Ever since Quinn's night out in Bangkok, her conversations with Santana are scattered, few and far between. With the crappy Internet in the village though, their Skype calls are cut short even when they do make the time. Not really seeing a way around their situation, the girls busy themselves with their hectic schedules. The two weeks fly by fairly fast and it isn't long before Quinn finds herself on the return trip to the States.
As she steps off the airplane, a sense of infinite possibility overwhelms her. Here she is back in New York, a city that many people only dreamed of visiting, including some of the children she left behind in Amphawa. They would ask her questions about the big city and the enormous skyscrapers but there really wasn't anything that compared to the real thing. As far as Quinn was concerned though, being away for a little while had been a good thing. She had time to clear her head and she now felt she had a sense of direction when it came to what and whom she wanted.
She also felt that she knew a little bit more about the world than she did just two months earlier. Now that she was finished with college, she just had to worry about the actual graduation ceremony and then she'd officially be living in the real world. Taking some summer courses had put her in a weird spot for graduation, not that she cared much, but she was going to be graduating in December rather than May like some of her classmates.
The second she steps into the airport, she's greeted by Jeremy's smiling face.
"Jer!" She runs out to greet him, giving him a big hug. "How've you been?"
"Really good. Damn. You got tan girl."
"Well, as tan as I can be anyway. The sun over there is wicked. And I'm so excited for Rose! Her and David seem really good together."
"Quinn!" Amy waves to her from the baggage claim.
Seeing the brunette makes her smile as she leads Jeremy over to her. "Hey Jer, this is my friend, Amy. We took on Thailand together."
They shake hands. "Oh, yeah, of course. You mentioned her before. Nice to meet you, Amy."
"Likewise." Then to Quinn, "Well I'm catching a taxi soon, I gotta meet up with my parents. I just wanted to say one last goodbye before heading out."
"Aw. We'll keep in touch. I'll let you know when I'm back in New York, just have to graduate and all that." They exchange hugs. "Byeee, it'll be weird not sharing a room together." They laugh, as they finally break apart.
"Bye Q! Good luck with everything!" Amy picks up her luggage and heads toward the taxis. "And don't forget to call!" She yells over her shoulder.
Now that it's just the two of them she turns her attention back to Jeremy. "So where's—"
A pair of hands come up from behind her and cover her eyes. "Guess who?"
The blonde girl immediately breaks out into a huge smile. "San!" She turns around and tackles the other girl with a warm hug, resisting the urge to kiss her. Santana lets out a little laugh as she hugs her back.
"Damn. Maybe you should go away more often. Makes me feel appreciated."
"Never," Quinn whispers teasingly.
Jeremy feigns hurt. "Jeez, you didn't look that happy to see me."
The green-eyed girl giggles. "I'm sure I did, Jer. Don't be jealous."
[\\]
The three of them decide to get a bite to eat and end up at a diner not too far away from Santana's apartment.
"Oh my gosh, this is sooo good," Quinn moans as she takes a big bite out of a cheeseburger. "They definitely don't have these in Thailand."
"I don't think I've ever seen someone so happy to eat a burger and fries," Santana shakes her head as her and Jeremy snicker.
The blonde girl narrows her eyes as she shifts her attention to the pair of them. "This better not be the start of some thing where you two decide to gang up on me all the time."
They smirk at each other before Jeremy throws up his hands in the air. "We would never! Besides, I can say that I've definitely been that happy about eating a cheeseburger and I've never been through a two month withdrawal before."
"Seriously, Jer, you eat like a trucker. I have no idea how you stay fit." Quinn says perplexed.
He smiles. "It's all the sex."
She then turns to Santana. "I just realized that Jeremy is the male version of yourself."
"Oh, please," Santana rolls her eyes. "I'm not that much of a dog."
Quinn laughs. "Hear that, Jer? You, dog, you."
"Sticks n stones, babe," He teases the darker haired girl. "I might have to come check out your performance tomorrow just to make fun of you."
Now it's Santana's turn to laugh. "You were planning on coming anyway. I'm pretty sure you were on board the moment you heard the phrase 'lesbian club.'"
"It's amazing how predictable I am."
"You know what would really be amazing?" Quinn ponders. "If only your future wife could see you right now."
Jeremy shudders. "Don't throw those kinds of words around here. San & I are free spirits, she gets it."
"Actually, Jeremy, I'm dating now," Santana informs him.
"Wow, never saw that one coming." He says genuinely surprised. "How's the old ball and chain?"
"I don't really look at it like that. We're not exclusive yet but I do like her. I've seen a couple other girls too."
"So how about giving me some tips then? What kind of woman does it take to reform Ms. Lopez and get her to change her ways?"
