by Erin Griffin
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Rachel/Quinn (AU, futurefic)
Summary: Twenty-one year old Rachel is going for an audition, but in order to get the part, she needs to get the approval of Quinn Fabray, who has the director's ear.
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: So this is for a_fallenknight , who apparently can write four high quality stories in the weeks it took me to write this one. This started out as what he wanted, but then I started veering into another story I had wanted to write. *shrug* Hope you like it, and thanks for the stories you have been writing.
This is is, Rachel thought to herself as she looked at the sign to the theater she had her audition. She checked herself: She seemed fine. Her hair was down, as it always was, her sweater was a plain dark blue sweater that wenr perfectly with her lucky black skirt. She hoped this look would show that she could play the child-like best friend to the lead. It wasn't a musical, but it was Broadway. Rachel had managed to lan one of the best New York theater managers as a friend, and when he says that you would be 'just perfect' for a role then damn it, you audition. Tim knew the director, being his brother and all, so Rachel wanted both of them to keep her in mind fcor future roles if, for some reason, this one didn't work out. Most casting in theater, like most job leads, went through word of mouth and networking. If this play worked out, it would make a name for her so she could later audition for musicals.
Rachel wasn't nervous per se. She had rehearsed her parts since she had learned of the role from Tim. Even with all of her preparation, Rachel wasn't exactly sure what to expect from this audition. Again, it was a play, not a musical, and Rachel had prepared her life to sing and dance on stage, not just act. Still, she would do her best. She was, after all, Rachel Berry, and she would never do less than her 100%.
There was only one person who may or may not stand in her way of getting this role, and that was the lead, Quinn Fabray. Rachel had done her homework, though really, she never needed to. Quinn and Rachel had grown up in the same small town in Ohio, and Rachel always heard non-stop chatter about Lima's golden child. Quinn Fabray was the head cheerleader in high school, before she spent her junior and senior years reviving Glee club. The story went that she had a friend of her father's tell her she should audition for a play he was working on that was off-Broadway. She did, and the show moved onto Broadway, which made both of them widely popular. Quinn then played the lead in five more plays under the same director. Quinn was often all Rachel heard about. Rachel knew something about Quinn that the media didn't seem to. She remembered what a lot of people in Lima chose to forget. Rachel often heard from anyone who knew her theatrical pursuits in life to find Quinn and get to know her, but Rachel wanted to make it on her own, not because she had Quinn as a connection. She wanted to get to the top by herself, with her talent to guide her. And really, she didn't have Quinn as a connection, seeing as she never actually KNEW her. Quinn was five years older than Rachel, and they were in different schools except for Lima's one elementary school.
Rachel had soon found that it was all about who you knew, who you did, and how much you could make a show based on looks. Since Quinn was in this show, Rachel knew that she had the director's ear. Quinn had stayed loyal to Jacob even after the many TV and movie deals were offered to her, and in turn, she had Jacob's trust. If Quinn liked you, you were in. However, Quinn was a very picky person. Rumor had it, she'd made most of her cast members cry at some point. Rachel didn't believe these rumors, but one never really knew, did they? Rachel hoped Quinn liked her, but for her talent, not because she somehow remembered her. In fact, from that one time they had met as kids, Rachel hoped that Quinn didn't know who she was, even if Rachel would never forget.
Rachel opened the door slowly and quietly in case the auditions had started early. She didn't want to repeat that mistake again. She doubted it, seeing as she had a good half an hour, but she wanted to be considerate. She made her way down the aisle to sign up, and she saw Tim there, talking to a man and woman who were at the table in the front. When Tim looked up, he waved Rachel over, and she took the steps necessary to join them. Her smile was hesitant. Rachel searched her mind for something to say other than an awkward hello to her friend, but she was spared that when Tim said, "Ah! Rachel! We were just talking about you."
This surprised Rachel somewhat, considering the fact that Tim had actual clients at this audition as well, and Rachel wasn't one fo them. she was just a friend he'd met at one of the cast parties for a show his girlfriend was in with Rachel. Though the couple had long ago split, she had stayed in touch with Tim through email and would meet for coffee every once in a while when he had a spare half an hour. She was still pleased to hear this, especially when the director said, "Timmy here speaks highly of you, and it isn't like him not to deliver. I look forward to your audition."
Rachel nodded with a slight blush on her cheeks. "Thank you," she said, though it was meant for both men.
Rachel's eyes flickered to Quinn and she noticed the older woman's stare. It wasn't one of intimidation like Rachel would have expected from someone like Quinn. It was more of a slight squint that asked why something or someone was familiar. when she caught Rachel's eye, however, her look became more calculating, as if she was trying to determine how long it would take before Rachel messed up.
