Well guys, this is my first go at both posting a story to fanfic and to the Glee universe. I won't ask you to go easy on me -I rather be told the truth any day -but please leave me a review to let me know what you think. Right now, this is a one shot, but I have enough ideas floating around that I just might expand on this soon.
The sound of urgent knocking at her front door brought Quinn to her feet, a confused look crossing her face as she headed towards the door. She wasn't expecting anyone else tonight so she was understandably shocked to see one of her best friends standing on the other side, tears rolling down her face.
"Rach? What's going on?" Quinn quickly reached for the distraught woman, pulling her into her arms. She leaned out the door and grabbed Rachel's suitcase, dragging both the woman and her bag into the house.
"I… I'm s-sorry. I had, I had to get away. I didn't know what else to go."
"Slow down, Rachel." She held the woman at arm's length, looking her over for any sign of injury. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Is someone else hurt?" Rachel shook her head.
"No. God, no. I'm just… lost. Th-they… they c-ca-cancled… oh my god what am I going to do? What am I doing here? I don't even know what I was…" Her sentence was muffled into Quinn's shoulder as she threw herself back into the stunned woman's arms.
"Rae, you have to calm down. I don't understand what you're saying." Quinn was worried. Everyone who knew Rachel Berry knew she was dramatic to a fault, but the way Rachel was sobbing in her arms was more than a little worrisome. She rubbed her friend's back and comforted her as best she could as the little diva clung to her.
"Is everything okay?" Rachel's head snapped up at the sound of another woman's voice. Rachel took in the woman through blurred eyes and from what she could tell she was Hollywood gorgeous with long dark hair and sparkling blue eyes. Rachel's eyes widened.
"I am so sorry. I… I… I should have called." Rachel spun and wiped her eyes quickly. "I'm a mess. I'm sorry Quinn. I didn't expect you'd have company. I'll just… I'm going to find a hotel." She sputtered at high-speed, turning to grab her bag.
"No." Quinn grabbed Rachel's wrist, pulling her around to face her again. "Rae, you're going to go to my room, take a shower, and relax. I'll join you in a few and you can tell me what possessed you to fly 2,500 miles and show up crying on my doorstep." Quinn's heart broke at the hopeful, yet shattered look that filled two big brown eyes.
"Are you sure?" Rachel asked softly, her eyes flickering over Quinn's shoulder to the curious woman standing a few feet behind them.
"I insist," Quinn assured, pulling the small brunette into her arms again, "I know I used to make you cry, but I hate seeing you in tears. Now get. You know the way."
Rachel nodded and wheeled passed the two women; glad that Quinn hadn't tried to introduce them with the state she was in. She gave the woman a small nod as she moved quickly towards Quinn's room. She was thankful that Quinn hadn't turned her away, not knowing where else she would go at the moment. Even after all the years since high school, a part of her always worried that one day it would happen. She shook the thoughts from her head and went to do exactly what her best friend had told her to, smiling to herself as she heard Quinn apologize to her guest. Whoever the woman was, Rachel was happy that she obviously outranked her on Quinn's priority list.
Quinn sighed as she turned around, "I am so sorry about this."
The woman shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. "Was that THE Rachel Berry?"
Quinn couldn't help but smile and feel a bit proud. Her friend, a term she had never thought in high school she'd ever use, had made her dreams come true. She had made it to Broadway and was a huge success, winning two Drama Desk awards, and one Tony award in five years on Broadway. As if that wasn't enough, the little diva had followed in the footsteps of her idols, winning a Grammy for best song written for motion picture. She was already halfway to her EGOT at only 24 years old.
"Yeah, it was."
"Right. Well, I think it's time for me to get going then."
"I am sorry our night got cut short, Jennifer." Quinn sighed. "I didn't know she was coming."
The woman smiled as she shrugged on the jacket Quinn held for her. "It's fine, Quinn, really. If Rachel Berry had shown up on my doorstep, I probably wouldn't even apologize before kicking you out."
Quinn laughed as she ran her hand through her hair. "Yeah, well, she can be quite... overpowering."
