Author's Note: Okay, wow. I didn't expect such a great response :) This is my first story that I've published. I write but I never finish anything. So...thank you! My face hurts from all the smiling :) Thank you thank you thank you :)
He saw her before she saw him.
he knew her.
The blond with the hazel eyes, the astonishing beauty, the perfect smile,
beautiful nose, high cheekbones, and broken.
The one person that could ruin his engagement.
His future wife never talked about her.
But she never hid her feelings either.
He didn't think that she could.
Her eyes were the windows to her soul.
Her eyes spoke volumes
He remembered the day doubt was planted in his heart
He had walked into his room.
He found her.
On the floor,
staring at pictures.
At first he thought it was the older woman that she traced with her eyes.
Then he thought it was the boy with the mo-hawk.
He never thought it was the girl with the blonde hair with the hazel eyes.
But then he saw the pattern.
A picture of her high school glee club,
A picture of the celibacy club -
A picture of only the girls of Glee Club.
But then it was the silly photo booth picture that told him.
He saw her.
The blond with the hazel eyes, the astonishing beauty, the perfect smile,
beautiful nose, high cheekbones, and broken.
Oh, so broken.
And he saw how she looked at his girlfriend.
He saw how she smiled at her,
He saw how his girlfriend gazed at the blonde with adoration.
He needed to know.
He needed to know that they were friends.
So he asked,
"who is she?"
Rachel opened her mouth, took a breath and paused. And that was enough, he had seen it.
Emotions flickered through her eyes,
pain, anger, sadness, affection and it finally settled on...
Love?
"Quinn" it was breathed out, it was said almost... reverently.
He remembered his heart dropping,
he knew then.
He knew that if this woman - this Quinn - ever came searching for Rachel he'd lose Rachel.
So he promised himself that he would lose her valiantly.
And he began to prepare himself.
He knew,
He knew that she'd come back.
And she did.
Gardenias.
That was what he saw in her arms.
A bouquet of Gardenias with a light green ribbon wrapped around the bouquet.
And he saw.
He saw when her eyes found the object of both their affections.
He saw a transformation.
The face that had seem so broken, so lost, changed.
He saw her face soften, a smile took the place of her frown.
Her eyes - they softened, just like in that picture.
And he knew.
So he did the only thing he could do.
He walked up to her,
and she noticed him,
and she knew.
And he saw her heart break,
but he spoke,
"Quinn?"
It was breathed out, almost the same way that Rachel had said it to him those years ago.
She nodded,
a mixture of confusion and excitement clear on her face.
And he knew.
This was what he needed to do.
So he asked her,
"would you like to see her?"
Quinn nodded again,
speechless.
So he took her hand and led her.
He led her to the dressing room with the big gold star on the door.
The dressing room that said,
"Rachel Berry."
And he knocked.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
"Just a second."
"It's me."
He heard the rustling of her clothes,
the unlocking of the door.
And then it opened.
And he saw them.
Both of the women's eyes locked.
And he heard an intake of breath, he wasn't sure where it came from.
but it came from somewhere.
"Quinn." Just as reverently as she had whispered it to him so many years ago.
Quinn stepped closer,
he understood.
He was no longer needed.
But he stayed,
he needed to see.
"These are for you."
They were offered to the woman in the dressing room,
they meant so much more to both women than they'd ever let on.
"Gardenias." Rachel couldn't help but smile.
"With...a light green ribbon around them?"
Quinn smiled, she hesitantly raised her hand to the other woman's face.
"Thank you."
Rachel leaned closer to the touch, accepting the caress, wanting to be swallowed by the touch, the familiarity, the love.
Quinn stepped closer.
Rachel looked up.
Quinn caught her eye.
And he knew.
He knew that Rachel's heart would always belong to the blonde with the hazel eyes.
And he smiled.
He smiled because he saw her smile.
A true smile.
And he didn't even know it was missing.
They leaned towards each other, a breath away from each other's lips.
"Quinn..."
Quinn didn't let her finish.
She captured Rachel's lips with her own, a chaste kiss.
A tease.
A promise.
A promise of love.
"I love you."
Rachel smiled, she grinned, she laughed.
Because she was in love too.
"I love you too."
And he knew.
They were meant for each other.