A/N: Alright, on one hand, I'm sorry for posting another story, because this makes updates on the rest possibly even slower :/ On the other hand, I think you all will like this story, so I'm not that sorry haha.
This story is Somewhere Only We Know, if you didn't see that already haha. I haven't much advertised this story yet, mainly because I came up with the idea yesterday and wrote the first couple of chapters late last night and early this morning. Lol, but I've already got a pretty good grasp on the direction of the story, so I saw it fit to post already.
Just as a note, I'm not going to promise that this story will be any certain length, because it may end up being not particularly long. I mean, definitely at least 20k and hopefully at least reach 50k. Can't promise 100k like some of my other stories though.
Anyway, before we start this story, just a little pre-story stuff! If you haven't read my stories before, HI! I'm Tana! I write Dantana, Brittana, Quinntana, Emison and Karmy fics! I have four WIPs on this site, CD, IDDA, DYKILY, and this story (SOWK)! Plus two of my stories are being translated to French. :D
Anyway... just some things about how I work...
Italics are flashbacks and dreams, both of which will show up a lot in this story.
Bold is texts, emails, etc..
This story is a Dantana story, though as you'll see shortly, it starts of with brief Brittana. Don't worry, nothing like CD. POV is all first person, and will switch between Santana and Dani POV. So far, I've only switched between chapters, but in the case that I switch in a chapter, it will be signified by a clear DANI or SANTANA.
I appreciate reviews, although they don't change my updating speed. Every fifty reviews, I give a shoutout. Basically, fiftieth reviewer gets a shoutout, 100th, 150th... etc etc. :D I'll try to answer every review, and some guest reviews I will answer on Twitter, at BrittzandTana :)
Ah... I think that's it for my blablabla :P I hope you enjoy the story ;D
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Glee!
PLEASE enjoy, favorite, follow and REVIEW!
I heard the loud, blaring alarm coming from my side table before I was completely awake, and I instinctively groaned. I hated waking up early, mainly because it meant that I had to go to work. And I hated my job. Ten years, and you'd think that maybe I'd be able to find something that I liked to make a living with. But no such luck. These days, you seemed to have to be in LA in order to make a living as a singer, and I lived in New York.
I turned off my alarm and rolled out of bed grudgingly. I trudged into the kitchen, realizing that I wasn't wearing any clothes, but not really caring. The only other person in the house was my girlfriend Brittany, and she was probably in the bathroom.
After I guzzled some coffee down, I started to get ready for my long work day at the diner. I was a manager and part owner of the place—I shared the business with Rachel, who really didn't need the extra money. Rachel was my friend who I met the day I moved to New York. She was from Ohio, and while that may seem lame, she had made it big on Broadway since coming to New York.
Me? I came from a small town in Texas that was surrounded by trees, and then farms. One of those towns that people drove through in order to get from one big city to another. One of the towns where people only stopped for gas or to go to the bathroom.
Sure, I made it into a big college, and I got a halfway scholarship for it, but I wasn't anything special like Rachel was. I tried multiple times to get into the music business, or the acting business, but everyone who found me wanted me to go to Los Angeles, and I didn't really want to go to a city where I knew no one.
"Babe?" Brittany called.
"I'm up," I called back as I finished getting dressed. I walked into the bathroom, where Brittany already was, getting ready. "What's up?"
"I'm going out with Kurt after work today, so I won't see you until late tonight," she told me.
I nodded. "Alright."
Brittany's work started much earlier than mine, so she was gone before I could say much else to her. I just continued to get ready for the job that I hated. But at least I made money and I could support myself.
I went to work, just like every day, in a bad mood. During my lunch break, I skipped out on the meager lunch I'd brought with me and decided to take a nap in the back storage room. This was almost a regular thing, so no one bothered me the whole time.
However, something was different about this nap. I had a dream, and it wasn't like any dream I'd had before.
She brushed her light brown hair out of her face and smiled at me. I loved her smile, and couldn't help but return it with a sweet one of my own. "What do you think would happen if we ran away together?" she asked me.
I rolled my eyes. "I wouldn't ever run away," I stated. "Life is already hard enough when people are helping you through it. What are you supposed to do whenever it's just you?"
"I guess we'll never know," she answered, looking back up at the sky. We were laying on soft, green grass, and she was watching the clouds. I was watching her.
"Do you want to run away?" I asked, concerned.
"No, it was just a thought," she decided, not meeting my eyes. I looked at her a second longer, and then looked up at the sky. "Anyway, it's not like we have long before we get to leave this place anyway."
She never liked Texas, and I had to say that I wasn't much of a fan of our home either. Sure, it was pretty, and the weather could even be described as nice most of the time. Unfortunately for us, though, our home happened to be the most red state in the US. Or in other words, we were surrounded by people who had completely different opinions from ours. The biggest problem was, though, that neither of us could feel comfortable with who we were when our families and friends were all against gay rights.
She and I had realized we were gay when we were about thirteen, and through our own ways. We didn't even realize that we liked each other until we were fifteen, when we started dating. We never told anyone, though. In everyone else's eyes, we were still just best friends who sneaked off to hang out in the woods somewhere everyday.
