Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or its characters.
Quinn looked in the mirror as she smoothed out the skirt of her Prom dress. She looked at her friends who were seated on her bed in their own dresses. "Too much?"
"You're really asking us that?" Santana scoffed as she folded her arms. Brittany nudged her at this, making the Latina sigh. "You're fine, Q."
"You look amazing, actually," Brittany beamed.
The former head Cheerio relaxed a little at their words. "Thanks… And sorry for dragging you two into this group thing we set up. I know I have Mercedes supporting me, but I get a little tense having Sam with us and well… Rachel…"
"You'll be fine, Q. You promised you won't confess until Nationals so you shouldn't be nervous."
"Besides. Trouty Mouth will have his arms filled with five of McKinley's hottest girls so people will act as if he's never poor."
Quinn couldn't help but to laugh at the brunette's comment. "As long as I don't get caught."
Santana looked at her friend before scooting away from Brittany. She patted the spot between them. "Sit."
The shorter blonde looked at her but reluctantly obliged. She tensed when the two wrapped their arms around her in comfort. "What's all this?" she asked, although already knowing their answer.
"Tell you what. If it feels like you want to make sure it's safe to confess to Berry prematurely, just look for us. We have a whole week until Nationals and if you want to make it perfect, we'll make sure that she'll be ready to take it."
"Is there another option?"
"Learn to not be scared. Your first time be scared of your feelings. Might be best if you find a way to beat it."
Quinn looked at the Latina. "How so?"
"What about a haircut?" Brittany chimed in. Quinn looked at her, seeing the infectious smile on her friend's face.
"Sounds like a perfect idea, Britt Britt," Santana said in agreement. "We can do this either before or after we leave for New York. But it's all up to you, Q. If you're up for it, give us the word."
Quinn couldn't help but to smile and held her friends in a hug. "It's been a long time since I've said this, but… I'm so glad to have you two as my friends."
"We're not the Unholy Trinity for nothing," the Latina sneered. This made the three laugh as they hugged each other.
Rachel nervously hovered her hand over the doorbell of the Fabray household. She pulled away and started to pace. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous about taking Quinn to Prom all of a sudden. Sure, she wants to make it all perfect for the blonde after she sacrificed her chances of winning Prom Queen, but she began to feel this sudden uneasiness when they started hanging out more. She felt like she could throw up any minute now.
The front door suddenly opened, making her jump and quickly hide the box behind her back, her face flushed in embarrassment. She looked at who opened the door and was surprised that it wasn't Quinn's mother, Judy.
"What's up, Berry?" the Latina asked as she leaned against the doorframe.
"S-Santana. Wh-what brings you here?" Rachel was still surprised, knowing the taller brunette would have already went ahead to the event with Brittany.
"Just helping Q with her dress and hair. Judy's busy finding the camera." She looked around and noticed the diva was alone. "Where's Mercedes and Trouty Mouth?"
Rachel blinked, suddenly remembering the phone call she had earlier with her fellow diva. "Oh! Um… We agreed to meet each other at Breadstix before going to Prom together. They wanted to spend some time alone together so I came here to pick up Quinn. Is she ready?"
Santana tried to hide her laugh from the nervousness that flowed from the petite brunette. "Yea. Just having some issues with her heels. Come on. Must be getting a little cold." She invited Rachel into the house.
"Rachel!" A yellow and green blur came from the staircase and lifted the diva into the air in a hug.
"H-hi, Brittany," she managed to choke out from the blonde's strength. She found herself put back onto the floor and quickly straightened her dress.
"You look so perfect!" the blonde squealed. "No wonder Quinn was so-!" Her mouth was soon covered by Santana's hand, preventing her from finishing her sentence.
"So excited to be dancing with all of her friends," the Latina finished, giving her girlfriend a small look as if to chastise her.
Rachel furrowed her eyebrows at the two's behavior, unsure what to make of it. Brittany carefully pried Santana's hand off. "Yea. We're all hot. All of the girls will be jealous," the blonde said sheepishly.
