Chapter 25 – Special

"You're humming."

Quinn looked over at Shauna and immediately stopped. "Sorry."

She didn't even realize she had been humming. It wasn't something she usually did, but Rachel had been listening to music that morning while making breakfast and Quinn had gotten one of the songs stuck in her head.

"You were also smiling," Shauna added.

"I didn't know that was a bad thing," Quinn replied.

"It's not," Shauna said, leaning against one of the freestanding bookcases. "But you've been coming here for over a year and a half and I don't remember ever seeing you smile this much."

"Maybe I'm just happy to be out of school," Quinn replied with a shrug.

She could feel Shauna's eyes on her as she worked on straightening the shelves up. Some books were upside down while others were out of order, and Quinn did her best to put them back where they belonged. It was only her third day, so she didn't know if some of the books were in the right section or not, but she was at least making sure they all looked nice. Shauna always seemed to know if a book was sitting in the wrong genre, an ability Quinn figured would come with time.

"I thought you liked school," Shauna commented.

"I do, but that doesn't mean it's not stressful," Quinn replied.

"So, how'd you do this semester?" Shauna asked.

"The usual," Quinn said.

"So, straight A's?" Shauna replied.

"Yeah," Quinn said, reaching up to the top shelf, and flipping one of the books over. "Why is it so hard to put a book back right side up?"

"You'll learn a lot of things are hard for customers," Shauna remarked. "Like not smearing shit on the bathroom walls or taking one of the magazines into the back and getting off with it."

Quinn scrunched up her face in disgust. "People have really done that?"

"You would be surprised," Shauna said, shaking her head. "And, yes, people have really done that. Welcome to the glamorous life of retail."

Quinn paused for a moment and then shook her head, trying to get those terrible images out of her head. It was amazing enough to her that people would come in and make the place completely disheveled, so she really couldn't understand why anyone would act like that in a place of business.

"Isn't it your lunchtime?" Shauna asked.

"What?" Quinn asked, pulling her phone out of her pocket with a groan when she saw the time and the two messages from Rachel. "Dammit. I'm late."

"Late for what?" Shauna asked.

"I'm supposed to meet—a friend," Quinn replied.

She didn't know if Shauna had noticed her hesitation or not, but she had, she didn't comment on it. Quinn wasn't exactly ready to start calling Rachel her girlfriend, though, and saying 'friend slash roommate slash potential girlfriend' was a little too much. Plus, she didn't know if she was really ready to tell anyone quite yet.

Jack and Brittany knew she and Rachel had been on a date—and had bombarded her with texts the next day asking how it had gone—but she wasn't exactly going to change her relationship status on Facebook. It wasn't that she was afraid or ashamed, but when it came to her love life, she liked to keep things relatively private. Maybe it was because her relationships in high school had been so public, but she no longer wanted everyone knowing the moment she began dating someone new. Then again, her relationships in high school had been all about getting people's attention, and her relationship with Rachel was just for her.

"I'll be back in an hour," Quinn said after straightening the last book on the shelf.

"I'll be here," Shauna said, giving her a wry smile.

Quinn quickly walked to the small break room to grab her purse and then rushed out of the bookstore. She had plans to meet Rachel nearly twenty minutes ago, but had lost track of time. Thankfully, the cafe Rachel had suggested was just around the corner, and she made it there in less than two minutes.

"There you are," Rachel said, standing from her seat the second she saw Quinn. "I was beginning to worry about you; you weren't answering my texts."

"I'm so sorry," Quinn rushed out. "I didn't realize what time it was."

"That's understandable," Rachel replied, taking her seat again. "I can imagine you stay quite busy at work. I was just worried that maybe something had happened on the walk here. I was trying to talk myself out of rushing over there to make sure everything was okay."

Quinn smiled as she sat down across from Rachel. "Hi."

"Hi," Rachel said, smiling back. "How has your day been?"

Quinn shrugged and said, "Fine. I wish people knew how to put a book back where they found it."

"Maybe you should just look at it as job security," Rachel replied with a laugh. "Although, I can see how that would be annoying."

