A/N - Am I heartbroken about that embarrassment of a game I had to witness last week? Yes. Do I wanna talk about it? God, no LOL. Hopefully the McKinley Titans do a better job in the playoffs! Might even mess around and make QB!Britt's Game Day playlist
Santana stomps her way over to Quinn's locker and slams it shut in one big huff. Quinn looks up from packing her duffle bag, annoyed confusion written all over her face.
"Problem, Lopez?"
Santana continues to grimace but looks hesitantly around the locker room, her brows furrowed and her shoulders stiff. Her chest feels tight with everything she's been holding in and she swears she's about to burst at the seams if she doesn't say something soon.
The squad filtered out minutes before and Brittany's still practicing on the field with the Titans, but she can never be too sure. Someone's always listening it seems and she can't be burned a second time.
"Hello?" Quinn waves her hand at Santana, "Is there a reason that you're going around slamming lockers?"
Santana can hear the annoyance in her tone but her facial expression says differently when their eyes finally meet. For as long as they've known each other, all it takes is one look to realized something deeper is going on.
Quinn softens, "Shit. What happened?"
Santana shakes her head and lets out the tiniest whimper, "I'm fucking this up."
Quinn catches Santana just as she stars to slide down the lockers in trembling mess. She pushes Santana to sit on the bench instead.
Hot tears start to stream down Santana's cheeks like the floodgates have finally opened. She hasn't let herself feel the brunt of everything yet, not until now. It's a little relieving, but it's not enough.
"What are you talking about?" Quinn asks.
"I'm fucking this up."
Quinn lets out a sigh but keeps holding Santana up as she continues to sob. Instead of pressuring her to talk, Quinn just let's the girl cry it out first.
\\
Once Santana has finally settled down some, Quinn hands her a couple tissues from the travel pack she keeps in her duffle. She eyes her wearily before trying to get an answer out of Santana again.
"So, are you going to tell me what's going on now?"
Santana's averts her gaze to the ground. Her jaw is set and her lips are sealed as she wipes the angry tears from her face.
The reluctance to talk has Quinn rolling her eyes.
"Don't be stubborn. You've been in a bad mood all day then you go and do that," Quinn gestures to her locker, "Just tell me. Is it about your dad? Is he giving you a hard time again?"
Santana shakes her head.
Quinn thinks, "Is this about JBI's blog? Because I doubt anyone is believing a word he says after his whole tater tot conspiracy was a bust. He's already lost a ton of followers, I think he's just reaching now."
"It's not that."
"Okay…then what is it?"
Santana lets out a deep sigh, "She just wanted to talk and I couldn't even do that."
"Brittany?" Quinn asks hesitantly.
Santana nods.
"What'd she want to talk about?"
Santana threads her fingers together and squeezes, "Us."
Quinn looks confused, "And you couldn't talk about that because…"
"Why do you think?" Santana grumbles, "Because I'm a goddamn coward, that's why. She wanted to talk about us and what we were doing and I just – I couldn't."
Quinn sighs and starts to rub Santana's back.
"I knew it was coming. She's been wanting to talk for weeks now I think. I just – I did what I always do," Santana admits, "I got in my head about it. I let that stupid little voice take over. I told her I didn't feel the same way she did. I told her that I wasn't looking for something serious."
Quinn stays quiet as Santana continues to rant.
"I don't know why the fuck I said that! I thought I was getting better at this. I thought I was making progress but I still ended up doing the same thing!" Santana adds, "I fucked this up and now she's done with me, Q. I didn't think she'd do it. I thought I'd have more time to figure everything out."
"What's there to figure out?" Quinn wonders.
"I don't know," Santana shrugs, "How to have a girlfriend when most of the student body here are assholes? How to have a relationship with someone that isn't solely based on sex or how to boost my reputation? How to do any of this when my dad can barely look at me because I'm gay! How am I meant to be any good for her when I can barely look at myself sometimes? I'm ready and I'm not and that's the worst fucking thing about this. I'm my own goddamn enemy."
Quinn looks a little surprised by Santana's honesty but she nods like she gets it.
Santana moves to hold her head in her hands. That might've been the first time she's ever owned her sexuality so easily but she can't even enjoy it right now.
"What do you want to do?" Quinn asks but Santana only shrugs again.
She's been thinking about that all night and day, but there's only one thing that keeps coming to mind and it isn't really an answer. It's more like a realization that's probably been in the back of her mind for a long time now, maybe since the Homecoming dance.
