Title: In the Broken Night, Set Against the Sky
Pairing: Quinn/Rachel
A/N: Sincere apologies that I didn't update last night. I intended to, but uhh, well I partook in a little bit too much alcohol so obviously that was a no-go. I'm hoping to get this posted up for you guys by the morning and then start work on chapter 4 later in the day to make up for it. Lyrics are from "Lifeboats" by Snow Patrol.
HappyLaura: Hah, yeah, I'm not patient enough to wait that long to update a story. I get really invested in them once I start writing and I want to see the end just as quickly as everyone else does, in the sense I get excited to see where it'll end up (I don't write out detailed plot-lines, I let the story take its own shape). The smut scene was hella fun to write, haha.
faberrydragon: I'm so glad! :D Thank you!
Vaneeeyuh: I love Rachel for all the right reasons, so when I'm writing her, in my head I picture all my favorite things about her a little exaggerated (her speaking in entire paragraphs, her obsessions, my girlfriend says I'm way too much like Rachel, lol, 'cause everything Rachel does/says, I usually do). I'm glad you approve of the smut scene, too. :P I'm trying to open Quinn up a lot more. To me I percieve her as a very quiet person with a lot of internal dialogue, so opening her up more to Rachel pushes me to stretch the limits of her character; in a lot of ways I go through the same struggles in writing Quinn as Quinn has in growing more emotionally open.
seyan: I'm so glad you liked the first one, too! It was my first Glee fic so I really feel like I struggled with that one, but as the story progressed it got smoother. I also just adored the way Rachel and Quinn were together so I knew I had to write a sequel, especially because Quinn had a lot more growing to do. Thank you for your gracious review!
Sharene19: Thank you so much, again. You're always so kind! I love the way they are, too. Quinn isn't completely open yet and it'll take her a couple stumbles before she gets to that place where she can voice everything she's feeling, but she'll get there before the story is over. ^_^
###
Chapter 3: The Veins of You, the Veins of Me
Flashed up in my wildest dreams, the dark red blood streams,
stretching out like vast cracked ice;
the veins of you, the veins of me, like great forest trees
pushing through and on and in..
###
Quinn's breath was rising and falling, little droplets of sweat falling down the back of her neck. She pulled up the back of her shirt a little to brush them away - she hated the feeling of sweat beading in her hair - and gave herself a moment to catch her breath. Somewhere ahead of the trail, Rachel was singing out a Barbra tune, and Quinn had to laugh when she heard Leroy's voice in the same direction. It amazed Quinn that Rachel was probably yet to break a sweat. The Berry family was apparently very fit, and all Rachel's mornings on the elliptical really must have done something for her endurance.
"Rachel, you're going to make the bears angry."
"I'm sure even bears have an appreciation for all the genius that is Barbra."
Quinn shook her head, smiled. She shifted the hiking backpack on her shoulders a little; it was chafing a bit on her bare shoulderblades, and Quinn was pretty sure they'd been at it for about four hours already. Since there were a few more miles to go, she didn't want a raw shoulderblade by the time they made their way back down to camp.
"Why don't we try some Cher for a change?" Quinn called up the trail, grinning as she heard Rachel gasp at the words. Quinn couldn't see her face, but she was pretty sure Rachel had gasped in disbelief.
Rachel's voice shot back, "She's not even on the same level, Quinn!"
"I take offense to that. I love Cher," Quinn stated as her feet started forward again. She wasn't as far behind as she thought she had been, because Rachel was within eyesight in the next couple of moments, stopped on the trail with her arms folded over her chest. She didn't even look slightly worn from their four hours of hiking, and her hair even managed to look perfect. Quinn was pretty sure that her own hair made her look like Mufasa, because it tended to frizz when she got too hot.
"That's why they invented headphones."
Quinn smiled challengingly, "Oh really?" She arched an eyebrow in the way she used to, the way that always made Rachel hesitate and falter at whatever argument she was trying to make. It worked this time as well, because Rachel visibly gulped and looked torn between shrinking away or kissing Quinn. "Oh, speechless, Berry?" Quinn teased as she approached Rachel, nudging her shoulder delicately as she passed her. "Come on, you missed your chance to have a break."
