Guest: Thank you. As for the movie deal, maybe. At some point in the future, at the moment she's working on a play.

LSpatz: Thanks, lady. :) Glad you enjoyed it. I agree. There needs to be some Faberry next season.

LaurenKnight13 I'm glad that reading the chapter brightened up your day a little. How goes the exams? Best of luck. I'm sure you'll rock them. :) Yeah, I agree. They have a sort of meant-to-be vibe going for them. But I'm glad that you find that it works for them. And I can't wait to write them living together but I'm trying not to move them too fast. You liked that? Awesome. I didn't know if that was something people actually did, but it seemed sexy. Glad to know that it worked. And that it works for you. :) The Cheerios jacket will be making an appearance.

gllover22 Two reviews? I feel honoured. :) I'm glad you're enjoying the story. :)

Fabraygron They're official. Thank you, for telling me that. It made my day.

DameonCain Thank you.

icesk8er I know what you mean, sometimes while I'm writing it I have to remind myself that it's only been a few days. The chemisty that they have is just so strong for that amount of time.

CarolineSC Thank you.

Harley Quinn Davidson Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Guest Thank you.

AgussArce No need to aplogize. Thank you, for reading the story. And in English when Spanish is your first language. I admire that. I'm glad that you like it.

wkgreen Yep, she did it.

Chapter 31

Dinner was delicious. Rachel had somehow managed to intuit all of Quinn's favourite flavours and put together a dish that was nothing short of savory. They conversed easily as they ate, lingering over their meals as they caugh each other up on their days. After dinner was dessert, the cake that Quinn brought was an excellent addition to the otherwise excellent meal. The conversation continuing, light and amiable.

When they had finished, Quinn stood, gathered their plates and carried them into the kitchen.

"You really don't have to." Rachel slipped up behind her, circling her arms around Quinn's waist ad rising up on tip-toe to drop a kiss onto her shoulder.

"You got dinner together, the least I can do is clean up," Quinn said as she grabbed the dishsoap and turned on the faucet.

"Then scoot over," Rachel said, sliding from behind to beside her and giving her hip a little bump. "You wash, I'll dry."

"There's really not many, I can just leave in the strainer. Why don't you-"

Rachel cut her off with a quick kiss to her lips and a light swipe with the dishtowel as she took a step back. Quinn just grinned and shook her head, then plunged her hands into the warm dishwater. A few minutes later she handed the first glass off to Rachel, who accepted it with a faint smirk. Quinn just rolled her eyes, shook her head and went back to the task at hand.

They fell into a rhythmn quickly and worked in easy silence. Or at least they did until Rachel started humming softly, under her breath. Quinn caught the tune a couple bars in and began humming along.

By the time Rachel was towel drying the last plate and Quinn was wiping down the counter, they were full on singing. When the cupboard swung shut with a soft thud, Rachel turned to Quinn and grabbed her wrists, tugging her gently away from the counter, where she began leading her around the room in an exaggerated waltz. Quinn laughed lightly and tried to follow along as she was spun dizzingly around the room. The two of them tripping over their own feet and each other as they careened from the edge of one counter top to another, bumped into chair legs and knocked into appliances.

For a professional performer, for someone who made her living off blocking and movements and carrying herself with grace on stage, Rachel was surprisingly clumbsy. Or maybe it was that she just didn't care. There was no audience watching her, no judging her. No directors or co-stars or understudies waiting in the wings. In this moment she didn't have to carry herself with grace and aplomb. She could be goofy and silly and uninhibited.

Breathless laughter robbed first Quinn, then Rachel of their singing voices. And then an ill placed chair leg, poking out from beneath the edge of the island, caught Rachel's heel and sent her stumbling backwards into the fridge. She landed with an oompf, and then let out a stuttered wheeze as Quinn, unable to halt her own momentum, fell into her.

"I'm so sorry." Quinn had a feeling her apology might have sounded convincing if she were able to stop laughing. "Are you okay?" She took a step back and tried to check Rachel over for injuries. She danced her fingers along the back of her head, feeling for swelling or tenderness and then ran her hands down Rachel's sides.

