Fic: I Remember Our Love (9/?)
Title: I Remember Our Love (9/?)
Pairing: Quinn Fabray/Rachel Berry
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Just having a little fun.
A/N 1: This chapter takes you through Rachel and Quinn’s day. Sort a like ‘A Day in the Life of’.
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Rachel walks down the hallway of McKinley High with her head held high, books clutched tightly to her chest. It had steadily been getting easier. The first day she walked down the hallway without being attached to Quinn’s hand or arm felt weird. She was unsure, nervous, and didn’t make eye contact with anyone. Now when she walks down the hallway, she walks directly down the middle, a bright smile on her lips.
“Hey, hot mama,” Mercedes calls to her once Rachel approaches.
“Good morning, Mercedes,” she replies. “I trust all is well.”
“Mhm.” She grabs a couple books out of her locker before journeying with Rachel to class. “I see you finally have this whole confidence thing down to a science,” she comments.
Rachel continues to walk beside the girl, performing a brief introspection before replying. “I feel…good, Mercedes,” she says sincerely. “I feel like I’m starting to know exactly who I am.”
And she did. Rachel has found out a lot about herself these past couple of weeks. For instance, she realized one day at lunch, while she was sitting with Mercedes, Artie, Tina, and Kurt, instead of Quinn, that she was one of the only people ever, in their opinion, that didn’t like ketchup on her hotdog. Something so simple, yet it meant so much to her. She was growing and learning and coming into her own as a person.
She still saw the blonde at school, in the hallways, during glee club, it was inevitable. But Quinn respected her wishes. Whenever they were in the same space at the same time, Quinn would always simply say to her “Hey, Rach” before going about her business. Rachel could always see the longing in hazel eyes. The same longing she was sure was present in her own eyes but she never did anything about it. She wanted space and she was finally getting it. She wouldn’t ruin it by running back into the blonde’s arms. No matter how much she wanted to.
“Have you figured out your type yet?”
The question catches Rachel off guard and she shakes her head of her thoughts before responding with confusion. “Type? I’m not sure what you mean.”
Mercedes rolls her eyes playfully at her friend before continuing. “You know. Your type. Quinn’s the hot, blonde, cheerleader type that all the boys go crazy for…”
Rachel zones out of the conversation as she thinks of Quinn with respect to what Mercedes was saying. The girl was right. Quinn was hot. In the beginning of their fake relationship Rachel recalls never being able to keep her hands to herself. Every time she was around the blonde she was more inclined to touch, and kiss…and occasionally lick. Quinn minded at first. Really minded. She didn’t appreciate Rachel’s advances and now Rachel knows why. But as time went on, Rachel suspects that Quinn truly must have fallen in love with her. When that happened, Rachel’s touches weren’t only allowed, they were encouraged. And they were usually followed by touches that Quinn provided. Rachel remembers the taller girl’s touch well. Firm, but careful, exploring, loving.
“Hello,” Mercedes drawls as she waves a hand in front of Rachel face, trying to get her attention. “Honestly, Rach, where do you go sometimes?” she questions.
Blushing at the thought of having to answer Mercedes innocent question with very dirty thoughts, Rachel changes the subject. “I’m terribly sorry, Mercedes. What were you saying?”
“I was saying,” Mercedes continues as they start walking again, “what do you consider your type of girl? Or boy? Have you even given boys thought?”
“No,” Rachel says in contemplation. “I guess I haven’t thought about boys much at all. Or girls for that matter.”
Mercedes tilts her head to the side as she regards Rachel with a soft expression. Amnesia made her seem like an adorable little girl sometimes. “Well then I think it’s time you did. Come on.” She grabs the smaller girl’s hand and lugs her down the hallway.
“Where are we going?” Rachel calls to her.
“To glee.”
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Quinn watches as Rachel enters the choir room, sighing softly when she sits beside Mercedes and not her as she used to do.
“She hasn’t sat beside you for about three weeks now, Fabray. Suck it up.”
The ever so sweet and gentle words of Santana Lopez drift to her ears and the yearning look on her face that was normally reserved for Rachel turns into a scowl that she usually reserves for…everyone else.
