Author's Note: Oh my, well, hello to anyone who is still reading this. I'm sorry this update took me so long, it's just this chapter is a little longer than the previous ones, I'm working on two other stories, and I have to write for my job so it was just becoming a lot of writing. I really appreciate the many reviews you guys are leaving (with canon Brittana being so great these days, I'm not sure I'd be able to motivate myself to keep writing otherwise!) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Santana was frustrated. It wasn't like she and Brittany hadn't gone a couple of days without sex before, it was just that sleeping next to her, and waking up next to her at five am to sneak back into the other room had left Santana craving more Brittany. And now it was morning and the Pierce's were awake, and even though she was allowed to be in Brittany's room by herself during the day, it simply wasn't worth getting caught. Plus, Brittany wasn't making it any easier, prancing around her room in her cheerios shorts and a tank top. Thankfully, Santana's phone buzzed, distracting her from her teasing girlfriend.
Aunt R:
Hey, peep. Given any thought
to inviting those lil' lezzies to
NYE?
Santana groaned at her phone, throwing on the bed.
"Who was that?" Brittany asked, turning to face Santana.
"Rita. She's been on this annoying kick lately trying to make me hang out with those Westvale girls."
"Why?"
"I don't know. Something about how being a part of the gay community might help me feel more comfortable, I don't know, expressing my gayness, or whatever. I think I'm perfectly comfortable being gay and I have plenty of gay boy friends and you're all the gay community I need, B."
"It could be kind of fun. Like GSA."
"I hate GSA."
"Or like Pride. Pride is awesome."
"That's true, I guess." Santana looked thoughtfully at her phone that was now lying in the middle of her bed. "Maybe I'll call Danielle and invite her to the New Years Eve party."
"Why do you have her phone number?" Brittany asked, deadpan, but her eyes were squinting at Santana.
"What? She gave it to me," Santana said, shrugging her shoulders. Brittany's eyes narrowed again, but Santana picked up her phone and dialed anyway.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Danielle, this is Santana Lopez, we met at that lame Gay-Glee mixer. I know you may not remember me…" Santana reluctantly said into the phone.
"Of course I remember you! How could I forget a hot girl who can sing, dance, pick locks, and hold her liquor?"
"I mean, I know I'm pretty awesome, I just wasn't sure you'd be smart enough to remember how much awesomeness crossed your path." Santana rolled her eyes, trying to play cool. Danielle chuckled.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?"
"Technically, you owe my Aunt Rita."
"And why is that?"
"Well, every year my family throws this lame, big-ass, New Years Eve party, but I'll be there, and my aunt suggested that I offer you and your friends the opportunity to get another chance at hanging out with someone as hot and witty as myself."
"So, I take it, you and that…what is it you called her? Oh yes, 'dancing angel,' have broken up?"
"One: I did not call her that. Two: no, we are still as happy as ever."
"You did call her that, Santana Lopez. You also said that if there were a heaven, it would just be her dancing and doing bounce-splits for you all day long. And there would be a million of her."
"I choose to not believe you. Are you coming or what?"
"I'll talk to my friends, but I don't think we have any other plans for New Years, so you can probably count us in. Besides, what you New Directions' lesbians lack in quantity, you certainly make up for in quality."
"Whatever, lickalotapus, just get your friends here, okay?"
"Is that the best you could do, Santana? If I didn't know any better, I'd think that I made you nervous."
"Just get your friends to come to the party, okay? I'm tired of this conversation."
"I'll work on them."
"Well, I'm sure you've had a lot of experience doing that."
"Ugh. I don't even know why I try having a normal conversation with you. I'll call you once I talk to them, Ms. Santana Lopez."
"I'll be waiting, Dani."
"Don't call me that."
"Whatever, Dani, you love it. I'm sure I'll be hearing from you soon." Santana hung up her phone and leaned back into the headboard of Brittany's bed.
"You were flirting with her," Brittany pointed out.
"No I wasn't, Britt."
"Yeah, you were."