"O-okay…"
Santana scoffed before turning to the staircase. "Q! Get your butt down here or we're going to be late for Breadstix! I need my 'stix!"
"I'm coming!" a voice called from the top of the staircase. Soft footsteps were heard as the three watched the Fabray daughter descend the staircase.
Rachel felt a lump caught in her throat and quickly averted her gaze, clearing her throat in the process. She took in a deep breath before looking at the blonde, trying her best to smile. "Quinn. You look beautiful."
The former head Cheerio felt the heat rise to her cheeks and smiled. "Thanks. You look great, too." She couldn't help but to find herself looking at the diva from head to toe. Obviously her color of choice was pink, just as she expected. She held up the white box in her hand. "Here. Your corsage as promised."
Rachel blinked, suddenly snapped out of the trance she was also in. "Th-thanks. Um. I have yours, too." She gingerly switched the boxes, allowing the two to open them. She let out a small laugh when she saw the pink roses. "Was I that obvious?"
"You always struck me as a pink person," Quinn said, not taking her eyes off of her own corsage. The white of the gardenias was a safe play but she noticed the green leaves stood out quite well along with the light green ribbon. She looked at the short brunette in front of her. "Just like my eyes." She smiled to herself when she found Rachel blushing in embarrassment.
"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry if I was staring-"
"It's fine. I like it." Love, actually.
"Okay, stop eye-fucking each other so we can get our photos taken and head to Breadstix," Santana snapped, clapping her hands to get their attention. "You can do it at the dance."
The two looked at each other before turning away, their faces red in embarrassment. Brittany couldn't help but to nudge her girlfriend's shoulder, a knowing look in her blue eyes. This only received a smirk and nod from the Latina.
Laughter was heard at the popular restaurant as a group of six were seated at a booth. "I can't believe you really brought a wheelbarrow to Breadstix for your second visit!" Rachel laughed.
Santana removed the breadstick from her mouth after taking off a bite. "It's just that good. Get over it, Berry."
"Oh, please. You were so tempted to bringing that thing when we were sure we were going to win that Duet competition," Mercedes said. "You looked like you were ready to kill whoever voted."
"And I will do it again next year." She stopped when there was a silent awkwardness at the table. She looked between her two friends and then Sam who pursed his lips, remembering what happened after the said event. "Sorry."
"I-it's fine. It's all in the past so there's no need to worry," Quinn said," We've all talked about it so it's perfectly fine. Right?"
Sam quickly nodded his head. "Yeah. It's all great."
It table fell into silence again, making it almost suffocating for the group. Mercedes cleared her throat. "So! About Prom Queen votes," she said," Any plans on how to get the rest of the votes, you two? Now that you guys kind of stopped your campaigns with all of the dramas."
"It's probably better if we wait until next year. Whatever happens tonight probably won't mean anything to us," Santana said," I mean, I can't be Queen and there's no way they'll just suddenly make Brittany a write-in for either titles."
"And Karofsky?"
"We've talked it over. He doesn't really care at this point as long as he can use it to help turn over a new leaf better." She couldn't help but to let a small smile slip, catching their attention. They were quite aware of the Latina wanting to bring Kurt back to McKinley in order to earn Prom Queen votes, but after the drama with her being outed as a lesbian, she's just glad that their flamboyant friend was back and ready to help them with Nationals. She even managed to sit down with the two boys after Kurt transferred back to talk about their new allegiance to help others going through the same troubles as them. It was a long talk and Karofsky has yet to admit his sexuality to anyone other than the two, but it was great that they created a new pact even if it meant keeping a huge secret from the ever-so-accepting Glee Club.
"Well at least you guys have settled that problem. I'm guessing the same for you, Quinn? Waiting until next year to run when you find your perfect King?"
Quinn took in a deep breath, remembering how her initial plans involved campaigning with Finn to get all of the voters with their Quarterback-Head Cheerleader image. A match made in Heaven in the social hierarchy, but wasn't one she personally agreed with. She gave a nod, trying to not glance over at Rachel at the thought of her perfect "King". "Y-yeah. Things have been really rough this year so next year will probably go smoothly. Maybe after Nationals may I find my new King." She ignored the knowing smirk growing on Santana's face, gently kicking her under the table to stop her from making any remarks.
