As the natural light from the sun filters throughout the silent room, Santana begrudgingly awakes, squeezing her eyes tightly in an attempt to block out the rays. As she mulls over the idea of grabbing a pillow or the comforter to help shield her eyes from the unforgiving sun, she feels a heaviness against her chest. Slowly, she opens her eyes and is met with blonde tresses splayed across her upper body.
For a brief moment, the Latina internally freaks out, thinking that she had royally screwed up and crossed a line by sleeping with Brittany. However, as she looks over and sees the spaghetti strap of her tank top and carefully wiggles her left hand underneath the sheets to confirm that she is still wearing her sleep shorts, she relaxes a bit.
We just slept together, Santana says to herself. Emphasis on the 'slept' part.
As Santana starts to breath easily again, she replays the conversation that she and the blonde had the night before. She recalls how shocked and angry she had been to learn what Brittany's ex had put her through. Even more so, she was devastated to see the agony in the blonde's usually bright blue eyes.
Brittany being sad was definitely not something the brunette was accustomed to and if she could help it... Santana would do everything in her power to prevent it from ever happening again.
"You're safe with me," the Latina whispers out as she wraps her arms more firmly around the blonde's toned body.
"I know..." Brittany softly responds as she deeply exhales and slightly lifts her head up to meet the surprised eyes of her sleeping companion. "Hey."
"H-hi..." Santana fumbles over her words a bit, still trying to recover from the blonde hearing her last statement. "I, uh... I didn't know you were awake."
"I figured as much."
"How long have you been awake?" Santana carefully inquires.
"Ever since I felt your erratic breathing, which was probably around the same time that you woke up and started freaking out about us being in bed together," Brittany says knowingly with a small smirk.
Santana opens her mouth to reply, but no words come out. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she opts to look away but is stopped by a gentle hand against her face.
"You don't have to put up a wall with me, San..." the blonde murmurs. "I think we're kinda past that, especially after last night."
Santana bashfully nods her head in response before meeting cerulean orbs again. "How are you feeling?"
"Pretty good, actually..." Brittany answers as she crosses her arms just under the Latina's breast, resting her chin on top of them. Instinctively, Santana brushes a blonde strand away from her face and tucks it behind her ear. "You've got some really comfy pillows," she adds in as she wiggles her eyebrows.
This causes the brunette to chuckle loudly and grin wider than a Cheshire Cat. "Well then, I'm glad they could be of service to you," Santana replies, not missing a beat.
Brittany smiles back in return.
After a few moments of comfortable silence passes by, Santana tries to lighten up the mood.
"So... your ex is kind of a dick."
The blonde takes a moment to ponder over the statement. "Y'know what... she kinda is."
"That's the main reason I avoid relationships," the Latina mumbles under her breath.
"Yeah... I meant to ask you about that last night, before the whole sobfest," Brittany says, laughing at herself a little. "What's the deal with that anyways?"
"There's no deal. I just make it a point to not get overly attached to anyone," Santana begins to explain. "If they don't have any power over me, then they can't hurt me. It's simple really."
"It's far from simple," Brittany interjects as she breaks eye contact with the Latina and begins to pick imaginary lint off of her shirt. "Opening yourself up to another person... making yourself vulnerable is what makes us human; it's what lets us know that we're alive."
"What's the point in feeling alive when the person you love causes you so much pain; when the person that you thought you knew better than anyone else betrays you and breaks your trust?" Santana lightly counters. "C'mon Britt... you should understand that better than anyone."
"Did it hurt like hell when I found out about Becca... absolutely; I won't deny that," the blonde replies, looking back up at her roommate. "But my time with her – the good and the bad – taught me something. Although it sucked, that whole experience made me stronger; it made me work harder and set higher expectations for myself."
"So you're telling me that even if you knew ahead of time how badly your relationship with Becca was gonna end, you would've still gotten involved with her?" The Latina questions, now seemingly even more interested in how the blonde's mind worked.
"Yeah... that's what I'm saying."
Santana doesn't say anything back at first. Instead, she carefully dissects the information that's been given to her as Brittany quietly studies her facial features, trying to decipher the harden exterior that is forming right before her eyes on the brunette's face.
"Hey..." the blonde's voice gently filters through Santana's ears, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Whatever you're thinking about, stop."
"Don't you wanna know what I'm thinking about though?" The Latina curiously questions.
"I do... but I'm sure you'll tell me when you're ready."
"You seem quite confident about that," Santana says as she playfully arches her brow.
