A/N: This story will mostly be told from Rachel's perspective, but you'll get occasional Quinn segments such as in this chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter Two: Those Summer Nights

Quinn Fabray only had one goal for the summer before senior year: Get laid.

This plan had been shot to hell by a pretty little brunette with warm chocolate eyes and a penchant for dramatics. Meeting Rachel Berry had been the best and worst thing to happen to Quinn all summer long.

It was the best because they had a blast together. Quinn had never spent time with anybody like Rachel before and was endlessly fascinated by all of her quirks and her bubbly personality. Their summer together ended up being a whirlwind of lounging on the beach, sipping lemonade while walking the boardwalk, bowling at the arcade, and kissing whenever possible. Lots of kissing. But just kissing. The closest Quinn got to rounding any bases all summer long was that time her hand had accidentally brushed across Rachel's chest when she was helping her climb into one of the ferris wheel baskets. Surprisingly, Quinn wasn't bothered by this fact. Sure, her friends would have tortured her endlessly if they knew, but most of them hadn't even been in town throughout the summer.

It was also the worst because Rachel was returning to New York tomorrow morning and leaving Quinn behind.

Never in million years did Quinn think she'd fall in love over the summer. Yet here she was, head over heels for a girl who she'd probably never see again. Life was cruel.

Rachel was all that was on her mind as Quinn sprawled out on her Queen size bed, green stress ball in hand. Tossing it up into the air, she caught it as it came down. Quinn began to repeat this motion over and over again as she tried not to obsess over the fact that tonight would be their last night together.

Up. Down. Don't think about Rachel leaving. Up. Down. Don't be sad, Quinn, come on. Up. Down. Pull yourself together, she's just a girl. Up. Down.

This tactic she was using to distract herself wasn't exactly working considering that Rachel wasn't just any girl. Quinn felt silly even thinking it to herself, but she had to admit that Rachel was special. You'd have to be blind not to see it.

It was absolutely something she'd never say out loud, but to Quinn, Rachel Berry was like a walking beam of sunshine. The brunette seemed to approach everything in life with this unbridled, enthusiastic passion that was hard to find in people nowadays. Some may call her a little naïve, but Quinn didn't look it at that way. Rachel's innocence was endearing, but it wasn't all there was to the girl. Quinn could tell that Rachel had a feisty side underneath her warm, gooey, happy layers and it made her just that much more interesting. It made Quinn want to get to know Rachel better and really get into that head of hers. For once, Quinn found herself interested in more than a girl's body and it was blowing her freaking mind. Was this what being in love truly felt like?

Quinn had told plenty of girls that she loved them in the past, but not once had she felt this strongly about them. Those three magic words had been used mostly as panty droppers as opposed to anything else. It was incredible what you could get a girl to do when you whispered "I love you" in their ear. It was part of how Quinn had earned her reputation as the heartbreaker of Rydell High.

But with Rachel, everything was turned upside down. Instead of saying that she loved Rachel, Quinn felt it. Which somehow made her incapable of actually vocalizing the sentiment. Every time it had been on the tip of Quinn's tongue, she had swallowed it back. The idea of actually saying the words "I love you" to Rachel evoked emotions that Quinn was entirely unfamiliar with such as fear, uncertainty - and then the one that really threw her for a loop - shyness. Quinn Fabray wasn't shy. Except for the moments where she was gazing into Rachel's eyes, admiring the way her smile always seemed to reach them and finding herself on the verge of confessing her feelings. It was too intense of an emotion for Quinn and she hadn't yet found a way to work around the wall that seemed to pop up in her mind anytime she even considered saying the words out loud. It would have been easier to strip naked and take a stroll down the boardwalk in peak daylight. That would somehow leave Quinn feeling far less vulnerable.

Tossing her ball up and down, Quinn wondered if she should try to say the words to Rachel that night. They wouldn't have any strings attached to them, clearly, since tonight marked the ending of their whirlwind summer romance. Was it wrong of her to let Rachel leave California without knowing the truth? Or was it cruel to leave her with that knowledge, despite the fact they both could never do anything about it?

Quinn sighed. This was definitely something she was going to have to give more thought to before making a decision. Either she was going to man up and tell Rachel she loved her or she was going to let the girl go back to her city of bright lights and buzzing activity none the wiser.

Snatching the ball out of the air halfway on its journey back down, Quinn tilted her head to the side so that she could see how much time she had before having to make such a difficult choice.

"Shit!" she exclaimed, scrambling to sit up. There was only an hour left before Quinn was supposed to meet Rachel on the dock for their date. Where the hell had the time gone? Had she really been that lost in thought?

Chucking the ball in a random direction, Quinn scurried off the bathroom to get the quickest shower known to mankind and get ready. Maybe she'd manage to find some clarity there. After all, she did some of her best thinking in the shower.

~ooooooo~

Quinn reached up, anxiously tugging at the collar of her favorite button down short-sleeved shirt as she waited for Rachel to get there. It wasn't even as if it was tight against her neck considering that the first couple of buttons were undone. It was just something to do with her idle hand since the other one was currently wrapped around a bouquet of flowers. Quinn knew that, once Rachel got there, that she'd be able to play it off as if she was cool as a cucumber, but in the interim she was a bundle of nerves. Those damn butterflies that Rachel stirred up inside of her always had Quinn on edge until she actually laid eyes on the object of her affections.

