Chapter Text
The heat is sweltering. Of course the morning had been cool, so the abrupt change had led to even further uncomfortability on the field. It was the plight they faced, whenever tournaments forced them to play more than one game in a day. Riley wishes she could brush the thick layer of sweat from her brow, but she’s up to bat next, and standing in the on deck circle means she has to have her helmet on. She turns her gaze up to the batter's box, where Rachel plants her feet, running one cleat over the red shale, once, twice, three times. Just like she always did, Berry had something about rituals, but it worked, granting her the highest batting average on the team.
Riley watches as Rachel’s eyes turn to the pitcher. When their eyes lock, a cocky smile slides onto the pitcher’s face, one that wasn’t at all foreign to Riley. They played Yale fairly frequently, and the rotten smile Quinn Fabray gets when Rachel Berry steps up to the plate is all too common. The rivalry between them wasn’t a secret, not at all, it was one of the most well known in their league, coverage of it even making their respective school papers. Rachel and Quinn spent every game at each other’s throats, making it their personal mission to beat each other every chance they got. Last game, Rachel had hit a line drive that had nearly smoked Quinn in the head, and when she’d made it to first base, she’d thrown Quinn a cheeky wink. Riley was surprised she didn’t witness a murder.
Today, Rachel had stepped up to compete with Quinn on two separate occasions, landing a hit both times. Riley knew it was getting on her nerves, she’d seen Quinn enough times to know when she was a bit on edge, the way she’d bite her lip just the smallest amount, the way she’d adjust her hat before every pitch, the way she’d twirl the ball around in her glove before beginning her rotation. To most, it was practically unnoticeable, but Riley had an eye for detail, and she was always behind Rachel in the lineup. It was important for her to notice these things, because it could help her game, but she can’t lie and say she isn’t interested in the inherent tension between Quinn and Rachel. Sure it was hot today, but part of her thinks part of that heat comes from the way those two looked at each other. It was certainly a sight to behold.
Finally, Quinn lets the first pitch go. When it reaches Rachel, it nearly skins her stomach, more than a little bit inside. No matter the closeness, the umpire calls the first strike, and Riley watches Rachel step out of the box, her hands loosening and tightening around her bat before she steps back in. Riley turns her eyes to Quinn, and the smirk has widened and she knows some of her confidence has returned. Sure Rachel had gotten on her nerves, but Quinn knew how to play her, knew how to get on the winning side. Riley can’t say she doesn’t commend Quinn’s talent, she certainly had a way with the ball.
The second pitch comes in almost perfect, and Rachel makes a clean cut. The problem comes though, is the ball is just a bit faster than expected and, “Strike two!”
Rachel’s frustrated, Riley can tell by the way one pink batting glove drops from the bat, rubbing against her pants, trying to shake the sweat that isn’t just from the heat. Quinn looks that much more confident, almost evil in the way the grin just keeps widening. Once Rachel resumes her stance, Quinn begins her rotation, and Riley knows she thinks she has it in the bag. She doesn’t though, not yet, because Rachel gets a piece of it, sending the yellow ball curving far into foul territory. Riley’s not surprised, Rachel’s not one to strike out, always putting up one hell of a fight at bat. Especially against Quinn Fabray.
This time, Rachel’s determination doesn’t pan out. Quinn sends the fourth pitch sailing through the air, and sure enough, Rachel strikes out swinging. Riley swears Quinn almost laughs when the umpire calls the out, and she knows the very idea turns Rachel’s stomach. At dinner later she’d probably rant for an hour about how much Quinn Fabray sucks . It wouldn’t be the first time.
Quinn’s smug smile doesn’t fade, and as Rachel steps away from the plate, she throws in a wink for good measure. As Riley passes Rachel on her way up to bat, she can practically feel the blood boiling. Riley tries not to let that distract her. They had two outs now, and they were down by one. They could really use a hit from her.
Quinn Fabray doesn’t bat often, but when she does, it gives Rachel a thrill like no other. When she steps up to the plate, Riley turns her eyes to meet Rachel’s. Standing in centre field, Rachel’s body immediately becomes that much more focused. She’s on a mission to not let Quinn win, and this was just one more step in that plan. Rachel wouldn’t let her get away with anything, especially not after that strike out.
