A furry kind of problem
"I don't hate you," Quinn said, grasping at Rachel's shoulders to pull her down to eye level. Brown eyes stared down at her uncomprehendingly from her position on the bed. Confusion was an euphemism for what she was feeling right now. There was something about Quinn kneeling on the ground between her legs, completely bypassing any personal space, that sent errors all through her brain. So she sat there for a moment longer, gaping at the girl until she could get the functionality of her mind back.
Quinn herself had been in a similar state of mind for a while, perhaps even worse, but got over it with one screw-up at the time. She could clearly remember all of them – she even knew it all began on a Monday – and wondered if this situation could have been averted.
It all started with those five fateful words.
"It must be a crossbreed."
"I agree. Look at that dense winter coat, the size of him, and just- the color! It's such a perfect shade of blonde for those brown eyes."
"Dude, they're hazel. There's golden green in there as well."
"Oh."
Quinn would have never guessed she'd be in this position, watching unknown men surround her and deciding what breed she was. The gleam in their eyes didn't sit well with her. Nor did the fact that every human being thought it was perfectly okay to just touch you whenever they felt like it, despite her intimidating size.
Sure, she knew that she should have told someone about that incident with the giant manbeast during winter break, but when the large scratches had disappeared the very next day, she had just assumed the whole ordeal was a dream. It certainly felt like she was experiencing a nightmare at the time. Then came the improved senses, which she was okay with being in denial about. Knowing what your mother was humming two stories up was weird, but could be attributed to echoes and steel plumbing carrying sound. Even though there was no plumbing to speak of in the living room.
The control over her body had also become incredible, as became clear during Cheerio practice. Sue even appeared to give her less of a hard time, which was her equivalent of a compliment. The sensory overload of a school day was overwhelming, but after becoming used to the strong smells and sounds, she could not imagine going on without hearing gossip from a metaphorical mile away.
The real problem was when she turned for the first time. At first she thought she changed due to the full moon, but later she realized that the moon just helped the transition. Changing into her wolf form was effortless, almost flawless, during a full moon. It was a rush of adrenaline and endorphins and whatever positive hormones existed. It was like getting that difficult note in front of an entire audience and receiving a standing ovation. It was like skydiving. It was like having your lover say he loves you back.
So far, anyway.
The point was that changing during those days and nights during a full moon was inevitable. She could choose not to, but it would be such a waste because changing outside of a full moon usually ended up in strange kinks, cramps and sore muscles. She'd try to stay in her room as much as possible during those times, try to just laze about and nap. She even tried to read a book once, but she'd always decide going out was the much better option. Despite being as large as her human self in wolf form - she assumed that just because she was a werewolf, she could not gain or lose mass when changing - her room felt tiny. Staying in her room was like being caged.
That's where her collar came in. To avoid people sending her to the pound straight away, she bought herself a collar with her name on it. She considered giving herself another name, but nobody would believe it was her anyway. She refrained from putting her contact information in it, because it would be plain strange to get Quinn's voicemail from a dog named Quinn.
It was strangely liberating, being allowed to approach people without receiving weird looks. It was sweet how kids cooed at her and carefully attempted to pet her. Carefully, because let's face it, despite her smiling puppy face, she was huge for a simple dog. That also allowed her to keep people at a distance. Barking or snarling at the right time made people walk around her like she was contagious and the power was almost intoxicating.
Usually, she was able to stay away from humans as much as possible, but tonight she'd been cornered by three men with shady motivations. She could by all means take them if push came to shove - she hoped anyway - but rabid dogs were put out and men were sent to the hospital.
"Where's his owner? I gotta have one of these," the largest of the three commented. All the men looked around.
The short blonde looked down at Quinn. "We could just throw him in the trunk. Nobody would be the wiser. Maybe use him for breeding."
Quinn backed away into a wall and lowered herself in a defensive position, baring her teeth. The move came naturally; another perk to being in that form. She still kept her human intellect, but basic instincts were magnified and responses such as these were easy like riding a bike.
"That's gotta be the stupidest idea I've ever heard," the tall man shot back. "We can't just kidnap Godzilla here and steal his puppies, are you insane?"
