TITLE: All Our Broken Plans (I Will Mend)
LENGTH: 2,800~ words
SUMMARY: "The rollercoaster lurched to a sudden, jerky stop and Brittany was still gripping her hand, just like on every other ride—tight as ever, like she never wanted to let go." Spoilers for 3x15.
A/N: Title taken from Hellogoodbye's "Oh, It Is Love". Also, I've never been to Six Flags so don't take this as an accurate guide to the rides, etc.
They'd been holding hands all day.
It had become almost an unconscious movement by now, Santana's fingers lacing in between Brittany's and Brittany's in between Santana's, every time the two of them were within reach of one another. Brittany's skin felt warm to the touch even in the cool spring air and it only made Santana want to pull her closer, wrap her arm around Brittany's waist and slow down their pace, as they and the rest of the glee club seniors wandered aimlessly through the amusement park grounds.
God bless whoever came up with the idea of Senior Ditch Day, Santana thought to herself. An entire seven hours to do nothing but hang out, not a care in the world. This was definitely more fun than an afternoon spent inside, listening to those idiots in class drone on mindlessly while she scribbled little notes to give to Brittany later. This let her spend more time with her girlfriend during the day. This, she could get used to.
She tried not to grin too widely as Brittany's thumb continued to rub gentle circles along the underside of her palm, pointing with her free arm at the various rides they strolled past.
"Look, San, what about that one? It looks really fast… Oh, wait, that little kid's throwing up beside it. Maybe not 'til we're finished digesting lunch."
As she was saying this, Brittany was wrinkling her nose in that cute little way that meant she was half-entertained, half-grossed out.
Santana couldn't resist. Stopping dead in her tracks, she waited for Brittany to face her before saying, very seriously, "Right you are, babe" and watching Brittany smile happily as she leaned in for a kiss.
The kiss was brief yet tasteful, Santana had thought—totally PG-13 level, you know?
Apparently she was wrong though, because as Brittany pressed her lips against hers once more, and then again, and then again, each kiss longer and deeper than the one before—okay, so now there was some tongue action, and damn, this was getting hot—Santana could hear the glee club's collective response in the background: Kurt groaning in exasperation, Puck wolf-whistling, and Rachel's adamant "Come on, you guys! We still have another nine rides to go on before we can call today productive."
Without breaking contact with Brittany (who by this point had one hand tangled in Santana's hair, Cheerios ponytail be damned), Santana stretched out an arm in the direction of the others, giving them all what she hoped was a nice, clear view of her middle finger.
Suckers.
"Hey, I've got an idea," Brittany whispered a few minutes later, after they had broken apart somewhat ruefully.
They were lagging behind everyone else now. A group of screaming kids had just run past, cutting through their little group and widening the gap between them and the others. Brittany's arm was still wrapped snugly around Santana's shoulder.
Pressing her mouth close to Santana's ear, Brittany continued, "Let's go exploring. On our own, I mean. We can have our own adventure. Just us."
Santana couldn't explain the sudden emotion that struck her when she heard those words. She didn't know why, out of nowhere, she felt sort of breathless. It was a little weird, but the sun seemed to shine even brighter than a second ago.
She turned her face up slightly to meet Brittany's gaze. "Yeah? You want to? Just you and me?"
Brittany laughed in response, looking at Santana affectionately. "Yes, silly. Just you and me. I bet we can cover a lot more rides without having to wait for anyone else. We'll probably have way more awesome stories to tell Quinn when we get back."
"Plus, you and I always have more fun when we're alone… if you know what I mean," Brittany continued with a mischievous wink.
Chuckling, Santana shook her head. Her girlfriend was such a goof sometimes. Well, she was also right.
"Okay," Santana conceded. "Lead the way, Britt-Britt."
They stood still for a moment and watched as the others disappeared into a mass of people. Shouts of laughter filled the air along with the mingled scents from nearby food stands. Santana could hear the roar from the giant rocket ship ride that seemed to be taking off a short distance away.
Then, Brittany tugged on her hand, dropping a quick kiss on her temple before pulling Santana excitedly towards said rocket ship.
"Let's go, babe!"
Santana couldn't hide her grin this time as she let her girlfriend drag her through the crowd.
"Damn these stupid glass bottles and their stupid rims! I swear this game is rigged."
Brittany was trying not to laugh as Santana swore loudly, missing her target yet again after having tossed another ring. She had been at it for over ten minutes now and the attendant was starting to look a little nervous.
"San, it's okay… I don't need any more stuffed animals anyway. Lord Tubbington just gets jealous of them and then it causes all this tension in the house, so… you don't have to keep going. It's the thought that counts." She said it gently, tracing circles on Santana's lower back as she did so.
