CHAPTER 12

One week later;

Sugar – Hang out tmrrw? I need help with some wedding things..

I frowned at the screen; as if I wasn't already busy enough as it is.

"You know, that's the third call we've gotten about fruit cakes..today." Quinn said as she came back into the kitchen. I looked up from my phone and found her tapping her pen to her chin, "We should probably consider adding them into the-"

"Oh hell no," I grumbled, cutting her of with the shake of my head then focused back on my phone, "Fruit cakes are gross."

Santana - Yeah, that's fine. Just give me time to sleep in at least.

Sugar – Ugh ok..

"Yeah, but the customers like them.." She replied, "And we like their money."

"But they take forever to make and they call for so many random ingredients that we don't usually keep on hand." I pouted but Quinn just laughed and shook her head.

"Just think of the new sales for us though.."

I pondered the thought for a second as I turned the cake I had been working on. Quinn had a point; the holidays are quickly approaching and for some strange reason people still like those things so it wouldn't be such a bad idea. I let out an exaggerated groan that Quinn knew all too well as the sound of my defeat, "Check out some recipes then, we need something that's cost effective and doesn't take years to make."

"Will do, boss!" Quinn nodded and scampered back to the office.

Just as she left, three customers walked in one after another wanting to place orders. We've kept busy since opening, nothing too crazy, but it seemed that right when it hit November business boomed. I was already close to filling my first order booklet and it's only been a week into the month which is a pretty big deal considering my popularity after doing Mayor Shuester's wedding sort of died out after a month and a half.

Today was a particularly busy day though, even if it was storming outside and the temperature was really beginning to reflect the upcoming winter. I was starting to think that I might've taken more orders than Quinn and I could handle, but I was confident that we would be able to pull through. We're both extremely hardworking and I'm way too stubborn to direct a potential customer to some other bakery. I was certain that this would be our best month since opening yet!

After finishing up with the last customer, I began to tidy up the left over paper work. I could hear the rain hammering against the bay window and I even looked up once or twice to make sure there weren't any cracks in the glass it was raining that hard. I've always liked the rain though, not being in it but I thought the sound was so calming. I watched for a moment as people steadied their umbrellas against the howling winds and couples huddled together under soggy newspapers before going back to my tidying and thanking whoever that I didn't have to be out there. As I was going over the pickup dates of the new orders, the jingling of the door bells grabbed my attention. Instead of being shocked by a fourth customer in the span of twenty minutes, I was greeted by a smiling blonde.

"Well if it isn't my favorite florist," I grinned as I rounded the front counter and walked towards Brittany. Wet strands of blonde hair stuck to her cheeks as she brought up the sleeve of her jacket to bat away a few rogue raindrops sliding down her nose. I couldn't help but smile and frown all at once at how completely drenched she was even though her bright pink rain coat stopped at her knees and faded yellow rain boots adorned her feet, "Damn, Britt, you've got to be freezing! What did you do? Put your jacket on after getting rained on?"

"No.." She chuckled, her cheeks pinking causing me to giggle. "I brought you lunch," She added and held up a cute lunch bag that I didn't realize she had been holding, "You know, since you brought me lunch that one time.."

"You didn't have to do that," I sighed helplessly, subconsciously reaching up to wipe away another raindrop rolling down her forehead as she smiled.

"I don't mind," Brittany she grinned and poked her boot out, "I wanted an excuse to rock my rain boots."

"They're very nice," I complimented then remembered she brought lunch, "I don't have a cool place to eat like you do but we can go in my office? I'll just have to kick Quinn out."

"Okay, that's fine."

"Pause the fruit cake search, Fabray." I said upon poking my head inside to find Quinn glued to the computer, "Britt's here for lunch and we need the office."

"Oh gross, just don't get anything on the chair.." She teased as she pushed away from the desk and wiggled her brows suggestively.

"Oh my God, no." I groaned, hiding my face in my hand, "It's not like that, we haven't even-"

"You haven't?" She shrieked causing me to slap at her arm because Britt's just a few feet away, "But that's like..all you ever do."

"What? No it's not," I scoffed, "Thanks for making me sound like a slut though."

"Oh shut up, you know what I mean.." She whispered then nodded to Brittany, "You don't do this kind of thing..like ever."

