A/N: I had this idea while watching Grey's Anatomy and there are a couple of references in it, I'm challenging you to find them and to give me a feedback on the comment section.
Lyrics from "Tender" by Feeder
TENDER
Rachel looked around the main hall, trying to find her Dad among the crowd of doctors - wearing business casual attires - and professional vendors of the medical segment, who went around to give away gadgets and drinks, in exchange for a long-term contract. She fell out of her comfort zone, this time. The last time she had done this, she had been 12 years old and she had spent all of her time by the pool, while her Daddy attended medical conferences and sealed deals.
"First time, huh?" A blonde haired man, with a too perfect smile, leaned against the bar counter and slid a new Martini her way, having eyed the empty glass sitting in front of her.
"Kind of." Rachel eyed the glass and looked up at him. He smirked knowingly and popped the button of his suit jacket open, showing off his perfectly ironed shirt whose fabric looked expensive, like the rest of his outfit.
"Let me guess...pediatrician?" He reached inside his jacket to get his business card.
"Nope, I'm not-"
"Oh, right. Obgyn then?" He took a step closer and slipped on the empty stool beside her. "We are the first company with a patent for a new fetal monitor that will allow the mother to check the progress of the pregnancy with their own smartphone."
"Look, it sounds very interesting but I am not an obgyn." Rachel pushed the offered drink back. "I am not a surgeon, so I don't really want to waste your time when you could make money with someone else in this room."
"So, what is an attractive woman like you doing here? You're not a doctor, are you a competitor?" He smirked, blatantly checking her out. "Maybe we could find somewhere more private to share selling tips?"
"I don't even know you, why would I sleep with you?" Rachel shot back. "I'm sure this might have worked in the past for you and you're a very handsome man, but you're not my type."
"What is your type like?" He reached out to cover her hand with his. "You don't like men who make more than 300K per year?"
"Sullivan, you can't really take a hint can you?" Another voice came from behind Rachel. It was a voice that she could've recognized even after 10 years of distance and lack of contact.
"Fabray, you're still sticking your nose in other people's business?" He straightened his pose and crossed his arms over his chest, trying to intimidate the blonde woman behind her.
"It's my business when you're bothering my friend with your delusional flirting." She took a step forward and stood in front of him, mimicking his pose. She had a height disadvantage, of course, but the HBIC pose and attitude was the same as Rachel remembered in high school and it still gave her chills.
"Friend? Who is being delusional now?" He scoffed and buttoned his suit jacket back. "You're trying to get back at me because I went over your head and got a deal with your Chief, despite your attempts to sabotage me?"
"We should give her a call and maybe get your boss on the line too." She stepped into his personal space. "I wonder if you want to hear the great things we have to say about medical supplies that never came, despite the big bucks we paid for your stupid haircut and suits?"
"I-"
"Go. Now." She barked in his face and both women watched him scramble away, almost stumbling in the haste of getting the hell out of that bad situation.
"God, he was a second away from pissing himself in front of everyone." Rachel nodded to the bartender and pointed to her empty glass.
"That would've been the funniest thing of the past hours, though." Quinn took his place on the stool and slid her credit card towards the bartender, paying for Rachel's and her own refill.
"You didn't have to." She nodded to her glass.
"I wanted to." Quinn smirked and brought the flute to her lips, sipping her wine slowly. "So, what is a Tony winner like you doing at a two-days medical conference in Boston?"
"How do you know about the Tony award?" Rachel raised her eyebrow, her finger trailed along the rim of her glass slowly.
"I was in NYC a couple of months ago and I saw the billboard in Times Square." Shrugging, she finished it and nodded to the bartender to get a new one poured for her. "You're living your dream huh? Is it like you always thought it'd be?"
"Partially yes." Rachel nodded and looked down at her glass. Her eyes trailed over her left hand, wrapped around the glass, and on a specific finger where the lack of a ring felt equally heavy to deal with. "It can be lonely at the top, though."
"I guess I know the feeling, even if my face isn't on a magazine." Quinn nodded softly, understanding it was a touchy subject.
"But tell me more about you...you went off the radar and no one seemed to know anything about you." Rachel looked up at the blonde, whose beauty had remained untouched despite the years going by. "What brings you here?"
"Drama wasn't my thing and I was simply fascinated by Biology, so I switched Major during my undergraduate program." She angled herself to look at Rachel, as she spoke. "I got into med school at Yale and now I am going through my 3rd year of residency in neurosurgery."
"Neurosurgery? Wow." Rachel was surprised. Quinn had always been the girl with the best grades, throughout their whole High School, but becoming a neurosurgeon was definitely something else. She was impressed.
"I never thought I had it in me but I guess I'm more than just a pretty face." Quinn chuckled sadly. "Someone once told me I was the prettiest girl they had ever met but I was a lot more than that. I tried to live by that motto."
"I said that…" Rachel looked up at Quinn, recognizing her own words. Words shared after that Prom disaster when she had chased after an heartbroken Quinn who had lost her crown.
"I know." Quinn looked back at her with a soft smile. "I never forgot the things you said, Rachel." Standing up, she grabbed her flute and walked out of the main hall towards the backyard, hoping the fresh air would calm her erratic heart.
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"Don't you doctors always say smoking is a bad and deathly habit?" Rachel found her in the hotel ample garden, sitting on a bench with a cigarette dangling from her lips.
"We do, but it is also fucking satisfying." Quinn blew the smoke out and closed her eyes, feeling the sun hit her face.
"Is everything alright?" She sat beside her on the bench. "You ran away from me."
"I...I am fine." Quinn sucked in another deep breath and blew the smoke out through her nose.
"If you're sure." She borrowed the cigarette from her lips and brought it to her own mouth, blowing the smoke from her lips.
"It's bad for your voice." Quinn looked at her. "You would've given me a lecture in high school."
"We're not in high school anymore." Rachel killed the cigarette with the heel of her stiletto. "You didn't attend our 5 years reunion or Mr. Schue's real wedding."
"I was in London during that reunion and for Mr. Schue? Well, I sent him a gift but the last time I attended was enough to last me a lifetime." She recalled having witnessed Finn and Rachel reconcile for the umpteenth time, even if they were doomed to break up for the same good old reasons.
"It was a beautiful ceremony and they went through it, this time." Rachel looked at her profile.
"Good for them, some couples are just meant to be." Quinn nodded and looked up at the sky, pushing her glasses down to shield her eyes.
"You're still in touch with Puck?" She said softly and leaned into the bench, staring ahead of herself.
"God, no." She laughed. "Puck and I are bad for each other on so many levels that I lost count, let alone the fact he got me drunk to get into my pants when I felt awful about myself." She shook her head, wanting to keep that memory in the back of her mind. "I hear from Sam and Mercedes from time to time."
"Not even Santana or Brittany?" Rachel furrowed her brows. Why had she left everyone behind? They were all supposed to be friends.