She doesn't know how it'll help now. This isn't some rom-com movie where all it takes is this grand gesture, a profession of her true feelings and all is right in the world. No, there's real work to be done first and she hasn't a clue where to start.
"I don't want to lose her," Santana replies softly.
"Well, fix it then?" Quinn suggests which earns her a disbelieving look, "What? You're Santana Lopez, resident bad bitch of McKinley. You're not supposed to be afraid of anything, yet here you are letting all of these fears push you around."
"I'm not afraid."
"Santana, you literally just said – "
"I know what I said!" Santana snaps.
Quinn purses her lips but relaxes, "We've had this conversation so many times. When you don't try, you let them win. You want that? You want these people to be the reason why you can't go out on that field tomorrow night and kiss the girl that you love?"
Santana doesn't even waver at the word, she just wonders how long Quinn's known.
"No."
"Well then…"
"It's not that easy."
"Sure it is."
"Tell that to Kurt," Santana huffs, "He gets a slushie facial on the regular. Remember that kid everyone thought he was dating? He was bullied so badly that he had to transfer schools! I can't deal with that. If I get into one more fight, that's it for me. Honestly, I don't think I could handle going through the rest of this year dealing with that shit and I can't drag her down with me. She's so much better than this place and everyone in it."
Quinn narrows her eyes, "Well for starters, Brittany put a stop to slushie facials. There hasn't been an incident in months."
"That you know of," Santana replies, "The football team isn't the only ones capable of throwing a slushie in my grill."
"You act like you're taking on the entire world by yourself," Quinn argues, "You realize you don't have to do that, right?"
Santana frowns, "What are you talking about?"
"You're trying to protect her and that's thoughtful and all, but did it ever occur to you that she doesn't need it?" Quinn replies, "You keep putting yourself in this position, but you don't have to be in it. You have more people than you know that are rooting for you. Lean on them because you don't have to face these people alone."
Santana laughs bitterly at that, "You and who else? My mom? You guys going to create a secret service to follow me around everywhere to make sure nothing happens to me?"
Quinn lets out a frustrated sigh, "Well what now then? You just going to let them dictate your life? Just like your dad?"
Santana's jaw tightens at that. She knows Quinn struck that nerve on purpose and she both hates and loves her for that.
"You can't compare yourself to Kurt," Quinn adds, "What you've both gone through is different so you can't use him as an excuse."
"He doesn't deserve the way people treat him," Santana replies, "The way I've treated him."
"And neither do you, but there will always be assholes wherever you go," Quinn says, "The difference between you and him is that one of you isn't going to let them win. One of you is still trying."
Santana's at a loss for words and they both fall into silence.
"You said you don't want to lose her?" Quinn mentions a moment later, "Well it doesn't look like that from where I'm standing."
"I don't want to lose her," Santana reiterates.
"Then you should probably talk to her before you give her the wrong idea, genius."
Santana shakes her head and lets out a bitter laugh, "You make it sound like it's the easiest thing in the world to do."
"It is."
"Says the girl that has practically dated Mike Chang for months yet refused to put a label on it until two weeks ago!"
Quinn purses her lips at Santana's outburst, "We didn't put a label on it because Mike's parents didn't want him dating during his Senior year. It had nothing to do with what we wanted, but that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about you and Brittany."
Santana sucks in a breath to calm herself down. It's like a quiet apology that only she and Quinn share after years of friendship. They just sit together for awhile in silence while Santana's mind works through it all.
"I don't do relationships, Q," Santana admits softly.
"You have an excuse for everything," Quinn laughs, "You don't do them because you've been dating boys this whole time when you're gay as hell."
Santana smiles at that.
"Are you really considering stepping back in the closet just because you're too afraid to go out of your comfort zone?" Quinn asks, "Because that's the kind of message you're sending."
"I don't know," Santana huffs.
"Jesus," Quinn groans as she goes to face Santana fully, "The answer is no. You're not going to do that. You're a fighter, Santana. I don't know when you forgot that but you are."
Santana sits a little straighter. She doesn't know when she forgot either.
"We've been friends for so long and I've seen the difference in how you are with Brittany versus all the dumbass guys you've dated," Quinn says, "It's a good different and you deserve it. After all that bullshit you went through last year, you deserve to have someone too. I don't know how many times I need to tell you that before it gets through."
Santana feels a different kind of loved, a kind that only longtime friends can share, as she takes in Quinn's advice. There's few people in her life that she can trust to give it to her straight and Quinn's one of those people.
