A/N 1 : Thanks you so much for the wonderful reviews, alerts and favourites. I am glad you all seemed to like the kiss. I was so nervous about getting it right. Thank you also to truc for your review.
Quinn's POV
"Hey what is going on with you?" Santana asked as she pulled me aside.
"What? Nothing." I answer tensely as I run a hand through my hair nervously.
"Then why are you so jittery?" She accuses with a knowing look.
"Too much coffee?" I offer lamely.
"Yeah I might buy that if I were stupid, and if it weren't for the fact that Berry has been giving you these looks all morning."
"What looks?" I ask as I shift awkwardly in my seat and stare determinedly into my coffee.
"The same looks you have been giving her whenever she isn't staring at you. So spill, what is going on? Did something happen between you two?"
I glance around nervously to make sure nobody else is listening to our conversation before nodding slowly.
"Oh my God did you have sex?" Santana gasps in surprise.
"What? No!" I glance around nervously as I shush her.
"Okay sorry but you two were pretty much all over each other on that dance floor last night." She says pointedly.
"Well we didn't have... sex," I confess in a hushed, anxious tone, "But I did kind of kiss her."
"You guys kissed?" Santana beamed at me, her eyes twinkling with something like amusement.
"A lot actually." I admit sheepishly.
"And was it... good?"
"Amazing." I sigh. "It's not possible right, for it to be that good? It must have been the alcohol or something." I mutter feeling more confused than ever.
"Really? You're going to blame it on the alcohol?" Santana rolls her eyes. "Okay so then what happened?"
"Nothing." I rub my face tiredly as my shoulders slump. "When we woke up this morning it was like nothing happened. If it weren't for how awkward she has been acting around me all morning I would have thought that I dreamt the whole thing."
"You know that you have to talk to her about it right?"
My head pops up, my eyes widening anxiously as a pang of fear rips through me.
"Quinn," Santana gives me a deliberate look. "You have to or things will always be awkward between you."
"I... can't." I whisper dejectedly. "What would I even say? 'Hey, about last night- sorry I had my tongue in your mouth and my hand up your shirt as I ground my body against you. Can we still be friends?' Yeah I bet that would go down well." I huff in annoyance at myself and this situation.
"Okay first of all- too much information. And second, from what you have said it was a two-way street Q."
"Well yes but-"
"No buts Fabray." Santana cut be off firmly decisively. "Woman up and talk to her."
I nod silently as I chew on my lip thoughtfully. I know Santana is right but it doesn't stop the anxiety from flowing through me. This is a conversation that would change everything, for better or worse.
Rachel's POV
The whole car ride home was completely silent as I surreptitiously glanced over at Quinn. Occasionally I would catch her glancing at me before she would quickly divert her gaze back to the road. I struggled to hold in a sigh at how ridiculous this was. Last night we had been all over each other, we had literally kissed for hours and now we couldn't even say two words to each other. As we pulled up in front of my house I awkwardly shifted in my seat as Quinn began to nervously fidget her hands.
"Are you coming in?" I ask uncertainly, already fairly sure I knew the answer.
"Umm, I have to get home." Quinn glanced at me quickly before darting her eyes away again.
Wow, this must be bad if she would rather go home.
"Oh... okay." I shift again uncomfortably and reach for the door handle. "I guess I'll see you..." I trail off before turning to exit the car as quickly as possible. Quinn's hand lightly grazing my arm makes me stop and look around at her as she gives me an imploring, searching look. I feel as though she is asking me something but I don't know what she is silently trying to communicate.
"Can I come over later so that we can talk?" She asks softly after a moment and I give her a soft nod before turning and heading into my house.
I head straight upstairs in desperate need of a nap. I feel exceptionally grateful that my fathers are both at work so that I don't have to attempt to make any conversation and act cheerful as I just feel completely mixed up right now. As I lie down on my bed I let out a small groan of frustration of pent up emotions. I can feel tears threatening and choke them back as Quinn's words "So that we can talk" spin repeatedly through my mind. Isn't that the same as "We need to talk"?
That's never good. I let out a shaky breath as I try not to think the worst. The past couple of weeks being friends with Quinn have been amazing, I can't believe that I might be about to lose her friendship already. I just had to go and ruin things. Stupid, traitorous lips having a mind of their own.
Realising that I won't get to sleep any time soon I get up and decide to work out to try to distract my overactive mind. I glance at my elliptical but realise that it won't do the job so I throw on a tank and pair of running shorts and head out for a run. I run solidly for close to an hour in the hopes that I can exhaust myself into not thinking. I let my earphones drown out my thoughts for a while as my blood pumps through me and my muscles begin to burn. The landscape of the park and the people blur past me and I find my mind finally begin to calm. I stop to take a breather and decide that I am suitably worn out and so begin to head home. As I round the corner back onto my street I come to an abrupt stop.