Rachel's eyes went back to Jacob, who seemed to take in not only her looks, but the way she stood. From the way Tim had always spoke of his brother in the weeks before the audition, Rachel had assumed him to be much older, despite knowing that he was only two years Tim's senior. Looking at him, though, Jacob seemed a good decade younger than his 42 years of age. Tim, on the other hand, looked his age and then some, since he was always stressed out and tired.
Finally, Rachel smiled again at Jacob and said, "Its nice to meet you both," and took a couple of steps to her right when another woman came up to the table to sign in, and the atmosphere around them went back to business. Rachel signed in as well, and watched as Jacob made an odd symbol next to her name. though not a gold star, Rachel was hopeful that it meant something good to the director. As she sat down three rows back, she hoped her audition was last or next to last. The last to audition were usually the freshest in mind.
As Rachel ran through her monologue in her mind, she felt eyes on her and looked up, catching the calculating eyes of Quinn Fabray before the blonde turned around faced forward again. Rachel frowned thoughtfully before she went back to her monologue, ignoring her senses when she felt eyes on her again. If Quinn wanted to stare at her, then let her stare. Part of Rachel feared that Quinn remembered her, or at least the Lima gossip mill about her two fathers. Rachel looked up again when the eyes left her, and she saw Jacob speaking to Quinn about something.
About 45 minutes later, after getting a glimpse at her competition (two of which actually made her nervous), Rachel heard her name, and she took to the stage. She felt she was where she belonged as she fixed her skirt slightly and looked to Jacob and Quinn, who now sported a slight smirk that dared Rachel to- what? Whatever it was, Rachel was up for the challenge, and she nodded when Jacob said 'Whenever you're ready." His smile encouraged her, and she began her monologue.
Rachel hadn't even finished the first half of a paragraph before she was interrupted. "I'm going to have to stop you right there... Rachel, is it?" Quinn asked, sitting straighter in her seat. Rachel, shocked out of her slight trance, could only nod. "Yes, well... you DO realize that you're auditioning for the part of my best friend, not a 12 year old girl, don't you?"
"Of course," Rachel replied cautiously. She thought that the best friend was supposed to have a quirky sense of style, a bounce in her step, and a very innocent way about her. Had Rachel read the excerpt of the script incorrectly? Rachel didn't think so. She made sure to be very thorough.
"Then do me a favor and drop the false cheerfulness and speak like a normal human being."
"Quinn-" Jacob cut in harshly to the blonde, who only raised her eyebrow slightly before she settled back into her seat. Her eyes continued to watch Rachel, who only shifted feet slightly, but hopefully hadn't sowed any emotion other than that.
Finally, Rachel nodded and said, "I will take your words into consideration. If you don't mind, i would like to try again." Rachel's jaw was tense as she said this. Quinn made a movement with her hand that seemed to say 'have at it' and Rachel mentally prepared herself again.
At the same spot as before, Quinn interrupted her again with a hint of false sweetness in her voice. "Oh honey, what is that accent?"
"Brookl-
"No. Not even close," Quinn said. Jacob stared at Quinn in disbelief. The blonde had always been relatively quiet during the audition process, silently watching each actor and allowing him to do his job before giving him a yay or nay head signal when prompted. She'd rarely speak directly to the actors, but that was only to ask for a line to be repeated, and never would she speak harshly to anyone until they were cast. Jacob wanted to know where Quinn was going with this, or if she for some reason just had an issue with Rachel Berry. Do it again." It wasn't a request, but a demand, and Rachel paused.
"Is there anything in particular you're looking for?" Rachel asked.
"I'll know when I see it- IF I see it." Quinn told the brunette, though the look on her face was doubtful. "If you're as good as they say, I'm sure you'll figure it out."
Rachel wasn't sure which was worse, being completely dismissed after not getting a chance to finish, or being grilled like this while other actors auditioning watched on. It was humiliating. Sure, she'd been drilled by choreographers and directors before, but never by someone who was a potential future co-star. Rachel tried to figure out what Quinn's problem with her was as the blonde stopped her a few more times, always in roughly the same spot, and always with something to say. Finally, Rachel, close to stamping her feet in childish aggression, stood tall and said, "Thank you for your time. I see that I am not a good fit for this production."
Jacob gave Quinn a 'look' as Rachel went to her bags and exited the theater, nodding to Tim on her way out. Normally, Rachel wasn't a quitter, but she was so frustrated. Had it been anyone else, she would have stuck it out, but since it was Quinn... Rachel had just gotten out to the lobby with her bag swung over her shoulder and to the outer doors when a voice stopped her. "I'm disappointed in you, Berry. I never pegged you to be the type to walk away from a challenge, let alone an audition."
