edit: i forgot to add a trigger warning for use of the F slur!! i also wanna make it clear that i'm part of the community, (💖💜💙) and i do NOT use it often. this is purely for the story because unfortunately, it was used very often in glee. much love🫶🏼
ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : an invite from a cheerleader by -livsbedumbs!
SUE SYLVESTER HAD TO HAVE GRACIE MARTIN AS her secret weapon on the cheerios. there wasn't any going around it, gracie would only better her internationally ranked team. she'd gotten intel on the girl from both q and santana, then utilizing her CIA training to gather more. gracie thi martin was born april 6th, 1994, to thalia and dihn martin. she had no siblings, worked at her mother's bakery, played lacrosse for club lima, and danced for majorie's studio on halston court. sue also got a hold of her transcripts, silently impressed by her stellar grades and overall review of attitude from teachers. q had mentioned that gracie was sweet, that she couldn't turn down an offer. so, it made her the perfect target. sue needed another cheerio, and gracie martin was her top candidate.
"hey, gracie. you're not busy after school today, are you?" she wasn't expecting quinn fabray to link arms with her, and ask of her plans after school. gracie shakes her head, "oh, hey, quinn. i'm off work today, and lacrosse doesn't start until october. so, no." deep down, the raven wishes for quinn to lead her to a field of flowers after school, to kiss her passionately as they listen to taylor swift. was gracie a hopeless romantic? yes. absolutely yes.
quinn smirks softly, as they continue to walk down the hallway. gracie can feel eyes on her, and she knows the only reason she's getting gawked at is because quinn didn't interact with anyone outside of her circle of popularity. gracie is outside that circle, yet here the blonde beauty was, sashaying beside gracie easily. keeping her tone sweet, "well, i'd like your help with a cheerios routine. you're a much better dancer than i am, and i need all the help i can get," to which the latter's heart bursts. no. she could not be around quinn fabray in that cheerios skirt, and she could not dance with quinn fabray in a well-lit gymnasium. despite her reluctance, gracie nodded. "y-yeah, sure! i mean, i might need to change first because i don't really wanna dance in a jean skirt." she answers, glancing down at her covered thighs. her skirt is dark-wash denim, definitely cute and hugged her figure nicely. quinn also looked at gracie's legs, then quickly removing her green eyes to focus on the sea of people ahead of them.
"okay, cool. meet me in the auditorium after seventh. normally, we'd do the gym or the field, but since i'm captain, i have perks. besides, i need hands-on help." quinn smiled. gracie almost choked at the word "hands-on," before smiling back and viewing her retreating figure. damn, gracie was having a bisexual crisis. unbeknownst to her, quinn fabray is setting off to coach sylvester's office, informing her that the plan was set in motion.
gracie left her seventh period early to change into dancewear. luckily, she kept a bag in her locker for when she felt like utilizing the school's dance room. clad in a tennis skirt and a tank top, gracie scurries off to the auditorium. quinn's already there, her legs stretched out in a middle split on the stage. standing up, "hey. i think it's best if we stretch first, this routine is a lot," biting at her lip. gracie saw it as a sign of her being hesitant about her performance in the routine, while quinn just thought of it as playing into the plan. speaking of, coach sylvester watched from the balcony above, santana and brittany behind her. the plan was to have gracie perform the cheerios routine, and if sue liked it enough, she'd come down to offer gracie a spot. if not, then sue wasted her time and she'd deal with it by annoying will schuester. either way, it was a win-win situation.
gracie followed quinn's orders, dropping down to begin stretching. it doesn't take long for her tight muscles to loosen, as she pops up from the stage floor and looks at the blonde. "so, you go through it once, and i'll watch. then, the second time, i'll join in. does that work?" gracie asks, earning an affirmative nod from quinn. stepping back, the raven hits the stereo's play button and begins to observe.
the routine was... intricate, to say the least. even quinn had some struggle keeping up, and she was the captain. but, gracie's confident in her abilities. besides, she was looking at it from a dancer's perspective. in dance, you had to be loose, fluid. gracie thought of dance as being one with water, and cheerleading was the opposite. you had to be tight, sharp, like a sparkler. that's how gracie saw it. quinn exhaled deeply, "i told you i needed help. i'm late on some of the parts." normally, she was so focused on learning and performing a routine for the cheerios. but, her stomach's been acting up since last night, and quinn's sure she might've contracted food poisoning from the cafeteria. that's the last time you'll ever see quinn fabray eating fish sticks again! somewhat shy, "i thought you were great. but, let's run through it again and i'll jump in this time, so you won't be alone," then pressing play on the stereo once more. gracie fell into her starting pose with ease, and allowed herself to get lost in the music.
