Summary: When Quinn can't help but react to Rachel and Finn's engagement.

Spoilers: Season 3

Characters: Rachel, Quinn

Pairings: Faberry

Notes: A random one-shot that came to mind after a long break from fan-fic. Hopefully this'll help me get back into Faberry land.

"You can't marry Finn!" It enraged her beyond imagination to hear the blonde screaming those words at her – Quinn knew as well as Rachel did that this 'marriage' was all Quinn's doing in the first place. Her so called love for Finn could never overshadow her Broadway dreams, but her desperate need to somehow hurt Quinn, to make the other girl feel as she had felt, could.

They'd had it all planned out –both of them were very practical and pragmatic about the whole thing, knowing that having a full-fledged relationship at McKinley wasn't possible. Instead, they'd decided to wait until graduating from High School. Rachel would continue her charade with Finn, because his catching on to them was never really a problem and she was a good enough actress to convince everyone else, and Quinn would just drift around with one jock or another for temporary arm candy. That way, there'd be none of that 'let's make out and pray' crap there'd been with Finn and she'd get the cover she needed to feel safe. After school… Well, after school would be New York, and who over there would give a fuck? Just another year and then they'd have the freedom to walk down the street holding hands.

It was that dream Rachel lived for. It eclipsed everything – her music was centred on Quinn, all her goals had been restructured, every action, every word had a different meaning for her. The blonde knew it and for some time, revelled in it – it felt wonderful to be so wanted, and she did feel the same way.

But for Quinn, after a point, it became too much – too much affection, too much promise and too much love. It was going to fall apart one way or another, so why not spare herself the hurt and just do it herself?

It'd been her way of protecting herself – cutting herself off from the brunette, closing the channels the other girl had worked so hard to open. Sometimes she'd wake up in the middle of the night with the desperate urge to call Rachel, reply to the hundreds of texts she'd sent… But the moment would pass and she'd somehow manage to turn over and go back to sleep.

This though, was too much. It was one thing to watch Rachel be with Finn, quite another to see that farce turn into something so permanent right before her eyes. The ring on her finger, all the invitations and gossip and plans made it too real for Quinn to bear. She couldn't handle the relationship, but she couldn't lose Rachel either.

"Why not?" Simple question really, and Rachel still held onto the hope that Quinn would answer it. She just needed something from the blonde, anything to let her know that the look in Quinn's eyes was what she thought it was.

"Because… Just because you can't! It's ridiculous."

"He loves me, Quinn. It may be ridiculous for you, but it's enough for me."

"I – I don't think that's true. Rachel, this is too soon. If he—If you still want to do this five years down the line, then go ahead."

"Do you remember what you used to tell me, Quinn? You told me about the dress I'd wear, how I'd freeze in the New York winter if the ceremony was outside. You're the one who made me think about it, and now you're telling me it's too soon?"

"That was different."

"Why? Because that was you? Or because that was a lie and this isn't?"

"Rachel…"

"No. You don't just get to walk in and out of my life whenever you want to… You didn't even tell me why, Quinn… At least with him, I know he won't just stop picking up my calls one day. I want to love you so much, but you just won't let me and there's nothing I can do about that…"

"… Please, Rach."

"I'm sorry, but I have to go… I guess this is it then. Goodbye, Quinn."

It took every ounce of willpower in her body to turn away from the blonde, but she did. Some part of her still clung to the hope that Quinn would stop her, that she'd have it like the fairy tale endings with her Prince Charming arriving at the last moment. But Rachel was long gone from the room before Quinn whispered the words she'd been longing to hear "… Because I love you."

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