Work Text:
“Alright, girls! Good practice today, see you guys at Saturday’s game.” Quinn’s soccer coach calls out, clapping his hands. Quinn stops her movements and puts her hands on her hips, letting herself take a deep breath. She watches all the other girls walk back to the locker room but the blonde doesn’t feel ready to go back home yet. Things have been tense lately, with her parents fighting constantly and the snide little comments they make at her for not making it to Harvard since Yale is considered inferior to them. Truth is, she’s really fucking proud of herself to have gotten into Yale since she didn’t want to go to Harvard and she can’t wait to get to New Haven next year.
“You okay, Fabray?” Coach Mark walks to her.
She nods two quick times. “Yes, coach. I’m just gonna keep practicing a little.”
“Alright,” he says kicking a ball towards her. “Don’t overwork yourself too much, okay? I need my captain to be on her best form for our big game.”
“Don’t worry about it, sir.”
He pats her shoulder and leaves her alone on the field. She takes a deep breath and kicks the soccer ball with all the force she has towards the goal. She’s been playing on the soccer team since freshman year, much to her parent’s chagrin because she hadn’t wanted to join the cheerleading team like Frannie but it didn’t take long for Quinn to absolutely prove her worth in the sport she had been playing casually for years with her best friend Sam. As early as Sophomore year, Quinn had been appointed captain of the team. Sam had only become captain of his soccer team this year and she loved to rub it in his face that she became captain before him.
She runs around with the ball a little, practicing some corner shots and throw-ins. She stops after a while to catch her breath and looks at the pink sky, her chest heaving. She likes soccer, it helps her deal with her emotions. Sam likes to make fun of her and tell her she’s an idiot who has no idea how to communicate with her feelings (It’s not her fault, it’s the Fabray way of dealing with things-- just shove it all inside and don’t talk about it) so when she’s sad or mad, he just throws a ball in her hands and says, “ C’mon, we’re going to the park .” It’s how she deals with her feelings.
She thinks of the fact that her dad is probably cheating on her mom, the fact that her mom is drinking more each day to deal with it, the fact that next year she’s leaving and Sam is going to be staying here but the thing that makes her kick the ball with a scream to let go of all her built up frustration is that not only she’s managed to befriend Rachel this year, she’s managed to get the biggest crush on her. Quinn Fabray. Having a crush on Rachel Berry.
“Quinn?”
Speak of the devil.
The blonde turns her head towards the noise and sees Rachel on the sidelines, dressed in a short plaid skirt that show off her heavenly legs and a cute sweater that surprisingly doesn't have an animal on it. Quinn wipes the sweat off her forehead with her forearm and tightens her ponytail, subconsciously trying to fix herself up a little.
“Hey, Rach.”
She’ll never get tired of the smile the brunette gets when Quinn calls her Rach . They started getting close this year after Mr Schue chose the partners for a Glee assignment and they ended up together. After going to Rachel’s house to practice and taking a liking to her overly sweet dads, things just happened easily between them and they started hanging out more and more. Never at Quinn’s house though, because her dad is a raging homophobe and knows who Rachel is.
That problem made the whole realization of her being a lesbian a lot more difficult than it already was.
So far, Sam is the only person that knows she’s gay because she came out to him last year and she’s not sure what exactly is her plan and if she’s ever going to come out to her parents but she knows that at least next year, she won’t have to hide who she is as much so she guesses she can wait until the school year is over.
“What are you doing at school so late?” Rachel asks, looking at the moon that’s now visible in the sky.
“I could ask you the same thing,” Quinn teases a little and both of them take more steps to get closer to each other.
“I was practicing my scales in the auditorium and lost track of time and then I thought I saw you from the parking lot.”
Quinn smiles, loving the way Rachel is so driven for her passion. When she was dating Finn, she used to hate how little ambition he had and how little he cared about his future. She loves the fact that Rachel knows what she wants and will do anything to get it. It’s probably one of the first thing that made Quinn inevitably get a crush on the diva.
“It is me,” Quinn answers coyly.
Rachel bites her lip. “Lucky me.”
The blonde’s heart skips a beat and she internally groans. It’s things like that that drives Quinn crazy because it’s like Rachel is saying those things on purpose and they even flirt with each other at times but at the same time, Quinn is not delusional enough to believe she actually has a chance with the diva. There’s just no way, right? Their entire history is too complicated and Rachel and Finn are allways on and off. They have been off for a while but Quinn wouldn’t be surprised if they get back together again soon.
They stand there a few moments just looking at each other and Quinn is happy it’s dark out so Rachel can’t really see how red she is. Finally, Rachel lets out a nervous chuckle and takes a tentative step towards the blonde, reaching an arm out and picking something from Quinn’s hair. The girl’s breath hitches as she feels the hand in her hair, heart beating hard and Rachel shows her what she was doing.
“Sorry, you had-- you had some grass.”
Quinn brings her hand to her hair as if she’d find more and blushes in embarrassment. “Oop-- I tripped during the practice so I guess I got some in my hair.”
