Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 62nd cycle. Now cycle 63!

"Two Doors to Open"
Rachel/Quinn
Runaway Bride series
(no listing yet; sequel to "Wouldn't Believe Me")

The fact that no one but the two of them knew about them had made it very easy for things to stay in this cosy sort of honeymoon phase, where everything was wonderful. It was all about exploring, and slowly but surely pushing against their limits, allowing themselves to get comfortable. It was a lot of kissing, and touching, getting more daring with time… They still couldn't resist one another, and they liked that. A lot. So long as it was just them, there was nothing to change it.

That day, they had been doing just that, nudging against some of the barriers and finding each other willing. And then as they were lying on her bed, pausing for air, Rachel had said it. "I want to tell my fathers," she nodded, looking back to Quinn. The blonde propped her head up in her hand.

"Are you sure?"

"I don't like lying to them, sneaking around, and I'm just sitting here wondering why I'd have to hide this, I mean it's not like they'd have a problem with me dating someone of the same gender," she pointed out.

"Is that what we're doing, dating?" Quinn asked, smirking.

"Alright, it's been a lot of… this," Rachel gestured, feeling her cheeks warm. "But we've had our movie nights, right?"

"I like those," Quinn agreed, reaching for the brunette's hand.

"Yeah, me too," Rachel smiled. "The point is… whether or not we tell anyone out there, that's another thing, but my fathers… Home is supposed to be the place where you feel safe to be open… most of the time. I can pretend while I'm out there, but here… I'd like to be able to be honest, and I know if I told my fathers in confidence, they would respect it and not say anything." I hope. It hadn't been the most normal of times between the three of them, between her relationship with Finn, leading up to the wedding that wasn't, and then the breakup… She wanted them to know that she was in a much better place than she used to be, that she was happy… so very happy with this girl.

"Then you should tell them," Quinn nodded.

"I will," Rachel decided.

"Do you want me to be there with you? For support?"

"I think I should do this alone," Rachel kindly declined. "It should be fine, it's just… actually saying the words, and then…" She stopped, realizing maybe there was more to Quinn's question than what she was actually saying. "Are you thinking of telling your mom?" Rachel asked. Quinn looked down at the hand she held, flexing the fingers like an articulated mannequin's.

"I don't know. I want to, but… When I got pregnant, I got kicked out of the house. I know that was my father, and he's not part of the picture anymore, but… I don't know how much my mother will be able to bend with… this," she clasped Rachel's hand. "Maybe this is going to be too much and I'll lose her again… and I won't get her back this time." They were silent for some time, and Rachel reached up to stroke the side of her face, trying to comfort her.

"Whatever you decide, I'm going to be there, you know?"

"I do," Quinn nodded. "That's the one thing I know for sure," she smiled, leaning in to kiss her, slow and warm. "I don't want to have to hide, not from her. If she's going to turn me away, then I'd rather know it now and move on with my life already, not deluding myself for a few more months until I move out anyway. I love girls, and not just any girls, the most special one out there," she looked her in the eye. "That's who I am, who I want to be, with you."

Rachel had captured her mouth again, feeling a new rush of desire for her. "Can I…" she panted mid-kiss.

"Yes…" was all Quinn knew to say, and the next thing she knew there was a hand under her shirt, cupping her breast. They'd both gasped and stopped a moment, looking each other in the eye. It had taken all of a flicker of her eyes for Rachel to ask if this was alright, and a flutter of Quinn's for her to say that it was more than okay, and then they were kissing again, as Rachel's curious but uncertain hand slowly flexed, taking her cues from the way Quinn responded.

She wasn't so aware of when it had happened, but then all at once Quinn was on her back and Rachel was sitting over her, the left hand coming in to match the actions of the right. Their lips had parted, letting in the air they were missing, and all Rachel could hear was Quinn panting, gasping, moaning, as she continued to touch her. Half of her hands were working over the fabric of the blonde's bra, while her fingers were grasping on to flesh, and the more she could hear the moans of the girl beneath her, the more she wanted… the more… If I reach under, if I touch… all of it… I'm not ready… I won't be able to stop… Her forehead was pressed to Quinn's temple, and she closed her eyes, willing herself to stop thinking about what it would feel like to cup the whole of Quinn's naked breast, to feel…

"Rachel?" Quinn finally asked, and she turned her eyes to look at her. The blonde's face looked like she'd been having the exact same thoughts, and she'd been reaching the same conclusion, that taking one more step would lead to a steep and sudden plunge.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, and Quinn turned her head to kiss her cheek, whatever she could reach.

"Don't be. I'm right where you are. And I like that we're trying things. That was… more than I expected," she smirked, and Rachel beamed. "And what I was going to say, before you came at me with that mouth, and… those hands," her eyes briefly fluttered at the thought, "I was going to say that I want to do it, I want to tell my mother."

"So then we're both doing it," Rachel summarized.

"How about we both do it, the same night? I'll tell my mother, and you tell your dads, and when it's all said and done, we can meet up, here, or there, or just somewhere else. Then we can find out how it went."

"That sounds good," she agreed, then, "I should probably go… If I stay here right now, I don't know what I'm going to do…" Quinn chuckled.

"You and me both." They gazed back to each other, kissing again, nearly latching on tight and Quinn pulled back. "Yeah, okay…"

"I should go."

"You should… Or you could stay," Quinn pushed herself up on her elbows to get closer again.

"Or I could stay," Rachel was just as close to giving in as she was. "But I shouldn't… We both know it, it's just…"

"Really hot in here right now," Quinn finished for her, and Rachel nodded. "If you run out I totally won't hold it against you."

"This is my house," Rachel reminded her just as rapidly.

"It is…" Quinn remembered.

"So I should get off of you," Rachel guessed.

"That might help… Some would argue otherwise," she nipped at the other girl's chin and Rachel moaned, which gave her the push she needed, rolling aside.

"Go on, go," she nodded, staring at the ceiling. "I'll… I'll see you at school tomorrow?" Quinn got up, pulling down her shirt, which had remained bunched up, and fixing her hair.

"We're going to be okay, right? After this? It won't change us?" she asked, almost begging.

"We'll be just like this," Rachel promised her. The moment stretched on a beat more before Quinn convinced herself, heading for the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

THE END

A/N: This is a one-shot ficlet, which means that signing up for story alert will not bring you any alerts.
In the event of a sequel, the story will be separate from this one. And as chapter stories go, they are
always clearly indicated as such [ex: "Days 204-210" in the summary] Thank you!