I can still see you there, summer tangled in your hair. First week of July, first day of my life.
July 5, 2011
Quinn smiled as Santana and Brittany ran past her, pinkies locked, towards the beach.
"Come on Q, move your ass!" Santana yelled over her shoulder.
The sun was beating down on the blonde but it wasn't hot. It was a nice mixture of sun and slight wind that made the day so perfect. Well that, and the fact that it was summer. After a year of school, and homework, and everything else, it was nice to get away from Lima for a while.
"You guys waste no time stripping do you?" Quinn laughed and put down her bag next to Santana and Brittany, who were currently pulling off their excess clothing and dropping it on their towels.
"You should see us when me and Santana are-" Santana cut in quickly, thankfully.
"You know what Britt, why don't we not tell Quinn that story," Brittany shrugged and stepped out her shorts then pulled her hair out of the ponytail it was in and sat down on her towel. Santana sat behind her and started braiding her hair.
It was an interesting thing, to be honest, to watch Santana and Brittany interacting with each other. The way Brittany didn't even have to ask Santana to braid her hair, she just did it like there was a script that told her what to do.
"You two are perfect for each other," Quinn noted and laid out her towel. She sat down and stuck her feet in the warm sand.
Santana glanced up and her eyes met Quinn's, then she smiled slightly and focused back on Brittany's hair. It was about as much affection as anyone - but Brittany, of course - could get out of her. It was a look of respect, of gratitude. Only a look that Santana could pull off while still looking like she could kick your ass.
It was a look that Quinn knew meant Santana wanted her as happy as she is at the moment.
"Well, I'm going to go take a look at the shops. Who knows, maybe I'll find something for Beth for her second birthday," it took Quinn almost a year to be able to talk about Beth and it felt good to be able to say her name freely.
"Don't get bitten by a shark," Brittany mumbled as she finished on the sandcastle she was building in front of her while Santana braided her hair.
"I hope I don't, Britt," Quinn smiled, grabbed her flip-flops, and started walking over to the small shops lining the edge of the beach. There was a sidewalk but it did absolutely nothing while it was covered in sand.
She walked into a little one that had souvenirs and looked at the rack with necklaces on it. When she turned around she accidentally walked right into a person, causing them both to stagger backwards.
"Sorry," they both said in unison, then Quinn looked up and saw the one person who kept her up night after night.
Rachel Berry.
All the air in Quinn's lungs left as her eyes locked with Rachel's.
My voice shook when I said hello. And from that word, we couldn't take it slow. I still can't believe the way you looked at me.
"H-hey," it was shaky and Quinn inwardly cursed at herself for being nervous around this girl. Yeah, Rachel was perfect and so beautiful in every way, but Quinn knew there was no reason to be nervous around her.
"Hey. Didn't think I would see you here," Rachel said politely and stood up, then offered her hand to Quinn. No way was Quinn going to touch her. If she did she might just have a heart attack and die, or do something she might regret.
"I'm here with Santana and Brittany. I needed some time away from Lima. What about you?" she asked the brunette. To be honest, Rachel looked better now that she ever has.
Her argyle sweaters and short skirts worked really well for her during the school year, but the tan and the cutoff shorts and tank top worked even better.
"I'm here with my dads," Rachel pointed behind her to two men holding hands and looking at a rack with key chains.
"Wanna take a walk?" she couldn't figure out what possessed her to ask that, or why Rachel even said yes, but a few minutes later Quinn found herself laughing uncontrollably while walking next to Rachel on the boardwalk.
"Did Puck really get you in bed with that?" she let out another laugh and Rachel huffed.
"You weren't really supposed to laugh. This is a serious conversation," she put on a fake serious face, making Quinn laugh even harder.
"Okay, okay I'm sorry. I won't laugh anymore. G-go on," she let out another giggle, making Rachel laugh. Soon they were both stopped on the boardwalk, bent over and holding their stomachs because they were laughing so hard.
The best part? They weren't laughing at anything.
Now the nights turn colder, your head's on my shoulder. We do our best to pretend. Waves get louder, I'm lost without her as summer starts to end.
August 29, 2011
I sat with my arms behind me and Rachel's head on my shoulder. It was absolutely perfect in every way, except for the fact that school was going to start soon and we both knew it.
We knew this fun thing that we had was going to come to an end as our senior year started. We knew that from the beginning, and promised it wouldn't hurt if we knew what was going to happen. That still didn't stop the pain I felt in my chest as the clock ticked down to the very last second I could hold her in arms.
