Disclaimer: Unfortunately the characters do not belong to me, I'm just borrowing them for fun.

She was stunned at first.

Rachel supposed she'd been stuck in that mode for the past three weeks because it wasn't ever any easier to process. It just didn't make any sense. She'd seen Quinn over the summer. Granted only three times, but still, people just didn't change that drastically in such a short amount of time.

During their first rehearsal in the choir room, Rachel had been at the peak of her and Tina's duet when Quinn walked inside and her voice did something it had never done before unless her tonsils were infected and inflamed; she missed her note by a mile.

She knew her mouth was hanging open, and after a while she could feel the sting of her eyes letting her know that it was important to blink.

Quinn stood not ten feet away, complete with medium-length pink hair and black clothes.

"What the hell?" Finn blinked rapidly at her, wondering if he was imagining it.

None of them had seen Quinn all day.

Tina's smiled appreciatively. "You look awesome, Quinn."

She didn't beat around the bush. Quinn glanced to Rachel before she found Mr. Schuester. "I just wanted to let you know in person that I won't be returning to the club. It's nothing personal; I just...don't fit in here anymore."

He struggled to find words to respond at first, just as shocked as everyone else. "Quinn, you know we accept people as individuals in this club; just as you are. However you need to express yourself is fine. We always have room for you."

"Yeah, hello." Tina gestured to her own outfit.

"With new commitments, I just don't have time for this rehearsal anymore."

Mr. Schuester was genuinely disappointed. "I really wish you'd take some time to reconsider."

Santana frowned at her. "What's going on, Cherry Bomb?"

"Nothing."

"Yeah, well, I call bull."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "I met some girls at a bar. It turned out they could sing, so we hung out a few times. They asked me to audition for their band and I did. I'm sure you can figure out the rest."

Santana snickered. "Wait, what? You're ditching us for some wannabe Runaways? What do you do, play the triangle in the back?"

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," Rachel stated unapologetically, snapping out of her trance-like state. She stepped closer to Quinn. "No-one is leaving this club. Its senior year, we're all finishing together; the way we started." She thought of Blaine and added a snide, "Most of us."

Quinn's new appearance had thrown Rachel. She couldn't stop her eyes from roaming up and down her body, amazed at the difference. She just couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Quinn was having a similar problem. She had known Rachel a long time but there was no denying that she could still surprise her with her lack of fashion sense too. She gave her a lingering look, ultimately looking back at their teacher.

"That's all I came here to say."

Rachel didn't call out to her as she walked out of the room, and not because her teammates had that covered, but because cardigan-wearing Christian cheerleader and captain of the Celibacy Club, Quinn Fabray, had done a complete one-eighty and was now sporting pink hair and black clothes.

What was the world coming to?

The glee club took it in turns to pressure Quinn into rejoining.

The results were the same every time, no matter who it was. They tried tirelessly for two weeks, corning her before class, in class, during lunch, on the way home, at night, online. She was more than a little tired of it, despite their good intention.

This afternoon's turn was Rachel's.

She hurried into the girl's bathroom after Quinn and one look around confirmed their privacy. As luck would have it, Quinn was already in the stall by the time she'd got in there, so Rachel waited patiently. She toyed with her hair in the mirror, dropping her arm when a toilet flushed.

A flash of surprise crossed through Quinn's eyes when she saw her. They turned vacant while she used the sink next to her.

"This is bordering on stalking, you know that?"

"Come back to glee."

"I can't," Quinn said with a press of her lips. "I have other commitments."

Rachel's eyes rolled, not so subtly. "I have other commitments too, but I make it work. You can too." Quinn shook her head. "You just don't want to."

"Ah, she finally hits the nail on the head."

Rachel turned with Quinn as she walked over to the dryer. She spoke over the noise. "I don't understand why you're doing this. It's obvious everyone misses you. If it's the attention you want, you can have more solos. Tina can sit some out."

Quinn stared her down until her hands were dry, then she regarded her almost thoughtfully. "You still don't know me, do you?"

Rachel didn't have an answer right away, but her body jumped forward when Quinn made a move to leave. She blocked the exit, her back against the door. "Come back to glee."

"Come back to reality. That ship has sailed."

"No, it hasn't. We can figure something out. You can come back and—"

Quinn closed some of the distance between their bodies, pressing her arms on the door beside Rachel's head. She leaned in. "And what if I just don't want to anymore? Have any of you thought about that?"

"I'd think you were an idiot." Rachel's voice came out quiet and unsteady. "Especially if it has anything to do with my relationship status with Finn. We're friends. We tried over the summer but it didn't work out."

Without any real protest, Quinn stood back to full height and loosely gripped Rachel's arm, moving her away from the door. "We've been here before."

One week later, the choir room was occupied by an emergency club meeting.

"Fellow glee clubbers, I call this meeting because, frankly, I'm at a loss. Our efforts to have Quinn rejoin as a valued member of this club has only succeeded in pushing her further away."

Tina shrugged, leaning against Mike's side. "I vote we kidnap her. We already lost Sam and Matt, I don't want to lose anyone else."

"You can use my car," Mercedes offered after brief consideration. She had an understanding of how she was going to feel when most of them went their separate ways for college next year and felt heaviness to her chest. They had to have one final amazing year together.

Puck looked down to her. He was onboard. "Around nine?"

Santana nodded her agreement to the plan. It was better than following Quinn around all day. She did have better things to do, like Brittany. "We can take my car too, and I got you covered on the duct tape front. Trust me, you're going to want to put a seal over that mouth and watch those arms and legs."

"And I'm an excellent lookout."

Blaine frowned, looking at his boyfriend with disappointment. He waited a moment before he said, "I may be totally out of line here, but I think we should respect Quinn's wishes and get to work recruiting a new female member."

It was Brittany who got there first. "You're right, you are out of line," she said. "You don't even know Quinn."

His head shook. "No, but as Rachel just said, you've exhausted all of your options. She's not coming back."

"No, she is. She just doesn't know it yet," Santana argued.

Blaine shook his head again. "I-I'm not so sure."

"Well, that's okay because...no-one really needs you to be," Artie said.

Rachel smiled. It was settled. "It's decided; a nine o'clock field trip to Quinn's house. I propose we wear dark clothing for the occasion."

They kidnapped her.

When Quinn left the house just after nine p.m. to meet her band mates, Finn and Puck jumped out from their hiding place and grabbed her, covering her mouth before she had the opportunity to cry out for help.

Finn easily held Quinn's arms down and hoisted her into the air but Puck had no such luck when trying to wrap the duct tape around her ankles. He sunk to his knees when her boot slammed against his crotch. Santana jumped in to finish the job.

Quinn had only been scared for a second. It wasn't hard to recognise Puck. He was the only guy in town with a mohawk.

"Kick me and I'll make it look like Freddy tickled your face," Santana warned in a strained voice, struggling to hold Quinn's flailing legs still until Brittany rushed forward to help.

Finn's hand shot away from Quinn's mouth when she bit his fingers. "Hey!"

"Get off me!" Quinn screamed. She propelled her elbow backwards into Finn's chest with as much force as she could muster, wincing when she was dropped to the ground. Her ankles had been bound.

"You brought this on yourself," Santana stated, holding a large piece of duct tape as she kneeled down on the floor.

Rushing out of the car so fast she nearly face planted on the ground, Rachel made a beeline for Quinn. "Physically harming her was not part of the plan!" she stage whispered.

"I will get you back for this," Quinn threatened, her voice shaking with rage before Santana covered her mouth with the tape.

Rachel sat and stroked her hands through pink hair while Santana tightly bound Quinn's wrists together. It hadn't gone as smoothly as they'd anticipated but that didn't mean Quinn wouldn't see sense once they explained why they'd done it and that they wouldn't stop until she rejoined the club.

Kurt sprinted down the street as fast as his legs would carry him.

"Incoming."

"Crap." Santana kicked Puck who was slowly getting to his feet. "Throw her in the back."

Quinn's eyes narrowed when she was hoisted up over Puck's shoulder. She was going to kill every single one of them.

It didn't work.

Quinn threatened all of them with the police if they so much as spoke to her about glee again, so, reluctantly, they backed off.

Everyone but one.

Rachel tightened the belt around her trench coat and tilted the hat further down over her face as she entered the small, dingy club. They didn't even ask for ID but it wasn't too much of a shock being that it was in the bad part of town. She side-stepped a couple who were propping up the wall, too caught up in lust to notice her look of disgust and made her way forward to where she could hear a live band playing.

