hello friends. this marks the last chapter of 'true as the sky is blue'. thank you so much for taking this journey with me. i hope you enjoy this chapter. so review when you're done and let me know what you think. much love :)
[Three years and seven months later]
Santana sighs as she looks through her Blackberry which catches Brittany's attention. She turns from their suitcase where she's been unpacking their things and watches the way her girlfriend thumbs through her phone. Santana has been waiting for an e-mail from the firm she had been interning at for the past two years to see if she got a junior associates job. She's applied and interviewed with other firms as well, but she has her heart set on Rose & Byrnes because she already knows everyone there.
"Anything yet?" Brittany asks as she sets a pile of Santana's clothes down onto the blow up mattress they're going to be sleeping on for the next couple of days. Santana shakes her head and sighs again, this time louder and longer. "It is the weekend." Brittany reminds her in a hopeful voice. "I'm sure Joshua will let you know as soon as he knows something."
"Yeah." Santana nods and locks the phone before setting it down onto the coffee table they moved against the wall. "I'm just nervous I guess." She admits and rubs the back of her neck.
"Baby," Brittany coos and smiles lovingly over at her. "Even if you don't get the job, you're smart and good at what you do."
"You're sweet." Santana grins and moves to kneel on the ground beside Brittany. "And you're right." She runs her fingers through her hair and looks down at the still half packed suitcase.
"It's not like it's the only place in New York." Brittany muses as she hands Santana her own personal bag of toiletries. "Here." She hands hers over as well. "And it's also not the only firm in the country." She adds with a raised eyebrow which garners an inquisitive stare from Santana.
"But, you want to stay in New York, right?" Santana asks, wondering if Brittany has been contemplating moving somewhere else. Brittany shrugs and tosses a bunch of socks and panties beside the piles of clothes she's been pulling out of their luggage.
"I would like to." Brittany says. "But, if there is an opportunity for either one of us somewhere else, I wouldn't be opposed to giving it a thought or two." She smiles sweetly up at Santana who is still studying her curiously. "I'd prefer to stay in New York though." She adds. "I mean, I did just get my New York license."
"Not that you drive anywhere." Santana jokes with a prodding finger to Brittany's cheek.
"I don't need to drive anywhere in the city." She reminds her girlfriend. "Besides, I have you if I need to go anywhere." Santana shakes her head and giggles.
"I love you." Santana tells her as she leans over to press a soft kiss on her lips.
"I love you, too." Brittany replies and gives her another peck. "Now, are you gonna help me or what?"
Twenty minutes later they are unpacked. Santana of course tells Brittany she doesn't understand why they needed to unpack considering they are leaving in two days anyway. But, Brittany explained how their clothes would be all wrinkly and neither one of them like to iron if they don't have to. They change out of their travel clothes and into something that looks less sleep ready and more presentable for the belated graduation barbeque for Jaime, Brittany's younger sister.
Being just immediate family and a few of Jaime's friends, Santana and Brittany don't have to get extremely dressed up, which both are rather grateful for considering they only arrived a few hours ago after an early morning drive. Mrs. Pierce is busy setting up chips and dip inside even though they are all going to be out back in a few minutes.
"Hey everybody." Rick announces as he, Laurie and their brood come through the front door of the Pierce house in Lima, Ohio.
"Ooh, the baby." Brittany coos and tugs on Santana's arm to get up from the couch so that they can go and greet the newest addition.
"Oh." Santana replies and slowly follows suit. She walks behind Brittany who practically bounces with each step towards her new niece.
"Hi Laurie." Brittany waves softly to her sister and leans in to kiss her cheek. Santana, who continues to stand behind Brittany, nods and smiles as well. "Hello little baby." She says softly and sweetly to the baby, placing her finger into the infant's tiny fist. "You are so cute." She beams down at the child and then gives her sister a proud look. "She is too adorable. Isn't she, babe?" Brittany glances over her shoulder where Santana is and motions for her to come closer when she realizes how far back she is. "Come here." She grabs Santana's wrist to yank her to her side.
"Yeah, she's..." Santana eyes the baby up and nods. "She's tiny." Brittany and Laurie giggle at her uncertainty. Brady comes running through their little group and barrels right into Brittany who nearly falls back at the collision.
"Whoa buddy!" Brittany yelps as she kneels down to look at the toy her nephew is showing her. "That is pretty cool." She widens her eyes as though she has seriously just seen the coolest thing ever.
"You wanna hold her?" Laurie asks, offering her daughter to Santana, taking both of their attention away from Brittany and Brady.
"Oh." Santana's eyebrows raise and her eyes flicker from the baby's small head to her even smaller feet that are sockless. "Umm…" She awkwardly moves her arms to and fro, obviously having a mental debate.
