(A/N) Another update, shocker, I know! Hopefully it'll be like this (or quicker) from now on, the reviews totally motivate me to get it updated sooner! Thanks to all the readers and the reviews-it helps to know everyone's opinions and that its actually worth continuing:)
Chapter 6- I'll Run Free Too
A duet of blonde hair twirled and danced on stage completely dressed in black from head to toe, nearly blending in with the black curtain and lights behind them. Artie and Mike were shrugging their shoulders to the beat, while the rest of the members sat quietly taking in the performance. Santana scoffed and leaned further back in the uncomfortable theater seat, her arms now folded across her chest. She wasn't sure what was more disgusting: the fact that it was blatantly obvious that they were gettin' it on outside of school, or that their performance was lame. Sure the dark colors suited the latina's tastes but the fact that everything was black seemed to be taking the assignment of fear too literally.
Finn leaned over without taking his eyes off the stage, making his presence known by nudging Santana with his elbow. The girl seemed to be irritated that he interrupted her hatred of the current performance before raising her eyebrows in annoyance, not giving him the satisfaction of eye contact.
"How are you enjoying the number with a scowl like that? Relax," he moved his eyes over her face searching for some kind of reaction. He was positive there was no way she could make a sane contribution as to what song to use for Nationals if she didn't have an open mind.
"Did I ask you to give me an opinion on my facial expressions, or is that something you decided in your pea sized brain all on your own?" Santana was clearly annoyed by his comment, making sure she lowered her glare and gave him her best bitch look. He could judge that expression.
Finn didn't make a move to look away, instead he sat completely still with that startled expression still present on his face. Santana tilted her head to the side as if she was actually interested in a response. When nothing came, she took it as a signal to continue, " Do I need to play a note on my ma-gi-cal instrument in order to get you to move, or can you do that all on your own too?" Her brows were raised as if she actually asked him a question when they both knew he wasn't going to answer.
As Finn moved back two seats down, she returned her gaze onto the bleached twins on stage, rolling her eyes. Sam had, at some point when she was talking to Finn, ripped off his jacket and was left in a white undershirt that stood out strongly against the black surrounding them. Quinn had done similar with her dress and was now clothed in a skin tight white bodysuit of sorts causing Santana to laugh out loud. She brought her hand to her mouth quickly, looking over at Mr. Schue hoping he hadn't heard her. She was met with his small eyes staring back at her, his face stern. She straightened her face out quickly and returned her arms across her chest. How typical of them to take the lesson of the week so literally. They had darkness flooding them on stage, only to break through in white as if they were overcoming the fear. Completely unoriginal.
In all fairness, she couldn't judge too harshly. At least they took time to prepare for their number in advance. Though lame, they made it look presentable. Santana had prepared to search for a song at Brittany's but the night didn't work out as she had planned, not that she was really complaining. She saw Quinn spinning, her skirt making a perfect circle around her tiny waist but it seemed blurry. The music that was once loud seemed to drift off and soon all she heard was her own breathing. It was silent, she felt under water again.
Santana felt a hand on her shoulder before she even opened her eyes. She couldn't remember where she was, all she could feel was the stiffness in her back and how badly her arm ached. That and whatever was rubbing on her shoulder. She tried to open her eyes but they wouldn't budge, not even a sliver of light peaked through. Again she felt rubbing on her shoulder before she heard her name being whispered, giving her eyes the strength to flutter.
"Shhh, it's okay." Her eyes focused on an older blonde woman hunched over her awkwardly. "You both fell asleep, it's getting late and I don't want your parents to worry."
Santana shifted, wincing as she finally moved her back into a new position. She nodded to the woman, who rubbed her shoulder gently before standing. The latina blinked slowly, trying to allow her eyes time to adjust to the light in the room. She moved to rub her eyes, her hand getting caught in the process causing her to turn abruptly. That's when she remembered.
Blonde hair cascaded down the edge of the couch and around the face of Brittany, her knees drawn up to her chest. Her hands were snuggled under her neck, the latina's hand intertwined between them.
