The smile doesn't leave my face when I wake up. Maybe I'm getting use to all this faster than I thought I would. I attempt to move a little when I feel two arms grab me tighter.
"No leave." The blonde mumbles as she pulls me tighter and snuggles her face into my neck.
So this is cuddling. I always thought I would hate this part of any relationship I found myself in. I've seen tons of romance movies. Like probably all of them 10 times. And watching people cuddle was always so uncomfortable to me. It looked miserable. Why would anyone ever want someone that close to their person? In this moment it all makes sense. I can't put it in to words though. Maybe it's the closeness. I realize I want to be close to every part of Brittany. Shit I couldn't even keep my hands off her calf last night, and it was her fucking calf for crying out loud. It also just makes me feel at peace. Like maybe.. right now.. in this moment.. in her arms.. I won't ever have to die. Or maybe I've already died and this is heaven. At least when I die I'll always have this. This they can never take this away.
I was so lost in my thoughts, and I was on the cusp of sleep consuming me again, when Quinn comes barging in, "Fuck Snix. You like disappeared last night! What the fu-." Her face turns very amused as she takes in Brittany and me spooning. Quinn always gets this stupid smile on her face when she wants to make fun of someone, but knows she shouldn't, and it's plastered there right now. "Shit. I was going to suggest some bacon and mimosas … But you look mega busy." She finishes with a wink.
I can hear her musical laugh as she closes the door. Brittany moves back to her side of the bed and I can feel her begin to stretch out her body as she starts to wake up.
"I hate her." Brittany mumbles as she turns to face me, "It was this like perfect day inside my head. I was riding on a killer whale. A beautiful beast of a whale. I think I called her Wilbur. She was taking me to this island where there was all this super cool stuff. You were there with Lord Tubington. He might have been the king of the island. Who knows?" She laughs and I can tell from her face she is reminiscing about her dream.
I turn and face her too, and for a long time were each trapped inside our own heads. But every so often we'd lock eyes and gently smile at each other.
"What are your plans for the day?" I blurt out when I've ran out of thoughts. Instead of words she just shakes her head. "Cool. I was thinking of exploring. Turns out I don't start work for another week and I want to get the feel of this silly town."
She doesn't answer immediately, which is fine. My mind is still foggy so I'm sure hers is too. Morning always suck a lot. And I've learned on this particular morning, mornings after two bottles of wine suck even more. "Yeah. That sounds cool I guess. I am going to need like 10 Advil, a shower, clothes, and some food though. Oh, and I want to be a tourist too. So don't ask me for any help."
That sounds perfect.
I complete all of her request and only have to text Quinn to figure out where she keeps her Advil. I really need a day to myself to learn where things are in this house. I get the feeling that Brittany doesn't want to go home, so I let her figure out what clothes I own that will fit her. That seemed to be the best solution since I have absolutely no idea what I actually own. Another thing I should spend some time figuring out. While Brittany showers I realize I have absolutely no idea where we actually live. That could be a problem. Man my list of things I have to learn just keeps getting longer and longer.
What town or state or where the fuck do we live? ~S
Loser town Lima Ohio. Read your fucking material before you die. ~Q
I hate you. ~S
Everyone knows blondes make you wet. Shut up. ~Q
I chuckle and toss my phone aside. Lima Ohio huh. From the way Quinn described it, it might be the most boring town touring of all time. I rack my brain for anything I've ever heard of or learned about this specific town and come up short. I decide to put my new computer to good use and begin googling anything that might help me out.
I didn't even hear Brittany come back in, "I'm not an expert on blindly exploring but I feel like what you're doing might be cheating." She jokes as she sits down on the bed and starts texting away on her phone. "Plus I'm sure Quinn's already told you what everyone does in this lame town."
"Well I really hate people so I don't actually want to go where everyone is. And to be honest I would have googled even if you weren't here. So it' allowed." I wink and grab my clothes to take shower.
After driving around for about 20 minutes, just listening to whatever music Brittany has decided to play, I find this dinky little dinner in the next town over. It looks old. Like its seen some things. And it's not eye pleasing by any means. It's called The Joint. But the small parking lot and the lot next door are full of cars, so something must bring all these people here. Brittany looks a little unsure as I park the car and make my way inside.
The inside is the exact opposite of the outside. It's very sleek and clean, with a strong hipster appeal. It has bookshelves filled with books, knick knacks, and board games. There's bean bag chairs in one area, tables scattered around, and a large swoop around counter littered with customers. The walls are bright yellow, orange, and teal with local artwork littering them. Nothing matches. The place is total chaos, but so inviting. It's like I'm at someone's home. I watch as Brittany's face turns from unsure to excited.
After we're seated Brittany squeals, "I've lived here like my whole life, and never knew this fantastic place existed! Did you find this on google!?"
"That was cheating remember." I wink, "I really only searched for a local café but apparently your town doesn't have any so I just drove around."
"Seriously? This place looked like a scary drug dealers dream. It's literally called The Joint. What made you pick here?"
