It's been a while, I got swamped with work and my muse has left me for a bit. I hope you're still interested enough to read and drop a comment.
thanks
Part 20
She pulls away from Quinn's arms, when her phone starts ringing on the nightstand on her side of the bed. She leaves Quinn with a kiss on her lips and rolls over, wrapping her hand around the phone. She wonders if she can just turn it off but she swipes her thumb right, accepting the incoming call from Cassie.
"Cassie?" She clears her throat and sits up against the headboard. She frowns when she is being screamed at, on the other end of the line. "Cassie, what do you mean?" Her louder voice pulls Quinn from her sleep, as well, who starts sitting up beside her.
"What's wrong?" Quinn rubs her eyes and looks at her, frowning in confusion and still half asleep.
"There are pictures…" Rachel whispers back to her and pulls the phone from her ear, to open the emails she has been sent. She puts Cassie on speaker mode and scrolls through the pictures.
"That's…" Quinn is more alert now. She looks down at the pictures of them at the Foundation party. "We didn't kiss or do anything too revealing." She looks at the brunette.
`Miss Fabray, I assume?' Cassie says from the other end of the line. 'You're right, there are no revealing pictures but there are rumors and speculations. You caught people's attention.'
"I'm sorry." Quinn looks at Rachel who shakes her head and leans up for a soft and comforting peck.
"What's being said, Cassie?" Rachel leans her head against Quinn's shoulder and laces their hands together.
'There are pictures of you staring at each other, in a very friendly way.' Cassie sends her another email with more pictures. 'Did you mention the nature of your relationship during the evening? Anything really that can confirm it.'
"We didn't. We were careful." Rachel looks up at Quinn who frowns. "Right?"
"We had an argument with my folks." Quinn drops her head against the headboard behind them. "It wasn't a full revelation, though."
'I guess people overheard it and started assuming things. Are pictures usually allowed to be taken at these parties, Miss Fabray?'
"We don't put restrictions. It was just a party for the members and some additional guests." Quinn looks at Rachel who squeezes her hand. "Do you need the full guest list?"
'It may help but we need to plan a strategy here.' Cassie says through the phone. 'What do you want to do, Rachel?'
"Well, for now there are just hints right? We haven't said or been caught doing anything. We can just say we are friends." Rachel looks at the blonde who nods softly. "What do you say, Cassie?"
'Let me think of something.' Cassie nods from the other side. 'I'll send you something in a bit.'
"Shit." Quinn drops her head back and looks up at the ceiling. "I should have kicked my folks out when I saw them."
"And it would have caused a worse scene, Quinn." Rachel drops the phone aside and straddles her lap, hands each side of her neck. "Hey, look at me." She tugs her head, tilting it upwards.
"Rach…" Quinn looks at her. "I didn't want this to happen now and like this."
"It's not your fault." Rachel leans down to kiss her softly and reassuringly. "Nothing is out yet and we can control it." She whispers against her lips. "We can still come out on our terms."
"Okay." She grips Rachel's shirt around her hips and pulls her closer. "I still want to do it, I haven't changed my mind."
"Me neither." Rachel nods and smiles when she feels Quinn relax under her. "We can be friends going out for now, then we will take things further."
"Sounds good." She nuzzles her face against Rachel's neck and holds onto her.
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"Rachel! Rachel! A word!" Paps find them as they exit the bookstore, after Quinn closes it for the evening. They're supposed to have a quiet dinner a few blocks from there, but they might have to change plans after all.
"No comment." Rachel holds her hand up and looks at Quinn, who is walking by her side with her head high and looking ahead of them.
"When did you two become friends? Are you a supporter of Russell Fabray's campaign?" The journalists keep on following them. "Do you support his views against the LGBTQ+ community?"
"No comment." Rachel sighs and tries to walk away but they are surrounding them and she is forced to stop.
"You've been at the Pride Parade, how can you
support someone like Russell Fabray?" One of the paps shows the mic in her face and Quinn tugs Rachel back, almost behind her.
"My friendship with Rachel has nothing to do with my Father's political views." Quinn says with firmness in her voice.
"So, you're no longer supporting your Father's political career?" The same journalist turns to her and Quinn squares her shoulder, ready to answer.
