A/N:
Omfg! This was SO hard. I rewrote this chapter like five times and had as many different endings before my brain finally settled on this. It was so fun writing this story (except for the getting bored in the middle of writing it part!) and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as well!
P. S. There might or might not be an epilogue in the works ;)
P. P. S. TO THE AWESOME REVIEWER WITH THE LONGEST REVIEW I HAVE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE OF READING. THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN EXTENDED JUST FOR YOU, H. The ending was supposed to allude to Brittany giving Santana the chance Santana was asking for. Telling her with a kiss that she might not feel the exact way Santana does but she can see herself getting there. And, lets not forget, Brittany did have feelings for her secret admirer before it was revealed to be Santana. She was also starting to have feelings for Santana that confused her. Hope you guys enjoy this mini extension. =D
The confession had completely blindsided Brittany. It didn't matter that she knew Santana was her Secret Admirer and said Secret Admirer was quite obviously in love with her. And what difference did it make that Santana had openly admitted to having strong feelings for Brittany mere days before practically confessing her undying love in front of nearly the entire student body of McKinley High. In that very moment, when Santana had been standing in front of her waiting patiently for some kind of acknowledgement, Brittany had been at a complete loss. Santana Lopez was in love with her and the concept simply did not compute for Brittany. So she did the only thing she could think to do. She responded to Santana's anxious, hopeful, heartfelt confession with a bewildered 'thank you'.
Brittany cringed at the memory of her response. It'd sounded more like a question than a statement and she could vividly recall the look of complete and utter horror that'd stomped its way across Santana's features. She could remember the way the brunette's eyes had watered and the soft tremble at her bottom lip. In that moment Brittany had wanted to suck the words back into her mouth. The dread swirling in the pit of her stomach only worsened as she remembered the way Santana's brown eyes shifted in terror toward the scatter of onlookers that'd formed around them. She would do anything to go back in time and prevent the look of pure humiliation and rejection from seeping into those dark eyes. As it was, Brittany had let Santana walk (more like run) away from her.
To say she was confused about her feelings for Santana was an understatement. Santana was in love with her and Brittany didn't know how to feel about that. She had already reached the conclusion that she was physically attracted to the brunette and had been coming to terms with the idea of maybe liking Santana in a more than friendly way and then Santana went and confessed to being in love with her and Brittany didn't know if her feelings for Santana could ever be that serious. Not with Santana's deception still fresh in her mind.
There was a part of Brittany which argued that despite the deception, Santana was in actuality her Secret Admirer and she did vow to give that mystery girl a chance once she discovered her identity. Yes, despite Santana lying about her Secret Admirer scheme the brunette was still the person behind the romantic gestures that literally made Brittany's day. Still the author that penned those letters, the ones that had an impenetrable smile gracing Brittany's face for days on end. Santana was the mystery admirer that made her anticipate the day they would finally come face to face. And why didn't Santana deserve a second chance? Ok, yeah, the girl majorly deceived and misled her and she was still kinda messed up over it but… Then there was the way Santana had acted when giving her that single stemmed rose and telling her the one thing that changed everything. The way her dark eyes grounded themselves to Brittany's. The way that tentative and oh so very nervous smile settled upon those full lips. The slight tremble in her hands as she handed the rose over to Brittany. Her tanned cheeks flushing pink and brown eyes shifting bashfully to her shoes when Brittany, in mild shock, accepted the gift. It was the very vivid recollection of the way her heart had thudded so wildly beneath her chest that had Brittany considering she might be falling a little bit in love with Santana Lopez.
Which was why Brittany found herself practically boring holes into the side of Santana's head with her staring. The blonde could care less about the droning lecture their teacher was giving or the curious stares she was receiving from a few of her squad members. A full week had passed since Santana's sudden confession. A week filled with the brunette giving her small trinkets of affection and Brittany continuously being at a loss for words. She fiddled with the little box on her desk containing Santana's 'not so secret admirer' gift of the day. It was a beautiful charm that paired wonderfully with the charm bracelet she was wearing, the first gift Santana had given her as her Secret Admirer.
