Inscription [03/06]
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Quinn/Rachel
Rating: PG13, warnings for femslash, language and probably excessive fluff
Length: 5,000/28,000 words
Spoilers: Season 01
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee; this is purely for my own personal enjoyment
Summary: Every week, she notices there's a new word inked on Quinn's skin. Rachel certainly hadn't expected junior year to turn out like this, just chock-full of surprises, mostly revolving around a certain blonde, drawing them slowly together.
A/N: Okay, this fic is turning out be a bit of a monster. I had to cut what I had planned for just the third part into two separate chapters. So this is the first one, and I’m working on the second. Uh, yay for more chapters in the future? I think I’ll have to slow down the updates though, coz I’m starting to neglect my work. Also coz I think I have to figure out how to write some angst into this, coz seriously there is so much fluff in this story that you could turn it into a pillow.
Chapter 03
This sucks.
Rachel rubs her hands over her bare arms. She should’ve worn a sweater or a jacket. But she hadn’t wanted to have to bother about it when the day got warmer, which it would in a couple of hours. The weather was always rather chilly in the early morning though, like right now, at 6:38, while she’s walking to school. To make matters worse, the sky was now overcast (those sneaky clouds, they weren’t there six minutes ago!), which meant even less sun than usual and the possibility of rain. She hurries on.
I believe I’m beginning to hate Mondays.
And just as she finishes that thought, she slams into someone at the corner. The force of it sends her tumbling backwards and she lands on her rump on the pavement.
“Oof! Ow!”
“Shit, sorry, Rachel.”
At the sound of her name and a familiar voice, the brunette looks up to find Quinn kneeling over her, yanking out a pair of earbuds and shoving her iPod into the pocket of her letterman. The blonde places a hand on her arm. “You alright?” she asks, even as her eyes scan for any noticeable injuries.
“My rear has suffered a bit of trauma.” Rachel replies, shifting experimentally. “But I should be fine.”
Quinn grins lopsidedly. “Yeah, I think you’ll live.” She stands, extending a hand to Rachel. “Up you go.”
The diva clasps the proffered hand and allows herself to be hauled off the concrete. Only, Quinn pulls just a tad too hard and this time Rachel finds herself tumbling forward. “Ah!”
Fortunately, this time the blonde is also right there to catch her by the shoulders, “Whoa there! Okay, there you go. Geez, you’re a lot lighter than I expected, Berry.”
Rachel takes a step back, narrowing her eyes. “Are you saying you were under the impression that I was fat?”
“No. I’m saying you’re short.” The cheerleader tilts her head contemplatively with a smirk. “I bet I could carry you no problem.”
The brunette huffs and crosses her arms over her chest. “You are adding insult to injury, Quinn, literally.”
Quinn just rolls her eyes and stoops to pick up Rachel’s fallen backpack, muttering something that sounds suspiciously like ‘big baby’. But she smiles fondly as she straightens up again and passes the bag to the girl. “So. Hi.”
Rachel breathes out a hybrid between a sigh and a chuckle. “Hi.”
They move to cross the intersection. “I’m sorry for ramming you over.”
“It’s alright. Consider it water under the bridge. I wasn’t really paying attention to where I was going either, and I was hastening my stride in an attempt both to warm myself and to avoid getting caught in a potential downpour. So it’s not entirely your fault. I apologize as well.” the brunette responds, once more rubbing her hands over her arms.
Quinn eyes her searchingly, and then tilts her chin towards the Starbucks just ahead. “Why don't you let me grab us some coffee to make it up to you anyway?”
Rachel ponders this for a moment. “I’m not sure that’s advisable, Quinn. I really think I should get to school as quickly as possible. It seems highly likely that it’ll rain, and I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I am unprepared for that. You, at least, have your letterman. Besides, there really is no need to make it up to me.”
“Look, if it does rain, I’ll lend you my jacket.” The blonde pushes on the door of the coffee shop, holding it open with one hand as she uses the other to usher her reluctant companion inside. “Okay?”
“But then what about you? I will not risk you getting ill for my sake.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve survived outdoor Cheerios practice during a thunderstorm.”
“…Coach Sylvester is insane.”
Quinn snorts. “That she is.”
The brunette sighs and decides that any further protest is futile as Quinn steps up to the counter. At least it’s warm in here.
The girl behind the cash register smiles sweetly at the cheerleader. “Good morning, Quinn. Are you having your usual?”
“Hey, Nikki, and yeah, thanks.”
“One vanilla latte, coming right up. And for your friend?”
Quinn turns to Rachel with a raised eyebrow.
“I’ll just have brewed coffee, please.”
“Sure thing,” Nikki says, punching in their orders and nodding to the guy behind her who shares her shift. He starts making their coffee. “So, um, how was your weekend, Quinn?”
The blonde gives her a smile, leaning her hip against the marble top. “Good. Quiet. I just finished rereading Kafka on the Shore.”
“T-that’s nice. Murakami is a really amazing author.”
“Man’s a genius,” Quinn agrees, handing the girl her money. “What about you?”
“Oh y’know, same old. Just hanging out with friends and stuff…” Nikki answers, blushing slightly when her fingertips graze the cheerleader’s.
“Cool.”
The young barista beams at her. Rachel observes the interaction with an amused, knowing grin. Quinn was a natural flirt; it came as second nature to her. Rachel had been witness to this multiple times over the past two weeks. Like when Quinn would tease Santana just to annoy her (“You keep saying you’re going to kick my ass, S, but I know you won’t. You like staring at it too much.”). Or flirt with Brittany, when they both wanted to annoy the Latina (which had actually prompted Santana to finally make things official with Brittany a few days ago. Rachel suspects the two blondes had planned it that way). Or with Kurt, which was just utterly hilarious because he would flirt right back, and everyone got a good laugh out of it. Or, well, with Rachel herself. It was all in good fun.
Nikki’s partner comes around with their orders. Quinn picks up the cups, handing Rachel hers. “Careful. Hot. Anyway, I’ll see you around guys!”
“Bye, Quinn!” Nikki waves.
They stop at a table by the door so Rachel can mix some sugar into her drink. Quinn sips at her coffee, gazing out to the street. When the brunette looks up again after recapping her cup, Quinn is holding out her letterman to her. “It started raining.”
“Oh.” Rachel glances out the window, and it is indeed drizzling. “Are you sure? I-I’m fairly positive I’ll be fine…”
“Deal’s a deal, Berry. You wouldn’t want to make me go back on my word now, would you?” the cheerleader coaxes.
Rachel is quickly discerning that it is very, very hard to say no to Quinn Fabray. She smiles shyly and puts down her backpack so she can don the jacket. As she slips her arms into the sleeves, she catches a whiff of jasmine, and she feels a sense of warmth envelope her. From the corner of her eye, she registers Nikki gaping at them and she feels her cheeks flare. She can imagine what the girl must be thinking. She swallows, picking up her bag and her coffee, and looks to Quinn. The blonde nods approvingly and holds the door open for her again.
