Quinn parked her car in the driveway and turned the ignition off before stepping out and heading into her house. She could say that glee club was…interesting today: Miss Holliday came back for giving the club a lesson on sex education. And the celibacy club was back on so at least Quinn had something to do after school that wasn't involving Coach Sylvester yelling through a bullhorn. And she had something to take her mind off of Dylan, who was really worrying Quinn.
Ever since the night where Quinn said he could stay, he barely said anything to either her or Judy and would either be in the music room playing piano or be in the guest room crying. He has said once before that he wasn't crying but Quinn could hear the strangled sobs from the other side of the closed door. Quinn couldn't blame him for crying or being in his own world after what happened. If that happened to Quinn, she probably wouldn't leave her bedroom. She wouldn't sleep. She wouldn't eat. She probably just sat there until she collapsed.
Quinn turned the key in the lock and opened the door to hear Alexandre Despalt's 'The Meadow' play gently through the house. And Quinn knew that though Dylan hated the Twilight film series with a passion, he loved that piano piece which came from the second film installment: 'New Moon'. So did Quinn. It almost soothed her. She gently put her bag down at the side of the hallway and shut the front door before making her way into the music room to see Dylan playing the baby grand piano situated in the middle of the room. Dylan's back was to Quinn as he gently hit the piano keys but the girl knew his eyes were closed. He had this little habit of closing his eyes when he's playing a piano piece with no one else to accompany him. As weird as it may seem, Quinn thinks it's adorable. It's like it's him and the piano against the world and he was okay with taking it on. Quinn looked to see a gap on the piano bench so she walked over and sat down next to the boy. Dylan noticed Quinn's presence and his hooded eyelids slowly rose to reveal the bloodshot, tired eyes underneath. But then he played a wrong note and suddenly the bandaged fingers that were the cause of the delicate tinkling of the keys clenched into fists and they collided with the keys, causing a nasty clash and for Quinn to flinch back but as quick as a flash, she regained her composure and her hands suddenly covered Dylan's as he groaned in frustration.
"You know you're not supposed to be playing any instruments with your hands all bandaged. Doctor's orders." Quinn said. Dylan let out a cold, almost malicious laugh.
"You should've told me that when I was playing guitar for 3 hours straight until my fingers bled." He said, raising his hands for Quinn to see. They now had small bandages around parts of every one of his fingers. Quinn gasped and scoffed at the same time.
"What the hell is going on with you?" she asked, standing up. Dylan stood up straight after and stared Quinn down.
"Well, I apologize for trying to vent my anger on losing probably the biggest part of my life." Dylan coldly said.
"And I don't think putting yourself through pain is the best way to do it!" Quinn fired back. They were now going into yelling.
"Well, what else can I do? I can't just sit there, wishing for it all to go away, Quinn! I have to do something!" Dylan yelled before Quinn stormed up to Dylan and without warning, pulled Dylan's face towards her own and their lips collided. It took Dylan a minute to register what the hell was going on but then he realised. Quinn was doing this to vent her emotion and to tell Dylan that she's always here. Although it was a very unorthodox way of telling the dancer this, it worked.
Seconds later, Quinn pulled back and they both stared into each other's eyes before they both embraced.
"I'm sorry." Quinn whispered and Dylan tightened the hug.
"Don't be. It's my fault." Dylan replied.
"Damn right it is." Quinn then put in and Dylan let out a laugh before breaking the hug.
"So, uh, what have you been doing while I was at school?"Quinn asked and Dylan looked behind him towards the acoustic guitar that sat in a stand in the back right corner of the room. He walked over to it to retrieve a piece of paper next to it before walking back to Quinn and showing her the paper. Quinn took it and looked. There were just notes on staves for a piano, guitar and drums. Quinn smiled at this.
"Still working on that original song?" she asked and Dylan nodded.
"Yeah. I guess Rachel really inspired me and I've been working on that music for about a year and a half but I never finished until Rachel suggested original songs for Regionals. I'm just trying to write some lyrics but I haven't got very far. I've just written half a verse." Dylan said and Quinn looked at the words and smiled.
"It looks awesome so far." Quinn said before handing the music back to Dylan.
"Yeah. Hopefully when I go back to school, it'll be finished and I'll be able to get to perform it. Probably not at Regionals because Mr. Schuester shot down the original song idea but someone can perform it for an idea for Nationals or next year's competitions if I don't get better." Dylan said before Quinn gently took Dylan's hand into her own once again.
"Hey. Trust me. You will get better. And if anyone is performing your song then it will be you. No one else can sing your words as well as you. Just remember that, Armstrong." Quinn said and Dylan let out a small smile.
"Thanks, Fabray. You're awesome." He replied.
"I know." Quinn said and they both let out a small laugh before realization hit Quinn.
"Do you think you'll be able to make it to Regionals?" she asked and Dylan sighed.
"I honestly don't know. I really am hurting, you know that, but I will try as hard as I can to muster the strength to be there." He replied and Quinn nodded before pulling Dylan into another tight embrace and they held it before they heard the door click open.
"Quinnie! Dylan! I'm home! And I brought Chinese takeout!" Judy Fabray called out and Quinn smiled.
"Come on. Your battered chicken with fries awaits, your Highness." Quinn said, gently tugging Dylan's hand and they both headed out of the music room.