Santana immediately felt her entire body flush with heat and an aching pain course through her arm. She blinked slowly, her eyes feeling like sandpaper as she tried to make sure she wasn't dreaming the blonde lying on the couch. The girl's hair was moving slightly with each puff of air that escaped her lips and for what seemed like hours, Santana watched. Even though her arm was begging to be moved having long gone numb and her shoulder ached, she couldn't bring herself to move away from Brittany. She couldn't help but notice the way she could feel the sleeping girl's heartbeat and her breath caught in her chest creating a lump in her throat. She forced it down, looking back towards the door as the blonde's mother appeared again.
"She's a snuggler but don't worry she's a heavy sleeper." The woman smiled lightly.
She hesitantly pulled her arm from the warmth of the blonde, watching as she adjusted to its absence. Santana could have sworn she saw a frown start to poke at the sides of Brittany's face, but just as quickly as it appeared- it was gone.
Santana stood up quietly before reaching over and picking up the blanket that had fallen off the blonde at some point during her movements. After she had placed it on the girl's legs, she grabbed her backpack and turned to look at the blonde once more before leaving. Santana took a sharp breath as she noted mentally how beautiful the girl truly was. Her pale skin seemed to reflect the light in the room, as did her blonde hair and the tips of her eyelashes. The few freckles that scattered across her nose were barely noticeable in this lighting and Santana found herself missing them. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she glanced at the blonde's hands holding onto air where the latina's hand had once been. Santana rubbed her fingers across her hand before looking away quickly, making eye contact with the older woman.
"Let her know I'll text her tomorrow, thanks for having me Mrs. Pierce." She mumbled quickly before hurrying out the door and down the steps not really leaving the woman time to respond.
Santana flung her items across the car into the passenger seat, closing the door behind her. She immediately turned on the radio, trying to clear her mind from thinking or feeling whatever it was she was doing back at Brittany's house. Her body trembled slightly.
The music blared loudly the entire way home, forcing the latina to focus on the vibrating within her ear canals instead of the girl she left 10 minutes ago. She made no attempt to loiter as she climbed out of her car and practically ran to her door, the silence overwhelming her after the loud car ride. She didn't even have time to lock the door before her eyes focused on her hand as she remembered how it looked clutched next to Brittany. She mentally hit herself for not being able to make it to her room without her brain going into overdrive.
Somehow she managed to reach her room before changing quickly into her pajamas and climbing in bed with her laptop. For 3 hours she searched the internet for a song selection for the next day, and nothing was popping out at her. In this moment she hated glee club. She wanted nothing more than to get all those crazy thoughts out of her head and to stop searching for a song she didn't want to sing in the first place.
Santana never enjoyed anyone's company, and the more she thought about it the scarier it became that she enjoyed Brittany's. What made her so special? She felt her eyelids try to drift shut as she thought again about a pale arm tangled next to hers. Shaking her head, she continued to flip through web pages until she found something that caused her brows to furrow. She looked down at her hands before back at the screen, ignoring the tingling sensation that seemed to buzz around her fingers. Ignoring everything completely.
"Santana!" Mr. Schue was standing a row in front of the latina, his arms stiffly attached to his hips and his lips pursed. Santana snapped her head up letting out a breath she didn't know she had been holding in. She could feel the air flowing past her lips leaving them tingling in it's wake.
"Care to give your opinion?" Santana couldn't help looking over and noticing the smug look that seemed to be sewn onto Finn's face. She half wished he was within slapping distance. "I'd love to, Mr. Schue," she seemed to enunciate each syllable in his name as she spoke, "but I was really too distracted by the flapping lips and Quinn's batting eyelashes to process an opinion."
The older man in front of her pinched his eyes between his fingers, slowly exhaling before slapping his hands down to his side. "That's enough." Santana could tell he meant what he said, as his eyes didn't seem shiny but instead dull and nearly lifeless. "It's your turn, hopefully your classmates will give you more respect than you showed them."
