A CASE OF YOU
By peach83
AN: Just another Brittana one-shot. I developed this thing about Brittana reunions. I got the idea after watching I Love You, Beth Cooper. The story has nothing to do with the movie, but the background was slightly based on it. I hope you guys would enjoy it. Still no finale for Just The Girl, so, sorry about that.
DISCLAIMER: Glee owns the characters. The Wedding Singer isn't mine. And the song "A Case of You" does not belong to me either. But it got stuck in my head when James Wolpert sang it in The Voice Season 5.
A CASE OF YOU
It was a long story, how Brittany and Santana ended up here, in the front lawn of the blonde's house, smiling shyly at each other. The Cheerio captain's friends, Quinn and Mercedes, stood by Santana's beaten car with Brittany's bestfriend, Rachel, watching with smiles on their faces. If anyone from McKinley High sees them, it would definitely be a weird sight.
Who would have thought that these five people could be friends, albeit for one night, their graduation night? Sure it was all disaster, but it had been fun. And every one of them knew that they will never forget this night.
You see, Santana Lopez was head bitch in-charge. She was the fierce captain of the cheerleading squad, a top student, and probably the hottest girl to ever set foot in the hallways of Lima's biggest highschool.
So, Brittany S. Pierce, being her gay self, captain of the debate team, invisible in the highschool social ladder, wasn't able to control herself when during her valedictory speech, she poured out all of the repressed feelings she had for the most popular girl in school.
In front of her parents, and her graduating class.
Needless to say, everyone was shocked. And Brittany had never walked so fast in her life. While she was looking at Santana when she talked about how she fell in love with her, she didn't see how Santana reacted or anyone else for that matter after her speech. Her face was burning in embarrassment too much that she had to go to the bathroom to avoid all the judgmental and amused stares.
This unexpected declaration of love set things on motion during graduation day.
Santana and her posse surprisingly dropped by Brittany's house, to the blonde's utter confusion and to Rachel's delight. They were just going to make fun of the nerds, but ended up taking them to Tina's graduation party, where Brittany and Rachel weren't really welcome.
Santana's ex-boyfriend (she broke up with him the day before graduation), Puck, wasn't that happy and felt actually threatened by Brittany though he would never admit it. He tried to scare the nerds away but ended up being punched in the face by the blonde. Santana had a good laugh at that.
The Cheerio captain, with Quinn and Mercedes, helped the nerds get away (which included crashing Puck's car into Tina's house), and as the night turned into a cat and mouse chase (Puck couldn't let go of his bruised ego), they ended up getting to know each other.
It turned out, highschool politics was hiding who they really are. Santana wasn't just a bitch. She was caring and was more beautiful when she smiles. Not that fake smile she plasters on her face when she was with her cheerleading team and her jock friends, but that genuine smile that's rarely seen, with that sparkle in her eyes and that cute dimple on her left cheek.
Brittany may be uncool by highschool standards, but she was fun to be around. At the short amount of time they talked, Santana actually listened. She was funny and beautiful and she had this bright outlook on life, it was contagious. And for some reason, it wasn't only once that the brunette found herself hypnotized by those sky blue eyes.
It didn't hurt that the blonde had amazing abs too (Brittany had to take off her shirt at one point that night and the brunette totally wasn't staring… or so she'd like to think).
They stayed at Quinn's lake house. The others stayed in while Brittany and Santana watched the sun rise by the dock as they talked about their plans in the future. The surprising part, for Brittany, was that Santana was actually afraid; afraid that she wouldn't do good enough, that all the good things that happened to her had come to an end since highschool was over. But Brittany knew all the right things to say. She believed in Santana, and was convinced that the cheerleader was set to do great things.
They had their first kiss.
Literally for Brittany, and the first real good kiss for Santana.
And here they were, in front of Brittany's house after the longest night of their lives. Highschool was over. The lines between those who were standing at the top of the highschool food chain and those that were below had blurred. It was a bittersweet end to a night filled with unforgettable adventures. Brittany was starting a new life at Columbia University and Santana, after her talk with Brittany, was starting to realize what she wanted to do in her life.
For now, they had to say goodbye.
"Hey, San." The blonde called out to the cheerleader who was walking back to her car.
"Yeah?" Santana turned around with a sweet smile.
"I'll see you at the reunion." She wasn't sure if she was going to be there, but Brittany just wanted to make sure that she will see Santana again, although it would be years.
"Okay."
"If we're both still single, I'll marry you." The blonde sounded so confident for the first time since they had officially met that Santana could not help but chuckle.
Her answer was the most sincere she had sounded.
"That's a promise."
