Rachel got home late, she'd finished her run on the weekend and had been invited back for a special performance that night. There had been tears and hugs as champagne was popped around her. She cried and laughed, she was going to miss them all, it had been fun and exhausting, but familiar and comforting. Now everything that lay ahead was unknown.
In a few minutes Quinn would arrive and her nerves were making themselves known as she quickly tidied and fussed around her apartment.
The last time they'd been in the same space was the trip to L.A. and Rachel was desperate that this time would be better, it had to be. They'd talked everyday since and it had been good, better than good. Rachel felt so happy the second she heard Quinn's voice on the other end of the phone and sad when she had to say goodnight, but she still needed to know if they could actually exist in the same space, that what she felt was tangible and that they could have a real relationship.
The knock on the door broke her thoughts. She rushed towards it, but hesitated as her hand reached for the handle, trying to calm her nerves but failing, she finally opened the door. Quinn looked as beautiful as ever, even after a long flight and Rachel felt like she'd had the breath knocked out of her. They stood awkwardly looking at each other for a moment, neither sure what they should do or say until Rachel finally gave in and smiled, pulling Quinn into a hug before stepping back.
"It's so good to see you. How was the flight?"
"Terrible, turbulence and I got elbowed a lot! But it's worth it now I get to see your face."
Rachel blushed and ducked her head, trying to hide, but Quinn cupped her chin lifting it until their eyes met.
"Quinn." Rachel closed her eyes as she breathily spoke the other girls name.
"I missed you." Quinn placed a chaste kiss to Rachel's lips, before walking into the apartment and looking around. "Now where do I put my bags?"
"Um." Rachel mashed her lips together as she looked at Quinn.
"What?" Quinn arched her eyebrow inquisitively.
"My room or the couch?"
"Oh." Quinn stopped to think. "Look I'll take the couch if it's awkward for you? I mean we tried and then I messed up and well I wouldn't, we could just sleep and girls do that kind of thing, so if you were okay, then perhaps?"
"Shush." Rachel placed a finger over Quinn's mouth and felt a shiver rip through her body at the contact. "You'll stay with me, my couch is nice, but my bed is huge. I think we can control ourselves for a couple of nights. I like you, but I think we need to draw a boundary for this weekend at least, until we are both sure it's what we want."
"Yes, okay fine." Quinn's eyes were now locked on her feet, she wasn't sure how to fix things, L.A. was clearly still a problem for Rachel, but she was glad she had a few days to try. Sharing a bed with Rachel may not be the best idea at the moment, but she certainly liked the thought of it.
xxx
"So I bought you this." Rachel drew Quinn's attention to the bird that was placed on the kitchen counter and Quinn gasped.
"Rachel, that is going to feed about 500 people!"
"Really?" Rachel flicked her eyes between the Turkey and Quinn. "I didn't know, I mean I never have, so I picked the biggest."
Quinn laughed loudly and it only made Rachel blush harder. "Well, your Dad is going to be so happy! This should keep him going for the next five years."
"Screw you Fabray." Rachel threw a towel at a still laughing Quinn.
"I wish." Quinn muttered under her breath before beginning her preparation of the Turkey, Rachel put away her bags before rejoining her. "Maybe we could feed the homeless when we've finished?"
"Please stop." Rachel begged.
"Anything for you." Quinn grinned. Rachel cringed as she watched Quinn begin placing butter underneath the birds skins. "Did you get bacon?"
"I did."
"God Rachel, I could love you." The words hung between them, but Quinn didn't let Rachel dwell on them for long, instead she sang along to a song on the radio, knowing Rachel wouldn't be able to resist joining in.
An hour later and they both collapsed on the couch with a glass of wine each.
"Welcome." Rachel opened her arms out with a flourish.
"Thank you. It's nice to have somewhere to go."
"I'm glad you came, it means a lot to me. How's work?"
"Not great. It's just been hectic, but we wrapped on The Empire the other day and I died, well I died five times in total and that was kinda draining."
"So no chance of going back?"
"I think they were a bit angry, but yeah that's how it goes."
"And the new show?"
"It's doing well, the press love it and the ratings are high, I'm hoping my arrival on screen doesn't coincide with a dip or I'll be out." Quinn joked.
"The audience will double when they see you on screen." Rachel assured.
"I can only hope. I appear in episode 3 briefly and then it's full on. I filmed last week between The Empire wrap."
"I've been watching when I can, I feel really proud of you, is that strange?"
"I felt proud when I saw you walk on the stage the first time and every time after." Quinn gripped Rachel's hand tightly.
