Looking down at her still sleeping girlfriend, Quinn leant in and kissed her gently on her forehead. A full year later and Quinn still couldn't believe her luck. She'd experienced love before, but not like this and definitely not with someone who was completely emotionally available to her. Quinn had Rachel in every possible way and she'd never change that for anything. Okay maybe not every way, but hopefully this trip would change that. Because by the end of the day Quinn had every intention of going down on one knee and asking Rachel to marry her.
It seemed fitting to do it on their one year anniversary, and Rachel had said that she had high expectations. Of course Quinn had a couple of other presents for her too, but the proposal was what was on her mind first and foremost.
Her eyes settled on the little carry on bag next to their suitcase. It contained Rachel's presents plus the ring, hidden away in a secret lining just incase Rachel went snooping. She had faith in her girlfriend but knew better to be safe than sorry. There as no way this day could go wrong. Not when she'd been planning it for months with the help of her mother, Rachel's dad's and Isa. Once, the St. James heir had been a large thorn in Quinn's side, but now it was obvious that the girl only wanted Rachel to be happy and luckily she thought that Quinn was just the person to grant said happiness.
It had been Isa who'd organised the very boat they were now in. Quinn had insisted on paying, but she was almost 100% sure that the price she'd been quoted was significantly lower than the actual price. Still, Quinn had learnt never to argue with the brunette and had instead thanked her and moved onto sorting out the other details.
Like booking the same hotel they'd stayed in for the Masquerade Ball last year and getting Rachel onto the boat without the girl being suspicious of where they were going. Of course she'd still asked Quinn repeatedly, but a few kisses later, a romantic sunset and promises that the surprise would be worth, and Rachel ceased with the questions. At least for now.
Once she woke up there was no guarantee. But that was one of the many things that Quinn loved about her girlfriend.
What: Rachel, Ryder and Quinn finally reunite and hug out any remaining issues.
Quinn rocked on the balls of her feet as she stood on the platform waiting for the 9:00am Magnet train to arrive. Having arrived in Saffron City late the night before, it was safe to assume that Quinn had yet to get a single wink of sleep. She was just too excited to sleep. It had been weeks since she'd last seen Rachel and Ryder and now she got to see them both. To say she was excited was an understatement. Even since she'd left Johto, she'd been missing the two of them like crazy and the thought of seeing their faces again filled her with an unprecedented amount of joy. And dread. She had to reluctantly admit to the fact that a lot had happened since late September and Quinn was a little worried that things may have become awkward between them, considering she'd kissed Rachel the last time they were face to face and Ryder had ended up dating her ex-boyfriend who had then left him to go back to Fiore for work she refused to do due to her reasons for being in Kanto in the first place. She just had to hope that they'd get past that and go back to being friends.
Ryder leaned back as far as he could in his seat, squinting his eyes closed against the fall sun and tilting his head back in his best attempt to sleep. He knew that he still had quite the hike ahead of him to get back to Cerulean City, so any sleep that he could get was appreciated. His last few months in Johto certainly hadn't gone the way he had expected them to at all, but he was ready to take some time off from that and put it behind him as best as he could. Despite the unfinished business of searching for his dad - which, in retrospect, really should have been a higher priority than following Sam and Kurt around like a lovesick puppy anyway - he was looking forward to going home for a bit. It would be good to see his mom, to maybe visit Brittany if she was around, and to spend some time focusing on himself. And seeing Quinn again would be a plus, he thought to himself as he felt the wheels of the train slow and he opened his eyes to shoot a reassuring smile at Rachel. He fully planned on making himself scarce so that his two favorite girls could spend some quality time together, and he just hoped it worked out for her better than his own misplaced feelings for his best friends had. He also hoped Quinn wouldn't hold any of that against him, he mused as he thought he saw her familiar blonde hair on the platform through the window.
Rachel wasn't sure exactly how to comfort Ryder after his breakup with Sam and Kurt - honestly, Rachel never had been confident that that would have lasted, but was happy for Ryder at the time, as his happiness after what had happened with that boy back in Johto was her top priority concerning their friendship. She anxiously fiddled with the train ticket in her hand and nibbled on her lip, catching Ryder's eye eventually and returning his smile as he did so. She was feeling a spectrum of emotions coursing through her, jumping just a bit when she realized that their method of transportation was beginning to slow to a stop. The girl practically jumped out of her seat and darted out of the doors of the train, earning a few annoyed glares from the other citizens inside of it. With a frantic glance back at Ryder, she beamed over at him in an uncertain way before running towards the head of blonde hair that she recognized upon arriving at her hometown of Saffron City. Without even giving Quinn a moment to realize that she was there, she tackled the other girl in an enormous hug.
Quinn watched as the train pulled into the station and craned her neck to try and catch sight of her friends. As the people trickled off the train, Quinn caught sight of a little blur running towards her and grinned widely as Rachel ran straight for her. Her arms were already out and waiting, ready to catch her friend as the brunette literally tackled her. Staggering back a couple of steps, she steadied herself and immediately picked up Rachel and spun her around in her arms. It was almost like a scene straight out of the Notebook, except for the fact that they weren't kissing. But Quinn was gripping onto Rachel for dear life however, and taking in as much of her best friend as possible. She took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent of Rachel and felt her body completely relax. All the stress she'd been feeling and any doubt or fear of things being awkward, dissipated with that one hug and she really wished they'd hurried up and done this earlier. "I missed you, Stack. So fucking much. Let's not do that again for awhile."
Ryder took his time scooping up his belongings, casting a glance around the train to make sure Rachel hadn't dropped anything in her frenzy to get to Quinn. He knew that Quinn was like family to him, and that things were going to be okay, but a part of him still held back, afraid that she was going to be upset at him. He hung his head, slightly embarrassed now that the moment was finally upon him, and shuffled his feet to follow in Rachel's path towards his Bacon Queen. He had screwed up and he knew it; he never should have let himself get in to such a weird relationship, and looking back it was a lot easier to see that it had been for all the wrong reasons. That he hadn't really wanted both Sam and Kurt had become painfully obvious as soon as Sam was gone and he had been alone with the other brunette, and he was ashamed of himself when he admitted that coming home to an empty hotel room with a note from Kurt explaining that he was leaving had been a huge relief. But he took a deep breath, tried to push it behind him, and hoped that everyone else around him was willing to do the same thing as he shifted his focus towards the hugging blob that was Quinn and Rachel. A grin crept onto his face at the sight of them, and as soon as Quinn looked up, still wrapped around Rachel, Ryder waved at her happily, all the while maintaining just a bit of distance from the pair.
Rachel clung to her best friend as she buried her nose into the blonde girl's neck, trying her very best to be as close to her as physically possible. "I missed you too. Yeah, I- If you have to go anywhere, I'll just go with you." She breathed out, frantically turning her head to the side to place a kiss onto Quinn's cheek as the other girl spun her around. Eventually, she leaned back from the hug, her eyes locked on Quinn's in an alarmingly adoring way - Rachel Berry definitely wasn't known for her subtlety. "Hi." She breathed out, unable to stop herself from placing a small kiss onto Quinn's nose before finally turning around to face Ryder. The brunette wasn't very willing to part from her friend however, as she kept Quinn's arms around her waist by letting her hands rest on Quinn's. "Ryder! Are you coming, Slowpoke?" Rachel called out, a grin gracing her face as she teased her friend. To say he had been a little bummed out would have been an exaggeration, and Rachel would be more than willing to let him into their embrace for a group hug.
Quinn tried her best not to shiver as Rachel burrowed further into the embrace. Their arms were wrapped impossibly tight around each other, but to Quinn it was the most comfortable she'd been in a long time. "I like that plan." She sighed happily, her body melting as Rachel kissed her cheek. Quinn only had a moment to prepare herself, because before she knew it she was staring into Rachel's deep brown eyes and everything else went out the window. She forgot that they were in public, that there were other people around and that Ryder was supposed to be with Rachel. If Rachel hadn't been the one to pull away and directly address Ryder when she had done, then Quinn wasn't sure she would have been able to stop herself from kissing Rachel right after the adorable kiss that had been placed on her nose. Reluctantly she tore her eyes away from Rachel and took in a deep breath before looking over at Ryder. "Ohana! Took you long enough. If you're not careful, Rachel's going to make it so that I'm all hugged out." She laughed, holding an arm out so that it was clear she wanted a hug from her best guy friend too.
Ryder was glad that he had stayed back as he watched the interactions between Quinn and Rachel, and he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow curiously at the way the pair of them were together. He supposed it had been a long time since he'd really seen what their friendship had grown into - he'd been gone, then Rachel had been busy with Isa, and then Quinn had been gone... But this was definitely different than he remembered it. And it definitely made him a little bit curious about how Quinn really felt about Rachel, since he'd already spent time talking to the other brunette. But it wasn't his business - Saffron was just a quick stop on the way for him before he went home, so when Quinn opened an arm for him, he closed the distance and wrapped an arm around her, grinning with excitement. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Bacon Queen," he teased, sticking his tongue out at Rachel for her comment about him being a Slowpoke. "It's really good to see you," he added, squeezing the blonde beside him and finally feeling like things were starting to be right again in his world.
Rachel let out a breathy sigh as Quinn's body seemed to mold towards her and knew that the way that she and Quinn were gazing into each other's eyes was a bit inappropriate given where they were but couldn't help but continue. As soon as she heard the words "Ohana!", Rachel swiveled around, realizing that she was probably clinging a bit too hard to the other girl, so she shifted away from her just a bit. The girl felt a large smile clawing onto her lips as Ryder greeting the other girl after sticking his tongue out at Rachel. "So, are we going to go our own ways now or should we grab dinner or something of the sort? There are excellent places to eat, at Saffron!" She gushed. "If you feel like eating Magikarp, I have to tell you that you're out of luck though, because the people of Saffron City don't believe in cooking Pokémon."
Quinn gladly hugged Ryder, only just realising just how much she had missed her friend. For years it had just been her and Sam, and then Rachel entered the picture closely followed by Ryder and Quinn had friends. He was an actual friend, that wasn't just there because he was romantically involved with her. And unlike Zoey or even Sugar, Ryder felt less like a friend and more like family. He was the brother she'd never had. Having Rachel pull away from her made her frown, but she quickly wiped the expression off of her face and just focused on greeting Ryder. "Well, better late than never. I'm glad you're here. Ry." She said, grinning as she pulled away. "And I really don't mind. Although I'm going to go ahead and say no to eating Pokemon too. As much as I've heard that Tepig bacon is amazing, I draw the line at eating Pokemon."
Ryder embraced Quinn, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He knew that he had missed her terribly, but a part of him had been so preoccupied with the thought that she might be upset at him for getting himself into such a weird situation with her ex-boyfriend and his ex-boyfriend that he hadn't dared to hope it would be this normal to be with her again. He was grateful for the two of them, both of whom had been there for him through so much in the past few months. Even as he still held on to Quinn, he pulled back slightly to make a face at Rachel. "Magikarp? No way, dudette, no eating Magikarp allowed," Ryder said, horrified at the thought of eating the Pokemon that had been his dad's starter so long ago. "And no Tepig, not even in the name of bacon," he agreed, and then another thought hit him. "But you know, you guys can just go by yourselves. I know you have a lot to catch up on, and I've got a long way back to Cerulean anyway," he offered, casting a look between the two as he finally - reluctantly - let go of Quinn.
Rachel made a face at Quinn's statement that Tepig bacon was amazing. "I don't eat meat so I wouldn't know." She pursed her lips before grinning, eventually frowning once Ryder said that he was about to move onto another city. "Are you sure, Ryder? We'd both love to have dinner with you, I'm sure." She protested, leaning forward to place a hand on his arm, squeezing it lightly as she did so. "Are you positive you can't stay for dinner or something of the sort? If you have to leave, I'll accept it but I think it would be wonderful if you could grab a bite to eat with Quinn and myself." Rachel spoke in a rush, a hopeful smile gracing her lips.
