Title: Barely Breathing
Pairings: Faberrittana.
Summary: When they were still children, it used to be Q, R, S and B. But now that they are in high school, they are known as The Unholy Trinity and Rachel Berry. Rachel, feeling abandoned by her best friends, tried to move on with a positive outlook. The Unholy Trinity, fed up with the guilt and the ache of missing Rachel, finally decided to mend their broken friendship with the girl. Separated by their differences, will they be able to get back how they used to be? What if the Unholy Trinity wanted more than just friendship from Rachel?
Disclaimer: Glee is not mine.
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B
Chapter 6
Rachel groaned in relief and in pain as she submerged her body in the warm bath. Her muscles ached all over, her bruises throbbing in pain. The fight last Friday really left her beaten. She spent the whole day yesterday lying in bed because of it. And now, she's contemplating if she should spend her Sunday the same way as well. But despite the pain and stiffness in her muscles, her body and mind was craving for a work out.
Plus, there's Puck she had to worry about too.
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B
As usual, Rachel did her warm up on the corner of the room as she prepared for her turn in the ring. From the crowd, she spotted Jesse walking towards her direction. They had developed some sort of acquaintanceship since the night they had their first (and only) face off almost a month ago. They had kept in touch and at some point, she had introduced him to her dads (he was very persuasive). She found out that Jesse was actually a 'fan' of her Dad and wanted to seek for 'guidance'. Since then, they had been training together, which was a welcoming change in their routine.
"Hey, Superstar."
Oh thank God for the name change. That was name she really intended to use, but for some reason, she got stuck with Berry freaking Jr. Some people still called her that just to get her all riled up.
Damn it.
"Jesse, I hope all is well," Rachel greeted as she completed her bench pushups.
Jesse rolled his eyes at the way the girl was speaking to her. It felt so out of place considering they were in a fight club. A little informality from the petite girl would be refreshing.
"Everything's good. Nothing feels better than kicking some arrogant ass who believes that just because he's bigger, he could put me down easily. I mean, seriously. I was more than happy to wipe that smugness off his face. I was tempted to shave off that pathetic mohawk too while his face was planted on the floor."
This time, it was Rachel's turn to roll her eyes. Typical Jesse. She was tempted to remind him that it was exactly the same thing she did to him the first night they met. And then the last thing he said hit her.
Mohawk? It couldn't possibly be him right? He may be the only mohawk boy she knew, but he's definitely not the only one who found the ridiculous haircut 'appealing to chicks', as he would put it, in all Lima. But she found herself asking Jesse anyway.
"What's his name?"
Jesse was about to reply when Rachel's name was called out to the ring, ending their conversation.
"Good luck, Berry Jr."
Rachel turned to her smirking friend with a glare, and then puffed out her chest. "I don't need luck."
-o-o-o-o-
Rachel sucked on her bleeding lip then wiped the blood streaming down the side of her face from the wound on her right brow. Maybe she did need luck. This was, by far, the toughest fight she had ever been since she was introduced to fight club. Even her initiation couldn't compare to this.
She resumed a fighting stance while thinking of a strategy to not get knocked unconscious. Because right now, she didn't think she could take another blow. She eyed her opponent. He was twice her size, although that didn't stop her before. But he was skilled as well. Almost as skilled as her, if not more. Rachel frowned at the thought. Being the competitive that she was, there was no way she would lose this fight without giving her all.
She could see him breathing heavily too. She was able to land a few good punches and kicks on him. She was pretty sure she broke his nose since she could see him breathing through his mouth. She smirked at this. She narrowed her eyes at him, preparing for his next move.
The plan was simple. Do not get hit and target the head. From the looks of it, her opponent was just as exhausted as she was, but his difficulty to breathe was her edge against him. She just needed to be wary of his tactics. She knew he was aware of the situation, and if he was smart enough, he'd be more alert and guarded.
Luckily for her, she just knew how to push the right buttons for him to lose his composure and distract him enough to have an opening.
Rachel smirked, that trademark smirk she only reserved for her fights. It was taunting, and the look on her eyes accompanied with that quirk of her lips was enough to make anyone's blood boil.
She met her opponent's eyes and scoffed. "So, is that all you've got? Seriously. My 80 year old grandmother could hit harder than that."
"Oh? Is that why you're bleeding all over your face?"
