CHAPTER 24
It's that time of the school year now where the kids are pretty worn down and have mostly stopped paying attention to anything anyone of authority says, but Santana isn't complaining. With Sectionals over and Winter break around the corner, everyone – including the coaches – have started counting down the days. She's thankful for the moment she doesn't have to spend so much time on the Cheerios, even if it's just for a few weeks, because a freed up schedule means she can spend more time doing things she wants to do.
Today, that happens to be ice skating...apparently.
Santana didn't actually want to do it, but when practice finished and Quinn rushed off with plans of her own, Brittany had suggested they do something fun. Santana was thinking that something would involve a chill night indoors and out of the cold and far, far away from icy surfaces which she could bust her ass on but Brittany had something else in mind.
She reminded Santana of the rink set up near the Christmas tree farm and how awesome it is because they decorate it with fairy lights and there's Christmas music playing and everyone's always so nice. There's even a small kiosk where they sell hot chocolate and churros which was kind of an odd combination when Santana thought about it but Brittany loved everything about the place!
As she continued to pile on all the awesome things that can be found at the ice rink, Santana knew exactly where this was going and it was only a matter of time before she caved.
"But it's freezing out and I'm pretty sure it's meant to snow tonight too," Santana replied with a groan.
"Even better! It'll be real snow instead of the fake stuff they use that tastes like hand sanitizer," Brittany said, bouncing on her toes happily.
"I just don't really feeling like falling and bruising my ass tonight," Santana tried.
"Then I'll catch you," Brittany answered easily.
"That's what you always say," Santana chuckled, "And we still manage to fall."
"Well, I've gotten better over the years," Brittany said with her chest puffed out a little.
Santana quirked a brow, "Have you been practicing?"
"Nope," Brittany shrugged so casually that Santana couldn't help but laugh. Brittany then reached for both of Santana's hands, slowly dragging her out from her shell, then gave them a squeeze, "It's tradition, San, we always use to go when we were younger."
She bit down on her bottom lip; Brittany knew how much she loved a tradition.
Santana was doing her best to hold her ground, try to sway Brittany to do something else, but she was quickly losing her footing. Brittany was totally working her now, signature pout and all, but if Brittany was going for Santana's weaknesses then she could do the same.
"We have other traditions too," Santana husked and flashed a seductive grin, "Traditions that involve a lot less layers and a lot more-"
"Nope," Brittany swiftly cut her off though she seemed to stop and think about Santana's potential proposition for a moment before ultimately shaking her head, "No. I will not be swayed by your sweet, sweet lady kisses. I stand by my choice."
Brittany really could be stubborn when she wanted and Santana knew she was bound to agree because denying Brittany anything was apparently impossible for her to do. She blames it on the Christmas Spirit, but really she's a sucker for Brittany no matter the season.
Still, she wanted to see how far Brittany would go to convince her so she stayed silent, seemingly looking unmoved by Brittany's reasoning.
"I don't know, Britt.." Santana replied with a long sigh.
The blonde just gave her that same small smile that always made Santana's knees shake. Her voice dipped down low as she took a step into Santana's space, eyes a darker shade of blue than before, "Come on…for me?"
There was something about the way Brittany asked that had Santana gulping. She was always great at mixing sexy with the sweet, it was like Santana's kryptonite and she was convinced Brittany knew it too.
Before she could even say anything, Brittany continued, "I've only got a couple more days to spend with you until I leave for San Fran. Don't you wanna have something to remember me by?"
Santana looked to Brittany fondly; first it was the sexy and now it was the sweet. It was like Brittany's one-two punch that left Santana in a puddle on the floor.
"You're not going to be gone forever," Santana said dismissively, fighting back a smile.
"Two weeks is a long time, Santana…"
When Brittany proceeded to bat her eyelashes accompanied by her infamous pout, Santana couldn't help but snicker and roll her eyes. She really did have Santana wrapped around her pinky, huh?
"Okay, okay. Enough with the pout!" Santana finally said with a chuckle, "We can go, but we're going to have to change into something warmer and-"
Brittany cheered and quickly wrapped Santana up in a tight hug before moving to press kisses all over her face, "This is going to be so much fun!"
