A/N: My entry for the Faberry week prompt Possessive. I hope you all enjoy :) All mistakes are mine.
She's mine:
Rachel blows on her hands in an attempt to warm them up before shoving them into her coat pockets. She walks quickly through the streets of Manhattan, glancing behind her every now and again because she's not exactly in the safest neighbourhood. In the distance she can hear faint shouts amongst laughter but she daren't stop to try and pinpoint the direction the noise is coming from. Turning the final corner before her destination, she hesitates when she sees a gang of hoodlums on the other side. Throwing her hood up she acts as nonchalant as possible and continues walking. The gang don't even glance in her direction once and when she reaches the diner door, she breathes out a sigh of relief.
The minute she steps foot inside the diner, she feels the warm air hit her forcefully and it's a refreshing change from the freezing temperatures New York is facing at the minute. As usual, the bell above the door rings when the door opens and everybody in the diner turns to see who has entered their territory. The diner is a local one and has the same customers day in and day out. Although she never wanted to become a 'local', she's achieved it. Once everybody realises it's only her, they return to whatever they had been doing beforehand disinterested in her arrival.
Rachel unbuttons her coat and moves around the diner to her usual booth. It's one of the few you can sit in and survey the entire diner. She folds her coat and places it warily beside her. She always keeps an eye on her personal belongings because you can never be too sure but when she's here, she always keeps two eyes on her possessions. This diner has a reputation and it isn't exactly for exceptional food.
Glancing around the diner, she finds the usual clientele. There are four members of a local biker gang sitting in the far left corner. The rest of the gang tend to visit a bar further down the street, preferring alcohol over food. In the five months she's been coming here, she hasn't discovered what their real names are, not that they answer to them anyway. They answer to their nicknames. It's one of the first rules Quinn taught her about this diner, never call them anything but their chosen nicknames. She's become accustomed to Tire Iron, a husky bald man whose biceps protrude through his jacket; Fish, who is the newest member of the gang and looks more like an accountant than a biker; Clutch, a man whose entire body is decorated in tattoos and finally; Lil' Bitch, the only female in the entire gang and the one Rachel dislikes the most. Not only is her chosen nickname preposterous but she also happens to have a wandering eye, one which almost certainly always finds Quinn.
Sitting two booths behind them is the group of hormonal teenagers who seem to only come in when Quinn is working. There are eight of them in total, four boys and four girls. She's never asked Quinn or the teenagers themselves but she's pretty confident they're not four separate couples. At least she hopes not because the way the boys leer at Quinn, it would be unfair to any girlfriend. If her significant other leered at somebody the way they leer at Quinn, she'd be having strong words with them.
In the booth opposite Rachel, there's Kevin, a renowned kleptomaniac. He has a bad habit of pinching the salt and pepper shakers from whichever table he sits at when he comes in once a week, normally on a Tuesday although it is known for him to come in on a Friday night. He always tips the waitresses more than the average as a form of compensation. It's well known fact that he's the reason the diner always needs to buy extra salt and pepper shakers but nobody stops him. Rachel and Quinn have graced him with the nickname Klepto Kev, it's not exactly the most creative name in the world but it never fails to make them laugh.
It's not even the customers that are the sole problem. The members of staff aren't exactly fantastic people either. They've never been anything but lovely to Rachel and granted the food cooked by the chef is reasonably tasty but aside from Quinn, every waitress who works there appears to have some sort of criminal record and the chef is known for his side line business in selling narcotics.
It's not the place she imagined Quinn ever working nor is it the place she wants her to be working but Quinn constantly informs her it's better money than some other diner and it's only a couple of hours a week while she works on her writing. They've argued about it on more than one occasion but Quinn always wins.
"Hello, welcome to Adam's diner, may I take your order?"
Rachel looks up and grins widely as she sees her girlfriend standing beside her, wearing the skimpy outfit which somehow qualifies as a uniform. Quinn dips down and connects her lips with Rachel in a brief kiss hello. The lack of customers, aside from the regulars, does have a certain benefit, it means Quinn always has spare time where she can sit and talk with Rachel.
When she comes to the diner, she never ends up sitting alone for long. Quinn normally finds her straight away and unless she's requested by a client, the other waitresses usually don't bother the two of them.
"What are you doing here?"
"As hard as it may be to imagine, I find myself unable to stay away from this fine establishment."
