FABERRY WEEK: DAY 1: REUNION

Take Off Your Ring (I Want to See the Skin Beneath)

"I'll have a cosmo, please," Rachel Berry said in an authoritative voice. "And make it extra pink." She nodded to herself at that, smoothed down the back of her tight, tiny little black miniskirt, and sat down on a swiveling bar stool.

The bartender nodded back at her and got to work; Rachel's smoky-make-up bright brown eyes swung to and fro, as casually as possible trying to find someone she knew amongst the clusters of strangers. Being ten o'clock on a Friday night at the swankiest hotel bar in New York, the place vibrated with the sounds of loud, overlapping conversation, drunken squeals, and peals of laughter.

Rachel twisted the ring on her left hand, savoring the warmth of the white-gold band, a reverent fingertip tracing the corners of the glittering, square-cut diamond. As her gaze ran over the length of the room again and again, the fingers of her right hand ran over her ring again and again. Her heart started picking up speed; butterflies reported for duty, wings tickling tantalizingly gently inside her stomach.

"Here you go," said the bartender sliding a martini glass of pink alcohol her way. "I'm going to need to see your ID before you drink that."

Rachel sighed; twenty-four years old, and she was still getting carded. Curse her youthful bone structure! Still, she showed him her driver's license without any fuss, and after he read her date of birth, she was able to sip her drink in peace.

Cranberry, lime, and vodka washed over her tongue, and as she swallowed, she closed her eyes, hoping the alcohol would help edge off the parade of excited nerves inside of her.

When her eyes opened again, they landed on a delectable sight, walking through the entrance; Rachel's heart leapt and hand shook, almost spilling her drink on the sheer, hot pink tunic she wore.

Quinn Fabray.

Walking toward her.

Wearing a truly sinful dress, the darkest of red, the tightest of fabrics, clinging for dear life all over a chiseled body and stopping mid-thigh to display long, killer legs and black spiked heels.

Rachel took another gulp of her cosmopolitan, palms starting to sweat.

Quinn spotted Rachel, and a wicked grin pulled up the blonde's sculpted cheekbones, dark red lipstick making her teeth whiter than ever. Her hair had gotten cut since the last time Rachel had seen her; rather than swing to her back, it was now to her chin, and textured into messy, devil-may-care waves that Rachel found herself wanting to tangle her fingers through.

She imagined her wedding ring catching in a lock of bright blonde as Quinn panted those plump, red lips against hers; Rachel downed the rest of the cosmo in one swift swig, the ice cubes clinking as she smacked the glass back to the bar and took a much-needed swallow of air.

It had been far too long since the last time they had seen each other; that was for sure.

"Hey, Rach," Quinn said, words lighting up to match the genuine happiness all over her face as she sat atop the empty stool next to her.

Rachel's eyes bugged when Quinn's hemline rode up a few inches, revealing smooth, muscled thighs. "H-hey, Quinn. Long time, no see." Following Quinn's lead, she leaned in, and they puckered air-kisses to each other's cheeks.

"You look great," Quinn gushed, leaning forward – and revealing maximum cleavage – to press a hand to the bare skin of Rachel's arm, right beneath the sleeve of her tunic. Quinn's hand lingered, and when she finally pulled away, she let the tips of her French-manicure drag ever-so-lightly, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. "That pink color looks amazing on you."

Rachel blushed a brighter shade of the color in question. "Thank you; you look…wow, Quinn. Did you get a haircut?" Valiantly, she tried to maintain eye-contact, but her gaze kept wavering to low-cut breasts and delicious thighs.

Quinn smirked at Rachel's obvious distraction. "Yeah, I did, actually. A few days ago."

"Well, it's very becoming on you," Rachel insisted, thrusting back her shoulders. Quinn took the opportunity to check out the girl's breasts, the sheer fabric outlining the built-in bra of the shirt; her pulse sped up at the sight.

"Thanks," Quinn said, eyes dragging slowly back up to Rachel's. They both gulped at the intimacy of the gaze, amber-brown burning into gold-swirled-green; Quinn bit down on her lower lip, plumped it around her teeth, and Rachel almost forgot to breathe.

"God, I feel like we haven't seen each other in forever," Quinn said after a moment charged with a boiling pot of emotion. "How have you been? Tell me everything; spare no gory detail!"

Rachel smiled, the curve of her lips soft and the glowing of her eyes affectionate. "I really missed you."

"Same!" Quinn said, widening her eyes with innocence and then shooting off a wink that had both girls giggling and having to pause, look away, collect their self, and look back again.

"Can I get anything for you, miss?" the bartender asked, appearing before them.

