Hey guys, so sorry I haven't updated in ages, GCSE's are insane, I have two grade eight piano pieces to learn within a month and a drama exam on wednesday (AHHH! D':) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little chapter, reviews would make me unimaginably happy, as I'm sure I've told you before :p

"Baby." Santana announces her arrival by shouting for Brittany just like she does every day as soon as she gets home from work. "We're going out."

"Going out where?" Brittany surprises her by sneaking up behind the brunette and winding her arms around her waist. "Are we going to the park to see the ducks again?"

"Better than that." Brittany frowns in confusion.

"Nothing's better than ducks San, you know that."

"Alright, well more expensive than the park then." Santana smiles, turning around to kiss Brittany. "How are you beautiful?"

"Excited now that I know we're going somewhere fancy." Brittany teases, running her hands up and down Santana's cold arms. "Why didn't you wear a coat, we're in England remember?"

"I didn't say it was fancy, just that it was more fancy than the park. And I'm a Latina, we run hot" Santana shrugs, although she did feel the chill a bit today. Brittany just rolls her eyes at her girlfriends typical stubbornness to refuse to submit to the weather and kisses her again.

"How was work?"

"Insane, stressful and awesome." Santana smiles, her face lighting up even though she's pretty exhausted after a long day. "We finally got that deal pushed through." Brittany smiles excitedly and claps her hands; Santana and her team have been working on major negotiations and it's been almost non-stop for what feels like weeks.

"Is that why we're going out? To celebrate?"

"Partly." Santana shrugs. "But mostly because I love you and you've been amazing throughout this whole thing. I know I've not been home as much as we'd both have liked and I haven't had a chance to give you all the attention you deserve, so this is to say thank you." Brittany feels her whole face break into a grin at how sweet and considerate her girlfriend is.

"You're the best San." She gushes. "I love you forever and a day." Santana smiles against the kiss that Brittany plants on her lips before giving her a light smack on the butt.
"Now go get ready baby, we have reservations."

"How long do I have?"

"About an hour?" Brittany's jaw drops and her eyes widen.
"An hour? Santana, if we're going out for dinner to a nice place I'm going to need more than an hour to get ready." Santana knew that, and she also knows that if given a target of one hour, Brittany will take at least two to get ready, which is why she's given three for leeway.

"Just be ready as soon as you can."

"Britt!" Santana the time on her phone for the hundredth time. "They'll hold our table, but it would be nice if we could get there tonight instead of next week."

"I'm ready." Brittany shouts back, and glides out of their bedroom a few minutes later. Santana loses her breath for a second and she thinks her heart might have skipped a beat. "Do I look okay?"

"Britt you..." All Santana can do is stand there and gape. "I don't think there are enough words in the English language to describe how amazing you look." She doesn't recognise the black dress that Brittany's wearing, which means the blonde must have gone on another shopping spree recently, but she doesn't even care. It's perfect.

"Come on you fluff ball." Brittany laughs, grabbing Santana's hand and pulling her out the door. "You'll make us late if you just keep standing there and staring." She teases, and Santana rolls her eyes.

"You're unbelievable." She tells her. They leave the building and get into the car, Santana sitting in the drivers seat.

"So where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." Santana tells her, for the tenth time this evening. "Just relax and enjoy the ride." The rest of the journey is spent with Brittany guessing different restaurants around the city and Santana refusing to tell her whether she's right or not.

"Are we going to Lunya?"

"Lunya?" Santana repeats, shock written all over her face. "Do you think we would get this dressed up just to go to Lunya?"

"Please tell me San. Plleeaassee." Brittany looks at her with puppy dog eyes and Santana can't resist telling her anymore.

"Panoramic 34."

"Seriously? The skyscraper restaurant? San, you're the best girlfriend in the world ever." Santana just smiles to herself as the blonde leans over the gearbox to kiss her on the cheek, knowing that if Brittany's impressed by that then she's going to love what's coming later.

"You didn't." Brittany takes a few seconds to process exactly what's happening and then flings her arms around her girlfriend. "Oh my God San, you didn't." Her voice is every bit as astounded and joyful as Santana had hoped, and she can't keep the grin off her face.

"Only the best for my baby." Santana whispers into Brittany's hair.

"The whole floor?" Brittany immediately rushes to the enormous glass windows that surround the top level of the skyscraper, looking out over the amazing view of the lit-up city. "You can see all of Liverpool. San, how did you rent out the whole floor?"

"I know people." Santana answers cryptically, going behind Brittany and winding her arms around her waist. She kisses the back of her neck softly as they gaze out over the beautiful city they've come to love over the past couple of months that they have lived there.

"Trust you to make connections so quickly." Brittany laughs, leaning back into the brunette's kisses. "Drinks?"

