Sunset
When Santana gets the invitation to return to McKinley to say goodbye to the Glee club, Dani's the one to encourage her to go. She can see the reluctance on her girlfriend's face, the uncertainty filling mocha eyes, but Dani helps her push them aside. She's grown from Lima now, she's made something of herself - going back and reminiscing isn't a bad thing.
"You should go babe," Dani urges, her fingers brushing through Santana's hair where the other girl is curled against her, eyes scanning the text message she'd received from Quinn over and over.
"I don't know." Santana's sigh says more than her words will, but Dani doesn't comment on it. She knows Brittany will be there. Quinn didn't say it, but Santana could tell, and Dani could sense the reasoning for the tension in her girlfriend's shoulders.
"Go," she insists, sitting them up and leaning in to press a kiss to Santana's lips. "It'll be fun, and when all is said and done, you can come right back here to me."
As much as she'd encouraged her girlfriend to go, Dani can't ignore the fact that she hates it when she's gone. Santana's become a big part of her life over the past few months, and while things aren't exactly serious between them, but she knows they're getting there. They'd made it through Santana losing Finn, Dani thinking she'd gotten a recording contract and losing it, and the dismissal of Santana and Rachel from the band.
Santana calls her as soon as she lands in Lima, and a dopey grin spreads across Dani's lips as she curls up in her bed, burrowing into a jacket Santana had left behind when she'd left that morning.
"Hey you," she says softly into her phone, closing her eyes and picturing the other girl. "How was the flight?"
"Ridiculous," Santana retorts, and she can't help but smile. She can hear the bitchiness and annoyance dripping from Santana's words, and it reminds her just how much she loves the passion and fire in the other girl. "I had to sit next to some fat ass that apparently forgot what soap was and probably smoked five packs just before getting on the plane."
Dani lets out a quiet chuckle, shaking her head. "Are you glad to be back?"
Santana falters for just a moment, and Dani can hear the way she draws in an unsteady breath. "Yeah," she finally replies, and Dani notices the emotion that's heavy in her voice. "Yeah, I am."
When she hears from Santana again, it's later that same night. The picture of the two of them pops up on her phone, Here Comes The Sun playing through her room as she runs to her phone, grabbing it and dropping down onto the couch. "Hey babe!"
"I sang with Brittany."
Santana's words, in lieu of a greeting, and guilty and strained, and Dani finds herself doing a double take as she tries to catch up. "Wait, what?"
"I sang with Brittany. In Glee today. And Quinn. Britt...she was just so sad, and acting like a robot. So we redid Toxic. It was one of the group numbers we did-"
"Your junior year. Britney week. I remember, babe." She always remembered. Hearing about Santana's Glee club had become one of Dani's favorite things to do, and she was pretty sure she could name when and where every performance she'd ever done happened. "So what, babe? She's your best friend. You're allowed to sing with her."
She could hear Santana's sigh of relief through the phone, and felt her stomach tangle with something unpleasant that she couldn't quite name. "You're really not mad?"
"Of course not," Dani replied, her voice full of reassurance and something akin to love. "I trust you, Santana. I don't care who you sing or dance with. You're mine, and a couple songs aren't going to change that."
They talk for hours that night, and fall asleep together on the phone. When Dani wakes up the next morning, it's with a smile on her face. Still, that unpleasant tangling that made itself known on the phone last night is there, and doesn't go away for the entirety of her shift. It's not until later, when she's cooking dinner with Elliott, that she understands what it is.
"You're jealous," Elliott says with a shrug, stirring the sauce as he glances to the side at her.
"I'm not- no, that's ridiculous." Dani waves him off as her phone rings, her frown morphing into a smile when she sees it's Santana calling. "I'm not jealous," she adds, pointing her finger with him as she walks to her bedroom, making sure to shut the door extra loud behind her. "Santana, hi. How was your day?"
"It was good," Santana replies, and there's a peace and ease to her voice that makes Dani's smile grow even wider. "I've really missed...everyone." She hesitates on that last bit, and Dani notices, but she doesn't comment. They trust each other, there's no reason for them not to, and she knows Santana will tell her if something happens that she needs to know.
"Did you sing again?" she asks, settling back with her head on Santana's pillow.
"Yeah, I did. We did a duet of Valerie."
"We?" Dani asks, the tension returning.
