Rhythms
They manage to behave themselves the whole cab ride home but the minute that Santana closes the door behind them, Brittany's grabbing for her.
Brittany's out of her coat already and the mouth on Santana's is warm and wanting enough that it makes her forget all the things she needs to do. The hands on her waist pull her backwards and Santana only fleetingly thinks of the second lock and chain she still needs to put on. She mostly thinks about how the fact that her coat is heavy and that she's wearing too much clothing right now. She tugs the coat off of her shoulders until it drops to the floor, loving Brittany's happy little grunt when she can finally wrap her good arm around Santana's neck. Her palm covers Santana's ear, and it makes the desperation rise in Santana enough that she takes control, leading them to the closest available surface.
They end up on the couch, Tubbs meowing his annoyance as he waddles out of the way before they can collapse on him. Santana pushes Brittany onto her back, her kisses never stopping as she straddles her hips and reaches for her sling. She struggles her out of it quickly, tossing it across the room without a thought. Brittany smiles into her kiss, her good arm disappearing underneath Santana's sweater to find warm skin. Fingertips press so firmly against her spine that Santana's sure there will be some sort of bruise there later.
It doesn't bother her. If anything, it's reassuring.
But she moans anyway, pulling back from their kiss just so she can see the look on Brittany's face. It's relaxed and tense at once. Her lips part and they're wet with saliva, pink with the pressure. Her eyes are closed and Santana rests her weight on one elbow so that she can look at her better. Her nose nudges at Brittany's lips until blue eyes flutter open to look back at her. They don't speak but Santana gives Brittany what is sure to be her goofiest smile.
It falls quickly when Brittany's hand reaches up to toy with her bra clasp.
Their bodies roll together as Santana denies Brittany's coaxing kiss. She pulls back, arching her neck and her body until she's almost having to fight Brittany back against the cushion. When Santana presses their mouths together it's deeper than before. Brittany's tongue enters her mouth and traces Santana's teeth. Santana kicks off her shoes and barely hears them fall to the floor. The urge to feel skin against hers is overwhelming and she reaches down to tug Brittany's legs up around her waist so she can reach down to take off her shoes.
The kisses don't stop but Brittany giggles into her mouth when the Chucks fly across the room one after the other. Her legs wrap more surely around Santana's waist and she pulls at Santana's sweater until she can let it fall to the floor. Her t-shirt goes straight after it and, though the fabric of Brittany's t-shirt and jean shirt are soft, they feel like an irritant against Santana's skin. She helps Brittany out of them quickly, pulling Brittany to sit up so that she can push the shirt off her shoulders and untangle the t-shirt from her cast.
Brittany's kisses litter at her chest, kissing her cleavage and the swell of her boobs. Her breath pants warm and damp against Santana's skin and it's the best kind of overwhelming. Her heart beats erratically and she can feel everything around her become hazy and wonderful. Her hands explore the naked skin of Brittany's back, drifting as low as they can reach before moving back up.
She feels relieved that her hands still know where every curve is, that her fingertips can remember every nuance of her skin.
Her mouth disappears into the skin of Brittany's throat and when she kisses at the back of her neck, Brittany bucks into her uncontrollably. Santana's hands cradles her, holding her still as she sucks that spot into her mouth. Brittany shivers and it almost feels like Santana's bringing her back from the dead. Hands grab at her desperately and a mouth whimpers hopelessly into her hair.
"That feels so good," Brittany gasps out and Santana fights the urge to be smug, choosing to lower Brittany to the couch and continue her path instead.
Her mouth moves down the column of Brittany's throat and over her shoulder before she drifts down to the patch of skin between her collarbone and where the skin rises into softer breast. She litters it with kisses and doesn't argue when Brittany's fingers fumble to unclasp her bra. She ignores the action and tosses the item away before urging her mouth back up to Brittany's sternum. She kisses down it, resting her lips against the quick rise and fall of Brittany's diaphragm before brazenly licking all the way back up to Brittany's throat.
It makes Brittany gasp but Santana doesn't stop. Instead, she brings her hands up to join her mouth, palms covering Brittany's breasts and squeezing before fingertips find and circle nipples. Brittany whines and the sound is better than any song. She doesn't understand how she always forgets that sound until the next time she hears it. She licks up Brittany's sternum again, sucking on her jaw for barely long enough before she's kissing her way back down again. She sucks one of Brittany's nipples into her mouth slowly, lips enveloping the skin before her tongue can flick against it. It makes another one of those whines leave Brittany's mouth and Santana lets one arm hold her up against the couch. The hand of the other continues to knead at her skin, stroking gently, as her mouth works in tandem.
She can tell that Brittany's watching her. Her long fingers are tangled into Santana's hair, holding it atop her head and when Santana pulls back for air, she kisses the inside of Brittany's wrist before switching breasts.
Her teeth are grazing Brittany's nipple when Brittany stops her slow and steady wriggling beneath her. Her body freezes and Santana pulls away with a pop to look up at her. She rests her head against Brittany's wrist and it feels like there's a small volcano in her pelvis ready to explode. Her eyes are dazed and she feels heady. This is better than any drunkenness or high she's ever had. She breathes unsteadily as one hand carries on pinching at Brittany's nipple.
"What's wrong?" she mumbles, leaning down to nip at the softest part of Brittany's breast.
When her vision clears, she finds Brittany's back still arched except it isn't as tense or desperate as she peers to their front door behind her. Her mouth hangs low and her chest heaves with breaths and if Santana didn't know any better she'd say she was waiting for something. From here, she can see that Tubbs is sitting there silently but she has no idea what's going on.
"Someone just knocked on the door," Brittany eventually whispers, more from breathlessness than the need to be quiet. "Listen."
Santana does and, sure enough, a few seconds later, there's a knock at their door. Santana frowns and resists the urge to groan. She's not going to answer it now. Not for anyone.
"What are we gonna do?" Brittany says hurriedly.
Santana thinks about it for a second before shaking her head. "We're busy," she breathes and licks a path up Brittany's neck. "Just ignore it. The second lock and the chain are on."
Brittany nods and looks relieved. She kisses Santana's chin once before urging Santana back to her chest. Santana doesn't need anymore encouragement and switches breasts, quickly biting the nipple and sucking hard enough that Brittany has to lift her palm to her mouth and bite hard on the heel of her hand.
"Sweet fucking Jesus," Brittany hisses and that only encourages Santana more. Her hand begins stroking from Brittany's breast, down her stomach and stops at the button on her jeans. Brittany's back arches in anticipation and Santana kisses where she can as she works it open, sucking bruises into the delicate skin over Brittany's diaphragm and littering small pecks over Brittany's freckles.
She stops to press her smile into Brittany's stomach as she laughs into her skin.
"I love it when you curse," she mumbles as her fingers struggle and momentarily wishes that she'd switched to her left hand before beginning.
She tugs at the button and she's about ready to rip the fabric from Brittany's body when a large crack echoes around their apartment. Santana's ready to yell at Tubbs for knocking something over but the minute she opens her mouth, she hears a shriek and it's instantly the most mortifying thing in the world.
"SANTANA! BRITTANY! Are you—OH MY GOD!"
She doesn't really see much of what's going on above her head but she can probably take a wild guess. She doesn't care all that much, not when it's so awful. She's sure that the only part of it that will make her smile when she looks back on it in the very distant future is Brittany's bitter "God-fucking-dammit" that she hisses out as her hands fall from Santana's body and on to the couch.
The things she'll try to forget are the way that Kurt screams like a girl and walks into the wall before screaming about his face. She'll try to forget how Rachel instantly begins attempting to ask them how all this happened, how long it's been going on and telling them how happy she is to see them back together. None of that really gets heard, not over the sound of Kurt shrieking and yelling at Santana as Santana yells right back.
"What on earth are you doing?" Kurt asks with utter mortification.
Santana's glad that her arms are holding her up because otherwise she'd find something large and heavy to throw at him.
"What the fuck does it look like I'm doing?" She shrieks. "I'm going to town on my girl's tits, you fucking asshole! What the fuck are you doing barging into our apartment?!"
Kurt's hands drop to his side. "You haven't called, Santana! I've been calling you for three days and you haven't answered! I thought you were dead! That you'd jumped off the fucking Brooklyn Bridge—"
"God! Don't be so dramatic!" Santana shouts back. "I haven't charged my phone and our line must be down again."
"That's no excuse!" Kurt screams. "I was worried about you. We were worried about you. You were so upset and you went to see Brittany and then that was it! Nothing—"
("I'm going to kill you," Santana hears Brittany mutter out warningly between Kurt's shrieks. She sounds so bored and pissed off that it actually makes Santana want to laugh. "I'm actually going to kill one of you. And if I don't then my vagina will because she has been waiting days for this—")
Santana looks at him and shakes her head. "And you instantly thought that I'd jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge?!" she asks him incredulously. "You didn't stop and think, 'shit, she's probably fucking Brittany's brains out'—"
("Well, you haven't yet," Brittany interjects with the same annoyance.)
"—'I better leave them alone for at least a week'!'" She shouts. "No! Of course you fucking didn't!"
"I thought that, actually," Rachel says, raising her hand like a third grader.
She's quickly ignored by Kurt and Santana who don't even pay attention.
"Well, I'm sorry for caring," Kurt scoffs. "I'll let you jump next time."
"There isn't going to be a next time!" Santana shouts except she's suddenly aware of the girl underneath her, laying there patiently. "The only thing I want to jump is Brittany."
Brittany sighs. "And she was so close."
When Kurt has no response to that, it's Rachel that speaks. She steps forward before quickly stepping back and tightly closing her eyes. Brittany looks down at their shirtlessness and shrugs but Santana rolls her eyes before dragging a blanket over them.
Rachel still has her eyes closed when she begins speaking.
"I think what I'm getting from this conversation is that we are sorry we assumed the worst of you Santana, it's just that Kurt was worried because he loves you and cares about you," she says softly. "And, sure, that's not a bad thing but perhaps we were being a little irrational because of course you were with Brittany and if anything would have happened then Brittany would have called us. We knew about her injuries—ouch, by the way—so we were wrong to barge in."
There's a pause where silence fills the room. Santana just looks at the still open front door and shakes her head in disbelief.
"However," Rachel says. "Perhaps you should hang something on the door next time… or put the chain on or…"
"We were caught in the moment," Santana spits out slowly, her anger rising again. "And it's our fucking apartment! We shouldn't have to…" she trails off when Brittany cups her cheek. "Fine. Fine. Whatever. I don't care."
Rachel smiles at the pair of them.
"We'll leave you alone to… get back to whatever it was you were doing," Rachel says softly. "Come to brunch tomorrow and we can talk. Eleven o'clock."
Santana's still staring into the doorway three minutes later when the door is closed behind them. The apartment is quiet now and she's pretty sure that Brittany's grinning knowingly up at her. Santana shifts, her arousal still heavy throughout her body. The mood, however, is completely changed and all she can think about now is that Hummelberry have seen her boobs.
Brittany reaches up to kiss her slowly but breaks away when she can't hold in her laughter anymore.
"Let's go to bed," she smiles against Santana's lips.
Santana can do little else but agree.
/
When she's awoken by the sound of her cellphone ringing the next morning, Santana instantly regrets charging it.
Brittany's body lies heavy against one side of her body and Santana groans as the phone vibrates across the wooden surface of the nightstand. Her hand bitterly flies out to grab it before it can fall off the edge.
She doesn't even look at it as she answers.
"What the fuck do you want, Kurt?" she grumbles.
She's met with a laugh that, for a moment, she doesn't recognize.
"Well good morning to you too, Lopez," the person on the other end of the line says and, when Santana realizes whose voice it is, she fills with regret.
"Lil!" She says loudly, too loudly because Brittany jerks and stirs in her arms. She strokes a soothing hand over her back before lowering her voice. "Hey. Good morning."
Lil laughs. "Whatever, Lopez," She says. "Don't pretend you're a morning person because that'd be the biggest crock of shit I've ever heard. I just wanted to know when you were gonna come back to work as you appear to have disappeared off the face planet. I've been trying to call you for days."
