Rachel skirted her tongue teasingly across Quinn's collarbone as the blonde tilted her head back with a sigh. Rachel somehow knew exactly what parts of Quinn to attack. They barely made it through Rachel's curtain divider before the brunette had her lips on Quinn's.
"Where is Kurt?" Quinn whispered, finally finding the willpower and strength to speak.
She could feel Rachel shrug as she moved to suck on the warm flesh of her neck. Quinn managed to push her shoulders away gently. At least long enough to confirm that Santana and Kurt were out still or sleeping.
Quinn and Santana were in town, at the request of Kurt, to dissuade Rachel from doing a topless scene for a low budget student film. They successfully convinced her not to go through with it, which, had been quite a difficult conversation for Quinn to get through, considering they were talking about Rachel's breasts and they just so happened to keep popping up every time Quinn looked in her direction. But alas, they completed their mission and Rachel bought them dinner while they were still in town. Which turned into a drink or two, which turned into 8 more.
Santana said something about needing to spread her wings and fly and left the two of them at the bar by themselves. Had Santana known of their previous drunken encounters, she probably wouldn't have slapped the two girls on the back, winked, and told them to go out and try to get laid because it's exactly what she planned to do.
Kurt never made it to dinner.
Neither of them made their presence known however when the two girls stumbled into the apartment five minutes prior.
"Out."
"Santana?"
"Out," Rachel breathed as she began nibbling on the bottom of Quinn's earlobe.
"Where are they sleeping?"
"Who cares."
Quinn's determination to stay afloat as Rachel desperately attempted to pull her under was dwindling. They hadn't seen each other since the day after graduation. And before that, they weren't exactly pillow talking every weekend. Rachel officially got back together with Finn before senior year, Quinn had other things on her mind, and their little drunken escapades were swept under the rug.
It was almost as if it never happened.
Except.
Except for those fleeting moments in the morning where she was too exhausted to turn her mind off, right before the sleep would wear off, but just conscious enough to control what she was thinking about. Then. It was then that she would think about Rachel in that way.
And as Rachel moved her lips from Quinn's earlobe, leaving traces of wetness across her cheek, she found the blonde's mouth, swallowing whatever words she was about to throw out in protest.
Finally, the hesitancy was replaced with urgency as she felt her body fully react to the way Rachel moved against her.
She pushed the brunette back again, chasing the lips as they broke away from her, and guided Rachel towards her bed. She traced her hand down her side, feeling the brunette shudder as her nails grazed the bare skin of her hip, on her way to removing the purple blouse. She unzipped Rachel's gray tweed skirt and struggled to remove the black tights.
"Why do you have to wear these?"
Rachel laughed as she guided the blonde's hand to cup her breast, "You're wearing them, too."
Quinn narrowed her eyes, "Besides the point."
Rachel reached around and unzipped the blonde's red dress, helping her step out of it, "I can't make it too easy for you to get me out of my clothes," she punctuated her joke with a playful kiss to the underside of Quinn's chin.
"I'm going to rip them off," she replied as she pushed Rachel onto the bed.
"Don't you dare," Rachel pulled Quinn on top of her.
The blonde nodded, "Yup. I'm taking scissors to them." She sat up a bit and began to unzip Rachel's leather boots. She tossed the first one behind her before moving to work on the next one. Rachel began to pull down Quinn's own tights, mumbling something about seriously going to find the scissors when the apartment door slid open.
"Hello?" Santana called into the studio, "I'm about to have sex on your couch so if you're here you better come out!"
"Is she serious?" Rachel whispered with wide eyes as she struggled to get off the bed. Quinn remained straddled on top of her.
"What's worse, letting Santana have sex on your couch, or having her catch us half naked together?"
Rachel considered it for a long moment before she pulled Quinn back down on her, "Do you know how to be quiet?"
"I do. You're the vocal one."
Rachel's mouth dropped open and Quinn took the opportunity to duck down and kiss it better.
