A quick note- Think season 2 in terms of character development but they're actually 19 and going into their sophomore year of college. Also, I'm convinced Blaine and Santana would have made a kick ass duo so... Alright? Cool. Hope you enjoy!
Santana Lopez was pissed off. Okay, so maybe that wasn't the best intro as she usually was pissed, but this really took the cake. Sue Sylvester had crossed the line this time. She had stolen two precious months of fun in the sun away from her. The Latina was not happy to be stuck in the world of cheerleading in the middle of the freaking woods instead of on the beaches of Puerto Rico with her mother. After their collegiate national championship win, impressively led by a mostly freshman squad, the university boosters decided a cheerleading camp was in order to train the future middle school and even elementary level cheerleaders of the surrounding towns. An entire summer-long camp just for cheerleading was a whole lot of ridiculous, so they decided to integrate a cheer curriculum into a local sleep away camp. If Santana wanted to remain second-in-charge to Quinn Fabray, they were to be counselors for the entire summer. By all technicality, Santana had agreed to this on her own free will but when Sue Sylvester made a suggestion to you, you followed directions.
They would be cabin counselors, living with a bunch of sixteen twerps for 6 weeks. Then, an extra first week was training. Seven weeks of summer that Santana Lopez would never ever get back. It's not like she hated kids or anything but the whole "cabin in the woods"thing was a lot less glamorous than she would have liked to have spent her summer. At least they were getting paid. If she was being honest with herself, a couple months disconnected didn't sound all that awful. She could leave all the bullshit and boy drama at home, turn her phone off, and take advantage of the fake sand beach of the lake.
"Santana," Quinn snapped and the Latina realized it must not have been the first time that the blonde had called her name. They were sitting in their dorm room, trying to finish their packing.
"What do you want blondie?" Santana snarled right back. Quinn was eying up the clothing in her hands.
"You aren't going to be clubbing in the woods," Quinn replied in regards to the short black dress that Santana was about to shove into her suitcase.
"I am bringing one dress in hopes that I can feel even a little bit like myself this summer. I refuse to leave without at least a scrap of my dignity as a hot Cheerio bitch," Santana lectured the blonde. "Plus, who knows. Maybe they know how to party in the forest."
"Can you hurry your dramatic ass up?" Quinn stood up and straightened her clothes. She was wearing a pair of athletic shorts and one of the Cheerios graphic tees they had been given to work in this summer. They could wear other things but, in the words of Sue, she didn't trust that they owned anything that didn't reek of sexual lure and depravity.
It was strange to see Quinn and herself out of uniform. They wore them everywhere around campus to perpetuate a state of "constant school spirit". Santana had the sneaking suspicion that the dean who ordered that of the Cheerios was just a perv but that was a thought for another time. She stood up and walked to the mirror to put herself together with a light application of mascara. She had on her Cheerios ringer tee, a messy bun and a black bandana across her forehead, not in the cutesy way where the knot stood up like bunny ears. Santana hated that. She felt much more badass like this, like she was going to war. Okay so she had totally googled what a camp counselor was supposed to look like and then tried to make it hot. And maybe she was a little more excited for this experience than she would let on.
"We're gonna be late and then Brittany is going to be all alone with a bunch of weirdos," Quinn sighed dramatically as she stood in the doorway ready to go.
Santana cocked her head lightly, confused.
"Who?"
"Brittany Pierce? New recruit for this coming year? Best flyer and a former member of a nationally ranked dance team?" Quinn deadpanned, more than annoyed that she had to be explaining anything.
"Oh, the new bitch," Santana replied, taking one last look at her reflection.
She vaguely remembered Sue briefing them about this girl. She went to a community college or something and got recruited by the Cheerios after they came across some old tapes of her high school performances. Sue was notorious for searching high and low for new talents. Convinced that this Brittany character was a good fit with her two rising stars, she forced them all to work together. I guess that was a perk to being one of Sue's pets though; Quinn and Santana were guaranteed cocounselors. It was one of Quinn's far and few stipulations of the coach so it was granted. Whoever this Brittany kid was was going to have to bunk with some rando.
The whole summer wasn't a total loss, though. Puckerman and his baby-faced bestie, Finn, were working on staff. Apparently they'd gone to the camp forever. Leave it to Puck to be a total dweeb like that. The schedule would take some adjusting but it wasn't so bad. A group of kids would come in on Sunday night and leave Friday afternoon. Saturday was to do with as they pleased. They also got off like an hour and a half a day. Plus, it meant that she didn't have to go home this summer. Her mom was fantastic but her dad was a bit too much to handle. Sure, they probably would have vacationed half the summer but now Santana didn't have to worry about seeing her dad at all.
"Let's go, Lopez," Quinn threw a flip flop at the girls head.
Santana shot a glaring look but they were on their way. Within the hour, they were pulling up a rocky dirt road with a worn gate at the end. It was propped open and a skeevy looking dude in a skin tight polo stood guard. Santana rolled down her window as the pulled up.
"Hello ladies!" The man all but shouted through the window. "My name is William. I'm the arts director at Camp Wassah! What are your names?"