"Come on, she's not gonna bite." Laurie laughs and all but shoves her daughter in her arms. "Now, just make sure you support her head." She helps Santana position her arm. "And you put your other arm like this." She poses her like a doll and then smiles. "Okay, now I really have to pee."
Santana opens her mouth to object, but instead, she stands there with a newborn baby in her arms and the mother fleeing towards the bathroom down the hall. She looks down and finds that Brittany is no longer kneeling beside her, but over on the other side of the living room with Brady looking at all of the toys he is removing from his travel bag. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce are busy talking to Rick and Jaime is nowhere to be seen.
A whine brings her attention back to the thing in her arms and she looks down at it. There are arms flailing from side to side and feet kicking into her forearm. Cautiously, she walks over towards the couch and slowly lowers herself down trying her best not to adjust the hold she has on the little girl. She's seen babies before. It's not like she's never been in the presence of them before, she's just never really been given the responsibility of having to actually hold one before.
"Okay, little, miniature sized person." Santana says in a low, yet gentle voice. She half smiles when the baby looks like she's smiling at Santana. "You are kinda adorable. Just please don't spit up or go to the bathroom while I'm holding you and we'll get along just fine."
From the other side of the room, Brittany looks up from Brady showing her the proper way to cause toy destruction and spots Santana on the couch. She watches the way her girlfriend nervously adjusts her position and lets the little girl grab at her finger. It's hard not to smile at this sight. There's something about people holding babies that can stir something deep inside anyone's chest. It's kind of a beautiful scene to her and it sends tingles down to the tips of her fingers.
It's only when Laurie comes back to retrieve her child and Santana gets up from the couch does she realize that she has been staring. Santana shifts under her gaze and runs her fingers through her hair as she makes her way over towards Brittany. They smile sweetly at one another and Brittany tells her nephew she'll be back, handing him his toy back. She meets Santana halfway across the living room, her eyes flicker towards the direction of the baby and then back to her girlfriend.
"You look sort of sexy holding a baby." Brittany admits in a quiet voice. Santana smirks and arches an eyebrow.
"Is that so?" She wonders in a teasing tone and reaches down to grab both of Brittany's hands, pulling her closer. Brittany nods and hums out a 'mhmm', letting Santana lace their fingers. "You look sexy when you're holding me up against a wall... but, to each their own." She winks and gets a playful eye roll from Brittany.
"How is it that you make everything dirty?" Brittany asks even though she knows she is going to get one the several same answers she always does when she asks this question.
"Because everything can sound dirty if you really put your mind to it." Santana replies with a cheeky grin.
"Come on you filthy girl." Brittany hooks her arm through Santana's and tugs for her to follow. "Let's get something to drink."
Eventually the rest of the family meets them out in the backyard and Mr. Pierce starts up the grill. Brittany and Santana take two seats at the 'adult table' after being shooed away by Jaime who sits at her own table with her friends. The couple joke about being too old and obviously not cool enough to sit with high school kids anymore.
Santana looks around and finds Rick off on the other side of the backyard tossing around a football with Brady and making small talk with Brittany's dad. She momentarily imagines her being in Rick's spot as the spouse of a Pierce girl, playing with their kid in the yard while talking up their father in-law. Her thoughts are interrupted by Mrs. Pierce who taps her shoulder with the cold bottom of a beer can which she gladly accepts.
When Laurie and Mrs. Pierce start asking Santana questions about work and how life is in the big city after graduating, Brittany nudges her arm and motions towards where her nephew, father and brother in-law are. Santana nods to show she understands that Brittany is silently telling her she is leaving her to her own devices.
Santana of course indulges the Pierce women by reminding them how great the view is from her and Brittany's bedroom. She explains how she loves Rose & Byrnes and that she hopes to get a permanent position there and that while it seems likely, she is still stressing possible rejection. As she speaks with them, she finds herself glancing down at the little girl who is flailing her hands up in the air from Laurie's arms. Laurie looks down and smiles.
"Here." She says as she gets up from her seat. "You can hold her." Laurie tells her in a soft voice. "You don't even have to ask, just steal her away." She chuckles and Mrs. Pierce watches on as Santana stares dumbly at the baby.
Brittany watches from across the yard as Laurie places her new baby girl into Santana's arms. It's different this time than earlier in the living room. She smiles at the way Santana coos at the baby and how those tiny fingers wrap around her index finger. Her stomach flutters and her chest tightens at the scene playing out before her.
Just when she thought everything was as good as she could have expected, she realizes how much more she wants. She imagines their life together, the future one she paints in her mind from time to time and it looks a lot like this. There was never any doubt about it, she wants the rest of her life to be with this one person. It's only hitting her now that she is more than ready for all of those things to come barreling at her.
"You're really good with kids." Laurie comments after a few minutes as she tucks her daughters bib from her face. Santana chuckles with a shake of her head as she bounces the baby lightly in her arms.
