fic: The First Second Time (Part 1)
TITLE: The First Second Time (Part 1)
AUTHOR: Brio
SPOILERS: S03E05 (Canon really isn't my thing though)
RATING: NC-17
SUMMARY: After her first time fails to live up to her expectations, Rachel proposes an experiment.
WORDS: 4,552
PAIRINGS/CHARACTERS: Rachel/Quinn
The noise of the doorbell cuts through the eerie silence of the Fabray household startling Quinn out of her late-afternoon nap. She cracks an eye open to glance at the time before rolling off her bed and jogging down the stairs to find out who is disturbing her slumber. Peeking through the window at the side of her front door, she huffs in discontent.
Rachel.
“Great,” Quinn mumbles to herself before counting to three and opening the door. “Hello, Rachel.”
“Quinn,” Rachel acknowledges her with a distracted nod of her head. “I was beginning to wonder if you were home.”
“I was sleeping,” Quinn replies unnecessarily. Rachel glances at the errant strands sticking up from the blonde’s usually immaculate hairdo and the creased t-shirt and sweatpants and nods.
“So I gather,” she says. “I’m sorry I interrupted.”
Quinn runs a hand through her hair, hoping that she’s smoothed some of it down and turns her attention to the floor when Rachel’s unfaltering gaze begins to unnerve her.
“Can I come in?”
Wordlessly, Quinn steps to the side allowing Rachel to pass though she has no idea why the brunette is here, let alone why she feels the need to be inside the Fabray’s house.
There’s a first time for everything.
Quinn closes the front door and follows after the other girl, a little surprised when the brunette turns into the kitchen. Frowning, Quinn leans against the doorframe, trying to figure out if this is some sort of weird dream as Rachel opens one cupboard, then the next, shaking her head and tutting when she fails to find whatever it is she’s looking for.
“What are you looking for?” Quinn asks at last.
“I’m about to propose something and I feel that alcohol might be needed for us to get through it,” Rachel says, straightening up. “If you accept, that is.”
“You’re looking in the wrong room for the alcohol,” Quinn says, directing Rachel to the dining room where a cabinet of rums and whiskys and vodkas await. She watches Rachel select a bottle of pre-divorce whisky, unscrew the lid and take a sniff. The look of horror on Rachel’s face is enough to make Quinn chuckle. “Is the alcohol really necessary?” Quinn asks.
“I had sex with Finn,” Rachel blurts out.
Quinn feels her eyebrows rise and her mouth open and tries desperately to ignore the twisting sensation in her stomach where it feels like she’s been punched. Suddenly, she wants to take a swig of the whisky.
“Oh,” Quinn says before the mental image assails her and she has to close her eyes to try and rid herself of it. “When?”
Stupid question.
“A few days ago.”
Quinn hesitates, trying to think of anything else to say that’s less stupid than her previous question.
“Were you safe?”
You’re not her mom. Jeez.
When she glances up at the brunette, Rachel is looking at her a little incredulously but nods nonetheless.
“Yes.”
Rachel looks as though she’s wrestling with her next words so Quinn takes the opportunity to remove the bottle of whisky from her hands and close the cabinet door again. She gestures for Rachel to go through to the adjoining lounge and watches the brunette smooth her skirt before perching on the edge of the chair her mother favours. Quinn opts for the sofa, sinking down into the cushions.
“I’ve got a lot of homework so if this visit has a point…” Quinn begins, not intending to sound harsh but failing miserably.
“Can I ask you something?”
“If it’s sex-related, then I’m not your best option,” Quinn says, holding up her hands. “I’d try Puck or Santana. Or Brittany.”
“I have my reasons for picking you,” Rachel says carefully.
“Picking me for what?” Quinn asks.
“I guess it’s an experiment,” Rachel says, looking down at her hands before launching into ramble-mode. “I thought I’d feel different. Afterwards. Different to how I felt before. I thought there’d be fireworks and I’d look into his eyes and know that this is it. This is forever.” Rachel pauses. “But it wasn’t even close.”
Quinn looks closely at Rachel who has resorted to frowning once more, brow furrowed in deep thought.
“Forever is a long, long time, Rachel,” Quinn says when she feels the silence has gone on for long enough. “You have your whole life ahead of you to find guys who make you feel fireworks.”
Rachel’s eyes brighten slightly when she glances over at Quinn.
“Or girls,” Rachel says, causing Quinn’s heart to slam against her ribcage.
“What?” Quinn says hollowly, convinced that she’s misheard the brunette. “Wait… you… what?”
Rachel blushes under Quinn’s incredulous expression, wishing she’d thought more about this before walking over to the Fabray’s.
“I should go,” Rachel says, springing up from the chair, muttering about how stupid her idea was leaving Quinn to gape at the spot she’s just vacated. The brunette is halfway down the Fabray’s path when Quinn catches up to her, grabbing her elbow almost painfully.
“Tell me the proposition,” Quinn says quietly, relaxing her grip when Rachel grimaces.
“It was a bad idea,” Rachel insists. “A very, very bad and stupid idea.”
“Rachel, tell me,” Quinn urges. Rachel remains mute causing Quinn to sigh and lean in close. “I’ll say yes.”
Sensing nothing malicious in the blonde’s tone, Rachel wordlessly makes her way back into the house and waits at the foot of the staircase for Quinn.
“You haven’t heard what I’m about to propose and you’re already saying yes?” Rachel asks when Quinn joins her after what feels like an eternity.
“I can guess what you’re about to propose and I’d be lying if I said that the thought hadn’t crossed my mind,” Quinn replies, watching Rachel’s eyes flutter closed as she steps closer and slips her hands into the brunette’s.
“Finn can never find out,” Rachel murmurs. “Even if… this,” a hand gestures between their bodies haphazardly, “changes things for me or helps me figure out whatever feelings are charging around inside of me… I don’t want him to know.”
“Is that why you’ve picked me? You think that Puck or Santana or anyone else would tell…” Quinn asks, aware that she’s setting herself up for disappointment regardless of what happens.
Rachel shakes her head.
“I’ve noticed the way you look at me, Quinn,” she says. “I know you harbour some sort of physical attraction towards me and I know that although you’re sometimes hostile to me…” Quinn opens her mouth to argue but Rachel silences her with a look. “Ultimately, you’ll want to help.” Quinn rolls her eyes.
