The thing about being in a secret relationship is that it’s a secret. Obviously. But what no one tells you, besides it being morally wrong, is that it really fucks with your emotions and wellbeing. Maybe it’s all catching up to Aiden now, he’s juggling work, his feelings for Luci, his family, Holly. Somehow they’ve all clumped together and he feels totally burnt out. There’s a very short list of people who he can talk to about it, and even then it doesn’t feel right in the moment. Like he’s too selfish about it and maybe no one gives a shit.
He’s cheating on his fiancée.
Aiden’s moral compass is all kinds of messed up, he doesn’t know which way is True North anymore. After that trip to the cafe when it was uncovered Emmanuel is Luci’s father, Aiden went home and sat on his balcony for a long while. He didn’t go see Robbie, he didn’t pick up his phone later to call Luci like he had said. Even the day after he felt a little spacey, forgetting simple things or just not caring enough.
It goes on for a few days, Aiden trying to figure it out and get over it. He doesn’t go dark on the people in his life, but he’s... processing.
The metallic clang of someone climbing the fire escape echoed off the close-knit buildings and Clara took a deep breath, not sure why she had invited Alex over in the first place. She was almost certain now that things weren’t going to end well at the ranch; not because of Alex but because of her own inhibitions and how messed up everything felt. So far, she hadn’t been able to bring herself to just go ahead and end things. Clara figured that she just wanted one last night where things weren’t a disaster and Alex was the person she wanted to share that with. She looked up as he came up to her level, smiling underneath her several layers of blankets.
“Hey,” she said, unable to bring out her usual teasing nicknames. “You got the goods?”
Rachel: settles down on the bed, happy to be out of the car and finally in their room. She's a little put off by the fact that they had gotten a room with one bed, but she doesn't comment on it. Instead she places her hands on her lap and smiles. "Are you almost done unpacking? I'm looking forward to a dip in the pool." She'd gone swimming a few times at the campus pool in hopes to relax her body at night time- whether it was because she was too up or too worked up it- and she hopes it will do the same thing tonight. She's been a little rigid since they'd begun their journey, regretting the few pills she had taken through out the morning when she was stuck sitting for hours. Now she can finally start moving and just in time for the sky to be transitioning to night. Maybe she'd sleep well, it would certainly make the hike in the morning easier. But Rachel reminds herself she needs to go with the flow, otherwise she'd mess the slight dynamic both girls had managed to establish.
WHO: Benji Karofsky (@benjikarofsky) and Franco Del Rio (@southsidefranco)
WHERE: Benji’s apartment; Sweet Water swimming hole
WHEN: 5th May 2019 (Backdated)
NOTES: To celebrate Franco getting clean, the boys go on their first date in 3 weeks.
TRIGGERS: Vague Drug use/abuse mentions, withdrawal mentions
BOLD: Benji
ITALIC: Franco
WORD COUNT: 4587
"Franc... Baby?" Benji cooed, walking into his bedroom and flipping on the light. It was semi-early in the day, but Benji was already dressed and he was caring a homemade breakfast on a tray. "Good Morning! Wake up, Francie, I have a surprise."
Franco had been clean for just short of three weeks now so naturally the nightmares had started to come back. He'd woken a few times in the night but managed to get back of so, when heard Benji trying to wake him, he grumbled and rolled onto his back, opening his eyes and blinking as he saw Benji there with a tray, "Morning" he said as he cleared his throat, "What's this for?" He asked as he sat up.
"'What's it for?'", Benji teased, setting up the tray on Franco and climbing onto the bed next to him. He smiled and cuddled up to Franco, his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. "Because I love you, Babe. It's breakfast-in-bed for two. I figured we could share it together! Waffles, eggs, turkey bacon, beef sausage, hashbrowns... the whole nine yards."
Franco smiled and turned his head to kiss Benji, catching the top of his head and looking down at the tray, "I don't feel like my behaviour recently deserves this but I'll take it" he said, shaking his head, "I love it Benj" he breathed out, not even sure where to start.
"What do you mean? We've made it through withdrawals, you're getting a little better everyday, and we've made it through most of the healing process for my shoulder without popping it back out of its socket. You deserve this. ...And the rest of the day we're gonna have," he added quickly, spearing a piece of waffle and putting it up to Franco's lips. "Open."
Franco shrugged his shoulders, "I made it through withdrawal by putting you through literal hell and back. I wouldn't have stayed with me, let alone thought I'd deserved breakfast in bed". He raised an eyebrow, "Rest of the day? You mean, this isn't it?" he asked. He took the waffle and chewed, "Feeding me? Really Benj?" and he swallowed before quickly adding, "Not that I am complaining".
"Yes, withdrawal was hard, but we made it through. You don't have to bring that up every time I decide to do something nice for you, y'know. And you don't have to be so stuck on "deserving" things. You deserve everything you're given."
He speared another piece, bringing it up to Franco's lips as he spoke, "No, this isn't it. We haven't been on a date in weeks. I wanna change that. And yes, I'm feeding you. But it's breakfast for two and there's another fork right here, so..."
Franco sighed, "You know I am going to be in a loop over this whole thing for a while, until I get help" he said, the first time he'd spoke about getting help without freaking, "It's gunna take some time before I truly feel like I deserve anything". He took the food again and nearly choked as Benji mentioned a date, "You're letting me out? Like out, out?" he asked. He stared at the other fork but shock was too strong for him to do anything with it.
"One step at a time, Babe. If you only award yourself for reaching the finish line, it'll make it that much harder to get there," he reminded, laughing lightly at Franco's shock. "I letting you out, yeah, but I'm going with you. It's a compromise." He smiled, then opened his mouth, leaning his head towards Franco. "I'm hungry too, y'know," he teased, opening his mouth again.
Franco nodded, "I just, I don't feel that great about myself and my actions recently so, I'm trying really hard to just accept that this is OK" he smiled. He felt like he could cry, the idea of being allowed out just something he had accepted wouldn't be happening, "I'll behave but I am smoking, probably more then normal". He picked up the spare fork and put some food on it, "Here you go babe" he said, lifting it too Benji's mouth.
Benji smiled and chewed, playfully kissing Franco's cheek as he did. Once he swallowed, he continued his sentence, "I'm gonna let you. Just this once. But don't get use to it." He looked up and smiled, "After breakfast, get dressed, mkay? Something you don't mind getting dirty."
Franco smiled into the kiss and nodded, "I won't get used to it but, being allowed to go out, I couldn't ask for more" he breathed, feeding another forkful to Benji. He frowned a little, "I don't understand. We are going on a date? I wanna look good?".
"We're going on a date, but it's gonna be a little... different. Don't worry. I promise you'll love it." He set down the fork, and put his hand on Franco's bare chest, spreading his fingertips out as he smiled. "Franc, you always look good. Don't worry so much."
Franco sighed, "Let me guess, all surprises? I don't get to know anything?". He watched as Benji put his hand on his chest and sighed, taking it to hold it and smiling at the boy, "I know I do babes but I haven't left the house properly in so long and I wanted to look half decent but, for you... I'll wear something I can get messy".
Benji smiled, leaning forward to give Franc a kiss. "You know me so well, Baby," he cooed, pulling back so their foreheads were barely touching. "It's gonna be worth it, Baby. I promise." He picked the fork back up and speared a little, holding it out to Franc. "C'mon, Baby. Let's finish breakfast and get you dressed."
Franco laughed, "Yeah I really do" he breathed, moving Benji's hand to his lips and kissing the ring on the finger, "Enough to give you this, my Benji" he breathed. He took the food and swallowed, "Let's get ready" he smiled, desperate for the outside world.
~~
"Almost ready?" Benji called down the hall, sitting on the couch and tying up his shoes. He had a backpack on, full of the parts of their date that he couldn't pre-set up, and he was dressed in an old dance practice outfit that he didn't care as much about. "Franc, c'mon! We're burning daylight!"
Franco had gotten dressed quickly and taken more time with his hair and spritz some aftershave and strolled down the hallway, his mile wide as he looked at Benji, "Benj, I super excited" he said rushing over to him and slipping his shoes on, "Come on".
Benji rolled his eyes. "I've been waiting, but now that you're ready, I'm the slow one. Sure. He teased," heading to the door. "The place is kinda far, so we're gonna uber. You have to promise you keep your eyes closed on the way though. I want it to be a surprise, okay? I'll tell you when to open them again."
Franco laughed and nodded, "Well I'm excited, I wanna go outside and have a good time". He reached up and took the bandana of his neck, his signature one and held it out to Benji with a grin, "We could always make sure I don't peek?" He suggested.
Benji smiled and took the bandana lightly. In reality, he had considered blindfolding Franco but thought against it because he was worried it would have triggered another one of his flashbacks, but since Franc seemed to not mind, he was happy to blindfold him; it made everything more romantic. He made quick work of blindfolding Franc, then slowly lead him out the apartment.
~~
"Okay. Okay. A couple more steps," Benji whispered, still leading his boyfriend slowly. He gave an excited, "Surprise!" and took the bandana off of Franco's eyes, revealing the Sweetwater swimming hole. Closer to them, there was a Twister mat set up with bottles of paint sitting atop it and closer to the water, there was a picnic blanket meticulously decorated with rose petals and surrounded by electric candles and hanging electric lanterns. "Do you like it?”
Franco found the whole thing weird but he accepted it, Benji always did surprises. He followed Benji instructions until the blindfold was removed and his jaw dropped as he looked at the scene in front of him, "Oh my god" he breathed, gulping back his emotions, "This is... Benji... I don't deserve all this" he said, trying to stop the tears in his eyes falling, "This is for me?".
Benji pulled Franco close and kissed him before pulling back and wiping his boyfriend's eyes with his thumbs. "Of course it is! We haven't been on a date in like a month. I couldn't just take you to Pops or something! Also, stop worrying about what you deserve." He grabbed Franco's hand and gave it a tug, wanting to walk him forward towards the Twister mat. "C'mon! Have you ever played messy Twister?"
Franco gulped and moved forward, "I just, I never thought I'd see romance like this, for someone like me". He looked down at the twister mat and shook his head, "I don't think I've ever played twister, let alone make it messy" he breathed, gripping Benji's hand, "I don't, I'm... This is amazing".
Benji smiled, uncapping the paint and pour a bit into each circle with the hand that wasn't holding Franc's as he spoke. "So the way Twister works is you have the spinner--" he gestured to it with his head-- "and you spin it, right? And it'll say like, 'right hand blue' or something. Basically you just move whatever body part to wherever it says. And then you keep going until you get so tangled that you fall over. Last person standing wins."
As he finished the last bit of paint, he re-capped the bottle and tossed it to the side of the mat. "What makes it messy is that each dot has that color paint on it. So we're gonna get it on each other. And then we can wash off in the lake after before we eat."
Franco looked at the mat with the paint and smirked, "So my clothes are gunna get filthy?" He asked before shaking his head and removing his shirt, "Is prefer it this way" he breathed out. He looked at the spinner, "How do we spin it if we are covered in paint and tied in knots on this mat?"
Franco taking his shirt off made Benji giggle then pull Franco close. "I'll be the spinner," he whispered softly in Franco's ear, "I think you've forgotten how flexible being a dancer makes me."
Franco grinned, "Oh yeah, your flexible" he breathed, "But I'm still going to kick your ass in this game" he smiled. He then smirked and added, "Winner gets to boss the loser around and make them their bitch when the game finishes?" He didn't know if he would win but the challenge made it even more fun.
“Fine. But what do I get when I win? Because that’s the usual arrangement,” Benji teased, pulling away and starting to ‘warm up’ by dramatically stretching. With ease, he hit a split and pulled his arms forward to stretch his calves, giving Franco a huge grin as he did it. “Let me know when you’re ready, Baby,” he teased in a sing-song voice.
Franco shrugged his shoulders, "Name your price?" He said, daringly but gulping as he saw Benji stretch, "Impressive but I don't need a warm up" he said, cockiness in his voice, "Bring it Karofsky".
