*0*0*
Fifty Words For Forgiveness
*0*0*
Time's Up
*0*0*
In the days that followed the kisses on the hood of your car, Quinn and yourself were waiting to see how things would go down in school. The rumours currently circulating all centred around her being kicked out of her house for a second time, with many jumping to the conclusion that she was pregnant again.
You were good, but you weren't that good.
Keeping your mouth shut, you bit your tongue when you heard the minions going on and on about how she was going to be giving birth, and how they'd witnessed her with morning sickness. You couldn't dispel the rumour because then that would lead to everyone asking why Quinn had been kicked out, and you didn't know what story she was going with.
Yes, she was out to her family, and to her closest friends, but there was something completely different about being out to the whole school and the whole town. Frustratingly, Brittany was keeping her mouth shut about what the best way to deal with this situation was, but apparently she was trading tips with Quinn herself.
You wanted to moan and whine about the injustice of this, but you couldn't because you had no one to talk to. Rachel was still giving you distance, though she did smile at you that morning on the way to class, and you took that as a good sign. Brittany said she was getting there, and that meant enough for you to nod your head and hope tomorrow would be better. Until then, you were going to sit in the auditorium and have your lunch in silence. Or so you thought.
"I'm thinking about saying something," Quinn mused, planting a kiss on your cheek as she took a seat next to you. You'd been daydreaming and hadn't even heard her approach.
"Saying what?" She could have been talking about anything.
"I want to clear up the rumours about me being pregnant, because I do not need that mess on my hands again, and if they ask why I was kicked out, I'll be honest." She nodded with her words, and you smiled softly at the self-encouragement tactic.
Cute.
"You don't need to rush it, Q. You can take your time," you said, hoping she knew there wasn't a deadline for her to come out by. She'd already done the hardest part.
"I know, but I feel ready. I feel that this would be the right time to. I mean, in a few weeks things are going to become hectic with extra Cheerio practices and Glee club meetings for regionals, and I want to get this out of the way so it doesn't bog me down."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure." She looked proud of her decision, and you felt proud of her.
Seeing that look in your eyes, she chuckled and threw all caution to the wind, cupping your face in her hands and kissing you soundly. God, you'd never tire of that. She was practically giddy, smiling into the kiss, making you smile back, her lips softly kissing yours in between bouts of laughter.
"You'll be there, right? If things go pear-shaped?" She rose her eyebrows in question, and you found yourself melting into her gaze. Those damn hazel eyes, always so powerful, so captivating. How could you ever have resisted?
"Of course I will." As if you wouldn't be there for her.
Accepting the sweet smile she gave you in return, she kissed you softly, once, twice, three times, before pulling back and changing the subject, allowing you both to eat your lunches and bitch about the baby Cheerios screwing up your routines. This felt surprisingly normal, almost as if you were having lunch with your girlfriend. There was a thought, one you'd only dreamed about, but perhaps now, you were once step closer to that becoming reality.
*0*0*
Lounging around in Brittany's living room, Quinn's body cuddled up against you, your fingers innocently playing with hers as her head buried into your neck, you found yourself feeling relaxed and at ease for a change. The previous days had been tricky. Quinn had come clean to the school, and there was an unusual backlash of curiosity, ignorance, and then support. It seemed as though you weren't the only one who had done some growing up at McKinley.
Not only had the reaction been worthy of a few extra kisses, longing embraces in quietened corridors, and comforting hand holding through the hallways, the two of you had also had to contend with Sue's overbearing presence in Cheerios and Schuster's pitying looks in Glee. The staff were definitely aware of what had occurred, though it must have been obvious when Dr. and Dr. Pierce took over as Quinn's emergency contacts for the school.
