A/N: Because I'm in love with Quinn and her eyes, and I'm pretty sure that Rachel Berry is in love with them, too. Oh, and slightly AU in some events coming from the Glee 'verse.
Her eyes were beautifully gift wrapped;
Long black lashes of velvet ribbon-
And everytime she opened them,
It felt like Christmas.
-Michael Faudet
The first time Rachel noticed Quinn's eyes was when the cheerleader found out that she was pregnant. Her normally hardened and determined gaze had been reduced to sorrow and fear, hazel eyes cast down instead of looking straight ahead. It made her wonder why she never took the time to really look into those beautiful hazel hues that now put her in a trance every time she caught a glimpse of them.
They swirled with emotions that Rachel had never seen in them before. Every time Quinn blinked, Rachel would wait for the moment until they opened again, revealing the eyes that enchanted her and left her speechless. And nothing has ever made Rachel speechless before.
Until she finally took notice of Quinn's bright and expressive hazel irises.
So when she learned that Jacob Ben-Israel was going to spread the news of Quinn's pregnancy, she knew that she had to do something. Anything at all, just to spare anymore pain from clouding the hazel orbs that haunted her in her dreams at night.
Even if it meant giving a pair of her underwear to the person that stalked her and thought things of her that she would rather not know or hear about.
Maybe Quinn wouldn't know that she had managed to control the news from spreading, but as long as she didn't get hurt or suffer anymore humiliation and heartache than she already did, it was more than enough for Rachel.
Anything to see those sorrow-filled hazel hues become filled with strength and joy again.
The following week after Regionals and the birth of Beth, Rachel noticed that Quinn had her head hung low when she entered the hospital room. For the first time, she was afraid of meeting Quinn's eyes. She didn't want to see how broken Quinn could possibly look the moment their gazes would lock. It suddenly became hard to breathe for Rachel, because pain-filled hazel eyes were the hardest thing for her to see.
She didn't even care anymore that Quinn had given Beth away to her own birth mother or that they lost regionals, because right now, all she cared about were Quinn's own feelings.
"Rachel?"
A broken and quiet whisper. And all Rachel could feel was her own heart breaking as she finally looked Quinn in the eye.
Quinn's eyelids were red and puffy, and tear tracks trailed down her cheeks. Her normally neatly kept golden tufts of hair were disheveled, some sticking out on end. She looked like a mess, but a very beautiful broken mess.
Pain couldn't even begin to describe what reflected in Quinn's hazel eyes. It was deeper, looking more like agony and sorrow, her lips quivering as they simply looked at each other in silence.
The pain Rachel felt was physical. She could feel every bone and nerve in her body ache as Quinn started to tremble, her heart twisting and turning in her chest as she watched this usually headstrong and determined girl break down right in front of her very eyes.
They weren't exactly friends, but Rachel just couldn't take anymore of Quinn's broken expression. Her hazel eyes were the saddest she'd ever seen, and though she couldn't ever begin to understand what Quinn was feeling, she just knew that she had to be there for her.
With small and tentative steps, Rachel walked towards Quinn, her jaw quivering when the blonde sobbed quietly. If Quinn needed her, she would be there.
She sat down on the chair beside Quinn's bed and hesitantly reached out her hand towards the former cheerleader's face. When Quinn didn't protest or move away, Rachel carefully brushed away a lock of blonde hair from her eyes and timidly stroked her cheek.
It was new territory for both of them, especially since they weren't actually friends. But Rachel loved the feel of Quinn's soft skin against her fingers, sending little jolts of electricity up and down her arms as she so gently stroked Quinn's cheeks.
As more tears rolled down Quinn's cheeks, Rachel captured them with the pad of her thumb and wiped them away, her breath shaky as she watched Quinn's eyes flicker with various emotions.
Quinn sighed and bit her lip, gazing at Rachel with a vulnerable expression. Stopping her ministrations, Rachel withdrew her hand from Quinn's face and saw her face fall.
"I'm sorry," Rachel apologized quickly, looking at anywhere but Quinn's eyes.
Even though she knew that they would just draw her back in again.
"Don't be," Quinn whispered, her voice cracking as she shifted closer to Rachel. As far as the railings of the hospital bed would allow her to, anyway. "It felt… nice," she admitted in a soft voice, her expression bordering hesitant and vulnerable.
