a/n: this is a nice chapter i promise :) just reach the end and lemme know what you thought! I love reading all your reviews and thoughts! :)

- Theresa

CHAPTER 7: OF STAND OFFS AND FIRST DATES

Rachel slammed through what felt like countless doors. It was a reminiscent of a diva-fit coupled with a perfect storm out and she wondered fleetingly if her idols would have been proud.

Then she remembered what (who – Quinn, oh my GOD) she was running from and the part of her that wanted to run back the way she came was screaming and throwing a tantrum, while the hidden, fearful part of her told her to keep going. Why couldn't it have been Finn whom her heart practically craved for? Why couldn't it have been Finn who was so perfectly imperfect for her? Finn, who-

"Woah-" Large hands held her shoulders. "What's the rush, Rach?"

Oh- "Finn!" she squeaked, hastily brushing away unshed tears.

He held her at arm's length, bending down slightly to look at her closely. "Are you crying? What happened? What's wrong?" He made to hug her, but she heaved a dry sob, covering it up with a cough before pushing him back. "Rachel," he said, sounding hurt.

"I can't right now, Finn," she said quietly. Or ever.

His forehead furrowed in a way she used to find endearing (but that was before endearing took form in cutely mussed blonde hair with a hint of pink). "Why? What's wrong?"

"I'm just...dealing with things at the present moment," she offered as explanation, wincing at how pathetic it sounded. "I've got it under control, I believe," she added, trying to sound more confident, but quite obviously failing.

Finn thought so too, because he took a step back and crossed his arms. "Is it your friendship with Quinn?" he asked.

First, she was alarmed at the way he said friendship with such disdain, and second, she panicked briefly wondering if he knew.

"I-I've been having disagreements with her. It's not an important issue, though," she said, trying to smile cheerfully. "Now, I must be returning to my room. I have some matters to attend to." She watched him for a moment. He appeared in deep thought, which definitely surprised her but she tried to keep her expression neutral. "Are you coming with?" she questioned, momentarily concerned.

He looked up, startled out of his reverie. "Uh…No thanks. I think I'm going to play some catch with a couple guys I met." He smiled reassuringly. "I'll see you later. At dinner maybe."

Rachel nodded, watching him go before spinning on her heel and power walking to her room. Strange, she thought.

Finn was already headed in the direction she had just come from. He knew where he needed to go. He knew who he needed to talk to-

Speak of the devil- Quinn was striding down the hall, looking equally distraught as Rachel had been, although Finn thought that Quinn looked a bit more hysterical, which he didn't think was possible- RIGHT, focus Finn!

He stepped in front of her. "Quinn," he said, crossing his arms.

Quinn looked up at him and he saw surprise flicker across her features, but she quickly schooled them into boredom. "Finn," she said neutrally. "What a pleasant surprise."

He ignored the slight sarcasm. "What are you doing?" he asked, as she made to walk around him. "Where are you going?" He looked at the sheet music she was holding. "Were you practicing?"

She sighed. "Not that it's any of your business, but no, I wasn't. I'm returning these to Rachel."

He didn't know what made him do it, but he put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. She turned to face him slowly and he gulped. "I don't think that you and Rachel being friends is a good thing," he blurted.

"Why not?" She lifted an eyebrow in that way that only Quinn Fabray could manage. "What did she tell you?" she asked, sounding briefly panicked before she coughed and planted a hand on her hip. "Why do you think that, Finn?"

"Look, all you seem to do is upset her and maybe it's for the best if you didn't, you know...bother her." He frowned, thinking. "You're kind of like an- an anticipant."

Quinn's nonchalance was replaced by confusion. "What? Did you-" she coughed, covering up a quiet laugh. "-did you mean antagonist?" She shook her head slightly, trying to move back on track. "Alright, listen Finn. I don't know why it bothers you so much that we're friends-" she frowned "-but you really can't tell me - or her - whether or not we should be friends."

"I'm just looking out for her," Finn said honestly.