Rachel's hurried footsteps caught up with Quinn, and Quinn could feel those perfect brown eyes on her. She loved Rachel's face, the way her lips pouted naturally, the way her soul poured out through her eyes no matter who she was looking at. Silence befell them and Rachel was playfully bumping her shoulder against Quinn's as they walked, her pace slowed a bit to keep at Quinn's side.
"You guys don't even look tired," Quinn noted, again shifting the bag on her shoulders.
"Mm," Rachel shook her head, "not really. You'd be surprised the amount of hours we've spent hiking together. I thought perhaps being a Cheerio, your endurance would have vastly outdone my own."
"Sylvester was more about survival training," Quinn mirrored Rachel's playful bumping as they walked along. "Like the time she dropped us all off in the middle of the woods, blindfolded. She just gave us a pocket knife, told us to tough it out for a few days and said it would give us a respect for the fact that competition was like a fight for survival, or something like that."
"You're kidding?"
"Unfortunately, no. Brittany spent most of the time asking us why the trees weren't moving like in Lord of the Rings and Santana took off with a couple of the other girls looking for magic mushrooms."
Rachel's laugh was light, airy, and her hand delicately wrapped around Quinn's elbow as they walked along, staggered behind Hiram and Leroy. "How'd you get back?"
"Well, me and another girl built a fire and Brittany helped us put together a lean-to just in case the weather got bad. I ended up falling asleep before Santana came back, but when I woke up she was talking to the tree and asking it why it was staring at her."
Another laugh followed Quinn's story. Quinn thought it was perhaps her favorite noise, and she slipped Rachel's hand from her elbow to her own, twining their fingers together.
"When she finally came down, she was a little too eager to kill something for dinner, Brittany cried because she said she didn't want to be the reason Bambi was all alone, so we ended up foraging some nuts and fruits for a couple days. Sylvester showed up wearing war paint on the last night and was hurling spears at us, but when we dodged them enough to apparently impress her," Quinn was chuckling a little at the recollection, thinking how crazy Sue Sylvester really was, "she said she'd take us all back home and picked up her spears and walked back out of the woods like we'd just had Cheerios practice or something."
"I can't believe that woman sometimes," Rachel shook her head in both amusement and disbelief, her hand tugging Quinn's hand tightly to her stomach as they walked, "I really don't know how she gets away with half the things she does."
"Probably blackmail."
"Agreed."
Spread out below them, past the tree line, was over 45,000 miles of trails. In the distance, dotted along some of the rock cliffs, she could see tiny specks moving up the vertical distances. Quinn wondered if she'd be very good at rock climbing, and heard Rachel humming next to her. Smiling, Quinn's senses were somewhat overloaded with the warm touch of Rachel's hand in her own, hands swinging between them, the sight of Boulder, Colorado spread out above and beneath them, the mountains towering on all sides, and Rachel's warm voice humming next to her in idleness. It was only day two of seven for them, and Quinn felt like she was a lifetime away from Lima. The sun felt perfect beating down on them, filtering through the leaves, and the sound of the ground crunching and twigs breaking beneath her feet brought it all to her awareness. For the first time in what seemed like ages, she was happy and didn't even think to question her worthiness of it.
"Girls, we're going to stop at the next mile-marker for snacks and water," Leroy called back to the lagging pair, and Quinn didn't miss the smile on his face when he noticed their intertwined hands.
Both girls nodded in response, Rachel still humming idly although she'd stopped swinging their hands between them. "I'm glad you're here with us," Rachel's words were sincere and soft in that way that always made Quinn's heart twinge with emotion. "And I know that it's been hard for you, opening up to me. I just want you to know that ... I appreciate it. The fact you want to share with me."
