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storypaint) wrote2010-01-04 02:46 am
storypaint) wrote2010-01-04 02:46 am
Entry tags:
[Glee] Better to Bend than Break (Quinn, Rachel, and Artie gen)
Title: Better to Bend than Break
Fandom: Glee
Length: 1066 words
Prompt:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
glee_kink_meme: Rachel/Artie/Quinn (relationship or friendship, or one pairing plus a friend or whatever). Last night I had a dream about a kid in a wheelchair, and pregnant girl, and a girl who looked like Rachel playing hooky when they'd all had a bad day. I want that in fic form.
Pairing: Rachel, Quinn, and Artie gen; mentions of Finn/Quinn and Puck/Quinn
Other: Set post 1x13 Sectionals; spoilers for that episode and speculation for afterward.
Excerpt: It's Quinn's idea, skipping, and maybe Rachel shouldn't be so surprised, because Quinn is obviously good at breaking rules. Maybe Rachel is surprised because of Quinn's choice in companions.
It's Quinn's idea, skipping, and maybe Rachel shouldn't be so surprised, because Quinn is obviously good at breaking rules. Maybe Rachel is surprised because of Quinn's choice in companions, but she couldn't exactly drag Finn off somewhere anymore, could she?
Since Sectionals, Quinn hasn't been doing so well. Rachel has been around, or at least, she's tried to make her availability clear, but Quinn has been dealing on her own. She won't tell anyone who she is staying with, only conceding that she has somewhere to go so that Puck won't physically carry her off. But without Finn, who some still respected for his place on the football team if nothing else, Quinn is a slow-moving and large target. She has begun bringing a change of clothes to school, just like the other Glee Club members, and most days, she has to wear it.
But it's Thursday, and after Quinn changes between third and fourth period, she gets slushied again, and she's had enough. She darts into the Glee classroom after she's wiped her face, and she grabs Rachel without a word.
Quinn's hand is hard on Rachel's forearm, and Rachel has a million questions that Quinn doesn't answer, but she is shocked into silence when they acquire the third member of their group. Quinn walks into Mr. Schuester's Spanish class like she belongs there, leaving Rachel at the door in her shock, and she comes back pushing Artie.
Rachel doesn't think she's ever seen Quinn and Artie exchange anything but the barest of pleasantries, and that only because Artie is a naturally friendly guy. But Artie doesn't seem bothered or particularly surprised to have Quinn behind him, and when Rachel opens her mouth to ask another question, Quinn scowls at her fiercely.
"Shut up," she says. "I'll tell you when you can talk."
Finding ramps isn't always easy in the school, even though it should be, especially after their donations, but they manage to make it out to the football field. No one is out there, because P.E. that day is soccer, and the soccer field is on another part of campus entirely. It suits Quinn, apparently. There's no chance of getting Artie up on the bleachers, so they lurk underneath, in the half-mud-half-dirt darkness where Rachel expects to find drug sellers and other people cutting class, but there is no one else but them.
"Okay," Quinn says with a sigh. She sinks down onto an exposed metal beam, wrapping her arms around her stomach. Rachel looks from Quinn to Artie, who is focused on Quinn with a look of gentle concern.
"You're staying with him, aren't you?"
It is not the first thing Rachel is planning on asking, but somehow it is the first thing that escapes. Artie nods. He looks at Rachel.
"She asked me not to tell anyone," he says. "Because it would complicate things more."
Rachel nods. "Adding another male to the mix seems inadvisable."
Quinn huffs. "Do you know how to talk like a teenager?" Her hands play against her ruined blouse. But then she sighs and looks up at Rachel and then away again. "Artie's parents are really nice. They don't even... they don't. You know."
"You needed help," Artie says, and his tone is a mix of amusement and exasperation. Quinn smiles a little bit. Rachel can tell from their body language that they've had this argument before. It makes her smile, actually. Artie is quiet, but he has a good head on his shoulders, and he is an incredibly helpful guy. When Puck's eyes linger too long on Quinn, or Finn looks momentarily wounded, Artie is good at interruptions.