"Yeah," Santana replies, her voice still light but taking on an edge. "Brittany and I did."
"That's awesome, babe," Dani replies, forcing herself to not let anything but support and happiness show through her voice. "I'm glad you're having fun."
They talk for a few more minutes, but it's strained and not quite as free flowing as it had been before, and when Dani hangs up, for the first time since she and Santana started dating, she feels their foundation wobble beneath her feet.
Santana doesn't call her the next night.
Dani tries not to let it bother her, tries not to let her mind run wild with possibilities. She trusts Santana, she does, but she knows how much Brittany means to her girlfriend, knows how much history they have. It's hard to not feel concerned, especially when she remember theirs phone call from the day before.
She's awoken at 2:30 in the morning with a phone call.
"Santana?" she asks, her voice groggy with sleep. "What's wrong, babe?"
"Brittany kissed me."
She can hear it. The guilt, the regret are obvious, but the happiness, the relief...Dani can hear them, and they slice through her like a knife.
"Oh."
She hears the choked sob come through the other end of the phone, her hand running through blue hair as she sits up, trying to clear her foggy mind so she can come up with the proper words.
"I'm sorry," Santana says, and it feels like more than just two words. I'm sorry I still love her. I'm sorry I always held something back from you. I'm sorry I don't know what I want.
"It's okay, Santana," Dani says softly, feeling the tears sting at her eyes. "I know you love her. You should be with her."
"I- I don't know," Santana says, and Dani lets out a soft sigh. "I don't know what I want."
"I'll be here when you figure it out," Dani says quietly, and while she can't help but hope that Santana chooses her, she knows she's fighting a losing battle.
She doesn't hear from Santana again for a few days, and the radio silence has been all but confirmation that Santana chose Brittany.
Still, Dani hangs onto hope. Santana's her sun, and Dani really doesn't want to live in darkness again.
But when Santana finally calls her, the dread that fills Dani's stomach is far too great, her hands shaky as she pressed the green button and brings the phone to her ear.
Santana's silent on the other end, and that's confirmation enough for Dani. She can hear the shaky breaths, her own coming out choppy and unsure, and it's all she can do to not break down sobbing right then.
"We're going on a vacation," Santana finally says, and Dani wants to stop her, wants to cut off the words before her heart breaks even more. "Brittany and I. We're going to Lesbos...Brittany's idea."
Dani nods, knowing Santana can't see it but not able to form words. She knows Santana's not telling her to cause pain, she's telling her because she's a good person, because she's honest, but every word is like a knife right into her chest.
"I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun," Dani replies, her voice watery with unshed tears. "Tell Brittany-" she chokes on a sob, unable to fight the tears as they slide down her cheeks. "Tell Brittany how lucky she is."
It's all she can say, and with a shaky hand, she presses the end button. She doesn't want to hear anymore. She can't stomach the thought of their happy ending when her own world just shattered.
Santana was always her sun, and Dani's world is all darkness.
When she finally sees Santana again, it's years later. Dani's saying her last goodbye to New York, her Hollywood Hills home waiting for her on the other side of the country. Her dog is pulling at his leash as she walks him through Central Park, eyes downcast in an attempt to keep herself hidden from the paparazzi that have become her worst enemy lately.
She hears her laugh before she sees her. Santana's laugh had been Dani's favorite sound once upon a time - it was always so bright, so full of life, and it caused a throb in Dani's heart that she hadn't felt in years.
She sees them before they see her, and Dani gives herself a moment to observe before she makes her presence known. Brittany's left hand is clasped tight in Santana's right, but it's the occupation of their other hands that makes Dani's breath catch in her throat. Santana's is resting protectively over her swollen belly, the ring on her finger glistening in the sunlight. And Brittany's - Dani feels a smile spread across her face when she sees the tiny hand clasped in Brittany's, a young boy tottering alongside the two of them.
She debates turning and leaving without saying a word, but before she can make up her mind, Santana spots her, her walk faltering as her grip on Brittany's hand visibly tightens. Dani watches Brittany turn to look at her, a questioning look on her face, and she can see the debate on Santana's face. Not wanting to deal with the awkward introductions, Dani turns away, not sparing another glance backwards as she glances down at the ring adorning her own finger.
Sometimes, she reminds herself as she makes her way through the park, sometimes, a sunset can be just as beautiful as a sunrise.