Santana felt fluttering inside her belly and a weird prickling deep in her throat. It wasn't that she hated singing in front of people, because she actually thrived off it, but it was more so the fact that she hadn't prepared at all for this performance. Having found the song last night, she listened to it non stop on the way to cheerio practice just to learn the words- but she had yet to run through singing it solo. As she stood up, she shook herself slightly to get her outfit to fall into place. It was a one piece with shorts and a top that fell delicately off one shoulder. It was made of a satin type fabric that seemed to glide against her skin with each movement. It had been in the back of her closet for months but she never felt the urge to wear it- blue definitely wasn't her color, she preferred black. However, this morning as she threw hanger by hanger on the floor looking for something to wear, this outfit stuck out. The bright blue shimmered and Santana was transported back to a time when she stared into eyes of the exact same color.
Now that she was standing in the middle of the stage, her heart ached a little at the thought. She felt her fingers tremble slightly against the microphone stand as she grabbed it firmly before she heard the music begin to play; acoustic, just as she requested.
I feel these 4 walls closing in
My face up against the glass
I'm looking out...hmm
Is this my life I'm wondering
It happened so fast
How do I turn this around
Santana could feel her palms sweating as she grabbed the mic to move slowly across the stage her voice never faltering as she continued to sing. She noticed how still everything was around her, even everyone watching seemed to be motionless.
All I want is the wind in my hair
To face the fear but, not feel scared
Santana didn't even realize how much effort she was putting into the performance, but her chest felt it. It was almost as if everything she had been bottling up lately was coming out disguised in the words of the song. The tiny hairs on her arms were tingling and her hair seemed to float without gravity as she moved her body effortlessly to the music.
If only that someone was me
Jumping head first headlong without a thought
To act and damn the consequence
How I wish it could be that easy
But fear surrounds me like a fence
I wanna break free
Suddenly Santana forgot where she was and she felt as though she were in complete blackness, the only sound was music lightly in the background. Her chest heaved and her eyes stung behind the tears that were starting to gather around the edges of her make up. She really should have practiced this once at home, she felt like her entire body was too heavy to move. She found herself kneeling on the floor, the blue reflecting the one light she was able to make out.
Throwing caution to the wind
I'll run free too
Wish I could recklessly love
like I'm longing to
The darkness that had surrounded the Latina seconds earlier now seemed to be fading as she stood up and made her way over to a stool that was waiting perfectly center stage. Her breath threatened to stagger but she forbid it from happening. Not now. Not yet.
All I want is the wind in my hair
To face the fear, but not feel scared
Santana heard the music slowly fade out as she brought the mic to her lap and let out a shaky breath. Her hands were still shaking and her heart hammered heavily inside her rib cage. She didn't let a single tear fall, and for that she was proud. It was only then, once the music stopped that she noticed her classmates, still motionless. She made a slight cough, tricking herself into feeling better as she hopped off the stage and made her way to her seat as everyone began to clap.
"Wow, Santana! I will say I am shocked by the amount of depth you added to that performance. It had a soul. I wasn't expecting that from you," he shook his head with a big smile on his face.
"Because... Berry is the only one who can contort her face like Streisand and make you feel moved?" Santana had her eyebrows arched.
"Not at all. Everyone in this club has talent and it just shocks me how much we have. Picking a song for Nationals is definitely going to be harder this year." Mr. Schue rubbed his chin before going on another rant about how important song selection was. Santana could feel Rachel's eyes staring into her, trying to penetrate her soul. She never gave in, even though she wanted to stare back and instead grabbed her phone when she heard it buzz in her purse. Her smile faded as the name wasn't the one she had been expecting.
INBOX QUINN: Wow. So whose the guy that has you feeling so 'one with your feelings' ;)
SENT: Shut it Fabray. It was just a performance.
Santana couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with the girl, as she had no idea what was going on inside her own head much less what was going on in Quinn's. She did find it weird; however, that all she kept picturing after Quinn's text wasn't a guy at all. It was Brittany.
It had been days since the latina had hopped off the stage finishing up her performance in glee club. She had found herself extremely busy with Sue adding extra practices to prepare them for Nationals in a few weeks. It didn't stop her mind from racing nor did it stop her from contacting the blonde through texts a few times. Mostly just to check on her but also to set up another time to hang out.