"I hate kids." She says. "I mean, when they're this little they're easy. They don't talk back." Laurie nods, a small grin on her lips.
"What about your own kids?" Mrs. Pierce challenges with slight concern, but Santana is oblivious to her tone and furrowed brow.
"Are you kidding me?" She spits out incredulously and smiles down at the baby girl she's holding. "I'll love everything me and B make together."
With the day of celebrating over, Jaime says goodnight to her family and heads out with her friends. Laurie and Rick decide to call it a night too since their kids are getting cranky and sleepy. Santana hugs Brady extra tight when he says 'goodbye Aunt Tana', something that never gets old for her to hear. Brittany offers to help her sister carry the baby's things outside where Rick is already packing the car without much help from his son who is grumpily complaining about not being home already.
Santana offers to help Mrs. Pierce clear up the rest of the backyard while Mr. Pierce brushes the grill clean. There's not much to do since Mrs. Pierce is just like Santana's mother, Mrs. Lopez, who cleans everything as the night is going. It's something that Santana and Brittany have become accustomed to doing whenever they have people over because it makes the late night clean up easier and sometimes none existent.
When the tables are spotless, bottles in the recycling bin and trash in the garbage pail, Santana is more than ready for bed. She says her goodnights to Mrs. and Mr. Pierce who decide to call it a night also. Before she heads down to the basement, Santana looks out the front window to see that her girlfriend is still chatting with her sister and brother in-law. Certain that they are seconds away from driving off, Santana decides to just make her way down the stairs to get ready for bed.
She's already in her pajamas and rubbing lotion into her skin when she hears the front door upstairs open and shut. She glances over at the time on the cable box to see that it's only been about ten minutes since she got changed, brushed and moisturized. The tiny footsteps above her head, followed by the faint creak of a door tell her that Brittany is getting ready for bed too.
"Oh my goodness." Brittany yawns as she descends the stairs. "I'm tired after just one day with those kids." She reaches under her shirt to unclasp her bra and pulls it off with ease.
"Now, imagine eighteen years of that." Santana chuckles as she scoots over on the bed to give Brittany some room to slide down in.
"How many days is that?" Brittany asks as she turns off the lights by the stairs before she quickly makes her way over to the bed. Santana twists her lips and looks to the ceiling as she attempts that sort of math problem.
"A lot." She finally answers after a minute and they both laugh.
The television is on and the volume is basically on mute. The light from it flashes across their faces, illuminating the soft smiles they offer one another. Brittany crinkles her nose and shrugs her shoulders once and then leans over to press a soft kiss to Santana's lips.
"They make it look easy." Brittany muses as Santana cuddles into her.
"Laurie and Rick?" She wonders.
"Well, them too I guess. I meant our parents." Brittany explains. Santana lets her head rest comfortably against Brittany's chest and watches the way her own fingers play with the fabric of her girlfriend's shirt as she thinks. "They just… they're great parents and made it look effortless."
"I'm sure it wasn't as easy as you think babe." Santana tells her and kisses her neck as reassurance.
"Your brothers were chaos on legs and Jaime had enough energy for ten kids." Brittany points out and Santana laughs into her chest. "We'll be good though, right?" She asks through a yawn. Santana, too tired to use her voice, opts to reply with a sleepy nod.
Santana wakes up a little after eleven. It's her first Friday off since her new job started two months ago and she is planning on enjoying it to its fullest by doing absolutely nothing. She stretches her body out under the covers and groans as her muscles tense and relax in a matter of seconds. It feels wonderful not to have to wake up at five in the morning and jump into her work clothes. Not that she doesn't appreciate the way her suits fit perfectly to her body and make Brittany ogle at her like she's about to play out some scene from a porno. But, every now and then it's nice to lay around the house in sweats and a t-shirt not caring whether or not if she spills coffee on herself.
As coffee enters her brain she realizes her instant craving for it. She glances over at the clock on her nightstand and gives herself a nod of approval. Sometimes when she actually gets the chance to sleep in, her body only makes it to about eight o'clock or so. Not very fun. Out of habit she turns on her other side towards Brittany's pillow. She knows it's going to be empty because her girlfriend had a meeting this morning with a producer for some up and coming singer. Turns out getting that job with Mercedes a few years ago was the best thing that could have happened to Brittany. Since the debut of the music video she not only choreographed but starred in, almost every artist wants to work with her. So the dance studio has expanded to make a second floor which has become Brittany's office for such instances.
While she's expecting not to find Brittany lying beautifully next to her she is not at all prepared for the tiny post-it note stuck to her girlfriend's pillow. Her eyebrows furrow and she blinks a few times to get the blur of sleep away. She reaches over and yanks the sticky note from the pillowcase and holds it up.