"Phew! Looks like Evans got busy and landed himself a basket full of wonderful arm candy!" Puck whistled when he approached the group entering the gymnasium. "Should have told me I had a rival for tonight!"
"Oh, please, Noah. We just thought it would be nice to let Sam have a wonderful night after all the stress he's having," Rachel said, giving him a playful push on the shoulder.
"Well the more the merrier! Come on, man! I got some sorority girls for you to meet!" The rebel took hold of his blonde teammate's arm before dragging him through the dancefloor to catch up to his surprisingly large group of dates waiting for him.
"Guess that worked," Santana chuckled with her arms folded. "Come on, Britt Britt. Let's dance!" She took hold of her girlfriend's hands before leading her to the dancefloor, receiving a squeal in response from the tall blonde.
The three couldn't help but to laugh at the two girls are they started to twirl each other before hugging each other while dancing. It was quite an adorable sight whenever the Latina shows off her soft side for her girlfriend. She'll never admit it but everyone knows how she is when she's around a certain Brittany S. Pierce.
Quinn suddenly felt a lump in her throat when she felt her hand grabbed by a familiar one. "Well. It's just us three left. Let's all have fun!" Rachel cheered as she held onto the two.
Quinn quickly looked over at Mercedes who quickly held back her laugh when she saw the blonde's red face. She shook her head before looking back at the shorter diva, knowing her response might lead to sudden protest by McKinley's HBIC. "Let's dance!" she said. This received a happy squeal before the two were dragged to the dancefloor.
"No date tonight, Q?!" Sue asked over the music as the younger blonde poured herself a glass of punch.
"Just with some friends tonight, Coach." She glanced over at Rachel who was dancing with the rest of their group, laughing and singing along with them. She took a sip of the punch, only to be confused of the familiar taste hidden. She tried to hide her reaction from her coach and looked back at the older blonde. "Do you think I made the right choice, Coach? Throwing away Prom Queen votes just to be with my friends?"
"Normally, I would say you're an idiot. This year could be the only chance for you to be crowned the highest status at this school. Something we both know you've been trying so hard to keep in your hold. But what yours is yours! Just remember you might regret it later!"
Quinn couldn't help but to smile at her coach's harsh words, remembering their conversation a while back. "I'll definitely regret it!" she shot back before finishing her punch. She went back to her friends, hoping to enjoy the rest of the night in peace.
A new song started and the former head cheerleader noticed her diva stopped dancing as if on cue. "I have to get on stage after this!" the brunette said over the music. "I'll be back for that dance, Quinn! I promised you that in the car!" She scurried off, going to the back of the stage to prepare herself.
Quinn felt someone bump hips with her and turned to Santana who had a mischievous smile on her face. She let out a small laugh and shook her head. "Puck snuck something into Sue's punch when she was on break. You might want to get some after Rachel sings."
"Ooh~ He really did us a favor!" Santana cheered.
"Let's just hope he doesn't get caught when she runs out," Mercedes laughed before they continued dancing.
They soon noticed the music slowing down as the DJ took the mic on the side. "Okay, folks. Grab your partner because we are going to slow it down a bit."
They looked over at the stage where they found Rachel taking the mic that was decorated with pink rhinestones. "Jar of Hearts" began to play, making many people grab their dates to dance.
"Britt and I will go ahead. We'll catch you guys later," Santana said before being dragged off by the taller blonde.
"They're just so cute," Mercedes grinned, only to be nudged by Quinn.
"She'll blow a fuse if she hears that," she chided, aware that the Latina isn't fond of being called "cute". She soon noticed a familiar blonde approaching and couldn't help but to smile when she followed his line of sight.
Sam held out his hand to Mercedes, surprising her. "Hey, beautiful. May I have this dance?"
