Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.
A/N: Okay, this one's sort of messy, but it was neccesary in order to get thing moving. Anyway, read and review! :)
The next morning was a struggle for both Quinn and Rachel. Neither of them wanted to do to school, nor do anything but lay as they were, cuddled in bed together. Eventually, after much complaining and much more whining, they convinced each other to get up and be productive.
They went downstairs to eat a hearty breakfast after Rachel had worked out and Quinn was busy doing last-minute homework. An exuberant Alex cooked them pancakes and they helped themselves to syrup. Quinn even went for some whipped cream. Then she wondered what it'd like to lick that off Rachel… She bit her lip, entertaining this idea.
"Quinn?"
Quinn's head snapped up, away from her pancakes, when her name was called. "Yeah?"
"You should try the pancakes. Whipped cream's good and all, but it'll give you a sugar rush and you'll be dead tired by third period."
Quinn's cheeks turned slightly pink at the realization that she'd eaten all her whipped cream (thinking about Rachel while doing so, of course) and had begun to pile more on. She nodded and ate the pancakes, which were quite good.
Glee. Rachel was pulling Quinn into the room by the hand. This was their sort of "excuse" to get away with holding hands in front of the Glee kids, since Rachel dragged basically everyone around like that. Quinn was smiling widely and allowing herself to be drug around like a ragdoll.
They took their seats, though they left an empty one between the, presumably for Finn.
"Hey, guys! Great day, isn't it? I feel awesome! Life is just great!" Speak of the devil.
"Hey Finn," Rachel spoke with a smile to greet his bright attitude. What was with him, anyway? It was like he was hopped up on Vitamin D all over again.
Sure enough, he took the open seat like it was nothing. Well, actually he took it like it was the greatest honor ever bestowed on him in his life. "Hey there, Rachel! Did you see the birds today? They sang me a song! It was awesome!" Now he was sounding like Brittany.
"Finn, are you okay?"
He nodded and shrugged wildly, nearly hitting Quinn in the face with his monstrous elbow. Both Rachel and Quinn scowled at him, though the brunette had to recover her features. "I'm great! I'm just so excited about our date next week! It's gonna be awesome, Rach!" He grinned and slung an arm around Rachel's shoulders happily, like nothing was amiss and there wasn't a blonde Cheerio next to him who looked just about ready to rip his throat out.
Rachel was forced to suppress something that was a mixture between a groan and a whine. She was beginning to regret agreeing to see him next Friday even more than before. God, she was such a sucker for a sad cause. "Yes, Finn, it will definitely be… memorable," Rachel supplied, swallowing hard. She leaned close to Finn and reached to put her arm around him. It made her feel a little less guilty and comforted Quinn a bit when Rachel rubbed her shoulder. Actually, it relaxed Quinn measurably, but the blonde did frown when the hand was removed to be placed on Finn's shoulder instead.
Santana sat behind them, rolling her eyes and look at Kurt and Mercedes. She was itching to know what they'd found out, if Rachel's little gesture was any indication.
The second that Glee club was finished, Santana confronted Mercedes, as Kurt had had a diva moment earlier that day and left before Glee was over. Something about Rachel always getting the female solos.
"Did you find anything out or what?"
"Oh, hey, San. Nah, they're just friends. I mean, Quinn cares about her a lot, but we all do, ya know. We're like a family and I guess Q finally gets that and joined in. I just don't think anything to find out."
"…" Santana crossed her arms.
"Rachel's been a rough time, S. Ya just gotta get that her and Quinn are starting to be friends, and we'd all do the same thing in her place. There's nothing more to know. So, do us all a favor, and kinda… let it go, okay?" Mercedes shrugged and patted the Latina's shoulder before going home.
"I get it," she muttered. Santana stood in the hallway, looking around in disbelief. She grabbed Brittany the second the blonde appeared and stormed off into the parking lot. She didn't know whether she was angrier that Mercedes had nothing for her or that she was wrong and had been told to pretty much back off.
Quinn and Rachel were standing and talking in the parking lot as usual. Mercedes walked by and bumped Rachel's shoulder with a wink, making the small girl blush. Rachel didn't know what it meant but she had an idea. She gave Quinn a thumbs-up as she passed and that was that. Quinn turned to look over her shoulder, but Mercedes paraded on like nothing happened. Quinn laughed and leaned against her car, facing Rachel again. Neither had a clue as to what that was supposed to mean, but it must have been good.
"So," Rachel dragged out as Mercedes's car exited the lot. She reached for Quinn's hand and laced their fingers. "Do you… want to come over again?"
Quinn smiled slyly. "As much as I'd love to, Rach, do you really think I should? You know how it ended up yesterday," she remembered, giggling profusely.