However, Quinn still seemed upbeat, and it was only behind closed doors that she allowed you to see how tired she really looked. This had to have been an absolute roller-coaster ride for her, and you couldn't even imagine what she was going through. She appreciated your support, though, and seeing as that was all you could give her, you counted yourself lucky that she hadn't snapped or bitten your head off in frustration. You knew that Quinn was lurking in there somewhere, but you were fortunate enough not to have seen her in a while.
Earlier on that day, after Sue's gruelling Saturday morning Cheerio practice, Brittany, Quinn, and yourself all headed back over to hers. You had wanted to shower, change, and sleep the morning away, but Brittany had other plans for you, and once you found out what they were, all fatigue left your body and you were ready to get going.
In the wake of Quinn being kicked out, she had begun to sort through all the items Brittany had 'borrowed' from her, and all the ones she'd managed to grab on that particular evening. Only afterwards was she able to work out what she had left that she needed to go get. Brittany made her write a list of what it was and where they would likely to find it if her parents hadn't moved things about.
"I want to go with you," Quinn had said, crossing her arms and almost stomping her foot. She saw that you'd noted her leg twitch and shot you an unimpressed look, which just had you smirking.
"You can't go, Quinn," Brittany explained, placing a comforting hand on her arm.
"Why, does something happen?" Her words had you on edge, and the two of them turned to look at you as you stood there now worrying.
"No," Brittany began, shaking her head. "Nothing happens, that I can see. But if we're caught, they're more likely to try and press charges with Quinn there, than with just us."
"Oh." Okay, now you felt foolish for jumping to the worst case scenario.
Quinn reached over and tugged on your hand, getting you to look at her, and with a soft smile, she had you rolling your eyes at your thinking and smiling back. She was fine, she was okay, she was right there and she was safe from her bigoted parents. Nothing was going to happen to her.
"So, we should go then," Quinn said, entwining her fingers in yours, and nice try, Quinn, but you weren't falling for that trick.
"Yes, Brittany and I should be going. You need to stay here," you replied, fully prepared to fight her on this.
"I'll meet you in the car, San," Brittany said, grabbing the list from Quinn's hand and slipping out the door.
"You're being stubborn," Quinn murmured, almost pouting at you. That wouldn't work either.
"Yeah, I am, and you would be too. Please, please just stay here and wait on us coming back. I'd feel much better knowing you were here, than having you with us." It would be a huge weight off your chest, actually.
"Brittany said nothing will happen to me," Quinn whined, stepping closer to you.
"But what if Brittany's wrong? Yeah, we take her word like gospel, but I'd hate to think she's wrong some time and we screw up. Please, Q, just stay here?" You were begging with her, that had to count for something.
Quinn chewed on her bottom lip as she considered your words, and with a moan at the back of her throat, she nodded, immediately slumping into your body, wrapping her arms around your neck.
"I'll stay, but please be careful, because I do worry about you, you know," Quinn said, leaning her forehead against yours and making you hold at her body due to the proximity.
"I'll be fine," you murmured, and with a peck on the lips goodbye, you headed out the door to meet Brittany.
She didn't look surprised at all by your arrival alone to the car, and you rolled your eyes at her knowing damn near everything, and moaned at her to get a move on. From there, the two of you covered the items on the list, setting out a plan, and on arrival at Quinn's house, you parked four doors down just in case the Fabrays had told their neighbours to look out for any cars.
Approaching the house on foot, Brittany had you sneaking round the back, past the empty drive way, with her reassuring words that the place was empty right about then. She knew was she was going, and she would never have dragged you over there if they'd been in. You had to be thankful for that, at least.
The key which once was hidden round the back of the house was gone, a move both of you were expecting, so using the many skills the two of you had acquired over the years, Brittany managed to jimmy the window open, and you crawled through the space to let her in.
Breaking and entering, who knew falling in love would make you a criminal?
From that point on, the two of you made quick work of gathering up most of the things Quinn asked for. Her parents had begun to pack up her belongings in her room, which did make it a little harder, but thankfully the Fabrays liked to label things neatly. Shoving Quinn's things in the bags she had in her room, Brittany and you decided not to waste any time and quickly left the house.
