A/N: In the AN for the latest Naughty Girl update, I asked which story to update next. After The Queen & Quinn, this one got most votes, so here goes!
I'd like to dedicate this chapter to LaurenKnight13, who has helped me tremendously with brainstorming and inspiring me for all my stories!
From: Tiago
Should I get some coffee for you guys before I come upstairs? xxx
Quinn smiles at the text. She knows that Tiago is so nervous about meeting her friends. They're the nicest people, as she reassured him, but she knows her boyfriend too well to believe that he's at ease about this.
„Let me guess, that's a text from Tiago," Ashley teases. „You always get that smile."
Quinn blushes. „He's asking if you guys want him to bring some coffee from the coffee place downstairs. He works there so he'll probably even make them himself."
„I could drink a cup," Luke nods. Ashley and Sienna agree, and Quinn texts their orders back to Tiago. They decide to put away their books for a coffee break and relax. They've been studying for a few hours now and it's taking its toll.
„This is a really nice place, Quinn," Sienna says. „It's small but it seems so awesome to have your own apartment. You don't have to share a tiny dorm room with someone you might not even like. I swear to god I have no idea how my roommate is ever going to pass her exams with the non-existent amount of studying she does."
Quinn grins. „Yeah, it's amazing to live together here. I mean - we've known each other for such a long time, and god knows I've spent so many nights at his place that I spent the better part of my childhood semi-living with him, but this is more like the real thing. It's finally just the two of us. It really helps that we've known each other for so long, though. I think our relationship is so good because we were such good friends before."
„He sounds like the perfect boyfriend," Luke sighs. „It really is true - all the good ones are taken. It's like I'm this asshole magnet - either that, or closet cases who want to experiment and then decide they're not ready to be who they are and I don't fit in the life they want anymore."
„That's just 'cause you're too hot to handle," Ashley shrugs. „Really, though. I'm sure you'll find your guy. Quinn, you are exceptionally lucky. Especially if he's as hot as he looks in pictures. You know, if I lived in an apartment with a guy like that, I'd be having sex all the time. I can't count the times I've been caught at home with my boyfriend."
Quinn frowns. „I didn't know you have a boyfriend? I thought you were single."
„Sadly, I am," Ashley says. Her voice sounds different, but she smiles anyway. „I was the love of his life, then he got accepted to Georgetown and he decided long distance wouldn't work. Just like that. I had no choice but to accept it and get over it. Quinn, do you think you guys would have made it if Tiago hadn't gotten into NYU?"
Quinn shudders. „I don't even want to think about it, honestly. I think we would have tried. Maybe he'd have found another way of being in New York, or we'd have tried to maintain a long distance relationship. I'm just happy it never came to that choice. He did kind of give up his dream so he could be with me. First, he wanted to study Psychology or something in that area and then go on Quantico to join the FBI. But he decided that he didn't want to do that if it meant being so far away from me, and that being a cop is too dangerous and time-consuming for him if he wants to be there for his family."
Right at that moment, the door opens and a carton plate with five cups of coffee appears, followed by a concentrated Tiago, trying not to drop it. Quinn turns around and smiles broadly, walking over to help him close the door. „I was just telling them about how you sacrificed your dream for me."
Tiago blushes. „Well, it wasn't like that. Yeah, I wanted to be a cop and everything, but I don't feel like I sacrificed anything. I'm still doing something I love, and I get to be with the girl I love."
„Pinch me," Ashley whispers loudly. „This man cannot be real."
Quinn chuckles. „Guys, this is Santiago Manuel Lopez, my very handsome and very perfect boyfriend. Tiago, the brunette is Ashley, the blonde is Sienna and the dude is Luke. They're my best friends at school."
„I've heard so much about you," Luke says, getting up. He gives Tiago a very approving once-over and whistles. „But Quinn's descriptions and pictures do not do you justice. You are one fine man."
Tiago's eyes widen. „Um... thanks... I guess?" Ethnic people clearly do blush. Quinn knows it's not that he's uncomfortably with how obviously gay Luke is - he went to high school with Kurt, after all - but he has no idea how to react to people flirting with him.
He awkwardly extends his hand to shake Luke's, but Luke grabs him to give him a hug instead. When he lets go of him, Tiago is beet red and Luke chuckles. „Yep, those muscles are definitely being taken care of."