Santana laughs and decides to play along. "Hm. One with a nice ass? I don't really know. I'm not that picky I guess."
"Well, what is your type?" Quinn asks, genuinely interested.
"Oh, come on," She leans in toward the blonde and whispers teasingly, "I don't have a type, I was meant for only you."
"High five, Lopez! Smooth as motherfuckin' silk!" The pair of them high five, not noticing the way Quinn's breath catches in her throat. A warm dizzy feeling spiraling down along her insides.
If only she meant it.
Knowing that she doesn't hurts Quinn a little bit. "So it's really just that easy for you, huh?"
"What do you mean?" The brown-eyed girl turns to her, confused.
"It's just that easy for you to say those kinds of things to girls and not mean them?"
"It's just part of the game, Quinn…"
"But it won't always be that way, you know… You might start out chasing someone but words are exchanged and you saying those types of things only make the person want to chase you back. What then?"
Santana seems to really think about what the girl is saying before she responds. "I guess I hadn't thought of it like that. But I try to be honest about things from the start to avoid that kinda stuff, you know, say right away that I don't want a relationship."
The blonde girl shakes her head sadly. "Yeah, you're right. You were—are honest about that… It was just a question."
Jeremy seems lost, looking back and forth between the pair of them. "So… Are you ready to head back to my place, Q?"
Quinn nods, suddenly losing her appetite. She removes herself from the booth when Santana's hand catches her wrist. "Actually, Jer, I was going to see if Quinn wanted to spend a little time at my place since I haven't got to see her in so long… If it's cool with you, Q?"
The slight contact of Santana's skin and the way she smiles as she asks her clouds her judgment. The hurt becoming infinitely smaller the longer Santana's hand is on hers. "Yeah… Sounds good. I'll see you tonight, Jer."
"Alright, no problem. See ya, ladies." He grabs Quinn's luggage. "And I'll take these for you."
The blonde girl smiles at him. "You're the best."
[\\]
"So what do you think?" Santana asks, looking over at the blonde girl next to her.
"It's beautiful."
The two of them sit on the roof of Santana's apartment building, looking up at the night sky.
"You know, I'm really glad you're home, Q."
The blonde girl smiles at her. "Me too, San… Jeez, it's freezing out here." She rubs her arms trying to keep herself warm.
Santana laughs, "Yeah, I bet you're not used to this weather with the Thailand heat and all."
"Yeah, definitely not."
The darker haired girl opens her arms, waving the blonde girl over. She hesitates but scoots closer to her, allowing her to hold her. "How are you always warm?" Santana asks incredulously.
Quinn presses her lips together. "I'm not. I'm freezing my ass off."
"Well, you feel warm to me." The darker haired girl squeezes her tighter, not fully realizing how much she missed the girl in her arms until now. "So how do you feel about everything? Graduation and stuff, I mean."
"Hm. Pretty good. I'm glad school is finally over for me. I know it'll be hard to land on my own two feet at first but it'll be nice having Amy here to help me find a job and what not."
"So you're staying in New York?"
"Yeah. I like it here. I'm going to be heading back to Vermont after the weekend though for my graduation."
"Leaving me already?" Santana teases.
Quinn gives her a small smile. "My mom has asked me if I want to stay with her for Christmas but I haven't decided yet…"
"Hmm, yeah. Well, at least she's trying, " She replies, a hint of sadness evident in her voice.
The blonde girl gently squeezes the other girl's arm. "So what are you doing for Christmas?"
"Don't know. Probably spending it with Brittany. I don't really plan ahead though."
Quinn wiggles free of Santana's embrace and sits up again. "I'm super excited to see you perform tomorrow by the way. What song are you going to be singing?"
Santana nudges her playfully. "It's a surprise… I'm kind of embarrassed by the outfit they're making me wear though."
"You, embarrassed? That bad, huh?"
Santana lets out a loud laugh. "You have no idea. Good thing I have my confidence."
"Yeah," Quinn mutters. "You're sorely lacking in that department."
The darker haired girl gives her a sly smile. "So what do you think you'll miss most about Thailand?"
"The kids… It's kind of special to think that you're part of someone's life like that. To know that maybe down the road they'll think of you and something that you taught them."
"I think I get what you mean. It'd be cool to have someone think of you like that… Just don't leave me for two months again, eh?"
"Okay."
"Promise?"
"Sure."
They smile at each other and sit in silence for a while as the watch the busy city beneath their feet. The bright lights of the nearby buildings illuminate the dark sky, not a visible star in sight. After some time Quinn decides to head back to Jeremy's apartment. She gives Santana a goodbye hug, leaving behind a warmth that can't be stolen by the frosty air.