Chapter Ten
"Oh my... fucking... God..." Quinn breathed.
Santana glanced backwards, trying to hold back the smirk that dared made its way onto her face. As she realised that Quinn was seriously falling behind her, she slowed down and started running at the same spot, just to keep her heartbeat up, while Quinn caught up with her.
The blonde girl bent over, resting her hands on her knees while she was trying to get control of her erratic breathing. "I am so out of... shape." she concluded while she glanced up at Santana. She glistened with a layer of sweat, and Santana's eyes automatically followed a single drop as it ran from her forehead and down her nose.
"Ya' think?" she sarcastically questioned as she arched an eyebrow. It wasn't like she was going to toot her own horn and claim that she exercised a lot, but... She was definitely in better shape than Quinn, they were concluding that right now with this jog, weren't they? This was the route they'd usually run together a few times a week in high school. What had Quinn been doing at Yale? Sitting on her butt all damn day long?
Quinn rolled her eyes at her. "Damn!" she shook her head, "Too much school, too little exercise. This is not good."
Santana couldn't help but laugh. "You wanna walk or something?" she questioned. She'd said it mostly for fun, just to annoy Quinn and get on her nerves a little bit more, and she was actually surprised when she found the blonde girl nodding. "Seriously?"
"I need to exercise more before I do this with you." she breathed out, as she finally managed to stand up straight, although with shaking legs. "You should do this with Rachel instead, she probably needs this to keep her schedule."
Santana rolled her eyes. "You kiddin' me, Blondie? This is how far you wanna run?"
Quinn bit her bottom lip, "Let's just walk." she concluded, just as she grabbed Santana's arm and dragged her with her down the pathway in the park. "I'm sorry, I really wanted to run like the good old days, S."
"Don't be sorry," Santana replied, but really, she was laughing her ass off on the inside, "I mean, don't even sweat it... Although," she couldn't keep in her laugh, "...that's too late apparently." she finished, glancing at how much Quinn was sweating from just that short run.
"Shut the fuck up, S." Quinn replied.
"Ah, you know how I do. What can I say? I'm just hilarious like that." Santana replied. She smirked down at Quinn, happiness bubbling within her. She couldn't quite explain why, but she had been feeling rather happy all day. Maybe it was because she had seen all her friends last night, or maybe it was just because she knew she was going out with Brittany later to sort of catch up and clear the air... It felt like she was taking care of a lot of things, while she was home this weekend. It'd be good to be back though. She had barely seen Rachel, and while that was the natural thing to do now that they were home for awhile, she sort of missed her room-mate. A lot.
Quinn rolled her eyes. "Haha." she replied, and they walked in silence for few seconds, arm in arm, Quinn breathing next to her in such a comforting way. "Sooooo..." she trailed off then, glancing at Santana through her long lashes. "What's up with you and Rachel?" she questioned, and there was a certain glint in her eye that Santana couldn't quite read.
The Latina shrugged her shoulders, confused by the question. Was something supposed to be up with her and Rachel? She hadn't caught onto that. Maybe it was just because they were home and weren't tied by the hip that Quinn was worried. She shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing. Nothing's the fuck up. Why you asking?"
"Oh for no reason at all." Quinn lightly replied, and then continued to stare right ahead like she hadn't fucked with Santana's head by asking that question.
Santana groaned inwardly. What the fuck was up with Quinn? That was not a fucking acceptable answer! "You seriously think I'ma accept that shit answer from you? Tell me! Why the fuck do you ask?" she questioned.
Quinn glanced up at her again, softly. There was a light smile playing on her lips, and her cheeks were tainted pink from the cold morning air. Laughter was bubbling in her eyes. "It's just because... You're like... you're like Rizzoli and Isles."
"Rizzoli and who?" Santana asked, confusion overtaking her body entirely. What was Quinn getting at now? She thought she'd gotten better at understanding weird sentences (she frigging lived with Rachel, for fuck's sake), but apparently not.
The blonde girl sighed like she was being seriously fucking stupid, which made no sense at all, because Quinn was actually the one who was being really frigging idiotic right now. Who was talking about messed up shit? Her! "Rizzoli and Isles! You ever saw the show? It's a show about these two women who-"
Santana cut her off, "You really fucking comparing the dwarf and I to some TV-show?"
Quinn just looked at her like that was a perfectly normal thing to do.
"Really Q, really?" Santana continued to poke at her.
Sighing, Quinn started to explain it to her, like she was some kid who didn't understand a single thing, "Oh yeah! Rizzoli & Isles is a show about a female cop – that's Rizzoli – and her partner, a medical examiner named Maura Isles." she paused, "Rizzoli is sarcastic, protective, afraid to show her feelings – pretty much like you, while Isles is confident, smart, a little bossy and... sort of eccentric. Just like Rachel."