"I know they're in Los Angeles but it ends there. Santana was my second in command but we spent too much time fighting each other for a role that got us nowhere. Being the HBIC? It was useless." Quinn reached for another cigarette, longing for another glass of wine. "I mean, it became useful to channel that when people gave a hard time and doubted my intelligence. I had to fight my way to the top, because of this face."
"Same old man world huh?" Rachel watched her smoke slowly. "What about me?"
"What about you?" Quinn looked at her, raising her eyebrow like the good old time.
"Why didn't you keep in touch with me?" Rachel stared back at her. "I thought we were friends and you bought us the Metro North Passes and-"
"Trains work both ways, Rachel." Quinn challenged her. "Why didn't you come visit me? It would've been easier to find me in Yale than me finding you in a city like NYC."
"I…"
"I'm not accusing you of anything nor I am blaming you for it. People make too many promises they can't keep and we both move on with our lives." Quinn turned back to stare at the sun, with the half burnt cigarette between her lips.
"I came to visit once…" Rachel confessed softly. "It was after Mr. Schue's first wedding and...we didn't have the chance to really talk."
"You were too busy rekindling your romance with Finn." She chuckled bitterly and threw the cigarette to the ground, stomping on it. "How's he doing anyway?"
"Married with kids." Rachel ran a hand through her hair. "He is running Burt's shop and his wife is a housewife."
"A white picket fence dream, simple and safe like Finn Hudson." Quinn shook her head. To think it could've been her life or worse, Rachel's. "You came to visit but I never saw you."
"I did see you, though." Rachel looked sideways, away from Quinn. "You had just gotten out of the main building, maybe from class or from the library, with another girl. I...You were smiling and talking and you looked so happy and in your element. In that moment, I realized you were where you were supposed to be, because you could be yourself without having to put a brave mask on."
"So, you assumed that seeing you would have gotten me upset?" She looked at the back of her head.
"No, I mean I don't know…" Rachel looked down at the hands clasped in her lap. "We had barely talked in months and I know you saw me with Finn at the wedding and...God, I knew you were going to give me a lecture about my relationship with him and I didn't want to fight you about it."
"You didn't need me to tell you how bad you and Finn were together." Quinn stood up to get back inside. "I would have supported you if you had wanted me to, you loved him and he made you happy."
"I didn't love him." Rachel got to her feet and took her by the hand, preventing her from leaving. "I haven't loved him in a long time, that night at the wedding was our last moment together. It was a goodbye."
"You don't have to justify yourself with me." Quinn looked back at her.
"I don't have to but I want to." Rachel held onto her hand with both of hers. "There's another reason why I didn't come to you. You and that girl that morning? You looked...were you two together?"
"I don't remember Rachel, maybe we were or maybe not. It had nothing to do with you." Quinn pushed her sunglasses up her head and rubbed her temple, feeling a headache coming.
"It had everything to do with me." She dropped her hand to cross her arms over her chest. "I came to Yale after Santana told me about you two sleeping together. I wanted to hear it from you. I wanted your side of the story."
"My side of the story? Santana and I were tipsy and lonely. We got back to her room and just scratched the itch, what else to say about it?" She closed her eyes, remembering it was more than just that. She had every intention to forget about Rachel being all over Finn. She also remembered where her thoughts had drifted to, when she and Santana had done it and whose name she had screamed in her head.
"So, it was just sex? You were not even gay." Her voice had raised enough to make Quinn wince.
"And you assumed that based on what? Our quarrels about Finn? My insecurities that led me in bed with a guy who had to get me drunk to do it? Dating Sam who looked like my lost brother?" She chuckled. "You know how many women who identify themselves as lesbian had a baby in their teen years? I have been gay for a long time and I am not ashamed to admit it and you, of all the people I know, should understand it."
"I do. I fucking do but I wanted you to tell me. I wanted to hear it from you." Rachel groaned in frustration.
"Why? 'Cause we were great friends?" She snorted. "You barely looked my way during that wedding and I should've confessed something so personal to you? Anyway, you knew from Santana, isn't it the same thing?"
"No it is not." Rachel looked away. "It shouldn't have been her."
"To tell you? Maybe...but you know her, she does like to kiss and tell." Shrugging she reached for another cigarette.
"No, Quinn." Rachel looked up at her. "It should've been me, that night. It should've been us." She leaned on her tiptoes and dropped a soft kiss against the corner of her lips, then she turned on her heels and walked back inside, leaving Quinn to her thoughts.
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It was almost 7.30 PM and Rachel had skipped the idea of joining her Dad and some of his old colleagues for a dinner out. They were going to take a trip down the memory lane and she really didn't want to know what he had been up to, during his younger years, even before he had met her Daddy and got married to him.
She had taken a long shower and slipped the fluffy hotel robe on, before sitting on the ample Queen size bed to review the room service menu, hoping they had something suitable for her Vegan habits.
"Rachel?" A familiar voice came from outside her room, muffled by the heavy door in between them.
"Quinn?" Mostly whispering to herself, she padded to the door and opened it, revealing the blonde in a pair of dark jeans, high top Converse and a pale yellow sweater, under a leather jacket that had seen better days.
"We need to talk." Quinn leaned against the doorway and showed her a bag of takeout food. "I thought we could do it in front of a dinner?"
"Come in." Stepping aside, she let the blonde in her room. As soon as she had crossed the threshold, she had slipped her shoes off and left them by the door before heading towards the couch and the coffee table in front of the 50" TV.
"Where did you get that?" She grabbed a couple of napkins and followed the blonde, sitting on the far corner, by the window.
"It's a little place just around the corner and it isn't that far from the hospital where I did my internship." She took a few boxes out and set the beers on the coasters. "It is healthier than most of the cafeteria food and it also has a vegan friendly menu."
"You still remember that?" Rachel raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. She watched the blonde drape the jacket on the arm of the couch and take a seat on the carpet, facing her.
"How could I forget that?" Quinn grabbed the plastic fork and opened her own box, revealing some spaghetti with homemade meatballs. "I got you a portion of their vegan friendly creamy butternut squash linguine with fried sage and a double portion of crispy potatoes with their vegan nacho sauce."
"Why double?" Rachel sat cross legged on the carpet, tasting one of those small potatoes.
"So I can eat some of them as well." Quinn reached out and took one, popping it in her mouth.
"Hey." She tried to bat her hand away but Quinn was too quick and was already pouring the beer in their plastic cups.
"So, how long have you kept your feelings for me to yourself?" Quinn looked at her, catching her off guard.
"Straight to the point, right?" Rachel looked back at her, leaving her fork into her pasta.
"It's why I am here." Quinn smirked.
"After my failed wedding attempt and your car accident." Rachel twisted the fork in her pasta. "It hit me when I couldn't get married to the boy I was supposed to love without you there and then, when I saw you lying in that hospital bed, I felt my heart break at the idea of losing you."
"Why did you stay with Finn then? Why didn't you say anything?" She pushed the meatballs around the plate.