Instantly, Rachel feels grateful for Quinn’s insistence because it’s even colder out here now. She drinks her coffee greedily for the added warmth in her belly, not really caring that she’s scalding her tongue. She glances guiltily to her companion, but Quinn looks unperturbed by the chill. The cheerleader has a faraway look in her eyes as she stares pensively ahead.
“Quinn? Are you alright?”
“Huh?” The blonde blinks and turns to her. “Oh, yeah, I was just… thinking.”
Rachel tilts her head. “May I ask what about? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I don’t mean to pry or anything and I completely understand if you wish to keep your thoughts to yourself.”
Quinn smiles bemusedly. “No, it’s okay. I was thinking about Finn.”
“Finn?” Rachel repeats. The cheerleader nods distractedly. She doesn’t elaborate, so Rachel ventures a guess. “Are you having second thoughts about being a lesbian and considering getting back together with him?” she teases.
Quinn does a double take. “What?! No! Oh, god, no. Boys are gross.” She laughs. “Sorry. I meant that… I was thinking about something he said. Did… did you know he wanted to name the baby ‘Drizzle’?”
The brunette raises an eyebrow. “He did?”
“Yeah. Something about how awesome it is when it’s raining but it’s not really raining, but it smells like rain, but you don’t need an umbrella to go outside.”
Rachel giggles. “That does sound like something he would say.”
The cheerleader smiles, “Yeah. Of course, I called him a moron. But now that I think about it…” she closes her eyes briefly and inhales, “it actually is pretty awesome. And maybe it wouldn’t have been such a bad name after all.”
“Do you…” Rachel hesitates, but presses on, “do you think about her a lot? The baby?”
Hazel eyes pierce her with a meaningful look. “Every single day.” is the whispered, wistful reply.
The diva drops her eyes to her feet, nodding once.
After a pause, Quinn pipes up. “What about you? I expected you and Finn to, y’know, run across the cornfields in slow motion into each others arms after Regionals last year.”
Rachel chuckles. “We talked about it. But the break-up with Jesse was still fresh, and so was the whole thing with Shelby, and I just… wasn’t ready. He understood. So we stayed just friends. And eventually we came to the conclusion that we worked much better that way anyway.”
“I always thought as much.” the cheerleader muses out loud, sipping her drink.
The brunette’s eyes narrow playfully. “Of course you did. He was your boyfriend when I started pursuing him.”
“Okay, I did not think you would work better as friends at that point because I didn’t want you to work as anything. But, like, after Sectionals… well, it was obvious you were a girl with high standards. And he’s a nice guy and all, with a pretty good voice, but…”
“Well, why did you date him? I wouldn’t have you pegged as someone with standards any lower than mine.”
The blonde shrugs. “It was easy. And it was expected. And he’s the one who pursued me. And I didn’t think boys were gross yet.”
Rachel hums thoughtfully into her coffee. “And what happened between you and Puck after Regionals?”
“I told him flat out to back off.” Quinn taps her chin in thought, “Whatever I had with him was complicated, and I just… wanted things to be not complicated for a while, y’know? My life was a mess and I needed to pull myself together again. I wasn’t ready either.”
“And then you finally realized that you actually thought boys were gross and had sex with a girl in Boston.”
The cheerleader laughs. “And then that. I didn’t actually have sex with her though.”
“You didn’t?”
“Nope. Half-naked, remember? Mom caught us before we could get that far. And I honestly don’t know how far we would’ve gotten if she hadn’t. ”
“Y’know… I was quite surprised with how okay you were with being gay, and even more surprised that you admitted it to me so readily.”
Quinn shrugs again. “Why wouldn’t I tell you? We all know how much you love your dads. You’re one of the last people I’d be worried about knowing. And… well, I’ve had time to process it. I talked it over a lot with Kurt, San and Britt, and my mom and my sister. I’m still getting used to it, so I’m not gonna be shouting it from the rooftops or anything, but I’m tired of lying. Mom was just thankful I didn’t lock myself up in my room for a whole week again, like I did at the start of summer.”
The brunette raises an eyebrow. Quinn points at it. “I think I’m rubbing off on you too much. I was soul-searching, okay? Like I said, I needed to pull myself together. Figure out who I was, who I wanted to be.”
Rachel smiles, “And did you?”
“Not quite. But it helped. I figured out who I didn’t want to be. I’m still working on the rest.”
Images of Quinn flash through Rachel’s mind. Eyes full of animosity, cold like steel. And then those same eyes full of melancholy - weary and resigned. Both sets so different from each other and so different from what they were like now. Now they were bright and bold, and though they still possessed a feral ferocity, they were also tempered with a certain softness. But they had always had that spark- that spark that was uniquely Quinn. That hadn’t disappeared completely even in her darkest hours. That was slowly but surely getting stronger everyday. (Rachel had known for a long time that if she had to pick the one (physical) characteristic she liked best about Quinn Fabray, it would be her eyes.)
“You’re a remarkable person, Quinn, going through what you went through and coming out even stronger for it.”
Quinn snorts, “Hardly. I’m just a stubborn bitch.”
The brunette whacks her lightly on the arm. They share a laugh.
“Besides, if there’s anyone who deserves to be called that, it’d be you.”
Rachel smirks. “This is true.”
The blonde bops her lightly on the head. They laugh again.
Neither really notices that their arms are now brushing against each other as they walk and smile quietly to themselves.
Then something occurs to Rachel. “Oh! What is it this week?” she asks excitedly.
Quinn looks confused, “Pardon?”
The diva points to the white wristband on Quinn’s arm, “The word. What’s this week’s word? Do you have one yet?” And then her face falls. “You’re still doing the word thing, right?”
The blonde grins. “Calm down, Berry. Yes, I’m still doing ‘the word thing’. And yes, I do have one already.”
Rachel practically bounces. “So what is it? Show me, show me!”
“Hmm…” Quinn narrows her eyes thoughtfully at her companion. “I think I’ll keep it a secret.”
“What?! That’s not fair!” the brunette protests. Quinn merely raises an eyebrow. Rachel lunges at her and tries to grab her wrist. The cheerleader dodges the attempt.
“Quiiinnnnn!” the diva whines.
The blonde sticks her tongue out, “Why don’t you guess?”
Rachel pouts as they resume walking. “You’re doing this to torture me, aren’t you?”
“Damn straight.”
“Who, you? I don’t think so. And neither am I.” Crap. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud. It’s not that she wasn’t comfortable with it; she had come to terms with the fluidity of her sexuality ages ago. But she hadn’t wanted Quinn to find out that way.
But the cheerleader simply laughs. “Yeah, I’m not surprised.”
The brunette’s brow furrows. “You’re not? Why? I don’t believe I’ve ever given any clear indication that I was gay- or rather, bisexual. You shouldn’t assume things just because I have two dads, Quinn.”
