A/N: Here's another one-shot for you guys! I was supposed to post a Christmas Faberry story, but I couldn't think of anything for such. Then, I watched S4E16, Feud, again, and this idea popped into my head: What if it was Quinn that Santana called instead of Finn? And thus, this one-shot was born.
Oh, and another thing, I know that Quinn had sex with Santana, and Rachel with Finn during "I Do", but for the purposes of this one-shot, they didn't sleep with one another, just to be clear.
So, yeah. I hope you guys enjoy this, and reviews would be very much appreciated! Thank you!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Glee, otherwise, it would be Quinn coming to save the day on that episode. :(
Quinn Fabray inhaled silently as she strained her ears for the sound of the door opening. A few beats of silence came by, but there was still nothing. It was a good thing that the bathroom was spacious, so she could still breathe and not be scared of being trapped in a dark space for so long. The closet was ruled out, since she was claustrophobic.
Why was she hiding in a bathroom in a hotel room, anyway? Let's just say it was because it involved a certain brunette. A brunette that she had loved ever since their freshman year of high school.
FLASHBACK
Quinn groaned and tossed and turned in her bed as she heard her phone ringing incessantly. She finally had the time to sleep, and now some insane person was taking her away from it. She pulled the blanket over her, and covered her ears with her pillow, trying to shut out the sound of her phone ringing. She finally regretted not putting it on silent before attempting to catch up on her sleep, thinking that no one was going to call her, anyway.
But, how wrong she was.
Her phone finally stopped ringing, and she grunted in relief. But the moment of silence and peace was short-lived, as her phone began ringing again, more insistently this time, she could swear. She huffed angrily as she threw the blanket off of her, deciding to answer the phone in hopes to shut the person who was calling her up.
Without even bothering to check her caller ID, she picked the phone up and held it over her ear.
"Whoever the hell you are, I hope you have a damn good reason for bothering me," she snapped into the phone.
"Whoa, calm your tits, Q!" Santana's voice came over the phone.
"Ugh, what do you want, Santana?" Quinn huffed in irritation.
"Someone's a grouch today. Whatever, I'll get straight to the point. It's about Berry."
Quinn's ears perked up upon hearing the brunette's name. Whatever it was, it must be really important if Santana was calling her about this.
"Why? Did something happen to Rachel?" Quinn asked worriedly, all traces of anger about her nap time gone.
"You've really got the hots for her, huh, Q?" Quinn practically heard the smirk in Santana's voice, and she rolled her eyes, even though she knew that the Latina couldn't see her.
"Just get on with it, S," Quinn sighed.
"Right, whatever. Remember when I told you that I've got a bad feeling about the guy she's currently dating? Well, my psychic Mexican third eye is still as right as ever. I've got the biggest dirt on him, which I'm sure you'd love to hear."
Quinn swallowed and nodded. Then, remembering that Santana couldn't see her, she spoke up.
"Well, what did you find out?"
A few seconds of silence.
"The guy's a man-whore."
Quinn sucked in a deep breath at the revelation. She couldn't have heard that right. Rachel Berry's new boyfriend was a male prostitute? Just how the hell did that happen?
"Q, you still there?"
Santana's voice brought Quinn out of her small reverie, and she shook her head to push the thoughts out of her head.
"Yeah, I'm still here," she answered, trying to sound as calm as possible.
"Good, I was scared for a moment that you might have fainted," she heard Santana snort. "Anyway, I gots a plan. You in?"
"Of course," Quinn answered in a hard voice. She was definitely in whenever it involved Rachel Berry. And she was going to give this man-whore a piece of her mind. She wasn't going to let another guy hurt Rachel, ever again.
"Great," Quinn could practically see Santana smirking on the other end. "So, here's the plan..."
FLASHBACK END
Needless to say, Quinn hiding in the bathroom was part of Santana's plan. She pressed her ear against the door, and heard the unmistakable click of a doorknob being twisted open, then the sound of the door swinging. It looks like that the bastard was finally here.
"Evening," she heard a male voice say, and light flooded through the underside of the bathroom door. "Santana, how did you-"
"I told you, this is what I do," she heard Santana interrupt.
"You can't tell Rachel, please. I'm not proud of this."