Right off the first pitch, Quinn sends a pop fly soaring into the air, and it looks like it's about to travel, maybe right on over the fence. Riley runs to her spot as cut off, and watches as Rachel gives everything she has to chase after the ball as it flies across the field. Rachel’s fast, there’s no doubt about it, but Riley wonders if she’s ever seen her move this quick. Her collision with the fence is somehow elegant, and the jump she makes to catch the ball is one that amazes Riley every time, no matter how many times she sees it. Such a small girl shouldn’t be able to jump that high, but she does, catching the ball, and obtaining the third out.
The grin on Rachel’s lips as she pulls the ball out of her glove and presents it to the team and everyone watching is absolutely shit eating. Riley thinks Quinn might be able to see it from her place at second base. When Rachel winks, Riley almost strains her neck to see if Quinn responds in any way, and the eye roll she gives is certainly proof.
Rachel’s named game MVP. Their coach said her catch might just have been the reason why they were able to win. Riley can see Rachel just beaming, and she knows it’s because she beat Quinn, because she was the winner in the little match, just between them. Riley wonders if she cares at all that they actually won the game. She thinks Rachel probably doesn’t. It was a one on one duel between her and Quinn Fabray, winning for real was just a plus. Another cherry on top to rub in Quinn’s face when they saw each other at their next game. And honestly, whatever motivates Rachel, it doesn’t matter to Riley, so long as she keeps being the star everyone knew she was cut out to be.
Riley couldn’t find her left batting glove. She tore her bag apart looking for it, tore apart the bags of her teammates too, and no one had it. She knew she must’ve left it in the dugout, so she turns from the rest of the group and heads back to their diamond. She finds her glove, but also something much more interesting.
Quinn Fabray stands on the pitcher’s mound, her arms wrapped around Rachel Berry’s waist. Rachel’s hands are tangled in Quinn’s hair, and they look all too comfortable. Riley’s jaw couldn’t help but drop. She had noticed the tension, but she hadn’t expected this. What was happening here?
“So do I get a celebratory kiss?” Rachel asks, leaning that much closer to Quinn.
Riley ducks a little, hoping not to get spotted, but desperately wanting to hear the rest of the conversation. The very idea that Quinn Fabray would give Rachel Berry a celebratory kiss after one of their most arduous games has her head spinning. Quinn’s grin widens, maybe even more than it had when she’d struck Rachel out. “Mhm,” she hums, “and why would I kiss the enemy after she beat me?”
Rachel rolls her eyes, pouting a little. “Because you love me,” she says, and the pout fades right into a grin, wickeder than any Riley had seen during the game.
Riley has to clap a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. Rachel just said that Quinn loves her.
This can’t be happening, she must be dreaming. She can’t be witnessing the two members of college softball’s biggest rivalry standing in an intimate position discussing their love . “I do,” Quinn says without hesitation, spurring on further confusion from Riley.
There’s a soft look in Quinn’s eyes, one that Riley’s never seen, one that she figures almost no one sees, she continues her sentence. “But,” her left hand draws circles on Rachel’s hip, “I’m not particularly happy about that flyout, Berry.”
Rachel rolls her eyes, in the most playful way Riley has ever seen, imbued with so much affection. Rachel’s eye rolls are usually deadly, but this one is definitely a part of a well-rehearsed flirtation, and Riley wonders if you can die of shock. She thinks she might just. “Well Fabray,” Rachel says, “I can’t say I was very happy about that strikeout either, so can we call it even?”
“Hmm…” Quinn says, and Riley can tell she’s not serious, Rachel is going to get her way, but Quinn likes to push her buttons.
“Just kiss me already,” Rachel says, with the same force of every interaction they’d had during the game, but Quinn’s reaction is not at all the same.
She laughs, shakes her head, and leans in to kiss Rachel.
This kiss is long, practiced, definitely not a first, and Riley thinks it's far too intimate for her to be watching, so she leaves. She tears her eyes away from the most insane scene she’s ever seen, grabbing her misplaced glove and quickly leaving the dugout. She can barely believe what her eyes had witnessed, and she wonders what the fuck was going on.
Whatever it was though, she could tell Rachel and Quinn were happy. She could tell that despite the rivalry on the field, they were clearly deliriously in love. Riley’s not sure how a cold-blooded rivalry fit into that, but it worked for them, and this new development only intrigued her that much more.
Riley decides that during their next game against Yale she’s going to watch the two that much closer. She wants to figure out how she missed this, when it seemed so mind bogglingly obvious after seeing the two of them together. She wants to see if either of them let the intense fight slip during the game, or if love isn’t on the table when they’re in play. Quinn and Rachel had always had an interesting rivalry, and this was just another piece of the puzzle for Riley to figure out.