Is it okay if i call you mine? (2/?)
Title: Is it okay if i call you mine? (2/?)
Author: MissyRivera
Rating: PG-13, for swearing.
Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Thanks.
Length: 1000+
Spoilers: Just to be safe, all of season 1.
Summary: Quinn and Rachel try to be friends.
A/N: Yes, I know I suck. Honestly, I've been so busy with school, midterms and work. But finally, here is the second installment of this story. I'll try to be more prompt with my updates. Thank you so much for taking the time to read! Unbeta'ed. All mistakes are mine.
"Sit down." Quinn gestured to the chair she'd pulled away from the bathroom wall and situated in front one of the sinks. Rachel had just stood there, watching the blonde. Her eyes widened for a second when Quinn told her to sit down but she quickly obeyed.
"Lean your head back." Quinn murmured. Again, Rachel followed her direction.
"There isn't much slushie on your hair." Quinn noted as she started to work on a few of the slushie-dampened strands.
"Yes well, it seems Karofsky has decided to forgo the usual monster-size cup today. I guess by my standards that's quite lucky, hey?" Rachel tried to break the palpable tension that hung thick in the air. She really wasn't feeling sorry for herself. In fact, she had been wondering, only seconds before Karosky slushied her, when it was going to happen.
How she felt about the situation wasn't the kind of forced self-deprecation as a means to gain false comfort from pitying acquaintances. No, it was the resignation to the fact that there always has to be someone at the bottom. If there was anything she had learned in History, it's that the world was about power (so it's not like her story was at all original, right?). Who had it, who didn't. Who was at the top, who was in the basement. Unfortunately, it was her and try as she might, she couldn't climb up the social ladder. She was too outspoken, she was brutally honest, and people wanted someone who could please everyone. Rachel Berry didn't want to please everyone and she knew that if she did, by some miracle, join the upper class of the highschool hierarchy, she'd be obligated to follow the rules of the social order. At least at the bottom, she could do whatever she wanted, even if she did have to take a few (a lot) of slushie facials for this freedom.
"It's not a joke, Rachel."
"Well, of course it is, Quinn. I mean, I can't be expected to go through my highschool career wallowing in self-pity over some immature pranks perpetuated by the ignorant masses. It's inevitably more beneficial to laugh these things off. Besides, once I'm famous, this will make for a very distinctive tale to tell my interviewers on how I was bullied in highschool and managed to rise above the cruel practical jokes and made a name for myself." Rachel knew she was rambling but she meant every word.
"No, Rachel! This is not okay." Quinn was still washing out a few strands. Rachel had expected Quinn to stand up and thoroughly lecture her but Quinn continued her task, speaking forcefully but surprisingly, with very little anger. "You think that by just laying down and taking it, you're being the bigger person but you're not. The bigger person respects others but also expects the same respect in return. You need to set the boundaries and make people know not to fuck with you. Otherwise, you're just ... nothing. And you aren't nothing. You deserve more than you get."
A spark of anger flared for a second inside Rachel. She sat up straight from the chair, leaving Quinn's hands hanging uselessly above the sink. Still sitting in the chair, she turned towards Quinn, glaring. "Have you forgotten that you were once part of it, Quinn? I don't know about you but I know how they're like. One little joke escalating into another, slightly bigger joke. And once they have the tiniest hold on something that makes them feel good, they don't stop. So, if you had any idea, any idea at all, about how to get them to stop, please tell me."
Quinn put her hands against the sink and looked down. "I know. I'm sorry."
Rachel looked at the girl, sighed and turned away. "I'm sorry for being aggressive. It's just I don't know how to get them to sto-"
"Just hang around me!" Quinn blurted and immediately turned pink after the words had already pushed their way past her lips.
"Really? Because... that would be nice." Rachel said, turning back around to smile at Quinn. But then a frown spread itself across her face. " Forgive me for being insensitive but... you're pregnant. And you're not on the Cheerios anymore. You don't hold sway over the McKinley population the way you used to. You've gotten a few slushies now and I fear there'll be an increase of slushie facials for you should you decide to hang around with me."
