I'm actually supposed to be studying for finals it being dead day and all, but all my roommates are sick so I'm listening to the Glee Christmas Album while cleaning and taking care of them. Now that they're all asleep, I thought I'd translate my ridiculously good mood into an update.
Hope you enjoy!
Marcus showed up the next day around eleven with lattes and bagels. They both had the day off so they put on a movie and curled up on the couch. Santana's eyes kept drifting back to the picture. She wondered why Marcus hadn't noticed that there was a picture of their dance instructor on her fireplace.
His phone ringing interrupted one of the action scenes Santana was getting into and she sighed loudly so that he'd know she wasn't happy.
"Hello?' Marcus answered his phone, "Oh Really? Well I'm disappointed, but I understand...have a nice day."
"Who was that?"
"Brittany, our dance instructor. She said she can't teach me anymore."
"Why not?"
"She said she doesn't have time because rehearsals for her troupe started again. Some girl named Tina is going to teach me now."
"Oh," Santana nodded. She stood up and grabbed her keys, "I have to go pick something up. I'll be back later."
Marcus started to get up to go with her, but she was out the door before he knew what was going on.
Instead of picking anything up, Santana went straight to the dance studio all the while wondering what had come over her. Nothing she was doing was making any sense to her. Going to see Brittany of all people wasn't going to make her life any easier. It seemed the more time she spent with Brittany the more complicated her life got. She just couldn't stop herself.
Santana walked into the dance studio and saw Brittany in the middle of a routine. Santana didn't want to interrupt so she leaned back on the wall by the door and soon became mesmerized.
Brittany barely noticed Santana when she was done, but kept stretching without looking at her, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you and asked why you cancelled with Marcus. Your rehearsals don't start for another month."
Brittany didn't asked how Santana knew that and Santana was relieved because it was via PI which the more she thought about it was kinda creepy.
"I can't...I won't teach him how to dance," Brittany caught Santana's eyes through the mirror, "with you."
Santana softened and closed her eyes thinking deeply and trying to keep her tears at bay, "Why?"
The answer was immediate because Brittany anticipated it, "You know why." She stood up and crossed her arms.
Santana put her hands behind her back, pressed against the wall with her head tilted down, "You left."
"You stopped calling me," Brittany said with her eyes on Santana's shoes, "I waited for weeks."
Santana took a deep breath and walked over to Brittany. She carefully reached out and took Brittany's hand. "I shouldn't have."
Brittany slowly blinked, "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too," Santana used Brittany's hand to pull the blonde to her.
Brittany's voice was small and shaking when she asked, "Do you still love me?"
Santana sniffled, "Of course." She readjusted her hold on Brittany and let her arms encircle the blonde dancer. She could feel Brittany's tears start to soak through her shirt. She moved them to the couch in the back corner and sat Brittany down, sinking next to her.
She turned to look at Brittany and was surprised with a kiss. This time instead of being tentative and slow, it was hungry and needy. Santana answered with a similar hunger. She pushed Brittany onto her back, crawling on top of her.
It was a week later and Santana was laying in her bed with Brittany in the afterglow of what had become of their 'dance lessons'. Her life had become so confusing she just gave up and went with it. Her heart and body were governing her actions and now her heart and body wanted Brittany. Surrendering to her feelings, Santana found that she felt nothing except when she was with Brittany.
"I should go," Brittany sat up in the bed. Guilt had been eating away at her for days now. Although Marcus didn't seem like such a catch from the pillow talk they'd been having, she was still standing in the middle of what was about to be a marriage.
Santana sat up with her and kissed Brittany's bare shoulder, "It's cold outside."
Brittany smiled, her guilt dissipating. She tilted her head so that Santana could have access to more skin. "I have to be at rehearsals early tomorrow."
"You'll freeze outside," Santana dropped kisses up her neck.
"I can borrow one of your coats," Brittany answered.
"It's been snowing since noon," Santana added, "it's got to be at least three feet deep."
"Mike's gonna wonder where I am," Brittany let Santana lay her back on the bed.
"You can call him later," Santana nuzzled against Brittany's neck before nipping at her jaw line.
Brittany brought her hand under the sheet and ran her hands up Santana's bare back. "Your
neighbors..."
"I don't care."
After some more rekindling, Santana laid in bed on her side looking at Brittany. She reached over and softly caressed her face, smiling when Brittany closed her eyes to revel in the touch.
"It's amazing," she whispered.
Brittany turned her head, "What is?"
"You haven't changed at all," Santana snuggled into Brittany's side.
"You have," Brittany whispered, her eyes holding Santana's in a steel grip "You're sad."
Santana took a deep breath, "Not with you B."
"You always used to say that in high school," Brittany sighed deeply, "I wish we were still there."