Benji stood back up, sauntering over to Franco. "When I win, after our date, you'll have to wait on me hand and foot for the rest of the weekend. And you have to write the sweetest, 'gushiest', so-cute-it-makes-you-wanna-puke post about how much you love me. Publicly. So everyone can see." He leaned forward, his lips mere millimeters away from Franco's. "You're so on, Del Rio," he whispered back.
Franco raised an eyebrow, "Waiting on you is doable but sweetest and gushiest? I don't even know those words let alone use them" he joked but he knew he'd do it, if he lost. He bit his lip and kissed Benji quicky before stepping up to the mat, "let's do this then".
Benji blushed, the kiss catching him slightly off guard, then quickly shook his head to get his mind back into competition-mode. He knelt down and spun the spinner, placing his right hand on red like it said. He then spun again for Franc. "Left foot green."
Franco rolled his eyes and placed his foot on the green square, feeling the paint squish under him and looked at Benji, "Left foot Green? It's like you want me to win" he said, a grin on his face as he did
Benji rolled his eyes. "It's the first spin of the game, Franc," he murmured, spinning again for himself.
~~
"I can't believe you haven't fallen yet," Benji teased, spinning again for himself. By this point, the two were covered in paint and were intertwined in one of the most difficult ways Benji could fathom. "This is a little less sexy than I imagined it was going to be," he whispered, his sentence trailing off when he caught a glimpse of Franco's ass at their intertwined angle. "...Still pretty sexy though." He flicked the spinner again, for Franco this time, then read where it landed out-loud: "Right hand yellow, Franc."
Franco rolled his eyes, "We keep the mat and hang it in the lounge, that's sexy" he breathed out. When his next command came in he gulped, this was an impossible move. He went to move his right hand and as he did, slipped in some paint and hit the deck, "Fuck" he shouted out loud, "Does this mean I lose?" He asked, sadness in his eyes. He was a sore loser and losing wasn't his thing.
When Franc fell, Benji knelt down and pulled him into his arms; at this point in their relationship, he knew Franc was a sore loser, so he didn't rub it in like he would've with Topher. Instead, he simply nodded and pulled him into a kiss.
"You lost, but that's okay, Babe," he explained, Franc still cuddled close into his arms. "Because that wasn't even the best part of our date. I mean look at that," he gestured his head towards the romantic picnic set up several feet away, "don't you wanna go see what that's about?"
Franco slunk into the cuddle and bit his lip, "I didn't wanna lose" he whined, "I don't like losing". He sat up and looked over at the picnic, "What exactly have we got over there?" He asked, curiosity taking over his moody expressions, "How did you even put all this together?".
Benji kissed Franc softly, happy that he was finally learning how to defuse his boyfriend. "Why don't we go see what we've got, hmm?" he whispered, gesturing for him to get up. "And as far as 'how'... let's just say that I have my ways. I know people."
Franco pouted but stood with Benji and smiled, "Please tell me you brought some chocolate" he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cigarettes. He'd not even had one the whole time he'd been outside and it was now he'd craved it, "But how do you get someone to come down to Sweetwater Swimming Hole and lay out a whole god damn date? I wouldn't have the first idea how to set this up"
"Shhh," Benji replied, pulling Franco towards the picnic blanket. "If I tell you now, it'll ruin the surprise!" Once the two made it over, he sat down and tugged on Franco's arm to have him sit down with him, taking a moment to turn on the radio placed behind him before starting to take things out of the picnic basket and setting them down on the blanket.
"For tonight, we have fettuccine Alfredo, chicken parm, caesar salad, garlicky breadsticks, andddd," he took his time taking the last container out of the basket, "a giant box of chocolate roses." He smiled, excited for Franco's reaction. "What do you think?"
Franco moved over to the picnic area and sat as he was told to, looking at the spread and smiling, "So much Italian food" he breathed, "Did you pick Italian for me?" he asked, staring at the spread and then the chocolate, "Chocolate roses! Benj, you didn't have too". He leant forward and grabbed some breadsticks when something silver caught his eye, "What''s this?" he asked, picking the silver necklace up.
Benji was getting ready to respond to Franco's first question when he found the necklace. Gently, he leaned forward, placed his hands on Franc's, and held the necklace up a little higher so Franc could see the whole necklace. "This is yours, Baby. It says אני אוהב אותך, which means 'I love you'." he explained slowly, having trouble not tearing up.
"It's small, but I want it to remind you that not only do I love you unconditionally, but that I'm going to continue to do so. ...Things have been rough lately, but we worked through it, and I'm confident that we can work through whatever else life throws at us; because I'm not planning on saying goodbye to you, Franc. I love you."
Franco listened to Benji speak as he stared at the necklace, something so small shouldn't bring such strong emotions. He bit his lip, "I'm going to get real with you Benji" he began, "When I started using, I didn't think I had anyone and I didn't care if I ended up dead but you, you literally stood by me when I didn't even want to stand by myself. You got me clean, dragged me through it kicking and screaming and I'm here now". He looked to the floor, "I have never truly been happy since the kidnapping but, here with you now, I'm happy again".
As Franc spoke, Benji felt the tears he was holding back start to fall. "That's all I want, Franc. I just want you to be happy," he whispered, leaning forward and lifting Franc's head up with his finger before leaning in to kiss him. "I want you happy, and I want us happy." He pulled back, both their hands still on the necklace. "D-Do you want me to put it on you, Babe?" he asked, all the emotion making it hard to keep his voice steady.
Franco felt his own tears on his face and he gulped to try and remove the lump in his throat, "Benji, I didn't know it was possible for me to find love after being as damaged as I was, as I am but here you are". He kissed Benji and then looked at the necklace, "Yeah please babe, my hands are too big for those clasps".
"You're not damaged, Franc. You're healing," he whispered right as Franc pulled him into the kiss. When he pulled back, he nodded and put the necklace onto his boyfriend, closing the clasp and then turning the chain to the right orientation. "It looks perfect on you."
Franco shook his head, "I'm damaged Benj. The nightmares haven't come back strong yet but they will and it's going to be really tough. I suppose I'll be back at Dares by then". He looked down at the necklace and gulped, "It's beautiful and not something I would normally wear yet here I am and I love it".
"We're gonna get you into therapy in the next couple of days, Baby. That'll help." Benji smiled down at the necklace, then back up at Franco. "And I love you," he whispered, pulling Franco into a kiss.
Franco gulped, "Let's not talk about the therapy. We both know how I feel about it and I don't want to drag this day down, not when you worked so hard to make it so special". He picked up some more food and started munching away, "You know, I've never had a picnic before".
Benji gave a soft smile, deciding to humor Franco's request--today was about putting their best foot forward, after all. "You haven't? Well now you get one. With all your favorite foods." He reached across and picked up a breadstick, nibbling lightly at it. "They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I think they may have been right," he teased.
Franco shook his head, "This is my first ever picnic and I have to say, I really rather like it" he beamed as he looked over at Benji, "Well, I would say I love my food but I don't know... I think for me, the way to my heart is to show you actually care".
"Why not both?" Benji asked with a grin, leaning forward to give Franco a chase kiss on the lips. "Food and caring. That seems more like what I want." Content with what was happening, Benji stayed silent for a moment, taking in the sounds of the water and the creatures around them. After weeks of hell, this felt so surreal that he could feel himself tearing up again. "...I love you, Franc," he whispered, not sure how to formulate his words better than that.
Franco nodded, "OK, I suppose both would be a valid option and choice at this point" he said with a smile, "I mean, you cared enough to bring me food so you kinda did both already". Franco stayed in the silence with Benji, his mind distracted by the events that were unfolding. He turned as Benji spoke and gave a small soft smile, "I love you too, so very much" he said, barely a whisper himself, "You just... you mean everything to me".
Benji scooted close to Franco and pulled him into his arms, kissing him on the neck. Quickly, he got lost in Franco's scent and started to kiss his neck deeper, only to go into a surprise coughing fit. He reached blindly for a bottle of water and chugged half of it before he finally got his breathing back under control, causing him to burst into laughter.
"...Not to ruin the moment, but I think I got blue paint from your neck in my mouth." Still laughing, he opened up his mouth and stuck out his tongue so Franco could see. "Is... is my tongue blue?"
Franco fell into Benji's arms easily and he flexed his neck to allow better access but then Benji started to choke and he turned, his eyes wide as he tried to help Benji grab the water. When he finally spoke he breathed a sigh of relief, "You choked on paint?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, "Yes, your tongue is blue, that can't taste good baby" he said turning his body and sitting cross legged to face Benji, "You OK?"
Benji smiled, still getting over the remnants of his giggle fit. "I did, I think. Sorry. I didn't really think that through well, did I?" He shrugged, his eyes meeting Franc's. "I'm more than fine. I'm actually so, so happy. I think that was just a sign that things should stay wholesome for once," he explained, his smile growing wider.
Franco laughed a little, "Well, don't kiss me until I've gotten rid of this paint then. I don't need you choking out here" he said. He gazed at Benji and smiled, "You understand that you, you saved me Benji" he breathed out, "I don't even know where I'd be right now if it wasn't for you".
Benji shook his head, refusing to take all the credit. "You saved yourself, Franc. I was just there to help." He smiled. "Believe me, Babe. If you didn't want help too, it wouldn't have mattered what I did. There's no saving unless you want to be. Give yourself some credit."
Franco gulped and nodded, "But I didn't want to save myself" he said, trying to be honest, "I didn't care at all about myself. If it wasn't for having you in my life, I wouldn't have tried anything, I wouldn't have had any where to go and I would have just...." and he trailed off as tears built in his eyes and he looked away across the lake.
Benji placed a hand on Franco's knee, not wanting to overstep. "...Then I'm glad I could help," he conceded, "Whatever keeps you safe, healthy, and mine. If I saved you, then I'm happy I was able to do that for you."
Franco didn't look back to Benji but he did look down at his hand and gulped, "You helped more then you'll know" he breathed out, his eyes once again returning to the water and his hand reaching for the necklace, "You saved my life Benji..."
Benji swallowed hard, not sure how to respond to a statement that real. "...You know how you can make that up to me?" he whispered, tears forming in his eyes. "By staying clean. And living your best life. ...Just do that for me, Franc."
Franco finally turned to look at Benji, unshed tears on his eyelids, "I really am going to try" he breathed, to scared to blink in case the tears fell, "I don't want to be on drugs any more. I'm just scared what happens when I don't have them to numb my thoughts".
"If we could get through the withdrawal, we can get through anything," Benji replied firmly, truly meaning what he said. "We made it through a 24/7 hell that last almost 2 weeks, Franc. And we made it out essentially unscathed. As long as we work together, we'll get through anything. I promise. ...It's okay to be scared, but know that we're gonna work through the fear."
Franco nodded, still trying to hold back the tears, "The withdrawal is physically the hard part Benji" he breathed, "Now I get the mental torment of all those things I was hiding from... The desperate cravings for more and those, I'm not doing well with them". He gulped and looked down at the floor, "I'm scared Benji... Scared of everything, including the idea I could lose you"
Benji finally closed the gap between them, pulling Franco into a tight hug. "It's okay to be scared, Franc. I know it's gonna be an uphill battle, but I'm gonna be there the whole way; and I'm gonna help you in every way I know how." He kissed Franco's ear softly. "We'll get through this just like we've gotten through everything else."
Franco allowed himself to be hugged and dropped his head onto Benji's chest, "I just don't want to wake up one day and find that everything is gone. That is little life I have now is over. I won't cope with that".
Benji merely hushed him, rocking him gently. "Baby, you have to stop immediately preparing for the worst..." He kissed Franco's forehead..
Franco felt contentment in this moment and nodded his head, "When you've been through what I have, you kinda expect the worst cause it's hard to see the best happening."
Benji smiled lightly, kissing his again. "Then open your eyes, Baby. Take it in."
Franco opened his eyes and turned to look over the lake, "As beautiful as this view is, you are better" he breathed out
Benji smiled. "I love you," he whispered, pulling Franco into a kiss.
