Chapter 7.
Brittany's heart was racing so fast that she had to focus on her breathing. She was beyond nervous and it felt she was going to pass out. Her hands were shaking and she dropped her keys a few times before she finally managed to open the door to her apartment. Santana had agreed to go back there so they could speak quietly.
They wordlessly made their way inside and Brittany awkwardly shuffled from foot to foot as they stood in the living room. She didn't know what to do next.
"Do you want something to drink?" She finally broke the silence, trying to buy herself some time. Santana shook her head and Brittany bit her lip, contemplating her next action. "Where do you want to talk?"
"Wherever you feel most comfortable." Santana replied, shooting her a small smile, trying to calm her down a little.
"Oh, okay." Brittany mumbled, nervously rubbing the back of her neck. "The bedroom?"
The brunette nodded and followed Brittany as she led the way. Santana took a seat on the edge of the bed and looked at Brittany as she began to pace in front of her. She sighed and reached out, taking Brittany's hand and giving it a small tug, indicating for her to sit down next to her. Brittany reluctantly did so.
"You don't have to be nervous, Britt." Santana said soothingly, placing her hand on the small of Brittany's back, frowning when she felt the blonde jump slightly at the touch. "It's just me."
"That's why I'm nervous." Brittany admitted, clearing her throat as she fiddled with her sweaty hands. "I don't even know where to begin."
"Don't worry." Santana told her patiently. "Just take your time and start wherever you feel you should."
Brittany was silent for a long time. She appeared to be lost in her thoughts, searching for the right words. Finally, she took a deep breath and began to speak in a soft voice.
"After high school, my best friend and I decided to move to the city." She paused and looked at Santana, searching for a sign of encouragement. Santana nodded, wondering if she was talking about Noah or someone else. Brittany answered the question for her when she continued. "Jess got into college and I was going to try to pursue a dancing career. Noah got held back a year but he joined us after he graduated. He was always supportive of me when it came to dancing but Jess was my number one fan. She was the one who made me feel confident enough to follow my dreams."
She smiled a little at the memory but her face soon became serious again.
"One day, I had an audition in LA that was really important and Jess came with me despite her busy schedule because she knew that I'd be nervous. It was so sweet of her but then again, that is the kind of friend she was."
She let out a shuddering breath and looked down at her lap, trying to collect her thoughts. A long time passed and Santana grew worrisome. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Brittany mumbled, taking a deep breath as she prepared to continue. "The first half of the flight went fine but then the plane suddenly started shaking."
Santana felt her stomach drop. She had an idea of where this was going but she hoped that she was wrong.
"They said that it was just a little turbulence." Brittany continued, lifting her head and making eye-contact for the first time in what felt like hours. "Only it wasn't."
"What the hell is happening?" Jess asked as people started panicking when the seatbelt sign came on. There was a storm raging outside, lighting illuminating the sky as the thunder roared.
"Ladies and gentleman." One of the flight attendants called out as the shaking of the airplane increased even more. "Please remain seated and fasten your seatbelt. We seem to be experiencing some turbulence."
Brittany gulped and turned her head, looking at Jess with panic-stricken eyes. "Jess…"
"It's okay, Britt, stay calm." The brunette told her, not sounding very convincing as her voice wavered. "It's just a little turbulence."
Suddenly the plane shook violently. There was a loud thunder clap and people screamed, lighting struck one of the wings and the plane spiraled out of control. Luggage started falling from the overhead cabinets and Brittany gasped, fear taking over her entire body. Children started crying as the plane continued to spin. They were falling. They were falling fast.
"Brittany." Jess's voice caught her attention. "Close your eyes, Brittany."
Brittany did as she was told, squeezing her eyes shut, causing tears to spill over. She clutched the armrests tightly, painfully as the sound of screaming filled her ears. A little boy behind them was calling out for his mother. A woman in front of them was calling out for her husband. Her heart, heavy with dread and fear, pounded furiously in her chest. Seconds later, she heard a deafening crash and then everything became black around her.
"Brittany, you're shaking." Santana commented softly. She reached out for Brittany's hand but the blonde flinched, a startled expression twisting her features. Recognition flickered in her eyes and she shot Santana an apologetic look, accepting her hand. Santana gave her hand a soft squeeze. "Do you want to stop?"
Brittany shook her head. "No, I can do this." She said, determined to get it all out.
Santana nodded and waited patiently for her to start speaking again.