"Yeah, I know.." I mumbled. I knew what she was trying to say even if she wasn't putting it into words fully, but now wasn't the time to talk about that especially when the topic of that conversation was just outside the door. Quinn continued to stare at me though, like she could find all the answers to her question in my eyes. She's got a bad habit of doing that so I looked away, afraid of what she might see, "So you gunna move it or am I gunna have to use force?"

"Alright, I'm going." She laughed, breaking her concentration and moving towards the door. I stayed there clearing a place for us to eat while I listened to Brittany and Quinn chat about the weather and Brittany's rain boots. I found it comforting how well Brittany and Quinn got along though we've barely spent time all together outside of work, but then again I wouldn't have expected anything less because it seems Brittany is cable of befriending even the grouchiest of people.

I'm prime example.

"You haven't eaten yet, right?" Brittany asked as she began empting out her lunch bag and organizing everything for us.

"Nope, we've been swamped so I haven't had the time."

"Okay good!" She beamed, unscrewing the lid of her thermos and unleashing the delicious scent of fresh herbs into the air, "Momma's chicken and dumplings is pretty filling."

"Oh wow, that smells really good!" I hummed and watched Britt scoop out helpings into the bowls she brought.

"Yeah, it's one of my favorites." She replied then smiled up at me, "She was really adamant about me bringing this over. I think she really likes you or something."

I blushed at the fact that someone's parent actually liked me, that's very rare, but just nodded anyway, unable to speak.

"I personally don't see what's so special.." She added beneath her breath, her voice strained like she was trying not to laugh at her own joke.

"Oh, yes you do." I chuckled, swatting at her shoulder as I pulled up another chair so I could sit across from her.

Her smile reached her eyes as she ducked her head bashfully, "Yeah, I do."

We ate silently for a few minutes, the food too hot for us to eat but we did it anyway then laughed at how the temperature stung our tongues. Like always, I told her how my work day had been going only because she asked and I know she genuinely cares, then she told me how her day had been so far because she knows I do too. It sounded like things at the shop were much slower than how it was at the bakery which I was a little jealous for.

"I'm enjoying it while it lasts," She shrugged as she scooped another spoonful of deliciousness into her mouth, "Come February, it'll be very different. We're gunna be slammed since we're one of the few flower shops on this side of town. Also, we have a really good reputation since we've been open for almost thirty years."

"Wow, thirty years?" I blinked, "I'll be lucky if I can make it to five without completely destroying the place."

"Five? That'll be easy; you're already so popular as it is." She replied encouragingly, "You've been open for like a couple years and you've already done our mayor's wedding cake. That's big. I think you'll be very successful, Santana. Well, even more successful as the years go on."

"You really think that?" I asked, a little shocked by her honesty. I never really had a big support system since I decided to pursue a career in baking rather than following my parents' footsteps into the medical field, so to hear Brittany sound so hopeful was nice. They could never see eye to eye which was probably one of the many reasons why their marriage didn't work out, but the one thing they could always agree on was my disappointing career choice.

"Duh." She smirked, "I remember seeing you in the newspaper and at first I thought- well actually, I thought woah she's beautiful." I found myself blushing again to which she giggled and continued on, "Then I thought how driven you looked and how you could totally take this town by storm. You just had that look in your eyes, you know, like you could do anything."

"I guess so." I shrugged indifferently; it was in my nature not to believe her. My eyes focused down on my bowl until fingertips were tilting my chin up and I found cool blue eyes staring back.

"You still have that look, you know." She said sternly, her eyes flickering back and forth between mine unfazed as her voice softened, "I believe in you, Santana."

It was like my lungs collapsed as the very words left her mouth, words that I've always wanted to hear but never have. I've longed for the day my parents would tell me that same thing only to have someone that's known me for just a few months to beat them to it. The way she smiled and the way her eyes shined with hope, I could tell she wasn't just trying to feed my ego. Brittany was being genuine, like always, and that scared the hell out of me. I don't know why, but I suddenly felt like I was drowning, being crushed by all the new feelings swirling about the room.

I wanted to lean across the desk and kiss her deeply, but the urge to run far from her kindness and sincerity was stronger. I felt the blood rush to my ears and my heart race for all the wrong reasons and I couldn't stop it. I could feel myself shrinking away from her, watching helplessly as my walls grew brick by brick. I knew what her believing in me could be the start of and the feelings that came with it because I've spent years pushing them away and I just couldn't have that.