"I'm gonna need to see some ID from any dude as creepy as you afores I-"
"Quinn Fabray and Santana Lopez," Quinn interrupted Santana from the passenger seat.
"You ladies are in Cabin 9," William's face was slightly annoyed now. "Head straight down to the main lodge and they will show you the way."
After a couple of minutes of telling people their cabin and fingers pointing, Santana managed to get her car up a dirt path to a cabin. She was suddenly grateful to have a Subaru. A gorgeous blonde girl stood on the steps of the cabin two down from theirs and Santana nearly crashed staring. Shit, she was pretty. They spent about twenty minutes unpacking the car. It was all a bit rushed. There were sixteen bunks spread out along the walls of the cabin. In the middle was a small room for Quinn and Santana to live in. The door was more of a barn latch situation but it would do. Inside the room was a bunk bed, two shelving units, and a wide shelf with a small mirror above it.
"I call top," Quinn shouted.
"Wanky," Santana smirked. But she let the blonde have what she wanted. They unpacked their bags and made their beds, singing and dancing to the portable speaker Santana had brought along.
"You brought a full bed set?" Quinn questioned the Latina.
"What, you want me to sleep in a sleeping bag all summer?" Santana scoffed. She ignored the criticism and made her bed up with soft sheets, a comforter, another thinner blanket, and three pillows. She had given up her summer for this shit but she wasn't going to give up her comfort. To finish the set up, she placed a fan beside the bed. When she thought Quinn wasn't looking, she placed a teddy bear to the far side of her pillow, against the wooden wall.
"Santana, what is that?" Quinn smirked.
A blush spread over Santana's cheeks. "My abuela gave him to me when I was little. I don't really have anything left of her love besides this..."
"Your bed is incredibly extra," Quinn replied, her sheet, pillow and sleeping bag seemingly enough for her. This wasn't her first camp in experience but that had been as a camper. Quinn was honestly excited. This was a chance to make friends that didn't know all of her shit from freshman year. She pulled a stuffed dog out of her bag, making a big show of it. They were both bad bitches, but Quinn wasn't about to let Santana feel ashamed of having a comfort object. They could afford a bit more vulnerability, especially while literally living on top of one another.
"What's his story?" Santana asked unexpectedly.
"My dad gave him to me. Same reason you keep yours," Quinn replied simply.
They knew each other's stories. Nothing more needed to be said. There was too much to do for them to dwell on the conversation for long. The two of them worked together to string up fairy lights and a tapestry. Quinn even rolled out a little rug in front of their counselor room so that they could sit out there and socialize with the kids. It felt pretty homey and that was something Santana was grateful for.
Eventually, they were done and made their way to the main lodge. It was half dining hall, half dance and music studios in the ground floor. They were supposed to eat lunch together and meet the other counselors. As they passed by the big windows of the lower level of the lodge, Santana caught a glimpse of the toned blonde from earlier, dancing. The way she moved had Santana in absolute awe. She hadn't realized she'd stopped walking until Quinn turned to follow her line of sight.
"Oh! Brittany!" Quinn exclaimed. She ran towards the double doors of the studio.
Shit. That was Brittany? She wasn't sure what it was but she was drawn to the girl by first sight. She was incredibly talented. Santana followed Quinn into the studio.
"Hi!" Quinn was unusually chipper. It was her best 'future Cheerios head cheerleader' voice.
Brittany stopped dancing and came over to hug Quinn hello. Santana hadn't realized how tall the girl would be and she felt herself swallow awkwardly. Her hair was up in a high pony tail and sweat beaded on her forehead. She was wearing a loose tshirt that hung off her shoulders. Santana couldn't help but notice her collarbones, peppered in light freckles. Her legs seemed to go on for days past her athletic shorts. Her smile was one of the rare few that Santana instantly believed was genuine. Pretty was an understatement. Brittany was gorgeous.
"Lopez, introduce yourself," Quinn snapped the brunette out of her thoughts for the second time that day.
"Santana Lopez," She shot out her hand to the girl.
"Hi! I'm Brittany!" Instead of shaking the Latinas hand, Brittany hugged her. "Your name would be great for the name game, it rhymes with Banana!"
Santana froze. She hadn't been hugged in a long time. Honestly, she wasn't sure why she was allowing this to happen. Quinn looked at the scene with a raised brow. The hug lasted a good six seconds, which was just long enough to exceed the standard greeting hug. The last rando to hug Santana Lopez had their skull bounced off of the floor. Now, this tall blonde had wrapped her in a hug and Santana looked shocked into compliance. It made Quinn giggle.
"Come on, Santana tana bo bana," Quinn smirked at the Latina. "Let's get this show on the road."
"I'm starving!" Brittany grinned. She grabbed her backpack and started walking alongside Quinn. "I heard that there are baby ducks in the pond!"