Brittany opened her eyes and blinked heavily to clear the blurriness from her vision. With a lot of effort, she managed to turn her face and saw the head of a man with his body nowhere to be found. Her eyes widened in horror and her stomach twisted and churned, bile rising in the back of her throat.
Her eyes landed on what was left of the plane. It was split in half and there were flames everywhere. People were screaming and writhing in agony. Some were running, some were calling out the names of their loved ones, some were trapped and some were on fire. The smell of burning flesh invaded her nostrils and a second wave of nausea crashed over her.
As the feeling of disorientation wore off, an immense pain suddenly tore through her entire body, taking her by surprise. She let out a scream, one of piercing agony. Tears sprang to her eyes and rolled down her cheeks as she begged no one in particular to make the pain stop. Her lungs burned and the air tasted like smoke and dust.
She felt light-headed as her body continued to quiver in pain. A wave of dizziness washed over her and darkness began to creep at the edges of her vision. The image of the lifeless bodies around her was the last thing she saw before she slipped into unconsciousness once more.
"I can't remember what happened next but I woke up in the hospital." Brittany explained, her eyes were empty and focused on anywhere but Santana's face. "My parents were there. They told me that I had been in a coma for over a week." She paused. She didn't want to lose control and start crying, knowing that she might never stop if she did. Sucking in a trembling breath, she added, "Jess didn't make it."
"Brittany," Santana's voice cracked. "I'm so sorry."
Brittany continued to stare ahead and spoke in a monotone voice. "It turned out that I was hurt pretty badly. It was critical at first." She shook her head and furiously wiped at her eyes as tears threatened to escape them. "They should've just let me die."
"What?" Santana gasped, horrified. "Don't say that! Don't ever say that."
"You don't get it." Brittany whispered, frustrated by how hard this was. "I'm disgusting."
"Hey, no." Santana said in a hushed voice, placing her hands on Brittany's cheeks and tilting her face up, forcing eye-contact. "What are you talking about? You are beautiful, Brittany, so very beautiful."
"No, you don't get it." Brittany repeated, her eyes darting from object to object in the room, missing Santana's eyes completely. "I'm far from beautiful." She sighed and curled her fingers around Santana's wrists, pulling her hands off her face. "I-I can show you."
Santana just nodded, confused by what was happening.
Brittany shuffled away from the brunette, creating more distance between them. This was the moment that she had been dreading for so long. There was no going back now. Her hands trembled as she reached for the hem of her shirt. She avoided Santana's gaze as she slowly tugged the still damp material upwards, pulling it over her head and dropping it on the bed beside her.
Santana's breath hitched in her throat and she instantly covered her mouth with her hand. Brittany's skin was heavily scarred. The marks covered most of her torso and ran down past her belly button, all the way around to the middle of her back. The flames somehow hadn't reached her face, and Santana didn't know if she should feel guilty for being so relieved by that. The scars were puckered and colored an odd shade of pink and white, and they seemed to get darker further down so Santana figured the flames must have affected the lower part of her body the most. By what Santana could tell, there were definitely more hidden underneath her clothing. They looked incredibly painful and Santana grimaced, thinking of the kind of pain Brittany must have gone through.
Brittany slowly lifted her head and her heart plummeted at the expression on Santana's face. The tears that she had been holding back began to fall when she realized that her worst nightmare was actually becoming true. Santana was disgusted with her. Without saying a word, she jumped off the bed and quickly grabbed a clean shirt before hurriedly crossing the room.
"Brittany, what…" Before Santana could finish her sentence, she heard the bathroom door slam shut and the sound of the lock turning. She sat there frozen for a second and then got up to run after the blonde. Reaching the bathroom, she tried opening the door even though she already knew that it was locked. "Brittany, please come out."
"Go away Santana!" Brittany yelled back and Santana could hear the tears in her voice.
"I'm not leaving, Britt. Please open the door." Santana pleaded, her own throat closing up with emotion. She rested her forehead against the door and flattened her hand against it. "I just want to talk to you." Her voice cracked and she struggled to keep herself from crying with Brittany. It stayed silent on the other side of the door so she tried again. "Please Britt, don't shut me out again."
The brunette took a step backwards when she heard some shuffling. A long moment passed before the door slowly creaked open, revealing a sight that broke Santana's heart. Brittany's normally clear blue eyes were red-rimmed and puffy, face blotchy from crying. She walked past Santana and returned to her previous spot on the edge of her bed, wrapping her arms around herself protectively.
Santana carefully approached her and took a seat next to her, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. Brittany flinched and moved away from her. "Don't." She mumbled, lowering her head in shame. "Please just leave. You don't have to pretend that you want to be around me."