"What about you?" Quinn asked. "How's yours going?"

"Rather boring without you, I'll admit" Rachel said.

"At least I'm off the next two days, right?" Quinn replied.

Rachel smiled. "I'm certainly looking forward to it."

"I can't imagine how uncomfortable that must be," Rachel said, staring intently at the television with her brows furrowed as the pregnant woman walked across the screen.

"My sister's pregnant," Quinn announced, realizing she'd never told Rachel.

"Really?" Rachel asked, moving her head so she could look at Quinn.

Quinn nodded and looked down at Rachel, who was lying next to her on the couch, her back to Quinn's front. "My mother told me the last time she called."

"So, you're going to be an aunt," Rachel said, entwining her fingers with Quinn's.

"I guess so," Quinn replied.

"It's too bad you and your sister aren't closer," Rachel said, running her thumb along Quinn's hand. "I'm sure you would enjoy having a little niece or nephew if the circumstances were a little better." Rachel paused for a moment and then said, "I wonder if I'll ever become an aunt."

Quinn frowned. "Wouldn't you have to have a brother or sister?"

"I do," Rachel said much to Quinn's surprise. "Kind of. My birth mother adopted a little girl. She's five."

"I don't think you've ever mentioned her before," Quinn softly said.

"That's because it's not something I usually like to talk about," Rachel replied. "She was a surrogate for my fathers. They used her egg and took care of her while she was pregnant with me. She signed a contract that barred her from contacting me until I was eighteen. Growing up, I always imagined what she would be like and if she ever thought of me. I was convinced she would call me on my eighteenth birthday."

"Did she?" Quinn asked.

Rachel shook her head. "It was about six months later. We met for coffee and—it wasn't what I expected. I thought we would have this special connection, but we didn't."

"Do you ever talk to her?" Quinn wondered.

"She called on my last birthday, but we really don't keep in contact," Rachel replied with a shrug.

"I'm sorry," Quinn said, knowing what it was like to have a disappointing relationship with your mother.

"I'm relatively over it," Rachel replied. "It was after meeting her that I finally decided to make my own family. I mean, who says your family is only those people who are related to you by blood or through the legal system? Personally, I think making your own family is just as special, if not more. You parents have to love you, right? Your friends are under no such obligation, yet they still choose to be there for you and love you."

"Or in Santana's case, criticize you, so I guess it is just like family," Quinn joked.

Rachel laughed. "She isn't always so bad. She's actually sort of growing on me. And I can see why she and Brittany work so well together; they complement each other nicely."

Quinn couldn't exactly disagree with the latter part. Santana and Brittany did work well together even if some people didn't really get their relationship. They evened each other out, though; Brittany was upbeat and optimistic, which helped even out Santana pessimism and general annoyance at the rest of the world.

"You know, Brittany sent me a message asking about a double date sometime in the future," Rachel said, looking up at Quinn with a smile.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Why doesn't that surprise me? What did you tell her?"

"That I appreciate the offer, but I think we'll be going on solo dates for a while," Rachel replied as she turned around so they were facing each other.

"Good answer," Quinn said.

"I thought so," Rachel replied, smiling.

Rachel leaned forward, pressing her lips against Quinn. When she began to pull away, Quinn cupped her hand around the back Rachel's

neck, pulling her back. Rachel didn't protest; instead, she deepened the kiss, gripping Quinn's shirt, and pulling their bodies closer together.

Quinn was vaguely aware of the sound of the movie when her tongue slid between Rachel's parted lips. And as Rachel's tongue curled around hers, the brunette released her grip on Quinn's shirt, moving her hands into Quinn's hair, something the guys she'd kissed rarely ever did. Rachel, however, seemed to be a fan of running her hands through Quinn's hair, and she was more than happy to let her.

After a minute or two, Rachel pulled back but not for long. Instead of reclaiming Quinn's lips, though, she began kissing her way along Quinn's jawline and down her neck, where she seemed to find a spot she particularly liked. Quinn bit her lip, feeling something she hadn't felt in a very long time, and put her hands on Rachel's back.