"Hmmm I'm sure. Though, she could over power me anytime." The woman laughed and Quinn tried not to cringe. "Thank you for supper." Jennifer smiled as she laid her hand on Quinn's forearm and lifted herself up, brushing her lips against the taller woman's check. "Give me a call if you'd like to do it again sometime. Maybe we'll actually get to eat the next time."
Quinn shook her head after she saw the woman out and turned towards the dining room knowing she had a bit of time before Rachel emerged from the shower. She wasn't overly upset that Rachel had interrupted the night; actually, if she was honest with herself, she was almost thankful, though she was a little more than curious, and somewhat worried, about why the brunette dynamo had shown up in the state she was. Rachel had assured that no one was hurt or dying, but with Rachel, there could be a million other things, from a broken heart, to a broken nail, that would cause tears to fall. Quinn quickly cleaned up the leftovers from her unfinished meal, wanting to check on her friend as soon as she could. She was surprised when she walked into the room a few minutes later to see Rachel already sitting against her headboard, hair wet and curling around her shoulders, with dried tear tracks on her face.
"Hey."
"Hello, Quinn. I want to apologize again for disturbing you and ruining your evening." Rachel swallowed hard at the glare sent her way; very much reminiscent of the look she received many times when they were younger.
"Rachel, you can stop apologizing. And you can start explaining." Quinn held up a finger. "After I get comfortable." Quinn moved to her large, walk-in closet and slipped out of her shoes and dress. "I'm surprised you only came with one bag," she teased, eyeing the suitcase that now sat on her vanity chair in the closet. She dug through a set of drawers, pulling out an old worn down set of Cheerio running shorts and a random shirt.
"Yes, well, this trip was somewhat out of character and I have to admit that I might have been hasty when I decided to come see you. I just…" Quinn heard a sniffle coming from her bed, "I just had to get out of that city. I didn't want to go home. I know my… I know my dads would have… they would have pitied me and suffocated me. And… and…" Quinn rushed from her closet, quickly pulling down her tank top as she made it across the room, dragging the sobbing diva into her arms.
"Breath, Rach. You need to breathe." Quinn continued to rock and whisper to the woman in her arms, trying to get her to calm down. She didn't know what was going on but she knew it was big. Yes, Rachel knew how to turn on the waterworks, but this was getting to be a bit much even for Rachel. She wasn't sure how much time had passed but it had taken a while before she was able to get the brunette finally calmed down. The two of them had stretched out but Quinn refused to let go of Rachel and Rachel needed the closeness. They quietly laid beside each other, Rachel's head against her chest, her arm draped across Quinn's waist. Quinn squeezed her arms, hugging her friend tightly to her.
"Rae?" Quinn didn't want to push her, but she needed to know what was going on.
"I…" Rachel's voice cracked. "Brian was cheating on me."
"Oh Rach, not again."
Rachel shrugged. "I don't get it. Am I not good enough?"
"Rae, you are too good. For all of them." She held Rachel tighter, wanting her to believe. "Now, what else happened?"
Rachel groaned and buried her face into Quinn's shoulder, her words muffled against her skin. "What do you mean?"
Quinn rubbed her hand up and down Rachel's back. "This might have warranted a sob fest over the phone, or even a Facetime call, but an impromptu flight across the country? When you just started a show? Come on Rae."
"My show was closed."
Quinn's heart dropped. "You JUST opened."
Quinn felt tears soaking her shoulder as she pulled Rachel tighter to her side. "Three official performances! Three. That's all they gave us Quinn!" Rachel choked on her tears, letting her friend comfort her with presence. "We went down like Glory Days. Like The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All." Rachel sniffed. "Thankfully they're blaming our producer and director but... we had three official performances. Do you know what this is going to do to my career? I'm going to be the laughing-stock of Broadway!"
"Come on Rae, you know that isn't true."
Rachel shrugged. She knew it wasn't, but right now her heart was breaking and it felt like her world was crashing down around her. First her lying, cheating boyfriend dumped her. And the next day, the show she'd put so much time and effort into, even if it wasn't the best show ever, was yanked from beneath her.
"What happened?"