An immature and vengeful part of you wanted to trash the place, but if all the Fabrays saw was a few less of Quinn's things they had to deal with, then the better. Plus, you were pretty sure that Brittany would have carried you away kicking and screaming if you'd tried to destroy their furniture. She kept glancing at you as if she knew what you were thinking, and you were certain that she didn't actually possess that ability.
Arriving back at Brittany's house, Quinn met you the two of you with tight hugs, and helped carry things inside. Then, you all headed upstairs to help her go through it, to make sure everything had been picked up. The things that had been left behind were of no importance, according to Quinn, otherwise you would have taken it all. Clearly, the girl was downsizing her life into what she could fit into bags and boxes, and while your chest ached at the thought of her doing so, you knew it would probably be a good idea if she was headed off to college in the fall.
College, that was something the two of you were going to have to talk about in the coming days.
Pushing that thought aside, Brittany went off to check on Lord Tubbington, and you had a sneaking suspicion that she'd actually let the cat out earlier, which meant he'd be at Rachel's, and attempted to lighten up the mood for Quinn. Brittany's parents were also out, and as the living room was free, the two of you started watching movies and talking about all the small things. Soon, you had her laughing and smiling in no time, a complete relief.
Even around the stress and all the tense moments, there was still things to be thankful for, and with her in your arms, you knew you'd never forget that. After all, it might have been so easy for her to shut you down and stay in the closet.
No, you were going to cherish those peaceful moments with her lips against yours, her hands caressing your cheeks, as if they were going to be the last. It was the only way you could handle the waiting, the fear that she'd change her mind, and the thought of losing her.
Those moments, they were precious, and as you kissed her languidly back, you filed away the feelings she evoked in you for a bad day. There would be plenty ahead, of that you were sure.
*0*0*
Sadly, bad days and stressful weeks made their presence known, and you needed to rely on those memories to get you through most of them. Glee Club and Cheerios were becoming intense, and you were so relieved when regionals was over. It gave you a brief respite from all the crazy, before Nationals were going to be mentioned again.
From all the extra practices and all the rehearsals, you did get to see and hang out with Quinn more, which was a bonus. Most of the time, it wasn't practical for you to always head over to Brittany's after school, so the two of you had your distance for a bit. Thankfully, she seemed just as put off by the notion of being apart from you as you were, and that made you grin happily and your heart beat a little quicker.
The two of you still managed to be close without defining things. There were more heated kisses, a few well-placed hickeys, and some wandering hands in the back seat of your car now and then, but Quinn wasn't ready to commit. You weren't taking it personally. You weren't. She needed time. You were being patient.
The students at school were still taking in her news, it seemed, but with each passing day it looked as if it was getting easier. Quinn never actually mentioned if she was having any problems, and you knew she never would because she was lovely and stubborn like that, but from what you heard through the gossip mill, it wasn't as rough as your coming out, or as hellish as Kurt's.
At first, you merely thought the student body was in too much of a shock to react, but as the days crawled by and still no slushy facials, you were relieved to see it wasn't coming. Maybe it was because it was Quinn Fabray who had come out. Maybe it was because a lot of people still seemed to worship her. Whatever, she was making it through that minefield untouched, and that's all that mattered.
You smiled at the thought, and then glanced at your phone, checking the time. You were in the auditorium, waiting for Q to turn up, but it seemed she was going to be a no-show. She had said that if she wasn't there after ten minutes that you were to start eating without her. Apparently, Coach liked to drag her in to go over national cheer routines during her lunch hour. You were kinda glad it wasn't you.
The sound of the door opening had you thinking that you were wrong, she had turned up, but as you turned in your seat, it was not Quinn walking towards you. Sitting up in your seat and swallowing, you repositioned yourself in the chair so you were semi-facing the seat next to you as Rachel stood next to it.