They could hear Santana and unnamed stranger talking in the living room as they quietly finished undressing each other. And then they heard giggling. And then the moaning started.
Rachel threw her head back onto the pillow, "I can't do this."
Quinn dropped her forehead down to the brunette's shoulder as she caught her breath. They were just starting to pick up speed.
"Do you want me to tell her to get lost?"
"And blow our cover?"
Quinn laughed, "At this point, I don't care."
Rachel shook her head and cupped Quinn's cheek, "We can wait, can't we?"
Quinn sighed, "I guess."
Rachel quietly slid off her bed and made her way to the clothing rack in the corner of her room. Rolling her eyes as she heard Santana's whimpers echo off the apartment walls. She pulled a shirt off a hanger and threw it on over her bare chest. She tossed another one to Quinn.
Santana's timing was just perfect. Now they would have to figure out how to pass the time without it becoming too awkward. In their previous two encounters, they just kind of flirted, had sex, and then fell asleep. She never really had to fill the silence with anything other than soft spoken commands or compliments.
"Is that my shirt?" Quinn asked suddenly, recognizing the design on Rachel's black t-shirt.
The brunette looked down at the shirt and back up to the blonde with a smirk that let her know it wasn't a coincidence. She did it on purpose. Quinn gestured for her to come closer and Rachel got back onto the bed.
"You left it at my house last time," Rachel replied as she straddled her hips.
The oversized and worn down Motley Crue t-shirt reached to the top of Rachel's thighs.
"You should have burned it," Quinn replied with a certain shudder as she thought about that time in her life. She couldn't believe she actually walked out of the house like that and people let her. Well, Rachel was the only one that attempted to get her to come to her senses but she never judged her like the others.
Rachel looked down at the shirt again, "I think it's cute," she shrugged with an innocent smile.
"Cute?"
"In a sad lost puppy kind of way," she smiled with her eyes.
Quinn's fingers lazily traced designs on the bare skin of Rachel's thigh and she reminded herself that Santana was in the next room. If she wasn't careful, she'd end up jumping Rachel. The brunette seriously didn't know the affect she had. Innocent and coy while wearing an old t-shirt of Quinn's as she straddled her? Not exactly the words she'd normally use to describe that scene. Her loosely curled ombre hair hung past her shoulders, teasing Quinn to run her fingers through it.
"Why didn't Kurt call Finn?" she asked.
Rachel frowned, "What do you mean?"
"He called me. Why wouldn't he call Finn to talk you out of doing the topless scene."
Rachel shrugged as she played with the hem of the shirt Quinn had put on. She didn't look at it when she threw it over her head but it was grey and comfortable, and it smelled like Rachel.
"Would you really have gone through with it?"
"I think so. I'm not really sure. I'm glad I didn't."
Quinn smiled softly as Rachel began to play with one of her hands, "You are?"
She nodded as she bit her lip gently, "I'm glad you came. It was a nice surprise. Thank you for making the trip."
Quinn did something that she never saw herself doing in a million years, even with all the alcohol floating through her system, and by the barely masked shock on Rachel's face, she wasn't expecting it either. Quinn brought Rachel's hand to her lips and kissed her palm tenderly.
Rachel shimmied off of her and settled next to her body, their tangled hands finding purchase on Quinn's stomach, "Is that the only reason you came?"
Quinn was silent for a bit, which meant she had to listen to Santana's moans of pleasure, but she wanted to make sure she didn't say something stupid in response to Rachel's question.
She thought back to two nights ago when her phone had rang while she was with her study group in the library. She couldn't answer it right away, even if she was fairly concerned as to why Kurt would be calling her at 9pm on a Wednesday night, but when she saw that he left a message, she excused herself from the table and went outside to listen to the voicemail.
Quinn? It's Kurt Hummel. Listen, Rachel is being stubborn and she's going to do something that might hurt her career. She values your advice, even if she doesn't always take it. I think you're the only one that can talk some sense into her. Call me back. I'm going to try Santana now, maybe she can scare Rachel into reconsidering. Oh by the way, she wants to do a topless scene. Okay bye.