Franco kissed Benji back and nodded, "I love you most"
WHO: Rachel Berry (@theyearofthestar) & Jessi St. James (@heavenlystjames)
WHERE: Between A Cup-pella and Washington Square
WHEN: Monday, October 1, 2018
WHAT: Jessi opens up.
Jessi
It wasn´t going to be easy. And it would definitely hurt her pride, but Jessi had come to terms with the fact that, in order to let Rachel go, she´d actually have to tell her how she felt. She´d been hung up on her for months now and it had cost her an actual relationship with Sugar. She still wasn´t sure what that was, but Jessi knew it would have been easier if she hadn´t still been in love with Rachel. She sighed to herself as she stepped out of ACup, two cups of coffee in her hand. One was for her, the other one was Rachel´s favorite. She looked around, waiting to see if she could find Rachel approaching in the sea of people.
Rachel
Rachel didn't need to rely on her sixth sense to have an inkling about what Jessi may want to discuss. Even though Rachel had hoped they could transition to a friendship, attempts thus far had (understandably so) been stilted, so her and Jessi's relationship history wasn't multi-faceted. That wasn't to say that it wasn't important. Falling into bathroom stalls and beds meant time spent together beyond roaming hands and mouths, and even if they resisted any label aside from band and musical rivals, they were still something. And sometimes it was hard to redefine what was never defined in the first place.
Still, Rachel had a bright smile on her face as she neared ACup's awning and she offered a small wave once she found Jessi. "It's a beautiful day for a walk through a park, don't you think, J?"
Jessi
Admittedly, she should have done it sooner. But her self destructive side, the one that enjoyed wailing in self pity, had been getting in the way. Much like her pride. A quite destructive combination, Jessi was aware of that, but still she hadn´t been able to help herself. When she spotted Rachel she willed her heart to not miss a beat, that was something she couldn´t afford. Instead she matched the other´s smile and nodded. "Very beautiful indeed," She then agreed. "I love New York in the fall." The truth was she loved New York no matter what, but there was just something about the way the sun showered everything in a golden light during fall that was especially beautiful. Jessi held out the coffee towards Rachel. "Here, for you." She then told her. "Shall we?"
Rachel
With a nod of her head, Rachel continued down the block, leading them in the direction of Washington Square. When they got to the first intersection and needed to stop, Rachel took the opportunity to bring the takeaway cup to her lips. She could already tell by the scent exactly what drink Jessi had ordered, and Rachel hummed at both the taste and her approval. "You didn't need to do this, but I appreciate the attention to detail."
Jessi
Jessi threw Rachel a smile as they walked. "Well you better feel special, because I don´t do this for everyone." She then teased with a laugh as they continued down the block. She wasn´t quite sure if they´d ever make it to a park, but she enjoyed the streets of New York as much. "So," She took a sip of her own coffee, nodding. "There´s two things I want to talk to you about, and I´m going to start with the nice one." Jessi continued. "I got a callback for Wicked. And I am pretty sure that I blew everyone´s socks off. Which is what the cool kids say these days, right?"
Rachel
Rachel didn't care that they were in the middle of the sidewalk and she was committing commuter sin, because she stopped dead in her tracks and with her free arm pulled Jessi back to her and into a hug. She was certain her screech of congratulations could be heard within a four-block radius.
"How have you not broadcasted this everywhere or shared it with everyone! That's outstanding, J! I want to know all about it and how it went and for what role. But..." Rachel's expression fell. Jessi mentioned this was the nice thing she wanted to discuss, which meant there was a topic of conversation that was a little less cheerful. "Perhaps you can fill me in after we talk about the second thing, that way we ensure we depart on a high note."
Jessi
Jessi´s lips curved into an even bigger smile as she stopped along with Rachel. People didn´t so much as complain when they had to walk around them, because this was surely something that happened in New York all day. "Well. I didn´t want to jinx it. It´s really important to me." She then replied. "I went in for the Elphaba cover and ensemble. It was great," She felt her smile freeze though and shook her head.
"I don´t think either of us is going to like what comes next so I´ll probably be better off telling you about the callback now. I sang "I´m Not That Girl" and they loved it. Might have been one of the most emotional performances I´ve ever done, and I only have you to thank for that. Which is ironic, because I also have you to thank for that broken heart." She paused, shaking her head. "I´m gonna make it quick, because otherwise I will start to ramble. I fell in love with you, Rachel Berry. Because you are talented, amazing, beautiful and probably the only girl who sees eye to eye with me. And I realized it when it was too late. And I know I said we can be friends. And maybe we can, in a while. But wow..." She trailed off for a moment.
"I wasn´t ever going to tell you. But the truth is: I can´t get over you unless I tell you. Which is why I am telling you now. So I can leave this behind. And be your friend. Eventually. But for now: Congratulations, Rachel Barbra Berry, for being the only girl to ever break my heart." She bit her lip. "And God please don´t say you´re sorry. That´ll make it worse. Just acknowledge it and let me get this over with."
Rachel
For someone that never had any issues when it came to word utilization, Rachel at the moment was rendered speechless. To give herself time to process everything Jessi unloaded and to attempt to even formulate a response, Rachel grabbed onto Jessi's elbow and began to walk. Across one set of striped white lines and then another, they found themselves on a side street with less foot and vehicle traffic. It was quieter and Rachel found it not just easier to think, but also breathe. Oh, yes, she and Jessi had been something, she just wasn't aware that it had become that kind of something for Jessi.
Finally, with a wave of her hand, Rachel answered. "I wouldn't say sorry. That would be..." Silly. Pointless. And Rachel wasn't sorry. She didn't have regrets about how they spent time together, or when she began to spend more time with Quinn. But there really wasn't too much Rachel could do with this information either, and perhaps that was the point. Jessi needed to unpack her feelings so that there was room for her to replace them and move forward. Rachel could accept that, and could accept the fact that there would be no point in rehashing a past that was beyond them both. It would do neither of them any good for Rachel to acknowledge how a look from Jessi could send her heart fluttering, or how there were days and nights where she craved her touch in a less clandestine way. There'd be no point because Rachel had already moved forward and with no plans to look back.
"Shouldn't you have been gifting me a trophy, a small award instead of this coffee?" Rachel attempted to lighten the heaviness of Jessi’s reveal around them. "The only girl to ever break your heart. That is some achievement, J." And it was an honor of sorts Rachel hoped she never had to share, because Jessi was a good person who deserved good people and things in her life. Like a callback. "And I will continue to celebrate your achievements. I do hope you know that. Even if it's not as friends, but rather as someone who respects your art and craft and appreciates the work you've done."
Jessi
Jessi really didn´t see the point of moving to a less busy street, because it wasn´t like people actually cared what they were talking about, and she wasn´t interested in having more privacy because it would only make things worse for her, but she didn´t complain when she was pulled anyways. Another one of those side effects in being in love with Rachel Berry. She actively let herself be bossed around. "Yes well. I didn´t want you going around parading that trophy. It would ruin my reputation." She could feel her heart missing another beat, though sadly it wasn´t in the good way. She knew she had to stay away from Rachel to get this right, and it was already breaking her heart again. She sighed and stepped in a little closer, resting her forehead against Rachel´s as far as the other would allow it. Part of her wanted to close her eyes, but the other part, the bigger one, wanted to take it all in. One last time. "I love you, Rachel Berry." She whispered. "And I hope you´ll always be happy."
Rachel
The position was intimate and in another time it would have led to more, but Rachel knew that wasn't Jessi's intent now. So she let their close proximity linger before tipping up onto her toes. Cheeks brushing, Rachel pressed a chaste kiss to ridge of Jessi's cheek and then once again settled on her heels, she took a step back.
Maybe months ago Rachel could have echoed Jessi's words, but not now. Instead she could offer, "I hope you're happy in the end, J. And I hope this opportunity, Wicked, works out for you. Everyone else should get to see you shine on a stage other than ACup's."
Jessi
"Damn right they should." She replied with a laugh, though it wasn´t real. It should have been, honestly, because she deserved to be happy. And this was something she needed to do to actually be happy. "If Quinn ever hurts you I will make her pay, I promise." She then added, half joking. "I won´t punch her in the face, because she has a child. But I will find out an embarrassing story about her, write it down and print it and then hang it all over ACup´s walls." It took all the willpower she possessed not to actually lean in to kiss Rachel, but for once she didn´t want to be selfish. Or well...she couldn´t be. "Well...I should probably go. I have another audition. Or well. Blair has one. I just promised to come along." She took a step back. "See you around, yeah?"
Rachel
"Of course.” Of course Jessi would see her around. “At least two Thursdays every month.” And likely more than that around the coffee shop. Because Rachel wasn’t going anywhere. She had been serious about wanting to be Jessi’s friend months ago, and that sentiment remained the same today. But Rachel certainly understood why that had been difficult then, and even more so now. And while patience wasn’t a skill in which Rachel excelled, she knew friendship wasn’t a right and she couldn’t push for or expect more until Jessi was there, too.
“And to being friends? Whenever you’re ready, J.” Because Rachel hoped it would be a when and not an if.
It was a surprisingly nice day for March in New York; the sun had finally come out, and it was starting to feel like spring. Outdoor cafes were bustling and Alex thought they had the right idea, so when he got out of his first class of the day, he'd made his way to one of the many cafes on campus with Levi.
Alex had left Levi outside holding a table for them, and headed inside to grab them both some drinks and snacks. As he stood in line, he was debating between his usual order for the past few months, hot chocolate, or something a little cooler and more summery, when he heard a familiar voice behind him. He didn’t have to turn around to know it was Isaac, and Alex desperately wished they’d gone to one of the other cafes instead.
He really didn’t like the guy, and he didn’t think he was good enough for Clara. In any respect. Of course, it wasn’t for him to decide that but that didn’t stop him from believing she deserved better. But, thinking about that would do nothing good for him so Alex simply took a deep breath and focused on the menu board ahead. He just had to get to the front of the line, order their stuff, and then he could get out of there. Hopefully Isaac wouldn’t recognize him before then.
A few people away from the front of the line, and having decided on getting hot chocolate, Alex suddenly began to hear exactly what Isaac was saying. "Nah, I'm here with that girl that I've been seeing.... No, man, I use the term lightly.... Not the redhead. My kid niece's friend....” So Clara was there too. Alex’s natural instinct was to look around so he could see her but he fought against it. He just wanted to get out of there without being noticed. “Yeah, that one... I know she's hot. She's been throwing herself at me for a year now. I figured it was time I showed her some pity and let her have a taste of what she wants...” Alex’s fists clenched at his side. He knew that the two weren’t really dating because Clara had made that clear, but they were still kinda together. Isaac should care about her. How could he talk about her like that? How could anyone?
“Yeah, yeah, it's kind of hot that she's basically my student but I tell you, there's not much going on upstairs, which is great for me...” The more Alex heard coming from Isaac’s mouth, the angrier he felt. All thoughts of techniques his therapist had gone over again with him were out the window. Sure, Clara was no Barnabas or Reyes, but she was one of the smartest people he knew. She always knew the right thing to do. Alex tightened his fists. He could feel his heart begin to race, and clenched his jaw together.
“Well, the semester is almost over and then that fantasy is basically played out so I have no problems if you want to give her a go once I've had my fill." Alex saw red. He’d lost all sense of rational thought, and he couldn’t bear to hear anymore. And so he did the only thing he could think of. He turned around, and punched Isaac in the face.
The past twenty four hours had been a total nightmare. Actually, every second of his life since seeing Linzi -- Star, in her uniform at Louise’s school had been a nightmare for Jay. He’d genuinely had no idea that he’d been in a relationship with a fourteen year old, and the thought of it made him feel sick to his stomach. For everyone’s sake, he’d pleaded guilty to the charges against him - even if it meant being forced to sign the sex offenders register. He was considered a sex offender..