Quinn joined Rachel in her frowning. They'd only just been reunited and now he wanted to leave? As per usual, Rachel was the first to speak up but Quinn agreed and nodded along. "Yeah, it's been so long. You could at least stay for dinner, right?" She asked, doing her best puppy dog eyes at the boy. If he really wanted to go, that was fine. But if he was only doing this because he thought it would be awkward if he stayed or because he figured that they wanted to leave, then that didn't sit right with Quinn. "I'd really like it if you stayed, but I'll understand if you have to go. The walk is a nice one, but I do remember it being quite far." While talking to him, her arm naturally sought out Rachel and wrapped itself around the back of her friends waist. If she'd have been thinking clearly she might've questioned the action, but right now all her attention was focused on Ryder.
Ryder arched an eyebrow at Rachel, shaking his head in her direction. "Your life must be so sad without bacon," he teased her, voice light and playful. "How are we ever going to fill in the empty spots in the bacon court with only you around?" he added, mad at himself for feeling a pang in his chest at the thought of the people - well, person really - who he had last teased about having a spot. He shrugged it off, though, keeping his face impassive at the way that Quinn had slid her arm around Rachel as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He wanted to give them some time for just the two of them, but at both of their protests, he decided they'd get plenty of it when he left, anyway, so there wasn't really a rush. "Well... I am kind of hungry," he conceded, glad to spend more time with the pair of them. "And the company's not awful."
Rachel opened her mouth to speak before just letting her point of view on the matter spill out. "Well, I for one, think that the slaughtering of... pig." She whispered, a worried look gracing her face as she did so. "Is appropriate at all. Not to mention the fact that some cavemen even attempt to cook Tepig or - or even on some occasions, Spoink and Grumpig! Sometimes even Swinub and Pignite! Those people are really in need of therapy or something of the sort, as I can't imagine why anyone would want to eat one of their beloved companions! It's barbaric and-and brutal!" She insisted, her hands flying upwards as she ranted. Eventually, she felt herself simmer down at the hand around her waist. Rachel shot Quinn a warm, soft smile and shifted so that she could take a step towards her friend, paying attention to what Ryder was saying as he spoke. She clapped her hands together excitedly. "Wonderful! Oh shush you; I'm incredible company, as is Quinn." She stuck her tongue out playfully before finally turning to Quinn. "Do you think the two of you would like to go out to a restaurant or head to the Berry household for dinner? And by the Berry household, I'm of course talking about the home that I shared wi- that I lived in while still in this region." She corrected herself, deciding that it would be best not to mention Isa or Jesse for the time being. "And my fathers of course would like to meet the two of you at some point, but - Oh, I'm talking too much. What would the two of you like to do?"
Quinn grinned as she noticed that her own action was enough to stop Rachel's rant. As much as she loved the girl and respected her viewpoint, Quinn couldn't understand how anyone could refrain from eating bacon. There was one thing to not eat Pokemon, because as Rachel had stated, they were their companions and Quinn couldn't see how anyone could eat Pokemon. But regular animals were not Pokemon so she saw no problem with enjoying their meat. But she'd managed to get Rachel to stop yelling, and even received a smile that made her melt, for her efforts. She really could just stand and stare at that smile forever, but Rachel was already looking at her and it was clear that she'd said something that involved Quinn making a decision about something. Oh why hadn't she just listened for once? Shrugging, she pulled Rachel in and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, hoping that would be enough to distract her from that fact that Quinn had no idea what she'd just been asked. "You guys pick. I'm easy."
Ryder blinked in surprise, reaching out to place a hand on Rachel's shoulder as she ranted about bacon. It was almost amusing how worked up she got on the topic, especially right after he and Quinn had both vetoed the idea of eating Pokemon. But then again, it was Rachel - he almost chuckled remembering the first time she had ever introduced herself and the block of text that had accompanied it. She certainly never ran out of stuff to say, but that was one of the things that he liked so much about her. He pulled his hand back quickly, though, seeing that Quinn had beaten him to it and seemed to have calmed Rachel completely just by one touch. He blinked down at his shoes, shuffling awkwardly and feeling a little bit like he was intruding on a private moment between his two friends as Quinn kissed the top of Rachel's head. He grinned down at his feet, though, thinking that at least Rachel didn't have to worry about the blonde returning her feelings - or at least that was how it seemed to him, as an outside viewer. "Um... well, Rach, your hometown. I never did spend a lot of time in Saffron growing up, so I don't know what's around. I'd love to meet your dads, though," Ryder said, remembering that that had been an option and thinking it might be a good way for him to butt out of Rachel and Quinn's conversation.
Rachel flashed Quinn another radiant smile as she felt soft lips press against her forehead, turning her grin over to Ryder when she felt his hand at her shoulder as well. She pursed her lips, shifting on her feet as her two companions both responded vaguely to her question before she came up with what she deemed to be an appropriate compromise. "Well, there's this amazing sushi and salad bar a few minutes away - and mind you, there's plenty of dessert so if you feel like being a bit unhealthy, it will be completely justified - so I was thinking that we could go there and get our food to-go with two extra servings and we could bring some to my fathers! I could introduce the two of you to them; and if you feel like trying to win yourself a Gym badge, go ahead -" She remarked with a wink, "-but we could all share a lovely dinner and after having a few pleasant dinner conversations and some tea afterwards - my fathers love making tea and biscotti, so you'll be subjected to that - Quinn and I can head over to my little cottage over here and you can go to your destination after hugging us a lot! We expect to hear from you tonight though. Video chat us to let us know that you got there okay, alright?" She spoke both for herself and for Quinn but figured that the other girl was thinking the same thing anyways, shooting Ryder a worried look. After travelling with him for so long, the prospect of him not being there with her worried Rachel quite a bit. The entire situation was odd. While she couldn't say that she had been too surprised over Kurt and Ryder parting ways after Sam did (now that part was a bit of a shocker), she was still very protective over Ryder in particular.
Quinn nodded along, not really caring what they did because all that mattered to her was that Rachel was standing right next to her and things were okay between her and Ryder. For the first time in weeks, she felt at peace. "That sounds amazing actually. Let's do that and then we can just chill before you have to set off, Ry. I know it delays you setting off but who knows when we'll see you next so I demand some of your time now." Quinn said, giving him her best puppy dog eyes. She did kind of want Rachel all to herself, but she reasoned that she had weeks with her best friend, and only the next few hours with Ryder so she was going to make the most of it. "Although I think I'll pass on trying to win a gym badge. Not really the first impression I want to leave your fathers with, Rach." She smirked, nudging her friend with her shoulder. "After all, I'm sure between Dylan and Gizmo I'd have it in the bag, and I'd rather they didn't hate me right away." It was nice to be able to tease Rachel face to face again, because even though skype had been okay for a few weeks, seeing Rachel's face on a screen was nowhere near as good as seeing it face to face.
Ryder raised his eyebrows in response to Rachel's suggestion, unable to stop himself from chuckling lightly at the thought. He loved sushi just as much as the next person, but he was pretty sure he'd never sat down and had tea time in his life. For Rachel and Quinn, though, he was willing to try anything - even if he ended up seeming totally silly in front of Rachel's dads. A little part of him was still amazed that Quinn and Rachel even wanted him to stay, but he was reluctant to leave, a bigger part of him scared that they might not actually end up meeting up and traveling together again once the holidays were through. He knew he wanted to go back to Johto and look for his dad, but the thought of going back hurt - and so did the idea of leaving his mom alone again. He shrugged it off, though, smiling brightly at his two friends and happy to follow their lead. "Count me in," he conceded, winking at Quinn. "I wouldn't want to deprive you of your bacon underling any more than necessary." He kept the bright grin on his face, making a conscious effort not to smirk at the interactions between Rachel and Quinn and instead honing in on the idea of the gym battle. "Dudette, I'm with Quinn on this one - I'm sure your dads are awesome, but my team basically exists to steamroll over rock types," Ryder said sheepishly, idly wondering if it was time to let at least Pippa out of her Pokeball. He had kept her cooped up for the long train ride, and she would probably be mad at him when he did let her out, but he decided against it for the time being, not wanting to distract himself with the crazy water mon.
Rachel pouted as soon as Quinn and Ryder commented on her father's Gym, crossing her arms over her chest while jutting her lower lip out. "But that's not fair! Why do the two of you have to have grass and water-type Pokémon? It really isn't fair! But I have to tell you that my father is very, very good so I don't think you'd get your badge as easily as you think you will." Rachel stated, her expression shifting as soon as the other woman and Ryder came to a decision as to what they were going to do. "Oh, this will be a lot of fun. Well, we might as well get to walking over there, right? Let's go!" She tugged on Quinn's hand, walking backwards as her own eyes widened in excitement. "Alright, so there are a few places that we can go depending on what kind of food you feel like eating, at the moment! So, Quinn. Ryder. What would the two of you like to eat?"
Quinn noticed Rachel getting a little dramatic at their little jab at her fathers gym, and decided that giving her another kiss on the head was most definitely the best way to diffuse the situation. "I don't doubt he's good. I still think I'd beat him though. Not sure what Ryder's talking about though. He might have a team of water Pokemon, but I can't exactly imagine any of them doing anything that isn't just adorable." She quipped, sticking her tongue out at her friend as she felt herself being pulled by Rachel. "Sushi sounds good but I'll eat anything. Though it's still early so maybe we're better off with a place for brunch?" Her eyes drifted down to their hands and Quinn grinned happily, not really caring where they ended up going. As long as Rachel kept holding her hand, Quinn would follow her anywhere.
Ryder had to bite back a smile as he watched the scene in front of him. He was pretty aware that he was one of the most oblivious people on the planet, but even he couldn't ignore all the kisses and the hand holding that was happening in front of him. He wished that there was someone he could tell about it later - he would have even made a special effort to count all the little moments his two best girls were sharing - but there was no one. He'd lost the two other closest people in his life. So instead he just rolled his eyes fondly at them, mostly tuning out their banter unless he heard his name. "Hey! My team kicked butt against Isabelle what's her face, thank you very much," Ryder reminded Quinn, bumping her free shoulder lightly and then following after the pair as they took off. "I vote somewhere with bacon," he teased, wondering if Rachel would even care enough to protest now that she and Quinn were hand in hand.
Rachel snickered along with the other two as soon as Quinn started poking fun at Ryder's team, deciding to just lean up against the other girl as her team was a bit pitiful regarding battling at the moment. When she heard Quinn's reply to her, she nodded along with the other girl and hummed in agreement, swinging their hands back and forth as Ryder defended his team. "No bacon." She stopped and mock-glared at the man for a few moments before letting her face break out into a grin, pulling a funny face at Ryder while she started walking once more.
Quinn snorted and continued to just let Rachel pull her along. This was how it was meant to be. Just a group of friends happy to be reunited. But it was more than that and she knew it. Ryder wasn't just a friend. He was her family and despite what she'd been trying to fool herself into thinking for the last 6 months, Rachel Berry would always be so much more than a friend. She was everything to Quinn. "We'll see about that, stack." She answered, already knowing that her friend was joking. Nobody stood between Quinn and bacon. Not even Rachel.
Where: Roof terrace of the New Leaf Restaurant in Saffron City.
What: With the help of Isabel St. James, Quinn plans to tell Rachel that she's the masked Girafarig on the night of Rachel's 23rd Birthday.
