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Santana was feeling a lot of different emotions at the moment.
She was angry with Blaine, who'd run off the with the box before she'd even gotten a chance to look inside.
She was a little weirded out by Brittany's friend Mike who talked entirely too fast, and always looked like he wanted to start dancing.
She was annoyed with Rachel who wouldn't stop acting like just because they'd hugged, they were, like, best friends or something.
She was confused by Will and why he'd sent them down there only to not show up himself and possibly told Blaine about it too.
She was grateful to Jane, who'd managed to get them all wrangled, upright, and actually found something productive for Berry to do (sort through the books that were in the room they'd found).
And then there was Brittany. Brittany made Santana feel a lot of things. Yes, she was interested, and more than a little confused, but she also felt a happy zing whenever Brittany looked at her, and couldn't help smiling when she smiled.
Santana knew that the way she was reacting to Brittany wasn't normal. But she got the feeling that they way Brittany reacted her her wasn't normal either. And that she could deal with. Being close to her in that basement room was also making it hard to concentrate on what he really wanted to do: strangle Rachel.
But thanks to Jane, Rachel had been in the corner, thumbing through books while the rest of them sat outside while Mike caught his breath, and the rest of them thought up a new plan.
"Well, he's long gone by now." Jane said, sighing and pulling her knees to her chest where she sat on the dusty ground.
Santana probably should have been incensed. Granted, she was angry, and annoyed, and probably a little worried, but mostly she was distracted. She was distracted by Brittany, and she had yet to figure out if that was a good or a bad thing.
"I still don't see why you didn't go after him." Mike moaned, still reclining on the floor against a box. "You could have caught him easily."
Santana watched carefully as Brittany rolled her eyes. "I was otherwise indisposed, Mike, just like you were."
She didn't mention the cross and he didn't mention the buttons, but they both knew what she meant.
Mike sighed.
"Plus, I couldn't leave Santana alone."
Santana felt a jolt at that. Why would Brittany be worried about her? They had just met, and barely knew anything about one another. She didn't know how to respond to that, so she just ran her hand through her hair, cracking her neck loudly.
"Berry, are you still mucking around in there? We've got to get out of here."
Rachel peeked her head out of the door, her hair covered in cobwebs. "There's some really interesting stuff in here, actually. Nothing related to the paranormal, but I think you'll find the the library would do well to add these works to their collections. In point of fact, I discovered a rather interesting tome-"
"Can it, Berry. The prize is with Blaine, not in these dusty books. We've got to catch him before he takes my scoop."
Jane shifted uncomfortably. "Well, technically, it was his scoop, and we stole it from him."
Santana rolled her eyes. "Well, now you're just splitting hairs. We found it, we earned it. End of discussion. Let's go, Dwarf."
Santana's voice was clipped. She was still a little shaken from their time stuck behind that wall. She had to get over this stupid fear of hers. It's not like she didn't know what caused it. And it was ridiculous for a person who spent so much of her time traipsing around old, empty factories, (and not five years old) to be afraid of the dark. She thought she did a good job hiding it, but Rachel, Mercedes and Sam all knew, and she was sure that Jane was starting to figure it out. She shook herself and motioned to Rachel again.
"Let's go, Rachel."
"Actually, it doesn't matter much at this point."
Everyone turned and looked at Brittany, who had just spoken up. Even Rachel stopped dusting her arms and shoulders off to look in Brittany's direction.
"What do you mean, Britt?"
The nickname came out effortlessly, and Santana hadn't really thought about it, but it had felt nice rolling off her tongue.
Not the only thing you want to roll off your tongue.
Santana blinked against the intrusive thoughts, and focused on Brittany, but tried to make it seem like she wasn't focusing too hard. It wasn't easy.
"The box was empty."
Everyone looked around quickly. That couldn't be right.
"No way. You saw that room when we opened the door. Nobody had been inside of it for years. A century, maybe." Santana said, advancing on Brittany, accusatorily.