"I'm fine." Rachel reached out and caught her wrists, pulling them away from her body. "You really will use every opportunity to cop a feel, won't you?" she teased as she slid her hands into Quinn's, lacing their fingers together.

She hadn't been, actually but, whatever. Instead of replying, Quinn just wiggled her eyebrows and offered a leering grin. Rachel pursed her lips together, but could not hide the fact that the corners were tugging up in a grin.

"So, what do you want to do tonight?" Rachel redirected the conversation with a shake of her head.

"Did you want to curl up on the couch and not watch a movie?"

"You really are incorrigable," Rachel said with a sigh. "Do you ever think of anything besides sex?"

Quinn did. But she had to admit that, when she was in a relationship, it was never far from the forefront of her mind.

"What can I say?" she asked, offering a helpless shrug. "My girlfriend is really hot."

Rachel huffed and shook her head. Quinn couldn't tell if she was genuinely annoyed or not.

"Look, Rach. I'm sorry." She gave the other woman's hands a little tug, making sure that she had her full attention. "I'm not trying to give you the impression that I'm only in this for the sex. Because, you're a lot more to me than that. You know that, right?" She ducked her head, catching Rachel's gaze and waited for some kind of recognition of her words.

After a worrisome moment, Rachel nodded.

It was a relief. But it also left Quinn with a heavy heart, knowing that it was possible that Rachel had misconscrued, or possibly Quinn had miscommunicated, her signals and created even the slightest hint of doubt in the the other woman's mind.

"I like you, Rach. I like talking with you, hanging out with you, getting to know the amazing woman that you've grown into."

Rachel's lips curved up into a faint smile and Quinn's heart lifted a little.

"But I'm not going to deny the fact that I also enjoy the sex. Because let's face it, it's pretty amazing right?"

That earned her a light laugh.

"But, if it will make you more comfortable I'll stop making the comments and try to reign myself-"

"No. I don't ever want you to feel like you have to censor your words, or your thoughts around me," Rachel interrupted. She squeezed Quinn's fingers lightly.

"So it appears we are at an impasse then?" Quinn wasn't quite sure what Rachel wanted from her then, if she didn't want her to refrain from certain behaviours but didn't seem comfortable with it continuing, either.

Rachel shook her head. "No. Not at all. I'm sorry for my momentary lapse of insecurity. My head, my heart, knows that what you said is true, that this is more than just physical. But..."

"But past relationships have left you somewhat uncertain as to whether or not you can trust your head. And your heart," Quinn finished when she did not continue. Rachel nodded slowly.

"Sorry."

"Hey, don't apologize. " Quinn pulled one hand free from Rachel's grasp and cupped her cheek, gently guiding her gaze back up to meet her own. "Whatever you need from me, I'm happy to give it to you. Whether it's daily affirmations of how awesome a person you are. How much I admire your talent and your strength and your beauty and-"

Rachel halted her speech with a hand over her mouth. "All right, I get it," she said with a laugh. "I'm amazing and you're enthralled by every piece of me-"

"Mmmhmmm," Quinn mumbled against the hand still covering her mouth.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "But there's no need to go on and one about it. Please, stop," she teased. "You're embarrasing yourself...Did you just lick me?" Rachel pulled her hand away with a yelp and stared at it, then rubbed it down the side of her leg. "Really, Quinn?" She smacked at her arm.

Quinn just shrugged and offered up a lopsided grin. "So, how about that movie?" she asked. "I promise to keep my hand to myself for...almost the entire movie."

"That's as good an offer as I'm going to get, isn't it?"

"Yep. Take it or leave it."

Rachel sighed heavily, but her eyes danced with humour. "Lead the way, then," she said, giving Quinn gentle nudge in the direction of the living room. Quinn needed no further prodding and spun around, keeping her hand in Rachel's as she crossed into the other room.

"What do you want to watch?"

"I'll pick out a movie. You get comfy."

Quinn was only too happy to comply. She settled into a spot at one end of the couch, leaning against the arm as Rachel pulled a movie into her dvd player. As the opening credits rolled across the screen, Rachel slid in beside her, one arm immediately draping across Quinn's midsection as her head came to rest on her shoulder. Quinn wrapped an arm around Rachel's shoulder, pulling her in close and clasped her other hand, twining their fingers together.

