AN: Faberry one-shot. Hope you guys like it. Inspired by The Wreckers' Tennessee. Idk but I was listening to the song and this is what happened lol Review and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own glee or the characters. If I did, faberry wouldn't be just headcanon
Muffled voices, sirens and a blinding light. That's all you can understand, comprehend, as you lay motionless. You can't feel anything except the slow pulsing of your heart. It's beating in time with a rhythm you've heard before but don't remember where. Over the noise of sirens and cotton voices, you can hear the humming of blood flowing beneath your veins. It's slow. Achingly slow. Almost non-existent. You try to move but it's impossible. Like there's a heavy weight that needs to be lifted.
You can't believe she said it. That she actually let the words slip past her lips, giving them sound and more meaning than you care to acknowledge. This is exactly what you didn't want. You didn't want her to fall for you and you didn't want to fall for her. But it happened. Before you could stop it, like if you had a choice. The ambitious beauty weaseled her way into your life until you knew nothing else but her and into your heart until you wanted nothing more than to feel her wrapped in your arms. You knew being friends with Rachel Berry was a bad idea and now you were going to pay. You slam your car door, still parked in her driveway. You didn't want this to be happening. This shouldn't be happening. Rachel couldn't be in love with someone like you. The only thing you would ever do is hurt her. Even when you didn't mean to. You would ruin her. You slam your hand against the steering wheel. Then you do it again. And again. And again. After taking your frustration out on your car, you take a deep breath, resting your head against the steering wheel. You can't be here anymore so you shove your keys in the ignition and start your car. You put it into reverse and start to peel out of her driveway but throw on your breaks in your haste as the fiery brunette yanks your car door open and slides into the passenger seat.
"You can't honestly tell me you don't feel it too Quinn." She says, her eyes burning with an intensity and determination you've never seen before. You grit your teeth.
"Get out of the car." You say evenly. You can't and you won't deal with this. Not now. Rachel crosses her arms in front of her chest, frown etched deep into her features.
"No." She replies, looking you dead in the eye. Confusion, frustration, and hurt are all swirling in her deep pools of brown but you need her to leave. Before you say something you shouldn't. Before you tell her that you do. That you love her just as much as she loves you. That you always have.
"Rachel..." You begin in warning but before you can finish, she cuts you off.
"No. I'm not getting out of this car until you tell me that you feel for me exactly what I feel for you." Rachel says. You hate that she's so stubborn. You hate it but you won't let her win so you press your foot on the gas and continue to back out of her drive way.
Everything is hazy. Fogged up like glass in a winter chill. A blur. But there is one thing you understand in the chaos of it all. That's ringing loud and true above the voices that you think you hear calling your name, the pounding of feet on pavement, the whir of sirens and alarm bells. Rachel isn't with you. You don't feel her. You can always feel her. She could be miles away and you could still feel her. You believe it's a reflex stemmed from the years you spent picking on her out of ignorance to the love you truly felt for her. But you could always feel her presence, it's warmth coating you to set your mind at ease. But in this moment you don't. It sends a chill through you.
You speed down the streets of Lima, angry at the situation you ultimately thrust upon yourself. You knew this would happen which was the reason you spent so much time belittling her. Making her life hell because yours was. It was you deflecting so you wouldn't have to deal with how you truly feel for her. But now that you've gotten close to her, gotten to know her like the back of your hand, you can't help but fall in love with her. She's unlike anyone you've ever met. She makes you feel alive. She makes you want to be a better person. No matter how cliche that may sound.
"You can ignore me all you want but it isn't going to make this go away Quinn. I'm in love with you and I think you're in love with me too." Rachel says boldly and you scoff.
"Well you're wrong." You say, keeping focused on the road as her eyes burn through your skin with the way she's looking at you.
"No I'm not. I'm right and you know it. You're just too much of a coward to admit it." You snap your eyes off the road to look at her. Her eyes are shinning with the hint of tears and as much as you don't want to acknowledge it, just seeing her like that tears you apart.
