Let Me Sing to You Tonight: Valentine
Title: Let Me Sing to You Tonight
Pairing: Rachel Berry&&Quinn Fabray
Rating: T
Part: 2/10
Disclaimer: This is a work of my own mind, and reflects nothing of the included characters I've borrowed from the lucky ass who owns them. In other words, this is for fun, don't sue me!
Previous parts: | 1|
Author's Note: I'm absolutely shocked at the response from this, you guys. In massive unanimous decision, Let Me Sing to You Tonight is totally on! As for some questions about my unfinished fic for South of Nowhere, expect all loose ends to be tied no later by the end of December. Once again, thank you guys so much for all the reviews. You guys really motivated me into hammering out this next part.
Part 2/10 - Valentine - Kina Grannis
The incessant beeping of an alarm clock jerked Quinn out of her fitful sleep and the blonde reached over, her hand slamming down on the blinking device.
“God, I hate that fucking clock.”
Sitting up in her bed with her arms stretched above her head, Quinn purred as the tiredness seeped out of her limbs.
The morning was as uneventful as any others as the blonde moved through her daily routine. Tomorrow would be precisely one week from when she learned Rachel Berry’s name, she mused as she inspected her teeth in the bathroom mirror.
She had yet to gather up enough nerve to bring up the brunette’s absence on Friday night. Swishing mouthwash around in her mouth, Quinn had to admit to herself that there could be a number of reasons that Rachel hadn’t been able to come and that the only way to know for sure would be to ask her point blank.
After showering, the blonde hurried to her truck, her musings having put her behind schedule. She pulled into her usual spot, the breaks screeching as the truck came to a halt. Her green eyes flashed with frustration and she shoved the gear into park. It was just another thing that needed to be replaced to anyone else but for her, money had been so tight since she had left Ohio. Since she had left her family.
Her head dropped into her hands, and tears threatened to spill over as she struggled to compose herself.
“God, why can’t I win the lottery or something?” She muttered as someone peeled out of the parking lot, engine roaring wildly. “Then maybe I’d buy a car that could go more than forty without shaking like a vibrator in a tin can.”
Quinn groaned as she realized she was talking to herself, dragging herself out of the truck and into the coffee shop. The bell on the door rang as she trudged in, the customers’ eyes flickering towards her before they returned to their conversations. Giving Jimmy and Kirsten a short nod, the blonde moved to the back to put away her things. Dropping her keys into the small locker, Quinn cursed under her breath when something sharp nicked her finger.
She bent over to look inside, pulling out a red rose and a newly minted nametag. Rolling her eyes, she breathed in the scent of the rose, a small smile on her lips as she walked outside. She pulled on her apron and attached her nametag as Kirsten came into her view.
“Somebody’s got a flower. So did you end up with a valentine after all?” The brunette asked, toying with one of the petals.
Quinn laughed softly, “It’s probably Jimmy taking pity on me.”
The large man scoffed, “I’ve got my own wife to be spoiling, Quinnie. What you got on your hands is a secret admirer.”
The blonde threw up her hands, “I’m not thirteen, Jimmy. There is no secret admirer.”
“That’s funny because it just so happens that the pretty little lady who dropped off that rose just left not even five minutes before you came in.” He admitted, smiling at her.
Kirsten’s eyes widened up at the man, “Is that why…?”
“Yes. Now leave the matter be and get back to work. I don’t pay the two of you to sit around here and try to find a girlfriend for Quinn.” Jimmy ordered, taking a hold of the brunette’s apron and dragging her to the backroom.
Quinn’s eyes flickered over the customers before she pulled out a small mug and filled it with water before plopping the rose into the water. Making sure the flower wouldn’t topple over, the blonde smiled softly again before her attention was caught by the door.
Dressed in a long coat with a scarf and gloves to match, Rachel waltzed inside.
“Ahh, so you do have a name!” She greeted, giving the blonde a large toothy smile. “It’s nice to see that you have a name tag.”
