A/N Firstly I just want to say thank you to everyone who read this and who put this on alert! The idea for this came from The L Word actually. My friends brought me the box set and they all raved about Shane and Carmen but I really didn't understand Carmen's attraction and this idea wouldn't leave my head. So Here's another chapter. I'm sorry it's short and updates probably won't always be this quick! Thanks for reading and this is unbeta'd x
Two days later and Quinn was sitting in their converted outhouse. It was their study/music space. She had had spent the morning just playing the keyboard that she had set up, hating the way the keys felt under her fingers. She missed her piano. The way her fingers would glide over the keys creating the most beautiful music. Her fingers always naturally played the same tune that haunted her and with a sigh she looked over to Kurt's desk, it was messy with papers and it was like a siren calling her. She kept her fingers on the keys and tried to ignore the pull towards Kurt's desk. She missed her family piano, she missed the beautiful instruments at Julliard, Quinn missed what her life could have been if it hadn't all changed. With a frustrated sigh she changed the tune she was playing to a more cheerful one but she still found her eyes travelling to the desk or the appearance of a certain brunette came to her mind.
By early evening Quinn was pissed that she still wasn't able to escape her thoughts of Rachel. It was odd. Usually she would have simply taken some random girl home and forgotten all about the brunette. However when the night had ended Quinn had watched as the girl she'd been talking to when Rachel had interrupted (Quinn couldn't remember her name...she recalled it began with an A), approach her but Quinn had declined her offer. "What's wrong with me?" She mused aloud with a slight frown. Maybe Kurt was right, she should apologise to the girl. When she had left Rachel's apartment she had kissed her tenderly saying 'I'll see you soon.' It hadn't been something she was planning to follow through with but as she had said the words Quinn had meant them. Perhaps she'd just give her a call, go for a drink and talk...
Getting up she went over to Kurt's desk looking for any information on this infamous 'Rachel Berry'. How did he get anything done with this useless filing system she said flicking through folders discarded randomly? "Ah ha!" She exclaimed pulling out a page of contact details for 'The Pretty Little Liars'. "Missed my calling as a detective". She chuckled to herself. Dialling the cell number under Rachel's name she waited holding her breath.
"Hey, you have reached Rachel unfortunately I can't come to the phone at this moment however if you leave your name and number I will attempt to return your call at a later date...BEEP..." Quinn took a deep breath considering what to say but instead quickly hung up with a sigh. She reluctantly tried the rest of the numbers for the band and was met by either endless ringing or answering messages.
"Well can't say I didn't try." There was one more number under 'in case of emergency'; she looked at it for a few moments before pushing it into her phone. It could be for anything, the hospital, a doctor, still it didn't prevent Quinn from putting the phone to her ear as it rang. It wasn't a New York number and she didn't recognise the code. She was about to hang up when an out of breath male voice came answered.
"Hello?"
"Hi is Rachel Berry there by any chance?" Quinn asked cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder while she re-messed up Kurt's desk.
"No sorry she doesn't actually live here anymore." He explained.
"Oh right do you know where she is or how I can get in contact with her?"
"Erm have you tried her cell. Can I ask who this is and why you need to get hold of her."
"Oh yeah right. I tried her cell. Her band is playing at my bar tomorrow and I just wanted to tell her it's changed. It's quite important." Quinn lied through her teeth.
"Right when I spoke to her this morning she said she was playing a birthday party." She could tell by his slight accent that he was not from around these parts, it had the same soft tone's as Rachel's voice; it felt what she imagined home felt like.
"You wouldn't happen to know where? I just really need to get in contact with her."
"I think she said Charlie's." Quinn knew the place. It was a classy place in midtown. Quinn couldn't help but wonder who this was she was talking to. Could it be an ex? The thought made her feel a little uncomfortable but she couldn't decide whether it was because Rachel had been with men or because someone else had touched her.
"Yeah I know the place. Thanks for your help."