"Quinn?"

The sound of Rachel's voice had Quinn almost jumping out of her skin. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't even heard the petite woman sneak up on her.

Taking a deep breath to compose herself after the slight scare, Quinn turned towards the sound of the most beautiful voice she had ever heard, eager to see the girl that the voice originated from.

"Rachel," Quinn breathed out. When she first laid eyes on the brunette, the butterflies in her stomach exploded with activity. However, after a few seconds of staring into those warm chestnut eyes, the anxious feeling subsided, just as Quinn knew it would. It was impossible not to feel calm when face to face with Rachel; the rest of the world always seemed to melt away when they were together.

After a moment, those lovely brown eyes dropped down to the flowers in Quinn's hand, reminding her of their presence.

"Here," Quinn said hurriedly, sticking out her hand so that Rachel could grab the bouquet from her. "These are for you."

Quinn hoped that the other woman hadn't picked up on the nervous energy that she had been emitting at the start of their encounter. Quinn had a reputation for being a relaxed, chill person and normally she was able to play that role perfectly. Never before had she known another person that threw her so far off of her game, but she was fascinated by the sensation. Quinn knew that Rachel had to be different for that very reason and wished that she had the time to properly explore that connection.

It wasn't time to think about that, though. That could wait until later.

"Oh, Quinn," Rachel cooed, her eyes lighting up as she took the flowers from the blonde and surveyed them. Dipping her nose into the bundle of bright coral roses, she closed her eyes and made a show of taking a deep breath. "These smell heavenly," Rachel announced as she lifted her head back up, opening her eyes and beaming over at Quinn.

The sun was low in the sky, but wasn't completely gone yet. The sky behind Rachel was a pinkish orange haze and was the perfect backdrop for the beauty standing before Quinn. The dress the brunette had chosen to wear that night was one that hadn't made an appearance before, but was already Quinn's favorite. It was a long, flowy yellow sundress that easily caught the passing breeze and moved along with it, brushing against Rachel's bronzed legs. The neckline ran a lot deeper than her previous attire and showed off just enough while still being modest.

"I'm glad you like them," Quinn stated, doing her very best not to allow her gaze to linger on Rachel's chest. It was hard because it was an area she had spent all summer long wanting to explore. Seeing more of it only intensified Quinn's desire to slip her hands underneath the fabric of the dress and see if the rest of her skin was as silky smooth as the little bit of it she had gotten to touch so far. "You can keep them in my car until…" Quinn trailed off, clearing her throat instead of finishing the sentence. What she was going to say was "until the end of the night" but it wasn't a reality she was ready to deal with. Not with Rachel standing right there before her, within reach.

Rachel seemed to pick up on what Quinn had meant judging by the small flicker of a frown that danced across her full lips before they reverted back to a smile.

"Sounds good," the brunette said with a nod. All of a sudden, a flash of something that Quinn couldn't quite put her finger on made its way into those chocolate eyes. "Well… aren't you going to kiss me hello?"

Quinn immediately grinned at Rachel's forwardness. It was rare when it happened in terms of something romantic, but was oh, so appreciated when it did. What made the moment even more amusing was the bashful look that came over Rachel's face after her statement. A hint of pink matching the summer night sky settled onto the apples of her cheeks as she shyly diverted her eyes.

"Of course, gorgeous," Quinn stated, easily settling into her normal confident demeanor. This was her wheelhouse, after all.

Stepping forward, the blonde reached an arm around the smaller woman's waist, pulling Rachel in towards her chest. The brunette managed to maneuver the flowers over to the side just as their bodies molded together. Quinn's lips descended, capturing Rachel's. She could hear the soft noise of crinkling cellophane as Rachel's bouquet settled gently against her back. It was mostly drowned out by the whoosh of the nearby ocean and the pounding of Quinn's heart. Rachel's lips always managed to elicit a whole host of excitable responses from Quinn, no matter how many times they kissed.

As much as Quinn wanted to deepen the kiss, she knew that it was a risky move. There had been several times over the course of the summer that she had gotten a little bit too intense, earning herself a playful reprimand from the brunette that drove her crazy in the best way. Even though she was always immediately respectful of Rachel's wishes and it was never held against her, Quinn didn't want to get their last night together started off on the wrong foot. After a moment, she slowly pulled from the petite brunette, only shifting away enough to gaze down at her.

"Wow," Rachel mumbled, clearly awestruck. This was a common occurrence, regardless of the duration and intensity of the kiss. Whoever had kissed Rachel Berry in the past clearly hadn't done it right.

Their loss.

~ooooooo~

Rachel was smiling ear to ear as Quinn walked her down the boardwalk. The temptation to skip alongside of her was there, but she refrained. It would have been a poor idea considering the wedge sandals she had loosely slipped onto her feet prior to leaving the house earlier. Still, it was hard not to give into the urge. Being near Quinn made her feel as if she were walking on air. Or sunshine. All of a sudden that damn catchy song made sense to her.

