A/N: I can't believe the response to this story! Thank you :) It appears you are all enjoying this as much as I love writing it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee
Quinn got dressed in her favorite dress before meticulously fixing her hair and makeup. When she came down the stairs at 6:50, Fran raised an eyebrow.
"Where are you off to looking like that?"
Quinn nervously looked down at her little back dress before glancing back up at Fran. "A party. How do I look?"
"A party Quinn?"
"I'm not drinking, I promise." Quinn hissed.
"Fine. Whatever."
"Finn should be here any minute so can you…"
"Finn?" Fran narrowed her eyes. "I didn't think you even liked Finn that much."
"Believe me, I don't like Finn."
Fran's frown deepened. "Then why are you leading him on?"
"I'm not leading him on." Quinn replied with confusion.
Fran gestured at the dress. "You don't get dressed up like that for someone you're not interested in. So, if there's someone else then why go to the party with Finn at all?"
Quinn sighed. "It's complicated."
Fran rolled her eyes. "Uncomplicate it for me, you have five minutes."
"Finn asked me, otherwise I wouldn't be able to have gone and I really just want to spend time with…someone."
Fran nodded. "A petite brunette…girl, perhaps." She said with a smirk as she noticed Quinn's face redden.
"Rachel and I are just friends."
"Yup. I get dressed up like that for all of my friends too." Fran teased.
"Shut up."
"Look, I don't care one way or another. You're the happiest I've seen you since you moved in with us. And I just want you happy, sis."
"And I appreciate that."
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Quinn ditched Finn almost as soon as they got to the party. She wandered around looking for Rachel. Instead, she found Santana.
"Wow, you clean up nice Q." Santana slurred, already a bit buzzed.
Quinn took in theLatina's appearance. She was wearing a skin tight red dress that showed off her ample cleavage. "Thanks Santana, so do you."
"Please, I know I look fine so you might as well say it."
Quinn rolled her eyes and smiled at the girl. Over the past week, she had become quite close to theLatina. They shared several classes together and talked at lunch as well.
"Why are you dating Finnept?"
"Finn?" Quinn narrowed her eyes. "I'm not dating Finn."
"Everyone in the school seems to think you are."
"Really? We went on one date. And it wasn't even that great." Quinn mused.
Santana raised an eyebrow. "Flowers and a picnic weren't romantic enough for you, Q-ball?"
"It's not that. It just didn't seem…he was considerate and thoughtful enough to do that for me and yet he didn't even open the car door. It shouldn't bother me, but…"
Santana burst out laughing. "You really think that the flowers and picnic were Finn's idea?"
Quinn stared at Santana in confusion. Thankfully they were interrupted byBrittanyattacking Santana from behind. Quinn averted her eyes as the two began heavily making out. She couldn't be sure how long she stood there but she hadn't found Rachel, so she had nowhere else to go. Finally, Santana tore herself away fromBrittany.
"Britts, Q and I have been talking about how the whole school assumes that she's dating Finn."
Brittanyfrowned. "I thought you liked Rachel?"
Quinn looked around the room nervously, hoping no one heardBrittany. "Why would you think that?"
"Don't you?"Brittanywas confused.
"Of course she does." Santana replied, kissingBrittany's cheek. "I'm guessing Rachel likes you too, but with you being Finn's girl she isn't going to go after you."
"I'm not Finn's girl."
"I'm willing to bet that she picked out the flowers and packed the picnic."
"Why would she do that if she likes me?" Quinn asked with a frown.
Santana shrugged.
"Hey, did you know that each flower means something different. San and I watched a movie and the girl who owned a flower shop said that every flower has a different meaning."Brittanystated.
Santana's lips quirked into a dark smirk as she spoke. "If you want my advice, look up the meaning of the flower Finn gave you. I'll bet you find out how Rachel really feels about you."
Santana slipped her hand inBrittany's and led the tall blonde upstairs. Quinn watched them go a she tried to process what they told her. First of all, was she so obvious that people could blatantly see that she was interested in Rachel? How could they know when she only realized it herself recently? Second, she had to find Finn and let him know that they weren't a couple. Third, she had to find Rachel.
Quinn started wandering around the house, waving to Mike who was dancing with Tina and smiling at Sam who was hitting on a redhead. Upon coming up empty in her search she decided that she needed air and walked outside. When she was out the door, she saw Rachel and Harmony kissing. Her mouth went dry and her heart clenched. "Sorry." She mumbled before turning around.