"This is nice," she said softly. "I like just holding you like this."

Despite what Rachel had said about it being a momentary insecurity, Quinn was determined that she would start letting the other woman know how much she valued everything about their relationship, not just the physical stuff.

"Me too," Rachel murmured, her attention already captured by the images playing out across the screen, despite the fact that the movie was just starting. It should have annoyed Quinn, being mostly ignored, but it was the opposite instead, hearing the absent reply made her smile.

She tightened her grip on the woman in her arms and let her focus drift to the movie as well, allowing herself to get lost in the story developing in front of her until...

"Oh, my God. Is that Tina?" Quinn leaned forward so far in her seat that she almost sent Rachel toppling to the floor. At the last minute she managed to tigthen her grip and haul her back onto the couch beside her. "Rach?" She glanced over at her girlfriend, catching the amused smirk on her face as she settled back into position againt the couch cushions.

"Yes, that's Tina. I know you're feeling bad about having to turn her down for a part in your play and...I just wanted to show you that she's doing all right for herself, career wise. She's starred in a handful of plays and indie films. Good ones. And this is her second mainstream movie. It's a supporting role, but the visibility on something like this is-"

Quinn cut her off with a quick kiss. "Thank you, Rachel." The other woman was right, she had been feeling bad about not having a part for Tina in her play. And seeing Tina on screen, in what looked to be a substantial supporting role, really did help with that.

"No problem." Rachel settled back against Quinn, this time with her head in her lap. "I wish I had been there when you told her that we were together though," she said, with a little laugh. "The look on her face must have been priceless."

Quinn couldn't help but chuckle a little as well. "It was pretty funny. " It was totally worth any fall out that her announcement might garner, she decided. If word got back to her mom or the rest of Lima, she didn't care. It would have no impact on the life she'd built for herself, she was happy, healthy, financially independent and had a wonderful girlfriend.

They fell back into silence, watching the movie play on. Quinn payed a little extra attention now, thoroughly enjoying watching her former friend on the small screen, not surprised at all to realize that the other woman was good. She'd gotten a glimpse of it in auditions today, but in a role that suited her, she was nothing short of amazing.

As much as she'd enjoyed the movie, by the time it ended, Quinn was feeling more than a little drowsy. It was a struggle to keep her eyes open as the closing credits began scrolling up

"It's almost eleven," Rachel mumbled as she groped for the remote to turn off the tv. A quick glance at the small clock on the wall revealed that Rachel was correct. "Are you...staying here tonight? ...Or do you have to go?"

Quinn glanced at the clock again, calculating. If she left now, she wouldn't be back at the hotel until probably after midnight. If she stayed over, she'd have to get up early and go back to the hotel for a shower and a change of clothes before heading to the auditions tomorrow. One option would lead to a late night, the other to an early morning, both would mean too much travelling and not quite enough sleep.

It was an easy decision to make though. She would always, every time, trade in a little less sleep for a little more time with Rachel.

"I can stay over," she said. "But I'm going to have to get up pretty early to go back to the hotel and get ready. If that's going to disturb you-"

"If it does, I'll deal with it. It's worth it to have you with me for the night."

Quinn couldn't help the grin that overtook her face. "Rachel Berry, you sweet talker you."

Rachel rolled over in her lap so that she was looking up at her. "I mean every word of it," she said, reaching up and cupping Quinn's face. She brushed her thumb along the curve of her cheek and smiled softly up at her. Quinn turned her head, brushing her lips against Rachel's palm and then pulling her hand away from her face.

"So, bedtime," she prodded. Rachel nodded and then rolled over again, this time right off the couch and onto her feet.

"Right. Did you want to shower or anything?" she asked, holding out her hand to haul Quinn up.

"No. I just want to crawl into bed and fall asleep with you in my arms," Quinn said as she stumbled forward, Rachel's tug was stronger than she'd expected and it sent her feeling. She found her foot a moment later, but not without wrapping her arms around Rachel's waist as she'd steadied herself, bringing their bodies flush together.