Excitedly squeezing the hand that Quinn had wrapped around her own, Rachel beamed and took in the sights around her. The boardwalk was a place that they had frequented throughout their summer adventures, but it still hadn't lost its magic. The colorful booths that decorated the sides of the wooden walkway were filled with delightful crafts and activities far removed from those you could find on the crowded streets of New York City. Both towns had their own unique charm which Rachel had become enamored with.

"What would you like to do first?"

At the sound of Quinn's voice, Rachel snapped to attention. The intent for tonight was to absorb every single second of their date and commit it to memory. Rachel already had accepted that these were the memories that she would be replaying in her mind on a loop back in New York. Whether those memories would be complemented by continuing conversations with Quinn, she wasn't sure. The two of them hadn't discussed what their relationship would look like once they were on opposite ends of the country. It wasn't as if Rachel hadn't tried to discuss it. At least once a week, the impatient brunette had managed to casually slip into their talks how it was 2017 and keeping a long distance relationship going was hard, but not impossible. Every time the topic was raised, Quinn succinctly shut it down. Normally this was done with a "shh, baby, not now" and a kiss that sent Rachel's mind reeling to the point where she couldn't remember what she had asked in the first place.

"Hmmmm, no preference!" This was a lie. Rachel Berry always had a preference, but she could also be a team player. When she wanted to be. "What do you want to do first?"

Quinn chuckled knowingly before turning her head and ducking it to press a quick kiss to Rachel's cheek.

"I asked first," Quinn stated plainly, using that voice that let Rachel know there was no winning this conversation. "This is your night, Champ. You pick."

Rachel smiled at the moniker. On the rare occasion Quinn used it, it would immediately elicit memories of their first meeting. That day had already gone down in the history books as being one of the best days of Rachel Berry's life. It was right up there with when Rachel had been 12 and her fathers took her to see Barbra Streisand in concert. The cd that Barbra had autographed was currently snug in a box, wrapped carefully in several layers of bubble wrap despite the fact that it wasn't exactly that fragile. It was the only thing she had been able to bring herself to pack before getting ready for her date with Quinn. Rachel wasn't taking any chances with it. She had done the same thing when taking it from New York to California to begin with. When her fathers had teased her, asking if it was really necessary to take the unopened autographed cd with her just for summer break, Rachel had been thoroughly offended. "How could you ask me that?!" she had exclaimed before making a vow not to speak to them for the next 24 hours for daring to make light of her Barbra Streisand love. It didn't last, though. Rachel loved talking almost as much as she loved Barbra. Within an hour, her fathers had cleverly managed to wheedle her into speaking by inquiring if she wanted to head down to the absolute best vegan ice cream parlor in New York.

Now it was time for Rachel to pick where their last night together would officially begin. That was easy enough considering she had already played this night out several times in her mind's eye during the brief time they had been separated from one another. Rachel knew exactly what she wanted to do.

"Skee-ball!" the brunette announced after taking a moment to pretend she had been pondering the question asked of her. Rachel didn't exactly want Quinn to know that she had spent a lot of time imagining their date already. Quinn Fabray was one of the coolest, most relaxed girls she had ever come across and it inspired Rachel to try and pretend she was at least a fraction as cool and chill as the blonde. It didn't always go as planned, but hey, all a girl could do was try.

Skee-ball was a game that Quinn had exposed her to, back at the beginning of the summer. Rachel would never forget the look on Quinn's face when she had revealed that she had never heard of the game, let alone played it. After accusing Rachel of living under some sort of rock, she immediately took her to the closest arcade and showed her how to play.

At first, Rachel had been dismal. Awful. Absolutely horrible. The worst Skee-ball player that ever rolled a ball. Rachel had been trying so damn hard to maintain her girly, dainty demeanor that over half of the balls didn't even make it up to any of the holes where you actually scored any points. Most of them went straight into the gutter and some of them were rolled so weakly that they didn't make it all the way up the ramp before rolling back at Rachel. Quinn stood there valiantly, doing her best not to make any faces as she witnessed this train wreck. After a couple of rounds of the same thing over and over again, she finally gently suggested that they try another game. Rachel, always the stubborn one, refused. As much as she wanted to be a lady, she wanted to be a winner more.

As soon as Rachel gave up trying to act poised and perfect, it was all uphill from there. Ball after ball, she was able to sink each one in with ease. By the end of the night, she had managed to set the new high score. It had won her a new t-shirt bearing the name of the arcade as well as a matching Tervis tumbler. The words 'Rachel Berry' were currently neatly printed across the dry erase board to the right of the skee-ball machines, letting all who came there know who was responsible for setting the high score. All summer long, nobody had managed to break it, which was exactly how Rachel liked it. There was no way she was going back to New York without first ensuring that her name was still up on that board. Even in California, she was a star.

Quinn always credited herself for Rachel's sudden, vast improvement and the diva had no plans on correcting her. Rachel loved the proud grin that would spread across Quinn's face every time she would start talking about her "excellent coaching skills" and how it had made all the difference. Rachel didn't have the heart to explain to her that she simply wasn't trying at the beginning. Plus, she really enjoyed the way Quinn would refer to them as a team. It was fun to think about life that way; her and Quinn against the world. Rachel was positive that they could overcome any obstacle together. At least, that's how Quinn made her feel.

