Keep Me Where the Light Is (part 3)
Felt the wind's direction beginning to change,
Clouds so softly full of rain.
The summer fell and winter sprang.
Now it's all a feeling I can't get back again.
Throw your arms around my neck,
I won't be soon to forget.
Throw your arms around my neck,
I won't be soon to forget.
Cloudy thoughts against a clear blue sky.
When the feeling came, I felt like getting high,
With no sense to try to find my peace of mind
Cause maybe I was born to win, dissatisfied….
(Untitled (Love Song) ~ Counting Crows)
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
12:17 pm
Brittany Pierce sat on the floor against the far wall of the rehearsal studio, feeling her stomach growl and rubbing casually at her sore calf muscles, trying to keep them loose. The room which a moment ago had been a buzz of activity with dancers flitting across the floor to a lively musical number was suddenly silent.
The dancers were currently scattered in various places across the high-glossed, wooden floor, resting in a tense hush. All eyes were now on two men and a woman who were in deep discussion on the opposite side of the room with their collective heads bobbing as they argued and pointed to each other then back at the assembled cast in a dramatic fashion.
Austin Royle leaned in close to Brittany and whispered in her right ear, "Which of their heads do you think will explode first?"
The tall blonde bit her bottom lip to hold back a smirk as she adjusted her pink leg warmer.
"Ok, break's over…take your places!" Dominic Serra said assertively.
The dancers stood quickly and took their appropriate starting places as Alton Weiss returned to his seat next to Gail Thornton at a nearby table, instructing, "Dom, make those adjustments then run the number from the top."
"Brittany…swap places with Naomi," the tall choreographer pointed to a more-prominent spot toward the outer front, "Naomi move to the back."
"Dom!" the seasoned dancer protested, not budging.
Out of the corner of her eye, Brittany saw from the row in front of her as Austin turned his head in her direction. She could also sense that the other dancers were looking back and forth from Naomi Rhoads over to her so she looked down at the floor, shifting from one foot to the other in the awkward silence. Her job as a chorus dancer was to blend in, but unexpectedly, Brittany was the unsought center of attention which made her very uncomfortable, especially with being a last minute replacement.
"Naomi…move now!" Alton shouted, "Brittany…up front."
Brittany swallowed hard and walked forward, not pausing to look back when her left arm was brushed forcefully by the feisty, older girl with flawless mocha-colored skin and intense hazel eyes.
The tall blonde took her new spot and lifted her gaze just as the show's producer made eye-contact and smiled with a nod of approval. Brittany took in a calming breath of air, hoping this change meant she was at least doing something right so far.
"Ok, Rachel…let's try you and Grant entering from stage left," Dominic motioned to Rachel Berry who also looked rather pleased with the new placements, "Down the center to here."
The accompanist at the up-right piano played as Rachel took the hand of the attractive male lead and began to sing, moving down the center of the dancers. The group performed one of the show's larger numbers top to bottom, holding their positions as the song ended.
Dominic smiled, pleased with the visual improvement of having Brittany toward the front, then looked over at Alton and Gail.
Alton nodded and stood dismissively, saying over his shoulder as he left the room, "That will work."
"Let's break for lunch," Dominic told them, adding, "Excellent, Rachel. We'll keep that blocking going forward."
The group broke apart immediately, everyone moving quickly to squeeze in as much downtime as they could in their lunch hour.
"Good job, Brittany," the handsome choreographer added as he passed the blonde and the small group surrounding her.
As soon as he left the room, they all turned, giddy with excitement, to congratulate her.
"Oh my god, Brittany!" Eva Navarro, one of the younger dancers in the chorus, exclaimed as she grabbed her by the hands.
Rachel gave her a hug, "This is huge, Britt."
"It's not that huge," Brittany responded uncomfortably with the increased attention.
"Are you kidding?" Austin retorted, smiling broadly, "Anything more than 'you don't suck' from Alton is like a medal of honor."
