Does It Ever Rain In LA?

by bobbieyoung

An unexpected encounter between two strangers... slow burn. Re-upload.

5. Part V

Chapter 17 *Flames*

…Brittany…

"Santana" She hears how hoarse her own voice sounds. She needs to swallow before she opens her eyes. That last kiss was so intense while softly swaying to the music in the background. Santana looks quite numbed, too holding on to Brittany's hips.

The brunette has her eyes still closed when Brittany whispers her name once more. Brown orbs glance up into her own and the flush on Santana's cheeks makes her melt inside. She doesn't want to go home… she wants to hold that body close to hers all night because it makes her feel so incredibly grounded.

Whenever Santana's hands are on her body, she feels all warm and good. She knows that Santana lives with Kurt now and he'll probably soon be wondering where she is but she'd give anything to be with Santana tonight.

"Stay the night at my place…" She breathes and watches how Santana's eyes widen. Not in shock but with excitement. She nods quickly before she whispers into Brittany's ear that she wants to get out of here.

She takes Santana's hand into hers and with determined steps she guides the way out of the dancing area and through the bar towards the exit. She always says goodbye to Puck before she leaves but when Santana kisses her shoulder and she senses how her fingers are trembling in Brittany's hand, she knows this is not the time to go look for a mohawk behind the bar.

Instead she pulls Santana's hand up to her lips and presses a kiss there before pushing the heavy door open and leading Santana outside into the dark night.

Thank God Santana came by car and only had a soda.

Brittany throws a glance to her left and sees how Santana's hands are clutching the steering wheel, her eyes directed to the street in front of them. She seems focused on the traffic but her parted lips as well as her chest which is visibly moving up and down give her away. Santana looks so nervous but there is nothing to be nervous about.

They stop at a red light. That's when Brittany reaches out to wrap her fingers around Santana's wrist. The brunette shoots a glance at her.

"Are you ok?" Brittany asks. She watches how Santana nods but also bites her lip.

They both know they are not going back to Brittany's to fall asleep next to each other.

"Hey" She breathes and leans over the middle console to get closer to the jittery brunette. With her free hand she cups Santana's cheek and pulls her in. Their eyes close at the same time when Brittany's lips brush against Santana's. A soft sigh sounds from between their mouths.

"Only if you feel ready" She whispers against Santana's cheek and smiles at the humming noise that follows. Santana's hot breath tickles Brittany's skin when she turns her head to look through the window. "Santana"

"Hm?"

"The light's turned green"

"Okay…"

"Which means you have to drive."

"Oh… oh! Okay, sorry." They pull apart and Santana clears her throat before she steps on the gas.

For the rest of the ride they don't talk, they just send quick glances at each other. Brittany can't believe how long it takes from Puck's bar to her place because there are red lights everywhere! It never takes that long when she's alone…

When Santana finally parks the car in Brittany's street, they step outside. Brittany quickly makes her way to the driver's side.

Santana is waiting there with a bashful expression on her face and dark strays of hair fall into her face. She locks the car and lets the key wander into her purse when Brittany steps next to her and smiles carefully. Santana looks really pretty wearing that blazer and those pearl earrings…

It's already past midnight so it's silent in the neighborhood. Her heart is drumming like crazy though. When they start walking towards the apartment complex, Brittany feels cold fingers wrap around her own. She frowns because it's actually still warm outside. Or is it just the heat in her face when she thinks about what's going to happen once they're inside?

"Your hands are cold." She whispers once she closes the apartment door behind Santana and they walk into the dark living room. She steps close in front of Santana and pulls her purse from a slender shoulder, only to throw it onto the couch behind them.

She takes both of Santana's hands into her own.

"I can make tea… or do you want to take a bath?" She suggests and smiles when Santana lets out a soft chuckle.

"No, I don't need a bath." She mumbles while her glance wanders to Brittany's lips. "I guess they're cold because I'm nervous."

"We can also watch TV if you want. Or a DVD… we can also-"

"I wanna go to your bedroom." Her beautiful eyes seem darker than ever before and Brittany swallows when Santana steps even closer to whisper into her ear. "And sleep with you…"

Her eyes flutter close at Santana's words because that sounded seriously sexy. It does a lot to her insides. Something warm pecks her lips while she senses herself being pushed back towards the bedroom. Only when her shoulders hit a wall she opens her eyes and finds Santana grinning sheepishly at her.

"Sorry, wasn't looking." The brunette murmurs and presses her body into Brittany's so she gets sandwiched between Santana and the wall. It feels awesome because it's been a while they were this close physically. Actually it hasn't been that long but it sure feels like it.

She wraps her arms around Santana's neck and lets her hands run through silky raven hair. Since they still haven't bothered to turn on some lights, she can only see Santana's warm smile. She grins back at her because she can't help it. Especially when she feels Santana's hands on the small of her back and how they slowly disappear under her shirt. Suddenly her fingers aren't cold anymore.

The skin on skin contact causes Brittany's breath to hitch in her throat. Her lips automatically part as Santana's hands wander up her back.

She presses her lips against Santana's cheek bone and a shaky breath escapes her when she senses one of the other woman's hands roaming to her front and how it cups her right breast.

Where did this confident version of Santana come from?

"Sorry" The brunette mumbles and pulls her hand back.

"No, it feels good – please…" She doesn't want to beg Santana to return her hand to where it was so deliciously placed on her chest just a second ago because she doesn't want to seem needy. But it really felt so nice. "You can touch me anywhere."

Like that doesn't sound needy… She presses her eyelids together in slight embarrassment but gets distracted when she feels a hot breath of air hitting her cheek. Shortly after the hand is back on her boob. She sucks in her top lip when Santana squeezes gently.

Warmth fills her chest and it sinks down between her legs when she admits to herself how turned on she gets by that feather-light touch.

"Bed?" She husks. Santana only nods, pulling her hand from underneath Brittany's shirt. Their lips meet for a kiss before they stumble sideways along the wall until they get to the bedroom door. Santana reaches behind Brittany to open it and pushes her inside.

She still hasn't found out what it is. She doesn't know why Santana has this unbelievable effect on her. She never felt this excited or simply nervous before sleeping with one of her hook ups in the past. Because the only thing they meant to her was a night filled with pleasure and carefree moments. Not once back then did she think about what sex with another person actually means.

Now she can't stop.

Because she didn't grow tired of Santana after the first time. She only wants more…

It's like with every light kiss that Santana is currently planting on Brittany's face, a breath of life gets pumped inside of her and she learns what it means to be naked with somebody and not think of anything else but each other's existence as well as the connection they are slowly but so obviously building.

Santana is sitting in Brittany's lap and she's shaking on top of her. When they stepped into the bedroom, their clothes could not get off each other's bodies fast enough. They took turns at pulling their shirts over each other's heads and jeans down their thighs while standing in front of Brittany's bed. When they were only left in their underwear, Brittany quickly turned around and found a candle in a drawer of her bedside table.

She lit it with trembling fingers so they didn't need to turn on the disturbingly bright lamp. The warm flame was just enough.

They took off each other's bras and took care of their panties before meeting in the middle of the mattress where they came together for heated kisses while kneeling in front of each other. It had felt so good that Brittany seriously pondered whether she needed more tonight. She could have sat in front of Santana and kissed her all night because those kisses made everything feel perfect already.

But when she heard Santana's breaths turn heavy and almost desperate, she quickly forgot about that thought of just making out all night. They could do that some other time.

She pulled Santana into her lap so she could wrap her arms around Brittany's neck.

She knew that Santana wanted to be the one to do things to her tonight because she kept stroking her belly and her sides lower but Brittany also sensed that she was insecure about how to touch and where exactly.

So she pulled her on top of her and thought why not show her again… it was too good to miss the opportunity and when Santana started trembling with anticipation, things were sealed.

They've been sitting in this position for several minutes where Brittany just enjoys exploring every inch of Santana's skin, letting her hands wander up and down her back. Up to her shoulders and down her sides which are so amazingly curvy. Perfect really…

Meanwhile Santana's hot lips are experimenting new things by sucking on Brittany's jaw delicately and peppering small pecks all over her face, including her eyelids. Again she could do this all night…

It's when Santana's lips return to her own and her kisses become deep and somewhat desperate that Brittany knows; enough with the teasing. She guides her hands to Santana's front and pushes them up until she holds Santana's breasts in them, earning a sigh in return. They feel marvelous.

"Brittany…" Santana moans so softly between two kisses and pushes her hips forward. "I don't think I can take it much longer." She mumbles. Brittany instantly feels sorry for making her wait. But everything about Santana's body is so beautiful and deserves attention, she can't just choose one part and neglect the others. She wishes she had more than two hands tonight…

"Okay" She hums and guides her left hand down Santana's abdomen which twitches forcefully under the soft touch.

A whimper leaves Santana's lips when Brittany finally arrives where she needs it the most. She thanks her with furious kisses and fingernails digging into Brittany's shoulders.

She can't believe how amazing Santana feels against her hand and she needs to pull back from the kiss to manage her own breathing. She lets her forehead rest against Santana's collarbone when she arranges her fingers, ready to push inside her. But she won't do so without another glance into those brown eyes to make sure she's allowed.

"Yes" Santana whispers and wraps her arms tightly around Brittany's shoulders.

With that Brittany thrusts into her just as careful as the first time. She can't help but smile into the crook of Santana's neck when she feels how wet and warm she is once again. It overwhelms her.

She breathes and holds the other woman close to her with the free hand around her waist. It spurs Santana to move with her and together they build a rhythm that won't take too long to lead Santana over the edge – she can tell by the way she breathes erratically and squeezes Brittany's hips with her knees. It's glorious. Santana's body and her noises are…

She's not sure but something that sounds like 'so amazing' leaves Santana's red lips and Brittany watches in awe how Santana tilts her head back with her eyes closed.

She engraves the picture in front of her to her mind and thanks the universe for sending the sexiest woman on earth into her life.

Fingers grab her shoulders hard when Santana rests her forehead against Brittany's, her moans filling the room and causing Brittany's heart to race for her. The constant friction between their upper bodies has quickly caused a line of sweat that runs down between Santana's breasts and it mirrors the state Santana must be in by now; melting and close to burst.

The thighs that are straddling her start shaking when Brittany's fingers work so hard between them and when Santana's hands cup her cheeks to intensify the kiss, Brittany knows that she's only seconds away from falling apart.

"Hold me" Santana gasps and presses her cheek to Brittany's. She's doesn't know exactly how to do that because her left hand is sort of busy between Santana's legs and with the other she is steadying the brunette in her lap.

She lets her hand wander up until she reaches her shoulder and holds her as close as possible. Not a breath of air could come between their bodies when Santana's stomach muscles start twitching and her whole body begins to shake and tremble in Brittany's embrace. Moans of release leave her lunges when she comes so intensively and collapses around Brittany's shoulders.

"I've got you..." Brittany whispers because Santana is whimpering and breathing so hard into her neck, suddenly all vulnerable.

Santana's breathing is still erratic but it slowly calms down when Brittany kisses every inch she can reach and blows some air to the damp skin right in front of her.

After several minutes of just holding onto each other, she sinks back onto the mattress and drags Santana with her. Carefully she pulls the hand from between their middles which causes another jolt through the slim body on top of her.

"Brittany…" Santana mumbles exhausted and stretches her legs until they're lying comfortably.

"Yeah?"

"I'm so thirsty."

They both chuckle at Santana's raspy voice. When she pushes herself up on her elbows, they sink into each other's eyes.

"Me, too. I'll go get us a glass of water." Brittany says and tucks a strand of hair behind Santana's ear.

"Okay but can we stay like this for another minute?"

"Sure… as long as you want"

Santana nods and presses a tender kiss to Brittany's chin before lowering herself back down and placing her head on Brittany's chest.

Even if their breaths are calming down, she can tell that both their heartbeats are still racing but it's good. It feels so good…

---

…Santana's POV…

My legs feel like jello… and my lips are sore.

But I don't wanna sleep now – I want more.

Brittany crawled out of bed after I eventually loosened my embrace and rolled onto my back. While she's naked in the kitchen and getting us something to drink, I sit up and let my hands run through my hair. How did they get this damp in such short time?

I throw a glance at Brittany's alarm clock. It's one in the morning and we'll have to get up in a couple hours. Kurt will have some questions when I come home only to grab some fresh clothes.

The door makes a noise when Brittany steps inside. She's holding two glasses of water with ice in her hands.

"Thought you might want it cold." She grins and steps towards me where I'm sitting at the edge of the bed. I turned on the lamp on her bedside table before so she'd find the way out of the room. Now that she's standing in front of me with nothing on, I can't take my eyes off her.

