Chapter 10
Hi. Yeah, you might want to refresh your memory and read the previous chapters...I don't own Glee.
Two hours and still no presence.
It was a bit comical, the whole ordeal. Santana wasn't sure why she still cared, it was obvious the woman was never going to show up. She probably drove by the apartment complex, saw how horrendous it was and quickly drove away. She couldn't blame the woman for doing so. She, herself, had nearly done the same back when she was apartment hunting. This place was the best she could afford, so she swallowed her pride and decided to take the apartment.
Just when Santana gave up on waiting, there was a loud knock on the door.
"You've gotta be kidding me." She muttered under her breath. Despite how annoyed she was, she let out a deep sigh, straightened her dress (at least something had to look nice), scanned the room for any out-of-place items, and prayed to God that whoever was on the other side of the door wasn't a weirdo or creep.
She slowly opened the door, giving herself a few moments for the erratic beating in her heart to slow and soak in the other person's appearance.
Finally, when the barrier was no longer separating them, the stranger, the extremely attractive female stranger, smiled in relief, "Oh thank God you're hot."
Santana faltered at the sudden words, perplexed beyond belief. It was strange, considering she was slightly thinking the same thing about the blonde before her, but at least she had the decency not to say it out loud. The comment, though, was not unwelcome.
Narrowing her eyes and refusing to show how flustered she felt, the irritated brunette stepped aside, "You must be Brittany. You're late."
Brittany walked- more like skipped- into the apartment.
"I forgot the difference between North and East and ended up in the Valley." Santana eyed her weirdly. The Valley was miles and miles away.
"Where did you come from?"
"Downtown. Oh, that's the cutest kitchen ever!"
Excusing her clear lack of direction, Santana studied Brittany as she examined the room with enthusiastic eyes. Her eyes travelled down a cute blouse that hung loosely over what was clearly a well-toned body. She gulped as they continued down to meet tiny jean shorts, clinging tightly to the nicest ass Santana had ever seen. Her legs nearly gave out when her eyes finally finished their descent, meeting incredibly, long, smooth, tan legs that went on for miles.
How she was blessed with such an existence in her home, Santana couldn't understand.
"This is like the coolest place ever. I'll take it...or I guess share it." Brittany's voice came through her silent worshipping.
Santana blinked, "Wait, what?"
Brittany gasped, looking towards the hall, "There's a bedroom, too? Can I see it?" She was now bouncing up and down on her heels energetically.
Santana was rendered speechless, still too bewildered by the blonde's sudden decision to form a coherent answer. Santana didn't know being speechless was something she was even capable of. "Uh, yeah." Was she truly surprised there was a bedroom?
The blonde ran through the hall and into the bedroom. Santana wasn't far behind, "I was planning on sharing the bedroom. You know, setting up your bed on that side," she pointed to the right, "If that's okay..."
"No, that's great! But you know what would be awesome? If we just got a king-sized bed and shared it."
Santana couldn't tell whether the other woman was serious. She blinked, laughed, and turned their attention to the bathroom, "So this is clearly the bathroom. Um, it's not much, same could be said for the whole place, but after awhile everything feels cozy and just right. I promise you'll be satisfied." That was all pure bullshit, but anything to get the place sold.
Brittany beamed, "I trust you. This is going to be so cool. When can I move in?"
She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. "Seriously? You're not even going to think it throu- I mean, Friday! You can move in by Friday. I just need to get some stuff cleared with my landlord." She went along with Brittany's quick decision, because any further questions on her part could probably place some doubts in the other's head.
After all, she was desperate. And as they say; beggars can't be choosers.
"Oh!" Brittany jumped in realization, "I'm suppose to give you this or something. My friend told me it's good that you get a background check."
It never occurred to Santana to seek this information from her potential roommate. She felt incredibly idiotic. "Oh, right." She took the paper from Brittany's hand. In a fleeting moment, their hands brushed and Santana felt the heat from Brittany's touch shooting straight up her arm, and then down past her belly. She gasped lightly and stepped back. It felt like an electric current had run through her. Brittany smirked at her.
She should have realized then how screwed she would be in the months to come.
