Hey,
Sorry again for the long wait. Two words – writer's block.
I want to thank everyone for the reviews on the last chapter, and those who have added the story and me to their favourites, alerts and have sent me PM's over my absence. Also a massive thanks to my beta who as always does a wonderful job, and who has been very patient in waiting for me to get this part finished.
Anyway enough of me rambling, go read and enjoy.
Chapter 21
Santana chuckled as she watched Olivia turn from her with a huge smile, then jump up into the air and spread her arms wide. As the little girl landed upon the gravel covered driveway, she let out a primal scream and ran towards Bonaparte causing the little dog to bark in excitement and run off away from his pursuer, churning up a small dust trail.
Santana continued to smile as the two sprinted around on the gravel drive way. Olivia had been practically radiant since she had returned from her time spent with Emma to tell them lunch was ready. The grin that had split Olivia's face had been huge and Santana noticed that she hadn't even lost it when she had been eating. Getting an eyeful of Olivia's gooey desert hadn't been particularly nice, but Santana had let it slide because the little girl was obviously happy and she knew exactly how she felt. Santana hadn't been sure then and she wasn't sure now what was making Olivia so happy, but whatever it was she was grateful for it because Olivia had one of the best smiles she had ever seen. It was pretty clear who she inherited it from; it was a smile that was Brittany through and through, and Santana hadn't been able to help to stop herself from looking at the other woman the minute she had seen it.
Santana felt her heartbeat increase the second the thought of Brittany crossed her mind. From the moment they had met the other woman had been able to make her pulse increase and her heart want to beat out of her chest, but now it was worse. Now Santana had visuals and a pulse-raising heart-stopping experience to go with every other reaction Brittany invoked, and it suddenly made everything almost unbearably intense. In private, imagined what it would be like to kiss Brittany, but the fantasy just paled in comparison to the wonderful reality. Brittany's lips had always looked soft but when they had been pressed against her own Santana found out just how soft they truly were. It was like brushing against silk, pure, warm, wet silk, and they had caused her brain to short circuit so she had never wanted to pull away. If it hadn't have been for reality crashing in around them, Santana was sure that they would still be in the music room wrapped in each other's arms with their mouths locked as they both fought for oxygen.
"Olivia, be careful," Brittany called out towards her daughter.
Turning her head slightly, Santana found her attention focused on those very lips as they curled slightly. Santana could only watch as Brittany shook her head as Olivia's pace increased in an attempt to gain on the little dog, while they continued to circle the car.
"Wish I was still that energetic," Santana commented wistfully as she glanced aback at Olivia. "I have to force myself to move some days."
"Oh don't let her fool you, it's a huge effort to get her out of bed in the morning," Brittany said as she gazed at her daughter fondly.
"Oh I'm with her on that one. Sleep is sacred, it should never be disturbed." Brittany looked at her and chuckled but Santana really wasn't joking all that much. She had threatened to kick Mercedes' ass on more than one occasion when they had shared an apartment and the other woman had woken at some ungodly hour because she couldn't find some piece of crap that she didn't really need in the first place.
"I'm a total morning person," Brittany confessed with an apologetic shrug of her shoulders.
Shaking her head, Santana found that she could see that in Brittany. While she could be as scary as hell, especially where Olivia was concerned, there was a light quality to her. Santana could just see her waking up with a smile on her face as the sun bathed her in its radiant rays. In fact, at that very moment Santana couldn't think of anything she would rather wake up to.
"I think I could live with that." Santana didn't mean to let those words escape and it was clear from the way that Brittany's mouth opened park in shock and part in amusement that she didn't either. Feeling bold and energised from her little victory earlier, Santana seized the opportunity to blurt out a few more words that had been hovering on the end of her tongue for the past hour.
"Let me take you out." As soon as the words left her mouth, Santana found her eyes closing tight as she mentally prepared herself for a negative response. When she didn't get one, Santana cracked an eye open and looked towards the woman she had just asked out only to find her staring at her, head tilted to one side, her eyes shining with gentle amusement.
"Out? Out where?" Brittany asked with a small grin curling her lips.
"Yeah, out, like anywhere you want." Santana shrugged and swallowed past the nervous lump that had suddenly formed in her throat.
"Like on a date?" Brittany probed further as a small excited glint found its way into the depths of her blue eyes.
"Yeah, a date." Santana nodded her head and echoed the last part of Brittany's question as she chewed upon her bottom lip. Dates were what 'normal' people did when they wanted to connect with another individual and Santana never particularly wanted to be all that normal, but she did want to take Brittany out. She wanted to date her and take her to nice places and get know her better. Even so, the whole experience of asking made her feel like a fucking novice; the way her heart had taken up residence in her mouth made her feel like she was asking a girl out for the first time. It would have been embarrassing if Brittany wasn't smiling at her like she had just given her access to Fort Knox and told her to go wild.
"Anywhere I want?" Brittany asked, causing Santana's heart to pound in concern as she caught sight of the glint that entered Brittany's eye.
"Yeah…"
Brittany rolled her eyes skywards and tapped a finger upon the bottom of her chin for a moment before she looked back at Santana. "So what if I wanna go to Mount Rushmore?"
Shaking her head, Santana allowed the corners of her mouth to turn up in amusement. "Then I guess we will be on a plane to South Dakota."
"Or what If I wanna go see the biggest ball of twine in the whole of the U.S. of A?"
"I have no idea where that is, or more importantly why you would wanna see it," Santana said with a mystified shake of her head and a laugh. "But if it's what you wanna do on our date then I will make it happen and we will have fun doing it."
Brittany titled her head to the other side and rolled her eyes skyward for another moment before she smiled brightly and nodded once. "Ok."
"Ok?" Santana found herself echoing Brittany's response dumbly like she couldn't quite believe Brittany had agreed to her proposal so quickly.
"Yes Ok, unless you want me to say no," Brittany teased, causing Santana to shake her head rapidly.
"No, no, Ok is good, in fact it's awesome. But you don't really wanna go to Mount Rushmore or see the biggest ball of string either do you?" Santana asked with a small crease marring her brow.
