The First Vacation
The first holiday they go on together sparks plenty of other first times. Brittana one-shot written for day 5 of Brittana Week- firsts.
'San, are you ready to go?' Brittany was practically bouncing on the end of the bed. In the corner, her suitcase packed and waiting. Santana groaned and pulled herself up off the pillows, rubbing at her eyes as she adjusted to the light blazing through the windows. 'I'm up, Britt. Let me get dressed and I'll be ready'. The cheerful blonde clapped her hands together in excitement.
The car ride to the airport was just enough time for Santana to wake up properly. This was a journey she made every year, but this was the first time she had been allowed to bring a friend. Of course, Brittany was her first and only choice. Since Britt's baby sister had been born, her parents didn't really have the time or the money to go on holiday so she had jumped at the chance to get out of Ohio for a few weeks of the long summer break.
'San, what is there to do in Florida?' The blonde cheerleader settled into her side as they sat in the airport lounge waiting for the gate to open. 'There's a load of stuff to do. Like, the beaches are amazing so we can swim and sunbathe and stuff there. And then we'll probably get to go to some of the parks if we're lucky. They're always fun.'
'Parks like Disneyland?' The brightness in her eyes was enough to tell Santana that the girl was more than excited. She simply nodded before she was pulled into the tightest of hugs.
Once they landed, the Lopez family made their way to the doors of the airport and the awaiting car. Brittany hung back as Santana and her parents greeted the older man before them with a hearty handshake, or a kiss on each cheek. 'Grandpa, this is my best friend Brittany' Santana said as she pulled the unfamiliar man towards her. Brittany smiled and waved at the man, who repeated her gesture. 'It's nice to meet you, Brittany. Santana has told me a lot about you on the phone over the years. I am her grandfather; you can call me Juan or grandpa if you like'. Brittany nodded; 'Okay, cool.'
In the back of the car, Brittany leaned over to her best friend. 'San, why does you grandpa speak English? I learned extra Spanish for this vacation; will I get to use it?' Santana smiled, and squeezed her hand gently. 'Florida is still in America, Britt. So they do speak English. But with all my family at the house I'm sure you'll get a chance to try out your Spanish'.
The house Santana referred to was more like a mansion than anything else. Brittany was fairly certain she would need a map to get around without her best friend although, luckily, she had absolutely no plans to be without the girl if she could help it. From what she could see, there were three fountains on the approach to the front door, enough garages to house an army of cars and a very expensive looking swimming pool in the never-ending garden. 'San… ' she didn't mean to sound nervous, but the whole idea of staying here for almost a month was pretty overwhelming. The comfort washed through her as she looked down to see her best friend place a protective hand in her own; it wasn't the first time they hand held hands, but it was the first time she had felt the warmth spread through her in this way.
That evening, they sat down to an extravagant meal with Santana's family. 'So, Brittany, welcome to our home', the older woman smiled reassuringly, eyes creasing in the corner the same way as Santana's did sometimes. 'Thank you. It's such a nice house' she smiled sweetly back at Santana's grandmother as she accepted a plate. Santana's mother cleared her throat from the entrance to the kitchen, 'girls, we're opening a bottle of champagne to celebrate our arrival. Would you like a small glass?' The two girls turned to look at each other before nodding fervently. 'Yes please, Mrs Lopez'.
Their first ever glasses of champagne disappeared quickly, both girls giggling as the bubbles made their way down their throats. It wasn't the nicest of tastes, but the way it relaxed the pair of them was definitely welcome. 'Abuela' Santana said, addressing the older woman, 'when is the rest of the family arriving?'
'Well, I think your aunt and uncle are arriving tomorrow night from Texas, and your other aunt will be flying in with the children next week. She has to work an extra few days, but you will get to see her. They are both very excited to see you… and to meet Brittany'. Brittany opened her mouth to say something, but was silenced with a stern look from her best friend.
Once they had finished dinner and had helped Santana's mother and grandmother clean up the plates, they headed upstairs for bed. The first floor of the house was just as immaculate and huge as the downstairs, so Brittany simply followed Santana towards their bedroom, not really trying to take in the route. Their cases were already in there, and Santana offered to unpack a little bit whilst Brittany freshened herself up in the en-suite bathroom.
Brittany was already tucked up in her bed when Santana finished in the bathroom. Santana crept across the room, falsely thinking that the blonde was asleep, and clambered into her own bed against the opposite wall. 'Sanny?' a voice whispered, cutting through the darkness, 'why are you all the way over there?' Before Santana had time to answer, the blonde had made her way out of her own bed and crawled in beside her. It wasn't unusual for them to snuggle when they shared Santana's double bed at home, but somehow this felt different.
