One Month Later

"Ow, ow! Ow means pain!" Quinn hissed.

Rachel tugged on Quinn's knotted hair with a brush. "This is what happens when you go through a dreadlocks phase for two weeks."

"It looked good on Shakira..." Quinn groaned.

"And I'm sure that if you were a famous Hispanic singer with hips that didn't lie, you could've pulled them off, too." Rachel pulled at a few more strands of hair, much to Quinn's discontent, and pulled Quinn over to the mirror. "All done."

Quinn shrugged at her appearance. "But, God, the split ends..."

"That's why," Rachel took a bowl filled with green mush out of the fridge. "I've got this."

Quinn stuck her finger in the bowl and watched the green ooze trail down her finger.

Rachel wiped the green off her finger. "It's an avocado hair mask, good for split ends, my grandma showed me how to make it once." She pulled a chair up to the kitchen sink. "First thing's first, I'm dying to actually wash your hair. Sit."

Quinn pouted, but sat down. She hated it, but Rachel usually knew what was best in the long run.

Rachel turned on the sink and rinsed through Quinn's blonde hair. She had finally convinced her to stop putting the awful Manic Panic red dye in her hair, and it had washed out by now. As she was lathering Quinn's hair with soap, Rachel heard two harmonious voices trail down the hall.

"This evening has been so very nice,"

Kurt and Blaine danced into the kitchen, not even noticing Quinn and Rachel.

"I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice," Blaine sang, holding Kurt's hands. Kurt leaned over the counter and stole a kiss.

Rachel cleared her throat. 

Blaine looked over at her quizzically. "What are you doing here?"

Rachel would have had her hands on her hips if there wasn't soap on them. "I told you I'd be at the house this weekend to fix Quinn's hair."

"Hi guys! Ow, soap! Soap in the eyes!" Quinn whined. Rachel quickly handed Quinn a damp towel.

Rachel turned her attention back to a frowning Blaine. "Were you planning on throwing a party or something since the dads are gone?"

"No, uh, just. Nothing." Blaine said quietly.

Rachel caught on to Blaine's nervousness and smirked. "Wait, were you...?"

Blaine looked over at Kurt. Even though he was enjoying watching Blaine struggle with excuses, Kurt thought he'd help him out. "It's our month-iversary today. Blaine, show her the list."

Blaine reluctantly handed a folded piece of paper over to Rachel. She read it aloud.

"'Stuff to do on month-iversary: Build blanket fort, play hide and seek, laser tag, bake cupcakes.' Oh my God. When did my brother and his boyfriend turn into five year olds?"

Quinn had finished washing the rest of the shampoo out of her hair and was drying it off with a towel. "I think it's adorable. In a weird way."

"Thank you, that's what I think." Kurt said, hopping up to sit on the countertop. He saw the bowl of green goop sitting next to him and, like Quinn, tried to stick his finger in it.

"Well, tonight is our three month-iversary." Rachel said while taking the bowl away from Kurt.

"You just can't let me have anything to myself, can you?" Blaine said sarcastically.

"Whatever. Quinn and I are going to Bel Lago for dinner at six, then you guys can have the house to yourself."

"Okay, sure. Dibs on the karaoke machine!" Blaine yelled, then ran off. Kurt smiled and ran after him, down to the basement.

Rachel went back to fussing with Quinn's hair. "It's a little too wet to put the avocado in your hair right now, so let it air dry for a little."

Quinn tilted her head to kiss Rachel. "I'm gonna go outside for a little bit."

Rachel nodded and started wiping up water from the counter.

Quinn went out the back door and hooked around to the side of the house, falling against the side of the house. She fumbled through her jacket pockets for a pack of cigarettes, but when she opened it she only found one. She held it between her lips as she got a lighter out of her other pocket. She flipped the top open and released a weak flame. She covered the fire with her hands and lit the end of her cigarette. She closed her eyes and took a steady drag, holding it in her chest.

The cigarette disappeared from her mouth and she let out the smoke from her lungs. She opened her eyes and saw Rachel sucking on her cigarette. Rachel, being the avid smoker that she is, took the cigarette out of her mouth and must have coughed out some sort of small animal from the noises that she was making.

