A Different Kind of Shine (Part 1)
Title: A Different Kind of Shine
Author: Jenn
Rating: PG 13...could go up in later chapters.
Length: 1470 for this part
Spoilers: All of Season One
Summary: Quinn is a laid back surfer type. Rachel is... well, Rachel. Inspired by this prompt: community.livejournal.com/rq_meme/1754.html
A/N: First time. Please be gentle. All mistakes are my own, so I apologize in advance for any errors in grammer, spelling, or tense.
Rachel Berry did not like sand. It was grainy and uncomfortable and always ended up in the most unfortunate places. Her intense dislike of the granular substance was quite the paradox, considering she had ended up at a university where sand was as plentiful as it was irritating. In fact, the entire city of Los Angeles seemed incongruent with her meticulous personality and detailed life maps.
And yet, here she sat.
Her therapist had suggested she indulge in some of the city’s pleasurable attractions in an attempt to become more engaged in her life outside of her studies and vocal exercises. It seemed Rachel had a problem ‘letting loose’ as Dr. Mason had put it. Of course, Rachel had tried to explain that between her coursework at UCLA and maintaining her voice for a future on Broadway, ‘letting loose’ was simply a distraction and not feasible.
But Rachel had to concede some defeat. In the ten months since she had moved to LA, she could honestly say her only friend was her quirky yet loveable roommate. Brittany was a dancer and Rachel greatly admired her talent. In the beginning, the girl’s seeming lack of intelligence had deterred the singer from forging a friendship but soon enough, Brittany’s ‘simple mindedness’ gave way to a perceptive and genuinely honest young woman that Rachel had come to value immensely.
So now Rachel sat on a deserted beach at the behest of her therapist in an attempt to just ‘relax and enjoy the beauty of a sunset’. The sight was rather beautiful. Splays of orange and red and yellow glittered across the rolling waves as the sun rose higher in the sky.
Rachel pulled her jacket closer to her body to ward off the cool March air. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply through her nose, the smell of salt and remnants of sun tan lotion filling her senses. The scent was not all together unpleasant.
A soft breeze rustled her long, dark hair and she scrunched her nose when the ends brushed across her face. Opening her eyes, Rachel realized she was no longer alone on her stretch of beach. Making their way out of the glistening waves, a woman shook out her long blonde hair and tucked a green and black striped board under her arm.
Rachel watched as she made her way up the beach. She walked with a smooth, easy gait and the lines of her wet suit accentuated her lean form. Rachel found herself enthralled.
The tall blonde was nearly parallel to the singer when she turned and caught the brunette’s gaze. Rachel’s breath hitched when she looked into sparkling hazel eyes, framed by the wet strands of her tousled hair. The girl tossed her a smile and Rachel had to blink at its brilliance.
“Really takes your breath away, doesn’t it?”
It took several moments for Rachel to realize the girl had meant the sunrise. Nodding, she was surprised when she had the ability to respond.
“Almost beats the lights of Broadway.”
The blonde angel quirked an eyebrow but didn’t lose her smile as she held the other girl’s gaze. Finally, she nodded and chuckled lightly.
“I suppose you’re right; it’s just a different kind of shine.”
Rachel didn’t have time to respond before the beautiful girl winked casually and strolled away, quickly disappearing over the hill. An inexplicable chill ran through her once the girl had gone and the singer frowned. She had the sudden urge to leap to her feet and chase after the gorgeous stranger but ignored it and tried to make sense of the encounter. In the end, Rachel found herself unable to place the feelings she’d just experienced and the whole thing left her quite unsettled. Still staring in the direction she’d disappeared, the singer sighed.
Well, that had certainly been unexpected.
*****************
Several days had passed since Rachel had seen the beautiful girl on the beach. She was still shaking the image from her head when she opened the door to her dorm. A blonde ball of energy tackled her at the door.
“Hi, Rach!”
Rachel smiled warmly and hugged the girl tight. “Hey, Britt.”
Brittany released her and moved to her bed where an amused Latina was watching. Rachel nodded and smiled at the other girl. “Hello, Santana.”
Santana offered a half smile and returned the greeting. “Rachel.”
The singer moved to her desk but discretely watched the two girls on the bed. Brittany was smiling happily as they shared a magazine while Santana gently ran her fingers through the blonde’s hair. Shaking her head, she returned to her task of gathering her books. Brittany had befriended the Latina a few months ago and it was clear they both had feelings for one another. Brittany was afraid to make her feelings known for fear of losing the girl. It was obvious to Rachel, however, that Santana was just as involved as Brittany was; she had figured as much and took it upon herself to warn the fiery Latina against harming her best friend, or else. Santana had fought a smirk but regarded Rachel carefully for a moment before nodding seriously. From that point on, it seemed Santana had come to respect and possibly enjoy Rachel’s company instead of tolerating her for Brittany’s sake.
“Britt, have you seen the purple spiral I had on my bed?”
The blonde nodded and jumped up to remove it from the shelf above the brunette’s head. “It fell under your bed this morning and I picked it up. A bunch of little notes fell out. I’m sorry if I messed it up.”
