Glee Fic: How Rachel Berry Started Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' Another (3/3)
Puck said, essentially, that seduction is a unisex art. In other words, Rachel is totally justified to recycle her battle plan from the Finn Disaster into Operation Tina's Temptation. Originality is grand, but she's working on a tight schedule. She's not willing to wait half a week until her dads work late again, so she only has a day or so to make the arrangements.
Rachel shoos her dads out of the house with a beautiful, calligraphy-style hand-penned itinerary to the date of their dreams: dinner, a play, and a night at the fanciest hotel in Lima, all expenses paid. Of course, she paid using their credit card, but at the very least she planned it out for them. (She also cut some costs by getting them reservations at Breadstix instead of that nice French restaurant near Santana’s place, so no, it won’t be the nicest date they’ve ever been on. But they were both very grateful for the work she put in, and they’ll be out of the house for the whole night.)
Now Rachel has the place to herself.
She flits around the living room, making sure everything’s in place. She has a little plate of chocolates laid out, as Puck had suggested. The wine is already poured and placed on the coffee table. She hopes that part works better with Tina than it did with Finn; the last thing she needs is for two consecutive seduction attempts to go awry. Her ego would never recover.
There’s a knock on the door, and Rachel straightens quickly. She gives her clothes a once-over, checking for any misbehaving hemlines and such. She’d briefly considered wearing the outfit Kurt had selected for her last year (the sexy one, not the Grease one, because although that one might have brought back favorable memories of the time she’d groped Tina’s breasts while caught up in a performance, she still associated it with comments about a ‘sad clown-hooker’.) In the end, though, she decided to stick with the polka-dot dress she’d worn for Finn. A tried-and-true classic that comes off easily.
Rachel grabs the bouquet she selected earlier in the day and rushes to the door. Swinging it open, she comes face to face with a startled Tina, who, she notices, is wearing dark knee-socks spattered with polka-dots. Rachel smiles, pleased. It’s like destiny or something, she thinks victoriously. She thrusts the bouquet at Tina.
“I got these for you,” she announces. “Do you like them?”
Tina stares at the flowers, bemused. She quirks an eyebrow at Rachel and says, “You bought me flowers?”
“They’re - they’re Friendship Flowers. An offering of friendship, I got them for you as, you know, friends,” says Rachel, blushing lightly. Not one minute in and she’s already off-balance, that’s not a good sign.
They stand there awkwardly for a moment, then Rachel takes Tina’s elbow and ushers her into the house.
“Thanks for coming,” Rachel says as she leads Tina to the living room.
“Yeah, it -- this sounds fun, Rachel,” says Tina, and she waits until
Rachel releases her elbow before settling down on the couch. She places the bouquet on the coffee table before asking, “who else is invited?”
She’s casting her gaze around like she thinks the others might be hiding behind the television or something, so Rachel lies, widening her eyes guilelessly. “Mercedes, Artie, Kurt: Glee Club version one-point-oh. They all said they’ll be a little late, though, so I thought we could just get the movie started while we wait for them.”
Tina’s face is unreadable, but then, she always does seem a little impassive. That’ll hurt her if she goes on to a career in theatre, Rachel thinks, unless she finds that elusive Keanu Reeves appeal. Tina does wear black leather a lot, so it could work out for her.
When Tina continues to sit in silence, Rachel bounces up to prep the DVD player rather than address the strange tension that has filled the room. She’d considered and discarded a few options during the planning stages. Namely, The L Word, which she nixed for being too obvious, Xena, which she decided might be too campy, and Suckerpunch, which, while being a perfect match for Tina in all its steampunk homoerotic glory, Rachel simply wasn’t interested in. Finally she threw up her hands (literally, because there’s nothing like a good dramatic gesture to cleanse the soul) and chose to stick with what she knew. So once again she slides in The Unbearable Lightness of Being and hopes for the best.
The opening scene begins and she settles back onto the couch. A glance out of the corner of her eye reveals that Tina is sitting very straight, her gaze focused intently on the screen like she has blinders blocking out her peripheral. Rachel, on the other hand, can’t seem to keep still. This is probably due in part to the fact that she’s already seen this part of the movie once, but also because of the way her nerves twist as each surreptitious look she shoots Tina reveals nothing of her thoughts.