"You have a tattoo" I blurt and point to her hip. Actually it's a lot lower than her hip and I'm pretty sure she wasn't wearing pants or underwear when she got it.

"Yeah… I got it last year when a night out with Puck and Rachel kind of got out of control. We all got one that night because we thought it would be fun."

"What is it?" I ask and narrow my eyes because it's rather small. How did I not notice this before?

Brittany makes two more steps and when she's close enough, I grin at what I see.

"A butterfly…" I whisper and reach out to touch it. Brittany doesn't shrug back or jerk when I caress the soft, black skin there. I bite my lip when I realize where I'm touching her. Right there where the pelvis ends and her thigh begins. I can't stop myself from letting my eyes wander around and swallow when I get to see her so intimately for the first time. When I glance up, Brittany is looking down at me. There is a smile on her face but also something else. Maybe insecurity…

"Here" She hands me one of the glasses. I take a couple sips that finally wet my dry throat. She does the same and once we've stilled our thirst, Brittany puts both glasses on the floor. She steps in front of me once more, reaching her hands out.

I take them into mine and get up on my feet when she pulls gently. Our hands sink somewhere between our bodies but they stay entangled when Brittany looks deep into my eyes.

"Are you tired? I can get you some sleeping clothes." She mumbles and smiles when I lean in.

"That's ok, you can give them to me later." That's all I know to answer because I forget all the words when I realize what I'm about to do. I want her… I want to feel her body the way she just felt me. I want to give her all those amazing sensations because they made me feel so incredibly good.

I pull my hands out of her grip and guide my arms between her elbows and her sides so I can drag her into a hug. She mirrors it and soon I feel fingers running through my hair. The skin on her back is so soft. I wish I could kiss and touch it at the same time but I also want to kiss her lips when I remember how sweet and warm they tasted a while ago.

I move back so I can see her face. Her eyes are closed, so I don't bother asking for permission to kiss her. It gets reciprocated right away. She pulls me into her so our bodies get pressed together. She feels so good against me but it's not enough. I want to know how that skin feels under my fingertips. The skin of her stomach, her throat, her chest and the space between her legs.

I need to know it all because I'm already intoxicated by her sweet and salty scent and I think I have just turned into an addict. Without realizing I have started pressing soft kisses on her collarbones. They wander to her neck and her jaw and she sighs lowly when I taste the skin with my tongue.

I kiss her shoulders while my hands roam all over her back. I kiss between her breasts while the grip in my hair gets tighter.

Our thighs bump together and her chest presses into mine, meanwhile I can't get enough of those kisses all over her upper body. It only gets worse when I dare to carress the skin on her waist and around her bellybutton. I need to take a small step back so I can fully enjoy the heat underneath my fingertips. I go lower to tickle just above her hip bones.

She chuckles into my ear but it turns into a breathy sigh when I reach down and touch the skin of her inner thighs. My heart is racing… Since when am I so courageous? A week ago I almost fainted when I touched her boobs for the first time and now I want it all. I don't know if I imagine things but I think she widens her legs a tiny little bit. That must be the sign to say it's ok.

I peek up and watch how Brittany's eyes are still closed. She cups my cheeks with her hands when I wander closer to her center and the heat that almost numbs my hand. Almost…

She sucks in a sharp breath of air when I touch her there or maybe it's also me. But it's definitely her who moans into my ear when I explore her most intimate body part with surprisingly secure fingers. I thought I'd be shaking pathetically but actually it's Brittany who starts trembling. Her heavy breath and her throat moving visibly when she swallows are some of the hottest things I've ever seen. I want to know what other way I can make her body react. When her thighs start shaking and her hands grab my face harder, I turn us around and push her back.

"Lie down" I husk and Brittany obeys immediately. She sinks onto the mattress while I follow her just a second later. We crawl to the middle of the bed and when she's settled comfortably, I lower my body down on hers.

She gasps when our torsos press together and one of my thighs finds rest between hers. We look into each other's eyes once and I start kissing her deeply while my left hand wanders down her sides. I break the kiss to look into her face when I feel warm fingers grabbing my wrist.

"Please… it felt so amazing." She almost whines and guides my hand lower until it's hovering above her center once again. I don't waste any time and cup her gently.

She hums and presses my hand flat against her. When her eyes flutter open, I have to swallow thickly. I watch her face with my mouth hanging open because this sight is even better than when we were standing in front of each other. I get to look at every inch of her face and how she knits her eyebrows together.

When I thrust into her and a gasp leaves Brittany's lips, I look down in horror. I still my hand and my whole body freezes.

"Am I hurting you?" I need to know. My heart is pounding in my chest. Is it possible that I'm doing it wrong? I've never done this before but Brittany seemed so eager for my touch. Brittany's eyes flutter open and she shakes her head vigorously.

"No! No, it's good… keep going" She pants. I realize she's not in pain at all and that I'm doing exactly the right thing.

I kiss her cheeks and slowly start moving in and out, smiling when she grabs my shoulder and looks up at me so trustingly. Her eyes look bluer than ever and I want to dive into them and get engulfed by her warmth that radiates from her body. She looks so beautiful with the messy hair spread around her, her swollen lips parting to suck in oxygen.

I can't say how many minutes or hours are passing by but Brittany starts to breath erratically and her kisses become sloppy when I push into her faster and stronger than before. I'm pretty sure the tickling between my shoulder blades is caused by my own sweat running down but it's also so hot in this bedroom.

"God… Brittany" I blurt when her hips push up and intensify the connection between our bodies. I want to tell her how amazing she feels because I've never done anything like this. Something that makes me feel everything although it's me touching her right now. I want to tell her that but I can't form any sentences when Brittany holds on to me even tighter and her thigh is trembling against my wrist.

I kiss her once before giving her everything she needs and help her to get to that point of no return. She gasps and I think she also mumbles something like 'don't stop' but it's incomprehensible when she moans at the same time.

I won't stop. I'll never stop… if this makes her feel good then I'll never ever stop.

I can't believe Brittany manages to look up into my eyes. I stare back in awe when she comes with one last thrust and I feel her tense around my fingers. With my arm behind her neck I pull her into an embrace when she shakes and quivers underneath me and has both her arms wrapped tightly around my upper body. I still my hand but don't pull away, yet as she's whimpering and moaning into the crook of my neck.

It takes her long minutes to come down from her high but I won't let go any time soon. Instead I pepper her face with soft kisses and smile when her muscles relax.

"Hey…" I whisper. I lean down to catch her lips for a sealing kiss before my arm slowly gives in and I sink on top of her.

"I guess I'll have to tell Kurt…" I whisper into the darkness.

For the past twenty minutes I've been lying on my stomach, my arms feeling so sore and Brittany caressing my back with light fingers. She's resting on her side and since the remaining candlelight is illuminating her face, I can see she's nodding with a soft smile.

"He's probably wondering where you are." She mumbles and shuffles bit closer.

"Yeah. I don't want to make up some story."

"No… that's never a good idea."

I smile at her.

"I had an idea." I mumble and watch how Brittany narrows her eyes.

"An idea? About what?"

"About getting to know each other's past"

"Oh… okay like how?"

"How about each time we see each other, one of us gets to ask a question. Like… where did you go to high school? And both have to answer individually."

Brittany's lips form into a smile.

"One question at a time? Boy that's gonna take a couple dates until you know about my whole past."

I chuckle into the pillow and shrug.

"I'm not in a hurry." I whisper. Brittany shakes her head softly.

"Me neither… I think it's a good idea."

"Yeah? So how about you start tonight with the first question? What do you want to know?"

A childish grin appears on her face. She makes a funny expression as if she's thinking hard.

"Uuh… okay I have one. How many brothers and sisters do you have?"

I turn onto my side before I answer. Our hands find each other under the covers.

"I have a brother, his name is Ricky. He's Gabe's best friend and a doctor, too. He has a wife and a son called Ben. I get along with him very well. I also have a sister called Julia who's two years older. She lives in New York and we don't talk very often."

"How come?"

"She's an artist… my parents always told her to study something like Ricky and I did but she wanted to dance. All she ever wanted was to dance and as soon as she was twenty-one, she packed her things and ran away. She comes home for Christmas and my mother's birthday and every few months she and I talk on the phone. She has changed a lot… as sisters we grew apart. But I miss her very much." I smile at Brittany to show her that I'm okay talking about this.

"Is she as pretty as you?" She asks with an impish grin. I roll my eyes playfully.

"She's very pretty." I whisper when Brittany leans in and kisses my nose. "But now it's your turn. How many brothers and sisters do you have?" I ask. Brittany sinks back into the pillow.

"Kinda hard to say." She mumbles and I frown.

"Huh?"

"Well I have one brother, Charlie who's thirty one and a lawyer. But my father and my mother both had new partners when I was still a child and they both had kids again. That gives me two half-sisters and three stepbrothers."

"Oh wow!"

"I know, right? I grew up with a giant family but somehow I'm not too close with any of them. Except for my mother I guess."

"I see"

"There is also someone else who is practically like a sister to me. Or well… used to be. Diane's sister is in college now and we got along very well. Linda looked up to me and I loved spending time with her. I haven't seen her in over a year… she wants to but I'm not sure if I'm ready. Maybe I'll call her soon though."

I pull Brittany's hand up to my lips and press a kiss there.

"I'm sure she would love that since you used to be that close."

"Yeah… This was a good idea." She mumbles. "This one-question-thing… you're clever."

"Thanks"

"No problem"

She wraps an arm around my waist and when my eyelids get heavy, I feel safer than I've ever have. Just because I'm lying in Brittany's arms and I can hear her breathing. And because I got to know a little more about her.

---

Chapter 18 *Letters*

…Brittany…

"Wait! Where are you going?" Brittany yells. She tries to grab the other woman's wrist but it's an empty catch. She's too slow. "Where are you going?" She repeats her question and feels anger boiling inside of her. It's another one of those days where she can do nothing right. They fight because of no special reason and one of them storms off because they eventually run out of words.

Brittany makes three quick steps and manages to stand in her way because this conversation isn't over, yet.

"Can we just try to talk it out for once? I'm tired of fighting and running away from each other." She says but earns a glare.

"What's there to talk about? Everything is clear now. You fucked this Santana girl and you obviously like each other. There's no more space for me."

Brittany shakes her head vigorously because that's not fair! How does she know she slept with Santana anyway? She didn't just fuck her… it was something completely different!

"What do you mean, there is no space for you? You're my girlfriend! How do you know about me and Santana? Who told you?"

"Nobody had to tell me, Brittany… you keep talking about her in your sleep. You're dreaming of her now instead of me."

"That's not true… am I talking in my sleep?" Brittany asks incredulously because she can't believe all this.

"It doesn't matter. All I know is that you are no longer crying for me."

"What does that even mean? Why would I cry for you?"

"Because I'm leaving."

"Leaving where?"

"To the hospital"

Brittany swallows. She can feel the sweat forming on her forehead. No… this is not happening. She's been through this before – she can't stand it again! Her heart is aching so badly right now, it feels like somebody is squeezing it with bare hands.

"You're going to the hospital? But… why?"

The woman who seemed mad and angry before is now giving her a compassionate look.

"You know why, Brittany… I'm going there to die."

Sobs are leaving her lungs and she tries to hold back those tears but it's a lost game. She can't take this. It's too much. Too painful.

"Diane… this is not fair. Why are you even here now? I was getting over you."

"I know. But now that you're starting to fall for Santana, you've been thinking back. You think of me and you and who we used to be. You remember how much I broke your heart by leaving all this behind."

Brittany steps away from the door because Diane really wants to go.

"What am I gonna do now?" She asks desperately when the other blonde reaches for the doorknob.

"I don't know, Britt. This is something you need to figure out alone. I'm in a hurry because I really need to die now… maybe I'll see you later."

Brittany's chest feels like it's going to burst and when she awakes, she shoots up in bed panting like a haunted animal.

"Diane!" She yells and turns to her left and her right to see what's going on. There's nobody. It takes her a couple seconds to realize she's in her bedroom and dreamed the absurd scene. It's been a long time that she dreamed of Diane. Why did it happen tonight?

She touches her neck and feels the sweat on her skin. She must have moved around in her sleep or clutched to the sheets until her body was overheating.

With another pang she realizes that Santana is no longer lying next to her. She fell asleep with her arm on Santana's waist and the scent of her hair in her nose.

They fell asleep after they had slept with each other for the second time… they answered a question about their families and then she played with Santana's fingers until she drifted off to sleep by her side.

How did she not wake up when Santana left the bed? Maybe she's just using the bathroom? She throws a glance at her alarm clock. It says that she'll have to get up and go to work in seven minutes. She pushes the damp sheets down her thighs and gets up from the mattress. When she looks around, she finds Santana's clothes and her purse are gone.