"Well, I kind of flirt with everyone," Santana defended. "Besides, don't you think it would be nice to have some friends like us?"
"Glee clubbers?"
"No, lesbians."
"We have Quinn."
"Quinn's not a lesbian, Britt."
"Sometimes she kind of acts like one."
"Still, Q definitely likes dick, B."
"What about Mr. Schue?"
"Mr. Schue's a dude, Britt." Santana looked at her girlfriend with her mouth open. Santana understood Brittany 90% of the time, but every once in awhile she would come up with something so ridiculous that even Santana couldn't translate it.
"But he always wears vests," Brittany clarified. "Totally lesbian."
"Only lesbian when a girl wears them…"
"Still, I don't like it when you flirt with lesbians." Santana pulled Brittany close to her.
"There's only one girl for me, Britt," she said, wrapping her arms around Brittany's waist. Brittany instinctively leaned down toward where Santana was seated on the bed.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"It'll be kind of nice then, I guess." Brittany allowed her lips to gently brush Santana's. They were interrupted by a knock at the door. Brittany jumped back to her desk, which was pretty much as far away from Santana as she could get.
"Come in!" She yelled. Her mother slowly opened the door, looking highly uncomfortable.
"Santana, your mother called, it sounds like a few of your relatives arrived early and she needs you to come home now."
"But I thought I didn't have to be home until dinner?"
"Well, Ms. Santana, the best laid plans of mice and men..."
"Often go awry," Brittany finished. Her mother and Santana looked confused at her. "What?" Brittany added. "It's like in the constitution. And the bible."
"Anyway," Brittany's mother interrupted, "plans change, especially over the holidays." Santana groaned and begrudgingly gathered her things and the three women walked downstairs.
"I'll show her out, mom," Brittany said, pointedly to her mother as Brittany followed Santana out onto the front porch.
"Merry Christmas, Santana," Brittany said, holding her hands together behind her back and gently swaying back and forth.
"Merry Christmas, Brittany," Santana said, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend. She kissed her gently on the lips. "I love you, I'll call you tomorrow."
"Love you too," Brittany said, quietly pulling Santana in for a second kiss.
"I'm pretty sure your mom is watching us,' Santana said, pulling away. Brittany giggled.
"Probs. I love you, San. Merry merry Christmas!" She jumped in excitement and then opened the door to her house as Santana walked toward her car. Santana kisses always made Brittany happy, but for some reason Christmas Santana kisses seemed to be the best. Brittany walked back into her house, daydreaming about Christmas and Santana and Christmases with Santana and sweet lady Christmas kisses. The dreamy look was knocked off her face when she caught her mother's stern eyes. She apparently had not moved from the front door and her arms were across her chest.
"What's wrong, mom?" Brittany asked nervously. Mrs. Pierce visibly softened when she saw the fear in her daughter's eyes. She was going to have to work on her facial expressions when she saw Santana and her daughter together.
"Nothings wrong, Brittany," she said, wrapping an arm around her daughter and walking her toward the kitchen. "I think you and I are going to have to have a little conversation about this open door policy, though."
Brittany had gone a day and a half without seeing Santana and two and a half-days without any lady-kisses, other than the ones briefly shared on the porch. She was struggling to conceal her excitement about having day-after Christmas dinner with the Lopez's.
"Calm the fuck down, Brittany," Alexis said, holding her head from her seat at the kitchen counter. Brittany was nervously dancing around the kitchen.
"I'm excited!" Brittany replied, bouncing in place. "Besides, it's not my fault you decided to drink so much eggnog last night." Alexis rolled her eyes.
"You'd think you hadn't seen her in years."
"Seen who?" Their father asked, walking into the room with his cup of coffee.
"Quinn," Alexis replied quickly, "Britt was just rambling on about seeing Quinn at New Years." Their father raised his eyebrow but before he had time to comment Gracie came bounding into the kitchen and jumped onto Brittany.