The movie fades into the background for Rachel as she considers the next step of her plan. Should she move closer? Tina might not even notice, honestly, given the way she’s focusing on the screen. Maybe Rachel should try the old yawn-and-swing, like the guys always do in romantic comedies. She could sidle in a little closer, and fake a hearty yawn complete with grimace and arm stretch. All she’d have to do is lower her arm around Tina’s shoulders. Tina might even snuggle in closer - if only she’d thought to lower the thermostat! They could have cuddled for warmth! Oh, damn her belated genius, that could have been brilliant-
“So this is a little weird,” Tina says, staring at the TV.
“Huh?” Rachel asks dazedly.
Tina nods at the screen, and Rachel turns to see. Oh, the first sex scene. There’s nothing unusual about it, in Rachel’s opinion; as far as she’s aware, it’s a pretty normal example of male/female intercourse. Then again, what does she know? What she considers normal actually isn’t, right? Isn’t that what everyone’s been telling her?
The mildly voiced observation becomes a raging judgment in her mind, and Rachel rushes to defend herself.
Jamming her thumb into the pause button, Rachel tosses the remote aside and turns to face Tina squarely. Fists clenched, chin jutting out stubbornly, voice shrill, she says, “Who are you to judge me on my taste, Tina? What gives you the right to call me out like that? Maybe I like things that are, are different from what other people like, and maybe that makes me weird, fine. Well, maybe you could at least try to be nice, and not imply that I’m some kind of, of sexual deviant!”
Tina raises her hands defensively. “I didn’t say any of that!”
“You said I was weird,” Rachel accuses.
“No, Rachel, I said this is weird,” and Tina waves her hands, the gesture encompassing the two of them and the television, where two shadowy figures are frozen mid-coitus.
When Rachel says nothing, just stares at her in silence, Tina continues with a shrug. “You. Me. Watching this. I mean, since we’re not-“
Rachel feels her lower lip tremble, and she interrupts softly, “We’re not friends?”
“No, we are,” Tina assures her. “I’m your friend, Rachel. Just, watching this, it’s weird, because we’re not… you know, sleeping together.”
Twisting her hands in her lap, Rachel fumbles for something to say. “Well, then.” She pauses, and averts her eyes, continuing, “I’m sorry for jumping on you like that. I see now that it was totally unjustified.”
Then she falls silent, leaving a great empty silence between them to build uncomfortably. She was in the wrong, she hasn’t misjudged Tina after all. In fact, given the circumstances, she thinks, Tina should crack and ask any minute now, and that can be used to her advantage. She hasn’t derailed her plan, just taken it in a bit of a new direction, and isn’t that fitting?
“So, uh, what caused the outburst?”
Ladies and gentlemen, the award for best at life goes to Rachel Berry.
Seeping earnestness from every pore, Rachel says, “It’s Finn. I wanted to try something new, something special, and he freaked out. He can’t handle my innovative genius, obviously, and I shouldn’t let it get to me, but - I thought he trusted me. That’s what hurts the most, I mean, besides the ugly rejection and the demeaning self-righteousness with which he delivered it. I thought he trusted me enough to try what I wanted.” She drops her gaze, and finishes, “I guess not.”
“Rachel,” Tina says, then she trails off, like she can’t find the words she’s looking for. Total honesty can throw you off like that. Rachel is counting on it. Tina ends up muttering rather lamely, “I’m sorry.”
Be gracious. “Thank you,” Rachel says. “Obviously, it’s not your fault, but I appreciate it all the same.”
They sit in silence, and Rachel is very nearly driven to biting her nails, an awful habit she developed for a stressful week during her first school play, Annie. She’d figured Tina’s natural curiosity would make her ask ‘what were you doing?’, but it hasn’t. How exactly does one say “I asked my boyfriend of one-and-a-half years to suffocate me and he wouldn’t do it, so I think you should” without making everything awkward?
She’s opening her mouth to say that very thing, awkwardness be damned, when Tina interrupts, stuttering slightly. “D-do you mind if I make an observation?”
Rachel knows the stutter from their early days was put-upon, so she’s equally aware that whatever Tina wants to say, it must be serious. Propositioning her can wait, for the moment.
She nods, and waits.