Brittany giggled and shook her head, causing Santana to release a breath or relief she didn't know she had been holding. "No, silly, you're taking me out so you have to pick when and where."
"Ok, cool. I can do that," Santana breathed out as a smile filled with pure joy seemed to break across her face. Brittany wore a similar one and Santana wasn't sure how long they both would have stood there staring at each other if Olivia hadn't run back up the stairs and interrupted them.
If it had been anyone else, Santana would have been pissed off at her attention being torn away from the beautiful woman before her. But as she dragged her eyes away from oceanic blue and looked down at the large brown pair that held nothing but admiration for her Santana knew that she couldn't find it in her heart to be angry. Instead, her smile grew when she noticed that Olivia was holding her arms out for a hug.
"We can come back soon right?" Olivia asked as Santana felt the small arms lock around her waist.
Running a hand over the soft blonde hair of Olivia's head, Santana found the little girl looking up at her waiting for her to reply. Nodding her head, Santana continued to smile at her little friend. "Of course you can, you're always welcome. But you have to ask your mom and not just turn up out of the blue."
"I won't, I've learnt my lesson," Olivia swore with a smile, and the twinkle in her eyes caused Santana to narrow her gaze in response. She didn't believe Olivia for one second. If there was one thing she knew about the little girl hanging onto her, it was that she would do what she wanted and whatever it took to get what she wanted. If that got her into trouble then so be it. Even though she knew it was slightly wrong, Santana couldn't help but respect that.
"I'll talk to your mom and we will arrange something in the next week or so, ok?" As she said the last part Santana conveyed with her eyes to Brittany that arranging another play date wasn't the only thing they would be discussing during that phone call.
"Cool."
Santana flopped down upon her bed, a huge smile plastered across her face and her cell phone pressed to her ear. She couldn't help but laugh out loud when she heard the scream come down the phone after the confession she had just made to her friend.
"A kiss? Santana that's awesome," Mercedes gushed, causing Santana to close her eyes and picture the kiss she had shared with Brittany.
"'Cedes, it really was the best, more awesome kiss I have ever experienced. There just aren't words..." Santana trailed off as she opened her eyes and focused her gaze upon a small paint chip upon the ceiling. She didn't think she could ever accurately put into words how kissing Brittany had made her feel.
A chuckle came over the line, drawing Santana back to the conversation she was having with her friend. "Damn, this girl must have some serious skills to have rendered Santana 'the word' Lopez speechless."
"Oh don't worry, she did," Santana added, causing Mercedes to giggle again.
The line went silent for a moment and Santana was just about to speak when Mercedes cut in. "Please tell me you asked her out."
"Mercedes…"
"Lord Jesus help me, Santana, what did I tell you?!" Mercedes cried down the line, causing Santana to roll her eyes at her friend's reaction to her perceived attempt at ducking out of manning up.
Deciding to cut Mercedes off before she got into one of her righteous rants, Santana quickly answered her. "Well he did, because I asked her out."
Santana let out another laugh as her usually composed and controlled friend let loose another girlish giggle and screamed her joy down the line as she shouted out to someone in the background that Santana had finally grown a pair of lady balls.
"Ok, Ok have you finished freaking out on me?" Santana asked her best friend as the noise from over the line waned.
"No, I still have a few more squeals to release," Mercedes confessed, much to Santana's amusement. "This is epic, Santana; you never gush and you never instantly connect with people, and you never ask people out for anything other than sex."
"I didn't instantly connect with Brittany, she pretty much hated me. Besides I do wanna have sex with her," Santana said unable to stop herself from adding the last part, She was a realist: Brittany was hot and she would have to be dead to not want her. Santana not being dead, and having little to no control over her hormones when the other woman was around, would readily admit to wanting to sleep with her.
"She obviously didn't hate you otherwise she wouldn't have been sucking face with you. Besides, having sex with her isn't the only thing you wanna do with her, am I right?"
Mercedes never said stuff like that and it was enough to give Santana pause. "Sucking face? How old are you, 12?"
"Ignore that, it's what I get for spending all my time with Sam. I think I'm regressing," Mercedes said, and Santana smiled at the thought of her friend grumbling about her fiancé corrupting her mature speech patterns with phrases like 'sucking face'.
"Yep, you are, but to go back a little, you are right, I don't just want to sleep with her, I want to spend time with her and get to know her better," Santana confessed.
"So amazing," Mercedes sighed dreamily over the line, causing Santana to roll her eyes. "I love this softer Santana. So, where are you taking Miss Brittany on your very first date?"
"I don't know," Santana answered and turned over onto her side, propping her head up on her free hand.
"You don't know? You don't know?" Mercedes cried out, causing Santana to pull the cell phone away from her head. Mercedes continued to grumble loudly as Santana attempted to save her eardrum from any damage her friend could cause with her outrage at Santana's lack of forward planning.
"Calm down, 'Cedes, I'll think of something… I hope," Santana muttered. She had the start of a few ideas but she didn't really want to commit to anything. She wanted her first date with Brittany to be something special. Something that was memorable and something they would both never forget.
"You'll think of something? I thought you had mad dating skills?" Mercedes said, drawing Santana's attention to a conversation they had both had a long time ago.
"You are aware I was talking about how quick I could get my date in to bed when I said that right?" Santana asked with a small frown. She remembered saying those words to Mercedes while they had been working on some new material. She had been slightly drunk from the night before and desperately trying to hide from her friend that she was desperately lonely. It had been an attempt to deflect her pity, and it hadn't worked. At the time, Mercedes just shook her head with a knowing look and had just gone back to going through her vocal warm-ups.
"I recall, but dates cover other things as well, Santana. Things like dinner, movies, walks in the park, watching sunsets, stargazing and stuff. If you're stuck, just pick from something I listed and you'll be fine," Mercedes offered, and Santana appreciated her friends attempt at helping her.
"As sappy as it sounds, I want all of that with Brittany. I know its fucking lame - I don't even know her properly. I haven't even told her about… you know," Santana told her friend and winced slightly when she head an exasperated expelling of air come through the line and whack her ear.
