Title: Thank you

Rating: K

Pairing: Artie Abrams x Brittany Pierce

Word Count:

Summary: Artie had to tell her something after all that she had, somehow, done for him. My 'fluffy' take on 'A very Glee Christmas'.

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

Warnings: Spoilers from episode 2x10.

"I only want one thing for Christmas.."
-

It came to Artie's mind suddenly as he started to stand up from the chair in the choir room.

He was standing up.

His gaze shifted to the contraption around his legs and back and to the pair of crutches he was leaning on as he slowly came to his full height. The soft hissing of machinery intermingling with the delighted gasp of his girlfriend were the only things heard in the full yet completely stunned-silent room. Artie was surprised that no one could hear his own heart, thumping furiously in his chest.

"Do you see my boyfriend, over there?"

He stole a glance at Brittany. Her hands were on her mouth, blue eyes wide with joy and (a lump formed in his throat as he noticed) glassy with a light layer of tears.

He glanced at the ground once again, mostly to gain composure and not cry in front of everyone. When he looked up, he met the shocked stares of the whole Glee Club. Tina was in the front, equally shocked but smiling softly.
"It's called a Rewalk," he explained softly, trying to keep his voice steady. His arms, he realized, were trembling slightly and he honestly didn't know if it was due to fact they were holding him up on the crutches or because the enormity of what was happening was just sinking in.

"A guy in Israel invented it." Santana, Quinn, Puck and Finn had gotten closer and he smiled at them; with the corner of his eye, he caught Brittany happily mouth something that he couldn't understand to Santana.

"I can't use it all the time..but..." he said, looking down from his feet to the crowd and then to Brittany. She was beaming and looking at him with expectation, literally bouncing on her heels. He grinned, failing to hide his own happiness. "Check me out."

He pressed a button on his wrist and he moved on the crutches as the Rewalk made his legs move.

He was walking.

In the hushed silence of the choir room, he only heard the machine's hissing, the crutches hitting the floor and occasionally Brittany's restrained outbursts of joy and encouragement as she walked, step by step next to him; her eyes fixed on his legs and her smile never ending.

After a couple of steps, he stopped and looked at her. The blonde girl beamed at him and he beamed back, unable to restrain himself.

He looked in front of him, only to meet the stunned looks of everybody.

"Where did you get it?" Quinn asked from behind him.

"We went home and it was sitting under my Christmas tree," Brittany explained as though it was the most normal thing in the world.

"How the hell did you afford that thing?" Sam exclaimed, as everyone stepped forward and surrounded Artie.

"I didn't buy it," Brittany confessed with a smile, looking at everyone. "I didn't know what it was. I thought was a Transformer."

On the other hand, Artie still couldn't get over the shock of actually seeing and recognizing what the 'Transformer' was.

"I assumed her dad got it for me.." Artie whispered, turning to Santana who was on his left. The girl looked at him with slight confusion and interest. "But he has no idea where it came from. He went to take a long poop and when he came back, it was there."

The Latina who had, uncharacteristically, listened to him without commenting, smirked slightly. The other girls around him had heard that too and looked at each other in confusion.

"So, if no one we know bought if for you..." Rachel said, wording everyone's thoughts, 'Then...?'

"Santa brought it," Brittany affirmed with certainty. Artie looked at her and she just smiled back. It was the smile she had when she told him about sending Santa a letter. The one she had when she made her Christmas wish...

For Christmas.. I want him to be able to walk.

The room went silent again as everyone tried to take in the news.

"Santa…?" Mercedes said in awe, staring at him.

Artie looked at her and smiled. For once, he didn't want to find a rational explanation. He just took in the smiling face of his girlfriend and felt a mixture of immense joy, love and... incredulity.
He was standing and walking! This had to be some sort of miracle! And although, he knew that there had to be an explanation somewhere (namely Coach Beiste) for once he wanted to believe. Just like Brittany did.

You can do that, can you, Santa?

"Santa." Artie confirmed with a nod. He saw Brittany's smile widen and he smiled too. Turning around, he saw that Santana and Quinn were smiling as well.
"A real Christmas miracle." Quinn remarked, approaching him. Brittany nodded in agreement and Artie just couldn't agree more as he let the ReWalk allow him to take a few more steps.