"No, there won't be. I may not be on the Cheerios anymore but I'm a hormonal, pregnant woman. I haven't been slushied since two weeks ago when that idiot Jason slushied me and I had to teach him what a Eunuch is. Also, Puck and Santana are quite good at beating up anyone for me. I mean, I know Puck is not the sharpest tool in the shed and Santana can be a monstrous bitch but they're loyal."
"I don't think the same loyalty extends to me, Quinn."
"If you're my friend then it does."
"Am i?"
"Are you what?"
"Your friend."
Quinn ducked her head, refusing to look Rachel in the eyes. She shifted her gaze to wall at the side and bit her lip as she mumbled," I was hoping... I thought maybe... since I haven't been a bitch to you... maybeyou'dwanttobemyfriend?" Quinn breathed the last part out quickly and continued to avoid looking at Rachel.
Rachel almost laughed out loud at how shy Quinn was being because it was so out of character and incredibly endearing but she opted for grinning widely instead. "Quinn, I told you before I don't hate you. I know everyone expects us to be enemies but I would like to be your friend."
The grin that appeared on Quinn's face matched Rachel's.
"But... you might have to give Santana some time to adjust to this new development though." Quinn said as she restarted washing Rachel's sticky hair.
Rachel laughed," Oh of course... Just make sure she doesn't punch me in the nose when I make her mad, okay?"
"Don't worry. I'll break her nose if she breaks yours." Quinn laughed in response.
---
Rachel glanced down at her phone for the 10th time in 5 minutes.
Call Quinn. Don't call Quinn. Call Quinn. No, it's too soon.
She growled in frustration and laid back on her bed, stretching out. It shouldn't be that big of a deal but it was. Quinn had just extended the invitation for a friendship with her. Rachel has been dreaming of this since freshman year when she saw Quinn cheerleading at one of the school functions. It was definitely lust at first sight but over time, she began to notice the little things that made lasting impressions.
Quinn was loyal. Santana could backstab her over something but at the end of the day, Quinn stayed beside her. It was also the same vice-versa. Rachel knew that that kind of relationship might seem dysfunctional but she also knew friendships weren't perfect, especially if it involved two personalities as strong as the two Cheerios had.
Quinn was sweet. This probably wasn't a fact Quinn wanted the school to know and she took great care to hide that aspect of her personality. Hence, the uber bitchiness to general McKinley population. But when she thought no one was looking, she helped Becky with her History homework, she helped Brittany with pretty much everything (when Santana wasn't there), she drove Artie wherever he needed to go to do his errands when she could (and Rachel can't tell you how she knows this but it certainly isn't because she spent an entire Saturday afternoon following Quinn and Artie around town because that's downright stalker territory and she wasn't a stalker.) and on Sundays when Rachel is jogging past the park near her house, she always sees Quinn adorably petting the dogs at the park.
Quinn was smart. She was in AP classes and she was getting As in all of them. That was a problem with Finn. It annoyed Rachel to know that everything she said went right over the boy's head. She didn't feel understood and Finn always made her feel as if her problems weren't important whenever he'd change the subject when he couldn't understand a word she was saying. She suspected that most of the time, his mind was preoccupied with planning how and when he was ever going to touch her breasts.
If Quinn thought about touching her breasts though, she probably wouldn't mind. In fact, the thought of Quinn thinking about her like that made her all feel warm and dizzy. And now, annoyed because she had only talked to Quinn a day ago and it was about English homework. It had been five days since the slushie incident and she still didn't know how to approach the blond. They weren't really very close and here she was thinking about Quinn touching her boobs. She felt like a 12-year old boy.
A buzzing on her bed broke her out of her musings. Her phone was vibrating. She bit her lip for a couple of seconds when she saw the caller i.d. She let the phone buzz for a couple more seconds as she didn't want to look too eager before answering.
"Hello?"
"Hey Rachel. It's Quinn."
