*0*0*
Goodnight From Me, Good Morning To You
*0*0*
You assumed that knowing Santana was Rosario Cruz would take some of the magic out of Rosario's set, but it didn't. You were still able to listen to her set on repeat the following day without immediately thinking of Santana. It wasn't until she would laugh or say something a particular way, that Santana would pop into your mind, and then you'd be the one smiling.
Okay, you were a little bewildered how Santana could be the same person as Rosario, when you really gave it some thought. Rosario was so laidback on air, so focused and easy going, and Santana was, well...Santana. She was cocky, and smug, and flirtatious and everything you were warned about by your parents when it came to making friends. She was too confident, too dangerous to their establishment, and okay, that might have made her more appealing to you, you didn't know, but whatever.
Rosario and Santana seemed so different from one another, and while you understood most people did have alter egos on the radio, so they could separate their normal life from their radio life, you just couldn't imagine Santana sitting behind the desk in the booth from 2a.m. to 6a.m. playing music that sung to your soul and pulled you up from the depths, where you were drowning.
Of course, you were never going to tell her about that, never going to let on that before her radio set you were looking at the pain meds tucked away in your closet with more than a curious eye, and counting the pills like it was the most important equation of your life. Which, it would have been, if it hadn't been for her set. You weren't going to tell her, ever. Yet, somehow she knew you listened to her set, she said she knew which, how?
You couldn't think of how you would have given yourself away, and you'd need to ask her later on, but first, you needed to see her in action. The image you had of Rosario was not the one you had of Santana, and it was time to meld those two together. If she would let you, that is.
What are you up to tonight? you sent her, knowing you were probably going to get some smartass response back, but whatever. You were tucked up in your dorm, having enjoyed a surprisingly restful sleep, before you had to get your ass to your next class.
Nothing until 2 - Santana replied, almost instantaneously, and thank god she wasn't one of those people that made you wait for their replies, despite knowing that they had seen the message.
Can I watch...
Can I...
You didn't know what to type, each message quickly deleted because asking felt weird, but you really needed it. It would help close the idea of Rosario, and of Santana, and just leave Santana.
You couldn't have any confusion.
While Rosario was a part of Santana, you needed to remember that it was Santana that made your stomach flutter, your heart flip, and your cheeks heat up on occasion. It wasn't Rosario. Rosario was nothing but a stranger, one you would most likely be introduced to through snippets of Santana, if you were ever so lucky to see her mind in action when it came to music, but until then, you needed to remember it was Santana, not Rosario, that you had your attention.
Would you have an issue if I hung out at the radio station tonight? - you finally settled on, hitting send before you could change your mind. It didn't take long before your phone buzzed in your hand, and you shouldn't have been surprised with the response.
You're free to hang out where and whenever you like. Typical Santana. Ugh.
During your set? It was best to clarify in case she had some strange rule about no one watching her while she worked. Mike mentioned there used to be one guy who couldn't have anyone use the bathroom during his set as it through his set off, which apparently was rubbish, but he was popular enough no one used the bathroom. So, for all you knew, Santana could be just as big a weirdo as him. And really, if she was, you wouldn't be surprised.
You want to watch me work? Her response might not have indicated a smirk, but you were pretty sure you could feel her smirking, wherever she was across campus.
Maybe - It was non committal, it would do.
Liar. Of course you do. Want to see the master in action, huh? And there was the aforementioned cocky attitude; because you really doubted she was kidding when she called herself the master, and with an eyeroll and a smile, you sent her a reply.
Yeah - are they going to be there tonight, or is it just going to be you? Her reply was only seconds later, and you grinned in success.
Bitch.
Tossing your phone onto your bed, you rolled out of it and went about getting your stuff ready. There was no point instantly replying. You wanted her to think she had hurt your feelings, to feel some semblance of guilt, so that you could come tonight, and the best way to do that was to make her wait.
The frequent buzzing your phone was making only made you smile brighter as you put some music on and began throwing on some clothes.
Only once you were ready to walk out the room did you look at your phone again.
You're not asking to watch me tonight in some creepy stalker way, are you?
I can put up with some weird kinks, but nothing like that.
I was kidding, you know that right?
Q?
Are you pissed I called you a bitch? Last week you told me to fuck off, we're even.
Quinn?
Ugh. Okay. Whatever. Be childish. There was a few minutes pause before Santana's next message.
Have The Emotions 'Rejoice' vinyl at the ready, and bring me a hot chocolate, and you can sit in and watch.
Thanks! See you tonight! And with that, you ended up grinning all the way to your next class.
*0*0*
By late afternoon, you were done with classes, and tucked away in B02. It was one of the best places to study, and it was becoming a great place for you to get your assignments done.