“Hey, Rachel. How’s your morning going?”
“Absolutely wonderful, and yours?”
“It could definitely be better, I suppose.” Quinn admitted, starting Rachel’s coffee.
“Why is it that your name sounds familiar?”
Pouring in the water, Quinn shook her head. “Quinn Fabray? You thought the name was odd when you saw it on the flyer?”
The brunette’s eyebrows furrowed as she tried to place the name, her fingers snapping when it clicked. “The singer!” Immediately, her face fell. “Ooooh.”
Quinn shrugged, moving behind the counter and adding the shots of syrup to the cup.
“Nice flower, you got there.”
“Oh! Yeah, somebody left it with Jimmy this morning. He won’t tell me who it is.”
“Well, it’s obvious that you’ve got a secret admirer, Quinn.”
“No, no…it’s just someone trying to mess with me.” The blonde waved off, handing the freshly made drink to the other girl.
Rachel accepted readily, taking a sip and thanking the barista, “I wouldn’t be too sure, hon. It is the day before Valentine’s Day. Keep an open mind and you might just have yourself a date.”
Quinn watched as the brunette winked before she waved to Jimmy, who was just coming out of the backroom, and left.
Turning around, the blonde narrowed her eyes at the smirk on his features. “What’s got you so amused?”
His smirk just became more prominent as he walked away, refusing to answer the question.
-----
“I am so fucking tired!” Kirsten exclaimed as she put the broom away before collapsing into one of the big armed plush chairs.
“Tell me about it,” Quinn grumbled, wiping down the counter and double checking to make sure all machines had been turned off and emptied.
Yawning, the brunette stood up and stretched, running a hand through her hair. “You up for some drinks, Q?”
Raising an eyebrow, the other girl shook her head, “No way. The only thing I’m up for is some downtime with me and my bed and what happened to you being so tired?”
“Hey, no one can ever be too tired for some drinks.”
Quinn looked up, tilting her head and the brunette rolled her eyes, “Except, of course, you.”
“Got that right, Kirst. Do me a favor and grab my stuff from the back. Let’s lock up and get out of here.”
“Sure thing,” Kirsten agreed, calling back as she walked away, “So what happened with you and Berry?”
Sighing softly, Quinn shrugged. “Nothing. She never showed on Friday. I really do think that this coffee thing is all we’ll ever have.”
It shouldn’t sting as much as it did, but the blonde knew that if she took the time, she could get over it. That she would get over it. She just needed time.
Kirsten touched her shoulder gingerly, handing over her purse and speaking softly, “Here, Q. Just don’t count her out. If you keep an open mind, you might just find a surprise.”
Quinn nodded as she followed the brunette out, murmuring. “Yeah. You never know.”
-----
Tapping the microphone, Quinn winced when a loud screech came over the speakers. “Yikes. Sorry about that.”
The blonde could feel her face heating up as she took her place on the stool, her guitar held securely in her hands. “So I know that this is Valentine’s Day, so I’ll wrap this up a little earlier than I normally do.”
She strummed the strings absentmindedly, “I’m going to play you a short little love song, tonight. It’s called ‘Valentine’ and it’s by Kina Grannis.”
A few of the veterans clapped their hands, the band stepping off the stage and leaving Quinn to handle the final song.
“Love, it’s a special day. We should celebrate and appreciate that you and me found something pretty neat.” Quinn began, picking the strings on her guitar and swaying to the music. “And I know some say this day is arbitrary…”
“But it’s a good excuse, to put our love to use. Baby, I know what to do. Baby, I will love you. I’ll love you, I’ll love you.”
A small bell of the door caught her attention, a late arrival shuffling through the back of the crowd. Turning her head, Quinn caught sight of a familiar head bobbing over to the bar. Her attention briefly distracted, Quinn nearly missed a chord before catching herself in time.