"That's because I am," Brittany casually replies with a slight shrug and a subtle smirk. "But enough about stupid exes and irrational relationship fears..."
Santana opens her mouth to interject, but the blonde just continues on, not missing a beat.
"I just wanna feel this contentment and continue to cuddle with you. Is that okay?"
"I guess..." Santana huffs out as she rolls her eyes, feigning boredom. In actuality, the Latina's heart quickened at the idea of being able to hold Brittany for just a little bit longer, blocking out the rest of the world.
"Admit it; you love spooning with me," the blonde says matter-of-factly as she snuggles in further to the brunette's buxom chest.
"I will neither confirm nor deny that," Santana vaguely responds. "But you know what they say... spooning leads to forking," she adds in with a wink.
Brittany accidentally snorts as she tries to hold back her laughter. "You are such a goofball! And people think you're all scary and bitchy..."
"Hey... don't make me bring Snix out," the brunette playfully warns.
"Puh-lease... I'm not in the least bit intimidated by your whole 'Snix' persona," Brittany counters back, using quotations. "Honestly, Snix sounds more like a candy bar to me."
"That's it, Pierce; you're gonna get it now," Santana says as she quickly brings her hands to the blonde's sides and begins to tickle her.
Brittany starts violently thrashing around, trying her best to break away from the Latina's Kung Foo grip. Her attempts are useless though as Santana gains the upper hand and is able to successfully roll them over so that she is now on top of the blonde.
"San! Please, you gotta stop," Brittany pleads out as she continues to struggle. She's laughing so hard that her eyes are starting to water. "You're gonna make me pee on myself!"
"Just say you're sorry and this all ends," the Latina replies with indifference, enjoying the fact that she's making the other girl squirm.
After a few more minutes of trying to hold out pass by, Brittany finally resigns her defeat and yells out 'I'm sorry!' at the top of her lungs. Once her breathing isn't ragged from almost being tickled to death, the blonde regains her faculties as Santana rests their foreheads together, giggling to herself.
"I warned you..."
Brittany chuckles back. "I know... it was my own fault."
Santana slightly tilts her head back so she can see her friend's face fully. However, that was a dangerous move on her part because now she was vulnerable to the piercing blue eyes staring back at her. Suddenly, all laughter had ceased as both of the roommates' lips appeared to be subconsciously drawing closer to each other. There were mere inches separating thin pink lips from plump caramel-colored ones...
Knock... knock... knock...
"Britt, are you okay?" Quinn's concerned voice echoes from the other side of the door before it simultaneously opens. "Oh... sorry; I heard yelling so I thought something was wrong, but it seems that I've interrupted something?" She questions with a smugness to her tone.
"San tried to kill me with her tickling ability," Brittany replies, un-phased by the awkward albeit intimate position that the other blonde of the household had found them in. However, to appease the Latina currently lying on top of her with wide eyes, Brittany maneuvers herself to a seated position. Santana follows suit before meeting Q's eyes.
"What did you do?"
"I mocked the power of 'The Snix'," the blonde carefully states, not wanting a repeat of what had taken place a few minutes prior.
"Oh yeah... that was a bad idea," Quinn says knowingly with a shake of her head. "She gets all bent out of shape about that."
"I am sitting right here, y'know..." Santana finally says, making her presence known.
"Yeah, I know..." Q replies, seemingly unimpressed.
"What are you doing home anyways? Aren't you supposed to be at work?" Santana questions as she stands up from the bed and stretches.
"I'm on my lunch break. Unlike you, I don't have the luxury of sleeping in till noon on a Friday," Quinn says matter-of-factly. "Anyways, I'll leave you two to whatever it is you were doing."
Before either of the roommates can reply and declare that they weren't doing anything, Quinn is out of sight. Noticing the Latina's refusal to meet her eyes after a few beats, Brittany decides to break the ice.
"Well... that could've been awkward."
Finally, Santana looks up and shyly smiles at the quirky blonde. As she's about to open her mouth to respond to the comment, her eye catches sight of the bold red numbers directly behind Brittany that read 12:15 PM.
"Shit... I gotta start getting ready for work," the brunette sighs, causing Brittany to pout.
"Now I'm a sad panda," she sadly says back as her shoulders slump. "I wish you didn't have to work a double today."
"Yeah, me too," Santana replies as she takes a seat at the edge of the bed. "Although I'm not a big sports fanatic, I really wanted to be at your first game."
"That's sweet, but I get it... duty calls," Brittany says dejectedly.