“By having sex with you?”
Rachel confirms this with a nod causing Quinn to smirk slightly.
“You can’t be any worse than Puck,” she says and starts to lead Rachel up the staircase to the second floor.
“You and Finn never…?” Quinn shakes her head. “Or Sam?”
“You will be my second, Rachel. And you don’t have much to live up to.”
Rachel spends the rest of the journey to Quinn’s room in silence, trying to remain focused on the task at hand. Admittedly it’s difficult due to the thoughts crowding her brain, all fighting for dominance. Flashes of Quinn and Puck together, her first time with Finn, how this experiment is going to change their tentative friendship, how this experience could completely alter the course of her future…
“Earth to Rachel…” Quinn is saying as she closes her bedroom door and flips the lock over. “My mom shouldn’t be home until later but we probably shouldn’t take any chances, right?” Rachel nods her head once in response and glances around the room before perching on the end of the bed. “You look like you’re going to pass out. Take a breath.”
Doing what she’s told, Rachel nearly chokes when Quinn pulls her t-shirt off and tosses it to one side, leaving her with no doubt that this experiment only has one real conclusion. Quinn blushes under her gaze, looking down at her body self-consciously.
“I’m…”
“Whatever you’re about to say, don’t,” Rachel interrupts before looking away bashfully. “You’re beautiful.”
Quinn allows a smile to pass her lips before she looks up again, advancing towards the bed where Rachel automatically reaches out for her, hands slipping around the Quinn’s waist. The blonde feels lips press against her navel before Rachel stands up, teeth worrying her bottom lip.
“Nervous?” Quinn asks, bringing a hand up to brush the bangs out of Rachel’s eyes. The brunette nods. “Me too.”
“But that’s normal, right? It’s normal to be nervous about having sex for the first time with a girl… I mean, I was nervous with Finn but this feels like a different sort of nervous, like an excited-nervous. I don’t even know where to start.”
“We could start with a kiss,” Quinn says, leaning forward quickly to silence Rachel’s babble.
Struck by surprise, Rachel goes rigid for a few seconds, stunned by the presence of Quinn’s lips against her own. When Quinn pulls back, a questioning look on her face, Rachel shakes herself out of her shock and tugs the blonde back to her, resuming the kiss.
“You’re good at that,” Rachel whispers, smiling as she leans in to peck Quinn’s lips once more.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” Quinn grins in response as her hands begin to unbutton the bizarrely patterned cardigan covering up Rachel’s body. “How many layers are you wearing?” Quinn arches an eyebrow as she runs her fingertips around the hem of the turtleneck beneath the cardigan.
“I’ll have you know that layers are one of the best ways to keep out the cold and we’re currently experiencing one of the coldest Novembers in Ohio. I can’t leave myself exposed to chest infections, not with Sectionals a few weeks away,” Rachel says, entirely aware that Quinn’s question is rhetorical. “Four,” she answers anyway with a heavy sigh.
Quinn pulls the turtleneck off, then a t-shirt bearing a photo of the most recent Broadway cast of Rent leaving Rachel in a pink tanktop.
“Are you cold now?” Quinn asks, dipping her head down slightly to place light kisses to Rachel’s neck, letting her teeth drag over the sensitive flesh. She grins at Rachel’s shiver.
“No,” Rachel’s voice is strangled. “Quite the opposite.”
“Do you want to lie down?” Quinn asks, already nudging the brunette backwards a little.
Rachel is nodding as she sits down on the edge of the bed before scooting backwards until her head is resting in the spot Quinn had been sleeping in before the doorbell had rang.
“Are you okay?” Rachel asks self-consciously as Quinn gazes down at her.
“Yeah,” Quinn says, kneeling on the end of the bed and crawling up to Rachel, placing a series of kisses as she goes. When she raises the tanktop slightly to press her lips to Rachel’s abdomen, her fingertips brush against the brunette’s side causing her to squirm. “Ticklish,” Quinn muses, letting her fingers stray once more.
“Quinn!” Rachel exclaims, trying to arch away from the blonde’s touches. Quinn quickly moves away from that area and concentrates on Rachel’s neck once again, rewarded once more with shivers and an almost silent moan.
“I was trying to work out if this is a dream,” Quinn is murmuring, lifting her mouth away from the already darkening flesh before descending to resume kissing and licking and biting…
“Feels real to me,” Rachel says, placing her hands on Quinn’s back. Cautiously, she runs one up into the short, blonde hair, threading her fingers through it. “Do you dream about having sex with me a lot?”
Quinn feels herself blush, her lack of a response providing Rachel with an answer. Bringing her hand around to cup Quinn’s chin, Rachel tilts the taller girl’s head up towards her. A jolt runs through her as she takes in Quinn’s darkened eyes and parted lips.
“Is Dream Rachel good?”
“Dream Quinn never has any complaints,” Quinn mumbles, her face a furious red now. Rachel smiles shyly and pulls Quinn down for another kiss. When Rachel tugs the blonde’s bottom lip between her teeth, she’s rewarded with a soft moan and feels Quinn’s hips roll against hers.
“Again,” Rachel groans into Quinn’s mouth, moving her other hand down the taller girl’s back and arching to meet Quinn as the blonde grinds down again. The result causes Rachel to grin against Quinn’s lips.
“You okay?” Quinn asks between kisses.
“Yeah, just…” Rachel’s hands find Quinn’s waist and guide her to the left slightly, leaving one leg nestled between her own. “Trying something.”
Quinn nods, pressing her thigh down against the apex of Rachel’s legs, watching the brunette’s face intently for her reaction. She watches as Rachel’s lips part and her eyes flicker shut. With a soft sigh, Rachel’s hips rock upwards intensifying the contact between her body and Quinn’s.
Bringing her lips back down to Rachel’s once more, Quinn continues grinding against the brunette, still unwilling to believe that this is real. Knowing that she could wake up at any moment, Quinn runs her hand down Rachel’s side, ignoring the muffled protest about it tickling, and toys with the hem of her skirt which has slowly ridden up during the past few minutes.
Rachel’s next thrust brings a sharp moan from her throat causing the blonde to pause and open her eyes in concern. Rachel shakes her head quickly and places a hand on top of Quinn’s, pushing it around to her back.
“Take it off,” Rachel says, eyes locking with Quinn’s, urgency etched on her face.
