A Different Kind of Shine (Part Four)
Title: A Different Kind of Shine
Author: Jenn
Rating: R?...could go up in later chapters.
Length: 1498 for this chapter
Spoilers: All of Season One
Summary: Quinn is a laid back surfer type. Rachel is... well, Rachel. Inspired by this Prompt at rq_meme
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Rachel was surprised at how well things were going between herself and Quinn. In the two weeks that had passed since Quinn's apology, the two of them had gotten together as friends several times. So far, all of their "hang outs" had been in the company of Santana and Brittany but Rachel was happy with the way things were.
For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was a part of a group. Her high school experience had certainly lacked that aspect of social acceptance and it was nice to know what being a normal teenager felt like.
Rachel decided not to dwell on her past and focus on the present as she made her way to Quinn's front door. Her apartment was situated amongst a courtyard with a moderate sized fountain in the middle. The whole place had a Spanish Villa-feel to it and she wondered how Quinn could afford to live there with her salary as a bartender. Knocking on the door, she took a breath and briefly wondered why she continued to feel nervous around the blonde.
Her musing was cut short as Quinn's door swung open to reveal the smiling girl. "Hi, Rach!"
Grinning, Rachel said hello and let herself be shuffled inside the apartment. The first thing she noticed was the wonderful smell permeating the room. "Quinn, it smells amazing in here. Are you cooking?"
Quinn smiled and helped Rachel with her jacket. "Well, you can't have a movie night without snacks and I know you're vegan so I found this recipe for vegan cranberry scones. I'm sure I've managed to ruin them though."
Rachel rolled her eyes. "If they taste halfway as good as those homemade tarts you made Britt last week, I doubt you've ruined anything."
Quinn smirked saucily and walked into the kitchen to pull the scones out of the oven. Rachel's phone beeped and then she heard the brunette sigh. "What's wrong, Rach?"
Rachel lifted her eyes and moved toward the bar separating the kitchen from the dining area. "Britt and Santana won't be joining us this evening. It seems they are going to take advantage of our empty dorm room."
Quinn snickered as she slid the scones onto a plate. "I would say I'm surprised…"
"But you're not," Rachel finished for her.
Shaking her head back and forth, she looked at the brunette expectantly. "So are we still on for 'Love Actually' or are you going to bail on me too?"
Rachel watched Quinn's lips form a sad pout and couldn't help but smile. "Well you did make scones."
Quinn grinned widely and then turned to rummage through a cabinet. "And since we're watching a British film and eating a British snack, I thought I'd complete the night and make tea!"
The brunette just shook her head and continued to smile. "You're a bit of a dork, aren't you Quinn Fabray?"
Quinn turned as she pulled two cups down and looked offended at the notion. "I am not! I work in a bar! And have a tattoo!"
Chuckling, Rachel grabbed the plate and moved toward the living room as she called out over her shoulder. "Two sugars please!"
Half an hour into the movie, Rachel was laughing heartily at Quinn's attempts at an English accent. Before she could once again remind Quinn how terrible her impersonations were, her eyes caught a guitar leaning against the wall in the corner. "You play guitar!"
Quinn followed her line of sight and then smiled. "I do."
Rachel turned to face her, her eyes lit up in excitement. "Do you sing as well?"
"Not as well as you, Streisand, I'm sure."
Rachel waved her off. "That's to be expected, Quinn. I've had over a decade of vocal training and conditioning. Will you play something?"
Quinn raised an eyebrow at her in response and then sighed when Rachel's own version of the sad pout was turned back on her. "I'm not doing this because you pouted at me. And if I sing, then you have to sing as well."
The movie forgotten, Rachel clapped excitedly and bounced in her seat. Quinn chuckled and walked toward her guitar, grabbing it and returning to the couch. "What do you want me to play?"
Rachel leaned forward in anticipation. "Anything you like, Quinn."
Quinn bit her lip in thought and then glanced up when she picked a song. Rachel's eyes cut quickly to the left and Quinn smirked when she realized the brunette had been staring at her mouth. Deciding not to let on that she noticed, she picked at the strings of her guitar. "Have you ever heard of La Rocca?"
Rachel managed to keep from blushing and returned her gaze to Quinn. "Only in conversation."
Nodding, she drug her pick across the strings and began to pick out the intro. "This is called 'Some You Give Away'."
Rachel watched the blonde with rapt attention. Quinn eyes were closed as she played further into the song. When she opened her mouth and began to sing, Rachel was struck by the quality of her voice. Quinn sang with a soulful, husky sort of expression and when she held out several notes throughout the chorus, her voice was strong, yet sultry. In short: Rachel was sunk.
Quinn's voice was captivating and she knew now, more than ever, she was in trouble. As the song came to a close, she couldn't help but be a little relieved. Determined to stay strong and maintain the friendship they were developing, she plowed through those feelings and focused on what she knew she could control.
"Quinn, that was excellent. While you were a bit sharp in one or two places, you're voice is both beautiful and unique."