"Well I should chew you out, because you should tell her about what you have been though, Santana. You can't enter into a relationship with secrets. It's always best to be upfront with people and if you want something serious with this girl, which I am sure is what she is looking for cause she's a mom, you need to tell her everything," Mercedes insisted, her tone a whole lot harder than moments before.
"First of all wanky, second, I will, I told her I would. I'm just not quite ready yet."
"When will you be ready, Santana?" Mercedes asked with a sigh.
Santana shrugged her shoulders in response and then recalled that Mercedes couldn't see her and verbalised her thoughts. "I don't know, when the time is right. It's a big fucking deal for me to tell someone something so personal."
A short silence followed her words and Santana knew her friend was thinking of an appropriate response. What had happened to her was something she didn't really even want to talk to Mercedes about, so telling Brittany was going to be difficult. Telling someone you want to think the best about you that you're a complete and utter mess wasn't something anyone could plan for or just blurt out.
"OK, but don't leave it too long, or bad stuff will happen,." Mercedes warned and Santana rolled her eyes as she pushed herself up into a sitting position.
"Thanks for jinxing me, Miss Jones."
"Oh hush up! So, do you need help planning your date?" Mercedes asked and Santana allowed her to draw the conversation back to a safer topic.
"No, I'll think of something epic by myself," Santana swore.
"You will?" Mercedes asked, sounding dubious.
"Don't sound so doubtful. I do have a romantic side, or did you forget that I wrote you some amazing fucking love songs?" Santana reminded her friend. They both had tons of gold and platinum discs littering both their apartments to prove it.
"How could I forget, I have people tweeting me day and night about how they made babies to those songs."
Santana laughed loudly at the thought of her friend inundated by tweets describing carnal acts committed to their music. "That's amazing. It's nice to know the human population is thriving due to our collaboration. But that's a topic for another day. Mercedes, I need your help with something else."
"What?" Mercedes asked, sounding interested despite a hint of hesitation.
"Olivia asked me to her birthday party and I have to bring a gift."
"Ok, what's the problem with that, it's not like you're strapped for cash," Mercedes asked, not seeing Santana's dilemma. "Do you need me to go to FAO Shwartz and buy the whole place? I'm pretty sure Sam wouldn't even moan about coming shopping with me on that trip. We went at Christmas one year when we first got together to get a presents for his brother and sister I swear we were in that place for hours. I lost him at one point, took me an hour to find him and when I did he was building a model of the death star next to two five year olds while the poor girl at the checkout rang up about three thousand dollars' worth of kits that he bought for himself. I swear we never even got his brother and sister anything."
"Well, I don't want to inflict that on you once again, so I'll pass on your offer."
"Thank the Lord," Mercedes breathed out in relief.
"I have something in mind; I have had from the moment she told me but I'm worried it might be too big of a gift." It was the first thing that popped into her mind for something she could give Olivia, something she herself had loved as kid.
"Too big? What are you buying her, the state of Ohio?" Mercedes joked and Santana could hear the smile in her voice.
"That's a great idea but wasn't what I had in mind."
"Then what was it?" Mercedes asked, intrigued.
Taking a deep breath, Santana decided to just get on with it and tell her friend what she planned to give her little friend as a gift. "Ok so I was thinking…"
As Brittany closed the door behind herself she called out for her mom. When she received a reply she couldn't help but smile and chuckled softly as Olivia left her side in a flash. It didn't take Brittany long to catch up with her daughter and as she entered the TV room she was greeted with the sight of her daughter scrambling over the back of the sofa her mom was seated on. When she was next to her the older Pierce woman simply held out her arms and allowed the smallest member of their family to crawl into them.
"Hey, Gran!" Olivia said as she was smothered in a hug from her grandmother. Brittany smiled at the interaction and looked away briefly as she dropped her bag to the floor next to her.
"Hello to you too, did you have fun visiting your friend?" Patricia asked as she allowed Olivia to pull back from her hug. Brittany caught sight of the slightly narrowed eyes look her mom gave her along with the word 'friend' and fought the urge to roll her eyes.
Brittany hadn't really told her mom anything about Santana, wanting to keep Santana and everything about her for herself, so her mom didn't really have an opinion on her. She knew what she had done for Olivia, just as she knew that was who Olivia had run away to - and in regards to the latter, Brittany knew her mom didn't really approve. But she hadn't said anything about it or Santana, she had just given her a look and Brittany had responded with an eye roll.
When Olivia had announced at breakfast through a mouthful of Fruit Loops that they would be a little late for dinner because they were visiting Santana, Brittany had seen something click behind her mom's eyes. Brittany knew her mom was observant (when she wanted to be), and while she didn't know the full details, she had been able to connect Olivia's sulking to Santana's departure and return. Her mom had given her a look that told her that they would be discussing the whole 'Santana' situation at some point and had just gone on to ask Olivia what was planned for their visit.
"It was good, we had mini cakes and milkshakes at Santana's." Brittany smiled to herself as she recalled the look of delight on Olivia's face as she eyed the many cakes stacked upon cake stands on Santana's table. It had taken some serious words to stop the little girl from gorging herself on two of each cake.
"I hope you didn't spoil your appetite, I made Banana pudding pie for dessert," Patricia said, and Brittany caught her mom giving Olivia a serious look as she spoke to her.
Olivia's eyes lit up at the name of one of her favourite desserts and Brittany found herself joining her despite the fact she had overloaded on sugary treats courtesy of Santana and Emma.
"I can always eat pie, Gran," Olivia told the older woman with a look that clearly told all in the vicinity that it was a silly question.
"I know, I never know where you put it all, it's like you have a hollow leg." Brittany fought the urge to laugh as she watched her mom pat Olivia down as she looked her over.
Olivia frowned in puzzlement and looked down at her little legs that hung over the edge of the sofa. "I don't, they are both full, they have bones and stuff in them."
"Never mind, sweetie," Patricia sighed. Seeing the joke had gone over her daughter's head Brittany joined her mom in gifting her daughter with an indulgent smile.
"Can I watch TV?" Olivia asked as she craned her head backwards.
