Author's note: thank you for your reviews and follows so far, hope you enjoy chapter two...
Chapter Two: Questions and Answers
"Will you marry me?" Santana asked as Quinn stared, wide-eyed, at the small blue box resting on her upturned palm. Quinn swallowed hard as she tore her gaze away from the engagement ring to look into Santana's anxious, beautiful face. A maelstrom of emotions swirled through her and she felt tears burning in the corners of her eyes. She bit down hard on her lower lip as she fought not to cry. Her whole body trembled as she fought to stay in control.
Santana obviously construed her silence as a bad sign and she began to babble uncontrollably. "I know it's not a very big diamond and I didn't know if you'd prefer to pick out your own ring... but there was just something about it... I thought it was elegant and beautiful, like you... but if you don't like it, we can always choose something else? That is, if you still want to marry me someday? Because, if you've changed your mind..." She trailed off and took a shaky breath. "Quinn? Say something? Anything, please?"
Quinn obediently opened her mouth but she was at a loss for words. Tears spilled down her cheeks and she closed her eyes to try to compose herself. When she opened them, Santana's anxious expression appeared to be segueing into panic.
"You're having second thoughts, aren't you?" Santana whispered, her own eyes filling with tears.
Now it was Quinn's turn to panic as she fought to find the perfect way to explain to Santana what she was feeling. She needed to do something quickly, but the blood pounding in her ears was making it difficult for her to think clearly. Acting on instinct more than anything else, Quinn flung herself at Santana and kissed her fiercely. She tangled her fingers into Santana's long, silky hair as they tumbled onto the floor in a tangle of limbs, Santana winding up flat on her back. Quinn tried to convey all of her myriad of emotions through the kiss. Truthfully, she was terrified, but she wasn't in any doubt that she wanted to be with Santana for the rest of her life. She feared the depth of her emotion, and the vulnerability that came from letting someone in so deeply. She had already opened herself further to Santana than she ever had to anyone else. Despite all of her personal growth during the past few years, a small part if her was still anxious and nervous about what the rest of the world might think of her choices, and she was still afraid of getting hurt. All of this paled in comparison to the love she felt for Santana however. Some mornings she would wake up early and just watch Santana sleep, mesmerised by the beautiful woman lying beside her. She would find herself captivated by the fullness of Santana's lips, or the curl of her long, dark eyelashes, and she would thank God for bringing Santana into her world. And during the past eighteen months, Santana had become her world. The simple fact was Quinn needed her. She needed her the same way she needed to breathe oxygen to survive.
As they kissed, Quinn became aware of her lungs burning with the need for actual oxygen, and she tore herself away from the warm recesses of Santana's mouth, breathing hard. Santana reached up to brush stray blonde tendrils out of Quinn's eyes so that she could meet her gaze without obstruction, and she manoeuvred them both into a sitting position.
"Just to clarify," she said, panting as she tried to catch her breath. "Is that a yes?"
"Yes," confirmed Quinn, a brilliant smile lighting up her face.
Santana searched for the ring box which Quinn had dropped during the ferocity of her attack and quickly located it under their bed. With surprisingly steady fingers, she slipped the ring onto Quinn's left hand. Quinn's skin tingled in the wake of Santana's touch and she studied the ring in awe. The design was simple, a single diamond set into a white gold band, but it was by far the most beautiful ring she'd ever seen. She beamed as she held her hand up to the light, examining her ring from every angle.
"I wish I could've gotten you something bigger," Santana admitted shyly. "You deserve a really beautiful ring."
"This is a really beautiful ring," Quinn assured her, planting a soft kiss against her fiancée's lips. "It's perfect. I love it, and I love you." She flung her arms around Santana, almost sending her crashing back against the hardwood floor again, but Santana grabbed at the bed frame to steady herself.
"So, we can tell people?" she asked hopefully as Quinn kissed her neck and moved to straddle her lap, her towel riding tantalisingly high on her thighs.
Quinn paused in her ministrations as she considered Santana's question carefully. Although Santana had agreed to keep their news to themselves when she'd initially proposed six months previously, the decision had definitely been Quinn's. She knew at the time that she wasn't really being fair to her girlfriend but she'd had her reasons. She was mourning Finn's death, and trying to build a relationship with her daughter. Six months ago, she'd only just begun to feel secure in her relationship with Santana, and she'd been reluctant for anything to change. She'd told Santana that she wanted something that was just for the two of them, something they didn't have to share with anyone else, and Santana had said she'd understood.
Things had changed a lot since that day. Quinn had an established relationship with Beth and the little girl adored Santana. Although they all still missed Finn, the initial pain had receded somewhat. And more than anything, Quinn knew that she wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life making Santana happy. So she nodded firmly.
"I think we should tell our families first," she said with a wry smile. "I'm not sure how my mom'll take it. I mean, she's trying but it's still pretty hard for her. What do you think your parents will say?" Santana suddenly looked sheepish. "What?" Quinn demanded, trying not to laugh at her guilty expression. "You already told them, didn't you?"
"I didn't tell them everything, I swear," Santana explained hurriedly. "I meant it when I said I wouldn't tell anyone before we were ready. But I needed money to buy the ring, and I really wanted to give it to you tonight but I was a little short so I asked my parents to help me out."