Phil had thrown him out, and Jay didn’t even know where he was going. Where did he have? He literally had nowhere to go. As he came around the corner of the alleyway, he was stopped dead in his tracks by three intimating figures - who he instantly recognised as Linzi’s - Star’s - family from the court. Before he could say a word, he was on the ground and the 3 of them were kicking him mercilessly.
After what felt like an eternity, the kicking stopped. His entire body was on fire, and he tensed waiting for the next blow but it never came. He could barely register what had just happened, as he forced himself to open his eyes, seeing that the boys had now gone. Between the indescribable pain and the overwhelming emotion he felt, he couldn’t stop himself from quietly sobbing as he held his stomach and felt the blood drip down his forehead.
WHAT: Quinn takes Rachel to a nearby bowling alley for their standing Monday date-night, and lots of teasing ensues.
QUINN: Mondays are fast becoming Quinn’s favorite day of the week, rivaled only by the Saturdays that she sees Beth. But ever since Quinn started dating (dating!) Rachel six weeks ago, they’ve had a standing date on Monday nights.
They’ve alternated between New Jersey and New York City each week, and tonight finds them in a bowling alley in Belleville, NJ, not far from Quinn’s apartment. Rachel had mentioned needing practice for “knocking down the bottle things” for her Broadway Bowling League, so Quinn thought this would be a fun way to spend some time together—not to mention an excuse for her to give Rachel some hands-on advice.
Although, truthfully, Quinn hasn’t gone bowling in years, and it’s not like she was some amazing bowler, but Rachel doesn’t need to know that. Quinn’s sure Rachel won’t mind at all, and that—that’s still something that amazes Quinn.
But there’s no doubt how happy Rachel is right now. Quinn can see it in her girlfriend’s eyes and in her smile as she slips on her rental bowling shoes, and again she wonders how she got so lucky.
RACHEL: Despite the questionable bowling shoes that Rachel is currently lacing up—she really does need to invest in a pair of her own if she decides to continue pursuing bowling as a sport—the smile won’t leave her face. Her Mondays with Quinn are the best part of her weeks, and her girlfriend is particularly adorable tonight in her skinny jeans and plaid button down, and—yes—even the unattractive blue and red bowling shoes she’s currently wearing.
Rachel had opted for black leggings and the pink and black bowling shirt that Stephanie had given her when she’d talked Rachel into joining the show’s Broadway team, The Devil Wears Bowling Shoes. Sadly, Rachel still isn’t very good at knocking down the bottles—er, pins—but she makes up for it with unparalleled team spirit.
The Brunswick Zone Belleville Bowl seems fairly crowded for a Monday, with its blue neon lights and infectious music, but Rachel supposes the Monday Mayhem special draws in the customers looking to bowl all night for a bargain price. Luckily, Quinn had managed to reserve them a lane, and Rachel is eager to get the ball rolling, so to speak.
With her shoes laced and tied, Rachel bounces to her feet and slides (almost literally) over to Quinn with a wide smile, giggling when Quinn laughs at her antics. “Do you think you can find me a pink ball? I left mine in my dressing room,” she informs Quinn with a pout. It’s enough for her lug the thing from the theatre to Frames every Thursday after the show, she wasn’t about to carry it all the way to Bloomfield too. And tonight is more about spending time with Quinn than bowling.
QUINN: “I’m sure that won’t be a problem,” she replies with an amused smile, wondering if she’s actually going to get thoroughly trounced tonight, despite Rachel claiming that she still needs lots of practice. Then again, Rachel isn’t exactly known to be modest when it comes to her talents, so Quinn should be okay.
“But, you know, weight is more important than color. How much does yours weigh?” Quinn asks, her smile growing as Rachel’s brow furrows ever-so-slightly.
RACHEL: Darn Quinn and her perfectly sensible approach to things. “Oh...um...I don’t really know,” Rachel finally admits a little sheepishly. “Stephanie helped me pick it out. After having a dozen balls shoved into my hands, I just went with the one that felt best.”
It’s not until Quinn explodes with laughter that Rachel realizes what she just said, and her face heats. She just knows she’s probably as pink as her shirt right now—but oh, the sound of Quinn’s unrestrained laughter is the best kind of music.
QUINN: She almost feels bad laughing when she sees the furious blush on Rachel’s face, but the happy smile Rachel sends her way, despite her embarrassment, is enough to settle Quinn. “You’re adorable,” she finally says once her laughter subsides, unable to stop the urge to press a quick kiss to soft lips.
Quinn loves that she can do that now, whenever she wants when she’s with Rachel, and that Rachel is all too happy to be on the receiving end of her kisses.
“Let’s see what they have behind the counter,” she says, taking hold of Rachel’s hand. “I’m sure we can find something close to what you’re used to.”
RACHEL: Having Quinn Fabray tell her that she’s adorable never fails to send her old friends, the butterflies, into a tizzy, and being on the receiving end of her kisses—no matter how chaste—makes Rachel want to burst into song. Of course, bursting into song is kind of her thing, but Rachel hasn’t felt quite this inspired to jump up on the countertop and sing out her feelings for all the world to hear since she’d first gotten off the train from Ohio.
With the lively music playing over the speakers at the bowling alley, Rachel just might end up giving everyone here an impromptu performance before the night is through. She wonders if Quinn would mind.
Entwining their fingers together, Rachel grins at her girlfriend. “Lead the way.”
QUINN: A few of the other patrons watch Quinn and Rachel as they walk hand-in-hand though the bowling alley, and Quinn wonders if it’s because they’re both women or if it’s because they recognize Rachel (or both). They’ve been stopped a few times in the city by admiring fans, and even though they’re cutting in on her precious time with Rachel, seeing the way her girlfriend lights up when interacting with fans makes it well worth it.
Still, Quinn is selfishly hoping that no one interrupts them this evening.
“What can I do for you, ladies?” the girl behind the counter asks them once they approach.
“She needs a pink ball…” Quinn replies before turning her head, taking full advantage of the chance to look Rachel up and down, and it makes Quinn feel a little lighter. She reluctantly tears hear gaze away to continue speaking to the girl behind the counter. “I’m guessing eight pounds?”
RACHEL: She doesn’t miss the way Quinn not-so-subtly checks her out under the guise of determining the proper ball weight. Quinn doesn’t really need an excuse these days—Rachel is more than happy to be the object of her admiration. In fact, she’d be even happier if Quinn wanted to explore her body with more than just her heated gaze.
Oh, all of their dates since their first date have included plenty of fooling around, but—well—Rachel can now say that she has firsthand experience with Quinn’s old Celibacy Club motto. But Rachel keeps repeating her own mantra of ‘patience’ because she knows that Quinn isn’t quite ready for the ‘pleasing’ portion of their relationship just yet. As blissful as the last six weeks have been, they haven’t been without a few rough patches here and there, so she understands why Quinn still wants to take things slow, but Rachel believes she’s getting better at navigating through the nuances of Quinn’s ever-shifting moods.
And this mood—happy, carefree, flirty Quinn—is one of her favorites.
“Give this one a try,” the clerk prompts, passing a pretty, pink marbled ball over the counter.
Rachel immediately approves of the color and design, and she reaches up to carefully take it with both hands, feeling her muscles flex under the weight as she cradles it against her stomach and turns it around in search of the finger holes. Slipping two fingers and her thumb inside—she absolutely does not make any comments about that after her last verbal snafu—she hefts the ball into one hand to test the weight.
She lifts her arm up and down, catching her tongue between her teeth as she considers the feel of the ball and the tightness of her grip. It doesn’t seem too heavy for her to throw down the lane.
Quinn watches her in amusement, an indulgent grin on her lips, and when Rachel notices this, she pulls the ball back into her chest with a shy smile.
“This one will do.”
QUINN: ‘Absolutely adorable,’ she thinks as she takes in the sight of Rachel’s shy smile.
Quinn offers the clerk a quick thanks before heading back with Rachel to their reserved lane, stealing glances whenever she’s not trying to avoid crashing into the other people milling about the bowling alley. Whenever she catches sight of Rachel cradling that pink ball to her chest, Quinn wonders how it’s possible for someone to be as cute and as sexy as her girlfriend is.
“I figure we can play a few games, then maybe order something to eat,” Quinn says once they get back to their lane, sitting down on one of the chairs in front of the tablet to set up their first game. “Does that sound okay to you?” she adds as she looks up at Rachel, wanting to make sure her girlfriend is okay with that. “Or do you want something to eat now?”
RACHEL: “We should bowl first,” Rachel answers easily, placing her ball down on the return rack before skipping over to claim the chair next to Quinn. “The exercise will work up our appetites.”
Quinn hums her agreement, offering Rachel a grin before turning her attention to the electronic scorecard in front of her. Rachel leans in close to her girlfriend, wrapping an arm around her—just because she can—as she watches their names appear on the screen. Quinn and Rachel. They look so good together, although—
“My name should be on top.” Quinn pauses, turning to her with an arched eyebrow. “It’s alphabetical,” Rachel explains with an impish smile.
QUINN: At the sight of Rachel’s teasing smile, Quinn is unable to stop herself from picturing other ways Rachel could be on top. In fact, it’s something she’s thought of countless times, although, it’s usually the other way around.
“I can’t argue with that,” Quinn agrees with an impish smile of her own, loving the feeling of Rachel’s body curled around her own. “I’m going to make sure you always come before I do.”
And, okay, that might be pushing things a little bit, but despite all the teasing she’s been doing the last six weeks, Quinn really does want to get to the pleasing.
RACHEL: Oh, sweet Barbra! Quinn Fabray just does not play fair. Her wicked double entendre uttered in that sinfully husky voice of hers turns Rachel’s mouth instantly dry and other, unmentionable parts of her instantly wet. Shivers of delight race through her at the images currently dancing in her head—although, she has a few ideas of her own about which one of them will be coming first.
“Normally, I wouldn’t be one to argue with...coming first,” Rachel confesses in a low purr, “but I don’t think that’s a promise I’m going to let you keep, Quinn. I’m all about...sharing the spotlight these days.”
QUINN: Hazel eyes darken as Quinn unconsciously licks her lips and sucks in a breath through her nose, trying to tamp down on her suddenly rising libido. Quinn knows she deserves it, although there’s no denying that she loves that Rachel can give as good as she gets, and she’s hoping she’ll soon get to experience firsthand the other ways that Rachel intends to do so.
“Are you now?” Quinn replies with a slight quirk of her lips, but despite her flirtatious demeanor, she’s both relieved and thrilled to know that Rachel wants her just as much as Quinn wants her.
RACHEL: Her eyes helplessly follow the path of Quinn’s tongue across pink lips. Rachel has become intimately familiar with both of them by now, but that doesn’t temper her desire to taste them one little bit. If anything, it makes her crave it more.
So, yes—she’s all about sharing, “With the right person.”
Quinn’s breath hitches slightly at her answer. Rachel mostly loves this little game of teasing and flirting they’ve been playing, especially when she manages to strip Quinn of her typical composure and leave her hot and bothered. It’s only fair when Quinn can do that so easily to her.
QUINN: Affection blossoms in her chest while her desire spikes. No one has ever made Quinn feel both simultaneously, and she almost regrets inviting Rachel out for a night of bowling instead of a night back at her apartment, because right now Quinn wants to kiss Rachel in a way that would be considered downright indecent in public.
She manages to rein in her desire somewhat, but the affection remains, so Quinn is unable to stop herself from pressing her lips against Rachel’s, lingering for just a moment and letting herself feel things she doesn’t know how to say out loud.
Quinn slowly draws back, letting her gaze linger on Rachel’s face for a moment before saying, “Since you insist on your name being on top, you get to go first.”
RACHEL: Quinn’s kiss is all too brief, but the sweetness of it lingers. It’s enough to momentarily sate Rachel’s craving—well, kind of—which is good, since they can’t really do anything more in the middle of a crowded bowling alley anyway.
And speaking of that—Rachel reluctantly slides her arm away from Quinn. “Keep this spot warm for me. I’ll be right back,” she promises with a grin.