“Chill, Berry. I didn’t assume anything.” Quinn placates, “You’ve never given any clear indication that you weren’t bi either. And if you did turn out to be completely straight, I still wouldn’t be surprised. I figured, when it came to you, the chances were 50/50. All I’m saying is that it isn’t a big deal.”
“Oh.” Rachel blinks.
“Yeah. So, are you going to guess or what?”
The diva groans. “Quinn!”
“Just guess, Berry.” The blonde encourages while laughing.
“Obedience.”
“You’re not that lucky.”
“Mercy?”
“Obviously not.”
“Respect?” the brunette tries, sounding a little desperate now.
“No.”
“Generosity!”
“You’re just going to keep shooting in the dark until you get it, aren’t you?” the blonde states amusedly.
“I am not guessing blindly. You bought me coffee and then lent me your jacket.” Rachel reasons. “But yes, I will keep going until I arrive at the correct response. I believe you know that perseverance is one my virtues.”
“Okay, that’s going to annoy the hell outta me, so here’s how this’ll work.” Quinn holds up a finger. “You get one guess per day for the rest of the week.”
“That leaves me with only four more chances!” the diva exclaims, flailing her arms.
“That’s right. So choose carefully, Berry.”
Rachel grumbles under her breath and glares. Quinn, unfazed, merely sips at her coffee again.
“Why can’t you just tell meeeee?”
“I’ll let you pick next week’s word if you get it right.”
Rachel perks up, “Really?”
“Yeah.” the cheerleader nods.
“What if I don’t?”
“Then I will have had the pleasure of tormenting you for a full week, and I’ll tell you what it was on Saturday.”
The brunette contemplates this. “Fine. Are there any other rules?”
“Hmm, let’s see. You have until midnight everyday, on the dot, to guess. Any later than that and you forfeit your chance for the day. You can’t accumulate. And no cheating, you have to actually guess the word. You can’t remove my wristband, or ask someone else to find out for you, or anything like that. Deal?”
“Deal.” Rachel accepts, sticking her hand out. They shake.
They’re crossing McKinley High’s parking lot now. It’s still practically empty, only a handful of cars present. Rachel surmises they must belong to other Cheerios.
“So what are you doing here so early anyway, Berry?”
The diva sighs. “I’m here to use the library. This year is turning out to be academic torture, and it’s barely even begun. I swear our teachers are just enjoying swamping us with so much work. I’m barely managing to keep up with all of it and still have time for my extra-curricular demands. So I’m trying to stay ahead. If this ends up affecting my vocal performance, I am going to be very upset.”
“You should join our study group.” Quinn says, patting her shoulder.
Rachel’s eyebrows shoot up. “You have a study group?”
“Yup,” the cheerleader nods, “Me, S and B.”
“Oh… but I hear that study groups never work.”
“Ours does.”
“Really?” The brunette looks skeptical.
Quinn chuckles. “Yes, really. We’re awesome. I’ll prove it to you. We’re having a session this afternoon at Brittany’s house. Come with us.”
Rachel bites her lip. “Okay…” she concedes reluctantly.
The blonde grins. “Great. I’ll let the others know. Don’t worry about it. We’ll meet you out here after our afternoon practice.”
“Okay.”
They toss their empty coffee cups into the trashcan by the entrance. Quinn wipes at the raindrops on her arms with her hands. Rachel slides out of the cheerleader’s jacket and offers it back.
“Thank you.”
“No problem.” the blonde replies kindly, slinging the letterman over her shoulder.
Rachel tilts her head towards the front door of their high school. “Ready?”
“Gimme a minute.”
The brunette watches as Quinn breathes in deeply, squaring her shoulders, a determined glint flashing in her eyes. Rachel recognizes that this is Quinn building up her walls, that the laid-back version of the blonde she’s come to know and experience lately is not someone just anybody gets to see.
Something in Rachel’s chest swells with the awareness that Quinn trusts her with her guard down.
“Okay, Berry. Let’s go.”
+ + + + +
Later that afternoon, Rachel is back outside the entrance of McKinley. She sits on the front steps, listening to her iPod. Her leg bounces up and down in her nervousness. Make her stand on stage and sing in front of hundreds of people? Gladly. Sit her in a dentists chair to get her wisdom teeth pulled out? No problem. Horror movie marathon? She can handle it. Ask her to spend an entire afternoon/evening with Quinn, Santana, and Brittany, the royalty of William McKinley High School? Now that is kinda scary. Maybe she should just go home. Send a text to Quinn and just bolt. Yeah, she could-
“Raaaaacheeelll!”
She manages not to cringe outwardly at the sound of Brittany’s sing-song voice from behind her. Slowly, she stands and turns.
And freezes.
She does not recognize the girls approaching her. She was expecting to be met with red armor and tennis shoes and high ponytails. Instead she is met with Brittany, wearing a bandana on her head, a sky blue blouse and a long, flowing floral skirt and sandals. And then there’s Santana, hair completely unrestrained, with a sleeveless purple hoodie over her loose black slacks and black sneakers.
Last but not least, there is Quinn, blonde tresses held back in a half-ponytail, dressed in a dark brown button-down collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and skin-tight denim jeans that are tucked into black leather boots reaching up to mid-shin. She’s obviously freshly showered, hair still damp, and sporting no make-up whatsoever (vaguely, Rachel notes that neither are the other two).
A hand is waving in front of her face. Rachel blinks and finds Brittany scrutinizing her closely. “You okay, Rachel? You didn’t say hi or anything.”
The diva blushes, realizing she was caught starting. “Sorry. Hello, Brittany. I’m fine, thank you.”
Satisfied, Brittany beams at her.
Santana, however, steps forward with a glare. “Okay, look. If you’re going to be crashing our little rendezvous, you have to swear on your life that you will tell no one about anything that you will see, hear or do today. Do I make myself clear?”
Rachel gulps. “Crystal,” she says in a small voice. This was definitely a bad idea. Were they part of some kind of cult or something?
She feels Brittany wrap and arm around her shoulders and squeeze. “Its okay, Rachel, she’s just a little worried because she has to be nice to you and she doesn’t want anybody else to find out.”
“I do not- ow! That was uncalled for, Q! I haven’t done anything!” the Latina growls, rubbing her ear, which Quinn had just flicked. The head cheerleader’s eyebrow arches up. Santana rolls her eyes, “Whatever. I’ll behave myself, okay Berry? But seriously, no one can know. Okay?”
The diva nods. “Okay.”
Almost immediately, the scowl drops off Santana’s face and she actually grins. “Good. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way…” she whips out a pair of shades and shoves them on her face, “Let’s get this show on the road!”
Brittany hoots, “I get to drive this time!”
As the taller blonde yanks her towards the parking lot, Rachel looks back anxiously over her shoulder. She sees Quinn wink before slipping on a pair of aviators as she ambles along behind them. Rachel feels most of her apprehension fade away.
They come to a halt beside a vehicle and Rachel’s jaw drops, “A jeep?”