Rachel swallowed and diverted her gaze back to Quinn. Emotional hazel eyes pulled her back in, drowning and capturing her hostage. There was something else that Rachel saw in them, something she hadn't seen before up until now.
Need.
Though Rachel didn't know Quinn very well, she felt that she was the type that wasn't capable of expressing her feelings so easily. Mainly, it was her eyes that spoke. If you were too dense a person or the type that only looked at the surface, you wouldn't be able to read Quinn at all.
Quinn was a complex person - a tangled mess of emotions deep inside that she couldn't say what she felt. And Rachel finally understood that.
"You're the first person to visit me," Quinn spoke again, a sad look crossing her features that made Rachel's heart break all over again.
"I- I didn't know," Rachel answered, startled by the piece of information Quinn had given her.
"But I'm glad you did," Quinn whispered shyly, her eyes soft as they held Rachel's gaze. "You're the one I've been wanting to visit me, actually…"
Rachel's eyes widened in surprise, caught off guard by the fact that Quinn wanted her to visit. Quinn chewed on her lip, gauging her reaction.
"W-why?" Rachel stammered, heart thundering against her chest.
"Because you're the only one who's been there for me through this all," Quinn said quietly, her eyes never leaving Rachel's face. "And I'm really thankful for that, Rachel…"
"You're welcome, Quinn," Rachel's voice cracked as tears stung her eyes.
Quinn nodded and took Rachel's hand, her sad hazel eyes smiling a little. Mostly sad, but still beautiful to Rachel.
Rachel went with Quinn for the first time to visit Beth, noting how genuinely happy the blonde was as soon as they entered Shelby's apartment. Her hazel eyes were filled with warmth and love as Beth snuggled into her arms, and Rachel had to smile at the sight. Quinn looked at her and tugged on her hand, smiling and pointing to Beth.
"I think she wants you to hold her," Quinn said, looking encouragingly at Rachel.
Unable to deny with Quinn's beautiful eyes looking straight at her, Rachel carefully took Beth from Quinn's arms and smiled at her. The tiny blonde giggled, and Rachel felt something tug at her heart as a pair of innocent bright hazel eyes looked up at her.
Quinn's eyes.
"She has your eyes," Rachel said softly as she looked at Quinn. "They're beautiful…"
It's the first time Rachel said those words out loud, and she smiled as Quinn blushed and shoved her hands in her pockets, something she usually did when she was nervous.
"Thank you," Quinn whispered, a smile forming on her lips.
Beth giggled and reached out her tiny hand to pat Rachel's cheek, and the bright twinkle in Quinn's eyes filled her chest with warmth.
"She's adorable," Rachel laughed when Beth cooed softly.
"She is, isn't she?" Quinn agreed as she took Beth back in her arms, cradling her back and forth gently.
"She is," Rachel nodded, watching as Quinn kissed Beth's forehead.
Deciding to give the mother and daughter some alone time, Rachel went into the kitchen and sat by the aisle, smiling at the delighted giggles she heard from Quinn. Shelby entered after her, but she paid the older woman no mind, instead watching Quinn singing softly to Beth.
"I'm glad you came, Rachel," Shelby said as she sat in front of Rachel.
"I did this for Quinn," Rachel answered flatly. Maybe she was being a little unfair and selfish, but the hurt that Shelby didn't want to reconnect with her was still fresh. The older woman could have at least let her down gently, not strike a blow to her self-esteem.
"I'm sorry," Shelby said, her voice soft and repentant.
"Not now, Shelby," Rachel pleaded and shook her head. "Maybe sometime later, but not now."
Defeated, Shelby nodded and walked away, and Rachel sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. Before she knew it, Quinn was standing in front of her, hazel eyes filled with concern.
"Are you okay?"
Rachel looked at Quinn and nodded, smiling as the blonde squeezed her hand.
All she needed was to look at Quinn's eyes, and she would be fine.
When Quinn descended the steps of her house, looking absolutely breathtaking in her light blue gown, Rachel felt the world stop turning. Her golden tresses were tied up in a neat bun, with loose ringlets curtaining her face. The gown brought out her hazel eyes, and Rachel found herself being mesmerized by them all over again.