'i love you my little sleeping beauty'
It's short and sweet and it makes Santana smile. After reading it over a few times she sits up and sticks the note to her own bedside table. This isn't a new thing that Brittany has started, but it's something she does when she is either planning a romantic evening or wants to tell Santana something semi important. Then there are sometimes when it is for no reason at all and every reason possible. So, Santana basically has no clue which road this sticky note is leading her to but it's a nice wake up either way.
Santana shuffles towards their en suite bathroom and grabs her robe from the hook. As she pulls it on she moves towards their closet where her slippers are side by side and she jams her feet into them. When she reaches the kitchen she immediately opens the cabinet to grab her Betty Boop coffee mug, her go to cup for her morning beverage, and finds another sticky note covering Betty's mouth. Confused but happy to find another secret post-it, she smiles and curiously reads it.
'i love you and your coffee obsession'
She laughs and shakes her head as she places the note into the pocket of her robe. It's true; she does have a bit of an obsession with coffee. It's just so good and delicious at any time of day. Plus, there's decaf so coffee can be had by all even at night. While her coffee is being made in their newly acquired Keurig, courtesy of Brittany, she taps her hands on the counter wondering if there are other notes just waiting to be found.
With a shrug of her shoulders she reaches for a box of cereal on top of the refrigerator and then a bowl from the cabinet. She opens the box and pours a nice helping into her bowl. It's silly, but she was half expecting to find a note stuck to a piece of cereal. She even peeks inside but there's nothing in there. After putting the box back, she opens the refrigerator and laughs softly as she shakes her head. There's another tiny note posted on the milk container.
'i couldn't get a post it to stick to your cereal... i love you'
"You're a little mush." Santana mumbles to herself with a grin on her face.
Coffee in hand and bowl of cereal in the other, Santana moves to the table and takes the seat that faces the living room. She sets her drink and food down to the table and reaches for the entertainment part of the newspaper. Sleeping in, coffee and the crossword puzzle in the newspaper is her lazy day alone guilty pleasure. When she reaches the puzzles and game page of the paper, she is greeted by another post it right in the middle of the page except this one has no words on it. Instead, there is an arrow pointing up or straight. For good measure, though she is certain Brittany is not telling her to look up, she does it anyway. There's nothing there which means she is supposed to look forward.
Santana lowers the paper and looks into the living room from her seat. There's nothing noticeably different in the other room. She pushes her chair back and stands, wondering if it is something out of her line of vision. As she does, her eyes fall to the island table and she stops. Her face is fighting a smile and an astonished jaw drop. Her hands come up to cover her mouth but fall quickly to her sides. Finally, her feet move and she is walking towards the island table that separates the rooms and where Brittany's note is obviously directing her. There on the table sits the black box they had hidden away nearly four years ago and beside it is another and final note.
'tag. you're it.'
"Well, Miss Pierce." Santana whispers to herself and a small smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. "It's about damn time."
Santana spends the rest of the day wrestling with her phone and her goofy smile. For the first, she wasn't sure if she was ready to share with anyone that this was going on. She hasn't even told anyone in her family about the existence of this ring. For the latter, her face started to hurt about an hour after she woke up. But, the pain doesn't make the flutter in her stomach and chest go away.
Before Brittany gets home from work, she does manage to put the ring in her bedside table, giddy at the fact that this is now in her possession once again. She sends Brittany a quick text just to say 'I love you' and to wish her a good day at work. After a shower and some lunch, she makes a quick trip down to the liquor store around the block and picks up a bottle of champagne, figuring that a day like today calls for some celebration.
By five, Brittany walks through the door and is greeted by her bubbly girlfriend. She giggles at how Santana showers her with adoration before she can even put her bags down. After she kicks her shoes off, Santana leads her to the couch and reaches for the bottle of champagne she had set in a bucket on ice when she got Brittany's text that she'd be home twenty minutes ago.
"Ooh, champagne." Brittany cheers as she settles comfortably on the couch. Santana grins as she tears off the aluminum cover to the cork. "What's the occasion?" She asks and Santana playfully rolls her eyes at her girlfriend playing coy.
"Can't I just get my girlfriend good and drunk so that I can take advantage of her?" She winks and they both jump when she pops the cork free from the bottle. "Or get taken advantage of by my very drunk girlfriend." She adds as she leans forward to grab the two plastic champagne flutes they acquired a year ago. With both of their glasses generously filled, Santana sets the bottle back down into the bucket and turns to face Brittany.
"Nice surprise?" Brittany asks nervously, but she knows the answer. Santana bites on her bottom lip, unable to contain her smile, and nods her head.
"Very nice." She replies softly. "To us?" She suggests, tilting her glass towards Brittany's.
"To us." Brittany agrees and taps her plastic glass to Santana's.
"Mmm." Santana hums as she swallows her first sip. "Gimme a kiss lady." She puckers up and leans halfway.