The sound of her cellphone ringing made the blonde jump out of bed. Her blue eyes fluttered open, trying to adjust in the darkness, and for a while she took in the unfamiliar surroundings and remembered she was at Jenny's apartment.
Or was it Joanie?
She couldn't really remember, just like all the other nights she went home with her hot one-night stands, mostly brunettes, more often too plastered to even care. Flinging her legs on the side of the bed, her eyes scanned the floor, where most of her clothes lay crumpled. Throwing a brief glance at the woman sleeping on the other side of the bed, she made sure to make no noise as she picked up every article of her clothing and tiptoed out of the bedroom.
"Hello, mom?" The blonde whispered to the person on the other line. She tried to muffle the scream when her knees painfully hit the corner of the coffee table at the dark living area.
"Hello, Brittany." Her mother greeted on the other end, her voice sounding less cheery than it usually does. She sounded tired and her daughter could feel that through the sound of her voice.
"Is everything okay?" The blonde asked in apprehension as to what made her mother call at this time. Her older doppelganger always made sure to call at convenient times, considering their time difference. Her timing now made her worry.
"It's your father…" Her mother's voice broke before she could even finish speaking. The blonde felt a lump forming in her throat, knowing perfectly well that this is one of those kinds of news you get at the wee hours of the morning.
It was definitely bad.
"What happened? Is dad okay? Mom?" She sounded desperate now, her footsteps frantic as she rushed out of the apartment that she'd probably never see again. The blonde jumped into her car and started it.
"He had a stroke."
She froze. But it only took her a few seconds to make a decision. Her mom did not even have to ask.
Brittany S. Pierce was coming back to Lima, Ohio, the place she avoided like the plague.
x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x
"You have got to stop doing this."
"I'm working, Quinn." Santana Lopez turned her eyes to the dog-owner who looked rather confused at the short blonde who just entered the clinic. "She wasn't talking about my job."
The sweet, soft voice of her bestfriend wasn't enough to make her brown eyes turn away from the adorable Pomeranian waggling his tail in front of her. The brunette veterinarian smiled reassuringly at the cute little kid who owned the dog and her mother while stroking the top of the dog's head before handing him over to the child.
"Don't forget to give him his vitamins, okay, Jaden?"
"I won't forget, Dr. Lopez. Thank you!" The kid gave her a toothy smile before walking out excitedly of the clinic with her mother and the Pomeranian. Santana watched them leave with a smile.
"What's wrong with you, Lopez?"
"Oh, I didn't realize you're still here." Santana walked past Quinn to her office, leaving the door open for the blonde to follow.
"I can't believe you broke up with Alex." Quinn crossed her arms.
"It wasn't working." The doctor replied too casually that caused Quinn to raise an eyebrow.
"I thought it was working quite well until she proposed to you."
"Quinn, why is this even your business? I didn't break up with you."
"Well, Alex is my friend too and it's kind of awkward when she wants to vent out on me while you're here acting like you're fine."
"I am fine."
"See, that's the problem. It's like you don't even care at all."
"I care about Alex, that's why I broke up with her before we make a mistake."
"So what happens now? You'll find another girl, get serious, then break up when she proposes? This is becoming a routine and it's not healthy. Do you know how hard it is to find a girl good enough for you, here in Lima?"
"You're the gayest heterosexual I've ever met."
"I'm just concerned because you're great and you don't deserve anything less. Alexis Kelly is like the hottest piece of ass I've ever seen in my life, and she's a fucking lawyer for god's sake. How could you ever let her go?"
Santana did not answer.
"She's not coming back for you, Santana."
"Quinn…"
"When are you going to let go of this illusion? You spent what, one night together? And it wasn't even that kind of night. And that was in highschool. Highschool crushes are supposed to die a natural death, Santana. And yeah, you weren't even gay back then."
"What's your point, Quinn?"
"My point is, it's time to move on. She wasn't even at the reunion."
Santana heaved a sigh. Truth is, she wasn't consciously thinking of Brittany as the reason why she ended things with Alex. It's just that she never really saw a future with her. Sure, everything was great at the beginning but the relationship was going nowhere (on her part anyway), and another reason was that it didn't feel right.
None of her past relationships felt right.
Damn Brittany S. Pierce for ruining everyone for her.
"I didn't break up with Alex because of Brittany, Quinn."
"Right, like she wasn't the reason why you broke up with Hunter literally right before our highschool reunion. You totally weren't expecting Brittany to show up and fulfill her promise of marrying you, at all."
"It didn't feel right… Marrying Alex didn't feel right."
"Santana, you're my bestfriend. We never really talked about how you became interested with women all of a sudden and I admire you for being brave and accepting who you are, and you know I'm always here. So I want you to be honest with me." Quinn held Santana's stare before continuing. "This thing with Brittany, is this love?"