They decided to go together as friends, wanting to spare each other the drama that they've lived in for the past year. It was this beautiful and strong girl slowly walking down the steps that Rachel deeply cared about, and she wished she'd realized that sooner than later.
And when Quinn finally stood right in front of her, hazel eyes sweet and tender, all words left Rachel. It was an extremely rare occurrence for her to be caught speechless, but Quinn's eyes just seemed to do that to her every time.
Maybe she was beginning to fall in love with Quinn, or maybe she already started falling a long time ago. And maybe it should scare her, knowing that Quinn was out of her league. But it didn't. Maybe she had a chance, but right now, there's still no telling.
All she knows is that she truly, deeply cares about Quinn.
Maybe more than a regular friend does.
And maybe that's the reason why it wasn't so hard for her to think of a prom gift for Quinn.
"Hey," Quinn smiled, her hand gravitating towards Rachel's arm.
Still unable to form any words, Rachel smiled back as Quinn gave her arm a light squeeze. The contact made her feel a little dizzy, because Quinn this close to her just made her heart jump and leap inside her chest.
"I got you something, by the way," Rachel finally said, internally praising herself for being composed and not stumbling on her words with the way Quinn looked at her with curious eyes.
"Rachel, you didn't have to," Quinn admonished her, though a smile played at her lips.
"I know, but… If you're really not running for prom queen this year, I thought I'd at least get something for an amazing girl like you," Rachel explained, and Quinn blushed and chewed on her lip.
"I- okay…" Quinn smiled softly, and Rachel could see the excitement in her eyes.
She took out the wrist corsage – a white gardenia with a light green ribbon wrapped around it – and carefully placed it in Quinn's hand. The blonde's eyes widened in surprise, and Rachel had to fight back a giggle at the adorable sight.
"They- they match my eyes," Quinn said in awe as she reverently ran a finger across the gardenia. "This is beautiful, Rachel. Thank you."
Rachel could see in Quinn's eyes that she truly appreciated and loved the gift, and the angelic smile that Quinn flashed at her with her hazel eyes twinkling appreciatively and joyfully was more than enough as a 'thank you' for her.
In the auditorium, Rachel sat beside Quinn on the piano bench, watching as her friend's hands glided over the ivory keys. They decided to do original songs for Regionals, seeing as how Sue managed to destroy their plans and set list once again. And of course, Quinn and Rachel decided to pair up and work on a song together, but without much output at the moment.
"Have you ever felt like you're screwing everything up? That no matter what you do, it feels like everything you're doing is wrong?" Quinn asked quietly, her fingers stopping as she turned to face Rachel.
From the sad tone in Quinn's eyes, Rachel knew that she was talking about her past pregnancy and the whole debacle with Finn and Puck. She'd made a lot of mistakes in the past and yes, by extension, hurt people along the way.
Quinn included.
"I've always felt that way… And I really wish that I could get everything right this time around," Quinn sighed and shook her head, her gaze cast down towards the floor.
"There's always a second chance, Quinn. And I think that this," Rachel said softly, motioning between her and Quinn, "is proof of that. So yes, all of us can get something right in our lives."
Quinn let out a shaky breath and looked at Rachel with tear-brimmed eyes. God, Rachel was falling hard and fast for this girl, and those hypnotizing hazel eyes only served to speed up the process.
"Let's try again," Rachel swallowed, forcing herself to look away from those damned eyes.
Quinn chewed on her lip and pressed on the keys, this time singing along.
"What have I done? Wish I could run, away from this ship going under," Quinn sang, her voice drifting across the stage and somehow managing to bury itself into Rachel's heart.
Rachel continued, "Just trying to help, hurt everyone else. Now I feel the weight of the world is on my shoulders…"
They looked at each other and sang the words that came to mind, and Rachel never knew how beautifully her voice blended with Quinn's up until now. And God was Quinn's voice perfect. It was soft and breathy and low, and Rachel suddenly wished that she sang more solos in Glee club.
"What can you do when your good isn't good enough, and all that you touch tumbles down. Cause my best intentions keep making a mess of things, I just wanna fix it somehow," they sang together, eyes never leaving each other as they let their emotions flood out.
"But how many times will it take? Oh how many times will it take," Rachel bit her lip, watching the swirl of emotions that crossed Quinn's eyes.