The packed floor space and her limited height made it difficult to see over or past people to the stage. The bass vibrated inside her chest, right down to her feet. The lead singer's voice rang in her ears as she squeezed her way through the throng of people. She pushed her way up the stairs to the balcony level and ignored an intentional shove to the back when she accidentally bumped into a woman and caused her to spill some of her beer.

Rachel lifted her hat away from her eyes as she stared down to the stage where three girls and one male bass player were nearing the end of their set. The lead singer moved around erratically as her rich, raspy voice sung a song Rachel wasn't familiar with. She screamed the lyrics out sometimes, but she looked so into it that it didn't bother Rachel as much as it usually would have to hear someone go out of pitch.

The lead singer stepped to the side and Quinn slid in next to her, covered in sheen of sweat as they sung the chorus together with another girl on backup, the other member of the group preparing for a heavy electric guitar solo coming up. Despite leaving the more challenging music to the more experienced player, Quinn strummed the guitar over her own shoulder and leaned away from the microphone on the last line of the chorus, glancing over to her other band mates with a bright smile. She looked elated.

Rachel's eyes were glued to her, almost hypnotised.

Quinn had never looked like that in glee club, so free and in her element. Rachel didn't know that she'd ever seen her look like that before.

They played two more songs and Rachel didn't take her eyes off her once except to blink.

Seconds away from closing their set, Quinn took in the faces of her audience. It had always been one of her favourite things to do, even in glee. There was something about really looking at the amount of people cheering and screaming for you. She could never get enough of it.

She waved to a girl on the balcony but her smile faded when she spotted another just three people over, wearing an extremely inappropriate coat and the most ridiculous hat she'd ever seen. The lights adjusted again and she squinted against it, feeling the heat radiating off her skin. Quinn shaded her eyes to the glare of the lights and looked back up.

The girl was gone.

Quinn dropped her guitar and jumped down off the side of the stage, rushing through to the back.

Rachel ducked through the crowd, easily lost between the mass of people, and tried her best not to piss anyone off too much as she pushed past them to get to the exit. Her plan hadn't been to confront Quinn but to see what was occupying her time. She was just curious. Her curiosity would get her killed if she didn't hurry to where she'd parked the car.

She expelled a sigh of relief when she beeped open her car, hand on the door handle. It was short-lived, however, when her arm was grabbed and she was pulled around.

Quinn glared at her in disbelief, letting go of her arm in annoyance.

"Twenty seconds; that's how long you have to explain yourself."

Rachel's heart thundered inside her chest. She really thought she'd gotten away with it.

"I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be."

"Because of all this?" she asked, gesturing to the new wardrobe. She raised her arm and hooked a finger through the band Quinn was wearing around her head. "I'm going to need more than that."

Quinn slapped her hand away. "Why are you here?" she demanded. "I told you to leave me alone."

"I don't want to."

"Care to sound any more like you're twelve?"

"You belong at glee. I'm not saying quit the band but you know what the club means to me, so I don't understand why you can't come back for one final year."

Quinn wiped her head and brushed her hair back. It was damp, sticking out messily. "Why are you obsessed with that? All you did was criticise me or try to steal Finn."

Rachel saw a large group of people headed their way. "People are starting to—" Her wrist was seized and she was pulled along to the closest alleyway where they had a little more privacy. Rachel put the oversized hat on Quinn, covering her pink hair in case anyone happened to look down there as they passed.

"I thought we'd moved past that," she continued. "It meant so much to me when you asked me to sing that mash-up with you, and what happened in the bathroom at Prom. We made progress and then it came to a screeching halt, just like always. It could be a fresh start if you came back."

"Why do you think that always happens?"

"Because you're too afraid to make a real friend for once in your life," Rachel asserted. "We have more in common than you realise; more than those girls on that stage."

"You don't know them."

"And they don't know you," Rachel threw back.

Quinn smiled. "Neither do you."

"I disagree."

She was so hot and tired in one of her favourite ways and Rachel was ruining her buzz. Quinn shook her head and made the decision to go back inside and find her band. When she felt her hand being taken, Quinn snapped; whirling around, she pushed Rachel backwards until her back hit the wall. The look on her face instantly clued Rachel in that she wasn't joking.

"When are you going to accept that I don't care about anything anymore?" she yelled.

Rachel didn't recoil; she stood as tall as she could. "When I believe it."

Quinn's eyes were filled with fire and it registered on some level that her hands were shaking. She pushed off the hat she'd forgotten was still on her head down to a muddy puddle. Her trembling hands found purchase each side of Rachel's hips. She gripped the thin material of her coat, tugging her closer as she leaned forward until their foreheads almost touched. "You're not ready for any of this."

A rush of blood to her head sent it dizzy. Rachel's voice came out small. "Ready for what?"

A startling realisation that she'd said too much in the heat of the moment made Quinn panic. A look of deep anguish seeped into her eyes and filtered across her face. She ran her tongue over her lips and looked away from Rachel, releasing her at once.

Rachel slumped against the wall like her spine had been ripped out.

Quinn fled, making it down the alley before she just stopped. Jaw pressed tight, her eyes closed in a display of stubbornness.

There she is, Rachel thought.

She approached carefully, sliding a wooden crate over with her foot until it touched the toes of black boots. Rachel stepped up on to it and wrapped her arms around Quinn without preamble. She wanted to be taller to make her feel safer. There was no returned pressure of Quinn's arms; they hung limply by her sides until Rachel eventually pulled away.

"You shouldn't be out here at this time of night," was all she said when they parted.

Rachel's determination to get her to rejoin the glee club had never been so strong.

"I'm coming to the next show."

Quinn didn't say anything to that.

Rachel kept it up for the band's following four shows. It was at the same bar; apparently one of the other girls in the band was related to the owner so they got most of their gigs through him.

Rachel wore her regular clothes instead of the coat. For one thing, she had been incredibly hot and sticky in it. Quinn didn't talk to her much but that didn't stop Rachel from asking her to rejoin the club every chance she got.

The answer was always the same.

Until one time it wasn't.

"What would I get out of it?"

Rachel couldn't believe her ears. "What?"

Quinn shrugged. "What's in it for me?"

"Whatever you want," Rachel replied eagerly.

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

Quinn swung her legs out and let them fall back, her heels bouncing off the edge of stage they were sat on. She sipped some water and felt Rachel's little finger brush against her own.

She would rejoin the glee club on one condition.

They all gawped at her.

Why wouldn't they? Weeks after their failed attempts to get Quinn back in the club and the fresh memory of her threatening police action if they so much as spoke to her again, Rachel stood in front of the group and calmly announced that, all being well, Quinn would be back at their next rehearsal.

"You cast some sort of black magic on her, didn't you?" Mercedes accused.

"I most certainly did not."

"You kidnapped her again and have been holding her hostage this entire time, drugging her into submission."

"That's absurd, Noah."

"Okay, so how'd you do it?" Finn asked. He squinted. "This doesn't make any sense."

She smiled patiently. "Quinn requires careful handling. After our silly attempt at forcing her to do something she was uncomfortable with, I simply spent time apologising and appearing interested in her new hobby. She came around in time."

"So basically you stalked her and asked her to join glee so many times that she had no choice but to accept?"

Rachel cleared her throat lightly. "She's coming back; I think that's all that matters."

"You're a freaking genius," Santana said, breaking out into a slow smile.

Puck bumped his fist against hers. "You know, for someone I mostly find annoying, you're pretty cool right now."

Rachel laughed when the club —including Blaine— broke out into a loud cheer in her honour.

An hour later, she walked out into the almost empty parking lot.

She approached Quinn's car nervously at first, preparing with a deep breath before she opened the passenger door and got inside.

Quinn started the car but Rachel's hand on the wheel stopped her. "What?"

"You said we'd stay on the parking lot."

"I didn't say which one."

Rachel lowered her hand, sitting straight before she realised Quinn wasn't driving because she hadn't buckled up yet. They didn't drive far. Rachel remained quiet the entire time it took them to get around to the other side of the school, driving down a small slope to an area where the school took deliveries. It was secluded.

With the car off, Quinn unbuckled her seatbelt and grew tired of waiting for Rachel to unbuckle hers, so she did it for her.

