Chapter 35 – Think About It

Rachel covered her face with her hands as everyone at the table laughed. "I can't believe you told them!"

"It was hilarious," Kurt said. "She just fell right off the stage; when I ran over, she was lying on the ground behind the drum set."

"Thank god no one else was around," Rachel said, shaking her head. "I would have been even more humiliated if it had happened during my performance. Not to mention, I doubt Mrs. Monroe would have given me a very good grade for falling off the stage. It's just unfortunate that Kurt was around to later regale people with stories of my mishap."

"Did it hurt?" Beth asked.

"Just her ego," Kurt said with a smirk.

"As a matter of fact it, it did," Rachel replied. "Too bad Kurt was laughing so hard at the time that he couldn't even help me up."

Kurt scoffed. "I helped you up. It may have just taken a few minutes."

"You're lucky I'm such a good friend or I could tell quite a few embarrassing stories about you," Rachel pointed out.

"I wanna hear!" Beth said.

"No you don't, sweetie," Kurt replied, shooting Rachel a look of warning.

"I think I know one," Quinn chimed in.

"Oh no," Kurt said, covering his eyes as he took a bit of his pizza.

"When Kurt was in high school—"

"No, don't," Kurt interrupted.

"We were performing at Regionals for our Glee Club during our senior year and his pants split right down the middle only seconds after we took the stage," Quinn said, earning a huff from Kurt. "He spent the rest of the performance trying not to turn his back to the audience."

"That was uncalled for," Kurt stated.

"Maybe next time you'll think twice before you tell my embarrassing stories," Rachel said, looking from Kurt to her girlfriend, and smiling.

Despite being embarrassed by Kurt's story, Rachel couldn't be happier that they were all having dinner together. It was the second time in four days that they were all there together, and she very much enjoyed those evenings. It was her little New York family; she may not have asked for it or ever could have predicted it, but she really wouldn't change anything about it. She just wished they could do this every night, though she knew that would never be possible with their current schedules.

"Are you excited about going to Lima this week?" Rachel asked when there was a lull in the conversation.

Beth shrugged and said, "I dunno."

"I'm certainly not looking forward to the drive," Kurt stated.

"I know, but it's cheaper than flying," Rachel replied.

She knew Kurt wanted to fly, but Rachel really didn't want to spend the money for the tickets, so a rental car seemed like the more sensible option. It still wasn't cheap, but it was certainly less expensive than the four of them flying to Ohio. Thankfully, Rachel's fathers were already talking about coming around Christmas time, so they wouldn't have to make the trip three times in three months.

"We need real jobs," Kurt remarked.

"We do have real jobs," Rachel replied. "Just not ones that pay very well or give us many hours."

It would be nice to have more money, but Rachel was thankful her job was so flexible. It was difficult enough going to school full time and taking care of Beth; she couldn't imagine having a full time job on top of that. She loved having her evenings free to be able to see Quinn or just spend time with Beth and Kurt. It wouldn't be possible without her fathers' help, though, which is why she was so grateful to them for everything they were doing for her.

"I'm just glad I only have one more day of school," Quinn said.

"It's just too bad your professor is making you take an exam tomorrow," Rachel commented.

"I know," Quinn replied, rolling her eyes. "I think it's his way of making sure everyone doesn't skip class. It doesn't really matter, though; you both work tomorrow, so it's not like we could leave sooner."

"I suppose that is true," Rachel agreed.

She had been surprised when Quinn told her about the exam; Rachel had immediately insisted they cancel dinner so Quinn could study, but her girlfriend said she'd already studied all she needed to. Rachel was a little hesitant—she didn't want to be the reason Quinn didn't do well—but Quinn had insisted. Rachel found it difficult to protest too much; it meant they would be able to spend the evening together, after all.

"Does anyone want another slice?" Kurt asked, reaching for the pizza box.

"No, but I wouldn't mind some dessert," Rachel replied as she picked up her plate and stood. "Does anyone else want some ice cream?"

"It sounds like they're having a lot of fun," Rachel commented as she handed a plate to Quinn.

