We Found Wonderland

Quinn looked over her shoulder at Santana as they parted ways for breakfast. As much as she wanted to sit with her, they’d agreed to stick to their own house tables during meals to avoid people getting suspicious of what was going on between the two. She understood why they did it, but that didn’t mean Quinn had to like it. Finding her usual seat toward the head of the Ravenclaw table, Quinn sat down next to Mike and wished him a good morning. They often found themselves sat together at breakfast and in classes, even though Mike was very much still friends with Molly, much to Quinn’s chagrin. As much as she hated Molly, though, Quinn wasn’t about to let that effect her friendship with one of her oldest friends at Hogwarts. “Have a good sleep?” she asked, reaching for her goblet of pumpkin juice and taking a sip as she waited for Mike’s answer. It tasted different, but Quinn didn’t question it and downed the rest of it, her eyes still focussed on Mike.

Mike looked up as Quinn took what could only be described as her usual seat near him at the Ravenclaw table. He shot her a quick, but still warm, smile as she got settled, nodding in response to her question. As much as he enjoyed spending time with his other friends and with Lydia, Quinn had always held a special place as one of the first friends he’d made at Hogwarts and he tended to look forward to the fact that breakfast left them reasonably free from responsibilities that they could actually talk. “I did, thanks,” he replied, reaching for his own goblet. “How was yours?” While he waited for her response, Mike took a drink of his pumpkin juice, nose wrinkling at the strange, unfamiliar taste underlying the usual flavor. It was probably just in his head, he figured, taking another swallow.

Quinn smiled politely as memories of the night before came flooding back to her. Safe to say, it was the best birthday she’d ever had, but of course no one would ever know how good it was because nobody knew she was with Santana. The bread roll in her hands had crescent shaped puncture marks from where her nails had dug in - apparently her memories were thatgood - and Quinn blushed, lowered her head and put the roll back onto her plate. Except the blush wasn’t going away. Her entire body felt warm and when she lifted her head, the room swam before her eyes. “Uhh yeah. It was good. Great even. Best birthday yet, but I still have so much cake left over. You need to help me with that or I won’t be able to get on my broom this weekend.” Her eyes flickered back to Mike, and while everything else was out of focus, Quinn couldn’t help but notice that Mike was the one thing that was clear to her. It was like she was seeing him in a whole new light.

Mike watched a blush spread across Quinn’s face, eyebrow quirked in curiosity. He couldn’t help but wonder what had brought on that kind of reaction, but didn’t want to pry. Keeping things close was something Mike was well acquainted with himself, and if she wasn’t volunteering the information, it probably wasn’t his place to know. “You had my agreement at ‘cake’,” he laughed. “But I’m glad it was so good, whatever it was that made it so-” He cut himself off, blinking a few times as the light in the Great Hall seemed to shift, throwing Quinn into brighter relief. Everything else seemed to dim, fading back into darkness while she radiated brightness that left him feeling like she was the only thing he could focus on enough to see clearly.

Quinn blinked and rubbed at her eyes, hoping the action would make her head stop spinning. But when she opened them again, nothing had changed. Mike was the one clear thing in a room full of shapes. Merlin, he looks good, she thought to herself, drawing her lower lip between her teeth. How could he seem so cute just talking about cake? When he stopped talking mid-sentence, Quinn cocked her head to the side, and laid a hand on her arm. “Mike, are you okay?” Her tone was gentle and full of worry for her friend. The idea that something was wrong filled her with a sadness she knew would only lift when she was sure he was okay. As long as he was happy, she was happy too. Wait…that couldn’t be right? But the more she gazed at him, the more apparent that thought was. In fact, all she could now think about was all the things she could do to make him smile, because gosh, she loved his smile.

Mike could only stare blankly at Quinn for a moment, her question falling on deaf ears. How had he never realized before how amazing she was, how caring and concerned? Not to mention brilliant. A small voice in the back of his mind reminded him that he did know what a great friend Quinn was, that he’d recognized that almost from the moment he met her. But no, this was something different…something more real, perhaps. He couldn’t look away from her, transfixed by the fact that the very image of perfection was seated next to him. The skin on his arm tingled, buzzing with the weight and warmth of her hand seeping through his robe. “I’m fine,” he nodded softly. “In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been better.”

Quinn nodded and the look of concern on her face slowly shifted to one of adoration. Mike was okay, but the question she now had to ask herself was: was she? And if she wasn’t, did it really matter? Any other day, the sensation of her heart pounding in her chest, threatening to break free, would have been enough to spook her, but today? Today the feeling was everything. Her eyes dropped to where her hand lay on his arm. Even though the layers of material, she could feel the definition of his forearm. The gesture had initially meant to be one of comfort, but Mike was fine and yet Quinn still didn’t want to pull away. “Yeah?” she sighed, her eyes darting up to meet his. “Me too.”

