The night was freezing as I stepped out the crowded hotel room away from the sleeping glee girls. I didn't fail to notice that a certain Latina was missing from the room but I naturally assumed she was in the bathroom or maybe in the guy's room talking to Noah. I was proved wrong when as I stepped into the cold night air I heard the quiet strumming of a guitar I was almost surprised she wasn't trying to wake everyone else up by playing loudly.

Santana was sat on the lounger cross legged with a blanket draped over her shoulders and Noah's acoustic guitar perched on her right thigh as she gazed at a notebook in front her seemingly scrutinizing it. I silently shut the glass sliding door and leant on the doorway hoping to be undetected. She continued staring down at her notebook as she started to play a more up tempo song on the guitar which she must have written herself because I didn't recognise it.

hey-hey-hey you and me keep on dancing in the dark,
it's been tearing me apart, never knowing what we are.
hey-hey-hey you and me keep on trying to play it cool,
now it's time to make a move and that's what I'm gonna do

I gazed at her noting the subtle sadness in her voice that was normally so arrogant

lay it all down
got something to say
lay it all down
throw your doubt away
do or die now
step onto the plate
blow the door wide open like up up and away

I slid my back down the door pulling my knees to my chest as I listened to her. From years of training and watching musicals I learnt to pick out intention through lyrics and the way they are sung and all I could convince myself of at this point was Santana trying to convince herself of something.

let's light up the world tonight
you gotta give up the bark and bite
I know that we got the love alright
come on and li~li~light it up, light it up tonight

let's light up the world tonight
you gotta give up the bark and bite
I know that we got the love alright
come on and li~li~light it up, light it up tonight

It then struck me, this was of course about Brittany. I had heard Santana describe her to Quinn in a private bathroom conversation as the light the guides her way. Which was then met with a cruel joke by the blonde and one of them storming out, My guess is Quinn. I couldn't really tell from my hiding place in the cubicle but I could definetly tell the one who stayed cried for a minute or two before leaving.

hey-hey-hey you and me turn it up ten thousand watts.
Tell me why we've gotta stop, I just want to let it rock.

hey~hey~hey you and me keep on staring at the road,
like we don't know where to go, step back, let me take control.

I found myself smirking at how very Santana these lyrics were but also surprised at how Santana writing didn't seem out of place to me.

lay it all down
got something to say
lay it all down
throw your doubt away
do or die now
step onto the plate
blow the door wide open like up up and away

I took a risk and sang along quietly to the chorus, thankful when she either didn't hear or care and continued singing.

let's light up the world tonight
you gotta give up the bark and bite
I know that we got the love alright
come on and li~li~light it up, light it up tonight

let's light up the world tonight
you gotta give up the bark and bite
I know that we got the love alright
come on and li~li~light it up, light it up tonight

My body subconsciously was swaying to the beat my shoulders alternating between heights as I did, this song was already making my body do things I didn't want it to.

hey hey hey you.
hey hey hey you.
hey hey hey you.
hey hey hey you.

On the "you" of the first line Santana looked up smirking at me but it seemed more friendly and indicated with her head to the notebook. I stood up slowly and sat on the edge of the seat near her knees. We sang the three other lines together and then she stopped singing, but continued playing, She wants me to sing. I cleared my throat a little and obliged

lay it all down,
got something to say.
lay it all down,
throw your doubt away.
do or die now,
step onto the plate
blow the door wide open like up up and away

I was almost amused when with an almost playful smile she sang the "up up and away". We sang the rest of it as a duet taking turns to echo each other both smiling.

let's light up the world tonight
you gotta give up the bark and bite
I know that we got the love alright
come on and li~li~light it up, light it up tonight

let's light up the world tonight
you gotta give up the bark and bite
I know that we got the love alright
come on and li~li~light it up, light it up tonight

She finished playing and leant both her arms on the body of the guitar, her head resting on her folded arms. "What are you doing out here Berry?" I would normally have been offended by her remark but there was no hostility in her tone, only mild curiosity. "Well it was getting cramped in the room with the amount of people in there and due to my minor claustrophobia I felt a significant temperature rise and I felt crushed and trapped and" She looked up straight into my eyes "You needed to get out and just breathe" I nodded wordlessly surprised at her lack of insults.

"If I may Santana, why are you out here?" She reached behind her and pulled out a cigar and lighter placing it in front of her folded legs. "Can't smoke in there and I just wanted to sing I guess I've been tryin' to work up the lady balls to sing this to Bri- uh someone and I just feel like I can't"
"Does Brittany scare you?" She smirked and rolled her eyes "In a way yes. The way she can be so carefree and all forgiving and loving scares the crap out of me cause I can't even be that to anyone but her and all I can think is one day she will realise she could do so much better, for a best friend y'know" She blushed at her little cover up at the end.

I pondered her words silently carefully taking in her sudden change in demeanour. She did seem different lately and of course I noticed how after 'Landslide' the relationship between Santana and Brittany seemed strained at best but I didn't think anything of it until now. Slowly I reached down to the cigar and lighter, I lifted the cigar to Santana's lips quirking my eyebrow at her. She parted her lips just enough so the cigar would sit comfortably, I then lit it for her allowed her to inhale and pulled it away for her to exhale. I then surprised her and myself by bringing it to my own lips and inhaling. Remembering from watching skins UK the trick of inhaling twice I managed to not make a fool of myself.