With insecure steps, as her legs are still wobbly from that dream, she makes her way out of the bedroom and looks around.

"Santana?" She asks into silence. When she sees the bathroom door open, it's clear that she won't get a response.

After putting on some shorts and a tank top, she scuffs into the kitchen and there she finds a note on the table. It looks like Santana was in a hurry when she wrote it.

Brittany, I had to go. I'm so sorry.

S.

That's all it says. She's about as clueless as before. Go where? Why? After what happened last night she just leaves? Maybe because of that?

She's shivering a little because the damp hair around her neck makes her feel cold and miserable. Wondering why Santana had to leave this early, she grabs the phone on the kitchen table and is about to dial her number. She only knows it by heart because sometimes she has a photographic memory. Weirdly only whenever it comes to stuff that has to do with Santana…

She puts the phone away when she remembers that dream. Suddenly a painful lump forms in her throat. Why did she have to dream of Diane now? Because something big might be happening in her life?

In her dream she felt that pain so strongly. The pain of heartache and losing. Ever since Diane's death she's been so afraid of facing loss. That's why she kept everyone at distance except for Puck and Rachel because she knew that those two would always stick with her. But everyone else she pushed away so they couldn't even try to leave her eventually. Now that she's trying to finally move on she's so scared of losing before she can even get the chance to win.

But you can only win if there is something to lose, right? Santana is worth it to face that little bitch called fear of loss.

---

…Santana's POV… the same day…

"Santana, can you please show up at my office around four o' clock in the afternoon? There is something I'd like to inform you about. Oh and make sure Quinn, Brittany, Rachel, Chang and Hummel will be there, too. I don't have time to call everyone in separately but you all must be there. It is extremely important."

I knit my eyebrows together because I have no idea what Shelby is talking about. Of course it's me who has to take care of this but right now I don't even have the nerve to get upset about it. This morning I woke up in the warmest embrace but there was no time to enjoy it. It's a miracle I made it to work on time today…

I got a phone call and I'm really glad Brittany was so fast asleep. She didn't wake up when I untangled our limbs and she didn't wake up when I tried to calm down a very drunk Gabe over the phone.

"Tana… I don't know who I was trying to fool. You are so beautiful. I don't know what I was thinking when I let you go without even fighting for us. I mean… we're married, baby. You can't just walk out on me. I still love you… I have no idea where I am but I think I'm just gonna lie down here and sleep outside."

My heart almost stood still because Gabe is never drunk. He and my brother Ricky have a beer every now and then but he's too controlled to let things get out of hands.

"Gabe where the hell are you? Are you alone?" I whispered into the mouthpiece and threw a glance at a sleeping Brittany.

"You're still my wife…" Was everything he replied and then the line was dead.

I almost couldn't breathe because I was feeling so much at one time. Fear that Gabe was lying somewhere on the street outside, anger that he got drunk, disappointment because I thought we were handling the separation quite well and regret when I looked at Brittany curled up by my side. All I wanted was to lie down next to her and pull the sheets over our heads and kiss her secretly.

But my heart was racing. Panic came up inside me when I knew that Gabe was somewhere out there at five in the morning. I climbed out of bed, put on my clothes as fast as possible and bit my lip when I heard Brittany mumble something in her sleep.

I hovered over her to push some blonde strays out of her face and kissed her forehead. Then I left with a heavy heart.

It's probably the fact that I initiated the break-up and the fact that I'm already sleeping in someone else's bed that I feel terribly responsible for this. But Gabe had obviously gotten this drunk because the breakup was everything but okay. Why did he pretend to be fine when I was there to pick up my stuff? Why did he act so reasonable when apparently he was hurting this much?

Those questions haunted me as I drove way too fast in the streets of L.A. to get from one corner of the city to another. First place I went was home because maybe he managed to miraculously find his way back to the house. With pictures of the worst horror scenarios in my head, I came to a halt in Gabe's driveway and there he was…

Lying next to the front door of what used to be my home. The amount of alcohol in his breath almost swept me off my feet when I bent down to shake his upper body. I have no idea how I managed to wake him up and heave him inside. When he sank onto one of the white leather couches, he finally realized that it was me standing next to him.

"Tana? You came back? Baby I'm so sorry… please…" He grabbed my wrist and his face was contorted with pain when he tried to keep his eyes open.

The lump in my throat hurt so badly. I almost couldn't breathe when I stared down into Gabe's glistening eyes. "Santana I wasn't being honest. I didn't tell my parents… they don't know we've split up."

I don't know how many seconds passed where I just looked down at him with my lips pressed together. He held the back of my hand to his cheek and kept apologizing.

"I couldn't do it. They will be so disappointed Santana. I – I mean we can just get back to where we were. I still love you and if you tell me that you have no love left for me, then I won't believe it. We are husband and wife Santana… we belong together. You gotta come back, sweetheart."

Then he mumbled something I didn't understand. I got on my knees next to the couch and tried to free my wrist out of his grip but he held on so desperately.

"Gabe you have to let me go." I said with a strong voice even though I was expecting nothing but a breath leaving my lips. "I'm not coming back."

I only realized tears were running down my cheeks when I saw how he raised a hand and his thumb wiped them off.

"But we were such a good match." He said and seemed a bit more sober than when I had found him outside.

"You're right." I whispered with a shrug. "We used to be good together." I closed my eyes for a couple seconds because this was the moment to be honest and make it clear. "I don't regret anything… But I fell out of love with you. And there is nothing left to change that… please don't try to save our marriage because it's not going to happen." That's when my voice betrayed me and I decided to not draw it out.

I almost leaned in to kiss his cheek but that would have felt more than wrong. Instead I cupped his hand that was still clutching my wrist. With a determined move I freed my hand. He closed his eyes when I got back on my feet.

"Goodbye" I breathed and didn't look back when I got to the front door and stepped outside…

That's what happened this morning.

I think Shelby literally pushed me out of her office after I mumbled that I would inform everyone about the meeting in her office because I am now standing in front of my desk. I don't quite remember how I got here. Too wrapped up in this morning's incident, I don't listen to what Quinn says from the opposite side of our office.

I wrote Brittany a note on a post-it and then left without waking her up. She probably thinks I regret what happened last night…

"Santana!" Quinn yells. I apologize for my lack of attention. "I asked if everything is okay – is it? You look like you cried or something."

I slowly shake my head and sink into my chair.

"I'm alright, Q. Just trying to figure out my life." I mumble and ignore Quinn's biting glances. I know she wants to offer to talk about it but the thing is; I don't even know what to say.

On one hand I want to leave everything behind right this second and start over. I want to go look for Brittany and apologize for leaving. I want to tell her that last night meant so much to me. That she's on my mind all the time. I want to tell her that she is the only good thing in my life right now but at the same time I want to just crawl into a hole and not talk to anyone.

I want to cry about everything that went wrong in the past couple months and everything that I can't put into words. How could I have underestimated this? I am so far from rearranging my life and getting everything back together. Seeing Gabe lying at the foot of the door this morning, wasted like never before… I got slapped across the face.

Nothing's going to be easy…

I need to feel that bruise to eventually heal. There is no way around it.

To: berry.r/s-magazine, chang.m/s-magazine, fabray.q/s-magazine, hummel.k/s-magazine, pierce.b/s-magazine

From: lopez.s/s-magazine

Subject: secret mission

Guys, meeting in Shelby's office at 4pm. Don't be late – she's acting weird.

Santana

I sigh when I send out the message and I'm already typing a new one. One that is way more important.

To: pierce.b/s-magazine

From: lopez.s/s-magazine

Subject: post-it note

You're probably confused why I left this morning without saying a word. Or mad. Or mad AND confused.

I need to explain, I didn't mean to end our night like that…

Meet me for lunch break?

Nervousness rises in my chest. I bite my fingernail when I wait for a reply. I never bite my fingernails. It's gross. But Brittany sort of has this effect on me that results in me doing stuff I would have never dreamed of. Such as biting fingernails and landing in bed with another woman the same weekend I leave my husband.

My heart makes a jump when a reply pops up on the screen.

To: lopez.s/s-magazine

From: pierce.b/s-magazine

Re-subject: post-it note

I am confused but I'm not mad. I just hope you're alright.

I'll be at the parking lot in 10 min. Fed up with cafeteria food…

B.

I let her know that I'll meet her outside and with slightly shaking fingers I turn my computer off to grab my stuff together.

"Are you heading for lunch?" Quinn asks surprised when I'm about to exit our office in a hurry. Usually we leave together and pick up Kurt or Rachel on the way.

"Oh! Uh no… I'm meeting Brittany." A smirk forms on Quinn's face as she pulls up her famous eyebrow. She always does that when she senses something.

"For a quickie?" She asks nonchalantly. I am too perplexed to shoot a response that will swipe that grin off her face.

"N-no! Just for lunch" I mumble and fiddle on the sleeve of my blouse. Why am I even explaining? With a shrug I leave Quinn alone to make my way through the Sylvester building.

I exhale a breath when I step outside. Soon I can see blonde hair from a distance. Brittany is standing next to her car, smiling insecurely when I approach her. I think my lips are trembling when I stop in front of her and I'm not sure what the reason for my nervousness is. In my chest I feel a mix between worries and butterflies.

"Hi" I say softly while mirroring her smile.

"Hey… want to get out of here? There's this great take-out just around the corner." She asks. I do want to. She points to the car behind her and I nod. She's already making a step towards the driver's side when I grab her wrist to make her turn around and face me again.

"Hang on a sec" I mumble when I pull myself close to her. I can't help it. She's like a magnet… the attraction only gets stronger when she eyes me with a certain surprise.

I lean in until our temples rest against each other. I look down between our bodies, both our chests are moving visibly.

"I need to say this because it can't wait." I take a breath and hold her hand tightly in mine when I continue. "I wanted to stay this morning. I wanted to stay and wait until you woke up, too. But Gabe called me at five in the morning. I had to go find him. He was so drunk and I thought he was still on the road lost somewhere. Turned out he got home safely but he was so… so broken. I thought things were going to be okay. I wasn't aware of the extent of the break-up. Brittany I really wanted to stay." My voice sounds desperate and the last four words are only a whisper.

It's possible that there are other people out here, too who could see us standing so close but right now I don't care. I turn my head and press my lips against her jaw. I just need us to be close.

"It's okay" With Brittany's voice, a breeze of air hits my skin.

"Okay?" I ask and pull back a little so I can look into her eyes. "You're not mad that I just left?"

Brittany shrugs softly. I feel her warm hands on my hips. It's really hot outside because the sun is burning but Brittany's warmth is totally ok.

"Maybe a little" She whispers. I see a smirk creeping over her lips.

"You're a little mad?"

"Yeah" I bite my lip because I couldn't stand Brittany being mad at me. Her hidden grin makes breathing easier.

"Oh… is there something I can do to make it up?" I ask with a wink of my eye. Brittany pretends to be thinking.

"Uh you could buy me lunch?" She suggests which makes me chuckle.

"Well that was easy. But ok, I'll buy you lunch."

"I wasn't finished…" She says with a soft headshake. I feel her hands wander to the small of my back. "Then you could tell Kurt that you're staying at my place for another night and turn off your mobile so nobody can call you out of bed. Then you could kiss me to sleep and uh… we can call it even."

I perk an eyebrow. Before I tell her that I'll do it all, I just enjoy the feeling of standing so close with our arms around each other's bodies. Everybody who could see us would think we are a couple.

"That's a lot of wishes you got there, Miss Pierce." I mumble and stare at her lips when they curl into a smile. "You got yourself a deal."

She laughs softly and nods acknowledging.

"Good then" She loosens her embrace and grabs my hand before letting go. "But just so you know… whatever it is that you and your husband still have to work out, I won't be standing in the way. It's not in my place." She squeezes my fingers softly. With a thankful smile I walk around her car to open the passenger's door and get inside.

---

…Brittany… later that afternoon…

When they come back from lunch Brittany feels about ten pounds lighter because she had been so scared that Santana would regret the other night or tell her that they need to stop. Instead they sat in a park for lunch break and ate delicious Greek take-out. They also answered their second 'about the past-question'.

"Have you ever been out of the States for vacation?" Santana asked between to bites as it had been her turn to pick the question.

"Yes, twice. My grandparents owned a small apartment in Switzerland and when I was twelve, me and my brother Charlie went there to learn how to ski in the Alps. It was awesome even though I fell hundreds of times. And for my eighteenth birthday my mother took me on a trip to Cape Town. What about you? Where have you been?"

Santana laughed at the memory that was probably playing in front of her inner eye.

