Still off the Key of Reason
Chapter 11: Let's Get Odd, Baby
Rachel watched Quinn eat with much amusement. She always did. Quinn ate like an excited puppy. Except now Quinn was grimacing like Rachel was the one forcing her to take huge bites of leftover vegan pizza. Quinn was perched on the counter wearing her pajama boxer shorts and a blue polka-dot bra. She'd gotten hungry halfway through getting dressed.
Rachel wondered if she was trying to look so disgusted with the food. Like she was on Fear Factor. Quinn picked the onions off and flicked them into the sink, eyeing the rest of the pizza suspiciously.
"You know, you can be normal for a day and have some eggs, bear." Rachel stated wryly. She'd taken the time to get dressed. The extra three minutes.
Quinn shrugged, mouth full of food, heels knocking against the cabinets. "Pifwa's bebba."
Rachel hummed. Pizza was better. Which is why Quinn finished off her double cheese pizza last night, and was halfway through Rachel's vegan mess this morning.
"You don't look like you're enjoying it." Rachel observed with a smile. She sidled up and stood between Quinn's legs, hands on her wife's knees.
Quinn locked her feet together around Rachel's waist. She swallowed before speaking, tapping Rachel on the nose with the pizza crust. "I scraped off the peppers, onions, olives, and those yellow things that look like corn."
Rachel scrunched up her nose. "So you're eating bread…with tomato sauce. In your bra and pajamas."
Quinn nodded. "And your weird fake cheese."
A glob of sauce dropped onto Quinn's chest and she pulled her head back and blew her hair out of her eyes to try and see it. Rachel wiped it away with her thumb. It was followed by another, and then another, and she finally just handed Quinn a paper towel.
"Why are you pulling funny faces if you like it?" Rachel asked, squeezing Quinn's thighs.
Quinn blinked at her. She smiled with her mouth full and Rachel grimaced. She knocked her fists into Quinn's soft thighs until she swallowed.
"It makes you laugh." Quinn explained, seizing one of Rachel's hands and unfurling her fingers until she could play with the wedding band.
Rachel leaned back in Quinn's leg trap and watched with a small smile. She'd had something to tell Quinn before her wife had ripped off her NYU t-shirt and gone sauntering into the kitchen for food. Quinn kissed Rachel's hand and took a bite of her pizza, gazing into brown eyes lovingly.
Rachel even loved how she chewed. It was very polite, mouth closed, but cheeks puffed out because she took large bites. Rachel got lost for a second before remembering the phone call she'd gotten that morning.
"Quinn, Tina called me earlier." She started.
Quinn nodded. She swayed Rachel from side to side with her legs.
"There are a lot of news outlets speculating that you're the close friend who I was describing at the walk last week." Rachel informed. "Mostly because that whole interaction with Amanda was on camera…"
Quinn licked her lips, eyes locked on Rachel's. She waited expectantly. Rachel traced the skin right at the top of Quinn's pants.
"So we can do the whole 'no comment' thing," Rachel continued, "or…Tina thinks it's a good opportunity to tell people that you have Asperger's because of your website idea."
"It's more than a website." Quinn inserted quickly.
Rachel nodded. "Of course. And if you get to it sooner rather than later, well…Everybody will find out you have Asperger's anyway, so why not now? That was Tina's reasoning."
Quinn tapped her pizza crust against her lips like it was a pencil and she was thinking. She opened her mouth to speak and accidentally dropped it. The crust ricocheted off the counter and landed right at Cloud's feet. Rachel didn't even bother trying to stop him from snatching it up.
Quinn had probably done that on purpose.
"What do you think?" Quinn asked quietly, using both hands to play with Rachel's wedding ring.
"Whatever you want, babe." Rachel answered immediately. "People love you either way."
Quinn sighed. It was like she was staring into Rachel's soul. "Maybe…Yeah-I-Tina should confirm it."
Rachel raised her eyebrows. "Yeah?"
Quinn hummed. She dropped Rachel's hand and wrapped her arms around her waist instead. "I can help more people if they know." She said with a smile, patting the top of Rachel's butt. Rachel wiggled to get her to stop for a second. Quinn held on tighter.
"You're sure?" Rachel checked. Because it's whatever you want."
Quinn nodded resolutely, pulling Rachel closer to her. Rachel could see she was losing this battle. The battle to keep a conversation going while she was locked by Quinn's legs. Quinn planted a sloppy kiss on her forehead and she chuckled.
