Day after day, Brittany couldn't get enough of Santana. The brunette always woke up with the same energy, a ray of sunshine lighting the whole loft better than the sun itself. She absolutely adored hearing her singing under the shower, the way she always drank her coffee - eyes locked on her computer screen - impassive. Her organization delighted her, always checking first if she had her keys, second her phone, third if her makeup was okay, fourth if her dress was okay. A little dance she did every morning before kissing her goodbye and leaving for the office all morning. Brittany now could identify the rhythm of Santana's steps when she came back around noon, a very typical drumming pace her heels made on the ground in the building's corridors. She always entered the apartment with a sweet word. First, it was a simple "hey sweetheart", then it had turned into a "hey babe", "hi honey", a whole dictionary of sweet words to start their day time together. Then she would change, getting rid of her dress and her long, silky hairstyle to pass some jeans on and tie her hair into a messy bun so she wouldn't get any paint of her chic clothes and great hair-do.
Brittany had no words to describe how much she loved this Santana, cool and relaxed, sipping her coffee while working in her jeans. She loved the dresses. Santana was always so sexy in them, looking smoking hot, fresh and perfect. But whenever Brittany would took a five-minute break, she just stared at her lovingly thinking she couldn't be more beautiful, so serious, scratching her forehead when focusing really hard, chewing on her pen when deep in thought, just living her life on her own a few steps away from Brittany. When she was away, Brittany had taken to the habit of sketching, only thing she could do on her own without the risk of hurting herself even more. Once she would hear Santana's key turn into the lock, she would hide it in a hurry so Santana would never know how many portraits she had sketched of her, maybe dozens, maybe hundreds.
She had been the sweetest all along, aways opening her paint pots with a smile, making sure everything was perfect for Brittany to work: "Is it okay like that?", "Do you want this there or there?", "I can go to the store if you're running out of blue, it's just a few blocks away, I don't mind at all!" She completed the process of melting her heart one day when she had made a stain of coffee on the ground and felt terribly sorry and embarrassed. Brittany had shaken her brush to make some paint drop on the floor to show her she couldn't care less. The two of them burst into laughter, each of them were thinking the other couldn't get any cuter.
Once again, this day had been a sheer fantasy. Brittany had woken to a Santana snuggling against her. The brunette had set their breakfast while she had been taking care of her hurtful rib. She had daydreamed about her last vision of her all morning, Santana leaving the loft all about tight skirt and incredibly high heels, only to feel even more in love. Her heart melting as she drew in her bed, the keys clicked in the lock.
"Hey babe, I went to the store on my way back, I gave the seller the reference you told me but he said he hadn't any of that paint left, so he gave me another one, I hope it's okay!" Santana ranted while entering the apartment and getting rid of bags full of groceries on the kitchen table.
Brittany folded her sketchbook and stuffed it in her bedside cabinet. Careful, she stood up and walked to get to her so very dear sweetheart. "You went to the grocery store too? You didn't have to..."
"Yes Ma'am," Santana happily answered. " I got coffee - a huge load of coffee!" She laughed as she took all the boxes off the paper bags, amused by her own addiction to caffeine, "Avocados, 'cause tonight I'm making you some awesome guac, my love. A ancestral Lopez family recipe, it's to die for! And last but not least..."
Brittany smiled wide, blushing. She stared, frozen, at Santana, absorbed by her unpacking, totally unaware of the sweet words she had just inadvertently let out. My love, it just sounded so natural, so meant to be. It could have never been said in a more perfect way.
"What did you just say?"
"What? I said I'll make you guac, you know, guacamole!" She repeated with her best Spanish accent and a little dance move to show how fiercely she loved that.
"Yeah, of course... Sorry, I was away for a second," Brittany faked, hiding her thrilled heart the best she could. Then these two little words would be her little secret, locked the sweetest part of her heart and memory.
Santana smiled back, "And... nachos! Ba dum tss..." She said shaking a bag of nachos in the air playfully. "How does that sound? You, me and guacamole in front of a movie tonight?"