"Our director happened. The story was good. I sent you the script before I accepted it. Even you said that it seemed like it could go somewhere. The producers didn't promote nearly as much as they should have, but even so, we could have started slow. The rest of the cast was decent, not to my caliber, but good enough. The stage and costumes worked well. But the direction was... it was… Mr. Shue did a better job!" Rachel exclaimed throwing her free arm in the air dramatically.
Quinn chuckled. Only Rachel could pull off such a verbose description while crying, and dramatically emasculating their former coach, all in one breath. "I'll be the first to admit there is no way we would have won sectionals, much less Nationals, if it hadn't been for you as our Captain. God knows I love Mr. Shue but yeah, he kind of sucked."
"I wouldn't go that far, Quinn, but he did lack direction. And focus. And was constantly late. And allowed way too much drama to ensue. And had the most unhealthy obsession with 90s rap."
Quinn laughed, hugging Rachel to her again. "I've missed you."
Rachel sighed. "Me too."
"I'm sorry about your show Rae. But I'm sure it won't affect your career as bad as you think."
"I hope you're right." She knew that she was, but it just hurt.
"What are you going to do now?"
Rachel shrugged as best as she could without moving from her comfortable perch. "I already have another show lined up if I want it."
"If?" Quinn prodded, honestly surprised. Her and Rachel talked on a regular basis, and as much as she knew Rachel was getting tired of the demanding schedule that came with a Broadway career, she never expected her to think about turning down a roll.
"I have been doing eight shows a week, fifty weeks a year, for four years with only a short rehearsal time between shows. I think I need a break from the stage. I can't take another heartbreak like yesterday. Not right now. My agent is hunting down some possible TV guest spots."
"Working on your EGOT again?" Quinn felt Rachel smile into her shoulder.
"When am I not?"
"You're halfway there, Rae. You'll get there soon enough."
The two women fell into a comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. If anyone would have told them six or seven years ago they'd be able to lay in each other's arms, comforting each other, able to talk about anything, to call each other, or show up on one another's doorstep unannounced and be welcomed with open arms, they probably wouldn't even have laughed. They would have looked at you like you'd grown two heads, lost your mind, and needed a padded room. Yet, the last five years brought them closer than they'd ever expected.
"Quinn?" Rachel's soft voice broke Quinn from her thoughts.
"Rae?"
"There was a woman here."
Quinn smiled. She had wondered how long it would take Rachel to bring that up. "Yes, there was."
Rachel thought about the dinner she'd seen as she passed the dining room. It was obvious Quinn had created an intimate atmosphere for the two of them. "You were on a date." It was a statement, not a question, though Rachel felt it should be, but she was too tired to be confused.
"Yes, I was."
"With a woman." Rachel said calmly.
"I think we established that she was a woman, yes."
"Quinn. You were on a date with a woman."
Quinn tried hard not to laugh. It shocked her that Rachel was so nonplussed by that fact. God knows she wasn't when the thought first crossed her mind. "Yes, Rae, I was on a date with a woman. Is that a problem?"
That finally motivated Rachel to move. She had to look at her friend, to see if she was serious, because this was seriously starting to throw Rachel for a loop. She sat up and leaned on her elbow, looking down at her friend, who looked back at her, mildly amused.
"Quinn Fabray, ex-head cheerleader, one time President of the Celibacy Club, devout Christian, who only dated the most popular and hottest guys in high school, Quinn Fabray was on a date with a woman! And this is not a big deal?"
Quinn finally let out the laugh she'd been holding in. Rachel huffed and dropped herself back down on to her friend's chest. "It makes complete sense now."
Quinn snickered, getting herself back under control, wondering what Rachel was getting at. "Wh-what do you mean?" She asked through her giggles.
"It's obvious. A stage light fell, crashing into my fragile form, flinging me off stage, where I obviously hit my head and ended up in a coma. This is all a coma dream, another world my injured brain has created, where shows that I star in get cancelled, and my best friend starts dating women out of the blue."
Rachel huffed again as her human pillow shook with unconstrained laughter. "Oh my god, Rachel, that was…" Quinn struggled to catch her breath as she continued to laugh. "Sometimes I… I forget… how over the top… you can be."