Santana walked a few paces behind the two, deeply confused by the smile she was suppressing. Shit. Immediately, she was drawn into this bubbly girls energy. She couldn't explain it in the least. She usually hated the whole "ditzy blond" act but she was suspecting that this wasn't an act. Brittany definitely lived in her own world and for whatever reason, Santana wanted to be a part of that world. Her inner monologue was a whole lot of 'why? No.'
The lunch was a whole crock of bullshit. Santana was basically in her own personal hell, surrounded by the fake cheeriness of camp counselors. Puck sat to her left and Brittany to her right. The hour of lunch quickly turned into a several hour lecture on camp rules. It was the usual; midnight curfew, no cars during the week, and a heavy handed reminder that boys and girls do not mingle in the cabins. It seemed a little archaic.
"What a shame," Puck whispered close to Santana's ear with a chuckle.
Santana thumped the boy in the chest with the back of her hand. She rolled her eyes at his stupidity. Puck and her had hooked up at the beginning of their freshman year. She was wearing leather pants and he had a Mohawk. Both had established a reputation in their first month of college of one night stands and general deviancy. It was the path of least resistance, the obvious choice. It went a little differently than either expected.
They hooked up one time. Santana was bored, completely uninterested in continuing. After her criticism of his sexual prowess, Puck admitted that he didn't even like sex that much. It was a strange moment of vulnerability for the both of them. The two of them just hung out from that point on. They continued to flirt for appearance. Everyone thought they were hooking up, but in reality they just played a lot of Mario kart. Puck couldn't beat Santana and that drove him crazy.
"Is that your boyfriend?" Brittany whispered over at Santana. Her blue eyes watched the brunette intensely.
"Ew, no," Santana responded in genuine repulsion.
"That's good," Brittany smiled and turned back to the director speaking.
Santana blinked at her. What did that mean? Brittany tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear with a smile and it made Santana's heart flutter. What, no. Why?
The day was long and a lot of being talked at. People introduced themselves one by one, a terrible task for a staff of over forty. Santana only made mental note of the ones she gutturally did not trust. There was young Barbara Streisand, a girl named Rachel who spoke for far too long and far too formally. Along her side was a boy she could have literally confused for a campfire because he was the human embodiment of the term 'flaming gay'. They ran the theater classes that Santana had been less than happy to find out existed. She liked music and theater; She hated the people who changed personalities faster than octaves. A blonde with a mouth big enough to suck the seeds out of a watermelon introduced himself as athletics, alongside Puck and Finn. There was a kid in a wheelchair and Santana wasn't sure how he was going to get around rocky terrain of the camp. A few more kids introduced themselves and then it was her turn.
"Santana Lopez, cheer program," she said simply and then when shot a look by the director, continued. "And what I am most looking forward to is a shower."
It sounded snarky, but it was honest. Generally speaking, there was nothing more rewarding than a shower after a day of working your body it's hardest and pushing your limits. She'd meant it very genuinely. Her clothes stuck to her body with a sheen of sweat and she needed to bathe.
"Hi everyone! I'm Brittany S Pierce," the blonde next to her stood, looking out at everyone. "I'm a cheer counselor and I'll be helping Mike out with the dance program. I'd really like to see a baby turtle."
A few people chuckled at her answer to "what are you most looking forward to?" But Santana liked it. It was simple and honest. As things should be. Too many bullshitters sat in the room. Santana Lopez highly doubted that 'inspiring young people to be their best selves" was truly what bitchy Berry was looking forward to, especially with the way she was eying Finn from across the room. Santana leaned over to Puck.
"So how much hooking up happens at summer camp?" She whispered, grossed out by the gassy baby look that Finn had under Rachel's gaze.
"More than you know," Puck replied casually. "There's actually a game, I'll show you later."
The day continued in formalities until after dinner. Then, the counselors broke into course areas and headed out to their course areas. The cheerleading area was shiny and new, all paid for by those suckers they called boosters. It was a large open pavilion, the floor covered in new mats. Just outside was a long in-ground trampoline. Santana was actually pretty excited about that. The cheerleading program was technically under Ken Tanaka but he seemed less than inspired to be a part of it.
"Alright, ladies," he started. "I've got other counselors to deal with so let's make this fast- You guys are in charge of the program."
The three girls looked at each other. This was...new. At least for Quinn and Santana. Sue usually kept them under such tight supervision. They were shocked into a silence so Coach kept speaking.
"Don't let anyone get too hurt. Parents signed a waiver but try to avoid anything worse than a sprain," He continued. Santana grimaced slightly at the smell of Fritos wafting off of this man. "Your only obligation is a routine on Thursday evening for the camp and Friday morning for parents."
"Do we get the kids for all four activity sessions?" Quinn asked, very clearly trying to piece this together in her head.
"No," he answered briskly. "You get the morning slots but not the evening slot. You guys have from 8:30 to noon. You have to stop for a 45 minute lunch then. Then you get them until 3:30. No later. They get some lake time until dinner. They take an evening rec of their choice. Camp activity is at 8. Lights out is at 10."
"We have six hours a day to whip up a stupid routine? With the way our schedule runs that's only four training days." Santana protested.
