Rachel Berry was already late for the impromptu Glee practice that had been called for Wednesday afternoon, when out of the corner of her she saw a blur of red and white and then she was grabbed and dragged into the girls restroom.
She turned around to face Santana Lopez leaning against the bathroom door and glaring at her.
Realizing death was imminent, she had a moment of disappointment that the highlights of her tragically brief life weren't flashing before her eyes before self-preservation kicked in and her mouth was off and running.
"Santana, you DON"T want to do this," she said with her hands up in a placating gesture. "We already have one teen statistic in Glee and adding girl on girl violence is so cliché...and tawdry"
"Berry...," Santana tried to interrupt but the word vomit continued.
"And seriously do you really want to play into the stereotype of the fiery Latina because frankly although you can be bad-tempered..." Santana took a step towards her and to her dismay Rachel found her voice rising in panic and then she was actually whining, "I never thought you would actually resort to violence and oh god, just please don't kill me because I told her no, I told her no!" Rachel finished as she shut her eyes tightly and waited for the punch she expected at any moment.
"Calm down, Smurf. I'm not going to hurt you."
Rachel opened one eye cautiously, "You're not?"
"No. I'm not," she said as she leaned against the sink next to Rachel, arms crossed.
"Oh," Rachel said. Sensing that while Santana was agitated but perhaps not about to resort to violence, Rachel relaxed slightly, but took a step away from her. Just to be safe.
Santana kept her eyes on the floor, an awkward silence filling the small space. Rachel kept still, not wanting to make any sudden movements, curiosity slowly taking the place of fear.
"Then what...," she began before being interrupted as the dark-haired girl raised her head to speak.
"Look, clearly you know that there has been something between me and Britt. We've...you know, messed around."
"Yes, but surely you know I would be the last person to judge," Rachel began sincerely.
"Let me finish. Christ, can't you just keep your mouth shut for two minutes?"
"Okay, oka..." Rachel realized she was talking and shut her mouth abruptly.
"THANK YOU. So, yeah, me and Brittany have been having 'fun' together or whatever. But, it's been brought to my attention by B that maybe our arrangement hasn't been exactly fair to her."
She grimaced and Rachel noticed the flicker of some emotion in Santana's brown eyes.
"She wants a real girlfriend and I...I just can't do that, I can't be that for her."
Rachel forgot to not speak and rushed to reassure her, "Santana, if you wanted to publicly proclaim your relationship with Brittany, you know that we, the Glee club, would stand firmly behind and support you both."
Santana snorted. "Seriously Berry, do you think I give a rat's ass what anyone thinks of me?"
"Well, no. I suppose not" Rachel admitted. "But wouldn't your fellow Cheerio's have a problem with lesbians on the squad? I mean, they don't seem like they would be the most tolerant group."
"Oh, they're not. But between their fear of me and the fact that Brittany helps to choreograph half our routines, they'd just have to learn to deal. Plus, Brittany is Sue's favorite NOBODY is going to cross Sue."
"I can see that. You know, I've always thought Coach Sylvester radiated a certain lesbian vibe, myself."
"Yeah, no shit huh." Santana agreed.
"Well, if it's not the fear of peer disapproval, then why can't you be with Brittany?"
Santana exhaled an irritated huff. "Because, I'm just not cut out to be the doting girlfriend and that's what B wants. Plus," she shrugged, "I just like driving stick too much."
"Driving stick? What does vehicle transmission have to do with anything?" Rachel asked, brows furrowing in confusion.
The Cheerio just cocked her head and rolled her eyes. "It's a metaphor idiot."
Rachel's eyes brightened when she deciphered what Santana was saying. "Oh, you prefer penis!"
"Yeah, I like dick," Santana said. A genuine smile appeared on her face at the discomfort on Rachel'.
"You don't have to be crass," Rachel said. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because it's also come to my attention that for whatever reason, Brittany is interested in you. And that you may be interested in her but were afraid of me kicking your ass," she looked pointedly at the singer.
Rachel looked away and mumbled, "That's not exactly what I said..."
"It doesn't matter what you said, Berry, that's not the point. The point is that if you were interested, then..." Santana looked back down and shrugged, 'I guess you have my blessing." She looked up and added, "And, I won't beat you up."
Rachel looked into the other girls eyes. It was clear that while feigning nonchalance, Santana's feelings were anything but.
"Well Santana. I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to let me know this," Rachel said as she stretched out a hand to put in on the Latina's, only to pull it back when the other girl scowled. "But, while I've never...uh 'driven stick'...I'm not sure I want to drive automatic either." She finished with a proud smile on her face at using her own automobile metaphor.
Santana just laughed as she threw up her hands. "You are such a dork, I have no idea what the hell Britt see's in you."
"I'll have you know that I have many attractive qualities. I'm immensely talented, articulate, intelligent..."
"Modest," Santana interrupted.
Rachel's eyes narrowed as she tilted her head, "And I'm hot. At least according to Brittany." Which was perhaps the the wrong thing to say she thought as Santana pushed herself away from the sink.