Rachel had started to feel uneasy but that was ridiculous because it was only Quinn. Right? She still didn't look like Quinn but it was her. She turned her head, studying her. The clothes and the hair were the two most obvious and drastic transformations but now that Rachel had spent time with her away from school and was looking at her properly in real sunlight, she could see a distinct difference in Quinn's eyes. It was there that she had changed the most. The inside. She was overcome with the urge to hug her again but she knew she could –and would—snap at any moment if she wasn't careful.

"You look so different," Rachel said quietly.

Quinn stiffened, and then slowly leaned over to do the one thing she had been given permission to do three days ago. Quinn knew Rachel was nervous because her breath hitched in her throat when she leaned in.

Rachel pushed past her apprehension and beat Quinn to the mark. She kissed her first, quick and chaste like she'd kiss her grandmother's cheek.

"There," she breathed happily after a strained pause, thankful it was over. "If it's not too much trouble, would you mind driving me home? I'd be happy to give you the gas money if that's the reason for your current expression."

Rachel didn't know why Quinn was staring at her. After a second, she touched a hand to her face self-consciously.

"Are you trying to be funny?" Quinn wondered.

"No..."

"I thought I'd made it clear what I want."

Rachel nodded. "Yeah, a kiss."

Wrong.

She'd been so excited that Quinn was agreeing to re-join the glee club that she hadn't given her full attention during the conditions. The thought of giving Quinn a kiss had plagued her thoughts the entire weekend, sent a shiver of dread down her spine whenever she thought about it. Part of her couldn't help but think it was probably another way to humiliate her.

That being said, there was a small part of her that hadn't kissed Quinn by obligation. Kissing a girl had been on her bucket list. Tick.

"I said I wanted you to kiss me every day after school for two months," Quinn corrected. Her hushed tone sounded scratchy to Rachel's ears. "I didn't say how long they'd last."

Rachel sat there numbly. "Oh." She wet her suddenly dry lips. "Well, how long?" she asked, shyly.

"Until I'm bored." Quinn's forehead creased when she looked down. What was Rachel wearing? It was worse than the argyle and printed sweaters; even the ridiculous dress she was wearing the night of her Regionals party was better than what she currently wore. "What are you wearing?" she asked with an air of disdain.

"This is one of my new dresses that I picked out over the summer." Rachel touched her hair. "I feel it compliments both my hair colour and skin tone."

"You look like a jalapeno."

"No, I don't." Quinn just nodded at her. "If I look like a jalapeno —and I don't, because it's entirely the wrong shade of green— then you look like a piece of liquorice with candyfloss on top," Rachel replied stiffly. She looked down Quinn's body, over the black sleeveless t-shirt and short skirt. "You look like a fish caught in a net in those tights and your t-shirt is, frankly, a little redundant. If a person believes in hell, then its widespread belief that it's hot down there so why do you have to have it scrawled across your chest like it's some sort of an original statement?"

"Stop talking." Quinn's voice wasn't particularly sharp, but the authority worked because a second later, there was nothing but silence.

She waited a beat before inching forward and capturing Rachel's lips, pressing against them fully with short, soft kisses which naturally grew in length. After only a short time, Rachel pulled back.

"I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting this. Give me a second."

To her astonishment, Quinn waited patiently until she found the courage to lean back in for more.

She kissed Rachel slowly, until she was comfortable enough to respond. As soon Quinn felt the tentative returned pressure of Rachel's mouth, she shifted closer and waited for a little more of her apprehension to be kissed away.

Rachel felt Quinn's hand cover the raised hairs on the back of her neck and marvelled over how different it felt to be kissed by a girl. Quinn's lips were so soft. They fell into a rhythm and her shoulders finally slackened, content kissing like this. The predictable placement and pressure of Quinn's lips wasn't entirely unpleasant, so much so that she didn't fully register what she was doing until it was too late.

Quinn tilted her head further and Rachel opened her mouth just that little bit wider. Taking the opportunity to deepen it, the first brush of their tongues sent a tremor of want through both of them.

Rachel was surprised when, without warning, they stopped kissing.

Quinn's pink lipstick was smudged and Rachel didn't need a mirror to know that she was wearing it too.

"Okay?" Quinn asked in a rare show of concern.

Rachel nodded mutely. She turned a little in her seat and leaned forward, meeting Quinn halfway. She dropped the hesitancy faster than last time, making it a conscious move to let her know that they could take it up a notch. Quinn's tongue brushing against hers made her head fuzzy. She reached forward and awkwardly put her hand on an exposed thigh, kissing her a little harder.

After a minute, she was the one who pulled away without warning.

"Wait, you're coming to glee tomorrow, right?" Rachel rushed out breathlessly.

Quinn nodded, gripping the back of Rachel's neck to pull her back in an act of impatient desire.

Ten seconds later and Rachel turned her head to the side, breaking their kiss again. Quinn just kissed the side of her mouth.

"Is it okay for my hand to be—"

"Yeah."

Quinn pushed against Rachel more firmly and her free hand gravitated towards her waist, sliding around until she was easily pulling her forward until their chests and mouths were joined. The thing was, Quinn couldn't stand Rachel for large portions of most days —a feeling she knew to be somewhat mutual— but she couldn't stand the way she wanted her even more.

The visual of Rachel's mouth dropping open when she saw her new look made Quinn kiss her deeply. She didn't think she'd ever seen her wide-eyed and speechless before unless a slushie was involved.

Rachel's fingers dug into Quinn's thigh when she felt her hand clutch her waist, moaning quietly against her mouth. It was the first time she'd ever heard a sound like that coming from her.

It sent Rachel's heart rate through the roof.

They kissed steadily and when Rachel couldn't breathe for a number of reasons, Quinn focused her attention on her neck, spurred on by the sound of Rachel's ragged breath in her ear.

With one of Quinn's hands now cupping her neck, Rachel's lidded eyes were trained on the roof of the car but she wasn't seeing it. Her chest heaved and she gasped when she felt Quinn suck her neck. Her brows knotted, eyes fluttering shut through a soft moan.

Quinn pulled away without hesitation.

Rachel was panting lightly when she managed to blink the vision back into her eyes. She thought Quinn was just taking a breather but when she saw her, she was calmly reapplying her lipstick. Rachel wiped her own mouth of the colour, forgetting the smear across her neck.

She didn't know what to say. It was sort of like she'd left her tongue in Quinn's mouth because, for once, words were failing her. God knows how she'd manage to speak to her without blushing in front of everyone tomorrow. At the very least, she hoped her acting skills wouldn't fail her when it came to being around Quinn with the rest of the glee club.

Quinn drove her home in silence, but when Rachel's hand was on the handle, she spoke out.

"Your neck."

Rachel looked at her expectantly. "What?"

"You have my lipstick on your neck."

Rachel rubbed at it furiously. She didn't tell her fathers everything and they certainly didn't need to know of her afterschool activities. "Thanks," she said quietly. "So... I'll see you tomorrow? In glee?"

Quinn slid her sunglasses up on top of her head and squinted slightly at the sun behind Rachel's head. "I'll be there."

Rachel smiled. Something stopped her from moving away from the car right away. "What if I told you that I'd already made plans with someone for tomorrow after glee?"

"I'd tell you to cancel them."

"They're kind of unbreakable. I promised Finn I'd help him choose a song for this week's assignment. He's been struggling."

Quinn shrugged. "That's not my problem. It's not yours, either."

"Quinn," Rachel approached the situation cautiously. "Finn is my friend. I gave him my word..."

"You gave it to me, too."

"Yeah, I know, but—"

Quinn shrugged gently. She looked calm. "Forget it."

"What does that mean?" Rachel sighed when Quinn looked away from her and repositioned her sunglasses over her eyes before putting the car into gear. "Quinn, don't be childish."

Watching Quinn drive away reminded Rachel of her talent to get a rise out of her and their tendency to piss each other off without a moment's notice.

Oh, well, you had to admire the consistency.

Quinn smirked at the loud cheers and round of applause she received when she walked into the choir room.

She didn't wait around for Rachel after practice.

When Rachel finally spotted her in the cafeteria the following day, she left her place in the lunch line and walked over to her table, sitting down without an invitation. Quinn swallowed her bite of apple and looked pointedly to the new boy who had sat down next to her not five minutes ago. He sighed and gathered up his things. Rachel watched him walk away.

"What?" Quinn broke the silence after a minute.