Mike shook his head in an attempt to clear out the foggy sense that seemed to be taking over. It was nice, though, in a way and an increasingly large part of his mind screamed at him to just embrace it. The warmth and comfort of it all wasn’t something he felt everyday and he’d never realized just how much he was missing out; the sound of his heartbeat rushing in his ears was enough to block out the rest of the world until all he could see, hear, or think about was Quinn. Slowly, he turned his arm and pulled back just enough to where their fingers brushed against one another, the sudden need for contact becoming almost overwhelming.

Quinn watched with rapt fascination as their fingers brushed, the small gesture already sending chills down her spine. But she wanted more and one look at Mike’s face told her she wasn’t the only one. Turning his hand over in hers, she gave him a bashful smile as she ran her fingers along his palm before carefully lacing their fingers together. It wasn’t the first time they’d had physical contact with each other - Quinn could recall a number of hugs and playful moments they’d had together over the years - but it still felt like a new beginning. Had they not been completely wrapped up in each other, they might’ve noticed that those around them were also acting strangely, but in that moment Quinn only had eyes for Mike.

Mike had no idea how his skin could feel so electric. With the light pass of her fingers over his palm he felt jolts coursing through his body in sync with the beat of his heart. As their fingers laced together - and Merlin, it was extraordinary how they just seemed to fit like they were made to be entwined with one another - he tore his eyes away to settle on Quinn’s face once again and he gave her a warm smile. There was no doubt in his mind that she was just as enraptured as he was. In fact, he doubted that he’d ever been more sure of anything in his life, aside from the fact that he was a fool for not coming to his senses sooner. “I don’t know how to say this, but I can’t believe I’ve been so daft all this time Quinn. You must be the most amazing person in the castle, if not the entire wizarding world.”

Quinn momentarily wondered how she could have been so blind for so long. Sure she’d once had a crush on Mike, but that was 4th year and they’d both been so awkward back then. She chalked it up to embarrassing adolescent hormones and the fact that he was the one cute boy in her year that had always been nice to her. Maybe her 4th year self was wiser than she thought, because holding Mike’s hand made her feel like she was walking on water - and that was just holding her hand. Merlin only knew what kissing him would feel like. As the thought entered her head, Quinn found herself unable to stop herself from imagining it in vivid detail, which of course only made her blush more. “I uhh…wow. I feel the same way. I know we’ve been friends for a long time but I really like you, Mike. I just didn’t realise how much until just now.”

Mike’s grin only grew wider at Quinn’s words. He had always been at least half in awe of her - for as long as he could remember, really, she’d challenged him in a way that made him want to do better rather than making him feel threatened - and it was one of the major reasons he held their usual breakfast routine as so important. Between her intelligence, her impressive quidditch skills, and the fact that she was genuinely nice to be around, Mike had never been one to pass up any opportunity to hang out with her if he could. But this was beyond that…beyond anything he’d ever experienced. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? Everything’s suddenly so clear now and there’s only a small step between friends and…” he gestured vaguely toward their hands, “this.” The fingers of the hand that wasn’t currently holding Quinn’s itched to run through her hair and no matter where he tried to focus, he found his gaze continually straying down to her lips.

Quinn found herself nodding along to Mike’s words, trying not to get too ahead of herself. Just because he thought she was amazing and wasn’t pulling his hand away from hers, didn’t necessarily mean he wanted her romantically, right? It definitely seemed like he wanted to kiss her, though, because not to toot her own horn, but Quinn had had her fair share of suitors in the past and there was no mistaking the dance his eyes were doing between her eyes and lips. He wanted to kiss her, and more than anything, Quinn really wanted to kiss him too. She leant in, eyes wide and hopeful, as her tongue came out to slowly moisten her lips. “Yeah…really amazing.” Her eyes trailed down to look at where he was gesturing and she squeezed his hand gently, before meeting his gaze again, and hoping that she’d made her feelings more than clear.

Mike had never been the kind of person to take huge risks, preferring to err on the side of caution and take the predicted path. Calculated risks were one thing, but complete chances were something else altogether. Giving in to what he desperately wanted here didn’t seem like much of a risk, though, as he felt his body instinctively drawn toward Quinn. From the way she looked at him to the gentle squeeze she gave his hand, Mike was fairly certain that they were on the same page as far as their feelings went. He doubted he would have been able to resist it if he wanted, but at the moment doing anything but kissing her was the furthest thing from his mind. Leaning in further, his eyes darted in to her lips one last time, any sense of hesitation leaving him, and he pressed his lips to hers softly at first, but gaining intensity after a moment. There was no doubt in his mind that this was the most amazing feeling in the world, fireworks didn’t come close to comparing.

