Let the Rain Sing You a Lullaby (Glee, Kurt/Quinn, Part 7)
Let the Rain Sing You a Lullaby
by aishuu
Fandom: Glee
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Kurt/Quinn
Wordcount: 2,800 (this section)
Warnings: Topics covered include teen pregnancy, sexuality/gender identity, abortion, discussion of the rape... nothing graphic, though.
Spoilers: Starts right after the Pilot, but this is a divergent story that takes some parallel lines before going completely away from the series canon. Still, anything through "Journey" is fair game.
Notes: gailee122 did an awesome fanart of Quinn's impromptu Gothic make over. <3 I hope everyone else thinks it's as cool as I did.
Summary: How the series might have gone if Kurt was Quinn's baby daddy. Some romances don't fit into any box.
She sits on the floor of the stall well into first period. She doesn't know exactly what she'd seen, but watching Kurt shred Mr. Schue into little pieces made her feel horrible. She's not sure if Kurt did it for just the baby, or for her sake as well. She doesn't know which would be worse.
Quinn used to talk about destroying people when she'd been a Cheerio, but nothing she'd ever done even approached the damage Kurt has just inflicted on a good man. She doesn't want to admit it, but watching made her afraid of Kurt.
Kurt's always been a punchline to a school joke, but now she recognizes he's dangerous in a way few teenage boys are. He's not going to physically hurt her, but the damage words can inflict may be worse in the long run. If - when, because they are just too different to always agree - they fight, Kurt will go for the jugular. And she's weak right now, since her self esteem has been crushed.
She hears the sound of the door opening, and the click of high heels on the floor. She's not really paying attention. She startles when someone asks, "Quinn? Can I talk to you? How about we go to my office? It's really not hygienic to sit on the bathroom floor."
"Fine," Quinn says, pulling herself to her feet and opening the door. Without prompting from the guidance counselor, she goes to the sink to wash her hands up to the elbows.
She follows Ms. Pillsbury back to her office, stopping at the water fountain for a long drink to try to wash the taste of bile out of her mouth. Ms. Pillsbury dithers behind her, muttering about how unsafe public drinking fountains are, but Quinn tunes her out.
The guidance counselor's office is the cleanest place in school. It's well known Ms. Pillsbury has a nearly incapacitating fear of germs, along with OCD tendencies. Quinn's never been in this office before. Coach Sylvester has always handled the Cheerios' guidance needs (which consisted of creating the most convenient schedules for emergency cheerleading practices).
Ms Pillsbury circles the desk, absentmindedly reaching into her desk drawer to pull out a large bottle of Purell. "I understand things have been difficult for you lately," the counselor says, flipping the lid and applying it vigorously to hands, and then moving on to rub it all over the skin her outfit exposes, with the exception of her face.
"I wondered when you were going to get around to passing pamphlets out to me," Quinn replies bitterly.
"Pamphlets can be very useful at summarizing information," Ms. Pillsbury says. "And yes, I have a stack ready for you."
"Oh? There's a pamphlet on what to do when you find yourself pregnant with a gay boy's child?"
Ms. Pillsbury doesn't even flinch. "The pamphlets are a bit more general than that. We can talk about the specifics of your situation."
"Fine. Talk to me."
"I'm not going to pretend this is an easy situation for you, Quinn. I want you to know that I'm willing to listen, and if you want, I can provide an unbiased opinion. I'm here to help you."
"Really? Then tell me, oh-unbiased-adult, what I should do about watching the father of my child rip Mr. Schue into little tiny pieces?"
It's really unfair of her to go there, since Ms. Pillsbury's infatuation with Mr. Schue is one of the school's most open secrets.
"Kurt did what to Will?" Ms. Pillsbury shakes her head, deciding to rephrase the question. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"
The words pour out of her, full of anger and self-loathing. She tells Ms. Pillsbury about Terri Schuester, and what had happened this morning. Ms. Pillsbury, she notices, looks a bit sick by the time Quinn finishes.