Quinn's eyes softened, but her words didn't. "I know that you seem to have some kind of complex-"

"-what complex-"

"-since you're the leader - or so you think - of this group, but really - that doesn't mean anything to me," Quinn said pointedly, shrugging. "You can't dictate anything."

"I don't think-" he huffed slightly. "Not just as a leader," he said, puffing his chest out and frowning down at her. Her nonchalant demeanor was slightly off-putting. "But as Rachel's boyfriend." He chewed his cheek nervously. "Or something like that."

This time, the storm in her eyes intensified and stayed. "Something like that," she muttered, eyes flickering downwards, then back up. "OK, look Finn, you're a nice guy and I'm sure one day in the future, some girl will be lucky to have you, but that girl isn't Rachel."

"Hey! It could be." He frowned. "Why are you-"

"-Because Rachel deserves more and she always has," Quinn said quietly.

It wasn't clicking. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Quinn said quickly. He opened his mouth to respond, but then she sighed and whispered "Everything."

He clamped his mouth shut, shifting his jaw around for a few moments. "I don't-"

"-I'm not sure how much you know - or think you know - but I'd do anything to make her happy and it would be great if you realized that."

Finn blinked at her, not quite understanding (or not wanting to). "Quinn, do you..." he trailed off, wondering if he really needed to hear her say it when he figured he already knew.

She didn't even bat an eye when she straightened her back and stared him down. "Yes," she said firmly, confidently, honestly.

He deflated at the way her eyes seemed to completely shine and instantly he felt the tiniest bit threatened by Quinn Fabray.

"I'll uh, give Rachel the music- the sheet music, if you want," he managed to say casually.

She looked at him without any real suspicion or even anger and nodded easily. "OK," she said. "OK, you can do that."

What blew him away was the fact that she was at complete ease talking to him, while he had grown increasingly agitated over the course of their conversation. She smiled at him (in an almost predatory way! he mused) and handed him the music.

"I'll make sure she gets it," he told her, looking down at the music.

"I'm sure you will," Quinn said in an almost disinterested way - a far cry from how disheveled she had been when he had bumped into her. She reached out to smooth down a few corners. "Finn," she said carefully. "I'm not-" she paused, seemingly appraising him "-I'm not afraid of you or anything, but I think it would be great if you could, you know..." she struggled with her wording. "...remove yourself from the situation."

He gaped at her for a few moments before standing up straighter. "I don't think so, Quinn. Why would I do that?" Why would I let you win? "She-" he inhaled deeply, the words lodging halfway up his throat.

She likes me. Rachel likes ME, he wanted to say confidently, surely, truthfully and he wondered if Quinn could see that.

A flash of something appeared on her face briefly (he told himself it was insecurity), but it was quickly replaced by an exasperated expression. "Finn, I don't want you to get hurt." He would have laughed - he really would - but the pure honesty and sincerity in her words made him stumble back both physically and mentally.

"Not like that's stopped you or me before, has it?" he asked somewhat bitterly.

"That's the past and I'm still really sorry about that." There. The same biting honesty and sincerity that he couldn't deal with. "I'm talking about now. The present."

He thought of Rachel and the way she couldn't seem to look him directly in the eyes and talk about feelings...but that was because she liked - she liked him right?

"She likes me," he finally managed to say softly (unsure). He didn't miss the way she sucked in a quick breath and the sympathetic look that lasted only a moment.

"I'm really sorry, Finn," she said quietly. "Make sure-" she coughed "-Make sure she gets it, alright? The sheet music, I mean." She took one step back and looked up at him. He held her gaze for only a moment, but his mind was buzzing. How had they gone from high-school sweethearts to- to this? This stand-off over a girl they were both -

It was no matter - Rachel liked him. Rachel had never shown interest in Quinn, let alone any other girl so he figured he would be safe. Although the way Quinn was staring at him-

He shook his head to rid himself of his increasingly depressing thoughts. He already felt a headache coming on. "Fine," he said, trying to keep from sounding moody. "Fine, I'll give this to her. Anything else?" he asked with a twinge of sarcasm.