She couldn't hold her chuckles anymore, way too flustered, "Who needs painkillers when I have you? My little paradise on Earth..."
Santana grabbed a few boxes to put them away, walked around the table to kiss her, "Well, I do love how that sounds."
Of course you do, since you love me too, Brittany thought.
After an incredibly productive afternoon and a cozy night snuggling against each other on the sofa and devouring Santana's delicious guacamole in front of a funny movie, both very satisfied women were preparing themselves to go to bed. Sitting on the bed's edge, Brittany rubbed some cream on her bruised rib. As soon as Santana came from the bathroom, she hid it under her shirt.
"Open the blanket. I'm freakin' freezing!" Santana joked, skipping through the loft barefoot with her shirt and underwear for her only clothes.
Giggling, Brittany unfolded the blanket and lay down underneath, on her broken rib-free side. Santana hurried and curled up against her, feeling so cold.
"Feeling better there?" She whispered in the crook of her neck, trying to hold her the best she could. She took a better position and started to cuddle her, kissing her so tenderly.
"Much better," Santana murmured before kissing her back. She slid her arms around her neck, the only place she was sure not to hurt even with caresses.
It was Brittany's favorite moment of the day. Side by side, there was almost no broken rib anymore, just the two of them cuddling each other to sleep, whispering the conclusions of the day and wishing each other wonderful dreams - that they'd sure have. It was the only moment of the day when she remained just a few inches away from her. She was free to stroke her endlessly, to feel her smooth skin and her natural perfume spelling of fresh flowers and a springtime morning. She pushed her on her back, deepening her kiss.
Santana softly chuckled, "My babe's missing me..."
"You don't know what a torture it is having you here all day and having to keep my hands for myself..." How many times she had undressed her with her eyes, dying for the moment she would finally be able to make love to her again.
"I can go back home if it's too painf-"
Brittany crashed their lips together before she could even finish her sentence. She buried her in the pillows, chuckles for their only music. Feeling handsy, she lifted up her shirt a little to stroke her hips, wonderful curves that couldn't amaze her more. She took her time, enjoying every inch of this sweet skin until Santana, missing her this way just as much, let out a moan. Softly encouraged to pursue, she travelled up and started to stroke Santana's breasts, small mellow cushions that felt, under her fingers, like they were only created to be fondled.
"Hold on..." Santana covered her hand with hers and took it off.
"Why...?" She resumed kissing her.
Santana barely brushed around Brittany's wound and the blonde startled in pain. "That's why!" She chuckled.
"If I stay on my good side, and if-"
"No discussion! Not healed, no fooling around, babe."
"You're so harsh with me..." Brittany lay back down on the mattress, defeated.
"Whether you like it or not, I care about you getting back on your feet as soon as possible. If that means going without for a few weeks, then I'll remain chaste and there's nothing you can do about that."
"But... why..." Brittany pleaded out loud more for herself, feeling terribly sorry not to be able to give her all the love she felt for her.
"You're half-way through recovery, we just have to hold on... We can still cuddle in the meantime," She offered her open wide arms with the sweetest smile. Pouting, Brittany softly snuggled.
"I just wish..." Brittany started whispering. "I just want to make love to you..."
Santana cuddled her as carefully as she could, not to hurt her. She gave her a light kiss, "Good night, honey..."
The blonde sighed. At least she could hold her; she could have her by her side, and it was way more important than love-making. But... still.
Peacefully, they both started to work after Santana had helped her set her canvas and open all her pots. Like everyday, Santana had to use so much force to open them, grumbling. She now understood very well why Brittany couldn't work on her own.
"Santana?" Brittany softly asked, calmly waiting on her chair. Even if she called for her hundreds of times a day, each time was embarrassing her more and more.
"Yup, coming..." Santana finished reading something on her computer while standing up. Once she was done, she rushed over. "Officer Lopez on duty. What's the mission, general?" Brittany chuckled and offered her lips to be kissed. "If that's the mission, I'm glad I signed in..."