"Ah, don't be like that," the Latina coos as she wraps her arm around the blonde's waist. In return, Brittany rests her head on Santana's shoulder. "After you kick my school's ass, you can come by Mr. Schue's and tell me all about it. I'll even throw in an unlimited supply of Midori Sours."
"How can a girl resist that?" Brittany chuckles out. Feeling the vibration from her laughter makes the brunette smile.
"Don't worry about those bitches on your team; you're gonna do great," Santana says confidently.
"Thanks San," the blonde genuinely states. "I guess I should get dressed too. I'm meeting up with the guys to get a little extra practice in before the game."
"Tell the Asian and Trouty I said hello."
"Will do."
With one last squeeze to her waist and a kiss to the top of her head, Santana releases her grip on the blonde and bids farewell. As the bathroom door closes behind her, Brittany drops her back against the bed, causing her to bounce a little. She closes her eyes and deeply inhales and exhales before opening them again. Although her mind should've been one hundred percent focused on the opening game for the Lady Trojans that would take place later on that day, the only thing that Brittany could think about is how much she enjoyed waking up in the comfort of Santana's arms.
"Nice save B!" Mike exclaims as he runs over to the blonde and helps her up.
"Yeah B, I think you're totally ready," Sam adds in as he gives her a high five.
"Thanks guys," Brittany replies back with a smile.
As the trio grabs a bottle of water to cool down, they exchange light conversation.
"So... how are things going at the house?" Mike asks.
"It's awesome!" The blonde replies excitedly. "I couldn't be happier."
Studying her face more closely, both guys can't help but think that there's something more behind the redness on her face than just being a little exhausted from their practice.
"That wouldn't have to do with a certain feisty Latina, would it?" Sam says knowingly with a huge smile plastered on his face.
Water instantly shoots out of Brittany's mouth as the tips of her ears become fire truck red. "What makes you say that?"
"C'mon B; you remember that my girlfriend lives in the same house, right?" The blonde boy chuckles out. "She might've mentioned how close you and Santana have been since you moved in."
"I'm close with all of the girls," Brittany weakly defends.
"That may be true, but even I can see how much you've changed over these past 2 weeks... and I don't even have a mole on the inside of your house," Mike cuts in. "What I'm saying is that I've never seen you like this before; so happy and carefree. It really suits you and if Santana has played any part in that, then I'm grateful."
"I agree," Sam says sincerely. "And we've definitely seen a slight change in Santana. She's been less bitchy and nicer lately." He pauses. "Well... she still calls me Trouty Mouth, but I think that's more so to piss Mercedes off."
All three of the young adults share a laugh.
"I really like her," Brittany admits bashfully. "She's so open and honest with me. Sometimes I feel a little weird because I know that some of the things she's told me are things that even Quinn and Mercedes don't know... and they've known her their entire lives!"
"But that's a good thing, right?" Sam inquires. "The fact that you've been able to break down her walls after only two weeks is astonishing."
"But what does that mean though?"
"I think it means she likes you too," Mike answers. "Since I've known you, I've never heard you talk about or show any interest in anybody. You've always been so focused on school and soccer."
"Yeah, B... it's time for you to loosen up for once; have a little fun," Sam adds in.
Brittany takes a moment to think about her friends' comments. Since her unexpected break-up with Becca, the blonde had been more reserved and cautious about the whole dating game. Although she now had some major trust issues, she wasn't completely put off by the idea of dating like her roommate was; the thought just hadn't crossed her mind much over the past two years. Brittany spent so much time busying herself with her studies and soccer that she didn't really have an opportunity to give any possible suitors a chance to pursue her.
But after spending two weeks living next door to the fiercest and most fascinating woman that she had ever met... Brittany felt ready to let herself live a little and see if there was something there between her and Santana.
"Maybe you guys are right," the blonde finally responds. "But right now, I have a game to win. See you guys later."
Brittany then rushes off the field towards the locker room to freshen up and mentally prepare herself for her last first game ever as a Lady Trojan.
"Hey Will, I'm headin' out," Mercedes says to her boss.
"Alrighty, I'll see ya next week," the curly-headed man replies back with a smile.
Returning his smile, Mercedes walks over towards the bar where her roommate is wiping down the counter. "What's with the pout?"
"I'm not pouting," Santana says back as she scrunched up her eyebrows.
"Yeah, you are. You've had that sourpuss on your face since you got here... and it's only been two hours," Cedes says knowingly as she takes a seat in front of the Latina. "Talk to me girl."