I laugh, "We'll there were so many cars. Why? I needed to know. I'm a food fanatic and love quaint local secrets." This might have been a lie, since I've only ever eaten in two places now. But at the facility I was obsessed with cooking shows. I loved learning about different foods and told myself if I was ever forced out I would explore the local food joints at every chance I got. Good food is the only thing I ever really felt like I missed out on.
We decide to order a pitcher of Mimosas, Brittany remembered Quinn's offer, and about 4 different meals to share. We were both so indecisive when looking over the menu, I said fuck it lets get it all. After we stuffed our faces with pancakes, crapes, house fries, bacon, and some amazing eggs, I went and grabbed us Jenga from the game wall to play while we finished our drinks. It turns out Brittany is insanely competitive – and apparently I am too.
While Brittany went to the bathroom I decided to grill our waiter about what kind of stuff one could find around here. He told me about the mall and a couple of local craft shops and some books stores, but I wanted something a little different. After the small game of Jenga I wanted something that would bring back the smile she wore when she was truly enjoying herself.
"How are you feeling?" I questioned when Brittany returned. I needed to know her mind set before I added too much activity into our lives.
She took in the closeness of our waiter before she plopped herself down in her chair, "Stuffed. Buzzed. And excited to continue our journey."
It only took about ten more minutes until I ended up where the waiter told me about, Franks. It's basically a giant building with a movie theatre, bowling alley, laser tag, arcade, and bars everywhere.
"Shit! I've always wanted to come here but I'm always to poor." Brittany mumbled as we parked the car.
I laughed and began to get out of the car, "Well don't worry. Todays on me. And trust me pretty lady – you're not going to win anything against me." I winked and make my way inside.
As we walk in I just take in the hugeness of this place. There's people everywhere. It makes me a little annoyed. Shit I should have thought this through. I can barely hear myself think – how am I going to be able to have a real conversation with her? She head towards the wall that shows all the movies airing and their times. I run my eyes through the list but the only thing that stands out is Beauty and the Beast. The face she makes when I suggest it, is worth everything.
"I've been wanting to see this movie for FOREVER! But there aren't any theatres close by and now everyone I know has already seen it." She chirps.
I want to ask why she didn't just tell Sam to take her, but I realize like the color of the sheets at the boys facility – it really doesn't matter.
The movie does not start for another hour, so after we order our tickets we shamelessly make our way to the bar and order some drinks and loaded fries. This girl can seriously eat. We aimlessly chat about the weather and some sports teams. Nothing insanely serious. She tells me a couple stories about her brother and I watch as her face lights up with each detail. Apparently he's almost three years older than her and off at college. I try to absorb every detail and engrain into my memory every detail of her face as she tells them.
One of her many little stories are interrupted when the bartender comes over and starts mildly flirting with me. At first I'm a little annoyed, but then I realize she's pretty attractive. "Can we have another round of drinks?" Brittany interrupts with a tight smirk on her face.
Is she jealous?
The waitress returned with our drinks and it was close enough to the movie time that we could head in. On our way Brittany gave me her puppy dog eyes and asked for some snacks.
"Tomorrow we're going hardcore paintballing. Burn all these calories from today. Plus I like your face when you lose." I tease.
She gives me a suggestive look before ordering a large popcorn, M&M's, and some pretzel bites, "What are you talking about. You look amazing and no one has ever kept up with my apatite like you."
"So no paintball? I guess I'll have to beat all the other kid's asses by myself." I joke as I grab some of her snacks and start migrating to the ticket checker.
I've learned a couple things in my short amount of time with Brittany. She enjoys being pampered in a subtle way. She likes being taken to breakfast and the movies and having someone spend time with her, without things being too serious. She finds it intriguing when I don't cater to her every whim. Like waiting for her before I enter a building or confirming she wants to do something. She wears this same stunned confused smile. She also had the same expression at breakfast when she examined the waiter as she did when the bartender was flirting with me. She's use to Sam. Perfect Sam. But I'm not Sam. And I'm not her girlfriend. And I'm going to do this my way.
I've also learned a lot about myself. I have no cute stories to add to any conversation with her. And that hurts. I don't know if I have siblings. I can't tell her about how we fought until we were 20. I can't tell her about my childhood, because more importantly than it not existing, it wasn't real. It's not what normal people went through. It was fabricated and in a binder I didn't even bother reading. My real childhood was Quinn and I bitching about the fake chicken they served us at the facility. Or the lack of any color other than pink. Speaking of Quinn –
What are you doing? ~Q
Weird. Why is she texting me?
Exploring lame old Lima Ohio. Although I don't think were in Lima anymore. ~S
Brittany picked us some seats in the normal location. Separate as much as we can from the other people but still maintaining as much of the center middle as possible.
Cool. Thanks for inviting me bitch. ~Q
You can still come. We're about to watch Beauty and the Beast, but were at Franks and will probably do some bowling or something after if you want to swing by. ~S
Yeah Puck is being miserable. Run it by Brittany and let me know. ~Q
"Hey." I pause because I'm not entirely sure how to word this. Her face is a mixture between annoyance, at what I can only assume was due to my texting, and attempting to try and be nonchalant. "Quinn." I hold up my phone, "She is bored I think. I was wondering if you'd be down for a couple games of bowling with Quinn and Puck after the movie?"