"Can I sit, or am I interrupting?" she asked, biting her bottom lip, looking more nervous than you felt.
It had been a while. Far too long since you'd had a proper conversation with her lately. Pleasantries had been traded over the last few weeks, and it was customary for you to smile at her or say hi when you saw her, but that was it.
When you'd asked Brittany about it, she had gone on to say that Rachel was putting all her romantic feelings for you to the side, and she'd be back to normal once there was no chance of her ever acting on them. You were actually surprised by how long that seemed to take, and a wave of guilt always hit you that her feelings for you were forever going to be unreciprocated.
However, with her standing next to you, those were not the things to focus on. She looked to be back, and now you just needed to figure out if that was the case.
"Of course, please, sit," you replied, perhaps too eagerly. She smiled softly, anyway, and maybe the eagerness wasn't a bad thing.
"I'm surprised you still eat in here," she said offhandedly. "Everyone would accept you in the cafeteria."
"This place is pretty important to me. I kinda became friends with this great girl in here, and the cafeteria just doesn't feel the same anymore, knowing she won't be eating there either," you replied, shrugging your shoulder and giving her a teasing smile.
She smiled and closed her eyes, her face angled to look at her lap as she accepted your words.
"I'm happy for you," Rachel said, deciding to cut to the chase, and you were getting ready to protest.
"Rach, you don't need to-" She didn't. She didn't need to say anything about that. You just wanted your friend back, the absence could be forgotten, because under the circumstances, it was completely understandable.
"No, I do," she replied, cutting you off. "I am happy for you, Santana. I'm happy you're happy, so let's just leave it at that. I'm still your friend, if you want to talk about Quinn and your relationship, I can listen and offer support and-"
"Best friend," you amended, now being the one to interrupt.
"Huh?" Rachel looked confused, frowning at you for a second.
"You're my best friend, not just my friend." Surely she knew that by now. Surely she was aware of how much she stood above the others.
"Oh." Rachel frowned again and blinked a few times before smiling cautiously. "I thought Quinn would have taken that position." You could hear the doubt in her voice, and you wanted to do everything to ease her fear that she'd been replaced in all departments.
"No, that position is firmly yours." Your words seemed to do the trick, and her cautious smile changed into a beaming one.
"Well, as your best friend, you should know I'll always be here for you, no matter what the issue is." And she really meant it, which had you awash with contentment, because you knew that if you ever had a problem in regards to Quinn and wanted to talk it out with someone, she'd listen. She'd listen and she'd give you the opinion she thought you ought to hear, not the one doused in bias or clouded by her own personal feelings.
"I know, and I appreciate it. Same goes for you," you replied, but your words felt almost empty as you said them. You hoped Rachel didn't think they were just you being kind, because that really wasn't the case, and as she gave your arm a squeeze quickly, those fears eased away.
"So, what have you been doing since we last had lunch? I heard about your Cheerios win, congratulations on that front, and I know you were spectacular at regionals for glee, but what about-" Rachel babbled, opening her lunch like the two of you had done this just yesterday.
You followed suit, and you answered her questions and asked your own where required, and before long things were back to exactly how they used to be. There was no awkwardness in the air, no tense feeling between the two of you, no doubts about reaching out to touch her, no fears of hurting her if you mentioned something relating to Quinn, it was all back to how it was before everything came tumbling out.
Finally, a normality you could handle, and just in time, too. Who knew how much longer you would have coped without Rachel around?
*0*0*
"What are we doing?" you whispered, smirking at the sight of Quinn in nothing but a bathing suit, making her way through the sleeping hotel. She had a robe in one hand, and a bottle of God only knows what in the other.
Hours previous, the Glee club had won themselves a Nationals victory, and it was safe to say everyone was pretty pleased with their performances. You'd already tackled Rachel in a hug, listened to her fears of losing because she missed a step in one of the dance routines, and then jumped up and down excitedly like children when recalling how you'd actually won.
