A/N: Hello, my lovelies! :)
Didja miss me? Cos I MISSED YOU! :)
Hope you all had a fantastic Christmas, New Years, Hanukkah, shrimp tasting and EVERYTHING for everyone :)
Much love for the last chapter. I'm really glad you're enjoying this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it.
One reviewer mentioned that they felt that I was belittling ballet by Brittany's attitude towards it. In a public setting, I would like to apologise to big-quench. In no way do I think that ballet is an unfeeling dance. I think it is absolutely beautiful and ballerinas are probably one of the most talented group of people in the world. For the purpose of this story (a fictional story), I have Brittany not enjoying ballet as much as she enjoys her other dancing. That's not to say she hates it. Keep in mind that she was also frustrated about getting everything right because, yes, as you mentioned, everyone does a form of ballet when they're younger and a dancer. I don't believe I mentioned that this was the first time EVER that Britt has done ballet. She just hasn't done it to the degree that most people have. And, having Mike as a teacher, he's obviously WAY more advanced. And as for the dancing without ballet slippers – noted :) I shall find a way to change that in the previous chapter :)
I never want to offend anyone with what I write, so I do apologize if I have offended anyone else. If I have, drop me a line and I'll be more than happy to explain the reasons behind why I write what I write :)
I'm a writer, not a dancer, so I could use correction if I mess up. There's always room to learn :)
Anyway, hope you enjoy the next instalment :)
Onward and up!
-H
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee :(
CHAPTER 5: The good and bad of being in love
Brittany pushed herself onto the edge of the pool and the smile that had been permanently etched onto her face since she'd woken up an hour before. She felt rejuvenated, energised and ready to take on the world.
All because of Santana Lopez.
She grinned again and stretched her arms out as she sat on the edge, swinging her feet in the water. After playing her routine around in her head a few times, she reluctantly stood up and grabbed her towel.
"Morning, Mom!" she called cheerily as passed the kitchen.
She heard Victoria chuckle. "You're unusually cheerful for six am."
"I'm always in a good mood, Mom."
"True. This is…more, though."
Brittany rolled her eyes and backtracked into the kitchen. Her mother's eyes widened when she saw her face.
"What?" Brittany asked self-consciously.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she squealed, walking around the counter and playfully hitting her daughter's arm.
"Uh, Mom? Is there something funny in your fruit salad? What are you talking about?"
"Oh…" Victoria mused, looking at her thoughtfully. "You don't know yet."
Brittany sighed in exasperation. "Obviously not, otherwise I wouldn't be asking you!"
"But then I'll be ruining the surprise."
"So you're not going to enlighten me?"
"I don't know."
"Ugh!" Brittany threw her hands up and tossed the towel over her shoulder. "Fine. If you decide to let me know what's churning in your brain, just shout."
"Ok, ok!"
She turned around and looked at her mother expectantly.
"So, is it a boy or a girl?"
Brittany immediately looked down, her cheeks turning red. "A girl," she mumbled.
"Ha! I figured as much. Why haven't you mentioned her at all?"
"I dunno. I mean, we're just friends. And we've only really known each other for like a week."
"A week? And you're already in love with her?"
Brittany's head shot up. "I…what?"
Victoria smiled warmly. "It's all over your face, Britt."
"Well, I do really, really like her. But…love? How…I mean…?" Words failed her.
"Hey, when the right person comes along, time doesn't mean anything."
Brittany had to smile at that. "She's just…she's amazing, Mom," she whispered. "She's so talented and beautiful and she makes me laugh and give me butterflies. I mean, butterflies. And her eyes…I could stare into them forever."
Victoria chuckled. "Yup, definitely love, honey. So, do I get to meet your new lady love at some point?"
"I doubt it. She's really shy. She doesn't do well with strange situations."
"Oh. Well, that's a shame. I'm assuming she goes to school with you?"
Brittany nodded. "She's a junior. A musician. She's a composer, actually." She smiled as she remembered their first meeting and how she'd been blown away by Santana's music. "Her music…it's amazing. It hits me. Like, we have this connection with it. She plays her music and I dance to it and we're in our own little world," she gushed.
"Wow, how did you not realise that you're in love with her?"
Brittany shrugged. "Because I have a feeling it's going to be one-sided."
"Oh, sorry, honey. Does she not swing your way?"
"I don't know. Maybe. We don't really…talk. Well, not about that kind of stuff anyway. We're still getting to know each other."
"Talking is good."
"Yeah…" Brittany chewed on her bottom lip. "Santana doesn't…she doesn't talk."
Victoria shrugged. "You said she's shy. Maybe she just needs a little time to really open up to you."
"No, she…she's mute, Mom."
Victoria just stared at her. "Really?"
Brittany nodded. "But we've found a way to communicate with each other. Sort of. Well, we understand each other."
"Are you learning sign language?"
"Slowly. Santana's really patient with me. But I am learning."
"Santana, huh?"
Brittany flushed again. "Yeah. Santana Lopez. She's a junior. She's helping me with my re-eval today and my winter showcase. And hopefully my final showcase as well. But we'll get there later."
"She sounds very special, sweetie."
"She's the most special."
Victoria grinned and pulled her daughter into a hug. "I'm really happy for you, Britt. I hope that Santana can see how enamoured you are and put you out of your misery."
Brittany chuckled and returned the hug. "I'm willing to wait, Mom. She's so different. She understands me. I haven't lied to her, not once. She knows about my reputation, and it's clearly difficult for her to trust. I've told her that I'm going to always be there for her, though. No matter what she needs."
"You're definitely in love," Victoria confirmed, pulling away and bopping her nose.
"If I am, then I understand why people write songs and books about it. It's wonderful."
"Yes, it is. Now, you'd best go get ready for school if your re-eval is happening this afternoon. Will you let me know how it goes?"
Brittany nodded and turned to walk out of the kitchen. "Hey, Mom? Thanks."
"Anytime, Britt."
Brittany wrung her hands as she stood on Santana's porch. She hadn't yet rung the doorbell. She was nervous. She'd never done the whole meet the parents thing. Well, in this case, the meet the aunt thing. Not that Santana was her girlfriend or anything.
Crap.
She lifted her arm and pressed the white button. Within five seconds, the door swung open and a really tall blonde woman looked at her.
"Hi," Brittany said, a little confused. Was this Santana's aunt? She didn't look like she could possibly related to her. "Um, I'm Brittany. I'm here to pick up Santana."
"Brittany! Glad to finally meet you, hot stuff. Come on in."
Jovial.
Hang on. Did she just call me hot stuff?
Holly stepped back and Brittany walked inside. She paused in the hallway and looked around. It was nice. It was homey. It was just the kind of environment that she figured Santana needed.