"Lots of kisses." Brittany tells her and closes the distance between their lips. "How was your day off?" She asks after she pulls back and wipes Santana's lips with her thumb. "I mean, besides the obvious." She grins and rests her head to the back of the couch enjoying the dimples that deepen with each smile Santana smiles.
"Relaxing." Santana breathes out, following Brittany's lead and rests her own head to the back cushion of the couch. Her eyes scan over her girlfriend's face and her body relaxes. "How was work?" She inquires and lifts her hand up to Brittany's face where she smoothes out a few eyebrow hairs that were deviating from their natural direction.
"Uneventful." Brittany shrugs and takes another swig of her champagne. "I couldn't wait to get home." She admits and shuffles closer to Santana. "Did you eat yet?" She asks while tugging at the hem of Santana's shirt.
"Nope." Santana replies and kisses her girlfriend's cheek quickly. "I was waiting for you." She explains as she plays with a lock of blonde hair.
"When are you gonna give Garrett the time of day?" Santana wonders, sending a quick glance over towards the door because they are waiting for Rachel to join them.
"Why do you change the subject?" Quinn sighs and rolls her eyes. She dips her head because the topic of conversation makes her cheeks hot.
"I change the subject when I'm irritated. And you were irritating me." Santana informs her friend and taps her fingers on the table. "Besides, we were talking about carpet versus hardwood floors. Not exactly exhilarating." Quinn shakes her head and wonders how she is still friends with this girl. "So?"
"Garrett and I are just friends." Quinn reminds her friend for the millionth time.
"Are you kidding me?" Santana laughs. Unfortunately for Santana but fortunately for Quinn, Rachel comes rushing through the door of the coffee shop instantly ending the conversation.
"Hello ladies." She greets as she tosses her bag onto the table and looks around while she takes her sunglasses off. "It is gross out there." She comments with a motion towards the outside world she just came from. "Where's Kurt?" Rachel wonders, turning her attention back to the inside of the café.
"He's grabbing coffee." Quinn tells her and points over towards the counter where Kurt is in fact standing. Before she can even get settled fully in her seat, he is heading back over towards them, drink tray in hand.
"I feel like we are having our very own Midnight Society meeting." Kurt comments as he takes his seat, placing the coffee carrier down onto the table.
"What are you babbling about?" Santana spits out and grabs her coffee. Rachel and Quinn too share inquisitive looks.
"That old Nickelodeon show where teenagers sat around a fire and told scary stories." He explains but his girlfriends just look back at him. "Seriously? Bag of glitter dust gets thrown into the fire making a glorious puff of white smoke." Santana shrugs her shoulders and shakes her head. Quinn looks down with wide eyed confusion and focuses on her coffee. Rachel stares blankly at him. "Okay, what was it you brought us here for Santana?" She clears her throat and shifts in her seat.
"Well, I called you guys to meet me because I need your help." She says and the tone in her voice lets in on the fact that she's not happy about asking for help in the least. Before she explains, she jams her hand into the bottom of her purse, pulls something out and then places it in the middle of the table. Her friends eye up the object, each slowly realizing that it is a little black box. The little black box. "I'm gonna propose to Brittany." Both Kurt and Rachel sputter out their coffee while Quinn smiles to herself as she stirs the sugar into her coffee.
"Wait," Rachel holds up her hand once she gathers herself. "You and Brittany know each other inside and out. What could you possibly need our help with?" She wonders. "Not that the excitement of an impending proposal and engagement does not appeal to me. I just don't understand where we come in." Santana rolls her eyes and huffs.
"Okay, bad choice of words." Santana waves her hand as though erasing her previous plea. "I've just been going over all these different ways to do it and I guess I want the opinion of my friends." She rephrases.
"Something big." Kurt announces and lifts his arms up to emphasize his words.
"I think big is not the way to go with a proposal." Quinn chimes in.
"Oh come on." Kurt playfully taps his friend's shoulder. "You're telling me some grand gesture in a public place like by a fountain or in the middle of a restaurant with some band or musical number wouldn't make you swoon?" Quinn bobs her head from side to side, obviously thinking about Kurt's idea.
"Yeah, I guess if I was living in a musical." Quinn points out. "This isn't Grease or High School Musical. People don't just break out in song."
"In my world they do." Rachel tells the group.
"I've thought of something like that." Santana finally jumps into the conversation. "But, as awesome as singing a song to Brittany as a proposal sounds, it just doesn't feel intimate enough for me." She sips her coffee, in deep thought about her situation.
"I agree." Rachel nods. "I mean, all those people who propose at basketball games and in malls are probably pressured to say yes regardless if they were gonna say yes in the first place."
"When did she…?" Quinn asks and motions towards the black wooden box.
