Fic: Maternity shopping for smash_leigh
Title - Maternity shopping
Pairing/characters - Kurt, Quinn (Friendship fic)
Rating - PG
Summary - Being pregnant is no excuse to not be fashionable.
“Oh, no.”
Quinn froze, back rigid, at the voice behind her. As the footsteps approached she turned a little, bringing her arm up in front of her protectively.
“Is that...polyester blend? Oh Quinn, no! And...Quinn there is an embroidered kitten frolicking on the hemline of your top. WHAT has gone wrong?”
Quinn blushed, reaching her hand down quickly to cover said kitten but exposing the garland of poppies on her shoulder. Kurt's eyebrow shot up and she blushed.
“Not all of us have unlimited funds any more, you know. I...this is the best I could do for maternity wear...”
It was embarrassing but it had become clear over the weekend that the last of her baggy tops just weren't going to work any more, so she'd scrapped together what little money she had and gone to the mall, and it was embarrassing to have to wear there things, the top really was horrible. There had been lace and little bows too though she'd got rid of them at least courtesy of a pair of scissors.
“Oh Quinn,” Kurt said with an understanding sigh, slipping his arm through hers, “You have so much to learn. You think I buy my clothes new? My dad runs a garage. You need to be, creative! There's no reason you can't be stylish on a budget!”
“Fine, you think it's so easy, you dress me!” she said, and almost felt like she'd made a mistake when she saw the strange glint light up Kurt's eye and the smile spread across his face.
“Oh, I will. Come on, let's go now.”
“It's only half way through the school day and I have no money,” Quinn said, shaking her head. All the money she had been able to scrape together had gone to supplement the horrible hand-me-down maternity wear from Mrs Hudson with a few monstrosities like the ones she was wearing. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate what Kurt was trying to do, she just had to accept this for now.
“Quinn, I will donate my allowance to the cause. Seeing you like this, it hurts me. It hurts us all. I know you're not head cheerleader any more but that is not excuse to not be fabulous and so many people look to you to look good, you need to try!”
“Well...I mean...” Quinn stuttered, blushing a little.
“Let's face it,” Kurt said, getting them moving towards the door again. “The people in this school with a modicum of style are pretty limited. Those of us who do know how to look good have a duty to do so!”
“I've still got classes,” she tried, in one last attempt to...she wasn't even sure now. Uphold her dignity? Stop a boy she'd mocked mercilessly for years now being the one to come to her rescue?
“There is nothing you can learn in geography that is more valuable then the education I'm about to give you,” Kurt said authoritatively, and they were out of the door into the parking lot.
~*~*~*~
“Kurt, this is an outlet mall,” Quinn hissed. Kurt gave her a condescending look and, well, she knew it had been a stupid thing to say but, well, really! She'd never been in one of these places before and there was just something about it. She could just imagine the look on her mother's face if she knew her daughter was shopping in an outlet mall.
“You can pick up awesome deals here,” Kurt said, walking purposefully into the store.
“But...isn't this like returned stuff?” Quinn hissed, following Kurt. He nodded, stopping to get his bearing and changing direction slightly.
“Yes, and discontinued stock,” he said. “But, Quinn, think about it. Ok, pregnant women need new clothes, but they only need them for a few months then you'll outgrow them again, and it's the same for every pregnant woman. So, they buy clothes and then return them. Or they buy clothes and then send them to charity shops, which is where we're going next by the way...”
“Oh no,” Quinn said, crossing her arms over her chest, “I am NOT going to wear something from a charity shop...”
“Oh Quinn, where do you think I got my Marc Jacobs jacket?”
“You didn't?”
“This outlet mall,” Kurt said, looking straight into her eyes. “And my Doc. Martin Lace up boots were totally a charity shop find, I can't believe anyone ever gave them away. And, ok, most of my pieces come from online retailers, I get like a hundred e-mails about sales and stuff a day, but there are good things to be found here, Quinn, and you're not in a position to wait, you need something now.”
“Fine,” she snapped, looking about. She seriously doubted they were going to find any quality labels or branded clothing here but, well, she didn't have much choice. She was here now, she might as well go along for the ride and Kurt seemed to sure, though she still wasn't quite sure why he was helping.