Rachel pulled away from Harmony quickly. "Quinn?" She said, further distancing herself from Harmony. "Please don't tell Finn."
Quinn stopped walking and turned toward Rachel. "Why would I…you mean, Finn doesn't know your gay?" She whispered the last word causing Rachel and Harmony to roll their eyes.
"I'll talk to you later." Harmony excused herself, glaring at Quinn as she walked passed her.
"I don't subscribe to labels Quinn. I simply fall for the person not the gender."
Quinn nodded absentmindedly. Rachel stepped closer, looking Quinn up and down. "You look beautiful, Quinn."
The blonde scoffed. She liked that Rachel thought so, but she was still upset with what she saw Rachel doing with Harmony.
"Anyway, Finn doesn't do well with me dating. He seems to think I'm still a little girl." Rachel playfully glared at Quinn when she caught the girl smirking. "I know I'm short Quinn, no need to mock me."
"I didn't say anything."
"You didn't have to." Rachel sighed and turned away from the blonde. "Will you walk with me?"
Quinn raised an eyebrow but followed Rachel as she navigated around the empty cups and beer cans thrown around the back yard. Rachel came to a stop at an old rickety swing set and sat down on one of the swings, Quinn copied the action.
"Finn has a way with scaring away all of my boyfriends."
"All?" Quinn swallowed thickly.
Rachel laughed out loud. "Geez, Quinn, way to make me sound like a slut."
Quinn looked down at the ground as Rachel continued her story. "And maybe it's a good thing…sometimes, like when Jesse St. James broke my heart and Finn and Noah slashed his tires."
Quinn chuckled at the image. "Jesse's an ass."
"You didn't even know him."
"He broke your heart, what else do I need to know?" Quinn replied. "Who's Noah?"
"Puck." Rachel answered as she watched the blonde closely. "One time when Sam tried to ask me out, Finn threatened to burn his comic collection. Needless to say, I haven't had many people pursue me. I mean, Noah kissed me in fourth grade and Finn gave him a black eye. And Santana kissed me in a game of spin the bottle and Finn went ballistic. He says that he is protecting me and that he just can't stand the thought of me with someone like that. Of course I called him a perv and told him that he shouldn't picture me like that…"
Quinn giggled. "How'd he take you calling him a perv?"
Rachel rolled her eyes. "He realized he was being stupid and stopped openly threatening people on my behalf, but he doesn't have to say anything. Harmony's terrified of his reputation when it comes to defending my 'honor.'" Rachel air quoted the last word as she huffed.
"Maybe you just need to meet someone who isn't scared of him, someone who'll fight for your 'honor' and your heart." Quinn air quoted the same word just to make Rachel smile. "So, your not telling him about Harmony has nothing to do with her being a girl?"
"I honestly think that he'd take my being with a girl better than me dating boys, but Harmony's not ready to…fight for me yet." Rachel admitted sadly.
"How long have you two been together?"
"I don't even know if we're officially together. Besides you, Kurt and Santana I don't think anyone else knows about us."
Quinn nodded. "Are you and Santana close?"
"She'll deny it till her death, but I know she has a soft spot for me."
Quinn clenched her jaw tightly. "Besides the spin the bottle kiss, have you two ever…dated?"
"Santana doesn't date. She sleeps around. Mostly withBrittany." Her eyes went wide. "Please don't say anything; I wasn't supposed to tell anyone."
"I already knew, I actually think they're upstairs in Puck's room having sex as we speak."
"So you can talk about sex but you have to whisper the word gay. Does the thought offend you that badly?"
Quinn raised an eyebrow. "You have no idea how wrong you are with that statement."
"Then why can't you say it?"
"Gay. See look, I said it." Quinn teased.
Rachel rolled her eyes. "Are you happy with Finn?" Rachel asked suddenly into the silence.
Quinn choked as her eyes widened. "I'm not with Finn."
Rachel stopped swinging and faced Quinn, studying her closely. "He thinks you are." She sighed. "I think he thinks you're the one."
Quinn laughed humorlessly. "We went on one date, Rach, he can't possibly think that."
"You've never felt something for someone that was so strong you couldn't begin to understand it?"
Quinn swallowed slowly. "I have."