I remembered the arguments between my mom and dad, all the yelling and screaming and the sound of glass breaking; I couldn't have that happen to me too. I didn't want to fall in love only to have my heart ripped out and stepped on. I didn't want a bitter break up like my parents so I figured a way to protect myself from that: never fall in love, never give your heart away.

But Brittany's so intuitive, so sweet, so gentle, I couldn't help myself. Sure, she doesn't look like the kind of girl that could break your heart into a million pieces but neither did my mom. I had been so careless with my feelings ever since I met Brittany; I let my guard down.

"Did I say something wrong?" Brittany asked softly, noticing my silence and blank expression. Her brows furrowed as she pulled her hand away and watched me bite my lip. She looked concerned and her voice reflected her worry. I knew I was probably blowing things way out of proportion, something that's not so unfamiliar, so I took a deep breath and smiled. Brittany didn't deserve the backlash of my complicated thoughts or my mommy and daddy issues.

"No, I'm just not used to hearing that." I replied honestly and at my response, her shoulders drooped in relief.

"Really?" She asked shocked, "Your parents aren't-"

"My parents hate each other and that's all they seem to really care about." I spat bitterly, falling right back into my dark thoughts. I didn't mean to snap on Brittany like that, but there are just some things that we don't need to bring up and I was already teetering on the edge. I looked up to find her biting down on her lip nervously and I instantly felt horrible. "Sorry," I mumbled guiltily, "I-I didn't mean to get angry. It's just..Look, let's talk about something else, okay?"

She looked to me hesitantly and nodded, "Okay."

There was still a little tension in the room as we continued with our lunch date, but I tried to keep the conversations flowing regardless. Brittany still smiled and laughed at my jokes and little stories I told so I knew I didn't too far on her bad side. I still felt bad about exploding earlier, so after I helped her clean up I tugged on her wrist to keep her from walking out of the office.

"We're okay, right?" I asked softly, nervous for even bringing it up again.

Brittany just smiled and brushed her fingers across my cheek before leaning in to give me a gentle kiss. I closed my eyes at the contact of her soft lips pressing into mine and let myself relax into her warmth, my hands coming up to rest on her waist before smoothing around to the small of her back. I hugged her close and she returned that as best as she could with her lunch bag in the way before she leaned away, "We're okay.. I'm just glad you didn't throw any rocks at me this time."

I sputtered out a laugh as my cheeks flushed, "You're never going to forget that, are you?"

"Nope!" She grinned and kissed me again.

I smiled against her lips, happy that she forgave so easily and also just really happy in general. Brittany has that effect on me and I'm kind of defenseless especially when she smiles like she does, "Hey, what are you doing later, like after work?"

"Nothing," She hummed happily, "Why?"

"Do you want to come over?" I asked quietly, so hypnotized by her lips that I didn't even care that I was just telling myself I needed to ease up on my doses of Brittany, "We can watch movies and I can order a pizza or something?"

"That sounds nice, but I can't." She sighed, "LT's been home alone all day and he gets sort of catty when I don't spend any time with him."

"Ohh, okay." I nodded, trying to sound like I wasn't excited to possibly spending more time with her outside of work, "That's alright, maybe some other time."

"You could come over though?" She offered swiftly, "I'd like that and LT would have two people to hang out with."

At first, I wanted to decline just because I don't really play well with others and this LT guy sounds like a lot of work. I mean, what kind of roommate can't occupy his own time rather than waiting on Brittany to entertain him?

"Uhh.." I hummed, preparing to say that I couldn't but then she started to pout and bat her eyelashes and I was a goner, "Sure, why not!"

"Awesome, I love movie nights." She cheered and leaned in for one last kiss before skipping out of the office. I trailed after, hopelessly whipped and completely in lo-

"We finished our booklet!" Quinn called excitedly as soon as I walked out of the office, "I took three more orders while you were away."

Brittany turned and smiled proudly, I had told her earlier during our lunch that we were close to filling it up but I didn't think that would happen today, "Congrats, San!"

"Thanks," I grinned and looked to Quinn, "Let's hope we can get all them filled in time."

"We got this." She answered confidently then went back to the cake she was decorating leaving Brittany and I alone in the small lobby.