Brittany’s face fell and she looked contrite until Rachel smiled and pinched her nose. “You didn’t mess anything up, Britt. I was just doodling. Thank you for picking it up for me!”
The blonde’s face lit up and she pulled Rachel into an impulsive hug that the singer was quite familiar with. “So, S was saying we should go with her to this dance place this Friday. Can we go, Rach? Please?”
Rachel knew Brittany wasn’t asking for permission but rather inviting her to join and despite the practice schedule she had made for this weekend, she couldn’t say no to the tall blonde’s pouting face. “Sure, Britt. That sounds like fun.”
Brittany squealed and bounced over to the bed where she jumped into Santana’s arms. The Latina laughed and wrapped her in a hug. Rachel smiled at the pair and then gathered her books, telling the two girls goodbye, and heading to class.
*****************
Brittany was twirling and skipping ahead of them as they walked and Rachel took the opportunity to turn to Santana. “If you have feelings for her, you should just tell her so.”
The Latina’s eyes widened and she whipped her head to look at the shorter girl. “Are you telling me to ask out your roommate?”
Rachel shook her head. “I’m telling you that if you have feelings for Britt, whom I know you care about a great deal, I believe she would be receptive to the idea of dating you.”
Santana frowned. “You barely know me, Rachel, and I’ve given you more than enough reason to dislike me; why would you want me to date your best friend?”
“Brittany is my best friend, she’s my only friend, Santana, and while I would do whatever possible to keep her from getting hurt, I believe you make her happy. Am I incorrect in assuming that you would not hurt her?”
Santana shook her head emphatically. “I don’t think I could ever hurt her intentionally. I just want to make her smile.”
Rachel smiled softly and nodded. “Then make her smile. Ask her out.”
The Latina lifted an eyebrow at the command but then smiled, turning her eyes back to the blonde who was bouncing happily at the door, waiting on them. “I might just do that.”
As they approached the dance club, the trio was immediately ushered past the line and through the doors. Rachel looked at Santana who nodded toward the large bouncer. The Latina just shrugged and casually reached for Brittany’s hand, causing the blonde to beam happily. “I know people.”
Walking through the crowds of people, Rachel felt the bass vibrating through her chest and quickly made the decision that she wouldn’t stay here all that long in fear of damaging her hearing. One does not have near perfect pitch without excellent auditory functions.
Santana led them to the curved end of the bar where it met the wall and the three girls sat down. Brittany was bouncing in her seat, watching the mass of people on the dance floor. Rachel noticed Santana wave at someone but found herself too distracted with the forebodingly sticky surface of the bar. A svelte voice broke her focus, however.
“Hey, Broadway!”
Author: Jenn
Rating: PG 13...could go up in later chapters.
Length: 1470 for this part
Spoilers: All of Season One
Summary: Quinn is a laid back surfer type. Rachel is... well, Rachel. Inspired by this prompt: community.livejournal.com/rq_meme/1754.html
A/N: First time. Please be gentle. All mistakes are my own, so I apologize in advance for any errors in grammer, spelling, or tense.
Rachel Berry did not like sand. It was grainy and uncomfortable and always ended up in the most unfortunate places. Her intense dislike of the granular substance was quite the paradox, considering she had ended up at a university where sand was as plentiful as it was irritating. In fact, the entire city of Los Angeles seemed incongruent with her meticulous personality and detailed life maps.
And yet, here she sat.
Her therapist had suggested she indulge in some of the city’s pleasurable attractions in an attempt to become more engaged in her life outside of her studies and vocal exercises. It seemed Rachel had a problem ‘letting loose’ as Dr. Mason had put it. Of course, Rachel had tried to explain that between her coursework at UCLA and maintaining her voice for a future on Broadway, ‘letting loose’ was simply a distraction and not feasible.
But Rachel had to concede some defeat. In the ten months since she had moved to LA, she could honestly say her only friend was her quirky yet loveable roommate. Brittany was a dancer and Rachel greatly admired her talent. In the beginning, the girl’s seeming lack of intelligence had deterred the singer from forging a friendship but soon enough, Brittany’s ‘simple mindedness’ gave way to a perceptive and genuinely honest young woman that Rachel had come to value immensely.
So now Rachel sat on a deserted beach at the behest of her therapist in an attempt to just ‘relax and enjoy the beauty of a sunset’. The sight was rather beautiful. Splays of orange and red and yellow glittered across the rolling waves as the sun rose higher in the sky.
Rachel pulled her jacket closer to her body to ward off the cool March air. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply through her nose, the smell of salt and remnants of sun tan lotion filling her senses. The scent was not all together unpleasant.
A soft breeze rustled her long, dark hair and she scrunched her nose when the ends brushed across her face. Opening her eyes, Rachel realized she was no longer alone on her stretch of beach. Making their way out of the glistening waves, a woman shook out her long blonde hair and tucked a green and black striped board under her arm.
Rachel watched as she made her way up the beach. She walked with a smooth, easy gait and the lines of her wet suit accentuated her lean form. Rachel found herself enthralled.