“The um… the skirt or the…?” Quinn stammers over her words as Rachel arches upwards allowing her to slide the zip down.
“All of it.”
Don’t wake up.
xxxxx
The look of disbelief on Quinn’s face as she rids the brunette of the rest of her clothes convinces Rachel that the other girl still thinks that this is a dream.
“Is this how you imagined me?” Rachel asks, drawing Quinn’s attention back towards her.
“Close,” Quinn says, letting her eyes roam again before she lies down next to Rachel once more. “I mean, you don’t have scales so I guess I was wrong about that…”
“Hey!” Rachel says indignantly, shoving Quinn’s shoulder before taking the blonde’s hand in her own. She places it against her abdomen and holds it there tightly. “You still look like you think this is a dream. What do I need to do to convince you otherwise?” Quinn remains silent, dropping her gaze down towards her fingers, splayed against Rachel’s tan skin.
“I don’t think you can,” Quinn answers at last, sliding her hand higher to cup Rachel’s breast. She runs the pad of her thumb over one nipple before mimicking the movement on the other. Rachel squirms slightly, arching into the touch.
“I’ve thought about you before,” Rachel admits, a shy smile passing over her lips.
“Then why the experiment?” Quinn frowns, leaning away to grab the blanket at the end of the bed and throwing it over them both, covering them to the waist. “Girls must be a turn on for you too if you think about them…”
“Not them,” Rachel corrects, watching for the reaction on the blonde’s face.
“Just me?” Quinn asks, feeling her heart skip awkwardly.
“I blame the cheerleading skirt,” Rachel says with a roll of her eyes. “Look, I like boys. I liked Puck and Jesse and I do like Finn. But I’ve always been appreciative of girls, I’ve just never really thought about acting on it. With them.”
“But with me... what’s different about me?” Quinn asks, unable to meet Rachel’s eye as she trails her hand back up to Rachel’s breasts. Rachel takes her time answering the question, allowing Quinn to duck her head down and wrap her lips around a straining nipple. Hesitantly, she sucks and it sends a pulse through Rachel’s body, nestling right between the brunette’s legs. “Answer the question,” Quinn says, moving her mouth away before letting the tip of her tongue dance over the puckered flesh. Rachel remains relatively mute when she turns her attention to the other nipple, only moaning softly as an indication that she’s enjoying what Quinn’s doing. Frustrated by the silence, Quinn moves up Rachel’s body and kisses her hard.
“Rachel, tell me,” Quinn says, leaving the brunette breathless.
Rachel takes Quinn’s hand and guides it southwards.
“What are you doing?” Quinn asks, arching an eyebrow when she feels Rachel spreading her legs.
“Showing you why you’re different,” Rachel replies simply before pushing Quinn’s hand down between her legs and watching as Quinn’s breath catches in her throat. “That’s why.”
“Imagination Quinn must be pretty good then,” Quinn murmurs, dragging her fingers through the wetness, enjoying the look on Rachel’s face as her head tips backwards against the pillows.
“She talks less,” Rachel muses, earning herself a smirk.
“We don’t have to talk,” Quinn says, eliciting a loud moan from Rachel’s lips as she circles the brunette’s clit with a solitary finger.
“No,” Rachel agrees. “Not if it means you’re concentrating on doing that.”
Quinn takes one last look down beneath the blanket, still unable to believe that it’s her hand, her fingers making Rachel moan. Before guilty thoughts start to crowd her mind, she moves her body on top of Rachel’s again, fingers slipping down a little from Rachel’s clit to circle her entrance.
“You’re sure…?” Quinn starts to say but is cut off by Rachel’s lips. The kiss is so intense that Quinn momentarily forgets about the task at hand, too preoccupied with the way Rachel’s lips and tongue and teeth are…
“Quinn, please,” Rachel pulls her mouth away from the dazed blonde’s and tries to grind her hips up off the bed.
“Are you…?” Quinn hesitates, trying to figure out why she’s stalling, why she keeps feeling the need to ask for Rachel’s permission.
“I’m sure,” Rachel supplies, one hand slipping between their bodies to push down on the blonde’s. “I want this.” She arches slightly as the tips of Quinn’s fingers slide inside. “God, I want this.”
“If…” Quinn tries again but stops when Rachel gives her a look of disbelief. “Sorry.”
“Quinn, you’re overthinking this,” Rachel says, trying desperately not to rock her hips against Quinn’s unmoving hand. “I want this and I want you. I really, really want you. Can’t you feel that?”
Unable to hold out any longer, Rachel rolls her hips off the bed and feels Quinn’s fingers slide a little deeper inside. She whimpers and locks her gaze with Quinn’s, watching the last trace of indecision leave the blonde’s face.
Silencing as many of the thoughts running through her head as possible, Quinn thrusts deep inside Rachel, relishing the tight wetness that encompasses her fingers. She feels Rachel’s hand on the back of her neck, pulling her in for another heated kiss as her instincts take over, her fingers drawing long strokes as they pull and push between the Rachel’s legs.
A half-garbled sentence escapes from Rachel’s lips between kisses and Quinn feels herself smiling against Rachel’s lips.
“… feels amazing,” Rachel exhales, finishing the sentence before her hips lurch upwards, crashing against Quinn’s followed by a husky moan as Quinn’s fingers curl inside her. “Again,” she says, not at all ashamed by the begging tone in her voice. She cants off the bed as Quinn’s fingers curl once more, mouth breaking away from the blonde’s as her head tips back, burying into the pillows.
God.
Quinn’s lips part in a barely audible moan as she watches the girl beneath her quickly come undone. She’s seen Rachel give performances that bring people to tears and command entire audiences with her voice but seeing her like this… arching and breathless and so completely beautiful is intoxicating. Quinn knows that there’s nothing that will ever rid her memory of this image, of these moments. Even if it’s only this one time.
“Where are you?” Rachel asks suddenly, bringing Quinn out of her thoughts. The brunette is staring up at her, her breathing irregular as she struggles to calm her body down, cursing Quinn’s ability to make her feel like this so quickly. She feels as though she could tumble over the edge at any second, that Quinn’s next movement could be her downfall.
“Sorry,” Quinn apologises with a kiss. “I’m here. I’m right here.”
“Good,” Rachel murmurs, sighing as Quinn’s fingers extend inside her once more. “So good.”