Brittany's hand felt comfortable as it came to rest on Santana's hip, her thumb drawing lazy circles as it moved with her breath. Santana's hand found its way upwards, curling around and pulling Brittany closer until their bodies were pressed flush against one another. 'Hi', Santana whispered, smiling as she looked into the eyes of the blonde. 'Hi' she whispered back, nuzzling into the neck of the brunette, 'this is really comfy. Why have we never slept like this before?' Santana opened her mouth, either to explain or to make a snarky comment about it being a little bit gay, but closed it. She simply shrugged; in truth, she had no idea why they hadn't either.
Brittany snuggled into the bed, making sure she was as close as she could be to her best friend. 'San, why did you give me that look earlier? I just wanted to ask your grandma a question. Are you mad at me?' Santana slowly shook her head. 'I'm not mad Britt, but I know what you were going to say. You were going to ask about my other aunt'. Brittany nodded, 'yeah, you said your mom had four sisters. Where is the other one? I thought the whole family was coming…'
'Britt, my grandparents have had a bit of a fight with my other aunt. They don't really speak any more and they don't like that my mom is still friends with her.' Brittany didn't press for more information, simply settling on her side with Santana's arm around her and closing her eyes.
The morning after, the girls spent their time lazing around in the hot Floridian sun. The pool was more spectacular than Brittany had envisioned, and the two enjoyed spending their time eating fresh fruit and sunbathing by the edge. 'Britt, do you want to come in the pool with me?' Santana asked, leaning down over the blonde and playing with a stray piece of hair. Brittany got up and turned around, pretending she didn't notice the way Santana's breath visibly caught in her throat. In her pink candy stripe bikini, her blonde hair shone, her skin glowed and her abs looked amazing. Santana jumped into the water, enjoying the relief from the heat and saving herself from the embarrassment of staring any longer.
Messing about together in the water didn't make anything easier. They were alone in the pool; Santana's parents were out at the beach and her grandparents had gone to pick up her aunt and uncle from the airport. Every accidental grace of skin on skin made them both shiver.
'Do you wanna grab something to eat?' It was all Santana could do to distract herself from whatever this was. Brittany nodded and began to pull herself out of the pool while her best friend hung back, taking in every inch of the girl with her dark eyes. Brittany flipped her hair seductively and stood with her hand on her hip; 'you coming?' she asked, a cheeky smile on her face. Santana dragged herself out of the water and grabbed a towel, nodding eagerly before following the blonde inside.
The kitchen was quiet as the girls ate their lunch. Santana had tried to ignore it, but there was something different about the girls' relationship this week. Sure, she and Brittany were close but she had never experienced such a desperate pull towards the blonde before. It felt exciting, and dangerous, but wonderful and kind of right. 'Britt, I…' Santana closed her mouth as the front door slammed shut. 'Santana? Brittany? We're back! And look who else we found!'
Santana's aunt wasn't really what Brittany had been expecting. Both Santana and her mother were dark, small, slim and pretty. Her aunt was kind of the opposite. Her almost golden hair looked fake next to her darker skin tone, and she was much taller and larger than her sister and her niece. 'Santana, it is lovely to see you. How have you been?' She walked over and began to play with Santana's long, dark hair. 'Why don't you girls go up and get dry and dressed?' Mrs Lopez voiced, seeing the discomfort on her daughter's face, ' I'll make us some nice drinks and we can all catch up.'
'Your aunt and uncle seem nice' Brittany said as she walked into the bathroom, 'very different to how I imagined.' Santana laughed from the bedroom; 'Yeah. You could say that. My aunt loves to gossip; she will want to know everything there is to know about you now she's met you! My mom blames Texas, but I don't know why. She's always been that way.' Brittany emerged from the bathroom in a short, flowery dress. Her hair was arranged loosely on her head, with a white flower just behind her left ear. 'Britt, you look gorgeous'. Santana couldn't help but say it out loud. 'You're so pretty.'
'So, sobrina. How is life in High School?' Santana nodded and smiled, 'it's okay. I'm in some AP classes now so I'm doing well on academics,' her grandmother gave an approving smile from across the table, 'and I'm a cheerleader which I guess is pretty cool.' The aunt nodded; 'and what about you, Brittany dear?' Brittany cleared her throat. 'No me gusta la escuela porque no sacar buenas notas. Yo soy una porrista como Santana.'
