A/N: Third instalment in my "You put me on and said I was your favorite" Series with a focus on Xmas time.
Warnings:strong language and sexual content
You drew stars around my scars
She was exhausted. Midterms had been brutal and it was no wonder since she was attending one of the most competitive Ivy Leagues and there were sharks surrounding her, smelling blood, waiting for the moment she failed and gave up on her huge achievements.
Columbia airport was not as crowded as New York JFK, but the crowd gathering there for the Christmas holidays were equally unnerving.
The guy beside her had tried to hit on her multiple times, despite her obvious disinterest and all the attempts at ignoring him. She had put her earphones in, stuck her nose in a book and showed him the screensaver of her iPhone. But he had not given up.
He was still trailing behind her, in hope to catch up and offer her a ride, when her eyes landed on someone waiting just a few feet away. She hadn't expected that at all, but she wasn't going to complain.
"Miss Fabray?" Rachel approached her with a knowing smirk and a white paper with her surname on it.
"Did they send you?" Quinn grinned, rolling the suitcase beside her.
"I am your designated driver for this fine evening." Rachel folded the paper and slipped it inside her purse. "May I be of any assistance?" She nodded to the bag.
"Yes." Quinn rolled the suitcase forward but instead of giving it to Rachel, she just circled the brunette with it and tugged her forward, in her arms. "You can kiss me." Quinn looked down into her eyes.
"I can certainly do that." Rachel's palms slid over the fabric of the NYADA hoodie Quinn wore with pride.
"Then do it." Quinn leaned down to nuzzle her nose along Rachel's. Their hot breaths caressed each other's mouths while Rachel's hands fisted the collar of her hoodie.
"Impatient aren't we?" Rachel smiled leaning in to cover Quinn's mouth with hers. It was simple and familiar. It was sweet and comforting. Their lips brushed slowly, without any rush even if they were in the middle of a crowded airport with passengers rushing past them to get their flights or to their families.
"Hi." Quinn pulled away with a dazed look.
"Hi." Rachel's hands tugged her down to kiss her again. And again. She kept on searching for Quinn's mouth, while her free arm circled her back and tugged her impossibly closer.
"You shouldn't have come here all alone, the road might have been slipppery." Quinn leaned back to drop a soft kiss against her temple. "Are you here with your car?"
"I took my Dad's SUV." Rachel nuzzled her nose along her jawline, burrowing closer to her girlfriend. "Quinn?"
"Yes?" Quinn looked down at her.
"Why is that guy giving me the stink eye?" Rachel nodded to the side, towards the brown haired guy hiding, poorly, behind a shelf.
"He cannot take a fucking hint." Quinn glared at him equally hard. "He has been hitting on me for the whole time, even if I ignored him or casually showed him my screensaver."
"What's on your screensaver?" Rachel reached in the front pocket of her jacket to retrieve it. Turning the screen on, she smiled at the picture of them sitting in Central Park together, in each other's arms. "Kurt took this."
"It's always with me." Quinn bumped her forehead against the side of her head, staring down at the phone. "My home screen is cuter."
"Oh really?" She typed the familiar passcode - it was her own birthday date - and chuckled. It was a picture of herself, wearing an ugly Christmas sweater. "You change these, regularly?"
"Oh you should see the summer one." Quinn smirked softly.
"You better keep it for your private archive, Miss Fabray." Rachel leaned up to peck her smirk.
"You know I do." Quinn smiled against her lips. "I don't want to be remembered for the sex scandal involving Rachel Berrry, Broadway star, and her hot pics sent to her lesbian lover all over the net."
"You're not just that." Rachel trailed her fingers along the sides of her neck.
"I know, I am kidding babe." Quinn smiled and kissed her tenderly. "Shall we go? I don't want to end up driving through darkness and a snowstorm."
"Yes. Let's go." Rachel took the suitcase from her and rolled it with her, while the other hand was clasped through Quinn's.
"You're fine with driving?" Quinn squeezed her fingers and followed the brunette to the open parking lot.
"I am fine, you must be tired." Rachel looked up to the blonde who nodded.
"Shit." Quinn stopped as soon as they walked out of the doors."I think we have a problem."
"What do we do?" Rachel burrowed herself in her scarf.
"I don't think it's safe to drive through this." Quinn stared at the snow falling heavily around them. "We can wait for a little longer to see if this calms down. Do you have anything to retrieve from your car?"
"No, I have everything here with me." Rachel nodded to her purse.
"Let's go grab something to eat for dinner, maybe we can get moving after it." Quinn tugged the brunette back inside the airport. At least, they had a place where to stay warm and safe.
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"Yes, Daddy. We will be home tomorrow morning okay?" Rachel paced back and forth in the small hotel room, phone to her ear. "Yes, we are safe." She turned towards the door when it opened, revealing the blonde girl with a bag in her hands. "Night, Daddy." She dropped the phone on the mattress and met Quinn halfway, peering down into her bag.
"Curiosity kills the cat, don't you know?" Quinn dropped the contents of the bag on the bed.
"Don't be rude." Rachel kissed her cheek softly. "You got everything?"