"Just think of the money we could make with this beauty! It's like having a badass golden Australian shepherd with perky ears and a Samoyan smile."
"Dude, that's, like, a gold mine," the third man agreed.
While the men were fighting on whether or not to take the very female, very angry animal with them, Quinn picked up on a scent. She didn't know why, maybe because it was familiar, but it spelled out salvation for her.
She was off just like that, leaving the three bickering men behind. Before her mind could place the floral scent, she was already sitting obediently in front of a startled brunette, tongue lolling out and tail wagging. Quinn would've been baffled at her own behavior, except she was caught up in the moment, feeling giddy and almost proud at exchanging the scheming men for the girl she was now practically drooling over.
No pun intended.
Rachel startled when a giant beast rounded the corner and skidded to a halt right in front of her, then proceeded to sit down as if it was awaiting orders. For a moment she expected more to happen, for someone to run after the dog and apologize for its obnoxious behavior, but nobody came. "Hello there," she said hesitantly, not quite sure what to make of the situation. "Are you here alone?" She scrunched her eyebrows together after she said it, feeling stupid for talking to a dog.
Quinn barked her affirmative. Hearing the men around the corner reach a conclusion, she stood up and actively sought out contact with the girl, nuzzling her hand. If they appeared friendly enough, the men might get the wrong idea and back off.
Rachel giggled at the ticklish sensation of fur and a wet nose against the back of her hand. Almost automatically, she raised the harassed hand and ruffled the canine behind the ears. "Curious one, aren't you?" the brunette said with a smile, her other hand coming up to check the dog's collar while the animal was busy panting. "Quinn?"
Quinn paused momentarily and tilted her head, looking up into big brown eyes. She'd forgotten about her collar, being bowled over by instincts she still couldn't categorize properly.
Scratch that. She'd forgotten about her situation and her distaste for the girl entirely.
"I cannot tell you how ironic this is, Quinn." Rachel breathed a laugh, releasing the collar to continue ruffling remarkably soft fur. Apparently, talking to a dog wasn't such a weird concept to her after all.
Quinn wasn't immune to being patted so affectionately however, and instantly, her rational thoughts were overridden by the more basic need for warmth. She was vaguely aware that the men rounded the corner when she leaned back on her hind legs and rested her paws on Rachel's shoulders so she could lick at her face.
Quinn was giving Rachel puppy kisses.
Rachel was squealing and playfully attempting to keep her muzzle at bay as she balanced both their weights.
Alarm bells were ringing in Quinn's mind. She was giving Rachel puppy kisses. But the men were watching them now, so it would be a bad idea to back away. It wasn't hard to slip back into the reassuring lull of her more basic needs, however. Keeping up the charade was easy. Silently, Quinn was impressed by how Rachel handled a giant dog she'd never met. Maybe there was something more to the awful animal sweaters she always insisted on wearing.
"Ah!" Rachel yelped when a particular broad lick ran straight down the middle of her face. "Come now, puppy," she scolded playfully, pushing off the animal. "You're going to make me late for dance class."
Quinn backed away enough to look at the girl. Did she just call a wolf, equal in her weight and height, a puppy?
"Don't give me that look, lady! If I'm not at least 15 minutes early, I won't be able to stretch and warm up properly. You don't want to be responsible for my cramps, do you?" The girl practically pouted at her, and Quinn could do nothing but obey the adorable face.
She lowered herself from the brunette, and became aware of how her tail was imitating a propeller. She tried to calm down the erratic behavior that all these familiar smells and sights and sounds were evoking in her. Apparently, being in a different form around familiar stimuli affected her like that. She huffed in discontent. How embarrassing.
A dramatic sigh interrupted her little train of thought, making her look up into smiling brown eyes. "Well, if you insist, you may escort me to my class."
Just like that, Quinn was thrown back into her previously giddy mood, issuing forth a laugh from the girl beside her as her tail started wagging with a vengeance. Forgetting entirely about the men that were giving her trouble not a few moments ago, she faithfully started following Rachel down the street for no other reason than that it felt good.