Brittany just shrugged, not backing down, but looking Santana right in the eye. "It was empty. I listened really close after I'd taken it from Mike. Sorry Santana, but your princess is in another castle."
Brittany winked at this to lighten the mood, but couldn't miss the deep scowl that covered Santana's features.
The rest of the room broke into pandemonium. Mike was yelling something about Sue. Well, moaning really, because he didn't completely have his strength back. Rachel was yelling something at the both of them, but Santana couldn't really make it out. Even Jane was talking to everyone, halfway between trying to calm them down, and wondering where the real artifact was. It was all very loud, and very distracting.
Yet, somehow, she kept her eyes on Brittany, and felt her do the same. She looked deeply into Brittany's eyes; watching closely as the bright blue reflected back at her.
She could see a lot in those eyes. There was a lot that was still a mystery. But somehow she got the very distinct impression that she could always trust her. She didn't know Brittany that well. Or at all. But the way those eyes met hers made her feel as if she were wrapped up in a big blanket made from the softest wool in the world. She felt safe. She felt secure.
Santana put her hand up for silence. "Fine. If Brittany says it's not in there, it's not in there. Jane. You and Rachel stay here and sort through this stuff, anything you need, take. Mike will help you, but he'll be sure not to take one step inside. Brittany, you'll come with me, and we'll go see Will. Or Blaine. I haven't decided which one first, and we'll figure out what they know. By any means necessary."
Santana had meant that last part. Brittany had held her like she weighed nothing at all, and certainly seemed to be able to handle herself. She knew the two of them would be able to figure out what Blaine was up to. Though, Will might be more of a challenge.
The racket started up again with everybody complaining about their assignments. Rachel didn't want to be stuck down there in the ratty basement, Jane wanted to help them confront Will, and Mike couldn't figure out why Santana was giving him orders like she ran the place.
Santana waved her hand again, affecting her now-I-mean-business-attitude. "Listen up, for real. You will do as I say, or you will find yourself another job."
Mike opened his mouth to say something, but snapped it shut as his eyes grazed over Santana's shoulder. She turned and caught the briefest of glimpses of the look that Brittany had been giving him. It sent a shiver down her spine.
Brittany smiled happily at her, taking her hand once again. The pit of Santana's stomach started to wobble dangerously.
"You've got about an hour and a half before the shift changes, and you'll have to be out of here. They do a walkthrough once a shift, and they're sure to come down. So, make like a ghost and boogie."
The others grumbled, and turned back towards the room, Mike peeking in sheepishly from the side.
Santana squeezed Brittany's hand a bit as they walked out of the room, and quickly up the stairs.
"Where'd you park?" Santana said, breathlessly as they walked out the front door, and into the sunshine.
Brittany turned to her, and Santana was dazzled again. The smile on her face was even better than she remembered. It seemed to warm her from the inside out, and she was only barely listening as Brittany brought her to a stop next to a motorcycle parked next to the curb.
She grew a little more concerned when Brittany pulled out an interesting looking helmet and handed it to her.
"Safety first."
Santana's eyes grew wide as she reached for the helmet.
"What exactly is this for?"
"Well, I'm usually pretty careful, but sometimes I like to go fast, so, you know, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."
Santana would have been embarrassed by Brittany's concern if she wasn't freaking out. This would be her first time on a motorcycle. Not that she was scared or anything. Not exactly. The bike looked like one of those old fashioned Harleys. A person didn't have to lean far back or far forward on it. They just sat comfortably. The body was mostly silver, but the gas tank was bright yellow, and covered in butterflies. The sight brought a smile to her face, even over her nervousness.
"I've never been on a motorcycle before." She said, turning the helmet over and over in her hands.
"Don't worry." Brittany replied, swinging her long leg over the seat, and settling down comfortably. "Just hold on tight to me."