Quinn gestures for Rachel to shuffle up before sliding in next to her. "May I ask what exactly keeps bringing you back here? Just so I can inform the manager, we appreciate everybody's opinion after all. I was thinking I might suggest having comment cards."
Rachel brushes a strand of Quinn's hair out of her eye. "If you must know, I happen to be quite taken with this one waitress. She's both visually appealing and her customer service leaves nothing to be desired."
"Just who is this waitress?"
"I think her name is Hannah," Rachel teases. "Or maybe it's Anna. I can't be sure."
"I'll make sure to pass on your regards; she'll be flattered by the attention. It's usually only Clutch that compliments her and don't tell him I said this but you're a better option. You're prettier." Quinn kisses her cheek. "Less scary." She kisses Rachel's other cheek. "And a lot sexier." Quinn brings their lips together in a tender kiss.
Once they've separated Rachel sends a shy smile in Quinn's direction. "Who compliments you?" She already knows the answer but she wants to hear Quinn admit it.
"Who else, Lil' Bitch of course."
Glancing over to their table, Rachel finds Lil' Bitch currently stabbing at her food, emphasis on the stabbing part. "Does she still flirt with you every chance she has?"
"There's nothing wrong with a bit of harmless flirting Rachel."
"Is it harmless when she gropes you or grabs your bum?" Rachel questions quietly. "Or how about the other day when she cornered you in the restroom and asked you about your sex life and other personal questions. Has she ever heard of the word privacy?"
"She was only joking," Quinn defends. "I know she doesn't look like one because of all the leather and her Mohican but she's a softy deep down. Did you know as a teenager she used to help out in hospitals, reading to sick children?"
"Now she rides around on a motorcycle and strikes the fear of God into everybody she passes."
Quinn shakes her head. "Haven't you ever heard of the saying, 'don't judge a book by a cover'? She's nothing like she seems. Nobody in this diner is."
"I think Klepto Kev is what he seems or do we imagine him stealing every week."
"You know what your problem is Rachel, you judge everybody in here based on what they're like in this diner. You don't know them. How they act in this diner isn't necessarily how they act outside these four walls."
"You don't know that."
"Neither do you Rachel."
Rachel's eyes flutter shut. "I'm just worried for your safety working here. You do realise that the four bikes carry knives on their person at all times."
"Yes I am aware of that," Quinn comments. "You needn't worry about any of them hurting me; they look after me more than anything else. I've earned their respect and that means that if anybody messes with me, they will deal with it."
"What exactly do you mean by that?"
Quinn entwines her finger with Rachel's. "I didn't tell you about this because I didn't want to worry you and I knew you would," Quinn confesses. "It was one of the nights you weren't here because you were working late. A couple of weeks ago, I'd just finished my shift and was walking to my car and somebody…some guy jumped me. He had a knife; I think he wanted the car."
"What?" Rachel shouts, causing everybody in the diner to look at them. "You were attacked? You should have told me."
Quinn rolls her eyes at Rachel's predictable behaviour. "This is precisely why I didn't tell you."
"Did he touch you? God Quinn, I told you it isn't safe for you to be working here."
Quinn kisses her tenderly. "Have you calmed down now? I'm still here aren't I? Since you so kindly interrupted, you didn't let me finish the story. When he grabbed me, I screamed on instinct even though I knew I should have stayed silent. Before I knew it, the guy was on the floor. Tire Iron and Fish were standing over him, begging him to get back up so they could make him pay. They're protective over me."
Rachel pouts. "I'm protective over you."
"I know you are, I'm just saying you don't need to worry about my safety while I'm here."
"That doesn't stop me from worrying about how most of your customers act around you," Rachel informs her. "Most of the people here treat you like you're a piece of meat. We've already covered Lil' Bitch but she's not the only one. The chef sends a plethora of derogatory comments in your direction, those teenage boys practically drool every time you bend over and just the other day, some random drunk guy came in for a cup of coffee, smacked you on the bum before proceeding to try and kiss you."
"Thank you for the running commentary." Quinn fiddles with her notebook. "I have been here and experienced all those things though; I don't need you to tell me about them."
"I shouldn't have to tell you about them, they shouldn't be doing anything," Rachel bites back. "These are just the occasions I've witnessed when I've been sitting here, what happens when I'm not here Quinn?"
"Nothing."
"Are you lying to spare my feelings? Like you did when you decided not to tell me about your attack the other week."