Rachel had a strange quirk that consisted of her talking aimlessly about the things that interested her to a dog. Quinn couldn't complain - literally - but she also didn't mind listening as much as she would've as a human. Now, she was anonymous, nullifying the social stigma that hanging around the girl in public carried, but most importantly, she didn't have to produce a valid reply to anything Rachel said and was even allowed to zone out or nip at her hand every once in a while.
She was almost disappointed when Rachel said her goodbye at the studio with a friendly ruffle and a 'see you later, puppy.' Almost.
The next day at school, during Glee, Quinn was a total mess. Her metaphorical equilibrium had shifted so bad, she felt as if she might topple over at any moment. But that wasn't the worst part of the entire experience. The worst part was that her senses suddenly went haywire as soon as they picked up Rachel. It was as soon as she came in the proximity of the classroom. Quinn ignored it at first, thinking it was just a minor adjustment during a full moon day, but then Rachel sat down a few feet away and it was like a bag of bricks had been dropped in her lap.
Her inner puppy - because right now, it wasn't acting like a wolf at all - was bouncing around in its cage, wanting to get to the girl that kept scratching it behind the ears just right and didn't flinch away from its size. It was ridiculous really, because it had only been one meeting of not even an hour, but still it was only Rachel's silky perfume that she picked up and her calm heartbeat that echoed in her ears.
After mr. Schuester rambled on about things she really could not focus on for a whole whopping five minutes, Quinn's inner torment was interrupted.
"Quinn, are you alright?"
She looked up, realizing she had buried her face in her hands in an attempt to block out as much of the outside world. She squinted at the light in the classroom, suddenly overbearingly bright. Honestly, it felt like she was back at the start, back when all the scents and sounds bled together until it was all a grey mass around her. Only this time, in the center of the mass was a brightly shining star. One that was looking at her with big, worried eyes.
"May I be excused?" she demanded, already walking towards the door with what she hoped was enough distress to allow her the sudden exit.
As soon as she was in the deserted bathroom, she made her way over to the sink and splashed water in her face. The cold water grounded her marginally. "It's just the full moon," she reassured herself in a whisper. "Just a little while longer."
She had barely regrouped before a voice rung out and called for her hesitantly. "Quinn?"
Quinn held the edges of the sink in a death grip as she stared at the water that dripped from her face. Of course the only one who was brave - or foolish - enough to follow her was Rachel. She didn't answer, but it didn't withhold the girl from entering the bathroom, naturally. "What do you want, Rachel?" she bit, trying to win more time. It didn't come as a surprise when the smaller girl simply became more determined and walked over.
"Are you sick? Do you need to see the school nurse?"
Quinn couldn't help it. It was stupid, but also an automatic response. She tilted her head up to look at Rachel, breathing through her mouth because she was too afraid of what would happen if she could smell properly. All she got was an eyeful of concern and a mouthful of sweet air that she dared not think about. Her eyes felt heavy all of a sudden. She wasn't sure what, but there was something that needed to happen right now.
"Quinn?" she prodded gently, now genuinely worried.
"Stop-" Quinn closed her eyes tightly, reigning in the abundant energy that was making her itch to take action. "Stop saying my name," she finished saying, opening her eyes to see doelike brown eyes widen in surprise. The girl's heartbeat thundered in her ears, making it impossible for Quinn to think.
Eventually, she had simply stormed out, making sure that she wasn't followed. She learned later that it was in fact the full moon that triggered the catnip reaction. It was both a blessing and a curse. While she was still able to actually pass school and all its tests, she would be forever reminded that when her senses were sharpest and her instincts the most pronounced, all they really wanted was Rachel. Which was the reason for her going back to that forbidden street the next Monday to intercept the girl on her way to some dance class. That in itself was a ridiculous decision, but apparently, the post transformation hell was worth finding out what the heck was so special about Rachel fucking Berry—puppy incognito style.
Quinn did not in fact enjoy it when Rachel met her with a broad smile and an elongated hello that consisted of a petting session that would surely leave the blonde's hair standing on end when she switched back to being a human. Her traitorous tail that wagged like it was moments away from an epileptic attack and her lapping tongue were not at all representing her emotions.