"And something else." Quinn reached in the pocket of her hoodie and presented the brunette with a packed blueberry muffin "It is the only vegan friendly thing I could find in the vending machine on this floor. That or Diet coke."
"Quinn…" She took it and looked up into her girlfriend's eyes.
"You didn't eat much at the airport, since that salad seemed to have seen better days." Quinn kissed her forehead softly. "It's not much."
"It's enough." Rachel unwrapped the muffin and bit into it, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
"Your Dads are fine with us staying here for the night?" Quinn laid beside her, hands behind her head. She was exhausted.
"Yes. They'd rather have us here than venturing on the road, through a storm." Rachel finished her muffin and threw the paper aside, in the trash can, before reclining back beside the blonde.
"Totally. You shouldn't have come pick me up on your own. I could have grabbed a cab." Quinn turned her head to stare at her.
"If I hadn't come, you would have stayed here on your own." Rachel shifted on her stomach, head propped on her hand and the other arm over her waist. "Maybe with your admirer waiting for you to give him a chance."
"As if." Quinn scoffed and leaned up to kiss her nose. "I am glad you're here with me, no parents around to find us in some compromising position."
"Oh really now?" Rachel smirked and leaned down to kiss her softly. "You want to be naughty?"
"I have been naughty." Quinn grinned. "So have you, Miss Berry."
"So, no presents for you from Santa?" Rachel shifted on top of her, hands each side of her head.
"This looks like a very nice gift for me." Quinn's hands trailed under the hem of her sweater, scratching her nails along her stomach through the shirt she wore underneath.
"You want to unwrap it?" Rachel stretched on top of her, lips hovering Quinn's.
"Damn yes." Quinn flipped them over, away from the things she had purchased at the hotel in-store corner.
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"It's kind of romantic, don't you think?" Quinn snuggled into Rachel's body, seeking her heat now that they had stopped rolling around under the hotel covers.
"Having sex in hotel rooms?" Rachel chuckled and let the blonde settle on her chest, for once. Her arms closed around her back and her head.
"Not just that." Quinn kissed her collarbone. "Doing it while the snow is falling around us and it's the day before Christmas Eve."
"Yeah, it is kind of romantic." Rachel rested her cheek against the top of Quinn's head, nuzzling it slowly.
"It's been too long." Quinn's hand trailed along her forearm, caressing it with her fingertips like she would do on a piano. "Not just the sex, but the whole thing. I've been a nightmare with my midterms session."
"You don't have to apologize." Rachel dropped her arm from around her back to lace their fingers together and kiss the inside of her scarred wrist. "You're under a lot of pressure at Yale."
"And being unable to visit you made it worse." Quinn scooted upwards to settle her head beside hers, on the pillow. "Not to mention sex is a great stress reliever." She kissed the skin below her ear.
"Oh, totally." Rachel's fingers tangled into her hair and tugged at it, to guide her face back over hers and their lips together.
"We have to find a way to sneak out after the Christmas dinner. I want to give you my gift when we're alone." Quinn's lips brushed overs hers and her hand dropped under the blanket, to trail along her hip.
"I thought this was my gift." Rachel whimpered when she felt her fingers slip between her legs, tracing the length of her core.
"This is the appetizer." Quinn smirked, pushing back in. "There's the main course."
"Oh God." Rachel nodded softly. She could only bend her leg to expose more of herself to Quinn's touch.
"I can't get enough of you." Quinn brushed her lips over her bottom lip, nibbling on it. "I just had you for hours and I need you again. All the time." She pushed steadily in and out, feeling her arch up into her touch.
"I need you too." Rachel urged her lips on hers. She kissed her harder, while her leg locked behind Quinn's thigh, meeting each thrust with a movement of her hips.
"Are you mine?" Quinn licked her upper lip. She tugged it back between her lips and slipped a second finger in, curling them.
"Yours." Rachel nodded and rubbed herself against Quinn. She felt her thumb circle her nub with each thrust in. She felt her fingers fill her up so good.
"Good." Quinn pushed her forehead against hers and kept on thrusting in, deeply and harder. Her own palm slapped against her nub.
"God, Quinn." Rachel had no words to express the way she was feeling. The way Quinn made her feel.
"I love you." Quinn bit down on her lower lip and pushed another finger in, filling her up like never before. "I love you so much."
"I love you too." Rachel sobbed in her mouth and let her fingers slide down her back to grab onto her backside, as she rolled her hips upwards into Quinn's hand.
"Come for me." Quinn soothed her swollen lip with her tongue. She licked it slowly, like an apology for the hardness of her kisses.
"Quinn!" She shouted in the late hours of their night. She shouted her name like a prayer, while Quinn kept on moving inside of her. She shouted and held onto her, clinging for dear life as the pleasure coursed through her body.
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"Is it snowing?" Rachel nuzzled her face into Quinn's neck and pulled the covers tighter around them, not wanting to leave the warm cocoon.
"Yeah." Quinn had tilted her head to the side to stare at it. "It is pretty heavy." Her hand trailed under the comforter to stroke along Rachel's back and side.
