Strung on a Crime (of loving you)
Quinn gets hurt and Short is there to (lecture her) get her through.
Faberry – In which we get entangled in more of Spidey-Quinn and Rachel's adventures, and yes that pun was intended.
x.X.x
"Calling all units, we have an armed robbery on-"
Groaning as she's woken up by the police radio channel she has on pretty much 24/7 now, Quinn catches the words 'explosives' and 'missile launchers' through her cloudy haze of sleep, and it sends her into an alert fit immediately, eyes blinking away her weariness with a practiced ease.
"Damn it," she mutters under her breath as she shrugs out of bed, moving to pick up her discarded clothes on the floor, and she winces as muscles pop out of place. "I thought I had patrolled enough tonight already."
As she suits up with hasty movements, she hears shuffling from the bed, and she sighs in apology. "I woke you," she says regrettably; "I'm sorry."
From where Rachel is, bedsheets pulled up around her chest as she groggily sits up, the brunette lets out a small frown, and she doesn't bother to acknowledge Quinn's apology any further than a quick nod of dismissal, having already expressed that Quinn shouldn't be contrite too many times to count. "Again?" she asks, and the undertone of worry in her girlfriend's voice is apparent, making Quinn's heart constrict.
"Yeah," she breathes out, and Rachel nibbles on her lower lip in concern.
"But you've already been working day and night this past week," – Quinn doesn't know whether Rachel is protesting or worrying, though she knows it's probably a mixture of both – "and yesterday you-"
Fingers twitching as they itch towards her bandaged ribs, she cuts Rachel off. "They're healed."
Rachel simply gives her a look.
"…Okay, maybe not fully, but they're-"
"Quinn, please."
Rachel's tone is begging, pleading, and it tugs at Quinn's heartstrings.
"I can't," she simply whispers in return. "They- They need Spiderwoman."
"You've been fighting crime endlessly, even Spiderwoman deserves a break!" Rachel almost-snaps, but it's resigned as well, as if she already knows Quinn's answer.
It's been like this for almost a month now – Fisk's finally making his power move after half a year of peace and quiet, and Quinn hasn't been able to catch a break ever since, the only solace at the moment being that it's Spring Break so college is out.
She lets a helpless shrug, unable to do anything else, and Rachel's head bows. "Just- Just come back to me safe, okay?"
Rachel's voice is small and downcast, and it makes Quinn's heart ache steadily. "Funny, you weren't singing that tune when you were going to high-crime rate areas to get my attention," she tries to make light of the situation, and is awarded with a teary chuckle from her girlfriend. "I'll be back before you know it, kay?"
Rachel sucks in an audible breath – or maybe that's the Spidey-senses, it all just blends in together at this point – and shakes her head, as if clearing her thoughts. "I'll be waiting," she says, and her lips quirk into the slightest of smiles. "Just know that if you die, I'll be miserable and heartbroken forever, and you don't want that on your conscience, do you?"
"Mm," she humors her diva, and pauses right before she dawns her hood. "I love you."
It seems to bring heaviness back into the atmosphere, but even though she doesn't intend to go down without a fight, just in case she does, she- she just needs Rachel to know.
"I love you," Rachel murmurs back, and Quinn knows that they're wasting precious time here, but as Rachel slinks out of bed and stops right in front of her, uncaring about her nudity, she can't resist giving her girlfriend a deep, lingering kiss, their breathing in tandem.
"Give them a hard kick to the balls for me," Rachel says with an edge to her voice as they pull back, and Quinn swallows tightly.
"I'll throw in a bitch-slap too, just for good measure." She tries to force out a smile, and nodding, she pulls her mask and hood on, swinging into the night and already calculating the fastest routes to where she knows multiple crimes are happening at once.
"For Rachel," she reminds herself, repeating the words in her mind over and over again like she'll go insane if she doesn't, and to extent, she really will. Rachel is her anchor, and that's why she's going to kick some ass, talk some shit, and get home to her girlfriend and cuddle until the sun rises.
For Rachel.
x.X.x
"Rachel Berry speaking."