[disco inferno by 50 cent,
performed by quinn fabray and gracie martin!]
sue sylvester was thoroughly impressed. so, she snapped her fingers, a signal for both brittany and santana to follow after her. she makes her way down to the front of the auditorium, entering the room with a loud opening of the double doors. gracie jumped back in shock, a little bit terrified seeing sue with the other 2/3 of the unholy trinity behind her. quinn crossed her arms over her stomach, as the organ kept causing her unnecessary pain. it was probably food poisoning, or pre-menstrual cramps. she was going to start in a day or two.
"you know, flour puff, when q told me about you, i thought it wouldn't matter. then, i did a little digging and i listened to the audios from the bugs i've hidden, and you're a star. schuester seems to think so, and so do i. i want you on my cheerios." sue stated firmly, and gracie was beginning to feel very faint. what was happening? did quinn try to trap her into joining the cheerios? why would quinn want that in the first place, or was she just following sue's orders? she gives sue a weak smile, "um, thank you, miss sylvester. joining the cheerios seems like fun, but aren't you and mr. shue, like, mortal enemies? and i work in a bakery, so my diet pretty much consists of tarts and cupcakes." the unholy trinity stifle giggles at her final sentence, while sue shrugged. the mortal enemy part was entirely true, and she wouldn't deny that. if having gracie on the team meant sharing her, she could do that.
smirking, "very astute, flour puff. i don't like schuester because of his strange affinity for singing with children and flirting with a coworker while married. and it seems like you've got that asian fast metabolism, so you'll be fine," gracie contemplating sue's response. while she's sure her mention of an asian fast metabolism is racist, how would being a cheerio affect her life? the practices were long and grueling, which meant less time with her friends and the bakery. it also meant lingering stares from all the popular boys, and gracie wasn't sure if she wanted all the attention. well, she wouldn't mind if mike stares at her, or quinn. shaking it off, gracie met sue's eyes and readied herself to give sue an answer.
ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : gay kids love sports by -livsbedumbs!
GRACIE WAS TOTALLY REGRETTING HER AGREEMENT TO THE CHEERIOS. okay, that might've been a tiny lie, but the stares she received while walking out to the football field were terrifying! sure, gracie wore skirts and dresses to school, showing off her muscular thighs with no issue. but, no one paid attention to that before. they only do now because she's popular and "untouchable." not to the popular boys, though, to the normal and loser population of mckinley.
she's headed to the football field to meet kurt before his big tryout. apparently, he invited britt and tina over to help him perform single ladies, (kurt earned a very offended glare from gracie after that,) and brittany basically convinced mr. hummel that his son was mckinley's kicker. so, he had to plead with finn to get a tryout, and now, he's trying out. "do i have to wear the helmet? it'll mess up my hair." he complained to finn, who thrusted the helmet into his hands. while finn hudson was ecstatic to merge his glee friends with his football friends, he knew he'd be ragged on by the guys for bringing in a gay kid. he wasn't homophobic himself, but it was ohio. chuckling, "yeah, you have to wear it. but, red looks like your color, so you'll be fine," then realizing there's a girl in a cheerios uniform barreling towards them. he doesn't recognize who it is at first, not until she's right in front of them.
gracie tackles kurt in a hug, "please don't die on me. who else would drive me home? matty doesn't like it when i play taylor swift." the boy smiled at his friend, his blue eyes raking over gracie's body. she joined the cheerios, and officially became too popular for him. well, hopefully he'd gain some if he proved himself to the football gorillas. "hi, baker babe. i'm digging the cheerleader cosplay. once i've made the football team, we could become the new, hot item." kurt teased, as gracie scrunched her nose in glee while finn quirked an eyebrow. wasn't kurt, like, totally gay? now, he's flirting with gracie. all finn wondered is if matt knew about this. gracie focuses on the quarterback, "hudson, please keep him safe. i need him in my life," causing the brunette boy to laugh.