"Make it work," Tanaka shrugged. "It's what the boosters wanted. Normal camp but with cheerleading. So it's what they got."
Ken Tanaka then waddled back to his golf cart and zipped away to the fields and courts. It was clear that he hadn't willingly taken on this program. Nonetheless, all three girls heads were spinning. Complete freedom and cheerleading was not something that they usually got. They were super excited to run this thing.
"What do you say, ladies?" Santana smirked. The two looked at her curiously. "Shall we play?"
Brittany caught on immediately and excitement lit up her eyes, "I've been dying use that trampoline."
The girls spent the night breaking in their new equipment. Quinn and Santana spent the first half hour spreading out their mats in a way that they preferred. Music blasted and Santana sang along, totally in the zone. When Quinn and Santana worked together, they didn't need to speak much. They were usually on the same page. They got rid of all of the chairs around the edges of the pavilion while Brittany did flips on the trampoline. It was immediately clear why Coach Sue had drafted her. Watching her was absolutely magical. She stuck everything she tried and moved her body with complete precision. The entire time, she giggled and grinned. Santana was a little awestruck by the blonde.
"You're incredible," Quinn commented, sitting cross legged on a mat.
"Who was singing?" Brittany paused on the mat for a second.
"Not me," Quinn laughed, knowing that Santana wouldn't have taken credit for her voice.
"Your voice is so awesome! I should record you so you can sing me to sleep."
Santana ignored the compliment and the butterfly and affect the girls sweet voice had on her. She walked up to ask, "Can you show me some moves?"
Brittany was more than willing. The blonde loved to teach people to do flips. It felt like flying and she wanted everyone to get that feeling. Brittany didn't hesitate before she jumped right into a lesson.
"What do you know, for starters?" She asked the Latina.
Rather than speak, Santana showed her. Santana had perfected a round off backflip in high school but didn't get to do much tumbling in college. She did the move with a relative ease. Brittany complimented her immediately, but rushed over to fix her form a bit.
Quinn watched from the sidelines, enjoying her counterpart squirming under the attention of this new girl. She watched as Brittany put her hands on Santana's lower back and abs, explaining how she needed to loosen up and trust her core. Santana's face turned a new shade of red. Quinn couldn't help but laugh.
"Why don't you get up here and show us what you got, little miss thing?" Santana glared.
The three were collapsing in exhaustion and a heap of giggles before long. They were all flopped out on the black trampoline, catching their breath. Brittany looked at the two girls in front of her. They were both so cool and close. Brittany had never had a friend like that. She was usually alone or with her younger sibling.
"You're so talented, Brit," Santana breathed out, propping herself up on her elbows. They made eye contact and the blonde blushed, accentuating her freckles.
"I second that," Quinn laughed. "I'm so glad that you're joining our team."
"Really?" Brittany was so excited to hear that. She'd been so nervous to fit into a dynamic like theirs. Without communicating it and without any particular reason, the two girls had just accepted Brittany.
"So, tell us your story," Quinn continued, always a nosy bitch.
"I've been dancing competitively my whole life," Brittany replied. "Two years ago, my mom left though. My dad got really sad so instead of going to a state college, I went community. I was helping to take care of my sister but my grandparents moved in with them so I can finally dance and cheer again. I still worry, though."
"How far are you from them?" Santana asked.
"For the summer? About two hours," Brittany answered, playing with the hem of her shirt. "But a little less when I start school. I don't have a car though."
"I'll take you to see them one weekend," Santana blurted. Ugh, what was with her around this girl? Where was the spite and malice?
"Really?" Brittany lit up. "Thank you!"
All of a sudden the blonde launched herself at Santana and wrapped her into a big hug. Santana made eye contact with Quinn
over the blonde's shoulder. Santana shot a very clear 'shut up' death glare in response to Quinn's smug face. They were both thinking the same thing. Who was this girl and how was she making Santana so sweet?
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
It was the next day when they were split into groups for official tours. Finn and Puck joined the directors and a few other returning counselors to give tours. Santana, Quinn, Sam, Brittany, and Artie were in Puck's group.
"They really let you show new people around?" Santana scoffed, surprised they let trusted the q delinquent to do anything.
"I am a cherished and upstanding member of the Camp Wallah community," Puck replied pompously.
Pithy banter continued as they made their way around camp. The main layout was a 'U' of cabins that wrapped around the lake. There was a small island veiled by trees. In the center was the main lodge. Up the road a bit was the climbing courses, basketball courts, and an archery range. Puck brought the group down to the lakefront where there was a little wooden stage and an amphitheater.
Santana watched the group closely. The Artie kid seemed to have all terrain wheels or something on his chair because he flew over the rocks with ease. Sam and Quinn seemed to hit it off, starting up a conversation as they walked. Santana watched the girls walls fly up faster than one could blink. She couldn't blame the girl. Santana and Quinn had a lot more in common as people than either would care to admit. Both had had a pretty rough last year.
"It's so pretty here," Brittany chimed in, walking hip to hip with as she caught up. "The people are pretty too."