"Can you open this pot for me, please?" She attempted to grab the pot of blue paint on the ground herself but Santana was faster than her. "The cerulean," she indicated.
Santana cleared her throat, "Yeah, in human speech, what color is it?"
Brittany giggled, "This light blue over there right next to the vermili- the red," she corrected herself with a smile.
"Gotcha!" In a quick move, Santana grabbed the pot and failed at opening it. "Damn! I don't understand why it always... fucking sticks so much," she grumbled, forcing like crazy.
"I'll use another color, leave it..." Brittany resigned herself. Santana was already sweet enough to help her, she didn't want to bother her even more.
"Nah, nah, it's a matter of pride!" Santana stormed toward the kitchen with the pot.
"What are you doing?"
"Officer Lopez is gonna teach this bastard a little lesson," she joked looking for a knife in a drawer. On the kitchen table, she started to torture the pot's lid until it opened. "Hallelujah!" She sang loudly raising her hands up in the air, all proud and thrilled.
Brittany laughed, putting her palm on her face. She was such a dork sometimes. Watching the blonde laughing, Santana started to giggle at herself as she gave the pot back.
"Here's the petty criminal," She handed it over, giggling even more. "Nobody knows but my middle name is Alcatraz. Some have tried to cheat me but nobody ever found the corpses so..."
Brittany stared at her, the cute smirk and sharp eyes of one who couldn't be happier. Could she ever be more beautiful than that? She burst into laughter, "Kiss me, just kiss me... Please..." She let out between her loud chuckles.
Happily complying, Santana granted her a playful kiss through her own giggles, a perfect kiss that finished ruining Brittany's heart.
"You're off-duty, officer."
"It sounds terribly hot when you say it... Roawr..." Santana kidded, all smiles as she took her seat back at the kitchen table.
Feeling incredibly in love, Brittany resumed her work, holding her pot of blue paint. She knew this pot just became her favorite, that she would think of Santana each time she'd grab it, her sense of humor, her cuteness, simply all the best things world had to offer.
Once in a while, she peeked at Santana working, oh so serious, seeming so efficient. Saying she was efficient was an understatement, she had became some sort of unstoppable working machine since she had started looking after Brittany. She was at her best, all her motivation and efficiency finally back at their peek. She was killing her meetings in the mornings, nailing her paperwork in the afternoons. Every night, she ended up so proud of herself and she couldn't be happier that everything fit in so well, as if it was meant to be that way.
"Santana?" Brittany called, standing up slowly as she then unscrewed her easel's fasteners to free the painting. The brunette immediately came, all smiles. "Can we switch canvases?"
"No problemo!" Now knowing precisely how to do this, Santana handled the canvas perfectly and put it away while Brittany chose another size of canvas. She tried to take it off of the pile but Santana kept her from doing it. "Very funny Britt, hands off!" She threatened joking as she took it with a chuckle and tied it on the easel.
"You have cerulean on your wrist, sweetheart, don't move..." Brittany noticed and went to scrape it off from her skin.
"Blasted blue paint..." Santana grumbled playfully as Brittany softly took it away, her own hands were covered in paint anyway.
Smirking, Brittany dried her finger on Santana's cheek, leaving a huge blue stain behind.
Santana froze, "Oh no, you didn't do that."
"Yes, I did." Brittany nodded very serious.
Caught in the game, Santana dipped her finger on Brittany's palette to put paint on her face too but she turned her head away just in time, bursting into laughter again. Determined to win, Santana went to hold her without putting pressure on her rib and dried her finger all along Brittany's cheek.
Santana's phone rang, making both of them freeze and stop laughing.
"Shit," Santana playfully finished drying her finger on Brittany's already dirty shirt with a smirk and stormed to pick up.
"... Hi Vanessa-... Hm no, I've never done that-... Come on, that'd be the stupidest thing to do!-... Okay but how does that concern me?... He did what?..." She started to boil, "But who does he think he is? Nah, nah, this is not happening this way-... Oh hell no, put him on.-... Well, I don't care if he doesn't want to talk to me, put him on."
