A/N: So you can hate me for choosing to participate in prompts instead of focusing on the stories I have, but I had to try. So here's my third installment of Faberry Week and of course it's called Thirds (got to keep up with continuity).
Day 1: Unresolved Sexual Tension
Quinn closes her eyes and she summits, trying to numb her emotions and thoughts only to have a catalyst of sensations the moment their mouths touch.
Rachel for her part drops her head and ghosts her lips over Quinn's already feeling a spark that revitalizes her soul.
The street is dark when the two girls finally leave the bar. The alley cold and abandoned even with the lampposts and other building lights in New York. Suddenly the idea of leaving the rest of their friends at the bar and deciding to return to the loft alone doesn't seem like the best plan. But they're both buzzed and having a good laugh and for now that's enough comfort, it helps that they both know where Rachel, Kurt, and Santana and Brittany's loft is.
The smaller of the two, Rachel just tightens her grip around the pale fur (faux fur—she knows her best friend and with her own beliefs would kill her if it was real) coat because it's not immensely cold but she is in a small skirt. Her old classmate and one of her closest friends now, Quinn keeps on giggling about the number of guys that had been "flirting" or attempting to with the entire glee club, or those members left. Finn's death had spurred a lot of decisions for their glee friends; Puck decision to join the American Air Force, Brittany's dancing career, Santana choice to become a part time teacher, and Quinn's idea to move to New York once she finished Yale.
This is when Rachel realizes that these are the moments she enjoys the most with Quinn. The ones where it's just them, them and a quite peaceful ambiance. A small part of her is sad because they have one week left before Quinn returns to New Haven and Rachel to her rehearsals. They're or more like everyone but Rachel (having chosen to drop out) are juniors in college and Quinn's leaving to study abroad next semester for her major. And following shortly after is summer break where Rachel will be swamped with work for the fall and Quinn will return to Lima to work. And being the overdramatic diva she was, Rachel had complained to Brittany and Kurt and on extension to Santana about how they were all going their separate way for good now and that they would never talk again. Of course when Quinn heard about what was being said to Rachel's roommates, she thought Rachel was being insane. Because for Quinn they had a lifetime ahead of them, hello, she was moving to New York.
"Rachel," Quinn calls drawing the shorter girl out of her inner musings, "are you even listening anymore?"
Rachel just offers the taller girl a small grin and shrugs.
"God, you're impossible," Quinn laughs. "Wanna tell me where your mind wondered off to?"
"Nothing important, Quinn," Rachel slurs slightly, maybe she is a little bit more than buzzed.
Quinn quirks an eyebrow, but nods anyway. Maybe not the brightest idea to have gotten a few drinks in their system after the anniversary of Finn's death two years ago. Definitely not a good idea, Quinn says to herself when she feels Rachel latch onto her arm after almost falling.
"You okay there, captain," Quinn teases not minding how her friend hasn't let go after catching her balance. They've developed a very touchy feeling relationship, Santana says it's because of the huge gay crushes they both had in high school and all that unresolved sexual tension. Quinn laughs it off every time, awkwardly might she add, because there's no way she'll ever admit that the small ridiculous crush Santana insisted she had was real.
"Not captain, Quinn," Rachel clarifies pulling the taller of the two closer to her. "I'm the 'boss' of the café for the new musical."
Quinn only rolls her eyes, Rachel's been playing small roles as she waits for the big auditions that are coming up in the summer and when Quinn says small she means main roles, but for Rachel they're small because they're not really well known. However, Rachel just landed her main role as the 'boss' of a café that's extremely dingy and who falls in love with an incredible dorky, but wealthy writer, who's hiding out in the café. In all honesty, Quinn thinks the musical is a bit lame, but if it makes Rachel smile and herself laugh than who is she to complain.
Quinn often likes to reflect on the how her life has changed since graduation. She likes to think that she's become a much better person and a lot of that has to do with her relationship with Rachel. Quinn's never told her, but she's extremely grateful that Rachel and by extension Rachel's group of friends (Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, etc.) forgave her for all the bullshit she put them through at McKinley. Also because the blonde's always had problems with apologizing to others and being sincere about it.
"But you technically are," Quinn points out. "I mean isn't there a song about you running the café like a captain runs his ship?"
"Not a song, a line in the play," Rachel argues, only sounding slightly slurred. "But that's not the point, the point is I am not a captain."
"Please, Rach," Quinn chuckles, "that's the same thing."
"No it's not!" Rachel struggles with the words as they leave her lips because she was trying to sound indignant that Quinn was stating that a song and a line were the same thing.
But the struggle and the spaces left in between make Quinn giggle at her friend's antics.
"Geeze, Rach," Quinn snorts, "how much did you have to drink?"
