Good news, I'll be updating a lot this week because I have winter vacation and I just figured out how to actively open up my beta profile and everything. Sorry if I asked for betas a few weeks ago and then some of you got confused because I wasn't 'actively' seeking beta. So if any of you are interested, we can do that now. Anyway. Enjoy
"Well, Rachel. I think that song just about did us in. Welcome to the glee club." Rachel jumps and runs over to Santana and gives her a tight hug. Santana isn't responsive at first but then lightens up and gives her a small tap on the back.
"Thank you, Ms. Lopez. I promise I won't let you down." With a small giggle, she sits in between Kurt and Mercedes while they all exchange high fives. Santana stood in front of the club and began to talk.
"Listen up everybody, I want to start talking about duets." Santana ignores the chuckles in the choir room.
"A duet does not have to be about love or romance. If anything, that's just overdone. I'll let you guys pair up however you want but I want you to actually think about it instead of just picking some love song and singing it off-key, and in the end who ever has the best performance gets to have the luxury of rubbing it in everyone's face along with a free dinner at Breadstix on me." The footballers cheer while the Cheerios look down at their stomachs and flatten them with their hands.
"I'd love to eat something off of you, babe." Puck said as he prances into the classroom. Santana glares at him with question as he stands by her side and kisses her cheek. After that, Rachel and Quinn look at Brittany who's pursing her lips, holding back, well, Brittany doesn't know. She's jealous and that makes her want to scream, she's sad so that makes her want to cry and she's angry and that makes her want to punch Puck's stupid smug smile off his face.
"Okay, well, pair up and yea. Performances will be due on Tuesday." Before anyone starts making excuses. "I don't care what you have going on. Get to work." As everyone shuffles around, Rachel tries to get Brittany's attention but her eyes are dead set on Santana and Puck at the piano.
"What are you doing here?" Santana asks annoyed.
"I called your apartment and Blaine told me you were here doing your club. So I just wanted to stop by and surprise you." He says genuinely and gives her a small grin.
"Hey, Ms. Lopez. Why don't you give us an example of a good duet?" Hollers a footballer from the side of the room. The rest of the club, except for Rachel, Quinn, Charlie, and Brittany join in cheering her on. Puck takes that as his cue and grabs a guitar off the stand. He whispers something to the drummer and then joins Santana. He smiles at her while the drummer begins to play and strikes a long chord.
"2, 3, 4." He sings and off Puck went singing That's Not Her Style by Billy Joel. Santana just stands there as he walks around her in circles. Santana just rolls her eyes and looks over at Brittany whose looking down at her hands as Rachel murmurs something to her. The song ends and Puck presses his lips against Santana's temple. Inside, Santana winces but she has to put a brave face on, she gives Puck a small smile and then tells everyone to get back to work. She doesn't dare look at Brittany, there's nothing appealing about breaking down in front of a group of teenagers.
"So, I'll see you tomorrow for dinner? Breadstix?" He asks, Santana gives him a nod and he leaves, happy with achievement. Santana excuses herself and walks outside. She kicks one of the lockers and sits down next to it, her hands balled up in tight fists. Santana was angry that Puck had to visit, that maybe this blew any chance she had with Brittany.
"Brittany, it's not like she likes him. She didn't even sing with him." Rachel says softly as she tries to get Brittany to look at her.
"If she didn't like him, then they wouldn't be together."
"Well, maybe she's scared."
"What does that have to do wi-"
"Maybe she's afraid of having feelings for you, her student or she's afraid of having feelings for girls in general and she's just using him as a beard."
"But he doesn't have a beard, unless you count the one on the top of his head."
"He's a cover up."
"Is that what Finn is for you?" There was no malicious intent in Brittany's words, it wasn't a jab at Rachel, it was honest. Brittany only asked because of the intense stare down that Rachel was having with the Fabray twins. Rachel gulps and laughs nervously.
