008: Blue Skies
nyufabray:
Oh, great. Rachel was giggling at her slip-up, and Quinn wanted to dig herself a hole in the ground. She supposed somebody with perfect pitch had to have an excellent sense of hearing. Duh. If Quinn had a dollar for every moment she spent mortifying herself… and yet, with Rachel dressed as a Victoria’s Secret model, a fucking vision and only a few feet away — it was only a matter of time before Quinn said something. Better sooner than later. And the brunette didn’t seem too uncomfortable with her offhanded compliment, instead shooting back one of her own. Really? Quinn looked down with raised brows at her old cheer shorts and t-shirt. This was being compared to the literal nightie clinging to Rachel Berry? Unfortunately, glancing down brought attention to her current — state, and Quinn crossed an arm over her chest, complexion peachy as she looked back up. A pretty good Monday morning. That was what mattered most, right?
With a quick lick of her lips, Quinn noticed the subtle shift in Rachel’s demeanor and knew what was happening before it even occurred. She had noticed, over time, that Rachel rolled her shoulders back a bit before singing, and tended to lift her chin — just an inch, coyly, as if she knew just how easily she could enrapture an audience. Whether it was for a full theater, or just for Quinn, Rachel always did just that. Bewitch. Blonde lashes quivered as the little brunette picked up on the Sinatra. Fucking effortlessly, of course, leagues above her own voice, simultaneously raw and studio-ready. How could she have wrapped herself up in Tom Bradley when Rachel was always so near, absolutely breathtaking? So much time wasted on a self-absorbed man. Time that could have been spent with her. Quinn curled slender fingers around her warm mug and beamed softly, never shy about her admiration of Rachel’s singing. Even when they had first began to live together — the morning scales had been nauseating, but when Rachel was properly singing? The blonde would always find herself pausing, whether it be in homework or laundry, just to listen. It would have been a crime not to.
“In other words, please be true,” Quinn replied quietly, having to remind herself that Rachel apparently loved her singing voice, despite its early morning scratchiness. Hazel eyes twinkled, nose wrinkling playfully. She could play this off as friendly, right? Trying to reign in her confidence, Quinn pushed off of the counter and neared the brunette with a stuttering heart. “In other words…” She rounded Rachel with intent of sitting next to her, voice dropping. “I love you.” The blonde tapped the tip of Rachel’s nose with her fingertip and settled into the seat. Act natural, Quinn. You’ve told Rachel you love her dozens of times. Having amazing sex the day before didn’t change that. Quinn crossed her legs, took a small bite of pancake, and affectionately bumped shoulders with her roommate.
Maybe if she continued to act buddy-buddy, the urge to kiss Rachel senseless would dissipate. Quinn snuck a brief glance at those legs, flashing back to their breakfast weeks before. Slim chance.
It was a Monday, right? Mondays were terrible in their own way. Traffic converged in every street of New York, everyone didn’t have the will to live, Friday was too far away. But with the way Quinn’s voice floated in their apartment once more, everything seemed to be perfect. Too perfect, like the calm before the storm, but Rachel ignored it, what with the way blonde hair glowed and hazel eyes sparkled in the morning light. Quinn Fabray was every image of a goddess, making Rachel smile. Beam like a fool in love. Lyrics died on her throat as she let the blonde take over the song—something Rachel never, ever did for anyone, not even Kurt. Too caught up in the beauty that was Quinn Fabray, the diva forgot all about the song, could only listen to the words drifting out of those lips, raspy voice filling her heart with warmth. I love you, she sang, and there was the tell-tale skipping of her heartbeat, blood rushing to her ears, the faint blushing on her cheeks. Quinn had said those three words before, but never in a song. They were best friends, and it was normal for people to say that, right? That didn’t mean Quinn meant it in a romantic way, but that didn’t stop Rachel from swooning anyway. She did, however, manage to stop herself from echoing the words, because that would have been very awkward. That wasn’t how the song went.
She blinked a couple of times when she felt a tap on her nose, and the next thing she knew, Quinn was sitting beside her, taking a bite of her pancake, and bumping shoulders with her playfully. She was a goner. Rachel bit her lip, eyelashes fluttering as she glanced at Quinn, and tried to distract herself by putting another bite on pancake in her mouth. Delicious blueberry pancakes. Yes. She took a large gulp of water before masking her smitten expression with something more platonic.
“Have I mentioned you have a lovely voice?” Rachel finally said. Bashfully, she tucked a stray hair behind her ear without much thought. Stabbing a piece of apple with her fork, she waved it around for a moment as she smirked over at Quinn. “A little pitchy at times, but that’s probably because you don’t have all my years of training.” A light jab—a step back into familiar territory. Friendly banter. Maybe it would help calm her racing heart, dampen the fire crackling in her belly. The growing urge to kiss Quinn. She wasn’t entitled to one, just because they had sex the afternoon before, or because Quinn made her breakfast. Surely there were other ways to express her gratitude that didn’t involve mauling the blonde in any way. God, she was a goner. Done for. She made sure to return the affectionate bumping of shoulders so Quinn knew she was just teasing. “Thank you for the breakfast though. You didn’t have to.” The shy smile was back on her face. She shouldn’t be shy. Quinn had made her breakfast a lot of times before. This wasn’t supposed to be different. “You’re sweet.” The words left her lips before she could even stop herself. Her eyes widened a bit when she realised what she said, and so she shoved the piece of apple in her mouth and took her time to chew.