Instantly, the diva’s face morph into worry. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, don’t worry.” It was nothing really, she hadn’t even hurt herself. She had just fallen and got back up instantly but the fact that Rachel got so worried over the possibility of Quinn being hurt warms her heart.
Damn it, Fabray. Stop thinking things like this. She doesn’t like you like that. You don’t even know if she likes girls.
“You should get home soon. It’s dark.”
“Yeah, I’m just finishing up here.”
“Okay,” Rachel says with a smile and then takes a step backwards slowly, like she doesn’t want to leave just yet. Quinn licks her lips and looks at the soccer ball on the ground.
“Actually, I’m done. Let me walk you to your car” she says on a whim but it’s the right decision because Rachel’s face splits into a grin.
Quinn quickly jogs to the bench to grab her bag and her water bottle. They walk together in silence through the parking lot and Quinn really hopes she doesn’t stink too much of sweat because that would be kind of embarrassing. Their hands brush from times to times and it sends shivers down her spine every single time and Quinn fantasizes about a reality where she’d get to just grab her hand and hold it.
God, Sam would so make fun of her if she knew how much she was overthinking a simple moment like this.
He always tells her to just go for it, that she has nothing to lose and Rachel likes her back but she doesn’t believe him for a second. There’s just no way a girl like Rachel would want to be with Quinn, she’s way too much of a mess. The whole “Russell doesn’t know their friends” already puts a lot of pressure on their friendship so she doesn’t even want to imagine what would happen if her dad found out she wanted to date her.
Rachel doesn’t need that in her life. She deserves better.
The diva unlocks her car door and Quinn instantly opens the door for her and Rachel smiles. “Such a gentlewoman,” she says with a wink but she doesn’t take a seat right away.
Quinn smirks, “Well you know me.”
Rachel bites her lip, shifting from one foot to another. “I watched you play a little.”
“Oh,” Quinn says, suddenly self-conscious. “Yeah?”
“Yeah, you’re good” Rachel says, nudging her on the shoulders lightly. Quinn sucks in a deep breath but hides her nervousness being a smug smile.
“When have I ever been bad at something?”
“Well, your voice is kind of--”
Quinn cuts her off with a laugh. “Shut up,” she says and Rachel lets out a melodic laugh that makes the blonde smile in victory. She’d do everything in her power to make Rachel laugh for the rest of her life. She loves that laugh. An idea pops into her mind and she clears her throat awkwardly. “I have a game Saturday at 11 AM and-- if you want, you could-- you know, come. Or something.”
Rachel’s smile turns into a frown and Quinn instantly panics and she’s about to say nevermind when the diva puts her hand on her forearm. “I have a dance class at 10 but I would have totally gone if it was a different time.”
Quinn ducks her head, playing with the hem of her jersey. “No, it’s fine. Don’t worry.”
“Hey,” Rachel says capturing her attention, “Please tell me when the next game will be and I promise I will be there.”
“Really?”
Rachel smiles. “Of course. I would come to the game with a Team Quinn shirt if I could.” It makes the blonde crack a smile and the diva smiles back. She looks at her phone and winces. “Okay, I really need to go now.”
Quinn takes a step back, “Oh right, me too.”
Rachel shakes her head and dives into her arms before Quinn can’t think of anything and at this moment, she doesn’t even worry about the fact that she probably smells like sweat. She focuses on Rachel’s fruity shampoo and the way she fits perfectly in her arms. Just before they pull away, the diva kisses Quinn’s cheek quickly and she’s pretty sure Quinn’s face goes completely crimson and Rachel can definitely see it under the parking lot spotlights and she smiles teasingly.
She can still feel the lips on her cheek as Rachel drives away and when she gets to her car, she instantly calls Sam on Bluetooth.
“Yo.”
“Rachel kissed my cheek,” she says in lieu of greeting and Sam is silent for a moment.
“What?”
She sighs, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. “Rachel kissed my cheek, Sham. We saw each other on the field when I was practicing and she told me I was good and then kissed my cheek.”
“Well shit, Q. Is that enough confirmation for you now?”
Quinn shakes her head. No, she can’t go down that road. Rachel is the first person she’s ever felt such strong feelings for and if she breaks her heart, she doesn’t know if she’ll ever get over it.
“No. Well-- I don’t know. She’s so confusing.”
“I don’t see what’s confusing about it. Be a man and make a move, Quinnie.”
“Okay, first of all, that’s sexist.” she says and she hears him chuckle. “And second of all, I just-- I don’t know how to like-- I don’t know how I’d even say it.”
“Well it’s simple. You just have to say hey Rachel I have a huge lesbian crush on you. Do you have a huge lesbian crush on me?”
Quinn rolls her eyes. “You’re an idiot.”
“So are you for not seeing she likes you back.”
“Because she doesn’t!”
“How are you going to survive without me in New Haven?”
“I have no fucking idea.” she says sincerely.
They talk for the rest of the ride and by the time Quinn gets home, she’s convinced herself Rachel is just an affectionate person with everyone and there was nothing romantic about the kiss.