"What happened yesterday?"

"One of my shows started season—"

"You know what I mean." Rachel wasn't in the mood for this. "I helped Finn with his song at lunch so I would be free at five, but when I got there you were nowhere to be found."

Quinn picked up another slice of apple. "I didn't know."

"Because you didn't ask." Rachel didn't like being frustrated with Quinn. She looked away from her. "We don't have practice today."

"So?"

"So, why would I still be here at five? Where are we going to..."

"I'll pick you up."

Rachel was facing her now. She nodded. "Okay."

Now that was settled, she realised how hungry she was. Quinn didn't ask her where she was going when she got up and walked away. Brittany and Santana were sitting down at her table when Rachel eventually made her way back with a tray full of fruit and salad.

"Hey, guys," she greeted.

"Berry."

Brittany wrapped an arm around her neck, pulling her tight against her side. "Hi, Rach."

Rachel cast a tentative smile to Quinn. She hoped it looked casual to the other girls. "Quinn."

"Rachel."

Santana chewed through some fries, studying Quinn curiously. "So, do you get hit on by any girls wearing that?"

They were parked around the back of a closed down fabric store.

It wasn't long before Quinn leaned over and covered Rachel's mouth with her own.

Rachel wasn't as nervous this time but she still wasn't quite sure what to expect. It should have been obvious though, she thought after ten minutes of being kissed senseless. She remembered what happened the last time she moaned freely, so she trapped them in her throat each time one threatened to break free.

She had no idea someone could be so attentive with their lips.

Her hands made it to Quinn's hair. It was softer than she remembered it to be, and when she tugged on it, Quinn moaned into her mouth. Rachel's hand, back where it had been two days before, carefully explored Quinn's thigh —this time covered with pants— and kissed her more intently; lips sliding and pressing together again and again.

Quinn drove her home twenty minutes later when Rachel couldn't suppress a moan at the feel of her fingers slipping underneath the hem of her sweater.

Watching her drive away this time was almost worse than the other day.

If Quinn was going to stop every time she started to feel good, Rachel didn't understand the point in their arrangement.

She didn't confront her about it.

Their arrangement continued for the next two weeks, every day at five on the dot.

Plans were made around their time together. The only thing that changed was both of their unspoken desires to rip out the gear shift. It was getting in the way. Each day they moved a little closer, kissed a little longer and were confident enough to touch each other (over the clothes as long as no other bases were rounded) as they made out.

School was awkward at times. It was hard not to think of the sounds Quinn made when they were alone together and Rachel usually recalled them at the most inopportune moments.

They didn't want to get caught at school, so they usually ended up parked around the back of the closed down fabric store in town. The car rides were generally spent in silence unless Rachel decided to make small talk that Quinn never joined in with.

The frustration in Quinn's eyes had been glaringly obvious to Rachel the day before when they finally separated, so this time, as soon as they pulled up and she stopped the car, Quinn got out and left Rachel in a state of confusion.

That was until she watched Quinn get in the backseat.

"Are you just going to sit there?"

Rachel just blinked. "You want me to get in the back?"

"It would help."

"But..."

"I don't have all night."

"I-it's just that I've never," Rachel began meekly. "I mean, Finn drives a truck, so—"

"I'm tired of the bruises on my leg," Quinn said. "There's more space here."

"My back has been feeling a little pulled," Rachel conceded as she went about climbing into the backseat the hard way; over the gear shift and the storage compartment between the front and passenger seat. "And even though we're only ever kissing, the pressures of the backseat really become irrelevant because other than the fact there's no danger of any more developments in our arrangement, there's also no chance of either of us getting pregnant."

"God, I hope not."

Quinn helped her over and didn't let go when Rachel was awkwardly kneeling next to her. Instead, she held Rachel by the waist, pulling her tight up against her as she raised up to kiss her.

They fell into a familiar pattern.

Rachel's eyes remained closed when Quinn kissed her way down her neck some time later.

"Do you still believe in God?" she breathed out, forgetting the large cross dangling down against Quinn's stomach.

The kisses slowed momentarily.

She gave Quinn more access, tilting her head to the side. "Did you hear me? I asked if you still believe in—"

Quinn pulled back and looked Rachel fully in the eyes, her own clearly stating disinterest in Rachel's mouth being used for anything other than to make out. Rachel dipped her head down and pecked Quinn once on the lips, adding an apologetic smile when she withdrew.

She didn't know why she'd just done that. It wasn't like it was her job to placate Quinn. What was the worst that would happen, anyway? Their meeting would be shorter and she wouldn't have to use as much Chap Stick as she had for the past week. She vaguely wondered if that was why Sam used it so much, then she forced that thought out of her head.

Quinn was looking at her with an unreadable expression now. Once upon a time it might have made Rachel look away, but not now.

Quinn's lips reattached against her neck in long, hard kisses and Rachel gasped softly at the sensation of Quinn's teeth biting down against the skin not so gently. It was going to mark, and truth be told, she couldn't find it within to care.

She tipped Quinn's head up and crushed their lips together, kissing her with deliberate strokes of her tongue.

If you would have told them they'd be kissing like this a month ago, they would have laughed. Well, Rachel would have laughed. Quinn would have looked at you with a difficult to read but annoyed all the same expression.

This happened a lot; Rachel would start off as the one in control and the next thing she knew, Quinn was reminding her that it was all an illusion and she'd never had any to begin with.

Her breath came out heavy against Quinn's mouth, feeling a sharp pain in the knee she was resting her weight on. She ignored it and kissed her again, resulting in another twinge. She jerked away from Quinn's lips, hissing at the pain.

"Ow. Stop."

Quinn's hands stilled on her body.

"It's my knee. I hit it off my dresser last night, so it's a little bruised and swollen today. I'm sorry, I just need to..." Rachel lifted off it, still awkwardly kneeling next to her. She still wasn't exactly sure where she could sit. They would have been more comfortable in the front.

The next thing she knew, and for the first time since they'd began their arrangement, Quinn's hand hooked around the back of Rachel's thigh and lifted it over her own legs, tugging on it until Rachel's good knee was resting on the other side of her hips; straddling her.

"Better?" The look she was giving Rachel made her pulse spike dramatically.

Rachel's lips parted at the sensation and all that came out was a rush of air. Quinn Fabray was between her legs.

"Do you ever think about this?" Quinn's whisper was against the hollow of her throat. She could feel Rachel's blush as her hands skimmed up the outside of her thighs, sliding Rachel's dress further up her legs in the process.

"I don't... I don't know."

Quinn liked the control.

It had always been about having the control, being mean, and getting lost underneath the weight of whatever all of this had ever meant. It was about them being the same and Quinn's inability to accept it, even after all this time.

Rachel's dress limited her to where she could touch but it didn't matter because they were kissing again —the hot, open-mouthed kisses that she thought of at night now when she couldn't get herself off. Her body came alive like this.

She shivered involuntarily when Rachel's blunt nails scratched the back of her neck, grunting softly, and moved her hands higher until she was cupping Rachel's ass over her underwear and tights. She'd moved too fast, however, because Rachel's fingers were against her own now, pulling her hands away. Quinn settled for wrapping her arms around Rachel's tiny waist; fingers outstretched to dig in when they kissed harder.

It didn't register in Rachel's head when her hips rocked forward gently, just Quinn's responsive breathy sigh and how they were suddenly moving. She was pulled down with Quinn as they spread across the backseat. Quinn moved her right leg, sliding it out from between Rachel's legs until the sole of her foot was against the floor of the car and Rachel's hips fell harder against the one point of contact.

Quinn kissed her deeply, slow like they had all the time in the world.

Her eyes were never open when she kissed Rachel. Minutes later, she moaned and Quinn broke their kiss.

This time Rachel grabbed her face and pulled her back in.

"Why did you come back?"

Quinn looked up from the book she was reading, raising an eyebrow at Tina's unexpected question as she sat in the choir room waiting for everyone to arrive. "I thought you all wanted me to."

"Yeah, we did," Tina said. "I guess we just lost hope that you'd ever listen." Her smile was friendly. "For once, I'm really glad that Rachel doesn't know how to shut up."

"Why?" Quinn was just curious. "We've never been all that close."

"Yeah, but look at us now; we're practically twins!"

Tina's smile was infectious, and so Quinn laughed, shaking her head at her.

Rachel watched them from the door.

They'd stopped waiting until five o'clock every day.