Rachel growled as she rolled away from her laughing companion.
"Aww, geez, come on Rae. You know I was just teasing." Quinn pulled Rachel onto her back. "And is really that shocking? I mean, my two best friends in high school were completely gay for each other. I love your dads like my own. No, scratch that, way more than my own. Kurt and I became closer over the years. We work in an industry surrounded by out and proud homosexuals. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't restrict yourself to one gender if someone you were interested crossed your path. Is it that surprising that I wouldn't?"
Rachel breathed out slowly and uncrossed her arms. "No, you're right, I wouldn't restrict myself due to someone's gender. It's just… I guess it's just unexpected. I know we never discussed our orientation, but I, well, I assumed." She held up a hand, "And yes, before you continue, I know what it means when you assume something."
Quinn smiled and lay back down, staring at the ceiling. "It was unexpected for me too. I just realized there was no point in limiting myself. Once I got away from the high school scene and my parents' need to control everything, I realized there was no point. They pretty much stopped talking to me again once I started dating Puck and I knew that it was time to start living for me."
Rachel turned her head and took in her friend's profile. "We had discussed all of that after Noah and you realized you were going two different directions in life. All except this obvious epiphany about your orientation."
Quinn shrugged her shoulders. "I guess at the time, it wasn't something to talk about. I recognized it was there, but I wasn't ready to openly accept it. Funny enough, it was actually Puck that helped me realize I was open to more than just men in my life."
Rachel blinked a few times and bit her lip. She didn't want to pressure Quinn, but she really wanted to know. Was she gay? Bi? Pan? How did she come to this realization? Was Quinn gay in high school? What kind of person was she attracted to? How many people had she dated? Or slept with? That made Rachel squirm a bit and she wondered why. She was sure it was all the questions that she was respectfully trying to keep in. She knew how hard it was to come to terms with your sexuality, and for someone like Quinn it had to be even more so.
Quinn turned to look at the darker woman lying next to her and watched the struggle play out on her face. She had to admit, she was rather impressed. High school Rachel would have already blurted out a million questions. Quinn sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. "I can tell you're dying to ask and I will give you all the answers you want, but first I need food, and probably a few glasses of wine."
"Oh, Quinn, you hadn't even eaten yet?" When the blonde shook her head she sat up. "Of course. I can be so dense some times. I interrupted your meal. Your date! Oh my god, Quinn, I am so, so sorry."
"Don't you start that again, just come help me heat up everything."
Once the two were settled on Quinn's overstuffed couch, each with a plate of food and a full glass of wine, Quinn gestured for Rachel to begin. "You've been patient. Ask away." Quinn said as she brought a fork full of pasta to her lips.
"So Noah? How did Noah help you come to this realization?"
Quinn nodded and took a sip of her wine. "Puck is, was, and always will be a horn dog. Even though he's a committed horn dog, he's still a horn dog. With a rather extensive porn collection."
Rachel snorted. "Not surprising."
"No. Anyway, one night, we'd had a few too many drinks and after… after Beth…" Quinn sighed, still not able to say her daughter's name with out her voice catching, "Puck knew I didn't put out when drinking. So that night, he asked if I would be ok with him putting in one of his DVDs so he could, uh, give himself a helping hand." Rachel chuckled into her glass as Quinn turned as red as her old Cheerios uniform. Quinn rolled her eyes and continued. "We're sitting there, drunk off our asses, watching these two girls on-screen getting hot and heavy. And Rae, I swear if you tell Santana any of this I will never talk to you again, but I don't think I've ever been so turned on in my entire life.
Rachel arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "It is perfectly natural to become aroused by watching the copulation of two individuals, especially when your inhibitions are lowered due to alcohol consumption."
Quinn nodded and shrugged a shoulder as she swallowed the bite she'd just taken. "I get that, but it was more than that. I mean, ok, we both know I slept with Santana. And she was good. But I just shrugged it off as drunken fun, we were both looking for someone to fill a void. I just figured it wasn't my thing. Yeah, I got off, but it wasn't the be all, end all."
