It would appear as though Tuesday has become the official day for TNOELM updates! Thank you to all the wonderful people out there still reading and reviewing and liking this story!
To Say Hello
"Just remember what I said B, and have a safe New Year's Eve. Love you kid!"
Brittany waves to her brother as she watches him drive away slowly from the curb outside of Santana's house. Brett was nice to have dropped Brittany off after they finished their bonding workout meeting for the sixth time in the past month.
As she turns to head towards Santana's front door, Brittany tries to ignore the fact that even though she's been doing incredibly athletic and reflexive type things all morning, she still can't avoid tripping on the sidewalk as she walks along the path.
Luckily, she doesn't fall too hard and she manages not getting her hands all wet from the leftover ice still littering the concrete from the previous evening's winter freeze. Brittany's quite proud of herself for that as she finally makes it inside Santana's house without any of the nosey neighbors catching a glimpse of her fall (she hopes.)
"San?" she calls out into the house while walking through the front door before dropping her gym bag at the front entrance and toeing off her shoes.
Somewhere in the distance she can hear the soft sound of music playing and a smooth, raspy alto-like voice fill the space between Brittany and the singer.
An interested and perplexed crease appears on Brittany's forehead as she picks her water bottle up out of her bag and starts to slowly walk towards the sound, her eyes glancing around every area they come across in search of a certain gorgeous caramel skinned woman.
When Brittany's eyes find the woman she's searching for, her mouth drops open and her water bottle crashes to her feet. On the sofa is Santana with her reading glasses on, nose buried in a book, and those sweet soulful sounds coming from her lips.
Brittany is mesmerized, because holy sweetness, her girlfriend is not only ridiculously stunning, but she's got a voice that is currently setting her world on fire, in a very good way.
Santana startles a little upon realizing she's not alone in the house anymore and halts her singing as her brown eyes snap up to the frozen in place figure of her girlfriend.
"Britt!" she exclaims as she stands from her spot on the sofa, book falling to the ground, forgotten.
Brittany's eyes go even wider when she gets the full vision of what Santana's wearing, or better yet, what she's not wearing.
"Guh…" her blue eyes can't help but trail over the bareness of Santana's toned thighs, the tiny orange booty shorts definitely living up to their name, while the tee that Santana wears, one of Brittany's own, barely falls lower than the waistband of the shorts.
Not that Brittany's particularly complaining about that because see previous: her girlfriend is super stunning. But still, she doesn't know if she should turn around and try coming in again more announced or just jump Santana right here and now.
By now, Santana has caught onto the 'Brittany in stunned by her body' mode and her once sheepish smile quickly turns smug. She cocks her hip and rests a hand on it.
"Enjoying the view?"
And Brittany again doesn't know what answer to properly formulate, except maybe, "I don't know if I like this or Santana Claus better but I could get used to them both."
She finally snaps out of her frozen state and steps towards Santana, hands reaching out automatically to frame exposed hipbones, "Is this what you wear when I'm gone San, because I don't want to leave here ever again if that's the case."
Santana giggles, her arms gliding up Brittany's before they slide around to the front of her performance jacket to slowly unzip it, exposing a toned midsection and neon blue sports bar.
A wicked smile highlights Santana's lips as she pushes the jacket from strong shoulders and moves her hands to cup the back of Brittany's neck. Lips are pulled down to lips, and breaths stolen in the skip of a heartbeat.
"When I woke up this morning I was naked, but the bed was empty." Santana states noticing the way Brittany's body trembles at her words, "So I didn't want to give anyone else a free show."
Brittany nods, "I very much appreciate that." She says with a beaming smile as she pulls Santana closer into her body and earns a moan from her.
A tan forehead falls to Brittany's shoulder. "Mmm baby, do you know what you looking all marathon runner does to me?"
A lump forms in Brittany's throat at those sexily husked words. "What?" she manages to squeak out just as Santana's hands trail down the muscles of her back where the material of her sports bar doesn't quite cover the soft skin found there.
Santana hums into Brittany's skin as her lips brush across her shoulder. "You make me what to tear off all your clothes and get sweaty with you in another way. Right here, right now."
Brittany squeaks again, her legs wobbling at Santana's declaration.
