Over the years, Santana found herself forming an art collection. When she was 18 and collected her first piece, it intrigued her and as time has gone on she slowly began adding to it. Every piece means something to her, excluding the few she bought just because they looked badass. Some pieces are related to her heritage, her past experiences or reminders to herself to always persevere. At this point, Santana's collection has taken over all the space on her back, thighs and both upper arms. As much as she loves her tattoos, she still wanted them to be able to be hidden if needed.
In the last few weeks, Rachel has found herself intrigued by her girlfriend's tattoos, enjoying their time together listening to the stories accompanied with each one. Rachel is no where near close to having heard them all though but she's excited to learn about them. Having just began her new relationship with Santana, Rachel is sure they'll have plenty of time. They'd only been exclusively dating for 3 weeks but have been friends for much longer. It began as something casual that blossomed quickly and now Rachel is proud to have Santana by her side.
Lying next to Santana, Rachel lazily traces the outline of a lotus flower on Santana's left shoulder. Smiling softly, Santana closes her eyes enjoying Rachel's actions. Rachel carefully watches Santana's features as she lifts her head, supporting it in her hand.
"I can feel you staring at me." Santana smirks but doesn't open her eyes.
"I'm enjoying the view." Rachel says softly as Santana drapes her left arm over Rachel's side.
"I know you think that makes it less creepy, but it doesn't." Rachel rolls her eyes, directing her eyesight to the flower.
"Are you going to sleep?" She asks softly.
"No. I'm hungry just don't feel like getting up." Rachel doesn't respond, instead gently pulling the sheet down to expose more of Santana's back.
"You're fucking up my comfort." Santana say with a sigh, sitting up on her elbows and glancing over at Rachel's naked body, having exposed herself along with Santana.
"You should be getting up anyway." Rachel watches as Santana lifts an eyebrow curiously.
"Why should I be doing that?" She asks.
"To go cook something for us to eat." Rachel giggles at the eye roll she receives but stops, curiously observing Santana's ring finger. Santana ducked her head slightly so that she could scratch her cheek and her hair draping down almost blocked the small black lettering from Rachel's view, but she caught it.
"What is that?" She asks as Santana lifts her head.
"What is what?" She responds. Rolling her eyes, Rachel reaches forward and grabs Santana's left hand, holding out her ring finger. Santana's face lights up in recognition and she shrugs as Rachel moves to get a better look, examining the letters along the side of Santana's finger.
"LQF?" Rachel looks at Santana curiously, wondering what it means and how she'd never noticed it before.
"Oh, it's nothing. Quinn's initials." Santana says casually but Rachel doesn't see anything causal about this.
"Why do you- how long have you had this?" Santana shrugs before answering.
"I don't know. Maybe like 3 years or something, I mean we did date." Rachel lets go of her hand and sits up. Curious, Santana follows her motions.
"Are you mad or something?" Santana asks and Rachel sighs softly, knowing it shouldn't have upset her...but that doesn't do anything for the pang of jealousy she feels.
"No, I'm fine." She says as she slides out of the bed. Scanning the floor, she finds Santana's shirt and grabs it from the floor. Momentarily distracted by Rachel's body, Santana remains silent as she watches the woman put on her shirt.
"Are you sure? I don't want this to make shit weird between us." Rachel pulls her hair from the shirt and offers Santana a smile.
"I'm sure. I'm going to go find something to eat." Santana eyes her suspiciously before eventually nodding her head.
"Okay...I'll be in there soon." Santana says, standing from the bed and walking into the bathroom after receiving one more smile from Rachel.
Rachel knows the details of the relationship Santana and Quinn shared. It lasted a year and Santana was heartbroken when it ended. Rachel remembers helping Santana pick up the pieces...which is why Rachel doesn't understand why Santana wouldn't have gotten it covered up by now. Is she still in love with Quinn? Rachel shakes her head and sighs at herself as she walks to the kitchen. They haven't been together long enough for this to bother her...it shouldn't bother her...
Soon, Rachel and Santana are sat at the latter's kitchen table, enjoying the meal Rachel made for them. Santana is talking but Rachel can't stop thinking about the tattoo. It's on her ring finger, that isn't casual or nothing.
"I thought you said you were fine." Santana says and Rachel's gaze meets her eyes.
"What?" Santana rolls her eyes.
"You keep staring at my finger. What's the issue? I have plenty of other names. My mom, my abuela, hell I have Brittany on my hip. Why are you stuck on Quinn?" Santana asks with a huff.
"I'm...why is it there? On your ring finger? You said it was nothing but that's not nothing. It's symbolic." Rachel says and Santana shrugs.
"I guess it meant something at one point, but it doesn't now. I haven't covered it up because I don't regret it. It's just another part of my past." Rachel slowly nods.
"But, what if you get married one day? You already have another woman in that spot." Santana sighs and looks Rachel directly in her eyes.
"Are you proposing to me?" Rachel's eyes widen as she tries to collect her thoughts.
"No! I mean, not that I would be opposed. I just – we haven't even been -" Rachel stops rambling when she sees Santana put up a hand.
"I get it. My point is, we've been together what? 3 weeks? How about we revisit this if we make it to 3 years?" Rachel takes a calming breath, deciding Santana is right and nods her head.
"Yes. Let's just move on."
"Right...so I was saying..." Santana continues the conversation as Rachel tries to forget about the tattoo.
3 years later
Santana was not expecting to see such a set up when she walked inside her shared apartment. Rachel has strung up lights in various areas with a few lit candles and there are balloons everywhere. There's a delicious smell coming from the kitchen and as Santana continues to walk through the apartment, she notices Rachel out on the balcony standing in front of a table. Smiling, Santana sits her belongings down then goes out to meet her girlfriend.