"You hear me, Lopez?" Quinn urges, "You deserve this and so help me God, if anyone tries to say anything to you or her I'll – "
"Okay, okay," Santana pauses her with a chuckle, "I get it."
Quinn relaxes and gives her an encouraging smile, "Talk to her."
"Tomorrow's that big game or whatever," Santana frowns, "I don't want to be a distraction."
"Then do it after?" Quinn suggests, "Whatever. The sooner the better though."
\\
That night, Santana paces her room trying to screw her head on straight. It's pep talk after pep talk, anything to ease the anxious feeling in the pit of her stomach. If she's prepared well enough, then maybe it won't be so scary to put her heart on the line like this?
At least, that's what she's trying to tell herself.
Tomorrow's the final game of the Playoffs and she knows how important that is for Brittany, so she doesn't want to cloud her concentration. She'll keep to herself and leave Brittany be for now.
Santana decides that she's going to approach Brittany after the game like Quinn suggested. Hopefully she'll be in high spirits after a big win and Santana won't have to compete with the blues of losing.
Who is Santana kidding? She knows that if anyone can take the Titans all the way, it's Brittany.
\\\\\
As Brittany returns home after her morning run, she's surprised to see her mom up and about in the kitchen. She takes out her headphones and kicks off her sneakers just in time to hear her mom call out to her.
"Morning kiddo!" Whitney calls out cheerfully. She's wearing her polka dotted apron and there's a spatula in one hand, a frying pan in the other.
"Morning," Brittany smiles as she ventures in. Her stomach grumbles at the smell of bacon, "You're up early."
"Got the day off today," Whitney tells her, "Thought you could use a real breakfast to start off the day. It's an important one."
Brittany smiles before going to grab a water. She was hoping the run would help clear her head since her thoughts have been running a muck since her conversation with Santana in the locker room. It helped a little, but the brunette still lingered in the back of Brittany's mind.
Santana was a mystery to her. A beautiful, frustrating mystery.
"Everything alright?" Whitney asks with her brows furrowed.
Brittany continues to stare off in space, "Totally."
"Then maybe you should shut the fridge," Whitney teases, "You're letting out all the cold."
Brittany snaps out of it and realizes that she's just been standing there with her bottle in hand. She tries to laugh it off and fills her mouth with water before turning to watch Whitney cook.
She's cracking eggs into a mixing bowl with one hand now, Brittany always thought that was so cool, but Whitney still looks at her skeptically.
"You nervous about the game today?" She asks.
Brittany has to think. She's always a little nervous before a game, but those are good nerves and she's use to those. The feeling inside her now though isn't something she's familiar with. She kind of feels suspended, still stuck in this limbo with Santana even though they've talked.
If you can even call it that.
Maybe that's what it is? Nothing feels resolved, none of her questions have been answered. If anything, there's even more of them! It's not a good mindset going into the final game of the playoffs. She's been trying to tell herself that all night, but it hasn't seemed to work.
She's hurt and a little disappointed by how everything turned out. She hasn't liked someone so much before and it's been so long since she has gotten attached to anyone. It's hard having to be around Santana now; what is she supposed to do with all the little things she has learned about her? It seems wrong to throw them away, but she doesn't know what the point is in keeping them.
She's not gonna need them anyway at this rate, but that also makes her wonder. Was that it for them? A whirlwind two weeks then this? Is that all they are meant to be?
Call it crazy optimism but as much as Brittany wants to throw her hands up and call it quits, she can't. She's never been a quitter and this thing that pulls her and Santana together is too strong to ignore. She could barely go a day without speaking to her, let alone the rest of her time in Lima. Maybe she should try again, but that also opens her up to getting hurt a second time.
When she sees Whitney look up at her from the corner of her eye, she realizes she hasn't answered yet.
"My head's just full of other things right now," Brittany admits as she plays with the latch on her water bottle, "It's hard to concentrate."
Whitney quirks her brow at that, "What's going on?"
Brittany only shrugs.
"Boy drama?"
Brittany shakes her head.
"Girl drama?"
Brittany hesitates before shaking her head, "I don't really want to talk about it yet."
"Okay," Whitney nods, "You aren't in any trouble, right?"
Brittany smiles at that, "No, mom, I'm not in any trouble."
"I'm just checking," Whitney chuckles as she cracks the last egg into the bowl. She pauses for a moment before looking to Brittany, "Well kiddo, focus on one thing at a time. You don't have to go solving all your problems at once, okay?"
"Okay."
"I know I don't need to tell you that," Whitney adds, "You've got a good head on your shoulders, but everyone needs a little reminder every now and then. Whatever it is, it'll work out."