Santana's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "I want to be here, Brittany. What are you talking about?"
"I'm disgusting." Brittany whispered, squeezing her eyes shut in embarrassment and willing her tears to go away. "You think so too, don't you?"
Santana's jaw dropped. The shocked expression on her face remained unseen by Brittany whose eyes were now focused solely on her lap. Santana scooted closer and placed her hand on Brittany's thigh to stop the nervous bouncing of her leg. Brittany tried to move away again but Santana didn't let her.
"I'm not disgusted with you. In fact, I'm the opposite." She stated in a calm voice. Brittany scoffed in disbelief and turned her face away. Santana bit her lip, trying to figure out what to do. "Show me."
"What?" Brittany asked in a small voice.
"Your scars." Santana explained softly. "Show them to me again."
"I can't." Brittany sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "I don't want you to see them. They're gross." She released a shaky breath, more tears welling up in her eyes. "It's okay if you want to end whatever it is that we have. You deserve someone better than me."
"Brittany," Santana sighed, not knowing what to say to convince the girl that she wasn't going anywhere. She took Brittany's hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "Show me. Please, I want to see you."
Brittany hesitated for another long moment and then finally nodded. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably by now and she struggled to remove her shirt. Once it was off, she kept her head down and bit her lip to keep it from quivering. She felt Santana's intense gaze on her and she shifted uncomfortably.
Santana slowly stuck out her hand but stopped just before she reached Brittany's skin. "Can I?"
Brittany squeezed her eyes shut and gave her a small, hesitant nod in reply, inhaling sharply when Santana's fingers made contact with her skin. Santana lightly traced the scars that coated Brittany's back, feeling the bumpy texture of the tissue under the soft pads of her fingertips. Her hand moved slowly and she wished that she could somehow absorb Brittany's pain and take it away forever. She gently brushed Brittany's hair away and pressed a kiss to her shoulder, causing Brittany to shudder.
"You're so beautiful, Brittany." She whispered.
Brittany opened her eyes, revealing stormy blue orbs filled with pain and disbelief. "I'm not; I'm ugly. Stop lying to me." She said stubbornly, shrugging Santana's hand off. "I understand if you want to go."
Santana felt frustration build up inside her. "Brittany, listen to me." She demanded, waiting until she was sure that she had the blonde's full attention before continuing. "Don't you dare say those things about yourself. Your scars make you even more beautiful than you already are. They show everyone how strong and brave you are. This doesn't change the way I feel about you so please believe me when I say that I'm not going anywhere. Do you honestly think I'm that shallow?"
Brittany sighed and silently shook her head.
"I want to be with you, Britt." Santana went on, staring into Brittany's eyes and hoping that the blonde could see her sincerity. "I want you to be my girlfriend."
Brittany's tears started flowing again in full force as she slowly processed Santana's words. She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again. She wanted to believe that this was real but it seemed too good to be true. Her face crumbled as she finally choked out a small, "Really?"
Santana nodded and that was enough for the floodgates to open. A small sob erupted from her chest and in seconds Santana had gathered her in her arms.
"Oh Britt," The brunette whispered, feeling tears well up in her own eyes. "Please don't cry." She pressed kisses into silky blonde hair and gently rubbed her hand up and down Brittany's back, feeling the tension radiate off Brittany as she touched her. "It's okay, babe."
Brittany would've smiled at the term of endearment if her emotions weren't running all over the place. Instead, she buried her face further into Santana's shoulder and tightened her arms around her waist. Her body wouldn't stop trembling and Santana pressed a kiss to her temple in silent reassurance. After a while, she felt Santana begin to pull away but she just held her closer. "I don't want to wake up and find out that this was all a dream."
"You won't." Santana said softly. "I promise."
Brittany pulled back slightly to meet Santana's eyes. "Do you really want me to be your girlfriend?" She asked shyly. "Even with the way I look?"
Santana nodded her head. "Yes, I really do."
Brittany's eyes brightened and she leaned in to place a soft kiss on Santana's lips. Santana ran her fingers over Brittany's abdomen and the blonde tensed again, the same nervous look from before spreading across her features. Santana felt her heart ache at the insecurity in Brittany's eyes but she didn't comment on it.
"Do your scars ever still hurt?" She asked instead.
"They feel a little tender and sensitive at times." Brittany explained, her eyes shifting between her shirt that was lying next to her and Santana's face. "I have an ointment that helps. I use it when I've had a long day but it's hard to reach the ones on my back."