The latina women gathered around the table smiled at the blonde. Santana's mother was the first to speak. 'Muy bien, Brittany. Your Spanish is very good.' Brittany felt herself grin widely; she had been practising for a long time just in case Santana's family wouldn't understand her. 'Yes, Brittany,' agreed Santana's Aunt Gloria 'I am impressed.' Santana reached under the table and grasped her hand firmly, squeezing it as a kind of thank you for making such a good first impression.
'So, Santana. Do you have a boyfriend? I didn't want to ask when your mother was here. Not that it would embarrass either of you, but I'm sure you'd rather I waited…' Santana nodded as the woman sat there, expectantly. 'I don't have a boyfriend, Aunt Gloria. ' The woman looked a little perplexed and glanced towards Brittany; 'and you, dear?' Brittany shook her head, 'not at the moment.'
'Are there no good looking guys in Ohio or something?' The girls laughed. 'Exactly!' Santana exclaimed. 'Yeah,' added Brittany, 'cheerleaders are supposed to date jocks, but who wants to do that? They stink and they act about five years old! Cheerleaders are hot, though…' Her own thoughts ran away with her as she felt the evening sun against the back of her neck. 'True, Britt. Who wouldn't want to date us?' She laughed, attempting to salvage the situation. Luckily, her aunt simply leaned across the table and offered her palm for a high five.
The following few days followed the same pattern. Santana would wake first, her head buried into the shoulder of her blonde best friend. Rather than wake her, she would lay still for a few minutes, enjoying the softness of the skin she had cradled as they dreamt. Finally, she would peel herself away and head towards the shower. By the time she got back, Brittany would be sat up in bed. After she had got ready, the two of them would head out to the beach or to the pool and would spend most of the day there before returning into the house for a family dinner.
Each day was so similar, yet it was clear for both the girls that things were changing. Their days were filled with soft touches, time spent relaxing on the same lounger by the pool, hands held as they made their way to the sea. It was sweet, it was nice. Their nights were different somehow. They hadn't tried sleeping in the same bed since they arrived, but somehow it was known that they wouldn't be able to. The feel of another's soft skin, another's gentle breaths, was relaxing. Neither girl wanted anything to change.
One morning, about a week into the trip, Santana awoke as usual. The slightly tanned skin of the girl sleeping next to her glowed as the sun peeked through the window. She didn't know why, but she couldn't fight the desire to move closer and place her lips to Brittany's shoulder. Brittany smiled and shuffled down in the bed; 'mmm… morning San.' Santana pulled away; she had though the blonde was sleeping. 'Britt, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you.'
'It's okay. I liked it. I wish you'd wake me up like that every morning.'
The words clung in the air, both girls blushing at the admission. 'Britt' Santana began, after taking a deep breath, 'what is going on with us?' Brittany shrugged; 'No, but I don't want it to stop.' Santana smiled. 'Me neither, Britt.' The blonde moved over and snuggled into Santana's arms. 'You're my best friend. I'm so glad you invited me here.' Santana moved down to meet Brittany's eyes, keeping her arm firmly around her protectively. 'I'm glad you're here' she whispered, her lips mere centimetres away from Brittany's.
'Girls?' They pulled apart in the bed they shared each night. 'Yeah, grandpa?' Santana voiced, recognising the voice straight away. 'Your aunt is at the airport with your cousins now. We're going to take them to the adventure playground before we bring them home and your mom and dad are coming with us. Will you be okay here on your own until we get back?' Santana opened the door 'yeah, I'm sure we'll be fine', she said with a sweet smile. The older man simply nodded and made his way down the stairs.
'So, Britt. What do you want to do today?' Santana said as she closed the door again. 'I think we should play in the pool. That would be cool.' Santana nodded, and picked out a bikini to wear.
The sun was almost too hot, so being in the water was a good idea. Before getting in, though, Santana grabbed a bottle of lotion from the side. 'Safety first!' she announced with a smile, 'get on the lounger, Britt Britt. If you burn I'll be in trouble.' The blonde agreed without argument and simply laid herself down on her front on the lounger nearest the pool.
The sensation of the cool liquid on her already warm skin was magical. Santana massaged in the lotion with gentle hands, moving in a way that relaxed Brittany to her core; 'San, you give a good massage' she said, her voice sounding a little sleepy. 'Only for my favourite people' she said, smiling at nothing in particular. As she moved her hands over Brittany's muscular back, she paid special attention to her neck and shoulders, enjoying the way the girl moved at the sensation of her soft fingers caressing and stroking her.