"About what?" Santana replies nonchalantly. "Shouldn't you be out of here? It's 4."
"Stop deflecting," Mercedes says sternly. "You know damn well what I'm talkin' about."
Santana audibly groans as she puts down the rag she was using to clean the bar top and gives the diva her full attention. "Fine... what do you wanna know?"
Mercedes grins victoriously. "I wanna know how you ended up in Brittany's bed after leaving the club with that cute brunette last night?" Before the Latina has a chance to ask how she knew that, her roommate adds in, "Q told me."
"Of course she did," Santana replies as she rolls her eyes, annoyed at the other blonde. "Not that it's any of your business, but I didn't sleep with that girl from the club... or Brittany."
"Okay... so, what happened?"
Santana shrugs her shoulders. "After I left the club, I went to the beach... alone," she says, emphasizing the last word. "Once I came home, I found Britt sitting out on the back deck. She was kinda giving me the cold shoulder." The Latina pauses thoughtfully before proceeding with her next statement. "I don't wanna assume things, but I think she was jealous of that girl."
Upon hearing this, Mercedes swiftly raises her hand and slaps the bartender upside her head. "Well, duh! Of course she was jealous," the diva says knowingly. "You guys were in your own little world all night until that other chick started talking to you. After that, Brittany was not like herself. The ride home was eerily quiet."
"I'm surprised you could see anything with Trouty's big guppy lips attached to you all night," Santana replies as she rubs the spot on her head that her roommate had hit. "Damn Cedes, you didn't have to hit me so hard."
"Pssh, girl... that was a love tap," Mercedes defends. "Even though I was gettin' my mack on, I was still very much aware of how close you and Brittany were gettin'. My only question is... what are you gonna do about it?"
"What do you mean?"
Mercedes gives Santana a pointed look, causing the other girl to look away from her.
She never makes things easy for me, the diva thinks to herself.
After a few silent moments pass, Mercedes inwardly sighs, knowing that she'll have to push the Latina a little further to admit what she's already suspected for quite some time.
"S... look at me," she gently demands.
"I don't wanna," Santana says like an unruly child.
"Santana Jasmine..."
"Hey! I told you about middle-naming me," Santana says as she cautiously looks around to make sure no one else heard that. Mercedes just giggles to herself. "What?"
"What are you gonna do about Brittany?" She asks again.
"Nothing... I mean, what can I do?" Santana finally answers. "She's our roommate. Wouldn't that be a terrible idea to get involved with her? I mean, what if things didn't work out?"
"But what if they did?" Mercedes quickly counters. "You're so focused on the negatives that you're missing the big picture."
After receiving a dumbfounded look by her Latina counterpart, the diva decides to spell it out for Santana. "I've known you my entire life and I've never seen you this happy or upbeat as I have these past two weeks; since Brittany moved in. That's gotta mean something S."
"But what if I hurt her?" Santana seriously asks, feeling a little more exposed than she cared to be in a public setting. "She's been hurt before; badly by her ex. I would hate myself if I ever caused her any type of pain," she pauses. "She deserves more than what I can offer."
Hearing the vulnerability in her voice, Mercedes feels for her best friend. She knows that it took a lot for Santana to open up to her and express her feelings because usually she's locked up tighter than a bank vault; another thing to thank Brittany for.
"Santana... I'm not saying propose marriage to the girl," Mercedes begins. "Just give yourself a chance... and give her a chance; don't make the decision for her."
After a beat, the Latina mumbles under her breath. "I hate it when you're right."
"I'm sorry, sweetie... what was that?" Mercedes asks, feigning ignorance. She loved it when the Latina admitted defeat.
"I said you were right," Santana says more clearly, but in a not-so-nice tone.
The smug look on the diva's face spoke volumes. "I love it when you say I'm right."
"Sometimes I hate you..."
"I know dear; the feeling's mutual," Mercedes laughs out as she stands from her seat and makes her way around the bar.
"What are you doing?" Santana frowns as she follows the diva's movements with her eyes.
"I'm taking over," Mercedes simply replies. She then proceeds to loosen the apron around the Latina's waist before removing it completely and tying it around herself. All the while, Santana stands there dumbfounded.
"I don't understand what's happening."
"Look girl... it's a quarter past 4 now. If you leave now, then you'll be able to make it to her game on time," Mercedes says like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I'll cover for you while you're gone; just make sure you're back in time so I can go see my man play."
"But isn't Britt already expecting you to be there?" Santana questions, still missing the bigger picture.