Her eyes drifted down to Quinn's polka-dot bra.
Quinn raised an eyebrow. "Connecting the dots, little bear?"
Rachel looked up at her, feigning confusion. She lifted up her hands and placed her thumbs where she knew Quinn's nipples to be. "What-what are these dots? They don't feel like the rest."
Quinn snorted and covered her face. She tightened her legs, pressing Rachel against her so that she could kiss her. "Let's go find out." She proclaimed gleefully. She slipped off the counter, scooped Rachel up under the knees, and fumbled around all the animals as she made her way to the bedroom.
~oooooooooo~
Rachel woke up on Easter Sunday because something was kissing the back of her head. And then the cheek that wasn't pressed into the pillow. And then finally her ear. She lifted an arm up and flailed it off to the side, glad to find that it hit a human, not a dog.
Quinn kissed Rachel's cheek again and tugged on her shoulder until she rolled over. Rachel groaned and blinked up at her. She was dressed, which was surprising, and her headband matched her yellow dress.
It was like sunshine. Rachel was blinded for a moment.
"Rachel." Quinn whispered loudly, leaning over to peer into Rachel's eyes. "There are butterflies in the living room."
Rachel wondered if she was dreaming. She kept blinking as her mind cleared. She would not be surprised if Quinn had been breeding caterpillars in their living room. Quinn kissed her cheek and watched her with excited eyes.
"There are three." Quinn continued. "One looks like a zebra. One's bright blue."
Rachel palmed Quinn's face sleepily. She slid her hand down to cup her chin. "Did you put them there?" she asked thickly. They probably followed Quinn in through the front door like Snow White. Or Cinderella. They were her servants now. That was why Quinn was dressed. The butterflies had done it.
Quinn shook her head and held onto Rachel's wrist. "Come see, little bear."
Rachel moaned and flipped sideways into the pillow. She felt Quinn sigh. Quinn let go of her wrist and climbed off the bed. Rachel was almost asleep again when her wife came bounding back into the room. She settled back into her spot and held up a box, smiling brightly at Rachel.
Rachel focused her eyes on it.
It was a two foot tall solid chocolate bunny. A vegan bunny. It's ears were as big as Rachel's face. She started laughing into her pillow as soon as she saw it.
"Happy Easter, lovely." Quinn murmured, leaning over and kissing Rachel's smile. "Je'taime ma chèrie."
Rachel flushed and sat up and took the box to examine it. "Did you get one for yourself as well?"
Quinn nodded. "I had to order yours though."
Rachel didn't think there would be an abundance of solid chocolate vegan rabbits in stores. She admired Quinn's perseverance. She'd wanted her wife to have a chocolate rabbit, so she'd made it happen.
"And mine has mini eggs in it." Quinn described. "It's also taller than yours, but it's hollow, so-so I thought it was fair."
Rachel hummed. It was very fair. She had enough chocolate to last a few years now. Her bunny was bigger than Benjamin. If Benjamin sat still for more than half a second, and stuck his ears straight up, she might actually get them confused.
It's probably why Quinn brought him home in the first place.
"How much of yours have you eaten?" Rachel asked knowingly, eyes smiling.
Quinn faltered. It wasn't even nine a.m. yet. Her eyes darted around for a second before she started playing with Rachel's fingers. "I-just-just an ear."
"Just an ear." Rachel echoed, eyebrow raised.
Quinn's lips quirked up. "And part of his face because it-it fell off and I didn't want it to get lost inside his body."
Rachel laughed. That was a good reason. She sat up and gave Quinn a hug, toppling into her lap when she lost her balance. Quinn held her there and kissed her head.
"I made you an Easter egg hunt, and then I thought we could decorate eggs, and then go to church in the afternoon. I know they'll let you sing something." Quinn said into Rachel's hair.
Rachel sunk into her. She was nice and cool against her sleep-warm skin. And she smelled like chocolate and Skittles.
"Show me the butterflies first." Rachel requested. She tried to roll out of Quinn's lap, but she just got sucked back in. Quinn slid off the bed with Rachel in her arms, ignoring her laughter and cries, and carried her out to the living room. She deposited Rachel on the couch and then plopped down next to her, welcoming Jelly into her arms.
Rachel saw two butterflies perched on the television and another on the back of the loveseat. She was transported back to the pigeon adventure in their first apartment in New York. She ignored the urge to run and hide in a small enclosed space.