"What do we do? We need to check out of the room." Rachel kissed the side of her neck and snuggled closer, feeling her arms hold her from behind.
"Let's see." Reaching for her phone, she pulled the weather app. "It should die down in a couple of hours. We can try in a bit as long as it is safe to drive. It's Snow Level 1, at the moment." Quinn dropped her phone aside and looked down at the brunette in her arms.
"What time is check-out?" Her lips grazed the base of Quinn's neck, making her shiver.
"11.30." Quinn leaned her head back, closing her eyes. They could still manage to squeeze in a couple of more hours of sleep.
"Okay." Rachel stretched against her and brushed her nose behind her ear, sighing contentedly when Quinn's arms slipped back around her.
"I'll set an alarm." Quinn reached for her phone but Rachel pushed it back and laced their fingers together.
"Are you mine?" Rachel kissed her wrist and held her hand against her chest, between them.
"I am yours." Quinn drew her closer. "I am yours, forever."
"To the Moon and Saturn." Rachel lifted herself on her elbows and looked down into Quinn's eyes. "That's how much I love you."
"I love you too." Quinn looked into her eyes. She pulled her body down to lie against her, relishing in the feeling of their naked frames touching so intimately. They had spent hours tangled together and yet, she craved it again. She craved her.
"Do you want to sleep?" Rachel tilted her head to the side to peck her lips gently. "Get some rest?"
"Do you?" Quinn cupped the sides of her face with her hands.
"I…" Rachel looked away briefly. "You're exhausted."
"Do you?" Quinn asked softly.
"No." Rachel said under her breath. She didn't want to waste any more moments left alone with Quinn. Being snowed in with her had been an early Christmas present. The best gift: time.
"Kiss me." Quinn tilted her head back towards her. "Kiss me, Rachel."
Rachel didn't need to be told twice, let alone thrice. She pushed herself forward on her hands to press her mouth against the blonde, who fell back against the pillow propped against the headboard.
Pale fingers tangled in chestnut locks, pulling at them as their heads tilted to find the familiar angle that allowed them more contact. Harder kisses. Bolder strokes of tongues, battling for a temporary dominance.
"Mmm." Rachel pushed forward with her hips, one of her legs straddling Quinn's to get the closest she could.
"Do that again." Quinn moaned in her lips. Her hands dropped from her hair to reach under the hem of the covers draped over them. She trailed them low enough to land on her slender hips.
"What?" Rachel panted slowly. She looked into Quinn's eyes, but she found them closed. The blonde was tilting her head back and moaning under her breath.
"This…" Quinn pulled her in. She grabbed onto her backside to guide her hips forward and their centers rubbing, wetly. They were still so aroused despite the hours spent fucking each other brains out.
"Oh…" Rachel nodded dumbly. She could feel it too. She could feel the heat against her shaved mound. She had done it for Quinn, even if it had been painful as hell.
"You're dripping." Quinn groaned when her hands were pinned to the side, against the mattress.
"So are you." Rachel nudged her head to expose the unmarked side of her neck. She had left her marks all over the left one, but why leave the rest untouched? Quinn was hers. The more marks she left, the stronger the message. She pinned her hands down by her wrists and kept on assaulting her neck sweetly.
"Rach." Quinn clenched her hands into fists. She would've been able to set herself free, but she loved this. She loved when it was Rachel leading the dances.
"You're mine." Rachel sank her teeth in the skin below her pulse. She bit and sucked on it, while her hips rolled forward faster and harder. She continued to rub herself against Quinn, who could only spread her thighs and be at her mercy.
"Don't stop…" Quinn shut her eyes closed and bit down on her lip. If she bit a little harder, she would have tasted blood.
"Quinn…" She licked the fresh mark and kissed her way up to Quinn's lips. It was her turn to bite down onto her bottom lip. She bit into her tender skin, as her hips gyrated back and forth to give them both the relief they were chasing after.
"Fuck." Quinn's fingers reached for Rachel's. They laced against the mattress. She held onto them while her own hips rose from the mattress, to feel that heat slide effortlessly against her own throbbing core. She could feel the excitement mix on her outer lips. She could feel it drip within her.
"Jesus, Quinn." Rachel released her lip with a solid pop. She licked the blood away and then pushed her forehead against the blonde. She rested it there, short breaths coming out of their open mouths. It was so hot in the room, such a contrast to what was happening just outside their window.
"Keep moving." Quinn's hand held onto the back of her head. She held their foreheads together, to feel the emotional closeness along with the physical connection their bodies were sharing. She was seconds away from tearing the covers off them.
"I am close." Rachel's hands scaled down her front to rest on her flexing abs. She scratched them with her nails and braced herself against them. She held onto them as she sat astride Quinn's lap and just slammed down into her. She was thrusting so hard that the headboard kept hitting the wall behind them.
"Me too." Quinn's hands reached for her hips. For her sides. Her bouncing ass. She grabbed onto her firm ass to help her grind down into her own core. She was a couple of strokes away.
