Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Except mistakes, that is. And the plot too.
The air was tense. Quinn knows that his past appeals to Rachel either went unheard or result in them having an argument. But he couldn't stand the way the brunette has taken on handling her life. He didn't realize it, but he let the tiny brunette occupy a big part of his heart.
And now it brings them back to the old auditorium of McKinley High where they first built dreams on their own. So again here they are, trying to see where the plan that destiny conceived is trying to take them. The auditorium seems relatively unchanged, but Quinn thinks of how the girl who used to spend almost every moment of her time singing there is barely recognizable now.
"Quinn?"
He was jolted from his thoughts by Rachel who was looking at him expectantly.
"What are we doing here?" The brunette questions him again.
Quinn sighs. Now or never.
"After what Finn did, I –I wanted to do something for you–"
Brown orbs widen, as though understanding a little where this meeting is headed.
"Quinn–"
He smiles at her softly, the one reserved only for Rachel ever since they were in high school. When they used to be best friends before Finn took over the diva's life. His quirked lips immediately compels the brunette to stop talking.
"Rachel, I know we've talked about this before. And I know what you're going to say before I even open my mouth." He sighs and run a hand on his short blonde hair. "But honestly, I've come to that point in my life where I just don't want anymore 'what ifs'."
The actress' eyes soften seeing pleading hazel eyes look at her intensely.
"Please, Rach. Just let me do this one time?"
Rachel takes a deep shaky breath before nodding. The smile she gets from the blonde man behind the piano is enough to make her forget what this could mean for the both of them.
Quinn starts a soft melody behind the baby grand, smooth practiced fingers gliding across. He rarely looks at the keys, spending most of his time looking at the woman who was sitting in front of him, staring intently.
His soft baritone starts.
Much as you blame yourself
You can't be blamed for the way that you feel
Had no example of a love
That was even remotely real
How can you understand
Something that you never had
If you let me I can help you out with all of that
Quinn looks straight into the brown irises starting to fill with recognition of the song. God, he just hopes she would let him finish the song. Because he needs to let Rachel know all the emotions that he'd so desperately tried to squash and bury. Or he'd regret it for the rest of his life.
Rachel feels like she's hyperventilating on her seat. She knows the song, albeit Quinn's version being a much slower one. She knows what's coming next. And she doesn't know if she can handle it.
Let me love you
And I will love you
Until you learn to love yourself
Let me love you
I know your trouble
Don't be afraid, oh, I can help
Let me love you
And I will love you
Until you learn to love yourself
Let me love you
A heart of numbness gets brought to life
I'll take you there
The brunette closes her eyes once more, unable to look at the man in front of her who is almost begging for Rachel to let him in. She couldn't help but revere the hazel and emerald irises illuminated by the old auditorium lighting. She hears the light cracks in his voice, she remembers of the times she used to tease him about going sharp occasionally in high school. And she knows that she's the one causing it at this very moment.
I can see the pain behind your eyes
It's been there for quite a while
I just want to be the one to remind you
What it is to smile
I would like to show you
What true love can really do
Quinn never takes his eyes off of Rachel, wanting to see her reaction. He was unable to guard himself, and over the last few months the brunette has taken a part of him that can never be given back. Or maybe he never really wanted it back to begin with. It feels crazy even to him. He is Charlie Quinn Fabray. Women weren't supposed to last with him. He wasn't supposed to be the one asking to let him love them.
But it's apparent now that Rachel Berry is an exception.
Will always be an exception. A beautiful exception.
Let me love you
And I will love you
until you learn to love yourself
Let me love you
I know your trouble
Don't be afraid, oh, I can help
Let me love you
And I will love you
Until you learn to love yourself
Let me love you
A heart of numbness gets brought to life
I'll take you there
Quinn slows down with the keys under his fingers. His eyes soften once more, his voice turns into a quiet declaration meant only to be heard by the brunette sitting in front of him.
Let me love you
And I will love you
Until you learn to love yourself
Let me love you
I know your trouble
Don't be afraid, oh, I can help
The last thing he sees are Rachel's tear streaked eyes. And then she's running out of the auditorium. Quinn grips his choppy blonde hair and drops his head to the piano keys.
"Fuck."
I hope there's some interest for this story enough for me to continue. :)