"What? This?" Rachel pointed at her face and rolled her eyes. "Oh please! I deal with this every day. It doesn't even hurt at all. Actually, you hit like a girl." There were a few snickers from the crowd. She could already see a vein almost popping out of his head. And her smirk grew wider. "I am actually quite insulted that I am paired up with you. And to think that they believed you are one of the best. I am very disappointed. This is like-"
"Bitch!" The man growled and launched at Rachel.
And a fighter who let anger overwhelm them would always be their downfall.
Rachel stood her ground and wait for the incoming blow. She put her game face on. She would own this. He would be kissing the floor any moment now. She knew annoying people with her verbosity had its advantage.
She ducked, blocked and sidestepped all the punches and kicks that were thrown at her. Just one wrong move...that's all she needed. Just one and...
"Rachel?!"
Oh blast. Why did she turn her head away from the enemy?
The last thing that registered in her mind was the sharp pain that shot through her stomach, the strong blow on her temporal area and somebody calling her name before everything went black.
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B
Rachel groaned at the memory of her humiliating defeat. Not only was her body terribly battered, but her ego was shattered and hurt more than any physical blow she had ever received. She was knocked out for five minutes! Thank god her Daddy was home to patch her up, making sure she didn't suffer from a concussion.
And that was definitely not how she had pictured Puck finding out about her secret hobby. She knew it was bound to come though. Since the football incident with Finn and the sudden, unexplained breakup with Santana (which she was still deciding if she should be ecstatic or sad about) last month, Puck had been hanging out with her more often, both deciding to just stop caring about everyone in school even if the student body seemed to be thinking she was the reason of the breakup.
Ppff. As if. It's funny how they torture her every day for being gay and yet, they still involve her with heterosexual relationships. That didn't even make sense.
They never really talked about the obvious elephant in the room that night, but the next morning, her 'Jewbro' bombarded her with text messages and calls, annoying the hell out of her until she decided to just switch off her phone.
Today, however, she won't be able to dodge her boy best friend when he decided to just step in her room unannounced and went straight to the bathroom.
"Noah! What the hell are you doing here?!"
The Mohawk boy stopped on his tracks, stared at the naked girl in the tub with his mouth open and leered a little before a bottle of shampoo hit his head, followed by another one and another one.
"Ow! Stop it!" Puck said as he retreated back in the room, closing the bathroom door to protect himself from flying shampoo and soap. "Damn," He sighed, touching his forehead and sat down on the bed.
The bathroom door opened and a scowling, towel-clad brunette came out, closing the distance between her and the unexpected intruder with long, quick strides and repeatedly smacked the back of his head.
"What" *smack* "the" *smack* "hell" *smack* "Noah!" *smack*
"Ouch! Stop hitting me woman!" Puck exclaimed as he stumbled away from the fuming brunette. "You're not the only one who's sore!" He then proceeded to examine Rachel, trying his best to ignore the fact that she was only wearing a towel, and frowned. "Well, I'm sore. You, on the other hand, look like shit."
Rachel huffed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah. All thanks to you."
"I'm really sorry about that." Puck said, rubbing the back of his neck and looked down guiltily.
Rachel's features softened and wave her hand in dismissal. "Don't worry about that. I understand how shock you must be to see me there."
Puck scoffed. "Shock would be an understatement."
Rachel chuckled, walking towards her closet to pull out a pair of underwear and clothes. "I am certain you have a lot of questions you want to ask me, and based on how you showered me with a lot of calls and text messages yesterday, you won't leave me alone unless I explained everything to you." She paused before going to the bathroom to look at her friend who only nodded.
A few minutes later, she came out wearing a tank top and sweats. "A walk would be nice for this conversation." She grabbed her jacket and placed a baseball cap on her head in a poor attempt to cover her injuries.
Twenty minutes later, the duo found themselves sitting quietly on a park bench while Puck try to absorb Rachel's story. It was sunny and since it was Sunday, the park was full. They talked; all the while Puck was busy ogling some joggers. Rachel tried to hide her own ogling behind her baseball cap.
She really needed to stop hanging around Puckerman too much. It was getting to her.
"So, you've been doing this shit for almost two years now?"
"That's what I said."
"I should be mad at you for hiding that from me for that long."
Rachel rolled her eyes. "I told you. It's not about not trusting you. We're just not supposed to talk about it. And since you've been there, I trust that you won't say anything about what happened there."
"Of course. What do you think of me? I'm no blabbermouth."
"Good. And that brings me to our next topic. It's only fair since I told you about me, you should tell me about yours too. Why were you there?"
Rachel waited patiently as she watched the Mohawk boy gather his thoughts.
