Author's note: Crap loads of faberry in this chapter! Thank you so much for checking this out, and as always, so sorry for all the mistakes!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything.
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I.
The sound of the bell ringing over the door, signaling that a customer had just entered, causes her to look up from the graphic novel she had been devouring. Her brain short circuited - brown doe like eyes glazed over, mouth breaking out into what was undoubtedly the goofiest looking grin man kind had ever seen - as she caught sight of Quinn Fabray walking into the Lima Bean carrying her school messenger bag.
'Blurgghh...' Rachel couldn't even think real words, let alone say them as she gaped silently at the sight of the girl, shoulders slumping dazedly as she took in the other girl's stunning appearance.
Just when she thought that Quinn couldn't possibly be more beautiful...
The blonde was wearing a simple light pink sundress with a lacy white cardigan over it, her hair was out of that tight pony tail, instead it cascaded down just past her shoulders in gentle waves, framing her chiseled features perfectly.
Oh, dear Barbra, was she drooling?
Quickly bringing a hand up, she wiped blindly at her chin, sighing in relief when she didn't feel any wetness.
That would've been sooo embarra-
"You look lost."
Letting out squeak in surprise, Rachel nearly falls out of her seat. She slaps a hand over her mouth and immediately flushes crimson red as she looked up and saw a bespectacled chestnut haired girl smiling down at her in amusement.
"I- um- oh, my goodness," the football mumbled to herself, nervously sitting up straighter and fumbling with the sleeves of her letterman jacket. It came in the mail yesterday morning and she was ecstatic to be wearing it on her study da- ahem...um, study session with Quinn. She was hoping it would impress the girl. It certainly impressed the Evans siblings when she stopped by for a pep talk before driving over to the cafe.
But then again, the blonde trio did spend a huge chunk of their time watching cat videos on her phone...
"Are you okay?" The other girl's smile grew wider as she watched the sitting girl sputter nervously.
Nodding sheepishly, Rachel clears her throat before responding. "Fine, um, just a bit embarrassed, but it's really nothing new."
She giggled softly, placing a hand on top of Rachel's Superman notebook as she leaned closer to the football player. "Sorry, um, I just noticed the issue you're reading," she gestures to the reading material in Rachel's hand with a quiet smile, "-it's just one of my favorites."
"Y-you've read 'Castle Waiting'?"
The glasses clad girl grins and Rachel couldn't help but notice how deep the other girl's dimples were. "In my opinion, it's one of the best graphic novels of all time."
"That's what I always say!" Rachel looks up at the girl with a beaming smile. "It's so nice to meet someone with excellent literally taste!"
"Am I interrupting something?"
"Quinn," the half back breathed out from her seat as the cheerleader approached the table, clutching a tall coffee cup with both hands. She tries to keep her face from looking like that of a lovesick puppy's when Quinn gives her a brief smile in acknowledgment, before the blonde turns back to the other girl standing, her expression turning cold.
"Hi," Quinn clipped tightly, hazel eyes roaming subtly over the other girl, judging her.
Rachel frowned in confusion at the affronted look on her dream girl's face.
"Oh, my gosh." The chestnut haired girl gasped out. "Quinn Fabray," she says with a flustered pitch in her tone.
Quinn sets down her cup on the table and manages to glare down at the slightly taller girl. "Do I know you?" The blonde stands up straighter, placing her hands on her hips, taking on her HBIC stance.
Breaking out of her flabbergasted trance, the girl responds hastily. "I go to McKinley, too. I'm on the golf team."
"Of course you are." Quinn states with an eye roll. "Look, if you don't mind, Rachel's supposed to be tutoring me right now, so I'd really appreciate it if you'd leave her alone."
If Rachel was a more perceptive person, she would have noticed the way Quinn's words held a certain hint of possessiveness to them, or the way her hands balled up into tight fists by her sides.
"I'll see you around, Rachel." The girl mutters softly, her gaze focused on the football player's form, a light pink hue dusting her cheeks.