Clearing her throat, she looked over the document. Something caught her eye, "It says here you were...arrested once?"
Brittany's puzzled expression made Santana turn the paper over and point at the section. "Oh, that. It wasn't my fault. The people at the store thought it was okay to trap a baby duckling in their building."
"...And?"
"And so I took it from them and released it into the nearest pond. It was the only logical solution." Brittany explained with a simple shrug.
For the millionth time in less than ten minutes, Santana was at loss for words. This woman seemed so out there, all quirky and weird, Santana was afraid to admit she was having second thoughts.
But it only took a quick once over of the blonde to shut the doubts in a small corner of her mind and smile, "Well at least you had good intentions...?"
The blonde nodded, "That's what I said. Once I got out, I was planning on doing it again, for the ducks, you know? But also for Shonda, my cell-mate. I missed hanging out with her. She had really colorful drawings on her skin that she let me trace and play with. Sort of like a maze."
"Do you know how to cook?" This new piece of information regarding the blonde's life behind bars went completely over her head.
"I can boil water."
"Good. Definitely good." Santana nodded her head in self-assurance. "Do you have a job?"
"I dance. Got a full time job at a dance studio in the city." There was a gleam of pride in her blue eyes.
Santana quirked an eyebrow, "That's very interesting. Dancing is good." Dancing was excellent. "Any allergies?"
"Violence."
"Good answer." Santana was the least violent person ever, even though she may terrorize her next door neighbor every so often just out of sheer boredom, but that was only for self-defense. Little old men were always up to no good. "Favorite hobbies?"
"Mouse hunting, gargling peroxide for hours at a time, and dancing naked on rooftops."
Santana stared wildly at her in what she hoped Brittany translated to excitement, "Same!"
"Really?" Brittany stepped closer.
"Yes. Brittany Pierce, I feel like you and I will get along just swimmingly." That was probably the hardest sentence she'd ever said, but somehow she managed to spit it out with a fake smile. For the sake of money.
"I don't know how to swim, but thank you so much!" Brittany tackled Santana in the middle of the hallway, hugging her for all she was worth. Santana felt her eyes bulge out of her head from the sheer pressure. "I'm sure you had a hundreds of people dying to live here, too. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
No, she really didn't. But no one had to know, right?
Santana let out a long self-loathing sigh as Brittany rocked them back and forth.
Who was she kidding? They weren't going to get along swimmingly, her plan to convince herself otherwise was a stupid one. Yeah, sure, Brittany was the hottest chick she'd ever seen, and possibly the hottest one to ever exist, but she naive and a bit outlandish, and, without a doubt, the complete opposite of Santana.
She could already picture their future. Santana's ideal roommate would keep to themselves, but Brittany would want to hang out every minute of the day. Judging from her innocent manners, the blonde would probably criticize her way of living (bringing someone home every night) and lecture her on the safety of protection and knowing your partner. Some sort of shit like that...
Taking on Brittany Pierce as her roommate could possibly end up being the worst decision of her life.
"Brittany, Brittany, wait!" People kept blocking her way from the retreating figure. "Move outta my way!" She growled at an innocent bystander.
She saw Brittany exiting the building and picked up her pace. Once out, she quickly scanned her surroundings, looking for any sign of blonde hair. Her eyes found the tall blonde walking rapidly up the sidewalk. It was a good distance away, so she had no choice but to run after her.
"Brittany!" The blonde still refused to turn around, even though she was well within hearing distance. Less than a foot away now, Santana took the initiative and grasped the blonde's swinging arm. She forcefully turned her roommate around. "Look at me."
Anything she was going to say died on her lips at the sight of Brittany's crestfallen expression. Her face was red, but not from crying. In fact, Brittany looked angry and a bit annoyed. "What?" She hissed.
Santana opened her mouth, then closed it just as quick. Her words were failing her as they often did in the presence of her roommate. After what felt like an hour to Santana, Brittany shook her head at her roommate's silence and made a move to turn around.
"Wait, Brittany." She heard herself speak again. There must have been a disconnect somewhere between her brain and her mouth, because she had no control of what she was saying, and wasn't even sure what exactly she was asking Brittany to wait for. Fortunately, Brittany stopped walking, giving Santana silent permission to say what was on her mind. "Brittany please, just talk to me? I have...I have no idea what's going on."