“Love, I don't need those things. I don't need no ring, I don't need anything. But you with me, ‘Cause in your company, I feel happy, oh so happy and complete.”
Quinn did her best to keep her concentration as she craned her neck to catch a better look, but she was failing miserably. Closing her eyes, the blonde continued on, “So, won’t you be my honeybee? Giving me kisses all the time, be mine. Be my valentine.”
Eyes fluttering open, she saw the back end of a black coat as whoever had entered leaving the café rather quickly. The blonde couldn’t sing the last few lines fast enough, the chords sounding off in the small room.
“I-That’s it for tonight, you guys. You guys have been great. Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Quinn stood and set her guitar to the side, moving towards Kirsten who was holding an arm full of roses and smirking, “Who was that?”
“There’s a card that comes along with these roses, Q. Take your flowers and read the card. Looks like you really do have a valentine after all.” The blonde’s friend said as she handed the bouquet of flowers over to Quinn.
Rolling her eyes, the singer pulled at the small envelope, looking up every now and then as she smiled at the customers milling around the room.
Come find me and maybe you’ll get that ride you’ve always wanted.
Call me - (555)340-3849
Quinn’s eyes widened, pulling out her phone and plugging the digits in. Pushing her way out of the crowded café, the blonde pressed her ear against the speaker and listened to the phone ring.
“Hello?” A muffled voice coming through, barely indecipherable.
“I- um - Hi?” Groaning internally, Quinn rolled her eyes at her inability to talk.
“Quinn?”
Clearing her throat, Quinn replied. “Yeah. It’s me. Who is this?” As soon as the question was out her mouth, she threw her hands up. It had to be her. The ride was a direct reference to the song that Quinn had written about Rachel. But she never came to the act so was there someone else behind this whole thing? The voice certainly didn’t sound like it belonged to the petite brunette.
“Well, if I told you who it was, you wouldn’t really have a secret admirer anymore, would you?”
“Oh, come on! This is childish. Are- are you talking into your hand?”
“I didn’t have time to purchase a proper voice distorter and therefore had to resort to this. Regardless of the manner in which I’m speaking, are you ready for your next clue?”
“Clue?”
“Of course. Did you really think that this phone call was going to be the end of the mystery? Oh no, my Quinn, this is just the beginning.”
Quinn’s heart lurched at the possessiveness, but forgoing the questions bubbling inside, she pushed the caller to explain the next move. “Alright, so…what am I supposed to do now?”
“There is a single place in this city where you can get the roses I had delivered earlier. Every flower shop has roses, but only a single place has that unique little extra. Find that place and you’ll find the code word. Just call me back and give me the word and I’ll give you the next hint.”
“This is really elaborate, Rachel.”
“Well, thank you.” A small pause followed by a shriek that would have cracked a glass if amplified just a slight more. “That’s cheating! You’re not allowed to bamboozle me into revealing my identity.”
Chuckling, the blonde kicked a small rock out of her way. “I hardly call assuming who you were bamboozling you.”
“Would you like me to revoke the invitation?”
Quinn could feel the blush creeping up in her cheeks and she turned her face, looking away from the brunette. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just wanted to make sure I was right. I didn’t want to end up in the arms of a psycho at the end of the night.” Panicking, the blonde stammered, trying to backpedal. “Not that I think that I’ll end up in your arms tonight. I mean, not that I’m opposed to that or anything, I just don’t want to- never mind. I have a single condition. Let's play twenty questions. We can text if it'll be convenient. In all honesty, I don’t really know much about you with the exception of the outrageous drink you must have each morning.”
“I suppose that’s fair. It would be tragic for us to prolong getting to know each other any further.”
Agreeing, Quinn said her goodbyes, running her fingers over the roses, looking for the smallest effect that could have made this bouquet different from the hundreds of other ones created in flower shops all over the city. Reaching the petals, the blonde sighed, not finding anything until she pulled her fingers away, the light catching on something on her fingertips. Bringing them closer for inspection, the blonde found that they were coated with a very fine and subtle glitter and upon further examination, it was determined that the petals were as well.