\\
And it so was, even if they did fall on their asses a couple of times.
Santana was so damn cold, she couldn't feel anything anyway but braving the temperature was so worth it when she was with Brittany. She always thought the blonde was beautiful, but illuminated by fairy lights and sprinkled with new fallen snow was something entirely different.
Brittany was glowing.
Santana couldn't help but stare which might've been the reason why they fell on their asses so many times. Everything about Brittany was distracting; the way she sang to the Christmas music blaring from the speakers, the burst of laughter after she'd nearly fall, the feel of her gloved hand in hers, or that look in her eye whenever she'd catch Santana staring.
She felt like they had been transported right back to the start, back when they first started going on outings like this together without any boys to get in the way and they could just be themselves.
Well, as close to themselves as they could. Back then, there was always this voice in the back of Santana's mind that never let her truly get to the point she is now. She was too preoccupied by the talks and the looks that she sometimes missed out on moments like this, of true happiness.
That's not the case now though, everything felt so new, like she was experiencing it all for the first time again. For a moment, she regretted depriving her younger self of this feeling but she quickly realized she couldn't help herself then. She wasn't ready, but she is now and she's not going to waste a moment of it.
Santana lost count of how many times they rounded the rink and they probably would've gone longer if the Zamboni didn't roll out. Once they wobbled their way off the ice and switched back into their regular shoes, they headed over to the rental counter to turn their skates in.
Although Santana had been hesitant at first, she was actually having a lot of fun with Brittany and didn't really want it to end so soon. When Santana caught Brittany glancing over at the kiosk near the entrance of the Christmas tree farm, she figured there might be another way to drag their time spent together out a little longer.
"Hot chocolate?" Santana asked although she already knew the answer.
Brittany beamed, "Duh."
Santana just chuckled and looped her arm with Brittany's before making the short walk over.
\\
They end up taking a walk through the Christmas tree farm while they sip on their hot chocolates. It's nothing but the scent of fresh pine and the sound of Christmas music playing in the distance while they walk under the glow of the fairy lights strung up above them. Their shoulders bump every so often as they step in sync, their hands busy with trying to absorb the warmth of their cups.
They walk in silence, but it's comfortable. Brittany started to hum as Christmas Wrapping began to play and it only makes Santana smile fondly at the memory of them dancing with streamers to that exact song. For a moment, she wonders where they all are now – the rest of the Glee club kids – and she hopes they're happy.
Just as she is now with Brittany by her side.
"Have you put up your tree yet?" Brittany asks, pulling Santana from her walk down memory lane.
Santana shakes her head, "Not yet which is surprising. You know how much my mom loves to decorate. She loves the holidays."
The way the words fall sound like Santana's trying to be dismissive and it makes Brittany chuckle. She looks to her side and finds the blonde side-eying her with a smirk.
"You love it just as much," Brittany tells her, "I bet you think I didn't notice your Christmas themed socks when we were putting on our skates earlier."
Santana's lips part to reply but nothing comes out. Nothing gets pass Brittany apparently.
"Don't worry," Brittany chuckles and bumps her shoulder with Santana's, "I think they're super cute."
Santana grins with the shake of her head as Brittany sips on her drink, "I think my mom's waiting on getting a real tree before she starts decorating. She has just been too busy with work to go out and get one."
"Why don't you get one now?" Brittany suggests with a shrug, "I mean, we're literally walking through a Christmas tree farm as we speak. I can even help you pick the perfect one!"
Santana lets the thought roll around, but she'd be lying if a swarm of butterflies didn't start going wild at the sound of Brittany's offer. There's something domestic about doing something like that with Brittany and Santana can't help the smile from spreading.
"Are you okay with strapping one to your car?" She asks.
"Totally," Brittany bounces on her toes then drags Santana off down an aisle, "I saw some good ones over here."
Santana just let's Brittany lead the way, letting her point out the best trees in her opinion based on shape, color, variety. There's so much excitement and Santana wonders how much of it has to do with the sugary hot chocolate until Brittany catches her eye.
The blonde pauses and drops the hand she had toying with the tips of a Douglas Fir to her side as her smile softens.