"This isn't about Santana, is it?" Okay. So patience wasn't really her best virtue. "Because if it is, maybe I can talk to her? I mean I know I'm not the best person for the job considering how much she despise me, which I still find ridiculous since I haven't done anything to her, but-"
"Rach, stop. Seriously. Why would you go there?"
"Oh. So, it's not about Santana?"
"Course not. I told you we weren't really in to labels. We were never that serious anyway. Well, she did bruise my ego for breaking up with me. I mean, really. Who in their right mind would break up with the Puckasaurus?"
Rachel looked at him incredulously. "We are talking about the same Santana Lopez, right?"
"Apparently. Seems like she's the only one immune with my charm," Puck mumbled with a frown. "Oh, Quinn and Brittany too. Damn. What is wrong with those chicks? They are the hottest girls in school and yet, they wouldn't want to tap this."
Rachel stared at Puck in disgust as he gestured to himself. "Okay, first of all, Quinn and Brittany already have boyfriends. Second, said boyfriends are your friends. So don't even go there Noah. Third, Santana is Quinn's and Britt's best friend. Do you really think they'd still want to 'tap' that seeing as you are their best friend's ex? I've seen you try Noah. And believe me, it's a little disturbing."
"Did you just insult the Puckasaurus?"
Of course. Of all the things Rachel said, that's what he paid more attention to. "Anyway, you're deflecting."
"I wasn't. You opened it up."
"Are you going to tell me now then?"
Pucks sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "He's back in town."
Rachel blinked and cautiously asked, "Who is?"
"Dad."
"Oh. Him. Since when?"
"Yesterday. He just came back acting as if nothing happened. Bastard."
"He's staying at your house?"
Puck smirked, his eyes glowing in mirth. "When I came home Friday night, I watched my mom chase him with my baseball bat. And I gotta say, I've never been so proud of my mama before. I actually cried. It was fucking badass!"
"Well, that seems to run in the family."
The two brunettes were silent for a moment, simply appreciating their environment. Rachel wanted to say more about the situation. She had no idea if Puck finding out about her would do any difference. She had faith in Puck and she trusted him with her life. Still...
"I really appreciate you're taking this lightly, Noah. Although I try not to make a big deal out of this, you do realize the seriousness of this...activity. It's called Underground for a reason."
"I'm not stupid, Rach. I know how this shit works. You are talking to Noah Puckerman, the resident badass. I got this shit. Your secret is safe with me, babe." Puck assured her with a wink and his signature smirk. "I gotta say though, you and fight club? Totally hot."
Rachel laughed, playfully punching his arm. "I'm still wary that you are being calm about this. I was expecting you'd be like, telling me how dangerous it is and stop me from ever going back there."
Puck chuckled. "Believe me, that's what I was planning to do especially after what happened last Friday. You fucking scared me there. But after hearing your story? I'm pretty sure you can handle that shit yourself, Jewbabe. I'm just not expecting it. You're different when we're in school, you know."
Rachel took a deep breath and pulled her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "How am I different? My involvement in fight club doesn't define me, Noah. It doesn't change anything either. Just because I know how to kick ass, I should carry myself differently. Even before fight club, I've always been that little Jewish girl who has a passion for singing and music, and gets bullied at a daily basis."
"And that's what I don't get. As much as I hate to admit it, you are even more of a badass than I am, Rach. I don't know why you tolerate their shit."
"You do remember what happened last time, right? Finn Hudson? I kicked ass and I got slushie shower for the whole week. Oh and a new nick name too. You've heard of manhands before, right?" Rachel deadpanned.
Puck winced at the memory. "Damn. Some fucked up school we have."
"Do I need to remind you how much you used to love it?"
"Yeah. Well, it gets tiring after a while. Besides, after that stunt last Friday? I'm seeing you in a new light, Jewbro. No way you're getting rid of me." Puck said as he nudged her with his shoulder. "We needed a new bonding activity, anyway."
Rachel frowned. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"
"Totally."
"But—"
"Hey look! It's the girls!"
Rachel looked up and froze in her spot when she realized who the girls Puck was pointing at. Before Rachel could say anything, he was already on his way to approach them. She couldn't hear what they were talking about but she could see Puck pointing at her direction with his thumb. She adjusted her cap, feeling conscious when three sets of eyes glanced her way and she sat up straight when they began walking towards her.
Soon enough, three figures were hovering over her while Puck reclaimed his position beside Rachel.