"Sure, but no true crime programs," Brittany said as she looked at the place her mom had paused the TV. Even from her place in the hallway she could see the words 'Detective Fuhrman' mid fade. "You had a nightmare last time."
"It was once..." Olivia protested and Brittany shook her head telling her daughter with a look that it wasn't happening. The last time Olivia had watched one of her mom's programs she had scared herself so much she hadn't be able to sleep on her own for a week. Brittany wasn't prepared for another week or two of making sure every window and door was locked and Olivia sleeping in her bed because she couldn't close her eyes without seeing bad people.
Seeing she wasn't going to get her own way, Olivia shrugged her shoulders and grabbed the remote control that her gran was holding out for her with a small smile. "Fine, I wanted to watch cartoons anyway."
The TV changed to something bright, colourful and loud and Brittany looked towards her mom.
"I'm just gonna run my bag upstairs and grab a shower," Brittany told her mom as she bent down and picked up her gym bag.
"That's fine, Brittany. Don't forget to bring your dirty towels and any laundry down when you have finished."
"Sure thing, Mom," Brittany said with a roll of her eyes as she headed towards the staircase. Her mom still treated her like she was fifteen sometimes.
Brittany had just made it to the stairs when her mom called out her name, halting her before she could escape and take her much needed shower.
"Yes?" Brittany asked as she looked back towards the TV room. Her mom had risen form the sofa and had made her way out of the room and into the hallway.
"Oh, before you go, Artie called again," Patricia said with a small smile and a quirk of her perfectly shaped brows, letting Brittany know that she thought this was an excellent occurrence.
Sighing, Brittany felt her good mood dip slightly at her mom's words. Brittany groaned and took a deep breath as she prepped herself for her mom's disapproval. Artie had called her cell a few times and she had missed the calls; she should have known he wouldn't just stop trying to contact her. He had made it clear that he was interested, the problem was Brittany wasn't. She had seen the grass on the other side and it was a whole lot greener over there.
"Oh…"
"Oh? That's all you have to say? Brittany the boy is smitten," Patricia said and Brittany could see that her nonchalant reply had annoyed her mother, but honestly it wasn't any of her business.
"He's hardly a boy, I'm pretty sure he said he was 28," Brittany replied, gracing her mother with a strong eye roll.
"See, the perfect age for you," Patricia persisted with a wave of her hand as if Brittany was proving her point for her.
"Mom, please stop," Brittany pleaded as she stared hard at the other woman. "I'll call him back when I get the chance, ok?"
"Good, he's a nice young man, you could do worse," Patricia said with a small smile.
Brittany allowed her eyes to flick towards the TV room and Olivia to check she wasn't eavesdropping. She appeared too engrossed in what she was watching and Brittany focused her attention back on her mom. "Mom, please stop pleading his case. I'm not calling him back to arrange a date. I don't really like Artie like that. I'd rather not lead him on, so when I call him it will be to say that we will be friends and that's all."
"Brittany, just give him a chance."
Shaking her head in frustration, Brittany felt herself get slightly angry at the fact her mom was trying to push her into seeing someone she had no interest in. It wasn't the first time and unless she put a stop to it now, Brittany knew her mom wouldn't give up. She would continue to badger her until she gave in. "Mom, there's no point. I didn't feel a spark."
"Not every relationship that starts with a spark, Brittany, is a good thing one. Sometimes it's better to work to find love. Sometimes it's better to start without it and let it grow," Patricia said and Brittany could detect a bitter note to the words. She knew her dad had done a number on her mom and she knew she regretted marrying him after their whirlwind romance. Brittany wasn't one for hating people but she hated her dad for leaving them all. He had changed her mom; while it wasn't a bad change, it was a change Brittany could have done without experiencing. She didn't really remember much from when her dad had been around, but she did remember her mom had been more carefree and fun. When he had left her, telling her that he couldn't just cope, he had sucked everything out of her mom.
All the other woman wanted was for her to find someone who would love her and be with her always. Brittany knew that everything her mom did and said revolved around the fact that she wanted the best for her and didn't want her to make the same mistakes she had made. It was one of the reasons her mom didn't push her to talk when she came home from New York pregnant.
"I know that, it's just I want to feel that instant attraction to someone. I don't want to settle for second best, I want it all or nothing, Mom. I want everything love has to offer and honestly I don't think Artie can give me that, and more importantly, I know I can't give him that." Brittany told her mom, causing the other woman to fold her arms across her chest and shake her head, disagreeing with everything she had been told.
"I would hardly call him second best, Brittany," Patricia huffed with a roll of her eyes. "He's young, successful, and if what Brian says is true, he's going places at work. I was thinking of inviting him over for dinner again. Maybe if you get to know him better you will see he has a lot to offer you."
"Please don't," Brittany begged, not wanting to have to sit through another awkward dinner while her mom tried to match make while bickering with her daughter, who would do everything in her power to make things as difficult as possible. It was a recipe for disaster that Brittany had no desire to sample.
"Brittany, just think about it…"
"Mom, I said no," Brittany interrupted before her mom could get going and guilt or persuade her into doing something she didn't want to. "He's great and all and I am sure he will make someone happy one day but that won't be me. I'm not interested in him, ok?"
Before Patricia could reply, Brittany felt her phone vibrate in the pocket of her sweater. Scooping the slim-line black and glass piece of technology out of her pocket Brittany found a smile appearing on her face as saw a text, and more importantly who it was from: Santana.
She nodded absently and accessed the text as her mom kept talking about how Artie would be perfect for her. Brittany was glad for the distraction and the smile that had been playing up her lips when she first fished out her phone started to grow as she reads the message that Santana had sent her.
I can't stop thinking about you and what happened and when I do I smile, and when I smile it makes me think of you even more. Now I'm not sure whether it's the thinking of you that makes me smile or the smile that keeps me thinking of you. And I'm shutting up now because I'm sure that I sound like a creeper. Hope you and Olivia got home ok, text me back if you did. Otherwise I'll worry if you don't. Call you soon –S x
It was equal parts adorably awkward, sweet and fumblingly forward, just like Santana herself. Brittany found herself rereading the message over and over as she lost herself in thoughts of the woman who had sent it.