Bolting inside of the coffee shop, Quinn hurried to the backroom, logging onto the computer stored in Jimmy’s office. She pulled up a search engine typing in a few key words, impatiently waiting for the results to come up on the screen. Hazel eyes searched over the names of various shops until one caught her eye. She jotted down the address, rushing out to her car and on her way to the next clue and a waiting Rachel Berry.
----
“-and then after the water is sprayed over the petals, a thin layer of glitter is applied over the roses and as the water dries and the majority of the glitter falls away, there is a small sparkle that can only be found on their roses.” Quinn finished, proud of herself. “Oh!” Flipping over the card, the blonde continued, “The code word is Barbara Streisand. Wait- really?”
“Of course it’s Barbara Streisand, I love her, remember?”
Nodding, Quinn pushed on for the next clue, listening closely to the brunette’s words.
“Alright, I’m very particular when it comes to foods and when it comes to hot dogs, I must only have a completely meatless one. There is only one place in this entire city that serves hot dogs that abide completely by vegan standards. Ask the man for the Berry usual and he’ll hand you the next card.”
Grinning, Quinn pulled out of the parking lot, already knowing where she was headed. She had gone through a brief phase where she had only eaten foods without any animal byproducts. To be honest, Quinn had only lasted a few weeks before crumbling down and inhaling an entire packet of bacon in one sitting.
“Hey, I’m just going to ask you my next question right now, okay?” Quinn said, pulling up next to the hot dog vender. “Why did you come to deliver the flowers earlier, rather than having them delivered by someone else? It would have ruined your whole plan had you been caught.”
“The answer to that is actually very simple. I took the risk because I wanted to hear you sing.”
Gesturing the vendor to come closer, Quinn rocked back on her heels, jaw shifting ever so subtly, “You could have just come on Friday night like you said you would.”
“In my defense, I hardly knew it was you who was singing. And moreover, I was there. I just left early.”
“You, wait- what?”
“Vegetable car, which I’m certain, is referring to the car I drive. My glasses, which mind you, are nothing, like Lisa Loeb’s…”
A loud groan escaped the blonde who immediately covered her blushing face with her hands, voice coming out garbled, “You were there!”
“I was, indeed.”
Letting out a long breath, Quinn straightened and gave vendor a small smile, mouthing her order to him. “So is that what spurred this whole thing?”
Rachel’s laugh came through the speaker, setting Quinn’s nerves all tingly. “Oh no. That’s because of your friend.”
“My - who?”
“The other barista here. The one with the brown hair that talks entirely too inappropriately in public.”
The blonde laughed, taking the card and the fresh hot dog from the vendor. She quickly paid and reentered her car, “Okay, I know who you’re talking about, now. What happened?”
“She pulled me aside in the parking lot and demanded to know my sexual preference on Tuesday.”
Quinn choked on the bite of the hot dog, coughing violently, “She didn’t!”
“No, she really did. I clarified that although it was none of her business, I was bisexual at which point she mentioned your slight infatuation with me.”
“She mentioned my…oh my God, I’m going to kill her.” Quinn muttered.
“I wouldn’t be so quick to do that. I mean, it did get us here, didn’t it?” Rachel pointed out.
“True. But why did you leave?”
Clicking her tongue, Rachel continued. “I liked you before this whole exchange ever happened but in all honesty, you don’t seem to be the type of girl who likes other girls. I don’t handle rejection well and when I heard the song you had written, I panicked because I didn’t want to assume it was me but all the coincidences and…” Pausing to collect her thoughts, the girl continued. “She told me that my assumptions were right and that I shouldn’t let you get away. Now, rather it being the rejection I fear, it’s the thought of losing my chance with you that frightens me exponentially more.”
Hardly a beat went by, before the other girl rushed to clarify, “Not that that means I want you to reject me. I still would very much like that you accept the offer on the table.”