Santana Lopez was not a touchy person but butterflies rushed into her stomach as their finger grazed each other's. Something about her was way too good for Santana to handle. Not to mention what had just left the girl's mouth. When Santana looked to her with a rose to her cheeks, Brittany was just gazing at her with a smile. They met eyes and Santana had to quickly divert her gaze before those blue eyes hypnotized her. She just let the girls finger brush against hers as they walked.
"Newbies, hit the benches," Puck demanded as he jumped up onto the stage.
Everyone sat down in the front row, a dew of sweat on everyone from the humidity. Santana found herself thigh to thigh with Brittany, as she sat next to Artie.
"Welcome to the unofficial part of the tour," Puck started. "This is the underground, administration catches wind of this part and we're busted. I will now pause and let anyone off the hook if they don't want to carry that burden."
Nobody moved or even looked phased.
"Cool," Puck grinned. "Only returner tour guides are talking about this bit. We picked people we thought would be chill, so like a dozen out of the whole staff are gonna know about it. It's a years long tradition."
"I've always wanted to be part of a secret society," Brittany said earnestly. "Are we going to steal the Declaration of Independence?"
"No, but just as fun. I like where your head is at, Brittany," the mohawked boy said with a goofy grin. "No, this is a mission of total debauchery."
Santana smirked. She could be down with some debauchery. In fact, her and Puck had committed plenty of it together. Stealing shit, sneaking around a dry campus, you name it.
"We have a list left by the counselors from the last couple years of all the shit that they've done on camp. Our goal is to do them all and add our own task for the next group."
"Alright I can get on board with that," Quinn smirked. Santana giggled. The two were a whole lot less than virtuous.
"This sounds like a lot of fun," Artie agreed. They were all a little surprised by that but Puck didn't look so. He must have picked the boy for a reason.
"Ground rules are first, though," Puck said, suddenly very serious. "This camp is actually dope and we're not trying to ruin it. So this shit happens when you're off the clock. During your breaks, weekends, and when campers are sleeping only. Admin can't find out and they haven't the last eight years this has been going on. Likewise for the kids. When we're on duty, we're making sure they're having a good time. That's the number one priority. We catch anyone putting the list before the kids, you're out. None of the stuff you did counts for the summer and we use the evidence against yah."
"Sounds fair," Santana shrugged. "Let's hear the list."
"It's available on Finn and my phones only. Nobody else has a hard copy so either memories or pay me a visit," Puck said. His dedication to this was almost admirable. "There are six on the list, one added each summer that someone successfully completed the list. The first person to do them all gets to pick a task to complete and leave for next year."
"Oh, I'm so in this to win," Santana grinned. Brittany smiled at her again. It made her squirm.
"First up is to hook up during staff training," Puck continued. "Right off the bat, separating out the weak."
"That's easy," Brittany replied. "Tents are prone to alien invasion."
Everyone looked to the blonde baffled but nobody truly questioned it.
"Second up is sneaking off camp after midnight. Tough to pull off, tougher to prove. Gotta bring back photo evidence. And no pussy shit like walking around outside the gate. You gotta go do something in town, which is like thirty minutes away."
"Photo evidence?" Sam questioned.
"Prove you're not a lame ass liar."
"Fair enough," they agreed.
"Number three is a weekend party. Can't be on camp because there's a strict no booze policy," Puck was very serious about this one. "This one is usually a group effort."
"My dad owns a lake house like a half hour from here," Quinn replied. "Let's get that one done this weekend."
"Oh hells yes," Santana threw an arm around the blonde.
"I got a fake," Sam replied. "If we all throw in some cash I can pick up booze."
"Can we dance?" Brittany chimed in, excited.
"Of course," Quinn smiled. Santana could tell that she found Brittany endearing as well.
"Sweet," Puck looked super stoked. "The fourth one is stealing a golf cart."
"Excuse me?" Santana quirked up an eyebrow.
"The nurse and certain admin have carts to travel around camp. You gotta take one for a joy ride without being caught. And they get locked up at night so you gotta figure out how to get a key."
"Fifth one is to hook up in the climbing tower. Only the athletics director, Ken Tanaka, has the key to that. So you kinda have to steal that in order to hook up there. That one can't happen during the day because kids are always over there."
"Lime Heights adjacent has prepared me good for this shit," Santana smirked. She could steal from under the nose of a hawk. She'd once taken the pen out of a cops shirt pocket without him noticing. She didn't need the pen, just liked that men were useless to her charm.
"Last years addition was to skinny dip in the one of the waterfalls that's just off camp," Puck grinned stupidly. Obviously he'd enjoyed that one.
Hook up, sneak out, throw a party, joy ride, hookup in a locked facility, and skinny dip; Santana ran through the list in her head. These were almost too easy. She was determined to win.
They chatted for like twenty minutes before Santana was bored. She stood up and started to walk towards the lake. Brittany had gone in that direction a few minutes earlier but she wasn't following her. She just wanted a change of scenery. After walking through a bit of underbrush, she spotted Brittany crouched by the edge of the lake.
"What're you doing?" Santana asked.