"You're afraid." Rachel says as you put your eyes back on the empty back road. You have no idea where you're going but you still keep driving.
"I'm not. What do I have to be afraid of?" You ask her defiantly.
"Us. That you want me. That you love me too. That you finally found someone who actually wants you back for exactly who you are." You shake your head at her words. You just want her to stop. For this whole mess to go away and back to before you were stupid and kissed her.
"Stop." You say, not wanting to hear anymore.
"That scares you because it means you could be happy. And if your happy, then that could break you." Rachel continues.
"Just shut up." You let out weakly, knowing that what she's saying is exactly true.
"That's how it works for you right? You believe that everything eventually turns to shit so you don't try? You keep yourself closed off with walls thicker than titanium so no one can get passed them. I know you've been hurt before Quinn but let's face it, I got through. You can try and deny it all you want but it isn't going to make it any less true. I can see it in the way you look at me. I feel it in your touch. It's as real for you as it is for me. You just want someone to love you? Well I do. I'm right here you just have to let me in." You've had it and you speak up before she can say anymore.
"Fine! You win! I'm in love with you!" You yell, the words ringing true. Now it was you that let the words slip past your lips, giving them more meaning that you care to admit. But Rachel always had a way with making you admit what you didn't want to about yourself.
And then there's silence. It falls around you like snow blanketing an empty road. It's cold and you can't feel her anymore. Ironically, that silence is ringing in your ears, deafening you. Louder than you've ever heard it. You feel yourself slipping away, letting go and before you have the chance to understand what that means, black swirls around you, washing upon you like a wave lapping against the shore. It swallows you to the point where you feel like you're drowning in it.
You blow your breath out shakily, taking one hand off the steering wheel and running it through your hair.
"There. You happy? I'm in love with you. More than I've ever been with anyone else." You say glancing at her. Rachel looks shocked, like she didn't expect to get you to break so easily. But you did.
"You make me feel good about myself. Like I'm worth something. You make me happy when you're around and miserable when you aren't. You've become this big part of my life now and I can't imagine what it would be like without you." You tell Rachel honestly. It the most honest you've been with her and yourself.
"But I'm no good for you. I'm damaged. I'm only gonna hurt you and I don't want that." Rachel lets out a deep sigh.
"So you'd rather not try at all?" She asks and you shake your head.
"You'll be better off anyways." You reply looking at her. Her deep pools of brown bore into your hazel. You can see the love in them as you're sure she can see in yours. You know she doesn't understand why you're being like this but you're just trying to save her from you. From the mess you'll create if you two were to get together. From the hurt. The heart break. From your high end Louis Vuitton collection of emotional baggage. Rachel looks away from you and her breath hitches.
"Quinn watch out!" It's the only warning you get before your eyes snap back to the road to see an SUV barreling towards you. You try to swerve, to save both of you, but it's too late and the last thing you hear is the crunching of metal, the shattering of glass and the feel of Rachel's hand gripping yours.
And as you feel that last pull, you hear her call your name. Quinn. It rolls off her tongue in a quiet whisper. It's broken. Tragic. Like she's begging you for something. What? You don't know but just hearing it makes you want to cry. You can feel yourself trying to rise back to the surface, but every time you get a chance to catch your breath, the blackness pulls you back under. All you can remember is Rachel. Through the blackness. Her smile. Her voice. Her laugh. The way she makes your heart speed up but slow to a steady rhythm at the same time. That she loves you. That she's the only thing that has ever been consistent in your life. Everything that encompasses her. And it's what saves you. Because now the sirens are clearer. The fog is gone. Voices are yelling words of panic but the only one you care about is hers. She's telling you to hold on. That she loves you and you can't leave her. Not when she's just found you. So you hold on to that. Now you can feel her hand slipping into yours, warm and soft. It gives you the strength to open your eyes just a little bit. You can see her clearly. There's blood but you know deep down that she's okay. She gives you a watery smile while still gripping your hand.
"I love you..." You breath out as best you can and her smile gets wider. You know now that things will be fine. That things are going to be just fine.