AN: Same exact thing; just switched POV. I honest-to-god thought I uploaded this already and was surprised to see it wasn't posted LOL. Thanks to snixxsapphic on discord for reminding me about it :)
Anyways here it is; I wrote this nearly 3 years ago so I'm not gonna edit it now… Sorry for unintentionally keeping it from you all for so long haha.
So there's this girl.
She's been occupying Brittany's thoughts ever since she moved in across the hall. At first Brittany was just glad that her previous neighbors finally graduated and she didn't have to listen to their partying anymore, so these new neighbors were a welcome change. She remembers how happy she was when she saw their names on the door for the first time. Mercedes and Santana. It only took her about a week to figure out who was who.
It was easy, given that she ran into Mercedes as they were both getting back from classes and the girl introduced herself. She was really nice and since then she always made sure to say hi to Brittany every time they passed each other.
Santana on the other hand… Well, Santana would barely even look at Brittany at first. Every time she saw the girl she would avert her eyes right as Brittany would offer her a smile.
Brittany didn't mind though. If Santana was always turning away, it gave Brittany the perfect chance to look at her instead. And from what she's gathered, Santana is one confusing cookie. She didn't even decorate her makeshift construction paper name tag on her door. Which was especially perplexing once Brittany found out she was an art major. What kind of art major wouldn't decorate a simple name tag?
Brittany can't seem to figure her out but she finds herself pulled to her. It was almost as if Brittany looks forward to seeing her at the end of every day. Even if that meant leaving her room door open on the days she got back first, just so she could catch a glimpse of Santana returning from class.
Her roommate Sugar didn't really care for that though. But then again Sugar was hardly ever there nowadays. Thankfully.
When Sugar first moved in it was complete chaos. She's a theater major, though Brittany thinks she should give up on that dream because wow that girl just cannot perform to save her life. But clearly no one has ever told her that since she's always singing. It was so horrible at first, trying to study with prehistoric screeching going on in the same room. So much so that Brittany resigned herself to constantly wearing headphones to drown it out.
But then Sugar got a boyfriend a couple months back and stopped coming home as often. So for the most part, Brittany has the whole dorm to herself. She even thought to send Sugar's new boyfriend a thank you card at one point because thanks to him, she could leave her door open more often.
And even though it started so that Brittany could maybe see Santana coming home, she found that she actually really liked leaving it open. It made her feel free and in some strange way, helped her study. She never realized how much a closed door had her feeling so trapped before, as if she was just some lab rat being forced into solving these confusing number jumbles.
So she made it a normal thing.
She still wore her headphones though, mostly to block out the noise of passing students in the hallway. But sometimes, she'll wear her headphones and just not listen to anything. It kind of just became her clutch. Plus without music, it was at least a little bit safer. They were noise cancelling headphones but it still allowed just enough noise to come through in case of an emergency.
Which, as Brittany already knows, was far too often.
Those damn fire alarms were the bane of her existence. She's mostly used to them by now, but still, the fact that this problem's been going on for this long and no one knows who's doing it is completely frustrating.
It's kind of like russian roulette. On nights that Brittany has suspicions there will be another false alarm activated, she won't play any music in her headphones. Some days she'll actually get it right and she'll feel a tinge of satisfaction. Like she's won the game or something. It's kind of fun sometimes.
She can't say the same for her neighbors across the hall. Santana always looks so fussy on those nights. Brittany once saw her fall asleep against a bush during one of their false alarms and although it was super cute, she knew she couldn't just walk away without at least rustling a nearby branch to wake her up.
Honestly, Brittany would gladly give up her little made up game if it meant Santana could get the sleep she needs.
But for months it went on like that. Every time Brittany saw Santana during a false alarm she'd try her best to offer her a simple smile. It was all she could do to try and lift her spirits.
Then one night, she lost the game, and the weirdest thing happened. Santana actually talked to her.
It wasn't until the lights flickered that she looked up, confused. But then she saw Santana standing in her door frame, hair in a messy ponytail, wearing a slightly worn tank top and shorts. She was obviously sleeping. The fire alarm lights were flashing obnoxiously in the hallway behind her as she bit her lip a little and Brittany took off her headphones.
