Author's Note: This is just a short, fluffy oneshot for Halloween meant as an exercise to combat writers' block.
Many thanks to the most awesome beta ever, Skywarrior108.
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or the characters, I just like to play with them…strictly non-profit.
Once Upon a Hallows Eve
Love, true love is magic and not just any magic but the most powerful magic of all.
~Regina Mills, Once Upon A Time
When Quinn Fabray stepped onto Yale's campus two years ago and took her first breath of fresh New England air, she'd felt like she was standing at the threshold of her bright future as a mature, sophisticated woman. Maybe she'd tried just a little too hard to achieve that sophistication in those first few months, but it hadn't taken very long for her to settle down and strike the right balance between college fun and responsible adulthood. Tonight, she feels like she's reverted to a childhood that she really never had.
She frowns into the mirror and fingers the collar of her red leather jacket. Faux leather, she silently amends. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this," she mutters, gently freeing the ends of her long, blonde hair from beneath the edges of the jacket and fussing with the loose curls.
"Oh, hush," comes the amused response as a pair of familiar arms slip around her waist. "You look perfect. And very hot," is whispered against her ear, sending a shiver through her body, and she bites into her lower lip to stifle the appreciative moan. Oh yeah, this is exactly how I got talked into this, she thinks as she meets a pair of dark, smoldering eyes in the mirror.
"I look like a refugee from a bad, eighties music video," she complains without any bite.
Delighted laughter rings out and the arms around her tighten. "Michael Jackson had nothing on you," Rachel assures her with a grin, tucking her chin onto Quinn's shoulder—a feat made possible by the flat soles on Quinn's boots and the high heels that Rachel is wearing.
Quinn sighs and relaxes against her girlfriend. She never would have thought that she'd have one of those, let alone this one. Falling in love had come as a bit of a surprise to both of them. Well, if she's being completely honest, Quinn has to admit that falling for Rachel hadn't been that much of a surprise. Rachel had gotten under her skin in high school, so much so that, for a few months during their senior year, Quinn had even nursed an annoyingly hopeless crush on her, but it had faded pretty quickly once she'd immersed herself in life at Yale. In fact, she and Rachel had more or less lost touch for a short time last year after—well, it had been a pretty bad year for everyone. But then Quinn had ended up in New York over her last winter break, and she and Rachel had renewed their friendship, and one thing had led to another, and now here they are, getting ready to go to their first Halloween party as a couple.
She'd invited Rachel on a whim, thinking that she would refuse and ask Quinn to come to New York instead. Quinn has been spending a lot of time there recently, but they're still not entirely past the awkwardness of trying to be intimate while Kurt and Santana are roaming around the loft. Santana especially has a little too much fun interrupting them, and Rachel is rarely amused by her antics thanks to that tiny, little one-time thing. Tonight, Quinn's roommate is going to the annual midnight performance of the Yale Symphony Orchestra at Woolsey Hall, and then she's spending the rest of the weekend with her boyfriend, which means that Quinn gets their shared apartment all to herself. She suspects that had been the driving factor in Rachel agreeing to come to New Haven. It also doesn't hurt that Halloween is on a Friday, and Rachel is currently available on the weekends again.
Of course, Quinn's original intention had been to stay in tonight and not watch bad horror films, but then she'd made the mistake of mentioning the costume party that the co-op was hosting, featuring both a couples costume contest and a spooky karaoke competition, and she could practically hear the gears in Rachel's head begin to turn from eighty miles away. Quinn never had a chance.
"No one is even gonna know who I'm supposed to be," Quinn whines, pressing back against Rachel.
"You might be surprised," Rachel says with amusement. "In any case, I wasn't about to miss a chance to see you in leather and skin-tight jeans," she teases, brushing a quick kiss over Quinn's cheek before letting go of her waist and taking a step back. Quinn frowns at the loss, immediately missing the warmth of Rachel's body, but it's made so much more bearable when she sees the full effect of what Rachel is wearing.
At first glance, it looks like an embroidered, black Elizabethan dress trimmed in gold and styled with a high collar and low-cut bodice that does an exceptional job of flattering Rachel's cleavage. Quinn's mouth goes a little dry as her eyes follow the flow of the fabric down to where it tapers in at Rachel's slim waist before flaring out into an over-skirt that dusts the floor. Where normally there would be an underskirt, the wide A-line split down the front reveals shapely legs encased in a pair of black faux leather pants that hug Rachel like a second skin and disappear into boots that wrap around her calves to just under her knees; the ridiculous heels giving her an extra three inches at least.
The long, brown hair that has been free of highlights for several months now is dyed even darker tonight and swept into an elegant up-do. A black velvet choker loops around her throat, and her smoky eye makeup and red lips create a dramatic contrast that make her look positively—well, wicked.
Whatever Broadway contacts Rachel had kept after her tumultuous experience with Funny Girl had ended have certainly come through with her costume. Quinn glances down at her own skinny jeans tucked into brown, leather boots, the tight white tank top under the red jacket, and the fairly realistic sheriff's badge clipped to her waist. Oh well, at least one of them actually looks like they're going to a Halloween party and not a biker bar.