"Quinn, let's go." Rachel tugs her by the hand and pushes through the paps, never letting go of her.
"Rachel…" She looks back at them following them, but the brunette just keeps walking until they can find some solace in the back of a cab.
"Your place or mine?" Rachel makes sure the doors are locked and turns to the blonde beside her.
"Mine." Quinn gives the drivers the address and relaxes back in the seat, when he pulls off the curb and they leave it all behind. "Look, I am sorry-"
"We can discuss this later." Rachel barely looks at her and nods at the driver in the front.
"Okay." Quinn leans back in her seat and looks out from the other window. She has her arms crossed over her chest and gets lost in her thoughts.
It takes them 15 minutes to pull up in front of Quinn's building, pay for the ride and make their way up the stairs, to find some privacy inside Quinn's apartment.
"You're mad, aren't you?" Quinn locks the door behind them and hangs her coat on the rack on her side.
"They are there to rile you up and you just gave them what they want." Rachel looks at her. "That's why I said no comment."
"They were assuming things that were not true." She pushes herself off the door. "Just because we are friends or more, it doesn't mean you're suddenly a bigot. Quite the opposite."
"Let them talk." Rachel stands by the couch. "Do you know how many fake things they'll say about us? We're just friends and it's already bad."
"I guess." Quinn stands in front of her, rubbing the back of her head.
"I know how to deal with them." Rachel reaches for her hands and when Quinn takes them, she pulls her closer. "Trust me ok?"
"Okay." Quinn nods and drops her forehead against Rachel's.
"I know you wanted to defend me." Rachel leans on her tiptoes to kiss her gently. "I love you for that."
"I was never so exposed before." Quinn nods. "I released statements and interviews but it was everything under control. I don't like this feeling."
"You'll get used to it." Rachel kisses her lower lip and tugs at it. "They'll leave us alone when the next hot thing comes up."
"Hard to think there's something hotter than you." Quinn grins when Rachel rewards her with a harder kiss, that leaves them breathless.
"Smooth one, Fabray." Rachel turns them around and pushes her down onto the couch, before crawling on top of her.
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"Have you talked to your Mother?" Rachel trails her fingers along the shape of her collarbone, following the movement with her eyes as she lies on Quinn's shoulder.
"No. I am still mad about what happened at the party." Quinn tilts her head to stare out of the window. It's a clear night even if it is almost the end of January. A very cold January.
"Oh." Rachel rubs her cheek against her shoulder and holds her palm over her chest. She presses it down to hear Quinn's heartbeat under it. It is steady and firm. It is her own lullaby.
"I thought she understood us." Quinn's arm crosses behind her back. Her fingertips stroke along her ribs and down to her hip, caressing her naked skin still warm from their passionate intercourse.
"She'll come around, she probably didn't expect we wanted to come out." Rachel snuggles closer, borrowing some of her warmth. They're bundled up in thick covers, yet she needs to scoot closer. She needs to feel Quinn more.
"Maybe." Quinn turns her head to look down at her. "Frannie would've liked you."
"You think?" Rachel beams at her.
"Yes. She would've grilled you at first but then, once she had gotten to know you, she would've totally sided with you." Quinn brushes her knuckles along the side of her face.
"I trust your word on it." Rachel braces herself against her chest to hover the blonde and place a soft kiss on her lips.
"You're staying?" Quinn cups her face and holds her face close, so they can keep on kissing softly.
"Yes." Rachel's hands rest on her shoulders to hold herself up. "But you'll have to let me borrow some clothes."
"No problem." Quinn looks over at her closet and dresser. "You know your way around here."
"I do." Rachel pulls her own hair aside to lean down to kiss her again and again. They kiss slowly, bodies reacquainting with the familiar feeling of naked skins sliding together.
"Maybe you could leave some of your stuff here?" Quinn throws it in casually but Rachel is caught off guard.
"Here?" Rachel pulls from her inviting mouth to look down at her.
"I can make room in my closet." Quinn looks into her eyes. "We usually spend the night together and as much as I love when you wear my clothes, maybe you could keep something here."
"Okay…" Rachel sits up, straddling her, with a pensive look on her face.
