she respond? At this point she was very comfortable with the blonde, and was excitedly anxious to experience the progression in their relationship. There was the potential that they were about to have a whole lot of ‘firsts’ and she wanted to make sure that each of these moments was absolutely perfect. She exhaled.
R: Not at the moment…
The 90 seconds it took for Quinn to respond felt like 10 minutes. Rachel stared at the screen of her phone, holding her breath.
Q: Do you want to hang out?
Rachel grabbed her phone and pulled it to her chest. She wiggled a little, taking a moment to do a happy dance before responding. She took a deep breath and settled herself. She wanted to be in the proper, nonchalant mindset to write an appropriately neutral response. Even though she liked Quinn, she was still going to make the girl work for it a bit.
R: Ok. You can pick me up in 30 minutes if you want.
Perfect. It showed interest but left it up to Quinn to follow through.
Q: I’ll be there in 15.
Rachel raised her eyebrows and ran to her closet. She had very little time to put together the perfect ‘I was just casually hanging out by myself but I’m still ridiculously hot’ outfit.
--------------------------------
Quinn pulled up outside of Rachel’s house and was surprised to see the brunette opening the door. She must have been watching for me, the blonde smirked. She felt her breath hitch as she watched Rachel walk down the path. The girl was wearing a tight pair of jeans and a plain black tank top. Her hips swayed in a way that could only be described as delicately sultry.
“So you couldn’t survive without me, huh?” Rachel had practiced the line 20 times as she got dressed, making sure to sound playful yet interested.
“Hey, you were the one who texted first.” Quinn teasingly rolled her eyes and pulled the car back onto the road towards her house.
They were halfway through the drive, trading mildly flirtatious one-liners, when Rachel realized that she had never been to Quinn’s house or met the girl’s family. She allowed herself to wonder what they might be like. She knew that her parents were different from most other’s, not just because they were gay but because her relationship with them was so open and loving. Rachel couldn’t imagine what parents might be like who would throw their scared teenage daughter out of the house because she was pregnant. Lost in thought, Rachel knit her brow.
“Is something wrong?” Quinn asked gently.
“No,” Rachel turned to look at her, “I just realized that I’ve never met your parents.”
“Oh. Well I barely see them anymore, which is probably for the best. They’re on vacation for a few days. St Barts or something.” Quinn tried to sound like she didn’t care, but Rachel could hear the hurt in her voice. She wanted to cheer the blonde up.
“So we’re going to be alone then,” the words came out more suggestively than she intended, and the brunette blushed.
Quinn parked the car and led Rachel into the house.
“My room is up this way. We can listen to some music if you want.”
She took the brunette’s hand and led her upstairs. Rachel let out a sigh and paused in Quinn’s doorway, trying to make a mental image of this moment. She stepped through the door, knowing there was no turning back.
“I’ve been listening to this album nonstop for the past few days,” Quinn said, motioning to the CD that was sitting on her bedspread. “It always puts me in a good mood.”
Rachel immediately recognized the album from the cover art. “The XX! I don’t usually like hipster music, but for some reason I really enjoy them.”
Quinn playfully threw a pillow at Rachel. “I’m not a hipster!” She put the CD on shuffle.
Rachel smiled and plopped down on the bed next to Quinn. Both girls sprawled on the bed, facing each other, as the first song started. Somehow Rachel’s arm found its way to Quinn’s waist.
They stayed like that for the next few songs, smiling lazily and singing the words together. The band was perfect for Quinn’s vocals, and Rachel found herself simply listening to the blonde just as often as she chose to sing along.
Both girls were totally relaxed. Rachel watched through heavy eyelids as Quinn reached forward and tucked a piece of brown hair behind her ear as an excuse to keep her hand on Rachel’s shoulder. The next song started, and Rachel listened to Quinn sing along.
You’re hotter than a summer day in California
You got me melting like a sundae and I want you
I know you’ve been waiting
You’ve been waiting a long time for me
But if you wait a little longer this is how it’ll be
Rachel shuddered at the words and the blonde opened her eyes to look at Rachel for the chorus, adorably overacting with the song to make the smaller girl smile.