Quinn laughs and shakes her head as Rachel bounces up from her seat and makes her way over to the ball return to retrieve her pretty, pink ball. Slipping her fingers inside the holes, she cradles the ball with her other hand as she steps to the end of the lane.
Concentrating on the pins and the markings on the lane, Rachel rolls her shoulders back, mentally aiming. She slides the ball of her right foot back and forth against the floor, twisting her hips a little as she adjusts her stance, and then, biting into her lip, she steps forward and lets her arm fall down and back before she swings it forward, releasing the ball as her feet slide to a stop on the hardwood floor.
The pink ball flies through the air—possibly slightly more than Rachel intended—before it falls noisily onto the lane. Rachel squeals a little, tensing her shoulders and waving at the ball as if she can keep it from rolling into the gutter by sheer force of will.
The path of the ball somehow curves just enough to stay in the lane and take out two corner pins, and Rachel pumps her fist in triumph because she didn’t get a zero, spinning around with a grin to see Quinn leaning back in her chair and watching her with amusement.
QUINN: It’s official: Rachel Berry is the most adorable person on this planet. Quinn can’t stop her lips from curving up into an amused smile at the sight of her girlfriend’s enthusiasm at knocking over two measly pins.
“Need any help?” she asks after Rachel turns to look at her with a happy grin.
Granted, Quinn probably should have been paying more attention to Rachel’s bowling form, especially since she offered to help however she could, but she was admittedly distracted by the view Rachel afforded her of impossibly long legs.
But Rachel doesn’t need to know that.
RACHEL: Rachel’s pride wants her to say ‘no.’ She fully admits that she’s not the best bowler in the world, but she likes to think that she’s a little better than that performance might lead Quinn to believe. Her first frame is always notoriously bad, and she’s also using an unfamiliar ball this time which made that last roll even worse than normal, but she tends to improve with repetition as she gets a feel for where to aim.
But at the same time, Rachel recognizes that there might be some potential positives in having Quinn help her. There might be some fun to be had in playing the helpless damsel.
“Well, if you’re offering to share your bowling expertise, I’m not going to refuse,” Rachel decides with a playful grin.
QUINN: At Rachel’s assent, Quinn’s out of her chair just in time to retrieve Rachel’s pink ball from the return rack before finishing the short walk to stand in front of her girlfriend.
“I wouldn’t say I’m an expert exactly,” she clarifies, unable to keep the flirtatious tone from her voice as she hands Rachel the ball, “but I know enough.”
Brushing her fingertips along the back of Quinn’s hand as she takes it, Rachel raises a knowing eyebrow but seems content to let Quinn humor her for the time being.
“So first we should work on your form,” Quinn continues, placing her hands on Rachel’s shoulders and gently guiding her to turn around until she’s once again facing the lane. Now standing behind Rachel, Quinn leans in, letting her warm breath wash over Rachel’s neck, causing her girlfriend’s breath to hitch and Quinn’s lips to quirk up into a playful smirk.
“You want to keep your shoulders square with the foul line,” she explains, slowly shifting her hands down to Rachel’s upper arms and making the slight adjustment to her alignment. “Your hips too,” Quinn adds, letting her hands drift toward Rachel’s back and sliding her fingers down until she reaches slim hips before lightly gripping on to them.
RACHEL: The feel of Quinn’s hands on her hips and the flutter of hot breath on her neck has Rachel suppressing a moan. She wants nothing more than to drop the ball and lean back into Quinn’s body, but she suspects their neighbors in the next lane might not appreciate the free show.
Biting into her lip, Rachel purposely arches her back ever-so-slightly, rolling her hips under Quinn’s touch. “Where do my hips go?” she asks coyly, eager to see what Quinn has in store for her.
QUINN: She chuckles softly before biting her lower lip, the movement of Rachel’s hips stoking the fire in her lower belly. Quinn could happily play this game with Rachel all night.
“Here,” Quinn replies huskily, tightening her hold on Rachel’s hips and drawing them back as she steps forward, pressing her body flush against Rachel’s back body. “Mmm, perfect.”
RACHEL: Perfect doesn’t even come close to describing what Rachel is feeling right now. This time, she’s unable to suppress the tiny moan that slips past her lips, and behind her, Quinn chuckles quietly, the sound and feel of it vibrating through Rachel in provocative tandem. No—Quinn Fabray does not play fair at all, and Rachel is beginning to realize that she’s never going to top her.
But oh—she can certainly have fun trying.
“Mmm...it’s perfect for something,” Rachel agrees throatily, “but I’m not sure it’s bowling.”
QUINN: “Oh, it’s perfect for bowling,” Quinn assures Rachel, gently pressing her fingers into soft flesh and pressing her hips against Rachel’s backside. “You just have to make sure you’re paying attention to the right things.”
She nuzzles under Rachel’s left ear then, taking advantage of the opportunity to breathe in—savoring the scent of perfume and what she can only describe as ‘Rachel.’
Rachel sucks in a breath then as her eyes fluttered closed, and Quinn smiles against her neck, knowing her girlfriend’s focus is definitely not on bowling, and feeling incredibly pleased about that fact.
“Like knocking over those pins,” she finally whispers.
RACHEL: How on earth is she supposed to pay attention to anything else when Quinn is practically wrapped around her body, nuzzling against her neck, and whispering in her ear? Rachel can barely focus on keeping herself upright—those pins are certainly in no danger from her right now.
Quinn, on the other hand, could easily end up being knocked down into a chair with a lapful of Rachel Berry. She could, but she won’t, since the ambient sounds of the bowling alley are a stark reminder of where they are.
It’s practically a physical ache to keep holding onto the bowling ball when all Rachel wants to do is spin around and kiss her gorgeous, sexy (and wickedly seductive) girlfriend.
Running her tongue over her lips, Rachel tries to force her mind back onto the game—both of them. “How,” she rasps, needing to stop and clear her throat, “how do you want me,” she drawls, intentionally pausing to press her ass back into Quinn, “to knock them over?”
QUINN: Quinn barely manages to stifle the moan that threatens to slip out at the very pleasant sensation of Rachel’s backside pressing into her combined with Rachel’s innuendo, and her mind is assaulted by images of all the ways she wants to eventually have Rachel.
“With finesse,” she husks once she gathers her composure, sliding her hands up, running her fingers up Rachel’s sides and forearms before gently cupping the backs of Rachel’s hands. “It’s all about smooth placement of the ball.”
RACHEL: Quinn’s touch creates a trail of tingles over Rachel’s skin, and her attention is immediately captured by Quinn’s nimble fingers as they curve over Rachel’s hands. She can only imagine the smooth placement of them on certain other parts of her body, and she doesn’t doubt for a moment that Quinn would use them with unparalleled finesse.
“I...I think you need to show me,” she husks.
QUINN: She raises a playful eyebrow as heat pools in her belly at Rachel’s tone. If not for the thumping bass of top 40 hits playing in the bowling alley or the eight-pound ball she’s now helping Rachel hold—reminding her exactly where they are—Quinn would be all too eager to show Rachel all the ways she could make her feel good.
But while their current position is incredibly enjoyable, it’s not exactly conducive to bowling. The thing they’re actually supposed to be doing.
“This is why I should always be on top,” Quinn replies after a beat, pressing her lips close to Rachel’s ear. “Because then I would have gone first and I could have shown you exactly what to do.”
RACHEL: A little shudder races through her at the heated whisper caressing her ear, and Rachel drags in an uneven breath as she swallows down another moan. Once again, her pride is at war with the desire to just submit to Quinn and see where it takes them.
“I’ll keep that in mind for the future,” Rachel promises, turning her head slightly so that her temple brushes against Quinn’s cheek. “But for now, you should probably let me...finish, and then you can show me what you’ve got, Fabray.”
QUINN: “Oh, I plan on it,” Quinn replies with a promise of her own, letting her eyes close momentarily as she savors the feeling of Rachel temple against her cheek as breathes in the scent of Rachel’s shampoo.
Quinn presses a soft kiss against the side of Rachel’s head before adding, “Remember, keep your movements nice and smooth so the ball doesn’t hook.” She then reluctantly releasing her hold on Rachel, although she can’t help but trail her fingers along her girlfriend’s arms as she steps back.
RACHEL: Quinn’s fleeting kiss is all too brief, and Rachel silently mourns the loss of her touch and the heat of her body—although Rachel’s body is still plenty hot enough all on its own. She glances over her shoulder to see Quinn watching her with a sexy smile. Her legs feel a little shaky as she readjusts her stance, and she has to take a moment to regulate her breathing and get her thoughts focused back on bowling.
She’s acutely aware of Quinn’s eyes still on her, but she’s determined not to let it fluster her even more. Quinn has already just about undone her, and she’ll be incredibly happy if she can manage to keep the ball in the lane and maybe knock down another pin or two.
Taking a breath, Rachel tries to keep her movements smooth as she steps forward and releases the ball once again. Amazingly enough, it doesn’t hook nearly as much this time, and she watches five more pins scatter onto their sides.
Rachel knows it was pure luck, but she doesn’t care, and she spins around to beam at Quinn. “So, what do you think of my form now?”
QUINN: This time, Quinn actually pays closer attention to Rachel’s form, although she still takes the opportunity to appreciate the view of her girlfriend’s legs when she releases the ball.
Quinn’s smirk turns into a full-on grin though when Rachel whirls around to beam at her. “Not bad,” Quinn replies with a nod, picking up a black nine-pound ball from the return rack for herself before walking closer to the foul line to stand next to Rachel. “But you know what they say—practice makes perfect.”
RACHEL: “They do say that,” Rachel agrees—though who ‘they’ are has always been a mystery to her.
She somehow doubts ‘practicing’ with Quinn will make her anything but sexually frustrated, not that she’s complaining much. They’re only halfway through the first frame, but this experience is already proving to be so much more stimulating than all of her previous bowling attempts combined.
The memory of going bowling with Finn briefly flashes through Rachel’s mind, but it pales in comparison to tonight, and she sends up a silent apology to Finn. She thinks he’d understand and be happy for her—for both of them really.
Rachel quickly shakes off the odd moment of melancholy and grins at her girlfriend, moving closer to her. “Now, why don’t you show me how perfect your form is?” she prompts, giving into the mischievous urge to deliver a playful slap to Quinn’s tempting backside in those sinful jeans before she steps back to give Quinn room to show off her skills.
QUINN: She’s grateful for the blue lighting that hides the blush that creeps up her neck when Rachel smacks her ass. Quinn has noticed over the last several weeks that her girlfriend really likes that part of her body—she’s already lost count of the amount of times Rachel’s hands have wandered to her backside while making out.
It’s part of why she wore these jeans tonight, knowing that Rachel likes to look just as much as she does touch.
But right now she’s supposed to be showing off her supposed bowling skills, so Quinn figures she should get to it. She cradles the ball to her chest with both hands, making sure her hips and shoulders are square to the foul line as she focuses on the pins. Taking that first step forward, Quinn’s left hand falls away as her right arm swings back—not too high though, barely parallel to the ground. Bringing her arm forward, she takes another step before releasing the ball in a smooth motion and following through.
The ball rolls down the lane and knocks over eight pins, but to Quinn’s annoyance, the seventh and tenth pins still stand, making the possibility of spare really unlikely. Her annoyance instantly fades though when she hears Rachel cheer behind her, her scowl turning into a warm smile as she turns to look at her girlfriend.
RACHEL: The view from where Rachel is sitting very nice indeed. Quinn really should wear jeans more often, although Rachel thinks Quinn looks good in just about anything—and undoubtedly nothing at all (because those cheerleading uniforms of hers don’t leave much to the imagination).
And, of course, Quinn proves to be as good at bowling as she seems to be at everything else remotely athletic, looking perfectly at ease as she effortlessly sends the ball gliding down the lane to take out eight pins in one go. Impressed, Rachel lets out a loud, “Woo! Go, Quinn!” as she claps for her girlfriend.
