A/N: Final time jump! (Or more like a finish of the last one) I'm still sorry about the last chapter, y'all. Like I get you guys just want them together but Russell has been alluding to this for a long time. I mean the dude moved his whole family to Lima in the first place just cause he was "embarrassed" of his daughter's assault in New York. It didn't just happen.
And if you're mad that they were pulled apart just when they got together and it seems like wasted time ( or chapters), imagine how Santana and Quinn feel. They probably feel frustrated too lol.
Santana yawned into her fist as a customer rambled his order at her. She was going to be off in less than 20 minutes and she was not up for another indecisive customer.
She'd been working at this restaurant since she started university in New York and she wasn't going to lie... she hated it.
But she needed it cause living in New York was EXPENSIVE.
She knew this before moving with Kurt and Rachel but to experience it was a whole nother level.
Her parents were kind enough to supply her with money for the rent she was splitting with Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber, but it wasn't enough to like actually live. So she and Rachel got a part-time job at a restaurant that not only made her deal with customers but also made her sing to them.
She wouldn't lie and say performing every other night wasn't extremely fun, especially when the manager didn't let Rachel hog the spotlight, but she could say that she'd rather be at their apartment all day sleeping away lecture headaches instead.
Santana looked at the watch on her wrist, only 12 more minutes and she was free. Tonight Kurt was cooking and that meant he was going to whip up a specialty cocktail which would be a perfect pre-drink before she went out tonight.
She had been going out every Friday, snow be damned, and tonight she was ready to get her drink on.
"And French fries," the customer concluded.
Santana nodded and wrote down a few things that she thought she possibly heard the man say. She slapped her order book closed and walked off to deliver the page to the kitchen.
Santana spent the rest of her time watching the clock, her arms folded and tapping a heel in anticipation.
Her manager walked up to her, about to ask her to do something but luckily she was quick enough to stop him with a raise of her hand.
He waited, and then it was the end of her shift.
"Sorry," she apologized as she ripped her apron from her hips, "I'm off."
He voiced an argument but she was already running towards her coat.
"You're not gonna say bye?" A voice asked behind her.
Santana felt herself smile, but pretended to give a large sigh as she turned to face her colleague, "Of course not."
"Tell me," her colleague, Dani, folded her arms as she gave Santana a once over that always seemed to make Santana feel a bit nervous, "will I be seeing you out later tonight?"
"Matters. Will you be buying me a drink?" Santana asked as she slipped her arms into her coat.
"Matters. Will you be wearing that dress that I like?"
"I-" Santana stumbled over her words for a moment before puffing out some air.
Dani had been working at the restaurant way before Santana had even thought about New York and was the first person to offer to show them around. She was also the first person to make Santana feel a thump in her chest since...
She literally started sweating when Dani talked to her and Santana didn't usually sweat. So when Dani would turn up the charm, Santana wouldn't be rude towards her like past potential hookups. She just let it happened, and eventually, they hooked up and it was great to feel wanted again.
Nothing really was coming out of it, all just for fun. But Santana needed that. Fun.
"I can't promise anything," Santana winked.
That seemed like the right answer given that it enhanced Dani's smile and the girl's eyes didn't leave her as she exited the restaurant.
Santana technically had a lot of things to do this weekend. Though her degree was still undetermined, she had chosen a bunch of classes that weren't too easy. Especially a certain finance class that she had an exam to study for, but she needed this night out.
Even though New York was exciting and new, it still made Santana a tad uncomfortable. And so every weekend she'd either went out with the Trouble Twins or the few people she had met in this city. It wasn't the best habit, but at least it wasn't as bad as it was the first couple weeks she had moved to New York.
She used to go out every single day, coming back to the apartment falling over herself and accompanied by a stranger. Rachel and Kurt were on the edge of kicking her out at that time, pissed that she was bringing people into the apartment and they were not feeling up to waking up to a hungover and angry Santana. Back to back hangovers really ruined Santana's mood and she took it out immediately on Rachel and Kurt.
It wasn't until they had the second intervention on her (the first one ended with Santana calling them a few not so nice names and storming out) that Santana cooled it down. They agreed to one day for Santana to go out and maybe sometimes they would join her. Plus there were no more strangers in the apartment without warnings first.
Santana agreed, but only because she didn't want to have to pay for a new place nor did she want to go back to Lima.
Plus she was in the process of collecting receipts on the two of them just in case they conspired against her again, she just needed a little more time to gather it.
Santana stepped over a snowy puddle of slush before rounding the corner towards the apartment building, excitement filling her stomach at the thought of letting go tonight.
She even let herself smile as Christmas decorations filled her vision, the hardware store a block from her apartment decided to put them up a week early.
This Christmas she was probably going to head home and see her parents and not worry about school or work or anything. She would just be able to relax.
Well sort of relax. Ever since last year, Ale hadn't been getting along with Santana's mom. Maribel blamed him for messing up the Fabray household, which the woman actually seemed invested in.
Santana wanted to be mad at her brother as well, and on many occasions treated him as though she was, but he seemed to have been getting punished enough. Maribel was mad at him, Frannie went back to her husband and they immediately moved somewhere else.
Apparently, the eldest daughter left so fast that she didn't even say goodbye to Judy. This was according to Maribel who had made it a habit to meet with the older woman every week while Russell was out of the house. Frannie barely spoke a word after Russell was done yelling at her when she got back from her attempted runaway, and her new husband didn't argue when it was suggested for them to move to a place East.