"Then how do you know that Finn doesn't feel that way about you?"
"It doesn't matter how he feels about me if I don't feel that way about him."
Rachel frowned. "Then why are you leading him on?"
"I didn't know he felt that way about me. I wouldn't have gone out with him if I had known."
Rachel nodded but remained silent.
"Why did you help him?" Quinn asked nervously.
Rachel's head shot up and she stared at Quinn with an unreadable expression. "What do you mean?"
"I know that Finn didn't plan the date. You did."
"Rachel!" Puck called from the kitchen doorway. "You need to take Finn home, he's wasted and I think he's getting sick."
Rachel sighed. She stood up and looked down at Quinn. "I don't know why he was drinking tonight if he knew he had to take you home."
Quinn grinned. "So, does that mean that you're driving me home instead?"
"I guess so." She reached out and held Quinn's hand, pulling the blonde off the swing. "Sorry he ruined your evening."
"He didn't." Quinn replied honestly as she and Rachel walked hand in hand back to Puck's house.
Rachel let go of Quinn's hand when they stepped through the kitchen door, and she shook her head when she saw Puck holding Finn up.
"I'll take him to the car." Puck told them as the girls followed behind him in silence.
Finn was walking on his own by the time they got out of Puck's house and assured the Mohawked boy that he was fine. Puck glanced at Rachel who nodded and mouthed a 'thank you' then he retreated back inside.
Finn crawled into the passenger side door and Rachel rolled her eyes. "I guess chivalry is dead." Rachel mumbled to Quinn. "Sorry he didn't let you have shotgun, I thought I had him housebroken."
Quinn giggled at the image of Rachel controlling the boy who was twice her size. She stopped in her tracks when she realized they were at the car and Rachel had opened the door for her.
"Thank you." Quinn replied as she climbed in. "I guess chivalry isn't dead."
She noticed Rachel blush as the brunette shut the door and climbed in the driver's seat. The car ride back to Quinn's house was in silence, but it was comfortable.
When Rachel parked the car and shut off the engine, she turned to Finn and whispered. "Hey idiot, get up and walk Quinn to the door."
"Rachie, I don't feel so good."
Rachel huffed loudly. "You're an ass." She was startled by Quinn laughing loudly.
"You do realize that I can hear you, right?" Quinn teased.
Rachel spun around and faced Quinn, her eyes wide and her face crimson. "Sorry."
She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out of the car, then opened the back door for Quinn. Quinn grinned at the gesture and allowed Rachel to walk her to the door. Rachel's hand was resting on Quinn's lower back, and the touch was intimate in a way that their holding hands wasn't. Quinn enjoyed the warmth of Rachel's hand on her body.
When they got to door, they stood awkwardly on the front step for a few minutes.
"I helped Finn because he really liked you and…" Rachel slowly let her eyes meet Quinn's. "I thought you deserved a fairytale…your very own Prince Charming."
At Rachel's words, both she and Quinn glanced back at the car and saw Finn stick his head out the window and throw up in the driveway. Rachel winced before meeting Quinn's eyes again. "I promise I'll come in the morning and clean that up. Apologize to Fran and Eli for me."
Quinn smiled at Rachel's thoughtfulness. "I had a really great time tonight."
"So did I. I'm glad you convinced me to go." Rachel smiled. "I have to admit that I was worried that you'd have spent the entire night hanging all over Finn."
Quinn beamed inwardly at the jealousy lacing Rachel's words. She was leaning in and kissing Rachel's cheek before she could stop herself. When she pulled away and saw the shock on Rachel's face, she hurried inside without a goodbye.
As soon as she was in the house, she came face to face with a smirking Fran and Eli. "Don't say anything." Quinn muttered as she escaped up the stairs.
The first thing Quinn did when she was alone in her room was turn her laptop on and scan the internet for flowers and their meanings. When she came across the meaning of the gardenia, she smiled widely. As she turned her computer back of, she bit her lip at the thought that Rachel may feel the same way as she did about the brunette. The gardenia meant secret love and Quinn was ecstatic at the possibilities that suddenly were in front of her.
When she readied herself for bed, she fought the urge to send a text Rachel. She came so close to kissing the girl that she was having trouble breathing. Why did things have to be so complicated? She collapsed on her bed with a sigh. Finn wasn't the one between them anymore, now she had to get rid of Harmony…