Till everything had to stop. The sleepovers, stolen kisses that turned into heated make out sessions, spending everyday together, sleeping - just sleeping, not having sex - together. Everything, and yet we still held on as if nothing was going to happen.
"Rach," I whispered, hoping she was already asleep so we wouldn't have to have this conversation yet. The waves crashed on the shore and they sounded louder than they ever have.
"Yeah?" a quiet response came from her lips. I felt butterflies in my stomach - just like the first day I met her - and my heart drop. I couldn't ruin this moment, it was too perfect, but we needed to have this conversation soon. School started in a week.
We both knew what was going to happen, she just decided to ignore it unlike me.
"School starts in a week," I replied quietly, hoping the crashing of the waves against the shore would drown out my response.
She lifted her head and looked right into my eyes and bit her lip.
"I know," she whispered. "Let's just enjoy the time we have now," and with that she leaned up and captured my lips in hers.
How can something so right come to an end like this?
We drew hearts there in the sand, laughed when the waves erased our plans. No, we never knew, but they told the truth. I can still hear our laughing friends, as we sneak off again and again. No, we never cared. Too young to be scared.
July 19, 2011
We sat around the small fire pit where Puck and Mike tried - and failed badly - to start a fire without any help. Finally Santana stepped in and helped them start the fire. After Puck told a story, and s'mores were made, everyone started dancing. They were too preoccupied to notice Rachel and Quinn had snuck off.
From their place beneath a shady tree, they could both hear everyone laughing hysterically over something that probably wasn't that funny if they were all sober. Quinn turned to Rachel and kissed her cheek, making the brunette blush slightly.
"How do you always manage to do that?" Rachel whispered, though there was no reason to since no one could hear them.
"Do what?" Quinn asked innocently, then leaned forward and took Rachel's bottom lip in hers.
It was their first "real" kiss and it was absolutely perfect.
"Take my breath away," the brunette smiled and kissed Quinn this time. It was slow and passionate, just like it should be. It was the way Quinn had always imagined it.
"I don't know, maybe I'm just that smooth," Quinn smirked and leaned her forehead on Rachel's.
There was a moment of comfortable silence where Quinn and Rachel were just staring into each other's eyes.
"I don't want to lose you," Rachel breathed.
"You won't ever lose me," Quinn replied and brushed her lips against the brunettes.
"What about when the summer ends?" the blonde felt her heart breaking at the look in Rachel's eyes.
"We may not be together forever, or until the end of summer, but you will never, ever lose me," Quinn whispered.
Blame it on September, 'cause it hurts to remember her. We can fight to hold on but August is gone. When the sun falls I hope we don't lost it all. 'Cause no summer lasts forever. Let's blame it on September, blame it on September.
September 4, 2011
Quinn breathed in the scent of Rachel's shampoo, smiling at the memories it brought back. She kissed the other girls neck softly, hoping not to wake the sleeping girl but failing completely when the brunette mumbled a few words and slowly opened her eyes, smiling the moment she saw Quinn.
"I didn't think you'd still be here," the words that left Rachel's mouth made Quinn's heart ache. It felt like someone shot her in the stomach.
"Why would I leave?" Quinn whispered quietly, not wanting to remove the comfortable barrier that was made around them.
"School starts tomorrow," Rachel replied simply.
Quinn felt tears in her eyes as she realized what she was going to lose. She couldn't say anything; it felt like there was a cloth in her throat.
"I have to go," was what came out of her mouth.
She slipped out of the bed and pulled on her shirt and pants. Rachel stood in front of her in only a bra and underwear.
"I guess this is goodbye then," Rachel said quietly. Quinn nodded.
"One last thing, please," the brunette took a step forward and stood on her toes, then slowly kissed Quinn like she's never kissed her before. There were so many unsaid things and feelings behind the kiss that Quinn had to pull away before she exploded.
The blonde felt like the biggest pile of shit at the moment. She was a coward, a liar. She didn't care about anyone but herself, that's why she was leaving Rachel.
"You're not a coward. You are the bravest person I've ever known, and if someday when you learn that it doesn't matter what everyone else thinks, come and find me. I'll wait for you," Rachel kissed Quinn's cheek one last time and stepped away, allowing the blonde walk out of the room.