"Shit, Short-" she rasps out, clutching at her side and fighting to stay conscious through the pain as she limps down an alleyway. "I need- I need you to-"
"Where are you?" Rachel's voice, awake and calm, rings through her comm line immediately, and though Quinn can tell that her girlfriend is trying to keep her demeanor steady for her, the undertone of shakiness and frantic worry shines through clearly.
Hoping to keep the pained note out of her voice, she's about to answer, but then another wave of sudden pain crashes through her, and she can't stop the loud cry from bubbling out of her throat as she collapses against the wall, slumping with her weight pressed against it for support.
"Quinn?" Rachel asks, and Quinn can only let out a small wheeze in reply, slamming her eyes shut as she hopes to ride out the pain.
It hurts. It hurts so much, and with her ears ringing and breathing labored, she wishes for something, anything, to take away the pain.
Her thoughts are getting more and more fuzzy as every second passes by, the constant ache in her head becoming more like a buzz in the background, and she thinks that it would be easy, to just give up right then and there.
The pain- The pain would all stop, and she'd be free and floaty, and all she has to do is let go. Just let go, and relax, and it would all go away. It would- It would all end, and she wouldn't- wouldn't have to struggle anymore.
God, she's so tired of fighting. So, so…tired, and…
"Quinn!" Rachel's voice snaps her out of her stupor. "Quinn, please, you're scaring me."
Rachel sounds absolutely terrified, unadulterated fear rushing through her voice now, and it's that reminder that jolts Quinn back to reality, eyes blinking groggily to force herself to stay awake.
It would be easy, to just give up and let go, but she can't, because she has Rachel now.
She'd promised that she'd never leave her, and she's going to fight for that promise till her last breath.
"I'm here," she gasps, and at how badly her chest and lungs and everything hurts, she lets out a small, pathetic groan.
Black spots clouding her vision now, she chokes out her location to Rachel in between ragged, haggard breaths, and Rachel sucks in a breath. "Okay," she says. "That's- That's fairly close to our dorms, I can work with that."
There's some shuffling from the other end of the line, and then, "Quinn, I'm taking the van there right now, just- just keep talking to me okay? Focus on the sound of my voice, and- and don't close your eyes."
"'m tired," Quinn breathes out, the pain settling across her skin almost routinely now, and Rachel's breath catches.
"I- I know you are baby," she says, and at the quiet anguish that Quinn hears leaking out of her girlfriend's voice, her heart pangs, and she fights to keep herself responsive. "I'll be there soon, and then it'll all be okay. Promise. Just keep yourself awake for me." There's a beat, and then Rachel's softly adding, "Please."
Quinn hums weakly as she finally slides down to the ground, leaning against the cool concrete wall. "Meds have been ref-" She lets out a 'fuck' between her words when her ribs throb with a bruising pain, and she knows that the wound's been reopened again. "They've been refilled, right?" she tries again once more, and she winces at how strained her voice comes out.
Damn Wilson Fisk.
"Yeah, I've checked; everything's stocked up and ready if you-" Rachel sucks in a breath here, before powering through, "Ready if you need it."
"Oh I definitely need it," Quinn lightly laughs, but then she regrets that decision immensely as she erupts into a coughing fit, wheezing out choked breaths. "Fucking hell," she groans, her lungs feeling like they're tangled up, and she's about to start dry heaving any second now, the bile building up in the back of her throat.
She prays for her healing factor to fucking work faster, because it feels like she's bleeding out everywhere, and she probably is – her hand is pressed against her ribs and soaked in blood, the stench easily recognizable anywhere, and she's pretty sure she knows what the dark trail of stains near her is.
"Quinn, you're okay, right?" Rachel's panicked voice rings out, piercing through her massive headache, and she manages a soft grunt.
"God, I'm sorry-" She coughs weakly, before pushing through, "I'm sorry you have to come pick me up like this, and – shit, that hurts – and at this time too."
"Quinn Fabray don't you dare apologize for this." At how stern Rachel sounds, Quinn mumbles another 'sorry', making her girlfriend sigh. "You will not ever tell me that you're sorry for getting beaten up and needing my help, you hear me?"