Quinn wasn't sure how to respond at first, unsure of how to put words to that feeling of rushing blood to her face or the way Rachel always made her heart swell, and she swallowed as she squeezed Rachel's hand and tucked it close against her leg, forgetting for a moment that they were hiking in Boulder, Colorado, far from Lima. She was just with Rachel, and being with Rachel was like having tunnel-vision. Her eyes searched Rachel's face as if she'd find her words there, but found nothing. Like lead on her tongue, she felt like there were no words. Consistently, Rachel bowled Quinn over with her understanding and compassion, and here she was telling Quinn she knew how hard it was for Quinn to share her feelings. Unable to find anything in response, she gave a half-grin, "You mean I wasn't making it look easy?"
"You're not a good actress," Rachel's lips curled a bit at the sarcastic comment, and lovingly pressed her lips to Quinn's, free hand brushing some of Quinn's hair behind her ear.
"Mm, I'll work on that," Quinn was reluctant to pull away from Rachel's lips, instead satisfying her need for contact with another kiss - a bit chaste but just right for the moment. She liked how it felt when Rachel smiled into their kisses. She didn't realize how far they'd lagged behind until she distantly heard Leroy yelling back for them to pick it up a bit.
Brown eyes glinted mischeviously, and a flurry of brown hair flew past Quinn as Rachel burst away from Quinn, shouting back, "Race you!"
"Those short legs of yours can't beat me!" Quinn laughingly waited a moment before she took off after Rachel, ignoring the burning in her lungs from hiking a large part of the day, chasing down the girl who seemed to have single-handedly changed her whole life.
###
It was a long day of trails, and Quinn felt completely inadequate by the time they arrived back at camp later that evening. She was panting and felt like Coach Sylvester was going to appear out of nowhere with homemade spears, warpaint on, shouting about joining the Marines. Rachel, on the other hand, was bounding happily into camp and rifling around in the back of the SUV to get into the cooler. She tossed a water bottle in Quinn's direction, which Quinn nearly missed as she was dropping her backpack to the ground. She fumbled with the bottle, and nearly fell forward as Hiram clapped her on the shoulder.
"Good first day, Quinn! Most people couldn't have kept up!" Hiram spoke happily, just as chirpy as Rachel always was.
Quinn kept her desire to glare at the both of them quelled by drinking the water gingerly, and she heard Leroy chuckling just over her shoulder.
"You'll get used to them. They're tireless," he comforted Quinn by handing her a dampened wash-cloth. It was funny, Quinn thought, how he seemed to be very much like Quinn had always percieved herself to be. Leroy was dabbing at his forehead with a rag as well, watching his husband and daughter with amusement on his face. And there Hiram and Rachel were, parroting numbers from "Evita" as they got out the necessary items to grill some kind of vegan and non-vegan dinner for all of them. "You're good for her, you know."
The words surprised Quinn, so much so that she choked a little on her water and looked over at Leroy, trying to figure out if she'd imagined him saying that. His look of amusement didn't fade - in fact it seemed to imperceptibly grow - as his dark eyes shined in the fire-light.
"She's happier now. When you two," he cleared his throat, looking as if he was weighing his word choice, and that made Quinn nervous and flush with guilt, "didn't get along so well, she always seemed to be quite sad. I mean, she didn't let herself get down too deep, but there were days I'd find her in her room just sitting on her bed, eyes red from crying. I remember the one day she asked me 'why' and I told her I didn't really know. I had a feeling there was more to you than what you were doing to her, although I'll admit a few times I was ready to defend her. I knew, had a feeling it was something you both needed to work through on your own."
Quinn mumbled an apology, only to feel Leroy's arm snake around her shoulder and pull Quinn into his side a bit, the way a father might to his daughter, and she swallowed. She didn't know how to act in a father-daughter situation, but Leroy was becoming very much like a father to her. She found herself responding by resting her head against the taller-man's strong chest, still listening to him speak.
"I understand what you're going through, Quinn, and I want you to know you're a part of our family. In your own way, you always have been. You were the most important person to Rachel, you have been for such a long time," hearing Leroy say these things was making Quinn feel enormously guilty and affectionate all at the same time. She hoped Leroy wouldn't hear her sniffling, but she thought he probably did because he gave her a reassuring squeeze and continued on, "even though you two really put each other through hell, I could never have imagined Rachel with anyone else. Finn was ... nice, but not too smart."