"Sleep, huh?" Rachel teased, rolling her hips forward slightly against the thigh that pressed between her legs.

"Yeah. Sleep." Unfortunately. As much as Quinn would love to make love to Rachel tonight, she was just beat. As if to punctuate her words they were followed by a wide, jaw-cracking yawn.

A sympathetic smile crossed Rachel's features and she grasped Quinn's hand."Sleep it is then. Come on, Quinn. Let's go to bed."

Quinn allowed herself to be tugged lightly along behind Rachel as she manouvered her way through the living room and down the hallway into the bedroom. If it were any other woman, Quinn would probably be worried about what it meant that they were eschewing sex in favour of actually sleeping together, so early on in the relationship. She'd find it disconcerting and possibly symptomatic of the end. When the passion for each other died, so did the relationship.

But as Rachel flitted around the bedroom, pulling down the covers and closing the curtains all Quinn could think was that tonight was only going to increase the intimacy between them. That climbing into bed with Rachel and falling asleep together meant something more than fading into sleep after exhausing themselves out, physically.

"Did you want to use the bathroom first?" Rachel's question pulled her out of her haze and Quinn shook her head to clear it. "My nightly ritual is somewhat extensive. And I've managed to condense it down into something of an abbreviated version over the years but-"

"You go ahead, Rach," Quinn said after cuttting Rachel off with a light kiss. "I'm so beat that even the thought of washing the make-up off my face is daunting. I think I'll just-"

"Quinn, that's horrible for your pores. Not to mention what it'll do to my sheets. They're Egyptian cotton."

Quinn didn't bother to point out that they'd fallen into bed on Friday without either one of them partaking in their night time rituals and Rachel's sheets had survived just fine.

"Just, point me in the direction of the sink and I'll do my best not to drown myself as I splash water on my face," she said with a smirk.

Rachel rolled her eyes and pushed her towards the bathroom. "Wash up. Brush your teeth. I'll find you something to sleep in."

"Don't bother. I'll just sleep in my underwear," Quinn called over her shoulder as she made her way into the other room.

"No, you will not, Quinn Fabray. If I have to lie next to you all night and keep my hands to myself, there will not be copious amounts of bare skin." Rachel's voice trailed behind her.

"Who's insatiable now?" she called back with a chuckle.

She ran through an abbreviated version of her own night time routine and returned to the bedroom to find Rachel clad in the shortest pair of sleep shorts she'd ever seen and a white tank top that clung to all her curves, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination.

She let her eyes roam over Rachel's body then brought her gaze up to meet Rachel's eye, one eyebrow raised. Rachel tilted her chin up, definantly, and thrust a pair of shorts and a t-shirt at Quinn's chest.

Holding Rachel's eye, Quinn quickly unbottoned her blouse. She heard Rachel's sharp intake of breath as she peeled it off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Next, she shimmied out of her pants, and had to bite back a grin at the way Rachel's eyes followed the movements as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

She made a show of pulling the borrowed clothes on over her frame, stepping slowly into the shorts and pulling them up her legs, sliding the shirt on over her head and then pulling it down tight over her breasts and abdomen, enjoying the way Rachel's eyes followed every movement.

She was too tired to do anything about it, but it made her feel good to have visible confirmation that Rachel was turned on by her body.

"I really don't know how you expect me to just sleep after that blatant display," Rachel said with a huff as she slid into bed. Quinn followed suit, slipping in under the covers and then sliding over to meet Rachel in the middle.

"Dispaly, I don't know what you're talking about." She feigned innocence as she rolled onto her side and wrapped an arm around Rachel's waist.

"Uh-huh." Rachel snorted and shook her head, but snuggled into Quinn nonetheless.

"Like you have any room to talk," Quinn murmured as she tigthened her grip and then draped her leg across Rachel's calves. "Any tinier and those shorts would be panties. And that tank top-"

"I thought you didn't know what I was talking about?" Rachel's words were muffled against Quinn's collarbone.

"Hush up. I'm trying to sleep."

Rachel's breath washed across Quinn's skin as her laughter vibrated through her body. "Goodnight, Quinn." She pressed a soft kiss to the side of her neck.

"Night, Rach."