At the sight of Brittany straddling the bike, Santana's mouth went dry. At the thought of herself holding tight to Brittany, as they roared down the street on the bike, the moisture moved somewhere else entirely.
She strapped on the helmet, and moved forward, eyeing Brittany cautiously.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of you." Brittany reached for Santana's hand, and pulled her close.
Santana's breath hitched as she looked into Brittany's eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes. She was almost hypnotized by them. She cleared her throat again.
"Okay." She said, and then made her move to sit down.
Brittany waited a moment until she was comfortable, and then pulled Santana's arms until they were wrapped around her own body.
Santana felt her face flush at the idea of being so close to Brittany. She was pressed tight against her back, and her arms were wrapped around her stomach. Only an inch or two lower… Santana quietly chastised herself. She needed to focus, and even though she was finding it difficult, she had to stop thinking about Brittany. This was next to impossible considering she was pressed against her back, with the engine vibrating beneath her, feeling every nook and cranny of the other woman's body, but she would have to try. Santana sighed.
"Where to first?"
Santana thought for a moment, and nodded her head once. "We'll go to Blaine's. Maybe he'll know where we'll find Will, and we can work from there."
Santana caught a flash of emotion on Brittany's face. Not exactly guilt, but something else. She wished she knew her well enough to know what it was. But in the moment, she let it go. The smile returned rather quickly, and after she told Brittany the address, they pulled away from the curb.
Santana didn't bother to ask how she knew how to get there. If Brittany liked to memorize the layout of things, she probably knew the layout to the city. It was easy enough to figure out anyway. She pressed her face against Brittany's back as they took a particularly sharp turn, and could hear Brittany chuckle in front of her. She didn't feel great admitting it to herself, especially since she'd basically abandoned Rachel and Jane, but she was having an amazing time.
This is what she lived for. Searching for clues, solving mysteries, shedding light on topics that most people didn't even think about. She loved it. And now, Brittany. Brittany was a mystery that she couldn't wait to crack. She wanted to find out everything about her, and get to know her. She wanted to find out what made her happy and what made her laugh, and what made her cry. She was intrigued, but more than that, she was just really, really happy to spend time with her.
The thought hit Santana like a ton of bricks. She'd only known the woman for a couple of hours, and yet she had this irresistible urge to try and spend all of her hours with her. She couldn't understand it, and it kind of worried her. She didn't want Brittany to think she was weird, or obsessive or something.
Santana took a few deep breaths. Anyway, once they found the artifact, it would all be over. Though, if Brittany decided that she wanted to take it and give it to Sue after all, Santana wasn't sure how she'd stop her. Maybe after Santana finished doing the week of shows on it, they could give it to Sue. It wasn't like she wanted to keep it forever. And she'd rather Sue; and by extension, Brittany, have it rather than Blaine. She'd rather drop it in the harbour than give it to Blaine.
She clenched her jaw. Blaine. The thorn in her side that'd become a pain in her ass. She'd show him a thing or two.
Another sharp turn, and Santana buried her face deeper into Brittany's back. She could feel the other woman laugh again, even over the feel of the vibrations from the bike.
\
Blaine's had been a bust. He was nowhere to be found, and they'd sat outside of his apartment for almost four hours.
At first they had just sat quietly across from his apartment building. They had left the bike and were sitting on some steps that would give them a clear view of Blaine's place. It was a good spot. They could easily see Blaine's apartment, but there wasn't much foot traffic there to call attention to them. It was okay, but after an hour or so, that got boring, and Brittany started coming up with games.
They played I Spy, and 20 questions, and Boff, Marry, Kill. Finally they played a game where they would make up a backstory for every person that went by. It was Brittany's favorite game, and she had told Santana so, which is probably the only reason they'd played it.
For her part, Brittany was having a wonderful time. They didn't really talk about personal life stuff, but she got to just sit and get to know Santana in a different way. She saw that she liked the color purple, and was good at guessing, and sometimes got a little sad when she saw families walking by with little kids.
