Summary: 1st April was a very significant day for them, in two very different ways. One-shot.
Spoilers: Very, very mild S02E16.
Characters:Quinn Fabray, Rachel Berry, Finn Hudson
Pairings: Eventual Faberry, initial Fuinn.
Notes: Thought I'd remind everyone that I am still a Faberry-ite. The Finn story was just.. Well, anyway. Written in March for the April Fools Challenge over at Gleefic. com. R&R. Part of the Contrasts Series.
McKinley High, Lima, Ohio. April 1st, 2012 - Push.
"Quinn, I don't know about this," said Finn from his place behind the classroom door, looked at his girlfriend of two years and feeling more and more uncomfortable about what they were going to do.
He didn't know what had gotten him to agree to this in the first place, but he thought that it might have had something to do with the fact that Quinn had put one of his hands on her breasts - under the bra - while placing his cellphone in the other and murmuring instructions in his ear in that voice of hers. The one that made his toes curl and left him unable to think at all. Finn had done whatever she'd asked just to distract himself from the very painful bulge in his trousers, and the implications hadn't made themselves clear until much later. By that time, he hadn't known what to do to rectify the situation, and Quinn hadn't exactly been helpful.
"Look, Finn, if you want to stay together after our graduation and exchange wedding rings to sanctify our union, then you need to grow a backbone. I will not be with a man who can't even go through with one simple prank. And plus," she said, seeing the unconvinced look on his face," she's our friend, right? We'll explain that it was just a joke, and she'll understand."
"You think she will?"
"Of course she will. Don't worry about it and go out there. You remember what you have to say, right?"
"Yeah. You made me rehearse it like fifty times."
"Good. Well, go out there then... She'll be here soon," said Quinn, peering into the seemingly empty corridor and then down at her new watch, a hideously expensive gift from her parents for being crowned Prom Queen. She pushed Finn out of the door and stood back to watch, knowing that the corridor, though it may seem deserted, was filled with Cheerios, football jocks and a lot of other students hiding in the classrooms.
A text from Becky confirmed Rachel's entry into the school grounds, and she knew that it was about to happen. She didn't feel like she was going to puke her guts out this time, having trained that feeling, that guilt, to disappear. This would all work out for the best. It had to.
The fast click of heels alerted her to the brunette's presence, and even though she knew that it was risky, she peered out into the corridor to catch a glimpse of the brunette. And she did. And it took her breath away.
Rachel had changed quite a bit in the past year or so. Her choice of clothes had changed only because Kurt had thrown out almost every piece of clothing she owned, but it was far more than that. She'd become more aware of herself, as if she truly believed now that she was beautiful, and of the fact that she could have devastating effects on people if she wanted to. And so, at that very moment, Quinn thought she'd never seen a more bewitching sight than that of Rachel Berry striding down the corridor, her charm turned up to the max.
"Finn... you wanted to see me here?" said Rachel, looking up at the boy in front of her with hope shining through her eyes. She'd been dying to know what this was all about since Finn had asked her to come here last night, and now she finally would.
"Yeah. Rach, you... you remember how you stood in this hallway three years ago and told me that your dreams were bigger than me?"
"Yes," she said tentatively, unsure of where this was leading, and surprised that he'd remembered.
"Well, I thought about that a lot. Since the day you said it, I knew you were right," he said, looking into her eyes as sincerely as he could. The uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach was growing by the second, and so was the volume of the voice inside his head, telling Rachel to get the hell out of here while she had the chance. But he ignored it and continued to recite the speech that Quinn had written.
"Your dreams, and your talent, and your potential are way, way bigger than this place. And for a long time, they were bigger than me... but Rachel, I don't want them to be."
"What're you saying, Finn?"
"I'm saying that I want to be able to match up to your dreams. That's what I've been trying to do for a long time. Our team is winning all the football matches, and we even bagged the Nationals title. Twice. And I became prom king. I've tried to become the best at everything I do, so that I can maybe be good enough for you."
"Y-you mean.."
"Yeah, Rachel... All this stuff, whatever I've been doing, it was all for you. I haven't made you mine because I knew that for such a long time, I didn't deserve to walk down the school corridors holding your hand. I wasn't worthy of you, Rachel, but I think I am now. And I think I'll still be in the future if you let me. Will you?"
"Finn.. I- I've always loved you, but what ab-"
"But nothing. But nothing, Rachel. Just us. And I want to give you something, to mark this occasion. Close your eyes," he said, stepping back and waiting till Rachel had screwed her eyes tightly shut. He did, for the briefest moment, contemplate shoving her out of the way, but the moment passed, and he shut his eyes as he gave them the go ahead. Quinn had said that it'd be alright.