But instead of reacting with anger, Santana shook her head and took a deep breath. "Yeah, for whatever reason she thinks you're hot, so just go out with her already."
"Or do you think you're too good for Brittany, because let me tell you," she said, pointing a finger at, but not quite touching, Rachel's chest. "You would be lucky to have someone like her and it's ridiculous that won't even give her a chance. I mean, she's a cheerleader and you...you're well, YOU."
Rachel frowned, "As I told you Santana, I'm not sure I even want to explore that facet of my sexuality."
Santana barked out a laugh, "Uh, neither did I. But there's two things you need to know about Brittany. One, underneath that easygoing exterior, Brittany is stubborn as hell. When she wants something, she gets it. She just has this way of making YOU want it too." She turned and began walking towards the door. "Come on, we're late for practice." Rachel scurried to keep up and followed her out the door.
They walked down the hallway but when Santana reached out a hand to open the choir room door, Rachel stopped her. "You said there were two things. What's the other thing?"
Santana looked the other girl up and down and just when it looked like she wasn't going to answer she said, "Have you ever heard that sex is like dancing?"
"Yes, I've heard that comparison."
"Well, who's the best dancer you know?"
Santana smirked as her meaning dawned on Rachel and the shorter girl's face flushed bright red.
Santana was immediately met half-way across the room by an agitated and uncharacteristically frowning Brittany.
"What? I didn't do anything. She's right behind me, all in one piece. See for yourself." Brittany peered over her shoulder as Santana went to go sit on the risers.
Rachel came in the door, her flush fading only to come back with a vengeance as Brittany stepped up, grabbed her by the arms and proceeded to look her up and down, making sure she was indeed in one piece and free of damage.
The diva could see some of the other Glee kids begin to look over at them, wondering what was going on. She gently extricated her arms from the blonde's grip. "I'm fine Brittany, really. I'm fine."
Brittany gave a relieved smile, "Okay, cool." She took a step back and gestured over her shoulder, "I'm...uh...just going to be over here. You know, if you need me or something."
Rachel gave a small smile back, biting her lip, "Okay, well, thank you. For your concern." She watched Brittany's smile brighten and then the taller Cheerio was skipping back to sit down next to Santana. She heard, "See I told you." from the dark-haired girl and then she looked around for her own place to sit.
There was an empty seat next to Quinn but Rachel hesitated going over. The arched brow and amused look on the pregnant girls face attested to the fact that she had watched the whole scene. But when the honey blonde inclined her head to the empty space, Rachel straightened her shoulders and moved to go and sit next to her.
"I see you're all in one piece, congratulations" Quinn said with a smirk.
"Thanks, I'm slightly amazed myself," Rachel said, mind still reeling from the bathroom encounter. She looked over at Quinn who was looking at her with an expectant look on her face. "What?"
"Don't be dense Stub..Rachel. What happened with you and S?"
Rachel's eyes narrowed, "Why'd you do that?" She asked.
"Do what?"
"Why'd you almost call me one of your ridiculous insults and then call me by my name?"
"Oh," Quinn looked chagrined and then irritated, "I told Britt I would refrain from making fun of you and using my awesome nicknames for you,"
Rachel was confused, "Why?"
"Because, RACHEL, she likes you and she asked me to, and when Brittany asks you for something, you kind of just find yourself agreeing." She said, a look on her face expressing that she was just as confused as to why she had given in to Brittany.
"This is just so surreal." Rachel said. "First Santana gives me her blessing to date Brittany, and now you agree to stop calling me pet names," She gave Quinn a sideways glance and a smile.
Quinn rolled her eyes, "Whatever Berry. I don't see what's so surreal about it. S and I are Brittany's best friends and we want her to be happy. And if she can only find happiness in the arms of a pushy, loud-mouthed midget, then we'll support her in that."
"Hey! I thought you weren't going to make fun of me!" Rachel said slapping at Quinn's arm.
"It's not making fun if it's the truth," Quinn grinned.
Rachel grinned back before her face turned serious once again. "Seriously though, Quinn. I don't understand how up until very recently, you three were perfectly content to treat me as a social pariah but now Brittany decides she likes me and all of a sudden you two seem alright with it and are even pushing her on me."
Quinn sighed. "I told you, we want to support Brittany. And maybe, since Glee, we've both realized that there are more important things than the screwed up high school caste system." She smoothed a hand over her baby bump. "Besides, you know that Brittany never really treated you badly."
"She defaced my pictures. She wouldn't even be Co-Captain with me because she said she would deface our picture." Rachel crossed her arms and looked at Quinn pointedly,
Quinn nodded, "Yeah, she did do that. You're right. But what you DON'T know is that she spent all last night cutting out pictures of your face from her own yearbook and then this morning before school, went to the library and glued them over all the old ones that were defaced."
"She did?" Rachel asked. She looked over to where the tall blonde was talking animatedly with the group of kids around her.