Quinn smiled. "I think that'll be fine, for now." The unspoken You're dismissed now, Finn Hudson hung in the air between them.

He turned around first, going back the way he had come from.

It was then that his mind flickered to that really boring documentary Kurt had been watching on Animal Planet and he realized that he just (metaphorically) had his ass handed to him by a challenger.

He walked in a half-daze back to his room, wondering what he'd say to Rachel. Quinn Fabray always had that weird power over him - and other people, making them bend to her will.

He gritted his teeth, opening the door. Rachel was lying face-down on the bed, clutching her iPod in her hand and somehow managing to sing into the comforter. "Hey Rach?" he tried tentatively.

The weird, muffled singing stopped. "Mmph,"was the response.

"Alright, you can just lie there, don't worry. I - uh - ran into Quinn-" and she shot up, startling him.

"Quinn?" she asked nervously. "Quinn - OK - what did Quinn want? What did she say? Did she say anything about me? What did she say to you?"

Rachel was borderline hysterical and Finn had no idea how to deal with this Rachel. He slowly placed her sheet music down on the bed. "She gave this to me to return to you," he said slowly.

"She gave this to you," she repeated. "Oh, she - she couldn't have come here to give it to me herself, I suppose," Rachel said, sounding disappointed. Very disappointed. "I didn't even realize I had left the music there in my haste to leave," she muttered, more to herself than anything.

"Rach-?"

"Did she say anything else?" She eyed him for a second before shooting off the bed and straightening her clothes. "I should go talk to her. I really should." She glanced at him. "To thank her," she added hastily. He brushed off her jittery demeanor.

"She didn't say anything," he blurted quickly. "She didn't, um, say anything else." Rachel continued to look increasingly disappointed and he wondered if it was one of those girl things where friendships were ridiculously important yet neither girl knew how to apologize. He figured that he understood Quinn's reasoning, though. "Hey," he said, walking up to her. She lifted her eyes to meet his. "Hey, forget about Quinn. Let's do something fun."

"Fun?" she questioned. "Fun? What could we do that could possibly be fun, when Quinn and I-" she inhaled sharply and turned on her feel, walking towards the window. he thought he heard a sniffle as she stood there for a few moments. "Sorry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I will take you up on that offer, Finn," she said, nodding more to herself than anything. "But not at this present moment, if you don't mind."

"OK," Finn said agreeably. "It's a date," he said, smiling widely at her. He missed the dark look that crossed over her face.

"A date?" she asked faintly, but he barely heard her.

He left her in the room, running off to prepare. He had a date, after all.

Finn found Rachel in the cafeteria, sitting with a few other glee club members. He grinned, walking up to her. He faltered slightly when he saw Quinn was sitting there as well and she and Rachel appeared to be tolerating each other's presence. They were sitting quite closely though. Rachel smiled half-heartedly at him when he approached the table. Quinn didn't even spare him a glance, pretending to be listening to whatever Santana was saying.

"Hey," he said cheerfully.

"Finn," she greeted.

"So, uh, are you free right now?"

"Now?" Rachel looked back down at her plate where her food was half-eaten, then glanced at Quinn who looked half-bored. "I suppose I am."

"Well, great!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. "Ready for our date?"

Rachel blanched and Quinn suddenly looked murderous.

"Date?" she questioned, looking to Rachel. "What date?"

"We have a date," Finn confirmed, trying not to look smug.

Santana snorted into her food while Quinn stabbed at it.

"Oh," was what Rachel said. She stood up hesitantly, looking at Quinn uncertainly. "Alright..." Rachel followed him out of the cafeteria. "Where are we going?"

"I didn't have time to plan anything big on such short notice, but I think you'll like it, Rach," he said in such an earnest, happy way that she wished it was Finn Hudson that she was enamored by.

"Surprise me," she said, managing a smile. "Are we walking?"

"Yeah," he said sheepishly. "I obviously don't have a car and I didn't think using the bus would have been a good idea."