With Santana's uncle coming home from the hospital on hospice, it had shut down a big window of opportunity for her to hang out. She was able to finally carve out some time Saturday night and had immediately texted the blonde to make sure she could have company. Since their conversation earlier in the morning, the latina was having trouble controlling the happiness that seemed to fill her spirit at the thought of seeing the girl tomorrow. She felt silly as it had only been 3 days but for some reason she felt as though it had been longer. She knitted her brows together in thought upon realizing she had never missed anyone the way she was missing Brittany. Not even during the summers when Quinn would go with her family on vacation for a month, did the brunette feel an achy feeling in her gut. It surprised her and scared her at the same time.
She quietly let out a puff of air that she didn't realize she had been holding as she flipped through the pages of the last issue of Cosmo.
"Hey hoe, are we gonna do this or what?" Santana looked up half annoyed as her cousin stood in front of her with a stack of cards, her curly hair piled on top of her head.
Jocelyn was a year younger than Santana and was the closest thing she ever had to a sister. She practically lived at the latina's house every summer growing up and for a while Santana remembered questioning where the girl actually lived. They were inseparable throughout their early teens and Santana remembered every sleepover and every conversation until it all changed. Jillian was born nearly two years ago, the result of a dumb mistake her cousin made, a severe lack of judgement Santana reminded her. It changed the way their relationship was and even though no one could imagine life without Jillian, Santana wished sometimes that they could go back in time. To a time where they did mad libs and stayed up late watching Buffy before falling asleep as the sun began to rise. All of that is harder with a toddler running around; but Santana had to give her cousin credit, she stood up to the plate when many in her position didn't. Santana shook her head as she thought of Quinn, realizing no two situations were ever alike.
The girl in front of her was far more petite but had the same huge brown eyes and pouty lips that Santana was well known for along with a dose of her own bitchiness. Since her dad had been brought home yesterday, Santana had been staying with Jocelyn hoping to provide some kind of moral support. Though she knew she wasn't really the best at that sort of thing.
"You know imma win, so why try?" Santana smirked as she put the magazine down and scooted over allowing Jocelyn to share the couch.
They hadn't spoken about the fact that Jocelyn's dad was in the back bedroom with a hospice nurse, nor did they talk about what it meant that he had been brought home. It was one of the great understandings the two had, and one of the main reasons why they were so close. Her cousin knew and accepted the fact that Santana kept her feelings at a distance and in a way Jocelyn kept hers hidden as well. It's why they got along so well, why they always had.
"Whatever, keep talkin smack." Jocelyn smirked over the rim of her glasses, her long nails scraping each card as she dealt.
Santana rolled her eyes before using one of Jillians blankets to cover up as she grabbed her phone out of her purse. She quickly texted Brittany.
SENT: Hey:) How are you feeling? Just wanted to make sure we were still on for tomorrow at 8? I'm looking forward to it- hope you picked a good disney movie for us;)
Jocelyn had already picked up her cards and was examining them closely as she set music to play off her laptop. Some heavy rap song began booming out of her tiny inadequate speakers and it made Santana chuckle.
"Way to announce to the neighbors that we are in fact in Lima Heights just in case they forgot"
Jocelyn didn't make a snippy comment back but instead stuck her lips out in a classic duck face and crossed her arms roughly across her chest. Santana let out a loud laugh and soon both girls were in a fit of giggles. Santana wiped the rim of her eye which was damp from laughing as she grabbed her phone to check for messages. Her inbox was empty.
Throughout the duration of the game, Santana must have checked her phone 20 times to see if the blonde had responded, only to be let down with no notifications each time. She started to feel a knot forming in her stomach as her mind wandered into various possibilities as to why. She was just entertaining the idea of Brittany collapsed in the middle of the kitchen floor when Jocelyn broke her thoughts.
"Damn, never thought I'd see the day my cuz would be so obsessed with someone she checked her phone like a valley girl." She smirked before placing two cards down and drawing another from the deck.