Quinn laughed lightly. "It does."

"I hope they're not having too much fun," Rachel said, cringing slightly when she heard what sounded like something hitting the floor in the living room. "Don't break anything, you two!"

"We're not!" Kurt called back.

"Maybe I should have had Kurt dry the dishes," Rachel said with a frown. "I doubt you would have riled Beth up before bedtime." There was another bang. "Or demolished half the living room." She huffed as she began cleaning another plate. "What are they doing in there?"

Quinn shrugged and then turned, poking her head into the living room. Rachel looked over her shoulder at Quinn, who was watching Kurt and Beth for a minute before coming back to the sink. As she walked over, she shook her head with a laugh, and Rachel became all the more curious about what the two were doing in the living room.

"I think they're building a fort," Quinn said, taking the plate that Rachel was holding.

"Now?" Rachel asked in exasperation. "It's nearly nine and Beth still has school in the morning."

Quinn laughed again and Rachel looked over at her. She didn't know what was so funny; she was simply worried about Beth getting enough sleep. She wasn't the easiest person to wake up—something Rachel also saw in Quinn—and it was only made more difficult when she wasn't asleep by her usual bedtime.

"What?" Rachel asked, resisting the urge to stomp her foot.

"It's just cute," Quinn said, shaking her head.

"What is?" Rachel asked.

"You," Quinn stated.

Rachel didn't see how she was being cute, but the frown fell from her face and she instantly relaxed. It was hard to be upset when Quinn was looking at her with an adoring smile on her face. She just hoped Quinn didn't start using that to her advantage to get out any argument they may have. Fortunately for them, there had been very little arguing in the relationship so far, but Rachel knew it couldn't stay that way forever. They were bound to disagree on some things.

"What are they making the fort out of?" Rachel asked after a moment.

"The coffee table, some pillows—I think I saw a comforter," Quinn rattled off.

"I wonder what was causing the banging," Rachel said, looking over her shoulder again.

"That was my fault," Kurt said, freezing into the kitchen. "I accidentally hit the lamp with the sheet and knocked it over."

"Her bedtime is in an hour," Rachel reminded him.

"I know," Kurt replied. "I told her we could watch at least part of a movie before we go to bed, and she wanted to make a fort to watch it from. We're just waiting for you two to get done with the dishes and then we're going to start it."

"What movie?" Quinn asked.

"She wants to watch the first Harry Potter movie," Kurt replied.

Rachel frowned; she wasn't so sure that it was a good idea. She imagined they could be quite frightening to younger children, and she especially worried about the fact that it was about a boy whose parents were killed. When she looked over and caught Quinn's eye, the blonde raised her eyebrow, clearly thinking along the same lines as she was.

"Are you sure that's the best movie for her?" Rachel finally asked.

"She watched it once before," Kurt replied.

"What?" Rachel asked. "When."

"I was making dinner one night and she put it in," Kurt answered. "It was fifteen minutes into the movie before I realized what she was watching. She was perfectly fine and wanted to watch the rest of the movie."

"I guess it's a good thing she didn't pick worse," Rachel said, making a mental note to lock up all the less than suitable movies.

"I think she saw the front and knew it was a kid's movie," Kurt said with a shrug as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water.

"That could have been really bad," Rachel remarked as Kurt went back into the living room. "I never thought about needing to hide certain movies, but she knows how to operate the Blu-ray player better than Kurt and I, so I shouldn't be surprised. We did limit what she could watch on Netflix fairly quickly, though."

"Kids get into things," Quinn replied. "You can't prevent everything."

"I know, but it was careless of me," Rachel said, shaking her head.

"Come on," Quinn said, drying off her hand before offering it to Rachel. "The dishes will still be here in the morning. Let's go watch the movie."

Rachel glanced down into the sink and then nodded, giving Quinn a smile. She quickly rinsed the suds from her hands and dried them before taking her girlfriend's hand. Quinn was right—the dishes would still be there in the morning.