"No," Rachel agreed. "It probably would have been quite interesting if you had taken the bus. It's a nice night, though," she said, trying to make Finn feel better.

"That's what I thought. I really like you, Rach," he blurted.

It was so sudden and random, that Rachel didn't know what to do. She definitely couldn't reciprocate because that wouldn't be fair to him (all she could think of was the way Quinn's eyes had looked in the auditorium).

"Thank you," she murmured instead. "So - uh - where are we going?" she continued on, so she didn't have to see Finn's disappointed expression.

They ended up going to a cinema that only showed old reruns and she was thrilled upon seeing they were showing Funny Girl. She was thankful it was relatively empty because she ended up reciting the entire movie word-for-word.

They had opted out of dinner because she had already eaten, and even thought she was sure Finn hadn't, he had been a complete gentleman. She had laughed at his jokes and she didn't remember Finn being so involved in a relationship with her before, and she appreciated all his efforts. He impressed her by being polite and collected

She only wished she felt something more for him.

She smiled sincerely when he kissed her on the cheek at the end of the night, then blushed when she realized they were sleeping in the same room anyway.

"I had fun," she said truthfully. "This...activity definitely took my mind off some things. Thank you." She squeezed his arm.

He smiled in that dopy Finn Hudson way that could have once charmed her. "I meant what I said earlier. I really do like you, Rachel."

"I know," she said in return, her heart clenching at the way his face fell (reminiscent of the way Quinn's had fallen, but of course she wasn't thinking of Quinn, nope).

"But you...don't like me back?" he asked, crestfallen. "I thought we were kind of together, you know?"

"I - we are! But I just -" she stumbled over her words. "I need-" (to stop leading you on) "-more time." I'm such a coward, she thought miserably.

"Time?" he questioned. "OK," he said quickly when she opened her mouth. "OK, anything you want, Rach." He smiled easily at her. "Goodnight then."

"Goodnight, Finn."

Rachel didn't know what to expect at breakfast the next morning. Finn was already at the table and she was thankful when he didn't say anything to her except smile in a friendly way.

"Hobbit," Santana greeted, nudging Rachel on her way to the table. "Why are you just standing there? Your fellowship awaits," she chirped without any real bite and gestured at the table. "How was the date-" Santana smirked "-with the overgrown child?"

"Finn was wonderful," Rachel said, sniffing. "We went to see a movie."

"A movie?" Santana gasped, pretending to be shocked. She tossed a piece of cereal in Finn's direction. "Congrats, Hudson. What did you go see? An action movie?"

"We saw Funny Girl, actually," Rachel said, feeling the need to defend Finn who really hadn't done a bad job.

"Sounds fun," Quinn commented quietly. Rachel's eyes locked on her downcast expression.

"You and Finn are cute," Tina piped in (Shut up, Quinn thought rudely). "Sounds like it was a fun date," she said, smiling widely at Rachel.

Breakfast was quiet on Quinn's part and she took small pleasure in the fact that Rachel hadn't chosen to sit next to Finn.

She didn't bother announcing her departure and left the table swiftly and abruptly. She figured Santana would follow.

"Say it," she said bitterly, not bothering to turn around as she fumbled with her key.

"You're a freaking wimp, Fabray," Santana said, true to form.

"What am I supposed to do?" Quinn cried, chucking her key in Santana's direction and stomping up to her. She pouted childishly. "Tell me then. Tell me what I'm supposed to do when she's clearly picked him." She didn't count on the blur that was Santana's hand colliding with her face. "You hit me," Quinn said blankly. "Ouch," she muttered, rubbing her jaw.

"Oh please, I didn't hit you half as hard as I should have. Now, you were too busy glaring at your plate to notice, but Berry couldn't keep her eyes off you at breakfast. I don't know about you, but it doesn't look as though the Pillsbury dough boy has won yet."

"So I should..."

