AN: Chapter Fifteen is on its way and will be longer than this one.
Review if you can. :)
For the song, what Rachel sings is in italics, Quinn is in bold. When they sing together it is in bold and italics.
Enjoy,
Fabraygron. :)
"You have to knead it, Quinn." Rachel sighed for the fourth time.
"I am!"
"No you're not."
"Well show me how it's done then," Quinn replied. Rachel moved behind her and placed her hands on top of her girlfriend's. She picked them up gently and began moving the dough roughly, shaping it as their hands moved.
"That is exactly what I was doing," Quinn argued when Rachel let her hands go and the blonde continued kneading the dough.
"No you weren't. Trust me if that's how you handle dough I don't want to think about how you handle other things," Rachel said suggestively causing Quinn to stop dead.
"Rach," Quinn spluttered. Her mouth had suddenly gone dry. She wasn't expecting that to come out of the diva's mouth, ever.
"Joking," Rachel laughed wishing the blonde would turn around so she could see the profuse blush on her face.
"Mhm." Quinn said before returning to her dough as she tried to rid the thoughts of a semi-naked Rachel from her brain.
"Quinn, I think the dough's done." Rachel noted as she moved to look over her shoulder. She took the dough off of Quinn and placed it back in the mixing bowl, placing a clean towel over it. She moved around the blonde's dorm kitchen like she was back at her own apartment. Quinn looked on with amazement. This definitely wasn't the same girl who left Lima two months ago.
"Now that the dough is rising, I'm going to make the sauce; I'll blend these tomatoes and add it to a pan to heat up. The heat from the stove will help the dough rise too." Rachel explained dragging Quinn from her thoughts. The way Rachel was explaining it was if she was speaking to a camera and an audience. Quinn imagined it there and then 'Cooking with Rachel Berry' or something with a pun in the title. Quinn's imagination then went even further imagining the kitchen as one in their very first apartment that they'd bought together, Rachel moving effortlessly cooking them dinner all the while listening intently to Quinn's recount of her day on set of some low budget movie. It was weird that although they'd only been together for a couple of weeks now, she was imagining a future that was further in advance than who would visit who next.
"Quinn hand me the salt," Rachel asked dragging Quinn from her thoughts again. Blindly the blonde reached behind her and grabbed the salt.
"Thanks for teaching me how to make this," She said softly.
"It's no problem. I like cooking plus it'll save us money ordering takeout or going to restaurants every time I visit you."
"I feel like I should be doing the cooking though," Quinn sighed.
"We both know that one of us would end up with either something inedible or a visit to the emergency room because one of us has contracted some superhuman form of food poisoning." Rachel joked.
"Hey! I'm not that bad!" Quinn defended quickly crossing her arms over her chest.
"I know, I'm just joking." Rachel said her gaze leaving the pan she was studying intensely. She looked over at Quinn who stared straight back. Rachel couldn't see if the blonde was actually hurt or not so she turned the heat down on the stove and closed the gap between them.
"I was joking Quinn," she whispered as she stood in close proximity. Her arms wrapping around the blonde's waist pulling her into a hug.
"I know babe," Quinn said kissing her cheek gently, uncrossing her arms and placing them around her waist. Rachel smiled as the blonde's lips left her cheek. She lifted up slightly and connected their lips. She was proud Quinn had actually called her something other than her name.
"Rach…the food." Quinn said as she detached herself. "What can I do next?" She asked as Rachel returned to the stove and turned the heat back up so the sauce began to boil.
"Chop those peppers and then grate the vegan friendly cheese we bought earlier."
"No problem." Quinn said taking the knife from the chopping board and beginning to slice the peppers. Rachel hummed softly as she stirred the sauce and began chopping other vegetables for their pizza.
"How long does the dough take to rise properly?" Quinn asked.
"It depends, you can usually tell when it's double its original size. Ours has a little bit left to go." Rachel said indicating to the bowl.
"I definitely think you should teach me how to make other things too,"
"I wouldn't be opposed to that I like cooking, plus I quite like being with you this way. I'm content here with you right now, Quinn."
"Me too," Quinn sighed softly. "It sounds silly but it's like we have our own little life and I'm living in a bubble with you right now."
