A/N: AU Klaine wedding. Brittany and Santana never got back together after 4x04 (The Break-Up).

As the band begins to play again and I hear the first notes of the song they've chosen, my heartbeat speeds up significantly and my eyes flit up automatically, as if separate from my mind. One glance across the room shows Brittany having the exact same reaction. We haven't talked in ages. But this is our song.

Valerie. Of course the band had to play Valerie. Did Kurt and Blaine plan this? Are they doing this on purpose in some pathetic attempt to get me and Britt back together again? I mean, yeah, we're both single now, but that doesn't change the fact that we've grown apart since our break-up, no matter how much we promised each other that wouldn't happen.

Then there was that period of her dating Sam. And me dating Dani. But through all of that, I never forgot about her. How could I? Still, we aren't as close as we used to be. At reunions and whenever Mr. Schue called us back into Glee club every now and then, we got along fine. Of course we did. But it was never quite the same. And no matter how much I want, no, need to dance this song with her, I can't just ask her. Because that would be weird.

When I look up again, however, Brittany is standing over me, holding out her hand. We haven't really spoken all evening, save for the necessary hellos, and we're seated at different tables. But here she is. My heart is beating way too fast and my stomach is fluttering but I can't deny her this. She needs it just as much as I do. So I give her a warm smile and take her hand, letting her pull me off my chair and lead me to the dance floor.

We get there and she turns around to face me, not letting go of my hands. I'm not complaining. I watch her face. She is in love with the music, in love with dancing; she has been for as long as I've known her. It's one of the many things I admire about her. It's so hard to find pure passion like that anymore these days.

I move in precise synchronization with her feet. Her steps are perfectly timed to the beat, as always. I haven't heard this song in so long. I forgot how much I loved it. I want to look around at the rest of the guests, I want to look around at our old friends and see their familiar faces, let them drag me back to my happiest days with them. I want to see how everyone is reacting to what we're doing. But I can't bring myself to tear my eyes off of Brittany, even for a second. Not while we're dancing to Valerie, like we have so many times before.

Her enthusiasm and energy is fascinating, compelling, and I need to soak it in as much as I can before the song is over and I've lost her again. Every joyful breath she takes intoxicates me with flashes of the past. Her long blonde hair falls perfectly around her face, it's wavy today, her bangs stopping just above her eyes, and her baby pink dress accentuates her skin tone wonderfully. She looks way better in it than I do in my own purple dress. I forgot how flawless she is. Somehow, I always forget until I see her again.

She smells fresh, of springtime and hope. She's smelled this way for as long as I can remember. She smells like home, she always has.

For a brief moment I wish it was us up there singing that song. It doesn't feel right when someone else is singing it anymore. For a brief moment I wish we were back at Sectionals in 2010, with me singing it and her doing that dance routine with Mike Chang. That was one of the happiest days of my life despite how long it took to get there. For a brief moment I wish we were back just rehearsing for that competition. For a brief moment I wish we were back reliving one of the many, many times we sang and danced alone to this song in one of our bedrooms. Those were some of the most innocent and special moments in our entire relationship. Moments where I truly felt we belonged together.

I miss her. God, I miss her so much. I mean, I realize she's right in front of me, but I'll always miss her. Just like I'll probably always love her.

I don't even notice the silly grin on my face as she twirls me around. I need to snap back to the present, need to enjoy this moment with the girl and the song that mean so much to me. I'm at my friends' wedding, anyway. This is a time to be having fun.

Brittany sure is. She's beaming at me. As the song comes to a finish, she pulls me in for a hug. Her scent envelops me at the same time as her arms do and I've never been overcome with a bigger wave of nostalgia in my life. Somehow I never quite understand how much I need her in my life until I have a chance at it again.

My chin rests on her shoulder and I'm squeezing her tight as her arms rest on my back. This is one of those everlasting moments you always read about but never get to experience yourself.

I want this moment to be eternal. More than anything in the world, I want this moment to never be over. Her arms have been around me so many times before but it's never felt this good. At least, not that I can remember.

