Chapter Six
Once their dance number was through, Mr. Shue told them all to change into their costumes that the theatre department had made for them and get ready to rehearse "Sweet Transvestite." Since Mercedes offered to fill the part after Mike, they were all set. So, they shuffled out into the hall and made their way to the dressing rooms of the auditorium.
As Brittany walked with everyone, Santana hurried to catch up with her.
"You're costume all ready, B?" she asked, linking her arm through the blonde's.
Brittany eyed the arm in surprise, but kept walking. "Hey. Um, yeah. I checked it out yesterday. It looks really real."
Santana nudged her. "You mean authentic? Like it's straight out of the movie?"
"Oh," said Brittany. "Yeah, that's what I meant." She could feel the blood rushing to her face. Santana hadn't been this close, and talked this casually to her, in a while. All of this so soon after the dance with Dr. Carl just before kind of made her head spin. "Have you seen yours?" she asked, giving herself a second to regain composure.
"Totally," Santana said. She turned her head to look at Brittany. "It's pretty awesome." Her hip gave a quick jab into Brittany's side. "I can't wait to see you in yours." She grinned, and now Brittany' face was really red. She smiled back, wondering if Santana knew that she was flirting with her. In front of their class mates. At school. Well, she reasoned, it wouldn't be the first time, but still…maybe Santana was starting to catch on.
"I bet you'll look great in yours too," she finally said, facing forward again as they turned a corner.
"Oh, you know I will," Santana replied. "And hey," she added, jumping in front of Brittany to walk backwards, "maybe you and I can borrow these outfits some time. For, I don't know, a theme party…or something." Then she winked and flashed another grin before bouncing off to walk with Quinn. The rest of the trip to their dressing rooms, all Brittany could think about were the hundreds of different things Santana might've meant by "or something."
Their rehearsal couldn't have gone any better. Well, thought Brittany, maybe if Dr. Carl hadn't busted through the set suddenly and scared her half to death that might've helped. But besides that, everything about it had been great. She had loved every second of being on the stage in that costume, doing that number. And as she reached her locker, scratching her head again since its recent liberation from the wig she had been wearing, she smiled. It had taken a lot for her to not flat-out jump Santana when they had been encircling Mercedes during the song. Even with crazy hair and dramatic make-up, Santana looked good. Then again, Brittany imagined that even in a burlap sack and crocs she would find Santana to be nothing but hot.
Brittany closed her locker. "Crap," she said. She had forgotten her Cheerios bag. So, re-opening the lock to save a trip across campus with a heavy load on her back, she tucked away her school bag and took off for the locker room.
A short while later, she walked into the locker room and made for her locker. When she passed the showers, she found Santana sitting on a bench, right in front of Brittany's locker.
"Hey," Brittany said quietly, looking around. She half expected Coach Sylvester to pop out and make them run for something they had done two months ago. "Um, what are you doing here?"
Santana shrugged. "After rehearsal I came to pick up my Cheerios stuff and saw you didn't have yours. So, I decided to wait here to make sure you came to get it."
"Oh," said Brittany. "Well, I'm here now."
They stared at each other for a second, and then Santana shot up from her seat. "Right. You are." She moved to the side, driving her hands into her pockets. "Go ahead then."
Brittany raised her eyebrows, giving half a smile as she reached for the combination lock and turned it. Santana was anxious about something. She relished the thought; it was such an uncommon occurrence after all.
Grabbing her bag, she shut the door and turned back around. Santana was standing on the other side of the bench, her eyes narrowed at the floor while the toe of her shoe repeatedly rubbed a spot into it. Brittany smiled again; she knew she was the only one to ever see Santana like this.
"Well," she started, "I guess I'll be going now." She stood there for a second though, not moving. Santana acted like she hadn't even heard her. Brittany dropped her bag and sighed, confused. "San?"
Her friend looked up finally, directly at Brittany. She stepped up onto the bench, making herself momentarily a foot taller than Brittany. Then she carefully stepped down, forcing her friend to back up flat against the lockers. Brittany swallowed, suddenly cotton-mouthed, as she was pressed against the cool metal. Santana was yet to break eye contact. All the power Brittany had felt just thirty seconds before was quickly disappearing. She blinked, unsure of what to do.
"Santana?"
Her friend closed her eyes finally, and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, there were tears in them. Brittany opened her mouth to speak, but Santana beat her to it.
"Britt, I know you hate me right now, and I don't blame you" she said, her water eyes unwavering, "but I can't stand this. I am so sorry for what I did. For what I said. And," she took another breath, "for everything I didn't do. I know I don't treat you right half the time and I wanna punch myself for it because you deserve better than that."