"Look, I'm not going to tell you what to do, Quinn. Honestly, if you really want something that badly, you should-"

"-Fight for it," Quinn finished, looking down at the ground.

Santana then looked sheepish. "And also find something to cover that-" she pointed at the side of Quinn's now slightly-red jaw "-up."

Quinn was quiet then she muttered "Thank you."

"For punching you? Any time. I can do it again if you'd like." She bent down to pick up Quinn's key. "Where'd you find your key?"

Quinn blushed at the memory of how she came to repossess her key. "Um, it kind of just showed up."

"Hm. OK, anyways, I've got me some one-on-one time with Britt today, so I'll be off. I'll leave something on the door if we're getting busy. Or I'll text you," she said, winking. She laughed at Quinn's horrified expression.

Once inside the safety of her room, Quinn pulled out her laptop. She tapped her fingers impatiently while it started up. She realized that she probably could have used Santana's help because she had no idea what to wear. She tugged open a couple drawers, shoving through her jeans and shorts, trying to find a nice dress.

Something subtle, yet appealing.

She pulled out a dress and raised her eyebrows, wondering when she packed it. The black dress was fitting with a low enough neckline to draw the eyes, yet not low enough to be inappropriate. It was perfect.

Now she just needed to find the perfect place.

And of course ask Rachel.

With that thought in mind, she groaned and collapsed on the bed in a decidedly unladylike manner.

Quinn managed to gather her wits and courage by the afternoon (and she also did some research), so she found herself walking to what she knew was Rachel's preferred choir room. She was correct in assuming Rachel would be there because despite it being a Saturday, the girl was obviously practicing. She could hear Rachel's singing halfway down the corridor.

Rachel was singing what sounded suspiciously like an Adele song, but Quinn couldn't be sure because Rachel was slamming down on the piano keys viciously as well as singing. Quinn exhaled shakily, fiddling with the bottom of her cardigan and trying to smooth out the wrinkles on her dress.

"Never mind I'll find, someone like you-"

"Sounds good," Quinn commented truthfully. Rachel jumped about a mile in the air. "But that's nothing new. You always sound good," she clarified when Rachel continued to look as if she were having a heart attack.

"Quinn!" Rachel finally squeaked. They hadn't exactly been talking and especially after that moment in the auditorium, Rachel wasn't sure what the suitable course of action was. She stood up, wincing as the piano bench scraped against the floor. "Quinn," she repeated, in a lower register, trying to keep her voice calm. "What can I do for you?"

"It's uh, actually what I can do for you," Quinn said, mentally congratulating herself on how smooth she managed to make that.

Rachel blushed prettily. "And what can you do for me, Quinn Fabray?" Rachel took joy in the fact that Quinn physically shuddered when she full-named her.

"I want to take you out."

"Take me -" Rachel blinked rapidly. "Take me out?" Quinn nodded. "On a date," Rachel clarified.

Quinn ducked her head shyly. "If you'd like."

"I'd like that," she rasped, suddenly losing her voice. "I'd um-" she cleared her throat. "I'd like that."

"It doesn't have to be a date," Quinn said quickly. "If you don't want it to. I just want to take you out for dinner."

"Tonight?"

"Tonight at seven." Quinn clasped her hands nervously and looked hesitant before moving around the piano to stand in front of Rachel. "Rachel-"

"-Yes," Rachel whispered instantly. Eagerly.

"Can you-" she chewed her lower lip, regarding Rachel carefully. "Can you please stop running away from me?" From us? "Please?"

"I'll-" Rachel swallowed nervously. "I will try," she mumbled.

Quinn leaned forward, then paused directly in front of Rachel's face. Rachel could count the green specks in Quinn's eyes. She counted at least ten before Quinn's lips touched her cheek and her entire system shut down.

"Oh," she murmured softly.

"Thank you," Quinn whispered. "And um, I'll stop by your room at around six." She turned to leave, but stopped and grinned at Rachel. "Oh and Rachel?"

"Hm?"

"Dress well."