She was smiling like a fool as the thought of the kiss they shared played through her mind. It wasn't what she had planned to happen when she had offered to give Santana a dance lesson. In fact, she hadn't really through the whole thing through. It was only when she had the other woman in her arms that Brittany realised what type of situation she had placed herself in and what could arise from it. They had both acknowledged that there was something between them, and that Santana had come back for her. Brittany had been adamant that they should go slow, but standing so close to Santana, Brittany couldn't help but fall into her and the kiss had happened despite her best efforts to resist.
Then the kiss had happened and it was everything she had hoped for and more. Everything a first kiss should be, all those old clichés of fireworks exploding behind her eyelids, blood rushing through her veins, and ears popping as her heart attempted to beat its way out of her chest. She had never wanted it to end, but like all good things, it had to. It had been the most perfect kiss of her life and the feelings it had invoked within her had left every other kiss she had had floundering in the background as afterthoughts. As soon as it was over, Brittany had wanted to kiss Santana again and never stop, but Olivia had been around and Brittany wasn't quite ready for her daughter to know about that aspect of her life.
Brittany knew that Santana still had a long way to go to prove herself, but after the kiss and the way Santana had been smiling at her while they watched Olivia chase after Bonaparte, Brittany couldn't help the way her heart opened and softened towards her. So when Santana had asked her to go on a date, she hadn't been able to say anything but 'yes she would going out with her' and it took every ounce of control the she had for her not to seal that deal with another toe curling kiss.
"Ok?"
"Yes?" Brittany answered while looking at her mom slightly puzzled. She knew she had missed something important while she had zoned out while thinking of Santana, but before she got to question her Patricia was forging onwards.
"Excellent, I'll get your sister to sort it, Olivia's birthday is only a few weeks away."
"Yeah I know, not likely to ever forget." Brittany breathed a sigh of relief as she realised that her mom had been asking her something about her daughter's birthday.
"Well I'm gonna go and make a start on dinner and call your sister," Patricia said and she pointed towards the dining room and the kitchen
Nodding her head, Brittany watched as her mom moved towards the other side of the house. "Ok, shout me if you need anything."
"I will, and for God's sake, Brittany, get that shower, I don't want you sweating any longer on my hallway floor." The slight smirk on her mom's face let Brittany know she was joking.
"Thanks for pointing that out, Mom." Shaking her head, Brittany grabbed her things and headed towards the staircase.
"You're welcome, honey."
Shaking her head as she smiled at her mom's retreating back and then turned her attention back to the cell phone in her hand, she accessed Santana's number as she made her way up the stairs and towards the bathroom. As she closed the door behind her the phone was answered and Brittany felt her smile widen as she was greeted more than warmly by the other woman over the line.
"Hey, just wanted to let you know in person we got back safe and sound in and work out the details for our date…"
Keeping her eyes upon the house before her, Brittany drew her car to a halt on the gravel driveway. As she turned off the ignition and gathered her things, a look of delight spread across her face as she realised that the time for her date was now at hand. Since she and Santana had made plans to get together, she had done all that she could to wish the hours away. It hadn't quite worked the way she planned, instead it had made the whole three days in-between seem endless. Only the odd text from Santana telling her the wait was killing her just as much had made the whole thing bearable.
Allie was picking Olivia up from school and occupying her for a few hours so Brittany didn't have to worry about rushing home. Allie had also promised to cover for her where their mom was concerned, so Brittany didn't have to worry about fielding questions from her mom about what she was doing with her spare day and why she had to pick Olivia up.
After her mom had been fighting in Artie's corner, Brittany really didn't want to get into the issue of Santana with the older woman. While she couldn't be sure, she could guess her mom wouldn't be too thrilled about what was potentially happening between them. Not that she thought her mom would dislike Santana; she had always been cool when she had brought home girls in the past. However, Brittany knew her mom had her doubts about Santana after Olivia had run away to visit her. So, all in all, Brittany opted to just avoid the subject altogether until there really was something to discuss with her.
Taking a deep breath, Brittany quickly exited the car with everything Santana had suggested she bring with her. Looking down at her heavy wool coat and the hat and gloves combo that were clasped in her hand, Brittany couldn't help but frown. Sure, the weather had turned cooler recently with the summer having passed a few weeks ago. Fall was steadily settling in and an almost constant breeze had descended around Lima. Brittany knew from experience that snow probably wasn't far off. Still, it was hardly cool enough for the winter wear she had donned at Santana's instance.
It had her intrigued what they would be doing that was so cold it required such clothes. When Santana had told her to dress warm after their conversation the other day, Brittany had joked about going to the Artic. While it was a joke, she still hoped they weren't going skiing or something. There was a dry slope just on the outskirts of town and Brittany had been dragged by Allie when the other girl had convinced their mom to pay for her to go on the school ski trip. Surprisingly, she had sucked, bad. It was so unlike her, and after falling on her ass more times than she could count, Brittany had decided to quit after the second run and never go back, which had amused her sister who had taken to it like a duck to water and hadn't shut up about it for weeks.
Shaking her head, Brittany quickly locked her car door and made her way towards the front of Santana's home. She could already see Emma waiting for her at the door; the woman had buzzed her in the gates and was standing just where she told her she would be. She was a little disappointed Santana wasn't waiting for her, but she guessed not seeing the other woman for a few more moments wouldn't hurt her much. If anything, it increased her anticipation for the moment she finally laid eyes on her.
As she made her way up the steps, Brittany could just about hear voices bellowing orders from somewhere in the grounds. As well as that there was a strange whooshing sound every so often that she couldn't quite place. Looking towards Emma, Brittany could see the other woman's gentle smile firmly in place and returned it with one of her own.
"Hey, Emma," Brittany said with wave as she climbed up the steps at the front of the house and greeted the other woman politely.
"Hello, Brittany." Emma acknowledged her with a nod of her head as she indicated with her hand towards the interior of the house. "If you would like to follow me Santana is waiting for you in the gardens."