She never saw the tear fall down Quinn's face after she left, and she never heard the sobs from Quinn's bedroom a week after that night.
I can still see you standing there, summer tangled in your hair.
July 15, 2027
"Come on aunt Quinn! Run with me!" Quinn scooped up the small Latina girl in her arms and swung her around, making her scream in glee.
"More!" the small girl yelled.
"No, you just ate. You'll puke on me and I definitely don't want that," Quinn smiled and put down the girl, looking over to see Santana and Brittany, pinkies interlocked, smiling at her. Santana gave her that look, the one of gratitude and respect, that made her smile at the girl.
They walked over to the towels and Brittany sat down, Santana sitting behind her and pulling Brittany's hair out of the ponytail and starting to braid it.
It was just like they were fifteen years ago, except Quinn wasn't so brave then, and Santana and Brittany finally have a child that looks exactly like both of them. Latina with blue eyes and brown hair with an imagination like Brittany and a temper like Santana. She was one of a kind, that's for sure.
"Lucy, don't kick the boys! Play nice," Santana yelled at the little girl who was currently yelling at a little boy.
"I can't believe you named her after me," Quinn said.
"Well she needed a name and it was either Lucy or Hadley, and I like Lucy better. Can you please go get her?" Santana asked, thought Quinn was already standing up and walking over to get Lucy.
"We don't kick other people, okay?" Quinn said as she knelt in front of the little girl in the sand.
"Yes aunt Q," Lucy mumbled.
"Your mom's might want some alone time, do you want to go get some ice cream?" Lucy's face instantly brightened at the mention of ice cream.
"Yeah!" the little girl yelled and ran over to the blanket to put on a pair of shorts and her shirt over her swimsuit, all while actively telling her mom's about where aunite Quinn was going to take her.
Santana glared at the blonde as she approached but Quinn just stuck out her tongue.
"I'm the awesome aunt, I'm allowed to spoil her," Quinn said and held Lucy's hand, walking towards the small shops that lined the beach. There was a sidewalk but it did absolutely nothing while it was covered in sand.
They walked into a small ice cream shop and Quinn let Lucy pick a table to sit at while she got the ice cream.
When she sat down and gave Lucy her ice cream, the door opened and a small family walked in. Quinn thought nothing of it until her stomach grew butterflies, then she turned to the family who was standing in line. There was a tall, muscular man with short brown hair, and a short woman with long brown hair. Next to the woman stood a child - no older than five - with the same color brown hair as theirs.
There was something familiar about the woman, though Quinn couldn't think of it. Obviously it wasn't anyone she knew or she would recognize then immediately. Maybe it was someone from high school…
"Come on aunt Q, I want to go swim now!" the small girl brought her out of her thoughts.
Quinn passed the family and someone reached out and grabbed her arm. Her first instinct was to turn around and punch the person, but then she felt the familiar tingle that brought her back memories of her high school days. Most importantly, the summer before senior year.
She turned around and locked eyes with the one and only, Rachel Berry.
"Rachel?" Quinn asked dumbly. Obviously it was Rachel, there was no one else in the world who looked anything like her, or even close.
"Hey Quinn. It's been a long time," Rachel stood up and wrapped her arms around the taller girl. They fit perfectly, like a puzzle.
"Yeah, it has," Quinn replied awkwardly. She didn't know what else to say, other than you look beautiful, but that wouldn't be very appropriate since her husband - she guessed - and child were sitting right there.
"I have to go," the blonde said.
"It was nice seeing you again," Rachel stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the taller girl.
"You're not a coward. You are the bravest person I've ever met, and it seems like you've found your bravery now. I hope you can find someone who loves you for it," the words that Rachel whispered in her ear when they hugged completely destroyed Quinn.
She felt the feelings of guilt and anger all rushing back to her, and all she could say back was, "I'm so sorry,"
It was enough for Rachel, because when they parted Rachel slightly nodded her head and took a seat next to her husband.
"Bye Quinn," Rachel smiled politely.
Quinn nodded and walked away.
This story completely wrecked me at the end I don't even know what that was but whatever. I hope you enjoyed it, this is just something I put together with some spare time during a few of my classes. The song is Blame it on September by Allstar Weekend. It's actually a really good song. Soooo review/subscribe. Thanks for reading.
(I know I haven't posted anything good in a while. I'm sorry but it's Nano this month so I'm really busy with that. I'll try to write more drabbles and post more often.)