"It's okay. She rang me on Saturday to tell me she really enjoyed your bar." He went on and Quinn was about to close the folder when she noticed the scribble beside Rachel's emergency number...'John and Robin Berry (parents).
"Oh fuck." She mumbled almost dropping the phone from its resting place.
"Excuse me?" He asked and she thought he almost sounded amused.
"I'm sorry...Sir. Erm thank you for the information. I should go...now." She stumbled over her words.
"Yes, yes of course. Well I hope I've been of some service."
"Yeah you were great. Thanks." She didn't even say goodbye instead just hung up and let the phone fall from her hand to the table with a thud. "Fucking hell." Quinn said with a light chuckle. She had never in her life spoke to the parents of someone she had slept with. Rachel Berry was causing her to break all the rules she had set up for herself even if it was by complete accident. "Fucking Rachel Berry. Wait that's that what got you into this trouble." Quinn rubbed her face hard and laughed lightly, she was talking and answering herself.
Half an hour later Quinn was standing outside Charlie's. She was dressed in a pair of cream linen pants, a white shirt, a loose tie and a waist coat that matched her cream trousers. Her finishing touches to the outfit were a pair of black heels and a straw trilby on her head. She checked herself out one more time before heading inside. The blonde could hear the unforgettable voice of Rachel and she didn't even try to prevent the grin that played across her face as she listened. She didn't recognise the song although she was enjoying the way Rachel's body was moving to the beat. Quinn found herself leaning against the bar listening to the words of the song, ignoring the other people leering over the brunette.
"I'm that thing, that'll make you wanna sing
Take you out to buy a ring
I'm not trynna settle down
I just wanna play around, girl."
Quinn bit her lower lip As she continued to listen. Rachel who had been scanning the room full of people found her eyes upon Quinn. The brunette almost smirked before singing the next line.
"You want a temporary tattoo, don't you?" The way she sang the words made Quinn ache.
"You wanna Wear My Kiss
All over your body
Once you try it on, you can't live without it
You wanna Wear My Kiss
All over your lips
I promise you this
You wanna Wear My Kiss."
Jesus. Quinn thought and couldn't stop her mind from thinking about the way Rachel had kissed, licked and bitten almost every area of her body. She had spent the next week finding new and different marks left by the adventurous brunette. She clamped her thighs together as Rachel sang staring at her. She just wanted to run up on the stage and jump the girl but Quinn thought it might ruin whoever's birthday it was.
The sudden shouts and applause caused Quinn to fall back into reality. "Thank you. We're gonna have a short break and when we come back you better have your dancing shoes on! And someone for those slow ones at the end!" Rachel told the room before she left the stage and walked straight towards Quinn getting questioning looks from her band mates.
"You know the birthday girl?" Rachel asked trying to suppress a smile.
"Yeah we're old friends. Go back years."
"It wouldn't even surprise me if you had hooked up with her." The brunette remarked as she leaned over the bar getting the male's attention. "Can I have a diet coke please."
"No could you make that a Chardonnay in a coffee mug and a bud." Rachel opened her mouth to protest but then closed it again avoiding hazel eyes.
"What are you doing here? Unless you have actually slept with the birthday girl?"
"No I haven't...actually just point her out to make sure I haven't." The taller girl laughed but checked the girl out as Rachel pointed towards a redhead. "Nope definitely haven't slept with her."
"How did you know where I was?" She continued on with her questions and Quinn had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. She considered lying but shook her head lightly.
"It's embarrassing."
"Oh do tell." Rachel perked up as she accepted the drinks and paid pushing Quinn's money back.
"Well I kinda went through Kurt's files to find your cell number I tried the whole bands."
"Oh that's desperate." Rachel chuckled, but Quinn was aware that Rachel was keeping her distance and didn't enter Quinn's personal space.
"It gets worse." She said rubbing her forehead and Rachel laughed clearly intrigued. "Well all of you had your phones off or didn't answer so I rang your home number. Your dad answered." Quinn hung her head and Rachel only laughed harder.