"I haven't seen or heard from her in years."
"Honesty, Santana."
Santana's throat felt dry. She licked her lips, looking at everything else but Quinn. She knew it was silly, to pine after someone all these years. But she couldn't help it. Brittany managed to crawl her way into her heart and since then, no one else was able to.
"It's the can't-sleep-can't-eat-butterflies-in-my-stomach kind of thing, Quinn."
"Shit."
"Yeah, shit. And I let her get away."
x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x
Seeing her dad in his condition was heartbreaking. Brittany had to fight the tears that threatened to fall when she saw him in his hospital bed. He was pale, and so much thinner than the last time he visited her in New York. The right side of his face and body had been paralyzed. For a moment, she regretted not visiting more often. She had been selfish.
It was late that night, and her mother sent her home to rest. Instead of doing what her mother said though, Brittany went straight to Fusion, a bar she saw during her second day, near the Lima Bean.
She was relieved that there were a few people inside the bar that Thursday night. Brittany wasn't really that keen on running into old friends or classmates from highschool. She wanted to stay incognito as possible.
"So what can I get you, ba-"
Before the bartender could even finish the word 'babe', Brittany and the bartender locked eyes, and the blonde was reminded just how small the town of Lima is.
"Brittany Pierce?" The bartender couldn't believe his eyes.
"Noah Puckerman." The blonde was just amused. Puck's eyes were almost falling out of its sockets and there was a slight drool on the side of his mouth. Well, who could blame him?
Brittany was a late bloomer. And when she finally did 'bloom', she developed into one hot young lady, there was no need for her to find dates. They all came to her and most of them had to beg.
"Wow…"
While she was feeling blue with her father's current condition, she couldn't help but laugh at the reaction she got from her former schoolmate. She wasn't even wearing anything impressive, just a pair of skinny jeans and an old sweat shirt.
"If and when you stop your leering, I would like a glass of martini please." Brittany said jokingly, knocking Puck back into his senses. He smiled bashfully at her, shaking his head to himself.
"We actually don't have anything other than Corona."
"And you call this place a bar?" Brittany joked again, and knowing that it was a good-nature kind of teasing, Puck just smiled back.
"A bottle of Corona, coming right up!" Puck rushed to get Brittany a bottle of beer.
She should be mad at Puck and shouldn't be talking to him for making those threats to her during that graduation party at Tina's in highschool, but Brittany was never the vengeful type. Highschool was highschool. She wasn't part of the cool group and they never really did anything hurtful to her during her four years in McKinley. Her problems with Puck only began and ended that graduation day.
It was her who started it, after all. She would have remained outside of Puck's radar had she shut her mouth and did not announce her feelings for his then girlfriend, Santana Lopez, for the whole school to hear.
She chuckled at the memory.
"So, are you still gay?" Puck asked jokingly as he put the bottle of Corona in front of Brittany.
"Always will be."
"Damn." He shook his head in exaggeration.
Brittany lifted the bottle of beer and brought it to her mouth. She was never really friends with Puck, but being able to talk to someone in Lima who wasn't her mother was a good change for her. She felt less stressed. Puck went on to serve another client and went back to her only after she was about finished with her bottle.
"Another one?" He asked.
"Yes, please."
It didn't take long for him to get her another bottle. He looked at the blonde curiously as he was wiping some glasses clean. Brittany was aware of the looks she was getting from Puck.
"What?"
"It's been so long since you've been here, Pierce. What brought you back?"
"It's my dad. He's really ill."
"I'm sorry for asking."
"It's okay. I don't have anyone else to talk to. My bestfriend couldn't get out of her commitments in Broadway. Believe it or not, I'm kind of thankful to find an old face. Even if it's you, Puck." She laughed as she took a gulp from the bottle.
He laughed with her.
"Listen, Pierce, about what happened that graduation night…"
"Did I break your nose?"
"Hey, I'm being serious here. Let me finish talking."
"Puck, it was highschool. I know why you did what you did. And I'm sorry for ruining your graduation day by making that declaration of love to your girlfriend."
"Ex-girlfriend. Santana broke up with me the day before graduation."
"Oh. Really?"
"Yeah. I was angry because I thought she broke up with me because of you."
"What? Why would you think that? She never even talked to me before graduation day."
"She had that weird, goofy grin on her face after you walked out of the stage."
"She did?" Brittany arched an eyebrow at this new information.
"I thought you two had been cheating on me so I made those threats and just so you know, I'm not proud of myself, okay?"
"I told you, Puck. It was highschool."
"So we're cool?"
"Yeah. I guess we're cool."
