Quinn woke up the next morning feeling cozy and warm when she suddenly became aware of a pair of arms around her upper body. She tried to peel her eyes open and found herself wrapped up in Rachel's arms.
'I'm .. what is she doing?' she thought, but didn't dare to move and wake up the brunette. So she closed her eyes again and snuggled deeper into her warm embrace (which didn't feel bad at all by the way) and inhaled the soft scent of Rachel's hair. She dozed off again only to be woken up a short time later because Rachel was pulling her closer. She was close enough now to hear her heartbeat. It was steady and strong and so soothing. Rachel's hand was touching her bare back and Quinn's heartbeat took off. The only sound she could hear was her own heart beat pounding in her chest and Rachel's deep breaths.
She tried to untangle herself with the result that the brunette murmured in her sleep and clutched tighter to her. Quinn was overwhelmed by the surprising amount of warmth radiating from her body and the parts where Rachel's body was accidentally touching her skin were a burning sensation. When she moved a little, Rachel's eyes fluttered open and she tried to untangle her limps, scooting backwards and staring at Quinn in horror and embarrassment.
"I'm … really sorry. You know, I'm a sleep hugger and I didn't do it on purpose." she stammered insecurely. "I apologize if I caused you any discomfort!"
"Hey, no problem!" Quinn laughed. "I'm okay with that. But you know, as comfortable as this bed is, we should get going!" She got out of bed, followed by the brunette.
They enjoyed breakfast in the hotel lobby and were on the road an hour later. While making way through the state of Missouri the two girls laughed a lot, talked about this and that and made a lot of jokes. They stopped to take photos at a huge, multi-scoop ice cream cone, the world's largest fork and a big pink pig named Floyd, which resulted in bawling along all the Pink Floyd songs they found on their iPods.
When they were close to Joplin (where they wanted to spend the night), Quinn suddenly turned her head to look at Rachel, with sparkles in her eyes.
"I have a surprise for you!" she said gleefully.
"A surprise?"
The blonde rolled her eyes at the brunette's wary tone. "You'll like this one, I promise! Just close your eyes for a moment!"
Rachel sighed and did what she was told. It felt like an eternity and so the impatient brunette tried to sneak a peek, but was caught.
"Hey, no peeking! Or you will ruin your surprise!" Quinn scolded.
"Okay, okay …" she mumbled and squeezed her eyes shut. It wasn't easy for her but she resisted the temptation to peek for the rest of the way. Finally the car came to a stop and she heard Quinn rummage through her bag and hand something to a person outside.
"Ladies, enjoy!" Rachel was getting more and more anxious.
"All right, you can open your eyes …" Quinn said satisfied after parking the car.
Rachel did and was met with something she hadn't expected to see.
"A drive-in movie theater? Oh my God, I didn't know they still existed!" she squeaked joyfully, turning to smile at Quinn.
"Well, there's a lot you don't know …" she mumbled softly almost inaudibly.
"Today is Classics Night and they will show 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' and …" she was interrupted by Rachel clapping her hands enthusiastically, and grinned.
"One of my favorite movies …" she whooped and unbuckled herself just to wrap her arms around Quinn a second later, squeezing her tightly.
"Thank you so much …" Rachel whispered into her ear, making Quinn all woozy inside and her heart speed up.
"It's just a film …" she managed to breathe out.
"I mean thank you for everything, the trip, the film, …" the brunette said softly and pressed a kiss to Quinn's cheek, leaving a burning sensation on her skin.
"You're welcome," she replied with a raspy voice and her breath was tickling Rachel's neck.
The brunette wasn't feeling uncomfortable. It was more a kind of eerie and so she pulled away drawing her attention to the screen in front of them.
"Let's have a little picnic. Our own little breakfast, well, more dinner with Tiffany," she said with a wink and crawled between the two seats retrieving something from the ice box in the back row.
"Now I'm ready!" Rachel turned around, some drinks and carrots in her hand putting everything down in the center film was about to start.
"Even if Holly Golightly is a drug-smuggling prostitute that smokes like a chimney, I will certainly enjoy the film. It's a classic and it plays in New York …" Rachel was rambling. She didn't know why, but maybe it was because she felt a hint of nervousness.
"Shhh, stop talking!" Quinn commanded in a low voice bringing one of her fingers to Rachel's lips to keep her from talking. Rachel shuddered under her touch and looked at her with big eyes before moving her gaze back to the screen.
Quinn put her hand down and brushed over Rachel's accidentally. She paused and turned her head for a short moment to meet the brunette's brown eyes again. Rachel gave her a big, warm smile and so she ignored the blood rushing to her head and grabbed Rachel's hand boldly.
All through the movie, Rachel couldn't really concentrate. She was utterly restless. Her hand seemed to have a mind of its own and her thumb began to stroke the back of Quinn's hand after a while. Her light touch sent a shiver down the blonde's spine. They both couldn't really explain the effect they had on each other. It was probably just a thing of the moment and so they tried hard to ignore it.
