Listen to Where I Stood by Missy Higgins while you read this and your reading experience will be greatly enhanced.
Rachel toys with the rainbow bracelet wrapped loosely around her girlfriend's wrist. "You know I'm proud of you, right?" She whispers, head tilted against the blond's ear.
Quinn's smile spreads slowly across her face, lighting up her features. "Thank you."
Rachel chuckles. "I mean, this couldn't have been easy for you, Quinn. I know you were afraid that people would take you down the same path hey did Kurt, but you've been so well accepted -"
"Not exactly," Quinn reminds the tiny brunette. "Most of the football team is still offering to 'fuck me straight'." Rachel wraps her arms around Quinn's shoulders, squeezing tightly as Mr Schuester begins the Glee meeting. Quinn shudders at the memory.
"So I hear you're a dyke now, MILF?" Azimio shouts down the hallway. Quinn doesn't make eye contact - she doesn't even look up - but there's no doubt he's talking to her. She tries to duck her head and hurry off to English, but he's not going to let her get away that easily. "She-fag! I'm talking to you!"
Quinn's clever insults and defenses jump to her rescue. "Really? Because I have a name, and it's none of those things, asshole."
Azimio pauses, stunned - but it doesn't take long before a few of his buddies turn the corner to the hallway. "Hey guys!" He calls out, a sinister grin on his face. "We've got a little girl over here who hasn't be fucked good in so long - she wants to be a lesbo!" The guys, now closing in on Quinn, smirk and laugh. "What do you say we show her what it's liked to be fucked by a real man, huh?"
Quinn braces herself for a slap, a grasp, something - but it never comes. "Hey! You wanna mess with my girl, you're gonna mess with me!" Oh, thank God - Puck!
"We could take you!" Azimio bluffs, looking slightly nervous.
Santana only has to pause in her walk to throw him off. "I have razor blades hidden in my hair," she deadpans. Puck nods back at her.
"So you'll have to take me, Santana, Finn, and Mike at least. Still feeling so tough?" Puck smirks. Azimio backs off enough for him to shove through the football players and get to Quinn. "You okay, Q?"
Quinn nods, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Thank you so much."
Puck's goofy smile returns. "No problem, you're my bro now."
"They're just not good enough for you. You're accepted here, and that's what matters." Quinn folds Rachel's hand between hers in her lap, squeezing the warm flesh tightly. Rachel, her girlfriend. Her love, her anchor, her reason for breathing - the only reason she was brave enough to come out. It wasn't fair to make Rachel hide the relationship just for her - not after her breakup with Finn and her own slushie-filled coming out.
"No, Finn, I apologize but I was not 'experimenting'!" Rachel slams her locker, drawing the attention of several nearby students - especially Jacob Ben Israel.
Finn rolls his eyes before taking the brunette gently by the shoulders. "Why not, Rach? It was one tiny mistake. You were drunk and I forgive you! It's not like you actually want to get with her or anything, I mean I know you're bi and all that, but you love me, right?"
Rachel sighs, looking to the ground. It's not that she doesn't love Finn. She does. Just ... not in the way she used to. At the beginning, her love for the boy was passionate, and hot, and romantic. Now it was brotherly, protective. "I think I need to figure out how Quinn feels as well as how I feel about Quinn."
Finn looks down at the tiny girl, anger rising in his chest. "So you think you might love Quinn?"
Rachel nods, swallowing hard. "Yes, Finn, I might love her. You have known my tendency to feel a high around Quinn, it shouldn't come as such a surprise. I still love you - don't you ever doubt that - I just don't know right now."
"You don't know right now? Fine, I don't know right now either. We're over, Rachel." Of course, Jacob Ben Israel waits calmly behind Rachel to thrust a microphone in her face when she turns around.
"Is it true that you, Rachel Berry, are leaving quarterback Finn Hudson for a chick?" He stutters, grinning widely at his crush.
Rachel rolls her eyes but nods. "Yes, it's true, I'm hoping to start a relationship with a female since my previous relationship with Finn has ceased."
Jacob gasps. "Hot."
Speaking of Finn, the tall boy raises his hand. "Mr Schue? I know it's not ... what people expect, but I want to sing a song for Rachel and Quinn." The teacher raises his eyebrows at Finn.
"You know we're not going to tolerate any offensive or hateful songs during such an important time in Quinn's life ..." He hints, offering Finn the chance to back out.
Finn shakes his head, smiling ironically. "It's not mean, I swear." Mr Schue shrugs his shoulders and steps back, opening the floor to Finn.
The boy nods to Brad, who plays a chord on the piano and is quickly followed by Finn's voice.
"I don't know what I've done,
Or if I like what I've begun,
But something told me to run,
And you know me it's all or none."
Rachel gasps quietly, tearing up a little. Quinn glances nervously at her girlfriend. "Is he singing you a love song?" She immediately puffs out her chest and raises an eyebrow, ready to take a defensive stance. Rachel is hers now, finally, and no one is ever taking that from her.
"No - well, somewhat. Listen." Quinn eyes Finn with what she hopes is a menacing glare.
"I might have to kill him." She decides just prior to the chorus.
"Shh, Quinn, listen to the song!" Rachel insists, trying not to giggle at Quinn's protectiveness.
Finn makes eye contact with Quinn and walks towards the couple as he sings the line that caused him to choose the song.
"She will love you more than I could,
She who dares to stand where I stood."
Quinn smiles softly in spite of herself, leaning over to give her girlfriend a loving kiss. Rachel eagerly returns the favor.
Finn's song slows to an ending, and the club claps enthusiastically. "Rachel, no matter what I feel for you, I want you to be happy. You too, Quinn. And if you're what Rachel wants, then I guess you must make her happy. I can't give her the love she needs because it's not me she needs it from. Be good to be girl."
Quinn beams back at their shared ex. "I won't ever let anything hurt her. Thank you." Rachel smashes her lips to Quinn's in bliss.
"Are you happy?" She asks, kissing the blond's nose.
"Definitely."