Brittany turned her head to look at the Latina with a soft smile. "I found some tiny fish, do you want to see?"
Honestly, no. Santana didn't give a shit about fish. But Brittany looked excited so she humored the thought. The fish were indeed tiny and she was left wondering how exactly Brittany saw the world for her to be so excited about them. It was kind of nice to see a lighter perspective on the world. Santana had the uncontrollable urge to protect the girl and she'd only known her for like 24 hours.
"Did you name them?" Santana asked in an amused tone. She was teasing but much more lightheartedly than usual.
"No," Brittany said very seriously. "They have to find their own names."
"How does a fish find his name?" Santana was still crouched beside the blonde but she was looking at her now instead of the lake.
"I don't know," Brittany sighed. She placed a hand on Santana's knee to steady herself. "I am not a fish."
Brittany sounded so sad to not be a fish and it made Santana giggle. Brittany found herself drawn in by Santana's laugh. Well, she'd been drawn in to Santana since the second she had laid eyes on her. Santana didn't give her that look that everyone gave her- the one that made it very obvious that the person was thinking Brittany was stupid. When the brunette looked at her, she just got lost on the warmth of her honey eyes. It was nice. They found themselves smiling at each other before making their way back to the group.
"Can I ask something?" The blonde walked impossibly close to Santana again.
"What's up?"
"Why did you say you would drive me to see my family?" Brittany asked quietly.
"I know what it's like to miss family," Santana answered easily. It wasn't a lie, just a redaction of the fact that her family hated her.
"Would you visit with me?" Brittany asked, suddenly very serious. "I really want my little sister to meet you."
"You- what?" Santana blinked in surprise.
"I told her all about how you sing like an angel and now she wants to meet you," Brittany grinned.
"I'm not the best role model," Santana deadpanned.
"Who needs perfect?" Brittany shrugged.
God, she was so cute.
The trio spent the afternoon lesson-planning their program. They were working with kids but all of them had a background in cheer already. These kids were looking to learn things that made them stand out. This was a chance for them to work hard and feel good about what they could do. To get to the base of what they wanted to teach, they realized they needed to think about why they did cheer.
"I started in middle school," Santana answered the lingering question first. "I joined cheer to be a part of something. I wanted to fit in and find people to have my back. I guess it was about taking power for myself for me."
"I think we all kind of feel that way," Quinn replied. "Cheer is a great way to gain control over your body and your life."
"It was an escape for me," Brittany answered. "A way to get out of home life and clear my head."
"I totally get that," Santana agreed immediately. "You can't think about too much else. It almost forces you to center yourself and focus."
"So we wanna focus on personal bests and goals to help them find their drive?" Quinn said thoughtfully after a moment.
"Yeah," Santana agreed. "I think they should all pick something difficult but attainable within a week to showcase at the end. Then they leave feeling accomplished and empowered."
Three drew up a quick game plan; what they wanted to cover and a rehearsal schedule. They mapped out a bit of choreography. It turned out that Brittany would be working the Dance program during the evening period so she would get the first activity period off. From 8:30 to 10, Santana would work with the girls on fitness, stretching properly, and general rehearsal warmup. When Brittany got in, she would work with the girls interested in being flyers and learning new stunts. Quinn was going to lead the whole team for full rehearsals in the afternoon. Quinn put in a pair of headphones and started listening to music, searching her playlists for a good track to use. The other two sat together, watching the blonde track out choreography in her head and in soft motions.
"She's really pretty," Brittany commented, watching Fabray sway and map out steps.
"Really pretty bitchy," Santana rolled her eyes. "Always such a control freak with the routines."
"You don't like Quinn?" Brittany looked so concerned that Santana almost regretted her quip. Almost.
"She's my closest friend," Santana shrugged. "We light the fire under each others asses. Don't worry, we work well as a team."
"How long have you known her?" Brittany asked curiously. She could tell that Santana Lopez was a very private person so she wasn't sure she would get a real answer.
"We went to the same high school, different middle schools," Santana answered with surprising honesty. "We were instant rivals but it eventually melted into a frenemies kind of thing. We room together now."
"It must be cool to have a friend so close," Brittany replied sadly.
"You don't have friends?" Santana quirked a brow at the girl. "You must."
"A few, I guess," Brittany played with the hem of her shirt. "None as close."
"Well," Santana nudged her shoulder against the girl. "You've got us now."
"Stop flirting and come check out this song, ladies," Quinn startled the two.
Santana and Brittany listened and stood. Santana swore the taller blonde had a blush on her cheeks after being called out by Quinn. Santana made mental note to curse Fabray out later for embarrassing the girl.
"What is it, Barbie dream girl?" Santana crossed her arms.
Quinn plugged her iPod into the sound system that had been rigged up in the pavilion. A grin spread across Brittany's face as the first notes of the song played.
"There's a place downtown where the freaks all come around," Brittany immediately started singing and moving her body along to the track. "It's a hole in the wall, It's a dirty free-for-all."