"Guys, stop…please," Brittany quashed their enthusiasm, casting a side glance toward the three chorus members who were consoling Naomi, "Don't make a big deal about this. Not here."
Rachel collected herself, certainly not wanting to be caught favoring one group against the other, "Brittany's right…let's be respectful."
"Let's get lunch then," Brooke Weber suggested, running a hand through her thick, auburn hair and picking up her nearby bag to lead the group of them toward the rehearsal room door.
As they walked out into the hallway, Brittany instantly saw a very attractive brunette waiting on a padded bench.
"Santana!" she acknowledged with a wide smile.
"Hey," Santana stood and met up with the blonde, giving her a firm kiss on the lips, "I hope it's okay to drop by unannounced."
"Yeah, it's fine…I'm so glad to see you," Brittany beamed, "You guys go ahead."
The rest of them smiled and said hello before continuing down the hallway.
Rachel stayed behind and hugged the Latina, "Have lunch with us…I know a nearby Thai place that's quick."
"Sounds good," Santana smiled and grabbed Brittany's hand.
The three of them went around the corner and ordered Pad Thai at the counter before taking a seat at an empty table.
"So how's everything going with rehearsal?" Santana inquired, making conversation.
Rachel smiled knowingly, "Today was a great day…Britt had something awesome happen."
"Oh? Tell me," the taller of the brunettes turned to look at Brittany.
Brittany blushed slightly, her blue eyes bright with excitement, "I sort of got a promotion, I guess you could say."
"Promotion?" Santana smiled.
"She got bumped to the front of the big group number," Rachel clarified.
"Britt…that's awesome!" Santana encouraged with a hug, taking Brittany's hand in hers, "I'm so proud of you."
"It's a huge compliment!" Rachel released a bit more of her excitement now that she was out of the watchful eyes of her cast.
"It's definitely more exposure, I guess," the blonde relented, "Though…not all of it good."
"Brittany, don't worry about some over-the-hill, bitchy dancer who can't keep up any longer," Rachel stated with insistence.
"Well, I just feel bad…," Brittany grimaced.
"Sweetheart, you are an amazing talent," Santana assured her, squeezing her hand, "You are bound to step on a few toes as you move up the ranks…even if it's unintentional."
"Thanks," she told her wife with a smile, "I appreciate the support from both of you."
"We're your family, Britt…we've got your back," Rachel wink, sitting back in her chair as their food was set on the table in front of them by an older Asian woman.
"Thank you," Brittany told the waitress as she walked away.
"Soooo, Rachel? How are things going with…Richard, is it?" Santana inquired with raised eyebrows, taking a bite of her Pad Thai noodles with her chopsticks. She always enjoyed giving her sister a hard time about the revolving door of men that came and went from the tiny diva's life.
"I broke it off with Richard last month. I thought I told you that?" she answered as she chewed quickly.
"Aww, I really liked Richard," Brittany added with a frown.
"So did Richard," Rachel retorted.
"Ok, so who is it this month?" Santana asked.
"Steve…we've only been on two dates, but he's really cute and has a terrific singing voice…but I don't want to talk about him," Rachel waived off the topic, "I want to know what is going on with you guys."
"Well, I'm going to see Quinn this weekend," Santana offered, "She's got a new season going at the Yale Cabaret."
"I saw one of her shows last summer," Rachel said, taking a drink from her bottle of water.
"She is doing a great job of running that place, especially with her teaching schedule," Brittany added proudly.
"Give her a big hug from me," Rachel told Santana, "Are you taking the commuter rail to New Haven?"
"Yeah, it's cheap and fast."
"Are you sure that's safe in your condition?" Rachel threw out, looking up at Santana for a reaction.
Brittany and Santana looked at her with controlled emotion. The couple had been fielding vague inquiries from the small brunette ever since Father's Day brunch.
"Rachel…," Brittany shook her head.
"I just want to know, ok? I love you both, and I worry…and I just…," she rambled.
Santana looked over at Brittany who smiled.
"You are! Aren't you?" Rachel exclaimed observantly.