Santana growled as she pulled another five dollar bill out of her wallet and shoved it at the teen behind the counter. "No, Britt. I said I was going to win you that giant unicorn, and I meant it. We're not leaving this place unless you have that thing in your arms."
"And it'd better be as fluffy as it looks," she added, glaring at the frightened-looking attendant.
She knew she was being stubborn but she refused to give up. This was for Brittany.
Even if this was just a tiny gesture, it was one promise she was determined to keep. She didn't care if it took her the rest of the afternoon; in fact, Santana would stay here all day if she had to. Screw the rest of the rides. The bus could leave her behind if that's what it took. She would win Brittany that unicorn.
Gripped with a steely resolve, she picked up another ring and was getting ready to hurl it Frisbee-style into the game area, when she felt Brittany's strong arms envelop her from behind.
A low voice whispered breathlessly into Santana's ear. "Babe… if you promise to stop after this next round, I know something even more fun we can do."
Santana paused. She knew she shouldn't, but… that voice… she knew what that voice meant…
At Brittany's next words, Santana nearly dropped the ring she was holding.
"Okay, okay. Game over." God, she was weak.
She tossed the next ring and missed by a mile. No surprise there; stupid game. As if Brittany could read her mind, she pressed a soft kiss to Santana's neck, easing her sense of frustration.
At the same time, her hands made their way smoothly up and down Santana's back, under the weight of the Cheerios jacket. Brittany's fingers danced shapes and patterns into the heavy fabric, and Santana paused for a moment to relish the sensation.
Maybe it was a sign. Much to Santana's surprise, the next ring she threw landed securely around one of the bottles. She whooped in response, grinning as Brittany squeezed her tightly before squealing when the attendant pulled down the prized stuffed unicorn and handed it over.
Her grin widened as she watched Brittany stroke the white, fuzzy toy. Geez, this thing was the size of a golden retriever. They'd have to carry it around for the rest of the day but Santana knew it was worth seeing the expression of delight on her girlfriend's face right now. "Well, what do you know… I guess you're my good luck charm."
Brittany giggled. "Yeah, all I had to say were those magic words," she said teasingly. Then her expression became serious for a moment, though a shy smile played at her lips.
"Thank you, baby. You didn't have to do this for me."
In reply, Santana just laughed and took Brittany's hand in hers. Her heart felt light, like she could float away at any second. Luckily, she had Brittany to hold her down and keep her steady.
Swinging their arms, they started to make their way down the nearest cobblestone path. The mid-afternoon sun was out in full force now, beating down upon them. As they weaved in and out of the crowds, Santana could see smiling faces everywhere—people who just seemed…well…happy. Something told her she was wearing a similar expression right about now.
Well, this day just kept on getting better and better.
"Come on, what do you want to do next?"
What Brittany wanted to do next, apparently, was step into a nearby photo booth and take pictures with their new stuffed friend. They hadn't given him a name yet but Santana had suggested "Sir Horny" – "…you know, to complement Lord Tubbington."
This had earned her a light smack on the shoulder from Brittany.
Now the three of them were crammed into the little booth. It was actually a little ridiculous how small the space was and Santana was half-sitting on Brittany's lap, the unicorn nestled in between them.
As Brittany was busy selecting the background they would use, an old memory suddenly flashed in Santana's mind.
It was back in freshman year, the first time she and Brittany had taken booth pictures together. Quinn hadn't gone with them to the mall that day so it was just the two of them. The photo booth was a new installation and Brittany had suggested they try it out.
"It looks like fun," she had said. "And I've always wondered how the cameras in here work. It's almost like they're magical."
They had sat side by side, trying different poses as the flashes went off. At the last second, Brittany had leaned in closely—so close that Santana could feel hot breath tickling her neck. When Santana had turned in surprise, she could hardly see past the deep blue of Brittany's eyes, which seemed to be smiling back at her. Her heart had begun to hammer in her chest although she couldn't explain why at the time. Instead, Santana had just managed to catch herself, facing the camera again right when Brittany pressed soft lips to her cheek.
She still had that photograph.
They'd taken plenty of booth pictures in the four years since then, but there was something about that day that stuck in her mind.
She turned towards Brittany now, who was already smiling sweetly at the camera and nudging her to do the same. Letting out a shaky laugh, Santana breathed out a quiet, "Britt?"
Without waiting for an answer, she continued, "…Can I kiss you?" Even as the words were leaving her mouth, she felt stupid for saying them but she couldn't help it. Her palms were getting all sweaty, too.