When Quinn turns to smile at her, Rachel blows her a kiss, offering her own sexy smile in return. “Great form, baby. I’m definitely taking notes.”
QUINN: ‘Baby.’
Yeah, Quinn definitely likes when Rachel calls her that—her heart simultaneously feeling lighter and fuller every time she hears it. And the little kiss that Rachel blows her way makes that feeling grow even stronger.
“Thanks, Rach,” she replies with an easy smile, moving closer to stand beside the return rack, waiting for her ball to return. Quinn still hasn’t settled on a pet name for her girlfriend. It’s kind of hard though when her name is just so perfect as is.
RACHEL: Quinn picks up her ball as soon as it rolls back onto the rack, and Rachel sits back and watches her set up for her second shot. She lets her eyes rake over Quinn’s body once again, reaping the benefits of her front row view while Quinn takes her time lining up.
Rachel is no bowling expert, but she does know the two pins that Quinn left standing are pretty much the hardest to knock over in order to pick up the spare. She wonders if Quinn is good enough to pull it off and decides to pay more attention to her actual bowling form this time rather than her physical form.
Finally ready to make her attempt, Quinn drops her arm and steps forward on a smooth approach to the foul line before letting the ball go.
Rachel waits with baited breath to see where it will go.
QUINN: The ball glides down the right side of the lane straight toward the ten-pin. Quinn’s goal is to hit it on the outside so that it knocks over the seven-pin in the process, but, unfortunately, there wasn’t enough power in her delivery.
The ten-pin falls while the seventh remains standing, thwarting Quinn’s attempt to score a spare in the first frame. She purses her lips in mild frustration—not because she’s actively trying to beat Rachel, but because of that nagging voice inside her that demands perfection.
Fortunately, Rachel’s presence reminds her of why they’re here—to have fun. The results on the scoreboard are secondary.
RACHEL: Rachel cheers again after Quinn sends one of the pins skittering across the floor, and she bounces up from her chair to skip over to her girlfriend as she turns around. “Nice job,” she says, resting her hand on Quinn’s hip and rocking up to press a congratulatory kiss to Quinn’s lips. It might linger just a little longer than is appropriate for the location, but Rachel is still a little worked up from Quinn’s “instruction” session, so she really can’t stop herself from melting into Quinn just a little.
Quinn smiles into the kiss, nipping at Rachel’s lips to prolong the contact before Rachel pulls back with a little hum of pleasure. “Playing with you is going to be a challenge,” she teases.
QUINN: That teeny bit of frustration that lingered disappears the instant Rachel’s lips connect with Quinn’s. Rachel’s kisses are so much better than any personal satisfaction she would ever get from knocking down all ten pins.
“I like to keep you on your toes,” Quinn replies playfully. “Now let’s see if you can top me,” she challenges with a smirk and a raised eyebrow before making her way back to her seat to watch Rachel kick off the next frame.
RACHEL: Oh, Rachel would so very much like to top Quinn.
Shaking off the enticing thought, Rachel flashes her girlfriend a confident grin before she reaches for her ball. Without Quinn within touching distance, serving as an all-too-tempting distraction, she’s determined to improve her performance so she can offer Quinn some real competition.
Rachel takes care to line her shoulders and hips up with the foul line—the way Quinn had showed her—and focuses on the arrows. Even trying to keep her movements fairly smooth on her last turn had resulted in the ball hooking a little to the left, so keeping that in mind, she decides to aim a bit more to the right.
Rachel takes a deep, even breath and concentrates on her steps this time, thinking of them like a choreographed dance. Step right, drop the arm, step left, swing it back, step right, bring it forward, step left, let it fly, and cross.
The ball rolls smoothly down the lane, connecting solidly with the front pins and sending five of them flying. Thrilled with the improvement, she bounces on her toes, applauding her own efforts before she executes a perfect pivot to face Quinn with a challenging smile.
“It’s on now,” she crows, pointing at Quinn as she saunters back over to the ball return.
QUINN: She leans back in her chair, enjoying the sight of Rachel’s hips gently swaying as she walks closer. But even though there’s a sexy playfulness to Rachel’s demeanor, Quinn can see the genuine joy she exudes from improving upon the last frame. And she has always found Rachel’s happiness to be utterly infectious.
“I’m impressed,” Quinn says, raking her eyes over Rachel once more before meeting her gaze and smiling. “Show me what else you’ve got.”
RACHEL: She doesn’t miss the way Quinn’s gaze travels appreciatively over her body, and Rachel momentarily abandons the ball return, wandering a few steps closer to the scoring tablet where Quinn is sitting. Resting her palms lightly against the edge of the tablet, she leans forward with her best sexy smirk firmly in place.
“Oh, I intend to,” she promises naughtily, “but first we have to finish bowling.”
The music is too loud for Rachel to hear Quinn’s indrawn breath, but she certainly sees it, and those hazel eyes really are incredibly expressive—right now they’re expressing unconcealed desire. Rachel is extremely pleased with her efforts, and she winks at Quinn before she straightens and turns, putting an extra sway into her hips as she steps back to the ball return and hefts up her ball.
Mentally, she re-choreographs her bowling approach to include a little extra wiggle as she aligns her body with the foul line, smiling as she imagines Quinn’s eyes lingering on her backside. But Rachel knows she isn’t immune to her own game, so she forces the thought of teasing Quinn out of her mind for the moment and concentrates on the lane and the pins in front of her.
As much as she enjoys flirting with Quinn, Rachel can never fully suppress the competitive side of her nature that really wants to win—even when she knows she might not be the best at something—so she puts on her game-face and decides where to aim to give her the best chance of picking up a spare. And she’ll happily accept any little bit of dumb luck that falls her way if it means coming out on top.
Finishing off her turn with a decent effort, Rachel is only a little disappointed when her ball leaves one stubborn pin standing. But it’s still an improvement from her last frame, so she turns around with a smile on her face and heads for a chair.
“Your turn.”
QUINN: The rest of the game continues like that—playful teasing and flirting—and it makes the results on the scoreboard decidedly secondary. After so many heavy moments since their unexpected reunion last fall, tonight is a welcomed reprieve. Quinn honestly can’t remember the last time she had this much fun, although she knows that Rachel’s company is the main reason why.
Rachel’s sexiness combined with her adorable antics endear Quinn in a way no one else ever has. She’s so glad she decided to give this a chance, and she can’t wait to see where things go.
Rachel’s bowling improves with every frame, and when she (inevitably, Quinn thinks) gets her first strike, the jubilant cheer her girlfriend lets out—followed by an exuberant hug and a kiss—leaves Quinn breathless and smiling and feeling lighter than ever.
RACHEL: There are more than a few eyes on them after Rachel celebrates her strike by practically tackling Quinn, but she finds that she doesn’t really care. Sure, there’s a small part of her that still worries that being so open in her relationship with Quinn might have an adverse effect on her future career, but it’s not nearly significant enough for her to sacrifice the happiness she’s found in being with Quinn this way.
And she wouldn’t trade the joy on Quinn’s face right now for anything.
Rachel gazes at her with unbridled affection. “I’m really glad we decided to do this tonight...and I’m not just saying that because this is the best game I’ve ever bowled,” she promises with a teasing grin, lifting her hand to stroke Quinn’s cheek. “I think you might be my lucky charm, so I’m obviously going to need to keep you around indefinitely,” she muses softly.
QUINN: She wraps her arms around Rachel’s waist, holding her close as she soaks in Rachel’s words and soft touch. No one has ever been so sweet to her, and Quinn can’t stop herself from falling for Rachel all over again. Except this time, she’s not worried about hitting the ground. At least, not the way she was back in high school.
There’s still that lingering worry that Quinn will manage to screw this up eventually, but it’s a distant thought right now.
“I’m definitely not opposed to that,” Quinn replies, lightly pressing her forehead against Rachel’s and gazing into warm, brown eyes—content to stay here like this with Rachel a few moments longer—before finally extracting herself so she can take her turn.
RACHEL: Sighing happily, Rachel settles down into a chair to admire Quinn’s form a little more while she takes her next turn, cheering for her again when she bowls a strike of her own, though it’s certainly not her first one of the night. Quinn had improved upon her first frame and stayed pretty consistent after that, bowling a few strikes and picking up easy spares, so even though Rachel’s name is on top on the scorecard, Quinn keeps topping Rachel on the score.
Their last few frames go by fairly quickly with Quinn unsurprisingly edging out Rachel for the win, and while Rachel is a little disappointed that she lost, she’s proud that she managed to keep the game as close as she had—it really is the best one she’s had since she started bowling again—and she finds that she’s honestly happy to share in Quinn’s victory.
So when Quinn turns around with a triumphant smile, already knowing that she’s won, Rachel is right there waiting to concede her defeat and congratulate the victor with an enthusiastic kiss.
Losing never felt so good.
QUINN: Her eyes close briefly when Rachel’s lips touch hers—her body thrumming with the happy buzz of victory combined with the blissful feeling of being on the receiving end of her girlfriend’s affections. Quinn decides then that if Rachel’s kisses are her reward, she has every incentive to keep winning.
“You up for another game, or should we get something to eat now?” Quinn asks once their lips part, slipping one arm around Rachel’s back, not wanting to break contact completely.
Even though Rachel originally suggested they play a few games first, Quinn wants to check in with her. It also gives her an excuse to hold on to Rachel a little longer.
RACHEL: Being in Quinn’s arms is nice, and Rachel leans into her a little more while she considers their options. On the one hand, if they bowl another game, Rachel might actually be able to improve enough to beat Quinn. One the other hand, she is starting to get a little hungry—for actual food, because she’s been hungry for Quinn since they’d started their little game of back and forth flirting.
Rachel naughtily wonders if Quinn would let her pencil in the option of heading back to her apartment for a quick bite so they can follow up all the teasing with some much needed pleasing.
Sighing, she decides to hold off on that for a bit, admitting, “I could actually go for some food now. We can always play another game later.”
Or—do other things.
QUINN: She watches Rachel’s changing thoughts play out in expressive, brown eyes—intrigued by what she thinks might be going on in her girlfriend’s mind—and Quinn doesn’t miss the little sigh Rachel lets out or the hunger in her gaze that Quinn knows has little to do with food.
Her lips curve up slightly, and she would almost feel bad about all the teasing she’s been doing, but Quinn intends to follow through.
Eventually.
“Okay, let’s get you something to eat then,” Quinn agrees before leading Rachel over to the area where they sell food—consisting mostly of pizza and french fries and other things that are terrible for Quinn’s waistline.
RACHEL: The snackbar really isn’t anything resembling a five-star restaurant, not that Rachel needs that every time they go out. She’d kind of resigned herself to greasy, fried food when she’d agreed to go bowling. Studying the limited menu, Rachel crosses her arms and lifts a finger to tap against her chin as she contemplates what to order.
The hamburger isn’t an option for her, though she does see the small print underneath the menu that proclaims they actually have a garden version. The fries can be ordered as a standalone item with or without melted cheese. The personal pizza could be an option—without the pepperoni of course.
She’s going to have to spend at least an extra hour working this off tomorrow morning regardless of what she chooses.
Glancing at Quinn, she asks, “Do you want to share a cheese pizza with me? We can be bad together,” she teases.
QUINN: Rachel’s teasing comment floods Quinn’s mind with all kinds of ways they can be bad together, and none of them involve food.
Biting her lower lip, Quinn lets herself linger on those thoughts a moment longer before replying, “Sounds perfect. Being good is overrated anyway,” she adds with a sexy smirk.
RACHEL: “So very overrated,” Rachel agrees with a sexy grin of her own, running her fingers down Quinn’s arm. Her girlfriend’s smirk transforms into something a little more hungry—and not for the pizza. Rachel figures it’s only fair.
Stepping up to the counter, she places the order for the pizza, and they both decide to get water to drink. Quinn tries to pay, but Rachel beats her to it, reminding her that, “You paid for the lane.”
