AN: Heeey guys! Thank you all so much for the reviews! I wanna hug every single one of you, but that would be really hard considering I have to be at work tomorrow, so I'll just say 'thanks' again: Thanks! :D
And enjoy!
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Part 3/4 – What we Shared...
Age, 8.
Rachel knocked on the white house's door, hugging her newest acquisition firmly against her chest, as if the object could come to life and run away if she didn't hold tight enough.
"Look who's here..." Russell grinned. "Hello, Rachel, how is summer break going?"
The brunette smiled brightly at him. "Very wonderful, Uncle Russ... Is Quinn home?" She asked, trying to see behind him through the door.
"Yes, she is coloring in the living room... Come on in." He stepped aside and Rachel flew past him, running towards the living room and finding her best friend sitting on the floor in between notebooks and crayons.
"Quinn!" She called, trying to contain her excitement. "Look what I got!" Obviously, there was no response and she rolled her eyes at herself. After two years she still managed to forget that the blonde could not hear. "QUINN!" She screamed louder, stomping her foot hard against the wooden floor, causing it to vibrate and smiling when her friend's head turned her way.
Quinn's greenish eyes were wide and looked around, as if trying to find a reason beyond the small brunette for the mini earthquake she had just felt. Rachel bounced up to her and sat by her side on the new and expensive rug which had been christened with grape juice a few days ago (much to the horror of one Mrs. Fabray).
"Look what I got!" The brunette signed precariously, using only one hand while the other held her newest copy of Funny Girl.
Quinn glanced at the box, looking unimpressed. She didn't know many movies, it wasn't much fun to watch TV on mute (except for cartoons, cartoons were always fun).
"Can we watch it?" The brunette looked at her with hopeful eyes. "Pleeeeeeeeease?" She spoke aloud, signing exaggeratedly. Rachel knew that Quinn didn't like watching movies because it was difficult to understand without hearing, but that was her favorite musical in the world and she wanted to share it with her best in the world. Not to mention that Quinn's TV was bigger than the one she had at home and she didn't want to miss the chance of seeing Barbra on a giant screen (32'' seemed giant at the time).
The blonde looked at the ceiling, trying to fake annoyance but smiling nonetheless. It was funny when Rachel begged for things. She didn't answer at first, trying to think what might come with the movie if she agreed with it.
"Can we have popcorn too?"
Rachel nodded vigorously, and hugged her best friend's neck tightly.
She stood up and set the movie on the DVD player before running to the kitchen. "Aunt Judy!" she shouted, making the older blonde jump, slightly startled, with one hand clutching her chest and a wooden spoon in the other. "Quinn wants popcorn, can you make some for us?"
Judy shook her head. "It's almost dinner time and..."
"Pleeeeeeeeease, just a little bit! Or Quinn won't watch the movie with me!" She rested a hand on the counter, jumping a little without exactly leaving the ground. "It's important to me..." She said softly, using the voice that always worked to convince her dads to do anything she wanted.
Judy sighed. "Okay... But only a little and only this time."
"Yaay!" Rachel said. "You're the best, Aunt Judy..." She hugged her briefly before skipping back to the room.
"Where's my popcorn?"
"It takes a while to pop, you know?" She settled down, propping her back against the couch and starting the movie. "I'll turn on the captions, so you can understand it too..."
Quinn nodded her head, snuggling beside her and smiling a little when she felt Rachel's (still very tiny) hand involve hers. She tried with all her might to pay attention to the movie, but the subtitles were too fast and even though she already knew how to read (sort of), she couldn't really follow what they were saying. And honestly, she didn't recognize most of the words.
Then her mom came with the popcorn and she gave up trying to understand the story, being content to just contemplate her friend's face and how it seemed to express an enormous range of emotions at the same time. She stretched her legs and folded them again before lying on her stomach, resting her chin on her hands and trying to get back on watching, but the story no longer made sense.
She stared at the woman with the big nose on the screen and it was obvious she was singing, or perhaps she was trying to suck other people's air, no one speaks with their mouth opened like that. She crawled over to the TV and put a hand at the sound exit, feeling the tiny vibrations of music and closing her eyes for a second, pretending she could actually hear.
"What are you doing?" Rachel asked as she turned to open her eyelids.
"Listening to music."
The brunette scrunched up her nose in confusion.
"Translate the big nosed Lady for me." Quinn demanded, standing up and leaning back against the sound exit, feeling the small holes vibrate against her spine.
"She is not the 'big nosed Lady', that's Barbra, and her nose is perfectly normal."
"Just like yours."
The brunette glared at her. "I'm not playing with you anymore. And I won't translate anything either, if you don't stop being mean."