Didn't want you to be left behind.
Brittany replayed that moment in her head many times since then. Honestly, she's probably overanalyzing it but she just has so many questions. What impulse did Santana have to stop? Did Santana really care enough for her that she would stop and save her? Or is she that much of a good person that she was just doing the right thing?
Brittany tried to talk to her more when they were downstairs that night, finally introducing herself and all, but it went nowhere. She thought maybe Santana was simply too tired to entertain conversation.
But then to make things even more confusing, Santana did it again. And again. And again. Every fire alarm since then, Santana would knock softly at Brittany's door until it reached a point that Brittany's ears were trained to the familiar sound of Santana's knuckles against wood.
Brittany actually finds it really sweet and incredibly charming. For someone who could barely even look at her for months, not wanting to leave a potentially burning building without first alerting the blonde is extremely telling. As much as Santana tries to hide it, it's clear that she does care for her.
She's had her suspicions about Santana's sexuality for a while now. One night she was studying without music and she overheard her neighbors from across the way debating about which TV show was better. Mercedes' argument was articulate, concise, and had multiple points. Santana's only leg to stand on was that her favorite character had lesbian energry.
Then to seal the deal, she often catches Santana sneaking glances at her from across the way. Something that's only possible because Brittany ended up buying one of those small clip-on computer mirrors after that time Santana had to flicker her lights. So now she could easily see what's behind her.
At first it was meant for additional safety but since then she can't count how many times she'd glance up from her textbook and catch Santana sitting at her bed. It was by chance that she placed it at the right angle. She thinks Santana probably doesn't notice the small mirror because if she did, Brittany's sure she would've turned away blushing like she usually does when they're face to face.
No, Santana definitely doesn't know that Brittany's aware of the super special way she looks at her.
There's something about it. Maybe it's the soft way in which her eyes cast down, the smallest smile pulling at her lips after only a few seconds, almost as if Santana needed just a little bit of Brittany to get herself through her homework. Even from that far away and through the reflection of a small mirror, Brittany can still make out Santana's dimples. She swears it takes everything in her to stop herself from going over there and poking them every time she sees them.
Brittany wants to tell her that she doesn't have to hide her eyes anymore. But she doesn't know what she can possibly do to make Santana feel comfortable enough to talk to her more.
Eventually, she decides that the pining has gone on long enough and it's about time she just takes hold of the reins to steer Santana in the right direction.
Her first attempt fails. Miserably.
Brittany tried to work up the courage to talk to her, she swears she really did, but she was just too… distracted. Ultimately, she decided against striking up a conversation because let's be honest, Brittany knows her own strengths. And being able to successfully resist the urge to glance down during a one-on-one conversation with Santana when her shirt was that thin and the air was that cold was quite frankly a strength Brittany did not possess.
Thankfully her second attempt fares better.
Brittany opens her door reluctantly, annoyed because she was finally getting somewhere with her studying but the feeling dies the moment she sees Santana already standing there.
She was obviously sleeping, and Brittany smiles knowing that Santana hasn't noticed her yet. She must be really tired.
"Ready to rock and roll?" She says, getting the shorter girl's attention.
Santana only nods and they both start walking toward the emergency stairs.
Brittany can't help but sigh when she looks down the seemingly never-ending flights. The action elicits a giggle from Santana and Brittany's sure she's never heard anything more beautiful.
Actually, that's a lie. She's heard Santana sing every now and then. Usually it's a duet with Mercedes and sometimes, every so often, she'd catch Santana singing when she's by herself. Mostly when she's drawing on her bed.
"Keep it moving, ladies!" Rachel's screeching snaps Brittany from her thoughts and before she can even process it she catches sight of Santana's hand reaching over the railing in defiance.
Brittany didn't mean to laugh out loud but the action caught her by surprise. See, she knows Santana is quick with her words, she's heard it many times from across the hall. Either on the phone or in person, usually to any passing student who's brave enough to let his eyes wander. So she knows how easily it comes for Santana to cut someone down. Especially someone like Rachel Berry. But knowing that she's this tired and still found a way to go out of her way to act out was just… adorable.