Quinn is all too aware of how quickly this is going to be over, Rachel is tensing around her fingers with every thrust and the rhythm between them is starting to falter as Rachel’s hips pitch upwards haphazardly. Feeling Rachel’s nails digging into her shoulders, Quinn shifts slightly, soaked fingers sliding out of the brunette and pressing hard against Rachel’s clit.
Rachel can feel her mouth moving but can’t seem to form any words and settles for moaning as Quinn brings her closer and closer…
“Quinn,” she finally finds her voice, repeating the word as though her life depends on it.
… fuck, definitely not a dream.
Quinn feels her head hit the pillow next to Rachel and closes her eyes, still feeling Rachel’s body shake beneath her.
“Wow,” Rachel exhales, stroking one hand down Quinn’s back, feeling the blonde’s muscles twitch.
“Wow,” Quinn agrees, unsure about what she should do now. She turns her head to the right and takes in Rachel’s profile. The brunette’s eyes are closed and a smile is playing on her lips. “What?”
“Hmm?” Rachel turns to look at Quinn, reaching up to brush the hair off Quinn’s forehead.
“You’re smiling,” Quinn says.
“I have no reason not to smile,” Rachel says, her mouth spitting into a huge grin. “You’re very, very good at… this.” Rachel gestures around the bed, a smile on her face. Quinn blushes as she tries to bury her head beneath the pillows. “You are… Quinn, look at me.”
“No,” Quinn’s voice is muffled. Rachel rolls her eyes and pulls the pillows away, tossing them on the floor.
“Come here,” Rachel says, pulling Quinn’s head towards her. “Kiss me?”
Unable to resist, Quinn presses her lips against Rachel’s softly, trying desperately to silence the rational parts of her brain that are telling her to stop. She can feel Rachel’s hands start to run down her body and sighs.
“You don’t have to…”
“But I want to,” Rachel replies, tentatively drawing patterns across Quinn’s abdomen.
Somewhere below them, the sound of a door slamming causes them both to freeze.
“Shit,” Quinn mutters as Rachel’s eyes go wide.
“Quinn?” Judy Fabray’s voice rings through the house.
“Shit,” Rachel agrees before both girls fly off the bed. “Where’s my skirt?!” Rachel hisses.
The footsteps on the stairs are growing louder and louder and then the door handle rattles as Judy tries the door.
“Under the bed!” Quinn whispers, gesturing wildly with one arm as she pulls her sweatpants on with the other. Rachel gathers up as much of her clothes as possible and scrambles under the bed.
“Quinn! Open the door!” Judy says, trying the door again. Quinn attempts to straighten up the blankets on her bed and makes sure there aren’t any errant pieces of clothing lying around. She adjusts her t-shirt and hopes her hair isn’t too wild before unlocking the door and pulling it open.
“Hey mom,” Quinn says, too brightly and too cheerfully for someone who’s supposedly just woken up.
“What were you doing?” Judy asks her, a perfectly tweezed eyebrow rising ever-so-slightly on her artificially smoothened forehead.
“Napping,” Quinn says. “I forgot to set my alarm.”
Judy tuts and glances around Quinn’s room.
“How far did you run this morning?” she asks.
“A little over five miles,” Quinn says, praying that her mom doesn’t decide to nose around. “I have some homework to do…”
“You’re hiding something from me,” Judy says, folding her arms across her chest. “You know we’re not supposed to have secrets anymore, Quinnie.”
“I’m not hiding anything,” Quinn says, knowing that her cheeks are starting to turn red.
“Hmm,” Judy murmurs and shakes her head with a sigh. “I’m late for my Szechuan cooking class. I’ll leave money on the counter if you want to order takeout.”
“Thanks, mom,” Quinn says, playing with the hem of her t-shirt nervously.
“Is it a boy?” Judy whispers far too loudly. “Please tell me you’re being safe.”
“It isn’t a boy,” Quinn reassures her mom. “I have a girl hiding under my bed.”
Judy stares at her daughter, somewhat aghast before her mask slips back over her face. She laughs, a little unsure, and walks out of the room, heels clicking on the hardwood. When the front door slams, Quinn releases a soft laugh.
“What if she had checked?” Rachel asks, her voice muffled, before she reappears from beneath the bed, half-dressed. Quinn shrugs, sitting down on the end of the bed, watching Rachel pull on the rest of her clothes.
“You’re going?” Quinn asks, failing to sound nonchalant.
“Your mom is quite the mood-killer,” Rachel says, making a face as she buttons her cardigan. She sits down next to Quinn, lacing her fingers through the blonde’s.
“So, when do I find out the results of the experiment?” Quinn asks, attempting to be blasé about the end of her afternoon with Rachel. The brunette remains silent while she tries to think of an answer that won’t disappoint either girl.
“I think you already know the results,” she says eventually, unable to meet Quinn’s gaze.
“But you’re staying with Finn?”
“I don’t know,” Rachel answers truthfully. “No… I don’t think I can. Not now.”
Quinn feels hope surge through her and tightens her grip on Rachel’s hand, feeling the brunette squeeze back in return.
“You should go,” Quinn says. “We have things to work out and process and…”
“Lots of things,” Rachel agrees, not moving an inch from the bed. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yeah,” Quinn says, feeling Rachel’s hand slip from hers and missing it instantly. “Is it okay if I call you sometime?”
“I’d like that,” Rachel replies, standing up from the bed and smoothing down her skirt. Quinn follows a few seconds later, reaching for Rachel’s hand.
“Bye,” Quinn says, pressing a soft kiss to Rachel’s lips.
“Bye,” Rachel smiles, almost sadly before turning and leaving the room. Quinn takes a few steps backwards and throws herself back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling as she attempts to process what’s just happened.
She reaches for the pillow Rachel had been lying on and pulls it close to her, hugging it to her chest. Half an hour later and no closer to processing her thoughts or feelings, Quinn tosses the pillow aside and moves over to her desk, groaning at the pile of homework that greets her.
Unable to concentrate on geometry or biology or chemistry, Quinn writes a new topic at the top of her notepad and instantly starts scribbling ideas. Neglecting everything else, she works on this new project until she’s ready to crawl into bed, hiding the pieces of paper in her bedside cabinet where her mom is unlikely to find them.