Santana winces and turns her face away from Brittany so she isn't speaking into her ear. "Yeah, sorry about that," she starts. "We've kind of been busy around here."
"You and Britt still fighting like idiots?"
Santana shakes her head and smiles even though she probably shouldn't be. "No, actually. Things are really good but Britt slipped on some ice after she left you the other day and she broke her arm and messed up her elbow so she's kind of useless without me."
There's a silence and it makes Santana nervous. She worries her lip between her teeth and twirls the ends of Brittany's hair around her fingers. It makes Brittany bury further into her neck and that, more than anything, makes Santana feel calmer.
It catches her off guard when Lil's only response is to ask, "How good?"
She stutters for a moment before smiling pathetically again. "Really good," she says. "Really, really good."
"So you pulled your heads out your asses?"
Santana laughs and nods. "Completely."
"Except your girl has no good use of both arms?" Lil asks around a deep chuckle. Santana hums the affirmative before Lil speaks again. "Well, that's shitty, Lopez but is there anyway that you can help out tonight? Denise is stuck in Alaska and I've only got Tara and Stacey here tonight. They're not exactly the most entertaining and it's gonna be a big night tonight. Last night before everyone heads back to work on Monday morning, ya know? The last hurrah." Santana pauses and thinks about it. "You can bring Britt and we can stick her by the bar. Perhaps invite those very camp best friends of yours if they're in town? I'll double your tips."
Santana chuckles. "That desperate, huh?"
"That desperate," Lil says and Santana can hear her moving around cases of beer in the background. "You're good, Lopez—too good for this bar—and I don't think you're gonna be around here much longer. So sue me if I'm trying to drain you for all you're worth while you're here."
"You say the sweetest things," Santana says, even as she blushes hard. Those words mean more than she thought they would. "I'll be there around nine."
"Eight-thirty," Lil says. "And the first round's on me."
The phone cuts out before Santana can argue and she laughs as she tosses the phone down to the mattress. When she turns her head she finds Brittany looking at her sleepily.
"Who was that?" she asks roughly as Santana pushes her hair from her eyes.
"Lil," Santana tells her quickly. "I've got to work tonight."
Brittany stretches and appears unaffected by her words. It's not until she groans out a yawn and snuggles in closer than Santana knows that she heard.
"Boo," she says lowly. "Can I come too?"
Santana nods and wraps her arms around her comfortably. "Yeah," she says, wondering if she'd be able to leave Brittany alone for that long. "You better."
/
What's meant to be brunch with Kurt and Rachel ends up being lunch. They arrive an hour later than Kurt wanted them too and he purses his lips and busies himself around them when they arrive. He takes their coats roughly, makes Brittany yelp when he bends her broken arm, and ends up getting bitched out by Santana before they've even sat down.
Rachel sits him as far away from Santana as possible and Santana would yell at her for it but she's helping Brittany to cut up her pancakes. The fact that Brittany's thigh is tight to hers helps too.
"So?" Kurt eventually says. "How'd it happen?" he asks once both Brittany and Santana are looking at him.
Santana looks at him and shrugs. "How did what happen?"
Kurt gives her a look that makes every bit of animosity between them disappear. It's halfway between a smile and a glare and Santana rolls her eyes at it.
"She's wearing the ring again," he states when Santana continues eating her eggs. "How did that happen?"
Santana shrugs and hates more than anything that she's blushing. "None of your business," she says.
Brittany giggles beside her and nudges their shoulders together. "It wasn't anything special," she says and when Santana looks up at her, there's a secretive twinkle in her eye that captures her so that she can't look away. "She asked me to wear it again and I said I would. That's it."
The words make her smile and they're still staring at each other when Rachel speaks next.
"And what does the ring mean now?" she asks knowingly. It makes Santana chuckle and she looks away from Brittany to look at their companions. Rachel's grinning at her and Kurt is smiling at her proudly. Santana can't help but think about that morning, two years ago, when Brittany had both of them hanging off her left arm like a pair of monkeys. So many things have changed since then.
It's better now. She doesn't feel scared when she shrugs and sighs and turns to find Brittany staring at her expectantly.
"It's a reminder that I love her," she explains around a shrug and she doesn't want to say this to them. She wants to say this to Brittany. "It's a reminder that I love you and that I promise to love you forever." Brittany's face softens and her smile disappears to be replaced with seriousness. Santana shrugs again because that's it; that's all she wants it to mean. "Maybe you deserve diamonds but I'm not a diamond… and I don't think I ever will be. But I can give you everything I am and everything I have and I can hope that's enough."
When Brittany leans forward and kisses her, it doesn't make her blush. She doesn't care that Kurt and Rachel are watching or that Brittany's lips are smoothly switching from her top lip to her bottom one. She doesn't even feel remotely nervous. All she cares about is that Brittany is right here next to her, that Brittany's eyes have never been bluer or more beautiful when she finally pulls back.
Her other hand drops her fork and it comes up to cup Santana's cheek before she can move away. She strokes it steadily over Santana's skin and Santana nuzzles into it as Brittany looks at her.
"It was always enough," she breathes and despite the guilt and regret that fills Santana's chest, she feels hope and relief too. She turns her head to kiss Brittany's palm and lets herself breathe out calmly. Brittany kisses her forehead and the apple of her cheek. She kisses the bridge of her nose and the tip of it. "You're more than enough," she whispers.
And it isn't until she hears Kurt squeak and Rachel let out a little dramatic sob that she remembers they're even there. Santana turns to them with Brittany's hand still on her cheek and frowns in confusion.
"You guys are so adorable," Rachel says through sniffs. "I mean, I always knew—I always knew…" she nods surely before diverting quickly. "Do you still wear the locket?"
"We never did find out what the picture inside was…" Kurt ponders.
Santana turns back to Brittany and shakes her head. She laughs but Brittany looks so serious, so sure, so happy that she stops until her smile matches the soft one that Brittany wears.
When Brittany's hand slips from Santana's cheek, down her neck, to the bump beneath the collar of her sweater, it makes Santana's heart beat faster. Her hand presses over it and Santana loves the way Brittany's teeth bite her bottom lip, how she presses their foreheads together.
The metal looped around her neck should feel cold but instead it feels warm and comforting since she gathered the courage to put it on again this morning. It feels like a part of her body was missing and has been returned. It makes her feel like she's on fire, like her blood is pumping properly again.
Wearing it, she feels like the girl pictured inside for the first time in months.
Brave, proud and madly in love.
/
They go home and sleep the rest of the day and when Santana wakes up, it's to Brittany going through their combined clothing, looking for something to wear.
And Santana's not sure why she's wearing sunglasses and a straw hat inside but it's not like she's going to question it when Brittany's swaying around to the music that quietly plays from the living room. She's mouthing along with the words and doing this cute little move with her ass that almost makes Santana want to laugh. She's as quiet as she can be as she creeps up behind her to grab her. Brittany gasps and Santana smiles as her arms wrap around Brittany's waist until they're slowly moving together. She snuggles back into Santana and hums in approval.
"Hey, sleepyhead," she says quietly as she turns her head to kiss Santana's jaw. "I was just about to wake you up. We need to get ready."
Her words make Santana's arms drop and she collapses to sit at the foot of the bed in front of Brittany. Brittany turns in confusion and the sunglasses and straw hat come off when she finds Santana pouting.
"I don't want to go to work," Santana grumbles as she buries her face in Brittany's stomach. Her hands come up to clutch Brittany's bare thighs when Brittany's fingers begin raking through her hair. "I just want to stay here…" she mumbles. "And be with you…" A groan whimpers pathetically out of Santana's throat and she nuzzles in, holding Brittany as close as she can without her falling forward. "You've got school again on Monday."
Brittany's fingers stop combing through her hair and when Santana gathers the courage to look up, she finds her pouting. She tugs at Brittany's thighs so that she has to climb on the bed to straddle her and Brittany traces her hairline as Santana secures her in her lap. Brittany drops down into her lap and sighs.
"I know," she says softly and her pout slowly forms into a smile. "But I'm not worried because it's going to be so much better now. Think about it." Santana looks up at her and waits for another genius talking to. "When you come home in the morning, you're going to come home and get into bed with me. When I wake up, I'm going to get to kiss you good morning and when I'm bored and stressed in the library, I'm going to be able to call you and ask you what you're doing." She grins coyly. "Maybe I'll ask you what you're wearing or maybe I'll wait until I come home to you and just think about it while I'm sat in class. Maybe when I come home I'll be right and you'll always be wearing nothing…" Santana giggles. "Or maybe I'll find you watching TV on the couch and we'll snuggle until you have to leave for work. Maybe we'll nap on Friday nights before I come to work with you but my point is that we'll still be coming back to each other, right?"
Her hand cups Santana's cheek and Santana nods slowly, head too cloudy with the idea of Brittany thinking about her naked to properly keep up.
"It's going to be nothing like last year anymore," Brittany goes on. "No more disappearing to separate rooms and no more being scared." She shrugs. "All of that bullshit is done with." When Brittany momentarily sucks on her bottom lip, Santana kind of gets preoccupied for a second. "Do you hear me?" Brittany asks.
Santana nods slowly and doesn't feel bad for reaching up and running her thumb over Brittany's bottom lip. It's warm and soft and the feel of it is nowhere as good as the sensation of touching it with her own.
"I hear you," Santana nods dreamily.
It makes Brittany chuckle and tilt her head to the side. She shakes her head and the kiss that she reaches down to give Santana is too quick. Santana pouts for entirely different reasons but doesn't stop watching Brittany as she looks at her carefully.
"You need to stop looking at me like that," Brittany eventually says. When Santana frowns in confusion, she goes on. "It makes it really hard for me to talk you into getting ready for work when all I want to do is push you back and do whatever I can to make you come."
Santana's eyes bug out of her head and Brittany's grin is devilish. She climbs off of Santana before Santana can stop her, her hands failing to find a limb that isn't hurting and pull her back. She disappears from the room, her ass swaying deliciously as she peers back over her shoulder to smirk her amusement.
"Fucking tease," Santana mutters before falling onto her back.
Brittany giggles her dirtiest laugh.
/
When Brittany glares at the third person to stare at her legs, Santana begins to wonder if this was a good idea.
She's glad when they get to their stop and drags Brittany onto the platform before she can bitch out an old homeless guy. She pretty much drags her the whole way to work and is glad when it's mostly empty. Kurt and Rachel are sitting at the bar and Kurt helps her to aid Brittany onto one of the very few bar stools. They're already nursing ice-cold beers and when Lil sneaks up and plants another two onto the bar, it makes her jump.
Brittany thanks her graciously, taking a gulp from one before wiping the condensation of the bottle onto her jeans. It's probably not the best idea to let her get drunk when she's mostly been high on painkillers for the past three days but she's back to school on Monday. Santana wants her to have a good time.
What she doesn't want her to do is to glare at everyone who watches Santana when she's doing her usual set up on the bar. Brittany's seen her do it dozens of times but tonight she's glaring at anyone and everyone who dares to look at Santana, shifting on her seat like she might jump up and wail on anyone who might dare to do anything further.
And Santana's pretty sure that she and Kurt (who's been making sure Brittany stays in her seat) were the only ones who'd noticed. But that's until she's pouring someone a beer at the other end of the bar when Lil comes up behind her and wraps an arm around her shoulder.
"I'm not going to have any problems with Brittany, am I?" she asks as quietly as she can over the music. Her mouth is against Santana's ear and Santana can still barely hear her. The words make her turn to Lil in confusion. "It's just, you know my rules, right? No significant others in the bar, except I thought it would be different because Brittany's seen you on the bar and been here enough to know that people are gonna leer… except your boy Kurt has had to shove her back in her seat four times now, so I suggest you either figure something out or ask your friends to take her home." Santana turns to Lil and feels just a little bit nervous when the woman shrugs nonchalantly. "Just a suggestion."