gracie decided to stand with the huddle of football players, nervously making her way over there as finn and kurt prepared for the field goal. unfortunately for gracie, both matt and mike were in the bathroom, something she didn't realize until she was halfway across the field. gracie braces herself for the plethora of lewd comments, head hung low. she's only about 10 feet away when matt and mike walk back onto the field, the latter slapping matt's padded chest. "it's gracie. she joined the cheerios." he announced, matt snapping his head up to find his best friend. like changster said, gracie's almost made it to their teammates clad in a cheerios uniform. he ushered over, picking up gracie and spinning her around. matt beams, "damn! you look so hot, gray! you're definitely going to get a boyfriend now!" okay, she so did not need him yelling that in front of the entire football team. ignoring the snickers and stares, gracie smiled up at her best friend. he's always been so supportive of her. matt tugged her over into the huddle, mike sticking behind her protectively.
his arms go around her waist, and gracie remembers the other day at the car wash. attempting not to blush, gracie bit the inside of her cheek and prayed that kurt would hurry it up. soon enough, beyoncé's voice rings through the air, which causes the football team to burst into mocking laughter. some of them, like puckerman, dance in a feminine way to provoke kurt, who clearly isn't paying attention to them from 40 feet away. matt shuffled his feet happily, while gracie heard mike hum the tune softly in her ear. kurt does part of his choreography before kicking the ball, and it soars into the goal. "this is what freddie mercury wanted." gracie whispered.
coach tanaka rejoiced proudly in finding himself a new kicker, but majority of his team weren't so enthusiastic. gracie inches away from the football players, mike following because matt went to go converse with kurt. she doesn't want to hear any of their homophobic remarks, doing so might set off her temper. gracie thought making fun of someone for something they can't control was stupid. like their race, sexuality, gender identity, class, or weight. now, if you made fun of someone like rachel for being annoying, gracie could understand that. but, making fun of her for having a bigger nose or wanting to be a star didn't make any sense. "you look really pretty in your cheerios uniform. guess this means you'll cheer me on friday night?" mike asked with a smile. she purses her lips, glancing at coach tanaka on the field sobbing, then focusing back on mike. her feelings for him were... conflicting.
he was sweet, and could dance. plus, his arms were really nice and easy on the eyes. but, gracie never had a boyfriend or girlfriend before. she hadn't even kissed anyone she was romantically interested in! shrugging, "i suppose. mainly for kurt, though. not you and matt, because both of your egos are too high," the sarcastic side of gracie martin slipping into action. it didn't come out much, only with people she hung out with a lot and was comfortable around. gracie guessed mike chang is one of those people now. he gasped dramatically, before shouting out for matt. that's when gracie knew to bolt.
ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : taking baby steps by -livsbedumbs!
BEING A CHEERIO MEANT YOU HAD ALL SORTS OF SECRETS. gracie kept discovering that more and more every day, but most especially today. she hurries into the girls' bathroom, hoping to fix her ponytail before next period. luckily, no one is usually in the bathroom during the middle of a class, so she doesn't have to worry about anything.
as gracie fastened her cheer bow in her hair once more, she noticed a pair of nfinity cheer shoes in the handicapped stall. unlike the other stalls, this one is shut closed and gracie can't help but feel like she isn't alone. knocking on the door, "um, is anyone in there? are you okay? or am i just talking to britt's shoes and she went barefoot again," and gracie almost gave up after that. with no response, the raven turned away to exit the bathroom, but she heard the stall door open. in all her cheer captain glory, quinn fabray stood with tear-stained cheeks and a red nose. gracie's heart ached, as she tentatively approached the blonde. suddenly, quinn falls into gracie's chest, sobbing on her shoulder. "it's okay, quinnie. i've got you." she whispers, her hand rubbing up and down quinn's back. the two remain like that for a while; until quinn pulled away and stood in front of a sink. gracie follows, going to the left of her and waiting patiently for quinn to talk. she could've lost her shit then and there, "i'm pregnant."
stunned, gracie has to force herself to not have a jaw-drop in the middle of an important conversation. "i'm sorry. my dad, um, works in prenatal care... i could ask him for some help. he wouldn't say anything." she offered, as quinn gave her a kind smile. another reason why she was terrified to name names in miss sylvester's office last week, because gracie martin was too good for this universe. truthfully, she could use all the help she could find, seeing as it isn't finn's baby. the question is; could quinn trust gracie with that secret?