"Oh. Oh, dear."
"Is that all you have to say?"
Ms. Pillsbury takes a deep breath before speaking calmly. "I know you're upset, but is lashing out at me any different than the way Kurt lashed out at Mr. Schuester this morning?"
Quinn hisses as she realizes that's exactly what she's doing. She doesn't like to apologize, but she owes one to Ms. Pillsbury. "I'm sorry."
Ms. Pillsbury gives a choppy nod. "It's natural for you to be angry. This must seem very unfair to you."
For a second, Quinn is tempted to talk about how unfair it is, but then she remembers who she is talking to. Ms. Pillsbury is nice enough, but she is also judgmental without meaning to be. She will try to convince Quinn that her trials are part of accepting responsibility for her actions, and not offer anything concrete. Quinn doesn't need someone else trying to tell her what she should be doing.
"It is, but I'll deal with it. Can I have a late pass?"
Ms. Pillsbury fills one out and hands it over. "If you need to talk, my door is always open."
Quinn is not going to take that offer up. The last thing she needs is to go from being a loser to being a loser who hangs out with the guidance counselor.
Rachel tracks her down at lunchtime, declaring loudly that they need to "talk things out."
After this morning, the last thing Quinn wants is a lecture. "Look, Katie Holmes, I don't need to listen to you talk about how you're better for Finn than I am. I don't want to have a bonding session over how difficult getting slushied is on your wardrobe, and I especially don't want a lecture about how this suffering is going to make me stronger in the end."
Rachel's mouth hangs opened for a second, and then she straightens. She's still a midget. "I want you to know that despite your questionable life choices, I will be your friend. Despite our previous antipathy over Finn, I think we can help each other."
"The last thing I want is to be friends with the girl who is dating my ex-boyfriend," Quinn tells her. It's the first time she's called Finn her ex. "Especially since we never officially broke it off."
Less than three days ago, Finn had thought he was going to be the father of her child. He had promised to take care of her and the baby, telling her things were going to be okay. It seems like a lifetime ago.
"You cheated on him!" Rachel declared, tossing her hair over her shoulder.
Quinn wasn't going to let her get away with acting holier than thou. "He cheated on me first," she replies. "Congratulations. You've officially succeeded in stealing my boyfriend, and helping to ruin my life. Do you know why Kurt and I got drunk that night?"
Rachel shakes her head, her eyes wide but her mouth thankfully closed.
"Because Finn was all over you. Kurt has a crush on him, and he is - was - my boyfriend. We had a right to be upset. I don't think I'm the only tramp taking part in this conversation," Quinn says, her arms crossing over her chest. Right now, hurting Rachel sounds like the best idea ever.
Rachel starts backing away, her eyes wide. "It's not my fault I'm a better match for Finn!" she protests.
"Keep telling yourself that, Angelina," Quinn says, spinning around before she loses the feeling of victory. She's a horrible person, but getting the better of Rachel restores a bit of her faith in the world.
Quinn isn't surprised to see a substitute in Spanish. Glee Club is obviously canceled for the day.
She and Kurt are both honors students, and share a lot of the same classes. Luckily they've always sat in different parts of the room - Quinn likes the second row from the front, while Kurt gravitates to the side of the classroom, toward the back but not in the last rows with the jocks. She's been able to ignore him so far today. He'd scared her this morning with the viciousness he'd attacked Mr. Schue with.
But considering her exchange with Rachel, she can't blame him anymore. At heart, they may have one thing in common: no mercy for people who have wronged them.
She arrives after he does, and goes to sit down beside him. The other students point and nudge each other, but she doesn't care. She places her books on the desk with more force than she should, startling Kurt into looking at her.
He mouths "later" and she remembers the conversation they had in the car. He thinks she's ready to pick a fight with him. She shakes her head, smiling slightly to indicate it's not that. Kurt raises an eyebrow in reply.
There's no way she's going to explain what it is, since she doesn't know.