"I kind of don't want to go back to work," Brittany pouted as she looked over her shoulder out the windows. It was still storming pretty badly, the wind throwing around raindrops like darts at the windows. I kind of didn't want Britt going out in that kind of weather either, it looked dangerous.

"You want me to walk you there? I've got an umbrella in my office." I offered but she just smiled and shook her head.

"I'll be okay, thanks though." She winked, "You're sweet."

"Just to you," I chuckled as we walked towards the exit, "Try to stay dry this time, okay? I'll see you after work."

"Can't wait!" She beamed and ducked out the door quickly so she didn't let any cold in. I moved around to the bay window and watched as Brittany raced across the empty street with her hand clutching the edge of her hood to her forehead and her other hand holding tightly to her lunch bag. Once I saw that she made it safely across the way, I turned back to get started on my work.

"Now that's something you don't see every day," Quinn commented as I rounded the counter and tied my apron around my waist. There was a hint of playfulness to her voice so I knew the inevitable teasing was coming.

"And what would that be?" I sighed, playing along.

"You caring about someone other than either Sugar or me."

"Yeah, I'm not sure what I'm doing right now." I grumbled and focused my attention on my pastry bag, "I almost had a damn panic attack in front of her in there because I couldn't get out of my head. I just kept thinking about how I've never met someone like her before, she's literally perfect, but everything in my head is telling me to back off because with my luck it'll end badly. It's been great so far, but I know that can't last forever. If the universe doesn't find a way to mess this up, I know I will."

"San, come on, don't say that. I know, feelings are scary..especially for you." Quinn replied softly, all teasing aside, "It might be cliché to say, but what is your heart telling you? Maybe your head is just being a dumbass? I mean, you like her and she likes you. You both like each other a lot from what I can see and I think you just need to try it out. I know your hesitance has a lot to do with your parents, but who says you can't have a happy ending? Who says you have to follow their footsteps? Give it a chance."

I just sighed and shook my head. Quinn's heart was in the right place and she's always been there for me in the past when it came to these kinds of things, but it was hard for me to believe her. I was in my head way too deep thanks to years of practice and it would take a little more than some wise words to pull me out from my thoughts.

Still, I appreciated Quinn's attempt. I'm sure even she knew that getting me to change my ways would take more than a speech on her part but it was nice that she still tried. Giving Brittany a chance sounded like a good idea, I just wished I knew how to get that plan into motion without fucking up everything.

XXXX

The storm was still going full force on the ride over and even on the walk up to Brittany's apartment; it was hard to keep dry. I was such a nervous wreck that I considered popping the cork on the bottle of wine I brought with me, but I couldn't for the life of me understand why I was so wound up when all we were doing was having a relaxing night of movies and pizza and wine. I kept going back and forth in my head about the conversation I had earlier with Quinn, but the more I thought about it, the jitterier I felt. What was worse was that I couldn't tell if that was a bad thing or a good thing.

I had been having a staring contest with Brittany's door, contemplating whether or not I still had time to make a run for it, when the knob twisted and out poked a suddenly startled Brittany.

"Oh! Hi! Have you been standing here long?" She asked with her brows furrowed as she shifted from side to side, a full garbage bag in her hand, "I don't think I heard you knock.." I was always taken aback by how pretty she looked when she dressed down so casually in her loose fitting, off the shoulder top with a long sleeved striped shirt underneath and what looked to be yoga pants with her hair piled up in a messy bun atop her head. I, however, had no idea what to wear out since we weren't really going out anywhere but I still wanted to look good. Luckily, I kept it pretty casual too and stuck with a comfortable pair of jeans, a tank top, and a thick, knit cardigan.

"Uhm..no not really no." I stammered trying to recover from staring, "I-I was about to though."

"Huh, I knew my physic abilities would come in sooner or later!" She teased then looked down at the trash bag, "Well, I'm just gunna set this out here then. My neighbor is super nice and takes my trash out with his so I don't have to carry it down the stairs. I just have to text him."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mhmm. Once, the whole bag ripped and not only was it gross to have a week's worth of trash on my feet but also embarrassing because everyone could see that I ate nothing but tv dinners, pizza and pints of ice cream."