Quinn liked to think of herself as a logical person. She still had her moments of spontaneity from time to time, but from the day she was born, her life had been planned out ahead of her, and even when she seized control of it and started making her own decisions, Quinn still found herself planning every aspect of it in advance. This was most definitely not a part of her plan, but from the moment Mike had brushed his fingers against hers, all thoughts of her plan were banished to the farthest corners of her mind. The need to kiss Mike was strong - stronger than anything Quinn had ever felt before - but she needed him to meet her halfway. This couldn’t be another thing in her life that went up in flames because she laid out all her cards first and received nothing in return. As he hesitated just before their lips were touching, Quinn let out a breath she hadn’t even realised she’d been holding. Of course this was all too good to be true. But any disappointment she felt, dissipated at the first touch of Mike’s lips against hers. Her eyes fluttered shut and when she was sure she wasn’t dreaming, Quinn shifted her body closer to Mike’s and balled her hands up in the baggy fabric of his robes, effectively deepening the kiss. Her previous fantasies had been good, but they couldn’t hold a candle to the real thing. It was pure magic.

Mike shifted impossibly closer to Quinn, his free hand moving up to cup her jaw as his thumb stroked over her cheek. From the instant their lips met he knew he wouldn’t be able to get enough; even at the height of his relationship with Tina - long before it had all fallen apart - kissing her hadn’t made him feel this alive or this free, like none of the things that usually weighed on his mind mattered as long as he got to be with Quinn. It wasn’t rational, and the single-mindedness with which Mike was focused on her should have come as a warning that something wasn’t quite right, but all he could do was embrace the feeling of peace that settled over him. Still, eventually he had to pull back to breathe, though he did so reluctantly, only moving back a fraction of an inch as his eyes blinked open to focus on her once more.

Quinn shivered as Mike’s thumb slowly stroked her into a frenzy. His touch was gentle - almost infuriatingly so - and Quinn found herself needing more. As Mike moved closer, Quinn also found herself scooting in until she was practically in his lap. Even then, the contact wasn’t enough. A part of her had been expecting the kiss to satisfy her, but instead it had stoked a fire that Quinn hadn’t even known existed. Before today, Mike had just been her friend. Her friend that she had once had a crush on, sure - but still just a friend. But now her head was filled with all the possibilities for where this breakfast rendezvous could lead. Merlin, I’m at breakfast. That thought plus the need for air stopped her in her tracks, and Quinn allowed Mike to break the kiss. The fact that Quinn already felt herself missing him was strange, but her mind oddly didn’t dwell on that fact for long. Not when Mike was right in front of her, looking absolutely adorable. “That was…wow.” Quinn made herself look away from him for just a moment, keen to see if anyone else was watching them. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting to see, but half the castle engaged in a similar liplock or professing their love, wasn’t it. Still though, the sight only made her smile and turn back to Mike. Nobody would be paying them any attention and that was just the way she wanted it.

Mike’s brow furrowed as Quinn turned away. Was it possible that he was the only one for whom the world had seemed to shift during the kiss? He’d thought for sure by the way she had responded that Quinn felt the same, but in that moment he was struck with a panic that seemed disproportionate to the absurdity and the strangeness of the situation. Though he’d been the one to draw away first, he still felt tied to her, a pull that insisted he do everything in his power to stay in her presence, to see where this could possibly go. His mind was put at ease, though, when Quinn turned back to him, smile lighting up her features and making her somehow more beautiful - an accomplishment he hadn’t believed possible until that moment. “It was,” he agreed, noticing for the first time that they were still in the Great Hall, surrounded by their professors…not to mention his fellow students that he was supposed to be setting a good example for. But none of that mattered now. Everyone else was so caught up in one another and Mike didn’t think he would be able to keep himself from leaning in and kissing Quinn again for the rest of breakfast, let alone the rest of the day.

Quinn let her gaze linger on Mike’s lips for a moment, before leaning into kiss him again. It occurred to her in that moment that she’d known him for almost seven years, and not once in that time had she ever really stopped to think about what kissing him would be like. Had she known it would feel this good, maybe she’d have done something sooner. But that was no longer her concern. All that mattered now was that they made up for lost time in whatever way they could. If that meant kissing in front of their peers, then so be it. Luckily for both of them, they all seemed to be a little preoccupied, but even if they weren’t, nothing could have kept her from holding onto Mike for as long as she could. The urgency to be closer to him in every way possible was alarming, but there was no denying the rapid beat of her heart, or the way she trembled in his arms. Maybe it was sudden but Quinn trusted her instincts more than she trusted anything else, and her body was telling her this was exactly where she belonged.