Quinn chewed on her lip. She was terrible at knowing when to say things and when to keep her mouth (or hands) shut and sometimes people would be offended. "Sorry. I like your nose. Now translate. Please?"
Rachel bit the inside of her cheek, she couldn't stay mad at Quinn for too long. She paused the movie and took off her shoes, climbing on the couch and pretending it was a stage. She cleared her throat and began singing a slower version (in order to translate in time) of 'Don't Rain on My Parade'.
Her voice was flawless and she wished that, only for a moment, her friend could hear her. She signed naturally, spelling words that didn't know how to translate and Quinn smiled, despite finding the lyrics completely weird and surreal, because she knew that the sun wasn't really a ball of butter, and people couldn't actually fly and wondered why anyone would have an apple in the eye...
...
Age, 10.
"Let me take Quinn downstairs? I know it's not ready and that there's wires on the floor and dust and everything else, but the guy said the sound system is ready and I wanted to test it out and I would love to show it to Quinn because the stage floor is made of wood and she can feel the music and you know how much she likes that... Please Daddy! I promise I'll wash the dishes every day this week!" She held his hand, swaying from side to side. Quinn just stared at the scene, trying to imagine what her friend might be saying and attempting to read her lips, but Rachel always talked so fast it was almost impossible to understand, even if she wasn't deaf. "It's important to me..." She pouted.
Leroy scowled. His daughter really knew how to get what she wanted. He blamed Hiram for it (simply because someone had to be the scape goat). He looked at the blond girl facing him with a peaceful expression. He always found it amusing how the two girls seemed balance each other.
"Okay... But be careful."
"We will, I promise!" Rachel agreed, already dragging her friend over to the basement door.
"And you're doing the dishes for a whole month!" He said just before the door slammed shut behind them.
...
"Our old basement is now a music room!" Rachel announced, turning the lights on and making Quinn twirl before translating what she had just said. The place was not fully ready, there were light cables scattered all over the floor as well as a thick layer of gray dust that had yet to be cleaned.
But the sound system had been set up that morning and Rachel was exceptionally excited about that. She couldn't wait for her pink microphone that was supposed to arrive within that week, than she would be able to sing like a real superstar!
"Sit here..." Signed the brunette, tracing a circle with her foot center stage (the circle was actually visible through the dust).
Quinn frowned. "It's dirty."
"It's just dust!"
The blonde glanced down her light blue polka dot dress. "If mommy gets mad I'll say it's your fault."
Rachel placed a hand on her hip. "Just sit! I want to show you something!"
Quinn closed her eyes and grudgingly sat down, trying not to think about what her mother would say when she came home with a dress all stained. The petite brunette poked her cheek and the blond blinked, finding her friend kneeling in front of her with a black remote in hands.
Rachel beamed and pressed the power button, making music echo through the room at full volume. Quinn's eyes widened. The stage was made of wood and the speakers were positioned at the sides, the sound coming out of them made the whole structure vibrate (it also made tiny specks of dust fly all over the place, which, thanks to the sunlight that filtered through the small windows, was paradoxically beautiful).
"Music..." Rachel said, watching her friend's face morph into a huge smile and her hands touch the dirty floor tentatively. The brunette could hear Quinn was humming, as she always did when she was happy or excited about something. Rachel was pretty sure the blonde didn't even notice the sound she was making.
The little brunette stepped back, standing in front of Quinn and starting to dance and translating the song playing on the radio, 'Complicated' by Avril Lavigne (it was a hit by then). But Quinn wasn't paying any attention to her friend, too absorbed in the vibrations and wanting to be able to feel it better.
Everybody talked about how much they liked music and all she wanted was to understand the mystery behind it and also, why her mother always cried when she listened a woman named Celine Dion sing. She felt the rhythm change along with the music, which was now 'Get This Party Started' by Pink. The vibrations were more defined and intense and she laid on the floor, completely forgetting about the filth.
A few seconds went by and then Rachel jumped on top of her, straddling her legs, looking a little annoyed.
"I was translating for you!" She complained, crossing her arms over her chest, but then smiling to see the sparkle in Quinn's eyes. She leaned down and started tickling at her sides and neck, making the blond squirm.
Quinn closed her eyes in an overdose of sensations, the music and the tickling and the light weight that was Rachel on top of her legs. She felt something warm flood her chest and her lips parted, allowing a soft giggle to escape her throat.
Rachel stopped moving and stared at her friend in surprise at the sound she had just heard. She realized that in 4 years she had never heard Quinn's laugh. The blonde smiled a lot, and hummed or yelled when she was happy, but that sound was something totally new and unexpectedly musical. Her heart skipped a beat, just as it had when she first met Quinn and she found herself laughing as well.