All the insane amounts of sexual freedom they share with each other, and their very healthy sex life, and Brittany still gets weak in the knees when Santana comes onto her like this.
"Maybe Santana Claus could come out again and have some fun."
At the mention of that little tidbit, and the memories that come rushing back to Brittany's mind at just the thought of Santana in that sexy little red and green outfit, has Brittany hoisting the smaller woman into her arms and stumbling with her towards the bedroom.
Their lips connected the entire duration of the journey.
Brittany plops Santana gently onto her bed before she takes a step back and awkwardly attempts to maneuver out of her sports bra. The damn things are hard to get out of sometimes!
She's got it just about up and over her head, arms poking out at awkward angles and her face squashed in that rather unattractive manner that often occurs during the removal of clothes when Brittany suddenly feels Santana's fingers hook into the waistband of her thermal performance tights and warm, wet lips press into the skin of her abdomen.
A gasp escapes her mouth and Brittany's efforts to remove her sports bra increase as she feels her tights being tugged down her legs and Santana's mouth continues to assault her stomach, hips, and the very tops of her thighs. Finally flinging the sports bra from her hands as it's removed, long arms stretch out and push Santana backwards onto her bed as Brittany lifts her feet from the tights constricting them.
It's Santana's turn to gasp when she feels Brittany's sure lips attach to the column of her neck and careful fingers slip under her skimpy sleep shorts to cup her ass. The shorts are removed quickly, followed by Santana's top and then Brittany is lifting her up and into strong arms, carrying her towards the bathroom while never removing her lips from any part of Santana's lips or her body.
"I figured we could knock out two birds with one stone, because I don't want to kill them as it just seems a little cruel, plus then what good does that do if you now have two birds that aren't doing anything and-" the same soft lips as always cut off Brittany's ramble.
"I think it's the perfect plan Britt, we'll save time and water." Santana husks, her hands tangling in blonde locks at Brittany reaches out to turn the shower spout on before stepping into the tub and under the spray stream as it warms.
She smiles up at Santana, as the water cascades around her hair and slides smoothly down her shoulders, her chest, over her breasts, and between where their bodies are pressed together tightly with Santana's legs wrapped around Brittany's waist.
The tiny beads of water look so inviting on Santana's tan skin that Brittany can't help but tilt forward and taste them with her tongue and lips.
"Okay," Santana gasps as Brittany's tongue trails up the valley of her breasts before skirting off towards one of her pebbled nipples. "Maybe not so much on the saving water part."
Brittany angles her neck just that little bit more to fully wrap her lips around the dark bud in front of them when a sharp and sudden pain swiftly ripples through the side of her neck.
"Ow…ow, owww!" she pauses her progression as her neck appears to set itself in a kink before she jerks her head back to try and reset it, overcompensating a lot more than necessary and proceeding to shower her own eyes with the hot spray of the water coming out of the spout in front of her. Brittany stumbles back a little from the water attack and Santana shouts, grasping onto her for dear life.
Both of them are quite thankful when Brittany manages to keep her balance.
"Britt, are you okay?"
Her eyes are closed to everything, the residual sting of being blasted right in the retina still lingering at the back of her eyes. She's grateful that, yes, the water was just a mix of hydrogen and oxygen and not something more damaging, but it still stings like a bitch.
Santana's hands are cupping Brittany's cheeks, her lips pressed softly against the furrowed skin of her brow as she whispers softly. "Oh babe, I'm so sorry."
Brittany takes a deep breath and shakes her head, finally attempting the feat of opening her eyes, or slowly blinking them open, until she's staring straight into worried dark brown. She inhales and then exhales a small sigh, her silliness catching up to her. Santana's lips angle downwards to connect with Brittany's.
"I'm the one who should be sorry, for making a mess of sexy times." Brittany says as her eyes slant downwards in shame after the kiss.
Tan hands cup Brittany's cheeks and draw those baby blues back up to meet hers. "You didn't ruin anything Brittany, and if you want to try again we can always dry off and head to the bedroom?"
A smile covers her face as she nods, wincing a little when the furious movement sets of a tinge in her neck again.
Slowly, she controls her motions. First setting Santana's feet on the porcelain surface of the tub before watching her girlfriend turn around to shut the water off, taking the extra few seconds she's awarded to admire the very nice assets that Santana possesses.