"What did you tell them?" asked Quinn curiously.
"That I love you," Santana said simply, "and that I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Quinn beamed at her.
"And what did they say?" she wanted to know.
"My mom said that she already thinks of you as her daughter," said Santana with a grin. "My dad didn't say much but he did warn me not to screw it up, so I'm pretty sure that means he likes you more than me already." She started trailing her fingertips up and down Quinn's exposed thigh enticingly as she spoke and Quinn was suddenly acutely aware of the fact that she was wearing nothing more than a towel. "But I don't really want to talk about our parents right now," Santana pouted, tugging gently at the hem of Quinn's towel.
Quinn leaned in to kiss her fiancée gently on the lips. She brought her left hand up to cup Santana's cheek but couldn't help but be distracted by the shiny diamond adorning her finger.
Santana chuckled as she tried to regain Quinn's attention by sliding her hands underneath the towel and grasping her firmly by the hips. It did the trick. Quinn broke out of her haze with a squeal.
"Santana! Your hands are freezing!" She wriggled against the touch but Santana wasn't letting go.
"Well, you're the one who pushed us onto the floor," she reminded Quinn with a smirk. "It's cold down here. And I'm not exactly dressed for warmth right now."
Quinn cast her eyes appreciatively over Santana's lingerie clad figure. A large part of her wanted nothing more than to climb on top of the brunette and warm her up in the most pleasurable way she could think of, and from the way Santana's dark eyes were devouring her, Quinn knew her fiancée was having the same thoughts. Any other night, they probably would've given in to their base desires and had sex right there on the floor, but this night was special and an unspoken look passed between them as they both recognized that fact.
Reluctantly, Quinn climbed off Santana's lap and stood up. She held out a hand to her but their new position had brought Santana's gaze level with Quinn's shapely thighs and she appeared entranced as she licked her lips subconsciously. Quinn shivered, goosebumps erupting on her skin as Santana's eyes wandered over her legs. Gently, Santana stroked the pads of her fingers up the back of Quinn's calves, causing her to gasp lightly at the sensation.
"I thought you wanted to get off the floor," murmured Quinn with a giggle, as Santana's hands reached her knees and continued northwards.
Without breaking contact, Santana shifted her position so she was on her knees in front of Quinn.
"I haven't given you the rest of your birthday present yet," she said, her voice low with desire. Her hands were traveling over the back of Quinn's thighs now, closer and closer to the hem of the towel.
"I thought the ring was my present," Quinn said, her breath hitching on every word.
"The ring was part one of your present," clarified Santana as her fingers trailed under the towel, just brushing the tops of her thighs with a featherlight touch.
"What's part two?" Quinn asked, shivering with anticipation over where Santana's touch would travel next.
"Me," said Santana with a confident smirk. Her light caress suddenly intensified as her hands palmed Quinn's rear, kneading the supple flesh firmly. Quinn bit her lip to stifle a moan as her whole body flushed with desire. Santana tugged hard on the towel and it landed in a puddle at Quinn's feet, leaving her naked under Santana's hungry gaze.
Still kneeling in front of her, Santana pressed her lips lightly against Quinn's inner thigh, stroking the smooth skin with the tip of her tongue. "Since it's your birthday," Santana said between kitten licks, "I'll even let you choose what you want me to do to you... Anything at all, you just have to say the words."
"Oh God," whispered Quinn breathlessly, an even stronger wave of desire flooding her body.
Santana chuckled at the effect her offer had had on Quinn, who tugged the brunette to her feet and fused their mouths together in a wet, messy, desperate kiss. She laughed again at the low growl that tore from Quinn's throat when she pulled back from the kiss, panting hard.
"You said anything," Quinn reminded her with a pout.
"And I meant it," Santana assured her innocently. "But I also said you had to tell me what you wanted." She raised an eyebrow, fully aware of the effect she was having. "So, what do you want, Q?"
Quinn flushed scarlet, with a mixture of desire and frustration. She never had been much of a talker during sex, mostly because she felt embarrassed about vocalizing what she wanted. But this was Santana after all, her fiancée, the woman she'd just agreed to spend the rest of her life with. She loved Santana, and she trusted her.
Swallowing hard, Quinn licked her lips as she imagined all the different things she could ask Santana to do to her, and her whole body thrummed with need.
"I want your hands on me," she commanded, her voice surprisingly steady.
"Where?" Santana smirked maddeningly. Quinn let out a noise that was halfway between a whine and a groan as her fiancée continued to tease her.
"Everywhere," she replied hoarsely, almost crying with relief as Santana's left hand reached out to palm her breast, whilst her right stroked lightly over Quinn's left hip.
"Is this what you had in mind?" Santana queried, as she caressed Quinn's nipple with the pad of her thumb.
"Yes," Quinn murmured with a fierce nod. "Don't stop, please?"
Santana laughed. "Oh, Q," she admonished lightly. "I have no intention of stopping. I'm only just getting started." And with that said, Santana guided Quinn down onto the bed, never breaking the connection of her hands on Quinn's heated skin as she moved to straddle her before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.