"Sorry, I've missed doing things like this," Brittany apologizes through a shy smile, "I haven't done it in awhile."
"Neither have I," Santana tells her, "Usually my mom flies to New York for the holidays and my apartment wasn't really big enough for a whole tree so I just had a little tabletop one."
Brittany nods, watching Santana like she's the only girl in the world. It makes her feel vulnerable for some reason and she reaches out to touch the pines Brittany had been toying with before.
"New York must look really pretty during the holidays," Brittany comments and there's something there beneath the surface that Santana can't quite grasp. Could it be nostalgia or remorse? She's not sure.
"It is," Santana confirms and catches Brittany's eye. The words fall before she can even think them through, "I'll show you next year."
It's short and sweet and to the point, but it means so much more. It's reassurance that whatever they're doing now is going to lead to something great and that there's a future for them.
Then Brittany smiles one of Santana's favorite kind like it's just for her and it's infectious. It warms her heart to see it and before she can say anything else, Brittany's leaning in for a kiss.
She tastes like peppermint chapstick and chocolate and Santana can't help but smile against her soft lips.
"I can't wait," Brittany says just a breath away.
Santana just nods and leans back in for another sweet kiss.
\\
After settling on the most perfect tree awhile later, they're sitting on a bench together watching a couple of guys strap the tree down on top of Brittany's car. They've been so preoccupied with searching for a tree and stealing kisses that they hadn't realized they've worked up quite an appetite.
A single hot chocolate probably isn't going to cut it now that it's nearing dinner time, but Santana remembers what day it is and goes to make a suggestion.
"It's 50% off entrees at Breadstix tonight," Santana begins casually, "Wanna get dinner with me?"
In that moment, Santana doesn't realize it would be the first time they've had dinner with it just being the two of them since Quinn usually tagged along after practice. Santana's too distracted by the rumbling in her stomach and that she hasn't eaten anything since lunch – which was about 7 hours ago now – to notice though.
Brittany looks a little surprised by the question but it quickly disappears and turns into a wide grin, "Yeah, sure. Breadstix sounds great!"
\\
Santana still doesn't realize what's happening when the waitress guides the pair to a familiar booth in the center of the restaurant. The woman smiles at them as they sit on opposite sides of the table and guesses their drink orders correctly. Santana doesn't think it's such an amazing feat, the woman's been waitressing there since the beginning of time so she was bound to remember at some point.
They go on to browse the menu as if they don't already know what they're getting. Over their frequent visits to Breadstix, they've both adopted their favorites and rarely deviate from them. When the waitress returns with their drinks and a basket filled with twice as much breadsticks than what's usually served, she's not surprised by their order either.
They really are such creatures of habit and that thought is only further confirmed when Brittany pushes the basket of breadsticks closer to Santana's side of the table. Santana grins happily and nibbles away like nothing has changed.
But she does sense something different with Brittany that she can't quite place. She noticed it in the car ride over and maybe even before they left the ice rink. It's not anything unsettling, it's just different and Santana can't figure out what it is. She's quiet, almost shy, and Santana can't help but wonder why.
She chooses not to linger on it though and instead focus on enjoying Brittany's company.
\\
They fall into conversation easily, replaying the events at the ice rink and trying to debate who is the better skater. It gets pretty heated in the best of ways, but they ultimately agree to disagree and move on to the topic of Brittany's upcoming trip.
"Have you started packing yet?" Santana asks before taking a bite of her salad.
Brittany shrugs as pokes her fork through a piece of shrimp, "A little bit. You know how I am, I like waiting until the last minute."
"Yes. I remember," Santana sighed then began to laugh, "It use to stress me out so much."
"I work best under pressure," Brittany chuckled.
"Of course, you do." Santana nodded, "So are you excited to see your parents? How long has it been since the last time anyway?"
When Brittany's smile falls slightly, Santana knows instantly that she's hit a nerve.
"A little over a year and a half now," Brittany tells her and it sounds like there's sadness in her tone.
Santana can only imagine, Brittany's family was always pretty close. But as the words settle, they remind her of something Brittany once said and she racks her brain for the connection until it finally clicks.
"Wait a second, you haven't seen them since they moved?" Santana asks.