Quinn laughed and shook her head but smiled sincerely. "Thanks, Rach. Now, what song are you going to sing for me?"
And suddenly, for the first time in possibly her entire life, Rachel Berry was nervous. What if Quinn didn't like her voice? Rachel wasn't sure she would handle that kind of rejection from the other girl very well at all.
"Ah, well, do you have any requests?"
Quinn held her gaze and noticed the way her body had tensed slightly. Rachel was anxious and Quinn got the feeling that this was not a normal occurrence for the performer. Which could only mean that Rachel was nervous because it was Quinn that she was singing for. She had the sudden urge to put her at ease. "Why don't you sing me your favorite Broadway number?"
Rachel felt her shoulders loosen at the suggestion and breathed a sigh of relief. Broadway was her comfort zone. "Okay. Are you familiar with the seminal Broadway classic, Les Mis?"
Quinn nodded and Rachel smiled brightly. "Perfect!"
Rachel closed her eyes and began to sing 'On My Own', which was great because it was actually the only song Quinn could remember from her trip to see the musical several years ago. She remembered her Mom holding her hand as she tried to guide her through the crowds but Quinn still ended up being separated and near tears until one of the attendants had located her mother. Rachel's voice pulled her from the unpleasant memory and suddenly, all thoughts that weren't 'Rachel' and 'Good God, listen to that voice' faded from her mind.
Quinn watched the brunette's fists clench as she raised them waist high and poured her heart into the song. There was so much power and passion pouring from that petite body that Quinn could hardly believe it possible. Her mouth hung open slightly and she couldn't help but feel her desire for the other girl grow tenfold. Remembering her pledge to be Rachel's friend first, she pushed those thoughts away to be revisited at a later time.
Rachel's voice tapered off as she sang the last note and then the room was doused in silence. She stood in front of the couch for another long moment, shifting her weight as she waited for her friend to speak. The blonde remained silent and Rachel began to redden under her intense hazel gaze. "Quinn?"
The brunette's soft voice managed to break Quinn's haze and she physically shook her head as if to regain her bearings. "Wow, Rachel that was…"
Rachel felt her breath hitch as she waited for the rest of the other girl's appraisal. Quinn smiled brightly at her and she felt all the tension in her body bleed away.
"That was incredible, Rach. I mean, I've never heard anyone sing like that. You're amazing."
Rachel blushed deeply and felt her heart swell at the blonde's praise. "Thank you, Quinn."
Quinn couldn't wipe the smile off her face, and it seemed, neither could Rachel.
Author: Jenn
Rating: R?...could go up in later chapters.
Length: 1498 for this chapter
Spoilers: All of Season One
Summary: Quinn is a laid back surfer type. Rachel is... well, Rachel. Inspired by this Prompt at rq_meme
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Rachel was surprised at how well things were going between herself and Quinn. In the two weeks that had passed since Quinn's apology, the two of them had gotten together as friends several times. So far, all of their "hang outs" had been in the company of Santana and Brittany but Rachel was happy with the way things were.
For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was a part of a group. Her high school experience had certainly lacked that aspect of social acceptance and it was nice to know what being a normal teenager felt like.
Rachel decided not to dwell on her past and focus on the present as she made her way to Quinn's front door. Her apartment was situated amongst a courtyard with a moderate sized fountain in the middle. The whole place had a Spanish Villa-feel to it and she wondered how Quinn could afford to live there with her salary as a bartender. Knocking on the door, she took a breath and briefly wondered why she continued to feel nervous around the blonde.
Her musing was cut short as Quinn's door swung open to reveal the smiling girl. "Hi, Rach!"
Grinning, Rachel said hello and let herself be shuffled inside the apartment. The first thing she noticed was the wonderful smell permeating the room. "Quinn, it smells amazing in here. Are you cooking?"
Quinn smiled and helped Rachel with her jacket. "Well, you can't have a movie night without snacks and I know you're vegan so I found this recipe for vegan cranberry scones. I'm sure I've managed to ruin them though."
Rachel rolled her eyes. "If they taste halfway as good as those homemade tarts you made Britt last week, I doubt you've ruined anything."
Quinn smirked saucily and walked into the kitchen to pull the scones out of the oven. Rachel's phone beeped and then she heard the brunette sigh. "What's wrong, Rach?"
Rachel lifted her eyes and moved toward the bar separating the kitchen from the dining area. "Britt and Santana won't be joining us this evening. It seems they are going to take advantage of our empty dorm room."
Quinn snickered as she slid the scones onto a plate. "I would say I'm surprised…"
"But you're not," Rachel finished for her.
Shaking her head back and forth, she looked at the brunette expectantly. "So are we still on for 'Love Actually' or are you going to bail on me too?"
Rachel watched Quinn's lips form a sad pout and couldn't help but smile. "Well you did make scones."
Quinn grinned widely and then turned to rummage through a cabinet. "And since we're watching a British film and eating a British snack, I thought I'd complete the night and make tea!"