"I'll have a Manhattan, straight up." Quinn dug around in her little clutch bag for a moment and brandished her ID. The bartender nodded, and she put it back, turning her attention to Rachel.

"Another cosmo for you?" the bartender asked Rachel, but she shook her head no, not needing anything else to mix with the sea of butterflies swarming her insides. And looking at Quinn, so incredibly beautiful and knowing it, she had a feeling she would want to remember every single detail of this encounter come tomorrow.

"So, Rach, come on," Quinn said, nudging her in the side. "Quit being so quiet. Tell me all about your fabulous life."

"Well, I live here, in New York. Just a few blocks from this hotel, actually. Where do you live, Quinn?"

"I live in New York, too. Wow, how have we never run into each other before?" Quinn shook her head, eyes wide, like 'can you believe that?' Rachel rolled her lips together to fight off a smirk.

"I've been away in Los Angeles for a few weeks though," Quinn continued. "So, that might be why."

"Really? Los Angeles?" Rachel's voice dripped with curiosity, each syllable dragged out as if discovering them for the first time. "Why were you in Los Angeles?"

"Auditioning for a movie."

"And did you get it?"

"No, I didn't."

Rachel frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that, Quinn."

"Thanks, but it's okay; it was some stupid romantic-comedy-drama anyway." She rolled her eyes. "One where the two lovers meet-cute in a bar, but one of them is already engaged, and they begin a torrid – but funny, of course – love affair."

Rachel's eyebrows jumped high but pulse jumped higher; she tucked her left hand behind her back. She suppressed the urge to laugh out loud.

"It's totally dumb; those kinds of things don't happen in real life, you know?" Quinn raised her own eyebrows, a gentler movement than Rachel's; the Manhattan now placed in front of her, she lifted it and let the rim hover before her lips, painted even darker and redder than the liquid in the glass.

"A cheers," Quinn said, special smile dancing at the corners of that devilish mouth. "To reunions between old friends."

Rachel beamed at that, this time letting some nervous-excited laughter spill over, and lifted her drink; the half-melted ice cubes sloshed around in a half-inch-high pool of water and cosmo remnants. "To old friends!" They clinked their cocktail glasses together; Rachel sucked out an ice cube from hers, crunching on it, and Quinn took a careful sip of her drink, relishing the chilled, bitter-sweet taste.

"So," Quinn said, fingers twirling the glass to create a tiny red whirlpool. Rachel watched, hypnotized. "You still haven't answered me; what have you been up to?"

Rachel tore her eyes back to Quinn's, lost in a swirl of hazel for a heart-stopping second before she could answer. "Well, I got a part in a Broadway play. It debuts a week from now."

"Oh my God, are you serious?!" Quinn's free hand shot a dramatic arc to press against her heart – well, most like press against the cleavage leading the way to her heart. "That's amazing!"

"Yeah," Rachel grinned, overflowing with pride. "It's a small role, an ensemble part, but it's Broadway. The real deal. And if I do an impressive part singing along with the chorus, it could lead to bigger and better things later on."

"I'll definitely have to come see you in it. And you know what they say; there are no small parts, only small actors."

"Well, I fit the category either way, don't I?" Rachel joked, earning a chuckle from Quinn.

"Oh my God, I forgot how funny you are!" Quinn pushed against Rachel's shoulder, harder than she'd intended; Rachel almost fell off the stool, catching herself on the edge of the bar just in time.

Rachel snorted back a snicker and lifted her eyebrows at the blonde, who ducked her head to hide a mirthful smirk and a blush.

"And I forgot how valley-girl you apparently are, Quinn," Rachel said. Quinn rolled her eyes good-naturedly and took another sip from her cocktail, staining her lips even redder, if possible.

"In all seriousness though, it's so good to see you again," said Rachel, reaching her right hand over to land on top of Quinn's free hand resting in her lap. She squeezed the blonde's hand, fingers grazing over knuckles as she slowly pulled away; Quinn's stomach swooped out from under her.

Rachel shifted forward in her seat, and her hand slipped, grabbing onto Quinn's thigh. She slid her hand upward, feeling smooth, bare skin, fingers peeking up under the tight hemline as she retracted herself. Quinn's eyes lolled shut for a moment; she gulped heavily. Rachel felt tingles shooting to southern places as she imagined her hand going much farther up that hemline. Instead, she returned hers to her own lap, clenching it to ward off a sudden shiver, all through her body.

Quinn took another pull from her drink; it was three-quarters gone now. The cherry bobbed around in the remaining liquid like a fruit buoy out at crimson sea. "Are you still living with Santana and Kurt?"