"A stare like that could get you knocked out."
Brittany's eyes gaze back up into brown, noticing the smug smirk pulling at Santana's lips as she turns back around to face her. Brittany smiles in return and shrugs softly, turning shy for a moment again until Santana steps into her space and pushes their chests together. "I guess it's a good thing I love you so much though, especially when you look at me like that."
Their progress to get out of the shower is slow as their mouths become connected, but eventually the water that stains their skin becomes too much of a chill. As they step out, Santana reaches to grab them each a soft towel to dry off.
Starting at her hair, Brittany tilts her head when she feels a swimming sensation in her ear and shakes out a few droplets of water. She rubs hurriedly at the water still clogging parts of her eyes, ears, and nose, gasping for air when she realizes she can ultimately breathe fully after the matter.
"Is this how Lord Tubbington feels when I give him a bath? Because I do not envy him and I'm promising him he never has to go through that again."
She catches Santana smiling at her in delight, a light hearted and warm squishy look decorating her bright and pretty face. Brittany's mouth drops into a lopsided grin a second before full lips lean in and crash against her own again. Now that they're both much drier, Santana pulls Brittany back towards the bedroom not once disconnecting their mouths.
They land on the bed with a soft thud, all tangled legs and searching hands.
Their hair is still lightly damp, but that doesn't slow either of them down.
Brittany's hands grip at Santana's backside, shifting her further onto the bed and pulling their bodies that much closer together, a single soft sigh escaping one, or both, of their mouths as smooth skin slides against smooth skin.
"Ungh Britt." Santana's hips lift off the bed in search of Brittany's.
Pale hands glide across tan skin, fingertips tapping a tender beat against the dips and curves of hipbones and a firm stomach.
Santana's heart beats rapid against her ribcage, the pulsations like magnets for Brittany's eyes, drawing her focus to the spectacular sight and making her never want to look away from any of it. The sounds the escape Santana's parted mouth propel Brittany's own arousal, clouding the rest of her thoughts and conceptions.
A sharp buzzing from the bedside table is nothing at first, but when the sound intensifies and multiplies, Santana's moans of pleasure from below Brittany turn into groans of displeasure.
"Is that your phone? Fuck." The word is punctuated with a sharp intake of breath as Brittany's teeth graze the stiff peak of Santana's dark nipple.
Brittany shrugs, she cares not about the buzzing.
Soon it dies down but is then quickly followed by the sound of a musical version of 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town', which unfortunately draws Santana's attention away from where she actually wants it to be.
"Britt you-OH-your ringtone is still that-ugh-song?" the words are spoken through whimpers as Brittany's tongue and lips continue to trace across Santana's body.
"I lwike 'hat swong." Brittany mumbles into honey-flavored skin, her lips not moving far enough away to annunciate anything properly.
Not that it matters.
Another ringing fills the air, this time the sound of 'Christmas Wrapping' starts playing and it instantly causes Brittany to lean back a little and gaze down at Santana with an inquiring look.
"What?"
"You still have a Christmas song ringtone." Brittany points out.
Santana sighs, it's more than obvious she's been caught. "I like that song, it brings back good memories." She admits, her mind wandering to when Brittany did a little impromptu sing and dance along to that song just the other day.
Brittany smiles and kisses Santana's lips again, her hips grinding forward. "That's the same reason I like the song I have."
She can't help but giggle through her moan of pleasure because she knows Brittany's referring to the other night when Santana dressed up in her special Santana Claus costume especially for her. She remembers distinctly that Brittany sang to her about 'Santana Claus is Coming to Town' and then a lot of other wonderful things happened.
It's a great costume, really great. Santana knows she'll be donning it many more times in their life.
The ringtones start up again seconds later despite Brittany working very thoroughly on kissing a path down Santana's quivering stomach.
"I swear I'm going to punch whoever is bothering us right in the face."
Brittany smiles softly at the threat she knows is empty before scooting off the woman who said it and turning towards their phones.
"Kurt." They state simultaneously upon witnessing that the man has called them each twice, and left voicemails, and also sent at least a dozen texts between them.
"I guess we'd better get going before he makes his way over here and follows through on his threat."
Santana sighs and nods to Brittany in consent.