As Quinn drifts into a familiar dream, the words printed at the top of the first page stand out clear in her mind:
Operation: Date Rachel Berry
Part 2
AUTHOR: Brio
SPOILERS: S03E05 (Canon really isn't my thing though)
RATING: NC-17
SUMMARY: After her first time fails to live up to her expectations, Rachel proposes an experiment.
WORDS: 4,552
PAIRINGS/CHARACTERS: Rachel/Quinn
The noise of the doorbell cuts through the eerie silence of the Fabray household startling Quinn out of her late-afternoon nap. She cracks an eye open to glance at the time before rolling off her bed and jogging down the stairs to find out who is disturbing her slumber. Peeking through the window at the side of her front door, she huffs in discontent.
Rachel.
“Great,” Quinn mumbles to herself before counting to three and opening the door. “Hello, Rachel.”
“Quinn,” Rachel acknowledges her with a distracted nod of her head. “I was beginning to wonder if you were home.”
“I was sleeping,” Quinn replies unnecessarily. Rachel glances at the errant strands sticking up from the blonde’s usually immaculate hairdo and the creased t-shirt and sweatpants and nods.
“So I gather,” she says. “I’m sorry I interrupted.”
Quinn runs a hand through her hair, hoping that she’s smoothed some of it down and turns her attention to the floor when Rachel’s unfaltering gaze begins to unnerve her.
“Can I come in?”
Wordlessly, Quinn steps to the side allowing Rachel to pass though she has no idea why the brunette is here, let alone why she feels the need to be inside the Fabray’s house.
There’s a first time for everything.
Quinn closes the front door and follows after the other girl, a little surprised when the brunette turns into the kitchen. Frowning, Quinn leans against the doorframe, trying to figure out if this is some sort of weird dream as Rachel opens one cupboard, then the next, shaking her head and tutting when she fails to find whatever it is she’s looking for.
“What are you looking for?” Quinn asks at last.
“I’m about to propose something and I feel that alcohol might be needed for us to get through it,” Rachel says, straightening up. “If you accept, that is.”
“You’re looking in the wrong room for the alcohol,” Quinn says, directing Rachel to the dining room where a cabinet of rums and whiskys and vodkas await. She watches Rachel select a bottle of pre-divorce whisky, unscrew the lid and take a sniff. The look of horror on Rachel’s face is enough to make Quinn chuckle. “Is the alcohol really necessary?” Quinn asks.
“I had sex with Finn,” Rachel blurts out.
Quinn feels her eyebrows rise and her mouth open and tries desperately to ignore the twisting sensation in her stomach where it feels like she’s been punched. Suddenly, she wants to take a swig of the whisky.
“Oh,” Quinn says before the mental image assails her and she has to close her eyes to try and rid herself of it. “When?”
Stupid question.
“A few days ago.”
Quinn hesitates, trying to think of anything else to say that’s less stupid than her previous question.
“Were you safe?”
You’re not her mom. Jeez.
When she glances up at the brunette, Rachel is looking at her a little incredulously but nods nonetheless.
“Yes.”
Rachel looks as though she’s wrestling with her next words so Quinn takes the opportunity to remove the bottle of whisky from her hands and close the cabinet door again. She gestures for Rachel to go through to the adjoining lounge and watches the brunette smooth her skirt before perching on the edge of the chair her mother favours. Quinn opts for the sofa, sinking down into the cushions.
“I’ve got a lot of homework so if this visit has a point…” Quinn begins, not intending to sound harsh but failing miserably.
“Can I ask you something?”
“If it’s sex-related, then I’m not your best option,” Quinn says, holding up her hands. “I’d try Puck or Santana. Or Brittany.”
“I have my reasons for picking you,” Rachel says carefully.
“Picking me for what?” Quinn asks.
“I guess it’s an experiment,” Rachel says, looking down at her hands before launching into ramble-mode. “I thought I’d feel different. Afterwards. Different to how I felt before. I thought there’d be fireworks and I’d look into his eyes and know that this is it. This is forever.” Rachel pauses. “But it wasn’t even close.”
Quinn looks closely at Rachel who has resorted to frowning once more, brow furrowed in deep thought.
“Forever is a long, long time, Rachel,” Quinn says when she feels the silence has gone on for long enough. “You have your whole life ahead of you to find guys who make you feel fireworks.”
Rachel’s eyes brighten slightly when she glances over at Quinn.
“Or girls,” Rachel says, causing Quinn’s heart to slam against her ribcage.
“What?” Quinn says hollowly, convinced that she’s misheard the brunette. “Wait… you… what?”
Rachel blushes under Quinn’s incredulous expression, wishing she’d thought more about this before walking over to the Fabray’s.
“I should go,” Rachel says, springing up from the chair, muttering about how stupid her idea was leaving Quinn to gape at the spot she’s just vacated. The brunette is halfway down the Fabray’s path when Quinn catches up to her, grabbing her elbow almost painfully.
“Tell me the proposition,” Quinn says quietly, relaxing her grip when Rachel grimaces.
“It was a bad idea,” Rachel insists. “A very, very bad and stupid idea.”
“Rachel, tell me,” Quinn urges. Rachel remains mute causing Quinn to sigh and lean in close. “I’ll say yes.”
Sensing nothing malicious in the blonde’s tone, Rachel wordlessly makes her way back into the house and waits at the foot of the staircase for Quinn.
“You haven’t heard what I’m about to propose and you’re already saying yes?” Rachel asks when Quinn joins her after what feels like an eternity.
“I can guess what you’re about to propose and I’d be lying if I said that the thought hadn’t crossed my mind,” Quinn replies, watching Rachel’s eyes flutter closed as she steps closer and slips her hands into the brunette’s.
“Finn can never find out,” Rachel murmurs. “Even if… this,” a hand gestures between their bodies haphazardly, “changes things for me or helps me figure out whatever feelings are charging around inside of me… I don’t want him to know.”
“Is that why you’ve picked me? You think that Puck or Santana or anyone else would tell…” Quinn asks, aware that she’s setting herself up for disappointment regardless of what happens.
Rachel shakes her head.
“I’ve noticed the way you look at me, Quinn,” she says. “I know you harbour some sort of physical attraction towards me and I know that although you’re sometimes hostile to me…” Quinn opens her mouth to argue but Rachel silences her with a look. “Ultimately, you’ll want to help.” Quinn rolls her eyes.
“By having sex with you?”
