The Lion

(Rachel)

I can't blame drunkenness for what happened. Yes, I drank the point of getting tipsy, but not to the point of doing things and lose memory the next day, as happened once. I got out of that party loose and laughing with Quinn in tow. We took a cab and went straight to my apartment, where we docked in kisses from the entrance door to my bed, with the right to have an orgasm in the middle of the way: my first in months. The first since the last time Quinn and I made love before that fateful fight.

It's not that I'm prudish. I masturbated a few times, but just to relax a little bit, without necessarily having an orgasm. I don't know why there is this lock on me. Maybe I need a therapist to understand certain things about myself. Maybe it has the time to deal with my insecurity about my appeal.

One way or another, there we were, Quinn and I, kissing warmly in my apartment, with our hands feverish looking ours body. Quinn's touch Quinn was still fantastic: firm, strong, but always with a strange delicacy that sometimes made me cry for enjoyment and excitement. While our clothes were on the way, Quinn managed to keep my clit pressed almost all the time, circling my little button, caressing it, as we kissed with furiously. I was so wet that Quinn's fingers slipped with tremendous ease in my vagina. And there, in the small hallway that led to my room (the door on the right) and Santana's (the door on the left), Quinn stocked me with her fingers until my legs stay shaky to the point of not being able to walk for a moment. At least not until the first wave of intense pleasure passed.

We arrived almost naked to my bed. Quinn pulled off my already ruined panties and opened my legs without compassion so my back settled into my soft mattress. She was hungry and ate me. She licked and kissed my pussy with some greed that made me dizzy. The way she sucked my clit and then back to insert the tongue into my vagina led me quickly to second orgasm. And she didn't stop until she was completely satisfied.

"Hi" She said smiling, but I was too breathless to get answer as soon as she finished her most voracious actions.

With her on the top of me, we began to kiss. This time more calmly. Our tongues danced in a lazy movement and I could feel my own taste and remaining juices on her lips.

"Hi." I said after a few minutes, while my hand slid between our bodies until it reaches her clitoris.

"Hi." She repeated, and closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, and began to move to facilitate the work of my hands, but she remained on the top as she loved to do.

When I penetrated her, it was as if I had come home. Quinn closed her eyes and opened them, as if she wanted to stare at me all the time, but sometimes the feelings were strong and she closed her eyes and moaned high.

"Rachel!" She said louder than usual when she orgasm and couldn't sustain more her body on the top, toppling sideways.

I continued working with my fingers in and out until she relaxed completely. Quinn fell asleep smiling, and I watched her for some time until fatigue also won me. Quinn was so beautiful and I loved her so much, but everything was still so complicated. I didn't know what to do.

…

(Quinn)

I was in heaven. It's been too long since the last time I wake up next to the woman I loved most in this world. Rachel slept sideways, half face down. I couldn't see her face from my position so I wasn't sure if she was still asleep or not. I decided to test my luck. I spent my arm around her waist and kissed her on the shoulder. Rachel shifted so that made me realize that she was definitely awake.

"Good morning, my lady." I continued my caresses to her neck.

"Quinn…" Her voice was hoarse, sexy.

"Hmm?" I continued to kiss that soft skin.

"Stop." Rachel turned to in order to look at me and it me confused.

"But?" I sat on the bed without worry about my nakedness. "Please, don't tell me you regretted it." It would be hopeless, so I closed my eyes an attempt to not disappoint myself.

"I don't." It was a relief. My body relaxed and went back to breathe when I heard her answer. "I don't regret what happened. It was a truly enjoyable evening and I confess I missed this physical contact, your kisses, your touch."

"What's the but?" There was always a catch. Buts were Rachel's specialty.

"We rushed by." It was too good to be true.

"How come? If we were two strangers, we would say we had a good time at a party that ended in a one night stand. Nobody would speak o thing about it, no one would judge it. Instead, people would applaud. I remember very well that your sister went out with that Wonder Woman and you encouraged her. So what's the problem with us? Is it because we made love after having a great time together?"

"That was monkey sex… I have marks in my body."

"Whatever."

"The problem is definitely us." She answered in a way that left me confused. "I'm going straight to the point here, Quinn. I need to stop fooling myself and admit that I still love you deeply and I want you back." My heart raced and was hard to control myself to keep paying attention of what Rachel was saying and not kiss her and make love to her again. "These last few days, since we started chatting uncompromisingly, made me realize how much I missed us. How good is to be with you, having you in my life. This is simply wonderful. On the other hand, I knew that if terms aren't established, we can't go back together or we would waste this second chance with silly things and, this time, for good. So last night was precipitated."