The two girls exchanged excited glances before the diva found herself gently pushed forward. "O-of course, Sam. I would be glad to." Mercedes rested her hand in his before being led deeper into the dance floor.
Quinn smiled as she saw her friends having fun. She looked over at Rachel, in awe of her voice. She felt the heat rising to her cheeks when the brunette looked in her direction with a wide smile. She shyly smiled and gave a small wave, happy to see her new friend having fun with what she loves to do. Confusion soon came over her when she noticed a look of concern on Rachel's face when the brunette never looked away from her general direction.
A hand gently tapped her shoulder, making her turn to find a familiar boy. "F-Finn." She quietly cursed to herself, remembering that it was mandatory for Prom Court candidates to attend with or without dates. She forced a smile when she looked at him. "How can I help you?" She cringed when she recognized the slightly constipated smile on his face.
"Would you like to dance, Quinn? Wouldn't want a girl to dance alone while standing in the middle of the dance floor."
Realization crashed over her, seeing how she was so preoccupied with watching Rachel that she didn't realize she was standing at the center of the gym, surrounded by dancing couples. She found his hand held out to her.
"You once said that it's mandatory for Prom Court candidates to have at least once dance together. Please."
Quinn looked back at Rachel, somewhat spotting a hint of jealousy in her brown eyes. She wasn't sure if it was towards her or Finn, but she sure hoped it was a fight over her rather than the titan standing over her. She let out a sigh, seeing how the song is more than halfway over and will make the dance shorter.
"Sure, Finn. But just remember that this is as friends."
"Yeah. Of course. Wouldn't put it in any other way."
Quinn rested her left hand on his shoulder, her right resting in his left hand. He slipped his right hand to her waist, allowing them to dance. She snuck a glance towards Rachel and noticed the sadness in her eyes. She noticed Santana and Brittany were also looking in her direction, the latter clearly concerned for the current situation. It was quite obvious in Quinn's hazel eyes that she mostly looked forward to the dance Rachel promised her on the car ride to the dance. It was a chance for her to bond with the diva in a more public setting compared to when they would go to the Lima Bean or discussing original song ideas for Nationals. Rachel was actually stressing about it due to how close the competition is and they have no songs written or choreography set. This dance was a chance for them to enjoy each other's company without stressing about the competition.
"So, Quinn." She snapped her attention back to the tall jock when she heard her name. "I have to apologize about before. I shouldn't have accused you for using Rachel. Seeing you two get along between then and now convinced me that you guys are doing your best to be friends."
A small smile seemed to have slipped from the blonde's lips at his words, glad he finally approves. "Thanks, Finn. It's nice to hear that from you."
"Yeah, well… A good leader has to be approving and watch out for his teammates. But I'm a little worried about something and want to ask you something. Don't hurt her, okay?"
Quinn felt her eyebrows automatically raise from the request. "Excuse me?"
"I just don't want anything to happen between you guys. You know how fragile she can be so I don't want you to hurt her. I'm not accusing you of anything but I just want to look out for both of you."
She let out a small laugh at this. Sure, he said he wasn't accusing her of anything but it sure sounded like it was given the request and his previous accusations.
She heard the music changing and pulled away from him. "Well I can't promise anything, but I do know I won't hurt her like many people think I would. Mercedes and Kurt will definitely kill me if I make Rachel cry, so don't worry your little head about it."
Rachel quickly made her way through the crowd after receiving an applause, hoping she can catch Quinn. She couldn't explain it, but she definitely felt a little hurt when she found her new friend dancing with Finn halfway through the song. Maybe a little jealous but she wasn't sure to who. Maybe jealous of Quinn dancing with the boy she fell in love with for over a year? Maybe of Finn for dancing with her friend before her? She just wasn't sure, but she definitely knew that she had to get to Quinn for their promised dance. Sure, she can wait until later during the dance, but it just feels so urgent now. Like she wants to dance with the former head cheerleader as soon as possible.
"Mercedes and Kurt will definitely kill me if I make Rachel cry, so don't worry your little head about it."