The weeks passed much more satisfyingly now that they made out whenever they wanted to.

After making sure they were alone, Quinn guided Rachel into the bathroom stall and locked the door. When she turned around, she was surprised to find her t-shit being fisted and Rachel's face quickly shoved up against her shoulder.

Rachel inhaled deeply, and then jerked back. "Have you been smoking?" she hissed.

"No," Quinn replied slowly, frowning when Rachel stared into her eyes like she was trying to hypnotise a confession out of her. Eventually, she had to look away in discomfort. "Stop it."

"Are you— oh, my God, you're lying to me!"

"I'm not!"

"If your band mates are pressuring you to—"

Quinn shut Rachel up by lifting her up and pushing her against the side, trapping her in place with her hips. She kissed Rachel quickly before she had chance to wrongly accuse her of anything else.

For the first time since Quinn had rejoined the glee club six weeks ago, her friends all piled through the entrance to the bar —with Rachel as their leader— and pushed their way to the front row where they thought Quinn's eyes were actually going to pop out of her head.

They screamed over the rest of the crowd while the band played their set, using every opportunity to show their support and pride for Quinn and her new passion, even if they still didn't totally understand it.

It seemed that a lot of things had changed since last year.

Maybe it was because it was their last chance to show that it meant something, that no matter what, they all meant something to each other.

Quinn smiled to most of them.

Rachel was left waiting until she accepted that it just wasn't going to happen for her.

It was the first day of the seventh week.

Rachel was rarely subtle, and she had been avoiding seeing Quinn alone all day.

Quinn had noticed, her body language making it clear what she thought about it. Nobody dared to say more than what was necessary for a successful rehearsal; frightening even Mr. Schuester off.

She was slightly off on her timing to the choreography but no-one noticed.

No-one but her.

"Stop, stop, stop!"

Rachel's voice brought the production to a halt. They all groaned, looking at her expectantly while she stared over at Quinn.

"Where's your head today, Quinn?" Her voice was coming out uncharacteristically harsh. "Do I need to simplify the moves for you to get them down?"

Mercedes and Tina glanced to each other with looks roughly translating to: this is going to be good.

Quinn was struggling to read Rachel. She couldn't tell if this was her simply trying to convince the club that not everything had changed between them. To be on the safe side, she let an average amount of annoyance seep into her tone.

"I was like a second out. Calm down."

"You suck, and you're making this entire club suck. Get it together or you're going to be the reason we don't place at Sectionals."

Fortunately —or unfortunately if you asked everyone else, Mr. Schuester stepped in to stop the situation from getting out of hand. He praised Quinn on her efforts and gave her a gentle reminder to pay a little more attention to her timing. He kept Rachel behind after practice, asking her to list about what qualities she thought the best kinds of leaders possessed and then kindly asked her to try harder to incorporate patience and understanding into her leadership skills.

The conversation was forgotten as soon as she left the stage.

She walked down the now deserted corridor and was yanked into the bathroom.

"Talk. Now."

"As much as you'd like it to be true, I'm not your puppet," Rachel retorted, overlooking that she'd just gave in to the demand anyway. She looked away; feeling composure slipping away the longer Quinn looked at her. Not that she'd had much since last night.

"I don't think that. I just want to know what's going on."

"Use your head, or did the chemicals from your hair dye kill most of the cells?"

Quinn lifted her eyebrows. "Rachel."

"Don't talk to me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you have any control over me."

Quinn took a second to ground herself. "I want to know what's wrong with you. You didn't meet me after the show last night, and all you've done today is blank me or talk to me like a piece of shit." She brushed some hair out of her eyes. "I'm curious as to why."

Rachel's breath grew shallow and she turned on her heel, making it halfway across the girls' bathroom before her wrist was held. She spun around, roughly pulling free.

"Don't touch me!"

Quinn looked confused to the rage in Rachel's eyes. The outburst had jumpstarted her heart. It was thumping away inside her ribcage, though she appeared mostly calm.

"Why does it always have to be a battle with you?"

The response came after a delayed pause. "What have I done?" Quinn asked quietly, serious now.

"It's what you haven't done." Rachel shook her head and after only a few seconds, she couldn't hold it in anymore; she was crying. "Or maybe it is me. Maybe I don't know you, after all."

"Rachel..."

She gritted her teeth to keep the words inside, but her mouth opened anyway. "Why don't I make you happy?"

Tears unwillingly gathered in Quinn's eyes.

"Why?" Rachel pressed. "What am I doing wrong?"

"What is this about?"

"It's about you! You smile —okay, not very often, but when you do it's never at me and I don't know why." Rachel looked physically pained. "Why don't you like me? Forget the past two years and answer me. Everything I've done this year is to make you stop looking like that, and it still hasn't worked. You still have that same look in your eyes, only this year it's worse."

Quinn looked like she was beginning to get defensive. "Looking like what?"

"Lonely!" Rachel accused sharply. "Broken inside because you can't let go of the past or accept the future."

Quinn bit her lip, her heart beating faster for a different reason now. She looked miserable and her voice didn't have the same weight behind it anymore. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, I do," Rachel stressed. "I'm the only one in this school who can see it —or the only one who cares enough to try to fix it." After a stretch of charged silence, she asked, "What do I do that annoys you so much? It must be something really bad if you still won't acknowledge that we're friends."

Quinn wanted to laugh at that.

"You don't annoy me," she admitted after a beat. "Well...yeah, but I don't hate you. How many times do I have to tell you that before you hear it?"

That seemed like a start because Rachel was calming down.

"Fine, so you don't hate me. I accept that. But you don't act like you like me all that much, either. I need consistency with that, Quinn. Not just when you want something from me."

"Okay," she said softly. They stood there awkwardly for the following seconds it took Quinn to find the courage to ask, "Do you—" Her brows tightened. "What do you need?"

The question was a welcomed surprise. "For starters?" Quinn nodded, and Rachel hesitated for only a second. "A hug would be nice."

Quinn looked nervous at the request but she closed the distance between them and then they were gently pressed against each other, arms locked around each other's body.

Rachel's eyes had closed.

They slowly worked on the flaws to their dynamic, taking time to recognise when each of them were pushing too hard or being selfish. Rachel had accepted that while Quinn had agreed to work more on their friendship —and she still didn't understand the reason for Quinn's reluctance to look her in the eyes as she'd said that word— she had to be patient when Quinn was tired from her band.

Similarly, Quinn counted to ten during the times Rachel was particularly high strung and she wanted to strangle her.

Bit by bit, it was starting to work.

Bit by bit, with kisses and sighs and moans and wandering hands, the eighth week crept up on them.

They were together before school, between classes, during lunch, and after school; pressed up against any surface that would hold them, kissing desperately until they were forced to stop.

As the days went on, Rachel grew moodier and snappier with everyone but Quinn.

Following another return of extra- insufferable Rachel Berry for the countless time in the past week, the glee club had finally had enough.

Finn was the one to lose it. "God, we get it, Rach! We'll never be good enough for you, and you'll always be better."

Rachel's shoulders eventually slumped under the weight of her teammates glares. They scattered from their instructed positions, picking up their things before leaving. Even Blaine looked mildly annoyed with her and that didn't happen very often.

Quinn was the only one left.

Rachel left school in a foul mood.

Thirty minutes later when they pulled up in their usual spot and got in the backseat, Quinn couldn't stop herself from asking, "What's the matter with you?"

Rachel gave her an unpleasant look at the accusation. "What?"

"You're moody."

"I'm not. But if I was, I'd hope it to be obvious that I wouldn't want to talk about it."

Quinn shrugged, and then leaned forward to kiss her. She was denied access. "Okay, what?" she sighed.

"That's all you have to say?"

Quinn stared at her. "You just said you didn't want to talk about it."

"Say something that makes it sound like you care," Rachel said, miserably.

But Quinn didn't know what to say. She held the side of Rachel's face. "Let me make you feel better," she murmured, pulling Rachel on top of her as they lay down.

Rachel's problem was obvious when they were making out and she was moaning and straining against Quinn like never before, kissing her like they'd never do this again. So, without permission, Quinn moved her hand between Rachel's legs.

Quinn rubbed the length of her fingers over Rachel's sex, hearing the instant gasp and strangled moan of pleasure.

Rachel's hand shot down to Quinn's wrist, stilling the movement. She didn't move Quinn's hand away, just held it in place.

