I puked this out while taking a break from my English paper.
Rachel planned on being calm, collected, and supportive when Quinn woke up, but when the blonde's eyes flutter open, that all flies out the window.
"Quinn, you're awake!" she blurts, and she's out of her chair and at the girl's bedside before she finishes her sentence. "I've been so worried—we all have. How are you feeling? Wait, that's a stupid question. You just survived a massive car accident. You're probably feeling awful right now. Quinn, I'm so sorry I kept texting you. I should have trusted that you were en route and let you drive without distraction. I'll understand if you never forgive me for—"
"Rachel," she interrupts quietly, and Quinn's fingertips brush against the hack of her hand with the lightest of touches.
She waits, holding back tears, as the blonde takes a few deep breaths and gathers the strength to speak again.
"I'm not mad at you."
Rachel's heart clenches as she remembers when Quinn said those exact words to her, just after she told Finn the truth about the baby. She sniffs and attempts a weak smile. "You can still punch me in the face if you want."
Quinn lets out a sharp breath and Rachel thinks it might be a laugh, because even though the girls' chapped lips are still, her hazel eyes are smiling. "No," she murmurs, "I wouldn't want to…mess up your nose. Ruin your chances on Broadway."
Rachel shakes her head and a single drop of moisture falls down her cheek. "Here you are in the hospital, recovering from a traumatic accident, and you're still worried about my future."
"I'm not worried." Quinn's eyes close briefly and she licks her lips. "I have complete faith in you."
The intensity in the blonde's eyes makes her heart skip a beat. "No one's ever said that to me before," Rachel whispers, and her gaze falls to her lap. She doesn't say anything for a few moments; she just thinks. About all of Quinn's speeches, her smiles, her confidence…all for Rachel.
And then something clicks.
"Quinn," she begins, but when she looks up, the blonde's eyes are closed again and her breathing is steady and deep. She sighs and glances at Quinn's fingertips still resting against her own, and shifts so she's holding Quinn's hand fully.
There's something about the warmth that seems to emanate from their touching skin, the spark of something that shoots up her arm and straight to her heart, that tells her she won't be letting go for a very long time.
I'm making progress on Pink 12. If I don't get ambushed with more homework it's possible that I'll have it up for this weekend. In the meantime I'm getting suckerpunched by three papers due all at the same time. Effin' school.