The tall blonde was nearly parallel to the singer when she turned and caught the brunette’s gaze. Rachel’s breath hitched when she looked into sparkling hazel eyes, framed by the wet strands of her tousled hair. The girl tossed her a smile and Rachel had to blink at its brilliance.
“Really takes your breath away, doesn’t it?”
It took several moments for Rachel to realize the girl had meant the sunrise. Nodding, she was surprised when she had the ability to respond.
“Almost beats the lights of Broadway.”
The blonde angel quirked an eyebrow but didn’t lose her smile as she held the other girl’s gaze. Finally, she nodded and chuckled lightly.
“I suppose you’re right; it’s just a different kind of shine.”
Rachel didn’t have time to respond before the beautiful girl winked casually and strolled away, quickly disappearing over the hill. An inexplicable chill ran through her once the girl had gone and the singer frowned. She had the sudden urge to leap to her feet and chase after the gorgeous stranger but ignored it and tried to make sense of the encounter. In the end, Rachel found herself unable to place the feelings she’d just experienced and the whole thing left her quite unsettled. Still staring in the direction she’d disappeared, the singer sighed.
Well, that had certainly been unexpected.
*****************
Several days had passed since Rachel had seen the beautiful girl on the beach. She was still shaking the image from her head when she opened the door to her dorm. A blonde ball of energy tackled her at the door.
“Hi, Rach!”
Rachel smiled warmly and hugged the girl tight. “Hey, Britt.”
Brittany released her and moved to her bed where an amused Latina was watching. Rachel nodded and smiled at the other girl. “Hello, Santana.”
Santana offered a half smile and returned the greeting. “Rachel.”
The singer moved to her desk but discretely watched the two girls on the bed. Brittany was smiling happily as they shared a magazine while Santana gently ran her fingers through the blonde’s hair. Shaking her head, she returned to her task of gathering her books. Brittany had befriended the Latina a few months ago and it was clear they both had feelings for one another. Brittany was afraid to make her feelings known for fear of losing the girl. It was obvious to Rachel, however, that Santana was just as involved as Brittany was; she had figured as much and took it upon herself to warn the fiery Latina against harming her best friend, or else. Santana had fought a smirk but regarded Rachel carefully for a moment before nodding seriously. From that point on, it seemed Santana had come to respect and possibly enjoy Rachel’s company instead of tolerating her for Brittany’s sake.
“Britt, have you seen the purple spiral I had on my bed?”
The blonde nodded and jumped up to remove it from the shelf above the brunette’s head. “It fell under your bed this morning and I picked it up. A bunch of little notes fell out. I’m sorry if I messed it up.”
Brittany’s face fell and she looked contrite until Rachel smiled and pinched her nose. “You didn’t mess anything up, Britt. I was just doodling. Thank you for picking it up for me!”
The blonde’s face lit up and she pulled Rachel into an impulsive hug that the singer was quite familiar with. “So, S was saying we should go with her to this dance place this Friday. Can we go, Rach? Please?”
Rachel knew Brittany wasn’t asking for permission but rather inviting her to join and despite the practice schedule she had made for this weekend, she couldn’t say no to the tall blonde’s pouting face. “Sure, Britt. That sounds like fun.”
Brittany squealed and bounced over to the bed where she jumped into Santana’s arms. The Latina laughed and wrapped her in a hug. Rachel smiled at the pair and then gathered her books, telling the two girls goodbye, and heading to class.
*****************
Brittany was twirling and skipping ahead of them as they walked and Rachel took the opportunity to turn to Santana. “If you have feelings for her, you should just tell her so.”
The Latina’s eyes widened and she whipped her head to look at the shorter girl. “Are you telling me to ask out your roommate?”
Rachel shook her head. “I’m telling you that if you have feelings for Britt, whom I know you care about a great deal, I believe she would be receptive to the idea of dating you.”
Santana frowned. “You barely know me, Rachel, and I’ve given you more than enough reason to dislike me; why would you want me to date your best friend?”
“Brittany is my best friend, she’s my only friend, Santana, and while I would do whatever possible to keep her from getting hurt, I believe you make her happy. Am I incorrect in assuming that you would not hurt her?”
Santana shook her head emphatically. “I don’t think I could ever hurt her intentionally. I just want to make her smile.”
Rachel smiled softly and nodded. “Then make her smile. Ask her out.”
The Latina lifted an eyebrow at the command but then smiled, turning her eyes back to the blonde who was bouncing happily at the door, waiting on them. “I might just do that.”
As they approached the dance club, the trio was immediately ushered past the line and through the doors. Rachel looked at Santana who nodded toward the large bouncer. The Latina just shrugged and casually reached for Brittany’s hand, causing the blonde to beam happily. “I know people.”
Walking through the crowds of people, Rachel felt the bass vibrating through her chest and quickly made the decision that she wouldn’t stay here all that long in fear of damaging her hearing. One does not have near perfect pitch without excellent auditory functions.
Santana led them to the curved end of the bar where it met the wall and the three girls sat down. Brittany was bouncing in her seat, watching the mass of people on the dance floor. Rachel noticed Santana wave at someone but found herself too distracted with the forebodingly sticky surface of the bar. A svelte voice broke her focus, however.
“Hey, Broadway!”