The library, while great, was ridiculously busy as of late, and you didn't want to have to fight for a good desk, or over the textbooks you were going to reference. So instead, you buckled down at the coffee table and couches, and were settling in to listen to the others mix music in the background, and argue about the best music of the last year. It was somewhat calming, and you found it was easier to study to that than the incessant typing of strangers in the library.
B02's only downfall was the that you were bound to get distracted if Mike, Sam or Tina walked in. Hell, you were starting to get to know most of the others in the room, too, and it was so easy to just strike up conversation and forget all about the assignment before you.
So of course you were going to get pulled away from it. Of course someone was going to walk in and strike up a conversation, and of course you were going to talk with them, because B02 was your main lifeline, and you could always do the assignment later.
Only, when Santana breezed into the room and decided to sit beside you, draping her arm over the back of the couch, with only centimeters between the two of you, did the assignment become the most important thing in the room.
Was it weird to be nervous around her? Was it? Because you were. You were nervous. Ridiculously nervous, and you didn't want her seeing such weakness.
"What can I help you with?" you asked, given Santana hadn't said anything yet. Side-eying her, you noted that she was a lot closer than she would have been last week, and it was almost as if she knew that her close proximity caused your body to freak out.
With the wicked smile on her lips as she looked at you, you'd believe that was true.
"Actually,I came to help you with something," she replied, grinning, and you frowned because if she interrupted you for something stupid...
"If this is the beginning of a dirty joke, I swear, Santana, I'll beat you with this textbook." Her laugh made you look at her fully, and she held her hands up in mock surrender.
"It wasn't a dirty joke, but I like where your mind is at, Q. Tell me more about that, later tonight." God, look what you had started.
"Santana," you growled, and she rolled her eyes at you, as if you were being ridiculous.
"I'm helping," she then said, as if that summed everything up. It really didn't, because she wasn't helping you at all at the moment. In fact, she was the best distraction ever, and you weren't studying at all.
"You said something like that already."
"Yeah, so let me explain." You raised your eyebrows and she accepted that as the green light to proceed. "Tonight, you should come by the radio station, around ten o'clock, instead of for two a.m. I'll be there, so come find me when you get in." She smiled like that was the best thing ever, and you couldn't help but frown a little more.
"Why?" Obviously, there was a motive behind this, but you couldn't see what it was.
"It's a surprise. But it'll help you. I'm helping." Uh huh, you got that already.
"You keep saying that."
"Because it's true." That was yet to be seen.
"This isn't because I said Blondie was mediocre, right?" You figured those words were going to bite you in the ass eventually, and you knew she had personally taken offense to such a thing.
"No," she waved her hand dismissively. "Pft, as if. Please, Q, I have something much bigger planned for that." That was disconcerting.
"Like what?" It wasn't like she was going to tell you, but you could still ask.
"That's for me to know, and you to wait and find out. It'll be good though. So good." She was grinning again, but it was the wicked grin, the one that made you feel alive but also crazy nervous, and you just didn't know what to do with that information.
"I'm a little worried," you confessed, and she smiled again, and yeah, apparently you needed to worry. Great.
"Anyway," Santana began, moving on. "Tonight, radio station, ten o'clock." She reached out and gave your hand a squeeze before getting up. "Oh, and don't forget my vinyl and hot chocolate. I'll accept them at ten, instead of making you run out to get me the hot chocolate at two." Yes, because that was so much easier. How generous of her. "See you there."
"Yeah, see you," you mumbled, before looking at your hand. You could still feel her touch on you, and you really needed to get a grip of yourself sometime soon.
Preferably before you saw her that night.
Like that would happen.
*0*0*
Stepping into the radio station that night, you were greeted with a pleasant sight of Santana. It was almost like she was waiting on you, which would certainly be sweet of her, but then again, she was most likely just after what you had in your hand.
"Q, you made it," Santana grinned, looking far too pleased with herself. Glancing round the room, just to see if there was anything suspicious, you came up empty. Maybe she really was pleased to see you.
"I did, and here's the hot chocolate you wanted, and I'll go get the vinyl."
"Thank you," she said, genuinely, shooting you a thankful smile, before it changed back into her usual grin. "Come find me when you find it, and I'll explain why you're here four hours early." With those marching orders, you dumped your bag on the couch and went in search.
Thankfully it wasn't a recently used vinyl, and therefore lodged in the crates and bins ready to be sorted out and restacked, but in its allocated space on the shelf. If all searches were that easy, you'd be laughing, but alas.
With it in hand, you headed towards the direction Santana had wandered off to, and found her amongst the rows of music, squatted on the floor, notebook in her lap, hot chocolate in hand, and about thirty vinyls across the ground.
"This the one?" you asked, holding the vinyl up, pulling her attention to you.