"For me to get it right, to get it right…" Quinn finished, her fingers ghosting over the keys as she let the last notes ring out.
There was no getting out of this now. She was too far gone in Quinn's eyes and nothing could ever stop her from falling in love with this beautifully broken girl sitting beside her and writing a song with her.
They were too much. Quinn's hazel eyes were simply too much for Rachel to handle.
And so she leaned in and pressed her lips against Quinn's, feeling the world around her explode into a supernova as she felt the blonde's cherry lips against her own for the first time. And God help her, but it sent her into a spiraling, wonderful mess when Quinn finally kissed back, their lips gliding, pressing, and brushing so rhythmically against each other – like a well-versed orchestra with the musicians so finely in tune with each other.
It was perfect, and when Quinn threaded her fingers through her hair, she felt herself losing even more to the variety of emotions that she drowned in with each touch of their lips.
And when Quinn moaned, Rachel simply lost her mind. It was heavenly and sensual at the same time, and she found herself wanting to hear more of that divine sound.
They kissed, they kissed, and they kissed, until Rachel felt all the air being sucked out of her lungs. But God, she didn't ever want to stop. Quinn's taste was intoxicating, and Rachel just wanted to kiss her until all her breath left her die in the process.
And dear heavens, that would be a glorious way to die.
But she couldn't. Not now. She wanted to further explore this side to her relationship with Quinn, and she absolutely cannot go just yet.
When their lungs couldn't take anymore, they broke apart, and Rachel saw that Quinn's eyes were still closed. Her black lashes bewitched Rachel, even more so because of their close proximity. Slowly, Quinn opened her eyes, and Rachel watched with fascination as those beautiful hazel eyes transfixed her again, as though never wanting to let go.
"Was that okay?" Rachel breathed against Quinn's lips.
"More than," Quinn responded, her eyes soft and warm. "I've always wanted to kiss you…"
"Me too," Rachel admitted as she stroked Quinn's cheeks with her thumbs.
Quinn's hazel eyes brightened up, and Rachel allowed herself to drown in them once more. Oh, how she loved those eyes so.
At twenty-four, Rachel was still very much in love with Quinn and her enthralling hazel eyes. They both live in one apartment in the city Rachel loved so much – but not as much as she loved Quinn, of course – and they're both pursuing their dreams.
They had their fair share of struggles, especially when Quinn had gone to Yale for college, and Rachel to NYADA, but they made it work. Her pride wasn't worth it if it meant losing Quinn, and that was what kept Rachel holding on and fighting for their relationship.
It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows and living together made them see their similarities as well as their differences, and the flaws they haven't seen before when they were still in high school.
But it was all worth it, because honestly, Rachel wouldn't have it any other way.
"Hey, baby," Quinn said softly as she climbed up the bed.
"Hey there," Rachel smiled and rested her hand on Quinn's thigh.
Quinn smiled back and hovered over Rachel, the distance between their lips a hair's breadth away. Slowly, Rachel caressed Quinn's creamy thigh, watching as hazel eyes fluttered shut. Leaning up, Rachel captured Quinn's lips in hers and slipped her hand inside the short, silky light blue nightgown that the blonde wore and traced small circles around her inner thigh. Sighing softly, Quinn straddled Rachel's leg as their tongues danced together in a slow and sensuous kiss.
When Rachel felt something warm and wet drip down on her leg, her eyes widened in surprise. Above her, Quinn smiled shyly and stilled her movements.
"Y-you're not wearing any panties?" Rachel said in shock.
"No," Quinn shook her head.
Quinn had never been this daring before, even if they were alone in the apartment. Usually, she was shy and insecure about her body, especially about the stretch marks she had when she carried Beth. But Rachel never let that get in the way of their lovemaking, making sure to remind Quinn over and over again that she was perfect just the way she was, stretch marks and all.
"I-" Rachel cleared her throat and glanced down then back up into Quinn's eyes.
"Is it okay?" Quinn asked, almost hesitantly.
"Yes, of course," Rachel nodded vigorously. "I guess I just wasn't expecting this. But in a good way, of course!"