Brittany shakes her head, still looking down at her plate. She stays quiet and Santana wonders if she should ask why, but she's worried she'll cross a line. Maybe this isn't something Brittany wants to talk about? It sure doesn't look like she does, but Brittany soon breaks her silence.
"Things got really weird when I went off to MIT," Brittany admits softly, "Dad lost his job and he had a really hard time finding another. Mom was trying to cover everything but she didn't make nearly enough as he did. My uncle ended up reaching out at the last minute and offered my dad a job with him but that meant they'd need to move to California. They didn't really have a choice since they had fallen behind on their bills."
Santana swallowed hard. She had no idea Brittany had been dealing with this, but kept quiet as Brittany continued.
"At the time, I didn't know anything. I was deep in my studies at MIT then one day," Brittany pauses looking a little flustered, "They didn't tell me about having to put the house up for sale until it was already sold."
Santana's jaw dropped, "What? Why would they keep that from you?"
"I don't know. They started acting really weird and distant but I thought that maybe I had been reading into it too much and things were fine? Like maybe I was just looking for a reason to quit and come home?" Brittany shook her head, "They kept me in the dark the whole time, refused to tell me anything until the very last minute. They said it was because they didn't want to worry me while I was in school. When I came home for Spring Break, everything was already packed up except for my room."
Santana was shocked. She loved the Pierces, she really did but they didn't always treat Brittany like she deserved to be treated. Santana noticed early on that Brittany's wellbeing wasn't always a priority and often times they left her to fend for herself but she didn't expect something like this. Brittany grew up in that house, it was her childhood home, so she knew that it would've been hard to see it go.
"I'm so sorry, Britt." Santana says helplessly, "I don't even know what to say, I had no idea."
"That was a really weird time in my life, you wouldn't have none. No one would've," Brittany shrugs but she looks too deep in thought now, "I'm fine with it now, I guess. They had to do what they had to do so I get it. I just wish they would've told me sooner, you know? I could've helped somehow, maybe I could've deferred and moved back? I could've got a job somewhere and I could've helped them save the house? I don't know."
Santana softens at the sound of Brittany's voice cracking, like she's barely holding it together and she starts to wonder how much else she doesn't know? It seems Brittany has kept everything hidden beneath the surface and that worries Santana, because she knows firsthand what that can do to a person.
"When I came home and everything was already packed up," Brittany starts again sadly, "I felt so strange. It reminded me of seeing your bedroom emptied out before you left for Louisville and I guess that thought triggered some other feelings. They kept me in the dark for so long and then were ready to up and leave like nothing happened. I felt…so alone, forgotten, like I was left behind."
That pulls a something within Santana and it makes her heart ache for Brittany. She remembers those words from so long ago You left me behind and it hurt. That was the exact moment Santana thought she had to make change, for Brittany's sake. Who would've known that her decision would be a huge mistake.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin the mood." Brittany says in place of Santana's silence, but Santana's quick to dismiss the apology.
"Don't be," Santana tells her earnestly and she reaches across the table to find Brittany's hand to hold, "You haven't ruined anything. I like learning these things, we've missed so much of each other's lives. I want to know the you that you are now, even if that includes the not-so-happy moments too."
It takes Brittany a moment to be convinced but soon a small smile makes its way onto her lips, "Okay good, because touching on this topic of conversation isn't exactly how I pictured our first date going."
Santana freezes and her eyes widen a little, "Wait, what?"
Brittany's brows scrunch at the question, "Isn't that…what this is?"
Santana blinks and she can feel heat rise up the back of her neck while Brittany begins to smile at the look of confusion on Santana's face.
"Oh honey…" Brittany sighs lovingly, "Did you not realize you had asked me on a date?"
Santana flushes and tries to remember every action that led to this moment, but she struggles after hearing Brittany call her honey. It makes her feel soft in a way that reminds her of their quiet moments alone but she focuses back on how she managed to miss something as big as accidentally asking Brittany on a date.
Brittany notices and begins to fill in the blanks for her.
"You asked me to have dinner with you. It's Friday night which was always our date night and we're at Breadstix and sitting in our booth. Even the waitress recognized us," Brittany lists and the smile on her face only grows, "I even ordered shrimp. That should've been a dead giveaway."