"You excited to see Santy, Britt? Cause I'm excited to see Santy, and Christian, and Carlos, but not Daniel, cause Daniel is kind of a jerk. Do you think we'll play vampirates, because if you think we're going to play vampirates then I'll bring my special sword that Santy got me for my birthday last year, or maybe I should bring it anyway, just in case? Do you think Santy's cousins will want to play with us, cause maybe then we should bring all the vampirate stuff, but I don't know if I can carry all the vampirate stuff and Santy's Christmas present—"
"I think just your sword is enough, Gracie. Santana has lots of stuff to play with at her house," Brittany said. Alexis was smirking over Gracie's shoulder and Brittany struggled to contain her blush. Luckily her mother entered the kitchen.
"Everyone ready to go?" They all nodded, Brittany, her mother and Alexis grabbed a few bags of gifts and they piled into the car.
Santana pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked the time.
"You are so whipped," her cousin Nina said, smirking.
"Seriously, girl, get it together," Nina's sister Yolanda said.
"How long has it been since you got out of school? Like four, five days?"
"Five days," Santana said. "And I'm not whipped. Besides, Nina, you've been texting your boyfriend like every three minutes since you got in town two days ago." Nina rolled her eyes.
"Yes," Rita said, walking into the room, "but Miss Santana forgot to mention that she spent part of Christmas Eve with Brittany."
"So it's been two days, Santana? You really need to get it together." Nina said, laughing.
"Oh, leave your cousin alone," her aunt Gloria said, looking up from her cooking. "Rita, why don't you and Santana find something to do instead of sitting here waiting for the Pierce's to arrive."
"Of course. Anything you say, big sis," Rita said, grabbing Santana's hand and a bottle of rum. Rita led her to the back porch and they sat on the bench. Rita handed her the bottle.
"To take the edge off?"
"I don't know if that's the best idea."
"Well to take the cold off? Why our family feels the need to spend the holidays in cold ass Ohio every year when the majority of us live in Southern California is still beyond me."
"I know, right? White fucking Christmas my ass," Santana said. "Hand me that bottle."
"What are you worried about, Peep?"
"It's not a big deal." They sat in silence while Rita took a few swigs from the bottle. "It's just, Britt has obviously spent time with the whole fam here, but I'm worried it will overwhelm the rest of the Pierces'. We're a little…much…you know?"
"Oh, they'll be fine, Peep. Now go brush your teeth, I know they don't want their future daughter-in-law smelling like booze." Santana stood up, flashing Rita a glare.
"You ever call me that again, Rita, and I will cut you. I don't care that we're family." Santana smiled, turning back to Rita as they entered the house. "You have no idea what I keep in this weave," she said, as she entered the house.
"Santy!" Gracie ran into the house, jumping into Santana's arms. Santana picked the little girl up and held her on her hip.
"Hey, Gracie! You'd think I hadn't seen you in weeks with this greeting!" Santana made eye contact with Brittany over Gracie's shoulder, who was grinning ear to ear.
"It feels like forever!" Gracie said, as Santana put her down. Gracie pouted.
"I'm sorry, Gracie, but you're getting a little big, you're almost my height."
"That's cause you're tiny, Santy."
"Who are you calling tiny?" Gracie didn't get a chance to respond as the rest of the Pierce's grew busy greeting the large Lopez family. Santana and Brittany didn't break eye contact, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Maria.
"Santana, do you want to help Brittany take the gifts into the living room?" Maria asked her daughter, knowing how much Santana probably wanted to greet Brittany without the watchful eye of Mr. Pierce.
"What? Oh, sure, let's go Britt," Santana said, taking some bags off of Mr. and Mrs. Pierces' hands.
"I missed you," Brittany said as they arranged the new set of gifts under the tree.
"I missed you too, Britt," Santana said.
"At least this was the last Christmas we'll ever have to spend apart," Brittany said.
"What do you mean?" Santana asked.
"Well, next Christmas high school will be over, and we'll be adults. And that's what adults do, right? Spend Christmas with the person they're in love with?"
"I like how you think, Britt," Santana said, pulling her in for a quick, chaste kiss. They were interrupted by Gracie rushing toward them.
"Vampirate!"