But she knew Santana was right. It had been about three weeks since Rachel asked for space. But it was still hard. She sees the girl everyday and every time Rachel’s in her line of vision or she hears her high pitched voice, her heart begins to ache. She doesn’t make a big show out of it, however. Rachel wanted space and that was the least Quinn could give her, considering everything she’s done.
She sighs again as she decides moping won’t get her anywhere, and joins Santana and Brittany in conversation.
“See, look,” Mercedes whispers to Rachel. “You have a whole room of people to choose from.”
Rachel turns her head to look at her fellow glee clubbers as they chat amongst themselves. Her eyes first land on Kurt. She regards him for a second, recalling a conversation that she and Quinn had one day. Quinn said that Kurt only liked other boys and that he wouldn’t dare touch a girl. That ruled him out.
She then turns her attention to Artie. Artie was a nice boy. She finds it odd that he always went out of his way to inform everyone that just because he was wheel chair bound didn’t mean anything. Apparently, his sexual organs were in perfect order. But, Tina liked him. So that ruled him out. That also ruled out Tina. Rachel continues to scan the room. She quickly glances past Finn for the simple fact that he had two left feet and that just would not do. She also glances past Puck, because…gross.
Her eyes land on the three Cherrios as they talk about who knows what. Rachel notes that there’s a lot of eye rolling and attitude going on. Must be a cheerleader thing. She looks at Santana. She thinks the girl is pretty, really pretty, but kind of a bitch. Especially to her. She then looks at Brittany. Brittany’s a hot, blond cheerleader just like Quinn, but something’s not right. And it’s not the fact that she isn’t smart. She’s just…not Quinn.
Speaking of Quinn…Rachel turns to look at her. Quinn was miles above the rest. She was pretty and blonde like Brittany, but she was smart, and often got good grades in her class. She tended to be a bitch like Santana, but that was only to other people. Ever since their fake relationship started, Rachel’s never seen Quinn’s bitchy side directed at her.
Her eyes continue to travel the length of Quinn’s body until she meets her face. And hazel eyes are staring right back at her.
Quinn watches curiously as Rachel watches her. She sees the look of wonder in the brunette’s eyes, as if she’s seeing Quinn for the first time. This situation reminds Quinn of startling a bunny or a deer. If she made any sudden movements, Rachel would more than likely flee. But she doesn’t. She stands perfectly still and holds the other girl’s gaze.
Rachel watches as Quinn’s stiff posture sort of melts under her gaze. Her shoulders ease down and she sort of slumps forward. Her head tilts to the side and her eyes narrow as if to ask “What’s wrong?” Shaking her head minutely at the unvoiced question, she continues to look at the girl.
Quinn’s not sure why they’re locked in this staring contest, but she doesn’t care. Nothing matters. In fact, she can feel everything around her become a white noise. No one is distinct except the girl she’s staring at. When Rachel shakes her head, Quinn knows nothing’s wrong. The girl, for whatever reason, just wanted to look at her. And Quinn wasn’t going to complain. This was a good thing, a very good thing. She offers a small smile to the shorter girl and her heart thuds in her chest as she watches Rachel slowly return the smile.
A piercing sound reaches her ears and Rachel instantly breaks contact. She quickly gathers her books in her arms and scurries out of the classroom without a backward glance.
“What the hell was that?” Santana asks Quinn as she, too, gathers her books.
Quinn swallows thickly as she tries to get her heart rate to slow. That was the most contact she’d had with the girl in weeks and it had been intense. “What was what?”
“Oh, don’t play dumb, Q,” she scoffs. “You two were practically eye fucking for the whole class to see.”
“Shut up,” she grumbles as she walks to the door. She doesn’t know what to make of what just happened, but hopefully it was a good thing.
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Rachel walks swiftly down the hallway. What happened during glee club was a little rattling to say the least. Shaky fingers mess up the combination to her locker again and again before she can finally get it open.
“Hey, Rachel.”
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before turning around to look at the person at her locker. “Hi, Finn.”
“Yeah…” He awkwardly shoves his hands in his pockets as he leans a shoulder against the lockers. “So, Mr. Schue said that we should be partners for a glee club assignment.”
She sees Quinn behind his bulky form as the blonde approaches her locker. Rachel takes in long, pale legs, red lips, her high ponytail and her Cherrios uniform. She licks her lips.