Brittany nodded slightly toward her wife, giving her an okay to say something if she wanted.
Santana looked back at Rachel and said simply, "Yes."
"OH MY GOD!" Rachel squealed loudly, jumping up to circle the table and hug her sister tightly, "This is so awesome, you guys! I'm going to be an aunt!"
"Calm down, Rachel," Brittany laughed, looking around at the curious diners staring in their direction.
"But, Rach…we don't want to say anything to anybody…not yet, ok?" Santana advised.
"I understand…my lips are zipped!" Rachel zipped at her mouth, hugging Brittany then returning to her seat across the table from the newly soon-to-be-parents.
"I'm serious, Rachel!" Santana narrowed her eyes, pointing directly at the smaller girl, "We get to tell the dads and Brittany's parents…we get to tell Quinn and Kurt…and everybody else…once I'm past my first trimester, ok?"
"Gotcha," Rachel held up her hands in defeat, "This is your news to tell. I promise."
"Thank you," Santana smiled.
"So how far along are you?"
"Not far…but things look good at this point," Santana explained, "My blood work confirmed I'm pregnant last Friday then they did another one on Monday to confirm my numbers are doubling like they should be…soooo…."
The Latina looked at Brittany who was lovingly watching her as she told Rachel their news.
"Sooo…fingers crossed…in February, we won't just be a couple anymore," Brittany beamed, leaning over and kissing Santana's cheek, "We'll be a family."
Thursday, June 30, 2022
4:23 pm
"Santana!"
The Latina turned around upon hearing her name called, seeing Quinn Fabray walking down the train station terminal toward her.
The old friends met up with arms extended, pulling each other into a tight embrace, each giving a warm kiss on the other's cheek.
"You look incredible, Quinn," Santana smiled broadly at the gorgeous blonde. Quinn was dressed in white Capri pants with a colorful, summer top that had a hint of green in it, picking up the beautiful green in the Yale professor's sparkling eyes.
"You, my friend…are glowing!" Quinn told her, knowing nothing of Santana's current status but noting the brunette's lavender sundress, "I love that color on you! Let me take one of these bags."
"Thank you for picking me up," she told her, handing her handbag to Quinn who draped it over her shoulder.
"Not a problem! There's no sense in you taking a cab," the blonde told her, adding, "You can come with me over to the Cabaret so we can get some coffee and catch up before the cast arrives."
"Sounds good," Santana agreed, pulling her suitcase behind her and linking her arm with Quinn's as they walked to the car, telling her, "You're letting your hair grow out…it looks great!"
After the girls dropped off Santana's stuff at Quinn's loft near the Yale campus, Quinn drove them over to the little basement theatre that was widely-known for its bistro that served things like humus and pita chips and cheese platters with wine all while the patrons watched quirky, student-driven one act plays.
The Yale Cabaret was a unique petri dish for young talent associated with the drama program at Yale University where Quinn attended as an undergraduate then as a graduate student and where she now taught. The twenty-eight-year old was initially saddle with a daunting task of reviving the Cabaret to its glory days after the previous two directors managed to lose the organic nature of the theatre through unclear visions and poor student relations.
Quinn Fabray, though, had proven to be a wonderful student mentor over the past eighteen months, bringing in visionary scripts and fresh talent. The attractive blonde professor was now the talk of New Haven and on the fast-track to success within Yale's highly-regarded drama department.
"Here you go, Quinn," a young brunette set a coffee cup in front of her and in front of Santana, smiling respectfully, "And decaf for you. I brewed it just now."
"Oh, thank you," Santana returned the smile.
"Decaf? Unusual choice for you," Quinn observed as she put two Equals in her cup and a small amount of cream, pushing it toward the Latina, "Do you still like lots of cream?"
"Of course. I like my coffee blonde…like my women," Santana joked with a wink, trying to push quickly past Quinn's question.
Quinn laughed at her best friend, "I guess then that I still like brunettes."
"How is Alison?" Santana asked as she stirred her coffee and set the spoon down to take a sip.