"Maybe it was because of your previous relationship with her."
Quinn shrugged. "Looking back, I think that's probably pretty close to the truth. We had a weird history, and she was in love with Brittany. " Quinn shrugged. "Anyway, so I was sitting there with Puck, watching this surprisingly well made porn, and I was more turned on than I had been with any of the people I'd ever slept with –granted that number was very, very small. I just figured it hadn't been good for a while, and tried to play it off as just being the alcohol."
"Understandable, especially if you were in denial."
"That's the funny part. It really wasn't that big of deal. But I couldn't I couldn't get what I had watched out of my head. I mean, yeah, I'd seen Santana and Britt all over each other, but not like that. And every time I thought about it, I got so hot. I was beginning to wonder if I had turned into a female Puck. Every woman I saw made me wonder how soft they were, what they would feel like, how they would taste. And other than thinking I was losing my mind, I was okay with it. Other than I was in a constant state of arousal."
Rachel was surprised. If she had ever contemplated Quinn being even slightly homosexual, she was sure that she would have freaked out over the realization. Though, in hindsight, there was the whole night with Santana. She waited for Quinn to refill both of their glasses before the blonde continued her story.
"So after a few days, I needed some relief. I didn't want Puck and he was supposed to be working late anyway. So since he would be gone for a while, I decided to pop in the DVD and… yeah…. well Puck walked in."
"While you were masturbating to…"
"God, do you have to say that word?" Quinn downed her drink, knowing her cheeks were flaming red, but she decided to power on anyway. "But yes. To lesbian porn. He actually sat down with me and asked what it all meant and if I was okay with it. And of course, he encouraged me to pursue it. Told me he didn't even have to watch, not that he would ever say no to that either. Really, I was honestly surprised that he was barely even a pig about it. "
"I'm impressed."
"So was I. I never did, pursue it that is, at the time anyway. It did start me thinking and Puck and I talked about it a lot. We were getting to the point in our relationship where we realized we were more like friends than we were lovers, so it felt natural and okay. But, it still took me a long time. To be okay with it all."
"And are you now?"
Quinn bobbed her head from side to side, not quite nodding but not shaking her head either. "Mostly. I don't want to label myself or go walk in the next Pride parade swinging a big rainbow flag, but I'm okay with being me, with accepting that I can be attracted to more than just men. Being out here in L.A. I guess made it easier. "
Rachel bit her lip as she pondered her next question. Or questions. She still had so many but even if the woman she was asking was now one of her best friends, she knew some of them might be over the line.
Quinn smiled. "Ask Rae. I won't bite. And I don't have to answer if I don't want to. I'm a big girl. I promise."
Rachel nodded, not even surprised that Quinn could read her. Even though Rachel was a seasoned actress, she still wore her thoughts and her emotions on her face more often than not. "So you said 'attracted to more than just men'. Does that mean you are bisexual? Have you gone on many dates? With women I mean? Have you slept with any? Wait. Never mind. I don't want to know. Does your family know? You said not to tell Santana so does that mean her and Brittany don't know? Oh and that brings me to high school. Do you think that your subconscious desires is what caused so many issues in high school? I mean that would explain a lot wouldn't it? Head cheerleader, expected to date the Captain of the football team, yet secretly denying her inner lesbian tendencies, leading to her lashing out at every attractive and talented female in school!"
Quinn burst out laughing. It was funny how she seemed to laugh more around Rachel than anyone else. She was just so over the top that Quinn couldn't seem to help herself. "Rae! Rachel! Stop. Just… stop!" Quinn laughed. She remembered once upon a time when this part of Rachel would piss her off. Now, she couldn't help but find it funny.
"I am NOT a Lifetime afterschool special! I'm just me! God, where do you get this stuff?" Rachel sat and watched her friend laugh, patiently waiting for her questions to be answered. "Ok, fine. I did say I'd answer if I could, I just didn't expect a dozen questions at once."
"That is an immense exaggeration. It was only four questions."
"More like half a dozen. Blurted out at top speed. Along with a well written, hiding in the closet, coming out story! That I'm sure you already have choreographed and put to song in your head."