"I went to Europe once. My father has relatives in Spain and my whole family went to visit them in Madrid. I think I was sixteen and it was the best trip of my life. I was so far away from home but I still spoke the language and understood what they were saying…"

"Wait, you're actually fluent in Spanish?" Brittany asked in amazement because so far she had never heard the Latina speak in another language than English.

With a sheepish grin Santana finished the story of her trip to Madrid in Spanish and Brittany felt her heartbeat faster at the sexy change in Santana's voice. It was deeper and even more feminine when she spoke Spanish. When she was done, Brittany stole a kiss.

Now that she's back in her office, she feels a tingling sensation in her chest.

There is something else she hasn't felt in a very long time. She can't put into words what it is… she grabs a paper and a pen and bites on her bottom lip when she starts writing.

'Dear Linda

Thank you for your letter. I can't even begin to describe how much it means to hear from you even though I walked away. I miss you very much. I would love to see you again some time. I'm sorry I told you to stop contacting me, maybe one day I can help you understand.

I think it's wonderful that you started college and it makes me so proud that you'll be dancing for a living. Our dance sessions used to be so much fun. Diane got so mad when she couldn't keep up with us anymore…

I never meant to hurt you but I know I did. Maybe we have a chance to start over?

You and your mother still mean the world to me.

Brittany'

With trembling fingers she reaches for an envelope and writes down the address of Diane's little sister. She doesn't know exactly why she found the courage to write that letter. But something about spending lunch with Santana made her realize that she doesn't always have to be on the losing side. She needs to risk something if she wants to get it all back together.

At four o' clock she's placed between Mike and Quinn and lets her eyes wander over everyone's face. They still don't know why they are standing here in front of Shelby's desk in a half circle because the woman loves tension. She's just sitting there and leaning back in her chair, her hands folded in her lap, a smug grin on her face.

Brittany glances at Rachel who seems just as clueless as she feels. They haven't spoken since Brittany found out that Rachel talked to Quinn behind her back and even though she's still mad at the short brunette, she also misses hanging out with her friend after work.

Right next to Rachel are Kurt and Santana. While Kurt is eyeing Shelby with an annoyed expression, Brittany finds dark eyes gazing back at her. She mirrors the soft smile on Santana's face because she knows that she will come over later and they're probably going to make out on the couch all night long.

"My good friend Paul Estevez from New York called me this morning to inform me about his new clothing line coming out. He hosts those big annual fashion shows and this year it happens to take place this weekend. He asked me to come and put a big story about it in the next issue of the Sylvester magazine. Thing is… I don't have time to do it myself so I decided to form a team of people I trust and these people happen to be you. You're young and fresh, interested in the business and have been working hard these past few weeks. You can look at it as a reward or punishment, I don't care but I'm sending you all to New York."

Brittany's jaw has dropped. When she looks around, she knows she's not the only one. Quinn grabbs Brittany's arm when she clears her throat to form a question with a shaky voice.

"You're… sending us to New York to report about Paul Estevez' fashion party this weekend? Paul Estevez, the fashion God? As in… we get to be a part of it?"

Brittany looks down at her wrist because Quinn's grip is now almost painful.

"Correct" Shelby states and shrugs easily. "Your flight and the hotel have already been taken care of. Paul's personal assistant will pick you up at the airport, answer all your questions and show you around. I'll leave it to the six of you to decide on who will do which job – arrange yourselves. All I'm telling you is that I want a good story of six pages with pictures, interviews, background information, behind the scenes material and so on. Figure something out. I have trust in you and I'm expecting you do your best."

She gives them a pointed look and then points to the office door.

"That's all for today. Your flight leaves Thursday morning at eight and don't even dare come back here if you miss it."

Brittany follows the others out of Shelby's office. When the door closes behind Mike, the six of them stare at each other wordlessly for a couple seconds.

Eventually Rachel falls around Quinn's neck and screams 'YES!'. They jump around like little girls who just found out they'll be getting new Barbie dolls. Mike and Kurt high-five each other and make fists in the air. Everyone laughs or covers their mouth in disbelief, not sure if Shelby really just ordered them to fly to New York and be part of one of the most important events of the year.

Her glance catches Santana's. She watches how the brunette slowly shakes her head with a happy grin on her face. She's standing between Kurt and Quinn who are still jumping up and down. She forms the words 'you alright?' towards Brittany. Everyone else is laughing and congratulating each other on being part of this job. She smiles at the Santana.

"Definitely" Brittany mouths back and laughs when Mike nudges her shoulder to pull her in for a hug. She wraps her arms around his neck and lets him squeeze her tight but her eyes are always directed to Santana who does the same when she embraces Quinn.

Whatever comes now... She's ready to face it. Especially when Santana looks at her like that, excitement in her eyes and a knowing smirk on her pretty face.

She's definitely alright.

---

Chapter 19 *Kisses*

She doesn't remember the last time she was on the road this early. Normally she'd be really annoyed to get out of bed before the sun is even up but today it excites every fiber of her body. With a trolley bag in one hand and a coffee to go in the other, Brittany approaches Mike and Kurt who are already waiting at their meeting point of LAX.

The past two days flew by because everyone was so excited about the trip. She and Santana celebrated with a glass of wine on Tuesday evening after Shelby had informed them in her office.

With a glass of wine and countless kisses on the couch, on the balcony… and eventually in bed they celebrated the upcoming weekend. They really didn't talk too much that night but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It was one that made her feel at ease. They would just sit opposite each other on the couch and sip their wine while Santana's foot kept playing with Brittany's shin and some show on TV was running in the background.

Of course there were things they could have talked about. They could have answered another 'about the past question' or discussed the state of their relationship. But she knew that Santana wasn't ready to put a name to it. The incident with her husband losing control had obviously unsettled her and Brittany did not want to make her feel uncomfortable by asking her to define their relationship.

Sure she's wondering what it is that they have but then again she already knows; it's an incredible attraction that has grown between them since day one (even though she didn't exactly show her interest in the beginning).

And while they can't put into words what exactly the future holds for them, they have both individually decided to silently enjoy this newfound bliss and see where it goes. That evening they truly did enjoy it because nothing could have ruined the atmosphere. They were too wrapped up in each other's smiles and glances.

Santana kept her promise; she kissed Brittany to sleep once they were lying in bed with their legs entangled. Maybe it was the fact that Brittany had barely gotten enough sleep the night before that she fell asleep so easily. But she was pretty sure it was the feeling of Santana's soft lips on her cheeks and the tickling sensation on her scalp when she kept playing with some strands of Brittany's hair that made her feel all relaxed.

They didn't sleep with but fell asleep next to each other and Brittany loved it…

She bites her lip at the memory of two nights ago and grins when she sees Kurt and Mike waving at her excitedly.

"And then they were three!" Kurt greets her with a beaming smile. It disappears quickly when he stares at her small luggage.

"Uhm Brittany? Are you sure you packed everything you'll need? Your bag is tiny. You do know that we'll need different outfits for like every hour of the day, right?"

"Uh… and you do know that it's notthe six of us presenting on the catwalk, right? We'll be in the audience, Kurt. Two different blazers and a cocktail dress should be enough." She winks at Mike who's grinning at Kurt's incredulous expression.

"Whatever you say Brittany. I only know that I have packed three different suits, two party outfits, seven pairs of shoes and lots of accessories such as nerd glasses, watches… ties-"

"Hola amigos! The three of them turn around at a bubbly voice and watch how Rachel, Quinn and Santana approach them with big suitcases to complete the troop.

Santana's eyes are hidden behind big sunglasses but Brittany can tell she is the first person the brunette looks at. A bashful smile creeps over her lips when they form the word 'hello'.

"Ladies… you look wonderful and by the size of your suitcases I can tell you have packed enough outfits. I say we check in, shall we?" Kurt takes the commando and leads the way to their check in counter.

"You excited?" Brittany asks when Santana catches up with her and their shoulders keep brushing against each other. Kurt is walking really fast.

"Very. I've only been to New York once when Gabe, my brother and I went to visit my sister. It was a long time ago." She apologizes when she bumps into Brittany as Kurt is constantly changing course of direction.

Brittany doesn't mind at all. Actually she loves those little moments where she gets close to Santana and they are the only ones who know about the electricity that jolts through their bodies. Every single time.

Once they have checked in, the six of them go for a coffee at Starbucks. While Rachel tells the story of how she got lost in New York as a six-year-old, Brittany only pays half of her attention to the dramatic telling. She's too distracted by Santana's short message that just came in.

- Once we're in NY maybe we can go for a drink? Without everyone else…

She smirks at the words on the screen and types a message without looking up even though she can feel Santana's eyes on her face from opposite the table.

- As in a date? With you? I'll think about it and let u know.

She presses 'send' and feels something hard kicking her shin five seconds later. Santana rolls her eyes at Brittany's reply. They grin at each other almost mischievously. Before she knows it, her phone vibrates again and she perks up an eyebrow at the message.

-I could always ask Quinn…

She puckers her lips because she knows Santana is just teasing but the picture of her taking Quinnout on a date is like… no.

- Don't even think about it. Share a hotel room?

Maybe she's getting a little ahead of herself with that question. Sharing a hotel room would probably pull up some questions by the others. Quinn is still the only one who knows about them. Unless Puck told Rachel as he can hardly ever keep something from the short brunette.

Oh well she doesn't actually care too much but Kurt will definitely sense something is going on sooner or later. It's that unspoken radar thing.

- A room? With you? Haven't made my mind up yet, but maybe I'll get back to u. xx

Brittany chuckles at the reply and lets her phone wander back into her pocket. She probably deserved that one… She winks at Santana and while they're waiting for their boarding call, they participate in conversations that are going on between the rest of the group.

Once they are up in the air, Rachel keeps throwing glances at her from the side. It's probably a good thing that Brittany isn't seated next to Santana because five hours is a long time. She wouldn't know how to keep her hands to herself while sitting this close to each other.

Rachel is already getting on her nerves. Why can't she just open her mouth and apologize for her behavior? The day Brittany found out about her friend's betrayal, she wrote her a short message and thanked her for warning Quinn and Santana about her adventurous past of womanizing.

Rachel tried to call her but Brittany had been too upset to discuss it. She needed Rachel to know that it was a mean move and that she was upset. It doesn't look like Rachel will come up with the courage anytime soon because each time she opens her mouth, she closes it before saying something.

"Spit it out, Rach… we're about 20'000 feet above the ground and will be sitting next to each other for the next five hours. Let's get this over with, ok?" She waits and sees how Rachel stirs nervously in her seat, then turns to face Brittany.

"Britt… I know you're mad at me. I didn't mean to go talk about you behind your back but Quinn was asking me about you and… Puck told me about you and San-"

"I knew Puck wouldn't be able to keep it to himself! The two of you share about every secret you know about anyone. I never really cared because it always stayed between the three of us. Why did you go tell Quinn about my past? I don't wanna blow it with Santana…" The last part she almost whispers because Quinn and Santana are sitting one row in front of them across the aisle.

Rachel looks miserable when she grabs Brittany's wrist.

"Brittany I'm so sorry. When Puck told me that there was something going on between you and Santana, I just didn't think it would be something serious because of the way… well – the way you used to prefer relations with women. Short and as meaningless as possible."

Brittany gives Rachel a hurt look although she knows it's true.

"I didn't think Quinn was going to tell Santana… but you have to believe me, I didn't mean to say bad things behind your back. I honestly just told Quinn that I thought it wasn't okay how you used to sleep around and not care too much about anyone's feelings... I know it's not in my place to talk about it with someone else and your love life is really none of my business anyways. But I did tell her and I can't blame you if you'll be mad at me forever for talking behind your back. I just want you to know that I am sorry and I won't do it again."

Brittany is focusing on her magazine in her lap and only nods to let Rachel know she heard her.

"Can you… can you forgive me?" Rachel asks shyly. Brittany exhales a long breath. She looks at the brunette with a shrug.

"You know exactly that I can't be mad at you forever. You and Puck are my best friends and you stuck with me when I was at my worst. You're lucky Santana didn't care too much about my past with women. I guess you should thank her that I am forgiving you this easily."

She feels Rachel's hand on hers. What can she say? She loves that little Barbra-clone and being mad at her isn't fun.

She throws a glimpse at the seat across the aisle where she can see the right side of Santana's face and how she's apparently talking to Quinn animatedly.

"Still not sharing a room with you though, Rach…" She mumbles and bites her lip when Santana turns her head. She glances at Brittany as if she had felt someone staring at her longingly.

It's gonna be a long flight…

---

Hours later… Santana's POV…

I wake up to a soft dabbing on my forehead. When I open my eyes I am completely disorientated. It takes a couple seconds to remember that Quinn and I switched places because I was getting sick. Whenever I sit by the aisle I get travel-sick because sometimes planes makes those weird up and down movements and if I can't look out of the window, I will throw up within seconds.