"Cum with me." Rachel leaned down to lick her lips as she spoke. She licked her swollen lip and took it back in her mouth, hungrily. She sucked it like she had sucked her clit, when she had buried her face between her legs.
"Fuckkk!" It was Quinn's turn to shout. She shouted it even louder. She felt herself throb harder than she had for the whole night. She felt it as she pulled Rachel closer, to rub herself against.
"Shit, Quinn!" Rachel buried her face into her shoulder. She felt it too. She felt the hard gush dripping between them, making a mess all over themselves and the blankets below. She would have felt ashamed of how much they had ruined them, if she wasn't so preoccupied to ride her orgasm out.
"Fuck did you-" Quinn had felt it.
"Yeah, I believe so." Rachel nodded against her shoulder and kept rubbing herself against her exposed core. She had made a mess.
"It's the first time…" Quinn squeezed her backside with both hands.
"I am sorry." Rachel hid her face into her shoulder.
"God, Rach. Why are you apologizing?" Quinn kissed her blushing cheek. "It was fucking hot."
"You think?" Rachel's arms moved upwards to circle her head. "You're not turned off?"
"Are you kidding me? It was so hot that I want to fuck you, just to get you to do it again." Quinn's hand slid along her sweaty back, rubbing soothing circles on her skin.
"I don't think I will be able to have another orgasm for a couple of days, Quinn." Rachel chuckled and pecked her mouth. "We totally made up for a month of abstinence."
"I don't know how we managed to steer away from sex for so long in high school." Quinn nuzzled their noses together.
"We were just waiting for the right person." Rachel cupped her face and kissed her again. "I am glad I waited for you."
"I am glad you did. For what it's worth, to me you're my first too." Quinn pulled her closer. "The first person I slept with that I ever loved."
"Really? You really think that?" Rachel's fingers reached for her wild hair. She pushed it back slowly, to be able to stare into Quinn's eyes without anything in between.
"You're my first." Quinn nodded softly. "No one can compare to you."
"I wish we could stay here for the whole time. I don't need anything or anyone else, just you." Rachel pushed her forehead against Quinn, who nodded and held her a little tighter. Even for a few moments, they could pretend it was still snowing and they were stuck there, together.
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"You...you should get inside." Rachel was pinned against the passenger side of her Dad's car with Quinn holding her there, hands up her shirt and lips on her neck.
"Again?" Quinn smirked suggestively.
"Not like that. I cannot go again, Quinn." Rachel chuckled at the pout on her face. "Tomorrow, we can sneak out of the Christmas party and just find a place where to be on our own."
"You promise?" Quinn rested their foreheads together. Her hands held onto the girl's hips, under her sweater.
"I do." Rachel lifted herself on her tiptoes to kiss her. She kissed her harder than Quinn had kissed her, since they had gotten out of her car, in the Fabray's driveway. She couldn't get enough of Quinn since their night and morning together.
"Good. Good." Quinn repeated herself, between the kisses. She pushed Rachel more into the car behind them and followed her along, reminding them of all the ways they had been pressed together, sans clothes.
"I don't want you to go." Rachel pulled her down by the lapels of her winter coat. "I feel like-"
"Like one of those couples who can't keep their hands off each other, after they do it for the first time?" Quinn nudged their noses together. "We never moved on from that phase."
"Which phase?" She was so close to drag her to the backseat and resume from their last session in bed. They could still make-out like horny teens.
"The honeymoon phase." She chuckled. "You need to go home and help your Dads with dinner tonight."
"They can manage. Is your Mom home? We can-"
"Baby." Quinn cupped her face. "I'd love to drag you upstairs to have you screaming my name out again, but we still smell of sex and we need to give our families some of our time, so they won't complain when we sneak out tomorrow."
"I hate when you're right." Rachel pecked her lips gently. "You sure it was alright?"
"Rachel, I can still feel you all over me." Quinn leaned in to kiss her lips slowly. "I can feel you inside me." She whispered.
"I love you." Rachel kissed her hard. She kissed her hard with tongue and teeth. She kissed her like it was their last kiss for a long time.
"I love you too." Quinn was dazed. Every kiss topped the others. Every touch marked her like her scars or tattoos.
"I'll see you later. Don't be late." Rachel retrieved her suitcase from the trunk and rolled it towards Quinn.
"I am never late." Quinn smiled, taking it from her. "Drive safely." She pulled her in for one more short peck.
"I am three blocks away, Quinn." Rachel smiled at her sincere concern. "I'll text you when I am home."
"Good." She let her go with one last peck on the lips. She let her go and watched her sit back behind the wheel. Pulling her seat forward, to readjust it after Quinn had driven them home, she sent one last smile to the blonde on the sidewalk.
One more smile before she pulled into the road and drove away in the late afternoon. Only a few hours until they could reunite.
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Quinn was walking down the stairs, after a long shower, when she saw the front door open and Judy walked in, carrying a bag of gifts with Frannie in tow.
"Quinn, you're here." Judy put everything on the table by the door and crossed the space to pull her into a quick hug. "Was the flight alright?"