Quinn would much rather be looking at Rachel, so she does, running the tip of her tongue over her lower lip as she admires the view. "You look amazing," she breathes.
Rachel's lips curve into a knowing smirk as she grips the edge of her skirt and rustles it so that the hem sweeps across the floor with a theatrical flourish. "Of course, I do, dear."
Quinn rolls her eyes; certain that Rachel is going spend the rest of the night in character. "Well, at least you've got the arrogance down pat."
Rachel attempts to glare, but she doesn't quite have the knack for it. Instead, she huffs and crosses her arms beneath her breasts—and really, the effect it has on her cleavage in that bodice is definitely worth whatever lecture Quinn is about to get. "You're lucky that ill-mannered cynicism is part of your character tonight."
An unladylike snort escapes before Quinn can muffle it, and she stuffs her hands into the pockets of her jacket with a wry smile, shrugging dismissively. "Some people would say that's part of my character all the time."
Rachel's face softens, and she shakes her head. "Well, they're wrong," she murmurs, stepping closer to Quinn and tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear before gently stroking her cheek. "You're sophisticated and confident." Rachel leans forward and softly brushes her lips over Quinn's. "And sexy," she adds huskily, stealing another quick kiss before she pulls away with an almost bashful smile. "I have something for you," she says. "To complete your costume."
Quinn furrows her eyebrows in confusion. "I thought the badge completed my costume."
"That has to go back to prop room at NYADA. This doesn't," Rachel explains, turning to rifle through her bag where it's half-spilled over Quinn's mattress. She closes her fingers around a rectangular box and faces Quinn with her lower lip tucked between her teeth.
Quinn reaches for the box with a hesitant smile, sucking in a quick breath when she opens it and sees the necklace inside. A delicate silver chain holds a circular pendant, studded on one edge with tiny white stones; there's no way they can be real diamonds. In the middle of the circle are two rose-gold interconnecting hearts, and Quinn traces a trembling finger over them. "It's beautiful," she whispers.
"It's not strictly authentic for the costume, but I thought it would look perfect on you," Rachel says tenderly.
It isn't her birthday or any kind of anniversary, and Halloween certainly doesn't count as a typical gift-giving holiday. Quinn doesn't really know what to say when she finally drags her eyes away from the necklace and focuses on her hopeful girlfriend. "You shouldn't have."
Rachel frowns a little. "Do you not like it?" she asks nervously.
"I love it," Quinn quickly admits, gripping the box a little more tightly in her hand.
"Then I should have," Rachel insists with a relieved smile.
Quinn returns her smile as she reverently lifts the necklace from the box, watching it sparkle under the light. "Would you put it on for me?" she asks, holding it out for Rachel, who nods eagerly and reaches for the necklace.
Quinn turns around, pulling her hair to the side as Rachel steps behind her and carefully drapes the chain across her chest and fastens the clasp. The metal is cool against her skin, and Rachel's lips are warm against the base of her neck where they press a loving kiss above the chain. Quinn lifts her hand to the pendant and rubs her fingers over it, grinning happily. It's the first piece of jewelry that Rachel has ever given her, so it's already special to her. Gifts like this certainly aren't necessary, but Quinn isn't going pretend that she doesn't appreciate a little bling now and then.
"Thank you," she murmurs, turning to capture Rachel's mouth in a sensual kiss. Quinn loves this—loves the way Rachel tastes, the way their lips and tongues slide together, the little whimpers and breathy moans that she coaxes from her girlfriend, and the way Rachel's body fits against hers like it was made to be there. She doesn't think she'll ever tire of it.
Quinn pulls back with a grin, gazing affectionately at Rachel's dazed expression. "Some evil queen you are...rendered powerless by a kiss."
Rachel releases a shuddering breath and licks her lips. "Well, that is how it's done in all the fairy tales."
Quinn chuckles, remembering countless childhood stories ending with a chaste kiss between the innocent princess and the bland, boring prince. "I don't think that's exactly how it's done."
"It should be," Rachel argues. "It certainly makes the story more interesting."
"And potentially x-rated," Quinn muses with a smirk.
Rachel's lips curve into a wicked grin. "We'll get to that part later."
It's Quinn's turn to moan and lick her lips as her mind conjures up images of stripping Rachel out of those tight, sexy pants and doing all kinds of very wicked things to her. She doesn't even mind when Rachel practices her evil laughter at Quinn's expense—not when she knows that she'll hear that beloved voice screaming out her name later tonight.
Rachel picks up a shiny, red apple from the nearby dresser and holds it between fingers tipped with polished, black nails. "Are you ready to go, Ms. Swan?"
Quinn arches an eyebrow. "Are you really going to call me that tonight?"
"Think of it as an acting exercise, Ms. Swan," Rachel stresses again, breezing past Quinn and through her bedroom door with an exaggerated sway of her hips and swish of her over-skirt. "Come now, dear. We have a party to attend."
"It's going to be a long night," Quinn grumbles under her breath, grabbing her wallet from the dresser and stuffing it into the pocket of her jacket before she hurries after her evil queen. With any luck, they'll be making their own magic before the night is through, and if Quinn has anything to say about it, they'll definitely be getting that happy ending.