Song reference:
"Snow on the beach" - Taylor Swift feat Lana Del Rey
"I can see you" - Taylor Swift
A/N: And this story comes to an end…I am quite sad that the fandom is no longer active to see more comments or feedbacks, but thank you to everyone of you who found 5 minutes to leave a comment.
Thank you
Part 5
"Okay, first you give up on your solo and now, you forget your lyrics?" Kurt looks over at the brunette, who is obviously distracted. "What's going on?"
"Nothing. It's just a day off." She breathes in and looks out at the empty seats in front of them. "I'll focus now."
"Something happened with Quinn?" He wipes his forehead with the towel hanging from his neck.
"Let's get back to our number, Kurt." She checks the music sheets. "We are too close to Sectionals and we're not remotely ready."
"I heard Sue Sylvester asked her to go easier on the girls. She sent two home crying and one passed out after throwing up for 10 minutes." He makes a disgusted face. "So, spill it out."
"It's not working, Kurt." She sits on the piano bench. "When we're alone she is wonderful, but when we're here…well, it's like I don't even exist." She looks at him. "And she builds all these walls around her. How can I be with someone who doesn't trust me to be there for them?"
"You're right, but you know who we're talking about. That girl has been kicked out from her home by her own parents, by the people who were supposed to love and support her." He sits beside her. "And let's not even talk about the guys she had before you, who wanted only one thing from her."
"But that's not who I am." She rests her head against his shoulder. "I don't want her because she's popular and pretty."
"And I'm sure she knows that, but it's not easy to trust other people with something fragile like your heart." He kisses her temple. "I'm sure she misses you just as much as you do."
"I need to think about it." She rubs her eyes. "I miss her and it hurts me to see her without being with her, but I can't just let it go."
"You need to take your time." He nods. "If she cares for you like I think she does, she will try and win you back. I don't think she's ever been into someone like she has been with you."
"Do you really think that?" She looks up at him.
"Yes, I do." He smiles, squeezing her side. "It shows even if she tries not to."
"How?" She looks down at her clasped hands.
"It's in the way her eyes follow you around the room and they never leave you." He covers her hands. "Or how we are all taking turns giving you a lift home."
"She asked you?" She furrows her brows.
"Ask? That's an understatement." He chuckles. "You should talk to poor Sam, but she's trying to look out for you."
"If she wasn't so infuriating, she wouldn't have to bully our friends in driving me around like I am a toddler. I can take the bus or drive myself, I've got a license." She huffs.
"I saw you drive and I gotta tell you that whoever allowed you to, probably needed a pair of new glasses." He pales at the memory. "You realize there hasn't been a slushie attack in ages? Do you know since when?"
"Mm no." She tries to remember the last time she has brought a change of clothes, but it must've been weeks by now."
"Well, it seems your favorite captain has set a new rule, against Sue's orders too." He squeezes her hand. "She is supposed to take an extra hour of training in the morning as a punishment for her act of rebellion."
"How is that even possible? She always picked me for school." She sighs.
"Put two and two together and you'll figure it out." He kisses her temple.
RQRQRQRQRQRQ
"I saw Santana's campaign posters. When are we hanging yours?" She runs her fingers through her blonde hair, as Quinn lies on top of her, resting over her chest.
"Why are you assuming I'm running for prom?"With her hand hanging off the couch, she reaches for the remote to switch back and forth between channels.
"Because you've always wanted to become Prom Queen and you could win this year." She keeps on stroking her hair. "You've won the Nationals title with the Cheerios, your popularity is through the roof."
"Meh." She drops the remote and just lowers her head to burrow under Rachel's arm, snuggling into her side.
"Hey, talk to me." Shifting, Rachel kisses her temple and pulls her closer. "Did something happen?"
"I don't feel like running for a title that is so heteronormative and gender biased." She huffs. "I don't care about becoming a Prom Queen if I can't choose my own partner."
"You know you sound like me more and more every day. Should we worry about that?" She chuckles and tilts her head to kiss her exposed neck."I'm sure Sam would be happy to be your Prom King, if Mercedes agrees."
"It's not him." She rests her head on her forearm and looks at her with her big hazel eyes. "I want you to run with me."
"Me!?" She shrieks so loudly that Quinn winces. "Sorry, but Quinn…are you out of your mind?" She slips out of her arms to sit up, head between her hands. "You would totally ruin your chances to win and do you know what that means for you or us?"
"I'm aware, Rachel, but my Mom knows and she likes you a lot." She sits up behind her. "Why should I worry about everyone else now? I thought you wanted to come out as a couple, have you changed your mind?"
"Yes. No. I mean…" She stands up. "I don't know what I want anymore."
"Oh, I thought you'd be happy about it but I'm no longer sure of that." She looks puzzled and somehow hurt by her reaction. "I can take it back, but it doesn't change the fact that I am not running for prom."
"But you should." She turns to look at her. "It's been your dream since you were a kid. You told me yourself."
"Things change." She shrugs and stands up. "I really don't care about a stupid crown. I just want to have fun and dance with you."
"No. No. No." She stomps her foot on the Persian carpet in the blonde's living room. "You're going to miss out on something special just because of me and I won't allow you to."
"Oh and how do you plan to get me to run for Prom?" She raises an eyebrow at her.
"I'll call Kurt and Mercedes and…Santana! I'll call them to finally put some sense into you. We need an intervention." She heads for her purse on the table by the living room entrance but Quinn pulls her back into her.
"Rach, listen to me…" She whispers into her ear. "I don't care about Prom." She looks down into her eyes, hands cupping each side of her face. "I only want to have a dance with you, even as friends if you think it'd be too much and too soon. I totally get it."
"It'd be kind of hypocritical of me if I suggested you wait after I have asked you to go public with our relationship." Hands reach for her forearms, holding onto them. "But it's Prom, Quinn. We don't have to steal everyone else's show and we can take it slow. Like…"
"Like sitting with you at lunch or walking you to the lockers, to take the books from you?" She smiles.