She walks away and Santana has no idea what she's going to do.
/
That's until she has the perfect idea.
It takes for a guy to grab at her ankle… and for Caroline to turn up with her friends and park themselves directly where Brittany might see, but when she realizes what she needs to do, it seems obvious.
Brittany just needs reassurance so Santana unties the knot in the plaid shirt Brittany had coerced her into earlier and slowly struts along the bar to Brittany as she loosens the buttons.
The fabric falls open to reveal her best black bra and Brittany's eyes instantly look up to find her chest. Santana makes a show of running her hands through her hair, singing to Brittany and dropping to her knees so that Brittany could reach forward and touch her if she wanted to. It's a weird mix of pride and disappointment when she doesn't and Santana bites her lip before waving her ass in Brittany's face. Brittany smiles her goofiest smile and that just makes Santana struggle not to giggle.
The moment is over quicker than she wants it to be but Brittany's shoulders are relaxed and she's worrying her lip between her teeth. Santana can already tell where her head is at and when she finds Lil shaking her head in amusement, she feels better.
Sooner rather than later, when Santana's given Brittany her own performance for a fifth time, the last worry on Lil's mind is if Brittany's going to bitch out a creepy dude.
The only thing she should be worried about is making sure Brittany and Santana don't go at it on the bar.
Because Santana would be lying if the thought hadn't crossed her mind.
/
Lil wasn't lying when she said it would be busy.
It's almost out of hand.
They're supposed to close at 4am but by 5am, they've still got half a bar and it's a struggle to get all of them out. Rachel and Kurt have already pitched in to help get rid of all the empty bottles and they walk around the bar with their garbage bags. The only person not helping out is Brittany who somehow managed to get herself up onto the bar. She lays across it sleepily, eyes fluttering as the two security guys kick out the last of the customers. Her arms halo around the top of her head and Santana steps up to her because beside her is the only place she wants to be.
It's going on for 6am and she's exhausted. Two weeks of laziness and doing nothingness hasn't been kind to her and she doesn't hesitate to sit down, lean forward and rest her cheek on Brittany's stomach. Brittany's hand reaches up to scratch lazily over her scalp and she could happily sleep right here, she thinks. Brittany's body is warm and soft. Her touch is comforting. That's really all she needs.
"Hey, love birds," Lil says and neither of them stir when she throws down a crate of beer right by them. It takes for her to messily rub at both of their heads, ruffling their hair, before they look at her. She smiles at them kindly. "Go home," she says. "I'll see you Thursday night, Lopez."
That catches Santana's attention. "You don't need me tomorrow?"
Lil looks at her and swallows. She shakes her head. "No. I need you on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays."
That confuses Santana because she knows that Lil is down four girls right now. "But I thought—"
"Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays," she repeats sternly. "If you have a problem with that, maybe you should find something else."
When Santana looks up, she finds no malice in Lil's eyes. They sparkle back at her and Santana knows… she knows that this woman would possibly do anything to help her. She knows that she's found a friend. She smiles and nods slowly before standing up and helping Brittany down from the bar.
"Here's your tips," Lil says eventually, handing Santana a wad of cash across the bar. It feels thicker than it should. "There's also what I owed you from the last couple days you did before Christmas, so…"
Santana wants to tell Lil that they were already square, that Lil even gave both her and Brittany a bonus before they left on their last shift. She doesn't because there's a look in her eyes that tells Santana she should just nod her head and leave.
"I'll see you on Thursday," she says softly. Brittany leans into her side and her arm wraps firmly around her waist. Lil looks at them fondly before nodding at her.
"Later, Lopez."
/
She doesn't expect it to happen and that's why she thinks it's so perfect.
They get home and when she looks up at their new clock it's almost 7am. It's late, by Santana's usual standards. She doesn't really remember getting home from work this late that many times in the past year. A late morning usually means trouble getting to sleep and she hates that the bitter cold woke them up more than the cups of coffee that they threw away when they got off the subway. She hates that the heating isn't working up properly again and she hates no matter how many times they ask him to come fix it, their fucking super still hasn't come and fixed the draft on their living room window.
She feels exhausted but not sleepy, like she could stay awake for another ten hours but not do anything.
She'd be quite content to just lay here, still wearing her coat and her boots, and watch Brittany as she slowly tries to find another way to undress herself. She's kind of got the coat down now. She can shrug it off once she's got the buttons undone and it can look a little brutal when she's flapping her arms around but she can do it. It makes Santana feel a little better about her going back to school tomorrow. It makes her less worried that Brittany might end up worsening her injuries because no one will be there to take care of her. She can take off her coat and she can unwrap her scarf. She can even kick off her boots without any help.
It's not until Brittany's broken arm extends as awkwardly as it can in its forced position that Santana feels it's necessary to intervene. She's all for letting Brittany try but when she's letting out an uncontrollable whimper of pain because her shirt's all caught up that's enough. She steps up to her and quickly frees her from the fabric as gently as she can.
Brittany pouts in relief and doesn't argue when Santana steps as close to her as she can and undoes her jeans. Her eyes dart down to Santana's lips and the gulp she takes does not go unnoticed by Santana. It brings a smirk to her lips and she leans forward to tease their noses together before quickly dropping to her knees to push the jeans down Brittany's legs.
Brittany scoffs and Santana tries not to laugh as she gets up and steps away. She starts to remove her own clothing, instead, tossing her coat over the armchair before tugging off her boots. Her shirt, pants and underwear come next and she quickly replaces them with a long-sleeved t-shirt and sleep shorts as the cold whips across her body.
"Can you get my bra?" Brittany asks quietly and it's not until then that Santana notices that Brittany's been watching her too. There's a slow burning in her eyes that's not fierce enough to start anything but makes her feel warm anyway. She nods and quickly unsnaps Brittany's bra before watching her push her underwear down her legs with one hand.
It's sexy and beautiful and she has to blink to bring herself back into the room when Brittany expectantly hands her a t-shirt and clean underwear.
She helps her slip them on quickly and has to bite her lip the whole way. Brittany's cheeks are flushed when she stands up and Santana swallows deeply to try and right herself.
"I'm—I'm gonna go…" she starts, pointing out of the room. "I'm gonna go wash my face and brush my teeth."
Brittany nods. "I'll be right there."
/
She's almost done by the time that Brittany gets there. She's wiping her face with a towel and Brittany gives her a smile as she stands beside her and reaches for her toothbrush.
Santana automatically reaches to put the toothpaste on for her and Brittany whispers her thanks before getting on with her task. Santana doesn't understand how something so ridiculously mundane can look so beautiful but she doesn't think it matters. Brittany's eyes sparkle back in the mirror and it's not weird when Santana moves to wrap her arms around Brittany's waist. It's completely normal. Brittany barely reacts and just continues, bending to wash her face while Santana softly strokes her back.
Brittany takes her hand when she's done and yawns, leading her back to their bedroom and closing all the blinds and drapes on the way. It could be nighttime by the time they reach their bed and Brittany pulls back the covers before climbing inside. It's cold and they both shiver before moving to snuggle in the middle of the bed.
Santana doesn't know how long they've been laid there staring at each other but she does know that neither of them are ready to sleep yet. The bed is warmer now, their limbs pressing together comfortably. Brittany's good hand rests under her chin and Santana's arm curls around her waist. She strokes her back slowly because she doesn't want to fall asleep before Brittany does and this is the best way she knows how. Except Brittany's eyes barely flutter like they usually do and she watches Santana instead.
"Do you wanna play twenty questions?" Brittany says suddenly and Santana looks at her before nodding. "Except like we used to do it when we were younger, where we forget the numbers and we just ask each other questions until we get bored or fall asleep."
Santana smiles. "That's not how you play twenty questions?" she teases and Brittany gives her a playful glare before shifting closer. Santana breathes in and sighs. "You go first."
Brittany grins and presses their noses together. "Are you happy?" she asks.
Santana nods slowly. "Are you?"
Brittany nods around a giggle. "Ummm…" she says slowly. "If you had to spend a month locked in a room with someone would you pick Rachel or Kurt?"
"Kurt," Santana instantly says bringing forth giggles from Brittany. "Would you rather see Sue or Mr. Schue naked?"
"Ew. Gross," Brittany gags. "Mr. Schue. I'd be scared of what I'd find on Sue."
"That's disturbing," Santana comments.
Brittany nods in agreement and then something softens in her face. It changes too quickly for Santana to like.
"Now that you know I've been single this whole time," she says softly. "Do you regret anything?"
Santana breathes out slowly and strokes higher on Brittany's back. "I regret not asking you more questions. I regret not being a better friend to you by asking how things were. Do you?"
It only takes a beat for Brittany to nod. "I regret not calling you after I broke up with Sam and telling you. I regret not telling anyone, really. I regret not calling you up everyday and telling you I love you. I regret not kissing you when you picked me up from the airport. I regret not telling you that the only reason I'm here is because you are."
Santana swallows and struggles. All the questions rush to the forefront of her mind and she can't make sense of most of them. They move too fast.
"Do you really think that you could have just been my friend? That we could live here and just be friendly and be with other people and all that stuff?" Brittany asks before Santana can interrupt. "Even if I were single and you knew that, do you think we could have done that?"
Santana can't speak at first. Her answer mingles with her questions and she just shakes her head sharply from side to side before she can find the words.
"I thought I could," she whispers. "I thought that maybe I could be with someone else one day, you know? When I thought you were with Sam I was kind of torn between whether I could or not because I always felt bad being with someone else while you were around, even when it was guys. When I realized that being with someone would probably hurt you less than anything I'd done while we were together then…" She trails off when Brittany shakes her head, their foreheads squash together and she breathes out. "If you're asking me if I realistically thought that maybe one day I'd be able to look at you and not be madly in love with you, then… I've never thought that."
Santana sighs and shakes her head at the idea of it. Brittany watches her carefully with wide, worried eyes.
"And if you're asking me if I thought I could be friends with you if you were in love with someone else then I know I could, Britt. I would never be able to just walk away from you like that. Those months where we didn't really talk made me incredibly aware of how much I need you just to feel like I even exist, Britt…" She breathes out unevenly and looks at Brittany carefully. "I could happily outlive any lover you ever have…"
"Me too," Brittany cuts through her quickly. "Me too, I mean… It would be hard to handle the thought of someone else loving you and touching you—it'd be the worst thing in the world, actually—but I loved you from afar before… I think I could do it again…"
Santana sighs and her hand drifts higher on Brittany's back, holding her better and closer, until she feels less like she might float away. "You don't have to," she breathes. "You'll never have to."
"I know," Brittany nods and there are tears in her eyes. "I know that now."
Her tone and her tears make something stop in Santana. Her eyes flutter in recognition and she swallows carefully as she ponders her words. She almost doesn't want to bring it up but she doesn't feel like she can't.
"Is that why—is that why you said all that stuff when Quinn came to visit?" she asks breathlessly. "Is that really the way you acted the way you did?"
When Brittany doesn't answer, Santana peers up through her lashes to find her looking away from with flushed cheeks. It says more than anything Brittany might say aloud and it gives Santana the courage to look at her. She studies her carefully and sees all the things she didn't think she wanted to. They comfort her more than she expected.
"When we were at school, I was always jealous of Quinn because she was smart and she was beautiful and she was Quinn Fabray," Brittany laughs quickly, like what she's saying is obvious. The laugh dies when her smile falls and she becomes too serious, too sad. She worries her lip nervously before she speaks. "When you told me that you'd—that you and Quinn had…" She trails off and shakes her head like she can't bear to think about it let alone say it. "I wasn't really mad or angry or anything like that… I was just scared because I can't compete with her, you know? I can't compete with Quinn Fabray."
Santana looks at her like she's crazy and shakes her head in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?" she says softly. "Of course you can. Of course." Brittany looks at her and rolls her eyes. "Brittany, you got into NYU. Sure, it was a year late but Quinn is studying acting. That doesn't mean she's smart. All she does is act. But you, you're… you're a genius and you're the most beautiful girl I have ever seen." Brittany cracks a smile and it is gorgeous. It makes Santana smile in return. "Sometimes I can't even bear to look at you, you're so beautiful… and Quinn—well, let's just say that she doesn't make my heart stop beating when she comes into a room."