Quinn let out a soft snort. Who the hell did this guy think he was? And damn right, he shouldn't be proud sleeping around with women for a job.
"Save it. I think there's someone more important you should convince tonight."
Quinn took this as her cue to step out. She twisted the doorknob, and confidently stepped outside. She twisted her face into a cold and hard expression as the guy in check turned around to face her.
"Okay, well I am going to leave you two for a little girl talk. Since you sleep around with women, I'm sure you wouldn't hurt one, right?" Santana smirked pointedly at the guy, and brushed past him. "Go and get your girl, Q." The Latina whispered in Quinn's ear. She nodded, and Santana left the room.
"Brody, right?" Quinn said icily.
"Who are you?" Brody asked guardedly.
"Quinn Fabray, but I'm not here to get all friendly with you. I'm here about Rachel," Quinn answered impassively. "And I have to say, I dislike you. I dislike anyone who lies, and hurts Rachel."
"I would never hurt Rachel," Brody answered defensively.
"Why, you don't think she'd be hurt when she finds out the truth about you? When she finds out that you've been lying to her about who you really are?" Quinn retorted, and stepped forward. "If there's anything I've learned during high school, it's that you can't hide things from anyone forever. They're going to have to find out eventually, and I've learned that lesson the hard way."
"What is your point?" Brody asked, shrinking back.
"The point is, I've seen Rachel get hurt too many times by guys before. The first time, she got egged all because the guy chose winning the competition over her. The second guy after that was holding her back from her dreams, and was almost never sure of his feelings for her."
Quinn took a few steps forward, and forcefully jabbed her finger into Brody's chest before continuing.
"And I'll be damned if I let it happen a third time. I won't let someone like you," Quinn said disgustedly, "hurt Rachel. Not now, not ever."
"She doesn't have to find out. I love her," Brody retorted, albeit weakly, because of Quinn's hard glare.
"If you really love her, you'd tell her the truth about your job, and disappear from her life forever. Rachel is the sweetest, kindest, and most beautiful woman I have ever known, and I'm not going to let you see her again. I was too blind to that fact before, but I see it now. Rachel doesn't deserve to get hurt by anyone. She deserves to be loved, to be with someone who can be perfectly honest with her.
"And that person will never be you." Quinn finished, her glare hardening.
She knew that a slap wouldn't be enough to get her point across, so she decided to punch Brody with all her strength. There was a satisfying crunch as Quinn's fist connected with Brody's face, and he fell flat on the bed. Quinn ignored the pain in her knuckles, and the bruise that was slowly but surely forming. For Rachel Berry, it was definitely worth it.
"She better not hear from you again," Quinn remarked coldly as she turned around and strode towards the door, slamming the door shut behind her with the full force of her anger. She saw Santana leaning against a wall opposite of the room she exited.
"Looks like you took pretty good care of donkey face," Santana smirked knowingly as she nodded towards Quinn's clenched fists.
"He just got what was coming to him," Quinn remarked coolly.
"I agree. Now, I'd offer to fix up your hand, but I'm sure you'd want Berry to do that instead," Santana smirked knowingly as she looked at Quinn's bruised knuckles.
Quinn just rolled her eyes and chuckled at the truth in Santana's words. Not that she'd admit it out loud, since she's sure that the Latina would tease her to no end about it.
"Whatever, S. Let's just go," Quinn said.
"Yeah, yeah," Santana drawled. "C'mon, time to surprise Berry."
Rachel's head snapped up as she heard the door to their loft slide open. She sighed in exasperation as she stood up and marched towards the door. Santana could just be so damn stubborn sometimes.
"Santana, I thought Kurt and I told you-"
Right in front of her was Santana, but that wasn't the reason she stopped midsentence. Rather, it was the blonde that was standing right beside the Latina that caused her to stop speaking. Her heart beat a million times faster, and felt butterflies in her stomach. There was no mistaking that beautiful blonde standing right outside the door.
"Q-Quinn?" she squeaked in surprise.
"Rachel, who-"
Kurt also stopped midsentence, his jaw dropping as he saw the blonde in question standing beside the Latina.