Straightening out the cutlery on the table for the umpteenth time, Quinn dropped her arms to her sides and surveyed the area around them, with a look of barely contained nervousness. She'd been up on the roof terrace of the newly built New Leaf Restaurant in Saffron City, since 8am that morning, making sure that everything was in place. The menu had been finalised, the table set to her exact specifications and she'd even managed to set up a stage to the left of their table. The restaurant didn't normally accommodate such requests, but that was exactly why Quinn had brought Isa with her. After one conversation, the entire manager was happy to do anything that Quinn asked which just begged the question, how much had Isa offered him to make him change his mind so quickly? It had to be a lot and Quinn found herself thinking that she really didn't want to know how much because she already owed Isa so much.
Isa was the one that had found the restaurant. She'd also organised the stage, the decorations and was even going to be the one distracting Rachel for the rest of the day. Rachel. Quinn couldn't stop herself from smiling at the mere thought of the girl she was doing all of this for. A part of her felt guilty, because she'd lied to her best friend and told her that an emergency with her mother meant she'd have to spend the entirety of Rachel's birthday back in Cinnabar, but hopefully she'd be making up for all of that tonight.
Glancing at her watch, she saw that she only had a few hours until Rachel was due to arrive at the restaurant with Isa. Isa had already managed to convince Rachel to go out and have a night out on the town with her, starting with the best new restaurant in the city. And then that was where Isa would leave and everything would be up to Quinn.
Looking over at Isa, Quinn went over and sat down with the girl. "I think I'm good. I should probably go and get ready. Can't show up tonight looking like this." She laughed dryly, staring down at her ripped jeans and hoodie. "What time are you leaving to go and get Rachel?"
Isa merely smirked at Quinn's comment about her wardrobe and then looked at her own watch. "In about an hour. Knowing her I'll have to pick her something to wear, which will take another hour and then we'll make our way here."
Quinn watched as Isa took in the terrace and smile. "Not a bad job at all, Fabray. If you weren't wooing my best friend, I might have to have snapped you up myself."
Rolling her eyes, Quinn nudged the other girl and stood up. Maybe Isa wasn't so bad after all. "I'll see you back here later then." She said with a small wave as she turned and started to head back to Isa's apartment where Quinn was currently storing her clothes. Just as she reached the elevators she heard Isa yell something at her.
"Don't screw it up!"
Quinn chuckled. As nervous as she was, there was no way she was going to ruin this for herself.
What: Quinn finally gets a reply from Rachel and it turns out that Rachel has been in love with her all along.
The letter that rested in her shaking hands, swam in and out of focus as Quinn battled with the tears filling her eyes.
Rachel loved her. Rachel was in love with her.
How had she been so blind? For months she'd been jealous of her own alter ego. Cesario had done what she'd never been able to, and had won Rachel's love and adoration. Rachel had even said to her face that she didn't feel that way about Quinn so how was it that now, after all this time her best friend was admitting that she was in love with her. That after all of that, Rachel didn't even want Cesario. She wanted Quinn. Stupid Quinn that had known Olivia's true identity for months. Moron Quinn that had only pushed Rachel to be honest with her in an effort to make Rachel reject her and allow Quinn to let go of Cesario and move on. And instead she'd been given the greatest shock of her life.
Rachel loves me.
Quinn was openly crying now, causing the ink to run in parts of the letter. Not wanting to ruin it, she hastily folded it and stashed it in her coat pocket. If things turned out well, Quinn planned to hold onto that letter for as long as possible so the last thing she wanted to do was completely ruin it with her tears.
Falling back onto the bed in Rachel's spare room, Quinn couldn't contain the smile that spread across her face.
Rachel wants me.
She needed to tell her, and soon because so much time had already been wasted. But this was Rachel she was talking about. Quinn couldn't just burst into Rachel's room and confess. Rachel deserved more than that. No, this sort of confession called for a grand gesture and Quinn knew just the person to help her out. Grasping for her phone, she unlocked it and flicked through her contacts before she found the name she was looking for.
Isa St. James aka Rachel's other best friend. If anyone could help her plan her confession, it was Isa. Which was unfortunate for Quinn, considering she could barely stand the girl. There was just something off about her that Quinn wasn't quite able to put her finger on. Steeling herself, she pressed dial and waited until she heard a familiar sounding hello on the other end.
"I know we've had our differences in the past. But I need a favour." Quinn blurted down the phone without so much as a hello or the word please. "And before you say no, you should know it's for Rachel." She added, hoping that regardless of the fact that she'd never really gotten along with Isa, the other girl would help her if it meant that she was ultimately helping Rachel. Because if there was one thing that both girls had in common, it was Rachel. Specifically how much they both cared for the Rachel.
There was a pause and suddenly Isa was laughing. Annoyed by the other girls reaction, Quinn was just about ready to put the phone down when the laughing broke and Isa scoffed and finally responded properly. "It's about time you realised." Quinn frowned, remember just why she hated the other girl so much. When it came to Rachel, Isa always seemed to know everything first and Quinn wanted to be in that position. "So what do you have in mind? And remember, it's Rachel. Go big or go home."
Quinn chuckled and in turn told Isa all of her plans, laughing even harder at the fact that Isa clearly had no clue that Quinn and Cesario were one in the same. For once Isa wasn't all knowing and that was enough to make Quinn feel so incredibly smug that for once, talking to Isa wasn't a chore.
But then again nothing was going to make her mad today, because Rachel loved her and that was all that mattered.
Rachel: Quinn, if I may ask, how did you manage to draw such a vivid yet accurate nude sketch of myself? Usually, I would have a few notes for you so that you could improve upon it in your next endeavor but it all seemed pretty accurate. And for that I applaud you!
Quinn: And this is why I need to really double check things before giving them to you. I completely forgot about that drawing.
Quinn: Well you did send me that one photograph of yourself ages ago...you know, right when we met.
What: Quinn and Rachel have a conversation over skype that ends with them agreeing that Rachel should come to join Quinn in Kanto.
Notes: Faberry Cuteness <3
Quinn took one last glance at herself in the mirror next to her bed, and sighed at the person staring back at her. The pink haired reflection was so far removed from the girl that had been so happy the week before she'd left Kanto. Even in death, Russell was once again messing with her life. After getting to Cinnabar, Quinn had spent the first few weeks sorting out the arrangements for the funeral, playing host to the various members of Russell's side of the family and to the few 'friends' he had. It had only taken two days of "You've achieved a lot with your life and in such a short space of time. Russell would be proud" before she'd flipped out and drastically changed her appearance again. There was nothing positive about her that could be attributed to Russell and she wanted to make sure everyone knew that. But now that she was finally alone and about to see Rachel's face for the first time in three weeks, Quinn was suddenly starting to regret her decision. The truth was she was nervous. Quinn was dying to see and speak to Rachel, but now she was worried that Rachel would disapprove of her new look. Flopping down in front of the computer, Quinn opened up Skype and selected Rachel's name and started the video call.
Rachel was darting back and forth from inside her hotel room to try and find her lost hair brush. One amazing thing about having a roommate was that she would inspire one to keep their room clean - with Quinn absent, Rachel's room was a complete mess. Five minutes later, Rachel found herself brushing through her dark mane of hair with a newly retrieved hairbrush that she had found underneath her bed, next to a lost slipper. The girl dashed down the flight of stairs and upon being prompted to, took Wendla with her, much to the chagrin of her other Pokémon that had meshed with Ryder, Sam, Alex and Kurt's teams. Although Cesario pouted, Rachel simply bopped her on the nose and let her Misdreavus distract the disappointed Girafarig. Normally, Rachel would take her entire team but it would hardly be appropriate to bring an army of Pokémon into the Pokémon Center. As Rachel switched on the PC when she had eventually made her way into the aforementioned site, she smoothed out her hair and placed on a winning smile, her heart racing just a bit as soon as she saw Quinn's name flash across the screen. After clicking the button to start a video chat, she waited impatiently to see Quinn's somewhat blurry face from the other side of the monitor. Her jaw dropped as soon as she caught sight of her friend. "I..." Rachel Berry was at a loss for words at the rather dramatic change in Quinn's demeanor. "Why, hello there. You certainly look.... different. How have you been, Quinn?" Rachel fumbled over her words but still kept her gaze on Quinn's face.
Quinn grinned sheepishly as her friend tripped over her words, clearly stunned by her new look. It wasn't like Quinn could blame her. There had been no mention of her impromptu makeover before, after all. Sweeping a hand through her pink hair to mess it up just a little more, Quinn vaguely remembered the reaction Rachel had had the last time she'd seen Quinn with pink hair. It had been a photo of course but that hadn't stopped Rachel from declaring that she'd wanted to have sex with her. "You okay there, Rach?" She teased, her grin easing into something that wasn't far off the Cheshire Cat's in width. "You look a little flustered." And while she didn't care to admit it, Rachel's look was a little bit of a turn on. Sure she'd turned a few heads in Cinnabar, but the only person whose attention she ever wanted these days was currently in Johto with an adorable Torchic in her company. "I've been...okay. I won't lie and tell you everything is perfect but I really needed this. I really needed to come and put this chapter of my life to rest. We're burying him in a couple of days and I'll be really relieved when that happens because I won't need to think about him again and I can get on with the important things in my life. There are still a few things that need sorting but after that's done I can come back to Johto." I can come back to you . She stopped and took a breath, knowing that once she'd said all that they wouldn't have to talk about it again. As she said, she just wanted it all to be over. "What about you? How're you doing?" Shifting her gaze to Wendla, she felt her shoulders droop as she was suddenly hit by how much she missed Rachel and the little family they'd built up between them. "And how's my little girl doing?"
Rachel shifted in her seat and let her gaze raked over the monitor as she took in Quinn's appearance and licked her lips subconsciously, ducking her head as she did so. "I- I definitely can assure you that I am alright. You look quite different, to say the least. I'm not flustered!" The girl spoke swiftly, her eyes widening as she tried to angle her face away from the camera to try and hide her blush. When they started talking about the incident, Rachel nodded sympathetically. "I can completely understand that. Well, when you do come back, I'd love to have you as my roommate again. I've been a little messy in your absence. Oh, I've been alright, I suppose. All's well. We're in Olivine City! It's definitely a bit of a change, to say the least." Rachel poked at Wendla's side lightly, grinning as soon as the chick fluffed her feathers at Rachel and seemed to pout at her. "She's missed you a lot. She's been setting a few things on fire - namely Ryder's Cheetos."
Quinn was feeling quite smug with herself, but then again she always felt smug when she could evoke such reactions from Rachel. "Oh really? No flustered in the least bit? So the fact that your face is almost the same shade as my hair, is a complete coincidence then?" She pushed, hoping to get an even more adorable reaction out of her loved one. Not just that though, Quinn was also using her teasing as a way to make sure Rachel didn't get a chance to ask many questions about the drastic change in appearance. "You? Messy? Oh my...I suppose I'll have to try and wrap things up as soon as possible, if only to save you from your own mess." Her grin widened as she sat and watched Wendla flit around on the screen. "I miss her too. I miss all of you." Her voice hitched and Quinn found herself having to turn away from the camera as her eyes suddenly filled with tears. And then just like that, she was back in control and trying to pass it off again. "First chance I get to come back...I'll be right there."
Rachel dipped her head downwards once more to try to hide the rather obvious flush that seemed to light up her own face in a mortified manner. "It is actually, thank you very much." The girl retorted with a cock of her head before grinning over at her friend, flipping her hair to the side as she did so. "Oh yes, things have been getting a bit chaotic over here in your absence." She leaned over a bit and widened her eyes dramatically. "Save me from all of these men! I've missed female company more than I'd care to admit." Rachel nodded as if to reaffirm her own words. "I miss you, too." Rachel responded immediately, feeling her throat get a bit scratchy. After clearing it, she swallowed before nodding. "I can't wait for when you do, Quinn." She murmured, her eyes flicking back up to the screen.