"I still have questions about when I came to see you." Rachel shifted her eyes from their linked hands to Quinn's face.
"I owe you answers. Rach, I should have been stronger, I was scared. Rick had put pressure on me, I don't trust him, but he's not the worst out there. Just if he got at you in some way..."
"Why would he do that?"
"I've heard it happens. A bit like how Dad's pay off unworthy suitors so they don't marry their daughters, agents get rid of things they see as problems, it's all money to them."
"No one is buying me." Rachel laughed at the thought.
"No, but they can do other things, threats. Stop you working. Kristen wouldn't drop it and I don't think she's doing well now. I mean I don't know for sure, but I think that's because of me and Rick or it could just be that she isn't that great an actor, but still...I can't be sure."
"But now you have a break on...sorry I forgot the name, I keep calling it The Mad Girl."
"A Madness."
"Right, but doesn't that mean you are going to be more well known? I guess what I mean is what happens when I'm in L.A. too?"
"At the moment my plan is to not make you feel like you did that night. We can take it slow Rachel, I'll go at your pace."
"I think slow is probably best, I don't want a mob of agents chasing me out of town because I tried to hold your hand."
"Just avoid the alluring outfits when we go out and I'll try to keep my urges under control."
"Maybe I could go back to animal sweaters and plaid skirts?"
"God no. I'd eat you alive."
Rachel shuddered at the very thought, perhaps she still had some of her old outfits in storage, she made a mental note to get her Daddy to look once he returned after Thanksgiving.
"Do you want to watch a movie?" Rachel asked as she topped up their glasses.
"I'd rather talk...but if it's what you want." Rachel shook her head, she wanted to talk too.
"Tell me when you knew you were gay."
"Senior year, when I walked in on you and Finn. I denied it to myself of course, but that was when I knew for sure."
Rachel just stared back at Quinn for a moment. "So that night! Whoa and then you didn't talk to me?"
"I'd been through hell, Beth, my parents. Then Shelby came back and it was Beth again. I was just getting somewhere, we'd made friends and I felt good inside, but being gay wasn't an option, liking girls, liking the girl that was just becoming a friend, I pushed you away and I've had to try to live with it for the last five years, I..."
Rachel shook her head and Quinn stopped. "I broke up with him after that night, I should have done it sooner. I don't know why I got so wrapped up in him, but I'd wanted him for so long and he was yours, then mine and, wow I just can't believe it. I can't believe you ran."
"I know it seems crazy but it was like someone kicked me in the guts over and over. I ran and I'm ashamed now, I didn't even say goodbye before you went to New York."
"I came to your house."
"When?"
"Before I left. I stood at the door, but never knocked."
"Do you wonder how things could have been?" Quinn shifted on the couch so that she was facing Rachel.
"Sometimes, but then I think that if we're meant to be then it'll happen. I'm scared. I'm not going to hide that. My feelings for you can be overwhelming and that's frightening at times because I think I'm turning back into the girl that chased Finn all over again."
"But I'm no Finn. Rachel, you mean a lot to me, I just want to show you."
"I want to know, I do, but I need to be careful, it'd be so easy to just give in to how I feel, but it'd be wrong, what I feel is stronger than anything I've ever felt before, I need to get this right, it matters too much."
"I think I know what you mean."
"So can you handle that? I can't just jump in, no matter how much I may be tempted. I have to be careful, I have to know it's right?"
"I'll wait." Quinn pulled Rachel into a hug, she desperately wanted to tell her that she should just take a risk and they should go for it because nothing had ever felt more right then when she held Rachel, but she didn't. She had to respect Rachel's choice and she already knew she'd wait as long as it took, because she knew Rachel felt something and that was enough for now.
"I appreciate it. So is now a good time to tell you I'm going to be coming to L.A. next month?"
"You got it?"
"I so fucking got it!"
"Fuck hearing you swear is just wow and sexy."
"You think?" Rachel beamed and Quinn didn't hesitate as she captured Rachel's lips with her own. It was chaste, but enough in that moment.
"I'm really happy. I think some serious time together will be good, when did they get back to you? I mean I thought it might not be happening, you didn't bring it up and I've been trying not to ask."
"I found out a couple of weeks ago, but I wanted to tell you in person, its been so hard keeping it in. We had to wait for some things to happen, all boring stuff, but yeah I have a contract and its going to be amazing."
"I can't...wow. I'm going to be able to show you around and take you to the places I love. When do you arrive?" Quinn asked excitedly.
"We start filming the first week of January and it's all set for a midseason feature, it's a support role, but I've got a lot of scenes."