Hand in hand, the two of them made it down to the arcade, maneuvering around various groups of people the best they could without actually letting go of each other. Rachel was determined to squeeze every last second of contact out of their night since it was to be the last time they would see one another for possibly forever.

It was busier on the boardwalk than usual. Rachel suspected that a lot of people were trying to make the most of the last night of summer. She couldn't blame them. Summer was a magical time. It always had been for Rachel, which was part of why she had been so bummed out about spending her favorite season far away from the place that held her heart. No one could have predicted that she would have found something even more magical than New York City in the form of a tall, blonde lifeguard.

As they made their way into the arcade, Quinn guided Rachel around the throngs of people as they headed towards the desired machines. Rachel gracefully twirled her way around several small, hyper, screaming children, all the while keeping her hand joined with Quinn's. Normally the sound of screaming children caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand up and her ears to feel as if they were bleeding, but not tonight. Tonight, nothing could ruin her good mood. Nothing could wipe the smile off of her beaming face. Nothing at all.

Except for the new name on the high score board.

A loud gasp escaped Rachel as her feet skidded to a stop against the brightly colored carpet they were walking across. Since her hand was still firmly latched to Quinn's, her actions pulled the other woman into a jarring stop as well. The blonde reached for her shoulder and rubbed at it, muttering an "ouch" almost as if Rachel had come close to ripping her arm out of the socket. Normally a moment such as this one would have been accompanied by a string of apologies from the brunette, but she was too busy fuming to even pick up on the other girl's discomfort.

"Who on earth is Santana Lopez?!" Rachel exclaimed, staring bug-eyed at the board before her as her voice reached an almost inhuman pitch. What she really wanted to ask was who was the bitch that had thrown a wrench into her night. Rachel had never even met the woman and already she hated her with the passion of a thousand burning suns. How dare she steal the high score from Rachel on the last day of vacation? The nerve of her!

Quinn's brow furrowed in the center at Rachel's question. "How do you know…" the blonde trailed off as she followed the diva's line of sight and caught a glimpse of what had Rachel so out of sorts. "Ohhhhh. Well, I guess she's back in town for school," Quinn stated, giving the most unhelpful answer ever. Nothing about what she said provided Rachel with any details. It would have been much more helpful if Quinn had offered up some simple information such as this woman's address so that Rachel could march over there later and give her a piece of her mind. Not that she would actually ever do such a thing, but it was nice to dream.

"So, you know her?" Rachel asked, eyes still fixated on the name of her new mortal enemy in life. In her peripheral vision, Rachel could see Quinn nod in response.

"I...do," Quinn stated, speaking slowly. There was a hint of concern in her voice. It was more than likely concern for Rachel's sanity. "She goes to Rydell High. Part of a group called the Pink Ladies. And… um, she likes to play Skee-ball."

"Obviously!" Rachel chirped in response, finally looking over at Quinn. She couldn't tell if the blonde was trying to be funny or not.

The grin on Quinn's face was a dead giveaway. Rachel had seen that expression many times over the summer; Quinn was messing with her.

As much as she wanted to be annoyed with the blonde, it was virtually impossible. Rachel already felt her frustrations melting away. If you could call them that. 'Murderous desires' might have been more accurate.

"Okay, well," Rachel started off, deciding against continuing on any sort of tirade. Ladies didn't go on tirades. At least not when they could do something about their problem instead. "We simply cannot leave until we fix this."

"Agreed," Quinn said, clearing her throat as she attempted to hide a chuckle. "Let's do this."

~ooooooo~

It took an hour of blood, sweat, and tears for Rachel to be able to knock this so-called Santana Lopez back off of the high score board. But she did it. As she knew she could. When Rachel set her mind on something, she had a fire and a determination that was unparalleled. Nothing could stand in her way when she wanted something. Rachel Berry gave a whole new meaning to 'eye on the prize.'

Graciously turning down the offered t-shirt and tumbler this time, Rachel made sure to loudly announce that she was still enjoying those same items that she had won at the beginning of the summer and explain that she had merely been trying to reclaim her title. The speech she gave managed to earn her some scattered applause from the various patrons surrounding her. Sure, the people clapping were mostly teenage potheads that probably were clapping because they found her attractive, but applause was applause. As William Shakespeare so accurately remarked, all the world's a stage.

"Thank you, thank youuuuu," Rachel called out, giving an exaggerated bow which triggered an eyeroll from Quinn. Rachel couldn't ignore her adoring fans, though. This was merely practice for when she managed to bring everyone to their knees on the Broadway stage in the future.

Gleefully grabbing Quinn's hand, the two of them made their way back through the arcade, heading towards the exit so they could get some food. Rachel had insisted that they eat at the mini restaurant storefront that they had shared their first meal at. Sure, the salad she had there had been subpar and she was pretty sure that the cherry tomatoes they had sprinkled on the top were past their prime, but that wasn't the point. Rachel was a huge fan of nostalgia. As a woman of the arts, she had no problem suffering through an awful meal for the romance of it all. Perhaps this time the lettuce would actually be crunchy!