By the time six o'clock rolled around, Quinn was nervously fiddling with the red belt around her waist and her redyed blonde hair. "Do I look alright?" she asked Sam and Mercedes, both of whom she had recruited to help her get ready.

"You look beautiful," Sam said sincerely. "I can't believe you got rid of the pink hair," he muttered, sounding rather disappointed.

"Rachel's not gonna know what hit her," Mercedes added. Sam and Quinn both looked surprised.

"How did you-"

"-Quinn, please. Give me some credit. Obviously it was going to be Rachel. Was I the only one participating in that little talk we had?"

"Aw man, I thought I was the only one who knew," Sam said, pouting. Mercedes rolled her eyes before she laughed along with Quinn.

"Thanks for helping me, you two," she said quietly. "It means a lot and it really does feel good knowing that I've got more people to talk to."

Mercedes grinned, standing up and hugging Quinn tightly. "Go on then. You're gonna be late if you don't go now."

"Knock her off her feet!" Sam cheered.

Quinn straightened out her dress nervously, feeling slightly self-conscious. She wondered if her dress was too tight or whether her hair was too blonde without the streaks she had grown accustomed to. Her shoes felt too big. Oh God, I bet I forgot to-

"Hi," Rachel said shyly.

Quinn's throat went dry. Rachel apparently randomly packed gorgeous dresses in her suitcase as well. "You-" Quinn gulped, her mouth working but no words came out. "You look nice," she managed. Nice?!

"As do you, Quinn," Rachel said, smiling widely. She looked over Quinn's dress choice appreciatively, then her eyes flickered back up to Quinn's face. "Wait. Your hair, you've dyed it back." Quinn nodded. "I like it," Rachel murmured and then silently cheered when Quinn blushed. "Now, where will we be going?"

"I thought we could take a walk into town. That's why I said six. The reservation is for seven."

"It's a nice night," Rachel said, feeling a sense of déjà vu.

"It is, but I think the company makes it even better," Quinn returned, glancing at Rachel out of the corner of her eye.

The air was thankfully cool for a summer evening and Quinn thanked God that the sidewalks were lined with enough trees to provide ample shade.

"Why can't you tell me where we're going?" Rachel pouted, pinching Quinn's arm.

"Because you're supposed to be enjoying my company, instead of ruining a surprise," Quinn teased. "This is such a nice part of town. I wish we lived here, in Athens. Or maybe Columbus."

"Lima has character," Rachel defended. "It's small, but it has never failed to provide entertainment for me."

"And that's why you can't wait to get out of there, right? To go to New York?"

"That's-" Rachel huffed. "New York is a dream of mine. I know I'll be on Broadway one day, but Lima will always be the place I was born and raised and I have to love it. It'll be nice for when the Biography Channel does a special on me."

Quinn laughed – a beautiful sound that Rachel wanted to hear over and over again.

Quinn managed to find a route that took them past a bunch of small shops and boutiques where Rachel squealed over the cutest dresses and shoes, as well as vintage music stores that held vinyl records, which Rachel nearly fainted over. Quinn had to grip her elbow and gently remind her that they had reservations.

"Which you still won't tell me where you got reservations for," Rachel said grumpily.

"You really don't like to be surprised, do you?"

"I like to be prepared for everything."

"You should really just let me dazzle you," Quinn said, nudging Rachel's shoulder with her own. "All I'll say is that it was ridiculously hard to get a hold of this restaurant, and well – thank God somebody cancelled last minute or we might have been eating salad from McDonalds."

Rachel gasped. "You wouldn't take me there!"

"No," Quinn admitted. "I wouldn't because it's tacky, but you see my point."

"I hope you're not spending a lot of money on this," Rachel said nervously. "I have my own-"

Quinn smiled mysteriously. "You're not paying for anything tonight. Maybe um-" she blushed, the pink visible even if it was getting darker outside. "Maybe another time?" It was meant to be a nonchalant statement, but she couldn't help the way her voice rose in question.

Quinn sounded so hopeful. Rachel's knees quivered.