"I know what you mean. It's not as if we're high school kids playing 'house' for the first time but it does feel like we're in an adult relationship."
"That's because I think we are Rachel. Neither of us really live with our parents anymore, I mean holidays doesn't particularly count. We're not really restricted to 9-3 days like we were at school, sometimes they're much shorter or sometimes they're a bit longer, almost like our own working days. We don't see each other every day like we would have in high school we have to make time to talk to each other and to see each other. This is adult life, Rachel." Quinn explained all the while grating the cheese and putting it into a bowl.
"Well if this is adult life, then I'm already a big fan of it." Rachel replied with a broad smile on her face.
"Me too." Quinn replied mimicking the diva's grin.
"Oh look, the dough's done. Do you want to help shape it?"
"That's the best part…or I imagine it to be the best part," Quinn replied.
Taking the dough out of the bowl, Rachel sprinkled flour on the surface and put the dough down. Quinn watched over Rachel's shoulder and memorised the movements as the diva stretched the dough into a circular shape. Rachel tilted and shook her head before rolling it back into a ball and putting more flour down. She turned to Quinn and passed it to her.
"Your turn," she simply said.
Quinn smiled and began copying the way Rachel had stretched and shaped the dough when she had a wicked idea. She scrunched it back up into a bowl and grabbed a handful of flour.
"Erm Quinn, that's too much flour."
"Oh really?" Quinn asked innocently as she sprinkled a bit down onto the surface. With one hand she put the dough down and before Rachel could register what was happening, her face was covered in white flour. She spluttered as some landed in her mouth.
"You are so dead." She finally said reaching around Quinn and grabbing a handful before releasing it over the blonde's head. Quinn squealed as she felt the flour land on her head. Soon after there was a fully fledged flour fight happening in the kitchen. Rachel had retrieved another bag of flour that she'd bought in case something didn't work out right. Flour was flying everywhere, both girls unknown to either of them had great aim and they were covered from head to toe in flour.
Rachel was running out of flour and had put both of her hands up and signalled for a surrender. "You give?" Quinn yelled. Rachel stood up from her place behind the table which she'd placed on the floor as a wall from the flour although it hadn't worked she thought it would be funny anyway.
"Yes, look empty hands. Put down your flour, Fabray."
"Ok, it's going down." Quinn said slowly placing her flour bag back onto the surface. She surveyed the kitchen and burst out laughing. It was a mess. Flour was everywhere; the cupboards, the surfaces there was even some on the ceiling. As her eyes left the surface she saw Rachel walking towards one arm behind her back. Quinn put her arms out for the diva to walk into; Rachel on the other hand had other ideas. She quickly threw the remainder of her flour that had been in her dress pocket into the blonde's face and ran out of the kitchen, locking herself in the bathroom. Quinn stood there chuckling she knew the diva would somehow have to have the last word in their game. She shook her hair like a dog shakes its fur after a bath and watched as flour flew everywhere. She'd clean it up later. She went and stood outside the bathroom. She listened carefully to any sign of movement from the diva. She knocked and waited.
"Rachel I know you're in there," she said trying to open the door.
"If I come out you've got to promise not to get me back, I only did that because you started it." Rachel argued.
"I promise, come out baby."
Tentatively Rachel unlocked the door and saw a paler than usual Quinn stood in front of her. "Oh my Quinn, you're like a ghost." She chuckled putting her arms around the blonde's neck. Quinn's hands instantly landed on either side of her waist.
"Kiss me and end this war," Quinn whispered against the diva's lips. Rachel acquiesced and gently joined their lips. Instantly she pulled away and spluttered.
"Flour does not taste nice. Let's get cleaned up, eat and then I'll kiss you." She smirked as she walked back into the kitchen. Quinn quickly followed.
"That was some good pizza," Quinn said putting their plates on her desk.
"Aren't you going to take those out to the kitchen?" Rachel asked.
"I was going to do it later. I thought we could watch a movie and then when I leave to use the bathroom or whatever I'll take them," Quinn explained. Rachel narrowed her eyes. "I now know that that is the incorrect answer. I'll be one minute." Quinn quickly said grabbing the plates and exiting the room. Rachel gave herself a mental high five and smirked at how whipped Quinn was becoming.