Oh no.
I hurry towards to two figures arguing outside my house.
"You don't care about Rachel, you just don't want us to be together." Finn yelled at a fierce looking Quinn. Her posture was so tense that she looked as though she would uncoil and spring for him at any moment. I stop and stare at them both, not sure what to do as my feet become frozen.
"Don't you dare say that I don't care about her." Quinn growls at him furiously as she gets up in his face.
"You and I are over now Quinn, you need to get over it." Finn tells her in a frustrated tone. Quinn clenches her jaw as fury flares in her fiery gaze.
"You need to get over yourself, not everything is about you Finn." Quinn yells angrily. "This is about her and you are not good enough for her."
"You really expect me to believe that you are friends now after all that you have done?" Finn mocked derisively. "Come on Quinn, I know you better than that. What is your angle?"
"What?" She gapes incredulously.
"What is your angle? You must be up to something. The whole time I have known you you've been nothing but a selfish, lying, manipulative bitch."
At his words I finally seem to find my feet again as I storm over and slap him clear across the face. Suddenly everything goes very still as Quinn and Finn both stand there staring at me in shock as I pant heavily against my anger.
"Don't you dare speak about her like that!" I snarl at him as I barely manage to contain the protective rage that is pounding through me. "She has been a better friend to me in the past few weeks than anyone else has ever been, including you Finn."
"You are taking her side?" He asks me in disbelief.
"If you are going to make me choose, then yes I will choose her every time." I tell him in a firm, certain tone before softening a little. "I would like if we could stay friends Finn but if we do you have to get used to the fact that Quinn and I are friends now and I won't have you speaking about her like that, do you understand?"
"She's just using you Rachel." Finn said in a pleading tone and I felt my annoyance begin to resurge.
"I think you should leave." I tell him firmly as I glare at him fiercely.
He shakes his head in disbelief and then turns to get into his truck with a loud slam of his door before pulling away with one final glance at me.
I feel my shoulders sag as some of the tension leaves my body. I turn to see Quinn watching me with watery eyes as her lips tremble slightly and I rush over to her and pull her into my arms as she lets out a small sob. I hold her as she buries her head against my neck and her body trembles as she cries quietly in my arms.
"I'm sorry Rach." She sniffles as her sobs gradually begin to subside. I pull back and look at her questioningly as I gentley wipe her tears away. I gaze into her eyes as I silently take in her pained expression. She looks so fragile and broken that it makes me ache. Wordlessly I take her hand and lead her into the house. As I close the front door behind us she opens her mouth to say something but I cut her off by pressing my lips tenderly against hers. She stands frozen for a moment before her body melts into mine and she returns the soft, sweet kiss. Our lips move together gently as we both pour our emotions into it. Eventually I pull back and gently stroke her face as she gives me a small watery smile.
Without letting go of her I lead Quinn into the living room and pull her down to snuggle into me on the sofa so that I can hold her.
"Finn's lucky I don't go over there and kick his ass." I tell her as I wrap my arms around her tightly.
"I would pay to see that." Quinn chuckles and she continues to sniffle slightly. "It wasn't just him though." She tells me quietly and I sit and wait to see if she wants to continue or not. "I... went home." She starts awkwardly.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to sweetie." I assure her softly.
"No, I want to." She says certainly. "That night that I came over upset and we watched Beauty and the Beast?" She looks at me and I nod that I remember. "I was upset because my Mom had told me that she was taking my Dad back, that she was letting him move back in."
"That's why you haven't wanted to go home lately?" I ask gently and she nods with a small sniffle.
"He was there when I went home today and we got into a fight about nothing so I came over to see you and instead saw Finn there and I guess I just kind of saw red or something." She explains sheepishly as she looks down at her hands.
"Quinn." I say gently as I take her hands in mine. She looks up at me with that same sad, lost expression that looks so broken. "It's okay."
"Everything that Finn and my father say about me is true." She tells me sadly and I can see that her tears are threatening again.
"Baby no." I pull her close and rest my forehead against hers. "They are wrong. Sweetie, they are so wrong." I assure her.
"Why don't you hate me Rachel?" Her voice is so small and defeated that my heart breaks at the sound of it.
"I could never hate you." I tell her honestly.
"But why?" Her voice is desperate and confused as she takes another shuddering breath. "I am a bad person Rachel. All I have ever done is hurt you and everyone else around me. I talk about becoming a new me but the truth is that Finn was right. I am still the same selfish, hurtful person that I have always been." Quinn lets out a small whimper as she fights the impending tears.
"You stop right there Quinn." I tell her forcefully. "I won't let anyone talk about you that way. Not Finn, not your father and not even you."