"Hey, sweet cheeks!" Holly called up the stairs. "There's a gorgeous blonde down here waiting for you!"
Brittany flushed and fiddled with her keys.
"So, you and Santana, huh?" Holly asked, folding her arms and arching her eyebrow.
Her eyes widened. "Um, no, no. Just friends."
"Uh huh," Holly replied, unconvinced.
"Really, we are,' Brittany whispered, dropping her eyes. "I would never make her feel uncomfortable with anything. I mean, I am. Bi, I mean. But, we're just friends."
Verbal diarrhea. Why can't I speak normally?
Oh, God. I just told Santana's aunt that I'm bi.
"Another bicorn, huh? Join the club." Holly winked at her and Brittany couldn't stop her jaw from dropping. The older blonde laughed. "Santana isn't my biological niece. Her real aunt is my partner who's out of town on business at the moment. But we're one big happy family."
Brittany smiled. "That's awesome. I'd love to meet your partner one day."
"I have no doubt you will. Especially if Santana keeps going on about you like she has."
What? Santana… She…
Brittany's insides were doing flip flops and roly polys and jumping up and down. She grinned widely.
"Aha! I knew it. You do have a thing for her," Holly said knowingly.
Brittany leaned closer, glancing towards the stairs in case Santana overheard her. "Between you and me?" she whispered. "I'm totally crazy about her."
Holly's smile was big and it made Brittany feel a little more at ease.
"But that's also why I won't ever pressure her to do anything. She needs a friend right now so that's what I am. I'm letting her set the pace. But…well, she's very special to me."
"Hot stuff, you just passed the test with flying colours," Holly stated, slipping an arm around her shoulders. "At least I'll feel a lot happier knowing that Santana's with you."
Brittany grinned and her attention was drawn to footsteps coming down the stairs. Santana came into view and Brittany's heart immediately started pounding. She breathed in quickly as she met her eyes. Santana looked refreshed and she had a big smile on her face. Brittany was sure that there was one on hers that matched it.
"Good morning, lazy buns," Holly teased.
Santana stuck her tongue out at her aunt and descended the rest of the stairs, her foot tripping on the last one. Brittany reacted immediately and took quick steps forward to catch the young girl before she hit the floor. Her arms went securely around Santana's waist and she hoisted her carefully to her feet.
Santana lifted her head and their eyes met. Her hands were resting on Brittany's arms and it felt, to the blonde anyway, like this was way more intimate than their hug the previous night.
Wow, she's really close. And she's so beautiful.
Brittany suddenly remembered where she was and the boundaries she'd resolved to keep and quickly stepped back, releasing Santana.
"You ok?" she asked quietly.
Santana just nodded, almost like she was in a trance.
"Shall I go and get a butter knife to cut through this sexual tension or what?" Holly deadpanned.
Both girls flushed and looked away.
Holly chuckled. "You two are hopeless."
Brittany couldn't hide the shit-eating grin that crept onto her face. According to Holly, it seemed as though Santana was kinda, sorta, maybe into her? Best. News. Ever.
"Um, we should get going," she said, clearing her throat. "Holly, should I give you my number in case you need to get hold of me?"
"Hot stuff, I like you." Holly handed her phone to Brittany, who quickly programmed her number in.
"Well, Holly, I'm flattered, but I'm kind of a one woman girl," Brittany teased back.
"Oh, snap!" The older blonde chuckled. "Take care of her."
Santana glared at her aunt, but Brittany just smiled. "I will."
"So, Holly's…interesting," Brittany commented as she pulled away from the curb outside Santana's house.
Her companion just rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Hey, it's a rite of passage for every teenager to have one embarrassing family member. Lucky for you, you only seem to have one."
Santana smiled and pointed to her.
"Mine? Oh, my whole family." Brittany chuckled. "But we're all goofy and crazy like that. We may live in a huge house and have far too much money, but we haven't changed much from who we were before my dad made it big."
Santana nodded thoughtfully and they spent the rest of the drive to Charlie's in a comfortable silence. It was difficult for them to talk anyway because Brittany couldn't always look at Santana to see what she wanted to say. But it worked for them.
Brittany couldn't help but start to hum absentmindedly as they neared the diner. She looked at Santana when she'd parked the car and saw her with an adorable smile on her face.
"What?" she asked self-consciously.
Santana just grinned wider and pointed to fingers to her mouth and moved them outwards in a wave motion. Brittany frowned in confusion and Santana simply repeated the movement a little slower. When she suddenly realised what the Latina had heard, she flushed and looked down.
"Sorry, it's a habit when I'm in the car," she mumbled.
Santana tugged on the sleeve of her loose sweatshirt. Brittany met her eyes shyly. She moved one hand around her face and Brittany had learned enough sign language to know what that meant. She smiled.
"Thank you, Santana." She glanced at the clock on the dash. "Shall we go and get us some coffee?"
Santana nodded enthusiastically and Brittany unbuckled her seatbelt, quickly getting out of the car and jogging around to open Santana's door for her. She wasn't sure where her chivalry had suddenly come from, but she was a girly girl and all girls liked romance. She really didn't mind being the one providing it if it meant that Santana would continue to smile at her like that.
Santana slipped out Brittany's car and watched as she closed the door, locking it.
"Right, prepare to have your taste buds tantalised. Charlie seriously has the best coffee in Lima. Maybe even in Ohio." Brittany guided Santana easily to the door, her hand automatically dropping to rest lightly against the small of her back. "I was in New York for three months and nothing even came close to Charlie's coffee."
Santana looked eager as Brittany pulled the door open, the bell jingling their arrival.
"My two favourite customers!" Charlie cheered from his position in the kitchen.
"Morning, Charlie!" Brittany chirped and Santana waved.
"Two?" Charlie asked.
"Two," the blonde confirmed, slipping into their booth.
"Morning, girls," Jackie called as she breezed passed them to tend to the other tables. Charlie's was always busy in the mornings, but Brittany loved the hustle and bustle. It suddenly occurred to her that Santana perhaps may not like the busy diner. She glanced at the young girl, but Santana was just looking around her with a contended smile on her face.
"It looks different during the day," Brittany commented.
Santana nodded and met her eyes. She had to forcefully suppress the sharp intake of breath at the effect that they had on her.
You're hopeless.
Totally am.
Santana started shaking her hands slightly and then pointed to her. Brittany frowned and shook her head.
"Are you scared, Santana?" she asked quietly. "I can take you somewhere else if this is too busy or-"
She was cut off by Santana grabbing her hand. Brittany stared down at where their hands were now connected. It felt like her skin was on fire, but in the most delicious way possible. Santana's tanned skin colour contrasted beautifully to her pale tone.