I fought the urge to ask why she would need her neighbor's number in the first place, but I knew better than to get all jealous and possessive over some guy when I know boys aren't something I really have to worry about when it comes to Brittany. Besides, she already lives with this LT guy so they all probably get together when they're bored or something? I don't know what it's like to actually be friends with your neighbors, all mine are bitches.

Instead I smiled, "Yeah, that's really nice of him but pizza and ice cream-"

"And tv dinners."

"And tv dinners," I added with a playful roll of my eyes, "Where do you put all that because it definitely doesn't show."

"Secret." She winked with a smirk before her eyes drifted towards my hands, "Oh, you have wine? Come in, come in!"

"Only because I have wine? I see how it is."

"Yup!" She joked as she shut the door behind us and I handed her the wine bottle, "Also because it was really chilly out there and my toes were getting cold, but make yourself at home. I'll go put this on ice."

I nodded as I watched her scurry off in the direction of what I assumed to be the kitchen while I shrugged out of my coat and went to hang it up next to hers. I was surprised to see how open the space was considering the building didn't really look all that big from the outside. As soon as you walked in, there was the living room straight ahead complete with a comfy looking sofa, a fluffy dark blue rug beneath a glass coffee table and a tv stand that held more books than movies, then a little further down was an outdoor patio separated by tall glass windows with the blinds drawn. To my right was a low lit hallway with a few closed doors where the bedrooms and bathrooms probably were and to my left..was Brittany.

"So I was thinking we could order Chinese instead?" Brittany had reappeared in the archway with a paper menu in her hand, "I know a really good place."

"Sounds great," I replied then let her lead me further into the living room which revealed the kitchen and high countertops and bar stools splitting the rooms. I got another look around the place and was slightly jealous of how neat everything was kept. It was either Brittany just spent an hour tidying up or LT was an actual decent roommate and cleaned up after himself. Either way, Brittany's apartment was cute and cozy and I could kind of picture spending more Friday nights after work with her here.

"You wanna pick something out? I think I might get the steamed dumplings." She mumbled, clearly deep in thought as she looked over the worn menu. I leaned in close to see too but when I saw the restaurant's logo, I couldn't help but smile.

"I love this place too," I told her as I stared at the menu, "Their sesame chicken is so good!"

"Wow, really?" She tilted her head up and grinned with her cheeks bunching, "What are the odds of that, huh?"

"What? Us liking the same place?"

"Yeah, first Breadstix and now this.." She chuckled, "We've got some crazy luck."

"Yeah we do," I smiled before going back look over the menu. It was easy on deciding what to order since the both of us were regulars when picking something out; Brittany ended up getting her steamed dumplings as well as a cup of egg drop soup while I went with the sweet and sour soup and some General Tso's chicken with fried rice.

Brittany did all the ordering while I browsed the many books that filled the shelves of the two columns on her tv stand. There was such a wide range of genres that went from a decorative hard cover of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to the worn spines of books on psychology and modern economics that I was certain would Quinn would have a field day. I knew Brittany had gone to MIT for a couple years, which was impressive in itself, but to picture her still reading books on Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Power Engineering was strangely a turn on. As I perused her collection, I'd come across a random DVD here and there, most of which were Disney movies; it was a nice balance of Brittany's playful and intelligent side.

"Well, it'll be here in thirty minutes or it's free." Brittany called as she waltzed into the living room and came to stand next to me. "I should've told you to bring something to watch, I think I have more books than movies.." She mumbled sounding a little embarrassed by that fact.

Spinning around, I smirked because she should never feel embarrassed around me, "You know, you can tell a lot about a person by what they read?"

"I thought that only worked on what kind of music they listened to?" She questioned, her brow quirking as she looked down at me. I continued to smile and shook my head, "Well, what have you learned then?"

With a strange burst of confidence, I slipped my hands onto her hips and watched her smile grow as I kept cool and composed, "Nothing I didn't know already."

"Oh yeah?" She teased, her voice dipping low into that lusty whisper I loved so much as her eyes dropped to my lips, "Like?"

"Mmm," I hummed and began dance my fingers up her sides and play at her loose blouse, "That you're incredibly smart which I find very sexy."

She grinned at that, her nose scrunching cutely as she started to lean in a little, "Awesome."

But before our lips could touch, something heavy scurried over my feet causing me to yelp and jump back, almost bumping into Brittany's mini library.