"Jeez, I'm hotter than Q, you know," Santana whined. "And yes, Berry, I am perfectly aware that you and Lady Hummel kicked me out earlier this afternoon. I just came by to drop Q by."
Rachel blinked once, then twice, feeling dazed. Of all the things she was expecting, it was definitely not Quinn Fabray to be standing outside their apartment door, in New York. Of course, New Haven wasn't that far away, but it was still a surprise, considering that the last time she saw the blonde beauty was during Will Schuester's wedding, or rather, almost wedding, since Emma Pillsbury decided to run away at the last second.
And yes, they Skyped, e-mailed, and texted each other after that, but she didn't recall the blonde making plans to visit her. So, this was a big surprise for the tiny diva, indeed.
"Are you just going to stand there and stare at Q all night, Berry, or are you going to invite her in?" Santana smirked smugly, bringing Rachel out of her dazed reverie.
"Oh, uh, of course. I'm sorry, Quinn. Come in," Rachel blushed and stepped backwards.
Quinn chuckled and smiled, a genuine smile. Her hazel eyes twinkled in amusement, and Rachel found herself getting lost in those eyes.
"Now, Lady Hummel and I are going out for a stroll. So, enjoy, you two," Santana stated as she began tugging at Kurt's hand.
"Wait, what are you-" Kurt was stopped midsentence as Santana glared at him and pointedly nodded her head at the two women. He finally caught on, and nodded. "Right, it's a great night to walk out. Enjoy your talk, you two!"
And with that, Kurt and Santana rushed out the door, leaving Rachel and Quinn, who were both still silent. Quinn smiled shyly and ducked her head.
"I'm sorry for the sudden intrusion, Rach," Quinn said, breaking the silence.
"Oh, no, it's quite alright. It's surprising, but it's all pleasant, I assure you," Rachel said, shaking her head. She gave Quinn a once over, who still looked as beautiful as she could remember. But she frowned when she saw Quinn's left hand covering her right hand, which was curled into a small fist.
"Quinn, is something wrong with your right hand?" Rachel asked worriedly, her eyebrows furrowing.
"No, it's nothing. I'm fine," Quinn said quickly.
Rachel's frown deepened and she shook her head.
"You're still a bad liar, Quinn," she sighed and gently removed Quinn's left hand from the right. She felt a sudden jolt at the touch, and she could swear that she felt sparks. But she ignored it, and looked at Quinn's knuckles.
"Quinn, w-what happened?" Rachel gasped as she took Quinn's right hand and saw a bruise. "Did you get into a fight with Santana?"
"No, I didn't. Well, not with Santana, at least," Quinn mumbled the last part.
"Honestly," Rachel shook her head. "I am taking care of that first, but don't think that you are getting away without an explanation, Quinn."
Quinn just nodded, and Rachel led her inside the loft. She let the blonde sit on the couch in their living room, and went to the bathroom to grab the ice bag and a bottle of pain relieving medicine. Afterwards, she went into the kitchen and grabbed an ice tray from the freezer, then placed a few ice cubes inside the ice bag.
She returned the ice tray in the freezer, and made her way back towards the living room, where the blonde was sitting quietly. Her mouth curled into a small smile, and sat down beside the blonde.
"Hand, please," she requested, holding out her free hand.
Quinn obliged, and rested her right hand on Rachel's, the back facing upwards. The brunette blushed at the feel of Quinn's soft hand resting on hers, and gently patted the ice bag on the bruised knuckles.
"Ow," Quinn winced as Rachel continued patting the ice bag on her hand.
"I hope that this will be a lesson when you decide to go punching people next time. I'm just glad that only your right fist is bruised," Rachel berated the blonde disapprovingly. "Now, will you please tell me what happened?"
"I'm not sure you want to know," Quinn sighed.
"If it's anything that concerns you, Quinn, especially now that you hurt yourself, I really want to know," Rachel said as she looked up to meet hazel eyes.
"I punched Brody." Quinn answered, her eyes hardening.
Rachel felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her lungs. Yes, she remembered telling Quinn about Brody during their Skype sessions, but what she couldn't get was why would the blonde punch her current date. Surely, she must have just misheard Quinn.
"W-what?" Rachel sputtered.