The moment Brittany had walked into their shared third period History class Santana had been waiting by Brittany's desk, a soft smile curving her full lips and the little box in her hand. Despite the fact that the action had been a regular occurrence for the past week Brittany had paused in the entryway. Shock evident across her face and her heart hammering in a way she wasn't all too comfortable with. She would probably still be standing there like a fool with her mouth agape and her cheeks flushed if Quinn hadn't nudged her forward. For the seventh consecutive time since Santana's confession, the brunette handed her the gift and proclaimed (for anyone within hearing range) that the gift was from Brittany's 'not so secret admirer'. And with every gift, with every new day, Santana's confidence seemed to grow. Her smiles grew wider, her eyes brighter, and her nervousness less palatable while Brittany's anger dimmed, her confusion lessening, and her perception of Santana Lopez altering.
Santana turned to look in her direction, interrupting Brittany's studious contemplation and blatant staring. Sending the blonde's heart hammering and blood rushing and cheeks flushing. Leading Brittany to question the sudden pounding in her ribcage, to question the reason why (exactly) she was unable to tear her gaze away from Santana's. She was paralyzed, rendered immovable by those dark eyes and that hint of a smirk and god… how had she not noticed it before? How had she not realized how freaking beautiful Santana was?
They simply stared at one another for what felt like forever and Brittany realized that she wouldn't mind spending forever staring into Santana's eyes because she felt like she was falling, melting, drowning, floating in those dark depths. Then the brunette's smile was fading, her dark brows furrowing, and nervousness polluting her features. Brittany barely heard the ring of the bell signaling the end of the period. Barely heard Quinn's question over the adrenaline pumping through her veins. Barely felt herself brushing pass other students to get to Santana. Nothing made sense until she was standing right in front of Santana. Until she felt herself speaking.
"Yes."
Santana merely blinked up at her for all of twenty seconds, the rusted wheels in her head turning and her eyebrows furrowing cutely in confusion. "Yes?"
Brittany hadn't meant to say that. Well, not that exactly. Her heart was racing and her stomach was churning and her thoughts were positively rushing and she just blurted out the first thing that'd made sense. She ignored the random internal mini freak out she was having and barreled on, her stoic features giving nothing away. "Yes."
"I, um…" Santana searched Brittany's icy blue gaze for some kind of explanation, for the barest of hints regarding what in the world her crush was trying to tell her. "Didn't ask a question?"
"Oh." Brittany searched for a way to get her point across… whatever it might be. "Right." Her brain to mouth filter seemed to be undergoing major construction. "I'll pick you up Saturday night at eight."
When Santana only gaped up at her, apparently just as confused about the statement as Brittany felt, the blonde spun away. Striding quickly pass a befuddled Quinn Fabray and out the door.
Santana was having a hard time wrapping her head around what had happened. Her dark gaze flickered toward Quinn, finding only mirrored confusion in the cheerleader's eyes. "Did she just… ask me out on a date?"
Quinn spared an arched brow at the brunette. "I don't think she was asking."
Santana flopped onto her bed with a loud groan of exasperation. She was screwed. Epically screwed. Her dark gaze shifted about the room, taking in the various articles of clothing strewn about the large space. She'd spent the better part of the last three hours looking for the perfect thing to wear. The result of her frantic search leaving her with her room looking like her entire closet barfed all over the place. She had no idea what to fucking wear or where Brittany was even taking her or if the whole thing was some messed up form of revenge because why the hell was Brittany randomly taking her out on a date. A date! She was going on a freaking date with Brittany Pierce!
The thought of it had her reaching for her cell phone for about the hundredth time since she awoke from her fitful sleep. She scrolled through her contacts, thumb hovering over Kurt's name. There was no doubt that she was still majorly pissed off about the role each of her so called friends played in her falling out with Brittany but she was seriously freaking out and in dire need of Kurt's expertise. Santana spared another glance about the room and, with a sigh of resignation, hit the call button.