She had then gone off with Kurt and Brittany, and the bewitching hazel eyes of Quinn pulled you in to see what she was up to. That had been hours ago, back when everyone was in Schuster's room partying it up like there was no tomorrow. The two of you had left that room after spending enough time to please the masses, and then snuck into the girl's room for some celebrating that couldn't be done in front of the others. Though, you were sure Puck wouldn't have minded.
When the door shut behind you, Quinn had kissed you frantically, pushed you onto the bed, mounted your lap and you were an absolute goner to her body on yours. She didn't seem to be interested in taking it any further, knowing full well that the others could walk in at any moment, and that was enough to keep your hands on top of her clothes and running through her hair, with only the occasional thrust of your hips into hers.
She was addicting, your body responding to each kiss, each pant like she was the conductor and you were the orchestra, replying with your own whimpers and touches. You couldn't fight it, the lust in her eyes, the love in her eyes, that had you drowning in her, but it was a welcomed death.
Still, your relationship was at a standstill, waiting for her to be ready to take the next step and make it official, but it felt like that could happen any day now. She seemed ready, she looked ready if her glances and gazes at you had been anything to go by, but yet no movement on her front.
However, those kisses, those touches, those noises she made when you ground your pelvis against hers, was enough to keep you waiting. It was coming, and hopefully so would she be, when this was done. You just wanted to be able to call her your girlfriend, to be able to say that you were in a relationship with one Quinn Fabray. You had wanted that for so long, wanted her for longer.
Those kisses of hers had been almost too enticing, and eventually, the two of you had been interrupted. Brittany came in the room with a knowing smirk, grabbing something from her bag before heading back out again, and that was enough time to give Quinn a new idea.
Said idea had you getting changed into your bikini, throwing your robe on top, and following her through the hotel after procuring a bottle of booze from somewhere. She looked wild as you moved behind her, her hair messed and untamed from your grip on it earlier, and her eyes still held that lustful look to them. She was like a siren, calling you in, and if you weren't in love with her before, you would be now.
"What are we doing?" you repeated, reaching out to run your fingers up her spine as she opened a door for you, letting you go in before her. It led to another corridor, and she reshuffled the robe and bottle in her hands so she had one free, taking yours before tugging you along.
"We're celebrating," she answered, a smirk on her lips.
"We're not having sex," you threw in, knowing that if that was going to happen it needed to happen back in the bed. The next time Quinn and you had sex, it was not going to be a quickie in some Jacuzzi or somewhere you could easily be interrupted. You wanted to be able to take your time with her again.
"You're right, we're not," she chuckled, giving your hand a squeeze.
"Then what are we-" You stopped when she pulled the two of you into the indoor pool room. It was empty, which was a relief, and letting go of your hand, Quinn wasted no time in dumping her robe on a chair and placing the bottle by the edge of the pool before diving in.
Before you had time to think, and she had yet to resurface, the door burst open behind you, and a swarm of voices filtered in, with one in particular leading the charge.
"You didn't think you'd be celebrating without us, did you?!" Puck called, charging past you and dive-bombing into the pool, just right of where Quinn had jumped. Following him through the door in a garble of giggles and laughter was the rest of the glee club, including Artie who was being carried by Sam.
Laughing at how the perfect little private moment between the two of you had just been gate-crashed, you threw your robe off and dove in after them. This was a celebration, after all, and it didn't have to be only between Quinn and yourself, especially when there was so little time left of high school.
These assholes weren't going to be in your life anymore, so perhaps you could take the time to hang out with them a little more. Now was as good a time as any, and Quinn agreed, quickly organising some sort of game for everyone to play, with Artie being the referee.
Only after several exhausting rounds, a major debate over whether or not that last move Puck had pulled was illegal, and then disbanding the game so the boys could race each other, did you have time to swim over and see Quinn again.
