The door swung open, revealing two handsomely dressed men, their beaming smiles slipping through the door before even their full bodies came into view. Quinn looked up to Rachel's fathers, quickly cursing herself as she realized she had no idea which was which.
"Mr. Berry, Mr. Berry"
Before she could object, the taller or the two lunged forward, grabbed her by the hand and tugged her over the thresh hold.
"Quinn, we're so glad to finally have you in our home! And you do clean up quite beautifully, might I add"
"Even more beautiful than Rachel's described", chimed in the second of the two men.
"Dad, Daddy, don't scare her away; I like her"
Rachel appeared at the bottom of the stairs, newly printed lyrics in hand. Already changed into a yellow sundress, her hair fell messy and loose after being up all day. She met Quinn with a smile, gently prying the blonde's hand from her father and taking it in her own.
The feeling it brought was odd. Not quite adrenaline, not quite comfort. All Quinn knew was that she liked Rachel's skin; her palms were soft and small and her fingers curled around in a way that made them feel like they belonged there.
She didn't have too much time to think about this strangeness though, because Rachel was quickly pulling at her hand and leading her back up the stairs to her bedroom.
"Nice to see you two again!", Quinn hastily managed before the door was closed behind her.
Rachel let go of her hand, and instantly she felt herself missing the touch. The brunette extended a copy of the lyrics, backing up blindly and sitting on the edge of her bed, eyes already focused on the sheets.
Quinn leant against the door, analyzing the room itself. No surprise, the elliptical in the corner, those familiar stuffed animals scattered on the bed, pictures of Barbra on the wall, a framed photo on the bed stand of Finn-
Her heart physically ached. Regardless of how long it had been, the image of the smiling young man bought back the vision of that smile laced in horror, blood spilling from his mouth, gargling breaths….
But Rachel was biting her lip, brow furrowed slightly as she bought her legs up to her chest, delving further into her reading. No doubt already considering the arrangement.
To distract herself from focusing on the picture, the blonde decided she might as well finally give these lyrics a look over.
Oh.
She physically gulped. Actually gulped, actual tightening of the chest, pulse actually picked up a pace. What she was looking at was a song that Mr. Schue had picked for them as if he'd been spending time within Quinn's head.
"Let's read through it together, okay? Don't focus too much on pitch for now, although I will be", Rachel instructed, patting the area next to her.
Sitting down beside the brunette, Quinn tried to calm her nerves in order for her voice to even work, let alone sing.
"We'll take it one verse at a time, you go first", Rachel offered, gathering the papers in hand.
Taking a long, deep breath, Quinn started.
"The dawn is breaking
A light shining through
You're barely waking
And I'm tangled up in you"
Rachel smiled, nodding along as the final line wrapped up, then began.
Looking directly at Quinn.
"I'm open, you're closed
Where I follow, you'll go
I worry I won't see your face
Light up again"
As if Quinn's heart weren't beating unusually fast enough as it was, looking into those deep brown eyes wasn't helping.
"Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find, you and I
Collide"
Rachel leaned forward a bit
"I'm quiet, you know", Quinn added
"You make a first impression", Rachel sang with a smile
Quicker pulse. More truth behind this line.
"I've found I'm scared to know you're always on my mind"
Rachel dipped her head a little
"Even the best fall down sometime"
"Even the stars refuse to shine", Quinn sang, smiling at the 'Stars' despite herself
"Out of the back you fall in time", Rachel's voice grew softer
"You somehow find, you and I, collide"
Quinn's breath skipped, eyes now locked with Rachel.
"Don't stop here", the singer's voice grew ever softer
"I lost my place", Quinn managed
"I'm close behind"
Their voices charged together for the final chorus.
"Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills your mind
You'll finally find
You and I
Collide
You finally find, you and I
Collide"
The song sounded great. Their voices were perfect together, there was no denying that.
That was the reason for the sparkle in Rachel's eyes, right? The reason Quinn couldn't stop looking at her; at her lips, her eyelashes, her cheekbones, collarbone…
"I should probably get going"
Caught off-guard, Rachel pulled back, half tumbling off the bed. Straightening herself back up, she raised an eyebrow in objection.
"Leave? But you've only practiced just the once. There's so much more to go through, and we're both busy with-"
"Sorry, Rachel. I've just got to go, we'll do it again some other time", the blonde interrupted, folding the lyrics and placing them in her skirt pocket as she made her way to the door.
She left before the smaller girl had a chance to reply, rushing down the stairs. The smell of a cooked chicken meal hit her like a wall, but the sight of the Berrys setting a place for her at the table hit her like a punch.
"Quinn! We wanted you to stay for-"
"Something came up, thanks, Mr. Berry's"
This feeling was overwhelming. She managed to get a hold on her voice, controlling her legs enough to force them to carry her out of the house and into her car. Her hand shook as she slammed the door behind her, the sensation not stopping even once she had wrapped her fingers around the steering wheel. Starting the car, she drove.
She drove without a location in mind. She knew that she just had to get away, away from Rachel, away from whatever had clutched her chest and was only now bringing tears to her eyes. It happened quickly, tears burning behind her eyes until she let them fall- slowly at first but rapidly increasing until her face was completely wet. Quinn found herself without breath, this feeling tearing it from her before she could gather it. The sound of forced quick breaths was all that filled the car, accompanied only by the odd sob that managed to make its way out of her very core. It was a feeling that made her body tense, a thought that made her mind ache.
She stopped the car. Quinn didn't know why she had driven here, of all places, but part of her knew it was the only place she could go. She left the car slowly, her legs shaking but working nonetheless, and walked up to the large wooden doors of her church.
The isle had never felt as long as it did now, but the blonde was thankful to find the church empty. Each footstep echoed darkly around the area, light straying through the stain glass windows. Picking her spot in the second row, Quinn neatly tucked in her skirt as she took her place on the pew.
It was a familiar setting, but never before had it made her heart race like this. The blonde leaned forward, placing her elbows on the backing of the pew in front before placing her hands together.
While tears were falling silently now, she didn't bother to wipe at them. Instead, she closed her eyes, and spoke to the one person she could. She spoke of something she had never known, not even recently, not even in the car ride over. This feeling, that had made her flee from the house, that tightened her heart, was finally understood in a single sentence.
"I'm in love with Rachel Berry"