It’s a weird thing, but when Rachel looks at her, she no longer feels anger and regret. She doesn’t know exactly how to categorize her feelings for the girl, but they aren’t as negative as they were the day that she asked for space. She had gotten past what Quinn had done to her because she knows that Quinn made a stupid mistake. She knows that the blonde truly does have feelings for her. She knows…
She knows that Puck is walking towards Quinn. His cocky appearance and huge muscles stop beside the blonde and he leans into her, as if they truly were an intimate pair.
She doesn’t want to look. She doesn’t want to see the evidence of Quinn’s feelings for another person. Does she even still like him? She said she didn’t, but Rachel’s come to realize, people say a lot of things.
When Puck puts his hand low on Quinn’s back, Rachel decides she’s had enough. “We’ll have to finish this somewhere else.” Grabbing Finn’s hands, she marches off in the opposite direction of the PDA.
At a touch way too intimate for what she and Puck are, Quinn’s elbow flies back and catches him right in the gut.
“Shit, Q,” he wheezes, caught off guard.
Her head snaps up as swooshing brown hair catches her attention. She watches Rachel’s retreating form, eyes locking on her hand wrapped securely around Finn’s. Her shoulders pull tight as a quiet growl escapes her throat. Just what the hell was going on?
“You didn’t have to-”
“Don’t touch me again,” she hisses quietly at him as she spins on her heel. “I may have liked you at one point. But whatever fangirl feelings I had for you months ago are long gone now. Keep. Your hands. To. Yourself.”
She slams her locker shut and practically runs to Cherrios practice. She needed to work off some steam before somebody got hurt.
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“Alright, ladies that was a great practice,” Sue yells into her bullhorn. “I would say it was perfect, but, well none of you are Sue Sylvester. Therefore none of you are perfect. Hit the showers, smelly babies! Except you, Q.” She points a finger in her direction. “You teach that girl how to do a pike jump.”
“Coach Sylvester,” Quinn whispers as she approaches her. “I can hardly teach that girl anything. Did she grow up on a farm or something? She’s retarded.”
Sylvester eyes the blonde hard. She’s used the ‘R’ word several times in her life, hell, several times a day. But she didn’t like when others did. That’s what they used to call her sister.
“Tell me something, Q,” she says. “Has anyone ever called that amnesia girl of yours retarded?”
Quinn’s expression darkens as she reaches back into her memory. “Karofsky did once.”
“And how did you react?”
“Kicked him in the balls.”
“You see, Q, people don’t like to be called names,” Sue says as she wraps a white towel around her neck. “Except for William. He enjoys to be called a failure.”
She begins to walk out of the gym, all that talk about Schue has her wanting to bust his balls for probably the third time that day. “You teach that retard how to do a pike,” she calls to Quinn as she leaves.
Santana and Brittany walk in after a thorough shower once Sue leaves. Brittany sports a small blush, giggling as Santana smirks at her.
“Gross,” Quinn says as she motions for the new cheerleader to come closer.
Santana’s smirk directs its attention to Quinn. “You’re just jealous because while you and Berry are having eye sex, Brittany and I get to have the real deal.”
She instructs the girl to stretch before the pike. “I don’t think Rachel wants to have sex with me or anything with me for that matter,” she sighs. “She was walking hand in hand with Finn today.”
“Finn?” Santana questions with a laugh. “He’s such a baby. I’m pretty sure he’s a virgin.”
“Um, actually…no.” Brittany shifts from foot to foot in nervousness as she slides a little further away from Santana.
Santana stares at the tall blonde with an incredulous expression as her jaw drops to the floor. “You did not!”
Grinning at the show her friends were putting on, she turns back to the new cheerleader and demonstrates a pike. She makes sure to do it three times.
When she turns back around, Santana has Brittany wrapped in a tight hug, with a calm smile on her face. She rolls her eyes good naturedly. “Sluts.”
“Whatever,” Santana comments. “I’m bored. Come on, B, let’s go find cooler people to hang out with.”
“Bye, Q!” Brittany says with a wave as she follows Santana out of the gym.
Quinn sighs tiredly as she turns back around to face the new cheerleader. She still hasn’t gotten the pike right. When was this day going to end?
