Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 63rd cycle. Now cycle 64!

"Step Sixty-Four, Return Favors"
Kurt & Santana (& Brittany)
Paper Heart series
(all series now listed under the communities tab in my profile)

They'd been paired for lab work that day. Neither of them particularly cared for the class, but then having one another to work with wasn't so bad. There was no awkward period trying to figure out what they were supposed to talk about, or if they could even get a word in. They had plenty to talk about. Still, Santana had shown herself all too quiet sitting across from Kurt, and it got his attention.

"How it is I know your concentrated face is beyond me, but I know that's not it, which means this silent treatment's got nothing to do with the work, so… What's on your mind?" he asked. She frowned up at him, knowing she was busted, and hating that he'd seen through her.

"Don't think I don't find this concern coming from you really touching, because I do. But if you think that's going to magically get me to talk, then you're in for a shocker. Or not, depending on whether or not you know me as well as you think you do."

"What are you so afraid of?" Kurt pushed on nonetheless, and Santana put her pen down, looking up at him. Maybe she'd hoped he would cower back and drop the subject, but he barely flinched.

"Fine. Meet me in the choir room after class is over? I can't clock out on this," she held up the question sheet and he nodded. They got to work, and maybe for a second she thought when class was done he would have forgotten the rest. Only he wouldn't, she knew, so after the period was done, she met with him in the empty choir room.

"You know we have another class soon?" he pointed out when she had been standing there without a word for a minute and near on two.

"I'm going to tell you something, and I want you to keep it to yourself, not because I don't want people knowing, but because I haven't completely worked out how this next part is supposed to go yet, and I'd like to have the opportunity to figure it out, and I don't want to rush things."

"You're not like…" Kurt started to gesture, and Santana frowned, trying to make out what he was saying.

"What?" she asked.

"Pregnant?" he hesitated.

"Geez, no!" Santana rolled her eyes.

"Sorry," he bowed his head.

"Why would you…"

"I don't know, you're acting stranger than usual, it could have been hormones and…"

"Well that's not it, and could you please not go and get any rumors started? It doesn't take much in this place."

"Fine, got it, I won't mention…"

"Britt and I are dating," Santana put it out there, and Kurt paused, looked at her, smiled.

"When did that happen?"

"The other day, at the mall. Although I guess, it's not really dating until there's been an actual date, is it?"

"There's intention to date, I'd call that dating," Kurt volunteered.

"If you say so," she let out a breath. "Anyway, I just kind of thought you should know, just in case."

"In case of what?" Kurt asked.

"Never mind that," she gestured at him.

"Okay?" he blinked.

"I'm kind of seeing the hormones thing now," Santana sighed, moving to sit at the piano bench.

"You're not going to screw it up," he spoke, and she looked up.

"I didn't say I…"

"You didn't have to. I know you too well, remember?"

"Yeah. That," she inadvertently leaned against the keys and jumped when the notes rang out around her.

"Alright, I have an idea," he came to lean on the piano.

"Oh, great," she muttered.

"Just let me say it before writing me off?" he insisted, and she swept her hand out toward him, 'giving him the floor.' "Take her out."

"I'm sorry?"

"You, Brittany, dinner, maybe a movie. You have dated before, haven't you?" he teased.

"What do you think?" she glared.

"You go, and you take her on a date, a really good one, make this dating thing official. You should. You've been waiting long enough."

"It's not that simple."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure it is," he squinted.

"Who'll take care of Harry?" she asked. He held his hand out to her.

"Hi, I don't believe we've met, Harry's dad? It's a pleasure," he intoned, and she nudged his hand away. "You know this whole situation we've got going has its benefits, so why not use them? I'll have Harry, we'll have a… father son evening, he'll either be eating, sleeping, pooping, or crying through most of it, it'll be great. And you and Brittany will get that date you should have gotten ages ago. It's not even a good service I'm providing. All I've got to do is spend time with someone I would spend every minute with if I could, but now that the offer has been made, that leaves you open to the possibility of working something special out for her. Call me a hopeless romantic, or just that you're both my friends and I've found it completely ridiculous that you haven't done this before, although I guess I can understand the pregnancy thing might have made things complicated."

"Do you ever stop talking?" Santana chuckled.

"Rarely," he admitted, and she smiled.

"Fine, alright, I will take you up on your offer-that's-not-an-offer. Do you have any more input to put in, or can I get out of here?" she asked.

"You are free to go," he assured her, and she stood, looking back toward the doors before stepping up to him, grabbing hold of his face by the chin and putting a kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks," she gave him a smirk, seeing the surprised look on his face like he had expected her to hit him, and like what she had actually done was even more of a surprise. This was as good of a place to leave this little conversation of theirs. Since he had apparently developed the ability to read her like a book, she appreciated being able to throw in a good plot twist here and there.

THE END

A/N: This is a one-shot ficlet, which means that signing up for story alert will not bring you any alerts.
In the event of a sequel, the story will be separate from this one. And as chapter stories go, they are
always clearly indicated as such [ex: "Days 204-210" in the summary] Thank you!