Santana felt a blush start to creep its way onto her cheeks and her fingers trembled slightly- her cards shaking a little. She took a split second to gather herself before she took her phone and tossed it behind her on the couch rolling her eyes. "Just because people actually want to talk to me, doesn't mean I'm obsessed with them, whore." She had a sly smirk spread across her face but inside her heart was hammering and she felt heat radiating from her chest. Jocelyn seemed unphased by her insult, rolling her eyes. "Prick."
Santana was about to retaliate when her aunt made her way into the room causing Jocelyn to immediately lower the volume on her computer.
"Your papi is asking for you," her voice was slightly hoarse and Santana tilted her head wondering if she had been crying. In a second, her cousin had hopped up from the couch and was disappearing through the doorway. Her aunt waited against the doorframe and Santana could hear the click of the bedroom door shutting before she made any attempt to move.
"Tia Sylvia..." she started to speak but was silenced when her aunt leaned down and kissed the top of her head causing Santana's eyes to close in sadness. The woman left her lips pressed into the girl's scalp for what seemed like minutes but Santana estimated it was probably less than 30 seconds in reality. Her aunt didn't say anything when she straightened up, she only made her way to the kitchen and started wiping down the counters.
Santana felt her eyes start to sting alerting her that her emotions were front and center. She leaned her head back, hoping they would just soak back into wherever they came from. Hoping to distract herself she grabbed her phone and a smile formed on her face when she saw a name blinking with 2 new messages.
INBOX BRITT: Hi to you:) I'm feeling better!
INBOX BRITT: Oh! and I'm excited too, I didn't even get to say goodbye last time! Promise I won't be lame tomorrow;)
Santana felt her cheeks flush again as she re read her messages, feeling a slight ache in her chest. Jocelyn was way off when she thought Santana was obsessed with someone, she just was really eager to hear from the girl about their plans tomorrow. At least this is what she told herself repeatedly in her head. The latina quickly gathered the cards that were spread across the couch and prepared the TV for a movie. Even though she felt extremely tired from a day at school and three cheerio practices along with a glee booty camp, Santana felt no urge to go home. She knew Jocelyn wouldn't be sleeping much tonite and she wasn't about to leave her in the deafening silence alone.
Santana couldn't explain the feelings that were coursing through her veins at 100 miles an hour even if her life depended on it. In a way it felt like she had a type of carbonated liquid that sloshed just beneath her skin and the latina wondered if tiny bubbles would be present if she closely inspected herself. The tingling sensation was definitely a new feeling for Santana, a feeling that excited her but also nearly scared her into not arriving on the porch she currently stood on.
She closed her eyes and felt herself sway a little with a loss of balance. She hated to admit that she had taken time to prepare for tonite instead of coming straight from Jocelyn's in her sweats. She had chosen a pair of faded skinny jeans with a flowing tank top, she didn't want to seem too over dressed or worse like she was trying to impress someone. Even though her hands were slightly jittery, she reached up and rang the doorbell before immediately returning her hand by her side.
Brittany had been curled up on the couch, nibbling on her thumb nail when the doorbell rang throughout her house. The whimsical noise causing her heart to leap and nearly skip a beat as she threw back the covers and stood up slowly, determined to answer the door herself. "Sit down, I have it." Her mother's voice could be heard from the kitchen and judging by the sound of footsteps she was closer to the door than the blonde. "Mom, I need to get up anyway. Just let me be normal and answer the door." Her eyes were a dull blue as she silently pleaded with her mother, giving her intense side glances.
The blonde wasn't sure if it was the fact that she was standing or if it was the anticipation of opening the door but regardless her head seemed to float above her body. Her entire body seemed to be cold, even a shiver ran up the length of her spine before dispersing at the base of her neck. She suddenly was very aware of the wood floor beneath her feet causing her toes to clench together from the icy cold. It wasn't very clear how it happened, but somehow the blonde had made it to the door. Her breathing became a little irregular as she noticed the shadow shifting positions through the frosted glass.
"Hey!" The blonde had barely opened the door before her mouth had already started conversation, probably out of nervousness.