Santana giggled, picking up on the girls movements. At least she could pretend she was studying the girl and not just checking her out. Brittany's hips swayed, her feet following a pattern as she moved across the mats. Santana quickly mirrored the girls steps, adding her own personality into it.
"There's a place I know if you're looking for a show," Santana sang, smirking all the way. "Where they go hardcore and there's glitter on the floor."
"And they turn me on," Brittany suddenly stepped closer. She placed her arms on Santana's shoulders and dropped her body low. "When they take it off."
With the next lines of the song, Brittany playfully pushed Santana backwards. Her heart skipped several beats as she was shoved. She wasn't one to let others push her around but god, if it was that hot, she might rethink that stance. Brittany stepped forward and she stepped back. Their feet fell into a rhythm together, a sort of push and pull. There was so much joy in Brittany's eyes when she danced. It was contagious and Santana hadn't felt like this in a long time.
As the song continued, Quinn joined in and Brittany turned her attention to the other blonde. It was incredible how quickly the three fell into step together. They just kind of... clicked. They spent the day playing their favorite tracks and falling into synch with one another. They choreographed a bit of it but for the most part, they could read each other like a book.
"You know," Quinn mused. "They say good things come in three."
"Yeah, we were good before," Santana looked over to Brittany, "but you bring us to another level."
"Like the holy trinity," Quinn laughed.
"Unholy," Santana corrected.
Brittany simply grinned and threw her arms around her newfound friends. In her eyes, team was family. These were her people now and she knew only love for them. The summer was looking super exciting.
On the way to dinner, Finn called out for Santana. He had been waiting outside the dining hall for her. Brittany gave a cute little wave as Quinn pulled her inside.
"What do you want, frankenteen?" Santana tapped her foot impatiently.
"Well," Finn started out bashfully. He did that annoying thing, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, that he did when he was nervous. "I know Puck told you about the game today, so I just thought…"
"Thought what?" Santana quirked her brow upwards. Jesus Christ, was he about to ask what she thought.
"Well the first challenge is a hookup and I just thought that since you do that all the time-"
"I'm sorry, what exactly do you know about me?" Santana snapped. "Not gonna buy me dinner or some shit? Just thought you'd spring this on me? Super romantic, Michelin man."
"Listen, I'm a virgin,' Finn blurted out. "Every other girl in college has made me feel weird about that and I thought that you wouldn't make a big deal about it since you're so casual about this stuff."
There was a long pause as Santana went through a series of moral dilemma in her head. She didn't appreciate the judgement on her sexual ways. Her sleeping around allowed for her to not deal with shit. She found that usually, if she put out on the first date then she'd never have to see the guy again. That's how she was feeling about this conversation- like she never wanted to have it again. Her dance session with Brittany had her a little hot and bothered so she could probably bang one out of her system. Oh, fuck it. Check this off the list and never deal with it ever again. There was no chance that this would take more than ten minutes.
"I will deflower you, princess," Santana rolled her eyes. "But I will be claiming this as a charitable donation on my taxes next year."
The whole experience was as quick and disgusting as Santana had predicted. The cabin mattress was hard under her back. Finn was a terrible partner, it was like being humped by a walrus. He was sweaty and Santana felt herself making contact with his weird puffy man nipples. This was doing absolutely nothing for her. It was so frustrating. When she had started sleeping with guys in high school, she had felt powerful and it was enough to get her off. Now she just felt bored and grossed out. Maybe it was just Finn or maybe it was her rapidly deteriorating heterosexuality. But then again, she was screwing Finn so as to not think about that.
"If you don't pull out, I will castrate you," She had told him before they started. As predicted, it was over as soon as it started. Santana winced as his body collapsed onto hers. He was courteous enough to keep his weight off of her but the skin to skin contact could not have been grosser to her in that moment.
"I thought that would feel more important," Finn said lightly after a moment.
"Yeah, that's a lie," Santana shrugged her way out from under him. "Sex is just that- Bodies, lust, hormones, sweat. It doesn't have to be romantic and it's way better if it doesn't even involve eye contact."
"I think that was the issue," Finn frowned, following Santana's actions as she began to pull clothes back on. "You're beautiful but we don't have a real connection. Didn't even seem like you were into it."
"I just…" Santana paused. "Wasn't in the mood."
"Are you sure that those rumors-"
"I'm hungry," Santana interrupted. "Lets go."
The rumors were definitely true, but Santana just wasn't ready to face them. She didn't even want to think about it. College was out for the summer. She could deal with that shit when they got back. Now she was here and wanted to just focus on being present. No daddy issues, no identity crises; just cheer, dance, and the woods.
"Where were you?" The voice of Rachel Berry was like nails on a chalkboard to Santana. They were about to enter the dining hall when the brunette came through the door, like she'd been waiting for them. "All staff was to meet here exactly nineteen minutes ago. You two are late."
"Sorry, Rachel," Finn tried to placate the girl but she was only looking at Santana. "It's my fault."
"Where were you?" Rachel repeated, eyes locked with the Latina's now.