"Yes, but Santana is moving out in a few weeks to live with Brittany."

"Yeah, I heard they got back together. About damn time if you ask me."

Rachel nodded. "They'll be excited to hear you're back in town."

"So…" Quinn took a dainty sip, the utmost of casualness settling onto her features. "I was thinking that maybe you and I could hang out again sometime." She reached over a hand and traced a fingertip down Rachel's arm. The drink surged through her senses, emboldening her. "You know...as more than friends? You are gorgeous, and that's not just the Manhattan talking."

Blushing, Rachel made a show of folding her hands in her lap, left on top. "Actually…there's something I need to tell you…" Light glinted off the top of the polished diamond, reflecting little pinpoints of rainbows shooting out.

It caught Quinn's eye; she stared down at it and let her jaw drop, for just a second, before pulling her mouth closed into a tight line. She gripped her cocktail with both hands and made a show of downing the rest in one gulp, leaving the cherry behind, lodged at the bottom of the glass.

"You're engaged?" Quinn just barely managed to add the question mark inflection, making it sound more dry statement than anything.

"Yes." Rachel lifted her left hand up and cocked her head, admiring the ring. "I am." She set an apology in her eyes and swung her gaze toward Quinn, who was struggling to look indifferent.

"That's some rock," she said, careful to keep her tone as colorless as possible. "Can I see?"

Rachel lifted her hand up and Quinn squinted at the diamond. "Damn. That looks expensive. Your fiancé must be rich."

Rachel's eyes flickered with excitement. "Yes, he is rich. Very rich. He owns a yacht and is an aspiring Broadway actor. He's also incredibly handsome."

Quinn choked back a laugh. "Sounds like you're a lucky gal."

"Mmm, you could say that," Rachel nodded, a dreamy smile making her dimples come out to play. "He is so beautiful, though, but even more so on the inside than the outside. He has the prettiest smile, and he makes me laugh, and he has blond hair, not unlike yours, actually. You would like him, Quinn."

Quinn twisted her twitching lips the other way around, into a scowl. "He sounds obnoxiously perfect, if you ask me. When did he pop the question?"

"A few months ago," Rachel said, staring down into her empty cocktail, watching the ice melt further.

"I know we fell out of touch, but I can't believe you got engaged. I mean…the last I heard from you, you didn't even have a boyfriend."

Rachel shrugged. "A lot can happen in a few months."

Quinn pursed her lips. "How did he go about it?"

"It was very sweet; our first date was at Breadsticks, and on that night we were both so nervous that we reached for the same breadstick at the same time, and our fingers brushed together. And then we spent literally like five whole minutes trying to convince the other to take the breadstick because they had it first. We ended up splitting it," Rachel said, her tone burning with affectionate wistfulness, her eyes glued to the ring, which she twisted 'round and 'round her finger. Quinn watched with slightly narrowed eyes, mouth still carefully pressed together to not give any emotion away.

"So, the night s – he proposed, he took me to Breadsticks and when he saw me going for the one on top, he went for it at the same time on purpose, and our fingers brushed again, and when we broke it in half this time, the ring fell out from inside of it. Covered in breadcrumbs, but it was the prettiest ring I've ever seen. He said, 'Rachel Barbra Berry, I can't imagine my life without you. Will you marry me?' And I said, 'Of course!', without even having to think about it twice, or even once, for that matter."

She finally brought her eyes back to Quinn's, tears now sparkling in her brown irises. Quinn, for her part, was struggling not to look anything other than annoyed, though it was hard, because she felt tears poking at the back of her eyelids, too.

"You have an impeccable memory; I'll give you that," Quinn said after a heavy moment, her tone soft but eyes even softer. "I'm glad you found someone who makes you happy."

"Yeah," Rachel smiled to herself, gazing at the ring again.

"But… Does he leave you satisfied during sex?"

Rachel's widened eyes swung to Quinn's challenging ones; her stomach numbed at the delicious tone.

"Extremely," she said evenly. "He does this thing where, when he kisses me, he runs his tongue against my bottom lip and then nibbles on it."

"Sounds hot," Quinn said. "But I bet he can't rock you as well as I can." She bit down on her lip and leaned in, in a manner that made Rachel choke on nothing. "Too bad you're taken, Rach; I've been wanting to be with you for a long time…as long as I can remember, actually."

"A-actually…" Rachel licked her lips. "He left for a few weeks to go to another state for business. So, I haven't gotten to see that much of him, besides on Skype. And it's just not the same as in person. And while he's been away, I've had a lot of time to think."

Quinn found it hard to breathe out the word, "And?"