"Something like that, yes." Standing on her tiptoes, she leans in to kiss her gently. "We can start from there and see how it goes?"
"Alright, let's do that first." Leaning back, she drops back on the couch and just takes Rachel with her, in a fit of happy shrieks and giggles.
RQRQRQRQRQRQ
"You need to stop this." She barges into the locker room, sure that she would be finding the blonde cheerleader alone.
"Stop what?" She is putting her uniform back on, after the morning training. "I'm just getting dressed for class."
"Not that, of course you need to be properly dressed to attend classes." She blushes at the images of Quinn in a more intimate and underdressed situation. "I am talking about us."
"What about us?" She reaches down to tie her tennis shoes.
"You can't drag everyone into our business okay? And I'm big enough to manage all my trips to school on my own, without having someone babysitting me all the time." She crosses her arms over her chest, pouting.
"They're not babysitting you, just doing me a favor." She shrugs.
"A favor? Sam picked me half asleep just because I had an early Debate class meeting. He fell asleep in his car until his first period." She huffs. "I don't need them to drive me to school okay?"
"If you say so." She nods. "Anything else?"
"Why didn't you tell me about the slushies? Or what about Coach Sylvester punishing you for having gone against her orders?" She takes a step closer.
"What happens here doesn't concern you." She holds her head high, tying her ponytail. "I am the Captain and I'm fully aware of the consequences of my actions."
"You are so frustrating and stubborn." She stomps her foot.
"If insulting me is all you came here for, we have nothing else to say to each other." Quinn tries to move past her, but Rachel stands in the way.
"And here we go again, with all these walls." She stops her with a hand against her chest. "You're never going to let me in, are you?"
"You are here." She holds her hand over her chest, moving her palm to the left where her heart is. "You're right here. You feel that?" When the brunette nods, she goes on. "It's you. All for you. So ask me again where I should let you in, because I don't know anywhere safer where to keep you."
"Damn it, Quinn." She grips the fabric of her uniform. "Say it."
"I-"
When the bell rings, they jump apart as if they' ve been burnt by a forbidden touch. By a fire that should extinguish slowly, but that is still so dangerously alive.
"I have to go." Rachel checks the clock above the door.
"Yeah, me too." She nods softly.
"I'll see you later, Quinn." Turning around, she walks away from her, for the umpteenth time that Quinn has lost count of it.
RQRQRQRQRQRQ
"You'll ever tell her?" Santana sides up to her, under the stage, where Rachel is being crowned as Senior Prom Queen.
"Tell her what?" She chuckles and looks at the stage, beaming when her eyes meet Rachel's.
"That you campaigned for her without her even knowing? She must feel like this is a joke." She claps when Rachel bows in front of the audience. "It's not rigged though, even I wish it was."
"You like her more than you want to show." She smirks at the Latina, who smacks her forearm and just goes back to her table, to wait for Brittany.
"And now, your Senior Prom King and Queen will have their first dance." The DJ shouts through his microphone, causing everyone to leave the dance floor to make room for Finn and Rachel.
"Who would've thought we would be standing here, right?" Finn's arms slip around her waist, to sway with her.
"I always thought it'd be you and Quinn." She looks over at the blonde, who leans against a pillar to watch them.
"But now, you wish it was her instead of me." He follows her gaze.
"I'm sorry, I can't help it." She looks away from her loving hazel eyes to meet Finn's warm and understanding ones.
"A part of me will always love you, Rachel, but I can see real love when I see it and what you and Quinn have? It can go on for years." He smiles sadly. "It can last forever."
"You think?" She is surprised.
"She will never hold you back like I would." He nods softly. "She is going to follow her dreams and be with you, every step of the way, because she can. There's no one else who can achieve those dreams. Only you and her." He nods to the blonde.
"When did you become so mature, Finn Hudon?" She smiles through the unshed tears.
"When I realized that the love of my life had found her soulmate in someone who wasn't me." He stops dancing when the music comes to an end. "You should go and be with her." He nods to the blonde leaving the gym, where the ball is being hosted.
"Thank you, Finn." She raises herself on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, before she takes off after Quinn, once again.
The seconds roll by and the scene feels like a deja-vu. It feels like history repeats herself and she's chasing after Quinn, for the second time in over a year.
"Quinn!" She chases her down the hallways, trying to match her pace despite the high heels and the long dress. "Quinn, wait up." She gets a glimpse of her, heading for the Rhodes' auditorium.
When she pushes through the familiar doors, she doesn't expect to find the stage lit in a warm light. Nor she expects to see Quinn, in her purple prom dress, standing in the middle of it.
"Quinn…" She walks through the aisles and once close enough, she knows she is being heard.
"Join me?" She holds her hand out, helping her up the stairs until they're standing there, by the piano.
"Why did you leave like that?" She holds onto her hands. "If it was because of Finn, he is not going to cause us any trouble."
"I know." Reaching in her dress, she gets her phone out and pulls her iTunes up. "Pick a song."
"Now?" She scrolls through the songs, surprised to see a playlist with her name on it. "When did you make this?"
"After Regionals, last year." She sits her phone on the piano, with her speakers at a higher volume. "Do you remember when you sat with me on the bus?"
"Of course." She takes a step closer.
"May I have this dance, my Queen?" She holds her hand out and when Rachel takes it, everything just feels right.
Are we falling like snow at the beach? (Snow at the beach)
Weird but fuckin' beautiful
Flying in a dream, stars by the pocketful (flying in a dream)
You wanting me tonight feels impossible (you wanting me)
RQRQRQRQRQRQ
"He'll never give up. He'll never give up trying to win you back." She is the furious one, now. She's mad and jealous and scared. So fucking scared that Finn can give her what she can't. That Finn can make her happier than her.
"You're jumping to the worst conclusion, okay? We were just talking about the setlist for Sectionals." She sighs and keeps washing her hands. "He didn't make a pass on me."