"My dad!"
"Well unless your mom has a ridiculously deep voice."
"I don't have a mother." Just like that the mood of the conversation suddenly shifted and Quinn frowned feeling an instant empathy with the brunette. "You don't have to look like that. I mean I do have a mother I've just never met her."
The blonde frowned completely confused by the girls story. "I'm a little lost."
"Artificial insemination. I have two gay dads." Rachel explained nodding her head.
"Two dads?"
"Yeah. I love it. We use to sit up late on a Friday night and watch Funny Girl. They passed their love of musicals on to their only child. I miss them." Quinn noted the faraway look in Rachel eyes and wondered where the shorter girl was, wishing that she could travel along with the brunette. Listening to her talk about her dads made Quinn's heart ache a little but she pushed the pain aside into its locked vault that it had escaped from.
"That sounds nice. So where about are you from?"
"Why because I've got two dads I can't be from around here?" Rachel shot back and Quinn held up her hand in defence.
"No because you and your dad have the same slight accent and the number I called wasn't local." Quinn tried to explain keeping her eyes firmly on Rachel.
"Oh right. Sorry. Yeah I moved out here for college when I was 18. I'm from Lima in Ohio."
"And you moved here to the big city to make your dreams out true?" Quinn remarked, it was a common story in this city.
"Something like that. I wanted to escape to somewhere else, be someone else."
"What was wrong with who you were?" Quinn probed as she took a swig from her bottle never taking her eyes off the girl in front of her.
"I didn't think there was anything wrong with her. But other people clearly did. Hence my daily slushie facials." She shrugged as though it was no big deal but Quinn could see that the hurt still lingered behind those brown orbs.
"That's harsh."
"Indeed. But we deal and we grow better for it. However you still haven't told me what you're doing here." Rachel returned the focus back on her and Quinn smiled with half her mouth.
"I erm...I came to apologise." For the first time since they had started talk Quinn looked away.
"You're saying sorry. Is this a first?"
"And perhaps the last."
"So what you're saying is that I should savour this moment." Quinn nodded. "What are you sorry for?" The blonde rubbed her tongue along her teeth smiling tightly, Rachel was not going to make it easy.
"For you know what happened? Between us."
"What happened between us exactly?" The playful look on her face meant that Quinn couldn't be annoyed, even if she tried. "Come outside with me a second to finish this conversation. I'm sweating in here and that is not very appealing." Quinn gestured for Rachel to lead the way and she loyally followed the shorter girl.
"So you were explaining what happened between us?" Quinn chuckled and shook her head playfully.
"You aren't going to make this easy are you?"
"Well I didn't realise I was meant to make this simple for you." She laughed leaning against the wall and Quinn stood in front of her.
"I should have called or handled the situation better and since it looks like we will be seeing each other more I want us to be friends." Quinn mumbled, uncomfortable about the rare occasion of apologising.
"And what if I say I have enough friends?"
"Then I will have to be the best friend you've ever had and then you won't be able to live without me."
"I'm trying to work out if that's a threat or a promise." Quinn smiled before subconsciously reaching out and pushing Rachel's hair out of her face. "Are you putting the moves on me again?" Rachel asked with a grin as she reached up and took Quinn's hand holding it loosely by her side.
"I think you hit on me the first time." The blonde traced her thumb over the tanned skin of Rachel's hand.
"Is that how you remember it? I remember someone saying something about getting distracted. A terrible chat up line."
"Hey it was you who was waiting for me in the toilet."
"I blame the Chardonnay for that." Rachel joked as she tugged on the shorter girls hand pulling her closer.
"What and not my amazing eyes or disarming smile?" Quinn added as she took another step closer to the brunette so that their bodies were flush against each other.