Rachel crossed her arms unimpressed and did her best to glare at her still giggling friend.
Quinn smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm not bi, I'd say more pansexual than anything but I don't like to label myself. I find the whole package attractive, not specifically the gender. I have gone of seven dates with women, not including tonight, which, before you apologize, I want to actually thank you for interrupting. There was no chemistry there and it was just starting to get to the point where it was becoming strained. I have not told my parents, as you know we only talk on holidays and birthdays, and it is not something that would come up in conversation." Quinn ticked off each question on her hand as she went. "No, Brittania does not know, not that I really care one way or another, nor would they. Annnddd," Quinn took a deep breath, drawing out the word, "I guess if I was being honest and really thought about it, which I hadn't before, Santana always gave me shit for my bathroom drawings and name calling, so your theory might have a kernel of truth to it."
"See! I knew it! You were attracted to me, weren't you?" Rachel asked, clamoring onto her knees on the couch.
Quinn laughed and pushed Rachel away from her and laughed as the actress fell dramatically back on the couch. "Brat!"
"Takes one to know one!" Rachel quipped back with a smile. She scrambled up and scooted back against the arm of the couch. "Ok, so one more question. Wait, make that two."
Quinn nodded for her to continue as she gathered up their plates and cups. "Shoot."
"One: Would you mind if I slept in your room with you tonight?" Rachel asked, rising to help clean up their impromptu supper. "Thanks to the good company, food, and wine, I am feeling much more relaxed, but I don't think I am quite ready to be alone with my thoughts and doubts as of yet."
"Of course, Rae. Not like we haven't fallen asleep in the same bed before. I'll even let you snuggle up to me before we go to sleep instead of waking up in your octopus grip in the middle of the night."
"It's not my fault. I'm a natural cuddler and you emit a great deal of body heat that I can't help but be drawn to."
Quinn laughed lightly as she placed their dishes into the washer. "It's fine, Rae. And your second question?"
"How would you mind a roommate for a while?"
Quinn turned and leaned against the counter behind her. "You're staying in L.A.?"
Rachel shrugged. "I guess for a little while. I was serious when I said that Tina was scouting for a few guest rolls. L.A. has stronger shows that New York does currently so it would be more practical to stay in the area. I could look into getting a condo or just rent out a suite…"
"Yeah, that's not going to happen." Quinn interrupted. "My family stays with me when they're in town. And you are part of that family." Quinn watched as tears filled Rachel's brown eyes and felt her heart grow just a little bit more, knowing she had more than made up for their past. "So you're staying. On three conditions."
Rachel's smile faded. "I will be willing to negotiate."
"One: I love you. I love music. I love show tunes. But I cannot listen to them, watch them, or discuss them on a daily basis. The guest room has a rather large TV, and Bluetooth headphones. If you must watch them, on repeat, please utilize both."
Rachel smiled shyly. "I think I can handle that. And I'll have you know, that my musical repertoire consists of more than just musicals."
"Duly noted. Two: I don't have a maid so you will be required to help with the chores. And you'll be responsible for your own vegan cuisine. I've become a decent cook but that is still over my head."
"Actually, I've recently downgraded to vegetarian. Don't ask, it's a long story, but I can handle that stipulation and I enjoy cooking so I don't mind cooking meals for both of us."
"We can switch off then on the nights that we're both in. My schedule is a bit sporadic at the moment but we can figure that all out later."
"Ok. And number three?"
"Number three is a three parter. As long as you are here, I need my best friend time. I don't get to see S and B very often, lately I barely get to talk to Kurt. I need Rachel time. So even if we're both overwhelmingly busy, there must be two lunches, one dinner, and one movie night every week. No excuses."
"Three parts? So lunches, dinner, and movie night?" She smiled as Quinn nodded. "And here I thought you were going to ask for my first born child. We'll merge our schedules tomorrow so that way we can utilize our time and coordinate our scheduling." Rachel rolled her eyes at the amused look on Quinn's face. "Yes, I still do that. Be happy I no longer use kitten calendars."
Quinn chuckled and pulled her friend into a hug. "Never change Rae. Never change.