"Hi Britt, I didn't expect you answering the door." Santana's eyes were wide as she took in the girl that stood before her. All the way from her socked feet to the loose strands of shiny hair that fell from her pony tail. Brittany moved aside as she watched Santana glide inside and make her way into the living room.
"So did you pick out a disney movie for us," Santana turned slightly on her foot to glance over her shoulder at the slowly moving blonde. "Do you need help?"
The blonde shook her head as she shuffled slowly back to her spot on the couch. Santana couldn't help but notice every movement and the way the girl's body seemed stronger than it had day's before. Brittany leaned to pile her blankets on one side of the couch, her tank top hiking up a little, exposing her lower back. Santana's eyes fell immediately from the pile of pillows to the pale skin that had suddenly been revealed as she felt a blush start to prickle at her cheeks. She forced her eyes away trying to focus on the hands that fidgeted in her own lap. Even though she was constantly telling herself not to look up, she did anyway. Her eyes seemed to be taking in every inch of exposed skin while her brain was making a mental note of where each freckle lived. Santana chewed on her lower lip subconsciously as she glanced up into the face of the blonde, blue orbs staring straight into her own.
"What?" Brittany questioned as she furrowed her brow slightly, a smirk pulling at the corner of her lips.
Santana felt her entire face flush. She had just been caught staring. The girl in front of her would definitely think she was weird now, if not a little creepy. She brought her hand up, brushing her hair with her fingers roughly before making eye contact with the girl again. Her eyes were brighter than when she first arrived, and their intensity caught the latina off guard. "I...uhm, I was just thinking about my performance in glee club. Guess I spaced out." She kicked herself inside for such a dumb response. Glee was the furthest thing from her mind and she definitely didn't feel like talking about anything associated with it.
"Oh!" Brittany had a grin sloppily placed on her face as she continued, "wait, what do you do in glee club?"
"Don't they have one at your school?" The latina was beyond curious as to how the blonde could have been kept in the dark for so long.
Brittany was quiet for a long moment before she finally gave a shy smile towards the brunette. "I've been homeschooled since I got sick, so I don't really know if my mom has a glee club or not. If she does she hasn't told me how to participate."
Santana let out a small chuckle as she maintained eye contact with Brittany, wondering if she was going to continue. It all made sense when Santana began putting the pieces together in her head; the day she asked about going to school and all her confusion regarding glee club. The latina was annoyed at herself for not figuring it out sooner. Homeschooling made complete sense, not that everything with Brittany had to make sense. In fact, a lot of things surrounding the blonde were completely mind boggling.
"That's pretty dope, I would love chillin' at home all day." Santana realized she was still staring into bright pools that she could tell were sparkling, even from far away.
"It sounds better than it actually is. Sure I can study when I want and stay in my pajamas on the couch, but that can get old after a while. At some point you lose sight of what it means to get ready for the day and what it's like to talk to people your own age." Brittany finally broke eye contact as she messed with the rim of her shirt, her heart rate finally seeming to level out.
"And as far as I know, there aren't any clubs like in regular schools. Or sports, I've always wanted to do soccer." Brittany paused again, glancing up and making eye contact with the brunette again, "or cheerleading, like you."
Santana felt a slight tingle in her throat when her eyes were glued again to icy ocean orbs. "Well, my favorite is glee club. But if you ever repeat that to anyone and I mean anyone, including your mother or that cat I saw walking around the other day, I'll release Snix and deny it."
"Oh! You saw Lord Tubbington! But...he can totally keep a secret. He still hasn't told my mom I broke her favor..." she paused before glancing around the room suspiciously "He's just good at keeping secrets."
"Is he now? I'll have to remember that." Santana smiled as she saw the blonde's face continue to glow with the topic of conversation directed towards her overly chubby cat.
"So what is glee club like?" Brittany tried to get her smile under control but for some reason the more she stared at the brunette the wider it got. She even thought about spiders and the dark but nothing seemed to tear the smile away.
"We basically just sing and dance. Our crew recently won Regionals so we all have been preparing to compete in Nationals. Other schools have similar clubs and we get judged on who is better." Santana finished her sentence with a nod, pretty proud of her concise explanation.