Brittany giggles and Santana quickly kisses her cheek. It's warm beneath her lips and she lingers there just because it feels so nice.
"So you never thought that something could happen between the two of you?" Brittany asks after a few minutes and it makes Santana draw back and look at her carefully. "You never looked at her and thought that you could feel something for her that was more than friendship?"
Santana leans in and kisses the warmth in her cheeks one more time before she pulls back to look at her. "No," she shakes her head. "Not before she weirdly came onto me. Not during and not for a second after."
Brittany looks at her dubiously and Santana shrugs.
"I was too busy being in love with you," she explains softly. "My heart wanted you and nobody else stood a chance."
/
Brittany doesn't look tired but she does look relaxed and peaceful. She stares back at Santana as Santana carefully strokes up and down her spine and it's calming how they can just exist together. It makes Santana slow down, makes her think and stop rushing with the need for information. Her head swims slowly with the thoughts she has, with things she's always wanted to know and answers she thinks she might have already guessed. Brittany's half smile makes her feel easy and brave.
"Why did you pick Sam over me?" she eventually asks and Brittany doesn't even seem shocked by the question. "When I came back, why did you pick him over me?"
It's a big question but Brittany doesn't seem stumped by it. If anything, she looks like she's always known the answer. She arches into Santana's touch urging her fingers lower so that Santana can scratch the base of her back. It makes Santana smile because it reminds her of something Tubbs would do.
"Because after you left I was convinced that I didn't know how you felt about me anymore," she sighs eventually. "I felt lost and Sam made me feel safe and I didn't know if you really wanted to be with me or if you just didn't want Sam to be with me." She swallows and Santana likes her honesty. She smoothes her palm against Brittany's skin until it makes her squirm a little. "And because you're better than being a cheer coach in Lima, Santana. I didn't want you to do that for me. I didn't want you to stall yourself just because I was there. I'm sure that part of it was probably guilt from the whole Louisville thing but it just made me feel worse, you know? I felt like even thought we weren't together that I was still holding you back."
Santana softens at how astute Brittany is. She loves how easily reminded she is that Brittany is a genius. She feels lucky that Brittany's always there, thinking clearly and rationally for the pair of them.
"And because New York was your dream," Brittany eventually goes on. "You might not have said it out loud but I've known that you need to be here since junior year so I wanted you to be here." She shrugs. "You dropped out of Louisville way before you found out about Sam and I. You knew that's what you wanted to do but there was no way you were going to go through with it if I picked you, so I didn't. And I'd applied to NYU and even though NYU was a very abstract and scary concept at that point… I figured that, if I got in, then everything would be okay."
Santana tilts her head and nudges her nose against Brittany. "You're a smart ass," she whispers.
Brittany smiles and snuggles in closer. "I try," she whispers until Santana giggles.
Brittany kisses her cheek and then nuzzles against it. There's something suddenly awkward about her body and it's not until she shuffles close enough that she can wedge her body against Santana's and whisper in Santana's ear that Santana realizes what's wrong. She's nervous.
"I want to know something," she breathes eventually and Santana holds her close because she can already tell that it's not the good kind of nervous.
"What's that?" she asks as calmly as she can.
Brittany swallows and it's loud against Santana's ear. She pauses before speaking. "Do you remember the night before we broke up? When we went to Kitty's thing at Breadstix?"
Santana takes a steadying breath before she nods. "Yeah, of course."
"Were you going to break up with me before I said that thing about you leaving me behind?" she asks quickly, breathless and terrified. There's a strained hitch in her voice. "Because I didn't mean it. I know it doesn't change anything but I didn't mean it. Not really."
Santana sighs and wraps her arm around Brittany's shoulder. She leans in quickly to kiss her neck and taste her skin. It soothes her more than anything else ever could or ever will.
"It wasn't the thing about leaving you behind," she admits in a whisper. "It was—" She breathes out unsteadily. "Do you remember how Dottie was after they pulled that prank? When she was on her knees on the floor and she was—she was hyperventilating? Do you remember what you said to me?"
Brittany buries her nose in Santana's neck and Santana's sure she feels a sob released against her throat. She's sure she feels the undoubted feel of tears against her skin.
"I said 'that's exactly what it felt like'," she whispers and Santana nods quickly.
"Yeah," she mutters. "You said that and that's when I realized that I had to do something. Because all I've ever wanted was to make you feel safe and loved and Dottie looked so scared, you know?" She shakes her head. "I didn't want that. I didn't want you to feel like that and all I could see for the rest of the night was someone on their knees—hyperventilating—except it wasn't Dottie, it was you and I just… I wanted to make you proud but I wanted you to be free from that feeling."
Brittany whimpers against her and it makes Santana feel terrible. Brittany clings to her the best she can and her arm wedged between them isn't enough. Brittany's good hand clings to her shirt and Santana does the rest of the work in keeping them close together.
"I was just mad," Brittany whispers.
Santana sighs and turns to kiss her ear, her hairline. "Oh, baby, I know that," she coos. It doesn't help Brittany's tears. "The whole thing was hard but it doesn't matter anymore. Everything's okay now. Everything's okay now because you're with me and I'm here. I'm never leaving you again, okay? I wouldn't even dream of visiting Jersey for the day without taking you with me."
Brittany laughs at that and it makes Santana feel relieved. She nudges Brittany away, running her nose over her cheek until she can squash it with Brittany's. Brittany's cheeks are stained with tears but when Brittany shifts closer to capture Santana's top lip between her own, they go forgotten. Brittany's good hand shifts beneath her body to press fingers against Santana's chin to keep her in place.
It's soft and warm and overwhelming and Santana sighs when Brittany pulls back. She feels alive all over and the hand on Brittany's back shifts up into her hair. Her fingers tangle in it and she feels completely content to just hold Brittany and remember that this is what it's going to be like forever.
/
"So I've got a question," Santana whispers and Brittany barely jolts as her head tilts back to look into Santana's eyes. A coy smile curls at Santana's lips and she narrows her eyes in wonder. "You say that you got my initials written on you the day you fake married Sam, right?"
Brittany nods. "Mhm," she mumbles. "I did get them that day. I woke up and I skipped my first three classes and I drove forty minutes outside of town so nobody saw me and I asked some huge guy called Snakebite to write your initials on me in."
Santana grins and kisses Brittany's chin. "Did Sam ever see it?" she asks, only for Brittany to nod through a smile a second later. "And how did you explain to him that you had my initials written on your body?"
Brittany releases a breathless laugh before she tilts her head down to look at her still half-swollen fingers. "Well," she starts. "When he saw it, I kind of clammed up a little but then he asked me when I was going to go back to get it finished and get the 'a' put in there…" A snort of laugh escapes her and she shrugs her shoulders before speaking. "I didn't have the heart to tell him so I used to write it in with a marker."
"He didn't offer to have your initials written on him?" Santana asks.
Brittany shakes her head. "He said he was afraid of needles."
"Pussy," Santana comments and bites her lip. Her cheeks burn as she tries to speak the next words. It's easier than she thought it would be. "I want to do that."
Brittany frowns in confusion. "Do what?"
"Have your initials written on me," Santana tells her like it should be obvious. "Maybe even your name or something…"
Brittany's cheeks flush but she remains calm.
"Yeah?" she asks after a pause. Santana nods. "That'd be cool," she says.
Except Santana can tell, just from the tiny catch in her voice, that it'd be more than cool.
/
They should really be asleep by now. Like, they should really be asleep because it's Sunday and Brittany has to be able to wake up at 6am tomorrow and Santana's got to be able to wake up with her.
Except, they're still looking at each other carefully and Santana's stroking Brittany's hair from her face softly and the last thing either of them wants to be is asleep.
And something feels like it's different. Something feels like it should be happening. It feels like they're waiting for something but neither of them know what.
Brittany looks soft and relaxed and calm. When her voice speaks, it's everything all at once: loud and quiet, soft and rough, expected and unexpected. Her blue eyes are beautiful and honest and Santana feels a million things she was so sure she'd never have again.
"Do you really see that future for us?" Brittany asks suddenly and Santana's confused for a moment until Brittany continues. "With me as your wife… with the babies and the perfect house and the tripping over cats and Sunday afternoons reading the paper and all those other things?"
There's a glaze behind Brittany's eyes as she speaks. Santana strokes her hair back from her eyes before the backs of her fingers glide across Brittany's jaw. She can't help but feel confused and she's not sure why.
"Of course I do," she whispers. "I see that and I see everything else I've ever wanted with you. I see all those things coming to us in a million different ways." She cups Brittany's cheek nervously as something occurs to her. "Don't you?"
Brittany worries her lip before she stops and licks it wet with her tongue. "It's weird," she whispers and it instantly causes Santana's heart to beat furiously in her chest. "Before we broke up… I could feel it but I couldn't see it when I thought about it. There were so many what ifs, you know? I could see things but I couldn't put them together. Like I could see you dressed in white but I couldn't imagine dancing with you at our wedding. I could see kids but I couldn't imagine one of us being pregnant… and I know that sounds really bad," Brittany says when Santana's face drops. "But I knew everything—I could feel it—but I couldn't see it."
Santana swallows and it feels painful. It feels bitter.
"And then when we broke up, I could see everything," Brittany whispers but her voice doesn't sound happy. It still feels sad. "I could see you getting married—I could see you smiling and dancing with your wife and I could see you pregnant and I could see you holding a baby bump as you moved into a beautiful house. And I could see this floppy-eared dog curling around your feet as you went out to get the paper and I could—I could see you making breakfast for your family. I could see you kissing someone every morning when you woke up and holding them every night." Brittany shakes her head and her bottom lip quivers. "I could see you doing all of these things with someone but I didn't know who it was. Yours was the only face I could see and it was all I could think about once you were gone and it hurt more than anything else that I could see a future for you without me."
The look Brittany gives her is desperate and hopeless and she hates it.
"I could see it," she whispers brokenly. "But I couldn't feel it anymore."
"Britt—" Santana starts.
Brittany adamantly shakes her head. "But then I moved to New York—to this apartment—and I let Tubbs out of his cage. I lay on the couch and we made dinner. We brought toilet paper and milk together… and you rubbed my belly when I had cramps and I could smell your perfume again and I closed my eyes one night when I was alone in my bed and I realized that—that girl who got to kiss you every morning and had you holding them every night—I was that girl again. That was me again except it wasn't. I could feel it again but I wasn't that girl. I wasn't for months and now I look at you and I can see everything."
Santana feels tears stream down her face except they don't matter when they match Brittany's. They don't matter because Brittany is smiling and hiccupping in slow breaths.
"I can see an entire universe and I feel so lucky, Santana," she whispers. "I feel so lucky because I almost wasn't that girl but I got another chance. I got another chance and now I'm going to dance with you at our wedding…" She gasps and there's so much shock and awe in her voice that the words feel like glass—delicate and breakable. "I'm going to dance with you at our wedding and I'm going to be holding your baby bump and I'm going to kiss you ever single morning—"
She stops speaking when Santana kisses her, long and hard and unrelenting. Instead she moans against Santana's mouth, breathes hard against her lips when they gasp for oxygen and doesn't let go. She clutches her hand in Santana's shirt but she doesn't say anything else, not when Santana says everything else for her.
"You're ridiculous," she gasps against Brittany's mouth and the kiss is fervent and overwhelming.
Brittany looks dazed and beautiful as the strength of Santana's body pushes her onto her back. Her hand clutches at Santana's shirt to keep her close and Santana feels angry with the need for her.
"You were always that person," she tells her through half-grit teeth as she lets that feeling overwhelm her. "You have always been that person."
Brittany looks at her and it doesn't take a second for Santana to push her into the pillows and move atop her. Brittany looks shocked and confused and her mouth hangs ajar until Santana kisses her furiously. Suddenly, it makes sense what they've been waiting for. Brittany gasps and her tongue tries to force its way into Santana's mouth. Santana pulls back before it can.