Brittany feels a tiny spark of hope within her and nods, "One thing at a time."
"Exactly," Whitney winks, "Now go shower. Check on your brother too, these eggs won't take long."
\\
Brittany decides one thing at a time means winning this game before anything else. Football is what she's good at, it's where she thrives and now is as good of a time as any to get back to that.
Being apart of the Titans and getting them this far was her first commitment when she came to McKinley and it's only right that she sees it through.
\\
It's the last day before Thanksgiving break so a lot the students – and even some of the faculty – have already checked out. With it being a half day, classes are also on a shortened schedule on top of the Pep Rally at the end of the day. Most people are super excited for the game later; everyone's decked out in their McKinley High spirit gear and the Titans walk around in their home jerseys.
Everyone offers Brittany and the Titans their luck too – everyone except for the Hockey Team. They just stare bitterly from the outskirts of the crowd where they will always stay if they continue to keep a losing record.
Brittany doesn't pay any attention to them. She just attends her classes as normal and tries to avoid running into Santana for a second day. Thankfully, she has done a pretty good job of doing just that. She doesn't even look her way in the cafeteria during lunch although she knows Santana's there. Like always, she can feel her eyes on her but she doesn't give in – not this time.
It's always a different story when she gets to her last class of the day.
\\
Ms. Holliday greets Brittany with a knowing smile as the quarterback enters the classroom. The English teacher is dressed in jeans and a McKinley Titans spirit shirt with her hair tied up with a frilly red and white scrunchie.
"Exciting day," Ms. Holliday says.
Brittany nods, "Definitely."
"You're gonna crush it," She replies with a pat on Brittany's shoulder before handing her a worksheet.
Brittany heads to her usual seat, a little thankful that Santana isn't there yet. She's been anticipating this moment all day, wondering if it'll be different than the day before.
Yesterday, they didn't speak. They didn't even look at each other. They just sat in a long uncomfortable silence until the bell rang and they both could get the hell out of there as fast as they could.
But Brittany feels different about today and she doesn't know why.
She knows she should be focusing on the game ahead, but she won't lie and say it's easy to go another day without talking to Santana. She's been the best part of her day for awhile now, it feels off to be without her – especially on Game Day.
Brittany shifts into gear as she sees Santana enter the room from the corner of her eye. She looks up and watches the Co-Captain near their table; her books are hugged to her chest but her eyes stay glued to the floor. It's the same as yesterday and it has Brittany feeling a little deflated.
But it doesn't last for long.
"Hi," Santana whispers as she starts to get settled.
Brittany's eyes widen and she's so surprised by the unexpected greeting that she almost forgets to return it.
"Hey."
"How are you today?"
Brittany tilts her head and smiles even though Santana misses it, "Good. Nervous, but good."
"You don't have anything to be nervous about," Santana tells her like it's fact, "You'll be great."
Brittany softens, "Thanks."
Santana continues to busy herself with getting her materials out while Brittany patiently waits to see if something more will happen, but nothing does.
It's another class of sitting in silence, but it feels different this time. It's not as heavy as it felt yesterday and Brittany's grateful for that. Really, Brittany just feels a little relieved as she watches Santana get dismissed early for the Pep Rally.
"I'll see you later," Santana says and it's another surprise, "Good luck if I don't."
Brittany only smiles, "Thanks."
\\
The Pep Rally comes and goes and now it's just a countdown until showtime. Brittany does everything she normally would in preparation for a game and even heads to the locker room early to get ready.
It's different without Santana there, but it's for the best.
The Titans need her all because this kind of game is about all or nothing. With a loss, that's it for them. Their season's over and for a lot of Seniors on the team, this is it. This is potentially the last game they ever play in their high school career and Brittany can't have that on her conscience if she doesn't give it her all.
She gets dressed to the sounds of her Game Day playlist which never fails to get her in the mood to kick some ass. With having the whole locker room to herself, it's easy to get lost in the music as she continues to get ready. She makes sure she grabs her lucky towel and tucks it into the waistband of her pants before sliding on her left glove.
All that's left now is a bit of eye black and her helmet before she's ready to go.
\\
When she and the Titans take to the field for the first time, the feeling is like no other. The crowd is a sea of red and white and it's the loudest it has ever been. The team rips through the banner and pulses with unwavering determination.
They're hungry for a win and they'll take down anyone in their path.