"I thought you blamed me for the accident and you were still Quinn Fabray and I was myself. I didn't think I had any chance with someone like you." She decided to take a sip, instead of eating her pasta.
"You were so wrong. If you had just said that...if you had talked to me about this." She slammed her fist in the carpet. "I think I fell for you the moment I heard you sing in the auditorium "Don't Stop Believing". You belonged to that stage and my heart was yours."
"You had feelings for me?" Rachel raised her head, almost giving herself a whiplash. "No, you're kidding me."
"Why would I joke about something like that? What do I have to lose if I tell you the truth?" Quinn raised an eyebrow questioningly. "I had feelings for you and I tried so hard to keep you away from Finn, but he had to make it so fucking complicated. He had to play the good popular guy falling for the outcast, while his ex played the villain of the whole story. I never wanted to be the villain, Rachel."
"You were not the villain." Rachel shook her head and crawled from behind the coffee table, rounding it to get closer to the blonde. "It wasn't a fairytale and Finn wasn't my prince charming."
"For a long time, it felt like that." Quinn looked at her, twisting to sit on the carpet facing her. "You have been his for so long that I had lost any hope to see myself by your side." Leaning forward, she brushed her fingers along her face, caressing her cheek with her fingertips.
"That's why you slept with Santana or you didn't stay in touch? You had given up on me." Closing her eyes, she nuzzled her nose against her palm.
"Put yourself in my shoes." Quinn traced a slow path down the side of her face to her jawline. "You and Finn were constantly gravitating towards one another, even when you tried to keep your distance."
"I came to Yale to tell you I was done with Finn." Opening her eyes, she stared down into the blonde's hazel one. "I wanted to tell you that I had no right to be pissed off about you sleeping with Santana but I still was because it should've been me." Leaning forward on her knees, she slipped in the blonde's lap straddling her. "I wanted to ask you out and tell you I didn't want to just be your friend."
"But then you saw me with that girl and you thought you had lost your chance with me." She framed her face with her fingers. "She was just a friend and even if she had been more than that, she would have never held a candle to what you meant to me." Leaning in, she nuzzled her nose along her exposed neck. "What you still mean to me."
"Quinn…" Her hand got lost in her golden mane, holding her head against her neck while the other rested on her shoulder, to brace herself.
"Don't you think we've waited enough, Rachel?" She trailed a slow pattern from her ear down to her collarbone, pushing against the sides of her robe to loosen it.
"Yes. We did wait enough." Tilting her head backwards, she leaned down to crash their lips together and pushed her back against the carpet, pressing into her.
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"Do you do this often?" Rachel nuzzled her face against the mattress, closing her eyes when Quinn's lips trailed along her bare shoulder and her front slid deliciously against her back.
"Kissing you here?" She opened her mouth to trace the shape of her tattoo with the tip of her tongue.
"No, this." She reached back to grip her by the hair and seek her mouth with hers, for another kiss even if at an odd angle. She ended the kiss by licking Quinn's bottom lip, making the blonde roll her hips forward against her backside.
"Define often." She nuzzled her face against the side of her neck and reached under the pillow, to lace their fingers together.
"How many conferences have you attended?" Rachel brought their joined arms closer.
"This is my third." Quinn rested completely against the brunette, nestled into her neck.
"How many women have you slept with, besides me." Rachel kissed the inside of her wrist, taking notice of the small star tattooed there.
"Four." She wasn't really proud of her player ways, but it seemed these conferences were a perfect way to get laid and mix business with pleasure.
"That's my definition of often." Rachel chuckled and kissed her wrist again, almost to reassure her of her mood.
"You're not mad?" Quinn kissed the side of her neck and crossed her arms under her head, pillowing it.
"Why would I be mad about the women you had before me?" Rachel looked back at her over her shoulder. "So, do you expect to bed someone else before you leave tomorrow?"
"Of course not, this is not a one night thing to me." Quinn raised her head to look at her. "Do you want this to be a one time thing?"
"Actually, we did it more than once." Rachel nudged her back enough to roll her on her back and drape herself over her front, with an arm wrapped around her waist and the other framing her face. "If I recall this right, we stopped after round 4?"
"Yes, you're right." She crossed her arm under her head and used her right hand to trace the small of her back and the skin above her backside.
"To answer your question, I don't want this to end tonight." Rachel perched herself up on her elbows and looked down into Quinn's eyes, totally ignoring that the was lying naked in the middle of the unmade bed. She was completely at ease with her bedmate. "Boston and New York ain't that far even if I might have to reconsider this if you tell me you're a Red Sox fan."
"I am not really into baseball, but…" She trailed her fingers down her back to her Venus dimples. "Do you know how far Mount Sinai is from the Gershwin Theater?" Leaning down, she brushed her lips against her exposed breasts, teasingly nipping at the stiff buds with her mouth.
"Mount Sinai?" She whimpered at the feeling. "As the Hospital on Madison Avenue?"
"Exactly." She licked the area around her left nipple and used her hand to palm the other one, earning another moan from the brunette woman.
"3 miles...or something like that, why?" Rachel grabbed her by the hair and tugged her face from between her breasts to kiss her hard. She pushed the blonde back against the bed and reclaimed her spot on top of her, straddling her hips.
"I got a job offer from their Chief of Neurosurgery and will move to New York next month." She clawed at her back when it was Rachel's turn to play with her breasts. "Oh, God…" Arching her back, she gripped her by the backside to move their hips together when Rachel's fingers twisted her nipples at the same time.
"So, you're moving to New York." Rachel's palms descended her front to land on her flexing abs. "You'll need a tour guide?"
"You're offering?" Quinn leaned in to press their lips together, battling her tongue against the brunette's when their hips rolled more urgently together.
"I'm definitely offering to take you around and show you my City." Rachel smiled against her lips and brought her hands back up to her face, holding onto her hair as they kissed harder.
"Isn't the mayor a guy? When did they elect you?" She smirked and kissed her protests away.
"Smartass. You'll thank me once you get there." Rachel pushed her back forcefully and spread her thighs, before scaling down her body to start round 5.
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"What time is it?" Quinn nuzzled the back of her head and closed her arm around her waist, caressing her lower stomach with her palm.
"It's almost 4 AM." Rachel yawned against the pillow and kissed the forearm wrapped around her collarbone. "Do you have somewhere to go?"
"No, silly." She shifted closer under the blanket and kissed her shoulder, settling her chin on it. "But I want to attend a couple of conferences in the early morning and I need to set up an alarm."
"What time do you need to get up?" She reached for her iPhone and checked the texts and missed calls. She had totally forgotten about her Dad being out with her friends. "Shit…"
"What's wrong?" Quinn opened both eyes and looked over the girl's shoulder, chuckling at the obvious drunk texts from the girl's father. "Looks like you're not the only one who had fun, huh?"
"Shut up." She elbowed her gently. "His speech is at 11, hope he'll be less hungover by then." She set an alarm in three hours and half and sat the phone back down.