Rachel stopped in her tracks when she heard Quinn. She looked at the blonde to find her talking to Finn, her arms folded and her signature HBIC glare in full swing. At first, she's quite in awe of the girl's declaration to not hurt her, but now she's a little concerned. Since when was McKinley's Head Bitch concerned about the reaction from two of the school's largest gossips when it came to her? Sure, they were probably two of her closest friends, but even they didn't chew off Finn's head when everyone found out he had sex with Santana out of jealousy and lied about it when they were dating. It took two sleepovers and five tubs of ice cream for her friends to cheer her up, but they didn't attack Finn. So why would they attack Quinn for hurting her when they're just friends?
She was snapped out of her thoughts when a hand wrapped around her shoulders. She looked up at Quinn who was still glaring at Finn. "Come on, Rach. Let's join the others and have that dance."
"O-okay."
Quinn led her towards Santana and Brittany where the latter pulled the diva in a hug. "You did great, Rachel!" she cheered, making her laugh at the taller blonde's perkiness.
"Thank you, Brittany."
"Quinn, can I steal her for a second to dance? She's just so cute."
Quinn hesitated, having been looking forward to the dance. But she really couldn't say no to Brittany. Her blue eyes just had that innocent spark to them and her lower lip stuck out for a cute pout. How can anyone say no to that face?
She looked at Rachel who wanted to protest but also couldn't resist the pout on the tall Cheerio's face. Santana looked between the three before taking hold of Quinn. "You two can dance. Q and I will go grab some more punch. I need a buzz." She locked arms with the blonde before leading her to the table. "Sorry about that, Q. She did say she wanted to try stealing dates."
Quinn quickly waved her off. "We are not dates, San. At least not tonight." She poured a cup of punch and handed it to her friend, only to find the Latina's eyebrows raised with a knowing look. She scoffed. "You know what I mean, San."
"Well you do have another week before confessing. And by the looks of things, you may need to sit her down for it all."
There was a soft groan from the blonde before she drank from her own cup. "I can't believe you saw that look on her face…"
"Well what are your thoughts, Q? Either she wants you or Frankenteen. Nationals is the best way to seal the deal."
"What if it isn't?"
"We'll just have to find out by then. Just know we all got your back, Q."
"Thanks…" Quinn looked over at the dancing duo. Rachel seemed to have been laughing at whatever Brittany seemed to have said. There was no doubt it could have been one of those one-liners that may or may not have made sense to others.
She poured herself another cup before quickly downing it. She felt her mind go numb for a second before she felt an arm wrap around her waist.
"Whoa, girl. Let's not go crazy here. You might let something slip if you have another cup."
She couldn't do anything to protest and simply nodded. "Sorry… I just have to forget about this stress…"
"Think you can get over there without getting tipsy?"
"Y-yeah. Let's go."
Rachel carefully pulled up to the driveway of the Fabray household, turning off the engine after parking. She looked over at Quinn who was half-asleep, tired from the dance.
Prom Court announcement was quite a shock to everyone. She wasn't sure if it was some kind of sick joke, but Kurt won Prom Queen by write-in votes. He ran off crying for a while before being brought back in by Blaine who helped him accept the title with his head held high. Karofsky won Prom King but refused to dance with Kurt even if it may help his confidence and support their pact and cause. Santana and Quinn didn't mind losing, but hope that the same doesn't happen next year if it hurt their friend this badly.
The car ride home was awfully quiet, but neither of them could help it. Rachel had some punch before they ran out the first time and was able to realize what made Quinn dizzy throughout most of the dance. The dosage wasn't as great as what they had during her Alcohol Awareness Week party so she was quite surprised at how much of a lightweight the blonde was. It was actually a little cute to see her be a little tipsy before the dosage can be enough to turn her into an angry drunk. She actually had to ask Santana help wash it out of her system before Prom ended so no one would be too suspicious.
She gently reached over to shake the blonde. "Quinn. We're here," she whispered, hoping to wake the girl without giving her a headache.