"Yes... but I think she'll be much more excited to see you instead," the diva replies. "So... what are you waiting for?"
As Brittany finishes up the last of her stretches, she's momentarily distracted by the distant sound of her name being called. Looking around to find the culprit, her eyes widen as they fixate on the beautiful sight before her.
"Santana?" The goalie mumbles to herself as she lightly jogs off to the side of the field towards the stands where the Latina awaits.
Once she gets closer to her target and confirms that her eyes are not betraying her, a giant smile plasters itself on her face as Brittany gladly embraces Santana.
"San, what are you doing here?" The blonde asks, mild amusement and surprise laced in her voice.
"Well, I came to watch you play some soccer... but I can always leave," Santana casually says as she begins to turn around and takes a step towards the exit.
"No! I didn't mean it like that," Brittany quickly explains as she sees the grin forming on the other girl's face. "I thought you had to work?"
"I do, but... Cedes was nice enough to cover for me for a few hours so that I could be here to support you," Santana simply supplies. "She said you wouldn't mind having me here in her place."
"Don't tell her I said this, but... she was right," Brittany giggles out while the Latina joins in. "Will I see you after the game?"
"Probably not. I gotta leave right after so that Mercedes has enough time to make it for Sam's game," the Latina explains.
"Oh okay; that makes sense," Brittany says a little deflated.
"Hey, don't do that. There's no reason to be sad here," Santana assures as she playfully bops the tip of the blonde's nose. This causes Brittany to crack a smile. "Besides, do you know how much flack I'll probably get for this; cheering against my own school to show you my support?"
"You're absolutely right. We'll probably need to place you into Witness Protection immediately," Brittany says sarcastically. "Seriously, my apologies."
Santana playfully rolls her eyes. "Okay, smartass... go break a leg," she pauses, "or whatever the proper thing to say is."
"Usually 'good luck' is standard," Brittany simply replies with a smirk.
"That sounds so mundane and boring," Santana says, playing along. "But, I'll conform this time... just for you."
Slowly, the Latina stands on her tip toes and places a delicate kiss onto Brittany's nose. "Good luck, Britt-Britt... knock 'em dead."
For a moment, Santana stares at the blonde's partially open mouth and awaiting pink lips. All it would take is just a centimeter of effort for the brunette to feel Brittany's soft lips against hers. But... she refrains.
"Ladies! Let's get this show on the road," Coach Sylvester's voice echoes throughout the field.
"I guess that my cue," Brittany softly says as she breaks herself away from the Santana-centric bubble and puts on her game face. "Thanks again for coming. It really means a lot."
Santana just smiles brightly at the blonde before Brittany quickly pecks her on the cheek and jets off to join her team.
Leaving the brunette to stew in her own thoughts, Brittany cannot tame the internal smile or the rainbows that are flashing about inside of her head. On the inside, she's overwhelmed with emotion at the thoughtfulness of her roommate/best friend/possible love interest; on the outside, her face is hardened, fierce, and screams that she's ready to kick some ass.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Santana thinks frustratedly to herself. Fuck! Why didn't I just kiss her?!
After an impressive 3-0 victory, the Lady Trojans made their way towards the locker room to hear whatever criticisms their coach had for them before they hit the showers. Although Santana had never watched or played soccer a day in her life, she was grateful that Sam and Mike had decided to keep her company until they had to re-join their teammates and warm up for their game.
With a quick wave goodbye to Brittany as she headed off the field with her team, Santana then made her way back to Mr. Schue's to relieve Mercedes so that she could go watch her boo play. Once again, she graciously thanked the diva for allowing her to surprise Brittany at her game. The look reflecting back on the blonde's face was unforgettable and let the brunette know that she had definitely made the right decision. As usual, Mercedes just smirked as she tossed the words 'I told you so' over her shoulder before making her departure.
A few hours later, the Latina was pleasantly astonished to see Britt, Sam, Mike, and some of the other guys from the soccer team enter the establishment. As the young adults made their way to the bar to greet the Latina, Brittany quickly snuck around the barrier to give Santana a big bear hug. She then released her and made her way back to the other side of the bar and plopped down on one of the bar stools, like it never happened. Amused, the Latina fixed the blonde her usual drink as Sam and Mike told her all about how they crushed their opponent.
After about an hour had past and the guys were feeling a bit tipsy, they decided it was time to put on a little performance. Dragging Brittany along with them, Sam and Mike hit the stage and introduce themselves as ABSolutely while they proceeded to do their own rendition of "Can't Feel My Face" by The Weeknd. Hearing the ridiculous name of their group always gave Santana and her other roommates a hearty chuckle. Although guys in general did nothing for her, the Latina had to admit that her friends had amazing physiques and abs for days. And from the times that Santana had seen Brittany in her bathing suit, she knew the same applied to her as well.