As they walked past the bowling alley situated along the side of the arcade, Quinn began to snicker. Rachel knew exactly what was triggering her amusement, although she was attempting to appear as if she didn't remember.

"You sure you don't want to fit in a quick game of bowling?" the blonde teased, squeezing at the smaller woman's hand and flashing her pearly whites. Rachel rolled her eyes in such a wide arc that she was surprised that they didn't roll right on out of her head. There was no fucking chance that was happening tonight.

"No way," Rachel asserted, gently bumping her shoulder against Quinn's as they continued walking. Quinn had deliberately slowed her pace down as they passed the bowling lanes, but Rachel was determined to move them along. "I don't think it'll be prudent to end the summer with me breaking my poor ankle allllllllll over again."

Quinn snorted. "You didn't break it! It was mildly sprained."

Rachel scoffed, using her free hand to reach up and flip some of her long brown hair over her shoulder as a show of her indignance. "Po-tay-to, po-tah-to."

Now Quinn was laughing. "It really isn't the same thing," she exclaimed, shaking her head. "Plus, was it really that bad? I carried you around everywhere for a week after that."

Rachel tried to hide the smile that threatened to blossom at the memory, but failed miserably. While bowling had been a complete and utter disaster, the aftermath had not. After Rachel had managed to somehow not let go of the fucking ball when attempting to toss it down the lane, which caused her to stumble over her two feet and come crashing to the ground, Quinn had been quick to tend to her. Rachel was thoroughly embarrassed when she realized that the entire arcade was staring and snickering at her, but Quinn did a brilliant job of distracting her to the point that she was no longer even concerned what anyone else in the room thought. By the time Quinn got her down to the closest pharmacy and wrapped up her ankle, Rachel was laughing so hard that she hardly felt the pain emanating up her leg.

"You're supposed to actually let go of the ball, ya' know," Quinn had teased as she stabilized Rachel's ankle, carefully wrapping the ACE bandage around it. Rachel had blushed at the remark before reminding the blonde that she had warned her. Right when Quinn had first suggested bowling (and joked that she was surprised Rachel even knew what it was), Rachel had been sure to tell her that it was a bad idea. Bowling was something that she had never been able to get the hang of, even as a kid. It had nearly broken her fathers' hearts. Or at least that's what it seemed like to little, 8 year old Rachel Berry.

Both of her dads had been a part of a bowling league for years and had been excited to get their daughter in on the sport. They had signed Rachel up for a children's league and had even bought her a glow in the dark bowling bowl with an outline of Mickey Mouse stamped on it so that she would have something special to use on the nights the team did Cosmic Bowling. However, after Rachel nearly took the head off of another student when she tossed a ball backwards instead of forwards, she had swiftly been removed from the team. It was years before she tried it again, only to find that teenage Rachel was no better at bowling. Rachel was 13 at the time and had managed to accidentally toss a ball right into a nearby glass trophy case. The owner hadn't exactly been amused when Rachel had insisted that "a bit of lovin' with a glue gun" would fix his prized possessions right up. She hadn't felt terrible guilty, though. The dude was a dick.

That had been the end of Rachel Berry's bowling career right up until Quinn managed to talk her into it again. It wasn't going to work this time. Bowling had no place in the perfect night she had planned out for them both.

"It wasn't the worst thing in the world," Rachel admitted, thinking of the way she had gotten to travel around in Quinn's arms and on her back for the rest of that week. That had been the most wonderful part of injuring her ankle. Truth be told, her ankle wasn't even hurting at all that final day Quinn carried her around. Rachel had milked that injury for all it was worth.

"But who would carry me around in New York?" the diva asked softly as they both stepped out into the night air. The sun had managed to disappear from the sky during their time in the arcade.

A slight frown tugged at the corners of Quinn's lips, but it was gone as quickly as Rachel had spotted it. Back in its place was that calm, cool demeanor that she had become accustomed to throughout the summer. It didn't appear as if either one of them were ready to fully address the elephant in the room yet. The elephant had been there between them so long that Rachel even had a name for it in her head. Harold. Harold the goddamn unwelcome elephant.

Quinn let go of her hand and in response Rachel's lower lip began to jut out into a pout. Before it could become a fully formed expression, though, Quinn had wrapped her arm around Rachel's shoulders and was pulling the smaller woman into her side.

"Let's go get you that salad you love," Quinn remarked, pressing a kiss to the side of Rachel's head.

~ooooooo~

Rachel ate her salad slowly. So slowly. One soggy lettuce leaf at a time.

As painful as it was to make her way through such a depressing bowl of food, Rachel had every intent on stretching out her meal as long as possible since eating dinner with Quinn was one of the things that she was going to miss most when she left. A lot of the things they did together were so active that this was really the time that they got to sit down and talk. A lot of their dinners had turned into two or three hour long events as they sat there, unabashedly taking up a table and talking about their lives, their hopes and dreams for the future, and anything else you could possibly think of. Conversation flowed freely between them and tonight was no exception.