"What the hell was that?" I gasped, my eyes darting to the floor only to catch a glimpse of something fat and furry flee down the dark lit hallway.

"Crap, I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce you guys, he gets really territorial around guests.." Brittany replied apologetically as she snuck around the corner and glanced down the hallway, "Where's your manners, mister?"

I didn't really know what to say as I watched Brittany interact with that-that thing, but I stayed in my spot too afraid of another surprise attack.

"Hold on a sec," She said to me before disappearing down the hall. I nodded even though she was already out of sight and went to sit down on the couch instead. I could faintly hear the sound of her voice, but I couldn't make out what she was saying, as well as the distinct sound of a cat yowling. Within a minute, Brittany reappeared with a toddler-sized cat cradled in her arms. Honestly, the thing looked like it was about to pounce on me, but I doubted Brittany would've let that happened as she sat down next to me, "Santana, this is Lord Tubbington. Lord Tubbington, this is Santana."

I blinked at the formal introductions but then sputtered out a hello as Brittany set him in her lap. She held him with such tenderness and care, her fingers scratching between his ears and his eyes shutting peacefully, that it was a little cute despite my indifference towards cats. Then I thought of his name, so proper and so specific, before it finally clicked: LT is the initials for Lord Tubbington.

"He's a cat," I mumbled aloud on accident, too amused by the realization to keep it inside.

"You're not allergic, are you?" She asked, suddenly worried as she looked up at me and froze.

"No, I'm not."

"Oh, okay good." She sighed before setting him on the floor then patted his butt to run along or more like fast-walk along, "I'm surprised he took off so fast like that, I think that was the quickest I've seen him move in ages."

"I can't believe he's a cat," I chuckled which confused Brittany, "This whole time I thought LT was a person, like your roommate or something."

"Well, animals are people too so-"

"Brittany.." I whined at the sound of her teasing tone. She just grinned cheekily and leaned back against the couch, her fuzzy pink and white polka-dotted sock covered feet moving to rest on the edge of the coffee table. I fell into her side easily as if tucked under her arm with my head on her shoulder was the only way I knew how to lounge on the couch with her.

We flipped through the channels, every so often landing on nature documentaries or a cooking show, as we waited for our take out to arrive since we agreed that we probably shouldn't start any movie while waiting because the both of us hated being interrupted when something really had our attention. Luckily, there was a knock at the door just fifteen minutes later signaling our food had arrived.

Brittany handed off the brown paper bag to me to empty out on the coffee table while she ran off to get a couple wine glasses and the chilled bottle I had brought. She poured while I popped open the lids of the plastic containers and set out chopsticks and napkins for each of us.

"Ooh, this is some good stuff!" Brittany grinned behind the rim of her wine glass.

"Yeah? I've never tried it. Quinn suggested it," I answered as I reached for my glass too and took a sip. It was good, not too tart not too sweet, but I definitely had to watch myself because I could easily down that whole bottle alone.

"So what do you want to watch? Netflix?" She asked around a mouthful of steamed dumplings as she reached for the remote. I just shrugged, not really caring what we ended up watching because I was already content with just being in the same room as her. After scrolling through Netflix's comedy and New Releases sections, we settled on 13 Going On 30 though we've both seen it countless times; we liked the songs and Jennifer Garner is awesome. Also, I think Brittany needed the distraction now that the thunder was growing louder.

We ate quietly, exchanging shy glances at one another every few minutes then giggling like a couple of dopes at being caught, when LT waddled back into the room and plopped down on the floor near Brittany's end of the couch. She said he must be jealous because he keeps looking at me, but assured me that he's all bark and no bite. Or maybe all meow and no bite? Whatever, it didn't matter. I wasn't afraid of no cat, no matter how huge it was.

It wasn't until the third crackle of thunder seemed to shake the building and caused the lights to flicker that I finally spoke up about my assumption, "Don't like thunderstorms?"

Her brows rose at being caught and looked like she was trying to come up with a good lie but ultimately gave up. "Not really," She answered shakily, trying to busy herself with eating.

"They're not so bad," I shrugged, attempting to lighten the mood, "You're safe with me."

Even if I wasn't much protection against Mother Nature, Brittany's smile made it seem like I was enough anyway.