-:-

Everyone had left to go home and get ready for Christmas Eve. Finn and Puck had asked if he wanted to be dropped home by car but Artie had gently refused saying that it would take a while to take the Re-Walk off and be ready. Moreover, he had noticed that Brittany had refused to go home with Santana just to go home together.

He was sitting on a chair, feeling slightly tired. It had been a while since he actually got so physically tired. Yes, his physiotherapy sessions did leave him exhausted but this was different: it also left him a with a feeling of yearning.

He wished that he could feel the tiredness in his legs and not just his arms and back. Like when in football practice, the other jocks would complains for the cramps and he would just wheel over.

'No..' he thought, shaking the broody sensations out of his mind. 'I can't think of this now. Not now.'

He had just walked, for crying out loud! He should just be.. happy. Especially when a few hours ago, he had comforted his girlfriend, saying that he was completely fine..

"It isn't fair that you can't walk, Artie. I feel so terrible.."

She had done so much for him...
He had spent the last days, thinking that he was trying to make her Christmas special while, it had been the way round the whole time.

He looked up and was surprised to meet a pair of sky blue eyes staring down at him. He hadn't even heard Brittany approach him since he was so caught in his thoughts. Last he had seen her, she was by the door saying goodbye and Christmas wishes to her fellow Cheerios friends.

"Hey.." he said with a smile. Brittany smiled back.

"Hey.." she replied and stared him, "You look a lot like me after Coach Sylvester decided that three hours of practice aren't enough for one day."

That made him smile.

"Yeah... I feel a bit tired but it's nothing.." he said; seeing her stare still bore into him, he grinned. "Really, I'm fine, Britt."

She grinned back and crouched down, putting her hands on his knees. He didn't feel her touch so he put his hands on hers, entwining their fingers together.

"Do you want me to help you take it off?" she asked softly, looking at the Re-Walk.

He looked at her., remembering the look on her face when he, incredulously explained her what the Re-Walk was and -no, it's not a Transformer.-.

The anticipation in her eyes, the suggestion to go back to school so that everyone could see him walk and actually see that Santa had brought the gift.

And, again, he thought that she had done all of this.

The fact that she still believed in Santa Claus and his Christmas magic had forced him to scheme the act with the Santa in the mall and then, the whole act with Santa Coach Beiste.

She had asked and he had walked. Brittany had truly got her Christmas wish and he had found hope that he had almost lost.

He wanted to tell her how he felt, thank her for everything...

He had bought a Christmas gift. A set of mother duck and ducklings plushies that she had cooed over one day that they had been in the mall together, was carefully wrapped and put under her Christmas tree with a note saying that Santa had brought it after receiving Artie's letter.

But still... he felt it wasn't enough..

"Artie.?"

The boy blinked and tried to focus. Brittany was staring at him and looked slightly worried.

"Are you all right?" she asked, her face getting closer to his. He felt this sudden, urgent desire to kiss her as he caught a whiff of her flowery perfume and just got lost in her blue eyes.

"I have to tell you something." he blurted out.

-:-

She stared at him. First, he spaced out and now... he wants to talk to her..?

"What do you want to tell me?" she asked looking confused and cocking her head to a side.

"-Er.. you have to.." Artie mumbled, unlacing their fingers and gently stroking the back of her hands with his thumbs. She smiled: she liked it when he did that. "You.. have to stand up and step back a few steps."

She eyed him curiously but did as she was told. She stepped three steps away from him and stood there with her hands on her waist.

"Ok.." she said. "Now what?" Did he want to play some sort of game..?

"Now.." he said. "Close your eyes and open them when I'll tell you, ok?"

..or maybe, it was surprise? She grinned.

"Are you going to give me something?" she asked eagerly but then somberly, added: "Or are you going to trick me and leave me here while you run off? It already happened in second grade when we were all playing hide and seek.. My Mom came to pick me up after three hours and I was still waiting..."

Artie stared at her and shook his head.

"No, I would never trick you or do something like that to you.." he said, "Besides.. I can't really run away, Britt." He grinned cheekily. "The Re-Walk just allows me to walk around a bit.." Artie looked at her and smiled gently. "I just want to tell you something but.. I want to do it well..."