Quinn sighed and closed her eyes.
"I punched Brody," she repeated.
"Why, Quinn?" Rachel managed in a shaky voice.
"Santana found something out about him. I don't know if you're going to believe me, but you have to know that I would never lie to you, Rachel," Quinn said, her expression laced with genuine concern.
"I know that you'll never lie to me, Quinn," Rachel answered softly.
Rachel knew it was true. Ever since they finally became close friends, they never lied or kept secrets from each other. Well, maybe except that the brunette had feelings for the beautiful blonde, because she was afraid that it would ruin their friendship. Which was why she dated Brody, in hopes that her feelings would vanish. They never did, though. She just couldn't find herself going steady with the upperclassman, no matter how mature, or nice he was to her.
"Santana found out that he's a male prostitute," Quinn said cautiously, feeling like she was treading on thin ice.
Just when Rachel thought that there couldn't be a bigger surprise that evening, Quinn's revelation surely stomped out that idea. Even though she didn't want to believe that she was dating a male prostitute, she knew that Quinn would never lie to her.
She just nodded slowly, and allowed Quinn to continue.
"That's why I'm here in New York right now. Santana called me early this morning and told me about Brody. She pretended to be one of his clients, and we both waited in a hotel room. We had a little talk with him, and I guess my anger got the best of me afterward. So, I punched him."
Rachel's head spun at the sudden whirlwind of information. Quinn went out to New York on a whim because of something she found out from Santana about Brody. Quinn left New Haven to confront Brody. Quinn was in New York, for her. But, she felt that there was some deeper reason for Quinn being here.
"You did all that for me?" Rachel whispered in shock.
Quinn nodded in confirmation, and took the brunettes hand in hers. The butterflies in her stomach appeared again as she felt the blonde's soft hands holding hers in what seemed to be an intimate gesture.
"I didn't want you getting hurt again, Rach... You've already been hurt enough by Jesse and Finn, and you've already cried too many tears for guys that could never learn to appreciate someone as beautiful and kindhearted as you. You have too big of a heart to ever get hurt again, and I couldn't bear to see or hear you cry over again.
"And I've hurt you before with my words. I wanted to make up for all the times I hurt you, by doing something that would also prevent others from hurting you, too. You deserve to be loved by someone who will be completely honest with you, no matter what happens."
Rachel was stunned at the confession. Quinn was doing everything she can to stop her from hurting all over again, and the sincerity of the blonde's intentions made her heart melt. Quinn called her kindhearted and beautiful, and she did feel beautiful under the blonde's scorching gaze.
"Quinn..." Rachel whispered, swallowing thickly. God, she never thought that she could fall harder for the blonde, but here she was, falling even further, even though she felt that there might be no way that the blonde would reciprocate her feelings.
"You're an amazing woman, Rach. You're perfect, just the way you are," Quinn husked, her hazel eyes softening.
"No one's ever told me that before, you know..." Rachel breathed, mesmerized by the way Quinn looked at her. It felt like Quinn adored and loved her. And she wanted to believe that.
"You deserve to be told that, everyday," Quinn said softly as she bent down to plant a soft kiss on Rachel's hands.
Rachel's skin tingled at feel of Quinn's soft lips pressing ever so slightly on her hands. She knew that it wasn't something that friends just did out of the blue. It felt so intimate, and it felt so right. Like Quinn was the person she needed all along.
"I love you, Rachel..." Quinn whispered, her voice taking on a reverent tone as she said the brunette's name. "I'm sorry it took so long for me to tell you... I loved you since the moment I laid my eyes on you. I've tried so hard to forget, but I just couldn't. I'm sorry for all the hurtful things I said to you. I never meant a single one of them. I believed back then that I could just make my feelings vanish if I acted mean, but the truth was, they never left. They just grew stronger.
"I was afraid to tell you, because I was too afraid to lose my popularity again. I was afraid of the judgmental looks that would be thrown my way, afraid that my mother might kick me out again if I told her that I love you the way I'm supposed to love boys. I was too focused on the losing aspect, never knowing what it might be like to feel free and happy if I just listened to my heart back when we were in high school."