Her hand curls around Brittany's neck and she's so desperate for Brittany to know what she's known for as long as she can remember that she almost shakes her.
"Always, Britt," she whispers and she has never wanted this more. "Always."
Brittany nods but it still doesn't feel enough.
/
Brittany is warm and breathless beneath her.
She's warm and firm and her stomach shifts with the heavy breaths that leave her and pant hotly against Santana's open mouth. It's already too much and not enough at the same time. Her hands press into the pillow either side of Brittany's head and her fingers curl into fabric as it feels like she's spinning out of control. Her head feels dizzy like she's not getting enough oxygen but she still closes the small space between their mouths to suck on Brittany's top lip.
It earns her a moan and she swallows it gratefully as she uses her lips to urge open Brittany's mouth and delves her tongue inside. It's warm and wet and tastes just as it always does: sweet and bitter in a way that she shouldn't have been completely obsessed with since she was fourteen years old. She kisses Brittany so deeply that their teeth clash, that it feels like they may never be able to stop.
It's Brittany that pulls back first, her head tilting into the pillows from the force and a gasp painfully leaving her mouth. Santana watches her carefully before attaching her lips to her chin and kissing downward, tracing her jaw and her throat until she can tug at the collar of her t-shirt.
"Baby," Brittany whimpers and Santana pants at the sound of that name escaping between perfect pink lips.
She takes the hand Brittany has fisted in her shirt and brings it above her head and smiles when Brittany brings the broken one up to meet it on the pillow without her having to ask. She almost wants to say thank you but instead she just bites and lick at the softest parts of Brittany's throat and the curve of her shoulder. She soothes the marks with her tongue and settles herself more comfortably over Brittany's body. Her thighs squeeze Brittany's when her ass settles against her body and Brittany bucks a little to tell her she's in the right place.
And as she sits up, she feels some sort of ridiculous pleasure at looking down at Brittany like this. It used to be her looking back up at Brittany most of the time. But Brittany's hair is fanned out beautifully against the pillow, her arms haloed around her head as she breathes unevenly. Her back arches a little and it makes her chest look irresistible. Her blue eyes watch Santana carefully, mouth parted and lips swollen, and Santana stares back into them before she reaches down to rid herself of her own ratty grey t-shirt. It makes Brittany's breathing increase and her pupils dilate as Santana's hands quickly push beneath the fabric of her shirt and tug it upwards.
Santana loves how Brittany's body rocks backwards and forwards, shifts up and down, to help her remove the shirt. Their bodies almost tease together as Santana reaches forwards to unhook the fabric from around Brittany's cast and the tension in the room is so palpable that it's suffocating.
"Front door?" Brittany pants and Santana smiles at her as she throws the shirt aside.
She shifts her hips once—a warning to stop Brittany's teasing—and watches as Brittany's eyes roll back in her head. "Locked," she whispers. "Chains on."
Brittany must see the determination in Santana's eyes and she moans softly before arching her back again. "What—what about the phones?" She grits out as Santana bends down to kiss up her sternum. "Should we turn off the phones?"
Santana's kiss sucks along her neck and Brittany gasps out in relief as Santana's nose brushes her bottom lip.
"Fuck the phones," she whispers before she's kissing her again, swallowing the moan Brittany lets out in relief.
Brittany's tongue strokes against her own and Santana's spent too long this week going slow and gentle. Her hand instantly reaches down to cup one of Brittany's breasts as the other hand searches for Brittany's above her. Their fingers tangle and Santana smiles into the kiss, gasping into Brittany's mouth as her hips rock uncontrollably. Her thumb circles Brittany's nipple and the insatiable need for it to be in her mouth overcomes her.
Brittany moans when she releases her mouth, practically growls when Santana kisses her cheek and then her shoulder. It isn't until Santana's lips are parting to envelope a beautifully blushed nipple that she sounds happy again. Her chest arches and her gasps become sharper.
She hisses when Santana lowers their bodies together because the heat between them burns. She doesn't seem to care, not when Santana's licking and sucking at her skin, not when her nipples are almost raw from attention. Teeth graze and nip to form tiny blooming bruises against perfectly pale skin and Santana feels the sweat on her brow matting her hair to her forehead. It doesn't stop her and she brings down a hand to touch all the things that her mouth isn't quick enough to reach.
"Baby," Brittany whines quietly and Santana glances up to find her head tilted harshly into the pillow, her long neck arched into the air. Her hair litters her face and the blush that covers from her cheeks all the way down to where Santana can't see is beautiful. Her chest heaves with breath and Santana can already tell that Brittany's already too far gone, that to do anything more would just be mean. She softens her kisses and urges Brittany to calm as she makes her way back up her chest to her neck. She buries her face against it and finds it damp with sweat. She kisses it gently, before stroking her nose all the way back to Brittany's mouth.
Brittany's so eager that she kisses her nose and Santana's eyes flutter when their lips finally find each other again. She kisses her steadily, pushing up on her knees so that her hands can roam warm skin. She squeezes Brittany's waist and lets Brittany suck on her top lip before she sits up on her thighs and pushes the covers away.
She throws her hair behind her and when her gaze returns to Brittany, she finds her staring dumbly, her mouth agape and her chest heaving just that little bit more as her eyes litter all over Santana's body.
"Oh my god," she whispers as her head tilts away again and Santana tries her hardest not to smile in pride.
She fails but Brittany doesn't see.
She's too busy tilting her head farther and father back into the pillow as Santana's hands cover her breasts. Fingertips curl around her nipples and then sweep beneath the curve of her breast. They rake up her breastbone before Santana lets her nails scratch gently over Brittany's abs to rest just inside either of her hipbones. Her thumbs stroke and her fingers massage gently. Brittany whimpers and Santana bites her bottom lip as her fingers lift and pull at the edge of Brittany's underwear.
It catches Brittany's attention and she looks down quickly, breath quickening as Santana pushes up on to her knees and slowly begins to pull them down.
And she's seen Brittany naked more than once in the last couple of days. She's had more than one opportunity to reach forward and bury her fingers where they both want them to be but she hasn't taken them because it wouldn't be like this. She wouldn't be able to rest her fingers just beneath the waistband of her own underwear as she pulls down Brittany's. She wouldn't be making it hard for Brittany to decide where she wants to look most.
Brittany's legs lift from beneath hers as she pulls Brittany's underwear away from her body. She catches a momentary glimpse of just how wet Brittany is as her legs return to the mattress and it gives her the same jolt it did the first time she bore witness to it. Her thumbs push either side of her underwear down her legs and Brittany's mouth opens as she reveals everything. Her legs lift to untangle fabric from her feet and as she resumes her position against Brittany's pelvis, she's happy to hear Brittany's low unearthly moan.
It feels even hotter than before. They kiss deeply. Their skin sticks together with sweat and Brittany gasps into her mouth as Santana's body rolls against her. Her hips rock and Santana grunts as she feels just enough friction. It makes her bite Brittany's bottom lip and soothe it with her tongue as she rearranges their bodies.
She shifts until she's snug against Brittany's left side. Her thigh tucks itself between Brittany's and she pushes up just enough to make Brittany's breathing increase. She cups Brittany's cheek in one hand as the other reaches above her to tangle with Brittany's. She kisses her softly, perhaps too teasingly, and trails her fingers down Brittany's neck.
And it's strange, how Brittany knows what her next move is, how she instantly knows what's going to happen, just from the way that Santana's kisses slow. Her blue eyes open to find Santana staring back at her and Santana can't look away because they look opaque and translucent all at once.
Her hands trace Brittany's breasts and carve around her curves. She strokes her hips and curls around them to feel the soft muscles of her outer thigh. It makes Brittany start to shake and Santana just watches as her hands drift inwards. Brittany's head tilts back the tiniest amount and her mouth drops open as Santana's strong hands push her thighs open. Fingers rake upwards and Santana hears Brittany's breath hold as she waits for the touch.
Santana leaves her waiting until she's panting for breath. She leaves her until she's shaking and her eyes are desperate and adamant for touch. She waits until she can't anymore and quickly strokes her fingers through her.
The noise Brittany makes sounds like she's gasping all the air from the room. Everything is hot and stifling and Brittany is soft and wet. She's warm and Santana's fingers trace over her, remembering her carefully as Brittany attempts to breathe. And it's only when Brittany is breathing as steadily as she can, when her chin is tilting up to try and kiss Santana, that Santana moves as purposefully as she's desperate to.
She sucks on Brittany's top lip and brings her fingers up to rub circles around Brittany's clit. Brittany moans sharply and forces her tongue in Santana's mouth, stroking their tongues just as furiously as Santana strokes her fingers. Her hips rock and undulate. Her stomach muscles clench and relax. Santana feels the need to rock herself against Brittany's thigh but forces herself not to. Brittany is more important. Brittany has waited hundreds of days for them to be like this again, for them to be in love and together. Brittany has waited and this is her reward. This is what she has always deserved.
Santana's middle fingers slip inside of her easily. Brittany releases a whimper at the feel of it and is patient as Santana reacquaints herself with the feel of her. They kiss slowly, lips running smoothly together before Santana pulls back.
"I love you," she whispers just because she needs to except it catches her unaware when Brittany begins rocking into her fingers. Santana barely has to move as Brittany's hips lift from the bed and begin to push and pull against the intrusion. She rocks herself closer to what she wants and all Santana can do is watch her in awe, eyes flickering from the sweet determination in Brittany's face, to the slow movements of her breasts, and then further to where Santana's fingers disappear inside of her.
It snaps her back into focus and she darts her eyes back up to Brittany's before she pushes herself up on her knees and forces her body between Brittany's thighs. They spread even further apart and Santana feels her fingers disappear deeper inside of her as she lowers her body against Brittany's. She holds herself up on her elbow and Brittany's breath shakes from her in a gasp as Santana tilts her body and begins to thrust in and out of her. Her hips still rock into Santana's hand and the pull of Brittany's center against her fingers makes her groan. Brittany's brow is furrowed and beautiful. Santana loves it when her feet hook around the backs of her knees to keep her close. It gives her more room and she thrusts steadily into Brittany's warm, wet core until she gasps with every movement.
When Santana leans down to kiss her, it's almost impossible because Brittany's mouth just keeps parting with every thrust curled perfectly inside of her. Instead, she sucks on her neck before bending further to suck one of Brittany's nipples into her mouth. Her tongue flicks against it as she listens to Brittany's whimpering above her. She can feel her getting closer every second, her hips rocking so much that Santana starts to wonder if it's even safe. She grazes her teeth over Brittany's nipple and feels a rush against her fingers. It makes her movements smoother and she bites her way up to Brittany's mouth, panting against her as she starts to feel Brittany tighten around her.
And it's just as beautiful as ever. Brittany's mouth opens and closes around words that she never finds as her face relaxes into wonderment. Santana stares into her wide-open, deep blue eyes and presses the heel of her hand against Brittany's clit. It makes Brittany's brow tighten and slowly, too slowly, Santana watches as her body stiffens beneath her. It tenses completely, her mouth ajar, brow pulled together as her body free falls. A moan escapes her lips and when her tense muscles relax into earth-shattering spasms of pleasure, whatever breath she'd been holding instantly gasps from her. Her body continues to shudder and Santana looks at her in awe as her fingers remain stationary inside of her body.
"I…love…you… too…" Brittany gasps and Santana can do little other than kiss her fiercely in response.
Because with her fingers still inside of Brittany, and Brittany's body still spasming and clenching around her, all Santana wants is more. She kisses Brittany hoping to please the want but it doesn't work and she pulls back until she can whisper words into Brittany's mouth, until she can only just see her eyes.
"More?" she whispers. Brittany looks at her and the fear of her saying no clutches at Santana's chest. "Please?" she begs. "I want to see you come. I want to feel you come. I want to taste you and touch you and—"
When Brittany does little more than moan against her mouth and lift a hand to Santana's head to push her downward, Santana gets her answer.