"Uh, okay," the half back mumbles, befuddled at the way the girl was acting towards her. It almost seemed like she had a- a crush on her-
-which was just...
Too insane to think about.
As the girl hastily made her exit, Quinn clenched her jaw tightly as she stared coldly at the girl's back, her glare never faltering till the bespectacled girl was completely out of sight.
All the while, Rachel's still caught up in her thoughts, wondering why the hell that girl was looking at her that way.
Quinn huffs out a breath and sits down on the seat in front of her. "What was that?" Hazel eyes narrow dangerously.
"What was what?" Rachel blinks up innocently at the blonde as she opened up her chemistry book.
"That." Quinn gestures in the direction the golfer left in. "Who was that girl, Rachel?"
With a flustered shrug, the football player glanced down bashfully at her textbook. "I'm not really sure, Quinn. I've never met her before until just right now, but she seemed really... nice," Rachel answers obliviously, still looking down, and missing the afflicted look that passed over the blonde's face. "Are you ready to get started, Quinn?" She asks politely, gesturing to the learning materials spread across the small table.
When the blonde gives her a small nod, she immediately launches into the topic.
She occasionally glances down at her notes as she begins to lecture on about the fundamental properties of matter and the interactions between matter and energy. Quinn doesn't seem to have any trouble at all understanding the subject, Rachel muses as she takes subtle glances at the blonde whenever the cheerio took sips of her coffee.
An hour into it and the tiny half back has completely gone off topic, now ranting about Gödel's incompleteness theorems, Antimatter Retrocausality, and Cosmic Strings. She pauses to catch her breath, grinning giddily to herself; she was practically bouncing in her seat in excitement.
"You are such a dork," Quinn murmurs, biting her lower lip gently, as she looks at Rachel through half lidded eyes.
Her grin disappears as she tugs self-consciously at her red bow tie. "I- I apologize for getting off topic, Quinn," she says, face turning hot. "Um, ahem, where were we?" She mutters to herself, grabbing her notebook and hurriedly flipping through the pages. "I believe we were talking about the different forms of matter, or did we perhaps skip right to-"
"Rachel," Quinn brings down the notebook, revealing the half back's blushing face, and catches the girl's eyes. "I didn't mean that in a bad way."
"You didn't?" she asks, eyes widening in pleasant shock.
"Not at all..."The blonde glances away for a moment before looking back at her with an apologetic expression. "I...I'm sorry, Rachel."
The football player places her notebook down on the table and folds her hands atop it, tilting her head in confusion. "For what, Quinn? Are you, I mean, do you want this to be over already? Because we've barely gone over-"
She effectively shuts up when Quinn brings a hand down to rest on hers. "I meant for the way I acted this past week, especially when you tried to talk to me on Monday."
"You don't have to apologize to me, Quinn," Rachel replies, eyes fluttering as dopey looking smile appeared on her face. "It's okay."
"It's not." Quinn asserted with a frown. "I shouldn't of said the things I did. I may not know you that well, but I do know you." She takes her hand off of the football player's and playfully starts to count down. "I know that you're a really good friend... that you're good in school...and that you like to match your bow tie's with your socks," her lips quirk as she glances at the shorter girl's bright red striped socks, peeking out from her rolled up khakis.
Rachel tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear shyly. "If you don't mind me asking...w-why did you say those things?"
"I guess I was upset," Quinn states after a significant pause.
"Upset about what?" Rachel questions gently, not wanting to pressure the girl into telling anything she didn't want to.
Quinn falters, biting her lip in hesitation. "About...Puck- you know, with him going to Juvie," She winces as she soon as she says this. "I was upset about Puck," she repeats, as if to convince herself as well.
With a nod of understanding, Rachel grabs her text book and tries to hide her disappointment by babbling about chemistry, once more.
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It was almost dark out when they've finished going over all of Rachel's main bullet points, they pack up their stuff and exit the shop.
The football player instantly notices the way the other girl shivers from the coolness of the setting sun hits them. She takes off her letterman and shyly offers it to the girl.