Their eyes were locked when Quinn's hand gently started to move underneath Rachel's skirt, over the wet patch in her underwear. It was instinct for the brunette to shift her hips forward, eyes falling shut at the sensation.

"Quinn, what are you..."

"Shhh."

They stayed like that for the next few minutes.

Quinn's eyes were fixed on Rachel's face, how her mouth hung just slightly open in breathless sighs, brows creased as she tried to rock in time to her hand but Quinn never quite let her. She was getting frustrated and it was one of the most beautiful sights that Quinn had ever seen.

Her body was betraying her though, because Rachel didn't want this. She wanted it to stop. If only her hips would stop moving.

Her head fell forward. "Quinn, please, don't make me... not here."

"I won't," Quinn whispered against her ear. "It's okay."

Seconds later, she returned Rachel's kiss eagerly and felt her fingers tangle in her hair, tightening with every slight tremor.

Rachel's mouth hovered over Quinn's, their parted lips brushing against each other's as Rachel gasped softly. She couldn't speak anymore.

When Quinn heard the shallowness to Rachel's breath and rode her hand harder, she stopped moving. Just like that, before Rachel could finish. She kissed her unresponsive lips softly and let Rachel slump against her, head against her shoulder as she recovered.

"I'm going to drive you home," she managed to say after a while. Her voice sounded different to even her own ears. She could feel Rachel's heartbeat against her chest, pounding away.

"Already?"

"Yeah. You can go upstairs; get under the covers, and... finish making yourself feel better."

Rachel still hadn't caught her breath. She frowned, unmoving from on top of Quinn. If she moved even a fraction in the next thirty seconds, she was going to come. "I couldn't —I mean, I don't—"

Quinn didn't need to know if she was lying. "You'll feel better."

"It's the only time I ever get...embarrassed."

"Were you embarrassed just now?"

Rachel took her time to admit, "No."

"Just imagine that it's me doing it for you," Quinn whispered. She kissed the top of Rachel's head, and then started to get up because Rachel wasn't the only one who had to get home. Quinn needed to get into her own bed sooner rather than later.

Rachel was in a very good mood the next day.

It lasted a full forty-eight hours until she was sat on her doorstep waiting to be picked up.

Her phone rang next to her. She answered it with a private smile when she saw the caller ID. "Are you stuck in traffic?"

"No."

"Where are you?"

"My car won't start," Quinn said; sounding extremely annoyed and put out. She rolled her eyes. "I have to wait for the stupid mechanic to get here."

"Oh." It sunk in and her good mood started to vanish. "I see." How inconvenient.

"Yeah."

Rachel played with her own car keys in her other hand. "Is your Mom there?"

"No, she's at the spa."

"When is she likely to be back?" Rachel asked casually. She heard Quinn laugh softly.

"Not till late. She's going for dinner and drinks with some friends." There was silence on the other end. "Rachel?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to come over and wait for the mechanic with me?"

Rachel met Quinn at her at the door twenty minutes later, greeted with a smile no matter how hard Quinn tried to hide it.

"Hi."

"Hi."

Rachel looked around curiously, trying to see if she'd imaged any part of downstairs correctly. She hadn't.

They were sat on the sofa a little while later and Rachel was finding it difficult to concentrate on the TV because Quinn was absent-mindedly playing with her fingers, eyes carefully trained on the screen.

Quinn had never held her hand before.

"Thank you for inviting me over."

Rachel's voice broke Quinn's focus. She smiled and leaned to the side, kissing Rachel's cheek firmly. A cocktail of thoughts abruptly exploded in Rachel's head and Quinn was being mounted before she knew what was happening.

"Do you mind?" She looked up to Rachel. "I'm missing my favourite movie."

"What's it called?"

"Not the point."

Rachel's teeth scraped against Quinn's ear. "That's a terrible movie title."

"Name a better one."

"Funny Girl."

"You are so annoying," Quinn said airily, looking up at Rachel with a smile that developed into a laugh because God she was annoying but Quinn didn't think she'd like her as much any other way.

"You're starting to like it," Rachel accused boldly. She didn't give Quinn chance to respond before she leaned down to kiss her, but she couldn't help noticing there was no immediate dismissal.

Quinn's hands were adding to the soft warmth of Rachel's thighs when the brunette's tongue invaded her mouth, kissing her with so much force that her head had fallen against the back of the sofa. Her nails scratched down Rachel's legs in return.

"What time will the mechanic be here?"

"I don't know." Quinn kissed the side of her mouth and flicked the tip of her tongue over Rachel's top lip.

"Guess."

"I don't care." She'd had her hands full of Rachel's thighs before, and right now she couldn't think of anything better than feeling them slide against her own. "Stand up and take your shoes off."

"Quinn, it's terrible to overlook the importance of keeping appointments."

Once Rachel was talking again she wouldn't shut up, so Quinn pushed her to the edge of the sofa using only her hips. "Take off your tights."

That did the trick.

"What?" Rachel asked her to repeat it but she'd got to her feet anyway.

A smouldering stare was enough to leave her molten to the core, so she kicked her shoes off and moved her arms out of the way, letting Quinn's hands disappear under her skirt; fingers slipping under the waistband of her tights to carefully pull them down her legs. Rachel's hand found purchase against Quinn's shoulder as she used her feet to push them the rest of the way off.

Then Quinn's hands were back there, skimming over her skin like a ghost. Her fingers curled around the back of one of Rachel's thighs, the others stroking a patch of skin behind her other knee in lazy, random patterns. Sat on the edge of the sofa, her head was almost level with Rachel's hips.

They were both highly aware of that.

Quinn's stomach twisted at the thought.

"Sit back down," she demanded, eyes growing darker with lust.

But Rachel had other ideas. She kneeled beside Quinn and grabbed her face, abruptly pulling her around into a kiss that sent both of them in frenzy. She leaned back and tugged Quinn with her, hearing a hummed noise of protest for the break in contact lasting a second at most.

Quinn's body covered Rachel's.

Legs tangled, their hands were rubbing, scratching and stroking wherever they could. It wasn't enough though, because no matter how much they found ways around the material covering their top halves, nothing was making it feel like enough. Quinn's fingers on Rachel's stomach were like lighter fluid being poured but there was no match to light it.

"Take it off," Rachel begged unashamedly when her mouth separated from Quinn's with a soft smack. "Please."

Rachel's top was dropped to the floor.

Her hands gripped Quinn's hips tightly when she made a move to shift down —to focus her attention where she'd been so desperate to since day six of their arrangement when Rachel had made her wet for not the first time, but the first time since she knew what it was like to kiss her.

"Stay there," Rachel insisted. Her voice was silky and commanding; the one that came out when she was turned on. "Move against me."

She'd been waiting for this for so long. The thought of Quinn's fingers and mouth on her made her come three days ago; the second and third time had been to the visual of Quinn riding her. And so far, Quinn had been extremely careful to be the bottom when they were making out; even when she knew Quinn was dripping.

"I just want to make you feel good," Rachel added.

"We shouldn't." Quinn's eyes had closed but her face betrayed how much she didn't want to say that.

"I can tell you need this."

Their eyes locked. "I don't know if I'll be able to stop."

"So, don't."

Quinn's eyes closed again. Her hips were so close to grinding down against Rachel's thigh that she was nearly dizzy. "Rach..."

Rachel was kissing her again and she could feel it everywhere. It was the reason her top felt like it weighed much more than it did.

"Pull it over my head," Quinn panted, and then it was gone and all that was left was their bras. Quinn moaned at the sensation of their stomach's sliding together.

Her hips moved in a slow half-circle and then pressed down hard against Rachel's thigh.

Rachel felt herself clench tightly in return.

Quinn didn't kiss her right away; she couldn't. All she could focus on was the pleasure between her legs as she worked up to some semblance of a rhythm, which was really just in her head because the more times she moved against Rachel, the more she felt her control slipping away.

Although she was only wearing her underwear, bra, and skirt, Rachel's skin was hot like they were in the height of summer instead of early December.

Quinn kissed her deeply, each stroke of her tongue making Rachel desperate to pull her leg away and just spread them for Quinn to fall into.

Quinn didn't moan the way she did when they were making out in her car; she was inhaling sharply and gasping softly at random intervals, eyes squeezed shut when she felt anything else daring to crawl up her throat.

