Chapter Text
Quinn opened the apartment door, her heart hammering in her chest. Almost immediately, a small body attached itself to her legs.
"Mommy! You're home!"
She stooped to pick up the little girl, groaning slightly under her weight.
"I sure am, button," she said, rubbing her nose against her daughter's. "Your mom told me that Uncle Finn is taking you to play video games?"
"Yep, Daddy says I've to kick his ass on the driving ones," Eliza said, her smile wide and guileless.
"Your Daddy needs to watch his mouth," Quinn said, raising her eyebrows.
"Yeah, and you're so not gonna kick my ass!" Finn protested, swooping in and grabbing Eliza, lifting her up above his head as she squealed and giggled.
“It’s cold out, do you have your scarf and mittens,” Quinn asked, standing back slightly as Finn swung Eliza around in a circle before putting her back down on the floor.
“Yeah, they’re in my pocket,” Finn replied.
Off Quinn’s look, he turned to Eliza.
“And do you have your mittens and scarf,” he asked, blushing.
Once they were both wrapped up to Quinn’s satisfaction, she stood aside and opened the door for them.
“How long will you be?” she asked Finn, in what she hoped was a casual way.
“Couple of hours probably, if that’s OK?”
“That’s fine, great,” Quinn said, nodding. “You, kiss, now.”
Eliza stretched up on her tiptoes to kiss her mother goodbye.
“Hey, me too!” Rachel said, coming out into the hallway in time to receive a kiss from her daughter.
Quinn’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of her, hair tied up in a messy ponytail, wearing old faded jeans and an apron stained with something red. She was gorgeous.
“Bye Mom, bye Mommy!” Eliza shouted, dragging Finn out of the door.
“Bye sweetie,” Rachel called after them. “Behave for your Uncle Finn!”
She closed the door and turned to Quinn with a smile.
“Well, hello there,” she said, smiling gently. “Just couldn’t stay away from me, huh?”
“What are you talking about? This conference wasn’t even anything to do with my job, I just wanted a night away from you,” Quinn teased, moving closer to Rachel. “Then they had to go and cancel the damn thing and ruin my plan!”
“Poor baby,” Rachel cooed, stretching up for a kiss.
Before their lips made contact, Rachel’s eyes went wide and she ducked out of the embrace, running in the direction of the kitchen.
“The sauce will be burning!” she called over her shoulder at a bewildered Quinn.
Quinn followed in her wake, smiling at the animated reaction. When Quinn reached the kitchen, Rachel was vigorously stirring something on the stove. She turned to look at Quinn.
“I think I saved it,” she said.
“Honey, you cooked for me?” Quinn asked, surprised.
“Well, I put on some pasta and I heated some sauce out of a jar. So...yes, I cooked for you,” Rachel agreed.
Quinn walked up behind Rachel and slid her arms around her waist, bending so that her chin was resting on Rachel’s shoulder.
“How domestic,” Quinn mumbled, her lips brushing against Rachel’s jaw as she spoke.
This, just being with Rachel, had alleviated the nerves that had plagued her all the way back in the car. This was her life and it was exactly as she wanted it.
“Yes, I am a domestic goddess,” Rachel was saying. “I’ll make someone an excellent little wife one day.”
And before she could stop herself, Quinn replied.
“You wanna be mine?”
She felt Rachel tense in her arms, even as her own stomach plummeted to her feet.
“Quinn Fabray,” Rachel started, her voice low and calm. It terrified Quinn. “I know I didn’t just hear you propose to me as I was cooking store bought pasta sauce while you groped me from behind. That is not a story I want to be telling my grandchildren.”
“I...I...” Quinn stuttered, unable to formulate a sentence, or move.
Rachel turned off the stove burners and gently pushed Quinn’s arms away from her waist. She turned so that Quinn could absorb the full force of the pout she was wearing. Quinn let her arms hang at her sides as her shoulders slumped.
“Now, I’m going to take off this apron and go and fix my hair and make-up. Then I’m going to come back in here and you’re going to have another go. Properly. OK?” Rachel asked, already heading for the door.
Quinn nodded. Rachel paused and turned around. She walked back to Quinn and hooked a hand under her chin, lifting it from her chest. Then she leaned in and placed a kiss on Quinn’s lips.
“Just so you know, the answer is going to be ‘yes’,” she said, her voice soft.
Then she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.
Quinn grinned.