Less than fifteen minutes later Kurt Hummel was standing in the middle of Santana's bedroom giving her a look that had the dark haired woman scowling. "I never thought I'd live to see the day Santana Lopez had it this bad for a girl."
"Keep talking and you won't live to see tomorrow!"
"Have I told you how much I love it when you threaten my life?"
"Kurt!" Santana steadied herself, willing her nerves to calm and her anger to subside. "I'm freaking the fuck out here."
"I can see that."
"Seriously." Santana buried her face in her hands and tangled her fingers in her hair. She was on the verge of a mental fucking break down at the moment and Kurt was teasing her like it wasn't the big fucking deal that it was. Brittany was going to pick her up in an hour and she wasn't even close to being presentable. Brittany Pierce, the love of her teenage life, her secret crush of almost twelve years, was taking her out on a date and Kurt was just standing there. Smirking his stupid 'you're so cute and ridiculous at the same time' smirk and looking at her like she was some sort of puppy that he couldn't decide whether to chastise or cuddle. Santana tore her gaze away from the smirking boy, gritting her teeth as she forced the bitter tasting words from her lips. "I need your help."
"There, there." Kurt couldn't hide his amused little titter as he patted the brunette's head. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"
Before Santana could protest, could threaten him in the loudest rudest most vicious way possible, he trotted away. Examining the many articles of clothing he had to work with. If there was one thing he absolutely loved about Santana Lopez it was the absurd amount of designer clothing she owned. In the minute it took Santana to shake herself from her brooding and glare at him for mocking her, her petty insults readied at the tip of her tongue, Kurt had assembled a marvelous outfit. "This should do."
Santana gaped at the fabric in Kurt's hands; her brown eyes wide and incredulous, mouth hanging open in slight shock, and eyebrows drawn. How was it that he was able to pick out the perfect outfit in less than five minutes and she couldn't even figure out where to begin? A slow curl of a smile fought its way across her face and (in one of the most uncharacteristic gestures) Santana pulled Kurt into her arms and squeezed. It was the most terrifying hug of Kurt's life.
Once released, Kurt stood still and stupefied in pure shock. He wasn't sure whether to applaud Santana's obvious progress at being an actual human being or thank whatever higher power there was for the fact that he was still alive. As he watched her skip (literally) toward her en suite bathroom to change, his shock only intensified. However, the moment Santana emerged from the bathroom looking like a model out of a catalogue Kurt snapped right out of his stupor. Giving himself a smug pat on the back for his fashion genius. "There's no way Brittany is going to stop herself from falling head over heels for you once she sees you in that."
The sound of Brittany's name had Santana's wide smile falling into a frown. Her previous misgivings about the entire thing being some kind of trick came back full force. "You think she's really going to show up, right? This date isn't payback for what I did?"
Kurt made his way toward her, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders and giving her a soft smile. "Even if it is retaliation for your scheming and I'm not saying that it is because lets be real here, we both know Brittany doesn't have a malicious bone in her body, why not grasp the opportunity? Why throw away a chance to show her what she's missing?"
Brittany was nervous. Like, more nervous than that time LT found her chocolate drawer and ate her entire secret stash and she had to take him to the vet and holy shit balls! She didn't know if she could go through with it. She didn't even know what was going through her head when she asked Santana out on a date. Well, as Quinn couldn't resist pointing out every single chance she got, Brittany hadn't really asked Santana out on a date.
Before she even knew it Brittany found herself pulling up to the front of the Lopez Mansion. No… seriously, the place was a mansion. Her strangely steady legs led her up to the front door, a strained smile curling at the edges of her glossed lips. She could do this. She could go out on a single date with her Secret (not so secret anymore) Admirer/tormentor of nearly twelve years/girl she might have feelings for/girl who was suddenly unabashedly in love with her. Right?