She meets Kurt outside of their final class of the day, since he's her ride. She's not sure if she's glad the weekend is here, because the only place she has to go is with him. She doesn't know how they're going to spend their time.
"Ready?" he asks.
She nods, holding tightly to her shoulder bag. She has some homework, but it's not going to keep her busy for long. This has the potential to be a very awkward weekend.
As they walk through the hallways, a couple of people stare at them, and one of the cheerleaders jeers at her for dropping her standards. Kurt's jaw tightens, but he doesn't retort.
His car is always a surprise, since she still can't reconcile the vehicle with Kurt. It's not like Kurt isn't the type to want to drive something showy, but it's not the right kind of showy. Meeting Burt has explained a little bit of the disconnect, but if it's not right in front of her eyes, she forgets. Thankfully the ride is spacious, since she may need it as she starts to expand.
Kurt takes a different turn out of the parking lot, and she realizes they're not heading back to the Hummel residence.
"Where are we going?" she asks. She hadn't really wanted to go there immediately, but she doesn't like his presumption.
"Shopping."
She blinks. "Why?"
"Because you need to expand your wardrobe now that you've weeded out the tacky uniforms. And because I find shopping to be invigorating."
Quinn can't help but think of Tina's comment warning her that Kurt would love making her over. "Am I your latest makeover project?"
"Can you think of anyone more in need of a boost to her self esteem through judicious use of fashion?"
"I'm not your life size Barbie doll."
"No. You're much too mean to be Barbie."
She's tempted to refuse to play along with his whims, but she does need new clothes. "You're paying."
"Naturally."
"And I get final veto over everything."
"As long as you at least try everything on, and show me how they look."
That could be really creepy, coming from any other guy. But she knows Kurt doesn't want to view her in a sexual way - he might even be traumatized at the idea. "We'll see."
He doesn't take his eyes off the road as he turns onto Elida Road. "I'm not going to choose anything you find humiliating or degrading. You're one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen," he tells her. He speaks in a matter-of-fact way, with no intent to flatter. "I want to find looks that enhance that."
She flushes, dropping her eyes to her hands. She knows she's pretty, but Kurt's sincerity makes her feel shy. "Is this part of taking care of me?"
"It's part of having fun," he says. "I don't have an ulterior motive."
"Why do you like fashion so much, anyway?"
He's silent for a moment, and she wonders if he is going to answer. "You know that feeling you get when you put on an awesome outfit in the morning, like you can take on the world? I like that. When you pick the right outfit, it can make you be who you want to be while you wear it."
She really wonders who he wants to be. She remembers the corset. "Do you want to be a girl?" she asks.
Kurt's hands tighten on the wheels. "I'm a guy," he tells her, and his voice is deeper than usual. "I know everyone may think I'm trans, but I'm quite happy being male."
"Can you blame me for asking? You dress kind of like a girl."
"I dress like someone who cares about how they look, unlike most of the people in this town," he says sharply. "Just because I choose to explore possibilities with my wardrobe and am gay doesn't mean I am not male. Gender identity and sexual identity are two entirely different things."
Quinn winces. She shouldn't have said it like that. "Oh."
He sighs as he turns into the mall. "We can talk about it some other time. I don't mean to be snapping at you, but I just want to relax and have fun, not talk about deep, personal things. I think we've done enough of that lately."
"Agreed."
It takes them a couple of minutes to find the parking space. It's the first Friday in November, and the Christmas sales are starting. Kurt ends up taking a space in the lot behind Sears, way in the back.
Quinn, unlike a lot of teenage girls, doesn't have a ton of experience clothes shopping. She's never had time, since Sue Sylvester had ruled her life and wardrobe with an iron fist for the past three years. Kurt, however, knows exactly where to go, and she follows his lead.
To her surprise, Kurt looks in a variety of stores, picking out different pieces for her. "We're not going to go wild, but I think a couple of new outfits are in order. Have you ever thought about plaid?"
Quinn shakes her head. "I usually wear solids," she tells him.