“Here,” he said, stopping and gesturing at a rack of clothes, and then he delved in and started pulling things out, apparently focused on entirely on shopping now, holding garments up and putting them back in quick succession.
And Quinn just went with it, it seemed there was no point arguing.
~*~*~*
“Here, try this one, it's got a better neck line for you then the last one,” Kurt said, thrusting his hand behind the flimsy curtain that hid Quinn from the charity shop. She jumped a little, then reached out and took the top quickly and Kurt was gone again, leaving the curtain safely closed in his wake. If he wasn't gay with a capital G and probably after her boyfriend she'd be deeply worried by now with his flitting in and out but, well, there was only so much threatening she could find him when he was dispensing fashion advice.
She changed tops quickly, and had to admit that she liked the new top. She still wasn't keen on the idea of wearing second hand clothes, but she had to admit that Kurt was finding nice things, much better then what she'd been able to buy new. And it was a little reassuring to know that, while he dressed like he was, he wasn't so above the rest of them. He gave the impression that he could just buy the stuff he wore new, it was oddly good to know it was a lie. It made him more...manageable.
Hell, she was even starting to like him a little. They'd been at this for hours and he hadn't made one dig at how she'd gotten pregnant or one insinuation that it made her a bad person. And he made her look better, and one thing that always made her feel better was looking better.
“Are you decent?” his voice from outside the cubicle. She jumped a little and shouted yes, and he quickly stuck his head in, taking her in with a quick nod. “Oh yes, that one's much better. I've got a few more for you to try and then we could hit the shops down the other side of town...”
“Kurt,” she said, suddenly a little nervous. “It's just, I mean, thanks for all this but, I'm getting a little tired...” IT was true and she hadn't wanted to admit it, but pregnancy was a little draining, and it had been a long day and she'd been in her feet for most of it. “Can we call it quits after this one? I have enough now and Mrs. Hudson's going to be pissed enough when I go back with all this to be washed...”
“Oh, don't worry about that,” Kurt said, gesturing dismissively. “I'd planned on heading back to mine and washing all this first, wouldn't want to cause waves. If you're feeling tired we can finish here, go back to mine and get this stuff washed. Sound good?”
“Yes,” Quinn said, and it honestly did.
“Good, these last tops and then we'll be done,” he said, disappearing around the curtain again, and Quinn somehow still couldn't find the words to ask him why he was doing this.
~*~*~*~
It was hours later, wrapped in an blanket on Kurt's couch, a mug of hot chocolate in her hands, watching him iron her new clothes that she finally found herself able to say it. Since they got back they'd watched a movie, bitching about the horrible costume choices and arguing about if cheesy overdone plots were necessarily a bad thing.
When the clothes were washed and dry Kurt had set to ironing, putting some quiet music on in the background, and they'd been there in companionable silence until she finally said it.
“Why are you doing this for me?”
Kurt didn't look up, he just carried on ironing. “I told her earlier, it hurts the school to see you in such a state, and it offends my fashion sense.”
“Everything offends your fashion sense, Kurt, and you haven't taken anyone else out and bought them a new wardrobe. And, let's face it, we're not friends. We're not even really acquaintances, we don't talk or anything. So why.”
Kurt finished ironing the top he was on, folded it carefully and set it aside before turning to look at her. He stared for a minute, as it trying to work her out, then shrugged a little.
“I guess...I guess I just know how it is, you know. I've always been the bottom of the food chain, sure, but I know it's not easy down here and at least I have the other Glee kids, Mercedes and Tina and everyone. I guess I just, I just wanted you to know you're not alone. Things suck right now, I get that, but you're not the only one down here is social no-man's-land and if you need a friend...”
“What's in it for you?” she asked, shifting a little. She wasn't used to people reaching out to her, it had been a long time since she needed it and normally it worked the other way round, people extending invitations of friendship to her.
“I get to give you a fabulous makeover?” Kurt said, shrugging. “I don't know Quinn. Maybe I just want a friend too. You're not the only one who feels lonely.”
“I know,” she mumbled, shifting. “Sorry. I...thank you. Today's been great, maybe we can do it again some time?”
“Definitely,” Kurt said with a grin, turning back to his ironing. “We didn't even get round to the best charity shop. When we're done with you, you are going to be the best dressed pregnant lady in Ohio.”