An adorable, rebellious, grumpy Santana. There is nothing cuter.
By the time they're standing under their street lamp - yes, their street lamp - Brittany is itching to talk to her. She just needs a reason. Santana already isn't in a good mood, which is understandable given the nature of why they are standing out in the cold at two in the morning, and Brittany doesn't want to make things worse.
But then she hears a buzz, and turns her head just enough to glance at Santana reaching into her bra to fish out her phone. She blushes, thinking about the last time they were stuck downstairs. Brittany knows she shouldn't look, she really doesn't want to violate Santana's privacy, but she can't help herself.
She's able to sneak a peek, and when she sees what the text says, she sucks her lips into her mouth to stop herself from smiling.
Santana scoffs at the message she received and looks up as if she's searching someone out. Brittany follows her line of sight and finds Mercedes sitting down, a smug smile on full display. When Santana puts her phone back in her bra, Brittany finds courage in Mercedes' words.
"You should really stop doing that, you know." Brittany says, trying her best to sound teasing.
Santana snaps her head up, mouth slightly open. Brittany looks toward her chest to hint at what she's talking about but Santana, of course, takes it the wrong way, her eyes growing slightly wider.
"Your phone, Santana." Brittany clarifies, smiling as she turns to her, "You shouldn't put your phone in your bra."
It's cute that Santana would think Brittany would be so forward and react to it like this. She definitely puts on this hot shot persona to everyone around her, but apparently if you give her a cute girl looking in the general direction of her breasts, she turns into a puddle.
Santana manages to find her confidence again and replies easily. Brittany sees through it though and takes it as a challenge, waiting for the right moment.
It's a fun sort of banter that they've stumbled into but Brittany ultimately wins the short battle with Santana yielding to her advice.
"Happy?" Santana huffs, eyebrow raised, "No more pocket bra."
Brittany wants to reply with a simple yes, but she can't help but play with Santana just a little more.
"Actually, I was kinda surprised you even remembered to wear a bra this time."
And just like that the smug look on Santana's face is wiped clean, replaced with the most adorable blush.
Satisfied, Brittany turns away and returns her attention to her textbook. She's not really reading though because what she actually wants to do is watch Santana try to recover. But she doesn't push it further. They've finally had a conversation, and that was good enough for her.
Besides, finals are coming up which means they'll have many more conversations very soon.
Just like clockwork, the next alarm is the first night of finals week.
Brittany catches the flashing lights through her mirror and sighs. Through the mirror she sees Santana look up toward her and watches carefully as she walks up to her room.
As much as she wants to spend more time with her neighbor, she really is getting tired of these alarms. Finals are always the most stressful week for her because it's so important that she does well. It's her only chance to finally prove to herself to all those people who called her an idiot. The pressure is crazy overwhelming and it's why she's been studying so late every night.
Brittany turns and offers her a small smile and a light joke but, as if she can see right through it, Santana returns it with a look of concern. She wants to tell her she's okay but can't find the words.
By the time they're standing outside, Brittany's mind is racing with thoughts of failure. She knows she needs a break but she also knows she can't afford it. Not when so much is riding on it.
She glances at Santana and notices her wringing her hands. She's nervous. Brittany's about to ask if she's okay when Santana turns to her.
"So, I was thinking," She starts, and Brittany turns to face her too. Santana then launches into this speech about safety and leaving her door open, or something along those lines. Honestly, Brittany's just happy to hear so many words coming from her mouth. It helps her forget her struggles.
But she thinks over Santana's words carefully and holds back a smile.
Not that I'm looking a lot or anything.
Lies.
"So," Brittany narrows her eyes, knowing full well what she's about to imply, "Would you suggest I sit elsewhere?"
Santana stumbles on her words. She's trying to recover but Brittany knows there's not much she can say to backpedal. She fails miserably, somehow managing to even go so far to imply there's a murderer living in their building.
Clearly, this isn't going how Santana planned and Brittany is enjoying every second of it.
"So, maybe I should just close my door then?"
As expected, Santana panics even further and Brittany knows she's backed her into a corner. After all, it makes sense when you think logically about it. But let's be real, at this point the only time she even closes her door now is when she's going to sleep, or after Santana closes her door first. She can't exactly tell her that though.