"Not yet, but as soon as he gets the chance he will take it. Just like Nationals." She scoffs and when a young cheerleader walks in, it takes her an icy glare to send her back out without a protest.
"This is a public bathroom and you can't kick people's out because we're in the middle of a love quarrel." She rolls her eyes at her.
"You're right, I should just turn this on." She locks the bathroom door from the inside. "No one is going to interrupt us."
"That's not what I meant." She wipes her hands on the towel. "You can't do that, Quinn."
"Oh well, it looks like I just did that." She leans against the bathroom door, blocking her way. "What did he want from you?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all." She is getting angrier now. "Why do you even care? You and I are no longer together and I don't owe you anything."
"So it's not just a break? We're done, for good?" She drops her angry mask, replaced by a broken one.
"No, I…" She shakes her head dejectedly. "I don't know."
"Rachel…" She takes a step closer. "Rachel, don't do this."
"I'm not doing anything, Quinn." She takes a step back when the blonde cheerleader gets closer. "Do you think I like this? Or that I want it? I miss you. I miss you every day."
"I miss you too." She takes another step forward and when Rachel's back hits the wall, she braces herself against it.
"Finn is just a friend." Her hands itch to just reach out and hold or touch her. "I could never go back to him after this."
"Really?" She tilts her chin upwards to look down into her eyes.
"God, Quinn. You have an idea of what you mean to me?" She grips her by the top of her uniform and just pulls her in, crushing their mouths together.
Quinn can only brace herself against the wall and meet her mouth with the same eagerness and desire. They kiss hard, against the wall while their hands roam and get to any patch of skin available, despite the clothes.
"Rach…" Sitting her on the sink, she stands between her open legs with a hand holding her head tilted to keep on kissing and the other trailing up her thigh. "You…"
"Please." She reaches under the Cheerio skirt to grab onto her backside with her hands, when familiar fingers swipe through her folds.
"Let me take care of you." She tries her lips along her jawline and neck, nipping on her way. "Mm." When she slides her fingers in, she feels her walls tighten around her digits
"Quinn…" Her nails rake down the back of Quinn's thighs, leaving red marks behind as she moves her hips back and forth to meet her thrusts.
"Just move with me." Her teeth sink in the skin below her pulse. With each bite, she feels Rachel tighten around her. With each soothing kiss, she bucks up into her.
"Quinn, please." Her hands reach for her face to pull her away from her neck and crush their mouths again. She kisses her with an open mouth, when her thumb flicks her nub with each thrust in.
"Let it go for me." She whispers against her lips. "I know you want to."
"Mm yes, like that." She is thrusting her hips forward, almost on the edge of the sink.
"A few more." Quinn's fingers slide in and out. She pumps steadily until the brunette just digs her nails into her skin. Hard.
"Quinn, Quinn…" She rolls her head backwards, holding her moans back even if it's hard to. She locks her legs behind the cheerleader's back, pulling her in as her walls flutter around her fore and middle fingers.
"Yeah." She keeps on moving inside her, until the last tremors subside and Rachel collapses against her chest.
"Mmm." She nuzzles against her collarbone, holding loosely onto her.
"You're okay?" She kisses her temple and pulls back from between her legs.
"No." She clings to her, tears pooling in her eyes upon realizing what has just happened between them. "No, I'm not okay." She keeps on holding onto the blonde cheerleader.
RQRQRQRQRQRQ
"Quinn…" Rolling her hips back and forth, she holds onto the headboard of her bed to lean on.
"You're sure you're not hurting?" She looks between their lower bodies, to catch a glimpse of the silicone sliding into her girlfriend.
"Positive. It feels so good." She drops her forehead against hers and huffs, almost in protest, when she is pushed on her back and Quinn slips out of her.
"Give me a second." Settling between her thighs, she slides back into her and hovers her on her fours, looking down at her as she pounds her into the mattress.
"Oh. Oh." She has never been more thankful for her soundproofed room. She is free to give into her most primal urges, brought to the surface by the girl on top of her.
"You feel good, baby?" Quinn tilts her head back against the mattress to capture her lips with hers. She kisses her as hard as she is thrusting inside her, sliding every inch of her body over hers.
"Yes. Don't stop." She is clinging to Quinn with all she has. Her hands hold her from the back, pushing her hips down to get more. To get it faster.
"Never." She nips at her bruised lips and keeps on nibbling on her lower lip, sucking it inside her mouth as her hips find another angle to slide in.
"Quinn, Quinn…" She arches her back off the mattress. Her legs spread even wider to take each final thrust in, just to get closer to the edge.
"Come for me." Her hips drop between Rachel's legs, pushing in and out at a hard pace. She rolls her hips forward, just the way she is used to, to get her off and hear her name screamed out, breaking the silence.
"Quinnnnnn." She locks her legs behind her thighs to keep her all the way in. She comes hard. She comes so hard that she might pass out and when Quinn follows right after her, she gives into it without resisting anymore.
"Fuck, Rachel." Quinn is warm against her. She's covering her body with her own, better than a blanket. And she's soft. And she's still buried all the way inside her.
"It was so good." She is drunk with pleasure. The same pleasure that is still coursing through her body. The same pleasure that gets her toes curled and her thighs spread, whenever Quinn moves against her, skin on skin.
"I agree." Reaching between their lower bodies, she undoes the straps and just throws the toy aside, settling against her girlfriend.
"Kiss me." Rachel tilts her head down to kiss her slowly. It is nothing like their last kisses.
"You're okay?" She whispers against her lips, eyes searching for hers.
"Perfect." Her legs lock between her thighs to hold onto, while her fingers caress the skin between her shoulder blades. "You were perfect."
"So were you." She gives her an Eskimo kiss and lowers her head against the bed, breathing in.
"Tell me you can spend the night." She nuzzles her ear and temple.
"I can." She nods and rests her head sideways, to look at her. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Good. 'Cause I have got plans for you." She leans in to kiss her slowly and teasingly.