"We'll see," Rachel said, trying not to smile at the way Quinn brightened like a child on Christmas morning.

They arrived at a small restaurant with an antique-looking sign hanging above them. It read 9 Tables. Rachel smiled at the peculiar name. "Are there only nine tables in there?" she asked, only half-joking.

"Why do you think we needed reservations?" Quinn asked, putting a hand on Rachel's back and pushing her in before she could protest. "Fabray," she said quietly to the friendly-looking woman who greeted them. "Table for two and the five course meal."

"Five course meal?" Rachel questioned as they were led to a small table the back. Quinn pulled out her chair for her. "I was going to do that," Rachel mumbled.

Quinn shrugged, taking a seat across from her. "Wow, this place looks a lot nicer than the pictures."

"What is this place?" Rachel whispered. "Quinn, can you even afford this?"

Quinn's eyes widened comically and she gasped dramatically. "Oh my God! Rachel, I can't!" Rachel's eyes widened and she leaned forward nervously when Quinn beckoned her closer. "We're going to have to make a break for it after we eat our food!"

Rachel scowled, realizing that she was being made fun of and she nudged Quinn's leg with her foot. Quinn giggled.

"How did you even find this place?"

"I did some-" (a lot) "-research," Quinn said, nudging Rachel's foot in retaliation. Both of them giggled quietly before they quieted down and Rachel watched Quinn expectantly. "It was the only nice vegan restaurant in the area. Unless you would have preferred a bar or something."

"It's vegan?" Rachel questioned.

"One hundred percent," Quinn confirmed.

"You're not vegan," Rachel pointed out, her heart doing strange somersaults.

"You are," Quinn said as if that were answer enough.

"I am," Rachel agreed quietly. "But you really didn't have to go out of your way to-"

Quinn cut her off. "Yes I did. And it's not even a big deal because all that matters is that you enjoy yourself, because I know no matter what, as long as I get to spend time with you, I'm happy."

Oh. Rachel swooned.

If Rachel had thought Finn had been charming and perfect, she hadn't been expecting this. Quinn was the epitome of the perfect, beautiful date, which Rachel found somewhat surprising because Quinn must have been used to being spoiled on dates, not the other way around where she was doing the spoiling.

Rachel was hardly aware of what she was eating because she was watching Quinn eat. In the back of her mind, she thought the food tasted fantastic, but that hardly registered.

Oh, Quinn's speaking to me. "I'm sorry, I must have spaced out," Rachel admitted.

"No kidding. You agreed with me when I said Mr. Schuester should get back with his ex-wife." Quinn was doing that wonderful, enthralling thing where she laughed and Rachel was smitten all over again.

"What did you ask before that?"

"Hm, I asked whether you liked the food. The chef – Chef Justice – does it all personally and apparently it's only him and his family running this restaurant."

"Oh, the food is wonderful, Quinn. It's been absolutely amazing."

"Well, I'm glad you think so. Am I doing a good job so far?" Quinn asked, smiling behind her glass. "As long as you're happy and having fun," Quinn told her.

In Rachel's mind eye, she would have stood up dramatically and kissed Quinn right then and there, but she didn't because she knew how to be calm and collected.

"You're wonderful," Rachel said happily.

Quinn's cheeks remained flushed for a good portion of the night.

They were working on their dessert and Rachel caught Quinn smiling shyly at her multiple times. Her heart thudded against her ribcage and she felt the need to say something.

"Quinn," she began, putting down her spoon. Quinn immediately focused all her attention on her. "Quinn, I really do feel like I need to apologize."

"For what?"

"For being scared," Rachel said hoarsely.

Quinn's spoon clattered against the glass and she reached forward to grab Rachel's hand. "Rachel. You don't need to apologize for anything. I'm just completely thrilled you said yes to letting me take you out for dinner. Never apologize for being scared," Quinn begged quietly. "Just promise me you'll stop running away from me."

"I promise," Rachel murmured, rotating her hand up so their palms were touching. The flicker of the candle seemed to match the way her heart was erratically pounding.