Rachel really had nothing to worry about; thirty minutes into the movie, Beth was already fast asleep inside her fort, using Kurt as a pillow. The rest of them continued to watch the movie, though Rachel wasn't really watching it. She mostly kept her eyes closed as she enjoyed the feeling of being snuggled up to Quinn. Thankfully, her girlfriend didn't shift around a lot like Brody and she never complained about her arm going numb like Finn always did. She remained quite still and seemed just as content as Rachel did to just be next to each other. It was her favorite thing about watching movies next to Quinn.

"It's after ten," Kurt commented.

"I know," Rachel said with a soft sigh.

She was so comfortable, she didn't want to get up, but she had work in the morning and she really should put Beth in her actual bed. She looked quite comfortable where she was, but she knew the little girl couldn't sleep like that all night. Mostly because Kurt was in a very awkward position and there was no way he would be able to stay like that without his back hurting him in the morning.

"Do you want me to put her to bed?" Kurt asked.

Rachel shook her head and said, "No, I will. Just give me five more minutes."

Quinn laughed lightly from beside her. "Don't want to get up?"

"Not particularly," Rachel replied. "You're very comfortable."

"The last girl I was seeing told me I was too bony," Quinn remarked.

"She had no idea what she was talking about," Rachel replied.

"You two are so disgusting," Kurt said.

Rachel rolled her eyes and looked down at her friend. "I'm sure you and Ben will be just as disgusting soon, and then we'll be sure to point it out every time."

"So he called, then?" Quinn asked.

"This afternoon," Rachel replied. "Ben asked Kurt out for this weekend, but since we're going to Lima, they're having to postpone it until we get back."

"Which I am not happy about," Kurt said. "He'll probably find someone else while I'm gone and forget about me by the time I get back."

"Nonsense," Rachel replied. "I don't think he's the type to do that, and from what you told me, he seems to really like you."

"I thought Blaine really liked me—loved me, in fact—and look what happened there," Kurt said.

"Blaine didn't deserve you," Rachel stated.

Quinn shook her head and said, "I really hated him."

"You did?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah," Quinn replied. "He was just so—full of himself." Quinn shook her head. "It wouldn't have been so bad, but he always tried to act modest while not being at all modest about things. Does that make sense?"

"It makes perfect sense," Kurt said.

"During our senior year, Santana said if she had to hear him talk about the Warblers one more time, she was going to break into his house in the middle of the night and shave his over-gelled hair," Quinn recalled.

"She should have," Rachel replied.

"I should have done that after he cheated on me," Kurt said. "I still can't believe he had the nerve to blame me for his infidelity."

"It's probably a good thing it happened," Rachel replied. "If he hadn't cheated on you, it may have taken you a lot longer to see his true colors, and by then it would have been even harder than it already was. At least you're still young, and you have plenty of time to find someone who truly deserves you."

Beth shifted slightly next to Kurt, who said, "I'll carry her in."

As Kurt stood and leaned down to pick Beth up, Rachel turned off the television and Blu-ray player, putting the remote controls on the coffee table. Next to her, Quinn stood and stretched, and Rachel looked up at her. Quinn's shirt had ridden up and Rachel had to resist the urge to reach out and touch her stomach. She knew Kurt was going to be back any moment and she didn't feel like seeing his eye roll or listening to whatever he would inevitably say about her not being able to keep her hands off Quinn.

"We're going to have to watch the rest of this the next time I'm here," Quinn said, nodding toward the TV. "I want to see how it ends."

"You've never seen it before?" Rachel asked in surprise.

Quinn shook her head. "My parents thought it was promoting witchcraft, so they wouldn't let me watch the movies or read the books."

"She's ready for you to tuck her in," Kurt said as he came back into the room. "She woke up, so you may have to read to her."

Rachel stood from the couch and reached out for Quinn's hand. "Do you want to help me tuck her in?"

"Yeah," Quinn said, giving her hand a squeeze.