"Maybe it's time to expand your horizon," he replies, leading her into a Forever 21.
Three hours later, she is tired but thoroughly distracted. Kurt carries two bags with items from six different stores inside. He rings all the purchases up on his charge card, and Quinn doesn't fight him. She remembers that bank statement he'd shown her, and knows that buying her a couple things isn't going to impact it greatly. She might feel ashamed of being a charity case, but that's the least of her concerns right now. She wants to be spoiled a little bit, because she deserves it after the week she's had.
Most of the items are basics, with the one big purchase being a Charlotte Russe button-down jean dress she hadn't wanted to try on. Kurt had reminded her of her promise to try anything. To her surprise, the dress is surprisingly flattering, and Kurt assures her it can be played up with a variety of different accessories. He had dragged her through a couple of stores (including Hot Topic, which she'd always sworn she would never enter) to find said accessories, which are also in the bag.
Kurt is nothing but pleasant as he talks color and cuts, and Quinn finds herself relaxing. She still can't get the image of him attacking Mr. Schue out of her head, but she's starting to see that Kurt is essentially a nice boy unless someone pisses him off.
"Are we almost done?" she asks. Her feet are sore.
"Have you had enough?" he replied, cocking an eyebrow at her challengingly.
He's challenging her, but she's not going to rise to the bait. "Just about," she replies. Kurt can probably shop until the mall closes without flagging.
"You did better than most people," he tells her. "Mercedes is the only one who can keep up with me. Tina usually cries for mercy after two hours, and my dad refuses to go."
It's kind of sad, she thinks suddenly, realizing that Kurt doesn't have any other friends to go shopping with. Kurt's only male friend is Artie, and she can't picture them spending time in the mall together, since Kurt's made his opinions of Artie's clothing vehemently clear. He must have been very lonely until the Glee Club had formed.
They walk by a Maternity store on the way out of the mall. Quinn turns her head away, not wanting to look yet. She's got a couple of months before she starts showing, and she's going to remain in denial about the inevitable loss of her waist for as long as possible.
Part 8
by aishuu
Fandom: Glee
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Kurt/Quinn
Wordcount: 2,800 (this section)
Warnings: Topics covered include teen pregnancy, sexuality/gender identity, abortion, discussion of the rape... nothing graphic, though.
Spoilers: Starts right after the Pilot, but this is a divergent story that takes some parallel lines before going completely away from the series canon. Still, anything through "Journey" is fair game.
Notes: gailee122 did an awesome fanart of Quinn's impromptu Gothic make over. <3 I hope everyone else thinks it's as cool as I did.
Summary: How the series might have gone if Kurt was Quinn's baby daddy. Some romances don't fit into any box.
She sits on the floor of the stall well into first period. She doesn't know exactly what she'd seen, but watching Kurt shred Mr. Schue into little pieces made her feel horrible. She's not sure if Kurt did it for just the baby, or for her sake as well. She doesn't know which would be worse.
Quinn used to talk about destroying people when she'd been a Cheerio, but nothing she'd ever done even approached the damage Kurt has just inflicted on a good man. She doesn't want to admit it, but watching made her afraid of Kurt.
Kurt's always been a punchline to a school joke, but now she recognizes he's dangerous in a way few teenage boys are. He's not going to physically hurt her, but the damage words can inflict may be worse in the long run. If - when, because they are just too different to always agree - they fight, Kurt will go for the jugular. And she's weak right now, since her self esteem has been crushed.
She hears the sound of the door opening, and the click of high heels on the floor. She's not really paying attention. She startles when someone asks, "Quinn? Can I talk to you? How about we go to my office? It's really not hygienic to sit on the bathroom floor."
"Fine," Quinn says, pulling herself to her feet and opening the door. Without prompting from the guidance counselor, she goes to the sink to wash her hands up to the elbows.
She follows Ms. Pillsbury back to her office, stopping at the water fountain for a long drink to try to wash the taste of bile out of her mouth. Ms. Pillsbury dithers behind her, muttering about how unsafe public drinking fountains are, but Quinn tunes her out.