"Nothing that a good cup of coffee can't cure." Quinn settled back around her and nuzzled her face against her cheek. "Is this okay?" She whispered softly in her ear.
"It's perfect." She draped her own forearm over the one Quinn had around her collarbone, lacing their fingers together.
"Our first night together has topped all the things I had imagined or dreamt of." She whispered in her ear, kissing behind it.
"It was better than any other night with anyone else." Rachel turned her head to nuzzle their noses together and peck her lips softly.
"Better than with Finn?" Quinn looked down. He would always be there, in the back of her mind to taunt her with the memories he had with Rachel before her.
"Better than anyone else." Rachel loosened her grip just to turn around in her arms. "Quinn…"
"Yeah?" She looked up at the brunette, who wore a soft smile.
"Finn is my past and I cannot change what happened with him." She circled her neck with her arms and leaned in to kiss her softly. "But I can let go and start my future…" She pushed her on her back and settled on her side against her. "With you." She kissed her chest and curled around her, holding onto her waist.
"What a way to quote me, Rach." She ran her fingers through her hair.
"I had to return the favor." She tilted her head upwards to nuzzle Quinn's jaw with her forehead and then nose.
"You did, multiple times." Quinn chuckled and tucked the blanket more around their bare frames.
"One track mind, huh?" Rachel rubbed her cheek against her shoulder, feeling the tiredness of their activities get the best of her.
"Only with you." Quinn settled her cheek against the top of her head and tightened her grip around her waist and shoulder, following the brunette in Morpheus' arms.
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"What's your poison?" Quinn whispered in her ear, leaning into her from behind as she had found a small table for three in the breakfast hall.
"Americano with 1 sugar and no cream." Rachel leaned back to stare at her upside down.
"Coming right up, do you want something else to eat?" Cupping the side of her face, she brushed their lips together ever so softly.
"I'm fine, just hurry up so we can eat together before you get back in Dr. Fabray mode." She tugged on the front of her dress shirt to steal another kiss, before letting her go.
When Quinn was back with two cups of coffee and the newspaper under her arm; she took a seat on Rachel's left side and handed her the requested beverage with a soft kiss against her temple. To say things were smooth between them would have been an understatement. It felt like they had been together for so long, that it was easy to fall into a habit of domesticity that couples usually achieved after years together.
"Have you found a place where to stay in New York?" Rachel was checking the Entertainment section, borrowed from Quinn's newspaper, and was sipping from her coffee mug.
"The hospital pays for a temporary accomodation for the first six months, but time flies when you're stuck in a hospital for most of your day and you only want to sleep, once you're home." Quinn folded the newspaper and took a sip from her own mug. "Do you have recommendations? I wouldn't like to go too far from the hospital area."
"I can get you in touch with my realtor, of course a lot depends on the budget." Rachel did the same with her section and looked at the blonde, taking her free hand under the table.
"Money is not an issue. The pay is good and I also can leverage on my trust fund to cover the rest." Quinn brushed her thumbs over her knuckles. "We haven't talked about what's going to happen once we get out of here."
"You're coming to New York and we will see each other." She scooted the chair closer.
"See each other how?" Quinn looked down at their laced fingers and then back at Rachel. "I want more nights like the one we spent together but I want everything else as well. I want the date nights outside or the ones cuddled on the couch, in front of a movie."
"I want to wake up with you wrapped around me, like this morning." Rachel smiled and traced her tattoo with her thumb. "I want to kiss you goodbye when you're off to work or to see you front row for my debut night."
"So, we are saying we're giving this a shot?" Quinn beamed with surprised eyes.
"Yes, we are." Leaning in she brushed her lips against the blonde's, who cupped the sides of her face with both hands.
"Ahem." Leroy Berry approached the table and cleared his throat, interrupting their sweet moment.
"Dad!" Rachel pulled from Quinn and stood to hug her father. It felt like they hadn't seen each other at all.
"Dr. Berry." Quinn stood as well and buttoned her jacket, straightening her pose. "I'm very pleased to meet you and attend your conference about the surgical pen for cancerous tissue."
"Dad, you remember Quinn?" Rachel looked at thr blonde with a smile. "We used to attend McKinley High together."
"Of course, you are Russell and Judy's daughter." He held his hand out for Quinn to take. "You are also a brilliant surgeon, from what I gathered around here."
"I'm just learning from the best surgeons on the East Coast." Quinn sent Rachel a smile.
"I didn't know my daughter had surgical knowledge down her throat." He smirked at the way both women blushed, embarrassed.
"Dad!" She squealed and hit him on the arm, making him laugh.
"Dr. Berry, can I get you anything to drink or eat?" She nodded towards the breakfast behind them.
"Coffee and three pancakes would be great, dear." He nodded and took a seat, pouring some OJ in all of their glasses. "So, did you know she'd be here when you tagged along?"
"No, but I am so glad I did." Rachel turned to look at Quinn, who was chatting with a couple of colleagues while on the queue for the freshly made pancakes. "We wasted so much time, that I don't want to miss any other moment with her."
"You sound so in love with this girl." He smiled softly and looked between his daughter and the blonde who had stolen her heart.
"I never felt like this before, not with Finn or anyone else. It's always been her." Rachel found Quinn's eyes with her across the room and beamed at her, unable to contain herself.
"That's great-" He smiled when a sudden pain shot in his head. "Aah." Holding his temples with both hands, he felt his sight get blurry and the pain shoot in his whole cranium.
"Dad!" Rachel shot from her seat when Leroy fell sideways onto the floor. "Help! Someone help me" She kneeled on the floor when Quinn got on his other side, turning him with his head in her lap.
"Call 911. Now!" She shouted to the crowd forming around them.
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Rachel was pacing back and forth in the waiting area. Her Dad had been rushed into an OR as soon as they walked through the door, straight from the ambulance. He had lost consciousness on his way there, making Rachel worry he was dead, for a moment.
"Miss Berry?" A woman - in her mid 40s - walked up to her with another doctor in tow, still wearing their scrubs and masks. "I am Dr. Devenport, Chief of Neurosurgery. I wanted to personally inform you about your father's conditions."
"God, is he dead?" She covered her mouth with her hand, shaking from the soft sobs.
"No, Miss Berry. He's stable and he's recovering from a successful surgery." She lowered the mask to reveal a soft smile. "We clipped the two aneurysms and saved his life."
"Thank you." She looked between the two doctors, not really realizing who was hidden behind that other mask and scrub cap.
"You should thank Dr. Fabray, she scrubbed in and caught the second aneurysm." She turned towards thd silent doctor behind her, who had just revealed herself. "Her transfer will be a great loss for us." She squeezed her shoulder and looked between the two women, catching the intense glare they were engaged into. "Dr. Fabray will provide you with all the details you need for the recovery." With that said, she left them and went back in the "restricted to personnel'' area.
"Your Dad is resting now, but you can go and be with him." Quinn ran a hand through her hair, freeing her locks. "We should keep him here for a week just to monitor him."