Rachel gasped slightly as Quinn's fingers entered her, digging her nails into the blonde's shoulder blades at the feeling. She was trying to remain quiet even though she wanted to let out a loud moan. Kurt and Beth were sleeping, though, and since there were no actual walls between their rooms, sound traveled easily. When Quinn began kissing and sucking at her neck, it became even more difficult to stay quiet. Quinn knew exactly how to drive her wild, which she was doing a very good job of at the moment.

When Quinn ran her tongue around Rachel's nipple, it became too much for her. She let out a loud moan, unable to stop herself any longer, and when Quinn caught her nipple between her teeth, she moaned even louder. Rachel threw her arm over her mouth, trying to stifle the noise, as Quinn cupped her free hand around Rachel's breast and ran her thumb along the already erect peak.

"I love you," Quinn whispered into her ear as she moved her mouth from Rachel's neck to gently bite down on her earlobe.

Rachel couldn't stand it any longer; she arched slightly off the bed needing more. She removed her arm, no longer attempting to keep in the noises she was trying to make, and she put it around Quinn again, gripping her shoulders. Quinn continued teasing her breasts as her fingers slid in and out of Rachel, sending her closer to the edge.

"Another," Rachel panted, bucking her hips slightly.

Quinn seemed to understand because she slipped a third finger inside Rachel, who had to bite down on her lip to suppress a loud moan. Her girlfriend's eyes zeroed in on the action and she got a slight smirk on her face, clearly happy with the reaction. Rachel wanted to tease her about looking so smug, but she was having trouble forming words at the moment. And when Quinn leaned down, giving her a deep, lingering kiss, all thought of commenting on it flew out of her mind.

Rachel could feel her body on the verge of orgasm when Quinn pulled back slightly, looking into her eyes. Leaning up, Rachel crashed their lips together just as she was finally sent over the edge. Quinn's fingers slowed before finally coming to a stop, but they still remained inside as she continued to pulsate around them. After a few more moments, Quinn finally slipped her fingers out, and Rachel shuddered slightly at the movement.

"Are you okay?" Quinn asked, resting her forehead against Rachel.

Rachel nodded and then laid her head back against the pillow as she tried to catch her breath. Quinn laughed lightly as she shifted off Rachel, lying her head next to the brunette's. Rachel turned her head to look at Quinn, who was staring up at the ceiling. As she watched her, she put her hand up, and a smile slowly spread across Quinn's face as she reached up, too, entangling their fingers together.

"Have I told you lately that you're very good at that?" Rachel finally said after several minutes of silence.

Quinn laughed. "I think it's been a few days."

"Well, you are very good at that," Rachel said, smiling.

Quinn gave Rachel a soft kiss and pulled back, saying, "I hope you didn't wake the others."

"Well, if I did, you're fully to blame," Rachel joked with a light laugh. "I'm sure if we woke Kurt, though, he'll let us know in the morning." Rachel leaned over Quinn, putting her hand next to her head. "It's a good thing you're usually quiet."

Quinn's eyebrow rose as she looked up at Rachel. "Again? Don't you have to be up early?"

"I do," Rachel leaned down, kissing Quinn, "but some things are worth being sleep deprived." Rachel pulled back slightly. "Unless you want to go to sleep."

"I'm okay with sleep deprivation," Quinn said, wrapping her hand around the back of Rachel's neck, and pulling her down, crashing their lips together.

Despite the fact that it was still pitch black and she had to be up in less than an hour, Rachel couldn't seem to fall asleep back to sleep. She had tossed and turned for quite a while, but now she was lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling. She wasn't even sure why she had awoken or why she hadn't fallen back asleep. It's wasn't as if anything was bothering her, and she was certainly sleepy, yet she was still lying there awake.

"Are you ever going to go back to sleep?" Quinn mumbled.

Rachel jumped and put her hand on her chest. "Quinn! I thought you were sleeping."

"Sorry," Quinn mumbled.

"Did I wake you?" Rachel asked.

"No," Quinn said, shifting beside her, and then sitting up.

"Are you going somewhere?" Rachel asked in concern.

Quinn laughed lightly and said, "The bathroom. I shouldn't have drunk that water before going to sleep."