"Yeah yeah," Quinn mutters, or at least tries to, because she can tell that her voice is getting weaker, frailer and thinner, but there's nothing she can do – she's done all the emergency aid she can in her state; all she can do now is wait it out for Rachel to come get her.
Rachel obviously notices too, as the breathing from the other side of the line becomes heavier – or is that Quinn hallucinating? The pain's kind of all blending together at this point and she can't tell what's she imagining and what's actually happening – and there's an audible swallow. "Don't you dare die on me now," the brunette warns, though her belt is shaky and Quinn hazily thinks that she's holding back tears.
"Wouldn't dream of it Short," she says, and even though it hurts to breathe, let alone speak right now, she's still filled with the urge to assure Rachel that she's going to be fine, hating how distraught she sounds.
Before she can though, Rachel's voice is carrying through the line again. "I'm two blocks away now, just keep holding on for me, I'll be there before you know it."
"Mm," Quinn hums, and it's so weak that she can barely hear herself, because she's just so exhausted, weariness seeping through her bones, and she honestly doesn't know how much longer she can keep this up.
The entire week's been a struggle, and she can feel herself drifting further and further from consciousness, eyes drooping closed.
"Quinn, talk to me," Rachel suddenly barks into the comm lines, shaking Quinn awake, and the wheeze that comes out of Quinn's chest is utterly painful.
"It hurts," she whispers, and usually she hates telling Rachel these things, but right now in her state of mind, it's the only coherent thought that's running through her brain.
"I know Quinn, I know," Rachel says. "Just- Just a little bit longer, and I'll be there. Just…hang on."
Rachel sounds like she's trying hard not to burst into frustrated tears, and Quinn lets out a rumble of acknowledgement, unable to muster up the strength to let out any more than that.
"I love- I love you," she forces her voice to croak out, and the searing pain she feels at it barely registers – well, it does, but Quinn's seemed to have entered a state where she's normalized it.
"No," Rachel growls. "You're not allowed to say that like you're going to- to die on me Quinn! You're going to be just fine, and everything is going to-"
Rachel finally seems to crack as a tormented cry sounds out, and Quinn lets out a sound that vaguely resembles a whimper, just needing Rachel to stop sounding so sad as a furious self-loathing wraps itself around her, scorning how she's made Rachel reduce herself to- to this.
The sound seems to kick Rachel back into gear though, and she breathes out, "I'm sorry, I love you," it's as if she's desperate for Quinn to know it, "just- You're not going to die today, not on my watch, so- so please."
Quinn knows what Rachel needs her to do – they've been here before, countless times – and so she rasps out "Okay," and continues to let out little hums and noises of acknowledgement every few seconds as Rachel softly rambles, giving her something to focus on.
She watches her chest rise and fall; breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, she chants in her brain, and that, along with Rachel's steady voice, is what gets her through the pain, giving her the will to fight against the increasingly tempting urge to close her eyes.
It seems to go on forever, the pain almost unbearable – breathe in, breathe out – but eventually, the sound of a van screeching to a halt reaches her ears, and even through her grimace at the sensory overload, the relief in her chest is palpable; she's saved.
Rachel's here.
She tries to get her limbs to move so as to stand up, but all her bodily functions are failing her, and as the familiar shadow of Rachel approaches her with quick steps, the only thing she can manage is a pained and weak groan. "Hey-" she coughs. "Hey Short."
Rachel forces out a teary laugh as she gets Quinn up. "You're a fucking idiot."
"I'm-" she gasps out, wincing at all of the points of contact, 'I'm aware."
At the presence of Rachel, the pain seems easier to bear, and Quinn brings herself to mumble, "…Love you Short."
There's a second as she feels the world spin particularly hard, and she stumbles on her feet with a frail cry, almost collapsing to the floor with only Rachel keeping her up and steady.
She can vaguely tell that Rachel's eyes are wet and shining with barely held back tears, and when her girlfriend speaks, it's with a forced assuredness that Quinn knows is for her sake. "I love you too Quinn. Now please, try not to die so that I can continue to love your alive and well self."
"Tha'- That wou' be good," Quinn nods along with a strained groan, and Rachel chokes out another sound trapped between a sob and a laugh.