She may not know Kurt very well but she has a feeling that if they miss this party that he's invited them too, or they show up without the ridiculous amounts of champagne and party favors that he's requested, he will certainly find a way to make their 'sex lives a travesty of interruptions.'
Better safe than sorry with that situation.
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It doesn't make very much sense to Brittany why she and Santana are required to not only bring a ton of stuff to Kurt's party, but also show up early to help 'set up'.
Mostly because she was hoping to get some proper alone time with Santana sometime today, seeing as how it's New Year's Eve and all.
That twenty minute make out session in the back of Santana's Edge that almost lead to hands down pants for relief but was then halted by the creepy cart attendant that wouldn't stop staring at them through the front window, is not quite enough to sate either of them for very long.
They have very active sex lives. It's sort of a thing.
"Do you think they'd notice if we slipped off to the bathroom for twenty minutes?" Santana attempts to whisper in Brittany's ear just seconds after Kurt enthusiastically, and rather dramatically, greets them at the door and ushers them both towards his kitchen spouting on and on about how ecstatic he is that they're finally there.
"Absolutely no sneaking anywhere, you're going to meet everyone and then you're going to help set things up!"
Brittany frowns, "Is this punishment for us not making it to your last two parties?" she asks, glancing over her shoulder to look at her baby fresh-faced friend who's grinning back at her almost crazy like.
Kurt's eyebrow quirks, "Who knows. Maybe you would, if you'd shown up." He says pointedly before pushing them the last few steps into his kitchen.
"Oh Kurt, babe, you didn't even let them remove their jackets? You're far too excited about this." A handsome and taller looking man with cropped brown hair, sparkling green eyes, and a bright white smile speaks from the area next to the sink as he turns to toss a few chopped items into a dish by the stove.
Santana is surprised to find Kurt gazing adoringly at the man that just addressed him while also rolling his eyes in a friendly manner.
"Richard honey, this is Brittany from the post office and her girlfriend Santana," Kurt introduces before turning to look at them. "Ladies, this dashing man is my boyfriend Richard James."
There's barely a moment for Santana and Brittany to politely and kindly shake Richard's hand before another voice is flowing into the kitchen.
"I'm the greatest star, I am by far but no one kno-Oh my gosh! You're here!" a short brunette girl exclaims as she enters from the hall, her brown eyes widening and seeming to glaze over as she stares directly at Brittany and Santana's.
"This would be my very good friend Rachel Berry," Kurt whispers into Brittany's ear from over her shoulder. "She's practicing for a part on Broadway…or well, it could be the champagne."
That's about as far as Kurt gets with introductions because Rachel has materialized in front of Brittany and Santana. An enormous is smile stretched across Rachel's face as she reaches forward and wraps her arms around first Brittany, the side of her face squishing against Brittany's chest because of the height difference, before turning to face Santana.
Hands immediately fly up defensively, "Whoa tiny person, pump those brakes. There's only one woman who gets to hug me, and you're not her." Santana exclaims in desperation, and watches as a disappointed look crosses the smaller woman's face in front of her. Rachel appears pensive for a moment before she nods decisively.
"I understand, we'll just have to get to know each other better. Perhaps then it will be a common thing for us to hug."
"Don't count on it."
"Okay then, Santana and Brittany, how about you two go into the living room and start decorating and setting the drink table up?" Kurt cuts into the awkwardness of the introductions and Brittany is quick to tow her girl off towards where her friend pointed them.
"San, it's just a hug." Brittany whispers as she pulls Santana into a side hug, placing a kiss to her temple as her girlfriend exhales in relief and lets the tension dissipate from her body.
"I know, but I only like your hugs Britt."
A giggle airs out of Brittany's parted lips as she holds Santana tighter, "And you call me adorable."
"Come on, let's get this drink stuff set up. Then maybe we can sneak away." Santana says with a playful roll of her eyes, a soft peck to Brittany's lips, and a light pat on her girlfriend's incredibly sexy blue mini dress clad ass.
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By the time the clock strikes ten thirty pm, the party is more than in full swing and the drink table that Santana and Brittany set up is the biggest hit of the night.
For everyone, but especially for Brittany and Rachel (who have somehow become amazingly good friends in the course of their lightweight drunken bonding.)