"Thank you," Quinn says quietly, and Rachel is quiet for a moment longer, because this isn't a moment she can insert herself in, and she's trying to learn to recognize those.
"So why are we skipping?" Artie asks casually, as if Quinn pulls him out of Spanish with frequency.
"I just--" Quinn begins, and then she looks straight at Rachel, runs a hand through her hair. "You ever get to the point where you just can't take it one more minute?"
After a long moment, Rachel nods. "That doesn't mean you should be skipping," she says after a moment, even though she isn't as fierce as she usually is. "You need a good education. Unwed mothers who haven't graduated high school are not in a high-income bracket."
"I'm not going to fail for skipping one afternoon, Berry, so chill," Quinn answers, rolling her eyes. "I thought maybe you could use a break too. And Artie."
"Verb conjugations were getting dull," Artie says, and Rachel smiles.
"Well, it's my free period anyway," she allows, which is the reason she was in the Glee classroom to start with.
"Then why are you complaining? How many times can you practice the solo before you just hate it? I know I hate all the Cheerios routines by the time we're done with a season."
Rachel looks surprised. "I practice it until it's perfect, of course. Why would I hate it?"
Quinn laughs, and Artie snickers.
They spend the rest of the afternoon under the bleachers, doing nothing. Quinn makes fun of Rachel's clothes, and Artie talks about Spanish, and the three of them talk about Glee and what they want to sing for Regionals. It isn't much, really. It's a little cold, and extracting Artie's wheelchair from the hardening mud takes an effort from all three of them. They show up to Glee practice a little out of breath, and slightly late, because they hadn't wanted to run into another teacher on the way. Mr. Schuester looks surprised to see them.
"Ah, Quinn--?" he begins, but she just smiles brightly at him, one of her most disarming smiles, and she waves a hand. Artie had another sweater in his van and she has it wrapped around herself over the slushed ruins of her own.
"Well, are we going to sing, or what?" she says.
"Of course!" Rachel answers cheerfully, and Mr. Schuester runs a hand through his hair and calls out the song. They all move into their places and the afternoon passes away in Glee practice.
The next day, Quinn is slushied after second period, but it's just a little easier to bear.
Fandom: Glee
Length: 1066 words
Prompt:
glee_kink_meme: Rachel/Artie/Quinn (relationship or friendship, or one pairing plus a friend or whatever). Last night I had a dream about a kid in a wheelchair, and pregnant girl, and a girl who looked like Rachel playing hooky when they'd all had a bad day. I want that in fic form.Pairing: Rachel, Quinn, and Artie gen; mentions of Finn/Quinn and Puck/Quinn
Other: Set post 1x13 Sectionals; spoilers for that episode and speculation for afterward.
Excerpt: It's Quinn's idea, skipping, and maybe Rachel shouldn't be so surprised, because Quinn is obviously good at breaking rules. Maybe Rachel is surprised because of Quinn's choice in companions.
It's Quinn's idea, skipping, and maybe Rachel shouldn't be so surprised, because Quinn is obviously good at breaking rules. Maybe Rachel is surprised because of Quinn's choice in companions, but she couldn't exactly drag Finn off somewhere anymore, could she?
Since Sectionals, Quinn hasn't been doing so well. Rachel has been around, or at least, she's tried to make her availability clear, but Quinn has been dealing on her own. She won't tell anyone who she is staying with, only conceding that she has somewhere to go so that Puck won't physically carry her off. But without Finn, who some still respected for his place on the football team if nothing else, Quinn is a slow-moving and large target. She has begun bringing a change of clothes to school, just like the other Glee Club members, and most days, she has to wear it.
But it's Thursday, and after Quinn changes between third and fourth period, she gets slushied again, and she's had enough. She darts into the Glee classroom after she's wiped her face, and she grabs Rachel without a word.
Quinn's hand is hard on Rachel's forearm, and Rachel has a million questions that Quinn doesn't answer, but she is shocked into silence when they acquire the third member of their group. Quinn walks into Mr. Schuester's Spanish class like she belongs there, leaving Rachel at the door in her shock, and she comes back pushing Artie.