Quinn had replayed the message two more times before saving it. Rachel valued her advice? Her best friend and roommate was enlisting Quinn to talk sense into the girl? With her study group and books long forgotten, she quickly dialed Kurt back, and found herself on a three-way call with him and Santana.
"I've tried," Kurt said with a sigh, "I've tried every line in the book but she won't listen to me. And it doesn't help that her boytoy has taken to walking around the apartment naked in order to give her confidence."
"Ugh," Santana nearly spat, "Who is this tool?"
"A upper classmen and a real inconvenience. I wouldn't have called either of you if I wasn't desperate."
"Are you with her?" Quinn asked calmly.
"Yeah put this biddy on the phone."
"She's at dance class. I hate to say this, because the apartment is already way too crowded, but I think you guys should come here."
"To New York?" Quinn asked.
"Listen Lady Hummel, I know you only go two speeds: dramatic and insane, so are you really concerned for her or are you just stirring up drama?"
"Insults aside, Santana, I need your help. It's a student film. It's horrendous."
"Look, say no more, alright? Me and Fabray will be there this weekend. When does she have to shoot the scene?"
"Friday afternoon."
"I have an early morning class on Friday and then I'm free," Quinn offered, distracted by her motives behind this last minute decision to drop everything to tend to Rachel. "I still have the metro pass, I can be there by noon."
"Great. Santana?"
"Yeah yeah, I'll be there."
"We'll reconvene on Friday," Kurt began, "I'll let you know if anything changes."
Kurt had disconnected the call and Quinn was left wondering what the hell she had just agreed to but also why she deliberately ignored the plans she made that coming weekend in favor of going to New York.
In fact, she was still wondering what the hell she was doing in New York. She'd be downright lying if she said she was only there to stop Rachel from doing the film. She wanted to see the girl. She knew her and Finn had broken up. And she just wanted to be around her. She wanted to know if her attraction to her was still there.
Rachel's question echoed in the space between them, "Is that the only reason you came?"
"No," she finally answered.
/
Will and Emma's wedding had been a disaster for so many different reasons, it was hard for Quinn to pick out just one. Perhaps getting as drunk as she did didn't help matters but what was done was done. In hindsight, she should have never gone in the first place. She should have just stayed far, far away from that toxic group.
She slowly crept barefoot down the carpeted hallway, afraid of running into someone, as she attempted to purchase another water from the vending machine. She winced as the water fell down to the bottom, the sound going straight to her head. Her buzz was wearing off and she needed water and some kind of sustenance. Maybe she could order room service.
She heard one of the doors in the hallway softly close and turned to see Rachel sifting around through her purse. She didn't know Quinn was just a few yards away at the end of the hallway but her eyes snapped up when she heard change being dispersed at the bottom of the vending machine. She just had to pay with a five dollar bill.
She grabbed all of her change and inhaled deeply before she turned to confront Rachel's deer in headlight expression.
"Where are you going?" Quinn asked as she walked back down the hallway.
Rachel fussed with her bangs, "Back to New York. I should have never come back here."
Quinn shrugged, "Probably not," she nodded towards the room Rachel just snuck out of, "Finn?"
Rachel sighed as she looked over her shoulder at the hotel room that housed a passed out Finn. She looked at Quinn and nodded, "It was a mistake."
Quinn held up her hands, "Not my business," she replied, wondering if she sounded as bitter as she felt.
Rachel nodded in agreement before her eyes slowly took in the sight of Quinn's disheveled hair, the inside out t-shirt that seemed to be hastily thrown on, and the fact that she had that unmistakable glow she got after she had sex. Rachel would know. She'd seen her like this before. She had given her that glow before.
"You were busy, I see."
Quinn shrugged and uncapped her water so she could take a long pull. She didn't feel the need to respond.