Mike was quick to move into the kiss, the hand that had been entwined with Quinn’s dropping to settle on her waist. The electric feeling he’d had since almost the moment he’d laid eyes on her that morning only grew stronger with the contact and the fact that he could feel the fine trembling of her body in his arms. That one person could somehow seem so completely perfect in every way was an idea he had always refused to believe in; love was one thing, but to think that anyone could be all things to another person went beyond the bounds of reason. It had always seemed like a myth too good to be true. Now, though, he had no choice but to acknowledge how completely wrong he’d been. No one had ever made him feel as amazing as Quinn did in that moment, and he never wanted it to end. Unfortunately, the fact that they were still seated in the middle of the Great Hall kept nagging at the back of his mind, making him wonder if it wouldn’t be better to find somewhere else to go.

Quinn clutched onto Mike tightly and drank in as much of him as she could. At some point they’d have to pull away again and as much as she wanted to just immediately reconnect their lips, she knew that mounting him in the middle of the Great Hall wasn’t going to be a good move for either of them. Still the thought alone was tempting, but the thought of finding somewhere more private was even better. With great reluctance, she pulled away from him, lips bruised, and a little short of breath. Needing to feel close to Mike, Quinn leant her forehead against his and nuzzled his nose with her own. This was love, pure and simple. Never in her life had she ever felt this strongly about anyone in such a short space amount of time, but who could argue with love? Grinning up a storm, Quinn pecked Mike’s lips once more and sat back before she could get too carried away. “I think - no - know…Mike, I love you. And I know this seems so sudden, but when you think about how long we’ve known each other, can we really say that we’re moving too fast?”

Mike wanted to chase after Quinn’s lips the second she pulled away, the soft peck she offered afterwards only increasing the desire rather than soothing it. Despite the fact that he could still feel her lips on his long after she’d moved to sit back, the feeling more intoxicating than he imagined possible, the moment she began speaking his attention focused solely on her - hanging on every word with rapt fascination. It came as no surprise at all that Quinn had managed to find the words to express what he was thinking and feeling far more quickly than he had - movement would probably always be the only way he was truly comfortable expressing himself - but the fact that her feelings so perfectly mirrored his own amazed him. Because there was nothing else that this could be, the unmistakable warmth and brightness that had taken him over. No, he had no doubt as to what he felt and he fought to keep the grin that spread across his lips under control. “No, I…I don’t think it’s too fast at all. We’ve known each other for almost seven years and half the time it feels like longer than that.” Mike stopped talking for a moment just to look at her, unable to work out how things could have possibly fallen together in such a perfect way. “I love you, too.”

Quinn had been led to believe for years that while love existed, it didn’t exist for her. As a child, she saw the so-called love her parents had for each other, and promised herself that if that was what love was all about, she didn’t want anything to do with it. Then had come the years of being in love with her best friend, only to have her heart broken in the worst way possible. So rather than opening herself up to more hurt, Quinn had built up the walls around her. Nobody would ever make her feel that much again. Or that’s what she’d hoped for. But now Mike was in front of her and Quinn honestly just didn’t know how not to love him. He made her feel more than anyone had ever made her feel, and not only that, he was offering her the three words she’d secretly always wanted someone to say to her. Unlike when she was with Santana, there was no reason to fear that he’d break her heart. Not when he was there, in front of her, obviously as head over heels in love with her as she was with him. “Really?” she asked hesitantly, needing to hear him say it again. Finding his ands again, Quinn squeezed them gently, all the while beaming at him.

Mike wasn’t used to this feeling, the way things seemed to have seamlessly fallen together. Most of his life had been spent walking a straight and predetermined path, afraid that any straying from it would end in him letting his father down and severing the tenuous connection that existed between them. No matter what he did, the possibility of everything falling apart seemed to hang over his head. Until now…until Quinn, really. The way that they had both come to the same realization and were so perfectly in sync just confirmed to him that this was somehow meant to be. There was no other explanation in his mind.

Quinn didn’t know that it was possible for her to feel this happy, but clearly all she’d needed was a little more Mike Chang in her life. For the first time in her life, she began to believe in fate because it was clear that everything that had happened in their lives had been leading up to that very moment. “No it’s okay. I understand. Before wasn’t the right time, but its like everything has changed and finally we have a real shot at this.” Once again she turned to look at the others around them and just smiled, wishing that they could see just how happy she was. Today was the start of the rest of her life. A new life with Mike hopefully. Facing him once more, her slight smile turned into a full on grin. Oh who was she kidding? Of course her new life would be with Mike. She’d never been surer of anything in her life. “We’ve got Astronomy now but do you uhh…oh wow I can’t believe I’m saying this…but do you want to skip and go back to yours? I want to go - of course I want to go - but I also have so many things I want to talk to you about and Professor Thor would probably just get annoyed at us.”