"Hi Rachel!"
"Hey Brittany." Rachel smiled at the very enthusiastic blonde and gave Santana and Quinn a polite nod. "Quinn. Santana."
"Berry."
"Hello Rachel."
Rachel felt her heart soar because this moment was one of those rare times where they greeted her without being insulted. She felt giddy all of a sudden. She could feel her facial muscles complaining due to her bruises and her lips were probably bleeding again from being stretched too much. But it wasn't enough to remove the smile on her face.
It's been a while since they had acknowledged her presence again. They had been ignoring her existence for weeks. No insults. No slushies. Not even a glance or a glare at her direction. There was nothing. And right now, she wasn't really sure what to feel about it. Yes, they weren't very nice to her. But somehow, the masochistic side of her wished that they would look at her again even if it meant making her high school life a living hell. At least she wasn't completely invisible.
She didn't know what hurt her more; having the attention accompanied by taunts, or the silence of being treated like a ghost?
Rachel was aware of the conversation taking place but chose to tune them out. Taking advantage of her cap, she took the time to scrutinize the girls in front of her and she swallowed hard.
Gah. Puck was definitely rubbing off on her.
The girls were wearing the shortest short ever invented and tight tops that hugged their bodies like second skin.
Wow. When did it get so hot? Suddenly she became aware of her clothes. Why was she wearing jacket again? The sun was freaking high and she's wearing sweats and a jacket? Jesus. And this cap...it was making her head itchy. When was the last time she washed this freaking cap?
Without thinking, she removed her cap and sighed in relief with the comfort of feeling the air on her hair.
"Jesus Berry! What the fuck happened to your face?"
Crap.
"Oh. This is nothing." Rachel waved it off as she quickly wore the cap again, cursing her hormones for affecting her brain functions. "Hey!"
Santana yanked the cap off of Rachel and stared at her incredulously. "You call that nothing? Seriously. You look like shit!"
"Thank you, Santana," Rachel deadpanned as she grabbed her cap back from the Latina.
"Rachel, what happened?"
Only Quinn could make a statement soft and calm, yet there was power in it that you would find yourself succumbing from it. Well, at least that's how Rachel felt about it.
"We had a misunderstanding so we decided to settle it like a ma-...uh...like how we Jewbros do it." Puck explained before Rachel could say anything.
The diva glanced at the boy beside him, looking at him with pride in her eyes. It did make sense I a crazy, absurd way.
"So you beat the crap out of her?" Brittany exclaimed in disbelief. "Look at her! She's so small."
Rachel turned her head back to the tall blonde and was about to resent the statement but changed her mind when she saw the pout and teary eyes on the blonde's face. Awww.
"You're hitting girls now, Puckerman?" Quinn asked between clenched teeth, her hands placed on her hips. The HBIC was so on.
"Of course not! At least not on purpose. Rachel and I had an agreement about this which would stay between the two of us. Right, Rach?"
"Yes. I agree." Rachel was beaming at her boy best friend now. She had never been so thankful for having him in her life. "That being said, we would appreciate it if you would respect the confidentiality of our agreement."
Puck hummed and nodded.
"What was so fucking serious about your misunderstanding that you would hurt Berry like this, Puckerman? I know you better than that."
"Hey! She got a couple of hits on me too. And it was about this chick, okay? You wouldn't understand."
Rachel's smiles was gone, her jaw dropped and her eyes widen as she stared at Puck as if he had grown a third eye.
What the actual fuck?
There was silence. The only noise that could be heard was the blowing of the wind, chirping of the birds and the children playing in the park.
"Y-you fought over a...girl?"
Rachel couldn't decipher the tone on Quinn's voice. She really couldn't. All she could think about right now was how she would shave the remaining hair on Puck's head. Should she tie him up? Or sneak in to his room during his sleep?
"Yeah. Like I said, you wouldn't understand. It's between us. Isn't that right, Rach?"
No. It's not right you moron. Nothing was alright. Oh god. She felt like bursting into tears. She had never been this embarrassed in her life. The slushie facials paled in comparison. Because, really? What the fuck was that?
"Rachel, I can't believe you would risk breaking your nose for a girl."
"Brittany, that's absurd!"
"Yeah! She wasn't just a girl! She was flaming hot!"
"So not what I meant, Noah."
"Whatever. You guys are fucking crazy. Really hobbit? You'd do that for chick? Puckerman maybe. But you?" Santana spat while pointing a finger at the diva.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
"Don't talk to her like that. You don't know what my Jewbabe here can do. She can practically get any girl she wants. You just see!" Puck defended, placing a protective arm around Rachel, squeezing her as if telling them just how proud he was of her.