"Wow, what was your performance on that has you so lost in thought?"
Santana rolled her eyes and sighed deeply remembering the anxiety she felt before she took the stage. It was quickly replaced by tiny prickles in her throat as she remembered the night before and the way the blonde's hand fit perfectly in her own. Her breathing quickened immediately and she swallowed trying to hide it. "It was dumb. The topic was fear so I chose this song and did maximum singing with minimal dancing since it was more of an emotional solo."
"What song did you sing? Was it that song from Tarzan when the mamma gorilla is holding the baby, that makes me emotional every time." Brittany had her eyebrows arched and the brunette couldn't help but notice how cute she looked.
"No, a song I had never heard of until..." Santana glanced down before deciding whether or not to share when she found the song. She returned her gaze to meet the blondes before continuing, "I found it the night I left you earlier this week."
"Can you sing it for me?" Brittany was nearly kneeling on the couch as if she was going to start begging the latina to perform.
Santana immediately felt her cheeks flush, "I can't."
"Please!" Brittany did her best to contort her face into a sad puppy. She jutted out her lips and made her eyes as wide as possible. She even let her lip quiver slightly. Santana felt her heart throb at the sight of Brittany pouting; she wasn't positive but she was pretty sure she would do whatever it took to get the look off the girls face.
"Britt, you'll hear me sing eventually." She paused noticing the girl's face becoming a more serious pout as if she were genuinely sad this time. "But I can offer you a front row seat to hear the song on YouTube."
Brittany sighed before picking up her laptop from the ground beside her, she huffed overly loud on purpose. "Fine, come show me."
Santana felt her entire body tense and suddenly she felt frozen and unable to move. She could tell Brittany was busy navigating her computer as her eyes scanned the screen in front of her. She cleared her throat loudly before standing up and making her way over to the opposite loveseat. Brittany had left her a small amount of room to sit, nearly guaranteeing the fact that their bodies would meet in the middle.
Brittany looked up at her and it caused Santana's breathing to momentarily get caught in her chest. Her eyes were far more captivating up close and despite looking so bright she actually noticed that it seemed to have dark blue splashed with light around her pupil. "Sit and show me," the blonde's voice nearly made the latina jump as she eased herself down slightly. She exhaled slowly as she felt the blonde's skin brush against her own leaving a trail of electricity. She nearly gasped but caught herself. Brittany looked at the brunette feeling her tense up, her own arm seemed to burn at their contact. She was nearly positive Santana would be able to hear her heart beating, if not feel it.
Brittany moved slightly to type in the web address causing her arm to lose contact with the girl next to her. She immediately noticed the cold air that took its place as she tapped her finger on the keyboard waiting for the page to load. Santana didn't know why but instead of wishing for the page to load she was wishing for the girl to lean back on the couch so their arms could touch again. It sent such an amazing rush throughout her body that she never wanted it to stop.
Brittany let out a loud huff as she fiddled with the wireless settings, her fingers moving across the mousepad quickly. "The internet seems to be down," Brittany said with another pout before minimizing the window. "But I totally have a great idea, you'll love it."
"Webcam time! Come on, pose!" Brittany moved quickly to put her hands under her chin before the flash went off and her picture was on the screen. "San, you didn't even pose," she pouted.
Santana sat up and moved over, positioning herself so she was in the screenshot properly. She was suddenly grateful that she had chosen to go home and shower before meeting up with the blonde. Brittany felt her body cover with chills as the brunette brushed her arm against her side. She also noticed how incredible Santana smelt as a rush of an intense floral fruit smell overtook her nose. It nearly made her light headed but she tried to focus on the computer as she pressed the button and posed again.
"Brittany your eyes are totally closed!" Santana laughed.
Brittany couldn't stop laughing at her picture, she nearly had tears running down her face. "Fine, another one." This time she took her hand and made a claw like shape, hiding it behind the latina and waiting until the camera began to count down before she brought it out at the last second. She nearly lost it when the picture appeared on the screen and Santana's jaw dropped. It looked like someone was about to attack the brunette as she made a scared face. It was perfect timing.