She liked learning these things about Santana, but she really wanted to learn more. Like, where she was from, or about her family, or what was her favorite flavor or ice cream. She wasn't sure how she'd ask Santana those things, and not have Santana ask her those things. Not because she didn't want to tell her, but because she wasn't sure how she would.
It was possible that she was getting ahead of herself. Maybe this would be the last day that she ever spent with Santana. She didn't want to ruin it. She should just be happy that they had gotten the chance to chat as much as they did.
Her life wasn't one that lent itself to long friendships. Well, for the most part, anyway.
After they'd left Blaine's, Santana had made an effort to find out where Will lived. Brittany knew exactly where Will's place was, but she wasn't going to tell Santana. If she told her, Santana would ask how she knew, and once they got there Will would recognize her, and… Well, that just wasn't a conversation Brittany wanted to have just then. So, she said nothing until Santana had given up, mentioning that Will must be "off the grid". She didn't know where the grid was, and she was guessing that Santana didn't either, otherwise they'd be on their way there.
Now, disappointed, they sat across from each other in a booth at a hole-in-the-wall diner. Santana had picked it out. It was nice because when they came in, everybody called out to Santana like they knew her already. Brittany tried not to hang out at the same places too often. It was okay for the first couple of years, but after that, things would tend to get awkward. She learned that the hard way.
They had been sitting there for a couple of hours, actually, chatting and having a nice time, but Santana's mood had definitely changed. She had been on the phone for the last couple of minutes talking to Rachel. Well, talking was a weak word to describe the intensity of their conversation. They were mostly yelling at each other, and the moments inbetween the yelling were punctuated by Santana groaning loudly, trying (futilely) to interrupt, and rolling her eyes.
Brittany could hear everything from Rachel's end, but didn't make any comment until Santana hung up the phone.
"They finished at the library and went back home. Your friend, Mike said he'd get back on his own."
"Uh huh. I figured. It's late." Brittany said, around a mouthful of pancakes with sprinkles.
Santana slammed her fist into the table. "Dammit."
Brittany swallowed, considering her for a moment.
"You believe me, right?" She said, her voice suddenly serious and clear.
Santana blinked slowly, returning Brittany's stare. "Huh?"
"About the box. About the box being empty."
Santana looked carefully over Brittany's face before nodding her head. "Yeah. I told you I did."
"Then forget about Blaine, and Will. The answer is in that room. Or was. Whoever took it, left the box for us to find. They knew that would buy them some time. Now, we just have to figure out who came in before us, and we'll know for sure. Easy."
Santana smiled gently. "Yeah, super easy." She said, her voice thick with sarcasm.
Brittany smiled back as she watched Santana drink her coffee. She was glad she'd lightened the mood, though she was feeling a bit pessimistic, herself. Sue wouldn't be happy if she knew that Brittany had missed her chance to get the artifact. And if Sue wasn't happy, then Quinn wouldn't be happy. Brittany sighed softly.
"Who's Sue?"
Santana's question came out of the blue sky, but it felt like her mind had just been read. Brittany balked for a moment, and then shrugged.
"She's like my boss."
"Like your boss? What does that mean? Does that mean she's your boss?"
Brittany shrugged again. "Well, it's not like a job. More of a club."
"A club? What kind of club?"
"A social club."
Santana furrowed her brow. Brittany could see she was trying to understand, but didn't have much information to go on. "A social club? Like the Shriners?"
"Yeah, something like that."
Brittany's tone had become clipped and quick. She didn't want to get upset, but she didn't want to talk about Sue with Santana. Santana was awesome, and fun, and everything that Sue wasn't. She wanted to forget about her clan for a few hours, and just enjoy this moment.
Santana looked away guiltily. "You don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to."
Brittany started, got up quickly from her side of the booth, and moved over to sit next to Santana.