“I know, right? Isn’t it awesome? It’s Santana’s baby. Well, aside from me, that is.” Brittany giggles. She snatches Rachel’s backpack from her and tosses it into the trunk, followed by her own. Then she makes her way to the front and slides into the driver’s seat. The engine revs and the roof folds down.
Rachel is still gawking at the bright red monster in front of her when she feels a hand on her shoulder. Quinn is grinning at her. “C’mon, Berry. All aboard.”
The brunette does as she’s told and clambers into the backseat behind Brittany. Quinn climbs in after her.
“It’s a jeep!” Rachel reiterates, still bowled over.
“Not just any jeep,” says Santana from the passenger seat up front as she inserts a CD into the stereo, “It’s a Jeep Wrangler Sahara. And the best part about it is…” she presses a button and suddenly there’s music blasting from everywhere and the vehicle is vibrating, “the seven-speaker Infinity sound system with subwoofers!”
Brittany speeds away from their school to the tunes of John Mayer.
Rachel tries to hold on for dear life.
+ + + + +
Apparently, they have to pick up ‘supplies’ before going to Brittany’s house. This involves two stops. The first of which is... McDonald’s.
“Give us one Angus Bacon & Cheese, one Angus Mushroom & Swiss, and one Big Mac. And four cups of your crappy coffee.” is what Santana shouts into the microphone.
Rachel’s face takes on an expression of disgust at first, but then she imagines the face Sue Sylvester would make if she ever found out what her top three girls were eating right now. Then she can’t stop grinning.
The second is Santana’s place. Brittany kills the music so as not to piss off the neighbors while the Latina hops out and disappears into her home. Not five minutes later, she reemerges carrying a large plastic bag and which she hands to Quinn, who places it in the space between herself and Rachel. Brittany shifts into gear once more.
Quinn then digs her hand into the bag and brings out something packaged in foil, which she tosses to the brunette beside her. “Veg burger. We had San’s mom whip it up for you.”
Rachel smiles gratefully. “Thank you. That was nice of you guys. What else is in there?”
The blonde pulls out two cans of Bud Light.
“Beer?!”
“Yup. Want one?” Quinn asks nonchalantly. Rachel glowers. “Suit yourself.” The cheerleader passes a can to Santana instead and opens the other for herself. “B, you’ll get yours later when you’re not at the wheel.”
Brittany nods in assent and takes a swig of her coffee (the others have already finished theirs since they weren’t busy driving).
“I cannot believe you’re bringing beer to a group study session!”
“There’s not enough to get drunk.” drawls Santana, chewing on her Big Mac. At the same time, the Latina holds out Brittany’s sandwich close to her mouth so her girlfriend can have a bite.
The tall blonde glances at the diva through the rear-view mirror. “Have one, Rachel. Relax. You’ll have more fun that way!”
“I wasn’t exactly aware that this afternoon would be about fun.” the brunette mutters.
Quinn chuckles and places a soothing hand on Rachel’s elbow, pausing in her own quest to devour her Bacon & Cheese. “Hey. Just trust us, okay? It’ll be worth it, I guarantee you.”
Rachel absorbs the sincerity in Quinn’s voice and exhales slowly, “Alright.”
The blonde smiles, and there is peace. That is, until the next moment, when Santana brings out a cigarette packet.
“Santana!”
The Latina winces, “Oh god, my eardrums.”
“Put that away right this instant!” Rachel shrieks, “As a member of Glee, you have a responsibility to take care of your vocal chords-”
“Q, make her shut up.”
The diva turns to Quinn and glares. “You’re condoning this?!”
The blonde sighs. “It’s kind of our tradition. We do this once every two weeks during the school year. And it’s only ever one stick each. It’s just how we unwind.”
Rachel remains stoic. Quinn tilts her head down and looks imploringly at her over the top of her sunglasses, doing her best impression of a puppy. “Please don’t be mad, Rachel. Look, I won’t smoke if it upsets you that much.”
The brunette struggles internally. She was feeling a little bit like a jerk now. She realized she was being permitted to be privy to a world Quinn normally shared with only Santana and Brittany, and yet Quinn was the one compromising so that Rachel would find it easier to fit into that world. Then there was the fact that she said she would trust them, and here she was making things difficult. Not to mention, Quinn’s current expression must be one of the most adorable things Rachel has ever seen. She never stood a chance, really. God, what has she gotten herself into?
“One stick.” she mumbles.
Quinn absolutely beams and throws her arms around Rachel’s neck. “Thank you.” she whispers into the brunette’s ear as she hugs her.
Rachel feels instantaneously gratified for her decision.
“Great. Here, Q.” Santana passes the blonde a cigarette and a lighter.
Quinn promptly lights the cigarette and takes a long drag. Rachel finds herself mesmerized as she watches the smoke tumble from between the cheerleader’s lips. The brunette shakes her head.
Smoking is not sexy. Smoking is not sexy. “I think I’ll have that beer.” she squeaks, reaching into the bag.
“Alright! Go Rachel!” Brittany cheers.
“Hey Quinn, pass me back the light, would you? I want my fag too.”
Quinn complies. The Latina flicks the lighter a few times, but no flame appears. “Shit, I think its outta gas.”
Rachel grins triumphantly. Fate was on her side.
Then Santana turns in her seat to face them, “Gimme a kiss, Q.”
The blonde rolls her eyes and leans forwards. Rachel’s eyes go wide.
But Santana merely traps her cigarette between her lips and touches the tip of the stick to Quinn’s (also being ‘held’ in the blonde’s mouth), making it catch fire. She takes a drag and leans back. Quinn does the same, stretching her arms across the backrest. Rachel releases a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
Santana lights a cigarette for Brittany in the same fashion. “So,” the Latina shouts out, “Now that we have everything we need, its time to par-teh!“ She turns on the stereo again and seeks to a specific track number. The intro of a song Rachel doesn’t recognize starts playing, but its obvious the other three are very familiar with it by the way they whoop delightedly and begin swaying their bodies and bobbing their heads.
[ A/N: link to the song HERE (Getaway People - Six Pacs) ]
Santana kicks off with the verse, waving her beer and her burger in the air, “Six packs and Big Macs keep us rollin’ down the road!”
“Cigarettes and coffee wher-e-ver we go.” Brittany continues. Rachel laughs, suddenly realizing where their little tradition originated from.
Quinn takes over, “Learn to appreciate those simple li’l things, and open up our arms to what the world may bring.”
Rachel watches on with a highly amused grin they carry on in unison,
People all around us, they shower us with love,
And she is shocked once more when Quinn and Santana suddenly jump to their feet, grabbing onto the bars of the jeep, and holler out the chorus,
You better keep it comin’ coz we just can’t get enough!
Where would we be without little love?
You can’t get by without a little love,
Everybody needs a little bit o’ love sometime!
Quinn then turns to Rachel, grabbing her wrist, and pulls her up to stand beside her. And as Rachel watches the girl laugh into the wind with her golden locks streaming behind her, she thinks that right here, right now, is a really good time and place to be.
Also, Mondays? They aren’t so bad. In fact, they’re kind of awesome.