Unconsciously, that soft and sweet giggle became her favorite song.
...
Age, 13. – Winter.
"I'm coming with you!"
"No you're not! Hospitals are no place for children! "
"I'm 13 already! I want to see Frannie!"
Russell watched the argument between his daughter and wife for a few more minutes before he decided to intervene.
"You're staying at Rachel's, that's final!" He exclaimed, signing at the same time. "It's not time for fighting! Your sister is in the hospital and I'm leaving now! "He put a hand on his younger daughter's shoulder. "I promise I'll call when we have news."
Her eyes were filled with tears, but she knew better than to reason with her dad. She hugged him and nodded.
"I'm scared..."
"It'll be okay... The doctor said it wasn't that serious and she was conscious when she got to the hospital." It had been a couple of minutes that the phone had rung at the Fabrays, bringing not so good news. Apparently, Francine had been involved in a car crash and had been taken hurriedly to the hospital.
Judy and Russell were heading there, but didn't want to take Quinn with them. It was late and the blonde had classes in the morning. Not to mention that she was too nervous and the hospital would do nothing to calm her down. They explained the situation to the Berry men and the blonde was left with them for the night.
...
Rachel exited her bathroom to find a crestfallen Quinn sitting on her bed. She walked to her and noticed that small tears streamed from her eyes and dripped from the tip of her nose. She stopped in front of her and wiped a few droplets with her sleeve before asking what happened.
Quinn told her, crying a little as she signed. She was nervous and scared because Joe's dad, her classmate, had died in a car accident earlier that year. She didn't want her sister to die.
"She not going to, everything's gonna be ok." Rachel responded, hugging her carefully before heading to her dad's room to request them to call Russell and see how things were going.
Fran was in surgery.
She informed Quinn while thinking of something they could do that would help to distract her. She bit her lip, and looked around the room finding that Wall-E was at the top of her DVD stack. Rachel grabbed the box and held it in front of her face, peering through the side to see a tiny smile form on her friend's trembling lips.
Wall-E was Quinn's favorite movie, because there was nearly no talks and she could understand the story without having to read subtitles that went by too quickly. The two girls settled under the covers and Rachel started stroking Quinn's golden hair while watching the film. She always felt better when she was sad and her somebody would stroke her hair, and hoped the gesture would make her friend feel better too.
The blonde's hair smelled really good, sweet, but not too sweet, it was soft and familiar. And Rachel's chest was so hot. Quinn could feel the heat against her cheek, along with the strong beat of Rachel's heart and a slight vibration caused by her breathing.
Sometimes Quinn imagined how wonderful it would be to actually hear things, but then she thought about how wonderful it was to feel... She knew that by being deaf, she could feel better than others. Perceive sounds even without listening and notice subtle changes that most listeners wouldn't, such as the way Rachel's heart pace changed with Quinn's every move and intake of breath.
...
An hour later, Leroy went into his daughter's room to see how Quinn was and offer some hot chocolate. He grinned when found the two girls already asleep, completely tangled in each other. The blonde rested her head on Rachel's chest with a tense expression on her face, which contrasted with the slight smile that graced the little brunette's lips.
He turned off the TV and pulled the flowery blanket up the two, kissing their heads before retreating.
...
It was two in the morning when he reentered the room, holding the phone to his chest. He turned the lights on and Quinn stirred, burying her face on Rachel's neck.
Leroy approached and called Rachel softly. The brunette blinked her eyes open and pulled out a hand from under the covers in order to rub the sleep away.
"Little Star, Quinn's dad just called." Leroy ran a hand through her hair, waiting for her to be fully awake before proceeding. "He said that Frannie is out of surgery and she's okay, she had a ruptured spleen, but the doctors managed to stop the bleeding." Rachel nodded, biting her lip in relief. She liked Frannie and was worried about her. Not to mention that she simply hated seeing her best friend so sad. "She also fractured some ribs and had her chin stitched up, but is out of danger." He smiled. "You tell Quinn?"
Rachel nodded and realized that the blonde's face was pressed against her neck. Her breath was ticklish and for some reason, the little brunette blushed. She backed up a little and shook Quinn's shoulder gently. Her heart pounded in her throat as Quinn's eyes fluttered open. Those eyes that were once just green, but over time had collected small golden specks (like the stars Rachel loved so much) and at that moment managed to contain both colors in a sea of dark green that sparkled.
One of her hands was trapped under Quinn, so she pointed to her own mouth, speaking slowly so the blonde could read her lips.