Quinn winked at her. "I don't think we'll need mops and socks to get rid of these." She remarked.
Rachel chuckled and knocked their shoulders together. "Did you leave the window open again?"
"No." Quinn answered confidently, smiling when Jelly rolled over so that she could rub her tummy. "They just appeared."
Maybe they had a caterpillar colony in their walls. That would be a little disgusting. Rachel didn't know if caterpillars actually lived in colonies. Like termites? Were they solitary? If they did, they could turn their house into an indoor butterfly garden. Cornelius was already dead-set on capturing the one perched on the love seat.
"We can herd them out later." Quinn reasoned. "But I want to make you breakfast now while you hunt for your eggs."
Rachel did a quick scan of the room. Either they were very well hidden, or a dog had eaten them all. Rachel narrowed her eyes at Quinn.
"Do I just…go?" she asked, waving her hand vaguely through the air. "Or-"
"No. I'll give you clues." Quinn assured. She looked very pleased with herself.
Rachel stood up and stretched her arms above her head. This might require some climbing. Maybe some acrobatics. She knew what Quinn was capable of. Quinn poked her in the belly button when her shirt lifted up.
"Okay, first clue…" Quinn said, dragging it out to build suspense. She stared at Rachel until Rachel made a whirling motion with her hand to hurry up. Quinn grinned. "Twirl around Piglet, step lightly Pooh, this silly 'ole dance is perfect for two."
Rachel smiled. She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head in thought. Quinn bounced the orange cat on her knees while she watched. Rachel moved towards the iPod dock, eyeing Quinn the whole time. It was the source of most of their music. Quinn's head moved only slightly and Rachel halted her steps.
She needed the "warm/cold" game.
"Is it-Do we have a Dean Martin record?" Rachel asked, surveying the room again. "In the Misty Moonlight? Or…Step in Time, from Mary Poppins?"
Quinn shook her head. She held up her index finger wordlessly. Which either meant "stop," or number one. Or up. Or "look, I have a ladybug on my finger." But there was nothing there, so Rachel ruled that out.
She tried to remember dancing with Quinn for the first time. Number one. Rachel could see her wife dancing around on the coffee table in their first apartment. Doing the running man, falling into the wall, attempting the worm. Spinning Rachel and Barnaby.
"Daylight" by Matt & Kim.
Rachel held up a hand at Quinn and went running into the office. She scanned their stacks of old CDs and completely removed the "M" section. There was a bright blue plastic egg. Rachel squealed in delight and ran back out to the living room.
"I found it!" She proclaimed proudly, draping herself over the back of the couch to show Quinn.
Quinn laughed and wrapped an arm around her neck and kissed her smile. "Now open it, little bear."
Rachel twisted the blue plastic apart. Inside was a slip of paper with the letter "I" written on it in Quinn's green pen. Rachel flipped it over and examined the inside of the egg. There were no other clues.
"Are we spelling something out?" she asked excitedly, bending back down and pressing her nose into Quinn's cheek.
Quinn shrugged nonchalantly, still running her hands through Jelly's fur. "Clue number two." She started. "If bears were bees, they'd build their nests at the bottom of trees."
Rachel ruffled Quinn's hair. Quinn ducked her head and Rachel rested her chin on top of it. "I'm sensing a theme here." She stated.
Pooh Bear was always a theme though. Quinn could work him into anything. She reached up and patted Rachel's cheek. "We don't have all day, little bear."
"Do I have to go outside?" Rachel asked knowingly. There was an oak tree in their backyard. Quinn had once talked about how fun it would be to live like Tarzan. Rachel said she'd live in the lower branches and hang around like a sloth while Quinn monkey-swung through the trees.
Rachel knew she'd be climbing a tree today. Quinn shrugged, smiling mischievously. Rachel heaved an exaggerated sigh and walked towards the sliding glass door. She hoped the people in the apartment next to them weren't looking out their door. They shared a yard, and they'd seen Rachel make a fool of herself plenty of times.
Cloud bulldozed his way past Rachel and squeezed through the door before it was even open. Rachel strode through the grass in her bare feet, going straight to the tree. She pulled herself up on the lowest branch and smiled at the neon green egg lodged into a crook in the trunk.
At least she wouldn't have to scale a redwood today. Yet.