Next Chapter
Pairing: Quinn/Rachel
Rating: PG13, warnings for femslash, language and probably excessive fluff
Length: 5,000/28,000 words
Spoilers: Season 01
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee; this is purely for my own personal enjoyment
Summary: Every week, she notices there's a new word inked on Quinn's skin. Rachel certainly hadn't expected junior year to turn out like this, just chock-full of surprises, mostly revolving around a certain blonde, drawing them slowly together.
A/N: Okay, this fic is turning out be a bit of a monster. I had to cut what I had planned for just the third part into two separate chapters. So this is the first one, and I’m working on the second. Uh, yay for more chapters in the future? I think I’ll have to slow down the updates though, coz I’m starting to neglect my work. Also coz I think I have to figure out how to write some angst into this, coz seriously there is so much fluff in this story that you could turn it into a pillow.
Chapter 03
This sucks.
Rachel rubs her hands over her bare arms. She should’ve worn a sweater or a jacket. But she hadn’t wanted to have to bother about it when the day got warmer, which it would in a couple of hours. The weather was always rather chilly in the early morning though, like right now, at 6:38, while she’s walking to school. To make matters worse, the sky was now overcast (those sneaky clouds, they weren’t there six minutes ago!), which meant even less sun than usual and the possibility of rain. She hurries on.
I believe I’m beginning to hate Mondays.
And just as she finishes that thought, she slams into someone at the corner. The force of it sends her tumbling backwards and she lands on her rump on the pavement.
“Oof! Ow!”
“Shit, sorry, Rachel.”
At the sound of her name and a familiar voice, the brunette looks up to find Quinn kneeling over her, yanking out a pair of earbuds and shoving her iPod into the pocket of her letterman. The blonde places a hand on her arm. “You alright?” she asks, even as her eyes scan for any noticeable injuries.
“My rear has suffered a bit of trauma.” Rachel replies, shifting experimentally. “But I should be fine.”
Quinn grins lopsidedly. “Yeah, I think you’ll live.” She stands, extending a hand to Rachel. “Up you go.”
The diva clasps the proffered hand and allows herself to be hauled off the concrete. Only, Quinn pulls just a tad too hard and this time Rachel finds herself tumbling forward. “Ah!”
Fortunately, this time the blonde is also right there to catch her by the shoulders, “Whoa there! Okay, there you go. Geez, you’re a lot lighter than I expected, Berry.”
Rachel takes a step back, narrowing her eyes. “Are you saying you were under the impression that I was fat?”
“No. I’m saying you’re short.” The cheerleader tilts her head contemplatively with a smirk. “I bet I could carry you no problem.”
The brunette huffs and crosses her arms over her chest. “You are adding insult to injury, Quinn, literally.”
Quinn just rolls her eyes and stoops to pick up Rachel’s fallen backpack, muttering something that sounds suspiciously like ‘big baby’. But she smiles fondly as she straightens up again and passes the bag to the girl. “So. Hi.”
Rachel breathes out a hybrid between a sigh and a chuckle. “Hi.”
They move to cross the intersection. “I’m sorry for ramming you over.”
“It’s alright. Consider it water under the bridge. I wasn’t really paying attention to where I was going either, and I was hastening my stride in an attempt both to warm myself and to avoid getting caught in a potential downpour. So it’s not entirely your fault. I apologize as well.” the brunette responds, once more rubbing her hands over her arms.
Quinn eyes her searchingly, and then tilts her chin towards the Starbucks just ahead. “Why don't you let me grab us some coffee to make it up to you anyway?”
Rachel ponders this for a moment. “I’m not sure that’s advisable, Quinn. I really think I should get to school as quickly as possible. It seems highly likely that it’ll rain, and I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I am unprepared for that. You, at least, have your letterman. Besides, there really is no need to make it up to me.”
“Look, if it does rain, I’ll lend you my jacket.” The blonde pushes on the door of the coffee shop, holding it open with one hand as she uses the other to usher her reluctant companion inside. “Okay?”
“But then what about you? I will not risk you getting ill for my sake.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve survived outdoor Cheerios practice during a thunderstorm.”
“…Coach Sylvester is insane.”
Quinn snorts. “That she is.”
The brunette sighs and decides that any further protest is futile as Quinn steps up to the counter. At least it’s warm in here.
The girl behind the cash register smiles sweetly at the cheerleader. “Good morning, Quinn. Are you having your usual?”
“Hey, Nikki, and yeah, thanks.”
“One vanilla latte, coming right up. And for your friend?”
Quinn turns to Rachel with a raised eyebrow.
“I’ll just have brewed coffee, please.”
“Sure thing,” Nikki says, punching in their orders and nodding to the guy behind her who shares her shift. He starts making their coffee. “So, um, how was your weekend, Quinn?”
The blonde gives her a smile, leaning her hip against the marble top. “Good. Quiet. I just finished rereading Kafka on the Shore.”
“T-that’s nice. Murakami is a really amazing author.”
“Man’s a genius,” Quinn agrees, handing the girl her money. “What about you?”
“Oh y’know, same old. Just hanging out with friends and stuff…” Nikki answers, blushing slightly when her fingertips graze the cheerleader’s.
“Cool.”
The young barista beams at her. Rachel observes the interaction with an amused, knowing grin. Quinn was a natural flirt; it came as second nature to her. Rachel had been witness to this multiple times over the past two weeks. Like when Quinn would tease Santana just to annoy her (“You keep saying you’re going to kick my ass, S, but I know you won’t. You like staring at it too much.”). Or flirt with Brittany, when they both wanted to annoy the Latina (which had actually prompted Santana to finally make things official with Brittany a few days ago. Rachel suspects the two blondes had planned it that way). Or with Kurt, which was just utterly hilarious because he would flirt right back, and everyone got a good laugh out of it. Or, well, with Rachel herself. It was all in good fun.
Nikki’s partner comes around with their orders. Quinn picks up the cups, handing Rachel hers. “Careful. Hot. Anyway, I’ll see you around guys!”
“Bye, Quinn!” Nikki waves.
They stop at a table by the door so Rachel can mix some sugar into her drink. Quinn sips at her coffee, gazing out to the street. When the brunette looks up again after recapping her cup, Quinn is holding out her letterman to her. “It started raining.”
“Oh.” Rachel glances out the window, and it is indeed drizzling. “Are you sure? I-I’m fairly positive I’ll be fine…”
“Deal’s a deal, Berry. You wouldn’t want to make me go back on my word now, would you?” the cheerleader coaxes.
Rachel is quickly discerning that it is very, very hard to say no to Quinn Fabray. She smiles shyly and puts down her backpack so she can don the jacket. As she slips her arms into the sleeves, she catches a whiff of jasmine, and she feels a sense of warmth envelope her. From the corner of her eye, she registers Nikki gaping at them and she feels her cheeks flare. She can imagine what the girl must be thinking. She swallows, picking up her bag and her coffee, and looks to Quinn. The blonde nods approvingly and holds the door open for her again.