“Okay,” Quinn grits out through her teeth. “We’ll try this one more time.”
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Rachel retrieves her books from her bookbag as she settles into her seat. It was the last class of the day. She thankfully didn’t share it with Quinn. But she did, however, share it with Santana.
“Hey, Manhands,” Santana greets as she sits beside her.
“I still do not understand the logic behind that name,” Rachel says once the girl is seated. “I have very small hands, in fact, my hands are smaller than yours. Futhermore-”
“Brilliant deduction, nerd,” Santana mocks.
“Also, I am not talking to you. Don’t think I forgot about how you ruined my relationship with Quinn.” With that, she turns forward and prepares to conjugate the next verb.
Santana takes a deep breath, trying not to lose her temper. If she blew up at the petite girl, Quinn would have her ass.
“Look, I’m not saying what I did was right. But had I not been such a bitch, would you have had the relationship with Quinn that you have now?”
“Had, Santana. Had.” She tucks a stray lock behind her ear before continuing. “Quinn and I are no longer an item.”
“And whose fault is that?”
“Shouldn’t you be paying attention?” Rachel questions in an attempt to change the subject. “This is a very hard verb, you know.”
“Berry, my last name is Lopez,” she scoffs. “I can conjugate Spanish verbs in my sleep. Why do you think I took this class?”
She doesn’t reply as she looks towards Mr. Schue. She didn’t want to talk about this to Santana of all people. Santana was mean and she ruined her relationship with Quinn. But the girl had a point. Had she not thought of the bet, she and Quinn wouldn’t have been together in the first place.
“She likes Noah,” Rachel says sadly a moment later.
Santana wants to kick herself for feeling sorry for the girl. Her voice made even the strongest people kneel at her feet in sympathy. No wonder Quinn was so sprung.
“No she doesn’t,” she finds herself replying in a modified voice that resembled kindness.
“He had his hands all over her at her locker.”
Santana turns to focus on the girl. “I don’t know what you saw, Berry. But I can promise you, she doesn’t like Puck. She’s been bitching and moaning about you ever since the day you two got into that huge argument.”
Rachel’s eyes light up at that. Quinn still thought about her. Apparently she still talked about her too. “Really?”
“Let’s just say, she’s been cutting into mine and B’s private time,” she says with a grimace.
She laughs at the thought of Quinn constantly interrupting moments of intimacy between the two Cherrios. “I am…sorry,” she says with a light giggle.
Santana smiles herself. “Whatever. She’s a friend I guess. But if you were really sorry, then you’d take her back and get her out of my hair.”
Rachel smiles, but doesn’t reply as she notices Matt beside her, handing out a quiz. She hands one to Santana and takes one for herself before writing her name on it.
She hears Santana mutter “Sorry” to her before beginning her own test. She nods her forgiveness.
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Quinn runs to her car, binder held above her head to fight off rain as she climbs inside. She shoves her key into the ignition and puts her car in drive, fully prepared to get home as quickly as possible. Driving up to the front of the school, she nearly passes a short brunette with a pink umbrella shielding her from the rain.
“Rach,” she calls as she lets her window down.
Rachel bends down until she’s eye level with the car. “Hi, Quinn.”
Quinn stares at the girl. All pleasantries aside, she tells her, “Get in.”
“Really, Quinn, this isn’t necessary,” Rachel says as she straightens back up. “Daddy will be here any minute.”
She slowly reaches out and clasps a clammy hand in her own. “You’re freezing,” she murmurs to herself. “I have heat. You can sit in here.”
“Quinn, I-”
“Rachel. It would mean a lot if you just got in the car.”
Knowing that this was a battle she wouldn’t win, Rachel walks to the other side of Quinn’s car. She pauses for a moment, chewing on her lower lip as she allows everything that’s happened today sink in. Weighing the pros and cons, she finally decides that she truly misses the blonde and slips into the passenger seat.
Quinn watches as Rachel sits in the seat, blinking rapidly at the shock of it all. She never expected to be this close to the girl again. At least not so soon. When Rachel doesn’t look her way, she focuses her attention forward and drives into a parking spot.