"No! It's not that, it's just… Well, I'm not really happy there, you know?"
Santana looked closely at her, ducking her head to meet her eyes, her own bright with understanding. "Yeah, I know how that is."
"You do?"
"Yeah, I grew up… well… all over the place. And, I never really felt I belonged until I was a bit older."
Brittany nodded, hoping Santana would continue.
She opened her mouth to say something else, but her phone rang again.
"Hold on a sec. I've got to take this." She said, looking down at the caller ID.
Brittany nodded, and slid back out of the booth, settling herself on the other side once again. She pretended to focus on her pancakes, and had really tried to, but she was so desperate to learn more about Santana, she couldn't help but overhear her conversation.
"Hey Mercedes."
Santana! Where are you? I just talked to Rachel, and she told me about that room y'all got stuck in. Are you okay?
"Yeah, Cedes, I'm fine, don't worry."
And now you're off somewhere, running around the city with some woman you just met? Rachel told me that her friend told her that she rides a motorcycle. A motorcycle, Santana? Do you know how dangerous those are?
"Don't get your panties all in a twist. We went to Blaine's and now we're at Pop's Diner, okay?"
Brittany could almost feel the relief on the other side of the line.
Thank god. When are you going to be home?
Brittany watched Santana's eyes flicker over to her for a moment.
"Not sure, maybe a bit longer."
Santana-
"It's fine, Mercedes. I'm fine. Don't worry, okay? I'll be home later."
Santana didn't bother to wait for a response, pressing the end call button firmly.
Brittany quickly turned her attention back to the pancakes, but as good as they were, this was her third short stack, and she really wasn't sure she could eat anymore. She tried to pretend that she hadn't been paying attention to Santana's conversation, but a quick look across the table told her that Santana wasn't buying it.
"Do you need to get back?" Brittany mumbled. She could barely keep out the sadness that was creeping into her voice.
"Nah, it's okay. It's only six. It's not even dark. She'll be okay."
"Was that your mom?"
Santana laughed good naturedly. "Sometimes she thinks she is. But no. She's my, um…" Santana seemed to search around the diner for the words that she wanted to use.
"My uh…"
"Your Mercedes."
Brittany gave Santana her best smile. She wanted to show her that it was okay. That she could open up to her. Or that she didn't have to if she didn't want to.
The frown that had appeared on Santana's face faded, and a smile replaced it.
"Yeah, she's my Mercedes. But, I still don't have a car."
Brittany spit out the water she had started drinking, and slapped her hand over her mouth, she was laughing so hard.
Santana, seeing her reaction, laughed as well, and handed her a napkin, to clean up the mess.
"Cheesy, Santana."
"The cheesiest."
Brittany stopped wiping the table for a moment, and looked at Santana. She'd spent a lot of time studying her since they'd met, but every time she looked at her, she saw something new. It made her want to dance, and sing and… Well, other things. Every curve of her face, the dark amber of her skin, the wave of her hair. Everything called out to Brittany. She couldn't tear her eyes away.
"You know, it's rude to stare."
Brittany grinned. "I seem to remember someone telling me that before."
"Well, if someone would stop staring, I wouldn't have to."
"I can't." Brittany said, seriously. All the laughter was gone now.
Santana looked up and met her eye. Brittany watched her throat move as she swallowed.
"Can't what?"
Brittany reached a hand over the table, and put hers on top of Santana's. "Stop staring."
There was a beat, and Santana licked her lips quickly. Brittany watched the pink dart out and back into her mouth with fascination.
Suddenly there was a crash. The waitress, who Santana had introduced her to as Dottie, slammed down a fresh carafe of coffee onto the table. Santana snatched her hand away and put it into her lap.
"Want me to take those plates away for you?"
Brittany waited another beat before smiling at Santana, and sending that same smile up to Dottie.
"That would be lovely, Dottie, thanks! And bring us the bill when you get the chance."
