Santana knows that she'll never get used to this feeling.
She feels happy. Happy. But it's not because it's Sunday morning and she can smell Rachel's pancakes. No, Santana feels happy because her tanned legs are tangled with pale legs. She feels happy because her arm is resting protectively over Quinn's stomach, their fingers still intertwined. She feels happy because her lips are brushing over the back of Quinn's neck, and even in her sleep, the blonde shivers. It warms Santana's heart and makes her smile.
She feels happy because of Quinn.
Santana's never felt this happy before. She is so, so happy, and she doesn't know how to contain it, so she continues to press meaningful kisses to Quinn's exposed back until the blonde begins to stir.
The beautiful blonde turns around to face Santana, still half-asleep.
"What are you doing, Sanny? Go back to sleep, it's so early," Quinn mumbles as she yawns, her voice tired and groggy. She slowly opens her eyes to see the Latina staring back at her.
"Why are you smiling?" Quinn asks cutely. Santana's smile only grows even wider.
"I'm just really happy," the brunette answers honestly. It's a short, simple statement, but it makes Quinn's heart swell and she leans forward to passionately kiss Santana. Santana's hands begin to wander, ghosting over her ass and touching her stomach in the most intimate of ways. Their legs are already tangled together, and Quinn rolls over to top the brunette, slipping her thigh in between two tan ones so their clits are touching. Santana moans in pleasure at the contact.
"I love you," she gushes.
"I love you, too," Quinn whispers back, and begins to slowly rock her hips. Santana rocks back with just as much want and lust and raw passion, and the air is heavy, and the mattress begins to shake violently, and –
"Hey, if you two lovebirds don't come out right now, I'm gonna come in myself, and none of you will get any of my pancakes!" Rachel's annoying voice rings through the apartment.
Santana grumbles. "Frickin' cock block."
Quinn rolls off of Santana and giggles as she gets out of the bed and starts to put on some clothes.
"Quinn, what the fuck, you aren't going to finish? I was so close!" Santana whines, which only makes Quinn laugh affectionately.
"Sorry, Lopez, but Rachel's pancakes are more important," the blonde teases.
"You're choosing Berry over me?! Ouch."
"This time, yep." Quinn is already finished dressing. "Come on, Sanny, get up. I think Rachel was serious about actually coming in here."
"I was!" Rachel calls out from the kitchen, obviously eavesdropping. Quinn smirks, until she looks over at Santana, who is still in bed and pouting. The blonde quirks an eyebrow, but Santana just pouts even more. Eventually, Quinn gives up because she rolls her eyes, but she wanders back over to where Santana is still laying.
Quinn straddles Santana, her eyes sparkling. She strokes the brunette's hair slowly as Santana's hand comes up to caress her cheek.
"You know I'll always love you the most," Quinn says seriously.
Santana beams. She's finally found the perfect girl.
Quinn kisses Santana deeply, slipping her tongue in at once. Their breathing becomes mixed and heavy, and they're both moaning loudly. When they finally break apart, Santana is heaving, her heart racing. She wants to capture this moment – where Quinn's mesmerizing eyes are locked so deeply with her own – but she can't because stupid annoying Berry is interrupting her time with her girl.
"Seriously guys?! Again?!" Rachel shrieks. Quinn laughs and leaps off of Santana.
"We're coming! Jeezes," Quinn calls out. Just before she leaves, she turns around and blows Santana a kiss. "I love you."
Santana can't stop smiling, because she's finally, truly happy, and it's the best feeling in the world.
Very Berry Pancake Sunday is a success, as usual. The only difference is that Rachel and Kurt fawn over their new favorite thing, which just so happens to be Santana and Quinn as a couple.
"You guys are just soo cute!" Rachel coos, bouncing a little on her chair. Santana just glares daggers at her.
"Shut it, Berry, that's enough."
"But you guys are! Look at you! Awww, Santana, you're feeding Quinn, that's so cute!" Rachel clasps her hands together in excitement.
Santana rolls her eyes, but continues to hold her fork out for Quinn, who happily eats the piece of syrupy pancake on the end of it. Santana smiles, her eyes softening.
Kurt notices and snickers. "Wow, Santana, two days and you're already whipped."
"Don't make me post that video of you and Blaine making goo-goo eyes at each other!"
Kurt gasps. "You wouldn't!"
"You know I would." Santana challenges, smirking.
"No, you wouldn't, because you've gone all soft now that you have Quinn!" Kurt retorts.
"Don't make me bring out Snix!"
"You wouldn't be able to even if you tried, or even if Quinn asked you to!"
Santana mock gasps in offense. "Watch me!" She shoots up out her chair, but Kurt is already retreating to the bathroom, cackling in his victory. Santana sits down and huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. Both Rachel and Quinn are laughing at her.
"Don't worry, babe, you can show me Snix later, in your bedroom," Quinn winks. Rachel fake barfs.
"Ew, Santana, what did you do to Quinn?"
"What do you mean, 'what did I do?' I ain't did nothing!"
Rachel just laughs, and then turns to Quinn. "So, how was your date yesterday?"
After that Friday night, Santana and Quinn had been wrapped up in their own little blissful bubble. The next day, while Rachel and Kurt were out with some NYADA friends, Santana had taken Quinn around New York, and it was nothing short of magical.
"Berry, I think you're weirdly obsessed with Quinn and me. You obviously need to get laid," Santana comments. Berry just brushes it off; she knows a fake Santana insult when she sees it.
"Yesterday was amazing," Quinn sighs dreamily. Santana shuts up because she loves watching Quinn. "Sanny took me to Times Square and then lunch and courted me everywhere, and gosh, you just had to be there. It was amazing. She was amazing."