Barnaby and Cloud jumped all over her when she got back down because it was a possible toy that she held in her hands.
There was a picture of a heart inside. Rachel didn't know where this was going yet, but she loved it.
The next clues, all Pooh Bear quotes, led her to the cookie jar and the dog beds and Benjamin's food bowl, and then to a pocket of one of her old dresses and Quinn's book collection, the yoga balls, a box of waffles, her Funny Girl DVD, and then finally Pooh Bear. He was sitting on the bed, and the egg was under his jumper.
It had an "h" in it. Quinn had spelled out "I heart you. So much." Rachel kneeled on the bed with her hand over her face, trying to contain herself. Reel it the fuck in. Quinn came into the bedroom and turned her around gently so that she sat with her legs over the edge.
Quinn smiled at her and kissed her forehead. She held out another egg, bigger than the rest, and Rachel took it with a shaky hand.
"What are you doing?" she choked out tearfully. She was smiling so widely she couldn't see straight.
Again, Quinn just shrugged. She sat next to Rachel and tapped her thigh, nodding at the egg.
Rachel twisted it open. There was a note inside, and she tried to hold it still enough to be able to read it. In lopsided handwriting that dropped down the unlined page, it said "Little Bear. This is nothing special, but you deserve it always. I just wanted to be sure of you."
There was a little elephant drawn at the bottom, modified slightly to look like a Heffalump.
Rachel twisted to bury her face in Quinn's shoulder. Quinn chuckled and rubbed her back. "There's more, baby. Let's open the whole egg before we break down, okay?"
Rachel garbled into Quinn's neck. She pulled back, breathing deeply, and plucked a small box from inside the egg. She briefly wondered if she was being proposed to again. It was exciting her, for some reason. She knew she'd say yes though.
It's already fucking happened, Rachel. Focus.
Rachel flipped open the box to see a pair of dangly silver earrings. They were gorgeous, and Rachel twisted right back into Quinn when she saw that they had rabbits on them.
Quinn grunted with the force of the hug. "You like them?" she checked with a laugh.
Rachel nodded vigorously. She kissed Quinn, all lips and teeth and tongue.
"I almost-I almost got you a real bunny." Quinn admitted when Rachel finally let her go. "But I'm glad you like this. The-the dogs found three of my eggs this morning so I had to redo them before you woke up."
Rachel sighed, arms wrapped around Quinn's waist. "I love it all."
Barnaby bounced up onto the bed and seized the empty plastic egg with his mouth.
Quinn shoved him away with her foot and twisted to see Rachel's face. She didn't say anything. But Rachel met her gaze and Quinn just smiled fondly like that was all she needed.
~oooooooooo~
Rachel let Quinn out of her sight for sixty seconds after church. One minute. Rachel went to get the car started because it would feel like an oven by now, and Quinn stopped at the bathroom.
Sixty seconds. It was all it took for Quinn to obtain a Dalmatian.
Quinn walked towards the car, biting her lip and holding a basket that very clearly held a puppy. A Dalmatian puppy. Rachel's eyes got narrower and narrower as Quinn approached.
She built up her resolution right away. No. She would say no. Quinn had to know this after the whole chicken bone fiasco. Maybe she was blinded by the puppy's wide blue eyes, and the faint gray marks on her coat that would eventually become spots.
Rachel was just groaning and whining internally as Quinn opened the driver's door and slid into the seat, basket on her lap. She looked at Rachel with honest hazel eyes, but didn't say anything. Rachel stared at the puppy.
How the fuck had Quinn procured it in sixty seconds?
It started panting because the car was still too hot, and Quinn turned up the A/C. The puppy blinked curiously at everything around it. It stood up, toppled over a little, and then stuck one foot out of the basket. Rachel put it back in.
She didn't need the puppy imprinting on her car. Forming attachments.
Quinn had no such qualms, because she picked it out of the basket and pressed its white fur against her face, puffing out her cheeks.
Rachel started shaking her head.
Quinn held the puppy against her chest. It licked her neck. "Somebody left her here this morning. In an Easter basket." She explained. "The pastor can't have dogs so he was looking for somebody to take her home."
"So you volunteered?" Rachel asked in a pained voice. She tried not to smile when Quinn scrunched up her face because the puppy was pawing at her nose.
Quinn set her back in the basket, but kept a hand on her head. She looked at Rachel seriously.