Like caramel and vanilla.
Brittany couldn't stop the smile creeping onto her face at the thought and it grew slightly wider when Santana didn't move her hand after a while. Eventually, the blonde lifted her head and met the dark eyes that captivated her so much. Santana had a smile on her face too and it made her heart thud ten times louder.
I can't be reading this wrong. Could I? I'm pretty perceptive. The way she's looking at me now and what Holly said… Could she…?
It didn't actually matter if Santana liked her (but score if she did) because Brittany was adamant to earn her trust completely before embarking on anything more than friendship. And if Santana decided that she wanted more than friendship, then Brittany would wait for her to make that choice. She was pretty sure she'd wait forever.
Mom was right, Brittany thought as she lost herself in Santana's eyes. I am totally in love with this girl.
After a few moments, Brittany felt herself blush and she glanced back down at their hands.
Do I dare? Would it be too forward?
After how that morning had already gone, she really felt like luck was on her side. Gently, Brittany rotated her hand so that her palm was touching Santana's. She saw that Santana held her breath at the movement as well and she froze.
Shit. Too soon?
Instinctively, Brittany used her index finger to lightly trace the patch of skin where Santana's palm met her wrist. Her mom had always done that to her when she'd been upset or scared and the slight soothing touch always had calmed her down. Santana's shoulders relaxed and Brittany quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Soon, Santana's fingers were also moving slightly against Brittany's skin and it was quite possibly the most incredible feeling she had ever experienced.
Brittany moved her free hand towards their joined hands and started softly tracing her index finger up and down the skin on Santana's fingers. She smiled when the other girl visibly shivered. It was a little refreshing that she wasn't the only one so completely affected by a few simple touches.
"Here you go, girls," Jackie said, abruptly disrupting their little bubble with two cups of coffee.
Santana swallowed and gently tugged at Brittany's hand. The blonde immediately released it and she dropped her own hands to her lap. She hated that their moment was so fleeting. It had felt like hours, but in reality had only been about three minutes. And she'd done it in a public place! She was so drawn to Santana that she lost her judgement at times. She'd given herself a stern pep talk that morning before fetching the Latina about respecting her boundaries and making her feel comfortable. And the first thing she'd done was hold her hand in a public place.
In her peripheral vision, she saw Santana reach for the coffee and add sugar. Her eyes were still fixed on her lap. What if Santana pulled away even further now? They'd made such great progress in twelve hours, but Brittany had gone and ruined that by letting her desire for Santana overrule her basic logic.
She sighed quietly. She knew this was love, more than ever. She'd never fallen so hard so fast. She didn't she'd ever really fallen for someone before if this was how it was supposed to feel. Even though she knew that it had probably not been a good idea, she couldn't help but feel her insides warm at the feeling of Santana's skin against hers. Her palm still burned and Brittany found herself ok with that. Even if she never got to touch Santana again, at least she knew what it felt like.
It felt like the best feeling in the world.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out. She frowned and looked up at Santana, who was watching her curiously.
Is there a reason why you're not looking at me?
Brittany swallowed and suddenly felt incredibly nervous. She slowly pulled her coffee cup towards her and added a little sugar. As she stirred, she lifted her eyes to meet Santana's again and she bit her lip. She had promised herself to only ever be honest with her.
"I was scared that I might have pushed you too far too early," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Santana, I promise. I just…when you…I…" She sighed in frustration and gripped her coffee mug tightly. "We're friends and I get that. I'm more than happy to be your friend. Sometimes, though, I just can't help myself."
Santana's eyes widened, but there was small smile playing on her lips. She slowly lifted her hand and joined her index finger and thumb into the shape of an o. It made Brittany smile a little and the worry in her chest dissipated somewhat.
But Santana wasn't done. She looked adorably shy and it just made Brittany smile wider as she watched her point to herself, signed what looked her plucking something from chest and then visibly paused, her eyes locking onto Brittany's and holding them there. The blonde could see that she was thinking hard about something or deciding something. Eventually, after taking a sip of coffee and looking at it surprisingly as she licked her lips. She nodded to herself and Brittany just watched the whole exchange with a loving smile on her lips.
Santana sensed that she was being watched and met Brittany's eyes again before lowering them and blushing. That hardly made Brittany's smile go away, though. Santana repeated her previous two signs and then, to Brittany's complete surprise, she reached across the table and grabbed hold of Brittany's fingers, her own lightly grazing the skin.
"Wow," Brittany couldn't help but breathe and she stared at the joined hands. Again. Their joined hands again.
She didn't know what Santana had said or tried to say. Her mind was completely focused on the fact the Santana had taken her hand again. Brittany was almost terrified to try and figure out what it meant, but she just swallowed and let her eyes flutter closed so that she could fully appreciate the sensation of Santana's fingers moving over hers.
She'd had sex numerous times, good sex, bad sex, and pretty fucking awesome sex. But nothing compared to what she feeling at that moment. It almost felt better than an orgasm. The best part was that it felt right. So very, very right.
Brittany realised that she probably looked crazy to anybody around her – she was holding a beautiful girl's hand and smiling goofily with her eyes closed. So she blinked them open and met Santana's small smile. At the same time, they both dropped their gazes and looked at their fingers softly tracing over each other.
A snap made her look up again. Santana was doing that waving hand thing again. Brittany frowned and shook her head in confusion. Obviously it didn't mean scared. Santana bit her lip and her eyes darted around as she tried to come up with a way to explain what she was trying to say. She brightened as she got an idea and started moving the hand that wasn't being held by her own around to imitate a ballerina. Brittany nodded in understanding. Then she pretended to bite her nails.
"Oh!" Brittany chuckled. "Am I nervous about today?"
Santana nodded eagerly, happy that Brittany had figured it out.
The blonde pulled her mouth to one side in thought. "If you'd have asked me yesterday afternoon, I probably would've said yes. But now, definitely not. I can't be nervous when being around you makes me feel so confident."
She bit her lip, suddenly wondering if her honesty might be a little too much for Santana. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I want to be honest with you about everything, but it seems that sometimes I forget my filter."
The Latina just smiled and shook her head, flicking her hand dismissively.
Brittany took a deep breath. "If I haven't said it enough, thank you, Santana. I'm so lucky that I ran into you on that first day. I…I know it may sound really strange, but I felt a connection to you. I mean, I definitely feel like we connect through music and dancing, but when I saw you…I don't know…it's difficult to explain, but I guess if I'm blunt, not a day has gone by since then when I haven't thought about you."
Santana sucked her lips in and blushed.
"I hope that wasn't too forward of me to say," Brittany added quietly.
Dark hair bounced as she shook her head.