"See that wasn't hard, now was it?" Rachel asked when Quinn entered.
"I don't care for your condescending tone, Berry."
"No? What are you gonna do about it then?"
"This," Quinn replied as she hovered above the diva and kissed her, nipping at her bottom lip before thrusting her tongue into the diva's mouth. Her hands moved roughly up the side of Rachel's dress not wanting to go any further. Suddenly Quinn removed herself and propped herself up next to Rachel who was trying to catch her breath. The blonde looked at her from the corner of her eyes and smirked as she pressed play on the movie.
Throughout the movie Quinn noticed Rachel kept creeping closer and closer. If she moved much closer she'd be practically lying on top of the blonde. Gently Quinn rolled them so they were on their sides, Quinn spooning the shorter girl. Rachel sighed and linked her hand with the blonde before placing it in between her breasts. Quinn inhaled heavily before Rachel squeezed her hand which effectively calmed her down. The rest of the movie passed without any hitches. The credits rolled and Rachel got up and turned the TV off before settling back down into Quinn's side. They lay in silence just thinking and enjoying the feel of having the other so close. Eventually Rachel spoke, "Spend Thanksgiving with me?" She asked softly and quietly. It was so quiet that Quinn barely heard it.
"Sorry?" Quinn asked.
"Will you spend Thanksgiving with me?" She repeated. "With me and my Dads in New York." She added for clarification.
"I don't know Rachel," Quinn sighed.
"Please Quinn."
"You want me to be there when you tell them, don't you?" Quinn asked.
"If you don't want to tell them then we won't. I'll say I invited you because you weren't going home and I didn't want you spending the holiday by yourself," Rachel explained. "It's not exactly a lie. I do want to spend it with you and if I don't then you'll just be sitting up here by yourself."
"What about Kurt though? I thought you were spending it with him, Burt and Carol too?"
"Kurt's going home. He tried to convince me to have the dinner back in Lima, but I didn't want to go back for the weekend then to come back here only to fly back a couple of weeks later for Christmas break." She explained. "Besides he really wants to see Blaine, and it's his only real opportunity before Christmas."
"It's just going to be me, you and your Dads?"
"Yes, I promise that's it."
"You're going to tell them we're just friends?"
"If that's what you want me to tell them, then of course. I don't want to force you into anything you aren't ready for."
"It's not that I'm not ready, I just want my Mom to know, maybe at the same time?"
"Okay, well how about we have Thanksgiving as friends and tell them at Christmas?"
"We really aren't going to be just friends at Thanksgiving though, are we? I don't think I could stand the weekend where I can't kiss you when your Dads aren't around."
"No Quinn sweetie, you'll still be my girlfriend." Rachel cooed as she attempted to ease the blonde's worries. She gently kissed the blonde to banish the fears that everything was going to fall apart.
"It's only for a month," Quinn replied as they broke away. "I only have to hide for another month,"
"You aren't hiding from anyone baby. It takes time to get used to especially being raised the way you were. The fact that you've accepted your feelings for me shows you that you're well on your way to being comfortable with who you are."
"I know and these things I feel for you are indescribable. You just happened to me like a wave crashes into the shore. One minute my mind was like 'Hey there's Rachel, my friend' and the next it was 'Oh wow, my friend Rachel's absolutely gorgeous and openly flirting with me. Oh wow, my friend Rachel just kissed me. Rachel this, Rachel that.' I couldn't stop thinking about you."
"I know what you mean. Don't ever worry about explaining to others how you feel about me, I know that you have feelings for me and if others don't buy it then that doesn't matter, eventually they'll work out how much we care for each other." Rachel stated.
"I know. Thank you for being so amazing." Quinn smiled as she kissed her cheek.
"Likewise." Rachel sighed at the feel of her girlfriend's lips on her skin.
"We should sleep, you have a train to catch tomorrow afternoon but not before we go through that duet a couple more times because I'd really like to record it when I come to New York for Thanksgiving."
"You do realise that's pretty soon, right? It's five days away."
"I know," Quinn replied smugly. "Although you left it late asking me if I wanted to join you, I figured it would be a good opportunity. I can travel down after my seminar on Wednesday and meet you outside NYADA, if I can find it. We can record our kick ass duet and get you an 'A' on that paper."