Rachel confirms this with a nod causing Quinn to smirk slightly.
“You can’t be any worse than Puck,” she says and starts to lead Rachel up the staircase to the second floor.
“You and Finn never…?” Quinn shakes her head. “Or Sam?”
“You will be my second, Rachel. And you don’t have much to live up to.”
Rachel spends the rest of the journey to Quinn’s room in silence, trying to remain focused on the task at hand. Admittedly it’s difficult due to the thoughts crowding her brain, all fighting for dominance. Flashes of Quinn and Puck together, her first time with Finn, how this experiment is going to change their tentative friendship, how this experience could completely alter the course of her future…
“Earth to Rachel…” Quinn is saying as she closes her bedroom door and flips the lock over. “My mom shouldn’t be home until later but we probably shouldn’t take any chances, right?” Rachel nods her head once in response and glances around the room before perching on the end of the bed. “You look like you’re going to pass out. Take a breath.”
Doing what she’s told, Rachel nearly chokes when Quinn pulls her t-shirt off and tosses it to one side, leaving her with no doubt that this experiment only has one real conclusion. Quinn blushes under her gaze, looking down at her body self-consciously.
“I’m…”
“Whatever you’re about to say, don’t,” Rachel interrupts before looking away bashfully. “You’re beautiful.”
Quinn allows a smile to pass her lips before she looks up again, advancing towards the bed where Rachel automatically reaches out for her, hands slipping around the Quinn’s waist. The blonde feels lips press against her navel before Rachel stands up, teeth worrying her bottom lip.
“Nervous?” Quinn asks, bringing a hand up to brush the bangs out of Rachel’s eyes. The brunette nods. “Me too.”
“But that’s normal, right? It’s normal to be nervous about having sex for the first time with a girl… I mean, I was nervous with Finn but this feels like a different sort of nervous, like an excited-nervous. I don’t even know where to start.”
“We could start with a kiss,” Quinn says, leaning forward quickly to silence Rachel’s babble.
Struck by surprise, Rachel goes rigid for a few seconds, stunned by the presence of Quinn’s lips against her own. When Quinn pulls back, a questioning look on her face, Rachel shakes herself out of her shock and tugs the blonde back to her, resuming the kiss.
“You’re good at that,” Rachel whispers, smiling as she leans in to peck Quinn’s lips once more.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” Quinn grins in response as her hands begin to unbutton the bizarrely patterned cardigan covering up Rachel’s body. “How many layers are you wearing?” Quinn arches an eyebrow as she runs her fingertips around the hem of the turtleneck beneath the cardigan.
“I’ll have you know that layers are one of the best ways to keep out the cold and we’re currently experiencing one of the coldest Novembers in Ohio. I can’t leave myself exposed to chest infections, not with Sectionals a few weeks away,” Rachel says, entirely aware that Quinn’s question is rhetorical. “Four,” she answers anyway with a heavy sigh.
Quinn pulls the turtleneck off, then a t-shirt bearing a photo of the most recent Broadway cast of Rent leaving Rachel in a pink tanktop.
“Are you cold now?” Quinn asks, dipping her head down slightly to place light kisses to Rachel’s neck, letting her teeth drag over the sensitive flesh. She grins at Rachel’s shiver.
“No,” Rachel’s voice is strangled. “Quite the opposite.”
“Do you want to lie down?” Quinn asks, already nudging the brunette backwards a little.
Rachel is nodding as she sits down on the edge of the bed before scooting backwards until her head is resting in the spot Quinn had been sleeping in before the doorbell had rang.
“Are you okay?” Rachel asks self-consciously as Quinn gazes down at her.
“Yeah,” Quinn says, kneeling on the end of the bed and crawling up to Rachel, placing a series of kisses as she goes. When she raises the tanktop slightly to press her lips to Rachel’s abdomen, her fingertips brush against the brunette’s side causing her to squirm. “Ticklish,” Quinn muses, letting her fingers stray once more.
“Quinn!” Rachel exclaims, trying to arch away from the blonde’s touches. Quinn quickly moves away from that area and concentrates on Rachel’s neck once again, rewarded once more with shivers and an almost silent moan.
“I was trying to work out if this is a dream,” Quinn is murmuring, lifting her mouth away from the already darkening flesh before descending to resume kissing and licking and biting…
“Feels real to me,” Rachel says, placing her hands on Quinn’s back. Cautiously, she runs one up into the short, blonde hair, threading her fingers through it. “Do you dream about having sex with me a lot?”
Quinn feels herself blush, her lack of a response providing Rachel with an answer. Bringing her hand around to cup Quinn’s chin, Rachel tilts the taller girl’s head up towards her. A jolt runs through her as she takes in Quinn’s darkened eyes and parted lips.
“Is Dream Rachel good?”
“Dream Quinn never has any complaints,” Quinn mumbles, her face a furious red now. Rachel smiles shyly and pulls Quinn down for another kiss. When Rachel tugs the blonde’s bottom lip between her teeth, she’s rewarded with a soft moan and feels Quinn’s hips roll against hers.
“Again,” Rachel groans into Quinn’s mouth, moving her other hand down the taller girl’s back and arching to meet Quinn as the blonde grinds down again. The result causes Rachel to grin against Quinn’s lips.
“You okay?” Quinn asks between kisses.
“Yeah, just…” Rachel’s hands find Quinn’s waist and guide her to the left slightly, leaving one leg nestled between her own. “Trying something.”
Quinn nods, pressing her thigh down against the apex of Rachel’s legs, watching the brunette’s face intently for her reaction. She watches as Rachel’s lips part and her eyes flicker shut. With a soft sigh, Rachel’s hips rock upwards intensifying the contact between her body and Quinn’s.
Bringing her lips back down to Rachel’s once more, Quinn continues grinding against the brunette, still unwilling to believe that this is real. Knowing that she could wake up at any moment, Quinn runs her hand down Rachel’s side, ignoring the muffled protest about it tickling, and toys with the hem of her skirt which has slowly ridden up during the past few minutes.
Rachel’s next thrust brings a sharp moan from her throat causing the blonde to pause and open her eyes in concern. Rachel shakes her head quickly and places a hand on top of Quinn’s, pushing it around to her back.
“Take it off,” Rachel says, eyes locking with Quinn’s, urgency etched on her face.