Tina raises her eyebrows, leans in, lifts a hand as if to place it over Rachel’s but then retracts it. She says, “I just - the way you defer to Finn, it’s - I don’t know what.” A pause, a quiet sigh. Rachel stares. “You remember our first Sectionals? When you ran up on stage, belting your heart out about how no one was going to ‘rain on your parade’? Or even - or even our first diva-off. You sang that you were done with limits, right? Defying gravity. I just -“
“Tina,” Rachel says, “I -“
“No, don’t interrupt me. I’m done with being interrupted,” Tina says loudly, frowning. Rachel huffs in irritation, but Tina just says, “You can say your part after, okay? Just let me finish. You spend so much time singing about your dreams, about how hard you’re willing to work for them, how you’ll take down anyone who gets in your way, but then - then you let Finn treat you like that. I don’t get it.”
There’s nothing Rachel can do but stare at her. First of all, that’s probably the most Tina has said to Rachel in one sitting, ever. Second, she’s absolutely right on all counts, and she’s echoed a lot of things Rachel has been thinking about recently. It’s nice to know that Tina has as many feelings about Rachel’s future as Rachel herself. She tries to put that into words, but all she can come up with is, “I agree with you. You’re absolutely right. From now on, no more raining on my parade. I’m done with Finn Hudson, and I’m done sacrificing my dreams for the sake of high school drama. I’m through.”
Tina’s giving her this huge smile, all shiny teeth and full lips, and Rachel finds herself grinning back, nodding. This is what gives her the confidence to say, “And there’s one dream I want to reclaim tonight.”
“That’s awesome, Rachel.”
Here comes the line. It’s horrifically inappropriate, she’s sure, but blunt is best. “I - I asked Finn to do this for me, but he refused, so I think you should.”
Tina’s squinting at her like she has no idea what’s going on, so Rachel just blows onward, full-steam-ahead. “I want to try what you said you do. At Santana’s party. I want to do that, with you.”
There’s this look people give Rachel sometimes, like when she sends her competition to crack houses or suggests they should write their own songs for a show choir competition against a team of six-time champions. It’s all about the blank eyes, the dropped jaw, the tilted head. A little like dumbfounded shock, but more. That’s the look Tina’s giving her, and frankly Rachel thinks she’s overreacting here a little.
“I understand that this might be weird for you,” she continues, “given your relationship with Mike, but -”
“Mike and I broke up,” Tina interrupts, dazed. Her eyes are still quite blank. “His mom heard about the vampire incident and flipped.”
“See, I said I wouldn’t interrupt you. I expect you to give me the same respect, Tina.”
“Right. Sorry.” Again with the blank stare.
“But, if you’re done with Mike, then what’s the problem?” Rachel says. She reaches out to grip Tina’s hands dramatically. “Why not take that leap of faith and say, ‘yes, I will suffocate you, Rachel!’”
“Because we’ve hardly spoken three words to each other outside of Glee Club!”
“But , but you stroked my wrist that one time. Also at Santana’s party. And you liked my song,” Rachel says, shaking her head in genuine confusion.
“That doesn’t mean I want to -- to do that with you,” Tina snaps defensively, pulling her hands away from Rachel.
Rachel draws back into herself, away from Tina, and the tension stretches out. It’s like one of those old western flicks Rachel’s dad loves, where the two cowboys stand at arms, staring each other down. Neither draws. They just wait.
Finally, Rachel breaks, and she says, “I thought I could ask you. I thought you’d understand about having different urges, and being different, and maybe you’d be open to helping me out. As a friend.”
It feels like forever before Tina says anything. Rachel’s just waiting and waiting, trying to read Tina’s thoughts in her eyes. Again with the impassiveness, though, and Rachel is lost. All she can do is sit and hope, because there’s no way to know.
Then, “As a friend?” Tina asks.
“Yes,” Rachel breathes, and it’s like there are fireworks bursting in her mind, she can’t even think straight she’s so excited. “Yes, that’s - as a friend.”
“Okay.”
That’s all she needs: that one, quiet ‘okay.’ Rachel jumps up with a squeak of joy, grabbing Tina’s hands and pulling her up after.
Humming ‘We Are The Champions,’ she drags Tina up the stairs, although she notices that by the time they reach the landing, she’s not dragging her at all - Tina is actively following her. Rachel draws a big, fat, mental A+ on her imaginary battle plan.