Once we finished up with our food, Brittany cleared the table but left behind our wine glasses and the nearly empty bottle of wine. I had a nice buzz going and, by the way Brittany's cheeks stayed slightly flushed as the night wore on, I think Brittany did too. For the most part, we kept our hands to ourselves but as soon as she came back from putting up the brown bag full of trash on the counter, something sparked in her.

She wiggled back onto the couch all cute and giggly as she sat down on my lap, her legs stretching out along the length of the couch while her arms landed around my shoulders. Like always, she felt soft and warm and welcoming. I glanced up at her but she kept her expression blank and her eyes trained on the tv as if she was actually watching Mark Ruffalo dance to Thriller.

"Comfortable?"

She just hummed and nuzzled her nose against my cheek, her hands pressing flat against my shoulder blades. With our new position, it was easy to just turn my head and brush my lips along her jaw, peppering her with soft kisses. It wasn't long before that escalated into heated touches and sexy whimpers. Brittany's hands clutched at my back, urging me closer, while mine wrapped around her waist and leaned her back against the arm rest. My body was turned in an awkward position with Brittany still in my lap, but I made it work so I wouldn't have to stop kissing her.

I didn't really know what our limitations were; I kind of just followed in Brittany's footsteps. So when I felt her hand sneak inside my cardigan and her fingers slide up my side, I followed along and slipped my hand beneath her top too. I could feel her smiling against my lips and nothing made me happier, but when another crack of thunder shook the room causing the lights to go out, Brittany instantly froze.

It wasn't like we were already sitting in the dark, minus the glow of the tv and the light she left on over the sink in the kitchen, but the new darkness and silence was enough to have Brittany cowering.

"Hey, it's okay." I whispered, removing my hand from her shirt and moving to run circles at her back, "It's only the dark, nothing to be afraid of." I couldn't make out any facial expressions in the dark, but I hoped that it helped that I was with her. We could hear the wind howling and the rain hammering against the windows and just like at the shop earlier, I wondered if the glass could withstand the force of it all. My heart broke for Brittany though as she shivered against me. She stayed quiet but kept her arms tight around me. I pressed a kiss to what felt like her hairline before speaking, "Do you have any candles?"

"I think so," She answered softly, "Maybe in the kitchen."

"Okay, let's go take a look." I tapped at her knees as she slid off my lap but made sure to search out my hand before walking towards the kitchen. As she crouched down in front of the cabinet drawers, I dug out my phone and used the light from the screen to help her out. Sadly, she only found one candle.

"They're matches in my room," She said as she stood up and reached for my hand again before taking hesitant steps in that direction. Brittany felt out her dresser and wedged the candle on a makeshift stand before she nervously tried to light a match.

"Here, I'll do it." I placed my hands over hers until she passed the booklet to me.

Once the candle was lit, there was a calming glow in the room and I could faintly see the worry in Brittany's eyes. She seemed a little more at ease now that there was some light, but when another flash of blue lit up the windows followed by a roar of thunder, her eyes squeezed shut as she held her breath.

"Come here, Britt.." I cooed and trapped her in my arms. Our height difference made it hard to feel like I was the protector, but I did as best as I could, "Do you want to lay down?"

She nodded against my shoulder and crawled into bed. On any other occasion, I would've felt some surge of confidence from getting into a bed with Brittany because of all our tension but sex was the last thing on my mind after seeing her so scared.

"You probably think I'm really stupid for, you know, being afraid of storms." She mumbled and I didn't need the lights on to know she was pouting, "It's just, I've always been scared of them. When I was little, I'd run to Sam's room because I thought the roof was going to fall in on my bedroom and I didn't want to be alone. I'd seen on the news and stuff about natural disasters and how horrible Mother Nature could be a-and," She hiccupped, her voice broken from unshed tears, "I don't know, it just scared me. I didn't want to fall asleep and wake up to nothing, everyone gone and my house destroyed. I never knew if this storm was going to be the storm..to take everything away from me. It's stupid."

"No it's not," I answered sternly, rolling on my side to seek out the outline of her face with help from the glow of the candle, "That's a very good reason to be afraid, better reason than mine for being afraid of haunted hay rides and mazes. Do you know what helps you get through the storms?"

She rolled onto her side too so that she was facing me, but her eyes were cast down at her hands picking at her bed sheets, "I don't know, I haven't really figured it out.."

"That's okay," I hummed and pressed my lips to her forehead for good measure, "We can just talk?"