Ashley follows Luke's example and gives Tiago a hug as well. „I've heard a lot about you. It's good to meet you in person - Quinn is so crazy about you, I had to see in person what you were like," she teases.
Sienna, the most down-to-earth of the three, gives him a one-arm hug. „Nice to meet you," she simply says.
„So, who's the latte for?" Tiago asks, turning around to grab the coffees. Quinn rolls her eyes and smiles when Luke motions to his ass and mimics a whistle.
It's only when they all move to sit down again that they notice there's only space for four people.
„You can sit on my lap, you know," Ashley says casually, obviously joking.
That gives Quinn an idea. „Tiago, sit down and I'll sit on your lap." They shuffle around a bit and Tiago wraps his arms around Quinn loosely.
„So, what are you guys doing?" Tiago asks, looking at the closed books with pens being used as bookmarks.
„We have a case study we have to present. It's only due in a couple of weeks, but we want to prepare properly," Sienna explains. „And your girlfriend is a bit neurotic when it comes to preparation."
Quinn blushes. „I just like things to be done right."
„Hey, that's what got you into Yale in the first place," Luke smiles. „So how did you guys meet? Tell us the story - Quinn kept avoiding that question."
Tiago smiles. „It's not a weird story or anything. We've been best friends since kindergarten. Basically Quinn was there, my mom brought me to class, I saw Quinn and I was smitten. We were inseparable, we spent all our time together. Fifteen years later, give or take, Quinn fell in love with me."
„Quinn!" Luke gasps. „Fifteen years? You made this boy suffer for fifteen years?"
„That's so romantic, though," Ashley smiles. „So Tiago, you've never been in love with anyone else? Never been with anyone else?"
„He slept with my cousin," Quinn rolls her eyes. „Which I thought was so creepy 'cause she looks just like me, but with pink hair. And still I didn't know. When we got together about a year ago, people kept telling me it was about time. It's as if I was the only person in Lima, Ohio who didn't know that Tiago was in love with me."
„Just seeing the way he looks at you know, I can't imagine you never noticed, Quinn," Sienna adds. „It's cute, though. You guys are obviously in love. Your parents must be so happy for you guys."
Quinn and Tiago share a look, searching each other's eyes. What to say?
„Woah," Luke says. „I guess not?"
„Mine are," Tiago says when Quinn nods. „They practically raised Quinn, consider her a daughter as much as my sister is their daughter. But Quinn's parents - they didn't even know we're friends. Her father is about as racist as they come. When they found out that she wasn't spending all that time with our friend Brittany, but with me - her father kicked her out and disowned her. She went to live with a teacher of ours and her sister Frannie, who is name partner and co-founder of a law firm, offered to get Quinn through college financially if Quinn works for her during summers and the first five years after graduation."
„Wow, that's horrible," Sienna says, stunned. „I mean, I don't have the best relationship with my parents but it's just because they work so hard and so many hours. I can't imagine what you've been through, Quinn."
Quinn smiles tightly and shrugs. „Well, I had Holly - that teacher - and Tiago. If it hadn't been for them and my sister, I don't know where I'd be. But Tiago makes it all better. And now we have this place and we can finally do what we want without getting caught," she winks.
They chat some more while drinking their coffees and Tiago gets to know Quinn's friends better. When Quinn, Luke, Sienna and Ashley decide to get back to work, Tiago goes to the bedroom to continue reading for his literature class. Before he gets settled on the bed, he sends Quinn a text.
FROM: Tiago
Your friends are awesome :) Love you x
Quinn grins again. Her friends already know that grin, but they don't say anything.
When Quinn comes home from class, she remembers that Tiago invited his friends over so she could meet them. She opens the door and puts her stuff in the kitchen. When she comes back into the living room, they're all standing up.
„This is Ryan," Tiago says, and Ryan gives Quinn a kiss on the cheek. „He's from Australia, as you might have noticed."
„Tiago talks about you all the time and I think he's shown me ten thousand pictures by now, but it's really good to finally meet you," he smiles. Ryan is big and bulky and reminds her a little of Sam Evans, but with a better tan.