Santana's lips part to defend herself but she stops and begins to smile, "Oh my God, you're right. How did I let this happen?"
When Brittany struggles to hide her laugher, Santana looks to her and squints her eyes. She can't tell whether or not Brittany's laughing with her or at her but in the most loving way possible.
"What's so funny?" Santana questions, a smile threatening to mimic Brittany's, "I had big plans for our official first date, Britt. There was a swanky restaurant and fancy wine, I was going to sweep you off your feet."
Brittany lets out a sigh as she shakes her head, "Some things really don't change do they?"
Santana frowns a little and asks, "What does that mean?"
"It means that this," Brittany gestures from Santana to herself, "Comes so naturally to you that you don't even realize you're doing it. It's why I've said that I don't really need all the grand gestures. Don't get me wrong, they're awesome and I love how much thought you put into our first date. Your thoughtfulness is one of my favorite things about you."
Santana smiles down at her plate bashfully at the compliment.
"But you don't have to convince me of anything, Santana, you already sweep me off my feet," Brittany tells her simply, "You always have."
Santana watches as Brittany brings Santana's hand to rest across the table, their fingers threading instinctively. She's still thinking about what Brittany said, but seeing their hands like this laid across this table brings back so many memories. She thinks about hiding beneath red napkins and the fear of being caught and how she's evolved since then.
All she feels now is love, so much love.
Brittany's right about some things going unchanged, but being able to hold her hand like this in such a public place without a care in the world isn't one of them. When Brittany catches Santana's eye and looks to their joined hands, Santana knows she understands the significance of it all.
In a way, it's like they've come full circle.
"When did you get so charming?" Santana sighs.
Brittany just lifts a shoulder and bites on her bottom lip.
\\
Their conversation turns into something lighter as they continue with their meals, touching back on the topic of Brittany's upcoming trip.
"Did you need a ride to the airport?" Santana asks before taking a bite.
Brittany began to smirk, "Are you offering?"
"Maybe," Santana matches her smirk, "What time's your flight again?"
Brittany's smirk falls and turns into a nervous grin, "Early?"
Santana scrunches her nose, "Ew, nevermind."
Brittany gasped and watched Santana start to laugh.
"I'm joking," Santana clarifies, "I'll take you."
"You sure?" Brittany questions shyly as she poked around her plate, "It's really early. I think you might just have to spend the night."
Santana blinked at the suggestion and began to smile as she quirked her brow, "Oh really?"
"Definitely," Brittany answered with certainty, "I know how easy it is for you to sleep through an alarm. Can't take that risk."
It was Santana's turn to gasp and watch Brittany begin to laugh.
"Just because I don't believe in waking up before noon doesn't mean I can't if I had to," Santana tries to defend herself but it just makes Brittany laugh harder. Santana only shakes her head as Brittany's cheeks pink, "You just wanna get me in a bed with you again."
Brittany instantly stops and deadpans, "Who said I'd let you share? I was thinking you'd stay on the couch."
Santana gasps again and this time she's the one with a flushed face. She feels so embarrassed for assuming but before she could spiral out Brittany's smirk softens and she reaches across the table to touch Santana's wrist.
"I'm joking," Brittany says then her voice dips down lower as she leans in, "You know I'll take any opportunity I can to get you into my bed."
Santana's jaw drops at the suggestive tone but the glint her Brittany's eye let's her know she's still teasing so she shakes her head at the blonde, "You're going to be the death of me, Pierce."
Brittany just winked before finishing off the rest of her shrimp alfredo.
\\
After fighting over the bill for a good 10 minutes – a fight Santana ultimately won – they're on their way back to Brittany's car. There's a thin layer of freshly fallen snow and Santana nuzzles further into her scarf in hopes of hiding from the chilly winter air.
"Oh look," Brittany points out as the come up to her car, "No one stole your tree!"
"What a relief," Santana chuckles and they quickly climb inside.
They sit shivering and rubbing their hands together for warmth while Brittany's car heats up. There's a layer of frost covering the windows that shield them from the outside world, not that there's anyone around to see them anyway. They were probably one of the last tables in the whole restaurant.