Rachel grimaced. Oh god. Puck and his big mouth.
"Oh definitely. I'd like to see her try. There's a reason she's at the bottom of the totem pole."
Okay. The giddy feeling was totally gone. Did Quinn just insult her?
"Low blow, Fabray."
Quinn scoffed and turned to her two companions. "Whatever. Come on guys. Let's hit the mall."
The duo watched as the three girls walked away without a second glance.
"Ow!" Puck held his arm where Rachel's fist made contact.
"Really, Puckerman? REALLY?!"
"What?"
"Thank you for giving them more ammunition to taunt me."
"It got them off your ass, didn't it?"
"Yes. But must you go that low? I'm sure they're clutching their stomachs right now from laughing so hard. They must be thinking how desperate I am to get a girlfriend that I would fight my own best friend!" Rachel exclaimed with her arms flying around.
"You're being dramatic, Princess. They are the top bitches in school. They will always find a way to make fun of you. No help needed."
"Ugh. You're insufferable. I'm done with this conversation."
"Hey! Where are you going?" Puck asked as he stood up to follow the short brunette.
"Home. This experience is really draining me out. I need to get much needed rest in order for me to survive school tomorrow."
"Oh yeah. Of course."
Rachel shoved her hands in the pocket of her jacket. She could sense that the Mohawk boy wanted to say something but she was too tired to acknowledge it. She hoped he would take her silence as a cue that she did not want to talk. And that's saying something.
"So..."
Nop. Apparently he was too oblivious with her mood.
"About getting you a girlfriend."
"No, Noah. Just...no."
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B
The three girls settled in Brittany's car, with the tall blonde behind the wheel while Santana took the passenger seat and Quinn sat at the back. Brittany started the car just as the 'Jew Brothers' exited the park. They watched as the duo passed by the car.
"I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that I don't believe a shit that came out of Puckerman's mouth."
Brittany giggled while Quinn rolled her eyes with a huff as they pulled out of the parking lot.
"Of course. Who would believe that crap anyway? Puck will never lay a finger on Rachel. I mean, did you see her face?"
"He threw a fit when Finn hit her with a freaking football. I don't think he had the heart to hurt Rachie."
"Something is definitely up with those two."
Santana turned to Quinn and narrowed her eyes. "I know that tone. What do you have in mind?"
The Head Cheerio smiled sweetly but didn't respond. Instead, she leaned forward and pecked the Latina's lips then turned to the driver's seat to kiss the tall blonde's cheek.
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B
Hey. -Q
Rachel furrowed her brows as she stared at the screen of her phone. She contemplated on how she would comprehend on that one word message from the Head Cheerio.
Hello, Quinn. I hope you are having a nice evening. I'm sorry but I do believe you sent your message to the wrong person. -*R
It wasn't like Quinn to message her out of the blue. Before she could place the phone on her desk, believing that the blonde won't text back, she felt it vibrate on her hand.
You are Rachel Berry, right? -Q
Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline as she read the message. Indeed. Quinn Fabray just texted her.
No.
Rachel didn't know where the sudden playfulness came from but she couldn't help but smile at the idea of an irritated blonde on the other end.
Seriously? I have your number since fifth grade. Oh. And in case you didn't notice, you just signed your first text with '*R'. The rant was a dead giveaway too. -Q
Ignoring the other details, her heart swelled at the thought that although they had separated their ways, Quinn still kept her number.
That aside, to whom do I owe the pleasure of a text from Ms. Quinn Fabray? -*R
Huh. You make it sound special. How are you? -Q
Rachel purse her lips as she tried her best not to think too much of the message. The idea of Quinn texting her was surprising enough. And now, it seemed like she's actually trying to make a conversation.
It was just...mind-boggling.
I'm doing quite well. Thank you for asking. What about you? -*R
Good. Just having a movie night with B and S. -Q
Rachel couldn't help the hurt and jealousy she felt, remembering those days when she would spend the nights watching movies with the girls. The feeling of being left out was back all of a sudden.
I see. That's nice. Well, it's a school night. I'm about to go to sleep now. Good night Quinn. Send my regards to Santana and Brittany. Don't stay up so late. -*R
Without waiting for a reply, Rachel placed her phone on the stand, turned off the lights and pulled the covers over her body with a heavy heart, memories of the past overwhelming her not for the first time in two years.