Satisfied by his answer, she nodded and closed her eyes.

In the dark, she just stood still. Suddenly, she heard soft shuffling.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Just a moment.." she heard him say, "Just have a bit more of patience... but don't open your eyes."

She waited, humming 'Jingle Bells' under her breath and thinking that in a couple of hours it would be Christmas.

As she was musing over opening her gifts or having the Christmas party with all her family, she heard a soft hissing and recognized the sound of the Transformer.

"Artie..?" she called in the dark but he didn't answer.

For a couple of moments, the only thing she heard was the sound of machinery. She stood still and waited, ignoring the little bit of concern that was surfacing inside her. She didn't need to worry. She trusted Artie: he wouldn't leave her there like those kids at school or trick her..

"Ok.. Open your eyes."

His voice was close to her: that was the first thing she noticed as she opened her eyes. Then she noticed his smile. That crooked, shy and adorably sweet smile he would give her. His brown hair fell on his face and shaded his eyes slightly.

"I know that it's late and that we should be going.." he said softly, "But I really wanted to stand in front of you for a moment and look at you... and talk." He seemed to have added the last word as an afterthought.

Silently, Brittany took a step forward and brushed his hair out of his eyes with her hand and then rested it on his cheek.

Artie stared at her without speaking. She noticed that his eyes were fixed on hers. It was then that she noticed some details that were unknown to her before.

"Brit..?" he mumbled after a while.

"We're the same height" she stated, getting closer to him. "That's cool: no one's tall as me! Usually, they're shorter and only Finn and Mike are taller."

Artie grinned and she smiled at him, getting even closer. There were barely a couple o inches between them now.

"And... your eyes... they seem different" she added thoughtfully.

"Different?" he asked with a small smile. "Maybe it's just the light or.-..?"

His smile froze on his face just like his voice as she traced a line with her fingers from his cheek to his nose and then forehead, skipping his glasses. She smiled when she saw the blush coloring his face.

"Yeah.." she replied softly. "You eyes are usually grayish-blue and they're really pretty behind your glasses but now.." She gazed intently at him, ignoring the burning red that was his face now. "Now, they're a lot more blue...and bright...and.."

Brittany's face was impossibly close to Artie's. He looked as though he was going to catch fire: his face was red beyond belief. She beamed and moved her lips so that they ghosted over his.

"And it makes you look really hot." she whispered. "More than usual."

Artie blushed, if possible, even more and Brittany's smile widened. Satisfied, she was going to lean back and was going to ask what he wanted to tell her, when he moved forward, surprising her, and kissed her.

Brittany's eyes widened. This wasn't the first time that they kissed: they had done lots more than just kissing in these months that they were dating.

What surprised was that Artie had started the kiss. It was usually her that started anything between them: sex, kisses, hugs.. She always thought that it was because his legs didn't work and he couldn't move like she could. Most of all, reach up to her..
She looked at him and saw that his eyes were fixed on her. Brittany felt her face warm up at the tender, loving gaze he gave her. Without thinking twice, she kissed him back, hand cupping his cheeks and enjoying the warm tingling that his kisses gave her.
Moments later, they broke the kiss and just stood in front of one another, foreheads touching. Brittany's fingers caressed Artie's face.

"What did you want to tell me?" she asked, looking at him. He smiled, balancing himself on the Transformer.

"I love you." he said with a smile and Brittany felt a nice warm tingling again as her heart did a little jump. Artie usually whispered these words to her when they were alone at home..

"I love you, too." she said, smiling.

"And... Thanks for everything."

"What for?" Brittany stared at him, confused. Artie smiled widened.

"For being you. For having asked...Santa to make me walk. For not giving up.." He looked at her intently. "For loving me."

Brittany smiled.

"Well.. you're welcome." she replied and leaned forward again for a kiss. As their lips met again, she heard him whisper a soft 'Thank you.'. Smile widening, she thought that this was one of the best Christmases ever.

A little ficlet that was lying, unfinished in my laptop. Hope you guys liked it..
Please, read and review..! ;)
Bye!