"Yes. But Columbus was through a snowstorm. We drove here just an hour ago." Quinn nodded as soon as they pulled from their hug. "Frannie."
"Quinn." She nodded to her younger sister and walked into the kitchen, to carry the groceries they had bought.
"Will you try for me?" Judy looked at Quinn, who nodded softly. "Thank you."
"Did you buy everything we need to bring to the Berry's?" Quinn peered down into the bag.
"Yes. I got the non-alcoholic beer, the smoked salmon, the nuts and the gifts." Judy smiled. "What time do we need to be there?"
"A couple of hours. Why don't you go take a relaxing bath? You totally deserve that after being at the office this morning." Quinn took the bag and walked towards the kitchen, where Frannie was. "I'll take care of this."
"Thanks hun." Judy had kicked her heels off and proceeded upstairs. She totally needed that.
"There's more soy milk than regular milk in this house." Frannie muttered under her breath, as she put the milk away.
"Rachel is vegan, she doesn't drink regular milk." Quinn sat the bag down, a little louder than intended.
"Figures." Frannied closed the fridge with a thud."A vegan vampire, I assume."
"What?" Quinn leaned against the counter.
"You might want to wear a scarf later, Quinn. Or a heavy dose of concealer." Frannie pointed to the dark marks scattered around her neck.
"What if I don't want to hide them?" Quinn challenged back.
"Don't be ridiculous. You can't show up with those…"
"It's a hickey, Frannie. It's not a bad thing, you know?" Quinn shook her head. "Rachel and I love each other and this is just one thing proving that."
"You're sleeping with her? With a girl?" Frannie crossed her arms over her chest.
"Who is resembling Russell now? Here I thought college and your roundtrip around South America would open your fucking mind." She snarled at her. "We do all the things people who are in love, do."
"How does it feel?" Frannie looked down at her feet.
"Feel what?" Quinn furrowed her brows.
"In love. How does it feel being in love with someone who will be there for you and makes you happy?" She whispered under her breath.
"Frannie…" Quinn's tone softened.
"He was married. He was married and I thought he would leave her for me." She wiped her cheek angrily. "He promised."
"That's why you can't go back? He is there." Quinn ran a hand through her hair. "And Russell knows this."
"He is the one who got me in. I needed the extra help." Frannie chuckled. "You got into Yale and I needed Dad's help to get in. Who is the disappointment here?"
"Neither of us." Quinn approached her slowly. "You don't need Dartmouth or any other college to feel good about yourself. Were you happy in South America?"
"It was different, but I have no money." Frannie sniffed.
"Get a job. Go help mom with the realtor business and once you save enough, you can leave again." Quinn rested a hand on her shoulder. "Or apply for a job to one of these charities. They must be hiring."
"Yeah, I guess." Frannie nodded softly.
"Don't let anyone else dictate the choices you make, let alone a man." Quinn smiled.
"When did you become so wise?" Frannie stood to full height and looked into her sister's eyes.
"I have always been wise." Quinn chuckled. "You just never noticed."
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"Dinner is almost ready." Rachel's arms sneaked around her waist from behind and held her, in one of the rarest moments Quinn let her, from behind. Her face nuzzled into the space between her shoulders, over the red dress she had put on for their dinner together.
"I will be there soon." Quinn kept her eyes on the tree in front of her. It was almost as big as the one they used to put together. It's not like Russell really cared about the tree itself, but he always made sure to get the biggest and the best looking. It was just another thing they could be envied for, after all.
"Did you and your sister get in another fight?" Rachel's hands laced over her stomach. She kept her hands there, not wanting to let her loose.
"We talked." Quinn brushed her fingers over the back of Rachel's hand. She lingered on her ring finger and traced it with her thumb, from the knuckle down to the short nail and back.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Rachel nuzzled the skin between her shoulders.
"Yes, I guess so. We are not really used to having heartfelt conversations, but you may have noticed that." Quinn kissed her forehead and turned in her arms, cupping her face with her hands.
"I have." Rachel's arms tightened around her waist, pulling her closer. "But you opened up enough to me...no rush."
"Thank you." Quinn leaned down to brush her lips over Rachel's. She kept on kissing her tenderly.
"We should go." Rachel chuckled when she heard the familiar sound of pans coming from the kitchen.
"We totally should." Quinn nodded and took her by the hand, walking towards the kitchen where everything was sitting down.
"Girls, just in time." Hiram pointed to the empty chairs. "Take your seats and help yourselves with drinks."
"Need any help, Mr. Berry?" Quinn pulled the chair out for Rachel and dropped a kiss on her head.
"We have everything under control. Sit down and drink the non-alcoholic punch." He smiled and took the lasagna out of the oven.
"It smells great Hiram." Judy said from hee seat beside Frannie, across Rachel and Quinn. "You have to give me your recipe."
"It's artichokes and zucchini and substitute vegan bechamel sauce." Hiram placed it in the middle of the table, surrounded by the appetizers.
"It looks like a real one." Frannie pointed out. It was seriously good looking.
"It is real." Rachel chuckled softly. "But I got what you mean."
"Well, let's dig in." Leroy held his plate out for Hiram. "The corner, please?"