Santana chuckled, "Yeah because then all we'd have to worry about was Coach Sylvester and getting caught making out in the locker room."
The blonde beamed and kissed Santana deeply wanting to feel everything she used to feel in high school. The kiss now afforded her all those things and so much more. She curled into Santana and closed her eyes, feeling safe and warm, knowing that Santana hadn't really changed all that much.
Santana softly stroked Brittany's hair, watching her sleep. The place in her chest that used to feel empty, now felt filled. Everything about Brittany calmed and excited her at the same time.
After she was sure Brittany was asleep, Santana turned to her night stand and opened the top drawer of her nightstand. She reached in and pulled out the platinum band that held a massive diamond in the middle. When Brittany would come around, she'd always take it off. Having the ring and Brittany on her hand at the same time didn't seem right.
As she was pondering the meaning of the ring, someone knocked on her front door. Santana checked to make sure Brittany was still asleep before pulling on some sweatpants and a tank top to get to the door. Knowing her neighbors, one of them locked themselves out again. Santana swore she had more keys to this apartment than the landlord did.
However when she opened the door to her apartment she didn't find one of her disorganized neighbors.
"Mom," Santana's eyes widened, "What are you doing here?"
"We're supposed to go taste wedding cakes today…" she trailed off seeing a sleepy blonde woman walk behind Santana to the kitchen wearing one an oversized t-shirt and her underwear.
Santana followed her mother's eyes and started to internally panic.
"I'm sorry, I think I'm having a flashback to when you were in high school," Santana's mom looked back at her daughter, "Is that Brittany?"
Santana leaned on the door, "Yes." She opened the door wider and let her mom in, trying to decide what she was going to tell her mom.
Before Santana could speak again, Brittany walked out of the kitchen, her eyes finally seeing who was at the door. She grinned, "Mrs. Lopez!"
Santana's mom's face lost all traces of disapproval or confusion when Brittany smiled. She walked over to the blonde and hugged her, "How have you been Brittany?"
"Great," the blonde smiled. She finally realized she was still in just a shirt and underwear, "I'll be right back." She scampered into the bedroom.
"I suppose you don't want me to ask this time either," Santana's mom teased her daughter.
Santana whined, "Mom."
Her mom shook her head, "I'm not going to ask. I'm just going to go with it. You've seemed so depressed lately and Brittany used to make you happy. Maybe she can again." She paused before asking one last question, "Does Marcus know?"
Santana crossed her arms and looked at the ground, knowing she couldn't lie to her mother, "No." She sighed, "This is all your fault you know? You give us these dance lessons and guess who is teaching them."
Brittany bounced back into the room, fully clothed including her boots and scarf.
"Are you leaving?" Santana asked, crestfallen.
Before Brittany could answer, Santana's mom stepped in, "We're going cake tasting. If you have time, why don't you come with us Brittany?"
Santana looked at her mom then at Brittany who caught her eyes, silently asking permission. Santana let out a small smile signaling her approval.
The blonde grinned, "Sounds fun."
Santana did an internal happy dance she could never admit to before running off to get dressed.
They sat around the small café, sipping their coffee and telling each other what kind of cake to try next.
"So Brittany do you have any other plans today?" Santana's mom asked, after a sip of her coffee.
Brittany shrugged, "I just have one dance lesson and she's sitting right there."
"I'm still getting that lesson," Santana added with a mischievous smirk, "But later."
"So Brittany," Santana's mother looked at the blonde, trying to ignore the connotation that went with her daughter's last statement. "Are you coming to the wedding?"
Brittany momentarily choked on her coffee and avoided her eyes when answering quietly, "No, I don't think so."
Santana couldn't help, but think that her mom's eyes were growing judgmental and worse yet judgmental toward Brittany. So she did what she did best. Protected and defended Brittany.
"I'm sure she had rehearsals for her award winning, globe-trotting dance troupe," Santana didn't add that she'd probably rather be at the rehearsals than at her own wedding as well.
It wasn't lost on her mom that her tone was a little combative. She just smiled, trying to communicate her surrender and asked Brittany about her troupe.
The cake tasting was a little less awkward than it could have been and the left, having ate too much and ordered the cake.
"I'm going to go back to the hotel and fall into a sugar coma," Santana's mom hugged them both outside of the cake shop, "You two have fun."
"You too," Brittany smiled and waved goodbye.
Santana watched her mom get into a cab before looking at Brittany. She just stood there smiling at her without saying a word.
"What?" Brittany asked.
Santana shook her head, not able to articulate what she was feeling. She did, however, hold out her pinkie.
Brittany giggled and linked her pinkie with Santana's. They swung their hands between them all the way back to Santana's apartment.