Getting slightly lost in her not-so-friendly thoughts about her roommate's body, Santana gladly welcomes the distraction that comes in the form of Quinn Fabray.
"Whatcha thinkin' about, S?"
Hearing the smugness in her voice, Santana does her best to keep her face neutral and not give her best friend any ammunition. "Uh, nothing… you need a refill?
"Sure," Quinn responds as she watches the brunette curiously. Once her new drink is placed in front of her, she takes a swig before re-focusing her attention on the bartender. "So… what's up with you and Brittany?"
"Nothing is going on with me and Britt," Santana says exasperatedly, clearly abandoning her previous goal of remaining cool under the hazel eyes currently watching her every move. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?!"
"Defensive much?"
As Santana ignores the blonde and proceeds to walk to the other end of the bar, Quinn lifts herself out of her seat in order to reach over the bar top and grab the Latina's wrist. Santana huffs out her displeasure but stays put.
"Look, you know that I'm just bustin' your balls, right?" Quinn offers. Once she sees the Latina's face soften, she continues. "Seriously though, what's going on with you guys? I mean… I know that you like her, but you haven't done anything about it yet."
"Geez… either you and Cedes share the same brain or you two just wait for me to leave the room to text each other about my love life," Santana deduces. "Why are you so concerned about me and Britt? I think we should be more focused on you and Mike…"
"There's nothing going on between me and Mike," Quinn says flatly.
"Exactly… but you don't hear me giving you the third degree about it," the Latina says defiantly, thinking that she's more than proved her point.
"Although true, you're missing one fundamental difference," Q starts off, putting on her best lawyer voice. "While Michael Chang is a fine piece of man meat with an even bigger heart, romantically… I'm just not interested in him or anyone for that reason. The only current love in my life is Lady Law and that's where one hundred percent of my focus is right now."
"That's incredibly sad Q."
"Be that as it may, I know it's what I need to do right now in order to become the kick ass lawyer that I was always meant to be," the blonde explains. "Once I become successful in my career, then I'll relax a little and look for a suitable mate that can keep up with me."
"But in the meantime, doesn't that get lonely?" Santana curiously questions. Normally, she and the future lawyer never really had deep conversations about important things. Actually, until recently, the Latina didn't really share her feelings with anyone until a certain blonde came along and softened her up.
"No more so than you going home with a different girl every other night," Quinn challenges, causing Santana to break eye contact with her. It's odd to see the brunette react this way since she's never had a problem with Q or anyone else talking about her active libido. Whatever it is that has caused this current reaction though, Quinn decides not to comment on it. "But, if I need to get my rocks off occasionally, then I'll find a cute guy to help out with that. However, I would never want to lead Mike on and treat him as just a one-night stand for my benefit. I care about him too much to do that to him."
Finally looking back at the blonde, Santana sees a softer side that she never knew existed. Back in their cheerleading days, Quinn had always been so cutthroat and ruthless; it's part of the reason why they got along so well and basically ruled their school. Mercedes, despite being a diva, was always the more reasonable and level-headed one out of their group. She was much nicer than the two of them and very approachable. Although they all had different personalities and sometimes bunted heads, they each played to each other's strengths and weaknesses when they worked together as a whole.
Maybe Brittany was rubbing off a little on each of the roommates without either of them knowing it.
"Okay… I'm just gonna say this last thing and then I'll leave you alone," Quinn offers. Santana lightly nods her head, urging the blonde to continue. "I know you have a weird thing about commitment and that's probably why you're being so standoffish with whatever has been going on between you and Brittany, but you guys have amazing chemistry; everyone can see it. Regardless if anything does or does not happen between you two, I've really enjoyed this new version of Santana since B moved in. I hope she sticks around."
With that last thought, Quinn grabs her drink and makes her way towards the front of the stage where Mercedes is currently fangirling over Sam and his performance. Thinking about all of the events that had taken place recently, Santana comes to the conclusion that one way or another, she has to make a decision regarding the future of her relationship with Brittany. As much as she's loved their flirtatious friendship, it wasn't fair to either one of them to continue on like this without someone's feelings getting hurt.
What am I gonna do?