"I'm trying really hard to not be weird about this, I swear." Santana sighs, looking away and Brittany finally gives up, laughing at this train wreck of a conversation.
"It's fine, Santana. You don't have to worry, I can take care of myself. Besides, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve." Brittany tries to bring her some sort of comfort without giving away the fact that she can very well see behind her thanks to her trusty mirror.
She's not as careless as most would think. Sure, she can be a bit dense sometimes, but she's not an idiot. And as cool as it may seem, it's frustrating being able to look at scribbles on a page and her body and mind just knows what to do with it. The problem lies with the fact that she couldn't even understand what to make of her own scribbles at first.
Her thoughts get away with her again and she looks toward the building. She really needs to get back to studying.
"I wish you would get more sleep." Santana suddenly says, her voice just above a whisper. When Brittany looks back at her, she tries to cover it up, but Brittany knows better. She knows Santana truly does care for her and as much as she wants to tell her that she doesn't have to hide it, she's going to let Santana set the pace.
"You're in engineering, right? Must be rough."
Brittany holds back a sigh and tries to push down her thoughts. Rough is an understatement. She responds with the basics, already knowing that Santana wouldn't understand.
"How about you?" Brittany changes the subject, "Did you finish your drawing?"
It was a slip and Brittany realizes it the moment Santana looks at her curiously and questions it. How is she going to explain herself now? How would she know that Santana spends most of her time on her bed drawing in her sketchpad if she's technically never seen it aside from through her mirror?
"Aren't you an art major?" She says in an attempt to cover herself. It's only natural for an art major to have an art final right?
"I'm in Graphic Design, actually." Santana smiles, "So, I guess, technically you could call that a drawing project… of some kind."
Graphic Design. That makes a lot of sense actually. Brittany vividly remembers Santana's very passionate rant one night about the differences in kerning, tracking, and leading to a very uninterested Mercedes. It got to the point where Mercedes started purposefully saying the wrong things until Santana was almost yelling at her.
The whole thing was ridiculously entertaining and thanks to that night, Brittany will never forget to adjust tracking before kerning. Not that she will ever have a need to utilize that particular nugget of knowledge.
But now she's feels especially dumb because she's all but reduced Santana's life aspirations to just… drawing. She really put her foot in her mouth.
"Sorry, I hope that wasn't offensive. I can be an idiot sometimes."
It's endearing how quick Santana is to correct her. Brittany's so used to people brushing her off as simple-minded that she wasn't expecting her to say that, let alone mean it.
Brittany brushes off the compliment, excusing it as just Santana's own perceptions but Santana doesn't stand for it. She goes on, saying things without even a second thought, as if this is something she definitely knows to be true and Brittany is stunned.
Genius.
She's been called many things over the years. Idiot. Ditsy. Freak. But never, not once, has someone ever called her a genius.
"That's silly…"
"No, I'm serious. Look at you, you're practically bilingual. That's more than most can say."
If Brittany wasn't stunned before she definitely is now. Though, she's not sure what her sexuality has to do with her intelligence or how Santana even knew. All that matters is Santana just confirmed she knows Brittany could be into her and she's not repulsed by it.
After they get the all clear and they're both safe in their own rooms, Brittany finally gets the mental break she desperately needed. She spends the night listening to her favorite playlists, ignoring her textbook, and watching as Santana sketches on her bed.
xx
Surprisingly, Brittany passes all her final exams with flying colors. She structured her routine around the fire alarms as best as she could, studying until they went off, flirting with Santana, and then listening to music and watching Santana sketch until it was time for bed.
With every passing day and every passing grade, her confidence grew. It's like talking to Santana was her secret weapon. Her smile and laugh seemingly gave Brittany's mind a mental reset every night.
There's no mistaking it now. They've gone from strangers in passing to this, whatever this is. All she knows is that it suprasses simple infatuation now. She doesn't even have to physically see Santana anymore, just thinking about her brings a smile to her face.
There's real feelings here. The thing that gives her pause though, is that Santana might not feel exactly the same. Because really, what does a handful of casual conversation and hidden passing glances actually mean? Is it just infatuation for Santana?
