A/N: Prompt from lightbluenymphadora, who provided the first sentence. I don't even know. XD Thanks!
"Look, what if we just stop at the next one and buy it?"
But Rachel's already too deeply entrenched in her stubbornness. Santana can see all the signs, and it does nothing to help her mood. Made even worse by the fact that Dani hasn't been around enough to recognize the power play the smaller girl is putting on, and is hurriedly trying to placate her, she can only chew on the inside of her lip and look outside the windshield. She is, after all, the one driving; can't stop that now, no matter what Dani is saying.
"That's not good enough," Rachel presses. Her eyes are burning, even in the rear view mirror, and Santana can feel her resolve not to butt in with a scathing remark weakening. Jesus does that girl often have a stick up her ass.
Dani closes her eyes. Santana can see the flexing of her jaw out of the corner of her eye. Still, the girl tries to gentle her voice. "Then what is good enough?" she asks.
It takes Rachel more time to answer than Santana expects, and she glances up to watch her look out of the window. "Never mind," she finally allows thickly, seemingly as if there are more words on the tip of her tongue, but instead, wastes time. However, when Santana's sure she's done talking, her body stiffens again, and she crosses her arms. "I just don't know why you couldn't have stopped for me."
"Couldn't have - couldn't have stopped for you? Rachel. God. You brought it up after we'd already passed the exit!" Yup. Santana's done catering to her.
"Like you didn't know with, I don't know, all the times I'd brought it up before we got into the car? Days, nay, weeks before this trip?" Her voice shrill, rising, shaking her head so violently that it's making her hair whip back and forth, Rachel's palms slap onto the backseat under her. "Santana, I swear, sometimes, it's like you just don't care about anything I have to say!"
Right as Santana's about to retort back, a loud whistle bounces back and forth, trapped in the car and searing all of their ears. "Hey! Shut up. Both of you. I'm going to talk, okay?" Glaring first at Santana, then at Rachel, Dani exhales loudly. "This is a long trip," she starts, allowing Santana the time to swallow and crack her neck, back and forth, shoulders shrugging, Rachel practically doing the same except frowning and bobbing her head instead of trying to crack it, "And it's obvious none of us got enough sleep."
Unbidden, Santana smirks, and she chances a glance in the mirror to see a similar one grace Rachel's lips for half a second. When she turns her attention to Dani, the girl rolls her eyes but smirks back.
"So. This is what we're going to do. The next time possible, we'll stop. I wouldn't mind using the bathroom, if I have to, anyway, and it's not like these places don't crowd this stretch of the highway. But," Dani points, first at Rachel, then at Santana, "When we do, you two are going to kiss and make up."
There's silence, Santana unwilling to talk first, but, slowly, Rachel relents. Her voices lightens, "What about you?" and Santana nods along.
"Me?" Dani laughs. She settles back into her seat. "What, like seeing my two girls kiss and make up doesn't make me happy? No," she waves her hand in the air, cheeks dimpling, "I'm sure you'll both come up with something. Now. I'm going to change the subject. So. Music? IPods? Give me your iPods!"
Forty-five minutes later, having pulled into the first mall that was sure to have a CD store, Santana, leaning against the car and taking a drag from her cigarette, can't help but smile as she watches Rachel and Dani walk up to her, the darker haired of the two grinning widely as she clutches a bag to her chest. "Find it?" she teases, already knowing the answer. Dropping her cigarette to the asphalt and grinding it with her heel, she takes note of Dani's smile and 'go ahead' nod of her head before disappearing into the car.
Rachel's answering smile practically lights up the day, and Santana can't help but drink in the sight. Sure, she'd been upset like nobody's business earlier in the day, but that was behind them, like so many arguments that had come before - quick and fiery, and she'd had enough time to calm down and truly think about everything. "Yes," the smaller girl bounces on her toes, pulling out Lady Gaga's new CD and presenting it to Santana with a dramatic flourish.
Accepting it, Santana studies the case, then pushes it back into Rachel's hands. "You happy now?" she raises her eyebrow. A smile tugs at the corner of her lips.
Rachel's eyelashes flutter as she nods. "Yes, thank you." Pulling her lower lip into her mouth, she drags her gaze up Santana's body, and steps forward. "We okay?" she murmurs.
But Santana's already pulling her into her arms, pressing a quick, strong kiss to her cheek, right at the crease of her lips. "Yeah," Santana grins, knowing Rachel won't want a proper kiss until she's rinses out her mouth, "Yeah. Always."
Rachel grins at her, relief plain on her face. "Good."
"Not like I've never dealt with your crazy, or anything, before," Santana laughs, letting Rachel disengage after a soft push and pout. Ducking towards the trunk of the car where her toiletries are kept. She smiles as she watches Rachel wrap herself around Dani. Well, she thinks, spraying her tongue with mouth-spray and popping a mint into her mouth for good measure, not like she'd thought this trip was going to be too easy or anything.
Nope, she thinks again, laughing as her two girlfriends tumble into the backseat, with them three? Not easy, no, but oh, she catches Dani's eyes through the glass, smiling at her before she's swallowed up with Rachel's attention again, oh so worth it to see how they'll make this trip - and them, intact - work.