She was lounging with her elbows on the pool edge, kicking her legs out in the deep end to keep her afloat, and she was watching you as you swam over. Once you were within distance, she traded the wall for you, wrapping her arms around your neck, and her legs following suit round your waist. You cradled her body in your hands, gently caressing her skin underwater.
There was no need to worry about who was watching, the Glee club already knew what was going on, and you suspected Rachel and Brittany were who you needed to thank because you hadn't gotten any dumb questions or lewd suggestions about what was going on between Quinn and you. She seemed as relieved about that as you were.
However, just having her act so open with you, really made you feel a sense of adoration. This was still the girl who had been terrified of being out, being open about herself, and yet there she was, all smiles and laughs, arms round your neck, with her fingertips caressing your skin so publically. God, she'd really adapted, grown as a person, these last few months. You were so proud of her.
"I'm almost ready," Quinn murmured, breaking the contented silence between the two of you, and you rose your eyebrows in question.
"Ready for what?" Rather than answer, Quinn changed the subject.
"I've been speaking to my sister. You remember Frannie, right?" How could you forget that peach?
Frannie Fabray, original HBIC, a legend among Cheerios, and with a personality to charm the pants off those in power, and tear down those that stood in her way. She was the scarier version of Quinn, and last Santana had heard, she'd gone off to some Ivy League college, married some blue-blood and was on her way to popping out perfect children.
"Yeah," you answered, cautious of where this conversation might be headed.
"Well, she's helping me out," Quinn said, a hopefulness presenting itself in her eyes. "My parents have gone ahead and given her my trust fund, which was to be expected, I guess. Anyway, she's offered to pay for my college tuition and anything else I need." She tried to sound hopeful once more, but you saw and felt the sadness inside her at the thought of her parents disregarding her like that. They really didn't care how she was to care for herself. Utter bastards. But Quinn had mentioned some good news, too.
"Shit, really?" you asked, surprised by this turn of events.
"Yeah, I know, I'm shocked, too," she joked, rolling her eyes at how her sister's lacklustre reputation proceeded her and the assumptions your mind had jumped to about her. Okay, so it was surprising Frannie would do such a nice thing, but you should have given her the benefit of the doubt. After all, Quinn was her sister.
"Q," you began, getting ready to apologise for thinking the worst, but she was fine with what you'd said, brushing your words off.
"No, come on, we both know Frannie hasn't always been the nicest sister, but she's making up for it. I don't think she was happy with them kicking me out first time around, let alone the second. And I think she's genuinely trying to make amends for all the years she sat by and did nothing while our father dictated and controlled us, before drinking himself into that-"
"Hey," you murmured, squeezing her hips to ground her again. Her gaze had become unfocused as she spoke, and you knew she was replaying memories she ought not to. "You never have to put up with that again. And if she's helping you, that's great news. I'm happy for you," you said, wanting her to know how true that was.
"I'm happy for me, too," she teased, her forehead resting against yours as she attempted to lift the mood once more. It worked as you cracked a smile, and closed your eyes to just take her in.
The other glee members were laughing and joking at the other side of the pool, with the occasional splash cutting them off, but right there, you were able to block it out and only hear her intake and outtake of breath, only feel her body against yours, and only sense her calming presence.
"You know I'm in this for the long-haul right?" you asked, fear and anxiety seeping into your voice despite your best attempts to stop it. You just needed to check. You just needed to know you were on the same page as her, otherwise this was going to be heartbreakingly painful later on.
"You mean, do I know that you intend to make this work through college and whatever else comes our way?" You nodded, showing her a slightly more vulnerable side than you'd like, but she didn't hurt you. Instead, she kissed your lips softly and soothed your fears. "I'm fully aware, which is why I'm taking my time to assess if this is what I really want right now. You're…A lot of people say high school relationships can't work past high school, but I think we could, and I want to be in the right place before taking that step."
"There's no rush, that hasn't changed," you whispered, seeing that all too familiar light in her eyes.