Quinn laughed heartily and reached out to touch the screen with her closest hand. She hated that she couldn't just reach over and pull Rachel into a hug right now. That was probably the worst thing about being away. Quinn missed Rachel's physical presence and it was killing her to be so far from her friend. "I knew everything would go to hell as soon as I left. Sorry for leaving you with all the men though. I know Sam and Kurt can get a bit much and don't even get me started with Ryder." She joked, happy to just have a conversation that didn't revolve around her father or the funeral arrangements. It felt freeing. Seeing Rachel's reaction to saying she missed her, Quinn struggled hard with stopping the tears from spilling. She never thought she'd miss anyone this much. "I don't suppose you'd consider coming to visit?" She joked. Her eyes fell to her lap, suddenly wishing Rachel would say yes and come out to join her in Cinnabar if only for a few days.
Rachel cocked her head to the side as she saw Quinn's hand lean forwards, affection coursing through her own body qt the action before the brunette sighed contently at the sigh of the other girl. "It's okay. I've just... missed you, I suppose." She murmured, playing with her hands from where they were sat on her lap. Her gaze flicked upwards to meet Quinn's through the screen as soon as the other girl suggested that she visit her in Cinnabar. "I- I would. I would visit you if you wanted me to, Quinn. I miss you. I love ... seeing your face in person." She managed to save herself before she blurted something out that would just make the other girl uncomfortable.
Quinn suddenly felt overwhelmingly shy in front of Rachel. Suggesting that the other girl come to Cinnabar had just been a joke, but she wished more than ever that Rachel would say yes. "I mean...only come if you want to, but I figure with there being no coordinator competitions until the new year now, it might be nice if we took a break from everything. It's only a month till your birthday or so until your birthday and it would be nice to spend it with family, right? And before that you could come to Cinnabar and meet my mom..." Quinn trailed off, realising that maybe she'd put more thought into this than she'd realised. She was almost coming off as desperate. "I miss you, but only come if you want to."
Rachel stammered a bit before responding properly. "I am - I mean, there's nothing really... here for me to do, while you're not here. I mean, there is stuff for me to do but I don't really feel any... inspiration." Did that mean Quinn was her muse? A small smile quirked at Rachel's lips at the thought once it occurred to her. "I'd like that. And- and after I meet your mother, you could meet my fathers in Saffron, perhaps? Brody won't... be there. He told me he's never going back there. So we'll be... we can just have a lot of fun in Saffron. Ooh, and maybe we could spend Christmas and my birthday in Cinnabar? My fathers have always wanted to visit." She felt a smile curving at her lips.
Quinn couldn't help be smile a little at the way Rachel was speaking to her. It was clear that Rachel was just as lost without Quinn as Quinn was without Rachel. She had so many things that needed doing, but everything felt so lacklustre without Rachel. "I'd like that. Or maybe better yet. I can come and meet you off the train and we can spend a few days in Saffron and then go up to Cinnabar. I sort of like that order more, although you'll have to deal with my mom calling me regularly to ask why I'm hiding you from her." She laughed, already feeling the heavy weight on her heart begin to lift at the prospect of seeing Rachel again. "And your fathers would be more than welcome to spend time with us in Cinnabar. The house is certainly large enough."
Rachel grinned excitedly at the thought of meeting up with Quinn soon. "I love that idea! And I'd gladly tell your mother that you've been stowing me away. After all, I wouldn't want to offend my future mother-in-law." Rachel stopped short once she realized what she'd just said before she backtracked. "I mean, because best friends are like... uh... old married couples, yes! That sounds plausible. Old married couples. And that would therefore make me her hypothetical daughter-in-law. Not because we're going to get married or anything. But yes, I think my fathers would love to stay over." Somehow, Rachel's face had flushed an even darker shade of red than before.
Quinn froze, her mouth slightly agape at Rachel's rather obvious slip. Even when the other girl had haphazardly tried to explain it away in the weirdest way possible, Quinn just sat there and stared. Because for a whole minute she sat and considered what life would be like if Rachel really could call Judy her mother-in-law. She imagined their lives five years into the future. Rachel was the proud winner of the Ribbon Cup for both Kanto and Johto and Quinn herself had beaten the Elite Four and was the reigning Pokemon Champion. They were happy and in love -married of course -, and living in the house that Quinn dreamed about building on the site of the old abandoned mansion. Blinking and wiping the tears that threatened to fall, with corner of her sleeve, she just smiled and nodded. "Book your ticket, Stack. We can work everything out when you get here. But I just really need to hug you right now."
Rachel coughed to try and forget about what had just happened, mostly due to the mortification that she felt because of the fact that she had just insinuated that she and Quinn would get married at some point in the future. Although as of the past month or so she's fantasized about it many a time, she knew that her feelings would most likely continue being unrequited. She shouldn't get ahead of herself. Rachel offered Quinn a small smile as soon as she saw the girl wipe her tears away, feeling her own lone tear slip down her right cheek. "I need to hug you, too. What day do you think I could come, Quinn?" She asked hopefully, a spark of excitement lighting up from within her eyes.
Quinn just grinned at how adorable Rachel was being, even though her heart was aching. Because Quinn genuinely missed how easily flustered Rachel could get at the best of times. And she missed being the one to invoke that kind of reaction from the pint-sized diva. "As soon as possible?" She suggested sheepishly. "I mean...it's not like I have any plans and I'm sure my mom can spare me for a few days while I go and pick you up in Saffron City. To be honest as soon as I tell her she'll be pushing me out the door and making me promise to bring you back as soon as possible." And right on cue, there was a knock on the door, followed by her mother's head peering round. "Quinn, what do you want to do about din...oh you have company?" Not even stopping to let Quinn reply or even allow her daughter the opportunity to kick her out of the room, Judy waltzed in and waved at the screen. "And you must be Rachel. My daughter has told me ever so much about you."
Rachel nodded in time with Quinn's next words eagerly. "As soon as possible." She repeated, excitement lighting up her eyes at the prospect of meeting Quinn sometime soon. "Maybe I could try to come over on Friday? We could meet up on Saturday when I get there, of course. I'm just... really excited - I might get to see you sometime soon!" She made a little cheering motion with her hands and seemed to perk up considerably upon doing so. Rachel's jaw dropped a bit as soon as she heard another voice sound from Quinn's location. She immediately plastered on a grin and introduced herself. "Ms. Judy Fabray, I assume? I'm Rachel Barbra Berry! It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am. I've only heard lovely things about you so far, so I really am excited to get to meet you!"
Quinn nodded as she vaguely heard Rachel suggest Friday as a possible day to depart for Kanto, but honestly her attention was more fixed on her own mother who had just barged into the room and was probably five seconds away from embarrassing her. "Oh please, call me mom. I feel like we're practically family considering how Quinn talks about you all the time." So it had only taken three seconds this time. That was a possible world record. "When will you be visiting us? I know things haven't been the best here, but please know that you're always welcome." Quinn rolled her eyes at her mother, knowing that if she tried to push Judy out now, she'd just make more fuss and probably blurt out more things that Quinn didn't need repeating. "We were just planning that actually, mom. Rachel was suggesting Friday, right? I think that works well." She interjected, both for Rachel's benefit and her own. The sooner they decided on the details, the sooner Rachel could book her ticket and things would be set in stone.
Rachel could only beam at Judy Fabray and nodded, making a mental note to refer to Judy as 'Mom' - her reasons for doing such a thing were selfish, of course, as she wanted to get to pretend for just a few moments that she and Quinn were more than just friends. "Quinn talks about me all the time?" Rachel decided to have a little bit of fun at Quinn's expense by continuing. "Quinn, dear, have you been gushing about me to your darling mother?" She giggled before opening her mouth to speak, eventually being able to form words by the time that Quinn told her mother that she was suggesting Friday. "I think Friday would be lovely, yes!"
Quinn
Quinn slapped a hand across her face with exasperation. Just like Quinn imagined, her mother was doing every single possible thing she could to embarrass her in front of Rachel. Even if Judy wasn't doing it on purpose, Quinn was finding it hard to keep herself calm and not just get up and usher her mother out of the room. "Apparently so, but I'll be sure to do it less now that I'm aware of it." She answered, with a stern glare at the two most important women in her life. Knowing she wouldn't be able to stay mad at either of them, she let out a mock sigh of exasperation and looked between Judy and the screen again. "So Friday it is...Mom, I'll come down for dinner in a bit, let me just say goodnight to Rachel first."
Judy pouted and waved to Rachel. "Looks like my daughter is making me leave. It was lovely meeting you Rachel. I look forward to actually seeing you in the flesh and hopefully you can teach my daughter some manners."
Rachel
A broad grin was glued onto Rachel's face at Quinn's clear mortification and at Judy's inappropriateness. "It was fantastic meeting you too, Mom!" Rachel remarked, blushing a bit of her usage of the name that the older woman had asked her to call her. "I've been trying for ages now but I'm starting to think it's a hopeless case." She nodded before bursting into laughter. "Why such a long face, Bee? I still love you either way!" She called out into the camera before the brunette started laughing once more, feeling a little fuzzy inside due to the fact that she had been speaking to Quinn and was going to visit her soon.
"So, you'll pick me up when I get there? And you'll meet my fathers? For real, I mean; not just as Gym leaders."
Quinn
Judy gave Rachel one last smile and left the room, much to Quinn's relief. Leaning back in her chair she turned her gaze back to the screen and raised an eyebrow at her friend. "You two get along far too well. I can already tell that when you get here you're going to gang up on me." She laughed, swinging her legs to and fro beneath her. She could frown and sigh all she liked, but really she felt like she had butterflies, from seeing Rachel and her mom interact together. Clearly Judy approved of Rachel and even though they weren't together it felt like it was one step along the way to it happening.
"I'll pick you up in the morning and then I'm not letting you go until I have to, okay?" Her face blanched at the prospect of having to meet Rachel's fathers but Quinn managed to recover and nod. "Of course I will. I just hope they like me."
Rachel
Rachel could only giggle at Quinn's accusation before playing with her hair, twirling a lock of it around as she laughed in a way that was a tad too over-dramatic to really pass as laughing at something solely because it was funny. "I'm definitely going to gang up on you but you're going to just accept it and let me do that to you. Because you adore me, of course. And if you say no, I'll pout at you until you feel guilty enough to accept my proposal of allowing your mother and myself to have fun at your expense, darling."
"I think I'm definitely alright with that." She chewed on her lower lip with another grin and snickered a bit more. "My fathers will love you. As long as you sing a duet with me in front of them, of course."
Quinn
Quinn huffed and pouted at the girl on her screen. Of course she'd let Rachel get her way, but not after making a big fuss about it. "You two are mean and I hope you realise that." She said, shaking her head and crossing her arms in front of her. "But you know I'll say yes to anything you ask of me. And I'm not going to be able to prevent my mother from scheming with you. Especially when it's at my expense." She playfully added.
"No duets. We already established that. I promise I will sing for you one day, but it's going to be on my terms." Quinn hated her own voice but she had already promised Rachel that it would happen. There was no way she'd sing in front of the Berry's though. Having Rachel hear her was bad enough, let alone the fathers of the girl who meant more to her than anyone in the world. "So Friday?" She asked, wanting to change the conversation. "I'll be there waiting for you. But I should go now...or my mum will come back and embarrass me more."