"Ok, that's great," Brittany gushed as the mere mention of Santana's name and her waiting for her infused her with a sense of excitement and joy. "Do you know what she has planned?"
"I do, but I can't say, sorry." Emma quickly apologised as Brittany moved past her.
"It's ok, I like surprises." As she was quickly ushered inside, Brittany heard the swooshing sound again and turned towards Emma with a frown. "What is that noise?"
"What noise?" Emma asked with a tiny tilt of her head.
"That weird sound. There it goes again," Brittany pointed out just as Emma closed the front door behind them.
"I didn't hear anything," Emma said as she dismissed Brittany's inquiry quickly. "This way."
Before Brittany could say anything further, Emma made her way swiftly from the door and down left hand corridor that lead down the side of the central staircase. Brittany was forced to follow and it didn't take long before Emma was was leading her through the dining room and towards the back of the room. The doors that lead to the patio that she and Santana had shared a coffee on were wide open and a gust of wind was blowing the translucent gold drapes to and fro.
Emma stopped a foot or so from them and pointed to the outside. "Santana is just outside waiting for you. Have a good time."
With a mysterious smile, Emma turned and headed back the way she had come, leaving Brittany alone to take the final steps that would lead her to the start of her date.
Taking a deep breath Brittany, pushed the drapes aside and stepped through the French windows. The sudden change in light caused her eyes to cloud and Brittany found herself blinking rapidly to clear them. Holding up a hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight, Brittany could just about make out silhouettes of several men. She quickly concluded that it was their voices she heard earlier.
As her vision finally cleared, Brittany noticed that the sounds she had heard a little while ago from the front of the house had grown much louder. She felt her breath catch in her throat as the source of the whooshing sound was suddenly revealed to her in all its glory.
"Pretty amazing isn't it?" Santana called out from where she was standing waiting for her with her arms wide. She instantly reminded Brittany of pictures of she had seen of circus ringmasters as they stood proudly in front of their big tops. All she needed was a top hat and tails.
A huge smile was stretched across her face as she stood in the cool air. She was dressed in a tight fitting black leather jacket; the collar was pulled up and her hair, which was loose, was flying in the air around her. She was a vision and Brittany would have never have torn her eyes away from her if Santana hadn't been standing in front of something equally as spectacular.
A huge rainbow coloured hot air balloon stood proudly in the air, framing the late afternoon sky. It was just as Santana said: amazing. A beautiful sight to behold with its multi-coloured envelope filled to the brim with heated air and its gondola made of wicker. It swayed from side to side every now and again. Brittany could see it was literally bursting to escape the ropes that tethered it to the ground. The man in the basket, who was clearly the pilot, occasionally directed a flame from the burner into the rainbow envelope above his head, which drew shouts from the crew standing on the ground around him.
Brittany could literally feel her mouth drop open as it suddenly dawned on her that this is what Santana had organised for their date. A hot air balloon ride.
Brittany felt her heart pound in her chest and her body was infused with equal amounts of nervousness and excitement. She couldn't help the small squeal she released as she took a step forward and grasped Santana's hand that she was holding out for her.
"Oh my god. This is beyond cool. I have always wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride," Brittany gushed as she allowed Santana to pull her down the steps that lead from the patio, towards the lawn where the balloon was grounded.
"So you like it?" Santana asked hopefully as they slowly made their way hand in hand towards their destination.
"No," Brittany said shaking her head at Santana, whose face suddenly dropped at the prospect her choice in date activity was found wanting. Brittany smothered her smile and was tempted to drag her small torture out, but decided to put Santana out of her misery. "Santana, I don't like it, I love it."
Santana breathed a sigh of relief and Brittany giggled as the other woman glared at her and dug her elbow lightly in her ribs. "Not cool, Brittany, you totally had me for a second there."
"Sorry," Brittany apologised as she glanced down at their joined hands. As she looked up, Brittany saw that Santana too was looking at their hands. From the pleased expression on her face, she didn't appear to be willing to release her hold for a while and Brittany found she was more than pleased about that.
"Come my fair lady your balloon awaits." Santana said and Brittany felt a tug upon their joined hands as she was pulled closer to the hot air balloon and the group of guys that were surrounding the wondrous mode of transport.
For the next half an hour Brittany listen intently as the pilot, who was called Derek, and looked like a short, excessively hairy George Cloone, ran through every rule and safety check he had with him. He checked their clothing and gloves to make sure what they weren't wearing wasn't flammable. Brittany had looked a little concerned at that, but Santana had been quick to assure her that they wouldn't burst into a ball of flames while she shot withering glares at the short pilot.
After that it didn't take them long to get settled in the gondola at the bottom of the balloon and with a few words from their pilot for the flight, Brittany found herself clutching the edge of the basket as the rope tethers were released by the crew. It was a gentle take off and as a flame was pumped into the envelope the small group found themselves lifting from the ground. The people on the ground bid them goodbye and hoped that they had a good flight. It was like the scene from the Wizard of Oz when he leaves in his balloon and Brittany found herself waving with a huge grin on her face as they floated effortlessly up into the air. She glanced down and saw the set up crew scrambling to grab all their gear while a couple of others made their way to one of the trucks parked not far away to follow them along by road should they need any help.
Brittany found herself distracted by the shadow the balloon cast upon the ground and didn't hear Santana move until she was standing next to her, gazing down at the ground which was becoming smaller and smaller by the second.
"Santana, you didn't have to do this, I would have been happy having coffee on the patio again," Brittany informed her date as she turned to face her. She was telling the truth, but she was pretty sure the smile she couldn't wipe of her face told Santana that this was infinitely better that an espresso.
"We can still have coffee afterwards if you like," Santana offered quickly in response.
"We will need it, it's pretty cool up here," Brittany confessed. Even with the heat from the gas burner above them the cold air surrounding them significantly cooler than on the ground. "Have I told you how awesome this is? Plane rides just don't compare. It must have cost a fortune."
"No." Santana smiled gently and shook her head denying that it cost a lot of money. "But even if it did, you're worth it."