"You're going to give me a hickey," Quinn said, her voice a little raspier than usual.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Rachel said, kissing the spot before looking up at Quinn.

"It is when I have to work in two days," Quinn replied.

Rachel pouted for a moment. "Okay."

"That isn't going to work on me," Quinn said, shaking her head, and lightly laughing.

"Too bad," Rachel replied, laying her head on Quinn with a sigh before smiling up at her a few seconds later.

"This way," Rachel said, grabbing Quinn's hand, leading her toward the large set of steps.

"I thought you hated museums," Quinn said, looking up at the large building that she'd been in several times before.

"I don't hate them," Rachel corrected. "They're simply not my favorite thing to go to. But you enjoy them, and I had a feeling you would really like this exhibition. Besides, it's not as if we're going to be here all night. I do have other activities planned for us."

Quinn noticed the banner hanging on the side of the building that was advertising some exhibition called Art Book that had just started the previous weekend and was running until the end of July. The name sounded vaguely familiar, and she wondered if one of her professors had mentioned it, but she couldn't remember.

"What is Art Book?" Quinn asked.

"You'll see," Rachel said with a grin.

Quinn didn't bother asking again, knowing Rachel would never tell her anyway. So, she stayed silent as Rachel handed her tickets over to the young man at the front, and then let Rachel lead her since the brunette seemed like she knew where she was going.

"Shouldn't the museum be closed by now?" Quinn asked as Rachel swung their hands between them in which Quinn could only assume was excitement.

"They're open late on Thursdays and Fridays," Rachel replied, smiling over at her. "Which was lucky timing."

Quinn nodded in agreement. She had to work the next two evenings, so Rachel had decided they should go out on Thursday rather than on the slightly more traditional date nights. And she hadn't wanted to wait until Sunday, when Quinn was only working a half day, saying it was too far away.

"I hope you like it," Rachel said when they neared the entrance to the exhibition. "We can stay here as long or as short as you would like. Just say the word and we can go."

Quinn furrowed her brows as she glanced around the room. "Is that—"

"Yes," Rachel said with a smile.

Quinn walked toward the closest piece to get a better look at it. Someone had taken an old book, cutting away parts of it to create a scene. To her right, another artist had folded the pages of multiple books to form words that expressed their own kind of story. Over her shoulder, standing in the middle of the room, was a large piece that used hundreds of books that were carved into what looked like a scene out of Lord of the Rings.

"Do you like it?" Rachel asked.

"This is amazing," Quinn said, shaking her head in surprise.

Rachel smiled. "I was hoping you wouldn't find the desecration of the books insulting."

Quinn reached out and took Rachel's hand again, lacing their fingers together as she stepped closer to the first exhibit.

"I was also hoping you hadn't heard about the exhibition," Rachel added. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"It definitely was," Quinn replied, glancing over at Rachel. "I guess I've been a little preoccupied with other things."

Rachel smiled. "Well, that worked out well for me, didn't it?"

"On both accounts," Quinn replied.

Before moving in with Rachel, Quinn usually kept up with things happening around the city. Brittany and Santana liked to go out a lot, so she would often check online to see if there was anything of interest. If she didn't, she would be dragged to a club every time they wanted to get out for the evening, but if she knew what was going on, she could sometimes get Brittany interested in going there. And where Brittany went, Santana went. Lately, though, she had been more likely to spend her weekends in than going to some event.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Rachel commented as she ducked her head down to get a better look at the piece of art. "That weeping willow must have taken forever to make. Oh! Look at the little squirrel!"

Quinn laughed, finding Rachel's excitement adorable. "Yeah."

"What do they do if they mess up?" Rachel asked. "Do you think they start all over or simply make it part of the piece?"

"I don't know," Quinn replied. "It probably depends on how badly they messed up."

"Could you imagine taking the time to cut out something so intricate just to accidentally cut something the wrong way, ruining the whole thing?" Rachel asked, shaking her head. "I don't know if I could ever find the patience to do something like this."

"I know I couldn't," Quinn replied as they walked over to the next piece.

"I guess it's a good thing there are others who do have the patience," Rachel said, lightly squeezing Quinn's hand.