Rachel gaped, fighting a smile, and hurried to cover Quinn's mouth. "Shhh." The brunette tried to make her friend quiet, but then began giggling, too.
They stood in the parking lot, laughing like mad for no apparent reason. Each time they thought they were finished, they would look at each other and start all over again.
"Q-Quinn," Rachel gasped in between laughter.
"W-What?"
"It's getting dark," she mumbled, giggles bubbling inside her.
"O-Oh," the blonde noted and began to control her laughing and breathing. She put her hands on Rachel's shoulders, holding her eyes and inhaling deeply. They did that a few times in synchronization, and were finally able to get a hold of themselves.
"Rachel, we're alone now."
"I know," she said, not sure what Quinn was getting at.
However, the brunette didn't need to solve any puzzles to find out, as Quinn leaned closer and squeezed Rachel's hand, proceeding to kiss her for all she was worth. Which was a lot. The blonde slipped a hand up the other girl's back, pressing them together tightly. She broke away when she felt the smaller girl begin to exert her own force.
"That's not too smart," Quinn whispered as she pecked Rachel on the lips, running her hands through the girl's brown locks.
"Mmmm," was all Rachel felt like saying in response as she leaned into Quinn, settling her head on the shoulder of the taller girl.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she murmured, kissing the diva's cheek and setting her on her feet again. Rachel pouted, but nodded and got in her car. Quinn did the same, and both girls went home.
Later that night, Rachel called Quinn. She didn't answer. Rachel hesitated, but tried the number once again. This time, Quinn picked up.
"Rachel?"
"Hi."
"Hey. What's up?"
"Nothing, really. I guess."
"Okay. What's really up?"
"I'm worried about my get together… er, my date-thing with Finn next week."
"Why? You've been on plenty of dates, especially with him. Trust me; I remember."
"I know, but I don't want to get his hopes up just to have to tell him I'm gay and past-the-point-of-no-return in love with Quinn Fabray, his ex-girlfriend and my ex-enemy."
Quinn rolled her eyes. Even in the most frustrating and inconvenient situations, she could slip musical references into her speech. "Rachel. Calm down. First of all, stop referencing Phantom of the Opera. I am not Raul or that other guy, and you are most certainly not Christine. Second of all, we're gonna figure something out, okay? Don't lose your cool over Finn. I mean, honestly. There are better things to worry about."
Rachel rolled her eyes and fought a poignant urge to tell Quinn that "that other guy" was the leading male role in the musical and should be spoken of as such. "We? But it's my problem, Quinn."
"And you called me, Rachel."
The girls sat in silence, each doing something to focus on anything but the girl on the other end, so that she didn't have to break the quiet.
"Look," Quinn started, not being able to stand the empty buzz from their phone connection. Besides, she knew Rachel wasn't about to give in, and she was probably using that to her advantage. "We will figure something out. He's just a stupid boy. Yeah, he's my ex-boyfriend, but you're my…" Quinn wasn't sure how to finish.
"Your friend," Rachel supplied, picking at a thread on her sheet. She still wanted to move past that friendship barrier (as they should), but didn't want to push Quinn to the point where she leaves Rachel alone forever.
"Right."
"So what do we plan on doing to fix this?"
"I hadn't thought that far, seeing how you only voiced your issues with it today."
"Maybe we could call in a favor?"
"Who, Rach?"
Oh, right. They'd been semi-stalked, and they're afraid to move forward and into a tangible relationship, and don't want anyone to know about them. Oh yeah, that's right.
Rachel groaned and smushed her face into the pillow, speaking in incoherent mumbles.
Quinn knew the brunette well enough to know what she was doing. "Rach, get your face out of your stupid pillow."
"Make me," she managed to form while refusing to do so.
"I swear," she muttered. "You want my help? Then get your pretty face out of that damn pillow, or so help me, God, I will come over there and make you do it."
Rachel smiled into her pillow, glad Quinn couldn't see it. She sort of hoped the blonde would come over anyway, though her face was no longer in the fabric cushion. After all, she was still gorgeous, and even more so when she irritated with Rachel.
"Fine," Rachel said, just to let Quinn know she'd done as she was told.
"Good. Now, I'm not sure what we should do because… well, you screwed yourself over like three times last night."
"What? B-But… I got out of the first date."
"And agreed to the second one."
"I played Monopoly, and I hate that game!"
"You also lost, because of which you had to congratulate me."
"I don't see that as a negative thing, Quinn," she laughed. "But what's the third one, then?"
"I'm not going to tell you. And, Rachel?"
"Yes?"
"I totally know how I'm getting you out of this."
"What! What's the plan?"
"I can't tell ya, sorry Rach. Though, let me just say that you totally owe me big time for it. Like, majorly."
"Anything," Rachel agreed. "C-Can't you tell me, though?" Her begging was hopeless, but she tried anyway.