Santana's okay with that though, because Brittany is extra loving and sweet and super sexy, except for the incident when she tried to take off her clothes.
As Santana walks up to wrap her arms around Brittany's waist and whisper something sexy in her ear, she in turn hears Brittany telling two guests, Kurt's old high school friends Anthony and Mercedes how "Santana Claus", in her full description of the sexy outfit, showed up on Christmas night and gave Brittany many special presents.
It's slightly awkward for Santana, mostly because the looks on the people's faces are somewhere between shocked and intrigued, and she isn't about to give them any in depth or private details.
Things get a little more entertaining when Santana manages to steer Brittany away from that conversation only to stumble upon the one and only, Ms. Rachel Barbra Berry, belting out a tune to the inanimate brass statue held in her hands.
"Don't rain on my paaaaarraaaddeeee!"
The way that Brittany's eyes light up once she hears Rachel makes Santana thankful that her phone's video component is super easy to use and quick to find. She manages to get the last part of the triumphant Rachel solo to the brass statue all on video.
Once everyone settles down clapping in response to the impromptu performance, Brittany tells Santana that she's going to go say thank you again to Kurt who lounges somewhere out by his pool.
Santana swears Brittany's only out of her sight for a few minutes.
Then, before she knows it, she's witnessing Brittany dash back through the sliding doors that lead in from Kurt's back porch and pool, and hearing a very loud and obnoxious voice come from the front door occur almost concurrently.
As Brittany shouts, "My shoe and my cup just fell in the pool. Disaster!" a tall, slim built blonde haired man steps through the front door and flashes his pearly white smile in such a way that Santana, if she didn't know any better, would be inclined to think he belonged to royalty.
He says six words, which instantaneously produces an award worthy eye roll from Santana.
"Have no fear, Frans is here." With an unnecessary wink from one of his blue eyes thrown in the direction of someone to his left.
The sound of Brittany squeaking out a surprised, and if she's reading it correctly, scared "Frans?" from behind her suddenly makes Santana feel not too great about the whole new edition to the party, in big part because of the guy's distasteful and extremely unimpressive entrance.
Santana is standing and watching this Frans guy smiling his big dopey smile, still at no one in particular, when she feels Brittany's body mold against the back of her own and strong hands gripping tightly to her waist. She looks over her shoulder and sees a swirl of nervousness in Brittany's blue eyes, a thin pink bottom lip etched between white teeth.
"Britt?"
Those nervous eyes glance directly into Santana's worried brown, and she can tell that whatever buzz Brittany had five minutes ago is vanishing as quickly as smoke in the wind.
"I'm sorry that you had to meet him like this."
"Ah ha, just the girl I was looking for." A perturbing, and vaguely familiar, voice interrupts anything else that Brittany was about to whisper and Santana turns her gaze back in front of her to see none other than Frans himself, smiling over her shoulder at her girlfriend.
It's obvious that Brittany isn't about to talk, and even though there's anger and rage brewing somewhere inside Santana, an after effect of the notion that someone can frighten Brittany this bad, she manages to slip one had over Brittany's that rests firmly on her waist and props the other one up on the opposite hip.
"Can I help you, because there are no girls around here that are interested in seeing you."
Frans smiles wide, his grin even more absurd looking and disproportionate up close. "I was talking to the lovely girl behind you. Hmm Britty, aren't you going to say hi?"
"What are you doing here Frans?" Brittany manages to ask, in something Santana would classify as an exasperated squeak.
"And just who the hell are you exactly?"
Santana's question is more of an afterthought, but that doesn't mean she's not still curious. This disturbingly creepy guy knows her Brittany, and she's not certain she's all cookies and cream about that.
"Name's Jeff Sterling, but I've always gone by Frans. Britty always said it was cute."
The furious disagreeing head shake that Santana can feel coming from Brittany behind her informs her that this guy is full of more shit than she originally suspected.
And that's saying a lot because she was thinking Superdome sized full of bull.
Then he goes ahead and tosses a few more irritating layers into the mix.
"At least that's what she told me when we were dating."
There's a brief moment where Santana's mind completely blanks. Just goes white and numb and halts all thought process and action because what the actual fuck did this guy just say?