"I wondered where you had gone, when we came here." She took a step closer and looked at her, taking in every detail. "You saved his life."
"It's my job." Quinn smiled and reached out with her hand, to cup her cheek. "I wasn't meant to scrub in, but I couldn't just watch you know? I thought you would have wanted someone you knew to be with him." She brushed her thumb over her cheekbone.
"I'm glad you did." Stepping into her personal space, she trailed her hand over the front of her scrub to trace the tag she wore.
"Go and see him, I have some paperwork to attend to." Leaning down she pressed a soft kiss against her forehead. "I will be waiting for you."
"You don't have to wait for me, you must be tired." Rachel nuzzled her forehead against her chin softly.
"Don't worry about it. Do you want me to call your other Dad or someone else?" Quinn tilted her head back to kiss her softly.
"My Daddy is on his way to Boston." Rachel whispered against her lips. "He will be here in a few hours." She tilted her head down to kiss her again. "I will be back shortly." Rachel patted her chest once more, before walking towards the hall with the rooms.
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"The bathroom is just the second door on the left, there are fresh towels under the sink and you can borrow some of my clothes, until your suitcases get here from the hotel." Quinn dropped her keys by the door and hung her jacket by the door, doing the same with Rachel's coat.
"You checked us out?" Rachel looked around the apartment. It wasn't huge nor too small. It was the right size for someone with a rising career that spent too many hours working, than being home.
"Yeah, the conference is over and I am sure it was the last thing on your mind." She walked to the open kitchen and got two glasses out, pouring some red wine in. "Do you want to eat something? I can make you something or we can get some take-out."
"I am not that hungry." She slipped her heels off and padded to where Quinn stood, wrapping herself around her from behind. "Is this okay?" Her voice was muffled by the fabric of the sweater she wore.
"Does it make you feel okay?" Quinn laced their fingers against her stomach.
"Yes." Rachel closed her eyes and rubbed her face between her strong shoulders. She took in the strength from her.
"You should get some rest, it was a stressful day." She brought her palm to her lips and kissed it softly.
"Would you lie down with me?" Rachel loosened her grip around the blonde to let her turn around and, this time, hold her in her own arms.
"Whatever you want, Rachel." Quinn's forearms cradled her face and tilted it upwards, to brush their lips together for a tender kiss. "What time is your Daddy landing?"
"Later in the evening, I need to book a room for the two of us." Rachel got her phone out and furrowed her brows, feeling her mind go blank for a second. She was exhausted.
"Why don't you let me take care of it?" Quinn took the phone from her and placed it in the back pocket of her jeans "You need to lie down baby." Quinn whispered against her hair, as she drew the brunette into her arms.
"Mmhmm." Rachel tucked her head under her chin and leaned heavily into the blonde, who simply lifted her from the back of her knees and behind her back. "Let me down, I can walk…"
"You're not that heavy." Quinn smiled as she deposited her in the middle of her bed, against the many pillows she had all over it. "Here, keep it in case your Daddy calls." She dropped her phone on the bed and crawled on her knees towards the left side, where she usually lied.
"Will you stay even after I fall asleep?" Rachel rolled on her side and slipped half on top of the blonde, who pulled the duvet over their frames and tucked themselves in.
"As long as you want me to." Quinn curled around her, entwining their legs and cradling her smaller frame against her front.
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"I...I should feel bad about this." Rachel leaned her head back and tugged at her hair, pushing her head closer to her neck.
"Do you want me to stop?" Quinn stopped the movements between her legs and simply stayed inside of her, with her thumb hovering her sensitive nub.
"No." Rachel gasped loudly, her walls contracting around Quinn's fingers. "I don't want you to stop." She whispered softly and looked down at the blonde, from where she was.
"People deal with traumatic events in different ways, there's nothing wrong with dealing with an almost death by celebrating something that makes you feel alive. Something like love." Quinn used her other hand to cup her cheek, stroking her face with her thumb.
"You make me feel more than just alive." Rachel sucked on her thumb and pushed her back, flattening her against the mattress. "I don't ever want to leave your arms."
"I don't want you to go anywhere." Quinn rolled them over and settled between her thighs, rubbing herself against her leg as Rachel did the same.
"God, to think we could have done this since…" Digging her nails into her back, she arched her back off the bed when Quinn's wetness slid against hers, making them both aware of the effect they had on each other.
"I know. I know, baby." Quinn nodded into her ear and laced their fingers against the mattress, while their hips rolled slowly back and forth, to fully grind against each other.
"You're so wet for me." Rachel threw her head back and looked at Quinn's profile. Her forehead was pressed against the mattress and her open mouth released short pants against it, as their bodies slapped together under the mess of limbs and blankets.
"Keep talking to me." Quinn gulped when she felt their clits slide against each other. They were both so hard and sensitive that each collision caused her walls to unclench, making it easier to slide against the brunette under her.
"You feel so good against me…" Rachel brought her lips against her ear. She set her right hand free to hold onto the back of her head and keep it in place, against the mattress. "You're wet and warm and you're dripping inside of me."
"Rach…" Quinn whimpered and gripped the blanket in her fist. She felt the fabric rip against her vice grip, but she could give less fucks about it.
"Are you going to come all over me, Quinn?" Rachel spoke to her ear, but her words were hitting her core directly. The more she talked, the harder she clenched around nothing. The lower the tone, the stronger her clit throbbed.
"Yes." Quinn nodded and wiped her forehead against the mattress. Could people pass out from too much pleasure?
"Are you going to claim me as yours?" Rachel tilted her head to the side to look into her lust-clouded eyes. "I never let anyone cum inside or all over me, Quinn. You're going to be my first."
"I better be your last too." Quinn surged forward and crashed their lips together. Her hands tangled into her chestnut locks, lifting her head off the bed to keep on kissing her hard as their pussies sloppily rubbed together.
"Quinn." Rachel said between the moans. She was being pounded into the mattress like never before. The harder they kissed, the faster Quinn gyrated her hips, holding her down with her body.
"I'm not gonna last." Quinn pulled back to take in a deep breath. Her body was covered in sweat and love bites, left by Rachel during their last hours together.
"Then cum all over me." Rachel leaned their foreheads together, breathing against each other's mouths. "I want you to make me yours…"
"Rach…" Quinn gulped down an invisible knot. Her thumbs were stroking along Rachel's heated cheeks, tenderly and in such a contrast compared to the way her hips rolled into the brunette.
"Let it go, baby. Cum for me." Rachel nipped ar her bottom lip, hard. The nip was enough to trigger the blonde's orgasm, which coursed through her body like a wave pushing her back into a group of rocks. It was hard. It was strong. It was earth-shattering.
"Rachel!" Quinn's moans of pleasure almost died in her throat. Her body kept on moving back and forth, to chase after the pleasure shooting from her lower regions through every fiber of her being. It was so powerful, that she could've easily passed out by it.
