A/N - This is my first fic EVER. It is unbeta'd, so all mistakes are mine (so sorry in advance!). Glee is not mine, etc.
Rated M for language and to be on the safe side. No smut here! Sorry, haha.
Hope you guys like it. Leave some feedback :)
When Santana kisses you, you feel a small spark.
Maybe it's not the blazing light you'd expected when you first laid eyes on her in the diner, but that's okay. She's totally into watching the sun rise with you and when you hold her hand while walking down the street, she feels liberated in a way she'd never felt before. There's a sparkle in her eyes even if her smile doesn't completely reach them.
As you walk up the steps to your building, you decide to give it a chance. You figure that maybe, with just enough oxygen and ignition, the tiny spark could turn into a roaring fire.
After Rachel's announcement, Santana invites you over to their apartment for a tiny celebration get-together and you happily accept.
From what you've seen, Rachel is pretty freaking awesome. You pretend not to notice, but you've seen her totally pushing Santana towards you around the diner for a week now. They're definitely best friends and you can appreciate how much of a good wing woman Rachel can be.
She's like, totally tiny, too. You guys have bonded over that while Santana looked on affectionately.
But, the most awesome thing about Rachel? Her voice.
You've never heard anything like it. You're not one to shy away from spontaneous duets or performances, considering you've got some pipes on you too, but Rachel Berry is on an entirely different level. You see her going places – more specifically, playing leads in hit Broadway shows, accepting awards at prestigious ceremonies, and maybe even getting into movies and television.
You ponder all of this on the walk over to their place. When you get there, you straighten out your scarf and go to knock on their door but it opens before your fist even connects with wood.
"Whoa! Hey Dani!" Rachel looks flustered as she goes in for a one-armed hug, her phone in the other hand.
"Slow it down, Speedy Gonzales. Where are you going? Aren't we staying in and celebrating?" you ask and she nods. She gestures to her phone and tells you to let yourself in. She starts to walk away and you can't help but to eavesdrop a bit. You noticed she looked a bit crestfallen, which was super weird. She just got Fanny Brice.
"Quinn, hello? Can you hear me? I'm sorry; the reception in this hallway is awful. Oh, is this better?" you stifle a giggle as she paces to various parts of the hallway seeking a better location. When she finally finds one, she leans against the wall and closes her eyes.
"I have amazing news, Quinn. You'd never believe what happened at the diner today! I… I got it, Quinn. He came by, and he… I got Fanny! I know! I thought for sure he forgot all about me already and the next thing I know, everyone in the diner is clapping and you've always believed in –" your eavesdropping is interrupted by Santana appearing at the door with a smile.
"H-hi," she stutters out. It's adorable and you think it's cute how nervous she gets around you.
"Hey, yourself. You look gorgeous, Santana."
"O-oh, thanks! You look beautiful. How long have you been standing out here? I'm so sorry, our buzzer isn't working right now and I keep telling our damn landlord –"
"I just got here, actually." you look up at her and smile through the white lie. As she takes your hand to lead you inside, you hear Rachel's voice crack suspiciously.
"I just wish you were here, Quinn."
After Rachel finally comes back in, the party really starts. You dance with Santana and Rachel while Kurt plays bartender, mixing drinks or pouring champagne as necessary. Eventually, you all decide to put their karaoke machine to use and drunkenly belt out Beatles classics until a cranky neighbor threatens to call the police. Santana starts crying out of nowhere and you place a hand on her thigh and put your mouth up to her ear and whisper, "don't worry. I'll make you feel better later."
It isn't until later on in the night that you realize that Rachel began looking much happier after the call. As you go to say goodnight to Rachel, you notice her on a Skype call with a blonde. You're about to hug and congratulate her all over again when she defensively blocks her laptop view rather quickly.
You forget all about that when Santana speeds up the process and all but shoves you into her bedroom.
You've been officially with Santana for two months now and tonight, you've got the apartment all to yourselves.
It's not that you don't like her roommates. You're close to Rachel now and Kurt is totally your go-to guy for fashion advice, but after an incident involving Santana's claws and… ugh… stuff, you don't feel comfortable messing around with her while they're around, now.
You let yourself in to find that Santana is still in the shower, and while that sounds like a fun time to intrude on, you'd promised you two would have a proper and romantic date before lady lovin' time. You take in the state of the apartment and smile – she'd gone all out. The lights are dim and there are several candles on the dinner table. There are two plates set on opposite sides of the table with various covered dishes in between. You appreciate the romance of it all, because you can tell she's waited forever to be able to do things like this for a girl.