"I'm- I'm just glad you're okay," she says, a forced optimism in her voice. "You're going to be healed up in no time."
"Mmhmm," Quinn hums, but then her head throbs painfully and she's almost crashing into Rachel again as she trips on her own feet, making her let out a pained yelp.
Fuckin' headaches.
x.X.x
The next day, when she wakes up to the door opening and closing, she moves her head slightly to get a better view – okay, ow that hurts like a bitch – and is met with Rachel, who looks like she's just back from restocking on medical supplies.
"Oh, you're awake," she breathes out, and the relief Quinn can see physically course through Rachel's body sends something straight to her heart.
"I feel like I'm covered in bandages."
Rachel chokes out a light laugh. "That's because you are."
"…But I don't want to look like a mummy." Quinn frowns, and when Rachel's laugh turns genuine, she smiles in triumph. Or well, tries to, because really why does everything fucking hurt so much?
"Well you should've thought of it before you went ahead and played hero, huh?" Rachel mutters under her breath, before she allows a smile to take over her face. "I'm so glad you're okay."
"I am too." Quinn grins a shit-eating grin even through the stark pain, the grin that she knows makes Rachel smile back, and her girlfriend does just that, coupled with a fond eyeroll, which makes all the pain worth it.
It doesn't stop the wince from appearing on her face though, and Rachel rushes to her side with a frown immediately.
"Painkillers?" the brunette asks her with a worried tone, the helplessness on her face making Quinn's heart clench.
In response, she quietly groans, "Yes please."
Swallowing down her painkillers, Rachel settles down onto the bed to watch over her, and the diva sighs, admitting, "I really hate the fact that you're Spiderwoman sometimes."
"I know," Quinn heaves out a breath of her own, and reaches out an arm to- "Shit that hurts!" she hisses, and Rachel looks at her in alarm.
"Baby, why did you try to move when you know that you're literally bruised and battered everywhere with multiple stiches?" she lectures, and Quinn lets out a whine.
"I wanted to pull you down for some cuddles." She will deny that she's pouting until her last breath.
At that, Rachel smiles softly, and maneuvers under the bedsheets so that she can safely coddle Quinn without hurting her, nuzzling into Quinn's hair gently. "You could've just told me, you know."
"But that would make it less romantic or something," Quinn retorts with her lips curled, and Rachel giggles, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to her lips.
"I love you," the brunette sighs, and the utter conviction Quinn hears in those words has her heart skipping just like the first time, her chest filling with warmth, because she remembers how it was like before she had Rachel.
She remembers being lonely and miserable with injuries that she had to take care of herself, and she remembers the nonstop guilt that she'd carry around all day, and she remembers how she had forgotten how to love.
"I love you too," she says, and she's never been more sure of anything in her life.
"…I'm still not done yelling at you about your injuries though."
Quinn snorts. "Wouldn't have it any other way Berry." Here, she pauses, before adding like an afterthought, "Plus, shouldn't you be bitching about how sex is going to be a pain in the ass now?"
Rachel rolls her eyes. "We're creative; I'm sure we'll find some way to figure it out."
A wicked smirk forming on her face as she recalls how exactly creative they can be, she's about to fire off a flirty remark, but then Rachel's hounding her about changing her bandages, and all she can do is let out a fond groan.
Life as Spiderwoman with Rachel Berry is hard sometimes, but it's sure as hell one of the best things that has happened to her, and Quinn isn't letting go of it any time soon.
"Quinn Fabray don't you dare tune me out!"
She lets out a loud heaving groan, and ignores the pain in her neck to bury her head into Rachel's hair, grumbling, "Short, just give me the damn cuddles."
"Quinn, but the importance of-"
"Rachel," Quinn cuts off her girlfriend's protests, and tries not to let a smile overtake her face at the pout that appears on perfect plump lips.
"But Quinn-" Rachel starts again, and this time Quinn can't take it anymore, simply drawing the brunette into a kiss instead.
"No buts, just mine allowed," she mumbles into an eager and receiving mouth, smiling against it.
"Oh, that- that feels nice," Rachel hums, before, "Quinn, I told you to be careful of your injuries!"