Quinn was standing at the dresser putting her makeup on when S walked in. She turned around and winked at the girl, who laughed as she threw herself down on the bed. Quinn put on her lip gloss and turned back around. "Come to give your marching orders?"
Santana smiled at her, "No, I said everything I needed to yesterday. I just like being around you."
Quinn went and laid down next to her, "I like getting to spend all day Friday, just us."
"Me too. Different colleges was not ideal, but I think we make it work."
"Let's see a year in," Quinn said laughing.
"Hmmm. I think we will be fine." Santana assured her. She watched Quinn watching her "What?"
"I'm just happy that we are happy."
Santana laughed, "So much better than being miserable for sure."
"You know what I mean, we fought hard for this." Quinn said.
"We did." Santana agreed, wondering if Quinn was working up to something or being sentimental.
"I appreciate you saying how I've been doing really well. It means a lot to me."
S reached out and brushed the hair out of Quinn's eyes, "You have been doing really well."
"Thanks. I know the mushy stuff is less your speed, but you've been doing really well too. You've been more patient, and quicker to communicate…"
"Quinn…" Santana started.
"No, wait." Quinn paused to see if she would and grudgingly Santana did. "I know that we both come from pretty strict traditional households and we've brought that into our relationship, but I love the growth that we've added. And I don't want you to think that I don't know how hard it is for you too. Especially going to therapy with me, I know it isn't your favorite, but it means the world to me."
After a pause, Santana raised an eyebrow, "My turn?" Quinn nodded. "Thank you. It is good to hear when you are appreciated, and while I was reluctant to go to therapy, I think we've grown individually and as a couple, and I will always take any opportunity for strengthening our connection." She leaned over and kissed Quinn lightly.
She felt Quinn smile under her lips and knew she was going to be sassy, "Don't be so touchy feely, S. You're gonna ruin my makeup." Quinn laughed as she bounced out of the room to find Rachel.
When they walked through the door of the apartment, Rachel walked into the room looking around. "Are you expecting someone?"
"No," Rachel told her, "I'm just looking for people I know."
Quinn nodded and looked around the apartment that was arguably much nicer than their own. She could tell Rachel felt nervous. "Why don't we grab a drink while you get the lay of the land?" Quinn suggested.
Rachel smiled at her, "Thank you, that's a good idea."
They walked into the kitchen and Rachel went to grab a cup. Quinn stopped her and handed her a bottle of beer, and picked one up for herself. "Keep your thumb over the mouth when you aren't drinking."
"Don't you think that's a little crazy? These kids all go to school with me." Rachel said, looking around to see if anyone heard what she thought was a nerdy statement.
Quinn shrugged, "Better safe than sorry." She could care less what anyone thought.
Rachel was going to object but she saw someone in the other room. Quinn watched her body language change and she was instantly pulled towards a pretty brunette, the offending beer still in Rachel's hands, forgotten. "Hey Aims!" Rachel said. Quinn raised an eyebrow at the break in Rachel's voice. Rachel blushed, but pushed on. "We made it!"
"You did." The girl agreed, smiling warmly, "Is this your friend from high school?"
"Yeah, this is my friend Quinn, she goes to Yale." Rachel told her. "Quinn, Amy."
Quinn immediately felt uncomfortable as she reached out a hand, every alarm bell possible ringing in her head. "My friends call me Aims," Amy told her.
"Nice to meet you, Amy." Quinn said coolly. Rachel choked on the sip of her beer that she had just taken. Rachel turned to glare at her, but Quinn had already clocked the situation.
"Nice to meet you too, Quinn," Amy said, undeterred by the comment. "So Rach, have you thought about joining my dance class at the gym?"
"I have! I just need to budget for it." Rachel told her, eagerly leaning into the conversation.
"Oh, it's only 15 bucks a month for college kids." Amy told her.
"Then totally, I will go Monday after school and sign up!" Rachel exclaimed.
"A dance class, I bet that's something Britt would love to do with you!" Quinn agreed.
"Who is Britt?" Amy asked.
That was all the info Quinn needed. They needed to leave this place, she wasn't sure that Rachel had any understanding of the fire that she was playing with. She took a calming breath, knowing that she was going to have to play this one the right way to get Rachel to listen to anything that she said at all. "Her girlfriend." Rachel turned to glare at her again.
"You didn't tell me that you had a girlfriend." Amy said.
Quinn could tell by her tone that she didn't care. "Yeah, Britt goes to NYU on a dance scholarship, so that sounds right up her alley."