"It looks like it," she said, reaching out for it, before nodding for you to take a seat on the floor with her. You did so as she looked over the back of it, and you could tell from her smile that yes, you had found it.
"Thanks, and now that you've earned your keep, you can sit in with me tonight." Shooting her a thankful smile, you were going to actually thank her, but she kept going. "Now, the reason you're here so early is because I have convinced Dave, who hosts the set before me, to let you do the last hour of his set. He's got to leave early anyway, and he needed someone, so you're up."
You couldn't quite believe what you were hearing. Well, no, you had to have heard wrong. You couldn't have heard correctly. Either that, or this was one big prank.
"What?" you asked, shocked, needing more of an explanation. "Santana-" She could probably hear the panic in your voice, and quickly raised her hand to pause you before you could fly off the deep end.
"Before you freak out on me, you have three hours to prepare, to put music together, and fit it around the ads. I'm going to help you, while also going over my set, too. But it's fine. You aced it last time you were in the booth, just do it again."
Santana spoke as if you this was nothing, as if she had full confidence in you, and you felt the tension in your shoulders drop, and it was a bit easier to breath now. She believed you could do it, so why couldn't you?
"You'll help me?" you asked, needing to know you weren't going to have to do this alone. That task might just scare you to hell and back, and then you'd be useless.
"Every step of the way," Santana answered, and you smiled at her softly, like you could finally see through the storm. She looked at you with a similar gaze, before rolling her eyes. "Now, go speak to Dave when he's got an ad break, and then come back and we'll go over some song choices." Nodding, you began to rise to your feet, before stopping yourself.
You had this overwhelming need to just be near her, to just kiss her, to let her know that you appreciated her efforts, in more than a friendly manner, but…
Santana's eyes darkened once you were within millimeters of her lips, and you were completely mesmerised by everything that she was, from the look she was giving you to the feel of her breath across your skin.
Taking a slow, shaky breath, you moved your head, and gently kissed her cheek. It wasn't enough, but it was all you could give at that moment.
"Thanks," you murmured, uncertain of your voice with being so close to her.
"You're welcome," she replied, a beat later, looking at you, into your eyes, then down to your lips, then back into your eyes.
Not yet.
If you kissed her now, you wouldn't stop.
Not yet.
Moving back, you wiped off the nonexistent dust on your clothes and then went towards the booth, leaving Santana amongst the music racks.
It was time to see Dave, and maybe by the time you made it to the booth, the heat would be out your cheeks. Or maybe not.
*0*0*
"You ready?" Santana asked, sitting in the chair beside you in the booth.
Dave had left moments ago, and you were about to take over for him. It was a big moment. This wasn't like Adam's set. This was your own hour. Your music. Your choice. Your ass on the line.
Okay, you didn't think you'd screw it up, but still.
"Yeah, I'm ready."
"Great, just do what we practiced, say you're taking over for Dave's last hour, keep it short, and oh, introduce yourself." You could do that. "Wait, what's your name?" Santana asked, causing you to frown, and look at her quickly. How did she not know your name? Was it terrible you were exceedingly offended right now?
"What?" you asked, trying not to sound as hurt and pissed off as you felt.
"Are you going to be Quinn...whatever your last name is, I have no idea, what is your last name?" Santana needed to get to the point before you booted her out the booth. She was seriously psyching you out.
"Fabray," you answered, wondering where this was all going.
"Right, are you going to be Quinn Fabray, or are you going to be someone different?" Someone different...someone different like she was with Rosario Cruz.
"You're asking me this now, with less than fifteen seconds to go?" you panicked, looking at her with wide eyes and disbelief.
"I didn't think about it, but you need a name, so what's it going to be?" Santana shot back, still acting calm, as if this was nothing. Please. This was huge!
Did you really want to be Quinn Fabray? Granted, you could just go by Quinn, but even then, it wouldn't take a genius to track you down. There weren't many Quinns running around the place.
And if one of those folks were to google you…the crash...glee club...pregnancy photos...cheerio videos...celibacy club...it would read like a train wreck. Yeah, you couldn't be Quinn.
You needed to be someone else.
You needed...you needed to be….
"Well?" Santana asked, with her fingers counting down until you were to speak.
You didn't have time to think, you just had to go with your gut.
"Evening everyone. I'm Lucy Q and I'll be finishing up for Dave tonight. We'll be keeping things short and sweet, so up next we have The Futureheads with Hounds of Love." And with that, you hit the button, and the song began to play.
When I was a child, running in the night, I was afraid of what might be
Hiding in the dark and hiding on the street, and of what was following me
The hounds of love are calling
I've always been a coward, and I don't know what's good for me
Well here I go, it's coming at me through the trees
Help me, someone, help me, please
"Lucy Q, huh?" Santana asked, and you turned to her with a small smile on your lips.