“The um… the skirt or the…?” Quinn stammers over her words as Rachel arches upwards allowing her to slide the zip down.
“All of it.”
Don’t wake up.
xxxxx
The look of disbelief on Quinn’s face as she rids the brunette of the rest of her clothes convinces Rachel that the other girl still thinks that this is a dream.
“Is this how you imagined me?” Rachel asks, drawing Quinn’s attention back towards her.
“Close,” Quinn says, letting her eyes roam again before she lies down next to Rachel once more. “I mean, you don’t have scales so I guess I was wrong about that…”
“Hey!” Rachel says indignantly, shoving Quinn’s shoulder before taking the blonde’s hand in her own. She places it against her abdomen and holds it there tightly. “You still look like you think this is a dream. What do I need to do to convince you otherwise?” Quinn remains silent, dropping her gaze down towards her fingers, splayed against Rachel’s tan skin.
“I don’t think you can,” Quinn answers at last, sliding her hand higher to cup Rachel’s breast. She runs the pad of her thumb over one nipple before mimicking the movement on the other. Rachel squirms slightly, arching into the touch.
“I’ve thought about you before,” Rachel admits, a shy smile passing over her lips.
“Then why the experiment?” Quinn frowns, leaning away to grab the blanket at the end of the bed and throwing it over them both, covering them to the waist. “Girls must be a turn on for you too if you think about them…”
“Not them,” Rachel corrects, watching for the reaction on the blonde’s face.
“Just me?” Quinn asks, feeling her heart skip awkwardly.
“I blame the cheerleading skirt,” Rachel says with a roll of her eyes. “Look, I like boys. I liked Puck and Jesse and I do like Finn. But I’ve always been appreciative of girls, I’ve just never really thought about acting on it. With them.”
“But with me... what’s different about me?” Quinn asks, unable to meet Rachel’s eye as she trails her hand back up to Rachel’s breasts. Rachel takes her time answering the question, allowing Quinn to duck her head down and wrap her lips around a straining nipple. Hesitantly, she sucks and it sends a pulse through Rachel’s body, nestling right between the brunette’s legs. “Answer the question,” Quinn says, moving her mouth away before letting the tip of her tongue dance over the puckered flesh. Rachel remains relatively mute when she turns her attention to the other nipple, only moaning softly as an indication that she’s enjoying what Quinn’s doing. Frustrated by the silence, Quinn moves up Rachel’s body and kisses her hard.
“Rachel, tell me,” Quinn says, leaving the brunette breathless.
Rachel takes Quinn’s hand and guides it southwards.
“What are you doing?” Quinn asks, arching an eyebrow when she feels Rachel spreading her legs.
“Showing you why you’re different,” Rachel replies simply before pushing Quinn’s hand down between her legs and watching as Quinn’s breath catches in her throat. “That’s why.”
“Imagination Quinn must be pretty good then,” Quinn murmurs, dragging her fingers through the wetness, enjoying the look on Rachel’s face as her head tips backwards against the pillows.
“She talks less,” Rachel muses, earning herself a smirk.
“We don’t have to talk,” Quinn says, eliciting a loud moan from Rachel’s lips as she circles the brunette’s clit with a solitary finger.
“No,” Rachel agrees. “Not if it means you’re concentrating on doing that.”
Quinn takes one last look down beneath the blanket, still unable to believe that it’s her hand, her fingers making Rachel moan. Before guilty thoughts start to crowd her mind, she moves her body on top of Rachel’s again, fingers slipping down a little from Rachel’s clit to circle her entrance.
“You’re sure…?” Quinn starts to say but is cut off by Rachel’s lips. The kiss is so intense that Quinn momentarily forgets about the task at hand, too preoccupied with the way Rachel’s lips and tongue and teeth are…
“Quinn, please,” Rachel pulls her mouth away from the dazed blonde’s and tries to grind her hips up off the bed.
“Are you…?” Quinn hesitates, trying to figure out why she’s stalling, why she keeps feeling the need to ask for Rachel’s permission.
“I’m sure,” Rachel supplies, one hand slipping between their bodies to push down on the blonde’s. “I want this.” She arches slightly as the tips of Quinn’s fingers slide inside. “God, I want this.”
“If…” Quinn tries again but stops when Rachel gives her a look of disbelief. “Sorry.”
“Quinn, you’re overthinking this,” Rachel says, trying desperately not to rock her hips against Quinn’s unmoving hand. “I want this and I want you. I really, really want you. Can’t you feel that?”
Unable to hold out any longer, Rachel rolls her hips off the bed and feels Quinn’s fingers slide a little deeper inside. She whimpers and locks her gaze with Quinn’s, watching the last trace of indecision leave the blonde’s face.
Silencing as many of the thoughts running through her head as possible, Quinn thrusts deep inside Rachel, relishing the tight wetness that encompasses her fingers. She feels Rachel’s hand on the back of her neck, pulling her in for another heated kiss as her instincts take over, her fingers drawing long strokes as they pull and push between the Rachel’s legs.
A half-garbled sentence escapes from Rachel’s lips between kisses and Quinn feels herself smiling against Rachel’s lips.
“… feels amazing,” Rachel exhales, finishing the sentence before her hips lurch upwards, crashing against Quinn’s followed by a husky moan as Quinn’s fingers curl inside her. “Again,” she says, not at all ashamed by the begging tone in her voice. She cants off the bed as Quinn’s fingers curl once more, mouth breaking away from the blonde’s as her head tips back, burying into the pillows.
God.
Quinn’s lips part in a barely audible moan as she watches the girl beneath her quickly come undone. She’s seen Rachel give performances that bring people to tears and command entire audiences with her voice but seeing her like this… arching and breathless and so completely beautiful is intoxicating. Quinn knows that there’s nothing that will ever rid her memory of this image, of these moments. Even if it’s only this one time.
“Where are you?” Rachel asks suddenly, bringing Quinn out of her thoughts. The brunette is staring up at her, her breathing irregular as she struggles to calm her body down, cursing Quinn’s ability to make her feel like this so quickly. She feels as though she could tumble over the edge at any second, that Quinn’s next movement could be her downfall.
“Sorry,” Quinn apologises with a kiss. “I’m here. I’m right here.”
“Good,” Rachel murmurs, sighing as Quinn’s fingers extend inside her once more. “So good.”