"So we're... like them?" Santana asked, looking at Quinn with confusion written all over her face; no doubt about that. What the fuck was Quinn getting at? And why was she talking about this right now? It made no frigging sense! Sometimes, Santana swore, she really deserved a medal for handling all the women in her life. Like seriously, she was a frigging hero for doing this.
Quinn nodded, apparently very proud of herself for making that connection. "Yes." she smiled, "You're exactly like them. There's a lot of... stuff going on."
Stopping, Santana cut Quinn off as well and stepped around her to glare at her. "Stuff?" she asked, putting both hands on her sides and giving the blonde girl her toughest look.
Again, Quinn seemed entirely too pleased with herself. "Oh yes. Stuff happens on that show."
"What stuff?" Santana demanded to know, and she hated that Quinn was – apparently – not really caring about that at all. She just blatantly ignored her requests again and again! It really pissed the Latina off.
Shrugging, Quinn gave her a teasing smile, and it was clear to everybody involved (read: Santana) that she was enjoying this way too much. "Just watch the show, S." she replied, before she pushed the Latina to the side and started jogging – slowly – away from her.
Groaning to herself, Santana spun around on her heel and followed her friend; it took her only two seconds to catch up with her, and she was determined to keep this up all day. She was going to know what Quinn was referring to, she simply just had to know! "No Q!" she glared at her, as they continued down the almost deserted path, "Tell me."
Quinn giggled a little, already a bit out of breath, "Just stream the show online when you get back to New York. And then call me." she told her.
"But why?" Santana asked her. She could feel curiosity burning in her stomach, and she so wanted to know this already – she couldn't wait until she and Rachel got home! And besides, if she waited, how was she going to kill Quinn for mocking her with this? Quinn would be at fucking Yale by then!
The blonde girl shook her head at her, "It doesn't make sense to talk about it like this. Just do what I say and watch the show, alright?"
Santana could see something in her eyes; something pleading her to do this, to just have her do it with no questions asked. And although she wanted desperately to know what the fuck Quinn wanted out of this, she just – something just told her to do what the blonde girl said. Something just told her to leave it for now, get back to New York to watch the damn thing, and then call Quinn. Maybe there was a reason for all of this – she'd just have to be patient (even if that was frigging not something she liked to be). "Alright." she whispered then.
Quinn smiled at her, appearing to be very happy that this was the end of their discussion.
Santana wasn't going to let her win like that though. She wasn't going to let Quinn have the last word in this conversation. "Race ya' back to your house." she spat, before she sprinted off quickly, hearing the blonde yell out behind her.
X
"Thank you so much for inviting me, Mr. and Mr. Berry." Quinn smiled brightly as she poured herself a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and glanced to the side to look Rachel in the eye.
"You're always so very welcome, dearest Quinn." Leroy replied to her, as he poured himself and his husband some coffee. The table in their kitchen was filled with everything anyone could ever wish for at brunch, and Rachel knew that her fathers had been preparing for this for several hours.
Rachel snatched herself a slice of freshly baked bread and couldn't keep in her giggles. "Daddies!"
Hiram added, "Even if Rachel isn't here, just step by, Quinn. We will always be happy to see you!"
Quinn reached for the scrambled eggs, and there was a faint flush on her cheeks. "I'll be sure to remember that, Mr. Berry."
"Stop with the formalities!" Hiram continued and accepted the bowl of scrambled eggs from her, "I'm Hiram, and my husband right there, his name is Leroy."
"Alright, Hiram." Quinn whispered, just as she reached for the bacon. "I love bacon. Did Rachel tell you that?"
Leroy sipped his coffee shortly, taking his time to taste the freshly ground coffee beans. "Our dear little ray of sunshine might have mentioned it. And what was I to do? When our little pumpkin invites her best friend for brunch, we need to make everything perfect. Thank you dear-" he accepted the eggs from his husband, "-and really, we are pleased to have you, Quinn. We know you and Rachel don't see each other that often because you live so far from each other, but we do know that you guys talk a lot of the phone, am I right?"
"Daddy, please!" Rachel said as she forked a piece of pineapple and took a bite of it. "You don't need to interrogate Quinn. You're going to scare her off!"
Leroy dismissed her, "I think it's going to take a lot more than that to scare Quinn off, Rachel." he said to her, and then turned to Quinn again, "So tell me, Quinn, how are your studies going?"