Santana could see the confliction in Brittany's eyes. She took the blonde's hand before she could grab her shirt and brought it to her lips, pressing a kiss to the back of it. "Lie down on your stomach." She instructed, not wanting Brittany to hide from her. The look of panic on Brittany's face made her add, "Don't worry, Britt. I won't hurt you."
The sincerity in Santana's voice made Brittany comply without further anxiety. She shifted to the middle of the mattress and lay down on her front, turning her head sideways. Santana quickly found the ointment that Brittany mentioned before in the drawer of the bedside table and gently straddled the blonde, legs on either side of her hips, careful not to scare her.
"What are you doing?" Brittany asked nervously.
"Just relax and let me take care of you." Santana told her gently, leaning down to place a reassuring kiss on her cheek. Brittany exhaled shakily and tried to relax. Once Santana was sure that Brittany was ready, she squeezed a generous amount of ointment onto her fingers and let it warm for a moment, using her free hand to brush Brittany's hair to the side.
Starting high up Brittany's back, the brunette started to rub the ointment into Brittany's scars, making small circular patterns with her fingertips. She massaged Brittany's shoulders for a while and then went to unclip the blonde's bra, stopping her movements to wait for a sign of permission. Brittany burrowed herself further into the mattress, as if trying to hide, and then nodded once.
She still couldn't believe that Santana was willing to touch her.
Santana carefully unclipped Brittany's bra and continued to move her hands in wide strokes up and down the length of Brittany's back, using the fleshy part of her palms. A smile found its way to her lips when she felt the tight muscles underneath Brittany's warm skin begin to loosen, even though her face was still tense.
Once the ointment was absorbed into Brittany's scars, Santana fastened her bra and spoke in a soft voice, "Are you okay to turn over onto your back?"
A flash of fear crossed Brittany's features and she swallowed thickly, her fingers nervously gripping the sheet beneath her. Santana sat back on her heels and just waited patiently, not wanting to push her. At Brittany's timid nod, Santana scooted backwards and watched as the blonde turned over, revealing the more aggressive looking scars on her abdomen. Brittany closed her eyes and released a shaky breath, feeling vulnerable and exposed.
"Hey," Santana whispered as she gently caressed Brittany's cheek with her hand, wanting to somehow ease her nerves. "Britt..." Brittany clenched her jaw and opened her eyes, revealing blue orbs that were glistening with unshed tears. Santana felt her stomach clench at the sight. She nudged Brittany's cheek with her nose and then placed a kiss there. "Do you want to stop?"
Brittany bit down on her bottom lip and reached for Santana's other hand, holding it tightly in her own. She let out another shaky breath and slowly shook her head. "I trust you."
Santana smiled softly and disentangled their fingers to reach for the tube of ointment. She then gently began to move her hands over Brittany's shoulders and up her neck, feeling the contrast between the rough, bumpy skin and the smooth, unscarred skin. She pressed her palm flat against Brittany's chest and could feel the rapid beating of her heart. She frowned and her eyes moved back up to meet nervous blue ones.
"It's okay." She soothed, slowly combing her fingers through Brittany's long hair and letting her thumb lightly stroke the skin beneath the blonde's ear. "It's just me."
Brittany's brow furrowed slightly as the tension began to creep back into her body. "I-I'm…" She blinked hard as she collected her thoughts and tried again. "I'm scared, San. You could have any girl in the world but still you're choosing me. I don't want you to change your mind."
"That's not going to happen, Britt." Santana told her, looking deeply into her eyes. "I've never been so sure of anything in my life." Not giving her a chance to rebut, Santana leaned down and kissed her softly, dark hair falling down the sides of her face. Pulling away, she pecked the tip of Brittany's nose and rested their foreheads together. "Why would I want anyone else when my girlfriend is this beautiful?"
Brittany smiled a tiny smile that lit up the entire room. A warm feeling spread through Santana's body and she couldn't stop herself from kissing Brittany's lips once more. "Are you ready to continue?" She asked after they parted, sitting up again.
Brittany's face turned serious at this and she took a deep breath, nodding once. Santana let her hands lightly brush against the material of Brittany's bra before she settled them on Brittany's firm stomach, feeling the muscles jerk and react to her touch. She stilled her movements and gave Brittany a moment to relax. When Brittany showed no signs of reluctance, Santana squeezed some ointment on her hands and rubbed it between her palms.
