A/N: Ok, so this is my first time to publish a story. Please be kind enough on the reviews, if you ever want to write one. Reviews will be very much appreciated.
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.
Even with the sun hovering above them and one must squint to be able to see due to the sunrays, she cannot deny the beauty in front of her.
For 10 years now, she has not known any single more gorgeous creation than the girl who is currently carefully inspecting fruits displayed in a wooden cart. The way she touches and smells, with eyes closed, each of them, sent shivers down the spine of the observer who unintentionally leans forward in order to have a better view. Wearing a simple white tank top and skinny jeans, the girl oozes a sex appeal like no other person. Her tanned skin glistened by tiny amount of sweat brought by the sunny morning.
"Aren't they exquisite, Quinn?"
"Uh-huh" she answered, still not quite back from her daydreaming.
If given the time to ponder, Quinn wants to trace back every memory of every day of the past ten years that led her to being much more in love with this woman. Is that even possible? To be more in love with the same person as day passes? With every smile this girl throws, with every wave of her hand, with every words spoken by her (and believe me, there are a lot), Quinn finds herself falling deeper into an abyss of admiration and adoration. How did she come to this point, it always makes her wonder.
It all began at the start of senior year in high school. Prior to that time, her feelings for Rachel transformed from annoyance to jealousy to indifference to tolerance. But this argyle-wearing diva's persistence to have the approval of everybody ultimately won the attention of Quinn. Rachel just would not give up. Despite the many rejections of friendship by the head cheerleader, Rachel still smiled at her whenever they crossed paths in the hallway, inquired on how Quinn's day was going, and even offered unsolicited advices on how to improve the latter's voice and performance. Her relentless efforts did not go unnoticed and unrewarded.
Quinn cannot unto this day explain why on that particular day during senior year she decided to cut Rachel Berry some slack and throw her a bone. When Rachel passed by her locker with her big smile and bright greeting of "Hello Quinn! I hope this last year of our High School life would be a great experience for you!", Quinn surprisingly smiled at the other girl and replied "You too, Berry". Not expecting any response from the head Cheerio, Rachel stopped dead on her tracks gaping but quickly regained her poise and faced Quinn properly just so she can exhibit a brighter toothy grin before heading to her first period. Their relationship from then on went from tolerance to having civil conversations to spending lunch with the rest of the gleeks to occasional hanging out. The last part was what made Quinn realize that indeed there are other aspects of Rachel Berry that are not as annoying as the others, even admirable to some extent. Like her loving relationship with her fathers. Like the various social causes she gets herself into, volunteer works in the animal shelter, music tutorials for kids. Like her natural instinct to care for other people. Rachel Berry, apart from being a diva, Quinn decided, was a bit of a nice person.
Her previous disinterest and irritation for the girl subsided. She found yourself being the one to initiate conversations and rendezvous. Days and months passed, Quinn can't seem to get herself to care if the whole school sees her enjoying the company of the brunette. At first, the vision of Rachel Berry and Quinn Fabray sharing some inside joke and laughing to their hearts content was like some scene in Twilight Zone. But like any other new gossip that invaded the halls of Mckinley High, their new-found alliance was overtaken by some fresher gossip.
It did not surprise Quinn when she woke up one day admitting that her days were much better with Rachel Berry around. The diva's ambition drove Quinn to aspire for better things for herself. Although she also dreams to leave Lima, Ohio, she was not so sure of how to do it. But now, with Rachel's persistent inquiries about her long-term plans, Quinn could not help but to imagine what bigger things await her outside the confinements of Lima. She searched the internet for universities and unintentionally focused on those located in New York. She spent the entire night surfing the websites of NYU, Columbia and Fordham. And so the next day, she excitedly waited for Rachel in front of the latter's locker.
"Hi Quinn! How's your day treating you so far, hmm?" even after months into their friendship, Rachel had not changed her morning greeting with the blonde.
"I want to apply to NYU for a business degree before taking up law," Quinn informed the brunette who stopped picking out books from her locker to stare at the blonde.
"Okay…" Rachel tried to blurt out without sounding confused as to where all of these are coming from.
"I just want to let you know. I haven't given you an answer every time you ask me about my long-term plans. And well, honestly, you asking me about these things is what has got me thinking what I really want to do after high school. So, it's just right for you to be the first one to know of my decision," Quinn rambled in one breath without meaning to. Hanging out with the brunette for long periods of time can really rub off on a person.
"And you decided to go to New York out of all the many options of colleges and universities throughout the country?"
"Well, yeah. I know it's going to be scary to be living alone after spending my whole life here. But since you are intent on attending Tisch or Julliard, New York won't be as scary for me as you will also be there," the blonde mumbled, looking anywhere but at the brunette. Few moments have passed, Quinn shifting nervously from one foot to another and Rachel just staring at the blonde with mouth slightly open, finding it hard to form coherent words. Until…
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
Quinn suddenly found herself with an armful of Rachel Berry. "Okay, Rach. There's no need to go all hysterical on me now," Quinn teasingly chastised the diva but not really relieving herself of the latter. Unconsciously, the cheerleader let herself drown in the strawberry sent emitting from the brunette. Just when she thought her feelings for the girl cannot go any further, a sudden realization hit her. She needed one Rachel Berry in her life like she never needed any person before.
"Quinn? Quinn?" a pair of brown eyes was looking up at her, bringing her back to present time. That same brown eyes which kept her mesmerized for ten years now has Quinn smiling like a giddy teenager.
"Yes, Rach? You need something?"
"I was just asking if you need something else because I am quite satisfied with the ingredients I've bought for that special dinner later on tonight. Where have your thoughts gone to?" Rachel asks while soothingly rubbing one of Quinn's arms.
"Uh…nowhere. Yeah, I'm all good. Let's go?"
As Quinn takes Rachel's hand to guide her out of the Farmer's Market, the latter stopped her steps. Quinn turned to Rachel and saw a pair of arms wrapped around the other girl's waist.
"What the -," before Quinn could proceed from her tirade, the owner of the offending arms turned Rachel around.
"BABY!" Rachel exclaimed the same time as Quinn shockingly uttered, "Santana?"