Quinn sniffled, laughed, and wrapped an arm around Leroy's waist. How could she tell Leroy what they'd all come to mean to her? As she watched Hiram and Rachel continuing their rendition of "Evita" hour as they grilled tofu-burgers and chicken on the regular grill, she found herself squeezing the taller man beside her meaningfully, "I don't know how this works, the family thing," she was sure Leroy could tell her voice was a little tearful, "my dad was ... horrible to say the least. I don't always know what to say, but I just ... thank you, so much. You and Hiram have become more of a family than I've ever had. I won't ever be able to thank you enough. I hope I can keep making Rachel happy, she deserves it." The words felt like they were coming from somewhere else, because Quinn wasn't familiar with how opening up should feel.
"Just don't ruin any more of Rachel's sweaters and we'll call it even," Leroy chuckled warmly, squeezed Quinn in a tight, fatherly embrace. "You're a good kid, you just needed someone to believe in you."
"Rachel always has," Quinn finished, sighing as she stepped away from Leroy and offered a smile. The taller man smiled warmly in return, nodding in agreement.
"That she has, that she has."
It took Quinn a few more moments of processing as Leroy joined his husband near the mini-grill, as she dug her heels into the dirt and watched the scene before her. Evergreen trees overshadowed their entire camp, and Quinn could smell a mixture of earth and grilled meat in the air, flames licking the starry sky, the Berry family bustling around the campsite. Rocking on her heels a couple more times, Quinn crossed the space between herself and Rachel, looping a finger in the belt-loop at Rachel's waist. She tugged the shorter girl backward a bit, smiling as Rachel startled a bit.
"Quinn!" Rachel seemed to automatically react by swinging around and throwing her arms around Quinn's neck. It was as if Rachel hadn't seen Quinn all day, the way she hugged Quinn close, and she could faintly hear Rachel breathing in her mixture of perfume and musk.
That smile that only Rachel inspired crawled across her lips and Quinn sighed. It would never cease to surprise her how Rachel's embraces made her feel, "Hi to you, too. You just saw me," Quinn teased lightly but nonetheless squeezed Rachel tighter in her arms. Rachel fit perfectly against her, Quinn mused.
"I did, but I have this instantaneous urge to have contact any moment I can," Rachel's words were breathed against the skin of Quinn's shoulder.
"Funny that," Quinn echoed earlier words and slowly disengaged. "Chicken?"
"For you, because I know you're missing the taste of butchered meats," Rachel sighed as if the information caused her displeasure, and Quinn found her mouth watering in appreciation, nodding simply.
"I can only eat tofu-dogs so much before I miss the taste of violence and bad karma," Quinn joked, jabbing Rachel lightly in the ribs. The brunette stuck her tongue out briefly, then flushed when Quinn winked and gave her a once-over as if to suggest she shouldn't stick that tongue out if she didn't intend on using it. Laughing quietly to herself, she sat down near the fire and waited as their food finished grilling, happily taking the plate Rachel had come over to offer her. Quinn gave Rachel enough room to sit down next to her, savoring the taste of grilled chicken as Rachel hungrily dug into her own food.
Chewing, Quinn's eyes were drawn to Rachel's legs in the firelight, remembering the feel of the skin on her thighs and the way their bare bodies generated heat together. She cursed her teenage horomones and thanked her lucky stars as she heard Hiram squawk at Leroy near the mini-grill, something about using their good tongs on the camping trip.
###
"Rach," Quinn murmured in the dark, later that night, the brunette tucked comfortably in her arms and pressing quiet kisses along her neck.
"Hmm?" Rachel's voice hummed against where her pulse beat the strongest, her mischevious hand snaking up underneath Quinn's hoodie.
Quinn bit back a grin and sighed at the skin-to-skin, "Well, now I forgot what I was going to say," her voice husked softly and she closed her eyes. For now, she let Rachel's hand dance in patterns over her stomach.
"I'm glad you were a Cheerio," Rachel's lips hovered near Quinn's in the next moment.
"Why?"