Quinn is all too aware of how quickly this is going to be over, Rachel is tensing around her fingers with every thrust and the rhythm between them is starting to falter as Rachel’s hips pitch upwards haphazardly. Feeling Rachel’s nails digging into her shoulders, Quinn shifts slightly, soaked fingers sliding out of the brunette and pressing hard against Rachel’s clit.
Rachel can feel her mouth moving but can’t seem to form any words and settles for moaning as Quinn brings her closer and closer…
“Quinn,” she finally finds her voice, repeating the word as though her life depends on it.
… fuck, definitely not a dream.
Quinn feels her head hit the pillow next to Rachel and closes her eyes, still feeling Rachel’s body shake beneath her.
“Wow,” Rachel exhales, stroking one hand down Quinn’s back, feeling the blonde’s muscles twitch.
“Wow,” Quinn agrees, unsure about what she should do now. She turns her head to the right and takes in Rachel’s profile. The brunette’s eyes are closed and a smile is playing on her lips. “What?”
“Hmm?” Rachel turns to look at Quinn, reaching up to brush the hair off Quinn’s forehead.
“You’re smiling,” Quinn says.
“I have no reason not to smile,” Rachel says, her mouth spitting into a huge grin. “You’re very, very good at… this.” Rachel gestures around the bed, a smile on her face. Quinn blushes as she tries to bury her head beneath the pillows. “You are… Quinn, look at me.”
“No,” Quinn’s voice is muffled. Rachel rolls her eyes and pulls the pillows away, tossing them on the floor.
“Come here,” Rachel says, pulling Quinn’s head towards her. “Kiss me?”
Unable to resist, Quinn presses her lips against Rachel’s softly, trying desperately to silence the rational parts of her brain that are telling her to stop. She can feel Rachel’s hands start to run down her body and sighs.
“You don’t have to…”
“But I want to,” Rachel replies, tentatively drawing patterns across Quinn’s abdomen.
Somewhere below them, the sound of a door slamming causes them both to freeze.
“Shit,” Quinn mutters as Rachel’s eyes go wide.
“Quinn?” Judy Fabray’s voice rings through the house.
“Shit,” Rachel agrees before both girls fly off the bed. “Where’s my skirt?!” Rachel hisses.
The footsteps on the stairs are growing louder and louder and then the door handle rattles as Judy tries the door.
“Under the bed!” Quinn whispers, gesturing wildly with one arm as she pulls her sweatpants on with the other. Rachel gathers up as much of her clothes as possible and scrambles under the bed.
“Quinn! Open the door!” Judy says, trying the door again. Quinn attempts to straighten up the blankets on her bed and makes sure there aren’t any errant pieces of clothing lying around. She adjusts her t-shirt and hopes her hair isn’t too wild before unlocking the door and pulling it open.
“Hey mom,” Quinn says, too brightly and too cheerfully for someone who’s supposedly just woken up.
“What were you doing?” Judy asks her, a perfectly tweezed eyebrow rising ever-so-slightly on her artificially smoothened forehead.
“Napping,” Quinn says. “I forgot to set my alarm.”
Judy tuts and glances around Quinn’s room.
“How far did you run this morning?” she asks.
“A little over five miles,” Quinn says, praying that her mom doesn’t decide to nose around. “I have some homework to do…”
“You’re hiding something from me,” Judy says, folding her arms across her chest. “You know we’re not supposed to have secrets anymore, Quinnie.”
“I’m not hiding anything,” Quinn says, knowing that her cheeks are starting to turn red.
“Hmm,” Judy murmurs and shakes her head with a sigh. “I’m late for my Szechuan cooking class. I’ll leave money on the counter if you want to order takeout.”
“Thanks, mom,” Quinn says, playing with the hem of her t-shirt nervously.
“Is it a boy?” Judy whispers far too loudly. “Please tell me you’re being safe.”
“It isn’t a boy,” Quinn reassures her mom. “I have a girl hiding under my bed.”
Judy stares at her daughter, somewhat aghast before her mask slips back over her face. She laughs, a little unsure, and walks out of the room, heels clicking on the hardwood. When the front door slams, Quinn releases a soft laugh.
“What if she had checked?” Rachel asks, her voice muffled, before she reappears from beneath the bed, half-dressed. Quinn shrugs, sitting down on the end of the bed, watching Rachel pull on the rest of her clothes.
“You’re going?” Quinn asks, failing to sound nonchalant.
“Your mom is quite the mood-killer,” Rachel says, making a face as she buttons her cardigan. She sits down next to Quinn, lacing her fingers through the blonde’s.
“So, when do I find out the results of the experiment?” Quinn asks, attempting to be blasé about the end of her afternoon with Rachel. The brunette remains silent while she tries to think of an answer that won’t disappoint either girl.
“I think you already know the results,” she says eventually, unable to meet Quinn’s gaze.
“But you’re staying with Finn?”
“I don’t know,” Rachel answers truthfully. “No… I don’t think I can. Not now.”
Quinn feels hope surge through her and tightens her grip on Rachel’s hand, feeling the brunette squeeze back in return.
“You should go,” Quinn says. “We have things to work out and process and…”
“Lots of things,” Rachel agrees, not moving an inch from the bed. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yeah,” Quinn says, feeling Rachel’s hand slip from hers and missing it instantly. “Is it okay if I call you sometime?”
“I’d like that,” Rachel replies, standing up from the bed and smoothing down her skirt. Quinn follows a few seconds later, reaching for Rachel’s hand.
“Bye,” Quinn says, pressing a soft kiss to Rachel’s lips.
“Bye,” Rachel smiles, almost sadly before turning and leaving the room. Quinn takes a few steps backwards and throws herself back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling as she attempts to process what’s just happened.
She reaches for the pillow Rachel had been lying on and pulls it close to her, hugging it to her chest. Half an hour later and no closer to processing her thoughts or feelings, Quinn tosses the pillow aside and moves over to her desk, groaning at the pile of homework that greets her.
Unable to concentrate on geometry or biology or chemistry, Quinn writes a new topic at the top of her notepad and instantly starts scribbling ideas. Neglecting everything else, she works on this new project until she’s ready to crawl into bed, hiding the pieces of paper in her bedside cabinet where her mom is unlikely to find them.
As Quinn drifts into a familiar dream, the words printed at the top of the first page stand out clear in her mind:
Operation: Date Rachel Berry
Part 2