"Two weeks ago." Santana replies with a smile but her moment of remembering when she found it thanks to those cute little post-it notes is interrupted by one of her friends coughing on their coffee and the other two yelling 'what' at a high pitched tone.
"Two weeks ago?" Kurt yelps as he wipes his mouth free of sputtered coffee.
"And you didn't propose yet?" Rachel jerks her head back and eyes the box then her friend in confusion.
"Seriously Santana, what are you waiting for?" Quinn adds and shakes her head.
"And don't say 'the perfect moment' because those don't exist in real life." Kurt comments.
"You've been waiting like, four years to get this ring back." Quinn reminds her and Santana nods at this statement. It's true. "And two weeks later you're asking us for advice?"
"Yeah, didn't you have a plan at all when you bought this five million years ago?" Kurt asks, his eyes practically undressing the box and his fingers dance across the table and back towards himself.
"Oh, just look at it Lady Hummel." Santana tells him, reaching to the box and slides it in his direction. He greedily picks it up and pops the clasp in one swift motion.
"Oh Santana." He hums softly and tilts his head as though from a different angle he'll get even more beauty out of the ring. "This is exquisite." Rachel grabs his hand so she can take a look.
"Brittany's gonna love it." Rachel says, giving her friend a nod of approval.
"Yeah." Santana bobs her head up and down and smiles proudly. "I guess, I just want it to be romantic and memorable."
"All proposals are memorable." Quinn assures her, sending a quick look over in Rachel's direction who is still too mesmerized by the ring.
"You guys know Britt just as well as I do." Santana shifts in her chair and crosses her legs at the knee. "What kind of proposal do you think she'd want?"
"I still think that going big is the way to go." Kurt replies and closes the box setting it back to the middle of the table. Santana sighs with uncertainty and glances over at Rachel.
"Big can be grand, of course, but there is a lot of planning." Rachel explains. "For example, what with our background in singing i.e. the Glee club in high school, a huge performance to show ones affection is rather easy to us."
"Where in the world would you be able to set something like that up?" Quinn wonders.
"Several places." Rachel answers instantly. "There's Brittany's studio. Even Mick's." She lists two places off right away. "Surely after all our dedicated patronage over the years, Garrett would love to help us out." Santana smirks and sends Quinn a look.
"Okay." Quinn drawls out after giving Santana an eye roll. "But, would Brittany really want her marriage proposal to be in the middle of a dirty bar in front of drunken strangers?" The other three mull this over, bobbing their heads from side to side and staring down at the table.
"Q's right." Santana agrees with a nod.
"Santana," Rachel interrupts their silent thinking. "I don't really think venue should be your main concern. When it comes down to it, the setting is the least of your worries. It's what you say that is going to be the most memorable." She explains and Santana hates to admit it, but Rachel Berry is actually right. "Now, if you're interested, I can help you come up with some romantic lines and maybe even throw in a poem or several." Internally, Santana groans, but externally she nods. "Perfect, then we will meet up tomorrow at your place when Brittany is out and I will come up with the best proposal romance has ever heard."
Rachel rushes out apologizing for such a short visit and meeting, but she has to get to an audition that's across town. Quinn and Kurt discuss the possibilities of things that can go wrong in an intimate setting versus a big, public type of proposal. Meanwhile, Santana sits with the box in her hands tuning out her friends and tries to think of how exactly she plans on popping the question.
"So, I gave Santana the ring back." Brittany tells her friends after the food arrives. Quinn widens her eyes, Rachel coughs and looks away and Kurt nearly spits his water back into the glass through the straw. "I know, it's a big deal." Brittany sighs and tucks some hair behind her ear. "It's been like a month and she still hasn't asked me." She says, worry evident in her voice.
"I'm sure she just wants it to be a surprise." Rachel assures her friend and reaches her hand over to pat her on the arm for good measure. Brittany nods a few times, picks up her fork and pokes at her food.
"You're probably right." Brittany mumbles.
"And maybe she's planning something big which is why it's taking so long." Kurt adds as an afterthought to Rachel's explanation which garners a glare from Quinn.
"I don't know." Brittany shrugs. "It could be in the middle of Times Square or in bed, it's not about where." Quinn watches Brittany unintentionally slump in her chair. She sucks in a small smile wishing she was able to assure her that Santana really is putting great thought into it. Not just because she knows how Santana operates, but because Santana told them exactly that.
"It'll happen." Quinn tells her with certainty that Brittany can't help but smile gratefully up at her.
"I guess I thought that once I put it out there..." Brittany grumbles, obviously the assurance from her friends can only last so long.
"She'd ask you right away?" Quinn wonders, because she honestly thought that was how this was going to go too.
"Well, yeah." Brittany replies with a shrug as though it should be fairly obvious that she assumed this.
"I'm sure she's just waiting for the right moment. You know her. She's a planner." Rachel chimes in and offers Brittany a supportive smile and nod.