Within seconds of Brittany ringing the doorbell an older woman Brittany assumed to be Santana's mother opened the door. A wide, gracious smile on her face and a kindness about her that had Brittany feeling instantly comforted. The woman spoke in a gentle voice with a heavy Spanish accent. "You must be Brittany."
"Um, yeah. That's me." A nervous giggle fell from her lips without her consent. She tried in vain to fight the soft flush creeping its way across her cheeks. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Lopez."
"Don't be so nervous, mija." The older brunette smiled gently, opening the door wider and gesturing for Brittany to come inside. "Santana is in her room, I will call her down for you."
Brittany was literally fidgeting where she stood in the entrance hall waiting for Santana to arrive. When the brunette made an appearance less than a minute later with her mother in tow, Brittany was stunned speechless. Like she seriously felt her heart skipping beats like it was suddenly defective and she was absolutely sure she was drooling even though her mouth felt crazy dry. Santana looked gorgeous. Looked like she had stepped right out of a page in a magazine and with every suddenly slow motion step she took toward Brittany, the blonde felt a strange spark of electricity crackle between them. She was so caught up in simply staring at the masterpiece that was Santana Lopez that she almost missed the exchange between Santana and her mother.
"Thank you, Rosa." Santana smiled gratefully at the older brunette. "My parents should arrive back from their trip later tonight so you don't have to stay and wait for me."
The comment had Brittany blushing in slight embarrassment because she had assumed Rosa was Santana's mother not Santana's (now obvious) housekeeper. When her blue eyes landed nervously upon said housekeeper, Rosa simply offered her a soft smile before returning her attention to Santana. "Tu novia es muy bonita."
Santana flushed an impossibly dark shade of red at the compliment. Her brown eyes going wide with surprise, shifting anxiously toward a clueless (if the crease of her brows and the adorably bewildered expression across the blonde's face was any indication) Brittany before resettling upon Rosa. Was it that obvious she was so completely in love with Brittany that even her housekeeper had picked up on it? Rosa thought Brittany was her girlfriend, her girlfriend. Santana felt both parts ecstatic and horrified at the assumption. The complete contradiction of emotions had her voice coming out in a sort of squeaked whisper sputter type thing. "Ella no es mi novia, a una amiga."
Completely unconvinced by Santana's sputtered words of denial Rosa settled the younger brunette with an almost taunting smile. A smile that patronizingly said 'uh huh, sure'. "Have fun on your date, mija."
And then Rosa was gone, leaving the two girls standing alone in the middle of the hall fighting blushes and attempting to gain the courage to look one another in the eyes. A blanket of silence settling over them. Brittany took the awkward moment to drink in the hotness that was Santana Lopez. The brunette was wearing black skinny jeans so tight they almost looked sewed on with a tight black top displaying just the right amount of wonderful cleavage and a purple cheetah print jacket. She continued to watch as Santana ran a hand through her luscious dark hair, brushing her side swooped bangs out of her face only to have them fall back into place. When her gaze drifted down to Santana's lips, painted a blaring red and practically calling for her attention, Brittany nearly lost all motor functions. She would have been positive she fainted had she not heard herself clearing her throat and attempting something akin to speech. "You look really pretty right now."
As the words filtered back to her brain for comprehension Brittany nearly blanched. Her voice gaining in volume as she continued to voice her scrambled thoughts. "Not that you aren't always pretty. You're actually gorgeous. Like, all the time."
"Thanks. You look, um," Santana couldn't help the way her dark gaze trailed along Brittany's delicious figure. It really should be illegal for the blonde to wear jeans that ridiculously tight. "…really hot." As soon as the words slipped past her lips, Santana's gaze snapped back to Brittany's face. Her tanned cheeks flushing with embarrassment and her brown eyes wide with worry. When she noticed the soft flush crawling across Brittany's chest and the half shy half amused grin at her glossed lips, the brunette cleared her throat. Using the action to find her voice again. "S-So, uh, where are we going?"