Two hours seemed like they flew by extremely quickly and Quinn couldn't believe she had just spent two hours on a date (at least she hoped it was a date to Rachel) with Rachel Berry. She was feeling slightly giddy as she signed off on the receipt and that giddiness increased tenfold when Rachel reached for her hand and squeezed it.

Quinn's eyes slid down to their linked hands, swallowing the words that threatened to burst. She barely reigned her emotions in and managed to say "Would you like to call for a cab, or walk home?" It was nine and since it was summer, the sky was still a relatively navy blue as opposed to pitch-black.

"The stars are out," Rachel commented instead of answering. She looked up at the sky and squeezing Quinn's hand in the process. "I love stars," Rachel sighed. "They're beautiful," she said quietly, eyes dropping to Quinn's.

"They are," Quinn agreed, meeting Rachel's gaze head-on. Rachel inhaled deeply, wishing that they weren't in the middle of a busy town with people and cars moving past them.

"It's not fair that you get all the good lines," Rachel said instead, pouting.

"The good lines?" Quinn questioned, an amused smile playing at her lips.

"You hardly leave any room for me to tell you that you're beautiful."

They stopped just beneath a streetlight and the warm glow made Quinn look even more maddeningly beautiful than before.

"You really can't say things like that," Quinn said quietly.

"Then you shouldn't make me want to say things like that by making all other first dates look bad," Rachel scolded.

"Date?" Quinn questioned hopefully.

Rachel dropped Quinn's hand, huffing. "Goodness gracious, Quinn Fabray. Where have you been this entire night?"

"Occupied," Quinn replied, staring at Rachel with those eyes.

Rachel realized that they were suddenly extremely close in proximity when she could see the dash of green in Quinn's eyes.

"I really want to kiss you," Quinn whispered, her breath warm against Rachel's mouth. Rachel only dedicated a few moments to wonder when Quinn had gotten so close. She could feel her eyelids dropping, but fought to keep them open.

"Please," she whispered back, her eyes fluttering shut after she counted twenty specks in Quinn's eyes.

Rachel wondered if her Biography Special could dedicate a section to this. This moment when her life changed forever and she found everything she ever wanted. It was beyond New York City, beyond Broadway. She wanted the world to know how amazing she felt in that one moment. She wanted to live in this moment, live in the way Quinn's lips pushed against hers with the perfect amount of pressure.

Quinn wondered if she had died because there was no way she was still alive with the way Rachel's arms had encircled her waist. Rachel's everything was consuming her senses. She could feel the smooth silkiness of Rachel's hair between her fingers and the tentative hesitation behind the way Rachel was pressing her mouth against hers. Time seemed to slow down and she was being invaded by everything Rachel. Her smell, her breathing, her mouth.

The kiss itself was in reality short, sweet, and close-mouthed, but it felt like an eternity filled with sensory overload. By the time Rachel came to her senses, Quinn was already too far away for her liking. She ran her tongue over her mouth tasting the barest trace of strawberry. She was aware of the way Quinn's eyes followed her tongue's movement and felt the urge to kiss her- "Again," she whimpered hazily, moving her hands up to Quinn's shoulders to pull her back in.

Quinn's eyes slammed shut and their lips met again, making Rachel's head explode with stars (gold stars, she thought dazedly) and Quinn's head explode with fireworks.

Then Quinn was gone and out of Rachel's arms.

"Why'd you stop?" Rachel breathed, her eyes re-opening and focusing on Quinn. "I didn't want you to stop. I would have much preferred if you didn't stop, actually."

Quinn struggled to keep her eyes open because all she wanted to do was to throw herself back in Rachel's arms and kiss her until the sun came up the next morning. "I've got to stop now, or I don't think I'll ever stop."

FYI: 9 Tables is actually a fine-dining, vegan restaurant in Athens, Ohio! About a 5 minute drive from Ohio University. How convenient. :)

ps are you reading Inseparable? :) Drew's awesome!