In response, Rachel's hands trailed a dangerous trail down Quinn's abs, and Quinn quieted a gasp by leaning up just far enough to capture Rachel's lips, sucking in Rachel's breath before their tongues met one another in a sensual dance. They hadn't been intimate since their first time together, though there had been a few close calls. Something about Rachel's parents being in the tent next to them made the situation a little more exciting.
Quinn gasped as she felt Rachel's fingers go lower, head dipping back, and she tried her best to stay quiet, although with Rachel touching her like that, she was having a hard time being conscious of anything she was doing, much less the volume of her voice.
###
The next morning, Quinn awoke with the feeling of Rachel's hand still trailing over her bare skin, and she blinked away sleep as she reached up and tangled her fingers in Rachel's hair, pulling her in for a lazy morning kiss. Rachel sighed into the kiss and Quinn smiled as she pulled away.
"Morning," Quinn spoke quietly between them, and outside she could hear the movement of Rachel's dads putting together breakfast. It was perfect, waking up next to Rachel, falling asleep next to Rachel. Sometimes when Quinn let herself think about it too much, she felt a pang of fear as if fate would tear this away from her or she'd wake up and realize she imagined all of it.
Rachel always seemed to know everything, and the way her brows were knit together suggested she saw the thoughts passing through Quinn's eyes. She leaned down, and Quinn felt her give her one of those achingly soft, chaste kisses, the way she did when she wanted to reassure Quinn of anything. It soothed that fear easily, and Quinn buried her head against Rachel's shoulder as she pulled the shorter girl in for a tight embrace. She thought she could spent forever holding Rachel and be fine with it. The brunette seemed to hold on with equal fervor, her head resting on top of Quinn's after pressing a kiss to blonde hair.
Quinn felt her heart thudding evenly in her chest and knew she wasn't dreaming, because she could feel the quiet thrumming of Rachel's heartbeat and feel the warm gust of breath. For the second time in two days, tears pricked her eyes, "I love you," and in those words she felt her entire soul. She could never tell Rachel how much she loved her because there weren't words for it, but the depth of emotion in which she said those three words always made Rachel squeeze her even tighter, Quinn noticed as Rachel's fingers dug into her shoulder.
"Oh, Quinn," Rachel breathed, words muffled to Quinn's ear. That was all Quinn needed. Rachel never needed to tell her she loved her, because Quinn felt it in everything Rachel did. As they lay there, wrapped in one another, Quinn's mind brought her back to a time, what seemed like ages ago, before she'd gotten pregnant. She and Rachel had a particularly heated conversation, and now in the light of their relationship it seemed to make more sense than it did back then.
"ManHands, did it ever occur to you that I don't want you within ten feet of my locker?" Quinn snapped harshly, slamming her locker shut. That passionate hatred surged to the surface as she saw the brunette standing on the other side of the locker door, books held in front of her chest as if to deflect any physical or emotional blows Quinn might throw at her. She always looked so damn vulnerable and it made Quinn even more reactive.
Rachel seemed shaken but she didn't move, even as Quinn stepped forward, a snarl on her face, "Quinn, I just wanted to inform you that although I understand why you continue to antagonize me, I don't want to take back my offer of friendship."
"Friends?" Quinn scoffed, rolled her eyes emphatically, and folded her arms over her chest. She found herself stepping back minutely, because Rachel advanced a step further, closing the distance a little too intimately for Quinn's liking.
Rachel nodded, seemingly encouraged by the fact that Quinn had to take a step back, "Yes. I understand you need to keep to certain social norms but I have seen you crying after school on the bleachers and while I don't think you want me coming near you in times of distress, I've wanted quite badly to ask you what was wrong."
"What, are you a stalker?" Quinn faltered. How had Rachel seen her? Why had she seen her?
"I also noticed you have a few suspicious bruises right above your left shoulderblade - "
"You watch me in the locker room? God, RuPaul, what's wrong with you?"