Santana's voice sounded weak and defeated, but she was actually grateful for it; she wanted Brittany to understand how hopeless and utterly confused she felt.
Although subconsciously she knew exactly what was going on, she was scared to admit it to herself, or anyone else. She was afraid of facing it. That was why she yearned for Brittany to explain everything. Because she knew that if anyone in the world could answer her questions, it was Brittany.
"I'm angry."
Santana would have missed the small, quiet confession if her senses hadn't already been heightened from the adrenaline. She wanted to laugh at the simplicity, though, there really was no humor behind Brittany's statement.
"Okay. I understand." She nodded in reassurance. "I'm sorry..." The apology was pathetic and completely useless, but it was the truth.
Brittany was staring at the ground, toes scraping a dark spot on the concrete. "I thought we were going somewhere."
Santana's heart fluttered. It was increasingly becoming harder to breathe, and she had to take several deep breaths to compose herself.
"I'm angry because...because after the most incredible night of my life..." Now Brittany's tears were falling down her face freely, "Not even twenty-four hours later, you go and sleep with some other woman."
"Britt, no-" Her hand reached out, longing to touch Brittany, any part of Brittany, for the sake of her sanity, but the blonde just flinched back, losing eye contact. It stung. "I never, ever slept with her. You have to trust me, B."
Brittany sniffed and gazed back at her briefly, "But you were going to."
"No!" She didn't understand why Brittany was so angry with her about this. "I entered her apartment and left just as quickly." Her voice lowered to a whisper, trying not to sound angry herself, "Britt, why are you mad at me? I mean, you're the one who gave me her number in the first place."
Both of them already knew the answer; it was just a matter of who was going to say it first.
"Because I never thought..." Her voice faltered. She pursed her lips in silence.
Santana itched to reach out for her, to erase the pain in her eyes. But she knew she shouldn't. She felt a disconnect with Brittany and until her heart stopped hurting, crossing her arms in front of her chest was the next best thing. "You never thought what?"
A hundred different emotions passed through Brittany's blue eyes like a storm, a complete contrast to the calm she normally found there.
"Im not mad at you." Brittany chose to address Santana's previous question. "I'm mad at myself." Her shoulders slumped and standing before Santana, the brunette knew that the next few words that would leave Brittany's lips could further change their relationship.
"I'm mad at myself for falling for someone who doesn't like me as much as I like them." Brittany let out a shaky breath, "But even though I knew this, I still tried."
Santana couldn't take her eyes off of Brittany's tear-soaked face. The brunette was so transfixed that she didn't even flinch when a large truck passed them, blaring its horn loudly.
Brittany bowed her head and let out a small chuckle, then gazed back at Santana. Her fingers twitched nervously at her side, "I made us do that whole roommates with benefits thing. I was telling the truth when I admitted that I had always wanted to...sleep with you. But it's more than that. From the first day I met you, a part of me always wanted to become closer to you." Her jaws clenched tightly for a moment, then she spoke again with more conviction, "I wanted to become closer to you in everyway, but being friends just wasn't enough. I thought you felt the same, so I stopped having one-night stands, hoping that without the distractions, maybe something real would happen between us.
Santana was so busy soaking up Brittany's words that she didn't realise the other woman was practically sobbing.
"I always do this." Brittany cried. Her hand came up to wipe away falling tears, an action Santana wished she could have done herself, "I always go for something I can't have." She hiccuped. "I'm sorry. I'm not making any sense..."
"No, Brittany, no..." She couldn't believe it. After all these months, after all the confusion, the fucks, the steps Santana made, the steps back, the sleepless nights thinking everything over...Brittany really thought she didn't want her? "Goddamn it."
Santana did the only plausible thing she could think of. She reached out towards Brittany's face, seizing it, almost roughly, between her hands, and slammed her full red lips against the blonde's thinner pink ones.
Brittany gasped into her mouth at the sudden onslaught, but quickly returned the kiss, bringing her cold hands over the brunette's cheeks. This gentle action was such a stark contrast to the way Santana initiated the contact, she couldn't help but melt into it. The initial force of the kiss dispersed, leaving the two women sighing into it.