"Yeah," Quinn smiled, "lucky for us."

"Here it is," Quinn said, pulling out an old copy of Emma and handing it to the guy, a man in his late twenties.

"Thanks," he said with a smile. "My sister's going to love this. It's her favorite book."

"You're welcome," Quinn replied, smiling back at him.

The man started to walk away, but then stopped and turned back toward her. "Say, you wouldn't happen to be free next Saturday, would you? I don't have a date for the party, and if you're not seeing anyone—"

"I have a girlfriend, actually," Quinn replied.

"Oh," he said before shrugging. "Okay. It was worth a shot. Thanks for the book."

Quinn nodded and then shook her head when he was out of sight. She didn't understand why guys were so prone to asking her out while she was at work. At least this one had been nice about it; others were a little more persistent, and since she didn't want to get fired, she couldn't exactly say to them what she would like to.

She and Rachel weren't actually at the point of calling each other their girlfriend yet, but it seemed like the easiest thing to say in the moment. They had been on two official dates and had spent countless other hours together, but when it came to defining their changing relationship, Quinn was a little hesitant to bring it up. For once, she was perfectly fine with just seeing where things went, so she was in no hurry to move things along. She figured things would just naturally progress when they were both ready for them to.

"You're cute when you're deep in thought."

Quinn smiled as she pushed a book back that was about to fall off the shelf. "And here I thought I was always cute."

"I'm not going to argue that point," Rachel said with a laugh, and Quinn looked over to find her standing at the end of the aisle.

"What are you doing here?" Quinn asked. "I thought you were going to the studio tonight."

"I am, but I thought I would drop you off some dinner first," Rachel replied, indicating the bag in her hands. "It seemed like such a waste to put the leftovers in the fridge since it's always better fresh. So, I thought I would stop by on my way to school. You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

Quinn shook her head. "I was actually just about to."

"Perfect!" Rachel said with a bright smile as she handed the bag over to Quinn. "It's too bad I can't stay longer. I'm beginning to wish I would have reserved the studio for a later time, but it was surprisingly full this week. I guess maybe some other people finally realized the benefits of rehearsing during the summer. Personally, I've never understood why everyone doesn't take advantage of this time." Rachel sighed. "I should go so someone doesn't attempt to steal my rehearsal time."

Quinn nodded and then started walking with Rachel toward the front of the store. "What time are you going to be home?"

"Well before you get home," Rachel replied. "I only managed to book the studio for two hours, so I should leave there around seven." Rachel turned, stopping in front of her. "I was thinking maybe I could order some takeout and we could spend the evening watching a movie or two. Unless you would rather do something else. Something a little more exciting."

"A movie's fine," Quinn said, shaking her head.

Rachel smiled. "Then, I'll see you when you get home."

Rachel grabbed her hand and leaned up, kissing her cheek. She was still smiling when she pulled away, and after another moment she began walking away, letting go of Quinn's hand when she could no longer hold on without stopping.

"Well, that explains it."

"That explains what?" Quinn asked Shauna as she continued watching Rachel walk out of the bookstore.

"Why you're so nauseatingly happy," Shauna replied.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "I'm not nauseatingly happy."

"As someone who is very single, you're nauseatingly happy," Shauna retorted.

"I'm taking lunch," Quinn said, turning around to go back to the break room.

"Good! So am I," Shauna replied. "That means you can tell me who the brunette is."

Quinn sighed as Shauna fell in step with her, and she glanced over at her. "That's Rachel."

Shauna laughed loudly. "Rachel? The roommate you couldn't stand?"

"Things—changed," Quinn replied.

"Obviously," Shauna said, looking amused. "She's cute, I'll give you that."

"Do me a favor and ignore everything I said about her before," Quinn replied as she walked into the break room.

"So, she's not annoying?" Shauna asked.

Quinn shrugged and walked over to the microwave, where she pulled out the container of food. "Rachel's—she's never really had any friends and she was just trying too hard, I guess." Quinn smiled. "She's not so bad once you get to know her."

"And when did you come to this realization?" Shauna asked.