I'm not stupid. I know that the minute the song is over, so is this special and wonderful reconnection and I have to go back to my normal, boring, somehow empty life. Maybe she doesn't even feel as incredible as I do right now. But somehow, as her gentle hands caress my back and softly stroke the tips of my hair, I can't quite bring myself to believe that.

The final notes of the song ring out loudly in the hall where the wedding party is being held. All good things must come to an end. Sure enough, Brittany pulls away, but she still doesn't remove her hands from my forearms, where she's placed them now. She's staring at me. We still haven't said any actual words, not that we really need to. I'm about to turn around and leave, I can feel the tears coming on and I don't need her to see that, but before I can, the next song starts, and I feel her strong arms tighten their grip on mine.

"Wait." She speaks so peacefully, so quietly, so thinly that it leaves me wondering how that one pale word even made it across her lips.

I want to pull away, I do. But I haven't heard her voice in so long – and it's so beautiful, so entrancing, so angelic – that I just can't.

"Dance this one with me, too." She whispers, and the silky sound of her voice sends shivers down my spine.

The song the band has started playing now is Heaven by Bryan Adams. Looking around, goose bumps all over my skin, I see couples taking the dance floor, Kurt and Blaine among them. It's a beautiful song, I've always loved it. But I can't help feeling weird about this.

Who am I to say no to Brittany, though? I let her slip an arm around my waist and take my hand with the other one. I put my free hand on her shoulder. We move around slowly, bodies pressed together. I inhale deeply. I need to take in her smell, savor it, remember it. I miss this.

She reaches up briefly to stroke my cheek before placing her arm back around my waist. Her eyes are glinting with what may be tears. As the band's singer begins to sing the first few words, I hear her voice joining in. I look at her. She's looking deep into my eyes as she softly sings along under her breath, just quiet enough for only me to hear it.

Oh, thinking about our younger years

There was only you and me

We were young and wild and free.

I exhale. I didn't even know I'd been holding my breath. She pulls me in closer. Her mouth hovers by my ear. She doesn't sing along to every line, but when the song moves into the chorus I hear her starting again.

And baby, you're all that I want

When you're lying here in my arms

I'm finding it hard to believe we're in heaven

And love is all that I need

And I found it there in your heart

It isn't too hard to see we're in heaven.

This is amazing. I don't know how to feel about anything right now, and I certainly don't want to think (not that I could with her so close to me), but the one thing I know for sure is that this is amazing. When the next verse begins, I can't help myself, and I hear my voice take over the quiet singing.

Oh, once in your life you find someone

Who will turn your world around

Bring you up when you're feeling down

Yeah, nothing could change what you mean to me

Oh, there's lots that I could say

But just hold me now

Our love will light the way.

I've never realized the full intensity and truth of this song's lyrics in comparison to us and our relationship before, but now that I think about it, they describe us almost perfectly. In my opinion, at least. Judging by the way Brittany is passionately humming along to the tune and the way she is holding me so close, I can guess that she feels the same way.

She joins in again at the next chorus. The two of us finish the song, more or less whispering the lyrics to each other, and as it ends, she looks into my eyes once more before locking our lips together.

All of a sudden I feel like I'm actually in heaven. This is magic. The earth seems to move away from under my feet. God, how I've missed kissing her. It always was the most unbelievably wonderful feeling in the whole entire world, but this time, it's different. More mature. And it almost feels as if there's more love in it than there ever has been before. Maybe because it's been so long that all the love we have built up inside for each other is finally being released and it's so strong. Who knows. I don't know anything anymore.

A new, more upbeat song begins and we stay on the dance floor longer still, both with renewed energy and a healthy glow on our faces I can remember from high school that has somehow been missing ever since then. Until now.

Who knows what will become of us in the future. For now I'm content to just be here, in this moment, sharing it with Brittany, the girl I'll never stop loving even if I ever try to. For now I'm just purely happy, plain and simple, for what may be the first time in forever.

With hopeful thoughts of a new life with the girl of my dreams floating around in my mind, I need to remind myself to thank Blaine and Kurt for bringing us back together tonight before I leave. Not just us two, but everyone. I really do wish I saw my old friends more often.

And who knows. Maybe there's still time to do just that. With the way tonight has gone, I think anything's possible.

A/N: Hope you liked it! Leave me a review