Even if you're not that kind of girl.
Fifteen minutes later, she's still getting ready and you're getting restless around the kitchen area. You go into Kurt's room to snoop around but after finding some questionable things, you're out of there quicker than lesbians with a U-Haul. You decide to check out Rachel's room. It's almost exactly like you'd expect it to be – there are multiple Broadway playbills scattered on a board, some artwork on the wall, and meticulously clean. You walk up to her nightstand to see if you can get any blackmail material (she was totally lying about not owning one of those, you swear) but really, you don't find much. On top, there are three photos: one of her with her dads posing in front of a Barbra Streisand poster, another with what looked like a club she was in with a trophy in the middle, but… huh. The third one catches your eye the most. It's in a small frame split into two pieces, the first half being a photo of her and a gorgeous blonde girl holding hands. The blonde is in a red and white cheerleading uniform staring at Rachel. The second half of the frame holds a round way Metro ticket from New York to New Haven. Next to it, an aged white flower pressed down and meant to be preserved.
Huh. Interesting.
You're interrupted from your thoughts when Santana calls out your name and you quickly straighten everything out. After deciding everything looks okay, you walk into the kitchen to find Santana pouring champagne for the two of you and you wrap your arms around her.
The date goes incredibly well. When you lay Santana down later on in the night, you intend to make love to her, but it doesn't happen. It's passionate, and good, but it's not love.
But maybe for now, it's enough.
Five months into your relationship with Santana, you finally get to meet the blonde hottie that Rachel's been talking to.
You'd heard all about their messed up history from an exasperated Santana – about how Quinn tormented Rachel until Rachel finally got her to be her friend, about Puck and the baby and Rachel's totally messed up mom, about Finn. Santana swears up and down that Rachel is straight, in love with Finn, and refuses to date anyone else… but you have your own thoughts on that. You've got money on the blondie and you're ready to put that into play.
Hand in hand, you two walk down 227th to meet Rachel and her friend. You spot them at a café and exchange hellos.
"So, short stuff. Why here? I thought you'd want to take Quinn to a nicer place." Santana asks honestly, even though she's eyeing the menu with a quirked eyebrow.
"Well… We can always get to that later. She claims that just because the 'cronut' originated here it is not superior to the ones in New Haven and I had to make her try them. I love you, Quinn, but your opinion is just so wrong!" everyone laughs at that, but you noticed Quinn hesitate right after hearing "love". You all continue with the small talk ("okay, so, cronuts might be better over here,") and your heart seizes up watching Rachel and Quinn's interactions.
Even though they claim they haven't seen each other in months, nothing between them is awkward or weird. Rachel pays for Quinn's food and neither bat an eyelid. Quinn knows Rachel's exact coffee order and laughs when the barista is so flustered she has to repeat it twice. They hold hands effortlessly and let go just as easily, like they don't have to put any thought into making that physical connection – it just happens. Quinn looks at Rachel like she's the most important thing in the world.
You realize that's the way it should be with Santana and the thought nearly breaks your heart.
You quickly leave, spewing some lame excuse about tuning your guitar or something. You don't even know what you're saying, but you give Santana a kiss on the cheek, tell Quinn it was nice to meet her, and hurriedly rushed out of the café.
You run, because that's all you know.
"Um… We should probably talk, huh?"
That's the text you wake up to the next morning. You try to ignore it for as long as you can, because you've never been good at this part. When your parents found out you were strictly all about the ladies, you left. After your last ex called you out on not being emotionally available, you made sure she never saw you again. Confrontations just... aren't your thing.
But you figure that if she's put up with your shit for almost half a year now, you owe her.
You send off a quick "yeah, coming over" text before starting your dreadful walk to their apartment. You don't even think to check your phone for a reply because you honestly don't want to know what she could say.
When you arrive outside their flat, you hear two feminine voices going at it (and unfortunately, not how you'd like). You quickly recognize Rachel's voice and figure that she's (loudly) arguing with Quinn. You check your phone to find out that Santana doesn't finish her shift for another thirty minutes and you immediately feel like a dweeb. Way to go, Dani.
"Why didn't you use the ticket, Rachel?! Tell me. It's too late now, but I need to hear you say it. Because if you don't, god help me, Rachel Berry -" just like the first time, you can't help but listen in.