She puts the car in park and waits. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she sees Rachel’s head is lowered, watching herself twiddle her thumbs. Quinn herself, beats her thumbs against the steering wheel.
Rachel tries not to say anything stupid as she continues to twiddle her thumbs. The close proximity is killing her. She doesn’t know whether she wants to flee from the car, or fling herself into what will probably be welcoming and waiting arms. She steels herself, even holds her breath, trying not to move.
“How about some music?” Quinn questions as she tries to cut through the tension. She rolls the knob on her radio, going from station to station until she finds suitable music.
“I like this song,” Rachel comments quietly with a small smile.
Considering it a small victory Quinn rests back against her seat with a sigh of accomplishment. She turns to the smaller girl and catches a small shiver run through her.
Taking action, she reaches into her back seat for her letterman. “Here,” she says as she tries to hand it to her. “It’s cold and the heater won’t make a difference for about another five for ten minutes. So…”
Rachel shakes her head rapidly. “No, it’s alright. I’m fine, Quinn. Besides, you must be cold too.”
“Sue ordered us thermals,” she says as she gestures to the white sleeves on her arms. “They’re not exactly…fashionable, but they get the job done I guess. Please, just take the jacket, Rach.”
Rachel looks into hazel eyes as her hand reaches out. “What’s going on between you and Noah?” Her hand remains suspended in mid air. As if she can’t proceed any further, as if they can’t proceed any further unless her question is answered.
“What do you mean-”
“I saw him…touching you in the hallway,” she says with a frown.
Quinn’s not surprised. She suspected it when she saw Rachel in the hallway that she had seen. “He thought that I still liked him,” she says as she holds Rachel’s gaze firmly. “I told him that I didn’t though. I even elbowed him.”
Rachel lowers her eyes, lips ticking up slightly as she accepts the jacket. “Thank you. You’re so chivalrous,” she whispers.
“And you and Finn?” Quinn questions with fire in her eyes.
She rubs her lips together in contemplation. “He…asked me out,” she says quietly.
“As in a date?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.” Quinn mentally face palms. Of course someone would ask Rachel out. She was smart, beautiful and absolutely adorable. Who could resist? “I think you should go.”
The statement catches Rachel off guard and she literally does a double take before her eyes settle on Quinn. “W-what?”
“I’ve been selfish,” she continues. “I can’t imagine what it feels like to not know yourself as well as the people around you. As much as I think the idea sucks, I think it would be even more selfish of me to hold you back or hold a grudge about the situation. You should go…on the date, I mean.”
“You’ve been thinking about this a lot,” she states, speaking about her amnesia.
Quinn nods. “I have. You’re a strong person, Rach.”
“Thank you, Quinn.”
After a few more moments Rachel sighs contentedly as she snuggles into the jacket, inhaling Quinn’s scent. Strawberries. And a hint of vanilla. Quinn always smelled good.
“I’d like to be friends with you again. Well…for the first time, I suppose.” The awkward and choppy words reach Rachel’s ears like a song and her bright eyes turn to the blonde.
She peers out of the window as a car approaches and she notices it’s her father. She takes the jacket off of her and hands it back to Quinn, but not before answering her question. “I’d like that.”
“I’m going to call you all the time,” Quinn says. “That is what friends do after all.”
Rachel smiles at that. At Quinn’s persistence. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Keep the jacket,” Quinn says as she hands it back to Rachel “It’s still raining and cold out.”
“You must keep it.”
“If you really want to give it back,” she drawls, “then just do it at a later date. When it’s not freezing and raining outside.”
Nodding her head, Rachel slips the jacket back on, inhales deeply one more time, and opens the car door. “Bye, Quinn!” she calls over her shoulder.
“See you later, Rach.”
Rachel walks to her father’s car and slips inside. She waves at Quinn one more time before she’s driven off.
“Was that Quinn, hun?” Robert asks as he drives off.
Rachel grabs her seat belt and buckles it. “Yes, daddy.”
“Are you two finally friends again?”
She smiles, completely spaced out as she thinks of Quinn. The day had started out a little rocky but ended on a great note. She’s glad Quinn insisted on her getting in the car because it was the best decision she’s made in weeks.
“Yes, daddy,” she says brightly. “We’re friends again.”