„Yeah, I've heard about you as well," Quinn smiles. She has to admit that she feels more nervous than she had thought about meeting his friends. She knows her boyfriend, who knows what he told them about her? She doesn't want to disappoint, after all.
„Hi, I'm Victoria," a girl with jet black hair says. She gives Quinn a smile, but Quinn can immediately see how forced it is. She finds little genuine kindness in those green eyes. „T talks about you so much it's sickening!" she giggles.
Quinn frowns. T? She looks at Tiago, but he just shrugs, as if to say he has no idea why she says that either.
„You know, I really thought he made you up," Victoria says. „You sounded too good to be true. But look at you, here you are, in the flesh!"
Quinn smiles back, but doesn't know what to think. Something is definitely off about Victoria, but she can't say what it is exactly.
The next girl smiles at her as well, and Quinn can immediately tell that she is genuine, contrary to Victoria. Her hair is a truly beautiful red, and her smile probably makes a lot of guys' hearts beat faster. „Hi, I'm Debra. I haven't been hanging out with Tiago, Ryan and Victoria for that long, but I've already heard great things about you." She leans in for a kiss on the cheek as well.
They all sit down and Quinn moves to sit on Tiago's lap again. He leans in for a short kiss - after all, he hasn't seen her all day. She'd left by the time he woke up.
„Hey, none of that PDA when you've got visitors!" Victoria says in a tone she probably thinks indicates she's joking. Quinn frowns and looks Tiago in the eye, nodding in the direction of the kitchen.
„I'll go and grab a chair," Tiago says. Quinn makes a mental note to look into getting a more comfortable way of seating three guests. When he comes back, Ryan insists on taking the chair. Tiago sits down in the only remaining spot - between Quinn and Victoria.
„So, Ryan, how did you get all the way from Australia to New York?" Quinn asks, genuinely curious but also trying to find a way out of a potentially awkward situation. Ryan starts talking about how he's always dreamt of studying in the USA and won a scholarship. Quinn is listening, but that doesn't mean she doesn't notice how Victoria's hand finds its way to Tiago's knee. She rests her hand on top of it, as if they're the couple and not Quinn and Tiago. Tiago looks uncomfortable as hell and Quinn wishes he would just speak up. But he moves his leg away and takes hold of Quinn's hand, squeezing it to reassure her.
„So, Victoria, how're you and Matt doing?" Debra asks sweetly. She turns to Quinn. „Matt's her boyfriend. They've only been dating for about a week," she explains.
„Better than you and Tyler!" Victoria says.
An awkward silence follows. Debra is the one to explain again. „Tyler's my ex. He goes to Yale as well and I used to hang out with him and our friends. We broke up two weeks ago because he just wouldn't grow up, which I'd hoped he would in college. Our friends blame me and picked his side, so I made myself some new friends."
„I'm sorry to hear that," Quinn offers. „I'm sure you'll be fine, though."
„Let's talk about fun stuff," Victoria interrupts. „This room is getting too depressing. T showed us around, this is such a nice place. I'm really curious to see it in a couple of months, when you've had time to decorate it properly."
„We're happy with it as it is," Quinn smiles. Why is Tiago friends with this girl? She's so annoying. And the way she has her arms around his neck, and keeps touching his chest. Unbelievable she has a boyfriend.
After a couple of times of Victoria putting her hand on Tiago's knee and Tiago moving away, she seems to have decided a new strategy is in order. She now rubs her hand up and down his leg. Quinn tries to ignore it, but her blood is boiling. Who does this girl think she is that she can touch her boyfriend like that, when Quinn is right there? Debra is talking about her job at McDonald's to get by in college and Quinn really wants to listen because she likes the girl, but Victoria is distracting her. Quinn can feel a vein pulsing in her neck, her toes curled with controlled anger.
She politely waits until the conversation about Debra's job dies out. She then gets up and turns to her boyfriend. „Tiago, I'll be needing some help in the kitchen."
Victoria pouts, but gets her hand off Tiago's leg. Quinn's jaw is set as she practically marches toward the kitchen. Tiago follows her. „What can I do?"
„What do you think, T?" Quinn hisses. „Jesus Christ, she's all over you!"
„Yeah, she flirts all the time. It's just the way she is. You know I only love you, though."