"And that is how a Brazilian Steakhouse works. As you can imagine, I do not eat anything beyond the salad bar, but my fathers love it. I refuse to go with them when they want to dine in. I can't stomach watching all of the slabs of different meats getting brought by the table. It's like a carnivore's heaven."

Quinn nodded, looking at Rachel with this expression of awe on her face. Quinn had no qualms about eating meat, which is what prompted Rachel to see if she had ever been to such a place before. Although it wasn't her own cup of tea, she felt as if it was the type of dining experience that every meat eater should partake it at some point in their life.

"So, they just keep coming by with all of these different meats? And you can have as much of it as you'd like?"

Rachel nodded solemnly before popping the last piece of soul-sucking lettuce into her mouth. She was going to have to eat all sorts of veggies in the next week as penance for sharing this fact with Quinn and perpetuating her meat eating.

"Woooow," Quinn mused, leaning back in her chair and considering all that Rachel had shared with her. "I'm going to have to try this out one day."

Rachel nodded once, setting her fork down and picking up her napkin. She tapped it against her lips daintily hoping that her lipstick wasn't too messed up.

"As long as you spare me the details when you do," Rachel stated, folding her napkin over twice before placing it next to her plate. "I mean, do tell me allllllll about how a wonderful idea it was for you to go, but just don't fill me in on what specific animals you have."

"Deal," Quinn agreed, chuckling as she extended her hand towards Rachel with a grin on her face. Rachel playfully rolled her eyes before accepting the blonde's outstretched hand, allowing them to seal their agreement with a handshake. Quinn didn't let her hand go afterwards, though. Instead the blonde used it to tug her in close and plant a kiss on her lips. Rachel hoped that she didn't taste like sad salad.

"So," Quinn started off, pulling her own napkin from her lap and setting it on the table. "Where to next, beautiful?"

Rachel immediately felt herself melting. All thoughts of her craptastic salad flew out of her mind as she allowed herself to bask in the happiness that being called beautiful by Quinn caused her to feel. Every time that word was used, Rachel could practically feel herself turning into a real life version of the heart-eyes emoji.

Since they had burned up a lot of time between reclaiming her title at Skee-ball and talking at dinner, they were only about an hour away from Rachel's curfew. At the beginning of the summer, her fathers had told her that she needed to be home at 9:00pm sharp every night. However, after seeing how enamored Rachel was becoming both with a certain lifeguard and with California, her dads graciously extended the curfew until 10:00pm. Rachel and Quinn always pressed the night right up until the limit, hanging out until the last possible moment.

Since tonight was a special night and her last night there, Rachel had been able to cajole her parents into giving her an extra half an hour until she needed to be home. Instead of stomping her foot and trying to demand more time, she had been grateful for the addition and had accepted it without a fight. Any extra time with Quinn was worth holding onto and Rachel wasn't about to let a classic Rachel Berry temper tantrum cause her to lose her the ground that she had gained. No fucking way.

"I think that we should go for one last walk on the beach," Rachel replied, ducking her eyes as she reached for Quinn's hand. As she spoke, she traced random patterns against the other woman's palm. "I was thinking we could go down to the dock. You know, the one where we first…"

"Where we first kissed?" Quinn finished for her, smiling. Rachel's eyes flickered up to Quinn's warm, hazel ones. Then the diva nodded.

"I think it's a good place for us to… end our night," Rachel explained, deliberately tracing a heart against Quinn's skin now. "Plus, it's right where my dads will be picking me up, so we won't have to worry about missing curfew or anything."

"Sounds like a great plan to me," Quinn said, watching as Rachel drew against her palm. It almost seemed as if she was going to say more at that moment, but she didn't. Rachel wasn't sure if she was imagining things.

"It's settled then," Rachel announced, ready for them to leave the crowded restaurant and make their way to somewhere much more private. Grabbing onto the hand that she had been playing with, Rachel lifted it to her lips and pressed a kiss where she had traced the heart. When she lowered Quinn's hand and released it, she found herself smiling shyly at the blonde. Public displays of affection had never been a part of Rachel's repertoire. Not until she had met Quinn Fabray. Around Quinn, she found herself doing a lot of things that she wouldn't normally consider. It wasn't a bad thing, though. Being around Quinn made her feel free.

~ooooooo~

As they made their way across the beach, Rachel had one hand wrapped around Quinn's and the other hooked into the straps of her shoes. Throughout her time with Quinn, she had come to appreciate the feel of the cool sand in between her toes. Especially at night. Rachel had really come a long way from the city girl that had almost been swallowed whole by the ocean. Now, she actually fit in amongst the people there. One of the greatest compliments Quinn had given her that summer was the night she told Rachel that she could probably fool someone into believing that she wasn't a tourist.

It was a warm, muggy night, so Rachel wasn't regretting her choice in dresses and the amount of skin she currently had exposed. There was a slight breeze coming off of the ocean which made the temperature that much more bearable. That breeze seemed to pick up the closer they got to the dock.