"Berry smokes?" Santana asked sounding impressed. I nodded subconsciously savouring the surprisingly tolerable flavour. "Apparently so. Santana would you consider maybe using this song for Nationals? It's probably the best song lyrically I've seen in recent months or more. She smiled genuinely. "I guess I'd be ok with it, I mean everyone DOES want a piece of my awesome so you can have this one" She winked and for an inexplicable reason I felt a sudden urge to hug her, damn that guitar for blocking my way.

Her eyes flicked down to the still burning cigar poised between my index and middle finger on my right hand, rolling my eyes I raised it to her lips again. Her hand slowly moved from under her head to hesitantly take a hold of the cigar and I couldn't help feel a slight tingle when her fingers brushed over mine. "Santana?" She looked up the faint shadow of the smile still there. "Yeah Rachel?" I smiled in appreciation of the use of my name "Why are you being so" I paused "Honest. With me?" She exhaled several rings of smoke with looked incredibly impressive. "To be honest Rachel it's practice, I've been trying to be more honest but like in a good way and I feel that there is no one I owe more friendly truths to then you."

Her eyes didn't move from mine as she spoke. I couldn't help but believe her. "But your feelings for Brittany..." She grimaced and coughed uncomfortably "They are a secret but I know you can be trusted and I guess in my head it's like I'm trying to show I do appreciate you but I'm new to all this communication crap so I'm probably wrong aren't I?" Her eyes suddenly bore an uncertain sadness. "Not at all Santana and I assure you that this stays between us." The smile that then appeared sent a wave of warmth through my entire my body which was quite a feat considering I was wearing sleeping shorts and a tank top. Just thinking about the cold was enough to send a shiver up my spine which didn't escape Santana's observation.

She leant back off the guitar and removed the blanket from her shoulders she then placed the guitar leaning on a wall and wriggled on the sun lounger so she was laying on it flat against the side and patted the area next to her. I arranged myself into the gap next to her and sighed a sigh of relief when she gently placed the blanket over both of us. "Your song is amazing Santana" I felt her left arm wrap around my shoulders "Thanks Rachel, y'know 'My Headband' actually was pretty good and B loves it" I chuckled remembering Brittany's bizarre admission that it was her favourite song. "She really loves odd songs doesn't she?" Santana smiled again obviously thinking about Brittany "She sure does and she writes them too, even if they are quite dirty to anyone else who hears them" I giggled a little as Santana started softly singing 'My Cup'

Fifteen minutes of silent almost cuddling went by until I yawned but Santana made no effort to move and when I did she pulled me back down onto the lounger. "Rachel you might as well stay here I mean you've got wheezy and the White Rhino taking up a bed, then you've got B the sleep kicker and Quinn the sleep groper, which is a HILARIOUS combination by the way, with a possible side of Count Chang-Snoresalot and then for whatever reason we have Lady Hummel in there too who will be sleeping God knows where so like, just stay here" To say I was surprised at her efforts to keep me with her would be an understatement. "Thank you Santana but I need my night time playlist to sleep and I'm a little cold still, not to say that you aren't pleasant and warm company"

Her lips pulled to the side as her brow furrowed deep in thought. She then got off the lounger silently and went in the room only to return with another 2 blankets. Santana slid back into our almost cuddling position and then tucked the blankets around us. "Warmer?" I nodded happily noting that the skin that was now exposed around her abdomen from her rearranging her position was pressing into my side and warming me better than the blankets. "What about the playlist?"

Santana looked deep in thought again. "Well what songs are on it?"I wriggled closer to her body "Well I have 'Spring Nicht' by Tokio Hotel, 'Gomenasai' by t.A.T.u and 'Everytime' by Britney Spears among others but I normally only last 3 songs until I fall asleep" My temporary heater nodded thoughtfully before looking down at me again. "Well one nice playlist I fully expected sappy musicals" She winked playfully at me "two I don't know German and even though the second one is in English it's also a duet so I guess I can sing you the first one." My eyes widened as I realised she intended to sing to me "Oh Santana you don't have to" She smirked again and squeezed me shoulders with her left arm "I wants to now close your eyes woman"

She sang the entire song to me, and then I found out she lied about not knowing any German when she sang 'Spring Nicht' fluently to me. I used my excellent acting to pretend I was asleep after that so she could at least have some rest too but instead got something that would keep me up all night thinking. "Goodnight Rachel" and then it happened, Santana Lopez kissed my forehead and I don't know how or why but the tingles that sent around made me for lack of a better word, giddy.

The next morning I was woken up to Quinn, Brittany, Kurt and Mercedes standing over us watching. At first I thought nothing of it until I noticed during the night Santana and I had somehow managed to roll over and she was now spooning me very tightly."Aren't they just the cutest?" Kurt gushed excitedly. Murmurs of agreement went through the small group. "See I told you guys Santana can be cute" Brittany said sounding mildly cranky by her standards. Oh how right you were Brittany, How right you were.