He grinned and raised his right fist to bump with Brittany's. The blonde looked at him confused for a while before realizing what he was doing. So, she fist-bumped him while rolling her eyes.
She thought it was lame.
That's where their conversation ended. Patrons started arriving and Puck became busy with the bar. Brittany, on the other hand, had been scanning the growing crowd. It was just like her nights in New York, after she left her office and Rachel was too busy rehearsing for one of her Broadway plays and she had no one to talk to. Brittany always found herself at a bar, looking for company.
Her eyes stopped at the sight of a blonde alone on a table in the corner who was blatantly staring at her. Brittany returned the favor. The eye sex lasted for a few minutes before Brittany decided that foreplay was over, and she was ready to leave. Not alone, but with the pretty blonde back there.
She always preferred brunettes. But tonight, this blonde one will do.
Puck watched as Brittany and the blonde left the bar that night.
x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x
Lord Tubbington was extremely old and overweight. How he's still alive, Brittany had no idea. But she did miss her cat. So when her mother called from the hospital and told her to bring him to the vet, one Dr. Lopez, for his monthly check-up and injections, she did not complain.
She was waiting at the vet's clinic with Lord Tubbington in her arms, with the cat's usually stoic face and nonchalant demeanor. He hadn't changed in years.
"I hope Lord Tubbington is doing okay, Mrs. Pierce, he didn't have to-"
The doctor's train of thought was broken and she stood speechless by the door as her eyes found what she first presumed to be Mrs. Pierce with one of her oldest patients, Lord Tubbington.
"Brittany." Santana felt as if her heart was trying to leap out of her chest. Years of yearning to see the blonde again and here she was, sitting inside her clinic, looking adorable with that obese cat in her arms.
She smiled.
"Santana?" To say that Brittany was surprised is an understatement. When her mom told her to bring the cat to Dr. Lopez, Brittany did not think of the vet's surname too much. Santana could not be the only Lopez in Lima, Ohio. And last time she heard, she was in Chicago and while she knew that Santana came to be a doctor, she didn't know what kind of doctor.
Well, now she knew that she's a vet.
"I mean, hi. You look… nice." Brittany was able to stop herself in time before she could say the word 'beautiful'.
A slight blush became visible in Santana's face. The doctor let out a nervous laugh and started walking towards the blonde.
"Thank you. You look nice as well." Santana turned her smiling face away from Brittany to the cat. A soft grunt came out of her mouth as she lifted the cat into her arms, eliciting a chuckle from Brittany.
Santana threw the blonde a playful glare.
"What, your cat's really heavy." The vet whispered as he placed the animal on top of the examination table.
"Why are you whispering?"
"Because he can hear us and he can be too sensitive at times. Especially when it comes to comments about his weight." Santana stated as a matter of fact.
Brittany's laughed even louder.
It was the first time since arriving in Lima that she felt a little bit at ease.
Santana just smiled and started working on the cat. Brittany just stood right next to her watching, without realizing that she was actually invading the doctor's personal space.
The brunette cleared her throat.
Blue eyes just gave her a brief look.
"Uhm…" Santana trailed off.
"What?"
"You can wait on that couch." Santana softly said and motioned to the nearby couch.
Brittany then realized how close they were standing that her face immediately turned red.
"Oh, uh, yes, I'm sorry. I'm just gonna…" Brittany struggled to explain with hand gestures and mentally facepalmed for blabbering like an idiot. So she just shut her mouth and reminded herself not to speak too much around Santana because even after years of not seeing each other, the brunette still has the same effect on her.
Santana stifled her laugh so she wouldn't embarrass her former classmate much further. She had to admit, Brittany looked really cute though.
The next few minutes were spent in silence though.
It didn't take very long before Santana was lifting the cat back into Brittany's arms. Their arms slightly grazed, causing Brittany to slightly jump at the contact and Santana, to blush.
They were both awkwardly silent for a few seconds before the tension was broken by Marley, Santana's secretary, who just entered the examination room.
"Dr. Lopez, Alex is on the phone again."
"I'm not here." Santana turned her gaze at Marley, missing the curiosity now evident in Brittany's eyes.
"But-"
"I'm not here." Santana said more firmly.
Marley scampered back to her desk before her boss could get angry at her.
Brittany wanted to ask who Alex was. She had a hunch. She didn't want to entertain that hunch though, because that would mean there was someone in Santana's life and-
Why do I even care?
Brittany's expression turned from interested to nonchalant. She wasn't here for Santana. She came back to Lima for her father. Running into Santana was unexpected. The brunette was special to her, always had been and probably always will be. But it didn't matter.
Santana's straight.