Brittany just gifted Santana with a look that told her she knew she was lying about the cost, but would let it slide. It was obvious that Santana wanted to do something special and Brittany loved that. Still, she had been telling the truth to Santana when she said she would have been happy doing anything as long as it was with her. The last date she had been on sucked, in fact most of them had sucked when she compared them to what was happening right now. Brittany was beginning to think that a lot of that had to do with the company. There was something about Santana, something that just made Brittany feel better just being around her.
"Trying to smooth talk me, Santana?" Brittany asked with a small smirk.
"It's it working?" Santana quipped with a playful quirk of her brows, causing Brittany to raise her shoulders in response.
"A little," Brittany admitted.
"Only a little?" Santana demanded, to Brittany's amusement. "Damn, I'll have to up my game."
"I don't think you need to up anything."
"I know, we are already pretty high." Brittany rolled her eyes at Santana's lame joke and smiled despite of it. Santana bit her lip and looked at her apologetically while she shifted closer to her to look in the same direction she was looking.
It was strange to see their town from up high. Everything looked so different. Santana's house was slowly moving away from them as they drifted along with the wind. Brittany could see the roads and places she had known all her life and while they were still so near she felt so far away from them. It was almost as if she was looking at the town through new eyes. The sun was still pretty high in a sky, but it was getting ready to set and Brittany knew it wouldn't be long before they were greeted with that spectacular sight.
"You know, I wanted to fly this myself, but apparently you need training, permits and a tonne of licences and stuff. So unfortunately we are stuck with Derek here." Santana waved a hand towards the small George Clooney alike at the back of the gondola, who rolled his eyes at the comment and offered them both an amused smile.
"Santana, don't be mean." Brittany chastised Santana and gently tapped her arm.
"I'm not being mean, Derek doesn't mind, do you, Derek?" Santana asked, even though her tone told Brittany she didn't really care if he was offended and he would be wise not to say anything if he was.
"Nope, I don't exist, just you two up here," Derek replied and then pulled the trigger on the burner, lighting up the area around them.
"See," Santana said as she shot her a slightly smug look.
Brittany shook her head and smiled as she looked over the edge of the wicker basket once more. Again, Brittany let her awe over take her as she gazed around. She still couldn't quite believe this was happening. It was so amazing and so unexpected.
"Olivia would love this. She is always drawing pictures of herself flying upon the back of rainbow unicorns. Pretty sure this is the closest she would ever get considering they died out years go."
"I didn't know flying rainbow unicorns were extinct," Santana uttered as she looked just past the balloon and at the sky they were traveling though as though she expected to see a rainbow unicorn upon the horizon.
"Yep, people just never really cared about the cause, too busy saving the panda, the whale and the frogs. Then with the destruction of their natural habitat and the use of their manes for Beyoncé's weaves they never stood a chance." Brittany shook her head with a downturn of the corners of her mouth.
"Sounds like a tragedy to me," Santana said as she tried to contain her chuckles.
"It was. Now we will never see those beautiful rainbow mares and stallions galloping across the skies." Brittany finished with a dramatic sigh.
"So tragic," Santana agreed as her face finally gave way to the grin that that been threatening to spread since Brittany had mentioned flying rainbow unicorns. "I guess I'll just have to hire this again and bring her along, considering it's probably the closest she will get to flying via rainbow."
Brittany frowned the instant the words left Santana's mouth. She had been enjoying their little game; Santana was one of the few people who seemed to get her jokes and play along with her. But the last thing that Santana said had caught Brittany's attention. She just knew that the other woman wasn't joking, Santana didn't use empty words were Olivia was concerned. If she said they should all come up here again then Brittany was certain she meant it.
On one hand, that caused her heart to swell that someone could be so generous to the most important person in her life, on the other it caused her head to flood with concern. She couldn't just let Santana spend all her money on them, no matter how much of it she had. Brittany wasn't the type of person that needed money and gifts to be impressed and she wasn't about to let her daughter become like that either. Santana didn't need to buy her things to impress her.
"Santana, I can't let you do that, this must have cost a fortune as it is. I can't let you spend more money just bring Olivia up here. You don't have to buy her or me things, we both like you regardless."
"I'm not trying to buy you, Brittany," Santana said quietly and Brittany could see that her comment had affected the smaller woman. "But I would like to do that for Olivia. Derek and the guys have a bunch of other balloons, they even have a Sponge Bob one. I was tempted to get it, but it's not really romantic."
"But…" Brittany tried to protest but Santana just shook her head gently as she laid a hand upon her arm.
"No buts. I wanted to make this date special and I wanted you to experience something unique," Santana confessed causing Brittany to exhale loudly.
"It is, and it would have been regardless of what we did. I am pretty sure you could have taken me to a waste refuge centre and I would have an amazing time."
"I know this is probably a little OTT but I don't care, you're worth this and more, Brittany," Santana said as she stepped forward and grasped Brittany's free hand. "I would have flown you to Paris to have a meal under the shadow of the Eiffel tower, or Venice to woo you while we floated by gondola around the city, but I wouldn't want to deprive your students of such an awesome teacher."
Brittany started to laugh at Santana's statement, but as she caught sight of the look in the other woman's eyes she could see that despite the levity at the end of her declaration it was clear that she wasn't really joking.
"You're serious, aren't you?" Brittany murmured as she looked into Santana's eyes and saw nothing but the truth. She didn't know if that was incredibly romantic or just plain nuts.
"Deadly serious," Santana added with a firm nod. Her eyes pierced Brittany's, telling her that she would do what she had said in a heartbeat if it was want she wanted.
"You're crazy." Brittany snorted in disbelief. She couldn't quite wrap her mind around what Santana was silently telling her. Britany's own mind was telling her it was too soon for either of them to feel for each other with such an intensity; too soon and too dangerous, there was so much they both didn't know about each other. But Brittany got the feeling that no matter what, she couldn't stop how she was feeling and Santana feeling the same just magnified everything.
"I guess I am," Santana admitted readily. "But only you make me this way."
"We barely know each other, Santana," Brittany countered with a shake of her head. A flash of a distraught Olivia crossed Brittany's mind and it strengthened her resolve. While she shared Santana's feelings she wouldn't be rushed. "I said we should go slowly and get to know each other. I can't just blindly jump into this, I have Olivia to think of."