Instantly, Rachel feels grateful for Quinn’s insistence because it’s even colder out here now. She drinks her coffee greedily for the added warmth in her belly, not really caring that she’s scalding her tongue. She glances guiltily to her companion, but Quinn looks unperturbed by the chill. The cheerleader has a faraway look in her eyes as she stares pensively ahead.
“Quinn? Are you alright?”
“Huh?” The blonde blinks and turns to her. “Oh, yeah, I was just… thinking.”
Rachel tilts her head. “May I ask what about? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I don’t mean to pry or anything and I completely understand if you wish to keep your thoughts to yourself.”
Quinn smiles bemusedly. “No, it’s okay. I was thinking about Finn.”
“Finn?” Rachel repeats. The cheerleader nods distractedly. She doesn’t elaborate, so Rachel ventures a guess. “Are you having second thoughts about being a lesbian and considering getting back together with him?” she teases.
Quinn does a double take. “What?! No! Oh, god, no. Boys are gross.” She laughs. “Sorry. I meant that… I was thinking about something he said. Did… did you know he wanted to name the baby ‘Drizzle’?”
The brunette raises an eyebrow. “He did?”
“Yeah. Something about how awesome it is when it’s raining but it’s not really raining, but it smells like rain, but you don’t need an umbrella to go outside.”
Rachel giggles. “That does sound like something he would say.”
The cheerleader smiles, “Yeah. Of course, I called him a moron. But now that I think about it…” she closes her eyes briefly and inhales, “it actually is pretty awesome. And maybe it wouldn’t have been such a bad name after all.”
“Do you…” Rachel hesitates, but presses on, “do you think about her a lot? The baby?”
Hazel eyes pierce her with a meaningful look. “Every single day.” is the whispered, wistful reply.
The diva drops her eyes to her feet, nodding once.
After a pause, Quinn pipes up. “What about you? I expected you and Finn to, y’know, run across the cornfields in slow motion into each others arms after Regionals last year.”
Rachel chuckles. “We talked about it. But the break-up with Jesse was still fresh, and so was the whole thing with Shelby, and I just… wasn’t ready. He understood. So we stayed just friends. And eventually we came to the conclusion that we worked much better that way anyway.”
“I always thought as much.” the cheerleader muses out loud, sipping her drink.
The brunette’s eyes narrow playfully. “Of course you did. He was your boyfriend when I started pursuing him.”
“Okay, I did not think you would work better as friends at that point because I didn’t want you to work as anything. But, like, after Sectionals… well, it was obvious you were a girl with high standards. And he’s a nice guy and all, with a pretty good voice, but…”
“Well, why did you date him? I wouldn’t have you pegged as someone with standards any lower than mine.”
The blonde shrugs. “It was easy. And it was expected. And he’s the one who pursued me. And I didn’t think boys were gross yet.”
Rachel hums thoughtfully into her coffee. “And what happened between you and Puck after Regionals?”
“I told him flat out to back off.” Quinn taps her chin in thought, “Whatever I had with him was complicated, and I just… wanted things to be not complicated for a while, y’know? My life was a mess and I needed to pull myself together again. I wasn’t ready either.”
“And then you finally realized that you actually thought boys were gross and had sex with a girl in Boston.”
The cheerleader laughs. “And then that. I didn’t actually have sex with her though.”
“You didn’t?”
“Nope. Half-naked, remember? Mom caught us before we could get that far. And I honestly don’t know how far we would’ve gotten if she hadn’t. ”
“Y’know… I was quite surprised with how okay you were with being gay, and even more surprised that you admitted it to me so readily.”
Quinn shrugs again. “Why wouldn’t I tell you? We all know how much you love your dads. You’re one of the last people I’d be worried about knowing. And… well, I’ve had time to process it. I talked it over a lot with Kurt, San and Britt, and my mom and my sister. I’m still getting used to it, so I’m not gonna be shouting it from the rooftops or anything, but I’m tired of lying. Mom was just thankful I didn’t lock myself up in my room for a whole week again, like I did at the start of summer.”
The brunette raises an eyebrow. Quinn points at it. “I think I’m rubbing off on you too much. I was soul-searching, okay? Like I said, I needed to pull myself together. Figure out who I was, who I wanted to be.”
Rachel smiles, “And did you?”
“Not quite. But it helped. I figured out who I didn’t want to be. I’m still working on the rest.”
Images of Quinn flash through Rachel’s mind. Eyes full of animosity, cold like steel. And then those same eyes full of melancholy - weary and resigned. Both sets so different from each other and so different from what they were like now. Now they were bright and bold, and though they still possessed a feral ferocity, they were also tempered with a certain softness. But they had always had that spark- that spark that was uniquely Quinn. That hadn’t disappeared completely even in her darkest hours. That was slowly but surely getting stronger everyday. (Rachel had known for a long time that if she had to pick the one (physical) characteristic she liked best about Quinn Fabray, it would be her eyes.)
“You’re a remarkable person, Quinn, going through what you went through and coming out even stronger for it.”
Quinn snorts, “Hardly. I’m just a stubborn bitch.”
The brunette whacks her lightly on the arm. They share a laugh.
“Besides, if there’s anyone who deserves to be called that, it’d be you.”
Rachel smirks. “This is true.”
The blonde bops her lightly on the head. They laugh again.
Neither really notices that their arms are now brushing against each other as they walk and smile quietly to themselves.
Then something occurs to Rachel. “Oh! What is it this week?” she asks excitedly.
Quinn looks confused, “Pardon?”
The diva points to the white wristband on Quinn’s arm, “The word. What’s this week’s word? Do you have one yet?” And then her face falls. “You’re still doing the word thing, right?”
The blonde grins. “Calm down, Berry. Yes, I’m still doing ‘the word thing’. And yes, I do have one already.”
Rachel practically bounces. “So what is it? Show me, show me!”
“Hmm…” Quinn narrows her eyes thoughtfully at her companion. “I think I’ll keep it a secret.”
“What?! That’s not fair!” the brunette protests. Quinn merely raises an eyebrow. Rachel lunges at her and tries to grab her wrist. The cheerleader dodges the attempt.
“Quiiinnnnn!” the diva whines.
The blonde sticks her tongue out, “Why don’t you guess?”
Rachel pouts as they resume walking. “You’re doing this to torture me, aren’t you?”
“Damn straight.”
“Who, you? I don’t think so. And neither am I.” Crap. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud. It’s not that she wasn’t comfortable with it; she had come to terms with the fluidity of her sexuality ages ago. But she hadn’t wanted Quinn to find out that way.
But the cheerleader simply laughs. “Yeah, I’m not surprised.”
The brunette’s brow furrows. “You’re not? Why? I don’t believe I’ve ever given any clear indication that I was gay- or rather, bisexual. You shouldn’t assume things just because I have two dads, Quinn.”