Rachel doesn't think she's ever seen Quinn and Artie exchange anything but the barest of pleasantries, and that only because Artie is a naturally friendly guy. But Artie doesn't seem bothered or particularly surprised to have Quinn behind him, and when Rachel opens her mouth to ask another question, Quinn scowls at her fiercely.
"Shut up," she says. "I'll tell you when you can talk."
Finding ramps isn't always easy in the school, even though it should be, especially after their donations, but they manage to make it out to the football field. No one is out there, because P.E. that day is soccer, and the soccer field is on another part of campus entirely. It suits Quinn, apparently. There's no chance of getting Artie up on the bleachers, so they lurk underneath, in the half-mud-half-dirt darkness where Rachel expects to find drug sellers and other people cutting class, but there is no one else but them.
"Okay," Quinn says with a sigh. She sinks down onto an exposed metal beam, wrapping her arms around her stomach. Rachel looks from Quinn to Artie, who is focused on Quinn with a look of gentle concern.
"You're staying with him, aren't you?"
It is not the first thing Rachel is planning on asking, but somehow it is the first thing that escapes. Artie nods. He looks at Rachel.
"She asked me not to tell anyone," he says. "Because it would complicate things more."
Rachel nods. "Adding another male to the mix seems inadvisable."
Quinn huffs. "Do you know how to talk like a teenager?" Her hands play against her ruined blouse. But then she sighs and looks up at Rachel and then away again. "Artie's parents are really nice. They don't even... they don't. You know."
"You needed help," Artie says, and his tone is a mix of amusement and exasperation. Quinn smiles a little bit. Rachel can tell from their body language that they've had this argument before. It makes her smile, actually. Artie is quiet, but he has a good head on his shoulders, and he is an incredibly helpful guy. When Puck's eyes linger too long on Quinn, or Finn looks momentarily wounded, Artie is good at interruptions.
"Thank you," Quinn says quietly, and Rachel is quiet for a moment longer, because this isn't a moment she can insert herself in, and she's trying to learn to recognize those.
"So why are we skipping?" Artie asks casually, as if Quinn pulls him out of Spanish with frequency.
"I just--" Quinn begins, and then she looks straight at Rachel, runs a hand through her hair. "You ever get to the point where you just can't take it one more minute?"
After a long moment, Rachel nods. "That doesn't mean you should be skipping," she says after a moment, even though she isn't as fierce as she usually is. "You need a good education. Unwed mothers who haven't graduated high school are not in a high-income bracket."
"I'm not going to fail for skipping one afternoon, Berry, so chill," Quinn answers, rolling her eyes. "I thought maybe you could use a break too. And Artie."
"Verb conjugations were getting dull," Artie says, and Rachel smiles.
"Well, it's my free period anyway," she allows, which is the reason she was in the Glee classroom to start with.
"Then why are you complaining? How many times can you practice the solo before you just hate it? I know I hate all the Cheerios routines by the time we're done with a season."
Rachel looks surprised. "I practice it until it's perfect, of course. Why would I hate it?"
Quinn laughs, and Artie snickers.
They spend the rest of the afternoon under the bleachers, doing nothing. Quinn makes fun of Rachel's clothes, and Artie talks about Spanish, and the three of them talk about Glee and what they want to sing for Regionals. It isn't much, really. It's a little cold, and extracting Artie's wheelchair from the hardening mud takes an effort from all three of them. They show up to Glee practice a little out of breath, and slightly late, because they hadn't wanted to run into another teacher on the way. Mr. Schuester looks surprised to see them.
"Ah, Quinn--?" he begins, but she just smiles brightly at him, one of her most disarming smiles, and she waves a hand. Artie had another sweater in his van and she has it wrapped around herself over the slushed ruins of her own.
"Well, are we going to sing, or what?" she says.
"Of course!" Rachel answers cheerfully, and Mr. Schuester runs a hand through his hair and calls out the song. They all move into their places and the afternoon passes away in Glee practice.
The next day, Quinn is slushied after second period, but it's just a little easier to bear.