The teenage boy behind the counter smirks at the exchange, and Rachel can only imagine where his mind is at as his lascivious gaze moves back and forth between them. She narrows her eyes, frowning at him disapprovingly, but it’s Quinn’s cool glare that has him finally shifting uncomfortably and scurrying away to prepare the order.
Rachel giggles, glances over at Quinn and watching her girlfriend’s hard expression immediately melt into amusement as they share a laugh. It only takes a few minutes for the pizza to be ready, indicating they’re probably precooked and frozen, and the boy lets his less assuming coworker finish the transaction by sliding the tray across the counter.
Quinn gallantly picks it up, and they weave their way through the tables lining the front of the snackbar area until they can claim a clean one for themselves.
QUINN: She can’t deny the feeling of satisfaction she gets from making the boy behind the counter essentially cower with merely a look. Although, it’s nothing compared to the feeling she gets from hearing Rachel laugh, and Quinn finds it so easy to let go enough to join in.
She loves that she can be herself around Rachel, and it’s somewhat amazing that something so simple—sharing pizza in a bowling alley—could make Quinn so happy.
They eat in companionable silence (well, relatively speaking—the top 40 hits continue to play overhead), but that feeling of contentment never leaves Quinn.
“Thanks for coming out here tonight,” she says after finishing her first slice. “I wish I had more than one night a week to spend with you.”
RACHEL: Rachel’s first instinct is to echo the sentiment—she does absolutely wish she could spend more time with Quinn—but Quinn’s innocent comment sends a tiny spike of apprehension twisting in her belly at the thought that maybe the exhausting, often inconvenient schedule that her career demands coupled with the not-insignificant distance between their apartments might eventually interfere with their blossoming relationship.
It’s almost like they’re engaged in a long distance relationship without the distance being all that long, and it can be hard to settle for phone calls and video chats for the six days when their schedules just don’t match.
Rachel has met quite a few actors who seem to believe that only another actor can truly appreciate what it means to work in this industry and that attempting a relationship with anyone outside of it is doomed to failure. Actually, Riley had been one of those people, but considering that they’d ultimately crashed and burned exactly because they were both competing in the industry, Rachel isn’t sure she believes it. Of course, the only semi-successful relationship Rachel has ever managed to sustain was with Finn—the one non-actor (despite Rachel’s attempts to make him otherwise) she’d dated before Quinn—and considering the fact that they were broken up when he died, even that doesn’t bode well for her.
“I wish that too, Quinn,” Rachel says before frowning a little, “but as long as I’m working on Broadway, I’m afraid I’m never going to have very many evenings or weekends to share with you. Of course, we could have mornings...eventually,” she points out with a shy half-smile, but until they reach the stage where Quinn is amenable to spending the weekends with Rachel at her place, this is what they’re left with for as long as Rachel is working. “Is…is my schedule something you’ll be okay with in the long run?”
QUINN: The long run isn’t something Quinn lets herself think about too much if she can help it. She would rather focus on the now rather than worry about the uncertainty of the future. But the fact that Rachel wants this to be a long-run thing warms Quinn and makes her feel a little more settled.
Quinn nods. “You’re worth it,” she assures Rachel. “And I like the idea of spending mornings with you,” she continues, letting herself imagine it briefly as she smiles. It’s something she actively yearns for now. “I know we didn’t talk about it, but you could stay the night… if you want to.”
RACHEL: Rachel’s heart soars at Quinn’s first words, and then her breath catches at the invitation to spend the night. Regardless of whether Quinn means for them to finally follow up the teasing with the pleasing or just cuddle in her bed and actually sleep, Rachel isn’t going to say ‘no.’ She has nowhere to be until tomorrow evening, and there’s nowhere else she’d rather be than right here with Quinn.
“I absolutely want to,” she says without pause, reaching across the table to take Quinn’s hand. “In whatever capacity you want.”
QUINN: She presses her lips together, trying to suppress the wide smile that threatens at Rachel’s agreement to stay the night—knowing that she has so much more time with Rachel leaves her feeling elated.
And even though Quinn would like to take things a bit farther with Rachel on the intimacy front, there’s a measure of relief that comes with Rachel’s assurance that there’s no pressure there.
Gently squeezing Rachel’s hand, Quinn gazes affectionately at her girlfriend. “Let’s see where tonight leads us.”
RACHEL: She’s certain tonight can only lead them to good things, and Rachel grins widely, looking forward to having the entire night and part of the morning with Quinn. Just thinking about waking up in Quinn’s arms has those butterflies jumping for joy. And having breakfast with her in the morning sounds like heaven.
“I can’t wait to find out,” she murmurs, offering Quinn a playful smile. “As long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy.”
QUINN: “Likewise,” she replies happily, returning Rachel’s smile with one of her own before reaching for a second slice of pizza—struggling with it just a bit because she refuses to let go of Rachel’s hand.
Rachel laughs lightly before taking mercy on Quinn and helping her get the slice onto her plate.
“Thanks, Rachel,” Quinn says with a half smile. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” It’s said playfully, but there’s definitely a deeper truth to it. Now that Rachel’s in her life again and they’re in a relationship, Quinn doesn’t want to be without it.
RACHEL: “I don’t plan on letting you find out,” Rachel assures her, watching as a flush of happiness appears on Quinn’s face. She loves the way it looks on her. She loves—well, that’s something she’s getting closer and closer to telling Quinn.
Soon enough, they finish their pizza and decide to enjoy another game of bowling. Returning to their lane, Rachel insists that Quinn go first this time even though her name is still on top—rightfully so—and Quinn agrees, starting off with a strike. Rachel takes it as a challenge, employing the little tricks that Quinn had taught her and taking advantage of the practice she’d gotten in the first game.
The score is even closer this time, but ultimately, Rachel needs to get a strike on the first shot of the last frame to even have a chance of pulling off the win, but she doesn’t quite manage it, picking up a spare instead and knocking down eight pins on her last roll. Quinn beats her by five points.
After that, they turn in their bowling balls and shoes, and Quinn drives Rachel back to her apartment. It’s not until Quinn is about to open the door that Rachel thinks to ask her, “Is Kaitlyn home tonight?”
QUINN: She pauses at Rachel’s question. “Yeah, she should be,” Quinn answers softly. “She told me this morning that she was planning on coming home right after work. You know how she doesn’t like to miss an episode of The Voice,” she adds with an affectionate eye roll. “But that should keep her pretty occupied while we hang out in my room… unless you want to watch, too. I’m fine either way.”
Quinn knows from previous Monday nights at her apartment that Rachel likes watching the show with her roommate, while Quinn is just happy to cuddle on the couch with Rachel as she does so. But tonight feels a little different, and she thinks Rachel might want to skip that.
RACHEL: She does enjoy critiquing the contestants (and the judges) with Kaitlyn, but she’s still buzzing with the thrill of being here for the night and the lingering arousal that Quinn had inspired in her earlier in the evening. She doubts her attention would be on the show tonight when her senses are so tuned in to Quinn.
“I think Kaitlyn will understand if I choose you tonight,” Rachel decides with a grin, curling her hand around the back of Quinn’s neck to bring her closer for brief but meaningful kiss before they go inside.
QUINN: “Mmm, I’m sure she she will,” Quinn agrees with a sultry smile, her lips still tingling from Rachel’s kiss.
Eager to continue kissing Rachel (and potentially doing more than that), Quinn finally opens the front door to her apartment, letting Rachel go first. As expected, Kaitlyn is sitting on the love seat with Piazza curled up in her lap, watching television, but she looks over as Quinn and Rachel walk in, offering them a warm smile before saying hello.
Kaitlyn has been their number one cheerleader—well, besides Stephanie, but Quinn doesn’t see her as often as Rachel sees Kaitlyn—and her genuine happiness for Quinn makes her feel that much more content.
“I hope you don’t mind, but Rachel and I are going to hang out in my room. Rachel’s spending the night,” Quinn informs her roommate, knowing that it won’t be an issue. After all, Michael spends at least one night a week here.
Blue eyes twinkle in amusement. “Of course I don’t mind. My baby will keep me company,” Kaitlyn replies, scratching behind Piazza’s ears. “Maybe I’ll see you guys in the morning?”
RACHEL: “I’m sure you will. I won’t be in any hurry to leave,” Rachel says with a smile, blushing when she realizes how that sounds—true as it may be for all the reasons Kaitlyn is probably thinking. “I mean, I don’t need to be back in Manhattan until tomorrow afternoon,” she explains needlessly, blushing a little more when Kaitlyn gives her knowing smirk.
Quinn laughs lightly, and after bidding her roommate goodnight, she leads Rachel into her bedroom, closing the door behind them.
Grinning, Rachel tosses her purse away and faces Quinn before innocently folding her hands behind her back and rocking on her heels. “So, how shall we pass the time?”
QUINN: The faux innocence of Rachel’s demeanor combined with those doe eyes looking at her has Quinn’s body instantly responding , and it takes all her effort not to step into Rachel’s space, pull her in close, and kiss her until they both can’t breathe.
But these games they play are too much fun for Quinn to give in just yet. Hazel eyes darken as she drinks in the sight of Rachel, standing here in her bedroom, without anyone else around.
“I was thinking we could put on a movie,” she says, slowly stepping closer to Rachel as she does, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend and pressing their foreheads together, “and not watch it.”
Quinn is unable to resist the temptation of having Rachel’s lips so close to her own, so she closes the short distance between them, pressing a kiss against Rachel’s mouth. The response is immediate—Rachel’s hands find their way to Quinn’s upper back as she rocks forward on her feet. But just as Rachel tries to deepen it, Quinn smiles and slowly pulls away, watching her girlfriend’s reaction.
RACHEL: Quinn’s sultry tone and her all-too-brief kiss has Rachel’s arousal instantly rushing back to the surface, and she nearly whimpers when Quinn pulls away with a sexy smirk on her lips. Oh, she knows exactly what she’s doing to Rachel, and she’s loving it.
“The not watching it part sounds nice,” Rachel murmurs, lightly scratching her nails over Quinn’s shoulders as she tries to entice her into another kiss.
QUINN: A pleasant shiver runs through Quinn at the feeling of Rachel’s nails on her back, and she unconsciously licks her lips in response to Rachel’s words before curving them up into a sensual smile.
“I’m glad you agree,” Quinn husks, slowly rubbing her thumbs up and down Rachel’s lower back. She brushes her lips against Rachel’s but doesn’t linger, earning a pout from Rachel, which is truthfully very difficult to resist. “Any preferences for tonight’s movie?”
RACHEL: The stroke of Quinn’s thumbs against her back is making it increasingly difficult for Rachel to focus on anything but getting closer to Quinn, especially when she’s already distracted by the motion of Quinn’s lips forming words that barely matter in the seconds before they tease Rachel with another fleeting kiss.
Frustrated, Rachel puffs out her lower lip and gazes at Quinn with unconcealed longing. “Since we’re not watching it anyway, I think French Kiss seems apropos,” she offers huskily.
QUINN: “Hmm, good choice,” Quinn agrees, a pleasant thrill running through her at Rachel’s words and the look in her eyes. And those pouting lips and the memory of the feeling of Rachel’s tongue has Quinn wanting to do exactly that with Rachel.
Granted, Quinn has no idea if the movie even available on Netflix, but it hardly matters if they’re not actually going to watch it. And there’s a good chance she’ll never get a chance to turn her television on, let alone look for a movie, because Rachel’s mouth is oh so tempting, and Quinn has teased her girlfriend enough.
“And definitely apropos,” Quinn adds before taking mercy on them both and capturing Rachel’s lips with her own.
RACHEL: ‘Finally,’ Rachel thinks, eagerly falling into Quinn’s kiss. Her lips part instantly, and she presses closer to her girlfriend’s lithe body, savoring the feel of her curves as she lets her open hands wander over Quinn’s muscled back.
One of Quinn’s hands travels lower to cup Rachel’s ass while the other slides up to delve into her hair and hold her in place as she deepens the kiss. Rachel moans softly, her hips rocking forward as her fingers slip underneath the edge of Quinn’s shirt—just far enough to feel the heat of her skin. She wants to be touching Quinn everywhere all at once and have Quinn touch her everywhere in return.