"Ok, good."
They remained in comfortable silence as they finished their coffee. Brittany glanced at her phone and pouted when she saw that they should probably head to school if Santana was going to have time to work on the music for her re-eval.
"We should get going," Brittany eventually suggested mournfully. She knew that the moment they entered McKinley, the little bubble that they'd created for themselves would burst and they'd have to go their separate ways.
Santana just nodded, but her eyes were a little sadder too. Brittany moved to pull her hand back, but Santana just held it tighter. That brought her smile back a bit. They slid out of the booth and Brittany dared to manoeuvre their hands so that their fingers slid in between each other and interlocked.
It felt perfect and Santana definitely felt whatever Brittany did because her dark eyes were sparkling.
"Come on, maestro. Let's get your creative juices flowing."
They reached the counter and Santana pulled money out her pocket before Brittany could even open her purse. Granted, she did only have one hand. Santana winked at her and Brittany pretty much melted on the spot.
"Bye, Charlie!" Brittany called as they headed to the door.
"Bye, ladies! Don't be strangers.'
"We won't."
The blonde grabbed the door and pulled it open for Santana who smiled shyly at her before stepping through, their interlocked hands ensuring that Brittany stayed close behind her. They reached the car and Brittany opened the passenger door for Santana. The Latina paused, glancing between their joined hands and Brittany's eyes.
Brittany risked stepping a little closer. "We can do this whenever you want, wherever you want, ok? If you'd rather hide this at school, that's totally fine. I respect any decision that you make."
Santana nibbled on her lip and Brittany's eyes flickered down to the movement. She willed them to lift again. The last thing she needed to be thinking about was kissing her. She doubted Santana was even close to ready for that.
But maybe…
"Would you be ok with me trying something, Santana?" she whispered.
Santana cocked her head, but nodded. Brittany took a breath and lifted their joined hands to her lips. She paused, allowing Santana the opportunity to pull her hand away. She didn't, though so Brittany pressed a light kiss to the back of Santana's. The tan hand clenched around hers momentarily. The kiss was brief and more a brush of the lips than anything, but Brittany could feel it throughout her body.
"Thank you," she whispered, slowly disconnecting their hands.
Santana smiled at her and climbed into the car. Brittany grinned back, shut the door and jogged around to the driver's side.
"Ok, let's go make some music!"
"The bell's going to ring for first period soon, Santana," Brittany called from her spot on a chair at the back of the little room. She was going over some History homework that she'd forgotten about. Well, she had been somewhat preoccupied the night before.
She glanced up from her notebook and saw the young girl plugging a device into the big machine that made all the cool sounds. Santana held up a finger and put some earphones in. Brittany settled back to watch her as she started playing the piece chosen for her dance. Santana transformed when she played and it was beautiful to watch. In fact, Brittany could probably watch her for hours, days even, and never get bored.
Ok, maybe the fact that she was in love with her may have something to do with it. Brittany grinned to herself. She loved the feeling. And she loved that it was because of Santana. She didn't pity the girl or anything like that, but she did think that Santana deserved to be loved. Like full on head-over-heels, tight chest, butterflies raging, clammy palms kind of love. The kind of love that she had. The kind of love that she couldn't wait to shower upon Santana.
She knew she probably had a long wait ahead of her. And she didn't actually mind. She'd wait forever for her.
Santana finished with a flourish and the triumphant grin on her face as she swivelled around and pushed a few buttons before disconnecting the device. She put it in her bag and turned to see Brittany watching her with a smile.
She sent her two thumbs up and the blonde shrugged. "Oh, I never had any doubt in you, Santana. You're completely amazing. I knew you'd figure it out."
The young girl blushed and shuffled around, gathering her music and books. She made sure to keep the sheet music for the re-eval to one side and put everything else in the chair. Once her bag was packed, she stood and looked at Brittany expectantly.
"Right! Bell! Totally knew that." She scrambled to her feet, stuffing her notebook and pen into her bag before walking over to where Santana was waiting. The Latina looked unsure of something.
"What's up?" Brittany asked softly.
Santana reached out and took Brittany's hand, swinging it between them shyly, then glanced at the door and her expression grew slightly fearful.
"Santana, we don't have to if it scares you or makes you uncomfortable, ok?" Brittany took a small step closer. "But I'm really happy that you want to."
Santana looked from their hands to the door about fifteen times before the bell rang sharply, causing her to jump and drop Brittany's hand like she'd been burned.
Ok, so no surprises. Definitely doesn't like surprises.
"Hey, I'm here," she said soothingly. "We can wait a bit if you'd like?"
Santana shook her shoulders and huffed, seemingly irritated with herself.
"Hey, that bell scares the shit out of me too sometimes. Luckily, I don't always hear it because of my music. But is a bit of a shock to the system if you're not expecting it."
She got a grateful smile in return, but still looked hesitant about what to do once they left the room. Brittany would proudly walk the halls of McKinley holding Santana's hand, but it was possible that Santana didn't feel the same way.
Shit!
She hadn't even thought of whether Santana was even out. Whether it was as a bisexual or a lesbian. If she had even identified as either. She cursed herself for not being a little more sensitive to Santana's predicament.
"We can leave it for today," Brittany suggested. "You know where my hand is if you do want to hold it, ok?"
Santana eventually nodded slowly and they headed for the door. The hallways weren't very busy in the music wing, but once they hit the academic wing, it would be packed.
"What's your first class?" Brittany asked.
Santana reached into her bag and pulled out her diary. Inside the cover, her schedule was taped.
"I'm gonna need to get a copy of this at some point," Brittany mumbled to herself.
Santana nudged her shoulder questioningly.
"Oh, um…" The blonde flushed. "So I can walk you to class and stuff."
They grinned at each other. Brittany was pretty sure she was falling more and more each time Santana smiled at her.
"So, you've got Trig first." She made a face. "Blegh. Mr. Gibbs is so boring. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep in his class at least three times a week."
Santana chuckled and shook her head. She took back her diary and pointed to Brittany.
"I've got American Lit. I actually like that class."
Santana nodded in agreement as the reached the entrance to the academic wing. Brittany paused slightly when Santana hesitated.
"Come on, maestro. Those equations aren't gonna solve themselves."
They headed into the throng and Brittany rested her hand on Santana's back lightly, testing the waters of what she was comfortable with. The young girl seemed a little relieved. Brittany wondered how she'd managed to navigate her classes on her own if she was always so nervous.
Maybe she's used to being alone.
She set her jaw and held her head higher. Well, no more. Santana wasn't going to be alone for as long as Brittany was around.
Something brushing the hand that rested on Santana's back made her glance around. She smiled when she saw Santana's fingers clutch her wrist and tug it back to her side where she could link their fingers again.