"After dinner, Gracie, after dinner." Santana said, grabbing Brittany's hand and leading her back toward the kitchen.
Dinner was loud and rambunctious, like most large family dinners in the Lopez household. Thankfully, the Pierce's only seemed mildly overwhelmed. Brittany was obviously used to these dinners and Alexis and Daniel apparently had some big sophomore gossip to catch up on; from what Santana could overhear, it sounded like one of the Cheerios had gotten herself pregnant. Santana rolled her eyes and couldn't help but wonder how many good Christian girls had to get knocked up before McKinley would realize they had to start teaching some proper sex-ed. Mrs. Pierce was talking to Santana's mother and Aunt Gloria about some new trendy diet that had come out of LA and Mr. Pierce, Santana's father, and Christian talked football all night. By the time they had finished dinner and present opening and were drinking coffee and eating dessert in the living room, Santana had let most of her guard down and was simply enjoying herself and her company.
Mr. Pierce looked around the room after Dr. Lopez excused himself from their conversation about college football to get them new beers. He had four Guinness' already; he was pretty sure his wife was going to have to drive them home. It may have been the beer, but he was pretty sure he was enjoying himself. He rolled his eyes at his middle child who had certainly been sneaking more than her fair share of eggnog for the second night in a row and was now clinging a little too tightly to Daniel Lopez. He knew his wife was in the kitchen with Maria and Gloria, probably planning out meal ideas for the ridiculous diet the three were going to go on. In the corner of the room were the people he'd been avoiding all night. His eldest daughter and Santana. Gracie was on Santana's back and Santana was saying something he couldn't hear as she wildly brandished her plastic sword around. A few of the younger cousins jumped up and an epic swordfight began. He smiled at the huge beam on his youngest daughter's face; it reminded him a little of when Brittany and Santana were little girls and played this game for hours on end in his own basement. He was distracted from his youngest daughter's face when he caught sight of his eldest. Her head was thrown back and her hands clutched tightly to her stomach from laughing so hard. Santana briefly made eye contact with her and broke her pirate face for just a second to smile at his daughter. It was the kind of smile that reached up into the glint in her eyes. Brittany smiled back and he saw a flash of happiness that he associated with her on Christmas morning, or piggy back rides when she was just a little girl who adored her daddy more than anything.
"They're still just Brittany and Santana," he heard his wife whisper in his ear, sidling up to him and slipping her hand in the crook of his arm. "They always have been, and they probably always will be," she said, kissing his cheek. He nodded.
"Everything has changed," he said softly, kissing his wife on the top of her head, "and yet everything seems exactly the same."
"Everything is exactly the same, dear. Like I said, they've always just been Brittany and Santana." She paused for a moment, thinking to herself.
"I should have you come in and get checked for a brain tumor if you think for one moment that the Steelers truly have a shot in hell this year," Dr. Lopez said, interrupting the conversation as he returned with two Guinness.
"Do you really want to have this conversation?" Mr. Pierce asked. Mrs. Pierce sighed and walked back toward the kitchen.
So, Santana knew her parents were accepting and all, but she still wasn't comfortable being, like, super lesbo around them. It was one thing to bring home your girlfriend, but quite another to chop of her hair and start wearing flannel and boxer briefs. (Although, her friends did make fun of her for dressing gay an awful lot…fuck them. She liked overalls and camo and khaki. It didn't make her look gay, okay?) It was an entirely other thing though to bring over her growing gaggle of homosexual friends for the big New Years Eve party her family threw every year. At least, by now, her parents were used to all the gay boys, but now she had a group of lesbians coming too? She checked her phone again, groaning out loud.
"What is it, Santana?" Brittany asked, looking up from her computer where she was intently editing the next installment of Fondue for Two.
"Practically all of the glee club is coming over tonight. I do not know if my parents are going to be cool with this."
"Oh, you know they'll be fine. They'll all get drunk before us anyway because they have old people tolerance and then we'll all get wasted in the basement."
"I know…it's just a lot more people than usual."