"I know, so let's get to know each other properly."
"Just like that?" Brittany asked
"Yes, just like that," Santana agreed. "We both like each other and I want to know more about you and you want to know more about me. You ask me questions I answer them as best I can and vice versa."
"What if I ask about the things you were so uncomfortable discussing the other day at the studio?" Brittany asked as she studied Santana closely. She shifted under the intensity of her gaze for a moment and then looked her dead in the eyes.
"Then I'll try to answer as best I can," Santana whispered after a small pause and Brittany could clearly see that she was struggling.
"Even if you're not ready?" Brittany asked, her eyebrows raised.
"Even then," Santana murmured before she suddenly frowned and looked down at her feet. "But before we get to that I have something else here for us both."
Brittany watched as Santana ducked down in the basket and thought over what had just been bargained. She had been able to tell that there were secrets about Santana the first time they met. After she had slapped her, the other woman had confirmed that she had issues. Until she knew exactly where they stood, Brittany knew that everything she did with Santana must hold an element of caution. She had sucked at that so far; the dance lesson had ended a little earlier and a little closer than she had expected. Brittany knew her own heart wasn't the only one she had to protect in all this. The sound of clinking of glasses brought Brittany from her thoughts and she was just in time to see Santana rise with two glasses half filled with champagne and a ruby red strawberry.
As she accepted the glass of champagne Santana held for her with a thanks. Brittany smiled at the romantic gesture and the blush that was spreading over Santana's cheeks.
"Do you think you can see my house from up here?" Brittany asked as she broke Santana's stare and leaned on the side of the basket. Squinting into the distance, she tried to detect her house through the trees and over roof tops that obscured her view.
"Pretty sure we can fly over it. Derek, my man, head that away." Brittany laughed as Santana glanced downwards and pointed in the direction she thought her house was. She was pretty sure you couldn't pilot the balloon on a direct course, but Brittany didn't really care. Their eventual destination didn't matter, being up here was fun enough all by itself, and being up here with Santana was even better.
As the ride continued, Brittany found herself falling into the realm of small talk with Santana. The scenery around them changed and Brittany barely paid any mind to it at all, as she sipped upon her glass of champagne and learned all manner of things about Santana. They didn't talk about anything important and Brittany could tell that even though Santana was freely offering her information it wasn't anything deep, but then not all of it was all light and frivolous information either. She also told her funny and silly things like how Bonaparte had developed a nasty habit of chewing her favourite pairs of shoes beyond recognition. Things about what growing up in Lima was like for her. She told her all about how she grew up in the house she now lives in, much like Brittany. How Santana went to the private school just outside of town. How her parents had wanted her to be a doctor and how she had disappointed them when she hadn't fulfilled their dream for her. She knew all about the pain of disappointing parents. She had done it to her own mother when she had turned upon on her doorstep six months pregnant.
She could tell that Santana had been hurt in the past and she could guess that her heart had been broken badly at some point. She guessed that was what made Santana so guarded and Brittany was the same. As they had talked, Brittany had gotten a true sense of how rich Santana was. It wasn't like she didn't have some inkling before, the house, the hot air balloon ride, the car she had driven Olivia home in, the stories about horses, large birthday presents and fabulous holidays Santana had told her about just confirmed that she was a little out of her league. It was kind of intimidating, if Brittany was honest; Santana had been all over the world and seen and done things she could only dream of. In fact, it was probably easier to list the places she hadn't been to than the ones she had.
Brittany knew if they were on the ground she probably would have let that insecurity envelop and overwhelm her to the point that she would have tried to escape at some point. But then Santana would smile at her and the look in her eyes told Brittany that she was so honoured and pleased to be spending time with her, and that single look would manage to push her feelings of not being worthy away.
Brittany wasn't sure how, but they ended up standing so very close, smiling goofily at each other as they pointed down to places they had both visited at one time or another. The balloon suddenly swayed as a gust of wind caught the gondola in which they all stood and rocked it. Brittany reached out to steady herself but before she could gain her balance she felt two arms wrap around her waist and draw her close.
She looked up to thank Santana for saving her from falling, but instead Brittany found the world around her fading as Santana lips met her own. Suddenly the only thing that existed for her while she was floating a few hundred feet above the town she had grown up in was Santana.
The softness of her lips and the scent of her skin. The way the muscles of her shoulders flexed and relaxed at the touch of her hands. The way she sighed softly when she finally opened her mouth to allow her tongue entrance. Nothing else in the world was like kissing Santana, nothing else seemed to matter. Small hands rested on her lower back and pulled her closer as an insistent skilled mouth teased and fulfilled her every demand.
Unfortunately, they both still needed to breathe and that pressing need become apparent after a short time. When they finally broke apart it was minimally and Brittany found her lips covered almost immediately as Santana peppered her with feather-like pecks and Brittany found herself responding in kind. A smile broke out on her lips as Santana breathed the word 'wow' over their mouths. Brittany couldn't help but agree. She pulled away slightly and caught sight of a pout on Santana's lips before she rested her forehead upon the other woman's.
"I've never kissed anyone in the sky before," Brittany confessed as she tried to catch her breath.
Brittany felt the vibrations of Santana's silent chuckle and the heat of her breath rush across the skin of her neck where her coat was open.
"You would probably have been up here anyway, that kiss was so good," Santana purred as she dropped a small kiss on Brittany's jaw.
"Goofball!" Brittany laughed and quickly gifted Santana with her own kiss upon the tip of her nose.
Another blush quickly spread over Santana's cheeks while a besotted smile settled about her lips. Brittany felt the arms around her waist tighten their hold.
Standing with Santana in a tiny wicker basket with some strange man pumping hot air into a gigantic balloon was the happiest Brittany has felt in a while. She was so glad that Santana had decided to come back, and while she still needs to know a lot of things about Santana, for that moment in time she was happy enough to just let everything go and just enjoy the amazing first date she was on with the most amazing woman she had ever met.
Thanks for reading. Review if you like and let me know what you think.