Brittany knew better than be hung up on a straight girl.
But that actually seemed to still be a problem for her though.
"Brittany?"
The blonde was still lost in thoughts that she didn't notice Santana handing her something.
"Britt?"
Now, that nickname brought her back to earth, eliciting a smile from her. Since when did they give each other nicknames?
"Yes, San?" Brittany returned the favor, noticing the blush that seemed to be permanently on the doctor's cheeks since she visited the clinic that morning.
"Here is a new diet plan for Lord Tubbington. It looks like the first one I gave him isn't really working and he really needs to shed some weight." Santana whispered the last part again.
"Thanks."
"So…"
"I better go."
"Right." Santana tried to hide her disappointment, but she saw Marley at her door signaling that another patient had arrived.
"I don't want to steal all of your time."
"I don't mind." Santana internally winced for sounding too eager.
"I've got to bring LT back home and get back to the hospital."
"I hope your dad gets well soon." The vet said sincerely.
"Thank you." Brittany was nearing the exit when Santana called her back.
"Uhm, how long will you be around?"
Brittany turned her head.
"Just a few days."
"Maybe we could hang out for coffee sometime."
"Maybe." Brittany smiled.
x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x
Quinn almost fell off her chair when Santana bursts into her office unannounced. She wasn't sure what surprise her more; the fact that Santana startled the daylights out of her, or that her friend never really visited her in the office before.
"Geez, Santana, are you trying to kill me?" Quinn let out a breath of relief when Santana slumped on the chair in front of her table.
"Guess who came to my clinic today."
Quinn stared at her friend, her eyes narrowing at the spark she was seeing in Santana's eyes. She had never seen that in a long time.
"Jennifer Lawrence?" The name of Santana's celebrity crush came to mind first.
"Brittany S. Pierce."
"What?"
"Britt-"
"You mean the one who got away, Brittany S. Pierce?"
"Is there anyone else?"
"Oh my god." Quinn closed her laptop and gave all of her attention to her friend.
"My god too."
"Did she finally propose?"
"No."
"And you're disappointed."
"I'm not, just…"
Quinn sighed.
"Do you want her to propose?"
"That would be ridiculous. We're not even together. And we don't even know each other that much. That promise was made when we were 18. I don't even think she was serious."
"Were you?"
"I don't know."
Santana stared into space as Quinn just sat there observing her.
"Santana."
"What?"
"Do you ever wonder why I never called your crazy?"
Santana turned a curious look at the blonde editor.
"This thing with Brittany, it would sound absurd in someone else's ears. But I've seen you date different people, seen you through different relationships. And I've never seen you like this."
"Like what?"
"This happy by just seeing her. You're different with her. Even if you've never really been with her. It makes me root for both of you."
"Really?"
"Love is love, Santana. You can't measure it. There's no time requirement. There's no standard. It just happens. My grandparents met at a dance a week before my gramps had to go to war. They married after only three days of getting to know each other. And they'd been in love ever since. Grandma went to heaven first, and until now, my gramps still hold on to her picture every night."
"Damn it, Quinn. You're making me cry." Santana was tearing up at hearing the story of Quinn's grandparents.
Quinn just shrugged.
"And you're saying this after you berated me for turning down Alex?"
"That was before I knew you're actually in love with Brittany. I thought she was just the one who opened the gates to your Sapphic tendencies. I didn't realize she's who you actually wanted. Maybe you're not even really gay. Maybe you're only gay for her."
Santana chuckled.
"So what you are you gonna do now?"
"I have no idea." Santana sighed.
x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x
Brittany sat Lord Tubbington on top of the kitchen counter as she arrived home. She still had time to get changed before she had to be in the hospital. The cat yawned before settling his eyes on the blonde who took a seat on one of the kitchen stools.
"What?" Brittany glared at her cat who just seemed bored being in her company.
Lord Tubbington just glared back. Years of being away created a sort of rift between the cat and his previous owner.
"Don't give me that look."
The cat did not even blink. He just watched as Brittany snatched a glass and some water from the fridge.
"I didn't do anything wrong."
Right after alighting from her dad's car, she ran into that blonde girl she met at Puck's bar and had a one-night stand with. The girl was jogging around the neighborhood and Brittany was fast enough to run to her house to avoid her.
Obviously, LT didn't approve.
"It was a no-strings-attached kind of thing. And I'm single, so I can do whatever I want." Brittany explained.
Lord Tubbington gave him a judgmental stare.
"Santana thinks that I'm an idiot."
If the cat could speak, he would have agreed.
"You think I'm an idiot too, don't you? Gosh, I can't believe I stuttered away back there."
"Talking to the cat again, Britt?"