"Oh really, now?" Quinn smirks when she is rolled over on her back and Rachel scales down her body, with her lips leaving a hot trail on her skin.
RQRQRQRQRQRQ
"Rachel! Rachel!" They haven't spoken since that meaningful moment in the bathroom. Since that moment they have given into their needs for each other, despite everything else falling apart around them. "Rachel, wait up."
She chases after the brunette down the hallway, still in their stage clothes after Sectionals.
When Rachel stops, a few feet away from her, she breathes in relief.
"What do you want, Quinn?" She doesn't even turn to look at her.
"Talk to you." She undoes the white tuxedo jacket she has on, finding it hard to breathe. "We haven't had a moment to talk about what happened three days ago."
"Nothing happened." She straightens her pose.
"That's not true and you know it." She takes another step closer, looking around the desert school. "Rachel, we need to talk about that."
"No, we don't." She turns around to finally look at her. "And you know why? Because nothing has really changed between us. Because you're still too scared that anyone can find out and I can't…I can't ignore it." She keeps her hands up, to stop her from getting any closer.
"But you can ignore what happened between us?" She shakes her head. "You can ignore what you feel for me?"
"Don't you get it? If I could just forget about what you make me feel, I wouldn't be standing here." She laughs sadly. "I wouldn't be struggling so hard because my heart says one thing and my brain another one."
"Rachel." Quinn takes another step forward. "Let's go home and talk this through. We can make it work."
"Say it, Quinn. Say it and I'll follow you anywhere you want me to." She looks at her expectantly. "Just say it."
"I…" Her first instinct is to look around herself, to make sure there's no one else around them. That it's just the two of them.
"For God's sake, there's no one but you and me here!" She yells at her. "See? How can we make it work?"
"We can. I don't have to say it to show you what I feel for you." She shouts back. "They're just words, but what I feel for you is real. I swear and if you could just give me another chance."
"Another chance at what, Quinn?" She shakes her head. "At ignoring me when you meet me down the hallway? Or when you're with your squad? What chance do you need from me?"
"You make it sound like it's all I did to you." She takes a step back. "And you know it's a lot more than that."
"Yes, you're right but it's not enough okay? What you do when we're safely behind closed doors is not enough anymore." Rachel wipes her cheeks. "And you
know why? Because when you look at me, it's like the sun is a little brighter and it shines on me. It's glorious."
"Rachel, please…" She is crying too.
"But then you forget about me and it's like it never happened and it's cold. So cold without you." She sniffles. "I can't live through the memories of when you were mine, not when you're right there and I know what you're capable of." She reaches for her hand. "I know you're a lot more than that."
"Don't do this." She covers her hand with hers, holding on.
"I love you." She uses her other hand to cup her cheek. "But I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry."
"Rachel…" She tries to hold onto her, but when Rachel takes a step back, she lets her go without fighting anymore.
RQRQRQRQRQRQ
"Well, well. Who do we have here?" Jesse spots her before she can follow the rest of the group in the dressing room assigned to them.
"Hello, Jesse." She holds onto her costume bag and turns to face him. "How's life in New York?"
"Nah, I am coaching Vocal Adrenaline now." He nods to Will, staring at them from afar. "But Carmen told me about your audition. Same old Barbra, huh? You can never go wrong with that."
"She was impressed and I got in. What's your point?" She rolls her eyes at him.
"Nothing. Nothing at all, but you know how competitive New York is?" He raises his eyebrows at her.
"That's why you ran away from it? You couldn't handle it?" She does a perfect eyebrow raise, in pure Fabray style.
"Jesse, what a surprise." Quinn's voice startles him, who takes a step back, almost intimidated. "How's New York?"
"Too boring, apparently. Nothing can be as glamorous as Akron, didn't you hear?" Rachel turns to her girlfriend with a sarcastic smile. "We should consider moving there after college."
"I see." The blonde nods. "What are you doing here?"
"Coaching the group that will make you eat dust, again." He says through gritted teeth. "But you can always sabotage yourself like last year. Where's Finn? Getting his lips ready?"
"Not this time." The blonde takes a step forward. "He will steer away and Rachel and I will make sure to do our celebrations behind our hotel room door, after we win this."
"You and her? You're together?" He looks between them.
"Yes, we are." She reaches for Quinn's hand. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to get ready for our performance."
"May the best win." He holds his hand out for a handshake.
"We will, thank you," Quinn squeezes it long enough to send the message through. He nods and just walks away, without another word.
"How can you be so sure we'll win?" The brunette looks at her.
"No one has singers like Mercedes and Santana." She looks at her friends over her shoulder. "Or dancers like Mike and Brittany. We've got this."
"Yeah." She nods and walks back towards the group, but Quinn stops her again, tugging her to face her.
"Do you really think I forgot you?" She grins.
"I didn't want to assume anything." She sighs. "They're all talented and then, there's also Kurt and Tina and Sam. And Finn and Puck."
"You mentioned everyone, Superstar." She smiles. "At the end of day, you know what'll make the real difference? Well, that's you. They have no one who can compete with
you."
"You're overestimating my talent." She looks away.
"No, I am not. I could listen to everybody, but no one will be as good as you." She leans down to peck her lips. "Go get us that trophy, Cap."
Rachel grins and nods, kissing her one more time for good luck
RQRQRQRQRQRQ
"God, they look like shit." Santana drops on the seat across Kurt and Mercedes, interrupting their conversation. "What? Isn't this the table where we plan to get them back together?"
"You're on the 'Operation Faberry' train?" Kurt claps his hands excitedly.
"What's that fuckery?" She almost spits her iced-cappuccino in their face.
"It's the name we came up with for them. We've got one for everyone." Mercedes nods. "And why are you here if you don't care?"
"If Tubbers is sad, so is Britt and she denies me anything." She rolls her eyes.
"So, let me get this straight." He holds his giggles back. "You're here because she is not sleeping with you?" He laughs.