Brittany's grin only widened at Santana's nervous little stutter. She settled the other woman with a quirked brow, her grin dipping into playfulness. "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you."
Santana felt that anxiousness building once again, set somewhere between anticipation and dread. She still wasn't 100% sure of Brittany's motives. For all she knew her crush could be setting her up. For all she knew Brittany could be taking her somewhere where she could humiliate her in front of an audience of their peers. Could be planning to leave her stranded in the middle of nowhere as some kind of payback. Then there was that possibility that Brittany really did want to take her out on a date. No ulterior motives or plans for revenge. Just a simple date. Santana didn't know why that possibility scared her the most. Santana repeated Kurt's advice like a mantra in her head in attempt to subdue her anxious thoughts. Even if the night ended with Santana being reduced to a sobbing mess, Kurt was right. She needed to treat it like she would a real date with Brittany. She needed to stop standing there, thinking about all the tings that could go wrong (or right) and grasp the opportunity.
The smile spreading so beautifully across Santana's lips was completely genuine. Her insides flared with giddiness because Jesus tap dancing Christ she was going on a date with Brittany fucking Pierce. The giddiness spread from the butterflies running rampant in her stomach to the raspy inflection of her voice. Coating her words with a playfulness that was apparently contagious. "You know I hate surprises."
"Well," Brittany could literally feel the shift within Santana. One moment the brunette's faced was scrunched up in thought so adorably and then the next she was smiling a smile that had Brittany's heart thudding to some strange rhythm. Like the organ beneath her chest was attempting to implode. The feeling left her lightheaded and eager and mirroring the playful curl of Santana's deliciously full lips. Lips she was having a bit (a lot) of trouble tearing her gaze away from. Was it against the rules to kiss someone before the date even started? "You like my surprises so that makes me an exception."
"If it's you," She could feel herself taking a step closer to Brittany. Her confidence only heightening when those dazzling blue eyes shifted away from her lips to meet her gaze. Santana was certain that if the heavy quality of her words didn't speak the volumes she wished to convey, the myriad of emotions swirling in her dark eyes gave it all away. "Always."
The statement left the air feeling thick and full of tension. Brittany wasn't prepared for the meaning behind Santana's words. Wasn't prepared for how they made her heartbeat quicken or her skin tingle or her head dizzy. Brittany wasn't prepared for how much she liked the way Santana had been openly admitting her feelings. So she tore her gaze away from the brunette, the near permanent blush across her cheeks worsening, and took a tentative hold of Santana's hand. Turning abruptly and pulling the brunette along behind her in order to escape the heaviness lingering between them. "We should get going. It's kind of far."
So wrapped up in the fact that Brittany was holding her hand (holding her hand!) Santana didn't realize they were outside standing in front of what was to be their transportation until she noticed said transportation was a dirt bike. Not only a dirt bike, Brittany's racing bike. Meaning, in true Brittany fashion, the bike was bright blue and covered with various sparkly stickers. The thought had Santana chuckling softly, her brown eyes sliding away from the bike to settle fondly upon its owner. "The unicorn is a nice touch."
The comment had Brittany blushing and absentmindedly peeling at the sticker a little. She couldn't help feeling like maybe the comment was more of an insult than a compliment because she was used to Santana making fun of her about the unicorn thing. When she ran for student council last year the brunette had taken the liberty of defacing all of her campaign posters and had almost relentlessly taunted her about it.
"Britt, I…" As if feeling the sudden shift in Brittany's demeanor, the brunette immediately backtracked. Picking over every syllable of every word to figure out how in the hell she caused Brittany to frown like that. Her gaze trailed to the blonde's hand, noticing the way she was picking at the unicorn sticker and realizing where she'd gone wrong. Santana placed her hand over Brittany's, catching the blonde's gaze and offering her a soft smile. "What I meant to say was, I think it's really cute and totally your style and I like it… a lot."
