Author's note: this is a big chapter for the girls!
Thursday 5th of October
Brittany groaned because her back felt sore. "I must have slept funny." She thought to herself. She rolled over and expected to be wrapped in Santana's arms but instead she fell on the floor with a thud.
"Ouch!" Brittany groaned. She opened her eyes and took a confused look around the apartment. She wasn't in their bed. She was in the living room. Then she remembered she slept on the couch because she was in a fight with Santana. Her mood drastically dropped at the memories of the day before.
Brittany stood up, folded the blanket and put it on the back of the couch. She walked to the bedroom where the bed was made. The room was empty - Santana wasn't home. Brittany went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. As she took off her clothes she looked in the mirror and saw a red mark on her forehead. At a closer look she saw it was red lipstick, meaning Santana couldn't resist giving her a goodbye kiss. Brittany smiled as she wiped the mark off her face.
She climbed in the shower and allowed the hot water to run over her body and ease the tension. Once she felt suitably relaxed, she stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel. She quickly changed into her clothes and went to the kitchen.
She poured herself a bowl of cereal and took a seat at the breakfast bar to eat it. Halfway through her bowl, Santana entered the apartment with bags of shopping in her hands. She walked straight to the kitchen and put the groceries away. Neither girl even acknowledged the other was there. The frosty silence was painful for them both.
After Santana put away all the groceries, she turned on her heel and walked to the living room. She took a seat on the couch and watched TV.
Brittany took a deep breath and stood up. She put her bowl in the sink and joined Santana on the couch. She took the remote from the brunette and turned off the TV. She placed the remote on the coffee table. Santana turned around and faced the blonde.
"I'm sorry." Both girls said at the same time and for the first time in almost 24 hours, they smiled at each other.
"Let me go first." Brittany said. She took Santana's hands and held them in her own. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be sneaking out to spend time with Quinn. Yesterday was important for us both and I should have prioritised you over Quinn. But it hurt when you accused me of cheating. There was no reason for you to think that." Blue eyes locked with brown ones. "I promise I'm not cheating on you. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I would never jeopardise that. I'm sorry that I have lied to you about where I'm going but I just can't tell you." Brittany finished.
"I'm sorry too. I had no right to jump to conclusions. You've never given me any reason to doubt you and I let my own insecurities get the best of me and my judgment. I don't like that you've been lying to me but if you really don't want to tell me, I need to respect that." Santana replied.
"What insecurities?" Brittany asked.
"Before I met you I thought I'd live a mediocre life. I'd probably get a job in Lima as a waitress or bartender and it would be enough to pay my bills but I wouldn't feel challenged. I thought I'd have a series of one night stands with girls that never left me emotionally satisfied. And that seemed like a good life to live. Then I met you and began questioning my future. I saw that I could have all this love from someone and give an equal amount of love back to them. I began believing in myself and starting thinking I could have a career doing something I love. And I got all that. That's what I still find hard to believe, I got the job and the girl and I'm so happy. I feel like one day you'll wake and realise you can do better than me and you'll leave." Santana said. The last part she said softly. She had never spoken those words, although she'd thought them for years.
"Oh honey." Brittany said as she wrapped the smaller girl in her arms. She held her tightly as she spoke. "I'm never going to leave you. You're my favourite thing in the whole world and to leave you would be stupid. So if one day you want to separate, I'm sorry but you can't. You're stuck with me for life now." She laughed at the end.
Santana laughed too as she wiped a tear that fell. "I love you, Brittany." She said.
"I love you, Santana." Brittany replied. She joined them in a kiss. She finally felt relief and things could now go back to normal.
As the kiss deepened, Brittany felt Santana's hand on her cheek, but the surface felt rough. She broke the kiss and pulled the hand into view.
"San! What happened to your hand?" She asked, referring to the bandage.
"I was washing the dishes yesterday and I was so upset that I smashed a glass and it cut my hand." Santana explained.
"Oh no." Brittany said with a pout. She raised the hand and kissed the bandage. "All better now." She said in a childlike voice. Santana giggled in amusement.
"Do you really want to know what I've been doing with Quinn?" Brittany asked.
"I do." Santana admitted.
Brittany stood up and took Santana by the hands so she stood up to. Santana looked at Brittany in confusion as she knelt down on one knee. Brittany then pulled out a small, black, velvet box.
Santana's face turned to one of realisation as she understood what was going on.
"I've been meeting Quinn and going ring shopping. She's known you the longest and knows you better than anyone. I asked her to help me pick an engagement ring so it would be perfect." Brittany explained.