Quinn's eyes followed her gaze. "Yeah. She also skipped lunch and spent it in the bathroom using nail polish to cover up a…uh…certain picture that was on the bathroom wall."
Rachel looked back to Quinn with wonder in her eyes. "That's…incredibly sweet. And thoughtful."
"No, what's thoughtful is that she used a color called "Berry Berry Broadway".
Rachel's jaw dropped and then beaming, she turned back in Brittany's direction. Brittany happened to look up and upon seeing the smile on Rachel's face, answered with a little wave and a bright smile of her own. They maintained eye contact for a few seconds before Rachel blushed and turned back to Quinn.
"I guess she really is serious about this, about me, then."
"Yeah, she really is," Quinn agreed.
"Well, I wasn't planning on exploring same-sex relations until the traditional time in college, but," She looked back over at Brittany who was now demonstrating a dance move to Mike Chang. A move which consisted of her rolling her hips slowly and suggestively. Santana's information in her mind, Rachel swallowed, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to start a little early."
She shook her head to clear the image and then said, "But just so you know, before I do agree to become romantically involved with Brittany, I'm going to need some reassurance that we're compatible. I have high expectations from my partners and won't be swayed by a pretty face and thoughtful gestures, regardless of how adorable they may be."
Quinn just shrugged, "Hey, that's between the two of you. I just wanted to make sure you gave her a fair chance and that you knew she was serious about this." She continued, "I don't know if you know this about Brittany but she's kind of relentless when it comes to getting what she wants, and right now she wants you."
"So I've heard," Rachel said thoughtfully.
And then Mr. Shuester was coming in the door with apologies for being late and Glee practice officially began.
After practice was over, Rachel hung back until she saw Brittany about to leave with Santana. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and stopped Brittany before she could follow the dark-haired girl out the door.
"Brittany, could I speak with you a moment."
'Uh…sure," Brittany looked to Santana who shrugged, "I'll wait for you by the car." She turned to go but not before giving an inscrutable look to Rachel.
Once she was gone, Rachel felt herself uncharacteristically filled with shyness as she looked up into the other girl's eyes. She'd never really noticed her bright blue they were, with long lashes and a slight tilt to the corner of them. Right now they were shining at her with warmth and curiosity as Brittany smiled patiently, waiting for her to speak.
Rachel cleared her throat and then spoke with her trademark self-assurance, "I've decided that I may have been too hasty to dismiss your romantic overtures out of hand."
At the confused look on the blonde's face, Rachel spoke more simply, "I think I might be interested in going out with you."
"Really?!" Brittany's face lit up with excitement as she reached to pull the shorter girl into a big hug. "That's so awesome. What about tomorrow?" She asked as she released Rachel but kept her hands on her shoulders.
At the glowing expectant look on Brittany's face, Rachel almost lost her nerve, but in the spirit of full honesty, she forced herself to speak further. "I said 'might', Brittany".
Brittany's shoulders slumped as she dropped her hands to her sides and a crestfallen expression came over her usually sunny features, "Oh."
It was Rachel that reached out this time, to put a hand gently on Brittany's arm. "Look Brittany," She reminded herself to speak plainly, "I think you're very pretty. And you are really sweet. I heard what you did with the yearbook pictures and the bathroom and that just, well…it just meant the world to me."
"But Brittany," she continued. "While I find you to have many admirable…I mean, while there are many things I like about you, I just don't see that we have much in common."
Brittany wouldn't look up and Rachel had the sneaking suspicion that if she did, there would be tears in her eyes so she rushed to finish her speech before she had to deal with a crying Cheerio. "That's why it's up to you to convince me that we would be a good match."
Brittany sniffled and looked up and sure enough, her eyes did have the sheen of tears in them. "What do you mean?" She asked.
"Well, I need you to think about it then give me a list of some reasons why we as a pairing would make sense. I would normally ask that you prove that you have what it takes to be the leading…uh…man to my leading lady, but that scenario doesn't exactly lend itself to our situation now, does it?"
"You mean, like a grocery list? You want me to write it down?" Brittany asked with furrowed brows.
"Sure, if that's how you choose to do it. A written list would be fine." Rachel said with an assertive nod.
"It sounds kind of like homework," Brittany said with a pout.
Rachel ignored how adorable the pout looked on the blonde and said, "Yes, but if you really like me, then it's homework you already know the answers to, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so," Brittany said, face brightening. "Okay, I'll do that tonight. Thank you Rachel." And then she was hugging the short brunette to her once again. She was surprised to find that it felt really good to be held against the taller girl. Plus, Brittany smelled really good.
The hug was broken when Brittany's phone began ringing, the sounds of Justin Timberlake's 'Senorita' filling the choir room. "That's S. I should go before she gets cranky," Brittany said.
"Well, we certainly don't want that, do we?" Rachel said.
"I know, right?" Brittany agreed and then she bent down to place a kiss on Rachel's cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, bye." And then she turned and left Rachel alone, one hand to her cheek where Brittany's lips had pressed.