Brittany closed her mouth, but stared wide-eyed as she listened.
Santana continued, "'Cause, B, you're the only one who gets me. You always have." She grabbed for Brittany's hand and held it in both of her own. "I can't be without you." Her eyes flickered down to their hands, and when she looked back up, tears fell down here face. "I need you."
Brittany now fought back tears of her own. Her whole chest ached to reach out to her best friend. But she, too, had confessions to make.
"I need you too, San." She squeezed Santana's hand in hers. "You have no idea how much I need you. I can't…I can't function without you."
Santana smiled. "You've managed before."
Brittany shook her head. "No, not really. It's like I'm stuck in this endless maze when you're not around. There are all of these signs pointing me in every which direction, but I don't know which ones to follow. You're what gets me through it."
Santana inched closer, licking her lips, which had grown dry. She pressed her forehead to Brittany's letting out a low breath. Brittany breathed it in. This, she thought, was as close as Santana would ever get to saying what she was feeling. She sighed, soaking in everything she had just heard, forcing it down into the deepest parts of her.
"B," Santana whispered, her eyes lowered.
Brittany didn't want to hear any more. Anything else Santana might say could ruin everything she had just been told. And those words had to be kept close, tucked away. So Brittany did the one thing she knew would keep her friend from talking.
When their lips met, it was like she set off fireworks inside of Santana. She immediately fell into their kiss, pushing Brittany back into the lockers hard. Her hands ran quickly down her arms before planting themselves firmly onto her hips. All the while, her tongue searched eagerly through Brittany's mouth, who wrapped her own arms around the brunette, placing her hands just below the cut of Santana's Cheerio skirt.
At the touch of Brittany's hands to the back of her legs, Santana's fingers flew down and crept up beneath the front of Brittany's skirt, pressing them against her. Not surprised that she was already wet, Brittany moaned and Santana took this as a sign to continue.
"Come here," she breathed, tearing her lips away. Brittany winced, both at the sudden lack of contact and at the fingers teasing her beneath her skirt. Pushing her lips back to Santana's, she let herself be led away from the locker and over towards a mat on the floor next to the sets of weights they used sometimes. When they stood on top of it, Santana broke their kiss again. Brittany smiled. She had to keep going. She had Santana all to herself. She feared that if they stopped for too long, her friend's mind might suddenly change and she would take off, leaving Brittany alone.
They kneeled down, kicking their shoes off as they went. Santana immediately had Brittany on her back and straddled her. Brittany looked up, biting her lip as she reached up and lifted the Cheerios top over Santana's head. She cupped the black-lace covered breasts in her hands before being lifted carefully up off the ground. She too was swiftly topless. Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the feel of Santana's fingers tracing along her skin.
"B," Santana said, lowering herself out on top of her. "You are too beautiful."
Brittany grinned, and then pulled her friend down to her, kissing her again. Santana's fingers were once more working their way beneath Brittany's skirt. She caught her breath suddenly when Santana's fingers snuck under her spankies and deftly pressed into her. Breathing hard, she groaned and grabbed Santana's shoulder, wanting her to be closer. As her fingers worked in and out between her wet folds, Brittany longed to touch Santana in the same way. But when she reached down between her legs, Santana breathed a "no."
"I want you," Brittany moaned, arching her back into Santana. But this only made her kiss Brittany more fiercely. Her fingers pushed deeper, making Brittany gasp. It never took her very long to climax with Santana, and she could feel her entire body preparing to burst. Another groan into Santana's mouth and Brittany felt her friend's fingers flick against her clit, sending her over the edge. She cried out, digging her nails into Santana's back, who in turn leaned down to kiss gently down her neck while Brittany's body spasmed.
When the waves of euphoria subsided, Brittany opened her eyes after having closed them when she came. Santana pulled herself up to look at Brittany directly. She smiled, breathing unevenly.
"God, San," Brittany said, catching her breath. Her heart raced. Santana's fingers gently retreated from inside of her.
Leaning down, Santana kissed her again. "Hey," she said afterwards, "you started it."
Brittany laughed, feeling her ribs flex against Santana's. "Oops."
Santana bent forward again, her nose nuzzling across Brittany's. "You are so amazing," she whispered into Brittany's ear. Turning her face to look Santana straight on, Brittany crinkled her nose, making Santana kiss her again.
"Get dressed," Brittany said suddenly. Santana eyed her curiously. "Come on, I want to show you something."