"No, Brittany. I love Finn." Brittany nods before looking out the door to see if Santana was anywhere around. I guess now that she understands why Santana is the way she is, she can sympathize. If anything, she just wants to hold her and tell her that it'll be okay and that she shouldn't be afraid anymore because she'll always have her to support her and love her when she needs it most.
"Rachel, I'll be right back." Brittany says before walking out of the choir room and finding Santana by the lockers. She breathes in before walking up to her and sitting down. Santana feels her presence and turns her head in the opposite direction. She brings her knees up to her chin and hugs her legs. Brittany would never think that this was the same woman who kicked Rachel and Finn out of the glee club, the same woman who openly curses in class and makes fun of all students, and certainly not the woman who walks around the hallways with her head held high.
"He doesn't mean anything." Santana whispers still not making eye contact. Brittany isn't going to deny the fact that those words meant everything and how happy it made her to hear those words.
"I need help with my, uhm, homework." Brittany says out of the blue. Brittany stands up and offers her hand to Santana that looks at it for a few seconds before taking it. Brittany pulls her small frame up and they walk together to the Spanish room. They get inside and Santana closes the door behind them, she's expecting Brittany to go to her seat but Brittany stands there with no obvious intent in moving.
"I didn't actually need help with my homework." Brittany says sheepishly like a child who just got away with an immature prank.
"Oh." Santana utters nervously as her hands hold on to the bottom of her pencil skirt.
"So why are you dating Puck?" Brittany asks. Santana almost chokes on her own spit and nerves and tries to go about answering the question.
"Well, my parents like him." Santana wasn't just going to just tell Brittany all her secrets. Not now, at least. Brittany knew though, that there was more, she may be a little slow sometimes but that didn't make her incapable of understanding another human being.
"Do you like him?" She asks.
"No, I don't. I like you, Brittany. You walk into class and I actually kind of like my job. You make me feel good, Brittany. After seeing you, even for a second when you're at your locker, I can go home and just feel good. Believe me, Puck is nothing." Santana says truthfully, looking right into Brittany's bright eyes. Brittany bites her lip and looks away in excitement.
"Do you like me, Brittany?" Brittany paused for a few seconds, not because she didn't know the answer but because of how easy it was, like she couldn't believe that Santana could think any different, at first she thought that Santana was kidding but when she took in her expression and her puppy dog eyes that were just there waiting for her anxiously, Brittany realized that this was no joke to Santana.
"Of course, I do."
"Then be with me, I know I can't give you things like public outings or public displays of affection but give me a chance." Santana pleads. It's the first time she's ever pleaded to someone in her life and there's a part of her that hates it, a part that's telling her to run and to avoid Brittany because pleading and loving and feelings are weak. Santana didn't want to be weak but she wanted Brittany more than any sort of pride.
"I would love to be with you Santana but you have a boyfriend." Brittany says, Santana looks at her baffled.
"It wouldn't be fair to him, I mean what has he done other than care about you and like you. I can't just wreck that for him. I wouldn't be okay with someone coming in and ruining what I have with you. I mean, of course I want to but I can't." Brittany tried to find something in Santana's eyes but before she could figure it out, Santana leaned in and pressed her lips against Brittany's. The jolt of energy gave Santana the courage to move. Her hands on Brittany's waist as she pulled her closer, fingertips creeping under the hem of her shirt. Santana craved so much more, she'd take Brittany on Finn Hudson's desk if Brittany hadn't pulled away.
"I'm yours, proudly so." She reaches for Santana's hand.
"I just want you to be all mine, too. Okay?" She gives Santana's fingers a tight squeeze before bringing it up to her lips; she kisses her knuckles and lets go. She looks at Santana to make sure she understood what she was saying. Santana nods and gives her a small smile. Brittany grins and walks out of the room, leaving Santana there with weak knees and a quick heartbeat.
Hope it wasn't too much of a wait. I hope you enjoyed it even though it's a bit short, I'm sorry about that. AND, I hope you didn't mind me using actual quotes from the show. I've got exams. I'll see you sometimes this weekend with a brand new chapter.