She wasn't sure where this sudden animosity toward Rachel came from. She was actually somewhat looking forward to the trip back for the wedding. There'd be alcohol. Whenever the two consumed alcohol together, they ended up in bed together. It was starting to almost become expected. So when Rachel flocked towards Finn, she felt betrayed and she hated that feeling. She had no reason to expect anything. But there they were, in the quiet hallway of the 8th floor, in a standoff that neither would win.
Less than a month prior, they were in the city together, rolling and falling into each other in Rachel's bed, laughing and trying to keep their voices down so they wouldn't be caught. And now they were silently sizing each other up, wondering how they'd both get out of this with their pride in tact.
"What will Brody say?"
"Didn't stop you."
Quinn pursed her lips. The jab she threw at Rachel was thrown right back in her face. And it didn't feel all that good.
One of them needed to be the bigger person and end the conversation before things got wildly out of hand but they were both masochists in that way. They'd rather pretend everything was fine than walk away. They'd rather push each other's buttons than admit they were jealous.
"Is it Santana?" Rachel asked suddenly. "I noticed you two dancing."
Quinn laughed despite herself, "I'm surprised you noticed anything other than—" she stopped speaking, realizing that she was getting riled up and there was no point. Rachel was going to leave anyway and where would that leave her? "Nevermind."
Calling her out on the fact that she ran right back into Finn's arms the first chance she got wasn't going to solve anything. Quinn always has and always would be the second choice. She was a convenience. She tended not to think about that fact too often. And she also tried not to think about the fact that she was bitter that she even realized it in the first place. What her and Rachel had was nothing more than casual. And only existed when their blood was soaked in alcohol.
"No, what? You obviously have something to say to me."
Quinn shook her head. She wasn't going to get into it with the brunette. It would resolve nothing and she'd show her hand, "Don't you have a flight to catch?"
"You're upset with me."
Quinn laughed under her breath and looked away, "It doesn't matter what I think."
"Because I slept with Finn."
Quinn brought her eyes back to the brown ones staring intently. She felt like her mind was being invaded but for the life of her she couldn't excuse herself from Rachel's presence. No matter how torturous the conversation was.
"You're a big girl, you can do what you want."
"Because I didn't sleep with you instead."
Quinn gnawed on the inside of her lower lip, "I'll live."
She didn't understand why they were being so stubborn with each other. It's not like they hadn't already seen each other naked. It's not like they could deny their attraction to each other. She supposed that being physically exposed was a far cry away from being emotionally exposed. When feelings and emotions got involved, one of them was bound to get hurt.
Rachel's self-deprecating smile infuriated her, "Of course."
The longer Rachel stood in front of her, the harder it was for Quinn to keep herself calm. They had this understanding with each other now, sort of like a pact that they'd end up with each other at the end of the night when they were together. It was more of an unspoken agreement that they were both spoken for. They didn't go to the bars looking for someone to hook up with, they had each other. They went to the bars to get drunk so it would make their time together a little less nerve-wracking. Rachel broke that agreement by choosing Finn and Quinn couldn't let herself forget it that easily.
The fact of the matter is that Rachel was sneaking out of Finn's room and had Quinn not been in the hallway at that exact moment, she would have never known that they slept together. She wasn't sure which scenario she would rather.
What she wanted to say—what she should have said— was that Rachel shouldn't fly back to New York just yet. That Quinn didn't want her to leave.
The door to their left opened and Santana poked her head out, "What the hell is taking so long?"
She opened the door more fully and Quinn could see the white sheet wrapped around her body and closed her eyes. Though Rachel had guessed that it was Santana waiting for her to return, she never meant for Rachel to actually find out she was correct. Somehow, it made everything just a little bit more messy. And the guilt Quinn already felt was ten times worse after seeing Rachel's fallen face.
Rachel kept her eyes on Santana, her roommate of only two weeks, "Just saying goodbye," she said before gesturing towards Quinn, "She's all yours now."
Santana said something witty and Santana-like but Quinn couldn't hear it over the pounding of her heart in her ears. Rachel brushed by Quinn's shoulder and continued on down the hallway, leaving the two girls to their privacy.