Title: Sunbeams, Rain Clouds and Rainbows
Author: agentb81
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Brittany/Santana
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Glee is copyrighted and belongs to Ryan Murphy and Fox. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use.
Summary: A conversation about thoughts and feelings.
Spoilers: None per se. Ever so slight references to previous episodes.
A/N: My first Brittana effort . . .
Brittany was laying on the luscious, fresh green grass near the bleachers of the football field, it was a warm, sunny day in Lima and she was making the most of her lunch break. Santana lay with her head on the blonde's stomach, Brittany idly played with the brunette locks as they both stared up into the sky at the passing white fluffy clouds, shouting out inanimate objects or people of what the clouds resembled.
"Ooh look, a gay shark!" Brittany squealed excitedly.
"You mean a dolphin?" the brunette laughed.
"Yeah, it's the same thing." The blonde grinned.
"I like this." Santana admitted quietly.
"Cloud spotting?" Brittany asked.
"I like that, but not as much as I like spending quiet time with you." She smiled.
"Me too." The other girl replied. "Oh that one looks like the clouds on The Simpsons."
"Yeah, it does." Santana confirmed. "Look at those over there." She pointed into the distance.
"Wow, they look like mountains." Brittany observed.
"They're beautiful."
"You know what I like?"
"What's that Britt?"
"I like when the sun bursts through the clouds and you can see the sunbeams, I love sunbeams."
Santana thought for a moment, "Yeah, sunbeams are cool."
"Your love is like a sunbeam." Brittany said wistfully. The brunette's interest piqued, she lifted her head from the blonde's stomach and rolled over, holding herself up on her elbows. The blonde had a peaceful, serene smile, the sun creating a halo around her features, her blue eyes sparkling, Santana closed her eyes and breathed in the blonde beauty, a smile creeping across her own face. She opened her eyes when she felt a warm hand stroke her cheek.
"What do you mean?" she asked eventually.
Brittany dropped her hand and thought carefully before choosing her words, "Your heart is the sun and you have so much love to give, but you're afraid and don't want to show it, so you hide it, like the sun hides behind the clouds." Santana listened intently at the comparison Brittany was drawing. "But sometimes, when you are with me, you show me little bits of your love, like when you stick up for me, when you hold my hand, when you kiss me." She added shyly. "It's like you're my sunbeam, but to everyone else you are a storm cloud." The blonde winced, wondering if the last part would insult the brunette cheerleader. She watched Santana as she thought about the words that had flooded from her mouth, hoping she hadn't caused any irreparable damage, she squinted her eyes in anticipation of a verbal onslaught. Had she been assuming when she mentioned love? Brittany knew that she loved Santana and was pretty sure the Latina felt the same way, demonstrated in the ways that she treated and behaved with Brittany. Her mother always said 'actions speak louder than words' and she had lived by that for most of her life.
"You're right." Santana whispered. Brittany let go of the breath she hadn't realised she was holding.
"I am?" she asked slightly confused, so seldom had Brittany had the confidence in her own thoughts and words.
"Yes." The brunette smiled. "But for one thing."
"What?"
"I want to be more than a sunbeam for you." Santana leaned in and kissed Brittany sweetly on the lips.
"Mmm, I can help you with that." The blonde smiled.
"You're my rainbow."
"I love rainbows."
"I know you do." Santana laughed.
"Why am I your rainbow?" Brittany asked.
"You work it out." The brunette replied, knowing full well the blonde could work out the analogy on her own. She had, after all, come up with the sunbeam comparison. Many people who met Brittany often gained the wrong impression of her. Sure she said things a little misguided sometimes, but that was Brittany, a little naive and gullible. If anything, Santana thought, it could be down to a lack of confidence and the fact she was often misjudged. The blonde had naturally taken upon this role and lived up to people's expectations. Santana's role therefore was to help Brittany reach her potential, one of her first triumphs was to get Brittany onto the Cheerios squad to help build her social confidence and exploit her undeniable talent that was dancing.
"You get so angry sometimes, it's like a storm and it's like rain, making people's lives miserable." Brittany pondered aloud, she looked up at Santana who frowned at her.
"A little harsh, but continue." The brunette scowled a little, realising the truth in the statement, if she was sure of anything, she could rely on her best friend to tell it how it was.
"And then I'm there, I show you how much I love you, like sunshine. Then there's a rainbow, because sun and rain make rainbows and you calm down and it's like sunshine all of the time. I'm your rainbow." Brittany concluded. "I like the smell of warm rain,"
"Where does the smell of warm rain come in?" Santana asked confused.
"I just like the smell." The blonde stated with simplicity.
"I like the smell of cut grass." The other girl said.
"I like the smell of cotton candy."
"I like the smell of you." Santana smiled and leaned in for another chaste kiss from the blonde. Brittany beamed, she loved her Santana time, she was a completely different person when they were alone. High school was exhausting, especially for the fiery brunette who would do everything she could to get to and stay at the top of the social ladder. Brittany was also eternally grateful for everything Santana did for her, she realised her best friend was fighting a battle on two fronts, it was hard enough engaging in everything high school threw at one person, but Santana was effectively doing it for two. Brittany was Santana's respite, her escapism and little piece of paradise, for the Latina, Brittany was her perfect opposite, they complimented one another in every way. What Brittany didn't realise was that Santana appreciated and loved her more than she knew or would believe.