Worried by her suddenly serious tone, Brittany stared at the scene. She had never seen her really angry before and she seemed on her way to exploding. She waited anxiously to know where the conversation she was having would lead. Santana started to pace through the loft as she waited for the man to pick up. She caught sight of Brittany frowning, obviously empathic. She winked to reassure her that she wasn't angry at all, that this was just her usual way of dealing with a problem at work. Yes, she probably was a little loud, but at least things worked just fine this way. Brittany couldn't hold a relieved smile at Santana's wink, now finding her fake angriness much more entertaining.
"Hey, explain yourself!-... Yeah, I don't fucking care if it was how my predecessor usually did. Breaking news, he's not there anymore, the rules have changed now that I'm running things, so you'd better update!"
Brittany started working again, still listening to the conversation quite amused. A pain manifested harshly in her ribs making her shake, she lost grip over her brush.
"You're not listening to me, I'm gonna explain it once and once only: Crisis time, low cuts. Does that ring a bell?" Santana kept seething on the phone. Catching sight of Brittany struggling to pick up her brush, she hurried, still talking. "Yeah, but you're no alchemist. Last time I checked, there's no gold ingots in our coffee machine so if you want to keep the enterprise profitable, you don't have a choice, buddy." She cynically spat.
She bent to get the brush and give it back with a sweet smile despite her authoritarian tone. She noticed Brittany was fancying a specific pot of paint but was probably waiting to ask for it. She pointed to it, requesting a confirmation of which pot she indeed wanted, and Brittany happily nodded.
"Okay you know what, I was being nice right here, but since you decided to play nasty, let's get down to business, asshole. You don't have any power in that case, is that clear? I am the one in charge, so you'd better get your hands off of it before you, your wife and your pretty kids end up sleeping under a bridge, because guess what? I'm the one who decides who should be fired to keep the enterprise profitable." She ranted coldly.
She hurriedly clenched the pot under her arm to open the pot easily and gave it back. She stroked Brittany's shoulders softly, a loving gesture so highly contrasting with her current tone.
Brittany looked up and couldn't help but find her terribly beautiful. She was radiating so much strength, so much power... Even if she had visited her at the office before, she had never really seen her acting like a boss. Brittany wondered what she might have done to deserve such a wonderful person by her side, willing to open pots and switch canvases when she was empowered to decide on people's lives. It felt so silly, so superficial to help her paint portraits. It sounded like lame leisure compared to her own duties. And yet, Santana was there, all smiling, all happy to do the best she could to help, as if it were a mission of the highest importance.
"And let's be honest here, you're a parasite in this company, you help with nothing and you aren't profitable at all. I didn't fire you yet because you have two years left before retirement and it would have been cruel to do that to your family during a recession. I was showing clemency here 'cause this is no fun putting a family in a tough financial situation but if you keep behaving like an assohle and basically ruining people's work, including mine own, meaning your boss' work, I wouldn't have seconds thoughts, if you know what I mean."
Realizing the blonde stopped working and was just staring, Santana looked for the thing she might be waiting for her to do. She had her brushes as they were supposed to be set, her palette was full so she didn't need new colors... No, there was nothing wrong. Too busy arguing to hold on a second and ask what was wrong, she cracked a cute smile that the blonde immediately reciprocated.
Brittany gazed at Santana's ability to remain so sweet with her despite so not-fun situation. It felt as if nothing could ever come between them, even the most annoying co-worker, even the most infuriating situation. They seemed protected by their very own bubble, warmly kept safe by their own feelings from anything bad. She gazed at every detail on her face, the way her veins tensed in her neck when she was yelling, the blue stain of paint on her cheek that seemed terribly silly compared to the seriousness of the phone call. Brittany's heart felt too small to contain her feelings any longer. They were too warm and too loud to be possibly quietened. She couldn't find in this woman any flaw that could keep her from picturing a much longer time together, or even guessing when her daydream would possibly end.