"Hi! I was just thinking about you." Ugh. Rachel shut her eyes in embarrasment as soon as the words left her mouth. She really hadn't meant to say that at all no matter how true it was. Anyway, maybe Quinn wouldn't think anything of it. Afterall, friends were allowed to think about friends, right?
There was a pause on the line and Rachel began to wonder if she really did freak Quinn out with a horrendous slip of the tongue.
"Really?... Why?"
Don't say anything about boobs. Do not say anything about boobs! was the mantra going through Rachel's head.
"I just... was thinking about how grateful I am for your help with the slushie on Monday."
"Oh! It's okay, really. I was actually wondering if you'd want--"
"Yes, of course!"
"...What? You do realize I haven't finished my question, right?"
"Erm..."
Quinn laughed on the other end as Rachel frowned on the other.
"Sorry, continue. Then I'll let you know if I retract my earlier consent."
"Do you want to hang out? I realize it's friday night and you probably have plans so we don't have to do anything but---"
"Quinn. I'm afraid McKinley only has room for one master rambler and that's me so you can stop right there. Yes, I would love to hang out with you."
"Really?"
"Yes. Come over to my house and we can stay in to watch movies. Or we can have a game night though I must warn you, you might have the extreme urge to punch me once my competitive nature decides to rear its ugly head. Or we can make cooki--"
"Okay, you're right. You are the master rambler. A movie night sounds great, Rach. I'll be over in half an hour."
Rachel grinned when she heard Quinn call her Rach. She'd never done that before and it thrilled her to hear that nickname from someone who used to call her Stubbles or Man-Hands. Progress was being made. Quinn was actually trying.
Quinn froze when she said Rach. That was too familiar for someone who used to call the girl Treasure Trail and RuPaul.
"Great. I'll see you in a bit. You know my address, correct?"
"Yep. See you!"
Rachel ran around immediately after hanging up to tidy the house. Her fathers were out for the weekend on a business trip so she had the house to herself. Aside from wanting to befriend Quinn, she was glad the blond was coming over so she wasn't so alone. She had been thinking of inviting Finn over but the boy has been annoying her as of late. After cleaning up what little mess there was, Rachel ran upstairs to change into something more comfortable.
She stood in front of her closet and picked out a red pair of sweats and a fitted white tank top. She didn't want to look too dressed up, they were just staying in her house after all. She let her hair down to cascade in loose waves down her back. She looked relaxed and comfortable, like there wasn't a stampede of buffalos in her stomach at the moment.
Half an hour later, the door bell rang. Rachel had been in front of the livingroom shelves perusing the collection of dvds they owned. She walked nervously to the front door and opened it. A smile automatically graced her face as soon as she saw Quinn. The cheerleader was dressed in black leggings and a loose blue tunic with a grey cardigan. Her hair was down and her cheeks were flushed.
"Hello, Quinn!"
For a second, Rachel thought Quinn's eyes had wandered down her body for the briefest of seconds but hazel eyes were suddenly on chocolate-brown ones.
"Hi. Thank you for having me over."
"You're welcome. Come in. My dads aren't home this weekend so we have the place to ourselves." Rachel closed the door after Quinn entered. The blond took off her flats and followed Rachel to the livingroom.
"That's... aren't you, i don't know, scared to spend the whole weekend by yourself in such a big house?"
"No. I have spent weekends by myself before. It's actually quite nice. I can be as loud as I want." Rachel had gone back to looking through the movie shelves and completely missed the wide-eyed look Quinn had on until she turned around after Quinn hadn't said anything in response. Then it clicked.
"Oh! ... Oh, I meant with my music and singing. Not... that."
Quinn blushed at the thought. "Okay. Umm... what movie did you choose?"
"Well, I was going to choose a couple of movies and then have you choose the first one we would watch."
In the end, Quinn chose Lord of the Rings after Rachel revealed how obsessed she was with the trilogy. Rachel had stuck in a vegan pizza in the oven and offered to order Quinn something else from the pizza place but Quinn said that she'd love to try the vegan option.