"Even with little time to prepare you always have a plan don't you?" Rachel laughed.
"Oh yes." Quinn simply replied as she got off the bed. "Now I was serious, we need to sleep. I'm going to brush my teeth and then get ready for the bed," she said as she waltzed out of the bedroom door. Rachel only smiled. This having a girlfriend thing wasn't turning out too bad.
"Can you drop your voice a little lower, Quinn?" Rachel asked as they practiced her part of 'Without You'.
"I'm not sure I can. Isn't there any way that you can change the key just slightly?"
"Ideally I'd like not to alter the track too much, besides your part builds from very low and gets higher as the song culminates in its climactic harmony,"
"I know but it's really deep to start with and I want you to do well."
"Just don't think about it," Rachel countered. She nodded to the brunette who pressed play on the instrumental track and they began again.
'Without you, the ground thaws.
The rain falls, the grass grows.
Without you, the seeds root.
The flowers bloom, the children play.
The stars gleam, the poets dream.
The eagles fly.
Without you, the earth turns.
The sun burns but I'd die without you.' As the beat began to get stronger, Quinn watched with awe as her girlfriend continuously wowed her with her voice and ability to make everything sound so much better.
'Without you, the breeze warms.
The girl smiles, the cloud moves.
Without you, the tides change.
The boys run, the oceans crash.
The crowds roar, the days soar.
The babies cry.
Without you, the moon glows.
The river flows but I'd die without you.'
As Quinn listened to Rachel hit her final note, she breathed deeply and began to sing, praying that she could drop her voice low enough. She knew that during this part Rachel would be joining her in back up anyway, so the main focus would still be on Rachel's voice.
'The world revives
(Colours renew)
But I know blue, only blue.
Lonely blue.
(Within me blue)
Without you.
Without you, the hand gropes.
The ear hears, the pulse beats.'
This was it the next few lines were all Quinn. Her voice had been gradually getting higher before she could harmonise with Rachel. She wanted that same beautiful harmony that they'd created during junior year. She had no time to take a deep breath before her cue arrived. It was at this point she usually found her pace, when it wasn't far from her natural key. She'd gotten past the more difficult part of the song. Singing in harmony with Rachel came naturally to her. Especially when she really believed in what she was singing, she figured that's what she got from spending so much time with Rachel. The music and lyrics became a part of you and when you actually cared you found that your passion showed so much more. With her mind racing she opened her eyes and stared deeply into the brown eyes of her beautiful girlfriend.
'Without you, the eyes gaze.
The legs walk, the lungs breath.
The mind churns
(The mind churns)
The heart yearns
(The heart yearns)'
Rachel gripped her girlfriend's hand as she joined in on the harmony. Their eyes trying to convey that they truly meant what they were singing. Rachel had chosen this song with Quinn in mind but she never dreamed she'd be singing it to the blonde and with such conviction, but yet, here they were.
'The tears dry without you.
Life goes on, but I'm gone.
'Cause I die without you.
Without you.
Without you.
Without you.'
Once the song finished, Rachel went and paused the iPod that was playing through Quinn's docking station. "I told you, that you could do it."
"That sounded incredible." Quinn agreed sitting down on the edge of her bed. Rachel quickly joined her, grabbing hold of her hand and pulling it to her chest.
"I meant every word Quinn. I picked this song with you in my mind."
"I figured as much." Quinn laughed. "You've always wore your heart on your sleeve and this is no exception. I'm just honoured I could do you a favour and help you with it." She added before kissing her girlfriend. "I totally meant every word too," She kissed her again but this time she tried to pass the message through their actions not her words.
"I wish I wasn't leaving soon," Rachel moaned as they broke apart.
"I know but hey, I'm seeing you on Wednesday, that's three days. I think we can manage that easily." Quinn laughed. "Do you have classes on the Monday?"
"No, they've given us a long weekend," Rachel clarified.
"Me too. So I can stay until the Monday afternoon instead of leaving Sunday afternoon."
"So you can console me once my Dads have gone back to little old Lima."
"I can do that, if it's necessary." Quinn acquiesced knowing it wouldn't be necessary at all. "Right now though, we have to get you back to the station."
"Fine," Rachel sighed getting off Quinn's bed and grabbing her stuff off the blonde's nightstand.
