Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or anything remotely Glee-related. This is a Brittany/Santana pairing so that means girl x girl love; if you don't approve, please don't read any further.

NOTE: This is AU taking place after the second half of the season's Madonna episode.

Chapter One: Like a Virgin

Santana knew what a mistake she'd made as soon as she saw Brittany's face as Finn dropped her off at the Lopez residence. The blonde had been sitting on the steps leading up to the front door waiting for her. She turned to Finn and rolled her eyes, getting out of the vehicle and telling him he'd better hurry home. Brittany watched her every movement in that fashion that made her nervous to approach. She was Santana Lopez. She doesn't get nervous. Except for Brittany. She's made quite a few exceptions for the sweet girl.

"I didn't think you'd do it," she said quietly. Santana clinched her jaw tightly to prevent her heart from breaking as she avoided looking into those blue eyes that made her lose it all every time.

"I had to do it, Britt," Santana shrugged and brushed past her to unlock the door. "How long have you been here?"

"I don't remember," she said in that same small, broken voice. Santana had to be a hard ass, she had to be a bitch for both of them.

"Jeeze Britt, sex isn't dating so stop acting like it," the Latina snapped. She heard the inhalation of breath as soon as she finished her sentence. Afraid, she turned around to see Brittany's blue eyes filling with tears. She reached out to touch her, but once again, Brittany slipped through her fingers, running out the door and leaving a small box behind.

It had her name swirled across it with the blonde's handwriting. Gingerly, she unwrapped it only to open it and find a container of fish food and a note telling her to look in her bedroom. Her heart thudded painfully against her chest as she made her way slowly to the bedroom. A lone blue beta fish swam around in a tank. Her heart exploded into tiny shards, each one more painful than the next as she tried to swallow her tears. Brittany remembered how much Santana wanted a pet, but her parents didn't want a cat or dog in the house. Santana felt the love Brittany showed her everyday concentrated into this one beautiful gesture; no one knew the real her like her blonde best friend. Now she was alone, feeling dirty, and she wished desperately Brittany was there to curl against her side as they watched the Food Network.

Every time she was with Brittany, physically or not, she felt like a virgin.

It was in this moment she realized she did have feelings, and she wanted them to return from wherever the hell they came from at once.

-BRITTANA-BRITTANA-BRITTANA-BRITTANA-BRITTANA-

Brittany wasn't in school the next day; her parents had called the school and told them she was sick. Santana didn't believe that for a moment. Her hand closed around the necklace the blonde had given her for her last birthday and felt her heart thud pitifully, lonesome, in her chest. Finn kept giving her these weird looks of regret that were only serving to piss her off. The tug in her chest gets worse when the Glee Club came together for a round of songs. They made her feel lonely. The chair next to her was empty, and not even a lingering breath of Brittany's perfume remained.

I miss my best friend she texted Brittany when she got home.

Let's just forget it all came the reply hours later as Santana slipped into bed. A small smile spread across her face as she snuggled under the covers, still looking at the screen.

Can I come over? was Brittany's next message.

Always.

It was midnight, and Brittany's head was tucked under her chin, one of her hands resting on the Latina's hip. The blonde told her, in a sleepy voice, of the bad dream she had dealing with a talking tea kettle and a shark. Santana just combed her fingers through her friend's hair and began talking about B the Beta's amazing swimming personality. This was right, she thought to herself. Finn could never compare to Brittany. No one ever could.