"But if you don't feel like doing that, just forget about it." Quinn sits up with her. Her hands reach for her hips while her face nuzzles into her neck.
"I would take more than half of your closet." She is mentally counting the number of suitcases she can bring over.
"There's a closet in the guest room or we can buy a bigger one." Quinn nips at her pulse. Her hands scale along her back and to her front, to cup each breast in her palm.
"Quinn…" She pushes her breasts in her palms. Her hips roll forward, grinding down into Quinn's lap as she does it.
"With paps on our tails, can you imagine the scandal if they catch you wearing my clothes before we come out?" Quinn squeezes her breasts and licks around one of the fading hickeys she has left behind.
"I know…God, I know." She moans and tangles her fingers in Quinn's hair, tugging her face between her breasts.
"Mmm." Quinn licks around her right nipple. She licks and tugs at the stiff pole while her other hand attends the left one.
"Touch me." Rachel whines and grinds down in her lap. She rubs herself against the blonde's thighs but she isn't doing anything to help her placate it.
"I'm touching you." Her free hand squeezes her backside. She urges her hips down, while her mouth busies itself with her breasts.
"Not there." She takes Quinn's hand from her breast and shoves it between her thighs. It's where she needs it the most. "Here"
"You're dripping." Quinn's middle finger swipes through her folds. She goes back and forth, avoiding the edges of her hole and her sensitive nub.
"Baby, please…" Rachel whines when she is rolled over on her back and Quinn's hand leaves her aching for more.
"I'll take care of you." Quinn leaves her with a promising kiss and then scales down her front, spreading her thighs on her way.
Rachel cannot do much but just moan loudly, when a familiar tongue slides through her like nimble fingers have done just a few seconds before. She grips Quinn by the hair when her mouth kisses her there, like they've been kissing for hours. Her mouth is hungry for her. It's that kind of kiss that makes her feel the way Quinn wants to take her.
"I…" Rachel bends her legs and bucks her hips up, when Quinn's tongue finds the source of her pleasure ans she dives in. She pushes down on her hair and arches her back in a perfect bow.
"You taste so good." Quinn takes a breath for a second and then goes back to running her tongue over the length of her sex. It is hot. It pulses under her. Under each swipe.
"Baby…" Rachel looks between her legs and she tugs her by the hair, needing to keep those eyes closer while they are so intimately intertwined.
"What's wrong?" Quinn wipes her mouth and chin with the back of her hand and then hovers her, in all her naked glory.
"Stay here." Rachel cups her flushed cheek and spreads her thighs, to accommodate her body between them.
"Mm okay." Quinn nods and tilts her head to brush their lips together. Her arm falls between them, to be able to trace her intimacy with her fingertips.
"Yes." Rachel nibbles on her lower lip and reaches for her wrist. She guides her fingers along her hole and then inside of her, where she needs it the most.
"Fuck you're tight." Quinn looks between their bodies, to see her fingers move steadily in and out. She feels Rachel tighten around her whenever her thumb brushes over the underside of her nub.
"Don't stop." Her other hand tilts Quinn's head to keep their lips pressed together. They're breathing the same air. They're breathing each other's air.
"Another." Quinn slides her third finger in and Rachel's thighs close around her hips. She grinds up and down to meet her fingers.
"Close." Rachel's hand trails down her flexing shoulders and back, pushing her hips down to meet one of her thighs between Quinn's legs.
"Fuck." She grinds down on Rachel's thighs and keeps on thrusting inside of her. She keeps on pumping slowly but steadily, while her own core throbs against Rachel's thigh.
"Make me…" Rachel groans when her thumb swipes over her clit. She feels her eyes roll in the back of her head in pleasure.
"Fucking come." Quinn feels her walls clench around her fingers. She feels it in the way Rachel is urging her hips down to meet her thigh. Quinn groans and keeps on grinding down, until she follows after her girlfriend.
"Yes. God, yes." Rachel grabs onto her backside with both hands and moves her against her leg, until Quinn slumps forward into her arms.
"Mmm." Quinn pulls her fingers out and circles Rachel's waist with her arm, drawing the brunette closer.
"Tired?" Rachel chuckles when Quinn doesn't seem to want to move a muscle. She is lying there, against her front with her face hidden in her shoulder.