And a frown forms on Rachel's face as she tries to recall how many shots the gleeks forced down her throat and then how many other drinks she slurped in the evening. And the confused/concentrated look the shorter brunette dons is too adorable to handle because Quinn finds herself smiling foolishly at it.
"Don't break yourself with that question," Quinn teases once again.
"Don't laugh at me," Rachel huffs going to pull herself away only to feel Quinn pull her back into their arms lock. "I'm trying to remember."
"Oh honey," Quinn smiles, "I wasn't laughing at you. I was just embracing that adorable little pout."
"I'm not that much shorter than you, Fabray," Rachel says.
"No?" Quinn replies a twinkle in her eyes, "No, you're right…you're extremely short."
"I hate you," Rachel moans burying herself closer in their embrace, smelling Quinn's perfume. The same one the blonde cheerleader wore back at McKinley. "You're mean to me, why are we friends?"
"Because you love," Quinn laughs as they keep walking only to stop for a second.
"Why'd you stop?" Rachel questions, confused and getting her bearings for a second because the world is spinning for a moment.
"No reason," Quinn murmurs looking around the empty alley. "I just…"
"…just what?" Rachel asks. "Just because I'm slightly drunk doesn't mean, you can't tell me."
Quinn rolls her eyes before looking at the roofs of the buildings and seeing no one. "I just thought someone was following us."
That gets Rachel to stop and turn to make her own sweep of the lonely backstreet. After all they're two young women in an empty passageway, who have alcohol in their systems and happen to be roaming Brooklyn which is pretty much and unknown part of the Big Apple.
"I guess I imagined it," Quinn resigns to herself before pulling Rachel closer, she'll die before she allows Rachel to get hurt. "C'mon let's keep walking, I'm starting to get cold."
"You sure?" Rachel mutters, suddenly she's scared to speak any louder. "We can walk back and call a cab, for all we know we are being followed."
"I have to stop allowing Santana to pick horror movies on movie night," Quinn softly sighs, thinking of the last movie the Latina had chosen for their group.
Rachel had been scared for days, between the diva, Santana (even though she was terrified of scary movies, insisted on watching them) Kurt and Elliot, Brittany and Quinn had their plates full making sure neither of the girls or guys would die from either heart attacks or panic attacks. It wasn't a secret that Rachel, Santana, Kurt and Elliot have very active imaginations. Which for Elliot's major was a blessing seeing as how he was an artist (both musically and visually), but Rachel…the poor brunette had been shaking for days.
"Going back would just take longer," Quinn mentions quietly. "We'll be at the loft soon anyway, c'mon. I promise nothing will happen to us."
"You sure?" Rachel utters, her grip tightening. She trusts Quinn, but then again she knows the neighborhood better than the blonde.
"I promise you, Rachel," Quinn assures looking into her friend's brown eyes, pulling the smaller girl flush against her. In the back of her mind Quinn thinks, that may have not been the best idea because now she can smell Rachel shampoo and the unique scent that makes her, her. God damn, Santana and her insistence of walking Rachel home.
So hesitantly they continue to walk and they're whispering to each other now, speaking in hushed tones. And neither girl is quite clear why. Maybe it's because they both felt like someone was watching them, but they both checked and no one was there. They keep walking at a slightly quicker pace, but nothing to noticeable in case they are being followed. The grip on Quinn's arms tightens and Quinn frowns at how anxious the diva has become, she does the best to distract her.
"You know, you can just ask me I have a secret boyfriend or something," Quinn makes up causing Rachel to look at her in confusion. "You don't have to have steel grip on my arm in case you're worried I'll leave you alone to make out with him."
"Hardee-har-har, Quinn," Rachel mock laughs and rolls her eyes but does little to loosen her arm lock.
"Seriously, Rach, I promise you, you will be the first to know if I'm seeing someone, even if it's in secret. You don't have to claim me."
"Shut up, Fabray. I'm cold and hurry up."
"Geeze are you jealous, Rach?" Quinn chuckles as she's pulled further along the alley. "I mean if you want to make out, just tell me."
That freezes Rachel and suddenly Quinn finds herself looking into intense brown eyes.
"You think I want to kiss you?" Rachel questions, not letting go of Quinn but instead stepping closer to the blonde.
"You came close in high school," Quinn quips back, mentally berating herself for not thinking ahead.
"So did you," Rachel argues. "In fact I think I showed more self-control than you ever did."
"Oh did you now?" Quinn swallows, why was Rachel still talking about this. It was supposed to be a light laugh.
"Yes, I have incredible self-restraint," Rachel informs. "Something, you're clearly lacking."
"Oh am I now?" Quinn really needs to learn to keep her mouth shut, but damn her Fabray pride.