Rachel slowly turned to face Quinn Fabray once more. What she hadn't expected was that Quinn was so much more beautiful in this new light. The darkness of the theater really didn't do her any justice. Quinn had a quality about her that reminded her of the old time Hollywood leading ladies, with hazel eyes now glittering against the backdrop of her golden hair. Women like Quinn always used to make Rachel feel dumpy and unattractive in her own dark brown hair, dark chocolate colored eyes, and Jewish nose, but Rachel couldn't help but to admire the woman in front of her. Then, the brunette realized that Quinn had spoken, and she twisted her jaw. "Well, its quite obvious you don't want me here-"
"Not if you can't do the role, no." Quinn shot back.
"And since you don't think I can do the role, why are you out here still talking to me? Why don't you just let me leave?"
"What's the fun in that?" Quinn asked with a slight snort.
The door behind the two women opened up revealing a concerned looking Jacob and Tim. Quinn took Rachel's arm somewhat roughly, and pushed her in the direction of the women's bathrooms. "Hey-!"
"Shut up," Quinn commanded in a voice as rough as the grip on Rachel's arm. Once inside the bathroom, the blonde let go, and Rachel took a couple of steps back until her arm hit the paper towel dispenser. Quinn took two steps closer to the petite woman and placed her hands on either side of Rachel's head. "Listen up, Berry. For some reason, Tim likes you. Tim likes you so much that he's managed to talk you up to Jacob so that HE likes you. The thing is... I just don't see it."
Their faces were close together now. All Rachel could see was Quinn. Her blazing eyes, her rosey cheeks, her plump lips. All she could smell was the taller blonde. Quinn was expecting something, but Rachel wasn't sure just what to say to this. She did notice that those hazel eyes were bouncing from Rachel's right eye to her left and back again before they settled on Rachel's own lips. "You're not gonna, like, kiss me are you?"
This seemed to break the spell if only slightly, but Quinn didn't back away. She didn't even move other than to say, "And if I am?"
"I can't."
"What?"
"I-I can't. My career-"
"I'm not asking you to eat me out for the part-"
"No. I'd do that for nothing if you asked me to," Rachel confessed, allowing herself to break eye contact. The brunette swallowed, and Quinn watched the movement of it in the smaller woman's throat.
Quinn felt her breathing quicken slightly. "Rachel, I-"
"Oh god, forget I said that-"
"I don't want to forget," Quinn said, her voice slightly husky now.
"I can't," Rachel said again as she locked eyes with Quinn again.
"No?" Quinn asked as she leaned in further. Their chests touched now, and if the blonde were to move her leg just so, it would be between Rachel's thighs. The air charged between them, and as the seconds ticked, Quinn wasn't sure what she was waiting for until Rachel leaned forward and tilted her head. Quinn met her half way, taking Rachel's bottom lip into her mouth. "You like this?" Quinn asked between kisses. "Is this okay?"
"Yes," Rachel breathed, draping her arms around Quinn's neck and forcing their lips to remain in contact. The time for talking was over. At least for now. For the first few moments, both women were content to just feel their lips touching and their tongues mingling, but as Quinn's hands began to move along Rachel's waist and Quinn brought her hands off of the wall long enough to place them right above the swell of the younger woman's ass, both of them wanted more. The blonde yanked the blasted sweater up slightly, and liked a teenage boy, went straight for Rachel's breasts, bound by a black bra. Rachel moaned into Quinn's mouth. The brunette would have begged for those hands to slip further , to slip inside, but Quinn was now suckling on her tongue.
Rachel pulled Quinn against her almost desperately when the blonde wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her slightly away from the wall. When Rachel's back hit against the wall again, she broke the kiss only long enough to wince before she crashed their lips together again. Quinn's other hand went to the hem of the black skirt, and then managed its way inside. As they reached under the panties and her fingers touched the curls there, Rachel opened her stance. Quinn's mouth left Rachel's; a kiss was left on the brunette's jaw before it latched onto her neck. Rachel felt more than she heard the noise from the back of Quinn's throat.
In the past few years, Rachel didn't think much about sexuality or love or anything that wasn't to help further her career in New York, but as Quinn's fingers found her clit and began a circular motion, Rachel realized that it had been too long since she'd been touched. It had been far too long since that three-way with Santana and Brittany. How could she have gone almost four years without anyone to hold her or anyone to kiss? How could she have let so many lonely days pass without her feeling this? Rachel let out a small yelp as Quinn's fingers quickened in pace a moment or two later, and her hips began to roll in time with each stroke. Quinn bit into her neck as a warning to quiet down, but Rachel only squeaked again.