Santana hasn't really stopped thinking about what Brittany told her earlier, and her thoughts begin to wander. She thinks about what Brittany must've been like during college although it seems like she avoids the topic of MIT like the plague, she can't help but wonder why that is.
"What are you thinking about?" Brittany asks quietly.
When Santana glances over, Brittany's already staring back curiously. She bites her lip, trying to decide whether or not she wants to ask that burning question. Brittany's been pretty open all night, so maybe she'd indulge Santana? Wouldn't hurt to ask, right?
"Can I ask you something?" Santana starts off slow.
"Uh-oh," Brittany teases although there's a little hesitance as her eyes shift to the buttons of her radio, "Sure."
Santana swallows and tries to come up with the perfect question, but the curiosity gets the best of her and the words tumble out, "How come you don't talk about your time at MIT?"
Brittany shrugs and Santana can already tell Brittany doesn't want to talk about it. Surprisingly though, she answers.
"Probably the same reason you don't talk about your school," Brittany answers, "It happened a lifetime ago."
"But still," Santana tries, "I'd like to know about your time spent there. I didn't even know that was a school you wanted to go to. You never brought it up before."
"That's because it was never an option," Brittany says, "At least, I didn't want it to be one."
Santana frowns at Brittany's dismissive words, "Why? It's MIT, that's so prestigious."
"Exactly, and no one ever talks about the stress that comes with going to a place like that," Brittany replies, "My schedule was crazy busy. I never got enough sleep. I was tired and cranky and overworked practically the whole time. I hated it."
Santana slumps in her seat at the honesty.
"It all happened so quickly," Brittany explains, "One minute I was gearing up for Regionals then the next I was solving the worlds' problems or whatever. It was hard and I was so…lonely. I found myself wanting to call you so many times, I just missed you so much, but I could never bring myself to make the call. I didn't want you to think I was pathetic or something, being homesick and lonely after like the first week."
"I would never," Santana frowns and reaches over to hold Brittany's hand.
"I know. I think a part of me just wanted to prove to everyone that I could do it," Brittany tells her as she draws shapes at the back of Santana's hand, "I focused on my studies and worked my ass off. Soon word got around campus about my SAT scores and I was able to get a tutoring job which surprised everyone back in Lima."
"Naturally," Santana scoffed, "Those dumbasses wouldn't know genius if it backhanded them across the face."
Brittany chuckles at that and smiles fondly at Santana, "You believed in me before anyone else."
Santana meets Brittany's gaze and grins timidly, "Of course, I did. You're a genius, Britt."
"Yeah, the people at MIT thought so too. It was so different to be around people that didn't just see me as the ditzy blonde cheerleader," Brittany continues, "People actually wanted my help and the tutoring gig paid so well because there are a tone of desperate rich kids at MIT just wanting to keep their grades up. I was doing well, I thought that maybe I had finally left high school behind me and I thought that I was almost caught up to you."
Santana's smile falters as does Brittany's.
"But I didn't realize that meant losing all the best parts of myself though," Brittany says solemnly, "After everything with the house happened, I started pushing people away. I never went out unless it was for class or a tutoring session. I got so engrossed in my work that it was all I did. I even stopped dancing, I just didn't have time for it anymore. I don't think you would've liked me, I was horrible."
"Horrible? I can't picture it," Santana replies but Brittany just shrugs.
"You've just have to believe me," Brittany tell her, "Surprisingly, Sam was the only one that stuck around even when I was being a complete ass to everyone. I know you don't like him, but he was a good friend to me during that time."
"I never said I didn't like him," Santana chuckles, "But I'm glad you had him. I wish I could've been there for you too."
Brittany just shrugs again before moving to turn on the defroster. Santana takes her silence as the end of that topic and doesn't push any further. She doesn't really see the need to, Brittany's told her more than enough and she's thankful for the new insight.
\\
On the car ride back to Maribel's, they sing along to Christmas songs on the radio and the seriousness from earlier is long gone. It's nothing but smiles and laughter as they pull into the driveway.
"I'll help you get the tree inside," Brittany offers and they move around trying to figure out how that'll happen with all the straps and buckles in place. Brittany ends up figuring it out and the two carry the tree up to the doorstep.