Dottie nodded, grabbed the plates, and scurried off.
Santana had brought up her phone and was mumbling quietly to herself.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Santana said to her phone.
Brittany poured Santana another cup of coffee, and drummed her fingers on the table. She stopped suddenly.
"I want to show you something."
Santana tapped her phone a few more times. She didn't look up until Brittany leaned over across the table and tugged on her sleeve.
Finally she sighed, meeting Brittany's eye, and sliding her phone into her pocket.
"Show me what?"
"C'mon."
Brittany slipped out of the booth, and standing up, pulled Santana along with her. She left a couple of twenties on the table, yelling after Dottie to keep the change, and pushed her way out the door.
"Our bill was only like eight dollars. You left way too much."
Brittany shrugged. She didn't go out to eat often, and she probably caused a lot of trouble with her request for rainbow sprinkles pancakes, which weren't even on the menu.
"It's okay. She earned the tip."
She turned to look at Santana again, and watched with fascination as her eyes softened when she looked at her. Walking over to her bike, she handed Santana a helmet, and put one on herself.
"Let's go have some fun before you have to get home. I don't want to get in trouble with Mercedes."
Santana laughed as she put the helmet on again. "You don't, trust me. She'd never forgive you."
"Then I'll just have to take really good care of you." Brittany smiled up at Santana. The weird thing was she didn't even have to think about it. Her heart hadn't felt so happy in a long time. She wanted to dance, to sing, she just wanted the evening to never end, and she wanted to spend as much time with Santana as she could. She hadn't felt that way since…. Well, she wasn't sure if she'd ever felt that way. She felt protective of Quinn, and she cared about her a lot, but this was a different feeling. It felt more, she wasn't sure how to describe it. Like a fire that was burning in the pit of her stomach. But in a good way.
She climbed back on the bike, and waited for a moment for Santana to climb in behind her, her arms wrapping around her waist, like she was meant to be there before she pushed off of the curb and pulled off.
\
Santana didn't know how long they'd driven around the city. At first, she thought they were going to stop somewhere specific, but Brittany just kept driving. She had been pointing out really interesting buildings and bridges, but stopped even doing that, content to just drive in the cool evening air, while Santana snuggled closer and closer. It was hard to hear anything over the roar of the engine, and harder still to feel anything over the vibration of the bike, but she pulled tight to Brittany and that was all she needed.
Every once in a while Brittany would pull to a stop, and they'd hop off the bike to check out a cool little bar, or the fountain from 'Friends'. Brittany took her to this little park that seemed empty, but once they'd turned the corner, had exploded with people. They sat there for a long time watching an amazing pick-up basketball game.
The feelings that had bubbled up inside her towards Brittany didn't seem to be receding, and Santana was a little worried. This was way too much, way too fast, and she knew it. She wasn't a kid anymore. But, there was something about Brittany that she couldn't resist. It excited and enthralled her, but it also worried her. She didn't know anything about Brittany. What if she was some sort of criminal, or killer or married or something? What if she got her sick jollies off by making women like her have feelings for her, and then running off into the night? Santana wasn't naive, but she wasn't a corpse either. Anyone lucky enough to have Brittany staring back at them like they were the most wonderful thing in the world would have felt the same way.
So, they drove. It seemed like hours, and finally Brittany came to a stop. They were back nearby Pop's Diner, but not exactly in front. Brittany popped the kickstand up from the bike, and gestured for Santana to stand up.
"You said we were only a few blocks from your house, so I figured we could walk from here, maybe stretch our legs a little bit?"
Santana nodded, and took Brittany's hand from where she stretched it out. Santana took the phone out of her pocket and saw that it was almost midnight. She had ten missed calls from Rachel, one from Jane, and even one from Sam. The name that she really dreaded didn't show up until the end, as a text message.
Mercedes: Tell me ur ok
Santana took a moment, looking down at her screen as Brittany guided her, and returned the message.
I am ok.