Rachel looked stung, but nonetheless persisted, much to Quinn's displeasure, "If there is something going on, I just...I wish you'd tell someone. I care very much about you, Quinn, despite our history and I know that I'm," Rachel visibly swallowed and closed her eyes, and Quinn briefly saw a flash of pain in those brown eyes as Rachel opened them again - Quinn ignored the pang of concern as Rachel continued on, "I know I'm not your favorite person. In fact I understand you probably hate me for whatever reasons you seem to think fit, but Quinn, I care about you and I'm worried about you. I get sad whenever I see you so angry because I know you're hiding something. I know you are. And although we're standing in the middle of a crowded hallway and you rather dislike me even speaking to you, I would encourage you - "
"God, would you shut up?" Quinn barked, but Rachel didn't falter, only stepped closer and Quinn felt a warm hand on her wrist. She shivered, swallowed, and yanked her hand away. It didn't pass her awareness that Rachel looked especially hurt at the action.
"I would encourage you to seek help if you need to, if something's happening at home. Please, Quinn," the way Rachel said her name made Quinn cringe. Anger boiled up like venom and Quinn was breathing rapidly through her nose and pursing her lips to keep from hitting Rachel to keep her quiet, although the idea of hitting Rachel made her feel sick to her stomach. This was her enemy but Quinn didn't want to be like her father. She didn't want to hit anyone. She just couldn't handle Rachel's chatter or her understanding of what Quinn might be experiencing.
Quinn blinked away hot tears, "What gives you the right to pry into my life or even give a damn?"
"You cannot take away a person's right to care about you," Rachel insisted, voice dropping almost to a whisper as those brown eyes darted to the ground before seeking Quinn's again, "nor does you hiding behind that mask make it any less obvious that you need somebody. And if you ever do..need me, or anyone," and again that insistent hand found Quinn's wrist and traced the line of her vein.
Quinn wanted to pull away but she couldn't. Her hand was frozen there as she felt the pad of Rachel's fingertip sliding down her wrist. Rapidly, she searched the hall for any out, anyone to help her, but she was stuck and frozen and locked in place by Rachel and her damn concern. "Stop it," Quinn breathed, angrily and sadly all at once.
"No," Rachel merely responded and took a quiet breath. Quinn could feel her eyes.
"Please," Quinn pleaded under her breath and she had to look anywhere but Rachel's eyes because she was suddenly feeling dismantled.
Rachel shook her head, finger still stroking where Quinn's pulse resided on her wrist, "You're never alone, even if you do hate me."
Quinn felt her face flush, felt the warmth of Rachel standing too close and it was all too confusing and she almost stumbled back, "Stay away from me, RuPaul," she barked, without any real confusion and she found herself running down the hall before she could even think about what she was doing. She didn't care if Rachel was looking after her like she didn't want her to run.
Quinn couldn't breathe, she very much couldn't breathe, and as she stood over the sink, panting, trying not to vomit, she felt a hand on her back. "Goddamnit, Rachel!" She all but shouted and wheeled around, hand flying in the air. She shoved Rachel backward and watched the girl stumble backward and recover herself. Quinn's eyes filled with tears, and she looked at Rachel as if she couldn't believe what she'd just done. Her hand flew to her mouth and she breathed out apologies, stumbled backward herself.
Rachel only shook her head, looking shocked and confused, but she pressed forward and that made Quinn feel even worse.
"Fuck you, Rachel," Quinn didn't even realize she was calling Rachel by her first name, but she was, and the fact hit her after she said the words.
Rachel shook her head again, and Quinn could tell that Rachel was resolving not to let Quinn shove her away.
Quinn did need someone, she really did. Things were getting worse at home. Tears were freely falling down her face and she was shoving Rachel's hands off of her but Rachel kept fighting it, running her hands soothingly down Quinn's bare arms. Quinn was confused, furious, sad, but mostly confused. Why the hell was Rachel insisting on comforting her? "Stop!" Quinn shouted, throwing her arms up to shake Rachel's touch, but Rachel caught her hands midair and pinned them to Quinn's sides.
Rachel was searching her eyes for answers and goddamn if she wasn't making Quinn fall apart at the seams, "No, Quinn." For a girl normally too wordy for Quinn's liking, Rachel was quiet and persistent right now.