Her younger sister's voice made her jump off the chair.
After recovering from her initial shock, Brittany looked accusingly at Hallie.
"You didn't tell me that Dr. Lopez is Santana Lopez."
"You didn't ask."
Hallie took the seat opposite Brittany and grabbed an apple.
"She looks good, right?" Hallie grinned as she took a bite of her apple.
"I know what you're doing, Hallie."
"Mom talked all the time about how you always had a thing for her. She did that everytime she brings LT home after a check up."
Brittany visibly blushed.
Hallie was amused.
"She stays low when it comes to her love life, but she'd been often seen recently with this really pretty girl."
"She's straight."
"Or maybe not."
"Or maybe she's just hanging out with a friend. She has lots of friends."
"You should try to win her with you nerdy charms. It might just work, you know." Hallie teased her sister. She had always made fun of Brittany's job at Google where she works as a Senior Software Engineer.
"Shut up."
"Well, when you're ready to give up spending your nights with those New York hoes, I'd have no problem having Dr. Lopez as my sister-in-law."
"Hallie!" Brittany looked scandalized upon hearing her teenage sister speak words like 'hoe'.
"Just saying."
x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x
It was two days later when Santana struck up the nerve to invite Brittany out for coffee. Brittany was reluctant but agreed. There weren't many places to hang out in at Lima, so they chose the one placed that served decent coffee and breadsticks.
Breadstix.
Brittany immediately got a whiff of freshly baked breadsticks when they walked in, that it was only then that she realized how much she actually missed the town.
"Hmm." Brittany hummed as she took a seat at the center booth.
"Feeling nostalgic?" Santana asked.
"A bit."
"This is where you always hung out with Puck." Brittany commented.
"Ugh, don't remind me."
"Do you miss him?" Brittany asked out of curiosity. She used to feel a sick to the stomach when she thought of Santana being with Puck, but now, after seeing the guy again and accepting his apology, it felt like the thing between him and Santana never even happened.
"No."
"That was a fast answer."
"He was just a highschool fling, never more than that."
Brittany felt like she was punched in the stomach. She knew the doctor was referring only to Puck. After all, she and Santana never really had a thing back then, but they did have some sort of connection that night after graduation.
Was it also just a highschool thing?
"Do you want some spaghetti meatballs?" Santana asked out of nowhere.
Brittany looked at her in surprise.
"How did you know my favorite order?"
Santana bit her lower lip. The question just slipped out from her mouth before she could stop herself.
"Oh. Your mom may have mentioned it." Santana said. It was half the truth, though. During LT's check ups, she casually tried to ask questions about Brittany. "So, uhm, spaghetti meatballs?"
"Okay."
"I'm having the same."
Their order didn't take long. As they ate in comfortable silence, Brittany still wondered why Santana stayed when she could have done better in big cities.
"Why did you stay in Lima, Santana?"
"I love it here."
"You were dying to get out." Brittany remembered the brunette mentioning that during graduation night.
"I was afraid of being stuck. I was afraid that the only thing I was good at was being a popular girl in highschool."
"That wasn't true though."
"And you made me realize that."
Brittany smiled.
"After our talk, I realized that I wanted to do something important, so I became a veterinarian. The big cities presented better opportunities at fortune but, that not what I really wanted."
"Lima's lucky that you stayed."
"And also, I wanted to be easier to find." Santana said without looking at Brittany's eyes.
Brittany was curious at what Santana was talking about, but Santana looked like she didn't want to talk about it.
Somehow, Brittany was hopeful.
"How's Quinn?"
"She's great. She runs the local newspaper, and she's the editor now."
"Good for her."
"Seen any sun rise lately?" It was Santana's subtle way of prodding at Brittany's current romantic entanglements.
"I see it every morning when I jog around Central Park."
"Alone?" Santana tried not to sound too interested.
Brittany fell silent for a moment before she answered.
"You're the only one I've watched the sunrise with, Santana."
"Oh. Cool." Santana said, the corner of her lips slightly tugging up into a smile.
Brittany smiled as well.
She wanted to ask Santana the same thing but she was reminded of a certain 'Alex' and that brought some sort of sting in her heart.
"You weren't at the reunion." Santana said, catching Brittany off-guard.
The blonde never expected her to bring that up at all.
Truthfully, Brittany expected Santana to be relieved that she didn't show up.
"I was busy."
She wasn't.
Brittany was excited to be at the reunion. She had done well for herself and her bestfriend Rachel was with her. She had waited years for that ten-year highschool reunion where she was excited to see Santana again. Rachel was with her at Tiffany's when she bought the expensive ring that would signal a new beginning for her.