"It's a long story," Quinn replied, smiling to herself.

"Quinn?" Rachel called out when she walked into the apartment.

"In here," Quinn called back as she placed the last dish in the middle of the dining room table.

"Why is it so dark?" Rachel asked, stopping in her tracks when she walked out of the foyer. "What's all this?"

"This is a thank you for all the times you've cook," Quinn said, walking around the table, and shrugging her shoulder.

"You made dinner?" Rachel asked, a smile slowly appearing on her face.

"Before you look too excited, I should probably remind you that I'm not that great at cooking," Quinn said, not wanting Rachel to get her hopes up too high.

Rachel's eyes widened for a moment and then she put her hands on her hips, looking at Quinn with narrowed eyes. "Is this why you convinced me I should go to the studio? You didn't really meet Jack, did you?"

"I didn't, no," Quinn said, trying not to smile.

Rachel huffed. "I don't know how I feel about being tricked like that."

"How else was I going to surprise you?" Quinn asked. "We live together; it's not like I can have you show up at my apartment and surprise you that way."

Rachel took her hands off her hips but she still had a slight pout to her face. She highly doubted Rachel was the least bit angry, so she wasn't worried that Rachel was actually mad at her. Rachel may have not liked being tricked, but Quinn knew she couldn't pout for too long about it.

"You really made dinner?" Rachel said, taking a few steps forward as she continued to look at Quinn.

"Yeah," Quinn replied.

Rachel smiled softly and looked at the table. "I don't think anyone has ever done that for me before. Then again, I've never made it past a second date with anyone ever before." Rachel walked over to the table. "I wish I was a little more presentable."

"You look fine," Quinn replied with a smile, pulling out Rachel's seat for her.

"I'm just thankful I showered before coming home," Rachel said, lightly laughing, glancing up at Quinn before looking back to the table. "Wow, Quinn, this looks incredible."

"It's nothing," Quinn replied. "And you may want to save your judgment until you've tasted it."

"You know, I don't believe for one moment that you're a bad cook," Rachel said. "I think you're just too hard on yourself."

Quinn shrugged as she pulled out her own chair and sat down across from Rachel. Maybe Rachel was right; maybe she was too hard on herself. Quinn wouldn't exactly say she was a terrible cook, but it was nothing compared to the times her family made her visit with her sister, who would always prepare an extravagant meal for the whole family. She found it hard not to compare herself to that when other people had been comparing them her whole life.

"Have you really never made it past the second date?" Quinn asked suddenly realizing what Rachel had said earlier.

Rachel blushed as she reached out for the bowl of salad. "Well, I usually scare people off on the first or I've decided I'm no longer interested, so it's usually difficult to make it to a second date. It's happened a few times, but I'm afraid to say I've never progressed onto the third date before."

"Until now," Quinn said, raising her eyebrow.

"It would seem so," Rachel replied with a smile.

"For what it's worth, I haven't been very good with relationships, either," Quinn commented.

"I find that difficult to believe," Rachel said, offering the salad bowl to Quinn.

"Well, you shouldn't," Quinn replied. "I had three boyfriends in high school, but I was more or less using them for their popularity." Quinn paused, wondering how much she wanted to really tell Rachel. "I—I cheated on two of them."

Rachel looked at her and then slowly nodded as she looked down and took a bite of her salad. "What about since then?"

"Since then I've gone out with a few people," Quinn said, shrugging.

"Were any of them serious?" Rachel asked.

"Not very," Quinn replied. "There were a few that lasted more than a couple weeks, but nothing too serious."

"Were they girls or guys or—" Rachel trailed off.

"Both," Quinn answered. "There was a girl my freshman year that I went out for about three weeks. But then I realized I wasn't as interested in her as she was me, so I ended things before I ended up hurting her even more. There was a guy last year that was basically the same story." Quinn shrugged. "What can I say? I guess I'm just picky."

Rachel smiled and looked across the table at Quinn. "I guess that makes me lucky that you would ever consider dating me."

"Or maybe it means you're special," Quinn replied, smiling softly back at Rachel.