The Mixtape + Fall Into Me
Title: The Mixtape
Pairing: Rachel/Quinn
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of the characters. I don't own the songs either.
Word Count: 2,686
Prompt: Rachel makes Quinn a mixtape.
Giftee: anthimeriate
Summary: To say Quinn Fabray is surprised when Rachel Berry presents her with a mixtape would be an understatement.
Author's Note: Written for the Gleekret Santa Exchange. I chose the mixtape prompt because then I could write the fic and make you a fanmix too. Which by the way, is my first ever, so I hope I did it right. And I swear I did my best not to fill it with bubblegum pop songs! XD
Quinn is standing by her locker when Rachel approaches her.
Classes had just ended so the blonde is putting away her history and chemistry books and getting her things so she can go home. Just as she is about to reach for her purse a cassette tape is shoved in front of her. It has a golden star sticker on it. She looks to the side to find one Rachel Berry holding it.
Quinn curiously takes the tape from the other girl’s hand and gives her a once over. Rachel is dressed in a dark turtle neck sweater and a short dark red plaid skirt. Her legs are covered by black tights and she has red ballet flats on. Quinn thinks she looks kinda cute. Well, Rachel Berry cute. Meaning as least she wasn’t wearing a pant suit.
“And what’s this?” she says with brows furrowed and a sarcastic smile.
“It’s a mixtape,” Rachel says with a bright smile.
“A what?” Quinn says appalled.
“It’s a cassette tape in which a selection of son-” Rachel starts but is interrupted by Quinn’s retort.
“I know what a mixtape is, Stubbles,” she says angrily. “I wanna know why you’re giving me one.”
“I made it for you,” the brunette says simply. “It contains a variety of songs that either makes me think of you or translates my romantic feelings for you quite nicely. And also a couple of inspirational songs. Because you’ve been feeling rather down lately with all the baby drama going on.”
“Are you retarded?” Quinn snorts. “What made you think I’d like a cassette tape full of your ridiculous show tunes and-” she stops once all the words Rachel said finally down on her. “Wait, did you just say romantic feelings?”
“Well, Quinn, contrary to popular belief I do listen to other genres of music,” she says defensively. “Besides, I know you don’t appreciate Broadway cast recordings as much as I do, so I selected songs from my pop collection. I even looked up some of that Christian music you listen to.” Rachel says proudly. “And yes, I did. I believe it’s customary for teenage girls such as ourselves to express their feelings through a compilation of romantic songs, love letters and such. Something you should be familiar with since you had a boyfriend for the most part of your high school experience.”
“You… You looked up Christian pop music?” Quinn says a little stunned, deciding to ignore the last part of Rachel’s speech. Unconsciously or not. Just like she was ignoring the butterflies in her stomach.
“I noticed you were listening to it in your car when you took me home last Tuesday,” the diva says with a smile.
Quinn Fabray has gotten softer these last few months. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones, or maybe it was the fact she now knew what it was like to be an outcast. Either way, Quinn Fabray has gotten softer. A fact that could be supported by the happenings of the past Tuesday.
Quinn Fabray had offered to give Rachel Berry a ride home.
Given, it was a snowy day, and the other girl looked absolutely miserable sitting down on a bench outside, most likely waiting for one of her dads to pick her up after practice. But still, she was Quinn friggin Fabray.
“What are you doing, Berry?” she had asked when she rolled down the window of her car. “Do you want to die of pneumonia?”
Rachel seemed surprised that she cared. “I-I’m waiting for Daddy to come pick me up. He said he might be a little bit late today.” ‘An hour late, really,’ the brunette added in her head.
Quinn just stared at her for a moment and then opened the passenger door of her shiny red car. “Get in.”
Rachel looked at her as if she had grown another head.
“I’ll take you home,” Quinn explained once the girl didn’t move from the snow covered bench. Rachel still looked a bit skeptical. “Just get in, Trasure Trail!”
Rachel moved quickly that time.
“Quinn? Are you listening to me?” a voice says and it brings her back to present time.
“Yes,” she says, focusing on the brunette in front of her again.
“Really? Because you seemed a bit far off a coup-”
“I was listening!” Quinn snaps. She immediately regrets it as she sees the smile on Rachel’s face falter a little. And it scares her that she does.
Quinn’s eyes fall to the tape in her hands and she grimaces at the fact her heart beats a little bit faster. She refuses to feel this way about someone like Rachel Berry.