The guidance counselor's office is the cleanest place in school. It's well known Ms. Pillsbury has a nearly incapacitating fear of germs, along with OCD tendencies. Quinn's never been in this office before. Coach Sylvester has always handled the Cheerios' guidance needs (which consisted of creating the most convenient schedules for emergency cheerleading practices).
Ms Pillsbury circles the desk, absentmindedly reaching into her desk drawer to pull out a large bottle of Purell. "I understand things have been difficult for you lately," the counselor says, flipping the lid and applying it vigorously to hands, and then moving on to rub it all over the skin her outfit exposes, with the exception of her face.
"I wondered when you were going to get around to passing pamphlets out to me," Quinn replies bitterly.
"Pamphlets can be very useful at summarizing information," Ms. Pillsbury says. "And yes, I have a stack ready for you."
"Oh? There's a pamphlet on what to do when you find yourself pregnant with a gay boy's child?"
Ms. Pillsbury doesn't even flinch. "The pamphlets are a bit more general than that. We can talk about the specifics of your situation."
"Fine. Talk to me."
"I'm not going to pretend this is an easy situation for you, Quinn. I want you to know that I'm willing to listen, and if you want, I can provide an unbiased opinion. I'm here to help you."
"Really? Then tell me, oh-unbiased-adult, what I should do about watching the father of my child rip Mr. Schue into little tiny pieces?"
It's really unfair of her to go there, since Ms. Pillsbury's infatuation with Mr. Schue is one of the school's most open secrets.
"Kurt did what to Will?" Ms. Pillsbury shakes her head, deciding to rephrase the question. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"
The words pour out of her, full of anger and self-loathing. She tells Ms. Pillsbury about Terri Schuester, and what had happened this morning. Ms. Pillsbury, she notices, looks a bit sick by the time Quinn finishes.
"Oh. Oh, dear."
"Is that all you have to say?"
Ms. Pillsbury takes a deep breath before speaking calmly. "I know you're upset, but is lashing out at me any different than the way Kurt lashed out at Mr. Schuester this morning?"
Quinn hisses as she realizes that's exactly what she's doing. She doesn't like to apologize, but she owes one to Ms. Pillsbury. "I'm sorry."
Ms. Pillsbury gives a choppy nod. "It's natural for you to be angry. This must seem very unfair to you."
For a second, Quinn is tempted to talk about how unfair it is, but then she remembers who she is talking to. Ms. Pillsbury is nice enough, but she is also judgmental without meaning to be. She will try to convince Quinn that her trials are part of accepting responsibility for her actions, and not offer anything concrete. Quinn doesn't need someone else trying to tell her what she should be doing.
"It is, but I'll deal with it. Can I have a late pass?"
Ms. Pillsbury fills one out and hands it over. "If you need to talk, my door is always open."
Quinn is not going to take that offer up. The last thing she needs is to go from being a loser to being a loser who hangs out with the guidance counselor.
Rachel tracks her down at lunchtime, declaring loudly that they need to "talk things out."
After this morning, the last thing Quinn wants is a lecture. "Look, Katie Holmes, I don't need to listen to you talk about how you're better for Finn than I am. I don't want to have a bonding session over how difficult getting slushied is on your wardrobe, and I especially don't want a lecture about how this suffering is going to make me stronger in the end."
Rachel's mouth hangs opened for a second, and then she straightens. She's still a midget. "I want you to know that despite your questionable life choices, I will be your friend. Despite our previous antipathy over Finn, I think we can help each other."
"The last thing I want is to be friends with the girl who is dating my ex-boyfriend," Quinn tells her. It's the first time she's called Finn her ex. "Especially since we never officially broke it off."
Less than three days ago, Finn had thought he was going to be the father of her child. He had promised to take care of her and the baby, telling her things were going to be okay. It seems like a lifetime ago.