Movement in the corner of her eye catches Brittany's attention and she looks through her mirror in time to see Santana closing her door. Glancing at the clock, she figures that Santana must be getting ready for bed.
Knowing it's probably time that she also resigns for the night, she looks over at Sugar, already snoring. She wonders why tonight of all nights she decided to stay here. She put up one hell of fight when Brittany insisted they leave the door open but eventually they came to a compromise. The door could stay open, as long as Brittany sat through Sugar's one and only number from her last play.
The very same play Brittany couldn't go to because she had a late final that night. It was obviously a lie. One that came back to bite her in the ass because having to sit through it one on one while forcing a smile was… excruciating. She should've just gone to the damn play. At least then she could've cringed outwardly.
Brittany stands, ready to shut their door when it happens.
Sugar groans and pulls her pillow over her head, "This shit is still going on?"
Brittany laughs and moves to her bed, grabbing her jacket and throwing it on. Just as Sugar is up and ready to go, a few kids run past their door. Odd.
"Fire! Guys, it's real this time!" Someone yells from down the hall and before they know it, everyone is darting out from their rooms in a mass panic. Brittany's heartbeat quickens and she looks at Santana's door. She knows she's still in there but she hasn't come out yet.
"Brittany, what the hell are you doing?" Sugar yells and Brittany looks up to find her already halfway to the stairs, a few more students running past her. "Why are you just standing there? Let's go!"
"I have to wait." Brittany shakes her head, "Go without me."
Sugar runs back to her, "Britt, we have to go. NOW."
"Santana's still in there, Sugar. I can't just leave."
"Fine, suit yourself. But I'm not sticking around." Sugar scoffs and runs back to the stairs, "I'm going to Rory's!"
Brittany stands there, waiting for a moment for Santana to come out. When she doesn't, the panic from the blaring alarm and a few more students rushing past her sets in. She feels uneasy. She knocks, loudly and calls out for Santana.
The moment she hears a scream behind the door her eyes widen. Is she hurt? Can she not get out?
She calls out again but this time there's no response. Her nerves take over and she doesn't even think twice before taking a step back and kicking the door in, rushing inside.
Santana screams at her and well, Brittany definitely wasn't expecting to see that. When she turns away she sees that there's already a few noisy students looking inside. She fucked up. Before Brittany can shoo them away, Santana yells at her to close the door.
Finally moving from her spot, she tries her best to work with the broken door. It's a struggle, mostly because one of the hinges have completely broken off, and it's not cooperating like a normal door would anymore. When she finally gets it closed enough, she sighs, apologizing.
"I heard a noise and I was worried." Brittany tries to tell her, face trained on the splintered wood of Santana's door frame. Okay, so maybe bulldozing through the door was overkill…
"You heard a noise, so you kicked my door in?" Santana all but yells from behind her and Brittany closes her eyes.
She can hear the irritation in Santana's voice and disappointment washes over her. She had good reason. She knows she did because it wasn't just any noise. Santana screamed, and not only that she fell.
"I-I was scared something happened." Brittany finishes explaining herself, feeling like she'll never be able to come back from this. Any chance she had with Santana most definitely gone now.
But then Santana walks up to her, voice soft as she grabs Brittany's attention and reaches up to lift her head. Their first touch. She looks into Santana eyes and her breath catches, never having been this close before.
"I'm sorry about your door." Brittany tries to apologize one more time.
But Santana smiles, shaking her head, "You're my lady knight in shining armor."
God, those dimples. They're even cuter up close. Brittany wants nothing more than to touch them, poke them, kiss them, just… something to them, and the thought makes her cheeks burn red hot.
With a steady breath and eyes burning with sureness, Santana's hand moves to cup her face and Brittany all but melts when she tilts her head and leans forward slowly, capturing her lips in the most gentle, loving way.
The kiss was quick but sweet. It was completely grounding yet at the same time it's like she's afloat. She watches as Santana's eyes wander, taking everything in. Almost like she's painting a mental picture of the moment, hoping that she captures everything. The way their lips felt together, the soft touch of her hand to Brittany's cheek. The way the hallway lights still peek in every time the lights flash. And-
Oh god, the alarm.