Brittany's heart soared. Like around the world in eighty seconds soared. She leaned in closer to Santana, careful not to brush too closely and murmured, "This is so cool."
Santana sent her a grin and squeezed tighter.
Too soon, they reached Santana's class and Brittany gently disentangled their fingers. The pout she received as a result was dangerous – she almost had to step back to stop herself from leaning in to kiss it away.
"Would you like to have lunch with me, Santana?" she asked shyly.
Santana nodded furiously, a huge smile on her face.
"Great!" Brittany replied with an equally large smile. "Um, it's going to be a really nice day. How about we have lunch in the gardens?"
McKinley had a gorgeous garden with trees and benches and huge expanses of grass for students to relax on. Santana nodded again.
"Awesome. That's so awesome. Ok, have a good morning and I'll meet you on the grass. I'll wait by the doors."
She stepped back and indicated with her head for her to go inside. They remained staring at each other for a few seconds before Santana eventually turned into the classroom.
Brittany skipped to her own class. She didn't care how many people stared at her.
She doodled through American Lit, ever though To Kill A Mockingbird was pretty interested. Brittany was a little disappointed that it didn't have anything to do with a bird. As soon as the short bell sounded, she jumped out of her seat, grabbed her notebook and bag and headed to her next class.
One class down, three to go until lunch. Until she saw Santana.
She grinned as she walked into her Physics class and sat down, focusing her attention back to the doodle she'd been busy with before.
"That wouldn't stand for one Santana Lopez, would it?" a quiet voice asked next to her.
Brittany glanced up and saw Quinn, looking sheepish and a little unsure. Only then did she realise that she and Quinn hadn't really spoken all week. Not since she'd hung up on her. Brittany's last sixteen hours or so were all that was engrained in her brain. Nothing really entered into the equation.
"It would," she replied, moving her bag so that Quinn could take her seat.
There was silence for a bit. It was uncomfortable, but more tense than anything. Brittany found herself wondering how Santana would have reacted in her position. She definitely wouldn't have flown off the handle like she did. Brittany sighed to herself and darkened the 'S' symbolising the first name of the girl she was in love with.
"I'm sorry for snapping," she said eventually. "You were just trying to be a good friend and I threw it in your face. I'm sorry."
She glanced at Quinn and saw her blink in surprise.
"What?" Brittany asked, her brow furrowing.
"Uh, nothing. I guess, um…I was actually planning on apologising to you for not supporting you like a good friend should."
Brittany shrugged. "We both fucked up a bit. I know I wig out when I get really stressed. And I have been. Really stressed," she added as a confirmation.
Quinn just nodded and nibbled on her bottom lip. Brittany grinned at the telltale sign.
"Spit it out, Q. I know you're just dying to say something."
"Well…actually I have two things," her friend admitted, tucking a strand of pink hair behind her ear. She leaned in closer as the teacher walked in. "First, are you ready for today?"
Brittany nodded and smiled. "Yup. Been working my ass off."
"That's good. Is it ok if I'm…there? Later? At your-"
"I get it, Quinn. And yes, you can be there. Was that your second question?"
"Nope. Are you aware that you're drawing hearts around Santana and your initials?"
"Very aware," Brittany said simply.
"Oh."
The dancer smirked. She knew that Quinn was begging for her to voluntarily dish, but even Quinn knew that Santana was different. That she was special to Britt and not just some conquest or month-long fling.
"Britt, are you-"
"Morning, talented people. Books open to page thirty-nine, please?" the teacher called, cutting Quinn's question off.
A quick diagram analysis and pop quiz meant that Brittany never got to hear Quinn's question, although she about ninety percent sure what it was.
"Bailed on that quiz," Brittany grumbled.
"It was retardedly hard for a pop quiz. And on a Friday. Mr. Collins is mean," Quinn agreed.
The two blondes headed towards History and Brittany's eyes scanned the crowded hallways for the off chance that she'd spot Santana. She doubted it, though. From what she remembered, Santana was due to head in the opposite direction to her.
"Hey, so what are your plans for the weekend?" Quinn asked.
Brittany shrugged, her eyes still on the countless heads for the dark hair that matched the dark eyes she could drown in. "Probably just chill. This week has been killer. I feel like winding down before beginning the madness again on Monday."
"Cool. Wanna have a movie night tonight? I'll bring the wine and you…"
Brittany tuned her best friend's voice out as she saw the hunched profile of her maestro as she weaved through the crowds on the opposite side of the hallway to where she was. She kept looking at Santana as they headed towards each other.
No surprises, remember?
Brittany couldn't stop the smile that crossed her face as Santana came into view fully.
Come on, please look up.
They were almost opposite each other when Santana's head snapped up and her eyes flittered around quickly before meeting Brittany's. The resulting smile pretty much Brittany's day. The blonde held up four fingers and pushed her index and middle down, wiggling the last two with an accompanying wink. She wasn't sure why she knew that Santana would understand her, but the brunette's smile widened and she nodded subtly, slowly turning her body to continue her journey to her next class. Brittany spun around and walked backwards so that she could continue to watch her. As Santana stepped into her classroom, she looked back and sent a wink to her admirer.
Brittany stumbled.
Like full on stumbled.
She landed on her ass and winced. "Ow. Son of a bitch."
"Jesus, B! Are you ok?"
No. The girl of my dreams just winked at me. I think I just died and went to heaven.
"Fine," she grumbled instead, pushing herself off the floor and dusting her tights.
"Do I even want to know what just happened?" Quinn teased, handing Brittany back her notebook that had fallen out of her bag when she'd tripped.
Yeah, tripped over her own feet. Because of a wink.
Sexiest. Wink. Ever.
As much as Brittany would love to know what it felt like, she was almost scared of what kissing Santana might do to her. The hug, the hand holding and that wink had made her almost spontaneously combust.
"In answer to your question, Quinn, I am completely and hopelessly in love."
Her best friend's mouth dropped open at Brittany's cavalier confession.
"Holy crap! This must have been some week! What happened?"
They entered History and took their usual spots. Brittany hesitated, not sure if she wanted Quinn to know what had happened between her and Santana. It felt almost sacred, like their little secret and telling it to someone would destroy the magic. Brittany desperately wanted to keep the magic in case she woke up and it had all been a dream. If that was that case, she wanted to stay in her dream forever.
"Hello? Earth to Britt?"
"Hmmm?"
"You disappeared on me," Quinn said with a smirk. "Dare I even ask where you went?"
Brittany frowned. "It's not like that with her, Quinn."
"No, I know. You got this goofy smile on your face so I know you were thinking about her. I swear I didn't insinuate anything about sex."