"And," Rachel placed a hand on Quinn's knee and looked up from beneath a long fringe of lashes. "The moment I saw you tonight, I knew there was no going back. I've fallen for you, hard. And I want you, Quinn… I want you so badly. I don't care about my fiancé; tonight, I just want you."

Quinn released an airy giggle, a grin spreading across her face. "Well, Miss Berry," she quirked one eyebrow, plucked the cherry from her drink, and proceeded to wrap her tongue around it, licking it clean, in a manner that had Rachel's eyes transfixed and panties growing tighter. "If you insist." She ate the cherry, taking her sweet time in doing so; Rachel groaned.

Finally, Quinn tossed the stem back into the glass, scooted it forward, and threw a ten-dollar bill onto the countertop. "That will cover both of the drinks, plus a nice tip," she told the bartender, hopping down from the stool and shimmying her dress down so she didn't flash her thong.

Rachel stood up, too; she wore black sling-back heels, the same amount of inches as Quinn's heels, so that they still had the same height difference they'd always had. Quinn checked out Rachel's long, toned legs, and found her throat drying.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Quinn leaned in and pressed her mouth near Rachel's ear so that heated, cherry-scented breath danced shivers all down Rachel's neck. "Your place or mine?"

"Mine," Rachel's eyes fluttered shut. "I only live a few blocks away, remember?"

"What about Santana and Kurt?"

"They have plans, should be gone all night."

Quinn snaked a hand down to Rachel's ass and squeezed; her eyes shot back open to find the blonde staring down at her with dilated pupils. Exhilaration flowed between them, through them, until they trembled with it like a second pulse.

"Well then," Quinn patted her ass, lightly this time, before pulling back. "Lead the way."

Rachel smirked with delightful anticipation and strode forward, doing just that.

The moment the front door to Rachel's apartment was shut behind them and the light was flicked on, Quinn wasted no time in spinning Rachel around and colliding their torsos together as she shoved Rachel's back against the door. They kicked their heels aside, bare feet sinking into hardwood floor.

Quinn seized Rachel's wrists and pinned them above her head as she crashed their hungry mouths together. Lips slipped and slid before locking into place; they groaned, need shooting through them, and Rachel flicked her tongue against the seam of Quinn's lips before stealing entrance inside.

Sneaking one of her legs between Rachel's, Quinn rocked upward, their breasts rubbing, stomachs kissing through fabric, and her thigh hitting just the right place. Rachel moaned, feeling engulfed with delicious, delirious heat all over. She ripped her mouth from Quinn's, eliciting a sexy suctioning noise.

"W-wait," Rachel panted, resting their foreheads together. Their eyes opened, two pairs of giant pupils meeting one another. "Let me take my ring off first."

"No," Quinn growled, her voice never huskier. "Keep it on; it really turns me on."

Rachel whimpered as Quinn leaned in, nibbled on her earlobe, and then whispered right into her ear, "I'm going to make you forget your fiancé's name." She bucked her thigh up into Rachel's damp center; the brunette latched her fingers into Quinn's ass, feeling its taught shape through the thin dress, holding onto it for dear life as her neck lolled back and head hit the door.

"Oh, I doubt that, Quinn," Rachel shot back, tone a sexy challenge.

"You're going to regret that," Quinn said, shooting her thigh so far and hard into Rachel that stars exploded behind the brunette's eyelids and she gave a little shriek of half-pain and half-pleasure.

As Quinn rocked circular, upward thrusts into her, Rachel kept one hand on Quinn's ass, pulling them even closer together, and moved her other hand up to tangle into thick, wavy blonde locks. She captured those red lips into a searching kiss that further fueled their arousal, drowning them in it.

Quinn peeked out her tongue to graze along Rachel's lower lip, running it back and forth so very gently, making Rachel's every feeling and emotion run rampant and wild. As Quinn nibbled on her lower lip, and then bit down, hard enough to leave her teeth-imprint, and as she kept sparking such delicious friction into her center, Rachel felt herself coming undone in every sense of the meaning.

She kissed Quinn deeper, massaging their tongues together; a deep groan from her and the sexiest little moan from Quinn, quiet in volume but so loud in yearning.

Quinn pulled Rachel's shirt off over her head, exposing bare breasts, and when warm hands met them for the first time in weeks, Rachel felt everything exploding from her core in a white-hot wave. She collapsed against Quinn's final upward jab, panting.

After she caught her breath, Rachel sprang forward, knocking Quinn back a few steps, keeping a hand pinned to the back of the blonde's neck so their mouth remained decadently locked, tasting each other.