Rachel felt a lump in her throat as Quinn spoke her heart out. All this time, Quinn Fabray had been in love with her, but was too scared to admit it. And she could understand that. The people in Lima were too close-minded, and the people who bullied her because she had two dads instead of a mom and a dad was a constant reminder of that fact.
Quinn retracted her left hand and reached out her left hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind Rachel's ear. The brunette fought back her tears as she waited for Quinn to continue.
"And because of that, I was losing you more. All those times we fought, it was never about Finn. It was about you, Rachel. It always has, and it always will be. When we fought in that auditorium and I made you cry, it broke my heart. I didn't want Finn. I just made you think that I wanted him back, but the truth is, I did it so that you could be on your way to New York; so that you could be a star, which you were always meant to be. Finn would just hold you back from that, and I couldn't just sit by and let it happen.
"When I told you to wait to have sex with Finn, it wasn't only because of my horrible experience by getting pregnant; it was also because I wanted to be your first. I would make it perfect for you, and I would never pressure you into having sex with me. I would respect your boundaries, and wait until you're ready."
By this time, Rachel could no longer hold back her tears. Every word Quinn said was so heartfelt and genuine that she felt like her heart would explode. Quinn gently wiped away her tears, and she soaked in the feel of Quinn's hands on her face. She felt like those hands were made just to touch and to hold her.
"When I told you that you couldn't marry Finn, it was because I wanted it to be us that got married. But again, I couldn't tell you how I felt without tearing apart the friendship that we finally built. And in the end, you accepted Finn's proposal. Then there was Regionals. When I asked you if you sang 'Here's to Us,' to Finn, and only Finn, there was a huge part of me that wished that you were singing it to me. And even though it broke my heart, I decided to finally support you and Finn, because it was what would make you happy.
"Then, there was my accident. I felt mad at myself that time. It was my chance to get it right by being there for you during your marriage to Finn, and it didn't happen because of that accident. But at the same time, I also felt relieved, even though I knew how selfish it sounded. Because I felt like I was getting a second chance, another shot at trying to be with you. But I never acted on my feelings, because I was still so scared.
"Then, we graduated. Everyday, I thought about how different things could have been if I just told you how I felt. Every day, I miss you so much. When I saw you singing with Finn back at Mr. Schue's almost marriage, my heart broke all over again. I got myself drunk, and I was suddenly slow dancing with Santana. We slept in the same room, but I didn't have sex with her. I just couldn't, because I felt like I would betray myself and my feelings for you if I slept with somebody else, even if we weren't together. Even if there was no chance that you would ever feel the same way about me.
"I always thought about you, Rachel. I've always been in love with you, and I know that I always will. If you don't feel the same way about me, I'll understand. But either way, I will always be your friend, no matter what happens."
More tears sprung out Rachel's eyes as Quinn finished. She could feel the truth in everything that Quinn said. Every word was so heartfelt, so warm, and filled with so much love. The fact that Quinn was also in love with her made her heart want to burst with happiness. Everything that Quinn did starting from high school until now was always for her well-being.
"I love you, too, Quinn. I'm sorry it also took so long for me to realize it, because I was also scared. Scared that it might also ruin our friendship, that you might not feel the same way about me, either. Maybe, like you, I felt the same way the moment I first saw you. Maybe I just loved the idea of being with Finn that it blinded me from seeing just how I truly felt about you.
"You've always been there for me, and you always gave me the best advice. You've been nothing but completely truthful with me, never afraid to speak your mind. I've always imagined how things would be so much different if we were friends from the beginning, but I think there was some sort of other plan that things didn't go exactly as we planned them to be. Maybe it just wasn't the right time back then, because we were too young and still innocent, and maybe it just wasn't time for us to be together back then."
Rachel took a deep breath and reached out her hands to softly caress Quinn's face. Her brown eyes met Quinn's hazel ones, and she could see the pure love and adoration that those orbs beheld. Love for her.
"Maybe right now is the right time, no, now is the right time, I'm sure of it. Otherwise, we wouldn't be sitting in front of each other and bringing to light the feelings we've held on to for so long. This is the big eye-opener that we've waited to arrive. We just needed to mature so that we can smooth things out between us, and sort out our feelings for each other.