"Good thing it has four corners. It is the best part." Quinn nodded and eyed the opposite corner, with the golden brown crust.
"How long have you been vegan, Rachel?" Frannie cut a piece of her lasagna.
"Since I was 10 years old. Daddy is vegan but he never forced that choice on me." She looked at Hiram. "We went on a school trip to the McSimmons farm outside Lima and it was eye-opening I guess. Those poor lambs."
"Don't you miss being able to eat everything? I could never give up on bacon." Frannie chuckled.
"So can't Quinn." Rachel nudged her girlfriend. "The bacon addiction runs into the family."
"Oh hush." Quinn nudged her back and looked down at her plate. "It's not so bad."
"Only when you get your weekly fix." Rachel chuckled. "But it has to be crunchy enough."
"You boiled bacon, Rach. It was spongy and…" Quinn shook her head. "I don't want to think about that thing or when you tried to feed me fake bacon. I could totally tell the difference."
"You tried that? You must really love her." Hiram looked at his husband.
"She does." Rachel kissed her cheek, making her blush.
"Plans for New Year Eve, girls?" Judy smiled at them and took a salmon sandwich.
"Well, a friend from NYADA is throwing a party. He has got this amazing apartment on Time Square and we can watch the ball drop, without standing in the cold with thousands people crowding us." Rachel nodded enthusiastically.
"That sounds like fun." Frannie looked at Quinn. "You've always wanted to see the ball drop in New York."
"Yeah, it sounded like something you should do at least once in a lifetime. It's iconic." Quinn shrugged. "What will you do?"
"I got in touch with some of my former high school friends. There's a party in Lima, you know the usual stuff." Frannie shrugged.
"Going through your glorious past and getting drunk over all the ifs and buts." Quinn chuckled. "I am sure there must be a party like that with our former Glee club too."
"Finn sent me a message about it, but I declined for the two of us." Rachel looked at the blonde.
"He is still texting you?" Quinn furrowed her brows.
"From time to time." Rachel nodded softly.
"Just because of the party or also because of other things." Quinn turned to look at her.
"Can we talk about this later?" Rachel looked back at her.
"Finn? Finn Hudson?" Frannie looked between them. "Wasn't he your boyfriend?"
"Yes, honey. But he dated Rachel too." Judy explained, sipping on her water. It would've been more effective with wine but water had to do it for her.
"Oh, that's funny." Frannie chuckled. "You tried to keep him away from Rachel, by making him date you?"
"Drop it, Fran." Quinn said through gritted teeth. "What is he texting you about? He knows we are still together."
"Of course he does." Rachel tried to take her hand but the blonde pulled back.
"Doesn't stop him from trying though." Quinn stood abruptly, dropping the towel to the floor.
"Quinn, calm down." Judy tried too but the yougest blonde just bolted out of the room. They heard her retrieve the coat from the rack and walk out of the front door.
"It's not a Fabray-Berry party without a dramatic stormout, isn't it?" Leroy chuckled.
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"Since when do you smoke?" Frannie found her leaning against the porch, with a cigarette dangling from her lips.
"Junior year. It's not a regular thing but I need to calm down." Quinn blew the smoke out of her nose. "I'd rather have a drink but we cannot have alcohol around Mom. She made huge progress and I don't want to ruin it for her."
"You're so much like him, you know?" Frannie leaned beside her. "I know you think it's a bad thing but it's undeniable."
"There's nothing good about being like Russell Fabray." Quinn took in a long drag. "I don't remember anything good."
"Not even the tree house in the backyard?" Frannie nudged her. "He wasn't the strict man who never wanted us to get dirt on our clothes and shoes. He was like any father, showing their kids how to build it."
"And he destroyed it even faster." Quinn shook her head.
"He took his rage out on it. You didn't see him feeling guilty over you lying in a hospital bed, risking to be paralysed from the waist down." She looked at the blonde. "He was so mad because you got hurt on his watch and no father wants their kids to be in pain."
"You never told me that." Quinn threw the cigarette away. "Neither did Mom."
"I don't think she knows. I saw him tear it apart with tears in his eyes and with his bare hands. He had scratches and cuts all over but he didn't feel anything, too worried about you." Frannie leaned over onto the railing. "That's why you remind me of him. You are trying to hide your feelings, but there's nothing wrong with letting it out, Quinn." She turned to stare at her sister's profile. "You just need to have the right person to open up to, but I think you got that covered already." She threw a look over her shoulder, sensing the brunette girl watching then through the window.
"Rachel knows who I am and what I feel like." Quinn sighed softly. "She knows how I feel about Finn too."
"You're jealous and that's alright." Frannie nodded. "He was her boyfriend a long time ago, Quinn, and I see the way she stares at you. That girl could not be more in love with you than this. It's like you hung the moon in the sky. Or the stars."
"I bought a star for her." Quinn pointed right across from them. "It's named after her."
"That's something you don't do for everyone." Frannie nodded with a smile. "She is not going back to Finn, if you're worried about that."