“I'll count on it, thanks.”
Pairing/characters - Kurt, Quinn (Friendship fic)
Rating - PG
Summary - Being pregnant is no excuse to not be fashionable.
“Oh, no.”
Quinn froze, back rigid, at the voice behind her. As the footsteps approached she turned a little, bringing her arm up in front of her protectively.
“Is that...polyester blend? Oh Quinn, no! And...Quinn there is an embroidered kitten frolicking on the hemline of your top. WHAT has gone wrong?”
Quinn blushed, reaching her hand down quickly to cover said kitten but exposing the garland of poppies on her shoulder. Kurt's eyebrow shot up and she blushed.
“Not all of us have unlimited funds any more, you know. I...this is the best I could do for maternity wear...”
It was embarrassing but it had become clear over the weekend that the last of her baggy tops just weren't going to work any more, so she'd scrapped together what little money she had and gone to the mall, and it was embarrassing to have to wear there things, the top really was horrible. There had been lace and little bows too though she'd got rid of them at least courtesy of a pair of scissors.
“Oh Quinn,” Kurt said with an understanding sigh, slipping his arm through hers, “You have so much to learn. You think I buy my clothes new? My dad runs a garage. You need to be, creative! There's no reason you can't be stylish on a budget!”
“Fine, you think it's so easy, you dress me!” she said, and almost felt like she'd made a mistake when she saw the strange glint light up Kurt's eye and the smile spread across his face.
“Oh, I will. Come on, let's go now.”
“It's only half way through the school day and I have no money,” Quinn said, shaking her head. All the money she had been able to scrape together had gone to supplement the horrible hand-me-down maternity wear from Mrs Hudson with a few monstrosities like the ones she was wearing. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate what Kurt was trying to do, she just had to accept this for now.
“Quinn, I will donate my allowance to the cause. Seeing you like this, it hurts me. It hurts us all. I know you're not head cheerleader any more but that is not excuse to not be fabulous and so many people look to you to look good, you need to try!”
“Well...I mean...” Quinn stuttered, blushing a little.
“Let's face it,” Kurt said, getting them moving towards the door again. “The people in this school with a modicum of style are pretty limited. Those of us who do know how to look good have a duty to do so!”
“I've still got classes,” she tried, in one last attempt to...she wasn't even sure now. Uphold her dignity? Stop a boy she'd mocked mercilessly for years now being the one to come to her rescue?
“There is nothing you can learn in geography that is more valuable then the education I'm about to give you,” Kurt said authoritatively, and they were out of the door into the parking lot.
~*~*~*~
“Kurt, this is an outlet mall,” Quinn hissed. Kurt gave her a condescending look and, well, she knew it had been a stupid thing to say but, well, really! She'd never been in one of these places before and there was just something about it. She could just imagine the look on her mother's face if she knew her daughter was shopping in an outlet mall.
“You can pick up awesome deals here,” Kurt said, walking purposefully into the store.
“But...isn't this like returned stuff?” Quinn hissed, following Kurt. He nodded, stopping to get his bearing and changing direction slightly.
“Yes, and discontinued stock,” he said. “But, Quinn, think about it. Ok, pregnant women need new clothes, but they only need them for a few months then you'll outgrow them again, and it's the same for every pregnant woman. So, they buy clothes and then return them. Or they buy clothes and then send them to charity shops, which is where we're going next by the way...”
“Oh no,” Quinn said, crossing her arms over her chest, “I am NOT going to wear something from a charity shop...”
“Oh Quinn, where do you think I got my Marc Jacobs jacket?”
“You didn't?”
“This outlet mall,” Kurt said, looking straight into her eyes. “And my Doc. Martin Lace up boots were totally a charity shop find, I can't believe anyone ever gave them away. And, ok, most of my pieces come from online retailers, I get like a hundred e-mails about sales and stuff a day, but there are good things to be found here, Quinn, and you're not in a position to wait, you need something now.”
“Fine,” she snapped, looking about. She seriously doubted they were going to find any quality labels or branded clothing here but, well, she didn't have much choice. She was here now, she might as well go along for the ride and Kurt seemed to sure, though she still wasn't quite sure why he was helping.