"Have you had a good weekend then?" Quinn asked as they walked hand in hand to the train station.
"I have, it's been nice to relax and I still feel like I got some work done."
"That's because you did. You can go back to New York and not stress about your duet anymore."
"I can't thank you enough Quinn."
"I'm always going to do my best to help you, Rachel."
"I appreciate it,"
"Well I appreciate you teaching me how to make pizza. One of this days I'll be a culinary extraordinaire."
"I hope so because when I'm on a gruelling but exciting eight shows a week schedule, I expect a romantic meal in with my beautiful woman at least once a week." Rachel mused, whilst Quinn laughed.
"Does it scare you when we both talk about the future like it's all going to happen tomorrow?"
"No, I'm a dreamer Quinn, you should know that by now."
"No I do and don't get me wrong it sounds amazing. It's just crazy that we're imagining all that when we've been together two weeks. It's like we've said goodbye to reality and we're living in our own little world."
"I said goodbye to reality the minute you asked me to be your girlfriend. The second you said that one day we'd be married I've imagined everything with you Quinn." Rachel admitted. Quinn swallowed heavily before she spoke again.
"You have?"
"Yes. Of course. I mean, haven't you?"
"Well I mean yesterday when you were cooking I imagined what it'd be like if that was in our apartment but I haven't thought about where we'd get married or how many children we'll have." Quinn replied as they approached the station. She led them inside and to the platform where they sat on a nearby bench and waited for Rachel's train to arrive.
"I've thought about it all," Rachel shyly admitted looking down at hers and Quinn's linked hands that were resting in her own lap.
"You have?"
"Does that scare you more than it initially did?" Rachel asked. Quinn leaned back on the bench and scrunched her brow. It really didn't scare her. She cared immensely for Rachel and if she didn't experience everything with the girl now she had finally decided to take the chance then she'd be kicking herself for years to come. All Quinn had to do was tell her the truth. "No." She simply stated using her other hand to bring Rachel's eyes up to her own.
"No, I told you that the time we spent apart was hard Rachel, you've been a part of my life for four years now and that obviously hasn't always been easy but I still can't imagine a day without you anymore. I'm glad my feelings for you changed and we're together now because although it isn't going to be easy, I know how much it's going to hurt me if one day I woke up and knew you weren't there by my side either literally or figuratively. That gives me the motivation to be the very best version of myself because that's the version Rachel Berry deserves."
"Oh Quinn," was the only thing Rachel could muster. She released the blonde's hand and put both of her own hands around her girlfriend's neck before kissing her passionately. Their tongues glided together and they lost themselves in each other. Quinn ran her hands up the diva's back beneath her coat and Rachel groaned at the feeling. Quinn smirked into the kiss at the noises her girlfriend was publicly making but she couldn't stop herself trying to elicit those again. So she did and once again Rachel groaned into the kiss. They were lucky it was a Sunday afternoon and wasn't brimming with people, although some people on the opposite platform were trying to look anywhere but at the two girls making out on the bench.
Reluctantly Rachel pulled away and looked into Quinn's eyes. Her pupils were massive and she was trying to regain her breath. "Wednesday cannot come soon enough," Rachel stated confidently.
"You do not play fair Rachel, how can you kiss me like that just moments before you leave again."
"Think of it as something to remember me by," she joked.
"Oh I will," Quinn replied as the train pulled into the station. They stood up and Quinn hugged her girlfriend tightly. She placed a kiss on her neck, cheek and forehead before finally adding one to her lips before letting her go and get on the train.
"I'll miss you," Rachel said as she got to the door.
"It's three days Rachel. I'll see you on Wednesday." Quinn laughed. She watched as Rachel found a seat on the train. The blonde smiled trying to evoke a similar reaction from the brunette. Once they'd done this a few times it had to get easier, Quinn thought as the train's engine started. Rachel started waving and as the train began to move, she blew a kiss to her girlfriend who happily caught it and placed it on her cheek before sending one back. They waved to each other until they were out of sight. Quinn happily left the station and began the walk back to her dorm room, knowing they were seeing each other in just over three days. However, that would also involve hiding their blossoming relationship from Rachel's Dads and that was going to be a lot harder than either anticipated.