"Terms? Do you mean conditions?" She nodded. I sighed. Even if I didn't like the idea of imposing rules and restrictions, Rachel was right on one point: it would be necessary to conduct this relationship more carefully. "What are these conditions?"

"We will continue living in separate houses. This is fundamental." I was expecting something along those lines. It wasn't my ideal, but it was an acceptable resume. "I'm not ready to come back to share a room and a roof with you so soon. Even with Santana and even Mike living with us, we jump steps in our relationship and it wasn't cool. We were en route to the altar because, even if you didn't have this perception, it would only be a matter of formalizing a condition in which we'd already lived: an immature condition, by the way. And we weren't ready."

"I can't say I agree, but I can't take away your right. The first thing I did when we moved together to Astoria was that symbolic wedding ceremony that I took very seriously. When I bought the ring, I was satisfied with our lives, Rachel, and wanted to ensure forever, because I didn't know how to live otherwise. I still don't know, but I can try because it was a nightmare getting all these months without you."

"It was hard to get used not having you by my side in the mornings. At the same time, I wanted to discovery how much that was love and how much it was co-dependence? I had some time to think about it, thought about it this morning while you were still asleep. If we are coming back together, we need to take things slowly. This includes sex."

Rachel stood up and walked over to what looked like her new closet. She grabbed some clothes and put on a tank top and those huge cotton panties she liked to use sometimes to sleep after the sex. It was adorable. Really! She picked up a large t-shirt and sweatpants and threw them in my direction.

"It is very strange having this conversation while we're both naked." She said.

I smiled. Only even my Rachel to have that kind of shame after so long. I wore the old shirt and the large sweatpants. I looked down from her room and smiles to remember that our clothes were discarded along the way: her fancy dress and my lion costume, and also the tank top and the gym shorts I wore underneath. Rachel sat back down on the bed, only this time folding the blanket in the process.

"Will you establish the amount of phone calls or date nights?" I had to ask because programming schedules were things that Rachel Berry-Lopez carried up to personal life. I began to help her with housekeeping her bedroom.

"I'm sure we will find an acceptable and reasonable rate." She stopped for a moment and looked at me. I could tell she was serious. "I want romance, Quinn. I want to be seduced and also have my chance to seduce. I want to eat a sandwich and drink orange juice because I know that's what you can pay for me at the moment, and I want you to be proud because even the most humble meeting is worthy. I wish I could pay you a fancy dinner without you feel uncomfortable or offended. I want to have the uncertainty of seeing you throughout the day and, honestly, there will be days that I wouldn't want to see or talk to you at all. So please, understand it. I want to miss you. I want to have a chance to hang out with friends that aren't common to both of us and talk about it later. I want to invite you to come to my house to make you a special dinner and I live the thrill of sleeping in my girlfriend's house. I want living a normal and healthy relationship with you."

"You want a lot of things." I said more to myself than to her. Of course it was loud enough to Rachel hear and lead hands to her waist. "Together but apart, I get it." I summarized.

"That's part of taking things slow."

"Okay..."

"It's not just 'okay', Quinn, I'm serious here." She took the folded blankets and practically shoved it in the closet, as she always did when she was nervous in our discussions. "Don't you think that all you have to do is take everything so the breeze, because you have to work hard this time. And you will have to do it right, because I don't want to stay with you and have to hear those words you said to me short after we moved to Astoria."

"What words?"

"'Love, get naked while I brush my teeth.'" I tried to protest. I remember I only said it once. Maybe twice. Looking from another angle, I was really a bitch chauvinistic sometimes.

"I'll try to improve myself, Rachel. For me and for us. I swear I will. But I also have my conditions. "

"Shoot."

"It's not easy to see you doing sex scenes. It's a nightmare actually. But it's part of your job, I understand it. The same way that one day I'll have to film naked actors simulating sex and be professional about it. It's something that needs to be done and who am I to demand something that will hurt your career. I only ask that, please, don't have intimate contacts with your colleagues than necessary. That kiss with Rom..."

"Still mulling over what?"

"Of course. That was the catalyst for all the shit we've been through. If you're a friend of that guy and will continue to work with him, that's ok. I don't like it, but I accept that you have to spend time together. Just know what are the limits. Have this respect for me."

"And what will happen when I need a beard?"

"Beard?"