Rachel downed her beer and turned to Quinn, "Can you grab me another, please?"
Quinn reached out to take the empty bottle and walked into the kitchen in search of a trash. When she couldn't find one she put the bottle in the sink and dumped her own beer out.
She walked into the living room and socialized with a few people while watching the girls. In the course of twenty minutes Rachel had downed two more drinks. She excused herself from her current conversation and stepped away to watch for a minute and then checked the time before calling S.
"Hey, baby. It's a little early, everything okay?" She could hear the immediate concern.
"Am I on speaker?" Quinn asked.
"No." Santana told her, and Quinn could hear the irritation in her voice at the unanswered question.
"I think this party is kind of lame. If I can convince Rach to leave early, is it cool if the two of us go grab dinner?"
The pause let Quinn know that Santana didn't believe her. "Britt if the girls leave the party early, are you cool with them grabbing dinner out?"
"Is everything okay?" Britt asked in the background.
"Yeah, just sounds like a dud party." Santana told her.
"Okay, sounds good to me." Britt said.
"I still want you two home by the curfew we agreed on." Santana told her.
"Okay." Quinn agreed. She listened as Santana walked into another room, probably theirs "Your tone is off, what's wrong?"
Quinn bit her lip, watching Rachel fall all over herself, "It's nothing."
"That's a lie, and if there is one sure fire way to get me to see red…" Santana left it hanging, but Quinn knew.
She reached up and nervously picked at her lip, "This is supposed to be you trusting me to navigate these things…"
"You sound in over your head. Did one of you break a rule?"
A life rule, Quinn thought, she sighed. "I honestly don't know how to answer that, S. I'm in uncharted territory, but I would like some space to figure it out."
A pause, this time briefer, "I need you to promise me that you are going to keep your head about you."
"I'm going to try my best, and If I feel like I'm losing my grip on that, then I will call you." Quinn hoped that would be enough.
"Okay, I love you. Stay safe." Santana said.
"We will. Love you too." Quinn said before hanging up. She walked over to Rach and Amy, "Rach, I'm starving, we totally were primping through dinner, can we go grab dinner."
Rachel turned to her, "We haven't been here very long."
"I know, I'm sorry. But I need to eat." Quinn told her.
Rachel glowered at the girl. "I'm sure there is something here to eat."
Quinn was about to open her mouth when Amy cut in. "I'm hungry too Rach, let's all go for dinner. This party is a little tame for my taste."
Rachel's face lit up at that, and Quinn wasn't sure how to get out of it so she agreed. They settled on a Mexican place close by. After ordering their drinks, Quinn turned to Rachel, "You should call Britt."
The alcohol was hitting Rachel, and she was reluctant to get on the phone. "Can you call S?"
"I did before we left the party, they will want to hear your voice." Quinn told her. Rachel grimaced and then got up.
Quinn turned her full attention on Amy, "What's your game here?"
"What do you mean?" Amy asked.
"You know what I mean. You know she has a girlfriend now, she is younger than you, what is your game?"
"Three years isn't a big deal in college Quinn. And honestly I don't know anything, tonight is the first I heard of a girlfriend, and Rachel isn't acting like it's a big deal. It's not my job to be the moral compass for the world." Amy said, leaning in.
"It is a big deal, they've been together 2 years. Back off." Quinn growled also leaning in.
"High school relationships don't last, honey. Let her stretch her wings." Amy told her, leaning back and trying to ease the tension.
Quinn didn't back up. "I wasn't asking for your opinion. I was telling you. Back. Off."
Amy shrugged, "That isn't up for you to decide." Quinn bit her lip, she wasn't wrong it was up to Rachel. She wondered how hard the spanking would be for punching this girl. If she said one more thing, it might be worth it. Rachel came back to the table and paused at the tension. "Hey Rach, just got a text from my roommate, I have to go."
"Are you sure? Did…" Rachel asked uncertainly.
"Yeah," Amy stood and hugged Rachel, while keeping eye contact with Quinn. "I will see you in class Monday, then at the gym right?"
"Right." Rachel said, pulling away.
"It was good to meet you, Quinn." Amy said.
"Wish I could say the same." Quinn replied.
"Quinn! Amy, I am so sorry…"
Amy laughed unbothered, "Don't worry about it."
Rachel watched her leave and then sat down, "What the hell Quinn?!"
"Back at you Rachel." Quinn said firmly.
