Day 16: Character A bakes too many Christmas cookies so they share them with Character B.


Shifting back and forth on her feet, wondering if she was doing the right thing or if her incredibly attractive neighbor, Santana, was going to yell at her again for waking her up on her one day off, Rachel held her plate of sugar cookies out in offering in case the woman looked through her peephole. Finally, just as she was deciding to try and knock again and give up if nothing happened, the door swung open.

Disheveled, bleary eyed but clutching a mug of coffee in her hand, Santana stared at her. "You're lucky I was already up," she grunted.

"I can see that." Looking at the coffee mug, then back to groggy dark eyes, Rachel abruptly proffered her plate up, smiling brightly. "Merry Christmas!" she chirped, "I made too many and was wondering if you wanted some?"

Her neighbor blinked. "You knock on my door at…" Leaning back, ostensibly to look at a clock to her left, Santana came back with a slightly less severe expression, "Okay, three PM, to offer me cookies?"

"Yes."

"Because you made too many?"

Her smile dimming, Rachel pushed the plate closer towards Santana. "They have reindeer antlers and Santa hats."

Santana's gaze lowered. "Is that… a Star of David?"

Rachel nodded. "I'm Jewish."

A sudden, amused snort left Santana's mouth, and she clapped her (thankfully) empty hand to her mouth. "You're Jewish and you were making Christmas cookies?"

Frowning, Rachel pulled the plate closer to herself, still politely close to Santana but obviously demonstrating her tempering of enthusiasm. "Am I not allowed to enjoy the holiday festivities? Besides, the children's home I'm baking them for is largely inhabited by those of the Christian and Catholic faith, if not those who are just happy to have any excuse to bring some cheer into their lives."

"And yet you slipped some Hanukkah reindeer in there as well."

"I'm sure some children might prefer some that reference the Jewish Festival of Lights."

Santana smirked. "You sure you just didn't want to betray your God?"

"My God is the same God," Rachel snapped, firmly deciding this whole endeavor was a complete disaster. "Look, either you want some festive cookies, or you don't. I have better uses of my time that I could be doing instead of standing on your doorstep, getting insulted."

"I'm not insulting you, but sure. Cookies – free cookies – are rarely a bad thing." Putting her hand out, Santana smiled as Rachel practically pushed the plate into it, huffing. She took a closer look at them, lifting up the plastic wrap. "These aren't poisoned, are they?"

"No, they most certainly are not!" Stomping to her apartment, Rachel, though she didn't slam the door, did close it more heavily than normal. She knew it wasn't her imagination that she'd heard a smoky chuckle as she'd left. "How ungrateful was she?" she snapped to herself, needing to pace back and forth on the floor in front of her kitchen, "I don't even know why I bothered. Such a… Such a waste of good intentions! See if I ever try to do something nice for her again!"


The next evening, arriving home after a grueling shift at the diner, Rachel already had her keys out and in her gloved hand when she noticed the folded note taped to her door. Her name was scrawled on top in an unfamiliar hand, and pulling it off, she glanced around in case anyone was hiding, ready to pounce on her. Seeing no one, and deciding to look at it in the safety of her apartment, she finished letting herself in. Once she had shrugged off her coat, her gloves getting set down onto their spot next to the door, and the door safely locked behind her, she pulled the note back up.

Rachel

She flipped the note open.

So those were fucking awesome cookies. Even the blasphemous non-Christmas ones. I actually kept one for when my girlfriend comes round, seeing as her favorite color is blue. His name is Herbert.

Santana

Smiling, Rachel grabbed the notepad she kept on the refrigerator.

I hope Herbert gets the decent funeral and memorial he deserves. Would you like some more? They could be witnesses for the service.

Rachel Berry*

Leaving her apartment, Rachel only paused for a few seconds before slipping the note under Santana's door, not as optimistic as her neighbor that the note would not be disturbed by the time Santana arrived back home. Getting back to her own, she pulled out the plate of leftover cookies. There weren't many, but there were, indeed, some more Jewish brothers and sisters Rachel figured Santana's girlfriend would probably enjoy. Shifting all but one onto a new plate, hoping she'd get back her original plate before she had to lend Santana another one, she then added two Christmas ones, figuring it wouldn't hurt to give her more of those as well. Wrapping up the new plate with saran wrap, and setting it next to the original plate, she smiled as she closed and patted the refrigerator door.

Now she just had to wait for Santana to get back to her.