"Were you waiting for me again, puppy?" Rachel asked in amusement, pulling back from merciless licks.
Before she could realize what she was doing, Quinn had already barked in response. Yes.
Rachel chuckled, smoothing out golden fur one last time. "You're certainly nothing like the real Quinn," she said a little wistfully. "She would have turned around and fled at the sight of me."
Quinn tilted her head in confusion at the sad glimmer in the brunette's eyes. Sure, she had gone to certain lengths to avoid Rachel, but it was only for reasons of self preservation. She didn't aim for such a reaction from the usually unmovable girl. Did she?
Now it was Quinn's turn to be in control of her actions. She leaned forwards and offered a consolatory nuzzle. It was like dipping her nose in perfume, so strong was the scent of magnolia, silk and something that was simply Rachel. She had probably showered recently.
All thoughts of categorizing scents melted away as a giggle resounded in her ears.
"That tickles."
Quinn could feel herself smirking – as far as that was possible – and leaned in further to press a wet nose against the girl's neck, going as far as to huff out a breath for extra effect.
It had the desired effect of making the girl squirm away. "Bad girl," Rachel chastised through a breathless laugh. When her laugh died down somewhat, she parted from their stance. "Now, we should go. 'I'm late because a dog attacked me' doesn't go down well without the bite marks to show, wouldn't you agree?"
Quinn licked at her own nose in response. There was still perfume there.
She realized something that day. As much as Rachel had an unending reserve of energy that was based on nothing other than herself, she was able to fall quiet and walk in silence. The calm was so rare it was almost poetic.
After successfully leading her to the proper building, Quinn was shooed away once again. On her way back home, she thought about returning later to escort the girl back home, but promptly scoffed at the idea. She might want to make amends to a certain extent, but Quinn Fabray didn't do desperate.
Which is why, after a few days of internal struggle, she finally realized how ridiculous she was being and should just stop avoiding the smaller girl. By all means, she wasn't going to apologize, because there really wasn't anything to apologize for. She was just going to stop acting like Rachel held the key to unraveling her. Because she didn't.
Really.
Quinn was walking down the hallway with that thought in mind, fully prepared to run into an oblivious Rachel a good distance away. She made it a point to breathe through slightly parted lips, just in case, and marched on with a fluid confidence she'd learned to produce over the years as head cheerleader. Rachel seemed to really have a sixth sense, because she turned her head precisely in Quinn's direction when she was only a few feet away.
Those questioning brown eyes shouldn't have made Quinn falter, shouldn't have made her breath catch, and certainly shouldn't have cracked her resolve. But they did. And when the girl assumed her trademark assured posture and took a step to approach the blonde, Quinn hardly noticed that she took a step back until she bumped into the lockers behind her. She hissed at the sudden contact, raising a hand to the back of her head to run her fingers over tender skin. With a start, she looked back up, expecting Rachel to have closed in the distance. She didn't know whether to be relieved or worried about the strange look the girl was sending her as she stood in the middle of the hallway.
Quinn stared a moment longer, frozen in place. Then Rachel took another experimental step forwards, and it was all it took for Quinn's senses to sharpen. They honed and honed until once again, everything around her blurred and all that was there was Rachel, like a bright star in the midst of gray.
And she turned away from it and ran.
There were no further attempts at conversation or reconciliation. Things went on as they usually did, but still Quinn found herself waiting for Rachel as the next Monday night came by. This time, she waited outside the building where the dance classes were held in what could only be described as a diligent manner. That was okay, however, because she wasn't herself in this form. If she was out of character, she could blame the supernatural circumstances.
So she wagged her tail enthusiastically as Rachel approached her with a smile, and greeted the girl with the usual appropriate puppy kisses when she was met with playful ruffling and sweet fussing. It wasn't strange for a dog to greet his master like that, but it was for a girl who met an equally female classmate.
"Kept me waiting, huh?" Rachel finally said, holding Quinn's muzzle with both hands to restrain the wolf's enthusiasm. Quinn would've barked in reply, except that would require the functionality of her mouth. With no reply forthcoming, Rachel released her and gently pushed her off. "That's okay. A lady is allowed her secrets."