"Whatever Porcelain face. Let's hear what you, evil masterminds, came up with." She scoffs.
"Well, we thought of the jealousy card. We can just let one know that the other is being courted by someone else. It's easy to find someone to make it believable." Mercedes sips from her cup.
"Like Finnept? Ain't that too simple? I mean, Quinn always had issues with him even when they were together." She shrugs. "What about something else?"
"Well, what do you suggest?" He scoffs.
"Why don't we get them in a room together, throw away the key and let them sort it out? They'll either fuck or kill each other and I'm fine with either option." She smirks.
"That's your plan? Geez, you just want to take the easy way out." Mercedes backs Kurt on this. "Maybe we could ask Brittany for help."
"Nol" She scares them. "Fine! I'll help you get them back together."
"Awesome, where do we start from?" Kurt claps his hands excitedly.
RQRQRQRQRQRQ
Rachel is standing by her locker, staring at the gold medal they have been awarded with, as winner of the Nationals competition. Her eyes shift to the picture of their group on stage and then, on Quinn's face who is beaming but staring at her rather than at the photographer.
"Whatcha starin at?" Quinn's voice pulls her from her memories.
"Geez, you scared me." She jumps, holding her chest.
"Oh." With her hands on each side of her open locker, she hovers behind the brunette to stare over her shoulder. "I knew you'd get us that trophy."
"True, but I am not staring at that." She points to the blonde in the picture. "You've always looked at me like that."
"I guess." She leans down to drop a kiss against the side of her head.
"Quinn…everyone's staring at us." She shuts the locker closed and turns back, looking around at the students who have stopped out of pure curiosity.
"So? Let them watch." She doesn't even bother to look around herself and holds her hands out, to take Rachel's books from hers. "You didn't even notice I am not wearing my uniform."
"I was too busy freaking out about this." She lets her take the books and leans back, to finally take into her girlfriend's outfit. "Your summer dresses are back."
"Well, it's almost summer." She grins. "We should head to Glee, Mr. Schue wants us for one last motivational speech."
"Alright, let's not make him wait then." She reaches for Quinn's hand, tentatively slipping her fingers through hers until the blonde laces them together, firmly.
"You alright?" She leans in to kiss the skin behind her ear. It's intimate. It's tender.
"Mm." She gets a little closer to the blonde when they walk past Azimio and Karofsky slurping on some slushie.
"Gentlemen." Quinn salutes them with a nod and they just nod back, eyeing their hands joined at their sides. "Even if we're a couple days away from graduating, they know better than slushing us."
"You made a deal with them?" She looks back over her shoulder but they're not following them.
"Coach finally complied with my new no slushie rule and personally threatened to castrate each one from the football and hockey teams, if they dared to hit us with a slushie shower." Quinn shrugs and squeezes her hand around Rachel's. "They were petrified."
"I can imagine." She looks up at Quinn.
"Rachel?! You're with her?" Jacob shows up in their path, shoving a microphone in their faces.
"Back off, Jacob." Quinn pushes him back, forcefully.
"You can't touch me! I am a legitimate member of the press world and you cannot limit my freedom!" He keeps the microphone ahead of him. "Now, care to share some juicy info for our readers?"
"You wish, perv." Quinn reaches for Rachel's hand again.
"Rachel, love of my life, how long until you got into the Ice Queen's pants. We are all placing bets here." He smirks at them.
"That's enough." She shakes her head and tugs Quinn with her. "Let's go or we'll be running late."
"Rachel?" He tries to walk after them but when Quinn sends him another death glare, he stops. "Whatever, I have all I need."
"Freaking Jacob." Quinn mutters to herself, clearly upset about what has just happened.
"Quinn, it's okay." Rachel stops them right in front of Glee. "Think of it like a sample of what dealing with paps will be like, when we are both famous and popular."
"Maybe I should become your bodyguard." Leaning down, she drops a soft kiss against her lips, not worrying about being seen.
"I'll feel totally protected if you do." She smiles against her lips. "But you've got books to write."
"We'll see…" She nods and leads her inside the choir room.
RQRQRQRQRQRQ
"When are you going to do something about this thing with Berry?" Santana slips in the empty seat beside her, in the back rows of the choir room, as they take a break from their group number.
"She doesn't want to talk to me." She leans forward on her hands, under her chin. "And I can't blame her for it."
"What's holding you back? If you still think it's wrong or you're going to hell for it, I gotta tell you that you're doomed already." She nudges her.
"You know I never thought it'd be wrong but I am not sure about my Mom. If she kicks me out, what do I do? How can I make it out of here and…" She follows Rachel across the room with her eyes. "She's leaving."
"And you want a ticket out of here to be with her." She nods, following her gaze. "But if you don't tell her these things, there will be no future for you at all."
"Did she tell you that?" She looks at her friend.
"No. But she's hurt and anyone can see it." Santana shakes her head. "She loves you and wants to be there for you, why can't you let her do it?"
"I don't want to be another distraction." Quinn drops her forehead against her forearms, crossed over the back of the chair in front of her. "I'd hate the idea of making her miss a train because she's too worried about my shit."
"Geez, Quinn." She slaps the back of her head. "You're such an idiot." She whispers angrily.
"Ouch. What was that for?" She rubs the back of her head.
"Go talk to her. Tell her these freaking things and stop being a fucking coward." She stands and walks down the steps to join her friends, leaving the blonde to her thoughts.
RQRQRQRQRQRQ
"Need an extra set of hands with labels and taping?." Quinn leans against the doorway of her bedroom, watching her walk around to gather her stuff.
"Your organizational skills would be helpful, yes." She lifts her hair up in a ponytail and hands her a permanent marker. "Books go by alphabetical order and the CDs by the release year."
"What about the musical books?" Quinn grins, earning a tape ball being thrown at her. "Okay okay."
"Have you started packing your things?" Rachel adds another box to the existing pile and moves to the pictures board.