"Hold on!" Santana said quickly as Brittany started opening the box. She pulled the blonde up off her knee. "You said you weren't ready for marriage. I don't want to pressure you, I am happy to wait."
"It was all a plan." Brittany said with a smirk. "I really wanted to propose to you and Quinn told me you were thinking of proposing to me. We hatched a plan so you wouldn't ask me and I could ask you first." She explained.
"So when we went to the family barbecue in Lima and you chocked on your water when the subject of marriage was brought up?" Santana asked.
"All part of the plan." Brittany smiled with a wink.
"When we talked on our anniversary and you said you weren't ready yet?"
"Again, part of the plan." Brittany admitted. "It's been so hard keeping this a secret."
"What about the fight? Was that part of the plan?" Santana asked hesitantly.
"No. That wasn't planned. I wasn't going to propose today but I can't wait any longer." Brittany said as she got down on one knee again. She opened the box to reveal a beautiful ring
"Santana Diabla Lopez, I love you more than life itself. When I first saw you, when we were 16, in my house with your parents, my heart skipped a beat. I truly believe it was love at first sight. Then when we kissed, I knew those where the only lips I wanted to kiss for the rest of my life. The way you take care of Zoe and the love you have for yours and my parents shows me that you have so much love to give. You taught me what true love is, and I never want to stop experiencing it with you. These past 6 years have been the best years of my life and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Brittany took a deep breath. "I'm so happy that you're the girl I fell in love with."
Santana was crying at this point, tears streamed down her face as the girl she loved so much poured her heart out to her.
"So," Brittany said as she wiped a tear from her own face. "Santana Diabla Lopez, will you marry me?"
"Yes!" Santana screamed. She dragged the blonde to her feet and kissed her hard. "I want nothing more than to marry you."
Brittany slipped the ring on Santana's finger and it fit perfectly. They smiled at the new edition to her hand.
"I love it B." Santana said as she allowed the light to bounce off it. The ring was a thin gold band with a large diamond in the middle and a ruby planted each side. Red was always Santana's best colour.
Brittany brought the Latina in for a tight hug.
"I'm sorry I accused you of cheating." Santana said into the crook of the blonde's neck.
"I'm sorry I lied." Brittany replied into the brunette's hair. "Do you understand why I couldn't tell you now?"
"Yes." Santana said with a giggle. They shared one more kiss before Brittany said "I'm going to call Quinn and tell her the good news!"
"Invite her over." Santana suggested. So Brittany did.
As Quinn entered the apartment she screamed and ran at the newly engaged couple. She wrapped them both in a hug and practically squeezed the air of them.
"Babe." Rachel said from the doorway. "Don't kill them." Quinn released her hold on them.
"Thanks Rachel." Brittany said, catching her breath.
"Congratulations!" Rachel and Quinn said together. "We brought champagne!" Rachel said as she held up a bottle.
Brittany went to the kitchen and grabbed four glasses. Quinn filled them all. Brittany took a glass for herself and handed Santana one.
"Here you go fiancé!" Brittany said. All four girls beamed at the new label they had for each other.
"Thank you fiancé!" Santana replied. The smile never leaving her face.
"A toast." Quinn started. "I've know you both for years. I remember when Santana called me to tell me about the new girl next door and how she already had a crush on her. I never thought that that girl would be one she married. I've been here through all the struggle, the ups and the downs and I want to say, I've never seen two people love each other as much as you." Quinn smiled. The girls were getting a bit tearful. "To Brittany and Santana, I hope you have a long and happy life together!"
"To Brittany and Santana!" Rachel repeated.
"To us!" The couple said.
They all took a sip of their glass. Both couples shared a kiss.
"That will be us one day." Rachel whispered in Quinn's ear.
"I hope so." Quinn replied.
After trading stories about the couple and memories from high school, Quinn and Rachel went back to their apartment. Brittany showed them out while Santana cleaned the champagne flutes.
Santana was scrubbing when she felt two arms wrap around her from behind. Brittany began softly kissing her neck.
"Stop washing up. We can do that tomorrow." She whispered in a tanned ear. "Right now, I want to make love to my fiancé for the first time." She said seductively.
Santana immediately stopped washing up and spun around in Brittany's arms. "Let's make love." She said as she kissed the love of her life.
And they did. On the kitchen floor, on the couch, in their bed, in the shower and on the table.
They collapsed into their bed and pulled each other close so no air got between them.
"I love you, fiancé."
"I love you too, fiancé."
Author's note: YEY! the drama is resolved and they're engaged!
Well done to everyone who guessed correctly!
I also managed to put the title of this book into this chapter.