"Yes. I'm getting too old for this." Quinn nuzzles her shoulder.
"Oh hush. You're not even 30." Rachel scoffs and kisses her temple. "If I rolled you over and buried my head between your legs, you'd be ready to go at it again."
"Stop it." Quinn groans and rolls away from her arms.
"You just need some time to recover and then we can go at it again." Rachel follows after her and slips into her familiar position, on top of the blonde. A groan escapes the blonde, who turns her head back to avoid the kiss aimed at her lips. "Lucy Quinn…"
"No more kisses for you." Quinn keeps her head turned away, arms at her sides.
"Quinn…" Rachel nibbles on her earlobe like a kitten. She keeps tugging at it, while her hand creeps up to her sternum, tracing shapes on her skin.
"Nope." Quinn tries to ignore it, but her hands are itching to reach out and touch her.
"I…" Rachel places her lips against her ear. "Love." She whispers again. "You."
"I love you too." Quinn tilts her head to stare back at her.
"Kiss me." Rachel cups her face. She brushes her thumb over her cheekbone and leans down to kiss her slowly. She kisses her lingeringly.
"You don't play fair." Quinn rolls eyes at her.
"You still love me." Rachel grins and giggles through the kisses, when Quinn wraps her arms around her back and they start rolling over again.
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"Black coffee and vegan pancakes." Quinn sits the place in front of Rachel with a kiss on the head and then goes back to the kitchen to get one of herself and one extra sweet mug for herself.
"Do you have something you want to be forgiven for?" Rachel grins at the blonde over the rim of her mug.
"Do I need an excuse to be a good girlfriend?" Quinn cuts her pancakes in the middle and pours a gentle amount of syrup in the hole she has made.
"No. You're a great girlfriend already." Rachel sits her mug down and leans in to kiss her cheek. "Thank you for doing this."
"You're welcome." Quinn tries to lick the syrup off her lips but Rachel beats her to it. She swipes her tongue over the syrup dripping down her chin and kisses it softly.
"You're a messy eater for someone who was raised to be all proper and pretty." Rachel chuckles.
"You didn't seem to mind that one bit, last night." Quinn chuckles when Rachel blushes knowingly.
"Perv." Rachel stuffs her mouth with the pancakes and munches away, while Quinn pulls her iPad closer and starts scrolling down the news page.
"You look gorgeous in this pic." Quinn pinches to zoom on the screen and shows it to the other woman, who leans against her to have a better look.
"Charmer." Rachel kisses her forearm. "What are they saying?" She reads through the article quickly.
"The usual nonsense. They're speculating about our friendship and your renewed support of my Father's political views." Quinn drops back against the back of the chair and drapes a loose arm around Rachel's back, playing with the fabric of the t-shirt she has borrowed from her closet.
"They'll lose interest pretty soon." She closes the app and turns to the blonde, who is looking away.
"Yeah." She furrows her brows.
"Quinn…" Rachel tugs her by the hand until she is meeting her eyes. "What's on your mind?"
"It's a random thought, really." Quinn shakes her head and leans in for a gentle kiss.
"What's on your mind? Tell me." Rachel cups her face and holds it there for another kiss.
"What if my parents sold this out?" She nods between them. "We were pretty much alone and even if we raised our voices, there were no people around us. Just the four of us."
"You think they leaked it? Why?" Rachel furrows her brows.
"So we could be discouraged to come out as a couple? Or maybe they're buying themselves some time to control this." Quinn fists the fabric of her shirt.
"Maybe." Rachel nods softly. "We can't be sure it was them, though."
"I can find out." She nods and gets her phone from the pocket of her sweats. "You trust me?"
"Of course." Rachel nods and holds onto her hand, while Quinn calls a familiar number.
"Dave? I need a favour…" Quinn glances back at Rachel and squeezes her hand.
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"You're sure you want to do this, Quinn?" Rachel stands on the Fabray's porch and remembers the last and only time she has been here before.
"Yes, I do." Quinn is the confident one, this time. She has a folder tucked under her arm and her head held high, with a resolute look on her face.
"You might lose your parents." Rachel slips her hand through Quinn's, wrapping her cold fingers around her gloved hand.