"God, Quinn...like that!" Rachel's body curved in a bow. She spread her thighs as much as she could to fully feel Quinn's wet lips move against hers, gushing against and inside of her. She felt so hot that her own walls just fluttered in pleasure, adding up to that warm mess between her legs.
"Rach, you feel so hot." Quinn nuzzled her face against hers, slumping on top of her when her core stopped spasming.
"Tell me about it, I'll need a long shower to wash this smell of sex off." Rachel leaned her head back against the mattress and breathed in deeply.
"Shame you have to. I like it." She nuzzled her neck and behind her ear, to prove her point.
"Nothing I'd like to keep more on me, but not the best way to welcome my Daddy." She kissed her cheek and squeezed her shoulders, as their legs dropped against the bed.
"Fuck, you're right." Quinn rolled on her back and reached for her phone on the nightstand, checking the time.
"What time is it?" Rachel rolled after her and perched herself on her elbows, looking down at her bedmate.
"Almost 5pm." Quinn dropped it on the floor and looked back at Rachel. "We've got two hours to shower and get to the Central station to pick him up. I got you a room in a hotel downtown, not too far from the hospital."
"Thank you." Rachel scooted upwards to lie on her same pillow. "You're being wonderful and we've been together for less than a day."
"It comes natural, you know?" Quinn tilted her head to look at her. "We've spent years wondering and now that we're together, we realize it is how it was supposed to be all along." She tucked her brown locks back behind her ear. "This is the honeymoon phase and it's easy now, but I am pretty sure we will also go through the hard times."
"You believe that?" Rachel leaned her head down against the crook of her neck.
"I know that." Quinn cradled it with her forearm and simply pulled the brunette in her arms, basking in the few more minutes they had together before they had to go back to reality.
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"So, you're both all settled?" Quinn had helped them check in their room, under a nickname to avoid paps or unwanted attention for Rachel.
"Yes, we should be fine." She looked at the closed bathroom door, hoping Hiram was alright.
"You can call me for anything." The blonde leaned against the back of the couch, with her arms and ankles crossed.
"I know." Stepping forward, she reached for the collar of the jacket she wore, playing with the lapels. "I have to go back to New York in a couple of days."
"Oh." Quinn nodded. "Is your Daddy staying?"
"Yes, he retired so he can stay with Dad until it's safe to send him back to Lima." Rachel stepped up into her personal space, uncrossing her arms from her chest to wrap them around herself. "When are you coming to New York?"
"In about three weeks." Quinn stood to full height and leaned down to nuzzle their noses and foreheads together. "I shouldn't say this because you have so many things going on already, but...but I am gonna miss you very much."
"I am gonna miss you too." Her hands slid around her neck and the back of her head, so she could tilt it downwards and kiss her softly. "You have no idea."
"I think I do." She smiled softly and drew the petite girl closer, kissing her sweetly as their fronts pressed together in a familiar embrace.
"Ahem." Hiram cleared his throat, wiping the corner of his eyes under the glasses he wore.
"Why do we constantly get caught by your Dads?" Quinn whispered in her mouth as they parted and turned to the man. "Mr. Berry, how are you feeling?"
"You're the young Doctor who saved my husband's life?" Hiram stepped closer. "May I hug you, dear?"
"I…" She looked at Rachel for confirmation. "Of course, Sir." She braced for the impact and it came. It was almost as good as one of those hugs Rachel gave her in high school, but it'd never beat the way Rachel hugged her now. It felt like she was clinging to her to stay rooted while the world kept on spinning around them. It was the way she felt.
"Thank you, Dr. Fabray." Hiram whispered in her ear and squeezed her one more time. "You saved the love of my life."
"It's my job and I am glad it was one of my good days." Quinn smiled when she got released from his embrace. "I'm sure you must be exhausted from the trip, so I'll leave you both to get some rest."
"I'll walk you out." Rachel took her by the hand and led her outside the hotel room and towards the elevators. "Are you working tomorrow?"
"Yes, I've got the morning shift." Quinn brought her knuckles to her mouth, kissing them softly. "Visiting hours are from 11 to 12 and from 4 to 5 but I will ask to make an exception. You may have to go in one by one though."
"They're gonna hate me for getting favors." Rachel stepped up into her and gently pressed her against the wall beside the elevator. "Are you getting in trouble for this?"
"Naw. It's my last month there, they won't cause me any trouble." Quinn dropped her forehead against hers and nudged her nose against Rachel's. "Text me if you can't fall asleep."
"We just slept together once and I am already going to miss the feeling of you wrapped around me." Rachel traced the collar of her band shirt under the jacket. "What am I going to do when I am in New York?"
"Just dream of me." Quinn nuzzled her forehead and sighed against it. The more she held onto Rachel, the less she wanted to leave.
"You should go, I don't want you to be home too late." Rachel looked up into her eyes.
"It's fine, my car is just downstairs." Quinn smiled softly and leaned in to peck her lips. "But I won't keep you from your Daddy." She loosened her hold on her.
"I'll see you tomorrow at the hospital." Rachel nodded and lifted herself on her tiptoes to kiss her one more time, lingeringly.
"Yes, good night Rach." Quinn disentangled herself from her arms and slipped in the elevator, who had just reached their floor.
"Night Quinn." Rachel stood on the other side and watched her until the metal doors closed.
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"Hey." Quinn opened the door and found Rachel on the other side, holding a small takeout bag and with her suitcase by her side.
"Hey." Rachel smiled at her baffled expression. "Can I come in?"
"Oh, of course." She stepped aside and let her in. She took the bag from her when the brunette divested herself off the coat she wore over her sweater. "I'm sorry, I just got home from a long shift and I am a bit confused. What did I miss?"
"My Daddy is staying overnight at the hospital and I thought that we could spend the rest of the evening together." She pointed to the takeout bag. "And maybe spend the night here before going to the airport tomorrow?"
"Oh, I see." Quinn smiled and nodded. "Dinner date indoors then?"
"Something like that." She sauntered over to the blonde and pushed her down onto the couch, only to straddle her lap. "You just got out of the shower?" She played with her blonde hair, still humid.
"Yes, after a 12 hours shift I needed that." Leaning upwards she brushed their lips together, softly. "I can take you to the airport tomorrow."
"What about the hospital?" She braced against the back of the couch and leaned more into the blonde, who was now caressing her back and the skin under the elastic of her bra.
"I have the night shift, I can take you and then go there." Nuzzling her way up and down her neck, her fingers expertly undid the clasp of her bra to just cup them in her palms.
"Oh…" Rachel moaned and discarded her sweater and bra to the side, pushing her chest into the girl's hands.
"Fuck, your tits are so gorgeous." She leaned down to take one of the dusky nipples in her mouth, sucking on it while her hand rubbed the other breast.
"Speaking from experience?" She tangled her hands in her hair and tilted her head back, so she could lower her lips on Quinn's, hard. Her teeth sank onto her bottom lip, making her groan both in pain and pleasure.