Santana couldn't wrap her mind around how perfectly their lips fit together. Brittany was the best kisser in the history of kissing, that much was clear, but it didn't make sense that this amazing woman was kissing her. How did she get so lucky?
The brunette chose not to ponder over her luck, not with Brittany pressed up against her, deepening the kiss deliciously. Brittany had lips that vaguely tasted like sweet cherries. They were so incredibly irresistible, Santana found herself humming in pleasure. She would never get tired of kissing this woman. Never.
"Mmm, Santana..." The blonde mumbled against plump, luscious lips.
But the Latina refused to back down, continuously pecking her lips just as Brittany began to pull back. "San..."
Santana sighed throatily, "No, shh..." Her lips traveled past the corner of Brittany's mouth, up to pink tinted cheeks. "Stay like this." She laid dozens of chaste kisses across her roommate's face, travelling up to her forehead, grazing it briefly, then journeying down to her slightly red nose. Brittany sighed at the pressure of Santana's compelling lips on her skin.
Unbeknownst to herself, Brittany was simply glowing. Whether it be from happiness, or the warmth of Santana's breath against her skin, the brunette could feel the happiness radiating off the blonde.
Santana didn't really have a reason for her actions, the only thing she she focused on was making sure Brittany understood how much she wanted her too. That Brittany had absolutely no reason to think Santana was not interested in her. They meant so much to each other, but never realized the feelings were reciprocated.
"You don't even understand how much I..." She inhaled sharply. Brittany bumped their foreheads lightly.
Say it, just fucking say it.
But before Santana could utter any life-altering confessions, a couple of men walked passed them. They whistled crudely at the proximity of their bodies and lips, breaking the trance the two women were caught up in.
Santana scoffed at their reaction, while Brittany's eyes followed them down the street with a hint of a frown.
Knowing what her roommate was thinking, Santana cradled her cheek once more and brought Brittany's attention back, "Let's go home."
"But-"
Santana kissed her lips quickly, "Trust me."
Brittany looked at her with all the trust she could muster, filling Santana's heart with all kinds of feelings. The brunette took her hand and Brittany smiled widely, "Okay."
If someone had told Santana in back high school that in a couple of years she'd be living in an apartment smaller than her room, dealing with loans and debts far greater than what she'd imagine, and working at a minimum wage job, she'd, well...believe them.
But if someone told Santana that she'd be dealing with those things while having the most amazing, beautiful woman loving her and being there for her, she would punch them in the face.
But, even someone as hopeless as her deserved some good in her life.
"Are you one-hundred percent Latina?" Brittany asked.
Santana had to laugh at the random question, "Not completely, I'm three-fourths Puerto Rican and one-quarter African American."
They were a tangled mess of legs and arms, draped across Santana's small bed. The lack of space forced them to lay on their sides with absolutely no room between their bodies. They didn't mind, of course; it was probably something they would have done anyway, even on the biggest mattress in the world.
Their proximity granted Santana access to kiss Brittany's face as often as she pleased.
After walking side by side, almost a bit shyly, down the streets of Los Angeles, they climbed the stairs up to their apartment, where the couple spent the rest of the evening huddled close together in bed with nothing but undergarments.
Based on how unkempt and disastrous Brittany's hair was, Santana could only imagine how wild her weave stood. It made sense though, they did make out like bunnies at the club before and on the street...
Santana also understood they still had unfinished...feelings to share. And she was very aware of the fact that even after everything that happened today, after confessing their feelings (showing, in Santana's case), neither of them had actually said those three little words.
"You know, not too long ago I used to think I was a french duck." Brittany stated coyly.
The brunette grinned widely, "And who says you aren't?"
"Apparently being Dutch doesn't mean I'm half french, half duck."
Santana traced her cheekbone with a thumb, still wearing an amused expression. "I see what you did there. But wouldn't a half-french, half-duck be called a...Freck?"
Brittany scrunched her nose up adorably, "That sounds like freckles and I hate freckles. They make me look like I have skin problems, especially in the summer."