/
She likes the way that Brittany's barely calmed muscles instantly start to shake as she begins to kiss her way down Brittany's body. It makes her slow down and her lips treasure and rediscover all the things she hadn't allowed herself the pleasure of when they were drunk. She kisses her carefully, her dark hair trailing with her as she moves to lick and suck at Brittany's shoulders, her breastbone. She even kisses Brittany's armpits, kissing their a few sporadic times before she traces her tongue down the ridges at the side of her ribcage.
She doesn't argue when Brittany grabs one of her hands from where it rests beside her on the mattress. She just looks up through the curtain of her dark hair to watch as Brittany holds it against her diaphragm, urging it to stay there. She presses a pacifying kiss to Brittany's waist just to reassure her and Brittany breathes just a little easier because of it. It soon turns into a sigh of relief when Santana brings her other hand up to grip at her waist before curving it beneath her ass.
Her mouth continues to kiss Brittany's body, her lips drifting to Brittany's abdomen as one hand squeezes uncontrollably at her ass. It's a little overwhelming because a surge of leftover longing hits her as she remembers all these things that she's missed. Her nose traces Brittany's freckles as her mouth parts to gasp for breath and her fingers stroke against the smoothest skin at the curve of Brittany's ass. Her nails grip into it as her tongue delves wetly into Brittany's bellybutton for a moment before withdrawing to kiss it tenderly.
"That—that feels so good," Brittany hisses as Santana pays attention to her hipbones and the tiny new rainbow tattoo. It makes her smile and almost makes her want to stop and just camp here against Brittany's stomach for the rest of the day
The thought quickly disappears when her head tilts downward the tiniest amount and catches the smell of her.
It's intoxicating and she barely registers that Brittany's breathing is panting from her again, that her diaphragm is practically vibrating beneath her hand. She's too busy pressing her nose against the skin and moving downwards. The hand on Brittany's thigh spreads them as much as it can, nails digging into her skin as her own breath hitches when her nose lowers enough that it bumps her clit.
It's wet and Santana can hear nothing but the ringing in her ears, see only the flushed flesh before her. She can feel the wetness and the heat radiating from her skin. She can smell nothing but Brittany's delicious scent and all that's left is to taste her. Her tongue pokes out and quickly flattens against her and it's heaven.
She pauses for a moment, her tongue reacquainting itself with the texture and taste of her. She's softer than Santana remembers—sweeter too. She pants against her and she can hear Brittany moaning above her, body wriggling enough that the hand on Brittany's diaphragm has to shift down to press against her hips to keep her steady.
When her tongue begins repeating its long, delicious strokes against her, Santana feels a cloudiness overcome her. Her own center begins to burn with the need for release but she ignores it, her tongue exploring Brittany's core and remembering it happily. She sucks on her clit just once, the tip of her tongue flicking against it as she pulls away. She traces her entrance and breathes against her until she gathers herself enough that she can suck her clit again. She clamps her mouth around it, sucking hard until Brittany groans and reaches down to tangle a hand in her hair and keep her still. Santana giggles against her, the vibrations making her quiver before her teeth graze over her teasingly.
The groan she releases is gorgeous and Santana dips lower and starts lapping at her entrance and the wetness that comes from it. Brittany's legs lift from the mattress beside her as her hips roll into Santana's mouth. Santana licks harder, until Brittany's feet press at her shoulders and her pelvis rocks steadily into her mouth. An almost melodic whine leaves her lips and Santana can't help but chuckle again.
"That feel good?" she pulls away to ask but she never gets an answer. Brittany's too busy moaning and forcing her head back where it was.
And everything is kind of quick then. Brittany's moans have always been the hottest thing she's ever heard, but when they're hopelessly escaping after attempts to speak they're a million times hotter.
"Santana—fuck—" She groans as Santana moves both hands down to her thighs. One squeezes her ass while the other hooks around her hip. Her breath threatens to fail, the words panting from her heavily as her entire body rocks into Santana's mouth. "Don't—fuck—don't—oh fuck —oh fuck—fuck —"
Santana squeezes her legs together at the effect Brittany swearing has on her. Her words make her act more fervently and her tongue dips inside of Brittany's entrance as it sweeps up to curl around her clit. Brittany moans and continues her expletive chant. Santana knows that she's almost there when the words die out and she just moans. It makes her more determined and Brittany's feet slip to cross over each other on her shoulder blades as she poises her fingers at Brittany's entrance.
When Santana easily slips two fingers inside of her and instantly presses against that perfect spot inside her it doesn't take anything else. Brittany snaps with a cry, her body buckling as her chest arches and her hips buck into Santana's mouth. The fingers inside of her slip out again and Brittany's thighs quiver either side of her face as she slowly licks her clean.
Brittany whimpers, body shaking and murmuring in happiness. Her hand loosens in Santana's hair and she pets it gently as Santana continues to bring her aftershocks of pleasure.
Her breathing slows and her legs slip lifelessly back to the mattress as Santana presses a kiss to the muscle still twitching in her thigh. She crawls back up Brittany's too-sensitive body before she kisses her softly, loving the way she hums at her own taste in Santana's mouth.
Her cheeks are flushed pink and when Santana pulls back to smile at her, all she gets is a look of determination.
/
When Brittany sits up, it almost knocks her backwards.
Her hands fly to Brittany's shoulders and the smug expression on her face drops at the determined one on Brittany's.
Brittany's broken arm wraps comfortably around her waist, her fingertips digging in as much as they can as her other hand cups Santana's cheek. Santana lets her hips drop until she's falling into Brittany's lap and gasps when Brittany kisses her quickly, tongue tracing her mouth, still humming at her own taste she finds there.
Her fingers curl around the ends of Santana's hair and it makes something in Santana relax. She brings her arms up and wraps one around Brittany's waist to keep her close and the other around her neck. Her hand tangles in the birds nest at the back of her head and rubs at Brittany's scalp.
"You're perfect," Brittany whispers when she draws back from the kiss. She sweeps Santana's hair from her face and just looks at her until Santana's too aware of the warmth all over her body. Brittany's face is flushed and she's hot to the touch. Santana nudges their noses together and gasps when Brittany's hand starts drifting down her body.
"You don't have to," she whispers as Brittany feels the weight of one of her breasts in her hand. Her thumb curls around a nipple and it catches her off-guard when Brittany unexpectedly bends down to suck the other nipple in her mouth. Santana gasps and sighs all at once as her body bends away from Brittany to give her better access. Her hand throws outwards to steady herself against the mattress and her body begins to move of its own accord.
It alarms her how wound up she is already. Every inch of her skin tingles wonderfully and Brittany treats her delicately as she kisses all over her chest, her hand slipping down to grip at her waist. Santana already knows that this isn't going to last long. Brittany's eyes watch her and they're so blue that they almost look like the night sky. They sparkle with stars and Santana pants uncontrollably at the hunger in them. Her fingers curl into the sheet beneath her hand and she completely underestimated how much she needs Brittany to touch her.
And Brittany knows, just like she always does. She kisses through her cleavage before moving gently up to her neck. She sucks at the spot that Santana always forgets about until Brittany finds it again and Santana can already feel muscles clenching. Brittany's fingers stroke her skin, fingertips curling over the lines in her stomach and the bones of her hips. She squeezes her thigh and doesn't waste any time teasing like Santana had done to her. Her fingers glide up Santana's inner thigh before fingertips find her clit and toy with it purposefully.
Santana gasps but still manages to pant out a "be careful" in warning even as all the muscles holding her up threaten to quit. Brittany just pulls back to look at her and smiles at her through hooded, happy eyes. She kisses her slowly, her fingers circling and tracing carefully. Santana breathes out shakily and bites on Brittany's bottom lip when strong fingers take one sure and searching stroke through the length of her. Fingertips circle her entrance and that's when Santana's first moan escapes.
"Oh my god," she breathes as her other hand reaches out to help the other. Brittany's fingers fill her too easily to not be just a little embarrassing and stroke her in a way no one else has ever been able to. She really doesn't care, though. Her eyes are too busy rolling back in her head as another breathy moan leaves her. Her ass is too busy rocking into Brittany's fingers as she reaches just shy of that spot inside of her. Her thumb sweeps over her clit and Santana's eyes open to find Brittany staring at her.
The fingers of her broken hand tickle against the base of her back because it's all they can do and Brittany licks her lips as her eyes take in every inch of her.
"You're beautiful," she whispers when Santana can't help but reach up and squeeze at one of her own breasts. She pinches her nipple and rocks into Brittany's fingers, urging her just that little bit further to give her what she needs. Her hooded eyes flutter and her lips struggle around words that become moans. She bites her lip and Brittany breathes deeper, her thumb stopping it's teasing sweeps over her clit as she bites the bullet and uses her cast to pull Santana closer. "Tell me," she husks. "Tell me what you need—" She groans and Santana knows it's because she's tightening around her fingers. "Fuck, tell me."
Her desperation matches Santana's and Santana rocks forward on her knees until she can reach forward and kiss her. Their tongues battle and she groans into Brittany's mouth as they fall back into the pillows.
"More," Santana finally begs as she rests their foreheads together. "I need—harder—" She groans. "Deeper—oh fuck…"
She yelps when Brittany does as she asks and taps that deep inside of her. Her body buckles and deep, overwhelming waves of heat and bursting pleasure wash over her. She feels them from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She's vaguely aware of noises leaving her mouth and she can feel Brittany drawing her release out with swipes of her clit and a palm rubbing over her center.
Her body softens and all she can do is gasp and fist her hands into the pillows beside Brittany's head. Sweat drips down her forehead. It coats the base of her back and she can feel it cooling the backs of her thighs. Her hair falls in her eyes and she doesn't care because she's looking down at Brittany and feeling everything as she strokes her inner thighs, her tummy, her waist. It's more soothing than anything else.
It confuses her a little when Brittany scoots down, when she's flat on her back. Santana's brow furrows as Brittany's broken arm resumes its place haloed above her head as her good hand strokes up Santana's stomach. She bites her lip and Santana swallows slowly.
"I'm not done yet," Brittany whispers with an urging squeeze of Santana's backside and that's when she gets it.
She groans inwardly and doesn't need to be told twice. Her heavy limbs shift up the bed until her knees are either side of Brittany's face. One hand grips the headboard in anticipation while the other forearm rests against the edge. She presses her forehead into it and looks down at Brittany expectantly. Her knuckles go white in anticipation.
"Sit," Brittany instructs, even though her good arm is wrapping around Santana's hips and tugging.
Brittany's tongue enters her without preamble and Santana moans loudly, her entire body shaking. Brittany giggles against her and she already feels her second orgasm building pathetically. Nails scratch over her ass cheeks and down her thighs before stroking back up over the rough sting. She groans at the way Brittany's tongue moves inside of her, her nose just nudging her clit just enough to send sharp jolts of pleasure through her body. Her hips roll into the movement and all it takes is for Brittany to nip at her clit a few moments later and she's gone too quickly, thighs squeezing and hips jerking against Brittany's face uncontrollably.
And when she's done and her legs are just able enough to move and the embarrassment is only just kicking in, she tries to climb off Brittany when but Brittany's hand holds firmly around Santana's waist.
"Where'd you think you're going?" Brittany mumbles and when Santana rests her forehead against her arm and peers down at her, her hair is everywhere and her blue eyes are mischievous and insatiable. Fingertips stroke the backs of Santana's knees and that's always been her weakness. Brittany bites her lips and reaches up to press a kiss against her clit quickly. "I said I'm not done yet," she whispers.
Santana takes a deep breath and when Brittany tugs her to her mouth, she doesn't argue—she moans.
She moans until her throat hurts too much to continue.
/
When she wakes up, she can't even remember going to sleep.
Her body drifts slowly into alertness and all she can really feel aware of is that her body is draped over Brittany's, that there's fingers tracing up and down her spine and that one of them had the sense to pull the covers back up over them. It's nice and the memory of what happened before she fell asleep is enough for a pleased grin spread across her face.