Santana blushes heavily at hearing Quinn talk of her. The fact that Quinn is saying these things to her makes it much more than a simple compliment.
Quinn turns to Santana and smiles. "You're amazing."
Before Santana even has the chance to smile back, she's being kissed by a beautiful blonde.
"Aww," Rachel gushes from her seat, watching the couple happily. "I'm so glad you guys are finally together. I knew it would happen." She gives Quinn a knowing look that goes unnoticed by Santana, who is too busy watching Quinn.
Kurt's head peaks out from the bathroom. "Is it safe enough to come back?" He directs the question at Rachel, who smirks.
"Yep. Snix here is too in love with Quinn to notice you."
"Shut up, Berry!" Santana fires back.
Kurt snickers, Quinn laughs and kisses her, and Santana feels happy.
After breakfast, the four decide to go shopping. Quinn's train leaves late in the afternoon, so they try to make the most out of her last few hours of this weekend.
Even though it's a lazy Sunday, the New York streets are bustling with activity. People are walking, taxis are honking, and birds are calling overhead. Santana knows that this is where she belongs, in a fast-pace city where no one will judge her. Sure, she's still not exactly sure what she wants to do with her life, but she's got a job that pays the bills, friends that she can count on (though she will never admit it), and most importantly, a beautiful girl by her side – Quinn. She doesn't even care that she has to share Quinn with Kurt and Rachel for today, just as long as she gets to be with Quinn, she's happy.
The four friends are loud and obnoxious, but so is New York, and so no one gives a damn. They laugh loudly when a hobo tries to feel Rachel up (she ran away so fast that she almost tripped over his can of coins), and then they start bawling when the waiter at the restaurant tries to flirt with Kurt and fails. Kurt turns bright red like a tomato ,and Santana snaps a quick picture, making a note to post it on his Facebook wall later.
But best of all, Quinn holds Santana's hand the entire day. She doesn't try to hide anything as she intertwines their fingers, and Santana thanks God that the people in New York are nothing like Lima at all. She'll never get tired of holding Quinn's hand.
In the end, Rachel ends up with five different shopping bags and Kurt has four of his own. Santana doesn't buy anything, mainly because she is already planning on getting Quinn something, and she needs to start saving. It's cheesy and romantic and nothing like her, but this is Quinn, and she'd do anything for Quinn.
Quinn buys an old classic book, of all things, which Santana just rolls her eyes at. Of course. Only Quinn would come to the Big Apple and buy a book instead of clothes. But then again, that's one of the reasons why Santana loves Quinn so much. She loves how Quinn's eyes had brightened when she saw the book. She wishes she loved something as much as Quinn loved reading. She just hasn't found it yet.
It's actually something that's been bothering Santana for awhile now. Even before moving to New York, hell even before high school, Santana has never really found something she has truly loved to do. Sure, she loved cheerleading, but what kind of career was that? Ordinary school subjects were an absolute bore. Santana loved singing, but she was nowhere even closer to Berry in her determination to make it as a singer. But what else was there to do? What if she never found it?
No, Santana thinks as she watches Quinn happily flip through her new book. That was not an option. She would not become a loser. She was Santana Lopez, and Santana Lopez always succeeded.
Santana tells herself that she will figure out what she wants to do with her life, if not for her, then for Quinn. She wants to make Quinn proud because Quinn deserves more than some bartender who lives in a shabby apartment with not even a real bed. No, Quinn deserves roses and candy and someone who can actually afford to care for her and love her the way she deserves to be loved. And Santana is determined to be that someone.
It is with these thoughts that Santana grips Quinn's hand tightly and follows the other three to the train station.
In less than five minutes, Quinn will be gone. Quinn's already said her goodbyes to Rachel and Kurt, who were nice enough to back away and give Santana some alone time with her girl.
Santana's heart is pounding loudly. She never wants to let go of Quinn's hands. Quinn looks at her with an expression that warms Santana's heart. They stand there, their voices silent, but their eyes speaking volumes. Santana feels the need to say something, but her words are caught in her throat. For once, she doesn't know what to say, so she says the only thing that comes to her mind.
"I'll miss you." It's softly spoken, barely a whisper against the loud booming echoes of the train station, but Quinn hears it crystal clear.
"I'll miss you, too," Quinn breathes back. She brushes her thumb along Santana's lips, just soaking in their last few minutes together. Santana wonders when they got so cliché, but she doesn't really mind. She likes it – no, she loves it.
"A week is so long, I might just come up to Yale and steal you," Santana lightly teases.
"Can you do it in a flying car?" Quinn asks.
"You dork, Harry Potter was so five years ago," Santana smirks.
"Actually, the second book came out in 1999," Quinn corrects her. Santana just rolls her eyes tenderly and kisses her.
"I'm glad you came," Santana says honestly.
"Me too. I'm sorry…for that week that I…"
"It's ok." Santana cuts her off. "What matters is right now, not then."
"You know, it was Rachel that finally pushed me to admit my feelings for you," Quinn admitted.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, she said that if I like you and you like me, then we should just be girlfriends like boom! As if it's that simple," Quinn rolls her eyes. Santana chuckles lightly.
"Well, she was wrong on one thing."
"What?" Quinn asks.
"I don't like you, I love you."
Quinn smiles and kisses Santana with all her might.
They only break away because the train is honking for last-call passengers, and the two reluctantly break apart so that Quinn won't miss her ride home. Even though Santana won't see Quinn for another week, she sighs and smiles because she is happy and that's all that really matters.
A/N: Wow, that chapter was drenched with fluffiness. The next chapters may not be, just a warning ;) Please review! It really makes my day when I hear what you guys thought of the chapter. Thanks and love you all!
P.S. Isn't Santana here just so adorable?!