Title: The Sweetest Thing
Date: 2012/2013
Where: New York
Who: Sam Evans, Quinn Fabray, Finn Hudson & Rachel Berry (later chapters)
Info: AU - Quinn Fabray is the star of a one-woman rock/alternative band only to be told that to be able to play she live she has to employ a member to her already 'crowded' set up. Enter Sam Evans, annoyingly handsome and too talented, Quinn finds herself trying to refuse his love in hopes to please manager boyfriend Finn Hudson. Will Sam change that before a sick twist rocks Quinn's world?
So if you guys wanna like figure out the type of music she plays and where I loosely based this story off, look up Caribou and Beach House. I know I have 4 other fics to update etc, but at the moment I can't find the drive for them like this idea and will return to them I promise (I'm terrible I know plus I'm really busy with uni at the moment so I really can only write when I feel like it/can - I know I know I'm terrible).
Chapter 1: Fine for Now
Quinn had built her career from out of her garage, quite literally. Well, first it was her bedroom, and then when her parents fought too much she moved to the garage where she listed to old records and fought the desire to run away. Quinn never really wasn't that interested in music, only attending the number of piano lessons that were at first mandatory by her parents, but eventually turned into a joy. When High School came around Quinn enjoyed musical theatre and thoroughly enjoyed playing and composing for the plays, honing her talents in piano. Leaving High School with a solid need to continue music, she ditched the offer to attend Med School at Yale and went straight to NYU.
So after years of doing things on her own, Quinn was not at all interested in the idea of having someone else in her line up. Quinn wasn't thinking about the fact she'd have to share the limelight, she's always just thought that her music would be that one thing that she was able to keep to herself only to share it with people that she loved. Her one-woman band, French Navy, had already an EP out and a recently released album mostly comprising of small melodic piano chords with Quinn's rough Mezzo-Soprano vocals eerily in the background. The only factor is in the albums there is a small amount of drums and guitar heard. Quinn didn't even think of it, how else would she be able to perform live with just a backing track and her piano?
"That's exactly what I'm saying." Finn Hudson chimed in as Quinn voiced her concern about backing tracks. Finn was annoying and also happened to be Quinn's boyfriend. Tall, mildly handsome and with an ego as tall as him, Quinn was seriously questioning her like of men. Then she realized how good he was in bed and forgot about the rest.
"But still-" Quinn was about to continue but big ol' manager Finn Hudson stepped in again. Oh and don't forget he's her manager. Quinn wanted to walk over there and smack him on the head for interrupting her, but then again, he's her manager.
"Quinn, it's fine. We've already got the guy. He does all the stuff on the album already plus he won't get in your way." Quinn sighed, running her hand through her blonde shoulder length hair before standing.
"He has no input, just there to play the music, okay?" She clarified and the room full of label employees and producers stood too, nodding their money filled heads. All she could see was Finn, still sitting in his chair with his brown hair still in its messy array from when she left his apartment this morning.
"Sounds good." He said, smirk still in place.
Moments later, Quinn was walking through the recording studio to find the infamous guy. The recording studio was sort of Quinn's haven. It was basically her apartment. She rarely left it; she slept in it and ate in it. Usually had the odd rendezvous with a certain someone, but for Quinn she would find herself quite at home in it. To be filled with rug covered floors and a dozen instruments to play with; it was definitely Quinn's haven.
The company told her that the guy who was going on tour with her was about to do a double recording with one of her songs because something went wrong with the equipment that left some weird feedback in one of the songs. Apparently he was a serious double checker and wanted to check them all before they were packed away for their first show in L.A. As she walked through, especially noting the small-framed photo of Michael Jackson in the corner Quinn heard the soft drums of one of her songs and found him.
Quinn expected a small guy, quiet of some sorts or a tall guy, mullet and tattoos all up his arm. Boy was she wrong. He was wearing a hockey jersey, beige khakis and a black baseball cap that just hid bits of blonde hair. His eyes were closed; his hands that had grasped the drumsticks, hit against the toms just lightly. It was how Quinn imagined they would when she came up with the song. He sounded exactly how she wanted and she didn't know how he did it. Yes, sure this guy had the music right in front of him but it was a feeling. All Quinn cared about was how her music made people feel and how she used her feelings to create a strong bond with what she wrote.
"Eh, he's alright." She heard a voice behind her say, making her jump. Finn was standing behind her, arms crossed across his chest with a purple clipboard in his hands. She still questions to this day why he didn't play Basketball for a living he was just that dam tall.
"Well I hope so, you want me to go on tour with him." Finn put on his smirk and it annoyed the crap out of her. "Seriously?" Quinn muttered and he just rolled his eyes, leaning down to kiss her cheek before walking away.
"See you in six months baby!"
To Quinn, this drummer guy was perfect.
And that was it. A week later she stood in airport security with not even a parting good bye from Finn and she seriously thought why he was her boyfriend. Then, again, like every other time, the sex was the best sex of her life so she retracted her statement. Now as she thought about boyfriends, Quinn was standing behind the stranger she'd be spending the next six months with and she didn't know whether or not he knew who she was or not. By his back, she saw how tall he stood and how broad his shoulders were. He was handsome, most definitely, and even by the tiniest of looks she managed to steal while he was recording, he looked like he loved his music.