She spoke about everything and nothing, as always, and it wasn't until they were halfway to Rachel's house that she wondered why she was there in the first place. At first, it was merely a chance meeting, then she needed to know why her senses went haywire around the girl, and now… Now she wasn't so sure what she was doing. All she knew was that she kept coming back and that she kind of enjoyed being around all the nonsensical babbling.
But only as a wolf, of course. It was probably something about the pitch that Rachel spoke in that was pleasing to canines. Or something.
Quinn looked up when they eventually halted in front of a house. Rachel was looking down at her with a small, sad smile. "This wasn't what I had in mind when I said that I wanted to talk things out with Quinn."
She had already released a whimper and pressed her face into Rachel's stomach by the time she registered the tug at her heart. Hands ran through her fur around her neck, but didn't hold their usual enthusiasm.
"You're an empathic puppy, aren't you?" she mumbled, holding Quinn to her torso in a makeshift hug.
Quinn whined, tilting her head up and resting it on Rachel's sternum, allowing her to look up at the girl. It was frustrating how easy it was to be this close to the girl in this form, but so hard when she was human. It even frustrated her even more than when Rachel called her a puppy.
Brown eyes caught the puppy eyes, and Rachel burst into a nervous giggle. "If you get any cuter, I might have to take you home and keep you." She ran her hands up her neck until she was holding her face. "Can I?" she asked, sounding so affected that it tore into Quinn. As if a dog was the only legitimate companion she could show this emotion to.
In response, Quinn reached up and peeked out her tongue to lap gently at Rachel's chin.
Rachel's eyes widened in surprise, right before they watered and she pushed the wolf away meekly. "I'm being silly," she muttered through a forced chuckle, wiping at her eyes with a sleeve. She didn't hide her face from Quinn as she had expected her to, allowing her to see the melancholy in her eyes. "Shoo. Go home." A heartbreaking smile and a wave of the hand. "I don't want to be responsible for kidnapping."
Quinn smiled at that, with no idea what that translated to in wolf form. Probably some excess tail wagging. But she didn't budge. Even when Rachel approached the front porch of a house, Quinn followed her.
Rachel only turned to reach for her keys, surprise evident at the presence of the large dog. Normally, it would go away after a few choice words and gestures about how it needed to leave. "No, really." She literally put her foot down, hands resting in her sides. "You have to go."
Quinn praised evolution for making dogs stupid, and simply tilted her head. With another smirk, she balanced her weight on her hind legs and gave the girl's nose a lick. The way Rachel scrunched her face at the sudden contact made Quinn laugh internally, and indeed it translated to some enthusiastic tail wagging and perked ears. Being allowed to freely act on any and all impulses was so freeing, Quinn long ago stopped thinking about ethics and supposed assigned social roles all together. What counted was what felt right, and what felt right was Rachel's smile. And rambling. She really liked her rambling. It meant she was happy.
Rachel carefully opened an eye when no further licks followed. She could swear the animal was smiling up at her, awaiting further reaction. Her heart obviously wasn't all that invested in resisting the big puppy eyes. A puff of air escaped her lips. "And the award for worst idea of the year goes to," she mumbled to herself, shrugging off the large plushy dog to open the door. "Rachel Berry," she finished as soon as Quinn set foot in her house.
Quinn, aware that there were other people in the house, obeyed every explicit and implicit order Rachel gave. Rachel seemed hesitant to introduce her to her parents, and eventually decided not to.
Quinn wasn't sure she agreed with that decision – and neither was Rachel, by the looks of it – but she didn't complain once she trotted into the girl's sanctuary. Because that's how it felt. As a human, it was just a bedroom, but as a pet, she was allowed to view every personal interaction.
"Quinn?"
Quinn perked up, distracted from her inspection of the room, and saw Rachel sitting on the edge of her bed, motioning for her to come closer. She didn't hesitate, bounding over with an awkward hop simply because it made Rachel giggle. Tan hands automatically tangled into the fur behind her ears, and Quinn flopped down, resting her muzzle in the girl's lap. Scents assaulted her nose again, but she simply allowed them to wash over her.