Brittany mulls this information over as she finally dives into her lunch. It is true. Santana seldom dives head first into things without much thought. Even when she does seem spontaneous, Brittany always knew the things she did on a whim, were also things that she made a pros and cons list about in her head.
Not letting the conversation turn dull into 'when' or even into 'what if', Kurt changes the subject to something entirely different. Brittany is happy for the new topic and her mind is quickly distracted with color patterns and schemes for the fall fashion Kurt is creating for his hopeful clothing line. Quinn and Rachel also breathe out a sigh of relief since they have been privy to this returning of the ring for over two weeks now.
The room is dimly lit with just a small sliver of sun creeping around the curtain. It's quiet too. The only sound to be heard is their breathing. Santana stands with the black box in her hand. She nervously plays with the clasp between her thumb and forefinger. With a deep breath she lifts her head and smiles.
"Brittany." She breathes out slowly and nods. "Will you do me the honor..." She sucks in her lips and shakes her head. "No way, that's totally gay." She drops her hand, the one holding the ring box, to her side and turns around.
Rachel is sitting on the edge of her bed, notepad on her lap and pen in hand. She crosses something off on her 'list' and shakes her head.
"That's basically all of my ideas." She whines.
"Your ideas are all from the middle ages." Santana groans and falls onto the bed backwards. "Nobody talks like this." She rests the box on her forehead and closes her eyes.
"I'll have you know that I have been making this list of proposals that have tugged at my very heart strings since high school." Rachel points out and tosses her writing pad to the empty spot next to her in a huff.
"Are you kidding me Berry?" Santana laughs. "Those lines sound like you copied them out of a rom-com that never got made 'cause it sucked."
"You're the one who asked me for help." Rachel shakes her head and pushes herself up from the bed. "Mocking the way in which I help you is uncalled for." She smoothes out her skirt and walks over to the vanity where she put her phone.
"I just feel like…" Santana twists her lips and sits up on her elbows to get a good look at her friend. "Look, I don't know how to say this without sounding like a bitch, but, are these all ways you thought Quinn was gonna propose? Or how you want to propose?" She asks. It hasn't been much of a subject of conversation, Quinn and Rachel, since they broke up over three years ago. Rachel looks up at her, brow furrowed and her lips parted. "I just don't want some recycled or dream version proposal that you want." Rachel closes her mouth, swallows and drops her eyes back to her phone.
"Quinn and I are friends." Rachel informs her and Santana rolls her eyes, luckily out of her friend's sight. "I haven't thought of us in that way for a while now." She shrugs her shoulders and moves back towards the foot of the bed to take a seat. "Maybe it'll be easier to come up with something if you tell me a few things."
"Like what?" Santana turns on her side, propping her head up in her hand.
"Like, how you feel when you're around her and when you realized you were in love with her." Rachel explains. "Maybe tell her how you see your future with her in it."
"Shouldn't that be obvious?" Santana whines and lies on her back and stares up at her ceiling.
"When do you plan on asking her anyway?" Rachel asks as she gathers her things. It's obvious to her that Santana is not going to take any of her suggestions.
"Soon." Santana mumbles to herself, too occupied with the how of it all.
But soon turns into the end of summer and then its Brittany's birthday. She doesn't want to pop the question on her girlfriend's birthday it seems like a cop out to not get and give and actual gift. Halloween passes and then it's November and Santana doesn't want to propose on Thanksgiving. And then she doesn't want to do it on Christmas or New Years. Then it's February and she doesn't want to do it on Valentine's Day.
"You know that if you keep using holidays as an excuse you're never gonna do it." Quinn points out one night at Mick's. Santana rolls her eyes and sips her beer.
"You know, I don't recall asking for your opinion. At least not about the ETA about said proposal." Santana spits out. "Besides, shouldn't you be focusing on the progress of your own relationship? Or lack thereof." She motions towards Rachel who is waiting by the bar with Brittany who is talking to Garrett. Quinn follows her line of vision and purses her lips. "Oh, do I sense some tension and not of the sexual variety." Santana comments with intrigue and shifts in her bar stool.
"Your Tana senses are most definitely tingling." Quinn adjusts her long bangs to one side of her head. Santana quirks an eyebrow and glances over at Rachel and then at Garrett. "But, right now we're talking about you." Santana sighs and looks back over at Quinn. "It's March, no holidays." She shrugs her shoulders and gives her friend a pointed look. "And don't even try and use St. Patrick's Day as an excusable one."
Santana smirks and shakes the rest of her beer around at the bottom of the bottle.
"I just want it to be perfect." Santana explains.
Brittany is flipping through their mail when she walks into the apartment after work. She kicks the door shut with her foot and turns towards the table against the wall where she tosses her keys. An American Express envelope peaks her interest and she opens it up to find their new credit cards.