"But Rach," Quinn pleads, her voice breaking as the tears begin to fall again.
"No." I tell her firmly as I wipe the tears from her face. "I see you Quinn, I always have. You try to hide behind an icy mask but I have always seen beneath it to who you really are."
Quinn looks up at me, her shiny eyes looking scared to hope.
"You are deep, thoughtful, sweet, caring and kind. You are also smart and silly and funny." I tell her honestly as she stares at me in disbelief. I hold her gaze to make sure that my words really hit home. "You can also be a bitch sometimes. You can lash out, be hurtful and say things you don't mean. I see all of those things Quinn, the good and the bad. I see all of you and you are wonderful."
Warm lips immediately find mine as Quinn presses her mouth firmly against mine. After a moment of surprise I kiss back eagerly. What began as a chaste, emotional kiss quickly turns heated and needy as we both begin to move our lips against each others' fervently. I run my hands through Quinn's hair and lightly scratch the back of her neck causing her to moan into the kiss. Smiling slightly I repeat the motion and relish the moans she emits as her hands trail down and grab my butt, pulling me onto her lap. I let out a moan of my own as she gently squeezes my ass and holds my body against hers. She whimpers softly as I move to attach my lips to her neck, kissing and sucking the soft skin gently. Working my way up I softly brush my lips over the sensitive skin behind her ear and Quinn lets out a gasp as she squirms beneath me restlessly. I move back to her lips and kiss her deeply as we grasp at one another desperately.
The sound of the front door opening forces us apart and we both awkwardly pat down our hair and clothes. Quinn quickly wipes at her red eyes as she glances at me nervously.
"Rach honey I'm home. Is Quinn here with you?" My Dad calls out.
"In here Dad." I call back as I give Quinn's hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Hi baby," he greets as he walks into the living room. "Hi Quinn, I thought it was your car I saw. Are you staying for dinner?"
"Actually Dad Quinn was going to stay over tonight if that is okay?" I answer for her as I give her a small glance and smile as she nods her agreement to my silent question. She definitely doesn't want to have to go home tonight.
"That is fine with me honey, you are always welcome Quinn." He says with a kind smile. "It is Leroy's turn to cook tonight so I will give him a call in a few minutes if either of you have a preference on takeaway?"
Quinn laughs at that and I find myself grinning at the sweet sound after the emotional afternoon we have had.
"Thanks Hiram, I am happy with whatever you guys want." Quinn gives him a genuine smile.
"Me too Dad. Whatever you want is fine."
"What's this? My baby girl giving up the power of making the decision?" He teases me.
"Dad!" I whine as I pout at him. Quinn giggles and gives me such an affectionate look that the pout is immediately replaced with a broad smile.
Quinn's POV
I lie quietly on Rachel's bed as I wait for her to be done in the bathroom. After having a warm shower I am feeling much better but I am still feeling emotionally and physically drained from this afternoon. I tiredly run my hand through my hair as I close my eyes and nuzzle into Rachel's pillows. I send a silent thanks that Rachel had invited me to stay over tonight. After an afternoon of crying I definitely don't have the strength to face my parents. I stifle a yawn as my tummy grumbles hungrily.
I open my eyes as I hear the bathroom door open and I feel my body rapidly start to wake up. My eyes trail Rachel's scantily clad form appreciatively as she walks in dressed in a tank and a tiny pair of sleep shorts. My eyes linger admiringly on her legs before trailing up over her stomach, breasts and up to her smiling eyes as she smirks at me sexily. I sit up as she saunters over to the bed, her eyes smouldering into mine. As she reaches the edge of the bed I reach up and grasp her hips as I pull her down onto my lap. We both smile as our lips connect ravenously and my hands travel greedily under her tank top to caress the soft skin of her back. The silky smoothness I find there makes me hungry for more as I let out a soft moan of appreciation. I gasp softlyagainst her lips as Rachel pushes me down onto my back and moves to lie on top of me. I stretch my body to luxuriate in the feel of her petite form pressed against mine and arch my back to push our bodies closer together.
As Rachel's thigh slips between my own and brushes up against my centre I let out a small growl and flip our positions so that Rachel is suddenly beneath me. I smile smugly down at her surprised expression as I fuse our lips together again feverishly. I let out a soft grunt as Rachel moves her thigh up between my legs again and I push down against it. She looks perfectly smug until I shift my legs so that my own thigh is between her legs and she lets out a soft "Oh" of surprise and pleasure at the contact. I drop my head down and suck gently on her neck as our bodies rock against one another.
"Mmm, Rach." I moan softly in her ear as her hands reach down and grip my ass to encourage my movements against her.