"What is all this?" She asks as Rachel happily embraces her. Returning the hug, Santana looks over the table to see two plates of food, a single candle, two wine glasses and the wine bottle.
"You look incredible. We could always skip all the romantic shit." Santana says after they break apart and she can appreciate the effort Rachel put into her appearance. She doesn't have a hair out of place, her make up is perfect, the dress she's wearing accentuates her legs in the best way working in tandem with her black heels and she smells heavenly. Rachel giggles at Santana's comment then gently sits her hands on her shoulders.
"I just couldn't wait for you to get home." She says through her smile then softly kisses the woman in front of her.
"I don't know if I should be flattered or disappointed you don't miss me this much any other day." Giggling, Rachel tightly wraps her arms around Santana's waist and rests her head on her chest. Wrapping her arms around Rachel's shoulders, Santana rests her head against the other woman's.
"You must have really missed me."
"Don't ruin the moment." Rachel responds and Santana chuckles but doesn't say anything else. Looking out at the city skyline, the women stand there silently embracing each other until Rachel eventually steps away.
"We should eat before the food gets cold." Nodding in agreement, Santana grabs a chair and pulls it out for Rachel. Rachel smiles as she takes her seat and watches as Santana sits across from her. Santana looks at the plate of pasta before her and quickly grabs the fork on her right. Rachel leans forward, grabbing the bottle of wine and pours Santana and herself a glass.
"How is it? It's a new recipe." Rachel asks before sipping her wine.
"It's good. How was your day?" Santana asks as Rachel leans back in her chair.
"No complaints. Do you remember where we were this day, 3 years ago?" Santana furrows her eyebrows.
"No. Should I? Did I forget something important?"Santana questions, beginning to worry but Rachel shakes her head with an amused smirk.
"No, well yes. It's important to me. It was a conversation about your tattoo that we never discussed again." Santana nods her head and sets her fork down.
"I shouldn't even be surprised that you remembered that. Let me guess, you want me to cover it up?" She asks and Rachel nods her head.
"It's done. Now can we enjoy our night?" Rachel furrows her eyebrows curiously.
"Are you agreeing? That easily?" Santana chuckles and stands from her seat and takes a few steps towards Rachel.
"Yes I'm agreeing that easily, because it's already done." Santana then gets on one knee, her left hand held out for Rachel to see. Taking her hand, Rachel looks at the freshly tattooed finger.
"A microphone?" She eyes Santana curiously who only shrugs as her free hand slides into her back pocket.
"Letters are hard in such a small space so I had to improvise. You like it?"
"It's for me?"
"Obviously." Santana says smirking. Rachel smiles as her tears begin to pool in her eyes.
"Wait, before you drown me in tears. I'm not done." Rachel giggles and nods her head.
"I never told you the story behind the original one. I got it as a drunken dare from Quinn long before we were an item. I just never got rid of it because...I don't know. She was important to me, y'know? I just...didn't want to let her go but...being with you has shown me that I let her go a long time ago and I was just holding on to memories. Memories I don't need and she doesn't deserve that spot on my body. You do." Santana smiles as Rachel's tears flow down her cheeks, gently squeezing the slender fingers still in her hand, Santana continues.
"I want that space to be for the woman I want to marry...and hopefully wants to marry me too." Santana uses her leg to open the ring box in her right hand then presents it to Rachel. Rachel gasps softly, a wide smile on her face and holds out her left hand.
"Of course I want to marry you!" She says excitedly as Santana slides the ring on her finger. Rachel quickly pulls her into a bone crushing hug and Santana laughs as she returns it. Pulling back slightly, Rachel presses her lips against her fiance's, gently nipping at her bottom lip before gently sucking it.
"Mm...I'm enjoy, this but my knee." Santana says, breaking their kiss. Rachel grabs her hands to help her stand then pouts slightly.
"What's wrong?" Santana asks with concern.
"You hijacked my proposal!" Rachel whines then lifts her plate and grabs the diamond engagement ring from underneath. Santana gapes at the ring then laughs, mostly from shock.
"Didn't see that coming." She says.
"I could say the same."
"I'm sorry. Finish your proposal." Santana says then sits back in her chair. Rachel shakes her head.
"It's too late." Santana rolls her eyes with a smirk playing on her lips.
"Come on, do it." She urges and Rachel smiles as she relents and sits in her seat.
"Okay, you were supposed to say you'd cover the tattoo. So, say 'I'll get it covered, now can we enjoy our night?'" Santana chuckles while rolling her eyes.
"Fine... I'll get it covered, now can we enjoy our night?" She repeats. Rachel smiles widely, leaning forward over her plate of food.
"On one condition." Santana arches an eyebrow.
"What?" She questions. Rachel then stands and walks over to Santana, taking a knee and grabbing her left hand.
"I get to choose what you cover it with." Santana sniffles, wiping at her eyes with her right hand.
"I don't know why the hell I'm crying when I knew this was going to happen." Both women lightly chuckle before Rachel speaks again.
"Santana, will you marry me?" Santana excitedly nods her head as Rachel slides the ring on her finger.
"Duh!" Santana says while helping Rachel stand to her feet, pulling her into a deep kiss that only ends because of their need for oxygen. The two women stand there, on the balcony as the sun sets behind them, hands interlocked and foreheads resting on the other.
"I love you." Santana whispers against Rachel's lips.
"I love you too." Rachel whispers as her lips curl into a shy smile.