Santana's gaze never left Brittany's as she began to move her hands over the scars on her stomach, gently kneading the skin. Brittany's eyes were wide but hopeful and watching her intently, following her every move. Santana squeezed her sides in affection and moved up, resting her hands against her ribs and massaging them tenderly. Brittany's breath hitched slightly and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, a light blush tinting her cheeks.
The brunette moved lower, gently kneading the area around Brittany's belly button and letting her fingers graze the waistband of her jeans. She rested her hand there and brought her other hand up to brush Brittany's hair away from her face. "Do you have more scars on your legs?"
Brittany sighed and nodded sadly. "Yes."
"Can I see?" Santana asked softly, wanting Brittany to know that she appreciated every part of her no matter what. A shudder rippled through Brittany's slender frame and her eyes darted around Santana's face, scanning every inch. She trusted Santana but the thought of fully showing herself still scared her immensely. Santana immediately picked up on it and withdrew her hand, sending her a smile to show her understanding. "It's okay. It can wait until another time."
"Another time." Brittany nodded, relief evident on her face.
Santana leaned in and lightly brushed her lips against Brittany's before capturing them in a sweet kiss. Brittany's eyes automatically fluttered shut and her hand curled around the back of Santana's neck, running her fingers through the soft hairs she found there. She shivered when Santana ran her tongue across her bottom lip and opened her mouth, deepening the kiss.
Brittany eventually broke the kiss for air, breathing heavily, eyes remaining closed. Santana propped herself up on one elbow and smiled down at the girl who she got to call her girlfriend now. Words couldn't describe how happy that made her. They lay there in silence for a while and Santana was pretty sure that Brittany was starting to doze off. She planted a kiss on the blonde's forehead and then slowly climbed off her and out of bed.
"No, don't leave." Brittany whispered groggily.
"I'm not leaving." Santana assured her. "I'm just going to change my clothes, they're not very comfortable. You should probably do the same."
Brittany's eyes snapped open when she realized that she was still lying there shirtless. Her face flushed in embarrassment and she quickly pulled the covers over herself. Santana sighed sadly but didn't say anything. It was probably going to take some time for Brittany to feel completely comfortable around her and she respected that.
"I'm going to take a quick shower. I still smell like wine a little." Brittany announced.
Santana nodded. "Let me brush my teeth first."
A few minutes later, Santana was lying in bed while Brittany was in the shower. She buried her face in the pillow Brittany had used before and inhaled the familiar scent that was her girlfriend, causing her to sigh happily. It meant a lot to Santana that Brittany had trusted her enough to show her the most vulnerable part of herself and she meant every word she had said to her. She really wasn't going anywhere.
When Brittany joined her in bed, she rolled over and settled behind the blonde, wrapping her arms around her waist protectively. Brittany snuggled into her and covered one of her hands with her own, never wanting to let go. She still couldn't believe that this was real. After her accident she hadn't been expecting to ever feel this happy again.
"Go to sleep, Britt-Britt." Santana whispered, nuzzling her nose into Brittany's hair. "I'll still be here when you wake up."
With those words, Brittany allowed her eyes to fall shut. Santana's warmth made her feel safer than she had felt in a very long time. She felt Santana's breath hit the back of her neck and it calmed her. It didn't take long for her to drift off to sleep.
Brittany woke up to the sun shining brightly into the room. She slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to Santana who was now snuggled against her chest. Her face was calm and her long, dark hair was fanned out on the pillow. Brittany smiled to herself, wondering how she had gotten so lucky to have someone as beautiful as Santana in her life.
Relief flooded her body when she realized that she had slept through the night. This was the second time that Santana had stayed over and she hadn't woken up once. Telling Santana about her accident had brought up a lot of emotions and she had expected it to trigger a nightmare but luckily that wasn't the case. Maybe Santana was her good luck charm.
Brittany dropped a kiss on Santana's forehead and carefully disentangled herself from the brunette's arms. She got out of bed, made a stop at the bathroom and then walked into the kitchen where she began to prepare breakfast. It was Sunday which luckily meant that she didn't have work today and could spend time with Santana.
She was so caught up in her work that she didn't notice Santana coming up behind her until she felt a pair of arms snake around her waist. A smile slowly spread across her face. "Hey, San. Did you sleep okay?" Instead of responding with words, Santana began planting a trail of kisses down the side of her neck. Brittany turned around and landed a kiss on her lips. "I guess that means yes."
"Hmm." Santana hummed in confirmation. She cupped Brittany's cheek and connected their lips again, this time deepening the kiss. She playfully nibbled on Brittany's lower lip, smirking when the blonde let out a soft moan. Brittany somehow found the will to break the kiss and Santana pouted a little.