Then Rachel's hips came alive; rolling up against Quinn's thigh to ease the ache between her own legs. Almost instinctively, Quinn's hips undulated and her mouth covered Rachel's while her hand skimmed up over the brunette's stomach —muscles jumping under the sensation— until she had a handful of her breast.

There was so much heat gathering between Rachel's legs now that she wasn't quite sure how she hadn't spontaneously combusted.

She ripped her mouth away from Quinn's, jerking her head to the side as Quinn massaged gently, sweeping her thumb over the painfully hard nipple.

"Quinn," Rachel moaned.

Quinn sobered instantly, realising what she'd just done. She pulled her hand away and began to push herself up off Rachel, ultimately held down by Rachel's hands tightening against her.

"No." Then Rachel's hands fell away. Quinn got to her feet unsteadily, her face flushed in arousal as she put her top back on. "We shouldn't be doing this."

"What?"

"It's not part of the arrangement."

"Quinn..."

Rachel's top was handed to her but she wasn't looked in the eye. "This shouldn't have come off."

Rachel took a few seconds to remember how to say more than one word at a time. "I haven't just been with you because of that. Not for a few weeks. I would have thought that was obvious."

It still wasn't enough. Quinn's head shook. "And I shouldn't be on you —doing that, or anything."

Rachel sat up and was a little ashamed of herself when her eyes drifted to Quinn's exposed torso when she was clearly upset. Her fingers dug into the top she was holding. "It was really all ri—"

"Acting like some guy who doesn't even know who's under him, or the consequences it's going to have."

"Like what?" Rachel was trying to understand. She knew how much Quinn wanted her; how different she'd been since they started all of this.

"Don't be naive."

"How is this any different to what happened in the car the other day?"

Quinn's face twisted with the memory. Suddenly it seemed like the worst idea she'd ever had. "I had no right to do that, either."

"Would anyone else have had more right than you?"

Quinn's frown deepened with the thought. "No," she grit out. "Why, is—"

"So you're saying you have more right than anyone else to touch me like that?"

"No," Quinn said again, though she'd just said exactly that. Rachel was raising her eyebrow at her. "You don't have to be here."

That was most surprising of all. "You're asking me to leave?"

"No—"

"Stop saying no."

Quinn worked her jaw. "I'm saying you can go, if that's what you want. You're under no obligation to stay if there's somewhere else you'd rather be."

"There's not," Rachel admitted softly.

"You're not ready for this." Quinn's voice was a strained whisper. "You want me to be your friend, and you think as soon as this stops we'll go back to the way we used to be. You think sex is going to change that."

"How can you say that?"

"Because it's true. You're so obsessed with making everyone else happy that you sacrifice yourself and what you really want. And don't tell me that isn't true because it is." Finn had told her that Rachel wanted to wait until she was twenty-five to lose her virginity.

Rachel was looking at Quinn like her words had wounded her. But in a sincere voice, she said, "I want you."

It was Quinn's turn to feel like her heart had been ripped out of her chest. Her face fell, tears gathering in her eyes. "You're confused."

"I miss you when I don't see you."

Quinn missed her too.

"You miss school during summer vacation."

"I really miss you," Rachel amended. "I miss you when we're in glee club and I can't sit next to you or touch you however I want. I miss you at night, you know, and I miss you when I'm busy or when I'm doing nothing at all. I miss you when I'm watching TV with my Dads and they flick past something I know you would have watched."

Quinn missed her all those times, too.

"That's...not the definition of a friend, Rachel."

"I know."

And just for a second, there was a part of Quinn that clung to those two words like her life depended on it. She wanted to live inside them. The other part was still largely in denial. It really was like someone was twisting her heart like they were wringing out a towel.

Rachel swallowed some of her dread. "What are we going to do?"

She sat down next to Rachel, suddenly so tired and sick of herself. She sighed. "I don't know."

"Do you ever miss me when I'm not there?"

Quinn looked straight ahead and eventually nodded, teeth pushing down against her bottom lip.

"A lot?"

Her teeth pushed down harder, the physical pain a welcome relief from how she was feeling inside. Eventually, the fractured breath she breathed was like a plug being removed because suddenly everything she kept inside felt like it was going to rush out.

"Quinn?"

Finally, the tears that had been threatening to fall worked their way down her face. She turned Rachel and nodded again.

The truth was that Rachel had saved Quinn the moment she had first tentatively returned her kiss.

"Look, I... I think we should wait until Monday," Rachel said after a while, her voice a long cry from steady. Her heart was still thumping wildly in her chest from the possibility of what this could lead to. "Start fresh. Take the pretence of why we've been doing this away, and see what happens."

Quinn's voice was still thicker. "We'll probably fight all the time."

"Yeah, but we can make up all the time too."

"I'm not changing my diet."

"I wouldn't ask you to." Rachel added, "Singing is my life. I practice every night at seven-thirty, except on Friday and Saturday where I practice after my piano lesson at two so that I'm free for any plans or Funny Girl viewings."

"Okay."

Okay. It was settled.

"Can I wait with you until the mechanic gets here?" Rachel asked. "We can just...sit and watch the rest of the movie."

"Yeah, but—" Quinn took a deep breath. "Will you get dressed first?"

Rachel just smiled.

They placed first at Sectionals —just like Quinn had told Rachel over and over again that they would.

And as the days and weeks went by, they became comfortable enough to be with each other how they used to be. More than. They had talked about it a lot and exhausted most options but sex.

Their biggest fight came when Quinn caught Rachel inadvertently flirting with one of her band mates after one of their practices, to which she vehemently denied. Quinn had caught their lead singer leaning on the wall next to Rachel, using her finger to lift Rachel's unbuttoned cardigan out of the way to see her dress properly. It was rare for her to get a compliment on her clothing; so naturally, Rachel smiled and returned the sentiment on the other girl's top, except she was barely wearing one. It made both of them laugh.

Quinn wasn't quite so tickled.

They fought the entire way back to her house, all the way through until they reached the bedroom.

Eventually, exhausted from trying to resist her when her eyes went dark like that, Rachel said, quite forcefully, "You're being ridiculous," and had Quinn's top and bra off; her mouth and hands against her breasts without another word.

Quinn didn't have that look in her eyes anymore; the one predicting an abrupt flow of tears and or verbal abuse to the next person who dared to speak to her or challenge her opinion. She didn't have time to feel lonely because Rachel was always there.

Rachel was good at leaving notes in her books or school notepad and sending random little texts or picture messages with her outstretched arm taking a picture of herself smiling widely, adding on a caption that always went a little something like: I was thinking of you and this got stuck on my face! X

It was nice. It made Quinn happy.

Rachel would catch Quinn just looking at her sometimes, looking more contented than she'd ever seen her. Sometimes they would be lying on her bed after making out and she would find a topic to talk about in great length, occasionally looking back at Quinn with a quick smile before she'd look away and carry on. Eventually she'd notice Quinn's soft replies become more and more infrequent until they stopped altogether.

The look on her face would kill the words in Rachel's throat.

Quinn would stroke the side of her face and quietly ask Rachel to kiss her.

They'd kiss slowly, until both of them were bursting to say something neither of them was confident enough to say out loud yet.

It made Rachel happy.

Quinn also stood in front of the entire glee club and put forward the idea of her and Rachel opening for their Regionals show seeing as Finn and Rachel duets were like a bad charm.

Mike was not the first one to smile but he was the first one to nod in agreement.

Mr. Schuester was just glad they were such close friends now. What a difference a summer made.

"What's the song?" Santana asked.

"Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry Bomb?" Brittany guessed.

Santana smirked. "'Set Fire to the Israeli?'"

Quinn smiled back. "No, actually, it's called 'Get Ben—"

"Quinn!" Rachel cried.

She glared at Santana on the way back to her seat, but a hard slap to the back of Quinn's legs let her know that she had only been joking. Quinn's retaliated wrench of Santana's hair two minutes later had been worth waiting for.

Especially when Rachel held her hand and looked at her like she couldn't wait to get home and brainstorm duet ideas —which was actually just a case of going through the folder they'd made over Christmas with song idea that suited them both.

For kicks over the holidays, Quinn had given Rachel a rap hit, and in return she'd been given a Whitney classic. Both songs were sort of butchered but they'd laughed so hard that it didn't really matter.

Quinn's breath came out in laboured pants, groaning when Rachel's tongue swirled around her nipple again, arching up into her mouth.