It was a risk. Brittany was aware that Santana might not want the same thing. But she had to take that chance. She knew she was being crazy, but Rachel didn't call her out on that. Instead, she just did her job as a good friend and supported her.
They were turning around the corner on their way to the school gym when she found Santana with her lips attached to some guy's lips.
The illusion became pretty much clear there for Brittany.
It had been all an illusion for her, believing that Santana was actually waiting for her at the reunion too.
So Brittany was 'busy'.
That definitely hurt, but Santana was good enough to hide the pain that she felt. So she tried to make the conversation lighter.
"I thought you just got scared of our 'promise'." Santana passed it on as a joke, but she wanted to know the truth.
"How ridiculous was I? The school nerd promising to marry the hottest girl in school. Would have been a good movie plot, though."
"So you weren't really going to marry me?" Santana asked playfully, but inside, she was dreading the answer.
"Would you have said yes?" Brittany arched an eyebrow.
Santana held her gaze for a few seconds before answering.
"You should have asked."
x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x
"What happened next?" Quinn prodded as she watched her bestfriend totter around her clinic pretending to be doing something.
Santana only really was fooling herself.
"We went home."
"Did you even get a goodbye kiss?"
"Do you want me to get slapped or something?"
"Wow, you have no game."
"She obviously didn't want anything to do with me."
"Santana, she declared her love for you in front of the whole student body during her valedictory speech. I've never been a valedictorian but I'm pretty sure that's not the standard speech you're supposed to deliver."
"She thinks the 'if we're both still single I'll marry you' thing was just funny. You should have called me crazy. Maybe I am crazy for thinking that she would just marry me to fulfill a promise."
"She loves you too, Santana."
"You don't know that."
"You're a wuss."
"No I'm not."
"Yes you are. You may not have realized it but everything in your life changed when you got to know her. She's your reason for everything. She's the reason why you stayed in Lima. She's the reason why you've taken up a profession and took everything in your life seriously. For fuck's sake, you ask her mom about her every month she brings in that obese cat for check up. Santana, if she's the one that got away, you should at least fight for it."
"What if she doesn't want what I want?"
"What if she didn't show up at the reunion thinking the same way?"
"I hate you."
"Because I'm right."
Next thing they knew, both of them were rushing to the airport with nothing but Quinn's car key and their wallets. Santana got the details of Brittany's flight from Hallie, who, fortunately, liked Santana enough to give out the information.
Quinn and Santana were in first-class while Brittany was in coach. Despite living comfortably, the blonde still led a simple life and didn't splurge unless necessary.
Brittany was sitting by the aisle, staring at nothing in particular. The previous night at Breadstix with Santana had been interesting. She wished she didn't have to leave soon. She was missing the brunette already.
Seeing her again made her want to be with Santana even more.
Brittany sighed.
All those years and unbelievably, she still had the same feelings for the doctor.
Their conversation played over and over in her head. She wondered what Santana would have answered if she did ask her to marry her.
Her reverie was broken when she heard a muffled conversation through the intercom. The voices sounded female and they were arguing. Brittany was amused. Then one of the voices addressed the audience.
"Hi, Britt."
Brittany's eyes shot everywhere, looking for the person who owned that voice. She knew exactly whose it was. But she was already thousands of miles up in the air that there was no way that she could be here.
"We never really got to say goodbye. Well, I don't want say goodbye. But there's something that I want to do. This is for the amazing nerd that I met in highschool; the one who loves her family and values her friends; the incredibly smart kid in class and the most genuine and sincere and adorable person that I know."
By that time, everyone in the coach area looked intrigued. The strums of a guitar played and the distinct, raspy voice of Santana Lopez came on air, singing a Joni Mitchell song.
Just before our love got lost, you said
I am as constant as a northern star
and I said constantly in the darkness, where the hell's that at?
If you want me I'll be in the bar
On the back of a cartoon coaster
In the blue TV screen light
I drew a map of Canada, oh, Canada
With your face sketched on it twice
Just then, Santana came out of the curtains separating coach from the business class. Quinn stayed behind, holding her iPhone to the intercom which was playing that acoustic karaoke version of the song.
Brittany's jaw hit the floor.
Oh, you're in my blood like holy wine
You taste so bitter and so sweet
Oh, I could drink a case of you, darling
And I would still be on my feet
Oh I would still be on my feet
Oh I am a lonely painter
I live in a box of paints
I'm frightened by the Devil
And I'm drawn to those ones that ain't afraid
Brittany's heart pounded against her chest as she watched Santana took slow steps towards her.