"I wasn't attacked."
"Luckily may I add. If I'd have lost you…"
"I'm not going anywhere." Quinn cups her cheek softly. "I don't know how many times I'm going to have to tell you this but it's all innocent Rachel. Do you know what the root cause of your problem with everybody here is? You're jealous."
"I am not."
"You are," Quinn states firmly. "We've dated for two years and this is the first time I've actually seen you jealous. I was starting to think you didn't mind if other people flirted with me. I have to admit, this green eyed monster you have makes you that much sexier. If that's possible."
Rachel leans her head back. "Is that why you're still working here? You enjoy seeing me jealous."
"I'm still working here because as hard as it may be for you to understand, I enjoy it. Your jealousy is an added bonus though."
"Unbelievable."
Quinn bumps shoulders with her girlfriend. "Are you admitting you're jealous?"
Rachel purses her lips. "If it will shut you up then yes, I'm jealous."
Quinn grins before brushing her nose against Rachel's. "Nobody here compares to you Rachel. I love you."
"I love you too."
Quinn hears her name being called and glances at the biker's table to find Tire Iron waving her over. "I have to go, duty calls." Quinn kisses her girlfriend lightly before walking to the table, her waitress smile plastered across her features. She waits for her girlfriend to take their order and disappear into the kitchen before she stands up, shrugging her coat on in the process. She's not leaving that here. On her way to the restroom, she pauses by the teenager's table.
"Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt your dinner," Rachel states, before glancing at their table. "Or should I say liquid lunch. You do realise drinking that much fizzy drinks isn't beneficial for both your health and your teeth."
"Can we help you?"
Rachel shakes herself out of her reverie. "I just wanted to offer you some advice."
"Let me guess, don't eat yellow snow." A ripple of laughter erupts from the table.
Rachel smirks. "Keep your mouths shut when Quinn is serving you, drool isn't an attractive feature on a person. Also, she'll never look at you the way you look at her. She prefers women, not hormonal teenage boys who think not with their brains but what's in their pants. Trust me, even if she did like men, you boys wouldn't make the grade." Two of the teenage girl's mouths curl up in shy smiles while the boys huff and think of a comeback. "There's another problem, Quinn likes people who can actually form a sentence, not blithering idiots."
"I can form a sentence," one of the teenage boys states.
"I'm sure your parents are proud of you," Rachel replies. "Keep your eyes off my girlfriend," she orders before heading to the restroom.
Rachel turns the faucet on before washing her hands thoroughly. She hears the door open and watches through the mirror as Lil' Bitch enters one of the cubicles. Turning the faucet off, Rachel opens the door before closing it again, remaining inside the room. She rests against the sink and waits patiently for the other girl to come out.
Soon enough she hears the rudimentary sounds of a toilet flushing and the door unlocking. When the biker sees Rachel still standing inside, she furrows her brow but neglects to say anything. She merely walks over to the sink and proceeds to wash her hands. All the while Rachel watches her through the mirror.
"Do you always wait for people in restrooms and then proceed to stare at them or am I just receiving special treatment?" The biker questions as she dries her hands on the towel provided. "It's not my birthday though so maybe you should wait a couple of weeks before giving me this special treatment." When she tries to open the bathroom door, Rachel presses her hand against it and closes it. "What do you think you're playing at?"
"I appreciate how you look out for my girlfriend when she's working and make sure nothing untoward happens to her."
"Don't mention it."
"That being said, I would appreciate it wholeheartedly if you didn't ogle her, especially when she serves you food. Don't think I haven't seen you appreciating her assets. In future, keep your hands to yourself and don't touch her bum or corner her in the restroom."
"Like you're doing to me right now you mean?"
Rachel ignores the woman. "She is my girlfriend, only I can touch her. Quinn thinks it's nothing more than harmless flirting but harmless flirting has the potential to turn into something more. I should know. That's how my relationship with Quinn started. A little flirtation here and there, sly touches and looks every now and again. Now we've been dating for two years."
"Are you worried about me stealing your precious little girlfriend away from you?"
"No because after you walk out of this restroom, you're going to abide by my rules and treat her with the respect she deserves. Which is case you fail to understand means you won't touch her."
Lil' Bitch crosses the room and closes the gap between them. Rachel visibly stiffens at the action because she has now become involved in a stand-off with a rather frightening biker.
"I don't like being told what to do. Especially not by some snobby little mere who thinks she can lay down the law in a diner she thinks is beneath her."