"I'll start working on that next week, when you're in New York doing house hunting." Quinn does the same with her own box and moves to the girl's desk.
"The laptop bag is…" She starts.
"Right here, as usual." She takes it from under the desk and slips the laptop in, with its charger, a notebook and a couple of pens.
"Why are you going to wait for next week?" She sits a box on her desk and leans on it, to stare at Quinn.
"Because you're going to be away for two weeks or more and I would like to spend our time until then, together." She leans in to tuck a loose strand behind her ear. "We don't have to do anything special, like what we're doing now."
"I'll be back before you know it and we can have a whole month together." She leans in her touch.
"I know." Using her free hand, she tugs the brunette close and as soon as she is at reach, she leans down to brush a soft kiss against her lips.
"Mm." When Quinn starts to pull back, she just pulls her back in and goes for a longer and deeper kiss. She opens her lips enough to brush their tongues together.
"Rach…" Quinn pulls her closer, circling her waist with both arms. "We need to keep going."
"With this?" She trails her fingers over the buttons of her polo shirt, popping them open.
"With that." She chuckles and nods to the boxes around them. "The sooner we finish, the longer we can take advantage of my recently cleaned pool."
"Did you ask Noah to do it?" She trails her fingers along the sides of her neck.
"Heck no. My Mom wants it done by professionals" Leaning down, she kisses her again. Turning them around, she sits Rachel on her desk and stands in front of her.
"This is how you expect us to pack?" She tugs her by the hem of her shirt and slips her fingers up behind her ears.
"You're small enough to fit in one of these boxes." Quinn laughs quietly.
"Not funny. You're not funny at all." She goes to push her back but the blonde keeps ahold of her, kissing her.
"Give me another kiss and we can go back to packing." She leans down and hovers her lips, without touching them with hers.
"This is the last one until we finish here." Rachel pulls her face down to kiss her hard. She kisses her like a goodbye but it's just the beginning for them.
It's just the beginning of a future together.
RQRQRQRQRQRQ
"Rachel, hey." Finn finds her at her locker, just after the lunch break.
"Hello Finn. How are you?" She gets the books needed for her class and holds them against her chest.
"Good good. Do you want a hand with those?" He goes to take her books but she keeps them.
"No, thank you Finn." She shakes her head. "You did well in the last game."
"You were there?" He lights up, smiling.
"Yeah, until the first half and I…" She stops when a group of cheerleaders walk past them, eyeing them.
"You came for the Cheerios." He nods, dejectedly. "Of course."
"Finn, please." She looks away. She can't help but feel bad for the guy who used to be her world and that now…well, now she feels like those memories were someone else's.
"What does she have more than me?" He looks down the hallway at the blonde cheerleader standing by her locker with Santana and Brittany. "You loved me once."
"I did." She sighs.
"And why can't you love me again?" He backs her into the row of lockers behind them. "I still love you, Rachel."
"Finn, please, you're making a scene. We can go talk somewhere else." She looks around, feeling all eyes on them.
"Why? Are you afraid of what they're gonna say behind our backs?" He laughs sarcastically. "Or you're worried about someone else?" He looks over at the trio of cheerleaders, who are closer now.
"What's going on here?" Santana steps up before Quinn can.
"That's rich. You're sending your guard dog ahead, now?" He snarls at the blonde Head-Cheerleader who clenches her hands in tight fists.
"You asked for it." Santana drops her bag and lunges at him, but both Quinn and Brittany hold her back and not without a serious struggle. "Come here, you dumbass."
"This isn't over." Finn looks between both her ex-girlfriends and then scurries down the hallway to avoid Santana's anger.
"You alright?" Quinn looks at Rachel, who nods softly and just walks away without another word. She walks away without glancing back, but she doesn't need to look back to know Quinn is still there, watching her walk away.
Again.
RQRQRQRQRQRQ
"And we're here." Quinn parks the car - her Mom's Suv - in the reserved spot and turns to the quiet brunette in the passenger seat. "What's going on in that pretty head of yours?"
"I don't think I'm ready for this." Rachel shakes her head and keeps the seatbelt on. "I can't do this, Quinn. Drive me back home." She looks at her.
"Hey, it's okay…" Quinn takes her seatbelt off and reaches for the brunette's, just to be able to get to her and pull her into a hug. "It's gonna be alright."
"You don't know that." She burrows closer, gripping her sides. "Everything is changing and I'm not ready for this. I can't…"
"Yes, you can." The blonde pulls back just to cup her face and drop a soft kiss on her trembling lips. "You're the bravest person I know, so you got this."
"Not without you or my parents or my friends." She sniffles. "I can't do this on my own."
"We're not going anywhere, Rachel." She brushes her tears off her cheeks. "I am not letting you go, not now or ever."
"But we've never been apart before." She covers her hands with hers. "We've gone through so much being in Lima, anything could happen now with 83 miles between us. You'll meet new people…"
"So will you." She smiles.
"You could have anyone, Quinn. You could have had anyone here, but it's Yale. You're going to Yale." She nuzzles her face into her cheek.
"And you're going to New York? Do you know how many people live there? 8.5 million people live there, so shouldn't I be worried about that too?" She leans down to kiss her gently.
"Are you?" She whispers against her lips.
"I am scared too, okay? I am scared of what could happen between us but you know what?"
"What?" She looks up into her eyes.
"I can't wait to find out." She rests their foreheads together. "I can't wait to see what the future beholds for us in 6 months or one year or ten years. I want to see if it's gonna prove me right."
"Right about what?" Rachel closes her eyes for a moment.
"About us." Quinn tilts her head to the side and just captures her lips in a soft and promising kiss. "Now, let's get you on that plane to New York, Superstar."
RQRQRQRQRQRQ
Ten Years Later
"Quinn, you'll never guess who was in attendance at my Wednesday matinèe." She drops her purse on the table by the door and places shoes to the side, besides the blonde's checkered Vans. "Quinn?" Pulling her hair in a messy bun, she pads across the small living room to get to their kitchen, where the blonde usually spends more of her day, if not at work or behind her laptop writing a chapter.