Brittany can feel the roar of the spectators in her chest and pumps her fist in the air as she admires the packed stands. It's one of the coldest nights so far in November but she feels warm beneath the stadium lights. She knows it won't last long though and keeps her hands tucked in her handwarmer pouch as she makes her way to the Titans sidelines.
It's kind of inevitable that she sees Santana and the Cheerios there too.
They're facing the crowd and waving their pompoms as they call out cheers to get the crowd even more pumped. Santana and Quinn are front and center and Brittany can't help but steal a glance in the brunette's direction. It's only a quick one – enough to catch the brilliant smile she wears – before players interrupt her view.
"Pierce!" Coach Beiste calls out, "Coin Toss."
Brittany nods and jogs out onto the field with Mike and Matt to meet the referee and the Team Captain from Crawford County Day along with their two elected players. They shake hands and introduce themselves first before the Ref goes over their usual speech about sportsmanship.
Everyone agrees to do their part in keeping the game fair before the Ref asks the visiting team whether they want heads or tails.
"Heads," The Team Captain calls out.
The Ref tosses the coin in the air.
Everyone watches it spin several times before it lands to the turf. They look to the ground and the Ref bends to call out the outcome.
"Tails!" He says before gesturing to the Titans, "Titans it is your call."
"Defer," Brittany replies, trying to keep the smirk from showing. Winning the toss is kind of like a good omen, but she's not counting her lucky ducks just yet.
The Ref nods and announces the Titans' decision before the players leave the field.
Crawford County Day's special teams comes out and the Titans' special teams does the same. Brittany hangs back by Coach Beiste as they watch Kurt kick the ball away, signaling the official start of the game.
They hadn't played Crawford County since the early weeks of the season, back when Brittany was still working on her relationship with the team. It was a rough start back then, but the Titans were able to secure a win in the end. They're in a much better place than they were so Brittany's excited to see what this game offers.
\\
Crawford County ends up being an even better competitor than Brittany thought.
It seems like the Titans weren't the only ones working on their rhythm and communication since their last matchup. The Titans trail Crawford County by two touchdowns. It's like every time they score, Brittany and the Titans aren't that far behind with one of their own.
However, the Titans were shut down in their last drive and came up without any points.
It's an offense-led game, but Brittany doesn't like the idea of playing catch up all night. Not when there's a Championship Game on the line. She wants to get into a better position going into the half because she knows they'll be getting the ball afterwards. By then, she hopes it'll be a blow out once again but she can only judge it one play at a time.
\\
There's still 6 minutes left in the first half which is a lot of time depending on what you can do with it, especially when you've got the ball – and right now, the Titans don't. If Crawford County was smart, they'd waste as much time as possible so the Titans won't have much to work with by the time they receive the ball again.
Judging by the current situation, Brittany thinks that's exactly what they're going to do.
"Shit," Brittany mutters as she waits anxiously on the sidelines. She can faintly hear the Cheerios cheering and it makes her want to look over. She's been doing well so far, why mess that up now?
Brittany doesn't have a reason. She just looks over instead like it's second nature.
And like always, Santana's already looking back at her.
It's cliché to say, but she steals Brittany's breath away. She's waving her pompoms and going through the motions, but her pretty brown eyes never leave Brittany's.
There's a hint of a smile on Santana's lips, it's barely there but Brittany knows it all too well. She knows all kinds of Santana's smiles but this is the one she doesn't see very often. The last time she saw it was the Homecoming bonfire. She can't remember what they were talking about, but she definitely remembers the way Santana looked at her that night.
It has Brittany smiling back and for a moment it feels like it's just them on the field. It makes her happy just as much as it makes her sad, because they could've been so great together.
"Damnit!" Coach Beiste curses when Crawford County gets another first down.
It jolts Brittany out of her staring contest with Santana and forces her head back into the game.
They need a miracle because at this rate, the Titans are going to be down by three coming out of the half. That's not the worst scenario possible, but Brittany doesn't need them getting ahead anymore than they already are.
She watches the ball get snapped and the opposing team's QB drops back. He searches for a target and launches the ball downfield, but something miraculous happens – a Titan defender catches it.
The crowd goes crazy and the sidelines are even rowdier as Matt takes off with the intercepted ball. He zips through the other players until he's ultimately dragged down by their quarterback of all people. They're in great field position now and Brittany can't be any happier.
"Do something with this, Pierce," Coach Beiste tells her with a hard pat on her back.
"Yes Coach," Brittany replies before tugging on her helmet and getting back out there.
\\
The Titans are able to score once more before the half is called thanks to Matt's interception. They leave the field in high spirits despite still being behind on the scoreboard by a single touchdown.