"God, that's disgusting." Rachel wheezed.

Quinn took the cigarette from her hand and put it out against the brick. "What are you doing?"

Rachel rubbed her eyes and tried to put on a serious face. "What were you doing? I thought you were quitting?"

"It's not that easy." Quinn moved closer to Rachel. "I'm trying, okay."

Rachel's nose wrinkled. "You smell like pollution."

Quinn laughed. "So do you." She closed the gap between their mouths, kissing her hard and deep.

Rachel pushed her away, giggling.

"What?" Quinn furrowed her eyebrows.

Rachel crossed her arms. "You don't kiss me like that usually. It's because I taste like nicotine."

"No, no, definitely not." Quinn said, leaning towards Rachel again.

Rachel shook her head. "Go brush your teeth, then we'll see." She walked around the corner back into the house.

Quinn looked down at the barely smoked cigarette lying in the grass. She waved the thought away and went back into the house to brush her teeth.

...

Quinn and Rachel arrived at Bel Lago at around seven-fifteen. Having already reserved a table a week in advance, they had one of the best tables. They sat right by the window with a beautiful view of the waterfront. A candle stood between then, but Quinn moved it closer to the wall so she could look at Rachel more clearly. And she could smell the smoke wafting near her and it was killing her, but mostly to see Rachel.

"What would you like to drink?"

"What kinds of pinot do you have?" Rachel asked seriously. The waitress looked at her oddly.

Quinn laughed unsteadily. "She's kidding. Just, uh, water for both of us."

The waitress nodded and walked off.

Quinn tilted her face down at Rachel. "Wine? Really, Rach?"

Rachel cocked her head to the side. "What? In Italy-"

"This is Westerville, Ohio." Quinn smirked.

"Well, I hope the water isn't from tap." Rachel sighed.

Quinn skimmed through the menu. "Oh, shit. Rachel, I'm sorry. I forgot you were vegan!"

Rachel shrugged. "It's okay, really. I'll find something."

If she was with anyone else, Rachel would have made a fuss about leaving to find another restaurant or struggled with the waitress to make a vegan meal. With Quinn it was different. Rachel was different.

The waitress came back with their drinks and took their orders. They ended up sharing the antipasto and grilled Portabello mushroom.

"So, dessert?" Rachel said after she had finished eating.

"It's all chocolate and cream, Rach." Quinn advised.

"Okay, well, I'm not the best vegan. Chocolate is a weakness for the best of us."

So, Rachel caved and they shared the Torta di Cicolatta; a dark chocolate ganache torte with maraschino cherry sauce.

Within five minutes the whole plate was almost clean. Quinn wiped a finger across the left over cherry syrup and licked it off. Rachel mimicked her, but instead wiped the sauce on Quinn's nose. Quinn's eyebrows shot up in defense.

Rachel leaned across the table, away from the candle, and kissed the red syrup off of Quinn's nose. Quinn tilted Rachel's mouth down to her own, still tasting the cherry sauce in Rachel's mouth. A pair of eyes across the table was watching them, Quinn could feel. But Quinn and Rachel were never exactly shy about their relationship.

Rachel sat back in her seat, having lifted out of it to reach Quinn, and propped her elbows on the table.

"I love you."

Quinn's eyes widened.

Rachel's jaw dropped open. "Did I just say that? Is it too early? Is this weird now? Is-"

"Shut up, I love you, too." Quinn was beaming.

Rachel nearly jumped across the table, attacking Quinn in her embrace.

"I love you." She whispered into Quinn's ear.

Quinn laughed quietly. "You already said that. I love you, too."

"Wow, love. Love." Rachel muttered in Quinn's hair.

"Love."

...

Kurt and Blaine laid on the floor next to each other, staring up at the star-patterned sheet of their blanket fort.

"Blaine?" Kurt said softly.

"Mm?" Blaine muttered, looking away from the purple lava lamp sitting next to him on the wooden floor.

"I'm really glad you're my boyfriend."

"Me too. I'm happy with you, too." Blaine said.

Kurt shifted closer and rested his head on Blaine's chest.

Kurt looked up at Blaine. "S'okay?"

"Yeah." Blaine smiled. "Perfect."