"Ah Frans, glad you could make it." Kurt's voice interrupts the entire situation, including the fury that was about to be released from where it rested on the tip of Santana's tongue.
Instead, she goes with, "You know him?" while arching an eyebrow.
Kurt nods with a smile, "Yes of course, he went to school with Richard."
The softest tight smile she can muster plastered across her face, Santana turns to gaze at Brittany. "I'll be right back babe." She murmurs before turning to face the two men before her, features hardening significantly.
"You, don't touch anything, don't look at anyone, and refrain from babbling to my girlfriend if she wants nothing to do with you." She points to Frans before turning to Kurt. "And you, a word please?"
They move just around the wall that divides the living room and the staircase leading to the upstairs rooms and bathroom. From there, Santana is able to peak around the corner and ensure that Frans is not being any kind of menace towards Brittany. She's not happy to take a step away but she knows causing a scene isn't the way to go about things right now.
"Do you know anything about what the hell just happened?"
Kurt raises a questioning eyebrow, lost at Santana's words. "You mean besides the fact I was greeting an acquaintance and you decided to drag me away to a dark corner and ask cryptic questions?"
"He said that he and Brittany dated."
"Shouldn't this be something you should talk to Brittany about?"
"I plan on talking to Brittany about it Skippy, but I'm asking you what you know about this guy and why he's so strange."
"Santana," Kurt's voice is the kindest of chastising in all its radiant glory. "The only one acting strange right now is you."
Santana sighs as her shoulders droop and her eyes plummet to the hardwood floor. "I know, I'm sorry. It's just, the whole exes thing hasn't been touched on and lately Brittany has been doing so well branching out and being more assertive with things and I don't want this man getting in the way of her being okay with, well, herself."
She feels a gentle hand come to rest on her shoulder the moment she finishes her explanation.
"Don't you think that if she can deal and persevere through the bullies at work, she'll be able to get through small talk with what appears to be an insignificant ex in favor of preserving what she has with you, and what she wants to work towards in terms of self-acceptance?"
It's an inspiring speech, Santana would score it an nine point one only because the way that Kurt's voice never deviates from exceptionally high shaves those fractions of points off, but the only thing running through her mind are the words 'bullies at work' because, what?
"I'm sorry but, what?"
Kurt doesn't know what she's asking. The blank stare and slow blink he offers proof enough of that.
"What do you mean when you say 'bullies at work'?"
"She hasn't told you about that?" there's a guilty regret lacing Kurt's tone, perhaps because he's inadvertently put his good friend in an entirely new and worrisome position.
Santana shakes her head to affirm that she does not have any idea what Kurt refers to.
"It's not my place to tell you about really, but she's having some trouble at work with some of the other guys."
The sound of a sharp inhale being drawn is the only thing heard for a few long minutes. Santana slumps a little further and Kurt steps forward, his hand still on her shoulder in support.
"I'm sure if you asked Brittany about it all she'd be happy to tell you." He states almost definitively. "You should talk to her."
Brown eyes drift over to where Brittany stands, appearing much more comfortable than earlier but still holding a certain bored and despondent glaze in the blueness of her eyes.
She nods. "Yeah," before taking a step forward.
The sight of Brittany smiling at something spoken to her by Frans unsettles Santana's stomach for a bit and forces those nerves to resurface. She doesn't take a long enough look to see that the smile Brittany is offering is tense and stiff.
Santana's spent the last four years carefully navigating life and any semblance of a relationship for fear of doing anything wrong. The way she feels about Brittany threatens to shatter that careful construction every single second of the day. It's hopeful but there's still so much they haven't learned about each other.
Even though Santana wants to forget all of her worries about what she doesn't know and just go with it all, the truth is, she's still breakable.
So sometimes, the logical part of her brain wins out over the romantic part of her heart.
She knows that she has to pace this, because it's special and different for both of them, but there are still things to consider.
Allowing Brittany the time to come to her, and do things at her own comfort and space of time, is one of those considerations.
"She'll talk to me when she's ready." Santana finally responds to Kurt before offering him a small smile. "In the meantime, I'm going to…I'm gonna go use the restroom." She says, running a hand through her hair to hide the way it shakes before brushing past Kurt and proceeding upstairs.