"What if she gets sick of this?" Quinn ran her fingers through her hair. "Sick of waiting for me to find the courage to tell her my worst fears? Or what I see in the future for us? I know I want to grow old with her but I don't know how?" She looked up at her sister. "How do we build something like her Fathers did?"
"Well, I think you can start by talking to her about that." Frannie looked behind them to see the brunette in the doorway. "You have a future ahead of you, take your time to figure it out." She patted her shoulder and stepped back, to go back inside and let them have a moment.
"Thank you." Rachel whispered as she walked by. They exchanged one knowing look and then she stepped in, standing under her front porch, buried in her coat and scarf. "Hey."
"Hey." Quinn was leaning back against the porch, arms crossed over her chest.
"I should've told you about Finn." Rachel mirrored her pose and rubbed her hands over her arms.
"I shouldn't have gotten jealous over him." Quinn stood to full height and took a step closer.
"There's nothing to be jealous of. He is my past, you're my present and my future." Rachel took a measured step closer too, inches away from Quinn but close enough to feel her warmth and her scent.
"I am scared you'll get tired of my insecurities." Quinn looked down at her. "I am still a mess."
"You're not." Rachel stepped up into her personal space and slipped her hands inside the pockets of her coat, locking fingers with Quinn's. "You're stronger and happier." She stared into her eyes. "I like to think I am contributing to the latter."
"You make me stronger too." Quinn leaned down to rest their foreheads together. "But you make me the happiest I have ever felt in years. Since that night I have been learning about the stars with my grandparents."
"You were still Lucy." Rachel nodded and reached to cup her cheek with both hands. Her hands felt warm against her cold face.
"I am still Lucy." Quinn's arms slipped around her waist to pull her closer. "I am also Quinn." She nuzzled her nose along with Rachel's, who sighed softly. "I can be who I really am, whenever I am with you. I can be really happy, only because of you."
"You make me happy too." Rachel nodded softly and brought her face down for a tender kiss.
"I am sorry." Quinn nodded against her lips. "I am just...I don't want to lose you."
"You won't." Rachel lifted herself on her tiptoes to kiss her a little harder. "I am not going anywhere and so aren't you."
"I love you." Quinn brushed her lips back against Rachel's, who pushed into her.
"I love you too." Rachel nuzzled their noses together and lowered herself back on her feet. They were going to be okay.
RQRQRQRQRQRQRQ
"Good morning." Quinn found Rachel on her doorstep, on Christmas morning. They were supposed to head back to the Berry's to celebrate it all together and open their gifts under the tree.
"Good morning." Rachel stepped in and closed the door behind her. "Are you alone?"
"Yeah. Mom and Fran are attending the mass and I was just chilling on the couch, with a good book and a cup of tea." Quinn leaned against the doorway to stare down at the brunette, who had hung the coat beside hers, and stood in front of her in a familiar argyle sweater and pleated skirt.
"What?" Rachel looked down at herself. "Is there something wrong with my outfit?"
"No. Not at all." Quinn shook her head with a smile. "It reminds me of our high school years. You didn't bring these sweaters to New York, did you?"
"I thought I needed an upgrade. These are not appropriate for New York fashion standards or so Kurt says." She looked away embarrassed. She would always feel insecure about her looks. Especially around someone who looked like Quinn. Someone who looked breathtaking in a Yale hoodie and WHMS red sweats.
"Screw what Kurt says." Quinn reached for her by the hem of the sweater and tugged her forward. She tugged her again until they stood toes to toes. "You look beautiful. You've always looked beautiful but I never told you."
"You thought I was beautiful?" Rachel looked up and found herself face to face with Quinn.
"Yes. I always thought you were but never had the courage to tell you." She dropped her hand to take Rachel's with hers. "Never had the courage to tell you, because I was scared of how I felt about you."
"But you are not scared anymore, are you?" Rachel laced their fingers together and brought her wrist to her lips. She kissed the familiar scar.
"I am still scared." Quinn kissed the top of her head. "I am scared of how much I love you." Drawing her closer, she held her a little tighter. "I am scared of losing you, now that I know how good it is to be with you."
"You don't have to be scared." Rachel tilted her head back to nuzzle her forehead against her chin. "I am not going anywhere."
"I know." Quinn kissed her forehead lingeringly. "What brought you here, I thought we were meeting at your place in a couple of hours."
"I wanted to give you one of my gifts." Rachel took a step back to retrieve a small package from the inside pocket of her coat.
"Let's go to my room, so I can give you mine." Quinn held her hand out and Rachel took it, as she followed her back upstairs. She held onto her hand until they stepped into the familiar bedroom and the door was closed behind her back.
"Quinn…" Rachel tugged the blonde by the hand and pulled her closer, leaning back against the door.
"Rachel." Quinn braced her other hand against the door and looked down at the brunette.
"Are you mine?" Rachel's arms circled her neck.
"Yes. Are you?" Quinn smiled at the familiar words and leaned down to brush her lips along Rachel's. She kissed her lightly, like a feather tickling her.
"I am." Rachel nodded and sighed in her mouth. She sighed when their bodies fell against the door, pressing up through the clothes.