They'd gone to Rachel's house after school to do some homework, but as soon as Rachel's bedroom had closed Quinn had pushed her on the bed and covered her body with her own. They kissed in every way, hands exploring carelessly until gentle sighs and moans came from the room.

Piece by piece, they were stripped of their clothing; everything but their panties.

Rachel heard and felt the tell-tale signs of Quinn approaching her limit before she would ask her to stop. She stopped her ministrations and looked up over Quinn's chest —peppered with similar red marks currently covering her own chest.

"Do you want me to stop?" She dipped her head down to kiss the skin her chin was resting on.

Quinn shook her head, lips parting when Rachel shifted between her legs. Her eyes betrayed that she wanted Rachel with a dizzying, animalistic hunger.

"What do you need?"

"You. Everywhere."

Rachel swallowed thickly, growing wetter with the thought alone. They'd agreed to wait until they were both ready and comfortable in their relationship to take the next step and Rachel didn't want the reason for Quinn's willingness to be based purely on her body's reaction.

"Are you sure about this?" She made a reluctant effort to move from Quinn; a difficult feat when she was fully clothed, never mind naked beside her underwear. "It's difficult to think clearly when you're on top of me too, so I'll—"

Quinn clutched at her. "Please," she begged with abandon.

"I-I want you to be sure. Really think about it because—"

Quinn's eyes were begging her now. "I haven't thought about anything else for weeks. Please."

It was true, she had thought about every single way they could touch each other.

Rachel was kissing her again and Quinn's legs fell open wider when she felt Rachel's fingers dancing over her thighs. She had craved this for longer than she'd still like to admit. It was scary for her to admit just how much she wanted it.

Rachel kissed her slowly, full of care and passion and everything that was needed to have Quinn's hips undulating against her.

"Please tell me to stop if I do something you're not entirely comfortable with," was all she asked of her, and then Quinn's hips lifted when Rachel tugged at her underwear.

Quinn's eyes were open, trained on her as Rachel's hand slid up her thighs and between her legs. Her body tensed with the first experimental sweep against her clit, eyes falling shut now. She shuddered, the only word passing her lips being a whispered sigh of Rachel's name.

Rachel had to look at Quinn's face, unsure if it was because this was finally happening and she couldn't quite believe it, or because the look on Quinn's face — illuminated by the winter sun creeping in past the blinds; brows tightly pulled together, cheeks flushed as she sighed out heavy breaths before every groan was the most incredible thing she'd ever seen. Rachel was captivated.

She was moving her fingers over Quinn slow enough to make her cry out softly in frustration, asking her to go faster, harder. Rachel obliged with every other stroke, building up the fire at the pit of Quinn's stomach until she was speaking in short, fragmented sentences that were so quiet they didn't all make it to Rachel's ears.

Rachel's fingers moved to Quinn's entrance and she waited for permission to go inside, granted by Quinn's heels digging into the bed, raising her hips to meet the intrusion. She moaned when Rachel entered her and she clenched around her fingers in return, opening her eyes for them to lock with Rachel's as they both began to move.

It took Rachel a couple of minutes to have Quinn go from shuddered breaths, lidded eyes trained on her like she'd disappear if she were to look away, to moaning freely, eyes screwed shut as she turned to press her face into the pillow her head was resting on. Rachel increased the pace of her fingers, dazed at the sensation of being inside her.

Quinn strained and writhed against Rachel, drawing in breaths so shallow that she wondered if she was taking in air at all. She kissed Rachel desperately and tightened her arms around her body, holding her more firmly as the heel of the palm pressing against her right there, and Rachel's fingers buried as deep inside her as they could go, made Quinn start to feel it everywhere.

Her hips bucked into Rachel's hand and didn't stop until after she came with a sharp, breathy cry.

Quinn slackened underneath Rachel, and kept her eyes closed as she regained some semblance of normalcy to her breathing pattern. After a minute, Rachel pressed soft kisses to Quinn's skin and wrapped her arms around her.

It made Quinn feel safe, warm, loved.

Her hands began their journey over Rachel's body, slowly running over her back and arms until their hips were pressed together and Rachel's hands were pushed down against the mattress as they kissed softly, in no rush to separate. Quinn's hands cupped Rachel's breasts and she was rewarded with a soft moan, Rachel's hips moving in a gentle rocking motion against hers.

After some time, Rachel couldn't take it anymore, and Quinn's name left her lips, pleading in tone.

Positions reversed, Quinn dragged her tongue over Rachel's throat, kissing her in long, wet strokes while her thigh was pushed up to her aching centre. She could feel Rachel's wetness smearing against her and used the hand that wasn't tangled in her hair to massage one of her breasts.

Quinn kissed her way down Rachel's body and hooked her fingers around Rachel's underwear.

"Wait." Rachel panted. "Wait, please, can you just—"

But she didn't finish because Quinn had crawled back up her body and kissed her. "I'm sorry."

"No, I don't want you to stop," she managed to say quietly, throbbing so hard she felt it everywhere. God, she didn't want to stop. She was just nervous. "Will you stay up here, so I can see you?"

Quinn nodded and kissed her again.

"And can I leave my— is it all right if I stay covered?" Rachel felt ridiculous asking. "Just for now."

"Of course." Quinn looked down to her and smiled in reassurance. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes."

"Positive?"

Rachel breathed out Quinn's name in frustration, stuck between a frown and a smile because she was dying. Then Quinn's palm, warm and soft, was spreading her legs apart and rubbing over her thigh until her hand gradually moved higher and slipped underneath the waistband of her underwear.

They kissed deeply, lips slowly pushing and sliding. Rachel pressed up against Quinn's hand and moaned against her mouth at the feel of Quinn touching her where she'd been so desperate to feel her. Imagination was nothing compared to how she was making her feel.

Quinn's mouth was everywhere; on hers, against her neck, ghosting over her collarbone, dipped low to and between Rachel's breasts. It was a new sensation every time she got used to one. It drove her crazy. It made Rachel feel like she was experiencing the breathlessness of a fall.

Her orgasm had been building slowly since the second Quinn had climbed on top of her almost ninety minutes ago. Rachel's body shook violently, coming with Quinn's lips on her neck and a loud moan scratching her throat as she pushed her head back against the pillow.

Quinn didn't stop kissing her until she felt Rachel's pulse slow under her lips.

"Are you all right?"

Rachel just breathed out a laugh and sighed something that sounded like 'oh, my God' before threading her fingers through Quinn's pink hair, kissing her like she never wanted to stop. They didn't for a while. Ultimately, Quinn kissed her way down Rachel's body and this time removed her underwear —with consent, as well as help, and lowered her mouth between Rachel's legs.

Rachel was a lot louder the second time around.

Quinn quit the band. She didn't need it anymore.

One might say it was beginning to be a regular occurrence, being yanked into the girls' bathroom as she walked past. One might also say Rachel loved it.

"Why do you do that?" Rachel's voice came out light; laughing when she was pressed up against the door. "And how do you always manage to have this bathroom vacated?"

Quinn smiled against Rachel's skin, dragging her lips over her neck without kissing it. She inhaled and sighed out. Rachel always smelled good. Quinn remembered she had been spoken to.

"Because I can and because everyone is afraid of me."

Rachel smiled and demanded a kiss. She received two; one to the mouth and another to her cheek. "I can't imagine why."

"I want you to do something for me," Quinn whispered against Rachel's ear.

"In a public bathroom? Quinn, do you realise how unsanitary that would be?"

Before Rachel got the chance to sprout off a hundred useless facts about germs —making Quinn want to invest in a hazmat suit, she shook her head. "No, nothing like that."

"Oh." Rachel smiled. "Well, of course. What do you need?"

"Uh... your hands."

"Quinn!"

"What?" Quinn laughed at the look on Rachel's face. "I do!" She pulled her over to the sinks where a chair was set up. She held out a plastic glove for Rachel to put her hand in to. "Put this on." Another followed.

Rachel was bewildered when Quinn sat down on the chair

"I'm extremely confused."

It didn't last too long.

Soon Rachel was carefully pouring warm water over Quinn's hair, only complaining about the smell of chemicals twice. Quinn's arm slipping between her legs shut her up, even if it was only loosely wrapped around her leg, slowly stroking her fingers up and down. Rachel thought it might have been a method to calm her down but it only made her talk more.

A box of blonde hair dye lay discarded in the trash can.