Once she was finished, Brittany sat up and grabbed the bottle before Santana could. 'You might be a badass, but you still need protecting' she announced with a smile. 'Turn around and let me get your back.' She didn't quite take the amount of time Santana had, but she made sure the girl knew exactly how nice the sensation was. Once she was finished, she pulled the girl close and placed a simple kiss to her shoulder. Not really moving, she slowly whispered 'let's get in the pool.'
Brittany pulled Santana to the water's edge, before dropping her hand and jumping in. 'Come on, San! The water is amazing!' Santana smiled at the sight of her best friend, soaking wet and smiling wildly. Slowly, she lowered herself to the side of the pool and swung her legs into the water. Brittany swam over and took her by the hands. 'Get in!' she shouted playfully, before pulling sharply.
Santana emerged from the water with her now-limp hair apparently glued to the top of her head. 'Britt! You didn't have to pull me in! Jesus, I was getting there.' Brittany looked sheepishly at her best friend until she saw the playful look in her eyes. 'I am so getting you back! Come here!' Santana proceeded to chase the girl around the pool. Admittedly, both girls were fit but Brittany certainly had an edge over the smaller girl in the speed stakes. That was until Santana tactically blocked her into a corner.
As dark arms pinned her gently to the pool wall, Brittany's breath hitched in her throat. Santana looked up and down, taking in every inch she could of the girl before her. 'Britt, you're so pretty.' She blushed, 'you're pretty too, San. You know that.' Santana smiled, and moved in closer to take the girl fully in her embrace. 'Britt, I… I think I want too… erm….' Brittany moved so that she could face Santana. 'San, what are you trying to say?' she said, her voice quiet and careful. 'I… I think… ' sighing, she rolled her eyes in her trademark way. Rather than try to explain again, she simply did what her heart and her head were telling her to do. With one hand steadying her on the side of the pool, she moved the other up towards Brittany's blushing cheek. With a gentle touch, she pulled the two of them closer together and closed her eyes. Leaning in, she placed her lips on Brittany's. She could feel her smile into the kiss, but was surprised when Brittany took the lead and motioned to deepen the kiss.
As they pulled apart, their eyes didn't leave each other. 'Britt, what was that?' Santana asked, her arms still blocking the blonde into the corner of the pool. Her best friend simply shrugged, 'I don't know. I just know that I liked it… and I want to do it again.' So they did. Until they spotted their grandparents' car pulling into the garage, they laid on a sun lounger together stealing lazy kisses and smiling as they thought about how right it felt to be together like this.
'Tanaaa!' The sound of the child's voice pulled both girls back into the real world. 'Hi, sweetie' Santana said as she stood up to greet the little girl in the doorway, 'this is my friend Brittany'. Brittany walked over and stood next to her; 'Hi. I'm Brittany, what's your name?' The girl shuffled her feet a little before looking back up, 'me llamo Carolina'. 'Hola, Carolina,' Brittany said with confidence, '¿cómo estás?' The child simply smiled and held up her arms to be picked up.
'Wow, Santana. Your friend is a real hit with my baby girl!'
'Hi, aunt Inez', Santana said, greeting her aunt with a friendly hug. 'Yeah, Britt is magical with kids. I think you'll probably have a very relaxing holiday with her here!' Both women laughed as they watched the blonde teen playing with the young girl in the back yard.
'Where is baby Bruno?' Santana asked, searching the room. Her aunt simply pointed over to the couch where a car seat housed a tiny, sleeping baby boy.
By the time Brittany and Carolina came back into the house, Santana was sat with the little boy in her arms. With him balanced on one arm, she used her free hand to coax Brittany towards her. 'Ssh, he's sleeping' she explained as the blonde leaned down to stoke his soft head. 'He's beautiful', she whispered, smiling, before taking a seat next to her best friend on the couch. 'Wow, girls'
Mrs Lopez exclaimed as she walked into the room, 'I didn't realise you'd be so good with the kids. Maybe you can babysit so your aunt can have a night off and a few drinks?' Both Brittany and Santana smiled and nodded. 'I'm sure your grandpa will make it worth your while if you can hold the fort for a night so we can go out for a grown-up dinner… a day at Disney maybe?' The excitement emanating from Brittany was palpable. 'That would be so cool, Mrs Lopez! So cool!'
