Quinn quickly checked her watch before entering the church, noting that she had roughly seven minutes until the service began. She took a seat at the back, eager to avoid the usual looks of disapproval - she was still the girl who got pregnant at sixteen after all. She closed her eyes for a few moments, ordering her thoughts and focusing on her faith, but felt her breath catch in her throat as they fluttered open again. She was attending the Saturday night service in the hope of avoiding her parents, who had always gone to church at nine o'clock on a Sunday morning for as long as she could remember, but there was her mother, sliding into a front row seat. Although Quinn had moved back in with her mother, they rarely saw each other, Judy's hectic work schedule and Quinn's ever-growing independence taking its toll on their relationship. However, Quinn pushed all thoughts of her mother to the back of her mind as the congregation stood to greet the priest.
The mass ended, and Quinn sharply turned to leave, wanting to
avoid all forms of small talk. She felt her heart sink as a gentle hand brushed her arm, and reluctantly turned around, only to be met with the sweet smile of Mike Chang.
"Hi" Mike grinned,
"Hey" Quinn was almost immediately distracted by the infant pulling at Mike's leg. She was the spitting image of Mike, the same soft, warm eyes and dancer's physique.
"Mikey, you promised we'd go get ice cream now!" she whined, and a subconscious smile graced Quinn's face.
"We will, we will, but first can you say hi to my friend Quinn Fabray here?" Mike glanced up tentatively at the use of the word 'friend', but Quinn didn't protest.
"Hi Quinn Fabray, I'm Abi Chang" Abi waved and Quinn chuckled.
"It's nice to meet you Abi" Quinn replied as Abi turned back to Mike, bouncing on her toes hopefully. Mike leant down and whispered something in Abi's ear, who nodded eagerly in reply before turning back towards Quinn with a smile.
"My brother would like to know if you want to come get ice cream with us" her words took Quinn by surprise. Firstly, no one knew Mike Chang had a sister! And secondly, she'd never really been that close to him. Sure he was on the football team when she was a Cheerio, and they had a lot of mutual friends, but they'd never really gotten to know each other. Mike simply shrugged in response to the confused crinkle of Quinn's forehead.
"Um, no thank you, maybe next week?" Quinn replied with a polite smile.
"Oh, ok, well do you need a lift home?" Mike offered, and Quinn watched Abi's eyebrows furrow at the thought of having to wait longer for her ice cream.
"No, that's ok, I have my car here anyway" she smiled again, leaning up to wrap her arms around her friend, before raising a hand in a small wave and turning to leave.
"She's pretty" Abi mused, glancing up at the look of awe on her brother's face.
"You like her" she smirked, earning a light shove, before Mike placed an arm around his little sister and led her to their car, waving as Quinn's little red car speeded past.
The next few weeks passed in a similar fashion, Quinn declining the offer of ice cream and Abi teasing her brother.
Until one Saturday night when Quinn walked into church with tears streaming down her cheeks, having just come from the Puckerman residence after a screaming match with her former boyfriend. Abi noticed immediately, tugging on Mike's sleeve and pointing in the blonde's direction. He made a beeline for her, taking a seat next to her in the pews and lightly wiping the tears from her cheeks. She jumped in surprise, her eyes fluttering open to meet the concerned expression of Mike Chang, and feeling comforted already. Her head rolled onto Mike's shoulder as she silently sobbed, managing to calm her down before mass started.
Mike didn't move as mass ended, his hand still soothingly rubbing Quinn's back, and his head hovering over hers, the scent of strawberries almost hypnotizing him.
"How about that ice cream?" Quinn whispered, breaking Mike from his trance.
"Of course" he smiled and nodded. A genuine laugh left Quinn's mouth as Abi took her hand and dragged her to the car, mumbling things about sprinkles and chocolate.
Quinn Fabray looked forward to Saturdays, looked forward to ice cream with Mike and Abi, it was the only thing that got her through the week. Got her through the pang she felt in her chest every time Puck walked by, the growing urges to strangle Rachel Berry, the fact that her baby girl was back in Lima, but wasn't her baby girl anymore. For an hour a week she could sit and forget everything wrong with her life, and have a good time.
As they strolled out of the ice cream parlour, Mike wrapped his arms around the two girls as Quinn let out a sigh.
"What's up, Q?" Mike asked, sensing her disappointment in something. Being quiet and a good listener meant he'd always been particularly good at reading people, and he was learning more about Quinn every week.
"I just- don't want to go home" she whispered, watching Abi clamber into the car.
"How about I drop Abs home and then we can hang out for a bit longer?" a hopeful smile forming on his features.
"I'd like that".
They lay in the park, secluded by the trees, a blanket from Mike's car draped over them as the temperature dropped.
"I could stay here all night" Mike whispered, his eyes transfixed on the stars until a wall of blonde hair blocked them.
"Then lets" she breathed, before leaning down and placing her lips on his. He immediately moved his lips against hers, propping himself up on his elbows, and feeling those fireworks everyone seemed to talk about.
"I need to cut down on the ice cream" her voice quivered as Mike removed her shirt, feeling slightly self-conscious.
"Don't you dare. You're perfect" he replied, and Quinn felt an unfamiliar tug in her lower abdomen.
An hour later, she lay; her body curled closely to Mike's, her silky skin still bare. She bit back a smile, she wasn't supposed to be feel good right now. She'd just had pre-marital sex with a boy who isn't even her boyfriend – again – and look what happened last time! She's broken her curfew by God knows how long, and is supposed to meet her dad to 'sort out their issues' in a couple of hours. But she doesn't care. Everything just feels right when she's with Mike, and in his arms she will stay until the last possible minute. He has absolutely no intention of letting her go anyway.