"I need you naked, now." She fumbled with the button of her jeans and swiftly pulled it open, pushing the material down her thighs along with her underwear.
"You're overdressed." She pouted at the blonde, who smirked and simply rolled her over, lying her on the couch.
"Don't go anywhere." She pecked her lips and jumped off the couch to head straight to the bedroom.
"What? Where are you going?" Rachel protested from the couch. "Can't believe this." She kicked the pants and underwear to the floor and laid back down, draping her arm over her eyes while waiting for the blonde to get back. What felt like a long time was actually a bunch of minutes and soon, she felt Quinn's very naked chest press back against hers, while she settled between her thighs.
"Missed me?" She kissed up her jaw to her left ear, nuzzling it with her nose.
"Hardly. I was going to start without you." Rachel's nails scratched along her back to her hips, pushing against them to feel the whole length of her body against hers.
"Oh really now?" Quinn chuckled against her ear and kept her hips off hers. "Rach, if you don't feel comfortable with this we can just keep doing it the usual way."
"What are you talking about?" The brunette pulled her hair back to look at her.
"This…" Lowering her hips, she made sure to rub the new harness right against her core, finding her nub with the tip.
"Oh...oh…" Rachel looked down between their bodies and caught a partial glimpse of what Quinn was talking about.
"If you feel uncomfortable, I can just take it off." She looked up at her, trying to read any sign of discomfort, but she didn't find any. It was mostly curiosity.
"I wanna try." She returned her gaze onto the blonde. "You used it before?"
"No, it's brand new." Quinn kissed her reassuringly. "I did this before but not with this one."
"God, I can't believe you are such an experienced lady lover." She cupped her face with one hand and circled her head with the other.
"Only you would use those words fo say what you wanted to say." Shaking her head, she cradled her head with her forearms. "You're sure about it?"
"Yes, I am." Rachel stroked her cheek softly. "Will...just be gentle at first? I haven't done this in a while."
"Of course baby." Quinn smiled and leaned in to kiss her, covering her body with hers and pressing her down into the couch.
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"I hate airports." Quinn muttered mostly to herself but Rachel had heard her perfectly, due to their proximity.
"I am not fond of saying goodbye either." She retrieved her ticket and nodded to the flying assistant who had tagged her bigger suitcase, for the check-in.
"Do you see paps?" She looked around herself, hoping to catch someone with her gaze but it seemed it was quiet enough to be left with some privacy.
"My PR agent will set something up for my landing in New York, I told Cassie this was a private trip." She took her by the hand and walked toward the security area, to check her flight schedule and gate. "You didn't have to wear those or hide your hair."
"I thought I could pass for a guy from a good distance with these clothes and my hair up in a ponytail under this baseball cap." Quinn wrapped herself around her from behind and kissed her shoulder.
"You looking like a guy? I don't think it will be possible and I wouldn't want you to." Rachel turned in her arms and circled her neck with her arms.
"Even if I am taller?" She leaned down to peck her lips. "Even if I am wearing this jacket and my combat boots?" She pecked her again, when she watched Rachel nod.
"Even if you fucked me like a guy would have, last night." She nibbled on her bottom lip, feeling Quinn's hands hold onto her back a little tighter.
"You enjoyed it more than I thought you would." Quinn whimpered and parted her lips when Rachel's tongue brushed against them.
"It was better than with any guy, Quinn." Rachel nipped at her lip. "I felt you everywhere."
"You felt so good against me." She leaned in to crash their lips together, meeting her tongue with hers as they kissed in the middle of the airport.
"It almost felt like a first time all over again." Rachel, on her tiptoes, pressed her forehead against the blonde's, gulping softly.
"I will never be able to look at my couch in the same way, after what we did on it." She tilted her head back and kissed her again, lifting her until only her tiptoes stayed on the floor.
"You should bring it to New York, so we can start christening your new apartment from there." Rachel pecked her once more and lowered herself on her heels, palms brushing against the sides of her open jacket.
"Count on it." Quinn brushed her fingers along her bangs. "Text me when you land, okay?"
"Huh." Rachel nodded and looked over her shoulder, seeing the gate number for her flight. "I should get going."
"Right." Quinn nodded and grabbed the handle of the suitcase, rolling it with her as they reached the security area. She was not allowed further.
"Okay." She took it from the blonde and looked at her, trying to find the words to say goodbye.
"I'll keep you updated on your Dad and on your other Daddy as well." Quinn slipped her hands down the back pockets of her jeans. "You can call me whenever you want news."
"Just for that?" Rachel looked up at her.
"Rach…" Quinn tilted her baseball cap upwards and leaned down to press her forehead against hers. "You know you can call me for anything. Even to stay quiet on the phone and listen to each other breathe…"
"I wish I could've stayed more." Rachel nuzzled her nose against her jaw and gripped her sides, through the jacket.
"Me too, but it would have been even harder to let you go." Quinn kissed her forehead and cupped the back of her neck. "Go before I hold you against your will here."
"I wouldn't be too opposed to that." Tilting her head to the side, she brushed a soft kiss against her lips.
"Your fans might have something against it." She whispered in her mouth.
"I know but I'd have you with me." Rachel pushed against her forehead.
"You'll have me soon, I promise." She kissed her again, harder this time. Sucking her tongue in her mouth, she drew the petite girl closer with both arms.
"Stop kissing me like that or I will never leave." Rachel licked her bottom lip. "Call you later, Quinn." She kissed her one more time and took a step back, when her flight was called for boarding.
"Be safe, Rachel." Quinn smiled softly and followed her with her eyes, as she easily reached the guards. She saw Rachel send her one last smile and wave and she reciprocated them until she disappeared from her sight.
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"Miss Berry. There's a guest here for you." The security guard said from the other side of her closed door, as she had gone back to her dressing room to change out of her stage clothes and go home.
"Who is it, Brian?" Rachel checked her phone for the second time in 30 minutes, hoping to either read a message from Quinn or get a call. Two weeks had gone since their casual meeting in Boston and since then, things had gone smoothly despite the distance.
"It's a woman. A doctor, Miss Berry. Are you not feeling well?" His tone took a concerned undertone, but her heart skipped a beat at the idea of the person standing on the other side of the door.
"Let her in, Brian." She fixed her hair and leaned against her vanity, in preparation to see a familiar blonde walk into the room and in her arms.
"Didn't think it'd be so hard to come visit you, it ruined my surprise." Quinn strolled in with the usual confidence that she had during her years of ruling McKinley's hallways.
"I'm still quite surprised." She pushed herself off the vanity and met her halfway, grabbing onto the lapels of her jacket to simply pull in a well deserved hard kiss. Her hands tangled into her locks, tugging at them as their tongues battled inside her mouth, for a pointless dominance.
"Hi." Quinn whispered against her mouth and nuzzled her nose with hers, slipping her free arm around her waist.
"Hello there." Rachel pressed another soft kiss against her lips and clawed at her back, trying to get her hands under her clothes as much as possible.