'So, little Lopez. Are you and Brittany friends from school?' Inez asked as the two of them pushed Bruno around the pool in an inflatable baby seat. 'Yeah, we've known each other for a long time. She's definitely my best friend. ' As Santana glanced over to see Brittany playfully splashing about with Carolina, she struggled the smile threatening to grow across her face. 'She's pretty special'. Her aunt's comment brought her back from her thoughts, 'yeah, yes she is.'
'Have the girls been enjoying Florida?' Gloria asked at dinner. They had left Brittany and Santana at home with Inez's two children, who would probably be fast asleep by now. 'They seem to love it. I know they love spending time at the beach and in the pool. I know Dad has offered to take them to one of the Disney parks for a day next week to thank them for tonight so they have that to look forward to.' Everyone smiled around the table, 'I'm sure they'll enjoy it' said Inez, 'I'm sure they'd enjoy anything as long as they're together.'
'What do you mean by that?' asked Santana's father, finding it difficult to hide his accusatory tone.
'Well,' Inez took a deep breath before answering her brother in law, 'I just mean that they seem very close. The way they look at each other… I just wondered whether there is more going on that meets the eye?'
Mr Lopez shook his head, as did his wife. 'Santana has had a lot of boyfriends and things… I don't think that's what it is. They're just incredibly close friends, that's all'.
Once Santana's two cousins were settled in bed, and the baby monitor had been set up on the coffee table, the two girls settled down in front of the sofa. 'Mean Girls or 50 First Dates?' Santana held one DVD in each hand. 'Erm… Mean Girls!' Santana put in the film before resuming her position next to her best friend, who flopped her tired legs over her and leaned in to rest her head on her chest. 'This is really nice,' Brittany said as the opening credits began, 'this.. well, us.' Santana smiled, 'yeah, it is nice. I like it.'
'I really like you, San'. The words shouldn't have taken her by surprise, but they kind of did. 'You… you do?' She nodded, smiling sweetly. 'I thought it was just me who… I like you too, Britt Britt.'
By the time the front door opened, both girls were fast asleep on the couch. Santana's parents and grandparents made their way upstairs to bed, but her aunts decided to have a couple of drinks before they, too, headed up. 'Gloria, come here!' Inez beckoned her sister as quietly as she could. Together, they walked around to the front of the living room and turned off the television. Santana was leaning on the arm of the sofa, her arm draped over Brittany who had pulled one of Santana's legs over herself. 'They look so sweet' Inez whispered, not wanting to embarrass them by waking them. Gloria nodded, 'we should do something to wake them up, though. If mom or dad find them in the morning… well… you know what happened when they found out about Callie and Arizona.'
The slamming of the front door pulled Santana back to her senses. 'Shit!' she exclaimed, rocking her best friend awake, 'Britt we fell asleep! They're home, come on!' Brittany stood up, rubbing her eyes. 'Hello girls' Gloria exclaimed cheerfully from the kitchen, 'have the kids behaved themselves?' Brittany nodded, smiling sleepily. 'Yeah, they went down straight away. Bruno had one feed, but he slept through.' Inez thanked her, and the four of them headed upstairs to bed.
Once they reached the room, Brittany closed the door quickly and turned to face Santana who was getting ready for bed. 'San' she said, her hand already lost in the dark black curls of her best friend's natural hair. Santana felt herself disappearing into the blue eyes before her; she opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by a pair of soft lips pressed against her own. Without a second thought, she pulled the pair of them down onto the bed before opening her mouth slightly to give Brittany access. Between kisses, Santana managed to speak. 'I wanted to do this downstairs tonight, but we fell asleep… ' Brittany simply nodded, enjoying the sensation of Santana's lips moving against her own as she spoke.
'San, are you ready to go?' Brittany was practically bouncing on the end of the bed. As Santana rubbed her eyes, she felt a sense of déjà vu. 'I'll be ready soon. Give me a minute to wake up and then I'll get dressed'.
By the time they got to the car, Brittany was practically bouncing. 'San, do you think we'll get to see Mickey Mouse? Or Daisy Duck? Or… ooh! Or Ariel?' Santana smiled at the excited girl beside her, 'I hope so, Britt. It would be really cool.'
By the time they had been there two hours, they had met pretty much every Disney character in the Magic Kingdom. Santana had finally dragged Brittany towards the stuff she wanted to do; namely Space Mountain. There were so many people around, but Santana held Brittany's hand as they queued, attempting to calm the still hyperactive girl. 'San', Brittany turned to speak to her as the carriage made its way to the top of the descent. 'What is it?' asked Santana. A rush of wind flew past them as they hurtled through the ride. 'I LOVE YOU!'
