Santana was staring at the ceiling when Rachel slid into the bed next to her. "'Tana?" she whispered, rustling noises telling Santana she had rolled over to face her.
Looking out of the corner of her eye, Santana whispered back, "Yeah?"
Rachel didn't answer right away. Instead, she shifted a little closer. "Do you…"
Santana, taking a deep breath, rolled onto her side to face Rachel as well. "Yeah?" she softly repeated.
"Mmm… Do you…"
Rachel was very nervous. Santana could tell. Biting her lip, she slowly slid her hand over, bumping her knuckles against the back of Rachel's hand. Trembling, she entwined her fingers with her cousin's, her touch burning. Her heart pounded in her ears. "Rache…" she licked her lips, searching Rachel's gaze, "Something changed, didn't it?"
Brown eyes fluttered closed, and Rachel nodded.
I'm in the library.
Santana found her in the biographies, the stacks in the back. Standing at the end of the row, she stared, watching as brown eyes flickered with recognition.
Rachel opened her mouth, but within three steps, Santana had covered it with her own.
Santana drank her in, tasting her saliva and tongue and lips and teeth and breath, feeling her hands curl on her breastbone.
"'Tana," Rachel pulled away, her shoulders shaking, "I…"
Santana shook her head, pressing her forehead against hers. Her voice sounding like miles away, she took a step back, "No, Rache. Not now."
Tears welled up, slipping down, but Rachel nodded.
Surging forward and stealing another desperate kiss, warm lips parting automatically under hers, Santana ripped herself away. Retreating and slipping into the next row, she ran trembling fingers across her keyboard. Jesus, Rache. You must know I've always needed you too.
Behind her, she heard a beep and sharp intake of air, followed by a heavy, shuddering exhalation. "'Tana…"
Santana's heart pulsed in time to the wetness sliding down her cheeks. Slipping her phone back into her pocket, she forced herself to walk away.