A few hours later, Santana arrives at home after working a very long 12 hour shift. Upon closing the front door and activating the alarm, she makes her way upstairs and begins her nightly ritual to get ready for bed. Feeling a bit parched, Santana escapes downstairs to grab a bottle of water. Before she begins her trek back upstairs, the sight of blonde hair splayed across the sectional catches her eye. Walking further into the living room, the Latina sighs in content as she observes Brittany knocked out on the couch; the book in her hands long forgotten.
Carefully, Santana takes a seat on the edge of the cushion before gently shaking the blonde's shoulder. "Britt?" No response. "Britt-Britt… wake up."
After a few more attempts, Brittany's eyes slowly open, revealing those bright blue orbs that Santana has gotten lost in many times over the past two weeks.
"San?"
"Hey Britt… you fell asleep on the couch," the Latina softly says as she gently strokes blonde tresses away from the other woman's face.
"Oh, okay… I was waiting for you," Brittany replies back sleepily.
"That was sweet of you," Santana says back kindly. "Let's get you upstairs."
Smoothly, Santana helps Brittany up off of the couch and leads her upstairs to her bedroom. Once there, she pulls back the blonde's comforter so that her roommate can easily slide in.
"G'nite Britt-Britt."
Just as Santana is about to leave and head back to her own room, a milky-colored hand delicately wraps around her arm, preventing her from making such motion.
"San… can you sing me a song?"
"Uh, sure… okay?" Santana agrees after hearing the odd request. "What would you like for me to sing?"
"You pick."
"Okay… this is one of my all-time favorites," the brunette says as she clears her throat. "There's a girl I know, she's the one I dream of. Looks into my eyes, takes me to the clouds above…"
Recognizing the song, Brittany gently smiles back at her roommate.
"Ooh I lose control, can't seem to get enough. When I wake from dreaming, tell me is it really love…" she continues on. "How will I know…"
"Don't trust your feelings…" Brittany adds in with a soft voice, causing the Latina to smile.
"How will I know…" Santana picks back up. "How will I know…"
"Love can be deceiving…"
"How will I know…"
As Brittany gets lost in the sultriness of Santana's voice, they end up singing the rest of the chorus in unison. Suddenly, the blonde is feeling much more awake now.
"Your voice is so beautiful," Brittany compliments.
Again, not one to ever take compliments very well, Santana shyly ducks her head while tucking an imaginary loose strand of hair behind her ear. "So is yours," she settles on.
As Santana looks back up, she stares back and forth from Brittany's ocean blue eyes to her very enticing pink lips. She has to physically stop herself from moving closer to the blonde.
"I should go."
Just as quickly as Santana tried to escape the room, Brittany firmly grabs her arm to keep her rooted to her spot. Suddenly, the Latina feels like she's experiencing some type of déjà vu.
Now in a seated position on her bed, Brittany asks her roommate the one question that's been plaguing her mind since she first moved in. "Why do you always do that?"
"Do what?"
"Whenever it seems like you're about to kiss me, we either get interrupted or suddenly you find a reason to bolt from the room," the blonde slowly explains. "Is it because you just really don't want to kiss me? If that's the case, then just tell me," Brittany pleads. As much as hearing that Santana didn't return her feelings would hurt, she just couldn't take the suspense anymore. "I'm a big girl; I can take it."
Not daring to look into those captivating eyes, Santana takes a minute to think long and hard about her next selection of words.
She's giving you an out, the Latina thinks to herself.
After not hearing any type of response from the brunette after a while, Brittany begins to sulk, thinking that maybe she had it wrong all of this time. Usually, she's pretty awesome at reading people; that's kinda what made her such an outstanding soccer player. But now, sitting only a few feet away from the object of her affection… Brittany felt more lost than ever.
"Maybe I was wrong…" Brittany starts out. "There have been a few times when I questioned what exactly was going on between us, but I thought for sure I had it right this time." She pauses. "I mean… you left work in the middle of your shift, just to surprise me. You've known Mike and Sam a lot longer, yet you've never been to any of their games before… but you came to mine." She pauses again, this time breaking the hold she had on Santana's arm in favor of wiping away the wetness that was accumulating around her eyes. "I thought that meant something; it had to mean something…"
Hearing Brittany's voice break at the end of her rant makes Santana feel like a total asshole. This was not how this conversation was supposed to go.
Earlier at the bar, the Latina had decided to have a mature talk with Brittany in which they both agreed that anything happening between them would be a bad idea. Sure… it would be fun, but the fact that they lived together could cause a lot of unnecessary tension in the house. Plus, knowing that if anyone was forced to leave the house, Brittany would be the scapegoat, being that Santana and the other girls had so graciously turned their guest room into a forth bedroom to accommodate the blonde.