"No." Rachel said before Quinn could speak. "No, bear. We can't have-"
"I know. I know." Quinn interrupted, nodding at Rachel. "We don't need any more animals. I thought-I thought we could foster her until we find her a home."
Rachel thought about that. It seemed like a good idea, but there was always the chance they'd end up keeping the puppy anyway after only searching half-heartedly for a home. Rachel sighed and watched the puppy blink rapidly into the air from the vents.
"We've never had a girl dog." Quinn remarked, tickling the gray spots on her coat.
Rachel laughed shortly. "Quinn, we don't have a quota to fulfill."
Really, there wasn't much variety in their dogs. They were all huge, fluffy, male monsters. Solid colors, except for Cornelius. Rachel would like to see some spots around the apartment. She had never actually seen a Dalmatian in real life. They were like dinosaurs to her. Friendly leopards.
"Have you named her?" Rachel asked knowingly, lips quirked up. It had been a few minutes since Quinn had procured the puppy. She must have a name already.
Quinn flushed. "I…Look, Rachel. Sam said he'd like a dog. I thought we could give her to him. So I called her Penguin."
Rachel smiled. Quinn tugged on the puppy's ears. They were both black. "She's black and white. And Sam likes penguins, so…"
Quinn trailed off and looked at Rachel expectantly. Rachel grabbed Quinn's ears because Quinn was still holding Penguin's.
"You're sure you don't want to trade her for Cornelius?" Rachel checked. Just to be sure. "They're both black and white, Quinn, so maybe no one would-"
"Stoooooppp." Quinn whined with a smile. "No. Sam can have her. He's coming up for my birthday soon."
Rachel tilted her head. Penguin made a sniffly noise and Quinn tapped her pink nose. "You'll be attached to her by then." Rachel predicted.
Quinn shrugged, gazing at the puppy with a small smile. "She'll have an amazing home. And I can-I can still visit her. And I know we can't have her."
Rachel was going to say "until one of our other ones dies," but that would just make Quinn sad. It actually made Rachel sad a little as well. Barnaby was already seven. But nobody would be able to tell without seeing the white whiskers on his face.
Rachel watched Quinn tickle Penguin's chin. "Let's go to the zoo." She suggested impulsively.
Quinn looked up at her with wide eyes. She sat forward in her seat and bounced her knees. "You-Really? Right now? To Sacramento?"
Rachel laughed and nodded. She was feeling impulsive. Easter made her think of yellow dresses and animals. Which was basically Quinn. And the zoo. "We can drop Penguin at home and be there in half an hour." She stated.
Quinn looked excited. "They-they don't have bears. But they have lions and tigers."
Rachel didn't know who Quinn was informing, but she laughed and nodded. She watched her wife bounce around and run her hands over her thighs. Quinn's smile was splitting her face in half.
"Need me to drive, baby?" Rachel asked, taking the basket in her lap. Quinn watched the movement. She had to be sure of her temporary Dalmatian.
"I-no. No." Quinn shook her head. "Let's go."
They dropped Penguin off at home, shutting her in the office with the amicable Char for company. The other dogs might be too intense for her at this point. They were too intense for Rachel and she was twenty-seven years old.
Quinn took Rachel straight to the tigers. She bought Rachel cotton candy because it was Easter, and settled down on a bench to watch the sleeping cats. Rachel had gotten used to watching sleeping zoo animals by now. She found it very relaxing.
Her dads used to fill the house with chocolate eggs on Easter, but they didn't actually celebrate it, obviously. Rachel's first Easter egg hunt was this morning. Courtesy of Quinn.
Rachel hugged Quinn's arm and leaned into her shoulder. Quinn was smiling to herself because one of the tigers was slowly waking up, yawning widely.
"Did you have lots of Easter egg hunts when you were little, Quinn?" Rachel asked curiously.
Quinn turned to look at her, touching a finger to Rachel's rabbit earring. "Only one, I think."
"Yeah?" Rachel smiled. "Did you have clues like you gave me?"
Quinn shook her head. Rachel brushed her blonde bangs out of her face. "It was when I lived with all the other kids. They found all the eggs before me." Quinn admitted easily.
Rachel frowned up at her. She imagined a horde of rowdy children stealing candy from little Quinn.
Quinn chuckled at her expression. "Little bear. It was a long time ago. Now I have-I have all the chocolate I want."