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Santana's not sure how long she's been in the bathroom on the second level of Kurt's house when she hears a muffled thump from somewhere outside down the hall and a muted murmur of her name from a very familiar voice.
Only when there's a thump against the bathroom door, a stifled 'Ow', and the knob turning to surrender the figure of Brittany as she stumbles in, does Santana look up from her pensive place of staring at the bathroom tile and into the blue eyes of her girlfriend.
"There you are." Brittany murmurs as she fully enters the bathroom and kneels in front of Santana's bent knees, shuffling forward a little to fit her arms across those knees as her hands slip into tan ones and place light kisses against the skin. "I wasn't sure where you'd gone. Are you okay?"
The absence of an answer is answer in itself for Brittany.
"San…sweetheart?" she pleads softly even as her voice teeters that edge of everything's fine and about to crack in sadness.
The words alone are enough to jumpstart Santana's response into formulation.
"Yeah Britt, I'm okay." She says, everything about it obvious that she is not.
Brittany continues to gaze at her with patience and affection.
Santana sighs and tries again, "It's just the whole ex-boyfriend showing up was a little unexpected and then I wasn't sure if you wanted to talk to him or what, but then you looked like you were comfortable and having fun with your friends and I didn't want to ruin that because it's so amazing Britt. You're amazing and so special and I jus-"
Her words are cut off by the touch of soft, thin lips and Brittany's breath in her mouth.
"I was wondering when I'd be the one to do that to you." Blue eyes sparkle with mirth as Brittany leans back from the kiss with a smile.
Santana finds that her heart shoots from somewhere resting bored in her chest to pounding excited in every inch of her skin.
"I've been looking for you the past ten minutes because I wanted to make sure I got my New Year's kiss with the only person I ever want to kiss," Brittany starts to say, her thumbs stroking soft patterns into the backs of tan hands. "You Santana, my girlfriend and the woman I love. That's who I want to kiss in a little while, because they say that the person you kiss at the stroke of midnight is the one you'll spend the rest of the year with."
Their lips seal together again before Santana can even begin to utter an identical response.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Frans earlier." Brittany explains in a light whisper as their mouths part. "We were…something sometime after I moved here, but when I left him, by my choice, I never thought I'd see him again. I didn't want to see him again."
"But he's here, and you seemed to be okay with it?" Santana statement is a kind question, but Brittany can still feel the tension.
She shrugs, "At first I was terrified to see him, because our relationship was never a happy one but now I'm not scared," Brittany explains. Upon seeing the confused and questioning look on Santana's face she adds, "And I promise I'll explain more about that to you soon."
Santana stares for a moment before seeming to accept Brittany's offer. She would wait for a lot with Brittany.
"The main thing that you need to know is that we didn't work out. Wanna know why?"
"Because of his ridiculously tedious name?"
Brittany chuckles at Santana's answer and kisses her sweetly but shakes her head, reaching up to cup Santana's cheek with one hand, the other still holding her left hand. "You've told me a lot about knowing that what we have is special, and I do, more than anything. I remember ever since the first time I met you, I couldn't stop thinking about how wonderful you were, and still are."
A small smile starts to appear on Santana's face.
"I also couldn't stop thinking about how amazing your boobs looked in everything, literally everything, you wore, or how sometimes when you forgot your glasses were perched in your hair you'd search for them until you realized where they were but then subtly check to see if I'd noticed before going about things like you didn't just have an adorably forgetful moment."
Santana can't stop the laugh that escapes her at Brittany's confession. She never knew her girlfriend noticed the glasses thing. The boobs thing? Not so much a surprise, they are one of Brittany's favorite things about Santana, after all.
"That's not exactly the main thing I'm trying to say though." Brittany says lifting Santana's knuckles to her lips and kissing them. "It didn't work out with Frans and I because I was never in love with him, whereas with you it's the complete opposite. I love you so much sometimes I don't know how to function. And I never want to take being in love with you for granted Santana because I want to cherish it and you for a very very long time. I want to watch you pretend you didn't misplace your glasses for as that same length of time."
"How long is a long time?"
Brittany smiles, suddenly bashful. Especially so after the words on the tip of her tongue are spoken in a gentle breath, "We can start with forever if you'd like."
Somewhere between the time it takes those words to be spoken and the millisecond needed for Santana to fully comprehend them, the space that surrounds them is a motionless ambiance of tranquility.