"It is so fucking sexy when you say my name like that." She groans in a low tone that sets my already heated body on fire. Low moans and gasps fill the air around us as we move together. The soft sounds that she is making only add fuel to the already burgeoning fire raging through my body.
"God I want you." I pant against her ear and smile at the shiver it evokes.
"God Quinn." She groans as she pulls my lips back to hers. "Take me." She whispers against my mouth before crashing her lips back into mine. I kiss back enthusiastically but as she begins to grind eagerly against me I reluctantly pull back. Unfortunately my movement does nothing to deter her as Rachel reaches up and cups my breasts with her perfect little hands. Her thumbs brush softly over my nipples and my whole body tremors at the delicious friction. As she does it again I let out a panted gasp as my hips unwittingly grind against her in response.
"Oh God Rach, we have to stop." I plead as my mind clouds and I begin to lose all rational thought.
Rachel drops her hands as though they have been burned and looks at me with anxious, hurt eyes.
"Did I do something wrong?" She asks in a hushed, heartbreaking tone.
"No. Rachel." I sigh her name as I kiss her softly in reassurance. "You are perfect. But we shouldn't do this."
"You don't want to?"
"Are you kidding me?" I raise an eyebrow in disbelief. "Rachel I have never been more turned on in my life, of course I want to!"
"Then why...?"
"This would be your first time?" I ask, although I am already fairly sure of the answer. As predicted Rachel gives me a small nod. I shift my body from its position on top of her and lie down beside her, missing the sweet feel of her body already.
"I want you Rachel but we shouldn't do it like this. We haven't even talked about this. I mean, what does this mean for you? What do you want?"
"I... I don't know." She confesses softly.
"Really?" I ask in surprise. I had half expected Rachel to have a speech and powerpoint presentation ready outlining her relationship expectations.
"I want to explore this thing between us Quinn. What I feel with you is too incredible to just ignore."
"But I don't have answers for you Rachel and you are my best friend, I don't want to use you just so that I can figure this out."
"You wouldn't be using me Quinn." Rachel scoffs. "I want this just as much as you do."
"You deserve so much more Rach. You deserve everything." I tell her earnestly.
"But I want you." She says adamantly. "What do you want?"She asks in a soft, nervous tone.
"I want you." I admit softly. "I feel good whenever I am around you and I really, really like kissing you... and stuff. But I'm not really sure what that means yet."
"Do we really need all the answers now?" Rachel asks gently.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean maybe we can keep kissing... and 'stuff'" she teases, "without trying to label it as anything right now."
"So we would be friends who..." I trail off as she raises her eyebrows at me with a suggestive smirk and I let out a gasp. "Rachel Berry are you suggesting we become friends with benefits?" I tease as I try to sound scandalized.
"Yes." Rachel says matter-of-factly. "That is exactly what I am suggesting."
I stare at her for a few beats, she smirks at having rendered me speechless.
"Really?" I whisper as I shake myself from my shock.
"Really." She gazes into my eyes and I can see that she is being serious.
"I think we should go downstairs now before I jump you." I grin.
"You wouldn't have any complaints from me." Rachel smiles flirtatiously as she snuggles into my side and rests her head against my shoulder. I let out a soft sigh and close my eyes as her hands idly stroke my stomach as I enjoy the warmth and closeness of Rachel's body.
"Are you okay?" Rachel asks quietly.
"Mmm," I murmur, "Just feeling a bit blue balled at the moment."
"You have nobody to blame but yourself." Rachel reminds me in a huffy tone. "If it were up to me you would currently be enjoying a post-orgasmic bliss."
I groan and open my eyes to see Rachel gazing at me with a mischievous expression. I feel my heart flutter as she moves to press her body on top of mine again and ghosts her lips seductively over mine.
"You are a wicked little temptress." I groan as I pull her lips down to press firmly against my own.
"Mmm, you have no idea." Rachel husks sexily in a tone that sends a rush of warmth to my lower abdomen. As she takes my hands in hers and holds them against her breasts, all coherent thought abruptly leaves my mind. She gives them a little squeeze before dropping her hands down to run through my hair. I feel her nipples harden beneath the palms of my hands and whimper at the sensation. I give her a gentle squeeze as I massage her breasts, marvelling at how they can be so soft and yet so firm at the same time.
"God Rach, you feel so good." I moan unreservedly as she pants and writhes and grinds against me.
"God Quinn, don't stop." She groans as she squirms on top of me.
"Girls dinner!" The sound of Rachel's Daddy calling through her closed door startles us both and I have to make a quick grab at Rachel to stop her from falling off of the bed. As I wrap my arm around her waist to hold her steady on my lap we look at each other and burst into laughter.
A/N 2: So... things got kinda steamy :-p I can't tell you how nerve wracking it is to see what you all think. Please let me know your thoughts, good and bad.