She starts to fidget and I begin to think I should have just ignored my texts. "My mom's kind of weird when I come home too late. And by too late I mean like after 8pm." She stammers. I don't want her to feel weird about whatever rules she has, and I'm about to tell her it's cool when she mumbles, "I'd love to chill though. Could I like spend the night at yours again?" The last part is said in a bit of a whisper and my heart fills a bit at the thought of potentially cuddling again.
"Of course." I almost say something stupid like I know about rules and you can sleep over whenever. And she can. Things like loyalty to our target can't just be forgotten in one second. And fuck their mathematics where they always find us a bonding companion. But she doesn't want pity, and I'm not one to ever provide it. "How else will I trap you in to paintball tomorrow? I really don't want to crush those kids alone."
She nods and takes a sip of her drink, "Bowling it is!"
Head on over cunt. ~S
Cool. We'll be there after the movie ends. Lets' do dinner first. Q
The entire movie is amazing. I've never seen the cartoon, which I'm realizing is a failure on my part, but Brittany is a sport about it. She tells me quickly when it deviates from the original and all her thoughts about it. I've never liked it when someone spoke though a movie, but I'm noticing with her everything is different. She shifts around a lot in her seat, sometimes sitting insanely close to me, and then other times she's leaning on the other side of seat. I spend almost as much time watching her, and staring at her hands, as I do the actual movie.
When the movie ends we migrate to the bathrooms. Brittany grabs my forearm in the chaos and for a moment, time might literally stand still.We head toward the dining area and are quickly seated.
"Quinn's coming?" Brittany asks before looking at the menu.
I nod, "Yeah she said she wanted to eat before bowling. But I'm totally okay with just grabbing an appetize and some drinks while we wait."
"Yes. Food!" Brittany smiles.
Brittany orders us a fruity craft beers this time. It's actually really good and goes great with the sample appetizer platter she picked. She starts pretending what a couple at the table near us is talking about, and I find myself so lost in the game that I don't even notice when Puck and Quinn join us. I realize this is the first time I'm seeing Puck. He's tall, a lot taller than her. He has a very bad boy attitude and they actually look pretty cute together.
"Hey Brittany. I'm glad to see the fake ID I gave you is working." Puck says as he sits down. I didn't even think about how old she was. I wonder how old I am in this make believe world. Would it be weird if I examined my ID? This probably isn't the time. I definitely have some things to look over when I find myself some alone time. "You must be Santana."
I look up and realize I got lost in my thoughts for a minute, "Yeah, Hey. Puck right?" Puck right – of course it's Puck. God. I look over and see Quinn giving me a weird face. I shrug.
Dinner flows easily enough. Puck looks like he would be a giant douchebag but he's actually pretty funny and a bit of an asshole, so it's cool. Brittany decided she wanted to share our meal again, since she couldn't pick between steak and pasta. This I am totally cool with because we never had either of these at the facility. I'm super surprised I can even think about eating more food. It feels like all we're done today is eat.
We decided to do team bowling instead of individual. We've been at it for about an hour and have gone through about 4 pitchers, so everyone is feel pretty great. Brittany is up to bowl and once she picks up her ball she turns and gives me one of her huge smiles. At this moment she doesn't look like she could ever be happier. By the time we finish bowling were all pretty drunk so we decide to take an Uber home.
Once we get home, Quinn grabs us some wine and we all headed out to the backyard. I pick one of the lounge chairs and relax as I close my eyes. I feel weight on my chair and look down to see Brittany sitting on the edge of it. I lift my leg to place it in her lap and give her more space. I'm really happy to see she absentmindedly decided to run her slender fingers along my calf. I'm lost in the sensation of my tipsy mind and her warm touch, that I haven't been paying any attention to the conversation at hand.
"Sanny." I slowly open my eyes at the nick name. She is handing me something that I'm having a really hard time placing. It's not until I see the ghost white smoke pouring from her mouth that I realize what she's giving me. They let us get drunk at the facility so that our first time isn't out in the real world, but they've only ever shown us pictures of weed.
I slowly take the joint from here and I'm a little unsure of what to actually do. "Man I bet you haven't smoked in years Santana. Just remember to take a medium size hit your first time and don't release the smoke until you start to slightly feel a burn." Thank you Quinn I'm a little too drunk to remember any of the movies I've ever seen where people get high.
I do exactly as she says, but before I'm about to release the smoke Brittany attaches her lips to mine and I breathe it in to her mouth. I can instantly feel the effects of her lips on mind. I try to memorize every imagine of her exhaling the smoke through her nose with a goofy grin on her face. Brittany began to slowly move her fingers around my hand, never quite letting them sit still. She would brush our finger tips together, and just when I would think she's about to hold my hand, she pulls away and starts her pattern over again.
After what felt like ages, and when I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore, we decided to head to bed. We're both laying on our backs when she turns to me, "Today was actually a lot of fun. I still can't believe I've never been to that café before."
"Yeah, I really liked that place too." I want more than anything to keep the conversation going, but my mind is pulling me into a deep slumber, "I haven't been this tired in ages." I mumble.
The last thing I remember was her light laugh as I completely dozed off.