“Chill, Berry. I didn’t assume anything.” Quinn placates, “You’ve never given any clear indication that you weren’t bi either. And if you did turn out to be completely straight, I still wouldn’t be surprised. I figured, when it came to you, the chances were 50/50. All I’m saying is that it isn’t a big deal.”
“Oh.” Rachel blinks.
“Yeah. So, are you going to guess or what?”
The diva groans. “Quinn!”
“Just guess, Berry.” The blonde encourages while laughing.
“Obedience.”
“You’re not that lucky.”
“Mercy?”
“Obviously not.”
“Respect?” the brunette tries, sounding a little desperate now.
“No.”
“Generosity!”
“You’re just going to keep shooting in the dark until you get it, aren’t you?” the blonde states amusedly.
“I am not guessing blindly. You bought me coffee and then lent me your jacket.” Rachel reasons. “But yes, I will keep going until I arrive at the correct response. I believe you know that perseverance is one my virtues.”
“Okay, that’s going to annoy the hell outta me, so here’s how this’ll work.” Quinn holds up a finger. “You get one guess per day for the rest of the week.”
“That leaves me with only four more chances!” the diva exclaims, flailing her arms.
“That’s right. So choose carefully, Berry.”
Rachel grumbles under her breath and glares. Quinn, unfazed, merely sips at her coffee again.
“Why can’t you just tell meeeee?”
“I’ll let you pick next week’s word if you get it right.”
Rachel perks up, “Really?”
“Yeah.” the cheerleader nods.
“What if I don’t?”
“Then I will have had the pleasure of tormenting you for a full week, and I’ll tell you what it was on Saturday.”
The brunette contemplates this. “Fine. Are there any other rules?”
“Hmm, let’s see. You have until midnight everyday, on the dot, to guess. Any later than that and you forfeit your chance for the day. You can’t accumulate. And no cheating, you have to actually guess the word. You can’t remove my wristband, or ask someone else to find out for you, or anything like that. Deal?”
“Deal.” Rachel accepts, sticking her hand out. They shake.
They’re crossing McKinley High’s parking lot now. It’s still practically empty, only a handful of cars present. Rachel surmises they must belong to other Cheerios.
“So what are you doing here so early anyway, Berry?”
The diva sighs. “I’m here to use the library. This year is turning out to be academic torture, and it’s barely even begun. I swear our teachers are just enjoying swamping us with so much work. I’m barely managing to keep up with all of it and still have time for my extra-curricular demands. So I’m trying to stay ahead. If this ends up affecting my vocal performance, I am going to be very upset.”
“You should join our study group.” Quinn says, patting her shoulder.
Rachel’s eyebrows shoot up. “You have a study group?”
“Yup,” the cheerleader nods, “Me, S and B.”
“Oh… but I hear that study groups never work.”
“Ours does.”
“Really?” The brunette looks skeptical.
Quinn chuckles. “Yes, really. We’re awesome. I’ll prove it to you. We’re having a session this afternoon at Brittany’s house. Come with us.”
Rachel bites her lip. “Okay…” she concedes reluctantly.
The blonde grins. “Great. I’ll let the others know. Don’t worry about it. We’ll meet you out here after our afternoon practice.”
“Okay.”
They toss their empty coffee cups into the trashcan by the entrance. Quinn wipes at the raindrops on her arms with her hands. Rachel slides out of the cheerleader’s jacket and offers it back.
“Thank you.”
“No problem.” the blonde replies kindly, slinging the letterman over her shoulder.
Rachel tilts her head towards the front door of their high school. “Ready?”
“Gimme a minute.”
The brunette watches as Quinn breathes in deeply, squaring her shoulders, a determined glint flashing in her eyes. Rachel recognizes that this is Quinn building up her walls, that the laid-back version of the blonde she’s come to know and experience lately is not someone just anybody gets to see.
Something in Rachel’s chest swells with the awareness that Quinn trusts her with her guard down.
“Okay, Berry. Let’s go.”
+ + + + +
Later that afternoon, Rachel is back outside the entrance of McKinley. She sits on the front steps, listening to her iPod. Her leg bounces up and down in her nervousness. Make her stand on stage and sing in front of hundreds of people? Gladly. Sit her in a dentists chair to get her wisdom teeth pulled out? No problem. Horror movie marathon? She can handle it. Ask her to spend an entire afternoon/evening with Quinn, Santana, and Brittany, the royalty of William McKinley High School? Now that is kinda scary. Maybe she should just go home. Send a text to Quinn and just bolt. Yeah, she could-
“Raaaaacheeelll!”
She manages not to cringe outwardly at the sound of Brittany’s sing-song voice from behind her. Slowly, she stands and turns.
And freezes.
She does not recognize the girls approaching her. She was expecting to be met with red armor and tennis shoes and high ponytails. Instead she is met with Brittany, wearing a bandana on her head, a sky blue blouse and a long, flowing floral skirt and sandals. And then there’s Santana, hair completely unrestrained, with a sleeveless purple hoodie over her loose black slacks and black sneakers.
Last but not least, there is Quinn, blonde tresses held back in a half-ponytail, dressed in a dark brown button-down collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and skin-tight denim jeans that are tucked into black leather boots reaching up to mid-shin. She’s obviously freshly showered, hair still damp, and sporting no make-up whatsoever (vaguely, Rachel notes that neither are the other two).
A hand is waving in front of her face. Rachel blinks and finds Brittany scrutinizing her closely. “You okay, Rachel? You didn’t say hi or anything.”
The diva blushes, realizing she was caught starting. “Sorry. Hello, Brittany. I’m fine, thank you.”
Satisfied, Brittany beams at her.
Santana, however, steps forward with a glare. “Okay, look. If you’re going to be crashing our little rendezvous, you have to swear on your life that you will tell no one about anything that you will see, hear or do today. Do I make myself clear?”
Rachel gulps. “Crystal,” she says in a small voice. This was definitely a bad idea. Were they part of some kind of cult or something?
She feels Brittany wrap and arm around her shoulders and squeeze. “Its okay, Rachel, she’s just a little worried because she has to be nice to you and she doesn’t want anybody else to find out.”
“I do not- ow! That was uncalled for, Q! I haven’t done anything!” the Latina growls, rubbing her ear, which Quinn had just flicked. The head cheerleader’s eyebrow arches up. Santana rolls her eyes, “Whatever. I’ll behave myself, okay Berry? But seriously, no one can know. Okay?”
The diva nods. “Okay.”
Almost immediately, the scowl drops off Santana’s face and she actually grins. “Good. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way…” she whips out a pair of shades and shoves them on her face, “Let’s get this show on the road!”
Brittany hoots, “I get to drive this time!”
As the taller blonde yanks her towards the parking lot, Rachel looks back anxiously over her shoulder. She sees Quinn wink before slipping on a pair of aviators as she ambles along behind them. Rachel feels most of her apprehension fade away.
They come to a halt beside a vehicle and Rachel’s jaw drops, “A jeep?”