"Here, Quinn," she says with quiet smile.
"I'm fine." Quinn shakes her head, as they walk towards their cars. "I'm not that cold," she says through gritted teeth.
"I'm wearing a long sleeved button up and khakis, and even then I'm still a bit chilly. You're wearing a dress." Rachel insists, "Take it, please." When Quinn makes no move to take the letterman, she puffs out a deep breath to calm her nerves, boldly steps in front of the blonde, stands on the tips of her toes, and wraps the jacket around the girl's shoulders. She fiddles nervously with the collars of her letterman, before taking a substantial step back from the head cheerleader, ducking her head to avoid seeing Quinn's reaction.
"...thanks," Quinn murmurs gently.
Rachel looks up at the prettiest girl in the world with a goofy beaming grin. She takes in the girl's red cheeks -flushed from the cold, she's guessing- and mentally pats herself on the back. "Not a problem at all, Quinn."
The football player notes how well her letterman fits the other girl - it was a little big for her - but it looked perfect on the blonde.
But then again, Quinn could be wearing freakin' crocs and make it work.
When they get to the blonde's car, Rachel quickly brings up a hand to stop the other girl from taking off the jacket wrapped around her. "Keep it. It's cold out tonight and I would hate for you to get sick. God knows Sue Sylvester would have me kidnapped and tortured if she finds out - which I have no doubt that she will - that I'm the reason her head cheerio has a stuffy nose," she says in one breath.
"You talk too much," Quinn quirks up a brow in amusement.
Rachel blushes hotly, "I-I tend to do that when I'm nervous."
"I make you nervous, Rachel?" the blonde rasps out as she opens her car door, not witnessing the way the dorky brunette's eyes comically widens.
"I-I-well, I just, you're Quinn Fabray," she stutters out, "You're the-," girl of my dreams, the reason why I joined the football team, the girl I'd do anything for, the most interesting, prettiest, most precious thing I've ever laid eyes upon, "-um, the well most known girl in school and I...I own a ridiculous amount of bow-ties and suspenders.
"That you like to color coordinate with your socks," the blonde quips, smirking widely at the flustered half back.
"Yes, that as well," the halfback mumbles, fiddling with her bow-tie. "It's intimidating to be in your presence."
"Don't be scared of me, Rachel." Quinn smiles charmingly, laying a hand on the shorter girl's shoulder. "I-um," she clears her throat, "do you think I'm prepared enough to do well on that test?" she asks, her hand brushing against Rachel's arm as she takes her hand back.
"You're a brilliant girl, Quinn." the football player chokes out, arm tingling from the blonde's touch. "Beautiful and smart! I'm confident that y-you'll do great!"
The cheerleader bites her lower lip to prevent the grin that was threatening to get out. "I'll see you at school?" Quinn questions as she gets into her car.
She nods her head up and down widely. "Not if I see you first." As soon as the words leave her mouth, Rachel gives herself an internal face palm.
Oh, my god.
Who says that!
I'm hopeless.
"Okaay, um," the blonde chuckles lowly, eyes fluttering. "Bye, Rachel."
"Goodnight, Quinn." Rachel manages to pull herself together enough to offer the gorgeous girl her signature dorky smile. "And if-if you ever do horribly on another one of your tests, although that event seems highly unlike-"
"I'll be sure to come to you."
Rachel watches the girl drive away and wonders if the rapid pace of her heart would ever return to normal.
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II.
"And then she said 'Bye, Rachel," the half back lowers her registers and husks out the words in an attempt to emulate Quinn's raw sexual magnetism. "She said it just like that, but way sexier."
"Dude," Sam breathed out, "then what did you say?"
"Well, of course, being the utterly charming gentlewoman that I am-"
Finn chuckles at that, earning himself a glare. "Uh, sorry, Rach."
"May I please continue my-"
"Move outta the way!"
A big bodied mass pushes Rachel aside, against the lockers, as he and a gaggle of his cronies made their way down the hallway, each clutching a large cup of slushy in their disgustingly meaty paws. Chocolate colored eyes narrowed in on the boys as they barreled their way through people, heading towards their designated target-
Kurt.