"You only read about these levels of obedience in books," Rachel noted with humour, lazily petting the giant beast. She bit her lip, smiling down at the clear eyes looking back up at her. "Roll over and die."
Quinn snorted. Nice try, Berry.
Rachel raised a challenging eyebrow. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were too proud for simple parlour tricks." She wriggled from underneath the dog, moving to the other side of her room. Quinn watched her kneel down with questioning eyes. "Stay where you are," she cooed, communicating the exact opposite message by patting her knees.
Quinn was torn. She wanted to display her superior intelligence by not approaching her, but she also wanted to bound over and tackle the girl for being so darned cute.
Holy hell, what?
"Marvellous," Rachel stated, getting back up. The blonde was officially distracted from her thoughts by the simple praise. "Stay here while I take the world's shortest shower." Despite her apparent trust, she still locked her room and didn't close the bathroom all the way. Quinn couldn't blame her, really, and settled down on the carpet. Until she realized the bed was very much available. Rachel didn't say where exactly she should stay, did she?
With a giddy childishness she could only attain in this form, Quinn hopped onto the bed and dug her way under the deliciously scented covers. There was less magnolia and more Rachel, and that pleased her very much.
Ten minutes later, Rachel's voice startled her from the brink of sleep. "If you weren't so sweet and compliant, I'd have to throw you out for getting hairs all over my bedspread."
Quinn looked down at the bedspread to inspect the damage she had done, then looked up at the girl, indignant. Quinn Fabray did not shed.
"Your owner must love you to death," Rachel sighed, sitting down next to the dog. Quinn didn't think. She'd abandoned thinking when she followed Rachel into her house. If she would've thought, she wouldn't have resumed her position in the brunette's lap as she had previously. Because despite that Rachel's towel kept everything decent, she was still dressed in only a towel. Quinn swallowed at the proximity of—of—
A hand behind her ear startled her out of the scary thoughts. "You lack discipline, but are so obedient," Rachel continued, unaware of Quinn's state of mind. She let out a laugh. "Quinn; sweet and compliant." She sighed, stilling her hand. "If only my Quinn bore a fraction of your personality."
Quinn was still petrified in her lap, but the meaning of her words didn't go past her. Ears perked up. Her Quinn?
"I'm beginning to think she may be trying to prove a point with her recent behaviour."
Quinn wanted to look up at her to gauge the reaction that went with such words, but was still too scared to move.
"Perhaps that I smell so awful, she can't stand to be within a five feet radius," she muttered, voice catching. Finally, the weight of her words overruledthe awkward position and she looked up. Dark brows had knitted together in her miserable state, but there was no moisture in her eyes. Just disappointment. "She must really hate me."
Quinn snapped. Who was she to assume such extreme things about her? Who was she to be so kind, while tearing her down at the same time? With a growl, she shifted, grasping at Rachel's shoulders from her position between her legs. "I don't hate you."
Brown eyes stared down at her uncomprehendingly. Confusion was an euphemism for what she was feeling right now. There was something about Quinn kneeling on the ground between her legs, completely bypassing any personal space, that sent errors all through her brain. So she sat there for a moment longer, gaping at the girl until she could get the functionality of her mind back. Where was Quinn? Why was Quinn there? Quinn was Quinn. And Quinn was Quinn. Quinn? What?
Quinn herself was in a similar state of mind, perhaps even worse, for she reached over and kissed Rachel. Rachel with her stupid kind eyes, annoying nice smells, and her lips. Her silly, soft lips.
Rachel's yelp interrupted Quinn's moan, and it was like a bucket of ice water dousing her. It was one thing to appease the girl while she was in wolf form, another all together when she was human Quinn. Puppy kisses and human kisses just did not compare. What the hell was she even doing there?
Brown eyes flickered down, widened, and then stared at a spot above Quinn's shoulder.
Naked.
She was naked.