It happened almost in slow motion - the turning of the huge canisters overhead, and all of the food, the drinks, and the muck, toppling out of them. Realistically, Quinn and Finn both knew that it hadn't taken more than a second or two, but it seemed like a lifetime before all of it impacted with Rachel's tiny frame. Both of them saw the look of shock and horror on her face as understanding washed over her, but only one of them really understood what it meant.
The corridor filled up in no more than five seconds, as people clambered over each other to get a good look at Rachel Berry's face, some of them laughing, some heckling, some taking pictures and some just standing back and feeling mildly ashamed of themselves. It's be the greatest prank in the history of this boring little school, but more than a few of them were wondering how they'd be able to look at themselves in the mirror a few years down the line and not feel sick as they remembered the look on this girl's face.
Quinn stood stock still, not able to move out of the class she had been hiding in. There were tears running down her face and she couldn't even raise her hand to wipe them as she saw the world of hurt in Rachel's eyes. She saw the diva raise her hand to shield herself from the flashes of the cellphones, and she saw the brunette struggling not to break down in front of those jeering, cruel animals.
And just before Rachel turned to walk away, she saw Rachel look right at her. It physically hurt, to see the humiliation and pain and sheer fury in Rachel's eyes, but it was also what made her realize that it would indeed be alright.
That one look that passed between them assured her of the fact that when Rachel Berry turned on her heel and walked out of those doors, walked away from all these people, she'd never come back.
A penthouse apartment, New York City. April 1st 2023 - Pull.
Quinn sat on the sofa, trying to keep as still as possible. Her hands felt cold and clammy and she just knew that her palms were sweating. Yuck. She felt like she was going to throw up, both from nerves, and from disgust at said nerves. She could never, ever remember being this nervous before. Fine, it would probably turn out to be one of the most important days of her life, one way or the other, but still, this was ridiculous.
The sound of the lock clicking startled her out of all the odd scenarios running through her mind, and also made her fast-forward into her control mode. Quinn Fabray could do this. She could... Hopefully.
Getting up and walking out into the hallway, she saw her girlfriend of the past five years tossing aside her purse and heading towards her. Quinn was just thinking of how those impossibly short shorts looked so good on Rachel when she met the brunette's eyes and almost forgot how to breathe. Before she had the chance to even get one syllable out of her mouth, Rachel's lips were on hers. The kiss wasn't soft or delicate or the least bit in tune with the romantic evening Quinn had planned after they got the worst over with.
"Rach... Oh God.. R-Rachel, baby?" said Quinn, struggling to hold onto her train of thought as Rachel moved down to her neck, just breathing over the sensitive flesh. The brunette sucked on Quinn's throat gently, her tongue darting out once or twice, eliciting the most delicious sounds from her girlfriend.
Rachel pinned Quinn up against the wall, one of her hands on her hip as the other made its way steadily up her shirt, gliding over those well-defined abs. She worked feverishly on Quinn's neck, licking and sucking and biting the wonderfully soft skin, getting almost drunk on the sounds the blonde was making. She could practically hear Quinn whimpering in her ear, and it was making her arousal skyrocket.
Her girlfriend was trying to say something to her; she could make out a few broken words here and there, but ignored it. It didn't matter. Whatever the hell it was could wait. She hadn't seen Quinn in the past few days, because of an assignment that required her to be in LA, and the most important thing for her right now was to get her the hell out of those irritating clothes.
She cupped Quinn's ass, working on the toned muscle and pulling the other girl even closer as she slid a thigh between Quinn's legs. She swore that she could feel Quinn's heat through her jeans and ground into her, making both of them moan at how good it felt. Her hand pushed Quinn's shirt up and closed in on her breast, gently squeezing the soft flesh in her palm, savoring the feel of it. She could feel Quinn's nipple, already so deliciously hard, and couldn't help but take her mouth away from the blonde's neck and latch on to the stiffened bud, barely applying enough pressure for Quinn to be able to feel it.
"Oh my... fuck, Rachel. Baby, you need to... Oh God, Rach, you need to stop," said Quinn, almost cursing herself.
Why on earth did she have to choose the one day when her girlfriend seemed to be horny as hell? This had to be some sort of cruel joke, she thought, as Rachel ignored her and started working her nipple in earnest, drawing it into her mouth and flicking it in a way she knew drove Quinn crazy. It felt so, so good, and the fact that they hadn't so much as kissed properly in days was hitting home as Quinn couldn't help her hips from rising up, seeking greater contact with the hard muscle of Rachel's thigh.
"Jesus, Rachel... What... wha-"
"You like, baby?" asked Rachel, looking up impishly at the blonde as she pinched the other nipple. Hard.
"Fuck!... Oh, don't... stop. Just... So... Th-that feels..."
"I know, Quinn. I know... You like it when I'm a little rough with you, don't you?" she whispered into Quinn's ear, enjoying how the blonde seemed to shiver at the sensation. Quinn also liked it when Rachel spoke to her in that low, dangerously seductive tone.
"L-love it."