Rachel
The girl snickered at Quinn's response and winked at her. "I know I'm quite the cruel woman myself- Ryder has compared me to the likes of Maleficent due to the fact that I had Wendla set his last pack of Cheetos on fire. The look on his face was quite humorous, if I do say so myself. Mm, you're like my own little helper!" She exclaimed with a grin before rolling her eyes. "Oh, it's definitely at you're expense but I think 'scheming' might be going a little bit far."
"But Quinn!" She protested with a little pout before giving in and conceding to that. "Okay, but I won't rest until you sing for me someday, Q." She leaned her head on the palm of her hand and just stared at her best friend through the screen of the PC that she was using. "Friday." She breathed out almost dreamily before nodding. "I completely understand. I guess I'll see you soon, Quinn. I can't promise I won't jump you when we meet, though. I miss you!" She added, blowing the screen a kiss as she waited for the other girl to log off first.
Quinn
Arching a perfect eyebrow up at Rachel's statement, Quinn couldn't help but find it amusing that her friend and their...child...had deprived Ryder of his beloved snack. "You didn't?" She questioned, her grin getting wider as she actually tried to imagine the picture Rachel was painting for her with her words. "Hey if anyone is the little helper around here, it certainly is not me." She teased, sticking her tongue out at the screen.
"It'll happen, Stack. I already gave you my word and my word is very important to me." Quinn had yet to break a promise to Rachel, and she wasn't planning on starting now. "I have no problems with that, Rach. I'll see you Friday." Pretending to catch the kiss and put it in her pocket, Quinn blew one back and waved at the brunette. "I miss you too. I'll see you soon though. Bye!." She hit the hang up button and sagged down in her seat. Why wasn't it Friday yet?
Who: Quinn Fabray, Rachel Berry and a very mischievous Misdreavus
When: July 30th, Evening
Where:Secret Garden Alto Mare
What: A few days after Quinns Birthday, Rachel gives Quinn the rest of her present, and then they get interrupted by a Misdreavus
Notes: Song in the para itself is Storm by Lifehouse. Don't sue Penny please.
Quinn had finally managed to get all of the black dye out of her hair and was making the final adjustments to her makeup when she glanced at her watch and saw that she only had fifteen minutes left until she was due to meet Rachel. She'd actually been ready a good half hour ago, possibly a little too excited to be meeting up with Rachel again, so had been finding things to keep herself busy until 8pm. It was to be expected though. Over a week had passed since the last time they'd spoken properly face to face and Quinn was just glad they'd managed to fix their friendship. She wouldn't admit it to anyone except maybe the girl herself, after she probably pouted and brought out the puppy dog eyes, but Quinn had really missed Rachel. It was strange to even try to remember what her life had been like before they'd met. Grinning to herself, and straightening out the white sundress she'd only bought a few days ago, Quinn checked to see that she had everything she needed and then left her room to slowly make her way down to the Secret Garden where she was due to meet Rachel.
Rachel pinned her hair up so that it was styled in a matter in which it had been straightened completely but a few strands of her hair had been braided to add a little bit of creativity into it. A Forever 21 Printed Collar Short Sleeve Sweater along with a Jacquard Zipper Back Mini Skirt of the same brand were what she was donned in as she let out a shuddering breath, reading over the piece of paper that she had brought with her. The Secret Garden was where she had been waiting for the past three hours, getting everything ready for her. Over the past few years, Rachel hand only written a handful of good songs but felt as though she'd achieved that once again - unlike the flops known as My Headband and Only Child among a cluster of other ones - and she was ready to present Quinn with her birthday present. Most would find how much she had done for the girl to be over-the-top and a tad odd, but Rachel wanted to let the other girl to know that she was there for her as her best friend and was not about to leave any time soon. Perhaps all of the recent events had given Rachel inspiration enough to write one, as the problems she had been having with Sebastian as well as the appearance of Cesario had given Rachel a lot of spare time during the night to think these things over. The brunette had hung up lanterns as to her dismay, they had all been taken down after the masquerade had taken place. A few fireflies fluttered about as the girl set up the little radio on a table alongside a tray of mini bacon sandwiches, their lights illuminating the garden and meshing with the lanterns quite well. Of course, Rachel could play the song that she'd written on the piano but as she hadn't memorized the lyrics yet, decided to just tape the instrumental version to sing to Quinn. She had promised her a live show, after all. Rachel Berry was an individual who did not do things half-assed and for that reason had gone just a bit too far with her present but hopefully, the birthday girl would find it sweet rather than odd. She was fretting with where the radio was placed as she heard footsteps approaching her. Her back straightened out as she spun around dramatically and practically ran over to Quinn in her ballerina flats, a huge grin on her face as she fought to catch her breath. She considered stopping but apparently her body had a different idea, as the brunette leapt on top of the girl, tackling her into a huge hug as her arms wound themselves around Quinn's neck.
Quinn had barely stepped one foot into the garden when she caught sight of Rachel. Her face erupted into a full smile and her heart ached pleasantly in her chest, reminding her just how much she'd missed the short brunette that had only been in her life for less than two months. It was a strange situation to say the least, and it scared her just how much she cared for Rachel. Not that she'd ever be able to say it out loud to the girl. But Quinn didn't have that much time to dwell on her feelings because soon Rachel spotted her and before she knew it, her short stack was running towards her at full speed and jumping into her arms. Almost barreling over at the sheer force and speed that came with the hug, Quinn stumbled back a few steps and quickly raised her arms to hold onto Rachel, who was now wrapped around her, arms around her neck and legs semi-gripping her waist now that she'd readjusted the position so that she could support the girl's weight without stopping the hug. "Looks like someone missed me." She whispered, planting a kiss to Rachel's head, as she tried to take in everything about her friend at once. The way she felt in her arms. The way they seemed to fit together like two puzzle pieces. The smell that couldn't really be described as anything other than "Rachel". "And I'm not going to even try to pretend like I didn't miss you too, because I did. I really did."
Rachel clung to the blonde girl, her legs tightening by their own accord around Quinn's waist. Something about her smelled and felt so familiar but she wrote it off as just missing her friend of nearly two months that had swiftly become one of Rachel's closest friends. She buried her nose into Quinn's neck as a kiss was placed to her head, "I did miss you, you brat." She mumbled, curling her fingers through Quinn's hair as she let the other girl hold her up. The way that they slotted against each other might have made Rachel draw in a shuddering breath before the girl reminded herself that kissing her wouldn't be something that friends do and berated herself for thinking such a thing - one thing that she knew that she didn't want to ruin was her friendship with the blonde Ranger that she was currently entwined with. "I missed you more."
Quinn giggled at the affectionate insult, her grip around Rachel's legs tightening as she continued to support the slight girl in her arms. "I don't believe that for a second because I don't think it's possible for anyone to miss someone more than I missed you." She muttered into Rachel's collarbone, the feel of their bodies pressed against each other making her feel warmer than she really should feel. But Quinn wasn't prepared to end this hug until her arms and legs gave out or Rachel pulled away, whichever happened first. Instead she tightened her grip, her thumbs subconsciously stroking the soft skin of Rachel's legs. "Let's never fight again." She whispered, her voice soft and sincere. Being away from Rachel had been awful and if she could help it she wanted to never have to fight with her again. "I was stupid. Don't leave me."
Rachel smiled wider than she had in awhile as she giggled, nudging her nose up into Quinn's hair. One of the many amazing things about being such good friends with Quinn already was that she was such a touchy person in the best possible way. "Well, you might need to see the light, in that case - in the words of the one and only Melinda Gordon - because I am most definitely..." She bopped Quinn on the nose with a delighted little laugh as soon as she drew her head back just a bit, her nose brushing against Quinn's in their close proximity, "-not the wrong party, in this case." Rachel sighed at the feeling of Quinn's hands soothingly rubbing at her skin, feeling comfortable despite the odd position that they were in. "Never ever again." She agreed wholeheartedly, "I was stupid, as well. We were both dumbos." Rachel sniffed just a bit melodramatically even though she deemed the dramatism to be worth it. "I'll never leave you ever. I promised."
Quinn felt her mouth go dry when Rachel effectively gave her an eskimo kiss right there in the middle of the secret garden. Her legs turned to jelly but she quickly recovered and just giggled at the attention to mask the steadily growing blush spreading across her cheeks. Quickly moving her head to the side so that she could nuzzle into Rachel's shoulder, Quinn tried to push all of the non-friend type feelings that were surging through her, threatening to take over. "You can think what you want. But I must admit, I missed you quite terribly. The world is too quiet without you nearby." She mumbled into Rachel's sweater, not quite ready to pull away and inevitably get drawn back into a staring contest with Rachel's expressive eyes. Instead she let Rachel's words wash over her and relaxed into the embrace. "And I promise I'll never leave you. It's so not worth it. Not when I don't end up seeing you and I feel so lost without my best friend there to hug and talk to about anything and everything. But we're here now and I hear you have a surprise for the birthday girl." Quinn giggled, her body reacting to just the simplest of movements between the two of them, making her blush even harder.
Rachel chewed on her lower lip amidst the laughter as the other girl giggled. "Stop being cute," Rachel whined as she nuzzled her nose closer to Quinn and gave her a swift kiss on the cheek, smiling contently as the girl buried her face into her own shoulder. She rested her head against Quinn's, grinning into her hair. "I will do that. I missed you, too. You really do encourage my insanity, Ms. Fabray." Her eyes closed as she just breathed in the other girl, feelings washing up inside of her. She never had had a best friend that made her feel like that - Jesse felt like a dream or a fantasy; Isa felt like a sister; Seb was uncertain and exciting but Quinn was not only safe, but Quinn was spontaneous. She was someone Rachel would never get tired of. Right now, she felt as though she really mattered - she felt like something was stirring in her and that the she would never be hurt in any way; not while Quinn was around. "Whenever we fight, dramatic things happen to me. Though I can assume that you missed all of my drama?" She mumbled teasingly as she clung to Quinn. "I'm glad. Don't you dare break that promise. Because I won't break mine to you. I feel really lost without my best friend, as well - The only person who will tolerate my hour-long rants about why Galinda and Elphaba should have ended up together," she let out a laugh, snuggling closer to the girl. "Mm, I do have a surprise for the birthday girl. Well, two surprises, technically. One is... something that I made. That came from here..." Rachel tried to place a hand onto her heart but ended up fumbling and nearly falling off of the other girl. Her hands flew to Quinn's shoulders to steady herself as she burst into laughter, trying to latch onto her to keep from toppling over onto the ground.
Quinn let out a small whine as Rachel kissed her cheek, instantly regretting her actions as soon as the sound left her mouth. Squeezing her eyes closed, Quinn further attempted to bury her head in Rachel's shoulder and pray to every deity that she hadn't heard the sound. "I encourage nothing. You were insane to begin with and I've just decided to put up with it." She continued to mumble, not willing to pull her head away from the sweater because she was almost 100% sure that her face was glowing. It killed her that her body reacted so treacherously to the attention Rachel gave it. She was sure that most of it was just a byproduct of missing having a boyfriend, but that didn't make her feel any better. Rachel was one of her best friends, and probably the one person Quinn felt completely comfortable with other than Sam. But it was in a completely different way. Rachel managed to both excite and soothe every part of her body. There was never a dull moment when she was with the brunette and Quinn loved that. Unlike Sam, there was a constant challenge involved when it came to Rachel. "Dramatic things? Why haven't I heard about them yet? Of course I missed you drama. I live for it." She giggled, her arms tightening around Rachel's legs as she spun them round. Stopping, Quinn pulled her head back and rested her forehead against Rachel's, trying to prompt the other girl to look at her. "I promise you, I will never leave you. Not just because I don't want to, but because I don't think I could. You're stuck with me. Till we're old and grey and I'm rigging every game of shuffleboard so that you win." Rachel's sudden shift in position surprised her and there wasn't much Quinn could do to keep her from calling because both her hands were tucked around Rachel's legs. "Woah there. Let's go and sit down before you cause an accident, missy."