"Yeah, Lucy Q." That's what your gut had said, and it felt rather good to accept Lucy back into your life.
"It's cute." Santana's smile made you think there was more to her words, but you didn't have time to focus on it.
Instead, you went back to organising what was ahead, and she was quick to help. Like she said, she remained at your side, ready to help, right up until the last two songs.
"I need to go get ready, I'll be right back, but you've got this. You don't need me." You shot her another thankful smile, and kept things afloat.
It was a little scarier this time, knowing that you were Lucy Q, and not just some girl filling in, and that these were your song choices, but as it was, some of the music you wanted to play tied in with Dave's sets, and it worked to your advantage.
Hell, the whole day had worked to your advantage, and you really couldn't recall being this happy. And the night was only going to get better, you thought, as Santana came back into the booth, listening to you sign off, and hand over the reins to her.
"You ready to see how a pro does it?" she teased, and you rolled your eyes, vacating the chair, and moving to the other one so you could watch.
While you knew this was Rosario's set, all you could see was Santana now, in the way everything was organised, to the way her presence filled the room. Rosario was laid back on air, so focused and easy going, but now that you saw Santana in this room, surrounded by what she loved, you could see it was actually a huge part of her. The cockiness, the smugness, it was a beautiful cover for something she cared so much about, and you felt very privileged to witness her in action.
She kicked off her set and then began teaching you how to set the vinyls up, in case you ever felt inclined to use them in the future. You didn't know when you would next be back on the air, but Santana was convinced it would be sooner, rather than later.
Of course, as you'd not really worked with vinyls before, you were completely atrocious with dropping the needle on the track correctly, and she was getting her kill taking the piss out of you. If you weren't having so much fun, you'd be offended.
But she did have to take over after you messed up a few songs in a row, and she even apologised to her listeners for the "rookie in the booth" with her. And then it was time for you to watch and learn, and admire, because watching Santana work was like art. She was so precise and everything she did was so calculated, each song, each bit of info she blabbed about before the song, and gone were the days of admiring Rosario.
"Alright, it's time for me to go," Santana began, glancing up the to the clock to check if she still had time, "but before I do, here is one classic song to end the set on. For those of you waking up, you're welcome, and for those of you going to sleep, you're also welcome for the great song to end a great night." And she was right about that, because it really was a great night. "Here's The Emotions with Best of My Love, and with that, it's goodnight from me, and good morning to you. Enjoy!" Santana signed off, dropping the needle exactly where it needed to be for the strong intro hit your ears through the headphones, and you grinned despite yourself.
Santana wasn't paying you an ounce of attention, as she cleaned up her set on screen, and gathered the vinyls on the desk, all while dancing to the song. You couldn't blame her for it, as it was a very catchy song.
Doesn't take much to make me happy
and make me smile
Never never will I feel discouraged
Cause our love's no mystery
Demonstrating love and affection
That you give so openly yeah
I like the way ya make me about you baby
Want the whole wide world to see
Whoa whoa, you got the best of my love
Whoa whoa, you got the best of my love
Whoa whoa, you got the best of my love
Whoa whoa, you've got the best of my love
"Ready to go?" she asked, taking off her headphones, ready to vacate the booth for the next DJ to come in, and you nodded, taking yours off too.
Once out of the booth, you could hear the song playing over the speakers, and Santana didn't waste a second before racing over to put the volume up, and dancing her way up the aisles to dump the vinyls in the bin to be reorganised tomorrow.
She was mouthing the words as she moved, taking all three parts of the song, and her happiness was infectious. God, this girl. Biting your bottom lip, you smiled as she finally turned back to you, not looking embarrassed at all, but practically giddy.
"Want to go get some breakfast? My treat," she asked, smiling at you, and yeah, there was just no way you could turn her down.
Rosario might have hooked you with her music, but Santana was the one reeling you in.
Goin' in and out of changes
The kind that come around each day
My life has a better meaning
Love has kissed me in a beautiful way
And oh yea (my love, my love)
oh yea (my love, my love)
Oh you got the best of my love
Whoa whoa, you've got the best of my love
Whoa whoa, you've got the best of my love
Whoa whoa, you've got the best of my love
Demonstrating sweet love and affection
That you give so openly yeah
The way I feel about ya baby can't explain it
Want the whole wide world to see
Ohhh but in my heart
You're all I need
You for me and me for you
ohhh, it's growin' every day ooooh
ohhh, oh oh oh oh oh
you've got the best of my love
ohhh, oh oh oh oh oh
you've got the best of my love
ohhh, givin' you the best of my love
my love ohh my love
ohhh, givin' you the best of my love
my love ohh oh yeah
ohhh, oh oh oh oh oh
you've got the best of my love
*0*0*