Quinn blushed and nodded, and Rachel smiled as she teased her inner thighs, watching as they spread open. Moaning quietly, Quinn ground down against her leg, and Rachel groaned at the feel of her warm heat on her skin. Sitting up, Rachel placed her hands on Quinn's back to support her and kissed her, tugging and licking Quinn's lips. Quinn mewled and pressed herself against Rachel, as though the distance between them was great.
Feeling Quinn's fingers grip the hem of her shirt, Rachel leaned back and allowed her lover to pull it off, her breasts bouncing free in the process. The air around them grew hotter, and the feel of Quinn's hot core grinding down on her leg started to drive Rachel insane. Liquid heat dripped down on her skin, but the scald was pleasurable.
Panting softly, Rachel quickly pulled Quinn's nightgown over her head and let it drop to the floor, leaving the blonde naked before her. Her porcelain skin was flushed, and Rachel found herself unable to breathe at this beautiful angel fully exposed to her. It was an effect that Quinn alone had on her, with her shy hazel eyes and glowing pale skin.
Carefully, Rachel rolled them over and got rid of her shorts and panties, as though they burned her skin. And with the sweltering heat around them, they might as well have.
She would never be able to get over how much Quinn loved and trusted her enough to be this vulnerable around her, both physically and emotionally. Mostly, it was the emotional part because Rachel knew how hard it was for Quinn to lay herself bare and express her innermost feelings.
Bare skin flush, Rachel leaned down and kissed Quinn as they ground together, their wet cores touching as their lips touched languidly. Quinn's soft and pleasured moans filled the air, and it made Rachel's arousal grow more painfully. Pale and slender legs wrapped around her waist, pushing their slick cores closer together as they exchanged their own wetness.
The contact was deep and intimate, and Rachel herself could barely contain the moans that were spilling out of her lips. A broken gasp tore through Quinn's lips as their clits rubbed together, and Rachel groaned and rubbed her sex against Quinn's faster, their nether lips squelching with each thrust.
"Oh- oh, Rachel," Quinn sighed and threaded her fingers through Rachel's hair, hips bucking to feel more of her heat.
"You feel so good, Quinn," Rachel moaned as she ground faster, her sex clenching around nothing.
Quinn moaned and raked her nails across Rachel's back as they thrust back and forth, the slickness of their cores aiding in their movements. Bending forward, Rachel caught Quinn's lips in a heated kiss, their nipples grazing and breasts rubbing as they got lost in the passionate senses they were feeling. They groaned into each other's mouth, sweat trickling down their skin as they ground faster, desperately chasing the orgasm that their bodies craved.
"I'm close," Quinn gasped brokenly, her eyes flying open as she dug her nails into Rachel's spine.
Panting heavily, Rachel looked deeply into Quinn's eyes, her stomach coiling and core clenching tighter around nothing. More wetness gushed out of her heat, and Quinn's desperate moans made her work faster.
"Yes, baby! So wet," Quinn groaned and jerked her hips.
Rachel propped herself up on her hands and watched Quinn's expression contort into one of pure bliss, her hazel eyes wide as she rolled and circled her hips, her stomach quivering with the force of her exertion.
"Come with me, Quinn," Rachel coaxed, and Quinn gasped, her hazel eyes euphoric as she finally came, her juices gushing out of her sex in a steady stream.
It was beautiful, Quinn's hazel eyes filled with bliss as her orgasm racked her slender frame, and Rachel felt her heart flutter in her chest at the sight. She always loved to look into Quinn's eyes when she came, because it felt more intimate to her that way.
With a loud moan and a broken gasp, Rachel soon followed, their juices mixing as she came.
"That was- wow," Rachel laughed shakily. Quinn giggled and scratched the nape of her neck, which was one of her sensitive spots.
"I know," Quinn sighed in contentment, her eyes tender as she looked at Rachel. Smiling softly, Rachel kissed Quinn, watching as her hazel eyes fluttered shut.
Every time Quinn closed her eyes, Rachel would wait for the moment that they would open again and draw her in and imprison her. They were beautiful, so beautiful and the gold flecks swirling around the hazel simply took her breath away every time and left her dumbfounded every time she looked at them.
She was doomed in the best possible way the very moment she noticed them, but at the same time, those alluring hazel eyes were the most beautiful gift given to her by the heavens above every time Quinn opened them.