Rachel sighed heavily as Quinn – politely – started to tell her fathers about her classes at Yale. Rachel knew all about this, of course, so she was only listening partly as she ate her brunch. Her fathers even made pancakes without milk and egg, so she was really looking forward to tasting those. She really missed these huge brunches now that she was living in New York; her and Santana didn't have enough money to make such a huge breakfast table, but when she lived at home, they used to have them every Sunday. Finn would often join her, or sometimes Kurt and Blaine. Even Quinn a few times, when they were seniors in high school.
She was looking forward to going back to New York tonight though. She's agreed with Santana that her fathers would drive them to the train station – they were going to catch the last train out of there – and tonight she'd be back in her own bed. She was a bit afraid of seeing Santana though; they'd barely talked since they got home, and what if her grandmother had already talked to her, and Santana was angry with her for meddling in something she shouldn't meddle in?
The tiny brunette bit her lip and took a long sip of her juice. Hopefully she hadn't talked to her yet. Of course that was the reaction that Rachel desired (why else would have have gone to visit her?), but perhaps she wasn't quite ready for it yet. Especially not if Santana was going to be angry with her.
"...so I really need to start exercising a bit more. Santana totally beat me when we raced."
Rachel snapped out of it when she heard Santana's name (she hated to admit it, but yes, she was hit that hard), "Huh? Santana?" she paused, not caring if she had interrupted the conversation that her fathers had been having with Quinn, "You saw Santana?"
"Just this morning." Quinn replied, a faint smile appearing at her lips, "We went out for a run, but she ran circles around me. I really do need to schedule in some time to keep myself in shape."
"Santana does run a few times a week." Rachel replied, and before she knew what had happened, she got lost in the image in her head; an image of a certain fit Latina room-mate of hers, dressed for a run in tights, top and a high pony-tail. It was even worse when she returned from a run though – all out of breath and with sweat glistening on her smooth, sun-kissed skin... Rachel had to tell herself to snap out of it. It was not the time to start drooling right now, there would be no excuse for it; of course she could always blame it on her father's deliciously smelling pancakes, but... She quickly snatched one from the stack in front of her. "Mhhm, so good." she smiled.
Quinn nodded, "Yes..." she said, and there was something odd in her eyes, like she knew what images Rachel had inside of her head at the moment. "I would say. She uh – she seems very in shape, still. Just like in high school."
Hiram smiled brightly, "It's important to keep in shape."
Chewing away on a piece of bacon, Quinn nodded, "You know Rach, I told her that you guys are like Rizzoli and Isles. Just FYI."
"Rizzoli and who?" Rachel questioned.
Quinn rolled her eyes, "Nothing."
This confused Rachel a lot, because where had that just come from? And what was Quinn getting at? This was not a subject she was comfortable discussing right now, because she had an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach that this Rizzoli and this Isles were two females who might be in love. Quinn knew all about her feelings for Santana, so of course the blonde would meddle by saying something like that to the other girl. It was probably two females in love. Or perhaps a female in love with another female. Rachel was sure of it. But she had to google it first though, just to make sure. She couldn't be certain, not before asking google.
Leroy had an interesting glint in his eye and he turned to smile funnily at Quinn, "Rizzoli and Isles? Really?" he asked as he cocked an eyebrow. "That's... something."
"That really is something." Hiram added as he nodded his head up and down, most certainly agreeing with his husband and their guest.
"I'll say." Quinn just added, before she grabbed another piece of bacon and started munching away on it.
"I don't really understand what you're talking about, and if you're not going to inform me-" Rachel begun as she glared angrily at her fathers and Quinn, "-which I suspect you won't, because you're all three acting like there's some big giant secret that I don't know – then I would like to ask you to please stop discussing these Rizzoli and Isles people while I'm nearby."
Hiram just laughed at her. "Sure, Rachel Darling, we will stop discussing them. But interesting view on things, Quinn. I did not see that one coming."
Quinn shrugged her shoulders and happily reached for the bowl of mixed fruit. "That's just how I do."
"So baby-girl," Hiram continued, trying to talk above Leroy's chuckling, "how are you and this Alexis person doing so far? Are you still dating her?"
Rachel wasn't quite happy to discuss this subject, but it was still better than the prior subject (she really hated when people around her talked about something she had no idea about). "We're doing quite alright, Daddy, thank you. Just having some fun with her, nothing too serious."
Leroy gave a shocked-expression, "But why? Your first girlfriend, Pumpkin! It's gotta be serious."
"But it's really not, Dad." Rachel replied, as she tried to ignore the fact that their eyes with burning holes in her skin as she refused to look at them. She knew what they were thinking; when she first told them about Alexis, she had been so excited to realise this new part of herself, to figure out that she was gay, and now she was downplaying everything? It had to be confusing for them, because it was only a few weeks ago that she told them they'd love Alexis.