The brunette just shook her head and continued to smile. "You're a bit of a dork, aren't you Quinn Fabray?"
Quinn turned as she pulled two cups down and looked offended at the notion. "I am not! I work in a bar! And have a tattoo!"
Chuckling, Rachel grabbed the plate and moved toward the living room as she called out over her shoulder. "Two sugars please!"
Half an hour into the movie, Rachel was laughing heartily at Quinn's attempts at an English accent. Before she could once again remind Quinn how terrible her impersonations were, her eyes caught a guitar leaning against the wall in the corner. "You play guitar!"
Quinn followed her line of sight and then smiled. "I do."
Rachel turned to face her, her eyes lit up in excitement. "Do you sing as well?"
"Not as well as you, Streisand, I'm sure."
Rachel waved her off. "That's to be expected, Quinn. I've had over a decade of vocal training and conditioning. Will you play something?"
Quinn raised an eyebrow at her in response and then sighed when Rachel's own version of the sad pout was turned back on her. "I'm not doing this because you pouted at me. And if I sing, then you have to sing as well."
The movie forgotten, Rachel clapped excitedly and bounced in her seat. Quinn chuckled and walked toward her guitar, grabbing it and returning to the couch. "What do you want me to play?"
Rachel leaned forward in anticipation. "Anything you like, Quinn."
Quinn bit her lip in thought and then glanced up when she picked a song. Rachel's eyes cut quickly to the left and Quinn smirked when she realized the brunette had been staring at her mouth. Deciding not to let on that she noticed, she picked at the strings of her guitar. "Have you ever heard of La Rocca?"
Rachel managed to keep from blushing and returned her gaze to Quinn. "Only in conversation."
Nodding, she drug her pick across the strings and began to pick out the intro. "This is called 'Some You Give Away'."
Rachel watched the blonde with rapt attention. Quinn eyes were closed as she played further into the song. When she opened her mouth and began to sing, Rachel was struck by the quality of her voice. Quinn sang with a soulful, husky sort of expression and when she held out several notes throughout the chorus, her voice was strong, yet sultry. In short: Rachel was sunk.
Quinn's voice was captivating and she knew now, more than ever, she was in trouble. As the song came to a close, she couldn't help but be a little relieved. Determined to stay strong and maintain the friendship they were developing, she plowed through those feelings and focused on what she knew she could control.
"Quinn, that was excellent. While you were a bit sharp in one or two places, you're voice is both beautiful and unique."
Quinn laughed and shook her head but smiled sincerely. "Thanks, Rach. Now, what song are you going to sing for me?"
And suddenly, for the first time in possibly her entire life, Rachel Berry was nervous. What if Quinn didn't like her voice? Rachel wasn't sure she would handle that kind of rejection from the other girl very well at all.
"Ah, well, do you have any requests?"
Quinn held her gaze and noticed the way her body had tensed slightly. Rachel was anxious and Quinn got the feeling that this was not a normal occurrence for the performer. Which could only mean that Rachel was nervous because it was Quinn that she was singing for. She had the sudden urge to put her at ease. "Why don't you sing me your favorite Broadway number?"
Rachel felt her shoulders loosen at the suggestion and breathed a sigh of relief. Broadway was her comfort zone. "Okay. Are you familiar with the seminal Broadway classic, Les Mis?"
Quinn nodded and Rachel smiled brightly. "Perfect!"
Rachel closed her eyes and began to sing 'On My Own', which was great because it was actually the only song Quinn could remember from her trip to see the musical several years ago. She remembered her Mom holding her hand as she tried to guide her through the crowds but Quinn still ended up being separated and near tears until one of the attendants had located her mother. Rachel's voice pulled her from the unpleasant memory and suddenly, all thoughts that weren't 'Rachel' and 'Good God, listen to that voice' faded from her mind.
Quinn watched the brunette's fists clench as she raised them waist high and poured her heart into the song. There was so much power and passion pouring from that petite body that Quinn could hardly believe it possible. Her mouth hung open slightly and she couldn't help but feel her desire for the other girl grow tenfold. Remembering her pledge to be Rachel's friend first, she pushed those thoughts away to be revisited at a later time.
Rachel's voice tapered off as she sang the last note and then the room was doused in silence. She stood in front of the couch for another long moment, shifting her weight as she waited for her friend to speak. The blonde remained silent and Rachel began to redden under her intense hazel gaze. "Quinn?"
The brunette's soft voice managed to break Quinn's haze and she physically shook her head as if to regain her bearings. "Wow, Rachel that was…"
Rachel felt her breath hitch as she waited for the rest of the other girl's appraisal. Quinn smiled brightly at her and she felt all the tension in her body bleed away.
"That was incredible, Rach. I mean, I've never heard anyone sing like that. You're amazing."
Rachel blushed deeply and felt her heart swell at the blonde's praise. "Thank you, Quinn."
Quinn couldn't wipe the smile off her face, and it seemed, neither could Rachel.