"We got our new American Express." She says out loud while she steps out of her shoes and pushes them under the table with her toes. "Babe?" She calls out again when she doesn't get a response. Without another thought, she grabs the pile of mail and makes her way towards the hallway that leads to their bedroom.
It takes a few steps into the hallway when she realizes that she is stepping on something. But before she can fully huff out her girlfriend's name, she flips the switch on to light up the hallway and notices that their hardwood floor is sprinkled with red and white rose petals. She smiles but gasps, uncertain of what is awaiting her in their bedroom, where the petal road seems to lead.
Brittany follows the rose petals to their bedroom door which she opens to reveal their room tastefully lit with candles. She smiles and her heart beats faster because she realizes something big might just be around the corner. Her legs bring her to the bed when she notices something sitting on top of the comforter. On the bed she sees there is a photo album she's never seen before. Realizing she is still clutching onto their mail, she lets it drop to the bed, some envelopes fall to the ground but she could care less and reaches for the photo album.
Upon opening it she is greeted with pictures of them from summers at camp and at the Lopez cabin. There is one where they are lounging around by the Lopez pool and another in front of the Pierce's house sitting on chairs they made out of snow. A few pages forward are photos of them in high school. Cheerio uniforms and Glee costumes, graduation and parties, even their thunderclap King and Queen from the dance senior year.
There's a picture of Santana in her NYU cap and gown after graduating with her bachelors and then again after law school, both with Brittany on her arm. There's the picture that Quinn took of them on set of a music video Brittany was working on. Another has Brittany grinning at the camera while trying to piece together the desk they got from IKEA for Santana's 'office'.
When Brittany gets to the last page she finds there are no photos. Instead, there's a post-it which reads 'tag. you're it. turn around'. She hesitates, but only for a moment, before she places the book down carefully and turns around. There, right behind her, is Santana staring back at and nervously playing with her hands.
"Oh my god." Brittany gasps and covers her mouth with her hands. Santana chuckles as she takes in Brittany's reactions.
"Shh, come here." She smiles and waves her over. Brittany feels like her legs are weighted and she can hardly believe she's actually able to move them. "Here," Santana takes her hand and leads her to the foot of the bed. "Sit down." She laughs softly at how shaky Brittany feels.
"Is this... this is happening?" Brittany mumbles to herself and Santana smirks.
"Yes." Santana breathes out and nods, still holding Brittany's hands in her own. "It is." And she slowly kneels down on both knees right in front of Brittany.
Santana sniffles through her smile and wipes her eye quickly with the back of her finger. Brittany stares on curiously, nervous and excited as Santana reaches her hand into her pocket and pulls out something shiny. Blue eyes widen and sparkle with tears that slowly slide down her cheeks. Santana holds it out between them and lifts her other hand up to swipe the tears from under Brittany's eyes.
"I kept trying to come up with some romantic speech or something that would make this incredibly special." Santana shakes her head at herself and chuckles because her voice is so scratchy and unsteady. "Then I realized that, with you, words will never come close to expressing how I feel about you." Brittany stops trying to control her crying and just lets go. "We've shared so many firsts together." Brittany smiles and nods through her tears. "Some of the very firsts I had are things that were more than just feelings. Like the first time I kissed you. Your lips were so soft and gentle. And I felt like I could kiss those lips forever." Brittany's chin quivers and she tries to hold in a sob. This makes Santana start to blubber a bit and she pauses to gather herself. "The first time we made love," Her voice cracks and Brittany tilts her head as tries her hardest to not be sad because this is supposed to be a happy moment. "It wasn't exactly our first time." She chuckles, doing her best to lighten the mood.
"I know." Brittany chokes out and covers Santana's hand with her own. Santana smiles because she'd never known when sex became making love until that afternoon back in high school.
"I remember feeling this overwhelming need to tell you things I wasn't ready to say or even feel." She shakes her head to rid herself of this overload of emotion, but, it's of no use. "I think the best part about our journey is that it has such a long past. We've been through so much together. Not a lot of people have that. But, I think what's even greater is that we have an even longer journey ahead of us. I fell in love with you before I even knew what love meant. What I learned about love, I learned from you. And I keep learning each day and I fall more and more each day." She sniffles. "I love you, Brittany. Will you marry me?"
Brittany's lips part, her chin shivers as she breathes and her eyes study Santana intensely. She blinks a few times, trying to get all the tears out as to not have a blurry vision of Santana kneeling before her. Her arm raises, her hand cups one of Santana's cheeks and her thumb caresses the corner of her lip. Brittany's head bobs up and down as she slowly leans forward and presses her mouth to Santana's.
"Yes." She cries. "Yes, of course I'll marry you." Brittany's not sure whether she needs to look at Santana or kiss her.
So, she does both.
...To Be Continued...