Rachel drew her eyebrows together, a teasing smile playing on her lips as soon as she heard Quinn whine. She gazed at the girl for a few moments, a mocking glint lighting up in her eyes before she burst into laughter, mumbling something about how cute the blonde girl was rather than calling more attention to the noise. "You encourage everything." She disagreed for the sake of disagreeing. "You're putting up with it, hmm? I'm the one who puts up with your obsession with bacon!" The girl cackled, not really noticing how their bodies were pressed up against each other, mostly due to the euphoria that was coursing through her at being so close to Quinn after not seeing her for over a week. Though, Rachel still was very oblivious, so she might not have noticed anyways. She flicked Quinn's nose as her smile faltered just a bit, "I- Uh... Just a Seb-thing. We shouldn't talk about that though," she tried to perk up again to lighten the mood, feeling her heart swell when the girl said that she missed and lived for her drama. Rachel blinked up at Quinn, her eyelashes batting with every breath they took as her forehead rested on Quinn's. "You're stuck with me, too. But pfffffffft," she batted at Quinn's shoulder lightly, careful to not lose balance again. "Who's to say I wouldn't win the shuffleboard games by myself, Bee?" Rachel grinned and drew in a shuddering breath as soon as she felt soft hands holding her up and steadying her. Quinn was steadying her again, but this time was doing so in a different way. "Missy? What century are you from, Ms. Fabray?" She carefully lowered herself onto the ground so that she could stand, her arms still looped around Quinn's neck so that they were pressed up against each other, foreheads still touching and causing the Eskimo's kiss to resume itself while she asked the other girl that question, a sly little grin gracing her lips.
Quinn sighed when Rachel mentioned another Sebastian thing. She desperately wanted to ask what it was about but knew that the last thing they both wanted to do was discuss Sebastian when the two of them had only just made up. Instead she just smiled at the girl in her arms, her mind and body both physically and mentally surrounded by Rachel. She'd never quite happily let herself become this close to a friend and Quinn was finding it to be quite nice. "Because realistically speaking, I'm the one who'd win them all. You're looking at a three time Orange Island Cruise winner." She giggled, her eyes fixed on Rachel's because they were oh so easy to get lost in. "But I'd let you win them all because I have a feeling you're going to be the type of person that's a sore loser." She teased, already imagining the pout and mini tantrum the little old lady version of Rachel would throw if she lost any competition. Quinn let out a sigh, not quite sure if it was out of disappointment or relief that Rachel was no longer so close to her. Rachel was still holding onto her though, and Quinn slowly moved her hands up to rest on Rachel's hips, pulling them flush together again. "Hush you and respect your elders. Also it's rude to make the Birthday girl wait." She reminded Rachel, a teasing smile playing at the corner of her mouth.
Rachel rubbed Quinn's back when the other girl sighed, nuzzling into her as she took solace in the fact that the girl was there for her and would be for a long time. She really couldn't imagine fighting with the other girl again and didn't want to ever. It was quite the intense thought for someone such as Rachel, who hadn't been this close to a friend since Jesse or Isabel, but felt as though opening herself up to Quinn was the right thing to do. She poked Quinn's cheek with her finger before placing a kiss to her nose with a little giggle tacked on once more. "Orange Island Cruise winner? Pfft. I'm Rachel Berry." With a little flip of her hair, the girl laughed, stepping closer to Quinn as she did so, her eyes fixed on Quinn's own hazel speckled ones. "I would not be a sore loser! Not that I'd ever lose, of course." Rachel was sure that she'd lose eventually but she did not want to think about that. She'd master shuffleboard if she had to. Once Quinn's hands made their way to Rachel's hips to tug her closer, Rachel took her own hands and laced them together from around Quinn's neck so that they could comfortably stand there with one another. "Respect my elders, hmm? Such an old lady... I really should have gotten you a walking cane for your birthday, Ms. Fabray. I suppose I'll save it for next year, oldie." Rachel quipped before letting out a little laugh, "So the Birthday girl wants her presents, now?"
Quinn gave a nonchalant shrug and attempted to nip at Rachel's finger as it touched her cheek, succeeding in only kissing it accidentally. Her reaction was almost instantaneous, with a string of random noises coming out of her mouth as she tried to apologize to Rachel. Giving up she ducked her head and just tried to hide behind her mop of blonde hair instead. "You say that as if it means anything. And you would be the worst loser, you'd pout and tell me that you were going easy on me or that you let me win." She knew exactly how much of a diva Rachel was, but she honestly didn't mind. From anyone else it would be one of the worst ways to behave, but from Rachel she found it adorable and endearing. It was just one of those things that made Rachel unique and Quinn really loved that about the brunette. The new embrace had turned into something more intimate than what Quinn was going for, but that didn't mean she was going to move. She'd gone a week without hugs from her friend and now she was going to savor each one. "I'd appreciate that. Then I can jab you with it when you're being silly...which is always." She giggled, her hands seemingly having a mind of their own as they moved from Rachel's hips and ended up resting on the brunette's lower back. "I dooooo...It's Tuesday now and my birthday was on Saturday, so stop stalling." She teased, giving Rachel her biggest pout and the sweetest doe eyes she was capable of. "And I have something to show you too...or should I say someone."
Rachel flushed a bright pink hue as soon as she felt Quinn's lips at her fingers, a gush of air blowing out of her mouth alongside a few snickers at how adorably Quinn was behaving as soon as the girl started stammering. "I would not! Psh, if you ever did win, it would be because I would be letting you win." She stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She found that playful banter with Quinn was one of the many highlights of being around the girl. The hug that the two were sharing was one that was a lot more than just a friendly one but she couldn't help but make it last even longer in hopes of being even closer to her friend. After all, every friendship does need intimacy! "Jab me with it? Maybe I'll reconsider that offer and just get you some reading glasses instead, silly billy." Rachel spoke in a mockingly sweet tone, "and I'm not silly, bee! You're the silly bee!" Enjoying the play on words, Rachel giggled, sighing when she felt Quinn's hand drift to her lower back, tilting her head to the side as she examined the girl's 'sad' face. "Ooh, you do? Let's get you to your present first, then!" The girl excitedly leaned back and pulled both of Quinn's hand so that she could run backwards towards the garden where she had set everything up, tugging the blonde along with her.
Quinn rolled her eyes at Rachel, fully aware that there was no winning this argument unless they started bickering about it and really she was rather happy just to let Rachel win. Mostly because it would make her smile and Quinn was very much under the impression now that there was nothing quite as beautiful as Rachel Berry's smile. It was thoughts like that that seemed to be wrecking havoc in her mind lately, and she didn't really know what they meant. Rachel was gorgeous and Quinn was lucky to have her in her life, but at the end of the day, they were just friends and that's how things needed to stay while she found a way to either deal with her feelings for Santana, or see if the other girl felt anything for her. That didn't stop her from the more than friendly interactions she always seemed to be partaking with Rachel though. It didn't stop her from lingering in every embrace for just a moment longer than absolutely necessary. It didn't stop her from constantly reaching out to hold Rachel's hand. And most of all it didn't stop her from constantly wanting to lean in and kiss her perfect lips. But they were friends and Quinn had convinced herself long ago that they were just friends this was simply just her wanting to latch onto a new person now that things with her and Sam had ended. "I already have reading glasses." She'd said shyly, coming out of her thoughts to give Rachel a small smile and a nod to indicate that she wasn't joking. She let Rachel pull her further into the garden, her mouth dropping as she took in the lanterns and the fireflies flitting around. It was beautiful. Nobody had ever gone to this much trouble to organize something for her birthday. "Y-you did all this yourself?" She asked, a little overwhelmed by it all.
Rachel grinned over at Quinn as the girl seemed to be deep in thought, letting her gaze rest over the girl's face. She really was beautiful. As the girl smiled over at her, Rachel felt something warm and fuzzy rising within her at being the one to make Quinn smile - the blonde girl really didn't smile enough. Rachel's attention focused in on Quinn as the girl spoke quietly before an even broader smile made its way onto her lips. "You have reading glasses? I want to see them, one day." She nodded along with her own words, tilting her head to the side as her eyes softened just a bit. Seeing the other girl acting shy really was one of the cutest things that Rachel had experienced. She couldn't help but take a small step forwards and lean up to stand on her tip-toes to place a kiss onto Quinn's cheek. Tugging the other girl along, she stopped in the garden and let go of her hand, flouncing over to the small table where the radio and sandwiches were waiting. "I-Yeah. It took a few hours but you're worth it." Rachel ducked her head with a bashful smile before drawing in a shuddering breath. "Uhm... I don't know if it's a bit much but I wanted to - You said you wanted to watch me perform so I uhm... wrote you something. I wrote you a song. For you." She rambled, twiddling her fingers together a bit nervously. "You're just one of my best friends, Quinn, and you don't- don't realize how amazing you are. So I uhm.... decided to show you. How special you are to me. Not all of my songs have turned out.... good." She recalled My Headband and Only Child with just a little shudder but remember how Jesse and Isa had dubbed Get it Right to be genius, so she tried to regain her confidence. "I wouldn't be able to play it on the piano while singing because I finished it last night and it would be a bit... hard to get a piano out here." The girl let out another distraught giggle before continuing. "But I really hope you like it. I also made you bacon sandwiches. So you'll be uhm... entertained and occupied?" She flashed the girl a hopeful smile, the light from the lanterns glowing on the side of both of their faces from where they were standing just a few meters away from each other.
Quinn looked up at slowly at Rachel, through hooded eyes and gave her a grateful smile at the fact that she hadn't attempted to tease her about her glasses. Contacts had become a permanent fixture in her life since she'd started high school and reinvented herself. Now her glasses only made an appearance in the mornings or when her eyes were feeling particularly sore. Wearing them just brought back too many unhappy memories of life as Lucy. "You probably will if we end up travelling together. I have to wear them in the mornings when I first wake up because I haven't put my contacts in yet." She explained, already knowing she's going to end up hating the moment that Rachel sees her in her glasses for the first time. But then just like that, all her negative emotions melted away when Rachel leant up and kissed her on the cheek. If the action itself hadn't warmed Quinn's heart, then just the adorable way in which Rachel had actually needed to tip toe to kiss her cheek, was enough to take her breath away. Rachel was already moving away from her and heading towards the radio that she'd missed the first time round. It was all so magical. She had no idea how Rachel had even managed to achieve this much considering she'd only found out about her birthday on the day itself. Her cheeks flared with colour at the idea of being called worth it, especially by Rachel, but to her credit, Quinn didn't try to hide for once. And then finding out that Rachel had written her a song? Well this year's birthday may have just trumped every single other one in her life, even if this was technically happening a few days later. If the Masquerade and all the things happening with Olivia hadn't already made it so, this definitely sealed the deal. "You wrote me a song?" She asked, the emotion clearly present in her voice. Nobody had ever written a song and she'd expected to go the rest of her life without someone doing something so sweet for her. Most of Rachel's other words were lost on her, but she did manage to glean best friends and amazing from it and none of the rest really mattered because Quinn was hurriedly moving towards Rachel and wrapping her arms around her. She just really needed the brunette to know how much this all meant to her. "Thank you so much." She mumbled, tears of happiness streaking down the sides of her cheeks.