"You like that?" Quinn huffed in Rachel's ear, her own breathing coming in short pants now. "You like that, don't you?" she asked. Rachel realized that Quinn wanted a response.
"Yes. Please," she murmured.
"You're close, aren't you?"
"I am. I'm so close," Rachel said.
"When you come, I want you to say my name. I don't care who hears you. I want you screaming."
Rachel moaned in response to this. Quinn stroked harder, and Rachel's hips now had a mind of their own. "Oh-" Rachel groaned. She bit her lip to keep herself from screaming.
"Say it," Quinn said gruffly. "Say it!"
As Rachel came, her knees almost gave out. A name ripped from her throat, one so seldom used that it felt foreign. So shocked by the sound of "Lucy!" echoing off the walls, Quinn backed away from Rachel completely, and the brunette nearly dropped to the floor.
"You- You- That name-" Quinn stuttered, her voice meek as if all of her control had been snatched away in that one name.
"I-I'm sorry," Rachel breathed out, her body still a hum from her climax.
"How do you know that name?"
Rachel fixed her skirt as her eyes cast anywhere but on Quinn. "I was in the first grade in Lima Elementary, and this dumb kid named Noah was messing with me because I was practicing movie lines from I think Aladdin." Rachel looked at Quinn. "He'd rallied some other boys, who also booed at me, and one threw a rock at me, pretending it was a tomato. This fifth grader screamed for them to leave me alone, and the boy began to tease her about her larger frame. The girl was hurt of course, but she ignored them and helped me get my cheek to sop bleeding. Then she said to me, 'Don't let them stop you from leaving this place just because we all know that they can't'. It wasn't until the end of the year graduation from elementary school into middle school that I learned her name-"
"Lucy Q. Fabray," Quinn finished for her. There was a look of shame and disgust on the blonde's face, but Rachel was disappointed because there was no recognition there. Quinn didn't remember this, remember her.
Slowly, Rachel walked to Quinn and placed a hand on her cheek. "I'll never forget that fifth grader or what she said to me."
"I wish you would," Quinn said, turning to nuzzle into Rachel's hand.
"Why would I, when she's the one who got me here?"
"Lucy is dead. I made sure of it."
"She may be out of sight, but she'll never be out of mind. For either of us. She made us who we both are, Quinn."
Quinn backed away. "I-"
Rachel reached out and took Quinn's arm. "Ask me."
"What?" Quinn stared at the brunette briefly as the earlier conversation between them played in her mind. "I'm hardly feeling sexy now, Rachel," she said with a humorless laugh.
"But Lucy should. You had a sexy, very talented triple threat singer actress dancer and occasional songwriter wriggling under your fingers, and yet she screams her name. And now I want nothing more than to put my mouth on you," Rachel said in Quinn's ear, "but you've got to ask me."
"Sweet Jesus," Quinn cursed as she felt the heat return to the lower half of her body. "Please Rachel..."
There was a moment of hesitation before the petite woman said, "Close enough," and leaned upwards to kiss Quinn. "Take off your pants," Rachel ordered once she pulled away.
"Wha-?" Quinn asked even as her fingers went to the hem of her slacks and she began to pull them down. They were soon on the floor of the bathroom, and Rachel went to the door to lock it. Had she known what was to transpire, she would have done this before, but she needed to make the atmosphere as safe for Quinn as possible, and she didn't want to be interrupted. She then went to the sink, grabbed a paper towel, and wiped up the droplets of water and hand soap before she patted the marble. Quinn's cheeks reddened. "Rachel..."
"On the sink, Quinn. You're safe with me, I promise." Hazel eyes locked with brown, and Quinn turned her back to the mirror before she hopped on the sink.
"Ung- Cold!"
"We'll get it warmed up soon enough," Rachel promised. She took the steps necessary so that she stood between Quinn's legs. "Kiss me," she said. Quinn did, and felt Rachel's hands slide along the blonde's bare thigh. Rachel's tongue flickered on the inside of Quinn's upper lip, and the blonde's mind filled with images of that tongue doing the same movements lower down. Rachel's fingers hooked themselves on Quinn's underwear and began to pull them down, forcing the blonde to shimmy in order to help her own. The older woman looked down in time to see Rachel's eyes burning into her as she moved along her body and crouched into a somewhat awkward position between Quinn's knees. Rachel's hands moved inside Quinn's thighs as she took in the scent of her lover's need. Using her thumbs, she opened up the blonde and groaned. "Holy Moses. Even your pussy is beautiful," she breathed, and Quinn felt the air on her clit. The blonde's hands went to her sides and her back thrust back as Rachel took a couple of tentative tastes.