sniffling, "i'd really appreciate that. if it's not too much trouble," before gracie grabbed one of quinn's hands. wow. holding hands with someone as angelic as quinn fabray was an experience unlike no other. their flesh meeting caused fireworks on gracie's end, and she couldn't help but hope quinn felt the same. then, gracie remembers the predicament they're in and stops herself. "you're not any trouble, quinn. one of the girls on my lacrosse team had a baby, too, and my dad made sure she was okay. he knows how to keep those things quiet." gracie refutes. the blonde nods profusely, as she brings gracie in for another hug. the cheerios embrace, then pulling away and gracie held out her pinkie. quinn realizes what she's offering, giggling at her childish way. their pinkies link, "promise i won't say anything, except for my dad. he might tell my mom, but she knows better," reassuring quinn fully. if there was any cheerio quinn knew she could trust, it would be gracie.
the two never make it back to their classes, gracie deciding to accompany quinn to her locker instead. "so, you're a cheerio now. any guys you have your eye on?" quinn asks with a pointed look, swapping her binders out. gracie avoided her green eyes, cheeks reddening at the invasive question. she was still figuring out her feelings for the girl in front of her, so gracie panicked. not thinking, "mike chang's pretty cute. he's close with matty, and matty's my best friend, so," and quinn gasped.
despite the stereotypes that would surround them, quinn thought they could be a cute couple. her heart did strain a little when gracie mentioned mike's name, and she's sure it's just because of the tender conversation they had in the bathroom just then. before quinn can say anything, her name is called by finn. deciding not to engage, the blonde shut her locker and tugged gracie by the upper arm away. "quinn. gracie, why is she ignoring me? whatever i did, i'm sorry." gracie heard finn's apologetic remarks, clearing her throat a little to gain quinn's attention. it does, and gracie's brown eyes dart over to finn then back to her. quinn knows what gracie is getting at, she wants her to tell finn about the baby. if only gracie knew it wasn't his... with one last grin to her, "see you later, gray. good luck with him. you'll make a cute couple." blushing, gracie basically ran from the couple and prayed finn wouldn't ask any more questions.
ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : all is fair in love and football by -livsbedumbs!
IT WAS FRIDAY NIGHT, KURT'S FOOTBALL DEBUT. gracie couldn't contain her excitement, as shown by her sharp motions on the sidelines while the game was beginning. "calm down, little miss cupcake. you swing your arms any harder and they'll fly off." santana advises playfully, causing brittany to giggle and quinn roll her eyes. with a red face, gracie took it down a notch or two, and decided to search for her friends. she caught mike's attention first, waving to him happily and him blowing a kiss back. the unholy trinity notices this exchange, all of them sharing a look. brittany nudged her shoulder, "you should so go for mikey. he's really good at giving sweet lady kisses, even though he's a boy." gracie was rather confused at her statement, what were sweet lady kisses? does this mean her and mike hooked up? stammering, "i-i, i am so lost. quinnie, what are they talking about? 'm not into mike," turning to quinn for help.
the blonde did what gracie called, "the combo." parker did it all the time, raising their eyebrows while sticking their tongue to the inside of their cheek. quinn doing it made gracie weaker in the knees; looking away immediately from her. "oh, don't even try to get out of this. the flirting between you guys is annoyingly obvious." quinn sasses, as santana and brittany gasp scandalously. gracie pouted, her head hung low and clutching her pom-poms.
during their cheers, gracie is watching the game intently. matt wasn't kidding when he said they sucked, and gracie wonders when they're going to implement the plan kurt came up with. he even asked her to help the football guys with the dance! as much as gracie wanted to learn that choreography, she was not about to dance in any kind of outfit in front of the football team. so, she respectfully declined and kurt understood, but insisted on them performing it together at his place sometime. of course, gracie agreed. "i don't really understand football. so, i just moan when the crowd does." brittany commented, before gracie stood on her tiptoes to reach britt's shoulder. leaning on the blonde, "i've watched matty for so long that it makes sense now. i could explain it to you," and santana shut that down with a wave. the latina knew gracie meant well, but explaining things to brittany took a lot of patience and time.
because kurt can't get in the game until they make a touchdown, gracie sneaks away from the cheerios to go accompany him on the bench. her hands go over his eyes, "guess who?" "it's my gorgeous friend, gracie. who is rocking that cheerios skirt, even though i like the one with the flaps better." kurt replied, as gracie rounded the bench and sat down. huddling close to him for extra warmth, they watch their team fail horribly.