She buries it into Brittany's neck and sighs happily when Brittany sleepy giggles. The arm around her back tightens and Brittany turns and messily kiss the side of her head. Her own arms rest either side of her, hidden beneath the warmth of the pillows and she stretches them to get the feeling back in her fingers.
"Hey, sleepyhead," Brittany whispers against her ear.
It sends shivers up her spine that Brittany strokes away and she turns her head to give herself space to speak softly.
"Hello," she answers through the remnants of sleep. When she tries to move, she becomes too aware of the heavy ache throughout her body. It's the best kind of pain and she sighs at it before turning her head to kiss Brittany's pulse. "How long have I been asleep?" she asks.
Brittany giggles again and her head tilts until her chin rests against Santana's temple. Her fingers stroke up Santana's spine and her palms flatten against her shoulder blades as she brings Santana nearer.
"Well," Brittany says as her fingers play with the ends of Santana's hair. "You didn't really fall asleep." Santana's eyes narrow and she feels the amusement in the shaking of Brittany's muscles. "You did, however, blackout about six hours ago."
Santana groans in embarrassment and turns her head to hide it in Brittany's skin. She feels her cheeks burn and she shakes with Brittany's laughter. No wonder she can't remember falling asleep.
"I thought perhaps you'd come around but… after ten minutes of you sitting slumped around my neck, it kind of became a bit too much," Brittany giggles and kisses her forehead. "I honestly have no idea how I managed to get you comfortable. It probably had something to do with your arms and legs being like spaghetti from all those org—"
"Shuddup," Santana grumbles, quickly bringing up a hand to cover it over Brittany's mouth. Brittany pants hot belly laughs against it and it makes it impossible to be mad at her. Still, when she manages to hold herself up on the other elbow, she glares at Brittany and tells her, "I'm mad at you."
Brittany has the kindness to look offended, even as she giggles harder. "Why?" she asks. "Because I made you come so hard you blacked out for six hours?"
Santana swats at her shoulder at the brazenness of her words and gives her a warning glare. "No," she tells her pointedly, even as she leans down to slowly press a kiss to Brittany's lips. "Because I was supposed to be the one making you black out but you practically chained my lady parts to your face."
The kiss manages to stop Brittany's giggles but keeps her smiling. She grins into the kiss and lets her hand tangle in Santana's hair. There's a beautiful carefreeness to her that wasn't there yesterday and Santana strokes her face as she kisses her just to see her expressions change. She waits for Brittany's eyes to flutter open until she kisses her again and pulls back to press their noses together.
Brittany pouts, despite the unbridled happiness in her eyes. She cups Santana's cheek and runs her thumb over Santana's swollen top lip before she speaks.
"But I missed you," Brittany mumbles and it's so cute and honest that Santana can't even remember what she was mad for.
And Brittany must be able to see that because her pout falls into a grin as she tugs Santana into a kiss that makes her forget everything else, too.
It leaves her panting and she pulls back when she realizes, smiling even as she groans. "Damn it, Britt, I'm trying to be mad."
Brittany smiles coyly before kissing her neck. It really, really doesn't help.
"But I did," she says as the movements of her mouth go from innocent to filthy. "I missed making you hot and seeing you come—" She pauses to groan and Santana pants hard against her as Brittany's hand slips from her cheek to wrap around her waist. "I missed touching you with my fingers and putting my tongue on you and in you—Because you taste good… Did you know that?" she asks as her hand slips down to Santana's ass, grabbing and groping and urging their pelvises to rock together. "You taste so good, baby."
Santana's only response is to let her eyes flutter as they roll back into her head. Brittany's pelvis rocks into hers and Santana's breath catches in her throat when Brittany forces one of her legs between hers and rocks them together until their both desperately gasping for breath.
And even though Brittany looks ready to lose control, she still looks at Santana with that same smug grin. She still kisses her and tugs at her ass to force Santana to drag each desperate movement across her thigh. Santana feels ready to collapse. The ache in her thighs has become a burning and her hands grab at Brittany's face, her neck, and kiss her desperately as the release comes too quickly.
It's not like she cares, not when Brittany continues to rock against her, not when her release comes so peacefully that she barely makes a noise. She just watches her silently, kisses her slowly when she can and strokes blond hair from beautiful blue eyes.
When Brittany giggles once more, and her cheeks flush the prettiest pink that Santana's ever seen, Santana can only feel utterly content. She can only giggle back and kiss Brittany with everything she has and hold her as tightly as she is able.
She can only let the warmth of Brittany's happiness wash over her and feel proud of herself.
/
Their X-rated acts stop when Tubbs jumps up onto the bed beside them.
Santana tries to let her hand continue wandering Brittany body beneath the covers but Brittany just grabs it and tugs it atop the covers as Tubbs patiently curls up beside them.
"Why?" Santana asks her in a whisper and she's not sure why she's doing it.
Brittany just nudges their noses together before shaking her head the tiniest amount. She kisses her briefly and pulls Santana's arm until they both wrap around her neck.
"Not in front of our boy," she whispers as they just kiss slowly, lazily, like they used to in high school.
Santana isn't too happy about it but the reference to Tubbs being theirs—to an actual living thing being theirs—makes her heart beat too hard in her chest. It slows her kisses down until Brittany's breathing is sharp and shallow. She can already imagine how Brittany's going to boss her around for the rest of her life, how she's going to have to warn her to behave herself in front of their kids.
It makes her feel warmer than any blanket could and she rests their foreheads together as she closes her eyes and thinks about it.
She already can't wait.
/
It's late by the time that she manages to pull herself from the bed, grabbing her t-shirt from the floor and tugging it over her ass when she can't find her panties.
Brittany's dozing on her front, her hand outstretched over Tubbs' back where she'd been petting him. Santana finds new underwear and socks and then slows when she feels eyes on her, watching her move around the room. It makes her smile and when she peers behind her she find Brittany looking at her with narrow and concentrating eyes.
"Where are you going?" Brittany mumbles, cheek resting on her bicep.
Santana can already see the first signs of back-to-school sadness soaking into her features and it makes her worry. It makes her wish that they'd spent less time being stupid and more time being with each other.
She brushes Brittany's hair from her eyes when she sits back down on the bed beside her and smiles warmly. "I was going to go make dinner," she tells her quietly. "What do you want to eat?"
Brittany gives her a wicked smile. "You," she grins honestly.
Santana rolls her eyes. "I think you've had enough of that for now," she giggles. "You need some actual sustenance. Plus, I need to go check that we've got some juice boxes and snacks for you to take to class tomorrow."
"Nooooo," Brittany instantly says, rolling into the pillow and hiding her face. "No school."
Santana leans forward to kiss her shoulder and giggles into her skin. "But you like school…" she tries.
Brittany grumps.
"I like being here with you, more," she mumbles honestly.
Santana strokes her hair gently and smiles because it's impossible not to. She sighs and shifts around until she can wrap her arms around Brittany and keep stroking her hair. Brittany snuggles back into her and Santana kisses the apple of her cheek.
"I know," Santana coos softly, gently. "I'm so used to you being here all day and now you have to go be a genius again and it's gonna suck. But I'm gonna take you to school tomorrow and I'm going to go with you to explain to your professors about your wrist… and I'll find something to do until you have a break between classes and I'm going to bring you lunch to cheer you up and then I'll walk you back to class and then I'll wait till you're finished for the day…" Brittany sighs in definite relief. "If that's okay…"
"That's okay…" Brittany says, quickly. "I'd like that."
Santana leans over to kiss her quickly before drawing back. She keeps stroking Brittany's hair until she feels all the worry and disappointment disappear.
"Shall I order us a pizza?" she asks against the back of Brittany's neck.
Brittany nods and Santana doesn't move, she just leans over to the nightstand to grab her phone.
/
They eat pizza naked on their couch wrapped in a blanket while they watch Sunday night TV. Tubbs sits on the rug in front of the radiator, ignoring them when their playful kisses turn into deep kisses with wandering hands and gasped breaths.
Santana runs Brittany a bath and lights candles that make the room smell clean and heavenly. She leads Brittany into the room and doesn't have to strip her. She just wraps her cast and removes the dressing on her elbow. She washes Brittany's hair and the rest of her before slipping her hand down Brittany's front to the apex of her thighs. She rubs her gently, leaning over to tease kisses against her mouth before giving up and climbing in the bath with her. The floor is soaked by the time that Brittany's sweaty and spent and Santana washes her body again before sitting up on her thighs and washing herself.
She dries both of their hair and does all the things that she used to do before she went back to school after a break. She spreads moisturizer over Brittany's body, the act turning into some sort of massage rather than anything else. Brittany's muscles are soft and relaxed by the time she's done and that makes Santana feel better too. Brittany absent-mindedly watched a movie while Santana reapplies a clean dressing to her arm. It's mostly healed now and she presses a kiss over the clean, white bandage once she's done, just to help it along.
It makes Brittany smile and Santana wraps her in a clean t-shirt and underwear before disappearing into the kitchen. She finds Brittany some snacks and a couple of bottles of water and puts them inside Brittany's backpack that sits in the hall. She gets Brittany to tell her which books she needs tomorrow and Santana packs it all away before getting Brittany's cameras and setting everything up by the front door.
That worried look is back in Brittany's brow by the time she gets back to the living room but it goes away when Santana paints Brittany's nails and rubs her feet.
She's mostly asleep by the time she's done and Santana leads her to the bedroom, stripping her naked and guiding her to the pillows before making love to her slowly. Brittany's breathing is slow and when Santana stops her hands from drifting between her legs, Brittany doesn't argue.
She lets Santana guide her onto her side and wrap her arms around her. She lets Santana stroke her forearm and the back of her hands.
She lets Santana sing her to sleep and that, more than anything, makes Santana happy.
/
Brittany wakes up before the alarm and when Santana finds her—half-dressed and half-awake, messily pouring cereal into two bowls—she falls in love with her just a little bit more.
"What are you doing?" Santana asks her as she steps up behind her and wraps her arms around her waist.
Brittany barely jumps and sighs at being caught. Her hands put down the cereal box and grip onto Santana's wrists. From where she stands, Santana can see that there are cheerios everywhere. There's also a cereal bowl, smashed into large jagged pieces, sitting on the counter near Brittany's hand.
"Well, I was trying to prove to myself that I'm not completely useless but… I think I failed," she explains sadly.
Santana pouts and kisses her neck until Brittany turns in her embrace. Her arms wrap around Santana's waist and Santana snuggles into her neck, giving her the comfort she needs to say what she needs to say. She scratches her forehead with the back of her wrist before she does.
"I really wanted to make you breakfast to prove to you that I don't need you as much as I feel like I do," she mutters sadly. "And I couldn't even make you a bowl of fucking cheerios, so…"
Santana looks at her and feels herself deflate almost as much as Brittany has. She sighs and holds her closer. "Baby…" she whispers. "It doesn't matter; you're hurt."
Brittany nods and when Santana looks at her, she sees the sad worry in her eyes again. "I'm just gonna miss you, is all…" she says. "We haven't been apart in five days and I'm worried that it's not real or—or me going back to school is going to burst this bubble and like—"
Santana cuts her off with a kiss. It's possibly too indecent a reaction to Brittany's words but when Brittany spins her around and presses her to the counter, she doesn't really care.
"I have an idea…" Santana says when they pull apart. Brittany is panting and preoccupied. "Do you think you can get yourself home today?" she asks and when Brittany nods she grins. "Well, how about I don't come meet you from school and instead, I wait here and make you dinner. And how about, when you get back, you'll find me in my finest dirty girl underwear and we don't eat that dinner?" Brittany's mouth turns up and she bites her lip. When she nods, Santana can already see how eager she's trying to not be. "Okay, good."