I remember that time that you told me
You said, love is touching souls
Surely you've touched mine
'Cause part of you pours out of me
In these lines from time to time
Oh you're in my blood like holy wine
You taste so bitter and so sweet
Oh, I could drink a case of you darling
Still I'd be on my feet
I would still be on my feet
I met a woman, she had a mouth like yours
She knew your life
She knew your Devils and your deeds
And she said, go to her, stay with her if you can
But be prepared to bleed
Santana stopped in front of Brittany, who stared agape at the singing doctor in front of her, still in disbelief that the brunette was really on the same plane with her.
Oh, but you are in my blood
You're my holy wine
You're so bitter, bitter and so sweet
Oh, I could drink a case of you darling
Still I'd be on my feet
I would still be on my feet
When the song eventually ended, everybody was silent. Brittany's eyes focused on Santana's, occasionally drifting down Santana's tempting lips. The other passengers watched not so discreetly at what was unfolding before them.
Santana and Brittany were too engrossed at each other to notice Quinn stepping out of the curtain as well.
"I didn't have enough time to think about a grand romantic gesture. I totally ripped off the idea from The Wedding Singer."
Santana said, getting a few chuckles from some of the eavesdroppers.
"You were leaving me again and I can't let you go and let you take my heart with you. So, here I am."
There were loud aww's from their audience.
Santana went down on one knee and pulled out a velvet box from her right pocket.
There were gasps.
Brittany's eyes widened.
"I love you. That day, when you took that stage and bravely made that declaration in front of everyone, when you told me that you love me, I felt something. I didn't know what it meant at first. It took me a while but now I know. You stole my heart away when I wasn't even looking, and you never returned it. And I don't want you to. I don't know how I was able to survive this long without being with you, but I love you. I love you, Brittany S. Pierce. I'm not going to make the same mistake and let you go again. So, Britt, will you marry me?" Santana's voice trembled as she spoke those words that were long overdue.
People held their breath and Brittany's been mute for quite a while now that Santana felt more nervous and scared than ever.
"Brittany?"
"Are you serious?" Brittany's voice sounded like a squeak.
"As a heart attack."
"But what about Alex?"
"Alex?" Santana's eyebrow arched in question.
"Your secretary mentioned him, when-"
"Him?"
"Isn't he…" Brittany searched Santana's eyes in confusion.
"Actually, Alex is a 'she'."
"What?"
"She was my ex."
"Alex is a girl?"
Santana wasn't sure whether to be amused or confused.
"Yes."
"Oh."
"Is that a good 'oh' or a bad 'oh'?"
"You've dated a girl before?" The blonde completely ignored the question.
"Uh, would that be a problem?"
"No! No, it's just… I can't wrap my head around this news yet. So are you… does it mean you like girls?"
Santana chuckled.
"Brittany, I'm proposing to you right now. And I'm quite sure that you are a girl."
Brittany looked relieved.
On the other hand, Santana was starting to feel the cramps on her legs for kneeling on one knee longer than she expected. But she didn't change her position as Brittany spoke.
"I was at the reunion."
"What?" Santana looked surprised.
"Well, I would have been. I was on my way when I saw you kissing a guy."
Santana thought back to the day of the reunion and remembered the goodbye kiss with Hunter.
"Hunter?"
"I didn't really stick around to find out his name." Brittany frowned.
"It was a goodbye kiss."
"Oh I feel better now."
Santana laughed.
"You're so cute when you're jealous. I meant a 'break-up kiss'."
Brittany did not respond.
"That kiss you saw before the reunion was more like a break-up peck. I wanted to be single when I see you again. I was saying goodbye because it was you that I wanted to be with. I wasn't sure if you were serious with your promise but, I was. So when you didn't show up, it broke my heart. I tried to move on, but all those relationships that I had only proved one thing; that I only want to be with you."
The two still hadn't notice that people were already taking videos and photos of them. That moment, Santana didn't really care about anything else.
"So if you were there, did that mean you were going to propose?"
Brittany's lips were threatening to form into a smile.
"Does this mean you're saying yes?" Santana asked.
"No."
"No?"
"Ask me again." Brittany held Santana's free hand and looked at her lovingly. That encouraged Santana.
Santana smiled.
"Brittany Susan Pierce, will you marry me?"
"Yes. Yes! A thousand times yes!" Brittany pulled Santana's face to her and planted a wet one on her, generating a few wolf whistles and a really loud applause from the passengers.
"I love you so much, Britt." Santana managed to say in between Brittany's eager kisses.
"I'm still so in love with you too, San." Brittany rested her forehead against Santana's and it was only then that they noticed the crowd that had gather around them, clapping and squealing congratulations.
In between strangers, Santana saw a glimpse of her bestfriend Quinn, grinning.
She mouthed a 'thank you'.
Life had never been better.
THE END