The look in Brittany's eyes shifted rapidly from slight surprise to tenderness. With one arm she reached behind Santana, pulling her gently towards her. As her fingers softly stroked the back of Santana's neck, Brittany's lips whispered against her skin, "Like you even have to ask."
Santana smiled into the kiss, as flashes began lighting up the little booth.
"Just checking."
It was their fifth rollercoaster of the day, and Santana could feel her stomach churning as their cart swung through the air in a twisted combination of loops.
Maybe that extra cotton candy they'd eaten hadn't been such a good idea.
Beside her, Brittany had stopped yelling her head off and was now looking at Santana worriedly. As her head banged back against the grey headrest, Santana tried to smile reassuringly at her girlfriend. She wanted to tell Brittany she was fine but honestly, she was too afraid to open her mouth in case the cotton candy came out instead.
The rollercoaster lurched to a sudden, jerky stop and Brittany was still gripping her hand, just like on every other ride—tight as ever, like she never wanted to let go.
"San? San, are you okay? Baby, talk to me."
Santana smiled weakly at the concern so evident in Brittany's voice. Feeling light-headed, hazy thoughts drifted across her mind. Her girlfriend was the best, it was crazy… always willing to take care of Santana whenever she fell apart. Goddamn, she was lucky to have her.
When she didn't respond aloud, Brittany reached over, undid Santana's seatbelt for her and half-carried her out of the buzzing cart.
"Okay, that's it," she said firmly as they hobbled down the steps. "No more extra snacks for you. And we're going to go sit down somewhere until you stop looking so green."
Despite Santana's protests that she was fine now and it was just that damn rollercoaster with its stupid vertigo that did her in, Brittany wouldn't give in. High-intensity rides would be off their agenda for the rest of the afternoon.
As they sat on the little bench, Brittany still fussing over Santana's condition, Santana couldn't help but watch her girlfriend adoringly. She didn't give a damn who might see the way she was looking at Brittany like a lovesick puppy. That feeling that had struck her earlier had returned, maybe even stronger than before.
She thought about how, yeah, this was Senior Ditch Day and everything, which meant that high school really was coming to an end, and yet at the same time—at the same time, this wasn't the end at all. Not for her and Brittany.
This was still only the beginning.
She couldn't wait to ask Brittany to senior prom; couldn't wait to take her to prom, to dance with her there under the stupid coloured streamers and kiss her right in the middle of the crowd.
She couldn't wait to graduate with Brittany, the two of them standing side by side on that stage, getting ready to throw their caps in the air and wave their diplomas proudly because they had made it.
She couldn't wait to go to college with Brittany. To start the next chapter of their lives together, as young adults heading out into the world. Maybe they weren't a hundred percent ready yet for what was in store for them but whatever happened, she knew they would face it together.
She really couldn't wait to see what came next for them.
All of a sudden, Brittany glanced up. Her hair was golden in the dimming light and a curious smile spread across her face as she realized Santana had been watching her.
"What is it, babe?" she asked innocently. Her tone made it sound like she was about to start pouting, and Santana loved her even more for it.
Of course, there was no way she could tell Brittany everything she was thinking right now. Instead, Santana decided to give her the Cliff Notes version:
"Oh, nothing, really. I'm just thinking about how I have the most amazing..."
– she lifted Brittany's hand to her lips –
"…and beautiful..."
– she dropped a quick kiss on Brittany's knuckles –
"…girlfriend in the world."
Santana pressed Brittany's palm flat against her cheek.
"That's all."
A moment passed, and then, Brittany's voice—
"You're such a sap, babe."
Santana just laughed, closing her eyes as the warmth from Brittany's skin began to spread.
The sun was just beginning to set as everyone trudged back onto the bus.
Brittany had looked wistfully at the shapes of the distant rides as they pulled out of the parking lot. "See you later, Six Flags. We'll try to come back this summer. Right, San?"
"Yeah, Britt. We'll put it on our to-do list," Santana replied warmly. After all the good memories they'd made today, she'd definitely be up for another visit to this place.
On the drive back to Lima, Brittany fell asleep quickly, her head resting snugly on Santana's shoulder as the bus rolled along.
Before dozing off, she had laced their fingers together once more so that not an inch of space remained between them. Drowsily, she murmured in Santana's ear, "This was the best Senior Ditch Day ever. I'm so glad I got to spend it with you."
Santana wrapped an arm comfortably around Brittany's shoulder, whispering a quiet "I love you" into her hair. She watched the world drift by outside their window for a few moments, before closing her eyes and joining Brittany in peaceful sleep.