When no one answers, she reaches for her phone in the backpocket of her jeans, wondering if she has missed a message or call to alert her of the blonde's absence.
Finding none of that, she dials the familiar number but without success.
'You've reached Quinn, please leave a message'
"Damn it, where are you?" She takes a seat on one of the stools at their breakfast island and pulls the Whatsapp app, sending a lengthy and angry text to her girlfriend. "I am totally going to give you a lecture when you come home." She mutters to herself, hoping for the familiar "blue" checks to show up but her message stays there, undelivered.
It's when she reaches for an apple, being on an empty stomach since breakfast, that she notices a familiar script on the counter.
It's there, waiting for her. It's there, calling her.
"So, this is what's been keeping you up all night long huh?" She smiles at the familiar name on the cover. Her fingers trace each letter with pride and her smile gets even bigger, when the first page holds a small dedication for her.
"To Rachel, who kept looking for a happy ending and showed me how I could get it right."
"Damn it, Quinn." She wipes the corner of her eyes, catching the lone tear before it could trail down her cheeks.
"You should check the sidenotes too." Quinn's voice startles her and she has to just hold her chest, hoping not to die of a heart attack before the Tony ceremony.
"Holy shit, Quinn. You scared me!" Rachel turns around to face the blonde, who is not even hiding her guilty smirk. "What are you hiding behind your back?"
"Nothing." She grins even more.
"Quinn Fabray." Rachel stands and marches up to her, trying to look at it over her shoulder but the blonde turns with her, keeping her secret safe. For now.
"Rachel Berry." It's Quinn who pins her against the nearest wall, bracing herself over the brunette with her left arm.
"You didn't hear me calling you?" The brunette crosses her arms over her chest, still upset.
"I was busy." The blonde leans down to kiss her, but Rachel turns her head just giving her the cheek. "Rachel…"
"I was worried about you." She pouts, holding her stance.
"I'm sorry." Quinn's hand reaches for her face, tilting it towards hers to kiss her pout. She kisses it slowly, with soft pecks, until it's Rachel giving in and deepening their kiss into something longer.
"Busy doing what?" She nips at her bottom lip.
"I'll show you soon, I promise." Quinn pulls away from her to take her hand and tug her back to the counter, where her script is.
"You didn't tell me you finished it." She squeezes her hand and when they stand by the counter, she reaches for it to resume her reading.
"I did it this morning, when you were at the theater." Quinn stands behind her, wrapped around her with her left arm and her chin on her shoulder. "It's the first draft, of course."
"Of course." She smiles and kisses her cheek. "You're sure you want me to read it before your editor takes a look?"
"I'm sure Tina will understand that." She nuzzles her face against her neck. "If I may, before you get into it I'd follow the blue track."
"The blue track?" She furrows her brows.
"Yep." She taps the blue post-it notes on the side of the pages. "Follow those." She kisses the woman's shoulder through her sweater.
"Okay…" She is even more puzzled now. She has never read books starting with the author's notes, but that small riddle makes her even more curious.
"I'll be back soon." Quinn leaves her with a kiss against her neck and a lingering caress over her stomach, as she leaves their embrace.
Rachel nods. The whole thing is so odd that, for a moment, she wonders if she should just follow Quinn and find out about what's going on. Everyone has their own quirks but this isn't Quinn. It's not Quinn at all.
She goes back to reading the book.
She takes mental note of all the highlighted words and sentences.
She takes in every word, gripping the counter harder and harder, without even realizing that, as she turns one page after another.
As she turns the pages, her curiosity gets bigger and she is even more anxious to find out what comes next.
To find out how it's going to finally end. And when the last note is gone, she can just hold her breath.
"I don't think I'll ever be able to explain why I find it easier to express my feelings through books, but I know it's frustrating for you." Quinn is right behind her. "I'll never forget the way you looked at me when I said that I loved you for the first time."
"Quinn…" Rachel has to lean back against the counter, to hold herself up.
"And I know I said it before, but I thought you were asleep and I guess…well, I guess I thought it didn't count because you couldn't hear it." She takes a step forward. "The truth is that I loved you for so long, even before I knew it was love."
"You…you're…" She looks at her.
"When we tell this story, can we start from the moment that I made you speechless?" The blonde takes another step forward and then kneels. She kneels before her, with an open velvet box in her hands.
"No, we can't." She shakes her head, holding her sobs back. "Say it."
"So demanding, Berry." Quinn smiles and gets the ring out of the box that is now sitting on the ground. "You've read it and I've written that for you."
"Quinn, just say it." She kneels before her, staring into her eyes.
"I love you, Rachel." Her smile drops and her back straightens. "And I know we said this could be enough for us but..." She is crying too, now. "But I know you want what your Daddies or some of our friends have. And it's just not you okay? I want that too, but I might need some direction here because you know I can't go and ask my Mom or Frannie about this." She chuckles.
When Rachel laughs with her, she knows she can keep going.
"I've been carrying this around with me since Sam and 'Cedes' wedding, just waiting for the right moment to ask you." She takes a deep breath. "Rachel, will you marry me?" She holds the ring up with two fingers.
"Yes. God, of course I will." Rachel holds her hand out and when Quinn slips the ring on, she tackles her to the ground, sealing her answer with a kiss.
RQRQRQRQRQRQ
Lips trail along the side of her neck and down, over her exposed collarbone that is no longer carrying the weight of her golden cross. Her arms reach under the covers to tighten around Rachel's waist, as she moves over her.
"Sometimes, I have these dreams about us." Quinn's nose nuzzles into her hair, breathing in the familiar scent of coconut and strawberry shampoo.
"What kind of dreams?" Rachel hovers over her, hands each side of her head.
"It's us." Her fingers trace imaginary shapes against the small of her back, just above her backside. "But we're not really us. I mean…we're living this parallel life where we went separate ways and we never were together."