We switched seats and once I felt better, I curled up under the thick blanket and apparently fell asleep. Sweat is now tickling my eyebrows because I'm also still wearing a sweater under the blanket. This always happens when I go to bed with warm clothes on; I start sweating like a pig but I don't realize because I'm asleep.

"Oh man" I mumble and clear my throat. My voice is raspy from sleeping. I want to tell Quinn she can stop dabbing my forehead but when I turn to face her, my lips part in surprise.

Brittany pulls her hand back and hands me the tissue she used to wipe my temple.

"Hey" She says softly.

"Hi…" I mumble and let the warm blanket drop to the floor between my feet. I let my hand run through my damp hair.

"Are you feeling better? I didn't mean to wake you up but you were sweating and I thought maybe you've got a temperature or something." Brittany asks and hands me a cup of water. I take a few sips after sitting up straight in my seat.

"No, no I'm fine. I'm just not a good traveler."

Brittany chuckles and points to the row across the aisle where she was sitting before.

"Quinn and I switched seats because she wanted to sit with Rachel for a while.I think they're talking about what's going on between Quinn and Chang…"

"Oh… I have no idea what the deal is between those two. One day they are all over each other and the next day they don't even say hello at work." I mumble.

"Yeah. Guess it's gonna be an interesting trip." She laughs softly and tucks a stray of hair behind my ear. "You sure you're ok? I can ask the steward to bring you some water with ice or something."

I smile and close my eyes at the feeling of her hand cupping my cheek.

"I'm okay… just sweating but I'll survive."

"We're landing in about an hour. Then we can get some fresh air." Brittany says.

I nod and eventually decide to take off the thick sweater but since there is really not much space in economy class, I manage to get stuck with the shirt half over my head and my arms caught in a mess.

I hear Brittany's chuckle. If I wasn't so exhausted from my feverish sleep, I'd be really embarrassed and try to get out of this position as fast as possible. I'm too tired to untangle myself and let Brittany help me pull the sweater off completely.

"Let me get this…" She whispers and takes the damp shirt out of my hands to put it away in the storage above our heads. When she sinks back into her seat, she smiles warmly and reaches for my hand.

"You can sleep for another while if you want. I'll wake you up before we're landing." I nod. I'm thankful she's not trying to start a conversation. My eyelids do feel awfully heavy.

"Okay" I mumble and can't really control it when my head tilts to the side and rests against her shoulder before my eyes flutter close.

My neck hurts. I feel like I just ran a marathon when the six of us finally step onto solid ground and wait for our luggage to arrive. Once everyone has their suitcase, I let the others lead the way through the terminal because I have no idea where we're meeting Paul Estevez' assistant who will pick us up and bring us to our hotel.

How do Quinn and Brittany manage to look as fresh as before we took off? While I feel absolutely worn-out, Brittany and Mike are joking about something and Quinn is taking pictures of the airport.

"Oh I think that's her!" Rachel yells and points to a woman standing just a few meters away from us with a big sign in her hands that says 'Sylvester's people'.

The six of us approach the woman who has a big smile on her face.

"Are you Shelby's team?" She asks and shakes hands with us once we all nod in unison. "Great. I'm Tina Cohen, Paul's personal assistant and I'll be your contact person during your stay here in New York. It's already past 4pm so I'd say I'll bring you to your hotel and we can discuss some things as in where you have to be in the morning. I'm sure you're all exhausted from the trip. I'll leave you to yourself afterwards so you can get some rest before things get interesting tomorrow! Let me show you the way to my car but I have to warn you… it's small."

I frown because we are six people and except for Brittany and Mike we all have giant suitcases. Turns out my doubts are justified when we reach the huge parking lot. I don't know what brand this car is but it looks absolutely tiny.

"Uhm… Ms. Cohen? How are we supposed to fit in here?" Kurt pops the question and points to the rest of us and our luggage.

"Please, call me Tina. Oh well, we're just gonna have to sit close together and squeeze a little. Actually Paul wanted to give me a big van to come and pick you up but then the engine died right this morning and there was no time to take care of another one and so I had to bring my own car. But if you sit in each other's laps and try not to move too much then I'm sure we'll get to the hotel safely." She grins convinced and opens the trunk to her car.

I still don't see it happening but Kurt and Mike start shipping the suitcases and except for two, they all fit into the trunk.

"Okay, I'll sit in the front and take Quinn's suitcase between my legs." Kurt mumbles and gets into the car.

"And I'll sit in the back and take Quinn between my legs…" Mike says playfully but earns a hard slap on his arm by the blonde. "Ow! Babe…"

I shake my head when I watch how Quinn blushes and lets Mike pull her into his lap when they get into the backseat.

"Do you mind if I sit on your knees, Britt? Since I am quite petite…" Rachel sing-songs. I roll my eyes when I lift the last suitcase to take it with me in the middle of the backseat.

She's not that petite… and petite is a really dumb word.

Soon I find myself squeezed from all possible sides. Mike's elbow gets pressed into my ribs. Then I catch a mouthful of Quinn's hair when she tries to escape his tickles. The suitcase between my legs is really uncomfortable because it forces my ankle into an impossible position and on my right side I keep bumping into Brittany's shoulder because Tina cuts curves like a Formula One driver. Involuntarily I keep peering at Brittany's hands on Rachel's hip to steady her.

"Rachel, you know how everyone thinks you're so small and tiny? I think you weigh like a ton… almost can't feel my legs anymore." Brittany mumbles. I laugh at the brunette's pouting.

"How very sensitive of you, Brittany." Rachel replies with her arms crossed in front of her chest and stares out of the window.

Oh boy… this should be fun.

"I'm sure you all don't mind that your hotel is located on the Upper East Side and that you'll reach Central Park in a couple minutes by foot?" Tina asks with a winking eye when the car finally halts in the parking lot of one fine looking five-star hotel.

Normally I would be super excited but those five hours on a plane combined with Tina Cohen's horrible driving skills, I just want to throw up in a corner.

Once we've climbed out of the tiny car and everyone is in possession of their own suitcase, Tina guides us inside. She and Kurt take care of the check-in while the rest of us sit down at small tables in the lobby. Everything looks so fancy.

"Ok, here are your keys" Tina returns after five minutes and hands Quinn the keycards. "You probably want to freshen up in your rooms and then check out the surroundings a little bit so I'm gonna make this quick. Tomorrow, Friday, I need you to be down here at 10am sharp. I'm coming to pick you up and don't worry, I'll organize a bigger car. I will show you where everything takes place this weekend. You can take pictures because I hear Shelby wants some behind-the-scenes material. She also told me on the phone that I should try to arrange interviews with some of the models before the show tomorrow night. I don't think that should be a problem. The only thing you need to do is prepare the questions you want to ask and maybe google Paul Estevez and his fashion empire if you're not very familiar with his work yet."

Tina stops talking for a second. I literally feel like I'm out of breath because she's babbling like a parrot on speed.

"Three of you will get the chance to meet Paul Estevez in person because six is too much. Maybe you can flip a coin or something? Meanwhile the rest of the group can walk around and take pictures, you'll be guaranteed access anywhere with the VIP voucher that I will give to you. Then I need you to go change into your fancy outfits and I will show you where you're seated during the actual fashion show. Afterwards there is a big dinner but you can also go party somewhere else if you want. Then on Saturday there is the big after-show party. Paul loves having people from all over the world. So please wear something nice but also comfortable because there will be a huge dance floor, a DJ and lots to drink. Ok… are there any questions so far?"

I'm kind of floored and hope that the others have listened well because I'm not quite sure I'll remember everything Tina just said. It was too fast.

"Nope, I think we're all good so far!" Quinn says happily. I can see the dreamy expression in her eyes. This is so her thing. She loves fashion more than anything. Ever since Tuesday she hasn't spoken about anything but Paul, the fashion God. She has lovingly dubbed him 'Paul is-the-best' instead of Estevez…

"Great! I suggest you'll get some good rest tonight because tomorrow is gonna be a super long day. See you here at 10am, ok? Bye!"

I wave and smile at her but really I just want her to not be our personal contact for the weekend. She's worse than Rachel. She seems nice but she talks and moves like she's got some Duracell batteries up her a-

"Soo… Quinn, are we gonna share a room now, or what?" Mike purrs and winks at the blonde from across the small table.

Quinn bites her lip. She throws a questioning glance at me. I don't know if she's asking for permission or whether it is a good idea to share a room with Chang, so I just wink at her.

"Oh well if you want to so badly then I guess I can't say n-aaah!" Mike has jumped up from his chair and grabbed Quinn's wrists to pull her on her feet. I hide my face in embarrassment when he picks her up and carries her on his shoulder towards the elevators. I don't know these people!

Quinn has dropped the other keys into an empty chair. I watch how Rachel throws a quick glance at Brittany.

"Uhm… Kurt? Would you do me the honor and share a room with me?" She asks and laughs when he reaches out his elbow like a gentleman.

"It's my pleasure, Miss Berry" He says funnily when the two walk away giggling.

Once it's just Brittany and me left, I turn my head to look at her. There are two empty chairs between us. She's playing with a blonde stray of hair.

"Looks like the decision has been taken from you whether you want to share a room with me or not…" She says with a hidden smirk when she gets up to grab the remaining keycard. She looks at it and frowns. "Room 69? Is that like a sign or something?" She mumbles and wiggles an eyebrow when my mouth falls open.

"Brittany" I mumble with my cheeks feeling hot.

"What? We totally got positi- I mean room 69!" Brittany says with a laugh and shows me the card. She follows me when I approach one of the elevators that just got back down.

I grin at her and once we're inside, she pushes the button. Suddenly I realize that we forgot our luggage but we're already going up.

"Shit! Our suitcases! They're still by the reception desk!" I yell and want to check if there is a button that will make the elevator switch directions. I have my mobile and everything down there.

I hear Brittany laugh behind me. When I feel a warm hand grabbing my wrist, I turn around.

"Relax, Santana… somebody is bringing the luggage to our room." I swallow when she gently pushes me against the wall and presses her hips into mine. "This is like a five-star hotel."

Before I know it, her lips are on mine and a shaky breath escapes my mouth. Luckily I just had another mint downstairs because I was still feeling slightly sick from the flight.

Now all the sickness is gone. The bubbly feeling inside me is caused by Brittany's lips and how they suck on my own. She cups my left cheek with her hand and lets our foreheads rest against one another once she pulls back.

"You know… you can still go ask Rachel if she wants to switch rooms with you because I definitely won't be able to keep my hands off you all weekend. There is something about hotel rooms that makes me all excited. A hotel room with you is like… jackpot" She mumbles sweetly and bites on her lip when I chuckle at her words.

I grab the collar of her jacket to pull her into another kiss. It's true… there's something about the atmosphere of a hotel that kind of gets me all eager, too. This never happened when Gabe and I went on vacation.

"You want me to switch rooms with Rachel?" I mumble between two kisses. I don't care that the elevator stops and gets opened. I really don't want to switch rooms… "Does that mean you won't be able to take your hands off her, either?"

Brittany shakes her head and wants to kiss me again when we hear a muffled noise. I startle and look to my side, only to find three young men standing outside of the elevator staring at us. Saliva dripping onto the carpet…

"Oh" I breathe and let go of Brittany's collar. She clears her throat and puts her hand on my back to push me out of the elevator.

"Ok, show's over… see you around, boys" She says when we leave the three guys standing there wordlessly. I'm pretty sure they're still ogling at us instead of getting into the elevator but neither of us looks back to see.

It's a couple hours later when Brittany and I step into our room for the second time. It's really lovely and there's so much space. A giant flat screen TV is pinned against the wall and the double bed looks extremely comfortable. There's even a small balcony.

When we got here first, we only went to freshen up and later we met the others downstairs so we could go grab something for dinner all together. I couldn't believe I was actually strolling through Fifth Avenue because last time I was here, there was somehow no time to enjoy all these things. It had been just a short trip with Gabe and my brother Ricky and all we did was hang around Central Park and watch some basketball game.

Quinn kept sneaking up to me and hugged me out of nowhere because she's so excited to be here. She's a complete New York-virgin even though she's the biggest fashion junkie I know.

Those of us who could still eat more bought ice cream on the way back to the hotel and Quinn and Kurt kissed me goodnight before we all happily headed to our rooms.

"This city is so much fun…" Brittany sighs when she takes off her jacket. She shuffles across the room and collapses on our bed with a loud groan. "But now I am dead."