"Thanks." There it was again, that implication in Santana's voice, peeking out from behind every word. And with it came that strange feeling settling beneath Brittany's chest again, reverberating through her very being so intensely that she could feel it in her bones. Despite the feeling that accompanied it, the comment cheered Brittany up. Forcing a hint of a smile to crawl across her lips. Forcing Brittany's almost jelly like limbs into motion. She handed Santana a helmet, her smile intensifying when their fingers brushed. "Hop on."
The action of swinging her leg over the bike and settling upon the seat came naturally to Santana. What she didn't factor into the equation was where she would be placing her hands once she was on top of the bike. Where would she be placing her hands? Well, on Brittany of course. Her hands would be on Brittany's body. The thought of it was enough to make Santana go brain dead for all of five minutes. Her dark brown eyes unfocused and glossy, a wicked hint of a smirk curling at one corner of her full lips, cheeks burning bright red, teeth biting gently at her bottom lip, and arms slack at her sides. She was pretty much a zombie. A dirty daydreaming, horny little zombie.
"You should, um, probably hold on." Brittany wasn't sure why Santana had been sitting unmoving on the back of her bike for the past few minutes. She threw the brunette a curious glance over her shoulder to try to figure out what was going on but couldn't see Santana's expression past the dark visor of her helmet. "Santana?"
The girl in question, spurred on by the visions running rampant in her mind and the dangerously close proximity of her crush, let loose a notably husky chuckle. Her hands finding the rough fabric of Brittany's dark jeans, sliding from the tops of deliciously toned thighs, up along the curve of the blonde's hips, beneath her fitted leather jacket, and landing splayed across the taunt muscles of her stomach. Santana delighted in the way those muscles jumped and jolted against her touch. Delighted in Brittany's sharp intake of breath as she settled even closer against her. Santana especially enjoyed the delectable shiver she could feel tear its way through Brittany when she settled her chin upon the blonde's shoulder. Her voice sounding from somewhere in the pit of her stomach and far too alluring for either of them to handle. "I always thought you looked hot on a bike."
Brittany felt like she was being set on fire from the outside in. Santana's touch was burning her skin through the flimsy fabric of her shirt and that velvety raspy voice of hers just did things to Brittany. Things like make it difficult for her to breathe properly. Difficult for her to think clearly, to formulate a single coherent thought. To shake the mirrored huskiness in her own voice as she revved the engine and called for Santana to hold on tight before speeding off toward their destination. Hoping the wind whipping against her would somehow cool the effects of Santana's presence. She didn't miss the way Santana's hold tightened or the way her own heart seemed to quicken its already thunderous beat.
Brittany eased to a stop and killed the engine, the only source of light coming from the single headlight on her bike. They sat in silence, Santana's arms still wrapped around Brittany unwilling to let go. When they silence stretched into awkwardness Brittany found her voice. Words soft and gentle with just a hint of bashfulness.
"I, um, I have to…" The blonde rose from the bike, Santana finally letting go and giving her enough room to get off. She turned to Santana with a smile the brunette could barely make out in the darkness. "I'll be right back."
Before Santana could nod her assent the blonde was turning away, jogging toward some unknown destination. She couldn't help the feeling of suspicion that crept up on her. She tried to ignore that part of her brain screaming to prepare herself. That it was the moment that Brittany was going to extract her revenge. That Brittany wasn't coming back, her only intention had been to leave Santana standing there in the middle of nowhere. Her anxious thoughts cease when the lights suddenly come on to reveal a dirt track littered with jumps of various sizes.
When Santana was able to finally pull her gaze away from the track she found Brittany sporting a racing suit and heading toward her with another dirt bike and a slightly bashful, almost goofy smile on her face. A smile that made Santana's heart jump and the corners of her lips quirk up into an adoring smile.
"I know that you aren't really dressed for this," Her blue eyes trailed distractedly up and down Santana's figure as the words tumbled from her mouth. Santana most definitely was not dressed for a race. "But I have any extra suit for you."