"So, it's like an alternative universe?" She brushes her fingers over her cheek. "It's just your subconscious taking over you, in your dreams."
"I guess…" She nods and covers her palm with her own. "I cannot really imagine a life without you."
"Me neither." She leans down to kiss her softly. "You've had this for more than three months? How did you hide it so well?"
"I kept it in my office, so that you couldn't find it during one of your Marie Kondo moments." She chuckles. "And I've been thinking about it for a while now."
"Since when?" She holds herself up, looking down into Quinn's eyes.
"Since we came back from our summer trip in Paris. It just hit me, on our flight back when you dozed off on my shoulder." She smiles and leans up, to brush some hair behind her ear. "I did this and I knew I wanted to ask you."
Rachel kisses her palm and then leans down, lingering a little longer, as she settles back on top of her as their hands start roaming again.
"My turn, now." Quinn rolls them over and pins their hands down, as she settles between her outstretched legs.
"You've got two turns." Rachel tries to protest, but she cannot really complain when her lips descend on her chest, to suck on her right nipple.
"And I'll get a third one." She whispers against her breast. She bites into it and soothes it with her tongue, hips rolling together.
"Come up here." Rachel tugs and she complies. Their foreheads rest together as their hands drop between their bodies, slipping in at the same time. "Don't leave."
"I'm not going anywhere." She whimpers when their thrusts become harder. It's easy to fall in sync, after years of practiced intimacy.
"Keep looking at me." She holds her head there and their eyes never part from one another. They keep their staring contest even when another finger slips in, adding more
pleasure to both.
"Rachel…" Quinn tilts her head to kiss her. She kisses her once and then twice, missing the pace as their movements get sloppier.
"Quinn…" She gets it. She is close too and she should feel embarrassed by how quick she is approaching her third or fourth orgasm of the night. But they're so beyond that and she's too close to care.
"With me." Her moans die on her lips. She pulls from her mouth to breathe in and out, as her body tingles with pleasure.
"Always." Rachel whimpers it out and arches up, reaching it first but Quinn is just behind her. Their fingers keep moving, to ride it out before lacing, against the mattress.
"Mmm." She is still half on top of the petite brunette, who just circles her back with her other arm, keeping her close.
"Don't move." Rachel nuzzles her nose with hers. "Stay right here…"
"You're sure? I am a dead weight when I sleep as some might say." She chuckles and leans in to peck her pout. "Your words, honey."
"Fine, but I needed a bathroom break and you fell asleep during Funny Girl." She keeps her close. "You should know the rules by now."
"I remember a Powerpoint presentation about our movie nights, but to my defense I had pulled a long week at work." Reaching for her hand, she brushes her thumb over the engagement ring. "Is it still a yes?"
"After the past three hours? Hell yes." Rachel chuckles and rolls them over, claiming her usual spot on top.
"So, you're marrying me for the sex marathons?" Quinn angles her body to just tangle their legs together. "Is that all?"
"Your trust fund too." Rachel grins and when Quinn's jaw drops, she laughs. She laughs so happily that their hearts skip a beat. "I'm kidding! You should've seen your face."
"My face huh?" Quinn smirks and her fingers curl, ready to strike.
"No. No, Quinn!" Rachel reaches for the blanket and when the blonde lunges for her, she just rolls out of bed, running away with the blanket loosely wrapped around her.
"Hey! Come back here!" She grabs the first pillow and holds it over her front, chasing after the brunette who is just hiding behind the couch.
"What's the point in covering your front, when I can see your ass?" Rachel laughs from her safe place.
"You stole the blanket. Give me that and I'll drop the pillow." She advances on her. "Give me that, Rachel, and no one will get hurt."
"Speaking from experience?" Rachel smirks. "You know for being an ex-cheerleader, you're kind of clumsy?"
"Clumsy? I'll show you that." She reaches for her, but Rachel jumps over the coffee table, trying to get away even if she has to leave the blanket behind, in her attempted
escape.
"Damn." Quinn drops the pillow and the blanket and chases her back into their bedroom, until they tumble back in bed, wrestling to take control. "Aha!" She manages to pin her back down, hands on each side of her head.
"Fine, you've won." Rachel rolls her eyes at her. "What you're gonna do now, Fabray?"
"Just this." Her smirk morphs into a soft smile and when Rachel sees that, she beams at her preparing for what would be coming next.
"I'm waiting." Their fingers lace against the mattress.
"Patience is a virtue you don't have, Superstar." Quinn leans down and just connects their lips, sighing when Rachel's fingers tangle in her hair to hold her close.
"You've got enough for the two of us." Rachel licks her lips and surges forward for another kiss, keeping their mouths close enough.
"True." Quinn nods and kisses the corner of her lips.
"Tomorrow, we're going to buy you a matching ring." Rachel's fingers brush her hair back. "And then, we'll start telling everyone."
"Well, your Daddies kind of know that already." She chuckles. "And I had to get advice from Mercedes about what you'd like."
"Makes sense for Mercedes, but my Daddies?" She looks at her.
"I told them about my plans because I wanted their blessing." She looks away. "I don't think they've ever forgiven me for having hurt you when we were in high school."
"And what if they hadn't said no?" She tilts her head back to look at her.
"I would have tried again, until I got their approval." She looks into her eyes. "But in the end, we got it right."
"Yes, indeed." Rachel holds back the tears and just pulls her in for a kiss.
It's a kiss that means more than any words could.
It's a kiss that feels like a promise to start a new chapter of their lives together.
It's a kiss that just feels right.
You brush past me in the hallway
And you don't think I, I, I can see ya, do ya?
I've been watchin' you for ages
And I spend my time tryin' not to feel it
But what would you do if I went to touch you now?
What would you do if they never found us out?
What would you do if we never made a sound?
'Cause I can see you waitin' down the hall from me
And I could see you up against the wall with me
And what would you do, baby, if you only knew?
That I can see you
The End