Well hello! So you'll notice in a few seconds that the beginning of this chapter is written in a very weird manner. I thought it'd be cool to show two parallel conversations going on. On the left is Rachel's conversation with Kurt. On the right is Quinn talking to Santana. Anything in the middle means that both conversations said the same thing. The second part is easier to understand. I hope it's not too confusing when you're reading through :/ Review and let me know! Enjoy!

EDIT: Okay, cool, the formatting didn't work. Now the italics are Rachel's side of the conversation.

Even Though

Darren Criss*

"Quinn Fabray."

"Rachel Berry."

"What about her?"

"Exactly."

"Kurt, I—"

"Santana, I—"

"You've been spending a lot of time with her."

"So?"

"Do you like her?"

"We're friends!"

"Last time you were 'friends with her,

she was manipulating you."

you were manipulating her."

"She's different now!"

"I'm different now!"

"Exactly!"

"I have a boyfriend!"

"I'm straight!"

"Oh, sweetie. We've all known for a while."

"Known what?"

"You like Quinn!"

"You like Rachel!"

"Just because you're gay—"

"We're tired of waiting for you to see it yourselves.

Why did you forgive her so easily?

Why did she forgive you so easily?

Why are you always supporting her?

And why is she always supporting you?

And why do you always stare at her?

And smile?"

"I…I don't…."

"You like her!"

Quinn wondered if her best friend was right.

It wouldn't exactly be the first time that Quinn was attracted to a girl, if it was the truth.

But Quinn had ignored those feelings back then,

and she thought she'd put them to rest over the summer when a fling went wrong.

In any case, she had certainly never thought of Rachel that way before.

Rachel wondered if her best friend was right.

It wouldn't exactly be the first time that Rachel was attracted to a girl, if it was the truth.

But those thoughts were normal, right?

Everyone got a little curious.

It wasn't like she had ever acted on them or anything.

In any case, she had certainly never thought of Quinn that way before.

Looking back over their time in high school, Santana's theory made sense.

Quinn was horrible to Rachel, but Rachel easily forgave her every time.

Why had Quinn bullied her anyway? Why single Rachel out?

Was it, as Santana had suggested, an excuse to talk to and about Rachel, to see Rachel?

Looking back over their time in high school, Kurt's theory made sense.

Quinn was horrible to Rachel, but she easily forgave Quinn every time.

Why let go of all of that hurt so quickly? Why not ever seek revenge?

Was it, as Kurt had suggested, an excuse to talk to and about Quinn, to see Quinn?

Why, Santana was wrong, did Quinn want to see Rachel?

Why did she long for that smile?
That voice?

Those eyes?

Why, if Kurt was wrong, did Rachel want to see Quinn?

Why did she long for that smile?

That voice?

Those eyes?

"Everybody quiet!" Kurt's high voice echoed through the choir room. The chatter died away and all eyes turned to the fashionable boy, who was donning a broad grin as he looked over his club mates. "Our newest member, the hot and talented Blaine Anderson, has written a song that he would like to perform. So listen!"

"I actually wrote this a while ago, but I've always been a little too embarrassed to show anyone," Blaine added. He looked up from his seat in the center of the room to smirk at his boyfriend. "That is, until someone gave me courage."

"Alright, Blaine, let's hear it!" Mr. Schuester acknowledged.

All of these proceedings were lost to both Quinn Fabray and Rachel Berry. They sat separately but similarly: arms folded over their chests, eyes blank and thoughtful. They were in their own worlds, completely oblivious to the one around them. Everybody else in the room was too preoccupied with Blaine's song to notice their behavior. Even if they had, most of them already knew what was going on.

In the back of her mind, Quinn heard Blaine's song loud and clear. It burned into her brain without her even paying much attention to it. The same happened for Rachel, sitting in the row in front of the blonde. Her bird's eye view allowed Quinn to continuously peer over at Rachel. It was only the back of her head that she was seeing, but for Quinn it was enough.

Rachel yearned to turn around and look at Quinn. She wanted desperately to see the hidden smile she would receive when Quinn would catch her staring. They hadn't talked much or spent any time together since their performance due to busy schedules and it was slowly killing Rachel. She felt as though her stomach was being eaten away at by a monster trying to escape to be with Quinn.

Rachel blamed Kurt just as much as Quinn cursed Santana. Neither had been having these wild feelings before their interventions. But now that these thoughts were in their heads, they were impossible to get rid of and just as hard to ignore.