"So here's the plan, listen carefully. Last week I sent you a notice indicating your specific assignments and their respective deadlines. I want you to read it again and actually do what it's written on this so-called notice and do nothing else than that. I will scrupulously check your work when you send it back to me right on the due dates. If there's a mistake, even a tiny, sweet, baby mistake, you're fired. Clear enough?... No, this call is your last warning and there will surely be no other.-... Good bye." She hung up sharply. She giggled proud of herself, "What a douchebag..."
Brittany let her brush fall on purpose to get Santana's attention as soon as she'd hear the sound.
"I love you." Brittany let out when she peeked back, blushing and cracking a grin, unable to hold it anymore. This woman would be the end of her, she knew it. She was sure about it, so there was no point of hiding it any longer.
Santana held her breath and froze. Her cheeks flushed the darkest shade of purple Brittany had ever seen on her skin.
"I-..." Santana figured she should say something back but had lost all her power over words. All her I-love-you's and me-too's felt stuck in her throat and she wasn't even able to swallow them to actually resume breathing. She wanted to free them, so badly, but all of her courage deserted her. The sweet words, the kisses she would give, it was all gone. Feet glued to the ground, she had no clue on how she could overcome such a breathtaking fantasy.
"Can you get this brush for me, please?" Brittany offered her an escape.
She hadn't hoped for any other reaction, she had perfectly guessed Santana's shyness would freeze her right away. Actually, she would have been disappointed if Santana had reacting differently, sharing right away an "I love you" back or a kiss. It wouldn't have been like her to do so. It would have meant it wasn't really sincere. In the end, Brittany couldn't feel happier.
Santana powered through and very slowly, went to pick up the brush on the ground. With hand that was a little shaky, she passed it and Brittany grabbed it with a lovely smirk, satisfied.
"Thank you."
Without making a sound, Santana walked back to the kitchen table, peeked over her shoulder every once in a while to check Brittany's smile, sticking to her lips like the sweetest gift life could ever offer. The blonde peacefully started to paint again, smirking and cheeks all red.
Santana fell on her chair, sitting back as if the world had fallen on her shoulders. She kept staring back and forth between Brittany and her screen, stunned.
"You still have some paint on your cheek," Brittany said all radiating. "You should remove it before it dries."
"Right..." Santana touched her cheek to feel the wet material and remind herself she actually wasn't daydreaming. "I'll hm-... I'll go to the bathroom to hm... to take it off," she mumbled.
"Okay," Brittany said amused.
Santana went straight and determined to the bathroom. She grabbed the towel they usually used to remove the paint stains, put some water on it and wiped it off. The cold water felt so refreshing on her burning cheek. She looked at herself in the mirror and breathed. She wanted to yell, laugh giddily, maybe even sing but her body seemed so stuck. She took a deep inspiration and headed out, taking the towel with her.
She made her way to Brittany and grabbed the end of her chin with feather light fingers. She started to wipe the paint off Brittany's cheek softly, actually the most lovingly she could. When she was done, she couldn't help but stroke where the stain was as Brittany looked up, more than blessed.
"Do I look better now?" The blonde unctuously asked.
"You couldn't be more beautiful..."
Jumping on the fact Santana had her eyes locked on her face, Brittany dipped her fingertip on her palette. She gave her best smile so she wouldn't stop gazing, and discreetly raised her hand. As fast as a snake, she put some paint back on her cheek.
"Well my love, you look roughed up!" She said before bursting into laughter, the natural expression of her sheer happiness.
Santana giggled before Brittany's laughter became contagious. She wanted to whisper "I love you too", but she realized Brittany couldn't care less about it. Brittany knew everyone's heart had a different rhythm. It was so obvious, when Brittany was laughing like that all light and radiating, that there was no pressure, no expectation. She just followed the rhythm of her own heart, and if Santana's was a bit slower, then it would take just a little longer for her to let out the magic words. It was fine. In fact, it was more than fine. One day, soon, she would say I love you for the first time in her entire life and it would be perfect just the way it would happen.
Thanks Rach for the help :) :)
One more chapter and then this story will be over...