Rachel felt a small smile playing on her lips at the thought of Quinn wearing glasses, finding the thought particularly adorable. "Well, could you promise to let me see you wear those glasses, someday?" She asked, just making sure that she would get to see it one day. "I think we will end up traveling together. I hate to assume but I really want us to, at least. I bet you look very cute in them!" She quipped lightheartedly, a little giggle accompanying her statement. Rachel knew that it was probably a bit much and that if it were anyone else, they'd probably be uneasy and give Rachel a talk about boundaries and such. But this was Quinn and she wouldn't judge her. She'd appreciate the thought, Rachel was sure. She nodded with an unsure look on her face, smiling at the other girl a bit timidly, "I wrote you a song." She confirmed, suddenly feeling very shy. After a few moment, she had a handful of Quinn, wrapping her arms around the other girl after just a few moments. Pressing a kiss to the girl's head, she stroked her hair and back, "Shhh, shhh. It's worth it. You're worth it. Don't cry, Quinnie." She mumbled, nudging her nose into Quinn's hair as the two girls continued hugging, Rachel tightening her arms around Quinn as they did so.
Quinn winced further at the thought of Rachel seeing her in glasses, but found herself nodding and promising Rachel that she would get a chance to see them at some point. It was such a small and innocent request, highlighted only be the fact that Rachel was giving her the cutest smile ever, so it wasn't like Quinn could even say no to her. "We will travel together...I mean you don't seriously think I'm going to miss your contest, do you?" She asked, her expression softening upon hearing the soft giggle escape Rachel. Relaxing into Rachel's arms, Quinn let the tears fall freely, too overwhelmed by all the feelings coursing through her. "I'm not though...I'm really not." She mumbled, her head snug in the crook of her friends shoulder. "And only my mom calls me Quinnie. Don't you start too." Quinn added, the pout on her face not visible to Rachel, but clearly evident from just her tone.
Rachel couldn't help the nearly enamored little giggle that escaped her lips when the girl winced - When she first met Quinn, she had had a little crush on her. That had not been a secret at all but now, Quinn was her best friend. She couldn't help but let the things that Isabel said get to her head - what if Quinn wanted to be with her? Oh, she was being ridiculous. Quinn wouldn't want to - That was just a flabbergasting thought. At Quinn's response, she felt laughter bubbling up at Quinn's response. "I- I don't know, I wanted to be sure. I'm really glad though. Besides, you'll look gorgeous standing next to me for photographs afterwards if I win." She nudged the other girl, keeping her arms around her. "You are. I don't care what you think, Quinn. I know that you're worth it because to me..." She leaned back just a bit, placing both hands on Quinn's shoulder so that she could look her in the eyes. "You're really the most incredible person on the planet." Rachel leaned back and forth on her feet. "So no 'Quinnie' for me?" Rachel chuckled as she rubbed the blonde girl's back with her hands while the girl cried.
Quinn continued to cling to Rachel, letting her words wash over her. Nobody had ever said that about her and she was finding it hard to believe that someone she cared about, as much as she cared for Rachel, actually felt that way about her. "That's a lie, at most I'm the second most incredible person on the planet. You beat me for that title." She muttered into Rachel, her head moving up from the brunette's shoulder and burrowing more into her neck. Her lips brushed lightly against soft skin and Quinn found herself shivering lightly, eyes transfixed on the way the way Rachel's neck moved when she spoke, and how it would feel to trail a line of kisses from her neck to her lips. How delicious it would be to mark her. Flashbacks of the moan that Rachel had let out during that one heated kiss over a week ago, had her eyes flying open and Quinn was dropping her hands to her sides and stepping back from her friend, cheeks burning. "N-no, no Quinnie." She said, embarrassment punctuating her words as she turned her head to the side to hide the one tell she had that she could never really control. "So...this song?" She asked, keen to have all the focus shift back to Rachel so that they could pretend that she hadn't just burst into tears.
Rachel tightened her arms around the blonde girl as she spoke, shaking her head as she did so. "I'm not all that great, Quinn." She murmured, letting her eyes slide shut in a content manner when the other girl's lips glided along her neck - probably by accident. A shuddering breath left Rachel woozy, confused as to why she kept feeling so much whenever she did so much as inhale the scent of Quinn's fruity hair conditioner. Maybe it was that she was going through withdrawals concerning intimacy with the other girl, as she was arguably one of her best friends in Johto if not altogether. She threw Quinn a befuddled glance when the girl stepped backwards, all while stuttering and blushing. "No Quinnie, then." She responded, a little giggle in her mockingly judgmental tone of voice. The brunette ran her hand up and down Quinn's arm to make sure that she was okay before clearing her throat and chuckling nervously, "Uhm, yeah! The song! I - I prepared a little chair for you to sit in while I sing it to-slash-for you..."
Quinn was tempted to argue with Rachel about that, because from where Quinn stood, Rachel was just perfect. Maybe not the dictionary definition of perfect, but definitely Quinn's flawed definition and that was all that really mattered. But she knew it would just descend into her saying otherwise and Rachel brushing off the praise. Sometimes they were just too similar like that. Quinn liked to pretend that maybe that was why they got along so well. Why her bond with Rachel was different to her bond with Ryder, Sam and the rest of her friends. That they just resonated on a level that none of the others could understand, but even though she lied to herself on an almost daily basis, she knew that wasn't the case at all. Quinn knew that their bond went far deeper than that. Her one fear was that it went deeper for her than it did Rachel. "A chair?" She questioned, stepping forward and looking around before spotting the black plastic chair that was set just to the side of them. Grinning, she waltzed over to the chair and swiftly sat down, now just keen to hear Rachel sing. Looking up at Rachel expectantly through her eyelashes, Quinn couldn't help but bite her lip at the rare sight of a nervous looking Rachel.
Rachel placed a small kiss to Quinn's cheek bone as soon as they pulled away from each other, resisting the urge to encase her friend in a hug, once more. One thing that Rachel was aware of was that the nature of her feelings towards the blonde girl was nothing short of inappropriate. It wasn't inappropriate in the way that made her wish to be intimate with her, no. It was worse. Her feelings were inappropriate in the sense that she wished to lean forward and pepper as many kisses to the other girl's lips as she possibly could; she wished to cheer her on at every single Gym challenge that Quinn entered; she wanted to see Quinn cheering her on at every one of Rachel's contests; she more than anything just wanted to be as close to her as possible. Could she really blame 'friendship intimacy' for that, as well? But all of Rachel's musings had to conclude at some point - she vowed to be the best friend that she possibly could be to the other girl, as that was what they were. Friends. For some feeling, that acknowledgment both left something feeling unsettled from within Rachel but also made her feel happy inside. She had a true friend - a true friend who would never intentionally hurt her. Rachel snapped herself out of her reverie when she caught sight of Quinn smiling at her from where she was now seated on the black plastic chair propped in front of the little radio and shook her nerves. "I recorded the instrumental track onto the radio, as it would be rather difficult to play it live while you still are here." The girl bounded over to the device and switched it on, nibbling at her lower lip as she ran back over to the ranger and took her friend's hands with her own. The opening notes to the song started up as Rachel started singing, the soft notes of the piano keys wafted into the night air.
She drew in a deep breath. “How long have I been in this storm?
So overwhelmed by the ocean's shapeless form
Water's getting harder to tread
With these waves crashing over my head”
While writing it, she tried her very best to make it a more serious-sounding as the soft strumming of a guitar on the tape sounded in harmony with the piano that had introduced the slow so that she could sing to the other girl, her voice wavering a bit at the beginning before she regained her confidence and continued singing to her friend.
“If I could just see you
Everything would be all right
If I'd see you
This darkness would turn to light
And I will walk on water
And you will catch me if I fall
And I will get lost into your eyes
I know everything will be alright
I know everything is alright”
She launched into the chorus, her lips curving upwards at the ends as she sang along with the tune, the note that she hit at the end curled upwards, the two instruments playing together meshing as she drew in another deep breath. Showing people her work over a social network was one thing but singing it for them in person was another. Quinn had been her muse for that song but not one that most people would think it was about. She was singing from her heart about how her friend was always there for her and how she would always feel alright with her around.
“I know you didn't bring me out here to drown
So why am I ten feet under and upside down
Barely surviving has become my purpose
Cause I'm so used to living underneath the surface…”
She brushed a bit of her own hair out of her eyes as they flickered up to meet Quinn’s own hazel eyes, her heart beating overtime as she did so – She couldn’t read the expression on the girl’s face and took that as a sign to repeat the chorus once more, as originally planned.
“If I could just see you
Everything would be all right
If I'd see you
This darkness would turn to light
And I will walk on water
And you will catch me if I fall
And I will get lost into your eyes
I know everything will be alright
I know everything is alright…
And I will walk on water
You will catch me if I fall
And I will get lost into your eyes
I know everything will be alright
I know everything is alright
Everything is alright
Everything is alright.”
At the conclusion of her song, she nervously twiddled her fingers that were holding Quinn’s and had at some point, gotten just a bit clammy. As the track stopped playing, the crickets sounded in the background of the garden, seeming just a bit calming as they were the only thing that made a sound at all. The trees of the Secret Garden rustled against each other lightly as Rachel shifted, already a bit chilly but more nervous than not as she waited to see how Quinn would react.
Quinn sat and watched Rachel sing to her, paying close attention to the lyrics of the song. It was technically the first time she'd ever heard Rachel properly sing, and while she knew Rachel would be amazing, she still wasn't prepared for just how good the brunette really was. Tears welled up in her eyes at the sentiment because it was essentially how she felt about Rachel in a nutshell. They were friends, but she knew they were more than that too. Or was it that she just wanted them to be more? Her thoughts and feelings for Rachel weren't exactly clear to her yet. Dabbing at the corner of her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater, she gave Rachel a shaky and emotional grin, as she came to the end of her song, trying desperately to open her mouth and tell her friend just how much that song had meant to her. But there were no words to accurately describe the feeling of elation spreading through every inch of her being. Instead of speaking, she tugged on the soft hand she was holding onto and pulled Rachel into an embrace, which ended with her practically pulling Rachel onto her lap. "You're amazing."
Rachel felt her heart soar as soon as Quinn started crying tears that were revealed to be happy ones as soon as she smiled that same dazzling smile that the girl always wore whenever she was truly happy. "You're more amazing." She couldn't help but respond as soon as she was pulled down onto Quinn's lap, letting her fingers dance along the girl's cheek while shifting in Quinn's lap to get more comfortable. "Happy birthday, bee." She murmured, placing a soft, affectionate kiss onto the girl's cheek in response to it, feeling her own emotions run amok. What she was feeling around Quinn Fabray, Rachel Berry was not sure. But what she did know was that this girl was one of the most important people in her life and that she would do anything to see that honestly shocked yet elated grin on her face.
Quinn didn't think it was possible for her birthday to get better, but then Rachel went and kissed her cheek, effectively demolishing that opinion altogether. At the quiet birthday greeting, she grinned and nuzzled her nose into the crook of Rachel's neck, all the while humming happily - something she only tended to do when she was completely content. Her hand traced small indiscernible patterns on the small of her friends back, as the other held Rachel's legs securely to her torso. It had been so long since she'd been completely wrapped up with another person like this, both physically and mentally. Rachel was the only thing on her mind, and as she breathed in that familiar scent that was so unequivocally Rachel, she was left thinking that she really had no problem with that. And somehow, even though Rachel had the power to destroy her with only a single word, Quinn had never felt so safe in someone else's presence before.
Rachel smiled contently into the hug before whispering a few words to the other girl, her lips pressed against Quinn's hair and Quinn's nose nudged into her neck. "Did you like it?" She whispered self-consciously, her lips pursing themselves as she pressed multiple kisses to the blonde's soft, fruit-smelling hair. She simply sat there for a few seconds, nuzzling into her before pulling back. Their noses were brushing in another Eskimo's kiss but this time, Rachel's chocolate brown eyes flicked from Quinn's own hazel eyes to her lips and then back up to her eyes, continuing that action several more times before a chill ran up her spine. Paying no heed to the sudden coldness surrounding them, a soft smile quirked at the corners of Rachel's lips, the girl's head tilting to the side as she observed Quinn.