"Let's face it, Quinn. I can't be seen as gay at this point in my career or I will be ruined. Young actresses reveal they're bisexual when they have a well-developed plan behind. This is fact. Things are different now after the TV show and someday I will I need a beard. I'll be photographed with him, I kiss him in public, going out with him, holding hands. So how is it?"

"I think we have to wait that time comes..." It was hard to imagine Rachel posing before the cameras with a hunk in tow as I stood in the shadows. This world was so unfair. "Anyway..." I tried to zoom out. "I need you to keep realistic standards in our relationship, at least. I'll try to improve myself yes, but don't expect me to turn the perfect and accepting girlfriend. So don't push me too hard. Don't offer things you know it will hurt my pride just to test me. Don't think I'll go spend an afternoon with Rom Tyler just to please you. Ponder and try not to insult my intelligence. I know I made my most serious mistake having sex with another woman, but I wasn't the only one, Rach. We both made mistakes one way or another."

"I understand, Quinn. That's why we need to work our relationship slowly: because it's the best way to find a balance."

"So..." I approached Rachel and hug her. "Can I kiss my girlfriend and seal our pact?"

She nodded and we exchanged a soft kiss. Even after a night of sex, it was enough to legs wiggle and my parts react. Rachel had this strange power over me that perhaps I never will understand.

"Breakfast?" She broke our kiss.

"Ok." I was hungry.

Rachel finished fixing her bedroom with my help and then we collect our clothes on the floor. She took my lion costume from the floor and stared at it for some time.

"Quinn?"

"Yup?"

"Where did you get this?"

"The art department made screening in the costume room. Some clothes were discarded and this lion costume was among them. It was the best I could fix just in time for the Halloween party. They had the lion's head too, but it was giant, so a bought another one in the store. I think they used it in that movie about a nerdy teenager who turns hero of the football team."

"I don't remember this one."

"It's just a stupid movie that went on Lifetime."

"At least lion suit you..."

"Yeah, but I didn't need a costume to make you call me lion."

Rachel walked into the kitchen and asked me to go with her. I was there once when I had coffee with Santana weeks ago. Only at this time I allowed myself repair in some detail and had to admit that the girls did a good job there. It was a very nice place. Rachel took jellies, breads and everything in the house for breakfast.

"Scrambled eggs?" She offered, I accepted. "One egg, medium well done, with a pinch of salt." She said the way I liked to eat them.

We sat and savored our meal. For a moment I felt like the old days, like the time I lived with the twins and was part of the family. The reality has changed: I was just Rachel's girlfriend. Incidentally, I had to thank Santana for not having broken relations with me. She didn't kick me out of Rock'n'Pano that ensure a significant income for me, and she was fundamental to Rachel and I got back together doing little subtle things.

"What are your plans for the week?" I asked.

"I'm swamped with rehearsals. My director wants everything perfect until the end of the month because we will have a break in later December and I want to spend Christmas in Lima."

"And next weekend?"

"Nothing scheduled for now."

"We could go out."

"Like a date?"

"Exactly like a date."

"Okay."

"Okay?" I opened a smile and almost laughed. "So Miss Berry-Lopez, this time I plan our date. And in the next one, I'll leave that up to you."

"Perfect."

I helped her clean up the coffee table and noticed that there was still no sign of Santana. Rachel would be worried soon. I would stay with her and wait, but my girlfriend (how was yummy say that again) said She didn't need it. I wore my tank top and Rachel put my lion costume in a bag. We say goodbye with a delicious long kiss and a promise to call later. I had to keep myself from jumping and punching the air as if I had scored a goal.

By coincidence, on the sidewalk in front of the building, I met Santana walking home: an authentic walk of shame.

"Hey."

"Hi." she said - "Did you sleep in my house?" I nodded. "It mean you and my sister..." I nodded again. Santana wasn't able to hear long stories because of her hangover. "Congratulations, Fabray. You made it. Don't blow it this time."

"I don't mean to pry into your life, but where did you sleep?"

"Well I left the party with Wonder Woman but she turned out to be Cat Woman..." She made pained expression. "Michele Pfeiffer's version, not the cool and stylish Anne Hathaway's version."

"Ouch!"

Santana turned her shoulder and pulled a bit of the fabric of her coat. There was a huge bite mark on her shoulder and some scratches.

"Maybe she was a werewolf claiming you." I joked.

"Go to hell, Fabray."

Santana went into the building. I smiled anyway. My chest was bursting with joy and my spirit was light. Rachel was mine again. I walked to the take a bus with a song in mind almost dancing with the imaginary sound:

"In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the Lion sleeps tonight..."