"Yep, just one more school year left and then we can be off to college together," I agreed, smiling at the thought. After all these years, we would finally be able to be together openly. We were thinking of NYU, but maybe something else. It was a big decision, but New York looked like our best possibility. We just knew that we were going to go to the same school. There was no doubt about it.
"I can't wait," she told me, her voice dreamy sounding as she took my hand in her own. "It'll be just you and me."
I sighed happily. She'd always had it harder than I had, living here. My parents were more open than hers, and even though they didn't know I was gay, I had a feeling that they wouldn't care much if I told them. Her parents, however, would hate her. There wasn't a doubt. I'd heard them say things that made me absolutely positive about it. And she knew it too.
"Santana?" she said, turning her head to look at me.
"Yes?" I asked, looking back at her.
"I love you."
"I love you, too, Dani."
I woke up with a start, just before the end of my break. What the hell was that dream? No, that was the thing. It wasn't even a dream. It was a memory. One of the many memories that I'd buried so deep that I could barely recall most of them. Why was I remembering it all of the sudden?
Why was I thinking of her?
Why was I thinking of Dani?
"Boss, your shift is starting again," one of my employees called, knocking on the door of the storage room in case I was still sleeping.
"Thanks," I called, standing and pushing away thoughts of my dream. I didn't know why I was thinking of Dani again, but it couldn't be good that I was. I'd sworn to myself years ago that I had to forget her. It wasn't like I was going to see her again. It was highly unlikely.
I didn't need to open a closed wound.
So I wouldn't. I ignored all thoughts of Dani and Texas and the past. I had to look at where I was now. I was manager and part -time owner of a diner. I was dating Brittany. I had a new best friend, a new girlfriend, a new life. Eleven years since Dani. Eleven years since she left my life. I didn't need to think of anything before that.
But even as I started to work again, a different memory from twelve years ago drifted into mind. Sixteen years old, one year into our relationship.
There was a tap on my window, and I immediately looked up. Only Dani ever came through my window. I hurried over to and pushed back the curtains, revealing my girlfriend. I gave her a wide smile and opened the window for her. She crawled in, and I noticed that she was holding something in her hands.
"What's that?" I asked curiously.
"Just something for the birthday girl," she said lamely, before a grin spread over her face.
"Dani, you didn't have to get me anything," I insisted.
"I know, this is for the other Santana turning sixteen today," she joked. I rolled my eyes and tried to snatch my present from her. "Uh uh, I don't think so! Not yet."
"When?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
"After I get a kiss for being the best girlfriend ever," Dani decided. I couldn't help but release a light laugh at that. I leaned toward her and pressed my lips softly to hers. "Alright, here," she said after we moved apart, handing me the box.
I opened it up and saw the necklace. It was just a silver chain, but there was a beautiful ruby stone at the end of it. July's birthstone. My birthstone. I smiled. "It's beautiful," I admitted.
"Like you," Dani stated, before taking back the box. I gave her a curious look as she moved behind me. She brushed my hair aside, and I took all of it in my hand so that she could put the necklace around my neck. Once it was clasped, I let my hair fall over my shoulders and Dani moved back so that we were facing each other. "It looks just as good as I pictured it looking on you."
I smiled. "Thanks so much, I love it."
"You're welcome," she said, smiling, her eyes still on the necklace. Slowly, though, they moved up to meet mine. She suddenly wrapped her arms around my neck and joined our lips together. She pushed her tongue into my mouth and I let out a quiet moan.
And then I heard what we both knew was coming. "Santana! Come downstairs, your birthday breakfast is ready!"
We pulled apart, and I frowned. "Sorry, babe."
"It's okay. Enjoy your birthday breakfast. Can we meet for lunch?" she asked. "I have something prepared."
"Of course," I answered, smiling.
"You know where," she said, mostly out of our routine meeting arrangements. I always knew where, and so did she. It was somewhere only we knew, were no one would ever find us.
"Yep," I answered. She turned and headed for my window, but then she turned again one more time to face me.
"Happy Birthday, Santana," she said softly, and then she disappeared out my window.
I sighed as the memory floated away. It wasn't doing me any good thinking about Dani. None at all.
I pushed any more memories that might have started to appear away.
When it was time for me to go home, I started out of the diner. And behind me, the same employee that always woke me up called to me, "Happy Birthday, Santana!"
I half smiled, and then I left the diner.
I'm not sure how great of a beginning this was, but trust me that as things start to be revealed, it'll get more interesting :) I know this story is probably the most AU of all the Dantana stories I've written, but I hope everyone will like it still :D Next chapter is Dani's POV. More will be revealed ;) Slowly, of course ;P
Please review though, and let me know your thoughts! You're also welcome to PM feedback as well of course! Oh, and follow me on Twitter at BrittzandTana too :D If you tweet me that you read this, I'll follow you back :D
Anyway, I really hope you liked this first chapter and that it wasn't too different :S Have a good day loves! Please review!