„I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like the way she acts. If one of my friends acted that way, you'd be furious and just about explode with jealousy! Why are you even friends with her? She's so annoying, and she totally disrespects your relationship."
„She kind of invited herself all the time," he shrugs. „I was friends with Ryan and she kept sitting down next to us, asking us to hang out. We didn't see why not. She wasn't like this at first. I don't really know what to do about it."
„Well, I do. This is the right time for you to go wild with the PDA."
They return to the living room, Tiago's arm casually wrapped around Quinn's waist.
„Hey, what did I say about PDA?" Victoria laughs, but her eyes don't lie.
Tiago takes Quinn's hand and as soon as he sits down - leaving a seat between him and Victoria - he pulls Quinn onto his lap. Tiago wraps one arm tightly around Quinn's waist. „We've been together a year and I'm still crazy about her. Sorry, I just can't keep my hands off the love of my life and I haven't had the chance to kiss her all day. But hey, if it bothers you, nobody's stopping you from leaving, you know." He cups Quinn's jaw and brings her closer for a soft, loving kiss. It's short, but it says exactly what it's intended to say.
Victoria doesn't say anything, but looks positively annoyed. She sulks and the silence is kind of awkward. Debra is the one to break it.
„So, how did you guys meet?" she asks.
They tell the exact same story they told Quinn's friends. Ryan and Debra seem to feel genuinely sorry for the way Quinn's parents treated her, but Victoria really seems to have no shame.
„Oh, my parents would love it if I dated someone like T! They'd adore you, such a gentleman, so charming and good-looking. Quinn, I have to say, you've got yourself quite a catch there, and you didn't even have to work for it!"
„True love, I guess," Quinn smiles sweetly. Debra coughs, but nobody says anything, as Victoria has once again managed to kill the mood.
„So, who wants another drink?" Tiago asks. They all tell him what they want and Ryan gets up to help him as well, leaving Quinn in the living room alone with Victoria and Debra.
Quinn can't help but check out her boyfriend's butt as he walks towards the kitchen. Victoria can't hide her leering either, and Debra just looks amused by this turn of events. „Damn sexy butt, right?" Quinn says quietly. „And to think it's all mine!" She overdoes it with the girl-in-love act, just to get on Victoria's nerves. Debra chuckles and shakes her head, then decides to help Quinn out a little.
„You're a lucky girl, Quinn," Debra smiles. „You really found love. You guys are really cute together."
Tiago and Ryan return with the drinks.
„Yeah, I'd be lucky to ever find a girl that makes me feel that way," Ryan adds, handing out the drinks and taking his seat. „You make a great couple."
Quinn gets up so she can sit on Tiago's lap again.
Victoria has no choice but to smile, even though it's a false smile. „I can only hope Matt and me will still be so in love when we've been together for a year."
Quinn smiles and ruffles her hand through Tiago's hair. He gives her a loving smile back and gives her another short peck on the lips before enveloping her with his arms.
„So, Quinn, how's studying the law going for you?" Debra asks.
„Great!" Quinn says. They talk about their studies and the others express how impressed they are that Quinn got into Yale. Victoria is unsurprisingly the least enthusiastic. They order a pizza for dinner and a few drinks later, it's time to say goodbye.
Tiago wraps his arm around Quinn's waist as they stand at the door, saying goodbye to his friends. Quinn rests her head on Tiago's shoulder. Ryan and Debra are gone already, but Victoria is still sitting on the couch. Quinn pretends she doesn't see Victoria, leans in and gives Tiago a long, loving, passionate kiss.
„Why don't we take this to the bedroom?" Quinn suggests, with her bedroom voice and her bedroom eyes. „Or the kitchen. Whichever you prefer."
Victoria coughs and gets up, walking over to them.
„Oh, I'm so sorry - I thought you left with Ryan and Debra!"
„It's no problem. He's a stud, you should enjoy him," Victoria answers. For the first time, she doesn't sound fake. Maybe she's accepting that Tiago really, really loves Quinn. She leans in to give them both a kiss on the cheek and then leaves.
They close the door and Quinn kisses Tiago again. „I just love you so much. Ryan and Debra are amazing people. And, well, you know how I feel about Victoria."
„You know, I happen to know just the thing to make you feel better," Tiago winks. „In the bedroom. Or the kitchen. Whichever you prefer."