"I'm sure it's okay," Brittany said, getting up the computer to rub Santana's shoulders. "Besides, your parents love your friends."
"Don't get me wrong," Maria said to her husband as she went through set up some of the warming trays the caterers were bringing in. "I obviously love Santana's friends, and think it's wonderful that so many of them seem to have made themselves so at home in our home." Dr. Lopez briefly looked up from the newspaper article he was reading to nod at his wife. "I'm just a little worried. Both of our colleagues will be here, and if the glee club, the GSA and now Rita mentioned something about girls from another school's glee club possible coming…it just seems like an awful lot of teenagers. Teenagers who have the tendency to get a little rowdy."
"I'm sure Santana wouldn't have invited that many of her friends without running it by us. Especially since Christian, Carlos, and Daniel all have friends coming over." Dr. Lopez said. Maria looked skeptical. "Besides, if worse comes to worst, we'll just give them some alcohol and shove them in the basement."
Maria excused herself from a conversation with a coworker when she heard the doorbell ring again and opened the front door to the Lopez residence.
"Hey, Mrs. L! Happy New Years!"
"Happy New Year, Noah," Maria said, warily eyeing the 24 pack of Natty Light he had under his shoulder.
"This is my man, Artie," he said, gesturing to the boy Maria vaguely recognized from the glee club performances in the wheelchair. "And this is Jessica and…"
"Tiffany," the unnamed girl said.
"Right, Tiffany. I brought these, Mrs. L. My mother always told me never to come to a party empty-handed." He grinned.
"I think it's generally the norm to bring flowers or a bottle of wine…but welcome, everyone! Why don't you put those in the basement, Noah. Santana and everyone else will be down to meet you in a moment. Maria shut the door as the teenagers headed to the basement and sought out her only daughter. She found Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine laughing in the hall and directed them to the basement. She found David Karofsky, Sam, and three boys from Dalton 'sneaking' shots of bourbon in the kitchen, and she found Quinn, Mercedes, Tina and Mike, with several unnamed football players in the living room. She directed them all to the basement. She stomped up to her daughter's room, banging on the door.
"Hold up, me and Brittz—"
"I'm going to stop you right there, young lady, it is your mother and at the count of three I am coming in. 1…2…3," she barged into her daughter's room. Santana was clearly holding something behind her back and a few seconds later Brittany rose from behind the bed, clearly adjusting her shirt.
"Hi, Maria," Brittany said with a slight wave and a smile.
"Hello, Brittany. Your shirt is inside-out." Both girls flushed a bright red.
"What's behind your back, Santana?"
"Nothing, mami."
"Santana, don't make me come over there and get whatever your hiding." Santana revealed a bottle of champagne.
"We weren't, like, doing anything, mami," Santana said, sweetly. "We were just getting our New Year on." Santana hiccupped.
"How many of your friends are coming over tonight?"
"I don't know."
"Santana."
"Like glee…and GSA…and some people are bringing dates…and some Cheerios….and a couple of girls from Westvale and I think a couple of guys from Dalton…"
"And you couldn't have told me this earlier?"
"I didn't know until it was too late, mami! And I couldn't just tell people they couldn't come, everyone is on me all the time about being nicer so I was trying to not hurt anyone's feelings…"
"Enough, Santana. Brittany, fix your shirt. Santana, there are a few people your father wants to introduce you two to downstairs, so I expect you down there in less than five minutes and after that we are moving the 'under-30' party to the basement."
"Wait, both of us have to meet people?" Santana asked.
"You know your father oohs and awws over his little girl and her girlfriend at work, although I don't know what he sees in you two…" Maria smirked and Brittany grinned. Maria walked toward the door. "Seriously, girls, five minutes," she said, before shutting it.
It was getting close to midnight and all of the guests had arrived. Santana had her arm around Brittany as they talked to the girls from Westvale.
"What do you call a lesbian with fake nails?" Danielle asked. Santana shrugged. "Single."
"Why are lesbians the worst cooks?" Another girl from Westvale asked. Santana shrugged again. "Because they're always eating out." Santana rolled her eyes.