"How many parts is it going to be?"
"Five they think. It's a lot of work."
"It sounds it."
"Emotionally it's going to be tough. I'm playing a 16 year old daughter of a bipolar woman. I think it's going to be a challenge and I can't wait. I've not really done anything like it before, but at least the character uses humor to help her cope, other than that it's pretty dark."
"You are going to be amazing."
"I'm going to be on TV." Rachel screamed out in excitement and Quinn joined her as she leapt off the couch and scooped the brunette into her arms, before they fell back down in a heap of tangled limbs.
"How the hell did you keep that quiet?"
"I have no idea, i'm working with some amazing talent and it's going to be big, I just know it."
"Wow, that's just kind of...I'm jealous. Why don't I get to hear about roles like this?"
"Because you are about to be TV's new breakout star...look it says it here." Rachel chucked a copy of her magazine at Quinn.
"Hmm."
"Hmm indeed. Chase likes to touch you."
"I've told him to stop, he's a sleaze. I thought he was gay when Rick said we'd have to 'date', but now I'm not so sure. But enough about Chase, what I really want to ask is can I take you out when you get there? Like official and properly?"
"But secretly and sneakily?"
Quinn pulled away and sunk back into the couch. "Yeah." She sighed.
"Yeah." Rachel mimicked. "Yeah, fucking yes, yeah. We are so dating Quinn Fabray." Rachel straddled Quinn on the couch.
"Quietly?" Quinn asked hesitantly, not willing to get her hopes up too soon.
"Any way we have to, okay?" Rachel pressed a kiss to Quinn's forehead.
"Yes." Quinn's eyes sparkled as the thought of sharing the same city as Rachel began to wash over her.
"I'm not promising it'll work, but I am promising to try, so long as you don't go all awkward on me."
"I can't promise about the awkward. It's kinda who I am now, but I'll be the best I can for you."
"You're really pretty." Rachel brushed Quinn's hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek, Quinn closed her eyes at the touch and leant into Rachel's hand.
"We should get some sleep." Quinn tried to break the moment, she was close to getting lost in Rachel and had to try to keep her promise of boundaries and going slow, for tonight at least, she didn't want to scare Rachel off before they'd even got going.
"Yep, sleep. Sure." Rachel climbed off Quinn, a grin in place as she pulled Quinn up. Going slow was going to be torture.
Rachel walked towards her bedroom door, before stopping abruptly, Quinn didn't realize until she almost bumped into her and then without hesitation Rachel's lips were on hers. Quinn moaned at the sensation and Rachel took advantage, their tongues met in a languid kiss, before Rachel's hands gripped at her sides and pulled Quinn closer, the kiss became more needy and desperate. Their bodies were pressed together but it wasn't enough, Rachel pushed Quinn backwards until her back was against the wall, her hands were now pulling Quinn's shirt out of her jeans and fingers were splayed across the blondes toned abs. Quinn bucked into Rachel and Rachel pushed her back harder into the wall. Breaking the kiss, she began attacking her neck with hot kisses and delicate nips, before reaching her collar bone, but then Quinn's hands were on her shoulder's gently pushing her back.
"What's that noise?" Quinn asked as she tried to catch her breath, Rachel looked at her confusedly for a moment, taking in the blondes flushed appearance and smiling at what she'd done, before she realized what Quinn was talking about.
Rachel picked her cell off the sideboard. "A reminder."
"For what? It's nearly midnight."
Rachel showed Quinn the message on the screen. 'Do not have sex with Quinn' was all it said and Quinn chuckled as she read it aloud.
"Oh, really Rachel! So all the talk of going slow..."
"Yeah, sorry. I had a feeling I'd not be able to trust myself."
"When did you set that?"
"Last night."
Quinn grinned at that, happy that sex was at least on Rachel's mind before she'd arrived. So tonight they wouldn't be doing anything, she could just about survive, but as she lay in the bed next to the brunette her hand moved towards the middle. Rachel's brushed against hers and Quinn entwined their fingers. It was a small gesture, but more than enough for now, a smile played at her lips as she fell into a contented sleep.
xxx
A/N: Thanksgiving part 2 next.
I keep having ideas and am writing loads. Hope you are still enjoying. Please tell me anyway, I like to know what you think and if I don't reply its only because I'm writing this instead and I am totally awkward, but I do appreciate your comments.
Updates may be slower now that the holidays are coming, but I'll do my best to get some things out in the next week. I want a Faberry Christmas in chapter 9, so will try to have that done for you before the real thing comes around.