"Gone," Quinn laughed again.
"You are hopeless, you know?"
"Yeah well…," Quinn sipped on her coffee.
"Between you and Rachel, I can't keep up with who is dating who each month."
Quinn set her white mug down on the wooden table, fidgeting with the empty Equal packet.
"You still think about Cate, don't you?" Santana prodded.
Quinn looked back up at Santana, saying sadly, "Every single day lately."
Santana bit at her lip and frowned, seeing the pain in her best friend's still-youthful face, "Call her, Quinn."
The blonde shook her head and gave a half-smile, "Don't you think I've tried? Her cell number changed two years ago."
"I still don't understand why you guys broke up."
"Long distance relationships are never easy, San…it's complicated," Quinn said, her gaze drifting off to the side as a flood of memories washed over her.
"Right after she graduated, Cate told me she was going to move here," Santana recalled.
"She wanted to…but she also had other opportunities…in other places."
"You were her main concern though."
"Right…but I shouldn't have been. She needed to make the best choice for her own future," Quinn felt tears forming in her eyes so she sniffed and took a steadying breath, composing herself quickly, "It's all for the best. I made the right decision."
"And you still regret it…I see it in your face every time her name comes up in conversation," the brunette grimaced.
"I've dated several lovely people over the last six years," Quinn insisted with a firm nod of her head, forcing a big smile, "Surely, someone at some point will work out, right?"
"It doesn't matter how many other girls you date, Q...," Santana reached across the table and put her hand over Quinn's hand, "If you love someone else then you'll never be satisfied."
Monday, July 4, 2022
9:54 pm
Brittany made her way up to the sixth floor of her apartment building, her tired muscles straining as she approached the last level in front of door #6C.
The blonde used her key to unlock both the deadbolt and the doorknob, letting herself inside. She was met instantly with a mixture of aromas in the air and a soft glow of candle light throughout the small space.
She locked both deadbolts and set down her bags, turning to find a very tantalizing sight.
"Well hello," Brittany said with a sultry smirk, taking a few steps toward the small dining room table set near the kitchen.
"Hello," Santana replied, her raspy voice practically purring.
"Is this why you told me to text you as soon as I got off the subway?" Brittany asked her wife who was sitting in the chair across from her with her feet up in the opposite chair, crossed at the ankles.
"Uhuh," Santana smiled with raised eyebrows.
"Lasagna? Wine?" Brittany walked around the table, leaning over to kiss Santana, "Flowers and candles? You sure went to a lot of trouble, honey."
"Well…it is our anniversary today," the brunette responded teasingly, putting her arms around Brittany's waist and pulling her down into her lap, "Our fifth anniversary."
"Uhuh," Brittany leaned in again for a longer kiss, "So is that why you're naked?"
Santana pushed her hands up under Brittany's cotton shirt, running her fingernails across the smooth skin of her back, "I just wanted it to be memorable."
The blonde laughed, partly from the slight tickle of Santana's touch but mostly from her amusement at her wife's sexy playfulness, "Oh, this is certainly memorable."
"Good," Santana pulled Brittany into another passionate kiss, their tongues moving around each other's as they deepened their reconnection.
Brittany pulled back for air, "I've missed this."
"I've missed you," Santana confessed, trying not to show too much disappointment with being left home alone night after night recently.
"I know, honey…I'm sorry," Brittany grimaced, pulling Santana's head to her chest, squeezing her tightly, "It'll smooth out once the show opens in a couple of weeks."
"I know," Santana looked back up at her wife, telling her sincerely, "I'm just so very proud of you, babe. I knew you would make it big one day with your dancing."
"Thank you," Brittany ran her hand down Santana's jawline, reassuring her, "You will too."
"All in good time, right?"
Brittany kissed her again, "I love you."
"I love you," Santana returned, asking, "I know you've got to be hungry."
"No, I have something else in mind first," Brittany stood and walked over to a nearby radio, turning it on, then walked back over to Santana and pulled her from her chair, "Dance with me."