"I love you Santana." Brittany blurted. It was the first time she had spoken those words directly and was now slightly afraid of the brunette's reaction.
"Britt . . ." Santana started.
"It's ok, you don't have to say it." Brittany offered, her eyes now glistening with unshed tears.
"Let me finish." The brunette chastised. She smiled ruefully before continuing. "I love you too Britt, and I think more than you know."
"You do?" the blonde asked, confusion reigning. Santana raised her eyebrows in answer to her friend. "You do." Brittany concluded.
"What was it you said about sunbeams?" Santana reminded.
"Yeah, sometimes I doubt anyone would want to love me."
"Hey, don't say things like that B."
"I'm sorry. I should be happy; you love me."
"I do love you." Santana smiled genuinely.
"Are we dating now? Because I'd like to date you."
"Brittany, are you asking me out on a date?" Santana gasped in mock shock.
"Yes, Santana would you like to go on a date with me? You know, an official date, because we kind of hang out all the time anyway and I kind of pretend they are dates." The blonde muttered.
"You do?"
"Yeah."
"That's really sweet." Santana admitted, "Of course I would love to go on an official date with you."
"I have one condition." Brittany ordered.
"What's that?" the brunette asked tentatively.
"No more boys." The blonde said seriously.
"No more boys." Repeated Santana, Brittany could see the sincerity in her companions eyes, and truth be told, Santana was putty in the blonde's hands, she would do anything Brittany asked of her. Santana lay on her side and curled up beside the taller cheerleader, she rested her head on her shoulder, closed her eyes and sighed contentedly. She snaked an arm over Brittany's waist and held her tight.
"San, are you scared?" Brittany asked out of the blue, disrupting the peacefulness.
"About what Britt?"
"What people will think or say?"
"I have it covered Britt, they daren't mess with this storm cloud." She smirked.
"Ok." The blonde smiled and too closed her eyes, enjoying the sun and the feel of Santana wrapped around her body, her hand gently stroking the soft skin of Santana's arm on her stomach.
As they lay content in one another's arms, a cool shadow hovered over them.
"What the?" Santana opened her eyes, taking a couple of seconds to register their intruder, she shot up. "What the hell do you want Berry?" Brittany peeped through her squinting eye lids and saw one very angry Rachel Berry, hands on hips, scowl on her face.
"Why weren't you at practice?" the girl hissed. Santana turned and looked down at her friend.
"I thought this was lunch break." Brittany said innocently.
"Lunch break was hours ago, you've missed Glee practice." The standing brunette huffed again.
"We did?" the blonde asked, "I swear it was lunch time." She looked at Santana who shrugged.
"What's it to you Berry?"
"You missed practice, it has an effect on the group dynamics when someone is missing, no less two." Santana glared at her fellow gleek. "I can see my words are not going to have effect on either of you. If you truly cared about Glee club, you would have been there. Today we bonded, we explored feelings."
"So did we." Brittany shared.
"Eww." Rachel scrunched her nose in disgust. Santana jumped to her feet, matching Rachel's stance she leaned in to the brunette.
"It's not like that." The cheerleader defended. Rachel straightened her frame and held her head high, determined not to be defeated by the intimidating Latina.
"Mr Schue gave us an assignment."
"Go on . . ." Santana urged.
"Find a song that defines your relationship with someone close to you."
"Didn't we already do that?"
"While it appears this assignment is similar to that of Ballad, this one can be about anyone and presented in any style."
"That's easy." Brittany muttered from the grass, now sitting up. "Sunshine on a Rainy Day." Santana turned and smiled at Brittany.
"I wasn't aware of your penchant for cheesy 90's British pop music, but I guess it will do." Rachel Berry instantly regretted opening her mouth as soon as she heard her own words. She cringed and scrunched her eyes, awaiting any tirade Santana was to throw at her. It never came. She sneaked one eye open. Brittany was now stood, next to a surly Santana, the blonde's hand resting on the shorter cheerleader's shoulder, almost as a restraint. When Rachel realised the attack was not coming, she gingerly opened the other eye and apologised.
"I'm sorry."
"Rainbow." Brittany said in way of explanation. It was only Santana who got the reference and while proud and somewhat melted by Brittany's intervention, she had an image to uphold, the scowl remained on her face.
"Wear a rain coat tomorrow Berry, looks like rain." The cheerleader snarled.
"Are you sure? I'm pretty sure it's forecast . . ."
"Leave, Rachel." Brittany sighed.
"Ok, I'm gone," Rachel started toward the parking lot and called back over her shoulder, "don't forget practice tomorrow."
Santana huffed, Rachel Berry always managed to grate on her last nerves. Brittany rubbed her back reassuringly and took the shorter girl into a hug when she was sure the coast was clear, knowing exactly what Santana needed, and when she needed it. She continued to stroke the brunette's back, thinking longingly of their first official date, what she would wear, what she would say, where they would go. Her thoughts returned to the conversation she and Santana had just shared, she was proud of her part in the discussion using analogies, Santana always brought out the best in her and pushed her to use her potential, the overwhelming warmth it brought to both girls consequently prompted the exchange of 'I love you's'. It was a perfect moment until the unexpected and poorly timed interruption.
"I really thought we were on lunch."