-o-o-o-o-
Meanwhile, at the Fabray residence, the three girls were snuggling in Quinn's bed while watching Little Mermaid (Brittany's choice), peeking at Quinn's phone every now and then to read the diva's messages.
Santana groaned as she snatched the phone away from the Cheerio Captain.
"Q, baby, seriously. I love you and all, but I think you just killed your conversation with Rachel before it even started."
The shorter blonde frowned and rolled her eyes. She sighed in irritation, chastising herself for being careless. One thing she hated the most was when people point out her mistakes though.
"I know! It was a moment of temporary lapse of judgment. I wasn't thinking."
"Clearly."
Quinn scowled as she tried to snatch her phone back, but Brittany beat her to it and was now reading Rachel's last message.
"Aww. I think you just hurt her feelings, Quinn."
"You do realize that she used to be a part of these sleepovers, right? And now she's not anymore. And you just rubbed it on her face."
Normally, Quinn would have retorted to that. But the softness and the lack of ferocity in the Latina's voice stopped her. And she sighed in defeat.
"I know."
Their situation with Rachel hadn't improved at all. It's been weeks since they had any form of contact with the little diva. The three of them decided to back off a little bit while they think of a way to get to her without her getting freaked out. They realized that being nice all of a sudden would only cause her to get suspicious and question their motives.
They needed to earn her trust and they were moving in a slow, cautious manner. They were treading on thin ice. They had no idea what Rachel's thoughts were regarding their 'broken ties'. But based from their limited interactions with the diva, they were pretty sure she held some bitter feelings towards them. Something they couldn't blame the tiny diva for. Whenever they were around her, she would look at them with caution, watching them with skeptical eyes.
They were well aware of Rachel's forgiving nature, but she certainly wasn't stupid either.
Their first move was to call off the slushie attacks. Being the top bitches have its perks. That being said, they were never questioned with how they like to run things in their little kingdom.
At least not on their faces.
However, in order to avoid suspicions as much as possible, they had completely restricted the use of slushie facials to everybody, not just Rachel. Slushies were now under the category of PRN, meaning it would only be done if necessary. And by necessary, it meant only if it was ordered by the Unholy Trinity.
Santana and Quinn were still working on their attitudes towards the diva. They couldn't help but fall in to character of being tormentors whenever other people were watching, especially in school. It was something they had developed as a defense mechanism to protect their own relationship. It was the only way to stay on top. Be a bitch to everybody.
So far, they had not been successful if what happened at the park earlier was any indication. But in their defense, Puck was beginning to annoy the hell out of them.
Come to think of it, it was really funny how everyone would crumble on their feet as they march down the hallway of McKinley. And yet, behind the bitchy façade were three little girls who were afraid of being judged by those same people who were below them.
If only they were strong enough to stand on their own feet...
If only they didn't listen to the voices around them...
Maybe…Just maybe, they wouldn't have to lose the only person who had looked at them with nothing but love and sincerity in her brown, innocent eyes.
"So, is this your secret awesome plan of getting her to talk to you about who really beat her up? Sending her text messages?"
Quinn quirked her brow and smirked, "S, baby, I love you and all, but you seem to be forgetting the reason why I'm the Head Cheerio. This is just the start. I will find out who it is. And they better hope they don't go to McKinley because we will definitely make sure they will be the new outlets of frustrated jocks and cheerleaders."
"Mmhh. You're so hot when you go HBIC like that," Brittany murmured as she crawled on top of the shorter blonde.
"Yeah?" Quinn whispered in her husky voice, the smirk never leaving her lips as she placed both hands on Brittany's hips.
Brittany hummed silently, placing her hands on each side of her captain's head. Putting her weight on her arms, she leaned closer, her lips almost touching Quinn's.
Quinn bit her lower lips in anticipation. She gasped, her eyes closing involuntarily when she felt Brittany's tongue tracing her lips before crashing their lips in a hard passionate kiss. She couldn't help the soft moan that escaped her lips at the unexpected intensity of the kiss.
Santana turned her body sideways as she plopped on one elbow on the bed, resting her head on her palm, a shit eating grin on her face as she watched her hot blonde girlfriends make out in front of her. Just as she thought things couldn't get any better than this, she felt Quinn grabbed the back of her head for an earth shattering kiss that completely blew her mind.
Yes. They were terrified with the world outside their own little bubble. And yes, they would always have each other despite of that fear. And it should have been enough.