Santana smiled as she wrapped her arms around her wife's broad shoulders, feeling Brittany's hands at the small of her back. They swayed slowly to the soft tunes that played on a local station they always enjoyed when they were cleaning around the apartment.
"I know we said we weren't going to buy presents this year and just save our money…," Santana started.
"I have everything I need and want right here," Brittany insisted, placing her hand on Santana's pelvic area.
"Yes, but the least I could do was cook your favorite meal for you…though the lasagna will get cold if we keep this up too long," Santana cautioned, wanting Brittany to have nourishment for how hard she'd been working lately.
"That's why we have a microwave," Brittany assured her with a soft kiss on her lips.
As the couple continued to dance slowly, the brunette laid her head against Brittany's chest, hearing her heart beating a bit faster than normal. That gave Santana an overwhelming feeling of joy and slight empowerment to know that, after being intimate with Brittany for over thirteen years, she could still make the blonde's heart race.
"I feel like I'm a bit underdressed," Santana laughed, feeling like her sexy gesture of greeting her wife without clothes was now backfiring on her.
"I think I'm overdressed," Brittany suggested.
Santana smirked, wasting no time before lifting Brittany's shirt over her head and tossing it to the side then undoing the clasps on the back of Brittany's sports bra.
Brittany slipped her arms out and let the bra fall to the ground, leaning in for another long kiss, tangling her hands among Santana's dark locks of hair. The dancer loved touching her wife's hair, because it was so thick and it was always so soft and smelled like citrus.
"How are you feeling?" Brittany whispered near Santana's ear, knowing the Latina had started feeling more tired since she returned from New Haven, visiting Quinn.
"I took a nap earlier," Santana smiled, offsetting any concern.
"Then come with me," Brittany said in a very seductive voice, putting her arm around Santana's waist and lifting the slender girl up into her strong arms.
"What are you doing," Santana laughed at the sudden loss of balance, throwing her head back.
"I'm carrying my wife to bed…," Brittany shared in the humor, holding Santana tightly and easily walking her over to their bed, telling her as she set her on the mattress, "…where I'm going to make love to her tonight."
"You are as crazy as ever," the Latina smiled widely.
"Crazy in love," Brittany said boldly as she kicked her sneakers off in the corner and pulled her shorts and underwear off, crawling on the bed and into Santana's arms, kissing her tenderly.
"Britt?"
"Huh?"
"I want you to know that I will always love you," Santana told her. Her heart had ached so much for Quinn when she saw the amount of pain her best friend still suffered after breaking it off with Cate. Cate had been Quinn's only true love, and the older girl had been totally devoted to Quinn. Santana couldn't fathom ever breaking up with Brittany, no matter how difficult circumstances got for them. The brunette knew that somehow, someway they would always find a solution that kept them together.
"I will never leave you…either of you…ever," Brittany said, rubbing her hand gently across Santana's lower abdomen, thinking how flat it was currently and looking forward to watching it grow as their baby grew inside her.
Santana cupped her hand around the back of Brittany's neck and pulled her down to meet her kiss, "We are very lucky to have you then."
The girls rolled around for several minutes, kissing and caressing each other and slowly building their passion.
The brunette broke away for a moment, "Oh wow, it is getting quite hot in here."
"Do you want me to open the window?"
"Please," Santana answered since they didn't have air conditioning in their apartment.
Her body was starting to adjust in new ways to all the hormones that were pumping through it recently, and she could already tell that the heat of the summer in New York City was going to be rough.
Brittany got out of bed and went over to lift up the window, instantly feeling some of the interior heat escape out through the screen, telling Santana, "There's a nice breeze out there tonight."
"Would you grab a glass of water too, love?" Santana called out from the bed.
Brittany stepped over to the table and picked up a glass sitting by one of the plates, walking back to the bed with it and handing it to her wife, "The ice is starting to melt, but it's still cold."
Santana took a big drink and handed it back to Brittany, "Thank you so much. I'm sorry…I just got really hot all of a sudden."