She put the phone back in her pocket, and took Brittany's one hand in both of hers. Her hands were warm from having kept them in either her own pockets, or Brittany's the entire evening, but she felt the chill on Brittany's fingers.
"Your hands are cold."
"Yeah, they kind of get like that. It's okay. But, I don't mind you holding my hand like that, if you want to."
Santana smiled. She could see the slight tinge creep up Brittany's features. She loved watching her blush. She wished she could do more to make her blush.
Jogging up a little to match Brittany's stride, she pulled their clasped hands closer, until Brittany's arm was wrapped around hers.
Brittany gave her a sideways grin.
"What are you thinking?"
Santana thought for a moment. "I'm wondering who you are, Brittany Pierce."
The comment made Brittany raise her eyebrows.
"I mean, you show up and lead me exactly where I needed to go. You helped me get out of a sticky situation. You knew exactly what I couldn't have known about the box, and saved me a wild goose chase. You drove me around the city, and even paid for my lunch. You're just… I dunno. You're just too good to be true."
Brittany laughed. "If it weren't for me, Blaine wouldn't have gotten away with that box."
Santana turned to face Brittany, pulling her even closer, and looking her sternly in the eye. "Britt, that wasn't your fault. It wasn't exactly not your fault, but there's plenty of blame to go around. Maybe I did treat Blaine kind of badly. Maybe. And maybe he had a score to settle. But it doesn't matter now, because we know he doesn't have the artifact, and we just need to find it before he does."
Brittany nodded briskly, and moved to keep walking.
"Brittany."
Santana stayed rooted in the spot. She could feel Brittany trying to move away from her, and she probably would have succeeded too. But Santana couldn't help but give her a pout. There was something she had to know.
"Why are you looking for the artifact? What does it mean to you?"
Brittany looked away, not meeting her eyes. Santana could tell there were about a million things that she wanted to say, but something was stopping her. She freed one of her hands, and placed it over Brittany's heart.
"You can tell me as much or as little as you want to tell me. I just need to know that you won't lie to me. That you won't ruin my chances with this thing. It could mean a lot to us."
Brittany nodded softly, and didn't say anything for another moment. She went to start walking again, and Santana fell in beside her, sliding the hand that was on Brittany's chest to her arm.
After a few moments she cleared her throat. "I don't know what it is. Not exactly. At least, I'm still not sure. Sue sent us after it, she's our boss. And I don't know what she wants with it either. Honestly, I'd feel better if she never found it. Running into you was just fate, or good luck, I guess, because I'm glad it happened. That's all I can say."
All of her breath seemed to leave Brittany at the same time. Santana squeezed her arm a little tighter, trying to transfer some strength to her.
"It's okay, Britt. That's all I have to know."
They walked a few more minutes in silence. Every so often, a couple of blocks away, a car alarm would go off, a horn would blare, or a dog being taken out for a midnight stroll would start barking obnoxiously.
It was nights like this that made Santana homesick for Ohio. That was something she never thought she'd say, but it was true. She hated everything about that small town (except her family), and when she was in high school, she couldn't wait to get out. But the nights there were so quiet. She never heard anything over owl's hooting in the trees. She missed that.
"I'm sorry, Santana."
Santana rubbed Brittany's arm. "It's okay. That's more than enough."
Brittany sighed and pushed the heel of her hand into her eyes. She stumbled a bit when Santana stopped suddenly. She pointed up to a building.
"Here we are."
Santana could tell that if it had been up to Brittany, they would have kept walking forever. But it was late, and she knew that Mercedes would wait up until she came in, and she didn't want to keep her up any longer, considering she had work early that next morning.
"It looks awesome."
Santana laughed. "It was Mercedes' place. I just moved in with her after she'd already picked it out."
"Well, I like it."
They stood for a moment longer, and Santana finally took her hand from Brittany's. She got the strange feeling that she was leaving something important behind. She frowned, but smiled to look back at Brittany.