gracie was so bored. mumbling, "just make 'em dance. that'll throw them off," catching the attention of one of the football players. "because we'll be seen as fags, princess!" he sneered, and kurt knew he had to hold gracie back. with his arms around her waist, kurt attempts to hold gracie in place while she claws at the unnamed dickhead. "there's nothing wrong with being gay! but, there is something wrong with being a senior who hasn't had any playing time! seriously, just give up already." gracie retaliates; effectively shutting him up and making some other football players laugh. proud of herself, gracie stopped thrashing in kurt's arms, and flashing her pearly whites to the field. the boy chuckled, "gracie martin, you amaze me. now, pay attention! finn might be man enough to call the play." she rolls her eyes, doing as he demands and going silent. then, beyoncé began to play, and gracie knew this would be good.
[single ladies (put a ring on it) by beyoncé,
performed by the mckinley high titans!]
luckily enough, the other team was so rattled, finn was able to throw a good pass to puck, who made a touchdown. gracie and kurt jump off the bench, cheering loudly for their team. "yay! go, finn! that's what i'm talking about, puckerman!" gracie shouts, not knowing that puck heard her and only realizing when he points at her. after that, gracie realized coach tanaka was gesturing for kurt, and that was her cue to leave.
before he goes out there, gracie grasped him by the shoulders. "you're great, kurt hummel. show this stupid town what you're made of." she hyped him up, pressing a kiss to kurt's cheek and running back to where the cheerios stood. with gracie next to her, quinn wanted to ask why puck pointed to her. noah puckerman had a rep for being a whore, but why gracie? didn't mike have a thing for her, and she returned those feelings? she chalks it up to her pregnancy hormones, brushing it off and focusing back on the game. gracie's hand somehow found its way to quinn's arm; gripping it tightly in fear. the team gets into formation, while kurt and finn prepare for the field goal. she whispers to quinn, "i hope he's okay. he really needs this." the blonde pat at gracie's hand kindly, a silent way of comforting her.
"matthew hayes, put kurt down! i wanna hug him!" kurt kicked the ball into the goal, earning mckinley high their first football win since... forever! gracie runs up on the cluster of players, slapping at matt's padded back. then, she's grabbed by someone, (it's just mike, but gracie doesn't realize.) laughing, "what about me? you can wait your turn, hang with me first," setting her down as gracie glared at him. okay, if the unholy trinity didn't think she was into mike before, they definitely thought it now. well, santana and brittany witnessed their interaction, quinn didn't. brown eyes search the sidelines for a certain cheer captain, stopping once they fall on quinn with finn. they're kissing, passionately, in front of all these people. what did gracie expect? quinn was pregnant with finn's baby. with an aching heart, gracie turns her attention to mike. his eyes are adoring, but she doesn't notice. "great moves out there. maybe we can have a dance break in glee sometime?" she compliments. he picks her up in a hug, lifting her off the ground again and pressing a kiss to her cheek.
mike offered gracie a ride home, one that she eagerly accepted. they walk with intertwined hands in the parking lot, gracie perking up when she sees kurt with, presumably, his father. "kurt! you did great! beyoncé would be so proud of you!" kurt doesn't have time to register the raven launching herself into his sweaty chest, laughing at her antics and burt does the same. mike stands off to the side, gently tugging her away from their kicker. bumping fists, "yeah, good job, man. it was great to bust a move, you know how the guys on the team can be... i, for one, loved the dance," and kurt felt this strange murmur in his heart. he felt accepted for who he was, for what he can do.
kurt grinned, "aw, thanks, you two. dad, this is mike and gracie. mike is one of the only guys on the team who can embody beyoncé's choreography, and gracie is simply the cutest girl in lima. meet my father, burt." the pair look at burt with kind faces; to which burt returned. that cheerleader was too cute, and reminded him of kurt. nodding his head, "nice to meet you two. well, me and kurt are going out for pizza. gluten free because he's worried about my intake, but whatever. we'll get out of your head, drive safe, kids," before father and son continue to their car. gracie then looked up at mike, "can we get ice cream?"
ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : footnote by -livsbedumbs!
GRACIE AND QUINN CONTENT??? GRACIE AND MIKE???? GRACIE AND KURT??? ....gracie and puck... blink and you'll miss it. y'all i can't stop myself from writing i need help