Rachel wanted to ask her if she wanted more. Rachel would get more chocolate for her. She'd get her baskets upon baskets of eggs if she asked. She'd hide them around the house and give Quinn clues and hurt anybody who tried to take them away from her.
"I did sit on an Easter bunny's lap once, though." Quinn remarked, kissing the side of Rachel's head.
Rachel's lips quirked up. "A real rabbit, right? You sat on a rabbit?"
Quinn laughed and shook her head around, pulling Rachel closer. "No, it was a guy in a suit. And I think I started crying. I wanted to see a real rabbit. A giant one."
"Like Benjamin?"
Quinn shook her head. "Like, ten feet tall, giant. It would be so much fun."
After it killed you. Rachel poked Quinn in the ribs. "They don't make them in that size, bear."
Quinn gave her a pointed look. "They do in my head. And I ride them around."
Rachel snorted. Impulsively, she slipped off of Quinn and held her hand out for her wife. Quinn took it without hesitation. Rachel led her past the lions, dawdling a little bit so that Quinn could say hello, have a little conversation, and then came upon the snow leopard enclosure.
That wasn't what Rachel wanted. She spun on the spot to find the nearest gift shop and dragged Quinn in that direction. Quinn trailed after her happily, eyes shining with curiosity.
Rachel smiled when she saw what she wanted. She grabbed a giant stuffed snow leopard off the shelf, twirled around, and held it out for Quinn.
"Here." She said sweetly. "It's white with black spots, sort of, so he can replace Penguin when Sam comes. And you can call him Easter Egg, so that you can say I got you an Easter egg. If you want."
Quinn grinned delightedly. She wrapped her arms around Rachel and the stuffed animal, but she didn't actually reach Rachel because the leopard was so big. She just squeezed tighter, fingers grasping Rachel's upper arms, face pressed into the leopard.
"Aw ahh ooo." She proclaimed into the stuffed animal.
Rachel laughed from the other side. She let go and moved to stand next to her wife. "What was that?"
Quinn held the leopard with one arm and rested her chin on its head. "I said I love you. Very happy Easter."
"Very happy Easter to you as well." Rachel returned.
Quinn stared at her adoringly over the stuffed animal. "Let me get you one too." She brushed a strand of Rachel's hair behind her ear and then turned to survey the wall of plush toys. Her eyes widened and she took half a step back because there were so many.
"You've gotten me enough, Quinn." Rachel assured, trying to drag her towards the cash register.
Quinn turned herself into dead weight and leaned backwards. "Are you sure? I can get you a lion like Fuzzy, only ten times bigger. Or a tiger?"
Rachel kept laughing. Quinn lurched forward, catching Rachel by the arm when she fell backwards and smirking at the small victory.
"Well, I'm…I'll make you cookies when we get home." Quinn promised, picking up the miniature plastic statues Rachel had knocked over. "And I'll love on you and kiss on you and do my T-Rex impression if you want."
Rachel agreed. She loved the dinosaur impression. Quinn would pull her arms close to her sides, bend over, and then sprint around the living room, stomping as loudly as possible and making funny roaring sounds. Rachel had told many people that this occurred, and not a single one believed her.
Quinn the dinosaur was a rare sighting. Rachel's new goal was to get it on camera. But every time she'd pull her phone out, Quinn would stop and curl up on the couch, bright red and pretending she hadn't just done that. Maybe it was nice that Rachel was the only one allowed to see the "impression."
"This is the sun's birthday." Quinn said suddenly, pulling Rachel into her side as they exited the zoo. Rachel looked up at her. "This is the birthday of life and of love and wings, and of the gay great happening illimitably earth."
Rachel's smile was soft. She stopped by the car and waited for Quinn to continue. Quinn leaned against the door and looked up at the sky, squinting one eye like she was trying to remember.
"Wait, that's not how it started." She muttered, brow furrowed. Rachel smiled and waited patiently. It was a very nice day and she was content to stand outside and listen to Quinn recite poetry. She'd probably do it in a hurricane, but whatever. The sun was exceptionally beautiful today.
Or Quinn. Sometimes Rachel couldn't tell them apart.
"e.e. cummings." Quinn stated, smiling back down at Rachel. "I thank You God for most this amazing day: for the leaping greenly spirit of trees, and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything which is natural which is infinite which is yes."
Rachel played with the trim on Quinn's dress. "I like that." She murmured.