Well, most of the team is in high spirits.
"I don't know why we can't run the ball more!" Karofsky complains, "Lady Lips can't catch for sh–"
"Hey!" Sam snaps.
"What?" Karofsky flinches at him, "It's true."
"It's not."
"You're right," Karofsky frowns as he turns to Brittany, "I thought you said you were taking us to the Championship?"
"You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink," Brittany replies coolly.
"Did you just call me a damn horse?"
Brittany shakes her head, "I'm saying this is a team effort. I can only do so much. It helps no one by tearing each other down."
"Your head is in the clouds and we can all see it," Azimio says.
Brittany's stunned, "What?"
"You're distracted," Karofsky answers, "You've been like that for awhile."
"Shit, I would be too if I was hooking up with Lopez on the low," Azimio mutters beneath his breath.
That puts Brittany over the edge and she's rounding on him before she realizes it.
"You don't know anything!" Brittany shoves at him so hard that he nearly falls off the bench. The amount of strength behind the shove shocks everyone because Azimio isn't a small guy.
"Yo! Chill out!" Azimio pushes her away.
"Talk about her one more time," Brittany shoves at his hands as Mike starts to pull her back, "I dare you. Talk about her one more time."
"He was just talking shit," Karofsky defends with a smirk, "But looks like he might be on to something."
"That's enough," Coach Beiste says before looking warily at Brittany, "Easy, Pierce. Whatever that is, deal with it later."
Brittany regains her composure while Azimio and Karofsky do the same.
"I give everything to this team," Brittany states, "I put in extra time on the field. I show up early, I'm the last one to leave. Who else here takes that kind of initiative? I can't do everything!"
Karofsky waves her off but that just makes Sam even more annoyed.
"You're such an ass," Sam tells him, "You've been holding up this team's progress since Britt got here. Who knows if you really want to win this thing."
"What are you yapping about now, Evans?" Karofsky rolls his eyes.
"You don't put in the work!" Sam says, "Britt would've thrown at least three TD passes by now if she had more time in the pocket but you're so crap at blocking!"
"What?" Karofsky scoffs, "Let's count how many times she's been sacked this game. Oh wait, you can't because she hasn't!"
"That's not because of you!" Sam replies, "She's slippery, she gets out on her own no thanks to you."
"What about knockdowns?" Kurt asks, "There's been a few of those."
Sam nods, "Yeah, that too!"
"Maybe you just need to be faster?" Azimio cuts in, "All that Bieber hair is probably weighing you down."
Brittany lets out a sigh as they all start to argue. One thing she hates about being on a team full of guys, their arguments are usually ridiculous and pointless.
"That's stupid," Sam grumbles as he fixes his shaggy hair, "Britt needs better protection from both of you. We can't get downfield because you – "
"We're doing our job!" Karofsky yells.
"Bullshit," Puck grumbles, "We have to rely on the passing game because neither of you can create a gap in their D. I've been getting snuffed out all night!"
"That's definitely not on me," Azimio brushes off, "You couldn't get yardage if you were the only one on the damn field!"
"The hell you say to me?" Puck snaps and lunges at Azimio.
"Hey!" Coach Beiste booms, "How about focusing on your own roles, huh? If anyone's going to call out what's going wrong with this team right now, it's me. I'm the one coaching this team, not you so cut it out."
Everyone quiets down but Karofsky continues to stew in his annoyance. It's nothing new to Brittany, as soon as they're down – no matter the amount they're behind – Karofsky and Azimio never fail to complain. Instead of taking ownership, they point the finger at anyone else in the room and Brittany hates that.
"I don't want to hear anymore of you blaming one another. Each and every one of you are responsible for the outcome of this game," Coach says, "No one is above or below anyone. You share this load so you better be doing your part. If one of you fails, everyone does. You hear me?"
"Yes Coach," The team says in unison.
"We might be behind right now, but we're gaining on them," Beiste says, "This team is in much better shape and they're getting worn out. Keep at it and we'll come out of this on top. You all know what to do, you've proved it time and time again. Stay focused. Just keep going, keep putting that pressure on them."
Brittany inhales a calming breath. She's done a good job of staying calm and cool under the pressure, she's done a good job of not telling Azimio and Karofsky's crap get to her, she can't stop now. They're so close to a victory, she can taste it.
Coach Beiste eyes everyone, her gaze steely with her fists resting on her hips. She looks larger than life in front of them, "This is your moment, Titans, take it!"