The next day, right as Rachel curled up on her couch with a gossip magazine and a steaming cup of tea, three sharp knocks sounded on her door. Curious that it may be her neighbor, Rachel sighed, bothering to get up. She really hoped it wasn't the superintendent like it had been the last two times.

Sure enough, Santana was waiting at her door, immediately smiling at the sight of her, Rachel's clean and empty plate tucked under her arm. "Hey," she greeted, holding out the plate, "Those were kick-ass cookies. Thanks."

Returning her smile, Rachel accepted the plate and stepped back into her apartment, beckoning Santana in to follow. "I'm assuming you'd like more?" she said over her shoulder, leading the other woman to her kitchen.

"That would be awesome. Herbert would probably enjoy the company before his fate."

"Is he facing it with dignity?"

Santana smirked, laughing softly. "Surprisingly. He's one strong reindeer."

Rachel laughed as well. Taking out her already prepared plate, she happily passed it along. "Here. Enough to have a decent feast, I think."

"And I thought I was the twisted one. Thanks."

Smiling, Rachel paused. "So, you… have a girlfriend?"

Santana's face brightened, and she nodded, her smile growing, becoming more sincere. "I do, yeah. Her name's Dani. She's actually coming over later tonight, when her shift at the diner ends. You can meet her, if you'd like." She smirked, leaning in, "Take part in the ritual sacrifice."

"Wait, Dani? About my height, currently blue hair?"

"You know her?"

Laughing, Rachel shook her head. "I work with her. At the Spotlight Diner. Small world!" She couldn't help studying Santana with new eyes. Having heard all the stories of Dani's "amazing, great, romantic girlfriend", she softly cleared her throat, pushing her hair behind her ear. Santana certainly was as beautiful as Dani had said. Of course, Rachel had always thought so, even without knowing Santana and her coworker's girlfriend were one and the same. It figured.

"Okay!" Clapping her hands together, the plate of cookies temporarily placed on the counter of Rachel's kitchen, Santana smirked at her again, "Now it's definitely decided. You're coming over. No ifs ands or buts."

"Now?"

"Now."

"But I have a cup of tea waiting…" Rachel looked at her couch yearningly.

Scoffing, Santana knocked her shoulder with her own as she walked past her. "I have wine and amazing cookies. Tea can wait for boring times when you don't have the attention of the amazing person that is myself. C'mon! You're going to tell me your best embarrassing stories of Dani that she'd never tell me herself."

Rachel wavered on her feet before sighing, giving in and trailing after Santana. However, she detoured, grabbing up her tea, giving Santana a smug, teasing smile from behind the mug as she took a sip.

Santana rolled her eyes but didn't say anything, instead gesturing at the direction of Rachel's door, her eyebrows raised in a 'well?' expression.

"Okay, fine. But do not let me leave my mug at your place. You're not going to get my dishware, one piece at a time."

"Hey, I gave you back your first plate, didn't I?" Preceding Rachel out, and waiting somewhat patiently as she slipped on a pair of house slippers and grabbed her keys and cell phone, locking her door after her, Santana led the way to her own apartment.

"Before we begin the fun stuff," she pushed her door open, letting Rachel in first, "You gots to tell me – how come that smokin' hot blonde lady-dancer doesn't come around anymore? From the two months straight of deafening sex sounds coming from your apartment, it certainly sounded like she knew what was up. How could you give that up?"

Rachel choked on her tea.

"Hell, I'd only just adjusted to being able to sleep through you two. Even started thinking about coming over to ask for a physical demonstration." Santana winked. She placed the plate of cookies onto the coffee table

Her cheeks burning, Rachel continued hiding herself behind her mug. "You mentioned wine?" she practically squeaked.

Santana's laugh as she headed into the kitchen, followed by another one when Rachel raised her voice to add, "I thought you wanted to hear about Dani!", was her only answer.

Groaning, Rachel picked up a reindeer and bit into it, sinking down onto the plush couch Santana had pointed at.

Oh. She looked down at the cookie. It really was good.

Well, at least she had that. Maybe stalling for time until Dani arrived wouldn't be so hard after all. Talking about her sex life, while in the first place wasn't something she ever really wanted to do, doing it with Santana, her exceptionally hot neighbor she'd just found out had a girlfriend and could hear humming something lovely and in tune in the kitchen…?

Rachel took another sip of her tea. Definitely something she'd rather steer the conversation away from.