Quinn felt Rachel's hands slip around her waist and pull her into her arms. Quinn didn't think, only felt her head dip against Rachel's shoulder as she shook with tears. Her worst enemy was hushing comforting words in her ear, stroking her back delicately, holding her. All the fight Quinn had in her for the day was gone, and she felt herself go limp in Rachel's arms. None of it made sense. "I hate you," Quinn spoke through her tears. "I hate you."
Rachel didn't say a word, only pulled Quinn tighter in her arms and hummed a song against her ear.
The memory was so vivid that Quinn felt the pang in her heart, and she pressed a warm kiss to Rachel's neck, "I don't deserve you, Rachel, but I'm so glad I have you."
"I am quite spectacular," Rachel joked softly and sat up, that brilliant grin lighting up her entire face. "Come on, let's get up before Dad comes bursting in or something," she suggested, looking reluctant as she pressed a kiss to Quinn's lips and stood.
Quinn nodded in agreement and accepted the hand offered to her, standing up and stretching her body. She quickly changed into a pair of jeans and slipped on her shoes, watching Rachel search for her own shoes in the sleeping bag and pile of clothing next to the air mattress. Quinn chuckled, cleared her throat, and kicked Rachel's shoe in her direction, watching it bump her foot.
"Oh! Thank you!" Rachel bounced a bit, slipped on her shoe, and kissed Quinn languidly before unzipping the tent and stepping outside to greet her fathers.
Quinn filed out after her, greeting the two men in the camp with a tired smile. She wordlessly slumped into one of the chairs near the fire and stretched out, breathing in the fresh Colorado air. The beauty of the mountains was splayed around them, and Quinn couldn't help but take in the sight as everyone went on about morning business. It felt like she was a completely different person, like she'd been reborn, and as she watched a hawk circle in the skies above, gliding across the silhouette of mountain, Quinn thought she knew what it felt like to really be free.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a flying plastic spoon, and she nearly toppled backward, caught herself and righted the chair's balance, sending a glare Rachel's way. The brunette whistled and looked away with a shrug, though she couldn't quite stifle the grin she wore.
###
Day four came and went noiselessly, Rachel and Quinn alone in the camp. They hadn't spent all day hiking like the second and third days, and Quinn was glad for that because she was pretty sure she wouldn't have made it another five hour day hiking non-stop without Rachel picking her up and giving her a piggy-back ride up the mountainside. Hiram and Leroy had taken a trip in town to get a few more food supplies and to spend the day shopping, so that left Quinn and Rachel to their own devices.
Rachel had found a creek nearby, and lead Quinn by the hand down a rocky pathway. "Be careful," she warned, pointing out a particularly loose patch of rocks. "I wouldn't want you to hurt that pretty face of yours," she teased and Quinn stuck her tongue out.
"You say that like you don't like my face," Quinn laughed a bit and hid her relief as they made it to the bottom of the path, where a creek bubbled at their feet and a few small fish darted down the stream of clear water. She bent over and ran her fingers against the rippled surface of water. "This is really pretty," Quinn commented, watching the way sunlight played through leaves and danced across the water's surface.
"I love your face quite a lot, actually," Rachel commented idly, swinging their hands between them and Quinn could feel Rachel's eyes studying her face. As Quinn glanced over, she saw Rachel nervously tucking hair behind her ear and preparing to say a well-thought-out speech.
Quinn's stomach dropped, irrational fears flooding her mind.
"I thought about what you suggested. Seeing my mom, you seeing Beth," Rachel began quietly, and she sat down at the creek's edge, tugging Quinn's hand in a way that suggested Quinn sit down as well. The blonde settled next to Rachel and held Rachel's hand in her lap. She hadn't really given it much thought in the last couple of days either. "I.. I think I'd like to, if you're ready, if you want to. We don't have to, of course, it's just that when I did get to see my mother I...I feel like we left things unresolved and I need a little resolution. I also sort of miss her, in a strange way, even though we've never spent time together."