"God… what the fuck is taking so long? Oh musicians oh that's just great." Quinn heard behind her and she let out a long sigh just as she watched Sam (she had learnt his name yesterday) put his guitar on the x-ray tray. He turned then, Quinn finally seeing his eyes for the first time, and which were a startling hazel-green and kind of frightened Quinn how intense they were.
"Hey man, I can go slower if you like." Sam said with a smile and Quinn had to let out a laugh. Sam laughed with her before turning away from her. She just smiled to herself and continued through, suddenly feeling like she was a child.
After finally being able to put her boots on since Airport Security loved to annoy the musicians, Quinn looked up to see Sam completely out of sight. He had just simply… disappeared. Sam was wearing a blue bomber jacket, white v-neck shirt, jeans and a green cap and now, Quinn couldn't even see him at all. She didn't know why she felt so panicked, but somehow so relieved when she managed to find him standing in front of the glass that oversaw the planes taking off. She moved towards him before sitting down beside where he put his backpack, arranging her hair into a messy bun.
"You know in Temples when it has this off beat," Quinn looked up, startled, by his deep southern accent and nodded softly as his green eyes pierce her own, green eyes, "and where you wanted to have two cymbal crashes and then an off tom beat, did you want it like this?" Quinn frowned as he handed her the earpiece to what must be plugged into his iPhone and found herself being engulfed by her own song, Temples, with just the vocals and the main drumbeat. As she listened she felt Sam sit down beside her, watching her eagerly and she closed her eyes. The drumbeat was beautiful, of course, and exactly what she imagined. "Oh, wait." She felt Sam move to take the earpiece but she stopped him, frowning when she heard another voice. Low, deep and it harmonized with hers. It sounded perfect.
Quinn looked over at Sam to see him, blushing? She shook her head and patted his knee. "It sounds great." Sam gave her this goofy smile back and Quinn had to look away, because this boy was seriously messing with her feelings. He sounded so great with her vocals, and it seriously made her consider having someone else on the album with her, but then again thought differently of it. "Yeah, perfect Sam." She murmured as she handed back the earpiece and smiled at him. Sam gave her the same goofy smile before turning his eyes to his phone.
"How come I've never met you?" Quinn asked him and watched as he scrolled through Facebook, a small smirk on his face.
"Because you never wanted to before." He said and Quinn frowned, trying to think of the reason why she wouldn't and then she realized, Finn?
"I'm sorry about that."
"Oh no it's fine." He said and its obvious there's a tiny bit of hurt in his voice. Quinn left it at that and decided that pushing the subject may prove to a difficult and awkward conversation.
"So drums? There is another guy to do the guitar as well then?" Sam smiles and it's that goofy smile from before, it made his green eyes light up.
"Nope, just me." Quinn just gawked at him and before she knows it their plane is being called to board. Sam sort of jumped up, excited and Quinn has to feel a little bit stupid for even thinking that she shouldn't have him on tour with her. God, when had she become so damn selfish? When Finn went and fucked all these girls and she still saw him?
xx
"Hey, Q, wake up." Quinn frowned, her body being shaken before she realizes that she was asleep, the whole goddamn time. She turned to look at Sam who for the first time wasn't wearing a cap and revealed that he had scruffy blonde hair all now pointing in different directions.
"Mm…" Quinn mumbled, looking around and out the window to see that the plane was slowly moving to dock. "Christ, did I sleep through all of that?"
"Yeah, actually." Sam said with a laugh and Quinn rolled her eyes, sitting up as she cracked her neck. She looked up to see that Sam had rid of his bomber jacket and she found herself gawking at his muscles beneath his white v-neck. She turned to look outside for a distraction and totally forgot that they were flying to L.A. and there was no need for her poncho. Before she could even grab her bag Sam already had it, waiting for her. She gave him a small smile and stood behind him, taking the bag and followed behind him. Then she remembered, Sam was the first person to call her Q since she started the band and she weirdly felt at peace.
When it finally came to settle in their hotel room, Quinn was confused as to how they had one room booked. A double bed and a single bed… well this was definitely going to be interesting. As soon as they go to the room, Sam moved to put his stuff down on the single bed and before Quinn could even protest he gave her this amused look with a shake of a head before he disappeared into the bathroom. She'd known the guy literally for almost a day and he was the perfect gentleman.
Sam was wearing tracksuit pants and a black tank top, infamously still wearing a cap, as he laid down on his bed after visiting the bathroom. Quinn, bit hesitant about what to wear in front of him wore her flannel pajamas and smiled when he looked up at her. Quinn didn't know where this was going, or how their gigs might do, but as she looked at him right now, she realized that she couldn't have picked a better partner. With that, Sam gave her a smile and turned off his beside light. Soon she heard soft snores and she couldn't help but smile, falling asleep soon after.
So that's that. Let me know what you guys think, whether it's worth continuing etc changes etc or if you just want to
abuse me for not updating I get that hahaha.
Reviews are always welcome!