"Yeah, okay.." She smiled softly and scooted a little closer to me. Our topics went from things we saw on tv or heard on the radio to work and funny stories about customers until our voices grew softer and her eyes took longer and longer to stay open. I don't know how long we laid there talking, but the candle had already burned down halfway and it sounded like the worst of the storm had already passed. Brittany stayed still with her hands tucked between our bodies as her breathing turned slow and steady.

"You'll stay the night, San?" She whimpered when I thought she had already fallen asleep. I glanced down but her eyes remained shut as she rubbed her cheek against her pillow, settling.

"Yeah, I can stay." I answered just as quietly, brushing her hair from her face and kissing her temple. I couldn't remember the last time I had spent the night in someone else's bed that didn't result in hot, sweaty sex, but I didn't mind when it came to Brittany. I've already done a lot of things that I don't normally do because of her so why not add this to the list?

"Don't leave me, okay?" She added sleepily and just from the tone, I knew it was something she wouldn't remember saying in the morning. I smiled though and wrapped my arms around her, drowning in the smell of her shampoo, as she hugged me right back.

"Okay."

Just as I was about to drift off, Brittany rolled in my arms so that her back was pressed flush against my front. She tugged my hand around her and hugged it to her chest as she breathed out, "Hey San?"

"Yeah, babe?" I mumbled sleepily.

"I think I found what helps me get through.."

I was way too tired to form any kind of sentence, but with my eyes closed, I tilted my chin and kissed her shoulder, glad that she did.

XXXX

I thought falling asleep with Brittany was nice, but waking up to her was even better. It had been awhile since I actually felt well-rested despite having gone to bed in jeans but as I looked to my side to see the blonde still soundly sleeping, I couldn't help but smile my first one of the day. Her lips were slightly pouted and her hair was all over the place, somehow fallen out from the bun she wore it up in last night, while she snored softly. I still had one arm draped over her hip while my other was buried beneath the pillow, joined by one of her hands, the other sneakily under my shirt and pressed warmly against the small of my back. I was content on falling back asleep, waiting until she woke up, or maybe leaning over and kissing her until she blinked awake but the incessant buzzing coming from my side of the bed kept me from doing anything.

Without jostling Brittany, I searched around the sheets until my fingers finally landed on my phone. I thought about just ignoring the call, but seeing as it was Sugar, I didn't really have a choice.

"Hello?" I croaked into the phone, eyeing Brittany for any sign that I had woke her up. All she did was sigh contently and cuddle in closer.

"Uh, hi? Can you open the door?"

I thought about where I was and who I was with and instantly was confused, "What?"

"I've been knocking forever, I know you said to let you sleep in but it's almost noon!" Sugar grumbled, "You're the one that wanted me to come over instead of meeting me out.."

"Oh fuck," I breathed out, realizing I had forgotten about Sugar wanting to hang out. Then I realized where I was and where she was waiting, "Fuck, fuck."

"Yeah, exactly. So can you like..open the door now or..?"

"Uh, I'm actually not home."

"What?!"

"Y-yeah, I'm at.." I looked to my side and saw Brittany still peacefully asleep, but I was too anxious and a little nervous about what Sugar would say if I told the truth. "I'm at work," I lied, "I-I'm leaving now though, just stay there. I'm on my way."

"Ugh, fine."

With that, I quickly hung up and carefully maneuvered my way out of Brittany's bed. From the corner of my eye I could see LT glaring at me like I was doing some horrible deed, but I didn't have time for fat ass cats and their make believe intimidation factor. I found my boots in the living room and my jacket thrown over the barstool near the kitchen, but before I left, I wandered back into Brittany's room. She had already rolled over onto my side of the bed and had the pillow I was using tucked under her head and her arms wrapped around it like a teddy bear. I smiled at how adorable she looked even in her sleep and leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek before sneaking out.

I ignored the three text messages Sugar sent as I made my way to my car and found myself focusing on the sudden guilt settling in my gut. I hadn't even checked to see what I looked like before I left Brittany's, but from the look of everyone's expressions, I was a hot mess. I've done many walks of shame in my life, but for some reason walking away from Brittany, even if there wasn't any sex involved, felt the worst and I couldn't understand why. I didn't do anything worth feeling guilty for.

At least, I don't think I did.