Damn her! Because Rachel's finger is traveling down her torso extremely slow and seductive. But she's not going to break, she's going to show the small diva how much self-control she had and still has. Rachel chuckles as she sees Quinn start to shake (barely) but suddenly Quinn is pushing herself closer and Rachel gulps.
"Rach?" Quinn questions, concern dripping from her tone when she feels the shorter girl (although she's not that much shorter than herself, not that Quinn will ever admit that out loud) stiffen for a moment and stop. "Are you okay?"
Quinn doesn't receive a verbal confirmation, so she turns to gage her friend confused to sudden change of pace. The look she obtains is glazed and that frightens her a bit, but quickly the look vanishes from the brown eyes she's grown so accustomed to and the warm chocolate is back. But Rachel still hasn't replied to her even when they lock gazes for longer. It's as if there's a hold over the other girl, one that has her moving stiffly.
"Rach?" Quinn presses on, not caring if her voice will draw attention.
But she's not getting and answer and that is starting to worry her a lot. So she untangles her arm from their locked position and turns to face the shorter woman. But the lack of contact seems to awake something in Rachel because a slight glaze comes over her eyes again but what catches Quinn's attention is suddenly Rachel's a lot closer. In fact, Quinn has to tilt her head down in order to meet the brown eyes of her friend. Yet, Quinn's distracted once more by the hold that Rachel's gotten of her; the other woman's hands are now loosely, but still strongly gripping onto her forearms enough to maneuver the short haired blonde in any given direction.
"Okay, this is no longer funny, Rachel," Quinn whispers, she's scared because Rachel's never acted like this and she has no idea what to do. Although, there is a small part of her that thinks, Rachel in control is extremely sexy. "Stop it, Rachel."
Suddenly her back is hitting a lamppost and Rachel's grip hasn't loosened one bit. Instead her forearms arm no longer have any room to move because, she's been pinned to the post behind her. But that's not the important bit, no—Rachel is drawing herself closer. And the brown eyed brunette is making sure to maintain eye contact as she draws nearer almost like a magnetic pull. So, Quinn meets her best friend gaze and for the first time she really sees Rachel, all of her. The depths of the slightly glazed over brown eyes, and the small dimple that will form if Rachel bites or licks her lips, and the light natural tan that makes Rachel's skin glow.
And in the back of her mind there's a small voice telling her to live in the moment, to let herself go because some small, tiny—no miniscule flame within her is enjoying having Rachel this close. So the scream and the confused words hidden at the back of her throat because they're no longer stuck, she's just choosing to swallow them vanish as Rachel pushes herself closer (still in a sort of daze). Because Quinn may never have this moment again, this moment where Rachel seems to have taken her joke a bit too seriously. Serious enough to actually do something about this pull that's been between them since sophomore year.
Rachel for her part, feels like she's miles away but at the same too close. She can feel Quinn in front of her, but it's as if a cloud has come over her. She's pretty sure Quinn's calling her name, but it's a sound that doesn't reach her ears. And when she tries to talk back it's as if there's a cotton ball in her mouth instead of her tongue. It's dry and she can't form a single sound anything to stop the small ounces of worry appearing in Quinn's beautiful green-hazel eyes. Wait, beautiful? Rachel thinks (sure she's always complimented the blonde on her looks, but it's been a while since it felt this intimate), but there's no other way to explain and give those entrancing orbs justice, so yes they're beautiful. And because she's entranced by the other girl, she draws herself closer—close enough to share the same bits of air to breathe. Rachel begs herself to pull away because friends don't do this, specifically friends who are straight, more importantly because Quinn Fabray is as straight as friends come. But she can't and the moment they both breathe in the same batch of air, Rachel inhales the perfume Quinn insists on wearing (the vanilla scented from high school) and her own shampoo (that would explain why she's running low on it) and it makes her swoon. So Rachel's gaze drops to the enticing lips of her friend and all she can hear now is her own thundering heartbeat.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she thinks this might be wrong. That Quinn is mouthing her name in a desperate and futile attempt to stop, but she can't. Rachel's too far gone, whatever is going through her is pulling her to the other girl and as much as she wants to pull away (not that she really wants to, in fact she wants to pull herself in closer) she physically can't. Even contemplating the idea is tearing her apart inside, if she does move away she doesn't want to fathom the idea of the pain she'll feel. So instead, she drops her head and ghosts her lips over Quinn's already feeling a spark that revitalizes her soul.
Quinn closes her eyes the moment she sees her friend close her own. And she resigns herself into the position because her throat might become raw if she calls out Rachel's name once again. So she summits and tries to numb her emotions and thoughts only to have a catalyst of sensations the moment their mouths touch.