Rachel dove her other hand under Quinn's dress and palmed her roughly over her thong. "My room," she tore her lips away to rasp the demand. "Take your dress off. Now."

Quinn obeyed, whipping off her dress and revealing a toned body, nude besides her red thong. "I like it when you're bossy," she said, grabbing Rachel's hand to lead the memorized route to the girl's bedroom.

They didn't make it that far though. As soon as Quinn's bare ass was facing her, Rachel felt fresh arousal course over her; they passed the couch, and Rachel whipped Quinn around before pushing her down onto it. Their bare breasts slipped together, toned stomachs kissed flesh-to-flesh this time, and their mouths reattached with so much love and desire that it made their toes curl in ecstasy.

Rachel pressed a hand against Quinn's center, thrusting upward in tight circles that had the blonde moaning and twitching and bucking her hips to match the pressure the brunette provided. Those fingers were skilled, familiar, talented, and Quinn felt fireworks all through her body, rocketing up from warm fingertips, as starburst shapes exploded in the hot blaze behind her eyelids.

"Y-you're – gasp – rougher than usual, R-Rach," Quinn whimpered as Rachel sucked hot, breathy kisses to her neck.

She ran a tongue over the blonde's collarbone. "That's what you get for leaving me for three weeks. Now shut up and kiss me harder."

"B-but won't your fiancé mind?"

"Who cares what he thinks?"

"Say I'm better at sex than him."

"My God, you are better at sex than him," Rachel groaned as Quinn tugged down her miniskirt and dove a hand inside.

Her fingers were just starting to beckon entrance past damp underwear, when:

"OHMYGOD!"

They wrenched their mouths away and shot apart; Rachel hurried for the blanket draped over the back of the couch and threw it around herself while Quinn stacked two pillows, one in her lap and one to cover her chest.

Hearts racing in heaving chests, hair wild, and expressions horrified, they gaped at Santana and Kurt, standing in the now-open doorway.

"Quinn, when did you get back from LA?" Santana asked.

"Yeah, because that's what matters right now," Kurt snorted. "What the hell are you guys doing?"

"It's called having sex, Kurt," Santana rolled her eyes. "From the looks of it, they've been at it for a while."

The girls blushed crimson.

"I know what they were doing, but why here?" Kurt huffed. "Seriously, can't you guys take your freaky role-playing stuff to Quinn's apartment? I mean, how is adultery a hot-and-heavy turn-on? Please, explain it to me."

Rachel lifted her chin and glared at him. "We don't have to explain anything, Kurt. My fiancée and I were doing what two adults do when they're in love. The real thing that needs explanation is, why are you two back so soon from the party?"

"It was lame," Santana said. "About as lame as you two having to fuck on the couch, seriously, that's just gross. I clip my toenails on there!"

Kurt buried his head in his hands. "When are you guys moving out and I finally get this place to myself?"

Quinn ignored him. "If you guys will go into the other room, Rachel and I will get dressed and take this elsewhere. Like, to my apartment." She raised questioning eyebrows Rachel's way.

"You mean our apartment," Rachel said, leaning in to steal a chaste and loving kiss from her.

"Not until next week, babe," Quinn said, smiling softly and affectionately; she rubbed the tips of their noses together. "Now, come on. Let's get out of here."

"I don't know…" Rachel lifted her finger to her chin, the one with the beautiful diamond ring sparkling from it. "Do you think my fiancée will mind?"

"I have it straight from the source that she wouldn't mind at all," Quinn grinned. "In fact, she might just have to end the engagement if you say no and don't kiss her right now."

"Well, in that case," Rachel lifted the blanket over both of them, sealing them completely from view. "Come here, bride-to-be."

"You got it, future-wife."

Their lips met in a kiss that was equal parts cherishing and passionate, a kiss that roared with the love they had for one another, a kiss that made their two hearts beat as one.

"Oh, and next time you make up attributes for your fake fiancé, could you leave out the part about a yacht? Talk about overcompensating."

Rachel giggled. "Anything for you, my love. Other than over-embellishing a bit, did I do a good job?"

"Are you kidding? Babe, you deserve a Tony."

"Thanks, but right now, I'm happy with just having a Quinn." They shared special little smiles before kissing again, bodies moving together, Quinn's hand starting back into Rachel's skirt again…

"You had better not be fucking on the couch!"

"Your place?" Rachel asked, sighing.

"You mean our place," Quinn said, pecking an adoring kiss to those favorite lips of hers.

"I love you so much."

"I love you so much, too."

And they both knew no matter how many times they kissed each other, they would still fall in love, all over again, every time their lips met.

Whether they were pretending it was for the first time or not.