Santana refused to be the cause of anymore pain in Brittany's life and her possibly being kicked out of the house if they were to dabble in a relationship that possibly didn't work out was the last thing she wanted to happen. Santana thought that she was doing the smart, responsible thing here.
But now, looking back at Brittany's slump shoulders and how hard she's trying not to cry… Santana knew that there was only one thing she really could do.
Santana needed to be honest and to stop playing the damn martyr.
"I'm scared," the Latina says, barely above a whisper. Luckily for Brittany, she caught the quiet confession and was now looking back at Santana, eagerly waiting for her to continue. "I'm scared of the way you make me feel because I've never felt like this before. I'm scared because I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since the first night we met. I'm scared because I've never dated anyone before; therefore, I have absolutely no idea of what I'm doing." She pauses to take a deep breath. "I'm scared that because of my inexperience, eventually, I'll end up hurting you… and that's the last thing I would ever want to do."
Taking another moment to gather herself, Santana slowly takes Brittany's hand into hers and squeezes it tightly as she watches the way they perfectly fit together. Finally gaining the courage to look back at the blonde's awaiting cerulean eyes, she finishes her last thought.
"You weren't wrong…" she says with a little more confidence. "Every moment that I have spent with you has meant something."
As those last words leave her lips, a rogue tear begins to slide down Brittany's cheek. Using her free hand, Santana gently wipes it away with her thumb. The blonde leans into the touch before removing the brunette's other hand from her face and connecting it with her free one.
"Y'know… I'm scared too," Brittany softly adds in. "I'm scared of how attracted and how attached I've become to you in such a short amount of time. I'm scared because I haven't dated anyone since my two-timing, skank of an ex-girlfriend," she continues on, making the Latina giggle. "I'm scared of what happens next. I'm scared of inadvertently hurting you someday. I'm scared of thinking about the possibility of this not working out. But…" Brittany pauses as she looks deep into Santana's chocolate eyes, "instead of being scared separately… why don't we just be scared together?"
Taking a moment to process the blonde's proposition, Santana replies. "Okay… let's be scared together."
And with that, Santana closes the distance between them and connects their lips. As the sparks of electricity shoot through both of their systems, both girls take their time and relish in what has been a long time coming. As their lips move slowly, but methodically against each other, Santana and Brittany find a natural rhythm; neither one of them fighting for dominance. It's unrushed; it's not desperate… it's perfect. As their mouths open wider and their tongues start to massage each other, Santana tangles her hands into Brittany's hair to deepen the kiss while the blonde grips the Latina's sides to have something to hold onto.
Eventually, the pair breaks apart for some much needed air. As they lean their foreheads against each other, they feel slightly dazed and breathless, but overall… they felt like they should've been doing this all along.
Breathing quite heavily, the blonde manages to formulate a sentence. "I've been wanting you to do that for two weeks."
"I'm an idiot for not doing that for the past two weeks," the Latina replies, laughing yet scolding herself at the same time.
"It's okay… I forgive you," Brittany sweetly says as she places a chaste kiss on Santana's plump and slightly swollen lips. "But now… I definitely need to get my sleep on."
"That makes two of us," the brunette agrees as she moves to get up.
"San… could you stay with me?" Brittany softly asks, not wanting to spook the girl. "I just wanna know that this is real when I wake up tomorrow."
Finding the blonde to be overly adorable, Santana leans down and plants a delectable kiss on Brittany's lips. "Trust me… its real."
Without saying anything else, Santana slides under the covers and wraps her arms around Brittany. Not wanting to ruin the moment, the blonde looks at her sleeping companion one last time before snuggling further into Santana's embrace and closing her eyes. Not long after, both girls are fast asleep with tiny smiles gracing their faces.
Author's Note:
Hey guys! I know… I'm terrible for keeping you all waiting for so long. I promise I will update all of my other stories as well, once I have some more free time. I was just able to get to this one first because I already had half of it written before I got promoted and assumed more responsibilities at work. Sometimes it sucks being a grown up lol. Anyways, I hate that it's taken my time away from you guys, but hopefully this update is enough for now. As always, thank you all for your continued support. You guys are truly the best and give me the inspiration to keep writing since our lovely ladies are no longer available to us every week.
Stay classy,
-Kris
PS – Congrats to Naya and Ryan on their baby boy Josey. I'm sure that he'll be a future heartbreaker.