Quinn immersed herself in the embrace - keen to make up for lost time - but didn't miss the almost shy and nervous question that fell from Rachel's lips. Smiling wholeheartedly, she pulled her head back slightly so they were facing each other and pressed a kiss to Rachel's cheek, imitating her friend's earlier action. "Of course I did. It was amazing...you're amazing. This has been the best birthday ever." She admitted, getting lost in Rachel's brown eyes which seemed to be dancing between Quinn's eyes and lips. It was almost as if she wanted to kiss her, but Quinn wouldn't let herself believe that for a second. There was no way that Rachel felt that way for her and even though she wanted to just lean in and kiss her friend, she refrained and just sat and regarded her beautiful smile. She was all too aware of the cold around them, but she didn't want to look away. "Penny for your thoughts?"
Rachel ducked her head with a soft smile playing on her lips as soon as Quinn's own mouth grazed her cheek. "Really? You're not just saying that because I'd throw a tantrum if you didn't like the song?" Rachel teased the other girl, letting her hand wind through Quinn's soft, golden locks of hair. She wasn't sure what it was that made her so drawn to her but was certain that this girl was going to be her best friend for a while. "I'm thinking that you should probably eat the bacon sandwiches I made you." Rachel spoke completely seriously, her eyebrow quirking upwards at the end of the statement, snickering as she nodded towards the lone plate of sandwiches in the far off corner of the Secret Garden. Well, it wasn't really all that far off per say, but seemed to be far away from where the two girls were enjoying each other's company.
Quinn rolled her eyes, subconsciously tightening her grip around the girl in her arms. "Am I really the type who would lie just to save myself from having to face an irate diva?" She said sincerely, cocking her head to the side and letting a soft sigh escape her lips as fingers found their way into her hair. "I think I should too...but unfortunately there's a halfling in my lap and I'm unable to move. I guess I'll just have to sit here for the rest of the day and eventually starve." Quinn said dramatically, giggling and nuzzling Rachel's cheek with her nose. Looking over to the plate of sandwiches, Quinn frowned as she noticed there were definitely less than there'd been earlier. "Uhm...Rachel..."Quinn muttered, eyes darting between Rachel and the plate. "Wasn't there more food before?" She questioned, suddenly very aware that her shoulder was icy cold. "What the..." She turned rapidly, her eyes landing on the Misdreavus clinging to her shoulder and Quinn started to shake violently. Ghost Pokemon always had that effect on her. "R-rachel...get it off me...please."
Rachel leaned into Quinn's touch, feeling comfortable beyond belief in the arms of another person, especially as it was the girl who was arguably her best friend. "Mm, that has yet to be determined." Rachel responded, her smile evident through her tone of voice before cackling in an over-the-top manner and she continued threading her fingers through the girl's hair. "I think that ents would be able to lift halflings up quite easily, though, Ms. Fabray. I doubt you'd starve ." The brunette nibbled on her lower lip, her smile now stretching over her whole face. As soon as Quinn stiffened, Rachel perked up, trying to scout out what it was that was happening to cause Quinn such distress. A small yelp escaped her lips as soon as a Misdreavus was revealed to be clutching onto the blonde. A high-pitched scream escaped the small, grey Pokémon, causing Rachel to flinch a bit. The girl recognized the nearly-one-meter-tall Pokémon as one of the notorious pranksters of the Pokémon world, a look of fascination and interest clouding her eyes as they locked with the female Misdreavus seemingly trying to cuddle Quinn. She snapped out of her reverie at Quinn's trembling voice. "How?" She asked quietly, her voice a soft whisper that was audible to anyone around them, as it was impossibly quiet in the Secret Garden upon the Misdreavus' appearance.
Quinn shrugged, not really knowing how to answer Rachel's comment, because she knew full well that she could carry Rachel easily, if she wanted to. But the point was that she didn't want to. She was more than happy to just sit there and hold Rachel in her arms. Food could happen later, she decided. The shrill cry that came from the ghost Pokemon clinging to her shoulder made Quinn wince and tremble even more. Ever since Freya, Quinn had had issues with ghost Pokemon and generally found it best to stay away from them, which was why it was almost ironic that Olivia had been dressed as a Chandelure. Closing her eyes, she wishfully thought to herself that maybe when she opened them again it would be gone. No such luck. Instead Quinn turned to Rachel who was also in a similar state of shock, although seemingly nowhere as scared as Quinn was. "I don't know...just p-please get it off my shoulder." She stuttered, hating that she was appearing this weak, but really there just wasn't a lot that she could do about that. The Misdreavus seemed to find the whole thing hilarious though and let out another high pitched noise and then started to...nuzzle her? Quinn blinked profusely, confused at what the Pokemon was doing, but it really did seem to be nuzzling her shoulder.
Rachel placed a comforting hand onto Quinn's shoulder, rubbing it in a somewhat soothing way without taking her eyes off of the little Misdreavus as it practically purred while nuzzling Quinn, making alarming noises while knowing full well that she was scaring Quinn. Probably - knowing the natures of most Misdreavus - the Pokémon felt rather entertained by Quinn's reaction. "Shhh, sweetie. Should I - Ca-Catch it?" She stumbled over her words, the Misdreavus peeking up at her slyly as Rachel spoke a bit nervously, her lips chapped as the cold air of nighttime seemed to wisp around the two girls. The Pokémon looked unimpressed at Rachel's obvious motives and instead curled closer to Quinn, nudging her face with her own, a few sounds of contentment escaping the ghost-type Pokémon.
Quinn watched the devious little Misdreavus continue to rub up against her and eventually started to relax. She wasn't comfortable with the situation at all, but Rachel was here which helped calm her a little, and Quinn also got the feeling from the ghost type that she wasn't about to hurt her, she just liked the look on Quinn's face as she reacted to it touching her. "C-could you please?" She whispered back, not happy to be coaxing Rachel into catching a Pokemon she might not want, but at this point in time it seemed like the easiest way out of the situation. Besides, Rachel could just release the Misdreavus again later - preferably while Quinn wasn't around. "Because otherwise the three of us are never going to move from this spot and I suddenly want those sandwiches." Quinn added, trying to lighten the mood.
Rachel nodded, fumbling as she got up and dashed over to retrieve her satchel that was laying on the floor. She reached for a Pokéball and upon discovering that it was one of her empty ones, she let out a sound of relief. Rushing over to the other girl and the Misdreavus, Rachel laid a hand on top of Quinn's. Mulling over what she was to do with this new Misdreavus - should she release her or keep her and let her join her own team - she was startled to note that the Misdreavus moved her face over to come uncomfortably close to Rachel's. Suddenly, the mischievous Pokémon crossed her eyes and then let out an alarmingly loud cackle. Despite how most would be befuddled and terrified at what had just happened, a massive grin worked its way onto Rachel's face. She shook her head fondly before holding out the Pokéball, popping it open and raising a challenging eyebrow at the small Pokémon. The Misdreavus seemed irked that she would have to separate herself from Quinn if she wished to be caught but had apparently worked out that doing so would ensure more time spent. She spun around, purple mist floating about in a tiny gust of wind that resembled a hand-size tornado. Rachel blinked. A click sounded as well as a little giggle as soon as the troublemaker had secured herself inside of Rachel's Pokéball. "Well...." She started off, a surprised yet elated look gracing her face before it slipped into a look of worry. "Oh my gosh, are you okay? I didn't think to ask, as I was still a bit shocked, but - Are you?"
Quinn shivered lightly as Rachel's hand came to rest over her own, not entirely sure if it was merely because she was so freaked out by the clinging Misdreavus, or if this was all just Rachel. Watching Rachel catch the ghost Pokemon, Quinn could see her friend thinking hard about what she was going to do with her new acquisition. She faltered at the reaction she was seeing, almost 100% sure that it meant that Rachel was keeping the Misdreavus and therefore Quinn would be seeing a lot more of her. Great, just great. Hearing Rachel giggle, Quinn focused her attention on the girl, smiling fondly at the happy expression on her friends face. "I'm fine. Perfectly fine." She said reassuringly, taking the time to intertwine their touching hands and smile shyly up at Rachel. "My hero." It came out with just the tiniest hint of a teasing tone, but Quinn was actually really grateful for what Rachel had just done.
Rachel squeezed Quinn's hand with a smile shot her friend's way. She couldn't help the large grin that overtook her face as soon as Quinn entwined their fingers. "Does that make you my damsel in distress?" Rachel asked, nibbling on her own lower lip as she shifted the Pokéball into a more comfortable position in her free hand. Using her hand that was clinging onto Quinn's, Rachel helped the blonde girl up, leading her towards the table. The sandwiches - while there were less left than there initially had been - still did look appetizing for someone who ate meat, so Rachel just beamed over at her friend. "If it tastes awful, lie to me and say that it's delicious."
Quinn cocked her head to the side, feigning a look of contemplation that soon morphed into a coquettish smile. "Maaaaaaaaaybe." She drawled, feeling particularly playful now that the Misdreavus was gone. "But you're not exactly what I had in mind for a Knight in Shining Armor. For one thing, you're way too short and you whine too much for a hero. But then again Frodo saved the day in Lord of the Rings...and you are a halfling." Quinn continued to tease, spinning Rachel around and into her arms when Rachel attempted to lead her over to the table. "And what happened to always being honest with each other? But it's bacon...I really don't see how you could have messed up bacon." Quinn reached out and grabbed one of the sandwiches with her free hand, the other still holding tightly onto Rachel's. Taking a bite, she pretended to mull over the taste but upon glancing at Rachel again, she felt bad and decided to put her friend out of her misery. "They're delicious, Rachel. Thank you. Best Birthday ever."
Rachel pursed her lips at Quinn, raising a challenging eyebrow at her as they had a mini-stare off that did nothing but cause Rachel to burst into laughter almost immediately after they had started staring each other off. "Maybe?" Rachel huffed, flipping her hair to the side in mock-anger before continuing. "Is that so? In that case, I'll withdraw as your Knight in Shining Armor and find a maiden who appreciates the halfling that I am." She nudged the other girl lightly with her shoulder, yelping as she was spun around. "Wheeee!" The brunette squealed as she was spun around, giggling uncontrollably as she was turned inside the other girl's arms. "Are you telling me that it isn't delicious or that it is, m'dear? Because I must say that now, I'm very anxious as to how they actually do taste. You're welcome. Really?" Rachel's eyebrows darted upwards, a hopeful smile spreading across her lips as the other girl told her that it was the 'best birthday ever'.
Quinn grinned widely at the peal of laughter that erupted from Rachel, her heart racing to the point where Quinn actually started to feel self-conscious about the fact that if Rachel wasn't laughing so loudly, it would clearly be audible in the otherwise silent, Secret Garden. "Nope. Too late now. I'm stuck with my halfling Knight and you're stuck with an unappreciative whining ent maiden." To say that the hopeful smile on Rachel's face was adorable, was a great understatement, because with that one smile, Quinn was completely and utterly disarmed by the short brunette that had entered her life, less than two months. How Rachel had managed to worm her way into Quinn's heart, despite only knowing her for such a short space of time, was a mystery to Quinn, but it didn't stop it from being true. She'd been trying to stave off the feelings for awhile now, but it was clear to her that she was most definitely developing a crush on her friend. "Really." She answered, smiling warmly at Rachel and stepping forward to place a light kiss on the top of her head, before pulling a chair towards them so that they could enjoy the rest of Quinn's birthday in the same position that they'd be in before the Misdreavus had interrupted them.