"You know you can talk to us, don't you, Sweetie?" Leroy asked her then, and even though there was real concern in his voice, there was also playfulness and laughter.
Rachel glanced up at her fathers and couldn't help but laugh with them. They were being so silly and like their usual selves, and she really missed this; of course New York had NYADA, her dream and it definitely had Santana... but it didn't have her fathers. And she spent every day missing them like crazy. "Can we please just eat our brunch now?" she laughed.
Hiram placed a gentle hand on his husband's arm and said, "That we can do!" he reached for the coffee pot and continued, "Now Quinn, do you have a beau at Yale?"
x
The Lima Bean was quite vacant for an early afternoon like this, but it was perfect for what Santana had in mind when she'd agreed to meet Brittany here. She hadn't been too keen on the idea (Breadstix always was her favourite place in Lima), but the blonde girl had insisted, and now it seemed like a quite good idea.
It was nice to see Brittany in all her glory. They'd talked a lot at the wedding, but they hadn't discussed what they really needed to discuss; they'd just been their old selves, best friends hanging out together and having fun. But there were far more important things on her agenda today, and she just hoped that Brittany was up for it.
They ordered their drinks and found a table in the back – just to get some sort of privacy for lurking eyes and long ears. Brittany seemed happy this day. She was already sipping her hot cocoa (even at this age, Brittany couldn't drink coffee. She didn't like the taste, and her parents didn't want her to have too much caffeine because that'd just make their already energetic child even more hyper). But she looked beautiful, just like she had done the other evening as well. She was like her old self, just a bit more grown-up some way.
Her long hair were in two braids for the occasion, and she was wearing hardly any make-up and a mismatch of clothes that only someone like her would be able to carry without looking ridiculous. Santana was noticing all the things she used to love about Brittany, all the things that made her fall in love with the other woman all those years ago. She was pleased to realise though, that... That right now, none of her old feelings were there. She was just very happy to see the other girl, but she didn't have the desire to kiss her and be close to her.
Perhaps she really had grown up, too, and perhaps New York really had done her good.
"So Britt-Britt," she begun as she tasted her large coffee, feeling the caffeine do her body good just from the first sip, "is everything okay with you and Artie?"
"Artie and I are just fine." Brittany replied, smiling warmly at her, her blue eyes glistening with happiness, "I know you said that you would love me forever, and I said that I would also love you forever, but I still love you, Sannie, even if I love Artie. I just love you differently than I did then. And I'd still enjoy your lady-kisses, but Artie said that I can't."
Santana couldn't help but loathe Artie a little bit, because she was sure that – while he was taking great care of Brittany and treating her just the way that someone like her should be treated – he'd spent a huge amount of time getting into her head that she wasn't allowed to do anything with Santana now that she was home for the weekend. It was okay though, Santana didn't want to mess up their relationship. She could tell that he was good for her; if she couldn't have Brittany, Artie sure as hell deserved her.
She smiled warmly at her old girlfriend, her first love, the woman she thought she'd spend forever with. "It's alright, B, Artie is right. The only person you should be giving kisses to – is him." she took another sip of her coffee and leaned back in her seat, "But is he treating you well?"
Brittany nodded her head. It seemed like she was almost half-way done with her cocoa, "Yup! So well, S! His family is really nice, and they take me places – like the zoo, or the pond in the park, and they think it's okay when I sit on Artie's lap and he drives me around. We really have fun."
"I'm glad." Santana replied in a whisper, and she could feel in the pit of her stomach that... she really was. She was honestly very happy for them. They deserved this.
The blonde girl smiled at her again, and she was quiet then, for a long time, which didn't seem like her. It appeared that she was thinking about something. Santana knew all of her faces, and she really seemed to be thinking very much about something right now, wondering, pondering. It was clear to her, and the Latina could feel her curiosity burning in the pit of her stomach.
"San..." Brittany whispered then, and her voice was lower than usually, and Santana had to lean forward to hear her better, "Can I ask you about something?"
She nodded, "Sure thing, B, you can ask me about anything, you know that."
Brittany bit her lip, "Are you and Rachel girlfriends now?"
Santana felt her heart skip a beat. "Me and Rachel?" she asked, and she could feel herself growing instantly confused, "No? Why do you ask, B?" she added, and she was really curious to know why Brittany would think that beyond anything. Sometimes Brittany got crazy ideas inside that head of hers, but this... this was something else.
"Yes, because I don't know, it seems like you are." Brittany whispered, before she took another long sip of her cocoa, refusing to meet Santana's eyes.