"What do you call a lesbian Eskimo?"
"I can't wait to hear this one," Santana said.
"A Klon-dyke!"
"Okay, Santana, what does a lesbian vampire say to her lover when she leaves?"
"I have no idea."
"See you next month."
"You guys are fucking disgusting." Santana replied. Brittany leaned into her whispering, her face confused. Santana whispered back into Brittany's ear. Brittany scrunched up her nose.
"That's gross."
"I know, babe. These girls are gross."
"Oh, you love it, Santana." Danielle said. "It's getting close to midnight, and I for one do not want to be alone for my midnight kiss." Danielle said. Santana smiled slightly at Brittany. "What's the deal with that blondie over there?" She asked, nodding her head in Quinn's direction.
"Oh, she's totally gay." Brittany said, confidently.
"What, Britt? Quinn is not gay. That guy she's hitting is her ex-boyfriend."
"She did seem like she was flirting with annoying brunette earlier," one of the Westvale girls said gesturing to Rachel.
"All of you are crazy." Santana said, simply. "C'mon Britt-Britt, I want to show you something." She grabbed Brittany's hand and led her upstairs.
"Santana, I've seen the roof of your house before. We used to come up here all the time when we were little, remember?"
"Of course, but you've never been up here on New Years Eve." They could hear the chanting begin downstairs as the last ten seconds of 2011 came to a close. As the cheers erupted downstairs, there was a hug crackle and a firework burst into the sky. "Happy New Year, Britt," Santana said, pulling Brittany in for a soft kiss.
"Happy New Year, Santana," Brittany said, kissing Santana back and then breaking the kiss to watch the bright colors explode in the night air. "It's beautiful, Santana." Santana nodded.
"It's the perfect way to ring in 2012." Santana looked back at Brittany's eyes that were gazing at the sky with wonder. "I love you, B."
"I love you, too," Brittany said, and they resumed their kiss as the fireworks crackled long into the night.
Santana and Brittany linked pinkies for old times sake as they entered the choir room on their first day back since holiday break. They took their usual seat in the back and since Mr. Schue hadn't arrived yet, Santana took the opportunity to flirt with her girlfriend, lightly tickling up and down Brittany's legs and whispering in her ear. Brittany giggled and squealed when Santana placed a light kiss to her neck.
"Ladies!" Rachel interrupted, "I know that Mr. Schue is late, again, but I'd like if you could stop your canoodling for the next hour so that we can get to work on our set list for Regionals."
"Seriously," Quinn said, turning around. "I mean, I obviously could care less about whatever set list Rachel is preparing right now, but the PDA stops here. It was cute like the first week of school to see you two stop moping around each other all the time, but we're like six months in."
"Yeah, I vomit a little in my mouth whenever I sit near you guys and hear that weird, chicken noise Santana makes."
"Okay, look, I get that everyone is jealous that Brittz and I get to make out with the hottest people at this school. But you know what? Deal with it, cause we ain't changin' for you, bitches," Santana said. Brittany fist pumped.
"I think it's kind of cute," Taylor said from her seat in front of Santana. "I mean, not when Santana makes that weird noise," she quickly added, "but, you know, when they get all couply and stuff." The rest of the class took Taylor's words in and quickly resumed their own task of gossiping and ignoring Rachel trying to get their attention at the front of the room. Santana leaned down toward Taylor.
"Thanks, baby D." She said. Brittany grinned at Santana's use of the nickname. Taylor looked up confused. "It means Baby Dyke," Santana clarified, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You have a lot to learn, baby D," Santana said, smirking. Taylor was just about to turn back around in her seat when Santana stopped her again. "What does one lesbian vampire say to the other?" Taylor shrugged. "See you next month," Santana finished. Taylor looked confused for a moment, and then scrunched her face up in disgust, causing Santana break down in endearing, if slightly evil, laughter. She rested her head on Brittany's shoulder. "Welcome to the lesbian community, baby D." Santana said in a sing-song as she adjusted her headband. Brittany rolled her eyes and kissed the top of Santana's head.