“You didn’t like it?” Rachel sounds hurt. She knew there was a possibility, a big possibility, the blonde would not like it. It still hurt.
“Look, Man Hands. I don’t even own a cassette tape player,” she says. “Why would you even make a mixtape? It’s stupid. Normal people would make a cd, you know?”
“Well, I think a mixtape is far more original and it had a much greater impact in the youth culture of its days. Besides, nowadays, anyone can burn a cd in a couple of minutes, but it takes some serious time and effort to make a cassette tape,” Rachel says wisely.
Quinn just raises an eyebrow.
“I can lend you my cassette player if you want,” the brunette offers.
“No, thank you,” the blonde says with a snort. The truth is that she knows her father still has his old cassette player in the garage somewhere. She could easily sneak in there when her parents are attending church, which she wasn’t allowed to go anymore because it would be shameful to take your very pregnant daughter, ex-president of her school Celibacy Club, to a service. Until that baby is born she is on room arrest, only allowed to go out for school and only allowed to wander the house when nobody is home. Except for meal times, when she is forced to sit there the whole time and endure the looks of disapproval and disgust from her parents. But Quinn knows she is lucky she was even allowed back home after Finn found out about Puck and kicked her out of his house too.
Rachel’s smile falls at that, hurt evident on her face. Quinn feels guilty again.
“Look, I’ll listen to your dumb tape, okay?” she says reassuringly.
Rachel gives her one of her brightest and most sincere smiles. She nods and then walks, no, skips, away.
After she’s gone Quinn looks down at the tape in her hands. She can finally let out that smile she’s been trying so hard not to let show.
Quinn Fabray can’t remember the last time she felt so happy and warm inside.
(Click To Download)
It’s a rainy Saturday morning when Quinn sneaks into the garage with Rachel’s mixtape in hand. Her parents had left for church not long ago and won’t be back for at least a couple hours, since they always go out for breakfast after the service.
She skims through the dust covered things on the shelves and finally spots the cassette tape player on one of the higher ones. Quinn has to stand on the tip of her toes to reach it. Carefully, she grabs it and sets it down on the dirty floor. She plugs it on the wall next to her, places the tape inside and presses play.
If I don't say this now I will surely break
As I'm leaving the one I want to take
Forgive the urgency but hurry up and wait
My heart has started to separate
Oh, oh, oh
Be my baby
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
I'll look after you
Quinn stares at the wall when the music starts to fill the room. She’s not sure what to think of it. ‘Rachel made this,’ is the only thought going through her head. Rachel is the one that wants to look after her. Rachel.
The butterflies in her stomach are fluttering around like crazy and Quinn wants so bad to ignore it but she can’t anymore.
I like the way I can't keep my focus
I watch you talk, you didn't notice
I hear the words but all I can think is
We should be together
Every time you smile, I smile
And every time you shine, I'll shine for you
Whoa oh, I'm feeling you baby
Don't be afraid to
Jump then fall
Jump then fall into me
Be there, never gonna leave you
Say that you wanna be with me too
So I'm a stay through it all
So jump then fall
Quinn smiles at the fact Rachel Berry listens to Taylor Swift. It’s cute. And then she thinks about the lyrics and wonders if they’re really true. The thought of Rachel shining for her makes her feel special for some reason. But Quinn is not ready to let her mind wonder if she wants to be with Rachel too just yet.
However, Quinn’s mind goes there anyway and when she finally realizes it, a couple songs have passed.
If I could say what I want to say
I'd say I wanna blow you away
Be with you every night
Am I squeezing you too tight?
If I could say what I want to see
I want to see you go down
On one knee
Marry me today
Guess I’m wishing my life away
With these things I’ll never say
When Quinn hears the song she has a giggle fit. And, shockingly, what scares Quinn is not the fact Rachel is pretty much saying she loves her enough to marry her, but the fact that it doesn’t scare her. And it should.
Even heaven cries
Everybody cries
It's okay to doubt yourself sometimes
You don't have to be afraid
Of what you fear inside
It's alright, it's alright
Cause even heaven cries
Quinn feels stupid, sitting on the dirty floor of her parent’s garage and tearing up because of a song. It’s not just the song though, it’s the fact that while her parents always taught her that crying is for the weak, someone is finally telling her it’s okay. And Quinn needed to hear it.
But it doesn’t mean she will stop blaming the pregnancy hormones.
Your voice was the soundtrack of my summer
Do you know you're unlike any other?