Noticing her date's (holy fuck her date) wandering gaze, Santana's smirk shifted into flirty territory. Her sensual chuckle catching Brittany's attention and forcing those hazy blue eyes to meet melted brown. "Are you implying you can take me on the racetrack?"
Brittany could feel her ears burning at the implication in Santana's seemingly innocent question. She was completely sidetracked by the naughty little inflection in Santana's voice when she'd said "take me" and by the time the brunette had reached "on the racetrack" Brittany's mind was already in the gutter. Thinking of more than one way she could do just that. Spurred on by Santana's flirty smile, by the coy flutter of her dark lashes and the tempting taunt of her voice, Brittany grinned back. Her entranced expression morphing into one of sexy arrogance. "I know I can take you, Santana."
The answer is so startling, so unexpected, that all Santana managed to do once the words had invaded her brain was stare at Brittany through hooded eyes. Only coming back to her senses when she felt something being placed into her hands. She looked down to find the suit Brittany had mentioned in her hands and merely stared blankly down at it. Unable to fathom what in the hell was going on past Brittany's cocky statement. The words were swirling in her head so loudly Santana barely caught Brittany's next few words.
"If you can take me as easily as you think you can," Brittany took a step closer, invading Santana's personal space. She was so close she could smell the brunette's perfume. So close that she could see the hungry glint in those dark eyes. So close she nearly forgot what she was going to say. Nearly. "You'll put this suit on and you'll race me."
Santana swallowed at her suddenly dry throat as she watched Brittany literally saunter past her and toward her bike, hips swaying oh so very enticingly. Every piece of her was buzzing so loudly from Brittany's closeness that she had to physically shake herself from her stupor and jog toward the changing room on wobbly legs.
Their first race was a close one with Santana just seconds behind Brittany. By the time they were at their third Santana was paying less attention to the track and more attention to Brittany's mad skills. The brunette really liked a woman who knew how to handle a bike. Distracted by the hotness of it, Santana lost control and crashed headlong into the next jump. She saw stars for the thirty seconds it took Brittany to dismount her bike and rush over to the brunette.
"Santana are you okay?"
The question received a grunt in response.
"Are you hurt?" Brittany instinctively began to search the brunette's body for injuries. "Does anything feel broken?" Unzipping Santana's racing suit and finding more exposed caramel skin than she'd expected to find. The high pitched worry in her voice took on a more gravelly texture as her darkening blue gaze trailed hungrily along Santana's toned stomach, defined collarbone, and settled on ample cleavage barely clothed by a sexy lace bra. "You know you're supposed to wear something underneath the suit, right?"
"What?" Santana pulled her head free from the helmet, her spinning mind processing Brittany's words carefully. Confusion marring her features as her gaze shifted from Brittany's flushed face and distracted sapphire stare to her exposed torso. Her dark brows furrowed and her nose crinkled in thought. Why was her suit unzipped? Why was Brittany just staring? Why did her skin feel like it was on fire? Her brown eyes moved to where Brittany's hands were, one splayed along the side of her ribs while the other held her suit open. In that moment, the blur faded and everything clicked. Causing Santana's breath to catch and her cheeks to flush just as red as Brittany's. "It doesn't, uh, feel like anything is broken."
"Oh…" If possible Brittany turned even redder. "I should, um," She swallowed at the dry lump in her throat, the husky quality of her voice subsiding only slightly. "Probably stop touching you then."
It took another minute of staring into one another's eyes, of Brittany gravitating closer and closer to Santana before the contact was broken by Santana's response. "Yeah… you, uh, yeah."
Santana all but leaped to her feet, dusting herself off and avoiding Brittany's inquiring gaze as best she could.
"I really like…" Brittany tried to meet Santana's gaze once again to no avail. She caught the brunette's hand, forcing those chocolate colored eyes upon her. "Doing this with you."