"You cheated on him!" Rachel declared, tossing her hair over her shoulder.
Quinn wasn't going to let her get away with acting holier than thou. "He cheated on me first," she replies. "Congratulations. You've officially succeeded in stealing my boyfriend, and helping to ruin my life. Do you know why Kurt and I got drunk that night?"
Rachel shakes her head, her eyes wide but her mouth thankfully closed.
"Because Finn was all over you. Kurt has a crush on him, and he is - was - my boyfriend. We had a right to be upset. I don't think I'm the only tramp taking part in this conversation," Quinn says, her arms crossing over her chest. Right now, hurting Rachel sounds like the best idea ever.
Rachel starts backing away, her eyes wide. "It's not my fault I'm a better match for Finn!" she protests.
"Keep telling yourself that, Angelina," Quinn says, spinning around before she loses the feeling of victory. She's a horrible person, but getting the better of Rachel restores a bit of her faith in the world.
Quinn isn't surprised to see a substitute in Spanish. Glee Club is obviously canceled for the day.
She and Kurt are both honors students, and share a lot of the same classes. Luckily they've always sat in different parts of the room - Quinn likes the second row from the front, while Kurt gravitates to the side of the classroom, toward the back but not in the last rows with the jocks. She's been able to ignore him so far today. He'd scared her this morning with the viciousness he'd attacked Mr. Schue with.
But considering her exchange with Rachel, she can't blame him anymore. At heart, they may have one thing in common: no mercy for people who have wronged them.
She arrives after he does, and goes to sit down beside him. The other students point and nudge each other, but she doesn't care. She places her books on the desk with more force than she should, startling Kurt into looking at her.
He mouths "later" and she remembers the conversation they had in the car. He thinks she's ready to pick a fight with him. She shakes her head, smiling slightly to indicate it's not that. Kurt raises an eyebrow in reply.
There's no way she's going to explain what it is, since she doesn't know.
She meets Kurt outside of their final class of the day, since he's her ride. She's not sure if she's glad the weekend is here, because the only place she has to go is with him. She doesn't know how they're going to spend their time.
"Ready?" he asks.
She nods, holding tightly to her shoulder bag. She has some homework, but it's not going to keep her busy for long. This has the potential to be a very awkward weekend.
As they walk through the hallways, a couple of people stare at them, and one of the cheerleaders jeers at her for dropping her standards. Kurt's jaw tightens, but he doesn't retort.
His car is always a surprise, since she still can't reconcile the vehicle with Kurt. It's not like Kurt isn't the type to want to drive something showy, but it's not the right kind of showy. Meeting Burt has explained a little bit of the disconnect, but if it's not right in front of her eyes, she forgets. Thankfully the ride is spacious, since she may need it as she starts to expand.
Kurt takes a different turn out of the parking lot, and she realizes they're not heading back to the Hummel residence.
"Where are we going?" she asks. She hadn't really wanted to go there immediately, but she doesn't like his presumption.
"Shopping."
She blinks. "Why?"
"Because you need to expand your wardrobe now that you've weeded out the tacky uniforms. And because I find shopping to be invigorating."
Quinn can't help but think of Tina's comment warning her that Kurt would love making her over. "Am I your latest makeover project?"
"Can you think of anyone more in need of a boost to her self esteem through judicious use of fashion?"
"I'm not your life size Barbie doll."
"No. You're much too mean to be Barbie."
She's tempted to refuse to play along with his whims, but she does need new clothes. "You're paying."
"Naturally."
"And I get final veto over everything."
"As long as you at least try everything on, and show me how they look."
That could be really creepy, coming from any other guy. But she knows Kurt doesn't want to view her in a sexual way - he might even be traumatized at the idea. "We'll see."
He doesn't take his eyes off the road as he turns onto Elida Road. "I'm not going to choose anything you find humiliating or degrading. You're one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen," he tells her. He speaks in a matter-of-fact way, with no intent to flatter. "I want to find looks that enhance that."