"D'you want me to take you to our bed, sweetheart?... Or maybe, maybe we could stay right here... and I'll just get your jeans off and-"
"Your trophies," said Quinn, the reminder of what was in their bedroom snapping her out of her haze of arousal.
"My what?" said Rachel, her hands stopping what they'd been doing, but still not moving away.
"Y-your trophies, Rach."
"What about them?" asked Rachel urgently, both of her hands coming to rest at the sides of Quinn's hips as she looked up at the flushed face of her girlfriend. Apparently, any mention of the awards she'd been winning in the past few years was enough to snap Rachel out of her haze too.
"They're," said Quinn, stopping for a moment to regain her breath," not looking so good."
"Not looking so good? Quinn, they're made of metal. And I polish them every day."
"Nuh uh. You haven't been doing it this week."
"Yes, but I asked... Quinn, are you trying to tell me that you haven't cleaned my babies for a week? That you let all the grime and filth and dirt in the air collect on them?"
"Um... No?... Well, I don't know. I mean, I did polish them. I swear. I just think I might have used the wrong amount or something. The whole display looks off. I think you should look at it."
She watched as Rachel nodded and turned towards their bedroom, waiting for a moment to make sure her legs could support her before taking off behind the other girl. She'd been shaking due to nerves before, and now she was turned on as well. Whether that would prove to be a good thing, or bad, she'd find out soon. Quinn heard the brunette gasp and hurried up a little, stopping at their bedroom door behind Rachel.
"Quinn..." the brunette whispered, not taking her eyes off the scene in front of her. "Oh sweetheart, if you wanted to get me in bed, you needn't have used the awards as an excuse. We were getting there anyway... But this is gorgeous, Quinn. For me?" she asked, turning to look at the girl who'd embraced her from behind.
"Who else? D'you like it?" asked Quinn, referring to the candles she'd scattered on practically every flat surface in their room. Gold star candles.
"Baby, I love it. You're such a sweet, sappy romantic, and I love you even more for it," said Rachel, pulling Quinn in for another, more gentle kiss.
"But Rach... You do need to take a closer look at your awards."
"I do?" asked the brunette, not all that worried due to the smile on Quinn's lips. She intertwined their hands and dragged the blonde along with her, stopping at the glass display on the wall.
"I don't see anything. They're all looking gorgeous."
"Of course they are," said Quinn, chuckling as Rachel beamed at the awards,"but why don't you take a closer look at the middle shelf?" There were only five shelves, and not enough awards to fill all of them, but Quinn knew that they'd soon have to get a bigger one built because she was sure of the fact that Rachel would make this one overflow.
"What fo- What's that?" asked Rachel, moving forward as a very, very tiny award caught her eye between her first Tony and one of the teen-choice awards she'd won for one of her first television shows. She slid open the glass carefully and her hand flew up to her mouth as she saw the sparking object nestled inside the cup. She felt Quinn's arms encircle her, but was still too amazed to respond to that.
"On this day, eleven years ago, I pushed you out of my life, hoping that it'd be the very last time I saw you in person. I thought that I'd be spending my life in that town, and I never wanted to see you back there. Ever. But I did want to see your face on my TV screen, and in the movies. Because even though I thought I was doing the right thing by shoving you out into the big bad world without anyone holding you back, I couldn't stop myself from wanting you. From wanting just one more look at the most perfect person I'd ever seen," said Quinn, feeling a tear from Rachel's eyes splash on to her hand.
"And I did. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you again after more than two years of trying to push you to the back of my head."
"Manhattan."
"Uh huh. When I caught sight of you across that bar, I swear I stopped breathing, Rachel. You just... you took my breath away, just like you'd been doing before. And when you came up to me... I cannot even describe to you how utterly terrified I was... But apparently I wasn't that bad, or you wouldn't have given me your number. Since the day I got that piece of paper with your name scrawled on it in my hand, I knew, baby. I knew that I couldn't stay away from you no matter how hard I tried, and I knew that I couldn't push you away again. It'd hurt too much the first time."
Quinn leaned forward slightly, and took the ring in her hand, holding it in her palm in front of Rachel.
"Rachel, you mean everything to me. These past five years have been the most crazy, unbelievably wonderful of my life because you turn my world upside down every single time I look at you when I wake up, and I know that I don't ever want it any other way. You're my closest friend, the love of my life, and the only family I have. So, Ms. Rachel Barbra Berry, would you do me the honor of.. Oh God," said Quinn, stopping to lick her incredibly dry lips,".. Of accepting this ring, and all my shit that's gonna come with it. Will you marry me?"
Quinn thought that it'd be safe to take the resulting squeak, vigorous nod, and even more vigorous kiss as a yes.
That is until...
"This isn't an April Fools joke, is it?"
"No, baby, I promise it isn't. Not this time."
Slightly different from what I usually do, so tell me what you think of it.