"Definitely."

"Stop looking at me like that." Santana can't help finding it adorable that Brittany still blushes when she knows Santana's watching her, even after all these years.

"I can't help it." She confesses, taking Brittany's hand across the table and kissing it tenderly. "You're perfect. Totally perfect in every way imaginable."

"You're the perfect one." Santana shakes her head in disagreement with Brittany's statement. "Come on Santana, you rented out the whole top floor of the panoramic. This is the most romantic thing anyone's ever done for me." An impish smile plays across her face. "And I know I'm not supposed to ask, but how much did it cost?"

"I'm not telling you." Santana responds instantly, just like Brittany knew she would.

"That means it was expensive." Brittany teases. "Seriously San, how did you afford this?" Santana sets down her fork carefully, pausing to make sure Brittany's listening.

"Britt, I know we both like to keep things simple, and money isn't that big a deal to us, but this job is bigger than you think, bigger than even I thought it was going to be. I'm bringing in some serious cash."

"How serious?" Brittany wonders.

"Very serious. And I don't want this to change anything about our relationship, because you know it's the simple things that I love like going to the park to feed the ducks or watching old movies on Sundays. But now I've got all this money kicking around, I want to treat you like the princess you are every now and then." Brittany can't resist leaning over the table to press her lips against Santana's, not needing words to tell her girlfriend how she feels.

"And this is to say thank you." The Latina continues, after they part. "Because I''m getting closer and closer to the top, but I remember when I started out from the bottom and we hardly had two pennies to rub together. I remember when the fanciest place I could take you to dinner was Subway, and how much that killed me. And I remember you being the only person who believed in me all that time, even though you were working two jobs and we were living in a tiny studio apartment."

"Because I always knew you'd get there in the end babe." Brittany assures her. "And even if you didn't, it wouldn't have mattered."

"Which is why you're so amazing. With you, I never have to worry that it's about the money or anything like that. You love me for me, and I love you for you. I couldn't have done it without you Britt, you're amazing." Brittany stares back at her girlfriend and wonders how she doesn't notice that she's the amazing one.

"Twenty-two years." Brittany muses, astonished at just how long they've known each other. "Twenty-two years and I wouldn't change a single second."

"Not even the Valentine's day dinner in KFC?" Santana teases, recalling the funny occasion, which she found very unfunny at the time.

"We had the best table it the house."

"What about our anniversary when I couldn't afford to buy you anything?"

"Trust me, you made up for it." Brittany laughs, with a suggestive smile, interlocking her fingers with Santana's. "And San, even if things go wrong and we end up back in KFC next Valentine's day, I won't even care."

"I love you so much." Santana smiles, not afraid to say and mean it.

"I love you more." The rest of the dinner passes as perfectly as Santana had hoped, and at one point, she almost thinks about springing her surprise on Brittany straight away.

No, she tells herself, despite her hand itching to go into her bag, the right time is worth waiting for.

She hopes it will be at least.

"Ready to go?" She asks, when they're finally both prepared to leave.

"I'm just going to the toilet." Brittany goes off and Santana reaches into her handbag, taking out the little black box with as much care as she can manage.

"Thanks for tonight Whitby." She says to the waiter standing dutifully by her side. She grew fond of Whitby when she was at a business lunch here some months back, and he was the one who helped her get an in with renting out the top floor.

"My pleasure Miss Lopez." Santana opens the case and stares at the shining jewel, feeling her breath catch at the thought of giving it to Brittany.

"Do you think this is good enough Whitby?"

"It's perfect Miss Lopez, I think Miss Pierce will be delighted with it."

"I hope so." Santana runs a hand through her hair, her nerves eating her alive.

"If I may be so bold Miss Lopez, I would advise you to relax, I'm convinced that Miss Pierce is going to say yes."

"So am I." Santana openly admits, they have discussed it before after all. "I just really don't want to mess this up."

"You can't mess up true love Miss Lopez." Santana laughs, amused that she's receiving love advice from the much older man.

"Are you married Whitby?"

"No Miss Lopez, I am not."

"Would you propose to a girl with this ring?" He chuckles quietly and readjusts the towel draped over his forearm.

"I doubt I could afford such a splendid ring as that, but hypothetically, I would be more than honoured to." Santana shuts the case and puts it back in her hand bag as Brittany returns.

"San, we have to come back here sometime, they have the fancy hand dryers that blow air at super speed and dry your hands in like, two seconds." Santana laughs and promises her that they'll be back soon.

"I hope you both enjoy your evening." Whitby comments, with a twinkle in his eye as the pair leave and bid him goodnight. As Santana passes him he lowers his calm voice and offers some advice,

"Good luck."