"There's not much else to lose, Rach." She squeezes her hand when she hears the familiar sound of the door opening, to reveal Judy Fabray in her perfect outfit.
"Lucy! We weren't expecting you." Judy moves aside to let them in, away from the rigid weather. She goes for a hug but Quinn takes a step back. "You are still mad at me, honey?"
"I need to talk to you both." Quinn looks at the brunette beside her. "It won't take us long." She heads for the living room, sure that Rachel would follow her while her Mom heads to her husband's home office room.
"Quinn, we don't have to do this." Rachel steps up in her personal space and cups her face. "We can be fine on our own."
"I need to do this, Rachel." Quinn sighs. "Or they'll never let us be." She sits the folder on the piano and pulls the brunette into her. "I want to hold your hand on the sidewalk or on a red carpet. I want to marry you, one day."
"Quinn…" Rachel leans in to kiss the corner of her lips, lingeringly. Her hand slides down her chest to feel her heartbeat, under the open coat.
"It'll be okay." Quinn kisses her nose back and takes a step forward, leaving her arms, when she hears footsteps approaching. Her stance tenses when her parents cross the threshold of the living room.
"What are you doing here? I thought it was clear you're no longer welcome." Russell squares up his shoulder and straightens his pose, making his height advantage count.
"I'll be brief." Quinn reaches for the folder on the piano and holds it in her hand. "Rachel and I will go public with our relationship in the next months."
"What?" Judy and Russell say it both, in two different ways.
"Are you out of your mind? You'll ruin my career." Russell takes a step forward, raising his voice. "Everything I worked for will be thrown into the bin because of your sins!"
"You can still run for Governor, why should it stop you?" She challenges back. "I just need you to accept this is my life and keep your real thoughts to yourself."
"Should I stay quiet when my daughter is parading around with some cheap actress?" Russell sends Rachel a spiteful glare. "She is after your money like every dumb bimbo wanting to make it to Hollywood."
"Careful, you really don't want to provoke me." Quinn takes a step forward and looks up into his eyes. "You better keep your mouth shut around my girlfriend."
"Or what? Do you know who I am?" Russell crosses his arms over his chest. "I'm still your Father."
"You can't choose your parents, can you?" She pushes the folder against his chest. "But I know what kind of man you really are." She smirks.
"Lucy, what do you have there?" Judy takes the folder from her hand before Russell can. "What's this?" She goes through the pictures and a couple of confidential documents.
"It looks like you got some explanations to give." Quinn looks back at Rachel, who stands by the piano.
"How did you get your hands on these?" Russell gulped.
"None of your business but just so you know, we have copies and backups. If you do or say anything against us, you'll have no time to call your lawyer. I'll leak it to everyone." Quinn looks at her mother. "Mom, I'm sorry."
"I thought you had stopped seeing her. You lied to me?" Judy looks up at her husband, who wore a guilty look. "This was a month after Frannie died. How could you?"
"Sweetheart, I didn't know how to deal with it. I felt so lost and you were so…" He tries to reach for her, but Judy walks to the liquor cabinet to fetch a drink. "You're hurting your mother."
"You're hurting her with all those lies and empty promises." Quinn stands by Rachel's side and takes her hand. "But no one will care about the cheating thing once they'll find out about the money for the campaign."
"What do you want?" Russell says through gritted teeth.
"Give that money back or put it up for a charity fund, don't care." Quinn squeezes her girlfriend's hand. "I need you to publicly support our relationship."
"That's against everything I believe in!" He snaps at her.
"And what about stealing public funds? That's settling well with God?" She scoffs. "Funny how you bring it up whenever it fits your case."
"You can't-"
"We will do it." Judy says from the bar.
"You will?" Rachel beats Quinn to it. She can't believe it.
"I lost a daughter and I don't know who my husband is anymore." She looks at Russell who is unable to meet her gaze. "I can't lose you too." Judy says with a soft smile.
"I don't need you to promote it or anything." Quinn loosens her grip around Rachel's hand. "I just need you to be there for me. Can you do it?"
"Yes. We can." Judy finishes her drink and looks over at her husband, who can just accept his defeat.