The blonde softly groaned as she straightened herself, making the diva stifle a laugh. She climbed out of the car before running to the passenger side to help the girl out of the car. She carefully took off Quinn's shoes before letting her out of the car. She couldn't help but to laugh when the blonde fell against her from being half-asleep.
"Quinn. Do you have your house keys? I'll have to take you to your room if you're going to fall over like this."
"Nggh… Okay…" She wiped her eyes before fumbling with her clutch, taking out the keys. Rachel took hold of the keys before leading the blonde to the front door.
After some struggle, Rachel was able to drag Quinn up to her room. She noticed none of the lights were on when she pulled up, meaning Judy must have already been asleep or wasn't home for the night. It didn't really matter as long as she was able to get Quinn to bed.
She held out a moist towelette to the blonde. "Here. Wipe off your makeup while I get your hair ready."
Quinn let out an incomprehensible hum before wiping her face. Rachel quickly but carefully took out the pins from the blonde's hair, hoping to not tug or rip off any loose strands. She took hold of a brush to straighten it out, smiling as she noticed how smooth and silky it is when her hands brush against it. She placed the brush down when finished to inspect the girl, hoping she didn't miss any spots of makeup on her face.
Upon closer inspection, the blonde actually looked great without the makeup as if she barely put any on. Rachel couldn't help but to feel jealous that her beauty looked much more natural compared to the hard work she has to put in to maintain her current look.
Once everything was acceptable, she carefully laid Quinn down onto the bed, covering her with the comforter. She made her way downstairs to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water to place on the bedside table along with an Advil for her hangover.
"Sleep well, okay?" She was about to take her leave but found her arm grabbed and pulled onto the bed. She covered her mouth to stop herself from letting out a yelp and looked over to find Quinn still asleep, hugging the brunette's arm. She let out a sigh in relief before pulling away, replacing her arm with a stuffed lamb she spotted next to the blonde's pillow. She smiled when she saw the girl snuggle up with the lamb and smiling at its softness. A childlike innocence that possibly only Rachel Berry has seen in the former head Cheerio's life.
She carefully brushed a few strands of hair from Quinn's face before leaning in, placing a soft peck to the forehead. "Goodnight, Quinn." She took her leave, turning off the lights and closing the door.
Santana looked at her phone after receiving countless text messages from two different people.
From Q: San, what happened last night? I just woke up with no makeup and my hair down. Did you take me home?
From Berry: Hi, Santana. Would it be okay if you can check on Quinn for today? I know she has church but I'm not sure if she'll have a headache from Prom.
From Q: Seriously, S! This is not funny! I woke up to finding Lamb in my arms and I think lipstick on my forehead!
The Latina simply laughed at the mention of her friend's treasured stuffed animal. It was something she and Brittany found during one of their old sleepovers at Quinn's house. It never left its spot next to her pillow and she wouldn't let anyone touch it. Sometimes Santana would stay up later than her blonde friend to see if she'll grab the doll in her sleep, but it never happened. To have a message about her hugging the thing was definitely a surprise for the Latina.
From S: You had way too much of Coach Sue's punch last night. I'm surprised that broke you into hugging that thing. I need a photo. P.S. Berry drove you home so I don't know the details.
From Santana: Don't really need to take requests from you about Q, Berry. But it will untighten your granny panties, I am texting her and will talk to her later. Seems to be doing fine.
Her phone rang again.
From Q: You let her drive me home?! Oh my God, San! I could have done something crazy!
From S: Relax, Q. I'm sure she'll text you later. You weren't that drunk. Come over when you're done, okay? Britt stayed over for the night so we'll be waiting.
She put her phone down and looked over at Brittany who peacefully slept. Her arms were wrapped around the Latina and her head rested against her chest. Santana smiled and gently combed her fingers through her girlfriend's blonde locks. She thought back to the messages, curious of what happened in the Fabray household when Quinn was dropped off.
This chapter took a while and much longer than previous chapters. Not sure how to start the next one yet. Maybe have it focused more on Rachel's point of view during their trip to New York but I'm not sure. Just have to wait and see.