---
Even though, she’s kind of bummed Rachel couldn’t make it to her game when she finally got the courage to ask her to come, she’s still pretty excited for it. Their soccer team is good, especially since Quinn became captain and she’s confident that they’ll win. It also helps that the game is on the McKinley field so they have the advantage there.
She manages to spot Sam on the bleachers before the game starts because she knows to look for him since they always go to each others’ games when they can but once the blonde gets into position as a midfielder and the whistle blows, Quinn doesn’t see anything else but the soccer ball.
It’s a hot summer day and the team is better than she thought they were going to be but they still manage to win 3-1 with Quinn scoring one of the goal. The team huddle up as the coach tells them how proud of them they are and finally, he lets them go. Quinn knows Sam will be waiting for her like every other time so she takes her time grabbing her things from the bench.
“Good job today, Q.”
“Yeah, congrats Quinn.”
“Have a good weekend, Fabray.”
She waves at her teammates since she can’t answer them verbally because she’s currently drinking all of the water from her water bottle in one gulp. She feels a tap on her shoulders and when she turns around and sees who it is, she chokes on the water and starts coughing uncontrollably. Some dribble out of her mouth as she probably looks the less attractive she’s ever looked; coughing up water, hair sticking to her forehead because of the sweat and her whole face red.
“Rachel,” she breathes out wiping her mouth. “What are you doing here?” She looks at Sam who’s still waiting for them on the bleachers alone and she’s pretty sure he winks at her.
Rachel looks a bit nervous and Quinn isn’t sure why. “Well I was really touched that you wanted me to come to your game and so I-- Well I told my dance teacher I could be there for the first hour but I had something at 11 and since I’m the best dancer in the class, she let me go.”
Quinn’s stomach flips as she listens to Rachel speak and she can’t believe she would do all of that just for Quinn. Rachel is slightly red in the face and the blonde isn’t sure if it’s because of the sun or she’s blushing.
“O--Oh. That’s really nice, Rachel. I’m really happy you came,” she says sincerely because the thought that the diva came to a game where not only did they win but Quinn scored a goal makes her really proud.
“You were-- excellent. I don’t know a lot about soccer and Sam had to explain the rules multiple times but I know that you were really good.”
Quinn feels her heartbeat going crazy and it’s not longer because of the adrenaline of the match. She smiles shyly. “Thanks, Rach.”
Rachel smiles nervously and then looks back at Sam who holds up two thumbs up in the air which makes Quinn frown in question. She doesn’t have to be confused for too long because Rachel takes a deep breath.
“I have something to tell you.”
Quinn’s anxiety spikes up and she decides to joke to make believe that she’s not nervous as hell right now. “Oh, are you about to profess your undying love for me?”
“I am, actually.”
“...What?” Quinn says and she’s pretty sure she’s never been more confused in her entire life. This is a joke, right? Where are the cameras?
Rachel exhales loudly, “I like you, Quinn. Like a lot. I’ve liked you for a while now but I was scared you wouldn’t be interested because well-- I’m me and you’re you but I was talking to Sam and he kinda let me understand that maybe my feelings weren’t as one-sided as I thought they were and that we were both idiots so here I am; professing my undying love for you.”
Quinn stays still after Rachel’s words and she subtly pinches herself on the thigh to make sure this is real. Rachel likes her. The girl she likes likes her back. This is unreal. She must stay frozen for a little too long because the brunette looks worryingly at Sam and then back to her.
“If you could say something, I’d--” Rachel starts but she’s cut off by Quinn’s lips on her. The blonde didn’t even realize she had done so until she felt Rachel immediately kiss her back. She doesn’t even care at this moment that there’s still some parents on the bleachers and some players from the other team still sticking around. She hears Sam whoop loudly at them as she deepens the kiss, swiping her tongue on Rachel’s bottom lip and the girl opens her mouth eagerly to let her in.
So this is what a kiss with someone you actually like feels like. Quinn’s sure she’s died and gone to heaven because there’s no way she would have ever convinced herself she would ever be kissing Rachel Berry but here she is and she can tell it’s real by the way Rachel’s hands are clinging to her waist, like she never wants the blonde to stop kissing her. Eventually, she has to pull away for air but she rests her forehead on Rachel’s, keeping her hands on her cheeks, slowly stroking them with her thumbs.
“I like you too,” Quinn breathes out and Rachel grins that million dollar smile.
“Yeah?”
“Like a lot.”
Rachel pecks her lips quickly again and they both hear a loud cheer coming from the bleachers and they turn to look at Sam who’s smiling at them like a dork. Rachel turns back to her, her hands moving by themselves to untuck the jersey from her shorts so she’s able to slip her hands underneath the shirt.
“You think we can get Sam to leave us alone for a moment so we can go grab some coffee?”
Quinn’s eyebrows furrow. “Who’s Sam?” she asks teasingly before diving back in for a kiss because now that she’s tasted Rachel’s lips, she never wants to stop kissing them.
She can feel Rachel smiling against her lips and the whole world around them disappears so that only they exist and Quinn’s pretty sure no soccer game can make her feel as exhilarated as kissing Rachel makes her feel.