And yet, they couldn't ignore that one particular empty spot in their hearts that made them feel incomplete; a spot that could only be filled by one person.
And they would get her.
They would fucking have her no matter.
One thing the three of them have in common; they always get what they want. Always.
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B
Unlike her usual day, Rachel walked the halls of McKinley with her shoulders dropped and a frown on her face. Despite her best attempts to get enough rest yesterday, she failed horribly if the dark rings around her eyes were any indication. Puck wouldn't leave her alone. He was simply fascinated and determined with the idea of getting her a 'flaming hot' girlfriend.
Which was just ridiculous.
However, the exchange of messages with Quinn had triggered her to travel back to memory lane, despite her efforts to put it back to which ever part of her brain she had it buried a long time ago. That didn't work though. It kept her uncomfortable and restless all night. Many questions came rushing through her mind, questions that she had been asking herself for the past two years now.
What happened between them?
Had she done something wrong?
Would she be able to salvage their friendship if only she had fought for them instead of silently accepting defeat without a fight?
She never really did put up a fight. She just let them slip away or it was her who slipped away from them. She wasn't really sure anymore. The first sting of flavored ice on her face and the first verbal assault that had rolled over Quinn's tongue had left her feeling betrayed and angry and hurt, clouding her better judgment. She had never questioned them. No confrontations were made.
And when the anger and bitterness had subsided, that was when she began to think clearly. What happened that made their world turned upside down? She had anticipated, no, more like dreaded, changes in high school but she never thought it would severe their relationship this bad. She was expecting along the lines of being 'secret friends' or 'we can't be seen together in school because it would ruin the balance but you can still hang out with us outside of school and have sleepovers'.
But to totally cut off their ties and hurt her purposely? She never saw that one coming.
And she tried to be the better person through it all. She tried really hard to read between the lines, to see beyond their actions. And after two years, she still couldn't understand the girls' sudden change of hearts towards her. She was on the verge of giving up.
That was until last summer and the beginning of this school year happened. The girls were less vicious now. They were nice to her even, except for the random insults but nothing as aggressive as before. And for the past few weeks, Rachel's life had been peaceful with the lack of slushie attacks and verbal assaults from the trio.
Another mystery she needed to solve. The girls had gone from cold to hot and then cold again.
Ugh. Incoming migraine.
"Rachel!"
Fuck. Oops. She meant Puck.
"What do you want, Noah?" Rachel asked, not even trying to hide her irritation as she put books in her locker.
"So, listen, we had football practice this morning..." Puck began, completely ignoring the brunette's foul mood.
Rachel rolled her eyes, attempting to tune out whatever the boy was saying but the mention of certain Cheerios piqued her interest.
"I'm sorry?"
Puck frowned at her. "I said the girls came to me after football practice. They just barged in the boy's locker room. Really hot by the way. But when they got to me things went really crazy."
"What happened?"
"Well, they were all sweet and flirty at first and they completely ignored Sam and Finn. But then suddenly Quinn was asking me about what really happened to you and shit. That was when things got crazy as fucked when I didn't tell them anything. Santana and Quinn went batshit crazy, threatening me and all those crap. It was scary as hell, Rach. I barely made it out!"
Rachel stared at him blankly. And they said she's dramatic. "So, I guess it's safe to assume they didn't believe your crappy story yesterday? I'm not really surprised."
"They have this idea that it was impossible for me to actually hurt my Jewbro."
The diva chuckled as she looped her arm with Puck, leaning on him as they walk to class. "Of course. You are a softy when it comes to me."
Puck playfully glared at the tiny brunette. "That I am. But if you tell anyone that, I will deny it."
"I wonder why they are so concerned about what happened to me."
Puck shrugged. "No idea. But just to be safe, I am staying as far away from them as possible. Scary Quinn combined with feisty Santana is hot as hell. But it's not fun when they are after you. I didn't even know Brittany could actually pull off that kind of glare until I saw it today. It was creepy."
Oh you have no idea how scary Brittany could be.
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B
"Noah, what are you doing here?"
"Hiding."
"In the choir room?"
"Yeah. This is the least place they expected me to be."
"Who exactly?"
Puck groaned. "Your best friends. They've been hunting me all day."
Rachel looked skeptical as she sat at the piano bench beside her best friend who was holding his guitar. It was lunch time and she had been having a terrible day. She came to the choir room to eat her prepared lunch and was hoping to loosen up a bit by practicing. Maybe it would help her alleviate her migraine since the medication wasn't helping her.