Oh it’s gonna be hot like fire
I’m gonna take you, take you higher
Rachel scooted herself a little bit closer to the blonde, letting their knees touch, as she began to sing the next verse in a throaty whisper that gave Quinn goosebumps.
You shouldn’t have said ‘take our time’
I’ll let you know when I’m ready if that’s alright
I won’t keep you, I won’t keep you, I won’t keep you holding on
But if you wait on me, I promise you it won’t be long
The two girls sang the chorus together, voices barely audible, words coming from deep within their chests.
Oh it’s gonna be hot like fire
I’m gonna take you, take you higher
You can’t resist -
Rachel’s lips were on Quinn’s, each nerve sparking at contact, warm breath filling the small gaps between them. It was so natural to both of them that it felt like a memory. Quinn whimpered as Rachel’s tongue traced her bottom lip, slowly caressing her mouth. It was gentler than Rachel imagined, considering the fire of attraction the two shared. The brunette moved her hand from Quinn’s hip to latch onto her belt loop, pulling the taller girl in closer. The blonde traced her hand lightly from Rachel’s shoulder, up her neck, and into her hair. Rachel couldn’t help but moan when their legs intertwined, hungry for more contact. Quinn smiled into their kiss as they moved apart, still within centimeters, bodies connected. Rachel silently marveled at how perfect this first ‘first’ felt, any last hints of hesitation drifting away. They laid together quietly, listening to the song playing, lost in each other.
And I’ll cross oceans like never before
So you can feel the way I feel it too
-----------------------------
“So you bagged man hands…” Santana could barely hold back her laughter, but Quinn didn’t care.
“I didn’t bag her, as you so tactfully put it.” Quinn couldn’t control her lazy smile as she thought about the previous afternoon. “We just listened to music and sang together. And kissed.”
“Quinn and Rachel sitting in a tree, F-U-C…”
“Brittany! Nothing like that happened! We aren’t ready yet.”
“Wait, Q. So are you two dating now? Are you going to be Mr. and Mrs. Stubbles? Will we have to wear argyle bridesmaid dresses?” Santana started into another fit of laughter.
Quinn was quiet. After a moment, Santana realized that her friend hadn’t responded.
“I really like her, S. It’s never been like this with anyone else.”
It was almost too soft to hear across the phone line.
“She feels like home to me. It’s been so long since I’ve felt as grounded as I do when we’re together.”
Santana looked at Brittany in shock. Sure, she would smirk when Quinn talked about how hot Rachel’s legs looked in those short skirts, but she hadn’t realized how emotionally invested her friend had become.
“Sorry, Q.” Santana said earnestly, “I didn’t realize…”
There was another pause, and Santana wasn’t sure if Quinn was still on the line.
“Well I hope you fall hopelessly in love and move off to New York together and get married and have kids and take them to feed the ducks in Central Park and invite us to Rachel’s Broadway shows and live happily ever after.” The lightness and acceptance in Brittany’s voice made all of the girls smile.
“Let’s just start with tonight’s dinner,” Quinn replied, happy that her friends now understood how important Rachel was. “Obviously it’s our first real date and I want to look good. What should I wear?” A pair of black pants caught the girl’s attention. “Nevermind. I got it.”
Quinn hung up and pulled on her leather pants.
---------------------------------
“Hey, babe! Look!” Quinn pointed to a half-page advertisement in the Times, prominently displaying Rachel’s face and the caption “Coming Soon: Oklahoma! Starring Tony Award Winner Rachel Berry.”
Rachel took a breath and smiled at the blonde. “This never gets old.”
“Seeing your name in lights?” Quinn laughed.
“No,” Rachel answered thoughtfully, “spending the afternoon in Central Park.”
Two brunette girls, 8 and 10, ran up to the two women on the bench. They looked at their parents with hazel eyes, begging for more breadcrumbs to feed to the ducks. Quinn obliged.
“Make sure you call San and Britt about their tickets for opening night,” Rachel reminded her wife.
“Of course,” Quinn beamed, “it’s tradition, after all.”