Pushing open her bedroom door, Rachel steps aside to let Tina enter. Neither speaks as Tina takes her room in while Rachel watches with bated breath and crossed fingers. When Tina turns to her and smiles, Rachel smiles back with relief. She’s heard enough insults about her bedroom’s style to last a lifetime.
Despite Tina’s approval, Rachel can’t help but hurry awkwardly around the room, gathering her various stuffed animals up in her arms. Intending to stuff them into her dresser and be done with it, she’s stopped by Tina when she asks, “What are you doing?”
“I just don’t want you to feel judged by my childhood toys. I know their presence during coitus can seem strange to, uh, some people,” she explains, rocking back onto her heels.
Tina just crosses her arms and raises her eyebrows. Rachel gets the message.
“Right,” she says, “be myself, ignore the haters. Got it.” Tina laughs, and the tension eases out.
The stuffed animals are dropped to the floor from suddenly uncaring arms, and Rachel approaches the bed. She sits down, smoothing the sheets beside her, and Tina moves to join her.
Thinking back on their evening as they sit side by side, Rachel is struck by the realization that maybe Tina’s friendship is worth more than she’d expected. Maybe it isn’t worth sacrificing for Rachel’s sexual experimentation. She’d listened so very kindly downstairs, after all. How often does someone do that?
Rachel doesn’t usually get qualms about other people’s feelings. The rarity of this experience is what prompts her to make absolutely certain. She asks, “Are you sure? About this? I mean, you can still walk away, if you want. Obviously I’d rather if you didn’t, but it’s your choice.”
“No,” Tina says. “I’m sure. I want to help you, Rachel.”
Then she climbs off the bed, kneels in front of Rachel and says, “lie back.”
For once in her life, Rachel obeys without question.
There’s the quiet whisper of skin on skin, and Rachel feels Tina’s hands sliding hesitantly up her thighs where they hang off of the edge of the bed. Then Tina’s fingers are roving past the hemline of her dress, not even bothering to take it off, just brushing past and on to the edge of her panties. Rachel waits, breathless.
The first swipe of Tina’s thumb across the crotch of Rachel’s panties makes her stomach clench. The second one draws a shallow gasp out of her. When Tina pushes the panties aside and rubs the soft pad of her thumb down Rachel’s slit, she shudders from her head all the way to her toes.
Tina becomes bolder, and the swift strokes soon have Rachel’s hips reaching up for more. It’s so different from Rachel’s own, more hesitant style, or Finn’s clumsy caresses. Tina’s hand is completely foreign to Rachel; the shape of her knuckle and the twist of her wrist are unknown. It’s strange, unpredictable, and incredibly arousing.
When Tina’s thumb presses into Rachel’s clit, Rachel can’t suppress a sharp moan. Her neck arches as she presses her head back into the mattress. Tina’s hand stills, and she stares up at Rachel from the floor. She licks her lips. Rachel’s eyes track the movement hungrily and her heart stutters in her chest.
Then Tina is pushing up off the floor to straddle a startled Rachel. Eager hands push her down to the bed, then Tina hikes Rachel’s dress up around her waist and reaches back in, first with her thumb and then with a finger, pressing slowly into her.
Rachel clenches her eyes shut as she bites back a moan. She could go on like this forever, really she could, just ride Tina’s fingers until the day she dies, but that’s not the point of tonight. With that thought in mind, Rachel gropes around blindly until she finds Tina’s free hand. She draws it slowly up to her mouth and places the palm over her lips.
The fingers stop thrusting and the thumb stops circling. A desperate “no” escapes Rachel and is muffled by Tina’s fingers; her eyes fly open to see Tina staring down at her, her pupils totally blown. Rachel is pleased to see the heady blush that’s staining Tina’s cheeks. It’s nice to know the effect she’s having on the other girl.
Tina’s voice is hoarse and her breath unsteady when she says, “Are you sure?”
Rachel has never nodded so fast in her life.
“Okay,” Tina says. She pulls her hand out of Rachel’s panties, and when she grabs Rachel’s hand, Rachel feels her own wetness rub slickly against her fingers.