And it is good… especially when Brittany pins her against the wall before they leave for the subway and especially when Brittany shoves the sandwich Santana brings her for lunch into her backpack before dragging her into the nearest bathroom and fucking her too quickly in one of the stalls. Santana keeps her promise and she's wearing barely there, completely pointless underwear when Brittany gets home. Her fingers are already rubbing at her center and Brittany manages to undress herself for the first time since she hurt herself to get to her.
But Santana doesn't mention it. She's too busy groaning into Brittany's mouth.
/
She's going through the paper looking for jobs when Kurt calls her on Tuesday morning. It's all waitressing and copygirl stuff and there's not much for her to circle her red pen around. She almost regrets wasting her money on paying for the paper and she's never been gladder to hear from Kurt.
"Are we on for tonight?" Kurt asks her when she mumbles out a 'hey, bitch' in greeting. "Rachel wants to watch Breakfast at Tiffany's."
It takes Santana a second to realize what he's talking about but then she remembers that it's Tuesday and that means it's movie night. Her mouth opens to speak but she finds she can't find an answer. Part of her wants to blow them off but there's also a part of her that reminds her that this is what she's wanted since Brittany moved here. She can't think of anything better than snuggling up with Brittany and watching old movies after months of sitting on opposite ends of the couch. She can't think of anything better than grossing out their friends as they whisper and kiss the whole night.
It decides it for her easily and she lets out a "yeah, of course" without another thought.
"Fabulous," Kurt drawls. "I'll let Rachel and Blaine know. What time does Britt finish class this semester?"
"Uh, she finishes at 5:45," Santana reels off from memory. "But you guys can get here at six like you usually do. It doesn't matter."
"I'll bring food and wine and make us a feast," Kurt says agreeably, like that's not what he does every Tuesday while Rachel and Brittany argue over what they're going to watch. "Ask Brittany if there's anything special she wants."
"Will do," Santana says even as something flutters in her chest because he's never asked her that before. Suddenly, the fact that Kurt always turns up to their apartment with a box of dots makes sense. "See you later."
"Bye bitch," Kurt sighs and Santana laughs.
/
Kurt and Rachel are in the kitchen, arguing over dinner, when Brittany gets back from school. Her blonde hair is curled at the ends from the damp air and her cheeks are rosy red as she drops her bags to the floor and shrugs off her coat. She's chewing gum and she grins at Santana when she sees her sitting on the couch waiting for her, jerking her head to the kitchen as she rolls her eyes at their friends.
She steps over to her quietly, bending down over the back of the couch to give her a lingering kiss. She plucks at the NYU sweatshirt Santana's wearing and strokes her hair before taking the glass of wine that Santana holds up for her.
She sips it slowly and doesn't argue when Santana reaches around her to take off her sling. She groans a little and Santana already knows that she's already missing the painkillers that she finished this morning.
"How long have they been in there?" Brittany whispers as Santana tugs her until she's snuggled into her.
Santana curls Brittany's hair around her finger before speaking, "About twenty minutes," Santana tells her. "They've been arguing over the inconsiderate nature of beef wellington for the last nineteen."
"Oh, how I've missed them," Brittany giggles and Santana kisses the side of her head before kicking her feet up onto the coffee table and turning on the TV.
When they hear a crash, Santana decides that's enough.
"Hey!" she shouts. "If you two don't start behaving yourselves, then I'm gonna be forced to order some freaking pizza and not give you any."
They both try to push each other as they leave the kitchen, shouting a tirade of nonsense that Santana doesn't want to hear.
Rachel's still talking when Kurt realizes that Brittany's home. It stops him as he offers her a quick hello and Rachel soon follows.
"I'm hungry," Brittany says and adds a pout. "What's for dinner?"
They both return to the kitchen a couple of minutes later to make Brittany beef wellington and mashed potatoes.
/
It's not until they're eating dinner and watching Some Like It Hot that Santana broaches what she's wanted to ask since Kurt and Rachel arrived.
"Where's Blaine?" she asks and notices instantly how Kurt balks at the question. She probably should have broached this subject on Saturday night when Kurt was too far-gone on cocktails to care. It probably would have been easier but her suspicion had only been a feeling then, something she was sure was probably in her imagination.
She knows that it has nothing to do with her imagination when Rachel diverts her eyes down to her plate. Brittany looks at her from her spot on the floor between Santana's legs before turning around to look at Santana. She gives her a look that silently asks Santana if she knows what she's doing and she must get her answer because she quickly turns to Kurt and watches him carefully.
When Kurt doesn't answer despite the attention, Santana smiles worriedly and takes a quick bite of her dinner.
"Something wrong?" she asks even though the question is kind of redundant now.
Rachel turns her head to Kurt beside her and Santana feels something momentarily bloom in her chest when Brittany's hand drops from where it holds her fork to wrap around Santana's ankle. Santana plays with the collar of Brittany's shirt and waits for Kurt to answer.
If he gets to be a hard-ass to her, then that should work the other way around too.
"Do you want me to tell them?" Rachel whispers to Kurt but he shakes his head and leans forward to put his plate on the coffee table.
He clasps his hands together, biding his time or hoping that Santana will give up except she doesn't. She waits and when he looks at her with glassy eyes, she knows that it's bad.
"Blaine…" Kurt starts. "Blaine cheated on me," he says as clear as day and Santana doesn't move but Brittany gasps and turns to search out Santana's reaction. "Again. In fact, Blaine cheated on me more than once and he's probably cheating on me again right now because he's gone out drinking with those dumbass friends of his and he can't keep it in his pants once he's had a vodka cranberry!"
He trails off and lifts his eyes to Santana. She wants to be mad but all she can do is feel sad. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Kurt laughs and sighs at the same time. "Because you're probably going to kill him and right now I kind of want you to even though I promised him I'd think about it before I broke up with him," he explains, shrugging his shoulders like it doesn't matter. "And because it's whatever. It says more about me than it does about him that I took back a cheater and he cheated on me again."
"That's bullshit," Brittany quickly cuts in and Santana looks down at her before she pushes the empty plate in front of her forward before attempting to heft herself up onto the couch. Santana helps her and Brittany mostly ends up in her lap but they don't make to move. "The fact that Blaine cheated on you once, won you back and then fucking cheated on you again says more about him that it does you. All it says about you is that you're a fair person. What it says about him is that he's an idiot who doesn't deserve you."
Kurt and Rachel stare at Brittany in shock but Santana just lifts her arm so that she can stroke the ends of Brittany's hair as Brittany keeps talking.
"And you should want to kill him," she says. "You should want to cut off his balls and throw them off the Brooklyn Bridge because he made you a promise and he lied his ass off." She shoots them all a separate look. "And that's not cool."
Kurt narrows his eyes in wonder at her and Rachel just stares with her mouth open in shock. Santana giggles with pride and Brittany looks at them all in confusion. Santana wants to kiss her but she can't; it'd be inappropriate and unfeeling.
"Where the hell did you come from?" Kurt mutters and Rachel nods dumbly in agreement.
Brittany frowns in even further confusion and looks to Santana for understanding. Santana just curls Brittany's hair around her fingers and sips from her wine.
"That's my girl," she mutters eventually. "She let New York make her mean."
/
They're all a little tipsy by the time they get to How To Marry a Millionaire.
Except for Kurt—Kurt is well and truly smashed.
They're on bottle of wine number four—or maybe five—and they've been through the story of how Kurt found incriminating texts on Blaine's phone and confronted him about it. Kurt's head is still in Rachel's lap from the first time, when he cried tears that were more frustrated than upset and both Brittany and Santana gave him expletive-ridden tirades about how Blaine doesn't deserve him.
None of them are watching the movie now. Kurt's been giggling and gossiping with Rachel about some guy that's been paying her too much attention during one of their classes while she swears it's nothing. Brittany and Santana have been spooning under their blanket since before that and it's nice.
It's been a long time since they weren't alone in a room and whispering things they shouldn't to each other. Santana tries to keep a straight face even as Brittany teases her, holding the fingers of Brittany's good hand as it scratches gently beneath her shirt. She wants to kick Kurt and Rachel out on their ass but she already knows it's going to be one of those nights where they end up sleeping on their couches.
They're making out slowly when that point is proven.
Rachel lets out a snore as she jolts herself awake and Kurt's giggle is sleepy and bored before his eyes flutter closed again.
Brittany gives her a nudge and they both get up slowly. Santana lets go of Brittany's hand to go and fetch them some blankets from the hall closet but stops when she realizes something.
"Hey, you guys," she says, tapping them both on the shoulders. Rachel jolts awake again with a start and a randomly shouted "Barbra Streisand!" and it should be weirder than it is. She furrows her brow at Santana before becoming confused. Brittany reaches out to grab Santana's hand and Santana takes it happily. "You guys can go sleep in the spare bed if you want. It's warmer and you might have to kick Tubbs out but he won't mind."
Kurt groans. "I'm not sleeping in there," he yawns. "You've probably had sex in it."
Santana chuckles and barely blushes. "If we're working by that standard then you need to get your ass up off that couch and you probably shouldn't have eaten off this coffee table…"
It takes them both a moment before they both realize what Santana said and jump up.
Brittany gives them both a roll of her eyes and a smile. "The sheets are clean and there's a thing of new toothbrushes in the cabinet. My old alarm clock is in there too if you have to be anywhere early tomorrow."
They nod and Santana wraps an arm around Brittany as she watches them disappear inside and close the door. Brittany spins from her once it clicks and pulls on her arm to drag her to the bedroom.
She bites her bottom lip and Santana can already tell that they're going to mentally scar their best friends. She kicks their bedroom door closed and lets Brittany's hand go when she gives it a squeeze. Santana watches her silently as she undresses herself before lying back on the bed and spreading her legs.
"Have at me," she whispers and Santana doesn't need to be told twice.
/
Brittany doesn't have class until the afternoon but they agreed they'd go and do their laundry. They're up early and the door to their new spare bedroom is closed when they wake up.
Brittany puts Good Morning America on mute and listens to the radio while Santana gets a start on breakfast. She wears Brittany's sweatpants and her NYU t-shirt that she grabbed from the floor before going to the store. Mr. Broadsky had given her a knowing smile that she'd glared at him for and handed her the stuff she needed to make breakfast without another word.
She feels weirdly domestic making breakfast as she watches Brittany organize their laundry into two piles. Her hair is piled messily atop her head and the huge button-up she wears is fastened all wrong but she looks ridiculously cute. The fingers of her broken wrist scratch her nose and she gives Santana a knowing smile when she catches her looking.
"Why'd you let me drink so much last night?" Kurt says as he emerges from the bedroom. His shirt is tucked out of his pants and he has huge bags under his eyes. Rachel follows after him and ducks around the corner to the bathroom without anyone really seeing her.
Santana stirs eggs in a bowl and gives him a half-sympathetic smile.
"Because you needed it," she tells him once he steps inside the kitchen. She pours the eggs into the pan at the same time she reaches over to grab the coffee pot. She hands it to him and he groans gratefully. It makes her smile. "Eggs for breakfast, okay?"
He nods as he pours creamer into his coffee and sips from one of the bottled waters she left on the kitchen table beside the aspirin. Rachel appears a few moments later, looking like the walk of shame. Santana has to try really hard not to laugh at the irony.
"Can I have some—" she begins to ask before Santana reaches over and passes her the cup on the counter.
"Tea," she tells her as Rachel hums in thanks. "Also got you some tofurkey. Don't complain because that's all they had. You can raid the fridge for whatever else you want."
"Thank you," Rachel says as she gets up and disappears into the fridge.
It feels weird to have so many people in their apartment after days of it only being them but it makes Santana feel happy in the weirdest way. Brittany tugs on the bottom of her shirt as she steps into the kitchen to steal away the dirty dish towels and gives her a just-because kiss on the way out.
When she comes back a few moments later, she washes her one good hand before wrapping it placing it beneath Santana's shirt. The cold makes her jolt a little but when Brittany is pressing a kiss to her neck she can't be mad.
"Love you," Brittany whispers and it's already the third time that day.
Santana turns her head and kisses her quickly because it still makes her tingle all over.
"Love you back," she whispers, happy to see Brittany grin in response.
/