I chuckle and throw my jacket on top of hers on an empty chair before sinking down next to her. She's lying on her back, her eyes are closed but her chest is moving up and down evenly.

"I'm deader…" I mumble and crawl into a ball by her side.

"Deader?" She asks. I sense how she turns her body to face mine.

"Yeah"

"That sounds quite serious" I peek through one eye and watch how Brittany supports her head in one hand. She reaches out to put some hair behind my ear. "Do you need me to reanimate you? You know… mouth-to-mouth?"

I burst into laughter at Brittany's serious expression.

"Oh well I don't know if there's anything left to save but I think you should definitely give it a try."

I roll onto my back and two seconds later Brittany is hovering over me.

"Let me see…" She whispers when she brings our lips together for a soft kiss. I reach into her hair while her tongue accesses my mouth. I already do feel a whole lot more vivid. A protesting noise leaves my lips when she pulls back after a while but the look on her face repays for the loss.

"I don't think I was successful. It looks quite critical." She mumbles and starts fumbling on the buttons of my shirt. "I think I should try cardiac massage or something."

I bite on my top lip when Brittany's hand disappears inside my shirt and a soft moan leaves my lips when she cups my right boob.

My heart is beating so fast when Brittany starts kissing my jaw intently. I can feel the warmth of her hand through the material of my bra. All this is still so new. Nobody has ever touched my chest as gently as Brittany. It had always been either heavy groping or painful squeezing in the complete wrong places. Sometimes I wondered if something was wrong with the sensations in my breasts but ever since Brittany has touched me for the first time; I know that my boobs function perfectly well.

"Brittany…" I mumble but her lips keep kissing the skin on my neck eagerly.

"Mhm?"

"Actually my heart is on the other side."

A smirk creeps over her lips.

"Oopsie…" She whispers.

"But you know… keep going, it's helping nevertheless." I breathe. Brittany doesn't need to be told twice. Her hand is back on my chest and just when she's about to reach under my bra, we hear a weird noise from above the headboard.

Brittany looks up. A couple seconds later it's there again. It's definitely a moan.

"What's this noise?" She asks and pulls her hand out of my shirt. "It sounds like someone's…" There's another loud moan and I press my hand over my mouth when I realize whom this moan belongs to.

"Oh my God" I whisper. Brittany still looks confused. "Quinn and Mike are in the room right next to us, right?" I ask and pull a face when I automatically picture what's going in the other room.

"You mean?" Brittany blinks at me. "She's-"

"Getting reanimated… yes"

Brittany bursts into laughter when I close my eyes and try to get the mental picture out of my head.

"Oh GOD" Brittany whines when we can clearly hear Quinn's moans turn more rhythmically. "I thought this was a five-star hotel! Why aren't those walls soundproofed any better? This is such a turn-off!"

I sit up in bed when Brittany rolls off me.

"They're totally doing it." I don't know if I should laugh or cry. I really want my reanimation, but I don't want to hear myself scream in unison with Quinn, like… gross.

"Come on" Brittany says and grabs my hand.

"Huh? Where?"

She pulls me up from the mattress and grabs her jacket before she makes quick steps towards the balcony with my hand still in hers. She opens the door so we can step outside into the dark.

It's pretty high up here but one can still hear the traffic in the streets and the noises of this city. When Brittany and I step to the banister and enjoy the incredible view it's a pretty damn magical moment.

"This is awesome" Brittany mumbles. She takes a deep breath of air.

For a long while we just stand there and observe whatever we can see of the city night life. Only when it's getting fresher around us, Brittany steps back and sinks into one of the comfortable chairs that I didn't see when we came outside.

"Were you jealous when Rachel sat in my lap in the car?" She asks teasingly. I cross my arms in front of my chest.

"Jealous? Me?"

"Yep…"

I make a few steps towards her.

"Would you have preferred if it had been me sitting in your lap?" I counter and Brittany perks an eyebrow up.

"Are you answering with a question?"

"Are you?"

She laughs softly and reaches out a hand. When I take it, she pulls me closer. I let her drag me down until I land in her lap. I wrap my arms around her neck and Brittany puts her jacket around my shoulders before a hand finds rest on one of my thighs.

"Happy now?" I whisper and grin when Brittany nods.

"Yes… are you?"

I take a moment to think about it. I bite on my bottom lip when I see a sparkle in Brittany's eyes.

"Yeah. I'm very happy right now."

We smile at each other sheepishly and lean in at the same time for another kiss. Her hand on my thigh makes slow movements while I play with her hair gently. Her lips are so soft, I don't think a word exists to describe how soft exactly… and her tongue is amazing. She knows how to make me melt. We've had many L.A. kisses and I love that this our first New York kiss. Technically it already happened in the elevator and on the bed but it's different outside. Only outside kisses count as city kisses.

It's less heated than in the elevator and slower than on the bed. It's just me and her and night air tickling our cheeks.

It's perfect.

---

Chapter 20 *Heroines*

I'm almost shaking with anticipation when I let my eyes wander around. Everyone here looks so fancy. There are celebrities everywhere! I can't believe I'm sitting in the second row with an almost perfect view of the giant catwalk and in about ten minutes, Paul Estevez' fashion show will begin.

I'm so glad I brought my most expensive cocktail dress to this trip otherwise I'd attract an uncomfortable kind of attention for sure. Quinn, Brittany and Rachel also look stunning and I can tell by the looks on their faces that they are just as excited as I am.

On my right Quinn keeps mumbling something like 'I can't believe I'm here… this is real' as she simply looks overjoyed. She nods when I ask her if she's doing alright.

Brittany is sitting on my left and whenever we throw a glance at each other, she adds a hidden grin.

Last night ended with so many kisses. I don't remember a night I kissed that much. I was sitting in her lap probably for hours out on the balcony because it was really late when we finally stopped kissing and got back inside. My lips still felt so sore this morning, it's crazy. I have no idea what this means because never in my life have I felt this way.

Sometimes Gabe and I would kiss for a few minutes before sleeping together and it always felt like some sort of warm-up. He wasn't a bad kisser… Sometimes we kissed when sitting in front of the TV or after having dinner outside in our rose garden. Those kisses were good and I thought they satisfied me.

But Gabe and I never just sat together for hours and kissed until our mouths hurt so delicately. I never felt sexual satisfaction just by kissing him. Kissing was fun but I wasn't too upset when he would eventually pull away.

But yesterday…

Kissing Brittany was so much more than just lips touching and tongues playing. It was so sexy… not in a needy, physical way but in a way that gave me so much pleasure, I almost burst on that balcony. I don't know where she learned to kiss like that. Or maybe it is simply because our lips fit perfectly. Every move was so smooth and meant everything at that moment. Her hand on my thigh meant that she wanted to touch me. Her tongue against mine meant she wanted to taste me. Her jacket around my shoulders meant she didn't want me to get cold and her soft moans meant she was enjoying it too.

Oh and her heart beating fast meant she was feeling everything I was feeling, too.

"My heart is beating so fast right now…" She whispered against my skin and kissed my neck. I was sure she was going to burn her lips on my skin because I felt so incredibly hot.

Only when it was becoming a little uncomfortable in that chair, we decided to head inside our room and change into sleeping clothes. There was no more sign of Quinn and Mike's little adventure going on next door but we still just went to bed and fell asleep next to each other after a few minutes, the exhaustion of a long day settling in.

When I woke up this morning, I watched Brittany sleep for several minutes. She looked so peaceful and relaxed. It got me thinking…

Never before have I felt so safe and at ease while lying in bed with someone. What does this mean? Seriously it's like… I can't think of anyone else I'd rather wake up next to in the mornings. Every morning.

But Brittany and I… I mean we're not a couple. I've never been with a woman before. At least not like this. Vicky Javier and I used to wake up next to each other, too after a sleepover. And during those sleepovers we would often make out. But Vicky would probably have kicked me in the guts if I had suggested we'd start dating. It never got that far because back then I had no idea this could actually be something I wanted.

Do I want to be with Brittany? As in becoming a couple?

That would be… so overwhelming. And so is her smile when she nudges my shoulder and points to the first model that struts over the catwalk. Wow she's pretty… and really tall.

But I don't actually care how good looking those women are up there. Only Brittany is making my heartbeat foolishly fast.

I know we are going to spend two more nights in the same room, two days near each other all the time… if she keeps being so sweet and sexy around me and gives me more of those kisses that do the weirdest things to my heart – I'm going to fall for her hard.

I swallow as the realization hits me that it might have already happened.

I don't think my heart is ready for that. Don't know if I'm ready for that. What if I do it all wrong? My life with Gabe is just a couple steps into my past. It's still there somewhere… it'll take some time until we're actually divorced and the thought of all those things we need to take care of gives me a stomach ache.

What if I end up disappointing Brittany because it's all too much? Of all people she deserves to be happy with someone… someone who's completely free at heart and can give her whatever she needs and wants. What if I can't do it?

Maybe I shouldn't think so hard. Maybe she doesn't even look at me like that? She never said she wants a relationship. But it does feel like we're heading there eventually. Could it be?

My parents would probably die of perplexity. They have a very defined picture of me. Well… it already got rattled when I told them about my break-up with Gabe but me showing up with another woman at family gatherings? I can literally see my dad shaking his head and leaving the room, about to never speak a word to me again.

This is what happened when my sister disappointed him by moving across the country and trying a career at dancing. My father called her ridiculous. They hardly speak anymore these days. If he got so upset about that then what will he do when I tell him I'm dating another woman?

I bite on my lip when Brittany observes the current model and then scribbles something down on the notepad in her lap. All my thoughts and sorrows float away when she leans closer to Rachel who's sitting on her other side and they giggle at something that she whispers into her ear. Her laugh sounds so carefree. It makes me smile, too.

I'm always worrying too much… I should just enjoy. Because I'm in New York, I'm with the people I love and I'm attending a Paul freakin' Estevez fashion show. Life's good.

---

Brittany… a couple hours later…

Everything about this day has been truly amazing. She woke up to Santana's stroking fingers between her shoulder blades and then they had breakfast at the most giant buffet she's ever seen.

Once they arrived at the building where the fashion show would take place, they got overwhelmed by all the impressions. It is the first time she has been to an event as big as this – and she has seen a lot so far.

After lunch she, Quinn and Kurt got to meet Paul Estevez in his office and he was so incredibly lovely and charming – all three of them left on cloud 9 after an hour of talking about his work, his life, his fame…

The fashion show was the bomb because they were surrounded by celebrities and Mr. Estevez or 'simply Paul' as he introduced himself, has some serious taste in clothes for women. She has no doubt that Shelby will be more than happy with the end product of their work here. After the fashion show the six of them decided to go for a fancy dinner at a restaurant that Tina had suggested euphorically. Turns out she didn't promise too much. They have just reached dessert and the chocolate mousse in her mouth tastes like heaven.

Rachel is hanging on every word that Quinn says because she's telling the other three how their meeting with Paul went. Since Brittany has already told Santana about everything as soon as she got back, the brunette is not paying too much attention to Quinn's telling and rather focusing on Brittany sitting next to her and her foot nudging Santana's under the table.

"How's your ice cream?" Brittany asks and swallows another spoon of mousse.

"Delicious. How's your mousse?"

"Brilliant… wanna try?" She pushes the bowl to her left and watches how Santana dips her own spoon into the chocolate and guides it to her glorious lips.

"Oh wow" She smiles when Brittany stares at her mouth.

"So Brittany, what are you wearing for the after show party tomorrow night?" Quinn's voice sounds from across the table. It takes a while until she realizes she's supposed to give an answer. Santana's lips are just… so distracting.

"What I'm wearing tomorrow night? Uhm a dress? Or my black tight jeans with pumps." Quinn seems satisfied with her answer and wants to know how Kurt and Rachel are going to show up.

It's a fun evening the six of them share together and she can't help but be really grateful to have met these people and be able to call them her friends. Except for Rachel, they are all new in her life. It has been a while that she made new friends.

Of course she loves Puck and his friendship more than anything but it feels really nice to see that others are interested in her, too. Because for the first time in almost two years she is not bitching at whatever nice things people are trying to say to her. She actually listens to them and enjoys their presence. Today after the interview with Paul, she had a great talk with Kurt and told him about some of her work before she came to the Sylvester magazine.

He's really sweet… a couple months ago she would have snapped at him and probably made a joke about his pretty pony face, only so he'd leave her the hell alone. But for some weird reason she has made a 180 degree turn and loves being around those people because finally, things are making sense again.

One of those reasons has dark, wavy hair and is currently laughing at a joke that Mike just told. Her heart flutters when Santana covers her mouth to hide her teeth but then drops her hand as there is no point in hiding, everyone is laughing so hard. Somehow she missed the punch line because she was lost in thoughts about Santana making her life so much better. She laughs nevertheless, she's just happy.