"What?" Santana half yelled, "I freaking love them. Yours especially. Don't make make me kiss every single one. I will do it."
Brittany laughed, wrapping her arms around the brunettes neck, "That would take forever. They're everywhere...and I mean everywhere." Brittany said in a sly manner.
Santana's lip twitched and her eyes narrowed seductively at the blonde's implications, "Like I said, I will do it."
"Later." Brittany said, "Right now I just want to cuddle."
Santana hummed in agreement, scooting so impossibly close to the blonde that the tips of their noses brushed. Brittany's breath tickled tastefully against her lips. She pecked her swiftly, only once, just because.
Brittany smiled almost shyly. It filled Santana's heart with such content knowing she produced that. She didn't realize it until recently, but bringing happiness to Brittany meant everything to her.
"You mean everything to me." She blurted out. Loving the way Brittany blushed at the sentiment, Santana briefly marvelled at her own boldness. So much had changed in so little time. The threat of losing Brittany really did a job on her. "Don't forget that okay? I just wish I can show you how much." As an afterthought, she added, "And put it into words without being such a chicken."
Brittany sighed contently, "It may not seem like it, but I'm still in shock so anything more than this would probably give me a heart attack. There's only so much love my heart can take."
Santana's heart momentarily stopped beating and her body tensed up. The temperature of the room seemed to climb up at an accelerated speed. She even felt a bit dizzy. But the obvious surprise and regret on Brittany's face forced her to calm down. She took a breath, trying to steady herself from what the dancer just said. God, when will she ever learn to play it cool at the mention of love?
"I won't say it if it makes you uncomfortable." Brittany whispered. Her eyes searched Santana's face for any further negative reaction.
"No, no." Santana shook her head, "I'm happy. I am. I just need a more time. I can-" Her throat was closing up as usual. How did she get from being the confident, sure woman on the sidewalk to this babbling, flustered girl in less than an hour?
It took her a moment to realize Brittany was shushing her, "Shh, I know. I know. And you don't understand how proud I am. Santana," her hands reached up to palm her cheek, "I don't need you to say or show me anything. It's written in your eyes, everything you feel about me. I was an idiot before for not noticing completely, before. And you too. For not realizing how much I adore you and your pretty face."
Santana chuckled. She mentally thanked Brittany for choosing her words carefully, preventing Santana from going into another emotional breakdown. "We are quite the pair."
"We are an awesome pair." Brittany corrected cutely. Santana couldn't help but lean up and kiss her one more time.
"Give me time. I swear I'll make it up to you, but all I'm asking for is time. I can do this and I'm not going to mess up so you have to trust me." The words rushed passed her lips before she could think them through. Opening herself up to Brittany on her feelings and emotions completely was going to be difficult, but it was a road she was willing to embark on.
"I can wait. I'll wait forever if it means I can spend every moment with you." Brittany positively radiated.
"You don't have to worry since you're stuck with me in this tiny apartment...unless you move out; which would suck a lot." She shuddered at the possibility.
"Hmmm..." Brittany's contemplative expression earned the blonde a whack on the shoulder. "Just kidding!"
"Let's get some rest." Santana said, wrapping her arms more tightly around Brittany's shoulder.
"Boo..." Brittany complained, though she made no physical protest. Santana knew how tired she was, but it was obvious Brittany wanted to continue cuddling and speaking intimately to one another. Not that she wasn't desiring the same, but tomorrow was going to be a long day.
"Hush, we both have work tomorrow." Santana closed her eyes, just then realizing how exhausted she was.
"Fine. But you're making pancakes tomorrow." Brittany stated. Her voice was dripping with exhaustion, eyes closing slowly.
"Deal."
Hey guys! It's been a while and it's completley my fault. I lost all inspiration for this story a while ago and only recently did I gain my motivation back. But during my hiatus I did start on another Brittana fic that I'm excited to get out once this is done. So hopefully everyone is interested.
This story does have a few chapters left, including the one with the kink you guys requested ( I haven't forgotten). I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, it was pretty difficult to write...too many feelings.
I wanted to sent out many, many thanks to my Beta who helped me so much on this! Thank you!