You'll always be my thunder, and I said
Your eyes are the brightest of all the colors
I don't wanna ever love another
You'll always be my thunder
So bring on the rain
And bring on the thunder
Quinn chuckles because she remembers the time Rachel told her she was actually a good singer, but just not as good as the diva. Apparently Rachel really does like her voice.
In five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life?
How about love?
How about love?
How about love?
Measure in love
She knew it! She knew Rachel could not make a mixtape and not add at least one show tune. Quinn thinks it’s actually kinda… endearing.
Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find
You and I collide
By now Quinn is sitting comfortably, well as comfortable as one can be while sitting on a cold floor, and gazing at the window, where the raindrops keep hitting the glass almost rhythmically. She thinks maybe that song is right. Maybe she and Rachel make sense after all.
She is my inspiration
She is my destination
And I want her, to hold my heart in her hands
And she is the one, that holds my life in her heart
Right from the start
Quinn smiles for two reasons as she listens to this song. The first is the lyrics. They’re beautiful and knowing Rachel is the one dedicating the song makes her smile even bigger. The second is the fact that it’s a song from a Christian band. Which means Rachel respects her beliefs.
It's a beautiful day
Sky falls you feel like
It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away
More songs go by and Quinn loves every single one of them. The one that is playing now, especially. It’s not a love song, but it’s inspiring. “Don’t let it get away,” she sings along as she taps her fingers on the floor to the beat of the song.
I was made to believe I’d never love somebody else
I made a plan, stay the man who can only love himself
Lonely was the song I sang, 'til the day you came
Showing me a better way and all that my love can bring
Oh half of my heart's got a grip on the situation
Half of my heart takes time
Half of my heart's got a right mind to tell you
That I can't keep loving you
Oh, with half of my heart
With half of my heart
It feels bittersweet. Quinn knows Rachel is a complicated person. She understands the brunette is trying to say that even though she loves her dearly, she might not be perfect for her. She understands that even if she helps the aspiring star, Rachel might still never be able to give Quinn her whole heart, because half of it is still holding on to her dreams. Quinn’s heart hurts a little now, but she knows Rachel is just being honest.
It's a long shot but I say why not
If I say forget it I know that I'll regret it
It's a long shot just to beat these odds
The chance is we won't make it
But I know if I don't take it there's no chance
'Cause you're the best I got
So take a long shot
All of Quinn’s insecurities and doubts fade away as this very moment. She’s ready to completely let go and let Rachel be there to catch her. She’s willing to take this chance, the rest of the world be damned. They will make it.
Quinn looks at the tape and figures there’s only one song left. She thinks she has enough time to listen to it before her parents arrive.
Now I'm speechless
Over the edge, I'm just breathless
I never thought that I'd catch this love bug again
Hopeless, head over heels in the moment
I never thought that I'd get hit by this love bug again
Quinn looks at the tape player with a raised eyebrow. The Jonas Brothers? Really? Quinn hates the Jonas Brothers, despite their choice to stay pure until marriage. In fact, maybe that’s why she hates them so much. Because her mother would keep trying to smother her with their music, pictures, and magazine articles, claiming they were a better influence than those other pop artists Quinn listened too. And anyway, she thought Rachel also didn’t like them. They talked about it once when Brittany brought up the subject.
Quinn even tweeted about how the brothers almost made her want to turn to-
And then it hits her. Rachel read her tweet.
Laughter immediately fills the empty garage. Quinn lets her body lean against the wall and just laughs at Rachel’s silly joke in the form of a song.
The rain keeps falling quietly outside, doing very little to muffle the sound of happiness coming from inside the Fabray’s garage.
Songs Not Featured In The Fic:
3. Oxygen - Colbie Caillat
How am I supposed to tell you how I feel
I need oxygen
Oh baby if I was your lady?
I would make you happy
I'm never gonna leave, never gonna leave
Oh baby I will be your lady
I am going crazy for you
4. Too Beautiful For Words - Christina Aguilera
Too beautiful for words
A symphony inside me
Too beautiful for words
I can not take them lightly
Can you hear my silent heart
It's on the tip of my tongue
But my lips are still sealed
Only violins and their innocence
Can show you how I feel
11. Be Be Your Love - Rachael Yamagata
Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love, for real
Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love
But I want, want, want to be your love
Want to be your love for real
Want to be your everything
12. All You Wanted - Michelle Branch
I didn't know that it was so cold
And you needed someone
To show you the way
So I took your hand and we figured out
That when the time comes
I'd take you away
If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside
So busy out there
And all you wanted
Was somebody who cares