Author's Note: Hi all. This takes place during the Whitney episode. As you'll see, it makes references to things that sound like you missed something. You did. I haven't written those ficlets yet. This is Pezberry FRIENDSHIP ONLY. There are veiled references to other things, but this sticks to visible canon. I just hated having that random locker scene after So Emotional. It didn't make sense to me. So I came up with what might have led to it.
"Um, Santana?" Rachel's voice sounded downright timid to my ears, though that was probably because she was intruding on a quiet moment between myself and Brittany. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
Before a word could leave my mouth, I felt the gentle squeeze of my girlfriend's hands around my waist. Spinning in her arms, I let the warmth and safety of loving arms keep my tone from its usual level of bitchiness. "I suppose. What do you need Rachel?" Strong fingers gripped harder for a second, letting me know that I've said the right thing. Screw it, the place of rage is just something I can't find when I've got my girl by my side like this.
"I... Finn told me last week that you helped him pick out the earrings he gave me back at Christmas. If I'd known sooner, of course I would have properly thanked you. However, he apparently was concerned that I would take it amiss to know that the girl who deflow-" Either she noticed that I was about to stop her, or maybe for once she realized that she was talking too much and censored herself. Whichever it was, she had the decency to blush and try again. "Anyway, I wanted to thank you for helping him pick them out. They were lovely."
"So lovely you returned them, isn't that right?" The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. And dammit all if she didn't get that hangdog look on her face that for some reason tore me up. "Sorry, sorry. I know you donated the money to the shelter. You're welcome. Is that all? Because I was kind of busy when you showed up." Assuming that was the end of things, I started to turn once more to face Brittany. Finding my movement restricted by those wonderful hands again tightening, I looked up. "Britt?"
"Um, well, no? That is, I had an idea for the assignment for Glee and well I kind of need help looking sexy and yerthsexgrino." The words came out in a rush and by the end of her sentence, Rachel was talking so quickly and quietly that the last of it jumbled into a single word of confusing and inarticulate syllables.
Brittany, however, apparently understood exactly what Rachel was saying. "Of course she is, Rachel, but what makes you think that you can ask her that with her girlfriend standing right here?" I know why Britt doesn't like Rachel, though she uses it more as an excuse for rough sex than anything else these days. Rather than letting myself drift into thoughts about that, I focus on whatever it was I just missed.
"Wait, I missed something. What did you just say to me? Because you know if you upset Brittz, I will ENDZ you Berry." The familiar tones of my Lima Heights Adjacent voice ring hollow in my ears, but they seem to cow the girl sufficiently.
Rachel's eyes darted back and forth as she seemed to decide something. She stepped in and lowered her voice. "I said you were the sexiest girl I know and I'm sorry Brittany, I didn't mean anything like that by it. Of course I would love your input as well, I just know that the song I had in mind is more in Santana's wheelhouse than yours and, well... I know you don't like me." She shut her eyes and seemed to brace, as if she thought one of us were going to hit her or make a slushie appear out of nowhere.
I knew singing I Kissed A Girl with her was a mistake. The events that led to the song performance and the aftermath had caused ripples in my relationships with several of the members of Glee, though someone looking from the outside in might never have noticed it. If they had, they'd probably attributed it to many other things besides those fateful days, but again, beside the point. For now, I just needed to face this one head on. "What song?"
Those god-damned puppy eyes popped open as Rachel responded. "Um, I thought 'So Emotional' would be a wonderful song for me to express some feelings and it has a good beat that I could try dancing to like you do? I of course have taken many a dance class, but the particular essence that oozes from you when you are dancing - largely for Brittany's benefit I am sure - is something I have yet to capture successfully on any kind of regular basis." Once again her words came out in a rush, nearly too quickly for me to understand them.
"Let me get this straight. You want ME to sing a song with YOU. One that is all about cheating on your lover. After everything that's happened this year, you thought it would be okay to ask me this? As you said, you know that Brittany doesn't like you. AND YOU KNOW WHY. Why in the FUCK did you think I'd say yes to this?" To be honest, she was right. Our voices would sound amazing if we split it up and did the song as a duet. And it was the right type of song for the type of dancing she was asking me for help on. And Brittany and I were fine. Are fine. But still, how could she ask that?
"Because you know why I want to sing it. And Finn won't understand it anyway. He'll see it as you and I working together. He'll like the dancing and getting to feel like he made something happen when it has nothing to do with him. Though I suppose it does. And because YOU told me not to worry about the rest anymore. Don't you remember? Or was that something I wasn't supposed to say in front of Brittany?" It would seem that our last private conversation was now something for public consumption.
I sighed. "Look, I don't wanna talk about this at school. And low blow, by the way. Gotta admit, it reminds me of me a bit. Come over after dinner, okay? We'll talk about it. And yeah, sure, we can work on the song. But for now, I have more important things to do." And with that, I finally finished my turn in my loving girlfriend's arms and captured cool lips with my own, willing Rachel to finally take the hint and get lost. I didn't hear anything further out of her mouth, so I suppose she did.
A/N2: There will be at least one more chapter for this one, then sequels/prequels as the mood strikes. Hope you enjoyed it!