0000000000
All throughout the week, Quinn headed home to the same routine: hear Dylan playing an instrument, her telling him off, them having a little argument, Quinn reminding Dylan she will be there for him, Dylan updating Quinn on his song progress and Quinn expressing her worry with Dylan reassuring her he's trying the best he can. And after they would have food, Quinn would head up to her room and continue writing poems. She had taken that up since she was about 14 years old and she hasn't stopped. She would always write about events she's been to or anything she's going through at that moment. And in that week alone, she had written 12 poems. All about Dylan, her worries and concern for Dylan, and his experiences. And she was in the middle of writing one when she heard a loud bang outside. She jumped at the sound and reached for the baseball bat underneath her bed she always kept in case of emergencies and she slowly crept to her window to see a ladder and she put her bat back behind her head, ready to strike when the obvious, dopey expression of Finn Hudson came into view. The Louisville Slugger fell out of Quinn's hand in shock as Finn smiled at her. Quinn just opened her window and Finn clambered in.
"What the hell are you doing?" Quinn asked in shock as the quarterback stood up and brushed himself off.
"I'm here to see you. Is that a crime?" Finn asked.
"It is when you climb a ladder to my bedroom window where anyone can see you! You'll look like a creepy stalker or something! What is going through your head?" Quinn asked and Finn looked hurt.
"Well, I can't help it if I want to see you. I…what's with the baseball bat?" Finn asked as his eyes caught the weapon on the floor.
"Never mind that. Answer my question." Quinn demanded and Finn sighed.
"I did. I wanted to see you."he said, sitting on Quinn's bed, who just sighed.
"You are such an idiot." She said and Finn just looked up before Quinn ran and attacked Finn. Well, attacked his facial area with her face.
0000000000
Dylan was sat at the top of the stairs, trying to keep his growling under control. He had heard the whole conversation between Quinn and King Kong and he had to cover his ears after that. But after a good 5 minutes, he uncovered them as he heard Quinn say: "This is where I belong. With you, okay?" she asked and Finn answered with a dopey "okay" before Dylan stood up and burst the door open with his shoulder.
"Well, well, well. Look at what we have here." Dylan snarled and Quinn flew off of Finn, who stood up with a look of shock, anger and disgust on his face.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Finn asked.
"I could ask you the same question." Dylan snarled.
"I'm here to see my girlfriend," Finn replied.
"Um, you're not my girlfriend, Finn." Quinn decided to butt in.
"Be quiet." Finn snarled at Quinn and Dylan just saw red.
"Don't you dare speak to her like that. Now I'm gonna give you 2 choices: one, you stay here for 5 more seconds and I'll end up dragging you out of this house with a black eye and a bloody nose. Or you can walk out of here with your face still miraculously in tact." Dylan snarled and Finn just smirked.
"Try me, Armstrong." He said and he immediately regretted in when he found himself falling to the floor with his nose seeming out of place and then he felt more blows to his face before a scream ceased them and Finn felt himself being hauled up, dragged down the stairs and out of the door.
Dylan shut the door and turned to see Quinn looking shocked.
"I'm sorry." Dylan said and Quinn simply nodded.
"It's okay." Quinn replied before they headed upstairs.
0000000000
Dylan was sat in Quinn's bedroom, reading her poems as the girl was sat on her bed, writing another.
"Quinn, these are amazing." Dylan said, aghast. Quinn just smirked.
"Well, I have a gift." She said as Dylan put her journal down and went over to the bed, sitting next to Quinn.
"Are you writing another one?" he asked and Quinn nodded.
"Can I read it?" he then asked and Quinn looked to him and smiled before handing him the paper. He read it and as he read on, his eyes widened.
"Quinn…this is perfect." He whispered and Quinn cocked her head to the side.
"Perfect? For what?"she asked.
"My song." He said before reaching into his black sweatpants pocket and pulling out his folded sheet music. He opened it before his eyes alternated between the poem and the music.
"It will need a few changes and of course we need a stanza to be repeated as a chorus but this is perfect. Oh my god. Can I use it?" Dylan asked, acting like a 5 year old high on sugar. Quinn could only giggle and nod.
"Of course." She said and Dylan tackled her in a hug.
0000000000
The celibacy club was drawing to a close when there was a knock at the door.
"Come in." Rachel called out and the door opened, to see a slightly smiling Dylan Armstrong, dressed in a 'Hardcore Country' t-shirt and dark blue jeans with black lace up Vans. Everyone smiled and applauded Dylan. Quinn just smiled and walked over while Dylan wrapped an arm around Quinn's shoulder.
"What's been going on with you?" Santana asked, probably taking her mind off Brittany and Artie going gooey over each other. Dylan just sighed and showed a small smile.
"Maybe I'll tell you when I come back next week."
0000000000
Alright! So Dylan is returning for 'Original Song'! As if he'd miss Regionals…
That chapter is scheduled to be a whopper in length. And it's also the chapter where Dylan explains what happened that night in 'Blame It On The Alcohol'.
On a happier note, I found the perfect picture of Neil to represent Dylan. Doesn't he look cute? ;) :
plixi .com/p/95573608
I also modified his OC profile with Dylan's thoughts on Lauren Zizes. Hope you will enjoy that, hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you enjoy the 'Original Song' chapter when it's published :)
I might also post a one-shot set in the future where Dylan is on Broadway and runs into a certain glee club member and romance ensues. Let me know if you want to see it :D