Quinn nodded. She swung the stuffed leopard around so it banged into the car. "It's optimistic. It makes me think, what if the trees were a different color, you know? What if the grass was purple or something. But even if it was, it wouldn't matter, because it would seem normal, and we'd still be thankful for it because at least it's color."
Rachel's eyes watched Quinn's wander around in empty space. She smiled to herself. "Better than black and white, I suppose."
Quinn focused in on her and her hazel eyes sharpened. "Right?" she exclaimed, clutching Rachel's forearm. "It's all about new life and love and wings and colors and…and yes. Positive things. I think I love Easter."
Rachel was a little awed by this outburst. She felt like they should be frolicking through a spring meadow surrounded by lambs and daisies. She was standing outside a zoo with her girlfriend who was dressed as the sun and holding a giant stuffed leopard.
So, she was close.
"I'm glad we enjoy life." Quinn remarked absently, finally turning around to unlock the car. Rachel stared at her and moved around to the passenger seat.
"What do you mean?" she asked once they were both inside. She shoved the leopard into the back seat, amused by the fact that it took up the whole space.
Quinn fumbled with the headband in her hair, trying to fix it before just giving up and pulling it out. She handed it to Rachel with a smile and shook her fluffy hair free. Rachel rolled her eyes.
"I mean, some people don't." Quinn explained thoughtfully. "Enjoy it, that is. We don't…live every day like it's our last, but that's ridiculous. Because that would just make tomorrow our last day. I'd probably get eaten by a polar bear. But we…I-I live every minute loving you with all my heart and laughing because of you and knowing that tomorrow I will wake up happy, and I will do it all again, and there's-there's not-other people-"
Quinn sighed and pressed her hands against her forehead. She looked at Rachel, lips curved in a beautiful pout. "I'm having articulation problems."
Rachel bit her cheek and tilted her head to the side. She had actually followed every minute of this conversation so far. It was a record.
"Illimitable." She proclaimed. Quinn blinked at her and Rachel nodded easily. "That's what you are. A happy heart. The sun can cheer you up, and you're lucky for that. And then you use it to cheer others, and you make them fall in love with the sun because that's what you are."
Quinn scrunched up her nose. "I don't think anybody else is in love with me."
Rachel shrugged and faced forward again. "You'd be surprised."
Quinn was silent for a moment, watching Rachel. Rachel turned back to her and smiled when she realized the car still hadn't been started.
"You're the same, right?" Quinn asked hesitantly. "There's not a minute you'd regret if we lost all the color tomorrow?"
It was such an odd way to phrase the question that Rachel just leaned back in her seat and stared at Quinn for a second. She finally just shook her head reassuringly. "There's not a single minute I'd give back. I'd challenge you to find a happier person."
Quinn grinned. "What makes you happiest?"
Rachel turned back towards the dash and tapped her finger against her chin thoughtfully. She did a little shoulder dance and smiled at Quinn.
"Well, music makes me very happy right now." She remarked honestly. "But mango smoothies might make me happiest…" She watched Quinn out of the corner of her eye, smiling at her expectant expression. "Also, that bubble bath that smells like apples and that new show on TV about Barbra's young life. Those make me happy."
Quinn's expression slowly fell until she was scowling and playing with the hem of her dress. Rachel faced her and leaned halfway over the center console until she was inches from Quinn's nose. She waited until Quinn met her eyes.
"But you make me happiest. Because you are the one dancing with me, and you buy me mango smoothies, and you take baths in the apple bubbles with me and sing along with the old Barbra songs with me. It's you, bear."
Quinn ducked her head, pressing her lips together. "I thought so." She murmured.
Pssht. Like there was ever any doubt.
Rachel chuckled quietly and ran a hand through Quinn's hair for a few seconds. "Can we go now?" she asked, louder than they'd been speaking. "I believe I'm melting. You could bake cookies on my face, baby."
Which would no doubt be a rewarding experience.
Quinn looked up, smiling silently. She leaned over Rachel to grab the seat belt and then plugged it in, making sure to graze Rachel's thighs with her hand. Then she kissed Rachel's cheek, brushed the sweat off her brow with her thumb, checked her rearview mirror to make sure Easter Egg was still in the back, and pulled out of the parking lot humming "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles.
Rachel sang out loud for the first chorus and Quinn dropped her voice comically about eight octaves to join her.
Here comes the sun, little darling
Here comes the sun
And I say
It's alright