Santana had the feeling that Maribel was hanging out with Judy to get information out of her, but she swore it was because she was just being nice. Judy wasn't taking it very well that both her daughters had essentially been shipped away. So Maribel attempted friendship with the woman. Maybe out of pity. Maybe she liked talking to the woman. Santana didn't know, but it still made her mad when Maribel would just mention the Fabray name.
Didn't really matter, Santana shook all those thoughts out of her head as she made it up the stairs to the apartment. No need to think about Lima when she had a fun night to enjoy!
The excitement began to die down as she entered the apartment, loud singing filling her ears.
It seemed as though Rachel and Kurt were already starting to drink, which sadly meant that they would be joining her tonight.
This wasn't always a bad thing, but tonight she wanted to let loose and these two definitely wouldn't let her do it with them dancing around her all night.
She hung up her coat and walked over to the kitchen as Kurt poured her a drink while Rachel butchered a Shakira song.
Santana took the drink and a sip of it, cringing for the strength of it, "What's the occasion?"
"Guess who got a boyfriend?" Kurt shimmied as he spun around Rachel who was setting up the table.
Santana sat down at her designated spot and looked between them. Back and forth, but she couldn't figure it out, "Uh, well it's not me..."
"It's me! It's me, obviously," Kurt gave another turn.
"Oh." Santana looked over to Rachel for confirmation. Once she received it she gave a smile, "Well, its about time. I was worried that you were secretly straight or something."
"Well, I'm not so please take that from your mind right now." He sat across from Santana and rested his head on his fists, "He's absolutely dreamy, Santana."
Santana let out an awkward laugh, "Dreamy..."
"Yes, dreamy. Here's how we met," Kurt gave jazz hands as he set the scene, "I was carrying some designs for that project I'm doing, which I'm finished by the way so we are also celebrating that. Anyways, I'm running-"
"Running?"
"Jogging."
"He was bristly walking." Rachel confirmed as she set the food on the table and then sat down with her roommates.
"Okay, walking but fast," Kurt rolled his eyes before smiling, "And I tripped. Almost fell into a puddle. The biggest one in the world probably."
"Dramatic." Santana commented.
"Maybe so," Kurt looked off into the distance as he recalled the rest of his story, "And before I hit the ground, Boom, my arm was caught and I was pulled into the arms of my Prince Charming."
"Okay?" Santana furrowed her brows. She wasn't aromantic or anything but she really couldn't stand talking about these things like this.
"And I'm beginning to say sorry and thanks and I look up and he's got these beautiful eyes and he's dressed like he walked out of a Hitchcock movie."
Santana cringed, "Which one?"
Kurt paused before correcting himself, "Maybe not Hitchcock. Either way, old school handsome."
"Super cool, what are we having for dinner?" Santana looked down at the casserole thing that was obviously not made by Kurt. When she didn't get an answer she looked back up to see a disappointed look on Kurt's face, "Oh my God, what?"
"I don't know. I guess I was hoping for a bit more excitement." Kurt folded his arms, "Both you and Rachel aren't fun with this and it bums me out."
Santana looked over to Rachel, who was cradling her drink and keeping to herself. She had recently found herself in her own world of love drama and it was leaving her less talkative than normal.
"I'm happy for you," Santana gave a smile to the boy, "Really I am."
"Great. Cause you're both meeting him tonight."
Both Rachel and Santana voiced negative reactions to that news but Kurt just shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"Do not worry, he said that he was bringing his best friend. So it's still going to be a good time," Kurt reassured.
Santana pouted and took a large gulp of her drink. She had really hoped to get wasted tonight, but now she had to make nice to Kurt's future husband.
The night was basically ruined. Nothing could make it better.
They all finished their dinner and someone somehow convinced Santana to do the dishes. She didn't mind it so much as she would back in the day; nowadays it gave her time to think.
"Hey," Rachel whispered as she placed a plate into the sink in front of Santana. She looked over to Kurt in the living room before whispering, "What do we need to do to get out of this?"
Santana squinted her eyes at the girl, "What?"
"Come on, you can't tell me that you want to actually do this tonight."
Santana shook her head, "I know this sounds crazy but I'm trying to be supportive."
"Well, that's a surprise coming from you."
Santana sighed and finished washing a particularly ridiculous stain in their glass dish before shutting off the tap to turn to Rachel, "So you're insulting me to hide that fact that what? You're jealous?"
Rachel gasped, "I'm not! I'm not jealous."
"You're not?"
Rachel tried to argue but stopped herself short, "And you're not?"
"No," Santana wiped her hands on a dishrag and threw it near the sink, "I'm kind of happy for him. He's acting like a little school girl. It's like cute or whatever."
"But don't you miss that feeling?"
"Duh, Rachel but-"
"Do you think you'll ever find someone like her again?"
Rachel didn't have to expand for Santana to know who she was talking about.
"I don't know." Santana felt an ache in her chest but smiled through it, ready to pretend to have confidence in how far she had come since last year, "but it's not about us, it's about Kurt."
Rachel sighed, "Yeah. I know."
"Oh, you know?" Santana began to walk around the girl and towards the living room, "So how about you stop bitching and let's get ready to go."
Rachel huffed but followed her to where Kurt was texting furiously on his phone.