The football player gasps in alarm. Using her speed, Rachel rushes past bewildered students, Sam and Finn following closely behind her.
As she nears the circle of letterman clad boys, she hears the distress in the fashionable boy's voice. "Please, not today! This is a brand new Marc Jacobs coat!"
"Hey, back off!" She yells out, shoving her way past her teammates to stand in protectively in front of a frightened looking Kurt. "Who told you to do this?" She asks demandingly.
Karofsky scoffs harshly. "No one had to tell us to do anything, Berry. The kid's a fruit and it bothers me to look at him."
"You don't touch him," Rachel scowls. A crowd begins to gather around the football players, and she idly wonders just why she always manages to find herself in these situations.
"You can't tell us what do, geek!" Azimio bellows out.
Puffing out a breath, she glares back defiantly at the bullies. "No, I cannot, however, Coach Bieste certainly can. And I'm sure that once I inform her of your homophobic bullying of this helpless creature," she gestures to Kurt, much to his horror and amusement, "that she'll see to it that you idiotic hoodlums be banned from playing at our next game."
Karofsky huffs, clutching the cup tighter, causing slushy to spill over the rim. "You're dead, freak," he growls at her face.
"You don't scare me, David," she states calmly.
The boy throws the cup angrily on the floor, storming away with his group of followers trailing behind him.
Rachel turns to the overly coiffed boy and looks at him with concern. "Are you alright, Kurt?"
"Rachel, you just saved my outfit from going in the trash," he announces with awe. "I think I'm starting to see you in a whole new light...I'm suddenly no longer horrified by your fashion choices," he grins, eyes sweeping over her outfit. "Actually, on second thought..." Kurt trails off, face scrunching in disgust as he eyed her embroidered baby blue sweater. "What is that thing?"
"It's a baby seal, Kurt. My Nana made me this sweater. It's quite adorable."
"Oh, dear lo-"
"That was kick ass, bro!" Sam beams as he wraps an arm around the half back's shoulder.
Finn came up beside them, grinning widely. He offers Rachel a fist bump. "I didn't understand half the things you said to that jackass, but that was epic!"
"Seems like we're not the only ones impressed," Kurt mumbles to himself, smirking widely. Across the hallway, a flustered looking Quinn stared unabashedly the tiny football player, while Santana and Brittany smirked coquettishly from either side of her as they too eyed the tiny football player.
As the late bell rang, Rachel waved goodbye to her friends - god, did it felt good to say that! - and made her way to her first class of the day, oblivious to the lingering stares tossed her way.
.
During their shared lunch period, Rachel sat across from Finn and Sam in the courtyard as their peers mingled around them, all sectioned off with their respective 'cliques'. The football player cleared her throat and knocked tiny her gavel on the table twice. "I hereby declare this meeting of the comic book club in session. First order of business," she pauses dramatically, "...attendance!"
"Rach, it's just us," Finn mumbles around his mouth full of fries, looking around sheepishly.
"Shh, Finn, please," she chastises, sitting up straighter. "President and founder, Rachel Berry?" The half back announces, "Here!" Her voice attracts the attention of some of the other kids, all turning to briefly snicker at the trio, but mostly at their ridiculous self appointed leader.
"Dude, really?" Sam groans in exasperation, turning red at the unwanted attention they were getting. "Do we really have to do this every time?"
"Vice president and co-founder, Sam Evans," she goes on, ignoring the boy's grumbling. "Sam Evans? Are you here, Sam Ev-'
"Here, Jesus, here!" The big lipped blonde exclaims, rubbing a hand over his face.
"First recruitment of the year and treasurer, Finn Hudson?"
"Present!" The tall boy yelps as the girl turns to him with those Bambi eyes of hers.
The half back grins widely at the two disgruntled looking boys. "Now, on to-"
"Rachel?"