“Here,” he said, stopping and gesturing at a rack of clothes, and then he delved in and started pulling things out, apparently focused on entirely on shopping now, holding garments up and putting them back in quick succession.
And Quinn just went with it, it seemed there was no point arguing.
~*~*~*
“Here, try this one, it's got a better neck line for you then the last one,” Kurt said, thrusting his hand behind the flimsy curtain that hid Quinn from the charity shop. She jumped a little, then reached out and took the top quickly and Kurt was gone again, leaving the curtain safely closed in his wake. If he wasn't gay with a capital G and probably after her boyfriend she'd be deeply worried by now with his flitting in and out but, well, there was only so much threatening she could find him when he was dispensing fashion advice.
She changed tops quickly, and had to admit that she liked the new top. She still wasn't keen on the idea of wearing second hand clothes, but she had to admit that Kurt was finding nice things, much better then what she'd been able to buy new. And it was a little reassuring to know that, while he dressed like he was, he wasn't so above the rest of them. He gave the impression that he could just buy the stuff he wore new, it was oddly good to know it was a lie. It made him more...manageable.
Hell, she was even starting to like him a little. They'd been at this for hours and he hadn't made one dig at how she'd gotten pregnant or one insinuation that it made her a bad person. And he made her look better, and one thing that always made her feel better was looking better.
“Are you decent?” his voice from outside the cubicle. She jumped a little and shouted yes, and he quickly stuck his head in, taking her in with a quick nod. “Oh yes, that one's much better. I've got a few more for you to try and then we could hit the shops down the other side of town...”
“Kurt,” she said, suddenly a little nervous. “It's just, I mean, thanks for all this but, I'm getting a little tired...” IT was true and she hadn't wanted to admit it, but pregnancy was a little draining, and it had been a long day and she'd been in her feet for most of it. “Can we call it quits after this one? I have enough now and Mrs. Hudson's going to be pissed enough when I go back with all this to be washed...”
“Oh, don't worry about that,” Kurt said, gesturing dismissively. “I'd planned on heading back to mine and washing all this first, wouldn't want to cause waves. If you're feeling tired we can finish here, go back to mine and get this stuff washed. Sound good?”
“Yes,” Quinn said, and it honestly did.
“Good, these last tops and then we'll be done,” he said, disappearing around the curtain again, and Quinn somehow still couldn't find the words to ask him why he was doing this.
~*~*~*~
It was hours later, wrapped in an blanket on Kurt's couch, a mug of hot chocolate in her hands, watching him iron her new clothes that she finally found herself able to say it. Since they got back they'd watched a movie, bitching about the horrible costume choices and arguing about if cheesy overdone plots were necessarily a bad thing.
When the clothes were washed and dry Kurt had set to ironing, putting some quiet music on in the background, and they'd been there in companionable silence until she finally said it.
“Why are you doing this for me?”
Kurt didn't look up, he just carried on ironing. “I told her earlier, it hurts the school to see you in such a state, and it offends my fashion sense.”
“Everything offends your fashion sense, Kurt, and you haven't taken anyone else out and bought them a new wardrobe. And, let's face it, we're not friends. We're not even really acquaintances, we don't talk or anything. So why.”
Kurt finished ironing the top he was on, folded it carefully and set it aside before turning to look at her. He stared for a minute, as it trying to work her out, then shrugged a little.
“I guess...I guess I just know how it is, you know. I've always been the bottom of the food chain, sure, but I know it's not easy down here and at least I have the other Glee kids, Mercedes and Tina and everyone. I guess I just, I just wanted you to know you're not alone. Things suck right now, I get that, but you're not the only one down here is social no-man's-land and if you need a friend...”
“What's in it for you?” she asked, shifting a little. She wasn't used to people reaching out to her, it had been a long time since she needed it and normally it worked the other way round, people extending invitations of friendship to her.
“I get to give you a fabulous makeover?” Kurt said, shrugging. “I don't know Quinn. Maybe I just want a friend too. You're not the only one who feels lonely.”
“I know,” she mumbled, shifting. “Sorry. I...thank you. Today's been great, maybe we can do it again some time?”
“Definitely,” Kurt said with a grin, turning back to his ironing. “We didn't even get round to the best charity shop. When we're done with you, you are going to be the best dressed pregnant lady in Ohio.”
“I'll count on it, thanks.”