"Good. Cos that won't be happening for a while."
"What?"
"What what?"
"No sex?"
"Nope."
"Why not?"
Brittany shrugged. "Just because. I'm not pushing her. Everything is at her pace. We're not even together, Quinn. We're not even close to together. We're just friends."
"But you're in love with her," Quinn pointed out.
"Yip."
"For someone who's slept with slightly less people than me, you've embraced this notion of being in love pretty quickly."
"Come on, Q. You know that she was on my mind from the first day I met her. I couldn't stop thinking about her, even though I didn't even know her."
"And you know her now?"
Brittany smiled. "Yeah, a little bit."
"Aw, my bestie's totally in love!" Quinn cooed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.
"You're in love, Pierce?" Puck scoffed as he slumped into his chair in front of them. "Did pigs start flying too?"
"Fuck off, Puckerman," Quinn snapped. "Britt got her turn last week, but I'm not afraid to give you another humiliating smack down."
The reminder was enough to shut Puck up and he grumbled under his breath.
"We'll talk more at lunch, ok?" Quinn whispered.
Brittany bit her lip. "Actually…"
Quinn grinned and rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, you already have a lunch date."
"It's not a date," Brittany protested quietly, her cheeks turning red.
"Right. And I'm secretly in love with Squirrel Boy," Quinn retorted under her breath.
Brittany snorted in laughter.
"Seriously," Quinn continued, "in which reality is that considered hygienic and/or cool?"
Brittany stared at the clock.
Seriously! Could seconds move any slower?
She was just about ready to jump out of her chair the moment the bell sounded. She didn't have Quinn to keep her focused in her last academic class of the day, so her doodle had simply grown more intricate. She was actually quite proud of artistic quality of it. Of course, no one would ever see it. Ever.
The bell rang and Brittany was out of the door before her French teacher could even bid them adieu. She raced towards the entrance to the gardens and skidded to a stop at the bench closest to the doors. Her foot tapped nervously as students filtered out. A few people waved at Brittany and she smiled back, her good mood fuelling any return greeting.
After five minutes, her good mood had dipped slightly. It was entirely possible that she'd just stayed in her last class a little late. She had no reason to worry.
After fifteen minutes, her bottom lip was bone dry with the nibbling and playing around she'd done with it. She checked her phone for the thirtieth time, but there wasn't anything.
Should I send her a message?
She decided not to. After all, they weren't together. Santana didn't owe her anything. Even if she did look just as excited about having lunch together both when she'd asked her and when they'd passed each other in the hallway between classes.
Twenty-five minutes.
At what point should she accept that she'd been stood up? Brittany hated the strong ache in her chest. It was like her heart was trying really hard to keep up the steady beating but she didn't really have the oomph to actually keep it going.
Thirty-five minutes.
Brittany blinked back her tears and stood up. Life was all about balance. She'd just been initiated in the bad part of being in love: the hurt.
She knew there wouldn't be anyone in the bathrooms in the academic wing during lunch. She kicked the door open hard, enjoying the satisfactory bang that it made against the wall.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she muttered to herself. "Stupid, Pierce. Get your fucking hopes up for nothing. Nothing."
She was angry with herself, she was hurting really badly because Santana hadn't even texted her or anything. She was also mad at Santana. They'd made plans to meet during lunch and no student had no access to their phone for half an hour during lunch. A text would have sufficed.
Brittany stared at her reflection in the mirror. She hated that it was so easy to tell when she was either going to cry or had been crying. Her eyes immediately went red and puffy and her cheeks became flushed. Oh, and her eyes became ridiculously blue. She thought she looked retarded.
"You had to push, didn't you? Couldn't just leave things as they were, huh, Pierce? No, gotta make the most amazing girl in school feel smothered so that she-"
Her voice stopped immediately as she heard a movement behind one of the white doors.
"Is someone in here?" she snapped, whirling around. "I swear to God, if you don't fucking come out right now, I'm going to kick your ass to hell and back."
Nothing. Brittany knew she'd heard something. She started violently pushing the stall doors open until she reached the last one and smirked.
"Someone wants to get their ass whooped today," she muttered and pushed it.
Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. Within seconds she was on her knees in front of a weeping Santana who was crudely duct taped to the toilet so the she couldn't move her arms or legs.
"Jesus Christ, Santana. What happened? Who did this? I swear I'm going to fucking kill whoever did this."
She searched her favourite dark eyes, but they were filled with a fear similar to what she'd seen the previous night.
Who would do something like this? Especially to a girl who can't call out for help?
That was probably why they did it. Brittany set her jaw, anger seething through every single fibre of her being. She didn't tolerate bullying of any kind, and she refused to let anyone bully the girl she was in love with.
Not on my fucking watch.
Brittany tried catching Santana's gaze as she pulled at the duct tape away from her body, but the brunette was looking everywhere but at her. It made her even madder. Not only had someone or someones done this to the sweetest girl ever to walk the halls of McKinley, not only had they earned themselves crosshairs on heir backs, but any trust that Brittany had built within Santana was gone. Decimated. She could see it.
"Santana."
She got no acknowledgement.
"Santana," she said again, a little more firmly.
Nothing.
Shit. This is really bad. Just keep talking to her.
"I'm going to help you, ok, Santana? I'm going to get you out of here and I'll take you someplace safe. I'll take you home if you want or anywhere else you want to go, ok? I'm just gonna grab my bag super quickly. There are some safety pins in there that I can use to cut through this tape and get you out of here as quickly as possible. I'll be right back, I promise."
Brittany tried unsuccessfully to make eye contact with Santana so she rolled back onto her feet and ran to get her bag. As she did, she saw Santana's bag lying behind the bathroom door, the contents on the floor, her phone among them.
I'm so going to cut a bitch. This is not going to go unpunished.
Within five seconds, she was back, kneeling in front of Santana with her small container of safety pins. Her hands were shaking with a variety of emotions: unbridled rage, worry, fear for Santana, and nerves because she was hoping that she didn't make things worse for her maestro. She pulled a pin and started hacking very subtly at the tape around Santana's wrists. She soon had the left one free, but made sure to touch the tan skin she'd become so familiar with a few hours prior. Brittany made quick work of freeing Santana's other hand and set about tackling the tape around her feet.
Brittany was breathing pretty quickly by the time she was done and she knew it wasn't because of any exertion. She felt short of breath all of a sudden and light-headed.
Crap, I can't have a panic attack now! I need to be strong for Santana.
She looked at the young girl, who was wringing her hands tightly. So tightly that her tan skin was being pulled white.
Focus, Britt. Santana needs you. You told her you'd be there for her always. Now you need to deliver.