"On Earth, we say hi." The blonde chuckled and lifted her head to kiss her forehead softly. "These are for you." She showed her a bouquet of gardenias.
"You didn't have to…." She took them to smell them. "I love gardenias."
"That's why you told Finn to get them for my corsage?" She smirked at the surprised look on her face. "Or were you secretly confessing your love for me?"
"How long have you known?" Rachel turned around to put them in the vase on her vanity.
"For a while, but I never had the chance to thank you for it." Quinn stood behind her and slipped her arms around her waist, kissing her shoulder softly. "You were amazing tonight, but you always are."
"You watched the show?" Rachel looked at her through the mirror.
"Of course, I got in town a little earlier to see you perform." Quinn nuzzled the side of her face and placed a soft kiss against her temple. "I'm here for the weekend to see a few proposals your realtor gave me. Would you like to come with me?"
"I'd love to." Rachel turned her head to nestle herself under the blonde's chin, whose heels gave her an height advantage against her being barefoot. "Where are you staying for these two nights?"
"I booked a hotel a couple of blocks from here but I haven't checked in yet, I came straight from the airport." Quinn said softly against her temple. Her arms tightened around her waist and her palms slid up and down her stomach, through the fabric of her robe.
"Cancel it." Rachel turned in her arms and nuzzled her nose up and down her neck, making Quinn whimper and slump forward against her. "You can stay with me, I won't have it any other way."
"I didn't want to intrude, given your celebrity status around here." Quinn tilted her head downwards to brush her lips against the corner of Rachel's lips. "What about the paps?"
"We might have to keep the PDAs to minimum but we can still be seen together." Rachel leaned in to kiss her softly, gripping her by the front of her dress. "I missed you, Quinn."
"I missed you too." She cupped her face with her palm and kept her head in place, so they could keep on kissing softly in the safety of her dressing room.
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One Year Later
Quinn was exhausted. Her shift had felt endless and it had not even been one of the good days. She had lost a patient on the OR - a man who had crashed in a taxi with his bike - and had to tell a 16 years old girl that her brain tumor was so risky that her best outcome was to get out of the surgery with an impaired vision.
She slipped her key into the lock and walked inside her apartment, with the main goal of just crawling in her bed to sleep the rest of the day off, but was surprised to find the lights on and a familiar brunette on her couch, asleep with a script in her lap and in her favorite Yale t-shirt.
"God, Berry...what should I do with you?" She locked the door and slipped her shoes off, placing them neatly beside the brunette's heels. She must have gotten here straight from the theater and made herself at home at Quinn's, like they usually did.
"Quinn…?" Rachel opened her eyes at the feeling of someone else joining her on the couch, slipping behind her and wrapping her up in a familiar embrace.
"Expecting someone else, Berry?" Quinn chuckled and kissed the back of her head. Her face stayed pressed in the back of the brunette's head, smelling the familiar shampoo mixed with her own hair products.
"I'll settle for you." Rachel smiled and scooted back into her girlfriend, who bit playfully on her lobe as a punishment for her smart remark. "Kidding, no need to be brutal."
"You didn't say that last night, though." Quinn sucked on the offended patch of skin and slipped her hand under the hem of her shirt, rubbing her flat tummy with her palm.
"Different words for the same circumstance." She tilted her head to the side to let Quinn kiss up and down her neck, while her fingers traced imaginary shapes against the skin of her belly button.
"You would've been a great lawyer." Quinn laughed against her neck and just drew her closer, letting her eyes close. "How has your day been? I hope it was better than mine."
"Did something happen?" Rachel turned in her arms and tucked her head under her chin, massaging the back of her stiff neck.
"It was one of those bad days, you know?" She nuzzled her throat and kept her arm around her waist, palm now against the small of her back. "I lost a patient on the table."
"I'm sorry baby." Rachel kissed her forehead and kept on massaging her neck, slowly and almost afraid to hurt her some more.
"He didn't see the taxi coming from the right." She whispered softly. "It came out of nowhere and one moment he's going home to his wife and kids, the next one he is gone."
"Life is unpredictable, Quinn." Rachel scooted downwards to stare into her eyes. "But you save people's lives and without you more families would be torn apart." She pecked her lips softly. "You're amazing, you know that?"
"I really don't feel amazing today." Quinn looked back at her and stroked her back slowly. "Sometimes, I just want to give up, you know? It's unfair."
"It is and the fact you still feel affected by this makes you a better doctor." Rachel cupped the side of her neck. "I love you so much, you know that?"
"I love you too." Quinn nodded and rested their foreheads together. "This life would be almost unbearable, if I didn't have you to come home to."
"You help too, you know? With all the pressure for being in the spotlight, with the right things to say or do, you being there makes me feel like I could do anything." Rachel pecked her softly.
"Anything?" Quinn smiled reaching over her, to the bag she had discarded onto the floor by the couch.
"Quinn, what are you doing?" She groaned when the blonde crawled over her and dropped graciously on the couch, still looking through her purse.
"Just…" She smirked when her hand wrapped itself around a familiar object. "This." She raised herself on both knees and held her palm open, with a small velvet box sitting on it. "I was just looking for this."
"Quinn…" Rachel sat up and leaned forward with trembling hands. "When…"
"Do you remember the day the underground trains collided under the Broadway district, two weeks ago?" She looked at the brunette. "My heart stopped at the thought you were in one of those trains and all I could think of was our last kiss that morning. I didn't want to think of you coming through the doors in need for a surgery or maybe dead, I could only think about our last kiss right here, in my apartment. Our last happy moment before that accident."
"We were in the kitchen and you were reading the newspaper over my shoulder, like you always do." Rachel nodded with a watery smile and sat in front of Quinn. "You had one arm around me and the other on the counter, playing it like a piano."
"When I realized I was running late, I moved back to gather my things but you just pulled me in to kiss me goodbye." Quinn opened the velvet box to reveal a simple white gold ring, with a diamond shining in the middle of it. It was simple and elegant, just like Rachel. "It was simple. Your hand behind my neck and my hands on your hips. It felt like out of pure habit, like something we had done for years or we could do for many more to come."
"I know." Rachel nodded and wiped her cheeks, realizing she was crying.
"When you called me to check on me, I was relieved, of course, but all I could think of was that I wanted more of that." Quinn took the ring off the box and held it between her fingers. "I want more days like that Tuesday, two weeks ago." She took her left hand and kissed her knuckles. "I want every day of my life with you." She looked at her with her own eyes filled with tears. "Rachel Berry, will you marry me?"
"God, yes." Rachel nodded and felt the blonde slip the ring on her finger with ease. It was a perfect fit. "I want to be with you too, for the rest of our lives." She pulled the blonde by the collar of her shirt and kissed her hard.
The End
Turn over everything
Time can heal us again
I'm tender in your arms
Reaching inside of me
Bringing the love I need
The loneliness has gone
please review with your comments / feedback ;)