Tina places Rachel’s hand on her own waist. When she catches Rachel’s bemused look, she explains, “In case you pass out, so I’ll know to stop. Your hand will fall, and then... yeah, you get it.”
Well, that hadn’t come up in any of her research, although admittedly she hadn’t searched much further than Wikipedia. Rachel is embarrassed to realize just how horribly wrong her experiment with Finn could have gone, and resolves never to mention it again. Ever. Unless her publicist thinks it’ll make an interesting addition to her biography, someday in the distant future.
The feeling of Tina’s fingers curling over her cheekbone jolts Rachel from thoughts of her destiny. Tina’s free hand is fumbling with Rachel’s panties, sliding them roughly down her thighs to hang on her ankles, and Rachel’s pulse accelerates as she realizes she’s actually doing this. God, it’s actually happening. Her lips curve up into a smile under Tina’s hand, and Tina grins back. Then she relaxes her hand, and whispers, “breathe.”
Rachel pulls in a quick gasp, and then Tina closes her hand over her mouth, presses the pad of her thumb against the side of Rachel’s nose. Her index finger blocks Rachel’s nostrils almost entirely, and Rachel is hit at once by a kind of almost claustrophobia. She inhales through her nose, and only the tiniest stream of air enters. Yes, Rachel thinks.
Soft hands push her thighs apart; Tina kneels between her knees, keeping her hand pressed firmly over Rachel’s face as she adjusts herself. Then her fingers are circling Rachel’s folds, no longer hindered by her underwear, and Rachel presses down into them as much as she can. She needs that thumb back on her clit so badly, and Tina is touching her everywhere but there, running her knuckle along her slit and thrusting her thumb into her shallowly.
Every touch is soft, gentle - not enough. Rachel is craving more, more, but she’s restrained by Tina’s hand and the growing emptiness in her lungs. It’s starting to burn as much as her body is and just as needy, leaving her lightheaded and desperate. She’s on fire, slick with sweat that glues her dress to her body. Still, Tina’s fingers continue their steady pace.
Rachel stares up, trying to catch Tina’s eyes, but Tina’s attention is totally focused on her work. If only she’d meet Rachel’s eyes, she’d see the hunger, the need, and she’d speed up. This is ridiculous, she’s practically ignoring Rachel even as she gets her off, and Rachel can’t even complain because Tina’s palm is pressing down hard on her lips.
Then Tina does look up. She meets Rachel’s eyes, and all Rachel sees is the same hunger she feels reflected back at her. She did that, she’s the one making Tina feel this way. It’s all her. That thought sends a flash of heat streaking down her gut just as Tina presses two fingers into her, hard, and begins to thrust. Rachel’s vision blurs, both from the sudden pleasure and the lack of air. Her fingers press weakly into Tina’s side.
Rachel struggles to inhale through the tiny gap left between her nose and Tina’s fingers, but only a little bit enters. It soothes her lungs for a moment, but only just, and then they’re back to crying for more. Her heart is pounding with adrenaline, her chest feels like it’s caving in as she drags in another tiny breath, and then Tina adjusts her grip on Rachel’s face and suddenly no air can enter at all.
Tina’s fingers are pressing into her everywhere, shoving into her cunt and digging into her face, and Rachel can’t breathe, she just can’t breathe. There’s a moan building up in the back of her throat; it can’t escape, so it keeps pushing against the roof of her mouth as the pressure builds between her thighs. Every inch of her feels hot, from her face to her lungs all the way inside to where Tina’s fingers are curling deliciously.
All Rachel needs is Tina’s thumb on her clit, hard, she can feel it, but she can’t move at all, she doesn’t have the strength. It feels like the only muscles in her body capable of movement are the ones squeezing tightly around Tina’s fingers and her heart, whose beat is thundering obnoxiously loud inside her head. If she could only lift her hips, signal Tina somehow; but it feels like all she can do is lie still and die as Tina’s fingers slide smoothly in and out.
Her head is as heavy as a rock; her lungs feel like they’re crumpling up inside of her. Everything is touch and feel and harder, more, now, but she can’t say a word. Rachel’s eyes flutter shut, and she sinks deeper into delirium, but Tina’s voice calls her back, saying, “Rachel.”