"Santana, I need to ask your permission to help you stand up," Brittany said in a quiet voice, but loud and firm enough for Santana to hear the sincerity in her voice.
But she just shook her head and pulled her newly freed legs up to her chest, burying her face behind her knees and rocking back and forth.
"Santana, please let me help you!" Brittany pleaded, wanting so badly to touch her but knowing that it would be the absolute worst thing for her to do. "You can trust me. I would never hurt you. I couldn't…I…"
She wanted to cry. She was frustrated that she couldn't be the one to help the young girl who was so, so scared and fragile and felt as though she was alone. She was angry that Santana had been put in this position in the first place. She was scared that she wouldn't be able to help her. Not now and not ever.
Think, dammit! Santana needs someone who…Holly!
"Santana, I'm just going to get your phone, ok? I'll be right back, I promise."
Brittany ran to where Santana's bag laid strewn and grabbed the discarded phone. She checked that it was still working and sighed in relief when the screen lit up. She paused for a second and locked the main door so that Santana wouldn't be subjected to anybody's nosiness.
"Please don't have a security code," she muttered, sliding her finger on the screen. "Yes!" she cheered quietly, reaching the stall again.
Santana was in the same position and Brittany had to physically restrain herself from not wrapping her arms around her and keeping her safe from anything and anyone who wanted to hurt her.
"Santana, I really need you to look at me, please? I want to make sure that you're ok with what I'm about to do. Please." Santana didn't move. "Please. God, I don't know what to do, but I have to do something. Santana, please just look at me. You don't have to be scared of me." Her voice dropped to a whisper, "You never have to be scared of me. I could never hurt you."
Slowly, Santana lifted her head and her eyes were unsteady as they rested briefly on Brittany's.
Progress. Ok, use it!
"Santana, I know you don't want me to touch you and that's fine, but I want to help get you out of here. Now, I can carry you to my car and drive you wherever you want to go. That's option one." Brittany held up her index finger. "Option two is I call Holly right now and ask her to come and get you. I can make sure that you get out of here without people seeing you." She took a breath, ducking her head to try and catch Santana's eyes. "I need you to tell me which one you want, Santana. Option one or two?"
Brittany knew that she'd heard her and was weighing the possible pros and cons of each.
"I'll still call Holly and tell her what happened and if you want to go home, I'll ask her to meet you there? I mean, I don't know if she's at work or whatever. Um, or if you want me to take you to her, I'll do that. I just…I need you to tell me what you want. I won't make you do anything you don't want to. If you want, we can sit in here for the rest of the day."
Brittany swallowed the rest of the word vomit that threatened to spill out of her mouth and held her breath as she watched Santana's hands for any sign of movement. She felt like they were still for minutes on end and it probably was that long. She waited, sometimes patiently, other moments very impatiently, but she kept it internal, afraid that anything would set Santana off. Set her off somewhere where Brittany wouldn't be able to reach her.
The slight twitch of Santana's left fingers caused Brittany's eyes to zero in on them. Eventually, an index finger was visible. Just an index finger. She double checked. She also breathed a sigh of relief. Despite everything, Santana still trusted Brittany enough to take care of her. It made the blonde feel such a rush of relief.
But now she needed a plan of action. It was still lunch for another five minutes and then everyone would head to their theory classes. That would be the perfect time to get Santana out of the school. The academic wing would be empty and it was actually the closest wing to the parking lot..
"Santana, I just want to make sure. You're ok with me getting you out of here, into my car and taking you wherever you want to go?"
A brief, barely noticeable nod.
"Ok," Brittany breathed, allowing a small smile to cross her face. "Santana, I think it would be best if we waited here until everyone's in their theory classes. We're close to the parking lot and because we got here early, we parked close to the front, remember?"
No response that time.
Brittany sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall and stretching her legs across the stall. They were cramping with all the squatting she'd been doing.
"I know that you probably don't want to hear this, but I'm just gonna say it this once and then you'll never hear me say it again," Brittany began in a slow and (she hoped) calm voice. "I know we hardly know each other, and I know that there are things about you and about your past that have affected who you are. I obviously don't know what those things are, but that's ok. Even if you never want to tell me, that's totally fine. I told you last night, Santana. I'm always going to be here for you, in whatever capacity you want me to be. If it takes me months or years, I want you to be able to trust me. Maybe one day you'll be able to trust me enough to open up to me about anything that might scare you." She swallowed, her eyes fixed on her hands that were resting in her lap. "I hate that someone did this to you. I hate that I didn't know. I hate that I couldn't protect you or stop it. I hate bullying, but I never want anything to happen to you that might make you feel you uncomfortable or frightened in your surroundings. I want to be someone that you know you can rely on to save you-no, not save you. You're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, I know that. Shit," she breathed, "I'm fucking this up. Santana, basically, the fact that you're letting me help you, that you're trusting me to take care of you, it means the world to me and I would love to be that person for you whenever you need me to be."
Dumbass. Foot in mouth disease outbreak again.
"Santana, I'm sor-"
Brittany didn't get a chance to finish her apology because there was suddenly a small, fragile girl shaking in her arms, her face buried in her neck. Brittany immediately put her arms around her and held her snugly, not tightly. She didn't want Santana to feel smothered. In her haste, Santana had landed somewhat awkwardly on Brittany. The blonde shuffled away from the wall slightly and the extra room allowed Santana to wrap her own arms around Brittany's neck, which she had supposed the young girl wanted to do. Santana's forehead rested against her shoulder.
"Santana, I don't want your legs to cramp up," she whispered. "Can I help you get a little comfortable?"
She felt her nod.
"Ok, don't freak out when you feel my hands on your legs to help you sit across my lap, ok? You don't have to let go."
Don't let go. Don't ever let go.
Santana was surprisingly easy to move. Besides the fact that she really was small, she weighed a lot less that she looked. Once she was sitting in Brittany's lap comfortably, the blonde tentatively started stroking her back. Who didn't like having their back stroked, right?
She found herself humming softly and it took her a full twenty seconds to realise that it was Santana's music; the piece she'd played on that very first day that they'd met. The brunette turned her head back towards the crook of Brittany's neck and simply rested there, her breathing becoming a little more even. It made the blonde exceptionally happy and grateful that she was able to calm Santana now, albeit a little bit.
The sudden ring made Santana jump violently, her head knocking Brittany's jaw quite hard.
Ow.
"It's ok, Santana. That was just the bell. Lunch is over, so we're gonna wait here for about another ten minutes. Is that ok?"
Santana's breathing was quick and her arms tightened around Brittany's neck as her eyes flickered around the entire stall. Brittany continued her ministration on Santana's back, which seemed to help a little. Santana's jittery eye movement slowed down and finally rested on Brittany's. She couldn't help the sharp intake of breath. She felt like it had been so long since Santana had willingly looked her in the eye.