Their walk had been carried out in silence for the most part. As much as she loved talking to Quinn, and talking in general, Rachel found that she was more interested in simply enjoying the other woman's presence. When she babbled on it made it harder to concentrate on what really mattered. Like the way Quinn's hand securely held her own. The way she would squeeze at Rachel's hand every so often. The way the wind would catch the ends of Quinn's choppy blonde hair and make her look like some kind of model that just stepped off of the set of Baywatch. What Rachel loved the most was the way she would catch Quinn in the corner of her eye gazing longingly at her whenever she thought the diva wasn't paying close attention. Sometimes Rachel would deliberately let her gaze wander off to the side just to see if she could spot Quinn looking over at her.

As soon as they got close to the beams that made up the bottom of the dock, Rachel found herself smiling like a fool. All summer long, she hadn't been able to get anywhere near that dock without immediately finding herself lost in thought. It had been where Quinn had first kissed her and it was unlike any other kiss that Rachel had ever had before. It had stolen her breath away, made her weak in the knees, and made her feel like the world had shifted on its axis all at once. It was a kiss that made her question her usual ladylike ways and had Rachel ready to toss them all out of the window if it meant that Quinn could kiss her deeper, harder, and more often.

Quinn was always respectful of Rachel's boundaries, though, so it never truly got to the point where the brunette had to question whether or not she wanted to do away with her vow to always take the physical aspect of a relationship slow. They kissed eagerly and often, but it never progressed beyond that. Sometimes Rachel found herself in the position of considering pushing it further, but was always too gun-shy to actually act on her impulses.

Rachel was in the middle of wondering whether or not tonight was the night to finally act on those unladylike impulses when Quinn's lips descended and molded against her own. Sighing happily, Rachel's eyes slid shut as her lips conceded to Quinn's. They quickly fell into the comfortable, easy rhythm that they had established at the beginning of summer. Quinn's hands settled onto the curves of Rachel's hips, fingers pressing gently into the fabric of her dress. Typically, Rachel wasn't too forward when it came to their bodies pressing together. The contact was always light, but tonight it wasn't as satisfying as it typically was. Rachel felt an intense desire to be closer to Quinn. Instead of overthinking the decision as she would normally do, she simply acted on impulse. Sighing happily into their kiss, she molded her body more to the blonde's, pressing up against her firmly. It earned her a voice that sounded as if it was on the cusp of being a soft moan.

One by one her shoes were released from her hand as it made its way up to the back of Quinn's neck. Rachel could hear her wedges hitting the sand with a soft thud as she pulled her pretty blonde lifeguard in even closer. The hand resting at the nape of Quinn's neck toyed with the hair there as Rachel's other hand pressed against her back. The kiss, as usual, was intensifying. Rachel felt the tip of Quinn's tongue press out briefly, instinctively swiping against her now swollen pink lips before disappearing again. It was, yet again, another example of Quinn trying to be respectful and not push things farther than Rachel was comfortable with. It also meant that they were probably seconds away from Quinn pulling back. It seemed to be how the blonde kept a handle on her self-control, but Rachel didn't want that to happen. Not now, not tonight.

Before Quinn could take it upon herself to end their kiss, Rachel made an impulsive decision and parted her lips, her tongue making its way out of her mouth as she acted on the desire to deepen their kiss. When Rachel's tongue brushed against Quinn's lips seeking entry, there was the briefest hesitation from the lifeguard. Rachel could practically feel her surprise, but luckily it didn't keep Quinn from granting her wish. Quinn's supple lips opened up and Rachel's tongue pressed inside, eager to explore. Their tongues tangled and the brunette couldn't quite remember why she had insisted on being so chaste in the first place. It felt amazing and Rachel wanted more.

In response to Rachel's surprising gesture, Quinn paid her back with a new move of her own. The blonde switched things up, sucking gently on Rachel's tongue. The brunette's body reacted immediately. A low moan bubbled up from the back of her throat as dark eyes rolled upwards behind closed lids. The hand that had been toying with Quinn's hair flattened, pressing against the woman's neck, indicating how much she wanted her to stay there. After a few seconds, when oxygen became too pressing of a need to ignore, Rachel reluctantly tipped her head back. Both girls took the opportunity to draw in a couple of deep breaths before diving back in. Rachel didn't even open her eyes. As soon as she had managed to inhale enough oxygen to soothe the burning ache that had accumulated in her lungs, she was pressing forward, easily managing to capture Quinn's lips again.

This time, Quinn was the one swiping her tongue across Rachel's lips. The movement wasn't nearly as timid as it had been all of those times before, when the blonde knew she wasn't going to actually act on her desires. Now that Quinn had this new sense of permission, her actions were a lot bolder and more confident. Rachel melted into the kiss, wasting no time parting her lips. Quinn easily took the lead, setting this new, slightly fevered pace for them both. For someone whose mind was continually working, Rachel found that that it was surprisingly easy to stop thinking for once.