She feels a warm hand on her thigh and when she looks to her left, Santana is leaning in and still chuckling at whatever funny thing Mike was telling.

"Are you having a good time?" Santana asks softly and giggles when Brittany nods with her cheeks definitely flushing. Santana's hand on her thigh gives her all kinds of feelings.

She would love to just put her arm around Santana's shoulders and pull her a little closer. Instead she places her arm on the back rest of Santana's chair so she can at least lean in and whisper into her ear.

"A great time actually" She murmurs.

They smirk at each other and since nobody can see under the table, she puts her hand on Santana's which is still resting on her thigh. Their fingers intertwine easily. God this feels all happy couple-like… why isn't this her wife again?

A little shocked about her thoughts, she leans back and glances across the table. She thought she felt a scrutinizing gaze on her face.

Mike is sitting there next to Quinn. He is definitely staring at her and Santana sitting very close to each other. Maybe the handhold under the table isn't as subtle as she thought? Mike grins with an eyebrow perking up and tilts his head towards them.

"Hey girls… tell me if I'm wrong but you're kind of acting all over each other. Did I miss something?" He says it as if he's talking about the weather. Still it catches Brittany and Santana off guard.

She pulls her hand and her arm away from the brunette and sits straight in her chair, throwing a confused glance at Mike.

"Huh?" She scratches her forehead because she doesn't how she's supposed to react. It's just the six of them here but Santana probably doesn't want everybody to know what's been going on.

Luckily Quinn comes to her rescue and strokes Mike's cheek to distract him.

"Mind your own business, M…" She mumbles sweetly and winks at him. The distraction is working and while Quinn and Mike are getting lost in their own little bubble of joy, Brittany throws a glance to her left. Santana is staring at her spoon and chewing on her top lip.

"Shall we ask for the check then?" Rachel interrupts the awkward silence and fumbles on her purse. "Before you all go look for your wallets – I'm inviting you. Actually Shelby does. She wanted a group dinner to be on her because she's actually really thankful we're doing this."

Brittany mumbles a 'thank you' to Rachel but keeps gazing at the brunette sitting right next to her. Maybe they should talk when they're back at the hotel?

Once Rachel has paid for dinner and they have stepped out of the restaurant, Brittany takes a deep breath of New York night air and hooks arms with Kurt who appears next to her on the sidewalk. She laughs when he nudges her and mumbles that he's really glad they got to meet each other.

She's really glad, too…

Turns out Santana has other things in mind than talking about stuff once they're back at the hotel… well, they sort of are talking with their mouths and tongues connected and hands roaming all over each other.

For the past ten minutes Santana has been lying on top of her and settled between Brittany's thighs. She loves the feeling of the brunette's weight pressing into her body, especially when she can reach under her dress and explore the skin on Santana's thighs.

As soon as they had stepped into their room and taken off their shoes and jackets, Santana pushed Brittany towards the bed and landed on top of her with hungry lips looking for her own.

"Let's not think about what Mike said right now. Please…" She whispered while getting lost in Brittany's eyes and so she obeyed. All she wanted was for Santana to feel good and not worry about anything.

She grabbed Santana's cheeks and pulled her in for a kiss that would communicate at least some of the things she wanted to say.

With these kisses she says that she wants Santana and that it's ok not to talk tonight. Soon they will have to come clean about what this is and what both of them want to happen in the future. But right now it's okay.

She catches her breath when Santana pulls away from the kiss to get up from between her thighs. She stands next to the bed and Brittany watches with big eyes how she takes of her dress and lets it sink to the floor.

"Sorry, was uncomfortable." Santana explains when she crawls back on top of Brittany with nothing but her bra and underwear on.

"Oh yeah, no problem" She answers and gulps at the feeling of a half-naked Santana straddling her waist.

She reaches for Santana's waist and pulls her down until they're lying flush against each other.

It's going to be a wonderful night…

---

The next day… at the after-show party…

"Brittany! You are soooo hot! Seriously! You're the hottest piece of action on this dance floor – why are you so good at this?" Kurt's voice cracks when he yells at Brittany and grabs her wrists to drag her closer. "You have to show me how you do these moves! Everybody in here is basically drooling all over themselves while watching you dance!"

Brittany laughs when she wraps her arms around Kurt's neck. This after-show party is seriously awesome. At first she had her doubts because she thought all those snobby people would be here and just stand next to the dance floor while sipping hilariously expensive champagne. But it turns out that Paul Estevez does not only know how to tailor dresses, he also knows how to host the most amazing party she's ever been to.

The dance floor is giant, the drinks are fabulous, the atmosphere brilliant and the DJ is playing 'Dance Like This' which is only her favorite song to dance sexy. Santana has never looked hotter in her short red dress and stilettos while dancing with Quinn and Rachel just a few feet away from her.

"You need to be loose!" She yells into Kurt's ear and grabs his waist to show what she means.

"Loose?"

"Yeah you know… try to move your hips and not your legs too much!" Kurt's eyes widen when she grinds against him to demonstrate.

"Whoa Britt careful – I might turn straight if you keep doing that!" He laughs and tries to mirror her movements.

She winks at him and twirls around in his embrace so she can move against his front. The actual reason she turned around though, is so she can watch Santana dancing near them.

The brunette must have been eying her and Kurt because there is a spark in her dark eyes and she's smiling devilishly. It's too good.

"Hey Kurt" She mumbles when she turns back to face him. "I kind of wanna go dance with the girls for a while, do you mind?"

"No problem! I really need something to drink anyways. Have fun!" He bumps her shoulder and then leaves the dance floor before Brittany turns around and makes her way over to Santana and the others. The brunette can't see her approaching as she is now dancing with her back towards her.

"Hey there…" Brittany murmurs into Santana's ear when she steps close behind her. Her hands make their way around the brunette's hips until they land on her stomach and two seconds later she feels her hand cupping them. "Having a good time?" She asks and wants to place a kiss on the tanned shoulder in front of her but holds back when she's suddenly not so sure how to behave in public.

"Absolutely… what about yourself?" Santana asks over her shoulder. Brittany only catches a short glimpse of her. "You and Kurt are getting along quite well, huh?"

Brittany bites on her lip to suppress a grin because jealous Santana is priceless. Especially when there is no reason to be jealous.

"Of course. I mean he's hot!" Brittany shrugs because Kurt is definitely some serious eye candy in her opinion. Santana throws another glance over her shoulder while they are moving together to the rhythm of the song. "But you know…" Brittany decides that probably no one is paying attention and presses a quick kiss to Santana's shoulder. "He's gay, I'm gay…"

She can hear Santana's throaty laugh and pulls her closer into her front.

"And I have kind of laid my eyes on someone else on this dance floor." She closes her eyes at the feeling of Santana's backside against her front because - oh hot damn.

"Oh yeah?" Santana mumbles. Brittany is pretty sure to detect a tremble in her voice.

"Yeah… and I was just thinking of that date you promised in one of your text messages before we got on the flight in L.A., remember?"

"U-huh?"

"Wanna get out of here? Get a drink somewhere else?"

That's when Santana turns around in her arms and smirks at her with a wink.

"I can't say no if I made a promise, can I?" She teases and quickly informs Quinn and Rachel that they are heading out.

Well that was easy… She grabs Santana's hand and doesn't even bother saying goodbye to the girls because they will see them again in the morning anyways. She guides them through the dancing crowd and feels a rush of butterflies in her stomach when she thinks that now the night is only just beginning.

"Okay I've got another… first crush at high school?"

Brittany narrows her eyes and thinks about who her first serious crush was. For the past thirty minutes they have been sitting in this small bar a couple minutes away from what they call the 'Estevez palace' and they've been asking each other questions about their past. Actually they said they would always just answer one question at a time but since they have been neglecting it in the past couple days, they decided to make up for it and go for a ten questions round.

"Oh God that was so long ago. I think her name was Laura and she was on the cheerios with me. She had one fine body and really pretty hair. One day she took me to the school nurse because I had managed to dislocate my shoulder during practice. I ended up in the hospital but that was definitely the day I had developed my first crush. What about you?"

Santana grins at Brittany's story and then takes a sip of her cocktail before she answers the question.

"I guess I was fifteen when my mother had just hired a gardener for the summer. His name was Pablo and whenever he thought nobody was home, he sang Enrique Iglesias songs with the corniest voice I had ever heard. I imagined he was singing to me. Totally stole my heart for that one summer…"

"Aww… isn't that romantic" Brittany laughs and nudges Santana's foot under the table. "Maybe I should try singing instead of dancing then?" She suggests with a wink and watches how Santana throws a sheepish glance at her.

"Maybe… but I'd say your dancing is working just fine for me."

Brittany wants to counter something or ask another question but the excitement in her chest and the smile on her lips make it kind of hard to form a sentence…

"My feet are hurting so badly right now. It's been a while that I wore these stilettos for several hours." Santana mutters when they walk side by side on a sidewalk with their fingers entangled. "Our hotel is still so far! Can't we take a shortcut or something?"

Brittany chuckles and lets go of Santana's hand so she can put her arm around her shoulders instead. It's getting pretty fresh outside and the brunette only brought a thin jacket.

"They really hurt that bad? I guess we can take another street that'll be a little shorter. Do you need me to carry you?" She suggests and earns a groan.

"Almost… but I think I'll make it. Do we need to turn right here?" Santana points to an alley and Brittany nods.

"Yeah, I think that's the quickest way. Hey did you see how Mike danced tonight? Seriously, I don't know what he is doing at the Sylvester magazine. I have no doubt he would make it as a professional dancer out there."

"You're right, he's really amazing. Kurt told me once that Mike is actually terrified to dance in front of an audience. He's ok with dancing at a club but not like on stage or in front of camera." Santana explains and Brittany tries to listen but she's suddenly feeling extremely uncomfortable.

Maybe taking a shortcut wasn't the best idea. Someone is walking a couple steps behind them and other than that there is no one else in this alley. She squeezes Santana's shoulder a little tighter and stops herself from looking who's walking behind them.

"Do you think at this time of night we can still get room serv-"

"Hey I was thinking… maybe we could visit your parents in the morning?" Brittany interrupts Santana and earns a very confused glance.

"Huh?"

"You know… we haven't seen them in a while." She doesn't know why she came up with this. She just wants them to talk about anything other than room service of a hotel. Nobody needs to know they are tourists.

"My parents?" Santana asks dopey but before Brittany can give further explanations, they hear a male voice calling them.

"Excuse me ladies!" Santana stiffens in her embrace. Brittany's heart sinks low. She's not even sure it's beating anymore. "Ladies, can you help me real quick?"

They are still walking with quick steps. Brittany presses her eyelids together. Shit… why did they take a shortcut?

"Keep walking" She mumbles to Santana. The brunette nods hardly noticeable.

If this guy is really looking for help then he'll find someone else. But if he wants something else then they're lost. If they just keep walking fast, then maybe they will make it to the end of this alley in time. She knows that thought is naïve because she can already hear heavy steps coming closer. The next thing she knows is how a man appears in front of them, blocking their way. She was expecting a big freaking Hulk kind of guy but this one is skinny and smaller than Brittany.

"What? You're just gonna ignore if somebody's calling for help?" He asks.

Her heart is beating so fast right now because she knows exactly they can only lose from now on. Either he wants their money and will let them go or he has a weapon and will try to do God knows what.

Her brother Charlie once got mugged by a group of teenagers when he was only seventeen. He didn't get physically harmed because he did exactly what they wanted and kept calm. Maybe this guy will let them go, too if they cooperate.

"Thought you were talking to someone else." Brittany explains eventually and keeps her arm firmly around Santana's shoulders. Her voice sounds calm even though hundreds of thoughts are racing in her mind and her heart is throbbing against her ribcage.

Please let this turn out okay, she begs the universe and looks into the face of the intruder. He doesn't look especially frightening. Actually he looks like he's not much older than eighteen. The insecurity is written on his face. Maybe he'll freak out before anything happens and he'll run away.

"Do you seeanybody else, blondie?" He spites and seems to overpower his initial hesitancy. "Come on, you know exactly what I want – give me whatever shit money you have on you and we can all go home safe tonight." He says and avoids direct eye contact with Brittany.

"Okay" Brittany drops her hand from Santana's shoulder and reaches for the purse she's carrying around her neck. "Get your money out." She mumbles to Santana. The brunette does as she's told.

Together they don't come up with much more than twenty dollars because they spent it all on shopping this afternoon and the cocktails they had at the bar. With shaky hands Santana reaches her money to the young man. He stares at it.

"That's all? You look like you're staying at a fucking Plaza Hotel!"