\\
The Titans take to the field once more after halftime and Brittany remains optimistic about their situation. They'll be starting the second half by receiving the ball, so it's the perfect opportunity to tie things up. She tries to forget about the arguing and Karofsky and Azimio's claims about Santana and get her head back in the game.
\\
The Titans end up on thin ice after their opening drive of the third quarter is a bust.
Brittany was really banking on it to tie the score but Crawford County's pass rush is too intense. She's starting to see her O-Line getting worn down despite everyone thinking it would be Crawford County whose fatigue would start to show by now.
It's been scoreless on both sides as the game clock continues to eat up the third quarter. The Titans are still a TD away from tying things up and Brittany really wants that to happen before they enter the fourth quarter.
They need a big play to get a new set of downs but like Puck said in the half, he's been getting shut down all night. The first down is only a couple yards away and a running play would be perfect but it might as well be a mile against the re-energized defense.
They need something Crawford County wouldn't expect, something sneaky.
So in the huddle, Brittany calls the play despite Coach's detest. It was all or nothing, and this would be just enough to get momentum going again. They need a spark, something that would breathe life back into this team after the morale has been slowly chipped away.
This was the only way she knew how to do that.
"Peek-a-boo," Brittany says and looks everyone in the eye to make sure they're with her.
Her teammates look surprised but they nod.
"Alright," Brittany nodded resolutely, "Titans on three. One…two…three!"
"Titans!" They yelled out in unison with a clap before getting back to the line of scrimmage.
Her heart was racing but this is exactly what she loves about the game. It's all about the adrenaline and making every play count. She can do this.
Puck gets into position beside Brittany as she readies herself for the snap. Her eyes stay searching the defense for any movement, always scanning.
"Down…hut," She says lowly. She watches her inflection and thanks her lucky stars that no one on her O-Line flinches, "Down…hut."
Again, her O-Line are statues. She was hoping she could draw an offsides from the opposing team, but they don't move either. She stomps her left foot and Puck changes positions, "Down…HUT!"
The ball is snapped perfectly and she quickly fakes the handoff to Puck before he charges to the left. Brittany watches the mob of players move along with him before she's tucking the ball and taking off in the opposite direction. She just needs a few yards to get the first down and she runs like hell towards it.
She can see in her peripheral that Crawford County's safety and corner have started to gain on her. Her feet move faster and she jolts her arm out in a stiff arm that connects with one of the players.
The corner tumbles to the ground but there's still one more Brittany has to worry about. The safety wraps gives her a hard shove but she outstretches the ball in hopes that she can still land the first down before she falls out of bounds.
Brittany hits the turf hard and the ball pops out but she can hear the Ref's whistle blowing. She glances up in time to see him signal the first down and suddenly her shoulder doesn't hurt all that bad.
She hops up from the ground as her teammates rush her, but even in the swarm of red and white jerseys Brittany finds herself glancing to the sidelines where Santana looks visibly relieved. Her pompoms are clutched to her chest but when she sees that Brittany is okay, Santana narrows her eyes almost as if to say don't do that again.
Even if things are weird between them right now, it's still nice to know Santana worries about her. Brittany smirks though at the chastising look and mouths an apologetic, "I'm sorry."
But Brittany isn't, not really. The smile she wears after making an incredible play can probably be seen from space, but they're not done yet.
"Hell yeah!" Puck shouts excitedly as he slaps Brittany's on the helmet, "That was so awesome!"
"Let's do something with this," Brittany says as determined as ever before getting her team back to their new line of scrimmage. She calls the next play but she wants to keep this momentum going and calls out, "Hurry! Hurry!"
Mike and Sam are set up with Matt on the opposite side. Puck's next to her again to offer extra coverage as the ball is snapped. She drops back and searches for an open receiver but the linebackers are quickly closing in. The more time she sits in the pocket, the bigger chance she has of someone on her team getting penalized for holding. She has to act now!
Suddenly Matt gets open and Brittany fires the ball into his open hands. It's like a laser beam but he makes the catch and brings it into his chest before getting tackled to the turf. It was a nice grab for a good chunk of yardage, another first down.
"Let's go!" Mike cheers as everyone gets back into position.
The clock continues to tick away but they're in way better field position now, Brittany has to make something of it. The endzone is right there, if she can't get a strike she's going to be really disappointed in herself.
In the huddle, she calls a play that's well-practiced amongst the receivers but the challenge is whether or not her receivers can put enough distance between them and their defenders. A pass like this could be easily picked off and if it does, that'll be a big blow to the Titans' morale.
"Down…" Brittany calls out as she readies for the snap, "Down, HUT!"