And Rachel's lips taste glorious—all of her does (not that Quinn ever doubted that). Quinn's taken by complete surprise (yes, complete surprise because she swore Rachel was going to pull away and laugh it off as a joke). But no, so Quinn's surprised because neither of them have ever shown interest in anything but men, boys, males. So this is different, not bad just different and that small voice in her mind is growing louder because Rachel's starting to ask for entrance and Quinn's not quick enough to allow the other girl's tongue to slip in. But when she does, Quinn swears she's seeing stars because she's never done anything that's felt this amazing.
A low moan leaves Quinn's lips the moment they break for air and she's not sure if its due to arousal or to disappointment; but another one follows when Rachel's lips return to her skin igniting a fire underneath them. And the fire spreads to every surface of Quinn's body, she feels a heat that can't be contained start from her lower abdomen and heighten at her fingertips and heart and mouth. And she can almost confirm she's in utter bliss when it feels like her toes are curling at the magic that escapes Rachel's lips.
Rachel cannot even begin to describe the emotions this kiss is bringing into her life. She's pretty sure she's never felt even an ounce of the feelings right now in any of her previous relationships. There's something intoxicating about Quinn that Rachel just has to have more of. Somewhere in the back of her mind, there is a small voice screaming at her to stop and think of the consequences her actions will bring. The costs she's have to pay when Quinn realizes what's really going on and the repercussions their roommates, their friends, their families but most importantly they will suffer—their friendship will suffer. But it's such an infinitesimal thought that, Rachel pushes it away and continues her exploration of Quinn's neck and jawline before returning to her mouth because she swears she will never have this opportunity again.
Their hands wander, trying to bring each other closer and pulling at the clothes that seem to create a space that must be destroyed. They eventually find places to rest at but those resting stops are only for a seconds before venturing on. Quinn ends with one hand behind Rachel's head and the other on her lower back (once her arms have been released). And Rachel's for the moment find themselves moving frantically from one place to another as to enforce the idea that she most learn everything about the girl in front of her. They stop for a second, Rachel's right hand resting carefully on Quinn's cheek while her left risks further down to the bottom button of Quinn's blouse before dipping underneath and touching pale skin.
A choked gasp leaves Quinn's lips at the cold hand on her stomach and that snaps the green-blue eyed girl's eyes wide open. It allows a moment of clarity to settle over the heated daze they had been sharing and it's enough time for the memories of what had been happening seconds ago to rush into Quinn and hopefully Rachel's brains.
But not for Rachel because she's diving back in to continue her task but she doesn't get far because Quinn's pushing her away. And Rachel's suddenly blinking back when the bright light of the lamppost reach her eyes and a when she refocuses her gaze onto her friend she swallows deeply.
"Quinn?" Rachel rasps out (still out of breath and her throat is parched) and she takes a step closer reaching her out in hopes of some form of contact.
"What as that?" Quinn shakily breathes out addressing her comment to the floor, not trusting herself to look into brown eyes for fear of diving back into the kiss and no self-control.
"Umm…me failing at self-control," Rachel can't begin to grasp why words are becoming so hard to say, "are we going to talk about it?"
And the reaction she receives has Rachel frowning because Quinn's laughing and she's close to tears by the amount of laughter she has.
"Holy shit," Quinn pants out after she's settled down a bit and she's seen Rachel stomp. "Sorry, I'm sorry but that was just too funny."
"So…we're okay, then?" Rachel questions carefully.
"Rachel," Quinn states, "clearly we both lack self-control which means there's something else there. And I'm pretty sure we were both into that kiss."
But neither of them get to say anything else because they're both being pulled into a strong hug.
"Finally!" Brittany squeals letting them go enough to breathe. "Did you guys solve it?"
"Solve what, Britt?" Rachel asks carefully.
"Your unsolved sexual tension," Brittany states with an 'obviously' tone, causing Rachel and Quinn to blush and a cackle come from behind them—Santana's cackle. "I mean…you've been struggling with that since sophomore year."
"Brittany," Rachel stammers out, "that is a completely private question!"
"Oh shut it, short-stack," Santana intervenes after having wiped the tears from her eyes. "You know she's right."
"Santana," Rachel turns to her roommate. "That was a highly irresponsible question to ask!"
"Rach," Quinn chuckles drawing in the other girl and pulling her in closer. "It's not worth it."
"But Quinn," Rachel begins to whine.
"How about I take you out tomorrow?" Quinn asks, changing the subject.
"Really?" Rachel questions excitedly.
"Really," Quinn answers.
And suddenly the two are in their own world drifting into their own conversations leaving Brittany and Santana.
"So did they solve it, San?" Brittany mentions turning to her girlfriend.
"They sure did, babe," Santana says leaning over to peck the blonde's lips. "Good idea with the plan."
"You know me, always here to help," Brittany smirks. "Now what do you say we go solve our own sexual tension."
Santana only grins as she allows the taller woman to pull her away.