"Why didn't you?! I was busy, Quinn. I had classes, I felt like - I felt like a small fish in a big pond, okay?! I wasn't special anymore, Quinn, not the way I'd been in Lima. I had to deal with a completely insane dance teacher, a guy who ended up being a personal escort,"
"Prostitute. You're telling me you were too busy to visit your supposed 'close friend' because you were dealing with a prostitute. Thanks, Rachel. You really know how to make a girl feel special, don't you?" Quinn remarked coldly. "And, damnit, how many times do I have to tell you that there's no one else like you? Your voice is amazing and you're meant for so much. I feel like you listen to everyone but me!"
"I don't understand why it's such a big deal now! You're here and we're, god, Quinn, we're friends and if you'd told me that we'd be hanging out in my New York City apartment our sophomore year of college I'd laugh and applaud your imagination!" Rachel fired back. "My voice is good, amazing even, but there are a lot of other amazing voices out here and don't you dare try and tell me otherwise, Quinn Fabray. Dani? Dani's voice is exceptional."
"Dani isn't you. First of all, she's more of a 'pop' voice anyway, but she's not you. You're the most talented, most special person I know, and you know what? You want to know why it's a big deal? Because I waited. I bought us those tickets and waited for you to be the first one to use them. I waited for you to tell me that it wasn't just for Finn. God, and now you're trying to tell me that I waited because of a man whore?! Rachel, it's too much -"
"W-what... What are you saying?"
"I've been saying the same thing I've been saying since our senior year of high school, Rachel. If you... If you still don't hear me... then maybe we'll never get it right." Quinn stated brokenly. You heard footsteps approaching so you ran to the staircase (knowing that since Quinn's accident, Rachel made her promise to always use an elevator if available). After you're positive Quinn is gone, you knock on the door, only to be opened to a teary-eyed Rachel. You hug her and she cries, mumbling mostly incoherent phrases. The most often recurring one being "I don't understand, I just don't understand,".
Your heart breaks for Rachel, but mostly for Quinn. You make a note to thank her for what she said, one day.
It's the morning after and Santana is sound asleep. After she'd gotten home yesterday and saw Rachel crying, she dropped the problem with you immediately. You both sandwiched Rachel on the couch and watched all of her favorite musicals until she'd fallen asleep. Santana tucked her in and gave her pillows while you shut off the t.v. and cleaned up the snacks. Then, you'd lead Santana back to her bedroom.
You both knew it was break-up sex. Well, at least you hope she knew.
After getting dressed and double checking to see that Santana was still snoring, you tiptoe out of the room as quietly as you can... only to find Rachel up and waiting for you at the table.
"How could you do that? She really likes you, Dani." she pleads with you. She's still shaken up over her fight with Quinn and you admire how she's fighting for her best friend's happiness, but you know better than she does. You think you may have always known.
"You know, Rachel... You're a really great friend. Santana is lucky to have you."
"Then why are you leaving her?!" Rachel exclaims, clearly frustrated with you.
"Maybe the sun she's been waiting for has been there all along, Rachel. It was never supposed to be me. She might try and talk trash about her sexuality or whatever, but I know, okay? This wasn't going to be more than a short-term thing. Not when her heart is already set on long-term commitments to someone else, whether she knows it or not." you say, and the words hurt, but you stand your ground. Rachel looks startled and contemplates what you've said.
"And besides... You and Santana are meant for New York. But me? I'm more Los Angeles. Pop music, you know?" you add on, and she eventually nods.
"I'm going to miss you, Dani. I'm sincerely glad we got to meet. Remember me when you're out there being a rockstar, okay?" she says with a soft smile and you can tell she's being genuine. You're going to miss her, too, if you're being honest. She gets up to give you a hug and you gladly return it.
"You remember me when you're out there winning Tony's, Rachel Berry." she laughs through a few tears and watches you walk away.
You can't help the words that fall out of your mouth before you reach the door.
"And, Rachel? Maybe you weren't supposed to be our Yenta, but I hope I can be yours."
"Wha-, god, Dani, no mind games. Please. Santana is just my best friend and -"
"I meant you and Quinn." you cut her off and she takes a sharp breath. You can already see the wheels starting to turn in her head just by awed expression on her face.
"I don't know what... What? I don't understand." she nearly whispers.
"Oh, you do. You know. I hope you finally get it right, Rachel." you say with finality and leave the apartment once and for all.
A/N - Thinking of writing a short epilogue. Feels kind of wrong leaving it open-ended, but let me know what you guys think!