Author's Note: Yes, written for the Quartie ficathon. And please read and review. Feedback is amazing!

Prompt: Desk, poker chips, balloon, bumble bee, neckerchief, containing Kurt/Rachel friendship

In the Club

"This is the deal," Puck said, eyeing the four young hopefuls in front of him. Not that he was any older than them, except by a matter of months, but none were used to the way of life he was about to introduce them to that night. "You tell no one about this, got it?"

Their responses varied. Artie solemnly nodded, then reached over to squeeze Quinn's hand, who was gazing at Puck skeptically. Rachel squealed a little, turning to the stiff backed Kurt.

"We won't tell," Kurt muttered, rolling his eyes. "I don't even want to do this…"

"Yes, you do," Rachel reprimanded him, grasping his forearm. "We all want to do this! Grand adventures lie beyond those double doors!"

Gritting his teeth, Puck moved closer to Rachel. "Don't say stuff like that in there. They'll eat you alive."

"I brought my poker chips," Artie announced, patting a case in his lap. "I've never used them before but I thought now is as good a time as any to start."

"You won't be needing those," Puck informed, gesturing toward the door of the classroom. "Ready to go see about the club?"

Everyone but Artie stood and walked out, Artie following behind, running into a desk as maneuvered our of the classroom. Noticing his impact, Quinn stopped, waiting for him. Once he was by her side, the two being a fair distance away from the others, Quinn whispered, "I've heard not so great things about this club. And don't get me started on the fraternity that runs it…"

"Don't ruin my excitement, Quinn. I'm excited! If I do well, I could maybe even join the fraternity. And besides, that's all hearsay. No one really knows what goes on behind those double doors and the fraternity got in trouble once, for a party that got a little out of hand but this is college, that can happen. I'm sure it's going to be all kinds of awesome!" Grinning up at her, he did a pop wheelie in his chair which made Quinn wince. She hated it when he did those.

"Why would you want to do that?" she grumbled, swatting at a bumble bee that flew too close to her face.

"To be a part of something," he told her, his eyes shining.

Biting her lip, Quinn let her eyes wanted ahead of them, to where Rachel was constantly grabbing Kurt's arm, linking her fingers with his, smiling up at him. That unlikely friendship had surprised people even more than Quinn and Artie starting to date. Shrugging, she fell back a little, pulling out the camera pen from her purse. Little did Artie know but she was about to go all Veronica Mars on the fraternity's club. She hoped it wouldn't hurt Artie even though she thought him wanting to join the fraternity was stupid. There were plenty of clubs he could join but instead he fell back on the barbaric fraternity system to make new friends? Sighing, she jogged a little to catch up, eyes drawn to Kurt, who was nervously pulling on his neckerchief.

"I'm sure I won't fit in," he was saying to Rachel.

"Of course you will, Kurt!" she protested, throwing her arms around him in a hug. "You are a very likeable person."

He tried to grin but couldn't quite, returning Rachel's tight squeeze instead.

Puck gave them a warning glare before coming to an abrupt halt in front of the double doors. He gave three quick knocks and the doors flew open. Upon being admitted, they went in slowly. At first everything was quiet, numerous boys standing around silently drinking from red plastic cups, and then loud music began to play.

"Baby I like it by Enrique Iglesias?" Quinn questioned, twisting her head around. She didn't have time to ask anymore questions when not one balloon buy many began falling from the ceiling. "What the…" Twirling around, she hit each one as it cascaded against her. Beside her, Artie was staring, laughing. Putting the case of poker chips aside, he came to help her, batting the balloons away. Pretty soon, they were both laughing hard and she was in his lap. "Maybe it's not so nefarious after all," she murmured, watching as the frat boys offered Kurt and Rachel some cake. "This is probably why Puck made us swear not to say anything. They don't want this image out there. They want that mysterious and possibly dangerous facade to continue."

"Probably," Artie replied, kissing the spot behind her ear. "Hey?"

"Yeah?"

"I know you were intending on doing a story about this fraternity…" When she glanced away, he smiled. "I know you don't understand why I would want to join either. I don't care that you wanted to do the story. It's like you're Veronica Mars or Lois Lane, which is cool, but it's also what you want to do, journalism. So I get it, Quinn. As for me joining, I just thought I'd try it out."

Pressing her warm lips to his cool cheek, she said, "I don't really like the fraternity system, no, but, honestly, I just want you all to myself."

Leaning his head back, he made eye contact with her and grinned. "You gots me all to yourself, woman. All the people wants a piece of this," he said, tapping his fingers against one of his legs. "But they can't have none. No, no. I tell them, it's all Quinn's." Then he winked.

Covering her laugh, Quinn returned with, "What even, Artie?" Wiping her eyes, as her laughter had produced a few tears, she reclined against him. "Well, I'm glad of that," she managed at last.

Still grinning, he kissed her, tenderly, while running his fingers through her hair.

Kissing him back, she forgot where they were, moving into a more comfortable position on his lap. Her hands were gripping tightly to his shoulders, one of his hands on her waist while the other continued to brush through her hair, when a balloon hit the back of her head.

"And that," growled Puck. "That ain't allowed in here."

"Yes, please get a room," commented Kurt, examining his nails.

"I think it's cute," Rachel exclaimed, slipping her hand into the crook of Kurt's arm. "But displays of affection like that should be confined to a more private area."

"You all," Artie said, narrowing his eyes and pointing at them. "Just bes jealous."

Though they scoffed at his declaration, Quinn had no doubt that was true. Who wouldn't want a piece, as he had described it, of her hot boyfriend? The answer was: only crazy people.

That day Quinn didn't get a story but she did get a piece of cake, which she ate while sitting in Artie's lap. And Artie did, after all, get to play a game of poker, with his future fraternity brothers.