Arousal spikes with every stroke of Quinn’s talented tongue, and Rachel’s hands inch a little higher. All thoughts of not watching movies fly out of her head—this version of French kiss is much, much better.
QUINN: Rachel’s body feels so good against Quinn’s, and those soft hands on the bare skin of her back send small ripples of pleasure through her. But even better than that is how Rachel responds to her kisses—Quinn can practically feel Rachel’s want, and a part of her still can’t believe that this is even happening.
But it’s happening, and Quinn is savoring every touch and taste.
Tightening her grip ever so slightly, Quinn then guides Rachel backwards until the backs of her knees hit the mattress of her bed, gently coaxing her girlfriend to sit even as she leans forward and continues kissing her.
RACHEL: When Rachel feels the back of her legs bump the edge of Quinn’s bed, she immediately allows Quinn to guide her down and urge her back further into the center of the bed. Her body is practically vibrating with anticipation, wanting nothing more than to have Quinn press her into the mattress while she thoroughly demonstrates her exceptional kissing technique—preferably on every inch of Rachel’s body.
Rachel moans softly at the wicked images that pop into her head, and her legs part to make room for Quinn’s body as she slowly moves over Rachel, following her down, while Rachel’s curious hands drag higher on her girlfriend’s back to pull her closer, pushing her shirt higher and higher around her ribs. The tip of her tongue teases at Quinn’s glorious lips before her teeth catch them in a gentle bite, and it’s Quinn’s turn to moan—her fingers curling into Rachel’s thighs.
Rachel really can’t resist the urge to throw one of her legs over Quinn’s, aligning their hips in the most delightful way as she smiles against Quinn’s mouth, almost purring in pleasure. “Mmm...you feel so good, baby.”
QUINN: Quinn’s mouth falls open in pleasure as Rachel pulls her closer. They breathe each other in as Rachel teases and tempts Quinn’s lips.
“Mmm, I’m glad you think so, because all I want is to make you feel good, Rachel,” Quinn confesses in a soft breath before rocking her hips forward and pressing against Rachel, earning her a soft moan and a tightening of hands against her shoulder blades.
Pink lips curve into a satisfied smirk. “You like that, baby?” she asks, deciding she likes the way the pet name sounds on her tongue as she rolls her hips once more and watches Rachel’s face carefully.
RACHEL: Does she like it?
As if Quinn even has to ask.
Rachel is currently floating in a sea of sensation—her body, heart, and mind completely submerged in Quinn. Tendrils of desire race through her blood and over her skin from every contact point between their bodies, and her back arches slightly in an attempt to increase the magnificent friction Quinn’s hips keep offering in too-fleeting tastes. Eyelids fluttering closed, Rachel practically whimpers in pleasure.
She drags her nails over Quinn’s back once again and then changes direction so that she’s scratching them lightly against Quinn’s ribs. Her fingers catch the edge of Quinn’s bra and itch to go further—to push the material away and explore the perfect curves of her breasts. It’s been so long since she’s wanted someone as much as she wants Quinn right now.
But beyond the physical, Rachel’s heart is soaring from Quinn’s vow—the earnest desire to make Rachel feel good—followed by the endearment that sounds far more sensual than sweet on Quinn’s lips. Having Quinn call her ‘baby’ somehow makes Rachel melt and catch fire at the same time, and she doesn’t doubt for a moment that Quinn intends to follow through with her promise to make sure Rachel always comes first.
“I love it,” Rachel murmurs—barely managing to mentally edit that last word so this moment won’t be complicated with things Quinn probably isn’t ready for them to say just yet. But oh, Rachel is very much feeling it, and it only makes her want Quinn all the more.
QUINN: Rachel’s touch is somewhat distracting—every inch of skin those talented fingers caress sends a spark of warmth through Quinn—but she loves having this affect on Rachel. She loves making her feel good, and the physical connection between them right now allows Quinn to express just how much she loves Rachel, because the words themselves are far too scary right now.
Quinn lowers her mouth once more to capture soft lips in a heated kiss as she starts rocking her hips in a steady rhythm, getting lost in the feeling of Rachel’s body arching against her, fingers wandering and occasionally digging into the skin of Quinn’s back, the taste of her lips, and the sweet scent of her perfume.
RACHEL: The steady rock of Quinn’s hips is doing amazing things to Rachel. The thin material of her leggings is proving to be a blessedly weak barrier against the seam of Quinn’s jeans, and the hard nub of denim at the base of the zipper is rubbing against Rachel in exactly the right place. Every movement creates sparks of pleasure, feeding the fire, and Rachel wraps her legs around Quinn in an effort to increase the sensation, gasping at the blissful result when Quinn presses into her again.
“Oh…don’t stop,” she moans mindlessly against Quinn’s lips, digging her nails into Quinn’s back as she cants her hips.
She’s almost embarrassingly wet right now and so very turned on that Quinn could very well succeed at making her come just like this—and they haven’t even taken off a single piece of clothing! As much as Rachel wants to rectify that oversight, she really doesn’t want Quinn to stop doing exactly what she’s doing right now.
QUINN: “Wasn’t planning on it,” Quinn breathes against Rachel’s mouth, feeling warmth spread through her as the desire between them steadily builds to a fever pitch—their bodies moving in perfect sync. Despite them both still being fully clothed, with the way Rachel is wrapped around Quinn and those brown eyes blown black with desire gaze up at her, she’s never felt so connected to another person before.
Quinn’s breaths grow heavier as she continues to cant her hips, and Rachel lets out a soft gasp as her fingers clutch at Quinn’s back. It’s enough to push Quinn closer to the edge, but she fully intends to keep her promise of making sure Rachel always comes first.
RACHEL: She’s going to come. She has absolutely no doubt. Her stomach muscles tighten, her thighs tremble, and ripples of pleasure radiate out from her center with every thrust of Quinn’s hips. Her hands scrabble for purchase on Quinn’s body, pressing against the heated skin of Quinn’s back while her own body arches and writhes in an effort to get impossibly closer.
Forcing her eyes to stay open, Rachel focuses on Quinn’s face—a breathtaking mix of desire, bliss, and determination as she gazes intently at Rachel between breathless kisses and soft moans. It’s as if Quinn needs to catalogue every, single one of Rachel’s reactions to her, and in doing so, Rachel can see the endless chasm of emotion left completely unguarded behind hazel eyes.
It’s everything.
All for her.
And it’s more than enough to send Rachel tumbling into ecstasy.
QUINN: When Rachel comes—back bowed, body trembling beneath Quinn as her mouth falls open, letting out a soft cry—Quinn swears she’s never seen anything more beautiful in her life. She does her best to keep her eyes open, wanting to focus on Rachel’s face, but her own pleasure is building, and Quinn can’t hold on any longer.
The rhythm of her own hips stutters then, and Quinn gasps as her eyes roll back, following Rachel over the edge.
RACHEL: The aftershocks of her climax are still rocking through Rachel when Quinn’s body goes rigid above her and the most amazing sound falls from her lips. She forces her eyes open just in time to witness the beauty of Quinn’s release—her face awash in rapture—and she’s right there to catch Quinn when she finally collapses bonelessly on top of Rachel.
Still struggling to catch her breath, Rachel instantly wraps her arms around Quinn and holds her as close as she can with trembling arms, grinning blissfully when she feels Quinn nuzzle her neck—brushing a kiss against the damp skin there.
“Wow,” Rachel breathes out. “If you can do that to me fully dressed, I can’t wait to see what you can do when our clothes come off.”
QUINN: She smiles against Rachel’s skin, feeling a swell of pride in response to her girlfriend’s words. But more than that, Quinn feels content and safe and cared for here in Rachel’s arms. It’s not often that she’s held like this after she comes, but she trusts Rachel and savors this moment of quiet intimacy in the afterglow.
Quinn presses another soft kiss to the curve of Rachel’s neck before pushing herself up on her forearms to look at Rachel once more, and the sated smile that greets Quinn has her own lips tugging further up.
“Me neither,” Quinn replies before biting her lower lip, thinking about all the ways she’ll make Rachel feel good. “I intended on getting you a little more undressed, but I just couldn’t wait any longer. You’re kind of irresistible.”
RACHEL: “I know I am,” Rachel responds with a cheeky grin as she gazes up at her gorgeous (and wonderfully disheveled) girlfriend. She can feel the quiet chuckle vibrate through Quinn—bodies pressed together as they are—and she brings a hand up to stroke Quinn’s cheek. “But so are you,” she whispers adoringly.
And Rachel has no desire to even try to resist Quinn ever again. There’s an ‘I love you’ dancing on the tip of her tongue—desperate to escape into the air between them—but she swallows it down for the moment. She doesn’t want the first time she says the words to happen right after they’d dry-humped each other into mutual orgasms in the middle of Quinn’s bed with her roommate watching The Voice in the next room.
So Rachel says it without words, lifting her head off the mattress far enough to close the scant distance between them and capture Quinn’s lips in a soft kiss filled with everything she’s feeling.
QUINN: This kiss feels different than the ones that came before—the desire has lessened but it’s no less intense, filled more with the yearning of their hearts as opposed to their bodies—and Quinn practically melts into it.
She never thought she’d ever have this kind of connection with Rachel—it was something she had wistfully longed for all those years ago—but the real thing so far surpasses any of Quinn’s imaginings. Actually being the focus of Rachel’s affections makes Quinn happier than she even knew possible.
RACHEL: Quinn’s kiss arouses all of Rachel’s tender emotions, and she wants to believe that she can feel all of Quinn’s emotions being poured into her in kind. When their lips part, Rachel sighs in contentment and feels herself fall a little deeper.
She knows their relationship isn’t perfect by any means—Quinn still isn’t ready to spend time with any of Rachel’s friends apart from Stephanie, and there are moments when Quinn’s mind takes her to dark places—but right now it feels pretty close. She hasn’t felt this happy in a very long time, and the way Quinn is looking at her right now makes her heart soar.
“Can we just stay here forever?” she murmurs dreamily.
QUINN: “I’d like that,” Quinn replies with a soft smile, loving how in sync Rachel is with her. Sometimes, like right now for instance, it’s almost as if Rachel read her mind.
“I’m so glad you’re staying over tonight,” Quinn confesses, “because I really don’t want you to go.”
RACHEL: “Well, that works out well, because I’m not going anywhere,” Rachel promises, reaching up to tuck a strand of messy blonde hair behind Quinn’s ear. The light-hearted grin on Quinn’s lips is absolutely adorable, and Rachel feels her own lips curving to match. She almost feels like she’s sixteen again—albeit having just been skillfully debauched in ways her sixteen-year-old self hadn’t yet dared to dream about.
Biting into her lip, Rachel gazes up at Quinn a little shyly. “So I hope you’re not opposed to lending me something a little more comfortable to sleep in. I didn’t exactly...come prepared.”
QUINN: “Not a problem,” Quinn replies easily, very much liking the idea of Rachel wearing her clothes—especially her pajamas. “But I really don’t feel like moving just yet… I like it here,” she adds before dropping another kiss to Rachel’s lips.
Quinn is in no hurry to break their kiss, but she’s content to follow Rachel’s lead and let her girlfriend be the one to pull away, deepen it, or stay just like this.
RACHEL: Threading her fingers into Quinn’s hair, Rachel sinks into the kiss. The ever-present desire that sparks so easily between them is currently muted somewhat by the pleasant lethargy from her recent release, and Rachel is more than content just to enjoy trading lazy kisses with Quinn until they fall asleep in each other’s arms.
When they do eventually part, Rachel assures Quinn that, “I like having you here. You can stay as long as you want. We have all night.”
Quinn hums in agreement, smiling down at Rachel before shifting her weight and dropping down onto the mattress next to her. Their bodies naturally realign, curving into each other until their legs are tangled together and they’re content in one another’s embraces. Rachel doesn’t plan to ever let go.