The girl furrows her brows in confusion and raps her gavel on the table, twice more. "We will recommence after I take care of this mild abstraction."
Who could possibly be interrupting their meeting right now?
Dimples, glasses, chestnut hair, and blue eyes.
Coffee shop girl.
"Hey," the standing girl greets with a shy smile.
"Who are you?" Finn blurts out, slurping on his soda loudly.
"Um, please excuse my friend," Rachel eyes the towering boy with mild disgust. "He lacks any form of tact."
"It's okay." The girl states, gaze still focused on the halfback. "My name's Jess," the girl says, giving the two boys a nod in acknowledgement before turning her attention back to Rachel.
"Nice to finally know your name," the tiny brunette grins, offering the girl a friendly fist bump.
Jess giggles, a pink hue tinting the top of her cheeks.
Sam's brows shoot up in mild interest. "Soooo, um, this is getting kinda weird for me," the blonde boy announces, standing up with his tray. "I'm gonna go grab some more fries."
"I'll come with you, man!" Finn squints at Jess as when he passes her, following the big lipped boy.
Rachel glares at her friends' retreating backs in bewilderment. "Sorry about them. "
The girl merely shrugs and plops down on the seat next to the football player. "I came here to talk to you, anyways."
"What did you want to talk to me about?"
"Some of the girls on the golf team wanted me to ask you for your phone number," Jess rushes out, biting her lip bashfully. "They think you're really cute."
What?
What?
"What?" 'Some girls think I'm cute?' Rachel thought to herself, mind boggled beyond all reason.
"This is so embarrassing," the blue eyed girl mutters.
Blinking rapidly back into reality, Rachel shakes her head. "I-I'm sorry, but I can't give you my number."
"Why not?"
Because I will only ever want Quinn Fabray.
"I have way too many extracurricular activities to focus on to invest any amount of time on my love life," she states, grabbing her gavel from the table and getting up. "I'm sorry, Jess."
.
Still in a daze from the events at lunch, Rachel ambled over to her locker to dispose of her trusty gavel and grab her books for next period. Clutching her things tightly against her chest, she leans her back on her locker and sighs as she closes her eyes, waiting for the hallways to slowly clear up before making her way to class. No matter how strong and agile she was, weaving her way through the throngs of sweaty bodies leaking with repugnant odors was a challenge she rarely accepted.
"Hey."
Rachel reflexively smiles at the sound of Quinn's voice, she opens her eyes and melts when she sees the girl standing in front of her, holding out her neatly folded letterman. "Good afternoon, Quinn."
"Thanks again," the cheerleader says as she hands the girl her letterman. "For the jacket and the free tutoring."
"I'd be happy to help you any time at all," Rachel replies politely, grinning up at the girl.
Quinn eyes her for a moment, before letting out a low chuckle. "You are so..." she trails off with a small shake of her head.
"So what, Quinn?"
"...nothing, Rachel," the blonde says as she quickly looked away, clearing her throat.
"Q, stop making out with Berry," Santana barks out as her and Brittany strutted their way down the hallway. "We gots to go to class."
"You guys can get frisky later," Brittany adds, winking salaciously at the pair.
Ducking her head in embarrassment over the Latina's brazenly crude words, Rachel keeps her gaze on the floor, oblivious to the blushing blonde in front of her.
"I, um, I'll see you later, Rachel" Quinn mutters, hastily stepping away from the flushed football player.
Rachel slumps against her locker, not paying even the slightest bit of attention as the tardy bell rang, too caught up in Santana's words.
Or rather, the imagery that came with it.
.
Making out with Quinn Fabray.
Their tongues tangling together as their mouths meet one another over and over again. Hands on hair, necks, backs, pulling each other closer, always closer...
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"Get to class!" Sue Sylvester's horrifying voice, amplified by her megaphone snaps her out of the most heavenly image of Quinn's body on top of hers as they lay tangled a top- "Do I have to repeat myself! Does the size of your nose make it hard for you to hear, Streisand? Get out my sight before I subject you to a random act of chaos and terror!"
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Review? :)