"They were both a factor." Rachel whispered all the while staring at Quinn's lips. The blonde knew she should back away, she had come here to apologise for this very thing and now here she was inches away from Rachel's full lips. She didn't know what this feeling was; this instant pull to the girl. Quinn could not deny that Rachel was gorgeous and that explained some of the attraction but there was something else shimmering underneath the girl's stunning appearance.
Then without any warning from her brain she crashed her lips into Rachel's. The short girls hand squeezed Quinn's digits tightly before letting go and wrapping her hand's around Quinn's small waist. The blonde found one hand on Rachel's soft cheek and the other tangled in brown hair pulling Rachel deeper into the kiss. Quinn didn't ask for
permission as she slipped her tongue into Rachel's willing mouth causing a muffled moan to escape. This soft noise only caused Quinn to kiss her deeper, pushing the smaller person against the wall harder. She pulled away for a second leaning her forehead against Rachel's biting her bottom lip waiting for her breath to regulate. Maybe for her mind to catch up with her body. Rachel's left hands traced the blonde's face and when her finger travelled to the slight scar above her eyebrow she had to stop herself from flinching.
"Where's that from?" Quinn didn't answer, she didn't want to talk right now so instead she leaned back in to capture Rachel's exposed neck. This seemed to cause the question to die as she leaned her head to the right giving Quinn more excess. "Oh Quinn." She groaned as she felt teeth graze her skin clearly marking her flesh. Quinn's hand travelled up Rachel's body, over her toned stomach, dragging them over her breast before resting on Rachel's collar bone.
"What's that for?" Quinn sighed and pulled back her lips slightly swollen.
"What's what?" She asked and Rachel held the blondes wrist up, indicating that she meant the tattoo on her wrist. The brunette pulled the girls hand up to her lips and started to kiss where the ink had marked her skin forever.
"It's a tattoo." Quinn said rather uncomfortable trying to lean in to kiss the girl again but Rachel smiled turning her head to avoid the action.
"I'm aware of that. What initials are they, what do they mean?" The blonde looked between her wrist and brown eyes and this time leaned forward to capture those lips. Rachel seemed to give up with her questions as she returned the kiss hungrily. Rachel sucked Quinn's bottom lip into her mouth running her tongue over the flesh. Quinn felt that unfamiliar sinking in her stomach but she kissed through that feeling hoping it would subside. The blonde's hand was snaking up Rachel's exposed thigh getting closer to her destination she felt Rachel part her legs hopefully.
"Rach! Oh Jesus! Fucking hell!" A girl shouted interrupting their moment and Quinn pulled back, running her fingers over her lips. "That was kinda hot!"
"Mercedes!" Rachel exclaimed. "I'll be back in a moment." She stared at her band mate until she caved and retreated back into the bar. Sighing she turned back to Quinn. "Well that stopped that." She nodded and looked down at her feet. Quinn was frustrated she wasn't going to lie, she had wanted so badly to touch Rachel again, she wanted to get lost in those lips. She had come here to say sorry and she was repeating it all over again, she didn't even have an excuse or reason for it. All Quinn knew was that she didn't want their kiss to end. "Erm can I see you tomorrow?"
Quinn looked up shocked and a fearful feeling ran through her body. Shaking her head she responded. "I can't tomorrow I erm...I have plans with someone."
"Someone?" Rachel probed.
"Yes someone." She snapped and instantly felt guilty, but it was none of Rachel's business. "I should go, let you get back in there." Quinn said quietly meeting confused brown eyes.
"Yes of course. I'll probably see you soon?" It was a question but Quinn wasn't sure if that was Rachel's intention.
"Yeah. Have a good night." And with that Quinn turned and walked away. Rachel stood there sadly watching her leave with a heavy heart. When Quinn reached the end of the street she turned around to see the brunette had gone inside. Sighing she rubbed her face and swallowed hard. This uncontrollable attraction she had with Rachel was getting out of control. "Fuck." She muttered when she finally let her feet take her to the subway. That had not been how her apology was meant to go and Quinn worried that she had just done more harm than good. And yet she didn't regret it.