"Amy was nothing but nice to you…"
"Rachel! You flirted with her all night! Right in front of me, as if Britt hasn't been my best friend for years!"
"I was not!" Rachel snapped.
"You have put me in the most uncomfortable situation!"
"How?! By making friends?"
Quinn sighed, "Its more than that and you know it." She ordered dessert to go when a waitress came over. Rachel declined food.
"So what you're going to 'tell on me?'" Rachel's air quotes almost put Quinn over the edge, but she didn't want to complicate the situation even more. While she was uncertain of the spanking Santana would give her for hitting a stranger, she felt very confident of the whipping she would get for hitting Rachel.
"I'm not sure what I'm going to do. The unfortunate truth is that there is no win for me here." They sat in silence until the food came. Then Quinn paid and they left. The girls walked home in silence.
About two blocks from their apartment Rachel stopped. Everything in Quinn wanted to keep walking, but whatever happened Santana would kill her if she left Rachel behind. She stopped too, just ahead of the girl, but didn't say anything.
"Amy says that it isn't normal to only have been with one person." Rachel said.
"She likes you, but not in a cute way Rachel, in a weird possessive way. So has a vested interest in telling you that."
"So you think it's normal to start a new chapter stuck in the last one?" Rach asked, and Quinn could almost hear Amy's voice coming out of her mouth.
"I think normal isn't a real standard to hold yourself to." Quinn said honestly.
"Are you happy?" Rachel asked, looking up at Quinn's face for the first time since they had left the restaurant.
Quinn frowned at her, "The question really seems to be are you?"
"I don't know." Rachel said.
"And you want to throw everything away on an 'I don't know?' That feels worth it to you?"
"I don't feel like I crossed any lines."
"Great, then tell Brittany about Amy."
"Quinn!" Rachel snapped, stomping her foot.
"No, this is very black and white. Take a break from Britt or cut Amy out." Quinn told her. "Either way, you need to have a conversation with Britt." Quinn started walking away, it was only 2 blocks, her birthday was tomorrow and she was bringing home chocolate cheesecake, Santana shouldn't be too angry.
"Or what you will?!" Rachel shouted at her.
Quinn whipped around. "If you don't tell her by Monday, then yeah, I will."
"Quinn!"
"No Rachel, move your ass, I'm ready to be home!" She turned and sighed in relief when she heard footsteps fall in sync with her own.
When they got home, Rachel gave Quinn a look before walking over to Britt and kissing her cheek.
"Did you guys have fun?" Britt asked.
"Yeah," Rachel said.
Santana looked at Quinn assessing her. "I'm exhausted. I will see you two in the morning. San, will you grab two forks?"
Santana jumped up to grab the forks.
"Goodnight Birthday Girl!" Britt called as she walked down the hall.
Santana walked in to see Quinn sitting on the bed, staring at the unopened box. She sat down, "Wanna talk about it?"
Quinn startled, "There is nothing that I want to do less than talk about it."
Santana opened the box and handed Quinn a fork. "We don't have to."
"Thanks," Quinn sighed.
Santana ate about a third of the cheesecake, "What's the last thing you ate?" Quinn hadn't touched it. When she made a face, Santana nodded. "Finish that."
"Yes ma'am." Quinn said. She started eating, comforted by the normalcy. When she was done Santana stood up to throw the trash away. "Can we do that tomorrow? Will you just lay with me now?"
Santana was thrown off by that, "Yeah, do you want to change into something more comfortable?" Santana was already in sweats.
"No ma'am." Quinn said.
Santana crawled into bed and pulled Quinn into her. "What's wrong baby?"
"Are you happy?" Quinn asked, so soft Santana almost missed it.
"Yes!" Santana said quickly, pulling her girl even closer. "Are you?"
"Yeah, S. So happy." Quinn said.
"Why so upset then?"
Quinn was quiet for a few minutes and if San couldn't see her blinking she would have thought Quinn had fallen asleep. "Can you promise me something?"
"Maybe." Santana said, never one to sugar coat.
"If I ever stop making you happy, then you will let me know that you want out."
"Quinn…" Santana was drowning in anxiety now.
"Please." Quinn whispered.
"Okay, I promise."
"Thank you. Love you."
"Love you too." Santana held Quinn and tried to work through what could have happened that night in the 2 hours the girls were out. She needed to get sleep so that she was all there for Quinn tomorrow, but she could not fall asleep knowing how restless Quinn's heart was.