Santana froze at the admittance, her gaze shifting bashfully from Brittany's earnest blue eyes to the hand gently holding hers before bring her stare back up to Brittany. The trepidation in her suddenly soft voice almost palatable. "What is it we're doing?"
"I thought we were on a date." Brittany frowned, her brows scrunching cutely. "Is this not a date? Because I thought you knew this was a date."
"Why…" Santana felt as though she were going to explode, all of her fears suddenly rising to the surface. "Why did you ask me out? I mean," She worried her full bottom lip between her teeth, struggling to voice the words that'd been circling her head the entire night. "You have to know that this isn't a joke that I'm," It was never easy to say the words. Not when she knew that there was a very real chance that Brittany could never reciprocate her feelings. "I'm in love with you and I can't... I," Santana struggled to say what she needed to say, what Brittany needed to hear. "All I'm asking for is a little bit of a warning if you don't think you can… feel the same way."
They stood in a tense silence, buzzing from the aftershock of Santana's words. Brittany was trying to figure her head out, trying to find the words to express herself while Santana was hanging on by a thread. Her anxiousness building to a breaking point as she waited for the answer she desperately needed.
"Santana," Brittany chewed nervously at the inside of her cheek, indecision written plainly across her features. "I-"
Santana felt as though her heart was breaking, shattering into a thousand tiny pieces. Felt as though she knew exactly what Brittany was going to say. Knew that the blonde was going to let her down "easy". So she decided to make it even easier for Brittany. Her doubts and her fears swelled to an inevitable breaking point and she did the only thing she could think to do. She turned her back and started to walk away.
The last thing she expected was Brittany's indignant, "Hey!"
And the very, very last thing she expected was the way Brittany grabbed a hold of her wrist. Whirling Santana around to face her and completely invading her personal space. An indecipherable twinkle in her sapphire eye and a curious twitch of a smirk at her lips. "I'm going to kiss you now."
The words slammed fist first into Santana's brain, knocking the useless organ stupid. All Santana could feel was the hyperactive thudding of her heartbeat and the rushing of the blood in her veins and Brittany's lips, soft and sure and perfect, pressing against hers. Molding against her lips, parting them with her tongue and oh my god running over and over and over though her head. Brittany was kissing her! She was kissing Brittany! They were kissing! Wait, holy shit, they were kissing.
Brittany's lips pressed to the corner of her mouth, breathing labored, before kissing Santana fully once again. "Does that answer your question?"
Santana tried to push past the hazy dizzy feeling. Tried to force her lips to stop tingling long enough to formulate an answer to Brittany's question. When the elusive words finally escaped into the silence between them, Santana did know who was more suprised by them. "No Brittany, it doesn't."
The blonde's brows furrowed in complete confusion. "It doesn't?"
"Well, I mean," Santana flustered under the part bewildered, part incredulous look Brittany was giving her. "It does. Kind of."
"But I kissed you." Brittany pouted, the crinkle at her brows worsening.
An adoring smile crawled across Santana's lips when Brittany started to pout. "And I kissed you back."
"Was it bad?" Her pout turned into a self conscious frown. The hand that'd found its way atop Santana's hip fiddling nervously with fabric. "Can I have a do over?"
The inquiry shot straight to Santana's head and she nearly gave in. Nearly said yes. But that wasn't the issue, not by a long shot. The way Brittany kissed her, the way it set her everything on fire. Yeah, the blonde was definitely not a bad kisser. "It's not that. I just don't understand what it means... for us?"
"Oh."
"Yeah." Santana ducked her head, tearing her gaze away from the startled realization in those too blue eyes. She should've just kept her mouth shut, should've just enjoyed the moment for what it was. Should have allowed Brittany to kiss her.
"Santana," Brittany tilted the beunette's face upward, guiding Santana to meet her eyes. "It means I have feelings for you and," She ran her thumb along Santana's jaw, smiling softly. "Yes, I think I can feel the same way." Her smile slid into an impish grin. "Does that answer your question? Because I'd really like to kiss you again."