“I know, right? Isn’t it awesome? It’s Santana’s baby. Well, aside from me, that is.” Brittany giggles. She snatches Rachel’s backpack from her and tosses it into the trunk, followed by her own. Then she makes her way to the front and slides into the driver’s seat. The engine revs and the roof folds down.
Rachel is still gawking at the bright red monster in front of her when she feels a hand on her shoulder. Quinn is grinning at her. “C’mon, Berry. All aboard.”
The brunette does as she’s told and clambers into the backseat behind Brittany. Quinn climbs in after her.
“It’s a jeep!” Rachel reiterates, still bowled over.
“Not just any jeep,” says Santana from the passenger seat up front as she inserts a CD into the stereo, “It’s a Jeep Wrangler Sahara. And the best part about it is…” she presses a button and suddenly there’s music blasting from everywhere and the vehicle is vibrating, “the seven-speaker Infinity sound system with subwoofers!”
Brittany speeds away from their school to the tunes of John Mayer.
Rachel tries to hold on for dear life.
+ + + + +
Apparently, they have to pick up ‘supplies’ before going to Brittany’s house. This involves two stops. The first of which is... McDonald’s.
“Give us one Angus Bacon & Cheese, one Angus Mushroom & Swiss, and one Big Mac. And four cups of your crappy coffee.” is what Santana shouts into the microphone.
Rachel’s face takes on an expression of disgust at first, but then she imagines the face Sue Sylvester would make if she ever found out what her top three girls were eating right now. Then she can’t stop grinning.
The second is Santana’s place. Brittany kills the music so as not to piss off the neighbors while the Latina hops out and disappears into her home. Not five minutes later, she reemerges carrying a large plastic bag and which she hands to Quinn, who places it in the space between herself and Rachel. Brittany shifts into gear once more.
Quinn then digs her hand into the bag and brings out something packaged in foil, which she tosses to the brunette beside her. “Veg burger. We had San’s mom whip it up for you.”
Rachel smiles gratefully. “Thank you. That was nice of you guys. What else is in there?”
The blonde pulls out two cans of Bud Light.
“Beer?!”
“Yup. Want one?” Quinn asks nonchalantly. Rachel glowers. “Suit yourself.” The cheerleader passes a can to Santana instead and opens the other for herself. “B, you’ll get yours later when you’re not at the wheel.”
Brittany nods in assent and takes a swig of her coffee (the others have already finished theirs since they weren’t busy driving).
“I cannot believe you’re bringing beer to a group study session!”
“There’s not enough to get drunk.” drawls Santana, chewing on her Big Mac. At the same time, the Latina holds out Brittany’s sandwich close to her mouth so her girlfriend can have a bite.
The tall blonde glances at the diva through the rear-view mirror. “Have one, Rachel. Relax. You’ll have more fun that way!”
“I wasn’t exactly aware that this afternoon would be about fun.” the brunette mutters.
Quinn chuckles and places a soothing hand on Rachel’s elbow, pausing in her own quest to devour her Bacon & Cheese. “Hey. Just trust us, okay? It’ll be worth it, I guarantee you.”
Rachel absorbs the sincerity in Quinn’s voice and exhales slowly, “Alright.”
The blonde smiles, and there is peace. That is, until the next moment, when Santana brings out a cigarette packet.
“Santana!”
The Latina winces, “Oh god, my eardrums.”
“Put that away right this instant!” Rachel shrieks, “As a member of Glee, you have a responsibility to take care of your vocal chords-”
“Q, make her shut up.”
The diva turns to Quinn and glares. “You’re condoning this?!”
The blonde sighs. “It’s kind of our tradition. We do this once every two weeks during the school year. And it’s only ever one stick each. It’s just how we unwind.”
Rachel remains stoic. Quinn tilts her head down and looks imploringly at her over the top of her sunglasses, doing her best impression of a puppy. “Please don’t be mad, Rachel. Look, I won’t smoke if it upsets you that much.”
The brunette struggles internally. She was feeling a little bit like a jerk now. She realized she was being permitted to be privy to a world Quinn normally shared with only Santana and Brittany, and yet Quinn was the one compromising so that Rachel would find it easier to fit into that world. Then there was the fact that she said she would trust them, and here she was making things difficult. Not to mention, Quinn’s current expression must be one of the most adorable things Rachel has ever seen. She never stood a chance, really. God, what has she gotten herself into?
“One stick.” she mumbles.
Quinn absolutely beams and throws her arms around Rachel’s neck. “Thank you.” she whispers into the brunette’s ear as she hugs her.
Rachel feels instantaneously gratified for her decision.
“Great. Here, Q.” Santana passes the blonde a cigarette and a lighter.
Quinn promptly lights the cigarette and takes a long drag. Rachel finds herself mesmerized as she watches the smoke tumble from between the cheerleader’s lips. The brunette shakes her head.
Smoking is not sexy. Smoking is not sexy. “I think I’ll have that beer.” she squeaks, reaching into the bag.
“Alright! Go Rachel!” Brittany cheers.
“Hey Quinn, pass me back the light, would you? I want my fag too.”
Quinn complies. The Latina flicks the lighter a few times, but no flame appears. “Shit, I think its outta gas.”
Rachel grins triumphantly. Fate was on her side.
Then Santana turns in her seat to face them, “Gimme a kiss, Q.”
The blonde rolls her eyes and leans forwards. Rachel’s eyes go wide.
But Santana merely traps her cigarette between her lips and touches the tip of the stick to Quinn’s (also being ‘held’ in the blonde’s mouth), making it catch fire. She takes a drag and leans back. Quinn does the same, stretching her arms across the backrest. Rachel releases a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
Santana lights a cigarette for Brittany in the same fashion. “So,” the Latina shouts out, “Now that we have everything we need, its time to par-teh!“ She turns on the stereo again and seeks to a specific track number. The intro of a song Rachel doesn’t recognize starts playing, but its obvious the other three are very familiar with it by the way they whoop delightedly and begin swaying their bodies and bobbing their heads.
[ A/N: link to the song HERE (Getaway People - Six Pacs) ]
Santana kicks off with the verse, waving her beer and her burger in the air, “Six packs and Big Macs keep us rollin’ down the road!”
“Cigarettes and coffee wher-e-ver we go.” Brittany continues. Rachel laughs, suddenly realizing where their little tradition originated from.
Quinn takes over, “Learn to appreciate those simple li’l things, and open up our arms to what the world may bring.”
Rachel watches on with a highly amused grin they carry on in unison,
People all around us, they shower us with love,
And she is shocked once more when Quinn and Santana suddenly jump to their feet, grabbing onto the bars of the jeep, and holler out the chorus,
You better keep it comin’ coz we just can’t get enough!
Where would we be without little love?
You can’t get by without a little love,
Everybody needs a little bit o’ love sometime!
Quinn then turns to Rachel, grabbing her wrist, and pulls her up to stand beside her. And as Rachel watches the girl laugh into the wind with her golden locks streaming behind her, she thinks that right here, right now, is a really good time and place to be.
Also, Mondays? They aren’t so bad. In fact, they’re kind of awesome.
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