Brittany's sure Santana's still not registering the alarm. No doubt her ears are already trained to drown out the familiar sound. She tries to alert the shorter girl but she's still in a daze, eyes hooded and mind clouded.
"Santana, the buildings on fire." Brittany chuckles, finally breaking Santana's trance and she reacts as if their lives depended on it. Which technically, it kind of did.
Much to Brittany's surprise, Santana continues to hold her hand as they wait downstairs. When they find out that it was another false, she feels her hand release some tension. But it's then followed by some appropriately chosen curse words to the kid who caused the panic.
Brittany does what she can to calm her down, and uses her thumb to rub circles on Santana's knuckles. It works and Santana looks at her blushing.
Once they're back in the building, Santana stops outside her open door and Brittany goes inside to see if there's anything she can do about it from the other side. She takes the opportunity to scan around the room, blushing when she sees the bedsheet half on the bed and half on the floor, the whole scene playing out in front of her.
She sees Santana's sketchbook, still placed on top of her bed and she goes straight to it, abandoning her post. When she finally sees what Santana's been drawing, her heart takes flight.
"So, this is the famous drawing you've been tirelessly working on every night, huh?" She says, smiling widely.
She feels Santana approach from behind and when they're finally shoulder to shoulder, Brittany picks it up to look more closely at the detail. She holds back a laugh when she sees it. It's funny, Santana unknowingly drew Brittany's mirror, but from her interpretation, it looks more like a little magnifying glass. Which, to her credit, is technically still on brand with Brittany's studies.
"Do you like it?"
Brittany nods, noticing the hesitation in Santana's voice, "It's so beautiful, Santana."
"Yeah? You don't think it's creepy?"
"Not at all." She shakes her head. How could someone find this anything but endearing? Brittany can't tear her eyes away from it. Her eyes scan the whole thing, fully taking it in. When she looks closely at the figure sitting on the bed she grins, "This is my favorite part."
As Santana explains herself, Brittany moves her hand just over the paper, being careful to not smudge or mess it up somehow.
A smile pulls at Brittany's lips, immediately recognizing the unique way in which the woman is sitting, "It's you."
She's seen the image so many nights it's practically ingrained into her memory. Santana's back resting against the wall, one knee up and anchoring the other to create a solid base for the most identifying feature, her sketchbook.
Brittany looks at her, realizing what this means, "You're sketching on my bed."
"It is. And I am." She chuckles, her voice hopeful as she says, "I look pretty good next to you."
Brittany turns away to hide her blush, replying easily. But what she really wanted to say was, you look pretty good on my bed.
When Santana asks how she knew she was drawing something, Brittany almost tells her about the mirror but decides against it, wanting to keep that particular secret just a little while longer. She wants to show it to her. Show her that she knew all this time and there was nothing for Santana to be scared about. Santana probably could've walked right up to her one night and just kissed her and Brittany wouldn't have even flinched. There's no need to waste any more time.
Rachel's voice can be heard before she even makes it through the door and Brittany frowns at the moment being broken.
Although, the door she's yelling about is just as broken, and much more serious. Brittany immediately takes the blame, stepping in to offer her services to fix it. She probably can't, but at least her lie gets Rachel to leave.
Santana teases her when Brittany admits that she lied. Integrity be damned, she's not a full-fledged sworn-in engineer yet. Plus, her experience is mostly with complex formulas and calculations. There's truly nothing she can do to help in fixing a simple door frame.
And as happy as she is that Santana grabbed her hand to hold it again, she admits to her uselessness in the matter and Santana's face falls, "But where am I supposed to sleep then?"
"Well," Brittany's mind runs wild, smirking as she moves toward her own dorm, Santana in tow, "I have a perfectly working door." And a dorm with no roommate for the night, she thinks, "I say we go in there and reenact that drawing of yours."
"Oh?"
Brittany's giddy as she opens her door quickly, "With a few edits, of course."
The moment they step inside and the door closes behind them, the whole world fades away. All that remains is racing heartbeats, breathy kisses, and yet again, a half naked Santana.
Although this time, Brittany makes sure to level the playing field.
-fin-