It’s a struggle just to open her eyes. When she does, Tina’s there, looking down at her like she’s amazing. Her head is about to burst, she’s going to burn up into nothing; then Tina’s thumb presses into her clit and she twists her fingers, oh God, and Rachel is coming hard, dazzling spots jumping into her eyes. Her hips bounce helplessly up into Tina’s hand. Tina releases her face, and Rachel sucks in a deep gasp of air, and that’s almost as good as coming. It’s gloriously fresh, and her lungs expand deeply, absorbing it all, and her hips keep thrusting up, sending delicious shivers along her body until she collapses back, sated.
Rachel lies slackly, gasping, feeling the burn melt away into pleasant coolness. Her thumb traces little circles on Tina’s hip. She gaze drifts upwards, gratitude filling her eyes as she meets Tina’s eyes, and Tina mutters “oh God” before jamming her hand down her skirt. In moments she’s shuddering too, coming with a quiet little moan. Rachel has never felt so powerful in her life.
For a moment, they are frozen; they just breathe. Then Tina rolls off Rachel to lie beside her. Her hand comes down to tangle with Rachel’s fingers, and she turns to Rachel and smiles.
“That was awesome,” Tina says.
Rachel can’t do anything but smile.
They lie side by side for a few minutes, calming down, just enjoying the pleasant buzz. Then Tina turns to Rachel, and says, “We should head back down.”
“Why?” Rachel asks. It feels wrong to keep lying to Tina after such an amazing experience, so she continues, “If you’re worried that the others will arrive to find us lying together and immediately realize the truth of our sudden yet steamy affair, you don’t need to be. I never really invited them at all.”
Tina giggles. “No, I know that.”
“What?”
“I knew the moment you said Mercedes was coming. She told me yesterday that she has a date tonight.”
“Well, why didn’t you say anything then, if you knew I was lying?” Rachel asks. Then, “Wait, she’s on a date? That’s wonderful! Who’s she out with?”
Tina hesitates, and Rachel presses, “You can tell me! You just gave me one of the most mind-blowing orgasms of my life; you should be able to trust me.”
“No way,” Tina laughs.
Rachel frowns, but it melts away at the sound of Tina’s laugh. She reaches out to play with a piece of blue-streaked hair, and says, “I’ll get it out of you eventually.”
“You can try,” Tina says. Rachel decides to take that as a challenge. It shouldn’t be too hard, honestly, now that she knows of Tina’s weakness for Rachel Berry-induced orgasms. She’ll make a new battle plan later. For now, there are more pressing matters on her mind, and she asks, “So then, if you knew I was lying, why did you stay?”
Tina blushes slightly, and bites her lip. She squeezes Rachel’s fingers, and says, “I was curious, I guess. And - and I wanted to spend some more time with you.”
A warm glow spreads through Rachel’s chest, and she squeezes Tina’s fingers back. “I’m glad,” she whispers.
They’re lying there, catching their breath, when Rachel realizes something. She’d said ‘eventually,’ and Tina hadn’t disagreed. “Do you want to do this again?” she asks.
Tina raises her eyebrows. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Rachel. Once a night is just fine with me, to be honest.”
“No, I mean, again like in the future.” Rachel turns on her side to look Tina in the eyes, and says, “You and me, is that something you want? Do you want me? Because if you do, you need to know that I’ve sworn not to allow romantic entanglements to distract me from preparing from my shining future on Broadway, and just because you’re really, really good with your fingers doesn’t mean that you’re exempt from that oath.” Tina opens her mouth to break in, and Rachel shakes her head. “No interruptions, remember? But seriously, nothing is going to get between me and my career, and that’s something you’ll need to understand if we’re going to do this.”
“Rachel,” Tina says with a smile, “I want Broadway just as much as you do. I wouldn’t dream of getting in your way.”
That’s new, Rachel thinks. She smiles. She could get used to this.
“So, then,” Tina says, lowering her voice to match Rachel’s tone, “How about we go back down, now that we’ve got the details figured out, and finish that movie? It was interesting.”
Seeing Rachel hesitate, Tina adds, “We can snuggle on the couch,” and Rachel’s sold. She bounces off the bed, waits for Tina to do the same. Then they exit the room side by side, and when Rachel offers Tina her hand, Tina takes it, threading their fingers together tightly.
(FIN)