Everything feels just right.
A second after that has passed, Santana's body is falling into Brittany's and their lips are crashing together.
They kiss for seconds or minutes, however long it takes for Santana to convey her understanding and her equivalent feelings back to Brittany, even though no matter how long they kiss it will never feel long enough.
Eventually, the break for air is taken. Their foreheads rest pressed together, as their lips continue to ghost against each other until Brittany whispers again into the atmosphere.
"Can I take you home?"
Santana nods against Brittany's forehead in silent but content agreement.
With that, Brittany stands to her feet before lifting Santana to her own and trails her fingers down a smooth tan left forearm until her hand interlocks with that of her girlfriend's. A soft squeeze and a light tug later, Brittany leads them from the bathroom and proceeds to the stairs.
"I'm sorry that I was such a mess about things." Santana murmurs as she begins to follow Brittany down the stares.
She doesn't see Brittany notice Frans step into sight somewhere at the bottom of the staircase or blue eyes flicker to a large clock on the high arch between the kitchen and the staircase, only seconds away from striking midnight.
But Santana does catch a glimpse of Brittany turning around on the stairs, a step below her so their heights match up perfectly, and she feels the way cool palms cup her cheeks and draw her lips to tender pink ones. A breath is inhaled through her nose and her hands fall to Brittany's shoulders for balance as Santana's eyelids close again and Brittany's scent, presence, and taste surround her once more.
Once their lips part this time, several long seconds later, and Santana's eyelids flicker open in a delayed haze of bliss she's met once more with the blue that's deeper and more endless than the furthest reaches of paradise.
"I couldn't miss my midnight kiss with you." Brittany mumbles against Santana's lips before gliding them together for a few more lazy and unhurried seconds. When Brittany pulls back the second time her cheeks are tinted pink and she has that shy, coy look in her eyes.
Santana smiles reassuringly at her while squeezing her hand. "What is it Britt?"
Blue eyes divert for a second before they return to brown. "It's just, these last few months have been pretty awesome Santana and I just want you to know that…"
"Happy New Year!" the high-pitched octave of Kurt's voice rings up the length of the staircase to where Brittany and Santana stand.
A kiss is pressed to Brittany's lips, and the murmur of "We'll talk later" is hushed against them. One slight nod and smile later and the two of them are turning to face their gracious host.
"Thank you Kurt, thank you for inviting us and thank you for the really great party, and drinks, and fun…and thank you for Rachel, she was very entertaining." Brittany says, her rambling carrying off a little though still heartfelt. Santana nods in agreement next to her.
"I'm just grateful that the two of you made it, and had fun!" he exclaims, the slip in his voice indicating he's still a little sloshed. But they roll with it, and moments later they're downstairs joining the party again, even if they remain somewhat in their own little private bubble.
When they eventually do decide to slip away and drive home, smiles are still stretching wide across both of their lips.
################
They make it back to Santana's sometime after one am.
It's still relatively early, but Brittany works at ten, and Santana has a few things to plan so bed seems like a responsible option for the evening.
Once they're both changed, Santana crawls under the covers and instantly wraps Brittany up in her arms as she follows her into the bed. Santana's light and constant breathing as it fills and empties her lungs soothes Brittany and she finally lets her body succumb to the call of slumber.
The next thing that Brittany is consciously aware of is the sound of light shuffling somewhere near.
She soon realizes that her face is squished into something soft and pillowy, and that it is probably morning judging from the light she can just barely glimpse. Brittany hears a shuffling again, this time much closer to the bed and she pulls all of her efforts together to slowly blink her eyes fully open.
"Good morning sleepy head, I was wondering when I'd get to gaze into those beautiful blue eyes again."
In the span of one point three seconds, Brittany's eyes widen and she swears her heart stops as a million thoughts race through her mind, but only one is spoken.
"How long have you been here?"
/
The characters Richard James and Jeff 'Frans' Sterling were borrowed from the Glee Warbler database. Rachel, as many of you are probably aware, was singing, "Don't Rain on My Parade" and "I'm the Greatest Star" both from the musical Funny Girl.
Leave me your thoughts if you're feeling it and I'll see you on Tuesday (if not, then Thursday!)