"I had a great evening."
Brittany only nodded, looking forlornly at the ground.
"You seem like an awesome person." Santana continued.
Brittany nodded again.
"Britt-" she began, lifting Brittany's chin up to meet her eyes. "It's only goodnight."
Brittany's voice hitched. "So, when can I see you again?"
The question was the only thing that Santana had been waiting on. Actual, verbal confirmation that Brittany actually wanted to keep hanging out with her. That she meant something, anything at all, to her. Something that told her that the emotions she was experiencing towards Brittany weren't just one way. Maybe they were in some ways reciprocated.
Santana couldn't help the grin that spread over her face.
"Give me your phone number?"
Brittany looked puzzled. "Phone number?"
"Yeah, to your phone." She replied matter of factly.
Brittany's look went from puzzled to anxious.
"Oh, my phone!" She patted her pockets. "I must have forgotten it."
"Do you think you left it at the library?"
"No, no. Just at home, I must have left it at home."
"Okay, well... " Santana dug around in her purse for a moment, and brought out a pen. She grabbed Brittany's hand, and began writing on it. "This is my number. When you get home, send me a text, and we can set up our next date."
Brittany smiled down on Santana and watched carefully as she marked the numbers into her palm. "So, this was a date?"
Santana stopped writing abruptly, and after a moment continued. She hadn't meant to say that. She wanted to say that, but she hadn't meant to. She finished writing, and looked up at Brittany. Her heart melted a little when she saw the absolute glee in her eyes.
"Would you like to think so?" She replied, quietly.
Brittany gave her a wink. "I'd like that very much."
"Okay then." She clicked her pen closed with a snap, shoving it back into her purse. "In that case, don't forget that text."
Brittany gave a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am!"
Santana laughed, and turned to go up the steps to the front door of her apartment building.
"Santana." Brittany whispered.
Santana turned, one foot already on the steps. She barely had time to plant herself before Brittany was right in front of her. Their bodies almost touching. She felt all the air go out of her lungs. But in a good way.
"Yeah?" She squeaked.
"If this was a date, does that mean I get a goodnight kiss?"
Santana normally would have spent hours contemplating about the consequences of such an action. She would have weighed the pros and cons, and probably made some sort of table or chart. But there was something about the way that Brittany asked that made her want to give her everything.
She didn't hesitate a moment as she turned and wrapped her arms around Brittany's neck, pressing her lips against hers.
Santana was standing on the first step which made her the perfect height for meeting Brittany's lips.
Brittany, after a millisecond of surprise, wrapped her arms around Santana's waist, meeting the kiss. It was chaste, all lips and no tongue, but Santana could still feel fireworks behind her eyes. She could still feel Brittany melting into her body. She could feel every inch of her crying out for Brittany's touch.
The kiss ended too soon for her liking, but she had to pull away. She could have kept kissing Brittany all night, but it was getting too much, too intense. She wasn't sure how long she could keep kissing her without wanting more.
Brittany pulled back, the first breath she took almost a gasp.
"Wow, that was…" She began.
"That was something."
"Yep."
They stood there dumbly for a few seconds more, and Santana turned again to go up the steps.
"Santana?"
Santana turned, expecting to find Brittany standing close to her again, but was touched and a little giddy of the sight of her at the bottom of the steps, turning the helmet over and over in her hands.
"Yeah, Brittany?"
"I had a great evening, too."
Santana only smiled, and turned towards the door, opening it and walking through, before turning back and giving a final wave to Brittany.
"Don't forget about our second date." She said, smiling.
"I wouldn't forget about it for the world." Brittany pumped her fist, and waved again, racing down the street, back in the direction of her bike.
Santana smiled too. For the first time in a long time she wasn't thinking about work; the next big mystery, research project, managing Rachel, or dealing with Blaine. She was thinking about someone that made her totally and completely happy. She couldn't wait.