Brittany felt a tiny nudge in her side as the latina jabbed with her elbow, "Oh my god, that's not fair, way to ruin my picture."
"Whatever, next," Brittany was still trying to hide her giggles when she made a peace sign and jutted her lips out, squinting her eyes. Santana did the same.
"That's totally my favorite," Santana moved her hand to point accidentally brushing the blonde's hand with the tips of her fingers.
Brittany quickly glanced down before nodding her head in agreement. "Definitely. Let's do a series, like in a real photo booth. Everything happens so quick, I bet it will be hilarious."
Santana nodded and moved herself to be in the shot as the blonde leaned back and brought the camera closer to their faces. "Total face shot," the blonde giggled before turning to look at Santana, their noses only a couple inches apart. Brittany could feel the warm breath of the latina as she exhaled, covering her skin like silk. She saw the girl's cheeks start to rise in a smile as she felt her own do the same before turning suddenly back at the screen. Santana breathed out quickly as her entire body tried to release the heat that seemed to be held captive by her skin.
"GO." Brittany nearly shouted as she pressed the button and the countdown began.
First it was a funny face, then a sad face, followed by a scared one before it was a few milliseconds til the last shot and the latina shouted out "Kissy face!" Without thinking Brittany turned and placed a peck on the dimple in Santana's cheek, holding it there with her eyes closed until the flash illuminated, concluding the series.
Brittany pulled away slowly, noticing how tense the latina felt against her before she turned her attention to the computer. Santana was 100 percent positive that her heart wasn't beating at all, either that or it was doing it so fast it sounded like a hummingbird, only a slight hum. She could feel the heat radiating from her cheeks and with a side glance she could tell the blonde wore a similar shade. A million thoughts were racing through her head, yet her body was struggling to figure out what to feel or how to respond.
"They turned out great," Santana couldn't help but notice the way the blonde's voice seemed to shake as she clicked through the pictures.
"I uh.." Santana tried to speak but her tongue felt dry within her mouth. Her head was heavy with thought or maybe emotion, she wasn't sure. She felt the need to gasp for breath but she couldn't seem to get enough air to do so. The intense heat that seemed to radiate from her chest to her toes was getting unbearable and the more she felt the blonde move next to her, the worse it got.
"I forgot that I told my mom I would help her with some stuff for my uncle." Santana suddenly blurted out. She got up quickly before turning on her heels to look back at the blonde. She looked confused and there was a hint of something else but Santana felt too boggled down to figure it out.
"Oh..." Brittany didn't know what else to say, she felt like her heart went from racing to plummeting down an elevator shaft.
"I'll text you once I'm home, I'm sorry, I just completely forgot." Santana wasn't lying about being sorry, she just knew she felt out of control and she needed to get into familiar territory. She wanted to stay with the blonde but at the same time she was scared to.
"Okay, be careful driving. I'll see you soon?" Brittany covered herself up with the blankets on the couch while she kept eye contact with the brunette.
"Of course. I had a great time, I'm just...I'm sorry." Without saying anything else, Santana turned to leave, a little quicker than she had originally intended.
Brittany moved from the couch when she heard the front door close, slowly making her way to the window in the living room. Her entire body seemed to have the strength of an egg noodle and she was wasn't sure it was because she was sick this time. Carefully pulling the curtain back she watched as the thin latina hopped the steps and climbed inside her black sports car. The girl almost disappeared in the darkness, her hair completely out of sight. As she squinted she could make out the shape of her back and her forehead pressed against the steering wheel. She sat like that for over 5 minutes without moving and it almost made Brittany wonder if she was okay. Then without much warning, Brittany watched as the car came to life and the girl she had just had one of the best moments of her life with, sped out of her driveway.
(A/N) This was one of my favorite chapters to write so far! Hope you guys like it! Also here is the link for the song Santana sang at the beginning in case you are curious:) /watch?v=-f11ZV7I7n4
Tumblr: newvida . tumblr . com