"I don't want to burn breakfast." Brittany explained, pecking Santana's lips once more before turning back to the food. "I was going to bring it to you."
"That's sweet." Santana replied as she rested her chin on Brittany's shoulder, tightening her arms around her waist. "You're sweet." She corrected herself. Brittany's cheeks instantly colored pink and she smiled. "And cute." She kissed Brittany's cheek. "And funny." Another kiss. "And beautiful."
"San!" Brittany whined, blushing furiously at all the compliments.
"I'm sorry but it's true!" Santana chuckled, watching as Brittany flipped a pancake. "Do you need any help?"
"No, they're almost finished." Brittany said. "Thanks though."
Santana slowly released the blonde from her embrace and moved to pour them both a cup of coffee. She placed the mugs on the table and then grabbed some plates just as Brittany turned off the stove. They sat down across from each other and began to eat their pancakes in a comfortable silence.
A tiny sigh caught Santana's attention and she looked up to find Brittany staring down at her plate with a lost expression on her face. The brunette eyed her worriedly. "Are you okay, Britt?"
"Yeah." Brittany said softly, lifting her head just enough to make eye-contact. "I just wanted to thank you for last night." She held Santana's gaze for a moment before adding, "It means a lot to me."
"You don't have to thank me." Santana shot her a warm smile, reaching out to take her hand in her own. "I'll always be here for you."
Brittany felt herself getting emotional again and decided to stay silent, afraid that she would burst into tears if she spoke. She had done enough crying last night. As if sensing her thoughts, Santana quietly got up, walked around the table to where she was sitting and slid onto her lap. Brittany smiled softly and buried her face in the curve of Santana's neck, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's waist and sighing contentedly when slender fingers began to comb through her hair.
"I'm really happy." Brittany mumbled, her lips vibrating against Santana's skin.
Santana kissed the top of her head softly, nuzzling her hair and breathing in the sweet scent that was so characteristically Brittany. "Me too." She whispered back, smiling when she felt Brittany snuggle even closer. They stayed in that position for a while until Santana pulled back to look into Brittany's eyes. "You know you could've told me sooner, right?"
"I'm sorry." Brittany sighed sadly, hanging her head. "I was just scared."
"Don't ever be scared to talk to me." Santana whispered.
She cupped Brittany's cheek with one hand and tilted her face up to bring their lips together in a passionate kiss. Blue eyes fluttered shut as Brittany melted into the contact, completely forgetting what they were talking about and all her worries momentarily leaving her body. Santana's other hand untangled from Brittany's hair and slowly traveled down, slipping under her shirt and coming to a rest on the small of her back.
"It's okay." She murmured against Brittany's lips when she felt the blonde tense slightly.
Brittany relaxed and resumed their kiss, flicking her tongue out against Santana's bottom lip before sucking it into her mouth, playfully nibbling it with her teeth.
A groan escaped Santana's throat as things quickly grew heated and she unconsciously grinded her hips into Brittany, searching for more friction. Brittany copied the movement and shivered at the sensation, breaking the kiss to catch her breath and moaning as Santana lowered her head down to suck at the sensitive skin just below her ear. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head when Santana took her earlobe between her teeth, lightly biting down on it before sucking it into her mouth.
"San," Brittany said breathlessly, knowing exactly where this was headed. "We should stop."
Santana slowly pulled away to look at Brittany, her eyes darker than usual. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." Brittany said quietly, suddenly feeling incredibly insecure. "I don't… I don't think I'm ready for that right now. I mean… I haven't-…" She sighed, frustrated, as she struggled to find the right words. "I'm sorry. It's just been a whi-…"
"It's okay." Santana cut her off with a peck on the lips. Brittany suddenly looked ashamed, a little scared even, and Santana never wanted her to feel that way. "I understand. We can wait as long as you want, it doesn't matter. Don't feel bad."
Relief washed over Brittany's features and she reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind Santana's ear. "Thank you."
Santana flashed her a warm smile but didn't say anything.
"Do you have anywhere to be today?" Brittany asked, placing her hands on Santana's hips and looking up at her with hopeful eyes.
Santana smiled wider and shook her head. "Nope, I'm all yours."
Brittany felt her heart flutter in her chest at these words. "I was thinking that we could stay in today, watch a movie or something and maybe… do some cuddling?"
"Cuddling, huh?" Santana teased, chuckling when Brittany nodded shyly. She pressed a kiss to an adorable flushed cheek before saying, "I'd love to."