Quinn felt a mix of relief and nodded her head, "I think I'm ready. I know it'll be weird, and hard," she took a breath, head spinning with possibilities. What would it be like to see Beth?
"But you won't be alone," Rachel assured, stroking Quinn's wrist gently as she turned it over in her lap, and Quinn saw her looking down at their hands thoughtfully. "And I think you'd feel better, seeing her, knowing you'd made a good choice."
Quinn's eyes trailed over Rachel's features, watching the way Rachel seemed to look for the future in the lines of Quinn's palm. She managed a soft smile, pressed her lips to Rachel's cheek, "I think you're right." She spoke out of reassurance to Rachel, and partially to herself.
Rachel looked over, as if that's not the answer she'd expected, and her eyes lit up in that excited way, "Really?"
"Yes. I think we should," Quinn nodded, although her heart flitted nervously in her chest.
Rachel smiled, brightly, "Good, because I've already texted my mother and she said that when we come to New York, she wants us to stay with her in her apartment. She has a guest room ... "
Quinn's stomach dropped, and she breathed nervously. Spending that much time with Beth, Shelby? It made her feel incredibly daunted and nervous and she closed her eyes.
"Of course we don't have to if you -"
Rachel. Rachel needed it. To stay with her mother, to see her. She would do this for Rachel. She could handle seeing Beth every day for a little while. They'd only be in New York for a couple weeks, it wouldn't kill her. Her stomach turned and she opened her eyes, offering another reassuring smile, and she shook her head, "No, I think it's a good idea. It'll save your dads money, too, and it would .. it would be nice."
Quinn was terrified. Seeing Beth every day. The thought replayed over and over in her brain and she felt herself clutching Rachel's hand in her own. She felt Rachel squeeze her hand tighter, and shortly after the sensation of Rachel's lips on her knuckles.
"We can get through it," Rachel ran a soothing hand through Quinn's hair, and Quinn nodded. Brown eyes danced over Quinn's face, regarding her with affection.
Quinn nodded, and before her thoughts could press any further, she was leaning forward and capturing Rachel's lips in a quietly desperate kiss, just needing to feel as if she had control over something. Her lips meshed passionately with Rachel's, and Rachel was mewling into the kiss and pressing forward with equal need. Rachel was soon panting against Quinn's lips as Quinn's hands wandered over the flesh of her sides, underneath her shirt, fingers moving over Rachel's ribs and body pressed tightly against Rachel's as she pressed the girl into the grassy area next to the creek. Quinn was attacking Rachel's neck and Rachel was arching up into Quinn's torso hungrily, and for a moment Quinn forgot everything. Quinn rose just enough to capture Rachel's lips in a kiss that was full of lust and fire, and it threatened to consume them both as Rachel drove a thigh in between Quinn's legs and bucked her hips. Rachel's hands were grasping and Quinn was writhing her hips downward just so Rachel would make those delicious noises forever.
She felt a little bit like she could understand Santana's thought process - sex became an aversion from sorrow, and when you were in love with the person you were having sex with, it became a painkiller. When she was with Rachel, she felt like they melded together, souls meshed together in a passionate dance. Her veins answered to Rachel's pulse and Rachel's veins matched the rapid fire in Quinn's. They matched, fit, and with Rachel moaning into her mouth, she couldn't help but feel like she was overtaken with the power that was both physical and emotional, the strong hand of love squeezing them together as fate took them down roads that would eventually lead to adulthood.
###
"Girls! You're finally back!"
Quinn tried her best not to look guilty as she and Rachel arrived at camp over two hours later. They'd done their best not to look like they had sex but when you did it next to a creek in the middle of the forest, you forgot that people were going to see you afterward. Rachel was smoothing her hair nervously as she greeted her dads and Quinn was smiling a bit inconspicuously. She took Rachel's hand and waved at the two men making dinner.
"We were just exploring a trail," Rachel stated simply.
Quinn chuckled, the words 'treasure trail' echoing in her mind. The blonde glanced at Leroy, who smiled wryly and nodded at them both.
"Hope you had fun."
The couple shared a look, brief but mischevious. Fun was an understatement.