"Hold on a minute, I never said this diner is beneath me. There are nicer establishments obviously but quite a few people frequent this place on a daily basis so it clearly has its charm."
"You didn't dispute the snobby little mere comment I see."
"I was getting to that," Rachel informs her but Lil' Bitch holds her hands up to silence her.
"Why don't you just stop talking now because your voice is surprisingly annoying? How Quinn manages to listen to you on a daily basis without sticking pins in her eyes is mindboggling."
"There's no need to be rude." Rachel stands up straight and fights back her fear. "As for your request, I will cease talking after you've heard my final statement. If you continue to touch her or flirt with her inappropriately I can assure you that you'll feel what it's like to be on my bad side. It's not a good place to be."
The biker stares at her for several seconds before bursting into laughter and patting the tiny girl on the shoulder. "Thanks for that, I needed a laugh."
Rachel opens her mouth slightly, aghast at the biker's reaction. It's not often she's lost for words but at the moment in time, words escape her. Lil' Bitch sidles past her and opens the door, leaving her alone in the restroom. It only takes a couple of seconds before the door opens once more and Rachel tugs her bottom lip between her teeth when she sees who is standing there.
"Hi Quinn."
Her girlfriend is frowning and her arms are crossed. "What are you doing?"
"Like most people, I find my bladder becomes full after drinking only a couple of beverages and needs to be emptied," Rachel replies as seriously as she can manage. "What else do people do in restrooms? I suppose there are some people who engage in sexual activities but I find that incredibly unsanitary." She scans the restroom before an involuntary shiver shoots through her body. "In case you were under the illusion that one day we'll be like those people, allow me to put you straight, we'll never be doing that."
"Stop joking around." Quinn doesn't crack a smile as she speaks. "You told Lil' Bitch and Alex to stop flirting with me and touching me," she states angrily. "You had no right to do that."
"Who's Alex?"
"One of the teenagers, the one you labelled as a blithering idiot," Quinn explains.
"Since you're mad at me, you should probably know the facts. I didn't actually tell Alex to stop flirting with you; my order was directed at the entire table. It's not my fault if he took it more personally than everybody else. Maybe I should have another word, inform them that they're all at fault and not just him."
"You're not going to talk to them again," Quinn corrects. "This is my place of work Rachel, how do you think it looks if my girlfriend tells the customers off? Are you trying to get me fired?"
"I can't say I don't enjoy the prospect of you no longer working here."
"This is my job, I understand you don't like it but you can't interfere like this. You had no right."
"I have every right, you're my girlfriend Quinn. I'm the only person who should be allowed to touch you like that. Why are you angry at me for looking out for you?"
"I'm not angry; I'm just…okay, I'm angry."
"I thought you'd be happy, unless of course…"
"Unless what?"
Rachel's eyes narrow. "Do you enjoy the attention?"
Quinn rolls her eyes at the question. "What sort of question is that? I find it flattering, of course I do. So would you if it was directed at you."
"There's flattery and then there's disrespect Quinn, I don't think the line between the two of them is that thick."
"This is where we disagree. I don't think they're disrespecting me, only you think that."
"I don't like people touching you."
"You don't have to like it, you just have to deal with it," Quinn says. "I'm going to continue working here Rachel and it would make our relationship a lot easier if you didn't act so jealous. I don't want to keep arguing with you about this. Do you realise how tiresome it is to have the same argument again and again?"
Rachel tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. "For the sake of our relationship, I'll work on my jealousy."
"Thank you."
"On one condition…" Rachel steps closer and wraps her arms around her girlfriend's waist. "Remember that you're mine Quinn."
"You don't own me Rachel."
Rachel doesn't answer; she just claims her girlfriend's lips with her own. "You are mine."
Quinn furrows her brow. "I don't know if I'm slightly worried about how possessive you've suddenly become or if I've turned on."
"I hope it's the latter because your shift finishes in about ten minutes and then you and I are going home."
"You can't just win me around this quickly Rachel, I'm still angry at you."
"Oh I know you are." Rachel chuckles before kissing Quinn's cheek lightly. "Don't worry, I intend on spending the rest of the night trying to win you around. I have no problems with that."
"Do you promise you'll stop interfering in my work?"
Rachel frowns before shaking her head. "I'm afraid I cannot make that promise but as long as everybody heeds my warning, we should be okay."