"Did you know that the end in the movie is different from the end in the book?" the blonde said softly, breaking the silence. "The movie needed a big romantic moment and so some hope that those two will get married or something. Well, if you look at the book, that's not where they were headed."
"No, I didn't." Rachel answered and met her eyes. "But … I still believe in happy endings and fairy tales and all that!"
"Uh, you are such a hopeless romantic," Quinn teased her, never breaking the eye contact.
"What about you?" Rachel asked with a quizzical look on her face.
"Well, I don't really know. Society has a strange obsession with romantic love, don't you think? One day you will find the perfect other and live happily ever after, oh come on." Quinn diverted her gaze back to the film. "It's the greatest myth ever."
"But weren't you in love with Puck and … Finn?" Rachel asked cautiously and Quinn looked up straight into her eyes.
"No!" she replied tersely. When she saw Rachel's inquiring eyes, she continued.
"I love Puck, but as a friend. He would do anything for me and he is always there if I need him. But he is just a good friend … I have never been in love with him." Quinn's eyes darted nervously around. She already knew the next question.
"And Finn?" Rachel asked with a shaky voice.
Quinn looked guilty and hesitated.
"Honestly?" she said after a while and waited for Rachel's reaction. The brunette nodded and locked their gazes again.
"I think the only reason I wanted to be with him was because you had him."
"You were jealous of me?" Rachel asked softly, but when she heard some guitar sounds, her eyes turned to the screen. "Oh, this is my favorite part of the film!"
"… two drifters off to see the world, there's such a lot of world to see …" Quinn sang along with a husky voice.
"We're after the same rainbow's end, waiting round the bend … my huckleberry friend, moon river and me …" Rachel joined in, squeezing the blonde's hand softly. At the end of the song, her gaze fell back on Quinn and their eyes met again. A sudden flush arose in her body and she secretly wondered if Quinn felt the same.
Quinn's heart pounded like mad. The air thickened with tension, they were just inches away from each other's faces.
"I wasn't jealous of you, I envied him!" Quinn mumbled almost incomprehensibly, but loud enough for the brunette to hear.
Rachel's face lit up and her warm inviting eyes sparkled. Without a word, she leaned closer and to her surprise the blonde didn't move away. Without taking her eyes off Quinn's hazel orbs, she gently kissed her lips. The kiss was brief, but full of feelings and very sensual.
"I wanted to do that for a while …" she whispered breathlessly.
Quinn reached over and slipped her hand to the nape of her neck pulling her closer again. She took a deep breath, allowing Rachel's sweet scent to fill her senses. Their hearts were racing and the world around them vanished. Their lips touched again and Quinn let her tongue graze over the brunette's lower lip asking for entrance. When Rachel's lips parted slightly, she gently slipped her tongue into her mouth, seeking hers. She felt her shudder when their tongues finally touched. Rachel's mouth was so soft and warm and her tongue danced playfully with the blonde's causing an exquisite tingly feeling to sweep across her tongue straight down to her stomach. They let their tongues explore each other's mouth, only pulling apart in need for air.
This time it was Rachel's tongue which was running along the outside edge of the blonde's lips. She bit her lip gently causing Quinn to moan softly. Her heart fluttered slightly and she smirked against her lips, enjoying this moment. It was pure bliss. Their tongues became entwined again, they were lost in the moment until a bright light brought them back to reality.
"Oh, the movie is over. I think we should go!" Quinn said with a diffident smile, her cheeks all flushed and her eyes dark.
"That was …" Rachel tried to calm her racing heart. "… wow!"
"Rachel Berry is at a loss of words," Quinn said with a wink and smiled contently. "This doesn't happen very often …"
The blonde glanced at Rachel out of the corner of her eye and saw her shaking her head with a bewildered smirk.
They drove the rest of the way to the hotel in silence, just enjoying the music and the beautiful night outside. Quinn heard the sound of a window opening and looked over. Rachel's window was slightly ajar and the brunette stuck her nose outside breathing in the scent of a wonderful late-summer night.
A soft smile spread across her face as she remembered what had happened a few minutes ago.
It wasn't long until they pulled in the hotel parking lot. Rachel got out of the car and opened the trunk to unpack their stuff and Quinn checked in. When she returned, Rachel sat on the ice box with a big smile on her face and sparkling eyes lost in thoughts. The blonde walked over to her, one hand gently stroking over the brunette's back when she reached her.
"Hey, let me help you!" she said softly and grabbed as many bags as she could carry. "Room 412, this way!"
The brunette followed her and they entered the room soon after. Rachel looked around and spotted one bed in the middle of the room.
"Oh, there is probably another gun convention?" she asked with a wicked grin.