Rachel had only done this once before, and for some reason, she felt more inexperience now than she had that first time. Brittany's advice came to her suddenly, though. "Spell Santana's name with your tongue. She likes that. I get lost a lot, so I have to start over all the time, but Santana always comes before I get through her last name, anyway."
And so Rachel's tongue began to move, spelling out 'Lucy Quinn Fabray' twice before her knees began to cramp from the awkward crouch she was in. Rachel brought her left hand down Quinn's inner thigh and her ring and middle fingers trailed upwards until they found her hole. Quinn's hips bucked slightly while Rachel's tongue was in the middle of the third 'Q'. Rachel took that as a mess up and started the name over again. She slowly pushed her fingers inside of Quinn as the blonde's hips began to rock. Remembering what Santana had done while inside of her, Rachel curled her fingers slightly upwards as they slid in and out. She could feel Quinn tightening around her fingers as she got to the 'b' of her name. "Oh... Fuck." Rachel heard as she felt Quinn's thighs quiver on either side of her. "Fuck.. fuck." Rachel mentally pleaded for Quinn to not hold back, but she kept her tongue and fingers moving. "Oh god!" Quinn called out as the bucking stopped and she arched her back into Rachel's mouth. Rachel wasn't sure now what to do so she slowed her tongue's movements as she felt Quinn's clit twitch a couple of times under it. Quinn sat up a little bit and ran her fingers through Rachel's hair before yanking it slightly. Only then did the brunette stop, slowly extracting her fingers from the older woman.
There was a silence between them as Quinn regained her breath. "How did you learn that"
"Um... my one experience as well as countless lesbian erotica novels," Rachel admitted, slowly standing to her full hight. She leaned over to grab another paper towel and began to wipe her mouth before gathering Quinn's clothes from the floor. The silence fell upon them again, this time awkwardly.
"I... This has never happened to me before. Usually people make me feel beautiful so they can have sex with me. You.. You have sex with me to make me feel beautiful."
"I..." Rachel began to say, but stopped in mid-sentence.
"Do you still want the part? In the play, I mean?"
"Of course I do, but i don't want that to cheapen what happened here, or what happened here to cheapen my ability to go after this role," Rachel admitted, handing the articles of clothing to Quinn.
Quinn seemed taken aback by these words. She knew that Rachel didn't want to be seen as someone who slept her way into roles, which was admirable, but she also didn't want for Quinn to think that this was just a one night thing. The blonde put on her pants quietly before she said, "I'll tell Jake that we had a bit of a fight, but that I managed to convince you to try again when we're both ina better mood. I won't be there whenever you do, so it'll only be Jake's decision. Lemme just give you a bit of advice," Quinn continued as she hopped down from the sink. "Tim spoke so highly of you for the part for a reason. Either you 'look' like the character Lea, or you act a lot like her. So, when you say her words, speak them as you'd say them in any conversation. Pretend they're your own words and thoughts." Quinn placed a hand on on Rachel's cheek now. "And I'm sorry. About earlier."
"I think you've already apologized for that," Rachel said, gesturing between them, indicating what they had just did.
"I know, but it needed to be said," Quinn replied, her thumb slowly rubbing the brunette's cheek. She then leaned in for a kiss. She could taste herself on the smaller woman, and she fought the need to find Rachel's own taste. "Go home. Rest up. I'll talk to Jake. Maybe tonight I can come over to tell you when you can try again?" Quinn asked somewhat hesitantly.
"Even if you don't know, you can come over tonight." Rachel paused and then backed out of Quinn's touch. She went to her bag and got out a bedazzled folder labled 'resumes'. She took one of the slips of paper out and handed it to Quinn. "Always keep extras on you at all times. I am not repeating that mistake again." After putting the folder back and slipping the bag over her shoulder again, Rachel went back to Quinn, who was looking over the brunette's contact information. "If its after nine before you can call or come over, you might as well forget about it."
Quinn kissed Rachel's lips. "I'll be there before nine, don't worry."
"Good." Rachel backed away, straightened her shoulders and left the bathroom with a haughty expression on her face.
When Quinn had arrived at Rachel's apartment at 10:30 after a fund raising party that had gone far too long, the brunette huffed at her, but she let her inside anyway, claiming that Quinn had to make up for it. Quinn decided that she didn't mind it when Rachel called her Lucy, especially when a half an hour later, she had the brunette screaming it over and over.