Similar to the play before, her receivers take off but instead of running up field they make quick slants in different directions. Brittany looks for the most promising target and fires towards them. This time it's Mike and he leaps into the air to make the catch. The ball continues to stay secured in his arms as he drops back to the turf and heads for the endzone.
Brittany watches it all happen in slow motion. One step, two step, three step, SCORE!
The stands erupt in applause while the team celebrates. Brittany rushes down to join them and for the first time all quarter, she feels like she can recognize her team again. They head to their sidelines as the special team is brought out for the extra point.
While everyone watches and waits to see what Kurt can do, Brittany's glancing to Santana again. At first, she's looking at the kicking team too but then she turns to Brittany almost as if she could feel her watching.
Santana quirks her brow and tilts her head toward the field but Brittany keeps staring. Maybe that hit earlier has knocked a couple screw loose but Brittany can't find it in her to look away. She's been depriving herself for the past two days now and in this moment, while she's surrounded by her teammates and she's meant to be tuned into the game, she just wants to look at Santana.
And she knows she shouldn't want to go over there and kiss her either, but she can't help what her heart wants.
The crowd cheering again after Kurt's kick is good is the only thing that breaks Brittany's concentration. The Titans have now tied with Crawford County and there's still a whole quarter left in the game. Everyone looks revived and Brittany has such a good feeling about what's coming next once they get the ball back.
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Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Titans lead by a field goal and they're already closing in on another TD but again Crawford County's D isn't letting that happen so easily. They're on third down and short but Karofsky's already started up with his bullshit again after another pass was batted to the ground.
"I knew you'd choke," Karofsky scolds after Brittany calls a timeout, "What the hell was that?"
Brittany shakes her head but continues to keep her cool, "It looked like they got the jump on you. Maybe you need to keep a better eye on your man."
"I had my eye on him!"
Puck laughs, "I bet you did."
Karofsky shoves at him and Puck shoves back. Matt quickly gets in between them and pushes them apart.
"You're blowing this for us," Karofsky claims as he glares at Brittany, "You were just all talk! Now that you're here, you're choking."
Brittany frowns. She knows he's just taking out his frustrations on her because she's the leader of this team, but it doesn't make it hurt any less. She doesn't usually believe a thing he says, but the more he runs his mouth the less she starts to believe in herself.
Is she blowing this for them? Should she be doing more? What more could she possibly do?
"How about you take some ownership?" Brittany says instead, "As soon as something doesn't go our way, it's my fault. Well, what about you? What are you doing to make this team work? What's your contribution?"
"This is bullshit," Karofsky growls as he takes a step closer to her.
Brittany doesn't waver, "Yeah. It is."
She just keeps her chin held high and her fists tight by her sides. She could go off right about now, unleash all the pent up feelings she has about him and his shitty attitude and the comments he's made about Santana.
She could do it, but she won't. For the sake of this team and for Santana, she won't. She's better than him and she can't stoop to his level no matter how bad she wants to.
"It's not her fault you're outmatched," Sam replies as he pushes Karofsky back to his side of the huddle.
"I'm getting tired of you always defending in her!" Azimio snaps.
"We're a team, that's what we do! We have each other's back."
Karofsky just shakes his head before Brittany takes back the huddle. She calls her next play and tries to rally a bit of support but she can see her O-Line is tired and it doesn't help that Karofsky keeps making things negative.
"Let's just focus here," Brittany tells them, "One thing at a time."
So Brittany and most of the Titans do just that.
It's one play at a time, one touchdown, one win. That's all they need to do to come out of this on top.
Brittany sets up another play action and has Puck get into position next to her. The ball is snapped and she fakes it to Puck but #87 for Crawford County is in her face in an instant. It happens a lot quicker than it usually does so she has to scramble. She tries to duck and dodge him while looking for someone to offload the ball, but then she's blindsided by #99 coming in from the opposite side.
She's hit hard once again and drops to the ground with two defenders wrapped around her. Miraculously, Brittany was able to hang onto the ball during that sack but she's slow to get up.
Actually, she's slow to even move.
A/N - So I've obviously broken up this chapter into two parts bc it felt right with pacing...don't be mad LOL.
I'm trying to have at least one chapter fully written before I update now that I'll be going back to work. That's purely so I can hold myself accountable and not abandon this thing. When I start spacing updates farther apart there's an even bigger chance I'll abandon it and no one wants that but thank you for the suggestion! I can see a lot of you want this to cover the entire year so I'll keep that in mind.
See ya next week!