"As much as I'd love to, I can't. Sorry. Night, Rach."
Rachel was anxious and worried the next day, which was Friday. Only a week until she had to face Finn. That is, unless Quinn came out with her plan. Which was what had the brunette twisted inside out, in fact. Of course, Quinn was able to pick up on her nerves and play off that weakness. It was cruel torture, but both girls loved it in the end.
The day before, Quinn had gotten Rachel to come back into the cafeteria instead of eating alone outside. And she dropped majority of the sweets, too.
Quinn stood behind Rachel and rubbed her shoulders. "Come on, Rach," she encouraged.
"I don't know, Quinn, what if they found someone else a-and there's no room at the table for me? Or you? What if there's only one spot?"
Quinn laughed and kissed Rachel's nose. "You're fine. It's fine. Everything will be perfectly normal."
The brunette nodded and approached the door, letting go of Quinn's hands as always when entering a publicly inhabited room. The Cheerio rolled her eyes playfully and snatched the hand back, dragging Rachel in with her. The girl complied, and the entire lit up to see their star singer back again.
Finn jumped up and embraced her. Quinn let go reluctantly and joined the other Glee club members, taking her usual spot next to Puck and Santana
This is great!" Finn had exclaimed. "You came back! Man, I love life. Isn't life just great, you guys?"
The other kids laughed and nodded. He was still peppy and high on life. Too bad Rachel didn't love that anymore.
Now, all the Glee members were seated together again, eating, taking, and laughing loudly. Singing erupted occasionally, and Rachel joined in every time, if she wasn't already leading the bursts of song.
Quinn sat in her usual place at the table and tilted her head the slightest, watching Rachel back in her natural element. It felt good, to see the girl that way again, like nothing had ever happened between them, like Quinn had never dropped her. A pain shot through Quinn at the mere memory, and her stomach lurched. A frown formed, but it slipped into a grin as the thought faded away and every sensation of Rachel washed through her body.
Rachel and Quinn's newly expressed chemistry was undeniable. They pulled each other everywhere by hand, shared their food, spent half the week at Rachel's house, hugged constantly, sat together in Glee, and couldn't help themselves from looking at or touching one another throughout the day. However, that looming Friday was fast approaching.
And every day they would delay going home for another hour by talking in the empty school parking lot.
"Quinn," Rachel started to get the girl's attention.
"Hm?" Quinn took her eyes away from the stars above them to gaze at the lovely creature next to her.
"Are you coming over tonight? For sure? Because you said you would this weekend and you didn't, so I want to make sure whether you will or will not be visiting my home, so that I may make the correct preparations."
Quinn smiled at the way Rachel elaborated every detail of her life. "Yes, Rach. I'm coming tonight. How many more times do you need to ask? And anyways, you know my mom decided to take me to dinner on a whim. She called it a 'celebration for being such a good girl.'" The blonde laughed. "If she only knew I was kissing Miss Rachel Berry on the side."
Rachel nodded, reassured when Quinn tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I'll meet you there then. Promise you'll come?"
"I promise."
Rachel barged into her house like it was nothing and pulled Quinn along. She didn't bother telling her fathers whenever Quinn came over—it was a common occurrence.
They went into Rachel's room and close the door. The two snuggled as they attempted to work on homework. Unfortunately, it didn't go well. It only frustrated them both. So, they shoved that out of their minds and decided to watch the Wizard of Oz. Rachel insisted that, while the movie didn't last long as a musical on Broadway, it was a classic and very much worth her time.
Halfway through the movie, Rachel pushed Quinn away from her gently, who was moving in for a kiss. "I'm watching the movie," she spoke absently, moving around the girl to see the TV. Quinn furrowed her brows. Was she really putting the stupid movie over her? Total turn-off.
Quinn slumped back against Rachel's pillows with a heavy sigh. "You're impossible."
Rachel paused the movie. "Let's work this out now. I'd very much rather have my Oz experience continue undisturbed. It is the precious movie and book that inspired the amazing musical that is Wicked. Does that mean nothing to you?"
"Hmm. Yeah, it means nothing. I don't care that much about the movie. I know you do, but I'd rather do something else, personally."
Rachel smiled. "Well. I'm glad we solved our little dispute. Now, please turn your attention to the second half of the movie, uninterrupted."
Quinn groaned and rolled over. She let out an exasperated scream into Rachel's pillow.
The next morning, Rachel's cell phone rang, and an unfamiliar number came onto the screen. It was one that wasn't in her contacts. "Hello?"
"Listen up, Berry. Just because you have some lezbo thing for Quinn doesn't mean you can steal her out from under us. She hardly even wants to talk to me and B anymore. So lay off and give us our friend back."
"Santana?"
"What, Man-Hands?"
"No."