They made comfortable small talk as they waited for the pizza to bake. There were definitely moments of silence when both girls would just look at eachother and smile but it was to be expected and it wasn't nearly as cringe-worthy uncomfortable as one would think.
When the pizza was done and sliced, they each took a plate of it to the livingroom and started the movie. Sitting next to Rachel was very distracting to Quinn. She tried to put aside the fact that she was romantically interested in Rachel to focus on establishing a friendship first but the singer chose to sit very close to Quinn so that their arms were touching even though it was a big couch.
As the pizza disappeared (with a very surprised comment from Quinn that it didn't taste like cardboard at all), and the movie progressed, Quinn and Rachel became more comfortable sharing personal space. Rachel would put her hand on Quinn's arm when she got excited about a part in the movie or when she was laughing at how poetic Legolas always sounded. Quinn, in turn, found herself leaning close to Rachel when the brunette showed such enthusiasm. Her excitement really was catching. Quinn worried that it would be too silent during the movie because maybe Rachel was the type of person that when she watched a movie, she wanted to watch the movie and wasn't interested in the side commentary her companion could provide. But clearly, Rachel wasn't that type and Quinn talked as much as Rachel did during the movie.
Somehow, Rachel convinced her to have a Lord of the Rings marathon with her.
"That's going to take hours, Rachel. I can't be driving to Puck's that late. And his mom will be pissed."
"Then stay over."
"I can't stay over."
"Why not?"
"Well... where would I sleep?"
"This is a pull-out couch, Quinn. There's enough room for two people."
Silence from Quinn.
"Or I could always just sleep on the floor if you prefer sleeping by yours--"
"I'm not going to kick you out of your own pull-out bed! I can share."
"So, great! You're staying then." Rachel grinned at Quinn while Quinn narrowed her eyes at the diva.
"Why do I feel like I've been tricked into something?"
Rachel had started to make her way upstairs to get blankets and pillows but she stopped and turned back towards Quinn.
"If you truly don't feel comfortable spending the night, Quinn, I won't take it personally if you want to go home to Puck's. Even though we've known eachother for a while, we are just starting to be friends. I really don't want to make you feel uncomfortable so whatever you choose tonight, I'll respect it." Rachel said. It was sincere and honest and Quinn couldn't stop herself. She walked towards Rachel and gave her a hug, an honest to goodness hug.
Quinn pulled back from the hug and grabbed Rachel's left hand in her right. The buffalos in Rachel's stomach were going out of control but she managed to school the dumbfounded expression her face wanted to take on into a smile.
"I would love to spend the night, Rachel. I'm sure the pull-out will be much more comfortable than the old mattress I've been sleeping on. And... I just want to say thank you. I know it can't be easy for you to trust me after I've been so terrible to you for so long. I appreciate you giving me a second chance."
"I'm glad you're here, Quinn." Rachel squeezed Quinn's hand before heading back upstairs to splash some cold water on her face and grab all the pillows and comforter.
Rachel and Quinn settled on the bed, pillows under their heads and the comforter spread out evenly between them. Quinn had borrowed pajama bottoms and a (little on the small size) shirt from Rachel. Rachel had laughed at Quinn's expression when the hem of the shirt just passed Quinn's belly-button by an inch or so.
Even though they had planned on watching the trilogy, both girls fell asleep shortly before the second movie ended. They didn't do much movie watching when they were awake either. They kept finding things to talk about, either something going on in the movie or something going on in their lives. Quinn told Rachel that Rachel's imitation of the Ent was distracting her from the movie ("Rachel, I can't watch the movie with you moaning like that!" which earned Quinn an eye-brow raise from Rachel) and Rachel told Quinn that her hair reminded her of Legolas' ("Oh Quinn, look! Legolas' hair is exactly like yours!" which earned her a glare from Quinn) . Quinn admitted that she sometimes felt home sick even though her "real" home had been so constricting and negative, she missed her mom and dad. Rachel talked about her dreams of Broadway and how Quinn should come see her perform. The conversation eventually died down as both girls sank into a comfortable dreamless sleep.