Before Santana can get her key into the lock, Maribel's opening the door wearing a great big smile.
"What is this?" She asks eyeing both of the girls then the tree between them.
"Hi Maribel," Brittany greets happily.
"We bought a tree," Santana supplies.
"I can see that," Maribel chuckles then quickly waves for them to come inside, "Get in here, you're letting the cold in."
Santana and Brittany shuffle inside, balancing the weight of the tree between them, while Maribel directs the girls on where to go. She's so giddy and although it's nearly 9pm, Maribel's already rummaging through a couple boxes of decorations.
"Mami, do you have to start tonight?" Santana teases, "We've got all the time after practice tomorrow to help."
"We?" Brittany asks, looking to Santana, "As in me too?"
"Well yeah, if you want to," Santana smiles at Brittany's disbelief, "I don't know what that look's for. You helped pick the tree, you can help decorate too."
Brittany smiles bashfully and all Santana wants to do is cover her face in kisses, but Maribel's standing right there and she doesn't exactly know the specifics of their relationship. Instead, Santana's bumps her shoulder with Brittany's until the both giggle.
"Yes! We can have a little early Christmas since you'll be away, Brittany," Maribel interrupts, smiling affectionately at the two, "I'm sure Santana will love that."
Santana instantly turns red at Maribel's suggestive tone. She's sure that Brittany picks up on it too as she and Maribel share a knowing look. Sometimes she really hates how close they are, and by hate she means absolutely adores.
"I'd love to help," Brittany grins, "But I better head home soon before the snow gets any heavier."
"True," Maribel nods, "You be careful driving home."
"I will."
"I'll walk you out," Santana says and follows Brittany all the way to her car.
"Oh, how kind of you!" Brittany teases as Santana gets the door for her, but she doesn't get in just yet. Instead, she turns and faces Santana, her back pressed against the doorframe. Her eyes dart between Santana's as a snowflake catches on her eyelash.
"I had a lot of fun tonight," Santana tells her.
Brittany nods, "Yeah, me too."
"And I really appreciate all of the things you told me," Santana adds, "About your parents and MIT. I know you don't really like talking about it, but I'm really glad you told me."
Brittany doesn't say anything, her expressions are almost unreadable, but Santana doesn't take that to heart. Instead, she gets to thinking about something and wonders if Brittany might hear her better if it were done in a different way. She thinks about Piano Brad and the choir room and gears begin to churn.
It clicks in an instant, but she contains herself for now.
"Drive safely, okay?" Santana says and reaches to fluff up Brittany's scarf, "Maybe text me when you get home so I know you made it."
"I can do that," Brittany grin grows as Santana continues fussing over her, "You know, I do have heat in my car."
Santana realizes what she's doing and quickly drops her hands with a blush, "Sorry, old habits I guess."
"You're cute," Brittany chuckles and leans down for a kiss.
It happens too quickly for Santana's liking, so she grabs onto Brittany's scarf and tugs her back down. She can feel the smile spread across Brittany's lips against her own and it makes her heart melt. She really can't get enough of her, especially after the day they've had.
When they finally manage to pull away, there's a dazed look in their eyes that makes Santana bite her lip, "Okay, go home before I change my mind and try to convince you to stay."
"You wouldn't have to try very hard," Brittany giggles but moves to get behind the wheel. She glances back up at Santana, smile as big and as bright as ever, "I'll see you tomorrow, Santana."
Santana matches the grin Brittany wears, "I'll see you tomorrow, Britt."
\\
That night – after receiving Brittany's text that she got home safely – Santana scrolls through playlist after playlist until her eyes grow weary. She's not sure what she's looking for just yet, but she'll know when she hears it. Afterall, it has to be perfect considering what happened the last time she sang to Brittany in the place where they first fell in love.
A/N - I didn't think I would be ready to write so soon, but carrying on these stories and continuing to write about Santana and Brittany's love is just something I can do to honor Naya's legacy. My heart has felt so heavy for the past week, but each day it gets easier. Her impact knows no bounds and I will miss her dearly. I hope everyone's taking care of themselves and that this updates puts a smile on your face even if it's just for a moment.