“The off- oh, right the drive.”
Quinn paused for a few seconds, mulling it over before answering, her grin evident in her words. “I would absolutely love to go for a drive. Also, the next code word?” Picking up the card, the blonde groaned. “Vegetable car? Really, Rach?”
Laughing, the brunette teased, “Hey, I didn’t plan on telling you I’d been there for your performance before you got to this point. Would you like your next clue?”
Taking another bite of the hot dog, Quinn agreed, her mouth full of food, “Yemf pleefe.”
“Look for the code word.”
“What?” Quinn scrunched her forehead, speaking up, “Hello?” Looking down, she saw that she had been hung up on. “Look for the code word?”
Getting out of the car, the blonde unhappily pulled her coat tighter around her, glancing around the street for another sign. Does that mean I have to look for what I think the next clue might be myself? I don’t know her well enough to do that! Turning around, Quinn’s eyes caught a very familiar tail light in the distance.
Look for the code word. The code word was vegetable car. As Quinn neared the car, she gleefully noted that it was a make and model of Rachel’s car, down to the very color. Look for the vegetable car.
Reaching the window, Quinn knocked twice on the driver’s side. When nothing happened, the blonde’s face fell. With the windows as tinted as they were, she had no way of telling if there was anyone inside or not.
Turning away, defeated, the roar of an engine startled the blonde. She turned to find the Mercedes on and the driver’s door opening painfully slowly.
A heeled foot made contact with the pavement and Quinn’s eyes followed, captivated, along the curves of the calves, the sinfully exposed thighs, and over the one of the most snug and most sexiest dresses she had ever laid eyes upon on one of the most sexiest women she had ever seen.
Rachel shifted under Quinn’s unrelenting gaze, giving her a smile and a small teddy bear. “Guess you win.”
The blonde, having difficulty speaking, simply nodded.
“Soooo, wanna go for a ride?” Another nod.
Grinning widely, Rachel hopped forward, enveloping Quinn in a tight embrace. “Great! Come on! Let’s go.”
-----
The ride had been easy for both the girls, the game having broken most of the ice already. They had figured out pet peeves, favorite colors, aspirations, childhood memories, and an array of other small tokens of knowledge.
Rachel slowed the car in an abandoned parking lot, gesturing towards the windshield. “This is one of my favorite places to come. I figured it would be the proper place to bring you here because you’re rapidly climbing on my list of favorite people.”
The girl finished her sentence with a blush, shrugging as she got out of the car.
Quinn followed suit, coming up to stand beside Rachel on the sand. They were overlooking a lake, one that she had never been to before, and it seemed all but ditched by the entire world.
“Not many people know about that turn up by that hill. This part of the lake is pretty much private. I’ve never come upon anyone else here but I’ve seen cans and things lying around so I’m certain that I’m not the only person who knows about this side.”
The blonde could only nod, her gaze captivated by the sparkling water lapping at the shore and the moon’s reflection over the swaying blue. “It’s gorgeous, here, Rachel.”
“I know. Which is why I wanted to bring you here to ask my last and final question of our game.”
Turning towards Rachel, Quinn gave the girl her undivided attention.
Rachel took a deep breath, composing herself before her eyes fluttered open and she gazed into Quinn’s eyes. “Will you be my valentine?”
Quinn’s lungs ceased to work, her mind reeling from the fact that the girl that she had spent hours waiting to spend just a few moments with was asking her to be her valentine. Without thinking, she stepped forward, pressing her lips softly against the brunette’s, as if it had been a ghost of a kiss.
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
“Hell yes.”
Author’s Note: Hope you guys enjoyed this!! I feel much more comfortable and happy with this version than the one that I had written before. I’ve been writing like crazy so expect regular updates. The schedule for the remainder of this fic is one chapter every 48 hours, with the exception of Chapter 3 which will be up be noon tomorrow (pacific time).