As she gave into the kiss, Rachel switched into some sort of autopilot that she didn't even know she had in her. The hand that wasn't anchored at the back of Quinn's neck shifted, pressing its way in between their bodies and pushing up against the firmness of the blonde's defined stomach. There was a soft noise from Quinn, letting Rachel know that action was appreciated. This only encouraged the diva who flattened her hand and slowly began to press it upwards. Within only a few seconds, Rachel felt the sloping of Quinn's body changing into an area which the brunette had yet to explore. Rachel's fingertips pressed against the structured cup of Quinn's bra, triggering her imagination. They had discussed bras before, dozens of conversations ago. Quinn had shared that, when she wore one, she tended to select sports bras since she was such an active person by nature. Rachel knew that this was no sports bra, though, leaving her to wonder if Quinn had purposefully selected a nice bra for their date. One thought led to another and all of a sudden Rachel found herself wondering what color it was. Did it have any lace? Would it be uneasy to unhook and pull off…?

'Whoa there, Rachel,' she thought, mentally chastising herself for getting way ahead of the game. They were nowhere near the point where they'd be unhooking bras here. But maybe, just maybe, she could do a little bit more exploring…

Before Rachel could fully mull over this thought, she could feel Quinn's smooth palm pressing against the back of her hand, guiding it up the next few inches and making the decision for them both. Rachel provided absolutely no resistance and curled her fingers around the cup of Quinn's bra as their tongues continued to tangle. Quinn's hand rested there, unassuming, but Rachel was ready to up the ante all on her own. Squeezing gently, she had to resist the urge to grin when Quinn briefly broke their kiss in favor for a sharp gasp. Tipping her head up a little more, Rachel recaptured those lips she loved so much and reinitiated their kiss as her fingers busied themselves with massaging the new real estate they had claimed. Although she was beginning to feel lightheaded and practically dizzy with excitement, Rachel still had enough of her wits about her to wonder what it would feel like if Quinn touched her like this. Almost as if she was reading Rachel's mind, one of Quinn's hands detached itself from the diva's hip and began to climb upwards…

HONK HONK!

Startled, the two girls swiftly released their hold on each other and began to look around, searching for the sound of the noise. Were they the ones being honked at? Rachel had a sneaking suspicion that they were. A suspicion that was confirmed when she glanced over her shoulder and caught sight of her fathers off in the distance smiling and waving at her from the confines of their car which was now currently parked on the road closest to the dock. Immediately, Rachel's eyes narrowed into slits. How could they look so cheerful after having ruined such an amazing moment? They were going to pay for this somehow. Maybe Rachel would give the silent treatment another go on the trip home. They would be so bored without her entertaining them. Yeah, that would do the trick.

For now, Rachel didn't want to think about that. Not her fathers and especially not the return trip to New York. If these were her last seconds with Quinn, then that's what she wanted them to be about. Quinn and nothing else.

"ONE MINUTE!" Rachel called out in the direction of her father's car, holding up an index finger just in case her voice didn't carry all the way there. Something did the trick, prompting Hiram to yell back an affirmation.

As Rachel turned her attention back to Quinn, she found the lifeguard examining the face of her Fossil watch before looking up apologetically. "Curfew," Quinn said flatly, as thrilled about this interruption as Rachel.

The diva sighed dramatically, expelling all of the air from her lungs. "I figured as much," she grumbled, taking a step forward and closing the gap between them again. Lifting her arms, she loosely draped them around Quinn's neck and smiled up at her. Tears were beginning to fill Rachel's eyes, causing them to glisten in the glow of the moon. "I guess- I guess this is… Good..." Rachel paused, clearing her throat before trying this again. "Good…"

"It's not good-bye," Quinn said abruptly, cutting Rachel off and saving her from herself.

The brunette's smile drooped into a bit of a frown. "But I'm going back to New York. I might never see you again." This was the first time Rachel had managed to speak the words out loud and already her heart felt as if it were in a vice.

"Don't talk like that, Rachel," Quinn chastised, looking as serious as the diva had ever seen her. A crease settled into the center of the blonde's brow as she regarded Rachel.

"But it's true," Rachel protested as a little bit of a whine found its way into her tone. Denial had been working so well for her the last few months but now that they were actually addressing the issue, she found herself overcome with emotions that she had been avoiding all summer long. "I just had the best summer of my life and now I may never see you again. It isn't fair." By the end of her sentence, Rachel's lip was quivering. The tears that were filling her eyes threatened to spill over even though she was doing everything she could to keep that from happening. Why oh why hadn't she put on waterproof mascara earlier that evening? Sure, the one she had put on was her favorite and made her lashes look fucking incredible, but clearly she hadn't thought this through. Rookie mistake.

Before she could devolve into a puddle of tears, Quinn's lips were pressing to hers, giving her the bit of strength she needed to hold herself together. This kiss was far different from the ones that had immediately preceded it. It was slow and tender and caring. Most of all, it was full of the good-byes that Quinn was refusing to say.

When it ended, Rachel's eyes slowly opened, latching onto a gaze that now appeared to be just as tear-filled as her own. They were both holding strong though, determined not to cry. For now, at least. Rachel had no doubt that she'd cry herself to sleep later that night. But for now, she had one last question.

"Is this the end?" Rachel asked tentatively, unsure if she really wanted the answer.

"Of course not," Quinn whispered, reaching up and brushing a loose tendril of hair back behind Rachel's ear. As her fingertips ghosted across the skin of Rachel's cheek, the diva leaned into the touch. "It's only the beginning."