"We spent our cash tonight. We don't have more." Brittany explains and starts to feel really anxious. Getting him angry is not what she wants.

"Give me your earrings then!" He hisses while pointing to Santana. Brittany turns to look at her and sees how she's already fumbling on her expensive pearl earrings.

"Okay, they're yours. Please let us go now." Santana mumbles when she hands him the jewelry. "You look really young, I'm sure you don't want to get into any trouble, either." She adds. The young man bites on his lip.

"Shut up, lady and don't tell me what to do. What else do you have on you?" He throws a nervous glance over his shoulder.

"I swear there is nothing else we can give. We're on our way home after a long night out – she already gave you the earrings now go away." Brittany begs and grabs Santana's hand when the guy takes a step towards the woman next to her.

"Your dress looks super fancy. Take it off." He states nervously. Suddenly he looks scared as hell. Brittany closes her eyes. She squeezes the cold hand in hers. Although the young man seems to be freaking out just as much as they are, he sounds completely serious.

"I…" Santana begins but then looks down at her body. The zipper is on her back and it looks like a dress you can't just take off within seconds.

"Hurry the fuck up and take the dress off!" He yells and reaches into his pocket. Brittany suppresses a gasp when she sees the knife in his hand. "Are you deaf?" He asks and yanks Santana away from Brittany.

Brittany's mind goes blank when the blade glistens dangerously close to Santana's upper body. Coldness shoots through her body and she feels she's going to throw up any second. Everything is happening so fast. She doesn't know what to do. She can't just reach for Santana and pull her away from him because he'll probably try and stab one of them. She can't scream for help because it'll cause him to do something stupid, as well.

"The – the zipper is on the b-back" Santana whimpers when she stumbles at another of his forceful movements to turn her around. He fumbles on the zipper but Brittany can see that his hands are shaking. He's completely incapable of getting it unzipped.

"Fuck!" He yells and pushes Santana back towards Brittany. Although she wasn't expecting it, she catches the brunette safely in her arms. "Open it!" He points at Brittany and lifts his knife up in the air.

Brittany realizes that she's supposed to unzip Santana's dress and even though she really doesn't want the brunette to take it off, they have to do what he says. Unless…

She pushes Santana's raven hair to the side so she can have a look at the zipper.

"Do it" Santana whispers. Brittany nods quickly. The young man is standing close to them so Brittany can see the knife in the corner of her eye. Santana's body is shivering. She can almost hear both their hearts beating desperately in unison. It's safe to say she has reached the point where she is scared to death. Scared to death that Santana will get hurt…

While she's fumbling on the zipper and slowly pulling it down, she throws a quick glance at the boy. That's what he is – he's a boy and he's freaking out. She can see it in his terrified eyes that are scanning the area around them. His hand holding the knife is trembling. He looks incredibly weak now. When he turns his head to check the space behind him, Brittany goes on autopilot.

It happens within seconds but she lets go of Santana's dress and quickly pushes the brunette behind her. She lunges out and kicks the guy in the guts. Hard.

With a clashing sound the knife drops to the ground, followed by a pained scream that leaves his lungs. Brittany watches how the guy squirms with pain as his knees give in.

"F-fucking bitch!" He tries to yell but it comes out as a high pitched gasp.

"Oh my God" She can hear Santana's voice from right behind her. Then she feels a hand grabbing her elbow. "Come on, Brittany!"

She turns around and finds Santana's dark eyes staring at her. There is still fear and shock written in her eyes but now the brunette also looks at her with a hint of admiration.

But there is no time to get sentimental.

"Hurry!" Is the only thing that Brittany manages to say when she takes Santana's hand into hers before they start running away. She throws a glance over her shoulder and sees that the guy is trying to get back on trembling legs but he doesn't follow them.

It takes them ten seconds to get into another street and there are people. People are surrounding them and she instantly feels safer.

"It's not that far anymore." She mumbles and looks to her right where Santana is trying to catch up with her hasty steps. She pulls the brunette's hand up to her lips and kisses it, trying to show that they are safe now. "We're okay" She kisses the back of Santana's hand several times.

Santana looks scared and desperate but there is also warmth in her eyes. It's something that never fails to amaze Brittany, even in a time like this.

She doesn't know how they made the way back to their hotel that quickly but it feels like they flew. She also doesn't remember how they took off their clothes and brushed their teeth and got ready for bed. If she tried hard than she probably would remember how they did it all but right now it's so not important. The only important thing is that Santana is safely lying in her arms under the covers.

It's almost 3am but she has never felt more awake. She knows that the door is locked and that they are safe here. She still feels like she needs to protect Santana from whatever harm could be out there. The shocked look on her face when the man said she should take off her dress keeps appearing in front of Brittany's inner eye.

How she pulled down the zipper of Santana's dress… She wonders what the young man will do with their thirty dollars. Buy drugs? Food? Diapers for his baby?

What did he want to do with Santana's dress? Sell it on a street corner? Would he have actually tried to stab either of them if they had run away without putting him out of action first? She can't believe how recklessly she acted. You should never try to attack your attacker, right? Especially when he's got a knife?

But her body wasn't listening to her brain. It just happened as soon as he turned around. It was not in her power to stop herself, too strong was her instinct to protect Santana and herself. It's really easy to say you have to keep calm and do what the attacker says. You can't know what his plans are.

She snaps out of her thoughts when Santana stirs in her sleep and a whimper leaves her lips.

"Shh…" She tries to catch Santana's wrist when the brunette starts hitting the air around them. "Ow."

Santana's hand lands flat against her cheek and even though it hurts a little, Brittany only scoots closer. She kisses her face softly, her fingers wrapping around restless hands.

"Santana…" She whispers into the brunette's ear and nudges her cheek. She must be dreaming of what happened tonight. She's heard that you shouldn't wake a person having a nightmare but she also can't watch Santana suffering in her sleep.

She presses the softest kisses against a sweaty temple and holds Santana's desperate hands close to her chest until they stop moving hectically and come to rest.

"Brittany?" Santana's voice sounds teary when she finally opens her eyes and glances up.

"Yes, I'm right here. Don't worry, Santana. It's okay now. We're fine…" She whispers and cups Santana's damp cheek as a teardrop is rolling down. With her thumb she strokes over trembling warm lips.

Santana's eyes are hastily roaming over Brittany's face to look for any kind of sign that would claim the opposite of being fine. Brittany sustains her glance.

"I thought he was going to jump at you when you kicked him."

"I'm so sorry… I don't know what I was doing."

Santana slowly shakes her head. One of her hands makes its way to Brittany's collarbone.

"You shielded me." She whispers while her fingers run over Brittany's jaw. "As if nothing mattered more than me. How…" She trails off when they look at each other for long seconds.

Because you mean so much to me…Brittany wishes she could say those words out loud. Santana is quicker and lifts her head from the pillow to kiss Brittany without further warning. She kisses her hard and soft at the same time, desperately wrapping her arms around Brittany's upper body.

She's so overwhelmed that she parts her lips to get air. Santana uses the opportunity to dip her tongue into Brittany's mouth. A sigh leaves her lips when she feels Santana pressing into her from underneath and the kiss turns so passionate within seconds.

She's still supporting herself on her elbow and lets one of her hands disappear under Santana's shirt until she's cupping her breast and squeezing it confidently. Where the sudden need for this comes from, she doesn't know… but she needs it so badly. Santana moans into the kiss. Her leg wraps around Brittany waist to hold her as close as possible.

Gentle kisses and touches are not what either of them need right now. What they need is feeling each other's body close to each other, the heat of their skin, the want in their kisses. They need to physically feel the other is there and won't leave tonight.

With surprising force Santana pushes Brittany on her back and takes off her own tank top before tugging at Brittany's. She sits up to grant Santana whatever she wants to do with it. It's gone before she knows it and their naked chests collide when Santana rolls on top of her. She's so ready to give Santana everything she needs and craves but the determined kisses she gets from her, let her know that Santana is in charge now.

She gasps when a warm hand cups her between the legs and puts just enough pressure for both of them to feel how turned on Brittany is. Is it really ok to be this ready when they got mugged only two hours ago?

They should be talking about it to process what happened – hell, they should be at the police station and tell somebody what happened! Screw it… what she needs is Santana's hand exactly where it is right now.

Their tongues are battling and playing while she lets her hands run through thick black hair. Santana's hand disappears in her underwear and starts stroking her at places that make her gasp and moan unexpectedly heavy.

Just when she wants to cup Santana's cheeks to feel the heat underneath her fingertips, the brunette lowers her kisses to Brittany's neck and her collarbone. Brittany presses her eyelids together when warm lips explore her breasts seconds later and the hand between her legs knows exactly how to make her tremble with want for more.

When those hot kisses keep moving lower and lower and circle her bellybutton, she supports herself on her elbows so she can look down at Santana.

"What are you doing…" She breathes. Her eyes almost roll into the back of her head when Santana's lips press a kiss on the waistband of her underwear. The brunette looks up and slowly pulls her hand out of Brittany's underwear.

"I want to." She assures Brittany as she hooks one of her thumbs under the waistband, ready to pull down.

"But…" Brittany's breathing is embarrassingly erratic. She wishes Santana wouldn't give her that look. This is not just them cuddling on the couch or dancing on the dance floor. Santana has never done this before – what if she freaks out and will never want to be close to Brittany again because she finds it gross or weird?

She almost forgets her sorrows when Santana starts pulling down her underwear. She automatically lifts her pelvis to help her.

"I really want to." Santana repeats when Brittany is completely naked. "Unless you don't?" She adds and their eyes meet for a look that'll tell the truth no matter what.

Brittany leans forward.

"I do – I just… don't want you to think you have to." She mumbles but stops when Santana shakes her head.

"Stop thinking" The brunette whispers and blows a kiss to her lips. Brittany sinks back on her elbows when Santana kisses her stomach and her hips and lies down between her legs. "Maybe you have to tell me when I don't know what to do."

She hears Santana's voice when her lips press a kiss to the inside of her left thigh. Brittany nods even though Santana can't see it and closes her eyes when hot air hits her center.

A sigh leaves her lips when she receives a kiss to her most intimate body part. She almost bursts with want and need. She guides her hand into Santana's hair when a second and a third kiss follow after that.

Kisses turn into strokes with her tongue and Brittany forgets how words work. She wants to tell Santana that it feels so incredible but she can't form a sentence right now. And so she moans at the hot sensation and the picture of Santana so intimately close to her.

She wishes she could relax more and make this last as long as possible but it feels so amazingly good that she knows exactly she won't last for many minutes.

"Is this ok?" Santana whispers and throws a glance up at Brittany's face.

Brittany nods hastily. She swallows when Santana's lips lower back to where they were seconds ago.

"Yes" She croaks and closes her eyes for a second to regain composure. "You can also… inside. Or with your fingers if you want to." She glances back at Santana and hopes she didn't say something wrong but when she feels something wet and warm pushing into her, she collapses onto the mattress and grabs the pillow above her to muffle a loud groan. She can see sparkling stars and colored dots when she presses her eyes shut because she's already so close to climax but keeps fighting it. Every second of it is so amazing. She doesn't want to let go just yet.

It's getting hard to breathe with the pillow still on top of her and so she throws it away and reaches down to get any part of Santana's body to hold on to. She finds a hand and grabs it desperately, letting Santana know that she's so close. There's no way she can make it last longer. She wants to get there.

Her hips are moving on their own accord and she doesn't care about the moans that leave her lungs. She cries out when everything inside her erupts with the most intense sensation she knows. Warmth shoots from the core of her body to her fingertips and spreads like a blanket settling on her skin.

She's breathing so heavily as the muscles in her stomach twitch forcefully. Santana keeps kissing her. Their hands are entangled on Brittany's hip and they hold on so strongly. How come she feels like she's floating above the mattress? How does Santana do it? She's never felt it this intense. Never…

Slowly Santana's kisses wander back up and help calming the trembling in Brittany's body. Brittany's breath still hitches when Santana reaches her chest and kisses a path between her breasts until she arrives at her chin and waiting lips. She sighs into Santana's hot mouth when they connect so sweetly and let their breaths mingle.

She opens her eyes when their lips part after what feels like minutes of kissing and blue gets hopelessly lost in brown. The amount of affection she feels towards Santana is hard to understand. Her hands wander over Santana's back while her legs wrap around a slender waist. Her chest feels as if it's about to explode. It's a feeling she can't describe. Like something is sitting in her chest, screaming to come out. Her heart is throbbing and her lips tremble when she parts them because she can't help it. She just can't help it.

"I love you"

The world stands still, she's pretty sure. Dark eyes widen and the air in her lungs goes missing when she realizes she said it out loud.