"I know, and one of these days, I'll reward you for your patience," Quinn replied, nuzzling into you further, leaving a kiss on your neck as she did so.
Her words were comforting, her touch was comforting, and you could feel the hope inside your body growing stronger and stronger each day. Sometime soon, she'd be ready, and you'd finally be with her.
*0*0*
Returning to school after your Glee club Nationals win was a little surreal. The school didn't go out of their way to show their support, but they were a lot more accepting, and it made things a hell of a lot easier for some of the other Glee club members, which you were glad to hear.
God, how times had changed.
You could so easily recall how much you hated the Glee kids before Fifty Words, and now you were friends enough with them all to get on well. Minus Finn, of course, but Fifty Words couldn't win them all. It wasn't that good.
One friendship that it did create and blossom, however, was with the girl you were headed off to see. It was lunch time, and as usual, you were on your way to the auditorium to meet Rachel. Somehow, you had managed to get out of the Cheerios practice that lunchtime, and for that you were thankful.
Lately, Sue had been pushing all Senior Cheerios to teach the babies as much as possible, so that when you left they at least stood some chance of living up to your legacy. Though, you thought it best to tell each and every one of them that no matter what they did, they'd never live up to the Unholy Trinity. It seemed like the right thing to do to leave them feeling a little like crap so they could try hard to prove you wrong.
Quinn would roll her eyes as you informed them of that simple fact, and Brittany would smirk in agreement, but it was necessary. There wasn't a huge deal of time left of school, and in the coming weeks, Quinn would be appointing a new Head Cheerio from the Juniors and you then had to help teach her everything you all knew.
Brittany and her were meant to be doing that this lunch, and you were happy to have gotten away. With your things in your bag, you weaved through the students in the hallway, and headed in the direction of the auditorium.
"What are you smiling about? And where you headed? Lunch is this way," you said, having seen Rachel coming towards you in the hall. You were only a short distance from your destination, but it looked like she wasn't even going, which had you perplexed.
"Nothing," Rachel answered with a smirk. "And I'm going to meet Brittany for lunch." Huh, you thought Brittany was with Quinn. Maybe she'd managed to escape, too. Good on her.
"Oh, okay-" Her ditching you for Brittany kinda stung, but only because you didn't seem to invited along. "I guess I'll go eat in the cafeteria then," you mused, turning to head back, only to have Rachel reach out and take your arm, spinning you back round.
"Nope, you're to go to the auditorium," she said with a no-nonsense tone, smile still in place.
"You're going to make me eat lunch by myself?" That sounded damn right ridiculous, and cruel!
"You're not going to be eating by yourself, trust me. Just head to the auditorium like usual," Rachel replied, rolling her eyes at you. It was all very cryptic.
"What's going on?" you asked, glancing round the hallway to see if anyone else looked to be in on whatever was happening.
"Nothing you won't enjoy. Now, you've got someone waiting on you, so get going. I'll see you later!" she called, letting you go with a light push.
Watching her practically skip down the hallway, you once again wondered what the hell was going on, but headed in the direction of the auditorium anyway. That was going to be the best way to get answers. Later on, you'd bitch at Rachel for being so evasive, but for now, you were hungry and you wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
When you entered the auditorium, the place was in darkness like usual, with only the stage lights on. Upon that stage, lay all the answers to your questions, however.
Quinn was sitting on the piano bench until she saw you, and then standing, she smiled softly and gestured you over. Just the way she looked at you, the way her smile tweaked at her lips, the way she was glowing, had your heart racing, your heart soaring, because this felt like it.
This felt like what you'd worked so hard to achieve, from Fifty Words steeling your resolve when it came to Quinn and her secrets, to not allowing yourself to settle for half a relationship, to working through the issues with Rachel and Quinn, to her coming out. This felt like what you'd been waiting on.
This felt like the wait was over.
*0*0*