The Latina licked her lips, wondering what to reply to her. She wasn't sure if she and Rachel had acted any differently than usual. Of course there was a big change from when they were in high school, but actually thinking they were a couple? This surprised her. What surprised her even more though... was the fact that she didn't dislike the idea entirely. She had, you know, been having certain dreams about her room-mate sometimes, and Rachel wasn't bad-looking (actually, she was pretty fucking stunning). However, Rachel was dating Alexis, and they were just friends. Just fucking best friends who lived together to get by. "But why?" she pried on.
Brittany shrugged her shoulders. "It's just when... sometimes when Rachel's not looking at you, you look at her. I can see that in your eyes. You used to look at me that way." she explained, and Santana barely had time to open her mouth to object, before she hurried on, "And then, then when you're not looking, Rachel looks at you, and I saw that. It's the way she used to look at Finn in the choir room."
Santana couldn't explain why, but she got an odd sense of fluttering in the pit of her stomach, and her heart sort of started beating a little bit faster. What the fuck was happening to her? What was that? Was that – was that happiness? Perhaps even love? She felt her throat tighten. "She does?"
"Mhm-hmm." Brittany hummed, "All the time at the wedding, S. I think that she loves you."
"But Rachel's dating another girl." Santana managed to squeeze out of herself. She had no idea why she was stating facts, trying to deny something, when her body – her heart – was telling her that this was exactly what she had wanted... without even knowing it. Was she going the fuck crazy right now? Her? And Rachel? Her and Rachel – really? Why wasn't she denying feeling something for the other girl, thinking these thoughts? Because, Santana, she told herself, you know that Brittany is right. You like Rachel. And you have since you stared dreaming things about her.
This explained so much to her. It really did. Why, for instance, she loathed Alexis with every fiber of her being. And why she kept making nasty vegan food for Rachel to eat. And why everything was just fucking much better when the midget was with her and not at NYADA or out with the red-headed devil. What the fuck? When had this shit happened to her? Santana could feel something in her stomach again, but this time it felt a lot more like nausea.
"And so what, S?" Brittany questioned, shrugging her shoulders and smiling brightly, "You're better with Rachel, you seem happier somehow. She told me that you're even starting to play more music."
Santana nodded, "I am. I'm learning how to play the guitar. I might be able to play a few songs at work soon."
"See?" Brittany whispered, "You are better with her. You take yourself a lot more cereal."
The Latina bit her lip, careful not to let Brittany show that she'd messed up her words again. This was what she missed most about Brittany; her adorableness, and the way she could mess up the most simplest of words. It even made the nausea go away. "That's right, B. I do take myself a lot more cereal."
The blonde girl nodded again. "Yes. And Rachel is happy with you. I can see that."
Rachel had been a lot more happy these months they'd been in New York. Santana had been able to see her development, day for day. How she'd become more independent, more sure of herself. Even her dancing had improved, so had her singing (like that was even possible). She'd really grown up, and Santana herself... she sometimes felt like she was getting the fuck nowhere. "She's really coming out of her insecurities." she told Brittany, and she couldn't help but feel fucking proud for some reason, "Now I just – I just need to fucking get somewhere as well."
"You will, S." Brittany smiled, and she slowly reached a hand across the table to place it upon Santana's, gently. And there was promises in her eyes, promises of a better future. "You should try to get her, Sannie. I know you'd both be happy together. Like Ross and Rachel. Except you'd be Santana and Rachel. But that's better, I think."
Santana was intrigued by this. She couldn't stop herself from feeling like... like maybe Brittany was right. Maybe she really did need to get her head out of her ass and come to terms with the fact that.. That Rachel might be the person she'd been waiting for, the reason for her to get her fucking act together and grow the frigging up. "You think so?"
Brittany's eyes didn't leave hers when she replied, "I know so."
When I get back to New York, Santana promised herself, things are going to be different.
I'm so deeply sorry about the long delay for this chapter! I hope you can all forgive me for the wait – and also for the shitty way I wrote this! It's easy to see that I'm rusty and out of shape with this fiction, but hopefully next chapter will flow a little bit better. I hope it won't be this long again, but now I have exams to prepare for and my mom needs help packing down her house, so.. I'm going to be busy. But I will definitely try to write.
I trust everyone who celebrates it had a wonderful Christmas? I know I did! We had plenty of snow here in Denmark and I was home for the holidays. It was truly lovely!
Rizzoli & Isles is my current obsession. The show and the books. I think it's safe to say that I have more than a little crush on Angie Harmon. That woman is just so stunning!
Thanks for reading!
Disclaimer; I don't own Glee, Friends, or Rizzoli & Isles.