"I dated Brody because I thought I liked him. But when you showed up here a few weeks back to convince me not to go topless for the project offered to me, I began questioning my feelings for Brody. And when you left to go back to New Haven, I found myself thinking more and more about you. Then, I saw you again at Mr. Schue's wedding party, and I finally realized why. I realized that I was in love with you, and it pained me when I saw you dancing with Santana.
"I slept with Finn in the same room that night, but I didn't have sex with him. It wasn't because of Brody, but it was because of my feelings for you. It would have just felt completely wrong to have sex with Finn, when I clearly knew that my heart belonged with someone else, with you. And then we didn't see each other again after that, but I still continued to date Brody. And now, sitting in front of you, I realized that I dated Brody because of the attention he gave me. Not because I had feelings for him.
"But it's all clear to me now. I love you, Quinn. I'm in love with you, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
This time, it was Quinn's turn to cry. Rachel couldn't help thinking that the blonde looked beautiful, even with tears streaming down her face. She gently wiped Quinn's tears away, and slowly leaned in closer. Quinn felt Rachel's warm breath on her lips, and she leaned in to close the gap between them.
Their lips pressed together, and Rachel could practically hear the fireworks as they kissed. She inhaled Quinn's vanilla scent as she ran her hands through blonde tresses. Quinn tasted like strawberries, and Rachel found herself getting intoxicated with the blonde's taste and smell.
Their lips molded against each other perfectly, and Rachel thought that kissing Quinn was the best thing she ever did. The blonde's lips were soft, and in that moment, Rachel wanted nothing more than to kiss Quinn forever.
Quinn pulled Rachel closer, their bodies pressing against each other. The brunette moaned as Quinn tugged at her lower lip, gasping as the blonde in question nibbled on it. She ran her tongue against Quinn's lips, moaning as the strawberry taste grew stronger.
Taking advantage of the situation, Quinn slipped her tongue inside Rachel's mouth, and began exploring the cavern. All Rachel could think of was how amazing Quinn was at kissing. It felt like heaven, with gorgeous Quinn Fabray kissing her.
Rachel swirled her tongue inside Quinn's mouth, and the latter relished the brunette's minty taste. Their tongues swirled and suckled as they explored each other's mouths.
The kiss soon grew to be more insistent as their tongues battled for dominance, soft pants escaping Rachel's lips. Yes, kissing Quinn Fabray truly was an amazing experience.
The need for oxygen soon burned their lungs, and they reluctantly pulled apart. Rachel rested her forehead against Quinn's, beaming widely.
"Wow," was all Rachel could say.
"Wow," Quinn repeated in agreement. "I love you, Rachel Berry, so, so, much."
Rachel's lips curled into a loving smile as she heard the love in Quinn's voice.
"I love you, too, Quinn Fabray. With all that I am."
"I'm never going to run away from my feelings again, Rachel." Quinn said solemnly. "So, will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"
"Yes, oh my God, YES!" Rachel squealed without missing a beat as she flung herself into Quinn's arms.
Quinn laughed freely and happily as she held the brunette she loved so much in her arms. Words could never describe how happy the two women felt in that moment, knowing that they finally had each other.
They pulled apart from the embrace, and sealed the deal with a kiss.
"Finally! About damn time, too!" came Santana's booming voice from the loft door, making the new couple pull apart from each other.
The two were too happy to be irritated at the sudden intrusion, so they just grinned at each other.
"I'm so happy for you two! I mean, Rachel never told me anything, but I somehow felt that this was coming," Kurt piped up happily beside Santana. "Congratulations!"
"Aww, thanks Kurt!" Rachel beamed happily.
Quinn grinned and expressed her gratitude for Kurt and Santana's support.
"So, I'm willing to bet you're glad that I called you, huh, Q?" Santana smirked smugly, folding her arms across her chest.
"Whatever, S," Quinn said, rolling her eyes playfully. "But, really, thank you."
"Anytime, Q," Santana shrugged.
Rachel giggled and beamed at Quinn. The two would forever be grateful for their friends' support, and most especially for Santana's scheming ways. Because if it hadn't been for the Latina's digging and choice to call Quinn, they wouldn't be in each other's arms right now, happy and contented.