"Why would they be hunting you?"
Puck shrugged. "I don't know. I think they're still hung up with the idea of someone hurting their little Rachel," he said in a teasing manner as he nudged Rachel.
"Ha ha. Hilarious."
Puck's brows knitted together as he looked at the tiny brunette in concern. "Didn't get much sleep?"
Rachel sighed and glanced at Puck apologetically. "You can say that. I had a really rough night and I am now suffering from a mild migraine, therefore prohibiting me from focusing on anything school related as well as placing me in a very foul mood. The looks I've been getting from everyone only made it worse for me. I forego applying make up to my injuries this morning since I feel too tired to even care. And now I regret doing just that. So, I do apologize if I'm anything but warm to you."
"Uh-huh."
"Found you!"
The duo jumped in surprise as an energetic blonde came bouncing in the room.
"Brittany!"
"Hey Rachie!" The tall blonde waved at the diva cheerfully then turned serious when she looked at the other occupant in the room. "Puck."
Puck surprisingly shivered at the tone in a way that he thought only Quinn could do. He recoiled at the sharp look he was receiving from the usually sweet blonde and scooted closer to the girl beside him.
Brittany held her phone towards her ear. "Choir room."
A few minutes later, another two scowling girls in red and black uniform came striding in the room. Quinn's and Santana's face softened when they saw the girl sitting beside Puck.
"Rachel. I didn't expect to see you here."
"Really?" Rachel looked at the Head Cheerios in disbelief.
Quinn chucked as she realized what she just said. "Right. Of course. We were actually looking for Puck."
The mohawk boy shifted from his seat, getting uncomfortable with the looks he was getting from the cheerleaders.
"So I've heard," Rachel said in a calm manner as she placed a comforting hand on Puck's thigh. "However, we are currently in the middle of practicing our duet for our next meeting in Glee. Right, Noah?"
"Uh...Yeah. We're busy with Glee stuff."
An idea struck Rachel. "You should come. You girls have beautiful voices and very good dancers. You should make use of it other than cheering. I'm sure you can reach your maximum potential if you do both."
"As if," Puck mumbled to himself but the glare he got from the girls proved that they had heard him.
Quinn shared a look with the other two girls. And a decision was made. "Yeah. Maybe we will."
Rachel beamed and her headache was forgotten. "Great! Glee club will be meeting tomorrow after school. I'll see you guys there."
The smile that made way on the diva's face was enough to convince the trio. They were definitely joining Glee club now.
High school hierarchy be damned.
As they made their exit, Brittany looked over her shoulders, narrowing her eyes on the boy with a Mohawk. "I'll see you at the field after school, Puckerman."
And the duo was left alone again in the choir room.
"Santana and Quinn were definitely rubbing off on her."
Rachel stared at him. "You think?"
Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B/Q/R/S/B
"Are we really joining Glee?" Santana asked as they made their way towards their lockers.
"I really don't want to disappoint Rachie."
"Q?"
Quinn sighed. This was a good opportunity for them to get closer to Rachel though. If they joined Glee, they would now have a common ground that would connect them with the diva. Why didn't they think of that before?
Oh yeah. Coach Sylvester loathed Glee club.
But Rachel...
"Yes. We are, S."
"Yay!" Brittany cheered as she enveloped her girlfriends in a bone crushing hug before turning her attention to her locker.
"Q, you know Coach will throw a fit if she finds out, right?"
Quinn smirked as an idea struck her. "Not if we tell her what she wanted to hear."
Santana crossed her arms and a fine eyebrow quirked at the amusing tone of the blonde Cheerio's voice. "Oh? And what do you have in mind, dear Captain?"
-o-o-o-o-
Author's Note:
Sorry for not updating for a while. I got distracted with my newly found obsession with post-Apocalyptic Glee fics with Faberry/Brittana theme. Meh.
Anyway, I'm not really that happy with this chapter. Not much happened here. A lot of Puckleberry bromance though. I'm suffering from major writer's block and I've been stuck in this chapter for days now. I still went through with this though in hopes that it would help me keep writing. And maybe get me in the mood.
Thank you for your reviews and the support. I appreciate your effort to spend a few minutes to express your opinions for this fic. I will keep them in mind for future reference. And yes, I will still go for how ever I visualize this fic to be while throwing in some of your ideas here and there. If you see any errors, I'm sorry about them. I wrote this with my mind floating in space so I'm not quite sure how this chapter went.
Let me know what you think?