Quinn decided that she'd had enough. She was done secretly thinking of Rachel and she was over being afraid of the consequences. She marched into the auditorium after school, knowing that Rachel would be there to practice for the play. Sure enough, the brunette was on stage. She was not, however, singing, as Quinn had predicted she would be. Quinn felt an immediate disappointment; she had subconsciously been looking forward to hearing Rachel's golden notes.

"Rachel?" Quinn called softly as she climbed the stairs at stage right. Rachel looked up from her lonely seat on the piano bench and caught her breath at the sight of Quinn. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Rachel lied. She moved over to make room for Quinn to sit beside her, which she did without hesitation. They fell into silence, neither knowing how to begin the conversation. Quinn was first to break it.

"Have you ever been with a girl?" she asked boldly. Rachel looked shocked, but Quinn wasn't sure whether it was the subject, the abruptness, or the implications that caused such a reaction.

"No! Have you?"

"Yes," Quinn admitted quietly. She stared at a scuff mark on the stage. Her mind involuntarily turned to thoughts of her summer and her experimental 'relationship.'

"With who?" Rachel gasped. "Wait. I'm sorry, that was a rather personal question. You don't have to answer that. When was it? This summer?"

"This is a pretty personal conversation," Quinn commented with a laugh. "She was older and not exactly a classy type of person. I wouldn't even call it a relationship; we just kissed a few times. And yes, it was this summer. We can call this summer Killing Quinn Fabray." The blonde laughed again, but Rachel didn't. She felt a tug at her heart for the damage done to Quinn.

"Did you like it?" Rachel inquired further. Her voice had dropped in volume, amplifying the intimacy of the conversation.

"No," Quinn replied just as gently. "But lately I've been wondering if it was because it was with a girl or because it was with that girl. Because I've been having these thoughts about someone, and I really just want to kiss her." Quinn didn't realize how true the words were until she had spoken them. Rachel appeared to stop breathing.

"I've been having those thoughts too," she whispered.

Finally Quinn lifted her eyes from the scuff mark on the stage. Finally she looked at Rachel, who stared back with pleading innocence and pure beauty. Finally she leaned forward, licked her bottom lip, and then attached it to Rachel's.

Rachel froze for a moment after Quinn's lips had pressed themselves to hers. But it was only for a moment. Her eyelids slid closed and her lips reacted joyfully to the kiss. They held it for as long as they could, hearts pounding loudly in their chests, before drawing back for air. Both girls looked surprised, but both felt incredibly happy.

And then Rachel panicked.

"Oh no," she began, jumping to her feet and pacing away. "Oh god, what am I going to do? You're supposed to hate me. You've always hated me, so it didn't matter that I thought you were really pretty, because you would never want to be with me. And now here you are, wanting to be with me. But I'm with Finn. Oh god, Finn! What's going to happen now?"

"Rachel!" Quinn cried. She had been watching Rachel pace up and down the stage with increasing alarm. Her soft calls to the girl had gone unnoticed, masked by the mounting rapidity of the rant. She joined Rachel on her feet before it had gone too far and reached for the girl's arms to stop her movement. She waited until Rachel was looking her in the eye before speaking again. "Do you remember Blaine's song?" she asked with a smirk and a quirky eyebrow lift.

"The one he wrote? Yes, it was very good. I think. I was a little distracted," Rachel answered breathlessly.

"Well this time, don't be distracted," Quinn said. Rachel barely had time to look puzzled before Quinn was singing to her. "Even though I was blind before, I've realized there is so much more, and it was always deep in the core of me. I know it now. Sing with me, Rachel."

"Even though it seems too much to take, there's a feeling I can't seem to shake. I feel like I am reading the signs, cuz I know that I'm coming around," Rachel sang.

"I thought I wanted someone perfect as can be, when all I needed was the one who was perfect for me," Quinn soloed before Rachel joined her again for the chorus.

"Even though it used to seem so wrong, I've taken you for granted far too long. I'm falling right into the denouement, and now I'm breaking ground. Even though I've felt it from the start, it's only now we're beating with one heart. I'm sure that now is the time, cuz I know that…the sun is starting to shine, cuz I know that I'm coming around."

Rachel laughed helplessly and let herself be pulled into Quinn's arms. Quinn sighed into brunette hair while Rachel breathed in sweet perfume. They each made mental notes to thank Santana and Kurt later—they were perfection together.

*Yes, I am trying to be funny.

Sorry for the lame ending. It's midnight and I've got to get to bed -_- lol Goodnight!