"Merry Xmas." Quinn pecked her gently. "Or Hanukkah."
"Last day." Rachel nodded and nuzzled their noses together. "Merry Xmas." She opened her mouth to trace her bottom lip with the tip of her tongue. She tugged at it and suckled on it, earning a low grunt from Quinn.
"Rach…" Quinn gulped, feeling the familiar heat pool below her waist. "We...the gifts?"
"Yeah. You're right." Rachel soothed her lip with her tongue and then, pulled back. She dropped her head against the door to stare at Quinn, panting lightly.
"I want to…" She looked behind them at her perfectly made bed. At her perfectly comfortable bed that was calling out for them. "But there's not enough time."
"I know." Rachel nodded. Her palms slid down the front of her sweatshirt to stop around her narrow hips. "I want that too."
"Good. We'll be in New York soon and we can...we can spend hours just doing that." Quinn gulped, remembering their last time in Columbus. She would never forget that.
"You just want me to scream your name out, again." Rachel looked away blushing.
"It is almost better than when you sing to me." Quinn kissed her blushing cheek.
"Shut up." Rachel chuckled and pushed her back, hands against her chest.
"You are so cute when you're blushing." She smirked.
"Go get my gift, Fabray." Rachel pushed her again and reached for her own gift, inside the pocket of her skirt.
"So demanding too." Quinn chuckled and walked to her desk, to retrieve the small box from the first drawer of her oak desk.
"Who goes first?" Rachel met her halfway in the middle of the room.
"You do." Quinn hid her box inside her sweater.
"Fine." Rachel huffed and held her small box to her. "It's one of the gifts I got for you."
"There are more than one?" Quinn undid the knot holding it together and placed it on the bed. She took the lid off and revealed a heart shaped locket, with an emerald stone embedded in the middle of it. "Rachel…"
"Two years ago, you gave me something that belonged to your family." Rachel looked up into her eyes. "I think it is time for me to give you something that has been passed along for years in my family."
"It is too much." Quinn lifted the necklace and took a closer look. "It must be worth a fortune, I can't keep it."
"It is mine to give." Rachel pushed on the button at the top and opened it, to reveal a smaller picture of them together. "I know it is cliché and it is totally fine if you want to take it out."
"It's perfect." Quinn sniffed lightly. "It's just perfect." She smiled through the unshed tears and looked at the brunette. "Put it on me." She reached behind herself to take her cross off and lifted her hair, to expose the back of her neck.
"But your cross." Rachel undid the chain and brought it around the blonde's neck.
"I don't need it." Quinn let it drop on the bed, beside the string that had put the box together. "I want to wear your heart."
"Okay." Rachel kissed the back of her neck where the chain closed. "All done."
"How do I look?" Quinn turned around and looked down at the locket that shone brightly against her gray sweater.
"Perfect." Rachel touched the locket with her fingers and looked up into Quinn's eyes. The emerald matched with the beautiful shade of her eyes.
"I love you." Quinn whispered and held her hand over Rachel. She held it there, over the locket. Over her own heart beating under it.
"I love you too." Rachel smiled and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss her softly. "You're sure you like it?"
"I love it. I will never take it off." She pushed her forehead against Rachel's.
"Can I have that?" Rachel turned her head to stare at the cross on the bedspread.
"The ribbon?" Quinn chuckled.
"The cross." Rachel pushed against her cheek with a smile. "Can I have the cross?"
"Of course." Quinn reached for it and dangled it in front of their faces.
"Thank you." She reached for it and wrapped it around her wrist like a bracelet.
"It looks good on you." Quinn reached for her wrist and turned it around, to see it better. "Better than on me."
"Not possible." Rachel smiled. "Can I have my gift now?"
"Impatient much?" Quinn chuckled. "But I guess…" She reached in her pocket and took the small box out, placing it in Rachel's palm. "Merry Xmas."
"Thank you." Rachel pulled back to unwrap the paper from around the box, revealing a small velvet box. "Quinn…"
"It's not…" Quinn held it in her palm and opened it to reveal a simple rose gold band. "I remember you kept staring at it, when we went to the Chelsea market a couple of months ago."
"It was September, Quinn." Rachel shook her head slowly. "You have it since then?"
"Yes, of course." Quinn held the ring between her forefinger and thumb. "Where?"
"Here." She held the middle finger of her right hand out.
"Okay." She slipped the ring on the finger until she was snugly fitting at the base of her finger. "Perfect fit." She leaned down to kiss her knuckle.
"It looks good." Rachel beamed and looked at Quinn. "Don't you think?"
"I believe so." Quinn nodded softly and lowered her mouth on Rachel for a tender kiss. "Merry Christmas, Rachel."
"Merry Christmas, Quinn." Rachel cupped her face with her right hand, catching a glimpse of the new ring for a moment before she drew the blonde into a longer kiss.
Your heart is on my sleeve
Did you put it there with a magic marker?
For years I would believe
That the world couldn't wash it away
THE END
hope you liked this one, enjoy and any comment is more than welcome.
Happy Holidays!