"I know you probably don't believe me but there is a cheese convention in town …" Quinn was interrupted by Rachel's hearty laugh and a smack on her shoulder.
"Oh, it's this Joplin! The cheese capital of the world!" She was still laughing. Quinn closed the room door and disappeared in the bathroom a minute later, a big grin never leaving her face.
When she returned, Rachel already stood there with her wash bag in her hands.
Quinn got ready for bed and tucked herself in. She had just snoozed off when Rachel raised the blanket and climbed into bed. But she didn't lay still, she tossed and shifted and her hands smoothed the blanket.
It reminded Quinn of a little cat that tried to paw the blanket to make it more comfortable. She couldn't help but smile about the brunette. When Rachel stopped moving, the blonde snuggled more into her pillow, trying to find some sleep.
"Are you awake?" she heard Rachel whisper after a minute.
"Mmmh!" Quinn hummed.
"Can I ask you a question?"
Quinn turned to her side and was now facing Rachel. "You just did!" she chuckled. The room was plunged into darkness, but her eyes had already adapted to it and so she could see Rachel look at her.
She heard a "Smartass!" and a felt a hand smack her shoulder.
"Anything!" the blonde said in a husky voice. "But stop hitting me!"
"Why did you invite me on this trip?"
"I wanted to get to know you better! You are one of the most fascinating people I have ever met, so can you blame me for that?" she replied amusedly. Rachel felt flattered and her stomach flipped. She sighed contently.
Suddenly Quinn felt a hand sneak closer and an index finger ran gently over her arm looking for her hand. Quinn felt her skin tingling in the wake of Rachel's touch. When Rachel finally found it, she linked their hands and squeezed it lightly.
"Can I ask YOU something?" Quinn asked cautiously, looking for Rachel's eyes once more. When their eyes met, Rachel nodded in approval.
"Why did you kiss me?" the blonde asked softly, her eyes still fixed on the brunette's.
"I wanted to know what I felt like to kiss you!" Rachel licked her lips nervously as Quinn moved closer.
"And?" She was so close that her warm breath was tickling Rachel's face.
"I … I … can't really remember!" the brunette whispered with a smirk.
Quinn bent forward and let her lips ghost over hers, not yet touching. Her mouth slowly hovered to Rachel's ear and the brunette held her breath.
"Let me remind you!" she breathed into her ear. Rachel's heart was racing and her eyes fluttered shut at the feather touch of her words.
Quinn's mouth trailed back to her lips, her breath gusting over her sensitive skin, causing a chill to course through Rachel's body. When she reached her destination her tongue darted out and she licked sensually over the brunette's bottom lip. Rachel felt a rush of overwhelming sensations explode inside of her and without warning she crashed her lips into Quinn's as she kissed her hard. Her tongue glided impatiently across the blonde's lips, begging for entrance, which was granted immediately. She explored the sweet caverns of her mouth and slid her tongue against Quinn's. Both girls moaned in unison as their tongues battled for dominance. Sparks flew between them and they lost themselves in the moment. They hadn't even touched yet, but there was a burning passion that couldn't be controlled anymore.
Rachel got impatient and wanted, no, needed to feel more of Quinn. She reached out with one hand to gently wrap it around the back of Quinn's neck, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. Her other hand snaked around Quinn's waist, her fingers slowly swiping over the fabric of the blonde's shirt near the bottom hem where her fingers found a small part of warm, soft skin. Her fingertips gently grazed the bare skin causing Quinn to squirm ever so slightly. The blonde grabbed Rachel's shirt with her hands pulling her impossibly closer and kissed her long and deep. Every touch burned her skin and made her want more. She felt Rachel's heart race and heard her own frantic heartbeat pound in her ears. She was overwhelmed by the feeling, since it was like nothing she had experienced before. She wanted more, she wanted everything, but she suddenly felt the urge to pull away.
"What …?" Rachel asked in a confused tone.
Quinn's heart was still hammering in her chest and she tried to catch her breath.
"This is …" She closed her eyes and tried to calm her breathing. "You're special to me … we should take things slow, don't you think?"
A pair of sad and confused eyes looked at her.
"Don't look at me like that," Quinn said softly and traced her fingers over the brunette's lips, outlining the curves. The touch sent a tingle down her spine and she felt her pulse quicken.
"Oh … screw it!" the blonde groaned and took a deep breath before leaning closer and bringing their lips together in a slow, languid kiss.
"Yap! I'm so ready … at least for some more of this!" she heard Rachel mumble and she felt her smile against her lips.
XOXOXOX
Sorry to leave you here ;) ... mmmh, nope, I regret nothing! Smut will be on its way, maybe next chapter, who knows! This story turns out to be a little longer than I expected it to be, so, keep on reading. Reviews are welcome!
PS: It won't be entirely a roadtrip/flashback story, I promise ;) We will soon be back in New York!
"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles." Audrey Hepburn