Disclaimer- Glee. Yeah, it's not mine. God, but if it was...*grins maniacally*
Landslide
"Well, I've been afraid of changing/ 'Cause I've built my life around you/But time makes you bolder/Even children get older and I'm getting older too/Take my love, take it down/Climb a mountain and turn around/And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills/Well, the landslide bring it down."
-Landslide, Stevie Nicks
It had been approximately one week since Brittany, Santana, and Holly Holiday had performed "Landslide" for Glee Club.
Britt had told Artie later in her quiet, sweet voice what had happened, how she loved Santana, but loved him too. She said sadly that she really didn't want to hurt him. Part of him had been hurt anyways, but he'd been glad to still have his girlfriend, and he'd thought that would be it. He kissed her soundly, and she sat on his lap, and all seemed like it would be well.
But then, Artie had gone to that Celibacy meeting and he'd really seen Santana for the first time since she'd bared her soul in Glee and he'd been stunned.
He'd watched her and Brittany in part the whole meeting. He'd seen the way she looked at Brittany, and, more importantly perhaps, he'd seen the way Brittany looked back. Those looks… Artie loved Brittany, he really did. And he knew Brittany loved him as well. Her eyes glittered softly whenever she saw him…
But if Brittany's eyes glittered when she looked at him, they positively gleamed, hell, they glowed, whenever she saw Santana. That kind of love- Much as Brittany meant to him, and he to her, that pure meeting-of-souls type of chemistry was something the two of them would never share. They never could. After all, Brittany already had that. With Santana.
It took a few days for Artie to really build up his courage enough to do what he'd realized subconsciously from the first hint of tears in Santana's eyes that he'd have to do.
It was going to hurt like hell.
But, Artie told himself, one way or another Brittany would have eventually gone to Santana. It was meant to be. He'd only been a mild delay. To make up for that he'd have to propel them forwards a bit himself, wouldn't he? And, anyway, ever since the accident had made him wheelchair-bound, Artie had preferred to have a decent grasp, a measure of control really, on the events around him.
Brittany didn't want to hurt him, and that was so, so good of her. But Artie had a habit of being selfish and avoiding pain, and he was done with that, and this was the perfect opportunity to change. As much as it would hurt, and hell it would, Artie couldn't stay with Brittany when he knew it was only going to hurt both girls involved. He had to set her free, just like she'd done the bird that was found in her locker. After all, as the girls themselves had said, Brittana was a landslide and if Artie didn't get out of the way, he'd surely be crushed...
"How was motocross?" Santana asked Brittany as she opened her locker. Beside her, Brittany shrugged, bringing a finger up and curling a lock of blonde hair around it slowly.
"It was alright. The shadow that's been watching me practice was there again today and my back shivered, but, like, not in the good way it does when we have our lady kisses. It was more like the way I felt when I saw Mr. Ryerson watching Puck in the shower…"
Santana almost choked at that, but settled for slamming her locker door shut and reaching over to unravel the hair from Britt's finger. They linked pinkies in the air and Britt brightened.
"I'm glad you're not mad at me any more Sanny."
"When was I mad at you, boo?" Santana asked, pointedly ignoring the nickname. Only for Brittany.
"After I told you I wanted to stay with Artie," Brittany sighed out.
Santana dropped her pinky from the other girl's, looking away.
"I just don't want to hurt him," Brittany continued on sadly. "But I don't want you to be hurt either, Sanny."
Santana almost snapped at the nickname that time, but reined herself back in with some difficulty. She'd promised herself she wouldn't give up what parts of Brittany she did have, and even if that meant a little pain, she knew Brittany was worth it. Brittany was just too good for her own good, and Santana didn't want to risk messing that up.
"Tell me more about that shadow," she said instead.
Brittany smiled at her and pointed her pinky into the air, her eyes looking a little desperate and maybe sad despite the expression of her lips. Santana looped her finger with Britt's once more, rolling her eyes a little, though the corner of her lips lifted nonetheless. Brittany's gaze lit up and the pair began to walk down the hallway, their hands joined by their bridge of pinkies and swinging between them.
They had just reached the cafeteria when Artie rolled up.
"Well I guess if you speak of the transformer, he'll have to come," Santana muttered irritably as Brittany leaned down to hug her boyfriend.
"Can I speak with you alone, Brittany?" Artie asked after a moment.
Santana frowned at him. There was a weird, nervous sort of look on his face.
"I'll leave, but if I find out you hurt my girl in any way, I'mma cut a bitch, comprendo?"
Artie looked to her and his eyes seemed to be trying to say something she didn't quite understand.
"Brittany will be with you soon, he said. His heart hurt just saying the seemingly innocent sentence.
Santana lingered a moment, staring at him hard, before rolling her eyes, tossing her hair, and walking away.
Artie sighed heavily, watching Santana's retreating back, then turned back to his girlfriend.
"We need to talk Brittany."
She nodded slowly, perching herself on the detention-desk in the hall.
"What's going on?"
"The thing is, I love you a lot, you know? And that means I want you to be happy."
Brittany nodded again, her trusting eyes fixed on his.
Artie took another deep breath and plunged on.
"I've seen the way Santana looks at you and I've seen the way you look at her, and as much as you mean to me and I know I mean to you, I don't want to be the one holding you back from something truly great. It's always been there, and I've always just ignored it or played it off in my mind as no big deal, after all you chose me. But then I watched you do "Landslide" and everything, well, snowballed from there. You and I- we're great. But you and Santana…you guys belong together. I don't want to hurt either of you or myself even more than I am now, by standing in the way."
"Are you saying you want to break up?" Brittany asked, eyes wide.
"Yes, I…I do. I want to break up."
"Did I do something wrong?" she whispered softly. "Is this because I hurt your legs sitting on them so often or something? I only did it because I saw everyone else do it and you never seemed to mind…"
"No, no. It's not that," Artie hastened to tell her. "Think about what I said Brittany. We're good together. We're great really. But you and Santana-"
"We're awesome."
"Yeah," he agreed, smiling despite himself. "You guys are awesome together. It wouldn't be fair of me to be in the way of that."
Brittany was quiet for a minute.
"So…does this mean we can't be friends anymore and I can't sit on your lap and dance on you and stuff?"
"No, not at all," Artie replied, looking down at his folded hands. "I still want us to do all of that. We just can't…"
"Kiss and get busy anymore?" she finished slowly. Then she smiled at him.
"You were a great boyfriend Artie."
"And you were a great girlfriend," he said wistfully.
Brittany slid off of the desk and kissed him on the cheek.
"I'm gonna miss you, Robot-man," she told him seriously. Then, she grinned and skipped away.
Artie watched her go with the words of "Landslide" ringing in his ears.
.
In the cafeteria, Brittany ran up to where Santana was sitting and hugged her tight. She whispered something in Santana's ear and a look of confusion struck, soon followed by shock and happiness. And then, in the middle of the cafeteria, Santana whispered "love you" and pulled her new girlfriend in for a kiss.
"And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills, Well the landslide bring it down."
A/N-
First Glee fanfic to be published, so I'm excited. This is what I wish would happen on the show. :) Review? Please do. It makes me sing unicorns and dance rainbows...or something like that...:P