Author Note: Thought I'd get the second one up before I disappear into the Land of Assignments for a while =/ *sigh* It's short, I know, but that's kinda what these are supposed to be. Just stuff to keep me writing so I hope you like it =)

Thank you to Becca, as always, for reading through it before hand. You're awesome =) and thanks to everyone who has read and favourited the first oneshot, you guys are awesome too!

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own a damn thing. If I did, we would not have to wait 7 WHOLE WEEKS to find out what happens to Quinn! Because that's just cruel and unusual punishment if there ever was!

Take Two

"For fuck's sake, Midget!" Santana slammed her books down on the front desk and turned to confront Rachel. "Again? Really? Why do you always start somethin' right before Math? You know I hate Math so why?"

"This time it actually isn't all my fault!"

"Really? That's how you're gonna play it?"

"Play what, exactly, Santana? I am not 'playing'. I do not 'play'." Rachel shut the door to the classroom and leant against it, arms folded.

"Oh cut the crap, Man-hands! I was perfectly happy ignorin' your whiney, hobbit ass. You were the one that dragged me into the bathroom. Again!"

"That's exactly why I had to take such drastic measures. Because you were ignoring me! You wouldn't talk to me, Santana; I wanted to talk to you."

"Well I didn't want to talk to you!"

The two girls stood glaring at each other. Santana huffed angrily which made Rachel scoff.

"I don't know why you're annoyed. I'm the one who should be upset."

"Excuse me?" The Latina squared up to her. "Why?"

"Why? Santana, you're so... you're just so... I don't even know what you are!" Rachel threw her hands up and flopped in a chair.

The silence stretched out before them as the corridor outside emptied, leaving them alone in their bubble of tension.

"Why won't you talk to me, Santana? I just want to talk."

"I don't do talkin'."

"That's hard to believe for someone who has always got something to say about everything."

Santana scowled at her. "I don't do your kind of talkin'."

"My kind of talking?" The smaller girl arched an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah. You know, about feelings and stuff."

Rachel could have sworn she saw the girl blush then.

"It's just not my thing, okay?"

"But it's mine."

"I know. Why the hell do you think I've been avoidin' you?"

"I... Santana..." Rachel sighed, shaking her head as she got to her feet. "You are such hard work, do you know that? Such hard work!"

"Then why the hell do you bother?" Santana snapped, anger bubbling back up.

Rachel only smiled. She moved to stand in front of the girl, close enough for Santana to get trapped by the smell that was distinctly Rachel Berry.

"I bother because I like you, Santana." She raised a hand to brush her finger tips along the Latina's cheek. "I like being with you even when we're not having sex. I just... I just like being around you."

"I don't understand. I made you cry, Rach. Why do you still like me?"

The smaller girl couldn't help but smile as she stretched up on her tip toes to press her lips to the Latina's jaw, kissing until she reached her lips... Rachel froze, her eyes flickering to Santana's before pulling away.

Santana swallowed hard, practically collapsing onto the desk behind her. "Rach..."

"As much as I do like you, I much prefer you when you're being nice to me. Especially when you call me that."

"W-Well it's your name, isn't it?"

Rachel chuckled as Santana recovered. "Yes, but you usually call me other, rather unflattering things."

"Oh. Right... yeah..." Santana blinked, suddenly remembering herself. She stood, pushing past Rachel to sit at the desk. "If I ever wanna get out of this place tonight I better get started on this crap," she pulled her books to her and flipped through them until she found the right page. "So if you don't mind, go sit your midget ass over there an' outta my line of sight so your horrible sweater doesn't distract me with its ugliness."

Rachel sighed and went to sit down. "Well, that didn't last long."

They worked in silence for a while, well, Santana did, scribbling furiously, determined to get the hell out of there as fast as she could. Rachel, however, just watched her.

"Don't you ever get tired?"

Santana gritted her teeth and kept on writing.

"I mean, it must be so hard. I know I would tire of it pretty quickly."

"Get tired of what?"

Rachel grinned as Santana took the bait. "Of pretending to be a bitch."

She had hardly finished the sentence before the Latina slammed her hands on the table, making Rachel jump, and was on her feet.

"I'm not pretendin'!"

"Oh please, no one is that bitter and sarcastic and aggressive at our age."

"Yeah? Well I am, so shut the fuck up before I come over there an' make you!"

Rachel rose from her seat. "Come over here then. This is America, Santana, I can voice my own opinions if I so choose."

Santana clenched her jaw, using every bit of will power she had to stay exactly where she was. Rachel smiled.

"I thought as much. You're all talk." The diva wandered towards Santana, weaving in and out of tables and chairs. "You really do talk a good game but that's all you've ever done – all you'll ever do."

"Shut it, Man-hands, you don't know what you're talkin' about." Santana's hands gripped the edge of the desk so hard her knuckles started to turn white.

"I'm sorry, Santana, but it's true. When it comes to trading insults there's no one better at it but when you get down to it, you're scared. You're just a scared little girl who will say anything, hurt anyone just to get a little attention."

"I swear to God, Rachel, shut the fuck up!"

Rachel stopped just behind Santana, standing so close her breath left goose bumps on the Latina's skin. "It's not just that though, is it? You crave the attention like it's a drug but that's just another layer. Another piece of the armour you've spent years meticulously crafting to protect yourself from... from everyone, from the whole world."

"Rachel."

"You're pathetic, Santana."

"Rachel!"

Rachel leant even closer, her lips brushing Santana's ear as she spoke. "Just pathetic."

Santana spun, grabbing the smaller girl by the throat and shoving her backwards into the white board.

"Santana-"

The Latina's fist slammed into the board right next Rachel's head. "Shut your mouth."

"Make me." Rachel stared up at Santana, determination in her eyes.

It didn't matter that the girl had her by the throat making it hard to breath. It didn't matter that the girl was shaking with so much rage that it terrified her more than anything had before. All that mattered was that the Latina had finally let herself feel.

"I hate you."

"No, you don't." Rachel hardly dare breathe. "You don't hate me, because I'm the only person who understands. I'm the only person who pushes you, challenges you, has the strength to take a sledge hammer to those impossibly tall walls you've built around yourself. No. You don't hate me."

Santana found herself matching Rachel's intense gaze. "No, I don't hate you."

AN: Lemmie know what you think =) any and all feedback is welcomed and greatly appreciated. I'm always looking to improve.

Peace Out.