"Oh," Rachel replied.

"I'll be right back," Quinn said as she leaned down and kissed Rachel's forehead.

When Quinn stood from the bed, Rachel turned on her side and looked at the clock. Her alarm would go off in thirty-seven minutes, and she'd barely gotten three hours of sleep. But as tired as she knew she was going to be at work, she couldn't seem to regret going to bed as late as she did. Not when she stayed up so late because she was with Quinn. Though maybe they should have forgone the third round and fallen asleep a little sooner.

"So, why are you awake?" Quinn said through a yawn as she came back into the bedroom.

Rachel shrugged and said, "I'm not sure."

"Is something wrong?" Quinn asked, getting back into bed.

"No," Rachel said, shaking her head. "Everything is fairly perfect at the moment, actually."

"You're sure?" Quinn asked, turning toward her.

"I'm positive," Rachel said, smiling. "What could be wrong when you're lying next to me?" Rachel raised her head and looked over Quinn's shoulder with a sigh. "I don't think I'm going to fall back asleep before my alarm goes off; maybe I should just get up. At least then I won't be tempted to toss and turn, which would keep you up."

"Stay," Quinn said, putting her hand on Rachel's hip. "I don't care if you toss and turn."

"You will when you fall asleep during your exam because of it," Rachel replied.

"Well, I'm wide awake now, so I doubt I'm going to fall asleep again anyway," Quinn said.

"I'm sorry," Rachel said, turning on the bedside light with a frown.

"It's not your fault," Quinn replied. "It's my bladder's fault."

Rachel laughed lightly and leaned up on her elbow. "I, umm, I was actually going to discuss something with you tonight, but then you distracted me with your feminine wiles—"

"So, something is bothering you?" Quinn interrupted.

"No, nothing is bothering me," Rachel replied. "I wasn't even thinking about it, but since we're both here and we're both awake—" Rachel smiled nervously. "I-I've been thinking about us and our situation a lot lately. I've been feeling like I don't get to see you nearly enough, which is no one's fault, but I would like to change that."

Rachel stood and walked to her dresser, leaving a confused looking Quinn behind. She couldn't believe how nervous she was now that she was doing this. The worst that could happen was that Quinn would turn her offer down; she would be disappointed if that happened, but it wouldn't exactly be the end of the world. As she grabbed the key from her dresser, though, her hand was shaking slightly. When she turned around, she took a deep breath, hoping to calm her nerves a little bit.

"I had a key made for you," Rachel stated. "I felt like you should have one." Rachel cleared her throat. "And I would also like you to think about moving in here."

"What?" Quinn asked, looking surprised.

"I know it's a bit soon, but I've talked it over with Kurt and he's okay with it," Rachel said. "I don't want you to give me an answer right now. I want you to think about it first. I know it would be a huge step for us and a big change in your life, so I want you to take your time deciding. As I said, I feel like I don't get to see you nearly enough, and this would fix that. Plus, you would get to see Beth a lot more, not to mention the fact that you don't seem very fond of your current roommate." Rachel took a few steps closer and held out the key. "Regardless of your decision, I want you to have this. Any time you feel like coming over, feel free to let yourself in. I want you to feel at home here."

Quinn took the key from her and looked down at it. "You want me to move in."

"Yes," Rachel answered even though it sounded more like a statement than a question.

Quinn looked up at her, smiling. "Do you still want me to think about it even if I already have my answer?"

"Yes," Rachel replied. "I don't want you to make any rash decisions either way."

"Okay, then," Quinn said, reaching out, grabbing her hand, and pulling her onto the bed. "I'll think about it."

"Good," Rachel replied, smiling up at her.

As Quinn leaned down to kiss her, Rachel's smile only grew. She really did want Quinn to think about it and not rush into anything, but she was really hoping her answer was yes. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but judging by the smile that also adorned Quinn's face, she had a feeling she was going to get the answer she was hoping for.

There are five chapter left; next Tuesday I'll be posting the last chapter of Destined, but after that, the final five chapters of this will be posted uninterrupted.