Her bubbly big nosed broadway star persona was cute until it was all up in Santana's business. Rachel's jealous, possessive rage was almost endearing. She was freaking out over the sack of flesh that Santana had just had the displeasure of seeing naked. Santana smirked.
"Berry, you need to take a step back," Santana's face was calm but her voice stern.
"We were just taking care of something," Finn tried to step back into the interaction.
"Like I would believe that, with the reputation that Santana has," Rachel huffed.
God, was she annoying.
"It's not a reputation," Santana bit back. So much for never talking about it again. "It's the truth. And let me tell you, your boyfriend over here isn't that great in the sack. I would invest in a vibrator if I were you, pendeja."
"Oh, so you really are just a slut?" Rachel deadpanned. Santana could see the fear in her eyes despite her bold crossed arms.
"What is going on?" Quinn and Brittany had made their way towards the scene
"Esta puta necesita retroceder antes de que le pegue el culo," Santana was honestly seeing red. "Esta perra terca…"
"What did you just say to her?" Brittany stepped up to Rachel. The brunette was significantly shorter than Brittany. Between the hulking blonde and the Spanish profanities, she was losing her edge.
"Brittany, you are much too nice to be standing up for this harlot," Rachel tried to appeal to the newly inducted cheerio.
"Rachel, you sound like a parrot and you look like David Schwimmer. I'm sorry that these things keep you from having fun with boys, but what Santana does with her time is not your business," Brittany was completely calm and said it like these things should be obvious.
"I suggest you bring her inside," Quinn shot a look at Finn.
It only took a few moments for Finn and Rachel to scurry inside. They were quickly learning that the unholy trinity was not a force to be reckoned with. The minute that they were gone, Santana turned and threw her fist against a wooden post behind her with a growl. She hadn't thought before she struck and the impulse resulted in a whole lot of instant pain. She pulled her hand back and flicked it out as if that would toss off the throb in her knuckles. Brittany ushered her to sit and Santana listened.
"I'll get ice," Quinn groaned.
Santana couldn't blame her for sounding tired. Quinn had been putting up with her shit for much longer than she'd like to give her credit for. This wasn't the first set of bloody knuckles that she had had and she was sure that they wouldn't be the last. Brittny kneeled on the ground in front of her, taking the hand in hers. She delicately inspected the damage. Her third and fourth knuckles were bleeding and the other two skinned.
"Can you wiggle your fingers?" Brittany asked softly. Santana did as she was told. "Okay, so you're not broken. Just a little busted."
The blonde pulled a first aid kit out of the backpack she had been wearing and started to plaster butterfly bandages over Santana's cut skin. They fit perfectly between her fingers and the fabric material stretched as she made a fist and released it.
"Where did you learn how to do this?" Santana Asked, watching as the blonde flattened wear the fabric folded.
Brittany didn't answer. Her eyes look sad but she looked back down and kissed the Latina's bandaged hand. Santana's heart fluttered like it should have just thirty minutes ago when she was with a guy. Brittany's lips lingered softly for a moment and Santana wanted it to last forever.
"The bruises will look cool, like a Monet painting," Brittany said. "Monet really likes dots."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
From that point on, Santana Lopez sat in the back row and spent every moment of every training watching Brittany S Pierce. She watched as the blonde stuffed her face full of marshmallows hours after patching up a bloody hand. Then Santana nearly cried in frustration as she left with the chair geek, Artie. Puck had mentioned something about the game just minutes before it happened so Santana knew what they were up to.
The next day, Santana didn't hear a word on "self care" during the counselor well-being session because Brittany sat beside her drawing little bunny rabbits all over her papers. She said they would have been as soft as cotton candy if they were real. Santana even let her draw one on her knee just for an excuse to maintain contact. Brittany's fingers traced over Santana's skin, even after she was done drawing. Nobody noticed them in the back, giggling quietly and whispering. Santana was in heaven. This girl was so fucking adorable.
"If you were a bunny, where would you live?" Brittany asked. "I want to live in that house with the cozy green bed like the bunny from 'Goodnight, Moon'."
"Oh, I'd totally live in a mansion as a spoiled show rabbit for some weirdo," Santana smiled.
But just hours later, Santana sat dreading life as she watched Brittany talk to the nerd in the chair again. Don't get her wrong, she wasn't ableist. She believed in equal treatment for everyone to be roasted within an inch of their life by her. He dressed like an old man who had recently discovered patterns and he smelled like leather, which was just weird. She kind of hated him. When she heard Puck say that Artie and Brittany had hooked up for the list, Santana had to take a walk.
When it was just the two of them, Santana was more relaxed than she had ever been in her life. Each conversation with Brittany felt like a deep tissue massage, working out years of unaddressed trauma and suppression. Brittany didn't know she was doing any of that but that's what Santana liked. Brittany was just herself and that radiating positivity was infectious. Santana honestly just wanted to curl up in her arms.
"When otters sleep they hold hands so they don't get lost," Brittany had said to Santana out of the blue. "It's smart to stay safe but I think it's good to get lost sometimes."
Santana got the feeling they had both chosen the latter this summer. But Brittany did make it feel okay.