"I noticed," the blonde gave her a sexy smirk, pausing to remove an ice cube before setting the glass next to the lamp on the side table. She leaned back over Santana's body, running the ice down the center of her chest, "Does that help?"
The Latina drew in a shaky breath before responding, her exterior heat suddenly moving to very deep inside her, "Depends on what result you were going for."
"Ohhh?" Brittany smiled wider, her intent definitely adjusting inside her head. She held the quickly melting cube over Santana's left nipple, letting it drip a large drop right on top of it.
"Oh…wow," she said, unintentionally arching into Brittany's body.
Brittany lowered the ice cube, her fingertips feeling slightly numb from the cold, and ran it across the skin of Santana's left breast, circling her areola before holding it directly on top of the brunette's now hardened nipple.
Santana's reaction increased that time, pleasing Brittany, so the blonde repeated it with Santana's other breast until the cube was completely melted.
Brittany ran her cold fingertips down her wife's ribcage and over her taut stomach muscles while whispering in her ear, "Better?"
"Oh god…yes," Santana said, her breathing now very heavy.
"Good," Brittany smiled, moving further down Santana's torso, stopping to suck on her nipples.
Santana's brain shot flashes of white behind her eyes with the intensity of the feeling in her breasts. Anytime Brittany sucked on her nipples, Santana always found it extremely pleasurable, but this time, the feeling was so intense that she thought she might have an immediate orgasm. Just at the moment her internal heat was about to push her over the edge though, Brittany moved even further down, spreading Santana's legs to lie between them.
Brittany pulled a pillow around and gently lifted Santana's hips to slide it under her, giving the blonde a better angle.
She ran her hands tenderly down the outer part of her wife's thighs then up under her backside, pulling Santana close to her. Brittany used her long fingers to part Santana's folds, finding her already very wet.
She blew her hot breath on Santana's labia, lowering her head to lick her up and down several times, always coming back to circle her tongue around the brunette's pulsing clit.
As Brittany expertly teased at Santana's inner flame, the Latina continued to enjoy the feeling in her breasts by rubbing and tweaking at her own nipples, moaning loudly and rotating her hips under Brittany's oral manipulations.
The blonde loved hearing Santana moan uninhibited like she was at the moment. So often, Brittany observed the part of Santana who needed to be in control…who planned things out and made lists to organize her lists, needing events to go a certain way.
Though, whenever Brittany could bring out this part of Santana…this carefree side, this unreserved, visceral side of the fiery Latina she grew up adoring, Brittany was at her happiest.
She continued to focus attention on Santana's clit, feeling it throb against her tongue, circling it, flicking it, sucking on it, until she knew her wife needed more.
Brittany pushed her long tongue inside her core, hearing Santana gasp loudly as she pulled the brunette by her hips for added depth inside her.
"Oh Britt…oh god…yes," Santana choked out between giant gulps of air, "I'm so close."
Brittany continued to probe her tongue as deep as she could, coming back again and again to suck on Santana's enlarged clit until she felt her wife's hands at the back of her neck, her trigger cue to keep sucking and not stop.
It wasn't but a few short seconds then Brittany heard Santana scream out the blonde's name and go stiff beneath her, riding out the intensity of her orgasm.
Once Santana stilled, Brittany moved back up the length of her body, pulling the pillow with her so her wife could lie comfortably against the mattress again. Brittany kissed Santana softly along her shoulder blades and up the warmth of her neck, moving the brunette's dark hair that was sticking to her overheated skin.
"Happy anniversary, honey," Brittany told her, kissing Santana's lips.
"Happy anniversary, love," Santana replied, her pulse starting to return to normal, adding with a satisfied grin, "After tonight, I'm not ever wearing clothes when you come home."
Author's note: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I know many of you are fans of Cate…and shippers of Quinn with Cate. Just remember that this is going to be a long story. LOTS can and will happen. Cate will be part of this story. Just sit back and trust me as we make our way through this journey together.