She flushes, dropping her eyes to her hands. She knows she's pretty, but Kurt's sincerity makes her feel shy. "Is this part of taking care of me?"
"It's part of having fun," he says. "I don't have an ulterior motive."
"Why do you like fashion so much, anyway?"
He's silent for a moment, and she wonders if he is going to answer. "You know that feeling you get when you put on an awesome outfit in the morning, like you can take on the world? I like that. When you pick the right outfit, it can make you be who you want to be while you wear it."
She really wonders who he wants to be. She remembers the corset. "Do you want to be a girl?" she asks.
Kurt's hands tighten on the wheels. "I'm a guy," he tells her, and his voice is deeper than usual. "I know everyone may think I'm trans, but I'm quite happy being male."
"Can you blame me for asking? You dress kind of like a girl."
"I dress like someone who cares about how they look, unlike most of the people in this town," he says sharply. "Just because I choose to explore possibilities with my wardrobe and am gay doesn't mean I am not male. Gender identity and sexual identity are two entirely different things."
Quinn winces. She shouldn't have said it like that. "Oh."
He sighs as he turns into the mall. "We can talk about it some other time. I don't mean to be snapping at you, but I just want to relax and have fun, not talk about deep, personal things. I think we've done enough of that lately."
"Agreed."
It takes them a couple of minutes to find the parking space. It's the first Friday in November, and the Christmas sales are starting. Kurt ends up taking a space in the lot behind Sears, way in the back.
Quinn, unlike a lot of teenage girls, doesn't have a ton of experience clothes shopping. She's never had time, since Sue Sylvester had ruled her life and wardrobe with an iron fist for the past three years. Kurt, however, knows exactly where to go, and she follows his lead.
To her surprise, Kurt looks in a variety of stores, picking out different pieces for her. "We're not going to go wild, but I think a couple of new outfits are in order. Have you ever thought about plaid?"
Quinn shakes her head. "I usually wear solids," she tells him.
"Maybe it's time to expand your horizon," he replies, leading her into a Forever 21.
Three hours later, she is tired but thoroughly distracted. Kurt carries two bags with items from six different stores inside. He rings all the purchases up on his charge card, and Quinn doesn't fight him. She remembers that bank statement he'd shown her, and knows that buying her a couple things isn't going to impact it greatly. She might feel ashamed of being a charity case, but that's the least of her concerns right now. She wants to be spoiled a little bit, because she deserves it after the week she's had.
Most of the items are basics, with the one big purchase being a Charlotte Russe button-down jean dress she hadn't wanted to try on. Kurt had reminded her of her promise to try anything. To her surprise, the dress is surprisingly flattering, and Kurt assures her it can be played up with a variety of different accessories. He had dragged her through a couple of stores (including Hot Topic, which she'd always sworn she would never enter) to find said accessories, which are also in the bag.
Kurt is nothing but pleasant as he talks color and cuts, and Quinn finds herself relaxing. She still can't get the image of him attacking Mr. Schue out of her head, but she's starting to see that Kurt is essentially a nice boy unless someone pisses him off.
"Are we almost done?" she asks. Her feet are sore.
"Have you had enough?" he replied, cocking an eyebrow at her challengingly.
He's challenging her, but she's not going to rise to the bait. "Just about," she replies. Kurt can probably shop until the mall closes without flagging.
"You did better than most people," he tells her. "Mercedes is the only one who can keep up with me. Tina usually cries for mercy after two hours, and my dad refuses to go."
It's kind of sad, she thinks suddenly, realizing that Kurt doesn't have any other friends to go shopping with. Kurt's only male friend is Artie, and she can't picture them spending time in the mall together, since Kurt's made his opinions of Artie's clothing vehemently clear. He must have been very lonely until the Glee Club had formed.
They walk by a Maternity store on the way out of the mall. Quinn turns her head away, not wanting to look yet. She's got a couple of months before she starts showing, and she's going to remain in denial about the inevitable loss of her waist for as long as possible.
Part 8