There was so much going on behind those dark orbs. There was still a great deal of fear and apprehension, but when Brittany smiled warmly, risking a tender finger grazing along Santana's jaw.
"I don't think I've called you beautiful today," she murmured. "In fact, I'm pretty sure it's impossible for there to be a moment in the day when you're not beautiful."
Santana didn't react at all, just held Brittany's gaze. Their eyes never wavered, except for the occasional blink. Brittany's finger also traced Santana's jaw line a few more times.
About ten minutes passed with the two girls just staring at each other and Brittany felt like she'd never had a more intimate moment in her life. It seemed that every time she was with Santana, she had a new favourite moment. Her finger was burning with intensity every time it met her smooth skin.
The best part was that she didn't feel an overwhelming urge to kiss Santana. Well, of course she wanted to, but first, that would be so super inappropriate with everything that had just happened. Second, this moment wasn't about physicality in any form.
Brittany hated to break it so she let Santana dictate what they did, when they did it. She was very aware of the younger girl's arms loosening around her neck and she tried not to show the disappointment at them having to move from their close position.
But Santana surprised her and only let her right hand fall from Brittany's neck, the other still keeping a firm grip. Her hand met the one with the trailing finger and Brittany smiled as Santana linked their fingers together. What she did next made the blonde's heart rate skyrocket. She pulled Brittany's hand to her chest and held it tightly against her heart, making sure that Brittany's skin was closest to her heartbeat.
She didn't know what to say or do so she didn't say or do anything except continue her staring contest.
And Brittany knew that this was the best part about being in love.
Brittany wanted to stay sitting on that floor forever. She would've too if she didn't feel her legs slowly going numb. If she had a hope to use them to carry Santana out, she kinda needed to use them.
Santana's heart rate had slowed down a bit and their fingers had started moving across the skin, similar to what they'd done that morning.
"Santana," she whispered. "I don't want to move, really I don't, but my legs are going a little numb and I need them if I'm gonna drive you home."
The young girl looked a little sad and Brittany just squeezed her hand slightly. After a few more moments of getting lost in each other's eyes, Santana eventually shuffled forward, slipping off Brittany's lap and sitting on the floor next to each other.
"Is it weird that I wished we lived in our own bubble forever sometimes?" Brittany mused, looking from their still joined hands to Santana's eyes and back.
The Latina nodded, but there wasn't any smile. Brittany figured it was a little too optimistic to hope for that just yet. She'd work up to it. Slowly.
"Just wait here, ok? I'm gonna get our bags and stuff. I'll totally make a shit load of noise so you know I'm close by. Yeah?"
A reluctant nod was all that she got. Brittany slowly stood up, letting the blood rush through her muscles. She shook her body and once she felt back to normal, squatted next to Santana.
"Would it be presumptuous to try something again?" she asked quietly, inching her hand closer to Santana's.
The Latina raised her eyebrows and they held each other's gazes before a slow shake of her head prompted Brittany to take the hand closest to her and lift it. She kept her eyes on Santana as she brushed her lips over her four knuckles. Once again, the kisses were so light. Brittany put her hand back down and smiled gently.
"I love that I'll never get tired of doing that," she whispered before rising and walking out of the stall.
As promised, she made a loud show of gathering their bags. She slung them both over her shoulders and took her car keys out. She unlocked the door and headed back to the stall. Santana was still sitting on the floor and looked decidedly nervous. She was holding her hand, but her thumb was halting just before her knuckles. It made Brittany smile.
"You ready?" she asked.
Santana looked up at her and shook her head.
"Ok," Brittany replied, kneeling down. "We can stay here for as long as you want."
She shook her head again. It made the blonde frown in confusion. Santana just held out a hand. Brittany sucked in her lips and positioned herself properly before taking Santana's hand and guiding it around her neck. She slipped an arm under her knees and one on her lower back. She turned her head to Santana and realised how close they actually were.
She swallowed. "R-Ready?"
Santana's eyes were wide with surprise, but she nodded quickly. Brittany smiled quickly and gripped the girl tightly as she stood up. As predicted, it wasn't too difficult because Santana really was crazy light. Arms tightened around her neck as she got a good hold.
"You ok?" Brittany asked.
She nodded, cuddling close, hiding her face in Brittany's neck. The blonde didn't mind. She obviously wanted to and who was she to stop the girl from doing what she wanted? Brittany manoeuvred them out of the stall and stopped when she heard her keys jiggling from where they hung off her finger belonging to the hand bracing Santana's back.
"Hold up," she said quickly, turning towards the mirrors. "Santana, do you think you could reach those keys in my hand?"
She swivelled slightly and looked in the mirror to Brittany's hand behind her back. She quickly retrieved them and dropped them in her lap. Within two seconds, her arm was back around Brittany's neck and her face was hiding.
"Thanks," the blonde said with a smile, even though she knew the young girl couldn't see it.
They reached the door and Brittany used her now free fingers against Santana's back to pull it open.
"Hold tight, beautiful," she whispered, her lips very close to Santana's temple.
She responded and the breath of air from her mouth that hit Brittany's neck sent a shiver through her.
Focus.
She started walked quickly, but not so fast that she was jostling Santana as she did. She kept her steady and comfortable, checking the empty hallways for any unwanted visitors.
"Almost there," she murmured as she headed through the (luckily) double door to the parking lot.
She made a beeline for her car, thankful for her parents' splurge on an SUV for her. It had space for Santana to lay down if she wanted to.
"Santana, could I ask you to just open the car for me, please? We're almost done, I promise."
She obliged, lifting her head briefly to unlock the car. Brittany managed to open the back door and guided Santana inside.
"There you go," she said softly. "You get comfortable, ok? Here's your bag. Maybe just type out where you want me to take you? It can be anywhere, ok? Wherever you want to go."
Santana shuffled back and nodded, pulling her phone out of the bag that Brittany handed her.
"I'm gonna close the door now. I'll be inside in a few seconds." She closed the door firmly, but not loudly and jogged around to the driver's side. She climbed in and turned the ignition on. "So, where am I taking you?"
Santana leaned forward and showed Brittany the text screen on her phone. Two words rendered her speechless, but she obediently reversed out of the parking space and headed towards her house, as per Santana's request.
A/N: Hope you guys liked that one? The angst kinda came out of nowhere, but it does tie up to Santana's past – the way she reacted etc.
Any comments, questions, shout outs, whatevs, let me know! Also, news about my book and other original publications can be found on my Tumblr :)
I'm on Twitter and Tumblr under hlnwst.
Onward and up!
-H