"Oh shit." Quinn didn't think she could shift back any faster even if she tried. She whined, tail between her legs, as she backed away from the startled girl. Her eyes roamed the room in search of an exit, purposefully avoiding the way Rachel was awkwardly spread across the bed. The door was locked, but the window was open. She knew because the wind was stirring the curtains.
"Quinn!"
But she wasn't even listening anymore. All that mattered was getting away, and if it took some mauled drapes to do so, then she would gladly pay the price.
Quinn cursed her own existence as soon as she got home. It may have been the stress, but the kinks and cramps that usually accompanied a shift outside the full moon were tripled when she woke up the next morning. It was the perfect excuse to stay home the next day and dig a hole in her bed to never crawl out of again, together with her best friend the heat pack. She knew Rachel was persistent enough to actually come by and demand an explanation, but the doorbell remained blissfully untouched for the entire day.
She couldn't stay home the day after that. The cramps had abated and she could walk around again without looking like something had crawled down her spine. That didn't make her any less deterred to avoid the hell out of Rachel. And it was surprisingly easy with how her senses had been honed to notice every movement the brunette made. It got to a point where she even dubbed her abilities as Radar, where Ra stood for Rachel. Not very creative, but she wasn't really trying to be punny either.
Maybe it was too easy, however. Never once did their eyes meet, even if they were in the same general area, and if she didn't know any better, Rachel may have had a hand in avoiding her.
For some reason, this annoyed Quinn greatly.
She was annoyed enough to find out what was happening, even though Rachel avoiding her should have been her dream come true. And it was. It was just a matter of safety. Having the girl spread rumors about either her furry side or her once-in-a-lifetime lapse in judgment was very high on her prevention list. The rumors were hard to believe and plain silly, but that didn't take away that they could be circling. The entire school body practically thrived on silly.
So she waited for the perfect moment, which just so happened to be in the girls' bathroom. She waited until Rachel was about to exit the room, and then approached. It was the perfect tactic; catch her off guard by bumping into her and read her unguarded expression. It was flawless, perhaps even too much so, because Quinn got what she wanted and more. They bumped into each other, but managed to not literally collide.
"Quinn?" Rachel looked vulnerable for a moment, and Quinn was going to use that moment, but Rachel beat her to the punch and dragged her inside the bathroom, not a trace of vulnerability left. "You an I need to talk," Rachel demanded.
Quinn opened her mouth.
"As you may have noticed, I've been busy thinking during the day," Rachel interrupted Quinn before she even had a chance to start. "For some reason, you're a werewolf or a shapeshifter. And you don't want to be around me as a human, but you do as an animal. I can only assume that you like me, especially because you kissed me," Quinn's cheeks warmed, "but also because I cannot fathom another reason for your strange behavior. Obviously, I'm considered something of a social pariah by many, so you feel constrained from socializing with me, and I understand that, but I wish you had simply asked me out in secret rather than to take this strange detour, which can't possibly be healthy for you. Or for me, for the matter."
Quinn gaped at the smaller girl, not quite having had the chance to close her mouth entirely. "Huh?"
"Am I right?" Rachel persisted.
Quinn blinked away the confusion, allowing herself to process the information she was doused in. "I guess-"
"Great! You may join me Friday night for a 'study session,' where we'll be able to discuss some 'problems'," she said, emphasizing the 'study session' and 'problems' with an exaggerated amount of faux subtlety. "Now if you'll excuse me, I don't want to be for class."
Quinn watched her leave. "Wait!"
Rachel turned around, shooting Quinn a questioning look. Quinn thought it was such a normal expression for the other girl, that she momentarily doubted if she was asked out at all. "You're not going to tell anyone?"
"Tell anyone what?" Rachel asked sagely.
Quinn narrowed her eyes, trying to decipher the answer. Was she implying that she 'knew nothing' or was she genuinely oblivious to what she was referring to?
Rachel simply smiled reassuringly - which, to Quinn, was a sharp contrast to the usual high-on-ambition smile that she was used to seeing - and exited the bathroom.
Quinn let out a breath. Well, that could be the beginning of something good or something very, very complicated.
Just trying to write again.
Trying being the accurate verb.