"Your dad called, Frannie will be okay." She took her free hand to her temple, making the sign of 'got it?' after speaking.
Quinn breathed through her nose, her jaw relaxed in relief. "Yes," she oralized quietly. The sound of her voice made the little diva smile. It was always a surprise when the blonde would use her voice and Rachel loved being surprised that way, even if her words were always short and simple. "Thanks." She muttered, and turned back to bury her face on the brunette's neck once again.
Rachel felt warm tears against her skin and ran her fingers through Quinn's hair delicately before calling her daddy to turn off the light so they could go back to sleep.
...
Age, 15.
It was mid-September, a Wednesday between the beginning of sophomore year and Quinn's 16th birthday on the 23rd. The two girls were crossing the mall toward the food court while talking animatedly. Or rather, Rachel talked and the blond tried to walk and pay attention to her hands without tripping over her feet.
Rachel was excited, it was her second year of high school and apparently the choir teacher (Sandy Something) had been fired and she finally succeeded in joining the Glee Club. She talked about the other members and how they were not as good as her, but still sounded decent enough, and about this one boy, Finn, who was a great singer but wasn't really in the club yet.
"And if we gather enough members, we'll be able to compete at Sectionals and if we win Sectionals, we'll classify to Regionals and then Nationals and the trophy is enormous and so beautiful and all golden and red and I want it so badly!"
Quinn chuckled. Rachel couldn't use commas even when signing.
"You're gonna win. You have the most beautiful voice..."
Rachel smiled widely, hooking an arm to the blonde's and accepting the compliment (even though Quinn didn't really know how her voice sounded, but that was irrelevant to her).
Getting to the ice cream parlor, the blonde went to grab a table while Rachel bought two cherry and chocolate cones (chocolate was her favorite and cherry was Quinn's and the two agreed that the flavors were even better together). Quinn accepted her cone and had a large scoop, licking her lips before pressing an icy kiss to her best friend's cheek.
Rachel giggled, running a hand through her own face and feeling it sticky with ice cream. Quinn always did that, since they were little...
They ate and talked about Quinn's school and her new classmates and her new History teacher that despite being deaf, managed to know less signs than Hiram (which was saying something because the shortest Berry men had an absurdly hard time learning the language).
"Don't be mean..." Signed Rachel, with a blue plastic spoon in her mouth. "You don't know his story. Perhaps he was prohibited from using signs as a child, like your Arts teacher."
"If she could learn after 30 years, he should too." Quinn pointed out. "You learned pretty fast..."
"I had the best teacher." Winked the brunette, with a somehow coy smile on her face, making the blonde's cheeks turn pink and her heart beat a little faster.
Quinn glanced away, feeling her hands become clammy all of a sudden (it had been some time now, that would happen whenever she was around Rachel and it was very unsettling). She looked around for a much needed distraction when spotted familiar blond hair by the cashier and waved to Sam, the new boy who had entered her class that year.
He smiled innocently and waved back, coming towards them with his vanilla ice cream in hand.
"Hi," he gestured to Rachel before sitting in the vacant chair in front of them without asking for permission.
Quinn introduced them quickly and the brunette felt vaguely irritated by the boy's presence, in her defense, that afternoon was supposed to be their afternoon (the classes were becoming increasingly hard and they didn't have much time to spend together as before). She also didn't like the way he looked at her friend, or the shy smile she offered him.
She felt her stomach clench when realized it was jealousy she was feeling.
Since when was she jealous of Quinn?
Rachel was very possessive and was fully aware of that, but she had never felt jealous like that before. She usually felt a bit out of place when her friend talked other people, but normally it wouldn't take long for her to join in conversation.
This time was different. She felt no desire to talk to Sam. In fact, she wanted to grab Quinn's hands so she would stop talking to him.
She noticed that Sam fumbled with some signs and scoffed at him, trying to hold back a smirk. He clearly was not smart enough for Quinn. Then her smirk faded and she covered her face with both hands, lost in feelings she wasn't ready to understand.
A warm hand gently squeezed her thigh and she looked up, finding a concerned swirl of green and gold.
"Are you okay?" Quinn asked, squeezing her leg again.
Rachel nodded, self-conscious about the blonde's soft hand against her skin. She breathed harshly, thinking that maybe her friend Kurt was right: she should really start thinking about getting a boyfriend.
...
AN: Soo, what do you think?
Next- they will finally realize that things changed and one of them will make a move.. Who do you think that would be?
I can't promise next (and last) chapter for tomorrow, because is really long and I have work, but reviews may help with motivation...
Please, review! :D